#queerplatonic one shot

[abyssalmermaiden]

I'm sorry I couldn't love you enough

[rat-rosemary]

I was going to scream about how I can't read fics with antagonistic Dream anymore because his character is just so badly written and once but then I started thinking about an au where Dream is an actual interesting character and I've come up with two Tommy-centric hero aus

Vigilante Tommy gets in a fight with hero Dream while on a patrol, asks about Dream's ring in an attempt to distract him. Dream, who loves his fiances so much and will absolutely take any chance to talk about them is stoked to stop the fight to show off his minecraft themed engagement ring and tell Tommy (and Tubbo, who demands to be put on speaker so he can ask Dream about where he got the ring) all about his soon to be husbands (The bench trio ends up getting invited to Dream's wedding, Tommy very proudly being the flower boy) (Featuring: Queer platonic bench trio and Tommy being a menace on the internet)

And a second, much angstier au

Standard vigilante Tommy villain sbi found family, heroes Sapnap and George being the main antagonists. They target the syndicate and anyone related to them in any way, fighting them in a harsh and brutal way that makes it clear they're "shooting" to kill. The two of them used to be in a trio with the hero DayDream, being know as a trio that was actually pretty good at descalation and taking down villains without too much damage to the villain or the space they're fighting in. That is, until DayDream suddenly stopped appearing publicly almost a month ago, George's and Sapnap's behavior changing completely since then. The reason why is a mystery to Tommy until later, when he meets Dream and discovers that the reason George and Sapnap are like this now is because Dream got badly injured when he intercepted a test biologic bomb Villain!Wilbur had thrown at a group of civilians on an attack almost a month ago, and he has been getting sicker and sicker since then, with their only hope of restoring his health being figuring out what the fuck was on that bomb. But even still, he might never recover.

[happy-snake-noises]

Smoke and Mirrors

Fandom - Harry Potter (but can honestly be read as an original work)

Characters - honestly was supposed to be Regulus Black and an OC but names aren't mentioned so it could be anyone

Additional notes - Aromantic Original Character, Short drabble, honestly just clearing out my WIPs, Smoking, Like mildly sexual lol, absolutely no beta, we die like Reggie

Smoke curled from the ashtray, sat in the middle of the rusty garden table, sat on the balcony, during a cold, grey night under the London sky. Occasionally, patches cleared up in the sky, revealing the inky blackness above. And if he was really lucky, he could see the dying remains of the constellations above, now nothing more than pathetic dots in the sky.

Smoke snaked upwards from her fingers, floated upwards from the burning end of the cigarette in her grasp, held elegantly, yet carelessly, nonchalantly between the knuckles of her major and index. She lounged, head thrown backwards, and her legs propped up on the empty chair in front of her. With every inhale, her chest rose, before stilling, then descended again – and then repeat. She knew his eyes were on her – she didn’t stop him.

Smoke poured out her mouth, cascaded from her parted lips, still red and swollen from endeavours only a few minutes prior. The ring that sat upon her bottom lip pushed against it ever so slightly as she pursed her lips to blow rings of smoke. A silent laugh left her, her shoulders shook and her legs pressed together. She brought the cigarette back up to her lips, dragging on it almost softly, before resting her arm against his thigh again. He recognised that gleam in her eye before she even need utter words. He leant towards her, hand on her neck, pulling himself closer until his lips brushed her.

Smoke flowed out of her mouth, out of her lungs, right into his. He breathed it in, like a drowning man would oxygen. He held her close, even as she began to inhale shakily, afraid that if he’d let her go, he’d crumble to dust.

He blindly reached out to stub out his fag in the tray, then reached to cup her face. The kiss was slow and gentle and tender. It wasn’t heated or passionate, or hasty in any way – there was nowhere to be, no end goal. It was a simple kiss. A simple kiss that meant so many words to him, but could be epitomised by three.

“I love you.”

He felt the tears trace along his fingers on her cheek before he felt the trembling exhale against his mouth. Her mismatched eyes blurred behind a veil of tears, turning to molten gold and burning forest in the glow of the street lights. The filter of her cigarette gave a soft crunch as her hand balled into a fist. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but she didn’t utter a word.

“You don’t have to say it back.” New tears rolled down her face as her eyelids fluttered closed and she leant into his touch. A sigh left her lips before she opened them again.

“But I do.” She rested her lips against his in an almost chaste manner. “I do too.”

“It’s alright.” He brushed away her tears, and smiled. “I know you do.”

-

Hope you enjoyed this small piece -Rem

[finch1pinch]

i really enjoy getting into a new bit of media and just hitting all the characters with my queerification beam its great

[otaku6337]

Heavy Bones, Soft Heart, And The Hands That Support Him Through It All

(A soft, if slightly bittersweet, take on Shouta having chronic fatigue because I lowkey really hc this!! Also QPP MidEraserMic because why not~)

"Morning, Shou."  He grunts back at the blond, not unkind but just unable to fathom having to put together actual syllables today, helplessly leaning into the forehead kiss that Hizashi leans down to brush against his temple, gentle and fond and enough to lighten Shouta's heart even it can't do anything for his physical weight.

"You two are so adorable," Nemuri coos, teasing with that edge of fond beneath it all that is impossible to miss, at least for the two people who know her best in the world.

Shouta is beyond exhausted, honestly, but at least he has his partners to support him through it all.

