#wow actual ace rep

[red-hibiscus]

They've captured the asexual experience.

Ace people clearly explaining they do desire some level of physical affection, but don't care/want sex. Then allo people too stuck in their own experiences to even try to accept and understand

[neim-batteries-not-included]

It’s asexual awareness week!!! I present the most aware asexual!!!

(Possible eyestrain and trypophobia, vague spoilers for tma under the cut)

That is not his cardigan. You can decide whose it is, but it’s. It’s not his.

(Click for better quality)

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I hand out a couple of high scores & have qualms about pairs

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top. I didn't get many screen shots this week, so welcome to a WALL OF TEXT. Duh duh duh dum.

July 2024 Week 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

We Are Cute (Weds iQIYI) ep 16 fin - TanFang are ridiculous but I have grown to truly love them. ChainPun at the end made me hoot with laughter everyone was a meme of FINALLY. In fact, I loved all the pairs, this was a great ensemble piece.

I was left mildly wondering if Arm will ever lead a BL. 

All in all? 

I really enjoyed this show. It was slow to find its stride (I didn’t get into it until ep 7) but I’m very glad I gave it a chance. It’s a soft ensemble piece with multiple couples and very little plot, but I didn’t care because it’s not trying to be anything more substantial. Essentially this was a series of vignettes covering one year of uni for a queer friendship group finding love, new friends, and laughter. It’s not being harsh with us or it’s characters the way some offerings of this ilk have been (side eyes Friend Zone and Only Friends) nor did it tumble into Gen Y chaos. In fact, this reminded me more than anything of a refined and elevated Love Sick - just with older characters and occurring within a genre that has matured too. It has that close queer friendship group meets earnest gentleness that made me adore Love Sick so much. In other words, this was Thai BL at its finest, finding it roots again 10 years on, but also stretching upwards and showing us what it could do with that original seed. So? I loved it. Did it blow my mind? No. But it left me smiling and made me belly laugh quite a bit. 9/10

Technically it should probably get an 8/10 - too much singing, but I’m bubbling over with nostalgia rn.

Wandee Goodday (Sat YT) ep 12 fin - I struggled to watch that fight. But that’s because it was so well done for a BL. Lots of speeches this ep. (I said too cheesy right before Dee did.)

I like Drake & Title as a new ship. Hope it sails. Also some decent ace rep. 

On a totally different note: Good use of frosting. But… you know I’m gonna say it… NO SINGING. 

Final thoughts:

What a FUN show. A charming quintessentially modern Thai BL about a doctor and a boxer who start as a one night stand and then fall in love. Great rep for everything from Muay Thai, to safe sex, to FUN sex, to ace, to bisexuality, to smiley kisses, to the first legal gay wedding in a Thai BL. It’s a delight and I enjoyed (almost) every single moment of it. 

An easy 9/10. 

I do hope we get more GreatInn.

The Rebound (Weds Gaga) eps 7-8 of 12 - So Ryu’s ma is evil? And Frank is giving me serious second lead syndrome. Also he’s been working out a lot. I noticed my dude, thank you. I don't think we've ever gotten this kind of focus on a side dish before. The show is in dangerous territory, since he's so good he's taking attention away from the leads. Also, I think Zen is completely aware of what is going on with this love triangle, he just doesn’t want to put up with their nonsense. I even like the cute side crumbs. 

On a complete aside: why are crime lords in BL always in bathtubs? Asking for… the other genres. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if The Godfather entirely took place in bathtubs? A Real Man has a large… tub. 

And we end with mass murder? WOW! Chaotically played my dearest pulp! 

Century of Love (Weds Gaga) eps 3-4 of 10 - These boys are playing complicated roles with lots of layers to them. Daou is doing a great job. We can see the old man inside this kid. Offroad... I’m not convinced, he’s chewing the scenery a bit. I actually think he has the more layered and complicated part to play. So I'm giving him a chance to subtly show that cheerful façade fracturing with delicacy. But I worry we may be back in JamFilm territory where one partner can’t quite keep up with the other's skillz.

All of this is to say, this is still a better acted piece than I was expecting. (Although the surrounding cast and special effects are doing our leads no particular favors.)

It’s hugely enjoyable but uneven (with those occasional injections of slapstick humor) I’m not entirely sure the production knows what it wants to be. I wish it had the courage of its convictions to lean into the “I feel you linger in the air” aesthetic. Now that I know Thailand can go there, I’m a bit annoyed when a show like this, which should, doesn’t. Which is not to say I’m not enjoying it. I am. A lot. Just that I should probably lower my expectations. Daou, however, is so damn good, he keeps getting my hopes up.

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (Fri iQIYI) ep 3 of 8 - Oh no we have a lonely poor little rich boy. Catnip character for @heretherebedork. Meanwhile, I’m liking the layers of the main romance, with everybody having hidden agendas and such. Nice tension. Of course I love the eroticism around smells. One of my favorite tropes. But I’m not sure I buy the relationship chemistry between the leads when this much lying is going on. 

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 7 of 12 - I am growing to love Fourth's version of this character. He’s so frantic and confused, but in a completely different way from the JBL. It’s a bit more whiny and a bit less cartoonish. But it resonates with me more. He's less of a meme tho. The photo moment! I literally squealed, "Gah!!! They are so cute!"

Linguistic moment. Did you hear in the cupcake section that Half went to rao/ter? Very sweet. (The boys use rao/nai.)

Also, yay for the twist on the school counselor character! Best thing ever. I would like the entire story of Nop & Sin GMMTV, please and thank you. Also… NO SINGING. 

Sunset X Vibes (Sat iQIYI) ep 6 of 12 - I’m continuing to enjoy this a lot. It’s a fun cast. A touch twee for me, and I’m really hoping they amp up something other than the romance soon, but I don't mind ending my week with these two.

The Trainee (Sun YouTube) ep 3 of 12 - I'm enjoying this show so much, just not as a BL (yet). It’s honest to the internship experience of overwhelm (such as I recall, it's been A WHILE). I’m not sure how much BL I’m getting from it thus far. I mean our leads shared a long glance or two but that’s about it. It’s very slow burn. But I don’t mind that since I’m liking the surrounding stuff. Can't stand the girlfriend intern character tho. I hope she get redeemed.  Or killed.

Love Sea (Sun iQIYI) ep 6 of 10 - Halfway through I had already finished my drink out of sheer boredom.  Trash watch here.

Knock Knock Boys (Thurs Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - Frankly I’m finding this relatively dull right now. Lovely kisses tho. Best and Seng are great together, consummate BL pros, not a pair I had on my bingo card. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - I like how much we can see K’s intense liking and emotional need for this loud broken kid. And how easy it is for him to admit to that truth. Because what he’s going through is so much worse than admitting to having feelings. The acting is fantastic. Sometimes I forget how great Japan can be. And then they decide to remind me. Oh, it’s SO GOOD. 

Takara's Treasure AKA Takara No Vidro (Japan Mon Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - Another one I’m finding boring. Just japan’s version. The vintage yaoi “old dude creep trope” I see. It’s been a while. 

It's airing but...

Meet You at the Blossom - it's your funeral (or, more likely, one of the main characters'). You can argue but... statistics. You know my feelings on this matter. MY BLOG, remember?

GIF by mypotatokun

In case you missed it

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer released to Korean theaters 5/25. HoTae & DongHee, side couple from Unintentional Love Story are back! Same actors, same character names. I love them. Devastated this hasn't had international distribution. I demand you tell me the moment you find it!

The Last Time (Thai Fri YT) - Got bumped to Aug 2. Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

July Releases Still To Come

7/24 I Saw You in My Dream (Thai Weds Gaga) - Dee Hup is behind this one so I have high hopes. Younger boy chronically teased his whole life by the older boy next door suddenly starts having horrific prophetic dreams about his bully and must save him.

7/26 4 Minutes (Thai Netflix or iQIYI?) - Great, a rich boy studying business at uni, suddenly gains the supernatural power to see four minutes into the future.

7/29 Battle of the Writers (Thai ????) - trailer here, TutorYim return, and while I adore them, I really hope this is better than Middleman's Love. Won't be hard. However: the premise? Ugh. Something something authors fighting - save me. Why don't writers understand that nothing is more boring than writers?

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

No time this week, I'm having computer issues.

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in it's infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

There's these tricks, remember.

[film-in-my-soul]

nothing goes over his head | 1,494 | fmo / @fmowrites

Summary: In which Bucky gets knocked out briefly during a mission, wakes up fine, and then spends a day enduring strange hints, clandestine looks, and cryptic texts from his friends. Steve will never let him live this one down.

It Had to be You | 2,194 | AustinB / @cornerficus

Summary: "Heya sailor." By the grace of god Steve comes up with an immediate reply. "Marine, actually." James huffs. Steve's not quite sure what to make of that, but then he leans his elbow on the bar next to Steve, so close that Steve can smell his cologne and see the flecks of blue in his grey eyes. "Buy me a drink?"

