Dear AU Exchange Creator! (2020)

[violia]

Hi there, I am violia at the AO3 and violia_ on Twitter! Thank you for writing for me! I am so excited to read your story, and I hope you have a great exchange experience!
This letter is intended to outline my general likes and dislikes, as well as provide potential prompts or inspiration for you. I've written why I like characters/ships/canons, and I've written my general thoughts regarding the different AU tags - for some I have more thoughts, for others I am just open to anything you'd like to write. Everything in this letter is obviously just suggestions; please feel free to pick and choose from anything I've written below, or if you’d prefer to just read my DNWs and the tags we matched on and write from those, go for it!
If there’s only one thing you want to know about me, please let it be this: I will love any fic if it is driven by strong and carefully considered characterisations and relationships.
Feel free to mix/combine any of my likes, prompts or freeforms. I'm also fine if you want to include any other canonical characters and relationships on the side - just as long as the ship is the main focus of the fic.
Finally, you may notice that I can write more prompts for some pairings and fandoms than others; please don't read into this as me preferring one over the other. I can just write more about some fandoms than others!

General likes
Style & Genre: Happy endings!, snappy dialogue, worldbuilding, romance, adventure, magical realism, urban fantasy, outsider POV, getting together/developing relationship, established relationship, post-canon fics, casefic, social media fusion fics, epistolary fics.
Tropes: mutual pining and yearning, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, enemies to friends to lovers, opposites attract, fake dating/pretend relationship, arranged marriage, marriage of convenience, curtain fic, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, mpreg, genderswap, characters forced to cooperate, forced proximity, fix-its, first-time stories, bedsharing, huddling/cuddling for warmth, 5 + 1 fics, slow-burns, identity porn, angst with a happy ending, touch-starved characters being fulfilled and loved.
Miscellaneous: power couples, emotional vulnerability, unconventional gestures of affection, partnerships, found family, friendships, cuddling and snuggling, tenderness, complicated relationships, codependency, moral complexity, domesticity, physical intimacy, emotional intimacy, non-sexual intimacy, characters who know each other really well (or get to know each other really well) and show it without meaning to or really trying to; competence kink, loyalty kink, trust kink, possessiveness, protectiveness, admiration (physical and/or intellectual); KISSING, wow, I love kissing.

Things I like but with caveats:
A/B/O which doesn’t reproduce/embody/enforce problematic or severely imbalanced gender constructions and expectations (so usually I like to read A/B/O that is subversive in some way, or where it’s not a big deal in society and people aren’t extremely privileged/disadvantaged due to their second gender, because Human Rights.) I enjoy reading A/B/O for the sexy stuff - self-lubrication, knots, rough sex, marathon sex, breeding kink, wet & messy, the inevitable dubcon aspects that come from altered mental states (heat/rut), etc. - these are all kinks I enjoy reading. But also if you want to write some fantastic story that comments on or subverts traditional ideas of gender and sexuality then GO FOR IT! I will love it.
Kidfic: I really enjoy kidfic when the child character(s) behave in ways that are age- or developmentally-appropriate. (Kids are characters, not plot devices.)
Misunderstandings: I love reading fics with misunderstandings (for example, but not limited to: fake dating fics, arranged marriage fics, marriage of convenience fics, etc.) I really enjoy these fics when the misunderstandings are realistic and believable; it’s difficult to read fics which make the characters act overly dumb/ignorant/oblivious/unintuitive.

Smut likes
Here is a whole bunch of kinky shit I enjoy reading, as long as all the characters are enjoying it (even if they may be pretending not to, as a part of roleplay/power dynamics play). I'm totally fine with dubcon: from no explicit consent, to like, "character A started out not liking it but they are enjoying it by the end", and everything in between. Just no noncon please.
General smut likes: kissing and making out, LUBE, dirty talk, penetrative sex, non-penetrative sex, switching, rough sex, tender sex, morning sex, first time sex, office sex, wall sex, nightclub sex, phone sex, sexting, clothed/semi-clothed/naked sex, angry sex, crying during sex, hickeys, voyeurism, exhibitionism, semi-public sex, public sex (including sex for an audience/where others are watching), creampie, sexual roleplay, praise kink, body worship, size kink (cock/breasts), lingerie, crossdressing, begging, sex pollen, sexual fantasies, masturbation, mutual masturbation, multiple orgasms, light bondage, somnophilia.
I'm fine with any terms for genitals - anatomical, flowery, slang, potentially offensive names - all are fine.
M/M specific smut likes: cockwarming, rimming, frottage, blowjobs, handjobs, intercrural sex, rape roleplay, felching, comeplay, come eating, come as lube, feminisation, name-calling as a part of roleplay (slut, whore etc.), breeding kink, glory hole, gangbangs, sloppy seconds, double penetration, spitroasting, butt plugs/dildos, come inflation, stomach distension/cock bulge.
F/F specific smut likes: fingering, cunnilingus, face-sitting, clothed and unclothed thigh humping, dildos/vibrators/strap-ons, menstrual sex. I'm not opposed to anal play if you think the fic needs to go there. I also really enjoy reading smut where lube is used, even if the women are already wet... I enjoy things getting a bit wet and messy.

DNWs
Character death; animal and child abuse/death; characters with terminal illnesses; amnesia; unhappy endings; zombies; horror; cannibalism; extreme/non-canon-typical violence; de-ageing; underage; high school AU; student/teacher relationships, and any circumstances/relationships/power dynamics where a main character is taking unfair or malicious advantage of another; rape/noncon; infidelity; age play; impact play; first and second person POV; unrequested ships (background pairings are fine); unrequested identity headcanons; hardcore BDSM, especially sadism and BDSM lifestyle; scat; watersports; vomit; extreme humiliation; body horror; vore; bestiality; animal play; tentacle porn; strict top/bottom roles; no lube during anal sex.

Request 1: The Untamed - Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian
I am absolutely in love with this show right now. I love it especially for its cultivation aspects, the political aspects, and the characters, most of all Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. I haven't read the full novel yet but I have read a few chapters and I am vaguely familiar with it; I'm happy for you to include some details from the novel if you'd like. I'm really in love with the friendship-turned-relationship of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. I love how devoted Lan Wangji is to Wei Wuxian, and how he shows his love through specific and very considered actions and words. I love how much attention Wei Wuxian pays to Lan Wangji - it speaks very much to Wei Wuxian's character in that he never dismisses people or tries to label/box them into something. Wei Wuxian tries very, very hard to understand Lan Wangji and be there for him in a way that the majority of people do not. Neither of them are perfect by any means, and their canonical communication issues are so understandable yet so frustrating - but I really love these two.
I've requested quite a lot of freeform tags for this pairing, so apologies for the length of this letter. I split my requests in two groups: canon AUs and modern AUs.

Canon AU Tags:

• ALL: A/B/O - BAMF Power Couple Alpha/Omega: If you're wanting to write an A/B/O AU for this couple, here is your chance. I've chosen this tag specifically because of how empowering it is for both the Alpha and Omega. I love A/B/O fics where the alpha and omega are the BEST team, they work so well together and while they may work in different ways or help in different ways, they are on equal footing. I truly don't mind who you have be an alpha or omega. Perhaps Lan Wangji is an alpha and Wei Wuxian an omega. Perhaps Wei Wuxian was originally an alpha and when Mo Xuanyu resurrected him, he became an omega because Mo Xuanyu was? Perhaps Lan Wangji is an omega and Wei Wuxian an alpha; or if you have an idea for it, perhaps they're both omegas or both alphas. You could have traditional dynamics eg. the alpha is more dominant and privileged, or non-traditional dynamics eg. the omega is the more dominant and privileged, revered and honoured in society, etc. I'm really fine with any sorts of dynamics and societal stereotypes; I'd prefer a more liberal and accepting society but it doesn't necessarily have to be - just as long as within the actual relationship, both characters are on a completely equal footing, with massive amounts of mutual respect and love and understanding.
• ALL: Always A Different Gender / ALL: Always A Girl / ALL: All Characters Genderswapped / All: Canonically male character(s) is/are always a girl: Yeah if you didn't already notice, I love genderswap. I LOVE wlw. I'm open to cisswap, as well as trans and/or nonbinary characters. I also love thinking about how canon would be so different if Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were women. The practical aspects of women within the canonverse society, as well as the personal aspects for their relationship - I truly believe they wouldn't have had as many communication issues if they were women. Would the communication issues be gone? No, not at all. But I love thinking about how things would have been different - even in ways I haven't written about here - and I'm really open to reading anything you have ideas for.
• ALL: Canon Divergence AU: This is your free space. GO CRAZY. Have a canon divergence idea you've been thinking about for ages? Here's your opportunity to write it. I'm happy for you to diverge from canon ANYWHERE you like. Just as long as it all leads to a happy ending eventually :)
• ALL: Male character gets pregnant by magic: The 'magic' here in my mind refers to cultivation - perhaps even dual cultivation? Or one of Wei Wuxian's talismans or arrays gone awry? I love mpreg!!
• Untamed: Jin Zixuan isn't killed; WWX and the Wen Remnants found a new sect in the Burial Mounds: I always always think of this idea. I would love for Wei Wuxian to start a new sect with the Wen Remnants. As they slowly build their home and gossip starts - Mo Xuanyu could be his first disciple? Mianmian and her husband could come and live with them?? Flash forward ten/thirteen years later and they have a fully established sect and Wei Wuxian emerges with his disciples into the cultivation world for the first time? Lan Wangji either joined Wei Wuxian early or meets him again for the first time in a decade? So many ideas!
• Untamed: Lan Wangji asks to stay in the Burial Mounds: Could be related to the above tag, or separate - also an idea I think about a lot. I love the idea of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian establishing a sect together as joint leaders.
• Untamed: Wen Qing doesn't die: Wen Qing is too fucking smart to have died like they tried to tell us. Nah mate. She's alive
• Untamed: The Wen Clan does not attack: For fix-it purposes I love this... no deaths of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan; no loss of a golden core for Jiang Cheng. How does the Sunshot Campaign play out instead?
• Untamed: Tying a Lan Forehead Ribbon on Someone Else Constitutes Marriage: PLEASE I love this so much. I would love for Lan Wangji to have to admit to Lan Qiren what he did; even though he doesn't want to, he knows he must tell the truth, and the betrothal must be honoured. How do things differ if Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are betrothed to be married - or ACTUALLY immediately married - after they share Lan Wangji's ribbon? MORE COMMUNICATION SOONER, probably. HOPEFULLY. with these boys, who knows
• Untamed: WWX is able to find Baoshan Sanren & get her to restore JC's golden core: Successfully avoiding Wei Wuxian losing his golden core! Perhaps this would strengthen the relatonship between wwx and jc even more - so they actually become closer? Would this facilitate more communication and resolve between them so that canon changes for the better?
• All: Arranged marriage to bring peace between two countries/species on the verge of a war
  All: Arranged marriage to resolve enmity/rivalry actually works leading to understanding/feelings:PLEASE I LOVE ARRANGED MARRIAGES, PLEASE. !! The only way that the other sects will be mollified with not killing Wei Wuxian is if Lan Wangji marries him... completely honest, chaste, dependable Hanguang-jun is the only one who can be trusted to "keep Wei Wuxian under control"!! Wei Wuxian dealing with a lot of issues but also a small part of him freaking out like THEY WANT ME TO MARRY MY CRUSH, THE ONLY MAN I LOVE, AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PUNISHMENT.... ?!??!!? Lan Wangji wrestling with the fact that this is the best choice for Wei Wuxian's safety but he desperately does NOT want to become his father?? UGHHHHHH anything you think of for these tags... PLEASE. If you're thinking angsty ideas or lots of mutual pining then YES PLEASE, but please also at some point have them communicate and have a happy ending... that's all I ask omg
• ALL: Canon Character Death Evaded: Could relate to the above tag - evaded through a negotiated marriage to "subdue" Wei Wuxian? Or something else you're thinking of?
• ALL: Characters become friends/allies earlier than canon: Again carrying on with a theme in this letter: what if lwj and wwx got their shit together earlier and actually communicated a bit more. What if they became stronger friends/allies much earlier and then Wei Wuxian actually felt he could trust Lan Wangji with the news of his loss of his golden core. Or this AU could occur even earlier in canon. Or if you have another idea - go for it
• All: Character deals with a canonical difficult situation better than in canon: Again with the communication... or Wei Wuxian gets more help from other people?
• ALL: Magical Healing Cock is a recognized medical procedure: In the same vein as previous tags - the only way Wei Wuxian can be "healed" or "subdued" is through dual cultivation. Perhaps this is mandated by the other sects in order for peace. Perhaps Wei Wuxian realises he can actually cultivate a new golden core through dual cultivation and he asks Lan Wangji for help???

Modern AU Tags:

• ALL: Modern Setting: If you've been mulling over a modern AU idea for these two characters and you're looking for an opportunity to write it - here it is. As I said in the beginning of my letter, I love reading fics where there has been a lot of thought put into the premise/story/characterisations/settings. If you have a Modern AU in your head that you just adore for Wangxian - go write it!!
• ALL: Always A Girl: I'm so fucking weak for Wangxian as a modern AU wlw couple. As in the previous tags - I'm also open to reading about either or both characters being trans or nonbinary if you've got an idea for a fic.
• ALL: classical musicians AU: Ohhh please I love musicians AU. I would love to read about Wei Wuxian being that person in orchestra who never practices and always shows up late to rehearsal and yet somehow is still one of the best instrumentalists in the whole orchestra.
• ALL: University AU / All: Characters went to college/university together: I love how these tags contain the word 'University', much more known to me as an Australian than the word 'college'. I'm happy for you to write an American college AU if you'd like! But I'm equally open to reading British or Australian university AU... love them. Alternatively you don't need to set this AU (or any of these AUs) in a Western country - I love reading modern AUs set in China!
• ALL: Roommates AU: This tag could be combined with the previous one or separated; I don't mind. I would love to read about Wangxian being roommates!!
• ALL: Marriage of Convenience AU: Once again revealing myself as someone who loves marriage tropes in fics. They have to marry to help one of them get a green card/visa?? Or any other reason??
• ALL: Modern setting but it’s still the canon universe / ALL: Modern Fantasy AU / ALL: Urban Fantasy AU: These sort of all fall under the same umbrella in my head - I love reading modern AUs where cultivation is still practiced and is like a job. Casefic is great. However these tags are still all slightly different from one another and I'd love to read any idea you have for any of them.

Fandom-specific DNWs: This is very small and niche, but there’s a headcanon going around English-speaking fandom lately that Lan Wangji is "bad at words" and cannot express himself eloquently. It’s a headcanon I really don’t vibe with and I personally don’t believe the show demonstrates this at all. Lan Wangji is very eloquent without being verbose. He may not speak a lot, but that means when he does speak, he has the full attention of everyone, because they know he’s put thought into what he going to say. His miscommunications with Wei Wuxian especially arise from complicated feelings, situations, traditions and pressures - not because Lan Wangji can only speak two words at once. If you could be mindful of this, that would be great!

Request 2: The Untamed RPF - Wang Yibo/Xiao Zhan
I was skeptical about the shippers who believe that these two actually are in/did have a relationship, but now that I’ve looked up the evidence for myself… yep, I’m convinced. REGARDLESS, however, any RPF is fiction of course, and I really enjoy reading FICTIONAL (lol) stories about these two! What I love about these two is how much mutual respect and understanding there is between them. They have such an interesting dynamic. Technically Xiao Zhan is Wang Yibo’s senior, because he is six years older, but Wang Yibo is more experienced in the c-ent industry and debuted earlier than Xiao Zhan. I really love how these dynamics sort of level out their relationship - even if they often enjoy joking about and playing with these dynamics!

AU Tags:

• ALL: Always A Different Gender / ALL: Always A Girl / All: Canonically male character(s) is/are always a girl: I LOVE GENDERSWAP/CISSWAP/FEMSLASH, in case you haven't noticed yet from all the tags I have chosen for my requests, lol. Femslash for this ship is pretty niche but I really, really love it. As always - most of my ideas are for cisswap, but I'm really open to reading about these characters being trans and/or nonbinary. This could be "canon compliant" in that their lives/career trajectories etc remain the same except they're women. What changes/is different? You could write a getting together fic and just have it so that they’re women instead. Or if you want to explore the implications of them being incredibly famous actresses in China, go for it. Or you could combine this with another tag like University AU or any other!
• ALL: University AU / All: Characters went to college/university together: Ahhhh I love my university AUs so much. If you want to shorten their age gap slightly - like maybe 4 or 3 years rather than 6 - I'd be fine with that. Alternatively, I love the idea of postgrad student Xiao Zhan and undergrad student Yibo.
• ALL: Marriage of Convenience AU: Gosh, literally if you have any ideas for how these two would need to marry for convenience, PLEASE WRITE IT. I adore these fics!!
• All: Mpreg is common AU: YES PLEASE, I love mpreg!! I love the idea of mpreg being common in society!! I don't mind which character falls pregnant - I'd love to read about how it happens and how they both deal with it. Does it cause angst? Does it threaten someone's career? If this is an AU world where mpreg is common then I'd like to think that homophobia is way less common as a result, especially in China - you could totally write this type of society if you wanted. Or if you wanted to take a different route... go for it, I'm open to anything you'd like to explore.
• ALL: Photographer AU: Xiao Zhan is so creative, I love reading AUs where he has a different creative career - architect, graphic designer, photographer etc. Yibo could still be famous or have a different career too.
• ALL: Roommates AU: AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES!!!!!
• ALL: Urban Fantasy AU / ALL: Witches: Xiao Zhan has such strong witchy energy to me; I love urban fantasy AUs where magic is common/exists.

Fandom-specific DNWs: There are some people in this fandom who are very, very set in who they believe bottoms or tops in this pairing, and this is usually because they are turning top/bottom into personality traits and conflating this with dom/sub. I personally do not vibe with this at all. It squicks me out when people think that bedroom dynamics are personality traits that apply outside of the bedroom too (hence why one of my DNWs is dom/sub lifestyle). It also squicks me out when fans think they can determine a person's sexual preferences just from 'analysing' videos of said person. I am a big fan of switching and exploring different power dynamics in relationships in fics.

Request 3: Merlin (TV) - Gwaine/Merlin
I used to be a Merthur shipper for the longest time but recently I’ve really been getting into Gwaine/Merlin!! What I really, really love about these two is that they have instant chemistry the moment they meet on the show. I love that Gwaine is so chaotic yet has deeply instilled morals of loyalty and fairness. I love that Merlin is awkward and sweet and brave and clever and doesn’t take shit from anyone (although I do think he lets Arthur take him for granted far too much). For all that Gwaine jokes and sleeps around, he is incredibly loyal and devoted to Merlin, especially when they get together. Gwaine gets Merlin in a way few others do - I think even Gwaine understands Merlin better than Arthur does, especially when Arthur is oblivious to Merlin’s magic.

AU Tags:

• ALL: Always A Different Gender / ALL: Always A Girl / All: Canonically male character(s) is/are always a girl: Yeah, I'm obsessed with the idea of wlw Gwaine and Merlin. I would literally adore to read anything you have ideas for regarding this!
• Merlin: Magic Reveal: I'm so upset that Gwaine never found out about Merlin's magic in the show. He would have been so completely supportive of Merlin and it would have been a HUGE help and support to Merlin. I would love to read a fic exploring this!

Fandom-specific DNWs: Please don’t have Merlin be in unrequited love with Arthur. I’m fine if you want to have Merlin feeling torn between his duty/destiny to Arthur and his love for Gwaine, but I would prefer to not have Merlin pining after Arthur for the entire story.
P.S. If you're looking for Gwaine and Merlin cisswap reference pics: F!Merlin / F!Gwaine

Request 4: Legally Blonde (Movies): Vivian Kensington/Elle Woods
Ahhh, my beautiful lawyer wives. I recently rewatched Legally Blonde for the first time in many years. My biggest takeaway from this viewing? ELLE AND VIVIAN NEED TO DITCH THOSE GROSS GUYS AND JUST GET TOGETHER INSTEAD. Seriously! Warner is a sexist and self-absorbed asshole. Both Elle and Vivian deserve so much better… aka, each other. I don't really have many specific thoughts about these different AU tags because I'm really open to reading anything about these two women. I'm just here for the blossoming love story between them... these two women with different personalities but the same morals learning to love each other and grow together.

AU Tags:

• ALL: Ballroom Dance AU: I can totally see Elle Woods being the new kid on the scene - how hard can ballroom dancing be??? And then maybe something happens and she and Vivian are forced to be partners? Or maybe Vivian finally realises that Elle is the one she wants...
• ALL: Bartender AU: Bartender AUs are always fun to read and there's a lot that authors can do with them. Perhaps Elle is the bartender and Vivian has never, ever met a bartender so happy and upbeat. Or perhaps Vivian is the surly bartender, very used to not putting up with patrons' shit, and she happens to meet Elle and maybe Elle's having a bad night and Vivian ends up helping her.
• ALL: Canon Divergence AU: If you want to explore some "what ifs" regarding their story and diverge from canon, go for it!
• ALL: Characters are rival social media influencers: Ooooh I can totally see how fun this would be with these two. Maybe Elle is the really upbeat and girly media influencer who always promotes health and wellness - a fitness influencer? And Vivian is a business influencer who has to learn not to look down on different influencers. Or perhaps they're both the same 'type' of influencer and they are rivals - or at least Vivian thinks they are rivals because of their very different mottos/approaches - but then they meet up at some sort of event and sparks fly!
• ALL: Characters like to go dancing: I'm a simple woman, give me joyful dancing women who love each other.
• ALL: Childhood Friends AU: Would love to read a story exploring how the film would be different or how their lives would be different if Vivian and Elle had been childhood friends.
• ALL: Characters Were In A Relationship But Broke Up Pre-Canon: OHHHH the POTENTIAL of this tag!! How would the film be different if Elle and Vivian were exes??? How would the tension regarding Warner be different??? I love this idea?!?!?!
• ALL: Marriage of Convenience AU: I'm just a sucker for this trope so I put it in here!!
• ALL: Roommates AU: I often think about what it would be like if Elle and Vivian were roommates/housemates etc at college! What if they were roommates during the film? OR post-canon, their budding friendship leads to them rooming together, and how does their relationship blossom as a result?