#aro-barrel

[aro-barrel]

one of the first things any aro wants to know on their journey of discovery is, “what the fuck is romantic love?” so we end up reading alloromantic accounts of romance, just so we can try to understand. and it’s often a failed journey, simply because people describe different experiences or describe sensations that don’t necessarily equate to romantic attraction. sure, people get a warm fuzzy feeling when they look at their spouse, but alloplatonics might describe their platonic feelings the same. and sure, people are struck with a desire to hold someone close and kiss them, but is that really exclusive to romance? after a while, it becomes clear. love filled with subjectivity.

the question then becomes, what do we do with subjectivity? it’s the first step in disassembling "love." when we choose to investigate further, we may come to realize the subjectivities are (too often) conveniently erased to suit popular notions of love—these stem from dominant depictions of love that don’t reflect reality or practice. put simply: people are told how their love is. yes, they're told how to love, but there is the very real assumption that the same feelings underlie every expression of romantic love, no matter who you are. it's in all the tv shows and books, it's parroted by well-meaning people who wish for your happiness, it's sliced ragged until it's a narrow, "correct" form. but no one loves that singular way, even if they warp their own experiences to fit the narrative. if "love" is pared down, concentrated into an impossibly specific expression, we get awful tunnel vision when we try to conceptualize it. the lived, subjective experiences of love elude us.

so as aromantics, we take the abandoned subjectivities and play around with them. we might attempt to separate components of "love" and poke them with a stick, dissect them, take parts out, Frankenstein them. we might heave "love" into a jumbo garbage bin forever or build our own thing from scratch. when people write of love as a law of nature, we tear it to fucking shreds. there are no rules, it's not a sacred thing, not immutable. we fuck around with "love" on purpose. we carve our own space in a society that insists on myopia.

[writeriteright]

the heart is just a muscle

he confessed on a spring day and i told you only how it made me afraid you said i took it the worst way

takes courage to be bold, you told me, don’t be so cold, you scolded me he has a heart of gold he would have sold to me but my heart is just a muscle

so i lied to him that i loved him and our romance was a whirlwind and to him it was probably heaven but i was guilty as sin

because since the beginning, our ending was on the wall in my handwriting because love is only a feeling and my heart is just a muscle

and i never batted an eye when he said for me he’d leave all he’d known behind and there were no tears, it was bone dry when he wrote me i never replied

but do you recall how i sobbed, how i cried when you told me i should die i guess you thought i wouldn’t mind because my heart is just a muscle

well this heart of stone, you bloodied this mosquito heart, you won it the barrel of my tears you bathed in i did always say you could do anything

pretending at love might have been my crime most heinous but what you did in the name of love is still the cruelest

so riddle me this when you train it, if it hurts does it not grow strong? when you strain it, if it rips does it not heal wrong? when you fall and you bleed, won’t the blood clot? what then do you think happens to a bleeding heart?

the answer to this puzzle: the heart is just a muscle

[big-urchin-energy]

we lost our way when we started having discourse justifying shipping aroace characters with "ace people can still have sex/aros can still date", instead of using it as evidence to hc characters who aren't canonically aspec and who date and have sex, as aro/ace.

scraping the bottom of the barrel for characters who don't express interest in dating? no, i'm coming for your ladies' men and your sluts, your suave and sexy sweet talkers, your femme fatales and your serial monogamists.

aroaces you must liberate yourselves, break free of the shackles of that one canon aroace, you don't need them. sick of people shipping your fave canon aroace? their fave is aroace now. want more sex/romance favourable aroace rep? this works for that too! there are literally no downsides

[arotechno]

happy 10 year unofficial aroversary to me <2

around that same time 10 years ago, i had to do a school project outlining my 10 year plan for the future. in the midst of figuring out who i was, that seemed like such an impossible task. it was like staring down the barrel of a future that was getting more uncertain for me each day and being expected to somehow know who i wanted to become. who at age 15 really knows what they want out of life? 7 of those years were going to be school for me anyway.

but i did the project, and those 10 years came and went, and all things considered, i'm much happier than i was back then. it was scary to figure out who i was. it was incredibly isolating to be aro in 2014. sometimes, it still is. by and large, i've gotten lucky with the people i have in my life. but i also know that an aro future is one that must be built from scratch with your own two hands. i'm more confident in my aro identity now, as time, maturity, and community are wont to do. but even more importantly, i don't fear that uncertainty as much anymore.

i draw strength from knowing how much things have changed in the past 10 years. my first year in college, on several occasions i spotted the same person on the bus with aro and ace pins on their bag, but i never had the chance to stop them and say hello. it was the first time i didn't feel alone. i think about them whenever i wear my own pins and patches out in public, and i wonder if i've been that person for somebody else. that reminder that we are not alone, that you will not have to hide who you are forever, that aromanticism is something to be proud of. life is cyclical like that; be the out and proud aro you wish to see in the world. build your own castle.

that's all for my rambling thoughts on 10 years. i hope if 15 year old me saw me now, they'd be overjoyed. if you're a young aro, know that you can be whoever you want to be. your life is yours, you were born whole, and there is nothing anyone can do or say to change that.

do i get a senior discount for this?

[ugly-anarchist]

I've been seeing more posts that are like "alloaros are attacking aroaces just for existing in aro spaces" and like, we're not

There's nothing wrong with aroaces posting in aro tags or joining aro spaces or existing in general. There's nothing wrong with being aroace.

What's wrong is the fact that our voices are completely drowned out by aroaces. Oftentimes, intentionally. We are called the "extra piece" or "the addition". When we tag our posts as aspec, we're called out on it and said that's wrong. When we make posts specifically about our alloaro experiences they are tagged as aroace or asexual. When we find aromantic communities we have to ask the question "am I welcome here" and the answer is "no" a lot of the time. And even if we are "welcome" we are told to censor ourselves and our experiences for aroaces. When non-ace aros create spaces specifically for non-ace aros aroaces flood in and assume it's for them or call us acephobic for not wanting them there.

Many aroaces actively encourage the silencing of alloaros. Whether that be treating us as scapegoats and pointing to us and saying "accept us because at least we're not them!" or actively pushing us out of aromantic spaces, sometimes even spaces dedicated to non-ace aros.

You cannot shut us into a fucking closet and say "what alloaros?" then when we bust out and express our frustration go "CRAB IN A BARREL!!! WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME COMMUNITY!!! WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING US!?!"

We're not saying "fuck aroaces" or "aroaces cause all the problems we face" or anything like that. We're just pissed at the fact that even our own community, people we're supposed to relate to, fucking hate us.

Our bitterness and frustration at the way we've been treated isn't aroacephobia.

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

Oh dear sweet god

Why do I do this to myself

This goof has such a chokehold on my heart I just CANNOT

Working on P is for Public of ABC's of Kink, but it's getting split into two. Part one is SFW, part 2 will be very much NSFW. Already working in it and planning to have it up tonight.

