#It really does seem that they want Robin to be a lesbian or at least sapphic

[ironunderstands]

Genuine question, where are yall getting the “robins eye dots + the stuff behind her are Xipe colors” from?

Because like I don’t see it, like at all. Xipe has like every color under the sun behind them and the shades aren’t similar to Robin’s at all, they aren’t in the same order and there’s like three million other colors mixed in there. I do think the “that rainbow behind her represents moon lesbians” is a little silly because even if it looks like the flag I doubt hoyo’s devs know what those are (I learned about them today 😭).

However, the other colors on the traffic lights and her cheeks straight up look like they are meant to look like a lesbian flag or at least a pastel version of one, and for the life of me I can’t see where people are coming from when they say it’s related to Xipe. I guess her eyes cover the other colors, but purple and yellow are still missing if she truly wanted to represent them on her face alone

Idk man, let me know your thoughts

[torakowalski]

More Swimmer Steve!

(part one | part two | part three | part four)

"Kinda cold to be sitting out here," Steve says, dropping down onto the grass to sit next to Eddie. He leans his back against the hotel wall and blows on his hands.

"Can't smoke in my room," Eddie says, staring out into the dark evening. "My roommate's quitting."

"Sounds like a drip," says Steve. He picks up the packet that Eddie has been making his way through, gives it a shake, then puts it back down without asking to borrow a light.

Eddie's relieved; with the way he's feeling, he totally would have given one over, even though Steve really is serious about quitting this time.

"Nah," he says. "He's an athlete."

Steve laughs a little under his breath. "And an idiot."

That gets Eddie turning toward him. "Huh?"

Steve rubs his hands up and down his thighs, skin making a gentle noise against his denim jeans.

"I mean, I knew you liked guys, it just never occurred to me that that meant I should act different. I'm sorry, man. I won't forget to take underwear into the bathroom with me, anymore."

That...is not what Eddie expected. Eddie has been sitting out here, trying to work out if he had the cash for a Greyhound home, if Steve kicked him out of the hotel. This is not that. At all.

" You knew I liked guys?" Eddie asks. Far as he knows, the only people who know are Robin and Gareth and Wayne and Dustin, what with how they're the only people he's told. "Did Robin -?"

Steve shakes his head. "She wouldn't. No one told me, I just... You know how you just know?"

"No?" says Eddie who has never ever trust his ability to know that. The idea of getting it wrong is too frightening.

"Huh," says Steve. "I always seem to know. With guys, at least." He smiles a little to himself. "I'm not so good at spotting lesbians."

"They camouflage," Eddie says, automatically. Even he doesn't know what he means by that, but it makes Steve laugh, which is all he ever wants. "But like, you're cool? We're cool?"

"I guess that's up to you." Steve turns to him, devastating eyes all big and earnest. "I'm the one who's been... What did Robin say? Exposing myself to you."

Eddie chokes. "That makes you sound like a creep in the park."

"That's what I said!" Steve knocks his knee against Eddie's. "But anyway, I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. I know you weren't trying to like, taunt me or anything. I thought I was being a creep for like looking."

"You barely looked," Steve says which, how does he know? Did he look at Eddie looking? "And it's no skin off my nose, if you do." He catches Eddie's eye, bounces his eyebrows up and down. "You deserve a treat."

"Oh you're a treat, huh?" Eddie asks. He reaches out, gives Steve's arm a shove, and feels about a year's worth of panic melt away.

Steve just smiles, smug and annoying and fully aware of what he looks like.

He leans back against the wall, staring out across the parking lot. "It's just cos I'm a guy, right?"

Eddie hums a question at him.

"I mean, you're looking, or not looking, because I'm a guy and you like guys. Not because of anything to do with me?"

Eddie freezes. He doesn't do that much; he's much more inclined to flight or fight. Mostly flight, let's be honest. But right now, he doesn't know what Steve wants to hear, so he doesn't know what to say.

Steve huffs, turns to Eddie so Eddie can see him rolling his eyes at himself. "Sorry, stupid question."

"It's kinda because it's you," Eddie admits, because Steve looks like he thinks it _isn't_ and that's apparently unacceptable to Eddie. "Like, a little. Partly."

He holds his pointer finger and thumb an inch or so apart, so Steve can see how much of Eddie's horniness is dependent on Steve's Steveness.

"Huh," Steve says and grins. "That's cool. "

"It... is?" Eddie asks. "Not super fucking weird?"

Steve shakes his head. "No? I mean, I had way more than a little, partly thing for Robin for ages, but after we talked everything, it wasn't weird to her. That's basically the same thing."

Sometimes Eddie has no idea how Steve's brain works. "How?"

"Because!" says Steve, like it's obvious. He definitely picked that tone up from Dustin. "My sexy parts were into hers, but hers weren't into mine, no one's fault, just the way they were made. So if she wasn't weird about me, I'm sure as shit not gonna be weird about you. You know?"

He does a little shrug, hands spread. Eddie knows he hates explaining himself.

"You're something else, Harrington," Eddie says.

"In a good way?" Steve asks.

"In a great way," Eddie promises.

"Cool." Steve nods to himself. "In that case, give me a cigarette."

He reaches for the packet. "Not on your life, you're not that great," Eddie lies, and snatches it away from him.

(continued here)

[strdwvlly]

i know a gazillion people have done this already but... i'm gonna post my stardew valley bachelor/ette age hcs + my reasoning hehe

to start this off, i want to say that this is based on what concernedape said about all of them being 20+ but they're also all my personal hcs so i understand if you disagree!

ok that being said, here we go

- maru: 22. she works as a nurse as well as helping her dad with research, i think she's young but not Too young ykwim? demetrius is also really strict so it adds to her seeming young

- penny: 23. it seems like she's been teaching the kids for a few years already even though she hasn't gone to college yet, she also seems older than she is cus she's had to parent her mother :/

- sam: 25. since he lives at home, i think people think he's younger but tbf i know a lot of mid 20 somethings who live at home (me included until recently). i also think jodi and kent had him really young, like 18ish, typical military couple situation

- sebastian: 27. he remembers a time before robin married demetrius so he has to be at least 4 years older than maru, and i think he's a little older because i don't think robin gave birth immediately after getting remarried

- abigail: 23. she's comfortable hanging out with sam and sebastian but definitely seems younger than them, plus she's doing online school which tends to take longer than traditional uni

- alex: 20. to be honest he just seems like the youngest to me, he still wears his varsity jacket and has big dreams of playing gridball and stuff. also a lot of unresolved trauma.

