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16woodsequ · 9 months

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101 Aromantic Books Rec List

For this list the goal is fiction books with a main character or significant secondary character that is on the Aromantic spectrum, or non-fiction books about being Aro-spec. Some books will overlap with my Asexual Book rec list.

Junior Novel

1. Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jen Bigelow Hazel knows a lot about the world. But even Hazel doesn't have answers for the questions awaiting her as she enters eighth grade. What if no one at her new school gets her, and she doesn't make any friends? What's going to happen to one of her moms, who's pregnant again after having two miscarriages? Why does everything have to change when life was already perfectly fine? Hazel is asexual and aromantic (it isn't said in the book, but it is specified in the author's note at the back of the book).

2. Every Bird A Prince by Jen Reese After she saves the life of a bird prince and becomes their champion, seventh grader Eren Evers must defend a forest kingdom, save her mom, and keep the friendships she holds dear--if she is brave enough to embrace her inner truths. Eren is aromantic.

3. The Dragon of Ynys by Minerva Cerridwen Every time something goes missing from the village, Sir Violet, the local knight, makes his way to the dragon's cave and negotiates the item's return. It's annoying, but at least the dragon is polite. But when the dragon hoards a person, that's a step too far. Sir Violet storms off to the mountainside to escort the baker home, only to find a more complex mystery—a quest that leads him far beyond the cave. Accompanied by the missing baker's wife and the dragon himself, the dutiful village knight embarks on his greatest adventure yet. AroAce main character.

YA Fiction

4. Archivist Wasp by Nicole Kornher-Stace A postapocalyptic ghosthunter escapes her dire fate by joining the ghost of a supersoldier on his quest to the underworld Aromantic asexual main character. Dark fantasy/dystopian.

5. Latchkey by Nicole Kornher-Stace Isabel, once known as Wasp, has become leader of the fearsome upstarts, the teen girl acolytes who are adjusting to a new way of life after the overthrow of the sadistic Catchkeep-priest. They live in an uneasy alliance with the town of Sweetwater—an alliance that will be tested to its limits by the dual threats of ruthless raiders from the Waste and a deadly force from the Before-time that awaits in long-hidden tunnels. Archivist Wasp Sequel. Aro/Ace protag.

6. Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends the Gray Sisters by awakening the revenant bound to a saint's relic, even though she runs the risk of being possessed permanently by the powerful ancient spirit. Non-explicit romantic asexual main character. Fantasy.

7. Not Even Bones by Rebecca Shaeffer Nita's mother hunts monsters and, after Nita dissects and packages them, sells them online, but when Nita follows her conscience to help a live monster escape, she is sold on the black market in his place. Aro/Ace main character

8. When Villains Rise by Rebecca Shaeffer With her best friend, Kovit's, life in danger, Nita is determined to take down the black market once and for all. Latina asexual and aromantic main character.

9. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee Henry "Monty" Montague was bred to be a gentleman. His passions for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men, have earned the disapproval of his father. His quest for pleasures and vices have led to one last hedonistic hurrah as Monty, his best friend and crush Percy, and Monty's sister Felicity begin a Grand Tour of Europe. When a reckless decision turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything Monty knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores. Aro/ace secondary character (prequel to a Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy).

10. The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. A highly loved book in regards to asexual portrayal, Felicity’s journey does a fantastic job of exploring the struggle of navigating a world where marriage is expected of women in order to function in society. Even more refreshing is Felicity isn’t just avoiding getting married out of a sole rebellion against the patriarchy (though those themes are also present), but simply because she doesn’t have an interest in sexual or romantic relationships at all.

11. Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp When Corey moves away from Lost Creek, Alaska, she makes her friend Kyra promise to stay strong during the long, dark winter, and wait for her return. Just days before Corey is to return home to visit, Kyra dies. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones, saying her death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she's a stranger. With every hour, Corey's suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets-- but piecing together the truth about what happened to her best friend may prove as difficult as lighting the sky in an Alaskan winter. Aro/Ace main character.

12. Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate Seven students. Seven (deadly) sins. One secret. There is a character who sounds asexual and aromantic and autistic but none of these are ever explicitly named. He seems like a stereotype at first but has his own storyline that's both important plot wise and gives him his own character arc.

13. Not Your Villain by C. B. Lee Bells Broussard thought he had it made when his superpowers manifested early. Being a shapeshifter is awesome. He can change his hair whenever he wants, and if putting on a binder for the day is too much, he's got it covered. But that was before he became the country's most-wanted villain. After discovering a massive cover-up by the Heroes' League of Heroes, Bells and his friends Jess, Emma, and Abby set off on a secret mission to find the Resistance. Aromantic Black secondary character.

14. Not Your Backup by C. B. Lee Part 3 in the Sidekick Squad series by C.B. Lee. Follows a questioning aromantic asexual latinx superhero sidekick fighting to prove her worth on the team despite her lack of superpowers, all admist the team's battle against the corrupt League of Heroes.

15. Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor With only a drop, one can light the night sky with fireworks . . . or burn a building to the ground. The few flare families on top — the so-called “elite” — hoard the magical resource for themselves, and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share. Main character is demiromantic.

16. Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman Rumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying she doesn’t have the answers to everything. What to eat, where to go, whom to love. But there is one thing she is absolutely sure of—she wants to spend the rest of her life writing music with her younger sister, Lea. Then Lea dies in a car accident, and her mother sends her away to live with her aunt in Hawaii while she deals with her own grief. While not the main focal point of the book, Rumi does grapple throughout the story about where exactly she lands on the ace and aro spectrum—and whether she has to label herself at all.

17. If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann Winnie is living her best fat girl life and is on her way to the best place on earth. No, not Disneyland–her Granny’s diner, Goldeen’s, in the small town of Misty Haven. While there, she works in her fabulous 50’s inspired uniform, twirling around the diner floor and earning an obscene amount of tips. With her family and ungirlfriend at her side, she has everything she needs for one last perfect summer before starting college in the fall. …until she becomes Misty Haven’s Summer Queen in a highly anticipated matchmaking tradition that she wants absolutely nothing to do with. Aro/ace secondary character.

18. The Trouble With Robots by Michelle Mohrweis Evelyn strives for excellence. Allie couldn't care less. Together, these polar opposites must work together if they have any hope of saving their school's robotics program. Allie is asexual and/or aromantic.

19. Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong In 1931 Shanghai, two Nationalist spies pose as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders causing unrest in the city. Rep: demisexual Chinese protagonist, bisexual Chinese protagonist, bisexual Chinese main character, Chinese trans woman main character, aromantic asexual side character; (Chinese-Kiwi author).

20. It Sounds Like This by Anna Meriano Yasm Trevi didn't have much of a freshman year thanks to Hurricane Humphrey, but she's ready to take sophomore year by storm. That means mastering the marching side of marching band--fast!--so she can outshine her BFF Sofia as top of the flute section and earn first chair. But Yasm steps off on the wrong foot when she reports an anonymous gossip Instagram account harassing new band members and accidentally gets the entire low brass section suspended from extracurriculars. Rep: Biracial Latina fat asexual-questioning cis female MC, Jewish gray-aromantic gray-asexual male side character with ADHD and APD.

21. An Accident of Stars by Foz Meadows When an Australian teenager follows a world walker through a magical portal, she lands herself in the middle of a deadly web of politics and a potential civil war. Saffron’s fate is intertwined with that of many women, and the whole world hangs in the balance. Gwen Vere – allosexual (queer) and aromantic. (source)

22. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger What if America had monsters, magic, and interdimensional beings? For Elatsoe, this is real, and she has to uncover her cousin's murder! She can do this with the help of her ghost dog, Kirby, but has to remember not to wake human ghosts. Aromantic ace main character. Paranormal mystery. Casual representation which extends to Ellie’s identity as Lipan Apache. This identity is asserted more often and firmly than her asexuality, and Little Badger drops in nuggets of education for us settlers about what Indigenous people, and the Lipan Apache in particular, suffered at the hands of settlers.

23. Loveless by Alice Oseman A queer coming of age story featuring a romance obsessed aromantic asexual main character discovering her sexuality and coming to terms with what that means, and a variety of other queer characters that support her on her journey.

24. Aces Wild A Heist by Amanda DeWitt An all-asexual online friend group attempts to break into a high-stakes gambling club and commit a heist together. Includes a male asexual character navigating what love looks like for him, an aromantic asexual Latinx gender-nonconforming boy, a Vietnamese American and German asexual nonbinary teen, and a black asexual girl. This cast represents a range of ace and aro identities.

25. Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor A secret beats inside Anna Thatcher's chest: an illegal clockwork heart. Anna works cog by cog -- donning the moniker Technician -- to supply black market medical technology to the sick and injured, against the Commissioner's tyrannical laws. Determined to earn his father's respect, Nathaniel sets out to capture the Technician. But the more he learns about the outlaw, the more he questions whether his father's elusive affection is worth chasing at all. This YA novel features an aroace character gradually coming to accept his orientation in the midst of everything else that is happening in his life. Perfect for older teens who also enjoy WLW representation and dark themes.

26. Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno While anyone would love to have a bit of magic, what happens when magic turns dark? Georgina Fernweh will come into her magic someday soon. Before she does, Georgina faces a tragedy that tests the islanders' trust. In this book, Georgina’s best friend Vira is aroace, and it’s addressed somewhat in the story at different points. There is a sweet strength between Georgina and Vira, full of loyalty and support that is lovely to see.

27. Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie Aisha Un-Haad, seventeen, and Key Tanaka, eighteen, have risked everything for new lives as mechanically enhanced soldiers, and when an insurrection forces dark secrets to surface, the fate of humanity is in their hands. In Hullmetal Girls, Aisha is not only ace/aro but she is also happy with her identity. Crucially, so is everyone else.

28. The Trouble by Daria Defore Danny Kim is a college student and the frontman of a Seattle based indie band. He also happens to be aromantic, and completely matter of fact about that aspect of his personality; The Trouble is not a coming out book, which is refreshing. (source)

29. A Promise Broken by Lynn E. O'Connacht/S.L. Dover Cooper Four-year-old Eiryn tries to grieve her mother while her uncle and caretaker, Arèn, fights accusations of her upsetting the world’s balance with a song. Arèn, aromantic and asexual.

30. Birthday Landscapes by E. H. Timms in Queerly Loving Anthology A disabled and aromantic warrior-mage and legend returns home on leave in time to celebrate his twin children’s birthday with his family.

31. Chameleon Moon by RoAnna Sylver The city of Parole is burning. Like Venice slips into the sea, Parole crumbles into fire. The entire population inside has been quarantined and left to die - directly over the open flame. Eye in the Sky, a deadly and merciless police force ensures no one escapes. Ever. All that's keeping Parole alive is faith in the midst of horrors and death, trust in the face of desperation... and their fantastic, terrifying, and beautiful superhuman abilities. Multiple AroAce characters.

32. Sea Foam and Silence by S.L. Dove Cooper Maris has only a month before she turns into sea foam, and she has no voice to help her. Love comes in many form, however, and she is no closer to understanding which will earn her life among friends and family on land. Aro and demi-aro characters.

33. A Harmony of Water and Weald: a Sea Foam and Silence collection by S.L. Dove Cooper A Harmony of Water and Weald is a collection exploring some of Maris's darker moments as she learns what it means to be human and a glimpse at what her life and family is like after the Sea Witch's deadline has passed.

34. Two Dark Moons by Avi Silver Sohmeng Par is sick of being treated like a child. Ever since a tragic accident brought her mountain community’s coming-of-age ritual to a halt, she’s caused nothing but trouble in her impatience to become an adult. But when she finally has the chance to prove herself, she’s thrown from her life in the mountains and into the terror of the jungle below. Aromantic and nonbinary rep are woven through the world and characters seamlessly.

