#v explicitly platonic

[se7ens-oc-heaven]

And now, time for some oc writing!! Specifically, a self-contained piece for my SwSh oc Rex. I think of this as a sort of brief, non-chronological "timeline" piece for him, showing out-of-context snapshots to sort of give a sense of his main drive in the Legendkeepers story. Hopefully you'll all enjoy, this is my first time doing a format like this but I hope it isn't too confusing!

Context: Rex is my oc who follows the Shield storyline, becoming a champion of Galar and exploring the story and events in the Crown Tundra afterwards. His best friend, Ritsu, is a "Faller" who went missing when they were children, and never came back. This follows Rex and how he handles this disappearance as he gets older.

•••

Rex was eleven years old when he first heard the news that his best friend was reported missing. He was worried, of course. He loved his friend dearly. But, in the way you do when you're eleven, he also felt a sureness of how the world worked in a way that didn't always turn out the way it by all rights should have. 

"Yeah, mum and dad have been losing their minds over it. You'd think the world was ending over here, never mind how Ritsu’s parents have been handling things," Rex said rather blithely to Hop, his neighbor and longtime friend. Ritsu's longtime friend. Hop, perched on the stone wall next to Rex, tilted his head at him, confused. 

"They said Ritsu's gone though, right? That sounds awful serious to me," he countered, concern lacing his expression. Hop, by this point, had gathered the nature of the situation well before Rex did. Rex shrugged, swinging his feet aimlessly, heels battering the old stone wall beneath him. 

"I dunno. I mean, it can't be that bad. His parents are always making a fuss if Ritsu misses so much as snack time, and you know he's aces at building super secret bases. He prolly just made a new one and didn't tell them," Rex explained, hopping off the wall with a muted 'oof'. 

"Hey, maybe next time we go visit, we should ask him if we can sleep over in it! I bet it's so cool no one would ever wanna leave, and that's why no one's seen him yet!" He added excitedly. Hop nodded, eyes brightening, the enthusiasm infectious. 

"Yeah, that'd be awesome!" 

•••

Rex was ten years old when his parents were ready to let him take on his first Pokemon. Rex had been eagerly waiting for the day. Bursting with excitement when they told him the good news. But he asked, as politely as he'd ever asked anything, that he wait a year before getting one. 

"Rex, dear, this is all you've ever talked about for so long! I don't mind, but why the change of heart?" His mother inquired, surprised. 

"I was thinking I want to wait until Ritsu can get his, so we can get ours together and they can be bestest buds just like we are!" Rex beamed. His parents exchanged fond, if somewhat anxious glances. 

"I don't have a problem with it," his dad chimed in. 

"But... Ritsu may not even want a pokemon. You know how he gets around them," he added carefully, watching his son for his response. Rex, unphased, shook his head. 

"It'll be fine! He'd feel loads better if he had one looking out for him, I know he would! And so'd his parents! I bet if they quit nagging him so much they'd all learn pokemon can be really cool too!" 

"Rex! That's no way to speak about them!" His mother scolded him with a huff. Rex merely gave a cheeky shrug. 

"It's true though!" 

•••

Rex was fifteen years old when he decided to take on the gym challenge. His parents protested his decision, but he didn't care. He was tired of them getting on his case all the time anymore. Always the same thing, nag nag nag. Ever since Ritsu had disappeared, both his mum and dad had gone insane about keeping track of Rex, holding him accountable at all times. Rex was fed up with it. 

"Ready to go, Miki?" He whispered to his Charmander, sitting on the bedroom sill next to him. Miki wagged her tail, the embers flickering in a mesmerizing fashion in the early dawn light. 

"Char!" She squeaked eagerly. Rex shushed her, brushing a fingertip down her nose gently as a tactile reminder. He grinned down at the charmander in her little red bow. 

"Alright. Let's go then, before we wake mum and dad," he murmured, gesturing with a free arm. Miki took the cue, hopping onto his shoulders, clinging for all she was worth. Rex took a final look down the wall, and - judging it clear - hauled himself down the side, keeping a solid hold on the windowsill now above him. He felt around for good footholds, inching his way down. Normally he'd have no qualms about just dropping right down into the bush below, full force. But he had to be quiet. 

Miki whimpered slightly as Rex slid a little, missing what he thought had been a good ledge. She clung tighter as he fumbled around, adjusting his handholds once he felt his legs were stable. Rex took another look down. Should be good enough, right? 

"Hold on, Miki," he whispered, and with a push he launched himself off the wall, landing on his feet below just in front of the bush. The momentum carried him into a kneel, and he rammed his knees down into the grass with a pained grunt. Oh, he'd be feeling that one later. But that was later, and this was now. And right now, he had to go meet with Hop. 

"Whew.... Alright," Rex muttered to himself, shaking off the lingering pain from his graceless landing. 

"Let's go!" 

It would be several hours before his parents discovered what happened. Rex would be long gone for Wedgehurst by then, and fresh off of what would be his first of many legendary encounters.  

•••

Rex was sixteen years old as he stared down death for the first real time. As he placed himself between Leon and Hop, the latter crying for the former to wake up, pull himself together, Death stared down at the scene before it with a blank apathy. Rex glowered up at the unfeeling hand just waiting to scoop them all up within its chilling grasp. He didn't care what it thought it was, it was out of line! 

The creature - Eternatus, presumably - thundered a hollow, alien cry, and Rex readied his pokeballs. It'd have to kill him and his team before it could get to Hop and Leon. 

•••

Rex was still sixteen years old as he tackled the chairman to the floor of the power plant. He'd never cared much for the man and his glib manner of speaking, but it had never been personal. Before now, that is. 

Now? He wanted nothing more dearly than to make the older man pay for what he did. For endangering his pokemon. For endangering Leon. For endangering Hop, and nearly putting him through another loss. For nearly putting Rex through another loss. 

Well. Rex almost wanted nothing more dearly than to make the older man pay.  

Rex was sixteen years old as the other adults hauled him off of the beaten and battered chairman, voices blending together into a thick stew of concern and shock, worry and admonishment. 

Rex was sixteen years old as he was escorted from the Hammerlocke gym, into a throng of cameras and microphones pushing and shoving greedily towards him, ready to feed. 

Rex was sixteen years old as articles scrutinizing him flew off the press and as news reporters used his name as they would that of a storm in the daily weather report. 

Rex was sixteen years old, a hero of Galar. A public figure.

Rex was sixteen years old when he became the Champion.

Rex was sixteen years old. 

•••

Rex was twelve years old, nearly thirteen, when he attended his best friend's funeral. He didn't understand why. Ritsu was still missing. Not dead. 

According to the adults, it was because there were no leads, no sign of Ritsu anywhere at any point, and so they had to assume the worst. Well, then the adults hadn't looked hard enough! That wasn't Ritsu's fault if they were bollocks at searches. They shouldn't have been giving up on him just for that. 

Rex stood amid a mass of black, holding his baby charmander close to his chest. That shouldn't be out, someone had scolded, put it back in its pokeball. 

No, Rex had said, standing firm. Miki has just as much right to be here as anyone. She wasn't hurting anything.

The adults continued to shoot him looks for the orange bundle in his black-clad arms. He let them. 

Miki had been there for him through all of this. She didn't deserve to be cooped up in some ball just because the others thought she was lesser. 

At least Hop understood. Over half of the times that Rex had looked up to see a disapproving glare sent his way, he also saw Hop giving them a hard stare of his own, inching himself in the middle of the line of sight. Rex would give an appreciative smile and Hop would hit him with a small grin of his own. 

"You don't have to handle this alone", it seemed to say. 

•••

Rex was sixteen years old as he stood next to his best friend Hop, in the midst of a panicked evacuation from the Darkest Day heralding the end of the world.

“Aaaagh, shit. How are we going to find Leon in this mess?” Hop bounced on the balls of his feet anxiously, trying to crane his neck to see past the people flooding out of the building. 

“Stay calm. If there’s one thing I’ve learned researching about Ritsu, it’s-”

“Oh, drop it about Ritsu for one damned second!” Hop swore. Rex faltered, startled. Around them, alarms blared and a cacophony of voices swarmed in all directions around them. 

Rex stared back at Hop, brows furrowed in a question he was too speechless to ask. Hop waved his arm in a sweeping motion towards everything. 

“Now’s not the time! Just look at this! We have to focus on the now, on saving my brother!”

Rex found himself protesting without fully meaning to.

“Well, yeah, obviously. I wasn’t saying otherwise. I was jus-”

“No, I know! But it’s not the same! It’s not! The same!” Hop interrupted, voice raising.

 “My bro’s still alive! Ritsu’s dead! He’s been dead, and I’ve let it go all this time that you keep blithering on about bringing him back or whatever, but now’s not the time!”

Rex fell still. Hop glared him down for a moment before it was clear no one was going to make a move otherwise. 

“Ugh, screw this! I’m going to go find Leon! Or the chairman. Or. Something!” Hop scoffed, whirling on his heel and running off into the amorphous cloud of people.

Rex hesitated. 

He had to go help too. 

His feet felt welded to the floor. 

Rex was sixteen years old as he stood, lost and alone in a crowd of people fleeing the end of the world. 

•••

Rex was sixteen, going on seventeen years old, as the wind blustered around him, stealing his heat from his bones. He paid it little mind, all attention trained on the pokemon before him, its absurdly large head bobbing around in front of him. Chief Peony likewise bobbed in the air, suspended with telekinesis Rex had wagered, expression almost peaceful as words were spoken through him. 

"I am Calyrex. I am the one known as the King of Bountiful Harvests. I have borrowed this man's body in order to thank you in person...so to speak."

The wind was surely stealing Peony's heat away. He hoped the chief could hold out a little longer. 

•••

“Hold out just a little bit longer, Ritsu.”

Rex was eleven years old, nearly twelve, as he muttered this into his palm. He sat sullenly in his room, staring out the window, grounded for the third time that month for trying to take a train - and then ultimately, a plane - to Hoenn all by himself. 

He was tired of waiting for the adults to get off their arses and find his friend! It was obvious he needed to take matters into his own hands! Not that his parents listened to a word he’d say. What would they know? 

Dejectedly, he flipped through the pages of a worn comic book issue with one hand, disinterested in the panels and words he’d read over a dozen times by now. Only one speech bubble happened to catch his eye by chance as the pages scattered past, a shout bubble belonging to a desperate hero.

“Hold out a little bit longer.”

It was a phrase used often enough, especially in his favorite comics. Seriously enough. Ritsu was fine, Rex knew he was. But it felt appropriate, somehow, to apply it to the situation. 

Hold out a little bit longer. 

Rex was eleven years old, nearly twelve, when a knock on the door distracted him from a troubling line of thinking. 

•••

“Hold on there, Rex,” Rex’s mum had laughed gaily, keying the number into the rotom phone. Rex, twelve years old, sat shoulder to shoulder with Hop, bouncing his knee in impatience as the egg before him glowed gently. 

“But dad’s going to miss it!” Rex whined. 

“He’ll still get to meet the baby pokemon that’s come out of it,” Leon reassured over the speaker. Rex had insisted everyone be present, even if it meant Hop called his brother while Rex’s mum tried - and failed - to reach his dad. 

“It’s supposed to be a charmander, right?” Hop asked his brother. 

“Could be.” 

Rex startled from his pout, and his head whipped to the phone in Hop’s lap. 

“You said it was an egg from your charizard, guaranteed!”

“I mean, who can really tell with eggs?” Leon laughed. Rex had just about wound up a retort when a telltale crack sound snapped in front of him. All eyes trained on the source. 

The egg was hatching. 

Everyone watched, spellbound, as the egg broke open in a blaze of light. A little orange lizard sprawled out from the broken shell, stretching with a tiny squeak of effort, before large aquamarine eyes turned up curiously towards Rex. 

“Hullo there,” Rex whispered, leaning closer to the tiny charmander. 

“Want to be my friend?”

•••

Rex was twenty five years old as he stood, uncertainly, in Eterna forest, an aged flute clutched in both hands. Beside him, Miki, his charizard and most faithful companion, leaned down to huff at the instrument. Rex chuckled, and stroked at her muzzle soothingly. 

“Yeah, I hear ya. ‘S now or never, huh?” 

At his other side, Calyrex nodded sagely. 

“It’s time, Rex,” they confirmed. Rex took a deep breath in. And out. Then, holding the time flute up to his lips, he began to play. 

The trio heard a noise akin to if glitter were a sound, and a delighted laugh chimed across the forest. Rex opened his eyes to see Celebi, hovering in front of him expectantly. 

“Calyrex?” Rex prompted, still nervous. Calyrex nodded. 

“Celebi is ready,” they affirmed. Rex nodded, a smile starting to spread across his lips as it sank in. 

He’d done it. 

He’d finally be bringing Ritsu home. 

Rex was twenty-five years old as he looked Celebi in the eye and said,

“Let’s do it, then. Take me back to Hisui.”

[paintingpuff]

I'm late to the aro positivity party but thought I could shout out a manga I read this year, I Want to be a Wall!

It's about an aroace woman (who is really into BL) and a gay man being arranged into a marriage and how they navigate that, growing closer and kind of becoming a QPR.

