#I like most of the companions a lot but I don't really feel attracted to any of them romantically

[laurelindebear]

Ohhhhhh god, I've been playing BG3 largely asexually so far tbh - I could have had some romance scenes with...almost everyone at the tiefling party I think, depending what choices I took, but I went to bed by myself because I wasn't ready to pick. I've had a conversation option to ask Lae'zel 'Is it me or have you been looking at me differently' for awhile but I've just ignored it.

But today while going for a long rest before confronting the surgeon in the House of Healing (how creepy is that place btw, seriously??) I finally hit a romance proposition initiated by one of the companions and it's so awkward and I feel awful. I'm not totally against the idea - it's someone I've considered trying a romance with - but I just...don't know. I can't really decide on any of them and I'm not sure I want to. But now I have to lock myself in or out (or in, and then have to dump them later which won't be any better) and I don't really want to. They get so sad if I say 'nah'.

Honest to god I feel like my Tav would just say 'I'm sorry I have to go', pick up Scratch and flee into the woods, never to be seen again. I'm having vivid memories of running into the library to hide behind shelves after one of my classes at uni because I would often pass a guy on the way to my next class who was nice enough but I was afraid he was going to ask me out and I wasn't interested (in hindsight he almost certainly wasn't either but I was stupid and awkward and not used to being around boys/men so I was way out of my depth.)

Hate it hate it hate it. I'm gonna have to suck it up and make a decision if I want to finish, and to be clear I'm not saying this as a criticism of the game, it's just a 'me problem', but...well, it's a me problem.

[friedpaolo]

As silly as it may sound, do you have any headcanons for Mr.Chopped?

Mr. Chopped.. such a sweet little guy. <3

Synopsis: general headcanons for Mr. Chopped.

Mr. Chopped is a very clingy creature. In the scenario where you're his lover or someone that he feels comfortable around then prepare to have a serious arm workout because he becomes whiny and persistent about being carried around with you 24/7. He'll complain when you attempt sit him down. His lips curling into a unsatisfactory frown when he feels a hard surface or anything that isn't your arms or hands. "No! Pick up, pick up!" He'll demand, but not in the way where you feel threatened if you don't pick him up. But if you don't then just expect a very petulant response when you finally do pick him back up.

Mr. Chopped loves physical affection. Oh, he becomes the happiest little creature in the world when you show affection towards him. He eats it all up. Kisses, nuzzling. You gave him a bunny kiss once and he hasn't been the same since. Now whenever you see him, he looks at you so expectantly. He'll get especially jealous if he sees you do it to anyone else and will pout about it, claiming that he doesn't want you to pick him up but he's lying and you both know that. Then if you leave him, he accuses you of leaving him when you return. Like, my brother in christ make up your mind, it's the only part of your body that's connected to you!

Mr. Chopped who hates when you go without him or hasn't come to visit him in a while. By a while, the estimate is 2 hours at the most. He highly finds himself attracted to those that help him or aren't hostile towards him. So he undoubtedly begs Mr. Silvair to bring him to to you or find you. He feels a bit bad that it's a hassle for Mr. Silvair in the scenario where you're whereabouts are unknown. But he just really wants to see you and know that another monster hasn't swallowed you whole. "There!" He'll exclaim when he sees you in the distance. It happens so often that it reminds you of ordering food and meeting the delivery man on the porch. Although you're not upset, how can you be when Chopped is practically vibrating from the excitement of being your hands again.

Mr. Chopped loves having his hair styled. It becomes clear when he asks you to take him to see the hair dresser. He loves when you sit his head down on your lap and mess with his hair. Braid it into a single lose braid, comb it, put it in a little bun. The feeling of your fingers combing through his hair relaxes him a lot and he'll request it whenever he's feeling anxious or terrified. Like if another monster captures him and you manage to get him back, it soothes him. Doesn't let you dye his hair, he prefers to keep his orange locks but will ask you to cut it. "Cut!" He'll tell you, you barely even snip anything off before he declares. "Much better!" Like?? a lock of hair the size of a pencil shaving was cut and he claims he's feeling lighter.

Mr. Chopped who probably scares you whenever he uses his hand. Like, the way it would just appear out of nowhere. Sometimes by itself. He has no sense of "what if I scare them?" The mount of times you'd freaked out when you felt something take ahold of your ankle only to realize it's Chopped's way of saying that he wants you to come to him is actually terrific and you have to remind yourself that it's your companion's hand so you don't kick it away or crush it with your crowbar. When he realizes that he'd scared you, he feels very bad and does apologize for it. He doesn't stop, but that makes it more difficult to get your attention when he Mr. Silvair refuses to carry him to you.

11/18/2024 © Friedpaolo. please do not translate, modify or repost any of my work on any platform, or claim any of it as your own.

[annawayne]

Hi Anna! Stella here!! I was wondering if you have any Jeanpiku headcanons since you said you like this ship too! Sending you massive hugs and I hope your day goes well🙏

Stella, hello! ｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡

And oh, thank you so, so much for asking! JeanPiku have a very big spot in my heart and I adore this ship a lot, especially in post-canon setting, with them and AruAni being chaotic Ambassadors couples :D

So, for the headcanons!

1. I honestly imagine Pieck being a messy one out of the two, not because she's lazy and unorganised, but rather because she doesn't care too much about such things. To put it simply, she's not a person who thinks that it's worth her energy that much if she could spend some time on more exciting things - cuddling with Jean or reading, or anything else (and she's that one person who looks gorgeous no matter what). Jean, on the other hand, is the one who really hates when something is *not in the right place*. Opposites attract, we could say, but it's more like they compliment each other like a perfect puzzle. I also advise everyone to read the adorable oneshot by @zuzusexytiems , "Dirty Socks", which is basically about it!

2. JeanPiku is that one couple who are perfect hosts. If Connie among Ambassadors is the one who comes up with some wild (yet great!) ideas, so JeanPiku are behind every party, gatherings, dates and spontaneous events that turn into incredible time together. I honestly think that Jean, with his excellent diligence, and Pieck, with her witty and observant approach, always organize the best parties or events, where everything is thought out and organised in a precise manner, so everyone feels comfortable and enjoys their time. I also think that JeanPiku are often the ones, who drag AruAni on double dates, like Armin is too anxious and tired sometimes to even raise his head because of being the leader, Annie is often his right hand and in help, so JeanPiku, seeing this lemonheads disaster duo, drag them to unwind and spend time together.JeanPiku are always here for the rescue, and leave it to them to organise the best events!

3. Out of the two, it's Jean who spends more time in front of the mirror and in the shops. Pieck teases him, but it's a great understatement to say she loves the way he looks - more of she adores it.

4. Jean is obsessed not only with his hair, but with Pieck's, and let me tell you - I'm sure, that Pieck's long, gorgeous locks are much more mesmerising for him than his own.

5. Pieck is incredible at public events. Her speeches are witty, her words laced with precise intonation where she knows she needs to pull the certain emotions, she knows where to smile, where to drop the octave in her tune. She's excellent not only with politicians in the stuffed rooms, but on all this formal soirées, she shines the most, where they can drop a bit all the formalities and be a tad casual - and oh, she uses it in full. However, there's another side of it: as much as Jean is mesmerized by his girlfriend to be that smart and he's insanely proud of her accomplishments, he can't help but imagine how he breaks bones of some stupid politicians who ogle her with these silly, disgusting gazes. Let me tell you, that he has a companion in this, Annie, who throws the same daggers with her eyes during all these soirées, watching Pieck and Armin being all smiley, polite and too good-looking in her dress and his suit amongst these disgusting and petty people. Jean and Annie are besties when it comes to such situations, aggressively sipping their wine and discussing murders of people who don't cherish their loved ones as if it's something incredibly casual.

That's it for now!

Actually, you know, it was quite an interesting and out-of-box post for me, since I usually don't think about ships in "headcanons", and often just see the story around it and then, build everything in the particular setting, according to their characters. So thinking about headcanons like that, out of the context, it was also an unusual, but quite exciting thing, so thank you a lot for asking, I had a lot of fun with it and it really distracted me from everything not very good going on, so I'm very, very grateful!

I wish you all the best, Stella, and have a wonderful *timezone*! 🩷

[cringecompanionapologist]

Moffat, Sexy Women, and More 80s Who Complaints:

Note: I am a woman and everything I'm saying is my opinion as an individual woman and not an attempt to represent women as a whole. We're like half the world's population. We're not gonna agree on everything.

I'm just gonna randomly say a bit about the Moffat era and women that's sort of a defense in an "this still feels better than other things" sort of way.

Look, I will not deny that the Moffat era (mostly 11's part) has some issues with women. Most of it, at least for me, has less to do with how the female characters are written and more to do with how the male characters address them (Let's Kill Hitler, I'm looking at you).

But, one thing that bothers other people that doesn't bother me as much is the sexualization. This is mostly compared to what came before it.

For me, because sexuality isn't an inherently negative thing, a character of any gender being sexualized isn't automatically a bad thing. It's more of a matter of subject vs. object.

To illustrate my point, let's bitch about 80s Who for a bit.

Now, when I say 80s Who, I'm mostly referring to the Saward Era (seasons 19-23/5th and 6th Doctors). Ace wasn't really sexualized in the same way the companions before her were.

If you dig through this blog, you'll find that this is sort of the third in a miniseries about various issues with 80s companions that mostly come down to something about gender. With Tegan, it's that she's an outspoken woman and treated negatively for it. With Turlough, it's that the EU tries to downplay the more gender-nonconforming aspects of his character, which admittedly mostly happened by accident.

This time, I'm talking about Peri. Peri was heavily sexualized but in a way that I don't particularly like. It ultimately comes down to how the era handles sexuality in general.