35. We Go Forward by Alison Evans Two sad queer girls roadtrip around Europe (Germany, Austria and a little of Prague) while developing a deep and supportive friendship.

36. A Word and A Bullet by Rachel Sharp When the real apocalypse hits, three zombie-LARPs friends discover their skills may not be enough to get them through the road trip to safer communities in Canada. Asexual, aromantic, and touch-averse major character.

37. Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland Kamai was warned never to open the black door, but she didn't listen. Everyone has a soul. Some are beautiful gardens, others are frightening dungeons. Soulwalkers―like Kamai and her mother―can journey into other people's souls while they sleep. But no matter where Kamai visits, she sees the black door. Demi-romantic main character.

38. Lemon & Salt by Claudie Arseneault Two aromantic singers renegotiate their queerplatonic partnership within through a one-of-a-kind concert. Puns included!

39. Warrior Anthology by E. H. Timms

Twelve writers. Twelve worlds. Twelve warriors. Multiple AroAce character.

40. Nkásht íí by Darcie Little Badger A short story featuring two friends and a paranormal murder mystery. AroAce main character.

41. Haunted Hearts by Amelia Faulkner When Basil and Jon meet over a rumored haunting, they agree to work together. But when the ghost proves itself not only real but also insanely homicidal, Basil and Jon are caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, and whatever feelings they might have for one-another have to take a back seat to a desperate fight for their very survival. Queerplatonic, arodemi character.

42. No More Heroes by Michelle Kan The peaceful nights are kept under the clandestine and watchful eye of young, gifted Vigilantes the world over. But a sudden rash of Vigilante deaths heralds the arrival of a new and unfamiliar enemy – one whose motive is as unclear as their identity. Ace and greyromantic.

43. Second Chance by Chelsea M. Cameron When Serena Nolan decides to spend the summer at her cousin’s house and queer café, she doesn’t expect to run into her ex, Fiona … or to discover she’s still very much in love. Demi-ace, demi-aro.

44. The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath It's Norway 1904, and Asta Hedstrom doesn't want to marry her odious betrothed, Nils—even though a domestic future is all her mother believes she's suited for, on account of her single-sided deafness, unconventional appearance, and even stranger notions. Asta would rather spend her life performing in the village theater with her friends and fellow outcasts: her best friend Gunnar Fuglestad and his secret boyfriend, wealthy Erlend Fournier. AceAro.

45. The Last Chronomancer by Reilyn J. Hardy Haunted by the curse that follows his bloodline, it soon becomes apparent to Mae that no matter what you do or how far you run, your past will always catch up to you. The tale of two, cursed for destruction.

One with the strength to kill and the other, the courage to resist. AroAce.

46. Unburied Fables by Rachel Sharp This collection enlisted talent around the world. From students to seasoned professionals, these writers came together to raise awareness and reinvent classic stories. While they showcase a wide variety of origins, styles, and endings, all the tales in this anthology have one classic element in common: a happily ever after. AroAce main character (Match Girl).

47. Any Way the Wind Blows by Carlin Grant Callie lives on the road, trading labor for food and lodging through a farm work-exchange program. She's perfectly content with the life she's created, but it is shaken up when she meets Jo, a mechanic and sister of Callie's latest boss. For the first time, Callie begins reconsidering the choices she's made. But Jo's life is far more complicated than her own and as family tensions rise, they threaten to pull Callie in, and her growing bond with Jo might not be reason enough to stay.

48. epicene: a short story by Ulysses Constance Bougie "Charlie never said a word during English, but they had plenty." An hour in the life of Charlie, a high school student with social anxiety. Over the course of a class period, Charlie considers their anxiety, their desire to express the things they feel, and their very aromantic crush on the beautiful Q.

49. A Murder's Hunt by Danica Taylor Othloh is a city run by criminals. It’s in constant chaos, and no one comes out unscathed. The only law they have is Occisor, a small mercenary group that keeps the fragile peace between the rivaling gangs intact. But when Kestrel Fulani, the newest of the four Crime Lords, begins causing too much trouble, Occisor is hired to remove him from the playing field. Aro heterosexual main character.

50. Loose in the Heel, Tight in the Toe by Valentine Wheeler Prince Heinrich doesn’t want a wife, but as the only heir to the throne he knows he'll need to marry–even though he has no interest in romance or sex. When a mysterious woman at the ball in his honor is completely unimpressed by him, he’s intrigued. Could she be the partner he’s been looking for? And when catastrophe strikes both their families, how can their arrangement hold together? Cinderella retelling.

51. Skybound series by Alex London The people of Uztar have long looked to the sky with hope and wonder. Nothing in their world is more revered than the birds of prey and no one more honored than the falconers who call them to their fists. Brysen strives to be a great falconer--while his twin sister, Kylee, rejects her ancient gifts for the sport and wishes to be free of falconry. She's nearly made it out, too, but a war is rolling toward their home in the Six Villages, and no bird or falconer will be safe.

52. Tower In The Crooked Wood: A Novel Paula Johanson A woman walks across the continent to track down a sorcerer who nightly enslaves random victims, magically transporting them to various work camps to help build his sorcerer's tower. Whenever Jenia, our heroine, is taken, she finds small ways to attempt to sabotage the sorcerer's efforts. In between magical abductions, she walks on, encountering communities so isolated and self-contained that they appear blissfully unaware of the sorcerer setting up shop in the neighbouring wood.

53. This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria Orphaned and forced to serve her country’s ruling group of scribes, Karis wants nothing more than to find her brother, long ago shipped away. But family bonds don’t matter to the Scriptorium, whose sole focus is unlocking the magic of an ancient automaton army. In her search for her brother, Karis does the seemingly impossible—she awakens a hidden automaton. Intelligent, with a conscience of his own, Alix has no idea why he was made. Or why his father—their nation’s greatest traitor—once tried to destroy the automatons. Suddenly, the Scriptorium isn’t just trying to control Karis; it’s hunting her. Together with Alix, Karis must find her brother…and the secret that’s held her country in its power for centuries.

Graphic Novels

54. A-Okay by Jarad Greene Eight grade can be tough, especially if you have acne and bullies, and lose friends. But our relatable asexual and aromantic protagonist, Jay, pulls through. This is a relatable memoir with colorful artwork.

55. Jughead, Volume 1 by Chip Zdarsky A comic book reboot of the Archie comics centered around Jughead Jones. Follows an aromantic asexual main character in typical Archie-style shenanigans. Part 1 of a 3 part series.

56. Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki A poignant coming-of-age story about a young woman coming into her own as she discovers her identity as aromantic asexual. A complete story in a single volume, from the creator of "Mine-kun is Asexual." When it comes to love, high schooler Chika wonders if she might be an alien. She’s never fallen for or even had a crush on anyone, and she has no desire for physical intimacy. Her friends tell her that she just "hasn't met the one yet," but Chika has doubts... It's only when Chika enters college and meets peers like herself that she realizes there’s a word for what she feels inside.

57. I Want to be a Wall, by Honami Shirono Any love story aficionado will say that the key to a successful couple is intense desire for one another—but what if the characters in question are an asexual woman with a passion for Boys Love stories and a gay man whose heart forever belongs to his oblivious childhood friend? Although romance will never be in the cards for newlyweds Yuriko and Gakurouta, the bond blossoming between them promises to be a wonderful relationship—the likes of which neither has ever experienced before…

General Adult Fiction

58. Common Bonds A Speculative Aromantic Anthology by Claudie Areseneault Common Bonds is an anthology of speculative short stories and poetry featuring aromantic characters. At the heart of this collection are the bonds that impact our lives from beginning to end: platonic relationships. Within this anthology, a cursed seamstress finds comfort in the presence of a witch, teams of demon hunters work with their rival to save one of their own, a peculiar scholar gets attached to those he was meant to study, and queerplatonic shopkeepers guide their pupil as they explore their relationship needs and desires.

59. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata Convenience Store Keiko Furukura. Keiko has never fit in, neither in her family, nor in school, but when at the age of eighteen she begins working at the Hiiromachi branch of "Smile Mart," she finds peace and purpose in her life. Keiko is very happy, but the people close to her, from her family to her coworkers, increasingly pressure her to find a husband, and to start a proper career, prompting her to take desperate action... Aromantic, possibly asexual and autistic.

60. Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn't belong. Not with his mother's new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father's wife. Not at school, where he's an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he's tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who's introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez? Mildred Gutermann, a German Jew who narrowly escaped the Holocaust, has been alone since her caretaker disappeared. She turns to Raymond for help, and as he tries to track Luis down, a deep and unexpected friendship blossoms between the two. Raymond is aroace. And he is depicted as kind, loving, sensitive and realistic.

61. Stake Sauce, Arc 1: The Secret Ingredient Is Love. No, Really by RoAnna Sylver In which: A cute punk-rock vampire and a disabled firefighter-turned-mall-cop with a dark past join forces to battle the forces of evil–vampires that hunt the streets of Portland. Jude, the protagonist, is gay and grey-aro-ace, trans, has PTSD and wears a prothesis, Eva is aro-ace as well, Jasper has migraines, Pixie is chubby, and while we don't know the identities of all the other characters, all of them are queer (or seem to be) and there's a poly relationship in the works.

62. Walking the Wall of Papered Peaces by Penny Stirling in Capricious: The Gender Diverse Pronouns Issue A asexual clockmaker pursues her non-binary plumber fiancé on a quest along a magical wall of origami animals to work out communication issues in their relationship. Ace and demiromantic.

63. The Melankholia Series by A.N. Mouse and Ace Layton Explore the dreamy, decaying world of the Endless City, where human dreams lend strength to the hunters's unique powers, and where human nightmares spawn into terrifying monsters with no warning. Follow the nightmare hunters, ravens, runners and regents of the shadowy underworld as they fight monsters, fate, and each other.

64. Ice Castle: A Queerplatonic Love Story by Katie Fouks Shoveling dirt over slippery patches while dressed as a Christmas fairy isn’t the most glamorous job in the world, but Rachel Forrest doesn’t mind spending another holiday season as “dirt girl” at the Ice Castle ice maze if it means she gets paid. She never expected one such patch of ice to lead her to Cassie Harlan. Cassie is cute and funny and shares Rachel’s aromantic asexual identity. Rachel finds herself drawn to Cassie in a way she’s never experienced, and as her feelings grow, she questions what exactly they are. Does Rachel want to be her friend? Or something else? She’ll have to learn to trust Cassie and herself in order to figure it all out before they lose their chance at anything.

65. Play It Again by Aidan Wayne When Seattle-based blind YouTuber Dovid Rosenstein finds Sam Doyle's Let's Play channel, playitagainsam, he's instantly captivated by the Irish gamer. Everything about Sam is adorable, from his accent to his personality, and Dovid can't get enough of his content. Dovid's glowing shout-out on Don't Look Now, his own successful channel, sends Sam's subscriber numbers skyrocketing overnight. He has more comments than he can read. And while the sudden surge in popularity is anxiety inducing, Sam decides it's only right to dedicate his next episode to Dovid...which soon leads to a heart-pounding exchange of DMs. Aro Ace Jewish side character.

Fantasy

66. Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault When her twin—a powerful witch and prime exocore material—disappears, Claire redoubles in her efforts to investigate. She keeps running into Adèle, however, and whether or not she can save her sister might depend on their conflicted, unstable, but deepening relationship. Baker Thief is the first in a fantasy series meant to reframe romance tropes within non-romantic relationship and centering aromantic characters. Those who love enemies-to-lovers and superheroes should enjoy the story!

67. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction--but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep. Aromantic main character.

