#.....when he's probably something closer to nonbinary....

[abyssalzones]

Hiii

Do you have any headcanons about Tate or Emma-May Dixon?

I have to admit I haven't thought about them as much as characters as I have in terms of their relation to fiddleford or ford's accidental homewrecking of the entire mcgucket-dixon family. I also keep changing my damn mind on things which doesn't help (so literally just ignore anything I've said before this point). but here's a couple:

emma-may was another student attending backupsmore, specifically a genetics major interested in medical research.

tate was a test tube baby

[gonzo-rella]

Headcanons: Being Nonbinary and a Thunderbolt*

MASTERLIST | AO3

Pride Month 2025 #1

Relationship(s): The Thunderbolts/New Avengers x nonbinary!reader (platonic)

Warnings: Mentions of dysphoria, mentions of transphobia, possible typos because I'm trying to be less perfectionist about my silly little headcanon posts. (Let me know if I need to add any)

(A/N: My first MCU fic! And, my first Pride Month 2025 fic. I used to be really into the MCU back in 2019, but then my love of and interest in it dwindled post-WandaVision. I've spent the past 5 years wanting to get back into the MCU, and it was Thunderbolts* that convinced me to finally do it. I rewatched the Cap movies and the Avengers movies and finally watched Black Widow and TFATWS. I'll (probably) do a full watch through of the whole MCU ready for Fantastic Four next month. But, yeah, I really fell in love with these movies again and I can't wait to write for these characters. I wanna do a fic where the reader is Hawkeye's adopted kid and they come out to him as nonbinary, particularly with the reader having this backstory. If you'd be interested in that, let me know! Also, I wanna write romantically for Bucky, particularly with an enby reader with that same backstory. I wanna be Bucky's lameass nonbinary partner genuinely. As always, requests are open! I have no idea what to write, really, I'll add the MCU to my fandom list when I've done a full catch-up.)

You’ll be happy to know that everyone on the team is cool with the whole nonbinary thing.

Mostly.

Alexei is a little confused but has the spirit.

Definitely ‘his/her pronouns are they/them!’ energy.

He is curious but not judgemental, and if anything he thinks it’s pretty cool.

Yelena, Bucky and Ava are normal about it and don’t treat it like a big deal.

At first Bob is clearly nervous about messing up how he refers to you, so you might have to reassure him that it’s fine for him to mess up as long as he tries his best.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Walker, who, when you first meet him, can’t give less of a shit about offending you.

He doesn’t go out of his way to do it, and he isn’t malicious about it, but I can imagine him thinking ‘oh, great’ and rolling his eyes about it.

He doesn’t strike me as someone who has queer friends. Or friends. Especially after he bashed that guy’s head in.

He misgenders you and the only apology he offers is sarcastic and otherwise insincere because he’s got bigger things to worry about, like his wife leaving him.

Of course, Bucky, Ava and Yelena will all tell him to shut up and stop being a dick.

I adore my silly little idea of Ava and Yelena misgendering him to piss him off and see how he would like it, and it isn’t long until he concedes that it’d just be less of a headache to show you some basic respect and refer to you properly.

And, he will actually come to not be bothered by referring to you properly in the end.

I feel like Ava’s main way of showing support is by being a dick to people who are dicks to you about the gender thing.

Bucky knew you long before the whole Thunderbolts/New Avengers thing.

(TLDR: My headcanon is that, after Civil War, you lived in Wakanda after Steve busted you out of prison, which gave you a chance to get to know Bucky and vice versa)

When he first met you, all he knew about you was that you had stuck your neck out to save him, something for which he was grateful.

And, if you had Steve’s stamp of approval, that was more than enough for him.

The whole ‘nonbinary’ thing was unfamiliar to him.

He’d noticed how you were referred to by Steve and the others.

He took the approach of not questioning it, despite being confused.

Not asking about it became unavoidable when you grew closer.

One night, when you were both sitting around a fire in Wakanda, he very awkwardly asked you about it, and you had a long conversation about it.

After that, he understands well enough and he gets the hang of gendering you correctly in no time.

(I’d like to think you help explain other queer concepts to him).

If someone is a dick to you, he will stand up for you.

Whether or not you can handle things yourself, he takes it upon himself to have your back, like you had his, and like he always had Steve’s.

It’s in his nature to stick up for the little guy, you know?

I’d like to think that, after Bucky and the rest of the population is revived post-blip, you remain close to him.

You wind up being his best friend by default.

And, he does his own research on queer shit because he cares that much about you and being a good friend to you.

He doesn’t admit it or bring it up.

Even though you’re friends, he feels awkward about asking you things directly too much.

Either way, it’s clear he’s done his homework.

I’d like to think, as a congressman, he does what he can to advocate for queer people like you.

I feel like Valentina would try to encourage you to be the LGBTQ+ New Avenger.

Even though, y’know, there’s probably a few fruits in that basket if you get what I’m saying.

Her image of you is one of a corporate Pride poster child- someone who can appeal to a demographic, rather than an actual person.

She will try to parade you around like her token queer associate.

Hopefully, you’ll have none of it.

Bucky and Yelena will advocate for you.

They will tell you not to do anything you don’t want to do or otherwise feel uncomfortable doing.

There’s something so compelling about a superhero who is given the opportunity to be positive, visible, real-life representation for their community whilst also knowing they’ll have to be palatable in a way that likely sacrifices facets of their own identity and experiences.

I haven’t seen much of The Boys but that’s a storyline in that show I think.

If you exclusively use they/them pronouns, or pronouns that aren’t ‘they’, ‘she’ or ‘he’, Val definitely fucks up your pronouns a suspicious amount of times for someone who likes to appear like an ally.

If you use any pronouns, she will default to the pronouns of your AGAB with the occasional ‘they’ thrown in for good measure.

She really is one of those kinds of people, I fear; someone who isn’t queerphobic but is performative in her allyship.

If/when you’re feeling dysphoric, Yelena will be there to listen to you vent.

I love the idea that Yelena will warn everyone that you’re not feeling great, and Alexei will take it upon himself to hype you up.

“Heyyy, if it isn’t the most not-woman, not-man person I know!”

He claps you on the back and looks to Yelena for approval that he just did allyship right.

Again, he’s a little confused but he’s got the spirit.

If you seem down and you’re clearly withdrawing from the rest of the team, I can imagine Bob asking you if you’re okay and stumbling over some clumsy words of comfort.

I feel like Yelena, Bucky and Bob would be more observant than the rest of your teammates when it comes to realising you’re reacting negatively to gender stuff.

They’re the ones who will catch you looking at your reflection for a few seconds too long, or obsessively readjusting your clothes or your hair, or doomscrolling through anti-trans headlines.

If you seem to be way too caught up in it, they’ll ask you if you’re alright, or otherwise try to distract you with something else (even if it’s obvious they know something’s up).

Ava will pick up on a lot of things but she is far less likely to say anything.

It’s not that she doesn’t care; it’s that she doesn’t think it’s her place to say anything because she wouldn’t be your ‘go-to’.

If she notices that you’re doomscrolling, though, I’d like to think she snatches your phone off you without a word.

You have to be so visibly bad for John or Alexei to notice.

And, even then, they might not realise it’s a gender thing.

But, if Alexei knows what’s wrong, he’ll try his best to comfort you.

He’s paternal like that.

John won’t bother saying anything.

His version of being nice is the bare minimum of not making you feel any worse.

Quickfire round:

If you’re transmasc, Alexei will offer to take you to do some stereotypically masculine activities.

He may also let you win an arm wrestling contest to make you feel better.

(If you couldn’t tell, I love the idea of Alexei being paternal to you).

If you ever want/need to go shopping for gender-affirming clothes, Yelena will be happy to go with you because clothes and other forms of self-expression mean a lot to her.

If you bind, Yelena and Bucky are really good at picking up if you’re doing it unsafely.

They will pick up on if you seem dehydrated or if your body language shows some discomfort, especially if you’re someone who isn’t great at taking care of themself.

In summary, you have some good teammates who look out for you.

[scenesniper]

You are my hero 😭 as a nonbinary afab person, I feel like almost all fanfics are meant for cis women. If it’s alright, could I request sfw &/or nsfw headcanons for Aesop please? It’s totally okay if not, thank you for your posts regardless 💜

☆ aesop carl ; general sfw & nsfw headcanons

pairing / aesop carl x afab gn! reader

disclaimer / possession, jealous themes, dacryphilia, overstimulation, mutual & guided masturbation, clothed fingering, mentions of being sex obsessed

word count / 1,346 words

author's note / thank you anon, i'm honored to know that you seen with my works! i went a bit far while writing this and i'm honestly shocked as i thought i didn't write as much.

SFW

☆ aesop carl is a quiet, reserved man. he keeps to himself, something that everyone knows all too well. he’s neat and tidy, nothing is ever misplaced as long as it’s aesop carl’s belongings. visitors would visit the mortuary and the sight of aesop being in charge was considered to be a blessing in that little town, a good sign as yours or your loved one’s will would be properly passed on by his respectable hands.

☆ meeting you and getting to know you, he’s unsure on what to think of you as. you’re just an inexplicable mystery to him. in fact, there’ll probably be times where he would believe what he feels for you is loathing.

☆ if you’re quiet, he’ll still think of you as annoying albeit he’s fond to those silent. if you’re loud and chatty, he’ll want to just shut up and imagine you still and dead but then felt uncomfortable with the idea of you dead, a thought he’s unfamiliar with.

☆ he will find your presence more bearable over time but would keep to himself, only truly looking at you in the distance. he wouldn’t pursue you per se, it would start off slow, aesop believing he’s involving himself in your life with the occasional nod and a greeting regarding the time of day (which only happens little often as aesop doesn’t want to admit, he yearns for an emotional connection with you).

☆ if by a miracle, he shows a bit of himself to you, take that opportunity as fast as you can as he’s fast to hide back in his shell. aesop is a listener. if you have a lot to say, he’ll listen despite not being very interested in what people tend to say, he’ll hyperfocus on you. if you’re not much of a talker, he enjoys your silent company. he’s not very fond of small talk, he prefers long and detailed conversations with depth.

☆ aesop randomly thinking about you during his day, whether it’s when he’s doing his job or he’s out late at night with little to no energy but a mere little lunch, that’s when he knows that there is something about you that his subconscious just desires. aesop is a possessive and easily jealous man but even he, himself does not acknowledge that. he feels entitled over you.

