Archive of Our Own

Humans love patterns. There's a reason why tropes are tropes, cliche or not, and this flash fest is to celebrate all the ways we writers pair characters together. Prompts range from ideas/suggestions to pictures to situations, and you are free to interpret them anyway you would like. There are 25 in total, but only 20 will be used. Once 20 works have been chosen, I will be closing the ability to join in, so choose fast!

If you would like to join the Character A Character B Discord server, so that you can take part in events, and become a member of our community, please copy and paste into your browser: https://discord.gg/RrcqGvbV

What is the schedule for this fest?

May 19, 2025, to June 1, 2025: All times are displayed in PDT (Pacific Daylight Time)
Claiming Opens: May 19, 2025, at 08:00 AM
First Check-in: May 23, 2025, at 08:00 AM
Claiming Closes: May 26, 2025, at 11:59 PM
Second Check-in: May 27, 2025, at 10:00 AM
Submissions Due: May 29, 2025, at 11:59 PM
Stories Revealed: May 30, 2025, at 10:00 AM
Voting Starts: May 30, 2025, at 10:00 AM
Voting Due: June 1, 2025, at 10:00 AM
Author Reveals: June 1, 2025, at 4:00 PM
Awards Given: June 1, 2025, at 4:00 PM

(Times may be slightly adjusted, as the host is graduating, moving and will be starting a new job throughout the two weeks.)

Awards

Trope Tamer: Biggest fandom
Teeny Tiny Trooper: Smallest fandom
Prompt Meme Maniac: Best Use of the Prompt
He said, she said, they said Award: Best Dialogue
Break my Heart Award: Most Angsty
Heal my Heart Award: Most Fluffy
'Not-so-classic' Trope Award: Most Surprising
Standing Ovation Award: Overall Favorite

New Category: Quotes
* Choose one or more of your favorite lines/quotes from a fic and submit it when voting. I'll compile them up and share with the group <3
(Let's give these authors the recognition they deserve!)

1. Must be a member of the Character A Character B Discord server.
2. You are free to write for any fandom that interests you and interpret the prompts however you would like.
3. Works must be rated General Audiences, Teen and Up Audiences, or Mature Audiences (No E rated fics)
4. Only one claim per person, and one person per prompt.
5. You must tag your work appropriately and extensively. You must have either 'no archive warnings apply' or 'main character death' applied to your fic. AKA NO rape/non-con, underage sex, or graphic depictions of violence. If your fic contains one of these three content warnings, it will be withdrawn from the flash fest.
6. All writers must read and vote. (Exemptions are available for those uncomfortable with reading M fics. You can still read G and T fics, but you will not be able to vote if M fics are in the running.)
7. You cannot vote for your own work.
8. Works must be a minimum of 500 words and a maximum of 2,000 words. (Beginning and Ending Notes do not count)
9. Works cannot be crossovers unless they exist in the same universe.
10. Do not show your work anywhere before the awards are given.
11. The use of a beta is allowed.
12. Please add the tag 'Discord: Character A Character B' to the tag-list on your work.
13. The use of AI to create your work is forbidden.

Breakdown of fics by rating

General= G rated movies/ material.

Teen (13+)= Includes PG movies AND PG-13 movies: Think Marvel movies, DC movies, comics, etc, and the violence/language/material that comes with these forms of media.

Mature = Content with adult themes (sex, violence, etc.) that isn't as graphic as explicit-rated content but is still heavily themed. This is the majority of your R rated movies and movies with multiple slurs/excessively heavy cursing. Please be aware that though M rated fics are allowed, there must be either 'No archive warnings apply' or 'main character death' applied to your work. As much as I love a good gory fic, this flash fest is milder and therefore no extreme depictions of violence may be used (aka no in-detail depiction of beheadings, graphic torture, limb amputations, rape, or themes along these lines) and no incestuous relationships depicted in detail are allowed (mentioning is fine, just no Game of Thrones level deep diving into it).

Mature content that can be used: You can have fade to black scenes and implied sexual activity/beginning of sexual activities- but no outright pornographic fics. Mental anguish, trauma, hurt/comfort, explicit language and violence/themes/mental health issues as seen in PG-13 to rated R movies are fair game [excluding in-detail graphic depictions of such violence (Aka, a person's head can be cut off, but please don't write three paragraphs about how it feels to have your head chopped off) and underage sex, including age-gaps involving minors explained or depicted in great detail)].

Use your best judgement. There are always going to be issues/ideology differences between T and M fics and no matter how in depth I or any other user goes, it will not make everyone happy. If you have any questions, please DM me on Discord or submit your work to the collection and we can discuss before it gets revealed.

Feel free to get as angsty/fluffy/cracky as you want within these parameters!