The stuff that really got to me was the discussion of the woman's experience with her asexuality (and aromanticism though that isn't explicitly labeled), how it connects to her media tastes and the way people have hurt her in the past. It was all absolutely heartbreaking.

A fun detail I also like is how the pair act out romantic tropes (Gift of Magi style misunderstanding, paranoia about "cheating,"), but they are all done through a platonic context.

(Ex. Even though they're not in romantic love, he still feels upset at the idea of losing their bond, or her getting hurt by someone he doesn't know.)

There's not too many chapters of it out, unfortunately (only like two volumes), but the ones I read are very enjoyable and I'd love to put this on other people's radar!

(btw, I got this manga rec from this video, and there's more in it!)

Asexual Manga and their Powerful Visibility

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=urXrwYmMdgA

[hitlikehammers]

🧋That One Time It Went Soulmate v. Soulmate, Double-or-Nothing Between 🍦Robin and Eddie🎸, Because No One Could Deserve Robin’s Plantonic Soulmate EVER, but Eddie Can (and WILL) Count The Ways That He’ll Fucking ✨TRY✨

☕️OR: 5/5 times Steve/Eddie talk to anyone but each other about their feelings (for each other), +1 (other time they turn around and talk to one another)

Robin’s staring openly at him after he places their order with an extra shake to go—to take home with him for when Steve gets off work.

“You sure that’s what he wants?”

Eddie turns to her slowly.

“He’s my favorite person in the world,” Eddie says simply; “I know what his favorite flavor is.”

In fairness: it does change. He has a baseline that’s good always but, this time of year, the chill in the air? After a shift, especially one without Robin? Here, from this diner, with its stupidly weird-ass menu?

Caramel Waffle. No question.

“Hmm,” Robin hums around her straw as they go to take a seat—he’ll grab Steve’s when they’re done so it’s not melted to fuck before he can get it in a freezer.

“So,” she pops her lips together as he slides in across from her—he was waiting for this tone. She’d been cagey all afternoon. They hang out enough on their own for him to have clocked it when he picked her up: she had a mission. An agenda.

Eddie was pretty sure from the jump that both of those things were just…him.

He just wasn’t sure yet about the why.

“I want you to know that it is not out of a lesser opinion of you, or our friendship, that I am asking you this,” she starts, almost businesslike but he also sees how earnestly she means it; “and honestly I am cautiously optimistic on all fronts, but,” she bites her lip before straightening up a bit and tilting her chin, full-on resolute.

“He’s too important,” she says it, uncompromising. “And cautious optimism is not sufficient.” She nods to herself, takes what looks like a fortifying drink of her milkshake and then forges into…something not wholly unlike battle:

“What are your intentions toward my Platonic Soulmate?”

Eddie’d figured it was Steve; the mission. The agenda.

Even when they hang out on their own, Steve’s too big a part of both of them for him to ever be absent. Not for real.

But, this particular mission? Like…

“We exchanged rings, Birdie,” Eddie says, kinda at a loss; “you were there.”

She was the witness-they-didn’t-technically-need and the best-woman-that-counted-for-everything when they very-not-legally threw a barbecue to pledge for always out loud with the people they loved, when as many of those people as possible could gather and see it and know it—make it feel a fraction as big as it is in Eddie’s chest, for some slice of the world to know it explicitly, out loud.

And see it.

Robin purses her lips and stares him down, unimpressed.

“You know what I mean.”

And…yeah. If he thinks on it, he…probably does.

He doesn’t agree that it’s necessary by any means but: he can agree that Steve is too important for anything to be left to assumptions; to just ‘cautious’ anything.

Steve deserves only whole-hearts. All-in. Absolute certainty for always, when it comes to loving. To keeping and cherishing.

To having and holding.

So what she means is more than the rings. Goes beyond the so-called honeymoon period everyone’s got a comment about, which Eddie refuses to call as such, or acknowledge as anything like that at all, because like…okay, look.

His heart feels easy in his chest, now, in a way it never had before Steve. It felt that way on the worst days of PT, through the worst of the pain. It felt that way sometimes even that first time trudging through hell, without even knowing the man. Eddie hadn’t even realized his heart was all sludged up and calcified until he looked at Steve and it shivered so hard that all of that gunk sloughed off and he was made brand new.

That’s not a honeymoon period. That’s the start of the rest of his whole fucking life, where a certain vibrant level of joy is the baseline. Is their rule.

But, for someone outside Eddie’s chest: he understands. Robin means past that thing she thinks she’s seeing. She means…past Hawkins. Past the Upside Down and all the heartache. Past…forever.

What are his…

“I don’t think I believed people had souls, in like, the sense that people say it?” Eddie starts, because Robin of all people deserves the fullest truth he can offer.

Also—and fuck if he ever admits it out loud—but it’s also because if she’s gonna question his heart, in this, no matter how entitled she is to make sure?

She can damn well be subjected to the full extent of his capacity to wax poetic upon just how overwhelmingly, impossibly, marrow-deep in love he is.

“Definitely not the churchy sense,” he clarifies with a wave of the hand; “I thought they were abstract, just a word for an idea, y’know?”

She knows—she’s told him that she felt something of the same.

Before Steve.

“But he made me believe in them,” Eddie says, and fuck you, maybe his voice is already a little shaky, but he wants her to know how honest he is, how committed he is, how deep his runs—just like how she learned what it was to be Steve’s soulmate, too.

“Because it’s the very real thing that makes me feel alive like I never knew I could feel,” and his left hand reaches up a little awkward to his chest to feel what it is to be alive that big with his own palm, and the sensation of it against the ring on his previously so-long-empty finger there, now the safe-keeper of Steve’s Grandad’s ring, the one he paid some fancy jeweller with his own paycheck—we will use my family’s money, together, he’d told Eddie later, days into what actually was their literal honeymoon; this is from me, like, from my heart to yours and if Eddie’d cried a little about it, naked between rounds in their hotel bed, and if he’d kissed Steve senseless about it a lot at the same time? Damn right he should have—but pressing his hand to his chest with the now-familiar weight and warmth of that ring?

Fuck, but does he feel alive. And as far as his soul goes?

“He is where mine lives.”

It’s Steve. It’s all Steve.

“Or how mine lives. How it came to be,” Eddie still hasn’t puzzled it out entirely, the specifics; isn’t sure if he ever will. “Or both.”

Not that it matters, really. It might be the only puzzle in his whole fucking life that his brain’s willing to let lie not-wholly solved, because again: whatever the details could possibly be, they’d just lead back to a piece or part of a single entity.

The singular love of his life.

“I will kill you if you hurt him,” Robin jolts him back into the now, where he thinks maybe more silence has gathered than he thought, between the last words he did say and now.

She looks at him…not mean, not like daggers: more just really honest. Wide-eyed and more serious than he’s ever watched her be, even when they were almost certainly walking toward their own deaths in battle.

“Please do,” Eddie answers her, automatic. That is, like, not a hard thing to figure out a response to.

“Like, they’ll never find the body,” Robin leans forward over the table, almost knocks her milkshake over and frowns as she slides it aside further out of her way and takes her position again: “I’m serious.”

“Me too,” Eddie says simply before taking a long suck of his milkshake. “If I hurt him, the way you’re talking?” He spreads his arms and gestures wide to himself, all his most vulnerable parts on display because, like:

“Do me the favor. Please.”

He hopes it’d still be easy, splayed with all his squishy vital parts to hit, just bone in the way; hopes all the scar tissue wouldn’t make the job too difficult.

“Why?” Robin asks, a little…not sharp exactly.

Pointed.

But Eddie doesn’t understand why the question of whyeven needs to be asked, especially from her. It’s fucking obvious.

“If I hurt him?” Eddie shrugs, takes a sip again of his shake to keep his throat from getting too thick with any emotions at…entertaining an impossible thing.

“If I did that, I wouldn’t deserve him anymore, even if I didn’t automatically drive him away by default, for the hurting. I’d lose him either way,” and the shake doesn’t even taste right for how wrong those words feel, the bile underneath them, but it’s still mostly making the horrible words…easier.

Given the topic.

Because Eddie doesn’t care really for himself like that—though Steve, outside this unnerving and frankly fucking stomach-churning hypothetical and instead in the blissful beautiful now: Steve would get all frowny at him and scold him like one of his no-longer-little-nuggets for making idiotic choices or saying dumbass things—but Steve isn’t here.

And Eddie means this shit.

“I don’t really know if I’d even want to,” he swallows hard, thankful for the cold of the shake to keep his wits somewhat together; keep him on task to the fucking point: “to be a person, without a soul,” he leans back in the seat and crosses his arms over the squishy bits of him now, because in the now he hasn’t done anything to jeopardize the best thing that’s every fucking happened to him; that ever will.

“Not now that I know what it’s like to live with one, like this.”

And Eddie feels his lips curving at…well. Basically it’s kind of unavoidable, trying to keep a smile off his face when he thinks on Steve:

“Like this. With him.”

Robin matches him, leaning back and crossing her arms, eyeing him oddly.

“It’s not healthy to base your life around whether another person’s in it.”

“Says the platonic soulmate,” Eddie literally snorts, glad he’s not drinking for it—ice cream up the nose fucking sucks; “sounds like those codependency talks your parents were sneaking in took root somewhere, if you’re spouting them back at me.”

Eddie may not have been present for the months post-Starcourt where the Buckleys had struggled with whether Steve was a suitor or a playboy, for how often he and their daughter dogged each other’s steps, but he’s heard the stories. He knows it took them a while to…if not entirely understand it, at least to accept it.

Steve’s been known to watch the game with her dad when Wayne’s not home. Steve plies her mom with baked goods that she used to signal her acceptance of him, her welcome even, after breaking down to ask for recipes.

He gave them to her, or most of them, but won her fully over by promising he’d never be so far away not to make them for her himself.

“I never said I believed it,” Robin grouses, a little defensive; “let alone agreed with it. It was just a statement.”

Eddie expected as much. But he’s not above wanting to poke holes in her flimsy-ass attempt to set him off-balance. To…test him, however she’s trying to.

“But that’s not what I meant.”

He knew that, too. But he’s not absolutely sure what she meant instead.

Despite his myriad suspicions. He does have a formidable knack for imagining potential scenarios.

“I would have answered the same way, so,” Robin huffs; “I didn’t need that ‘why’.”

Eddie bites back a little smirk at her streak of indignation—not the time.

He’s actually getting better at that. Appropriate timing. It helps, appreciating what it means to have so many people he loves.

And then, one person who defines all that love is, all on his own. Every breath he breathes.

“I meant,” Robin finally leans in again, pins him with her stare, with meaning; “why do you love him?”

He doesn’t…expect that. Not from Robin.

But her tone doesn’t question it. Doesn’t question her dearest friend, her closest confidant, her Captial-P soulmate.

She’s…not testing him. But she is weighing him.

And somehow that’s very different.

“Why?” he still can’t help but huff a laugh. “How does anyone not?”

She squares her shoulders, but as formidable as she makes herself, as formidable as she is, her eyes are all heartbreak. But the protective kind.

“A lot of people are stupid,” she spits; “have been so goddamn stupid.”

Eddie knows she doesn’t mean him. It’s not directed his way. He agrees with her, and appreciates that if the time ever comes, he has the best second in command at his side to stand guard for the heart he loves more than his own.

He gets what she means, why she’s asking—why any of this is happening, today.

She’s seen more than him, but not even half, betweenthem, of the people so stupid, so reckless as to trample his beautiful husband’s heart.

Their soulmate’s heart.

And now that he gets it, he has so many ways to ease whatever fears she has, concerns that aren’t about him, but linger because she cares that much.

He can easily give her what she’s looking for.

“I love his smile,” Eddie says with his own, because it’s not about the way it looks, so much as the lights that glow through in him for it. “I love when he hugs me,” he’s so good at it, it makes a man feel safe as much as cherished, protected with strength and cradled with care. He feels Steve’s heartbeat against his sometimes like that, held close enough, pressed tight enough.

“And then when he < I>holds me,” when it’s all of that, but more. Longer. Sustained and Eddie can drown in it. In him.

“He kisses like it’s an Olympic sport where he’s the reigning gold medalist for always,” because sure, Eddie hadn’t had a vast amount of experience but he’d been kissed, even if only dirty and sloppy and never any further, but he’d thought they been at least decent.

Little did he fucking know.

“But then, at the same time he treats it like it’s his favorite pastime.”

Because Steve doesn’t just deal in the breathtaking, world-rewriting approach; he also dives in thorough, devoted down to his cells.

Breathtaking, world-rewriting all in its own unfathomable way.

“His laugh,” and Eddie’s smile grows as his chest feels like it expands, like it always finds a way to do just when Eddie thinks it can’t swell any more, like, for the laws of physics.

He did eventually pass physics, but. They never covered anything to do with love.

And even if they had, it couldn’t have been the kind of love Eddie feels, now.

“The way his brow furrows when he’s confused, or frustrated, like he,” and Eddie sees it, the little crinkles, the soft sparkling behind his eyes as he tries to sort something out behind them, like the fires of his mind at work, and it’s a beautiful thing.

“But mostly so I get to smooth it out,” Eddie admits because: it’s a beautiful thing. And it’s likewise a temptation.

All of Steve is kind of both at the same time, always.

