Candy Hearts 2026 Letter

[echoslam]

Dear Candy Hearts Creator,

Thanks for checking out this letter! I'm echoslam on AO3, and I'm very excited to be doing this exchange again. The tagset was crazy stacked with great ships (thank you nominators), and it was a real struggle to settle on my picks.

General notes:

-I enjoy all kinds of fanwork moods, from fun and lighthearted to dark 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 would like some ideas. My ships are all rare, and I would be thoroughly delighted by anything you want to make for them!

General Likes:

-Any kind of AU
-Character studies
-Domesticity
-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
-Some favorite themes: food/cooking, nature, plants, "meta", mindscrew, gaming, gambling, admiration, empathy, obsession, couples being deeply wrapped up in each other

General Shippy likes:

-Any kind of Valentine's Day, seasonal holiday, or candy/chocolate themes
-Curtain fic/art
-Battle couple having an adventure and hurt/comfort during or after
-Falling in love
-Flowers
-Food and drink themes
-Smut/PWP

Dark shippy likes:

-Codepency
-Death themes/in love with a ghost or a dead person
-Dub or noncon
-Falling into obsession
-Infidelity or committing a crime in order to be together
-Possessiveness

Art likes (all styles welcome):

-Kissing, cuddling, holding each other
-Any kind of gesture that results in a character blushing
-Characters + foods they like
-Couple pose, could be any style: from an actual portrait to a selfie to something like a photo booth strip w/ effects
-Dancing together
-Both original character designs and hair/outfits changes that you think would suit them. Feel free to be their stylist
-Fighting/sparring, either together or against each other
-Kabedon or yukadon
-Anyone getting caught in a compromising position
-Any kind of silly meme pose
-Tie-ins with other related media or concepts
-Symbology or signature colors
-Heart shapes of any sort

Do Not Wants:

-Body waste kinks
-Diaper kink
-Futanari
-Infantilization kink
-Poly involving requested characters (does not apply to Liar! Scheming Socialites)
-Sex scenes featuring characters younger than 15
-Use of the words “cunt” or "twat" during sex scenes
-Use of the word "simp" in any context

Generally speaking, I am up for anything outside my DNWs!

List of Fandoms:
7'Scarlet
Guild Wars
東方三俠 | The Heroic Trio (1993)
Initial D
Irresistible Mistakes
Liar! Scheming Socialites
MF: Ghost
Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash (Movies)
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972)
太秦ライムライト | Uzumasa Limelight (2014)

7'Scarlet (Visual Novel)

Amari Isora/Hanamaki Ichiko
Hanamaki Ichiko/Murakumo Yuzuki
Hanamaki Ichiko/Kushinada Toa
Hanamaki Ichiko/Susano Yua
Hanamaki Ichiko/Yatsukami Hanate


I can't resist horror and mystery themes in a dating sim, and I enjoyed 7'Scarlet way more than I expected. I loved Ichiko's curiosity about Okunezato and her dedication to solving the mystery of what happened to her brother.

Prompts:

Click to Expand - Warning for 7'Scarlet Whole Plot Spoilers

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.

Yuzuki: Normally I can't stand tsunderes, but great voice acting and a nice angsty Bad Ending where the guy dies can totally win me over, apparently. Is there any way they could survive together with him as a Revenant? Floral or ikebana themes would also be interesting.

Hanate: Creepy older brother 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:

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

-A peaceful or romantic moment somewhere in Okunezato

-Any kind of silliness involving Okune Panda

-Canon divergence where Ichiko keeps them alive with physical intimacy to keep them sane, just making sure to avoid fire at all costs

-Anything to do with flowers or the violacia plot point.

-Does Yuzuki's opinion of her change once it's revealed that she's essentially the incarnation of the red violacia?

-Folklore references

-"To say goodbye is to die a little", the series' tagline, as a theme

-I have additional NSFW-oriented prompts in my Smut4Smut letter

Guild Wars

Dwayna/Lyssa
Kormir/Varesh Ossa

OG Guild Wars is so back! I was very pleasantly surprised by the recent Reforged update, and the nostalgia is hitting hard right now. I would love to see any aspect of the world explored or any speculation you might have regarding the lore or missing scenes. I played Guild Wars 2 as well, so any references to those events are fine.

Dwayna/Lyssa:

The Six Gods lore had always been a favorite part of GW's worldbuilding, and I'd be into anything that delves into that: from the days before Pre-Searing Ascalon to anytime in the 250 years before GW 2. Feel free to include any characters you'd like, including OCs or those that were only mentioned in passing. I'm also fine with Lyssa being a singular entity or the twins Ilya and Lyss (consider my poly DNW waived in that instance).

