#a week ago i was aroace what HAPPENED

[thebe4ulog]

im the luckiest girl in the world

i love my girlfriend <3

[ragnars-tooth]

Biannual chamberlain crew posttt

I think they're silly, nay, goofy

[pikp0kcas3]

The Hazbin Hotel fandom’s issue with accepting aromanticism and asexuality

Now that it is officially Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week, I want to talk about this!

I find that, as an aroace myself, I am constantly grasping at good representation and coming up empty— it usually ends up in one of two ways.

One: the character is portrayed as emotionless, cold, and robotic in nature. It’s the question aromantic and/or asexual people are often asked: “Are you heartless?” The answer is no, of course, but general media makes it out to be the opposite.

Or two: Their lack of attraction is seen as something to “fix” because they “haven’t found the right one yet”, and they end up with a partner as a “happy ending”.

It frustrates me greatly because of how little people actually see aromanticism or asexuality as a true part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

So when I watched Hazbin Hotel, and I found out about Alastor being aroace, I was over the moon. I was on cloud nine. I also saw how his voice actor has looked up the term as an attempt to learn about aroaces, which makes me OVERJOYED?? Amir is truly a blessing, and I love that he’s proud to embody a character that’s part of our community. It’s so beautiful to finally have a proper character, a fan favorite at that, who just so happens to be aroace— and that’s another thing I love about this.

It’s never explicitly stated in the show (though it is stated in interviews), but it’s rather clear when you’re watching, isn’t it? Alastor’s aversion to any sort of sexual advancement, coupled with Rosie’s blatant “I know you’re an ace in the hole” comment sort of spell out his asexuality pretty clearly, as well as what side of the spectrum he falls upon. In addition, his Valentine’s day card was strictly platonic, which caters to his aromantic side. It feels so validating to finally be represented, to finally have a character in media who shares the same lack of interest in romance and sex as I do.

When I entered the fandom to look for more content, I kind of expected to see the same respect for Alastor’s orientation there too. But that… wasn’t the case? I am fully aware that aromanticism and asexuality are both spectrums— of course, aromantic and/or asexual people can enter those kinds of relationships. I’m not denying that and they belong in the community as much as anyone else on the spectrum.

But, the more I see the same line again and again and again, the more it feels like an excuse to just ship what you want.

Usually I don’t mind shipping? I’m often a firm believer in people shipping what they like as long as it’s harmless and they don’t go crazy over it. I also know for a fact that Viv doesn’t have a problem with people shipping her characters. They are fictional, after all.

But in this case, people are ignoring the very thing that makes Alastor a part of the aroace community! People are ignoring his lack of romantic or sexual attraction!

Is this not the same as changing a gay character’s orientation to suit a straight ship? If not, how so? I’m told that we are a part of this community, so why aren’t we being treated like it? Why is it so hard to accept the people on the end of the spectrum who aren’t interested?

Something I’ve been noticing throughout my life is that society has not exactly progressed very much on the idea of accepting asexual or aromantic identities. Maybe we have, a little, since the old days— but hell, people in “the old days”, which in truth wasn’t very long ago, believed that asexuality was a medical condition to be “fixed” by taking the right medication or having sex. That’s a pretty low bar to clear. And on the romance side, you’re seen as a “late bloomer” or “boring” if you don’t express interest. These days, being friends with someone is treated like a gateway to them possibly becoming a lover. Not getting married, not going on dates, not wanting a partner— it’s all treated like a crime when it’s not.

Maybe I’m selfish, or sensitive, or I’m butthurt over nothing, or I’m making it all about me. Maybe I’m gatekeeping or whatever the term is. But please, please, please, I just want an aroace character like me who simply is not interested in sex or romance.

And I want fandom to respect that. I admire the creations that fans make— the art, the animatics, the writing and the character analysis. And I want people to keep creating because creation is indeed a beautiful thing.

But I really would like people to treat aroace identities like they’re important. Like it’s more than just a spectrum to get wiggle room to wrangle in another ship.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Am I the asshole for breaking up with my boyfriend over this?

My ex-boyfriend and I broke up about a week ago, and have dated for about three months until I've had enough.

We have been friends for around 5 years, and I was pretty much in-love with him the whole time, I just wasn't sure if he felt the same.

We had a mutual friend (who I'll call Sock) who is nearly 19, and we're both minors. I didn't mind the age gap at first, but when they started dating behind my back i started feeling a little uncomfortable because of it (my bf and I were dating while that was happening too, but he said that it wasn't cheating because he's poly. (I had no idea))

I don't even think Sock likes my ex, because they told me they're aroace, and they also feel uncomfy because of the age gap! They just don't want to hurt my ex's feelings by saying they want to break up, plus it's not like they had s3x or kissed. Like I said Sock is very aroace and doesn't do that type of stuff. They're not a p3d0 or anything.

Anyway, the age gap, the behind-my-back dating (even if it's not cheating) has made me pretty uncomfortable, so I broke up with him, but all my other friends were telling me that I'm a dick for doing so, because I know about my ex's past, and how he was gr00med and stuff. I don't really get it how that matters in this situation thought, but yeah. Am I the asshole?

What are these acronyms?

[spotaus]

Everyone say hello to DreamEater AU's very own Dream! (And Fresh!) Otherwise known as Tulpa!

This AU is technically a Dream × Fresh ship story, but honestly it could be taken as Platonic because I view them both as aroace kings 👌. (This is alao Extremely self-indulgent lmao-) I'm gonna put more under the cut + close-ups but what is important is:

Dream is badly injured by Dust and ends up in a random AU after a messy retreat from battle. Fresh stumbles across him in need of a new host and attempts to take over Dream. Dream isn't a normal monster though, and he fights the hostile take-over. His soul doesn't decay like a normal monster's when Fresh feeds, so they end up coming to an agreement to share the body while Dream heals.

SO!!!

The DreamEater au comes from an idea I had years ago. Dream is injured, and it leaves him badly paralyzed while he recovers. In the old concept Fresh just nursed him back to health. In the DreamEater AU, Fresh is actively using Dream's unique vessel to his own advantage. It's like finding a body that fits him like a glove, and so he's content to just keep it. Until, of course, Dream becomes conscious again.

Fresh successfully takes Dream's body for a week or so before Dream is lucid again as a soul, and he tries to reason with Fresh to give him back control. He explains what happened and why he needs to get back. Fresh explains that he's going to keep being a parasite and no way he's giving up the perfect body. It's a long back and forth before Fresh relents and let's Dream take control again, only for him to collapse. Dream can't feel anything from his neck down due to where he'd been injured.