JNT was more of a marketing guy than a creative guy, but his ideas of marketing the show ended up contradicting one another. On one hand, he wanted to avoid controversy. Doctor Who had a bit of a history of controversy, though most of it was about how violent it was, something this era of the show clearly did not care about. Instead, the primary JNT/Saward obsession was with sex. It had to be clear that the Doctor did not fuck and never had. But, this sort of extended to the companions as well. 60s and 70s Who would occasionally give companions one-off love interests. This didn't happen a lot, but there was a history of it dating back to The Daleks, where Barbara makes out with one of the Thals for a bit. In 80s Who, the only time a companion got a love interest was right as she was leaving the show and that was a last minute change.

(Side Note: I'd once again like to comment that Doctor Who wrote women better in 1964 than in 1984 and that Barbara is a great character. The worst thing Moffat every did was have Twice Upon a Time trick people into thinking of this era as The Sexist One.)

You might be wondering, "so what? It's a kids show. Of course nobody's gonna be horny!". And yeah. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. The problem is that the show isn't horny, but it is sexy.

What I mean: Horny is sexuality in-universe. It's the characters having sexual attraction and interests. Sexy is sexuality out-of-universe. It's characters being attractive to the audience.

Peri is the ultimate example of this. She's completely normal for this era of the show when it comes to sexuality. It's not really a thing and when it is it leads to almost immediate marriage. But, she's always dressed in revealing outfits. In Planet of Fire, she's on vacation in a warm region, so that makes sense, but she continues to dress that way everywhere she goes.

Peri is sexualized as fanservice for the audience and for villainous characters to leer at to make them more threatening. Her personality doesn't really match her choice of outfits. It's all for the benefit of the audience and a justification for creepy bad guy behavior.

I mentioned before the sexual subject vs. object. A subject does while an object is done to. A subject looks while an object is looked at. When a character's sexuality isn't an aspect of their character, existing primarily as something for the audience and other characters to leer at, she's a sexual object. And that sucks.

The reason Moffat's sexualization of characters like Amy and River doesn't bother me is that they do not have this problem. The women in this era are just as horny as the men. It's clear that these characters are the sort of people who'd choose to wear the outfits they wear. Yes, it's still fanservice written that way due to Moffat's horniness, but the female characters he writes have sexual agency. They're sexy because they're horny. They flirt with people they're attracted to. They're not just being leered at by the audience and other characters. They're looking as well as being looked at. They actively participate in the show's sexuality. They are sexual subjects.

Of course this doesn't work all the time. There's a lot of "men are horny idiots about women" jokes. When it comes to other aspects of female characters, there's a lot of talk of them being overly emotional and focused on romantic relationships. This did get better over time, being less of a thing with Clara and basically not a thing at all with Bill. I think Moffat was aware of the criticism he was getting and learned from his mistakes. But mistakes were certainly made.

But, though Moffat was obviously horny for his female characters, he them sexual agency. It might not be for everyone but it meant that the horniness of the era didn't bother me.

Besides, I'm horny for Moffat's female companions too. Is it morally different because I'm a woman being horny in a gay way?

[airgiodslv]

I skipped the July creation wrap-up because nearly everything I worked on was for challenges revealed in August. There's a lot!

Fics:

Guess That Voice: WIK Edition

KinnPorsche, Kim/Chay, rated T

Kim is grilled within an inch of his life about Wik’s personal life, his projects, and his future plans. Chay takes meticulous notes on his phone the whole time. Kim has trained with professional interrogators who are less intimidating than Chay crafting a bomb to drop on Twitter.

“It’s not for Twitter,” Chay corrects him. Kim has a short-lived moment of relief before Chay clarifies: “I’m writing Wikfic.”

(Fic Text + Podfic)

The Shadow Lyctors

Jeff Satur Cinematic Universe & The Locked Tomb Series - Tamsyn Muir, rated M

Moonshine was the cavalier primary to Sunshine, Third Saint to serve the King Undying. It is unclear whether this was his given name, or how Sunshine has memorialized him after death. Sunshine calls him ‘an Alexandrite’, referring to the branch of Sixth House cavaliers whose attractiveness and skill earned them an education in erotic poetry and a Cohort assignment, for the express purpose of finding a mate to diversify the ailing Sixth House gene pool.

Given Sunshine’s sense of humor, it is possible this was a joke.

(A fandom Wiki for a fictional book trilogy)

Podfic Triptych + Ficlet: Sunshine and Rain, written by TheCookieOfDoom, shubaka, and AirgiodSLV

Jeff Satur Cinematic Universe, Sunshine/Rain, rated T

untitled ficlet, written by TheCookieOfDoom The being coalesces from smoke and shadow.

from where the light shines, written by shubaka The Rain God discovers a man on a rooftop, lying in a pool of his own blood.

ghost light, written by AirgiodSLV On the night of Wan Ok Phansa, Sunshine dances on the Mekong River.

by the light of the sun, a remix of to have and to hold by shubaka

Jeff Satur Cinematic Universe & Wuju Bakery, Sunshine/Ghost, Sunshine/Passion, rated G

Most people forget that Sunshine is the scion of a dynasty himself, too used to thinking of him only as Prince Raon’s companion.

Passion, however, forgets very little that could prove useful to him.

hiraeth and hwyl, written & performed by The Sentient Hive (AirgiodSLV, CompassRose, ellejabell, epaulettes, kitkat50311, mahons-ondine, minnabird, sisi_rambles)

Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones & Piranesi - Susanna Clarke, rated G

You find yourself looking at a door.

It looks like an ordinary door, but you’re somehow certain that it isn’t.

In theory, you could open the door…but something warns you off.

You might not survive, if you pass through that door. You might no longer be you.

Podfics & Audio:

you could cut ties with all the lies (that you've been living in), written by Nemainofthewater

Nirvana in Fire, Lin Chen/Xiao Jingyan & Mei Changsu, rated M

“Sir Sū,” Jĭngyán said, “Forgive me, but I can’t help but feel strange referring to you in such a manner after such intimacies.”

“Ah,” said Lìn Chén, abruptly thrown out of his warm, post-coital state, “No, Your Highness is going to have to trust me on this, calling me Chángsū is really going to spoil the mood.”

Listen to the radio, audio collage of music & interviews by Jeff Satur, with art by TheCookieOfDoom

On a desolate planet under distant stars, these heroes fight against the corporations that control society. Late at night, you can hear them broadcast to each other on pirate radio frequencies, sending secret messages across the airwaves...

"Fuck it, I'm adopting her," said John Gaius, not knowing the paperwork wasn't necessary, written by Naamah_Beherit

The Locked Tomb Series - Tamsyn Muir, rated T

Gideon, a highly distinguished Cohort lieutenant, saves the day—and the girl—and then gets stuck in the lift of The Erebos with a man feeding her peanuts as if they have all the time in the world. They don't, but if he doesn't mind, then why should she?

baby I, baby I, I'm caught in the middle, written by IsleofSolitude

KinnPorsche, Kim/Chay, Chay/OMC, rated E

Seth has had threesomes before. He knows he’s great at sex—that sex with him is something Chay enjoys immensely. He and Chay have a strong relationship, he knows Chay intimately. He’s never had a third with him and an omega during a heat before, but Kim’s sort of attractive. Besides, they are in his home. There’s no reason to not be okay with it. If things go badly, he can just kick Kim out.

(the steal the show inspired threesome omegaverse inspired by a dream)

love, let my love inside go free, written by daltoneering

KinnPorsche, Kinn/Porsche, rated E

They burst to the surface gasping for breath, water clogging Porsche’s ears, distorting the brightness of Kinn’s laughter across the pool into muffled echoes along the tall glass walls of the building. He grabs for the side, lungs screaming.

“Fuck! You want to drown me?”

Kinn shows Porsche just how grateful he is for the perfect first date.

History Talking to Itself, written by Sour_Idealist

Teixcalaan Series - Arkady Martine, Mahit Dzmare/Three Seagrass, Yskandr Aghavn/Nineteen Adze/Six Direction, Past Mahit Dzmare/OFC, rated T

Twelve excerpts from Teixcalaan and from Lsel Station.

[the-blue-wraith]

My review for Dragon Age: The Veilguard (SPOILERS BELOW)

These are my personal opinions and not personal attacks to anyone who loves the game.

Pros:

Combat is invigorating.

Exploration is just fine, not too overwhelming.

Side quests are not lengthy.

CC was great and had lots of sliders and lots of good hair too.

Harding, Bellara, Lucanis, and Emmrich’s voice acting are in point.

NPCs are more active in terms of animation, unlike in previous games.

The codex you found in areas is short and easy to read.

Dragon fights are more challenging.

Banters outside the Lighthouse are compelling.

Emmrich and Harding's quest are impactful.

No major glitches, only encountered a few minor glitches.

Cons:

Writing is just basic. Humorous/aggressive dialogues are not totally funny/aggressive. Companions/Rook are too polite.

Dialogue after the fall of Weisshaupt feels off, they don't need to say directly to players that companions need to resolve their problems before fighting the Gods.

Interaction inside the Lighthouse feels like an interaction inside the workplace. I wish I was kidding.

Some dialogues are repetitive (ex. “The elven gods have broken free from their prison” “Dragons don’t have kings, they have queens”).

Factions lack introduction. We didn’t get to know each faction in depth.

Story and companions lacks conflict/disparity.

Choices from the last 3 games didn’t matter, and became a wasted chance to explore in Veilguard.

Can’t talk to NPC like in DA:I.

What's the point of having gifting scenes where all they could say is "thank you"?

Some voice actings are a bit off, lacks emotions (American Female Rook/Neve)

Enemy designs are repetitive.