A Handful of Hopeful Words | 2,498 | Deisderium

Summary: Bucky keeps leaving Steve notes. Steve sure wishes he could read them.

From Russia With Null Points | 2,586 | neversaydie

Summary: In which Bucky reps Russia with his emotional gothic rock, and Steve reps Ireland with his upbeat pro-LGBT message of love. They meet backstage. Leather and glitter have never looked so good.

Save a Horse, Ride a Captain | 2,708 | galwednesday

Summary: Bucky tapped him on the shoulder, swaying back and forth a little as he waited for the man to turn around. “Hello,” he said, and then promptly forgot what else he was going to say, because this guy was fucking beautiful. “Wow. Good face.” Two of the guy’s friends, a man wearing a suit that fit so well it had to be bespoke and a man with a cute little gap between his front teeth, started cracking up. The petite redhead sitting next to them cocked her head to the side and pulled her phone out of her handbag. Beautiful Face just looked kind of pained, so Bucky redirected. He was a gentleman. He could take a hint. No hitting on beautiful guys who were uncomfortable with that sort of thing, no matter how lickable their jawlines were. “Hello,” he repeated, doing his best to mind his manners. “I’m very sorry to bother you. Can I have a piggy-back ride?”

Please see below for more recommendations!

Have a cup of cheer | 3,099 | relenafanel / @relenafanel

Summary: When Natasha took the time to look you up and down, frown with her eyes like you were lacking in some way, and then said “Down Under Coffee on Thursday at 6 pm. He’ll be wearing a festive red sweater with a reindeer. Withhold judgement until you meet him” you went to Down Under Coffee for 6 on Thursday and you looked for someone in a reindeer sweater.

hungry like the wolf | 3,764 | wearing_tearing / @wearing-tearing

Summary: One second, Bucky is kneeling beside Steve. The next, he’s flat on his back on the floor with Steve on top of him, his body giving off heat like a furnace, with Steve unceremoniously nuzzling at his neck. “What the fuck?” Bucky whispers as he stares at Steve’s ceiling, body sprawled on the floor.

Simple | 4,043 | Ellessey

Summary: Steve's holding Bucky's drink out to him and he's looking at Bucky in that way he does. It makes Bucky want to cover his face. It makes him want to peek inside of himself and see if he can actually spot the butterflies. "Here you go," Steve says. "Extra hot, so be careful, 'kay?" "Okay, thanks..." Bucky says. And then he has to swallow again, and his throat feels awfully tight but he practiced this last night and he can do this. He can. He opens his mouth again and adds, "Steve."

Ace Outside The Hole | 4,125 | attackofthezee (noxlunate) / @attackofthezee

Summary: “I don’t usually do this,” Steve says, leaning up to look at Bucky over the top of the table. “You mean scrambling around on your floor looking for your tinder hookups body jewelry isn’t your normal Friday night routine?” “No- I mean, I don’t normally do that either, but I don’t normally do this,” He says, waving a hand sort of vaguely between himself and Bucky, “and I’m sure everyone says they don’t, but I really, really, don’t.” It feels like an understatement, though it’s better than telling someone he’s had sex approximately 1 ½ times in the past 5 years because there’s been nobody he really wanted to do that with.

Steve Rogers Is (Not) A Good Influence | 4,181 | attackofthezee (noxlunate) / @attackofthezee

Summary: Steve’s left staring at the kid- Peter, his brain helpfully reminds him. The kid is staring back. “So, you’re, like, Captain America, huh?” Peter asks, and he looks a little starstruck but less so than he did when he’d stared at Tony Stark’s jet taking off. “Uh, yeah.” Steve says, staring hard at a spot just past the kid’s shoulder as he shoves his hands as deep as they can go into the pockets of his jeans. “Call me Steve.” “Cool.” Parker breathes, and Steve tries not to think about just how badly this is going to go.

Thursday Nights with Bucky Barnes | 4,662 | Ellessey

Summary: "You're… not Hal," Steve says when the stranger looks at him. He's probably close to twenty-five, the same as Steve. Tall and broad shouldered (not the same as Steve), with a head full of loose, dark brown curls. He's not wearing any kind of sweater, just a short sleeved t-shirt that seems significantly tighter than is necessary. If Steve's shirt were that tight his ribs would be visible. "Nope," the man says, leaning forward to rest one hand on the counter and hold the other out to Steve. "Bucky Barnes."

Never go to bed alone when you have a library card | 4,943 | relenafanel / @relenafanel

Summary: Tall, blond hottie (in a sweater) was back, staring at the wall of new and popular titles with a thoughtful expression on his face. He came in every Tuesday night like clockwork, read through the summaries on the back of a handful of books with his profile turned just enough towards the front entrance that Bucky could see the slope of his nose and take joy in watching those arm muscles minutely flex as he shifted the book in his grasp.

It's Like, The Tinder Of Cuddling | 5,508 | attackofthezee (noxlunate) / @attackofthezee

Summary: “Hi.” He says instead of ‘you are the most aesthetically pleasing human I’ve ever seen, please let me hold your hand.’ because that would be weird. Also he might possibly get to hold Bucky’s hand without having to say anything embarrassing, so y’know, he might as well just avoid that. “Glad to know you’re not a big burly serial killer hiding beneath the pictures of a Williamsburg hipster.” Is what Bucky apparently seems to think is a proper greeting. Steve’s weirdly charmed.

Something Beginning With… L | 5,840 | 74days

Summary: The telescope was just supposed to help him with the fine motor functions of his prosthetic - his (not that kind of doctor) Doctor had even suggested it. So when he looks through the scope and spies someone looking back at him... someone kinda cute... Well, it's not his fault if things escalate, right?

Aquired Taste | 6,446 | 74days

Summary: Steve Rogers isn't really quite sure what is going on, because one moment he's feeding Clint's dog a treat and the next the hottest guy he's ever seen is wiping blood from his mouth and accusing him of tasting bad.

Simple Braids for Single Dads | 6,464 | 74days

Summary: Steve needs help - his daughter Louise is being teased at school for her messy hair and he's completely clueless at how to do even the simplest of styles. Luckily, neighbour Natasha gives him a link to an online YouTube tutorial with the hottest dad on the planet...

It's A Kind Of Magic | 6,600 | attackofthezee (noxlunate) / @attackofthezee

Summary: Steve's a witch in need of a roommate, Bucky's the vampire who moves in... and starts giving him things? Featuring plants, gifts, and one (possibly demonic) cat.

You're a Peach | 6,615 | Deisderium

Summary: But before Steve can worry himself into a cinder or give himself an actual erection, the little dots appear again, and a moment later, a picture comes through, of Bucky standing proudly in front of a raised bed garden. Holding an eggplant. Steve wonders if it's possible to sink through the bed, the hotel floor, and into some dank hotel basement or laundry room where he can hide from the fact that Bucky, apparently, is still using emojis completely literally and he, Steve, is a fucking idiot.

Rescue Me and Hold Me In Your Arms | 6,793 | 74days

Summary: Bucky is on the worst date of his life, and what he really needs of for this waitress to get the message he's sending her with his mind to rescue him. She doesn't, but she does send someone to extract him from a night of torture...

a likely story | 6,990 | wearing_tearing / @wearing-tearing

Summary: Bucky blinks once, twice, three times. Then he pinches himself. “Ouch.” Steve snorts. “You’re not dreaming.” Bucky narrows his eyes at him. “You’re right. You wouldn’t be this much of an asshole if I was dreaming.”

sad cat | 7,225 | wearing_tearing / @wearing-tearing

Summary: “Uh, hi? I’m here to volunteer at the Cat Loft?” Bucky almost brains himself when he pushes the back door open and hurries to the reception area, tripping over the new box of dog treats he hasn’t had the time to put away yet. “Hi,” Bucky breathes out, face flushing in embarrassment when Steve just blinks at him, confused.

Adventures in (sub)Contract Killing | 7,625 | obsessivereader / @yetanotherobsessivereader

Summary: killer1992: Looking to take out a hit on a guy. Easy job, no security to get around. 5k. Bucky looks around the cafe full of people, halfway convinced that the whole thing is a joke. But the only person who should have that email address is Nat, and even though that ridiculous username is exactly her kind of humor, she would never joke about something like this. He should delete the email, pretend he never saw it. But... Bucky: Are you fucking kidding me with this? Five grand? killer1992: I’m not kidding. It’s an in and out job. The guy won’t know what hit him, lives in an apartment with no security. You could do it with one eye closed. Bucky: So why don't you do it yourself? killer1992: Okay here's the thing Bucky's eyebrows shoot up. This should be interesting.

Hit The Ground Running | 7,777 | 74days

Summary: Steve's just walking home. At midnight. Alone and trying not to get mugged. The Zombie was unexpected.