Fresh takes over again, and Dream just kinda lingers along with Fresh, staying in the passenger's seat of the body. He is stressed and worried but knows now that it'll take ages for him to heal anyways. By letting Fresh roam he can see the state of the multiverse at least.

And as things go on, the balance keeps tipping. Farther and farther in Night's direction. It's palpable. Then one night Fresh talks with Dream. It's small-talk, but it turns out he thinks Dream's soul will keep going forever if he can be around happy people. Dream explains that without him to do guardian work there are less abd less of those positive people to feed him so Fresh can keep going.

So, Fresh agrees to help Dream return to his duty, but only minimally since he's extremely injured.

Dream returns most of his wardrobe, and Fresh controls his body while Dream directs him and takes over control of his skull. Any weird actions are chalked up to recovering from his injury. Blue and Ink are thrilled to see him again. All is well for a bit, and though Fresh holds Dream back sometimes, he ends up actually being really good for Dream's mental health by not letting him overwork or stress about things he doesn't need to. Dream teaches Fresh how to use a bow, how to fight with a staff, etc. They become... friends? At least while they help eachother. Having Fresh tag along doesn't hurt Dream at all, and Fresh loves his free buffet of Dream.

Blue is the first one to notice Fresh, but he's not actively hurting Dream so he says nothing.

It's hinted when m, during a fight with NM's gang, someone curses and It's censored. Everyone is on edge because many of them don't like Fresh, and the bttle dispurses quickly afterwards.

It's revealed on a day that Dream is ambushed on an errand and Fresh takes forceful control so he can Fresh-Poof out of the way. Dream's Soul is shown in the other eyelight that's normally dark, and Fresh takes full control just to skate around the gang, teasing and evading them. Dream wasn't happy, but he was grateful after the fact. Everyone knew after that, and Dream started to agree that without it being a secret, Fresh could change up the wardrobe.

Eventually Dream heals almost fully. At that point, Fresh tries not to get involved with NM's conflicts. He also swaps in and out of control with Dream seamlessly throughout an average day. They become actual friends, talking over eachother and playfully swapping control. And eventually that becomes an agreed partnership. Ink doesn't approve of having Fresh around all the time, but he's Dream's closest companion besides Blue, so he stays.

Point is, they care a lot about eachother, even when they started out so tense. They keep eachother safe for selfish reasons, and for their bond.

[aroaceloverofgarlicbread]

I just realized that I've made 2 posts already without any introduction or anything, so here's an introduction:

Hello, this is a blog (That's what it's called right? I'm still kinda new to Tumblr) made by me, an Aroace person. As of posting this, I just fully accepted that I was Aroace like a few days/weeks ago, but have been concidering it for quite a long time.

The main thing I'll do here is talk about aspec related stuff, and that's about everything I wanted to say

I’m gonna update this post pretty soon cause a lot of things have happened since I made it

[yamujiburo]

✨YAMUJIBURO F.A.Q.✨

Should've made this a while ago! I'm starting to get a lot of the same questions in my inbox nowadays tho and I feel bad for clogging up y'all's timelines with the same questions haha

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Who are you?

I'm Kiana, I'm a queer, Japanese Jamaican woman, and a Director/Storyboard artist at Disney Television Animation.

What are your pronouns

I usually go by she/her but I don't really mind any pronouns~

Where did you go to school?

California College of the Arts (but I dropped out when I was hired at Disney)

How did you get hired at Disney?

My bosses found me on twitter through my Team Rocket fanart. They liked my drawing style and asked if I wanted to take a storyboard test. I did, I passed, I got interviewed and moved to LA two weeks later to start storyboarding.

Is this a repost blog??

No, you might know be better as @kianamaiart. This is just my Pokémon sideblog where I post exclusively (for the most part) Team Rocket and Pokémon art.

What does your username mean?

It's a combination of the main 4 Team Rocket members' Japanese names: Yamato (cassidy), Musashi (jessie), Kojiro (james), Kosaburo (butch)

What program and brush do you use to draw?

Default brush in Storyboard pro

**************************************

GENERAL POKEMON QUESTIONS

Who's your favorite Pokémon?

What are your favorite ships?

Any ship with Jessie. Yamushipping, Rocketshipping and Hanamusashipping are my top three!

Who do you ship Ash with?

I was a big Pokéshipper when I was younger but nowadays don't really feel strongly about any of the ships involving the kid characters. I'm also in the "Ash is aroace" camp.

Do you have any trans headcanons?

You can find em here along with other headcanons! It should be noted that I don't usually marry myself to one hc (unless it's for a specific AU I'm trying to build out) and love seeing various interpretations of a character! Trans woman Jessie, Trans woman James, Trans man James, Genderfluid Jessie, give em to me!

Do you play the games?

I've played all the mainline Pokémon games and very much enjoy them! But I am much more invested in the anime and the characters in the anime.

**************************************

HANAMUSA AU QUESTIONS

Where can I read all the comics in order?

Here! I update anytime I make a new comic and list them in chronological order (since I just draw comics at random points in the timeline as they interest me). This post also already answers some of the frequently asked questions about this AU like: How did Jessie and Delia meet? What are James and Meowth up to? How old are Jessie and Delia? etc.

What does "Hanamusa" mean?

Hanamusa is a combination of Delia and Jessie's Japanese names, Hanako and Musashi respectively.

When does this AU take place?

It takes place sometime after the Mezase Pokémon Master/To Be a Pokémon Master series. So all the events that happened in the series, unless retconned within the series, happened. Ash is 10 at the start of the comics.

What's the status between Jessie, James, Meowth and Giovanni/Team Rocket?

Not great terms since they were fired, but also not the worst terms. Giovanni just let the three of them go without any further issues. I will say that I've always loved the theory that Giovanni keeps Jessie specifically around because of her parentage and he as a soft spot for her that he keeps a secret. I feel like Matori was the one that got the three of them fired and Giovanni wasn't able to make an excuse for them this time (without showing nepotism/special treatment) so he was forced to let them go.

If you headcanon Delia as a lesbian, how did Ash come to be?

Delia was young when she had Ash and I hc that she just didn’t really explore her sexuality much! I myself didn’t realized I liked women until I was 18 and didn’t know I liked ONLY women until like 2 years ago. She got married, had a baby and realized after her husband left that she liked women (trans people exist obviously but I’m also interpreting Ash’s father as a cis man).

Who do you think Ash’s dad is?

I don’t know and I don’t really care to explore it. I’m going off of the novel interpretation that he’s just a deadbeat that left to be a trainer, failed and never came back because of the shame. He’s not important.