I'm open to any interpretation of the relationship between Dwayna and Lyssa as there's very little mentioned about how they interact with one another. Are they rivals? Close companions? Something in between?
Ideas:

-Something set before the fall of Orr when Lyssa lived there as a mortal

-Disguising themselves and coming to visit the mortal realm together

-Air and water themes

-What did Lyssa think of Malchor or what does Dwayna think of all the beautiful locales dedicated to Lyssa (the Mirror of Lyss, etc)

-Reflections on their godhood, speculation on their life in the Mists, lamenting over past betrayals, their followers, or other woes


Kormir/Varesh:

Lovers to Enemies or Enemies to Lovers? I'd be so into either!

Pre-canon: Maybe the Spearmarshal and the Warmarshal had a thing going on before the events of Nightfall?

-Something dark in a "Varesh wins" AU

-For outsider POV: I really liked Norgu's comic relief and something in the structure of one of his plays would be fun

-What if Varesh had taken a more personal touch in tormenting Kormir at Gandara Fortress?


東方三俠 | The Heroic Trio (1993)

Chat/Ching
Chat & Ching & Tung

I loved watching Maggie Cheung, Anita Mui, and Michelle Yeoh embrace absurdity in this very unserious yet still heartwarming film. IMO, the care they all had for one another came across even better with all the explosions, wire fu, and crazy decapitation weapons flying around in the background.

-Further adventures of the trio! Feel free to reference the sequel Executioners or not, feel free to make it serious or include as much absurdity as you want. Maybe they have to fight yet another over the top villain?

-Chat's complicated feelings for Ching pre, during or post canon (or Ching's for her), trying to return the favor of her saving her life, maybe Tung tries to play peacemaker?

-Character study of their private selves vs their larger-than-life personas as Invisible Woman, Thief Catcher, and Wonder Woman

-Anything that gets really into the 90s Hong Kong setting: eating at a dai pai dong or cha chaan teng, going to the movies or enjoying the night life, visiting local sights, etc.

-Just slice of life moments of them doing their thing protecting the streets of Hong Kong? Sparring? Helping Tung renovate her house? Taking care of the horses, Chat maintaining her bike or procuring things for her Bag of Useful Items

Initial D

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 them: Loyalty, risk-taking, mutual attraction or friends with benefits hiding feelings

-"Inspired by Eurobeat"

Song suggestions:

The Impact Blue classics: "Wings of Fire", "Maybe Tonight", "Stay", "Into the Night"

"All I Need is Love", "Wonderland", "If You Stay", or anything else by Sara Righetto

"Fly to Me to the Moon & Back" from Initial D Third Stage

-Something bittersweet where Mako leaves to continue her racing career but still can't forget Sayuki

-Anything where Mako gets to style on people in the SilEighty or Sayuki comes up with a great strategy

-Roadtrip or driving to a date spot

-Working together to defend Usui Pass from a rival

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

-Adrenaline-fueled make out or sex after a race


Irresistible Mistakes

Taku Hayama/Main Character
Go Okubo/Main Character

I recently picked up the port version of this game on a whim, and while I did enjoy it, what really struck me was how it soon became obvious that Voltage took this game in its entirety and repurposed it as another one of their other titles that I played before, namely, Liar! Office Deception: you have your workaholic MC who's passionate about the advertising industry (The writers truly were on a Mad Men kick during this era!), her grumpy cat, and a bunch of characters whose traits are all suspiciously similar to the ones from Liar!. There's even Taku and Natsume wearing Kunio and Itaru's suits, respectively...I cannot even! That said, I found the game fun in its own right and would love to see something about the relationships with Taku or Go. Any name for MC is fine! The premise of the game is "falling in love after a one night stand" but feel free to make something as smutty or non-smutty as you want.

I've only played the port version which went up to S3, but if you'd like to reference any of the later seasons or side stories that are only available on mobile, that's totally fine.