A World That Makes Such Wonderful Things | 8,511 | attackofthezee (noxlunate) / @attackofthezee

Summary: “About that… This whole… gift thing? It’s you, uh, trying to date me? Right? That’s what that is?” Bucky asks and Steve can’t help it, the clench of his chest like maybe this is where Bucky politely declines, explains that he didn’t understand how this all works and he’d really rather not with Steve. “Courtship,” Steve confirms, nodding stubbornly instead of giving into the clenching in his chest and the swimming in his head. “Right. Okayyyy. Right,” Bucky says, and then he pauses for a moment, chewing on his lip in a way that’s definitely distracting but not quite distracting enough to erase the sudden feeling like a whole host of guppies has taken residence in Steve’s stomach. “On land we do that by going out on dates, y’know? You can pick me up at seven.” “Wait- what?” “I said pick me up at seven. I live above the shop, it shouldn’t exactly be hard to find.”

Cat Nap | 8,883 | galwednesday

Summary: Objectively, losing the Bucharest safehouse and its contents was the least of Bucky’s problems. The balding agent he’d seen directing the raid was apparently affiliated with SHIELD, which was a shadowy government agency that made representatives from other shadowy government agencies suddenly remember urgent appointments when Bucky tried to bribe, threaten, and otherwise shake them down for information on what the hell SHIELD might want with a former brainwashed assassin. Dodging SHIELD should be his number one priority. Subjectively, he wanted his fucking cat back.

It's Gettin Hot In Herre | 9,092 | 74days

Summary: Bucky Barnes is so over being hit on my every single Alpha in New York City, so when a friend gives him a number for CAP he jumps at the chance to get a fake Alpha boyfriend - and Steve Rogers might not be what he was expecting but he sure does the job - but one persistent Alpha doesn't seem to care...

Baseball and Inhalers | 9,465 | lillupon / @lillupon

Summary: Natasha misunderstands Bucky’s relationship with Steve, and now Bucky can’t stop thinking about it.

Fantasmic! | 11,464 | mambo / @whtaft

Summary: It's Steve's second summer working at Disney World when he meets Prince Charming (aka: Bucky Barnes, college kid from Brooklyn whose ass looks absolutely devastating in his Prince Charming slacks) and maybe starts to feel a little Disney magic in his heart.

One Does Not Simply Walk Into JoAnn Fabrics (And other millennial lessons from The Winter Soldier) | 11,940 | attackofthezee (noxlunate) / @attackofthezee

Summary: What do you get when you mix one deprogrammed formerly brainwashed assassin who works at a craft store and occasionally saves the world on the side, and one chronically ill crafting youtuber who frequents his store? You get love, obviously. Though first you get some pining, some cat herding, and some teasing from your coworkers- both the super ones and the maybe possibly super on the side when they're not at the craft store with you ones.

The Road to Hell is Paved with Tony’s Good Intentions | 12,157 | lillupon / @lillupon

Summary: “You know what, Rogers? Fuck that guy,” Tony says. “I’m going to find you the perfect man.” And that’s how Steve ends up married to a 6-foot-something, 250-pound man with a cybernetic arm and a thousand yard stare.

My Big Fat Wolf Wedding | 12,509 | galwednesday & skellerbvvt & AggressiveWhenStartled & quietnight / @quietnighty & silentwalrus

Summary: “MARRIED?” “Basically married. Permanently engaged anyway. Weres have their own deal.” Natasha sounds much, much too gleeful about Steve’s rapidly expanding personal hell. “So you better wake your blushing bride and tell him the happy news: that it was an accident and you had no idea what you were doing.” “I,” Steve says, strangled. “I can’t do that!” “You can’t?” “He thought I was proposing! And he accepted!” “Wow, maybe he’s just as dumb as you are,” Natasha says thoughtfully. “I can’t just promise him a ring, take him home, drink from him three times in a row and then wake him up the next morning to say oops, just kidding!” Steve casts around, looking at his wreck of an apartment. “I don’t even have any good champagne!”

Every Tree That is Pleasant | 13,525 | spitandvinegar

Summary: “As near as we can figure,” Tony said, “we had two incredibly ridiculous things happen at once. The first was Cap and murderbot activated a device that was sort of the juiced-up remote version of the thing that they used to scramble Barnes' brains back in the day. The second is that Mad Madame Mim here panicked and tried to get the universe to move them out of the room, and instead accidentally sent them to outer space.” “To another dimension,” said Wanda, as if that was the point that made all the difference.

Eternal Flame | 14,388 | 74days

Summary: There's a bet at the Firehouse that Barton'll go for more than anyone else at the Charity Auction - and Bucky finds himself roped into the whole thing against his will. It's all fun and games until a mystery phone bidder pays waaaaay to much to get Bucky alone. He's gonna end up dead in an alleyway because of Barton and his stupid bet.

i have seen the sun shine without burning | 15,801 | bitelikefire (theoleo) / @deimoslunaa

Summary: It's an accident. Really, it is -- when Bucky’s baseball goes off target, and he watches in horror as it strikes the back of a blonde head. And he's broke as shit, okay? He can't afford health care for a concussion-- and races forward.

Beachin' | 16,126 | 74days

Summary: Steve's not too happy about his forced vacation - two weeks away from work at a secluded beach resort might be Sam's idea of bliss, but for Steve it's a nightmare. That is, of course, until the resorts personal trainer offers to give him one-on-one swimming lessons. Two weeks might not be long enough!

Are Your Paws Tired? (Because You've Been Running Through My Mind) | 16,499 | attackofthezee (noxlunate) / @attackofthezee

Summary: “You should tell me about yourself, since I’m apparently your soulmate and all,” Bucky says over the sound of clacking keys, “Where are you from? What’s your major? Any siblings? Or terrible mommy issues? Are any of the rumors about werewolves true? I’ve heard some interesting ones. These are all important to know if I’m supposed to be your destiny or whatever.” He says ‘interesting’ in a way that makes Steve blush and feel a little like he’s choking on air. “I- The rumors are- Well- We’ll get to those later.”

On a Pale Horse | 25,765 | leveragehunters (Monkeygreen)

Summary: Fast and fierce, the Horse Guard protect the Kingdom and its people, and they welcome anyone into their ranks-noble, commoner, or peasant-so long as they can ride a horse like they were born to it. Guard Barnes—Bucky—has come to the Kingdom's largest horse fair to find a new horse. He's supposed to choose from one of the approved horses; instead he finds himself buying a tall, skinny, angry stallion with the ridiculous name of Steve. Bucky can't leave him behind, but he's nothing like what Bucky's looking for and everything Bucky doesn't want. But Bucky's more right than even he knows because Steve's not a horse at all. He's a man under a curse, victim of a powerful sorcerer's temper and magic, and he's bound to never, by action or deed, reveal what he truly is. It's gonna be one hell of a ride.

Kiss the Cook | 28,230 | mambo / @whtaft

Summary: Former Top Chef contestant Steve Rogers opens a restaurant with his best friend, Sam Wilson. And everything is great, except for Steve's giant crush on their new bartender.

If Wishing Made It So | 29,656 | leveragehunters (Monkeygreen)

Summary: When HYDRA found the Tesseract they also found a genie in a bottle. Knowing a genie's wishes are a trap that will turn and bite you, they used the power of the Tesseract to enslave the genie. It cost them three wishes but it bought them an Asset with power greater than any human and for 70 years they used him to work HYDRA's will on the world. Until they lost him. His bottle washes up on a beach and he's found by a new Master, Steve Rogers. Steve, horrified at having absolute power over someone, has a very different approach to being in control of a genie. While Bucky waits for his new Master to show his true colours they're trying to work out how to live with each other. Bucky doesn't trust Steve, Steve's friends don't trust Bucky, and no one realises HYDRA has not let their Asset go so easily.

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[that-starry-freak]

Okay, wow. Uhm.. I'm honestly kind of tired of all the fandom discourse. So i- I want to talk about it.

 This is honestly about to be really personal. So CW for mentions of hypersexuality and grooming(that ones at the very end), as well as mentions of harassment and aphobia. I also vaguing a bit, but its not too explicit (I do name 2 people at some point but im defending them and talking about how they dont deserve to be harassed, so-) and I'm not talking negatively about anyone!

Also please ignore my terrible grammar/spelling. This is kind of just me ranting and in no way is meant to be an actual well written essay or anything

Okay- so- god I was writing this all in my head but now I'm trying to type this out im coming up short

Okay, lets try this- there's no way to really neatly and perfectly segway into what I want to talk about, but I'll try my best

I just really want to talk about the harassment that's been going on in the fandom. Because its really just.. frustrating.

First is the allegations of aphobia.

Yes, aroace people can be aphobic! But can we please learn the difference between projecting and aphobia. 

There are aroace people in this fandom seeing Moon and Nexus and deciding to make them not sex repulsed because they arnt. Ive seen people get called aphobic for making them demiaroace, or aceflux, or just non-repulsed aroace. And I've seen people make fics of awful acts, "correcting" their asexuality, and being purposely tagged wrong.

Which one of these is actual aphobia, hm?

Should have started with this but, yknow, it's too late for that now- ehem, 

Hi! I'm Astro, a aceflux lesbian who struggles with hypersexuality. I, personally, am actually really uncomfortable with people making Moon not aroace and shipping him, even in aus. Im uncomfortable with them even making him not repulsed most of the time. What do I do though? I dont harass people. I just don't interact with the content!