Isn’t Giovanni Ash’s dad?

That’s a common misconception that people remember wrong from the Pokémon Live show. Delia mentions she dated Giovanni but then left him and his gang after meeting Ash’s father. I also don’t consider the live show canon personally! I follow The Birth of Mewtwo timeline where Madame Boss founded Team Rocket.

Do you think Delia and Giovanni dated at least?

Nah, I think he’s too old for her? I always got the vibe from The Birth of Mewtwo that he was quite a bit older than Jessie and it’d be sus if he was dating Delia when she was married to, and had a child with her husband at 18/19. He’s a bad guy but not a BAD guy.

You mentioned you still ship Jessie and James. Why not make a Jessie, James, Delia polycule?

I have a few reasons I’ve mentioned before! 1. I’m in super deep with this AU already and I feel it’d be very confusing for casual viewers of my stuff if James was added into the relationship haha. 2. I’ve drawn Jessie and James together since 2011 and took this AU as an opportunity to try my hand at writing them as queer, platonic besties bc I love that interpretation of them a lot as well. 3. I’m not poly myself and the way I write this ship is largely based off of my experiences with my girlfriend. I just know I’d favor the Jessie/Delia of it all which isn’t fair and not a good interpretation of a poly relationship. All that said, I DO super enjoy seeing peoples’ poly headcanons and art!

Who does James end up with in this AU?

No one. He's aroace and is happy to be single

Do Jessie and James have all their Pokémon in this AU

I think they have all the Pokémon that they did by the end of Mezase Pokémon Master (all their Pokémon that were left at HQ). Most of their released Pokémon have stayed released and the Alola Pokémon are still in Alola. I bring back Arbok and Weezing post-Jessie and Delia getting married. I may bring back Chimecho, Growlie and Cacnea if I think of an idea I like!

What are Meowth and James up to in this AU?

Hop back to the top of this post under the "Where to Start" section. All your questions will be answered.

Does Ash travel with anyone at this point of his life?

I don't have anyone in particular in mind! I could see him making new friends (Nemona???) or traveling with different combinations of old friends. Like him, Misty and Goh, him, Dawn and Cilan, him, Serena and Lillie etc.

Will Delia ever get over her phobia of snake Pokémon

Not fully! I think overcoming fears is fine and good but I think real PHOBIAS are much harder to get past and I don't want to cheapen it. She slowly gets used to Jessie's Seviper specifically and gets to the point where she can pet it comfortably with Jessie in the room. But otherwise, still scared and would need that same amount of time per Pokémon

Is Jessie gaining weight or is it just me?

Not just you! Jessie puts on a bit of relationship weight overtime as you'll see in the later comics in the timeline. Jessie grew in poverty, never knowing when her next meal would be and that continued into her life as a Team Rocket member. Once she was able to settle down (with a woman who runs her own restaurant no less) she's able to live a healthier lifestyle with regular meals and puts on some weight because of that.

Does Jessie ever feel self conscious about gaining weight?

Nope! She feels happier and healthier and hotter. She's also unreasonably excited to clear out her old clothes and get a new wardrobe.

Would Jessie and Delia ever have kids together or adopt?

Nah, Ash is enough for them! I have come up with hypothetical kids for them but they're not canon to this AU. Just a fun little thing for me.

Will you ever put this on webtoon?

Nah. People mostly ask me this because they want to read everything in the order of the timeline but to my knowledge, you can’t reorder chapters or installments which would defeat the purpose. I also don’t think nintendo fan stuff would fly there. Also, also it’s just extra work and another place to upload and I want to keep this all fun for myself~

[raccoon-eyed-rebel]

Part 29

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Part 28 🟣 Part 30

A reverse harem vampire AU ft. Mikey, Marshall, August, Sherlock, Charles, Melot and Napoleon

Series summary: Somehow, you've managed to live with your boyfriend and his roommates for months before finding out they're vampires, but the real shock first comes when they find out you have a special quality. A quality the guys would love to make use of...

Warnings: ongoing vampire shenanigans, an interesting proposal, Melot behaving like a child (it's not Mike for a change. Actually Mike is the sane one in this chapter??? Idk what happened.)

Word count: 2.8k (?) (Word isn't cooperating, okay)

A/N: I've got some seriously busy vamps in my brain these days... Hope you guys enjoy!

@geralts-yenn @deandoesthingstome @ellethespaceunicorn @summersong69 @mis-lil-red

@sillyrabbit81 @livisss @itsrubberbisquit @ktficworld @proud-aroace-beastie

@plaidcat4815 @wa-ni @lovemusicpart2 @lizzystuffsthings @manysecrets2020

@sarcasmoverlordxo @mysweetlittledesire

The house was quiet. Quieter than usual, that is, because with only one human being and six assorted creatures of the supernatural variety, it was usually pretty damn quiet to begin with. You wandered the countless halls, searching for… anyone. Literally anyone.

Where were you? And more importantly…

“Lost?” Leon. The past week had taught you that you could always count on him to show up unannounced. “They’re out, you know?”

Out doing what? Leon smiled at your question. “Running. Climbing.” He appeared behind you. “Crushing a tree or two…” A strange tingle trickled down your spine, following Leon’s index finger, until he suddenly pulled his hand away. “Beg your pardon, I forget myself. Anyway” — he appeared in front of you again — “Marshall might indulge and provide fresh venison for tonight. Although I’m pretty sure we still have a sufficiently stocked freezer.”

After… that night — barely twenty-four hours ago — this really came as no surprise.

“And why aren’t you with them, instead of here, bothering me?” you sneered. For some reason, Leon always managed to get on your nerves, even if he hadn’t quite deserved it.

“I’m a demon, sweetheart,” he taunted. You hated him calling you ‘sweetheart’ almost as much as you’d hated it when August called you ‘princess’ in the beginning — maybe even more. “I’m not quite as fast as them, and nowhere near as strong.” He offered you an arm, and without thinking, you took it.

“Besides,” he said as he guided you through the halls, “vampires may have crawled out into the light over the past centuries, but I am first and foremost a creature of the night.”

“Allergic to sunlight?” you asked, looking around you as you let yourself be led God knows where.

“I’m not abducting you, sweetheart — it really bothers you when I call you that, doesn’t it?” A devious smile lay on his lips as he asked the question. “We’re headed for the kitchen. I’m parched.”

“Alright.” With Mike missing all morning to appear by your side with tea and water, you hadn’t remembered to drink anything. “So, about the sunlight?”

“I’m not allergic. I can survive in the sun as well as you can at night. It’s just that I require certain energies to sustain me, and they are more abundant between dusk and dawn.” Right. Sex demon. Leon ushered you into the kitchen with something resembling urgency.

