#WHEW this got long

[heartbreakprincewille]

Masculinity In Young Royals

So, in honour of Ke Huy Quan and the team of Everything Everywhere All At Once sweeping the Oscars(been crying about it since morning), I was watching this BRILLIANT video essay(check it out it's so well thought out!) about Waymond(Ke's character) and this gave me thoughts about Young Royals as well, because hyperfixations go hand-in-hand, right? :)

Masculinity, and especially different portrayals and aspects of its prevalent notions is a theme brilliantly explored in the two seasons of Young Royals. I wanted to talk about some characters, and this list will progress from worse to better(not using the word perfect because nuance > perfection).

Note: The traits I will discuss further are not restricted to just a cis or male perspective, anyone can exhibit these traits, but since assertion of masculinity is a constant spectacle in Young Royals, I will associate some traits with it.

1. Vincent

Vincent, especially in S2, embodies the worst traits on the masculinity spectrum, and since his character is understandably not offered the privilege of nuance, he comes off as this typical, toxic, sort of "alpha-male" character, especially after he's elected as the prefect and Rowing Captain. He constantly bullies others, especially Simon, tries to enforce the hierarchy of privilege and class firstly through August and then by himself. As soon as he sees an opportunity shown by Wilhelm to take control in his hands, he doesn't take much time to betray his "friend", August(although August of all people getting betrayed is certainly irony at its best). He kinda reminds me of the Royal Court in some ways- their presence furthering the divide of tradition and social systems in their respective environments.

2. August

The only reason August is not placed higher than Vincent in this list is the privilege of nuance August is provided with throughout the story. This nuance is what sets him apart in the narrative, but is also the thing which dooms him as a character.

August is misogynistic, sexist, classist, obsessed with power and privilege and feels entitled to both of them, set to further the class divide just like Vincent. He stokes his ego like fire, and if someone tries to cross him, he does not hesitate to burn them with the flames, like Wilhelm exposing his money issues and August violating Wilhelm and Simon's privacy in return. He's manipulative, he's calculative, he knows how to scheme things in his favour(failed attempts, though) and he's just a walking red flag of a person. He also falls around the worse side of the spectrum of masculinity.

But, he is offered nuance by the narrative. In S1, it's in the form of familial and personal issues: his dad killing himself, financial problems, addiction issues and possible issues of body dysmorphia. In S2, through his relationship with Sara, we are shown a different side of him- a side that is capable of being vulnerable, capable of being soft, and this almost sparks this hope within the audience that maybe August can change a little, for the better.

But then he's offered a chance of power and his hamartia is revealed to the audience: his inability to change. The greatest tragedy (which is also its brilliance) with August's character is he cannot change for the better. Even if he tries to. He can have opprtunities to grow, but it will be a Herculean labour for him to take advantage of those opportunities and actually change. He is so deeply entrenched in his perceptions of toxic masculinity and power and lost in his conceited, privileged worldview that it's quite hard for him to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And it's what sets him apart in the narrative- despite all his nuance, he is still a terrible person at his core. The nuance is just what separates him from all his shallow and one-dimensional preceding antagonists of the past.

3. Nils

Nils brings a neutral perspective to the extreme hyper-masculine and cishet dynamics upheld by August and Vincent. He's revealed to be queer in S2, but chooses to be discreet about it- which gives him a chance to build solidarity with both his cishet peers(Vincent and August) as well as a fellow queer person (Wille). He's not dismissive of Wilhelm's queerness, but he believes it to be something "better behind close doors". He's one of the few people who actually acknowledges Wilhelm and Simon's relationship, but is also dismissive of it, mainly because of the difference in their social standings. He's devoid of the typical "heteronormative" traits associated with masculinity, especially in S2, but he still uphelds the toxic class hierarchy and privilege.

4. Simon

Simon is a quite interesting character to me on this list because he subverts these traits in a very unique way.

Usually canonically gay characters in media are often stereotyped to possess "feminine" traits, which is NOT a bad thing at all, BUT mostly the portrayal of such characters usually leans more towards the mockery of the "feminine" traits, rather than something which strengthens the queerness of that character.

Simon is actually very different from this famous rendition of gay characters- he's actually very masculine in his behaviour. He exhibits two typical masculine behaviours in general:

1. "Man Of The House", or taking the mantle of emotional(and sometimes financial) stability in a house in one's own hands. He often takes matters in his own hand, especially when Sara says or does something that disrupts the peace of their little family. It's interesting because despite being the youngest person in the family, Linda subconsciously lets him take the mantle on his shoulders, without realizing how heavy it can be. And consequenty, it brings us down to the second trait:

2. "Suppressing emotions", or avoiding being vulnerable in public spaces or with people one loves and trusts. Simon constantly shoves what he's feeling deep in his heart, he refuses to break open in front of people, in front of Wille(S2 E6 gun scene) and would go to lengths to maintain a facade of "everything's fine!" even if he's breaking inside. It makes sense because his backstory alludes to hesitation to open up to people and it can be possibly related to his familial trauma, but it's still interesting nevertheless because he shows incredible emotional maturity throughout the story, much more than his predecessors on this list. He's devoid of both the toxic traits of heteronormativity and elitist behaviour associated with "masculinity" in Young Royals, but he still possesses a different set of problems associated with orthodox masculinity.