“I love that he lets me take care of him,” and not just for the way it makes him feel proud of being trusted that much, where so few have ever passed the bar for entry into the magic of who Steve is, in his wholeness.

“Not least because taking care if him is one if the best things in the whole world,” because Steve doesn’t hide anything anymore, and he’s so open, so honest with every vulnerable piece, and Eddie feels like he could conquer the world with the might of that confidence, that faith; “like when your heart and your mind and your body all align right and agree, this is what you were made for,” and he believes that. He was built to meet Steve Harrington, and to be bound to every part of him. To be his partner in all things. To love and to honor and to cherish. For all of time.

“I love him for seeing me,” because it works both ways, and the feeling of having Steve is only rivalled in perfect measure by what it feels like to be had and held by Steve in kind: “and letting me see him.”

Always together. It still steals Eddie’s breath almost painful, but too sweet to ever try and tamp it down.

“I love falling asleep on his chest,” Eddie’s eyes close of their own accord, can feel it like that’s where he is, here and now, the bed of curls between those delectable nipples, the softness of his skin. “He runs so warm, like just, like when his heart beats, it’s pumping safety and comfort as a rule and when you’re pressed against him, it just emanates into you,” and that’s it, that’s exactly it.

“I love his heartbeat,” not just because he’d sought it out with desperate need after their last fight with the monsters, when it’d been Steve they almost lost. “Like the sound, when I’m against him,” because now, it’s a lullaby, an embrace, a declaration, every assurance Eddie doesn’t strictly need anymore but never passes up an opportunity to listen to and bask in, every opportunity he gets.

“I love how it feels when,” he starts, pauses when Robin’s face scrunches a little, like she’s bracing for a blow and it clicks, what she’s expecting.

He…wasn’t not going to at least skirt the edges of that part of their relationship. What often comes before he sleeps on Steve’s chest. But.

“Don’t worry, Birdie,” he assures her, dramatically folding his hands over hers with cloying sincerity; “I won’t defile your virgin ears.”

“If I have to listen to the retelling of your sexploits from him,” Robin smacks his hands away with a grimace; “I think once is enough.”

Eddie cackles as Robin groans.

“More than.”

He waves her off as he catches her breath; he won’t make her relive it herself. He’d love to, for his own sake and enjoyment but, he does love Robin. He doesn’t want to orchestrate her torture.

At least not today.

“I love how he eats his breakfast,” how he starts with a rich boy’s manners and ends like a starving man, with bits of egg on his cheek.

“I love how he brushes his teeth,” smearing toothpaste around first then going back to brush in tiny circles all around.

“I love how weirdly and, like, inhumanly quick he does his hair?” It’s record setting, seriously, like how can you get that height and that coif so perfect so fast. “But then how what always makes him almost late is picking the right shoes.”

Robin laughs, then reins herself back; it’s true though. How the clearly color-coded collections of the same fucking tennis shoes befuddle him for choice is hilarious, but so fucking endearing as hell.

“I love how I can tell him that I love him,” because for one, and the least of it all: Eddie never thought he’d find himself in a future where that was even the slightest possibility. But when it’s Steve? When it’s…when it’s this, with Steve?

When Steve lets Eddie love him? And flushes and smiles and melts for it, every goddamn time? Because of Eddie, and the size of Eddie’s love, or however much of it can be conveyed in the dearly limited medium of puny words?

“It’s him, but it’s,” Eddie shakes his head, beaming stupidly he knows, feels it in his cheeks, tugging his scars—he knows, but see, he couldn’t possibly give one single shit about it because his heart is so full, because he gets to love Steve Harrington, and—

“Loving him has been the greatest thing I’ve ever known. It’s not a privilege. It’s not a joy. It’s not a blessing,” Eddie laughs, just once: the limits of language are…offensive, almost. Because no.

It’s none of those things.

“It’s like I said, loving him?”

He waits for Robin to meet his eyes so she sees what the words can’t hold, never could, and while he’s not banking on his gaze carrying the whole of it, he’s more confident it can weave together at least some of the gaps.

“It’s what lives in me now and tells me I’m alive,” and that’s honest, that’s honest to all and every god, and all that surpasses them in the whole of being. “Maybe reminds me there are things to be alive for,” Eddie licks his lips, lets himself feel the way his heartbeat’s ramped up simply because he…he loves.

Because he loves.

“It is meaning, and it is light, and it is purpose and it’s what makes you open your eyes and feel that soft settled gratefulness that you get to do any of it, because he’s next to you,” Eddie’s words come without needing to think, or plan, for all he once scripted speeches on tabletops, or in notebooks to guide a narrative: this is his life. And more importantly: his love. His heart and his soul.

He wouldn’t want a script for any of it.

But more than wanting: he doesn’t have a single fucking need for it.

It is in his cells. He is made of all this, now. Of course it comes out of its own accord.

As blinding and as certain as it damn well should.

“He’s the reason for all of it,” Eddie finally says, voice a little shaky but it’s just because his breath’s a little shaky first, with the vastness of it all. “What would be the point, without it? Without him?”

He doesn’t need an answer, and Robin doesn’t try to give one. But he will ask, just as much without any need of a response:

“If that isn’t the same thing as a soul, then what the fuck is?”

It rings kinda quiet for a few seconds. Then minutes. Robin glances at her now melted remnants of milkshake.

Eddie looks to his own almost-full glass of wholly-unfrozen chocolate malt, and the condensation pooled underneath.

When he looks up, Robin’s eyes are on him. Shining and much less confrontational than they’d been.

“What?” Eddie asks, mostly confused but still a little suspicious. He’s been as flayed-wide as he can be, and is proud to be, and he trusts Robin implicitly but…he was being weighed and measured in order to be judged somehow.

So, he thinks it’s only smart to be at least a little bit cautious.

“Just glad,” she says, and smiles honest, no agenda left now. “You’re one of my favorite people,” and Eddie knew that in theory, at least by implication—still feels very nice to hear it.

“But you’re not my Platonic Soulmate.”

Eddie knew that, too. More than in theory. He respects the fuck out of it.

He appreciates that people beyond Eddie love Steve as fierce as this. Just as he deserves.

“It would have sucked to have had to take you out if you didn’t deserve him.”

Eddie snorts, because he knows she fucking means it. He’s almost honored that she thinks the idea of having to gut him in Steve’s defense would have been paired with any level of remorse.

“Mind you,” Robin goes a little serious again, but not…not like before.

“I don’t know if anyone deserves him,” and she says that more like I don’t think anyone could. Eddie doesn’t disagree.

But he thinks that’s the end of it, and decides he’s not going to let good ice cream go to waste just because it’s more an…extra cold Yoo-hoo slushie.

And how could he even consider letting that go to waste? Who would he even be if he did that, he wouldn’t even recognize himself—

“But you.”

Eddie looks up to meet her gaze with his lips still on the straw, mouth full of creamy chocolate. It’s not his most dignified look.

And she’s…she’s still kind of assessing, but…more like she’s made up her mind, by now. Finished her mission, fulfilled her agenda. Has the weight of him.

Possibly approves, even.

“You’re close enough.”

And goddamn, that is some glowing praise from Robin Buckley.

Especially when it comes to her Platonic Soulmate.

And yeah, maybe Eddie does drink the rest of his Yoo-hoo slushie with a little bit of pride for it.

He knows it tastes sweeter to the last obnoxious half-air-filled sip, either way.

1: Gareth // 2: Mrs. Harrington // 3: Wayne // 4: Chrissy // 5: Robin // +1: Steve // +2: ???

🍦💚 📼

✨also on ao3

💫for @penny00dreadful—happiest of happy birthdays, my lovely 🖤

✨permanent tag list: OPEN (lmk if you want to be added/removed): @ajeff855 @allmyfavoritethingsinoneblog @anthrobrat @askitwithflours @awkwardgravity1 @bookworm0690 @bumblebeecuttlefishes @captain--low @depressed-freak13 @disrespectedgoatman @dragoon-ze-great @dreamercec @dreamwatch @dreamy-jeans137 @estrellami-1 @eternal-sunflowers @friendlyneighborhoodgaycousin @goodolefashionedloverboi @grtwdsmwhr @gunsknivesandplaid @hiei-harringtonmunson @hbyrde36 @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @kimsnooks @live-laugh-love-dietrich @madigoround @mensch-anthropos-human @nerdyglassescheeseychick @notaqueenakhaleesi @ollyxar @pearynice @perseus-notjackson @pretend-theres-a-name-here

divider credit here, and oddly: me, too 🖤

[novelbear]

can you do prompts for celebrating the friendship part of valentine's with others? i feel like most people forget it's the day of friendship and love and i'm a sucker for explicitly nonromantic things :]

aw yes this is so important too! here's what i could come up with <3

platonic valentine's day things for best friends 💗

exchanging little care baskets with all their favorite snacks and things

sending each other cute little v-day cards in the mail

planning a little picnic together

making cute friendship bracelets

^ maybe they'll spell out a word that describes them or that they're most grateful for on said bracelet (like cute, funny, strong)

spending the day making the funniest phrases they can out of the conversation hearts

blindfolding each other and trying to guess which candy or chocolate the other gave them

going to one of those little painting and wine spots and making each other lovely drawings

"hey, you want a kiss?" [confused] "what???" "the chocolate, relax."

spending the night in watching bad rom-coms and laughing their asses off

"will you be my valentine?" "why i thought you'd never ask."

[strwbrychffoncke]

my baby, my baby 5.8k words

synopsis: glimpses into the life of jonathan joestar & his beloved child

content: alt. timeline (obv)... femchild! reader & dad!jonathan (platonic if that wasn't obvious), pure wholesome fluffy family, dio appearance (dio hates kids but not really LOL) ,lovesick!jonathan & erina ,dio has a job in law + jonathan in archeology like in canon (but they're not explicitly mentioned lol?) ,use manor + estate interchangeably.. jonathan ,erina + dio live in said estate ,dio v ooc (LOL) ,looooooots of petnames ,angst in the last part if you squint but its mostly resolved ,age between each section isn't stated but implied (kinda goes from infant to maybe 4+ yrs old?) ,i didnt do much research for the time period so if anything is out of place no it isnt.... i think that's it disclaimer: this is fiction so dunno if things mentioned are 100% as i have never cared for children myself ,but my mom works w kids/babies & i asked her a lot to try to incorporate it into my writing... for that reason i ask for your understanding if anything is "off" ; regardless ,i hope its still enjoyable <3

-

jonathan can't think of any particular moment throughout his life that made his heart swell with quite as much joy as it was at this moment.

"watch her head... there you go. isn't she the cutest?"

jonathan can find no words to respond as he gazes down at his child, eyes shining as a pair of curious e/c ones stare right back.

even though he's held you many times the past couple of days, he doesn't think he'll ever get used it.

erina giggles at his awestruck expression, already seeing a clear resemblance between you both.

you must also be amused at your father's expression, as your tiny nose scrunches and you let out a giggle of your own, eyes bright and playful.

jonathan thinks it's one of the most beautiful sounds he's ever heard.

his eyes grow glossy, shifting his gaze to his wife.

"she's perfect."

he's beaming, as if he himself were radiating light.

erina can only spare a kiss for him before they both lock their loving gazes onto you.

-

erina thinks she finds a little too much amusement in seeing her 189 cm hunk of a husband cradling his little baby with so much care, as if she were made of glass.

when your cries rang out in the middle of the night and reached their shared bedroom, he was the first one up, telling erina to keep resting, he'd take care of it as he quickly made his way to your nursery just down the hallway from them.

as he swiftly entered, despite the maid's assurances that she could handle it, he was insistent that he wished to, instead requesting she fetch one of your milk bottles from the kitchen.

as she made her way out, jonathan was quick to lift you from your crib, rocking you in his arms to calm you.

"now, now, papa's here. shhh, you're alright."

your cries slowly begin to seize just as erina (having followed her husband out of curiosity) arrives, standing by the door.

she watches as jonathan brings you towards his chest, resting your tiny head on his shoulder as he softly pats your back, humming softly to you, your expression becoming serene.

in no time at all, the maid returns with a bottle of warm milk, bowing at erina standing by the door before stepping back inside.

"here's the bottle as requested, master joestar. i will leave it here," she leaves it on the nearby dresser before bowing, making her way towards the door again.

"thank you, delia" he whispers at her as she makes her leave once more.

she stops at the door, gesturing at erina to enter, but she only shakes her head.

"that's okay," she whispers. "i have a lovely view here" she muses.

the maid nods in understanding, returning to her quarters grinning to herself at how lovesick the couple are with one another.

jonathan adjusts you so you're cradled in his arms once again, seeing you still awake, staring back at him.

"are you hungry, little one?" he asks, reaching for the bottle. "would you fancy a midnight snack?"

he shakes the bottle for emphasis before offering it to you.

you take some grateful sips, downing half the bottle in no time before jonathan decides thats enough. he then holds you vertically against his shoulder, secured by his arm and softly pats your back.

in no time at all, you burp, in which jonathan takes another look at you to see your sleepy eyes.