[chaoticmultifandom28]

While I have a soft spot for queerplatonic!zolu, I love all forms of Zolu. They are soulmates, your honor. Give me all the Zolu out there. Also people need to write more Zolu fanfics and not just one shots. Give me a long slow burn Zolu with angst and fluff. Give me a chatfic with Zolu. Give me a timetravel fix it with Zolu (where they save ace). Just give me soulmate au Zolu where they don’t realize they are soulmates but everyone else realizes it. Give me all the Zolu. Enemies to lovers Zolu, forbidden romance Zolu, Romeo and Juliet Zolu (but they don’t die in the end because fuck that)

[orangeocelotmartyn]

Martyn: I just find the topic of, y'know, um-- sort of attraction, and everything like that all just super interesting. cause everyone just has such a different human experience. That's just the beauty of the world, isn't it? That we all have such different experiences and takes on things. (to himself) Bullocks, every time--But yeah, that label sounds as though it's kinda ticking all your boxes there. It's pretty cool! (to himself) there we are, nice.

(Bit noise)

Martyn: (to himself) ooh boy--I was never gonna get that in one shot, was I?

Text to speech voice: Queerplatonic relationships, yum

Martyn: that almost sounds like mine and Scott's dynamic, to be honest. Queerplatonic relationship.

[maochira]

Hi! I loved your cuddling hc’s, could you do a one shot based off the kaiser hc where reader greets him at the door with hugs whenever he comes home and one day he says he doesn’t like it so they stop, but eventually he misses them and has to confess that he actually really enjoys hugs and cuddling. Hope that made sense, thank you :))

Hi, thank you very much! Although, oneshots can't be requested (please check my request rules for that) but I got carried away here so instead of a drabble like I intended, it's an almost oneshot.

Masterlist - (new) taglist sign-up

Tags: gn!reader x Michael Kaiser, can be seen as romantic, queerplatonic or platonic (your choice). Kaiser and reader live together

Kaiser never liked to admit how much he enjoys the ways you express physical affection, but he's always been especially stubborn regarding your hugs and even cuddles. You always thought he enjoyed it - which is true - until the day when he suddenly snapped and told you to stop greeting him with your hugs. That made you insecure and led to you stop showing physical affection in general.

At first, it was only physical affection, but your insecurities only got worse until you stopped showing affection in general. The fear of being a bother to Kaiser was too bad.

Secretly, Kaiser always loved your hugs, and now he's starting to miss them. A lot. He doesn't even remember properly what led him to tell you to stop. He only vaguely remembers being in a bad mood that day, but he still doesn't fully know why in that moment, he felt the need to tell you to stop entirely.

But it's Kaiser, so even now, weeks later, he's too stubborn to admit it was a mistake. And he's even more stubborn about telling you he genuinely enjoys your physical affection.

What finally makes him give in is you not standing at the door to greet him. At first, he thinks you're either asleep or not at home, but then he finds you in the living room not minding the fact that he - who's your favourite person - is back at home.

For a moment, Kaiser stands in the middle of the room and looks at you without saying a word. He then sighs and opens his arms. "Come here, give me a hug."

"I thought you hated my hugs." You respond, slightly upset.

"...I don't. Now come here."

"No."

Kaiser is getting frustrated, so he turns around and is about to leave the room, but is stopped when you change your mind and run towards him for a hug.

Kaiser chuckles and quickly wraps his arms around you. "Changed your mind?"

"I should be the one asking you that question." Your voice sounds slightly muffled from burying your face into Kaiser's shoulder.

"...Whatever." Kaiser mumbles and tightens his embrace.

Both of you refuse to let go of the hug, so you stay in each other's arms for minutes without any of you saying a word. At least until Kaiser speaks up again.

"I'm sorry, by the way. I like your hugs. And I miss cuddling with you as well."

[autistic-robin]

more dynamics i need to see in st5 for my mental wellbeing

1. el and dustin. that’s it send post. they were genuinely so sweet in season 1 and i miss their mad scientist/test subject vibe immensely. i know el and lucas are going to be paired up this season because of their shared connection (polyamory) to max, but i would love to see more scenes between dustin and el— maybe some lighthearted bonding over their matching leg injuries or daddy issues.

2. mike and robin. i don’t think you understand i need this like i need air. will has already had his gay awakening he doesn’t need a queer life coach!! mike on the other hand is out here in the TRENCHES. this man is down critically horrendously morifyingly BAD for will but is convinced el needs him and that will could never reciprocate his feelings. he needs robin’s gay intuition and advice if anyone does.

3. steve and jonathan. HELLO??? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HELLO???? i know this is pretty much guaranteed to happen in st5 because full-circle character development and hammering in themes and blah blah blah but i’m still gonna talk about it because listen. steve got his shit rocked by jonathan one (1) time and immediately decided “fuck my idiot friends” developed a moral conscience and SHOWED UP AT HIS HOUSE to apologize. he wasn’t there for nancy he had no idea nancy was there!!! he bought jonathan a new camera!!! he was so respectful of nancy and jon even when nancy dumped his ass a season later!!! yet we never get closure between him and jonathan or even a conversation and i’m PISSED about it. matt and ross duffer rectify this or else.

4. hopper and jonathan and will. you see the vision. these kids have never had a stable father figure who truly understands them (i love bob but he was only there for st2 and was sweet but naive) and everything they’ve been through. jonathan DESPERATELY needs to be de-parentified and released from the emotional burden of constantly putting will and joyce before his own needs and dreams, and hopper desperately needs to feel like he can protect his family instead of “cursing” them. will needs a loving father figure who supports his queer identity, and hopper only had a fire lit under him in s1 when joyce mentioned it could have been a hate crime. this is like textbook recipe for healing and closure for these characters.