5. Wilhelm

Wilhelm is, in my opinion, the closest example to what is emerging as the new definition of "masculinity" in the current media. Wilhelm, through his immense emotional journey and growth in the two seasons, subverts all the traits of masculinity displayed by his predecessors in the list with grace and humility.

He's not obsessed with upholding traditions and asserting heteronormativity like Vincent and August, he is quite indifferent to it in S1, the only "compulsion" he feels to do so is immediately after Erik's death in S1, which he quickly overcomes as well. His "revenge" attempts on August by pulling rank and exercising his privilege stems from a feeling of injustice and anger rather than something he enjoys or feels the need to practice at all.

August's hamartia is Wilhelm's strength. Wilhelm, unlike August, displays great capacity to change for the better, which he constantly does throughout the story. Love knocks on both of their doors as an opportunity to grow, to change for the better, and while Wilhelm embraces it, August slaps the door shut on its face.

Unlike Nils, neither Wilhelm's queerness was never given a chance to be discreet in the first place, nor he ever felt the need to do so. The idea of keeping his and Simon's relationship a secret was more of an idea subconsciously conceived by Kristina in Wilhelm's head rather than his own desire to be secretive.

Wilhelm even subverts the traits displayed by Simon in this regard- the position of the "Man Of The House" falls on him in the form of "Crown Prince of Sweden", and although he understandably struggles with the role initially, by the end of S2, he consciously embraces the role with grace and humility. Compared to Simon, Wilhelm wears his heart on his sleeve, he is not afraid to express his true emotions to the people he love and trusts, and even to strangers.

[sweetpapercroissant]

When I think about s13-15 I can’t help but feel that Dabb was simply not interested in telling Sam&Dean’s story (anymore) (if he ever was). s12 is a little rocky regarding this too, but it’s still unmistakable that they’re the protagonists, this story is their story. But it’s evident from the start of s13 that he’s not willing to put in that effort anymore.

He introduces Jack and the rest of the season is focused on him, one way or the other. Even the mytharc of the season is about him, from being trapped in the apocalypse world, making a place for himself with the hunters, trying to figure out who he is. And meanwhile the actual protagonists of the show are…..running around chasing leads but actually accomplishing very little. They take turns being sad, make a few speeches but don’t really do anything. They are not the ones who move the story.

He downplays (if not outright erases) all of the older characters’ intelligence to make them fit the story and doesn’t bother with consistent growth/arc for any of them. He beats and forces them to fit the shape he’s cut out for them to portray in his story instead of understanding them: who they were, how they grew and where they are now and logically advancing their story from that point. He makes them regress or progress on a moment’s notice on an episode-to-episode basis and ignores any preceding canonical events when it suits him.

It’s most noticeable with Dean but he also takes away from Sam and Cas’ characters till they’re almost unrecognisable, bearing only the most superficial of similarities with the characters we have grown to love over 10+ seasons. But at the same time he also relies on this very love to keep the viewers watching, since the plot itself is barely held together by retcons or sudden personality changes/loss of logical reasoning in the characters.

There have been discussions on how, as the show goes on the themes (even the genre) change and how vastly different the later seasons are compared to the earlier ones and while that’s true, there is still some coherence to those changes-a graphical line changing direction erratically perhaps, but a line nonetheless-as the story progresses….upto s12. Forward of that Dabb just-tears the graph to pieces and handpicks a few of them to nail to the wall.

He twists the characters, their history, their personalities, the themes and events of the story and it’s very heart to fit the show he wants to make instead of adapting his writing to the show that he’s actually been handed the reins to. And it’s tiring honestly.

I do believe that when a character behaves in a manner you find ooc, it can be interesting to think about why they may act that way instead of immediately blaming the writing, even if the writing may actually be the issue, because I think it can make for a more entertaining narrative sometimes, and because no one always acts true to who they are. It’s the point of being human. But that can only be applied to particular moments and decisions or behaviour concerning a certain element of the story (another character, an event etc). If your audience can barely recognise any of the characters, there’s only the writing to blame.

[triptychgardener]

Do you have any headcanons about the characters youd like to share?

That is pretty broad but I'll see...

I like the idea of Kanaya and Jasprose on Earth-C referring to each other as ex-wives. It drives Rose insane.

Despite not being his biological kids, I think June and Jane inherited Dad's freak strength. It starts kicking in during their late teens, when they get very confused why the rest of their friends *can't* lift up an entire refrigerator.

Dirk when on Earth C gets really into fitness and "healthy eating." Lots of vegetables and real food. Unfortunately his taste buds are so flavor blasted from years of junk food that he hates it. He also does not know how to properly prepare vegetables. He still eats them though.

In terms of like Gender/Sexuality that hasnt really come up in Early June, I tend to HC Terezi as being on the ace/aro spectrum. The way she interacts with other people, especially Dave and Karkat, gives me the feeling that she really likes flirting and teasing way more than putting a label on a relationship. She acts frustrated when Karkat asks what they are romantically, her and Dave despite flirting during the game basically only refer to each other as friends on the meteor, and literally just looks like theyre hanging out together. She likes physical things if she's weirding people out but feels otherwise more reticent to touch. This is probably a part of why Vriska drives her kind of insane, being unable to quantify what she wants from Vriska. They settle into the pale quadrant in post-retcon, but I don't think that's entirely right for them either. It's one problem that the quadrant system most definitely cannot fix.

