Hello, Chocolate Box creator! Thank you for writing for me! I'm Mal or Mali (malachiical @ AO3 as well); I'll try to keep each individual section of this letter brief, and you should be able to skip to wherever you like with anchor links and/or just expand the parts relevant to you via cut. I hope our ids align and you have a blast writing, because I'm definitely looking forward to whatever you come up with!

General DNWs
General Likes
Porn Likes
Crossover Fandom - Hiruma Youichi (Eyeshield 21)/Ootori Kyouya (Ouran High School Host Club)
Marvel (Comics) - Adrian Toomes/Nathan Lubensky; Adrian Toomes/Nathan Lubensky & Tiana Toomes
Marvel (Comics) - J. Jonah Jameson/Quentin Beck
The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon) - Adrian Toomes/Otto Octavius; Adrian Toomes/Max Dillon/Otto Octavius
The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon) - Phineas Mason/Quentin Beck
The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon) - Chameleon/Phineas Mason/Quentin Beck
Vampire Cleanup Department (2017) - Yeung Chung/Yip Chi Chau

General DNWs

• incest
• noncon/dubcon
• underage
• gore, permanent injury, character death (unless otherwise stated)
• infidelity
• halves of the pair feeling like they really just don't like or care about each other at all (even with more complicated stuff I am a BIG SOPPY ROMANTIC)
• the pairing having sexualities that mean they aren't attracted to one another
• being ashamed of or hating one's body (even for trans stuff, if you write it; just no focus on dysphoria please)
• unhappy endings
• unrequested AUs (canon divergence is fine)
• unrequested identity headcanons (mentions for OCs are fine)
• unrequested noncanon ships (background canon ships that don't break up the requested pairing are fine; mentions of OCs being in relationships with one another is fine)
• unrequested poly (mentions of OCs being in poly relationships with one another is fine)
• unnecessary use of safewords or stoplight symbols
• feederism, weight gain, inflation, pregnancy (mentions of OCs being pregnant are fine)
• scat, watersports, vomit (mentions of someone throwing up not in a kink context are fine), vore, bestiality, choking/breathplay, somnophilia, mommy- or daddykink, 24/7 D/S
• canon-specific DNWs and exceptions in the fandom sections!

General Likes

• Valentine's Day & seasonal stuff! I have some prompts for each section down below but I'd just like anything with this tbh!
• fic rated from G through E!
• pining and culmination of pining: getting together, kissing, romantic tension/UST being resolved! I am into all ratings for these fics legit
• fluff, snapshot moments of what's going on in their lives
• romantic tension, UST that eventually becomes resolved
• flirting, confident or awkward or just fuckin disastrous
• extreme loyalty
• redemption arcs, gray morality, general complexity, lighter takes on villains & villain redemption
• hurt/comfort
• happy or at least hopeful/somewhat upbeat endings
• first times and milestones (sexual or non, doesn’t even have to be overly romantic, stuff like taking a photo for the first time together or and the like is also good!)
• I really do love age gaps tbh and find older characters hot & also love when the other characters do... in SSM I can easily imagine Otto being in his 30s or early 40s while Adrian is in his 60s and Electro in his 20s, and Phineas Mason being in his 50s while Beck is in his 30s or 40s (maybe Chameleon somewhere between them or around Quentin's age?); in Vampire Cleanup Department Chau is probably meant to be in his 50s with Chung in his 70s; I can't quite age comics Quentin Beck but J. Jonah Jameson might well be older than him, you could go either way with that! and it's not an age gap but I am also into Nathan and Adrian finding each other attractive/hot!
• descriptions of making out tbh
• trans headcanons where it’s not A Thing in the fic, no coming out or explanations necessary, or it's just accepted and not super dwelled on unless the prompt is about self-exploration. no Having To Deal With Bigotry or issuefic or anything, just character(s) happen(s) to be trans (both same gender/pronouns as in canon and different gender/pronouns are fine)
• canon divergent AUs, change one thing about a canon and maybe other things happen differently
• more canon-specific likes in the fandom sections!
• art treats always welcome!

Porn Likes

• first times and milestones
• frot, scissoring, intercrural, grinding against ass, basically all that stuff
• handjobs, fingering, oral
• romantic smut, lots of touching, focus on touching/wanting to touch and sensations and body parts, loving descriptions of partner's body (description of both stereotypically attractive and not stereotypically attractive features welcome so long as they're INTO it!), kissing during sex, hand-holding during sex, eye contact during sex, all that stuff!
• clothed sex, partially clothed sex, and clothing kink!
• inexperience, awkward, clumsy but eager and enjoyable sex
• XENO. xeno xeno xeno I am so into xeno, play around with alien genitalia and I am here for it, tentacles, cloacas, characters having both sets of genitalia, ovipositors, genitals resembling flowers or wet pinecone dick, Mouths Down There, legit whatever you can think of just g o f o r i t
• BDSM tones, mild or more formal
• praise kink and instructions/requests/begging flavors of dirty talk
• mutually enjoyed/kinked-on breeding kink dirty talk when actual pregnancy is outright impossible and does not happen
• manhandling, hair pulling, love bites and scratches, rough but not outright painful (or only pleasantly painful) sex
• orgasm delay (though not total denial), edging
• alternately, multiple orgasms, "forced" orgasms that are still enjoyable
• e n t h u s i a s m and detailed descriptions of sex, just go for it
• in general, prefer the terms: penis, cock, dick, length; nipples, ass, and testicles/balls can just be called those things; vagina, vulva, cunt, or pussy if that comes up; come or cum are both fine spellings
• piv in trans smut is fine; oral and pia sex super welcome, alternatives are also loved; prefer for vagina to be called vagina, cunt, or pussy, or to be referred to vaguely, not "hole"; prefer for ass NOT to be called a vagina/cunt/pussy, but referred to vaguely & implied to be one is fine, or just called ass; fine with clit being called clit or penis/cock/dick, fine with penis being called penis/cock/dick or hen or clit
• porn is always welcome!

Crossover Fandom
Hiruma Youichi (Eyeshield 21)/Ootori Kyouya (Ouran High School Host Club)

This ship strikes me as fascinating and with a ton of potential for fun stuff! Hiruma and Kyouya are incredibly different people, but also alike in a lot of ways that I think could both make them respect one another, be impressed by one another, see the value in one another, and also sometimes grate on each others' nerves like hell. They are both likely to know way too much about each other, and about each others' clubmates/teammates, and I could easily see them being on mostly equal footing.

I'm betting both would have a hard time actually pulling off blackmailing the other (or people close enough to the other to have any of their protection) or really getting one over on the other, with maybe one or two moments on either side where they get the upper hand for a VERY short period before the other manages to get things back under control. This would usually leave them having to approach each other in other ways, either more subtle manipulation (that they're both probably aware of and also aware that they're both aware of) or flat-out making deals with each other for mutual benefit. Which is great because they'd also make a scary good team when and if they did come together, so I could also see them both being savvy enough to seek the other out as a useful contact to get and to uphold.

Basically, with these two I especially like the idea of them being basically evenly matched, and them being drawn to each other specifically because of that. Neither of them actually being able to have the upper hand over the other or really intimidate the other is a key part of why I'm interested in them!

(I would also like to mention that while Hiruma resembles Kyouya waaaay more than he resembles Tamaki, still, Jesus, blond boys who are super passionate about a thing are going to be the death of Kyouya seriously. I am also fine with some minor former or current one-sided Kyouya->Tamaki feelings, and it's cool if Hiruma has some one-sided feelings for someone, I don't really have Feelings Preferences there. Just assume that he and Mamori aren't together, feelings can have happened but whether it's one-sided or a handwavey breakup or just something they decided wouldn't work is fine, I imagine they're still on fine terms.)

General Ideas

A handwavey crossover AU where they're both going to the same high school, whether that means the Host Club is at Deimon Private Senior High School for some reason, the Devil Bats are Ouran Academy's American football team, or they're going to some weird amalgamation school instead of either. Or maybe the schools are right fucking next to each other, or Deimon's gym is closed for renovations and they're using Ouran's for some reason for a while. Or maybe the schools are just in the same town and they seek each other out when they hear about each other, or they're slightly longer distance allies who make it a point to keep in touch and even see each other occasionally. Or maybe after both their canons Hiruma and Kyouya wind up going to the same university! Maybe they're roommates or maybe they just meet due to shenanigans or again, maybe they hear about each other and one (or both) winds up seeking the other out now that they're in the same sphere.

What if Hiruma tries blackmailing or strongarming the club into doing football things and it backfires? What if the Host Club shows up at a Deimon game to cheerlead? What if Kyouya does some subtle flirting with Hiruma in front of the club's clients to make them swoon, because if Hiruma's going to be in the club room he's going to contribute? What happens the first time one tries to blackmail the other and the other flat-out destroys that shit, either Hiruma shooting photographs or Kyouya flat out breaking shit like he did Renge's video camera? How intrigued is one when they first see the other be fucking ruthless or really, really clever? How do they lend each other help on occasion? Do they feed each other information or contacts or more concrete favors such as helicopters or an Emergency Last-Minute Stagecoach? Do Hiruma and any of the Devil Bats ever get caught up in Host Club bullshit and does he really totally mind it? Does he walk into the club and they're in the middle of one of their Theme Days where the room's all done up and they're all in costume? (Sports or gangsters themes might be especially hot for this, but go nuts.) Do the two of them ever share a drink or a dance or a hotel room? Does Kyouya ever make Hiruma's temper snap? Does Hiruma ever make Kyouya's temper snap?

Some AU ideas are also welcome for these two! Genderswap AUs are always welcome, for either or both of them! (I find the idea of the Host Club all being girls who still dress as boys and play the exact roles they do in canon to be incredibly hot, tbh.) Or what if the school they go to is some magic school or school for superpowered students or something? What about a battle of the bands situation where the Devil Bats are a rock group and the Host Club is a boyband? Or an AU where the Devil Bats are a super sentai team and the Host Club are magical boys (or girls)? (I'm not necessarily against any other AU ideas, but please ask through the mods first!)

Smut is also always welcome and feel free to ignore my underage DNW for this so long as they're both 16+ during any smut; other than the stuff in my general likes, I love enthusiasm, UST before sex, manhandling, sharing a hotel room, sharing a bed in general, just having sex in some out of the way room, casual nudity and partial nudity, costume sex including crossdressing (either or both of them!), still being partly dressed during sex, both of them being kind of "what the fuck" about how into it they are and how good it is...

