daggerdapper
—> Last Updated: 06/24 (this is still a bit of a work in progress, so really, you don't need to stick to this)
Exchange Letter
Exchange-Specific Letters
This is my general exchange letter, intended as both a jumping-off point for more exchange-specific letters, as well as to be able to stand alone in lack of a specific letter. It should cover the most general, important things, and go over things I like and dislike reading across the board. Exchange-specific letters might contradict some of this information in either positive or negative lights; in that case, refer to the specific letter unless I say otherwise (for example, it might be severely (1year+) out of date, etc.)
There is no need to limit yourself to this (or indeed any) letter. I like reading a lot of different things, and can not possibly list them all here. If you have something in mind you want to write for me that I don’t go over here, absolutely go for it! I would delight in whatever you think is fun to write; no need to try to squeeze yourself into my box. This letter, and all subsequent letters, are only meant to be guidelines and sign-posts if you want them.
As long as you abide by my DNWs, go wild! :D
This letter is split into sections. As this is meant to be a catch-all letter, it requires some degree of splitting up and sorting. Please feel free to jump around to the sections you think are relevant to what you plan to write and ignore the rest. I can already feel myself becoming Wordy, OTL.
Sections: Basics, Romance & Characters, Settings, Tropes, Smut, Gore & Violence.
Basics (You don't need to dig deeper than this if you don't want to!)
DO NOT WANTS: eye/nail/teeth/tongue trauma • loss of limbs1 • gender dysphoria • vomit/scat • mommy kink • underage non-con • unrequested underage ships • 1st person POV/readerfic/POV Female Character • unrequested incest • hanahaki disease/sex pollen • betrayal of trust/infidelity (between endgame couple)2 • bad/tragic/unhappy ending3 • eating disorders • necrophilia/bestiality4 • graphic depictions of gore • wingfic/high school/coffee shop-settings
Likes: worldbuilding • character studies • angst with a happy ending • domestic fluff • hurt/comfort • competence • slow burn • fast burn • emotions™ • caretaking • mutual pining • complicated relationships • atmospheric • power dynamics • dark romance tropes
Smut Likes: bondage • cockwarming • manhandling • rough sex • soft/gentle/tender sex • dubcon • enthusiastic consent • dom/sub • monsterfucking • competence kink • loyalty kink • orgasm denial/control • possessiveness • size kink • sex with feelings • smut with worldbuilding/character studies • bigger bottom/smaller top • doubtlessly more feel free to go wild on the kink if it's not on my DNW list :D
1 pre-existing loss is okay 2 consensual non-monogamy is okay 3 for MC/main ship (if there is one), bad end for others is okay 4 vampires, werewolves etc. is okay—rule of thumb; sentience
Romance & Characters
Odds are, if you're here, I've asked for a romantic pairing in an exchange or prompt meme. I am an avid romance reader, and I like both dark romance & lighthearted, fluffy romances (you can check out my Recommendations if you want to get a somewhat clear picture of stuff I've enjoyed, LOL) just as much. That does not mean the gift must contain romance; shipfic & genfic are both welcome acccording to the individual requests and relationship tags therein/whatever I say in them.
I love my romance to have worldbuilding and character studies; I love explorations of worlds, of hiercihes, of power, of logistics and beaurocracy and laws, and I adore romance with non-conventional sentient creatures (and just non-conventional sentient creatures in general, no romance required)—for example, the 'Alien Architecture' tag in Summor of Horror 2024 instantly made me go 👀 that could be sentiant. And a romance.
LMAO.
I like characters struggling in the face of adverserity, doing the best they can with what they have, working to overcome setbacks, learning how to deal/live with setbacks they don't/can't overcome; i.e. chronic illness, permanent/long-term disabilities etc. I'm relentlessly fond of bitter, resentful characters who've been screwed over before and now aren't quite so willing to believe in good things, and aren't that morally righteous anymore (if they ever were). I like morally ambigious, if not outright morally broke, characters. Character who will do what they need to survive and refuse to feel sorry about it, who understand what they're doing and the damage they might cause and will contiune onwards regardless because they have a goal, whether that goal is survival, murder or taking over the world, LOL.
I like characters choosing to not 'forgive and forget' somebody's whose hurt them even if they loved them—I like loyalty and devotion and characters sticking by each other, knowing each other and appreciating each other. I like characters moving on, and healing, and finding joy.