[stllmnstr]

How do you write so well?? Your writing is so so beautiful!!! Any tips?

Oh this is so sweet 😭😭 First of all, thank you! I don’t feel like I have any particularly revolutionary advice to give, but these would be my main points:

1. Practice!!! Write. A lot. I posted my first fanfic in 2017 and had already been writing a lot before that, including original stories, poetry, and just about anything else I could think of. From what I’ve seen, I definitely skew on the older side of enha writers on tumblr, so please remember to be patient and gentle with yourself, especially if you’re young and/or newer to writing. The stuff I was writing at 16 certainly doesn’t read like the stuff I write now, but all of that practice helped me to get there. Writing is hard. I think it always will be. But give yourself grace and keep at it, and you’ll only keep getting better.

2. Read!!! There are so many great authors out there that do amazing, innovative, exciting things with words. I always feel inspired to write after I read a really great book, and reading will also strengthen your vocabulary, grammar, and sense of personal style/voice.

3. Let your writing be “bad” !!!! I very rarely reread stories after I post them, because every time I do, I find at least twenty things I want to change. 😭 Writing and words are a living thing, and there’s absolutely a certain amount of subjectivity to what makes writing “good.” There’s always going to be room from improvement, and you’re always going to be able to find something to nitpick or criticize if that’s the perspective you take. Fanfiction in particular is great, because if your story is something you’re excited about, there’s a 99.99% chance that other people will be excited about it too. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Take that pressure off of yourself, and enjoy the process. Use the experience and the feedback and the practice to write something even better the next time around.

4. Develop a strong editing routine. This is probably the most technical and specific point, but I think it gets overlooked. My first drafts look a LOT different from what I post, usually. I don’t remember where I found this tip, but my writing changed for the better when I started rewriting all/most of my story as part of the editing process. Literally, once I finish a draft, I’ll open a new document and will retype most/all of it, changing things as I go. This helps me to catch little errors and also to improve the overall flow and pacing of a story. I recommend trying it if you haven’t! Like I said before, a lot of “good” writing is subjective, but editing is where you improve the more objective aspects. Making sure that things like grammar, word choice, sentence variation, and general plot are solid will absolutely strengthen your writing.

5. This last tip is actually more for readers: INTERACT!!!!! Reblog, comment, send asks, scream in the tags!!!! Do all of the above!!!! Writing is a long, difficult process, and it takes a lot of effort to post a story. It’s especially hard when you’re new. Like I mentioned above, I posted my first fanfic almost seven years ago, and the only reason I kept posting more was because people interacted with my work and took the time to tell me that they enjoyed it. If you want to read better writing, if you want to read longer stories, if you want more stories to read in general, give writers the incentive to write! I love writing. I really do. But it takes a lot of time and effort, and it’s a labor of love. Posting a story feels a bit like shouting into the void. At the end of the day, your interactions are what make it worth it for myself and a lot of others that publish in the fanfic space. If you’re a writer that is struggling to get any kind of interaction/feedback, a good place to start can be connecting with other writers and building a little community! It will help tumblr (or wherever you write) to not feel so lonely. Plus, having writer friends is a wonderful way to share your woes and get inspiration.

At the end of the day, I think that genuinely enjoying writing is half the battle. If you’re already there, that means you like words. You like stories. You like putting puzzle pieces together and making characters come to life. Liking those things is where it all starts, so keep at it, trust the process, and the rest will follow. 🤍

[gregoftom]

tom https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/SuccessionTomWambsgans

greg under here https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/SuccessionMainCharacters

ah ah okay! i found tom by scrolling down to his folder, but if you link directly to him/find his page via direct link/use what you sent, this is what comes up

but thank you so much for showing me where greg is! now i could find tom too 🥰

ahhhh… good old tvtropes who are again Wrong about characters i like… my favourite!

like. look. some of the tropes are correct i’m not gonna say all of it isn’t but some are just plain devoid of any nuance and some are completely ignoring other factors and some ARE wrong. i forgot how much tvtropes pisses me off in this manner lmao. starting with greg an example is this one.

oh yeah uhuh he looks really unhappy! he sure hates being praised and admired and rewarded for it!

that’s just one of them that are plain Incorrect lol. and it’s not only the stuff wrt tom completely ignoring the evolution of their relationship [one of the tropes says nobody likes him not even tom which. lmfao] but also some ableist bullshit, as well as incorrectly calling him a coward and such. like they do have “grew a spine” but that’s shittily worded as well and doesn’t really make sense since greg has literally the most audacity of anyone, he’s the only person who’s not scared of logan at the beginning! like?! who tf is putting these tropes to him lmfao bc it sure ain’t someone who paid attention to the show.

tom’s are much less annoying like, clearly there is some bias here lol, someone took more time and care and gave tom’s tropes and descriptions nuance and almost all of them make sense, i only got mildly irritated a couple of times. i don’t think any are flat out wrong. seems greg’s wasn’t given two fucks about but tom’s is much more attentive. how amusing.

it’s like. it’s just fucking irritating you know? lol. it’s one thing for greg to get overwhelming hatred in the fandom but another for a somewhat official and extremely well known site to not even bother giving his character a correct list of tropes or treat it with the same nuance as another. i haven’t looked at the siblings’ but i presume theirs are good too. but tom’s is largely fine. like what’s the deal?!

sorry this got long asf LMAO tvtropes just pisses me tf off sometimes

[katscye]

closed starter for @ofdoycnnes !!

