#i wrote about her in a qpr challenge

[bakerysnake]

i used to be uncomfortable with marriage jokes because i was uncomfortable with marriage as a thing in general and one friend was like, IT'S JUST A JOKE GET OVER IT, when i'd bring it up

[byoldervine]

If you're aroace, do you still write romance? If so, do you do it differently than allos do?

Tbh it’s made me very cautious of writing men and women because no matter what straight allos seem to think they’re flirting and would make a super cute couple. Back in my fic days that was often how I decided to have my characters date; I’d get loads of comments saying they couldn’t wait to see how X ship pans out when in reality it was just two friends having banter. And romance always seemed to be like a requirement in every story; if you don’t include at least a subplot where the main characters get together, what’s the point in creating them? Even if that mindset isn’t true

But just to show how my sexuality did indeed influence my writing - as well as my writing actually influencing my sexuality - I’ll give you guys an example:

I’ve mentioned it before but there was one character called Indigo who I wrote in an atrociously-written HTTYD fic on Wattpad back when I was like thirteen - all the comments were saying she was totally in love with another character, Plasma, and how they couldn’t wait to see her accept these feelings she has for him

Reminder; I had no intention of having them be in a relationship

But I decided to lean into it and explore why people perceived it this way, then used another character to be raising all the points. I did admit that, looking back as an older and more experienced writer, I did once or twice say things that implied more than intended because I didn’t fully understand the innuendo of them back then, but there was even some newer stuff that I just couldn’t figure out

So I tested my theories; I had the characters banter more, being very careful in that first chapter to keep it purely platonic, and people were going crazy about the flirting. So I figured if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em; I leaned into it, explored the idea of Indigo having feelings for Plasma. Let her get conflicted on it, let her vent that she had no idea what this kind of love feels like, just generally used it as an excuse to vent my own feelings on romantic love in general. I identified as bisexual at the time, but was starting to question things, so I just poured it out onto Indigo because it did work for her character and her general attitude to relationships of any form

Half the comments were about how they were worried about the ship and how Indigo had to realise her feelings soon - but the other half was people predicting that Indigo was aroace. I challenged my readers more directly to guess Indigo’s sexuality and asexual or aroace was the biggest guess. And so I leaned into it again and brought Indigo into what’s all but labelled as a QPR with Plasma, just to see how it goes, and in the meantime I was looking into asexuality. I think you can figure out how the latter went

But I guess what I learned from all of this when it comes to writing romance is that, at least for myself, it’s surprisingly easy to get people shipping them; have a guy and a girl banter. I’ll have to test in future if this works for visibly queer couples, but in general my go-to for flirting is just casual banter and so far it’s done the trick with my other old fics. I’m not flirting, I’m just sarcastic and British

What really scares me is writing sibling dynamics and other familial relationships because if I can make things flirty without even trying then how will this be perceived?

[sugarycandle]

aro week 2024 reading challenge (with recommendations!)

i decided to only read books with arospec character during aro week, so i created a little challenge for it on storygraph! come join if you'd like <3

some recommendations (books that i have already read) under the cut! (this is by no means exhaustive, and there are a lot of books with characters that are both aro and ace bc i tend to read a lot of those. would love to hear your recommendations bc i do want to diversify what i read as well!)

main characters:

the priory of the orange tree & a day of fallen night (samantha shannon) - LOVE these books so much. both have a main pov character that is aroace. not explicitly labeled in the story bc it's fantasy but especially in adofn, it's really clear

vespertine (margaret rogerson) - ya, aroace mc, not explicitly stated on page but it's obvious imho

loveless (alice oseman) - is anybody surprised

tarnished are the stars (rosiee thor - all books have arospec characters) - ya, aroace MC, not one of my favorites but the rep is nice

common bonds - a short story collection with arospec characters everywhere (my favorites were "discography" & "a full deck")

the thread that binds (cedar mccloud) - this just the definition of cozy fantasy for me. multiple arospec characters (sorry i don't remember the actual identities and can't find info), qpr, found family, and so much more (there's also a prequel out now but i haven't read that one yet)

werecockroach (blake polenth) - idk what to say about this, cockroaches kidnap everyone except the mc and friends, aroace + agender mc

hazel's theory of evolution (lisa jenn bigelow) - middle grade, aroace mc but it's not the focus, really heartwarming "wish i had this when i was a kid" vibes

two dark moons & three seeking stars (avi silver) - ya, i LOVE these books, aroallo mc & found family but with lizards

baker thief (claudie arseneault - all books have arospec characters) - aroallo genderfluid mc, wasn't a big fan of the story but i really liked the characters

by your side (margherita scialla) - a queerplatonic short story, i'm not the biggest fan of short stories but it's about two people deciding to be in a qpr