And awaaaaay we gooo—

I lied part 3 will be NSFW don't hurt me

Blacksmith's Daughter

Part 1 of 3

Part 2 here

Series: ABC's of Kink

Letter: P is for Public

Wordcount: 2.7k

Tags: SFW, NSFW (part 3 only), fluff, hurt/comfort other stuff maybe

LA!Shanks X AFAB!Reader

Dear gods I loved writing this one

To say you were in a pickle would have been a grievous understatement.

You and a close friend had been caught sneaking around a Marine base after getting the bright idea to break into their treasury vault. For a few years since your father's death you had been down on your luck, and it had seemed a quick ticket to dragging yourself out of the gutter. You had become over that time a particularly skilled thief, and the training you had recieved from your father in blades, not to mention the pair of cutlasses he had smithed for you, didn't hurt your chances.

And you had been forced to give yourself up after your friend was killed while resisting arrest.

Thrown onto a Marine ship bound for Impel Down, locked in the brig with your hands and feet bound in irons. No family, no friends, set to rot for at least the next few years in prison, if not for the rest of your life.

You were fairly certain your situation couldn't possibly get any worse.

The officer guarding the brig was leaning against the desk across from the stairs that led up to the main deck of the ship, polishing his rifle with a rag and gun oil and whistling to himself. He had an easy enough time of it—you were the only prisoner there, and you weren't bothering to give him a hard time. You had been aboard the damnable ship for three days, stiff and sore from your limited range of movement in the heavy shackles clamped around your wrists and ankles, the gravity of your situation weighing heavily on you, and there really wasn't any fight left in you.

Sudden shouting from the deck overhead made him pause and look up the stairs, his brow furrowing under the brim of his cap as you both listened.

"Open fire!"

"Pirates!"

"All hands! Man the guns!"

The officer glanced into your cell, shouldering his rifle as he tossed his rag on the desk and pointed at you.

"Not a peep, wench."

You just leaned back against the wall of the cell with a sigh. "Yup."

So your situation could get worse. Wonderful.

The ship rattled and shook, the cannon fire making your ears ring. Bits of the ceiling fell into the cell around you. You flinched when a hole was blown through the wall of the cell next to your own, the cannon ball rolling across the floor and clanging against the bars. Rather than rotting in prison, you were just flat out going to die.

A fitting end for a miserable few years.

And then all at once, you heard another voice call for ceasefire. The cannon fire stopped first, and slowly the sounds of fighting on the deck above your head fell into relative silence, peppered with animated chatter and laughter.

That could only mean one thing—the Marines had lost.

And your suspicions were confirmed when, a few minutes later, one of the senior cadets on board burst through the doors and sprinted down the stairs into the brig in an outright panic, whimpering, attempting to draw his pistol with shaking hands—but not before he was followed by a broad-shouldered man with a long black ponytail, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, holding a large rifle with one hand and leveling the barrel between the young Marine's eyes.

The pirates had won. You weren't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Oh, don't shoot the kid, Benn, just get him restrained."

You watched another pirate stroll down the stairs and lean into the wall at the edge of them, bright red hair framing his face, a long black cape hanging around one of his shoulders, and a pair of cutlasses slung over his shoulder—your cutlasses. He set them lightly on the desk and patted his crewmate on the shoulder a couple times as he passed.

There was only one man on the Grand Line that matched his description, and even having lived in a town too far inland to have had much experience with pirates, you had heard of him—Red-Haired Shanks, captain of the Red Hair Pirates, who held one of the highest bounties in the world.

"Be quicker to shoot him." Benn shrugged a shoulder. "Or just coldcock him over the head."

"Kid's probably already shit himself." Shanks grabbed a coil of rope from the wall and tossed it across to him. "No use adding injury to insult."

Benn rolled his eyes over toward his captain...and then his gaze flicked back a bit, landing on you as you glanced warily between him and Shanks. Benn gave a nod toward your cell, and your heart went from racing to ceasing entirely when Shanks turned his head and locked his gaze with your own.

He lifted his eyebrows a bit, his dark brown eyes glinting.

"Well, hello there." You swallowed as he approached the cell slowly. He wrapped his hand around one of the bars, leaning forward. Evidently your anxiousness was written all over your face, as he said next, reassuringly, "Don't worry love, we don't bite. Unless you make the idiot decision of opening fire on my ship," he added, raising his voice just a bit and tilting his head to look back at the Marine cadet, who was putting up absolutely no fight over having his hands tied behind his back now.

Shanks directed his gaze back over to you, flashing a charming grin. "So what're ya in for, sweetheart?"

You took a deep breath, and forced yourself to speak. "I—I, er—"

"She snuck into the base in Nanohana and attempted to break into the treasury vault," the cadet chimed in, and flinched as Benn shoved him down to sit against the wall.

He then grabbed the gun-oil rag from the desk and stuffed it in the cadet's mouth.

"Nobody asked you, kid," he said, leaning against the adjacent wall and crossing his arms, his rifle propped up against the wood paneling beside him.

Shank's grin only widened at that. "Did you really?" You nodded shortly, and he chuckled. "God, what a horrible crime," he went on, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Everyone knows the World Government is horrifically impoverished and doesn't have a single Berry to spare." He leaned a bit closer, resting his head against one of the iron bars. "How far did you get?"

"W...we had just gotten the vault open before we were surrounded," you said quietly. You couldn't tear your eyes away from his, as they widened and his eyebrows shot up toward his hairline, completely taken aback.

"Impressive," he said, his eyes passing over you slowly. He bit the corner of his lip thoughtfully, before his eyes returned to yours. "You said we. You have a crew?"

You shook your head. "It was just me and my friend. Well...more like my brother, really." Your eyes dropped to your knees for a moment. "He didn't make it," you said quietly, still not quite able to process it. Your best friend, your only friend, who you had known for twenty-three years, since you were a toddler.

Gone.

When you lifted your eyes back to the red-haired captain, his expression had softened considerably, mouth turned down in a small frown, his amusement replaced with genuine concern. "I'm terribly sorry to hear that, sweetheart," he said gently. He drew in a deep breath, and let it out as a slow sigh, before flipping his cape out of the way and taking a seat on the floor—and you noticed with a bit of shock as the cloak shifted that the left sleeve of his loose white shirt was empty.

He rest his elbow on his knee, leaning his chin into his palm, hand curled over his mouth for a long moment.

"Arabasta is around three days from here," he said finally. "Provided the wind cooperates, and honestly we could do with making port. We'd be more than happy to take you home."

You swallowed, your heart still pounding, still anxious, but for a different reason now. This man, who didn't even know your name, who was gazing at you with a gentle compassion spread across his handsome features that you were entirely unaccustomed to, offering to go out of his way just to get you home—this man had a bounty of over three billion berries?

After a moment, you shook your head. "Wouldn't be much use," you said, shrugging a shoulder. "I don't exactly have a home."

"Any family?" You shook your head—your father's death had been wholly unexpected, and led ultimately to the closing of his smithy, where the two of you and your "brother"—his apprentice—had also lived. Within less than a month you had been on the streets. "Friends?"

His face fell a little more every time you shook your head no. He ran the pad of his index finger over the top of his lips, glancing briefly at Benn.