☆ getting to date aesop carl, you will have to be very patient as he prefers having it at his pace. it’ll start off with his shoulders brushing against yours, a quick glance at your direction, discreetly holding your wrist. you seriously questioned if he even liked you.

☆ aesop is a private man and is not a big fan of intimacy or public displays of affection. he hasn’t touched many people in his life, minus the dead bodies that he has to attend to. so for that very reason, he’s highly sensitive to the touch of another.

☆ once he does get a bit more comfortable (which will still take quite some more time), he’s prone to being easily flustered by you and your actions. if you got too impatient by his advances and started to lead the relationship, he gets very flustered by avoiding your gaze and covering his mouth, inadvertently unaware that he’s wearing a face covering.

☆ kissing with aesop is like a quick dream. not that it’s heavenly, but it goes by so far you can barely register anything of it and question what it even was. at first, he’ll give you quick pecks on the lips and call it a day. as you grow closer with him, those quick pecks would turn into needy kisses for you.

☆ he needs to feel you, skin to skin. your warmth and your little quiver, memorize the shape of your lips and mold his mouth with yours. he’s an absolute messy kisser (and not that very good with it). he’ll try to reciprocate your actions if you try your best to amend his awkward kissing but it’s all for naught. aesop is a fast learner and will learn but when he wants you, no, needs you, and you’re looking at him with that beautiful look that he so loves. he’s just going to go in with no thoughts attached behind it.

NSFW

☆ aesop isn’t the kind to touch himself, really, he’s never paid attention to his physical needs. never having anything to really think about while touching himself, he found it completely dull and tiring. until you, his muse. he’ll pleasurably touch himself to thought of you inside the confines of his bedroom with only a singular candle, its’ light dying away deep in the night. the guilt questionable as he got off more to how disrespectful he felt.

☆ having sex with aesop, he sees sex as something so intimate that it should only be kept in the bedroom and the bedroom only. he will be viewing your body more of like an examination as he does with corpses, his gaze not timid. he’ll touch the areas he’s expecting reactions from you and drag his gloved finger on your body, just for you to squirm over his cold touch.

☆ he’s average in size, it’s skinny but he does know how to use it. he loves doing all sorts of positions with you, each night a new position. he wants to feel all sorts of intimacy with you in every way possible. he loves to pin your hands above your head, your wrists would over time begin to strain from the pressure he’s giving your wrists.

☆ if you wear lipstick, he loves it plastered all over his collar. he finds it so appealing. he absolutely loves tears in the bedroom and god does he have an orgasm fixation. cry for him, whine for him, beg for him. gasp his name and hold him tight by his shoulders or grip his thighs. he loves to wipe your tears. “shh darling.. you’re so good so far.”

☆ mutual and guided masturbation. he loves being enchanted by the sight of you, staring at him in such a vulnerable state. he can’t contain himself, he has to touch himself as well. he loves guided masturbation for both ways, especially you directing him where he can and where he can’t touch to those areas that needs the most attention. he loves to be in control of your autonomy in this way, hearing you beg him. it’s serene.

☆ he doesn’t like the being all sweaty and your heated bodies touching one another so most of the overstimulating is from him fingering you. he does it with his gloves, in a trance every time he sees your essence staining his clothed fingers by the end of it every night. he loves to admire your cum seeping out but quickly tries to clean it up with his fingers as he’s not a big fan of the mess.

☆ once aesop has felt and got sex on his mind, he’s going to be completely sex obsessed. he’s always thinking about you with little to no clothing, in a cute little lace lingerie. those are the thoughts that’s been keeping him going after a tiring day at work. all he can think about is him being inside you, his fingers on your body and inside that perfect spot that he knows will have your back arching every time.

☆ aftercare with aesop is him always cleaning up. there will always be a bath followed immediately after he finishes changing the sheets and wiping your body off, preferably bathing together as he feels after a physically charged act with one another, this simple act of familiarity makes it feel more like he’s living.

☆ after the bath, he will rest in bed with you either being up for a few more minutes thinking about the littlest of things and salvage the importance of this memory. he’ll lean in with a forehead kiss, for the first few moments in his life, he’s finally content with his life. “rest well, doll.”

[solar4seekstron]

I have a funny little one for TFA so we all know how bumblebee is like the smallest bot compared to everyone right so what if he had a conjux or crush that was smaller than him like he teases them and stuff but still loves affection to them (if you make them femme that be great if not gn is good too 👍)

That’s so cute I’ll definitely give it a try. And the reason I do GN is because I want all different genders to enjoy my work. Male, Nonbinary, and Female lol.

Smaller

TFA!Bumblebee x Cybertronian!GN!Reader Oneshot

Content: SFW

Introduction Movies/Series Oneshot Masterlist

TW/Tags: Just Bee being best boi.

Bee has been a part of Team Prime for a pretty good while. He joined because he wished to stick with his pal Bulkhead. And his lovely Conjunx. A small but well built and pretty strong he was able to get to become his Conjunx by pure luck, at least that’s what he yelled himself. Joins them as well.

Someone he just asked out one day at the academy and ever since then. You both never separated. Even despite many other short bots like wasp and the twins who tried to court you.

Good thing too. Going with Bee is the best choice you could’ve ever made. He always made you smile and brought you cheer even when you were supposed to be mad at him. You always stood up for him and comforted him. He always made sure to be affectionate with you. Like holding you and giving you forhelm kisses. The only times he’d not care about how he looked and how others saw him.

You know it’s to show he truly loves you for who you are. As you show how you love him for who he is. You two are basically the ideal couple in the team. Ratchet even saying that only once. Bringing Bee and Ratchet a little closer. Making both you and Optimus happy.

It’s been a good while since you all started living on the planet earth with Sari. Sari always liked hanging out with you since you were the smallest.

Often at times when you and Bee would be sitting on the couch watching TV Sari would walk in and sit on your lap almost like a little child. Sometimes Bee didn’t mind. But if he was feeling a bit “frisky” that moment or day. yeah he’d get annoyed but say nothing.

Your bond always comforting him even when you guys weren’t in battle. Every time there was a close call you guys always stayed close together. You even dressed up as Bee bride for Halloween when he went as a vampire.

Bee is always affectionate with you. And as you are with him. Deposited your size.

The others always treated you as a comrade as if the size difference wasn’t there every day. Despite not having a gender like the mechs. You do at times play at the role of a mother. Something Sari told you, bee and bulkhead about when she came to visit you all. Sari even said that you treat her like your own.

Even at night Bee would try to talk to you about it. Saying if you’re like the mother then he’s the cool uncle. You corrected him since you listened to what sari said about how family works. He’d be the dad.

At least second to Optimus Prime..This would make him a bit sad. Not happy with his not so smart moment.

You’d then comfort him the way you always do. Gently holding him by his cheeks and showering his face with kisses. Smothering him as he chuckled and his cervos gently holding your waist.

”Thanks Sweetspark. You always know how to take care of me.” He chuckled once more. “What would I do without you?”

”Mmm..probably fighting a decepticon.” You teased and this made you ad him laugh before you both looked at each other's optics. And then both of your dermas connect as you both close your optics.

You always and will till the day your spark runs out. Love moments like this with your Conjunx. Although many will always ask you, even repeating it. As you why you stay with him. You can always answer with a bright smile on your dermas. as your optics only show joy and warmth.

”He makes me smile.”

I really had fun making this for Bumblebee. He’s so cute and I tried my best to add as much as I can for him without much of a scenario. Mostly just his relationship with the reader and the femme part gave me an idea. Maybe I’ll do another part with this Oneshot but I’ll need a scenario for the two so I can get a better story out to write so please lay out the ideas. I’m sure I can make a lot of fun ideas with the family dynamic with Sari, Bee, and reader! I hope you all have a good rest of the day and enjoy the next posts as they come!

[sourpatchys]

My personal Headcannons for Daryl Dixon that I will defend with my life

Just a warning! there is some nsfw❤️‍🔥 content in this list (not a ton)

This is a list full of random Headcannons I have, some are xreader related, some are just fun little things I’d like to believe because they’re fun

He l o v e s head scratches and chin scratches, just like a dog, his mom used to do it to him as a kid, it’s just really comforting to him

He is 100% dyslexic, he’s super insecure about it, which is why he leaves reading and writing up to anyone else who’s willing to do it.

This dude is secretly a math wiz. It came super easy to him, but he does tend to keep it on the down low because it was never something he was allowed to be proud of as a child, and it’s not really a needed skill anymore

I personally do not believe Daryl did anything hard while running around with Merle, Shrooms and weed were his limit 99.99% of the time, unless he felt pressured, but even then it would take a lot of convincing

He’s very self conscious about how thick his accent can get, he grew up in a much more rural area than the rest of Rick and Co. (apart from Maggie of course) and he feels out of place with his speech patterns at times.

Daryl was definitely a highschool drop out, assuming his birthday is January 6th, he left as soon as he was old enough to do it without a parent’s consent (18)

I just know this man never got his license. Can you imagine him paying his way through classes and taking a drivers test? I can’t. He probably just got a state ID for booze and just drove around illegally (if he got an ID at all, I’m sure he knew quite a few places that didn’t card)

He runs hot, the cold is a lot easier for him to handle than the heat, which is why he tended to wear sleeveless shirts or half sleeves

He has never had a “crush” in his life. He’s thought people were hot before, of course he has, but romance was never really on his mind

He’s not a total virgin, but he’s not exactly skilled either. His body count is probably 3, and I guarantee you he was not sober before, during, or after.

He’s a thigh and breast man. Hands down.

I know deep in my soul that this man enjoys some face sitting.

He’s not an overly sexual guy, if you were asexual he’d be okay with never doing anything, so long as you were happy

If you’re nonbinary, he was definitely mean to you at the start, with the way he was raised it simply didn’t make any since to him, BUT once you get closer and he starts to trust you, he might (he will) start asking some questions to understand you better

He isn’t a pet name kinda guy. He’s completely on board with calling you sunshine or princess, but anything past that just isn’t for him, and he really isn’t a fan of you giving him one either, unless it’s just a joking matter like how Carol calls him “pookie” from time to time

He’s a morning person and he hates it. He always wakes up at the ass crack of dawn, and every time he wishes he hadn’t.

