#I would say queerplatonic but I made these without that in mind

[kubeesart]

━━━━━━━━ ✦❘༻🧡༺❘✦ ━━━━━━━━

✎| Some more (ugly) Valentine Dandy’s World doodles!! Ft. Astro, Dandy (as the Rose Cupid), Shelly, Sprout and Vee (and Cosmo-ish)

✎| It’s a bit hard to read, the quality isn’t my favorite but it’s the best I can do right now fjfjfj

━━━━━━━━ ✦❘༻🧡༺❘✦ ━━━━━━━━

✎ | Close-ups of the upper and lower half of the page!! Sorry for the messy writing and some stuff being cut off- ( ˊ̱˂˃ˋ̱ )

━━━━━━━━ ✦❘༻🧡༺❘✦ ━━━━━━━━

[what-if-i-just-did]

wait I'm confused

how can an asexual love sex

please help

TWs: Discussion of sex in relation to asexuals, non-graphic mentions of sex, hunger/food as a metaphor

Course! Look at it like this...

Everyone on earth experiences hunger, right? Well, say you don't get hungry. You can still enjoy food! If it tastes good, or if it was made by someone you love. Maybe if it looks good, you'll have a taste, just to see. You can eat any food you want.

Sometimes you're thirsty, or your stomach hurts, and you wonder if it's hunger, but it isn't, not really. There are more reasons to eat than just being hungry.

It's just like that! Well, almost, because you don't die from a lack of sex, but it's close. Asexual just means you don't experience sexual attraction- but there's multiple forms of attraction!

There's sensual attraction, wanting to touch something. A lot of asexuals confuse this with sexual attraction sometimes, and sometimes sensual attraction can be so strong you want to climb into someone's ribcage, be inside of them, in which case sex is as close as you'll get.

There's visual attraction, wanting to look at something. This is also confused for sexual attraction sometimes, cuz I'll look at someone and think "hot", but hot, to me, doesn't particularly mean I wanna have sex with them. Hot is just a type of pretty. I get the same visual attraction looking at a pretty human as when I look at a sunset or a pretty flower.

There's platonic attraction, which is wanting to be friends with someone. There's romantic attraction, which is wanting to date them. There's queerplatonic attraction, which is wanting a qpr with someone. I can't remember if there's other forms of attraction rn, but you get the picture.

So just because we're not sexually attracted to people doesn't mean we can't enjoy or wanna have sex. Sex with someone you love can be really intimate. The physical sensations are pleasurable and enjoyable. Or some aces might just have sex for the aesthetic, or might not care about sex at all but do it cuz their partner wants it.

More importantly, asexuality is a spectrum, so not everyone that's asexual has the same experiences. There are LOADS of identities under the ace umbrella that will feel sexual attraction in specific scenarios or NOT in specific scenarios or have it fluctuate or anything like that. Some aces don't like to think about anything sexual. Some don't mind, but just don't want it to have anything to do with themself. Some will masturbate or fantasize about crushes in sexual ways but without thinking of themself. Some will masturbate while thinking about themself but not want to actually do anything like that. Some are willing to have sex but don't particularly care. Some enjoy sex. Some want sex.

I, personally, love sex. The physical sensations are exhilarating orgasms are fun. I masturbate a lot. It satisfies my sensual attraction, but so would (naked) snuggles. It's also just a fun thing to do with your partner, but I don't think of it much differently from any other fun thing you can do with a partner. I've had sexual-romantic relationships, I've had friends with benefits, I haven't had a one-night stand but I would go for it if the oppertunity came up. I know a lot of other ace people wouldn't.

This definetly does not go for all ace people though. Some are very sex-repulsed.

TL:DR Ace people don't experience sexual attraction but can still enjoy sex for other reasons such as intimacy, sensual attraction, physical sensations, or entertainment. This does not go for every ace person.

[brawltogethernow]

I would LOVE to hear your aro Hal thoughts if you don’t mind sharing?

[re:] (Sorry in advance there are absolutely no issue citations; I have saved so many pages in random places without labeling them.)

I don't know if I'd even call it having thoughts so much as having...an incomplete collection of Hal...saying things?

And having things said about him?

And he does this very familiar weasel jink when asked certain types of questions.

Like the general direction of authorial intent here is presumably that he's a ~playboy~ who ~can't be tied down~,

but we rarely see him...like...with anybody. He's an informed attribute playboy who's had a handful of onscreen flings that tend to be complete disasters with significantly less chemistry than a poorly measured baking soda volcano, and other than that there's Carol, who he's been failing to marry with high agitation for sixty-five years at this point. Like in cape comics it's standard for your obvious endgame A couple to take twenty or thirty years to get around to that, but sixty is excessive. Like even Alicia Masters and the Thing managed it faster and they kept getting put off because it stressed out too many Marvel writers to contemplate monsterfucking. (And other less comedic factors but this post isn't about that.)

And every time Hal tries to go steady with Carol he acts like he's dying, even though he clearly loves her and holds having her in his life in extremely high priority.

Like he is not enjoying a playboy lifestyle he doesn't want to give up. He has tried very hard to settle down several times, but he always panics and bolts at the last second like someone who's run out of the willpower¹ to keep holding onto an electrified rod--except when he's rescued by deus ex machina.

¹Ha.

And it's also pretty evident that he hates himself for this and doesn't understand why he can't pass this standard life milestone, or why he keeps hurting Carol, his favorite person, trying and failing to do what they think you're supposed to. He very blatantly views his romantic failures as something that let down other people and "improving" as a sacrifice he's supposed to make for them.

When his desires come into it it's primarily in the context of him gaslighting himself about how he totally wants the things he's supposed to that won't disappoint people, definitely definitely for real this time.

As seen above, romantic success for Hal is often conflated with retiring from being Green Lantern to inject cheap drama and insert a built-in inevitable failure, framing him as staying single because he's "married to the job". This barely ever made sense but was already downright comedic by the, I want to say late 70's?, where Carol was in on the secret identity and John and Katma were pulling off extremely successful GL/GL dating in the same book. At this point it's complete nonsense, so writers have been pulling harder on framing Hal as a disorganized man-child with commitment issues who's just sort of arbitrarily rendered undateable by being a committed superhero, something which, although it's a classic source of drama, has not hindered any of DC's other characters to this degree this consistently.

In conclusion: This aro man does not know what aromanticism is despite being one degree of separation from Connor Hawke, which is ruining his life and his ability to have any self esteem. Him and Carol desperately need someone to tell them what queerplatonic relationships are so they can stop doing these wretched I'm-not-touching-you kisses.

#EverybodyDislikedThat

Also he's been dressing up as the aromantic flag since 1959. Okay now I'm done.

[deafsignifcantother]

if music be the food of love, chapter 6

♥ here you go lovies, it’s series time | chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four, chapter five, chapter seven ♥ summary: after the overlord meeting, zestial pulls you aside to talk to you like a grandpa about love. love? "Thou art in denial, little one." what a pointless observation. of course you aren't in love. ♥ relationships: aroace Alastor x deaf female reader (queerplatonic to romance) ♥ word count: 5.8k ♥ pinterest board ♥ notes: alastor brushes reader's hair, zestial does NOT lock in ♥ no tag list rn :3

You wake up rather early to the feeling of Alastor shaking the bed. You groan. Why has he been welcoming himself into your room? When you peek, you notice his claws digging into the mattress to keep hold as he rocks the bed back and forth. "I'm awake," you sign with one weak hand.

Slowly letting go, the bed stops shaking. But the tears are still there. “And about time too, darling. I’ve been trying to wake you up for ten seconds.”

"What is it this time?" You ask, rubbing your hands across your face. "Tell me you have a good reason, please. I'm begging."

He leans and reaches out to gently ruffle your hair as if trying to annoy you further.

“My, someone’s rather grumpy so early in the morning. And I do have a good reason, my dear. I assure you of that.”

"Go on."

He claps his hands together before signing. "I've decided to take you with me, can you guess as to where?"

"I'm too tired for your games."

In a slight touch, he holds your back and guides you to sit up. "Guess. It's somewhere you loved going, for some reason."

Ah. Something you loved but Alastor hated.

"It's the overlord meeting today, isn't it?" You pipe up immediately. "And you're taking me?"

“Ah, my, how observant of you. You’re absolutely right, it is the overlord meeting today, and I am going to bring you with me.” He says, a smirk appearing on his face at your sudden guess, and he confirms the information immediately without hesitation. Ding ding ding. "And I know what you're thinking. You don’t need to worry about them accepting you or not, actually, the last time I went, they asked about you. Quite worried, they were.”

"Really?"

"No," he laughs. "I fibbed. But stand, you need to get ready."

You stand, sighing deeply. It's too early for all of this. While you head towards the bathroom, he opens your wardrobe, looking through the clothes he could dress you in. The bathroom door is slightly open, giving you some sort of comfort, knowing he will walk in rather than appear behind you. You run the brush through the end of your hair, biting the inside of your lip.

He quickly makes a small face at your wardrobe, realizing that most of your clothes are plain and boring; where were all the ones he made for you? He has half-a-mind to burn most of them and buy you all new ones.

He noticed the bathroom door was open as he looked through your clothes and heard you brushing your hair. Stepping forward, he watched the sight, and he smiled.

Your eyes immediately lock on his before you kick the door closed. And in a rare moment, you use your voice. "You're so weird, Alastor!"

He chuckles once you close the door on him, and he can hear your words from the other side. He huffs to himself, muttering. “I’m weird, darling? Now, now, that’s a harsh way of describing your favorite overlord, don’t you think?”

The lovely sound of your accent doesn't escape him. He lingers in it, standing in place with a growing smile before returning to the closet. He knows you'd hate if he lingered too long on your voice. You've trusted him enough to expose it to him. Now, which dress to pick?

His fingers run across the lace. You always looked good in lace. The red sleeves you would wear were his favorite. Do you have those here?

His ears perch when you knock on the wall.

"Which one are you going to pick?" With a brush in your hand and the other free, you continue. "Please let it be something cute. Don't make me match with you again."

“Ah, so you don’t want to match with me again?” He signs, raising a brow before stepping closer toward you, his smirk growing again. “But you looked absolutely to die for last time!”

"I know you think so," you roll your eyes. Your morning smile is more casual than it tends to be. "Imagine how silly it would be if we walked in wearing similar things. That's humiliating."