“Please, sit,” he gestured at the bar stools. “Can I offer you some tea? Water? Coffee? Anything else, perhaps?”

“What do you want, Leon?” Part of the reason he got to you so much might have been that the man could never give it to you straight.

“To talk,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I have a proposition. It’s unconventional, but I’d appreciate it greatly if you listened to it in its entirety.”

Ah. So he did want something from you.

It was safe to say that the fact you’d been blessed with relentless curiosity had come in handy more than a few times over the past months, and it came as no surprise that this time, too, you found yourself curious rather than terrified at the prospect of this proposal.

“Alright, I’m listening,” you said as you watched Leon rummage around the kitchen at a delightfully normal speed. “And tea would be great, thanks.”

Without thinking, you wrapped your fingers around the glass in front of you. Wait. How did that get there?

“Mike may have mentioned something about your bewildering inclination to simply not drink anything, if given half a chance.” There was definitely judgment in his voice. And his eyes. And in the way his lips drew together in a tight line. Oh, and there was that sigh. It was subtle, but that didn’t mean you missed it. “Why don’t you take better care of yourself?”

“I have four vampires doing it for me,” you deadpanned.

“Potentially six,” he said, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. “And a half, if you play your cards right.”

You didn’t doubt that that was a hint towards the offer you were about to be presented with. “From where I’m sitting, I’m the one with a great hand,” you said, calming your nerves with a quiet, steady breath as your curiosity spiked. “You’re the one who has to tread carefully, I feel.”

A breeze blew past you as Leon moved to stand behind you, and as much as you wished for yourself to have gotten used to it by now, the move still startled you. Damn him.

His hands landed on your shoulders, and he squeezed lightly. Then, he was back at the counter, opposite you.

“Alright,” he said as he put your cup of tea on the bar. “You’re not wrong. And I won’t blame you if you decline my offer. After all, we barely know each other, and it is a proposal of a rather intimate nature — for you, at least. Less so for me. I simply need to eat.”

Oh. Oh. It wasn’t unexpected, per se, that the offer was related to that, but still… You knew what he was and how he fed. And now, you were somehow going to be asked to be a part of that.

“You want to feed on… me?” You already hadn’t understood this when he brought it up the other day. How did this even work? Did you… “So, what? You want to sleep with me?” The words were out before you had thought them through, and when Leon started laughing, you wanted to die of embarrassment.

“My apologies,” he said, “it’s an understandable question, but not quite what I was going to suggest. Although I wouldn’t pass up on the opportunity if it presented itself, I must admit.”

You stared at him for a few seconds — very long seconds — and sighed. “August?” You didn’t have to turn around to know he walked into the kitchen.

“There goes our privacy,” Leon said softly as he leaned on the counter.

“What’s going on here?” August asked, clearly suspicious of the scene in front of him. And with good reason. He knew — probably better than anyone — that you and Leon hardly got along great.

“Your darling brother wants to fuck me,” you said casually.

August had already begun to make himself a cup of coffee, and you watched his knuckles go pale as his grip on the countertop tightened. Leon knew better than to try and deny it.

“It’s not much of a compliment, princess,” August said softly after taking a deep breath. He turned to lean against the counter, coffee in hand. “My brother wants to fuck everything that moves.”

“Isn’t that a little stereotypical?” a suddenly appearing Mike weighed in. Marshall, Sherlock and Melot walked in soon after. They seemed equally surprised to see you and Leon having your little tea party.

“How fantastic,” Leon sneered. “The whole gang is back together. Sweetheart, I was hoping to have this conversation in private. Do you mind—”

“What you want does not just concern her,” Mike said sharply. “I’m staying. And I doubt the others will let you talk them into leaving.”

“At the very least it doesn’t concern Melot at this time, or Sherlock… potentially ever,” Leon tried, his eyes almost pleading with Mike to reduce the crowd.

“What does he want?” Sherlock asked. He was probably the only one who didn’t already know — and that included Melot, which you really didn’t mind as much as you probably should have.

The others looked at each other, then at Leon, then you before turning back to Sherlock. No one said anything.

“I’m not making this easy on him by telling you,” Mike said. “Like, don’t get me wrong, it’s not weird or anything — not weirder than we’re used to anyway. But I want him to ask for it” — he shot Leon a sharp glance — “himself.”

“Alright, out with it,” August sighed, clearly already running out of patience.

“Do I get to make my case without interruption?” Leon asked. It wasn’t the worst question. August looked halfway ready to lose his shit, and it probably wouldn’t take much to put Marshall on edge, either. Everyone nodded in response to the question. “Alright. We’re all aware of what I am, what I do, and how I feed, so I suggest we skip the biology lesson and move straight to the request—”

“You’re not screwing her,” Marshall snapped.

“Well, so much for no interruptions.” Leon rolled his eyes. “If it’s all the same to you, I don’t feel like I have to suffer through this for a simple question, I’ll take my l—”

“Marshall, shut up and sit down. And August, not a word out of you, either.” You watched, trying to control your face while both men begrudgingly obeyed your commands. You looked at Sherlock, who nodded approvingly. “Leon, please continue. I’m listening.”

“When I decided to spend my summer here—”

“You mean ‘showed up completely unannounced’?” Melot asked, scowling at Leon.

“Melot shut. up.” The moment the words left your mouth, you felt you’d overplayed your hand.

He appeared in front of you, his face so close to yours you could feel his breath on your skin. He was cold — very cold. “Did no one warn you that my age might provide a bit of an obstacle for those newly acquired powers of yours? What was your plan, my Queen? Send me to my room like a petulant child? Have me sit on the floor by your feet like a dog? I’ve been through it all, your highness, I—”

“Melot, that’s enough.” Sherlock’s voice was barely a whisper, so low you had trouble understanding what he said at all. “I must say the introduction has given me a good sense of what this request will be. Mike, am I correct in assuming it indeed does not concern either me or Melot?”

Mike nodded solemnly.

“Then I shall take this as my cue to leave, and you” — he grabbed Melot by the collar of his shirt — “are coming with me. And you’re staying with me until you can— Speak of the Devil, Priya’s timing couldn’t have been better. Come on.”

They disappeared, and the kitchen went awfully quiet for a moment, until Leon cleared his throat. “As I was saying: When I decided to spend my summer here, I was aware of the existing arrangement. I was, however, unaware of the… shall we say ‘intimate advancements’ within that arrangement.”

“And long story short, you want in?” you asked, hoping to speed things along a bit. It still wasn’t entirely clear to you how this was all going to work without… sex.