He is definitely an insomniac, likely derived from having night terrors as a kid

He’s definitely self conscious about his scars, but not enough to cause issues if anyone happened to see them, he isn’t ashamed of them, but he doesn’t want to explain where their from, and he genuinely hasn’t thought of a good enough lie to tell instead.

When rick saw them for the first time Daryl had him fully convinced he was in a fight with a bear for about a week (rick never asked for the real reason)

He has a heavy sweet tooth, and likes to keep hard candy with him at all times (if possible) and he has never, and will never, pass up chocolate in any form.

He genuinely has chicken scratch for handwriting, he does not plan on ever attempting to make it easier to read, he enjoys the struggle people face when he’s put in a position where he has to write anything down. (Plus it helps conceal his errors if they do figure it out)

He does genuinely want kids in his life. Even if they can’t be his biologically. Being “uncle Daryl” is the best feeling he’s ever experienced, and he really wants to experience that with you if you’d allow it/want it (he would never pressure you to have kids)

Headaches and migraines plague his existence and they always have

He had super long hair as a kid and one of his punishments was his dad shaving it all off, which is why he kept it short until after the outbreak.

He would let you paint his toenails, or match his middle finger with whatever polish you decided to wear

This dude HATES clowns. Seeing a walker in a clown get up would absolutely kill him on the inside

You got sick? Don’t worry about it, he will absolutely attempt to make you soup from scratch using bone marrow and whatever else he can find

Fishing is not his thing. He knows how to, but he much prefers just catching them by hand or with a spear.

The closer you two get, the more likely he is to try and convince you that Bigfoot is real

Daryl is a secret star wars fan

He does NOT like country music, Led Zeppelin, Rob zombie, Ozzy osbourne and Lamb of god are much more his thing

He wasn’t a technology kind of guy, so if you tried to explain any aspect of social media to him he’d be completely lost (he didn’t even have a cellphone)

He has a super dry sense of humor

If he had to choose between starving to death or eating plain Cheerios, he would choose death.

One of the reasons he isn’t big on showering is because he doesn’t have a strong immune system from his childhood neglect, and he doesn’t want to shock his body and get sick

He also just hates the way soap feels on his skin. It’s way too sticky

During sex, he’s not strictly dominant or submissive, he’s ready to adapt to whatever you want, even if that means being strictly vanilla

He’s afraid of Santa Clause

And the Easter bunny

He’s willing to try anything once, even if he doesn’t think he’ll like it

He knows a lot of information on plants and herbs, so depending on your mood, he’ll try to find a flower to brighten your day with a little scribbled note explaining its meaning (because you can actually read his atrocious writing)

He’s never once told you he loves you, and your relationship wasn’t a spoken fact. His actions tend to speak louder than words, and if you say you love him, he will occasionally reply with a “back at ya.” Or “me too”

He always has weird shit in his pockets, like cool rocks he found, dead flowers, and fallen leaves.

He genuinely does not understand a single thing that Eugene says, and he never has.

The first time he ever kisses you on his own (you 100% have to make the first move) it’s a very rough and embarrassed act where he just grabs you and plants one in ya before you can even think about what’s happening

He will change his favorite color to whatever yours is, because if you can see beauty in it, then it’s all he can see from then on out

[thelonelyshore-if]

Oh, seeing how other people see the RO's gender is fascinating.

For me, as a gay man, I always choose everyone to be male if possible. That said, Perri always felt non binary to me, even when I make them male in my playthrough. I could say I could see Perri being he/they, now that I think about it.

As for Croft, I always saw them as male. But it may be because I'm gay. I just have a hard time picturing them as female.

And my beloved Jay, I've always preferred them as a man. I think such a soft and kind character is more interesting being male because he has that nurturing kind to him that is often rare in male characters.

Of course, I know people may have completely different opinions. I have read other asks pointing this out, after all. And it's very interesting to see.

The only character I never see as a specific gender identity, although I always pick them to be male, is Willow. They just feel gender fluid to me.

Honestly I agree wholeheartedly, this has been suuuuper interesting to me!!

And also seeing everyone have such strong nonbinary vibes from Perri makes a lot of sense based on how I see them in my own head ngl. I think if they're always at least a little bit gender nonconforming. If they didn't live in Easthaven I think they would probably identify as some level of nonbinary even when they lean closer to a binary gender, but as it is they don't really Think About It unless they're fully genderqueer.

Thank you for sharing the rest of your thoughts btw!! These are all great. I agree that M!Jay being gentle and nurturing is one of my favorite things about him, and an aspect that isn't entirely common in male characters.

And tbh genderfluid Willow is also something I can definitely understand. It'll be interesting to see the vibe people get when they appear in the story properly!

[yumiis]

hi!! welcome to much tumblr :]

i thought i’d send you a request after seeing your page on my recommended!!

slimecicle cuddles with nonbinary reader!! just fluffy af

:3

hi hon! thanks for the warm welcome. this isn't my first rodeo on tumblr; just wanted to start fresh! i can absolutely do this for you!

｡ﾟﾟ･｡･ﾟﾟ｡ ﾟ。 CUDDLING ; CHARLIE

　ﾟ･｡･ﾟ

genre; comfort/fluff

type; blurb

read below!

You'd had a decently rough day, work was a pain, your manager got on you for something that was NOT your fault, so you really just wanted to go home to your boyfriend.

Upon opening the door, you threw your bag down and shuffled your shoes off your feet. The house was oddly quiet.. No sign of Charlie, but the lights were on. "Charlie?" You called out for him with the minimal strength you had left.

Charlie wiped his eyes as he turned the corner from your shared bedroom, "Oh, hey baby!" His voice was sleepy; he was probably napping, and you woke him up.

"Oh, were you sleeping? I'm sorry," He paused you by walking towards you and taking your hand, "Oh please, I just woke up. How was work?" You shrugged in response. "Could've been better." He sighed, "Ohh.. I'm sorry. Wanna go lay down? It'll make you feel better!.."

You couldn't say no to his puppy dog eyes. Honestly, who could? You certainly couldn't, and you knew that. "Yeah, yeah. It probably would make me feel better.." He smiled, "Good! That's what I like to hear."

After you two lied in bed for a minute, he turned so that he was spooning you. He tangled his legs with yours, then wrapping his arms around your torso to pull you closer. "Isn't that better?" You just hummed in response, "Mhm." He smiled, then started pressing kisses to the back of your neck. "I'm sorry your day wasn't good." You sighed, "It's okay. As long as I get to come home to you, that's all I could ask for."

You could almost feel the cheeky grin radiating off of him, even though you couldn't see his face. "Am I the best boyfriend in the world?" You chuckle, "Yes, Charlie. Yes you are." He pulled you tighter to his chest, making sure you weren't going anywhere.

After a couple minutes, you started getting sleepy. You'd fallen asleep quickly after the rough day you had, "Baby?" He whispered, but when he got a snore in return, he just smiled. "Okay.. Yeah, you get some rest. I won't move a muscle."

"Hush, Charlie." He chuckled, "Oh, yeah, sorry..!"

[vulgrados-best]

Intro Post

Hey I'm Miguel. I'm a xenic nonbinary butch dyke, pronouns are they/them + ze/hir. I'm 17. I'm from Vulgrado, an island region off the coast of Paldea. Recently I had to move to Zapapico to take care of my grandparents.

I'm a Cyclizar Racer, and a pioneer of new types of races. I'm best known for my Bodyguard Racing (name subject to change) style. My rival is @yveltalreal so sorry boys I'm taken.

As it turns out I'm probably plural! At the moment you can refer to us as Miguel& when referring to us all. My two notable headmates at this moment are Zacian and Asterion:

Zacian - He/Him, They/Them, Swor/Sword

Fuzztive (Factive + Fictive) of the legendary wolf pokemon, Zacian! Speaks very formally and is passionate about human society, pokemon conservation efforts, and swords.

Asterion - Ze/Hir, He/Him (exclusive to friends and headmates)

Fictive of The Minotaur from mythology! Speaks bluntly with lots of ellipses and is passionate about stories.

Our Pokemon are:

-> Celcity - Cyclizar | Male

-> Nyoom - Eulimmun | Nonbinary (it/its)

-> Terrainity - Excadrill | Male

-> Mãesaur (& Meninosaur) - Kangaskhan | Female & Male

-> Reapwing - Scyther | Female (they/them)

-> Ferravis - Skarmory | Female (she/he/it)

Uh. I tend to swear a lot, yell a lot, and I love the word dyke.

Also I might start religion discourse on accident considerin' Lachrilove is more commonly referred to on Vulgrado than Arceus. So if ya see me say "Lach" its kinda like how you guys say "Arc"

Fuck uuuhhhh. Look at me and my pokemon 👍

And, no, nothing's wrong with my Cyclizar. It's just a color morph.

// Miguel's universe's pokemon are based more heavily on irl animals. Miguel has and will frequently express distress about other universes' being closer to canon (lack of color morphs, lack of variants, biological workings, etc) or generally unlike theirs.

// Miguel loves to talk about their universe's pokemon and will share knowledge from their universe on other people's posts. They will not understand your universe does not work the same as theirs if you don't explicitly state to them that It Does Not Work Like That for your characters.

// The mun will also not realize discomfort with poke-biology arguments unless it is explicitly stated to them. This goes doubly so for poke-biology about Rapidash as the mun works with horses irl.

(ooc under the cut)

Guidelines:

No NSFW (Miguel is a minor.) Keep it PG-13

Any kind of PKMN IRL blog can interact (Miguel is aware of the multiverse)

In Character Anon Hate is acceptable (but at least make it interesting.)

Pelipper Mail/Malice: OFF (unless funny enough)

Musharna Mail/Malice: OFF (unless compelling enough)

Magic Anons: OFF

Tags:

Posts Made By Tags:

#riders diary -> Posts made by Miguel

#howling voice -> Posts made by Zacian

#labyrinth lost -> Posts made by Asterion

#rotating cast -> Posts made by headmates who don't have a tag

#flowering garden -> Posts made by [Information Redacted until 9/18/2025]

Posts About Tags:

#rivals feud -> Posts about Maple

#caveboy tag -> Posts about Nick

#miguel family -> Posts about Miguel's family

#saddle up -> Posts about racing

#vulgrado info -> information about the fan region Miguel is from that is based on the Azores Islands of Portugal

#lachrian info -> Information about the religion Miguel is a part of.