Back at you, looking at you almost like you were a poor, abandoned puppy he wanted to take home.

He glanced at Benn again, longer this time, until his first mate sighed, straightening out from the wall. "I'll figure out who's got the keys," he said, already starting toward the door.

"Good man."

From the slam you heard, you were fairly sure he kicked the door open at the top, and his voice boomed over the loght chatter on the deck.

"Alright, you assholes. I'm gonna ask one of you who's got the keys to the brig. I don't get an answer in ten seconds, you're getting an extra hole in your head, and I move onto the next guy."

Your eyes widened a little as you looked toward the stairs, moving back over to Shanks as he laughed a little.

"Has a real knack for subtlety, doesn't he?" he said with a crooked grin. He leaned back, planting his hand on the floor behind him. "Seems you have two options, love. You can stay here, with a bunch of tied up Marines who want to take you—where, Impel Down?" You nodded, and he returned the nod. "Or..." He cooked his head slightly to one side, his grin widening a little. "We can break you out of here and you can come with us."

You blinked a few times. "And...go where?" you said slowly.

Her shrugged a shoulder. "Wherever the wind and the waves carry us."

He was asking you to join his crew. You felt your eyes widen a bit, and Shanks laughed softly when he saw his meaning had sunk in.

"I'd choose the latter option, personally," he said. "Never hurts to have another good thief on board."

"You...can't really say I'm a good thief, given..." You glanced down pointedly at the iron shackles around your ankles. "Well, circumstances."

"Ah..." He waved his hand dismissively. "Everyone makes mistakes early in their career. How long have you been thieving?"

"Two years," you said. "Since my father died. Mostly just...pick-pocketing and sneaking money pouches off vendors. This was the first actual break-in."

His eyes widened a bit. "Your first actual break-in," he said slowly, the corner of his mouth curving into a smirk, "was into a Marine base in a major city?"

You shrugged a shoulder, and nodded. He huffed out a sigh, shaking his head.

"Oh, I like you," he said in a low, flirtatious tone, his eyes making a slow pass over you that made your heart speed up and blood rush to your cheeks. "So tell me, princess...." He finally leaned forward again, resting his arm across his knee, and went on with a debonair grin. "Is there a pretty name to go with that pretty face?"

You managed to stammer out your name, your eyes wide as saucers. His smile softened as he shook his head a little, his gaze locked firmly onto yours as he spoke one word softly.

"Beautiful."

You jumped when the door opened, and both of you looked over as Benn descended the stairs, flicking a spent cigarette butt at the Marine cadet still seated in the corner. He tossed a ring of keys over to Shanks.

"Already informed everyone we have a new thief on the crew," he said flatly, tossing a ring of keys over to Shanks.

Shanks swiped them out of the air, grinning. "And how do you know that? I don't recall telling you."

Benn gave him a look equally as flat as his tone.

"Oh, lighten up, you grumpy old bastard," said Shanks jovially, pulling himself to his feet. Your eyes were glued to the keys as he flipped one out and tried it in the cell lock.

It didn't open.

"So what're we doing about this?" said Benn, gesturing broadly. "Caravel full of tied up Marines. Sink her? Just leave her adrift?"

Shanks shrugged. "Might as well just leave it. Take anything that isn't nailed to the floor."

There was a muffled sound of protest in the corner, and both men turned their gaze to the cadet.

Shanks tried the second key, with no success, as the cadet managed to turn his head and tug the cloth out of his mouth with traction from the shoulder of his coat. "Y—you can't just—there's no telling when another Marine ship will come by!"

Shanks snorted. "Or another pirate ship." He flipped to the next key, smirking. "So you'd rather I sink her?"

"W—well, no, but—but we—"

Benn had evidently heard enough. He rolled his eyes as he stooped down to pick up the cloth, and the cadet's jaw snapped shut immediately. Sighing in irritation, he grabbed the kid by his nose and held his nostrils shut until he was forced to open his mouth to take a gasp of air.

And Benn immediately shoved the cloth back into his mouth, and pointed a finger an inch from his nose. "Do it again and it'll be the last thing you ever do. Got it?"

The cadet nodded quickly, his eyes wide circles of terror.

The third key turned, and the lock clicked. You expelled a heavy sigh of relief at the sound. Shanks chuckled lightly as he watched you lean your head back against the damp wall behind you. "No need to worry, love," he said, kneeling down at your feet and flipping to the attached set of smaller keys for the cuffs and shackles. "I can pick a lock when I need to." He freed the first one, leveling his eyes with yours, and a small shiver coursed up your spine as he reached out and brushed a few strands of hair behind your ear, his thumb briefly caressing your flushed cheek. "I'm not letting a few iron bars and chains keep me from you."

"Oh dear god," Benn grumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes, and you almost giggled a little, biting your lip. The guy wasn't wrong, Shanks was laying it on pretty thick.

Though you weren't really complaining.

Shanks glanced back at him as he set to unlocking the second shackle, feigning surprise. "Oh, are you still here?" he said with a sarcastic smirk. He turned his attention back to the irons. "I fear I forgot there was anyone else in the room for a moment."

He glanced up and gave you a little wink before tossing the shackles away, and touched your shoulder lightly to indicate for you to lean forward so he could get to the cuffs wrapped around your wrists.

Benn leveled his eyes with yours, glancing at his captain, and gave a small snort of laughter. "Good luck."

And with that, he headed back up the stairs.

"Oh, don't listen to him, sweetheart."

Shanks chuckled, leaning over you to quickly unlock the shackles, so close you could feel the heat of his body, smell the leathery scent of his cologne mingling with a subtler hint of spiced rum. Your heart raced as he stood back up, dropped the cuffs, and held out his hand, smiling.

You hesitated for the briefest of moments, before placing your hand in his. He pulled you to your feet...and then flush against his chest, grinning as he wrapped his arm around your waist.

"I promise I'm perfectly harmless."

[loganwritesprobably]

Love Looks Different

Some t4t love between a FTM!Reader and Crocodile, Mihawk and Ace. If people were interested I'd happily take a stab at trying a MTF!Reader too

Content/Warnings: FTM!Reader, FTM!Crocodile, FTM!Mihawk, FTM!Ace, fluff, t4t love, Cross Guild era for Croc & Mihawk, pre-Marineford for Ace, pretty much all fluff, Reader takes T + has had top surgery in Croc's section, Reader wears a binder in Mihawk's section, Reader and Ace are both pre-top surgery in Ace's section and sunbathe shirtless

Crocodile had woken earlier than you, as was usual. It would be nice to not wake up alone occasionally but you weren't one to complain. You'd known what you were getting into when you began to date ex-Warlord Sir Crocodile.

You padded out from your shared bedroom to the main living area of your shared tent, itching at the scars on your chest. A breakfast was already made for you, and keeping warm in the oven. You smiled and collected the sausage and bacon sandwich from the oven, quickly turning the appliance off, then dropped into the beanbag Crocodile had bought just for you, getting comfortable while you ate your breakfast. The paper was waiting for you on the side table beside the beanbag, and you happily took it in hand for some light morning reading.

