#-or enemy without having romantic implications at all

[anxiously-sidequesting]

You know what I love more than just heroes and villains going up against each other is when the hero and villain have a certain respect and acknowledgement to the other, have a special relationship or connection with the other, or just a general interest that's between just THOSE TWO GUYS and not anybody else Grandfather Spider Morganthe Schismist Soldier Duncan Grimwater

Like I could easily see the YW teaming up with almost any of those people (see: only GFS and Morganthe the other two are crazy) not out of maliciousness or because they switched sides but because they're just compatible with them in ways where it just makes sense. Like for example the YW fighting back-to-back with Morganthe or having in depth magical discussions with her because we understand her on a level no one else does. Like in a crazy season finale where the Savior of the Spiral would not even Dream of Ever Working With Those Ruffians but when they have to they're like so magical (no pun intended) together because they just click. Like in the original Teen Titans where Deathstroke and Robin were like fighting in Hell together and they were on the SAME WAVELENGTH despite being bitter enemies THAT'S THE SHIT I LIKE. I think maybe that's the reason why I resonate more with these guys than Malistaire because imo it's just so much more interesting and emotional when we get two people on opposite sides of the morale scale able to come together and work so fluently. This is also me saying I want a Schismist Soldier and YW Roommate Sitcom.

[autistichalsin]

I know I express dissatisfaction a lot about how hard it is to get Halsin upset at the player- how no amount of mistreatment from a romanced player will make him break up with them, how he NEVER asserts a boundary, how he tolerates even the most cruel comments. The rare times he expresses hurt, it still changes nothing about his interactions with the player and rarely costs more than one approval.

The reason I express this most of all with the new datamined dialogue is for two reasons: one, that one is so beyond the pale that it needs to be treated as evil, and should include Halsin saying so. But also, if Halsin won't even call it quits with a romanced player after THIS, it raises some really worrying implications.

Halsin should be allowed to have ONE situation where he'll go "no more" to the player's cruelty because... honestly? The pattern the writers established here actually makes me worried for Halsin.

Halsin rarely shows offense or anger at lines no matter how mean they are (even the player shooting down his romantic overture by comparing him to a deep rothe gets a hurt response but no loss of approval or scolding or anything). He stays with the player romantically even after they threaten to sell him back into sexual slavery in the new dialogue- he doesn't even lose a single approval point! And while he gets annoyed if the player toys with his heart by nearly breaking up with him multiple times and then changing their mind, even after the fourth time the player does this, when he says "sometimes it is difficult to love you," the implication there is clear- he still DOES love you. Even when he is deeply hurt by what you're doing, so much so that he straight up asks you, "does it please you to see me crestfallen?" and loses approval, he STILL doesn't break up with you or assert himself- he doesn't say next time is the last time, he doesn't call the player an asshole, nothing. He just takes it even when he gets hurt and upset again and again. In short: Halsin puts up with a LOT of manipulative, borderline abusive behavior from the player without more than an occasional ding in approval.

Then you add in Halsin's backstory of sexual slavery, him losing all of his family, being so socially isolated from his leadership role that he began to MISS being a sex slave, his sadness but quiet acceptance at the fact that everyone thinks his feelings can't be hurt due to his size, his survivor guilt over the shadow curse, and the fact that the player, even if they choose to mistreat him, is still the one who broke the curse with him, leaving him feeling permanently feeling indebted to them.

In other words: what the game is showing us ISN'T a wise and stoic, sage old elf who is just that unshakeable after all he's seen. They are showing us a man with so much unprocessed trauma and such a complete lack of personal boundaries that he is showing several warning signs he could easily end up the victim of domestic violence by a partner- whether that's evil!Tav or some other potential partner he might find after canon- without ever realizing it.

The other romanceable characters will dump you if you mistreat them or violate the terms of the relationship (I.E. sleeping with someone else when they made it clear they weren't poly). They all, even Astarion, have more willingness to stand up for themselves than Halsin does.

Halsin isn't a pushover, or at least, I don't think we're supposed to read him as one. He will fight whatever enemies he needs to. But when it comes to those close to him- and note that he calls the player his friend in ALL circumstances- he just refuses. The most is a ding of approval at times or a very quiet, quick comment that basically amounts to "that wasn't cool :( " before he moves on.

I know it wasn't what the writers intended, but it's what comes across in the text all the same.

(This is also why, on top of headcanoning Halsin as autistic, I am also firmly convinced he was bullied as a child- he just acts far too much like a grown-up victim of bullying)

[iamnmbr3]

'why do you ship drarry, malfoy bullied him'

malfoy should have been redeemed and they are absolutely OBSESSED with each other. It might as well be romantic

And ppl seem pretty sensible. If a bit too horny

I have thoughts on this. Because the thing is, no one should feel like they need a reason to dislike a ship or to not engage with it. They can have a reason. But it's also just fine to...not vibe with something. That's ok too. There's content and ships that make me super uncomfortable or that just plain dislike. Sometimes for clear specific reasons and sometimes just...because. Sometimes to the point that I hate even scrolling past it on ao3. And that's all ok. What's not ok is harassing other people over or it dictating what other people like or engage with. Wish more people remembered that. It would make fandom so much nicer if people could all do that.

And yeah. I feel like Draco's story needed more closure. I mean, canonically he does get a redemption arc - he changes his views and becomes a better person - but JKR somehow both wrote that and also doesn't acknowledge the implications. Also, after being such a central character and being literally the reason Harry wins his duel against Voldemort it feels weird for him to not at least have a final conversation with Draco where he gives his wand back etc. (And then they fall in love and get married epilogue whom?!)

Also I am more than on board with super dark highly toxic enemies to lovers ships. They aren't for everyone but I like them. To me personally though, drarry doesn't really fall into that category, at least as it is presented in canon. What Harry and Draco have to me feels like a rivalry - a very intense, very hostile one (I mean they do literally end up as soldiers on opposite sides of a war), but a rivalry nonetheless. And there is obviously a grey area between bullying and rivalry. My point is not to dismiss all the ways Harry and Draco have hurt each other. But merely to point out that to me the dynamic feels very different than shipping Snape and Sirius for example, or Draco and Ron for that matter, where it feels like there's more of a clear past bully & victim dynamic. This is not a reason to ship or not to ship any of these ships. To each their own. It's merely a commentary on how I tend to view drarry.

As to the last point. I don't think people can really be "too horny." Sex and sexual desire are just as valid to explore or depict in fiction/art and just as valid a reason to create fiction/art as any other reason. Generally speaking I find that the best and most creative and diverse fandom environments that lead to the greatest quality and diversity of content are the ones where people who want to be 'horny on main TM' in their creative endeavors can be without fear of any type of negative repercussion. That's not to say everyone has to create, enjoy or even engage with that type of content. But its presence is usually a sign of a healthy fandom ecosystem.

[thepenultimateword]

Too Tall Part Six

I missed my awkward space babies

||Part One||Part Two||Part Three||Part Four||Part Five||

Antolin held a hair tie in his teeth as he gathered his hair into a half-knot. His face was still pale, and his leg throbbed like hell, but he finally had the energy for an outing. Though, conscious to preserve that energy, he currently sat on the end of his bed, the wall mirror taken down and propped haphazardly in an open dresser drawer.

He turned his reflection from side to side as he ran his fingers through the top layer of tangles, scrutinizing the deep blue cross-wrap shirt from all angles. It had been a rather long time since he'd been on shore leave, so It had taken forever to find an outfit that wasn't a uniform or lounge clothes. The shirt's neck plunged a little low for comfort. It looked strange. Was that out of unfamiliarity or because it actually looked bad? He hadn't minded the look before, but now after several years of tight, high collars, he felt almost indecently exposed.

“You can’t be serious.”

Antolin briefly met Zae’s glaring eyes in the mirror. “What?" He took the hair tie in his hand and pulled the tail through two and a half times. "It’s just a walk.”

“You aren’t actually interested in that bloodmonger, are you?”

He picked up a hairpin with dangling blue glass beads and paused. Interested? Unai had been interesting since the moment she arrived on-station. But Zae was talking romantically, wasn't she? That was a much harder question. Antolin had always planned on having a relationship with another human--if his job ever gave him the time that was. Unai was about the furthest thing from a typical future that he could imagine. The culture, the planet...the height. Not bad...but complicated. Different. However, he had grown used to her presence. And the idea of going out to do something un-work related did make his heart speed a little fast. Not that any of that was enough to make sense of.

“I don’t know," he said. "Admittedly, it is a little strange. But I do like her. To what extent I’m still not sure. In any case, we're friends."

Zae frowned deeper, folding her long, slender arms. "She’s arrogant."

Antolin offered a half-shrug as he slid the pin into his bun. “She’s arrogant because she has a right to be. She does her job with a proficiency and vigor I’ve rarely seen.”

“Only because she’s trying to impress you. I swear, the rumors I've heard around the station since she's arrived. Does she have no shame?"

Rumors? He'd have to probe around about that once he was up and able again.

“I highly doubt she would have reached the rank of captain without a good work ethic.”

“Alright, but that doesn’t change that she's Ke'turian--an incredibly violent species. They take whatever they want by force. And you're human."

Antolin frowned at the implication. Did everyone see him as weak? He'd proven himself multiple times on the Zenith, enough times to get this position. Yet, sometimes, he had the impression that everyone was simply humoring him. His stripes held the threat of federal discipline, so they did as they were told. But they didn't actually respect him. Obviously whoever was letting in their enemies found him an easy target. And now Zae felt the need to fret over him as if he were a child. He even doubted his own abilities after that terrible fight with the Lasters.

But then there was Unai. She had said she'd battle alongside him. Surely a Ke'turian would know best about battle. It hadn't felt like a lie, even with her abrupt retreat after saying it.

He drew himself up in his seat. "I'm quite capable of defending myself against any threat. Ke'turians included." The cold tone clearly struck Zae because she immediately dropped her gaze. Satisfied, he allowed a little warmth back into his words as turned away from the mirror to face her head-on. "But I can hardly picture Captain Unai attacking me."

Zae remet his eyes, clearly unconvinced. "Be careful."

He rolled his eyes. "I will. Promise. Now," he grasped his crutch, shoving himself to his feet and limping a couple feet out from the bed. "How do I look?"

Zae sighed. "Like you think you're going on a date."

***

Unai's long stride had brought her to Hayes's door too quickly. She was at least 15 clicks too early. Knocking on the door now would be an embarrassment, another overeager display of her one-sided affections. That was...if they were one-sided. Because this was a date. Right? She'd at least intended it to be when she originally asked--or tried to ask. She wasn't certain what it was now that Hayes had taken ownership of the excursion.

Unai leaned back against the metal wall. She shouldn't ask. If Hayes hadn't intended anything by proposing a walk--which he probably hadn't--it would be uncomfortable to bring it up. Not to mention the recent gossip on the topic. She'd never been subtle, but it was a little ridiculous that her connection to Hayes was being so blown out of proportion now. She really hoped Hayes hadn't caught wind of any of it. She'd specifically left mention of it out of their conversations in case the bother affected his health or his opinion of her.

She checked her communicator's clock function. Still 13 clicks early. Maybe it was alright to be at least 5 clicks early. Punctuality was a virtue. So that only left 8 to go. Manageable.

