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malachiical) wrote2022-12-06 09:48 pm
malachiical) wrote2022-12-06 09:48 pm
Entry tags:
Playlist Exchange 2022
Hello, Playlist 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!
Note: I have sub-sections for each of these ships where I talk about ideas and impressions I have of the songs I chose for them. You're absolutely not obligated to follow anything I say there! Just avoid my DNWs and keep in mind what I like, in general and about the relationships, and I'll adore whatever you come up with. I just wanted to try to give something to work with in case anyone was interested in that!
General DNWs
General Likes
Porn Likes
Bugsnax (Video Game) - Floofty Fizzlebean/Snorpy Fizzlebean
Crossover Fandom - Hiruma Youichi (Eyeshield 21)/Ootori Kyouya (Ouran High School Host Club)
DCU (Comics) - Maxivermis Mind/Dr. Thaddeus Sivana; Maxivermis Mind/Dr. Thaddeus Sivana & King Kid
Keroro Gunsou | Sgt. Frog - Kururu/Saburo Mutsumi
The Last Halloween (Webcomic) - Dr. Fugue/Robert; Dr. Fugue/Robert & Mona; Eugene Otto/Robert
Marvel 616 - Quentin Beck/J. Jonah Jameson
Marvel 616 - Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes; Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes & Tiana Toomes
The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon) - Quentin Beck/Phineas Mason; Quentin Beck/Chameleon/Phineas Mason
The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon) - Otto Octavius/Adrian Toomes
Vampire Cleanup Department (2017) - Yip Chi Chau/Yeung Chung
General DNWs
General Likes
Porn Likes
Bugsnax (Video Game)
Floofty Fizzlebean/Snorpy Fizzlebean
[Where you can find full playthrough and extra dialogue videos:
The full game + the Isle of Bigsnax DLC is available with no commentary HERE (19 hours and 17 minutes long)
All of the characters' death lines are HERE (first is what they say when they're close to getting killed, then are the lines where they're actually dying)
Bad end lines from the base game HERE (includes Chandlo if Snorpy dies, and Snorpy if Chandlo dies)
And finally, bad end lines added in the DLC HERE (includes Floofty if Snorpy dies, and Snorpy if Floofty dies)]
SO LET'S TALK FIZZLECEST. It's not at all a thing in this fandom, so I want to explain what appeals to me about it.
I think what really gets me most about them is how fraught their relationship is, and the "what if" and "if only" aspects to it. Several years before the events of the game, the siblings were working together on a government-funded research project for incredibly advanced, powerful prosthetics; unfortunately, Snorpy discovered that the government had underhanded plans for the technology, likely military application. The two of them bitterly disagreed after that, with Floofty insisting that since the prosthetics would have improved and even saved lives, it was clearly better that it exist with consequences rather than not exist at all. Snorpy disagreed, and went behind Floofty's back to whistleblow, but before he could they were both fired and summarily discredited, slandered, and professionally ruined.
For most of the game, both blame the other for handling the situation horribly and ruining their lives; Snorpy's gone further and further into paranoid conspiracy and doesn't even trust his sibling, while Floofty is frustrated by Snorpy's lack of understanding and sabotage of their career. They are both struggling with personal demons. Snorpy's awfulized things to the point of believing basically every conspiracy is true and connected and has become paralyzed and paranoid about everyone and everything, and by the end of the game, ideally learns that, at the very least, whatever enemies he may aren't all-knowing and all-powerful; he doesn't need to keep Chandlo in the dark about his full concerns to protect him, and he opens up to Floofty about still caring about them and works on mending their relationship. Floofty has such a hard time understanding people while badly wanting to help Grumpuskind, so they're overwhelmingly tempted to take what is for them the easier route and simply concentrate 100% on their work; they think they're the only one who can understand themself and their work, they've become incredibly careless with their own health and life in the pursuit of this, and they've nearly given up on understanding others and being understood, and by the end of the game, ideally they need to learn that the effort to understand people in order to help better is both possible and worth it, and they too begin work on mending their relationship with their brother.
But what really got me hardcore shipping them are their ending lines during the sequence after everyone who survived has escaped from the island, if the other is dead. They're so incredibly grief-stricken; it seems to shatter them both and they hold themselves together by dedicating their energy to what the other most valued. Snorpy is especially gutted by not getting the chance to repair his relationship with Floofty, having that cut short, and dedicates himself to understanding and continuing their research; Floofty flat-out says it's "tempting now to unhinge myself from the concept of self-preservation" in vengeance, but instead dedicates themself staying alive to look after Chandlo.
Also, since Chandlo is such a major part of Snorpy's story, let me just bring up possibilities since I have that infidelity DNW. I absolutely would enjoy a Chandlo/Floofty/Snorpy situation where even if Chandlo is unsure about things he trusts Snorpy and wants him to be happy... maybe even at first desire between the siblings is sublimated through focusing sexually mostly on Chandlo? I am also totally open to AUs where Snorpy never fell in love with Chandlo, or even never met Chandlo. However, I am also entirely into the idea of Bad End AUs! What about a scenario where Chandlo died on Snaktooth Island, and Floofty tries desperately to be there for their brother, and things between them get too close and tangled up after a while? I am also into scenarios where either Floofty or Snorpy died on the island and the other desperately (and successfully, of course!) tries to get their sibling back! (Maybe through Floofty's scientific research? A time machine?)
I just love how emotional these two are about each other, and could really love that emotional aspect becoming unusual, "too much" by societal standards, especially after trauma and/or during grief... But being something that ends up better for them than not, when it really comes down to it.
Song Selections & Ideas
I really love the interesting family dynamics that suggest themselves to me in this song! I don't think the song is from the point of view of one specific Fizzlebean, or that every verse and chorus is about the same sibling. You have the one who's withdrawn and slow and uncomfortable and always changing, the one who's always moving fast "so's not to focus" and who isn't good at being uncomfortable so never seems to change. You have the misunderstanding between two people where one thinks the other is seeking disaster and needs help and advice, while the other disagrees; you have the protectiveness. The chorus has the elements of... going down paths that are imperfect but they think there's no better way, being fine whether treated kind or mean, and I'll be honest the "I'm an extraordinary machine" line makes me think of Floofty's attempts to avoid trying to understand other Grumpuses and their emotions because they're bad at it but could potentially be either! Basically, this song I feel like could make for interesting character interactions of misunderstanding one another, protectiveness, family dynamics as a part of ship dynamics, maybe dealing with trauma... even growing closer, understanding one another better, and/or healing their relationship. It could even easily include Chandlo as someone trying to help both of them!
This song is very surreal and kinda visceral, so I should probably explain why I chose it! I don't think the wounds are literal in their case, but this makes an amazing PTSD, post-loss song. I feel like this song works best from Floofty's POV after an ending where Chandlo's died. The "wound in his stomach" is that loss, and Floofty wants to fix it somehow, and at the same time is maybe falling in love unacceptably ("but, God, I trace your guts and wear them as a beauty mark"); in an ending where Chandlo dies, Snorpy swears revenge against the Grumpinati, which could account for the "beat your breasts and choke your tears, this young war will roar for years," and Floofty wanting to be there for him and help him could be "and though you said you'd die for it, we will die for it, dear brother." And then some of the later bits could involve either a Grumpinati thing or their changing relationship being forbidden or both! Despite the darker/sadder/more fatalistic mood for this song, I do want a happy or at least hopeful ending!
This one feels like a "their relationship is changing" song! And could also easily include Chandlo or... not. On the one hand, a lot of the lyrics seem like they could be about the two of them making up and repairing their relationship finally; on the other, it could also be about them being a balance for one another and helping them not just fall into bad coping mechanisms and unhealthy actions/reactions/thought patterns after the trauma of Snaktooth (either after loss or just how fucked up all that was). And then of course there's the ship element of this song, which could very easily involve them inexorably being pulled closer but also shying away from crossing that line, maybe even repeatedly, at first... but when everything's said and done they're better for each other than they are harmful, in the end. There's a lot you could play with in this one, imo.
A PRETTY DARK AND SAD SONG for someone who wants happy or hopeful endings. Okay, let me explain why I chose this one. I think this one, again, might work best for a story with some kind of loss? Snorpy trying to deal with losing Chandlo and Floofty trying desperately to help him is one option. Another option could easily be either Snorpy or Floofty being dead, and the other successfully finding some way to get them back via science: a time machine, or even finding an alternate universe where it was the other who died instead, potentially, or using gastroentomology and/or Liz and Egg's help to bring back someone who succumbed to the Bugsnax. And of course there's also a very possible forbidden love aspect here with "darling, you ache from my love and it shows," "is it love you regret? / in that case you won't be returning, I guess" (could also be about Chandlo maybe), and maybe especially "one day they'll drink from our bones / and sigh as they stare down our throats / just take me, just take me home."
This one could actually shockingly easily be read straight-up as an incest song, which obviously works well here! It also works for them in the sense that they've both been through a lot and also their relationship has been through a lot. They've worked together, they've completely fallen apart and been bitter about each other, they argue and fight, by the end of the game they're trying to really make up and re-bond. So this song works really well for them attempting to fix their relationship and accidentally winding up forming something that isn't 100% platonic familial ("oh yes, the butterflies are still there"). And then of course the "cause we came from the same cocoon" at the very ending to tie that together... The cause is interesting to me; you could definitely play with the idea that on some level, despite themselves, the fact that they're siblings adds something to the unexpected, unapproved relationship they're forming... But you obviously don't have to do that part. (There's also an undeniable dirty interpretation to some of these lyrics if you wanted to go for smut...)
This really works for both of them, tbh! They're both growing and changing and becoming healthier by the end of canon (I mean, in a good end, anyway!); they were living in less healthy, unsustainable ways before due to negative experiences, both withdrawn from people, Snorpy out of paranoia, mistrust, and betrayal, Floofty out of discouragement and feeling like they're incapable of understanding or being understood. And the song itself is more "character study" feeling than talking about a relationship, but I think it could easily be used for that! Talking about trust exercises and leaning in and letting it hurt, breaking the pattern and making a good change, and also talking about armor and skin (and asking someone to show them where one ends and the other begins), so looking for connection and touch. Fixing their relationship and growing closer works for this quite well, imo.
THIS SONG CAN HAVE SO MANY READINGS, and I love it. Okay, so basically this is a very tangled song and I believe it could be used for a lot. Both of them are critical of aspects of how the other is dealing with things and are both right. They also both know the other is a genius. The second verse can easily be interpreted as being afraid of a new longing they have; and/or of Floofty concerned for a grieving Snorpy; or even of one of them trying to figure out a way to get the other back after death. And just overall they have an unusual kind of love that they legitimately cannot find with anyone else, and maybe they decide in the end that even with the less than perfect elements of it, that's worth it. This could be anything from simple longing and forbidden but worth-it love, to an AU where someone involved in the equation died; any of it works.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I haven't really asked for this ship much before, but you might be able to find some extra ideas in the AO3 Automagic App:
Canon-Specific DNWs
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.)
Song Selections & Ideas
This song is SO playful and I kind of love it applied to them. When I picked it, I admit I thought of Hiruma getting caught up in some stuffy official thing as a plus-one to Kyouya for whatever reason (though likely not entirely behaving... and maybe Kyouya doesn't entirely want him to), but honestly it also really works with Kyouya getting convinced to do something for Hiruma or even just having to deal with footballers he normally wouldn't hang around with. Either way, the idea of one of them getting caught up in some social obligation because of the other and them very subtly flirting through it and then explosively hooking up after (for the first time or very much not) is a very fun idea to me. You're also still free to take it in other directions, of course, but this one might just be what it says on the packaging!
I won't lie, I chose this song because for these two specifically, it not only feels like a shift in their relationship to something deeper, but also just generally a point in their relationship where they've started to really understand each other more than most other people do. And that with all of their foibles and differences they still like each other a lot, maybe even because of those things rather than in spite. I also feel like, oddly, this song could somehow be used for something more plotty -- at least, like, Eyeshield 21 and/or Ouran levels of plotty. The first thing that came to mind was Kyouya getting an arranged fiancee and/or trying to withdraw some for professional reasons (and it being temporary cause either he fails or actually had another plan in secret), but it could even just be something like them getting caught up in a ridiculous situation (stranded on a beach trip because of some club ridiculousness?) or something. I feel like you could do a lot with this and I'd love to see what.
These two very quickly getting on the same wavelength and appreciating the other despite their differences REALLY appeals to me, and this song is basically perfect for that! "Something in you caused me to take a new tact with you" could easily fit with the idea of them either deciding an alliance would be valuable from the get-go, or them both trying to get the upper hand at first but quickly realizing that's actually not going to work and they need to adjust how they're doing things. "No one I ever knew or have spoken to resembles you / this is good or bad all depending on my general mood" makes me think of how unique the other is to anyone else they've interacted with and also how they might get under each others' skin easily (and in a way they also might enjoy). And the later verses and bridge could easily be them having an alliance or partnership that maybe Kyouya's father and/or the circles he runs in doesn't approve of but it both works for them AND is enjoyable. "You're not right in the head / and nor am I, and this is why / this is why I like you" is like, despite their strong differences, they do have strong similarities too -- and of course the repeated "why d'you think I let you get away / with all the things you say to me? could it be I like you? it's so shameful of me - I like you" even from the start, I love the idea that in a lot of circumstances, someone being so bold and unrepentant might be more aggravating than this actually is, how the push-and-pull give-and-take they have is something they enjoy even if Kyouya is blunt and a forceful personality and Hiruma is cursing and shooting up the place. Anything you write that plays with any of the dynamic this song brings up would be amazing!
Ooh boy, another song I strooongly associate with their dynamic as I see it! (And no, it's not just the "daddy and mommy" line.) There's this really interesting dynamic where they're both incredibly drawn to personalities and priorities and ability... and at the same time they're both very good-looking in different ways, with Hiruma being really athletican with sharp teeth and Kyouya being incredibly pretty. The repeated bridge kinda sums up a part of their dynamic I love, with the... "this won't get any easier now / that your heart is beating in my hand / and I'll try not to destroy you, baby / even though we both know I can," only the thing is I think that by the time they both realize they're in deep that part's true of both of them, not just one. And then of course the chorus suggests, uh, a few different possibilities. Including outright smut. And also potential crossdressing (and/or genderswap if you felt like it?), whether in smut or just as its own thing. This song is very "oh shit we're in deep" romantic combined with being very sexy, and I love that for them, and I'd love however you played around with it.
Okay please ignore that this song was about an Obama rally. This one feels very much from Kyouya's POV, since Hiruma's... such a force. Such an incredibly energetic force of nature. I could very easily see the beginning of this song especially working for a fic in which Kyouya was in love with either Tamaki or Haruhi (or both) and has let go of that, and then just gets caught up in Hiruma despite everything. It also works for Kyouya starting to want to try to accept his place in the Ootori family, and/or settling for professional goals that he wasn't entirely happy with, or anything else, really, that Hiruma could shake up for him! Or maybe just Hiruma being the last straw of a string of people who've been helping him change. And Kyouya not being able to keep a lid on being in love so easily (for the first time, or this time around), maybe... Playing with this being his POV and there being some change in him that Hiruma encourages works really well, imo.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done a few freeform exchanges!
Canon-Specific DNWs
DCU (Comics)
Maxivermis Mind/Dr. Thaddeus Sivana
Maxivermis Mind/Dr. Thaddeus Sivana & King Kid
[Where you can find the comics: Here!
All Pertinent Issues:
Justice League 2011 #7-11 (B story)
Justice League 2011 #0 (A story)
Justice League 2011 #14-21 (B story)
Shazam! 2019 #1-14]
(Note: I specifically focused on the New 52 issues above because I am far, far more familiar with them there than their pre-52 incarnations.)
Honestly, the thing I love most about these two is the sheer loyalty and dedication they seem to have. Which is just absolute catnip for me with supervillains, frankly, and Mind/Sivana are one of my absolute favorite examples of it.
Sivana first meets Mind while he's actively dying, body being aged and broken down by its connection to magic, which humans are really not meant to have. Mind is imprisoned just outside the Wizard's sanctum, and offers to save Sivana's life and help him further if he's freed. And this could so easily be played as manipulation, a setup for betrayal, but it's not. The next we see them, Mind has helped Sivana figure out how to stabilize himself (I theorize that Sivana's now able to use the magic to basically achieve homeostasis, no longer breaking down or aging at all but instead keeping himself going with it), and is guiding him through what he'll need for a spell; it's never spelled out but given that it doesn't actually map to anything we see them doing later, and Sivana spent the entire previous arc desperate for a way to save his family (though it's never mentioned again), I just assume that's what they needed "the tongue of a medicine man" for and Mind helped him with that too.
In return, Sivana's dedicated himself entirely to Mind to, like, an immense degree. And the loyalty seems to be mutual! Mind guides Sivana through fighting Black Adam, and tells him the full extent of all of his plans. In return, Sivana is more than willing to fight Black Adam for him, to go and free the rest of the Monster Society for him... in fact, nearly everything we see Sivana do after he meets Mind is for the sake of Mind's plans. There is even a moment, when freeing the Monster Society, that Sivana has to trust that Mind isn't just willing to sacrifice him to free his team, and plunges a magic dagger into his eye (the one that is his connection-point to magic) in order to make it act like a key and melt the locks on the cells. This completely works, and Sivana remains unharmed, and continues to act loyally to Mr. Mind. (As well as continuing to call out to him in concern when something seems to be going wrong.)
Also, I gotta say, despite it not being so simple canonically due to spoilers, Mind being small enough to fit snugly in someone's ear canal combined with his very strong telepathic (and magic) abilities is weirdly hot to me. As is the idea that Sivana is un-fucking-believably powerful magically-speaking, even more so than Mr. Mind, and yet dedicates all of that power to Mind's service. And how Sivana fearlessly asks so many questions and Mind just patiently (and even happily) explains every single time, often fully explaining. There's just so much intimacy between these two and they actually do seem to care about one another and be mutually dedicated, even if I can see Sivana being The Most loyal. I love it!
And then, potentially, we add in King Kid. The relationship there is pretty much entirely theoretical, but it still intrigues me. We have the Monster Society, after all, so Mind collects misfits and those deemed monsters by the worlds of the Magiclands they come from. After the events of canon, King Kid now fits, and is apparently imprisoned right in the Funlands which he used to rule.
Mind has had a little interaction with King Kid, though in the guise of Billy Batson's father; interestingly, he steps in when Billy has King Kid grabbed and is threatening him with prison (or "juvie hall, at least") to remind Billy that King Kid mentioned being mistreated by his parents, remind Billy that he and King Kid had been kinda similar due to Billy's own parental abandonment, and tries to appeal to King Kid with apologies for how he'd been treated and an appeal to earn his trust. This seems entirely unnecessary even as part of the act he's putting on; Mind could easily have had Billy's father tell him after that he'd been harsh but fair, or something. Just as interestingly to me, during dinner after the fight, Mind-as-Billy's-dad brings up King Kid again and feeling like they failed him, concerned for what's going to happen to him now, and while this could be meant to make Billy lose faith in the Wizard, since Mind seems astonished that the Shazams would turn against the Wizard after, that feels a bit off too. I like the idea that Mind does feel for those who are labeled monsters and attacked or punished for it, maybe especially kids.
And while Sivana has no canonical interaction with King Kid... Well, he has "his family," at least, and though it's unclear in canon what's meant by that, since I'd rather he not be married during the events of the fic (infidelity DNW), him having at least a couple kids of his own would make sense, and he does seem dedicated to trying to save them. (See canon likes section below for ideas!) King Kid is the hardest part of this, tbh, and I'd love to see him slowly (maybe very slowly) working through his hatred and distrust of adults to bond with these two and maybe the Monster Society in general! (Maybe it would help that Mind is a worm...)
Song Selections & Ideas
I don't necessarily have the most to say wrt ideas for the song selections for these two (plus potentially King Kid). They mostly really lean into what I especially love about their characters and dynamic, and this is no exception. Mind is literally newly free, and Sivana has a freedom with magic that normal people could never dream of. They are working together knowing they might lose repeatedly and willing to keep trying. By the second verse, there's a normalcy there -- maybe Sivana is pretend to be normal, that Mind had been mind-controlling him? And no one can prove he's still on Mind's side even if Mind disappears from his new prison... And then by verse three there's even more freedom in falling in love! And the repeated chorus positioning them, at least in their minds, as fighting against the odds of so many people who don't understand them and what they're trying to do, but they won't be kept down or kept apart! That whole final attitude works with the Monster Society as well, and/or King Kid being given (by these two, rather than the Wizard) a second chance. I just love taking what would normally be a song about love and partnership and standing against forces trying to keep them apart and applying it to a villainous team that seems legitimately loyal to and fond of each other, it's such a fun shake-up to me. Any story that follows any of these elements or an arc of them would be fun!
Again, one of those loyalty songs applied to super loyal villains in a way I love! Secret plans and the fact that Sivana can use magic to fly make some of this maybe literal or semi-literal in a way I like. This also has the "there are those who don't understand us trying to push us around and see us fail" elements. And some of the individual lines are great! "Won't tell anybody that you turn the world around," well, Mind literally did do that for Sivana; is it true vice-versa? "I won't tell anyone that your voice is my favorite sound" makes me smile when applied to the fact that Mind speaks through a little speaker but also telepathically? And the second verse(s) could be fun to play with in a story, one of them being down while the other helps, and/or one of them having a hard time trusting anymore but fully trusting the other? (Or that part could apply to King Kid taking the risk to trust them despite them being adults!) "Baby if I've got you, I don't need a parachute / you're gonna catch me, you're gonna catch if I fall" could apply to Sivana literally being able to fly and catching Mind, or him literally being able to fly due to Mind's help in the first place. And of course there's the falling in love elements! Any story that plays with any of this would be great.
This one's one of the simpler ones, and works incredibly well with Mind/Sivana, Mind/Sivana & the Monster Society, Mind/Sivana & King Kid, or Mind & Sivana & the Monster Society & King Kid, like, however you wanted to do it. After all, Mind and Sivana, Mind especially, really seem to believe that tearing down the barriers between all the worlds/Lands to let magic be free is a good thing/the right thing despite the costs. So the song being about destruction to "make it better" combined with addressing a firefly (yes, not a worm, but still!) seems to fit with their goals and outlook! This could work for a story where they're discussing their plans and desires (maybe explaining them to King Kid?), or a casefic of sorts where they're actively attempting something (successful or not), easily.
A chance meeting when before that they'd been alone (even if not by choice), leading to wanting to be anywhere in the multiverse so long as it's with one another and with love... again, I love applying this to devoted villains. The chorus and post-chorus are incredibly simple, of course, stating "I just wanna be loved by you" and "I see nothing worse than to sail this universe without you," making this perfect for a romantic fic (even a reunion fic after they're separated and incarcerated and get free?), and the verses going from them having been alone and now happily trapped in one another's orbit, to them having been trying hard before/when they met and redirecting their efforts together, still dreaming but failing at their plans so far. Any fic that plays with any of this could be very fun!
This song has so much of what I love about their dynamic! It starts with some talk of time that could apply to how magic made time weird for Sivana, to their lives being "forever changed" (by meeting?), to the "believe in me" of the pre-chorus and "life can change... you're not stuck in vain" (Mind had been imprisoned; Sivana had been spending so many years helplessly searching). The "we're not the same, we're different" being so hopeful reminds me of how Mind brings all kinds of different "monsters" together (and also xeno). "And you know you're never sure / but you're sure you could be right / if you held yourself up to the light" could work really well for them trying to do what they feel is right and believing, maybe, that once they succeed it will be proven and people will understand better. And then the triumphant build only to go right back down to gentleness at the end with "the indescribable moments of your life, tonight / the impossible is possible tonight, tonight / believe in me as I believe in you / tonight..." has this belief and dedication and loyalty and wonderous things. And again, this loyalty and acceptance could easily be made to include King Kid. Anything that leans into the emotions of this song (...and/or the xeno) really works for me.
Okay, look. This one was just irresistable but is almost impossible to explain. Mr. Mind being a self-made worm ("I'm interested in things / I'm not a real doctor, but I / am a real worm, I am an actual worm"), really being open to listening to Sivana at least asking questions and maybe feedback and thoughts too? or could also be that bit ABOUT Sivana learning better control of magic from Mind ("I think I'm getting good, but I can / handle criticism / I'll show you what I know and you can / tell me if you think I'm getting better"), Sivana (and the Monster Society) having a great deal of respect for Mind ("Someday, somebody else besides me will / call me by my stage name, they will / call me Doctor Worm"). This could even work for a fic that followed Mind from early on making himself (in the Beastlands, or elsewhere?) all the way through to meeting and bonding with Sivana. But basically any elements of the above in a fic would be great!
This song has such interesting different associations for me depending on the ship... For these two specifically, I love the shape of this song being, like, Sivana meeting Mind and having the world open up and falling for him? "Touched, you say that I am too / so much of what you say is true," Mind is actually open and honest with Sivana a lot, and convinces him rather than just manipulating him (which would be easy for a mind-controller, telepathic magic user!), and Sivana is both "a monster" by the rules of Mind's Monster Society (called a monster by others who don't understand) and also touched by immense magic power the same as Mind. And of course "I'll never find someone quite like you again" is very obviously true on the face of it. "The razors and the dying roses / plead I don't leave you alone" could actually work for either of them: Mind's been alone in that solitary little prison for too long, so Sivana might not want to abandon him, but also Sivana dying of magic when they first meet could have made Mind sympathetic and at first maybe Sivana even needs Mind's more active help to keep himself alive until he catches on better himself? "The demi-gods and hungry ghosts" could be so much... The Monster Society, Black Adam, the Council. "I, I looked into your eyes and saw / a world that does not exist / I looked into your eyes and saw / a world I wish was in" fits very well as Mind convincing Sivana that magic being freed and the Magiclands all brought together is worth the consequences, and Sivana wanting that and/or wanting to be a part of the Monster Society. And then of course falling in love with someone who is so utterly unique in existence! Anything that plays with any of that would be amazing.
One of my favorite romance songs, and the shape of it is so simple and beautiful; it could be used as an arc of its own or any single part of it could be used as inspiration. I also really, really love this sort of soft romantic dedicated song for super loyal, in love supervillain ships! Them knowing one another incredibly well and being open and honest, reaching out to one another. Forgiving and understanding one another always (that loyalty again!), with both of them somewhat haunted, one (or both) of them always rising back up when ground down, one (or both) of them unapoletically ambitious. How well they fit into one another (maybe figuratively, maybe literally in a sexy way, maybe literally in a "Mind can fit into a human's ear canal" way; maybe the latter two aren't so different). Their planning and stories and just talking only making them more loyal to one another and glad they found each other, and making them more determined to succeed. How it maybe starts to feel like fate, how it hurts in some ways (repeated failures? pining?), how they learn from it or move past the pining, how they suddenly and "swiftly" realize and choose that they want each other and want to stay together from then on. It's just a really nice song that I can see really working for them, and anything you did with it would be great.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I haven't really asked for this ship much before, but you might be able to find some extra ideas in the AO3 Automagic App:
Canon-Specific DNWs
Keroro Gunsou | Sgt. Frog
Kururu/Saburo Mutsumi
[Where you can find the series: Here!
Most Pertinent Episodes:
S1 E9A - introducing both characters
S1 E28B - Mutsumi's not in this one, but shows Kururu's personality + how he's "allergic" to cute/sweet/pure things (and people)
S1 E51 - the Platoon "leaves forever" (only not)
S2 E82A - 623 hosts a competition to let one fan meet him face-to-face; "Kururuko" enters
S2 E101 - the Garuru Platoon invades; this episode and the next two are a three-parter, plotty and actually kinda serious
S2 E102 - the Garuru Platoon invades; three-parter continued
S2 E103 - the Garuru Platoon invades; three-parter continued
S3 E112 - Kururu and Mutsumi first meet, and Mutsumi winds up with Kururu's reality pen
S4 E199 - Mutsumi's not in this one, but Kururuko becomes an idol!
MOVIE 3 - Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 3: Keroro vs. Keroro Great Sky Duel - again plotty and kinda serious, some shippy scenes
S5 E229 - B story focuses on them but A story sets up context; plotty and kinda serious when it gets to that point and VERY SHIPPY including the credits
S5 E237 - part of a story arc with the Platoon on another world; Kururu encourages the version of Mutsumi of that world
S5 E240A - this one's convoluted and dumb (complimentary) but there's a sauna sequence and the two of them working together on something... interesting
S6 E298B - Kururu's not in it; Mutsumi regularly uses the reality pen to check in on himself in alternate dimensions
S7 E320A - Mutsumi's not in it; literally just the Platoon using bishounen robots to invade if you want to see Kururu as one of those (he looks like Zechs)
S7 E354B - Kururu helps Mutsumi fake being a Venusian and keep broadcasting as 623 without risking his identity]
(I've watched most of Keroro Gunso, and I think I've seen every episode Mutsumi is in; I don't mind spoilers at all for any episodes I haven't seen, so feel free to refer to anything. I've also seen all the movies. As for the manga, I've read up through Volume 19, and I'm spoiled for stuff from later volumes! I prefer Kururu's personality in the anime and prefer anime Saburo Mutsumi to manga Hojo Mutsumi, but feel free to incorporate details from the manga to spice things up because I do love it too! I especially love the spoilers about Mutsumi from later volumes...)
I fucking love these two assholes! I love how they don't seem like they'd click at all, except they're canonically on the same wavelength and are so obviously best friends, and care about each other in ways that are absolutely uncharacteristic for both of them. Mutsumi is friendly as hell but doesn't really get that close to anyone, keeping a mysterious distance most of the time and even not being that close to Fuyuki or Natsumi even when he gets closer to them as friends. He also seems to find a lot fairly boring, and is just so stoked by everything the aliens are doing, even (especially!) when that's invasion-of-Earth stuff! And Kururu is "the most unlikeable guy," likes to make it well known he doesn't give a shit about most things, wants to put people off, hates sweetness and light to the point that it physically injures him... and yet this upbeat, bright-eyed, adorable teen is his BFF. When the Keronians are all dimension hopping and they meet an alternate universe version of Mutsumi, Kururu pep talks him. When Mutsumi's life is in danger in Episode 229, Kururu blows the entire budget on making him another reality pen, shows the clearest concern he's maybe shown in his entire life racing to the rescue, and puts himself right between a deadly blast and Mutsumi in order to toss him the pen.
These two do not seem like they would work, and yet they absolutely do, know they do, and embrace it. It's wonderful.
Song Selections & Ideas
Trying to keep these a bit shorter than normal because there's quite a few of them. Whoo boy, this one has a theme that will crop up in a few of these songs: Someone being in love and it alarming one or both parties and them putting off actually saying it! Kururu is, of course, basically "allergic" to cuteness and sweetness, though seems oddly inured to most everything from Mutsumi. The arc of this song works well, but any bit of it could be used, or just general inspiration! I imagine, given some of the song's attitude, that it's Mutsumi in love first... or at least willing to admit that he's in love first, and Kururu kind of alarmed by that. Mutsumi can either say it outright or just make it a little too clear in some other way, and maybe try to walk it back when Kururu seems uncomfortable/wanting to put up some distance? This song also works really well for a fic where they're FWB and the sex starts getting more affectionate than intended!
Once again, someone's in love and it's at least initially kinda alarming! This one again (especially towards the end) works well from Mutsumi's POV, but it could also be from Kururu's POV if you want to change that up, or both of them could be in love and not wanting to talk about it at first for various reasons! Mutsumi's never really connected closely with people before, and Kururu doesn't do nice or sweet emotions, so this would be unique for them both; I can see Mutsumi accepting it easier at first in a "well, it makes sense if it's Kururu" way, but maybe Kururu also finds it easier to accept than anyone would expect, at least after a bit, because it's Mutsumi? You could do a lot of different things with this one, though; it just makes for a good ship fic for these two!