- haley: 22. she's bratty but in a cute tsundere way which makes me think she might be on the younger side. plus she gives me (and everyone else) huge closeted lesbian vibes, so i feel like she hasn't fully come into her identity yet

- emily: 30. i feel like there's a significant age gap between her and haley cus she has second mom vibes and they also seem to have some friction in terms of responsibilities because emily does a lot for haley

- leah: 31. she gives me huge "i hit 30 and realized i needed to change my entire life" energy when she talks about leaving her ex and moving to stardew valley

- harvey: 34. i think he's the oldest, like he doesn't feel ancient but at the same time he had to have gone through med school and his residency so 34 feels comfortable

- shane: 31. he seems older because of the depression and the trauma, but i don't think he's past his early 30s yet, he kinda stopped taking care of himself so it just looks that way

- elliott: 32. he's got big "phd student who abandoned a career in academia to write his great american novel" type vibes, and he's not really self conscious about being very poetic and flowery so i think he's out of his tumultuous twenties

[svltzmans]

she's just not into you - r.b.

robin buckley x fem!lesbian!reader

steve has been looking at y/n y/l/n for months, to no avail. she just seems to have no interest, even with steve's kind gestures. he doesn't understand why. robin does.

a/n:

hi!! omg this is the first time i'm ever writing something like this! i hope someone sees it and likes it lol :) pls ignore any grammar mistakes i tried my best!!

"i can't believe you managed to score a date with the hottest girl in all of hawkins after my millions of failed attempts", steve remarks, his hands running through his almost-too-long coffee-colored locks. "you've seen it! she just isn't into me at all."

"well, you're not exactly tom cruise or anything", robin responds sarcastically, still lugging her trumpet case from the pep rally.

"tom cruise probably couldn't even pull y/n y/l/n anyway."

"but i could."

"don't remind me!"

the two best friends continue down the halls of hawkins high, robin's heart still pounding remembering what she had managed to pull off minutes prior.

she has a date. a real one.

with y/n y/l/n.

she feels like she'll always remember the exact moment y/n's lips lifted into a smile as she accepted her offer.

the hawkins high pep rally was one of robin's least favorite events of the year.

she loved playing the trumpet. she actually really did.

but playing it in front of her high school full of judgemental jocks and cheerleaders wasn't quite her speed.

nonetheless, she knew she would get to see y/n y/l/n in the crowd. and that made her confidently apply a little extra makeup in steve's car, despite the background noise of steve's babbling.

robin's heartbeat kicked up the second steve pulled into the hawkins high parking lot. she scanned the crowd, but caught no sight of the girl she wanted to see.

that was, until she stepped into the stuffy gym and began to ascend the bleachers.

"robin!", a familiar voice sang.

"oh, y/n! hi!"

"i'm excited to hear you play. i'll be right near the band section!"

those words make robin's stomach start to twist.

"i'll make sure to play as best as i can then!"

y/n laughs in a way that makes robin's cheeks flush a red so deep it's almost maroon.

"oh, y/n, i wanted to ask you a question actually."

oh god, it's happening.

"what's up, robin?"

it's actually happening.

"can you meet me below the bleachers at the end of the pep rally?"

robin's heart pounds while she waits for a response. sure, y/n doesn't know her plans, at least not yet. but simply the thought of her and y/n in privacy makes her feel nervous.

"yeah! i'll meet you there!"

robin simply smiles genuinely, nods, and starts the short walk to the band section of the bleachers.

the pep rally flies by in a blur. robin almost forgets the songs she has to play countless times, her mind only focused on what she wanted to say to y/n.

finally, the student population starts to file out of the gym, and robin makes her way to the bottom of the bleachers. to her surprise, y/n is already standing there, leaning against the wall.

"hey rob!"

the nickname sends a chill down robin's spine.

"y/n! you beat me here!"

"i couldn't keep the best trumpet player in hawkins waiting."

robin's face falls flush again, her hands nervously folded in front of her.

"i guess i'm okay. lots of practice."

"no, robin, you're really good at it. i know a pep rally is supposed to be about school spirit and whatever other bullshit, but i was watching you play. and trying to listen despite how loud everything was."

robin is shaken by how genuine y/n sounds. she knew y/n was kind. she had just never experienced it this personally.

she knows she can't hesitate any longer.

"y/n, do you wanna maybe go get a coffee with me tomorrow? after school?"

she had done it. she had asked one of the most coveted girls at hawkins high on a date.

countless hawkins boys had asked y/n out. robin had even witnessed some of the rejections y/n had dished out, noting the guilty look on the girl's face.

and steve was right. he had tried, quite a few different times. y/n was always kind to him, but never in a more than platonic way. he didn't understand why. had he done something wrong?

"of course i will, robs. that sounds like a lot of fun."

robin then understood why.

[unclewaynemunson]

Pt2 to the Wingman Wayne AU sequel :D (This one’s gonna be slightly longer than most of the other parts!) | You can read pt1 here | ao3 link

Robin would never admit it to Steve, but she is nervous. Like, really nervous. The level of nervous you get from having a date as a lesbian in a small town in the Midwest who has only ever dated one girl before – a girl she knew from the school band, which means they didn't actually meet each other on a date, which means that Robin technically doesn't really have any first-date experience at all – contrary to Steve, who has a lot of first-date experience.

What do people wear for a first date? How do they prepare? Should you even prepare at all? Do people come late, do they come early, do they bring a present, how do they greet each other?  

By the time she's finally changed into clothes that make her feel the right amount of comfortable yet attractive, her room has exploded into even more of a mess than it usually is: her whole wardrobe is covering literally every inch of the floor, another pile of clothes is thrown haphazardly onto her bed, and Polly is making herself comfortable on Robin's favorite soft cardigan, no doubt getting dog hair all over it.

She shoots another glance in the mirror, tugging at her collar and frowning at the way her jeans are fitting around her upper legs.

'No, you're not gonna get changed again,' she sternly tells her reflection. 'You're fine. This is fine. You got this.'

'You got this,' Rosalinda repeats from her cage in the corner of the room. 'You look great. You look great.'

Robin perks up at that; teaching Rosalinda to say “you look great” whenever Robin is looking in the mirror has definitely been one of the better decisions in her whole life so far.

She rushes over to the cage to treat the parrot on some nuts, but then she notices the clock and a string of curses escapes from her mouth as she starts frantically looking for her All Stars - which she finds buried underneath Polly’s butt.

Well, at least she has one thing less to worry about now: fashionably late is gonna be her very well thought through arrival time.

---

She arrives at Benny's about ten minutes late. As she haphazardly shoves her bike into a rack, she spots a curly-haired girl leaning against one of the parked cars with a somewhat bored look on her face.

'I'm so sorry,' Robin says, slightly out of breath as she rushes up to the girl. 'I'm literally the worst at time management and I couldn't find my shoes because my dog was sitting on them and then I lost my keys because I forgot to –'

'It's fine,' the girl interrupts her. To Robin's relief, her lips are curving into a smile – a very pretty smile, that is. 'Mr. Munson already told me that you were probably gonna be late.'

Something about that seems really unfair and Robin huffs.

'How does he even know that? I never even met the man! No one even bothered to tell me your name, and you already know all about one of my worst personality traits!'

'It's Nancy.'

'What?' Robin gives the girl a distracted look.

'My name.' She holds out her hand and Robin shakes it, even though she thinks that's a bit formal for a date – it is, right? Or is this normal date etiquette and is Robin indeed as clueless as she feared she would be?