68. The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia Based on Persian mythology, this is a stunning story of a nonbinary blood magic user who is kept on the outskirts of society. Firuz finds themself a refugee, and gets a job working at a free clinic using their power for good. While working they discover a new disease that threatens to spread across the empire if it isn’t stopped soon. Now Firuz must convince the world to trust the very people they shun to stop the disease and save the world. From the author: it's about an aroace nonbinary refugee healer who is trying to cure a magical plague in their new home while hiding their blood magic.

69. City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault City of Strife is the first installment of the City of Spires series, a multi-layered political fantasy led by an all-queer cast. Fans of complex storylines criss-crossing one another, elves and magic, and strong friendships and found families will find everything they need within these pages. This series has many AroAce characters.

70. The Ice Princess's Fair Illusion by S.L. Dove Cooper To ensure she will never be forced into marriage, Marian pushes back suitors with cold cruelty–under the day her father promises to marry her to the first beggar to come. Edel, who knows well the weight of society’s expectations, ensures she gets the hand, and they must learn to trust and respect each other to survive. AroAce main character.

71. The Necromancer in: Myriad Lands: Volume 2: Beyond the Edge by David R. Stokes A necromancer raises his fellow magician and best friend, a trans man, to give him a second chance at life without the interruptions of dysphoria. AroAce main character.

72. The Faerie Godmother's Apprentice Wore Green by Nicky Kyle The village of Styesville has a dragon problem, but when Dea — a faerie godmother’s apprentice — comes to investigate, she discovers the problem runs much deeper than a simple creature. AroAce main character.

73. Holding Onto Day by E.H. Timms Half a lifetime after the Split, when a world of myth and legend took over the night, grieving aro-ace widower Cal winds up snowed in at a waystation with post-breakup aro-allo Evvi. Proximity and patience draw them closer, both in the day when they are human, and at night, when they become vampire and werewolf.

74. Create My Own Perfection E.H. Timms Emma Stone, medusa, is the groundskeeper for Olson College of Extensive Education, a place where everyone is welcome, from the mythical to the magical. When her selkie best friend loses her skin in Fresher's week, the race is on to find it before someone uses it against her. The search brings Emma face to face with her oldest enemy - and forces her to confront the worst nightmares of her past.

75. Mahou Shonen: Just Say No by Nico H In a world where becoming a "magica" is a phenomenon known to and highly frowned upon by the public, a middle school teacher leading a normal life finds himself involved with Horace Giorno, a young man known as the Prince of Magical Boys, and the brutal, murderous magical girl Pretty Fighter Ribbon Red.

76. Come Drink With Me by Michelle Kan A Dragon, a Phoenix, and an Opera House. Bonds that transcend time, loyalties that defy hardship, and the magic of the places we call Home. (Wherein a Dragon and a Phoenix make their living on earth in an Opera House.)

An Aromantic Chinese Fairytale.

77. The Caelish Order Series by A.J. Barber Ever since her brother murdered four of his closest friends, Alicia Omura has been trying to start over. She changed her name, got a new job, did everything she could to make sure no one ever pegged her as Devon Blaine's sister. Now she's a Hunter for the Caelish Order, protecting Seattle from rogue summoners like her brother, and from their Elaiyu servants. But when Devon himself turns up in the middle of her first big case, he turns everything she thought she knew on its head. His story is outlandish--traitors within the Order, corruption at the highest levels. If he's telling the truth, Alicia has more to worry about than rookie jitters and an inconvenient crush on her partner, Jordan Morrow. AroAce male main character.

Science Fiction

78. Rainbow Lights by Polenth Blake A deep-sea robot tells stories in every colour, but no shade can describe meeting a giant squid. Rainbow Lights is the first collection by science fiction and fantasy author Polenth Blake. Alien scorpions, vampire ice cream sellers and clockwork flies, try to find their place in worlds where being human is optional. AceAro main character.

79. Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace Mal is one of many war survivors in the old town working multiple jobs to scrimp by, one of which is her team's streaming video game play. The team lives with several other roommates in a converted hotel room run by Stellaxis, the company that owns half of town, and is the only legal provider of drinkable water. When Mal catches sight of an elusive SecOps character, special non-player characters (NPCs) modeled after Stellaxis' twelve bioengineered operatives, the team pursues her inside the game to catch her on video for two seconds before their power curfew kicks in. By the time Mal heads down for her daily ration of water, they've secured a lucrative contract, involving an in-person meeting and a conspiracy theory, paying them to capture images of the three living SecOps characters. When Mal returns to find out why the next payment failed, she becomes involved in a fracas that will endanger everyone she knows. Aroace main character.

80. Werecockroach by Polenth Blake As aliens hover above London, three flatmates scuttle across the city to escape. They have more in common with coackroaches than hoarding cardboard and hissing at people, however. The narrator is agender, aromantic, and asexual. Science Fantasy.

81. Faction Paradox: Liberating Earth by Kate Orman and E.H. Timms Just what would happen if a couple of Cousins used our planet as their personal game board? As they create one alternative reality after another, twisting history and reality into knots, only one outcome is sure: whoever wins, the human race loses. AroAce.

82. The Changing of Allison Dutch by Michón Neal This is the first in a trilogy of Allison Dutch's life on earth. Follow along as she comes to terms with vampirism, sexuality, and the outer limits of reality. This book incorporates the realism of human growth and human potential while set in a highly unusual background of sci-fi, fantasy, and sheer horror. What does it take for a person to want to conquer the world? Find out in this coming-of-age story about a girl caught in the intersections of time, reality, sanity, normality. Aro Pansexual.

83. The Dreamhealers Princes Series by M.C.A Hogarth Seersana University is worlds-renowned for its xenopsychology program, producing the Alliance's finest therapists, psychiatric nurses and alien researchers. When Jahir, one of the rare and reclusive Eldritch espers, arrives on campus, he's unprepared for the challenges of a vast and multicultural society... but fortunately, second-year student Vasiht'h is willing to take him under his wing.

84. Novis by Rachel Tonks Hill Novis Colony has a reputation for being cursed. *Something* is killing the colonists, and every single mercenary team that has been sent to protect them. Ros Lamarr is the best mercenary captain in the Commonwealth and even she thinks twice about taking the job. But she's sick of low paid jobs and bored of sitting in a station bar pickling her liver and getting into fights. Breaking the curse on Novis Colony is going to ask more of Ros than any other job she's ever done but if she can do it the rewards will be bigger than even she can imagine. But she can't do it alone. Aro characters. Queerplatonic relationships.

85. Retaking Elysium: a Mars Consortium story by M. Darusha Wehm The woman now calling herself Lisa Marie has spent her whole life trapped by the struggle to make ends meet, and sometimes held hostage by her own memories. On Mars she might finally find financial security, but will she also find something to care about today, and maybe even for the future?

Historical Fiction

86. Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on grand stories about the might and benevolence of the gods. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, her own worth measured by how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear. Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the ancient texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. Kaikeyi is asexual and aromantic. Although the words "asexual" and "aromantic" aren't used in the book.

87. Daughters of Britain by S.M. Carrière 68 ad. The Roman Empire has swallowed most of Europe. There are pockets of resistance...

but nowhere, no one, is safe. Mederei, eldest daughter of the fallen war-queen Boudicca, fled north with her sister to continue the fight for British freedom. But nowhere is safe from Rome. Now she must fight for her life for the amusement of her enemy. Adalbern, a proud Batavian, serving in the Roman auxiliary, lived by their rules. But no one is safe from Rome.His people scattered and his nephew held hostage in Rome itself, he is now nothing more than a glorified prisoner. It's life or death both in the arena and out for Mederei and Adalbern as they try to survive and save their people. Aro Ace side character.

Romance

88. The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress who practices magic in secret, terrified of the day she will be locked into a marital collar that will cut off her powers to protect her unborn children. She dreams of becoming a full-fledged Magus and pursuing magic as her calling as men do, but her family has staked everything to equip her for Bargaining Season, when young men and women of means descend upon the city to negotiate the best marriages. The Clayborns are in severe debt, and only she can save them. AroAce coded character.

89. Syncopation by Anna Zabo After a viral confrontation with one of his bandmate, Ray and his fledgling band are in a tight spot, and in need of a new drummer. Enter Zavier Demos–insufferable, sexy, talented… and Ray’s high school crush. Pansexual aromantic character.

90. Dithered Hearts by Verity Chase A gender-confused farmer desperate to reclaim her farm and escape her stepparents’ abuse. A closeted prince more interested in helping his people than finding a bride. A fairy godfather with a ton of secrets and no powers. In this diverse fairy tale, everyone is searching for a happy ending. Aro pansexual character.

Psychological Fiction

91. The Bone People by Keri Hulme Our main character Kerewin Holmes is a mixed race (Maori and White European), asexual and aromantic woman who lives in solitude in New Zealand. She meets Simon, a young boy recently rescued from a shipwreck by his Maori foster father, Joe, and the three quickly come to find comfort and support in one another. (source).

Horror

92. Cold Ennaline by RJ Astruc Ennaline Whitehall has always been faithful. The god’s love is all encompassing, after all. Besides, she hardly had a choice growing up in the church alongside Ro and Ray, the twin sons of Father Piedmont. Now the twins are talking about marriage—all three are reaching the age for betrothal—but Ennaline doesn't feel that way about the boys. She doesn't feel that way about anyone, and who knows what the other faithful will do if they learn of her peculiar coldness? AroAce.

Speculative Fiction

93. Margins and Murmurations Trilogy Otter Lieffe An aromantic trans woman with the ability to move through time return to a highly-militarized city with her lifelong friend, Pinar, to help queer activists, sex workers, and other organizers of the underclass rebel.

94. Power to Yield and Other Stories by Bogi Takács Power to Yield is a collection of speculative tales exploring gender identity, neurodivergence, and religion from author Bogi Takács, who deftly blends sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction. These are stories about the depth and breadth of the human condition—and beyond—identifying future possibilities of conflict and cooperation, identity and community.

Mystery

95. Same River Twice by Janet Poland When reclusive reporter Miren Lassiter inherits her scientist uncle's riverside cottage, her carefully guarded world is upended. She discovers the body of a local historian hanging from antique gallows in a museum, and soon becomes a suspect in his murder. Mysterious intruders break into her home. When she catches one of them in the act, he is the last person on earth she expects to see. As Miren struggles to get answers from scientists, history buffs, and nosy neighbors, she must face the reasons behind her fear of intimacy and commitment and reach out to others to identify a murderer...before she becomes the next victim. Aro-heterosexual main character.

96. The Courtyard Clairvoyant Mysteries by J.J. Brass Ace Aunt Elise lives in a cozy small-town courtyard with her twenty-something niece Val, a polyamorous pansexual who is currently recovering from an untimely stroke. When Val’s wheelchair is stolen, Elise realizes she’s in a unique position to investigate which of their neighbours played a hand in the theft.

Nonfiction

97. Aro Eros Arrows by Michón Neal This is a fantastic indie book that explores aromanticisim in the context of friendship and polyamory. Aromantic doesn’t mean that there is no love in your life, just that love looks different. Michón Neal also explores aromantic identities in a Black and queer context. A truly empowering and impactful book that breaks down the aromantic identity in such a clear and insightful way. (source)

98. Ace Voices: What It Means to Be Asexual, Aromantic, Demi or Grey-ace by Eris Young How do we experience attraction? What does love mean to us? When did you realise you were ace? This is the ace community in their own words.