5. joyce and karen? i just think it would be neat. we know karen’s getting more involved this season and i think she should get to be a little gay for joyce as a treat. we had crumbs of their dynamic in s1 and on a more sincere note i honestly think joyce could help give karen the courage to leave ted or demand better from him moving forward.

6. nancy and mike. if they don’t have a genuine conversation i’ll actually be fuming raging pulling my hair out. i get it i get that they’re both emotionally repressed but GOD i wish we had more moments with them talking about their trauma or empathizing with each other’s survivor’s guilt and crippling savior complexes. all the “max and mike are the same character in a different font” business is very valid and i agree madwheeler is like ten shots of espresso injected directly into the bloodstream HOWEVER, nancy and mike’s traumas and emotional issues are so so similar please let them talk about it!!!!

7. steve and robin???? please for the love of god????? literally what the fuck was happening in s4 they were NOT given enough screentime together. not cool. i want them BACK on their queerplatonic bullshit in s5, fully codependent disgustingly clingy like god intended.

8. jonathan and el. i just want them to be siblings together!!! we got a lot of willel sibling vibes in s4 and some sweet jon-and-will moments, but i would love for them to delve into jonathan and el’s dynamic. this girl is a big reason why will was saved in s1 and we just… never really see the byerses address that? jonathan has a lottt of self-blaming tendencies when it comes to will and i’d love for el to help remind him he isn’t responsible for protecting and saving his brother all the time. conversely, i’d love for jonathan to remind el that she’s just a kid and that the weight of the world shouldn’t be on her shoulders. they’re both really soft-spoken and sweet characters with hard veneers and i feel like they’d pair well together for more emotional scenes.

9. literally the entire byers-hopper family they are the heart and soul of the show and i will never forgive the duffer brothers for losing that in s3-4 in favor of expanding the scope of the story. i miss them.

10. steve and el. i would maim and kill for this dynamic actually. both of them are involved in love triangles and have arcs centered around independency and platonic/found familial love, and steve has his whole mom-of-the-group shtick that could be really endearing paired with el’s plucky weird-little-girl vibe. idk i just think they would be a cute team, maybe paired with dustin or lucas.

11. stoncy and robin. literally give me this team or give me death. i miss stoncy’s iconic end-of-season-1 monster-hunting trio dynamic SO MUCH i would give anything for them to go on a sidequest and really just hash it all out with each other. and robin could offer steve moral support and comic relief— while we’re on the subject i would also kill to see her and jonathan interact!! like they are so similar in that brooding-noncomformist way and i feel like they would either immediately gravitate toward each other based on values OR immediately clash due to their personality differences. jonathan is all quiet and avoidant and robin can be… A Lot (said with love) when she’s not masking like s3. i just think they’d be funny together.

12. this is devolving quickly so scott clarke and the party. no i will not elaborate. thank you for your time

[sflow-er]

S2 Walty snippets series [complete]

With the final season of Young Royals almost upon us, I've been taking stock of my fics and decided to scrap the second chapter to Like you better. There is always a chance of me returning to it someday, but I don't think it really brings anything new to the fic.

That means my little series of S2-compliant Walty fics is complete, and since I never made a proper series post, here's some shameless self-promo (ft. comment quotes):

Sflow's S2 Walty snippets

S2-compliant Henry or Walty fics. The first two are consistent with each other, the last one is separate. Any of them can easily be read as a standalone. Henry is ace as always in my fics, but the depiction of his asexuality and the nature of his relationship to Walter varies.

Bright ideas: ~5k, T, platonic Walty "I love how no matter how short this little one-shot is, it still has a complete narrative structure (--) I giggled from start to finish"

Henry's motivation for rowing has been on a downward spiral all winter. He gets a little lost inside his head trying to avoid punishment for being late, until Walter tells him to get home for something exciting. Cue an awkward walk-by when Wilmon are trying to have an important talk, some related thoughts, a discussion with Walter, and an invitation for Wille to join some ridiculous shenanigans.

OR: A missing moment/scene expansion for s2ep2 (written for YR week 2023) that shows us what Henry was up to before, during and after the locker room scene. My attempt at crack.

Like you better: ~2k, T, queerplatonic OR romantic Walty "I didn't know I needed queerplatonic fanfics that much. It makes me so happy!"

After the masquerade ball, Walter comes home to Henry, who is newly recovered from a migraine attack. A bit of talk about girls, their friendship, and Henry's recent revelation of his asexuality ensues. Along with some cuddles.

OR: A super fluffy missing moment between Walty at the end of s2ep4. Can be read as either queerplatonic or romantic, your choice!

Last chance: ~7k, T, romantic Walty Not consistent with the other parts of the series! "beautifully crafted (--) second chapter was amazing and gentle and like being hugged through my phone screen"

As Henry and Walter's friendship takes a romantic turn, Henry decides to take the last chance to come out to his best friend before everything changes.

OR: A first kiss + coming out/ace talk + getting together fic set after S2 (written for Ace Awareness Week 2023). Contains discussion of past acephobia, previous sexual experience (not very specific), and aversions (French kissing specifically mentioned, the rest are up to the reader's interpretation). A more sex-favourable take on ace Henry than my other fics (sex doesn't happen in the fic, though). Also, Walter is explicitly gay in this one.