ADELINE STEPPED OUT OF HER BATHROOM quietly, wrapping her robe tightly around her waist as she glanced to her bed where the other woman lay peacefully. she knew eventually she would have to wake her up but felt that sending her off after a nice cup of warm tea would soothe the hurt of being tossed out into the cold. after making her way downstairs she placed the kettle on her stove to warm before walking over to the windows and taking a look outside. to her surprise the rooftops and streets were covered in snow and there were no signs anyone outside. she grabbed the remote to her tv, no longer caring if she was quiet or not, and hit the power button. adeline flipped through the channels until the news popped up. in a giant red banner across the screen she read: 'mayor calls for emergency shut down of city. everyone is to stay in doors except for all essential workers who, if able, can go to work.' she let out a curse beneath her breath as the other woman finally came downstairs and joined her. "looks like we're stuck with each other for the next 24 hours." she said. "seems like we're snowed in."

[daeyumi]

I am what you made me 🩸

[oraclebell17]

😇👻👗

for Aria! Or if it’s stressful to figure out lore, you could do Arval or another fave of yours!

ooooooh options!!

😇A headcanon about their religion/lack thereof

Aria's not particularly into the Seiros faith, and by that i mean she's not the type to pray or really be devout much, but i don't really imagine she's religious at all

i mean she's obviously run into and works with those who are devout, but she's more busy with training or her own work than giving time to get into being faithful

👻A headcanon about what scares them

i actually have something more solid for Arval here- they really fear being lonely.... being with their partner in destiny gives them a purpose and motivation, but without them, even if Arval was still alive, they would lose that purpose

not only does losing their partner in destiny mean that "cycle" they wanted to protect goes as well, but it also means they're without anyone to speak to...

i don't like thinking about them being alone (*sadly looks at that one feh quote and their last zahras chapter quote*) :(

anyways away from the sad:

👗A headcanon about their clothes

unlike canon Shez, Aria is able to afford both gloves

but also, i kinda think Aria would prefer clothes that she can show off in over practicality sometimes

[fallenclan]

I don't know if I've ever had a cat with Carrionplace Disease before, but looking into the code, it seems to have about the same rate of survival as redcough. that paired with the fact that Honeysuckle is 177... nobody get too attached lmao

First Prev Next

[sun-e-chips]

*Comes out of void while following waterpark au crumbs* Okay, question.

Why is Y/n back at the water park? And do they try to avoid the boys? And it's just a whole thing of Sun and Moon trying to hunt them down and Y/n just ducking and weaving into crowds to avoid them. *Sits down in front of you* Thank you for the crumbs...

Answering this question with a part 2!

(Why y/n is back at the waterpark is yet to be revealed :)

Oh no you got caught!

[stevie-petey]

Hi! Whenever you have time do you think you could write a fic about bug and Steve having dinner with his parents? Remember how on Steve’s birthday his parents came back and it was awkward and filled with tension and a promise to have dinner together sometime? :))

YESSSS !!! was hoping id be asked to write this since i intentionally added it into chapter 9 like hehehe theyll wanna read this blurb when it comes <33

enjoy !

"everything will be fine, honey." your fingers trace over the lines of steves tie, tying and retying it a million times to ease your own anxious mind.

"i feel like i should be the one reassuring you," he mumbles bitterly, once again undoing the tie so that he can try himself.

you watch him with slight amusement, though mostly concern. his hair is a mess and hes wearing a tie to a family dinner in a house hes live in his entire life. yet steves home isnt really a home and the tie is a vain attempt to mask the disappointment of it.

steves back is turned to you as he frowns in the mirror. the crease in his delicate features upsets you to see. wrapping your arms from behind him, your head pokes from over his shoulders, standing on the very tips of your toes, and you make a silly face at him in the mirror.

a gruff laugh reverberates through steves spine and you hold him close, resting your head where it fits just between his shoulder and neck, smiling into his skin. steve finds the hands that are clasped against his chest, and he encases them with his.

"i love you," he says, soft. the tie around his neck hands, forgotten, and he simply allows you to hold him.

"i love you, too."

steve tries to commit to memory the sight before him. the image of the two of you standing in the mirror together, how you just barely manage to be seen. your arms around his waist, his hands around your arms.

"my angel," he pinches your nose, and when you squeak in protest he quickly spins around and cradles your head, kissing the tip of your nose over and over again.

you erupt into laughter and steve sways your bodies together, messily dancing in your room, the imminent night no longer darkening the corners of it.

the table is set in the harrington house when you arrive. in your two years of knowing steve, youve never seen the dining table used for anything other than robotic sets and the occasional puzzle.

may harrington is in the kitchen, dressed in a gorgeous velvet gown that drapes over her frame elegantly. the smell of roast chicken wafts throughout the home and shes just finished cutting up the vegetables when you arrive.

"hello, darlings. dinner will be done shortly." she greets you and steve warmly, sweeping you into her arms the moment youre close enough.

the hug surprises you and it takes you a moment to reciprocate, but when you finally do, may sighs into your embrace.

"thank you for coming," she says, the sincerity in her voice longing and dim.