She smoothed the front of her plain black tunic for probably the fifth time since putting it on. The collar settled comfortably just below her throat, only a little lower than that of her uniform, but the sleeveless nature of the garment had her a little uneasy. On Ke'tukar, bared arms to a potential mate were as obvious a signal for courtship as shouting it aloud; she doubted Hayes knew that, but it hadn't stopped her from wanting to do so anyway, just as her own personal declaration.

Another glance at her communicator. 5 more clicks. Well, maybe 10 clicks early would actually be fine.

Unai raised her hands to the door and hesitated. She'd been letting herself in these past weeks anyway. And Hayes didn't always hear the knock. Maybe she should simply enter as usual. That might even let Hayes know the stooping level of her expectations.

She pressed the door button, moving forward as the door slid open. And nearly ran into Lt. Zae in the process.

Unai backed up quickly as the Lieutenant's initial surprise faded, and she stepped into the hall, punching the door button back to closed as she did so.

"Captain." Her address was chilled as usual, and her silver eyes roamed up and down Unai's frame with an almost sick regard.

"Lieutenant," Unai returned through gritted teeth.

"Subtle are we?"

"Forgive me, Lieutenant, but I don't understand what you're implying."

Lt. Zae nodded at one of Unai's arms. "Ke'turian females woo the males by exposing their arms. A show of the strength you have to offer. I hope you are not expecting Commander Hayes to fall prey to such a spectacle."

Unai fought down the flutter of her collar and set her jaw.

"My clothing has no intention outside of its flattering fit, and even if it did, I don't see how it's any of your business."

Lt. Zae rose up to her full stringy height--a little higher than midchest--the already pinkish hue of her skin darkening with contempt. "Commander Hayes is my longtime colleague, commander, and friend. You expect me to be delighted at his dalliances with a Ke'turian military officer?"

Unai wished she could roar in the face of this disrespect. Bare her fangs, raise her collar, and challenge Lt. Zae to a combat of honor. But that would only upset Hayes and satisfy the Lieutenant's bad opinion of her. Instead, she let her fangs only show slightly. "Xersians and Ke'turians may have differing ideals, but I never knew a Xersian to be openly prejudiced toward an entire species."

"It's not the Ke'turian species trying to initiate courtship with Antolin. It is only one."

Unai knew it shouldn't matter, but that casual first name drop made her insides twinge. Lt. Zae really was on closer terms with Hayes. But that still did not excuse whatever she was being accused of. "Am I missing something, Lieutenant?"

"You Ke'turian’s are as aggressive when courting as you are when fighting. You expect me to trust a species that takes their mates by force?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play innocent; I've read up on Ke'turian customs. Fighting other females to the death. Taking the males to husband--sometimes by physical force--without allowing any sort of choice. It's disgusting."

“What?” Unai cried, her collar flapping up irritatedly. “Maybe a few centuries ago! Where did you read that, a history book?"

"It was a modern study on various species' courting rituals."

"Written by who? A Xersian?"

"The libraries on Xersa have an extensive collection of research. All of which is heavily peer-reviewed and fact checked."

"Sounds like your libraries are trash, if that counts as heavily fact-checked. Ke'turian courtships are consensual. If I am denied, I will give up my pursuit entirely." It hurt to say aloud, like a rock sinking to the bottom of her stomach. But it was true. Her advances only went as far as Hayes accepted them. Maybe that was another reason she wasn't being totally forward. Once she received the official no, it was done. She'd rather bide her time in hopes of a one-day yes.

Lt. Zae blinked a few times. Taking in the offense and the claim all at once. Her face contorted from enraged, to considering, to flat. "I...will check a few more sources. However, my current trust remains nonexistent. If I hear of anything unsavory occurring on this 'walk', I will use my current commanding power to dismiss you from the station. Clear?"

"Perfectly," Unai growled. She maneuvered around the Xersian, pressing the door button with a large, intentional gesture. As it slid back, she stepped into Hayes' quarters without a second glance at the eyes piercing her back.

Hayes hastily pushed himself up on his crutch as she entered. "Captain Unai!"

"Commander!" she returned, nearly on choking the greeting. He wore a blue tunic-style shirt that cross-wrapped over his chest, but not before dipping just below his clavicle.

No. No. She was not going to be accused of ogling again.

Unai forced her gaze away from his elegant neck and the peeking portion of--despite his months in bed--a toned chest. She didn't know why she had expected him to be in uniform today. Maybe because besides the sleep clothing he wore in his quarters, she'd never seen him in anything else. He seemed like the type who would sleep in his uniform if it weren't for the discomfort and possible damage to the material.

It turned out averting her eyes from the outfit did nothing to save her. Haye's long, dark hair, fell in full curls over his shoulder, and the little tendrils that were too small to be pulled into his half bun framed his face in a messy, tousled sort of way. His eyes, as dark and deep as ever, studied her intensely.

She looked down at the floor before he could see the full extent of her admiration.

You mean attraction, she corrected internally. Who do you think you're kidding?

Well, if this wasn't a date, hopefully Hayes.

After a few moments, when no reproach or teasing remarks came, Unai forced her gaze back up. Hayes was still staring at her. Not the piercing, soul-exposing way he usually looked at her, but like...like he was caught up in a thought.

"Hayes?"

Hayes jolted and cleared his throat. "You, uh, look nice."

Unai mustered every bit of her strength to keep her collar pinned taughtly against her neck. "Thank you. So do you." She awkwardly extended her arm. "Shall we?"

Hayes limped forward and took gentle hold of the crook of her arm with his free hand. He smiled briefly up at her with what seemed like...nerves? No, it was probably just uneasiness about going out for the first time. His leg was probably pretty sore.

"So, Captain, what did you have planned?"

[sokkastyles]

This is something I've turning around in my mind due to the general discourse around Katara "hating" Zuko, and obviously she doesn't hate him at all after TSR, but do you think she truly even /hated/ him after Ba Sing Se? She was absolutely within her right to be hurt and angry about his choice, and I'm glad the show actually let her hold onto that for awhile b/c so often K has to be the bigger person and manage everyone else's emotions, but being hurt and angry at someone, even lashing out at them b/c of that, isn't the same thing as hating them imo. Like tbh their entire vibe to me from the moment Zuko turns up at the Western Air Temple until TSR is exes after a bad breakup but there's still unresolved feelings there, which was certainly an interesting writing choice for them to go with (only made more so by the textbook romance writing grovelling in TSR.)

Yeah, she isn't mad at him because she hates him, she's mad at him because she cares about him, because she wanted to care about him, and because she thought he cared about her. Even when she tells the gaang that Zuko was "pretending to be a human being" in the catacombs, it gives the impression that she is trying to convince herself that what she's saying is true, that the moment they shared and the vulnerability Zuko showed in that moment wasn't real.

The other thing that gives the lie to the idea that Katara hates Zuko or just sees him as an enemy is that when she confronts him when they are alone, and threatens him, she doesn't react to him like she thinks he's lying about wanting to do the right thing, she confronts him about how "you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past." In front of everyone else, she makes it seem like she thinks Zuko is just evil, but when she's alone with him, she makes it clear that she knows he isn't, and that this is really about how she can't trust him, how he broke her trust. It's personal, not just about him being fire nation.

And the fact that she waited to tell him this in private, while denying her feelings in public, is absolutely romantic coded. I've also pointed out before that the framing of the confrontation mirrors the final scene between Zuko and Mai (or rather, that the Zuko and Mai scene, which is explicitly romantically coded, mirrors this one), Katara standing in the doorway to interrupt Zuko's triumphant moment with a reminder that his past isn't so easily moved past, and a reminder of who he's hurt. It absolutely gives vibes of an ex who you still have feelings for.

Which is why it's hilarious that Bryke made that comment about zutara being a relationship you experience before realizing what you really need (with the implication that Katara really needs Aang and Zuko really needs Mai), because what it actually feels like is two people who were immediately drawn to each other, ended up hurting each other, broke it off, but then still had feelings for each other and ended the series closer than they were before. If Bryke really wanted us to think zutara were not good for each other, then there could have been a moment where, when Zuko and Katara get their closure with each other, there's also the G-rated equivalent of "let's just be friends." Maybe have Katara say something like, "I forgive you, but I can't make the choice you want me to make." This is also in an alternate universe where Zuko more explicitly encourages Katara to kill Yon Rah. But none of that happens. The episode does not tell us that Zuko is not good for Katara or vice versa. It has Katara end the episode by explicitly disagreeing with Aang and enthusiastically embracing Zuko without any hesitation at all.

That hug is so meaningful because it's the release of tension that the narrative has been building up since that moment in the catacombs. It's not that Katara hated Zuko but now cares about him, it's that she wanted to care about him way back in the catacombs and now she's able to express that without being afraid that he'll break her trust.

[in-g-major]

ATLA Unpacked: Kataang is Reactive, not Constructive (Part 1)

In my last rewatch of ATLA, I came to a conclusion about something that's bothered me since I first watched the finale in 2008. After *the kiss* which closes out the entire show, I've been of the opinion that Kataang was an absolute failure, on multiple levels. Over the years I've held that position through multiple rewatches and the perspectives of many other intelligent, passionate fans. However, why it fails is something I've thought more deeply about over the years. There are the implications of a romance with a very lopsided balance of emotional labor, and issues of one party's consent (Katara's) being violated without an apology. Those are serious problems and valid criticisms, but here I'm going to be examining how Kataang fails because of its position within ATLA's story. As a disclaimer, I am not invoking Zutara in this analysis. For most of my time as an ATLA fan I abstained from the shipping wars beyond an occasional comment, and I only became pro-Zutara within the last year after taking on the responsibility of writing about these characters again. Alright, here goes! Reactive vs Constructive? When I say Kataang is a reactive force, I mean that it disturbs the flow and direction of the narrative (the implicit and explicit messages a story is projecting to the audience) by contradicting and clashing with other things we're presented with. A constructive force, on the other hand, is something which shapes the narrative towards an internally sound and satisfying conclusion. To explain what I mean, I'll be going through the show in episode order. No Kataang in sight yet (B1:E1 - B1:E13) A commonly cited argument in favor of Kataang is that it was part of ATLA from the beginning and the show was building towards it all along. This argument doesn't hold up simply because of how many episodes go by before there are any implications of romantic interest between Aang and Katara. The closest thing to romantic subtext is the way Katara appears to Aang after she frees him from the iceberg. (B1:E1)

By itself this doesn't suggest anything particularly romantic, especially since Katara is the first person Aang sees after a very traumatic experience. Later on he tells Appa "I liked her too" (B1:E2), but that's pretty nonspecific. After this we get exactly zero text or subtext until we're over two-thirds of the way into Book 1. Now a romance between two characters doesn't have to be developed from the very beginning of the story to make sense. However, things get messier for Kataang from here, so hold on tight. The Dashing, Dark-Haired Boys in Katara's life (B1:E6 - B1:E10) In my last rewatch I really took notice of how we see Katara's dynamics with no less than THREE dark-haired boys her age or older in the span of five episodes. First, there's Haru (B1:E6), with whom she builds a very sweet friendship that has some romantic possibilities. They bond over the struggles of losing their parents to the Fire Nation, and he's the first person who empathizes with her feelings about the death of her mother.

Katara: I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid. This necklace is all I have left of her. Haru: It's not enough, is it? Katara: No. (Disclaimer: Harutara was my OG ATLA ship) Next, there's Zuko (B1:E9), at this point her enemy and the one who finds her mother's necklace after she loses it at the end of B1:E6. Their parallels so far have revolved around the longing they project onto Aang and learning to master their elements. Here, in their first one-on-one interaction, a further connection is established through Katara's mother's necklace. Exactly why this is significant for Zuko isn't clear yet, but it pays off wonderfully later on.