Ability wheel is lacking, it should’ve let us get 5 abilities to use in battle.

Qunari designs are not good.

Overall music is too ordinary.

Romances are lacking and have no growth

I really enjoyed the combat it reminds me of Mass Effect. The best part here are the dragon fights because this was one of the things that I anticipated years ago, and I'm quite satisfied! I like the flow and conflict at the end of Act 2 up to Act 3. That scene with Varric in the Fade still hits hard to me. 😭 I know it was sad, but in that phase I was motivated to finish the game. I just wish the flow of Acts 1-2 were intense like Act 3. Like I said, it lacks conflict.

After finishing the game, I ended up liking Emmrich and Harding. I didn't give a shit about Harding back in DA:I but now I like her even more 😆. Emmrich's quest was the most impactful to me, I chose to revive Manfred, and after that, I saw how much he loves him, that scene was heartwarming. Kudos to their voice actors 🙌🏻

I resonate with Bellara's quest, but I wish it could've been more dramatic. Like after what happened to her brother, her companions should've given her a hug and comfort. But I still like her quest; kudos to her voice actress too.

What bothered me was that Varric and Solas both got sidelined. I wanted Solas to have more screentime! I wanted to see him more as a villain. I don't know why Bioware decided to kill Varric, to me, it felt like they just used him in the game to attract fans. If you ask me, that's disrespectful to Varric's writer, who got laid off.

The romance here sucks. I was disappointed in how they handled Lucanis' romance. I didn't feel the buildup of my Rook's relationship with him. I felt like he was interacting with me as a friend 😭. Veilguard has the weakest romance system in Bioware games.

Overall, I would rate this game 7/10. I think the game is decent, but not for everyone. This game is for casual players who want to experience different RPGs, but for DA fans? It really depends. As a longtime fan, I would say I'm half-satisfied with Veilguard. I just wish the writing/dialogue could've been better and not repetitive. I wish we had an option to become evil and upset companions if we make bad choices, but sadly the game lacks conflict and disparity. Veilguard didn't keep up with the current RPGs, despite its lack of RPG elements.

Will I replay this game? Yeah, someday maybe. Do I think the game is that bad? Nope, but it's lacking. The game is not for everyone. Do I think the game deserved the hate it got? Yes and no. Yes, because the writing/dialogue in this game is basic and some times felt off. And no, because I still think the game is fun. Do I want DA5 to happen in the future? Sure, why not.

Despite all my criticisms of this game, I still love Dragon Age. This series saved me in high school. If my younger self were here and witnessed Veilguard, I know she'd be happy because she waited so long for this game.

[daviesroyal]

Okay, so I have a lot of thoughts about Dragon Age as a franchise and EA/BioWare as companies, but there's something that's been bothering me about the new game's romances that I haven't seen anything about yet.

The devs have confirmed that all the companions are pansexual and that while there's no ace companion, they hope to have more ace representation in the future. This leads me to a very important question about the roleplaying aspect of the game:

Can you play as an asexual Rook?

In most games, if you romance someone, it's at the very least implied that you also have sex with them. Whether or not that's shown depends on the ratings. But I haven't seen many games, and certainly no Dragon Age games, where the player is allowed to say "I don't want to have sex with you (or anyone. Ever)" and it doesn't damage the romance or isn't phrased to be a "I'm not ready to have sex with you yet but maybe in the future haha" option.

Companies can't seem to separate sexual attraction and romantic attraction. You can be an asexual panromantic, or a pansexual aromantic, or any combination, really. Yes, a lot of the time the orientations do match up, but it always makes me feel like shit when I, the player, have to fuck the character I'm trying to romance because that's the "natural progression" of the relationship. Refusing sometimes gets me disapproval, or the character will dump mine, with varying degrees of viciousness. The player isn't allowed to be attracted to a character romantically but not sexually, or even vice versa, without the game punishing them for "not romancing right".

Anyway. I don't have high hopes for this changing in Veilguard either, because BioWare/EA has made such a big deal about "all companions being pansexual so you can romance them all" which definitely conflates the two orientations. It's disappointing that roleplaying games are still assuming certain things about how the player wants to play, instead of actually giving us options. Hopefully, that "future ace representation" the devs talked about will include the player.

I won't hold my breath, though.

[spacemonkeysalsa]

Somebody (okay like a lot of people) said being attracted to a character makes it hard to be objective about them. So, for science (eh, for fun) I have interviewed a lesbian with nearly 3000 hours in Baldur's Gate 3 with questions about Astarion:

Q: Hi. I know you are a lesbian, but that doesn't preclude being attracted to Astarion, so let's also establish objectivity according to the experts. Are you attracted to Astarion at all?

A: No. It's kind of devastating to me because I love vampires. But apparently they do have to be lady vampires.

Q: Perfect. Have you ever tried to romance him anyway?

A: I started a couple of games with the intention of romancing him. It never worked out. I always end up with Shadowheart. Or Lae'zel.

Q: Do you like him, as a character?

A: Yeah. He's great.

Q: Ever kill him in any of your playthroughs?

A: Only to resurrect him, to see his lines. But I've never permanently killed him.

Q: Why not?

A: Because I like his story. I don't always enjoy talking to him about his story, because he's a bit much. But I want him to have that development and see it through. Be happy and free! Fuck Cazador. What a bitch.

Q: Is he an asshole?

A: Yes, but he's a lovable asshole. As much any of the others. Well, some of the others. Let's be fair.

Q: What's his alignment like?

A: I don't understand DnD alignment.

Q: For the record, have you played DnD?

A: Yes. I still don't get it. I have played for years now and this is all I know: lawful tends to equal "the worst in your group." There are exceptions though, like obviously I love Shadowheart, even though she starts off pretty strictly obeying Sharran dogma. Chaotic means "fun." Most party members in any given campaign say they are one thing but then act as true neutrals. And if you participate in a torture session with a DM controlled NPC and you forget to ask any questions, then your alignment will get shifted mid campaign. I learned that recently.

Q: I have no comment on that besides that maybe you should have listened to the bard in your party telling you this was stupid and pointless?

A: I wasn't running the torture session, I just held her still! I'm an accessory. I'm a barbarian, I can't be expected to think shit through or pay any attention to you when you speak.

Q: ...So can Astarion fall in love?

A: He's perfectly capable of that.

Q: If you had to guess his sperm count...?

A: Why would anyone ever care about that? Even if he were a real person? Why would anyone give a shit? Is this really a talking point? Fuck. I hate you guys. Just play the game.

Q: Whose your favorite companion?

A: Shadowheart.

Q: Tell me what you like about her?

A: The process of getting to know her, delving underneath that shell of secrets. She's so strong and sweet even through she can't easily show it right away because of all the bullshit she's been taught. In early access, when I couldn't get her out of the pod, either because that wasn't an option in the game yet, or I was too stupid, I've never figured it out, I was devastated. I didn't even know her yet, but I was so in love from the very beginning.

Q: Aww, that's really nice. What character do you think you are most like?

A: Karlach and Lae'zel. Maybe more Karlach, but definitely both. Not that Karlach isn't great, but I wish I was more like Lae'zel.

Q: And I should probably end on an Astarion question again since that was kind of the point. What about him do you find relatable, assuming that's anything?

A: I totally relate to wanting to put up a front to protect yourself. Can't relate to the method at all but the motivation is solid. Also, even though I have never romanced him, I have seen his DTR dialogue, and I really love it. I love how honest he is about his feelings. It's not romantic to be uncertain, but he doesn't care about that anymore, because he's just being totally transparent. It might seem weird that I would say that while being down bad for the least transparent character in the game, but that's a trait I personally value in myself more than a partner. Don't get me wrong, it would be nice, but for me I really try to be honest about what I am feeling. You can't DTR with Shadowheart really, the equivalent would be the stupid "you've never been in a relationship like this have you?" dialogue option which is never what I would say irl, but it's all I get in the game, and I think she's telling the truth when you have that conversation. With Astarion, it's so obvious. He's so obvious. I'm like that. I think it's very cool that you see that development in him, going from lying to survive to just being totally readable. Whether you're romancing him or not, by act three you know exactly what he's really about. Or if you don't, you haven't been talking to him, or like failed all your insight checks or something.

Q: Thanks! You were great. Anything to add?

A: Shadowzel forever.

[vnamps]

maxident palace, minimum thoughts. || 001

summary : in which the reader makes their first appearance in the maxident palace.

word count: 1.08k

it was 3 PM on a very still day, a day in which no one in the maxident palace could really say they had something going for them. This stillness was an advantage to Prince Hyunjin as he could finally have the peace and quiet he needed to begin painting his next project. He there sat by a window of which he could see anyone walk by, just waiting to be his next muse. Just as he began to paint a light random color for his backdrop, his gaze fell upon you as he stared through the window. You looked well put, a little anxious as you began to walk through the pathway, your figure becoming bigger and bigger with each closer step you'd take. What were you here for? Was a thought that crossed his mind as his eyes trailed you before you disappeared behind a wall. He then stood up and walked to the main hall in which the rest of the princes stood with patient smiles or calming looks on their faces as they watched you and the older male you stood next to.

"Welcome, it's a pleasure to have you here really." The oldest man stated. His name was Christopher but he went as Chan and he had a warm dog-like smile, one you'd get from a golden retriever. He really looked like a big dog; It was hard for you to believe he could ever have been one of those selfish royals. Next to him stood three other princes, Prince Changbin, Prince Felix, and Prince Hyunjin. Your eyes scanned over the line of very attractive males as they finally landed on the last one, Prince Hyunjin. His eyes seemed to bore into your soul as his gaze seemed sort of judging, causing you to shy away as you pinched into your hand to rid of your embarrassment.