Marshall raised his hand, to your surprise, and you nodded. “Thank you. If I may answer that question you didn’t ask… It won’t work out without sex.”

“But he said he didn’t want—”

“For the sake of honesty, I didn’t say I don’t want to,” Leon reminded you, “but rather that that was not what I’m asking.”

“Then what are you asking?”

“I’m asking if I can feed on your passive sexual energy,” he explained briefly. That wasn’t nearly enough information.

You turned to August, vaguely remembering a conversation you’d had with him. “I thought succu— I mean incubi only fed off… Orgasms?”

“Is that what he told you?” Leon laughed. “I don’t blame him, of course. But I’d hardly dare to lecture you on vampires and their habits, despite my technically dual nature.” He sounded annoyed — maybe rightfully so.

“The people who work for me like their jobs, August, but they don’t have orgasm after orgasm on stage.” Napoleon sighed and shook his head. Whatever remnant of understanding you’d had about what was going on in this conversation was gone now, and you were lost.

“Rewind and freeze, guys. Passive energy? People who work for you?”

“The details of my occupation are best left for another conversation. To answer your other question: Passive energy refers to any kind of consumable energy a succubus or incubus can feed on, that they are not involved in creating. Orgasm isn’t a requirement at all — any incubus worth his salt can pick up on far more subtle kinds of energy. Now, it is generally acceptable to munch on the small things without asking — flirting, tension, a kiss or other displays of affection, et cetera. Now, when things progress beyond that most humans would consider feeding off that without asking for consent a major violation of privacy—”

“Just… humans?” Was that such a completely unreasonable train of thought, then?

“A few centuries go a long way in changing your perspective on a host of things,” August explained patiently. “You’ll experience some difficulty finding a strictly monogamous vampire over the age of… let’s say two-fifty.”

“Are there monogamous incubi? Is it ‘incubi’ or ‘incubuses’?”

“Either of those is correct,” Leon answered with a charming smile. “And to answer your question bluntly: no. As a species, we’re exclusively non-monogamous — not necessarily unwilling to enter into serious relationships, but monogamy would be… torture.”

“Questions about your kind aside…” Was Mike the one keeping a conversation on track for a change? What had the world come to? “Get to the proposal. I mean… I have my answer ready to go.”

“Right.” Leon nodded. “Well, without further ado: I’d like to request permission to feed on the available energies in this house.”

You’d seen it coming for a while now, but the question still took you by surprise on a level you didn’t quite understand. It was quiet for a while, and your face got hotter with every passing second, because everyone was staring at you.

In the end, it was Mike who broke the silence. “I’m okay with it.” No surprise there, really.

“It’d be hypocritical of me to be opposed to this,” August said next.

“I’m willing to pay my share in your current arrangement, if that makes you more comfo—”

“No!” That didn’t sit right with you at all. Four pairs of eyebrows shot up in surprise at your answer. How were you going to explain this? “That agreement comes with the responsibility to provide them with food no matter the circumstances. I don’t think I can promise you that.”

Leon nodded. “I understand that. That said… Do you have an answer for me at all?”

Pushy. Arrogant. Annoyingly sure of himself. Why on earth did you like that about him?

“Pardon my ignorance, but how does this work?” you asked, your voice trembling ever so slightly. There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that the guys picked up on that — especially since Mike put his arms around you and put his chin on your shoulder.

“You’re asking me if I have to be in the room, aren’t you?” For someone who didn’t read minds… “I don’t read minds, sweetheart. But I do read people. And your face has subtitles.”

Great. “Yeah. That’s what I’m asking.”

“I don’t have to be,” he answered plainly. “I’m not opposed to it, either.”

“Watch it,” August growled.

“Can’t blame me for trying, brother.”

“Okay, so… It would be much like August… listening in, then?” You took a deep breath. That didn’t sound too bad — not that you were in any way dead set against his presence, either… As soon as you caught yourself with that thought, you heard Mike swallow hard.

Dirty little pervert.

“Does that still surprise you?” No. No, it definitely did not. You side-eyed Marshall, who tried hard to fight a dirty smile off his face.

“You’re no better.” The remark made him chuckle, and an image of your night in the shower flashed in your mind for a moment.

You cleared your throat before turning to Leon again. “I think my diplomatic answer would be that I’m fine with you feeding off anything that doesn’t happen behind closed doors,” you said slowly. “Other than that, I’d like the opportunity to go on a case-by-case basis, but I don’t see how that would work.”

“My guess is that someone would be available to communicate your wishes,” Leon offered. “And if not, well… It’s ‘no’, unless it’s ‘yes’, right?”

“That sounds agreeable.” You could feel your heartbeat in your throat, which was unusually dry, but your hands were so sweaty that you didn’t dare to pick up your cup.

“Hm, no door in sight,” Leon muttered softly. “Lucky me.”

His teasing would be the death of you, dammit! “Keep in mind that me not taking on any real responsibility in this matter, means I can deny you everything. You might want to consider playing nice.” “Where’s the fun in that, sweetheart?”

[morally-earl-gray]

✨crisis time✨ pt. 4

so um. i have no idea whats going on with me. BEAR WITH ME, this is gonna be my last rant for the next little while (unless something completely fucked up happens, yk)

im having doubts about my sexuality again. i came out as aroace (only to one irl person, but i also started posting on this blog) a few weeks ago, and its been pretty good since then. BUT i just remembered something that made me question EVERYTHING

when i was in elementary/middle school, i had no crushes whatsoever. nothing. i didnt know about asexuality and aromantism back then, so i just assumed that i would find someone eventually, or that i was just a late bloomer. my friends and i never talked about crushes (i didnt know it at the time but half of them are gay), and it never crossed my mind that i might be queer because i had never really stopped to think about it.

when i was ~12, i heard the term "asexual" for the first time. it crossed my mind that that could be me, but i didnt think about it much because i didnt really think it was important, and i was still holding out for The Feelings to kick in

PLOT TWIST:

i almost forgot about this until now, but im pretty sure i was lesbian?? (CONFESSION TIME: ive never admitted this to anyone for a lot of reasons, so this is very scary for me) when i was 14-15, i got a crush on this girl. i had known her for my entire life and had never had feelings like that before (for her or for anyone). it was weird and i never told her or anyone else ofc, because my family is homophobic and shes straight (probably). we started high school and the feelings kinda started to fade ig? occasionally something would happen and The Feeling would return, but by the next spring, i had zero feelings for her.

now i know what this sounds like: doesnt this mean im demiromantic? that would make sense, right? and thats what i thought, too.