'I'm Nancy,' the girl elucidates. Her hand is cold against Robin's, but not in an unpleasant way, and Robin can barely suppress a shiver. 'And my worst personality traits is that I always want to be right.'

Robin can't help but smile at her. 'Good to know, I’ll make sure to remember that in case I ever need to let you win an argument,’ she answers.

'You're Robin, right?'

'No, I'm Tammy,' Robin deadpans.

'Oh.' Nancy lets go of her hand, going wide-eyed.

'Kidding. I'm Robin. Sorry for that lame joke.'

But Nancy chuckles, and it sounds just as cute as her smile looks. All of Nancy is cute, actually: she's almost a full head smaller than Robin and wearing a colorful skirt paired with a purple button-down. A necklace with a ballet-shoe pendant is resting against the skin right underneath her collarbones, and her fine-featured face reminds Robin of a work of art: perfectly heartshaped, with sharp cheekbones, a pointed chin, and huge, deep-blue eyes that get this adorable sparkle when she smiles.

And unfortunately, Robin knows all too well what will inevitably happen whenever she's put in front of a girl as pretty as Nancy. It's like she can actually feel the words piling up in her throat.

'I have to warn you, I've never actually been on a date with a girl before. I mean, I've dated a girl, but not been on a date, like, with someone I don't know yet. I mean, it's not like I'm not out yet, alright, but in this town, there's only so many people you can be out to, if you know what I mean, so I couldn't exactly go happily dating around, and I've never really been interested in dating boys at all, so that never happened either – so what I'm trying to say is that I've never been on a date before and it's kinda making me nervous and I have this habit that I start rambling when I'm nervous, so you should probably just cut me off at some point or else I'll be passing out soon because I'm getting really out of breath and –'

'Take a breath,' Nancy finally interrupts her monologue. Her smile is less shy now and more amused, and Robin gratefully does what Nancy ordered her to do.

'It's okay,' Nancy says in a sweetly quiet voice. 'I'm glad you told me. I've actually never been on a date with a girl either. I've been in some relationships, with guys, but they didn't – they didn't really work. Um...' She points towards the door. 'Should we get –'

'Yeah, let's go inside,' Robin says, eagerly taking the chance to continue their conversation somewhere that's not a joyless gray parking lot.

They order at the counter and Robin lets Nancy pick a booth; they end up at the one in the most remote corner.

'Well,' Robin says, raising her Coke at Nancy, 'Cheers to Wayne Munson, I guess, for landing both of us our very first official date with a girl.'

Nancy chuckles and clinks her glass against Robin's.

'Cheers to Wayne Munson,' she repeats. 'I have to admit, I was very surprised when he called me. I only met him once, you know?'

Robin listens attentively while Nancy tells her how she met Mr. Munson at the plant, where he was working while she was on an assignment for the newspaper. It's surprisingly easy, to talk to her. They easily launch into this whole conversation about the working conditions and safety hazards down at the plant, both equally indignant about how the employees are treated there, and Robin fires all kinds of questions at Nancy about her job at the Gazette.

'I've been really lucky,' Nancy admits. 'Last year I got this internship at the Hawkins Post and that was... not great. I was basically the only woman and all those men thought I was only good for making them coffee and sandwiches. It's actually why I broke up with my boyfriend. He thought I should just “sit it out,” be grateful for the opportunity or whatever. Which I thought was fucking bullshit.'

Robin nods eagerly, her mouth too stuffed with Benny's heavenly burger to form an intelligible response.

'Anyway, I didn't sit it out – I went behind their backs for a good story and they fired me. But that's how I ended up at the Gazette. They make much better articles anyway – like the thing we did with the plant.' Nancy pauses to take a sip of her drink, and her eyes are lit up beautifully with the passion for the work she's doing. 'They care about this community, want to publish stuff that actually helps make it better. So I got to talk to Mr. Munson, and he had some really interesting things to say,' she said, coming full-circle with her story like a true journalist. 'But we didn't talk about any personal stuff, you know,' she continues. 'So I was really surprised when he called.'

Robin chuckles. 'Yeah, I haven't even met the man, I only know his nephew Eddie. He's supposed to have some sixth sense for matching queer people,' she tells Nancy while jokingly wiggling her eyebrows. 'That's how my best friend became Eddie's boyfriend. I wouldn't have been here if that dingus didn't tell me that it was gonna be worth it.'

The shyness is back in Nancy's smile as she holds Robin's gaze over their fries.

'Well, I think your friend might be right about that sixth sense,' Nancy says quietly.

Robin feels her cheeks heat up at that and looks away from Nancy's intense gaze.

'Don't tell him that,' she jokes. 'His ego is already annoyingly big.'

She looks back into Nancy's eyes and immediately feels fucking stupid for not taking her chance and say something heartfelt in response to Nancy's brave vulnerability.

'But no matter how much it pains me to admit it, I have to agree with you that he might be right,' she awkwardly adds. And luckily, it works: Nancy is beaming at her like the fucking brightest star in the milky way.

Pt3

Taglist: @munsonsuccubus @messrs-weasley @shrimply-a-menace @booksandsience @sadcanadianwinter @mightbeasleep

[wuffgang-ameowdeus-moozart]

I think that the complaints about Vickie are less "she is too similar to Robin" (bc girl literally had half a scene of screentime. we have no idea who she is.) and more "once again there are only two (2) explicitly queers in the show (I will always be a Will should've come out to Jonathan truther) so of course they will be forced together".

She was only barely introduced. It feels a lot like the only reason she exists is so Robin can be with someone. The Duffers already have problems dealing with their current (pretty big) cast, it does not bode well for Vickie's characterisation tbh (I'm sorry, I love him as much as the next person. But Argyle's one (1) personality trait is literally. Weed. So it doesn't seem improbable that Vickie's one (1) personality trait would be becoming Robin's girlfriend. Which would suck for obvious reasons. Also, like. They are already infamous for their treatment of queer(-coded) characters)

It would also take away from stobin time, which is an already established dynamic everyone (if you don't you are simply factually incorrect sorry not sorry) loves. The cast is huge, the Duffers will have to pick and choose who they want to focus on, and it seems way more probable that those will be the established mcs (Will & El especially) and not Robin's side-character love interest. I mean, it would honestly be bad storytelling if they did that in the last season.

Especially since the straight romances are so good. Lumax? Absolute banger. The early Stancy development? So good. Jancy? Pretty sure there's a poll out there about how they are one of the most well-liked couples. Mileven? Multiple seasons establishing groundwork before they even get together. To have Vickie not even be a character before she is thrown into a relationship with the only lesbian feels a bit like a slap in the face. Like, at least Steve had a bunch of character development after the breakup but that can't happen with Vickie because it's the last season and they really have other stuff to worry about 😪 Like, idk, at least everyone else had a choice, which is part of what makes those romances so impactful (lumax, jancy, etc etc), while Robin - on the count of being a lesbian and Vickie being the only other sapphic character - really.....doesn't.