"ready for bed again, little one?" he whispers, booping your nose before carefully placing you back in your crib.

as you wriggle around, sinking into the plushness below you, jonathan takes a seat in the rocking chair next to you before grabbing ahold of one of the bars, and gently rocking your crib, resuming his humming from earlier.

in no time at all, your eyes shut, and you're fast asleep once again.

despite this, jonathan stays for another five or so minutes, admiring you once again, thanking the stars for blessing him with this lovely little treasure.

erina, having stayed for the entire exchange, feels her heart melting, overflowing with so much love for you, her sweet blessing and her darling husband.

overwhelmed with feelings, she walks into the room for the first time that night, making her way straight towards jonathan and wrapping her arms around his neck from beside him, engulfing him in an embrace.

jonathan looks up, realizing who has joined him.

"erina?! i thought you were still sleeping.." he whispers.

"i wanted to see you put the baby back to sleep, and she listens to you so easily. i wonder if you should be given this duty permanently," she teases.

jonathan huffs out a quiet laugh.

"she's too precious, isn't she?"

"she is," she nods, kissing his head.

jonathan yawns, and erina smiles down at him.

"you know" she begins. "she's been asleep for quite awhile now." she unwraps one arm from around his neck, reaching for his hand still rocking your crib.

"its time for you to get back to bed now, don't you think?"

"ah, but-"

"you'll hear her if she wakes again, but im sure that won't happen. come now," she muses, tugging at his hand, prompting him to stand from his spot on the chair.

"alright, alright. lead the way, love."

-

"ah- careful there, darling!"

a baby living in such a large estate might have been more dangerous than initially imagined. sure, jonathan promptly had the house baby-proofed from top to bottom almost as soon as you began exploring it yourself via crawling...

but you were of joestar blood, and as such, it seemed that trouble followed you wherever you went.

for one, jonathan would prefer not to have a repeat of the time when he left you unattended for what he swore was just a few moments when, while you were exploring the second story of the estate, you collided with dio in the hallway.

rather than crying, you only looked up in wonder, a pair of displeased eyes staring back at you.

jonathan emerged from his room following the sounds of your babbles as dio held you by the back of your onesie, your legs dangling in the air, demanding jonathan "keep a closer eye on his brat" before jonathan quickly snatched you up and began fussing over you.

he chastised dio, demanding he be more careful with you, but dio had already walked off before jonathan could finish.

that day, jonathan decided that he would only allow you to crawl around so long as you were in his sight, lest another instance like that were to happen again.

like right now, as he paused his reading of the morning paper to take a few quick strides, scooping you up before you could bump your head on the leg of the coffee table.

he lets out a sigh as you wriggle in his hold, turning you over to face him, a silly smile on your face.

"you really must be more careful, my dear. where does all of your energy spring from, hm? quite the reckless one, aren't you?"

almost in response to his light chastising, you only giggle, wriggling around more in his hands.

"and you only laugh? what am i going to do with you, hm?" jonathan shakes his head, a smile on his face.

you only reach out your hands towards him.

he promptly responds by pulling you into his embrace, securing you in one arm and resting your head on his shoulder as he makes his way back to his chair, picking the paper back up.

he straightens it out before shifting his attention towards you.

"lets read the news together, yes? you always like when papa reads to you, don't you?"

you push yourself up slightly, turning towards the paper in your father's hands, looking over the black and white ink.

jonathan takes this as the sign that you're ready, and begins reading the nicer stories to you, pointing towards the photographs so you can take a look at them for yourself.

some time passes before erina enters, notifying you both that breakfast is ready.

jonathan wraps up the news story he was on before putting the paper down, securing you before lifting you up with him as he rises from his armchair, striding towards the kitchen.

he shares a sweet kiss with erina at the door before handing you over to her after you reach out for your mother.

"well hello there, little one. did you have fun with papa? you must be hungry, yes?"

she follows jonathan to the kitchen table, seating you in your baby chair as her and jonathan begin their usual morning chatter.

you were mostly distracted with your meal, but would stare at your parents, almost appearing to listen to what they were speaking so enthusiastically about.

taking note of this, they both would ask for your opinion on something, or inquire what you wished to do for the day. even though you hadn't spoken, your babbles answered their questions: this topic was boring, that businessman looked quite silly the other night, didn't he? and the garden sounded like a lovely place to spend the afternoon.

-

"ohhh, aren't you the cutest?"

"that little outfit is adorable!"

"she looks just like you, jonathan!"

he can only let out a hearty laugh and agree with the ladies that are cooing at you.

ever since you were born, jonathan took plenty of pride in picking out your outfits, maybe even having more fun than erina, spending more money than he should on anything he thought might suit you.

as a gentleman, he not only took pride in his actions, but also in his appearance. this, of course, extended to you, his beloved child.

today, jonathan has dressed you in a sky blue colored dress with a small, matching sunhat adorned with a cute ribbon and little black slip-on shoes, secured with little buckles and gold buttons on each side.

its no wonder the ladies can't help but to admire you.

"i remember when you were young... and now you're all grown up with a child of your own! ah, how quickly they grow..." one of the ladies reminisces.

jonathan laughs again before speaking up.

"i know the feeling" he smiles. "this one teaches me something new everyday, though," his voice takes on a playful tone, "she always knows how to keep me on my toes!"

the lady smiles fondly. "yes, children will do that to you! where are you two headed today? and where is the missus?"

"ah, my sweet wife wasn't feeling too well, so we're out to fetch her some medicine, isn't that right, darling?" he looks down at you.

you only babble in response.

"the poor thing.. i hope she recovers quickly. best to not keep your missus waiting now, off you go!" one of the ladies begins to shoo jonathan towards the direction of the shops.

"yes, we shall be going now. we'll chat again, yes? till next time!" he waves at them before making his way off with you.

after reaching a considerable distance away, he thinks aloud.

"hmm, perhaps i shouldn't have dressed you so cutely today... that's the third time we've been stopped. i suppose no one can resist your charm, can they darling?"

you only hum in response, looking up towards your father's voice, hidden behind the shield of the stroller.

"i hope erina is doing okay... we just have to get some medicine for your mother, but id also like to get her some soup.."

you babble at the mention of your mother.

"you must miss her, yes? then let's make this quick, ok darling?"

you agree with some happy babbles.

before long, you both have retrieved some cold medicine for your mother, along with some soup (of which jonathan had your help in picking out), quickly making your way back to the estate just after noon.

. . .

"how is she?"

"welcome back master joestar," the maid bows, smiling at you in his arms before taking jonathan's bag as he removes his coat, hanging it up before taking a hold of it once more.

"she's alright, it doesn't seem too serious. the maids have been taking turns caring for the madame, but she's been mostly resting."

jonathan breathed out a sigh of relief at the maid's update.

"thank you for watching her. i'll be going to see her now," he turned towards the stairs before the maid speaks up again.

"shall i take the little one off your hands in the meantime?"

"no need, we'll be going to see her together," he offers a grateful smile back to her before ascending the staircase.

. . .

the door to the bedroom cracks open, jonathan taking quiet steps inside.

he quickly makes his way to the large bed, taking a seat in the nearby chair to erina's side as he sets you down on the closest empty spot of the mattress.

"erina, dear, we're back.. we have some medicine and soup for you," jonathan coos softly as he reaches the back of his hand forward to check her forehead.

erina stirs, bleary eyes opening to see her darling husband and, to her surprise, you.

she finds the strength to sit herself up (with the help of jonathan propping up some pillows for her) quickly shooting jonathan a look.

"jojo! what if she gets sick?"

"nonsense!" he waves her off, though her stare remains stern. "oh, don't give me that look! she missed you too, didn't you, love?"

you only hum, reaching out for your mother.

your cute gesture breaks her stern façade, and she can't help but break into a little grin.

"my sweet loves," she smiles, patting your head as jonathan fishes out the medicine and wrapped soup from the bag.

"allow me to feed you your soup and medicine, erina."

jonathan opens up a bottle, pouring it out carefully on a silver spoon before holding it up to erinas lips.

"come now, open up."

erina does as she's told, jonathan quickly feeding her the medicine.

you watch your parents intently, tilting your head at your mother's expression after swallowing the medicine down.

jonathan sees this, and laughs, gesturing to the bottle he's closing.

"it doesn't taste very good, you see."

jonathan hands her the glass of water by her bedside (presumably left there from the maids from earlier) before opening the soup.

"the little one picked this one out, so hopefully it's to your liking," he explains, dipping in another spoon and stirring it up before softly blowing and offering it to erina.

as soon as she takes the first spoonful jonathan offers, her eyes light up & she hums in delight.

"why, this one is my favorite! how did you know, little one?" she asks, booping your nose, causing you to smile.

"you hear that? you did a great job picking this out for mama, yes? perhaps you'll have to come shopping with papa more often!" jonathan praises, smiling at you.

you giggle, your eyes shifting back to your mother.

"m-"

"ma-"

"mama!"

erina's eyes are wide as she stares at you in wonder, wondering if she heard right or if her feverish mind was playing tricks on her.

though, she quickly realizes its real when jonathan is so shocked that the spoon in his hold slips from his hand and clatters to the floor.

"darling, did you-"

"pa-pa!"

jonathan's eyes are glistening.

"she spoke! did you hear that, erina? she spoke!"

jonathan sets the soup down by the bedside table momentarily in favor of lifting you up into his arms.

he holds you at eye level before speaking "say it again, darling, pa-pa, go on!"

erina let's out a laugh, reaching over the small distance to place a small kiss to your head.

"she did say 'mama' first, though.." she teases.

"come on, one more time for papa!"

you only wriggle around in his hold in response.

the rest of the afternoon is spent together, jonathan feeding erina her soup (after a maid happened to come by and bring a clean spoon upon jonathan's request) until its gone, the two marveling once again at their little bundle of joy.

jonathan can't resist letting every maid that comes into the room to check-in of your first spoken words.

-

to everyone's surprise, as you grew, you developed a strange attachment to none other than dio.

which would result in some... more than bizarre situations, such as the one currently unfolding.

"JOJO!"

not a minute after his name is shrills through the hallway does dio barge into jonathan's office, playful giggles following his heavy footsteps.

jonathan has a hard time controlling his laughter seeing you, his sweet child, wrapped around dio's left leg like a koala, a heavy contrast to dio's complete and utter displeasure.

"get this monkey off of me this instant!"

"up! up..!"

"you want to go up, you little mongrel?" he looks down at you, almsot baring his teeth as if you just challenged him to a fight. "ill lift you up alright.."

"dio, be car-"

dio lifts his leg, lifting you easily with him, causing you to erupt into a fit of giggles.

even as he shakes his leg continously and even swings you around, you don't relent, and simply think you're playing some sort of game.

the only rule was to not let go of dio's leg.

jonathan is both worried and amused at the situation, a smile slipping through his expression as he carefully watches to ensure you don't get hurt from being violently thrashed about.

after a minute of this, dio puts his leg back down, standing properly as you straighten yourself, never losing your grip on him.

he turns his attention back to jonathan.

"does she have glue for hands??? get this brat off!"

"she's just having fun, dio.. she's not hurting anyo-"

"like hell! im busy, get your little spidermonkey off of me so that i may work in peace!" he spits.

"come now, darling.. playtime with uncle dio is over now," he reasons, holding his hands out and gesturing for you to come to him. "why not sit with papa for awhile, hm?"

you whine at your father's suggestion, looking back up at dio before pulling lightly at his clothes.

"again again..."

"no you brat, im busy!"

you frown, looking up at dio with those big, shiny puppy-dog eyes, silently pleading.

"that won't work on me, brat. get off."

you blink up at him.

"don't make me repeat myself."

you blink again.

...

"..later. bother me later when i'm not working. now, off!"

at the same time that you let go, he shakes his left leg, prompting you to fall backward with an oof and a giggle.

"annoying little pest," dio mutters, but jonathan catches the light tugs at the edges of dio's lips before he promptly makes his way back to his own office, the sound of the door shutting behind him echoing throughout the hallway.

jonathan shakes his head, attention completely on you.

"are you alright, dear? here, up you go," jonathan leans down to reach you, lifting you up with ease and sitting you down on his lap.

"quite the troublemaker, aren't you. why do you wish to play with dio so bad, hm? isn't he mean?"

jonathan was genuinely curious. no matter how many times he called you names and shooed you off, you always wound up running back to him, trying to get him to play with you.

and whether it was your cute charm or your continuous insistence, dio would almost always concede at some point.

you shake your head, and with your limited speech, utter "only grumpy.. but he.. always plays" you smile.

"hmm.. he's not more fun than papa, surely?"

you blink up at your father, tilting your head at the inquiry.

"ah! you wound me. papa's definitely more fun, like this," he says, suddenly dancing his fingers across your sides, causing loud giggles to fill the room.

"pa-pa! st-oop" you cry in between giggles.

"im more fun, aren't i?" he continues.

"papa is- f-uu- fun!" you cry out, unable to stop laughing.

jonathan grins triumphantly, stopping his ministrations, opting to hold you steady instead as you catch your breath.

"i knew thats how you truly felt," he boops your nose.

"would you like to stay here with papa?"

you nod happily.

"alright then, thank you for keeping me company, little one."

the late afternoon is spent together as you watch your father sort through and fill out various documents, taking small breaks to chat or play with you or taking a stroll through the second story to stretch his legs. if you so desired, he'd read the documents out loud to you, but seeing as you'd bore of it quite quickly, he'd opt to try explaining his work to you in a way you might better understand. whatever the case, basking in each others' company was the finest way to spent such an afternoon.