99. Ace and Aro Journeys A Guide to Embracing your Asexual or Aromantic Identity by Various Authors What does it mean to be ace or aro? How should I approach the challenges that come with being ace or aro? How can I best support the ace and aro people in my life? Join the The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project (TAAAP) for a deep dive into the process of discovering and embracing your ace and aro identities. Empower yourself to explore the nuances of your identity, find and develop support networks, explore different kinds of partnership, come out to your communities and find real joy within. Combining a rigorous exploration of identity and sexuality models with hundreds of candid and poignant testimonials -- this companion vouches for your personal truth, wherever you lie on the aspec spectrum. You are not invisible! You are among friends.

100. Ace What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen Angela Chen does a remarkable job exploring asexuality and aromanticism in a modern context. She relates the identity back to how queerness is represented or underrepresented in popular media. By looking at these identities in a large context, we get to learn a lot more about how amazing these identities actually are. An asexual person herself, Angela Chen has such a fantastic narrative voice that keeps the reader engaged.

101. The Invisible Orientation An Introduction to Asexuality by Julie Sondra Decker The perfect book for those struggling with their identity, and for people whose loved ones are asexual or aromantic. It goes into how these identities are treated and are largely ignored. It does a great job of analyzing all this data, as well as pointing out how reception of this identity is changing to being not so invisible anymore. A much more academic text than others in this list, it’s still an easy enough read that you shouldn’t be intimated by the academic language. It’s very much an accessible read.

I have not read all this books, but I did my best to ensure the representation of the chracters when I was looking for books for this list. I did my best for genres, but sometimes it was hard to know.

I hope you enjoy this list! Isn't it amazing how many aro books there are out there?!

People who requested being tagged: @snailoutofwhack

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indie-ttrpg-of-the-week · 3 months

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Guillermo Del Toro's Apocalypse World

Touchstones: RIPD, Hellboy

Genre: Mystery, Monsters

What is this game?: Apocalypse Keys is about being a group of strange monsters solving mysteries in order to find the apocalypse keys and doors to stop the end of the world

How's the gameplay?: Apocalypse Keys runs in the standard PBTA framework, with a core difference of punishing overly high rolls by having your character feed into their darkness if they overextend their powers, Playbooks represent the character's origins, for example have they been transformed, summoned, are they a shade of the dead? etc. Another core mechanic are Ruin moves, which always succeed but tick up your ruin counter, if it fills up you could end up becoming the very harbingers you fight against. Apocalypse Keys' mechanics are generally pretty clever and understand the core tenet of PBTA, that being increasing drama

What's the setting (If any) like?: Apocalypse Keys puts the cast in a government agency whose aim is to contain Apocalypse Doors and Apocalypse Keys, strange mystical items which when combined can lead to the end of the world as we know it, meanwhile players must also fight Harbingers, people hunting for the apocalypse keys to bring on the apocalypse. It's a fun setting with a lot of room for interesting and strange plotlines, and the modules that come with the game truly show it, ranging from strange murder mysteries, Control style adventures, and other strange horrors

What's the tone?: Apocalypse Keys puts you into a world where everyone actively hates or shuns your cast from normal society and asks you to grin and bear it, characters are often toxic and float in and out of shitty relationships, but you will always at least have eachother

Session length: Apocalypse Keys' slightly complex tone compared to other PBTAs lends itself to longer 2-4 hour sessions

Number of Players: 3-6 is recommended

Malleability: Apocalypse Keys has many mechanics related to its setting, but it shouldn't be TOO hard to hack it into slightly different settings

Resources: Apocalypse Keys, as an Evil Hat game, has a ton of very well made Roll20 resources as well as non-roll20 for those who prefer that, a lot of industry standard stuff

Apocalypse Keys is all i could really ask for in a Hellboy inspired TTRPG, its weird, gritty, and most of all, queer as fuck

#indie ttrpg #ttrpg community #ttrpg #ttrpg of the week #trans creator #apocalypse keys

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sapphirestones09 · 2 months

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AAAAAAA FINALLY! I'm done playing @oneknightstand-if. As part of the celebration, here is Rosie's colored sketch (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Lol, this looks like an anime title card And thus! The Stats!

Blobbed: Yep (We are what now?)

Bold : 205 (Is this high lol?) Sweet : 46 Sassy : 159 Optimist : 76

Health : 85 Mark Status : Healed Merlin Healing : 2 Merlin Forced Healing : 0

Caution : 9 Will : 7 Cloudcuckoolanderness : 42 (Not enough, we gotta go full cray cray) Silent : 7 Curse Level : 4 Fear Level : 6 Corruption : -5 (Is this low enough?) Mute : false Mindcontrol : false

Downtime : Had Breakfast | Snarfed Sweets | Shower Accident |

Route : Went into Store & Fought | (What I gotta use the hunting knives as soon as possible in some way right?)

New Inventory : Hairdryer | Sweets | Shower Mat | Everclear Alcohol (Molotov! Molotov! Molotov!) They Know : false | It Sees : Masked | You Replied False Some stats are missing when I scroll from the past posts in the forum. Such as Crazy Theory, Crazy Theory Level, Pottymouth, Serenades, Interpretative Dance, and a deep dive into the Adrian and Merlin's relationship stats (I WANT TO SEE HOW MANY TIMES I FLIRTED GODAMMIT!). I wonder if I can access it (╥ω╥) About Rosie!

You are currently known as Rosaline (Rosie) Bane a seemingly normal female wildlife biologist. You have red eyes, very long flowing icy blond hair, and a short and petite figure clad in a red cape with an amaranth face mask. People tend to take particular notice of your hair. At first glance, people tend to find you not very intimidating.

You excel at sword fighting, gardening, and having a magnetic personality. Meanwhile, you've got a weakness for prescription medications and enclosed spaces, as well as having anger management issues.

You have an ear piercing. You also have a couple of scars along your neck and wrist.

A tragic accident that claimed your whole family lies in your past and the fate of your future remains murky with the apocalypse ever looming in the background. At least no one has suspected that you are actually a serial killer.

Your final words were "And now for a final word from our sponsor—"

Note! I didnt know I could play something as chaotic and as fun as this game provided me. Its super fun and enjoyable and yet amidst the chaos I loved the characters that was shown and grown to get attached to them to a degree. Both Merlin and Adrian are mysterious and enigmatic in their own ways that makes me look forward to the story and how it progresses towards their character. Also seeing Adrian being exasperated over Cloudcuckolander MC's antics tickles my funny bones more than I can admit. I admit I was reluctant to get into the game seeing as its such a huge one, but after playing all I can say is MOAR! I NEED MOAARRRR! AND PLEASE AUTHOR TELL ME HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY PASS THE STAT CHECK FOR MOONWALKING ON THE FENCING ROUTE! I NEED TO MOONWALK! I NEED THESE PEOPLE TO CLAP FOR ME! And please can we apologize to Adrian for punching him? (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ I know in the grand scheme of things, Adrian forgives us already but we still wanna apologize (ಡ‸ಡ) And oh boy, I think Im gonna draw lots and lots of fanarts now... Skill Stats!

Personality Stats!

Can we still claim to be a newbie after Merlin's extensive lore dump on us? Relationship Stats!

Inventory!

Your ultimate weapon is unknown.

You are currently armed with... nothing, at least as far as you know.

Cold Steel SRK survival knife

You also have on hand...

E-phone 7XL

several small bottles of prescription medications

photo of your family

Killer McKiller Face's favorite stuffed animal (Rip our micro pig (ಥ﹏ಥ))

well-worn Bible (To ward off evil of course!)

mystical Magic 8-Ball (Another holy item! I sure hope it does not contain anything otherworldly that will potentially endanger us and others ha.ha.ha (→_→)

small herb garden of eclectic plants including a mutant Venus Flytrap (The only queen Rosie will ever potentially bow to!)

collection of various survival & hunting knives

small bag of iridescent pearls

bottle of 95% alcohol Everclear (Molotov! Molotov! Molotov ⸜(*ˊᗜˋ*)⸝)

slightly squished pastry (I KNOW MY PRIORITIES! AND ITS SWEETS!)

#if wip #interactive fiction #choice of games #hosted games #one knight stand

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juno-of-wonderland · 1 year

Note

Hii I'd like to request a part 2 of the male crow mc sigh Epel Floyd and Rook!

Hello and thanks for the request! I read some things on your blog, keep it up!

Epel Felmier

-a crow? a raven man…ok, he stayed away, since farmers kind of…don't have a good relationship with these animals -He approaches you when you help him escape from Vil and Rook, flying to a high school tower -that was the craziest thing he did in his life, he saw you with different eyes -He started following you like a baby chick follows its mother and just as you got to know his true temperament, he got to know your hobby -he doesn't understand why you recognize things on the floor just because they shine, but his smile is what matters to him -he will find bottle caps and crystals to give you -you think your unique magic is really cool but don't get close to him with that flock of crows

Rook Hunt

-new prey found means new item of admiration -you are such a charming man, he is not talking about your species, you in essence, your elegant and mysterious appearance, your tail and small feathers that frame your slender body, your bright eyes and smiles, your voice… anyway! he was captured by you -immediately discover that you like shiny things -they appeared on your path and at the entrance to your bedroom (the latter was loaded with a poem) -your unique magic is a beauty in his eyes, he assures you that he will not mess with your crows and even made a small feeding place for them

Floyd Leech

-you will be scared by this eel hovering above you, but don't be afraid, he just finds you interesting -Floyd is not the type to fixate on something or someone, but you seem like an exception, he doesn't understand and doesn't want to understand, he just goes with the flow of the water -on one of the many days he follows you, you don't hold on and go to something you saw shining, he will ask what you are doing and say that you found a shiny one -he takes you to the Azul restaurant -glow glow glow -he contributed to you collection -he doesn't know what to feel about your unique magic, he just doesn't like you spending too much time with the crows, you should pay attention to him! You are his precious boy and he wants your love

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oristian · 14 days

Note

You are loved and amazing 💖 What’s your favorite thing about Gwynriel/Elucien?

Aw, thank you, anon!

ELUCIEN

The indirect and direct connections to each other, even the unintentional parallels that SJM crafted back in book one. They have so many similarities and have so much in common—it is as if they were quite literally made for each other.

Their personalities are going to be so delicious going up against one another in their book. Lucien and his smirks, and Elain pretending that he isn’t charming. I see them acting similar to that scene from Princess Diaries 2, “I loathe you!” Once they officially accept the bond and become endgame, I also see them being so fiercely loyal towards one another, and so deeply caring. They are just so romantic.

They look so good together aesthetic wise, and all of their fanart is just so beautiful. It is not often that there is a redheaded MMC—and not one so canonically good looking—so having this as something different in the genre is so refreshing. Elain and Lucien just appear as such a fantasy couple.

GWYNRIEL

Gwyn and Azriel are incredibly similar, from the competitive nature of their personalities, down to how they perceive both themselves and darkness. There is such an innate goodness within both of them that flourishes when they are around those that they love.

There is so much potential for them and their book and they are tied to some very interesting plot arcs. The Illyrians, Valkyries, Ramiel, Enalius, Dusk Court, et cetera. The mystery surrounding their powers is just as intriguing—what more can both of them do, and will they act as conduits for one another? Azriel’s shadows already react to Gwyn, what if she can become someone like Hunt for Azriel? I am also very for the Shadowsinger and the Lightsinger; that is incredibly sexy.

Their aesthetic is just so appealing to me. When I read, I view characters, places, items, et cetera., with colors and I always have a color/merge of colors for couples. Gwyn and Azriel have such a good palette shared between them, but also word associations that are borderline poetic.

#elucien #pro elucien #gwynriel #pro gwynriel #acotar #sjm #anon ask

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crediblebombthreat · 3 months

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I forgot how good of a bossfight Mohg is

Fought him last night on an under-leveled and under-geared dex character. So I actually had to pay close attention. I remember liking him, but I forgot why he's up there with Ludwig in my personal favorite Fromsoft bossfights.