Important Tags:

#festering -> something important.

#unseen watcher -> signifies that post is invisible to blogs linked to this one (@yveltalreal , @espers-n-espurrs, @jaimemes, @aspens-dragons, @victoria-vd, @rock-n-rolycoly @estranger-and-stranger-still) [works the same as blindspot]

Misc. Tags:

#answered best -> ask tag

#sysposting -> System related posts

Story Arcs:

Minor Arcs:

🏇Neighborhood Arc 1: Riders (Finished) -> 4 Cyclizar Riders get territorial when Nick and Miguel explore a junkyard. Nick mentions to Miguel they had previously driven him and his friends out of the Junkyard.

A couple days later Miguel challenges and beats the Riders in a 4 on 1 Capture the Flag Battle Race, and the 4 Riders invite Miguel to join up with them. A week later there is a sort of rematch and Miguel is betrayed and beat up by the Riders.

A revenge plan is made by Miguel and Nick, this involved getting the Rolycoly Racers (who had been pushed out of the junkyard earlier in the year) to play a prank with Paintball Guns on the Cyclizar Riders. This goes badly as Nick is nearly run over and Miguel beats the shit out of the rider who attempted to do so. Miguel is then arrested.

Major Arcs:

🪼Trouble in Paradise (Finished) -> Miguel joins the Alola trip! Miguel joins Flynn and Maple on their Island Challenge, acting as a bodyguard against dogmon for Maple. Over the course of the trip they go through some mishaps (such as getting beaten up by an angry Buneary, and Maple jumping into the ocean to rescue a baby Vulpix) that cause the trio to get closer.

During the Electric Trial, Miguel was hiking and came across a dead Mother Skarmory, killed by a Tinkaton. Miguel rescues the baby Skarmory that is in danger and runs for their life with the little guy in their arms. They decide to keep the Skarmory who is named Santo Ferravis (a name recommended by Nick).

At one point Maple and Aspen break into the Aether Foundation Lab and Aspen gets kidnapped. It turns out that Aspen was taken by Nihilego and the gang, after some deliberation and preparation (such as Miguel being trained by Victoria), goes into an Ultra Wormhole to rescue Aspen. During the rescue, Miguel is injured by Aspen's Kommo-o, Hibiscus, and is left with a scar.

Afterwards things go... mostly smoothly (except for Maple disappearing for a couple days, and Maple getting attacked by a different Kommo-o) and they finish the Island Challenge. The gang returns home in one piece.

☠️Revenant (In Progress) -> Something's not right with Maple.

[all mentions of dyke will be tagged #d slur tw for filtering.

Mun identifies with the label and feels uncomfortable describing their character as simply sapphic.]

Main is @werewolfcave

[gloriousbookwyrm]

I’ve been busy most of today, but had a last minute idea for a Pocky Day ficlet, ft YuuMalle

Nonbinary Yuu, who is mentioned to have had a girlfriend at some point in the past

After the sun sank below the horizon, and the campus grew dark, Yuu stepped outside and waited by the gates of Ramshackle. Sure enough, the air soon filled with green sparkles, and Hornton joined them, holding a box of pocky, and explained why after he greeted them, “Lilia tells me there is some human celebration around this snack. Apparently it involves some manner of game, but he didn’t explain what. I don’t suppose you learned anything about it from your classmates?”

Somehow, Yuu was more surprised to learn Twisted Wonderland also had Pocky Day than they had been to find out they also celebrated Halloween. They answered Hornton quickly, “Actually this exists back home too. I can teach you the pocky game, if you want?” Hornton nodded smiling, and Yuu opened up the box and pulled a stick out. They had been harboring a crush on their charming, elusive visitor for a while now, but had no idea how he felt about them. They didn’t even know his name! And from some of the things he said, they had put together that he almost definitely wasn’t human, and was probably some kind of fae, which they had heard from a few people apparently existed in this world. Even if he was interested in dating a human, who knew if his romantic customs would even be recognizable to them, or vice versa? This could be a fun way to gauge if he shared certain things in common with them, and if he did, how receptive he was to those things, coming from them. “You take one end of the pocky in your mouth, and I take the other. We’ll take turns moving down the stick until one of us breaks it. Whoever gets to eat the most pocky wins.”

Hornton blinked, “That seems too easy for whoever gets the first turn. What’s the catch?”

“How about you go first and find out?” Yuu bit gently on the chocolate-covered end of the snack, sat up in the stone wall so he wouldn’t have to bend so far, and waited. For a moment, it looked like Hornton really was going to just take the entire pocky at once, but halfway to them seemed to realize how close their faces were, blushed, and stopped there. So fae did have kissing, and considered it at least intimate enough to embarrass him, even he had been a little slow on the uptake there. Equally interesting was the way even the pointed tips of his ears turned pink, and how his slit pupils widened when they made eye contact.

It was Yuu’s move now. When they had played the game with a now ex-girlfriend back home, they had liked to surprise her by making exactly the move Hornton had threatened, claiming the bulk of the snack and a kiss at the same time. Something about Hornton’s reaction made them want to draw it out little, though, so they moved forward by barely an inch. Hornton would have to draw in closer by his own volition, or else break off early.

He opted to move forward, but only barely. However, when Yuu responded in kind and moved an even shorter distance towards him, he huffed, and took enough of the snack that there was only a fraction of an inch between them. A moment later his fluster caught back up with him, and he blushed even further. His face was too close now to really see his expression, but from his eyes and action, Yuu could see he clearly wanted them to be the one to close the gap. They leaned in until there was barely any pocky left between them, and Yuu took in the way his pupils had blown out so large that almost none of the green of his eyes could be seen. Briefly, they considered taking pity on him and the way his lips had parted slightly in anticipation. Instead, they bit the snack in two, and hopped back down onto the ground before he could react. “Well, looks like you have the bigger piece! Want a rematch?”

“I— That is— ” Hornton stammered, but before he could answer, they both heard the raised voices of a pair of Diasomnia students who sometimes patrolled nearby, presumably looking for dorm mates straying out past curfew like Hornton clearly was. Instead he hastily bid them good night and disappeared, leaving Yuu with the overwhelming desire to keep teasing him, whenever they next met.

[maxiemcsoda]

Hand over some Teruya/Kinji headcanons‼️

hihi! sorry for takin so long on this!! i was doing splatoons grand festival all weekend!!

but yes i can give u some of my thoughts on these guys >:)

adding a read more bc it got a little long whoopsie

ok so first off! my sexuality + gender hcs for them;

- kinji is transmasc and nonbinary (they/he) and he's gay (mlm, nblm, nblnb), his identity causes him some distress due to his role in the church and his father being generally unaccepting of queer identities (he also hides his true identity when at home, hopes peak is the first time hes publicly himself)

- teruya is agender (he/him) and gay as well, he does not struggle with his identity, but he did take a while to realize he only liked boys/non-women. he rly thought his dad wanted him to marry a woman, but it turns out his dad is very pan and doesnt care who he dates as long as hes happy :)

ive got a couple different scenarios that i have different scenarios based on what happens in them and ill just list some stuff from all of em

firstly the general stuff that happens no matter what !

- teruya is initially appealing to kinji simply because he's loud but not in your face about it (usually), kinji also really respects that teruya stands very firm on his beliefs

- teruya also has a really good memory, so he remembers gifts and things that kinji likes, he just gives him stuff he likes every now and then, and kinji finds it really sweet

- teruya also makes silly accessories for kinji, theyre all tacky and rainbow themed but he doesnt mind :)

- they both really enjoy healthy food so they end up bonding over that

- kinji eventually gets adopted into teruyas friend group (haru, satsuki, kiyoka), they got along in the gambling extra event (minus kiyoka), so i think theyd be friends!

- kinji ends up close with kiyoka who can see right through him, she KNOWS he likes teruya, but she wont pressure him (too much)

- also teruya just thinks that kinji is so pretty :)

next up is the stuff i have for the ch 3 survivor au (i will get/have gotten to a lot of this in art, so ill probably have less here)

- teruya is initially stuck with kinji because he is the only one who has medical knowledge (they say this ingame), and due to this he ends up being the closest with kinji

- despite teruyas lil breakdown in ch 4, kinji still ends up defending him in the trial due to having gone through something similar previously, and this is kinda when it clicks for real that teruya might like kinji more than he thought

- they both bond over how much they value family, teruya with his dad and kinji with the church kids being the most valued people in their lives. they both respect this about each other immensely over it

- teruya and kinji grow closer after being kind of outcasted in ch 5. teruya had recently lost his two friends, and tsurugi, rei, akane, yuki, and mikako are either standoffish, not willing to get close, or out of commission for one reason or another. they get much closer in this chapter

- they dont actually become a thing until after they escape

now i have stuff that happened if there was no killing game

- without the killing game, they would just be more of acquaintances longer, since the game isnt there to push them to interact

- eventually kinji is the first to realize he does like teruya, and this causes Internal Religious Conflict for him. being a catholic priest means that you cannot love anyone above anyone else your love must be equal. along with this, if kinji chooses to stop being a priest while in high school, he will no longer be able to attend hope's peak, as he would basically be giving up his title.

- kinji suffers from religious trauma, despite the fact that he finds comfort in his religion. this is because most of the guilt weighing on him is caused by his father, so they are rather estranged.

- this trauma isnt something thats fixed relatively easily, but to keep it short, teruya does eventually try to help him become his own person and cope with the trauma. teruya's free spirit really helps this.

- after graduation, kinji would likely prefer to be a pastor over a priest so he can have more freedom with romance.

- he also ends up working at otori mart with teruya, and they have a lil garden together at their home :)

one more extra thing! topic of marriage and kids!

- in any au where kinji lives, so like all of the above, teruya is intending to ask kinji to marry him, its just whether or not the killing games happening defines if he gets to or not

- when they do marry, kinji takes teruya's last name

- in a very specific branch of the kinji survivor au, which i call foundation baby au (this au hinges on mikado never starting the sdra2 killing game), kinji and teruya have a child (through a surrogate mother, setsuka!) named Takara!