-

tap tap tap tap

pitter patter pitter patter

...

tap tap tap tap

pitter patter pitter patter

...

tap tap tap

pitter patter pitter-

"stop it, danny!"

jonathan looks up from where he's seated, turning towards the sound of your voice.

"has he done something, darling?"

you look from danny (who's standing in front of you, wagging his tail and softly panting) towards your father.

"he won't stop following me, papa!"

so thats what those footsteps were...

while busying himself in the living area, he couldn't help but notice the sound of footsteps going back and forth across the shiny tile.

he must have been following you for awhile then.

he tries his best to stifle his laugh at the sight of your cute pouting face, staring down danny as he only pants at you, wagging his tail, none the wiser to your anger.

"well, what's the reason for that, huh boy?"

danny shifts his attention to jonathan at the sound of his name before looking back at you, almost expectantly.

"danny!" you whine.

thats when jonathan notices something in your hands.

"whats that, darling?"

you turn to your father, pausing for a moment before looking down at your hands to see what he's referring to.

"a snack!"

jonathan glances back at danny, still staring at you, or, more specifically the treat in your hands.

"i think ive figured out why he's following you, my dear"

your eyes widen momentarily, and jonathan is internally gushing at how cute your expression looks as it morphs from shock to realization as you look at your snack and back at danny.

you can't help but to gasp.

"papa, he's hungry!"

he lets out a laugh at this.

"well, would you like to give him a treat then, dear? he's been waiting so politely for awhile now, hasn't he?"

"yes!"

"let me go grab one then." jonathan pulls himself up from the comfy cushions, making his way into the kitchen to retrieve the dog treats from their spot in the pantry, fishing one of them out.

as you wait, you frown at how long it took you to realize the reason for danny following you around, taking another bite from your treat.

"im sorry, danny.." you speak sadly.

jonathan returns with the package of treats, danny's gaze flicking from yours to his, perking up in an instant as he taps his front paws, still seated.

"here darling, ill hold your treat while you give this to him, yes?"

you nod, holding out your snack with both hands, jonathan easily retrieving it with one and plopping the dog treat in its place.

you grip onto the treat, taking a couple of steps towards danny, and offering it to him.

"here you go, danny."

he reaches forward, closing the distance and gently but quickly snatching the treat from your hands before happily chowing down on it in front of you both.

"there, now he shouldn't be causing you anymore trouble." jonathan nods, offering your snack back to you.

you take it back with both hands, nodding before taking a big bite.

after swallowing, another realization hits you, and you're holding your treat (or the little thats left of it) out to your father.

"are you hungry too, papa? would you like any?"

his heart is struck by how thougtful you are.

"now that you mention it, i am feeling a bit peckish," he smiles. "but you can finish this one. i think papa is going to grab a couple for himself."

"i want another one, too!"

"lets go together then, yes?" before you can answer, he scoops you up into his arms, prompting a delighted laugh to ring through the room, one of his favorite sounds.

as he begins to make quick strides towards the kitchen once more, you shove the remainder of your snack into your mouth.

he finds the treats in no time, grabbing three and handing one to you before holding out his as you softly knock them together as adults would with their wine glasses.

"we'll keep this a little secret from mommy, alright? i dont think she'd like that im allowing you such a sweet treat just after lunch."

"secret!" you chime in a whisper, nodding before you both take a bite of your treats.

after you both finish and rid of the evidence, the rest of the afternoon is spent with your father in the living area as he works, busying yourself with the various children's books before you drift off in the comfort of the sofa.

the sun warms the spot in where you rest, jonathan covering your body with a thin blanket before resuming his work, keeping a watchful eye on you as the peaceful atmosphere envelops the both of you, wishing nothing more than for more and more days spent just like this.

-

"but im not sleepyyyy," you whine once again.

"come now, darling, papa has to leave soon and you need to be asleep before then."

you crossed your arms, looking away and pouting.

as you grew, so too did the hours in which you were allowed to stay up. usually, you would sleep without a fuss, or even drift off when you weren't even trying to.

jonathan was always especially grateful that you slept so well and easily. he had heard stories of other women barely managing a wink of sleep as their little ones seemed to never stop crying, and growing restless in the night even as they grew.

but ever since you were a baby, you seemed to sleep soundly for the most part, and jonathan always thanked the graces of the heavens that you never really put up a fuss.

well, until now.

he guesses he can only blame himself for this one.

to lull you to sleep, ever since you were a little baby either him or erina would sing you a lullaby while rocking you until your eyes slipped shut and you were resting in the land of dreams.

as you grew, the lullabies shifted to bedtime stories. sometimes from books or sometimes it would be stories that jonathan would recount to you yet exaggerate.

more often than not, you would fall asleep in the middle of such stories, but for the times that you would power all the way through, you would still sleep within minutes of the story finishing, dreaming up fantasy lands or adults talking business that you were none the wiser about.

which is why jonathan is so puzzled now, staring at your pouting form, wracking his brain for ways to coax you into bed.

"come on, darling, its past your bedtime by now."

you shake your head once again.

"what is it, love? talk to papa."

you sit down on your bed, arms still crossed, letting out a huff.

"not sleepy."

jonathan is supposed to leave for a business trip in just under an hour, and since erina was feeling a little exhausted that day, he had no problem tucking you into bed before having to head off, figuring he'd have more than enough time to let you rest and check over everything before taking off.

but now, almost 20 minutes has passed and there was still no progress.

he wonders why tonight of all nights was the one in which you had to put up a fight.

"please darling, you're making things very difficult for me. papa has to leave soon and i can't leave knowing you're awake."

"why do you have to go?" your voice comes out sad.

"a business trip, my darling, i won't be gone for long."

"papa is always working now."

you weren't really wrong he had to admit, but he still tried his best to make time for you and erina.

"you're always leaving us," you continue.

"you don't even have time to read to me anymore..." your voice comes out meek at that, and jonathan feels his heart break.

"that's-" true, he thinks. he really hadn't had time to read to you these days, and that was mostly left to erina or even sometimes dio of all people (though, rather than reading, he would more times than not be bickering with you until you eventually dozed off).

the thought of you feeling like you've been neglected by him for even a second almost shatters him completely.

"darling.. look at me, please."

at his soft plea, you turn your head to look at your father.

"i'm sorry papa hasn't been around as much as i want to be. after this trip, papa will have lots of freetime, so i want you to think about how you'd like to spend it, alright?"

your eyes are wide, but you still don't full trust his words.

"for tonight, how about papa reads to you before he leaves?"

you visibly perk up at the notion, trying to hide how excited you are at the thought.

still feigning your resistance, you only nod in response, picking out a nearby favorite of yours, shoving it into your fathers hands, and crawling over to the pillows to lay down properly.

jonathan gives a short laugh, moving to help you out, properly tucking you in before sitting on the nearby chair next to your bed.

he smiles at the title, opting to say nothing about how you probably know this story by heart and could confidently recite it for the both of you from start to finish, opening the thin book to the first page, and beginning to read.

not even getting halfway through the story, your eyelids begin to droop despite your best efforts to stay awake, wanting to relish in all the time with your father as you can.

noticing this, jonathan proceeds to finish the page, and noticing your mostly-asleep state, begins to close the book and set it back in its spot on the small bedside table.

before he can get up, a light knock interrupts the quiet of the bedroom before its opened by one of the maids.

"master joestar," she bows politely, taking notice of you before speaking softly. "the carriage has arrived for you."

"thank you, i will be down in just a moment" he nods.

"of course. i will begin loading your luggage for you, master," she nods again before disappearing behind the door, closing it softly behind her.

jonathan shifts his attention back to you, petting your head before placing a kiss onto your cheek.

he stands up, just about ready to make his leave when your sleepy voice stops him in his tracks.

"do you really have to go, papa?"

his eyes shift over to you once again, meeting with your sad, sleepy gaze.

he crouches down to the bed's level, words coming out softly.

"i do, darling, but papa will be back in no time at all."

"can i..." you're interrupted by a yawn. "can i go with you?"

jonathan smiles sadly, petting your head.

"not this time, darling. im sure your mother wouldn't allow it, and you'd surely be bored out of your little mind," he relays, tapping your head for emphasis before resuming his petting.

"i miss you, papa."

"it will just be for a week, darling."

"thats for forever!" you pout, puffing your cheeks out.

jonathan pokes one.

"it'll be over before you know it. and once i return, papa will have plenty of stories to tell you each night after we have fun together, alright?"

"papa?"

"yes, darling?"

you look up at him, eyes hopeful.

"will you really be able to read to me again?"

"of course, my darling. im so sorry i've been slacking, papa hasn't been very consistent with it these days, have i?"

you shake your head.

"i wont forgive you."

jonathan holds his free hand over his chest, as if your words have physically wounded him.

"is there nothing papa can do to earn his baby's forgiveness?" he softly cries, exaggerated.

you giggle, thinking for a moment before coming up with something.

"only if papa reads or tells me stories every night, and plays with me and danny in the garden."

"thats no problem at all!"

you yawn again, sinking deeper into your plush mattress.

"would you like papa to bring you something back?"

"some treats?"

"don't i always," he ruffles your hair affectionately.

another soft knock interrupts the moment, the door opening once more to reveal the same maid from before.

"your luggage has been packed, the carriage is all ready for you, master joestar," she bows.

jonathan turns his head, offering a polite smile.

"thank you, delia. i'll be on my way now."

she nods, bowing her head seeing your gaze on her before disappearing behind the door once again.

he turns back to you, looking at your droopy eyes.

"papa has to go now," he whispers. "but i'll be back soon enough, and we'll have much more time together again, alright darling?"

you offer a sleepy nod, sad yet understanding.

"okay, papa."

"sleep now, darling."

"papa?"

"yes, my darling?"

"i love you."

his heart swells.

"and i love you, my princess."

he gives you another kiss on your cheek, then your nose and head, eliciting some sleepy giggles from you.

he hugs you, and you hug him back, feeling safe and secure in his embrace.

he soon lets go, standing up and taking a step back from your bed.

he gives your head one last caress before stepping towards the door and turning the knob.

he takes one last longing look at you, seeing your breaths even out as you slip into slumber.

"sleep well, my darling."

he turns the light out, opening the door quietly before disappearing behind it, shutting it softly behind him.

he lets out a sigh, already missing you.

on his way down the stairs of the manor, he swore to himself to never make you feel neglected or the faintest bit unloved by him ever again.

the expression on your face was too much to handle once again, just the thought making his heart drop.

though, the feeling soon faded remembering your laughter and recalling your sweet words.

you really were his precious princess, and he would do anything for you if only it kept you happy.

-

a/n: i was possessed months ago to start writing this and possessed once again a couple of days ago before allowing myself to write/post anything else before it. ive been editing this for so long that my head hurts so if there's any spare typos ill end it all. i still have ideas but this is enough for now, i need to lie down.... see you soon :x i couldnt help but read the dialogue in british accents in my head every read through lmao (thats the only right way after all)

[inkofamethyst]

January 18, 2025

Been thinking about Promising Young Woman recently and ugh so chilling. Part of me wants to rewatch it with my island-friend and her partner and then discuss afterwards because I feel like they would be into it.

Speaking of visual media, forgot to mention some things I watched while home. Finished Superman and Lois with my dad, and it had a sweet ending, something Superman stories so rarely get to do in my experience. Watched binged Agatha All Along with my dad, enjoyed it a lot!! Watched binged Squid Game S2 with my dad (I'd seen one episode of S1 with my sister (the marbles one, also during break) and was able to get by mostly by asking her questions during that episode and during the first episode with my dad) and it was also quite good, loved the commentary.

I do have quite a long watchlist to tackle, unfortunately. Arcane s2, LoVM, Dragon Prince, so many CR eps, a bunch of Marvel stuff (we're going to see Captain America for my birthday!!), Halo s2 (even though it won't be getting a s3), Severance s2, Star Trek... maybe I should get Paramount for a bit. I should probably get on Arcane though bc that might be banned soon too lol. And then after that maybe I'll watch some more CDramas. Bloody Romance scratched that medieval-fantasy-adventure itch, so I'll probably look for others of that vibe.

To switch gears, I do actually have a social life, if you can believe it. I've been making a concerted effort these past few days to schedule get-togethers with friends over the next couple of weeks. This upcoming semester is going to be a toughie, but I don't want to completely abandon the relationships that are important to me. So, at least for now while I don't want to hole up in my apartment (at least not all the time), I want to spend time with the people who make me happy :)

But back to me being an ipad kid (im jking im an ipad adult), I barely touched my devices when I was home. I was at PEACE. But my screen time this past week??? yikes. I mean part of it is trying to soak up as much tiktok content as I can before whatever happens at midnight tonight (seeing people recreate 2019 and 2020 memes is bittersweet, as was getting my final dabloon), but it's also that I'm trying to fill a hole or something, I think. As much as I enjoy it here, I still can't help but miss home, a year and a half in. At least I'm not crying at the airport anymore.

Today I'm thankful for the movie night I had with my island-friend and her partner last night. We went to a really swanky part of town that I've never been to before, and the movie was both funny and poignant and we had a nice little discussion about it on the way back. Also I've come to understand why I enjoy their company so much: as an Eldest Daughter I never really got the experience of having someone slightly older, slightly wiser, but still categorically in friendship capacity to hang out with. Outside of them just having fairly different perspectives and experiences from me, there is also this older-sisterly feeling that feels.. nice.