And I have no problem with people making Nexus not repulsed/aroace. Why?? Because canonical hes confused and unsure about if he's aroace or not! And I know a lot of people on the ace and aro spectrum(s), including me, can relate to that feeling. The unsureness of if you are, and even if you know you are, not knowing where you are in the spectrum. I personally love making Nexus somewhere along the lines of demi or gray, because that would add more representation! Especially with Old Moon back now, we have our repulsed rep. That doesn't mean they can't both be repulsed! I'm just saying that having another character be another side of the spectrum (whether its non-repulsed aroace, demiaroace, demiaro and alloace, etc.) Would be nice. 

Personally, I've been tempted to make an au where Nexus started experimenting with sex and it starts clogging his mind. Because I enjoy his character, and I want to project my own experiences onto his character. There's nothing wrong with it?? Self inserting into canon characters is a tale as old as time, just as old as ocs.

There is literally nothing wrong with wanting to have more representation or have a character that represents you. That isn't ace or aro phobic- i don't get how people don't understand that. I know multiple aroace people who like dating, or who are dating. I also know aroace people who just like qprs and can't stand dating. I know aroace people who have been confused and have fluctuated with their sexuality as I've known them, trying to figure themselves out. There are different types, and people want to see themselves in a character that is similar to them. Whats wrong with that?

Now, I am not defending the people who constantly are like "well aroace people can date too", completely ignoring the fact that some are repulsed. I'm not defending the people that say that whenever you mention that a character doesn't like to date because they're repulsed. I've seen it happened to people who literally have aus and are talking about their versions if the character and how they never want to date, and people say that. It's fucking annoying. And ya, pretty aphobic.

But non-repulsed aroace people saying that about their own au versions of characters isn't the same thing. Defending their headcanons of a character because it helps them better connect to it isn't the same thing- im like, so confused about how we don't understand this already??

Another this is- and I can't believe I have to say this -can we NOT fucking harass people??? Like holy shit why do I have to say this?

Yes, this includes people who support terrible things. This includes people who just don't like the same things as you. Yes, this includes people that don't like you.

Because, fun fact, that just makes the situation worse. Someone saying something bad about somebody, and then a bunch of people swarming them and telling them their wrong, isn't going to change their mind. It'll actually just make them have an even more negative view of the person.

Now, spreading awareness about a person who is actively harassing people is different. But that also doesn't mean you should see that awareness and go harass that person. Again, its going to make it worse.

Instead, report. Block. Do whatever you can to keep yourself and others safe. Please don't harass people though. Please.

And yes holy shit this includes if they ship things you don't like! Holy fuck why do I even have to say this- if you disagree with someone, block them. Don't fucking spread rumors. You fucking people keep complaining about all the discourse and then attack shippers. What the fuck?? Stop it. The ones you are attacking don't even do shit, they're just chilling. Some people Eccpecially!! I feel bad about mentioning directly, but people like @/kuuchaos and @/zthesheep (not tagging because I don want to bother them and also im a coward. Wishing them all the support in the world tho) haven't even done anything! They're just getting harassed because they're associated with people these harassers don't like.

Hell, i- who has barely done anything but support people -am terrified of getting harassed. Because I'm associated with these "big blogs", I'm at risk of being harassed. Its ruining my mental health, which was just finally getting better- its frustrating. I literally had to take a break from tumblr because I was so anxious, and I felt sick to my stomach and was shaking a bit. I just want to make friends and have fun and post art, but I'm scared of being yelled at literally becuas elf people who I associate myself with.

I know im at risk just because I'm mutuals with two of these blogs. Just because I post and reblog ship things, and reblog things from these "big blogs". Im- augh. I luckily haven't been harassed, and have blocked the harasser in question, but that doesn't stop the crippling anxiety of the fact that i may be in the future. That's not okay. Its awful that this fandom is so fucked up that people who havnt even done shit are afraid of being harassed- or are actually being harassed!

Can I remind everybody that the VAs literally asked everyone not to harass each other and to just chill out? Sure, I'm all for death of the author, but thats not what that is. You can't just take canon and use it to harass people, but completely ignore the people who made that canon. That's fucked up. Either ignore canon all together, or listen to the VAs. Either you, you have no reason to harass people.

Anyway, I hope soon we can all be a lot nicer to each other. Seriously, I dont care about disagreeing with ships. I dont even think we should all be friends, im not a fucking elementary school teacher. But I think we should all at least be respectful to each other and not literally harass and send fucking gore to people. Eccpecially fuckimg CHILDREN like im sorry whos idea was that?? Those gore anons need to be put in prison because that is one of the most disgusting things I've heard in a fandom- and I've been in some pretty horrific fandoms (*cough*dsmp*cough*)

So uhm- yeah

Please dont harass me for speaking out against harassment, like seriously. I'm not promoting harassment or aphobia, or incest or anything. Especially grooming, considering i may have been groomed by one of my friends in 3rd grade??? Idk, the more you know-

Im also not inviting an argument. Please dont argue with me, please. Or even disagree with me in reblogs or comments or tag me or anything. It may seem childish, but I instinctively want to argue back and I just want to avoid that. Please.

But yeah, let's just be decent to each other pls. Use that nifty block button more, please and thank you <3

(THIS WAS NOT REREAD OR EDITED! plus I was having extreme pain at the end cause of cramps- and I was emotional and frustrated at the beginning. So this all may be a bit incoherent/rude, but im trying

Again, please don't harass me- especially over me talking about my hypersexuality and things- its hard for me and personally <3)

[mintedmouse]

Project Sekai LGBT headcanons

This is just for fun. If you have other hcs for them good for you. Includes what I hc their gender/sexuality as and how I think their journey would be

Leo/Need:

L/n is full of pretty girls who frequent a music shop so it's more like who would be the most okay with being hit on by random teenage boys.

Ichika: Ace Bisexual. I feel like she wouldn't really think about questioning her sexuality until high school. Saki and Shiho are probably the ones who introduce her to the whole concept and Ichika goes oh wait. You mean people are fr when they talk about sexual attraction?! People actually do that? You mean not everyone thinks girls are also pretty??? Wow.

Saki: Pansexual. Learned about the LGBT community while having nothing to do in the hospital and scrolling the internet all day. Took a "I am Gay?" quiz online and got the Gay result and was so convinced the computer Scanned her brain and found the Gay Gene:tm: or something she just took it at face value. It happened to be right.

Honami: Bisexual but doesn't realize it until like last year of highschool. I feel like she is the type of girl who really wants to get married to some guy and have four kids, and while she does want that, it could get in the way of further self reflection of realizing straight people don't also think they wouldn't mind dating a girl also.

Shiho: Come on what character has 'listening to girl bands' as a hobby? Lesbian. She's been known since she was a kid but she's kept it to herself.

I don't have any gender hcs for L/N specifically but hcs that I see hc shiho as transmasc always kinda read to me as 'this girls wearing pants woahhh that = guy now!!' like please. its ok to just say tomboy. We need to bring the word tomboy back. But you can do whatever you want!

MORE MORE JUMP!

Minori: Transfem Lesbian. Saw Haruka performing as a kid and went do I want to be her or do I want to date her? And the answer was yes.

Haruka: Ace Lesbian. I feel like she could have some gender stuff but I don't think she would really would dig that deep into herself in her teenage years. She's too busy on that grindset to really reflect on herself all that much. It's only until the others in MMJ encourage taking breaks and meditation and all that does she really think that much. But I don't think she'd be too open about it. She has a perfect idol rep to uphold... I feel like she could enjoy using she/he pronouns.

Airi: Transfem Lesbian. Tries to lowkey be progressive and push progressive values within her seat as a signed idol, is so glad when MMJ forms and she can be more openly herself.

Shizuku: Demisexual. Another classic case of 'you mean not everyone is like this?'.

Vivid Bad Squad:

Kohane: Demigirl Lesbian. Has been out since like 9 and has wonderful support parents.

An: An is so much, to me, one of those bisexuals who thinks one male celebrity is hot so she thinks she's straight for So. Long. Even though she is constantly talking about how pretty other girls are. Thinks she's just a feminist. She just loves hyping up other girls okay!! Goes up to VBS and goes "its so funny how I'm the only straight person here haha!" and everyone just side eyes each other like. Does she know. She does not. One day she joins the schools GSA club and goes oh wait. When she comes out to her dad he just goes "??? I know? Did you not already tell me this?" Also she's ace because that one jacket she has with the ace colors is trying to tell us something.

Akito: This is the most cishet guy I've ever seen, tbh not every character has to be gay like--[notices the snipers laser sight trained on my forehead] I-I MEAN UM HES UHM HES UH BISEXUAL YEAH THATS WHAT I MEANT TO SAY

Toya: Demiboy Gay. Also has been out since 9 and as you can imagine his dad had the exact opposite reaction as Kohane's dad. I don't even think he would've come out I just think Toya asked for like a barbie doll and his dad went Oh My God I Am Raising A Homosexual. And kid Toya was like I don't even know what that is! He happened to be right. Eventually comes out properly to his dad in the present day and he probably has the same reaction to that as his music choices. Also Toya and Kohane highfive over being demigender.