- teruya wants to be a good dad like his father, and kinji already likes to take care of children, so its only natural that theyd want one of their own

- Takara calls teruya "papa" and kinji "daddy"

- they raise takara in a way where they can choose their identity and whether or not they believe in religion. takara has found out that they identify as nonbinary and gay (like fathers like child) and that they do want to take part in kinji's religion, they just dont do it as much

- takara interacts with everyone at the kisaragi foundation in some way, theyre like their big mostly-happy family!

- kinji and teruya are very good parents!!

[bonedo-enthusiast]

coming out to bnd 𐂐◯𓇋

A/N: my first ever actual tumblr post! (AHH) i’m still learning about how to use tumblr and whatnot but… i had this thought one day and figured maybe i should post it. hope you guys like it. (also btw lowercase is intended!) :)

tws: none(?), mention of homophobia/transphobia but only in passing

genre(s): fluff, comfort

wc: 723

sungho

“oh, really?”

surprised but tries not to be too surprised because he doesn’t want to make you feel weird

will take your secret to his grave if need be

probably won't ask you many questions because he doesn't want to make you uncomfortable

assures you that this won't change anything about your friendship

he might be a little awkward though, unsure of how to segue into a different subject

if you came out as trans, it would definitely take several months for him to be able to switch to your new name and pronouns

not out of malice, but because he knew you for so long as (insert deadname)

he would cringe every time he slips up, quickly apologizing and moving right along

riwoo

"oh... thanks for telling me."

similarly to sungho, he's surprised

but he's definitely more awkward about it

like to the point you wonder if he's homophobic/transphobic

but he just has so many thoughts and questions swirling around in his head

like how long have you known? what does this mean? does this change anything about your friendship? (no, of course not!)

once he pushes those thoughts aside, he smiles at you tells you he's glad you told him

now you both are closer than ever! <3

no but i feel like whenever riwoo would mess up your pronouns, he'd apologize profusely

like to the point where it's very awkward...

but he's trying his best! :,)

jaehyun

"oh word?"

no but something in me tells me jaehyun would get excited (?)

(like this man may or may not have taken a "am i gay test" in high school kind of vibes)

"whaaaat?!"

if you came out as trans, he would definitely insist on buying necessary supplies for you, especially if your birthday is around the corner :D

he's super sweet and supportive, immediately asking you what your new name/pronouns are

"ooh, that's such a cool name!"

and if you came out with your sexuality, he would always consider this when talking about attractive people

like pointing out cute people you'd potentially be attracted to with your newly revealed sexuality

might even try setting you up with them lol

taesan

"okay... and? took you long enough."

bro already knew 😭

taesan strikes me as a very observant person, so i feel like he'd already have some idea

maybe he'd even start viewing you as the gender you transition to, before you even tell him

(he's psychic! /j)

in his mind, that's who you are and who you always have been! <3

as a result, he would have no issues with getting your pronouns/name right

as for sexuality, he really doesn't care (respectfully)

"cool."

like. so nonchalant.

leehan

"oh? tell me more."

i feel like he'd be very curious about your identity (if you're comfortable telling him about it of course!)

he's a big listener and likes learning about things, so he would be very good to talk to about these things

and actually, i could even see him doing some research to try and learn more about his friend and understand them better :)

i see him as the kind of person you'd come out to first, just because he's so understanding

like you could come to him with your fears and worries about your realized identity and he'd just be so so sweet :(

"you're still the same person, and you're still my friend. you are never alone. it's okay, we can figure this out together."

PLS 😭💗

woonhak

"huh... so what does that mean exactly?"

i'm not sure he would understand anything beyond the basic terms most people know (like gay, lesbian, trans)

so if you were to come out to him as, say, nonbinary, he might need some explaining about what exactly that means

but regardless, he'll just smile and nod

but still be confused because why are you telling him this??

he wonders if he's supposed to do something with this information, or just listen

i can so picture him trying hard to pay attention to what you're saying while at the same time trying to figure this stuff out in his head lol

but once he's past this internal debate, he's so sweet

messes up your pronouns/ name quite a bit at first though

"yeah, me and (insert deadname)-- i mean, wait! sorry, (insert chosen name)..."

[seenoversundown]

Amongst The Stars: Chapter One

Josh x Quinn (Nonbinary OC)

Warnings: People who are disgustingly in love, mentions of secret relationships, questionable midday PDA, brotherly taunting, Sam, atrocious ex partners.

Word Count: 4k

Summary: Josh has always loved love, and he's finally found it. Buuuut, he can't exactly tell anyone. Join him as he navigates the ins and outs of his sweet, secret romance.

Author's Note: *pounds fists on table* JOSHUA. MICHAEL. MONDAY.

Sorry this is a bit late... they've been too active today and it distracted me Anywayyyyyy. I hope you all enjoy this. I have been obsessed with writing Josh and Quinn and I hope you love them as much as I do (plus, you get a little peek at some other familiar faces).

I Think We’re Alone Now - Tommy James & The Shondells

“I think we're alone now. There doesn't seem to be anyone around. I think we're alone now. The beating of our hearts is the only sound.”

Present Day

“Thanks, Chuck,” I shout after the older gentleman heading out the front door, “Always a pleasure to see you in here!”  I sigh in relief, wiping down the area he just vacated and placing his used pint glass in the sink beneath the bar as the door closes behind him. It’s midday, and Old Man Chuck is typically our only customer until the after-work rush.  I swear Jake only opens this early to accommodate him, I think as I toss my towel back into the fresh Sani-Water bucket, He could probably save so much money if he stopped. But he loves that old man. 

I dry my hands off and lean my elbows against the bar top. I survey the area and let my eyes fall on the only occupied booth.  Quinn.  A small smile creeps its way up my face while I watch them. 

I take in their intentionally disheveled, curly pixie cut. I take in the way their glasses slide down their nose as they lean over the iPad, sketching away at something with their apple pencil.  Three, Two, One. I mentally count down, and then they push their glasses back up, and my smile widens.  There we go.

The thought of knowing their mannerisms well enough to be able to guess exactly when they’ll adjust their glasses makes my heart soar.  I let my eyes rake over their vintage brown and orange striped sweater and down their charcoal gray cigarette pants, stopping to admire the bit of ankle peeking out between the top of their boots and the cuff of their pants. 

How did I get so lucky? 

I press myself back up off the bar, stopping to pay a small tribute to the small Blackbeard shrine that Jake insisted on setting up behind the bar, and slowly walk around to the jukebox in the corner, ensuring I don't draw attention to my movements. I perused the options, smirking to myself as I keyed in A-23.

I turn around, leaning against the jukebox, as the opening chords to “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tommy James and the Shondells ring out from the speakers.  I wait a beat to see if Quinn will recognize the song, our song, but they’re so engrossed in their art that they don’t even look up. With that, I walk over to their booth and sit beside them. I quietly sing along to the chorus, grabbing their chin and tilting their head to face me.  “Sorry to interrupt, Bug,” I start, kissing their lips gently, “but I think we’re alone now.”  Giggling, they set their apple pencil down on the table.  “Mhm, there doesn't seem to be anyone around.” 

I wrap my arm around their shoulders, pulling them closer to my side. “What are you working on?”  “Just a new coloring sheet for the kids, nothing important.”  “How many times do I have to tell you? Your work is never nothing important,” I squeeze their shoulder, “those kids love you, and I won't stand for you minimizing that.” 

They breathe a small sigh through their nose and lean deeper against me. I bend down and press a kiss to the crown of their head.  I try to give them some grace, knowing they aren't used to having a supportive partner who believes in them. 

“I love seeing your work, Bug,” I kiss their forehead, “You’re passionate about it, and you're good at it.”  “You do know you’ve already won me over,” they laugh, “right? You don't have to keep unnecessarily complimenting me.”  “They're not unnecessary compliments,” I entwined our fingers together, “and, actually, I hold back most of the time.” I raise our clasped hands to my lips and kiss the back of their palm. “Oh, hush.”  “I don't think I will. In fact, I don't think I can. I could praise you day in and day out, and it still would never be enough.” 

I watch, grinning, as their face heats at my words. I reach out and cradle their face in my free hand, gently rubbing a thumb over the apple of their cheek.  

“Hmm, Cute,” I whisper out.  “Aghhhhh,” they let out a small groan, flopping their head back against the booth behind them, “You’re gonna kill me. You know I’m traumatized.” “I’m trying to fix that, dear,” I giggle, poking at their side. 

My phone buzzes in my pocket, interrupting our moment. 

Of course. Even when we’re alone, we’re not really. There’s always someone waiting to interrupt us. 

I sigh as I pull it out and see three new texts from Jake

Kiddo 🥸: Hey Bub, heading to the Farmer’s Market.  Kiddo 🥸: Do we need anything for the bar?  Kiddo 🥸: I have a list, but maybe I forgot something.  Me: The bar is fine.  Me: Wait, is this a thinly veiled attempt to check on me? Kiddo 🥸: :) Me: You’re getting better at hiding it.  Kiddo 🥸: Gotta keep you on your toes. 

He’s insane. You’d think this bar is his living, breathing child. I mean, shit, it may as well be.

Me: Well, put me in a tutu and call me a ballerina, boss.  Kiddo 🥸: [Picture] Kiddo 🥸: Eat shit

Bark out a laugh, looking at the photo Jake sent me of his middle finger facing the camera. 

Me: Leave me alone. Someone has to run this place while you’re galavanting around town. Me: Tell Lin I said hello. 

I slide my phone back into my pocket and pat Quinn’s thigh under the booth, then begin to slip out of the booth.  

“Unfortunately, Captain’s on my ass. I better go clean something before he accuses me of ‘Ruining All My Hard Work’ when he gets back from The farmer’s market.” Damn, fine Jake impression. 

Before I can get too far, Quinn grabs my wrist, effectively stopping me, and pulls me closer.  I watch their eyes dart back and forth between mine and my lips. “You sure?” they ask, batting their eyelashes.  I groan internally.  “Mhmmmm, yep. I need to —” They cut me off, tugging my arm the extra inch or two needed to connect our lips before pulling back and looking into my eyes.  “You need to what?”  I groan externally.  “I need to work. You need to work,” I gesture wildly at the forgotten iPad in front of them.  “We don't need to do anything, Starlight.”

They're a monster. An ethereal monster. They know I can't resist them when they call me that name. 