When things get super serious and dangerous, they seem to have each others' backs! You see this especially in Episode 229, but also a bit in Episode 112 and the Super Movie 3. (In a less serious context, even a little in Episode 354!) I've always associated this song specifically with E229, though, I'll admit (but you're welcome to do anything with it, including a totally unique scenario, of course!). AT least one of them "looking to the sky to save [him]" and asking the other to "just save [his] life"; I also love the metaphor of Mutsumi maybe being more angelic-seeming but "need[ing] a devil" (Kururu) "to help [him] get things right." "Make my way back home when I learn to fly" can be literally for the home or flying part, it can mean them making it back together, for a home on Earth, or even Mutsumi reuniting with his alien family, if you go with that idea. And the shockingly strong bond these two have makes me love the "fly along with me, I can't quite make it alone" part a lot. I'm sure you'll be able to see how and why I associate this song with E229, but I feel like you could also do a ton of fun things with one of them helping out the other somehow, maybe in a dangerous situation, or maybe just in general. They can depend on each other!
This song works for them, to me, because of that whole idea of them being on the same wavelength despite all initial appearances and impressions, and how easily they can make each other act uncharacteristically... maybe especially Kururu acting uncharacteristically for Mutsumi. Just the overall emotion of this, where whatever happens and whatever either might do, they "dig each other" and will "always have each other." It could involve something plotty or just more general relationship stuff, but if you lean into the feeling of this song for a fic for their dynamic I'd love it. This one's simple but great.
An unapologetically sappy song, but I can explain! I definitely feel like this song would be from Mutsumi's POV because it's just unapologetically and openly sweet in a way I think Kururu wouldn't be himself. But I love the part at the beginning having the feeling of enjoying pining and being quietly in love with someone you don't know might love you back, how even the heart aching parts are pleasant. And then the second part! Moving to actually trying and being more open and going for it, because that part is good too! I feel like this song could also work really well for a Five Times fic, either moments that Mutsumi enjoyed being in love and yearning or times Mutsumi kissed Kururu ("try again, and again, and again"). You could do a lot of sweet things with this!
Okay, admittedly, I don't imagine the more literal-sounding parts of this song to actually be literal. But similar! The opening part sounds like Kururu, "hating" Mutsumi for being beautiful and having a smile that lights up the sky and making him Feel Those Things. The second part could easily be either or both of them, pretending that they're not heading for absolutely in love and together, not quite able to say any of it (tongue tied!) and falling hard with heads spinning. And of course the dance in the chorus feels metaphorical given all that, but I am not opposed to dancing scenes ever! Still, time passing and them circling around one another in a dizzying dance as they get deeper and being uncertain about it but denying the uncertainty ("feel my hands, I'm not shaking"). This song's just got great emotion to it and feels to me like an inexorable getting closer and unable to change it (and not actually willing to even if they can't talk about it yet/at first). Any fic that plays with any part of this or leans into those emotions would be great!
Once again, someone's in love and putting off actually saying it! In this song I think the POV makes the most sense for Kururu, though. Which I love. Maybe part of it is Mutsumi's dorky fashion sense and immense popularity ("you look so good in the clothes of a poser / and when you smiled all the kids fell apart here"). But despite everything Mutsumi is still happy to hole up and/or hang out somewhere solely with Kururu and spend his time with him. The second verse could easily be Mutsumi about Kururu, too, switching over there, so maybe he also has caught/is catching feelings and trying not to say it because he understands Kururu's resistance to the actual words? Or it could still be Kururu! And the ending verse also feels like Kururu, avoiding "the glare of the sun" and content to be "collapsed in the act of just being here" with Mutsumi specifically. Whether either of them ever admit love or not, I just adore this dynamic where Kururu knows it is love and is trying to communicate it in his own way, and maybe that's true of Mutsumi too. They do get each other, after all.
I won't lie, just the overall feeling of this song makes me think strongly of them. Not necessarily the actual crying and pleading and screaming fights, they don't tend to do that. But sticking together, never being able to leave really (at least not forever/for that long), going through all sorts of moments and emotions together. However much time passes and even if they move around they're together! (Maybe Kururu and the Platoon actually do finally leave Earth... and then Mutsumi goes back to his own planet where aliens raised him and they're reunited that way? I could see Mutsumi trolling like that and Kururu being amused by it overall). Both of them doing their own, maybe sometimes stressful things, but still focused on each other to some degree... And I rally love the bridge and chorus. "Stick your hands inside of my pockets / keep them warm while I'm still here / tell them this love hasn't changed me, hasn't changed me at all" having this quiet intimacy, and also they have changed while also bringing out parts of themselves that have always been there? And "the same as I love you, you'll always love me too / this love isn't good unless it's me and you" having them... best friends, on the same wavelength, then in love, and it has to be the two of them. It was always going to be. I just love all those elements and anything you write that plays with any of them would be great!
OH BOY this is definitely from Kururu's POV!Please ignore the Barack Obama thing. Kururu is happy to be dislikeable, pessimistic, and unhelpful (though doesn't seem to like being unpopular, oddly). He'd also settled into being actually a dangerous invader... and then Mutsumi came along. The opening bits of this work surprisingly well for Episode 112, showing when they first met, and how Mutsumi seemed to be playing pigtails the entire time, agitating Kururu thoroughly before managing to warm him up to him. And straight-up "I'm not that kind" is just... Kururu, and preparing for rain (which, metaphorically at least, he enjoys unpleasant weather more) but getting sunshine and spring unexpectedly and "can't afford" the feelings he gets from that. And "what do I do, do I do / with a love that won't / that won't sit still? won't do what it's told" could be referring to Mutsumi not being who he might have expected to feel a bond with and/or his own feelings of love he's developing and not able to quash despite himself! And he's suddenly in it deep and getting caught up in this weird upbeat human's energy. The attitudes of this song are a fun take on their relationship, and you could follow the development of it or take any pieces or impressions I mentioned above, and it'd be amazing.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've asked for them in exchanges a couple times before!
Canon-Specific DNWs
The Last Halloween (Webcomic)
Dr. Fugue/Robert
Dr. Fugue/Robert & Mona
Eugene Otto/Robert
[Where you can find the comic: Here!
Book 1 is by far the most pertinent; that's 7 chapters/about 114 pages.]
For Dr. Fugue/Robert, this takes a little bit of explaining, since their interactions are minor and not particularly significant. But the more I thought about them individually, I liked what their slight interplay does say about them and how the shapes of their arcs kinda work together.
Doctor Fugue is undead, a doctor and supernatural (mad) scientist, a Victorian-ish ghost. One who haunts the church and can't leave. He employs what he thinks of as a little group of undead children to help him graverob bodies for his raising-the-dead experiments (as well as upgrading/replacing Jangles's various bits). He's a big faker: Robert flat-out says he's not a good doctor, which is proven very correct when Mona comes back; he not only hands a ten year old a magic weapon he knows nothing about and sends her and the other "kids" out with completely incorrect information, he's apparently sent multiple "group[s] of untrained misfits to their deaths without actually nowing what was going on," to the point that Charon's chewed him out about it at least once before. His whole arc seems to involve him getting a huge dose of guilt for once in his unlife, realizing just how badly he fucked this little group up, seeming to have a change of heart about the "playing Dr. Frankenstein" thing and trying in some small ways to start to make amends.
Robert, on the other hand, is posing as an undead, a doll cursed to life by voodoo. Until he tells Mona and Shirley, literally no one in the group including Fugue knows that he's a monster, not undead at all, and is also immortal (or what they call immortal) due to killing his human several decades prior; he claims to be an undead to avoid the attention of the Phagocyte. He's around 117 years old, if not a bit older, and he's often the closest thing the group has to a straight-man; he keeps his own secrets, even when it would be really helpful to share, because he rarely feels invested in others, and he doesn't tend to personally lend much of a hand, especially not to save people. He's calm and soft-spoken, good with normal human adults, and very calmly makes threats when called for as well (and sometimes even commits violence against his undead "friends," such as sewing Ringley's mouth shut, though they don't seem to mind). His own arc involves him actually becoming attached to the situation and its people for once, to the point of purposefully sacrificing his life to give Mona a chance to survive and succeed (on what is, unbeknownst to them, a fool's errand), even admitting his own origins and past and coming face-to-face with the fact, for the first time, that maybe his nature as a monster is something he can choose to act counter to.
...So Fugue sends Mona, Robert, and the others off on a pointless quest that gets one of them killed and nearly kills two more of them, and is having to live with that fuck-up (figuratively speaking). And by the end of Book One he still hasn't even been made aware that Robert was a monster the whole time and has sort of... fused with the magic sickle that's supernaturally bonded to Mona.
And then of course, for this relationship, there's also Mona herself. Potentially. Mona is ten years old during the events of Book One, and incredibly aware that she is ten and should not be involved in this shit. Fugue shoves a magic sickle in her hands and pushes her out the door with a few undead "child" chaperones during the Apocalypse so she can go take care of it, a whole bunch of terrible decisions all in a clump, made worse by him not understanding the situation and actually sending them on a wild goose chase in the end; she has to chop up and even kill multiple monsters, and in the end nearly dies and does lose an arm to the ordeal, something she makes clear to Fugue that she'll never forgive him for (which he finds fair). Robert goes along to keep everyone on track and give them even a tiny chance, but he saves Mona's life once and tells her he'll never do it again so she'd better learn to save herself. She does learn, however, despite him keeping a lot of information back and outright lying sometimes, and he becomes more attached to her (and Shirley) and invested in the outcome of their mission, to the point that he eventually fully opens up, becomes somewhat more reassuring (and even open to affectionate touch, which was Not a thing for him at first), sort of steps into a mentor role, and promptly sacrifices his own life to give Mona a fighting chance. Mona and Fugue are obviously both hit by his death, and Fugue definitely comes to regret his choices and the results they had on Mona and Robert (and Shirley). It's just an interesting set of characters and relationships, imo.
And for Eugene Otto/Robert... Quite frankly, I completely love this ship. There's just so much complexity here... Unhealthiness, but not for lack of trying.
I'm so fascinated by how Robert talks about their relationship, how the way he tells Mona about it makes it sound like he really did legitimately want things to work between himself and Gene, likely did not realize where his immense jealousy was leading until it happened, but his mixed feelings now about not even knowing if he regrets it or not. I love that you can tell he loved Gene in his own way then and might even be capable of different, healthier kinds of love now -- might even have been more capable then than he'd believed -- but still wound up ruining Gene's life and killing him... and how Gene asked him to kill him. I love the whole monster aspect entirely, a creature who is born when you are and whose life is tied to yours in so many inextricable ways, how it leaves you both vulnerable, and all the monsters' thoughts on that and Robert's thoughts specifically on that, including how he comes to realize that maybe he could have gone against his nature. I love how their history had them so intertwined from when Gene was a young child to when he died an adult. I love how Robert killing Gene made him immortal but he proceeded to think about Gene every day and still has uncertain feelings about how everything went down, and has come to see immortality as more of a curse than a blessing.
Also, I love how complicated and tragic they are in basically all ways, but I'd prefer a more... wistful feel than purely tragic, despite both their canon fates, if possible. And you can feel free to give them a happier ending, too, but I like at least hopeful stuff!
Song Selections & Ideas
Okay, I am going to try to keep all of these sections smaller than usual because I have to go over two different ships for each. I am so sorry for where I failed in this.
I chose this song for a pretty straightforward reason for both ships plus the version with Mona: Robert is so much more unusual, and in some ways so much worse, than anyone is prepared for or understands at first. And I don't mean that in a bad way; Robert is, in a lot of ways, not a terrible person. But he is a monster. Fugue and Mona don't know; by that point he's lying outright, claiming to be undead, just a cursed doll. Robert does encourage Mona to do things she never thought herself capable of, even if killing monsters is hardly evil, and then just isn't there to help her along any further due to dying for her, so there's that. But Fugue? Fugue had no idea what he was sending those kids into, and that's not Robert's fault; he also had no idea what Robert was and I can see him being taken aback and intrigued by it (he does want to learn more about monster stuff!). Fugue also definitely seemed emotionally impacted when he heard that Robert had died (blaming himself for it) ("a wreck, a wreck you make / you leave, you leave me in your wake"). And he's sort of foresworn raising the dead any more but if he realizes there's some way to bring Robert back, maybe due to the weird circumstances surrounding the sickle, would he remake Robert somehow or bring him back as a ghost? ("do things I don't want to do," but maybe he's driven to or Mona convinces him?) There's a lot you could do with this with Post-Book-One stuff!
And then with Eugene Otto, well, it's a lot more straightforward. Robert probably didn't tell Gene what he was or explain the circumstances of monster stuff, but Gene might have understood he was something... wrong, for at least a lot of his life. He might have even suspected that Robert would want to kill him, eventually, or even benefit from it. (Or maybe Robert did tell him that at some point?) Robert drove everyone else out of Gene's life, and yet Gene was so close with him for decades; "ours was a complicated relationship," Robert said, and it was true ("a wreck, a wreck you make / you leave, you leave me in your wake / oh, honey, let me go / don't you ever let me go"). And the losing self control parts could be Gene losing his temper or could be sexual in some way. This could work well for a fic that follows canon events, a fic that AUs Robert killing Gene, an AU where Gene is born later and Robert meets him during the events of canon instead and things go very differently... It could even be a totally different scenario where the song is Robert to Gene, with Gene as a ghost haunting Robert, maybe? Keep their complicated but still loving in their way relationship and I'll love it.
Given that Robert is immortal and still died anyway, this song was irresistable. With Fugue (and maybe Mona), there's definitely an odd sort of... being tied together and a little tied up in each other. Could it be set pre-canon with Fugue and Robert beginning to get a little closer in a way that's (temporarily; I want hopeful or happy endings!) cut short? "I’m still comparing your past to my future / it might be your wound, but they’re my sutures" feels like maybe a scenario where Fugue figures out a way to bring Robert back, maybe involving the sickle, maybe as an immortal (or half-immortal??) monster again, maybe as a ghost himself. How much Fugue have changed; how might their relationship change? (Same questions for Mona if she's involved!)
And with Gene, well, this could be a lot of stuff. "They say we are what we are, but we don’t have to be" really makes me think of Robert realizing that he can maybe actually change or resist his nature as a monster, for real. "Oh, I try to picture me without you, but I can't" feels like both of them tied up in each other, even with Gene being dead for decades by the time canon happens... The time stuff, the immortals parts, the "live with me forever," I feel like this could be something where Robert survived and somehow managed to contact or meet Gene again (as a ghost or other undead?), where both of them get brought back somehow (alive or undead or monster), or where they meet again in the afterlife, maybe?
One of the most outright romantic songs I chose for this canon! For Fugue and Robert, I feel like the POV could be either or both, and more metaphorical than not, but maybe with some literal elements. Once Fugue's saved Shirley (and done as much for Duncan as possible... not that that's much), and can't really do anything further for the now-absent Mona, maybe Fugue tries to make things up in other ways, including figuring out a way to bring back Robert? (Or if Mona actually comes back and asks him, maybe he also thinks of it as making things up to her?) Or maybe Robert's trying to find his way back, having thought there might be a way to do what he did and still survive it, and willing to risk that -- or maybe it wasn't on purpose at all but he still exists and is trying to find his way back, and Mona (with the sickle) and Fugue (being a ghost) are the storngest anchor points?
And with Gene, I feel like after Gene died Robert lost something and was never able to let go; I also feel like Robert recently realizing he could really have chosen not to kill Gene, "in his nature" or not, might have shaken him; either could probably work for the opening of the song. Maybe Robert "stayed in the darkness" ie the afterlife with Gene; maybe there even was a chance he could go back but he chose to try to meet Gene again if he's amenable. Or maybe the POV is from Gene trying to find a way back as a ghost or other undead, whether out of love or anger towards Robert (or maybe both tbh).
This is a more general prompt, and could maybe even be plotty! But I did select it for a reason. There's an almost frantic desperation behind the upbeat-sounding song. With Fugue (and maybe also Mona) in the modern time period, everything's changed after the Phagocyte fell and the monsters and undead rose up. It wasn't what anyone had planned, and it was bad for humanity and hard to say if it was excellent for the undead. (Or even monsters, given what Robert said about monsters needing humans.) Something that's not necessarily the worst thing still being a problem ("happiness hit her like a train on a track"), running for those you love and also for your own life, having to let go of things. Trying hard and maybe changing. Again, this works best in an AU where Robert survived or a story where they somehow got him back. Fugue and Robert (and maybe Mona) working together could be interesting. And falling in love, or even just starting to desire ("longing"), "like a bullet in the back / struck from a great height / by someone who should have known better than that" is also interesting...
And with Gene, this could also be plotty (in any time period, modern AU or not), but him being unable to escape into a normal life away from Robert, being happy with Robert in a way that is actually harmful for him ("like a train on a track... like a bullet in the back"), feeling the love and longing but needing to leave it behind to survive (and not being able to)... The bridge is particularly interesting for them as well; "and I never wanted anything from you / except everything you had / and what was left after that too" could describe Robert's hunger and desire for all of Gene's life (both literally and, as he tries to resist, figuratively), but also could potentially describe Gene towards Robert if you wanted to play with that. This could also potentially work for Gene as a ghost coming back and haunting Robert! There's a lot you could play with here, feel free to go nuts.
Another more general, maybe even plotty prompt! This feels very much... monster relations with their humans, in all the varied ways that can go, but can also very very easily vibe with canon events (with Mona being the "innocent found," even!). Fairly innocent, relatively speaking, getting caught up in all this (and mislead by Fugue, unintentionally but definitely his fault) and being destroyed by it in whole or in part fits this song definitely. Fighting back against it and trying to make up for it could work for both Mona and especially Fugue. Hell, Robert could even be a part of the problem, if his thing with the sickle has left Mona "immortal" and therefore unaging (oops). But this works in an AU where Robert never died as well as in a story where he gets brought back somehow!
And with Gene, well, when I said this feels like monster relations, that's very true. Unwise, careful, frightened children being shadowed by monsters who find them... Though in Robert's case, he doesn't kill Gene at first. What he does it ruin his life out of displaced hunger for him. Simply using the feeling of this song for story following part of their complicated relationship, while Gene is alive or in an AU where he is/becomes undead or in a scenario where Robert meets him in the afterlife, could work super well if you lean into it!
This song works in so many different ways for different ships I have, and forgiveness is a big part of both of these ships and all of these relationships! For Fugue, well... he obviously feels responsible for Robert's death (and he definitely has an ego). If Robert is brought back, do they bond? (Or if Robert doesn't die but Fugue still feels responsible for what they all went through!) If Robert is brought back as a ghost, does he haunt the church too? (Or the sickle?) And with adding Mona in, you have the added element of her maybe needing to forgive Robert for dying on her, and/or messing with her physiology if the sickle stunt did that, and also her difficulty really fully forgiving Fugue... But Robert's new bond with Fugue (and maybe renewed one with Mona) would work so well for this song. They can have each other, ground each other, and actually care about each other, surprisingly!
And with Gene, it's much more straightforward. Robert first went to Gene to kill him, but didn't. He didn't for, like, seventy years. Despite everything, he loved Gene, and vice-versa. And maybe, at some point in their story, before Gene dies or if he doesn't or decades later, Robert could stand to apologize and maybe be forgiven. It's a big deal that he realized he can change, after all, and he might want to make things right, and I am a sap for these two being tragic but having love there in the end, and maybe it turning out all right.
Oof, this song. For these ships, this feels like a lot of grief. Maybe Fugue is more attached to those kids than he realized, and maybe Robert especially (Shirley pushing back against him a lot and him being offensive a little too much with her, and Robert being difficult to really form a close bond with given his cloud cuckoolander status; Robert was mature and had a good head on his shoulders and also apparently was not a kid???). He feels definite guilt for Robert's death ("don't think of me like that / just picture me leaving and not coming back"). Maybe he tries to make up for it (to Robert or Mona) by bringing Robert back somehow; maybe he fully expects Robert to hate him for it but is okay with that if it works ("one day you'll drink from my bones / and scream as you rip out my throat / don't let me, don't let me go"). Maybe Robert (and Mona) are always welcome in that church and/or that town ("and this is your home now so don't you forget"). For "is it love you regret? / in that case you won't be returning, I guess," it could be a few things: if Fugue is having a hard time bringing Robert back at first, maybe he thinks Robert doesn't want to come back because he sacrificed himself for Mona; alternately, if this is either of them about Mona, maybe Mona is distant and they think/one of them thinks that she won't stay at home and/or won't be close to them again because she trusted them and they both (in different ways) betrayed/abandoned her. As for the very last part, maybe one or both of them expects that eventually monsters, or humans, or the Phagocyte, will want to destroy them. (Maybe Mona's hometown is now a rare safe haven for humans and undead, thanks to the efforts of Ringley's dad, Mona's parent, Marta, Shirley, and Fugue?)
And then Gene. Oooh boy, Gene/Robert. Two ideas spring immediately to mind. One is a story that follows them while Gene was alive, heading to the inevitable conclusion, from Gene's POV even. Knowing on some level where things are going, mourning his own life and their relationship's deterioration (along with everything else). The second half could still be from Gene's POV or could be Robert on Gene, too, thinking that maybe Gene regrets loving him this much (but still does), noticing how destroyed he is and how he's come to accept that destruction. Or two, in the more modern part of the timeline, maybe Robert is being metaphorically haunted by Gene. Robert either being alive (before that last Halloween, or in an AU where he didn't die, or after being brought back) or in the afterlife. Maybe he's trying to contact Gene somehow (or extending an invitation to talk if he wants to... maybe there's some way to contact a dead person through Charon, if done right and the person is agreeable?). Or maybe he's just waiting to see Gene again, if Gene wants to. I do want at least a hopeful ending here, something not fully downer, and I'm also open to happier endings.
This song is interesting for these ships because it feels like a different POV depending on the ship! For Fugue/Robert, the song really fits Fugue. Like, a lot of it, and surprisingly well. "It was a stained glass variation of the truth / and I felt empty handed" fits for how Fugue gave them info he thought was accurate but his pride and not liking to be told he was wrong kept him from double-checking until far too late, and having to face the results hurt. "You let me set sail with cheap wood" could be him wondering why Robert didn't tell him anything about monsters ever after learning Robert was a monster, potentially. "So I patched up every leak that I could / 'til the blame grew too heavy" could be him trying to make up for what he did in as many ways as he could but it not really helping him feel much better. The pre-chorus is, in this case, admittedly kinda pretentious self-centered wallowing that I feel like he could fall into a little bit even actually trying to improve. If/when he succeeds in bringing Robert back, either as a monster just like before or as a ghost, "these wild oceans shake what's left of me loose / just to hear me cry mercy" could be Fugue actually giving in and apologize (it could also be an apology to Mona!); "so I, I lift up the only sail that I have / this tired white flag" could also be apology or just... talking about difficult things/opening up. And of course the chorus, maybe it's still hard for him to admit to some things despite him trying to change and the growth he might really have gone through, and maybe it's hard for him to understand how to actually healthily care for people and have positive relationships -- and with Robert, if there's some actual love creeping in, that probably doesn't actually make it easier. (And he sure still doesn't know how to make it up to, or even interact with, Mona.)
And then with Gene/Robert, this song is so utterly Robert. Never fully honest with Gene about what he is and what he wants, not blaming Gene exactly but knowing (or "knowing") their relationship could never have truly been healthy with the "cheap wood" of human/monster relations. Robert tries not to kill Gene but destroys him instead, and that is tearing apart himself in some ways; if you want to progress that far, during canon Robert seems to be unraveling in some ways, or rather changing in ways that end up destroying him (though he doesn't seem to really mind), and hell if you do go that route "it was a stained glass variation of the truth" could be his lie about being undead and "you let me set sail with cheap wood" could be the bad intel given the group by Fugue. For verse two, he either gives into his desires with Gene or he fully changes and surrenders and dies in the events of Book One, or both. And for the chorus... He doesn't know how to be fully honest at the right time, or how to love someone healthily, but I think by the end he might be trying to learn. And if given the chance, maybe it could work. (I also love how, for Gene/Robert, this song has so much sailing and art imagery, when Gene loved sailing/wanted to sail and was an artist!)
Much like the first song for these ships, I feel like this song is very much like... realizing/finding out what Robert is is a little overwhelming. But not totally non-positive. What has Robert said about Fugue in the past that's true? Well, that he isn't a very good doctor, but "you say that I am too" makes me think of maybe a commonality that wasn't a lie. Unusual, interested in magic or monsters, interested in the afterlife, interested in knowledge? Something else? And the second verse could easily be an attempt, post-Book-One, to bring Robert back -- or maybe an AU where Fugue attempts to interfere somehow and prevent any of the from dying? Even if he can't leave the church. And "I'll never find someone quite like you again" feels like acknowledging how strange and unique Robert is and Fugue never even knew it. And then an odd love forming? There's a lot you could play with in this, if you choose any part of it I feel like it could really work!
And with Gene, they are... connected, and that can be what the first "touched" is about. Gene will quite literally never find someone like his very own monster, and Robert is in a way a hungry ghost. The whole song can work from his kinda tragic pre-death POV, or a POV of him as a ghost instead? Or it could actually be from Robert's POV, thinking back and regretting and hoping to meet him again somehow (and maybe succeeding, as a ghost or in the afterlife?). Maybe that first "touched" is still about connection, and the second verse is Robert's regrets. And he, too, will never find someone quite like Gene again, his human who he never goes a day without thinking about, and still loves in a way he can't deny, whatever happened between them. There's a lot of ways you could do fic for this one, too, and I'd love it.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've asked for Eugene Otto/Robert a few times before, and Dr. Fugue and Robert once:
Marvel 616
Quentin Beck/J. Jonah Jameson
[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!
Song Selections & Ideas
This song definitely feels like the moment a relationship changes! Of course, it could be a straightforward New Year Eve's party (maybe at the Bugle? maybe somewhere else?), or something more private. It could also just be taken more metaphorically as the start to something new, if you'd prefer! Obviously this song works really well as the moments they're establishing a relationship after already spending time getting closer; I'm happy with you following those getting-closer moments or just writing this part! However, I'd also love if you decided you wanted to play around with things a little. Is Quentin Beck attending a Bugle New Year's Eve party, or a society New Year's Eve party that Jameson is stuck going to, for a different reason; does their relationship simply slip into something more interesting there, or do they actually form something deeper? Is Beck somewhere (a New Year's Eve party, another function, or simply leaving all that more metaphorical) pretending to be someone else and clicks with Jameson in a way he didn't expect? Does Mysterio burst into a party or other function for supervillain reasons and Jameson happens to be there, and the relationship change is less kissing and forming a relationship and more shifting to flirting even in the midst of the crime? There's a lot you could play with here and I'd love any of it!
This song initially seemed, to me, to fit a slightly more established thing, maybe because of the "they come to build a wall between us / we know they won't win" part of the chorus. However, it could also be the initial getting-closer parts of things! If you look at the lyrics askance it can really fit, imo. "There is freedom within, there is freedom without" being their two very different life paths, or maybe the potential of Beck finding freedom outside of villainy as well as inside it? The second verse shows how normal they are deep down, and especially Beck often seems to be portrayed as kind of living in more run-down places (crime doesn't pay him that well); "my possessions are causing me suspicion, but there's no proof" could also be Beck trying to reform (actually or pretending to), or Jameson being suspected of collaboration (true or not). "And I'm counting the steps to the door of your heart" could be coming home to an established thing or heading towards trying to win the other's heart! There are a lot of scenarios that could fit with this, too, with Jameson and Beck working together to try to bring down Spider-Man (collusion?), or Beck trying to retire and go straight, or simply pretending to (or maybe pretending at first and actually making a go of it in part due to Jameson?), or just the two of them trying to make it work even under the circumstances of one of them being the owner and editor of the Daily Bugle and the other being the supervillain Mysterio.
This song is maybe an odd choice for them, but I think it could fit! Both of them seem to roll with things that happen and also with how other people seem to think about them; they're both kinda used to being thought the worst of, it seems, but are stubborn! Maybe Jameson is the one set in his ways and Beck is the one who keeps changing (trying different schemes), or maybe vice-versa; maybe they feel opposed at first but grow closer? Beck "seeks a new disaster every day" in the sense of Mysterio always getting into trouble and never succeeding (so far) at actually quitting supervillainy despite trying more than once; in a much more metaphorical way, Beck could be seen as "the baby of the family" in the sense that he's taken much less seriously than a lot of the other supervillains, of the Sinister Six or outside of it. And he just keeps trying, and maybe thinks he's stuck on this path, right or not. "If there was a better way to go then it would find me / I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me" Maybe he can be convinced otherwise? I'd love any of that, or just keeping with the "you might worry about me but I'm fine, I might be stuck in the supervillain lifestyle but it's best for me and I can enjoy it, I'm extraordinary"... or even something solely based on the bridge ("do I so worry you, you need to hurry to my side? / it's very kind / but it's to no avail; and I don't want the bail / I promise you, everything will be just fine"), with either of them trying to help the other out in a bad situation but the other manages things on his own (and maybe it's hot)? Play around with any of that and I'll love it!
A short old-fashioned romance song! This one's very straightforward, and I won't lie, it's the rumors part that always makes me associate it with these two since... Jonah's a newspaper man. That's the reason, that's it. But seriously, this works really well for a fic for one or both of them falling in love, with one of them actively wooing the other (or it being mutual), it's unapologetically sappy and I'd love anything with you leaning into that! I'd also love something straightforward or anything playing around with the situation: Is Beck flirting solely as Mysterio, or as himself? Is Jameson trying to woo someone he doesn't know is Beck (or does he know but Beck thinks he doesn't at first)? Is Beck wooing Jameson at first for some scheme but winds up really enjoying it and falling for him early on? Or is it just a situation where Beck is trying to quit supervillainy again, Jameson is like the only person believing in him and giving him a chance, and they fall in love?
Somehow, this song always makes me think of Mysterio. And there's so many different things you could do with it! Something new, or just now forming, or established between them. Loving New York City despite itself sometimes ("the city outside still sounds like it's on fire"). Staying up all night talking and getting closer, and the intimacy of that. Maybe Beck trying to retire from Mysterio and Jameson believing in/supporting him, or maybe Beck trying to prove himself as Mysterio and Jameson still being there for him ("for everyone I'm out to prove wrong, you keep the light on"). Beck's weird relationship with truth and disguises and acting and gaining confidence from acting as Mysterio ("the only one, you know me better than the truth"). Hell, "so, despite what I’ve done, I pray to God / that we can move on" can be Beck trying to retire or it can even be an awkward forgiveness for fooling and using Jameson specifically (a few times over, cough), and "I like to think I have everything I want from this life" could be a retirement thing too if you wanted to go in that direction. Maybe, whatever their circumstances, Beck still makes excuses to stick around and spend nights talking with Jameson even if they're closer and excuses aren't exactly needed anymore ("it's been years now since we moved, I've gotten good with an excuse"). Just anything that plays around with the intimacy and emotion of this song would be great!
Oh, the subtly suggestive flirting during social obligations song! Yeah, this one is straightforward and you could really play around with it. Are they both at a stuffy function for some reason or other (together or separately) and subtly flirting? Are they an established thing or is this the first time? Beck could be a supervillain, retired, pretending to retire, hell, this could be an AU where maybe he really liked being seen as a superhero during his first foray as Mysterio and just stuck with that (maybe faking crimes to stop, maybe stopping real crimes, maybe both or one and then the other) and Jameson is still super in his corner? Or maybe an AU where Jameson has gone full supervillain himself (for real or undercover) and "your friends are a fate that befell me" is the Sinister Six or other supervillains! This could also be a great excuse for smut if you wanted to write that; it's definitely a suggestive song...
This is one of those songs that I can see for a lot of ships, and see pretty differently for all those ships! For these two, I feel like there are a few different ways it could be taken. On the one hand, it's a forgiveness song; maybe they're bonding and Beck is apologetic for lying to and using Jameson several times in his career, and/or maybe Beck initially is pretending to be reformed or pretending to be someone else, they bond, and he falls for Jameson and has to come clean? Or maybe Beck is reforming, retiring, and Jameson is the only one who believes in him, and that's how they bond and fall for each other? The weakness and sickness and "if I turn into another / dig me up from under what is covering / the better part of me" parts could be Beck backsliding or risking backsliding, or just getting depressed sometimes, honestly. Just overall, I feel like this song could be used to write about these two caring about each other (or coming to) and being there for each other despite things being difficult in some way.