Zuko: Tell me where [Aang] is, and I won't hurt you or your brother. Katara: Go jump in the river! Zuko: Try to understand. I need to capture him to restore something I've lost: my honor. Perhaps in exchange, I can restore something you've lost. (That first image is the perfect snapshot of how hilariously awkward this exchange actually is. Zuko's only cool when he's not trying to be) Finally, there's Jet (B1:E10), Katara's first crush. She's wooed by his good looks and guerilla tactics against the Fire Nation, then spends most of the episode smitten with him. Jet empathizes with her mother's death when she brings it up, but he also tricks her into doing something she would never have agreed to with full knowledge of his plans. When she confronts him about it, he tries manipulating her with what she told him about her mother, and she truly turns on him when she thinks he's killed Sokka. It's the first time Katara has had her trust violated, and it's a painful experience.

Katara: Jet, why? Jet: Katara, you would too if you just stopped to think. Think about what the Fire Nation did to your mother. We can't let them do that to anyone else ever again. Katara: This isn't the answer! Jet: I want you to understand me, Katara. I thought your brother would understand, but... Katara: Where's Sokka?... I can't believe I trusted you. You lied to me! You're sick, and I trusted you!

(Just putting those images together had me slightly teary. Poor Katara.) What these character dynamics have in common is that they're all constructive. They contribute to Katara's story without contradicting each other. Her feelings and agency are clearly emphasized, and all three boys exist as their own independent characters while simultaneously being part of her journey. Keep that in mind as we venture into our first real Kataang episode. Related Meta & Additional Reading - Katara's Romantic Agency by starlight-bread-blog

[yanderes-galore]

Transformers Prime Yandere! Ratchet concept?????

Sure! I love Ratchet :) This is me spilling my thoughts on various things more than an actual plot. I just hope I nailed his character since I like him so much- Probably could've made this longer but was unsure how/what to add.

@trashysimpaa gave me inspiration for how to do this here!

Yandere! TFP! Ratchet Concept

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Denial of feelings, Cybertronian/Human and Cybertronian/Cybertronian pairing mentioned, Stalking, Overprotective behavior, Trackers, Manipulation, Isolation, Kidnapping, Violence, Forced companionship, Brief mentions of jealousy, Vague implications of murder, Drugging.

Ratchet is definitely the type of yandere to act different depending on what you are.

When it comes to an Autobot darling he'd be more comfortable to feel fond towards them as they're Cybertronian and an Autobot.

When it comes to a human he'd take time to get used to you before considering anything.

Ratchet hasn't always been the biggest human person until he spent more time on Earth.

He'll come around eventually.

When it comes to a Decepticon! darling you'd get something similar to angst and enemies to (one-sided) lovers/friends.

It would depend on how loyal you are to Megatron and if you're even capable of change.

He can't shake the fact he cares for you despite your beliefs.

Ratchet is a slow yandere in terms of obsession.

He's slow to care for anyone new due to being older.

He's lost so much he doesn't like getting attached.

Although when it comes to you he can't help but worry.

Ratchet would definitely be a yandere who is in denial of how he feels.

No matter how he sees you it happens.

Yet the strongest cases of this would be romantic feelings towards a human or any sort of feelings towards a Decepticon.

Ratchet would be the type to try and ignore how he feels.

Like most Autobots Ratchet is protective of you and his mind often drifts to your safety.

Be it missions or every day life, the fact the world is so dangerous is a truth that sticks in his mind.

Can't really blame him since he's bee through war-

It happens when you lose everyone you love... including your entire home.

Ratchet would try to be subtle with his care towards you.

All Autobots tend to have trackers to see their vitals and location, Ratchet can check it at the base.

Soothing his concerns and checking where you are is easy when you're an Autobot.

Even though he'd prefer you staying at base with him.

Decepticons probably have something similar.

With a hack or two he could probably track you if he really looked into it.

When it comes to a human things are harder.

He can't track you as easily as a Cybertronian.

Which means Ratchet either sneaks to your house in vehicle mode... or sneaks a tracker onto/into you somehow.

It seems very invasive but he tells himself it's for your own good.

In fact that's his driving factor most of the time in his obsession.

Ratchet feels his main responsibility is to keep those he cares about alive.

He doesn't care if that means invading your privacy or locking you away from the world.

Speaking of which, kidnapping could happen with Ratchet but it's uncommon with him.

When it comes to an Autobot darling he could convince you to stay out of missions but even that has its limits.

He wouldn't really kidnap an Autobot.

A human or Decepticon? Most likely.

Kidnapping a human darling would be him convincing you to stay at the base.

It's all for your safety, just for a few hours...

Hours turn to days...

Days to weeks...

Perhaps even months.

He just doesn't let you go.

A Decepticon! darling would be taken in under the guise of prisoner.

In reality it's a way Ratchet can be close to you without much issue.

Ratchet can be seen as either a platonic or romantic yandere for any partner.

He works really well for both roles and would still do just about anything for his darling.

Ratchet may be a medic, one meant to heal... but he is definitely capable of violence.

He can fight and hold his own, he'd be even more willing to do it if it was for his darling.

It doesn't matter how much Energon must be spilled...

As long as he has you he's the happiest he could be.

Ratchet is definitely one to act like he knows more than you.

If you're having arguments he claims he knows so much more than you, that he knows how to take care of you better than yourself.

It's frustrating for the both of you.

Ratchet is stubborn and will not change his mind on things.

If he decides isolation will keep you safe, that's final.

End of story.

That's his form of manipulation.

He won't really make you feel bad, he'll essentially parent you until you comply.

Fighting him is a losing battle.

I can see Ratchet getting jealous at times.

He isn't very vocal about it so he silently thinks on it.

You can tell there's an edge in his voice and he makes small comments on it but he won't kill anyone.

Ratchet isn't the most affectionate Autobot but he'll try.

It's actually a bit funny (and creepy) to hear him grumble about it.

[Edit] I forgot to mention this awhile ago but Ratchet, along with characters like Knock Out and maybe Pharma, would drug his darling.

If you're Cybertronian he bumps up some anesthesia.

If you're human he does research on what drugs affect the human body and how.

He'll give you just enough to make you compliant, he knows exactly how to make you docile.

If he's romantic then he'd try to kiss his darling, often trying to be as gentle as possible.

Especially if you're human.

If he's platonic he's much more like a guardian or parent.

He gives words of encouragement and tries to take care of you.

Overall I believe Ratchet is one of the more stubborn and slower yanderes.

It takes him time to accept the fondness he holds towards you...

Once he does then he doesn't plan on letting you or those feelings go, no matter how hard you try to change his mind.

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

I recently read a fic about a f/f ship, where one of the girls (similarly to Adora) always puts others' needs and wants above her own for years, which, by the time the fic takes place, makes it difficult for her to accept even the most basic nice gestures, like someone asking how she's feeling, and makes her repress her 'selfish' feelings hard, to the point of making her feel like she doesn't deserve love.

Except her love interest actually takes notice of this when they befriend each other, steadily does her best to discourage this behavior (without assuming the role of a therapist and) by both being caring and putting her foot down when neccessary, and, most importantly, she specifically avoids putting her own romantic feelings over her crush's emotional well-being.

From the looks of it, writers of SPOP were trying to do something similar with Adora and Catra in season 5. Except it doesn't work IN THE SLIGHTEST, because: 1) Catra conciously contributed to Adora's savior complex 2) Catra repeatedly puts her feelings over Adora's physical and emotional well-being (whether they are enemies or not).

The implication that Catra is the right person for Adora, because she's the only one who views Adora as a person with her own feelings and wishes, doesn't work, WHEN THE TEXT LITERALLY TELLS US OTHERWISE.

yeah, there are a lot of ships where they handle the whole "falling in love with a hero" trope really well.

another example i can think of is steven and connie from steven universe. connie is actually the only person who doesn't compare steven to his mom or put him on a pedestal. (apart the cool kids, but they weren't that close to steven, unfortunately. i would have liked to see more interactions between them and steven honestly).

and this is actually shown multiple times in the show where she protects steven from danger and comforts him when he needs it. she gets upset when steven sacrifices himself to the diamonds because she sees him as a normal vulnerable child who isn't supposed to be handling all of the universe's issues by himself. (and this is actually effective unlike catra's whole "adora chose shadow weaver over me!" but somehow connie got more hate for it than catra).

connie is honestly the only sense of normalcy that steven has in his life (since even greg tends to mention rose a lot). in this instance, it's accurate to say that connie is the only person who sees steven as a person, and not as a hero. because it's actually true and the narrative shows it time and time again.

catra and adora however. yikes. literally every other person in adora's life treated her better than catra did. even the other princesses, who weren't that close to adora, still had moments where they supported and comforted her.

and yet we're supposed to believe that the person who constantly put adora down, berated her, abused her, controlled her and almost killed her.. is the person who cares about her the most. and the most baffling part of this is that 90% of the fandom believes it.

[saiyuki-chainsmokers]

💚Hakkai x Gojyo fanfictions recommendations!❤️

Just Say Yes by EzraTheBlue

Gojyo has a question. Or two.

First and Third by EzraTheBlue

Hakkai is celebrating, but Gojyo's not sure why.

Belling the Kappa by EzraTheBlue

Hakkai wants things sometimes. At present, to put limiters on Gojyo and not to tell him that he needs them.

Simple Joys by opalmatrix

Gojyo's learning that the right company makes even the mundane joyful.

Careful by Kispexi2

Sanzo gives Gojyo some unexpected advice leading to some interesting consequences.

Bodies in Motion by AbsoluteNegation

Sometimes you have to stop seeing to start perceiving.

Unconditional by summerbutterfly

Hakkai is self-conscious about his looks, but to Gojyo, he'll always be hot

Once in a Blue by EzraTheBlue

Post-Burial Arc. Gojyo claims he gets a weird fever after hanging around youkai sometimes. Hakkai tries to tend to him, only to find out that he might be feeling the heat, too.

Nine-Tenths by theskywasblue

Hakkai is possessive

Hold On by andmydog

Hakkai uses sex to remind Gojyo he's not to run off again - set after the defeat of Kami-sama.

How Fortunate the Man with None by Rroselavy

Coming to terms with abandonment is not Gojyo's strong suit.

Vulnerability by stirlingrequiem

Hakkai wishes he could have absolute faith in Gojyo this time, just like he always has before. Gojyo has always been his rock, someone he can depend on without fail, but when the time comes for him to repay everything Gojyo’s done for him, will he have the strength for it?

Ante Up by Tru

It’s become another bet between them, and Hakkai has raised the stakes thinking Gojyo won’t call.

Tease by Marks

The new youkai mark licks across the back of Gojyo’s throat the same way Hakkai wants to. Is he jealous of the thing that might make Gojyo lose his mind? Well, maybe.

The Doctor by EzraTheBlue

Prompt fill: Gojyo - "I know you love me and all but stop threatening the doctor"

Flowers and Poetry by EzraTheBlue

Hakkai complains that Gojyo isn't putting enough effort into being romantic. Gojyo takes it to heart.

Impulse by devera

An enemy spell goes right, eventually.