-I definitely found it hilarious when they mentioned the MC plays the Liar! app in her free time, so anything about that game and comparing it to her own situation would be fun to me

-Taku was not my favorite in terms of character design (the Kunio suit lmao), but his route's story and the intensity of his feelings for the MC really won me over. Ideas: helping the MC come up with new ideas for ads, what if the conflict in S1 wasn't resolved so quickly and they end up as enemies with sexual tension, them having more physical intimacy given how enthusiastic they are about in canon, Taku secretly doing something kind

-Go's route was very emotionally messy, and I was totally into it. Whether he's still a bartender or if he's transitioned to his music career is up to you. Ideas: falling for MC during one of the other guy's routes and sneakily winning her over, anything to do with mixing drinks, drunken kisses/sex, more of them spending time together in England or Taiwan


Liar! Scheming Socialites

Nagi Arisugawa/Main Character
Akari Saionji/Main Character
Sosuke Suo/Main Character
Sosuke Suo/Shotaro Suzumiya/Main Character
Mio Takanashi/Main Character
Haruki Yagami/Main Character

The app is still gone, but see here for a list of YouTube videos of the games

I really liked the fun college life vibe in this game and how the MC is a bit on the naïve side. The characters had some pretty dramatic lies, and I'd love to see them having to confront those issues together. Let MC follow her heart! Even if it's now what her dad wants. I'm totally on board with crossovers with other games in the Liar! series as well. Any name for MC is fine.

-Running away/eloping with one of the non high status guys and maybe how she reconciles with her family once some time has passed?

-I'd also be into anything with the MC breaking bad and embracing a less than socially acceptable lifestyle (by her dad's standards) or something about rejecting her pampered upbringing and finding happiness with her lover.

-If you want to do something from one of the guys' POVs: What if MC had gotten together with one of the Liars without discovering their secret after all? I think they all genuinely had feelings for her, and I'm for a lot of angst and pining over guilty feelings

-A budget date that surprisingly ends up being very romantic

-MC's love interest admires her during one of her photoshoots or society events, then acts on their feelings when they're alone together

Character-specific prompts:

MC/Nagi: MC warming up to Nagi's femdom kink, something about Nagi's involvement in the theatre club or future in med school

MC/Akari: MC being the only partner Akari really wanted, Akari's pleasure at seducing someone she admires so much

MC/Sosuke: Sosuke doing something to show her that choosing him was the right choice, AU where the date at Sosuke's place led to something physical, anything with peony flowers

MC/Shotaro/Sosuke: I saw this in the tagset, and I'm curious about any ideas for it! Possibilities: V-shaped polyamory with MC as the vertex, letting off steam after a basketball game, Dark Shotaro AU, jewelry kink, teaming up to beat Shotaro at video games, MC marries Shotaro to please her parents but Sosuke stays involved with them

MC/Mio: lots of possessive behavior, seduction/quiet sex in the library, kidnapping/held hostage, anything with Mio's flair for the dramatic

MC/Haruki: Haruki seduces MC while they're alone in the house together, MC tries to do something for Haruki, wedding night after eloping, Haruki teaches her the art of thievery

-My silliest prompt: The high energy accusation music is one of my all time favorite BGMS. It sounds like something out of Initial D, and it's clear the music team was channeling their inner Eurobeat lover. So yeah, MC obtaining a yellow(?) sports car and racing/drifting with it would be very fun to me. (It doesn't have to be a Mazda RX-7 but it could be, lol) Maybe it's for a photo shoot while she's still working as a model or it's something she gets for herself after becoming independent? Or perhaps someone buys or steals it for her?


MF Ghost

New season's here, and there's so much going on! The characters are growing on me more and more, and I would be happy to see anything for these ships in any situation or setting. I would love both their original designs or any wardrobe changes you have in mind.

Shun/Ren

This relationship is treated like a joke in-series, but I genuinely like the idea of it, especially if it's mutual feelings rather than one-sided, possibly post-canon. What would they be like a few years down the line?

-An enthusiastically-given cheek kiss or hug

-Both of them showing their hot-blooded side

-Retro, rockabilly or any other style aesthetic that might suit them as a couple

Michael/Kanata

This rivalry is about to start heating up in the show, and I'm so ready. Referencing any events of the anime or manga is fine, including the ending.

MB is basically the final boss of Kanata's arc, and I would love anything that contrasts them or shows them reaching an understanding. AU situations, different perspectives, or any kind of pose or background would be welcome.

-The softer side of Michael Beckenbauer or the more intimidating side of Kanata Rivington

-Treated like a prize

-Michael's love of currywurst or Kanata's love of casual cuisine and Japanese snack foods

-MB being sensitive to Kanata's touch or vice versa

-Embracing one another or tending to Kanata's S2 injury

-Product placement or one or both of them being in an ad

-More scenes at the café or anywhere else we see in the show

-Pre, during, or post-coitus

I have smut-oriented prompts in my Smut4Smut letter as well if you would like to do something along those lines.