He just has so much going for him as a secret boss. Every angle of the game, despite giving you an unhinged amount of freedom to go and do as you please, has some sort of Mohg residue on it. All paths lead to Mohg.

The first NPC you talk to -- Varre, the one that people who haven't even played Elden Ring know about -- is a devotee to Mohg. After you kill a Demigod, Varre moves to Liurnia, and sets up shop at this sick Blood Church. He tells you to invade people and ruin their evenings. He hypes up Mohg. After you do three invasions (even if you get your shit slapped) he gives you an item to teleport to Mohg's mausoleum...and it's this massive underground structure you saw like 15 hours ago in your playthru because you forgot about Varre until halfway through Leyndell. Mohg is there. He is everything you wanted.

Or you never talked to Varre or you killed him because he talked shit and called you a virgin. And instead you read about this secret child of Marika. And then you fight him and he's Morgott. THEN you read that he had a twin. And that twin is evil and rebelled against the Golden Order. But Gideon thinks he's a delusional freak. 10 hours later you get the Lord of Blood Exaltation talisman and upon reading the description you're like "who the fuck is this guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and start ripping out your hair. And then you unlock a secret area: the special unrevealed part of the map in the Snowfield that leads to the Haligtree of Miquella -- another character that's dripping from the lore, and who is closely related to this mysterious Mohg "The Lord of Blood" fellow. And while exploring the area you stumble upon this blood-soaked teleporter and you're like "no." And it teleports you to this bloody swamp area in the undergound and you're like "no." And then he's there, and you fight him and he does a little countdown halfway through the fight and you can't avoid it and it kills you. What?? And then a couple of hours later when you're trying to make sure you got everything for the final boss, you see a square on your map that you now know signifies a church. And you see one in the Altus Platau! And a blood-themed NPC invades you and you're like "no." And you get this crystal tear. And its description is as follows: Can be mixed in the Flask of Wonderous Physick. The resulting concoction purifies the curse from Mohg, Lord of Blood's terrifying rite of blood. Tell me, would you lose your mind? Would you flip the fuck out?

Or maybe neither of these apply, and you've just read about him here and there. And you go through the Leyndell sewer in search of forbidden knowledge. And then who else is there but fucking Mohg! You've heard your friends talk about him, you've heard him hyped up, and he's here and it seems fake. Your friends said he was in an underground area, this is a sewer. That feels different. You whip his ass and you get towards the Frenzied Flame and you're like "ok. but this isn't blood...it's crazy. who was that blood guy? why was he here?" And then you go back and look for info on him and soon enough you've also caught the brainrot and you have to hunt this guy down and kill him or else you might go insane.

If these sound off-puttingly specific, it's because they're all different ways that my friends who played Elden Ring experienced the buildup to Mohg. It's inescapable. And his bossfight -- I haven't even mentioned his bossfight -- it's insane. The way he gently talks to Miquella and then his voice changes to a gravelly malice when speaking to the tarnished. The way he fucking counts down in latin to zero before doing his phase 2 animation. He grows wings. He's gay. His moveset is dramatic and theatrical -- he looks like he's enjoying putting on a show for a stranger. He puts a curse on you. He's so lonely. His boss weapon is fucking sick even after being nerfed a billion times. His theme is excellent. He's weak to bleed, but either him or you bleeding in his presence gives him 20% extra damage! That fight mechanic is so fucking sick, and it plays into his characterization so fucking well! He has absolutely everything!

I dunno. I've never played Kingdom Hearts, but Mohg gives me the same sort of shock and awe a 10-year-old in 2002 might've felt fighting Sephiroth. Like, if you're never gonna play Elden Ring take like 30 minutes to watch Jerma's video on Mohg. His childlike wonder wonderfully communicates the slow buildup of Mohg Madness you get over like 80-90 hours of gameplay.

#elden ring #fromsoft #reallygreatposts #mohg #mohg lord of blood

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exactlycleverpirate · 7 months

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Love and Deepspace: The Story So Far Part 3

A summary of everything that has happened in the main story thus far. Obviously, spoilers below the cut.

See Part 1. Part 2. Part 4.

Day 6:

MC goes to visit Rafayel and finds him sleeping on the floor. He is surrounded by paintings with the word Lemuria written on them in small print. After waking him, she accompanies him to lunch. He claims the reason he is wanted by the N109 Zone is because he refused to paint a special painting for someone, someone that would lead to their heart's desire. MC asks if it's related to the illusion she saw in his other painting. Rafayel is surprised, asking what she saw, so she explains. He agrees that it's related, and that the paint used for that was special because it was from Lemuria and can cause dreams. He refuses to help MC get into N109 Zone, saying she would be like a lamb to slaughter. She prepares to leave but he stops her, saying they're being followed. They escape the Cafe and trap the man, learning he is a reporter investigating Rafayel's connection to Raymond's death. He died the night before, drowned in his bathtub after carving fish scales into his arms and legs. The painting he had bought from Rafayel had vanished. After threatening Joe the reporter, he tells him to look into who is trying to cover up Raymond's death. After they leave, they walk through a district with a holographic sea event, designed by Rafayel. MC notices an ad for Rafayel's art exhibit next month. Rafayel agrees that if MC helps him find replacement materials, he will help her establish herself as bait for Onychinus.

Day 7:

MC meets Rafayel at the docks of Whitesand Bay. They take a small rowboat, procured by Thomas, to Hat Island. MC tells Rafayel she came to Hat Island on a field trip over a decade ago. When they can't find anything with the Hunter Watch, Rafayel says that since the coral is from this water, she can resonate with it to try to call the Wanderer to them. He teaches her how to resonate with it, explaining that everything has its own unique frequency. MC resonates with the coral. After a moment's delay, a Wanderer appears. After defeating the Wanderer, Rafayel gives her the protocore. They find an injured kitten, and MC learns Rafayel is afraid of cats. The cat runs off and after they find it, they are confronted by a Deluge Wyrmlord. After they fight it, they get pulled into the ocean. Rafayel is interacting with a glowing ball under the water and tells MC to stay back. When she starts to drown, Rafayel turns to go, but she calls out to him and a mark on his chest glows. He remembers a pinkie promise from when they were children, where he promised he would chase her to the ends of the earth if she disappeared. Adult Rafayel goes back to save her, transforming into his Lemurian form, but MC is unconscious and unaware of this. He says this is her choice. Later, when MC wakes up on shore, they are sitting at a fire on the beach that Rafayel set up. The kitten returns and looks well. Rafayel shows her the protocore he retrieved and says he'll keep it. Instead, he gives MC an invitation to The Nest. Then a ship arrives to rescue them.

The radio announces that the planet detectable through the Deepspace Tunnel is dead. In a dark Linkon alley, someone confronts Xavier about Isaiah's death. The mystery person has turned into a monster and says it will eventually happen to Xavier too. The man says “only she can save us” and “that thing is with her”. Xavier says, “Until that day comes, no one should even think about getting close to her. The same goes for me.” Xavier calls the man a traitor. The man asks if Xavier has forgotten their home and says that Xavier is the traitor. Xavier kills him and the body dissolves. He picks up an item the dead man dropped and leaves. Xavier goes to The Nest, where the TV is talking about the dead planet. The bartender asks if Xavier will join Hunting Day. Xavier declines, saying he could be on the bounty list as well. The bartender hands him a black envelope. Xavier is being watched by 3 people. Just as Xavier begins to pull his sword, MC walks in. Xavier meets her and pulls her outside. Xavier takes her to Azure Square, where she asks if something happened, to which he says not yet. Xavier tells MC that Onychinus is holding a protocore auction to repay their debts to their “partners”. An Aether core will likely be on auction. MC realizes they are being spied on by patrol bots. She suggests that they are sent by those trying to capture Xavier. Xavier combines their Evol's to create a distraction and destroy the bots. Xavier takes MC to a flower shop named Philo that has been there longer than the locals can remember. It is run by Jeremiah, a friend of Xavier’s, who recognizes MC, but then acts as though they are meeting for the first time. Xavier says Jeremiah is not young anymore. Jeremiah helps her set up a fake identity to make herself good bait in the N109 Zone, someone who can negotiate with Onychinus.

Continue to Part 4.

#love and deepspace #rafayel love and deepspace #love and deepspace rafayel #rafayel #zayne love and deepspace #xavier love and deepspace #love and deepspace zayne #love and deepspace xavier #xavier #zayne

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ak-vintage · 6 months

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Quarry - Chapter 9 (Part 2)

Pairing: Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) x f!reader

Summary: Din Djarin is on what he expects to be his last bounty hunt for Greef Karga. After all, Nevarro is swiftly moving away from its previous reputation as a Guild member’s paradise, and Din has more important concerns now, like finding a Jedi to train his mysterious foundling. However, after capturing a wanted starship engineer who would rather go anywhere other than “home,” the Mandalorian is forced to reassess his priorities.

Your taste of freedom had been brief but glorious. Now you are a prisoner of the most infamous bounty hunter in the Outer Rim – it’s only a matter of time before he turns you in. There isn’t much you would not do to keep from being sent home, but as you find yourself growing closer to your captor and his strange little companion, you start to wonder whether escape is really what you want.

Set after Chapter 13: The Jedi but before Chapter 14: The Tragedy.

Chapter Tags & Warnings: 18+ MDNI! Reader is Mando's live-in starship engineer, second-person POV, no use of Y/N, minimal descriptors of reader character, unresolved sexual tension, pining, discussions of blasters, masturbation (f & m), praise kink, hand and finger kink, glove kink (sort of), competence kink

Series Masterlist | Read on AO3

The Match

“Have you ever fired a blaster?”

You frowned slightly at the question, squinting into the sun as you watched Mando arrange several of the items in question on the rocky slab before you. Though you were still on Trevi IV, the search for his latest quarry ongoing, he had brought you many miles outside the city, deep into the barren plains. It was safer, he said, for your first time handling a weapon.

The landscape was dusty, gravely, and sunbaked, dotted only occasionally with brittle shrubs and thin, twisted trees. The Razor Crest provided nominal shade, and you could already feel sweat beginning to trickle down your spine and pool in the small of your back. A part of you wondered whether perhaps there was a better time or place to do this, but when you had woken this morning, foggy-headed and dry-mouthed, your companion had seemingly decided that teaching you how to handle a firearm was at the top of his priority list.

“No, never,” you replied with a shake of your head.

The bounty hunter nodded slowly, almost absently, and began picking up each blaster pistol he had laid out one by one – examining the sights, testing the weight in his palm, pulling back the action to get a look at the power pack, the gas cartridge.

“How much do you know about them – their mechanics, their operation?” he asked.

You shrugged. “Only a little. Small tech has never really been my specialty.” You thought back to all those months ago, when you had considered attempting to disassemble your binder cuffs as a means of escape. “I could probably…tear one apart? Break it down into its components? But I’m not sure I could tell you what the pieces do,” you admitted.

The Mandalorian nodded again. “In my culture, weapons are an integral part of our religion,” he explained. “Children are given blasters as a rite of passage. We go through extensive training on blaster assembly, operation, maintenance, and safety, and we are expected to be highly proficient by our thirteenth birthday.”

As he spoke, he continued the slow, methodical examination of the pistols. Calmly, confidently, he handled each one, and though you weren’t entirely certain what he was assessing, you felt as though you could watch him do it as long as he wished. There was something reverent about it, and suddenly the connection to spirituality made sense.

“After we turn 13, we can begin training with other, more specialized weapons if we so choose, but you will never find a Mandalorian without a blaster as part of their personal arsenal,” he continued. “However, you are neither Mandalorian, nor are you training to become a warrior. As such, your training will have different goals.”

You raised your eyebrows at that, even as a ripple of relief passed through you. “Such as?”