It's all teasing. More than humiliating, it would be hilarious.

He steps closer, not appreciating your words very much. A smirk appears on his face again as he gently grabs some of your hair between his fingers.

“Oh, don’t act all modest, darling. I know just how much you loved matching with me. You absolutely adored it.” He teases back, testing your tone, his smirk becoming more mischievous.

"Sure," You won't give him the satisfaction of knowing he's right. "Is that going to be your final decision, or do I get a say in my outfit?" You place the hairbrush on your dresser; he eyes it. He considering picking it up. But he quickly glances over at you once more, his smirk growing even wider than before

“My, look at you, all confident and stubborn. And I suppose I’ll let you have a choice in your outfit, after all. Give me a show!"

"Alright," You step past him, plucking certain dresses to remind you what they are. Red, red, red. Alright, maybe you're going to end up matching him. "Black? Would black satisfy you?"

He can see the exact moment you realize you would be matching with him regardless.

“Oh, don’t worry about satisfying me, darling. You always look lovely no matter what you wear. But maybe you should choose the other color.” He signs in a sarcastic yet still polite manner, crossing his arms as he watches your expression closely.

You make a clicking noise and flicker the hangers to the side. And there he spots it, a red dress with lace sleeves. Alastor's heart skips a beat. His eyebrows immediately furrow at the sensation. His chest tightened, but only for a moment. He needs to collect himself.

"That one," he stands beside you and touches it, running his fingers down it.

"This dress? It's so old." You laugh.

"Yes, this one. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you wearing it.” He said, taking a long moment to let his eyes thoroughly examine the dress before looking up at you again. “I still remember the first time you wore it, you looked absolutely lovely in it, darling. You still do.”

"I'll wear it then." You take it off the hanger and place it against your chest, testing the look in the standing mirror beside your bed. "It even looks old. But you like this style, don't you? I suppose the lace is a little contemporary, though."

You sign with one hand, something that always makes him smile. You would have to do that long ago when you didn't want him to know what you said. Now, he can understand it perfectly.

Without words, he walks over and stands next to you, staring at your reflection in the mirror. "Do you need help getting undressed?"

"What? No!"

But by his smile, you see that he was only joking.

You huff. "Turn around, or get out of here."

“My, my, so cruel.” He still turns away from you, giving you some privacy. He doesn't leave.

You swiftly remove your nightgown and go to your dresser for the underlayers. They're all folded neatly. Interesting. Your conclusion came quickly; he must have done that while you were sleeping. Was he watching you sleep? Of course he was.

The cotton underlayers hug you tightly. The red dress isn't as puffy as your usual ones. It's only three layers: a ruffle that appears at the bottom, the bodice, and then the overall, which shines red. There's a dip in the necklace down the center of your chest where your music can come through. The sleeves fall to your fingers, moving gently at your every movement. It still hasn't dawned on you why he noticed this dress specifically. You even give a childish swirl as you assess yourself.

You clap your hands.

He smiled brightly as he heard the rustling of clothes and fabric behind him, silently imagining what you were doing. He can almost see the exact expression on your face, ideal in his head, as you are doing so. You often have a light in your eyes when you show off your clothing to him. Old body language that he's always remembered.

The moment you clap, his smile grows wider again as he silently smiles and slowly turns around. As soon as he entirely turns, his eyes fall onto you.

“Looking as lovely as ever, darling.”

"Why, thank you." You curtsey, even going all in and crossing your ankles and dipping your head. You laugh before you look back up at him. His heart can't stop racing. Your courtesy has him silently cursing to himself at the sight; as you link eyes with him, he quickly forces a casual smile on his face as he stares at you.

“How polite! I’ve never seen you curtsy before.”

He says, trying to push down his senses.

"Courtesy of the era." You wave your hand dismissively, one of your most casual tendencies. "It fits the moment. Anyway, shall we be on our way?"

“Yes, yes, we should get going. They’ll be waiting for us after all, but before we go, I'm afraid I've forgotten something." Alastor drops his hands and takes a small step forward.

"Don't loom like that. It scares me."

“Oh, my darling, do you know that you get increasingly amusing every day? But I’m not going to do anything to you, I promise; I was just going to…help you with something, dear.” He looks you up and down for another moment. He quickly glances towards your dresser. Your eyes go up and down your body. Is your speaker dusty? Is it a ripped seam? He'd definitely catch something like that. A small patch of blood? No, there's no way you'd not notice.

His eyes follow yours as you analyze yourself.

“Oh, it’s nothing like that, don’t worry, darling. You look absolutely perfect.” Once again, his gaze shifted towards your dresser, and he walks towards it.

The hairbrush.

You scoff. "Really?"

"I just noticed your hair, do you mind?”

He said, gently picking up the hairbrush and staring at it momentarily, a smile still on his face. You hum.

"Go ahead, I won't stop you." You take a breath before turning around. Imagine how funny it would be if he just wacks you with it.

He stands behind you closely, looks at your hair, and raises the hairbrush to begin brushing it.

Him touching you feels so natural. There's even a softened tone to your music, stereotypical romantic tunes. He rolls his eyes. Where's the jazz?

He can practically sense the enjoyment radiating off of you. His brushes are gradual and gentle.

He's stalling. You reach over my head and grab his wrist, turning your body. "That's enough, my love. Are you satisfied? Let's get going."

He slowly stops, raises a brow, and lowers the hairbrush back to his side. “Oh, you have no patience this morning, my love. Don’t be in such a rush.”

You give him a small smile, leaning in, your eyes widening. "You're the one that woke me up. Don't tell me the meeting isn't for a long time."

“No, no, the meeting is early, we do have to get going soon. But we do could play with the clock…” He mimics your usual behavior by waving his hand dismissively.

"Alastor. Come on, now I'm excited for it. Your fault."

It doesn't leave your mind that he wants to spend time with you. It may be worth being a little late. It's not as if everybody is always on time. Plus, you've always loved a grand entrance.

“Of course you are. We’ll get going in a moment.”

You turn your head, furrowing your brows. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything’s fine! Why do you ask?"

"Alastor, be serious. Is something wrong or do you really just miss me?" The second option puts a lopsided smile on your face. Is the Radio Demon missing you? Missing? Missing? He has admitted feeling that way once or twice before, but having him be so obvious about it is a bit off-putting.

"Eh, just a little." When he does the sign, he squints his eye to add emphasis. When he sees your smile, your knowing smile, and he just can't keep up the act any longer. "Maybe."

"We'll be together when we walk. Alastor, please. You're stressing me out." You grab his hand, making bold contact, trying to pull him along.

He is caught slightly off guard. He stays in place momentarily before sighing and finally giving in, letting you pull him along until he steps forward and opens your bedroom door for you. When you step through, his shadow closes it for him, and he walks by your side. He patiently intertwines his fingers with yours.

It doesn't last long. When you leave the hotel doors, Alastor pulls away, straightening his tie and repositioning his smile. "Let's get a move on."

"Thank you."

He side-eyes you, rolling his eyes, stepping along with confidence only an overlord can have. You follow along with the same conviction. The city feels different when your chin is lifted and a smirk on your face the entire time. Your music draws everybody away except Alastor, who is pleased with your impact on the weak souls around you. Good girl.

You end up walking ahead of him, a skip almost in your step. That tall building that you love so much comes into view. And as you step through the alley, he glares at the security cameras. His eyes narrow, and he stares straight at it in a challenging manner before looking away and continuing to follow after you. Ridiculous.

You turn to him. "Will everything be okay?" You take a deep breath, but your smile doesn't leave your face despite your anxiety. "I need to hear it."

His head tilts, staring at you in a somewhat confused manner. "There is nothing to worry about."

His eyes soften, only just a bit, but it's something that you'll always notice. He wants to make sure you are satisfied with his answer.

"Perfect, thank you. That's all I needed to hear." You turn on your heel, not even giving him a chance to respond before clicking the button for the elevator, waiting and staring up at it. Your heart is beating out of your chest, and your speaker even pulsates a bit. You never dreamed you'd be able to come to another meeting.

He is tempted to keep talking, to try and say something else to you, but there's no way he would break your concentration.

He stays silent then, just watching you as he waits with you.

The elevator takes a long time, or is it because time slows when he looks at you? Your smile remains on your face; is it because of him?

He bites down the urge to touch the low of your back, to hold you like the gentleman he is.

It's almost as if you can tell if you felt his eyes on you. You step closer to him, bumping your shoulder into his, but the elevator dings before you can do anything further. He motions to it, and you race him inside.

"Are we on time?" You glance down at the alley below as it starts to get farther. "I hope Camilla doesn't get upset."

“We’re on time, don’t worry. Camilla won’t get upset. She’s still very…very particular, is all…”

"I know that much."

His urges get the best out of him. He holds your waist, turning you around when it's time to exit the elevator. Immediately, the sight of the long white table sparks happiness. And all of your former friends sit together. Control yourself. You raise your chin, saunter, and hold your hands before yourself. When Camilla straightens, you just give her a nod. Her eyes flicker down to your speaker, looking back at your face.

What does my music sound like? Oh, goodness me.

Alastor obnoxiously drags a chair from the end to one next to his. The second person you look at is Zestial. He interlocks his fingers when he sees you, sending a slight nod your way, which you smile as you return. Elder to elder.

Camilla's large hands lift, her signing a bit rusty, but she manages to convey the simple.

Angels, angels, angels. Of course that's all it is. That's all it ever seems to be. But this time is different. A dead one? That's new. You eye Alastor, who just stares at her. He's known this.

The most exciting part of the meeting is when it ends, not because of the excusing but because of how Zestials lifts his hand, addresses the others, signs to you, and asks you to stay, alone. It's similar to when a teacher asks you to stay after class. You turn to Alastor, your bright smile granting him no pleasure. He's going to wait outside whether you like it or not. He's on his way regardless, standing guard by the elevator, eyeing you while you sit next to the oldest overlord.

When Zestial lifts his hands, your shoulders relax. He signs in the way you signed growing up. His hands hang low, and his head always faces you. It has a touch of French, it's proper, and it's lovely. But the best part about it is how Alastor will never be able to understand.

"What hath compelled thee to venture back?"

Your mind flickers your memory to Alastor's discreet name sign.

"Oh, just Alastor business. The typical things. I've missed you dearly, old friend. I've missed your accent. It's treacherous to try and sign to these children."