convenience store woman (sayaka murata) - i'm not really sure if the mc is supposed to be aroace but that's how i read it. it's supposed to be funny but i thought it was depressing as fuck lol

elatsoe (darcie little badger) - ya, aroace native mc (it only explicitly says she's ace tho), this one was a lot of fun, it's basically a murder mystery in a really interesting world

goddess of the hunt (eileen shelby) - poetry collection about aroace artemis (we stan)

side and background characters:

summer of salt (katrina leno) - ya, very minor aroace character

sorcery of thorns & the mysteries of thorn manor (margaret rogerson) - ya, minor aro (aroace?) character (i have a special weakness for margaret rogerson bc i was at her book signing and told her i appreciated her writing aro/ace characters, and she wrote "aro/ace pride" in with my dedication lol)

aces wild (amanda dewitt) - ya, aroace sc, i LOVE him you don't understand. this is about a group of ace teens but gabe is my favorite, i would die for him. also i need amanda dewitt to write a million other books about these characters

hell followed with us (andrew joseph white) - ya, very minor aro character but this book is BRILLIANT, everybody should read it (after reading the trigger warnings)

wren martin ruins it all (amanda dewitt) - ya, mc is ace so that's the focus, but there's a side character who doesn't use labels and isn't interested in dating at all

a grim and sunken vow (ashley shutterworth) - ya, this is the third book in the series, demiromantic sc, absolutely loved his storyline (he appears in the first books as well but i hated him lmao)

and books i haven't read yet but am hoping to read during aro week (i'm therefore not 100% sure this information is correct):

city of strife (claudie arseneualt) - is supposed to have multiple arospec characters

every bird a prince (jenn reese) - middle grade, aroace mc

archivist wasp (nicole kornher-stace) - aroace mc, no romance

the black veins (ashia monet) - apparently no love interests!!! sounds like a dream

fallen thorns (harvey oliver baxter) - aroace mc

let me know if you have any recommendations! <3

[that-tall-queer-bassist]

One Shot Challenge Poll (take two /j)

Hi again :) So I wrote and posted two one shots so far, and it looks like my minimum time for each one is two days per fic. Which is pretty damn good compared to my previous rate!

But, it does mean that tomorrow is the new fic day. So here's another poll because I am so easily motivated by external feedback and validation /hj

pls help me decide. I am so indecisive.

[missewoodhouse]

A-spec Headcannon - Jo March (Little Women)

Can we talk about Jo March? Because I feel like she is some really stellar Aro-Ace representation who’s been staring me in the oblivious face, waiting for me to catch on for way too long.  I know we can never really have ‘word of god’ confirmation/denial on this one, since Louisa May Alcott is long dead, but let’s just think about it. There is some definite queer coding with Jo, and while I think there are any number of valid interpretations for how we, or Alcott, might classify Jo’s gender identity, that’s not the aspect I’m going to focus on here (I’m sticking with she/her pronouns for this post because that’s what is used in the text).  What I want to talk about are Jo’s relationships.

Most people seem to be in agreement that Jo’s relationship with Professor Bhaer isn’t exactly presented as being full of romance.  Whether they’re in the Jo-and-Laurie camp (may I suggest Anne of Green Gables as an alternate reading choice?), the Jo-is-probably-attracted-to-women camp (who, exactly?), or just the Louisa-May-Alcott-was-being-a-grump-when-she-wrote-that camp, most people also tend to see that as a bad thing.  I disagree. I do think their marriage is framed as closer to a friendship/business partnership than a great romance or a passionate need to fall into bed together, I just happen to think that sounds like a pretty nice ending for Jo.  I mean, they challenge each other, they care very much for each other, and they’re taking on a major life project (the school at Plumfield) together -  those are some pretty solid QPR goals.  Is there a little bit of Alcott thumbing her nose at the publisher? Sure, but at the same time, she gives Jo an ending that I would imagine Alcott (the spinster authoress) being content with herself – something that’s unconventional, and really wonderful.

What’s also really wonderful is that Jo is about as far as possible from the trope of the robotic aro-ace. She’s headstrong, passionate, complex, flawed, boundary-pushing, and full of emotion.  She loves deeply and non-romantically.  Her love for all of her sisters is obvious, as is the love she feels for Laurie as a friend and pseudo-brother.  When Laurie pushes to take things in a romantic direction and Jo turns him down, she is as heartbroken by the loss of his friendship as he is by her rejection.

Both at Meg’s wedding and again when he proposes, Laurie tells Jo that she’ll fall in love and marry someday, and both times, she vehemently denies it, saying she wants to become the family’s old maid, that she’s got other priorities, that she doesn’t want all that.  This is a familiar conversation for many of us on the ace- and/or aro-spectrums, who have been told over and over that we’ll understand romance and/or sexual attraction when we’re older, and grow up find that “nope – still don’t.”  Jo clearly doesn’t buy into the hierarchical value we culturally place on romantic love, asking why people have to ruin perfectly good current relationships – ones of family or friendship – by doing something so messy as pursuing a romance.