(Plus maybe it's the aro in me speaking, but I found it kinda cool to have a canonically queer character whose story arc is not completely focused on romance for once)

I also think this part of the reason why ronance got so big. Nancy already *is* her own person. Nobody can look at Nancy and say "her only personality is being queer" or "she's only here so Robin doesn't end up alone because we obviously need to pair everyone off somehow". A relationship between them would be another facette of their development, not the one thing that defines them. (Like. Her being bi is literally the only reason Vickie is even in the season. Sorry not sorry.)

But I mean. The season isn't out. We barely saw the two interact. My expectations are already below ground level. Maybe they will surprise me.

[charkyzombicorn]

Just wanted to get this off my chest, sorry for sending you this. You can 100% delete this without reading if you want

Ships I just don’t care for and why

Buggy x shanks - to brother coded for me (I see them as brothers)

Sanji x zoro - I just can’t see it

Nami x any guy - I can only see her as a lesbian

Robin x any one who isn’t franky / franky x any one who Isn’t Robin - I can only ever see them together

Luffy x law - I can’t see it

Luffy x most people (I see him mostly aromantic, but I can ship him with usopp or boa for some reasons)

Buggy x Mihawk - can’t see it

Mihawk x shanks - Mihawk is way to cool and hot for shanks

Actually I really can’t see Mihawk actually dating people, I just realized I see him as aroace

Coby x Luffy- sorry, but I can only see it as one sided - tho I do t mind the ship, I just don’t really ship it

Ooo I haven't gotten one of these in a while!

Here are my takes, but before that just know these opinions are mine and bullying anyone for fandom/shipping opinions is weird and I don't support it:

Shuggy - Fully respect and empathize with the brother angle, I also see them as more brothers but their relationship is kinda complicated so I'm kinda neutral on it

Nami x Men - Fully get the lesbian route, she does seduce almost every other woman on screen, but sexuality headcanons never stop me because I am too far gone

Lulaw - I'm not gonna defend the gay subtext of Dressrosa because I don't ship lulaw much either, it does have some good content tho

Luffy x Anyone - I fully hc Luffy as canonically aroace, I just can't be stopped by my own headcanons

Mihawk x Anyone - Yeah I don't think he would date much either, at least not in a normal way. He'd put his partner's enemies dead on their doorstep for them to find like a cat I feel like. Idk, Mihawk intrigues me, I fully get aroace hc tho that just won't stop me

Cobylu - Yeahhh it's definitely not the strongest canon ship just with the way Luffy acts towards Coby vs Coby towards Luffy, I ship it but mostly fanon ship it because of what it Could Be if Coby was a more mainline character Luffy interacted with more. They seem to be doing that in the live action tho, I'm eager to see how that goes

[thestobingirlie]

A few days ago I sent a very ranty ask but I think it got lost and so i was kinda disappointed but also realized I was being a bit of a hater and cannot remember how coherent it was, so it's probably fine it got lost lol. However I was thinking about my little lost hater rant and why I dislike bg ron/ance in steddie fics and not bg steddie in other fics and realized like. Obviously it has to do with my dislike of the ship in general, which means the immense amount of legwork an author has to do for me to feel like Ron//anace actually makes sense for Robin and Steve AND Nancy can only be done in a rn focused fic, which I will not read, because I don't like the ship and even if they say in the tags stobin are bffs it is unlikely that they actually are in the way they deserve to be. (I think it always boils down to people devaluing the relationship stobin have with each other for the sake of a Romo ship, which other ships do but I think rn does it the most or at least the most glaringly)

I also touched on how for some reason sometimes they make Nancy this best friend type person for Steve or Eddie and have her really involved in their relationship or getting together but that's not who she is! I'm not a Nancy hater at all but she doesn't seem interested in the people she saves the world with unless they are saving the world or dating her. She doesn't seem interested in other people's dating lives. And having an ex, even if you ended things amicably (one could easily argue st//cy didn't) smirking about how you are your queer crush in 80's Indiana are so obvious would probably be incredibly uncomfortable. But steddie in like, lu-max or gen fics is just two of their friends dating and maybe a mention of homophobia or how they are kind of an unexpected couple given their archetypes, or how they bicker or something. Obviously they do have to work on their relationship but not to the gymnastic level ooc bending (in my opinion) degree of rn.

i love being a hater. it’s my favourite hobby.

but anyway! yeah, i think it’s interesting that it’s often r//nance that’s the background ship, when it takes a lot for the relationship to work. (obvs the reason this happens is just the way people neglect lesbian couples and prioritise mlm, but still)

like, as the characters are in s4, steddie could be paired off in the background, but i don’t think r//nance could be. (and yeah, no matter what people try to do in a r//nance fic, either stobin gets ignored, or nancy is a completely different character and stancy is a completely different relationship)

a lot of fics prioritise romance over friendship, and i think the reason people notice it more with r//nance fics, is just because of how close stobin are, and so how vastly different the dynamic has to become in fics

but yeah, people try to involve nancy in everyone and it’s like… you are dragging that girl by her ratty hair, she does not want to be friends with these people. i don’t think she hates them! but like you said, unless they’re dating, or actively saving the world, she has no interest in them (sometimes even when they’re dating she doesn’t have much interest lmao).

i could see her getting involved in others relationships, but not out of like, kindness. i think she would just be nosy, and i do not think steve would take that well. and, honestly if anyone made snide comments about how obvious my queer crush was, i would stop talking to that person, let alone if they were my ex.

[carnivoraformes]

@bishonenprince asked, "2. How did you get into this franchise/fandom?

11. Are there some things you dislike about how the show/series/etc. portray the character you have picked up? If so, what? - ( Aventurine )

17. Are there any ships you can’t stand, why?"

canon questionare. || Status: Accepting

How did you get into this franchise/fandom?

Already answered here!

Are there some things you dislike about how the show/series/etc. portray the character you have picked up? If so, what? - ( Aventurine )

//At the expense of sounding like someone that really loves angst to much I do honestly think that they should have put more emphasis on Aventurine's gambling addiction or at least made it clear that this man is addicted to gambling.

And no I don't mean they glamorize it or romanticize it, but it feels like saying 'oh well he is just really lucky' and 'is a paranoid lunatic that plans for everything' is covering up 'oh well he has a gambling addiction and somehow hasn't managed to fuck up badly enough to realize how big his problem is' (which is really saying something) and to avoid blatant spoilers I will say that I personally feel that he is one of those addicts that won't stop until it kills him.

This is just my opinion and I'm sure it will eventually somehow blow up on a much grander scale eventually but it is kind of part of the reason I like the idea of writing my Aven as joining the Family after failing his mission because I want to write the idea he gambled hard and it finally blew up in his face and because honestly if he did succeed how would he feasibly top this? Like this would probably be his magnum opus. Like how would you top this?

Are there any ships you can’t stand, why?

//I like to generally think I am pretty chill when it comes to ships. I have the usual icks but I don't honestly see most ships between consenting adult muses as problematic or wrong or something worth hating UNLESS it is romanticizing abuse, stalking or anything sick like that.