Terminal Diagnosis (NOT a death fic) by Despina

Booze, poker, and women just can't hold Gojyo's interest like they used to and his old way of life seems to be dying. He knows why, but before he can accept it, he needs to work through a few issues.

Written on the Skin by emungere, louise_lux

Gojyo gets Hakkai's vines tattooed on him. Hakkai notices.

Killing Ourselves to Live by Rose Argent (roseargent)

Gojyo and Hakkai are drawn into trouble far bigger than they expected. When everything goes wrong, at least one thing goes surprisingly right.

Appreciation by Anna_Fiona

Hakkai and Gojyo spend an evening together and Hakkai realizes his lover has earned some well deserved appreciation.

Dwelling in This Place by kansouame

Gojyo and Hakkai do a little breaking and entering.

Twisting Desire by Despina

Youkai!Hakkai/Gojyo: semi-noncon, vine!sex, heat of the moment, adrenaline, post-fight - Gojyo had harbored fantasies, but he wasn't sure if he was ready for this.

Hearts Afire by Despina

Hakkai struggles emotionally with what Gojyo means to him in light of their previous tryst. Gojyo has had enough of Hakkai’s angst. Follow up to Twisting Desire.

Penultimate by RoAnshi

A serious injury received while fighting youkai reminds Gojyo of another painful incident from his past. Warnings for depictions of child abuse and canon based incest implications. Nongraphic 58.

Over The Moon by EzraTheBlue

Gojyo had a lot of dreams. Most of them died when his daughter was born.

He thought.

Type H by Kirathaune

Gojyo suddenly develops a "type" - could it be for ...brunettes with green eyes?

Demons Dreaming by Briarwolf (Tru)

Gojyo has never really been the type to have pleasant dreams, but he comes to find that maybe it's just that the good ones don't come while he's asleep.

Down from the Red Hills by opalmatrix

When a limiter-less Hakkai chases some fleeing youkai into the hills and doesn't return, Gojyo goes after him. The journey back is much longer than he ever expected.

Pose by Ukoku2012

Walking back in, Gojyo was greeted with a sight that would have made a classical painter weep and scramble for their supplies: Hakkai half stretched out on his front, arms draped across the pillow with his head nestled between them. The lines of his back practically begged the eye to follow them down to where his ass was slipping out from the covers that were tangled around his legs. "Oh, we are not getting out of bed today," Gojyo growled, almost sprinting across the room.

Then Hakkai opened his one visible eye and Gojyo staggered from the disorienting wave of deja vu.

Flash in the Pan by theskywasblue

Gojyo hates washing dishes

Accidental Innocence by Crescentium

Hakkai and Gojyo have lived together for quite some time without actually living together, as it were. It does not mean they have not thought about it. There are accidents, and then there are accidents, and Gojyo might say "Bullshit."

Akin to Admiration or, Hakkai is a Jealous Bastard by tropicsbear

Shān had never been turned down by a man before. Ever. She wasn’t about to let this one get away.

Fire at Midnight by opalmatrix

Their adventuring days were over and that was just fine with Gojyo. Or so he thought.

Fanning the Spark by opalmatrix

A day of play in the fresh snow turns into something serious — and eventually, something else entirely.

Until Something by jedishampoo

After their bout with the Seiten Taisei, Hakkai and Gojyo move into a new kind of relationship.

Keeping Up Appearances by AbsoluteNegation

Two years after the end of the Journey, Gojyo and Hakkai might just be the two people they know least actively involved in getting the two of them together.

Care and Keeping of Your Kappa by EzraTheBlue

What if Gojyo is reverted to a more feral nature under the influence of the Minus Wave? Hakkai must draw on whatever resources he has to maintain his favorite kappa's health and well-being in order to keep him sane until a solution is found. Minor spoilers for recent chapters.

found a place to rest my head by Nakimochiku

"Do you ever feel like something's missing?"

"Something? Like what?"

(Or, the Happy Ending AU where Gojyo and Hakkai get jobs, get married, and adopt children)

There Needs No Ghost by Daegaer

Sanzo has a job for Gojyo and Hakkai. Unfortunately Hakkai has left Gojyo to his own devices, and has gone ghost hunting for some peace and quiet.

A Question of Trust by Sharpeslass

It's Gojyo's birthday, but he's not the only one in for some surprises.

Lauds by Nakimochiku

Hakkai's god is of the body, so he worships him with his body.

Wherever I Find Myself by louise_lux

"This place is a dump," Gojyo said, looking around.

He wasn't wrong. The unmistakable smell of mould curled through the rooms. The floorboards creaked and groaned under every step. The kitchen had been ransacked. Every pot and pan and plate—some of them still containing dried crusts of what had once presumably been food—had been pulled from the tables and cupboards and onto the floor. Clothes were flung about the bedroom; they lay collapsed on the rotting rugs like dead bodies, all covered in dust.

The owner, Mr Chan, stood next to Hakkai. He had a sooty black mole on his bald head. It wasn't a youkai mark. "The last people left in a hurry. I couldn't find any one to rent during the—bad time." He darted his gaze away from Hakkai and fixed it on the mess on the floor.

"It'll take a lot of cleaning," Hakkai said. "I like it."

Proving It by aeternum_vale

As the journey draws near the end, Hakkai and Gojyo finally feel they are different people willing to say what they need to.

The Sinews of the Heart by theskywasblue

Hakkai always assumed he would be the one to go mad.

The World Through a Monocle by Nadare

When one discussion between a pair of friends crosses a line, would you embrace that new change or disregard it? Vague spoilers for Saiyuki Gaiden.

1001 by macavitykitsune

A death sends Hakkai down the path of déja vu and a thousand deaths, but the ending might not be the same.

Negative Movement by Sylvia

Gojyo's been feeling kinda off for a couple days or so. Turns out it's not the flu.

A Momentary Lapse of Reason by Rroselavy

Hakkai does a bad, bad thing. Can Gojyo forgive him?

The Best Medicine by theskywasblue

Hakkai helps Gojyo trade pain for pleasure.

Jealous of Your Cigarette by TJ_Dragonblade

Gojyo's smoking inspires Hakkai

Simple Pleasures by theskywasblue

Sha Gojyo is a simple man.

The Bottom Line by opalmatrix

Gojyo needs some new jeans. Hakkai's going to make sure they get their money's worth.

Proof by emungere

Gojyo/Hakkai, knifeplay or whipping – Hakkai begging reluctant Gojyo to tie him down and hurt him.

One of Those Things by scribblemoose

Playing Doctor by TJ_Dragonblade

Healer Hakkai and Gojyo with a minor wound...

You Can Bend, or You Can Break by Viridian5

Waking up after his youkai fight with Seiten Taisei after Goku’s nearly fatal shooting, Hakkai asks Gojyo for some information and makes some conclusions.

Bound by ehvul_butterfly (summerbutterfly)

Gojyo/Hakkai: bondage - Perhaps it was a bit extreme, but he was tired of Gojyo whoring around without even noticing him.

Need by Sylvia

Sha Gojyo isn't what anyone needs, really. Or is he?

Distant Relations by Sylvia

"Well, well," the water-imp said, a distinct hint of condescension in his tone. "What a surprise."

Rest in Pieces, or What a rescue Ent(r)ails by AbsoluteNegation

One take on what might have happened in the immediate aftermath of Hakkai's daring rescue of Gojyo in the Burial arc. A bit of romance, a touch of humour, and a lot of blood.

Tenacious by Lady_Ganesh

Things don't always go easily on the journey back home.

Other Nights Than This by theskywasblue

Gojyo wonders about the past.

Reflections by Kirathaune

A much-needed haircut gives Gojyo an opportunity to discover something about himself... and Hakkai, too. Minor spoilers for Blast Volume 3.

Déjà Vu by AluraGayle

Even with his limiters in place, Hakkai still battles for control. Sometimes, he can slip.

Home from the Sea, Home from the Hill by emungere

Hakkai is weird.

This, Gojyo feels, is something that people tend to forget. Even Sanzo seems to take Hakkai at face value more often than not, and Hakkai's face always shows the same value. Gojyo knows better.

The Lesson by Lady_Ganesh

Gojyo and Hakkai spend some time in the classroom.

Take the Chill Out by theskywasblue

Gojyo still remembers long winters when he shivered relentlessly, wore every piece of clothing he owned, and smoked to stay warm - felt like that was the only thing there was to do - but these days his joints ache in the deep winter; he’d rather be warm than look like a tough guy.

💚Hakkai x Gojyo❤️x🖤Tenpou x Kenren💜

As it is in heaven by chibi_zoe

The actions of Earth are merely a reflection of the actions in Heaven.

Red Wine Celebration by GloriousGoblinQueen

Kenren gets Tenpou something special for his birthday. A little over 500 years later, something similar occurs.

🖤Tenpou x Kenren💜

Beauty by Lady_Ganesh

The Field Marshal watches his General.

Echoes of a Red Chamber Dream by summerbutterfly

Away from the pressures of Heaven, Tenpou dreams.

The Courtship of Tenpou Gensui by MistressRenet

Kenren knows exactly what he wants. Tenpou resists, for a while.

on your knees, general by antikytheras

Kenren accidentally proposes.

No Me Without You by opalmatrix

When Kenren is seriously injured, Tenpou comes face to face with his feelings about "that person."

The Nature of the Rose by opalmatrix

Sometimes, explanations are helpful. This is not one of those times.

Just like this, forever by ItsAiryBro

Kenren has needs, and Tenpou loves to satisfy them

The Pencil Is Mightier by HelenaHandbasket

"Oftentimes, one can gain the upper hand by simply encouraging the opponent's body to continue in the direction it is naturally inclined to go."

I'm 10 years late, guys, but I'm ready to be a part of this fandom!

[deadbeatbirdmom]

Bumbleby is my OTP aka One True Pairing, my favourite RWBY ship.

I've come to realise that one of my NOTPs aka least favourite pairings is a little strange bearing in mind what my OTP is.

While I can understand why it's a thing, and even why it's aesthetically pleasing, Blake paired with possessed!Yang from Justice League x RWBY Part 2 is a NOTP for me. H%rnet I think the pairing is called, although maybe that's when it's specifically with Negative Blake from Ice Queendom.

Possessed!Yang or Y@ng does look pretty cool with those glowing eyes. I find the whole possession an interesting thing to explore, and might write a fic about possessed!Yang at some stage.

I'll get into why H%rnet's a NOTP for me under a read more cut, because I don't want to rain on the parade of anyone who likes it. I just hope that cut works, I'm not entirely sure they always do.

It's my own personal opinion. There's nothing wrong with liking H%rnet.

Why is it a NOTP for me? It's because Kilg%re is the one possessing Yang. He's the reason her eyes are glowing. He's the one in charge. Yang's trapped in her own body, unable to do anything but watch. Going by what happened to the Flash with his possession in Part 1 and the after effects in Part 2, those possessed are aware of what's happening.

The involvement of Kilg%re in possessed Yang doing anything romantic or sexual with Blake just thoroughly squicks me out (squick being an older general fandom term meaning it personally grosses me out or repulses me without bringing any moral judgement into it).

Then there's how Yang can't consent because she can't say or do anything to give it. I don't think it can be taken as a given, even with Blake as her partner. It's not impossible to get past this issue, because Kilg%re could release his possession for long enough for Yang to speak up, and call a halt to what's going on after that if he can tell Yang's not okay with it anymore.