"Sweetheart, are you up?" Crocodile asked softly as he walked into the tent, spotting you reading the paper almost immediately. "Yeah, I'm up. You need something?" You asked, taking the final bite of your breakfast sandwich. "Yes actually, would you mind doing my shot for me? My hand is trembling more than usual today." He asked, and you could see that he was embarrassed despite him trying to hide it. "Of course. I'll do yours, then I can do mine." You said, taking your lover's hand to be helped out of the beanbag, his eyes fond and your smile wide. You were only too happy to help.

You swung your blade, making contact with your buddy's. The sound resonated in your bones, and it felt good to get frustration out. You'd sourced someone from Buggy's crew to spar with, even if he wasn't as good as you usually would prefer to train with, he was serving his purpose.

"Darling - what are you doing?" Mihawk called out as he strode toward the training ground. You paused the sparring you were doing and wiped your brow with the hem of your shirt, nodding for the pirate to leave for now. "Just getting my blood pumping, and some energy out." You replied, approaching your boyfriend with a smile. You rested your sword against a barrel and reached up to kiss him. "With your binder on?" He asked with a raised brow, reaching beneath your shirt to tug at the hem of the item. You grimaced, a little embarrassed that you'd been caught. You hadn't come out here with intentions of doing dangerous exercise but you had forgotten you'd had it on until you'd already started and figured it was good training. "I won't always have time to take it off before a fight. I should train for the possibility." You replied, tangling your fingers in the ends of Mihawk's hair. "You should minimise the risk to your body by only doing it in dire circumstances." Mihawk retorted, not pleased by the reasoning you'd given him. You rested your forehead against his, sighing softly. You knew he was right, you were just being careless.

"I know how uncomfortable it is to take it off around Buggy's men. You can't guarantee they'll understand. But you know I am always here to defend you, should you need it." Mihawk assured you, rubbing a slow and gentle hand over your back, he then kissed your forehead. Your free hand traced up Mihawk's toned chest and slipped beneath his coat. His scars were practically gone, healed so well, but small signs of his major surgery remained, at the very edges of where his pecs now were, almost in his armpits. One day, the both of you would walk around with your chests proudly on display. For now, you let him be proud enough for the both of you.

You strode out onto the deck of the Moby Dick, glancing around for your partner. Ace was around here somewhere, you were sure. You spotted Thatch and Izou sitting together and chatting, and Pops was nowhere to be found. The deck was pretty quiet actually.

"Oh, finally, maybe you can talk some sense into him!" Haruta called out upon spotting you. You approached him with a confused smile, but you had a distinct feeling it was about Ace. "What's up?" You asked once the distance between you was shorter, coming to a stop beside your friend. "He's sunbathing with no shirt on." Haruta said, pointing in Ace's direction. It took you a minute of staring to realise what the problem was with that, and began to loudly laugh. He was sunbathing with his tits out. "No different to anyone else." You retorted with a shrug and a wink, removing your own shirt where you stood to join your lover. They were still adjusting and you didn't hold anything against them for it, it was too funny to be offended anyway.

You lay down on the deck beside Ace and laced your fingers together. "You're doing this on purpose." You said to him, and you didn't need to explain for him to understand. "Thatch blamed me for the state of the kitchen. I haven't even been in there today." Ace responded. "What was the state of the kitchen?" "Flour everywhere." "Oh, yeah, that wasn't you that was me." The two of you erupted into laughter, content to lay there together to enjoy the warm sun and just being together.

Requests are open! See below links for my other works, and how to leave requests. I write both canon/canon and canon/reader requests for your enjoyment

AO3 | Fanfic Masterlist | Request Rules | Fic Trades Guide | WIPs

Tags: @claryeverlarkf @uselessboots

[oskea93]

☨ Fire Away ☨ Chapter Nine (Part two) ▾ Caius Volturi x OC ▾ ▲ Warning: Cursing, physical abuse ▲

⍏Taglist: @xoxoindigo @vampluv3r @ladysybilchronicles​ @badkitty83 @volturgeist​ @theplagueworm​ @dogmom2014  @hybridlamb @clandestine-nerd  @yourfamilyfriendsatan​ @yourlocalrockstarsimp @violetlilites​ @quennconstanceuniverse​ @soraththefallenangel  @cancankiki​ @jamiebowerslut @okimreadynow​ @R2quellyz @historyandfandoms50  @dogmom2014 @kaitieskidmore1​​ @quinnswife86 @wooya1224​ @e-munson666​ @nessaisboring​ @j-herondale121109​ @greatfandom​ @fayythe _______________________________________________

“You going to shoot me, nephew? Kill me in front of everyone – your wife, friends, unborn child?” Aro smiled. “Would be a shame for poor Vanessa to explain to the Volturi heir that his father is in prison or perhaps dead because he killed his poor, defenseless Uncle Aro. You don’t want that for your son.” Caius’s hand shook as the barrel of the gun pressed against Aro’s forehead. “Vanessa, darling-“His eyes shifted towards me. “You don’t want your son to be without a father, do you?”

I watched as he walked into the bathroom – his bruised eyes focusing straight ahead. It had been almost nine hours since I last saw him – Aro and his goons “setting him straight” after the stunt he pulled at the funeral. He said very little as he entered our room – the sight of his appearance causing my jaw to drop in shock. Blood stains splattered across the white shirt he wore underneath the suit jacket – his dress pants covered in dirt and dried blood. I removed myself from the bed as I followed his steps, slowly opening the door as the steam from the shower poured out. His dirty clothes littered the floor as his silhouette shown through the fogged glass.

I began to undress – my hand going over the bump as I took a deep breath. The warmth from the shower floated past the door as I stepped behind him – my arms instinctively wrapping around his middle as I rested my head against his back. His rigid body slowly starting to relax as he placed his hands on mine. We stayed like that for a few moments before he turned, brining my body close to his. We were both silent as I examined his face – bruises and cuts – all at the hand of his darling uncle.

“Don’t worry about me, love.” His voice heavy.

I reached up, gently touching his face as tears welled in my eyes. How could Aro do that to his own nephew, his flesh and blood? They were both hurting from the loss of Marcus – this was uncalled for. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head, “You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart.” His hand softly resting on my stomach- our eyes locking. “I understand why you didn’t tell me.”

I stared off into the distance, tears welling in my eyes as the dishes shattered against any hard surface in the kitchen. He arrived home in a state of rage – partially due to the alcohol that he had previously ingested. His face was battered and bruised at the hand of his uncle and his henchmen. Everything was suddenly my fault – Him not being able to be there with Marcus – Marcus’s death – The strain the Volturi family was now under. All of it. All of it was my fault and bringing a baby into the mix was the straw that was now breaking the camel’s back. I flinched as his hands grabbed roughly onto my bare arms, no doubt leaving marks where his fingers dug into the skin.