"It's a pleasure to be here your majesty. I mean it really is an honor." Your male companion, Klaus spoke. He wasn't Korean but he'd learned over time to speak the language.

"I hope it is okay, I did happen to bring an assistant" He gestures towards you, his voice small and apologetic on the short notice.

This only causes a small laugh from the blonde prince, shaking his head slightly.

"It's alright, we love having lots of guests" Felix assured, making you feel a bit less nervous as it took a little something off your mind.

"I think it'd be pretty nice for you guys to settle in and feel a little more comfortable before you get your work started. You're free to look around the palace if you'd like" Prince Chan says, smiling as usual.

"Don't get lost!" Prince Changbin jokes before bowing and taking his respective leaves, the rest of the princes copying his actions.

Klaus then smiled at you, clasping his hands together before rubbing them fast, creating a little friction.

"Alright then, I believe this is where we part? Just make sure you're back in half an hour." He raises an eyebrow, checking your face to make sure you're both on board.

"Alright." Your voice was small as you weren't so sure you should be left alone in such a big place as this, not sure you may get lost in the process.

Either way, he proceeds to leave you, making his way into the library which contained many different sections of many different books to his liking, something that differed you from each other.

You on the other hand walked down the long hallway that led to a big door which, out of curiosity, you opened.

It led outside to a garden with beautifully tamed flowers that went on for rows. There was a big fountain with the most cleanest water you'd ever seen. You'd never seen something as beautiful, you almost felt bad for the fact you were now racing down to grab one of--

"What are you doing here?"

The voice startled you, causing you to jump back and accidentally step on a few flowers.

"O-oh, am I not meant to be here? I'm sorry I didn't-" Your voice was low, your eyes as well as you stared down at the ground before you, attempting to stand up and look at the figure clearly.

It was a male. he was tall with dark brown hair and very youthful and pretty features. It was Prince Hyunjin, and he looked very serious.

"If you can trespass, you can speak properly." He brushed past you, his shoulder hitting you a little harshly as he sat on the chair in the middle of the garden which was paired with a canvas.

"I didn't mean to trespass. I didn't know this area was private." You say sternly, the slight annoyance evident in your voice although you try to mask it by looking away.

He leans back in the chair, raising an eyebrow. "How could you not know? You're in my palace."

You scoff at this, rolling your eyes before speaking again. "Oh, you're so right I should've read the nonexistent sign that would've left me to know that you, my prince, owned nature." Sarcasm toward the prince was not something that would've left you in a good position; It could have you executed for all you knew. But your ego at the moment was higher than the amount of fear you could have for someone who was being rude.

He stood up, slowly having his way towards you, his glare strong as he tilted his head. "Do you know who I am?" To him, It wasn't the fact that you knew who he was that intrigued him, more so that you didn't care is what made him interested in you.

You became quiet, staring at him with deer-like eyes. You both knew you did.

You sighed, coming to your senses as you looked down, your hands clasping each other.

"My apologies, I should've watched my tone." It wasn't like you to back down from a fight yet, this time I was different. It wasn't two people of the same level, It was a prince and a commoner.

His eyes widen slowly, feeling gagged. He as well wasn't someone who liked winning a fight so easily. In fact, he enjoyed the banter you two were having; and here you were, easily giving him the upper hand, it confused him.

Both of you fell silent before you bowed and began walking away, leaving him standing there dumbfounded.

a/n :: just like Hyunjin I am gagged, first chapters always have me on a writer's block but I have all the rest chapters written and plotted out so I'm doing very well

[comment to be added] taglist : @manuosorioh

[the-desilittle-bird]

Hello, dear author. I hope, you won't be disturbed by my request and will like it. I really love your work, you are just a miracle💚

You were promised to marry one of the "Strong boys". You, in fact, don't even know, what their names are, but, marriage, it's like this, you don't have much choice.

But your betrothed didn't like you. The nice young man was careful and tactful in his words, but immediately made it clear, that you are not attractive and not interesting. But, you have attracted the attention of other people. His uncles, princes Aemond and Aegon. At first, it should be an act of revenge and mockery, but fate is cruel, and the princes are imbued with the brightest feelings for you. They are always next to you, they pull up a chair for you, give you a hand, dance with you, take care of you at the table, they wish you the most beautiful dreams and the best day, they ask, how you're doing and how you feel, what you like and what you don't, they tell you about themselves, walk with you. Of course, sometimes it's all exaggerated, to annoy some people, but otherwise, they treat you very well. A little later, the princess will join them. They comfort and support you, and you gradually melt in front of them.

When you were very ill, your future husband only visited you once, and was quite rude. "I don't love you, but not enough, to be happy about your death. I really wish you a speedy recovery, and I ask you to give up this marriage and go home. I'm sorry, to say this to you, when you're in this state, but I really don't want to see you around me." Then, there was a soft whistle. Two men with silver hair were standing in the doorway.

When you really tried to break off the engagement, your mother was extremely unhappy. She slapped you hard on the cheek. Prince Aemond witnessed it. "Ah, that's how it is. And I thought, that the kind bride of my dear nephew from a good family." But when your mother tried to object to him, saying, that she is a mother, and she knows better, what to do with her daughter, the prince forcefully pulled you behind his back. "I'm afraid, you're wrong, my lady. Behind those doors, she was your daughter. And here, she is a dear friend and future wife and mother, Gods grant, a good husband. If you once again, my lady, allow yourself such an outburst, I, being the son of your king, will personally make sure, that you regret it very much. Is that clear? And now, out of here, my lady. In the meantime, I'll ask our dear Lady Y/n, if this is a regular occurrence. But I can already say, that yes. And you can already say, that I'm not happy about it."

When a rumor in the Landing and on the Stone passed, that you already not faithful to your future husband, prince Aegon almost killed the one, who started this rumor. And yet, the prince has made it clear, what will happen to those, who dare to speak bad about you. All the "green children" were on the side of your innocence, and they were right.

Helaena spent a lot of time with you, talking about everything, that was in her head. And one day, her mother was rude to you, and she, in a surprisingly serious and strict tone, asked her, not to do that again.

You have to admit, they're very good company. At one of the dinners, you demonstratively sat between two silver-headed princes, and your dress matched the dress of the silver-headed princess. In fact, you get along with them very well.

The long-haired prince called himself your protector and brother, the short-haired prince called himself your true happiness and faithful companion, and the princess just hugged you and pressed her head against yours. Maybe, you will marry a "Strong boy" after all, but you will be on the side of the "green children". They are your friends, they are your family.

Author's Note- Sorry, I took a while to respond. It's just I have been facing problems framing sentences for a while. But here it comes.

Requests are always open and well appreciated.

Thank you and Enjoy your reading!

Beloved Sister

Aegon x Reader x Aemond (Platonic)

Summary- The Request 🤷🏻‍♀️

Tag List- @eliseline, @little-moonbeam-666, @blackhoodlea, @omgsuperstarg, @shopping, @lizlovecraft, @dayane, @bbgmonsay, @michelle-26, @all-things-fandomstuck, @hc-geralt-23, @chevelledahuman, @morganastrucker, @shrexy, @helloitsshitzulover, @daringboba, @minaxcarter, @b-tchymoon, @stargaryenx, @hukio, @saraelizabeth26, @targaryenmoony, @moon-light1415, @eudximoniakr, @themaze13, @candypurplebutterfly, @5moremin, @yariany02, @issybee0611, @gossipandspills, @hopebaker, @kateris-world, @lady-athanasia, @chaotic-fangirl-blog, @cherryaemond, @watercolorskyy, @literishdegree99, @sunmoon-01, @savagemickey03, @ultrav0lence, @deltamoon666, @severewobblerlightdragon, @hyacinthus007, @andlizeth, @shine101 , @beefbaby25

Warnings- None

GIF Credits to @gameofthronesdaily

Sometimes, things turns out be worst then they were supposed to be. The promise of marrying the heir of Princess Rhaenyra immediately made the lady happy; but the situations were far worse than she saw them.

They meet in the gardens for the first time without their parent's presence looming over their shoulders and while the words weren't direct, they made the dislike pretty clear.

"Sometimes, destiny doesn't go along the path where heart lies, my lady. And it seems that I have to bow down to the flow of the destiny, no matter how much I dislike it."

She felt as if she had been stabbed hard, right where her heart laid in her body. The words were sharp, spoken in a cold manner; colder than the north itself. But what could she do except for obeying? Nothing, but going with the flow.

Her loneliness was only relieved by the constant presence of the sons of the King. Aegon and Aemond. While somewhere in her heart, she knew it was only because they wanted to mock her betrothed, she liked it nonetheless.

They would go about their days, stopping in between to ask about hers. While Aegon was more carefree about his words, babbling non-stop about anything or everything, Aemond was more quiet, his actions speaking more than his words.

One thing she had came to like about Red Keep was the constant feasts and people. She would always find herself seated next to the brothers, drinking, laughing, conversing. When the dances would begin, it would always be Aegon who would pull her from her chair and drag her to the floor.

As much as Aemond hated dancing publicly, he would also spare his nephew's betrothed a few dances, only to see her beam and laugh as she would point someone's clumsy steps to him.

He could feel the constant glares on his back, but Aemond never cared. Staying with her always served both his matters, he could both converse about deep things with her and also mock the Strong boys.

Soon enough, Aemond introduced Helaena to her and Gods! did they become sisters immediately. When she wasn't with Aegon or Aemond, she was always found with Helaena, either in her chambers or in the gardens.

Aemond had always been the shoulder to cry on for the lady. She had broken once when her betrothed had said particularly cruel words to her. The One-Eyed Prince had sat there, comforting her agony. It was the day when he showed her his eye, his deepest scar.