I've no idea how likely it'd be that Kilg%re would respect those boundaries, I don't know much about him besides that he's a villain who possesses people because he apparently doesn't have a body of his own, and specialises in hacking. He certainly doesn't ask for permission before possessing his enemies.

Anyway, again, there's nothing wrong with liking possessed!Yang and Blake as a pairing. Even with the implications with Yang not being able to consent, there's ways around that. They are also fictional characters. No one is really being hurt.

I fully subscribe to the philosophy of 'don't like, don't read.' That means it's my own responsibility to avoid all things H%rnet. Here on Tumblr that means it's a tag I should filter. It's absolutely not my place to tell anyone their fun is wrong, which is why this is (in theory) behind a read more cut.

[sofie-toffy]

SatoSugu angst!

Satoru x Suguru angst fanfic

This is basically the ending of the jjk0 movie but in gojo’s pov + with a little prediction of what gojo said to geto. This is a little inspired by the song “Snow” by Ricky Montgomery…I recommend listening to it while reading this! This is one of my first few fanfics so I’d like some feedback and thoughts :)

This fic doesn’t completely confirm satosugu as a romantic relationship but I think I wrote some implications pretty well

Contains spoilers!!

“Satoru…” Geto’s voice was stifled, yet he still spoke of gojo’s name with such gentleness

Do you have any last words, suguru? Satoru asks, his throat weak and suffocating, so desperately wanting to cry out, to cling on to him, wanting everything back the way it was. He wants to heal him, place a reverse curse technique and stop him from taking his last moments. But alas, he couldn’t, he can’t. Not when he’s the enemy. Not when they’re opposite sides of the same coin. Not when he threatens to harm his students. But he loves him so much…he misses him so much…

He spent the past decade trying to ignore him, but now he has no choice but to watch him leave. Witness as death separates him..now there really is no chance of meeting him, or saying a simple hello…yet he has so much to say for the achingly long time he spent alone.

It’s been about more than a decade since they separated…yet it felt like just yesterday. Almost every night, gojo dreams of geto, reminiscing the days where things weren’t complicated…where it was just laughter and careless banter…and he wakes up and realizes the reality, and that everything happened in such a short amount of time. His best friend left him with little explanation. He had to go through his high school days, graduating without his closest friend. He spends every day wondering what went wrong…how could he have messed up? He’s known as the strongest sorcerer and yet he couldn’t save the person he loved most. Geto was one of the very few people who saw Satoru as Satoru…not the most powerful sorcerer, not some renowned superior, but as Satoru…as a friend, as a person. He wishes that he could turn back time, help his best friend when he needed it most. He so much begs to trade all his renowned power to change everything, to spend more time with his one and only, to laugh carelessly as they so easily used to.

But he snaps out of his thoughts, and turns back to the present moment. And here they are, wasting their chances for the last time, having so many words unspoken.

“No matter what others say, I hate those monkeys..but I never held any hatred for those in jujutsu high school…I just couldn’t wear a heartfelt smile in this world..”Geto chuckles weakly, his eyes tired

Gojo walks closer, sitting near him. He opens his mouth, trying so desperately to say something…there was so much to say yet so little time..his throat stuck, eyes burning with neglected tears. He decides to say something, not wasting this moment, not when they were to separate permanently.

“Thank you.”

He speaks out, voice deep yet cracking. With all that happened, all the words and sentences he could’ve ranted, he said just 2 words. He didn’t regret it though, no not at all. He’s always wanted to say thank you to Geto, he couldn’t even say a proper goodbye after they separated after all.

“At least curse me a little at the end…”

Geto’s eyes widen, soft tears falling on his scarred face. He really did love Geto. He didn’t want to separate from him, but he did what he had to protect him. His lips weakly curled up into a smile, his eyes showing infinite gratitude before he takes his last breath.

I made a quick sketch based on the fanfic :D I wanted to draw in a style that reminded me of manga (im crying sm rn)

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Do you have any headcanons regarding Sonic characters and their sexuality? Either from idw, archie or just Sonic in general

I do, actually! Since I have quite a lot I'll put a bunch of random ones under the cut

But if there are any sexuality headcanons I didn't include under the cut or you'd like me to elaborate on, feel free to send me another ask!😊❤️

ㅤ

Sonic (Archie):

Oh boy. So, writing inconsistencies aside, from pretty early on I settled on Archie Sonic being on the AroAce spectrum. And originally, this was because of how his relationship with one Sally Acorn was handled. I've read my fair share of "will they won't they" romances in my lifetime, so I could understand having one or both of them being jealous when there's an implication that the other may like a different person romantically. I can also understand being afraid to confess or trying to make the other person jealous so they'll chase them without having to make a proper confession.

However, I soon became very frustrated at the writers' handling of this relationship I'd so loved when I was a kid. Why? The simple crux of the matter is that there is a point early on in Archie Sonic where both Sally and Sonic are aware that the other has feelings for them, but the story is still played like a "will they won't they". These two were often treated like they were in this weird spot between dating and childhood friends. So if Sally kissed someone else (like Geoffrey) it would make Sonic wildly jealous. With that, in moments like these, each of the other would react as if they'd been cheated on (although if memory serves me well, Sally's actually kissing other people or pretending to be into someone to make Sonic jealous wasn't treated as badly as Sonic looking in the direction of a love interest, but I digress). And as this relationship started stretching out to 50 and 100 and more issues, I started going from wondering if it would ever be resolved in the runtime (because their relationship drama always seemed to be milked for views, with Sally's character traits often changed on a whim so she would create this drama) to just wishing they'd have the two go for other people or something (and perhaps perserve any love I still had left for a nostalgic childhood ship).

The thing is is that the longer their relationship and "will they won't they" stretches on, the more it just seems like there are no excuses for them not to have started dating officially yet. And honestly? It really isn't even fully Sally's fault that it takes so long for them to get together initially. Why? Well, early on pretty explicitly, Sally makes it clear that she's afraid to push her relationship with Sonic because then *Sonic* gets afraid and sort of runs instinctually away from being tied down. Interesting, right?

Sonic the Hedgehog flirted with Sally Acorn, sure. He even had grudges with characters like Antoine or Geoffrey because they expressed similar feelings for Sally, and acted jealous when anyone threatened to take Sally away from him. In issue 50 of Archie Sonic, Sonic had an all out brawl to the death with the original Robotnik in that comic over him orchestrating Sally's death.

And yet, it doesn't matter what happens. Once Sally's no longer looking at some other guy, he doesn't kiss her or try to get her to date him. He lets things go back to normal on purpose. He succeeds at making her only look at him because he apparently doesn't want others to take her, but then doesn't confess. He saves Sally from a kiss after thinking she died, being sentenced to banishment after being framed for her death, and after fighting their mutual enemy to the death over it, and all he can do when Sally wakes up is play it all off like he doesn't actually like her like that. The romance tropes are shoved in front of his eyes (fairy-tale romance tropes even)!

But the moment he's sure Sally isn't looking at anyone else or that he has her, he immediately makes sure things go back to how they usually are. For the longest time it seems like no big life fearing event or act of jealousy is enough for Sonic to solidify that relationship. And because he has so so so many moments and chances to, moments that other characters in a story snatch up in a heartbeat (especially when they know the feelings are mutual), it's hard not to feel that this is purposeful or means something.

So while reading I proposed the headcanon or possible reading that Sonic is on the AroAce spectrum. More specifically, that he's solidly aroace/grayaroace and is suffering from comphet, or that he's litho. I personally surmise that he cares about Sally Acorn a lot (that was never out of the question), but as they are childhood friends about the same age that can work well together, everyone and themselves assumed that the two of them would naturally end up together. I think the real reason Sonic would get so jealous when Sally kissed someone else early on was because he had it in his head that that was supposed to be them, and was afraid that if anyone else dated Sally then he and Sally wouldn't be able to have as strong/close of a relationship as they do. I think he ran away when Sally would try to confess and make things go back to normal when Sally was okay and only looking at him because he didn't actually want to be in a romantic relationship with her. Essentially, he wanted the security that she'd be around and they'd still be close without actually dating. At the end of the day, even if they both knew their feelings were mutual, Sonic avoided confirming their relationship status for the longest time because he didn't actually want to date her (and I'll be clear right now, the event that finally gets Sonic to date Sally in Archie canon was not only less life endangering than when he thought she was dead, it was very clearly a forced moment where Sonic finally had to make a choice for the sake of the audience. And despite not really indulging in Mina's advances, it says so much that the writers were seriously going to make Sonic choose and then date whichever girl the fans liked more).

And beyond how Sonic himself spent so much time avoiding confession and actually dating Sally, there's also this. He never really presents real romantic affection towards any other female character (in fact, it's largely implied in scenes like Mina kissing him that he didn't feel the same because he was pursuing Sally). He expresses not wanting to marry Sally because he doesn't want to be tied down and stuck as king of the country instead of adventuring. In fact, he has a nasty breakup with Sally after they finally get together because she tries to force him to stop being a freedom fighter and settle down in the castle with her. Once, Tails even asks Sonic why he's not dating any girls, and Sonic expresses to Tails that he can date pretty much any girl he wants out there, but that "girls are too much trouble" and that he'd rather be free and be himself than be tied down (also implying to Tails that he doesn’t really want to be with anyone). When Robotnik is dead and the rebuilding of Mobotropolis begins, Sonic opts in on taking Tails on a worldwide adventure with him to find Ixis Naugus (a journey that told me personally that Archie Sonic was at his happiest when being able to freely explore the world at his own discretion with his little buddy at his side). While this is a small thing also, in the issue centered around he and Sally having a date, they are both late to it (in a way that almost makes you wonder whether it was really an accident).

So, to end this bit. While I think it's clear Archie Sonic cared about Sally a lot and did like having kids, the handling of his relationship with Sally most of the time makes a lot more sense to me if I recontextualize it as Sonic having a strong platonic bond with Sally and dealing both with his comphet/internalized homophobia telling him that they naturally have to get together and that he has romantic feelings and the truth of him not actually wanting to date anyone (or girls at least). That's really why I feel like Archie Sonic could be litho or generally on the aroace spectrum, especially since his stronger more passionate bonds are often with rivals/enemies like Knuckles and Scourge, and how the damsel in distress tropes or the "you and me together forever makes me happy" thing was applied to his relationship and journies with Tails.

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Sonic (IDW):

My actual general headcanon for Sonic’s sexuality is AroAspec but also gay, just because he often shies away from certain advances that certain girls make that he doesn’t mind when guys do it. However, Sonic also to me seems to just have a thing for people who try to kill him. So even though I align him as AroAspec and gay leaning, I do concede that the rival/enemy effect (aka, Sonic just really having a thing with people who have all out brawls with him or genuinely try to kill him) transcends gender. I suppose I could headcanon IDW Sonic as bi but eh. Even though there are female characters I ship idw Sonic with, those relationships are just special to me and don't neatly fit into the romantic category.

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Tails (Archie):

Okay, so in general I headcanon most versions of Tails as bi. I'll get that out of the way first. To me that is a bi fox.

However, Archie is one of the few Sonic properties where I headcanon Tails as gay specifically. Why? I'll tell you

So early on in the beginning of Archie Sonic, the most Tails expresses any strong feelings is when he upholds Sonic as his hero (the same way Amy does when she is introduced). For a little while he's not shown to be interested in any real romance or in any girls romantically. However, there hits a point where it often seems like the writers will go "Ah shit uh. This fox likes girls okay! We promise!", present it in the most forced manner, and then not actually put any real substance into Tails' alleged feelings for said girl. The biggest moment of this though (as all the moments before are really tiny) is when Tails meets the robot copy of Fiona Fox.