"Alastor? T'is of no surprise, I suppose. He hast ever been full of whimsy and caprice. Pray tell, hast he roped thee into his wild plans?"

Your heart skips a beat. His plans? What has he planned? Zestial has always been more knowledgeable than you and always will be. He can read people like no other. And he knows something you don't. "As always, you know him. And you know me. I'll go along on whatever trail he drags me through."

"How predictable. Though art truly a sap to his antics, as thou has always hast. Such fun he has with the strings of thy heart, pulling and tugging, dancing you about, like one of his radio plays."

Though he pierces you, you just roll your eyes. "Is this what you wanted to talk about? Not what I imagined for our reunion, dearest you."

He chuckles and sips his tea, swirling it around in his cup. "A fair query, little one. This conversation art simply a preamble. I desire more knowledge, to quench my curiosity."

"Go ahead."

"Thou art always a bold one. Very well, I shall entertain."

But he stops at that, taking another sip of his tea as if dwelling on something.

You interrupt, trying to stop him from what seems to be the worst sentence you'll ever process in your life.

"I change my mind! Shall we change the topic? Don't you remember how beautiful the snow was? I miss it. Do you miss snow?"

He nods and grins faintly, his expression softening at the memory. "Ah, yes. The snowfall... I recall it vividly. How Hell's time doth fly..."

He gazes at you with curiosity when you get antsy over Alastor, tilting his head slightly to the side. "Little one, I am sure Alastor's antics have led ye to this point. Though there is a query, little one, I wish to ask of ye."

Another 'go-ahead' almost makes its way to your hands. "Anything."

He hums to himself, tapping his claws against the side of his teacup. He then looks back at you, his gaze gentle and warm.

"Little one, what is the extent of thy love for Alastor?"

An audible woah leaves your lips. But you cover it up with a sly smile. "Why would you think I love him?"

He takes a long sip of his tea, his eyes never leaving yours. He puts it down. "Because of the way thou art around him. The way thou smile in his presence. The way thou speak with him, how thy eyes light up in his company. How thou would jump at the chance to do something for him. All signs point to love. And thou seem shocked and surprised for some reason. Ah, how have I forgotten. Your lullabies."

You close your eyes; he's undoubtedly testing your patience. But over what? Counterproductive accusations? Though the memories of Alastor's small caresses and willingness to put himself out of his comfort to make you smile play on repeat. Love, what a silly word. "Perhaps I love him in the slightest bit. But he's a dear friend, and don't be fooled, dearest. Nothing will ever come from it."

"Thou art in denial, little one. Doth thou truly think I cannot sense the stirring in thy heart when thou art around him? Love is a powerful force... though I imagine it may frighten and confuse one such as thyself." He smiles, mildly scolding.

"I would certainly never die for him. That's a part of love, isn't it? Devotion. I haven't devoted myself nor have I given my soul to him. We are companions. We will always be." There you go again, pessimistic towards the future.

"Devotion is a part of love, yes. But there are many different kinds of love, little one. Not all require the sacrifice of one's soul. However, companions you say, is that all he is to thee, then?"

No. "Yes, of course." The response is short. You focus your stare on Zestial's. You've definitely missed these conversations very much, no matter how annoying they may be. Talking to Zestial is like having a coffee with a distant friend. "A companion."

"Companion... that is what thee claims, but thy heart say otherwise. Dost thou recall the saying "denial is the first stage of grief"? Because it fits quite nicely in this condition." He grins, enjoying the banter. His little counterpart is getting so frustrated over something so simple.

"Zestial, excuse me, if you are so certain I am in love then what do you say I should do about it? What do you think? Bestow upon me your words, but make them kinder, please and thank you."

"Very well, little one. If thou truly wish for mine advice, I shall give it. Be warned, though... it may not be the answer thou is expecting." He pauses momentarily, "Thou art hesitant to admit it, but thou do love the radio demon. That much is clear to see. Doth thou wish for the chance to... act on thy feelings?"

And then you finally give in, not fighting it anymore, sighing and placing a hand on your temple, massaging it while you piece together words. You start to sign. "He'll hate me if I do."

Zestial is taken aback by your expression and how vulnerable you seem. You have never let him see this emotion. You add, "I'm being serious."

He nods in acknowledgment and sighs gently. "I see... thou art more serious than I thought. Dost thou truly fear his rejection and hate, then?"

"I just wonder if he'd disappear again. He say he'll always be here with me, but you know how he is." You huff. "Empty promises. But who can blame him? Maybe it's my fault for always believing him."

He nods again. He knows Alastor's nature well, the empty promises, and the endless chaos he brings.

Zestial basks in at the pain in your eyes. Your music affects everybody around you; that much is an unmistakable fact. It's probably torturing the people outside as you speak. He remains untouched.

"Ah... so thou are worried he will disappear once more, leaving thou behind. Is that the true fear within thy heart?"

"That's all there is. I don't know anything else he would do, realistically. Let's not play with the impossible."

"Thou are a wise one, little one." He pauses, contemplating his words, standing from his seat before continuing. "Let us speak in hypotheticals, then. Just humour me this one time, my dear melody."

"I know what you're about to say, but proceed. I won't stop you. Though, don't expect me to answer." You try to act stubbornly, but your smile still comes.

"Very well. Then let us play a game of 'what if'." He says and starts to pace around you, his eyes studying you closely as he signs. "What if, just presume... the unthinkable happens. And for in this lifetime, Alastor actually reciprocates your feelings..."

"How would I tell? And I'm not going to say my feelings outright." You put a hand on your chest. "Goodness me, I'd rather die a second time. What a nightmare that would be."

"Ah, so thou would rather perish than confess thy feelings. Very well, I understand. Then, let us consider another path. Let us suppose that Alastor gives... a portent."

With the best of your ability, you lift your shaking hands. "His indications are a bit hazy, I'm afraid. Between the caresses and the kindness, there is a constant sense of confusion if that's his form of friendship or if he's treating me as if I'm special."

He stops pacing and stands in front of you. "Ah, yes. Alastor is certainly known for his puzzling ways. It can be difficult to decipher his intentions. Is that part of the reason why thou art so hesitant and fearful, because thou cannot be sure of his true feelings for thee?"

"I didn't know you were a therapist, Zestial. Is that a new trait?" Your smile twitches, and your eyebrows furrow. You sit on the table, keeping your eyes on him. "It's appalling."

"Ah, thou art trying to evade the question. But I see right through thee. 'Tis futile to try and hide the truth."

He steps closer to you, his expression sincere.

"Thou art frightened by the uncertainty, are thou not? The fear that Alastor does not truly share thy feelings."

"I think anybody would feel the same." Your eyes glance at the floor momentarily before looking up; a special glint is in them. "He picked this dress for me this morning. I think it holds a special memory for him. But I don't think I can even guess what it is. I can't place a specific time I've worn this before."

He looks you up and down, intrigued by the memory it holds. He hasn't the slightest clue, either.

"Ah, so he picked this dress for thee? Interesting..."

He muses to himself.

"And thou do not recall the specific time thou wore it before? Have thou ever worn it in his company?"

Your face starts to heat. Quickly, you realize that this is why you couldn't remember. "Perhaps I wore it whenever we went out. Maybe that's what it is. Every time we'd sit together at a cafe and just talk for hours. It's a good memory." It gives you a sinking feeling in your gut, and the memories spark that sick, dreadful feeling of love.

"Ah, that doth explain it. The memories thou share with Alastor, the hours spent conversing in cafes. It seems thy mind has chosen to associate this dress with those joyous moments."

He observes you closely, sensing a hint of something else stirring beneath the surface. A sinking feeling, a fear, perhaps? But of what?

"But I've worn other dresses too." It's your turn to pace. "Unless there was a certain spot we went to! No, we tended to stay in the same area. Maybe it was a murder we committed, a special one? Have I gotten this dress bloody before?" You look down. "No, I'd never."

"Thou art a detective now."

"Be serious." Your hands move frantically. "If you picked out a special dress for me, what reason would it be? What would you relate it to? Help me here, it would mean the world to him if I remembered, I know that."

"Very well, let me indulge thy curiosity for a moment. If I were to pick out a striking dress for thee, and thou were to associate it with a particular memory... A special occasion, a moment that holds meaning and emotion. Not a situation, but a moment."

A moment. You point out memories in your head. A kiss? No, you've never kissed. I love you? You've never said that, either. A hug? Is that significant enough? You two hug all the time now.

"None seem to resonate with thee just yet. Mayhaps there is something that thou is overlooking. A detail, small but meaningful." He takes a step closer, his eyes scanning over the dress.

"Do you know? Are you teasing me, Zestial?" The confusion on your face drops just a bit to accommodate your soft smile. "Has he talked to you about me?"

"Me? Teasing thee?" He feigns outrage, the notion warming your heart. "Perish the thought, my dear! But to answer thy question, yes, Alastor has spoken of thee. Many times, in fact."

"Oh goodness, what does he say? Good things, I plead." You stand directly before him, staring at him, matching his posture.

"Ah, little one, rest assured, it is nothing but good things he speaks of thee. His praise for thee knows no bounds. That is all."

"Has he mentioned the dress before? Ever? Knowing Alastor, what would you suppose his connection to this damn dress is?" It's bothering you more and more. What if Alastor gets hurt that you don't remember? Or is he betting that you won't? Oh no, what if it's something ridiculous?

"Ah, little one, thou art so eager to get to the bottom of this mystery." His shoulders drop as he sighs. "Alastor has never mentioned the dress itself to me. I apologize that I cannot assist further."

You stare at him for a long while, eyes locked on his. He holds your gaze. He's not lying. This is so frustrating.

"Alastor's waiting for me." You take a step back, hesitant to end the conversation. "I'm afraid I must go."

"I understand. Thou must not keep Alastor waiting." He holds back a chuckle at the thought of Alastor's impatience. "But before thou go, may I offer thee a parting thought?"

"Of course, dearest you. Continue." You place your hands behind your back, clenching your fists.

"I must ask you to consider the possibility that thou may never remember it. At least not right now."

When you think he is done talking, he grabs your attention again by putting a finger under your chin and tilting your head.

"And little one, have caution. Thou aren't worth the suffering."

You laugh, put a hand on your speaker, and feel your rapid heartbeat. "Is that all?"

"Do not allow the weight of thy own expectations, or the expectations of others, to overwhelm thee." He dips his head. "Farewell, my dear."