As an a-spec who isn’t sure whether I want a romantic partner in my future, Jo strikes me as revolutionary and awesome in ways that didn’t really register as a kid (I liked her, but always identified more with Anne Shirley and her need for puffed sleeves than I did with the more tom-boy Jo).  May we all have love-filled lives like Jo March. Unique, fulfilling, and unapologetic.

@fuckyeahasexual

[artemisegeria]

More Captain Marvel Thoughts

I enjoyed Captain Marvel even more on the second viewing. I also changed my mind on a few of the minor criticisms I had of the movie the first time. Also, on rereading my initial review that I wrote that night, I felt that some of my points might have come across more harshly than I intended, though I still rated it highly, so I made some changes.

More spoilers below the cut.

In no particular order:

- Yon Rogg is the absolute worst. I didn’t like him the first time, but he infuriated me even more this time.

- Some of the scenes that bothered me a little bit the first time did not bother me at all the second time, like the scene of the Skrull autopsy had more emotional depth knowing that they were only desperate people in trouble and not the villains.

- The one criticism that I do maintain is that it would have been better if the Skrulls had tried to convince Carol that the Kree were lying earlier in the movie. They do allude to a possible reason for this later in the movie when Talos says that they had no reason to believe that Carol was any different from the average Kree and his hands are dirty from war, and the Skrulls certainly had no reason to trust any of the Kree. But I still think, as not unrepentant villains, they might have at least made an attempt before engaging in mental manipulation/theft like they did. 

- The Carol/Maria shipping vibes were even stronger. Or i could also see them as a QPR/platonic life partner. I mean they were unequivocally presented as a family unit throughout the movie. By the way, do they have a ship name? I haven’t seen one, and I can’t think of a good one.

- I missed the detail the first time that Fury offered Maria a job at SHIELD. This makes me curious as to what happened to her. By my calculations, she would be roughly mid to late 50s by the time of Infinity War. I hope she and Monica survived the Snap or will be revived and Carol and Maria get to reunite in Endgame.

- I also somehow missed the detail that Carol received her powers directly from the tesseract. I’m not sure how I didn’t notice that because it is very clearly laid out, but I didn’t quite connect all the dots. That brings the characters who receive their powers from a Stone or are closely connected to one to: Carol, Wanda Maximoff, Vision, Stephen Strange, Loki, maybe others I’m forgetting. I feel like this will be important somehow. Interestingly, all of these are (apparently) dead or dusted, except Carol. 

- For some reason, the last twenty minutes or so made me super emotional. I teared up a little bit the first time, but this time I was legitimately sobbing through a lot of the end. It really is beautiful to watch. I love it so much.

- My favorite parts stayed pretty much the same: 1. the “I was only human” montage of her dusting herself off followed by her unlocking her full powers (this may now be up there as one of my favorite sequences in the MCU); 2. “I have nothing to prove to you;” 3. Maria’s speech to Carol about how powerful she always was; 4. Carol stealing that guy’s bike

- After seeing Captain Marvel again and the new Endgame trailer, I feel more confident than ever that Carol’s powers will be balanced with the rest of the story. I certainly don’t want to see her nerfed, but it will be a challenge to handle her awesome cosmic powers appropriately along with everybody else. I am just optimistic based on the footage we’ve seen that they have managed it. 

- I am now comfortable ranking CM as my third favorite MCU movie. My top five: 1. Avengers: Infinity War; 2. The Avengers; 3. Captain Marvel; 4. Captain America: Civil War; 5. Black Panther. 

[calacuspr]

Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – Kiyan Prince & Liverpool FC

Every Monday we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.

HIT – KIYAN PRINCE FOUNDATION

Kiyan Prince was young teenager with significant footballing talent who played in the youth academy at Queens Park Rangers.

His life was tragically cut short in 2006 when he was murdered as he tried to break up a fight at school. Sadly, his potential was never realised.

To mark the 15th anniversary of his death, Kiyan is fulfilling the life dream he should have been allowed to achieve.

As a result of an incredible initiative called ‘Long Live the Prince’ led by the Kiyan Prince Foundation, Kiyan has been brought back to life into the virtual world.

By using a combination of AI technology and old photos, a lifelike image of Kiyan has been developed to generate how he would look like today. The campaign has been orchestrated by the likes of QPR, EA Sports and other major brands including Adidas and JD sports who are now supporting it.

He has also been recreated as a playable character for QPR in the world’s most popular sports game, FIFA 21. Match Attax will also issue a special Kiyan Prince playing card.