but then i remembered something else:

for kinda that whole year (when i was 15), i was like 96% sure i was lesbian. there were other girls i occasionally thought about, and i barely knew them but i think it was a crush?? additionally, whenever i met a girl my age i would get silly thoughts like "maybe shes gay" or "maybe she'll be The One I Get Feelings For" and basically i knew i was lesbian.

but now i dont feel anything, not even for girls. im now 96% certain that i am aroace, but whenever i remember being 15 i get really confused. and its not in a "i told myself i had crushes on girls because i wasnt interested in guys so i must be lesbian and didnt realize i was actually aro" way. im pretty sure that was LEGIT

i had a moment of epiphany when i realized that i was aroace, and i was VERY MUCH CERTAIN of the fact. but i dont doubt that i was lesbian.

i have no idea if this is a thing that can happen, but i think my sexuality changed?? all i know is that i used to like girls but now i dont have feelings for anyone. theres a chance that im just demiromantic, but for some reason i dont think so??

anyways, if anyone has any advice, it would be much appreciated

[ellieisbored3537]

Boygenius Rant Pt. 2 :)

You can't tell me that moon song and voyager aren't like corresponding to eachother. They literally are because "If I could give you the moon , I would give you the moon" and "You took it from me, but I would've given it to you"

Plus, Voyager was originally supposed to be on the punisher album, and Voyager is a spaceship, and the moon is in space, so they are both spacey, so why would it not be related.

Like those sentences kill me, and so does the entirety of each song. Voyager is a song I could listen to for weeks, and I'd never get bored of it because it's so peaceful.

I can't stop listening to it. Like no one ever talks about how good it is. Like the instrumentals, the backing vocals, the humming at the beginning, the singing, rhythm, rhyming, lyrics, imagery, how this song makes me feel safe and want to cry in a good way. This song is everything. It's definitely gonna be my top 3 probably top 1 spotify wrapped song. It helps me sleep, focus, distract me, and so much more. Like wdym this isn't one of their most popular songs? I'm glad it's not, though, because when you hear just one part of a great song over and over again on tiktok it makes you sick of it. I don't think that would happen even if it became viral because it's to good to be sick of it. I'm so glad this was release I love this so much.

Moon song is great too, but I prefer Voyager more than Moon Song because idk. Like I like the if I could give you the moon I would give you the moon part and some more other parts and instrumentals. But voyager Is everything to me. Like I love it I love listening it for days on end then finding other songs to enjoy then go back to listening to it again.

If you've never listened to voyager before, you have to. It might not be good to you but it could change everything and yeah.

I ALSO LOVE WE'RE IN LOVE BECAUSE ITS ALSO CALMING AND AHHHH. Like that's awesome I love it. Haven't listened to it as much though cuz I was stuck on voyager but when I listened to it AHHHHHHHH

Like the instrumentals the vocals don't get me started on Lucy's vocals, they are perfect. It sounds so comforting. The lyrics I love the lyrics and the flow and the everything. I love the perfect rhythm and rhyming. AND LIKE THE LINE THAT GOES "And if you don't remember , I will remind you of the hummingbirds" then "you know the ones" with "I know the ones in the background" like that is perfect and it kills me everytime. AND THE "I could go on and on and on, and I will go on and on and on until it all comes back." Like, wdym you wrote that perfectly, intrumentally perfect, vocally perfect, everything perfect. I don't know how I can listen to a good amount of their songs without getting bored.

REVOLUTION 0 IS AHHHHHHHH LIKE ITS PEACEFUL TOO WITH THE HUMMING AT THE BEGINIGN AND THE LYRIC FLOW AND THE LYRICS "I don't wanna die, that's a lie, but I'm afraid to get sick, I don't know what that is" AHHHHHHHH Like real. "If it isn't love then what the fuck is it?" REAL REAL REAL. Boygenius is giving qpr you can't change my mind. Like wdym they wrote songs for eachother like they love eachother so much and like qpr <3. Idk that's just my thoughts cuz boygenius isn't friends or dating they are a secret third thing qpr. But like idk. Maybe it's just the aroace in me or something just my thoughts or whatever. Anywho I got off track

LEONARD COHEN IS ALSO AWESOME, THE BEAT IS FASTER AND IT MAKES ME AHHH. THE FLOW OF THE WORDS THE WORDS THEMSELF AHHHHH. THANK YOU SO MUCH

LIKE THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT SONG TYPES OR WHATEVER BUT LIKE THEY ARE ALL PERFECTION. I LOVE BOYGENIUS SO MUCH.

LIKE WDYM THESE FOUR SONGS ARE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM

Uhh pt 1 I made forever ago so don't bother looking for it :D

[fenimores-book-nook]

Books (again) and other things

10.22.24 ~ Tuesday

Welcome back to the Book Nook! First things first: HAPPY ASEXUAL AWARENESS WEEK! I want to do something special for every day of Ace week (I have yet to decide what) and today it's going to be a drawing of a frog with an Ace flag that I found on Pinterest. Maybe that's what will happen every day, I guess you'll have to tune to find out this week. ;) I'm also aware that Asexuality Awareness week started two days ago, on the twentieth and it is in fact, October 22nd. Tuesdays usually feel like the "actual" start of the week to me since it's the first day of work for me. So...it makes sense to me.

I will also be going on a trip to Arizona on Thursday, so you best believe Imma be rocking some Ace and Aro pride while I'm there. ;) I wanted to try to wear something Ace or AroAce every day but I might've forgotten today. BUT I have made AroAce bracelets to sell in the shop I work at, so we got one of those on. Plus, I got my nails done recently and they've got purple ombre, so I think that counts as well.

Something I did for Aromantic Awareness week is make a bunch of Aro colored bracelets and had them out for free, so I want to do that again for Ace week! But I am low on those bracelets, so I'm gonna be a bracelet making machine when I get home today. Besides, better late than never. ;)

One of the main things I wanted today's blog post to be about is a book series that I really love. The Baby-Sitters Club (the graphic novels) books based on the original BSC books by Ann M. Martin. The illustrators/authors have changed as more books have come out but I love looking at all the different art and writing styles.

This is probably the main book series that I will always get new releases for, no matter how old I get, no matter what age the books are for. (Quick side note on that topic: it literally does not matter how old the books you read are intended for and it does not matter how old you are. Heck, I'm twenty and I regularly read middle grade books. Because I like them. And that's all that matters. I'm someone who has had a bit of trouble with not feeling embarrassed with reading some of the books I read but I shouldn't feel embarrassed! No one should. READ WHAT YOU WANT TO READ, WHO CARES WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK.) Okay. Side note over.