Oh boy, this song is so much a Mysterio song in a sad way! Beck's been established in some of the comics to be less confident outside the Mysterio act, and to feel more confident, free, and just in general impressive while being Mysterio ("all these practiced poses... / but this is just a part I portray / and this is just a part I portray"). He also can get kind of down on himself for failing at things, and knows that he's kind of a disaster, sometimes. ("All these practiced poses / I could wreck it if I had to / but I'm the wreck so what would that do? / my masterpiece will fall apart / it was over before the start" and the "and I will show you self-destruction" part...) This could easily be about Beck trying to flirt as Mysterio and feeling like he wouldn't be liked the same way as just himself and having a feeling that being Mysterio will mean it can't last; it could be him falling for Jameson while he feels like his trajectory as Mysterio is heading for disaster again; it could be him trying to reform, with Jameson believing in him, and not sure himself that he can actually manage it since he's never been able to before. I want a happy or hopeful ending, of course, but so long as it has that I'll love whatever you do with this song!
Another short old-fashioned love song! And this one is, again, 100% a Mysterio romance song to me. It's perfect. It's very romantic and sappy, and very straightforward, but there's so much you could do with it. It could be from either POV, or both, simply trying to woo the other; if Beck's doing the wooing, he could be trying it primarily as Mysterio or as just himself. "But it wouldn't be make believe / if you believe in me" could just be about the romance, but you could also play with Mysterio redemption fic and Beck retiring if you wanted: if from Beck's POV, it could be that with Jameson believing with him he feels like he can actually stay out of supervillainy this time, and if from Jameson's POV, it could simply be his desire to support Beck through the attempt. Short and sweet and simple, but however you play around with this, it could be great!
Another unashamedly romantic song! The chorus and post-chorus are very straightforward, but it's the verses that really caught my interest for these two, tbh. The first verse has some fun concepts: being bigger than themselves, with Jameson as kinda representing the Fourth Estate and Mysterio being a larger than life role ("we are stars, fashioned in the flesh and bone"); both of them having a somewhat hard time forming close connections with people that understand them, as Jameson is cynical and sometimes drives people away, and Beck is a criminal and also not terribly confident ("we are islands, excuses to remain alone"); and then the parts where they wind up in each others' orbit... And verse two has even more to work with, imo! "When we met, I was pulling an angel out of a liar" could be the fact that when they met, Jameson believed Mysterio to be the hero he was presenting himself as, or the "I" could be Beck where he was lying pretending to be an angel; maybe this could even be in an AU where Beck really liked being seen as a superhero during his first foray as Mysterio and just stuck with that? "We are dreamers, wishing upon what we were born from" could be a point of commonality being that they're stubborn and don't give up, or it could indicate a plot where they're working together trying to bring down Spider-Man somehow! "We made plans, we kill them ourselves, and then we mourn them" could also be commonality where they both get in their own way; overall a theme of the song you could lean into for fic might be how they're alike in some ways despite also being quite different. And then incorporating an established or growing romance with any of those would work great!
The subject of this song, rather than the singer, really makes me think of Jameson every time, tbh. And parts of the song really fit Mysterio, too, POV-wise! Someone always flirting with trouble, and the "well, it started out like any show / up from the dark to the light's warm glow / did you hear that dedication / when I came up and out on the stage?" part especially. And "you came on lion" always makes me think of Jameson probably because I really see him as more bark than bite, almost putting on a show himself, circus-lion roars without actually being dangerous, not being as harsh as he seems. Beck being intrigued by that and getting closer to him, or flirting as Mysterio ("and I stepped up to your cage / just to see if we would go / I crossed the bridge, I thought you'd know"), getting in further and realizing he could get in deep dangerously easily ("two rays on two straying thoughts / but each one warm to make me glow / or burn me if I'm not careful / well, it's not hard, it's too easy"). And maybe he tries to step back because of that ("so now can I step lightly back between / where you are and where I've been?"), or maybe he's been bombastically flirting as Mysterio and wants to try bonding more just as Beck ("back into that thing we do / where it's me and it's just you")... I also just overall find the "closer than a girl can get / to trouble without getting in it" stuff fun in and of itself, sort of flirting-with-flirting or trying to keep things light and flirty (or even FWB-y) withou falling fully in love. If you play with literally any bits or aspects of any of that, I'd love it!
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done several freeform exchanges!
Canon-Specific DNWs
Marvel 616
Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes
Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes & 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(ish); 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 by him killing innocent people.
Song Selections & Ideas
I won't lie, I feel like a lot of the romantic songs I chose for this ship are kind of... a promise being made. Sometimes a mutual promise, but always Adrian to Nathan. This song always especially feels like change to me; it could actually be a New Year's Eve/New Year's Day fic, but even if it's not, some circumstance where they cross a line and their relationship truly starts. And "should auld aquaintance be forgot" hits different with them, both old men, probably having lost people but Adrian especially definitely having lost a lot of what he used to hope his life would be as a younger man. So there's an element of newness, of their relationship crossing over into something more, but also potentially an element as well of being all right with everything that's been lost and not turned out how they planned because they have each other. Any fic that leans into either or both of those emotions would be amazing! (And for Tiana, maybe before Adrian and Nathan get together Adrian also makes up with his granddaughter? Or maybe she encourages him, or Nathan?)
For some reason, this song is one that I strongly associate with these two, particularly Adrian to Nathan. The sheer emotion Adrian shows during the "Funeral Arrangements" mini-arc, and that driving need to be forgiven due to how hard he was hit by Nathan's death... Even if you have Nathan never have died, the dedication in this song feels in keeping with all that! Or maybe this is a situation where Nathan is alive again, resurrected somehow or cloned (maybe Adrian's doing, maybe not), or a time-travel fix, and it's a second chance thing? It could even be a fic where Adrian is actively trying to undo what was done and make it right! There's a lot of longing in this song and it could just be pining or it could be a lot of other stuff. You could even have Adrian trying to navigate the complexity of his relationships with both Nathan (after he comes back from having died, or maybe survived it!) and Tiana (after she found out her grandpa killed at least a few innocent people in the past), and fixing things with both of them, at least to some degree? You could even play with a scenario where Adrian is basically figuratively kept on a leash by Nathan, morally speaking, so in love he will listen to him and try to change for him, and Nathan is aware of the power he holds over Adrian and it's kind of alarming but they both find it strangely kinky even with no sexual element. (Or maybe one does develop?) Lot of things you could do with this one!
This song is always so romantic; it has a definite shape to it overall but any individual part of it could also be taken! The freedom of living a quiet life together, or the freedom of being a supervillain (Adrian retiring or Nathan joining him in crime, maybe?); they might struggle and fail sometimes (or Adrian anyway) but they keep going and do so together? Adrian retiring or pretending to ("my possessions are causing me suspicion, but there's no proof"), maybe even with them sharing a nursing home again/back then, or Nathan being suspected of colluding or harboring him? Very normal domestic things! One or both of them trying to win the other over, or return home to the other! People trying to keep them apart, either on purpose or just because Adrian's arrested or another supervillain attacks or something! And I won't lie, "barely clearing the roof" always makes me think of Vulture, he literally flies. Tiana being any part of the normalcy or dangerous situations, encouraging or helping out her grandpa, meeting Nathan... There's a lot that could be played with and I'd be happy with any part of this.
Okay, this one could definitely from Adrian's point of view, but it could also be from Nathan's? For Adrian, "I know in my heart that I'll have to change" being that he knows that to earn and/or keep Nathan's love, he has to either stop supervillainy or pull back on his worst acts; this could also include him having to change to earn his granddaughter's forgiveness. For Nathan, it could actually be that Adrian admits to loving him, Nathan realizes it's mutual, and both of them change a bit, Nathan joining Adrian in crime but Adrian not being as ruthless anymore. The "I want to be with you... I want to be near you" parts could also be that. Alternately, if you wanted to go with a scenario where Nathan died and Adrian is trying to get him back (and succeeds) out of love, multiple lines could point to that: "I'll need a miracle to help me this time," "how did we get to be this far apart?" and the repeated "nothing's impossible" especially. Adrian wanting Nathan, and possibly also Tiana, in his life after messing up with either or both of them and working towards it, and achieving the impossible, is definitely a very fitting theme for this song however and wherever you take that basic concept!
THIS SONG! It works for a lot of ships and in different ways, and there's definitely a lot you could do with it for these two! There's the forgiveness element, which could be a lot of things: Adrian simply not telling Nathan he was the Vulture in the first place, the event that canonically killed Nathan (whether Nathan survives it instead, or if he comes back from the dead, due to anything Adrian does or something else entirely), or even just some awkwardness from when Adrian apparently called Nathan and asked him to join him as a partner-in-crime where Adrian's like "okay sorry I take that back," lol. It could also be a situation where they're flirting on the line of being more than friends and both afraid to cross it! Them caring a lot about each other despite their differences is great ad works for the "we dig each other" parts. The "weakness" and "sickness" and "dig me up" could be Nathan having Adrian on a morality leash, or could be Adrian trying to retire and sometimes backsliding, or trying to be less cutthroat but sometimes still going too far (or almost). And of course all of the trying to earn forgiveness and trying to change and not go too far could also apply to earning Tiana's forgiveness, if she's included, and she could also be a positive influence on him!
I won't lie, this song realllly works for me when there's a character involved who can literally fly. I'll give you a bit more to work with than that, though! But this one's pretty simple. The repeated chorus works for either or both of them being there for one another and trying to help out whatever is happening; it can be either one coming to the other's rescue or support, anything from Nathan giving Adrian a place to stay and hide if he gets hurt, to Adrian doing his damndest to get Nathan back from the dead (and succeeding). The first verse could be Adrian not letting anyone know his feelings for Nathan because he has enemies and doesn't want him in danger; alternately, it could also work for an AU where Nathan's joined Adrian in crime and, ofc, multiple people would like to see them fail: Spider-Man, the cops, even other criminals who consider them competitors! "Don't believe the things you tell yourself so late at night / you are your own worst enemy, you'll never win the fight" could be one being down on himself and getting support from the other; we see in canon Nathan beating himself up over the lengths he goes to to get money, betting on people's lives, or possibly it could be about Adrian thinking that he'll never be able to fix his relationship with Tiana or that he's just not capable of going straight or that he's not redeemable. And while the rest of the verse could be either, really, metaphorically speaking, "I don't believe anything, don't trust anyone anymore / but I believe you..." is alllll Vulture. And really just anything that goes with the general emotion/theme of the song is great! They've got each others' backs (and maybe Tiana has their backs and vice-versa as well)!
There's a lot of ways this song could work for these two. Obviously there's the general, caught up in each others' orbit, drawn to each other, wanting to stay together and have love returned elements. But "we are islands, excuses to remain alone," well... Adrian doesn't have many people who care about him (and doesn't make that easy for people), but in canon Nathan kinda does; maybe this is a scenario where he never fell in love with (or maybe even met) Aunt May, though, or survived The Incident but pulled away from her because he was ashamed of the betting he did, or came back to life and is choosing not to seek her out because she's already moved on and should be allowed that... but does seek Adrian out (or lets him back in if Adrian seeks him out. "I see nothing worse than to sail this universe without you" could indicate a story where Adrian tries to figure out a way to get him back from death, come hell or high water (and succeeds!), or just tries to make things up to him and earn forgiveness, potentially. "When we met, I was pulling an angel out of a liar" could mean when Adrian was pretending to just be a normal person around Nathan and got close to him. "We are dreamers, wishing upon what we were born from" could mean a story that grapples with both of their hopes for their lives, when they were younger, that are maybe out of reach now, and "we made plans, we kill them ourselves, and then we mourn them" could have to do with how they self-sabotage (probably Vulture especially, let's be real) or even Adrian's mourning for Nathan. Or just afraid he can't fix things with Tiana! There's a lot that could be done with this song and it's themes and emotions.
This song really works for the "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" element of things. It's very, very much from Vulture's POV and I am fascinated by... the feeling of someone who loves uniquely like that, and alternately how it might feel to be loved by someone like that so completely. With lines like "'cause I just can't have a normal heart" and "I can be a person if you give me the chance", you could write it as Adrian not being quite as bad as he's thinking himself to be or write it as him being close to sociopathic and only able to deeply care about a few people (Nathan, and Tiana if she's included). "So please give me kisses, I won't break my promises" seems to imply trying to change for love. There's an overwhelming love and dedication in a lot of these lyrics, from "I get so deeply poisoned by love" to "you hijacked my mind, not that I want it back"; despite some of the lyrics (especially in verse two) I don't want things to be too unhealthy in the sense of like... actually being bad for either of them. A thrill of "oh this isn't quite right and is overwhelming and maybe dangerous" is fine! This song also works super well, imo, for one of my canon-specific like ideas below, the "Nathan and Adrian entering unplanned into a kinky-feeling arrangement where Adrian is immensely loyal and dedicated and adoring and Nathan metaphorically has him on a leash and neither of them really talk about it but it's super charged (whether sex happens or not)" one. It also really fits a tag I've used in freeform exchanges for them in the past, that "Pining - Mutual pining that both characters figure out is requited but that's terrifying" one! You could do a lot with this and I'd love any of it so long as it's not super dark or a bad ending.
This song is so interesting to me for ships, because it isn't really a love song on the face of it; it almost feels more character-focused. But I think it could really work! And not just because of the falling and gravity bits (though that does help). I had two main ideas for this, one for the song being Adrian's POV, and one for it being Nathan's. For Adrian, the "looking backwards" part at the start could be him looking back on his life and regretting how it didn't turn out like he'd wanted when he was younger, and then the chorus could be him choosing to trust someone (Nathan! and maybe Tiana), that even if he crashes and it hurts they'll be there for him and he can rebuild, and it's a real new opportunity. Letting down his armor and opening up and REALLY being free and flying, metaphorically, when he had been literally for years. Opening up to the people he loves and trusting them and actually having it be rewarding and strengthening what he has with them, basically. But for Nathan, it could also be a freedom in anything from colluding with Adrian and helping him though he's the Vulture, to outright becoming a criminal or supervillain himself, taking Adrian up on that invitation to be his partner. The "looking backwards" parts could be his own regrets, and following that up with "a model citizen of doubt" could be him deciding not to be a model citizen anymore; "I lean in and let it hurt" and "I break pattern" could be him trust falling into accepting Adrian's offer, that even if it hurts in some ways it's worth it, rebuilding himself anew and being free in a new way. And no longer being bound by gravity or "afraid of heights"! It could work either way. (Or a different way, if you have any other ideas!)
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've asked for Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes in several freeform exchanges, and for Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes & Tiana Toomes in Chocolate Box earlier this year!
The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Quentin Beck/Phineas Mason
Quentin Beck/Chameleon/Phineas Mason
[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)]
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 gamein "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...
AND THEN POTENTIALLY ADD CHAMELEON TO THE MIX. 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.
Song Selections & Ideas
This song works so well for literal New Year's Eve/New Year's stuff, but also just in general for a)parties and/or b)changes and new beginnings! Because of the element of change and lines like "it's a perfect start," it's maybe especially well suited to get-together fic, but it also works really well for established relatonship stuff or even pining, with things taking a turn in another way or a different type of new beginning! (Transitioning into supervillainy, perhaps?) The lines that say things like "everyone" or "all" make it really work for a group setting, and there's a lot you can do with that: The Sinister Six? Just Beck, Mason, and Chameleon? Or maybe a party with various NYC residents that they're at undercover for some job? It could be a down-time situation, just with them spending time together (just the two of them, just the three of them, or with the Six), or it could be a casefic sort of scenario where they're on the job (either in a supervillain capacity or pulling the more low-key career criminal style of thing they did before with Chameleon). I love mutual interest, even pining, that culminates, and this song is great for that; I also love pining that's one-sided for a while and becomes mutual (I especially love Mason pining but would be happy with Beck too); and I also love both the three of them interested in each other and mutually getting together, or two of them (preferably Chameleon with one of the others) being together and bringing the third in, or even Chameleon being with both of them and Beck and Mason finally also getting together themselves. And if taking place on New Year's Eve, the fic could be pre-canon, before the supervillain stuff, just them (all three or just the two of them); it could be post-canon... or if you wanted to do a somewhat sideways take on things, it could even be during canon, maybe with Mysterio rescuing Tinkerer from the building after Spider-Man threatened the information out of him, and hurt/comfort following that, and them bringing in the New Year together in a less than ideal way but still the stress/worry of the situation prompting a confession/kiss/get-together? (With or without Chameleon there, tbh!) There's a lot you could play with for this!
I love this song for both Beck/Mason and the OT3; I associate it so much with Beck but at the same time, Chameleon is also such an actor in his own way! The counting dynamics at the beginning also be fun to play with; if it's just Beck/Mason, maybe they keep getting interrupted by Chameleon, or by one or two of the Six, and the "five means to take a quick little break / and get back to work when you're through" could be teamwork with the Six but I also love the wordplay about "take five"; maybe a story taking place during downtime or a quick break? A fic could follow the changing seasons and maybe changing emotions over time, or how the emotions aren't leaving and are in fact growing stronger when one or both of them might have hoped it would be temporary pining? I mostly just love how this song follows, like, various different states and the passage of time, but the love and longing is always there! And that could work for the two of them or all three of them, and it could work with mutual pining or something that's one-sided for a bit until it's not. I'd love some getting together or confessing for this, too; it fits the song perfectly! But just leaning into the lightness of the song, and the emotion in it, and the themes, would make me super happy. This is a simpler one but I love it a lot.
This song always makes me think of Mysterio! I can't help it! It also does work for me as a Chameleon song, frankly. "For once, there is nothing up my sleeve" is so magician-y, but they're both actors and it could also work for Chameleon's disguises. "Just some scars from a life that used to trouble me" works for any of them being discouraged by their lives before going into crime, and in a slightly different way really fits an idea I like where Chameleon had Mason help him erase all official records of who he was before being simply Chameleon. For "I used to run at first sight of the sun / now I lay here waiting for you to wake up," maybe one, or two, or all three of them had a hard time with or avoided making close connections to people, or maybe at first the two/three of them wanted to keep things professional to avoid making working together too awkward or complicated, or maybe at first the two/three of them were just doing casual hookups but not looking for or expecting anything deeper! (Or any mix of those, tbh, if all three of them are in the mix!) I really love the lines "you put on new sheets, the white flag of a Saturday night / I know we stayed up talking in circles / but I like to think the symmetry will keep me close to you" (and the later "do you remember when we stayed up / 'til the sun stretched through the room?") for the quiet intimacy of late night/all night conversations they imply, so any scene with that would be amazing... I love "for everyone I’m out to prove wrong, you keep the light on" for one, or two, or all three of them feeling like they have something to prove, and "you know me better than the truth" is so so good for Beck and Chameleon given their relationships with acting and misdirection and disguises. "Thus far you are the best thing that / this life has yet to lose" also REALLY works for me due to the impression I get that those three were working together for years before we first see them in canon, and if you're just going for Beck/Mason there's also the added element of those two immediately becoming a unit with the creation of Mysterio and joining up with the Sinister Six together. "I know we got caught up / sifting through a crowd of pebbles and lures / but you must not let them take you / they don't know you like I do" really makes me think of both how a lot of criminals are hiring Tinkerer, and how Chameleon at least temporarily split ways with Beck and Mason after the yacht job. "It's been years now since we moved / I've gotten good with an excuse" is sweet for, again, how I feel like they might have been working together for years, and how maybe they (or one of them) makes excuses to spend time together now and have gotten good at it, and "you know I try not to speak superlatives / but it's impossible with you" is great given how exaggerated and showy and dorky all three of them are (even if Mason pretends not to be, but hey, he knows the other two love it so there's an excuse). There's just so much I love about this, and I'd love anything you did with it!
OH BOY, this is a hot song, and a very simple one that has some very obvous places you could go with it! I still want to give you a bit more to work with, though. First being the circumstances: Are the social obligations simply a date, maybe at a slightly fancy place, maybe solely for the excuse to suggestively flirt and make the other(s) hot and bothered and unable to make it obvious the entire time they're there? Or is it that they're at some sort of function for undercover, criminal, casefic reasons, but they flirt while they're there and maybe the fact that it's a dangerous criminal thing makes it hotter to them? Have they hooked up before? (If they're planning on a bigger bombastic crime, like, Mysterio making an appearance sort of thing, "oh, let there be damage ensued and tabloid news" becomes a very fun line to play with.) If an OT3 with Chameleon, have any of them hooked up before, or are either or both of them romantically with Chameleon already, or is this new for all three of them? (If Beck/Chameleon or Chameleon/Mason is already a thing, and Beck/Mason is now flirting, the "tell me / tell me / tell your man" takes on new hot/kinky connotations!) Or is this an established relationship scenario that they're just having fun with? And of course while a fic of flirting during a date or at whatever event would be great, I'd also love just an outright smut fic! Go with this however you like.
Okay, this song is one of those that I feel fits a lot of my ships but in very different ways, so let me explain! This is probably more straightforward for both of these ships than I see it for anyone else, tbh. They are, either two or all three, each others' weakness, and it's identifiable (to others, to themselves), and they like and care about each other a lot, and can count on and support and help each other whatever happens. What keeps it from being 100% straightforward are lines like "if I turn into another," which could be literal-ish with Beck shifting into the role of Mysterio or outright literal in a canon with someone like Miles Warren who is open to genetically experimenting on unsuspecting people (yes, I am open to h/c plots like that, so long as the character is turned back to normal by the end!). Maybe the supervillain thing risks "turning their egos up," one or both of them that are supervillains, and the other(s) help keep them grounded so that doesn't happen? You could even lean into just the "remind me that we'll always have each other / when everything else is gone" part of the chorus as well as the "weakness" part of verse one and the "we dig each other" bits and simply go with a plot where they have to depend on each other during a mission or one (or two) of them has to rescue the other(s) from a dangerous situation or a kidnapping or something. There's a lot of little things you could play with here, or go with the straightforward read, and whatever you did I'd love it!
An unapologetically sappy and sweet romance song, and I LOVE that for them! Both of them or all three of them. It works so well for mutual pining or temporarily one-sided pining, and I tend to lean towards Mason pining in a Beck/Mason situation but I'd be totally open to it being Beck! I love the part at the beginning having the feeling of enjoying pining and being quietly in love with someone you don't know might love you back, how even the heart aching parts are pleasant; it's such a great emotion that I could really be into in a fic. And then the second part! Moving to actually trying and being more open and going for it, because that part is super good too! And I feel like this song could work really well for a Five Times fic, either moments that one of the characters enjoys being in love and yearning or times one of them kisses another... maybe even for undercover reasons?... until they finally "do it right." ("Try again, and again, and again...") It's a short, simple song, but you could do a lot of sweet things with this!
A short, old-fashioned love song, perfect for pining, wooing, and/or get-together fic! I adore this song; it's 100% a perfect Mysterio romance song to me, very romantic and sappy, but also imo works for Chameleon in a sort of old-fashioned way! It's also very straightforward, but there's still so much you could do with it! The song could be from either/any of their POVs, or a more mutual pining/wooing thing. If Beck/Mason, you could also go a route of Beck sort of remaking himself as he takes on the role of Mysterio: Supervillain, or the both of them remaking themselves in their shift into supervillainy; maybe one or both of them feel like fakers or just actors at first? Or if it's Beck/Chameleon/Mason, maybe after shifting into supervillainy the two miss him, feel it's not as good without him, and seek him back out post-canon? Hell, maybe the two of them, or all three of them, are working together on costuming and/or practical effects for a job/mission and Feeling Feelings™! Short and sweet and simple, but however you play around with this, it could be great.
This song is just so simple and sweet and I love it for these ships. The biggest thing it brings to mind for me, what I think it absolutely works best for, is quiet, comfortable domesticity and equally quiet realizations that they're in love. Sharing spaces because they've been working together so closely for so long and know one another so well by this point, and they're basically practically married already and it just occurs to one, or both, or all three of them that, oh, I'd absolutely spend the rest of my life with this person/these people, yeah. That sort of feeling. And this works for if their relationship had been platonic before, or if they'd been FWB already, or even a shift from more casually dating to Fully In Love! I also want to point out a few lines that specifically jump out to me for reasons: "They'll tell you that you'll maybe make it / if you just cut your clothes and change your hair" being how they didn't make it in normal life, and maybe decided they didn't want to, that it wasn't worth trying, and found freedom in being criminals and outside the law; "cause I wouldn't want you to get cold," I mean, I know it's winter at that point in canon, but I kinda headcanon that Mason gets cold easily and that's why he's always wearing turtlenecks and long coats, so if you wanted to play with that you totally could (maybe Beck gets him a Christmas turtleneck as a Christmas present or Mason lets Beck borrow his coat when he's cold even if Mason is easily cold himself, just as examples?); "never took piano lessons / but baby you're a grand / and I will learn to play the good notes / and tune you up the best I can"... okay look these lines are definitely an excuse for smut in the fic if you wanted. And just that repeated chorus, it's so good for love confessions and for pining!
This song is so sweet, and I love applying songs like this to criminals and supervillains who are basically married! There's so much fun stuff in this song that you could use, too. "I was always late / you never afraid / that we could be falling" could be one of them slow to realize how close they're getting while the other one (or other two) knows that, yeah, this could lead to him falling in love himself. "And to this day / when everything breaks / you are the anchor that holds me / and that is why we'll always make it" is SO GOOD when the characters work so well together, supporting one another and acting as each others' backup; you could flat-out write something where Mysterio gets thwarted and Tinkerer extracts him from the situation so that an android (that Tinkerer also made) is arrested again instead, or like... Mason makes sure Chameleon gets out of a situation scot-free by strategic use of/fucking with security cameras, and Chameleon promptly impersonates a police officer or FBI agent to safely get away with Beck. So much of the chorus is just... characters knowing each other so well because they've known each other so long and care about each other so much, and I adore that! "I never knew there was someone to make me come alive" could apply to Beck and Mason meeting Chameleon and finding an alternative to their normal lives before, or hell, I've imagined more than once Mason realizing he's totally in love with Beck the first time Beck gets in the Mysterio costume, tosses his cape back, and does the Mysterio Voice... And that's all before even the second verse, which is just perfect for, like, whenever thing go wrong and there are setbacks and it's easy to feel down and upset, they still have one another and that makes things better and easier to deal with and to spring back from; hurt/comfort could also work REALLY well here! "Cause I never knew a home until I found your hands" really drives home, to me, how unique their relationship is compared to anything in their lives before. "And when we're making love / I'd give up everything up for your touch" definitely gives you an excuse for smut if you want to go there, and on the other hand, "And when you go to work, all the day I'll wait / for you to come home, recount our time in our little place" could easily lend itself to fic where Mysterio is out doing A CRIME! ...and then comes back to their current hideout and Beck and Mason spend time comfortably together, or a fic where Mysterio is doing Sinister Six stuff and Tinkerer is maybe doing that or maybe doing work for someone else and Chameleon is doing one of his own obs, and they all come back to each other and fill each other in... There's so much sweet stuff you could do with this and I'd love it all!
This song is one of my absolute favorites for these ships; it fits so well for how I see them. It has this very casually intimate feeling to it, with a combination of intense dedication and kind of normal everyday imagery. "Pressed up against this shop front, drawing faces there in crayon / it's a long way from the pockets full of rain" feels like, well, just people waiting under awnings for the rain to let up but feeling like they're safely removed from the rain where they are (close to it but still feeling "it's a long way"). "And you have walked the streets for hours with your loose change and your flowers" is so casual and everyday, and followed by "and now I'll learn your body like a nursery rhyme in Braille" which is of course intimate, not just sex (though if you took the excuse for smut, I'd like that too!) but learning the other person's body/people's bodies, becoming familiar with them. "You have stumbled from the cradle to a prayer" is a great line and fits them "stumbling" from a normal life to a criminal one, and maybe then into a supervillain one! "But in this darkened room we have got heart enough to burn" has elements of their intimacy and love when alone behind closed doors, and "we can dance away the hours" is poetic phrasing but if you wanted to write the characters dancing with each other I would not say no to that, I am a sucker for things like that! "So welcome to our winning streak, no broken bones or old deceits / it's you and me versus this little town" is GREAT for a story of, like, making plans and really believing they can succeed, or even succeeding in a string of crimes, and NYC isn't a little town by any means but I love that element of us vs. the world (and maybe all those who didn't believe in us)! I really love "we're the curses that they'll mutter / and you will still be trying on my heart just like a crown," too, for the element of the world/normal people being down on them and what they do but they're still completely in love anyway, you could really play with that.
"Now there's a candle in the window, got a lousy history of tomorrows" is really interesting; I feel like "candle in the window" implies waiting for someone to come home (from a crime? or trying to find Chameleon to rejoin them?) and "got a lousy history of tomorrows" feels to me like it could be someone putting off something (admitting their feelings?) or making plans and not achieving them yet, and "so I'll spill the beans in every little sound" really fits with the former interpretation, too, like one of them (or both, or all three?) keeps putting off confessing their feelings so they try to communicate their love in everything else they say and do without saying it? And "You are the creaking of the door, you are the chorus of applause / you are wishbones and the axis that these songs will spin around" is just so, like, "you're everything to me and my mind and heart keep coming back to you, which I love, and I admit "you are the chorus of applause" really fits Chameleon and especially Beck to me, so this song often feels like it's from Mason's POV to me. Looking at it that way, "I know your tactics, all the practice this bravery took / and the flags are flying, you're trying out a different look" has both the elements of knowing someone super well by now, and also practicing like for a role, playing the brave and confident persona, and the "different look" could work especially well for newly being Mysterio! And the repeated "we'll tear it all down" chorus just adding in this element of criminality and even helping Doc Ock take over the world with the Six. It's just really good and I know this is long but if you used ANY of this, or just leaned into the song in any way, I will adore it!
This song! Oh, this song is one of the ones I can just associate with so many ships, but in a whole bunch of different ways! It's so romantic and longing, and so comparatively simple, but I'll definitely give you some stuff to work with if you want it. So look, with Beck/Mason, "touched, you say that I am too / so much of what you say is true" feels to me like either both recognizing the other's genius, Beck recognizing Mason's theatricality that he might usually like to deny, or both; with Chameleon added in, either he could also recognize that, or it could have an added element of like... both of them independently meeting Chameleon back when they had normal lives and getting swept up into this new criminal career because they were amazed by him and he saw promise and brilliance in them. Alternately, for these two ships, I can easily see the second verse being poetic/metaphorical for a dangerous situation one, both, or all of them are in (during an undercover job or a supervillain job) and trying to help each other, back each other up, rescue each other, just in general get out of that situation and/or help get the other(s) out of that situation! The bridge and repeated chorus, for these two ships, really does feel more like straightforward longing and love and pining to me; you could also potentially use the bridge as well for a fic that plays with them meeting Chameleon and happily getting swept up into a life of crime with him and each other. If you play with that, or any of the emotion of the song, anything that isn't an unhappy ending with them losing each other or forever unrequited, I will love it.
Okay, this song is one I have long associated with Beck/Mason, and it could work incredibly well with Beck/Chameleon/Mason too. This song tells a very specific story, but honestly, I'd love a fic that doesn't follow the exact beats of the events that happen in the song, but the overall feeling of it. In the first verse, characters who hang out a lot and are maybe doing something casual and everyday and not out of the ordinary for them (maybe, for these two/three, something out of the ordinary for most people... or maybe not! maybe they were in fact watching movies together!), when suddenly something makes one (or two) of them take another look and either realize feelings or start to get stray thoughts of being attracted or wanting to stay with this person/these people. (It could also work for that idea I mentioned before, about Mason either realizing he's totally in love with Beck or abruptly seeing Beck in a new light the first time Beck gets in the Mysterio costume, tosses his cape back, and does the Mysterio Voice...) In the second verse, friendship turning into something else with apparently sudden (at least on one's part) attraction, kissing and/or leading to sex, with at least one party realizing that they might be in deep. "Bad ideas" and "dangerous/wicked thoughts" is fun because yes, obviously there's the element of it maybe risking ruining their friendship and/or working relationship, but at the same time these are criminals, so that's a fun added thing there. And then, of course, "why don't you stay at mine tonight? / why don't you stay with me and be my sidekick, sidekick?" has the sexual elements and would be a great excuse for smut, but the sidekick thing makes it also really suited to being either really early on in Beck and/or Mason's partnership with Chameleon (for the OT3) or really early on in the creation of Mysterio, which they had to know going in would depend on both of them to pull off, so that's a long-term partnership right there (for the OTP). So it works for a romantic/sexual partnership, literal sidekick/partner-in-crime stuff, or both together! And I would love anything you did with both or either!