Once she had fallen ill, extreme to the point where the maesters had to recommend her bed rest. Everyone had came to visit her, even her betrothed, but his words did nothing to console her.

"I don't love you, my lady, but I surely don't despise you enough to see you die. Therefore, I wish you a speedy recovery. And also, I advise you to give up on this betrothed and possibly save both yours and mine life before it is too late. I am aware I shouldn't be saying such words of cruelty when you are in such a weak state yet, I wish not to see you around."

To stop her betrothed from continuing his harsh words, a whistle was heard from her doorway. The white-haired princes stood there with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Could we speak to the lady now, Prince? Or you have more to say?"

After her recovery, she had tried to break off the betrothal but it ended with her mother's hand connecting with her cheek, a sharp stinging pain coming as the impact.

Before her mother could start her lecture, there was a loud tsk. Followed by a caring hand on her back. She turned to find Aemond with a hard look and a raging fire in his eyes.

"It seems to be an illusion that the wife of my nephew comes from a family of high morals." Her mother tried to protest, with the words of a mother and what not, only to be silenced by a raised hand of Aemond.

"She might be your daughter in your lands, but here, she is a close friend and a soon-to-be wife of the prince who shall sit on the throne once. If I am yet again reported of such an outburst again. I, being the son of the King, would see to it that you shall be punished as such."

The lady's mother stood silently, her fingers trembling as it clutched the skirt of her dress. Aemond was cruelly satisfied by seeing her in such way.

"You are dismissed, my lady. And if on interrogating shall I find that this has been a regular occurrence, you shall be aware already that I am very much displeased by it."

Soon after, a rumor was heard that the lady wasn't faithful to her betrothed, instead seeking the sons of the King. It had prompted tears in her eyes, and while Aemond had comforted her, Aegon had seen through it that the person responsible for this is taught their lesson.

It was a silent warning to all to not speak wrong of the lady, for it shall only result in death or severe punishment.

One of the many disastrous dinners, she had sat between the Princes, while her lavender dress matched with Helaena's. That had made her betrothed comment on her closeness with the Green children.

"I am the lady's protector, dear nephew. And while you seem too busy to spend time with her, I do so as a brother."

Aemond had hissed, his fingers squeezing her hand before gripping his wine cup, knuckles turning white from the sheer force.

"And I am her true and faithful companion. Protecting her happiness, something I haven't seen you doing, much."

The short-haired prince had said while Helaena simply stood up from her seat, hugging you from behind. Something she would constantly do to make her laugh.

That day, it was made clear to all that no matter who she was marrying, her heart lied along with the Green children.

[quitealotofsodapop]

I don't really remember why I made this but I think I was thinking of potential pokemon teams for the Pilgrim's at the time of the Journey (so not a complete tram because they aren't complete themselves)

Ao Lie

• Rapidash

• Keldeo

• Kingdra

• Cyclizar

Tripitaka

• Espeon

• Rabsca

• Ninjask

• Shedinja

Baije

• Farfetch'd

• Slowpoke

• Oinkologne

• Poltchageist

Wujing

• Lotad

• Golduck

• Urshifu (Rapid)

• Politoad

Wukong

• Infernape

• Ogerpon

• Annihilape

• Lilligant (Hisui)

• Zorua

Honestly, the ones I picked kinda make sense.

Tried my best to manipulate the Pokemon Trainer Card Maker + Imgflip Meme Generator to make this a reality. I've discussed my previous LMK/Pokemon thoughts before with the non-canon trainer cards provided around S2.

Ao Lie: Best horse-dragon lad. Def loves his horse pokemon - probably didn't even catch them, Rapidash and the "odd Ponyta" added themselves to the Pilgrim's "herd". Cyclizar likely thinks Ao Lie is another of its kind, since he too is a dragon/transportation vehicle. Kingdra I feel is a guard pokemon given to Ao Lie by his family after he was put on parole. Added a little Dratini since I feel that he'd naturally attract wee baby dragon-types to him.

2. Tripitaka: Ofc he gets Bug & Psychic types. Tripitaka would start out with only unevolved Pokemon in his team, as he had just been inducted as a monk. His Munna/Musharna is a typically pokemon among monks - they naturally produce calming vapors that aid meditation. He received an Eevee as an "official" starter pokemon when he was chosen for the Journey, but it doesn't evolve until the monk genuinely befriends his travel companions. He is confused by the Nincada and Rellor bug pokemon that attached to him, but others think they're ok. Psyduck is his oldest Pokemon - it found him on the river when he was a baby and dragged him to the monks at shore. Psyduck is able to anticipate the Headache Sutra and counters Tripitaka's incantation when he tries using it.

3. Zhu Bajie: Honestly originally gathered most of his pokemon to eat them or use them in his cooking. Except for Oinklonge; she's his pig-mom (he was born from a normal pig after all), and she loudly argues with him when he's acting rude. He tried catching Slowpoke and Farfetch'd for their meat, and Poltchageist since he though it was a normal teacup, but was quickly outmatched and too impressed to actually eat them. The Swinub (based on a wild boar piglet) he found on accident while living in the mountains pre-Jttw - it thinks he's their mother.

4. Sha Wujing: Wujing's is a little hard to determine as we don't get a lot of time with him on a personal level, even in the book. His Jttw-era team would def be more combat-focused than say Sandy in the modern day. The Urshifu (pretty genius idea since it's based on taichi and taoist lore) I feel he obtained as a cub/Kubfu that wandered by his river. That Kubfu saw him as it's master, hence evolving into Urshifu's Rapid Strike (Fighting/Water) form - it's still devoted to Wujing as a student. Lotad, Golduck, and Politoed are all pokemon partially based on Kappas/water demons, so it makes sense that they'd hang around Sha Wujing for company. I added Lapras since, as ride pokemon, they and Sha Wujing literally carry the team.

5. Sun Wukong: Infernape is an obvious choice since it is Wukong, though perhaps he obtains it as a Chimchar - a baby monkey pokemon that recognises that this Big Monkey stuck in a rock isn't doing so good and tries helping him by offering him fruit. Wukong adores his little firey subject and is a little shocked to see how they look when fully evolved/grown up. Annihilape is a macaque pokemon who's gone beyond angry and is a vengeful ghost - perhaps joining Wukong in their shared character development in finding calm after the War. Ogerpon is an interesting but fitting pokemon, as it's a mischievious demon that turns out to be more of a protector than a threat despite it's negative reputation. On the flip side is Pecharunt - the Peach pokemon, which I feel Wukong more so helps Ogerpon defeat rather than catch. Pecharunt is almost a manifestation of how seeking power and immortality poisoned Wukong's life and relationships, and he hates that it's ultimately just a baby. In absence of legendaries, Wukong would have all the horsey pokemon, esp Mudsdale. Liligant is also an interesting pokemon as it's a "noble onion" - perhaps a Noble pokemon recognising a fellow royal? It's also a vegetable not allowed be consumed by buddhists XD. The Zorua is obvious - Wukong is a shapeshifter, and the little fox demon reminds him of Macaque... that is if it *isn't* already Macaque thinking he's being smart disguising himself as a Pokémon.

ty for sending these ideas in btw!

[arvensimp]

That 2+1 fix is so cute omggg. I love when writer let the character speak. Something about arven being shy is just 😘😘😘😘 to my heart. Can I request a fanfic of arven being horny?

Thank you!!! I do love me a shy boy 💖💖💖 I hope you like this one! I feel like he comes off as less shy and more urgent/a hopeless mess here? But hopefully the shame is still there because at the end of the day what is shyness without fear and shame lmfao

-

Midnight Messquerade

Arven x Reader

Nsfw, no gendered pronouns used

Part 2, Part 3

-

His urges always seemed to come at the most inconvenient times.

He gets it. He's a young man in his prime. He has a really attractive traveling companion that he may or may not have major feelings for that his brain isn't quite ready to deal with in the aftermath of... Yeah. He's not ready to think about that.

He does however want to think about sweet, sweet relief.

It's been happening more and more lately where he's waking up just, stupid hard. When this would happen as a teenager it wasn't as big a deal. He could just tug it and be done and happily back to sleep within a few minutes, but now...

Well, now? He has you here, and that hardly seems appropriate. You're sleeping not even five feet from him, tucked into your sleeping bag all warm, and soft...and sweet...and hot...and he can't let his thoughts go further than that. It's not right to you.

Fuck. He actually whines a little out loud without meaning to then quickly claps a hand over his mouth.

He prays that didn't wake you up. Are you a light sleeper? He hopes not...

He stays deathly silent, listening for the soft, even sounds of your breathing before sighing in relief.

Okay. You're not awake.

Now for the more pressing problem.

Literally pressing.

He considers grinding softly against the inside of the sleeping bag... Maybe? He gives it a test and is quickly stilled when the vinyl of the fabric makes too-loud scraping sounds. Absolutely not.

He bites back another whine. How bad would it be if he just jerked off inside the sleeping bag. Really? If he looked away from you? He could just face away from you, then it wouldn't be like a real betrayal, right?

Arven huddles tighter in on himself, feeling like an absolute creep. He doesn't want to do that to you.

But then....maybe...what if you did catch him jacking off? Seeing him so horrendously, beautifully vulnerable? His hips quake a bit, involuntarily, and he bites back a choked sound before it fully escapes his throat.

No!

Fuck, Arven! He chides himself internally. Don't be a damned pariah. This is your best buddy you're thinking of. Your buddy who's been so good to you and seen you through so much! Who's helped you grow!

And now look at how much you've grown--STOP!

Arven tosses and turns, his legs cricketing within the sleeping bag, and oh that does kinda do something unintentional because then he full on groans without entirely meaning to into the open night air.

"A-Arven?!"