That said one ship I absolutely despise that I keep seeing on A03 is fucking Jing Yuan/Yanqing and Sunday/Robin and I'm just like 'what the absolute fuck is wrong with you, you sorry sick fucks?' I have yet to not see it on tumblr because I'm pretty sure they would probably get scorned by the general fandom on tumblr (or at least they do in the corner I exist in) but for fuck's sake why does anyone think that is okay?

But also I won't say I can't stand it but I am probably 1 of the 3 people that doesn't like Robin/Boothill. Like it seems fun but... I just don't see it. The fanart looks great and I'm happy for ya'll and all the fucking memes people are coming up with is fucking gold but it isn't a ship I'd write seeing as I write Robin as a lesbian and that isn't a flexible thing for me.

But I can't talk to much shit about Robin/Boothill because I ship Wriothesley/Jean.

[steddie-fanfic-recs]

A quiet I keep on keeping

by ethereal_queer

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Character: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Mike Wheeler Additional Tags: Not Canon Compliant, Post-Stranger Things 3, Slow Burn, Beards (Relationships), Fake/Pretend Relationship, Light Angst, Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, Period-Typical Homophobia, Falling In Love, Mutual Pining, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Good Babysitter Steve Harrington, they’re in love your honour, Good Friend Robin Buckley, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Friendship, Robin Buckley & Eddie Munson Friendship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson-centric, POV Eddie Munson, POV Steve Harrington Words: 22,133 Chapters: 3/3

Summary

Robin Buckley is a lesbian. And Eddie Munson is gay. And they’re dating. Well, at least to the outside world. And to a very, (very) confused Steve. “I told Steve Harrington you’re my boyfriend.” Through the receiver. Alien words through plastic. He wants to laugh, really he does, but all he can manage is a bit of stunned silence until “Why the hell would you do that?” With no malice. Not even really a tone to his voice other than curiosity. He of all people shouldn’t really have to ask, because he already knew the answer. He was a liar too. “I panicked” she says, a shuffling on the other end. “He was getting all… mushy, saying stuff about feelings..” “For you?” “I know, right, can you believe it? “You don’t think you could have told him the truth?” He asks, and there’s silence beneath the static. “Seems like you two are real close.” And she sighs, and she lets out a noise of frustration that Eddie knows all too well, when you want to tell someone something, need to, and you can’t. You just can’t. Because it’s Hawkins Indiana and sometimes you have to keep your mouth shut just to stay safe.

[thatonesongyouretryingtoremember]

Rating whatever ST ships I can think of bc it's night (post lemon) and I'm bored

Lumax- 10/10 so poetic and beautiful the show doesn't do them justice which is SAYING A LOT romo lumax and platonic lumax have my heart

Elmax- the first ST ship I started shipping before joining fandom! 10/10 incredible beautiful drop dead gorgeous romo and platonic elmax are perfect

Hopclair- 10/10 I may currently be running on a hopclair ANGST high, but as I've said and will not hesitate to repeat, these two NEED to team up and NEED more screentime together! Romo, platonic, and queerplatonic hopclair love in my brain

Henclair- recently found appreciation for them upon season two rewatch and reflecting join season two, cute enough for a maybe 6/10 as romo 15/10 platonic

Henderhop- I just can't picture it 0/10

Morallysus- idrk seems kinda morally sus to me :/ -10/10

Elmike 8/10 platonic and I will not elaborate

Byler- objectively 10/10 but they are not who I'm thinking about when I'm actually watching- that's when my elmax and platonic stobin brain turns on romo and platonic byler on their respective places in the timeline are literary impeccability

Byclair- adorable and I could totally see it, 7.5/10

Wheelclair- surprisingly cute but not my first instinct I do truly Get the cuteness but 6/10

Elumax- be it romo lumax romo elmax with pl hopclair, romo hopclair, or qp hopclair, still adorable to me and I actually understand them more than you do don't go near my children sorry guys blorbo is just for me actually 100/10

Stobin- 10/10 platonic and queerplatonic aromantic and lesbian solidarity!! But also their arc and how they support eachother!! Beautiful precious my precious you can't have it wow am i gatekeeping?

Rockie- unopinionated so 6/10 besties endgame material romo

Ronance- I can never stop thinking about Nancy comparing Barb and Robin to eachother but y'all's headcanons are cute 5/10

Stancy- you know me. I love Steve. I love Nancy. Which is exactly why I can't in good conscious dare ship them together! Nancy's whole thing of relating him to Barb's death (valid) is word on its own if you don't throw in the fact that Steve super cool dream directly contradicts everything Nancy wants in life! Neither of them should have to compromise their LIFE around accommodating the other! You can say what you want about "they still like eachother romantically" which isn't even really true imo but had it ever occurred to you that sometimes people can feel romantically and and decide that a friendship would do them more good? Which isn't to say they are super close friends either because honestly their friendship has gotten the least amount of attention by the writers. -20/10 romo and 7/10 potential friendship that we will never get to see on screen.

Jancy- I honestly could not care less whether they are endgame their unbreakable bond etc etc doesn't care whether they're friends or dating 6/10

Jargyle- 10/10 how does it feel to be the most perfect ship in the world? Pl, QP, romo, alterous, whatever it is these two mean the world to me

Stonathan- question why? I'm sure it's cute I just don't understand the origin of the hype. What's it ABOUT for y'all?

Stoncy- see above, both 5/10

Steddie- I actually like it as a ship kind of if it weren't for the fact I can't see Steve not being aromantic. Also while we're here thank you if you've stopped cross tagging because I'd I look up Erica Sinclair In not looking for Eddie x Reader fics 6.5/10 romo

Boyce- wait actually this might have been my first ST ship not elmax.. anyways they're adorable and I totally hated the way they did the love triangle thing. Hopper being annoying distracted me from Bob being the coolest guy in the world.

Jopper- I guess I'm cool with them now but I was so anti jopper in S2 not because I'm invested in the love triangle I fucking hate love triangles but because Hopper was insufferable in seasons two and three and Joyce had like no boundaries in season three that got weird because ofc the writers decided to build up their canon in the most annoying way possible. Maybe they could have been an 8/10 if ST writers had fucking tried at all before season four but now they're closer to a 4.5/10 for me tbh but go back to season one where their friendship was pretty cool and they've known eachother forever and all that- super fucking sweet 8/10 points taken off because I just generally find Hopper annoying (as a person not as a character I get how he's important to the story and blah blah)

Boycer- since the suffers never ruined it I mean wrote it and I can imagine them however I want- polyamorous Joyce with her two boyfriends is a 10/10

Edissy- I genuinely thought this was a joke 2/10 romo 7/10pl

Joyren- not to be a Karen hater but I kinda hate Karen 1/10

Kargyle- I love Kali with all my heart. I absolutely adore Argyle. But I don't get this ship. Like why. 5/10 romo 8/10 pl

Kalancy- yes let women kill people! I mean I'm the scenario I imagine they are def at Kali's home not Nancy's and it's def not a healthy mindset but let's not think about that.. honestly I don't think about them at all but I guess it could be cool. 8/10 romo 9/10 pl 9/10 qp

[penny00dreadful]

First Impressions - Chapter 2

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 AO3

As soon as Chrissy got back into the comfort of their home her tension dissipated and she started to gush about Robin.