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done several freeform exchanges! In most of them I asked for both Beck/Mason and Beck/Chameleon/Mason as well; I'll mark what I asked for next to the links below.
The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Otto Octavius/Adrian Toomes
[Where you can find the series: Here!
Most Pertinent Episodes:
For the two together - S1E1 (Survival of the Fittest) (though this is majorly a Vulture episode); S1E11 (Group Therapy); S2E3 (Reinforcement); S2E4 (Shear Strength); 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)
...Adrian literally does not have episodes where his relationship with Otto isn't immensely interesting to me! Well then.]
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.
Song Selections & Ideas
Okay, this song obviously works GREAT for literal New Year's Eve/New Year's fic! But I feel like it also works great for new beginnings of any sort in a more metaphorical way. There are a few different ways to play with this, too! The "everyone" and group element could imply a fic that also includes the other Sinister Six members. (And feel free to shuffle around who's a member if writing post-canon fic! does Calypso join? Has Morris Bench become Hydro-Man? Has Donald Menken newly stepped into the role of a supervillain?) "Change is coming" on New Year's; is this the year after canon ends and the "Master Planner" has another master plan, or maybe it could also work for an AU fic where Doc Ock's plan in "Shear Strength" actually succeeded? The new beginnings aspect of this fic could just be used to make it a get-together fic, but alternately, maybe it does take place on New Year's and they're already together and celebrating? Or were together/dating at some point in the past (that photo!) and re-kindle their romance in a new way? Generally any celebration could work instead of New Year's, it also just works very well if there's some element of change/new beginnings... But even something like interpreting the "should auld aquaintance be forgot" parts as like, a satisfaction from how they've changed as people and their newfound freedom could be enough of a "new start" element! There's a lot you could do with this and I'd love any of it.
I admit, the "barely clearing the roof" part always makes me associate this song with ships where at least one character can fly, but there are more reasons for this! As you can probably tell, I'm a sucker for romance where two villains are super in love and dedicated/loyal, and these two really hit me right in that spot. "There is freedom within, there is freedom without" (and the later "get to know the feeling of liberation and release") could be the fact that they've changed drastically in actions, finding freedom in their supervillainy, but also that they've changed internally, finding freedom within themselves simply by not taking shit (even if they didn't choose to take it too far in the supervillainy direction). "There's a battle ahead, many battles are lost / but you'll never see the end of the road while you're traveling with me" really works for them with the element of them working together in supervillainy and trying again in different ways whenever their plans are thwarted, and how Adrian seems to have really decided to dedicate himself to Otto's plans. The second verse works really well for any sort of domestic elements you might want to add in; it also does work for how down on their luck they were before supervillainy (we don't see Adrian's home but he was fucked over wrt his invention and Norman said he never succeeded at anything before, so I doubt he's rich, and Otto was living in a self-described "anemic hovel"), and "my possessions are causing me suspicion, but there's no proof" could nod to one or both of them pretending to reform (or actually doing so?) or Otto continuing to pretend, whenever arrested, that Doctor Octopus is another personality and potentially caused by his arms. "And I'm counting the steps to the door of your heart" works for either a get-together fic, one where one is returning home to the other, or one where they've just finished a mission (successful or not) and are reuniting after! And of course the chorus, with them having dreams/plans, and not succeeding so far but trying again and again, and choosing to stick together after every failure and even when separated by incarceration... If you chose any aspect of this song or the whole thing you could make it work really well!
This song hits me really hard for these two and always has; it's not just the sort of flight/descending/falling imagery, but also the element of loyalty that even feels to me sort of like a right hand man situation. "Knock knock - are you alone? / No one's out here and I was not followed" nods to the fact that they're criminals, and "party's over and you don't look so good," well... they fail a lot and it's probably discouraging even though they keep trying. "And I feel the weight of the world" could be Doctor Octopus literally wanting world domination, because I feel like you could easily lean in the direction of him honestly thinking he could benefit the world if they'd just let him; verses two and three in general are also heavy on the "even when you're feeling down you can depend on me, when it's too heavy you can trust me" elements! The trust me, part, too, could really tie into deep threads of trust and mutual loyalty kink and the right hand thing. (Alternately, I feel like I must note that "I feel the weight of the world" could also be Adrian wanting to give Otto the world since he literally does want it!) "Slowly, darling / nobody means anymore to me than you" is so utterly romantic and devoted in a way I love, and "if you're in, baby then I'm in / (if you're in, into this) / with you always" -- well, when I say Vulture has devoted himself to Ock, the show's developer/writer Greg Weisman once said about Vulture's apparent changing motivations, "I think for better or worse he's tied his boat to his buddy Otto's pier." And hell, "careful, close to the edge there / (careful, you're scaring me) / fall into my arms" could be used for a scene where literally one of them falls fom a great height and the other catches them? Or just a scene where one of them rescues the other from something dangerous! "Fall into love" could legitimately be falling in love and/or getting together fic, and the repeated chorus works really well both for H/C with encouragement when one's down/upset or literally one of them protecting or covering the other during a mission, or a battle couple thing! Lots of ways you could take this one and I'd love it all.
Again, this song is catnip to me when at least one half of a ship can literally fly! It's also unapologetically sappy and romantic and I love that for these two. And then, along with just the straightforward romantic elements ("I don't tell anyone about the way you hold my hand"; "I won't tell anyone that your voice is my favorite sound" -- and boy that could be good for voice kink!), there's also things that could be taken for romance or could have a secondary meaning of, well, the supervillainy ("I don't tell anyone about the things that we have planned"; "they wanna push me down, they wanna see you fall down"). "Won't tell anybody that you turn the world around" just by itself could be taken different ways: It could just be one (or both) falling in love with the other, or it could be specifically Otto's change in personality making Adrian see him in a new way and fall in love with him (or fall more in love with him); it could also be Otto having been deeply affected by hearing about what Adrian did as the Vulture (maybe that's why he started daydreaming about lashing out at Osborn?), or Adrian being inspired by Otto's arm (for his flight suit) or inspired to continue supervillainy by Otto's plans (after meeting again in jail); or it could be any or all of that! "Don't believe the things you tell yourself so late at night / you are your own worst enemy, you'll never win the fight" could work if one of them is down on himself or uncertain of his ability to succeed (maybe Otto still has elements of that cringing uncertain man inside of him?), and of course "it's you and me up against the world it's you and me / I don't believe anything, don't trust anyone anymore / but I believe you" has that "us against the world" super dedicated energy I love! And then "hand behind my neck, arm around my waist / never let me hit the ground, you'll never let me crash down" and the chorus could be more of that support and dedication and loyalty in a metaphorical way, or it could be used for a scene where literally one of them falls fom a great height and the other catches them, or a scene where one of them rescues the other from something dangerous! And "I won't fall out of love, I fall into you" could be falling in love, getting together, or something established relationship-y, or any mix you felt like.
Another song that works super well for me for these two, not just the "two supervillains loyal and in love" but also the element of them having real goals and seeing themselves as in the right. And there's so much in this that could work! "Our lives are stories, waiting to be told" could mean that their lives really started when they became supervillains, even at middle-age/when older. "In search of silver linings, we discovered gold" could be that they were trying to make the best of a bad situation before their supervillainy but are so much happier like than in their normal lives. And of course the rest of verse one and all of verse two, the bridge, and even most of the chorus, combines super dedicated sappy romance with villainy all tangled up together in way that makes both seem desired and blissful? Which I adore. "And let's be winners by mistake" could even itself nod to the idea that they sort of stumbled into the breaking point of supervillainy, and even failed at their initial goals and were defeated, but still won by finding something that felt more right and better than their normal lives and re-finding each other. I also wouldn't at all mind if you did explore a story where they and their relationship might not exactly be societally accepted in ways outside of supervillainy; I don't want a super strong heavy focus on homophobia or transphobia, but if you did nod to things being difficult because they're two men or use trans headcanons if you'd like (either matching their canon identities or not), that would also work! One thing I really love about villainy is even if I'm sitting here going "okay, reel it back a little at least," there's this element of... not having to give the slightest damn about societal conventions or what's "acceptable" or legal anymore, and that could be really fun to play with for this song! But if you touch on any part of this, or any of the mood and emotion and themes of the song for them, I'd love it.
This one's a bit more of a straightforward song, but I still want to give a few ideas for you to work with! This works super well for smut but doesn't demand it; it does almost beg for kissing. It could be get-together fic, it could be something established and looking back. "It doesn't make us strong / it doesn't make us weak / tongue tied disservice" I like because of Otto's ideas of what things make someone weak; might the difficulty in talking about emotions (at first or in general) be something he assures is not weak, or might he have to be assured? "It didn't come easy / I'm glad it was hard / worth the wait / to give you my heart" does imply that they have or had trouble spitting it out; is that true after they're supervillains or were there feelings back when they worked together and were friends and they both had a harder time saying what they felt then? "I found you in pieces / you'd been torn apart / a million one reasons to end before you start" could be a LOT of things: Adrian's thoughts on Otto pre-accident, when they first met? A nod to how they'd been thoroughly defeated by Spider-Man when they re-met in prison, and had plenty of reason just to give up, but decided not to? You could also just take it in a hurt/comfort direction, like, with one of them being injured or just an emotional turmoil leading into their getting together/a confession? And might "deep down I knew / no matter what in the end / it'd be me and you" be from way back before their supervillainy, or Adrian knowing as soon as (or almost) they meet as Vulture and Doctor Octopus that he's going to be dedicate himself to this man, or Otto knowing when they re-meet that he's going to be able to utterly depend on Adrian above anyone else? And of course it's the chorus that really demands at least one kiss... and that bridge, wow, that could lend itself to smut fic very easily. And "lavender haze / Djarum vanilla, Turkish jade / you and me / we have it made" being about them feeling drunk on each other/high on their love for one another! There's a lot of ways you could go with this one and I'd enjoy them all.
This song is so unapologetically sappy, and it's quite simple, but again I want to give you something to work with here! I think it works really well for this ship, no matter what stage of their relationship: longing/pining, get-together, something established. "We are stars, fashioned in the flesh and bone" feels like the elation and power of the supervillainy thing; "we are islands, excuses to remain alone" could be a nod to how Adrian seemed more prickly and Otto was a lot more hesitant and retiring before supervillainy, so they didn't really seem to be close to anyone at all except each other at that point; the "we are dreamers" and "we made plans" parts could be their supervillain plans and goals, but then "we made plans, we kill them ourselves, and then we mourn them" could imply that they had plans for their normal lives before and have destroyed any hopes of those and maybe still have a little regret for that, even with how much better they find their lives now? "We are moons, we throw ourselves around each other / we are oceans, being controlled by the pull of another" always strikes me as perfect imagery for being caught up in one anothers' orbit, and I think once again of Weisman saying that "for better or worse [Adrian's] tied his boat to his buddy Otto's pier." And of course " I just wanna be loved by you / I see nothing worse than to sail this universe without you" is the utterly dedicated, romantice part... But if you wanted, you could also use the latter part as an excuse for hurt/comfort with one of them getting injured! Anything you did with this that played with any of those multitude of ideas would be amazing!
This is a song that I feel like applies to so many different ships but in a bunch of different ways, so let me explain this one! "Touched, you say that I am too / so much of what you say is true" could be them recognizing how they've both changed after they've both become supervillains, but you could also take it in a slightly different direction: Adrian recognizing brilliance and hidden/buried strength in Otto even back when they were both "normal," even when Otto couldn't see it himself. The second verse could just be used for loyalty and dedication, never abandoning one another and even acting totally uncharacteristically to who they were before for the other's sake, or it could be used for hurt/comfort where one rescues the other and/or one is hurt! "I, I looked into your eyes and saw / a world that does not exist / I looked into your eyes and saw / a world I wish was in" could just be a world where they're together (ie, someone's in love!), or maybe it's literally the world that Doc Ock wants to build and Vulture wants to make it happen and give him the world. And the repeating chorus is just... perfect for a dynamic where one or both see something incredibly special in the other that makes them fall in love for the first time even as older men, and the strong, unbending loyalty that might come along with that. Any of that that you decided to go with, or anything else, would work great.
One of my favorite romance songs, and the shape of it is so simple and beautiful; it could be used as an arc of its own or any single part of it could be used as inspiration. I also really, really love this sort of soft romantic dedicated song for super loyal, in love supervillain ships! They were close friends before either ever became a supervillain, and seemed to immediately slip back into each others' lives and hearts smoothly once they re-met in prison. They'd fought right before Adrian became Vulture and was arrested; I feel like the forgiveness part of the song (what I think of as a semi-chorus) works really well for Otto under those circumstances, comparing Adrian to a phoenix but a bit haunted by previous failures and betrayals, and talking about the darkness and fears he had before and his own ambitions now that he will not compromise on. This could also work for a fic where they have an argument or disagreement about something else and make up again easily! The "strange how I fit into you" part and semi-chorus after that could work really well for them getting together, or just them growing closer without officially getting/being together, but becoming even closer than they were before their arrests and slipping into immense loyalty and dedication to one another's goals and desires! And the final part of the song could itself be the realization and getting together part, or it could be used for a fic where they square with repeated defeat and of course decide they'll keep trying anyway (and be there for each other all the way), or a fic where they think about/discuss/etc. who they used to be and how imperfect and painful it was and how they are happy with how they've changed and where/who they are now. Looking back on the past when they hadn't been together and acknowledging they wasted some time but are more than happy now is also good! You could do a lot with this, and I'd adore all of it, just leaning into the emotion and love and longing and contentment in this song.
I won't even lie, I've thought for a while that this song covers (what I see as) Adrian's feelings for Otto over the course of the series super well. "Light reflects from your shadow / it is more than I thought could exist / you move through the room / like breathing was easy" feels like the internal reaction, amazed and/or shaken (in a good way), meeting Otto again for the first time in prison after his transformation into Doctor Octopus. Whether Adrian had been in love with Otto before and falls even more in love, or sees his good friend in a new light, it works either way, but it especially works if Adrian had always seen something special in Otto even before, had been the only one who'd seen it, and this is what he'd known was possible all along, this brilliance and confidence: "If someone believed me / they would be as in love with you as I am." And then "And every day / I am learning about you / the things that no one else sees" is them getting close again, and even closer than before, and learning about one another more (Adrian learning about "the new" Otto). And then after the first Sinister Six episode, where they're defeated quite quickly all told, Vulture is taken back to Ryker's and Doctor Octopus is put into Ravencroft instead: "And the end comes too soon / like dreaming of angels / and leaving without them." And of course then, afterward, all of verse three fits with how Adrian seems to have dedicated himself to Otto's goals after they're free again and Otto re-forms the Sinister Six; as Weisman said, "for better or worse [Adrian's] tied his boat to his buddy Otto's pier" and verse three is like a very romantic re-statement of that! But really, all of the emotion of this song, the "silent devotion" and seeing something special in the other and being so in love, is just perfect and as long as you leaned into that I'd love whatever you wrote! I do not need acanon rehash, I just feel like this song is... perfect, for anything established or getting together or quiet feelings that are returned but unspoken, fond intimacies that they both understand... Anything.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done several freeform exchanges!
Vampire Cleanup Department (2017)
Yip Chi Chau/Yeung Chung
[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.
Song Selections & Ideas
This obviously fits super well for a story taking place as the New Year comes; either December 31st/January 1st or the Chinese New Year could easily be used! But any story where something is happening that marks a change or turn could also work very well. The song also seems to involve a group of people, so while you could easily write a fic solely focusing on Chau and Chung, they could also be spending time around the others in the department, or with Tim and his grandma, or maybe even with Chung's family? Overall, this is a very straightforward and simple song and is very well suited to some sort of culmination of pining ("will you kiss me in the morning light?" and "it's a perfect start" etc.), but it could also be just pining. As long as it's shippy and there's no indication that the pining will definitely never be returned, I do not mind if the story ends with things still one-sided or unresolved!
I've loved this song forever and associated it with these two for a while. There's a real longing to it, of course, and also this contentment with how things are despite loneliness. "I still don't understand, in this second, how to move, how to hold on to someone's hand well" / "I'm almost understanding, in this second, how to move, how to live with you well" could be from either POV, tbh, not quite sure how to manage their relationship with one another, either due to pining or sort of knowing there's something potentially there. "That loneliness is barely different, I chose to stay here and not mention it" is just such a pining line; "that life still holds too much excitement, there isn't much that I already consider within my grasp," well, their life and job are exciting and they just don't really have the opportunity for a normal life while they're in it (and maybe it's part of why one or both of them aren't/haven't said anything?). "You should know that you once allowed someone to be loved and then passed by / after all there is this nervous but still presentable silence" could be talking about either of them and how it's NOT too late; it could also be a nod to Chau having loved Yat Lung before his death, if you wanted to go that route, and maybe how he's finally moving on a bit. And the repeated chorus just really feels to me like there's a level of contentment even with (presumed to be or, for a while/for years, actually) unrequited feelings and how just being around the other, who is their most important person now, just that is good. I feel like the song could easily be from the POV of Chung, but anything works. And I am of course happy with requitement and things being resolved! But so long as it's shippy and not an unhappy ending, and doesn't have the door closed on the possibility, I'm happy.
This song really does work for so many ships for me in different ways! For these two, I feel like there's a lot of potential. On the one hand, simply sticking together in the VCD, despite it basically being a death sentence if they don't retire (and both refuse to, despite Chung talking about it). They work together super well and have each others' backs! And there's also potentially the element of, well, Chau "never means what he says," but Chung knows him well enough to tell what he means. Them getting closer, whether there's a culmination of pining or not, could work very well, and even something plotty could be great here! On the other hand, if you wanted to play around with the idea, I feel like this song also really works for an AU where there was no cure and Chau remains a good jiangshi and has to adjust and relearn things ("so when sickness turns my ego up / I know you'll act as a clever medicine / if I turn into another / dig me up from under what is covering / the better part of me." Either way, these two being surprisingly close and really having each others' backs in their ways fits great.
This song is an incredibly sad one, and I did ask for happy or at last hopeful endings! So let me explain: I feel like this works really well for an H/C fic, emotional or physical. Them trying to deal with (talking about or maybe talking around) their mortality and the likelihood that a jiangshi will kill them if neither of them retire. One of them actually getting hurt on a mission! Again, this song also works super well for an AU in which there was no cure and Chau stays a good jiangshi and has to adjust and relearn things, but I also wouldn't at all mind a reverse of that situation with Chung instead. But "don't think of me like that / just picture me leaving and not coming back" could be one of them being hurt, just imagining one being hurt or dying or being turned, or one actually turning. "I'm sat where we sat / just picking the labels and lighting a match" could be while one of them is hurt and/or recovering and the other is having a hard time with it. "One day you'll drink from my bones / and scream as you rip out my throat" could be one of them turning or just thinking about the possibility; "one day they'll drink from our bones / and sigh as they stare down our throats" could of course be thinking of the possibility that a jiangshi will kill one or both of them someday, inevitably, if they don't retire. "Is it love you regret?" could be about Chung's love for Chau (or vice-versa), or Chau's for Yat Lung if you wanted to go that route. "And this is your home now so don't you forget" could be the VCD being home or one accepting the other into his home, but that and "and darling, you just haven't spoken all week" could be the jiangshi thing... There's a lot you could do with this and if you played with any one part it would be great!
I won't lie, I chose this song because I really do like the idea that Chung is pining for a while, maybe years, maybe even twenty, but also simultaneously that the two of them are in each others' orbit in a way that isn't fully true of the entirety of the VCD. There's something unique to them, too. That's really what most of the song is about, honestly, plus the romance part. Again, so long as the door isn't shut on the possibility of it ever being requited, I don't mind if it's mutual pining, one-sided that becomes mutual, maybe one-sided that doesn't fully resolve, basically any take on it. This song could also be good for worry and/or hurt/comfort ("I see nothing worse than to sail this universe without you"), and in the second verse I especially like "we made plans, we kill them ourselves, and then we mourn them" and feel like it could mean an element of... they had other plans for their lives but sticking with the department (and maybe VCD) made any other life impossible to have instead, or even alongside of. There are quite a few things you could do with this song, and any of them would be good!
This one feels like either a disaster scenario or, for something less plotty/casefic-y, concern about the future and the dangers inherent to their job! It could definitely be one of them being hurt and there being an H/C situation; there's potentially combat implied... The repeated "I could do most anything to you" has a couple possibilities to it that come immediately to mind, too. On the one hand, Chau might realize (suddenly, or maybe he's known on some level for a little while) that Chung is... extremely dedicated to him and would follow him into situations that are not safe at all; on the other hand, maybe it's from Chung's POV as the one who directs the actual combatants in dangerous situations, feeling the weight of responsibility. (Either way, that could make "another soldier says he's not afraid to die / I am scared, I'm so scared" work really well!) This song could also really fit that AU idea of there being no cure and Chau remaining a good jiangshi, having to adjust and re-learn things, or even a different circumstance where something like that happens to Chung instead (something about "doors slam shut, doors slam shut / a clock is tickin', but it's hidden far away / safe and sound, safe and sound" just kinda makes me think of that somehow). Basically anything leaning into any of those ideas that doesn't have an outright unhappy ending would be amazing!
Another song that I think works really well in very different ways for different ships! In this case, a lot of it is more about the feeling of it -- someone in their lives being incredibly unique in a way they can't shake even if they don't always think about it. "Touched, you say that I am too / so much of what you say is true" could be them both being odd, unique, maybe why they chose to join the VCD in the first place; it also sort of makes me think of how bluntly Chung calls Chau out about not meaning what he says, but just in general how well they know one another! And if you wanted to do something more plotty/casefic-y, the second verse could work for a lot of scenarios: hurt/comfort with one of them injured, a dangerous situation where they can't split up, even possession ("oh god, god knows I'm not at home"); it also implies possible dangers other than jiangshi if you wanted to go that route, with "demi-gods" maybe being shrines or curses or cults, and "hungry ghosts" being literal hungry ghosts (like in the religious sense) or just ghosts in general! And the chorus just generally, they are unique to one another and know each other incredibly well. Basically a fic leaning into any of that would work great!
Another song that I associate super strongly with these two! This one is very much a pining song, and a long-term one given some lines ("time and youth work in opposite directions" and "line by line, song by song, from the past till now" especially). I like, for these two, seeing it as someone who is happy to be a part of the person's life even if not a constant presence, and who is content to wait even not having any guarantee or even hope of returned feelings ("I walked in and out of your world / the best parts of my life so far were experienced there... / I'll be waiting for you at the end"). One way I can see them is with, potentially, Chau in love with Yat Lung and not even moving on for years after his death, but even without that, Chung loving Chau and knowing early on that he could maybe tamp down on his feelings and look for someone else, but that since he chose not to, after years it's far too late for something like that. ("A lamp, a city, looking for someone / in the end, the efforts in search went to waste.") "I didn't tell you in fear of adding to your emotional burden" could be taken a few ways, either Chung not wanting to tell Chau to make him feel awkward or down or guilty if he didn't return things, not wanting to make things awkward (or tragic!) having to work such a dangerous job together, or similar. And of course "you enjoyed listening to the world silently / yet who in the world listens to you?" works for Chung listening to Chau and understanding what he really means, or maybe even him paying attention to the department members like that (whether especially Chau or not) and Chau being the one to pay attention to him back... (And maybe that's how he learns about it, all at once or over time?) Basically overall this song feels like someone in love who's content with that even if it's been years and it might never come to anything, and if you leaned into that, so long as it's not a tragic ending or one that totally shuts the door on any possibility of reciprocation, I'd love it.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done a few freeform exchanges!
Canon-Specific DNWs
Note: I have sub-sections for each of these ships where I talk about ideas and impressions I have of the songs I chose for them. You're absolutely not obligated to follow anything I say there! Just avoid my DNWs and keep in mind what I like, in general and about the relationships, and I'll adore whatever you come up with. I just wanted to try to give something to work with in case anyone was interested in that!
General DNWs
General Likes
Porn Likes
Bugsnax (Video Game) - Floofty Fizzlebean/Snorpy Fizzlebean
Crossover Fandom - Hiruma Youichi (Eyeshield 21)/Ootori Kyouya (Ouran High School Host Club)
DCU (Comics) - Maxivermis Mind/Dr. Thaddeus Sivana; Maxivermis Mind/Dr. Thaddeus Sivana & King Kid
Keroro Gunsou | Sgt. Frog - Kururu/Saburo Mutsumi
The Last Halloween (Webcomic) - Dr. Fugue/Robert; Dr. Fugue/Robert & Mona; Eugene Otto/Robert
Marvel 616 - Quentin Beck/J. Jonah Jameson
Marvel 616 - Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes; Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes & Tiana Toomes
The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon) - Quentin Beck/Phineas Mason; Quentin Beck/Chameleon/Phineas Mason
The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon) - Otto Octavius/Adrian Toomes
Vampire Cleanup Department (2017) - Yip Chi Chau/Yeung Chung
General DNWs
- noncon/dubcon
- smut with characters under 16 or shipping between adults and under-18 characters
- gore or permanent injury (unless otherwise stated)
- permanent character death (unless otherwise stated)
- infidelity
- halves of a ship 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)
- a ship 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 (if the characters are kinking on it that's a fine reason)
- feederism, weight gain, inflation, pregnancy (mentions of OCs being pregnant are fine; breeding kink without any possibility of pregnancy is great!)
- scat, watersports, vomit kink (mentions of someone throwing up not in a kink context are fine)
- vore, bestiality, somnophilia, mommy- or daddykink, 24/7 D/S
- canon-specific DNWs and exceptions in the fandom sections!
General Likes
- seasonal stuff, whether winter or summer; holiday stuff, whether winter holidays or really most unseasonal holidays that would make sense for the characters as well!
- fic rated from G through E!
- pining and culmination of pining: getting together, kissing, romantic tension/UST being resolved, mutual pining or initially one-sided pining, pining that lasts for weeks or even years
- 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 both
- 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 the New 52 Dr. Sivana is only 40 but has been magically aged quite a bit; in Marvel 616 Beck and Jameson are probably both around middle-aged at this point, Beck in his 40s and Jameson in his 50s maybe? while Nathan and Adrian are both in their 70s it seems; in SSM I can easily imagine Otto being in his 30s or early 40s while Adrian is in his 60s, and Mason being in his 50s while Beck is in his 30s or 40s (and Chameleon in his 30s or 40s as well); in Vampire Cleanup Department Chau is probably meant to be in his 50s with Chung in his 70s
- 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!
- fic, art, and video treats are all more than 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
- breeding kink is welcome when pregnancy is outright impossible, even if it's handwaved impossible (PIV but they know it can't happen is fine; neither has a womb and obviously it can't happen is fine; this type of sex can't even result in pregnancy but we'll talk about it anyway is fine; species are incompatible is fine)
- even without breeding kink, kinking on coming inside is also hot, but so is kinking on come/cum-play and messier sex like that
- 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!
Bugsnax (Video Game)
Floofty Fizzlebean/Snorpy Fizzlebean
[Where you can find full playthrough and extra dialogue videos:
The full game + the Isle of Bigsnax DLC is available with no commentary HERE (19 hours and 17 minutes long)
All of the characters' death lines are HERE (first is what they say when they're close to getting killed, then are the lines where they're actually dying)
Bad end lines from the base game HERE (includes Chandlo if Snorpy dies, and Snorpy if Chandlo dies)
And finally, bad end lines added in the DLC HERE (includes Floofty if Snorpy dies, and Snorpy if Floofty dies)]
SO LET'S TALK FIZZLECEST. It's not at all a thing in this fandom, so I want to explain what appeals to me about it.
I think what really gets me most about them is how fraught their relationship is, and the "what if" and "if only" aspects to it. Several years before the events of the game, the siblings were working together on a government-funded research project for incredibly advanced, powerful prosthetics; unfortunately, Snorpy discovered that the government had underhanded plans for the technology, likely military application. The two of them bitterly disagreed after that, with Floofty insisting that since the prosthetics would have improved and even saved lives, it was clearly better that it exist with consequences rather than not exist at all. Snorpy disagreed, and went behind Floofty's back to whistleblow, but before he could they were both fired and summarily discredited, slandered, and professionally ruined.
For most of the game, both blame the other for handling the situation horribly and ruining their lives; Snorpy's gone further and further into paranoid conspiracy and doesn't even trust his sibling, while Floofty is frustrated by Snorpy's lack of understanding and sabotage of their career. They are both struggling with personal demons. Snorpy's awfulized things to the point of believing basically every conspiracy is true and connected and has become paralyzed and paranoid about everyone and everything, and by the end of the game, ideally learns that, at the very least, whatever enemies he may aren't all-knowing and all-powerful; he doesn't need to keep Chandlo in the dark about his full concerns to protect him, and he opens up to Floofty about still caring about them and works on mending their relationship. Floofty has such a hard time understanding people while badly wanting to help Grumpuskind, so they're overwhelmingly tempted to take what is for them the easier route and simply concentrate 100% on their work; they think they're the only one who can understand themself and their work, they've become incredibly careless with their own health and life in the pursuit of this, and they've nearly given up on understanding others and being understood, and by the end of the game, ideally they need to learn that the effort to understand people in order to help better is both possible and worth it, and they too begin work on mending their relationship with their brother.
But what really got me hardcore shipping them are their ending lines during the sequence after everyone who survived has escaped from the island, if the other is dead. They're so incredibly grief-stricken; it seems to shatter them both and they hold themselves together by dedicating their energy to what the other most valued. Snorpy is especially gutted by not getting the chance to repair his relationship with Floofty, having that cut short, and dedicates himself to understanding and continuing their research; Floofty flat-out says it's "tempting now to unhinge myself from the concept of self-preservation" in vengeance, but instead dedicates themself staying alive to look after Chandlo.
Also, since Chandlo is such a major part of Snorpy's story, let me just bring up possibilities since I have that infidelity DNW. I absolutely would enjoy a Chandlo/Floofty/Snorpy situation where even if Chandlo is unsure about things he trusts Snorpy and wants him to be happy... maybe even at first desire between the siblings is sublimated through focusing sexually mostly on Chandlo? I am also totally open to AUs where Snorpy never fell in love with Chandlo, or even never met Chandlo. However, I am also entirely into the idea of Bad End AUs! What about a scenario where Chandlo died on Snaktooth Island, and Floofty tries desperately to be there for their brother, and things between them get too close and tangled up after a while? I am also into scenarios where either Floofty or Snorpy died on the island and the other desperately (and successfully, of course!) tries to get their sibling back! (Maybe through Floofty's scientific research? A time machine?)
I just love how emotional these two are about each other, and could really love that emotional aspect becoming unusual, "too much" by societal standards, especially after trauma and/or during grief... But being something that ends up better for them than not, when it really comes down to it.
Song Selections & Ideas
I really love the interesting family dynamics that suggest themselves to me in this song! I don't think the song is from the point of view of one specific Fizzlebean, or that every verse and chorus is about the same sibling. You have the one who's withdrawn and slow and uncomfortable and always changing, the one who's always moving fast "so's not to focus" and who isn't good at being uncomfortable so never seems to change. You have the misunderstanding between two people where one thinks the other is seeking disaster and needs help and advice, while the other disagrees; you have the protectiveness. The chorus has the elements of... going down paths that are imperfect but they think there's no better way, being fine whether treated kind or mean, and I'll be honest the "I'm an extraordinary machine" line makes me think of Floofty's attempts to avoid trying to understand other Grumpuses and their emotions because they're bad at it but could potentially be either! Basically, this song I feel like could make for interesting character interactions of misunderstanding one another, protectiveness, family dynamics as a part of ship dynamics, maybe dealing with trauma... even growing closer, understanding one another better, and/or healing their relationship. It could even easily include Chandlo as someone trying to help both of them!