I am also open to a ton of stuff outside of what I mentioned above (or mention below, tbh); that was just what popped into my head! If you keep my likes in mind and just go nuts I will be super happy.

Holiday & Seasonal Ideas

Valentine's Day shenanigans! White Day shenanigans! Does the Host Club do anything special for either/both days? Do they receive chocolates from other people? Does one (or both) give the other chocolate? If so, is it an open gesture, a casual one, a "I got chocolate I don't want/way too much chocolate, you have this" thing (purportedly), is it secretive, does Kyouya give Hiruma chocolate "as a secret admirer" but he makes it obvious because he's basically putting on a performance for the club's customers?

Seasonal stuff and other kinds of holidays and celebrations would also be good here! Christmas isn't really a thing in Japan, but if you wanted to play with mistletoe or gift exchanging stuff, go nuts! (Maybe Tamaki has heard of mistletoe. Tamaki is a good excuse for all kinds of ridiculous things.) Snowball fights that certain people get way too into, sitting together at a kotatsu, going to an onsen, doing things for one of the winter festivals, or celebrating New Years in a big way, maybe including good luck charms or omikuji!

Or if you're in the Southern hemisphere and want to take this as a chance to write summery stuff, have fun with that too! What would a beach episode involving both the Host Club and the Devil Bats look like? Or just any other way they could spend their downtime! What about summery themes at the Host Club or a football game played during the summer? Or do they go anywhere on vacation?

Finally, general romance stuff would also be wonderful here; go nuts with it! Truly general stuff (sharing an umbrella in the rain? splitting a desert?) or like... school anime romance cliches (pocky game! giving the second button of your school uniform!), I am a sucker for any of this, so go with whatever. :D

Musical Inspiration

• The Dresden Dolls - Dirty Business
• Hozier - NFWMB
• Morrissey - I Like You
• The Pierces - Lights On
• Stateless - Bloodstream

Links to Previous Letters

If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done a couple of freeform exchanges!

• Soul-2-Soul
• Just Married

Canon-Specific DNWs

• smut with either character under 16
• infidelity (just have them not with any of the other characters when they're together)
  

Canon-Specific Likes

• two canons just taking place in the same universe and playing around with what that might mean
• slight canon AUs to make crossovers work
• Hiruma and Kyouya being evenly matched/on equal footing
• noncanon background pairings I actually enjoy if they happen to come up: Sena/Monta, Sena/Suzuna, Mamori/Suzuna, Musashi/Kurita, Jumonji/Kuroki/Togano, Natsuhiko/Ishimaru, basically any from the other teams, Hikaru/Kaoru, Honey/Mori, Nekozawa/Tamaki, Kasanoda/Tetsuya, Haruhi/Renge, Haruhi/basically any of the hosts singularly or together...
• NAMING CONVENTIONS. Hiruma usually comes up with somewhat dismissive/insulting/abraisive things to call people, so what about if/when he uses Kyouya's name? is Kyouya on a first or last name basis with him? feel free to include honorifics if you like as well, extrapolating from the characters' usage of them in canon.
• if you're interested, I like trans headcanons for these characters! I like the idea of Kyouya as a trans girl or nonbinary, but trans boy is fine too, and anything's fine for Hiruma or pretty much any of the other characters. if Haruhi shows up or is mentioned I also have a slight preference for her as nonbinary, but trans boy is fine -- just not trans girl, please! and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory!
• I am actually always into the idea of the Host Club as all being girls who are pretending to be guys, just like Haruhi, either with the other Ouran students aware or not -- maybe it's an all girls' school? so feel free to play with that genderswap AU, with the Devil Bats genderswapped as well or not! Hiruma/Kyouya being m/f or f/f are both fine if you go this route!

Marvel (Comics)
Adrian Toomes/Nathan Lubensky
Adrian Toomes/Nathan Lubensky & Tiana Toomes

[Where you can find the comics: Here!
Most Pertinent Issues:
Lead-up to Vulture meeting Nathan - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) Issue #2 (first Vulture issue), Untold Tales of Spider-Man Issue #20 (interesting redemption-ish moment for Vulture), The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) Issues #240-241 (Vulture's backstory in more depth), The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) Issues #44-45 (Vulture losing his nephew and how he ended up in the hospital)
Their relationship - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) Issue #224, Web of Spider-Man (1985) Issue #3
Nathan dying - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) Issues #334-336
Vulture torn up after Nathan's death - The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) Issues #186-188
If you want to do clone stuff - The Clone Conspiracy #4, The Amazing Spider-Man (2015) Issue #23, The Clone Conspiracy #5
List of comics Tiana Toomes has been in - Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #5-6, Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #13, Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #10 [B Story], Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #49 [D Story], Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #20-22, Champions (2020) #1-3, Champions (2020) #5, Champions (2020) #9, Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #30-32
Tiana and her relationship with her grandpa specifically - Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #6 (mentioned), Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #10 [B Story], Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #49 [D Story], Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #22, Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #32]

I'll keep this short; if you want to see way more rambling thoughts from me on these two, you can check out the Marvel (Comics) section of this previous Chocolate Box letter of mine.

Mostly, though, Adrian Toomes and Nathan Lubensky are entirely too iddy for me. Vulture is a fucked up criminal who doesn't mind murdering people to get what he wants, and when he's at his lowest, a totally ordinary, good man reaches out to him in friendship and in kindness and he just... falls completely in love, I can't interpret it any other way. Nathan gives Adrian a new lease on life, and when Spider-Man tracks Vulture down (because of course Adrian's also been crime spreeing it up) Vulture reaches for someone to hostage and: "Eh? N-Nathan? I didn't know that I'd grabbed you! I just reached for the closest warm body. You... gave me my life back. How can I hurt you?" At some point "off-screen" Vulture reaches out to Nathan and asks him to be his partner in crime!

And then, canonically, it ends tragically. Nathan develops heart problems that get much worse, and when he bets on a man's life to try to leave May some money when he dies, he winds up getting grabbed by the Vulture again (who doesn't realize who he is) and having a heart attack. And then Vulture spends multiple issues, while dying himself, just desperate to earn May's forgiveness because being responsible for Nathan dying is tearing him up: "Nathan was my friend! I cared about him! I really cared! Your aunt has to know that I never... never... would've laid a hand on him that day if I'd realized who he was!" (With Peter's thought after that being "I know what it's like to feel responsible for the death of someone you love...")

Adrian is so clearly a ruthless criminal, an at least occasionally deadly one, who doesn't really know how to approach this reasonably at all, but that makes it even more interesting to me that he's so legitimately desperately attached to Nathan and torn up over his death. I really love that this supervillain who is legitimately Kinda Fucked Up also sincerely cares about and is dedicated to just... this normal, decent man who believed in him and showed him kindness one (1) time when he desperately needed it. (A normal decent man who is, admittedly, willing to bet on the murder of a rich jackass when desperate, which also makes the dynamic of the two more interesting to me.)

Adding Tiana into the story also complicates things further in a way I'm absolutely here for. Despite everything else Vulture is and is capable of... he's also apparently a loving and doting grandfather who very much made an effort to be there for the family that his son abandoned, trying for years to make up for that. Adrian Toomes's relationship with his granddaughter Tiana is legitimately sweet. He takes her out flying when he's in town, goes out of his way to spend time with her, encourages her passion for art, and eventually just outright gives her a flight suit like his. She calls him grandpa and he calls her Firecracker. They obviously love one another.

Of course, he was also lying to her about not having murdered people, and she's obviously torn up about it when she finds out. I like the idea that this is less her completely cutting him out and more her having a hard time making everything she's learned square with everything she's experienced growing up; he's a murderer but he was also legitimately loving and there for her, and neither of those facts changes the other. Tiana could also work very well, alongside Nathan, as a moral compass for Vulture -- and she, too, has her own darkness that makes the dynamic more interesting to me than just "morality pet," as she was willing to kill Tombstone, put his men in the hospital, and doesn't even seem bothered by her grandpa's history of bank robbing, just him killing innocent people.

General Ideas

For Adrian and Nathan... I won't even lie, I desperately want some sort of fix-it fic for these two. Some scenario where Nathan doesn't die, either doesn't get sick or gets saved somehow! Or even one where he gets brought back to life! (That last part does kinda-sorta happen thanks to Ben Reilly/the Jackal, after a fashion, with cloning, though it's unclear whether that clone survived... the point is that it's possible!) (Also, if Nathan gets brought back any younger than in canon I am fine with Vulture also getting younger; this is the exception to my Weird Hot Young Vulture DNW because I like them getting time together.)

Once there's a scenario where Nathan survives or is alive again, there are a lot of ways to go with it in a general sense. Maybe Vulture actually retires! (He's nearly done so several times; I actually found his change of heart in Untold Tales of Spider-Man Issue #20, where he realized he was an unhappy failure and had never wanted his life to turn out like that and gave himself up to the police, really touching, even if it didn't stick.) Maybe Nathan actually does become the Vulture's partner in crime, whether or not he's reluctant about it, whether or not he tempers some of Vulture's worse impulses (maybe that's why he agrees in the first place, maybe not). Or maybe they just in general have to navigate this weird situation where Adrian is a fairly ruthless, kinda messed-up criminal who also sincerely loves Nathan with a startling intensity and somehow Nathan can't deny that he loves Ade too despite everything.

As a particular canon divergence AU idea that I think has a lot of promise... If May and Nathan were never a thing, Spider-Man might never find out that Vulture was hiding at the nursing home -- or at least find out later -- so given more breathing room, would Adrian and Nathan get to spend more time together? How might Nathan find out and react to Ade's being the Vulture? Since Nathan didn't seem in shock when he found out in the comics, maybe he even figured it out and just never said anything to Adrian about it, at least not straight-out, waiting for him to bring it up?

