Early Bird Gets the Worm 2025 Letter

[echoslam]

Dear Early Bird Creator,

I'm echoslam on AO3, and I thank you for considering one of my rare fandoms!

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. I've kept some under a cut for canon-ruining spoiler reasons.

List of Fandoms:

7'Scarlet
Bartender: Glass of God
Charade Maniacs
Initial D
Maestra: Strings of Truth
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly
Taisho x Alice
Voltron: Lion Force (1984)
A World With (out) You
X/1999

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
-Violence

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

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"

7'Scarlet (Visual Novel)

Hanamaki Ichiko/Susano Yua

I can't resist horror and mystery themes in a dating sim, and I enjoyed 7'Scarlet way more than I expected (the crashing issues does suck, though). I loved Ichiko's curiosity about Okunezato and her dedication to solving the mystery of what happened to her brother. Yua's supportiveness was so good, and I wish they had gotten more scenes together.

-Cute moments getting closer working together at the hotel

-Yua tries to introduce Ichiko to her gaming hobby or discusses it with her

-Rescuing Ichiko from one of the bad endings

-Finding solace and getting together after the events surrounding the person Yua was protecting

7'Scarlet Spoilers

I should add that this game is amazing for my niche smut likes, specifically romanticized necrophilia. Anything about hooking up with someone who's a Revenant or feelings of grief being involved with sex would be very cool.

Toa: Omg the sadness!! Let them be happy together even if it's just once! Toa relying on lots of kissing and touches to stay sane would be nice for an AU where he doesn't disappear

Yua: Hurt/comfort and finding solace after mourning would be nice themes, or a dark divergence where Yua dies also and comes back for Ichiko...

Isora: It was nice to have a straightforward yandere right at the start of the game, imo. Food themes aphrodisiacs as well as Stockholm Syndrome themes could all be fun.

Hanate: Creepy older routes are a feature and not a bug to me, so I'd be happy to see them get together. Leaning into the incest even after they find out the truth is fine as would be anything about how Ichiko is basically this irresistible pheromone factory to him.

Other ideas:

-Having sex at the hotel

-Ichiko finds out about Toa or Hanate's Revenant states and offers herself to them physically to keep them alive instead of letting them go

-Rescuing Ichiko from one of the bad endings leads to sex

-I'm also interested in Ichiko's status as a "flower" and how that basically makes her catnip to a Revenant.

Bartender: Glass of God

Higuchi Yukari/Kurushima Miwa
Kawakami Kyoko/Kinjo Yuri

I expected this anime to mostly be an opportunity for product placement (the Suntory sponsorship is very apparent, it's true), but it was actually such a relaxing watch! Miwa and Yukari have such a fun and lighthearted senpai/kohai dynamic, and I loved the competition arc where Kyoko and Yuri got to interact. I'd just love to see anything more about them and the bartending. Feel free to include Ryu, Kelvin, or any of their other associates.

-Yukari harboring a crush on Miwa - does someone notice?

-Yuri helping Kyoko to boost her confidence

-Coming up with new drink recipes together or investigating new bars

-What happened that night they got left behind in Kyoto?

-Yuri shows Kyoko around Okinawa

Charade Maniacs
Akase Kyoya/Sena Hiyori
Futami Ryoichi/Sena Hiyori
Haiji Takumi/Sena Hiyori
Iochi Mizuki/Sena Hiyori

I loved the contrast between the unsettling atmosphere and cute slice of life moments in this game. Hiyori's trusting nature definitely worked for me in the context of the plot, and I'd like to see how that lends itself to being with her LIs. Aged up or post canon situations would be fine as well.

Charade Maniacs Spoilers

-Akase: They were really cute together, and I felt bad for Akase after all the reveals and him getting Dead Ended in Futami's route. They wound up innocently sharing a bed a surprising number of times. but what if it wasn't so innocent? How would they comfort each other after all the trauma of the Other World?

-Futami: His route was super trashy, and I loved it. I loved Hiyori's "I can fix him" energy, and I would love to see that even if she can't, would also be great to see him transfer his fixation on the Sponsor to her. This route could also be a great jumping-off point for Akase/Hiyori or Iochi/Hiyori - I love jealousy and rival ships competing.

-Iochi: They're so cool and composed, and I love how Hiyori is pretty much smitten with them right from the get-go. Cocktails, hurt/comfort, suit kink, post-game falling in love, are all possibilities. Or maybe something darker where they're forced to do something sexual as part of a stream. Anything you want to do with Iochi's gender is fine.

-Haiji: I really should have seen the ending twist coming, but it totally got me, and I was shocked! I feel like the True Ending has some really dark implications, and I'm down if you want to go there. Or really any exploration of what it's like for her to be cherished by an amoral sentient AI. Putting her in a VR situation so they can be together or AUs where he's a human are also a possibility. If you want to keep him in the form of a robot puppy (that creepily watches her), that's fine too. Haiji clearly had no problem with manipulating everyone, so I could see him doing it again.

-Romantic moment against the backdrop of the unsettling Otherworld setting

-Drama or performance as a theme or being forced to act out something that makes one of them shy or flustered

Initial D (Anime & Manga)

Sato Mako/Sayuki

Impact Blue is a ride or die duo, and I would truly love to see anything about them. Appearances from other racing teams, supporting cast, or cars are more than welcome. Both anime and manga canon are fine by me as well.

Likes for this ship: Loyalty, risk-taking, mutual attraction or friends with benefits hiding feelings

Some optional prompts:

-"Inspired by Eurobeat"

-AU where Impact Blue is some other project that they're collaborating on

-Adrenaline-fueled make out or sex after a race

-Any ideas for what they're up to post-canon or in the MF Ghost era.