[hollersparrow]

just some 9-1-1 headcanons/plot bunnies

so i've kinda gone on a 9-1-1 deep dive that started out casual and rapidly turned into an obsession. a few things to note, i definitely think that buck and eddie have something (whether it's romantic or queerplatonic is up for grabs but there's something beyond friendship there and no one can convince me otherwise) and i am a strong subscriber to any tropes that strongly encourage found family/families so...make of that what you will

anyway, after binging all of the available episodes, i have several headcanons that i want to put out there (for some reason a lot of them are from season 5???)

ana realizing that there's more to eddie and buck's relationship than it seems in that scene from s5e2 when she brings christopher to the station. buck clocks that eddie has started panicking immediately and ana just like. *looks* at him for a few seconds in a way that just makes me think that this woman clocked that they have a deeper than normal connection to one another. that or she's heard about buck but obviously has never seen eddie and buck interact and is suddenly realizing exactly what people keep trying to tell her about

a buck/eddie-focused exploration of the aftermath of 'brawl in cell block 9-1-1'. buck freaking out once mitchell's been carted off to get his heart taken out and refusing to let eddie go anywhere while checking him for injuries, eddie having some uncomfortable realizations about just how affected buck was by the whole experience. personally, i feel that would lead to them actually talking about the sniper and all the mess that goes with it

lots of potential for temporary angst with eddie having a lot of big feelings about having failed as a husband in his marriage to shannon and not wanting to get married again b/c of it (thinks he doesn't deserve another shot at it? thinks there's something fundamentally wrong with him to where he can't? don't know how this would manifest exactly). personally, i see this eventually leading to him and buck realizing that they're more or less functionally married and they may as well reap some tax benefits from it but you can do whatever you want with that

buck goes to the funerals of many of the people who die on calls that he's a part of. it's mostly people that he directly worked on and he doesn't tend to tell anyone that he's a first responder that was involved (b/c of how devon's sister reacted in s1) but he does go to them.

kinda of tied to the headcanon above this but! buck getting adopted by a bunch of older queer folk following the deaths of mitchell and thomas in s2. he goes to the joint funeral that was planned for the two of them, in part b/c he wants/needs to and in part bc he accidentally took a few photos from the scrapbook from the scene (he shoved them in his pocket on instinct when thomas collapses). anyway, he shows up and the older queer community has rallied to show up at the funeral and they recognize him as someone who needs more found family and just adopt him into their ranks. i could see the 118 finding out about this soon after it happens or not until years later; maybe karen and hen finding out sooner than everyone else but buck asks them to keep it quiet?

s5e14 where jee-yun gets sick? what if it actually WAS leukemia and she somehow ends up needing some sort of donation (plasma? bone marrow? idk really anything about how cancer is treated). jee's put on a list and they start testing family members, none of whom work out until...buck. cue maddie not wanting to ask that of buck b/c of all the baggage that comes with daniel and the buckley parents are absolute assholes about it (along the lines of completely disregarding buck's autonomy as a human being in the face of their precious granddaughter being in trouble), maybe a chimney that isn't trying to be pushy about it but also just...can't help pushing a bit, a buck that so overwhelmed with everything that he's feeling that he goes off the rails a bit. obviously everything works out and buck donates or whatever needs to happen and jee-yun is completely fine b/c i don't actually want it to end badly

the entire 'buck's a sperm donor' family argument and maraget saying "you're a miracle baby yourself" made my fucking blood boil and i want to see a better exploration of the fallout of that statement b/c you just know that there was more to it than it just getting brushed off

buck telling maddie that he has a checklist that he goes through every time he wakes up post-coma in s6e12. chris and eddie being part of that list, where buck is just constantly checking up on them to make sure that they're still in LA (part of the reason why it's so easy for him to fall asleep/relax on the diaz couch or in their house in general). eddie doesn't notice the uptick in check-ins b/c he's too busy figuring out the least intrusive ways for him to check in on buck at all times b/c he NEEDS to know that buck is alive/breathing. once eddie notices though, he confronts buck about it

maddie asking buck to be her maid of honor for her wedding since hen is obviously going to have best man privileges. mostly just exploring the ridiculous that this brings up and everyone joking about buck in a dress (up to you whether he actually wears one to the wedding or not), but i have to include a side note that the buckley parents are dicks about it and have no sense of humour/fun

literally anything featuring athena being worried about buck as a maternal figure, i was so disappointed by her lack of interaction when buck was struck by lightning and, while i'm so fucking happy to have may acknowledging that buck is bobby's son too, we missed out on athena being devastated by the situation as well

there will probably be more of these to come at some point knowing myself.

[nutmeg-mayonnaise]

If Gregory, Mia and Mel are Phoenix and Maya's biological kids, does that mean Phoenix and Maya have Done the Deed, so to speak? Or were other methods involved?

Hello friend! I feel like if I gave the “quick” answer to this question, it’s going to be missing a lot of important context, and since I feel like the topic of family planning from a queerplatonic/aroace perspective is seldom talked about, I'm going to go more in-depth.

[ID: Edgeworth, Phoenix, and Maya holding or carrying children. Edgeworth is carrying the fan character Gregory Wright as a child on his back, with his eyes closed and a tense expression. Gregory has a happy face with closed eyes with his arms wrapped around Edgeworth’s shoulders. Phoenix has the fan character Mia Fey as a young child on his shoulders and head. Mia has her hands covering Phoenix’s eyes and has a determined expression. Phoenix is gripping Mia’s legs. Maya is holding Melusina Fey as an infant to her chest with a happy expression with her eyes closed.]