Also, in general, in any of those scenarios, anything from my likes list would be great. H/C, including emotional after resurrection or emotional/physical if one of them gets hurt! Really extreme loyalty in Adrian's case, goddamn. First time, first date, first kiss, first confession of feelings, the first time Adrian asked Nathan to be his partner in crime, Adrian admitting he's the Vulture or Nathan finding it out! "Case fic" where Adrian commits a crime; is Nathan helping, does Adrian come back and pretend he's not the Vulture, does Adrian temper his actions because it occurs to him that Nathan could disapprove/be upset if he hurt/killed someone, does Nathan astonish Adrian by covering for him when Adrian didn't even know he knew he was the Vulture? Adrian telling Nathan about certain elements of his past, like the betrayal by his partner Bestman or his nephew Malachai's death, either leaving out details (if he's pretending to not be Vulture) or in full? Maybe Vulture makes it clear how incredibly dedicated he is to Nathan, maybe Nathan feels like he has a responsibility to use this to keep Vulture metaphorically leashed, maybe both of them wind up finding that dynamic way kinkier/hotter than either of them expected to (whether it actually turns into sex or just the mood of "uh wow this feels like a D/s thing" and they lean into it without actually admitting it might be that)... Speaking of which, smut in general would be excellent, there'd be a lot of intensity there for sure. Let the old men fuck!! (Or the young men if that's how things are, that's just fine!)

Adding Tiana to the mix, I just love how she adds this new dimension to Vulture! Adrian did his damn best to make up for his son abandoning her and her mother, and he and his granddaughter were obviously close. I'd love reconciliation between Adrian and Tiana! I'd love Adrian encouraging Tiana in her art more, or even outright encouraging her in her vigilantism even though he's a supervillain! Maybe the combined influence of and love for Tiana and Nathan gets the Vulture shifting more towards being a vigilante himself, or retiring? Or even just reeling back and ceasing to kill/hurt civilians during his crimes? Or maybe Starling and Nathan wind up leaning a bit more morally gray, either instead of Vulture softening or meeting him in the middle? Maybe Nathan gets in trouble and Starling and Vulture both help save him (with Starling not even knowing he had a connection with her grandpa at first), or Vulture gets into trouble somehow and Nathan and Starling wind up helping him!

I also just in general love the idea of Adrian talking about his granddaughter to Nathan; maybe Nathan helps him deal with his upset after her mother died, and/or his feelings about his son abandoning his family and cutting off contact. I'd love Nathan getting to meet Tiana, and Tiana getting to meet her grandpa's best friend and beau. Hell, if Nathan still had (or even still has!) a connection to the Parkers, I'd be down for Tiana and Peter getting a chance to bond outside of costume! (Maybe they're both a little bit weirded out by a May/Nathan/Adrian poly or V-shaped situation, if you go that route, even if Tiana's happy for her grandpa?) Anything where Tiana and Adrian have a good relationship and/or get to heal their relationship, and Tiana and Nathan get to meet and bond, would be amazing! I'd also love any exploration of little things that Adrian did or learned how to do for Tiana's sake when she was growing up; does he know how to do her makeup, or her hair? Did he make absolutely sure to attend even little events in her life and does he still do so? Has Nathan started learning or coming along?

Holiday & Seasonal Ideas

I am always a sucker for cliche and tropey Valentine's things! Giving sweet little gifts, going on Valentine's dates, watching romantic movies... Does Adrian make sure to be out of (or break out of) jail around Valentine's Day, or does Nathan ever visit him in jail? What's their first Valentine's together like? What's their first Valentine's together after Adrian retires like... or after Nathan joins him in crime... or after they make up... or after Nathan comes back to life, if you go that route? Do they make sure to go on a date (even if it's more staying in because someone is maybe lying low), does one of them cook for the other or do they cook together, does one or both of them gift flowers or chocolates or cufflinks or jewelry or the like? Does Tiana help her grandpa make or find something, maybe? Or is Adrian helping Tiana with Valentine's stuff, even just advice, or are they chatting about it, and that brings up the whole situation with Nathan?

Seasonal stuff in general is great too, or other winter holidays! Does Vulture enjoy flying in the cold or snow, or does he hate it? What about Starling? Do the characters get snowed in at home, or awkwardly snowed in together someplace before they get together? Do they leave NYC for the holidays? Does the power go out and what do they do? Does the power maybe get cut... for a crime? Cliche and tropey Christmas and New Years things go here, too, like exchanging gifts, kissing under the mistletoe, kissing at midnight to ring in the new year, watching holiday movies, spending time together as well as with other loved ones and family... Do they attend some holiday party that a supervillain crashes, or is it Vulture causing trouble? Go nuts with winter and/or holiday things!

Or if you're in the Southern hemisphere and want to take this as a chance to write summery stuff, have fun with that too! Hanging around when it's super hot in NYC, going on a vacation together, some summery-feeling crimes if you can think of any, performed by Vulture or by someone else? Just in general trying to do things in the heat; again, does Vulture enjoy flying when it's hot? Does Starling? Lean into the seasonal details and I'll love it!

Finally, general romance cliche stuff for Adrian/Nathan would be so, so welcome even if it's not Valentine's themed! Even if it gets tangled, I love these two loving each other despite complications. Does Vulture pick up flowers for Nathan while he's out (even if he's out doing less than legal things)? Does Nathan more confidently woo Adrian (whether or not he knows Adrian's the Vulture)? First kisses, affectionate kisses, sweet kisses, unexpectedly eager kisses, a desperate kiss after Nathan's brought back to life or when he otherwise ends up okay, kissing cheeks or hands, kissing in the rain or snow or by the fire or candlelight or moonlight or while Adrian's in the air (maybe at window-level)? Please go nuts with the romance tropes, whatever you can think of; I'm sure I'll love it!

Musical Inspiration

(mostly for the ship)

• Annie Lennox - Cold
• Depeche Mode - Nothing's Impossible
• Firewater - Glitter Days
• Ricky Montgomery - Line Without a Hook
• The Scary Jokes - No Leverage / No Pleasure

Links to Previous Letters

If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done a few freeform exchanges for Adrian Toomes/Nathan Lubensky specifically! (Tiana's a lot newer to my heart, unfortunately!)

• Id Pro Quo
• Smut 4 Smut
• Pine 4 Pine

Canon-Specific DNWs

• Weird Hot Young Vulture unless otherwise mentioned (mostly, if Nathan is being resurrected/cloned as a younger man, this is fine)
• most of Vulture's cancer storyline (even if you're using the "Funeral Arrangements" mini-arc, feel free to just... handwave that whole thing or end with him in complete remission or cured)
• permanent character death of any canon characters (both alive and not about to die soon by the end of the story)
• Vulture being presented as Crazy or irredeemably evil
• infidelity (just reiterating this here to specify that you can just... handwave stuff with May, have them not together anymore by the point that anything happens between these two, AU so they never were together, or if pre-Nathan-dying or if that whole situation never happens have her be okay with his and Adrian's relationship; just no killing her off or having him cheat)

Canon-Specific Likes

• Nathan being a relatively normal man with a bit of darkness while Vulture has definitely crossed lines
• tbh Tiana also being a normal and even mostly heroic person who's crossed lines herself and is totally fine with some crimes
• the softer side to Adrian Toomes that comes out around his granddaughter
• Nathan meeting Tiana and bonding
• you're welcome to include Peter Parker and have him and Tiana bonding too!
• supervillains who retire and actually go into something else
• supervillains becoming vigilantes
• supervillains with morality leashes trying to change for the people they love
• civilians becoming supervillains and enjoying the freedom
• nicknames! pet names! cheesy endearments! significant uses of actual names or aliases! Adrian calling Nathan "Nate"; Nathan calling Adrian "Ade"; Adrian calling Tiana "Firecracker" and liking being called "grandpa" in return... I am also there for what it might mean if Nathan calls Adrian "Vulture"; a distance thing, a disapproval thing, an acceptance thing, an intimate thing? when do Adrian and Tiana maybe call each other by Vulture or Starling; what would those circumstances be and what might it mean? distance, professionalism, acceptance? also feel free to let Adrian and Nathan be sappy if you like, especially Nathan who I can see dropping endearments potentially!
• if you're interested, I like trans headcanons for these characters, Adrian especially but Nathan is good too; I can especially see Nathan being a trans man but anything's good there, and anything works for Adrian! and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory!

Marvel (Comics)
J. Jonah Jameson/Quentin Beck

[Where you can find the comics: Here!
Most Pertinent Issues:
Five times J. Jonah Jameson worked with or created a supervillain - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) Issues #20, #25, #58, #82, and Annual 10
Two times Mysterio used Jameson to target Spider-Man - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) Issues #13 and #24
That time Quentin Beck ran a nursing home and didn't need to try to protect May and Peter but did - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) Issues #193-199
Mysterio just avoiding ever causing actual deaths - The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) Issues #50-51, Questprobe Issue #2, Symbiote Spider-Man (2019) Issue #1, The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) Issue #311]

I just love how weirdly tied to Jameson and the Bugle a lot of Mysterio's earliest career and attempts at defeating Spider-Man are! First Quentin Beck pretends to be Spider-Man, then once the Bugle turns the city against him, he sends J. Jonah Jameson specifically a note "saying he could get rid of Spider-Man single-handed" to get a meeting with him and gets Jonah totally on his side to the point of being basically heralded as a hero! Then about 2 years later, after Jameson again turns the people of New York against Spider-Man (unprompted this time), Beck contacts Jameson and the Bugle again pretending to be a renowned European psychiatrist named Dr. Ludwig Rinehart, convincing him that Spider-Man is on the verge of going insane and then proceeding to try to gaslight Spider-Man into thinking he's nuts and revealing his secret identity to him.

The fact that Quentin Beck keeps going to J. Jonah Jameson and the Bugle, and Jonah keeps eagerly helping despite not knowing the score because he just hates Spider-Man THAT MUCH, combined with the fact that in multiple other storylines Jonah has actually created supervillains in an attempt to bring down Spider-Man, makes me think the two could actually get along really well. Especially since Mysterio's crimes, according to some issues of canon, just don't have a body count, and at some points (like in the arc where he's secretly in charge of a nursing home) even his attempts to kill Spider-Man are totally illusory and he's actually unnecessarily protective of innocent people.

Speaking of which, part of why I really enjoy these two is how close to the line both of them are. J. Jonah Jameson is deep down a kind man but is also a little bit willing to compromise his newspaper to take down Spider-Man and even, as mentioned, goes so far as to commission and create supervillains to try to take Spider-Man down. Quentin Beck is a supervillain who is also careful not to actually kill anyone (and is crushed the first time someone accidentally dies during one of his crimes) and who has tried to retire multiple points in his career, who seems mostly to be treating supervillainy as a game. They both hate Spider-Man and neither of them is actually that bad a person, but one of them happens to be a supervillain, and I find that kind of great. I could love Jonah taking that final step into supervillainy, or just being willing to work and sleep with and romance with Quentin even while he's Mysterio... I could also really love the idea of Quentin trying to go straight and do something other than supervillainy and getting support from Jonah, who once believed in and gave a chance to Foswell even after the whole Big Man situation. Any of those scenarios could be nice!