This song is very surreal and kinda visceral, so I should probably explain why I chose it! I don't think the wounds are literal in their case, but this makes an amazing PTSD, post-loss song. I feel like this song works best from Floofty's POV after an ending where Chandlo's died. The "wound in his stomach" is that loss, and Floofty wants to fix it somehow, and at the same time is maybe falling in love unacceptably ("but, God, I trace your guts and wear them as a beauty mark"); in an ending where Chandlo dies, Snorpy swears revenge against the Grumpinati, which could account for the "beat your breasts and choke your tears, this young war will roar for years," and Floofty wanting to be there for him and help him could be "and though you said you'd die for it, we will die for it, dear brother." And then some of the later bits could involve either a Grumpinati thing or their changing relationship being forbidden or both! Despite the darker/sadder/more fatalistic mood for this song, I do want a happy or at least hopeful ending!
This one feels like a "their relationship is changing" song! And could also easily include Chandlo or... not. On the one hand, a lot of the lyrics seem like they could be about the two of them making up and repairing their relationship finally; on the other, it could also be about them being a balance for one another and helping them not just fall into bad coping mechanisms and unhealthy actions/reactions/thought patterns after the trauma of Snaktooth (either after loss or just how fucked up all that was). And then of course there's the ship element of this song, which could very easily involve them inexorably being pulled closer but also shying away from crossing that line, maybe even repeatedly, at first... but when everything's said and done they're better for each other than they are harmful, in the end. There's a lot you could play with in this one, imo.
A PRETTY DARK AND SAD SONG for someone who wants happy or hopeful endings. Okay, let me explain why I chose this one. I think this one, again, might work best for a story with some kind of loss? Snorpy trying to deal with losing Chandlo and Floofty trying desperately to help him is one option. Another option could easily be either Snorpy or Floofty being dead, and the other successfully finding some way to get them back via science: a time machine, or even finding an alternate universe where it was the other who died instead, potentially, or using gastroentomology and/or Liz and Egg's help to bring back someone who succumbed to the Bugsnax. And of course there's also a very possible forbidden love aspect here with "darling, you ache from my love and it shows," "is it love you regret? / in that case you won't be returning, I guess" (could also be about Chandlo maybe), and maybe especially "one day they'll drink from our bones / and sigh as they stare down our throats / just take me, just take me home."
This one could actually shockingly easily be read straight-up as an incest song, which obviously works well here! It also works for them in the sense that they've both been through a lot and also their relationship has been through a lot. They've worked together, they've completely fallen apart and been bitter about each other, they argue and fight, by the end of the game they're trying to really make up and re-bond. So this song works really well for them attempting to fix their relationship and accidentally winding up forming something that isn't 100% platonic familial ("oh yes, the butterflies are still there"). And then of course the "cause we came from the same cocoon" at the very ending to tie that together... The cause is interesting to me; you could definitely play with the idea that on some level, despite themselves, the fact that they're siblings adds something to the unexpected, unapproved relationship they're forming... But you obviously don't have to do that part. (There's also an undeniable dirty interpretation to some of these lyrics if you wanted to go for smut...)
This really works for both of them, tbh! They're both growing and changing and becoming healthier by the end of canon (I mean, in a good end, anyway!); they were living in less healthy, unsustainable ways before due to negative experiences, both withdrawn from people, Snorpy out of paranoia, mistrust, and betrayal, Floofty out of discouragement and feeling like they're incapable of understanding or being understood. And the song itself is more "character study" feeling than talking about a relationship, but I think it could easily be used for that! Talking about trust exercises and leaning in and letting it hurt, breaking the pattern and making a good change, and also talking about armor and skin (and asking someone to show them where one ends and the other begins), so looking for connection and touch. Fixing their relationship and growing closer works for this quite well, imo.
THIS SONG CAN HAVE SO MANY READINGS, and I love it. Okay, so basically this is a very tangled song and I believe it could be used for a lot. Both of them are critical of aspects of how the other is dealing with things and are both right. They also both know the other is a genius. The second verse can easily be interpreted as being afraid of a new longing they have; and/or of Floofty concerned for a grieving Snorpy; or even of one of them trying to figure out a way to get the other back after death. And just overall they have an unusual kind of love that they legitimately cannot find with anyone else, and maybe they decide in the end that even with the less than perfect elements of it, that's worth it. This could be anything from simple longing and forbidden but worth-it love, to an AU where someone involved in the equation died; any of it works.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I haven't really asked for this ship much before, but you might be able to find some extra ideas in the AO3 Automagic App:
Canon-Specific DNWs
- characters, including these two, being 100% breezy and cool with the concept of incest/incest being normalized in the world
- on the other hand, Floofty/Snorpy specifically being presented as more unhealthy for either them than not; I want it to be for the most part positive for them despite everything
- Snorpy cheating on Chandlo with Floofty; instead, you can go with either Chandlo agreeing despite having some uncertain feelings about it, an AU where Snorpy and Chandlo never fell in love or even never met, or having the ship set after an ending of the game where Chandlo died on Snaktooth Island
- Floofty liking puns
- how much Floofty and all the other characters grow by the end of the game (at least, in their good ends)
- the fact that they became a Biology 101 professor! (at New Grump University?)
- Snorpy working on improving himself and becoming happier
- the entire concept of gastroentomology
- that Filbo became the real Mayor of New Grump City after the events of canon
- Liz and Egg's survival
- things taking place on Snaktooth Island could also be good
- things with the Snakolytes post-canon could be silly, dangerous, very creepy, or anything in-between
- also, for this ship, I almost especially love the idea of something set post-an ending in which Chandlo died during the escape from Snaktooth Island, with Floofty trying to help Snorpy hold it together and the two growing closer again and then too close
- stories where either Floofty or Snorpy died on the island and the other desperately uses science to successfully figure out a way to get them back is ALSO great
- I kind of love the idea of Snorpy being the one to make the first move in this mutual-pining-and-not-wanting-to-be situation
- I could also love a fic where Chandlo/Snorpy is a thing and Floofty becomes involved in an odd way, either just with Snorpy or in an OT3 situation
- the names characters call one another! Floofty usually seems to call Snorpy by his full name, Snorpington, but sometimes does call him Snorpy; Snorpy always calls Floofty just by Floofty... does Floofty have a longer name he sometimes busts out? neither seems the type to use pet names or endearments for various reasons (Floofty is a bit too stiff and Snorpy seems too hesitant to use them AND to just fall apart if they're used for him)... have they ever called one another dear(est) sibling/brother? if in or heading towards an illicit sort of relationship, are they more or less likely to call one another sibling/brother?
- if you're interested, I like trans headcanons for any characters that are not canonically already trans! Floofty is of couse nonbinary and they/them, please keep that, but I am also happy to have Snorpy be trans (a trans man, a trans woman, or nonbinary), whether before the story starts or figuring it out during, and if Chandlo's included I'd be happy for trans headcanons for him too! (I lean a bit towards trans man with him but trans woman or nonbinary are both good too!) and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory!
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.)
Song Selections & Ideas
This song is SO playful and I kind of love it applied to them. When I picked it, I admit I thought of Hiruma getting caught up in some stuffy official thing as a plus-one to Kyouya for whatever reason (though likely not entirely behaving... and maybe Kyouya doesn't entirely want him to), but honestly it also really works with Kyouya getting convinced to do something for Hiruma or even just having to deal with footballers he normally wouldn't hang around with. Either way, the idea of one of them getting caught up in some social obligation because of the other and them very subtly flirting through it and then explosively hooking up after (for the first time or very much not) is a very fun idea to me. You're also still free to take it in other directions, of course, but this one might just be what it says on the packaging!
I won't lie, I chose this song because for these two specifically, it not only feels like a shift in their relationship to something deeper, but also just generally a point in their relationship where they've started to really understand each other more than most other people do. And that with all of their foibles and differences they still like each other a lot, maybe even because of those things rather than in spite. I also feel like, oddly, this song could somehow be used for something more plotty -- at least, like, Eyeshield 21 and/or Ouran levels of plotty. The first thing that came to mind was Kyouya getting an arranged fiancee and/or trying to withdraw some for professional reasons (and it being temporary cause either he fails or actually had another plan in secret), but it could even just be something like them getting caught up in a ridiculous situation (stranded on a beach trip because of some club ridiculousness?) or something. I feel like you could do a lot with this and I'd love to see what.
These two very quickly getting on the same wavelength and appreciating the other despite their differences REALLY appeals to me, and this song is basically perfect for that! "Something in you caused me to take a new tact with you" could easily fit with the idea of them either deciding an alliance would be valuable from the get-go, or them both trying to get the upper hand at first but quickly realizing that's actually not going to work and they need to adjust how they're doing things. "No one I ever knew or have spoken to resembles you / this is good or bad all depending on my general mood" makes me think of how unique the other is to anyone else they've interacted with and also how they might get under each others' skin easily (and in a way they also might enjoy). And the later verses and bridge could easily be them having an alliance or partnership that maybe Kyouya's father and/or the circles he runs in doesn't approve of but it both works for them AND is enjoyable. "You're not right in the head / and nor am I, and this is why / this is why I like you" is like, despite their strong differences, they do have strong similarities too -- and of course the repeated "why d'you think I let you get away / with all the things you say to me? could it be I like you? it's so shameful of me - I like you" even from the start, I love the idea that in a lot of circumstances, someone being so bold and unrepentant might be more aggravating than this actually is, how the push-and-pull give-and-take they have is something they enjoy even if Kyouya is blunt and a forceful personality and Hiruma is cursing and shooting up the place. Anything you write that plays with any of the dynamic this song brings up would be amazing!
Ooh boy, another song I strooongly associate with their dynamic as I see it! (And no, it's not just the "daddy and mommy" line.) There's this really interesting dynamic where they're both incredibly drawn to personalities and priorities and ability... and at the same time they're both very good-looking in different ways, with Hiruma being really athletic
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done a few freeform exchanges!
Canon-Specific DNWs
- smut with either character under 16
- infidelity (just have them not with any of the other characters when they're together)
- 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!
DCU (Comics)
Maxivermis Mind/Dr. Thaddeus Sivana
Maxivermis Mind/Dr. Thaddeus Sivana & King Kid
[Where you can find the comics: Here!
All Pertinent Issues:
Justice League 2011 #7-11 (B story)
Justice League 2011 #0 (A story)
Justice League 2011 #14-21 (B story)
Shazam! 2019 #1-14]
(Note: I specifically focused on the New 52 issues above because I am far, far more familiar with them there than their pre-52 incarnations.)
Honestly, the thing I love most about these two is the sheer loyalty and dedication they seem to have. Which is just absolute catnip for me with supervillains, frankly, and Mind/Sivana are one of my absolute favorite examples of it.
Sivana first meets Mind while he's actively dying, body being aged and broken down by its connection to magic, which humans are really not meant to have. Mind is imprisoned just outside the Wizard's sanctum, and offers to save Sivana's life and help him further if he's freed. And this could so easily be played as manipulation, a setup for betrayal, but it's not. The next we see them, Mind has helped Sivana figure out how to stabilize himself (I theorize that Sivana's now able to use the magic to basically achieve homeostasis, no longer breaking down or aging at all but instead keeping himself going with it), and is guiding him through what he'll need for a spell; it's never spelled out but given that it doesn't actually map to anything we see them doing later, and Sivana spent the entire previous arc desperate for a way to save his family (though it's never mentioned again), I just assume that's what they needed "the tongue of a medicine man" for and Mind helped him with that too.
In return, Sivana's dedicated himself entirely to Mind to, like, an immense degree. And the loyalty seems to be mutual! Mind guides Sivana through fighting Black Adam, and tells him the full extent of all of his plans. In return, Sivana is more than willing to fight Black Adam for him, to go and free the rest of the Monster Society for him... in fact, nearly everything we see Sivana do after he meets Mind is for the sake of Mind's plans. There is even a moment, when freeing the Monster Society, that Sivana has to trust that Mind isn't just willing to sacrifice him to free his team, and plunges a magic dagger into his eye (the one that is his connection-point to magic) in order to make it act like a key and melt the locks on the cells. This completely works, and Sivana remains unharmed, and continues to act loyally to Mr. Mind. (As well as continuing to call out to him in concern when something seems to be going wrong.)
Also, I gotta say, despite it not being so simple canonically due to spoilers, Mind being small enough to fit snugly in someone's ear canal combined with his very strong telepathic (and magic) abilities is weirdly hot to me. As is the idea that Sivana is un-fucking-believably powerful magically-speaking, even more so than Mr. Mind, and yet dedicates all of that power to Mind's service. And how Sivana fearlessly asks so many questions and Mind just patiently (and even happily) explains every single time, often fully explaining. There's just so much intimacy between these two and they actually do seem to care about one another and be mutually dedicated, even if I can see Sivana being The Most loyal. I love it!
And then, potentially, we add in King Kid. The relationship there is pretty much entirely theoretical, but it still intrigues me. We have the Monster Society, after all, so Mind collects misfits and those deemed monsters by the worlds of the Magiclands they come from. After the events of canon, King Kid now fits, and is apparently imprisoned right in the Funlands which he used to rule.
Mind has had a little interaction with King Kid, though in the guise of Billy Batson's father; interestingly, he steps in when Billy has King Kid grabbed and is threatening him with prison (or "juvie hall, at least") to remind Billy that King Kid mentioned being mistreated by his parents, remind Billy that he and King Kid had been kinda similar due to Billy's own parental abandonment, and tries to appeal to King Kid with apologies for how he'd been treated and an appeal to earn his trust. This seems entirely unnecessary even as part of the act he's putting on; Mind could easily have had Billy's father tell him after that he'd been harsh but fair, or something. Just as interestingly to me, during dinner after the fight, Mind-as-Billy's-dad brings up King Kid again and feeling like they failed him, concerned for what's going to happen to him now, and while this could be meant to make Billy lose faith in the Wizard, since Mind seems astonished that the Shazams would turn against the Wizard after, that feels a bit off too. I like the idea that Mind does feel for those who are labeled monsters and attacked or punished for it, maybe especially kids.
And while Sivana has no canonical interaction with King Kid... Well, he has "his family," at least, and though it's unclear in canon what's meant by that, since I'd rather he not be married during the events of the fic (infidelity DNW), him having at least a couple kids of his own would make sense, and he does seem dedicated to trying to save them. (See canon likes section below for ideas!) King Kid is the hardest part of this, tbh, and I'd love to see him slowly (maybe very slowly) working through his hatred and distrust of adults to bond with these two and maybe the Monster Society in general! (Maybe it would help that Mind is a worm...)
Song Selections & Ideas
I don't necessarily have the most to say wrt ideas for the song selections for these two (plus potentially King Kid). They mostly really lean into what I especially love about their characters and dynamic, and this is no exception. Mind is literally newly free, and Sivana has a freedom with magic that normal people could never dream of. They are working together knowing they might lose repeatedly and willing to keep trying. By the second verse, there's a normalcy there -- maybe Sivana is pretend to be normal, that Mind had been mind-controlling him? And no one can prove he's still on Mind's side even if Mind disappears from his new prison... And then by verse three there's even more freedom in falling in love! And the repeated chorus positioning them, at least in their minds, as fighting against the odds of so many people who don't understand them and what they're trying to do, but they won't be kept down or kept apart! That whole final attitude works with the Monster Society as well, and/or King Kid being given (by these two, rather than the Wizard) a second chance. I just love taking what would normally be a song about love and partnership and standing against forces trying to keep them apart and applying it to a villainous team that seems legitimately loyal to and fond of each other, it's such a fun shake-up to me. Any story that follows any of these elements or an arc of them would be fun!
Again, one of those loyalty songs applied to super loyal villains in a way I love! Secret plans and the fact that Sivana can use magic to fly make some of this maybe literal or semi-literal in a way I like. This also has the "there are those who don't understand us trying to push us around and see us fail" elements. And some of the individual lines are great! "Won't tell anybody that you turn the world around," well, Mind literally did do that for Sivana; is it true vice-versa? "I won't tell anyone that your voice is my favorite sound" makes me smile when applied to the fact that Mind speaks through a little speaker but also telepathically? And the second verse(s) could be fun to play with in a story, one of them being down while the other helps, and/or one of them having a hard time trusting anymore but fully trusting the other? (Or that part could apply to King Kid taking the risk to trust them despite them being adults!) "Baby if I've got you, I don't need a parachute / you're gonna catch me, you're gonna catch if I fall" could apply to Sivana literally being able to fly and catching Mind, or him literally being able to fly due to Mind's help in the first place. And of course there's the falling in love elements! Any story that plays with any of this would be great.
This one's one of the simpler ones, and works incredibly well with Mind/Sivana, Mind/Sivana & the Monster Society, Mind/Sivana & King Kid, or Mind & Sivana & the Monster Society & King Kid, like, however you wanted to do it. After all, Mind and Sivana, Mind especially, really seem to believe that tearing down the barriers between all the worlds/Lands to let magic be free is a good thing/the right thing despite the costs. So the song being about destruction to "make it better" combined with addressing a firefly (yes, not a worm, but still!) seems to fit with their goals and outlook! This could work for a story where they're discussing their plans and desires (maybe explaining them to King Kid?), or a casefic of sorts where they're actively attempting something (successful or not), easily.
A chance meeting when before that they'd been alone (even if not by choice), leading to wanting to be anywhere in the multiverse so long as it's with one another and with love... again, I love applying this to devoted villains. The chorus and post-chorus are incredibly simple, of course, stating "I just wanna be loved by you" and "I see nothing worse than to sail this universe without you," making this perfect for a romantic fic (even a reunion fic after they're separated and incarcerated and get free?), and the verses going from them having been alone and now happily trapped in one another's orbit, to them having been trying hard before/when they met and redirecting their efforts together, still dreaming but failing at their plans so far. Any fic that plays with any of this could be very fun!
This song has so much of what I love about their dynamic! It starts with some talk of time that could apply to how magic made time weird for Sivana, to their lives being "forever changed" (by meeting?), to the "believe in me" of the pre-chorus and "life can change... you're not stuck in vain" (Mind had been imprisoned; Sivana had been spending so many years helplessly searching). The "we're not the same, we're different" being so hopeful reminds me of how Mind brings all kinds of different "monsters" together (and also xeno). "And you know you're never sure / but you're sure you could be right / if you held yourself up to the light" could work really well for them trying to do what they feel is right and believing, maybe, that once they succeed it will be proven and people will understand better. And then the triumphant build only to go right back down to gentleness at the end with "the indescribable moments of your life, tonight / the impossible is possible tonight, tonight / believe in me as I believe in you / tonight..." has this belief and dedication and loyalty and wonderous things. And again, this loyalty and acceptance could easily be made to include King Kid. Anything that leans into the emotions of this song (...and/or the xeno) really works for me.
Okay, look. This one was just irresistable but is almost impossible to explain. Mr. Mind being a self-made worm ("I'm interested in things / I'm not a real doctor, but I / am a real worm, I am an actual worm"), really being open to listening to Sivana at least asking questions and maybe feedback and thoughts too? or could also be that bit ABOUT Sivana learning better control of magic from Mind ("I think I'm getting good, but I can / handle criticism / I'll show you what I know and you can / tell me if you think I'm getting better"), Sivana (and the Monster Society) having a great deal of respect for Mind ("Someday, somebody else besides me will / call me by my stage name, they will / call me Doctor Worm"). This could even work for a fic that followed Mind from early on making himself (in the Beastlands, or elsewhere?) all the way through to meeting and bonding with Sivana. But basically any elements of the above in a fic would be great!
This song has such interesting different associations for me depending on the ship... For these two specifically, I love the shape of this song being, like, Sivana meeting Mind and having the world open up and falling for him? "Touched, you say that I am too / so much of what you say is true," Mind is actually open and honest with Sivana a lot, and convinces him rather than just manipulating him (which would be easy for a mind-controller, telepathic magic user!), and Sivana is both "a monster" by the rules of Mind's Monster Society (called a monster by others who don't understand) and also touched by immense magic power the same as Mind. And of course "I'll never find someone quite like you again" is very obviously true on the face of it. "The razors and the dying roses / plead I don't leave you alone" could actually work for either of them: Mind's been alone in that solitary little prison for too long, so Sivana might not want to abandon him, but also Sivana dying of magic when they first meet could have made Mind sympathetic and at first maybe Sivana even needs Mind's more active help to keep himself alive until he catches on better himself? "The demi-gods and hungry ghosts" could be so much... The Monster Society, Black Adam, the Council. "I, I looked into your eyes and saw / a world that does not exist / I looked into your eyes and saw / a world I wish was in" fits very well as Mind convincing Sivana that magic being freed and the Magiclands all brought together is worth the consequences, and Sivana wanting that and/or wanting to be a part of the Monster Society. And then of course falling in love with someone who is so utterly unique in existence! Anything that plays with any of that would be amazing.
One of my favorite romance songs, and the shape of it is so simple and beautiful; it could be used as an arc of its own or any single part of it could be used as inspiration. I also really, really love this sort of soft romantic dedicated song for super loyal, in love supervillain ships! Them knowing one another incredibly well and being open and honest, reaching out to one another. Forgiving and understanding one another always (that loyalty again!), with both of them somewhat haunted, one (or both) of them always rising back up when ground down, one (or both) of them unapoletically ambitious. How well they fit into one another (maybe figuratively, maybe literally in a sexy way, maybe literally in a "Mind can fit into a human's ear canal" way; maybe the latter two aren't so different). Their planning and stories and just talking only making them more loyal to one another and glad they found each other, and making them more determined to succeed. How it maybe starts to feel like fate, how it hurts in some ways (repeated failures? pining?), how they learn from it or move past the pining, how they suddenly and "swiftly" realize and choose that they want each other and want to stay together from then on. It's just a really nice song that I can see really working for them, and anything you did with it would be great.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I haven't really asked for this ship much before, but you might be able to find some extra ideas in the AO3 Automagic App:
Canon-Specific DNWs
- Mr. Mind just using Sivana, having manipulated and lied to or even mind-controlled him to get his help; I much prefer an actual mutual enjoyment and loyalty there, however strange, and for Sivana to be making his own choices
- Sivana having been living on Venus at any point
- Sivana being currently married or dating someone (basically infidelity DNW again)
- any focus on King Kull's sexism
- any focus on Mr. Merry-Go-Round or Superboy-Prime at all, though they can be mentioned/Mr. Merry-Go-Round can be in the background!
- totally villainizing King Kid especially, but really any of the three of them being presented as irredeemably crazy/evil
- their New 52 stuff specifically, but also drawing some inspiration from pre-52 stuff as long as it doesn't fully contradict the New 52 canon!
- Magiclands exploration stuff
- having Mister Mind be from the Beastlands, having him be from one of the other Magiclands, or having him be from Venus
- Sivana's kids being his biological kids, being adopted, or being his clones; also, feel free to give him 2-4 kids and either keep their names the same as from previous canon or change them
- Mind meeting and bonding with Sivana's kids
- Mind having a soft spot for those he identifies as being rejected and perceived as monsters, especially kids who have been
- either/both of them bonding with King Kid
- Sivana pretending to have been mind-controlled by Mr. Mind in order to not go to prison and then just immediately turning around to free Mind
- the immense amounts of loyalty Sivana seems to have for Mind, and I love the idea of it being mutual as well, or at least near-even
- Sivana bonding with and being accepted by the Monster Society
- Sivana actually becoming a monster of some kind (and being happy with it) could also be fun!
- Scapegoat surviving
- complex takes on the Wizard/the Council, them being very flawed, or even them being Just As Bad
- Sivana's immense magic power (maybe even more than Mind's) and Mind's immense psychic and magic power
- SIZE DIFFERENCE AND XENO AND TELEPATHIC INTIMACY/SEX?
- nicknames! pet names! names in general! canonically, Mind calls Sivana "Sivana" and Sivana calls Mind "Mr. Mind"; could that ever change? Mind beginning to call him "Thaddeus" could mark them growing closer; Sivana simply calling him "Mind," "Maxivermis," or even perhaps a less-than-humanly-pronouncable name in Mind's original language could likewise! and might they ever use endearments?
- if you're interested, I like trans headcanons for either/both of these characters! I really like the idea of Sivana as a trans man or nonbinary, but trans woman is also good; I could see Mind as either outside of any human binary or a trans man (he will be called "Mr."). trans headcanons for any characters if they show up are also 100% good; that goes for the Shazam family, and also any of the Monster Society (some of which might also be outside of any human binary, some of which might be binary trans). and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory!
Keroro Gunsou | Sgt. Frog
Kururu/Saburo Mutsumi
[Where you can find the series: Here!
Most Pertinent Episodes:
S1 E9A - introducing both characters
S1 E28B - Mutsumi's not in this one, but shows Kururu's personality + how he's "allergic" to cute/sweet/pure things (and people)
S1 E51 - the Platoon "leaves forever" (only not)
S2 E82A - 623 hosts a competition to let one fan meet him face-to-face; "Kururuko" enters
S2 E101 - the Garuru Platoon invades; this episode and the next two are a three-parter, plotty and actually kinda serious
S2 E102 - the Garuru Platoon invades; three-parter continued
S2 E103 - the Garuru Platoon invades; three-parter continued
S3 E112 - Kururu and Mutsumi first meet, and Mutsumi winds up with Kururu's reality pen
S4 E199 - Mutsumi's not in this one, but Kururuko becomes an idol!
MOVIE 3 - Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 3: Keroro vs. Keroro Great Sky Duel - again plotty and kinda serious, some shippy scenes
S5 E229 - B story focuses on them but A story sets up context; plotty and kinda serious when it gets to that point and VERY SHIPPY including the credits
S5 E237 - part of a story arc with the Platoon on another world; Kururu encourages the version of Mutsumi of that world
S5 E240A - this one's convoluted and dumb (complimentary) but there's a sauna sequence and the two of them working together on something... interesting
S6 E298B - Kururu's not in it; Mutsumi regularly uses the reality pen to check in on himself in alternate dimensions
S7 E320A - Mutsumi's not in it; literally just the Platoon using bishounen robots to invade if you want to see Kururu as one of those (he looks like Zechs)
S7 E354B - Kururu helps Mutsumi fake being a Venusian and keep broadcasting as 623 without risking his identity]
(I've watched most of Keroro Gunso, and I think I've seen every episode Mutsumi is in; I don't mind spoilers at all for any episodes I haven't seen, so feel free to refer to anything. I've also seen all the movies. As for the manga, I've read up through Volume 19, and I'm spoiled for stuff from later volumes! I prefer Kururu's personality in the anime and prefer anime Saburo Mutsumi to manga Hojo Mutsumi, but feel free to incorporate details from the manga to spice things up because I do love it too! I especially love the spoilers about Mutsumi from later volumes...)
I fucking love these two assholes! I love how they don't seem like they'd click at all, except they're canonically on the same wavelength and are so obviously best friends, and care about each other in ways that are absolutely uncharacteristic for both of them. Mutsumi is friendly as hell but doesn't really get that close to anyone, keeping a mysterious distance most of the time and even not being that close to Fuyuki or Natsumi even when he gets closer to them as friends. He also seems to find a lot fairly boring, and is just so stoked by everything the aliens are doing, even (especially!) when that's invasion-of-Earth stuff! And Kururu is "the most unlikeable guy," likes to make it well known he doesn't give a shit about most things, wants to put people off, hates sweetness and light to the point that it physically injures him... and yet this upbeat, bright-eyed, adorable teen is his BFF. When the Keronians are all dimension hopping and they meet an alternate universe version of Mutsumi, Kururu pep talks him. When Mutsumi's life is in danger in Episode 229, Kururu blows the entire budget on making him another reality pen, shows the clearest concern he's maybe shown in his entire life racing to the rescue, and puts himself right between a deadly blast and Mutsumi in order to toss him the pen.
These two do not seem like they would work, and yet they absolutely do, know they do, and embrace it. It's wonderful.
Song Selections & Ideas
Trying to keep these a bit shorter than normal because there's quite a few of them. Whoo boy, this one has a theme that will crop up in a few of these songs: Someone being in love and it alarming one or both parties and them putting off actually saying it! Kururu is, of course, basically "allergic" to cuteness and sweetness, though seems oddly inured to most everything from Mutsumi. The arc of this song works well, but any bit of it could be used, or just general inspiration! I imagine, given some of the song's attitude, that it's Mutsumi in love first... or at least willing to admit that he's in love first, and Kururu kind of alarmed by that. Mutsumi can either say it outright or just make it a little too clear in some other way, and maybe try to walk it back when Kururu seems uncomfortable/wanting to put up some distance? This song also works really well for a fic where they're FWB and the sex starts getting more affectionate than intended!
Once again, someone's in love and it's at least initially kinda alarming! This one again (especially towards the end) works well from Mutsumi's POV, but it could also be from Kururu's POV if you want to change that up, or both of them could be in love and not wanting to talk about it at first for various reasons! Mutsumi's never really connected closely with people before, and Kururu doesn't do nice or sweet emotions, so this would be unique for them both; I can see Mutsumi accepting it easier at first in a "well, it makes sense if it's Kururu" way, but maybe Kururu also finds it easier to accept than anyone would expect, at least after a bit, because it's Mutsumi? You could do a lot of different things with this one, though; it just makes for a good ship fic for these two!
When things get super serious and dangerous, they seem to have each others' backs! You see this especially in Episode 229, but also a bit in Episode 112 and the Super Movie 3. (In a less serious context, even a little in Episode 354!) I've always associated this song specifically with E229, though, I'll admit (but you're welcome to do anything with it, including a totally unique scenario, of course!). AT least one of them "looking to the sky to save [him]" and asking the other to "just save [his] life"; I also love the metaphor of Mutsumi maybe being more angelic-seeming but "need[ing] a devil" (Kururu) "to help [him] get things right." "Make my way back home when I learn to fly" can be literally for the home or flying part, it can mean them making it back together, for a home on Earth, or even Mutsumi reuniting with his alien family, if you go with that idea. And the shockingly strong bond these two have makes me love the "fly along with me, I can't quite make it alone" part a lot. I'm sure you'll be able to see how and why I associate this song with E229, but I feel like you could also do a ton of fun things with one of them helping out the other somehow, maybe in a dangerous situation, or maybe just in general. They can depend on each other!
This song works for them, to me, because of that whole idea of them being on the same wavelength despite all initial appearances and impressions, and how easily they can make each other act uncharacteristically... maybe especially Kururu acting uncharacteristically for Mutsumi. Just the overall emotion of this, where whatever happens and whatever either might do, they "dig each other" and will "always have each other." It could involve something plotty or just more general relationship stuff, but if you lean into the feeling of this song for a fic for their dynamic I'd love it. This one's simple but great.
An unapologetically sappy song, but I can explain! I definitely feel like this song would be from Mutsumi's POV because it's just unapologetically and openly sweet in a way I think Kururu wouldn't be himself. But I love the part at the beginning having the feeling of enjoying pining and being quietly in love with someone you don't know might love you back, how even the heart aching parts are pleasant. And then the second part! Moving to actually trying and being more open and going for it, because that part is good too! I feel like this song could also work really well for a Five Times fic, either moments that Mutsumi enjoyed being in love and yearning or times Mutsumi kissed Kururu ("try again, and again, and again"). You could do a lot of sweet things with this!
Okay, admittedly, I don't imagine the more literal-sounding parts of this song to actually be literal. But similar! The opening part sounds like Kururu, "hating" Mutsumi for being beautiful and having a smile that lights up the sky and making him Feel Those Things. The second part could easily be either or both of them, pretending that they're not heading for absolutely in love and together, not quite able to say any of it (tongue tied!) and falling hard with heads spinning. And of course the dance in the chorus feels metaphorical given all that, but I am not opposed to dancing scenes ever! Still, time passing and them circling around one another in a dizzying dance as they get deeper and being uncertain about it but denying the uncertainty ("feel my hands, I'm not shaking"). This song's just got great emotion to it and feels to me like an inexorable getting closer and unable to change it (and not actually willing to even if they can't talk about it yet/at first). Any fic that plays with any part of this or leans into those emotions would be great!