This is a little long and I know the subject matter isn’t for everyone, so the details along with a mini-comic are below the cut! (Nothing discussed is above the T rating!)

In my AU, Phoenix, Maya, and Edgeworth are all on different places on the aromantic and/or asexual spectrum (cue "Ace" Attorney jokes). It’s also worth mentioning that they're in a queerplatonic relationship, so their orientations don't really matter that much with regards to the polycule. If any of them wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with someone besides each other, it doesn’t break the queerplatonic polycule. However, their orientations does matter with regards to the kids.

One of the fics I'm writing takes place after Spirit of Justice where Maya is starting to seriously think about the future of the Fey Clan lineage. This makes Phoenix anxious, as he's well aware of the history of disastrous marriages in Kurain Village, and hopes to whoever's listening that it doesn't happen to Maya, too. However, he's not attracted to her in that way, so he doesn't get involved outside of being there for moral support.

Extremely long story short, after Maya's disastrous dating life--where she discovers she does not like romantic attention--soul-searching, emotional turmoil, Phoenix and Maya ask themselves why they couldn't have a family together as friends--especially after Edgeworth lectures both of them on separate occasions that they were viewing the situation too romantically. Fey Clan lineage doesn't care about romance, you see.

Obviously how the kids came to be was a huge hang-up. When Maya lamented that she wasn't fond of romantic attention during her moment of self-discovery, Phoenix recommended she have a chat with Edgeworth, who suggested the very unromantic route of donors (and offered to help pay). On a different occasion, when Phoenix was hung up over the birds and the bees, so to speak, Edgeworth suggests that he (Phoenix, to be clear) could be a donor for Maya. That doesn't involve contact, Maya's kids would have a dad who loves them and their mom, it's a win-win.

Unfortunately, well after Phoenix and Maya were already emotionally invested in starting the family together, Maya learns that known donors require a lot more time and money than unknown donors, as well as mandatory therapy. Did I mention money? So, to put a finer point on it, since they felt very secure with their friendship and nothing has threatened it thus far in this situation, they didn't see why they couldn't give the "free" route a shot.

As you might have guessed, given the lack of attraction towards each other in that way... it did not go well. 

It was the straw that broke the camel's back and started to strain their relationship. So much so, that when they were working together in court after trying for a few months, Edgeworth noticed they were irritable towards each other and requested a recess to chat with them...

[ID: Two comic panels. The first panel has Edgeworth, Phoenix, and Maya in the Defendant Lobby. Edgeworth is standing before Phoenix with his arms crossed. Phoenix is sitting on one end of the couch hunched over in distress with his hand over his forehead. Maya is sitting on the other end of the couch, facing away, with her hands together on her lap and a red face. The narration says “After a long vent about Phoenix and Maya’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Time...”. The second panel has Edgeworth with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. He says “Why are you two not considering medical assistance?”]

[ID: Two more comic panels. The first panel has Phoenix in the same pose as before. He says, “We don’t have that kind of time or money. I know you offered to help with the expenses, but it’s still too much, and we can’t ask more from you...”. The second panel has Edgeworth adjusting his glasses with one arm still crossed. His grits his teeth as he says, “Are you aware they have............. they sell....”]

[ID: Two more panels. The first one has Edgeworth typing on his rose gold phone with the onomatopoeia “tap tap tap”, looking flustered. There is a speech bubble with several ellipses. In the next panel is Edgeworth showing his phone to Phoenix and Maya, with him saying “Here.” Very small text pointing to the phone says “At-home kits that allow kids to happen with no contact for about $100. :)”. Phoenix looks at the phone with his eyes wide and Maya leans in, also looking at the phone with wide eyes.]

[ID: The same illustration as the first image, with the narration “Seven years and three kids later...”. Phoenix says “Hey, thanks again for the recommendation, Miles!” Edgeworth’s speech bubble has “.....*grumble*........” written. Maya has a speech bubble with a pink heart.]

(And Edgeworth is still in disbelief that he did more research than they did..........but he got a son out of the whole ordeal so it’s okay. :) )

To sum it all up, while it was far from their first choice, they certainly did give Doing the Deed a shot for the sake of saving time and money, but they found it was too much for them so all three kids were conceived with those at-home kits. 

Thanks for the question!

[kanonavi]

2023 XVX Fic Recs!

Hi, all, I hope you're having a lovely holiday season! Around the beginning of this year, just for fun, I decided that I would record all of the fanfics that I read this year, and during the summer I had the idea to take some of the best fics I read in 2023 and compile them at the end of the year into a rec list. Since xiaoven was the ship I read the most fics for, I've decided to just do a rec list for them this year, but maybe in the future I'll branch out more!

As with any rec list, please take note of the ratings and the tags for any given fic! Just because something suited my taste doesn't necessarily mean it will suit yours, please take care of yourselves. Now, here are 10* fics that I read this year and think that other xiaoven fans should read too! (Also uh. Sorry for how much I'm about to talk in the reviews lol)

*Keep an eye out for a few bonuses that I've peppered in ;)

~

We Creatures of Fate, by Wackachu

[Ongoing, Teen, 57.9k, 7/?]