I never really got into the original Baby-Sitters Club books, though I've read a few of them. I love the graphic novels a lot, I feel like the art adds so much more to the story. So far, there's 16 of the graphic novel adaptations out. (And yes, I have all of them, hehe.) I know they've skipped some of the original books, probably because they felt they didn't add enough to the Baby-Sitters Club universe. (Or not, I don't know.) But the ones they have made, I love. And of course, we're going to talk about my favorites.

These are three of my favorites out of the BSC! I'm sure if I re-read all of them, I'd include a few others, but we'll talk about these for now.

Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye is book number 11 in the series. Lemme just preface by saying, Stacey is probably my favorite BSC character's point of view to read from. She and Claudia are probably my favorite BSC members, honestly.

I love this one because it's Stacey moving back to New York City and while her leaving Stoneybrook is sad, the way she looks at moving back, I really like. Also, I've always wanted to go to New York City and explore, so I'm gonna love any of the books that have to do with it. As well with Stacey and Claudia's friendship, I love it so much. In this one it's shown quite a bit, their dedication and care for each other. The art style in this is one of my favorites. It was a bit of a change to get used to when Raina Telgemeier stopped illustrating them (I love her own books as well), but I think I kind of prefer this style more. I love them all, but this one just scratches my brain right.

Jessi's Secret Language, book 12. As a CODA (Child Of Deaf Adults), I really, really love when authors include deaf representation. There needs to be more representation, but over the last few years I've really noticed deaf characters being more included in books. As well as deaf representation, I'd love to see more normalized LGBTQIA+ representation. Seriously! But we're getting on a tangent now.

I love book 12 because of the things I've already stated, but also it's such a sweet book too. Jessi's love for dancing and how the kids and other BSC members show their support; I love it all.

And the last Baby-Sitters Club book we'll talk about today: Stacey's Mistake, book 14. Like I said about Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye, I love all the New York City vibes in this one too. But I'm also drawn to it because of the friend issues that happen. I haven't read this one in a bit, but I remember something in my brain going, "oh wow, I feel seen." I love books that make you feel like that. The way everything ends up okay-like every BSC book but that's partly why I love them so much-makes my heart smile.

I love all of the Baby-Sitters Club books and I will probably revisit talking about them in the future. They just give me this comfort and peak my interest every time I read them. And I'll also add: this is probably the only series that I've felt a real interest in writing fanfic and/or creating fanart for. But fanfic in the sense that I cast some of the characters as AroAce in my head. Honestly, it's kinda a lot of fun; I can see why people like creating an alternate story line to original stories in this way. :)

That is all for now, have the best day ever, and never stop reading what makes you happy.

All my love,

Thalia <3

[the-dragon-master-lover]

I think I've lost my sanity already 😿

It doesn't matter, my friend taking advantage of my scattered mind gave me a punk Lance headcanon

My friend and I have the headcanon that during Lance's punk era, he dyed the tips of his hair different colors every week.

Why do we have that headcanon? my friend say that punk Lance reminded her of Ramona Flowers

He went bald, sorry

The drawings are not so well done because an intrusive thought came and told me "Lance punk looks like a young Carlos Vives" and I spent the whole night laughing alone

And also because I used some markers of dubious origin

And Lance in his childhood, adolescence, and a small part of his adulthood had curly/fluffy/burnt hair, but his hair straightened on its own, like mine.

I reached the point where my favorite character became a reflection of myself, wow, the last time it happened was 5 years ago

And, Gender swap Lance punk

I was inspired by Ramona Flowers, and don't ask what happened with the anatomy, I very reluctantly made the drawings

Oh, yes, it's Bruno, little Bruno. I have been thinking about drawing more people besides the same three (Lance, Cynthia and Silver) because I need to step out of my comfort zone (Although every time I do, it can turn out incredibly well or disgustingly bad)

Meanwhile, little Bruno

That's it, I'll keep suffering with love songs, wondering why I'm so alone, knowing that I'm aroace

Bye, ( And double cat Lance because I'm in a good mood)

[aroaceconfessions]

I’ve just realized I’m aromantic. I’ve used aroace as an umbrella label for a long time, under the impression I was somewhere on the spectrum, and if I fell in love or wanted to date I’d just shed the label for the term queer for a bit, until I’d gotten a better sense around my identity.

I’d tried dating once before, three or four years ago when a friend confessed that they liked me. They’re my best friend, and I kind of assumed that meant I liked them too? So I said I liked them back, and we dated for a week. Nothing much happened, but within a week I’d decided to break it up, since it was clear to me that it would just be another stressor in my already stressful life. It was just a weird fluke.

We’re still best friends. Just recently, however, a different friend and I started jokingly flirting. At least, I thought it was joking, until he asked me out on a genuine date three days ago. I realized then, that as much as I wanted to love him, and go on dates, and be his partner—I didn’t. I just wanted to play video games with him, and make stupid jokes and laugh with him.

It’s not even that I just don’t experience romantic attraction, I can’t make myself actually feel anything other than platonic love. It’s weird. I’ve spent so much of my life wondering who my partner would be and what they would think of me and reading books and fanfiction and watching shows all about falling in love to realize that I never want that for myself.

People keep saying that aromanticism isn’t a tragedy, but sometimes it really feels like one. And that has to be okay.

Submitted May 29, 2023

[goodenoughformeee]

A story for an aroace person aka me part 1 ( this is all rough draft kinda story) :p

you know as there is a lack of aroace characters/representation in many shows/ stories/mangas/manhwas/ etc.

So, my brain is like "if there is no representation, just make it yourself" XD

{ story summary: two best friends died and got reincarnated into the original mc and original villainess in an otome game }

So since I don't know how to start this story imma just wing it and see how it goes lol

Keep in mind I might change some of the plot in the future. Keep in mind this will be just a rough draft kinda story, I'm saying that cuz idk how to actually star the story TT

Our story starts with two best friends of whom I've yet to name so therefore will be known as A and B untill they get their reincarnated names :p

So the two best friends, around the age of 20 are returning home to their shared apartment from a bar.

As ti why they were at the bar?(Idk how a bar works, never been to one I think so bare with me here TT )It was because B broke up with her boyfriend ( this can change) so in order to cheer up B, A took her to the bar to drink her problems away. So the two friends chatted and drank and drank until around 1 pm when they both decided to go home.

So B is full on drunk and A being the one to support her, were crossing the road. It was then it happened, the accident. The truck hit them (classic reincarnation death of the mc lol) And then they you know...died :p

(the main character of the story is A btw)

Our main character A who you know just died, her conscious was like "damn so this is how I die?" and everything went black but that was not the end of her story.