Once again, someone's in love and putting off actually saying it! In this song I think the POV makes the most sense for Kururu, though. Which I love. Maybe part of it is Mutsumi's dorky fashion sense and immense popularity ("you look so good in the clothes of a poser / and when you smiled all the kids fell apart here"). But despite everything Mutsumi is still happy to hole up and/or hang out somewhere solely with Kururu and spend his time with him. The second verse could easily be Mutsumi about Kururu, too, switching over there, so maybe he also has caught/is catching feelings and trying not to say it because he understands Kururu's resistance to the actual words? Or it could still be Kururu! And the ending verse also feels like Kururu, avoiding "the glare of the sun" and content to be "collapsed in the act of just being here" with Mutsumi specifically. Whether either of them ever admit love or not, I just adore this dynamic where Kururu knows it is love and is trying to communicate it in his own way, and maybe that's true of Mutsumi too. They do get each other, after all.
I won't lie, just the overall feeling of this song makes me think strongly of them. Not necessarily the actual crying and pleading and screaming fights, they don't tend to do that. But sticking together, never being able to leave really (at least not forever/for that long), going through all sorts of moments and emotions together. However much time passes and even if they move around they're together! (Maybe Kururu and the Platoon actually do finally leave Earth... and then Mutsumi goes back to his own planet where aliens raised him and they're reunited that way? I could see Mutsumi trolling like that and Kururu being amused by it overall). Both of them doing their own, maybe sometimes stressful things, but still focused on each other to some degree... And I rally love the bridge and chorus. "Stick your hands inside of my pockets / keep them warm while I'm still here / tell them this love hasn't changed me, hasn't changed me at all" having this quiet intimacy, and also they have changed while also bringing out parts of themselves that have always been there? And "the same as I love you, you'll always love me too / this love isn't good unless it's me and you" having them... best friends, on the same wavelength, then in love, and it has to be the two of them. It was always going to be. I just love all those elements and anything you write that plays with any of them would be great!
OH BOY this is definitely from Kururu's POV!
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've asked for them in exchanges a couple times before!
Canon-Specific DNWs
- N/A, really!
- the way these two seem so different but just Vibe, with that whole "on the same wavelength" thing
- how effortlessly Mutsumi seems to be able to make Kururu act uncharacteristically...
- including how easily Kururu just gave Mutsumi an uber-powerful, uber-rare reality pen, TWICE
- how into the alien and alien-invasion (and maybe alien-experimentation?) stuff Mutsumi is; he wants excitement!!
- all those alternate universe versions of him!
- THAT MANGA REVEAL THAT HE WAS RAISED BY ALIENS... could it possibly even mean he's not fully human anymore somehow, maybe due to being raised by aliens or growing up on another planet?
- those stupid haikus and his dorky fashion sense
- Kururu's dorky taste in music and his love of curry everything (and the fact that he's yellow because of bathing in curry...)
- the idea of Mutsumi learning how to resonate with Kururu's help, just because (especially since it can be, like, a relationship thing as well as a team bonding/agreement thing)
- listen, I like that they just call each other by name (and that Mutsumi calls him by "Kururuko" while Kururu's in the robot), but I feel like either of them might potentially give sickeningly sweet pet names in public to troll the other if the chance came up but that they might like it despite it also being painfully ridiculous tbh
- if you're interested, I like trans headcanons for either/both of these characters! I like the idea of Mutsumi as a trans girl because of that alternate universe thing, or nonbinary/outside of human binary, but trans boy is also good; I could see Kururu as being outside of the human binary but I can also see him as a trans woman or as bigender (Kururuko). trans headcanons for any other characters that show up are also 100% good. and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory!
The Last Halloween (Webcomic)
Dr. Fugue/Robert
Dr. Fugue/Robert & Mona
Eugene Otto/Robert
[Where you can find the comic: Here!
Book 1 is by far the most pertinent; that's 7 chapters/about 114 pages.]
For Dr. Fugue/Robert, this takes a little bit of explaining, since their interactions are minor and not particularly significant. But the more I thought about them individually, I liked what their slight interplay does say about them and how the shapes of their arcs kinda work together.
Doctor Fugue is undead, a doctor and supernatural (mad) scientist, a Victorian-ish ghost. One who haunts the church and can't leave. He employs what he thinks of as a little group of undead children to help him graverob bodies for his raising-the-dead experiments (as well as upgrading/replacing Jangles's various bits). He's a big faker: Robert flat-out says he's not a good doctor, which is proven very correct when Mona comes back; he not only hands a ten year old a magic weapon he knows nothing about and sends her and the other "kids" out with completely incorrect information, he's apparently sent multiple "group[s] of untrained misfits to their deaths without actually nowing what was going on," to the point that Charon's chewed him out about it at least once before. His whole arc seems to involve him getting a huge dose of guilt for once in his unlife, realizing just how badly he fucked this little group up, seeming to have a change of heart about the "playing Dr. Frankenstein" thing and trying in some small ways to start to make amends.
Robert, on the other hand, is posing as an undead, a doll cursed to life by voodoo. Until he tells Mona and Shirley, literally no one in the group including Fugue knows that he's a monster, not undead at all, and is also immortal (or what they call immortal) due to killing his human several decades prior; he claims to be an undead to avoid the attention of the Phagocyte. He's around 117 years old, if not a bit older, and he's often the closest thing the group has to a straight-man; he keeps his own secrets, even when it would be really helpful to share, because he rarely feels invested in others, and he doesn't tend to personally lend much of a hand, especially not to save people. He's calm and soft-spoken, good with normal human adults, and very calmly makes threats when called for as well (and sometimes even commits violence against his undead "friends," such as sewing Ringley's mouth shut, though they don't seem to mind). His own arc involves him actually becoming attached to the situation and its people for once, to the point of purposefully sacrificing his life to give Mona a chance to survive and succeed (on what is, unbeknownst to them, a fool's errand), even admitting his own origins and past and coming face-to-face with the fact, for the first time, that maybe his nature as a monster is something he can choose to act counter to.
...So Fugue sends Mona, Robert, and the others off on a pointless quest that gets one of them killed and nearly kills two more of them, and is having to live with that fuck-up (figuratively speaking). And by the end of Book One he still hasn't even been made aware that Robert was a monster the whole time and has sort of... fused with the magic sickle that's supernaturally bonded to Mona.
And then of course, for this relationship, there's also Mona herself. Potentially. Mona is ten years old during the events of Book One, and incredibly aware that she is ten and should not be involved in this shit. Fugue shoves a magic sickle in her hands and pushes her out the door with a few undead "child" chaperones during the Apocalypse so she can go take care of it, a whole bunch of terrible decisions all in a clump, made worse by him not understanding the situation and actually sending them on a wild goose chase in the end; she has to chop up and even kill multiple monsters, and in the end nearly dies and does lose an arm to the ordeal, something she makes clear to Fugue that she'll never forgive him for (which he finds fair). Robert goes along to keep everyone on track and give them even a tiny chance, but he saves Mona's life once and tells her he'll never do it again so she'd better learn to save herself. She does learn, however, despite him keeping a lot of information back and outright lying sometimes, and he becomes more attached to her (and Shirley) and invested in the outcome of their mission, to the point that he eventually fully opens up, becomes somewhat more reassuring (and even open to affectionate touch, which was Not a thing for him at first), sort of steps into a mentor role, and promptly sacrifices his own life to give Mona a fighting chance. Mona and Fugue are obviously both hit by his death, and Fugue definitely comes to regret his choices and the results they had on Mona and Robert (and Shirley). It's just an interesting set of characters and relationships, imo.
And for Eugene Otto/Robert... Quite frankly, I completely love this ship. There's just so much complexity here... Unhealthiness, but not for lack of trying.
I'm so fascinated by how Robert talks about their relationship, how the way he tells Mona about it makes it sound like he really did legitimately want things to work between himself and Gene, likely did not realize where his immense jealousy was leading until it happened, but his mixed feelings now about not even knowing if he regrets it or not. I love that you can tell he loved Gene in his own way then and might even be capable of different, healthier kinds of love now -- might even have been more capable then than he'd believed -- but still wound up ruining Gene's life and killing him... and how Gene asked him to kill him. I love the whole monster aspect entirely, a creature who is born when you are and whose life is tied to yours in so many inextricable ways, how it leaves you both vulnerable, and all the monsters' thoughts on that and Robert's thoughts specifically on that, including how he comes to realize that maybe he could have gone against his nature. I love how their history had them so intertwined from when Gene was a young child to when he died an adult. I love how Robert killing Gene made him immortal but he proceeded to think about Gene every day and still has uncertain feelings about how everything went down, and has come to see immortality as more of a curse than a blessing.
Also, I love how complicated and tragic they are in basically all ways, but I'd prefer a more... wistful feel than purely tragic, despite both their canon fates, if possible. And you can feel free to give them a happier ending, too, but I like at least hopeful stuff!
Song Selections & Ideas
Okay, I am going to try to keep all of these sections smaller than usual because I have to go over two different ships for each. I am so sorry for where I failed in this.
I chose this song for a pretty straightforward reason for both ships plus the version with Mona: Robert is so much more unusual, and in some ways so much worse, than anyone is prepared for or understands at first. And I don't mean that in a bad way; Robert is, in a lot of ways, not a terrible person. But he is a monster. Fugue and Mona don't know; by that point he's lying outright, claiming to be undead, just a cursed doll. Robert does encourage Mona to do things she never thought herself capable of, even if killing monsters is hardly evil, and then just isn't there to help her along any further due to dying for her, so there's that. But Fugue? Fugue had no idea what he was sending those kids into, and that's not Robert's fault; he also had no idea what Robert was and I can see him being taken aback and intrigued by it (he does want to learn more about monster stuff!). Fugue also definitely seemed emotionally impacted when he heard that Robert had died (blaming himself for it) ("a wreck, a wreck you make / you leave, you leave me in your wake"). And he's sort of foresworn raising the dead any more but if he realizes there's some way to bring Robert back, maybe due to the weird circumstances surrounding the sickle, would he remake Robert somehow or bring him back as a ghost? ("do things I don't want to do," but maybe he's driven to or Mona convinces him?) There's a lot you could do with this with Post-Book-One stuff!
And then with Eugene Otto, well, it's a lot more straightforward. Robert probably didn't tell Gene what he was or explain the circumstances of monster stuff, but Gene might have understood he was something... wrong, for at least a lot of his life. He might have even suspected that Robert would want to kill him, eventually, or even benefit from it. (Or maybe Robert did tell him that at some point?) Robert drove everyone else out of Gene's life, and yet Gene was so close with him for decades; "ours was a complicated relationship," Robert said, and it was true ("a wreck, a wreck you make / you leave, you leave me in your wake / oh, honey, let me go / don't you ever let me go"). And the losing self control parts could be Gene losing his temper or could be sexual in some way. This could work well for a fic that follows canon events, a fic that AUs Robert killing Gene, an AU where Gene is born later and Robert meets him during the events of canon instead and things go very differently... It could even be a totally different scenario where the song is Robert to Gene, with Gene as a ghost haunting Robert, maybe? Keep their complicated but still loving in their way relationship and I'll love it.
Given that Robert is immortal and still died anyway, this song was irresistable. With Fugue (and maybe Mona), there's definitely an odd sort of... being tied together and a little tied up in each other. Could it be set pre-canon with Fugue and Robert beginning to get a little closer in a way that's (temporarily; I want hopeful or happy endings!) cut short? "I’m still comparing your past to my future / it might be your wound, but they’re my sutures" feels like maybe a scenario where Fugue figures out a way to bring Robert back, maybe involving the sickle, maybe as an immortal (or half-immortal??) monster again, maybe as a ghost himself. How much Fugue have changed; how might their relationship change? (Same questions for Mona if she's involved!)
And with Gene, well, this could be a lot of stuff. "They say we are what we are, but we don’t have to be" really makes me think of Robert realizing that he can maybe actually change or resist his nature as a monster, for real. "Oh, I try to picture me without you, but I can't" feels like both of them tied up in each other, even with Gene being dead for decades by the time canon happens... The time stuff, the immortals parts, the "live with me forever," I feel like this could be something where Robert survived and somehow managed to contact or meet Gene again (as a ghost or other undead?), where both of them get brought back somehow (alive or undead or monster), or where they meet again in the afterlife, maybe?
One of the most outright romantic songs I chose for this canon! For Fugue and Robert, I feel like the POV could be either or both, and more metaphorical than not, but maybe with some literal elements. Once Fugue's saved Shirley (and done as much for Duncan as possible... not that that's much), and can't really do anything further for the now-absent Mona, maybe Fugue tries to make things up in other ways, including figuring out a way to bring back Robert? (Or if Mona actually comes back and asks him, maybe he also thinks of it as making things up to her?) Or maybe Robert's trying to find his way back, having thought there might be a way to do what he did and still survive it, and willing to risk that -- or maybe it wasn't on purpose at all but he still exists and is trying to find his way back, and Mona (with the sickle) and Fugue (being a ghost) are the storngest anchor points?
And with Gene, I feel like after Gene died Robert lost something and was never able to let go; I also feel like Robert recently realizing he could really have chosen not to kill Gene, "in his nature" or not, might have shaken him; either could probably work for the opening of the song. Maybe Robert "stayed in the darkness" ie the afterlife with Gene; maybe there even was a chance he could go back but he chose to try to meet Gene again if he's amenable. Or maybe the POV is from Gene trying to find a way back as a ghost or other undead, whether out of love or anger towards Robert (or maybe both tbh).
This is a more general prompt, and could maybe even be plotty! But I did select it for a reason. There's an almost frantic desperation behind the upbeat-sounding song. With Fugue (and maybe also Mona) in the modern time period, everything's changed after the Phagocyte fell and the monsters and undead rose up. It wasn't what anyone had planned, and it was bad for humanity and hard to say if it was excellent for the undead. (Or even monsters, given what Robert said about monsters needing humans.) Something that's not necessarily the worst thing still being a problem ("happiness hit her like a train on a track"), running for those you love and also for your own life, having to let go of things. Trying hard and maybe changing. Again, this works best in an AU where Robert survived or a story where they somehow got him back. Fugue and Robert (and maybe Mona) working together could be interesting. And falling in love, or even just starting to desire ("longing"), "like a bullet in the back / struck from a great height / by someone who should have known better than that" is also interesting...
And with Gene, this could also be plotty (in any time period, modern AU or not), but him being unable to escape into a normal life away from Robert, being happy with Robert in a way that is actually harmful for him ("like a train on a track... like a bullet in the back"), feeling the love and longing but needing to leave it behind to survive (and not being able to)... The bridge is particularly interesting for them as well; "and I never wanted anything from you / except everything you had / and what was left after that too" could describe Robert's hunger and desire for all of Gene's life (both literally and, as he tries to resist, figuratively), but also could potentially describe Gene towards Robert if you wanted to play with that. This could also potentially work for Gene as a ghost coming back and haunting Robert! There's a lot you could play with here, feel free to go nuts.
Another more general, maybe even plotty prompt! This feels very much... monster relations with their humans, in all the varied ways that can go, but can also very very easily vibe with canon events (with Mona being the "innocent found," even!). Fairly innocent, relatively speaking, getting caught up in all this (and mislead by Fugue, unintentionally but definitely his fault) and being destroyed by it in whole or in part fits this song definitely. Fighting back against it and trying to make up for it could work for both Mona and especially Fugue. Hell, Robert could even be a part of the problem, if his thing with the sickle has left Mona "immortal" and therefore unaging (oops). But this works in an AU where Robert never died as well as in a story where he gets brought back somehow!
And with Gene, well, when I said this feels like monster relations, that's very true. Unwise, careful, frightened children being shadowed by monsters who find them... Though in Robert's case, he doesn't kill Gene at first. What he does it ruin his life out of displaced hunger for him. Simply using the feeling of this song for story following part of their complicated relationship, while Gene is alive or in an AU where he is/becomes undead or in a scenario where Robert meets him in the afterlife, could work super well if you lean into it!
This song works in so many different ways for different ships I have, and forgiveness is a big part of both of these ships and all of these relationships! For Fugue, well... he obviously feels responsible for Robert's death (and he definitely has an ego). If Robert is brought back, do they bond? (Or if Robert doesn't die but Fugue still feels responsible for what they all went through!) If Robert is brought back as a ghost, does he haunt the church too? (Or the sickle?) And with adding Mona in, you have the added element of her maybe needing to forgive Robert for dying on her, and/or messing with her physiology if the sickle stunt did that, and also her difficulty really fully forgiving Fugue... But Robert's new bond with Fugue (and maybe renewed one with Mona) would work so well for this song. They can have each other, ground each other, and actually care about each other, surprisingly!
And with Gene, it's much more straightforward. Robert first went to Gene to kill him, but didn't. He didn't for, like, seventy years. Despite everything, he loved Gene, and vice-versa. And maybe, at some point in their story, before Gene dies or if he doesn't or decades later, Robert could stand to apologize and maybe be forgiven. It's a big deal that he realized he can change, after all, and he might want to make things right, and I am a sap for these two being tragic but having love there in the end, and maybe it turning out all right.
Oof, this song. For these ships, this feels like a lot of grief. Maybe Fugue is more attached to those kids than he realized, and maybe Robert especially (Shirley pushing back against him a lot and him being offensive a little too much with her, and Robert being difficult to really form a close bond with given his cloud cuckoolander status; Robert was mature and had a good head on his shoulders and also apparently was not a kid???). He feels definite guilt for Robert's death ("don't think of me like that / just picture me leaving and not coming back"). Maybe he tries to make up for it (to Robert or Mona) by bringing Robert back somehow; maybe he fully expects Robert to hate him for it but is okay with that if it works ("one day you'll drink from my bones / and scream as you rip out my throat / don't let me, don't let me go"). Maybe Robert (and Mona) are always welcome in that church and/or that town ("and this is your home now so don't you forget"). For "is it love you regret? / in that case you won't be returning, I guess," it could be a few things: if Fugue is having a hard time bringing Robert back at first, maybe he thinks Robert doesn't want to come back because he sacrificed himself for Mona; alternately, if this is either of them about Mona, maybe Mona is distant and they think/one of them thinks that she won't stay at home and/or won't be close to them again because she trusted them and they both (in different ways) betrayed/abandoned her. As for the very last part, maybe one or both of them expects that eventually monsters, or humans, or the Phagocyte, will want to destroy them. (Maybe Mona's hometown is now a rare safe haven for humans and undead, thanks to the efforts of Ringley's dad, Mona's parent, Marta, Shirley, and Fugue?)
And then Gene. Oooh boy, Gene/Robert. Two ideas spring immediately to mind. One is a story that follows them while Gene was alive, heading to the inevitable conclusion, from Gene's POV even. Knowing on some level where things are going, mourning his own life and their relationship's deterioration (along with everything else). The second half could still be from Gene's POV or could be Robert on Gene, too, thinking that maybe Gene regrets loving him this much (but still does), noticing how destroyed he is and how he's come to accept that destruction. Or two, in the more modern part of the timeline, maybe Robert is being metaphorically haunted by Gene. Robert either being alive (before that last Halloween, or in an AU where he didn't die, or after being brought back) or in the afterlife. Maybe he's trying to contact Gene somehow (or extending an invitation to talk if he wants to... maybe there's some way to contact a dead person through Charon, if done right and the person is agreeable?). Or maybe he's just waiting to see Gene again, if Gene wants to. I do want at least a hopeful ending here, something not fully downer, and I'm also open to happier endings.
This song is interesting for these ships because it feels like a different POV depending on the ship! For Fugue/Robert, the song really fits Fugue. Like, a lot of it, and surprisingly well. "It was a stained glass variation of the truth / and I felt empty handed" fits for how Fugue gave them info he thought was accurate but his pride and not liking to be told he was wrong kept him from double-checking until far too late, and having to face the results hurt. "You let me set sail with cheap wood" could be him wondering why Robert didn't tell him anything about monsters ever after learning Robert was a monster, potentially. "So I patched up every leak that I could / 'til the blame grew too heavy" could be him trying to make up for what he did in as many ways as he could but it not really helping him feel much better. The pre-chorus is, in this case, admittedly kinda pretentious self-centered wallowing that I feel like he could fall into a little bit even actually trying to improve. If/when he succeeds in bringing Robert back, either as a monster just like before or as a ghost, "these wild oceans shake what's left of me loose / just to hear me cry mercy" could be Fugue actually giving in and apologize (it could also be an apology to Mona!); "so I, I lift up the only sail that I have / this tired white flag" could also be apology or just... talking about difficult things/opening up. And of course the chorus, maybe it's still hard for him to admit to some things despite him trying to change and the growth he might really have gone through, and maybe it's hard for him to understand how to actually healthily care for people and have positive relationships -- and with Robert, if there's some actual love creeping in, that probably doesn't actually make it easier. (And he sure still doesn't know how to make it up to, or even interact with, Mona.)
And then with Gene/Robert, this song is so utterly Robert. Never fully honest with Gene about what he is and what he wants, not blaming Gene exactly but knowing (or "knowing") their relationship could never have truly been healthy with the "cheap wood" of human/monster relations. Robert tries not to kill Gene but destroys him instead, and that is tearing apart himself in some ways; if you want to progress that far, during canon Robert seems to be unraveling in some ways, or rather changing in ways that end up destroying him (though he doesn't seem to really mind), and hell if you do go that route "it was a stained glass variation of the truth" could be his lie about being undead and "you let me set sail with cheap wood" could be the bad intel given the group by Fugue. For verse two, he either gives into his desires with Gene or he fully changes and surrenders and dies in the events of Book One, or both. And for the chorus... He doesn't know how to be fully honest at the right time, or how to love someone healthily, but I think by the end he might be trying to learn. And if given the chance, maybe it could work. (I also love how, for Gene/Robert, this song has so much sailing and art imagery, when Gene loved sailing/wanted to sail and was an artist!)
Much like the first song for these ships, I feel like this song is very much like... realizing/finding out what Robert is is a little overwhelming. But not totally non-positive. What has Robert said about Fugue in the past that's true? Well, that he isn't a very good doctor, but "you say that I am too" makes me think of maybe a commonality that wasn't a lie. Unusual, interested in magic or monsters, interested in the afterlife, interested in knowledge? Something else? And the second verse could easily be an attempt, post-Book-One, to bring Robert back -- or maybe an AU where Fugue attempts to interfere somehow and prevent any of the from dying? Even if he can't leave the church. And "I'll never find someone quite like you again" feels like acknowledging how strange and unique Robert is and Fugue never even knew it. And then an odd love forming? There's a lot you could play with in this, if you choose any part of it I feel like it could really work!
And with Gene, they are... connected, and that can be what the first "touched" is about. Gene will quite literally never find someone like his very own monster, and Robert is in a way a hungry ghost. The whole song can work from his kinda tragic pre-death POV, or a POV of him as a ghost instead? Or it could actually be from Robert's POV, thinking back and regretting and hoping to meet him again somehow (and maybe succeeding, as a ghost or in the afterlife?). Maybe that first "touched" is still about connection, and the second verse is Robert's regrets. And he, too, will never find someone quite like Gene again, his human who he never goes a day without thinking about, and still loves in a way he can't deny, whatever happened between them. There's a lot of ways you could do fic for this one, too, and I'd love it.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've asked for Eugene Otto/Robert a few times before, and Dr. Fugue and Robert once:
- Shipoween 2019 (Eugene Otto/Robert)
- Shipoween 2020 (Eugene Otto/Robert)
- Soul-2-Soul 2021 (Eugene Otto/Robert)
- My Automagic trickortreatex2022 signup! (Eugene Otto/Robert and some slight Fugue and Robert and Mona stuff)
- a strong focus on Fugue's sexism; I'd prefer for him to be capable of at least a bit of growth there
- Fugue being entirely unrepentant post Book 1, actually
- Mona easily and completely forgiving Fugue
- implications that Robert and Gene never loved each other, especially that Robert never loved Gene
- shutting the door completely on the idea of a)Robert ever getting an afterlife b)these Robert and Gene ever making up; these things not happening in the fic is fine, ofc, just no "this is impossible/will never happen/could never happen"
- trans headcanons of any kind for Gene specifically
- Halloween, spooky, and outright horror stuff works especially well for this canon!
- Ringley's dad/Mona's parent as a background ship is super cool; feel free to give them names (and/or surnames) or not
- Robert and Gene meeting again in the afterlife
- resurrections and ghosts when it comes to either/both of those two
- Fugue helping Mona resurrect Robert (probably partly out of guilt)
- AU where Robert didn't die against Ba'al
- AU where Robert never killed Gene
- AU where Gene is a kid during the canon time period and he and Robert meet then
- really complicated relationship between those two
- forgiveness, second chances, trying again somehow (for either of the requested ships, and/or between Robert and Mona friendship-wise)
- anything set during Robert and Gene's long relationship or Robert and Fugue's time knowing one another
- Mona and Robert meeting again ...post where we are in canon
- pre-canon or post-canon (or post-Book 1) fic in general
- Robert still being alive in Mona's sickle and being able to be brought back and/or show up as a ghost that way
- the sickle thing, if that idea is used, meaning that Mona is now immortal and also not aging (oops)
- Fugue finding out super belatedly that Robert is a monster, like possibly even 1-3 years after Book 1 (but less time than that is also good)
- protectiveness of any of the requested characters towards any of the others
- Mona softening a bit on Fugue but still not forgiving him (like, noticing he's trying hard and maybe feeling sorry for him, maybe he makes her feel more tired than angry now)
- Robert, explaining how monsters even find their humans: "Certain humans look certain ways to us -- appetizing, you could say. Or perhaps appealing or attractive." UM, YES, I am into that??
- nonhuman characters, particularly monsters, being ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ about gender
- like I said, I like to imagine especially monster (rather than undead) characters being pretty ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ about gender, so an interpretation of Robert not actually having anything like human gender would be cool; I can imagine him having absolutely no preferred pronouns and just going with whatever anybody calls him, but feel free to go with whatever! Fugue figuring out some odd gender stuff himself could also be interesting! (probably not a trans man, then, and I'd rather not a trans woman for him, but nonbinary could be interesting there...) other characters being trans if they're included could also be fun and I encourage it. and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory!
- nicknames! pet names! names in general! Robert seems to call Eugene Otto "Gene," and Gene not only calls him Robert but gave him his first name (his full name was Robert Eugene Otto but after Robert came into the picture he insisted the doll was Robert now and he would be Gene from then on)... Fugue also calls him Robert, I don't think he would accept a nickname (from anyone but Gene) frankly, and he calls Fugue "Doctor Fugue" pretty constantly. what might make him shorten that to Fugue? or does Fugue have a first name (or can he not recall)? what, on the other hand, might make Robert call Gene "Eugene"? would he accept "Rob" from Gene, maybe? and if you could sell me on an endearment/pet name being used in either ship by anyone I would LOVE it!
- for horror stuff specifically, if you go that route, feel free to kill off OCs but not any canon characters that didn't die in canon; psychological and cosmic horror, but body horror can be great, as can ghosts and other monsters, isolated horror, and characters just telling scary stories, and I'm fine for gore and injury for this particular canon, and even perma-death if it involves an afterlife situation with Robert and/or Gene (and obviously Dr. Fugue is perma-dead, but like, also a ghost about it)
- ...I am also open to unusual takes on smut if you do include any, since Robert is a living doll and Fugue is a ghost; how might either of them sexually interact with a human or with each other? can Fugue still get aroused and/or orgasm? how/why? does Robert not have genitalia but have some other erogenous places, and/or not get aroused or orgasm like humans but still have something sort of analagous, or does he pick up on others' feelings and emotions in a sort of psychic-ish stimulation? or feel free to go unusual xeno; I do not mind!
Marvel 616
Quentin Beck/J. Jonah Jameson
[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!
Song Selections & Ideas
This song definitely feels like the moment a relationship changes! Of course, it could be a straightforward New Year Eve's party (maybe at the Bugle? maybe somewhere else?), or something more private. It could also just be taken more metaphorically as the start to something new, if you'd prefer! Obviously this song works really well as the moments they're establishing a relationship after already spending time getting closer; I'm happy with you following those getting-closer moments or just writing this part! However, I'd also love if you decided you wanted to play around with things a little. Is Quentin Beck attending a Bugle New Year's Eve party, or a society New Year's Eve party that Jameson is stuck going to, for a different reason; does their relationship simply slip into something more interesting there, or do they actually form something deeper? Is Beck somewhere (a New Year's Eve party, another function, or simply leaving all that more metaphorical) pretending to be someone else and clicks with Jameson in a way he didn't expect? Does Mysterio burst into a party or other function for supervillain reasons and Jameson happens to be there, and the relationship change is less kissing and forming a relationship and more shifting to flirting even in the midst of the crime? There's a lot you could play with here and I'd love any of it!
This song initially seemed, to me, to fit a slightly more established thing, maybe because of the "they come to build a wall between us / we know they won't win" part of the chorus. However, it could also be the initial getting-closer parts of things! If you look at the lyrics askance it can really fit, imo. "There is freedom within, there is freedom without" being their two very different life paths, or maybe the potential of Beck finding freedom outside of villainy as well as inside it? The second verse shows how normal they are deep down, and especially Beck often seems to be portrayed as kind of living in more run-down places (crime doesn't pay him that well); "my possessions are causing me suspicion, but there's no proof" could also be Beck trying to reform (actually or pretending to), or Jameson being suspected of collaboration (true or not). "And I'm counting the steps to the door of your heart" could be coming home to an established thing or heading towards trying to win the other's heart! There are a lot of scenarios that could fit with this, too, with Jameson and Beck working together to try to bring down Spider-Man (collusion?), or Beck trying to retire and go straight, or simply pretending to (or maybe pretending at first and actually making a go of it in part due to Jameson?), or just the two of them trying to make it work even under the circumstances of one of them being the owner and editor of the Daily Bugle and the other being the supervillain Mysterio.
This song is maybe an odd choice for them, but I think it could fit! Both of them seem to roll with things that happen and also with how other people seem to think about them; they're both kinda used to being thought the worst of, it seems, but are stubborn! Maybe Jameson is the one set in his ways and Beck is the one who keeps changing (trying different schemes), or maybe vice-versa; maybe they feel opposed at first but grow closer? Beck "seeks a new disaster every day" in the sense of Mysterio always getting into trouble and never succeeding (so far) at actually quitting supervillainy despite trying more than once; in a much more metaphorical way, Beck could be seen as "the baby of the family" in the sense that he's taken much less seriously than a lot of the other supervillains, of the Sinister Six or outside of it. And he just keeps trying, and maybe thinks he's stuck on this path, right or not. "If there was a better way to go then it would find me / I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me" Maybe he can be convinced otherwise? I'd love any of that, or just keeping with the "you might worry about me but I'm fine, I might be stuck in the supervillain lifestyle but it's best for me and I can enjoy it, I'm extraordinary"... or even something solely based on the bridge ("do I so worry you, you need to hurry to my side? / it's very kind / but it's to no avail; and I don't want the bail / I promise you, everything will be just fine"), with either of them trying to help the other out in a bad situation but the other manages things on his own (and maybe it's hot)? Play around with any of that and I'll love it!
A short old-fashioned romance song! This one's very straightforward, and I won't lie, it's the rumors part that always makes me associate it with these two since... Jonah's a newspaper man. That's the reason, that's it. But seriously, this works really well for a fic for one or both of them falling in love, with one of them actively wooing the other (or it being mutual), it's unapologetically sappy and I'd love anything with you leaning into that! I'd also love something straightforward or anything playing around with the situation: Is Beck flirting solely as Mysterio, or as himself? Is Jameson trying to woo someone he doesn't know is Beck (or does he know but Beck thinks he doesn't at first)? Is Beck wooing Jameson at first for some scheme but winds up really enjoying it and falling for him early on? Or is it just a situation where Beck is trying to quit supervillainy again, Jameson is like the only person believing in him and giving him a chance, and they fall in love?