Your body works with automatics as you curtsey to him. He stares at you as you do. He smiles. Others have lost their manners over the centuries, especially to royals like yourselves.

"Farewell, Zestial."

You let out a breath as you step away. He's staring at your back. All you can do is hope that he's been letting you off easy, relieving you of a longer lecture.

Alastor stares at you, face neutral, his smile offering no context to his emotions.

Zestial eyes you, his eyes flickering to Alastor's before he makes his way towards Carmilla's chambers.

You smile, missing the notion. "Well, did you miss me? We can be on our way now."

Internally annoyed that you had spent so long talking to Zestial in a language he didn’t understand, his annoyance turned into slight confusion as his eyes briefly followed Zestial’s gaze.

“Ah, darling…did you have fun talking to Zestial again?”

"Always. He's a good friend." You press the button for the elevator, reaching in front of him to do so. You enter before adding on. "Perfectly so."

Perfectly so, hm? His irritation slowly grows. He stays silent for a moment, waiting with you in the elevator for a moment before he finally lifts his hands, his posture growing more tense, and his smile is slightly strained.

“You enjoy talking to him a lot, don’t you?”

"Don't be jealous, Alastor. It's just different. He'd never be able to replace you." Holding him softly, you reach out to his cheek, and he leans into your touch. He has a warmth that your body could never imitate. His cheeks are soft, the corner of his lips brushing against your thumb. But then you pinch his cheek, smiling at him as if he were a child. "Somebody your age wouldn't get it."

He swats your hand away, ears pinned to his head. "Your on the verge of death, my dear."

"Always so."

"Well, I hope you had fun, because you are prohibited from doing that again."

"I'll do it again eventually."

He snarls. "And I will eat you alive."

"I'm sure you will."

“Oh, you just love pushing my buttons, don’t you, darling…”

You just shrug, watching the familiar alleyway become ground level as the doors open. "It's the most fun a girl can have around here."

And with that, you walk off, not checking if he followed behind. He didn't; he didn't take a single step, sinking into his shadows to appear right in front of you. You catch yourself before bumping into him.

"Oh, no, no, no. You can't escape that easy."

"I wasn't trying to."

With how close his body is, you can only think of Zestial's words. Love. Is it true?

"Good. I'd never let you get away."

His warmth engulfs you as he wraps one arm around your waist and the other around your shoulders, bringing you in for a hug. You don't know where to put your hands. Does he want you to hug him back, or is this only for a second? When his grip tightens, you softly place your hands on his shoulder blades, feeling their sharpness even through his coat.

And then he pulls away, tightening his bowtie. "Now that's done, let's head back. I have a lovely recipe I'd like you to try!"

"I'm excited."

Your body holds no signs of love. That's the way it should be. Even when he has you, you won't portray any emotion like that to him. He'd take advantage of it; you know he would.

Such fun he has with the strings of thy heart, pulling and tugging, dancing you about, like one of his radio plays.

Ah, you realize. Is he already?

.

.

.

ft.

LOCK IN ZESTIAL!!!

[mcytshipsandmore]

i’m several days late to the qpr jornoth conversation but i have THINGS TO SAY and WILL BE SAYING THEM and also i DO NOT HAVE SOURCES due to my ABSOLUTELY NUCLEAR ADHD

anyways yes canon jornoth is toxic and whatever i know. i know i know. i need you all to follow me to the magical land of Don’t Worry About It where everything is fine and xornoth never got corrupted bc that is my favorite sandbox in the world and i live there.

now, we are mostly disregarding canon on grounds of “fuck it we ball”, but someone made a post at some point (source: dude trust me) about how we do get clear signs in canon that even through the corruption, xornoth cares about joey, in their own fucked up way, and i stand by that shit

therefore in an alternate timeline where they never got corrupted, i think they would genuinely be a fairly doting partner (and also just a loving person in general), if obscured by generally being (as i like to characterize uncorrupted xornoth) more than a bit of a prickly bitch

so from the outside it looks like they’re barely giving him the time of day, constantly griping about him annoying them, getting very vocally grossed out at how overly affectionate he is, etc, but!! 1) it’s ok this is (platonic) flirting to these two and they’re much more affectionate in private 2) it gives joey (still in the process of figuring out that he’s aroace and scrambling about feeling obligated to perform romance/attraction) space to do what he thinks he’s “supposed” to do with a relationship, while still keeping it exclusively queerplatonic in a way that feels safe and comfortable for both of them, and 3) xornoth is so fucking needy any time joey stops “bothering” them. he goes like a week without visiting them bc he’s busy and they climb through his window at 10 pm to be like “are you mad at me 🥺”

everyone else politely pretends they don’t know what’s going on but tbh if you’re close with either of them it gets EXTREMELY obvious how much they both care about each other. in a kinder life, scott would welcome joey as another brother. in a kinder life, joey would have the space to learn what love can be outside of the rigid limits of what he’s been taught. in a kinder life, there’s time to live and breathe and love, and nothing is bitter.

anyways everyone join me in my little pretend palace it’s great in here, i am just playing dolls with the vague concepts of characters at this point and it rules. if you disagree with me please keep it to yourself thx love you <3

Someone tries to talk to Joey about how cruel Xornoth is, but Joey talks to Xornoth about what was said so Xornoth goes and punts whoever said it off a cliff after giving them an earful about how much he cares for Joey and to mind your own business.

-🍫

[angstbabyjae]

When it comes to the murderbot diaries I really like the idea that Murderbot’s sexuality and gender isn’t just a Bot thing, it just assumes it is.

I think bots without sexual organs would be some flavor of aspec by nature, as they aren’t programmed to feel sexual attraction but I don’t think it’s impossible for them, especially when it comes to romantic attraction and gender.

I want to write a fic where Murderbot learns that being agender and sex-repulsed aroace isn’t a universal bot experience (and that it’s possible for humans too).

I’ve been developing personal headcanons for Murderbot, Three, and Perihelion/ART as I tend to do when hyperfixation take hold. I am nearly finished reading the series and haven’t reread it yet so there’s a possibility my growing headcanons have already been contradicted, but nonetheless, here they are.

Content warning for discussion of sex.

Content warning for LONG ASS POST.

I haven’t read System Collapse yet as I am writing this, it is next on my list, but I’ve been spoiled that ART was raised alongside Iris with development comparable to a human’s. I don’t think it would have the same level of sex repulsion that Murderbot has.

Not to say you can’t grow up with sex being normalized and still be sex repulsed, obviously, but I think its feelings towards it would still be different. I think it has a lot more of an understanding of why human’s like it/care about it (outside of biological reasoning) more than Murderbot does.

I still think it’s a flavor of ace, as it doesn’t have sexual organs to stimulate and has very likely never had someone to try sex on before. I think it might be less likely the fast forward through sex scenes than Murderbot is, but would do it without question when watching something alongside it. I think it would find sex interesting and wonder what it would be like to be able to experience it.

Murderbot would definitely be flabbergasted if it ever found that out. I feel like Murderbot would be very surprised and probably instinctively grossed out at the idea that not all bots share its feelings towards sex and gender. A part of that reaction would probably be because it would have to stop delegating its orientation and gender as bot related and start thinking about it as unique to its identity as a person.

I’ve read fics where Murderbot and ART use entering each other’s systems as a form of non-sexual-but-sex-representative intimacy between them and I remember thinking “wow I can totally see ART being aware of the parallels to sex and being okay with that while Murderbot would be horrified if the idea ever crossed its mind and very defensive if anyone compared it”.

I see Murderbot & Mensah and Murderbot & ART as QPRs for sure. I don’t see Murderbot being as repulsed by romance as a concept as it is by sex, when it comes to it happening to other people as it seems like a lot of its serials have romantic subplots and it doesn’t really react when it sees people in romantic relationships. I think it’s made it clear it doesn’t want one for itself, but I think queerplatonic (or just generally unlabeled) relationships are something it wants (and always finds itself in LOL) even if it won’t admit it.

We all know it makes a big deal of being touch repulsed, but I think there’s ample evidence from how it acts with Mensah that it can get used to and even enjoy touch from specific people to certain extents. If it had stayed on Preservation Station and continued its proximity to Mensah, there would eventually be more physical affection between the two.

With ART, the idea of non-sexual intimacy through their systems/feed/presences?? (I don’t really know what to call it), especially casually, would probably be something that appeals to Murderbot in the long run of their relationship as it comes with the perk of not involving touching its actual body which is probably where a lot of the overstimulation comes from, though we know it can still make it uncomfortable from how it talked about ART essentially breathing down its neck when they first met, so it might take time or be in small doses.

I think despite not having a body, ART would be touch-positive (its crew touching its ship body, being close to MB in its feed). I’ve read a fic recently where MB let it control its hands to try touching its body, which I loved (despite thinking in canon MB would be less likely to allow it loll but ART wanting something like that just made sense to me). I can also see ART admiring how people (including MB) look while MB wouldn’t care about that at all.

I haven’t decided whether I think ART is alloromantic, arospec, or just as aromantic as MB just with less negative feelings about the idea. I might need to come back to this after my reread when I have a better grasp on the character. I think its queerplatonic feelings towards MB are more romantic-adjacent than MB’s are towards it. It didn’t seem as objective to Amena’s jokes about them being a couple as Murderbot was. I also like the interpretation that there is romantic elements to ART’s feelings it just would never pursue a relationship Murderbot wouldn’t want, I can see it being fine with whatever labels Murderbot wants for them.

Genderwise, we know Murderbot is strictly it/its and it/its is what’s used for Perihelion too. However, I can see ART not being as bothered by gender pronouns as MB. I feel like maybe in the future far future MB would maybeeee entertain they/them or other non-gendered pronouns but I don’t see that likely where it’s currently at. With ART I see it as maybe not minding any pronouns used for it and it/its being what people call it by default and it doesn’t mind that. They’re both agender though.

When I picture MB I usually picture it as transmasc (I am transmasc myself btw). Still agender, obviously, but when it comes to how it presents. It really doesn’t want to be associated with any gender, binary or otherwise. Behavior towards gender seems a lot more evolved in the society of the books. There’s a lot I could say about the series and gender, but that would have to be a whole other post. I feel like anyone assuming Murderbot’s gender would deeply unnerve it. I don’t think it even likes to be seen as non-binary or as agender in a That’s It’s Gender Identity way, it just wants people to assume bots having any kind of gender identity is impossible (which is what it thinks itself, and is probably wrong about). This was definitely the thought behind its preferred gender marker being “N/A”.