He chokes on an inhale, his eyes flying open. He really didn't mean to be that loud. Or sound that pathetic.

But here you are, hovering over him with a concerned look on your tired face.

And he couldn't be more disgustingly turned on.

He goes as pink as a tinkaton.

"Are you okay? You sounded like you were having a nightmare?"

You touch where his arm is in the sleeping bag, and it's like firecrackers. Arven jolts and moves away from you.

"Y-yeah! Totally, totally, totally, totally. Totally fine. Definitely. Yup. Just a nightmare. Sorry I bothered you. R-really. It's... Haha," His laugh sounds almost pained. "It's not a big deal. Promise. Just...just a nightmare..." He says the last part through clenched teeth.

You look a little sad. "...Arven....you've been having a lot of nightmares lately." Yeah. Nightmares. "Do you maybe wanna....I dunno, talk to someone?"

"Me? Nah, no. Don't....don't worry about it..." He swallows. The shame should absolutely not be making him harder. "I'm fine. Just...just gotta get back to sleep, ya know? Honk-shoo, honk-shoo and all that, haha..." Arven lays back down and curls in on himself in an attempt to end the conversation there.

He kinda wishes he could just. Melt away. Honk-shoo honk-shoo?! Why is he the way he is?!

Then you're absolutely not helping when you press yourself up against him in a hug through your sleeping bags.

"It's okay, Arven..." You say, genuinely trying to be soothing.

"N-Nope!" Arven says, darting out of his sleeping bag, while you yelp as you're launched back a bit in his haste to get away.

"S-sorry!" He calls to you, as he hurries off further into the woods. "I'll be right back. P-promise!"

Fuck, he's really gonna have to make this up to you. After he's done painting some poor tree trunk white.

God, he's a fucking degenerate.

[chanafehs]

im in love with your hawke and the way you stylize her 😭 can i ask abt hasna's (was that her name?) decisions and relationship with the cast, as a friend/lover/rival and big sis :3 da2 is very companion/approval-disapproval heavy game so i got really curious about that. Because learning these makes you learn about the character

(i hope you'd feel safe answering this tho because from what I've seen you don't mind having thoughts straying from fandom's most popular takes, and DA ain't really the best fandom, but we're in veilguard era rn so who cares lol)

Thank you!! Hasna is my little morally dubious almost 7ft tall lesbian blood mage. She has good intentions at her core and is very self-sacrificing but her execution is extremely poor. I'll put it under the read-more because this is just a block of text

I usually don't have the chance to flesh her out a lot because most of my brain rot fixates on Asma but she is very special to me. As for relationships, Hasna is either an opposites attract or is just looking for validation for her beliefs. She has a lot in common with characters like Sebastian and Fenris - I don't know if I ever stated it before but Hasna is a devout Andrastian - and she has very critical views of her fellow mages, who she believes she is above.

Magic cannot be made safe, so it must be controlled, and she represents that control: She doesn't falter; she is a perfectionist, a believer, a patron of the templar order, and Kirkwall's savior. In her own way, her body and mind are her circle.

It's why she is constantly at odds with Anders, who represents everything her personal ideology is against. He is the embodiment of a mage's lack of control and the exact idea that Hasna has spent her life fighting against, which makes it all the more infuriating to her when she sees what he does to the Chantry in the final act of the game. She spent ten years of her life proving to others that Mages can control their magic and fit into society just as she had for some guy from the sewers to ruin it in ten seconds.

I think my favorite aspect about her is that she is a hypocrite and projects a lot of her insecurities on others, especially when it comes to control. She easily resorts to blood magic because she doesn't think she is strong enough - could always be stronger - in battle, but will criticize other mages resorting to it out of fear. Her reasonings are righteous, theirs are weak, etc etc.

I think she has a really interesting relationship with Isabela because while their views on life are completely different, Hasna views Isabela as almost what she wishes she could be. She wishes Isabela's life was her life. Uncaring, free, laidback, just nothing but the ocean ahead of you - Hasna lives almost vicariously through her and experiences Isabela's happiness as if it were her own. Isabela is the only one who knows about her blood magic because she's the only one who wouldn't hold it against her, Merrill would point out her hypocrisy and Varric would view her differently, Isabela just accepts it. Hasna is the one who actually pushes Carver to join the Templar order in the beginning, as she believes it is a way she can still protect and watch over him while being entrenched in Templar politics.

Thats a brief Hasna summary! definitely not the standard Hawke lmaooo I used to care about the Dragon Age fandom takes but I cannot do it anymore bc 1) this fandom is extremely preformative and values pixel wizard discourse over everything 2) it is very boring to have the same perfect angel characters three times in a row I love giving them flaws and making them more like real complex people

Thank you!

[sotwk]

hello there, birthday girl!!!!!!! i wish you only great things: inspiration to write, sweet dreams at night, and a lot of wonderful times with your family! i loge yaaaa 💕💌

to participate on your event, is it okay for me to ask for a match with a tolkien character or one of your own oc's? if you don't feel like doing time, it's absolutely fine!

if you want to, here is my oc: Liliana Wilde 🍄⚔️

She is a woodland elf druid, being trained since her teenage years to become the leader of her sanctuary once the leader wants to retire

She's extremely resourceful and cares about all beings, great or small. Her focus is too become wiser so the people at her sanctuary can count on her without fear, she wants to be a good leader

She is chaotic good. Liliana will be totally comprehensive if you happens to be a follower of a bag deity. She will kill you for hurting a dog tho.

Her twin sister left her when she was a teenager, and Liliana hates her so much she changed everything on her appearence not to look like her. She straighten her hair, became a red head, has a lot of tattoos, makes sure to always have some sort of make up on.

She lives wondering about the word (my girl was born to be a philosopher but forced to fight evil forces) which makes her a bit clumsy. Not in a accidentaly-fell kinda of way, but in oh-you-were-being-beat-up-by-a-devil-and-i-didnt-even-noticed kinda of way.

She is the most loyal girl out there. Once she makes the decision of being your friend she is your ride or die. Black cat energy this, golden retriever energy that: my girl is hound dog energy.

She is a necromancer. As a druid she could follow many paths, and decided that that of rotten and decay was more her style. Lots and lots of mushroom around her all the time.

In bg3 she marries Shadowheart and lived happily ever after in a farm until Jaheira is like "hey cub wanna fight some evil?". A workaholic, if you will

She doesnt take hints. Or do you say what you really mean, or she simply wont get it.

On my fanfics I tag her as "the kind druid", and her own quest is named "the lonely twin". (i have a lovely notion page about her that i am really proud of how great it looks/slightly ashamed about how much time i dedicated to it)

love yaaaaa! 🦋

A wanderer elf-druid with an affinity for animals and nature, has serious family-related angst and a bit of a rebellious free-spirit? The necromancer part is especially intriguing!

This one might be a little eyebrow-raising, but bear with me... The SotWK Matchmaking Machine pairs Liliana with:

CELEGORM, 3rd Son of Fëanor!

Is Celegorm a pure villain? Depends on whom you ask, I guess! I personally think the guy has serious issues, but is not necessarily a lost cause. He no longer had a mother to love and guide him, and his less-than-stellar-role model of a father also died. So, in my opinion, he suffered most from having no gentle companion to properly balance his "fire" out. Being joined at the hip with Curufin certainly didn't help. Fire fueling fire obviously gets out of hand.

Liliana strikes me as a lady strong enough to stand up to Celegorm, is lovely (and powerful) enough to attract his attention, and good enough to steer him to a better path. Damn, imagine all the lives that could have been spared. For her part, I think Liliana would be drawn to Celegorm the Fair's wild, feral spirit and passion--and what druid wouldn't be interested in the protégé of The Huntsman himself?

(My Celegorm fancast is Jamie Campbell Bower)

Thank you for trusting me to match up your OC! :)

This OC Matchmaking game is part of SotWK's Summer Campfire Sleepover 2024. (Requests accepted only on July 11-15, 2024.)

[unhingedoveractivemuse]

Title: "-you left the yarn out for sex?"

Pairing: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz

Flufftober Day 19 Yarn

Tags: Established Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Implied Sexual Content, Eddie Diaz Loves Evan "Buck" Buckley, Christopher Diaz Has Two Dads, Domestic Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz

===========================

Eddie finds himself regretting one of his most recent decisions.

It seemed like a good idea at the time alright? Christopher was in Texas, Buck was with his ex, and Eddie was lonely (not that it didn't take everything in him to admit it).

So, he got a companion.

A cat.

That, in and of itself, wasn't bad. He just had to make sure the litter box was cleaned, get a cat tree, get cat toys, make sure food was out, and have someone drop in to take care of it if he was on a 48.

Easy, right?

No, because there's a lot more that goes into raising a cat than he thought, but it was doable, especially when his son got back and his best friend came around more often after breaking up with Tommy.

What made the whole situation bad was another recent decision being added to the mix.

Agreeing to homemade scarves.

Look, he admits he didn't quite think it through. All he knew at the time was that his newly identified feelings were reciprocated and his son was back, spurring in the best time of his life.

It's not an exaggeration either.

He's never felt so much happiness. Buck has always been like sunshine, but now that he's Eddie's sunshine, that sunshine has permeated through every nook and cranny of his life, lighting up all the shadows and dark, dusty corners that have followed him for so long.

It doesn't even matter what they're doing. They could be on a date at a fancy restaurant or even just eating takeout at home. They could be comforting each other after a hard shift or cuddling on the couch with Eddie listening to the latest information hole Buck fell into.

Anything with Buck reminds him time and time again what love and happiness really is.

(Of course, there's the sex too. He’s always enjoyed sex, but having sex with someone who he trusts with everything and can let go around of?

It's out of this world.)

Needless to say, it's been absolute bliss.