“Caius!” Charlotte’s voice echoed through the room as she tore his hands off of me. “Are you out of your mind?” Her arms wrapped protectively around my body. “This is your wife – the mother of your unborn child. You have no right treating her in this manner – no right at all.” He rolled his eyes as he stumbled backwards. “Stay out of it, Charl-“

“I will do no such thing, Caius.” Her voice stern. “I practically raised you as if you were one of my own and I am ashamed – appalled of your actions.”

I stayed silent; my eyes settled on the marble flooring. “This is your wife, Caius. What happened between your uncle is not her fault and how dare you blame her for the trouble he has caused. He needs to be the one you’re yelling at – turn your anger towards him, not your pregnant wife.” I glanced up – our eyes connecting. “If I see one more bruise or hear you yelling at her again, you will not like what I do, dear Caius.”

A smirk appeared on his face, “Are you threatening me, Charlotte?” His voice dripping with venom. “

She took a step forward, “Don’t cross me, young man…”

We didn’t speak to one another for over a week. Caius kept his distance – sleeping in the guest room and doing all his business outside of the house. I wasn’t going to be the first to crack. I wasn’t the one who was in the wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I missed his warmth and touch, but I wasn’t gonna crack just because of that. I kept busy by helping Charlotte out in the garden or going around town, visiting the different shops and landmarks. Even though he wasn’t speaking to me, he made sure that I was being watched 24/7. Two men perched outside the house and three trailing behind as I ventured around town.

“So what time is the appointment?”

I placed the fork back onto the dish, “3:15 is the ultrasound and then I see the doctor afterward.”

She smiled, “How lovely!”

Today was the day I would find out the gender of the baby – our baby. I had texted Caius to let him know about the appointment but he never answered to tell me if he was coming or not. This was the visit I had been dreading the most – the fate of the Volturi family was in my hands and today was judgement day. Aro’s words ran through my head daily – A newborn male was what the family needed – a male heir that can lead the Volturi name into the next generation.

“Would you like to go with me?” Her eyes connecting with mine. “I mean –“ I paused. “I messaged Caius to let him know but he never said anything. Don’t want to experience this moment alone.”

She stayed silent for a moment, “I appreciate the gesture, sweet Vanessa but don’t you think your mother should be the one going?”

I hadn’t spoken to my mother in almost four months – not since our wedding day. She never tried to call or reach out – no one did. The only famly I had left was the one I married into – a bipolar husband and his mentally unstable uncle. Even though she wasn’t a Volturi, Charlotte was the only constant I had. She was the mother figure I now needed in my life -especially now that a baby was involved.

I shook my head, “No.” I answered. “You don’t get invited to something like this when you’ve abandoned your daughter over money. I want you to be there with me, Charlotte. You’ve been nothing but gracious and loving towards me since I’ve arrived. I consider you to be family – you’re like a mother to me.”

I could tell my words really touched her – and they were the God’s honest truth. My mother had no idea I was pregnant – and she would never know at this point. “Alright, dear –“ She paused as she untied the apron. “Let me gather my things.” I watched as she walked towards her room, the sound of another set of footprints entering from the backyard. “Dearest Vanessa.” Aro’s sinister voice sounded – my body turning harshly as he approached. “Glowing and beautiful as ever.” His eyes moving up my body, the smile on his face absolutely sickening. I instinctively placed my hand over my stomach – protecting the child anyway I could.

He circled me like I was a poor, defenseless prey in the wild – his eyes never leaving mine.

“Where you off to this late in the day?”

I cleared my throat, “I have a hair appointment.” I lied. “I’m taking Charlotte with me.” His eyes narrowed, trying to see through fact or fiction.

“Is that so?”

I nodded my head, hitching my purse strap higher on my shoulder. I wouldn’t think Caius would tell him that today was the gender reveal appointment- he didn’t even reply back to my message when I told him. Aro and Caius – from my understanding- were still not on speaking terms. Caius did his business away from his Uncle, choosing to pick up certain things that belonged solely to Marcus.

“Well hopefully not too short, darling –“His hand reaching out for the random strand that has fallen from the clip. “Us Volturi men are suckers for long hair, especially when it belongs to a beautiful woman such as yourself, Vanessa.”

I felt like I needed to take another shower as his eyes continued to rake down my body – his hand slowly running down my arm as he released the strand.

“Vanessa?”

A sense of relief washed over me hearing Caius’s voice as he walked toward his uncle and I – a protective arm pulling me into his side. “Everything okay here?” He directed the question towards Aro.

I glanced between the two men as they glared at one another – the sickening smile from before etched back onto Aro’s face. “Peachy, nephew. Just speaking with your lovely bride about her new haircut she’s getting. Told her how much we love long hair on beautiful woman.”

Caius looked down at me, his eyes searching mine. “She’ll look beautiful no matter what she does with her hair. Be a lot easier with short hair when the baby gets here.”

This was the first time he acknowledged our child.

“Oh yes – my future great nephew.” Aro smiled. “Can’t wait for the little guy to make his appearance and learn all about our family – become the future leader of the family. We have lots to teach him, dear Caius.”

Caius stayed silent, his fingers curling into my sides. “What child wouldn’t want to be born into a powerful family such as ours – loved and feared at the same time.” He paused for a moment. “Isn���t that right, Vanessa?” I chose not to answer, shifting my body into Caius’s. “Well-“ His smile fell. “Don’t want you to be late for your important meeting, darling.”

I watched as he slowly walked away, looking back as he did before exiting the room. I let out a sigh of relief as I felt Caius’s body relax as well. We didn’t say anything to one another at first – the air awkward between us.

“I got your text.” Caius spoke.

I nodded my head, “Yeah-“ I paused. “Charlotte is going with me, so you don’t have to worry.” My tone was short. “I’ll put the picture in your office so you can see when you get back.”

His eyes stayed glued to the floor as the room became silent once again. I didn’t have time to play this game again. Sighing, I started making my way towards the door, his icy hand wrapping around my wrist, turning me towards him. His blue eyes glassy as his looked at me. “I’m sorry for the way I acted, Vanessa. It was a shit thing to do, and I never meant any of those words.”

“I had to hear that you're fucking knocked up by Aro in front of God and everyone else at that fucking funeral. Do you know how that makes me look, Vanessa? Do you know how that makes you fucking look? You don’t even tell your own fucking husband that you're having a baby, but yet my uncle knows before I fucking do!”

Tears fell from my eyes as he yelled – glass shattering on the floor as he continued his tantrum.

“Not only do I have to deal with Marcus’s death and the wrath of Aro, now I have to worry about your ass and that fucking baby. I got enough shit to deal with already, Vanessa. I don’t need to worry about a fucking child right now. Sometimes I think you do things on purpose – was getting pregnant one of those things? You already had it in your mind that you wanted to get knocked up and possibly leave me and make me give you child support?”

He walked closer to me, towering over my body as I sat back in the chair. “How do I even know that’s my baby?” His eyes moving down my body. “For all I know you could have fucked around with Michael or Daniel. Fuck-“ He chuckled. “My uncle wants an heir so badly for this family, you could have fucked him just so it had Volturi blood in its body.”

My hand collided with the side of his already bruised face – the crack echoing throughout the kitchen.