Eddie tried to listen in, he really did, but his brain was stuck inbetween the sheer audacity of Dustin fucking Henderson and invasive images of golden veiny forearms and a full pouting mouth that looked like it was regularly swiped with at least chapstick and a downright bitchy attitude that dug it's fucking claws into him.

Chrissy was in the middle of a monologue about Robin’s terrible dancing before she cut herself off and narrowed her eyes at him, handing him a cup of her weird sleepy tea.

“You’re being unusually quiet.”

He took the cup from her and grimaced at the smell. “I can be quiet.”

“Eddie, you used to deliver sermons on lunch tables about conformity and set off bang snaps in the staff room, you are incapable of being quiet.”

He rolled his eyes and sipped his pungent tea. It tasted like ass but whether it was due to constant exposure or the placebo effect it did actually help him to fall asleep quicker.

Chrissy chewed the inside of her cheek, her gaze boring right through him. "Did you get a chance to talk with Steve?"

"Jesus, what is everyone's obsession with me and Harrington? Yes I spoke to him, but I needn't have. I don't know what kind of lightning strike you were expecting, Chris, but to me he seems to be the same vapid, vain and pompous ass as he always was. I'm just glad I never have to see him again."

Chrissy dropped her stare, and seemed suddenly very interested in her own cup of tea.

Eddie looked up at her from his position on the couch, letting his eyes linger as her cheeks steadily got redder and redder. 

If it's one thing that people didn't think Eddie Munson was, it was patient. But he'd spent his life waiting out his bully's tirades so he could verbally tear them down, waiting out his father's anger, locking himself in the bathroom until he could escape, waiting out a heated gaze across a dance floor until they came to him .

Chrissy continued to fidget under his stare before she eventually huffed and glared up at him with only a little irritation.

"Robin invited me to hang out with her tomorrow. Maybe see a movie. Said I could bring you if I wanted."

"You want me to third wheel your date with Robin?"

Chrissy scowled at him, the gesture not quite distracting from the click of her throat as she swallowed and fidgeted with her mug.

“It’s not a date. I’m not- I don’t like girls. Even if she does. That doesn’t make it a date.”

“She told you?”

She levelled him with an unimpressed look. “I know what it looks like when someone has a crush on me, Eds. I’ve seen it enough.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, maybe preening just a little .

He couldn’t even be mad, Chrissy was hot as shit. He knew it. She knew it. It had taken him a long time to help her build her confidence level up to where it rightfully should be and that confidence looked damn good on her.

“You sure it’s only one sided? You spent the whole car ride talking about her hands .”

“She has nice hands!”

“Sure. If you say so.” He spoke into his mug, taking a large gulp of his disgusting tea, trying to figure out how to approach the next topic. “And you’re okay with that? Hanging out with someone who has a big lesbian crush on you?”

Chrissy almost looked offended that he’d even asked. “Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be? She’s sweet.”

Eddie shrugged, pulling her down to sit next to him, throwing his long skinny legs over hers and settling back into the arm of the chair. “In my experience, straight people are usually not okay with that.”

She tore her eyes away from his and began to pull the threads at the rips in his jeans and shrugged. 

The silence stretched on and Eddie could tell from her posture he wouldn’t be getting much more out of her on the topic so he switched. 

“Anyway, why would Robin inviting you to hang out mean I’d have to see Harrington again?”

“He’ll be driving us, she kinda panicked when she asked and invited Steve as well. So you came up as an option to join too.”

“As a fourth wheel?” Eddie dropped his head back and let out a long suffering groan. “Sorry, honey bunny, no can do. I am not suffering through that . Harrington is already there as your buffer in shining armour and you actually like him for some reason, which I do not understand. I think my day would be better spent vegetating.”

“You mean procrastinating dealing with your writer's block?” She smirked, lightly dragging her manicured nails over his bare knee where she knew he was ticklish.

He jerked his legs away and glared. “Don’t mention the war.”

They spent the next few minutes bickering back and forth as they finished off their nasty herbal concoction. Chrissy gulped it down eagerly. Eddie powered through. Eventually they both slouched off to their respective rooms.

He stood in the middle of his room, staring into nothing, eyes unfocused as he got lost in his head. His mind wandered back to hair. His hair. His stupid, styled, soft, swooping hair. So clean and voluminous and thick. What would it look like if it was dirty? Had the King ever deigned to let it get dirty? Did grime just fall off it like plastic? How would it look finally crushed or flattened after exercise? Flopping and damp with sweat or water from showers, pool water, lake water, sea water... maybe cut through with black goop and just a bit of blood. All fucked up and tugged in different directions from wandering hands-

Stop.

As he scrabbled desperately for the steering wheel in his mind, he wrenched it back into safer territory and far away from... whatever the fuck that was. He didn't want to think about it.

Unfortunately for him, safer territory was still torturous.

The damn insufferable writer's block was completely wrecking his head and had been haunting him for weeks. Why was it, the second he'd decided he might send something off to some publishers, he found himself completely stopped dead. 

Eirwen's story seemed to just drop off a cliff at the midway mark. 

She'd been trapped for a hundred years in her glass coffin, the bite of the poisoned apple didn't get dislodged from her throat as it did in the original fairy tale, instead dissolving into her body, freezing her in a stasis between life and death. She was put on display in the prince's castle, until his grandchildren, weirded out by his obsession over her beauty, stuck her up in the attic after he died. They ended up cracking the glass as they moved her and she'd broken free, swearing revenge on her stepmother and captors. She was now some feral undead thing driven only by bloodlust, donning the castle's old rusty armour and gripping ancient weapons and then-

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Oftentimes Eddie had the end of a story figured out before the middle but he was in the middle of the story now and there was just nothing. No ending, nothing else of the story. A blank empty void where the rest of the story should be.

It was difficult to explain. Inspiration came to him like lightning strikes and it could come at any time. He’d be out in the world and he’d see something or hear something or someone said something and it was like an entire story dropped into his head. It would need fleshing out but all the bullet points were there. And if they weren't all there then… there was nothing he could do. He couldn't force it. Couldn't make it happen. He just had to wait.  

Wait for something else to infect his mind and latch on.

He'd tried to force it before and it was just pathetic really. He had delivered one of the worst campaigns he'd ever written. Corroded Coffin never played the songs he wrote during that time. He'd burned those stories that he had dragged out of his brain. In those first few years it was like the earthquake had fucked his creativity so severely he thought it would never come back. 

But it had and now it seemed to have abandoned him again. A complete and utter blank space where stories used to run rampant. Right at the time he was trying to live out one of his many childhood dreams;

Go on tour with his super cool future band.

Publish a fantasy book that would have people lining up for the next in the series.

Find Santa Claus and make him explain why he never visited like he did with all the other kids.

Become an astronaut.

The book one had seemed the most achievable out of the four.

Eddie yanked himself out of his clothes, flinging them across his room in frustration, throwing himself down on his bed. He rubbed his face into his pillow before turning to glare at his typewriter.