"of course," you squeeze her hands, smiling as kindly as you can. you admire the woman, you know shes done the best she can with raising steve with a husband who never wanted to be a father, but youll never forget the way steve clings so desperately onto the people in his life, the ever present fear of one day losing everyone hes ever loved.

"wheres dad?" steve looks around in the otherwise empty kitchen. may avoids his gaze. he sets his hand on the counter. he swallows, breathes out heavily. his movements are defeated, expected. "he isnt coming, is he?"

may brings her fingers to her lips. she doesnt say anything, and your fingers itch to brush against steves.

"if you have the ingredients, mrs. harrington, id be happy to put together a salad while you finish up with dinner." your only way of offering mercy to both parties. saving may from having to disappoint her son once again, and saving her son from having to linger in the feeling of familiar abandonment.

"if you wouldnt mind, that would be lovely, y/n." mays eyes are tired when you look back at her. suddenly the elegant drape of her dress seems to almost drown her. shes a shell of a once grand woman, and all you feel for her is pity.

you nod meekly at her, helping yourself to the fridge as youve done time and time again when she isnt home. theres some carrots, celery and cucumbers, and you place them onto the counter.

"steve," you softly call to him. hes still standing at the counter, eyes tracing over the line of the marble. his disappointment once used to be outrage, loud protests and direct retribution, but now, under the kitchen lighting in his childhood home, his disappointment is only adorned with resolved silence.

"honey," voice lowered so only he hears, your hand finds his arm. you try to bring warmth back to his body, try to lull him with any affection you can. "why dont you help me cut up the vegetables?"

phrased as a question, though you both know that it isnt. steve finally releases the last of the anger in his shoulders. he nods, wordless and bitter, and allows you to guide him towards the cutting board.

you stand shoulder to shoulder. his fingers skim yours every time he hands you a vegetable, and your hair brushes against his cheek. the motions are slow, eased, and slowly he comes back to you in the space only the two of you inhabit.

dinner gets served and may tries to salvage the remains of her relationship with you and her son. she makes polite conversation, and you respond with grace, though she knows that her sons disappointment accompanies yours.

the dinner lasts no longer than an hour. steve doesnt touch his food. he doesnt talk. you help may clean the dishes and as your hands soak the plates, the woman murmurs to you, "i tried, you know."

"i know," you tell her, but for what? what has may harrington tried for except the absence of a father? the conversation that failed to amend years of loneliness?

but the shadow in her eyes and the shake of her fingers smooths the anger you feel towards her. shes lovely when she is able to be. shes kind and makes her son banana bread every year it snows. she comforted steve when he had nightmares, she calls him her beautiful boy, and you know, effortlessly and easily, that she loves her son.

"i used to call my husband honey," may wipes her eye, doesnt try to hide this action from you. she shakes her head. you can see the weight of what once was etched into her beautiful eyes.

may sighs, drops her hand and looks up at you one last time. "take care of him, please."

"always," you promise her.

in the dim light of an empty and cold kitchen, two women interlace their fingers together, though they dont look at the other, and the touch says everything that they are unable to.

[bluebird-ascended]

one piece redraw for prideee!!!

og art and headcanons under the cut :D

luffy: aroace and agender. triple threat, he truly doesnt give a fuck

zoro: gay and trans

nami: lesbian

ussop: demiboy, definitely uses he/they

sanji: bi but veryyy deep in the closet. which is ironic because he has horrible fashion sense. hes also tranfemme to me but thats post timeskip 😌

chopper: ally!

robin: trans and bi

franky: trans and straight t4t with robin. frobin canon i said so

brook: he's dead he has no game anyway. but pan

[sereinreality]

making a luis lives au and having it lead up to re6 so i just want to write down my ideas so far

- ada saves him without a shadow of a doubt. somehow, someway, she gets him off the island and takes him to a hospital to heal while she spends those next couple of months making plans. when luis is properly healed, she would offer one of two options; either work with her or she’ll leave him some things but they have to keep little to no contact. luis obviously goes for the first choice.

- they definitely bond over the course of time they work together from re5 to re6. i like to think their similar backgrounds, history, and goals bring them closer together. luis would always try to find a reason to throw festivities, he’s very insistent on celebrating ada’s birthday or any holiday.

- they do a lot of moving around which means time to kill and lots of stories. luis likes to play a game where he tells a story and ada has to guess wether it actually happened or he just made it up. most of the time he’s lying but argues “you never know! maybe someday it will be true!” it makes ada smile. luis tries to make her smile as often as he can.

- luis didn’t change in terms of making jokes. he figures there’s no point in falling to despair when you’ve been given your last chance so he makes the most of it. it annoyed ada at first, thinking that luis wasn’t taking this seriously but upon closer inspection, she realized he’s grown way more cautious than before. she excused some of the teasing after that but never backed down from some back and forth

- ada and luis are like soulmates in the way that they are two sides of the same coin. where there’s one, you’ll find the other. they are connected by coincidence but they treasure it. more than anything, it’s a deep understanding between them. everything they did to survive, to get out of their respective situations, the choices they made, and the loneliness they felt. luis swears that as long as he lives, ada will never feel alone again. ada says likewise. both of them mean it with their whole heart.