So when his boyfriend/partner/lover (he still hasn't quite settled on one term - nothing is really enough to describe who Buck is to him) brought up attempting to make them matching winter scarves?

Eddie was all for it. He doesn't even wear scarves, but if Buck makes it, he'll wear it.

…He let the bliss get to him.

“At least Ginger had the time of her life?”

He rolls his eyes, feeling a rush of affection flow through him despite the mess he’s looking at. The cat in question is napping in the cat tree in the corner of the living room, paw twitching like it's still playing. “You just had to leave your project in the living room where she could get it.”

They are well aware that cats can get into a lot of things, but Ginger, the…ginger cat, was born with a birth defect that makes it less agile and unable to get to things that normal cats would be able to get to (which is partially why Eddie loved it at first sight). Since that was the case, they just usually make sure that they put things they don’t want her to get into out of her reach.

Until this.

“As I recall, I was distracted by a very handsome man in his good jeans,” Buck says, wrapping his arms around Eddie's middle from behind him and resting his chin on his shoulder.

“Should I be worried about this handsome man?” he asks while preening on the inside, easily falling into the flirting that’s been a new staple of their relationship.

“Well, he is the most attractive, sexiest man alive who is also a very competent firefighter and a great father. He's also-

Eddie can't take it anymore, turning his head to press a kiss on Buck's cheek. “Shut up. I don't think I can go again even if I tried. Besides, you left the yarn out for sex?”

Said yarn is everywhere, strewn around by Ginger either last night after he and Buck locked themselves in the bedroom or before they finished their morning activities. It's on the couch, on the floor, near the door, dragged into the kitchen…

He sees knots too. A lot of knots.

“It was phenomenal sex, and I didn't hear you complaining when I-”

“Christopher will be back any moment now,” he reminds his partner. While they both love the flirting, sex references, and sex not-so-references, they both agreed to keep the brunt of it from Christopher, and they agreed not to start something where Christopher could see them.

The idea of his son catching them in the middle of having sex is horrifying and not something he ever wants to become a reality.

Buck huffs but straightens out at the reminder, ”I guess we should clean this up before he walks in and trips himself on accident.”

“Yeah,” he agrees, moving to see if the yarn is salvageable. “You might have to restart your project, love. I don't think you're getting anything out of this anymore.”

His best friend pouts, picking up a strand of tangled yarn on the sofa. “I was doing so well too. It was only a little lumpy!”

Eddie loves this man so much and would wear a hundred lumpy scarves for him, but a little is an understatement. Buck sometimes can't sit still long enough to finish a row and will end up forgetting what he was doing. He also (according to Buck) somehow added, subtracted, or entirely skipped loops.

He's not going to say that, of course, but, instead of lying because he'd never lie to Buck just to make the blonde feel better, he says, “A second try just means it'll be even better.”

“I guess. Or maybe this is a sign telling me to do something else for us so I can work on my knitting skills for next year.”

Eddie thinks about it. “We could. Did you have something else in mind?”

There really is a lot of yarn, he thinks as he starts gathering up the carcass of the skein (at least that's what Buck called it). He would never have imagined so much from that thing.

Buck hums, “A blanket? There are some DIY ones. We could do it together too. If you want, of course.”

Blanket huh? That reminds him of something Adriana brought up the other day when he called her.

“I wouldn't mind, but we can also order one,” he suggests. “A photo blanket.”

Surprised, blue eyes whip around towards him, “You want to do a photo blanket with me?”

“Why not?” He moves to stand in front of Buck, both of them still holding the yarn they gathered. “I'm sure about us, Buck. A photo blanket is the least of the things I'd do with you.”

The happiness shining in Buck's eyes is worth a thousand photo blankets. “Yeah. Let's do a photo blanket.”

They end up kissing in the middle of the living room, yarn forgotten and so lost in their little bubble that they don't hear Christopher coming home.

“You two are gross,” the teen says, deadpan, interrupting them. Then, unimpressed eyes wander around, taking in the mess still around them. “Buck left the yarn out.”

“Your dad’s distracting,” Buck defends himself, a reply that deserves the light smack Eddie gives him and the nose wrinkle from Christopher.

“I did not need to know that.”

“Yes, you didn't need to know that,” Eddie says, giving Buck a look. “So, guess what? Buck won't be getting to pick the photos for the blanket we're doing.”

Buck gapes at him. “Eds!”

Christopher gives them a judging brow that Buck would say is all Eddie. “A photo blanket? Lame. But I guess it's better than having yarn around for Ginger.”

Like the sound of its name from Christopher's lips is a siren (it might be considering how much Ginger adores the teen), the cat meows as it wakes up, drawing their attention.

“Ginger, let's go pick some photos,” Christopher tells it. “Before these two pick the worse ones.”

He’s not even surprised that their son is excluding him, too, even as Buck sputters, “Chris!”

The teen rolls his eyes, amending, “Or it'll be a blanket of just me and Dad.”

That shuts Buck up even as Ginger saunters over to Christopher as they start heading to his room, carefully navigating through the yarn on the floor.

“Oh,” his partner breathes when the door to the teen's bedroom shuts. “This is so much better than the scarves.”

Eddie grins, pressing a quick kiss to Buck's lips. “And it doesn't come with yarn carnage.”

“Yeah. No yarn carnage. We should get a blanket every year instead.”

They will. They will get one that year. They will get one next year when they get engaged and married, having the only proper wedding the 118 has had despite it being a small affair. They will get it the year Christopher first leads his high school robotics club to a championship. They will get it the year surrogacy succeeds and they have their first baby. They will get it for many many years to come.

For now, though, they really have to clean up this disaster caused by a cat and yarn.

[stoopid-turtle]

Consuming Candies Pt. 1: GG and DD are le Gay

Everything is fake. I make up stuff for fun. Do not believe a word of it.

Intro post for this series

I'm a nerd so I feel I need to asterisk just about anything. Basically, this is my list of moments/candies that cemented for me a few things: 1) DD is hella gay; 2) GG is some flavor of gay; 3) that GGDD definitely had a thing around the time of the TU filming; 4) that they're still together.

1 and 2 are needed to establish 3 and, unless you go for a very different timeline than other turtles, 3 is needed to establish 4.

Such. A. Nerd.

I divided this up into 2 posts because I'm incredibly long-winded.

So, #1: DD is incredibly incredibly gay. There is no doubt in my mind. Here's why, in order with the most convincing moments first. Once I accepted these, the following points were easier to wrap my head around.

a) DD checked out another guy's ass at the Tencent Awards Night and exclaimed "Handsome" to his co-star.

Just what it says on the tin. I've watched these 5 seconds over and over, and I can't wrap my head around any other explanation. The man passes by, DD's eyes clearly sweep down, then he says "Shuai!" I'm usually skeptical of lip-readings, but this is unmistakable.

I put this as the most convincing for me because it's not a bts, there's no need for fanservice, it's an official stream of a video and there is literally no other way to interpret this. It's incredibly blatant. He's into men (and, notably, his co-star in LoF is clearly in the know since he makes the comment to her).

(Honestly, it makes me a little uncomfortable, because I've noticed DD has started covering his mouth when speaking to companions at public events, presumably so that fans can't try to read his lips. I'm sure he did not expect that ass-ogle to be noticed by anyone)

b) "I'm not talking about WWX, I'm talking about XZ." I discussed this in my turtle origin story, but this moment in the bts really knocked me over the head with that fact that DD was outright hitting on XZ. There was no way to interpret this as them joking around with the fact that their characters were in a BL relationship (a la the director referring to them as "lovebirds" or someone on the crew calling xz DD's "wife"). DD straight up flirts with GG. Gets turned down because the phrase he used was taken the wrong way. Then calls him "beautiful" (or "fairy-like"). When GG rejects this as not fitting WWX, DD just clarifies that he's talking about XZ not WWX. (Which, wow, what a line. DD is bold)

There's no het explanation for that moment, unless you want to posit that there was an intentional fabrication of fanservice (I address that issue elsewhere).

Add this on top of DD's other comments to XZ, calling him "erotic", asking for kisses, asking for him to sleep with him, declaring his love. A lot of this is joking around, but there's a safety in joking around when you're flirting with someone you like. You can retreat to the joke if they don't like it.

But this moment isn't even a joke. It's sincere. DD's flirting the fuck with GG.

It's not even hard to believe coming off a). DD is clearly into men. GG is very charismatic and seems to attract the attention of just about everybody who meets him (I get serious There's Something about Mary vibes from him sometimes in how people talk about him) (I am old. My references are old). Is it so hard to think that DD would shoot his shot?

He's on a cast with the guy, playing the love interest. They get along incredibly well. DD has a pretty high opinion of himself, to say the least. I'm not at all surprised he'd make a go for it.

There are several moments in the bts where GG teases DD for sending memes of himself (only the handsome ones) or sending (again, handsome) selfies of himself. It is funny, but it also strikes me as someone trying to get some reaction from his crush. It feels a little awkward to have GG openly teasing him about it but DD gets his revenge by showing off the pouty photo of GG, so he clearly managed to deal with it. (And GG clearly agrees that DD is handsome, so DD's text campaign worked)

c) The Nike rainbow shoes and ice cream.

Honestly, I wouldn't have this on here except for this post by potteresque-ire here on tumblr. Within the context in China at the time, and with the response DD received from his fans, it's clear that the rainbow Nikes + Ben & Jerry's were meaningful to DD. It's a shame that the political situation with Nike later required him to fall in line with the CCP and remove it, but I trust potteresque on the context that this post was a Big Deal.

d) His involvement with TU.