I pop my head out of the booth, searching for the open sign lit up at the front entrance.  I could turn it off and take Quinn up to the apartment for a little bit. Jake would never know. We aren’t going to get any more customers for at least an hour.  I lean back in, connecting our lips again.  “Okay, 20 minutes. I can lock the doors for 20 minutes.”  A pleased smirk makes its way to their face, and they let me go, practically shoving me out of the booth.  “I can work with 20 minutes,” they shout after me, laughing.  “Trust me, I know you —“

The fucking door opens as I’m reaching to lock it. 

“OH! Hi, I didn’t see you there!” I practically shout, scrambling to let Quinn know that our plans have been foiled.  Why the fuck did I say that? Of all the things I could have said. Why that?  “Didn’t really expect you to, man,” the man mutters as he shoves past me and makes his way to a seat at the far end of the bar, near the piano. 

His voice sounds familiar. That’s interesting. 

He walked past me too quickly for me to get a good look at him, and a Boston Red Sox cap partially obscured his face, so I chalked it up as me being paranoid about almost getting caught with Quinn in the bar. 

I wish I didn’t have to be paranoid, but the timeline is still too murky for Quinn and me to be open about our relationship. Jake is the only one who technically knows.  Oh, I can’t wait for the day we decide to tell the others. It’s eating me alive. I want to scream my love from the highest rooftop. I want to walk down the cobblestone streets hand in hand. I need everyone to know that I am in a soul-consuming relationship, and I couldn’t be happier. 

I quickly walk back behind the bar, stopping in front of him.

He couldn’t have chosen a closer seat; had to make me walk all the way back over here? Okay, Josh, no need to be bitchy over a customer. You do work in a customer service establishment. It comes with the territory. 

“Sorry about that. I just wasn't anticipating any customers. It's usually a ghost town around this time of the day,” I rush out, setting a coaster and a menu in front of him.  “Perfectly fine, man,” he responds, removing his baseball cap to make eye contact. 

I suck in a breath, eyes widening as I realize that I do know this man. He smiles as he takes in my recognition of him.  Craig, Quinn’s absolute douchebag of an ex-boyfriend. The reason Quinn and I aren't open about our relationship.  I open and close my mouth a few times, apparently having forgotten how to say, “What can I get you to drink?” and his smile widens. 

He's like a fucking shark, and he can smell blood in the water. 

“Whenever you’ve finished cosplaying a goldfish, I’ll take a Miller Lite.”  My mouth snaps shut, and I give him the fakest smile I can muster. “Of course, sir. I’ll have that right up for you, just have to go grab a fresh case from the cooler.” 

I turn on my heel and practically jog from behind the bar and down the hallway beside the jukebox, past Jake’s office and the bathrooms. I don't stop until I turn the back corner to our stock area.  I lean against the wall and rip my phone from my pocket.  I take several deep breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth and pull up my texts to Quinn, seeing that they were clearly a step ahead of me. 

Bug 🐛 : is that Craig?  Me: YES, HIDE  Bug 🐛 : How?! I can't just walk past him.  Me: No, you're right.  Me: When I come back, I’ll distract him and you sneak into Jake’s office.  Bug 🐛 : Do you want the bad news or the bad news?  Me: NO NEWS  Bug 🐛 : well  Bug 🐛 : Childish Sambino and the larger one just walked in.  Me: beautiful! 

I let out a muffled wail before clicking into Jake’s texts. 

Me: Code Red

I walk into the cooler and grab a case of Miller, that I definitely did not need. I need to learn to lie better, while I wait for a response from Jake. 

Kiddo 🥸: The ex? Do you need me? I can be there in 5.  Me: No, it's okay. I just wanted you to know.  Kiddo 🥸: you sure?  Me: yeah, Sam and Danny just got here, so I have backup.  Kiddo 🥸: Okay  Kiddo 🥸: If Quinn is still there, send them to my office.  Me: That's the plan.  Kiddo 🥸: Love you, bub  Kiddo 🥸: You got this. 

I slide my phone back into my pocket and sigh in relief. 

Everything will be fine. It'll work out. If I can't distract Craig, I know that Sam and Danny can. Quinn will be safe. 

I pick up the Miller and walk back to the bar, decidedly calmer. 

I hear Sam before I see him. Though I can't quite make out what he’s saying, I can tell he’s upset about something.  Sucks for him, but by the sounds of it, it should be easy enough to distract everyone long enough for Quinn to slip out. 

I finally round the corner and go to the storage cooler under the bar to put the fresh beer in. 

I pour one beer into a glass and set it on the coaster I placed in front of Craig earlier.  “Sorry bout that, bud,” I shrug and offer him a half smile, “I'm sure you know how it goes.”  He rolls his eyes but pulls out his cell phone and begins browsing through apps. 

Satisfied that Craig is content, I finally turn to Sam and Danny and level them with a fake glare. 

“Why are you two in here harassing my customer?”  Sam opens his mouth to speak, but Danny beats him to it,  “Dude, I cannot speak Kiszka when you all get like this,” he gestures to a distressed Sam, “Please fix your brother.”  Sam says nothing but slowly lowers his head to the bartop and lets out a feeble groan. 

Oh, Sammy, what happened?  My heart lurches at seeing my youngest brother in such a state, but I can’t let him know that right up front. 

“What did you do, Sam?”  He mumbles his answer into the floor beneath him. “C’mon, man. Speak up.” He flings his head back up, meeting my eye. 

Fuck, he looks like he’s about to cry. I can’t do this right now. I’ll cry with him. 

“I need advice, Josh,” he starts.  “Okay,” I stare at him, realizing that was the end of his sentence, “Care to elaborate on that?”  “Girladvice,” he breathes under his breath. ”Come again?” I ask, teasing him a little bit.  “GIRL ADVICE,” he whisper-shouts back at me.  “Ahhhhh. Well, don’t really know why you’re asking me,” I pause, carefully choosing my next words, “I mean, have you seen me with a partner in the last decade?”

Craig huffs out a humorless laugh from the other end of the bar, and I shoot a glare at him Don’t need your commentary right now, bud. But thanks anyway. 

“But, I can try to help.”  “GOD, we’re all helpless, aren’t we? You’re a perpetual bachelor. Jake is married to this bar and then we have One-Date-Daniel over here.”“Hey, you don’t have to be mean to me because you caused a problem,” Danny snaps back.  “I’m just being hooooonest,” Sam groans, tossing his head back again.  “Can we get back on topic,” I interject, stopping an entirely different spiral. 

Sam and Danny are the absolute best friends, and they love each other deeply. But… That also means they sometimes bicker like an old married couple, and no one has time for that right now. 

“You’re right,” Sam acknowledges before recounting his entire work trip to California with Willa Clarke, the bane of his existence (the love of his life, to anyone with eyeballs). 

I glance around the bar and find that everyone, including Quinn, is engrossed in his story. I try to get their attention a few times, and when their eyes finally lock on mine, I entirely naturally, thank you very much, stretch my arms back toward Jake’s office, signaling them to go. 

They shoot an annoyed glance back at me, seemingly angry about having to leave in the middle of the story.  It’s not like Willa won’t tell you everything later, I think as I watch them slide their way back into the hallway next to the Jukebox. I know that Sam and Danny won’t see anything, but I keep an eye on Craig to make sure Quinn doesn’t catch his eye. 

I vaguely hear Jake’s office door swing shut, and I sigh in relief.

”Sorry, Sam,” I turn my attention back to my rambling brother, “Can you please give me the TLDR version of this? I don’t have the Brain Power to sift through your word vomit right now.” “Did you just admit to being stupid? Proud of you,” Sam laughs for the first time since he stormed in from the airport, and I have to try my hardest not to laugh with him.  “All I admitted to was not understanding the raving ramblings of a love-sick fool.”

Sam rests his head back on the bar top and lets out a damn near bone-weary breath.  I fucking hate seeing him like this. Please, I just want to help my baby brother. 

“That’s me, isn’t it? Love-sick fool,” he lifts his head to make eye contact with me, and I reach out, patting my hand on his shoulder for comfort.  “Unfortunately for you, yes.” “I think Josh is right this time,” Danny adds in.  “Thank you for seeing reason, Danny,” I laugh, “But seriously, Sam, TLDR Me. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s happening, but I don’t need to know every single detail of your trip.”

Sam rolls his eyes but sits back up. I move to make him his favorite cocktail, a Clover Club with extra garnish, as a consolation prize for having to relive what is, clearly, a Traumatic Event. 

He recounts the parts of his story that he deems essential: one bed in the hotel room, drunk girl, sleeping together. I piece together the rest of it as I finish pouring his cocktail. 

“So, if I understand correctly, you got trapped in some Romance Novel level situation with a coworker you hate. And you slept with her?”

God, what an idiot. Everyone knows you never sleep with your coworkers. Poor little shit is just a hopeless romantic, though. 

“That’s the thing, Josh,” he takes a sip of his cocktail, “I don’t think I hate her. I never have. We just butt heads.”

Craig lets out another chuckle from his seat.  If he doesn’t stop eavesdropping… 

“So you decided to work out that tension in the stupidest way imaginable?” “Hey! The heart wants what the heart wants.” “Sure. But, clearly, her’s doesn’t want you if she’s ghosting you now. What else did you do to her?” “I legitimately don’t know,” he lets his head fall into his hands, “From where I was standing, everything went well, and we were finally starting to get along.” “So, when you’re finally getting along with a coworker, your first response is, ‘Wow, maybe I should dick them down!’” I have to laugh, “You realize how unhinged that is, right?” 

I see Danny just nodding along out of the corner of my eye. 

“Yes, Josh. I know it was stupid. But Willa and I are like magnets. I don’t think we could have stayed away from each other if we tried.”“Except, now she is staying away from you…” “Well, yeah, NOW.”  “And you want her to stop that?” “Yes? That’s the whole reason I’m here, so PUH-LEASE take pity on me.”

I take a moment to think about how my dumb brother can get himself out of this situation. It’d be nice if they could get their shit together; I’d love to eventually be able to go to Quinn’s apartment openly. But I’ll kill Sam if he makes it awkward for me. 