Personally, the origins of the Fiona Fox thing always seemed forced to me. From a Doylist perspective, it felt like the writers started the Fiona Fox thing to prove that Tails was a "normal" growing boy who obviously would like girls, naturally. In this case, quite possibly because the fans just wanted Tails to have a girlfriend since Sonic was paired with Sally and Bunnie with Antoine. From a Watsonian perspective, especially with the emphasis on Tails wanting to be treated like a grown up and insisting he's mature, well... Let's just say that what better to prove that you're just as mature as everyone else than by having a fairy-tale romance with a girl fox about your age who is aesthetically pleasing?

No but honestly. Since Tails was a younger character who hadn't expressed any real romantic interest before this (with him putting the most passion into his admiration for Sonic), the Fiona Fox thing felt extremely forced. It was hard to believe that someone who'd never really expressed interest in girls or dating before would suddenly fall madly in love. Plus, after the reveal of his love story being fake and made up, the dramatics kind of shift between Tails going off about his lost innocence and how he can't bear to fight Fiona and loves her so much, to him being...unconcerned with his "broken heart" and more concerned with seeming mature and how he wants to be treated with respect by the freedom fighters. It was hard for me personally to take those stories seriously and seriously believe that Tails was into girls in Archie.

And for Archie Tails, the Fiona thing as far as I remember was the only thing he had going for him romantically. Like Sonic, he put all of his fixation onto the one girl he's narratively supposed to like romantically and didn't show an interest in romance with girls otherwise. In fact, Tails' romance prospects after this don't really come up again until the real Fiona joins the freedom fighters. And while the intent of this is to show "oh, Tails still has feeling even though what he had was fake", here's my reading of Archie Tails (re:the Fiona thing).

Just like with Archie Sonic, I don't actually believe Archie Tails wants to be with girls romantically. I think the robot Fiona thing was (at best) infactuation, and more than likely him playing into the romance angle because of "he was a boy she was a girl can I make it anymore obvious" and wanting to prove that he's as mature as the other freedom fighters and deserves respect reasons. It's also common for gays suffering under comphet to find this one person you can fixate on. Essentially, this person who would make sense to be attracted to, who is objectively attractive, and who you can put on a pedestal and endlessly pursue because they will never date you. Essentially proving you're "normal" by pursing someone who will most likely never like you back, specifically because deep down if they never like you back you never have to get in a relationship with someone. I think that when Fiona returned (organic this time) as this beautiful older girl who other people he knew would objectively describe as "sexy", she was someone he could easily put back up on that pedestal and pursue even while she clearly wasn't interested in him. And with that in mind, even though Sonic's dating of Fiona put a strain on his and Tails' relationship, it always seemed to be that this was not because "Sonic stole his girl". Rather, Tails was more distraught over Sonic breaking "the bro code" and getting together with someone Sonic knew he had a thing for (or allegedly did). Essentially he was more concerned with Sonic breaking his trust or not considering his feelings than he was over someone else getting to have Fiona romantically.

And again, outside of the Fiona thing, pre and post sgw Tails is rarely implied to genuinely have romantic interest in girls. He gets married to Mina in 25 yrs later and has kids with her, but we never get to see the leadup to this, he is never implied to have feelings for Mina in the Prime universe, and when he actually appears in 25 years later to speak it's more of a given that he's married to Mina than he's actually shown having some profound romance with her.

You get me?

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The Tails Variants from Sonic Prime:

They're another exception to my usual "Tails is bi headcanon", largely because I see them on the aroace spectrum and as gay😂

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Amy Rose:

I have sort of conflicting headcanons with her. I both see her as a lesbian who put Sonic on a pedestal as a boy she could chase around and pursue romantically (even though Sonic clearly didn't reciprocate) while having the security that Sonic won't actually agree, and I headcanon her as someone on the AroAce spectrum who is more in love with the concept of love than someone who actually experiences romantic love herself. This is a largely universal headcanon I have for her, and while I can lean more one way or the other depending on the Sonic property, I usually enjoy both of these headcanons.

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Knuckles (Archie):

Every iteration of Knuckles is gay to me. I'll just put that out there. And in Archie Sonic specifically I headcanon him as gay and ace (or on the ace spectrum). This is largely because, well.

To even date a woman, the universe (and Mr. Penders) had to forcibly deliver him one in the form of a soulmate. His early writing of his relationship with his love interest, Julie-Su is often so inconsistent as well that you know he considers her a friend at some point, but his alleged "romantic feelings" feel like they're inherent (like he has to have them because they're Echidna soulmates) and that the interpretation of them being romantic is being pushed onto him. Mr. Penders played the "a boy pulls a girl's pigtails and calls her annoying cause he secretly likes her" card with this relationship, but Knuckles quite literally confides in his father that he doesn’t get why she annoys him and that he gets along so much better with his guy friends. Knuckles even suggests that girls should stick with girls and boys should stick with boys before his father, Locke, gives him a talk that kind of amounts to "sure you could be with guys but of course you as a normal boy would eventually want *more*". And this is also after Knuckles confesses that he doesn’t look at other girls (unsurprising, given that he doesn’t pursue any other girls romantically).

This is all to say that while not only was his romance arc forced and it's often hard to believe he has romantic feelings for her, it's hard not to read how he acts generally and his conversation with his father as him being an allegory for a closeted queer boy who doesn't know that boys can kiss boys. And really, even while Mr. Flynn actually presented Julie-Su and Knuckles' relationship in a way that makes more sense where you can tell they care about each other quite a lot, even Flynn Era just before the sgw feels easier to read Knuckles and Julie-Su as platonic soulmates who've formed a strong partnership.

Also this *is* the Echidna that joked in front of a bully of a gorilla (Monk) that he (Monk) probably loves seeing him in the "groveling position"

But I digress.

Post sgw as well, Knuckles also seems to reject the idea that he's dating or even leading on either Rouge or Relic.

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Rotor the Walrus:

Gay Ace.

Cobar the Echidna, Tommy Turtle, the events in 25 yrs later or him being roommates with Tommy

His lack of romantic interest most of the time

Honestly even his origin story post sgw read to be a bit like an allegory for being disowned for being queer

Must I say any more?

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Bunnie Rabbot:

Bi

I don't have much to say about this other than that she clearly has feelings for Antoine and I always felt she got on with Sally well

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Nicole:

Lesbian

The most she ever really shows interest in guys is when she body swaps with Sally and it's implied she felt feelings for Sonic through this. However, she decides to create a body so she can hang out with Sally (and watches the stars with her). She doesn't present romantic feelings for any guys after that either. Even with Shard, I always got the feeling that they became friends because of their similar situation and their status as ais who obtained free will and "humanity" so to speak, but that Shard had a onesided thing for her while she just considered him a good friend.

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Tangle the Lemur:

Lesbian

I think what solidified this for me is the difference in how she acts when she meets Sonic for the first time vs how unwell she is about Blaze in that same issue when she first meets Blaze. That and both her initial interest in Whisper and how her relationship with Jewel kind of read like a "best friends who are exes" deal when Jewel first became a character.

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Rouge:

AroAcespec

While I do ship her with certain girl characters, she always struck me as the person who likes dressing "sexily" without actually being someone who experiences sexual attraction. Likewise, so much of her flirting reads to me as something she does in service of doing her job or getting things she wants. Especially in IDW, it's more than implied (practically shown) that Rouge is more in love with gems and the master emerald than any one person she flirts with. Honestly, she's the type to end up in situationships

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Lanolin the Sheep:

Jury is out. I have no headcanons right now. So far she just seems entirely uninterested in romance or sex and is more married to her job

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Silver:

Bi

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Blaze:

Also bi

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Sally Acorn:

Pre sgw? Bi

Post sgw? Lesbian

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Elias Acorn:

I take no criticism on this one. Gay.

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Geoffrey St. John:

Bi

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Surge the Tenrec:

Surge to me is gay but like. She's gay in that way that anyone attracted to her is gay, and anyone she's attracted to regardless of gender is always in a gay way. Likes a girl? Gay. Likes a guy? Gay. Likes someone of any gender? Gay

Kinda like with Sonic though I also often read her as on the AroAce spectrum, especially since she seems to have no personal interest in romance. Like at best the most passionate she is is the hate she harbors for Sonic, and whatever she has going on with Kit. So like. AroAspec and gay. That's my final answer

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Kitsunami the Fennec:

Bi

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Vector the Crocodile (Archie):

In all other Sonic media I see him as bi, however

Gay. He tries and fails to prove to Espio that he actually likes women and can get a woman after Espio says he's all bark and no bite. Like sure he takes the service worker lady with him to the event he and the Chaotix were invited to, but he never actually stays with her. He's also one of the two 25 yrs later characters who has a kid but is not married and has no mention of the other biological parent (the other is Lien-da). Literally his son has more charisma and success with picking up girls than him, and Vector doesn't even really seem to like girls (although honestly I'll admit Penders gave *him* more chemistry with Julie-Su than he gave her and Knuckles)

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Lien-Da:

AroAce and also more lesbian leaning

Romance and sex is far from anything she worries about or dabbles in, and at best she uses flirting the way Rouge does (empty flirting to get her way or to mess with people). The only reason I said lesbian leaning is because she seems the type to me to end up in situationships/atypical enemy relationships with women

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Shadow:

I'm always oscillating between gay and just grayaro/gray ace. Depends on my mood

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Robotnik:

Frankly it depends on the adaptation.

Movie!Robotnik I feel is more demi or gray aroace

Sonic X Robotnik is bi to me

Prime universe's Archie Robotnik (this goes for the original and his replacement) is gay while also being on the aroace spectrum to me

But yeah in general Robotnik is on the aroace spectrum and whether I read him as bi or gay depends on the adaptation

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Metal Sonic:

Gay

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Chaos Sonic:

Also gay!

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Shard:

Sorry, but Shard to me likes women the same way Archie Sonic does to me. This is to say, he forms a strong relationship with *one* female character and confuses what they have for romance because comphet. So on the aro/ace spectrum and seems to get into situationships with guys fairly often

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Mina the Mongoose:

Bi!

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King Max Acorn:

Hoho definitely bi

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Locke the Echidna:

I want to say gay but he's like a heavily closeted queer at baseline. His relationship with sexuality is complicated, and while he has been with women before (sexually and romantically), he seems to relate a little to well to Knuckles' plight of not being interested in most girls and thinking guys should just stick with guys. Plus there's that scene where Scourge and Rouge are both surprised that Rouge's flirting and sex appeal isn't really doing anything for Locke.

Like if I had to label him I'd go closeted gay, but I feel like if he ever became comfortable enough to label himself as "not straight" he'd be more comfortable with the term queer or simply "not straight" as a catchall so he can avoid using a usual label

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Mighty:

Gay!! This goes no matter the adaptation

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Ray:

I have no headcanons other than that he does like boys

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Lara-Le:

Bi!