I've heard mixed things about the expectations for TU at the time of casting. The landscape for BL was rocky and the production company was unproven, but it was recognized that MDZS was a huge IP and so there was a chance that it could be a gigantic hit. There was also an equal risk that it would completely flop or not be allowed to air. Still, there's a fantastic interview with the non-GGDD cast of TU where the interviewer asks them if they knew that TU was going to be so big. There's a moment of awkward silence until somebody (I think WZC) just says, "No."

My understanding is that WYB was the biggest star they got on the cast. He had other opportunities, no doubt some that were more promising and that didn't result in him losing the support of his homophobic fans. But DD put his hat in the ring anyway.

Why? Maybe he wanted to roll those dice to see if he could sign on to something that would be huge. But he's also gay, and there's every possibility that he just wanted to act in a gay romance.

(This is putting aside some of the speculation that DD and GG knew each other or were even dating prior to casting.)

I bet he saw it as a rare opportunity to play a (censored) gay character, and he was willing to lose fans to do so (much like with the Nike post). DD is bold.

I go into this more when I talk about GG.

(Also, I don't know if he specifically went in for the LWJ role or if, like literally everybody else on that cast, he was trying to get the role of Xue Yang (srsly, what's up with this???), or if he just kept his options open)

e) He has no interest in women.

Just because a guy likes men doesn't mean he also doesn't like women. Except with DD, he seems to have 0 interest in women. At first, I could chalk this up to him being shy, not having much experience around girls, etc. But after a certain point, his clear disinterest has to be taken in consideration with his overt flirtiness and enthusiasm about men.

Basically, he doesn't have a problem with women. They're just not his focus in life or love. He doesn't light up around women. He lights up around men. I know this is real subjective, and that displeases my nerd heart, so the other points matter too, but this is really the heart of things. DD isn't interested in women.

Add onto this some implications he's made that he is...um...not sexually frigid (I tried to find this clip and was unsuccessful. Ah well.) and...well, you can't be shy with women and still be a horndog Leo if you're straight. That horndog energy is being directed somewhere else.

In sum, DD is just really, really gay. Don't hit me with those, "But his hobbies are so dudely" nonsense. Go meet some actual gay guys, list out their hobbies, then get back to me. DD. Is. Gay. Full stop.

#2. GG is some flavor of gay.

GG's always the more puzzling one. DD is so...loud and unapologetic. GG plays close to the vest.

I'm struck by some screenshots I saw of his university peers gossiping about him back in those days. People explicitly said he wasn't gay, so if GG was out back then, he was only out to a few people.

He came from a traditional family, and I get the vibe he was incredibly nervous at the idea of entering a gay relationship. I doubt he "didn't realize" he was gay until he met DD, because I think even the scaredest, most closeted person knows on some level that they're gay. But I think GG might have been set to remain in the closet for the long-haul.

There's an interview of GG done while filming where he's asked about DD (he smiles real big and it's really sweet). He gives the usual response of DD being slow to warm up to people, but when he's asked about his current impression, he exclaims that DD is "a lunatic" (I laugh every time I watch that). Then he comments that DD isn't scared to be "unconventional".

I can't say for certain, but it feels like it's in part a reference to DD being more bold with his sexual orientation. GG keeps things more buttoned up and close to his chest, but he clearly finds DD's lunacy appealing as he signed onto it.

Honestly, GG is hard for me to get a read on. When I see DD outside of the UT bts, I can see the continuity in his personality. I mean, yeah, everything's turned up to 11 in the UT bts because he's clearly infatuated with GG. But he's still a gremlin outside of the bts, just in a more subdued and less targeted way.

With GG, I struggle sometimes to see the continuity between his personality in the bts and his personality outside it (the wig doesn't help with this. it makes him look like a different person). Granted, I haven't delved into his solo work near as much as I have for DD (and, notably, he doesn't seem to do as much unscripted stuff as DD), but he strikes me as a person who is very adept at code-switching depending on the situation. DD is DD is DD, 24/7. GG is more adaptive to his surroundings.

I imagine that's one of the things that drew GG to DD (beyond the massive flirt-campaign...I mean, who could resist DD when he's going so freaking hard for it?).

Do I think GG's attracted to women? Honestly, not sure. I've not seen enough of his interactions with women or his history with women to say (I've spent way more time with DD outside of TU than GG). But I'm pretty sure he's attracted to men for these reasons:

a) His ideal life painting.

Put aside all the other interpretations people have for that. Just the fact that his ideal life included one (1) other person and that that person is a man is significant.

Admittedly, I don't know the background of the painting. It was used in an ad campaign, and if you watch the full video that showed the painting, the cat and bike elements are shown as inspired by stuff GG saw in a walk. I'm not sure how much creative control he had over the whole thing, and I've not been able to find anything in English about it.

But assuming that he had the freedom to paint his genuine ideal life, or at least enough of it to be the one to choose having a man in there (and why would the hotel specifically ask for a male companion in the painting?), then there's no het explanation for that. GG's ideal life is to be at the beach with his cat and another man.

b) When he wore Pride shoes to an interview.

Not just something that incidentally had a rainbow pattern. Straight-up Pride merch.

IME, allies don't wear Pride merch. Any ally I know who wears Pride merch will eventually come out as LGBT+ at some point. If you wear Pride merch, you're gay. (That's the rule)

Okay, more seriously. I grew up in the grimmer days of the 90s and 00s in US South, before rainbow-washing was profitable and before most studios felt comfortable showing even the slightest amount of gay relationships. Back when wearing a rainbow was a serious statement that would attract notice and might get you beat up (I had multiple friends who were physically attacked. I avoided it bc I am a trickster a bisexual and therefore invisible). Back then, the only people who wore Pride merch were actually gay. I can't think of any exceptions.

Later, as the situation for LGBT+ folks improved in the US (let's put aside the anxiety of the current anti-trans wave), I have seen a couple self-identified allies who wear Pride merch. But in every case, that ally eventually came out as gay. The "ally" label was a useful stopping place in their comfort with being openly gay.

Things may be different in China. I think in some ways, it probably resembles the way things were when I grew up--before gay marriage was legal and when the majority of people expressed disgust with gay people. On the other hand, the homophobia of the US has a strong religious element that doesn't seem to be present in China.

But all that regardless, wearing Pride merch is meaningful. Even now in the US, when rainbows are everywhere. It's definitely meaningful in China, where same-sex relationships are censored in the media.

c) I've discussed DD's overt flirting already, but another part of that "I'm not talking about WWX, I'm talking about XZ" video that struck me was GG's response.

He smiles, crinkles his nose, and shyly looks down. This is such a classic "I'm being flirted with and I'm into it" response (shy-person flavor). No straight guy would react to DD flirting with him like that. That reaction only makes sense if XZ is into being flirted with by men, DD in this case.

d) The BDSM conversation in the cave, complete with GG making an obscene, um, tongue gesture.

I'm trying my best to picture this as a conversation between 2 straight guys, and I'm failing here. The whole conversation is gay. Add in the literal tongue in cheek and it's incredibly flirty and suggestive. Like with C, GG's responses are just...not straight. They only make sense in a flirty context, and not one that's playing with them acting as Wangxian.

e) His involvement in TU.

This follows what I wrote for DD above. XZ was not as big a name as DD was at the time, so he was a relative unknown trying out for a role (for Xue Yang's role, specifically) on a show that may never air.

GG likely didn't have as many options open to him as DD at that time, so you could try to argue that he was just trying out for as many roles as he could.

But honestly, I think anybody who signed onto TU has higher than average odds of being LGBTQ+ themselves. Think about it. If you're queer and in the industry, you have few to no opportunities to play a role that reflects your relationships. You have few opportunities to work on a set that is overtly okay with same-sex relationships (at least, of the fictional variety).

You hear that a BL novel is being adapted and while you know BL novels are mainly for straight women, it's still gonna be a gay romance. Maybe your only chance at being involved in filming a gay romance. Of course you're going to want to be in on that.

Being in the closet sucks. Not being able to be yourself fully sucks. Back when I was a gay teen in the 90s-00s, I would just look up photos of girls kissing online (not porn. just kissing) just because I never saw that and it fed something inside of me that was missing. A part of me that was never reflected back at me. I ached for more lesbian relationships in TV and books, and I watched so many shitty movies/tv shows just because there were lesbians in it.

The media landscape is much better now here in the US, but when I think about how queer folk in the industry in China might feel, I think back to myself as a younger queer lady bursting at the seams to immerse myself in a world that actually had a space carved for me.

So yeah, being on the UT, in of itself, is a signal to me. It doesn't mean that everybody involved with it was gay. But I do think that it means that the odds of any particular person being gay is higher than in a non-BL production.

Admittedly, there's no way to prove this, and who knows? Maybe gay men would be less likely to want to work on a BL production because of the strained relationship between gay men and the boy-love genre. But I kinda doubt that because when your relationships are censored, you'll latch onto anything you can get that even resembles them. I watched countless anime made for horny fanboys because they had lesbians in them. I watched, literally, anything, no matter who created it. I know other gay girls who watched lesbian porn of the type made by and for straight men because they just wanted to see their own desires reflected at them, even if the reflection was a little wonky.

And that's just with watching media. Signing up to act in a project means you also get to connect with other people who are hypothetically okay with gay relationships. Who might even be gay, themselves. Fuck yeah, you're gonna leap on that.

So, yeah. This point is the last for both DD and GG but it's important because it establishes how I think about the production of TU. If the set had more gay cast/crew given the subject matter of the show, is it really so far-fetched that some people would hook up? Or start a relationship?

Once I convinced myself that GG and DD are some flavor of gay, the rest wasn't hard to buy into at all. But that's for the next post. :)

I am a clown and everything I say is fake. Don't buy into it.

Next Post: Consuming Candies Pt 2: DD ❤️ GG and GG ❤️ DD