- under NO circumstances can leon learn that luis survived. it’s a depressing truth they both understand that if leon got the smallest hint of luis’s survival that he would begin a manhunt to find him. they have too much work being carried out that cannot be compromised. that doesn’t stop luis from searching for leon’s name in government files or papers, he keeps up to date with anything where he’s involved. what can he say? the knight misses his prince.

- that being said leon does not handle post valdelobos very well. he still has luis’s lab key which he keeps in a box tucked away somewhere. sometimes the smell of smoke brings him back to spain and the mines where he lost someone he’s grown so close to in just a small amount of time. it shouldn’t break him as much as it does but it’s something that stays in the back of his mind. leon feels like he missed something. that there was an opportunity open to him that he failed to see, it could have been something but now he’ll never know. the door shut in his face just when leon realized what was being offered to him.

- once he saw don quixote displayed on a bookstore window with a lovely red cover and bought it immediately. it sits on his shelf collecting dust, leon hasn’t had time to read it or so he says.

- the trio do reunite in re6 but more importantly, luis catches wind of some of the stunts leon had been pulling and their first interaction after years was luis marching up to leon as he backs into a wall. luis is shouting in spanish, probably complaining about leon not prioritizing his own safety, then switching to english so he can yell in a language leon understands. it was here that he catches leon’s face. he’s so much older now, worn out like leather. leon looked exhausted but he also seemed so amazed? confused? whatever it was, he looked softer now and his eyes widen a little. he simply says, “you’re alive?”

[quigzahhutt]

🤎 + sargebon for the ask game PLEASE i miss them so bad i will love you forever if you write them...

for the kisses ask game💋

🤎 multiple kisses / kisses all over / kiss after kiss

OHHHHH OKAY OKAY. anon I hope u don't mind me altering your prompt juuuuust a little bit, because i will be making this a part of my Lily/Alex/Logan universe. it will still be sargebon, but it will also include Lily in the fun as well :)

The airport is incredibly crowded.

Logan is glad they're meeting up in a less populated part of California, but he has to remind himself that it's still in California, during the holidays.

He's been recognized more times than he can count, which isn't really a bother, but Logan has just come off of an 11 hour flight and is currently in his airport clothes, feeling particularly crusty like he's been brushed with butter and left in the oven to bake.

London to California was a bad idea; an awful, awkward timezone change that he's especially unaccustomed to now that he isn't travelling to a new country every other week.

It's worth the misery, though, he reminds himself; Alex and Lily are waiting for him, and he'll get to hug them, and see them in person, and then take a nice, long nap in the car.

Speaking of; he spots Lily not too far from the exit, and he can't help the smile that breaks out across his face, toothy and uncoordinated as he approaches her.

"Hi," is the first thing she says, joy evident in her voice, before standing on her toes to give Logan a hug.

It's a bit awkward considering one of his hands is being taken up by his bag and suitcase, but he tries to wrap his other arm around her the best he can; his hand feels huge where it's splayed out across her upper back.

"Was the flight okay?" Lily asks as they pull away, and her voice is so soft it's almost inaudible, like she's afraid someone might be listening in. "I know you were texting us through the whole thing, but you look, like, dead tired. Are you okay?" Her tone is humorous, but it's intertwined with an unnecessary level of concern.

Logan can't help but huff, a little hysterical. "Yeah, I'm good, just... Not as used to long flights like that anymore, I guess," He runs his fingers through his hair as he says it, trying valiantly to keep his tone lighthearted, to ensure that she knows that he's okay just so she'll stop looking at him like that, uneasy and worried, tying knots in Logan's sternum.

Lily just hums after that, thoughtful as she stares up at him. "Okay. Alex is pulling around, so we can get going, he'll get cranky if we keep him waiting,"

Logan scoffs, "As if he isn't always late to literally everything," he rolls his eyes as he says it, and his stomach tightens as the realization of seeing Alex in person again finally sets in.

They've been calling and FaceTiming an awful lot, yeah, but Logan hasn't actually seen Alex in person since August, all the way back during Zandvoort, back when everything was kind of awful. Just thinking about it makes Logan's throat feel tight.

But as they stroll up to the car, a sleek, slate-grey Mercedes GLS, all of those worries disappear as Alex's window rolls down to slowly reveal his face, sunglasses tipped on his nose and his mouth cracked into a huge smile as the pair of them slowly approach.

"Need a lift?" Alex hardly gets the sentence out, his grin acting more as a hazard than anything, impairing his speech and making him sound absolutely off the rails.

Logan actually feels weakened by it, by seeing Alex, by seeing Lily, the truth that all three of them are finally together after what feels like years of waiting.

"Hi, Alex," is all that Logan can manage, because the feelings brewing in his chest are growing to a dangerous frequency; he's a little nervous he might just lean in through the window and kiss Alex until they're both breathless, which would be very bad for their whole secrecy thing.

So, Logan instead occupies himself by tossing his stuff into the back seat before climbing in after it, and he's sure he looks deranged, moving with an urgency that is entirely unnecessary, like he's running away from an invisible threat.

"You're riding in the back?" Lily asks, and when Logan looks up, she's standing outside of his door with an almost wounded expression on her face; when he glances over, Alex is dutifully watching him from the rearview mirror with an equally odd look in his eyes.

Shit. Fuck. Was this some sort of arranged thing he was totally unaware of?