“I better go.” I spoke. “Charlotte’s waiting for me in the car.”

He hung his head as I pulled my wrist out of his hold. I was still hurt by what he had said but I was afraid to just let him back in again. He was drunk when he spoke those vial words – drunkenness always brings out true feelings. I wanted to believe that his apology was sincere, but I couldn’t take that chance right now…

I couldn’t stop looking at the ultrasound picture. Tears rolled down my cheeks as the bold word on the photo mocked me. I was supposed to be happy and ecstatic after finding out the gender of my child – trying to pick out names and the design of the nursery. I had all those thoughts in my mind but either side of the coin spelled trouble not only for myself but for my child.

“Vanessa, darling –“Charlotte comforted me. “Let’s get you something to eat, dear.” Her eyes searched mine. She was in the room when the technician told us the gender. She smiled as I looked over at her but deep down, she knew what I was thinking.

Alexander was always a name I liked for a little boy. Alexander Blake Volturi was the name I had placed together weeks ago as I researched names. I had more boy names picked out – my fear being that it would indeed be a little boy. This was what Aro wanted – needed. I would often pray that it be a boy – too afraid to think of what he would do if it was a little girl. Even though I wanted a son – my heart ached because I knew what his future held. He would become just like his father. Groomed to take over the family business and legacy.

Charlotte and I stopped at a little dinner outside of town – both wanting somewhere quiet and low-key. We ate in mostly silence – making small talk here and there about how the food was and if the other was okay. The drive back home was short as the radio filled the silence. I wished Charlotte goodnight before walking towards the kitchen, the sight of Daniel and Michael shocking me as they spoke with Caius. Their conversation coming to an end once they saw me – tight smiles on their faces as they greeted. Ever since Marcus’s death, Caius had become closer to the brothers – Daniel more than Michael. My encounters with Michael still fresh in my mind – his dislike towards my husband still present in his body language. I didn’t bother sticking around, telling my husband that I would see him upstairs. The ultrasound picture feeling like a ton of bricks inside of my purse.

[remotus11]

Shit ton of FoE OCs that I don't have refs for

(or i have but they're fugly lol)

Long post under cut

Hawk

Not his real name, hawk is ashamed of his actual name an cutiemark so hides them.

Been there, done that, done her, done him, done all of em))

Forgot to add that he's short as fuck. This is weight reduction for better flight trust me bro

Bro fucks everything that moves. Element of Disloyalty

He got few funny outfits

Fading Light

The failed "Protagonist tm"

Tried to become a princess like Twi by creating Elements of Disharmony but womp womp

Went insane with revenge after failing her "Protagonist tm " goals, fused with her dark creepy def cursed magic amulet and became Rising Dark (sth like Nightmare Moon)

Rosalia and Wolfheart

"Wolf" is read like in german with "o" sound instead of "oo"

Mafia boss and her bodyguard husband :3

Rosalia has a dress and a rose for every occasion

Muzzle Flash and Barrel Blaze

Famous gunslingers in the past, were called The Bullet Brothers

Muzzle Flash wears his brothers bandana after his death

Barrel is Thunder Blast's shitty alcoholic father. Well was until Thunder fried this head into the ground. Best son in the world :)

Muzzle is Thunders uncle, not the best moral example but at least he didn't drink. He's like 75 now, retired from mercs and owns a gun shop

Polly Pint and Molly Mint

Twin sisters. Polly was a barpony and Molly was a farmer

Polly was good friends with Muzzle and Barrel and sometimes babysat Thunder. Unsuccessfully tried to seduce Muzzle Flash cos her boring husband died and she was bored lol. But his aro/ace ass wouldn't give in

Both sisters had died of old age

King Carmine

Self-proclaimed Changeling king with basically no hive yet

Worked as a prostitute at the Blue-winged Filly brothel (blue-winged grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens) is called голубокрылая кобылка(filly) in russian also has similar name in ukrainian, but this world play and brothels grasshopper theme doesn't really work in english idk) under two alter egos Caramel Carmine and her male counterpart Carmine Caramel to feed of scraps of lust in this evil loveless world *dramatic faint*

Kinda reformed after he found out he can love (but in abusive and obsessive way)

Before reformation

Has been born way before The War, served Chrysalis as a soldier, been there at the Canterlot Wedding( i don't care about FoEs actual canon ok all the shit happened after season 4!!!!!). When the War happened fell into hibernation, woke up the present day with no conection to the Hive.

I could make him an Element of Greed but idk honesty

No name yet idk lol (feel free to propose some names if you want)

Element of Unhappiness

Sprite was made in Pony town cause Ashes town had no good mane options

No cutiemark is intentional she's an adult but haven't done anything meaning in her life besides sitting in the Stable 49 and being depressed

Beefy Butchers

You can certainly trust her with a knife yes definitely give her a knife nothing bad would happen she's totaly a sane person :)

Порохобот ( полное имя Жигуль Порошенкович Прайм)

There's no translation to that shit lmao sorry not sorry

Broken and lost military robot that Hawk was tasked to retrieve, before saying "fuck it i'm leaving" to another military organization for a 1000th time lol

Kebab lol

Feral kirin ghoul. His nirik form burns with balefire

"kebab has rotten"

"ow fuck kebab is buuuuurning"

That's it lol for now...

[aro-barrel]

A continuation of my thoughts on alienation:

I am always acutely aware of the amatonormativity seeping into every facet of society, but there are moments where I get jolted out of my aro body when people around me begin discussing relationships, crushes, or their single status. That’s when the record plays in my head and all I think is, I can’t relate, I can’t relate. And then I wonder if I’m supposed to acquiesce to the dominant worldview of romance as legitimate and universal or if I can state my position without being dismissed. I’m known as the romance hater and have a reputation as being severely not-romance-brained. People close to me know I’m aromantic, but most people don’t know what to do with it and have already made base assumptions. I think the move to acceptance has made it easy for self-identified “progressive” people to accept my identity at face value, but ultimately have zero understanding of what I represent. The most amatonormative bullshit will spill from their mouths, posturing as conventional life wisdom. And I’m supposed to keep my mouth shut and take it? When I make attempts to dismantle romance as a concept, I'm just some fucking cynical hater. When I lightly joke “Who needs romance? All you need are ride or die homies,” I might get a laugh and they might say “You’re right, romance is overrated,” but they don’t mean it. Not the way I do.

I can explain the banality of romance. The complexity of the spectrum of human relationships. I can offer scientific papers on marriage happiness outcomes. I can explain the way I feel, lovequeer and loveless, but without using the terms that will make people look at me like I’m obscene. Boy can I explain. But when I finish, I sense their dismissal—because romance is a gleaming, golden wonderland they’ve been promised from the day they were exposed to amatonormativity. It’s too beautiful a vision to give up.