Somehow, this song always makes me think of Mysterio. And there's so many different things you could do with it! Something new, or just now forming, or established between them. Loving New York City despite itself sometimes ("the city outside still sounds like it's on fire"). Staying up all night talking and getting closer, and the intimacy of that. Maybe Beck trying to retire from Mysterio and Jameson believing in/supporting him, or maybe Beck trying to prove himself as Mysterio and Jameson still being there for him ("for everyone I'm out to prove wrong, you keep the light on"). Beck's weird relationship with truth and disguises and acting and gaining confidence from acting as Mysterio ("the only one, you know me better than the truth"). Hell, "so, despite what I’ve done, I pray to God / that we can move on" can be Beck trying to retire or it can even be an awkward forgiveness for fooling and using Jameson specifically (a few times over, cough), and "I like to think I have everything I want from this life" could be a retirement thing too if you wanted to go in that direction. Maybe, whatever their circumstances, Beck still makes excuses to stick around and spend nights talking with Jameson even if they're closer and excuses aren't exactly needed anymore ("it's been years now since we moved, I've gotten good with an excuse"). Just anything that plays around with the intimacy and emotion of this song would be great!
Oh, the subtly suggestive flirting during social obligations song! Yeah, this one is straightforward and you could really play around with it. Are they both at a stuffy function for some reason or other (together or separately) and subtly flirting? Are they an established thing or is this the first time? Beck could be a supervillain, retired, pretending to retire, hell, this could be an AU where maybe he really liked being seen as a superhero during his first foray as Mysterio and just stuck with that (maybe faking crimes to stop, maybe stopping real crimes, maybe both or one and then the other) and Jameson is still super in his corner? Or maybe an AU where Jameson has gone full supervillain himself (for real or undercover) and "your friends are a fate that befell me" is the Sinister Six or other supervillains! This could also be a great excuse for smut if you wanted to write that; it's definitely a suggestive song...
This is one of those songs that I can see for a lot of ships, and see pretty differently for all those ships! For these two, I feel like there are a few different ways it could be taken. On the one hand, it's a forgiveness song; maybe they're bonding and Beck is apologetic for lying to and using Jameson several times in his career, and/or maybe Beck initially is pretending to be reformed or pretending to be someone else, they bond, and he falls for Jameson and has to come clean? Or maybe Beck is reforming, retiring, and Jameson is the only one who believes in him, and that's how they bond and fall for each other? The weakness and sickness and "if I turn into another / dig me up from under what is covering / the better part of me" parts could be Beck backsliding or risking backsliding, or just getting depressed sometimes, honestly. Just overall, I feel like this song could be used to write about these two caring about each other (or coming to) and being there for each other despite things being difficult in some way.
Oh boy, this song is so much a Mysterio song in a sad way! Beck's been established in some of the comics to be less confident outside the Mysterio act, and to feel more confident, free, and just in general impressive while being Mysterio ("all these practiced poses... / but this is just a part I portray / and this is just a part I portray"). He also can get kind of down on himself for failing at things, and knows that he's kind of a disaster, sometimes. ("All these practiced poses / I could wreck it if I had to / but I'm the wreck so what would that do? / my masterpiece will fall apart / it was over before the start" and the "and I will show you self-destruction" part...) This could easily be about Beck trying to flirt as Mysterio and feeling like he wouldn't be liked the same way as just himself and having a feeling that being Mysterio will mean it can't last; it could be him falling for Jameson while he feels like his trajectory as Mysterio is heading for disaster again; it could be him trying to reform, with Jameson believing in him, and not sure himself that he can actually manage it since he's never been able to before. I want a happy or hopeful ending, of course, but so long as it has that I'll love whatever you do with this song!
Another short old-fashioned love song! And this one is, again, 100% a Mysterio romance song to me. It's perfect. It's very romantic and sappy, and very straightforward, but there's so much you could do with it. It could be from either POV, or both, simply trying to woo the other; if Beck's doing the wooing, he could be trying it primarily as Mysterio or as just himself. "But it wouldn't be make believe / if you believe in me" could just be about the romance, but you could also play with Mysterio redemption fic and Beck retiring if you wanted: if from Beck's POV, it could be that with Jameson believing with him he feels like he can actually stay out of supervillainy this time, and if from Jameson's POV, it could simply be his desire to support Beck through the attempt. Short and sweet and simple, but however you play around with this, it could be great!
Another unashamedly romantic song! The chorus and post-chorus are very straightforward, but it's the verses that really caught my interest for these two, tbh. The first verse has some fun concepts: being bigger than themselves, with Jameson as kinda representing the Fourth Estate and Mysterio being a larger than life role ("we are stars, fashioned in the flesh and bone"); both of them having a somewhat hard time forming close connections with people that understand them, as Jameson is cynical and sometimes drives people away, and Beck is a criminal and also not terribly confident ("we are islands, excuses to remain alone"); and then the parts where they wind up in each others' orbit... And verse two has even more to work with, imo! "When we met, I was pulling an angel out of a liar" could be the fact that when they met, Jameson believed Mysterio to be the hero he was presenting himself as, or the "I" could be Beck where he was lying pretending to be an angel; maybe this could even be in an AU where Beck really liked being seen as a superhero during his first foray as Mysterio and just stuck with that? "We are dreamers, wishing upon what we were born from" could be a point of commonality being that they're stubborn and don't give up, or it could indicate a plot where they're working together trying to bring down Spider-Man somehow! "We made plans, we kill them ourselves, and then we mourn them" could also be commonality where they both get in their own way; overall a theme of the song you could lean into for fic might be how they're alike in some ways despite also being quite different. And then incorporating an established or growing romance with any of those would work great!
The subject of this song, rather than the singer, really makes me think of Jameson every time, tbh. And parts of the song really fit Mysterio, too, POV-wise! Someone always flirting with trouble, and the "well, it started out like any show / up from the dark to the light's warm glow / did you hear that dedication / when I came up and out on the stage?" part especially. And "you came on lion" always makes me think of Jameson probably because I really see him as more bark than bite, almost putting on a show himself, circus-lion roars without actually being dangerous, not being as harsh as he seems. Beck being intrigued by that and getting closer to him, or flirting as Mysterio ("and I stepped up to your cage / just to see if we would go / I crossed the bridge, I thought you'd know"), getting in further and realizing he could get in deep dangerously easily ("two rays on two straying thoughts / but each one warm to make me glow / or burn me if I'm not careful / well, it's not hard, it's too easy"). And maybe he tries to step back because of that ("so now can I step lightly back between / where you are and where I've been?"), or maybe he's been bombastically flirting as Mysterio and wants to try bonding more just as Beck ("back into that thing we do / where it's me and it's just you")... I also just overall find the "closer than a girl can get / to trouble without getting in it" stuff fun in and of itself, sort of flirting-with-flirting or trying to keep things light and flirty (or even FWB-y) withou falling fully in love. If you play with literally any bits or aspects of any of that, I'd love it!
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done several freeform exchanges!
Canon-Specific DNWs
- anything about Mysterio's cancer storyline or suicide tbh unless specifically mentioned otherwise
- Beck being written as a purposeful or unrepentant killer, delusional, or just in general "criminally insane" or as irredeemably evil
- anything related to that one Mysterio Webspinners comic
- infidelity (just reiteratng 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)
- 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
- Beck's brilliance in (practical) special effects, disguises, and sometimes robotics
- bonding over disliking Spider-Man
- supervillains who retire and actually go into something else
- supervillains becoming vigilantes
- civilians becoming supervillains and enjoying it/enjoying the freedom
- nicknames! pet names! significant uses of actual names or aliases! I could also 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!
- honestly, for these two? genderswap, but specifically to F/F, because the idea of Jameson as a butch lesbian with the same short hair and fashion sense is incredibly hot to me
Marvel 616
Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes
Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes & 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(ish); 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 by him killing innocent people.
Song Selections & Ideas
I won't lie, I feel like a lot of the romantic songs I chose for this ship are kind of... a promise being made. Sometimes a mutual promise, but always Adrian to Nathan. This song always especially feels like change to me; it could actually be a New Year's Eve/New Year's Day fic, but even if it's not, some circumstance where they cross a line and their relationship truly starts. And "should auld aquaintance be forgot" hits different with them, both old men, probably having lost people but Adrian especially definitely having lost a lot of what he used to hope his life would be as a younger man. So there's an element of newness, of their relationship crossing over into something more, but also potentially an element as well of being all right with everything that's been lost and not turned out how they planned because they have each other. Any fic that leans into either or both of those emotions would be amazing! (And for Tiana, maybe before Adrian and Nathan get together Adrian also makes up with his granddaughter? Or maybe she encourages him, or Nathan?)
For some reason, this song is one that I strongly associate with these two, particularly Adrian to Nathan. The sheer emotion Adrian shows during the "Funeral Arrangements" mini-arc, and that driving need to be forgiven due to how hard he was hit by Nathan's death... Even if you have Nathan never have died, the dedication in this song feels in keeping with all that! Or maybe this is a situation where Nathan is alive again, resurrected somehow or cloned (maybe Adrian's doing, maybe not), or a time-travel fix, and it's a second chance thing? It could even be a fic where Adrian is actively trying to undo what was done and make it right! There's a lot of longing in this song and it could just be pining or it could be a lot of other stuff. You could even have Adrian trying to navigate the complexity of his relationships with both Nathan (after he comes back from having died, or maybe survived it!) and Tiana (after she found out her grandpa killed at least a few innocent people in the past), and fixing things with both of them, at least to some degree? You could even play with a scenario where Adrian is basically figuratively kept on a leash by Nathan, morally speaking, so in love he will listen to him and try to change for him, and Nathan is aware of the power he holds over Adrian and it's kind of alarming but they both find it strangely kinky even with no sexual element. (Or maybe one does develop?) Lot of things you could do with this one!
This song is always so romantic; it has a definite shape to it overall but any individual part of it could also be taken! The freedom of living a quiet life together, or the freedom of being a supervillain (Adrian retiring or Nathan joining him in crime, maybe?); they might struggle and fail sometimes (or Adrian anyway) but they keep going and do so together? Adrian retiring or pretending to ("my possessions are causing me suspicion, but there's no proof"), maybe even with them sharing a nursing home again/back then, or Nathan being suspected of colluding or harboring him? Very normal domestic things! One or both of them trying to win the other over, or return home to the other! People trying to keep them apart, either on purpose or just because Adrian's arrested or another supervillain attacks or something! And I won't lie, "barely clearing the roof" always makes me think of Vulture, he literally flies. Tiana being any part of the normalcy or dangerous situations, encouraging or helping out her grandpa, meeting Nathan... There's a lot that could be played with and I'd be happy with any part of this.
Okay, this one could definitely from Adrian's point of view, but it could also be from Nathan's? For Adrian, "I know in my heart that I'll have to change" being that he knows that to earn and/or keep Nathan's love, he has to either stop supervillainy or pull back on his worst acts; this could also include him having to change to earn his granddaughter's forgiveness. For Nathan, it could actually be that Adrian admits to loving him, Nathan realizes it's mutual, and both of them change a bit, Nathan joining Adrian in crime but Adrian not being as ruthless anymore. The "I want to be with you... I want to be near you" parts could also be that. Alternately, if you wanted to go with a scenario where Nathan died and Adrian is trying to get him back (and succeeds) out of love, multiple lines could point to that: "I'll need a miracle to help me this time," "how did we get to be this far apart?" and the repeated "nothing's impossible" especially. Adrian wanting Nathan, and possibly also Tiana, in his life after messing up with either or both of them and working towards it, and achieving the impossible, is definitely a very fitting theme for this song however and wherever you take that basic concept!
THIS SONG! It works for a lot of ships and in different ways, and there's definitely a lot you could do with it for these two! There's the forgiveness element, which could be a lot of things: Adrian simply not telling Nathan he was the Vulture in the first place, the event that canonically killed Nathan (whether Nathan survives it instead, or if he comes back from the dead, due to anything Adrian does or something else entirely), or even just some awkwardness from when Adrian apparently called Nathan and asked him to join him as a partner-in-crime where Adrian's like "okay sorry I take that back," lol. It could also be a situation where they're flirting on the line of being more than friends and both afraid to cross it! Them caring a lot about each other despite their differences is great ad works for the "we dig each other" parts. The "weakness" and "sickness" and "dig me up" could be Nathan having Adrian on a morality leash, or could be Adrian trying to retire and sometimes backsliding, or trying to be less cutthroat but sometimes still going too far (or almost). And of course all of the trying to earn forgiveness and trying to change and not go too far could also apply to earning Tiana's forgiveness, if she's included, and she could also be a positive influence on him!
I won't lie, this song realllly works for me when there's a character involved who can literally fly. I'll give you a bit more to work with than that, though! But this one's pretty simple. The repeated chorus works for either or both of them being there for one another and trying to help out whatever is happening; it can be either one coming to the other's rescue or support, anything from Nathan giving Adrian a place to stay and hide if he gets hurt, to Adrian doing his damndest to get Nathan back from the dead (and succeeding). The first verse could be Adrian not letting anyone know his feelings for Nathan because he has enemies and doesn't want him in danger; alternately, it could also work for an AU where Nathan's joined Adrian in crime and, ofc, multiple people would like to see them fail: Spider-Man, the cops, even other criminals who consider them competitors! "Don't believe the things you tell yourself so late at night / you are your own worst enemy, you'll never win the fight" could be one being down on himself and getting support from the other; we see in canon Nathan beating himself up over the lengths he goes to to get money, betting on people's lives, or possibly it could be about Adrian thinking that he'll never be able to fix his relationship with Tiana or that he's just not capable of going straight or that he's not redeemable. And while the rest of the verse could be either, really, metaphorically speaking, "I don't believe anything, don't trust anyone anymore / but I believe you..." is alllll Vulture. And really just anything that goes with the general emotion/theme of the song is great! They've got each others' backs (and maybe Tiana has their backs and vice-versa as well)!
There's a lot of ways this song could work for these two. Obviously there's the general, caught up in each others' orbit, drawn to each other, wanting to stay together and have love returned elements. But "we are islands, excuses to remain alone," well... Adrian doesn't have many people who care about him (and doesn't make that easy for people), but in canon Nathan kinda does; maybe this is a scenario where he never fell in love with (or maybe even met) Aunt May, though, or survived The Incident but pulled away from her because he was ashamed of the betting he did, or came back to life and is choosing not to seek her out because she's already moved on and should be allowed that... but does seek Adrian out (or lets him back in if Adrian seeks him out. "I see nothing worse than to sail this universe without you" could indicate a story where Adrian tries to figure out a way to get him back from death, come hell or high water (and succeeds!), or just tries to make things up to him and earn forgiveness, potentially. "When we met, I was pulling an angel out of a liar" could mean when Adrian was pretending to just be a normal person around Nathan and got close to him. "We are dreamers, wishing upon what we were born from" could mean a story that grapples with both of their hopes for their lives, when they were younger, that are maybe out of reach now, and "we made plans, we kill them ourselves, and then we mourn them" could have to do with how they self-sabotage (probably Vulture especially, let's be real) or even Adrian's mourning for Nathan. Or just afraid he can't fix things with Tiana! There's a lot that could be done with this song and it's themes and emotions.
This song really works for the "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" element of things. It's very, very much from Vulture's POV and I am fascinated by... the feeling of someone who loves uniquely like that, and alternately how it might feel to be loved by someone like that so completely. With lines like "'cause I just can't have a normal heart" and "I can be a person if you give me the chance", you could write it as Adrian not being quite as bad as he's thinking himself to be or write it as him being close to sociopathic and only able to deeply care about a few people (Nathan, and Tiana if she's included). "So please give me kisses, I won't break my promises" seems to imply trying to change for love. There's an overwhelming love and dedication in a lot of these lyrics, from "I get so deeply poisoned by love" to "you hijacked my mind, not that I want it back"; despite some of the lyrics (especially in verse two) I don't want things to be too unhealthy in the sense of like... actually being bad for either of them. A thrill of "oh this isn't quite right and is overwhelming and maybe dangerous" is fine! This song also works super well, imo, for one of my canon-specific like ideas below, the "Nathan and Adrian entering unplanned into a kinky-feeling arrangement where Adrian is immensely loyal and dedicated and adoring and Nathan metaphorically has him on a leash and neither of them really talk about it but it's super charged (whether sex happens or not)" one. It also really fits a tag I've used in freeform exchanges for them in the past, that "Pining - Mutual pining that both characters figure out is requited but that's terrifying" one! You could do a lot with this and I'd love any of it so long as it's not super dark or a bad ending.
This song is so interesting to me for ships, because it isn't really a love song on the face of it; it almost feels more character-focused. But I think it could really work! And not just because of the falling and gravity bits (though that does help). I had two main ideas for this, one for the song being Adrian's POV, and one for it being Nathan's. For Adrian, the "looking backwards" part at the start could be him looking back on his life and regretting how it didn't turn out like he'd wanted when he was younger, and then the chorus could be him choosing to trust someone (Nathan! and maybe Tiana), that even if he crashes and it hurts they'll be there for him and he can rebuild, and it's a real new opportunity. Letting down his armor and opening up and REALLY being free and flying, metaphorically, when he had been literally for years. Opening up to the people he loves and trusting them and actually having it be rewarding and strengthening what he has with them, basically. But for Nathan, it could also be a freedom in anything from colluding with Adrian and helping him though he's the Vulture, to outright becoming a criminal or supervillain himself, taking Adrian up on that invitation to be his partner. The "looking backwards" parts could be his own regrets, and following that up with "a model citizen of doubt" could be him deciding not to be a model citizen anymore; "I lean in and let it hurt" and "I break pattern" could be him trust falling into accepting Adrian's offer, that even if it hurts in some ways it's worth it, rebuilding himself anew and being free in a new way. And no longer being bound by gravity or "afraid of heights"! It could work either way. (Or a different way, if you have any other ideas!)
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've asked for Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes in several freeform exchanges, and for Nathan Lubensky/Adrian Toomes & Tiana Toomes in Chocolate Box earlier this year!
- Id Pro Quo 2021
- Smut 4 Smut 2021
- Pine 4 Pine 2021
- Chocolate Box 2022 (Nathan/Adrian & Tiana!)
- 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 have him in complete remission or cured at least by the end)
- 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)
- 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
- Tiana's complicated emotions about her grandpa, especially the take that whatever he's done he's still her grandpa and she has to square with that despite it being hard, and maybe her managing to forgive him (at least not totally cutting him off)
- (you're welcome to include Peter Parker/Spider-Man 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 (or at least criminals) and enjoying the freedom and/or acting as at least a bit of a morality leash to their more cutthroat partner
- Nathan and Adrian entering unplanned into a kinky-feeling arrangement where Adrian is immensely loyal and dedicated and adoring and Nathan metaphorically has him on a leash and neither of them really talk about it but it's super charged (whether sex happens or not)
- 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! if included, I'd especially like to see Tiana as a trans girl. and of course trans headcanons aren't obligatory!
The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Quentin Beck/Phineas Mason
Quentin Beck/Chameleon/Phineas Mason
[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)]
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
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...
AND THEN POTENTIALLY ADD CHAMELEON TO THE MIX. 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.
Song Selections & Ideas
This song works so well for literal New Year's Eve/New Year's stuff, but also just in general for a)parties and/or b)changes and new beginnings! Because of the element of change and lines like "it's a perfect start," it's maybe especially well suited to get-together fic, but it also works really well for established relatonship stuff or even pining, with things taking a turn in another way or a different type of new beginning! (Transitioning into supervillainy, perhaps?) The lines that say things like "everyone" or "all" make it really work for a group setting, and there's a lot you can do with that: The Sinister Six? Just Beck, Mason, and Chameleon? Or maybe a party with various NYC residents that they're at undercover for some job? It could be a down-time situation, just with them spending time together (just the two of them, just the three of them, or with the Six), or it could be a casefic sort of scenario where they're on the job (either in a supervillain capacity or pulling the more low-key career criminal style of thing they did before with Chameleon). I love mutual interest, even pining, that culminates, and this song is great for that; I also love pining that's one-sided for a while and becomes mutual (I especially love Mason pining but would be happy with Beck too); and I also love both the three of them interested in each other and mutually getting together, or two of them (preferably Chameleon with one of the others) being together and bringing the third in, or even Chameleon being with both of them and Beck and Mason finally also getting together themselves. And if taking place on New Year's Eve, the fic could be pre-canon, before the supervillain stuff, just them (all three or just the two of them); it could be post-canon... or if you wanted to do a somewhat sideways take on things, it could even be during canon, maybe with Mysterio rescuing Tinkerer from the building after Spider-Man threatened the information out of him, and hurt/comfort following that, and them bringing in the New Year together in a less than ideal way but still the stress/worry of the situation prompting a confession/kiss/get-together? (With or without Chameleon there, tbh!) There's a lot you could play with for this!
I love this song for both Beck/Mason and the OT3; I associate it so much with Beck but at the same time, Chameleon is also such an actor in his own way! The counting dynamics at the beginning also be fun to play with; if it's just Beck/Mason, maybe they keep getting interrupted by Chameleon, or by one or two of the Six, and the "five means to take a quick little break / and get back to work when you're through" could be teamwork with the Six but I also love the wordplay about "take five"; maybe a story taking place during downtime or a quick break? A fic could follow the changing seasons and maybe changing emotions over time, or how the emotions aren't leaving and are in fact growing stronger when one or both of them might have hoped it would be temporary pining? I mostly just love how this song follows, like, various different states and the passage of time, but the love and longing is always there! And that could work for the two of them or all three of them, and it could work with mutual pining or something that's one-sided for a bit until it's not. I'd love some getting together or confessing for this, too; it fits the song perfectly! But just leaning into the lightness of the song, and the emotion in it, and the themes, would make me super happy. This is a simpler one but I love it a lot.
This song always makes me think of Mysterio! I can't help it! It also does work for me as a Chameleon song, frankly. "For once, there is nothing up my sleeve" is so magician-y, but they're both actors and it could also work for Chameleon's disguises. "Just some scars from a life that used to trouble me" works for any of them being discouraged by their lives before going into crime, and in a slightly different way really fits an idea I like where Chameleon had Mason help him erase all official records of who he was before being simply Chameleon. For "I used to run at first sight of the sun / now I lay here waiting for you to wake up," maybe one, or two, or all three of them had a hard time with or avoided making close connections to people, or maybe at first the two/three of them wanted to keep things professional to avoid making working together too awkward or complicated, or maybe at first the two/three of them were just doing casual hookups but not looking for or expecting anything deeper! (Or any mix of those, tbh, if all three of them are in the mix!) I really love the lines "you put on new sheets, the white flag of a Saturday night / I know we stayed up talking in circles / but I like to think the symmetry will keep me close to you" (and the later "do you remember when we stayed up / 'til the sun stretched through the room?") for the quiet intimacy of late night/all night conversations they imply, so any scene with that would be amazing... I love "for everyone I’m out to prove wrong, you keep the light on" for one, or two, or all three of them feeling like they have something to prove, and "you know me better than the truth" is so so good for Beck and Chameleon given their relationships with acting and misdirection and disguises. "Thus far you are the best thing that / this life has yet to lose" also REALLY works for me due to the impression I get that those three were working together for years before we first see them in canon, and if you're just going for Beck/Mason there's also the added element of those two immediately becoming a unit with the creation of Mysterio and joining up with the Sinister Six together. "I know we got caught up / sifting through a crowd of pebbles and lures / but you must not let them take you / they don't know you like I do" really makes me think of both how a lot of criminals are hiring Tinkerer, and how Chameleon at least temporarily split ways with Beck and Mason after the yacht job. "It's been years now since we moved / I've gotten good with an excuse" is sweet for, again, how I feel like they might have been working together for years, and how maybe they (or one of them) makes excuses to spend time together now and have gotten good at it, and "you know I try not to speak superlatives / but it's impossible with you" is great given how exaggerated and showy and dorky all three of them are (even if Mason pretends not to be, but hey, he knows the other two love it so there's an excuse). There's just so much I love about this, and I'd love anything you did with it!
OH BOY, this is a hot song, and a very simple one that has some very obvous places you could go with it! I still want to give you a bit more to work with, though. First being the circumstances: Are the social obligations simply a date, maybe at a slightly fancy place, maybe solely for the excuse to suggestively flirt and make the other(s) hot and bothered and unable to make it obvious the entire time they're there? Or is it that they're at some sort of function for undercover, criminal, casefic reasons, but they flirt while they're there and maybe the fact that it's a dangerous criminal thing makes it hotter to them? Have they hooked up before? (If they're planning on a bigger bombastic crime, like, Mysterio making an appearance sort of thing, "oh, let there be damage ensued and tabloid news" becomes a very fun line to play with.) If an OT3 with Chameleon, have any of them hooked up before, or are either or both of them romantically with Chameleon already, or is this new for all three of them? (If Beck/Chameleon or Chameleon/Mason is already a thing, and Beck/Mason is now flirting, the "tell me / tell me / tell your man" takes on new hot/kinky connotations!) Or is this an established relationship scenario that they're just having fun with? And of course while a fic of flirting during a date or at whatever event would be great, I'd also love just an outright smut fic! Go with this however you like.
Okay, this song is one of those that I feel fits a lot of my ships but in very different ways, so let me explain! This is probably more straightforward for both of these ships than I see it for anyone else, tbh. They are, either two or all three, each others' weakness, and it's identifiable (to others, to themselves), and they like and care about each other a lot, and can count on and support and help each other whatever happens. What keeps it from being 100% straightforward are lines like "if I turn into another," which could be literal-ish with Beck shifting into the role of Mysterio or outright literal in a canon with someone like Miles Warren who is open to genetically experimenting on unsuspecting people (yes, I am open to h/c plots like that, so long as the character is turned back to normal by the end!). Maybe the supervillain thing risks "turning their egos up," one or both of them that are supervillains, and the other(s) help keep them grounded so that doesn't happen? You could even lean into just the "remind me that we'll always have each other / when everything else is gone" part of the chorus as well as the "weakness" part of verse one and the "we dig each other" bits and simply go with a plot where they have to depend on each other during a mission or one (or two) of them has to rescue the other(s) from a dangerous situation or a kidnapping or something. There's a lot of little things you could play with here, or go with the straightforward read, and whatever you did I'd love it!
An unapologetically sappy and sweet romance song, and I LOVE that for them! Both of them or all three of them. It works so well for mutual pining or temporarily one-sided pining, and I tend to lean towards Mason pining in a Beck/Mason situation but I'd be totally open to it being Beck! I love the part at the beginning having the feeling of enjoying pining and being quietly in love with someone you don't know might love you back, how even the heart aching parts are pleasant; it's such a great emotion that I could really be into in a fic. And then the second part! Moving to actually trying and being more open and going for it, because that part is super good too! And I feel like this song could work really well for a Five Times fic, either moments that one of the characters enjoys being in love and yearning or times one of them kisses another... maybe even for undercover reasons?... until they finally "do it right." ("Try again, and again, and again...") It's a short, simple song, but you could do a lot of sweet things with this!
A short, old-fashioned love song, perfect for pining, wooing, and/or get-together fic! I adore this song; it's 100% a perfect Mysterio romance song to me, very romantic and sappy, but also imo works for Chameleon in a sort of old-fashioned way! It's also very straightforward, but there's still so much you could do with it! The song could be from either/any of their POVs, or a more mutual pining/wooing thing. If Beck/Mason, you could also go a route of Beck sort of remaking himself as he takes on the role of Mysterio: Supervillain, or the both of them remaking themselves in their shift into supervillainy; maybe one or both of them feel like fakers or just actors at first? Or if it's Beck/Chameleon/Mason, maybe after shifting into supervillainy the two miss him, feel it's not as good without him, and seek him back out post-canon? Hell, maybe the two of them, or all three of them, are working together on costuming and/or practical effects for a job/mission and Feeling Feelings™! Short and sweet and simple, but however you play around with this, it could be great.
This song is just so simple and sweet and I love it for these ships. The biggest thing it brings to mind for me, what I think it absolutely works best for, is quiet, comfortable domesticity and equally quiet realizations that they're in love. Sharing spaces because they've been working together so closely for so long and know one another so well by this point, and they're basically practically married already and it just occurs to one, or both, or all three of them that, oh, I'd absolutely spend the rest of my life with this person/these people, yeah. That sort of feeling. And this works for if their relationship had been platonic before, or if they'd been FWB already, or even a shift from more casually dating to Fully In Love! I also want to point out a few lines that specifically jump out to me for reasons: "They'll tell you that you'll maybe make it / if you just cut your clothes and change your hair" being how they didn't make it in normal life, and maybe decided they didn't want to, that it wasn't worth trying, and found freedom in being criminals and outside the law; "cause I wouldn't want you to get cold," I mean, I know it's winter at that point in canon, but I kinda headcanon that Mason gets cold easily and that's why he's always wearing turtlenecks and long coats, so if you wanted to play with that you totally could (maybe Beck gets him a Christmas turtleneck as a Christmas present or Mason lets Beck borrow his coat when he's cold even if Mason is easily cold himself, just as examples?); "never took piano lessons / but baby you're a grand / and I will learn to play the good notes / and tune you up the best I can"... okay look these lines are definitely an excuse for smut in the fic if you wanted. And just that repeated chorus, it's so good for love confessions and for pining!
This song is so sweet, and I love applying songs like this to criminals and supervillains who are basically married! There's so much fun stuff in this song that you could use, too. "I was always late / you never afraid / that we could be falling" could be one of them slow to realize how close they're getting while the other one (or other two) knows that, yeah, this could lead to him falling in love himself. "And to this day / when everything breaks / you are the anchor that holds me / and that is why we'll always make it" is SO GOOD when the characters work so well together, supporting one another and acting as each others' backup; you could flat-out write something where Mysterio gets thwarted and Tinkerer extracts him from the situation so that an android (that Tinkerer also made) is arrested again instead, or like... Mason makes sure Chameleon gets out of a situation scot-free by strategic use of/fucking with security cameras, and Chameleon promptly impersonates a police officer or FBI agent to safely get away with Beck. So much of the chorus is just... characters knowing each other so well because they've known each other so long and care about each other so much, and I adore that! "I never knew there was someone to make me come alive" could apply to Beck and Mason meeting Chameleon and finding an alternative to their normal lives before, or hell, I've imagined more than once Mason realizing he's totally in love with Beck the first time Beck gets in the Mysterio costume, tosses his cape back, and does the Mysterio Voice... And that's all before even the second verse, which is just perfect for, like, whenever thing go wrong and there are setbacks and it's easy to feel down and upset, they still have one another and that makes things better and easier to deal with and to spring back from; hurt/comfort could also work REALLY well here! "Cause I never knew a home until I found your hands" really drives home, to me, how unique their relationship is compared to anything in their lives before. "And when we're making love / I'd give up everything up for your touch" definitely gives you an excuse for smut if you want to go there, and on the other hand, "And when you go to work, all the day I'll wait / for you to come home, recount our time in our little place" could easily lend itself to fic where Mysterio is out doing A CRIME! ...and then comes back to their current hideout and Beck and Mason spend time comfortably together, or a fic where Mysterio is doing Sinister Six stuff and Tinkerer is maybe doing that or maybe doing work for someone else and Chameleon is doing one of his own obs, and they all come back to each other and fill each other in... There's so much sweet stuff you could do with this and I'd love it all!