"Uhm, I'm really tired, so the back will probably be more comfortable for sleeping. Is that okay?" He says the last part slowly, suddenly terrified that he's just done something horribly wrong.

Thankfully, Lily's face softens with relief. "Okay," she says, before bracing a hand on Logan's thigh and leaning in to give him a quick peck on the cheek, so quick that it's basically nothing, and yet Logan's heart leaps in his chest.

She makes quick work of closing his door for him and making her way to the passenger side, and when Logan glances up, Alex is still watching him through the mirror, although this time with a significantly more relaxed expression on his face.

When Alex realizes he's been staring, he quickly ducks his head, and Logan can see how the tips of his ears turn pink. He's sure they both look insane, hiding their faces and smiling down at their hands like stupid, lovesick fools, even though that's exactly what they are.

--- --- ---

Logan falls asleep quicker than he expected, and by the time he wakes up, the car is coming to a gentle stop in the driveway of a quaint little cabin, nestled somewhere deep and cozy in the mountains, dusted in a fluffy layer of snow.

He's still waking up, and he's barely getting unbuckled when suddenly his door is opening and letting in a healthy waft of winter chill that bites his exposed skin; he is definitely not dressed for this kind of weather. Oh well.

Alex seems to be the perpetrator, judging by the ridiculously large grin crowding Logan's vision. He squints at it, like Alex's smile is actually blinding, and Logan very quickly wakes up when Alex begins leaning in, peppering kisses all along his cheeks before finally making it to his mouth.

The kiss is similar to how Alex was smothering Logan just a second ago; soft pecks in quick succession, and it's a little bit uncomfortable, honestly, with just how much their teeth are trying to invade.

Logan can't even find it in himself to be bothered by it, because he actually feels like he's going to burst from joy, from finally being able to touch and kiss Alex after so many months of waiting.

But, they were going to have to separate eventually, and Logan is getting increasingly colder as the seconds tick by, so he reluctantly pulls away so he doesn't accidentally catch Alex's lip with his chattering teeth.

"Jesus, Loges, you're so pale. Does your nose always get red like that in the cold?" Alex asks, a bit hysterical, and his voice is filled with far too much glee at the prospect of Logan's flushed face.

At the same time that Logan says, "Yeah, so get out of the way so I can go inside and warm up," Lily also pipes up and says, "Yeah, Alex, so get out of his way so we can go inside!" It makes them all laugh a little, and none of it feels real; Logan can't believe that he's actually here right now.

--- --- ---

The house is unbelievably warm; Logan and Lily have no qualms in abandoning Alex to carry all their stuff inside so they can try and start a fire in the cute, rustic little fireplace in the center of the living room.

By the time Alex is done hauling all of their luggage in, Logan and Lily are sitting by the fire, leaning into each other and having idle conversation. Alex sneaks up behind the pair of them and places his freezing cold hands on the backs of their necks, snickering with retaliation for leaving him to do all the work.

When they both flinch and begin shouting at him, Alex raises his hands in defeat. "Listen! That's what happens when you leave me behind to do everything in the freezing cold!" He squawks, but the joy on his face betrays any possiblity that he might be upset.

Still, Logan can play along. "It's actually your fault for being the only properly dressed one for the weather," Lily quickly nods along, humming an affirmation in Logan's direction, and leaning further into his side to really hammer it home.

"Ugh, you're both impossible, I can't believe this," Alex resigns, and gracelessly flops back onto the leather loveseat tucked against the wall.

Lily makes a face before suddenly standing up. She moves towards the couch almost like she's going to sit with him, but she surprises both of them by instead placing a hand on Alex's chest and leaning in, looming above him as she leaves a slow, easy kiss on his lips.

"You did this to yourself, babe," Lily pulls away just barely to say it, and even though Logan can't even see it, he's sure that the energy between their eyes is insanely charged.

She smacks another kiss against his mouth, and Logan can imagine the way some of her lipgloss comes off on Alex's lips, slightly pink, sensual and glittery.

Alex then leans over, peering around Lily's body to nail Logan with an expectant look. He nods his head once, as if he's signalling Logan to come over, and when he does it, Lily turns around, still propped up against Alex's chest as she also begins staring at him.

The image of them right now, locked together, perfectly in tandem, is already a lot for Logan to process, so the fact that they're inviting him over, allowing him to interrupt their already perfected rhythm makes him feel a bit woozy.

So he stands up on wobbling feet, because it feels like a sin not to heed their calling. He feels a bit silly being watched like this, like he's something special and not just an intruder.

But when Logan gets there and Alex drags him down into a heavy kiss, full of love and reprieve, and he can feel Lily's hand in his hair, and her lips along his cheek and lining his jaw, Logan finally realizes that maybe they've always wanted him here.

[the-agent-of-blight]

Aromanticism in Academic papers (day 1)

A few days ago, I posted wondering about aromanticism in academic research. Well after a search through google scholar and some institutional access (thank you wikipedia <2) I've found some papers. Since it's Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week this week, I'm gonna try posting about one paper I found each day this week.