Maestra: Strings of Truth (TV)

Cha Se Eum/Lee Luna

This drama is an adaptation of the French series Philharmonia, and it offers a wealth of melodrama and beautiful orchestral moments. I've been so into Luna's curiosity and admiration for Se Eum since the first episode. That scene of her calling Luna out for deliberately practicing with the door open as a plea for attention? Amazing. As for the reveal, well, haha feel free to go all in on that drama - I'm here for it!

-Se Eum being pedantic about music and Luna loving it

-Playing a duet or appreciating music together

-More scenes of Luna sneakily antagonizing people like Taeho or Chairman Yoo on Se Eum's behalf

-Anything about Luna's private happiness at being singled out for her talent or being a success after being appointed concertmaster

-Something themed around one of the musical pieces used in the show: Mission Impossible, Brahms, etc

-I so wished the show had focused more on Luna herself and her motivations as a character, so any introspection would be nice

Kokuchou no Psychedelica | Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly (Visual Novel)

Beniyuri/Kagiha (Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly)
Beniyuri/Yamato (Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly

I adored the dreamy atmosphere and sense of mystery in this game. Romance-wise, I have to admit I felt that the game ended right as things were getting interesting between Beniyuri and the LIs. Would love to see that potential explored however you want.

PotBB Spoilers

Beniyuri/Kagiha: I love how their relationship is a dark take on the childhood marriage promise idea, and I really enjoyed all the implications of possessiveness.

-Beniyuri stays trapped in Psychedelica with Kagiha and lives out the fantasy of their newlywedded life in her head, maybe sometimes she starts to suspect something is wrong but Kagiha distracts her from the truth. Will she call him Kagiha now or revert to calling him Natsuki?

-Just a happy AU where they get to be a couple in the real world

-Or a not so happy AU where he succeeds in coming back to the real world (somehow) but as a sad/jealous ghost

Beniyuri/Yamato: They had such great chemistry in all of their scenes together, and the bonding over their shared grief is a dynamic I absolutely adored.

-Something post-canon where Ai and Takuya have grown up and are in a relationship/married but still haven't fully gotten over the childhood tragedy or Psychedelica, and their private moments together reflect this, like reverting to calling each other Beniyuri/Yamato instead of Ai/Takuya or Ai thinking of Kagiha or other encounters she had there while physically being with Takuya, maybe he knows but doesn't say anything because he still feels guilty

-NSFW version of the Yamato Bad Ending where they have grief-filled sex while Yamato continues turning into a monster. Meanwhile, Beniyuri is distantly euphoric and doesn't care that he's hurting her. It could end in character death or not.

-Takuya still likes to lay his head in Ai's lap, and doing so leads to him eating her out

Taisho x Alice (Visual Novel)

Arisu Yurika/Gretel

I loved the fairytale themes of this game, and I really liked the Gretel Route in particular. Feel free to go dark if you want. I'm a fan of otome bad endings for sure.

Some optional prompts:

-Making or having sweets

-Possessiveness over Yurika

Voltron: Lion Force (1984)

Allura/Lance
Allura/Garrett

Voltron is longtime fave series, and I'm happy to see any elements of it that you want to include, whether it's team dynamics, cool sci fi worldbuilding or what have you.

I love the idea of these ships! Lance's skepticism and brutal honesty contrasts nicely with Allura's personality, and they support each other so well. Also, the Garrett episodes were a lot of fun, and I would have loved to see more being done with the concept of Coran's son (poor guy)

Some optional prompts:

-Life as a royal consort

-Roman Holiday AU where Allura meets someone while trying to conceal her identity on Earth or some other planet

-Canon divergence where Garret's mission involved actively pursuing Allura; does he get caught and would certain people disapprove?

-Slice of life with the team or performing royal or official Voltron Force duties.

-Canon-divergence AU where Allura gets together with one of them when they meet under different circumstances.

-Finding something they have in common despite being from completely different backgrounds.

-Pining stuff

A World With (out) You (Visual Novel)

Fukazawa Saku/Main Character (A World With (out) You)
Amemiya Kiyohiro/Main Character (A World With (out) You)

Any name for MC is fine!

I've gotten back into my mobile otome habit, and I found that this title from Love365 really caters to my particular love of ghost romance stories. I played through each route using the free no-hearts choices only to get the normal endings, which I liked well enough. The bittersweet atmosphere was nice, and I like how the love interests supported her dream of becoming an architectural designer. Anything would be great for this, whether tragic or hopeful.

Prompts:

-Someone chooses not to move on and stays behind as a shinigami

-Intimacy despite the fact that one of them is a ghost

-Canon divergence where MC gets together with them when they're alive in Kento or Kotaro's routes (second love themes, coping with grief, etc.)

X/1999

Kasumi Karen/Kishuu Arashi
Arisugawa Sorata/Kishuu Arashi

I love the tragedy of X and how these Arashi ships have so much potential for angst and repressed feelings. Feel free to reference whatever version(s) of canon work best for you.

Some optional prompts:

-Fighting against fate, focus on passionate or negative feelings: anger, revenge, jealousy, bitterness etc

-Helping Arashi awaken another power when she can no longer summon the sword

-What if Sorata was the one who lost his powers instead?

-Lighthearted moments trying to find peace with their allies between conflicts

-Someone trying to cajole or seduce them into joining the Dragons of Earth

-Anything about how they approach their religious faiths.

-The X tarot set is an all-time fave of mine. Arashi, Karen, and Sorata's cards are "Temperance", "Justice", and "The Chariot" respectively, so something inspired by those themes would be very cool, imo.

-Reincarnation AU where they find each other in another life, references to Tsubasa and other CLAMP series are also fine

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