General Ideas

After the Ludwig Rinehart scheme, Spider-Man seems to just kinda peace out and leave Quentin to explain things to Jonah and Flash Thompson; I'm not 100% sure whether or not Quentin actually committed a crime that the police could nail him for in that issue, but either way, after Flash leaves, what kind of conversation might he and Jonah have, and might Jonah help free him? Or if Quentin comes up with another scheme, does he initially try to use Jonah and the Bugle by lying again, or might he actually let Jonah in on his plans since last time he only failed due to Jonah not knowing what was going on and bad timing?

Might the two bond over hating Spider-Man and/or wanting to take him down? Could one of the supervillains Jonah created threaten him or Mysterio and the other has to help out? What if Jonah actually became a supervillain; what could prompt him to do that? What if Quentin was actually able to successfully retire, maybe with help and support? Or might the Bugle reach out to Mysterio (and maybe some of the other villains) in an attempt to interview them for one reason or another? Or maybe the two start having coffee while warily just not talking at all about their jobs? Or maybe Quentin gets another mask/disguise and pretends to be someone else and has to reveal who he really is when he and Jonah start getting closer? Do the two of them run into trouble that either of their connections or skills can get them out of?

Does Jonah ever visit Mysterio in jail? Do they bond over movies; do they have similar or different tastes, introduce each other to their favorite movies, does Quentin go into detail explaining how various special effects tricks are done or have Opinions about certain movies' use of computer or practical effects?

Smut is also always welcome! Other than cribbing from my general likes, goddamn Mysterio's costume tho. He is ripped and that spandex leaves nothing to the imagination. I mention loving clothed and partially-clothed sex and I also like the element of being still in costume and what that has to do with identity, or purposefully stripping out of costume and what that might mean. Mysterio also creates gasses and serums that do various things, so maybe he can come up with something that raises arousal, drastically lessens the refractory period, makes coming impossible until a "cure" is given, or other such fantastical sex things! (No dubcon for any of this, please.) Maybe Jonah makes it clear he's happy to be seen in public with Quentin and Quentin is super into that the moment they get somewhere private? Adrenaline-fueled sex after danger or crime is also great! I also super love awkward but not outright unpleasant things happening during sex, like if Mysterio accidentally triggered the smoke from his boots before he got them off or some other random (non-dangerous) costume surprise went off, just something they might be able to laugh at.

I am also open to a ton of stuff outside of what I mentioned above (or mention below, tbh); that was just what popped into my head! If you keep my likes in mind and just go nuts I will be super happy.

Holiday & Seasonal Ideas

I am always a sucker for cliche and tropey Valentine's things! If the two of them bond over movies, is either of them a sucker for romance movies of some kind? (Hallmark, historical, etc.) Does Quentin make sure to be out of jail around Valentine's Day, or does Jonah visit him in jail? Or what's their first Valentine's together after Mysterio retires like? Do they make sure to go on a date (even if it's more staying in because someone is maybe lying low), does one or both of them gift flowers or chocolates or cufflinks or jewelry or the like?

Seasonal stuff in general is great too, or other winter holidays! Is the Mysterio outfit maybe not so great for super cold weather? Do they get snowed in at home, or at the Bugle, or awkwardly snowed in together someplace before they get together? Or do they leave NYC for the holidays; does Quentin own, like, a cabin that one of the people from "Dr. Rinehart's" nursing home bequeathed to him? If the power cuts out can Quentin easily fix it or does he have, like, a hundred candles around the place for some trick or another that he never got around to using? Cliche and tropey Christmas and New Years things go here, too, like exchanging gifts, kissing under the mistletoe, kissing at midnight to ring in the new year, watching holiday movies... Do they attend some holiday party that another supervillain crashes, or is Mysterio crashing a party? Go nuts with winter and/or holiday things, I'll love it!

Or if you're in the Southern hemisphere and want to take this as a chance to write summery stuff, have fun with that too! Hanging around when it's super hot in NYC, going on a vacation together (again, does Quentin now own property somewhere he inherited during his nursing home scheme, like a cabin by a lake somewhere?), some summery-feeling crimes (like going after a cruise ship or yacht party or something) that the Bugle and maybe even Jonah personally ends up covering?

Musical Inspiration

• Faouzia - How It All Works Out (Stripped)
• Frankie Carle & His Orchestra - Rumors Are Flying
• Frank Sinatra - It's Only A Paper Moon
• Marianas Trench - Masterpiece Theatre I
• Sarah Harmer - Came On Lion

Links to Previous Letters

If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done a few freeform exchanges!

• Id Pro Quo
• Smut 4 Smut
• Just Married
• AU Exchange

Canon-Specific DNWs

• Quentin Beck being written as a purposeful or unrepentant killer, delusional, or just in general "criminally insane" or as irredeemably evil
• infidelity (just putting this here to specify to just... handwave Jonah not being married or engaged to or seeing anyone else during whatever time the story is set)
• anything related to that one Webspinners comic

Canon-Specific Likes

• both of them being sweet under the fronts they put forward
• how some of Beck's various schemes got the Bugle involved, and therefore Jameson...
• bonding over disliking Spider-Man
• supervillains who retire and actually go into something else
• nicknames! pet names! I could really enjoy Jonah and Quentin using kinda cheesy endearments for each other, tbh, like sweet, sweetheart, darling, once they actually become a thing...
• if you're interested, I like trans headcanons for these characters, especially Quentin but you're welcome to do something with Jonah! anything works for either of them, nonbinary or trans man or trans woman, though Jonah having a son with his wife might mean he's not a trans man. and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory!

The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Adrian Toomes/Otto Octavius
Adrian Toomes/Max Dillon/Otto Octavius

[Where you can find the series: Here!
Most Pertinent Episodes:
For all three together - S1E11 (Group Therapy); S2E3 (Reinforcement); S2E4 (Shear Strength)
For the Otto and Adrian together - S1E1 (Survival of the Fittest) (though this is majorly a Vulture episode); S2E8 (Accomplices) (for them showing up at the auction together, also interesting for Ock's character in some ways); S2E10 (Gangland)
For Otto - S1E5 (Competition); S1E6 (The Invisible Hand); S1E7 (Catalyst) (only in a small scene); S1E8 (Reaction) (Doctor Octopus origin episode, and check the photo on Otto's wall!); S2E1 (Blueprints) (scene at end as Master Planner); S2E2 (Destructive Testing) (scene at beginning and end as Master Planner)
For Electro - S1E2 (Interactions); S2E6 (Growing Pains) (just a small scene near the end)
...Adrian literally does not have episodes where his relationship with Otto isn't immensely interesting to me! Well then.]

For Otto and Adrian, well, I am just WAY TOO INVESTED in these ridiculous theatrical supervillains being pre-supervillain friends who are now loyal and in love while trying to take over the world/take murderous revenge!

While the first episode introduces both characters with Adrian furious at Otto, it makes sense, since they seem to have been close before (the photo on Otto's wall in the Doctor Octopus origin episode!) and Adrian was probably feeling hurt/betrayed. The rest of their dynamic is so far from what one might expect from that first impression that it's insane! Reunited as cellmates, Vulture helping Doc Ock with a big jailbreak, not just working together in the Sinister Six but Vulture ceding his desire to take vengeance on Osborn to follow Ock's plan to take out Spider-Man first... And they just never work apart again? Adrian is one of only three people to find out the Master Planner's true identity, part of his inner circle! When Ock tests out the technology meant to allow him to hack into every single electrical device in the city, he does so by trying to kill Norman Osborn, seemingly for Adrian's sake, and despite revenge being Vulture's driving motivation Adrian is totally fine about it not working. When Otto tries to credit him and Phineas Mason and for doing brilliant work assembling the technology, Adrian immediately demurs the compliment and turns it back around on him: "The brainwork was all yours, Otto." For a grouchy old man, he smiles a lot around Otto, too!

And even after the Master Planner's master plan is defeated and literally every other member of the Sinister Six seems to go their separate ways and do their own things, Vulture just stays with Doctor Octopus, seemingly acting as bodyguard for the auction, for the Valentine's Day summit (where they also dress up fancy and hot)... There are also just these cute little touches I love, like how in the first Sinister Six fight when Spider-Man jumps on the Vulture's back you can see the back of Doctor Octopus's head tracking them, and a few moments later Otto is the one to pull Spider-Man off Adrian's back. And when Doctor Octopus puts a tentacle on everyone's shoulders in the Sinister Six ep to ease them back down into their chairs, it looks like his tentacle is on Adrian's back instead of his shoulder. And when Hammerhead shoots at Adrian at the summit and knocks him unconscious, Otto's cry of "TREACHERY!" is fuckin pissed and he just has no patience for Tombstone in that fight after. I love how Ock seems to honestly care about his team and make an effort to make them happy, and how Vulture is perfectly willing to put his own goals on the backburner in a way that feels very "I am helping this man take over the world because he wants to and he deserves to get whatever he wants, fuck you." I love seeing these supervillains have huge soft spots, in general and especially for each other!

TL;DR they married, ty for reading my villain shipping Ted Talk...

...AND THEN TAKE THE ABOVE AND ADD ELECTRO.

The thing is, I really love Electro's dynamics with both Ock and Vulture. They're more substantial with "the Doc," of course, with Electro in his own words practically worshipping him. Otto was the only person who wrote to him in Ravencroft, and Electro quickly and fully just dedicated himself to him and fully believes in his abilities, plans, and overall genius. Also, when Ock was pretending to have "reverted" to Otto Octavius and cringe from his time as a supervillain, Electro seemed disgusted and willing to turn his back on him; I could actually like the interpretation that he's not blindly devoted no matter what Ock does and that was an honest reaction, but apparently Greg Weisman said in an interview that Ock had told Electro his plans and Electro was acting, and I also really love Otto trusting him with that and Electro going along with it even not 100% understanding the point because the trust is mutual! And he and Adrian are actually two-thirds of Otto's most trusted inner circle, along with Phineas Mason.