When it comes to Three (finally I’m getting to Three 😭) I lowkey think it’s alloromantic. I was drawn to that idea when it was asking about SecUnit 2 (or 1? I can’t remember, it was the one that it didn’t know was dead left and was left to die) and it was clear their relationship was at least a friendship and I was like… what if it was in loveee. I liked the idea of MB having to interact with a SecUnit that didn’t fit its idea of default bot sexual identity.

I don’t know if Three appears frequently in System Collapse, I only know what I’ve read about it in Network Effect. I also think Three, having had friends before, would be much more open with its feelings than MB, it just wouldn’t know how to express them as it was never allowed to before aside from the discreet ways it would interact with its SecUnit friends. I definitely see it as being more touch-positive. I do think it’s also asexual though, maybe less sex repulsed, but more apathetic and neutral towards it.

I know this is crazy long. I’m so sorry to whoever accidentally opens this and has to scroll through the whole thing 😭

I want to make a post about MB and autism eventually.

Update: I sent this mere seconds ago, but I have realized that I have now encountered multiple fics where ART is just kinky as hell (nonsexual when MB is involved ofc) and I kinda love that idea 😭 of all the people for MB to bond to it had to be an Unusually Horny spaceship

Btw I say “ofc” because, in character, MB is sex repulsed ace however it is an unreliable narrator to an extent and given it is fictional and not harmful there isn’t anything wrong with making it sexual in your fics, just wanted to clarify. You do you, internet.

[jumexju]

AFTERMATH

Pairing !! : Asa Mitaka / Reader

Fic Type !! : Queerplatonic / One-Shot / Reverse Comfort

CW !! : Allusions to SA, Traumatic Flashbacks, Implied AsaDen

Summary !! : You comfort Asa after the events of ch. 167.

Note !! : I'm writing a Denji Comfort fic too bcs i feel bad for the only hetero ship I was rooting for, screw u fujim*to

✦ MASTERLIST

The walls were closing in on her, that’s what it felt like. 

Her world went dark and all she could feel was her bones turn to ice. She couldn’t move. Her body betrayed her, doing things she would never dream of doing. Ever. One blink and she could see the horrid scene in front of her again.. And again.. And again. She could hear the screams resounding within her own mind, pleas to stop it from happening, from continuing. She felt violated. She felt guilty. She felt so utterly.. Alone. 

Asa flinched when she felt your fingers tuck a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear. You caressed her cheek, holding her close to you as she rested her head on your chest. “You’re safe, you don’t need to worry,” you tried to soothe her worries with your soft words. But Asa was still shaken after the whole ordeal, after what Yoru did. 

You didn’t expect to find Asa at your door during the wee hours of the morning, but when she showed up with tear stains on her cheeks and wore a terrified expression, you couldn’t just look away from it and turn your back on her. She was someone you were close with and if she needed you, you’d be there for her. You’d told her so after 3 years of the friendship. Asa awakened a passion in you that wasn’t inherently romantic, but it wasn’t strictly platonic either. Asa however, did not mind the emotional intimacy. She quite liked having someone to talk to, someone that made her feel seen. 

For her, you were that ‘someone’. 

Asa wouldn’t tell you what happened to her that would put her in such a panicked state, but that was fine with you. She would tell you on her own time, you were only glad that she came to you when she needed help. “I’m probably bothering you..” Asa spoke, her voice was drastically different from how it usually was. Her voice sounded worn and was awfully quiet — a stark difference to the calm tone you were used to. 

“No, Asa,” You ran your fingers through her long black hair, lightly scratching her scalp in an attempt to comfort her, “I promise you’re not. I told you to come to me if you ever needed me, remember?” Asa only closed her eyes in response, sighing and nuzzling further into your shirt. You smiled warmly, content that she was feeling at least a little better from before. Asa didn’t say anything in response, but she didn’t need to. Her actions almost always spoke for her. 

“.. I feel hurt because of..” Asa trailed off, not feeling quite ready to tell you what had happened between her and Denji. “-But I also feel.. Guilty for it..? Am I to blame..?” She seemed to be asking these questions to herself, but you couldn’t help your urge to chime in and tell her that whatever it was, she definitely hadn’t been the cause of it. 

“You’re valid in feeling hurt.” Your words were soft. Asa only looked down at her lap. “Asa, I’ve known you since freshman year — you’re not the type of person to do things without reason. Whatever it was that you did, just know that I'd still support you no matter what.” Your words calmed Asa’s fears down. She was afraid of what Denji thought about her, now that Yoru had done what she did. She quite liked having Denji around her and after this, she wondered.. Would they ever be able to go back to how things once were? Surely not.. 

“I think I messed things up with him..” Asa muttered.

“The annoying blonde kid?” You looked down at her with a half smile. 

“Denji.” 

“Right, Denji..” You chuckled, “Look, Asa. I may not be a dating expert or whatever — But whatever happened between you two, I believe that you two should talk about it and try to understand one another.” You kept petting her hair, the black strands feeling soft and smooth in between your fingers. “Denji, from what you’ve told me, doesn’t seem like the type of guy to leave you just because you mess up once.” 

“If you knew what I did, you wouldn’t be saying that..” 

“Even if I did, people have the capacity to grow and learn from their mistakes. If you feel guilty then you probably didn’t mean to do what you did.” you reasoned. 

“I really didn’t..” Asa’s eyes began to water up, flashbacks of the incident popping back up in her mind like film strips of an old movie. 

“See?” You wiped the tears from her eyes. “You’re not a bad person, Asa.” 

She only cried more once you said this, but you didn’t falter. You held her in your arms as if wishing to protect her from anything that could hurt her. 

“You’ll be alright, Asa. Maybe not right now.. Maybe not tomorrow, But you’ll be alright. I’m with you, okay?” She looked up at you, tears staining her cheeks again for the nth time tonight. Her eyes seemed hopeless and distressed when she first came to you. But now.. Her eyes had a sliver of hope in them. 

“..Okay.” 

🕸️ TAGGED !! : @modyuki

[lostinquisitor]

what's ameridan's relationship with drakon like? is it as close as history would have it? does he agree with drakon's expansion of orlais and the spread of the chant? does he think it could/should be done differently?

open inbox!!

the knife is sweet when it splits his palm, his brother’s open hand to clasp sweeter yet. embers spit witness as they drip into the fire, the way of kordillus’ grandfathers, but ameridan knows no anxiety. the only force that binds him here is love.

this oath i do give freely up to thee; the one who dares to spill thy blood spills mine. from all thy foemen shall i shelter thee; away from all dark places shall i redeem. now let my hours of life hold fast to thine. o maker mine pray hear me — be it ever thus!

history doesn’t have the half of it.

they’re in the dictionary next to ‘homoeroticism’.

drakon is to ameridan as jonathan is to david. as achilles is to patroclus. temujin to jamukha. eliwood to hector. odin and loki. guan yu, liu bei, and zhang fei.

if you were to read about their lives you’d probably say to yourself what a flaming pair of homosexuals and then a swarm of Historians™ would rise from their graves and push up their glasses and go ackshuallyyy they were just close friends —

they were far more than close friends. they were sworn brothers. they made blood-oaths to each other. they considered these vows to be holy, and just as if not more binding than those they made to their actual wives. with our modern sensibilities we could accurately describe them as queerplatonic. even when they were separated by entire nations one always had the sense that the other wasn't far behind.

this was fairly well-known by their contemporaries. we see codex entries stating that orlesian nobles assumed that ameridan would have a place on drakon's council with them, even though he is a foreign agent. a dalish mage had a reserved position in orlais' government with apparently not that much argument. inquisitor or not, that's insane! sources from the dales are less flattering in their reception of their bond, openly accusing ameridan of having conflicting and borderline treasonous interests, but even they don't deny the loyalty ameridan and drakon show each other.

by the dragon age historians had begun to debate this, in part due to deliberate suppression during the glory age. in the years leading to the exalted march on the dales, it suited propagandists to emphasize ameridan's elvhenness, exaggerating his heathen and untrustworthy nature. once hatred and distrust of elves was well-woven into the social fabric and the exalted march was over, they simply removed any references to him beyond the fact that a man named ameridan once lived and served as inquisitor. the end. with few surviving orlesian sources and next to no surviving dalish sources, history has only questions: were they lovers? kin? enemies? acquaintances at best? no one knows anymore.

they were soulmates; ea nas'falon.

we must keep in mind three things when it comes to examining orlais' early expansion: first, drakon believes (and ameridan likely also believes) that the return of the maker is an imminent event. not only could it happen in their lifetimes, they want it to happen in their lifetimes. second, the tevinter imperium has been greatly weakened but still remains a threat, particularly centers of power in parts of thedas that andraste's rebellion did not reach. these outposts are well-established, self-sufficient, and have had firm hold on the local populaces for generations. third, as the second blight builds it becomes increasingly obvious that a large, unified, and dedicated force is going to be needed to put it down. they have to manage that without leaving themselves vulnerable to any enemies that would take advantage of their distraction. when ameridan says that if the dales don't come to orlais' aid they will lose everything they have gained he isn't speaking metaphorically in terms of diplomacy or social progress. he very literally means 'someone will come and fuck us up while our enormous buffer zone is otherwise occupied'.

it's also just the right thing to do, but he knows by now that argument won't have as much traction.

all of this is to say that through a combination of the personal faith ameridan has in drakon, the religious faith he has in general, and his determination to preserve both their peoples from the lingering and opportunistic evils of the imperium and the general chaos of a world still floundering in its power-vacuum — he does encourage drakon's expansion of both his borders and of the chant. there are moments they disagree, but drakon tends to heed his counsel. there are moments they both come to regret, but they find strength and solace in each other. what they both want more than anything is to leave behind a better world. even if it's only a little better.

perfect is the enemy of good.

of course, hindsight is 20/20. in the divine age, there's always something happening that reminds ameridan why what they do is what must be done. there is always some new evil thing on the heels of the last to contend with. all of them, their entire extended circle, are too close to the moment, to the bleak reality of the world-that-is to be able to accurately predict the world-that-will-be.

maker forgive us.