Xiao is a weapon forged from red, carved from the hearts of weeping souls and etched into the memories of grieving mothers. While free under the care of a new God, he finds salvation, yet feels as trapped as the day the chains first clamped down onto his wrists. Venti is a God, one born from the wishes of others as opposed to his own. After losing his loved ones, he can't help but feel lost, high on a throne all alone, built upon all things he despised. The two find each other by chance, yet the rest can only be described as fate. ---------- A telling of Xiao and Venti's story with a hefty load of lore

If there is any fic on this list that should be read, it’s this one. I am an absolute sucker for speculative lore when it comes to Genshin, and the picture that the author has assembled of Archon War-era Liyue is absolutely masterful. Within the threads of that beautiful tapestry, they’ve also been interweaving Xiao and Venti’s developing relationship all the way from when they were a newly-freed Adeptus and young Archon respectively. They have a long journey ahead of them (the burn is slow, folks), and I think that said journey is an absolute must-read.

~

Extra Recs: Wackachu has also written two other xiaoven one-shots, which I highly recommend for more bite-size pieces of their excellent taste!

~

the holy light of your single lantern, by boxofcrows (@miralia)

[Complete, Teen, 34k, 6/6]

“Long divided by river and sea, For years we two have failed to meet – And suddenly to find you seems like a dream.” Thousands of years of silence, broken by a single visit.

This fic wrapped up recently, so it’s a great time to go and show it some love! One of my biggest sorrows is that xiaoven is rather lacking in really good canon universe fics compared to other Genshin ships, but this fic managed to fill that hole in my heart. The author does a fantastic job of capturing the way that Xiao and Venti’s conflicting natures and ideals can cause friction between them, all while maintaining the undeniable magnetism that they feel towards each other.

~

Relax In My Arms, by alphaparrot (@aparrotandaqrow)

[Queerplatonic XiaoVen, General Audiences, 5.9k, One-Shot]

As Lantern Rite arrives, Xiao is found exhausted and spent by Qiqi of Bubu Pharmacy, who brings him back to Liyue. Upon awaking, Xiao quickly makes his exit and returns to Wangshu Inn, where Venti is waiting for him on the balcony. Xiao isn't in the mood to party, but maybe a chill hang-out would help him relax. Venti knows just the thing to help Xiao relax and recuperate, and as they both get comfortable, they begin to reflect....

Author's Original Promo Post!

Queerplatonic xiaoven was a flavor of their relationship that I hadn’t tried before this fic, but it really sold me on it. What I’ve always loved about xiaoven so much is the inherent intimacy that can be achieved between them once all of the emotional barriers between them have been stripped away, and I think that those ideas are explored very beautifully here. Xiao and Venti trust and love each other so deeply here, and it shows in every word and touch that they exchange, and I think that it’s a must-read for anyone whose brain chemistry was altered by the ‘Endless Suffering’ trailer (so basically, every xiaoven fan ever lol)

~

i can not save us (but you can), by anemowisp (@sillygirl19)

[Teen, 19.4k, One-Shot]

two boys figure out what the hell they're doing

In the midst of one of the most turbulent times in my life, one particular line in this fic really hit me where it hurt, and it’s one of the few times that I’ve actually cried reading a fic. In my xiaoven-enjoying friend groups, we sometimes call Xiao and Venti old men with teenager problems, which means they don't always work when turned into actual teenagers/young adults with those problems, but I think this fic pulls it off really well.

~

what queer sins stain thy soul, by Anonymous (@sincerelyandyourstruly)

[Mature, 3.2k, One-Shot]

In which Xiao, long-established asexual, learns that identity is not as stable as he’d like to believe.

As an ace person myself, I feel it’s so rare to find a really good asexual character study where the asexuality is actually one of the central focuses of the intimacy taking place (if anyone has any recs of that variety please hit me up!), but I think that this fic pulled that off really well. It also delves into that particular vibe of when one’s identity might be shifting, which can be a really scary thing, but Xiao in this fic is lucky enough to have someone he loves and trusts to support him as he explores his new desires, which was really comforting to read about.

~

Where Words Fail, by kavvueh (@kavvueh)

[Complete, Teen, 34k, 12/12]

Author's Original Promo Post!

"You're Barbatos," Xiao repeats breathlessly. The young man in front of him nods. "Yep." "But..." Xiao cuts himself off and tries again. "You're the God of songs and poetry." The Anemo Archon nods his head sagely. "More or less." Xiao fixes Lord Barbatos with the most incredulous look he can manage. "... You're failing Music Theory."

As someone who was also suffering through music theory alongside Venti as this fic was publishing, all of the attention to detail in the musical aspects of this fic absolutely tickled me. But all of that was merely a foundation for a lovely story about a pair of souls finding their partner in a new life. The musical connection that xiaoven have is one of the essential tenets of the ship, and this fic did a beautiful job of using that idea to its fullest potential.

~

Extra Rec: kavvueh has recently started publishing a new xiaoven fic with a similar setting, so if you enjoy these kinds of fluffy modern aus, give that one some love as well!

~

The Stars in Teyvat are a Lie, and So Is the Sky, by yueyunn

[Complete, Teen, 148.2k, 13/13]

There were several issues that Xiao immediately took with Ningguang’s proposition for him to produce for Barbatos: his other artists had upcoming comebacks and year-end stages that required his attention, he was overworked enough as it were already, and Ningguang was not exactly someone he was looking to do any favors for. While her persistence to overlook all this was one matter, nothing aggravated him more than Ningguang completely ignoring the obstinate fact that he. doesn’t. work. with. idols.