I've long held that I have no desire to settle when it comes to a romantic relationship and while part of that is because feminist movements have made it such that attachment to a man is no longer a necessity, I also feel like I have such solid friendships that have shown me what being cared for can mean. I mean, for example, when my photo-friend and I went to a dance in college, he explicitly said he was going out of his way to show me how I should be treated. And while I understand that romance supposedly has differences, I am thankful that I know not to settle for anything less than what I have experienced entirely platonically. It also means that I know what it feels like when I want to express care for someone and engage in someone's life and be there for someone and want the best for someone.

Downloaded my 1500 tiktok favorites to an external drive. Took four hours. 9 GB. A shame about all the 300+ deleted videos I'd once saved, now lost to time. Even if the president-elect manages to strike some deal to restart the servers.. if today is not the end, the twentieth will be the beginning of the end.

[tiffany-smith]

You know, what's cool about Order of the Stick is that it dares to be a story where only half the major characters are in a romantic relationship. (Less, depending on who counts as 'major.' I'm counting just members of the Order here, not Team Evil or the various characters like the paladins, Hilgya, or Minrah they've picked up on the way.)

Haley and Elan are, like, the "token representation" characters. Roy gets tossed a girlfriend bc he's the hero ig? She's rarely around.

V had a spouse who was known about for a while offscreen, got three pages onscreen and promptly served divorce papers.

Durkon? Had an affair one (1) night which resulted in a kid 1000 strips and two irl decades later, the mom wants nothing to do with him. Otherwise probably completely celibate.

Belkar will sleep with anyone and romance nobody.

None of the paladins have relationships. Not even O-Chul and Lien, or Hinjo and Lien.

None of the long-lost parent figures are still in a relationship. Elan's parents are divorced and Tarquin had like nine wives (none onscreen, also he's Evil about it). Haley's mom and Durkon's pa are dead. Who KNOWS abt Belkars parents. Roy's are both dead and took 'till death do us part' with gusto.

None of the airship crew have any romances (except for the one throwaway gay couple who got one panel of screentime).

Team Evil does not do any of that. Not Xykon, not Redcloak, not the monster in the dark, not Jirix. Tsukiko was the only one with any relationship drive, and she got brutally murdered (unrelated reasons).

Straining to remember any other romantic relationships ever.

OH! Sabine and Nale! (But that also specifically parallels Haley and Elan, like they explicitly said 'evil opppsites.')

Therkla fell in love with Elan and it was not reciprocated (?) (he cared abt her but not like that. Not to cheat on Haley.)

The gods have their whole thing I suppose but that hardly counts.

Not even Julia, the high school hottie, is ever mentioned having a significant other.

There is one (1) actually married couple. Two soldiers who were nameless until they took offense to being called nameless soldiers and changed it. They got married and she's pregnant.

Order of the Scribble had one couple.

The cast is SO HUGE and there is SO LITTLE romance. Only half of the six-member main cast is in a relationship. Unheard-of. And of the huge cast of side characters, there are 3 only stable relationships. That's all! THATS ALL!

I love it.

Thats the real aspec rep: not just one character who doesn't care, but a whole world where that's Not The Focus.

Instead, OOTS focuses very strongly on familial relationships. Parent (singular) and child(ren). Siblings (twins). Aunts and uncles, even.

And in the midst of all that... the platonic bonds of deep friendship forged between the main cast.

[jungkoode]

Where is the limit on the "relationships are weaknesses" mentality ? You say V wants to show Jeon is still vulnerable and therefore still a threat, but that was a case wayyy before Sunshine came into the picture and exposed Jeon in tiny tiny ways in the way they interact that V probably sees. Jeon would have never admitted to being fuckbuddies with Sunshine or sharing a bed with anyone the way he was willing to with Jhope even in his annoyance and in trying to prove hes got it under to control. Never in a fuckin life he would have admitted it anywhere within AD's ears. Is just admitting to have a crush or have feelings for someone the line ? WIll it lead to actions to separate the people ? What about close friendships that regularly includes cuddles, bed sharing, maybe even cuddly fuckbuddies, is it like high school rule where the kiss is what draws the line ? Is it when the feelings between people start clouding their mind and affecting their decision making negatively, even if it were platonic ?

Soooo this was briefly addressed and very intentionally not explicitly stated or developed in narration, but I did hint at it lowkey. 👀

The ‘no attachments’ rule isn’t about sex. It’s not even really about intimacy or closeness or sleeping in the same bed. It’s specifically about romantic attachment. And that’s a crucial distinction.

The “relationships are weaknesses” rule doesn’t apply to friendships, affection, or even people being physically close or sexually involved—people in KGP hook up, sleep in the same beds, have deep emotional bonds. What it does apply to is emotional romantic attachment that can lead to perceived betrayal of the gang’s interests. And the reason that line is so sharp, so non-negotiable, goes all the way back to RM’s origin story as mentioned in chapter 9.

RM’s brother (Jin) was betrayed by the person he trusted most—his fiancée. She sold intel to MDF. That act didn’t just cost him his position—it cost him his life.

And for RM, watching someone he admired and loved get taken down by romantic entanglement became a foundational trauma. That betrayal, under the guise of love, is what burned the rule into stone. Romantic relationships make you vulnerable. And vulnerability makes you fallible. So when RM took over, he didn’t ban friendships. He didn’t ban sex. He banned love.

So this isn’t some high school “if you kiss it counts” rule. This is psychological warfare. This is about where your loyalty goes when everything is on the line. Romantic love—deep, exclusive emotional attachment—is seen as a threat to structural integrity. Because history showed them what happens when love turns into betrayal.

And RM, just as every other character here, is also deeply traumatized; and thus acts accordingly; even if to outside people his logic is flawed. It comes from somewhere deep.

Now bring that back to Jeon.

The problem isn’t that he’s sleeping around, it’s that in everyone’s eyes (everyone who knows, who’s almost nobody), he’s a traitor.

Nobody else has to be secretive. Nobody else is being watched like he is. That’s the core psychological fuckery happening here. It’s not about sex. It’s not about cuddles. It’s not about affection. It’s about Jeon. Because he already proved he could fall. And when he did, someone died.

So now? He has to keep everything tight. Controlled. Quiet. Not because he’s in love again—not consciously, not even close—but because he’s already on thin ice. He’s a man. A healthy man. He’s attracted to Sunshine—because she’s sharp and independent and nothing like Sylvia, and because wanting her feels instinctual, inevitable. And yes, because he wants to fuck (lmao)—but that’s not the issue.

The issue is that he isn’t just anyone; it’s that he is the guy who broke the rule once and got someone killed for it. And the people watching him—V, AD, even RM—aren’t clocking his desire. They’re watching for patterns. For signs. For déjà vu. They don’t care if it’s just attraction. They care about possibility. They care about the idea that history could repeat itself.

So he lies. Not because he’s hiding a grand romance, but because he knows even the appearance of emotional compromise could cost him everything.

And V? V’s not looking for a kiss or a confession. He’s looking for slippage. Evidence that Jeon might break the rule again. Because that gives V the green light to say: “He’s a liability. You’ve seen this before. And he’s doing it again.” and boom, take him out.

So yes—romantic feelings are the line. Not because they’re inherently wrong, but because of what they represent in this world. A person torn between their loyalty to the gang and their loyalty to one person. And that is something RM doesn’t tolerate. Not after what happened to his brother. Not ever again.

And I promise… all of this is going to make even more sense the deeper into the story we go.

You’re already seeing the threads. Keep pulling.

[cp77nyexchange]

Cyberpunk 2077 New Year's Exchange - 2023 Round

Sign Up Form | Pinch Hitters Sign Up | AO3 Collection | 2022 & 2021 Works Masterlist

Schedule:

Sign-ups: October 14th - October 26th 9:00PM UTC

Assignments out by (latest): October 31st 9:00PM UTC

Check In: December 1st - 5th 9:00PM UTC

Gift Posting: December 30th - January 3rd 9:00PM UTC

Creation Requirements:

Fic: Minimum 1000 words of complete fic - no WIP. All fic must be new and original, and created specifically for your recipient’s request. The fic cannot be a sequel to another fic or part of a series or specific AU of yours that the recipient did not request.

Art: One drawing, digital or traditional. Art doesn't need to be fully colored or a fully rendered illustration, but should look finished - no WIPs or sketches! Both digital and traditional art is allowed. Art pieces must be new and original, and created specifically for your recipient’s request. In the case of traditional art, it can't be on lined paper and the quality of the digital picture must not be so bad as to not be recognizable (i.e. no blurry pictures).

What is this?

Simply, it’s an anonymous fandom gift exchange held during the last months of the year. Fanfic writers and fan artists sign up, giving their offers and requests, and are then given someone else’s request to create for. Who you’re creating for is kept secret until gifts are posted.

Who can participate?

Any fic writer or digital/traditional artist (of age 18 and up). You must simply be able to meet the minimum requirements, detailed above.

Full rules below the cut or here on gdocs.

Where is this happening?

Tumblr; optionally on discord, and on AO3 for fic (and art) posting. Important information will be posted to the event tumblr. You don’t have to join the discord server - I can send you your assignment over email, if you say you want that when signing up. If you do join, I will be using the discord @everyone function to remind people of upcoming deadlines and such. There will be an AO3 collection.

How does gifter/giftee matching happen?

On a basis of offers and requests.

At sign up, you will first provide a list of characters and relationships (be they platonic or romantic/sexual) you offer, as well as things you will absolutely not create for.

After that, you will detail your request, again giving characters and relationships, and what you do not want in your gift (DNWs).  You can also optionally, meaning your creator is not required to take these into account when making your gift, put in Likes (tropes, characterization, AUs, aspects of the relationships/characters you’d like a focus on, things you like in art, etc.) and Prompts (any specific story and art prompts you may have). There’s also a space to put any of your V details, if you have a custom one/s - visual references, background details that aren’t in the game, etc.; these are again optional for both you and your creator.

When signing up, you also have the ability to opt-in to receive and/or create for relationships and characters that you didn’t explicitly offer/request but also aren’t in your DNWs.

You can offer and request fic, art or both.

You are only expected to create one piece. You may offer to create fic, art, or both, but you’re only expected to do one.

Is NSFW/18+ content allowed?

Yes. The game itself is 18+ and contains sex scenes, and as stated above and in the rules, the exchange itself is 18+ participants only. When you sign up, you will be asked if you’re okay with having your gift contain sex/be of explicit sexual nature (full frontal nudity included for art) or not. NSFW content is opt-in. Additionally, if you say ‘yes’ it is not guaranteed you will for sure get NSFW fic/art. Note that this is not a smut exchange so you can’t request only NSFW fic/art.

Is this game-canon only or are things from Edgerunners or the tabletop allowed as well?

This is focused on the game, but Edgerunners and TTRPG are both allowed. Though make sure to respect it if your recipient says they don’t want anything outside of the game!

Rules

You must be aged 18 and up to participate in this exchange. This does not mean all works must be NSFW.

Maintain full anonymity! Do not talk anywhere about who you have as a recipient and do not post WIPs of your work either on social media or on discord. Don’t speculate about who your creator is either. After posting, you’re free to talk about it wherever you want. (If you’re a writer who uses a beta, you can tell them, but they are also expected to follow the ‘don’t talk about it’ rules.)

You must request and offer at least one character or relationship.

Requesting a character and requesting a relationship are two different things. Meaning: if you request a character, you will get matched with someone offering that character, NOT a relationship containing that character. The reverse also holds: requesting/offering a relationship will NOT get you matched with someone offering/requesting one of the characters in the relationship.

Please specify V’s gender when offering/requesting them. If you do not, I’ll assume you’re fine with any/all possibilities.

Ships between two Vs are only allowed if you have at least one other requested character/relationship as well. Same goes for OCs, in a ship or on their own. This is to ensure there’s someone who can actually make you a thing.

Respect your recipient’s Do Not Want’s (DNWs). Failure to do so will get your gift disqualified (and send your recipient for emergency pinch hitting) and if I find out you did it on purpose/maliciously, you will be banned from any future rounds of the exchange.

If you don’t put a character/relationship/trope/etc. in the DNW section in your sign up, I can’t do anything if you receive a gift containing that thing-you-don’t-like. Please take care and write out your DNWs; a long and exhaustive list of what you don’t want is perfectly fine, so don’t be shy. Short is fine as well. Just don’t leave it blank unless you’re really sure you’re fine with everything!

Optional details are optional! Meaning: even if something is in the Likes and Prompts boxes, the creator is not required to follow them. The only thing a creator MUST take into account when creating a gift is: DNWs, characters/relationships, yes or no to receiving NSFW.

You may change your sign-up details at any point before sign-ups close. Do so by messaging the official tumblr or via discord (#help-desk) (discord is likely to get you the fastest response). After sign-ups close, your details are final and cannot be changed.

Matching is based on ONE character OR relationship. Obviously I will try to match people with multiple offers to those who request multiple of the same characters and/or relationships, but it may end up not possible for some. Therefore, make sure all the characters and relationships you offer are ones you’re sure you can create for - each one may end up your only actual option.