Suddenly, A could hear voices of a person talking to themselves.

"who in theirs right mind would abandon a baby?"

A is of course confused as to what is happening as she just literally seconds ago died and came to know that she's in fact alive when she was able to open her eyes and sees the person who was carrying her.

"ayo did I ACTUALLY got reincarnated!? I know I said I wanted to get reincarnated but- you know what I'll take it, cause that truck really HIT like I'm pretty sure me and my bestie flew and died on impact or sth" was what A though upon realizing that she got reincarnated.

Fast forward

A is now 3 years old and during the 3 years she got a new name "xia". She has been observing her surrounding and also is trying to figure out where she reincarnated into. As she had read and watched a bunch of anime and manga/manhwas and also talked to her friends and with B about it.

So she assumes that she's most likely is in a game or anime or novel or manga. The only problem was that she could not figure out where she got reincarnated into, was this world an anime or a novel or a manga/manhwas or was it a game?

A being confused "ugh! How the hell am I supposed to find out what anime or a novel or a manga/manhwas or game this world is!? I read 4-6 mangas/ manhwas which usually aren't completed a day or go through 2-3 anime or play a game or two.

And then go WEEKS upon weeks without so much so as not even TOUCHING an anime or manga. I relay on my tabs and search history to guide me back to where I last watched or read.

I don't even usually REMEMBER the characters and refer to them by their hair colour or the plot"

So Xia (A) puts a hold to that and continues observing and interacting with her surrounding. She find out that the area she's currently in is an orphanage and is in a rural and neutral area so far.

There were kids from various age groups, from babies to young teenagers with all kinda of hair and eye colours.

(that's it for now, hope you enjoyed the story so far and if you have any questions feel feel to ask. I'll reply when I got the time since it's night time where I am so I'm going to sleep :D

Hope you liked the story and have a good day or night! <3

[hushed-chorus]

Hi everyone, and thank you @wellbelesbian, @youarenevertooold and @ileadacharmedlife for the tags! I’m so used to being too bright and early and British to be tagged before I post, so it was a nice treat! 

Work on For All Intents and Purposes and by shipwreck COTTA fic (which may have a title? I’m not sure) is happening, piece by piece. Had a quiet few days the end of last week but managed to get more works down on Monday and this morning. Here’s a bit from each project.

First, some FAIAP chaos.

“Hell yeah!” Simon pumps a fist as the song changes. “Wait a moment. Is this Uptown Funk again?” “Yeah!” Just my luck. In Santa Monica, Simon put this song on every time we were getting ready to go out. And before we even left England. He says it's ‘road trip music’.  “The fuck is wrong with Spotify?” I ask. “This was on five minutes ago!” “More like fifteen. The shuffle reset when you skipped to that Sausalito song. By that emo guy.” “Conor Oberst is not emo.” “He’s 100% pure, full fat, all-natural ingredients emo. Even in his happy songs he sounds like he’s about to cry.” I nudge him, and he pushes me back, laughing, then sits up to tap along on the dashboard. I don’t mind this song, really. It's an improvement on A Horse With No Name. And I like seeing Simon like this. Smile on his lips, wind tossing his hair and plucking at his shirt. I’m glad we get to do this again. Just drive America. I’m glad we can paint over those old bad memories with good ones. Still, there's only so many times I can tolerate 'Uptown Funking me up’. What if I don't want to be Funked up? Has Uptown considered that possibility?

And my shipwreck COTTA. For some context, Simon is unwell in this snippet.

I laugh. “You are a vampire.” He turns back to the fire, his shoulders drawing into a hunch. “Baz.” I’m snickering. “Oh fuck.” He begins rising. Maybe he needs a piss. “I’m glad you’re here,” I say. He freezes “I’m glad I’m not alone.” Suddenly I’m crying, voice stuttering. Baz sits back down. I gaze at his hair, his shoulders, his toes, until I fall back to sleep.

Hello tags under the cut, and if you want to join in but haven't been tagged, please do!

@artsyunderstudy @facewithoutheart @captain-aralias @raenestee @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @yeonjunenby @cutestkilla @ivelovedhimthroughworse @larkral @stitchyqueer @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @confused-bi-queer @aristocratic-otter @whogaveyoupermission @nightimedreamersworld @fatalfangirl @thewholelemon @onepintobean @shrekgogurt @theearlgreymage @martsonmars @blackberrysummerblog @orange-peony @palimpsessed @valeffelees @j-nipper-95 @rimeswithpurple @imagineacoolusername @iamamythologicalcreature @supercutedinosaurs @alexalexinii @bookish-bogwitch

[tailsbeth-writes]

For Ficlet Friday, if you like: number 8, Heartstopper?

Wasn't sure if you meant comic or TV show so I went TV show. Find this on Ao3 🌈

It might have been summer but that didn't stop Isaac and Charlie getting their caffeine fix. The rest of the gang were off at summer jobs or rugby in Nick’s case.

The boys had been coming to this cafe so often they had a usual, Charlie was slightly giddy the first time it happened.

‘What? I feel like we're in a movie or something.’ Isaac just rolled his eyes with a fond smile.

This particular Saturday, Charlie knew something was off. Isaac was always quiet, that was a given but usually it was because he had his head in a book. Isaac's hands were empty though. They sat in their usual corner with the big comfy armchairs and the Saturday server (Connie, they'd learned a few weeks ago when she started) put their oversized oat milk lattes on the table. Their usual routine would be silent reading for at least half their latte before they had a moan about school. Isaac sipped, his eyes wandering around aimlessly.

‘Is everything alright?’ Charlie blurted. Isaac looked at him like a rabbit in headlights.

‘I… Um…’

Charlie gave him a little smile, just to let him know it's okay, whatever it is. Isaac took a deep breath and put his latte down.

‘I think I might be aroace. Aromantic and asexual I mean.’

Charlie nodded, processing what Isaac was saying. Things slotted into place quickly, the way Isaac never talked about crushes or found his way out of coupley plans.

‘Thank you for telling me. I know that can't have been easy.’

Isaac smiled and nodded, his legs shifted outwards. The tension was melting away.

‘You remember Elle's art show? There was an artwork that confirmed things for me. The artist told me how it was about feeling free realising that you didn't need to take part in all these things like crushes and romance, that being aroace was okay. I felt seen, for the first time.’

Charlie could feel himself getting teary, Isaac's eyes lit up in a way Charlie hadn't seen in a long time, as he talked.

‘That’s amazing. You're amazing, Isaac.’