I really do like what little we get to see of Electro's dynamic with Vulture, too, though. Electro can be way too impulsive so sometimes they don't work as well together as they'd like -- see in "Reinforcement" when Electro accidentally shocks Vulture and knocks the Christmas tree onto him -- but they worked well together up to that point and were well-coordinated when kidnapping Gwen Stacy in the very next episode. More than that, I'm incredibly charmed that Electro apparently calls Vulture "Vulch" and that Adrian is just 100% fine with that little nickname! It's very cute.

Basically, while it would be easy to posit a V-shaped relationship with Doctor Octopus as the middle point, I am super into all three of them trusting, liking, and being dedicated (and attracted) to each other. It's nice!

General Ideas

Adrian and Otto meeting again after Doctor Octopus was first arrested and sent to Ryker's! They were cellmates so there's a lot of potential there, imo. Adrian seems to have canonically forgiven Otto by that point, and Otto's changed greatly; I like the idea that Adrian honestly thought higher of Otto than he himself did pre-canon and might be incredibly pleased by Ock's confidence, his awareness of his own genius, his refusal to put up with shit now, and his overall new awareness that he does indeed deserve better. Were there the embers of love pre-canon that fully flourish now that they're both supervillains? A scene where they discuss how their lives have changed could be fun.

Doctor Octopus and Vulture (and Electro!) working together after Otto "is abducted from"/breaks out of Ravencroft! (Feel free to include Tinkerer in scenes as well, obviously. And/or others, but those seem to be Ock's initial "inner circle"!) And did Ock even make it to the police station after being arrested in "Gangland" or did Vulture tear a hole in the cop car roof and retrieve him? A post-canon situation where they break Electro out of Ravencroft would also be excellent. Them discussing a cure for Electro or helping him control his powers better (which could also absolutely lead to porn, lbr; being able to touch people safely is a good goal!)...

Vulture and Ock (and Electro if the OT3) being an efficient Battle Couple in some kind of fight could be hot! Them praticing fighting together so that it's less likely Electro shocks someone accidentally again, or show an actual fight where the two or three of them work together better because they have practice with that sort of thing now! Also, danger and/or H/C is always great, whether emotional or physical, as is one or two of them getting hurt and the other one or two getting FURIOUS and taking whoever did it down! Does Tombstone try to take out the competition, or does Venom hold a grudge Ock's threat to forcibly remove the suit from Peter Parker, even if Ock didn't realize at the time, or do the Manfredis hold a grudge, or does Stanley Carter become Sin-Eater? Does Green Goblin come back or does a new villain show up?

I also love just general interactions that explore their dynamic. Whether it's Otto and Adrian and how their relationship has shifted after their newfound supervillainy (and in Ock's case quite a shift in personality!), or if OT3 how they all interact both as a trio and as individual pairs and how their dynamics might shift slightly, that could be really enjoyable!

Smut is also always welcome, especially affectionate, and if you want any ideas... For Adrian/Otto: Quiet, private moments stolen in the dead of night in their shared cell at Ryker's, getting some moments alone during or after "Shear Strength," "wow you're hot in that suit" porn either after or right before the Valentine's Day Summit meeting (do they even bother to get undressed or do they actively decide not to?), Otto watching Adrian in his room via the security cameras (with both fully aware and into it) and directing him via headset or private intercom how to get himself off. For Adrian/Electro/Otto: Threesomes are obvious, one watching or (lbr, if Otto) even orchestrating the other two, two showing off for one who's not allowed to touch, slight electric play if Electro has more control over his powers, clothed sex at least on Electro's part if he doesn't. Could work for either: Getting some moments alone during "Shear Strength," "phone sex" over their audio communications, perverting those metal arms (they are basically tentacles). I love sappy sex, loving affectionate first time stuff, loving BDSM and loyalty kink and romantic kinkiness in general, outright body worship... Go nuts with this stuff and I will adore it, I am a fool for both of these ships!

I am also open to a ton of stuff outside of what I mentioned above (or mention below, tbh); that was just what popped into my head! If you keep my likes in mind and just go nuts I will be super happy.

Holiday & Seasonal Ideas

I am always a sucker for cliche and tropey Valentine's things like giving little gifts like flowers or chocolate or other significant things, going on Valentine's dates, watching romantic movies... For Adrian/Otto I'd be happy to read something pre-canon before all the supervillainy started (what was their relationship like back then?); for Vulture/Electro/Doc Ock it's easiest post-canon because of Electro being in Ravencroft during Valentine's Day, buuuut if Vulture rips the roof off that cop car before Ock can even see a jail cell and they promptly go to break Electro out so they can have a (maybe slightly belated) Valentine's Day, that'd also be totally amazing. Or if Adrian/Otto during canon, Vulture frees Ock in that way, and/or the two of them do their own little thing before the summit meeting!

As for little details of things the two/three of them can do, seriously. Cliche, tropey, fluffy romantic and Valentine's Day things (and does it maybe mean a lot to Electro especially to do normal romantic things?). Ordering a nice dinner in and eating by candlelight in the goddamn "lair"/new hideout because they can't go anywhere public without being noticed! Curling up on the couch in front of the fire or to watch a romantic (or other type of) movie! Kissing! In the snow, in the rain, by the fire, by candlelight, by moonlight, while Vulture is in the fucking air, Electro kissing very carefully with a great deal of control over his powers, or kissing Electro's mask or hand if he can't quite manage mouth kissing yet... I am also here just for any of these sappy romantic things in general, not necessarily associated directly with Valentine's Day! Make it sweet and romantic and I am so there.

Other winter holiday stuff would also be loved! Exchanging gifts and/or mistletoe kisses for Christmas, champagne and/or kissing at midnight for New Year's... Feel free to focus solely on these two/three or show what the Sinister Six in general does around the holidays! What is the Christmas post-canon like? For Adrian/Otto, what is the Christmas pre-canon like, the year before Adrian Toomes even has his meeting with Norman Osborn, when they're both still civilians and Otto Octavius is still meek? Otto was "abducted" from Ravencroft on December 25th and reunited with Vulture, Electro, and the Tinkerer then; how does that day go? A scene taking place directly after the events of "Shear Strength," on December 31st or January 1st, would also be welcome, for Adrian/Otto, or them ringing in the New Year the year before all of this. Or the two/three them ringing in the New Year the year after!

Or wintery things in general! Them cuddling by a fire is great, them (and/or the Sinister Six in general) enjoying the snow is great... Do they get snowed in somewhere, does the power go out and they have to light candles and keep warm, do they like hot chocolate? When it gets hot outside does Otto change up his costume any; does Adrian like flying when it's snowing or when the weather gets warmer; is there anything Electro misses or still loves from before his accent like swimming or snow? Are there particular holiday- or season-related crimes that Doc Ock might orchestrate? Go nuts and really lean into the holiday and/or seasonal stuff in general and I'll be super pleased!

Musical Inspiration

• Imogen Heap - Clear the Area
• Lauren Aquilina - Sinners
• MS MR - BTSK
• Vienna Teng - Eric's Song
• The XX - Angels

Links to Previous Letters

If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done several freeform exchanges for Vulture/Doctor Octopus and one for Vulture/Electro/Doctor Octopus!

• Id Pro Quo
• Smut 4 Smut
• Soul-2-Soul
• Just Married
• Just Married (Vulture/Electro/Doc Ock)
• AU Exchange
• Pine 4 Pine

Canon-Specific DNWs

• any requested character or really any of the Sinister Six being presented as irredeemably crazy/evil
• any of the requested characters or the Sinister Six in general betraying each other (Shocker not included, he's an Enforcer first and foremost, he was just on loan)
• Electro being referred to as anything other than Electro by any of the requested characters or any of the Sinister Six

Canon-Specific Likes

• Vulture being Doctor Octopus's loyal right hand and bodyguard
• Electro also being Doctor Octopus's loyal right hand
• Vulture and Electro (and Tinkerer) being Doctor Octopus's most trusted inner circle (can I make the joke that Doctor Octopus does indeed have three right hands?)
• Vulture and Doctor Octopus having been friends for years before the start of the series
• sex while cellmates?
• the characters having fun with the supervillain/criminal team thing
• noncanon background pairings I actually enjoy if they happen to come up: Mysterio/Tinkerer(/Chameleon), Sandman/Rhino
• generally I like Sinister Six poly even if it's not the focus, actually, if the rest of the Sinister Six are included, I just really want these three to be heavily focused on!
• the characters having fun with the supervillain/criminal team thing
• NICKNAMES/PET NAMES, and honestly, I count how Otto and Adrian always seem to address each other by their first names; I also love the way Electro always calls Otto "Doc" and seems to call Adrian "Vulch" and they are both totally open to being called those things from him!
• if you're interested, I like trans headcanons for either/both of these characters; for both of them I'm happy with anything, nonbinary or trans man or trans woman. trans headcanons for any other Sinister Six if they show up are also 100% good; I would prefer Electro as a trans woman or nonbinary if you write that character as trans, but anything goes for all the rest of them! and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory!

The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Phineas Mason/Quentin Beck

[Where you can find the series: Here!
Most Pertinent Episodes:
For the two together - S1E10 (Persona); S2E1 (Blueprints); S2E3 (Reinforcement)
For Phineas - S2E4 (Shear Strength); S2E9 (Probable Cause) (scene at the beginning)
For Quentin - S2E12 (Opening Night) (admittedly just for the robot reveal tbh)]

THESE TWO MAKE ME HAPPY. When we're first introduced to them they're the kinda grouchy-seeming professionals working with Chameleon and playing a dumb card-flicking game in "bisexuals can't sit normally" fashion while they wait. They're basically Chameleon's backup in that episode, and you don't get to see fully what they're like until the second season, but I really like the juxtaposition of how they are in this episode as compared to later ones! (Personally, I feel as if neither of them had their supervillain identities at all until somewhere between "Persona" and "Blueprints" when the Master Planner hired them. I also feel that they'd been working together for at least a little while before their introductory episode, though who was the first to work with who, out of the three of them, and for how long, is totally up to you. Also up to you whether they usually call each other by first name or last name, and how often they call each other by supervillain name nowadays!)