Mando met your gaze finally, setting the last blaster back down on the slab. “First, safety. Most blasters have a ‘stun’ setting, which is what we will be using, but they can also be deadly weapons. In inexperienced hands, a blaster is far more dangerous to the wielder than the target.” He beckoned you forward with a flex of his orange-tipped fingers. “I’ll teach you how to properly handle a blaster – how to manage the different settings, how to carry it, hold it, store it. And I’ll teach you how to safely reload and how to keep it from overheating. Then, target practice,” he added. “We’ll start with large, stationary targets and, over time, introduce smaller, moving targets at greater distances.”

You studied the selection before you, a total of five different blaster pistols of varying sizes, materials, and configurations, and fresh nerves began to flutter in the pit of your stomach. Before you could allow them to take hold of you, however, the bounty hunter’s big, heavy hand came up to grip your arm, and your eyes snapped to his.

“I don’t expect you to be a perfect marksman,” he assured you, his voice softer and gentler then. “But I need to know that you are able to protect yourself. And the child. In time, I want to feel confident that if I’m away, the two of you would be just as safe out in the world as you would be inside the Razor Crest. You deserve to see the galaxy beyond the walls of a gunship. Both of you do.”

The space around your heart melted, settling your nerves and softening the tension in your muscles you hadn’t even realized you had been carrying. The Mandalorian was no less intimidating to you now than he was when you first met, but at least now you were secure in your belief that he was a good man under all that beskar.

So you nodded, and you squared your shoulders, meeting his visor with your gaze. “I understand. I’ll try my best.”

“Good,” he replied. He sounded pleased, almost proud. “Then let’s begin. We’ll start by seeing which of these best fits your body. Pick one to start with.”

The two of you spent the next several minutes evaluating each of the blasters Mando had selected for you, feeling their weight, ensuring that the grip was comfortable for the size of your hands. He had you extend each one as though to fire it so you could feel its balance, and any that you felt were too heavy or impossible to hold steady he set aside.

When you had finally managed to narrow down your options to two, as promised, he began the safety portion of his instruction. You watched carefully as he showed you how to turn the safety settings on and off on each and how to grip them with your finger off the trigger, only moving it into place when you were actually ready to fire. After demonstrating it himself, he made you practice while he watched – check the safety, pick up the blaster, flick off the safety, gently lay your index finger on the trigger, remove your finger, turn the safety back on, lay the blaster back down.

Only when he was satisfied with the confidence and fluidity of your movements did the Mandalorian move on to showing you how to reload. Open the action, release the spent gas cartridge, click the new cartridge into place, close the action.

Again, he demonstrated, once slowly with verbal explanations and then again faster and silently, and you couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the ease and grace of his leather-clad hands, the dexterity of his long, thick fingers. You recalled the sensation of those hands on your skin – caressing your neck, your jaw, your cheeks. The firm, assertive grip around your arm, the ghost of a touch on the insides of your wrists, the steadying press against the base of your spine in a crowd. Both soothing and inflaming, in equal measure.

You fumbled your way through your own demonstration with your face hot and your throat dry. So thoroughly distracted were you that he forced you to unload and reload both blasters more than ten times each, just to really drive the point home. Only when you complained that the tips of your fingers were starting to go numb did the bounty hunter finally allow you to take a break.

“Think you’re ready to try shooting one?” he asked after giving you a moment to shake out your hands.

You swallowed thickly, the quivering, burning sensation of lust suddenly replaced with nerves. Still, you nodded. You trusted him to keep you safe. And to withhold judgment if you ended up being a piss-poor shot.

Mando inclined his helmet in the direction of a craggy rock formation jutting up out of the dusty desert ground some 20 meters away. It was sizeable, about your height and twice as wide.

“You’re going to try to hit that rockface, as close to the center as you can manage,” he said. Pulling his own blaster out of its holster, he set his feet shoulder width apart and took aim. “Pay attention to how I’m holding my body. My arm is steady but not rigid, my shoulders are relaxed, my footing is firm, solid.”

His invitation had the lust rocketing back up to the surface again as you allowed your gaze to trace his form, silhouetted in gleaming beskar and dark fabric against the sun-washed landscape. Impossibly broad shoulders, long limbs. Thick thighs, strong arms, and his tattered black cape fluttering in the wind, every once in a while giving a glimpse of his perfectly shaped ass. You didn’t know when you had started noticing such things. All you knew was that now, it seemed impossible not to notice.

He oozed competence, and it was intoxicating.

The raspy modulation of his voice pulled you out of your musings, forcing you back into the moment. “We’ll get to shooting while on the move or from different positions eventually,” he said, lowering his blaster and slipping back into its holster. “Today, I just want you to get comfortable standing and stationary. Now, let’s see what you can do. Pick a blaster and give it a try.”

___

“Try again.”

You gritted your teeth and squinted against the relentless clouds of dust kicked up by your missed shots. You had missed so many at this point, you had begun to lose count. Sweat streaked down your back and your temples. It coated your palms, making your grip on the blaster evermore precarious. You could sense Mando losing his patience in the clipped tone of his encouragement, and it made you burn with embarrassment. Leveling the blaster once more in the direction of the rockface, you squeezed the trigger again.

A puff of dust erupted from the ground to the right of the rock formation, and you bit back a curse.

“Again,” Mando commanded, short and gruff.

A wave of bitter frustration rose in your chest, and you sighed heavily, pulling the trigger almost carelessly. That miss was worse, now several inches in front of the target.

A sound something like a growl crackled through the bounty hunter’s helmet modulator, and you heard him mutter something unintelligible in Mando’a before saying, “You’re getting further away.”

“Oh, thanks for that. I hadn’t noticed,” you replied cuttingly. You dropped your blaster arm for a moment, rolling your head on your shoulders in an attempt to release some tension. However, when you brought it back up to take aim once more, you caught sight of your companion’s arm shooting out toward you.

“Stop. Hold there,” he snapped, approaching from where he stood off to the side. “Pay attention to your stance, your grip. Does that feel like what I demonstrated?”

You groaned deeply, your head dropping back on your neck and your eyes sliding closed, almost as though in prayer. “I don’t know any more!”

“Yes, you do. Now pick your head up. What’s wrong with what you’re doing right now?”

“Damn it, Mando – !”

Suddenly, that firm, confident grip was back, his time on your shoulder. The Mandalorian had closed the distance between you, cupping the ball of your shoulder in his palm, his long fingers extending along your trapezius muscle, warming, soothing. “Relax,” he demanded, leaving no room for protest. “You’re getting frustrated, and it’s clouding the connection between your mind and your body. Now, breathe in with me, from your diaphragm. I don’t want to feel your shoulder move, understand?”

You swallowed and nodded stiffly.

“In,” Mando ordered, inhaling deeply. You allowed yourself to follow his lead, careful to breathe from your belly, feeling it expand against the heavy fabric of your new boilersuit. “Out.” You exhaled, sensing the slowing of your heartrate and the gradual dissolution of your aggravation.

He nodded once, seemingly pleased with your capitulation. “Good. Again. In…out.” You obeyed once more, and to your mild annoyance, you felt the last of your irritation evaporate on your exhale.

“Now tune in to your body. What’s out of place?”

Dropping his gaze, you turned your attention inward, sending it out into your limbs, your extremities. The warmth of Mando’s hand on your shoulder was a glowing beacon to your senses, comfortable, happy, content, but the rest…

“I…my knees,” you murmured, your voice breathy and distracted. “My knees are locked.”

Your companion nodded. “Good. Unlock them. A slight bend is safer and more sustainable, especially in this heat,” he said, matching the softness of your tone. The sound, the intimacy of it, made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. “What else?”

Immediately, you said, “My weight is uneven. I’m leaning more on my right leg than my left.” It was so obvious now that you were paying attention. You were wildly out of balance.

“Yes. Correct it.” You did so instantly, centering yourself completely over both feet. “Now tell me about your shoulders.”

Shifting slightly beneath his grip, you felt the ache in the taut muscle, the way your shoulders had somehow managed to creep up around your ears without your permission. “I’m…I’m tense,” you replied, feeling as though you were stating the obvious. Certainly he could feel how stiff you were.

“Why? What are you afraid of?”

Your eyebrows rose at the unexpected question. “I don’t know.” You thought of the way the blaster jumped back in your hands, small, easily absorbed, but always unexpected. The durasteel felt foreign, cold, and intimidating in your palm. “The recoil, maybe,” you mused. “The…blaster itself.”

You felt more than saw the Mandalorian tilt his helmet in acknowledgment. “Having some fear of a weapon is wise, healthy even. It will help prevent you from getting careless,” he conceded. “But a blaster is merely a tool. It is an extension of yourself. Allowing the fear to take hold will only make it more dangerous.”

You nodded, releasing a sigh. He was right, of course. You worked with tools every day that were just as dangerous as a blaster. Your fusion cutter had been nearly glued to your hip lately, and if you didn’t handle it the way you had been trained, it had just as much potential to harm you as the pistol in your hand. You needed to relax. Mando wouldn’t let anything hurt you.

As though he had read your thoughts, the man in question shifted to stand behind you then, bringing both of his hands up to your shoulders and slowly, purposefully lowering them back down to a more neutral position. You felt your heart rate increase at the touch, all while your rigid muscles warmed and relaxed. His palms were hot through his gloves. If you hadn’t already been sweating in the desert sun, the heavy stretch of his hands on your body would have been enough to start.

“Good,” Mando murmured, his rasping praise almost too soft to register to his vocoder. You felt a swooping, dropping sensation behind your navel at the sound, and it took all your strength to not allow your eyes to close, to not lean into his presence mere inches behind you. “Now, take aim at the rock again. Look down the barrel. The rock should sit directly on top of the sight.”

Clenching your jaw, you did as he said and adjusted your aim, raising your arm just enough so that the rock hovered, barely touching, on top of the sight at the end of the blaster pistol’s barrel.

“Are you ready?” he asked. His hands remained on your shoulders. They held you steady, kept you centered.

Swallowing thickly, you replied, “Yes.”

“Fire.”

You pulled the trigger, firm and quick, before you could lose your nerve...

And another explosion of dust burst from the ground to the right of the rock, choking the air around you.

“You’re holding your breath,” Mando accused.

You let your arm drop back down to your side, defeated, and loosed a colorful curse. “Well, how exactly am I supposed to hold my arm steady if I’m breathing?” you snipped. You could feel the tension bubbling back up in your limbs, in your neck. “I’m swaying all over the place, every time I breathe in!”

The bounty hunter’s hands slipped from your body then, and you glanced over your shoulder just in time to see him bring one up to his helmet, almost as though he was pressing on the bridge of his nose through the layers of beskar and padding. “Show me your stance,” he commanded once again.

You didn’t even attempt to repress your groan. “Mando – ” you started to whine.

But he didn’t allow you to continue. “Show. Me. Your. Stance.” If you didn’t know better, you would guess that he was speaking through his teeth. He was calm, but it was an effortful calm, as though he was now fighting back just as much impatience and frustration as you.

Feeling appropriately chastised, you reset your stance from the ground up – feet shoulder width apart and securely on the ground, knees slightly bent, hips centered, weight evenly distributed, spine straight and tall, arm extended, hand firm but not strangling around the blaster grip, the rock balanced gently on the top of the sights. Everything as it had been moments before.

When you had missed. Again.

“This time, when you’re getting ready to shoot, breathe in slowly, exhale, and then fire,” he instructed once you had settled back in.

You pulled a scowl at that. “What’s the difference between that and just holding my breath?”