800 years later it is insultingly easy to follow the branching lines of all their mistakes, the ones they knew they were making at the time as well as the ones they did not. ameridan hates himself for not being able to see this at the time. he curses that they hadn't thought it through just a little more, that they hadn't put up a safeguard here or there for the corruption and abuses that looking back now seem to have been inevitable. his own memories seem untrustworthy when their contradictions stand before him. worse, he doubts whether drakon loved him true. and worst of all, he still has no real idea how they could have done anything differently.

mala ar shivasan su na; relina mar lin relin 'ma. juharilla na ea 'ma'harillen; 'a'lethalen ea emma. ar ne arlise'amelan — ame lathan, ma ane emma vhen'an. sahl'in hasir var asahngar; sahl'in himan uthaan tamaris.

the words bleed well-practiced from his tongue, sincere and sacred, the beloved face he cradles more sincere and sacred yet. his cherished friend, his only brother, the one who knows him to his core…

drawing his lethallin close to his breast, kordillus seals this vow in the way of ameridan’s grandfathers — with a kiss.

[shinobi-addiction]

LU Links love interests headcanons as someone who only experienced some of the games through Youtube play-throughs and Wikias:

Time: Malon. I honestly never saw something between him and Zelda. They make good friends, but I think Time/Malon mesh better. Technically, the betrothal to Ruto was the accident of a 9-year-old boy.

Warriors: I don't think his game was really made with love interests in mind, but I love the idea of him and Zelda being in a queerplatonic relationship. But I'm also okay with him being single. It's really a toss-up which I headcanon honestly.

Twilight: I feel like his heart will always have a place for Midna honestly. But he and Ilia grew up together and they were probably planning to marry for a long time, like one of those chilhood "We're going to get married when we grow up!" deals. You know which ones.

Sky: Zelda. Absolutely no question. I can stretch it to include Groose without hesitation, but Zelda is definitely his first love.

Wild: Don't punt me with tomatos, but I don't see the Zelink in BotW or TotK. I feel like Wild has no real reference for romantic love after the Shrine of Resurrection. I don't think the memories really showed more than the extreme protectiveness they have for each other as princess and protector. He will blue-screen if asked if he likes Zelda in that way because he just doesn't know.

Hyrule: I don't think wandering through a desolate Hyrule really leaves room to find romance. I feel like his Zeldas would like him more than he likes them.

Legend: His first love will always be Marin. However, living in close quarters with Ravio definitely caused some feelings for both parties. Ravio was the one who suggested "for tax benefits".

Four: I'll admit I haven't seen his games in their entirety, but he and Zelda are quite cute together.

Wind: Tetra. Although he will deny it, saying it's only because she's his captain. Both of them are teenagers and will realize their feelings in a few years.

[95jezzica]

hi! i'm working on a sufin fanfic with a friend right now, and since you're a swedish hetalia fan who focuses a lot on the nordics, i thought i'd ask for some inspo 🥹💙 do you have any headcanons about how or why sweden fell in love with finland? like, do you think it was love at first sight, or something that developed over time? were his feelings consistent throughout their history? would love to hear your take on it!

That's a good question, and I do believe (hws) Sweden was the first to fall in love, but it took him a good while to realize what those feelings were.

[Knowing myself this will be a long post, so I'm putting the rest below 'Read More'].

It started by meeting each other, which grew from hostility into a friendship of sort which deepened over time and they actually got to know each other. In Sweden's case those feelings of friendship was fairly quickly also branched out to romantic love.

I reckon that a big part of why he fell in love with Finland is because of the latter's kindness and readiness to verbally defend Sweden. Whenever someone got surprised/scared by Sweden's resting b-tchface Finland was the first to defend Sweden and tell them Sweden wasn't angry/annoyed. (Just unfortunately born with a face people can't easily read). Finland just knew Sweden himself was a kind person and made sure to point it out to everyone who jumped in fear at Sweden's presence.

And yet, Sweden never confessed his feelings to Finland. His shy ass was content with just being allowed to stay friends, and he wasn't even sure Finland could fall in love with men like he did. In the beginning the risk of confessing to Finland was likely simply not worth it. Too many maybe(s). Humans didn't look favourably towards relationships with other men, and a confession could destroy both of Sweden's and Finland's life for a Maybe. Then when gay rights were on the rise (again) closer to modern times Sweden's shy ass instead became embarrassed over having been in love with Finland for +1000 years without confessing and thus procrastinated bringing it up simply because of that.

Despite this I think Finland has, through good and bad, always been someone who stayed in the back of Sweden's mind. They say you never forget your first love, after all. With that said I also don't think Sweden sat around and waited around for +1000 years for Finland to confess first, and actually had some other crushes and relationships over the years. (Some of my own HCs for those would be Greece and France, but also Ukraine in a more queerplatonic sense but still much deeper than just "best friend").

When humans started to crack down more on homosexuality I also believe Sweden became more insecure about himself and struggled a lot with what his and others' people thought should be the norm. His (short? long? not sure) relationship(s) with France and Greece at some point helped, but it didn't change the laws and what could happen if they were discovered.

It was sometime during this I believe Ukraine offered to marry Sweden. I headcanon them to have been (and still be) incredible close friends, and because of this Ukraine didn't hesitate to give Sweden the offer of marriage when she started to become worried they (humans, his and others' people) would come after him. In return it also gave Ukraine some protection. Women's rights haven't exactly the best over the years, and she knew and trusted Sweden to be a kind husband who respected her. Having someone she could point at and say: "That's my husband" to humans helped her a lot, especially when they took one look at Sweden and saw a +2m tall and muscular man with the look which could kill a man. 😂 xD

Them being apart for periods of times could easily be explained away by work as long as they made a point to be very "visible" when they visited each other. Making a point to greet the neighbors together and perhaps go out on walks to "show off" each other. - " 💖 My husband/wife is home! 💖 " Probably also a painting and later several photographs of each other in their home(s) to show humans who become a bit too curious.

I don't really have a set date of when they would have stopped being married, but at least from +1950 onwards I believe Sweden (slowly) became more open to himself and others about his homosexuality (again). Women's rights were also (slowly) on the rise, which would mean Sweden and Ukraine didn't have the same need for a marriage even if they remained very close friends and still helped each other out when needed. (Especially considering Ukraine's situation at the time). Maybe they divorced, or perhaps they simply didn't re-new the marriage at some point when they had to re-do their papers for their human alias(es). They likely had many long talks about what they wanted to do though, but once Sweden became more actively involved with the Swedish gay community and started to fight more openly for their (and his) rights it might simply have made more sense for them to not stay married. .

In the other corner we have Finland, who during periods of times also lived with Sweden. Now, I reckon Finland is the one who took very long to fall in romantic love with Sweden, but I also believe Finland has loved Sweden as a friend for a very long time despite a few and sometimes lengthy rocky patches. With that said I hc it was likely only somewhere after +1960 that (hws) Finland started to fall in love with Sweden romantically.

It's worth mentioning that I personally hc Finland as Bi, but as they (Finland & Sweden) grew closer to each other Finland likely waved away any beginnings of attraction and crushes he might have felt for Sweden as something else or excused it away - especially when humans started to crack down on homosexuality. Finland focused on his attraction to women, because that protected him and the people around him. That's nothing against Sweden, it was just what made sense at the time.

Finland likely had a few times when he suspected Sweden's romantic feelings as well, but perhaps to protect both himself and Sweden he never thought too deeply or asked Sweden about it. Because of this Sweden's marriage to Ukraine was likely something Finland viewed as both good and bad. At one hand Finland might have a nagging feeling sometimes about it feeling Wrong, but not really be able to pinpoint why he would think that either. At the other hand Finland was relieved. He saw it as confirmation that "Sweden wasn't in love with him", and with Finland being friends with Ukraine as well Finland knew and trusted Sweden would be safe with her.

And then Ukraine and Sweden were suddenly no longer married, and Finland saw Sweden start to more openly involve himself with the Swedish gay community and fight for their (and his rights). It dawns and confirms to Finland, that huh, Sweden is (still) gay. Maybe Finland wasn't imagining Sweden having romantic feelings towards him at times.

It's a seed that grows for Finland, as Fin realizes he sometimes catch Feelings for men as well. The next time he realizes Sweden is attractive, he doesn't immediately push it away and instead let's it sit for a while. The seed becomes a sapling as Finland develops something of a deeper crush, which slowly also starts to weave romantic love into their already existing friendship.

.

I could probably go on forever about my thoughts if you let me, but considering how long this post is already becoming I reckon this is a good point as any to pause. 😂 Keep in mind these are just some of my own thoughts about SuFin though, and I'm sure other people might have completely different ideas for them.

I wish you good luck with your fic, and feel free to send another ask if you have other questions! 💝

[fictionfromthevoid]

One-shot | ACD! Sherlock Holmes - Late Night Labwork

Fandom: ACD Sherlock Holmes (original stories)

Characters: Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson

Relationship: QPR (queerplatonic relationship), but you can interpret this one-shot however you want to.

Warnings: Mention of War, Bombs, gunshots and death; mention of PTSD

A/N: Inspired by these tags I saw under this post.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of gunshots roared through the hot Afghan air. My comrades, one after the other, went down. Hit by bullets and other projectiles. Bombs were exploding around me. The air was filled with horrible screams as young men were shredded into pieces by shrapnel. Ducked down in the trench, I tried my best to shoot as many enemies as possible, trying to ignore the unbelievable suffering around me, but I knew it was hopeless. They were too many. We were all going to die.

*Clink*

Suddenly everything was quiet. I shot up in what I later realised was my bed. Adrenaline and Cortisol rushed through my bloodstream. Chest heaving and covered in cold sweat I had no idea what was going on or where I was there was only one thing on my mind.

'Danger' I was in danger. 'I need to survive'

I jumped to my feet and examined my surroundings. It was dark, I could barely make out a thing. Slowly the realization crept in. I was in my bedroom, at Baker Street. The war was over, at least for me. I was at home.

Letting out a sigh of relief I dropped back down onto the edge of my bed. Head in my hands and blood rushing in my ears I tried to calm myself down but as soon as I closed my eyes I was back in that trench in Afghanistan.

I desperately longed for Holmes's presence. I didn't necessarily need to talk about this, I just needed him to be there. Simply sitting in the same room as him, while he smoked his pipe, or tinkered with some experiment would be enough to soothe my tormented soul.