Quentin Beck used to be a special effects technician before leaving for his life of crime, and he's got a very interesting balance between his real self and the Mysterio act that I find really fun! He's a professional and Mysterio is an overly-theatrical fuckin dork, but Quentin is also deep down (and not so deep down) a theatrical dork. I can imagine that Quentin puts some of the things he wants to be into Mysterio, because that's common for supervillains and superheroes both, but Mysterio is also a role he plays for a specific purpose: misdirection, keeping people focused on him rather than his tricks or the crimes his act is distracting away from! That said, he got hired to be Mysterio for the thefts and then just decided that was fun as hell and absolutely wanted to do from then on, so there's also that element to him. I feel like he's also enjoying getting to be center stage as Mysterio in a way he doesn't get to be on jobs with Chameleon. Phineas Mason, on the other hand, is an inventor who rolls his eyes at "actors" being theatrical but is absolutely theatrical himself even if he won't admit it. I don't think he's an actor, not in the way that Chameleon and Quentin are; he was wayyy in the background in "Persona" in non-speaking roles whenever his presence was necessary out in the field, and he seems to prefer to stay back and provide "technical support" and make things for other people to use. But he obviously has fun leaning into the mad scientist supervillain act at least a little ("allow me to introduce our host and benefactor"; "welcome to your lair, Master Planner"; "all that remains is calibration... and testing") and occasionally amuses himself making dorky jokes ("put even more 'ric' in your 'ochet'"). I also imagine he has no criminal record (the arrest at the end of "Persona" didn't seem to stick and one of the cops did say in the first episode that the people Spider-Man apprehends nearly always walk...) and is staying in the background to avoid getting one for as long as possible, because him being able to work within the law is really convenient for them.

Basically, though, I love the dynamic of two characters who are just doing this shit because they love it, who've been working together a while and are developing supervillain personas kind of simultaneously mostly for the fun of it. I have a feeling Tinkerer made most of the robots and tech that Mysterio uses, though Quentin himself also contributed the "will-weaking" gas and the mask and makeup for his own android. (Which also means that the reason Quentin is just never arrested after "Persona" and it's always a goddamn android is thanks to Phineas, which makes me smile.) Phineas might not even charge him for that stuff! Just in general they're basically married and I love that.

General Ideas

Casefic is always welcome. What are their earlier crimes like back when they were primarily just working with Chameleon and doing low-level (but very profitable) thefts and impersonations? What are their newer crimes like, now that they're Mysterio and the Tinkerer and have moved into the supervillain end of things? Do they still do the older, more low-key stuff sometimes?

I am also ALL HERE FOR firsts. The first time they met, the time they realized they were falling for each other, first dates, first kisses, first time having sex. Even just first meetings are ripe for interpretations; did they work together before Chameleon sought them both out or did they meet through Chameleon?

Them playing games together, anything from the stupid "flick cards into a hat" game (I really like the idea that the only rule of that game is "if a card ends up in the hat, however it gets there, it counts") to actual card games to other kinds. How do they interact when they're alone? Phineas pretends to roll his eyes at Beck's theatrical moments but I would bet money he actually enjoys them 99% of the time. Do they have domestic moments when they're not actively committing crimes? One or both of them cooking, working on a joint project, talking film or books, talking about their pasts. I am actually a huge sap for these two so I'd also honestly enjoy marriage-related stuff, whether that's them already actually being married (if you handwave the canon as being set in 2012) or post-canon one of them proposing; I can absolutely imagine them being both practical about it (Phineas Mason making legality work for him/them and reasoning that things like hospital visitations and conjugal visits would be useful to have access to) and also legitimately emotional.

Also, danger and/or H/C is always welcome; does Tombstone double-cross Tinkerer and send the Enforcers after them? (Did Tinkerer program in a failsafe that lets him or Mysterio shut down Ricochet and Ox's suits? That'd be smart.) Does Sin-Eater show up and end up threatening one or both of them? (Or does Chameleon run into trouble and these two have to step in to help?) Was Mysterio the one (maybe on one of the lightning machines or the flying dragon robot) to get Tinkerer down from being webbed halfway up that building after "Shear Strength"? Spider-Man kinda tortured/terrorized information out of Tinkerer in that episode; not just rescue but H/C would be incredibly welcome here, psychological or physical or both.

Smut is also ALWAYS welcome; see general and fandom-specific likes for ideas... Feel free to make this an OT3 with Chameleon if you'd like, though if they're a V I'd rather Chameleon not be the center point; this isn't necessary at all, of course!

I am also open to a ton of stuff outside of what I mentioned above (or mention below, tbh); that was just what popped into my head! If you keep my likes in mind and just go nuts I will be super happy.

Holiday & Seasonal Ideas

I am always a sucker for cliche and tropey Valentine's things, and just cliche and tropey romance things in general, and I'd be thrilled to receive either! Do they get anything for each other on Valentine's Day, pre- or post-getting together? Do they go on a nice date or watch a romantic movie? (Beck is very much a movies kind of guy; does he enjoy watching movies with Mason/with the people he loves in general, and does Mason enjoy watching movies with him?) I love characters cuddling, I adore characters dancing, and for these two weirdos specifically I'm a sucker for one of them helping the other get into costume/a disguise, one doing the other's makeup, and very character-specific shows of affection like Mysterio getting between Tinkerer and a source of danger or drawing attention onto himself, Tinkerer making and upgrading a bunch of stuff for Mysterio for free as basically gifts, the two playing games or watching movies together, working on projects together or helping each other with projects, etc. I also adore all kinds of kisses: hand kisses, hair kisses, neck kisses, ear kisses, wrist kisses, forehead kisses, kisses to the eyelid(s) or the corner of the mouth...

Or do they Do A Crime infiltrating or busting into some big Valentine's Day (or generally romantic, or other holiday celebration) rich person's event or corporate party or something? This could easily be set pre-canon or post-canon, but if writing something Valentine's during canon that'd place it during "Gangland," when Mysterio's still lying low with his Mysteriobot in Ryker's; do they celebrate at home (wherever they're staying) or does Beck disguise himself so they can go out?

I also love other winter holiday things! Like exchanging gifts or mistletoe kisses for Christmas, or kissing at midnight on New Year's... Feel free to focus solely on these two or show what they and Chameleon, or the Sinister Six in general, do around the holidays! What is the Christmas/New Year's post-canon like, or the Christmas/New Year's pre-canon while they're doing crimes but not supercrimes, or the Christmas/New Year's after they first met/started working together? During canon, Tinkerer was kinda busy working with Doctor Octopus during Christmas/through New Year's; did he carve out a little time to spend time with Quentin while Mysterio was laying low (since Mysterio's Mysteriobot got arrested on Christmas)? The H/C post-"Shear Strength" could also be seasonal if you would like, especially when it comes to the snow and it being on the cusp of a new year!

Of course, general winter stuff would also be welcome, as would general summer stuff if you feel like it! I don't have as many ideas for those, but do they get snowed in somewhere, does the power go out and they have to light candles and keep warm, do they enjoy the snow, do they like hot chocolate? Do they (and/or Chameleon, and/or the Sinister Six) do any crimes you could lean into the winter or summer aspect for? Do they dress differently in summer than in winter? Does Mysterio need to tweak his costume some when it gets hot outside? Do they have any interesting costumes for jobs? I would love whatever you do with seasonal stuff tbh!

Musical Inspiration

• April Smith and the Great Picture Show - Movie Loves A Screen
• Fun. - Sight of the Sun
• Olivia Broadfield - Don't Let Go
• Paul Williams - Nice To Be Around
• Thea Gilmore - Tear It All Down

Links to Previous Letters

If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done several freeform exchanges!

• Id Pro Quo
• Smut 4 Smut
• Soul-2-Soul
• Just Married
• AU Exchange (also includes Beck/Chameleon/Mason)
• Pine 4 Pine

Canon-Specific DNWs

• any requested character or really any of the Sinister Six being presented as irredeemably crazy/evil
• any of the requested characters or the Sinister Six in general betraying each other (Shocker not included, he's an Enforcer first and foremost, he was just on loan)
• Electro being referred to as anything other than Electro by any of the requested characters or any of the Sinister Six

Canon-Specific Likes

• the Mysteriobots and Tinkerer's inventions in general being pervertable
• having fun with costuming and maybe makeup (kinky or just enjoying slipping into new roles)
• dorky roleplaying with Mysterio and Tinkerer (especially Mysterio)
• the characters having fun with the supervillain/criminal team thing
• noncanon background pairings I actually enjoy if they happen to come up: Doctor Octopus/Vulture(/Electro), Sandman/Rhino
• generally I like Sinister Six poly even if it's not the focus, actually, if the Sinister Six are included
• nicknames! pet names! I count Chameleon's habit of referring to literally everyone by surname as this tbh, I like that he calls these two Beck and Mason, and that they call him Chameleon as that seems to be how he wants to be known. I like Electro's habit of calling Doctor Octopus "Doc" and Vulture "Vulch"; if he shows up in the fic, maybe he calls them "Mysty" and/or "Tink"? (If so I'd rather they like it than hate it.) I would love them calling each other endearments, them calling each other by surname as well but it still being intimate, them calling each other by supervillain name (teasingly? flirtatiously?), them calling each other by their first names or even Quentin calling Phineas "Phin" is fine. I love any type of this shit.
• any type of h/c stuff is great but if you want to set anything after that bit in "Shear Strength" with the car accident and psychological torture, I would love to see Phineas get rescued, helped, comforted after that; feel free to go with other h/c scenarios though, they are ALL excellent, any type of job or situation going wrong and one or both getting hurt or put in danger!
• if you're interested, I like trans headcanons for either/both of these characters! I like the idea of Phineas as a trans man (though nonbinary or trans woman are acceptable), and I could see Quentin as anything really, and if Chameleon is included I especially like nonbinary for him. trans headcanons for any other Sinister Six if they show up are also 100% good; I would prefer Electro as a trans woman or nonbinary if you write that character as trans, but anything goes for all the rest of them! and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory!