Matching is final! Barring any errors I may make (accidentally giving you someone whose only request is a character you didn’t offer), no changes will be made.

During the check-in period you are required to affirm you’re still actively participating. This will happen the same way assignments are handed out, either over email or Discord DMs. You should strive to be at least halfway done by this point, but it’s not required and there’s no penalty to being behind or anything. People who don’t respond to the check-in will be assumed to have dropped out.

In case you cannot finish your gift, please say so as early as possible. I don’t need to know why, I just need to know quickly so I can find someone else to create a gift.

If you can finish your gift, but need an extension past the deadline, reach out to me via discord DMs or email.

In the event that you withdraw from the exchange and then your assigned creator does as well, you will not get sent to PHs and you will not receive a gift. Sorry!

As long as you submit a gift for your recipient, you are guaranteed a gift in return.

AI-generated writing or art is banned.

Approach all with good faith. Straightforward rule: don’t be a dick.

Remember to comment on your gift! I’m not going to hunt people down if they don’t comment on their gifts (I won’t be keeping track), but please do remember that it’s polite and feels good to have the work you put in acknowledged. If you don’t have anything to say, a simple thank you will suffice! And commenting late is better than never, so don’t feel bad if you forget/get distracted.

FAQ

What is ‘DNW’ exactly?

DNW stands for Do Not Want. That is, anything that you don’t want to appear in your gift and anything you will not create. This includes: any and all triggers, squicks, relationships/characters/tropes/interpretations/AUs/etc. that for whatever reason you don’t want to create or receive. An explanation for why you DNW something is not needed or expected. Respecting DNWs when creating gifts is mandatory.

What is a ‘pinch hit’/’pinch hitter’?

A pinch hit is a fanwork produced for a request that's in need of fulfillment either because there were no offers that could be matched to it or because the participant assigned the request withdrew from the exchange (or because, after posting, the work turned out to contain something that was DNW’d). A pinch hitter is the person who does the pinch hit - they may be regular participants of the exchange, or they may have signed up to be only pinch hitters. If one signs up to be only a pinch hitter, they will not receive a gift work.

My recipient has a mile long list of characters and relationships! Do I have to include ALL of them in my fic/art?

No. You only HAVE to make something for ONE of their requested characters or relationships.

I got a recipient who says they’re OK with NSFW art/fic, but I am not comfortable with creating NSFW art/fic, what do I do?

Create non-NSFW art/fic that matches their requested relationships and/or characters as usual. As stated above, NSFW content is opt-in and no one can request only that. Yes to receiving NSFW content is only relevant if you, the creator, are also willing to create such. Otherwise, feel free to ignore it.

I got matched with someone on one thing, but one of their other requests looks cool - is it okay to fulfill that request even though it’s not what we matched on originally/I didn’t opt-in to creating non-offered non-DNW ships or characters?

It is! Basically, I just need everyone to receive fic/art for ONE of their requests. If you get inspired by something even if that isn’t what you originally offered, go on ahead and create!

Will there be organized beta reading for writers?

No, sorry. There isn’t a requirement that all fic be beta-read. If you really feel like you need a beta for your writing and don’t already have one, I’d suggest asking someone you know isn’t participating to do it for you!

If you have any unanswered questions, send a message or an ask!

[stellar-skyy]

INFO & RULES - ♡

i. asks/interactions are always welcome! i love talking to people, so don't be afraid to send a message :D that being said, do not send nsfw asks (i am still a minor), and please be polite. ii. please be patient! i have adhd and get burnt out easily, meaning requests can take me anywhere between hours and months. i will do my best to get it done in a timely manner, but i cannot guarantee anything. iii. don't offer unasked-for criticism, constructive or otherwise. i write for fun, and i don't care if you think it's helpful. unless i am explicitly asking for it, just don't. on that note, if you think my writing is terrible or ooc either scroll past or block me. any hateful messages or asks will be deleted. iv. please don't ask to be mutuals! i follow selectively, so it makes me feel kinda awkward. v. do not interact if you are: a minor who creates/interacts with NSFW content. under 13 or over 35. basic dni criteria. a mdni/fully nsfw blog. someone who does not respect boundaries. (this post may be updated in the future!)

REGARDING REQUESTS...

i. topics that i won't do are: smut/nsfw/anything suggestive. dark content, including yandere. pregnancy. cheating. ii. at this point in time, i write for gn!reader only. do not request fem/masc reader. iii. all requests with child/child-like characters (or any characters i see as younger than 18) are platonic only. iv. please specify if you want your request to be platonic or romantic! i am more comfortable writing platonic x readers, but i'm alright with either. v. i have the right to reject or delete any request that makes me uncomfortable or i am uninterested in.

CHARACTERS I WILL WRITE FOR:

(italicized and bolded characters are platonic only!) GENSHIN: Alhaitham, Arataki Itto, Arlecchino, Bennett, Chiori, Collei, Columbina, Cyno, Faruzan, Fischl, Freminet, Furina, Gorou, Hu Tao, Kaveh, Kaedehara Kazuha, Kujou Sara, Layla, Lynette, Lyney, Neuvillette, Nilou, Qiqi, Sangonomiya Kokomi, Shikanoin Heizou, Tartaglia, Tighnari, Venti, Wanderer/Scaramouche, Xingqiu, Yoimiya, Zhongli HONKAI STAR RAIL: Arlan, Asta, Aventurine, Blade, Clara, Dan Heng (including Imbibitor Lunae), Herta, Himeko, Kafka, March 7th, Natasha, Sampo, Silver Wolf, Tingyun, Welt, Yanqing.

[constantlymisspelled]

4 - Mandalorian Divorce Court (and Marriage I guess)

[Text in image is as below]

i) Spouse Definition;

a) Romantic, lifelong partner b) Defacto partner in the eyes of the Law, Medical Professionals, and in Clan Law.

ii) Spousal Privileges;

a) Medical Preferential contact and Consent b) Parental Rights regarding Foundlings, Adoptees, and Children from previous marriages.

iii) Conditions for Legal Engagement;

a) The Mando’ade and their partner in question must both be past the Mandalorian Age of Sexual Consent. b) The Mando’ade and their partner, if the partner is not Mando’ade, must have the approval of a Clan Goran to be engaged.

[Text in images is as below]

iv) Consent and Age Restrictions;

a) Age of sexual consent varies between species to great degree. However, for the vast majority of humanoid species, the age of sexual consent is from fifteen onwards, if the other participating partner is within eighteen months of their age (upwards). The age of consent for any humanoid with a partner over the age of eighteen is explicitly sixteen – with or without sexual intent or participation. Sexual relationships that start before these ages and break these rules with humanoid aging individuals will face statutory rape charges. Humanoids of species that age at a slower rate – such as Halassai – are not able to give informed sexual consent of any kind until twenty, and that includes even humanoid partners of a younger age. If both parties are below age of consent, regardless of species, the partnership in question is to be physically removed from each other, and their guardians and clan face fines and jail time for either encouraging, or ignoring underage copulation. b) The Species Aging Index – Accredited to Ordo Technical College – is a comprehensive list of comparative ages between over two thousand of the listed Sentient Species in the Galaxy. The capacity to give sexual, informed, and clerical consent is referred to heavily by Mandalorian Laws to this specific list. Cross species relationships, whether they be sexual, familial, or generally platonic, are subject to the constraints discussed in this list. For instance, a Wookie must be at least seventy standard years of age to even consider adopting another sentient, let alone sexual liaison with another from any species. c) The legitimacy to give consent refers to whether the correct being is being asked for consent – a third party is rarely necessary for engagements, marriage, or divorce. However, witnesses are frequently required. A divorce cannot be filed, not a separation, without at least one partner’s explicit consent. A divorce or separation cannot be fled without any partner being the instigator – family cannot request a divorce on another’s behalf; however, a separation can be requested if there is proof of invalid, or inhibited consent at the time or marriage, or if abuse can be proven. For example, a partner could be under the influence, or trappings of another clan, and their respective clan can file for temporary removal from spouse in order for the partner in question to be psychologically assessed for any interference on the behalf of any clan, clan member, or partner. d) Consent under coherent capacity refers to either inebriation, ability to think independently (for example, mentally impaired Mando’ade with certain disabilities can not reasonably consent to specific matters due to their disability. Signing on a disabled Mando’ade’s behalf can be a position of extreme scrutiny, as Mando’ade with such disability are protected under Mandalorian law and are not to be traded as chattel or near-slaves to their partners.) injury such as concussion, and mental stability, referring to the old practice of Mando’ade taking war prizes in the form of unwilling partners. Such things are no longer to be tolerated in Mandalorian space, and those that attempt such practices will face Mandalorian Military Court.

[Text in image is as below]

v) Conditions for Legal Marriage;

a) Both parties must be present and of age at the time of the vows, and at the time of engagement announced to witnessing Goran and assembly. b) In the occasion of battlefield weddings, both Mando’ade must be in their right mind, with no head injuries, mind altering substances, medical or magical interference, and cannot either be currently wearing sentient trafficking garb, or currently be a slave. c) Mando’ade cannot marry a non-freed slave. Those who marry slaves and keep them as such are declared dar’manda and will face both Mandalorian and Galactic Court. The Freed are completely able to marry any Mandalorian once freed. d) Both parties must be able to give informed consent of their own accord – in the event of a Mando’ade with impaired mental faculty, their carer, who cannot be their future spouse, must be present and one of the signatories for the wedding. Only Mando’ade who’s mental faculty works beyond the significantly impaired grade can reasonably give consent for sexual conduct and intent.

[Text in images is as below]

vi) Conditions for Legal Divorce;

a) Divorce must be recognised by a Goran and witnessed by at least one third party, non-Clan aligned Mando’ade. A divorce cannot be completed without a witness. b) Reasonings for a Legal Divorce (Dar’Riduurok) can be of the following; a change in political, environmental and marital circumstances that cause undue stress to the partnership, the partnership’s children, or the partnership’s Clan. c) Reasonings for a Legal Divorce that declare one or more of the parties involved as Dar’manda (Resulting in a Court Recognised Absolution of Their Oaths) can contain the following; physical, emotional or mental abuse of the spouse requesting the divorce or children within or outside of the partnership’s Aliit. Spouses can divorce a partner without becoming dar’riduur by sending a request to both their local Astro Body Governor, System Governor, affiliated or unaffiliated Goran, Journeyman Protector Commander in Chief, and even the Manda’lor in office if required. If the Manda’lor in question is the being to be held to account, the House Alors can be notified in their stead. d) Divorcees from within, or outside of Mandalore – if they do not have the explicit exemption of a Court Recognised Absolution of their Oaths – cannot marry again and consider themselves Mandalorian afterwards. Divorce does not make a Mando’ade no longer Mandalorian, but ignoring these stipulations resorts in excommunication from Mandalorian Society. e) A Separation Request can be filed without divorce when necessary – such as when a Super Commando has a break in psyche and requires institutionalisation, a Separation Notice will be filed. Whilst, before and after a Separation Notice is filed, a Mando’ade can remarry. Mandalore does not define Marriage as between two partners exclusively – however, lack of notification to other partners can result in a Ban of Marriage and even a Separation filed between the Mando’ade and their ven’riduur in question. This can continue on to existing partners if required, and if the breach is significant. f) The removal of a Mando’ade’s Beskarta is not required to acknowledge a Divorce, Separation, or loss, and is up to the individual beliefs of the Mandalorian in question. g) A married Mando’ade can marry again with the same requirements as their first marriage for as long as a divorce has not been filed.

[Text in image is as below]

vii) Children, Clan and House Considerations;

a) Children are permitted to disown a parent for their choice in partner, or choice to separate from partner or Clan. b) Children from a previous marriage – depending on the stipulations and the manner of the previous partners death, separation, or agreement to a new partnership member – are readopted by both their new parents, and previous parents in order to maintain family security. c) Warring Houses, or Clans in conflict, can not demand any prospective partners discredit, or denounce their oaths. Regardless of the Clan or House of any set of partners, Mando’ade are permitted to marry anyone of any sector, or belief, for as long as the children they raise are raised as Mandalorians. d) Children that are raised as Mandalorians, but do not wish to swear the Creed cannot, regardless of their parents, or Clan’s feelings, be disowned or disavowed in any way. The swearing of a Creed is not what solely makes a Mandalorian, and they cannot break oaths they have not sworn. This is not a legitimate reason for either separation, or divorce in Mandalorian Law.

[Divorce section, my beloved. As always, if you have any ideas or criticism feel completely free to let me know. The sections on consent are close to my heart for many reasons - including having a family member who cannot give Mental Faculty Able Consent - and so I hope I have made it as fair and bullet proof as possible, but I am always happy to make any improvements anyone can think of.]

[Back to main Codex]

[melissa-titanium]

the ask game stuff..001 for N nd doll (giggles

GO FUCK YOURSELF . but thank uou... anime berdly emoji . ill answer...FOR NOW

001 | send me a ship and I will tell you:

when I started shipping it if I did: VERY RECENTLY ACTUALLY id say within the last like two weeks. ive always loved doll and always loved n but then i realized like. oh huh i connect alot with n and want to make out with doll . boom. its like borderline selfship at this point its cringe as fuck but let me do whatever i want.

my thoughts: surprisingly i don't have as many thoughts on them as i did but i feel like. because of how much of a foil doll is to uzi i think thats the word it would be like. IDK i feel like for doll it'd help to understand the 'humanity' of the dds. if she witnesses a disassembly drone killing war machine trip over his own tail or bump his head into a doorframe and wince and laugh and talk and hug with gentle arms and do things that she specifically reprogrammed herself NOT to do so she'd have a better chance to kill her worst enemy and avenge her parents... she would short circuit. to actually get to the point of not killing him on sight would take a while or lots of coercing via ... lizzy? or hell maybe even uzi im not sure. unless they had an individual encounter (which, you know, could totally happen! doll out in the wastes and n is on a solo hunt, you know her ass was following them.) that lead to a stalemate, i'm not sure how they'd even meet. HM OK NOW IM THINKING ABOUT THIS. either way tho n has a habit of befriending insane drones (or like... smoochin depending on how you see enzi tho i see them as platonic) and i think he could. Not fix her but he could be there for her bless. and again i think she could help him be not a doormat 💛 also stupid hc i had aboit them i hv always thought doll to have like... a freakishly good memory. which, works perfectly paired with n because like .you know. his memory prahblems . dolls ass can remember the angle of your arm when you were like fucking sitting on a chair on the 13th of april last year or some shit like she PAYS ATTENTION even if she doesn't often share her input... which is also a good thing bcos n is super inclusive always. n voice DOLLLL LOOK WE ARE DOING A THING!!!! :D & shes just like. sighs okay (comes ova 2 him) and eventually.. i think itd get to the point where she can go do shit on her own without being explicitly invited YAY

What makes me happy about them: gotta bring up the Me & My Wife shit again bcos its borderline selfship at this point. i just think its interesting and awesome I REALLY HOPE THEY HAVE AN INTERACTION... tho i doubt it; i think they might fight or smt in ep 7 WHICH HONESTLY I WOULDNT BE SAD ABOUT my goil needs moe screenrtime

What makes me sad about them: doll probably hasnt experienced like. affection in fucking ages & frankly n really hasnt either. i think they'd hold hands and talk about their kill counts. also i just realized they both kind of went thru a period of time tht was little socialization only KILL. doll had school & lizzy, sure, but also living in an apartment with ur parents' & dozens of others' corpses its like. tht fucks w u. but the interesting thing about them is… n and doll don't experience guilt over Killing And Eating People the same way i think. like. just for example v and uzi do (atleast in my perception). like v couldnt cope with the knowledge she had so she fell extra EXTRA hard into her role (atleast using her maid self as an accurate portrayal of her old self) and uzi has never ever experiuenced anything like that before so its fucking terrifying to her. however, with doll and n… they dont percieve it the same way. we understand that both of them are capable of guilt but it takes a very strong connection for them to experience it. ep one; n feels bad for making uzi argue with khan & ruining the card game. does he say a single thing about killing and eating half a dozen workers? No! because it's natural to him. there's nothing out of the ordinary in that situation except for the fact that he was "rude" by interrupting someone & "rude" by causing an argument. yes, he's very sweet and patient and all of the above but he doesn't see killing as really a BAD THING… he sees it as a necessity; as him being useful, higher numbers means hes doing a good job. but, really, that's all he's known. he doesn't remember being a worker. after meeting uzi he's capable of realizing… oh, these are living creatures! i feel a little bad now. but the guilt doesn't come crashing down onto him and leave him utterly devastated at his kill count, it just sits there. it festers. similarly, in my opinion, to how doll reacts to guilt. we see her as this unstoppable force at every point until the end of promening. she knows her goals, she knows what she has to do to get to them, and has shaped herself into the perfect killing machine to do what she needs, removing all forms of guilt from her person to make sure it doesn't get in the way. though, again, it comes bubbling to the surface back from where she buried it so deeply under all her anger when uzi pops her emo little head in. she isnt instantly all "oh my god, what have i done?" but it eats away at her all of this fucking time, she has been killing and hurting her kind, believing she was the only one who could possibly shoulder this burden and deal justice to those who deserved it. but now that she knows she isn't alone… it festers.

things done in fanfic that annoys me: i've seen like three n/doll fics literally EVER but i'd honestly say. major mischaracterization of doll... i feel like doll gets mischaracterized more than n? n's behaviours are easy to understand and read with a surface level understanding because he has more screentime and again ON THE SURFACE looks relatively simple. i think a huge thing in some fanfics that bugs me is that. imitation of speech patterns = perfect characterization WHICH IS NOT TRUE... but also understandably makes it difficult to do with doll because she doesn't talk alot, while N talks a LOT so it leads to a heavy imbalance in mischaracterization. just because the characters would fucking say that, doesnt mean they would Fucking Do That

apparently there is a word limit on tumblr. pleasantly surprised this will be two posts instead

[flameshadowconjuring]

I am really tired of all the propaganda which says that the axiom of choice is this necessary evil, because it is really useful in proofs but the choice functions are not constructive. Because yes, the axiom itself gives you no scheme for constructing an explicit choice function. That much is true. But I would argue that the axiom's negation is actually way more non-constructive!

The axiom of constructibility (also known as V=L) implies the axiom of choice, so the negation of the axiom of choice implies the existence of sets which are not ordinal definable, and thus cannot be constructed by exclusively appealing to the axioms of ZF (which, with the exception of extensionality and foundation, are all axioms which exclusively describe closure properties of the set-theoretic universe).

In fact, the proof of V=L implying choice is constructive! If V=L holds, we can explicitly define a well-ordering of the entire set-theoretic universe! Not only that, but the existence of a transitive model of ZF implies a transitive model of ZF+V=L which is point-definable, i.e. every set in that model is uniquely characterized by a first-order formula of set theory. Every set being definable strikes me as very constructive.

Sure, things like Banach-Tarski are pretty weird results that require the axiom of choice or a similar axiom. But the only real issue here is that we ascribe our geometric intuition to a partition of a sphere that is impossible to do in real life! Not only can we not divide real-life objects infinitely often, but even if we could, we physically could not select points the way that Banach-Tarski requires.

I think it is interesting to think about set theories where choice does not hold or may not hold. Certainly, a set theory where all subsets of R are measurable is appealing, if only for convenience. And it is legitimately fun to prove equivalences between the axiom of choice and various other propositions, such as the total ordering of the cardinals or Tychonov's theorem, or to reason about the relative strengths of different weaker variants like dependent choice, or my personal favorite, the ultrafilter lemma. It gives you more insight into the beauty of choice. But, in as much as you can 'believe' in an axiom, I believe that the axiom of choice is true in the platonic ideal of mathematics, and I will not stand for slander against it.

[victorluvsalice]

You and Your Friend by Snake River Conspiracy - Topic

Found this song while looking at @polyamorousmood's latest posts, and was intrigued enough by the sampled lyrics to take a listen. And -- yeah, I like it, and I think it's got the Valicer vibes! It's cool to link a song with genuine poly lyrics to my OT3, instead of finding ways to get a "standard" love song to fit. Granted, I'm a little muddled on what the Valicer vibes actually ARE -- while part of me thinks that the song would have to be from Victor's POV, as it's about being in love with someone and their explicitly-female friend (which suits Victor being the point of the V-relationship between him, Smiler, and Alice, with Smiler and Alice being the friends), the actual feel and lyrics of the song itself seems to lean a lot more toward SMILER being the POV character. I dunno, it just seems to suit them more than Victor. And platonic love IS a thing, so... *shrug* No matter what, though, "That's how I know I'm in love with you and your friend/Honest I do, I can't see you and me and her without each other" is definitely a real Valicer vibe. :)

[applepies-and-starlight]

sorry for this incoming long rant in your inbox

I have a hot take w/r/t ishqueg queerbaiting and canto v in general. I think the incel kerfuffle had something to do with it. they don't want to threaten Ishmael's (imagined) sexual availability to the (prioritized) heterosexual male audience by explicitly confirming her lesbianism¹ because said idea of sexual availability is part of their business model as a gacha game. much has been correctly stated about LC's art design and the avoidance of stereotypically sexualized designs. but the characters are still hot. you're supposed to find them attractive.

there's a lot in C5 that feels weird and disjointed and I wouldn't be surprised if they made some last minute changes. this is why heathcliff pulls ishmael out of the white ego death goo out of nowhere² (I mean he spends the entire canto complaining and even floats the idea of going it alone inside the Pallid Whale even though he admits they'd irretrievably lose people in the process) when it's Dante who was the one rebuilding trust with her and helping her pull free from her spiral. (For that matter multiple characters have interactions with her in C5: Dante, Rodya and even Outis.) the white ego death goo scene makes a lot more sense as the capstone for Dante and Ishmael, doesn't it? I think it was, originally, but Dante isn't male as far as we know and they might have realized that none of the people pushing the action in the canto were men. obviously unacceptable if you don't want to alienate the incels in your audience. I mean, shit, "heathcliff and ishmael learn a bit about why they're each Like That and make peace³" would have at least been an arc, but that's not really what happened.

yeah I dunno sorry again for rambling semi-coherently but C5 and its inconsistencies really bothered me. queequeg⁴ deserved better.

¹Or bi/pansexuality, but I can only do so much discourse in one ask.

²one more note. the scene is clearly meant to be important because it gets its own CG *when even Queequeg's death didn't* but like -- it doesn't seem to have changed their dynamic even a little bit. during the Green Ordeal bit Outis says Heathcliff is the least trustworthy member of the team (or something like that) and Ishmael agrees! it's like it never happened. she's still offhandedly mean to him later.

³or make out. I'm not into heath/ish in the slightest, as you probably inferred, but whatever. they're much more interesting to me as platonic haters.

⁴one last thing. it really is unbelievable that they shied away from explicitly acknowledging the queer relationship while saying shit like "you unearthed her broken heart" and having a scene of Ishmael planning out her life with Queequeg and mentioning "her hidden wounds that only I saw" (paraphrasing here). they don't need to have like them scissoring onscreen or anything but come on. even the 173-year-old source material was more upfront!

Anon gets it (even when i only half get it; wonderfully worded anon(/genuine))

Honestly, in light of this rant, I'm curious about an alternate timeline where the incel controversy never happened, sure it would most likely happen by the time Canto V Happens™ instead (because, as you said, lesbianism) but I'm wondering if they would've been more open about Ishqueg's dynamic...

[aroacesafeplaceforall]

Re: aspec headcannons

I strongly believe that two of my favorite blorbos are aspec (specifically arospec):

The first is Link from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (minor spoiler warning for this paragraph). Most Zelda games' iterations of Link can easily be read as aspec-coded in some way, but Twilight Princess's emphasis on Link's relationships made his lack of romance really stand out and resonate with me as an aromantic. Over the course of the game, we see countless instances of him caring deeply about the people around him, friends and strangers alike. This is so prominent that it's honestly a defining trait of his; he even stands out from his other iterations in just how much he's a Guy Who Cares. Yet for all his personal and emotional investment in people, there is a striking lack of romance in his relationships, much to my delight. Instead, his relationships are founded on his caring nature. The best example of this is his friendship with Midna. Introduced near the beginning of the game and serving as Link's companion until the very end, Midna initially establishes a very transactional relationship with Link; a sort of "I help you, you help me" dynamic. At that point, she is closed off to Link and confides very little in him, while Link probably isn't thrilled with her demeaning treatment of him or how much she asks of him, but puts up with it anyway out of the goodness of his heart. They're reluctant allies. However, they gradually come to respect each other as Link's kindness and courage inspire Midna, and Midna's disparaging behavior slowly gives way to benign, endearing snark. Before long, when Midna is brought within an inch of her life, and Link carries her off in search of help (because of course he would), he does so with desperation, dashing frantically on foot across Hyrule's vast fields in the dead of night, worried for the acquaintance he had only just begun to appreciate, having seen her grow over the course of their adventure. That experience—Link fearing losing Midna, and Midna having her life saved by Link—brings them closer than ever. After Midna recovers, the two are best friends. She eventually opens up to Link about her identity, past, and insecurities, and Link is understanding of her plight and committed to stay by her side through everything. At the end of the game, Midna's plotline is resolved, and she prepares to return to her realm. Never to see each other again, she and Link share a heartfelt goodbye. Common tropes would have them be lovers by this point, and lament being torn away from their soulmate. Instead, Nintendo gave us something that's a precious rarity in media: a bittersweet ending for a pair of dear friends.

The other is Big Boss from the Metal Gear series. I haven't finished every game he makes an appearance in yet, but as far as I can tell, he never has any explicitly romantic relationships. However, he does have a wide range of other kinds of relationships. Plenty are sexual, plenty are platonic, and plenty are... something else. Furthermore, there are certain details throughout the series that, from my perspective, give him strong aro vibes. For example, in Metal Gear Solid 3, he is asked about the nature of his relationship with another character, in terms of an amatonormative false dichotomy. His response is "Does it have to be one or the other?" In Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, there's a sexual dynamic between him and another character, which I would describe as "brothers-in-arms with benefits." In Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Big Boss's relationships are pretty much all based on his desperation to hold on to the people he still hasn't lost yet. His relationships don't take on very clear forms; he's just trying to cherish the ones that are left while he still can, in whatever way he can. So yeah, I think Big Boss is aroallo, and that's pretty cool.

^^^^