Wonderlands x Showtime

Tsukasa: Identifies as cishet and just a really good ally for so long. Watched Saki fill out the am i gay quiz and by the time she could turn around to ask if he wanted to take it too he was already out the door on his way to buy the entire Target pride collection. Too preoccupied with being the most obnoxious ally you've ever seen to think about himself. Years later when WxS is having their reunion shows he goes oh by the way guys I think I'm genderfluid and pansexual and everyone just goes yeah we fucking know. He thought for so long that it was just really convincing 'method acting'.

Emu: Has no idea what the LGTV community is for so long but not in a heteronormativity way, in a 'she doesn't know that people have preferences at all' way. Thinks everyone is pansexual by default. Someone points out to her that hasn't she noticed that most people are either guys attracted to girls or vice versa? And she goes oh really? I never noticed that! Immediately comes out as pansexual.

Nene: Transfem Bisexual. The one whos constantly trying to nudge Tsukasa and Emu like 'hey. cishet people dont do that btw. jsyk.'

Rui: Transmasc pansexual. Him and Nene swapped genders as kids and that's why they're friends. Years later when Tsukasa finally comes out and then reveals he has the most generic stock photo image ass boyfriend Rui has to excuse himself to go punch a wall and say I KNEW IT!!!

Nightcord at 25:00

Kanade: If you think this girl is ever going to do any self reflection ever you're wrong. Truly does not care enough to identify as anything. If someone asked her if she was cishet she'd just shrug and go 'sure' and then go kiss a girl. Goes by any pronouns because her own pronouns are none of her business. Learns about gender and sexuality when Mizuki comes out because you know that she has absolutely no idea about it before. Also thought everyone was pan by default like Emu. Even if she did ID as anything she would forget about it a week later. None of her business! I think if any random teen on the street asked her out she would say yes and then ghost them because she is too awkward to say no.

Even if she wouldn't bother to identify as anything I like to see her as a demigirl demisexual lesbian which totally isn't mostly my own identity I'm not projecting hahaha.

Mafuyu: Also has no idea about the lgtv community and is very interested when Mizuki comes out to everyone. The empty sekai has an earthquake when she finds out. Is very curious how these people seem to know these things about themselves! Has more stuff on her plate to properly deep dive into herself until college. Experiments a lot in college. Every week she's trying new pronouns like she's trying to cast a magic spell and everything will magically click for her. Eventually goes 'man I dont know its complicated' and goes by they/them and queer. I like to see her as agender lesbian though.

Ena: Lesbian. Akito saw her taking a am i gay quiz once years ago and he will never let her live it down. Like to tease her about it but is cool when their dad asks what they're fighting about. I like to imagine her and Airi both came out as lesbian to each other at the same time like 'omg that's what i was gonna say!'

Mizuki: Transfem bisexual. We been knew this.

[xamaxenta]

How the fuck do these anons read my mind??? I was JUST thinking loz mas au a half hour ago and was waiting to get out of work????

Anyway mas as the reincarnating holders do the triforce.

Marco is the ever pretty prince of hyrule and triforce of wisdom. He’s generally cool as a leader but can come off as a tad too devoted to some. It’s not his fault the god of wisdom whitebeard is generally the favorite and a cool dude given he gives out blessings like candy and will just adopt mortals as his children at will. (Marco is ofc the favorite but people forgive him because it means he keeps reincarnating as the prince and is a great ruler). Marcos court can be shit though until he cleans house.

Speaking of cleaning house sabo as the triforce of courage and ‘eternally loyal knight of the prince’ (a bullshit excuse that is a pain in Marcos ass. Sabo sticks around Marco to annoy him because Marco can’t exactly punch his ‘knight’ in the middle of court and because sabo adores viciously purging the royals of corruption and Marco likes that) sabo is a tad less  conspicuous as the other two holders but that’s in part due to the fact that dragon god of courage doesn’t interact with many mortals and only really likes the batshit crazy ones.

Then there’s ace. Gerudo king(? He prefers captain only thank you but his sisters like annoying/bragging about him so this keeps happening) and holder of the triforce of power. He’s not actually the only male gerudo ace just reincarnates and transes his gender each iteration and his sisters are bros so started a the legend to make things easier for him when he turns up again. He’s got the worst reputation because the god of power roger can be…. Destructive. It’s not totally intentional power just does that and ace can do it to as the holder of the triforce of power. It has earned him a bad rep however and gerudo by proxy but the girls are having NONE OF IT.

Anyway they keep reincarnating and falling in love because they are meant to be a whole even if they have no memories of eachother each time. Same person just slightly different each time type thing and it’s great even if they have to occasionally help ace fend off the god of corruption Blackbeard who is set on possessing the triforce of power.

Except eventually it goes wrong as sabos parents in one reincarnation are especially dickish and cannot stand their highborn son favouring scum like ace when he could just be with the prince Marco alone. So listening to the shadow birdy on their ear they do a ancient ritual to seal ace away and essentially imprison him so he can never be an ‘issue’ again.

Sabo and Marco rip the world apart but can’t save ace before they die of old age and tragically each reincarnation doesn’t remember their past lives so they just….. forget about ace. There’s something missing they know sabo and Marco don’t fit together perfectly without him but they don’t know what it is.

Until eventually one lucky cycle they find a pretty male gerudo frozen in time and can’t walk away without freeing him

!!!! This is so detailed and well written i dont have much to say except wow!! I love it especially Prince Marco 💕

I mean I love all of this I’d love to draw something for this au would this make Marco and Sabo basically hylians?

Or would there be leeway for Sabo to be something else ?

Sorry if i sound like a massive noob

[scribbleymark]

"Well meaning" allo people trying to recommend shit to me because there might be an aro or ace character in it need to realize that at this point, I genuinely do not care anymore.

That character is not there for me, an actual AroAce person. That character is a virtue-signal by an allo creator who expects effusive praise for doing 2-second tokenism. They're the "blink and you miss it" rep on page 342 in book number 5 of a 12 book series. They're in one episode out of 60, and are immeditately forgotten and have no real importance to the story. They might not actually even be aro/ace: that's just fanon. They might be aro/ace, the devs even said so, but only if you WANT to interpret them that way.

Wow, thanks. How incredibly unworthy of my time, creativity, or investment.

[vintage-bentley]

Im a gendie but i really agree with what you say and neils horrid “rep” like wow its soooo woke to tip toe around calling these two gay its sooo woke to not want to label them as gay 😒 and seeing other gays im around praise it is just so weird to me 😅 how is refusing to acknowledge crowley and aziraphale as gay any sort of representation? oh right for the “aromantic” and “asexual” and “agender” crowd but leave the gay men out of it for the woke points

I’m glad we can find common ground!

I still maintain that the claims of it being “asexual”/“aromantic” representation is just a convenient excuse. It’s a way to celebrate the lack of gay romance without having to say “I don’t want two men to kiss in front of me”. Consider this: how many homophobes prefer that gay people stay celibate and not “act on their desires”, instead of being in a happy relationship? The so-called “aro/ace” representation is actually just giving those homophobes what they want. But we can’t say that, so we have to dress it up in acceptable language.

I could go on and on about it. I just can’t believe we’re at a point where people are celebrating the lack of explicit homosexuality on screen (and before the homophobes interpret this to mean literal porn, I am talking about hand holding, “I love you”s, kissing, etc. and yes, even allusions to sex because every straight couple on screen gets that. A certain GO straight couple got a whole sex scene yet nobody told Neil to just go write porn, like they tell gay people to just go watch porn when we say we want representation of healthy gay sex). We only just got to a point where we have explicit gay representation…and suddenly it’s all “the gays have had their time, no more romance for them!” Before we could even get used to having proper representation. It’s homophobia, plain and simple, and anyone who doesn’t see it is incredibly ignorant.

[dervampireprince]

Hey prince!

I wish I could say this off anon but I’m not out on my main blog (real life people follow me). I’m Bel (@yourbestiebel) and I wanted to say a few things! First, Happy one year anniversary! I found your YouTube channel quite recently and your audios have helped me SO MUCH. Thank you for all the work you put in! I love the NB and Aspec rep in your works- it’s very touching to me as a gray ace NB. I appreciate the gender affirmations and such that are in your audios - I think i have actually cried listening to some of them. The amount of validation and comfort is just so real! Finally, you inspired me to find the confidence to finally record and post my first one! (I’ve also had my mic since 2019 and never used it lol) I posted my first video on YouTube today! I’m not really a voice actor and i probably won’t record NSFW audios like you but I wanted to message you anyways because if i hadn’t found your channel i don’t think i would’ve made an audio at all.

thank you so much! i started putting aspec things in there as i'm demiromantic and demisexual and just hoped others wouldn't mind but i was really worried people would react badly, but no one did and i'm so happy. i'd like to continue making audios with those themes. and oh wow your first audio? congrats! i hope you stick at it if you find it fun. i hope you don't mind me having a little peak and a listen? you're voice is really nice, the audio is very cozy.

[maidenvault]

🔥🔥🔥🔥 3, 5 and 12 plz queen 😘

Thank you bestie 🥰

screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

Lately I've seen SW fans get mad about how criticisms of the Jedi Order (which make a good point only like 20% of the time imo) are wrong because no people just don’t get it, the Jedi are “ace representation" and "East Asian representation.” I'm still recovering. Incorporating eastern philosophy into their ideology is “representation”? A monastic order is asexual rep?? (Even though the Jedi aren’t even necessarily celibate, that’s not the point, hello?) Wow if only I'd seen a Star War during the first 27 years of my life that I had no understanding of my sexuality and how to accept myself this way, everything could have been different. 😂

worst discord server and why

Oh gosh, I've only ever joined three discord servers including one for just my old college friends and me, lol. All can have their own bullshit, I'm sure, but I don't have one to vent about in particular.

the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

I’ve heard a lot of “Ugh who cares about Colin though” re: Bridgerton season 3. I like Colin! Idk he’s a good boy, it’s not a deep show lol. I loved him threatening to expose Penelope’s cousin to protect her family, I think they’re gonna be cute together.

[on-stardust-wings]

Regarding the good omens post I do believe it's weird useless discourse, but also I cant help but get mad when I see someone say shit like "headcanoning Crowley and Aziraphale as anything other than men is homophobic and transphobic" like yes I've only seen it once and it had a bunch of reblogs but FUCK it's so tone deaf and chronically online that it ruined my day.

Absolutely weird useless discourse, yeah. It helps nobody. It achieves nothing. It just makes people mad at each other over... fictional characters.

The beauty of Good Omens is that especially Aziraphale and Crowley, both as individuals and concerning their relationship, are so easy to read into whatever suits you best. It's one thing that really spoke to me about its fandom, too, when I first came here, the way fans were happy to interpret them as gay men, as genderqueer, as trans, as ace, as so many things, and there was art and fic with it and it all happily coexisted. Like, last year it was normal and celebrated that you'd read one fic, be it canon or AU, where they're gay married and then another where they ace and in a QPR and then one where one of them is intersex and all of them were right and wow look at all our cool rep and the community and the love and acceptance we have for each other here. I loved that. It was such a welcoming place.

And, thing is, I think it still is. The majority of those people are still here. Gatekeepers are a small, loud minority in any community, and looking at the notes on my rant post... yeah, a large number of fans want to have this open to interpretation, this accepting culture around the show and the ship (and are still in fact living it, enjoying a variety of different queer readings of the show and book).

I agree with you, it's very tone deaf.

Also, a thing people forget about Good Omens is that it isn't a queer rep show. It's the adaption of a book, it's a story about averting Armageddon, about finding out who your friends are and where you belong and who you are and learning to do what is right by you own moral compass. It does Good Omens a great disservice to reduce it to "oh, it's queer". It includes queer coded characters. It includes queer themes. But they're not meant to be the core message. They're one element of the story among many. Good Omens is a very rich and nuanced narrative, and some of those nuances include genderless characters and characters in relationships that aren't straight.

But a number of people don't see themselves represented exactly the way they want to, either by Good Omens on its own or by Good Omens when comparing it to other things like Our Flag Means Death, and now they're unhappy about it (because they're hurting), and lashing out at everyone who likes the thing they don't like, not seeing that all it does is hurt other queer people. (I'm starting to be a little bit Internet Old, and this is such a common, sad pattern in online spaces for minorities, especially spaces that tend towards minority activism. It's true for queer spaces, for disability rights, for the fight against racism... A lot of us have been hurt in our lives, and continue to be hurt, and the hurt makes us defensive, and we lash out at each other instead of standing together against the actual problems. Fighting amongst ourselves weakens and distracts us, and leaves us with less energy to deal with the actual problems. ... Sorry for ranting.)

[not-another-robin]

Alright @t4tbruharvey asked for both Cassie and Alfred so we're GETTING both Cassie and Alfred <3 <3 this time Cass! Forgive me I don't know too much canon info about her, if anyone has comic recs lmk! I'm also gonna skip a few cuz I just don't know enough for it

favorite thing about them

I love that she's allowed to be a scary urban legend!! Her costume rocks and she was never (to my knowledge) kiddie or sidekick-ified, you look at her like wow that's the mf Batman! She's a young girl but thats a fucking Batman if I ever saw it! I'm also a sucker for characters who look like they could kill you because they absolutely can, but at the end of the day they're sweeties <3

least favorite thing about them

Mmmm idk, I kinda think the idea of "the language parts of her brain were developed into fighting parts!1!1" is um. Dumb ajdbwjs like it's just that DC brand of making science shit up, it's hilarious but it's a little silly for Cass. But I do like the idea that she communicates differently in general, I think having her speak in sign language is cool (she's more comfortable speaking with her body because that's what she is wired to focus on) or she has abbreviated speech, I think it would just be a neat bit of rep to have a very capable hero speak non-traditionally.

BroTP

I love her and Dick bonding over Eldest Daughter syndrome together despite neither of them being those things. I just think they'd have a fun dynamic, spine shatteringly capable but also in a silly and goofy mood. They paint each other's nails and watch YouTube commentary videos

OTP

I actually don't ship her with anyone! I just don't know which characters interact with her/are in her age range. Plus she strikes me as a lil aro/ace on vibes alone.

random headcanon

Animals really like her! Like, to a noticeably odd degree. When she walks around Gotham she gets lovingly accosted by like multiple crows. The geese in the Wayne pond only answer to her. There are multiple stray cats she knows by name and come by to be fed at her windowsill. Damian is a little jealous and wants her to teach him her ways, but she always just shrugs.

song i associate with them

My first thought was Escapism from Steven Universe :") baby Cass energy

favorite picture of them

Again I havent read her comics but a quick scroll through Pinterest produced great results. Also bonus I LOVE this interaction between her and also

[your-cool-cousin]

Let’s talk about asexuality in media.

It’s a fact well-known to all queer people, no matter their identity, that we are all underrepresented and when we are it is often more harmful than helpful. This all boils down to homophobia, of course, but each identity has a specific homophobic-based “reason” as to why.

For asexuality, it’s because sex and romance are easy to write. They’re classic plot tools that ensures drama and clamor from fans. Don’t have a side plot for these two characters? Make ‘em have sex. You’ve got two best friends nearing the end of an arc? Make ‘em fall in love. It’s prominent in literally every type of media you will ever consume. And going hand-in-hand with that, allo people tend to think that because aspec folks don’t feel romantic and/or sexual attraction, that they don’t feel at all. This is why when we see “canon” aspec characters (or even headcanoned ones) they’re often aliens, robots, or even animals. Asexual people are not seen as human, and allo people don’t know how to write humans that don’t want to have sex.

So now let’s talk about Esperanza “Spooner” Cruz. And how especially in a show like Legends of Tomorrow that’s very fun and silly and everyone sleeps with a bunch of people, I never expected an ace character in a million years.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried when the scene played. My identity is so important to me and usually I try so hard to be like “ah it’s no big deal that no one knows what it means” to try and protect myself before other people can hurt me, but to see this character as so whole and so human broke me. And there was no blurry definition or sly hinting, a crumb of representation for us to wrap our hands around. Spooner is asexual, and she says as such.

The interaction went as follows:

Z: “so: smash marry kill… [names three male characters]”

S: “uh… no, not—not really into any of them”

Z: “copy, okay, how about [names three female characters]”

S: “not—not—not really into any of them either.”

Z: “also copy, okay. So what is your type?”

S: “you know, I don’t really get those types of feelings for anyone. [joking] Maybe it’s one of those things those mushrooms aliens messed up about me, huh?”

Z: “hey, no, no, no. What you’re describing is totally normal. It just means maybe you’re ace. Asexual, people who identify as ace have little to no interest in sex but many of them still want to be in relationships.”

S: [tearing up] “wow… uh… [chuckles] I guess that makes me ace.”

So not only did they explain the sexuality, they used the actual terminology for it and didn’t shy away from “tackling” the topic. This character is not a robot or an alien. She is not unshakable or emotionless. She has been shown many times to feel, and to feel deeply. She’s cried, she’s raged, she’s been anxious and happy and determined. She is well-rounded with a good sense of humor and a deep love for her friends.

I myself identify as arospec asexual, and just because I don’t feel sexual or romantic feelings for people, doesn’t mean I don’t love. In fact, I love more than I think people would ever know. I love my friends more than the world, I’d do anything for them. I love my best friend so much it feels like my heart will explode when I think about her. I make her playlists with songs that remind me of her, I surprise her with gifts sometimes. But I don’t want to be in a romantic relationship with her, or any of my friends. Platonic love is so very important and I cannot wait to see more of this character and her journey with her newfound identity. An identity which, upon finding out there was a word for it, she cried. She was so relieved to know she was “normal.” That she wasn’t “messed up” or “broken” as many asexual people do. So thank you, Legends of Tomorrow. Thank you, Lisseth Chavez and Tala Ashe, thank you. Thank you for helping the next generation of asexual people find themselves and take this step towards mainstream rep.

There is nothing wrong with you if you don’t feel things the same way other people do. You are still deserving of love. And if no one else will give you that love, I will.

[sundaeserenade]

There seems to be no fics in the AO3 tag so I’m curious if you have any outsider POV headcanons for Reguri? What is the impression that beginner trainers and random waitstaff make of them?

i actually think fics like that wouldn't be tagged in the "greenred" relationship tag. try looking in the additional tags for reguri, bc i know it's author etiquette to only tag relationships that are prevalent. i know i saw a few with raihan and leon and reguri but i don't have them saved. but i also think this idea may be hidden in multi-chaptered fics or one-shots, because it's a broad idea.

but sure, i have some.

so red is praised and known to be a legend in literally every region. (kanto is a region that other regions look to for inspiration for their own pokemon leagues canonically so) of course there are some who have no idea who he is that aren't in the pkmn sphere, but most trainers know of him and if they don't, they quickly learn.

for green, i hc that he's known, just not as widely. kanto calling him the phantom champion really hurt his rep, and with red overshadowing him, it's hard for green's image to break through that barrier. i still believe that green is well known, as his story is closely tied to red's. in order to talk about red, you have to mention green, so.

trainer veterans know of them and learned about them in pokemon school. if you're an ace trainer/pkmn ranger/gym leader/elite four/champion former or otherwise and you don't know about red and green? WOW what are you doing.

once trainers have carved a name for themselves, they need to know about all the champions of the other regions, both former and current. think of football players and how people know everything there is to know about former players or the greatest players. that's how it is in pokemon.

for ordinary people like waiters and cashiers who they run into, it's a fifty-fifty chance that they're recognized. for these people, it's entirely possible they've heard of them, but they don't know what they look like, so they wouldn't recognize them. red likes it when they're not recognized. green doesn't bc he loves attention.

the closer you get to the pokemon sphere like cashiers at pokemon centers/shops/markets, clothing stores for trainers etc. then they're recognized a lot more because people who work at those establishments know more about the pokemon world than ordinary people

when any of these people meet red or green they do the usual "are you red?? the legend?? oh my god i watched your battle in the champion tournament on tv!! you're so cool, can i get a selfie??" and red has to pose for a selfie. LMFAO

variations of that happen. like autographs and hand shakes. there are people who are more nervous to approach, especially when red's on his own.

if red's on his own, only the boldest will approach him, like trainers who know about him and are big fans of his.

if green is with red, then more people will come bc green's friendly aura cancels out red's intimidating one

also people who have no idea about trainers and champions or whatever think red and green are two attractive men, are they single? oh no wait they have wedding bands. they're married. good for them, good for them.

green's very charming and talkative so if people don't know about him they do when he's finished speaking with them. he grows his follower base this way

red doesn't need to do this because he doesn't care about his image. he likes his fans but he's introverted, he doesn't know how to like…talk to people and he has social anxiety, but he's happy people think he's a cool trainer. legendary though? he has mixed feelings about that

green absolutely thinks he's legendary and he thinks red is, too. he has to keep reminding red that he's amazing. he does this while kissing him

red and green go out during certain times of day to avoid too much attention. like early mornings and late evenings are when they do things. if they have to go out during busy hours, they wear disguises or whatever.

pokemon professors LOVE THEM because they have so many pokemon caught. i hc that champions and ace trainers, etc. are always called up by pokemon professors for research purposes

red and green have sponsors!! a lot actually. since red won't deviate from his t-shirt and jean combo, their sponsors have had to adapt to get him to wear merch

they mostly do interviews!! and by they i mean green. red will do an interview once in a blue moon, but they only do this when they're hard pressed on money. they get A TON when red agrees so they wait for the highest bidder to come along so they can score some cash

green could also do photo shoots…he could do that and he probably does do that.

i may have more, but that's all i got right now! thank you for asking!

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: August 8th

Well, doing big posts all together worked for a while but lately I’ve been putting it off because it takes a long time to get them done. I think I’m gonna try switching back to answering asks whenever I can fit it in and posting them one at a time instead of waiting until I’ve filled out one of these major collections.

But for now, here’s more ask answers! Thank you for the questions and for all the kind words along with them ^^.

Hello!! I'm here to ask if its possible to get  the game and its dlcs on steam and play it on android?

I’m afraid not. Steam doesn’t have Android builds on their own site and Steam is not cool with keys for other sites being given out for Steam purchases, so you don’t get the Itch version from buying on Steam.

Hello! Sorry to bother you but, I had a question, if we buy the Game on itchio do we get steam keys or would we need to purchase it twice? 

You would have to buy it twice if you want it in both places, I’m sorry. To repeat myself a little, Steam doesn’t like the key trading thing. Itch may support giving keys for another site, but the reverse isn’t doable with Steam and Steam doesn’t even really want you to get a Steam key for buying somewhere else either. So we just don’t mess around with that.

hey, sorry if this is frequently asked, but is step 4 free dlc or paid for? some of your sources are contradicting each other. 

It’s free! There’s a paid wedding DLC, but Step 4 itself is entirely unpaid.

Hello! I just had a quick question, for the Baxter and Derek DLC's will we be able to confess our feelings to them or let them confess to MC? or will it only be one way? (they confess to MC)

Both type of options will be available!

Hey there! I wanted to ask whether or not the Derek DLC is still on track to be released in August since on the steam discussion board it says it will be released mid 2021. I totally understand if it isn't, I'm just really looking forward to it! If you answer then ty! And keep up the amazing work :D 

It’s not, aha. Unfortunately, 2021 wasn’t easier than 2020 as we hoped so things are still slower than planned. It’ll come out late 2021 or early 2022.

Hi! Firstly I just want to say that I LOVE Our Life. I have played a bit of similar games but this one instantly wins for the best one! Everything about it is amazing! I just wanted to ask if Derek would ever lose feelings for MC, like if they make the deal and then MC gets with Cove would he move on? and even if you don't, after "losing contact" would his feeling fade or would he still like MC? 

If you don’t really keep in touch with him and clearly move on with your life, Derek will too and he’ll be over it. But if you are still close as best as you can be, he’ll still think the MC is special. Though, he’ll always support your relationship with someone else if that’s what’ll make you happy.

Hello! Sorry if you've answered this before but: 'How's Lee related to us? Though which momma? And does she share our player-chosen last names? Also, do you know if Noelani took Pam's last name or did it happen the other way round? 

She’s related to Pamela and Pamela’s last name is the one they use, so the MC has the same last name as Lee.

Will we be able to choose which (they or he) we tend to call Qiu by more often, or will it randomly change depending on the moment? 

Qiu knows which pronoun they’re comfortable with at a time and you’ll call them what they’re happy with. And it doesn’t change between lines, it takes multiple scenes or even full Steps for it to switch. So for extended periods Qiu will be totally a guy or fully agender.

Will Step 4 of OL2 have moments?

It’ll be an epilogue like it is in OL1, so it won’t have a bunch of different Moments.

Hello! Just a quick question, is Sunset bird from OL1 based on a real location? If so what's it called? I wanna visit it +_+

ps i love your games so much <3

It isn’t based on one specific town you can go to, but there are a lot of little coastal towns in Cali that have a similar vibe!

Heyaaa ( I hope you're all well ), umm… it might seem kinda stupid to ask but did Patreon members can have a key for the dlc's ( all the steps-released dlc ) even if they became a member this month or later ? (me? saying this cuz it's my case? maybe ;-;), and once again thanks for absolutely all the amazing works on all the games ! u-u 

You wouldn’t get the DLCs for backing there. The Patreon is for extra bonus content/early access, rather than being a storefront to purchase the normal DLCs. Rarely we give them out as a side gift, but it hardly happens and if what you want is the DLCs it’s best to ignore the Patreon and  buy keys for those directly from Itch or Steam. I’m sorry for the confusion.

Hey y'all, love what youre doing w/Terry. Trans rep outside of player customization is so rare and important to see more of so thank you so much. I do have a question and its that does he have a canon sexuality? I know Miranda was said to be straight ace but I dont believe anything was stated for Terry probably because he wasnt revealed to be a guy which changes things. Im also curious if well get answers on how long hes liked Miranda since he may have liked her in step 3 before she liked him 

Terry likes women and Randy likes men! And he did like Miranda back in Step 3.

Will the Wedding Dlc release at the same time as Step 4? 

They’ll come out separately with Step 4 releasing first.

I really love Our Life so much! I've spent over 20hours playing it even though I only got it a week ago! I was wondering if I could make a fangame for Our Life with a different love interest but same plot. Next-door neighbors romance, multiple steps, etc? I'll probably make it on Google Slides though- 

Sure! I hope you have fun with it and I’m glad you love the game.