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Julie-Su:

Bi, but I also like to think of her as Demi too

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Lara-Su:

I take no criticism. Bi

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Nic the Weasel:

Gay, man. She and Fiona just had something

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Nack the Weasel:

Gay but also married to his job

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Bean the Duck:

Bi/Pan

The duck is queer

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Bark the Polar Bear:

Bi

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Vanilla the Rabbit:

Bi

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Charmy the Bee (Archie):

In general I don't have a headcanon for him, just because of how he's depicted in idw and the games these days.

But pre sgw Charmy (back when he was depicted as 16) is either gay or bi depending on how I feel. Not super solid on it, I just know he likes boys.

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Fiona the Fox:

I don't take criticism on this one either. Demi Lesbian

I have not once felt that she was genuinely really into a guy romantically. I think she just has a thing for danger and is a sadist in general, and I think she uses both Sonic and Scourge to get her fix for it. But frankly just like Scourge she tends to get bored in the opposite sex, and despite any declaration is liable to split the moment she's in danger. If she has anything for him, it reads as pretty shallow.

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Scourge the Hedgehog:

Gay but like extremely comphet about it. Like he seems to be more fixated on the idea of being desired by women and the idea of desiring women than he actually desires them. There's an issue where he grows bored with all the girls in Anti-Mobius (even Anti-Sally) and decides to find Sonic instead to start a fight so he can be no longer bored. The cover of that issue shows all of those hearts with his name + a girl's name written in the middle, AND a heart where he's written his name + Sonic in the middle. Despite having Fiona at his side, he proclaims he actually wants Prime!Sonic to rule beside him with the two of them as Kings. Like he seems to like the attention and seems to understand what an objectively attractive women looks like, but he's always growing bored with them and partnering up with them only to not really have much substance in a relationship with him. And while I will put the disclaimer that Mr. Flynn did not create Scourge's original character, nor does anything he says push or deny ships for legal reasons, he did once say in a bumblekast episode that in a hypothetical "Scourge Team Racing", Scourge would choose Miles and O'knux as his teammates because he "dislikes them the least".

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Antoine D'coolette:

Bi!

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Antoine's Father:

Bi

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Snively:

Absolutely Bi

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Clutch the Opposom:

Haha

Gay

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Jewel the Beetle:

Lesbian

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Whisper the Wolf:

Not completely sure yet. I think I kind of settle on Arospec but likes girls

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Sonic (Sonic Prime):

I see him on the aromantic spectrum but also like. Gay

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Sonic (StC)

Just straight up gay. At worst he's gay but comphet about it in a similar way to Scourge

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Tikal:

Generally she's a lesbian to me

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Relic:

Bi but also married to her work

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Adam the Ai:

Demi/grayaroace

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Espio:

In general he is always gay to me

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Chuck Thorndyke:

Bi

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Anti-Tails/Miles:

Haha. Gay

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Thanks for the ask, anon! I enjoyed answering this one😊

Like I said, this is by no means a comprehensive list, but I did put down some characters from different Sonic media off the top of my head.

[saburaito]

the two of them were certainly never supposed to cross paths - the red & white never got along, they were at war. their first encounter hadn't been the most friendly, he was not at all shy about the fact that he'd been sent there to kill her - but it never ended up happening. instead, some strange fascination with her seemed to grow. it was not allowed & she shouldn't have fed into it - truthfully, it wasn't on purpose. he liked her simply because of how different she was. hearing the knock on her bedroom window, she had been fast asleep - it should have been a bad sign that he was willing to show up at her heavily guarded home in the middle of the night. what became of her guards? still, she opens the window for him - she looks exhausted & still greets him with a smile. " shouldn't you be sleeping right now? "

HIS LOYALTY WAS WITH THE RED QUEEN, at least, according to his uniform. he was still wearing his red hearts, black knight armor when he came to visit her at her window. it took a fair bit of climbing to get there, but it was nothing that he wasn't accustomed to. sneaking out in the middle of the night was his only chance to see her. during the day, the queen would demand all of his attention for himself; feeding off of it, as if they had some romantic implications. but he was much more smitten by the white queen, something that the knave should have never felt. to them, she was the enemy. to him, she was grace. she was far more beautiful than anything else he'd ever seen before. accustomed to seeing the horrific abnormalities of those of the red court, she didn't have a single thing about her that was ruined. unlike himself, he fit right in with the queen of hearts; the only difference was that he hid his imperfections, not wanting them on display for everyone to see.

standing on the balcony outside of her window, he knocked on the glass. waiting to see the light turn on, she would notice that he was there soon enough. even in her night clothes, she was as beautiful as ever. SABU drew in a breath at the sight of her, reminding himself to remain calm about it. he wasn't there to frighten her. ❝ now, was the only time that i could get away. the queen sleeps. i wanted to come and visit you. your guards are quite pathetic. ❞ he mused, having taken out a few of them on the way there. he never left the castle without a sword on his hip. though, he hadn't needed to draw it when it came to handling them. they were just small hindrances to his main goal. ❝ i hope this isn't a bad time, i just wanted a chance to see you again. ❞ there was no time better for an affair than in the dead of night. they both knew what he was doing was wrong, but he had no way to change his affiliation. had he mentioned his infatuation with the white queen, it would be off with his head. he wasn't immune from the red queen's anger. it would have been a stake to her heart to know that he was vying for the other half.

[fontasticcrablettes]

Tagged by @hoskky! Well technically you tagged my main blog but I usually put fanfic things over here.

rules: How much do these tropes affect your decision to click on a fic? -10 -> very dissuaded 0 - don’t care either way +10 -> very enticed nope -> if it’s a hard no and you’d never click on a fic with that tag or or you even have the tag blocked or you’d insta click out of the fic if it wasn’t tagged. Bonus points for explaining the rating and whether it’s conditional.

Age gap: Kinda ranges from 0 to -10 depending on what size age gap we're talking about. Like if one person is 20 and the other is 30 it's more of a 0, but 15 and 35 is -10.

Codependency: 5. Copying Hoskky's answer that if this is in a romantic context I don't really care but if it's part of some fucked up train wreck relationship that can be fun.

Obsession/Possessiveness, jealousy: Same answer as above.

Opposites (grumpy/sunshine etc): 0. Just not something I care about

Enemies to lovers, Enemies with benefits: 7. I can't honestly rate this any lower when I've been the one-man-fandom for Alexei/Yuri for many years now. Though it's not a hard 10 because sometimes I'd rather the enemies stayed enemies. Like if my enjoyment of a villainous character is how fun they are as a villain I don't want to see them domesticated.

Friends with benefits: 0. I don't read smut, but if characters are fucking in the background of a story, that's, like, fine.

Sex to feelings: 0. Another "sure, that's fine." Don't care about characters fucking in general!

Fake dating/relationship: 10. I love a grand deception.

Friends to lovers: 5. I can't keep rating every romantic trope as a 0 just because I don't read romance fics so I'll give this a 5 because I'm not, like, enthusiastic about it but if there's going to be a romance in a story I like it if the characters are friends first and it grows out of that.

Found Family: 10 now that's what I'm talking about

Hurt/Comfort: 100 literally 90% of what I read is hurt/comfort

Poly, open relationships: 0. I care more about what the characters are up to than the specific arrangements of their relationships. Like, I have poly ships, but polyamory isn't something I care about in isolation.

Mistaken/hidden identity: 8. Once again, a grand deception! Oh, the drama.

Monsterfucking: nope. I don't read smut. Although, if it was more monster-loving in general and the fucking is just a side scene on the way to an in-depth relationship with a monster, now we're talking.

Pregnancy: 3. I'm not going to read something just for pregnancy, but it can add some stakes and additional issues to an already engaging plot.

Second Chance: 5. I really like characters who failed at something getting a chance to do it again some character growth.

Slowburn: 0. Yes I am continuing to rate all the romance things as "don't care," I'm sorry my answers are boring. This is really in the "it depends!" category, because if a fic is like, 100k of romance-focused slow burn.... yeah I'm not reading that because I don't read romance novels. But also, if a fic is slow burn then it's usually long, and that means there might be some other plot happening and the slow burn is the side romance along the way, and that's my preferred way to consume romance stories.

Love Triangle: -10. Unnecessary drama, x2

Soulmates: nope. In the long vein of "Nightfoot Overthinks Things," I am incapable of thinking about soulmates without getting very caught up in what the implications are for free will. I also just generally disagree with the idea that there can be one and only one person someone could be truly happy with.

-----

I think the general takeaway here is "Nightfoot is a deeply non-romantic person." Though, for a lot of these, my thought was very "Well, it depends on the ship! If this was for my OTP I would read it, if not I would have no interest."

So, question for the class! Do you read fanfics based on the tropes if it's not a ship you already like? Am just deep in rarepair hell that I can't imagine sorting through fics on the trope level when I'm used to having a dozen fics in total that are even about my fave ships?

Thanks for tagging me even though my answers were very boring. I'll tag @magicmetslogic if you'd like to :)

[yanlei-a]

Would Zed blush if someone called him their heartlight? After the incident with shen, does he have the ability to romance/fall in love again?

— anon

answering the second question first: could he fall in love again?

i think so, i just don't think it'd ever be easy. even before he left the kinkou, i don't think romance would have been necessarily easy if only because he had so many issues related to his self-worth resulting from literally everything he lived before. in my long ass post about yevnai, i mentioned i don't think he was in love with her, but rather infatuated with the idea someone was interested in him like that — with shen it's different, because there's so much genuine affection and gratitude and devotion involved, and even then i do think he'd have hesitated to see himself as worthy of having his affections retributed, at least for a considerable amount of the time they had together.

at some point he did manage to overcome those feelings, and that's definitely not the case anymore, he doesn't see himself as lesser, but there are so many other complications. from the moment he decided not only to leave the kinkou, but really when he decides to go back for the tears of shadows, zed knows he's damning himself to a path of no return he can't really expect anyone to be willing to walk with him — and to which he doesn't want the person he has the most love for to share (which is why he goes to such lengths to ensure shen won't follow him to the darkness).

the constant about him from that point on is that he is willing to do increasingly terrible things for his ideals and to protect ionia. he embraced his villain role, believing it is ultimately necessary. that, however, also means keeping most people at arm's length. there are too many who'd reject him for what he is, and even among those who wouldn't, zed is definitely not trusting or easily approachable. the man chose to close himself off, and i think it'd be a very slow and difficult process to get him to open up to anyone. even among his own order, i don't see him being generally open or in any way very affectionate, even with platonic relationships (and i do think his pupils are the exception, there, because of the role he has in their lives and the fact he's trying to be better to them than his own master was to him but anyway that's beside the point). the point is anyone interested would have to deal with the fact he's not changing his ways, he is going to continue doing horrible things and playing his role as the villain, he will actively try to keep them at a safe distance before they have his affection. he won't even believe there's someone who genuinely cares about him like that and there's nothing more involved in that, that it isn't an attempt at manipulation or to exploit vulnerability.

and, well, when it comes to shen, he really doesn't expect shen to be a part of his life like that (or in any positive way, really), after the comic events. that was his last, desperate attempt at getting shen to realize the truth without breaking his word, and even before that they've been apart (and enemies) for many years. he clearly holds shen in high regard and always will. shen will never not be important to him. but that doesn't necessarily implicate romantic feelings always.

so is it impossible? not really. but it'd take patience and time and dedication, and even in a scenario where there are feelings from both sides, zed might still be unwilling to act on them if he thinks the association with him would make the other person suffer in any way. it'd still take patience because he cares so much and he's capable of so much love but receiving it is something else entirely. he doesn't really know how to deal with that. there are so many old wounds left by the people he was close to before. and it'd have to be someone he trusts entirely and that is, before being a lover, a friend.

anyway if anyone is willing to go through all the obstacles and love him flawed and broken as he is, then, sure, romance is still possible. the pros are you'll have the most devoted partner. will kill for you. also die, possibly. but also be mindful of his single dad status and that his kids apparently aren't fond of the idea of their dad dating lmao

as to how he'd react to being called heartlight... i assume that'd demand a committed relationship, considering how the word is used in canon, so it'd have to be used by someone who he loves and who loves him after they're already together. regardless, it'd make him so very soft?? genuinely don't think he ever expected to be with someone like that. if he's not expecting it the first time, then maybe he'd be a little flustered, but for the most part i think he wouldn't be as much embarrassed as it'd make him melt completely. it's a very meaningful and loving word, and one he would consider himself the antithesis of (to be the light in someone's heart? ironic, when he made shadow his business). but whoever got to the point would have shown they see something good in him already, and he wouldn't be as unwilling to acknowledge that with them, so. but yeah it's not a word he would use lightly, so it'd be very meaningful to him. it'd make him a little emotional.