The Mandalorian was quiet for a moment, the only sound the desert wind rustling through the sparse shrubs, the wiry trees. You dared a peek over the cap of your shoulder once more and found him standing with his hands on his hips, staring at the ground as though contemplating something carefully. You drew your lower lip between your teeth as you watched him, your confusion growing with the silence, but before you could ask him what was wrong, his gaze snapped back up to yours, and you swore you could feel his eyes on you even though you couldn’t see them through is visor.

“I’ll show you the difference,” he said, a note of finality in his modulated voice. He took one step toward you then another, and then suddenly it felt as though you had blinked and he had crossed the distance between you, sliding up behind your back, his left hand slipping around the front of your body to settle on your belly, his right hand wrapping around yours on the pistol grip.

A molten wave of heat flushed through your system at the contact, settling high in your cheeks and low in your abdomen, right under where his palm now spread – so gentle, so steady. You felt surrounded, swallowed by him. His presence loomed hardly an inch behind you, the warmth and the breadth and the power of him so close and yet not nearly close enough. Your knees felt watery, your spine prickling, begging to melt back into him, to mold yourself against the hard planes of his cuirass, his thigh armor.

“This all right?” Mando murmured, his deep baritone a hairsbreadth from your ear. You wondered whether he could feel you tremble at the sensation, whether he could sense how he was affecting you. Your brand-new panties were soaked now. Hot and slick, they clung to your lips inside your boilersuit.

Breathlessly, you replied, “Yes.” Because it was all right, you realized. He could touch you whenever he liked, however he liked, and you would welcome it. You knew that now.

“Then take aim,” he commanded, giving a light squeeze to your right hand where it gripped the blaster. You obeyed instantly, centering the target rock formation over the sight.

“Breathe in.” His abdomen expanded behind you, barely brushing your back, and you copied him unquestioningly. Your belly pressed into the palm of his hand.

“Out.” You exhaled slowly and evenly, and then, at the very bottom of your breath, you felt the pressure over your blaster hand increase. “Fire,” Mando ordered. Your index finger flexed smoothly, easily, and the blaster discharged once more.

Shards of sandy rock burst from the target as the bolt of energy finally collided with its face.

You let out a whoop of victory, nearly collapsing in relief. “Ha! I did it!” you shrieked, gesticulating wildly at the rock formation, pulling yourself out of Mando’s grip.

A chuckle rumbled through his vocoder, and he inclined his helmet in your direction, crossing his arms over his chest. “Kandosii, gotabor’ika. Well done.”

You felt yourself begin to laugh, too, as you swiped the back of your hand across your sweaty forehead. “I can’t believe I hit it.”

“Only just,” the bounty hunter corrected. “You’re still pulling down and to the right when you squeeze the trigger.”

Again, he was correct – the jagged scar from your blaster bolt was nowhere near the center of the rockface where you had meant to be aiming, but you refused to allow such details ruin the rush of your success. “Oh, come on, Mando, that’s the closest I’ve gotten all day! I actually hit the rock. Let me celebrate a little!”

His gaze on you felt warm even through his impassive helmet, as though you could sense a smile on his hidden face. “Of course. We have a way to go, but for your first day of training, you’ve done well. Perhaps we will make a marksman out of you yet,” he said wryly, and oh, you could have melted at the praise.

“Maybe you will,” you replied, the tip of your tongue touching the corner of your smile.

___

The Flame

“Damn it,” you swore softly to yourself as you wrestled with the zipper of your boilersuit. It occurred to you as you writhed and wriggled, working the heavy fabric down your body, that perhaps you hadn’t thought this through. The somewhat claustrophobic confines of the Razor Crest’s bunk alcove weren’t exactly an ideal place to try to disrobe, but when the opportunity for a bit of privacy had presented itself, you hadn’t had time to weigh your options.

The chance to relieve the molten hunger that had been building inside you all day was well worth a bruised elbow or a bump on the head here or there.

The distraction of your minor victory earlier hadn’t lasted long. As soon as the thrill of watching your blaster bolt hit its target for the first time faded, the longing had returned. The weight of the Mandalorian’s hands on your body, his heat wrapped around you like a cloak, his deep, rasping voice dropping praise in your ear… All of it had felt more appropriate to a late-night tryst than a shooting lesson, and your body had responded accordingly. You could hardly remember the last time you had taken someone into your bed, but you were certain that you had never wanted another person the way you had come to want him.

Thankfully, Mando had not made you continue to practice for much longer. You had been allowed to stop shooting all together, eliminating any excuse you may have had to prolong his physical contact. He simply asked you to repeat your demonstrations of the safety and reloading protocols he had taught you earlier, as a review. You had managed to wrangle your frayed concentration long enough to do so, but when he had met your efforts with a soft-spoken “very good, gotabor’ika,” you had been nearly desperate to excuse yourself.

You had feigned fatigue when he invited you to join him and Grogu in the cockpit for the flight back to Trevi City, claiming to need a nap after overexposure to the sun. He had inclined his helmet at you graciously, encouraging you to “take all the time you need.”

His boots had barely disappeared from the top rung of the ladder before you were ripping off your own, diving into the bunk, and hastily shutting the blast doors.

Now, with your boilersuit crumpled in a haphazard ball at the foot of the mattress, clad in nothing but a matching set of black cotton underclothes, you finally allowed your hand to slip down your body to the place that had been aching for attention. Your heart thundered in your ears, your breath loud in the confines of the bunk alcove as you gently, tentatively cupped your sex over your underwear. You smothered a moan in the bend of your other elbow at the delicate pressure. The fabric was hot and absolutely soaked, clinging to your form like a second skin.

Ultimately, Mando had barely touched you. Your shoulders, your hands, your belly. The suggestion of a breath on the back of your neck. If this was how you reacted to so little contact, what would it be like for him to truly touch you?

You felt that same tugging, swooping sensation behind your navel from earlier at the thought, and your pussy throbbed, clenching around nothing. Unable to resist for another moment, you softly, tentatively slid your fingers beneath the waistband of your panties and between your folds.

“Oh, fuck,” you sighed, swallowing heavily against another moan. Maker, it was good. Warm and slick and perfect, the friction of the pads of your fingers making you quake. Your clit was already swollen and sensitive. You could feel your nipples pebble and tighten under your breastband as your touch barely skimmed it, light and suggestive. Normally, you preferred to work yourself up a bit before you got down to it, but you could tell just from that first touch that this wasn’t the day for teasing.

You could feel your body melt into the bunk mattress as you began to play in earnest. Your knees falling apart to give your hand more room to move, your back arching in pleasure, your other hand dropping to grip and massage a breast. A whine slipped out from between your lips at that, and suddenly, it was as though it was Mando’s hand pulling down your breastband, Mando’s fingers teasing and plucking your nipples. It was Mando’s touch between your thighs, rapidly circling your clit, Mando’s fingers sliding down to your entrance, collecting more of your juices.

You wanted him inside you. You could feel your body grasping, thrusting into your own touch, begging for something to fill you up and give you something to bear down on. You whimpered loudly, no longer aware of your own volume enough to keep it in check. You couldn’t take it anymore, you had to –

Thunk.

The sound of something heavy dropping onto the metal deck plating sounded on the other side of the alcove doors. Mando had jumped down into the cargo hold.

Your hands froze, one still buried in your panties, the other gripping one of your breasts. The continued pressure, firm and stationary, was nearly unbearable, but you drew your lips between your teeth and bit down, willing yourself silent and still. Your heart was racing, and you could feel sweat gathering at your temples, in the small of your back, behind your knees. Wordlessly, you prayed to every deity you had ever heard of for him to leave. You were too pent up to have to stop now.

However, your prayers were not to be answered.

You heard the metallic hiss of the ‘fresher door sliding open and closed again, followed by the groan of the shower turning on.

He was taking a shower. Right on the other side of the thin panel of durasteel that made up the alcove wall.

…if you were going to finish, you were going to need to be absolutely silent.

Without allowing yourself to consider it further, you rolled over onto your front, wrapping one of your arms around the thin, threadbare pillow and burying your face in it. Trapping your other hand between your body and the mattress, you slowly, gently slipped your middle and ring fingers inside your pussy.

You moaned into the pillow at the stretch, tight and hot and absolutely dripping. Maker, Mando was so close to you – just on the other side of the wall, likely stripped naked like you were, standing under the steaming rush of the showerhead. Faceless, as he always was in your mind, but with the golden tanned skin you had seen but once, water streaming down his muscled shoulders, his broad, masculine chest, his soft stomach. You thrust your hips into the mattress at the thought, mindlessly fucking yourself on your fingers, grinding your swollen clit into the heel of your palm.

You weren’t going to last much longer. Having the object of your fantasies so close seemed to have sparked an urgency in you, the thought of him perhaps hearing your whimpers and moans so desperately smothered into the pillow lighting your nerves on fire. Your clit pulsed against your hand; your walls clenched around your fingers. Your hips circled and bucked of their own accord, chasing your release. It was too much, all of it was too much. You were going to come –

And then you heard it.

A soft, low groan, muffled against the wall of the ‘fresher. Purely male. Unmodulated. Unmistakable.

“Oh, fuck,” you sighed, feeling your pussy leaking onto your palm, onto the mattress. He was touching himself, too.

You couldn’t have held back your orgasm in that moment if you had tried. You shoved your face deep into the pillow as your pleasure ripped through your body. You could feel yourself drooling into the fabric, your mouth hanging open in a silent cry, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. The smell of Mando’s soap, woven into the seams of the mattress, seeped into your senses and drew out your trembling.

By the time the last of the aftershocks had passed over you, your breast band hung loose around your waist, much of your hair had escaped from your braid to stick to your sweating forehead, and your underwear had become so twisted and wet that they were now startlingly uncomfortable. Drawing out your hand, dripping and sticky, you barely managed to shove them down your legs to join your boilersuit before you drifted off to sleep.

#din djarin #the mandalorian #din djarin x reader #din djarin x you #din djarin x f!reader #din djarin fanfiction #the mandalorian fanfiction #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal characters fanfiction

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orion4ever · 11 months

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Hello! This is my first time requesting something (like ever), so please forgive me if I did something wrong :)

Could I request a step 1 Qiu x MC where MC is super interested in ghosts/paranormal things/haunted dolls, and is considered offputting/scary because of it (when in reality they're a total sweetheart)? Scenario/prompt is up to you! If it's not too specific to add on, MC could be super shy/only really open to him and Tamarack.

Thank you, and have a good day/night! ♡

Author’s note: Hi, Thank you for requesting! The step 2 stuff is being delayed rn so It's good that I have a step 1 request rn! I don’t like keeping people waiting! This is a short scenario! Hope you like it!

Pairing: Step 1! Qiu Lin x Paranormal Fanatic MC

It was a week before Halloween, MC and Qiu were standing around Mrs. Murray’s room after school and talking about anything new, Qiu told MC about a sticker his dad bought for him and how he decided to put it on his bike helmet.

“It's super cool , it's a black cat with galaxy sunglasses!” he described, his finger drawing a cat shape in the air to further elaborate to his friend.

“That's nice of your dad to get it for you, You have to show it to me later.” MC replied, earnestly. Earning a bright smile from the young boy.

“I will , I can promise that!…What about you? Anything interesting you wanna show?” Qiu asked , curious.

Qiu and Tamarack were aware of MC’s interest in the scary and paranormal. With permission from both of them , MC had showed them lots of interesting little wonders that they had acquired: tiny bones you found in woods, ghost stories your mom bought etc.

MC showed some of their other classmates these trinkets sometimes too, but they would get scared and find the peculiar child off-putting or a little scary; wondering why you would even suggest playing Ouija board for indoor recess instead of coloring in a cute character or playing heads up seven up.

“Oh, uh! I do! Can I show you..?” MC asked , already slowly itching their little hand towards the zipper of her bag.

“Go ahead!”