“Okay, so, my advice is, replay the whole situation in your head. Everything from the few moments before you slept with each other all the way to the flight home.” “Oh, I’ll have no trouble doing that,” a sly grin forms on Sam’s face. “Gross, dude,” Danny adds.  “Yeah, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to let you get away,” I plaster a sarcastic smile on my face, “anyway, Make a list of things you could have done to potentially piss her off between sleeping together and coming home.”

Sam already begins tallying things off on his fingers. 

“Really, man?” Danny watches as he keeps counting.  “She thinks I’m really annoying, Daniel.” “She’snottheonlyone,” Danny whispers under his breath as Sam keeps counting.  “I resent that, Daniel,” Sam starts, “Do you have a piece of paper, Josh?”

I press the button on the receipt machine, tearing off a length of paper, and I hand it to Sam along with a pen.  I watch him begin to scribble down a list of things and hold in my laughter as I see realization dawn on his face every time he thinks of a new thing. 

While he’s busy, I grab Craig another beer, sneering at him as I place it in front of him. I do a quick lap around the bar, ensuring that all tables are wiped down and Quinn didn’t leave any of their items for anyone to find. Satisfied with the state of things, I head back behind the bar just as Sam sets his pen down. 

I wordlessly extend my hand, asking for Sam’s list, and start to read it. 

“Sam, you can’t be serious,” I say, setting the list face down on the bar top.  “What?” “You have ‘breathed too loudly’ listed here THREE times.” “Well, yes. Willa doesn’t like it when people breathe too loudly before she’s had her morning caffeine.” “Buddy, I don’t think it’s ‘Breathing’ that you need to apologize for. Why don’t you look a little deeper and try to find something more meaningful that you fucked up.”

I see the little wheels start turning in his head, and he quickly stands up from his stool, nearly knocking it over in his haste. 

“You’re a genius, Josh.” “Alright, well, you can thank me later,” I shoo him away, “Always lovely to see you, Danny. But please get Sam out of here. Some of us actually have work to do.” 

I grab Sam’s empty glass and put it in the sink, then wipe down the bar top before finally turning back to Craig. 

“Willa’s going to hate that, you know,” he chuckles, “So, good job potentially dooming your brother.” “Willa is going to hate being apologized to?” “No, Willa is going to hate being apologized to by him. He doesn’t even know what he did wrong, and she has minimal patience for stupid men,” he shoots back.  “Oh, well, I’m sure you’d know about that,” I smirk at him.  “Good one, bud.” "I did think it was kind of funny.” 

I grab the empty from in front of him and toss it in the trash. 

“Speaking of stupid men,” Craig starts, “Are you still trying to hide your relationship with my ex?”

Jesus Christ, can I get one single moment to breathe?

“I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.” “So, Quinn didn’t run to the back while your idiot brother had a mental breakdown?” “Mmm, no. I think I’d know if someone ran back there.”

He turns around and looks toward the booth that Quinn had previously occupied.

“So, that’s not their's?” I follow his eyes down to the floor beneath the table. 

Fucking Apple Pencil. 

“Nah, dude, that could be anyone’s. Do you know how many people are in and out of here every day?”  “Josh, it’s fine,” he stretches his arms behind his head, “You can tell them to come out. I’m not stupid.”  “I’d beg to differ,” I let out a small puff of breath from my nose. 

This might actually be the only time he’s correct about not being stupid. Fuck. 

“It’s not that hard to piece together. Quinn meets you, Quinn breaks up with me. Seems pretty straightforward.” “Did you consider that Quinn left you because you were a lazy prick?” 

I see a look of determination flash across his face as he takes in my words. 

Don’t love whatever that means.

“Okay, Josh,” he fixes me with a sarcastic smile, “You can keep your little secrets. But just know that you’ll see more of me around here.”

He slaps a $20 bill on the counter and stands up. 

“Keep the change.” 

Once the chime on the door stops tinkling and I’m confident Craig won’t return, I lock the door and scurry back to Jake’s office. 

I shove the door open, almost knocking Quinn over in the process. My little eavesdropper.  I let out a manic giggle, “Not to alarm you, dear.. but I think we have a problem.”

Next Chapter

ATS Masterpost | The Caravel Tavern Series | Masterlist

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[ninja-muse]

My last wrap-up of the year! Featuring one stack of "didn't know what to read, hey, this is on my shelf, also it's short and reading goals", and one stack of Christmas gifts. I'm very pleased about both. The Laurie Lee was as good as expected and the mafia romance was a gift last Christmas so it's nice to have that finished before the year was up. And I'm two books closer to having my Pratchett collection complete! I'm missing one major Discworld tie-in book now, and a handful of the maps that came out over the years.

In other news, whew, another year is over! It feels like it's taken ages, which I'm going to blame on a bunch of long books and general slumpiness rather than the global political climate. After all, this month has felt long due to both factors. A History of Ancient Egypt, Vol. 3 did take me twice as long as a normal book, and I had two DNFs.

As you can probably tell from the list below, apart from the history book, in December I prioritized fun. (It's about all I wanted to pick up after my workdays.) I was also trying to finish one of my Storygraph reading challenges, which I've managed—75 books from a list I set, mostly, at the start of the year. I recommend everything I finished, though Among the Gnomes is not a masterwork of Victorian fiction by any means. It was, however, readily available as an ebook when I needed something goofy.

In non-book news, I got home for Christmas? Barely a visit, but it worked out and I got to see my grandpa, who is getting very old. I'm sure one of the family cats is beside himself now, though, since I am his official lap provider and rarely around to offer that service. And I went on a walking tour near the start of the month, and ate far too many chocolates and baked goods.

I'll save discussion about reading goals and 2025 resolutions and what-not for my end-of-year wrap-up, which is coming soon, and in the meantime turn you over to my list of everything I read this month, in the rough order of how glad I was to have read them.

A History of Ancient Egypt, Volume 3 - John Romer

A history of the last major cultural periods of ancient Egypt, centering archaeology and primary sources and deconstructing traditional Western scholarship and all its baggage.

8/10

warning: discusses racists and colonial attitudes

library book

Swordcrossed - Freya Marske

When Mattinesh Jay hires a swordsman for his wedding, he gets Luca Piere, annoying, attractive, and much more than he bargained for. And that’s before Luca discovers a conspiracy against Matti’s House…

8/10

🏳️‍🌈 main characters (gay), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (sapphic, trans man, nonbinary), brown-skinned main character, brown-skinned secondary characters, 🏳️‍🌈 author

library ebook

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning - Laurie Lee

At 19, in the 1930s, Laurie leaves his childhood home to walk to London, Europe, and the future.

7.5/10

warning: mildly racist towards Black people and Roma, period-typical misogyny, sexualization of child, sex trafficking of children

off my TBR

Greymist Fair - Francesca Zappia

Empty clothes in the middle of the only road to town. A tailor’s daughter and a witch’s cottage. A wandering prince. A lonely, beautiful girl. Magic, wargs, and Death in the forest.

8/10

major genderless character, 🏳️‍🌈 incidental characters (sapphic, achillean)

reading copy

Saga, Vol. 10 - Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (illustrator)

Hazel and her family are picking up the pieces and getting by, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of danger. The Will is still out there, and so is Landfall.

8/10

🇨🇦

off my TBR

The Forbidden Book - Sacha Lamb

Fleeing a marriage to the rebbe’s son, Sorel adopts the identity of Isser Jacobs, not knowing that there’s a real Isser who’s just stolen a very important, very illegal book.

7/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (genderqueer, lesbian), Jewish cast, Jewish author, 🏳️‍🌈 author

library ebook

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop - Emmeline Duncan

Bookshop owner Bailey is running the first literary festival in her Halloween-themed town when she stumbles over a murder victim.

7/10

Indigenous secondary characters

library book

The Rivals - Jane Pek

Claudia and Veracity are still tracking synth-bot accounts on dating sites when a prospective client dies after reporting a copycat profile. Was it someone from the app's developer, or truly an accident?

7/10

Taiwanese-American protagonist, Taiwanese-American secondary characters, Indian and Mexican secondary characters, 🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (lesbian), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (gay, achillean, lesbian), Singaporean-American author

warning: suicide

reading copy

Broken Whispers - Neva Altaj

To calm a war between the Italian mafia and the Bratva, a ballerina is pushed into marriage with an enforcer. Beauty and the Beast vibes.

6.5/10

main character with damaged vocal chords, main character with monocular vision

warning: mafia-typical violence and torture

off my TBR

Under the Smokestrewn Sky - A. Deborah Baker

Avery, Zib, and their companions have reached the Kingdom of Fire, one “step” away from the Impossible City on the Improbable Road. But that doesn’t mean they’re home free yet.

6.5/10

off my TBR

Among the Gnomes - Franz Hartmann

A scientist travels to the Unterberg to disprove the existence of gnomes, only to find himself living among them. An anti-science satire.

6/10

warning: anti-Irish xenophobia

ebook/off my TBR

DNF

The Stardust Grail - Yume Kitasei

Maya’s put her thieving past aside to pursue academia, but when a chance to find the legendary stardust grail (and save her friend’s species) falls into her lap, she can’t help but be tempted—even if Earth wants to use it to save itself.

protagonist with Japanese heritage, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (achillean, nonbinary, alternate gender system)

library book

Big Gay Wedding - Byron Lane

Barnett returns to his mom’s farm in Louisiana to confront her unspoken disapproval and introduce his fiancé. And possibly get married there, if certain parties in town don’t stop them.

🏳️‍🌈 POV characters (gay)

warning: homophobia

library ebook

Currently reading

In Veritas - C.J. Lavigne

Drawn by her synesthesia and a dog-that-is-snake-is-shadow, Verity encounters a hidden world in an Ottawa theatre. A world threatened by technology and in need of saving.

🇨🇦

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle Victorian detective stories

disabled POV character (limb injury), occasional Indian secondary characters

warning: racism, colonialism

Monthly total: 11 Yearly total: 127 Queer books: 3 Authors of colour: 2 Books by women: 6 Authors outside the binary: 1 Canadian authors: 1 Classics: 2 Off the TBR shelves: 5 Books hauled: 4 ARCs acquired: 1 ARCs unhauled: 2 DNFs: 2

January February March April May June July August September October November

[transandersrights]

happy friday & welcome back to dadwc!! Since it’s poetry month, here’s a poetry excerpt for you: “I am waiting for the words / to catch up / to my heart / which is elliptical at the moment / there’s an apology / even I am expecting to bore out of my throat / but what for / what for” from “Someday, Again” by Jason Bayani (this had Anders vibes to me, but feel free to write it for whoever you’d like!)