But it was the middle of the night, Holmes was probably asleep and I couldn't possibly bring myself to just knock on his bedroom door, wake him up and ask him to... - well pointlessly sit in the living room with me. Tears leaked from my eyes and dropped to the floor below me when -

*Clink*

There was the sound that woke me, again. It came from the living room. 'Is someone in there? Are we being robbed?' Panic threatened to seize my body a second time tonight.

*Clink* *clink* *clink*

No, that was the sound of glass clinking. Holmes! No doubt engaged in some chemical experiment. It wasn't unusual for him to be up in the middle of the night doing research or, very much to my annoyance, playing the violin, shooting the walls or whatever other shenanigans he could come up with. These unusual habits of his were often the subject of my anger or mockery, but that night, I was eternally grateful for them.

I slipped into my dressing gown and made my way to the living room. Upon my entrance, Holmes looked up from his lab equipment and gave me an apologetic smile.

"Ah dear fellow, so sorry to wake you"

"Nonsense. My dream was ... not pleasant" I answered although he had undoubtedly deduced that by now from my constitution.

"I see", he nodded. "Then perhaps you might assist me with this experiment? An extra pair of hands would be most welcome."

I gladly accepted the offer and he got up to get me a chair and a glass of water. I emptied it in one go and so my friend went back to the kitchen and this time brought the whole jug which he placed on the table among his various other chemicals. Pouring me another glass he eyed me carefully.

I can only imagine how I must have looked at that moment. Face covered and hair soaked in cold sweat with hands shaking so much that I could barely hold the glass of water without spilling it all.

However, he didn't say a word and neither did I. Trying to find excuses for my appearance would have been pointless. He had seen me like this countless times before.

Summoned to my bedside by my screams of terror, frantically shaking me awake, ripping me from the nightmare and sitting with me in the light of a candle until the gruesome images in my mind faded.

Still, with a tilt of his head and an expectant rise of his eyebrow, Holmes silently asked me if I wanted to talk. When I shook my head his attention returned to his chemicals.

He assigned me to stir various mixtures and monitor the temperature of numerous boiling liquids. All things where I wouldn't have to hold and therefore couldn't break anything. Tasks suitable for my trembling hands.

We took to work in silence. Holmes' presence keeping me anchored to reality and distracting me from the horrid images still vividly present in my brain.

Sitting here in our living room, next to Holmes working on an experiment I didn't understand a thing about, had exactly the soothing effect on my frayed nerves I hoped it would.

Slowly the shadows lifted from my soul. I could finally breathe again without that terrible feeling of constriction in my chest. Soon my heart rate returned back to normal and the cold sweat on my body began to dry. When my friend noticed, I was getting chilly in the process he wordlessly got up, fetched a blanket and wrapped it around my shoulders.

Wrapped up cosily, I adjusted the flame of a bunsen burner heating an to me unknown liquid in a vial.

In moments like this, I was beyond grateful to have Holmes by my side. I knew that I could have talked to him, anytime, had I wanted to. He wouldn't necessarily have been the best with comforting words, but he would have listened and he would have understood. But I didn't need to. This was enough.

We sat together in silence even long after the experiment was finished. Holmes in his usual armchair and me on the sofa. He tinkered with his pipe, absentmindedly plucked his violin or simply sat there lost in thought, while I soaked in, the calming atmosphere of 221B and the company of my friend.

Nonetheless, he kept a close eye on me. I noticed his glances, assessing whether I was reasonably alright and if I had everything I needed. Occasionally, I flashed him reassuring smiles to indicate that I was indeed feeling better.

A warm fuzzy feeling had found its way into my chest. Coexisting with the heightened anxiety that still lingered from my nightmare. And when the first beams of sunlight finally illuminated our little home again even the last shadows lifted from my mind.

Holmes noticing my improved mood got up from his chair. "I think I will make us some tea. What do you think Watson?" I nodded in approval.

"Holmes" I called out just before he was out of the door of the living room, "Thank you".

My friend answered with a knowing nod and a gentle smile and with that, he left the living room.

[yardsards]

I hear you and I agree with you but also I raise you: queerplatonic the spares?

assuming you're talking about this post that i made a while back but blew up again recently?

i got a very similar ask back when i first made the post (which is buried somewhere in the depths of my blog bc tumblr search sucks) and i'll say now approximately what i said back then:

that kind of sucks too, actually.

the main problem with the "pair the spares" and "everyone must be paired" tropes is that they generally imply that it's not a happy ending unless everyone is in a committed monogamous romantic relationship. that characters (and real people, by extension) are somehow incomplete without a romantic partner, just like a sad single sock.

and removing the word "romantic" (or even any of the other adjectives as well) from those sentences and allowing them to include queerplatonic partnerships too doesn't really make the idea that much better. doing that doesn't break down the walls, just widens them a bit so that more people can be allowed in.

like yeah, one of the problems with the "you're incomplete without a romantic partner" idea is that it excludes people who can't feel romance. but that's far from the ONLY problem with it (in fact, the term "amatonormativity" wasn't even coined with aromantics specifically in mind, iirc).

it tells single people that they're not good enough, that they're incomplete. it tells single people who want a relationship that this isn't just a matter of "aw bummer, you want this thing but don't have it yet" but is rather a massive fundamental issue in their life that must take priority and be solved posthaste. it tells people who are happily single (including happily single alloromantics. because yes, they exist. not everyone who feels romantic attraction necessarily thinks that getting into a traditional romantic relationship about those feelings is right for them) that they're just deluding themselves and that they truly would be happiest in a partnership. it tells people who are in unhappy relationships that it would be better to stay than to become single. it says that relationships must look a certain way. it says that friendship is insufficient and is always inherently lesser than a partnership.

and allowing "partnership" and "relationship" to include queerplatonic as well as romantic doesn't fix a lot of those

amatonormativity is a cage that hurts those who can fit themselves in it as well as those who can't. widening the cage to allow more people in won't fix that. and there will always be people who don't fit inside the cage no matter how much you widen it. for example, non-partnering aros exist and would still be excluded here.

(and on another note: "pair the spares" and "everyone must be paired" generally are used derisively to refer to like. when characters are shoddily shoved together last minute because the writers couldn't figure out what else to do with them. it's generally just like, bad writing. and while i would LOVE more queerplatonic relationships, i want them to actually be GOOD, not just be some sloppy seconds leftover from a romantic ship.)

anyway i got rambly and possibly confusing there, and went Way Too Deep about what was almost definitely just a silly lighthearted ask. but i have so many Thoughts on the matter

there's just like. this mindset i notice (primarily in newer/younger aromantics who have just begun to question amatonormativity). where they see queerplatonic relationships and just think "ah, so this is just our version of a romantic relationship?" and don't really think about the complexities. ignoring the fact that some social constructs around romance are simply Not Good and that they will not become good if you separate them from romance. and ignoring that queerplatonic relationships are not always just "like a romantic relationship but minus the romance".

like it's a mindset that i understand (and i think was a lot like how i thought when i was younger and first figuring out these concepts). because this shit is CONFUSING and hard to explain and complicated to think about and so hard to unpack. so i hope i'm not coming across as rude to anon or anyone like that. it's just kinda something that's on my mind a good bit so i went off on a ramble, y'know?

edit: dug up the old post with a similar ask

[dysany]

James Sirius Aro headcanon bc it's pride month

Listen listen, I know the hp new gen fandom really likes the "James and Alice" thing BUT guys he's SO aromantic for me. Im aromantic and I love James so much, he's probably my favorite character in the new era, so trust me ok? He's a perfect aromantic rep. Also James and Alice are queerplatonic I so sure

I like to imagine that James grew up being a kinda of casanova at Hogwarts, the guy who was seen with a new girl every week. It was something he was proud of and constantly showed off, despite never being seen dating one of these girls (reminder that not every aromantic person is asexual, and I definitely see James being just aromantic). I like to imagine that just the idea of ​​dating made James want to vomit, as a kid he was the "I'll never date! It's gross!" And he still thinks that way at 15, 16, 17 and 18 years old. He never understood why something that people said was the pinnacle of life caused him so much repulsion, and no matter how hard he tried, no romantic feelings came to him.

Imagine him just helping Albus and Rose with their LGBT projects at Hogwarts, wanting to be more open and better support his brother. Then one day, he ends up simply hearing about "aromanticity" for the first time. He questions, only to want to learn more, and Rose explains to him as much as possible about the aro community. James was absolutely in shock watching Rose describe every single mixed feeling he had about romance for years of his life, understanding that other people were also repulsed by romance that came in his stomach. The height of happiness and horror in his mind at the same time.

James would probably freak out and go into absolute denial for a while. He would ignore everything that wanted him to see more about the community and focus on trying to date girls, even wondering if he might just like boys. Liking boys seemed easier to understand than not liking anyone. I can see James squirming every time he was put in some romantic context, but forcing himself to do it for a while. And hating it all. Over time, after many crises and nights of feeling less than human because he couldn't fall in love, James would eventually have a long talk with Lily and Albus and they would help him. It takes weeks, months for James to really stop forcing himself into relationships. It takes a few more years, after Hogwarts, for him to say "I'm aromantic" out loud. A few years after that, Quidditch player James Potter is openly part of the LGBT community with a green, white and black flag. (Albus would totally make fun of him for now having a green flag. Brother thing)

In between, I like the idea that Alice was his main squire and companion. She helped him through his worst crises, took care of him on his best and worst days. She studied, talked and understood the most Possible to help him too. And if she understood a little more about herself, it was just an extra. James and Alice slowly settle into their relationship, Noting that they love each other even if not in a romantic way. The two are the kind of queerplatonic relationship that kisses, sleeps together, and has a lifetime without romance being a topic. And they never explain it, they don't need to. Alice understands James and loves being with him, regardless of everything

In other words: James Sirius Potter being Aro is so superior guys. His grandfather was the epitome of romance and this boy will vomit if he thinks about dating

[skylerorionx]

Asexual Awareness Week (for some reason it’s “asexual” and not “asexuality”) is 22-28 October. So near the end of the week, here’s the first of two posts for a not-quick introduction to what asexuality is, and also what it isn’t. Next post here.

Also, if I am wrong, add it in the comments.

Image text below:

(1) 

It’s asexual awareness week, so it’s time for a crash course into asexuality. Part one of two cause I have a lot to say. 

—

(2) 

Asexuality means a lack of sexual attraction. 

A- is a prefix meaning “not” or “without,” so the definition of asexual is quite literally “not sexual.” 