MC dug both hands into their bag, using their knee to hold the bag high enough to retrieve this mystery item. The child pulled out a raggedy old doll, its once presumed brunette hair was tangled and covered in a mix of twigs and dirt, it had on an old style dress and a big bow on top of its head.

The first thing Qiu notes in his head is the singular shiny blue glass doll eye, the other eye is missing.

“I found this doll under a tree, I really hope it’s haunted” MC said with excitement , cradling the doll like if they shook it wrong it would curse their entire family for eternity.

“Pfft, why would you want it to be haunted?” Qiu asked with a bemused smile on his face, he didn’t ask to be judgemental; just curious.

MC shrugs. “I think it be cool.. , maybe the ghost could be somebody funl.” They answered with a small shy smile.

“Fair” Qiu replied. Qiu Lin wasn’t easily deterred and he enjoyed how passionate MC was about the paranormal and all the weird things that come with it,

“Hey! I have an idea, So there is this house up the hill, a few blocks away from Baxter’s house that is completely abandoned. It has families of spiders living in it!” He paused for a moment to gauge MC’s star-struck expression before continuing.

“Why don’t You, me, and Tamarack go and explore it? Show your new doll the house you know?”

MC answered. “Yeah, uhm maybe I can take my ghost-hunting kit and everything.”

“That would be smart, Never know when a ghost might decide they wanna eat us!” Qiu joked.

“…I don’t think ghosts can eat?”

#our life now and forever #fanfic #olnf qiu #olnf #gb patch #olnf mc #qiu lin #orion4ever #orion scenario #qiu lin x reader #qiu lin x mc #request are open

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spoilmesweetieforficssake · 1 year

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This Is Kinda Nice Too (2)

So I know I have requests to be working on - and I am - every request I currently have has a plan sketched out for it, I just need time to get them all written up.

In the meantime, however, I couldn't get this little idea to continue a previous request out of my head, so here it is. Part three may or may not make its way into being.

Can be read alone, but best read as as the follow up to the below (also if these inserted links look odd I'm sorry but it's the only way I know how atm)

You’re not a morning person at the best of times, and a night on a lumpy, creaky camp bed certainly hasn’t changed that. You studiously ignore Janine’s chirpy ‘good morning’, making a mental note to apologise later once you’ve been properly caffeinated.

Speaking of which, there seems to be a distinct lack of a fire going and so currently no boiling water to make the dream of a cup of tea into reality. Not bothering to ask for help or wait for anyone else, you move as quickly as you ever do in the morning to set a new fire going.

You’re making decent progress when a gentle hand lands on your shoulder and a steaming cup of tea is brought into your line of vision. The rumours really were true when they said Barb was a Saint.

“How?”

“There’s an electrical outlet in the little cabin I’m in,” she smiled, settling herself on one of the camp chairs closest to the fire, hands cradled round her own cup of coffee. “I called ahead to check and packed a little travel kettle.”

“If you weren’t already married I’d be proposing right now,” you tell her as you take your first sip of tea. It’s perfect. It’s too perfect. It’s your exact morning tea precisely how you take it. Barbara Howard has never made you a cup of tea in your life. You frown as you lower your cup, meeting Barb’s knowing smile.

“Melissa made it,” she offers by way of an explanation.

You’re not quite sure what to think about that, but it makes you smile. A few moments later the mysterious red head herself appears out of Barb’s tiny cabin, her own mug of coffee in hand. The Kindergarten teacher had the only ‘cabin’, after trying to get out of the trip saying she was too old for camping. Cabin was perhaps a strong word for the small wooden hut, but it did at least boast running water and electricity. The smaller wooden camping pods laid out around it weren’t quite so luxurious, but they were at least wind and watertight.

“I hate to say it, but I think I might be too old to sleep on a camp bed,” groans Melissa as she stretches.

You chuckle. “I don’t think anyone is young enough to get a decent night’s sleep on those beds if yours is anything like mine.”

“Ava, this is not breakfast,” Melissa says flatly as she looks dubiously at the small packet she has been handed by the Principal.

“Of course it is,” the younger woman snaps back. “It says ‘breakfast bar’ right there on the front. Besides, gotta have portable snacks so we can get our scavenger hunt on!”

This gets a collective groan from the group. Ava ignores this and proceeds to fetch a folder.

“Okay, now everyone come get a sheet and take a pencil. The pencils have numbers on them that’ll tell y’all who you’re paired up with. Now remember, it’s not just about collecting all the items on the list, it’s about getting to the end point in the quickest time.”

You end up with Barb and Jacob. Could be better, could be worse, you figure. You look over to see Janine with a look of genuine worry on her features as she looks from her numbered pencil to Melissa, who’s eyebrows are hiked impressively high on her forehead. There might be one less member of your little Abbott family around the campfire tonight if her murderous expression is anything to go by.

Barb, ever the peacekeeper moves forward. You expect her to offer to swap with Janine, so what she says next comes as a surprise.

“Oh Janine, I was hoping you’d end up in my little group. I thought it would give us time to talk. We haven’t had a chance of late with school being so busy,” says Barb. She moves to take your pencil from your hand. “You wouldn’t mind swapping, would you?”

“Course not,” you say, because really, what else are you meant to say? You move to stand next to Melissa, who is now shooting an odd look on Barb’s direction. “I can swap with Barb if you want?”

“What? No!” she quickly reassures you. “I was just wondering if she’d actually lost her mind volunteering to take those two.”

“Oh come on, they’re not that bad,” you reply, admittedly rather half-heartedly.

“You really wanna swap with Barb?” she asks, eyebrow raised.

“Hell no!” comes your immediately reply. “I definitely got the better deal one this one.”

“There’s a shortcut coming up.”

Melissa frowns, looking at the map Ava had provided. She turned it to and fro, not sure where you were seeing any shortcut.

“It’s not on Ava’s map,” you add, coming to stand next to her. You point to where the marked path takes a long, meandering loop. “It’s just here. It leaves the path and cuts out that big loop. It’s a bit steeper, but-“

“You saying I’m too old to take the short cut?”

Your eyes go wide at her words and you immediately start to back track. “That’s not what I said! I said it was a little steeper, that was all!”

She chuckles. “I was just messin’ with ya, kid. So, this shortcut takes some time off, huh?”

“Should do,” you nod. “I only know it’s there because when I first came here it was after seeing pictures on Instagram of the view from the top. There were hints about making the hike quicker in the comments.”

“You think it gives us a shot at beating Ava?” Melissa smirks. The Principal had practically dragged Gregory off at a run at the start of the scavenger hunt.

“It just might,” you grin right back.

“Then I say lets go.”

“Shit!”

“What? What happened, are you okay?” you ask, quickly turning around to inspect the red head.

She waves off your concern with a hand. “I forgot about the list of crap we’re meant to find.”

“Oh that? Don’t worry about that. I found half the things we needed before we even left camp this morning.” You take the list out of your pocket. “We just need a feather, a Y shaped twig and a heart shaped rock.”

Melissa shakes her head, looking at you with a fond smile. “You got this all under control, huh?”

You hope the blush that creeps up your cheeks can be passed off as the exertion of your hike. You’re helpless under her soft gaze. “Didn’t think you’d let me live it down if we came last.”

Her smile turns positively wicked. “You know me well,” she says as she starts the uphill climb once more, treating you to a rather glorious view of her rear. You’re quick to chastise yourself for your blatant staring and fall into step behind her.

“Oh, wow.”

You look up at the softly uttered words to see that Melissa has reached the viewpoint ahead of you. She has a soft smile tugging at the edges of her lips as she takes in the view. You remember feeling the same sense of wonder the first time you saw the landscape falling away before you. Like you were on top of the world.

Abandoning your search for a heart shape stone, you force your legs to take the final few steps to bring you level with the red head. You take a moment to breathe, looking over the expanse of green below you before turning to look at the other woman. Her cheeks are flushed from the effort of the hike, her hair in windswept waves around her face. She looks beautiful. She always does, to you.

She turns to look at you and you immediately duck your head, aware you’ve been blatantly caught staring. That’s when you see it, right in front of your boot. A heart shaped stone. Bending to pick it up, you hold it out to her. “Looks like we ticked off our list.”

“And made it to the top first,” she grins smugly. She proceeds to open the small rucksack she had been toting, shaking out a picnic blanket before producing a bottle of wine. “A little drink to celebrate?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so relaxed.”

You open your eyes, turning your head to look up to where she sits next to you on the blanket. “I tend to be more relaxed when I’m away from things…people,” you finally reply.

“I’m not people?” she asks, her tone more curious than accusatory.

You pull yourself up until you’re sitting next to her, your knees drawn up to your chest as you look out over the view. It’s easier to talk when you’re not looking at her. “You’re different.” You get nervous around Melissa, yes, but it’s not the same anxiety you feel around others. “You don’t make me feel self-conscious about being me.”

“You know something, kid?” she breathes. “I think that’s one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me.”

You feel an arm slip around your shoulders, pulling you into her side. This is why you fell in love with her, you realise. This acceptance of your quirks, your anxieties and your oddities without question. You’ve never even had to explain them to her. She just gets you.

You’re not quite sure you can recall when it started, her understanding, you falling for her, but there is one night that stands out in your mind. Ava had organised staff drinks. It was a bar you’d never been too and it was busy and loud. It had taken having a quiet word with yourself to even make it in the door. Standing barely two steps inside, you had scanned the room, looking for a friendly face, your anxiety rising when you couldn’t find one. It was stupid, you knew, to think that anyone thought you looked out of place for simply taking a moment to stand and search for your friends, but you couldn’t shake the feeling.

It was then that you heard a familiar voice and saw Melissa cutting through the crowd towards you. Her hand found your own, and she offered you a smile before leading you through the busy room to where your Abbott family were gathered. It had been a good night, but as usual, you had struggled to find a way to leave. You knew you were an adult who could leave whenever they wanted, but somehow, you always seem to end up the last to leave out of some misplaced notion of it being more polite than leaving before the night was over.

Melissa had given you an out, seeing you were flagging and offering you a lift with her and Barb. She was forever giving you an out, it felt like. And yet she never made it feel like a burden. You shift until you can lean your head on her shoulder, in almost a reverse of the night before.

“How the hell you beat us?”

You both jump at the sound of Ava’s voice behind you, turning to face her.

“We practically speed walked!” she shouts, dumping a bag beside you clearly containing the contents of the scavenger hunt list. “Ya’ll must have cheated!”

“How?” Melisa questions. “We all left at the same time. You saw us. If I remember rightly, you practically took off like a sprinter out the blocks!”

Gregory appears behind Ava, looking slightly winded. He looks just as surprised to see you as she had. “How the?”

“Skills,” smirks Melissa. “Some of us just have them.”

You jerk awake at the creek of the door of your little hut, squinting in the dark.

“It’s just me,” comes the hiss of a whisper.

Melissa.

“Scooch over.”

“To where?” you grumble, acquiescing all the same, and moving as far to the edge of the small camp bed as you can without falling off. The frame squeaks in protest as the red head joins you on the too small bed. You huff as she manhandles you into a comfortable position, her arm around your waist and her head on your shoulder.

“First you call me old, now you call me fat!” she chuckles as she shimmies in an attempt to get more comfortable.

“Did not!” is all you can manage. “You know I wouldn’t.” You feel her smile against your neck. Yes, the line has definitely been crossed. By both of you. Baby steps to many, it may seem, but giant leaps for awkward lesbian-kind.

“I know I’m just teasing,” she says quietly.

You hum in reply. “One of your many skills.”

“You like it.”

“I like you,” you say quietly, too sleepy to worry too much about your words.

As your eyes drift closed, you feel her lips smile against your skin. “I like you too. This is kinda nice, too.”

#melissa schemmenti x reader #melissa schemmenti

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