This is all your fault.

Chapter continues on AO3

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

[awesome-opossum-after-hours]

stranger things rewatch details/thoughts pt 3 (s3 ep1-s3 ep8)

-El kept the baby mask from her sister and its up in her room!

- she also has a large poster of a bird on a beach

- the first store when they walk into Starcourt has a very creative name. "Camera Repair"

- the girl behind Max in the movie theater is MAD annoyed at them. they talk (before the movie starts), and she shushes them. they pass snacks, and she shushes them. rude

-the Scoops Ahoy menu sign quite literally calls it an "Ocean of Flavors"

-i wonder if Will remembers much of the events of s2, or at least the possesion/exorcism. it seems to flood back to him in the theater

-ah wait, Yurtle WAS relocated! totally forgot, could've sworn he was a goner.

-poor "lard-ass". hope he's okay

-Hopper's hatred of Mike is too funny I kinda hope it continues, even if he does loosen up

-god Hopper reminds me so much of my dad. he went as him for Halloween a few years back, and I was s3 El :)

-did Dustin follow Steve's advice in getting Suzie? pretend not to care?

-a buck 25 for a scoop of ice cream sounds fantastic

-a lot of cosplayers forget this with "Scoops Ahoy" Robin but the letters on the You Rule/You Suck board are multicolored. red underneath, black traced slightly off. in Graphics that's a technique used to create a 3D effect, and I'd like to think that was her intention bc she seemed that artsy :)

-God I adore how much you can see the amount of love in Hop's eyes when he's watching Joyce help a customer. when will someone look at me like that oml

-Joyce and Bob were watching Fraiser in the flashback

- Mike has some serious nerve telling the father of his girlfriend and the goddamn Chief of Police that he's a "lying piece of shit"

-Max calls Lucas "Don Juan" 🥺

-if you watch the first Russian message scene with English captions it gives away what it says lmao

-Hopper joyfully singing along to You Don't Mess Around With Jim owns my heart

-Steve already HAD chesthair in s3. you can see it if he leans over in the Scoops uniform ;) do with that what you will

-Lucas is continuing his streak of winning Max back after her dumping him. 6 and 0

- when El and Max are playing the spying version of Spin the Bottle, the people on the wheel are Dustin, Mr Clarke, Mrs Wheeler, Mr Wheeler, Steve, Nancy, and (of course) Billy

- Will's persona of "Will the Wise" is a LOT more assertive than he normally is. bet that'll come in clutch in s5

- Hopper has no shame opening the door in just a towel lmao

- happy screams...

-Max using the iconic 80s phrase "ugh, gag me with a spoon!"

- I completely forgot the whole "Dustin wanting Steve and Robin to date" thing happened before s4

-Robin was apparently a theater kid (which made her "weird" in the Old Steve's standards). she also played soccer

-still not over how Mike and Lucas mock Will's DnD game and act all bored with it and then continue to play DnD really seriously in high school

-the whole "Robin being a lesbian and Steve her emotional support himbo" decision really WAS last minute bc there's a few hints pretty early in the season that would normally lead to 2 characters eventually falling in love (aka- on the rooftop of Starcourt when they have to duck down to avoid the Russians, Steve and Robin do the whole "unintentionally holding hands in danger" thing)

-the way Billy is standing and acting in the scene in Heather's house is INSANELY similar to Henry Creel in the rainbow room (down to the creepy smile and the hands clasped in front)

-Hopper breaks the mayor's nose. guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, blood relation or not

- "if you die, I die" - said Dustin, with total seriousness, to Steve. this better NOT be foreshadowing

-when El wears Sarah's hairtie as a bracelet, it covers up her number tattoo

-oh my GOD Jonathan getting whacked with the hospital stool looked WAYYYYY more brutal than I remember... how the hell did he not get paralyzed

-at first i thought that Hopper's eventual escape route from the machine explosion was adding afterwards for Plot Armor, but that's not true! when the Scoops Troop is running from the Russians they take the same escape route underneath the machine

-the door out to Murray's wonderful little "backyard" says "Keep Door Closed"

-I don't blame Alexei, cherry slurpees are far superior to strawberry

-Erica being a total math genius is something that HAS to be brought up again

-when Robin spits in the Russian's face, he says "you're going to regret that, suchka". suchka, translating in the subtitles as "little bitch"

-after the hospital, everyone must've taken a well needed shower before heading to Hop's cabin

-i would die for Karen Wheeler's FunFair dress

-can we talk about the fact that other than El, Dustin is the only kid to ever K1LL SOMEONE??? I mean maybe he just got wiped out but that Russian doctor looked very not alive

-did Todd ever get his car back

-the answer is hopefully no. screw Todd, Steve's her daddy now

-I think if I had to choose one of these monsters to NEVER have to fuck with ever it'd be the flesh monster. sure Vecna can kill you from your own mind but something about fighting melted humans/rats feels so very wrong and traumatizing

-Steve's been in a vehicle poorly driven by children twice

-if Joyce doesn't stick to this Detective Byers plan in s5 I'm gonna cry

-also I need to physically SEE the Enzo's date, even if it's a flashback

-Dustin and Erica staying at the hill means that they had no way of knowing if the Griswold Family was alive, or whether or not Steve and Robin were headed on a su1c1de mission

-I'd be shittin me britches if i was in that mall no lie

- the flesh monster mind flayer must have some sort of eyes in its tentacles because it tried to catch a mannequin that was wearing El's outfit

-662608004 was the code Murray wrote, but the real password was 662607004. all he got wrong was the 7. come on Bald Eagle

-they straight up left Max, El, and Mike at the mall

-according to Hopper, gunfire is the universal language for "EVERYBODY OUT!"

-Max and Billy lived on 4819 Cherry Hill Lane

-on that TV ad, when they suggest a rise in Satanism is cursing the town, they zoom in on a Dungeon Master's Handbook

-the epilogue says it's 3 months after the 4th of July, AKA October. but it's implied that the party is still just them, so maybe they joined the Hellfire Club in the middle of the year

-Dustin doesn't wear his hat when he's sad

-someone actually bought the Byers' house. fuck that, man I'd firmly believe it's cursed

-was El staying in Will's room? because she's seen packing up her stuff but the Byers only had a 3 bedroom house

-we all know that Steve wears lipgloss this season but I'm also convinced that Mike is in the epilogue

-Mike didn't seem to enjoy that goodbye kiss as much as he was expecting...

[emblazons]

The thing is, they called Will gay through slurs, but aside from that they showed that Robin and Will were lesbian and gay (respectively) through their lack of attraction toward the opposite sex. So in Mike's case, his situation will be similar to Vickie's. Idk why people expect something big.

Unsure if you're the same anon who sent the "I am tired of ppl setting themselves up bc it wont be funny in the end," but both mentioned this so I'm answering both here if that's okay!

Honestly I can appreciate why people want Mike (and Will, Robin, and Vickie) to get their "official label" in the canon from the perspective of a queer person. Labels are a luxury LGBTQ+ people have been denied from having openly for much of queer history, and I can appreciate wanting queer characters we identify with to have them too. Even so...if I'm being honest, it doesn't fit anywhere in the tone of the show, and expecting in canon is an stretch (to say the least) to me.