Perhaps I was a bit like Xiao in this fic at the beginning of this year, because I approached the two idol/celebrity aus on my to-read list with open skepticism, and then ended up absolutely adoring them both. What I loved about this fic the most was how much care was put into actually translating the character’s canon backstories into the modern idol au setting. The author clearly has so much love for the characters, and it really shows through in the way that everyone has their chance to shine, even the side characters. This fic also updated recently with 15k words of extras, so it’s a great time to visit or revisit it!

~

Extra Rec: gold rush, by underthethousandstars was the other idol/celebrity au I read this year and really enjoyed, so if those aus are up your alley, I highly recommend it!

~

low-key (no pressure!), by windrise (Twitter - @/wyndrise)

[Ongoing, Teen, 75.7k, 11/?]

Following his friend’s questionable suggestion, Venti partners with Xiao—the resident grouch of his early morning stats class—for his music project.

If you want to sit down with a fic that will give you the warm fuzzies, this is definitely the one to pick. As alluded to previously, I don’t really go for modern aus as much, but this fic absolutely blew my expectations out of the water. I was getting the ‘squee’s as I read about Xiao and Venti growing closer over the course of working on Venti’s project, as the author has an excellent grasp of the deep inner kindness that the two of them hold, and how that kindness would naturally draw them together.

~

bouquet of lies, by underthethousandstars (Twitter - @/zhongliorder)

[Complete, Mature, 85.9k, 12/12]

In a world where humans can use elemental magic, Xiao uses his to move through the shadows becoming Liyue’s phantom killer. Known to the public as Alatus, he is their most notorious assassin. One day Xiao secures his biggest job yet: kill the Crown Prince of Mondstadt, Venti. Harbouring no love towards any royal family Xiao pulls off his mission with success. Or so he thought.

This fic falls solidly on the darker end of xiaoven stories (the ‘Dark Fantasy’ tag is there for a reason!), so if you happen to like your ships with an enemies to lovers flare, this is definitely one to check out. This is one of those stories that really managed to pull me into the world of assassins and political intrigue that the author has crafted, and on top of that it puts a fun spin on exploring Xiao and Venti’s individual guilt and the way that it affects them as people. The first fic in the series is finished, but the second installment is currently in progress, so I highly recommend checking that one out as well!

~

every morning in the dark, by magicites (Twitter - @/bribird_wings)

[Complete, Mature, 77.1k, 34/34]

Stuck in a time loop where he succumbs to his karmic debt, Xiao struggles to see the point in moving forward. Venti struggles to save him.

While by far the heaviest of any of the fics I’ve recommended so far (mind the warnings and the tags!!), if you can stomach the subject matter, this is one of those fics that I would refer to as XiaoVen Essential Reading. The author has a pitch-perfect grasp of what makes xiaoven, qualities which are pushed to their limits as the two of them struggle to break free of the loop that they’re trapped in. I took severe emotional damage while reading it, but my only regret was that I hadn’t read it sooner. It’s definitely A Lot, but it’s so, so worth it for anyone who really enjoys this pairing.

~

And with that, we reach the end of the list! If you've made it this far, thank you so much, and I hope I've given you some fics to add to your to-read list for the coming year! I tried to incorporate some newer fics with some classics, so hopefully there's something here you haven't heard from before.

With that said, I'll hopefully be back next year with some more xiaoven or other Genshin fic recs! <3

[genderfluiddoppio]

okay here are my pakunoda headcanons in no particular order dont ask me to elaborate if you understand you understand

does most of the philanthropic work for the spiders, donates to charitys that benefit victims of human trafficking and sexual abuse

is more low-key than most other members; when she's operating alone, she's very subtle

she mostly runs scams and does fraud, when she outright steals a physical item she's extremely stealthy

tries not to resort to killing, not for any moral reason but because it's more of a hassle for her

I headcanon her as having schizo affective disorder and I headcanon all conjurers are more prone to hallucinations and psychotic disorders, usually the more powerful a conjurer is the more likely it is they deal w some form of psychosis.

i also think she's autistic because.

very adept at dismantling, cleaning, and reassembling firearms.

also very good shot w any firearm. Shes more familiar w pistols and revolvers, but she's used pretty much every type of gun there is

actually has a tough time speaking about her emotions/complex/abstract concepts and will rely on her memory bombs to communicate w the troupe. Tends to go nonverbal when she's overthinking

also she's not as cold/apathetic as she seems. She has a very apathetic resting face, but she's actually pretty expressive. She used to be even more expressive, but she's trained herself to suppress her emotions

extremely weak to flattery

i headcanon Paku as a natural redhead who dyes her hair blonde and I actually kind of have evidence for this one

(from the phantom troupe foundation flashback from the ova)

(from the phantom rouge promotional stuff. i cant stand phantom rouge but it gave me redhead paku crumbs so)

i go back and forth between headcanoning her as a lesbian and headcanoning her as like unlabeled

A lot of people read her dedication to chrollo as romantic but tbh I see them more as queerplatonic partners

[heretherebedork]

I love starting with this shot. Through a fishtank, watching them as they can't even look at each other, watching Asuka stare at Shu who stares at the fish and knowing that they share love and share a want for more and wondering if they can manage to finally say the words they share or if they're still trapped in their own fears and their own minds.

I do appreciate that Asuka speaks first because we know how much he's been hurting and how confused he is by everything going on. And he asks before Shu has even turned to look at him, he asks staring at the back of his head and desperate. They're both desperate but they both struggle so much expressing themselves.