The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Chameleon/Phineas Mason/Quentin Beck

[Where you can find the series: Here!
Most Pertinent Episodes:
For all three together - S1E10 (Persona)
For Quentin and Phineas together - S2E1 (Blueprints); S2E3 (Reinforcement)
For Phineas - S2E4 (Shear Strength); S2E9 (Probable Cause) (scene at the beginning)
For Quentin - S2E12 (Opening Night) (admittedly just for the robot reveal tbh)
For Chameleon - S2E13 (Final Curtain)]

SAME AS THE SECTION ABOVE WITH QUENTIN AND PHINEAS, but now Chameleon is added to the mix and I love this additional element with both of them! IMO it was absolutely brilliant for The Spectacular Spider-Man to introduce these three as a team working together; Mysterio might have hired the Chameleon once in the comics, but otherwise none of them really teamed up, but it works perfectly! The person who can disguise himself as anyone, the special effects expert, and the inventor/technological expert have a lot to offer each other, and I love that they seem to usually hire themselves out to steal shit for the rich and powerful.

Chameleon is a fascinating character to me, both in and of himself and in the dynamic with these two. He's a professional who can have a no-nonsense sort of response to things (seeing his phone call with the person who hired them to steal the symbiote, and his "I did not sign on for this" response in the finale), but who also has a mischievous sense of humor and is absolutely theatrical especially when inhabiting a role (his Spider-Man impression was really funny to me). He has his own life and isn't always working with Beck and Phineas, but given the way he talked in "Persona" I get the strong impression Beck makes his disguises, including the face masks, so I imagine they at least keep in touch often. I also feel like the three of them worked together for at least a few years before we meet them in canon, which is a dynamic I love; they'd all be very used to each other! And I enjoy the idea that when they do jobs together they split the take rather than Beck or Phineas charging Chameleon (or each other) or anything... As well as really liking the idea that even being incredibly close with the two of them it's just Chameleon's habit to call even people he loves by their surnames. I also also like how "Mason" and "Beck"'s names are first given while Chameleon is requesting their help and simultaneously praising their skills! And I just in general really love the idea of a team of criminals who work great together and highly respect one another's skills and are also all in love. (Though I also don't mind if it's a poly V so long as the center of the V is Quentin or Phineas, not Chameleon.)

I'm also fascinated by Chameleon in the sense of like... Outside of Chameleon, who is often pretending to be other people, who is he? Does he even have a legal identity outside of Chameleon, or has he erased it? Feel free to use the name Dmitri Smerdyakov for him (though I prefer he not be related to Kraven in this universe), but if you wanted to solely stick with Chameleon for him or give him a fake name like, idk, Leon Smirnov (the most common surname in Russia, basically like giving him the surname Smith) or w/e that he goes by now when necessary that is obviously not his birth name, go nuts.

General Ideas

Casefic is always welcome. What are their earlier crimes like back when they were primarily just working with together and doing low-level (but very profitable) thefts and impersonations? What are their newer crimes like, now that Beck and Mason are Mysterio and the Tinkerer and have moved into the supervillain end of things? Do they still do the older, more low-key stuff together sometimes or does Chameleon also ramp things up, or both?

I am also ALL HERE FOR firsts. The first time they met, the time they realized they were falling for each other, first dates, first kisses, first time having sex -- all of these could work for each individual ship in the OT3 and all together! Even just first meetings are ripe for interpretations; did two of them work together before bringing the third in? How did they all meet, who introduced who to who?

Them playing games together, anything from the stupid "flick cards into a hat" game (I really like the idea that the only rule of that game is "if a card ends up in the hat, however it gets there, it counts") to actual card games to other kinds. How do they interact when they're alone? Phineas pretends to roll his eyes at Beck's theatrical moments (and maybe Chameleon's) but I would bet money he actually enjoys them 99% of the time. Do they have domestic moments when they're not actively committing crimes? Any or all of them cooking, working on a joint project, talking film or books, talking about their pasts...

Also, danger and/or H/C is always welcome; does Tombstone double-cross Tinkerer and send the Enforcers after them? (Did Tinkerer program in a failsafe that lets him or Mysterio shut down Ricochet and Ox's suits? That'd be smart.) Does Sin-Eater show up and end up threatening one or both of them? Does Chameleon run into trouble, maybe with the Green Goblin or Miles Warren, and these two have to step in to help? Was Mysterio the one (maybe on one of the lightning machines or the flying dragon robot) to get Tinkerer down from being webbed halfway up that building after "Shear Strength"? Spider-Man kinda tortured/terrorized information out of Tinkerer in that episode; not just rescue but H/C would be incredibly welcome here, psychological or physical or both; does Chameleon hear that something went wrong and show up as well?

Smut is also ALWAYS welcome; see general and fandom-specific likes for ideas... If there's a V focus in the smut I'd rather Chameleon not be the focal point, but other than that, go nuts!

I am also open to a ton of stuff outside of what I mentioned above (or mention below, tbh); that was just what popped into my head! If you keep my likes in mind and just go nuts I will be super happy.

Holiday & Seasonal Ideas

I am always a sucker for cliche and tropey Valentine's things, and just cliche and tropey romance things in general, and I'd be thrilled to receive either! Do they get anything for each other on Valentine's Day, pre- or post-getting together? (Or two of them together and the third not, at first?) Do they go on a nice date or watch a romantic movie? (Beck is very much a movies kind of guy; does he enjoy watching movies with the people he loves, and do Mason and Chameleon enjoy watching movies with Beck specifically?) I love characters cuddling, I adore characters dancing, and for these three weirdos specifically I'm a sucker for one or two of them helping the other(s) get into costume/a disguise, doing the other(s)'s makeup, and very character-specific shows of affection like Mysterio getting between Chameleon and/or Tinkerer and a source of danger or drawing attention onto himself, Tinkerer making and upgrading a bunch of stuff for Chameleon and Mysterio for free as basically gifts, Chameleon disguising himself specifically to get the others out of trouble somehow, the three of them playing games or watching movies together, working on projects together or helping each other with projects, having each others' backs (sometimes without even needing to talk!) during a job, etc. I also adore all kinds of kisses: hand kisses, hair kisses, neck kisses, ear kisses, wrist kisses, forehead kisses, kisses to the eyelid(s) or the corner of the mouth...

Or do they Do A Crime infiltrating or busting into some big Valentine's Day (or generally romantic, or other holiday celebration) rich person's event or corporate party or something? This could easily be set pre-canon or post-canon, but if writing something Valentine's during canon that'd place it during "Gangland," when Mysterio's still lying low with his Mysteriobot in Ryker's; do they celebrate at home (wherever they're staying) or does Beck disguise himself along with Chameleon so they can go out? Has Chameleon been in contact with them already or does he make sure to show up on Valentine's Day despite having been lying low himself until then?

I also love other winter holiday things! Like exchanging gifts or mistletoe kisses for Christmas, or kissing at midnight on New Year's... Feel free to focus solely on these three or show what they and the Sinister Six get up to around the holidays! What is the Christmas/New Year's post-canon like, or the Christmas/New Year's pre-canon while they're doing crimes but not supercrimes, or the Christmas/New Year's after they first met/started working together? Or their first holiday season after the two who worked together first brought in the third, whatever combination that might have been? During canon, Tinkerer was kinda busy working with Doctor Octopus during Christmas/through New Year's; did he carve out a little time to spend time with Quentin while Mysterio was laying low (since Mysterio's Mysteriobot got arrested on Christmas); did Chameleon come out of hiding to make sure to spend the holidays with them? The H/C post-"Shear Strength" could also be seasonal if you would like, especially when it comes to the snow and it being on the cusp of a new year!

Of course, general winter stuff would also be welcome, as would general summer stuff if you feel like it! I don't have as many ideas for those, but do they get snowed in somewhere, does the power go out and they have to light candles and keep warm, do they enjoy the snow, do they like hot chocolate? Do they (and/or the Sinister Six) do any crimes you could lean into the winter or summer aspect for? Do they dress differently in summer than in winter? Does Mysterio need to tweak his costume some when it gets hot outside? Do they have any interesting costumes for jobs? I would love whatever you do with seasonal stuff tbh!

Musical Inspiration

• Garbage - The World Is Not Enough
• The Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
• Pentatonix - Lean On
• Stars - My Favourite Book
• Walk the Moon - Sidekick

Links to Previous Letters

If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done several freeform exchanges!

• Id Pro Quo
• Smut 4 Smut
• Soul-2-Soul
• Just Married
• AU Exchange (also includes just Beck/Mason prompts)

Canon-Specific DNWs

• any requested character or really any of the Sinister Six being presented as irredeemably crazy/evil
• any of the requested characters or the Sinister Six in general betraying each other (Shocker not included, he's an Enforcer first and foremost, he was just on loan)
• Electro being referred to as anything other than Electro by any of the requested characters or any of the Sinister Six

Canon-Specific Likes

• the Mysteriobots and Tinkerer's inventions in general being pervertable
• having fun with costuming and maybe makeup (kinky or just enjoying slipping into new roles)
• dorky roleplaying with Chameleon, Mysterio, and Tinkerer (especially Chameleon and especially ESPECIALLY Mysterio)
• the characters having fun with the supervillain/criminal team thing
• noncanon background pairings I actually enjoy if they happen to come up: Doctor Octopus/Vulture(/Electro), Sandman/Rhino
• generally I like Sinister Six poly even if it's not the focus, actually, if the Sinister Six are included
• nicknames! pet names! I count Chameleon's habit of referring to literally everyone by surname as this tbh, I like that he calls these two Beck and Mason, and that they call him Chameleon as that seems to be how he wants to be known. I like Electro's habit of calling Doctor Octopus "Doc" and Vulture "Vulch"; if he shows up in the fic, maybe he calls them "Mysty" and/or "Tink"? (If so I'd rather they like it than hate it.) I would love them calling each other endearments, them calling each other by surname as well but it still being intimate, them calling each other by supervillain name (teasingly? flirtatiously?), them calling each other by their first names or even Quentin calling Phineas "Phin" is fine. I love any type of this shit.
• if you're interested, I like trans headcanons for any/all of these characters! I like the idea of Phineas as a trans man (though nonbinary or trans woman are acceptable), and I could see Quentin as anything really, and I especially like nonbinary for Chameleon. trans headcanons for any other Sinister Six if they show up are also 100% good; I would prefer Electro as a trans woman or nonbinary if you write that character as trans, but anything goes for all the rest of them! and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory!