[arcstral]

𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏   𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄   𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓����𝐑   𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐓

NAME.  MARTH LOWELL

BODY

HEIGHT:   174cm — 5′8.5"

STRENGTH ★★★☆☆   ( a strength once conducive to dual-wielding the falchion and binding shield without much strain. not overly impressive but he can pull his weight on the battlefield and during acts of manual labor. )

DEXTERITY ★★★★☆   ( light on his feet as expected of a duelist type swordsman. )

HEALTH ★★★★☆

ENERGY ★★★★☆   ( functional human being healthy circadian rhythm; rises early and goes to bed at a reasonable time which supplies him with a lot of energy. )

BEAUTY ★★★★★   ( in-game physical descriptors include ‘dashing’ and ‘having very sweet eyes’, spelling a gentle face that is popular with clerics, princesses, and romantics. )

STYLE ★★★☆☆   ( stately but predictable. doesn’t dress to revolutionize or make waves. )

HYGIENE ★★★★★  ( trimmed nails that are free of dirt, odorless body, and clean-shaven face. follows hygienic routines faithfully to ensure his appearance is fit for the public eye. )

SKILLS

PERCEPTION ★★★☆☆   ( a good head on his shoulders but over-trusting, placing faith in questionable former allies and leaning toward the belief that individuals- particularly, friends- must surely have reasons to commit their wrongs. )

COMMUNICATION ★★★★★   ( exceedingly transparent with his feelings and doesn’t shy away from conveying fears, dreams, or anxieties. )

PERSUASION ★★★☆☆   

MEDIATION ★★★★☆   ( naturally good at mediation, but balancing and checking the seven enclaves of a unified government help to keep it sharp. )

LITERACY ★★★★★   ( well-educated, having cultivated his reading and writing skills under a menagerie of royal tutors from an early age. )

CREATIVITY ★★★☆☆

COOKING ★★☆☆☆   ( knows the bare minimum of catching and cooking wild food in order to subsist outside of castle walls. otherwise, it’s an area of expertise he leaves faithfully to caeda. )

TECH SAVVY ★★☆☆☆  

COMBAT ★★★★☆   ( an able commander and swordsman alike; skilled spur-of-the-moment judgment, calm under pressure, and in possession of quick reflexes. )

SURVIVAL ★★★★☆   ( coming out alive from both of archanea’s wars with all his limbs, fingers, and teeth should be saying something. observed from his enemies, not too many soldiers or opposing commanders are lucky enough to say the same. )

STEALTH ★★★☆☆

STREET SMARTS ★★☆☆☆

SEDUCTION ★★☆☆☆   ( flusters easily and wouldn’t be able to seduce anyone with confidence on command. doing it without intention is a different story. he’s young, fit, and attractive so the pieces sometimes magically fall into place. )

LUCK ★★★★★   ( considers himself fortunate to possess so many wonderful allies and sources of companionship. )

HANDLING ANIMALS ★★☆☆☆  

PACIFYING CHILDREN ★★★★★   ( shown to interact in a caring and empathetic manner with children. soothing the divine dragon princess, tiki, with unerring success implicates a solid degree of talent. )

MIND

INTELLIGENCE ★★★★☆   ( capable of keeping stride with fast-moving stratagems and conversations at the war table, thoughtful, and emotionally intelligent. )

HAPPINESS ★★★★☆

SPIRITUALITY ★★★★☆   ( the altean heirloom, falchion, is within itself a bequest to mankind from their guardian god so his acceptance of religion is unavoidable. takes special care not to desecrate holy temples with the muddy operations of an army. )

CONFIDENCE ★★★★☆

HUMOR ★★★★☆   ( pleasantly good-humored; can whip out witty ripostes and speak the language of less solemn individuals if need be. )

ANXIETY ★☆☆☆☆

PATIENCE ★★★★☆ ( the patience of a sage. between his two-year stint hiding in talys, and the two-year period of reconstruction that postponed his own marriage, he’s invested in any undertaking for the long haul. )

PASSION ★★★★☆   ( shows commitment to his goal of peace, an earnest belief that goodness in human hearts will prevail, that broken lands and broken people can be rebuilt in time. )

NICE ☆★☆☆☆ MEAN   ( kind of manner and speech with rare deviation. only when faced with villains that commit brazen wrongdoings does he drop courtesies. )

BRAVE ☆☆★☆☆ COWARDLY   ( seemingly impenetrable as if his courage can never falter, but inwardly feels the fearsome weight of his responsibility. the soldiers that stand at his back are unable to see their leader’s frightened face and he states that he prefers it that way. )

PACIFIST ☆☆★☆☆ VIOLENT   ( pacifistic but not pacifist. even though he’s a man that values peace, he could never achieve it without fighting and winning wars first; a sour antithesis albeit one marth has come to accept. )

THOUGHTFUL ☆★☆☆☆ IMPULSIVE   ( a high level of empathy means that he approaches topics and individuals with great consideration. impulsivity even if felt isn’t something he honors especially with a number of prudent subordinates like jagen and malledus to rein him in. )

AGREEABLE ★☆☆☆☆ CONTRARY   ( doesn’t often speak or act in opposition against others, preferring to forge an understanding or to coexist at worst. )

IDEALISTIC ☆★☆☆☆ PRAGMATIC   ( a self-aware idealist, knows that he can’t save all lives under his jurisdiction or expect humanity to likewise choose good over evil but these are ideals he yearns for regardless. )

FRUGAL ☆★☆☆☆ BIG SPENDER   ( rightfully selective with his expenditures as a ruler. a formative few years spent in talys, a kingdom without an army to call its own and less wealth compared to altea, hammered in the importance of frugality and finances. )

EXTROVERT ☆★☆☆☆ INTROVERT    ( being surrounded by people, working with people, leading people- all these actions mean that extroversion is nurtured even if it’s not nature. )

COLLECTED ★☆☆☆☆ WILD   ( in order to uphold the image of a dependable figure of authority he keeps to his composure. very few of his knights have ever seen him behave otherwise. )

ambitious / possessive / stubborn / jealous / decisive / perfectionist

SOCIAL

CHARISMA ★★★★☆   ( well-spoken and authoritative, but it’s ultimately his sincerity and purity of heart that compels others to follow. an essence that drives his most compelling speeches. )

EMPATHY ★★★☆☆ --> ★★★★☆   ( though he feels for the suffering of innocents, the traitors to his kingdom including its civilians were once observed with less understanding. war, after all, can drive a stake of hatred through any heart. )

GENEROSITY ★★★★☆   ( is willing to hand out everything found in his pocket when asked for money. )

WEALTH ★★★★★   ( wealthiest man in archanea, no doubt. )

HONEST ☆★☆☆☆ DECEPTIVE   ( generally honest. stays faithful to the truth, but will lie to spare feelings on occasion. )

LEADER   ★☆☆☆☆ FOLLOWER   ( marth is a natural prince, now king, who honors the duty he bears to others and shoulders whatever social burdens are required. in the event that a leader is required he’ll step up to the plate without batting an eye, not out of pride or any particular desire, but simple nature. )

POLITE ★☆☆☆☆ RUDE   ( extends deference to all deserving individuals no matter their origins or caste. )

POLITICAL ★☆☆☆☆ INDIFFERENT   ( his royal station is closely intertwined with politics, even if he wanted to turn a blind eye he couldn’t. a person’s value served to said politics, however, has no relation in how he regards them. )

BELIEFS

HIGHER POWER ★★☆☆☆   ( after learning the revelation that naga, archanea’s warrior deity, was in actuality the divine dragon king, the expectations and beliefs he held toward a higher power have been humbled. the heavens brought a little closer to earth, seen as more mundane than otherworldly. )

FATE/DESTINY ★★★★☆   ( destiny in the words of malledus has lead him down the path he walks now, as anri’s successor, as heir to the falchion and the duty it entails. marth’s own conviction manifests in his attitude that fate brought him and kris together. )

MAGIC ★★★★★   ( it would be difficult to deny the existence of magic when his sister is a cleric and his best friend is a collegiate mage of khadein. this is to say nothing of the malevolent magicka that hounded his army through gharnef’s imhullu. )

SOULMATES ★★★★☆   ( his belief in soulmates bears certain equivalence to his belief in fate. his beloved caeda is one such soulmate; his other half and royal guard, kris, is another. )

GOOD AND EVIL ★★★★☆   ( to marth’s understanding, good and evil though existent occurs in intricate shades, especially in the case of evil. medeus who thrice subjugated mankind and proved the enemy of marth’s bloodline had seen first humans persecute his kind over centuries. humans themselves refract similarly complicated factors in their ugliest actions, as seen in michalis and camus. marth for this reason has never crossed the threshold of hate even for his most bitter enemies, excluding gharnef. )

LUCK ★★☆☆☆   ( places an average emphasis on luck that falls in line with lamenting a rainy day or a bad hand dealt in cards. )

PRIORITIES

FAMILY ★★★★★   ( if liberating archanea and reclaiming altea was marth’s most vocal priority, alongside it was the rescue of his older sister, elice. )

FRIENDS ★★★★★ ( you won’t find a man more appreciative of his friends. )

LOVE ★★★★☆   ( love though held dear to his heart must come secondary to the crown his head wears. )

HOME ★★★★★   ( marth has never failed to fight for the salvation of his lands and the subjects that live within them. a prevailing sense of guilt at his inability to protect his home from invaders suggests just how important he finds it. )

HEALTH ★★★★☆

PRAISE ★☆☆☆☆

JUSTICE ★★★★☆   ( laws and morals should be enforced for a world to be worth living in. in that regard he has shown himself to be fair yet merciful when administering punishments for crimes. )

TRUTH ★★★★★

POWER ★★☆☆☆   ( hardin of aurelis once ceded the rights to command the battlefield to marth, judging him to be someone who wouldn’t squander a position of power for his own gain. this perception is true. power whether social or physical, tangible or intangible, holds no importance to him. )

FAME ★☆☆☆☆   ( it’s ironic that he has little care for fame. his name will turn out to be the most famous throughout archanean and ylissean history. )

WEALTH ★★☆☆☆

OTHERS' OPINIONS ★★☆☆☆   ( validation or a lack thereof doesn’t weigh on him heavily, but it’s preferable to be regarded in a positive light over a negative one. )