Ogata/Okuyama Hiroya

They are so cute! Poor Ogata. The stress of being Kanata's benefactor and booth guy has surely taken a toll on him, and the man can certainly use a hug from a nice dude. Okuyama was one of the Team Spiral guys in Initial D, and it's really sweet that he helps out Ogata with the 86, setting him up with upgrades and how they continue to hang out together.

-Ogata being pampered, given something nice, etc. He does have a sweet tooth.

-Eating out or falling asleep together

-Hugging or kissing in the auto shop or the booth

Kyoko/Any Female Character

I like that she knows she's hot and doesn't mind flaunting it. Her interactions with racers, the media and the other Angels were always fun to watch. I'd love to see her with any lady from current or past seasons.

-Sharing a sweet treat

-Kyoko being ardently admired

-Femmes fatales or Angels After Dark


Some more general prompts for any ship:

-At the beach or seaside

-Club-ready

-Something based on the idea of "Revenge" based on the current season's theme

-Blissfully enjoying a shared food item or drink, Pocky challenge

-Exploring the local sights

-Congratulations after a victory


Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash (Movies)

Hathaway Noa/Kenneth Sleg

I can't believe the next film is already upon us! Design-wise, I really like everything they've done with this iteration of the Universal Century era and would love to see whatever you want to do with these two and their fraught relationship.

-I love them in all sorts of ways: outright antagonistic, tensely amicable, romantic, seductive, etc. Maybe they could have a direct confrontation. Or maybe they find themselves in a surprisingly peaceful, harmonious situation.

-The recent trailers show Hathaway banging on about his righteous purpose and transcending worldliness and carnal lust. Would be fun to see Kenneth totally getting in the way of that plan.

-Anything to do with Kenneth's enthusiasm for horsemanship

-Playing a sport or game

-Product placement for the lols

-"Sorcery" themes?

-I know Hathaway doesn't like the water, but I'm always down for a beach or aquatic scene

-Anything that takes inspiration from any setting: outer space, Davao, Hong Kong, or any part of Southeast Asia or Oceania. Flora or fauna? Something more urban? In the sequel, it looks like we're going to see the Botanic Observation Agency in Manado, which is exciting.

-If you happen to catch the upcoming movie before reveals and see something that inspires you, consider my request a carte blanche to make anything you want for it!


The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972)

Rosemary Müller/Kitty Wildenbrück

How could I not like a film with a title that goes so hard? This stylish giallo had a lot going for it: there's an awesome soundtrack, great 70s fashion, murder and mayhem in a Bavarian castle, and a Porsche 914 being used as a murder weapon. I'd love to see anything you want to do with it, even if it subverts the plot entirely.

Click to Expand - Warning for Whole Movie Spoilers

Alas poor Rosemary. That scene where she reaches out to Kitty right before her death really got me. I very much wanted to know more about her, and I would love any kind of canon divergence or fix-it that delves more into her relationship with Kitty. How does she feel about them being secret sisters? And what other motivations did she have while terrorizing everyone as the Red Queen? I like to think there was more to the situation than just "Franziska got her addicted to drugs." Maybe she thought of it more as a game between the two of them?

-Rosemary deciding that she'd rather seduce Kitty than murder her

-Anything involving that awesome sequence with the Red Queen running through Kitty's dreams

-A sexually tense or romantic moment somewhere outside of all the murdery stuff, maybe pre-canon flirting at Springe fashion house or on an assignment/photo shoot

-What if the Red Queen had intervened before Kitty was assaulted?

-Rejecting the curse by running off together or taking down Franziska

-Anything involving clothes or identity porn

-Gothic vibes of any sort

太秦ライムライト | Uzumasa Limelight (2014)

Iga Satsuki & Kamiyama Seiichi

This film is a reimagining of Charlie Chaplin's "Limelight", and I really loved how they utilized its themes in the new setting. It was wonderful to see Satsuki and Kamiyama's mentor/student relationship unfold, and I just wanted to see more of them being there for one another and studying Kamiyama's craft.

Last time I checked, the film was available on YouTube here.

-Quiet moments after training with Kamiyama opening up to Satsuki, dispensing advice, etc

-Minutiae about daily life around the studio or the making of jidaigeki

-What happens in the time skip after Satsuki gets her big break?

-Kamiyama being a part of Satsuki's life post-movie (alive or as a ghost, however you want to interpret the ending)


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