How does Cove feel about poly relationships? 

He’s got nothing against them for the people they work for, but he’s 100% monogamous and would only be comfortable with a partner who was willing to be monogamous with him.

Idk if this has been answered before but will Step 4 include the option to advance your feelings towards Cove? 

Yep, you’ll be able to determine your feelings and what your relationship is.

In step 4 will there be a chosen to say we live with Cove even as just friends? 

Yeah, you can choose to live with Cove and that can be done when you’re friends.

I just played the game with the MC and Cove being best friends and omg it’s still so damn cute like the wholesomeness of it all is too much for my heart I swear ^.^  Now with that all said I was wondering can we still marry Cove? if we only love him as a friend like let’s say we’ve made deal with him similar to the one we can make with Derek because let’s real no one could compete with what the MC and Cove have even if they aren’t in love. 

It’s great to hear you enjoyed the friendship story! You can live with Cove, but you can’t marry him platonically. Cove has familial affection for the MC if they’re best-est friends. He wouldn’t think to marry someone he loves like family and even grew up with as though they truly were siblings.

Are you still going to be making a DLC for XOBD? :] 

Yes! We’re slowing adding voiced lines and fixing errors.

It makes me laugh that Shiloh's last name is Fields because that's what I put as my last name! So in Our Life when he talked about "Ms. Fields" picking him up I was extremely confused, lol. That dude mimics personalities so much that he stole my surname!

Oh, wow, that’s a very funny coincidence, haha.

hi !! i cant seem to be able to get the scene where mc is able to propose to cove despite being at the 'love' stage and telling him i'd want to get married, are there any other details that im missing out on? the options just dont appear at the end... 

Maybe you missed telling Cove you were in love with him even if you mentioned wanting to get married or you might’ve accidentally said earlier in the game that you don’t want to progress your relationship further with Cove. We haven’t removed them, so you can get the scene again. It’s just kind of easy to miss since there’s multiple requirements. You can read a little guide in the FAQ.

wait what di you need to do to be able to propose to cove? I've been trying but haven't had much luck 

You can check out the FAQ linked above!

does cove only develop a crush on the mc if the mc is also at crush/in love with him? 

Technically, yes. We treat the non-romantic relationship options as truly non-romantic since we don’t want to bait and switch people. But there’s nothing wrong with headcanoning that Cove does have feelings developing for the MC even before the MC has.

Is there a way to make/allow Lee and Baxter to date?

No, they just don’t have enough time together.

We also got a group of asks related to Tamarack in OL2, but I’m afraid the way they talked about people with larger bodies made me not want to post their words, even if the person didn’t say they’re trying to be hurtful. I will separate out the core question and answer it though, so people can know that info.

Does Tamarack lose weight in later Steps?

No, she doesn’t. As for the other questions included, to be honest, I don’t have to explain/defend having romance options of different sizes. I’m sorry if you’re dealing with unhappiness that’s connected to body image, if that’s where the negative emotions are coming from, but even so I can’t meet you on that level and pretend it’s a problem that needs an answer. A girl who simply isn’t thin being a main love interest is just not an unreasonable concept. Also, Tamarack isn’t a lesbian. Yes, she can date a female MC, but that doesn’t undo her actual sexuality, so I’m not sure where that one part at the end was coming from.

I wonder... can we "fight" with Qiu over leader status? 👀

Not really, haha. No matter how cool your MC is, they’re never gonna replace Qiu for the other kids around. So you can either partner up with him, follow him too, or not be a part of all that group politics stuff.

So when I play the game, sometimes I mentally call Cove “Covie/Covey” and that made me wonder, how does Cove feel about being nicknamed? Not like Romeo/Space Cadet/etc. but like pet names relating to his actual name

It’d depend on his age, personality, and your relationship with him! When he’s younger he’d probably be embarrassed, when he was grown he’d probably be more casual or happy about it.

will you be able to date baxter in step 3 while at crush with cove (but not dating him ofc) sorry if this has been asked already. i really love baxters step 4 design btw!! 

Yeah, you can be crushing on Cove and date Baxter if you weren’t already dating Cove. You just can’t be truly in love with Cove and then switch to Baxter.

I just got my friend into our life, and they adore shiloh and derek sooo will there be more of them in the second game? 

I’m afraid not. But you can see plenty more of Shiloh in XOXO Droplets/XOXO Blood Droplets, haha.

I see you haven't gotten any xoxo droplets asks recently but I'm still obsessed with these boys!! I was just wondering if Nate would curse under any circumstance? 

Yeah, Nate does use certain swear words (damn, hell, bastard) on very rare occasions.

Hi there! I have a question about the wedding dlc. Will we be able to plan a honeymoon during the planning stages of it or would it be something that Cove and the mc would rather plan later on? Thank you! Absolutly love the game by the way, definitely one of my favorite games! 

The focus will be on the wedding day itself. The topic of the honeymoon might come up a bit, but there won’t be any choosing of the exact location and such.

Hi! I have two questions and it's completely understandable if you only answer one/neither and I'm sorry if you've already answered either before! First, is there a set year in which OL:B&A takes place (ex: Step 1 being set in 2010 & Step 2 being set in 2016, etc.) or is it simply up to interpretation? Second, have you guys thought about doing a coming-of-age game where the MC has a tough home life or upbringing? (like one of their parents is an addict, a parent being transphobic whilst the player has the option to be trans, or having friends that are influencing them to do drugs, etc.) That's all! Thanks for making beautiful games. <3 

There is a set timeline!

Step 1: 2006 Step 2: 2011 Step 3: 2016 Step 4: 2021 

And we don’t currently plan on making a game like that. The Our Life series exists to be a safer environment for people to play around in and if we did do a brand new series that was harsher edged it’d be something more fantastical and/or plot-driven instead of a different type of modern day slice-of-life growing up story. I’m sorry.

i don’t know if you’ve already answered this, but do you have a guess on when phase 4 will come out? as well as ol2? i’m so excited for both of them, the inclusivity in this game is amazing, you guys should be really proud of it! 

Step 4 will be coming out very soon! OL2 is gonna take until 2023 to be anywhere near completion. But we might episodically release the Steps one at a time as they get done instead of waiting for three to be finished before launch like we did with the first game.

Hello, I was curious if there was an official or unofficial discord server for the game? 

We do have a discord! You can join by clicking this link HERE.

how long do you plan to keep ol's patreon running? 

Hopefully for at least a few more years.

Are you considering ever making merch? 

Yeah, but I don’t know when it’ll happen or what exactly we’ll make, aha. It’s something we want do, just nothing is set.

hi! i just found out about your game a couple of days ago on tiktok (so sorry if you’ve already answered this question) and i was wondering if y’all are ever planning to release it on iOS? 

I have no idea. It’s hard for a small group to get Apple approval and I honestly can’t say if it’ll ever happen or not. Maybe someday, though!

Hi, I love the art style of Our life and I would like to know if the artist has a Twitter? Also, could it be possible to fund more CGs for the game from him/her? So many times, I wish there was one like when the cutscene of the sunshower. 

That’s nice of you to offer. He doesn’t have a Twitter, at least not one that’s public enough to be shared with me. And I’m afraid not. The issue is that the CGs take huge amounts of time rather than there not being a budget for it. He’s gotta make CGs for Step 4, the DLCs, and new character sprites, too. There isn’t space in the schedule for even more. Sorry for that.

Hi, how are you?!

Are you planning on accepting new writers or is it always the same people who write your stories??

Thanks!!

Our Life: Beginnings & Always won’t be getting new writers, but we will be hiring a new team of writers for Our Life: Now & Forever eventually!

perhaps this counts as nsfw and I'm sure it has been answered before but what does Cove prefer, chests/boobs or butts? or perhaps both :3c thank you for this wonderful game (and the patreon bonus moment, it was worth all the waiting and more ♥) 

He’s a “chests of all shapes and sizes” kind of guy, haha.

i was wondering- did any of the writers actually grow up by the beach? as someone who's lived in a beach town all their life it really did feel nostalgic to play through our life 1 

I was born and raised in Cali! Though, not right by the beach. We still had to make trips out, but the setting is based on my own childhood memories of small beach towns we went through.

In Derek’s upcoming DLC, will we be able to reference the pact we made as teens? (love olba and xod/xobd so much btw you’re literally amazing) 

Yep, you will be able to talk about that!

Oh, sorry about the Cole being secretly L ask, then!

If you wanted context: Death Note is about this one guy who finds a notebook that kills anyone who you write the name of in there. The guy eventually develops a God Complex and starts mass killing criminals and stuff. L is the one trying to find out who is killing all these people.

Me and my sister first joked about it because I couldn't remember how to translate a word about the way Cove was sitting, so I just did the pose, and it looked a lot like how L himself sits! Then we just snowballed from there, with more and more nonsense connections.

That’s okay! Thanks for explaining. I’m sorry I didn’t know what you meant.