I don’t think I can forget the day I told a close friend of mine, “I think I might be aromantic.” They stopped for the briefest moment, then waved me off and said “Nah, you can’t be. You like watching romances in shows.” And so flippantly, my journey of self-discovery was dismissed. And from someone who accepted my gayness and aceness without a hitch. I think, romance as a means of relating and as being emblematic of the human experience has made it too easy for people to equate humanness with romantic love. In order to accept my aromanticism, they must separate their own experiences from mine and relegate me to a categorization that is “less human” and “strange.” In other words, queer. As unfortunate as the story is, I think it’s funny that a non-queer would think my ability to occasionally enjoy romantic plot lines is related in any way to my aromanticism. But I think it displays how strange the associations are and what the “default human” looks like to a majority of people. They can just project the image of “default human person” onto you until you disrupt it and things get uncomfortable.

That friend avoids talking to me about romance now. The excuse is “you’re disinterested” and “you hate talking about that stuff.” Yes, I am “accepted,” but I’ve inadvertently become othered. And the thing is, I fucking love talking about relationships. I love dissecting them and discovering what makes relationships worthwhile. I love queering the human experience. But in the end, the amatonormative world makes it seem as though I am responsible for my alienation. I’m taking a hammer to the fragile romance they put on a pedestal. My existence is disruptive and ugly to behold. I represent possibilities beyond the norm. To accept me as human is to accept the failure of romance.

[mindelectricdemofour]

if I want a man, then imma get a man

March 13: Solidarity / Hobbies (the hobby is mischief and lying)

Prompts: @mcyt-aro-week // ao3 Link: if I want a man, then imma get a man // Title: meghan trainor - no

It was a Thursday afternoon and Grian was experiencing shrimp emotions.

“Ugh-” The waters splashed as a book (Bane of Arthropods II) hit the surface, soon sinking under.

Grian stared at it with utter contempt.

“I mean, we've been through so much, and- I mean you treat me like I'm what- like I'm disposable!” The fishing rod was long forgotten. Grian's lips were pursed, eyes never leaving the book. “You are the worse, I hate you- no, please take me back!” 

He wasn't one for relationships, but right now, it felt like he was in one. One that ended in bitter divorce and fighting over who would care for the kids on the weekends. All because the ocean refused to give him a simple Mending tome. Really how hard could it be, to get one? Scar even got one! It was like the ocean was purposefully keeping him from it, cackling at his many failed attempts while throwing Mending at Scar and Gem. Anyone but him. 

He could imagine it now. The toxic relationship, the fighting, the begging. It felt like he could write a poem right now. Or a rock ballad.

He hadn't even noticed he was on his hands and knees. Although he was fully preparing to dive into the ocean if the next catch wasn't Mending, so he supposed the position reflected his mental state.

“Uh. What's wrong with you.”  “Ah-!” Grian jolted, eyes wide staring at Joel. The other man had seemingly materialised beside him. Joel wore a blank, uninterested stare.

“You scared the heck out of me, jesus-” Even as Grian explained, Joel still stood, waiting for him to answer the question.

What exactly was Grian doing? Did he even know? Moping and whining wouldn't get him closer to that Mending book.

He may have sat here too long. He'd lost track.

“Feuding with my ex wife,” was what came out his mouth, instead of any semblance of clear thoughts.

Joel glanced between him and ocean.

“...the sea?”

Grian nodded. Fuck it, he was dating the sea now. Instead continuing whatever weird bit they'd gotten themselves into, Joel just accepted it.

“Wow. That’s rough…” He blinked towards the ocean once more before glancing at Grian. “Well. Have fun getting mending from your… ex.” He squinted his eyes on saying ‘ex.’ “...I may have married your ex in a past life. Sorry-”

Before Grian could even process that Joel had said anything, (and what he’d said, because what the hell did that mean?) he was gone. Vanished with the wind.

But he’d left Grian with an idea.

An idea he couldn’t help but capitalise on.

//

“Fish endorsed by the Ocean. Ethically sourced,” The sign on Grian's post read. He was rather proud of it too. He adjusted it a little, thinking with a finger on his lips before adding the price.

Five diamonds seemed fair. If they were endorsed by the sea itself. They weren't ethically sourced of course, but he figured nobody would call him out on it.

“What's all this then?” He barely heard Mumbo's footsteps as the other man approached. There was barely any time to respond, as Mumbo was already reading his sign. “...Sourced by… the sea..? One would hope so… Also who is paying five diamonds for fish?”

Mumbo's eyes glanced back to Grian. Suspicious.

Grian swallowed his doubts and put on his act.

“Yeah, so I found out recently that the sea is my ex wife.” Grian hopped onto a barrel beside the sign. “I know, I know, horrible thing to forget but the sea is cold and unforgiving and I'm not that so I put it out of mind…”

Mumbo looked skeptical, (as he did most of the time Grian talked,) but hadn't interrupted him yet. Grian counted that as a win.

“...so then come to I remember the other day, our passionate love for each other, the coldness she treated me with, everything. But I'm doing this as I'm cooking up fish right-”

“I thought you didn't date?” Mumbo finally interrupted. But Grian had figured this out too.

“Yeah that's why we broke up,” he answered as flatly as possible before continuing, not letting Mumbo's mind dwell on it for more than a few seconds. 

“And I cook up the fish while I'm remembering and I look down. Because, I didn't remember that while we dated, we had kids.”

Grian lent in, eyes wide, putting his hand on Mumbo's shoulders. He had to sell this. “They were my kids Mumbo. I was cutting up my own fishy children, and oh-” He pulled away, fake sobbing. “-I can't even think about, just take them. Five diamonds for a stack. I can't be remembered for this awful deed.”

Mumbo did not look nearly as convinced as Grian had hoped. However he did look towards the price and then at Grian again. “I guess five diamonds isn't that much in the grand scheme of things.” He lent towards the barrel, Grian quickly jumping off, and sorted through the fish.

And then stopped. 

Grian grew nervous. Mumbo had thought of something.

“Do you have a permit for these..?”

…

Shit.

 He forgot to figure that part out. Grian deflated. “Uh-”

“That's what I thought.”

“I'd figured everything else out though. And you were ready to buy them because of my trials and tribulations.” It felt so upsetting to see his whole routine go to waste. And Mumbo was about to buy too! He could see the way his eyes became enraptured as Grian talked about the sea and lost love and whatever other poetic words sprung from his mouth. 

..

And then Mumbo spoke.

“We don't have to throw the whole thing away.” Grian hadn't even noticed his friend’s mind deep in thought. One hand was clasped around his chin. Eventually Mumbo looked away. “How about we adapt it a little for our wart blocks?”

...

Grian felt his face light up. He could work with that.

[willothewispwisteriadawn]

Rambling: Anyone else think it’s important to Kaz Brekker’s character that he ISN’T Aro/Ace?

See, I get nervous making analyses like this because it’s hard not to make it sound aggressively like “how dare you have an head canon?” But I kind of want to share my personal reading of this. I went into SoC thinking Kaz was asexual, because I’d heard that. Then I read his backstory bit from CK and… it basically directly says that he’s not. He’s got trauma-induced haphephobia. As he got older, he really wanted to have physical intimacy with women, and we see this when CK mentions that he was very attracted to a girl named Imogen and wanted to have the relationship with her he saw the other dregs having with their girlfriends and wives.