So today's paper is The stability of singlehood: Limitations of the relationship status paradigm and a new theoretical framework for reimagining singlehood By Dr. Hannah Tessler (2022) [stable link]

To give a summary, this paper focuses on the idea that the general conceptualization of the term single is extremely limited within the standard definition of a person without a romantic partner. This assumes that a given person's relationship status is binary, that the individual is willing to be in a romantic partnership, that singlehood is a transitory state and not one that some people prefer to be in long term. Obviously, the implications of the term single does not accurately reflect the experiences of many people without romantic partners (like many aromantic people). The paper instead proposes a new framework for classifying singles on a graph of two axes, one for Openness to romance and one for desire for romance. This framework not only allows for the term single to encapsulate more than the normative assumption, but also shows how singlehood can be stable.

Tessler identifies seven populations of singles that subvert the standard assumption:

Singles that perfer singlehood

Aromantic and/or asexual singles

Heterosexual single women who elect to opt out of heteronormative relationships

MGTOWs and to an extent some incels

Singles committed to religion

People satisfied with single life but facing social pressure

and Single people after divorce/widowhood

The section on aromanticism itself is well written and accurate. It describes the state of many of us very well, while acknowledging that there are partnering aromantics out there. For future considerations, Tessler writes: "There is currently scant research on aromanticism, but more scholarship is necessary in order to better understand the intersections and boundaries between sex, romance, and relationships."

All in all, this paper is a wonderful insight that I hope future researchers in the area of romance take a look at and use ideas from. There's a lot of research out there on romance, but not as much on the lack of it. Tessler challenges the scientific community to help fill that gap.

[link to day 2]

[sifloopboning]

braindumping here. come into my study and sit down by the fire withbme. ill be busting my actual load under readmore preemptively bc i know im a wordy mf

also prefacing by lettin u know i dont know much about like. 24/7 Bee-DSMV dynamics / rules / established lore / meta decks etc. however i do think this makes me qualified to talk abt siffedloop in one because you know good and damn well they dont know shit OR fuck either. actually they prolly know even less. anyways

siffedloop can have little a 24/7 ds rship with a dynamic that makes both of them feel way more secure, reassured, and loved. as a treat. tbh kind of like an expansion pack to my Poasts from yday where i talkd abt loop claiming ownership of sif's body and soul in a fun and sexy way? i think it'd be good for loop, who lost everything they had inlcuding the person they used to be and their physical body.

like listen. we'll have to do a character analysis before we get to suckenfucken. edit this is 95% chara analysis i think i actually didnt even say a single sexy thing. ANYWAYS. i have locked the doors and windows listen to me. listen. loop has NOTHING. they lost everything they had, everything they were, all of their relationships, even the clothes off of their back that they've had for as far as they can remember. loop didnt get to keep anything they care about once they made the wish that made them into what they are now and created the current siffrin. the current siffrin who they helped escape the timeloop that destroyed them, even as they had to watch him get further than they couldve ever dreamed of, even as siffrin got everything that loop suffered for. died for. wished and destroyed themselves for. loop gave everything they had and were, and they got NOTHING for it!

so! the headspace situation vis a vis the Dynamic is that methinks it would give loop a good sense of security, satisfaction, and safety to get to Have / "own" something that is undeniably Theirs. that they have an indisputable right to have on all levels. since again, the current siffrin was made specifically to fulfill loop's wish. his body was created by the universe either using loop's own, or in loop's image at the very least. so!

and that's before getting into the fact that siffrin, as they themselves state, only managed to get out of the timeloop thanks to loop. he would have given up far before managing to get to where they needed to be without loop at best, and gotten frozen while being tormented by the manifestation of their Agonies for eternity in act 5 at worst. sif owes it all to loop and they very much know it! even more than loop does!

so! loop may not have their their cloak, hat, body, or old rship w their friends anymore, but they do have siffrin! not just that, but they have a right to siffrin, which would be soothing in on itself to loopie methinks.

on the siffrin side i think it would provide them frankly insane amount of comfort and security to be "owned" by someone who knows him inside and out (the canon selfcest enjoyerrrrrrrr). like they forced themselves to keep an iron grip on their emotions, reactions, and body during the loops for so long, under what they felt like was the threat of smth worse than death (perceived abandonment / disappointment). having someone who they love and trust, who thinks in a way that is very compatible w how he thinks (& whose thinking process does take into consideration 99% of the things he feels are relevant) that makes the decisions at the end of the day would be like heroine to that gay little neurotic prey animal i think.

like! i think just the knowledge that they dont have to make every decision, or control their behavior to Make Himself Palatable/Not Fuck Up Everything Irreversibly would be immensely relaxing and anxiety-easing to him. if loop owns their body, soul, and life (as is their right) then siffrin doesnt have to constantly be Alert and doing 486374 mental calculations at once to make the Right Decisions. (from actual decisions to super minor stuff like socializing bc keep in mind this is the guy who happily says he can just Kermit to redo a social interaction they think they Failed in like. act 2.)

ALSO siffrin tends to convince himself that theyre manipulating / forcing people into liking then or giving him what he wants (affection, friendship, touch, etc) and well. being in a rship dynamic where their partner has all the power and chooses if/when touch happens and to what extent would greatly reduce that anxiety for them. & loop as this partner knows sif's boundaries, wants and needs pretty well, along with being able to read them so well sif thought they might be able to read his mind.

lastly (for now) due to the sheer amount of trust this requires on both ends, imo the only person either of them would feel comfortable having this kind of rship dynamic with would be each other. THANK YOU FOR COMING (hheh) TO MY TED TALK