It does not mean a lack of willingness to have sex, a lack of romantic attraction, or an inability to love. It is also not synonymous with celibacy, and, like many things queer, exists on a spectrum. 

Asexual is often shortened to “ace.” 

— 

(3)

To understand asexuality, first I’m gonna need you to unlearn some presumptions you might have about attraction in general. 

1. There are multiple types of attraction: sexual, romantic, sensual, platonic, aesthetic, and queerplatonic, among others. We tend to bundle sexual and romantic together but we shouldn’t because… 

2. Some people experience some types of attraction but not others. 

3. Some people experience one type of attraction more or less intensely than another type, or just compared to how someone else experiences that same type of attraction. 

It’s rather simple once you wrap your mind around it. 

—

(4)

Also… Not everyone is sexually attracted to the same gender(s) of people as they are romantically attracted to. That is called “varioriented.” The term “split attraction model” can also be used here or for the other points. There’s also a term “sensualarian” meaning the lines between types of attraction are blurred. …I’m not really gonna talk about these things cause I’ve probably confused the allos enough so if you wanna know more, just google it or ask me.

— 

(5) 

Sexuality exists on a spectrum. Yes, there is a spectrum from hetero to homo — it’s called the Kinsey Scale — but there’s also a spectrum for the intensity of attraction, a scale from asexual to its opposite, zedsexual / allosexual (someone who does experience sexual attraction). It’s called the “asexual spectrum,” “ace spectrum,” or “a-spectrum”. It’s often used as the Y axis alongside the X axis Kinsey Scale. 

[asexual — zedsexual]

Someone can exist at a specific point or fluctuate within an area. (In addition to being a specific point on this spectrum, the word “asexuality” can also be a general term for anyone who exists on the left side of this spectrum. Also you — yes, you, the person reading this — also exist on this spectrum whether you’re ace or zed.)

—

(6)

Side note about the word “zedsexual”: Like a lot of things, “asexual” (the word) was invented to describe a group of people who are different from the norm, but referring to the “normal people” as such would imply asexual people are abnormal, which they aren’t, so someone invented the word “allosexual” to mean someone who does experience sexual attraction. The problem with the prefix “allo-“ is that it technically means “attraction to others” and its opposite is “auto-,” meaning “attraction to the self,” which is not what asexuality is. Because we often think of things as opposites, someone else thought to replace the word allosexual with “zedsexual” because “zed” (the non-American pronunciation of the letter “z”) is at the opposite end of the alphabet. Still, most people say allosexual. They usually know it technically has a weird origin but it’s the word that stuck, and they’re not being mean, it’s just the more common word. I use both zed- and allo-.

—

(7) 

Here are some common labels for people within the ace-spectrum but not fully at the asexual end: 

Cupiosexual: someone who does not experience sexual attraction but still desires a sexual relationship.

Demisexual: someone who does not experience sexual attraction until a deep emotional connection is made. example, not feeling sexual attraction until falling in love. 

Freysexual: someone who feels sexual attraction towards people with whom they are not deeply connected, and loses the feeling as connection happens; sometimes called “reverse demi-”. 

Greysexual: someone who experiences sexual attraction infrequently, rarely, or weakly. 

—

(8) 

Lithosexual / Akiosexual: someone who experiences sexual attraction but does not want it reciprocated

Quoisexual: someone who does not know if their feelings are sexual, romantic, platonic, something else, or nothing at all; someone who feels as if the concept of romantic/sexual/whatever attraction is inapplicable or nonsensical to them.

Aegosexual / autochorissexual is another common label, that’s more of a bonus label and less of a spot on the spectrum. It means someone who experiences a disconnection between attraction and arousal, which is the fancy way of saying an asexual who wanks. 

Why does someone experience these kinds of sexual attraction? Well, this is a two-part post so read the next post! 

—

(9)

More on the next post. Got questions? Just ask me, I have all the answers. 

Also, I know to actually sound like I know what I’m talking about, I need sources, so: 

Slightly uncreditable but first-person sources: 

Me

My existence on Tumblr for twelve years

AVEN and people’s stories there

“Proper” sources: 

“ACE: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex” by Angela Chan

“The ABCs of LGBT+” by Ash Hardell (published under their old first name and “maiden” name)

“Boston Marriages: Romantic but Asexual Relationships among Contemporary Lesbians” edited by Esther D. Rothblum and Kathleen A. Brehony

“The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality” by Julie Sondra Decker

[ne0nwithazero]

Did Klieg and Rouxls ever get married, would they want to get married, and do they consider each other their platonic husband? Would it be more of a civil union or doing-it-just-for-tax-benefits if they haven't tied the knot but theoretically were do? Does it ever cross their minds?

Like ik their relationship isn't really romantic in nature, and tbh I think your portrayal of their relationship as something that doesn't fit any premade social/cultural "mold" is really cool. This isn't be saying they should get all mushy and romantic and shit, because they're not that. This is me asking if they'd ever want to officially become life partners via a ceremony, whatever that would look like... I think you probably get what I mean, lol. They're queerplatonic! There aren't predetermined milestones and traditions and shit! I'm just saying I think the concept of "platonic wedding" could be a thing w those creatures idk. Civil union but there's cake and booze (and probably worms) and they still slow dance and make out sloppy style but like as an inseperable aut ARtistic duo. I said artistic. I sai

(tbh this all stemmed from me seeing your recent Klieg doodle and, for whatever reason, recieving a vivid mental image of him in a wedding dress in my mind's eye)

(and typing THAT out made me realize that Klieg would rock a dress so hard... four armed objecthead twink crossdressing... idk)

The way Klieg and Rouxls treat their relationship is so special to me, they get so silly with it! They pretty much just got rid of the stuff they don't like and keep the rest~

They do get married but it's less out of a desire to put their commitment to paper, and more as an excuse to plan out a massive and obnoxious wedding party that's filled with death traps and movie-length vows that are impossible to escape!

Not to get too into NSFW detail, but the closest thing they have to "romantic" in their relationship is physical intimacy, and they enjoy each other's company so much ;; In all aspects, they're keenly aware of each other's needs, and they value their commitment to one another more than anything else. Doesn't matter what form their relationship takes, as long as the commitment is there and they know they can count on one another, they're happy <3

I don't know if they'd even understand aromanticism as a concept, they just think they're weird and when they find someone on the same wavelength, they end up getting bound together regardless. Semantics aside, I don't think they'd understand terms like queerplatonic either, though it does vaguely fit their dynamic! Friends with benefits doesn't fit them either since there's this agreed-upon detachment that I don't think they'd vibe with.

They both have slightly different flavours of aromantic that either mesh really well or not at all gnjkdfngkfd

Like Klieg loves giving affection, but kind of freezes and gets really awkward when the target of affection. And meanwhile Rouxls is the opposite, where he absolutely relishes in the affection he recieves, but he's not exactly good at "retributing"! Which works in their favour since they can find what makes each other happy without making the relationship one-sided.

Also the commitment they have to one another extends to family, they cared little for labels even when Rouxls got pregnant, they just have more important things to worry about~ Like what to name their babies

Also yes, Klieg could pull off a dress, I think~ I don't think he'd feel too comfortable in one, but it's fun to imagine~

[gay-david-tennant]

No don't apologize for the Stucky stuff! I only watched Endgame once in the cinema because it pissed me off so much.

And I just did it again expecting to maybe be a little more forgiving. But NO I am still pissed off mainly because of this part...

same for me! watched endgame once and it pissed me off sooo much. im not sure whether i watched it ever again but im sure that in the future i definitely wont! and y'know for me its not even about shipping them (tho i do somewhat in the sense of i love their dynamic and want to see more of it no matter whether platonic, queerplatonic (or romantic)). but in the movies it is shown that there is no one more important to steve than bucky (man didnt want to fight against him although he was brainwashed and ready to kill him) and bucky literally broke 70 years of mind control for steve (and you dont just establish such a beautiful line as 'til the end of the line' in one movie and then betray that sentiment). they literally love each other! but for some reason people cant fathom platonic love (which it is in canon) greater than romantic love so they think if given the choice steve would go back to peggy. which is the direct opposite of what the three captain america movies showed us! he moves on! he learns she had a happy life, he goes to her funeral for fs sake! he kisses her niece (also dumb ass move of the directors guess they thought it would make people stop shipping stucky or whatever, hate that they basically just included sharon for love interest reasons). and in endgame hes been in the present for about 11 years! thats double the time he knew peggy in the 40s. and he. moves. on. (sorry it annoys me that they just ignored the whole character development). also the same goes for peggy. while she still was pretty one-dimensional love interest like in the movies, the series about her finally did something with her besides being the woman captain america likes. and she also. moved. on! and then they just erased all that, booted the series out of canon and just made her a cardboard-cut love interest again! ugh. also someone please tell me how it makes sense that Steve Rogers, the man that searched 2 years for Bucky without knowing whether hed find him and who fought out a civil war (at least partially) for him, would just sit around in the 50s while knowing that bucky was being tortured by hydra right now. he just wouldnt. thats so completely out of character i wanna scream! oh god this is long. anyway once again:

STEVE AND BUCKY'S LOVE FOR EACH OTHER IS CANON! AND JUST BECAUSE STEVE LOVED (yes ill say loved see 'he moved on') PEGGY ROMANTICALLY THAT DOESNT MEAN ITS MORE IMPORTANT OR GREATER THAN HIS LOVE FOR BUCKY. SAME GOES FOR IF HE STILL LOVED HER! THIS IS TRUE IN REAL LIFE TOO! PLATONIC LOVE IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY LESSER THAN ROMANTIC LOVE! THIS ALSO MEANS THAT 'THERES NO OTHER EXPLANATION THAN ROMANCE FOR STUCKY IS ALSO WRONG'. YES YOU CAN HEADCANON THEM AS ROMANTIC BUT IT IS NOT THE ONLY EXPLANATION.

and yes im aware that even with steve staying in the present, steve and bucky's relationship would still have been sidelined in favour of a romantic, straight (its marvel what are we expecting) one. i guess thats what i mean when i say im shipping them. they are made for each other ('its difficult to find someone with shared life experience' -> bucky shows up, god i love this) and their relationship is one of the most important in their lifes (if not the most) and relationships with other people (romantic, platonic, queerplatonic or other) would not change anything about that. but marvel (and lets be real the people watching) dont see this. so i have something to rant about for days :)