The Duffers (for better or worse) have decided that giving people labels in the dialogue of the show isn't something they're going to do—they aren't even a fan of relationship labels save using them to show people hold onto them in the absence of actual relational depth (see: Mike constantly using the word "girlfriend" to describe El), as no other couple has really used a label to show us that they're together romantically. Avoiding clear labeling is just how they write, and expecting something different solely because its "the final season" does seem like setting yourself up for disappointment that could have been avoided with a little reflection, at least to me.

I agree that we will get confirmation for Mike that is more subtle, though I do think they might do him a solid for the sake of the audience and give him a parallel S3 Robin/Steve scene with El for clarity (Stobin and M*leven are paralleled a few times anyway). That said, I think post-S5 there will be a lot of interviews where Finn gets to talk about Mike openly (pun intended) where we will get a lot of the more satisfying confirmation a lot of us want. :)

Thanks for the ask!

[ms-all-sunday]

what do you mean "unsure there'd be an audience", if I were to ever find Pudding x Nami content I'd be beyond thrilled, especially a good writer like you. I'd absolutely love your future fanfic

I don't know how to articulate it properly but when I saw Pudding's everything, I was really intrigued about how her and Nami (the whole, them having no one to rely on from a young age and learning to fend for themselves, and being the "favorite" (note the quotes) of a much stronger, terrifying being who humor them but don't view them as a person nor allow them any real power/agency, and the farce of pretending they're casual despite the horrific power dynamic (the "Arlong indulgently allow Nami to make snappy comments/Big Mom indulgently allow Pudding to pout and complain at her when asking if she awakened her eye", learning to be a people pleaser from a young age and to carefully adapt their performance (Nami having to rob from pirates, Pudding and her arranged marriages), traumatized young women, just, just, their everything.

Also Nami have a lesbian subplot more often than not, and if she could have a dramatic romantic sapphic subplot with Lola she could totally have one with Pudding

wait now that I think about it

please, for the ask game Nami x Lola (would be extremely happy if you went into detail about what you think of them)

this is interesting! you bring up good points. let me go into how nami navigates around sexism real quick.

oddly, this will start off with me explaining how robin does, for reference. robin is more into lies of omission around men. she's obviously got more going on, but she doesn't hide the fact she's got more going on, she just doesn't let men in on what that is. think how she treated crocodile and eneru. she seems competent even when she's downplaying aspects of herself so men don't fuck with her.

nami, in juxtaposition, allows herself to be thought of as stupid. it's very much a "bimbo" act, unlike robin, she can "mess up" and state her true intentions around men she doesn't like, not necessarily because they don't believe she can act on it, or that those aren't her true intentions but because they believe her to be incompetent. she aims to be thought of as harmless, in this weird infantalizing manner men often treat women.

she isn't a people pleaser, (but i get what you mean, it's just important to make the distinction here. she can accurately appear to men as something harmless, but it's not with any intention to actually people please. usopp for example is a character who is an actual people pleaser, even when he's talking to his enemies.) but she knows how to navigate relationships with sexist men in order to get validation from them (playing what they'd reduce her down to)

both of these women can act a certain way to get men and in puddings case big mom off their back, but i don't think playing into what is deemed acceptable for all women to be is people pleasing exactly. i do see the similarities you're getting at, but with nami it's much more intentional as a belief in her agency as a woman and as a person outside of arlong.

pudding is hard to categorize in the same way as nami, because nami is a person who has agency and does things intentionally. pudding, and i mean this with all the love in the world, doesn't do anything intentionally and most of how she navigates her mothers projected sexism onto her daughter, and how she navigates it from other external sources is mainly coming from a reactionary standpoint.

so pudding, i think there's both a level of the way robin navigates sexism and the way nami does within her role as the bride and with her mother, but because pudding is not disingenuous to some degree in her role at least with sanji and i think probably her other husbands, at no point is pudding disingenuous and that makes her way more complicated than robin and nami in this respect. because she does holistically believe every thing shes saying, she wants to be a princess with a prince to sweep her off her feet, it's the thing i've been identifying within the past few days which is that pudding does not know what feminism is and does have inherently sexist beliefs despite being a genuinely competent young woman. it's that juxtaposition i think is funny about her, and whats holding her back.

to be clear, while i think her relationship to her mother is almost exactly the genuine version of what nami presents disingenuously to men, (an incompetent young woman who if she means harm can't do anything anyways) i think within her role as the bride she exhibits the same skill in navigating gender roles in the way robin does, intentionally. but she doesn't realize that

oh man i wrote a lot there haha

nami/lola - makes sense to me, not compelling to me though

it's okay if it's your cup of tea though, it's cute. I'm just not compelled because my default is shipping her with pudding

i think it's the same appeal as nami/pudding but without all of puddings internal conflict and i love puddings internal conflict. lola is a cute character, and i would accept her marriage offer did i not have incredibly similar issues in romantic relationships in the same way her and pudding do. nami might take up her offer though.

nami definitely has more of an emotional capacity to play emotional saviour for women than men, (it's a small capacity even then but it is there) (rather, i think more accurately she tends to give women the benefit of the doubt rather easily when she's unable to do that for men.) and i don't think i would write her as giving the amount of emotional effort by default to men as i would when writing her interacting with women, but as someone with a similar relationship to men and women i respect her grind.

ask game

[dadokid]

Stardew Valley Bachelor, Bachelorette and random town folks get a sexuality asigned by me but it's weirdly accurate.

Bachelor and Bachelorettes:

Alex: bisexual with internalised homophobia.

Abigail: bisexual witch that would bite you.

Elliott: hopeless romantic homosexual man, I feel like he really has nothing for women

Emily: pansexual. doesn't care who you are, if ur cute, ur cute

Haley: lesbian that comes from a snob family with internalised homophobia

Harvey: very confused. He doesn't know what labels are. He likes the person he likes??

Maru: confident in her bisexuality, she would hit someone who's mean to her

Leah: cottagecore lesbian. Presents contain at least one dried rose a week.

Shane: demisexual, he needs lots of time to actually grow to his partner. He doesn't mind, but has a preference for tough boys who'll hold him

Sebastian: honestly, gay in denial. Sam is his type you can't convince me otherwise.

Sam: golden retriever boyfriend, pansexual. Does not care. Sebastian is also his type. Shy gay nerds. <3

Penny: She's very unsure. She would consider herself to be straight but if she finds the right girl, she wouldn't say no.

Some of the towns people:

Robin: either bisexual or an ally. And a very aggressive one too. Be homophobic and you find yourself with an axe next to your head <3

Demetrius: That guy is as straight as a line. But in a idiotic and loveable way. When Maru came out to him he got her a flag 100%

Jodi: I don't know, she would probably be pretty concerned for Sam first. She'd say "I want grandchildren" to him a lot.

Kent: I am so sorry but he seems mildly homophobic, probably due to the army impact.