This song is one of my absolute favorites for these ships; it fits so well for how I see them. It has this very casually intimate feeling to it, with a combination of intense dedication and kind of normal everyday imagery. "Pressed up against this shop front, drawing faces there in crayon / it's a long way from the pockets full of rain" feels like, well, just people waiting under awnings for the rain to let up but feeling like they're safely removed from the rain where they are (close to it but still feeling "it's a long way"). "And you have walked the streets for hours with your loose change and your flowers" is so casual and everyday, and followed by "and now I'll learn your body like a nursery rhyme in Braille" which is of course intimate, not just sex (though if you took the excuse for smut, I'd like that too!) but learning the other person's body/people's bodies, becoming familiar with them. "You have stumbled from the cradle to a prayer" is a great line and fits them "stumbling" from a normal life to a criminal one, and maybe then into a supervillain one! "But in this darkened room we have got heart enough to burn" has elements of their intimacy and love when alone behind closed doors, and "we can dance away the hours" is poetic phrasing but if you wanted to write the characters dancing with each other I would not say no to that, I am a sucker for things like that! "So welcome to our winning streak, no broken bones or old deceits / it's you and me versus this little town" is GREAT for a story of, like, making plans and really believing they can succeed, or even succeeding in a string of crimes, and NYC isn't a little town by any means but I love that element of us vs. the world (and maybe all those who didn't believe in us)! I really love "we're the curses that they'll mutter / and you will still be trying on my heart just like a crown," too, for the element of the world/normal people being down on them and what they do but they're still completely in love anyway, you could really play with that.
"Now there's a candle in the window, got a lousy history of tomorrows" is really interesting; I feel like "candle in the window" implies waiting for someone to come home (from a crime? or trying to find Chameleon to rejoin them?) and "got a lousy history of tomorrows" feels to me like it could be someone putting off something (admitting their feelings?) or making plans and not achieving them yet, and "so I'll spill the beans in every little sound" really fits with the former interpretation, too, like one of them (or both, or all three?) keeps putting off confessing their feelings so they try to communicate their love in everything else they say and do without saying it? And "You are the creaking of the door, you are the chorus of applause / you are wishbones and the axis that these songs will spin around" is just so, like, "you're everything to me and my mind and heart keep coming back to you, which I love, and I admit "you are the chorus of applause" really fits Chameleon and especially Beck to me, so this song often feels like it's from Mason's POV to me. Looking at it that way, "I know your tactics, all the practice this bravery took / and the flags are flying, you're trying out a different look" has both the elements of knowing someone super well by now, and also practicing like for a role, playing the brave and confident persona, and the "different look" could work especially well for newly being Mysterio! And the repeated "we'll tear it all down" chorus just adding in this element of criminality and even helping Doc Ock take over the world with the Six. It's just really good and I know this is long but if you used ANY of this, or just leaned into the song in any way, I will adore it!
This song! Oh, this song is one of the ones I can just associate with so many ships, but in a whole bunch of different ways! It's so romantic and longing, and so comparatively simple, but I'll definitely give you some stuff to work with if you want it. So look, with Beck/Mason, "touched, you say that I am too / so much of what you say is true" feels to me like either both recognizing the other's genius, Beck recognizing Mason's theatricality that he might usually like to deny, or both; with Chameleon added in, either he could also recognize that, or it could have an added element of like... both of them independently meeting Chameleon back when they had normal lives and getting swept up into this new criminal career because they were amazed by him and he saw promise and brilliance in them. Alternately, for these two ships, I can easily see the second verse being poetic/metaphorical for a dangerous situation one, both, or all of them are in (during an undercover job or a supervillain job) and trying to help each other, back each other up, rescue each other, just in general get out of that situation and/or help get the other(s) out of that situation! The bridge and repeated chorus, for these two ships, really does feel more like straightforward longing and love and pining to me; you could also potentially use the bridge as well for a fic that plays with them meeting Chameleon and happily getting swept up into a life of crime with him and each other. If you play with that, or any of the emotion of the song, anything that isn't an unhappy ending with them losing each other or forever unrequited, I will love it.
Okay, this song is one I have long associated with Beck/Mason, and it could work incredibly well with Beck/Chameleon/Mason too. This song tells a very specific story, but honestly, I'd love a fic that doesn't follow the exact beats of the events that happen in the song, but the overall feeling of it. In the first verse, characters who hang out a lot and are maybe doing something casual and everyday and not out of the ordinary for them (maybe, for these two/three, something out of the ordinary for most people... or maybe not! maybe they were in fact watching movies together!), when suddenly something makes one (or two) of them take another look and either realize feelings or start to get stray thoughts of being attracted or wanting to stay with this person/these people. (It could also work for that idea I mentioned before, about Mason either realizing he's totally in love with Beck or abruptly seeing Beck in a new light the first time Beck gets in the Mysterio costume, tosses his cape back, and does the Mysterio Voice...) In the second verse, friendship turning into something else with apparently sudden (at least on one's part) attraction, kissing and/or leading to sex, with at least one party realizing that they might be in deep. "Bad ideas" and "dangerous/wicked thoughts" is fun because yes, obviously there's the element of it maybe risking ruining their friendship and/or working relationship, but at the same time these are criminals, so that's a fun added thing there. And then, of course, "why don't you stay at mine tonight? / why don't you stay with me and be my sidekick, sidekick?" has the sexual elements and would be a great excuse for smut, but the sidekick thing makes it also really suited to being either really early on in Beck and/or Mason's partnership with Chameleon (for the OT3) or really early on in the creation of Mysterio, which they had to know going in would depend on both of them to pull off, so that's a long-term partnership right there (for the OTP). So it works for a romantic/sexual partnership, literal sidekick/partner-in-crime stuff, or both together! And I would love anything you did with both or either!
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done several freeform exchanges! In most of them I asked for both Beck/Mason and Beck/Chameleon/Mason as well; I'll mark what I asked for next to the links below.
- Id Pro Quo 2021 (Beck/Mason with Beck/Chameleon/Mason under that)
- Smut 4 Smut 2021 (Beck/Mason with Beck/Chameleon/Mason under that)
- Soul-2-Soul 2021 (Beck/Mason with Beck/Chameleon/Mason under that)
- Just Married 2021 (Beck/Mason with Beck/Chameleon/Mason under that)
- AU Exchange 2021 (both Beck/Mason and Beck/Chameleon/Mason)
- Pine 4 Pine 2021 (just Beck/Mason)
- Id Pro Quo 2022 (Beck/Mason with Beck/Chameleon/Mason under that)
- Stork Swap 2022 (just Beck/Mason)
- 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
- Chameleon being Kraven's brother
- 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!
- tbh, while not necessary, I like the idea that Chameleon is just Chameleon now and had Mason help him erase all official and government records of his former identity, that's just neat to me
The Spectacular Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Otto Octavius/Adrian Toomes
[Where you can find the series: Here!
Most Pertinent Episodes:
For the two together - S1E1 (Survival of the Fittest) (though this is majorly a Vulture episode); S1E11 (Group Therapy); S2E3 (Reinforcement); S2E4 (Shear Strength); 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)
...Adrian literally does not have episodes where his relationship with Otto isn't immensely interesting to me! Well then.]
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.
Song Selections & Ideas
Okay, this song obviously works GREAT for literal New Year's Eve/New Year's fic! But I feel like it also works great for new beginnings of any sort in a more metaphorical way. There are a few different ways to play with this, too! The "everyone" and group element could imply a fic that also includes the other Sinister Six members. (And feel free to shuffle around who's a member if writing post-canon fic! does Calypso join? Has Morris Bench become Hydro-Man? Has Donald Menken newly stepped into the role of a supervillain?) "Change is coming" on New Year's; is this the year after canon ends and the "Master Planner" has another master plan, or maybe it could also work for an AU fic where Doc Ock's plan in "Shear Strength" actually succeeded? The new beginnings aspect of this fic could just be used to make it a get-together fic, but alternately, maybe it does take place on New Year's and they're already together and celebrating? Or were together/dating at some point in the past (that photo!) and re-kindle their romance in a new way? Generally any celebration could work instead of New Year's, it also just works very well if there's some element of change/new beginnings... But even something like interpreting the "should auld aquaintance be forgot" parts as like, a satisfaction from how they've changed as people and their newfound freedom could be enough of a "new start" element! There's a lot you could do with this and I'd love any of it.
I admit, the "barely clearing the roof" part always makes me associate this song with ships where at least one character can fly, but there are more reasons for this! As you can probably tell, I'm a sucker for romance where two villains are super in love and dedicated/loyal, and these two really hit me right in that spot. "There is freedom within, there is freedom without" (and the later "get to know the feeling of liberation and release") could be the fact that they've changed drastically in actions, finding freedom in their supervillainy, but also that they've changed internally, finding freedom within themselves simply by not taking shit (even if they didn't choose to take it too far in the supervillainy direction). "There's a battle ahead, many battles are lost / but you'll never see the end of the road while you're traveling with me" really works for them with the element of them working together in supervillainy and trying again in different ways whenever their plans are thwarted, and how Adrian seems to have really decided to dedicate himself to Otto's plans. The second verse works really well for any sort of domestic elements you might want to add in; it also does work for how down on their luck they were before supervillainy (we don't see Adrian's home but he was fucked over wrt his invention and Norman said he never succeeded at anything before, so I doubt he's rich, and Otto was living in a self-described "anemic hovel"), and "my possessions are causing me suspicion, but there's no proof" could nod to one or both of them pretending to reform (or actually doing so?) or Otto continuing to pretend, whenever arrested, that Doctor Octopus is another personality and potentially caused by his arms. "And I'm counting the steps to the door of your heart" works for either a get-together fic, one where one is returning home to the other, or one where they've just finished a mission (successful or not) and are reuniting after! And of course the chorus, with them having dreams/plans, and not succeeding so far but trying again and again, and choosing to stick together after every failure and even when separated by incarceration... If you chose any aspect of this song or the whole thing you could make it work really well!
This song hits me really hard for these two and always has; it's not just the sort of flight/descending/falling imagery, but also the element of loyalty that even feels to me sort of like a right hand man situation. "Knock knock - are you alone? / No one's out here and I was not followed" nods to the fact that they're criminals, and "party's over and you don't look so good," well... they fail a lot and it's probably discouraging even though they keep trying. "And I feel the weight of the world" could be Doctor Octopus literally wanting world domination, because I feel like you could easily lean in the direction of him honestly thinking he could benefit the world if they'd just let him; verses two and three in general are also heavy on the "even when you're feeling down you can depend on me, when it's too heavy you can trust me" elements! The trust me, part, too, could really tie into deep threads of trust and mutual loyalty kink and the right hand thing. (Alternately, I feel like I must note that "I feel the weight of the world" could also be Adrian wanting to give Otto the world since he literally does want it!) "Slowly, darling / nobody means anymore to me than you" is so utterly romantic and devoted in a way I love, and "if you're in, baby then I'm in / (if you're in, into this) / with you always" -- well, when I say Vulture has devoted himself to Ock, the show's developer/writer Greg Weisman once said about Vulture's apparent changing motivations, "I think for better or worse he's tied his boat to his buddy Otto's pier." And hell, "careful, close to the edge there / (careful, you're scaring me) / fall into my arms" could be used for a scene where literally one of them falls fom a great height and the other catches them? Or just a scene where one of them rescues the other from something dangerous! "Fall into love" could legitimately be falling in love and/or getting together fic, and the repeated chorus works really well both for H/C with encouragement when one's down/upset or literally one of them protecting or covering the other during a mission, or a battle couple thing! Lots of ways you could take this one and I'd love it all.
Again, this song is catnip to me when at least one half of a ship can literally fly! It's also unapologetically sappy and romantic and I love that for these two. And then, along with just the straightforward romantic elements ("I don't tell anyone about the way you hold my hand"; "I won't tell anyone that your voice is my favorite sound" -- and boy that could be good for voice kink!), there's also things that could be taken for romance or could have a secondary meaning of, well, the supervillainy ("I don't tell anyone about the things that we have planned"; "they wanna push me down, they wanna see you fall down"). "Won't tell anybody that you turn the world around" just by itself could be taken different ways: It could just be one (or both) falling in love with the other, or it could be specifically Otto's change in personality making Adrian see him in a new way and fall in love with him (or fall more in love with him); it could also be Otto having been deeply affected by hearing about what Adrian did as the Vulture (maybe that's why he started daydreaming about lashing out at Osborn?), or Adrian being inspired by Otto's arm (for his flight suit) or inspired to continue supervillainy by Otto's plans (after meeting again in jail); or it could be any or all of that! "Don't believe the things you tell yourself so late at night / you are your own worst enemy, you'll never win the fight" could work if one of them is down on himself or uncertain of his ability to succeed (maybe Otto still has elements of that cringing uncertain man inside of him?), and of course "it's you and me up against the world it's you and me / I don't believe anything, don't trust anyone anymore / but I believe you" has that "us against the world" super dedicated energy I love! And then "hand behind my neck, arm around my waist / never let me hit the ground, you'll never let me crash down" and the chorus could be more of that support and dedication and loyalty in a metaphorical way, or it could be used for a scene where literally one of them falls fom a great height and the other catches them, or a scene where one of them rescues the other from something dangerous! And "I won't fall out of love, I fall into you" could be falling in love, getting together, or something established relationship-y, or any mix you felt like.
Another song that works super well for me for these two, not just the "two supervillains loyal and in love" but also the element of them having real goals and seeing themselves as in the right. And there's so much in this that could work! "Our lives are stories, waiting to be told" could mean that their lives really started when they became supervillains, even at middle-age/when older. "In search of silver linings, we discovered gold" could be that they were trying to make the best of a bad situation before their supervillainy but are so much happier like than in their normal lives. And of course the rest of verse one and all of verse two, the bridge, and even most of the chorus, combines super dedicated sappy romance with villainy all tangled up together in way that makes both seem desired and blissful? Which I adore. "And let's be winners by mistake" could even itself nod to the idea that they sort of stumbled into the breaking point of supervillainy, and even failed at their initial goals and were defeated, but still won by finding something that felt more right and better than their normal lives and re-finding each other. I also wouldn't at all mind if you did explore a story where they and their relationship might not exactly be societally accepted in ways outside of supervillainy; I don't want a super strong heavy focus on homophobia or transphobia, but if you did nod to things being difficult because they're two men or use trans headcanons if you'd like (either matching their canon identities or not), that would also work! One thing I really love about villainy is even if I'm sitting here going "okay, reel it back a little at least," there's this element of... not having to give the slightest damn about societal conventions or what's "acceptable" or legal anymore, and that could be really fun to play with for this song! But if you touch on any part of this, or any of the mood and emotion and themes of the song for them, I'd love it.
This one's a bit more of a straightforward song, but I still want to give a few ideas for you to work with! This works super well for smut but doesn't demand it; it does almost beg for kissing. It could be get-together fic, it could be something established and looking back. "It doesn't make us strong / it doesn't make us weak / tongue tied disservice" I like because of Otto's ideas of what things make someone weak; might the difficulty in talking about emotions (at first or in general) be something he assures is not weak, or might he have to be assured? "It didn't come easy / I'm glad it was hard / worth the wait / to give you my heart" does imply that they have or had trouble spitting it out; is that true after they're supervillains or were there feelings back when they worked together and were friends and they both had a harder time saying what they felt then? "I found you in pieces / you'd been torn apart / a million one reasons to end before you start" could be a LOT of things: Adrian's thoughts on Otto pre-accident, when they first met? A nod to how they'd been thoroughly defeated by Spider-Man when they re-met in prison, and had plenty of reason just to give up, but decided not to? You could also just take it in a hurt/comfort direction, like, with one of them being injured or just an emotional turmoil leading into their getting together/a confession? And might "deep down I knew / no matter what in the end / it'd be me and you" be from way back before their supervillainy, or Adrian knowing as soon as (or almost) they meet as Vulture and Doctor Octopus that he's going to be dedicate himself to this man, or Otto knowing when they re-meet that he's going to be able to utterly depend on Adrian above anyone else? And of course it's the chorus that really demands at least one kiss... and that bridge, wow, that could lend itself to smut fic very easily. And "lavender haze / Djarum vanilla, Turkish jade / you and me / we have it made" being about them feeling drunk on each other/high on their love for one another! There's a lot of ways you could go with this one and I'd enjoy them all.
This song is so unapologetically sappy, and it's quite simple, but again I want to give you something to work with here! I think it works really well for this ship, no matter what stage of their relationship: longing/pining, get-together, something established. "We are stars, fashioned in the flesh and bone" feels like the elation and power of the supervillainy thing; "we are islands, excuses to remain alone" could be a nod to how Adrian seemed more prickly and Otto was a lot more hesitant and retiring before supervillainy, so they didn't really seem to be close to anyone at all except each other at that point; the "we are dreamers" and "we made plans" parts could be their supervillain plans and goals, but then "we made plans, we kill them ourselves, and then we mourn them" could imply that they had plans for their normal lives before and have destroyed any hopes of those and maybe still have a little regret for that, even with how much better they find their lives now? "We are moons, we throw ourselves around each other / we are oceans, being controlled by the pull of another" always strikes me as perfect imagery for being caught up in one anothers' orbit, and I think once again of Weisman saying that "for better or worse [Adrian's] tied his boat to his buddy Otto's pier." And of course " I just wanna be loved by you / I see nothing worse than to sail this universe without you" is the utterly dedicated, romantice part... But if you wanted, you could also use the latter part as an excuse for hurt/comfort with one of them getting injured! Anything you did with this that played with any of those multitude of ideas would be amazing!
This is a song that I feel like applies to so many different ships but in a bunch of different ways, so let me explain this one! "Touched, you say that I am too / so much of what you say is true" could be them recognizing how they've both changed after they've both become supervillains, but you could also take it in a slightly different direction: Adrian recognizing brilliance and hidden/buried strength in Otto even back when they were both "normal," even when Otto couldn't see it himself. The second verse could just be used for loyalty and dedication, never abandoning one another and even acting totally uncharacteristically to who they were before for the other's sake, or it could be used for hurt/comfort where one rescues the other and/or one is hurt! "I, I looked into your eyes and saw / a world that does not exist / I looked into your eyes and saw / a world I wish was in" could just be a world where they're together (ie, someone's in love!), or maybe it's literally the world that Doc Ock wants to build and Vulture wants to make it happen and give him the world. And the repeating chorus is just... perfect for a dynamic where one or both see something incredibly special in the other that makes them fall in love for the first time even as older men, and the strong, unbending loyalty that might come along with that. Any of that that you decided to go with, or anything else, would work great.
One of my favorite romance songs, and the shape of it is so simple and beautiful; it could be used as an arc of its own or any single part of it could be used as inspiration. I also really, really love this sort of soft romantic dedicated song for super loyal, in love supervillain ships! They were close friends before either ever became a supervillain, and seemed to immediately slip back into each others' lives and hearts smoothly once they re-met in prison. They'd fought right before Adrian became Vulture and was arrested; I feel like the forgiveness part of the song (what I think of as a semi-chorus) works really well for Otto under those circumstances, comparing Adrian to a phoenix but a bit haunted by previous failures and betrayals, and talking about the darkness and fears he had before and his own ambitions now that he will not compromise on. This could also work for a fic where they have an argument or disagreement about something else and make up again easily! The "strange how I fit into you" part and semi-chorus after that could work really well for them getting together, or just them growing closer without officially getting/being together, but becoming even closer than they were before their arrests and slipping into immense loyalty and dedication to one another's goals and desires! And the final part of the song could itself be the realization and getting together part, or it could be used for a fic where they square with repeated defeat and of course decide they'll keep trying anyway (and be there for each other all the way), or a fic where they think about/discuss/etc. who they used to be and how imperfect and painful it was and how they are happy with how they've changed and where/who they are now. Looking back on the past when they hadn't been together and acknowledging they wasted some time but are more than happy now is also good! You could do a lot with this, and I'd adore all of it, just leaning into the emotion and love and longing and contentment in this song.
I won't even lie, I've thought for a while that this song covers (what I see as) Adrian's feelings for Otto over the course of the series super well. "Light reflects from your shadow / it is more than I thought could exist / you move through the room / like breathing was easy" feels like the internal reaction, amazed and/or shaken (in a good way), meeting Otto again for the first time in prison after his transformation into Doctor Octopus. Whether Adrian had been in love with Otto before and falls even more in love, or sees his good friend in a new light, it works either way, but it especially works if Adrian had always seen something special in Otto even before, had been the only one who'd seen it, and this is what he'd known was possible all along, this brilliance and confidence: "If someone believed me / they would be as in love with you as I am." And then "And every day / I am learning about you / the things that no one else sees" is them getting close again, and even closer than before, and learning about one another more (Adrian learning about "the new" Otto). And then after the first Sinister Six episode, where they're defeated quite quickly all told, Vulture is taken back to Ryker's and Doctor Octopus is put into Ravencroft instead: "And the end comes too soon / like dreaming of angels / and leaving without them." And of course then, afterward, all of verse three fits with how Adrian seems to have dedicated himself to Otto's goals after they're free again and Otto re-forms the Sinister Six; as Weisman said, "for better or worse [Adrian's] tied his boat to his buddy Otto's pier" and verse three is like a very romantic re-statement of that! But really, all of the emotion of this song, the "silent devotion" and seeing something special in the other and being so in love, is just perfect and as long as you leaned into that I'd love whatever you wrote! I do not need acanon rehash, I just feel like this song is... perfect, for anything established or getting together or quiet feelings that are returned but unspoken, fond intimacies that they both understand... Anything.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done several freeform exchanges!
- Id Pro Quo 2021
- Smut 4 Smut 2021
- Soul-2-Soul 2021
- Just Married 2021
- AU Exchange 2021
- Pine 4 Pine 2021
- Id Pro Quo 2022
- either requested character, Chameleon, or really any of the Sinister Six being presented as irredeemably crazy/evil
- either of the requested characters, Chameleon, 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
- Chameleon being Kraven's brother, if either of those characters come up
- noncanon background pairings I actually enjoy if they happen to come up: Mysterio/Tinkerer(/Chameleon), Sandman/Rhino
- I am also totally open to including Electro in this ship if you'd like, but I do want the main focus on Ock/Vulture!
- generally I like Sinister Six poly even if it's not the focus, actually, if the Sinister Six are included
- Vulture being Doctor Octopus's loyal right hand and bodyguard; Vulture and Electro and Tinkerer being Ock's most trusted inner circle
- Adrian and Otto having been friends for years before the start of the series
- sex while cellmates after Ock got arrested that first time...
- the characters having fun with the supervillain/criminal team thing
- added confidence after breaking free from their normal lives and becoming supervillains (and that confidence maybe being attractive)
- Vulture's sharp teeth, and also both their voices
- look they just clean up nice in "Gangland" okay?
- NICKNAMES/PET NAMES, and honestly, I count how Otto and Adrian always seem to address each other by their first names when not being totally professional on the job; I also love the way Electro always calls Otto "Doc" and seems to call Adrian "Vulch" and how they're both totally open to being called those things from him, if he shows up!
- 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!
Vampire Cleanup Department (2017)
Yip Chi Chau/Yeung Chung
[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.
Song Selections & Ideas
This obviously fits super well for a story taking place as the New Year comes; either December 31st/January 1st or the Chinese New Year could easily be used! But any story where something is happening that marks a change or turn could also work very well. The song also seems to involve a group of people, so while you could easily write a fic solely focusing on Chau and Chung, they could also be spending time around the others in the department, or with Tim and his grandma, or maybe even with Chung's family? Overall, this is a very straightforward and simple song and is very well suited to some sort of culmination of pining ("will you kiss me in the morning light?" and "it's a perfect start" etc.), but it could also be just pining. As long as it's shippy and there's no indication that the pining will definitely never be returned, I do not mind if the story ends with things still one-sided or unresolved!
I've loved this song forever and associated it with these two for a while. There's a real longing to it, of course, and also this contentment with how things are despite loneliness. "I still don't understand, in this second, how to move, how to hold on to someone's hand well" / "I'm almost understanding, in this second, how to move, how to live with you well" could be from either POV, tbh, not quite sure how to manage their relationship with one another, either due to pining or sort of knowing there's something potentially there. "That loneliness is barely different, I chose to stay here and not mention it" is just such a pining line; "that life still holds too much excitement, there isn't much that I already consider within my grasp," well, their life and job are exciting and they just don't really have the opportunity for a normal life while they're in it (and maybe it's part of why one or both of them aren't/haven't said anything?). "You should know that you once allowed someone to be loved and then passed by / after all there is this nervous but still presentable silence" could be talking about either of them and how it's NOT too late; it could also be a nod to Chau having loved Yat Lung before his death, if you wanted to go that route, and maybe how he's finally moving on a bit. And the repeated chorus just really feels to me like there's a level of contentment even with (presumed to be or, for a while/for years, actually) unrequited feelings and how just being around the other, who is their most important person now, just that is good. I feel like the song could easily be from the POV of Chung, but anything works. And I am of course happy with requitement and things being resolved! But so long as it's shippy and not an unhappy ending, and doesn't have the door closed on the possibility, I'm happy.
This song really does work for so many ships for me in different ways! For these two, I feel like there's a lot of potential. On the one hand, simply sticking together in the VCD, despite it basically being a death sentence if they don't retire (and both refuse to, despite Chung talking about it). They work together super well and have each others' backs! And there's also potentially the element of, well, Chau "never means what he says," but Chung knows him well enough to tell what he means. Them getting closer, whether there's a culmination of pining or not, could work very well, and even something plotty could be great here! On the other hand, if you wanted to play around with the idea, I feel like this song also really works for an AU where there was no cure and Chau remains a good jiangshi and has to adjust and relearn things ("so when sickness turns my ego up / I know you'll act as a clever medicine / if I turn into another / dig me up from under what is covering / the better part of me." Either way, these two being surprisingly close and really having each others' backs in their ways fits great.
This song is an incredibly sad one, and I did ask for happy or at last hopeful endings! So let me explain: I feel like this works really well for an H/C fic, emotional or physical. Them trying to deal with (talking about or maybe talking around) their mortality and the likelihood that a jiangshi will kill them if neither of them retire. One of them actually getting hurt on a mission! Again, this song also works super well for an AU in which there was no cure and Chau stays a good jiangshi and has to adjust and relearn things, but I also wouldn't at all mind a reverse of that situation with Chung instead. But "don't think of me like that / just picture me leaving and not coming back" could be one of them being hurt, just imagining one being hurt or dying or being turned, or one actually turning. "I'm sat where we sat / just picking the labels and lighting a match" could be while one of them is hurt and/or recovering and the other is having a hard time with it. "One day you'll drink from my bones / and scream as you rip out my throat" could be one of them turning or just thinking about the possibility; "one day they'll drink from our bones / and sigh as they stare down our throats" could of course be thinking of the possibility that a jiangshi will kill one or both of them someday, inevitably, if they don't retire. "Is it love you regret?" could be about Chung's love for Chau (or vice-versa), or Chau's for Yat Lung if you wanted to go that route. "And this is your home now so don't you forget" could be the VCD being home or one accepting the other into his home, but that and "and darling, you just haven't spoken all week" could be the jiangshi thing... There's a lot you could do with this and if you played with any one part it would be great!
I won't lie, I chose this song because I really do like the idea that Chung is pining for a while, maybe years, maybe even twenty, but also simultaneously that the two of them are in each others' orbit in a way that isn't fully true of the entirety of the VCD. There's something unique to them, too. That's really what most of the song is about, honestly, plus the romance part. Again, so long as the door isn't shut on the possibility of it ever being requited, I don't mind if it's mutual pining, one-sided that becomes mutual, maybe one-sided that doesn't fully resolve, basically any take on it. This song could also be good for worry and/or hurt/comfort ("I see nothing worse than to sail this universe without you"), and in the second verse I especially like "we made plans, we kill them ourselves, and then we mourn them" and feel like it could mean an element of... they had other plans for their lives but sticking with the department (and maybe VCD) made any other life impossible to have instead, or even alongside of. There are quite a few things you could do with this song, and any of them would be good!
This one feels like either a disaster scenario or, for something less plotty/casefic-y, concern about the future and the dangers inherent to their job! It could definitely be one of them being hurt and there being an H/C situation; there's potentially combat implied... The repeated "I could do most anything to you" has a couple possibilities to it that come immediately to mind, too. On the one hand, Chau might realize (suddenly, or maybe he's known on some level for a little while) that Chung is... extremely dedicated to him and would follow him into situations that are not safe at all; on the other hand, maybe it's from Chung's POV as the one who directs the actual combatants in dangerous situations, feeling the weight of responsibility. (Either way, that could make "another soldier says he's not afraid to die / I am scared, I'm so scared" work really well!) This song could also really fit that AU idea of there being no cure and Chau remaining a good jiangshi, having to adjust and re-learn things, or even a different circumstance where something like that happens to Chung instead (something about "doors slam shut, doors slam shut / a clock is tickin', but it's hidden far away / safe and sound, safe and sound" just kinda makes me think of that somehow). Basically anything leaning into any of those ideas that doesn't have an outright unhappy ending would be amazing!
Another song that I think works really well in very different ways for different ships! In this case, a lot of it is more about the feeling of it -- someone in their lives being incredibly unique in a way they can't shake even if they don't always think about it. "Touched, you say that I am too / so much of what you say is true" could be them both being odd, unique, maybe why they chose to join the VCD in the first place; it also sort of makes me think of how bluntly Chung calls Chau out about not meaning what he says, but just in general how well they know one another! And if you wanted to do something more plotty/casefic-y, the second verse could work for a lot of scenarios: hurt/comfort with one of them injured, a dangerous situation where they can't split up, even possession ("oh god, god knows I'm not at home"); it also implies possible dangers other than jiangshi if you wanted to go that route, with "demi-gods" maybe being shrines or curses or cults, and "hungry ghosts" being literal hungry ghosts (like in the religious sense) or just ghosts in general! And the chorus just generally, they are unique to one another and know each other incredibly well. Basically a fic leaning into any of that would work great!
Another song that I associate super strongly with these two! This one is very much a pining song, and a long-term one given some lines ("time and youth work in opposite directions" and "line by line, song by song, from the past till now" especially). I like, for these two, seeing it as someone who is happy to be a part of the person's life even if not a constant presence, and who is content to wait even not having any guarantee or even hope of returned feelings ("I walked in and out of your world / the best parts of my life so far were experienced there... / I'll be waiting for you at the end"). One way I can see them is with, potentially, Chau in love with Yat Lung and not even moving on for years after his death, but even without that, Chung loving Chau and knowing early on that he could maybe tamp down on his feelings and look for someone else, but that since he chose not to, after years it's far too late for something like that. ("A lamp, a city, looking for someone / in the end, the efforts in search went to waste.") "I didn't tell you in fear of adding to your emotional burden" could be taken a few ways, either Chung not wanting to tell Chau to make him feel awkward or down or guilty if he didn't return things, not wanting to make things awkward (or tragic!) having to work such a dangerous job together, or similar. And of course "you enjoyed listening to the world silently / yet who in the world listens to you?" works for Chung listening to Chau and understanding what he really means, or maybe even him paying attention to the department members like that (whether especially Chau or not) and Chau being the one to pay attention to him back... (And maybe that's how he learns about it, all at once or over time?) Basically overall this song feels like someone in love who's content with that even if it's been years and it might never come to anything, and if you leaned into that, so long as it's not a tragic ending or one that totally shuts the door on any possibility of reciprocation, I'd love it.
Links to Previous Letters
If you want more ideas for prompts, I've done a few freeform exchanges!
Canon-Specific DNWs
- permanent character death of requested characters (temporary is fine)
- 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
- Summer surviving or not are both fine (feel free to just handwave)
- Chau having been in love with Yat Lung before he died
- 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
- PINING. even extended, like, years-long pining.
- 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.
- this canon is also good for spooky or outright horror stories; I love monster/ghost horror especially for it, either canon-typical jiangshi dealings or the VCD having to deal with some other sort of creature or ghost; other supernatural phenomenon such as curses welcome, and cult stuff and/or characters being stranded could work great here as well; feel free to injure the characters, just no gore and no permanent cognitive issues, and temporary character death is absolutely on the table so long as they're both alive by the end and there's a happy ending; feel free to kill off other characters as well, just not Tim or (if Summer died as in canon) Winter
- I love appropriate/accurate cultural stuff for this sort of canon, too, like the Hungry Ghost Festival, the Winter Solstice Festival, WinterFest, the Dragon and Lion Dance Festival, or the Well-Wishing Festival, as well as New Year's and Chinese New Year celebrations