Finally

Communication has finally opened! Thank you, Shu. Thank you. He finally says what he saw and he listens after. I really do love that the doubt is easily dispelled.

I love this tiny confused boy so much y'all. Asuka went out of his way to help a friend and never thought that helping her would be the thing that ended up hurting him. And yet here we are, here we are and he is aching.

And this is why I love Shu so much as well. Shu wants the explanation. He wants to know. He wants to understand. He's afraid of understanding, yes, but he needs to know.

I also love how he just can't sit still. But this is also about how Shu and Asuka need each other to work on their communication. They struggle alone but, together, they can do this.

(We know the explanation and we know it makes perfect sense and we know it's true but Asuka didn't know the problem and Shu didn't know what was happening and this finally opened up space between them that has been empty for a long time.)

Asuka has never even contemplated that idea that Shu could really, actually love him. He's never considered that an option. The idea of Shu being jealous never crossed his mind. Why would it? Shu has never expressed love in a way that Asuka would recognize. He's always the one to push that Asuka said he would be happy at his side, to pull away from affection, to push their own space and that Asuka needs to earn any chance to even just do something with him.

Asuka had accepted this queerplatonic relationship as a replacement for the romantic one he desired and he is suddenly faced with the idea that maybe, maybe, he could have what he's always wanted.

Shu, darling, we all love you and we understand but Asuka has loved you for a very, very long time.

Asuka so excited by the idea that Shu was actually thinking about him, actually jealous of anything, that he forgets to explain what he was doing in his eagerness to chase down Shu and get an answer is just... perfect.

Asuka acts without thinking. He leaps in, feet first, and he acts the moment he can and when he can and when he gets excited nothing else matters. He is the embodiment of puppy energy.

Shu, finding out the truth: Oh, I was worried about that? What was I worried about again?

Everyone but Shu knew this. Literally. Every single person knew this. And, honestly, Asuka has confessed to Shu several times but it's understandable because Shu experiencing jealousy for the first time and realizing his own love for Asuka absolutely blindsided him. It took him out entirely and left him mostly unthinking.

But this is also just the sweetest little confession. I love how earnest Asuka is and how much he cares about Shu and how much love he just wants to pour into him given a chance. Asuka wants to love Shu even without love in return and to be able to love him with a chance at something in return? More than he ever dreamed.

I really, really love that Shu believes Asuka. I love that this miscommunication is easily solved and that all it takes is a question and the truth and there's no fight or disbelieve. It's as simple as telling the truth and being understood.

Shu is so unused to the idea of loving someone, of the concept itself, and yet here he is. Falling in love. And realizing that what Asuka feels for him makes him happy. And Asuka just melts for him.

A hug! An actual hug! Oh, it's good. Shu might ask him to stop but he also stops trying to push him away quickly enough. I love that for them. They're discovering what it means to love each other and what it means to share love with each other. This is their journey. It isn't about coming out or about exploring the societal pressures. It's about coming to terms with changing your own views of love and what it means to you and what it means in a relationship and discovering what love is.

Asuka has loved Shu for a long time but Shu is just discovering that he can love romantically and that's what their relationship is about. It's about changing and discovering that you can change and realizing that love can mean many different things but also realizing how important it is to share when you discover it.

[moonah-rose]

Ghosts Fic Masterlist

My works so far.

Daddy's Little Huntress (Alison discovers a cavewoman ghost on Barclay's land who she thinks might be Robin's daughter.)

Do Ghosts Dream of Dead Sheep? (A mysterious object puts the ghosts to sleep. Ongoing, 8/? Chapters. Found Family, Alison main pov, various relationships, mystery/thriller).

Home Is Where I Choose To Go (One-shot, 9k, Found Family, teenage Mia Cooper comes to her aunts and uncles for support, fluff and emotional hurt/comfort).

The Lady of Bone Hall (One-shot, 9k, Alison finds the ghost of Sophie Bone. Various relationships, exploration of loneliness and religious guilt).

One Last Move (One-shot, 5k, Robin & Alison, Robin & Julian queerplatonic. Post-canon Dealing with grief, friendship).

We All Fall Down (One-shot, 4k, Robin finds Jemima the plague ghost in the kitchen on the night Alison leaves them. Fluff, comfort, kidfic)

.

More Than A Monster series (Robin-centric, various characters)

Lost Soul (How Robin once lost his mind - 5 chapters. Robin & Original Characters, emotional and physical whump, conditioning and attempted SA)

A Man Called "Rohr" (How Robin met Elizabeth, Clarence, Godric & William - 4 chapters, Robin & Original Characters, found family. Emotional hurt/comfort. Tw for abuse, attempted SA, torture, mental illness, discussions of suicide.)

More Than A Monster (After Sophie leaves, Robin starts to form his current crew - 5 chapters. Robin & Humphrey, Robin & Mary, Robin & Annie, Robin & Kitty, Annie/Mary, Robin/Mary, Robin/Mary/Annie, Robin & Alison, Mary & Kitty, emotional hurt/comfort and found family, exploring relationships, angst with happy ending).

Kitty's Destiny (One-shot. Robin & Kitty, Kitty & Original animal character, Kitty & Annie/Mary, extra chapter from MTAM, reconciliation, of course Kitty is a horse girl).

Find Me In The Stars (One-shot. Time skips, Robin & Original Characters, Robin & Mary, Robin & Annie, Robin & Alison & Mia, emotional whump and comfort, dealing with grief and loss).