Vampire Cleanup Department (2017)
Yeung Chung/Yip Chi Chau

[Where you can find the movie: Here!
(turn on the English closed captions in the bottom right if you need them; it's also available in Spanish!)
Or for free on Youtube with hard-coded English subtitles!
Also, enjoy these gifs as an enticement to get into this canon (with some spoilery moments) :D]

Vampire Cleanup Department is a Hong Kong comedy-horror-romance movie that came out four years ago and short version: The titular VCD is a secret government-created agency that disguises themselves as cleaners but really go around using talismans and other magical items to hunt down and destroy vampires, specifically jiangshi (which means they hop around with their arms outstretched, and this is by turns played as creepy, funny, and cute). But when the main character Tim Cheung joins up after being bitten by a vampire and not turning, he finds out that his dead parents used to work for the VCD until a mission went terribly wrong, and accidentally winds up bonding with a vampire named Summer who starts changing and gaining more human emotions and mentality after biting him. He trains with the VCD while keeping the fact that he didn't actually destroy her when he was supposed to a secret.

I am here for different characters, however! And oh man I am so into them. Yip Chi Chau is Tim's "master," the early-50s-ish combat expert of the VCD who trains Tim in how to fight vampires; he knew Tim's parents and was close friends with his father, Yat Lung Cheung, and promised them that he'd take care of Tim as they were dying. Yeung Chung, or "Uncle Chung," is an older man in his 70s who's the director of the VCD and their "technical support" and a more openly kindly figure.

Where Chau is an incredibly skilled fighter and trainer, Chung is definitely not a combatant... but he is still brave enough to go into the field, and to step in to help people when they're in trouble, and he's great at directing the others during a fight. Where Chau is closed-off and hot-headed, Chung is calm, amiable, and understanding, good at being diplomatic when it's needed (and at distracting people so the others can work)... and also good at calming Chau down and redirecting him. They've worked together for decades, and despite what Chung says multiple times to Chau about training new blood so that they can eventually retire, neither of them seems to be willing to just quit. They know each other incredibly well ("Have I ever misjudged anyone? And you... never mean what you say."), Chau saved Chung and a rookie police officer in the very first scene (while Chung called for his help), when Tim was in trouble Chung called Chau back from a chase...

And in a moment that really got me, when Tim's "final test" went wrong and Chung tried to step in to help him against the vampire that was trying to kill him. Summer showed up to help as well and accidentally flung both the vampire and Chung through a table, and Chau reacted with such immediate alarm to kill the vampire before it could attack Chung! Chung was hurt and needed medical attention, and with Chung hurt and also not around to calm him down, Chau was furious with Tim. (I will also say that during that final test, Chau was acting like a nervous parent... while Chung sat on the couch and video taped everything, also like a parent, haha.)

Even when Tim is the one training the new recruits at the end of the movie, it's Chau and Chung standing on the walkway above watching and obviously still involved despite any talk of retirement, chatting and comfortable with one another. I just really love their shared history, how obvious it is that Chau cares deeply about certain people -- Chung, Tim, and Tim's father in the past -- despite him not saying it or being touchy-feely, and how comfortable with one another they are and how well they work together and know one another as people.

General Ideas

Okay first I gotta say I LOVE PINING with these two, particularly Yeung Chung having been in love with Yip Chi Chau for a while. There are various details you really do not have to take into account but I also like: Chung having been in love for 20-ish years (since around the time of, or a bit before, Yat Lung's death); it not being a mutual pining situation until at least very recently as Chau slowly starts to realize things (or realizes but doesn't let himself think about it); just casual closeness and knowing each other way too well without either of them saying anything about it while Chung is in love and Chau is maybe not thinking about it too much; Chau having been in love with Yat Lung before he died and maybe still pining for him. I would also be down for just something where it's mutual, but these elements are very fun to me if you use any of them!

Casefic is always welcome, and for this canon I mean the VCD doing what the VCD does! Is it always jiangshi that they deal with? Do they ever have to deal with any other kinds of vampires or similar entities (nureyomejo, nukekubi, manananggal, penanggal, Pontianak, or even a more classical European-type vampire), or things like ghosts or curses? If it's always been jiangshi before, how would they deal with something new showing up? Or just play around with a plot where they have to deal with jiagshi! Is it post-canon with a greater understanding that not all jiangshi are evil and there's the potential cure? What are the different types of jiangshi and how might they deal with them? Do they stick to Hong Kong and its surrounding areas or have they ever traveled further afield?

What do they do in their downtime when they're not actively dealing with jiangshi? We see a bit in the movie as they hang out at the department, but I'd love if more was explored! Do they tend to spend time together off the clock? Did Yip Chi Chau used to spend more time with the others off the clock before Yat Lung Cheung and his wife died? (Does he start too more now after Tim and his own near-death experience?) Do they ever play mah-jongg or weiqi? Has Chau ever met Chung's kid(s) or granddaughter?

I am also totally down with AUs for this ship, specifically certain canon-divergence AUs! Summer surviving is a big general one that I'd be happy for in any fic you write, though it isn't necessary and I do like Winter as well; if Summer survives, what is her relationship with the other VCD members like? Does she join up? Does she save Tim or Chau or Chung's life while they're on a job? Do Chau and/or Chung help teach her anything? Another AU I really love the idea of is if there wasn't a cure at the end of the movie and instead Chau stayed on with the VCD as a good/"human" jiangshi himself. Him trying to get back to normal and re-learn things like how to walk normally and fight and maybe talk and not want to bite people could be so good for pining! (This could also be good for some awkward but sweet bonding with Summer.) Chung being a little more willing to let Chau bite him/drink his blood than either of them necessarily wants could be hot, too, just saying.

I'm down for smut, too, especially if it's the culmination of extended pining, but I don't have much to say about it for these two. Just go off my general and porn likes and the things I like about this ship and I absolutely trust you with it.

Finally, I am also open to a ton of stuff outside of what I mentioned above (or mention below, tbh); that was just what popped into my head! If you keep my likes in mind and just go nuts I will be super happy.

Holiday & Seasonal Ideas

I am always a sucker for cliche and tropey Valentine's things, and putting a supernatural, understated, and/or pining spin on it would be great! I've heard that both Valentine's Day and White Day have become a bit more common, though in Hong Kong the Vaentine's Day date is different. The Lantern Festival seems to be at the same time so writing a case around that or simply them observing it could be fun! Is any sort of gift given? Or is maybe someone else connected to them celebrating (Tim or one of the other VCD agents, or Yeung Chung's granddaughter, maybe) and they discuss that?

Seasonal stuff in general is great too, or other winter holidays! Snow, dressing warmly, winter treats and flavors; things getting hotter, summer treats and flavors. Yeung Chung's granddaughter likes to ski; does she come back to Hong Kong to visit sometime during the winter or summer, or do some of the VCD wind up in America for some reason and visit her and her parents? Do they ever get snowed in anywhere; is there a jiangshi or other danger if they do, or is it just at the VCD building or one of their apartments? Or does the cold or snow or sleet pick up when they're out somewhere tracking a jiangshi, turning things more treacherous? Does the power ever go out in the winter or summer and they have to deal with it, again with or without added dangers? Again, if you're in the Southern hemisphere and want to take this as a chance to write summery stuff, have fun with that; I'd love it just as much!

Do any of them celebrate any holidays or go on vacation? Is Yeung Chung's family in America celebrating Christmas? Winter holiday stuff in general, too! Do they do anything for the Chinese New Year or Spring Lantern Festival (unrelated to Valentine's Day)? Do they have to do a "sweeping job" during the Cheung Chau Bun Festival? I'd welcome even something through April's Tomb Sweeping Day, which could be very poignant. Or if you want to write something set during the summer you can do that as well; maybe something to do with the Dragon Boat Festival or the Hungry Ghost Festival? (Or Father's Day?) Or feel free to pull from any appropriate holidays or festivals! It doesn't have to be them celebrating, either; do they have to deal with any jiangshi or other situations during the holidays? (The Hungry Ghost Festival in summer does seem very fitting...) Go nuts with any of this stuff!

Finally, let me just say I would love any Hong Kong folklore even outside of jiangshi to crop up; have they ever had to deal with other supernatural things? Or vampires outside of strictly jiangshi? If you can tie this into seasonal stuff I would be thrilled tbh. Do they have to deal with a jian ("the ghost of a ghost")? Does a shui gui ("water ghost") try to drown/possess someone (maybe one of them) during the bitter cold of winter (or during the summer)? Do they have to deal with someone practicing some dangerous or cruel magic?

Musical Inspiration

• Deserts Xuan - 喜欢 (Like) (English lyrics)
• Hozier - Shrike
• La Cage Aux Folles - Song on the Sand
• Vienna Teng - Recessional
• Yoga Lin - 全世界誰傾聽你 (Who In This World Listens To You?) (English lyrics)

Links to Previous Letters

If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done a couple of freeform exchanges!

• AU Exchange
• Pine 4 Pine

Canon-Specific DNWs

• permanent character death of requested characters (temporary is fine)

Canon-Specific Likes

• noncanon background pairings I actually enjoy if they happen to come up: Ginger/Kui(/M), Tim/Winter
• Tim/Summer is ofc also good in the background, feel free to just have Summer survive
• AU where no cure exists, Chau remains a jiangshi at the end of the movie, and he stays on with the VCD as a good jiangshi like Summer
• nicknames! pet names! names in general! they seem to refer to one another as Chau and Chung (or sometimes, semi-sarcastically, "Uncle" Chung). do they always stick to that however close they are? do they ever call one another by first name, or shift over to doing so? does Chau ever call him Old Chung or old man/grandpa in the somewhat disparaging (but still fond) sense? does Chung ever call Chau by anything like Old Chau, Young Chau (or Ah-Chau), Young Chi (or Ah-Chi)? or does either absently or purposefully get affectionate, calling the other something like dear/darling or old man (in the boyfriend/husband sense...) or even one of the endearment forms of silly/fool/dummy/idiot? does Chung ever call Chau Master/Sifu like Tim does, just to refer to him as Tim's master, and does it hit different coming from Chung than when Tim calls him that? seriously, I love any type of this shit, go nuts!
• some exploration of sexuality stuff for these two! Chung has a granddaughter but no other family is mentioned; is he bi and is just seperated from his wife or she died, or is he gay and he just had a wife and child back before admitting it to himself/them and they separated after that? Chau seems to be a bachelor; is he gay or bi or does he think he's straight (but oops he's not)?
• if you're interested, I could like trans headcanons for either of these characters. for Chung I most like the idea of trans man, but nonbinary is also good, just not trans woman. for Chau anything goes, though, and anything is fine for any of the other characters as well! and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory.