Rare Pair Exchange 2024 Letter

[echoslam]

Dear Rare Pair Creator,

Thanks for checking out this letter! I'm echoslam on AO3, and I'm so excited to be playing rare pair roulette once again! I'm doing a full sweep of dating sim-themed fandoms this year because I've totally relapsed into my obsession with them.

General notes:

-I enjoy all kinds of fanwork moods, from fun and lighthearted to grim and angsty. Please go with whatever works best for you.

-Any level of shippiness is cool, from pre-relationship flirting to heavy smut.

-Prompts are all completely optional and are just here in case you want some ideas.

General Likes:

-Any kind of AU
-Character studies
-Domesticity
-Drabble series or "X times" setup
-Epistolary, chatfic, or diary entries
-Adventures together as friends or a couple
-Introspection
-Missing scenes
-Requested characters showing off their talents
-Unusual formats and POVs
-Works inspired by songs, poems, quotes, etc
-Worldbuilding
-Humor and silly stuff
-Angst and melodramatic stuff
-Smut/PWP

AU ideas:
Coffeeshop
Cyberpunk (2077 or your own invention)
Different careers
University
Wuxia
Xianxia
Historical
Fantasy
Canon remixed as a different genre
Sci-fi
Star Wars

General shippy likes:

-Curtain fic/art
-Battle couple having an adventure and hurt/comfort during or after
-Falling in love
-Food themes, cooking or dining together
-Meeting via isekai, transmigration, or portal fantasy
-Smut/PWP is very welcome

Dark shippy likes:

-Death themes/in love with a ghost
-Dub or noncon
-Falling into obsession
-Infidelity
-Possessiveness
-Murder spouses AU

Art likes (all styles welcome):

-Kissing, cuddling, holding each other (or manhandling if you see it as an antagonistic ship :D)
-Any kind of gesture that results in a character blushing
-Dancing together
-Fighting/sparring, either together or against each other
-Any kind of silly meme pose
-Symbology or signature colors
-Wedding portrait

Do Not Wants:

-Body waste kinks
-Futanari
-Poly involving requested characters
-Sex scenes featuring characters younger than 15
-Use of the words “cunt”, "twat", or "simp"

Links by Fandom:

蝶の毒 華の鎖 | Chou no Doku Hana no Kusari | Butterfly's Poison; Blood Chains (Visual Novel)
even if TEMPEST 宵闇にかく語りき魔女 (Visual Novel)
Liar! Uncover the Truth (2019)
Lost Ark
尘沙惑 | Lost in Secular Love (Visual Novel)
Olympia Soirée (Visual Novel)
灰鷹のサイケデリカ | Haitaka no Psychedelica | Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk (Visual Novel) + Related Crossover Ships
バクダン★ハンダン | Bakudan Handan | Sweet Fuse: At Your Side
The Villainess Just Wants to Eat!! (Visual Novel)

蝶の毒 華の鎖 | Chou no Doku Hana no Kusari | Butterfly's Poison; Blood Chains (Visual Novel)

Fujita Hitoshi/Nomiya Yuriko
Amami Kyoko/Nomiya Yuriko

I really enjoyed the mystery of this game, and I loved Yuriko's boldness. I'd definitely prefer more focus on her positive aspects (passion, curiosity, etc) rather than her more petulant behavior.

They turned down the smut for the English version, but I was actually okay with those changes compared to the original R18 game. Feel free to reference either! I liked all the endings, good and bad alike.

-Yuriko being more outwardly affectionate towards Fujita (being more patient and not lashing out at him as much) or redo of the canon size kink stuff with more sexiness and less of Yuriko being in excruciating pain

-Anything about Kyoko influencing her towards the path to hedonism or outright seducing her, anything with the red dress

-A more romantic take on canon or post-canon for either of them

-Anything post-Spider ending for Kyoko

-Floral or butterfly themes (especially bellflowers)

-Infidelity, being unfaithful to one of the other LIs from the game

even if TEMPEST 宵闇にかく語りき魔女 (Visual Novel)

Anastasia Lynzel/Maya Kirkland
Anastasia Lynzel/Evelina Neuschburn
Anastasia Lynzel/Norna
Anastasia Lynzel/Hugo Spencer

In a nutshell: it's Cinderella meets Dangan Ronpa featuring time loops and the the voice actors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. This otome was a lot bloodier than I expected, and I loved it. The characters were so fun, and I couldn't help but ship Ana with all these undateable side characters. I'm spoiled for the fandisc content as well if you want to reference it.

-Glimpses of what a route with them would look like

-Ana uses her Fatal Rewind to save them from other bad timelines or for darker revenge on Evelina

-Anything involving jealousy or "stealing" Ana away from one of the canon LIs (for the record, I thought all of the guys were likeable and sympathetic; it's just that I love angst and suffering)

Liar! Uncover the Truth (2019)

Mamiya Haruichi/Sakurai Kana
Kagami Kazumi/Sakurai Kana

They took my favorite mobile otome game and made a movie for it! The film mostly centers around the matchmaking party that kickstarted the plot. It's quite campy, and the pace is super fast with the main character Kana scrambling to unmask all the Liars within a matter of days. Would love to see that expanded on in any way. (Currently streaming on Viki).

-A more private and romantic moment after the matchmaking party

-More strange advice from Mr. Fortuneteller leads to comedy

-What if the cute date in Yokohama was with someone other than Azusa?

-An alternative ending to their confessions, i.e. they don't say goodbye

Lost Ark

The Rapport system is totally a dating sim, imo! This is a very raid-focused MMO, but I really liked the character stories as well as the island quest chains.

Adrinne/Brelshaza

Can't say no to butterflies and mind control! Phantomwing was one of my favorite islands, and everything that happened to Adrinne was beautifully tragic in a way that was really hot to me.

-Pre Phantomwing Adrinne being seduced by Brel in Rohendel

-Noncon during or after being transformed in a butterfly creature

Levi/Jederico

I loved the Feiton storyline and the fact that these two become your bros despite being on polar opposite sides. Levi surely doesn't trust Jederico right off the bat but might open when he realizes his intentions were good.

-Something involving the drama of Jederico realizing how fucked up Sacria is

-Jederico's secret fan club from his rapport questline changes their focus to helping him get together with Levi

-Hooking up after the battle of South Vern

尘沙惑 | Lost in Secular Love (Visual Novel)

Cui Qiye /Zhi Kong

I was impressed at how dark Zhi Kong's route was, being the poster boy of this monk dating sim. To me, the main theme of his arc was "hypocrisy" and I would be interested in seeing that explored in some way. Both bald or with hair are equally fine!

-Something where Qiye gains the upper hand in their relationship (emotionally, economically, etc)

-Meeting under different circumstances, maybe when she was disguised as a man

-Something dark featuring emotional manipulation, gaslighting, the concept of hell, etc.

-Something light-hearted or slice of lifey, featuring Zhi Kong's love of animals or the doge meme or other references maybe

Olympia Soirée (Visual Novel)

Olympia/Shura
Olympia/Yosuga

I was originally just going to play this just for the art, having seen very mixed reactions to the plot, but it ended up appealing to me in some very specific ways (the angst! the food! those dark bad endings!) Shura and Yosuga were fascinating and I dearly wanted to see more of them. I'm fine with referring to the MC as Olympia or Byakuya, whichever you prefer.

-Going on a date or dining in Shikinjou

-Bringing change to Tenguu Island together post-Yosuga route

-Smut/edgeplay with Yosuga where they use the shikomi kiseruzutsu...

-Infidelity stuff (confession: I've always wanted to see something about her cheating on Akaze or Riku...)

-What did Shura mean in her memoirs when she talked about "tormenting her (Byakuya) in my own way"?? I was amazed they get an ending together?! What happens in that situation where Riku and Sakyo are swept away and they choose to comfort each other?

-Anything where Shura chooses Byakuya over Sakyo

-Something where Shura turns Byakuya's hair blue...

灰鷹のサイケデリカ | Haitaka no Psychedelica | Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk (Visual Novel) + Related Crossover Ships

Jed/Lavan
Jed/Tee

I love my otome games dark and angsty, and this game really delivered on that. I adore the aesthetics of the Psychedelica series and would love anything exploring that dreamy atmosphere or that contrast between sweet moments and tragedy. Jed was an amazing protagonist with a heartbreaking journey in the game, and I loved seeing her being adored by others.

-More stuff about Lavan's hidden tortured feelings for Jed and how much he hates his dad

-One of them replacing Lugus in the Heroine ending to help Jed break the cycle

-What happened in that branch where Jed and Lavan spend the night together at the church??

-Finding each other in the modern world ending. I figured Lavan was "the roan-haired man" judging by the voice, but what became of Tee?

-Anything with snowdrops

-Tee being able to dance with Jed at the masquerade

-One-sided pining is also great

Crossover ships with Black Butterfly:

Love Beniyuri!! I was overjoyed to see her make a cameo appearance and showing up as Jed's friend in the "real world" ending. It would be fascinating to see more of that crossover being developed!

Beniyuri/Jed
Beniyuri/Lawrence

-One-sided feelings for Beniyuri after she finds love with one of the LIs from Black Butterfly

-Beni somehow enters the Ashen Hawk world, how does she react to meeting Lawrence for the first time or finding out about Jed's origins?

-Anything about the couple doing something to help Usagi/Rabbit

-Possible themes or motifs: Butterflies, kaleidoscopes, enchanted jewelry, broken fragments, winter, witches

バクダン★ハンダン | Bakudan Handan | Sweet Fuse: At Your Side

Inafune Saki/Shirabe Ayumu
Inafune Saki/Urabe Kimimaro

This is such a classic of the PSP generation (and that voice cast!!) Wish there was a port! I really loved Saki and her outbursts, and Shirabe and Urabe's routes were both very much what I'm into.

-5+1 times Shirabe shared his "Cracky" biscuit sticks with her

-Shirabe showing Saki how to make his perfect fried rice

-Someone walking in on them or being scandalized by their relationship (aka high key jealous)

-Something angsty or dark with a possessive or codependent Urabe

-A kiss or other physical intimacy initiated by Saki

-Raising Mai together, the process of becoming a family, going on a trip together

-How the rest of the players react to their relationship

The Villainess Just Wants to Eat!! (Visual Novel)

I knew I had to play this game just from the title. It's a free to play indie otome and can be found on itch.io. It's a relatively short game (completing both routes should take less than an hour), and I loved the main character/Davinia's genre savviness and meta commentary. Lighthearted and very cute!

Davinia/Otillia

Otillia wasn't technically a canon LI, but I couldn't help shipping this hard, haha, especially in Lewis' route. The game doesn't delve too deeply into their backstories, so feel free to expand on them in any way you can imagine!

-The canon routes end right after the ball, but how would Davinia's story continue in this world where she coexists with the heroine who was supposed to defeat her?

-How would Otilia react to finding out the truth about Davinia's origins as an isekai protagonist? Is there a way they could both come to the "real world" together? (help from the court mage, etc.)

-Bonding over their shared love of romance fiction, more "What in the K-drama?" type moments, something about the "death flags" that Davinia managed to avoid or what the bad ending(s) were supposed to look like

-Of course, any sort of food porn is welcome!

Thank you so much for your time! If any clarification is needed, please let me know.