Elsewhere, a short film has been created to help vulnerable young people engage with the key principles of the Foundation across social and earned media, along with a series of ads fronted by virtual Kiyan in the media, social media and advertising, including at the billboards in Piccadilly Circus.

This campaign is one that brings so much positivity to light. It has gained considerable media coverage through the press and online sources through the brands involved.

But the real impact of this campaign comes from the use of unconventional PR techniques, which target an audience who probably wouldn’t see it via traditional means.

By using something as big as FIFA 21, a game played by millions of children, to bring an issue like knife crime to the forefront of their attention, is so effective.

Kiyan’s father, Dr Mark Prince, who set up the Foundation in 2008, and was awarded an OBE in 2019 for his charity work through the Foundation, believes the campaign’s brilliance lies in the way it is helping to inspire young people.

He said: “I want my son to be remembered not for the tragedy of his death but for the triumph of his achievements. Through this campaign my hope is that the world finally gets to glimpse Kiyan’s incredible potential fulfilled.

“We get to honour his talent. And, hopefully, we can inspire other kids to honour their won talent, too – whatever their own strengths might be.”

All proceeds raised during the campaign will go straight to supporting the work of the Foundation; raising awareness for the dangers of knife crime and helping young people fulfil their potential.

Having renamed Loftus Road in honour of the Kiyan Prince Foundation in 2019, the collaboration was an obvious next step for QPR. 2021 would been Kiyan’s 30th birthday and his former club have listed him as an official squad member, giving him the squad number ‘30’ for the 2021/22 season and have added him to all matchday programme team sheets. A lovely touch from the Championship side.

Paul Morrissey, QPR Head of Media and Communications said: “We are very keen to help support this campaign. It’s such a wonderful innovative idea and it’s really reaching the people that Mark’s work tries to reach.

“This campaign is creating a conversation around who Kiyan is and within the FIFA 21 game we wanted Kiyan to be a player that people would want in their team.”

In such a challenging period for so many people, this campaign is built on hope, optimism and collaboration, shining some positivity on what can happen when major brands work together.

It’s not only honouring the life of Kiyan but sending a powerful message on the issue of knife crime, the role of sport in helping change the lives of young people, as well as the vital the work of the foundation.

A fitting tribute to Kiyan. Long Live the Prince.

MISS – LIVERPOOL FC

There’s a lot to like about Liverpool FC.

Even before their charismatic manager Jurgen Klopp too over and guided them to the Champions League and Premier League titles, they have been renowned for a culture of community and inclusivity.

Just as with some of the other biggest clubs in the Premier League, their values and reputation have taken something of a knock after they initially joined the ESL.

One thing Liverpool have prided themselves on is looking after their own, so it’s a surprise to see their own internal communications fall short with regard to the Women’s team player contracts.

Kirsty Linnett and Becky Jane have criticised the club after learning that contracts they had been offered were being retracted.

Linnet posted on Twitter: “My time at Liverpool has come to an end... I have seen a lot of similar experiences to what I have explained below in women’s football recently.

“Something needs to change, people need to be treated better, it’s not good enough.

“"It would have been nice if someone from the club had the decency to tell me that they were retracting the contract offer they'd previously sent my agent.

"I felt that after three years the least I deserved was a face to face meeting the moment they knew they wanted to let me go.

"Football is football but where does this stop? I've no hard feeling with being let go, it's part of the game.

"What upsets me is the club support campaigns for mental health yet treat their own players with such little regard and respect.

"Let's hope clubs can do better by their players during these difficult times and act with more care for the people involved as manners and morals cost nothing."

Linnett makes a strong and reasonable statement about the communications lapse from the club, which was compounded by her team-mate Becky Jane.

Defender Jane wrote: “Unfortunately, similar to @kirsty_linnett the club have retracted my contract offer in a similar way.

“As female footballers with zero security as it is; the least we deserve is to be treated better and with respect. It takes nothing to be kind.”

Liverpool, who were relegated from the Women's Super League in 2019-20, finished third in the Women's Championship this season.

They re-appointed former boss Matt Beard as their new boss last week and the manager has been making decisions on his squad for next season.

The club did at least make a statement in response to the players’ claims and said: "Like all professional clubs, Liverpool Women are in the process of compiling their retained and released list for the forthcoming season.

"With the players two weeks into their off season holidays, the club has been informing all affected players of decisions as early as possible. With players contracted until the end of June this gives them the best possible chance of securing new clubs and making plans for next season. Players' agents have also been informed as is standard practice.”

Although the response is polished, the fact that not one but two players have spoken out like this underlines the shortcomings in Liverpool’s internal communications activity.

Clear and consistent communication is essential, particularly in relation to staff departures to limit the sense of shock or anger that those affected may feel when being let go.

There’s also a strong argument that this lack of communication would not occur for the Men’s team and no doubt Liverpool will undertake a review to ensure no such repeat of this in future.