I like characters making the best of things, in apocalyptic settings and so on. Sometimes things can't be fixed, and that's okay. (But also sometimes things can be fixed, and that's okay, too.) I like low-stakes (i.e. it's not about saving the world/the world is already destroyed and now it's just us left and we're not superheroes) personal stories that nevertheless can be angsty and painful and break my heart, or fluffy and lighthearted.
I like the webs between relationship dynamics, the conflict of duty vs. self vs. expectations vs. health and more.
Settings
Steampunk/Gaslamp Fantasy: I firlmy believe everything can be steampunk. Emperor/Scheming Courtier? Steampunk! Alien/Human? Steampunk! Alpha/Alpha omegaverse-style? Steampunk! Anything can be steampunk (and/or gaslamp fantasy, which I also adore)! Dark romance, fluffy romance, sci-fi, fantasy, post-apocalyptic, horror? It could all be steampunk. Or gaslamp fantasy. I adore both and would love both; any steampunk worldbuilding would be amazing, and I would adore it. (Think the astethics of Lies of P, Bloodborne, Warehouse 13 etc.)
Sci-Fi: Look, science-fiction is awesome. Right now I'm on a gay alien romance kick :D I adore political shenanigans in sci-fi settings (or any settings, I just like schemes afoot),
Fantasy: High fantasy, epic fantasy, low fantasy, urban fantasy = yes, yes, yes. Magic systems, fantastical world designs like floating islands and whatnot, all great.
Horror: That kind of creeping, suspenseful horror, atmospheric, with lots of Vibes(TM). But also good old-fashioned monster of the week horror. Taken seriously, this can be fun angst, taken less seriously, this can be an amusing romp of a disaster roadtrip. It's all good.
Post-Apocalyptic: Post-apocalyptic can be combined with like any other setting. Sci-Fi post-apoc? High fantasy post-apoc? Steampunk post-apoc? There's no shortage of opportunities here. Monsters, zombies, wasteland roadtrips, trying to figure out how to grow potates after the world's ended, etc.
Tropes
Relationship Tropes: Accidental Relationship • Didn't Know They Were Dating • Mutual Pining • Fake Relationships • Arranged Marriage • Marriage of Convenience • Enemies to Lovers • Undercover • Rivals to Lovers
Dark Romance/Erotica Tropes: Abduction/Kidnapping • Sex Auction • Stalking • Obsession • Psychopaths/Sociopaths in Love • Murder Husbands • Forced Relationship • Blackmail • Power Imbalance/Dynamics • (Mutual) Obsession • Codependency • Twisted & Fluffy Feelings
General Tropes: Atmospheric • Struggling in the face of adversity • Corruption • Spooky Vibes • Hurt/Comfort • Morally Ambiguous Characters • Characters being ride of die for each other • Taking care of each other • Competence/Competent Characters • Mutual Manipulation • Cultural Misunderstandings • Angst with a Happy Ending • Domesticity • Intimacy, physical and emotional • Characters being vulnerable with/around each other • Scheming • Temporary Amnesia
Smut
Anything from no smut, fade-to-black, explicit smut is all fine.
bdsm • bondage • cockwarming • manhandling • rough sex • soft/gentle/tender sex • dubcon • enthusiastic consent • dom/sub • monsterfucking • competence kink • loyalty kink • orgasm denial/control • possessiveness • size kink • bigger bottom/smaller top • sex with feelings • smut with worldbuilding/character studies • physical/emotional intimacy • safe sane and consensual • Consensual But Not Safe Or Sane • collars • dirty talk • edging • breath play • objectification • spreading • blindfolds • spanking • punishment • aftercare • objects insertation • erotic mind control • feminization
Dubcon & Noncon
In short; dubcon? If it's the endgame pairing, yes. Blackmail, forced relationship, warprize, out of duty, debt, as a tactic for a mission, trying to manipulate somebody, etc. all good. Dubcon and other consent issues not in my request's DNW list (hanahaki and sex pollen) is fine and dandy. I'm less up for it if it's not the endgame pairing, but that doesn't mean I'm against it. I'm just the kind of flavor of ace that doesn't care for a sex scene if it isn't emotional in some way, and smut with the endgame pairing tends to achieve that, LOL.
In short; noncon? Eroticized noncon is okay. If it's just, 'oh no this is so traumatic and gross and fucked up and shitty and horrible' then like I'm not intersted in that, LOL. Like, you can still write it, it's not in my DNW list or something, but odds are I'll just skip past it.
Gore & Violence
I don't want grpahic depictions of gore; non-graphic violence is fine. Punch characters, get stabbed, fall off a cliff, it's fine. I just don't want graphic description of a character, like, breaking their leg or a step-by-step process of them getting tortured or something.