He set out to try and work through his psychological problems so that he could touch others’ skin again, and he realized he couldn’t practice this because whenever people saw him fail, it compromised his future as a barrel boss by showing an obvious weakness. So he intentionally ruined things with Imogen and went hard on developing the lore behind covering his hands. He let people believe he was just evil, and that he never touches people not because he can’t but because he hates people.

He made a conscious decision to appear to despise intimacy even though he doesn’t because a) skin contact triggers him after what he went through as a kid and b) he knows that any fondness he shows for a person will endanger his Crows. And we see constantly that this concern is incredibly founded, because Kaz uses that tactic against other bosses and Van Eck attempts to do it to him with Inej. And the fact that Van Eck totally buys that Kaz doesn’t care about Inej personally is what saves her from losing her legs! This moment causes a rift between Inej and Kaz, but it also acts as proof that how Kaz acts is necessary, because his enemies are that screwed up.

Idk, I just think it’s incredibly vital to how the book and Kaz himself are written that he is very into the idea of sexual intimacy but is forced not to pursue it. I think that’s what makes the POV of Inej (and all the Crows in differing ways) interesting as well because, from her perspective, she loves Kaz and he only treats her as a purchased asset. He makes a point of putting distance between himself and the Crows. That hurts them but is intended to be a show for the enemies watching. And there’s just great dramatic irony when you get to Kaz’s POV and see that his internal workings are much more complicated than what the other Crows physically see. I think this is why Netflix Kaz seemed different. You can’t depict this part of him outside a book. You have to give him more openly soft moments so the audience realizes he cares since they can’t hear his inner monologues.

But I digress.

And this isn’t to say many different kinds of people can’t still identify with Kaz or individual parts of his story! If there’s one aspect of him that you think represents something you feel, then articulate that! But as a total character, I think something different from aro/ace was written. This is a guy who really *wants* physical intimacy and can’t have it. It’s important to Kaz that his trauma stole something that he wanted, and that’s hard on him— it’s not just that he doesn’t feel the desire. That’s a different experience.

[fishklok]

"New" Mtl OC (she's actually my oldest oc and her mtl verse has existed in my head for years now lol)

Sorrel was a French pop star back in the 80s, but when her star faded she redirected her focus towards science. She has a PhD in chemical engineering. During the early seasons, she was one of the scientists working with Dr. Amonolith Chesterfield to help develop the drug that would later be used to control Snakes N' Barrels. Later in the show, she's hired by Charles and she joins Mordhaus' team of scientists.

Fast facts:

Aro-ace

Snakes N' Barrels is her favorite band of all time.

Actually, it's the only band she listens to.

Seriously, she only owns one CD and it's No Time For Antivenom.

[lucy-the-cat]

Rq Flash Fic Fridays

Continued from this post:

Evangeline whipped around. "You speak French?"

Farley rolled her eyes. "Quebecois, oui."

"Cool, cool, cool." Her nails scraped down the cup. "Here's the thing: she's cute. You're not."

It had been enlightening to realize it was not a name Cal was struggling with, but a language, one Evangeline had insisted she could speak fluently for years. A lie she never thought would come back to bite her.

Farley slid towards the customer area, but Evangeline grabbed her arm. She would've spat if it weren't beneath her. "I told you, Canada, she's mine."

"Too late." Maven emerged from behind the curtain. "Got her order."

"Brilliant." Evangeline massaged her temples. "How'd you even--?"

"I know French."

"Of course. Why not."

He studied his nails. "And Latin, English, Italian, Greek, Spanish--"

"We get it, you're very special."

"Thank you, Evangeline." Maven leaned against the wall. "She wanted to know if you were single. Unfortunately she's been made aware that you're on the hard end of the aro-ace spectrum, so if you would be a dear and hand me that towel--"

She snapped it in his face, grabbing the nearest cup and scribbling something illegible. The coffee nearly burned her hand as she poured. "This goes on your head next time."

He grimaced. "Did you even read the order?"

"No time!"

She pushed past a bewildered Cal, barreling into the serving section. Her gum fell out of her pocket, and Maven popped a piece in his mouth. "Yeah she's totally fired."

@drewtanakagf @nortaeventcouncil

[lordsovorn]

People I wanna know better tag meme

Thanks for the tag @uncontrol-freak :)

Last song?

...there's something special in listening to a song specifically when it's accompanied by a meme. no, I did not play the game. no I never listened to the song before

Before that was Silent Hill 2 "Promise", "All I want for Christmas is you but there is a metal pipe sound effect on every chord change", a 3-hour long ambience of Amnesia: The Bunker's Safe Room and a mash-up of MGR's "Red Sun" with Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi"

I have diverse music tastes

Favorite color?

Yellow, all kinds of yellow! Soft purple, deep black in second places (non-binary flag lol)

Currently watching?

Metal Gear Rising memes by L Void. History videos (about Timbuktu, punitive psychiatry in USSR, the cult of Isis, for example). Oh, and Frieren, and just binged Dungeon Meshi manga (wasn't terribly impressed by the anime, but the memes drew me in, and oh boy was it worth it)

Last movie?

Hmmmm, I barely watch movies honestly. Midsommar, back when I gave several horror movies a go somewhere in early autumn?..

I enjoyed it, the camerawork and framing are incredible, musical tone is surreal and it's quite tasteful in presenting its violence, and the story is provocative in an interesting way. I'm not sure about my judgement given how little experience with movies and horror movies I have, but it was an interesting experience for me.

Sweet/Spicy/Savory?

Spicy!

First comes to mind because I love spicy cocoa, but...

..but also can I have everything please I love food I love having taste buds

Relationship status?

"Izutsumi by herself"

I'm ace and probably aro, so not even sure how to apply that question to myself. Open to collecting more humans :)

Current obsessions?

Amnesia: The Bunker. I can't stop thinking about the knuckle-walking monster with broken silhouette lines, about the lighting choices, about how good BARRELS feel to tilt and shove, and how the game gives you so many sensible instruments (running, revolver, door locks) and then goes "well, about that..."

Last thing you googled?

Khazarian Khaganate. I wanted to show a friend a map of Khazarian Khaganate to visually illustrate a spontaneuos history lesson about the Pan-Eurasian Steppe and the fall of Kyivan Rus.

Selfie or another pic you took?

I don't do many selfies, I don't look good on my phone's camera. I have this self-portrait from spring of the last year though! My hair is even longer now, heh

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Tagging @sabbitabbi, @onkazhaba, @ggauroras, @nylmoth, @beachboogeyman - if you want, of course :)

[cute-girls-from-vns-anime-manga]

yuu san from bloom into you reads as very aro for most of the manga

Reading like and actually is asexual are two different things to me, dont misunderstand the ace rep in bloom into you is absolutely one of the highlights in the series for me. To me the early writing of Yuu never came off to me as being aroace, more like she was still very much undecided and Touko barreling into her life basically confirmed things for her.

Maki is 100% confirmed as aroace and his converstaion with Yuu describing being like a spectator to a game everyone else plays is quite a good way of putting it.