I went a lil bit off-base with the poem but it definitely prompted the piece! I also went a little longer than I expected - pls accept 1.1k of Anders & Adrel (nonbinary Surana) with just a smidge of Zevwarden and Handers for @dadrunkwriting!

Adrel stood from their chair when he walked into the room. "Come on." They didn't even have to reach for Zevran; he rose only a moment later, headed straight for the stairs.

"Warden?" he murmured, once they'd escaped the bustle of the inn's entrance. Adrel nodded. "Damn. I didn't think they would chase us out here. You'd think they wouldn't want to get involved."

Adrel smiled - he wouldn't see it under their hood, but he'd hear it in their voice. "A pledge of non-interference never stopped us."

It was strange, though. They were three days behind the lines of the latest battlefield of the mage-Templar war - what Adrel heard they were calling it now, if the slaughter out in the fields could be called a war - and they'd heard hide nor hair of any Warden involvement. They were meant to be the only one here, and until now, they'd believed that was true.

"But they'll know we're here too."

"I'm sorry." Adrel raised a hand, brushing a lock of hair behind his right ear. He dyed it black two weeks ago, because the blond Antivan elf accompanying someone of Adrel's description made them both too conspicuous. "No rest for the weary."

They should have been paying attention; they would have felt the tail earlier if they'd been expecting it. But now whoever it was had found them, and all they could do was run. They couldn't afford any questioning from someone higher up than them right now. Wardens didn't have an official policy on desertion, but Adrel knew for a fact they had an unofficial one.

"You will simply have to carry me on your back through the night," Zevran said, catching their fingertips to press a kiss to the back of their hand. "Warden senses can get us into this mess and stamina can get us out."

"No promises." They'd carry him if he needed it, but they both knew he wouldn't need it.

"I'll give the innkeep our apologies," Zevran said. "You wait outside?"

They probably didn't have long before the other Warden realised they were trying to leave. Adrel nodded, ducking out through the exit towards the outhouses and hoping for the best.

No luck. Adrel hadn't been there more than a moment before the shadows shifted and their senses prickled - one Warden, one companion. Just like them.

"Hold, comrade," they called, keeping their voice just low enough that only their unwanted guests could hear. "I'm sure we can work something out that satisfies both of us."

The shadows shifted again. The Warden - the fool, but maybe they didn't know how much damage Adrel could do if someone got too close - hadn't raised a weapon, but they did get closer. "Adrel?"

Wait. "Identify yourself."

The stranger glanced around, then lowered the hood that shadowed their face. "I think you might have a good idea as to why I shouldn't do that too loudly."

"An-" They cut themself off. "Of course. I... wasn't expecting you here."

"You think I was expecting you?"

They shook their head, a fond smile spreading across their face. Of course. If there was going to be anyone who was here, in a warzone so politically charged most Wardens would never get near it for fear of the Order's reputation, it would be him. "No, I suppose not. Come here, then. And get your boyfriend to intercept Zevran, he was off to pay the tab."

A muffled snort sounded from the shadows, and Hawke left them alone.

Adrel wasn't sure if they darted forward first or Anders. What they did know was that Anders' arms wrapped around them, lifting them clean off the ground for a moment. "I'm so sorry."

"What?" Anders squeezed them tighter. "I was going to apologise to you."

"What?"

They both leaned back, and something like laughter escaped Adrel's chest. Anders didn't join in. "You have nothing to apologise for, Adrel."

"I got back and one of the others said that you'd been possessed and slaughtered a platoon of Templars!"

"Traditionally, I would be the one to apologise for that." There was a little note of humour in his voice this time, though, which was comforting. "I don't regret that bit, though."

"I was meant to be able to keep you safe." It was years ago, now. Too long to apologise, really, but they hadn't been able to get in contact with him. They probably could have tried harder.

They'd thought he was dead until Kirkwall imploded, though, so maybe they could be forgiven for the mistake.

"I think you had your own things to deal with." Anders held them at arm's length for a moment, just looking at them. "I... I never found out why you were gone."

"Well, there was this other unit of Templars I had to slaughter."

Anders' eyes widened. "Maker, we really were in trouble. I'm sorry if I caused that mess."

"I think you were only part of it." With Alistair's favour, such that it was, they always would have been a target for someone, even if the Chantry mothers in Denerim and Amaranthine always maintained that those who'd abducted them were acting alone. "Either way, you should have been under my protection."

"Not at all." Anders sighed. "Though I think if we're looking at someone who's at fault for why you're here, that one lies squarely on me."

Adrel snorted. "What, not the High Seeker who proclaimed the Accord broken, or the mages who voted to secede, or the hundreds of other people who could have probably prevented this if they cared?"

Anders' face was hidden in the darkness; Adrel couldn't see his expression. He sounded worn out, though. "You'd think people would find someone else to blame, but I'm reliably informed this is my problem."

"I think we're going around in circles here." Anders replied with an ugly snort of laughter. "Maker, no. Do you actually have anything you need to apologise for, or can we clear the air?"

Anders sighed deeply. He seemed heavier than the man they'd known less than a decade ago. Maybe he felt the same about them. "Nothing I think you actually blame me for. And you?"

"I probably could have tried harder to find you," they said. "But... it wouldn't have changed anything, would it?"

"No, probably not."

"Then there's nothing else to say on that front." They pulled him in again, wrapping their arms around him. He set his chin on top of their head, their face pressed into his shoulder. The air felt a little lighter around them, now. "It's good to see you again."

[sparkledontcare]

Sorry Anon! accidentally posted this without finishing writing... oops! Warning this one is a bit long... (˶ˆᗜˆ˵)ゞ

This is so so fucking cute!!!! I'm screaming (*≧∀≦*)!!!

I wanna say Eve probably initiated it (ㅅ´ ˘ `), I can imagine squeak, coming into Sly's room, the whole house is practically asleep૮꒰˶ᵕ ༝ᵕ˶꒱ა💤.

Fen is working on a comic or just drawing in general when his little sister comes in. She would give Eve a glare before whispering what the fuck she was doing in fens room (*´～｀*). Eve would make up an excuse like squeak had a nightmare and didn't want to be alone or something just believable enough for Sly to let her guard down.

The first few nights would be awkward for the both of them, I imagine this is probably how they would get closer ( ≧∀≦)! They wouldn't talk much for these first few nights, Eve would wait until Sly fell asleep to cuddle him the first few nights, waking up just in time to get back to her own room before anyone else woke up (*/∀＼*)!! Maybe Sly noticed the first night, maybe fen didn't but probably after the fourth night she notices (@￣□￣@;)!! Sly brings it up to squeak they next night, and finally the awkwardness and the upset tension from both of them would die down. Eve would finally admit that she just wanted to be closer to squeaks big brother again! Sly feels the same.. (／▽＼) telling Eve that fen wanted to be close to his sister again but didn't know how to repair their torn relationship... (⸝⸝⸝> ▵ <⸝⸝⸝)!! Eve starts to cry and hugs her big sister for the first time in years. They continue to cuddle together every night, getting closer and more affectionate with eachother ("/∀＼")!!

Okay whew!! That was long (*ﾉ∀｀*)!! I headcanon Sly as nonbinary fen/he/she so that's why there's mixed pronouns for her as well as using brother and sister interchangeably for fen! I used Eve's canon pronouns and yeah! (*￣∇￣*) I really hope you all liked this short story thingy! It was super fun and sweet to write. Feel free to send me anything else I'd love to expand on these!

[sparklestarheadcanons]

✦ Main cast headcanons + rewrites: Uni

Explanation of headcanons + rewrites under cut!!

Turigirl - most based and popular Uni headcanon in fandom because it's the only true one /hj. I think this headcanon comes from how Uni was portrayed and seen as a gay (nblm) nonbinary person for a long time before being told that she's actually transfeminine (still nonbinary in cc, unsure about canon sc) and then making her queer. I still see him as somebody who's interested in men (and nonbinary), liking women only platonically!! And she can still be gay since she's a transfem agender (in my headcanon version);

Asexual - here comes my rewrite where Uni is actually uninterested in sexual acts, and only tries to look cool by acting like she is interested in that stuff! Might still be aegosexual, but I think he'd prefer to go by simple asexual;

Recipromantic - another rewrite, wah. I imagine Uni feeling platonically attached to everyone she knows, maybe queerplatonically to those who she's closer to (Carrie, perhaps Jay too?) and only forms or prefers to explore her romantic feelings when the other person openly has romantic feeling for Uni herself;

Demiromantic - your honor, I don't think this dog would experience "love at first sight";

Librafeminine/Agender - honestly I was inspired by somebody else's headcanon about preboot Uni, "I think Uni would be agender because he seems like a person that wouldn't care about gender" or something alongside these lines. And I just?? Find it so true?? No gender only swag (and femininity.);

Queerplatonic - they can still experience romantic attraction but if their loved one is aromantic, then they can be in a queerplatonic relationship with them! Also expiriences it only towards men and non-binary people (or both, or on these spectrums).

Not mentioned :

Pupgender - should I even explain. Even though it would probably be called Coggender?? Idk it feels weird to me to have your specie as your gender (humangender???) (not in a negative way, just weird, but go on Uni and Howie!!! Slay your puppiness!!).

Now I'll explain stuff in design that probably give away my main yahoo!! I gave her thick round-ish hair to reference Uni being black in human version (also because I like it when it's done with furry characters /srs). They're also matching heart patches with Carrie (this is why it's blue) :3 . And just a fang because I find it cool. Anything is here just because I find it cool lol.

I've already explained that I don't see him being in a relationship with Barry, but also Carrie too?? I get that they're close and he's just trying to protect Uni but. Something about how Uni could be FP to Carrie if he has BPD just scares me or something. Probably a personal issue, but I can see them as close friends, maybe queerplatonic partners even. But I don't think that relationship would be great considering some aspect of Carrie's personality and how Uni has to be treated like a baby by her loved ones. Just not my cup of tea-

Also Jay and Uni. No reason, just them. They might have had potential if Jay got enough screentime and wasn't basically seen as "stupid background decoration with flat personality" by some.