#i believe that they are so very qpr to me

[mystiffox]

— créme de la créme

hello crk nation its my first post of the fandom🙂‍↕️ please enjoy this polyancients coded fanart of the current poll event going on 🫶 and also dont forget to vote for my goats !!! let my ogs win /silly

[fucknugg3t]

I hate getting shy around people I look up to or care about people always think it’s crush related and it’s not and it makes me fucking angry I’ll explain what I am what I do and don’t feel and they still think there’s some kind of work around some sort of platonic crush or unlabeled crush or sexual crush or whatever the fuck else bro when I say NO CRUSHES I FUCKING MEAN IT

I’m shy because I’m stressed and nervous man

ALSO because I tend to like hug my friends and stuff like that so there’s just so many damn assumptions that get thrown around when you hug (maybe kiss depending on who) someone and then you’re shy around them and I’m just tired man it feels so fucking like violating and gross people telling you you like someone

[drdemonprince]

ENM/Poly circles explicitly discourage real talk around jealousy, and practical considerations around nonmonog in ways that routinely exclude and excise POC and disabled people.

ENM/Poly expects everyone involved to act as though “love” is the reason for every relationship choice. Cliche #1: love isn’t finite. Which… sure. Maybe love isn’t finite, but attention and time sure are— and those are at a premium.

Cliche #2: Love is all you need/love is what makes a family. I am familiar with criticism of this from a family abolition, anticapitalist standpoint, but I have seen this be uncritically repeated by ENM/Poly people. It’s not true that love is what makes a relationship work or not work. It’s also about dumb shit, like geographical proximity and practicality. Good luck being ENM if you can’t regularly host because you have roommates or live at home. Good luck being the gold standard of ENM (out to everyone, including family and maybe even the workplace!) if you are any kind of marginalized. Love is simply not enough. There’s real world shit to consider.

Most ENM/Poly people are white gen x’ers and older millenials for a reason. It’s a framework that works awesome if you have abundant spare space, disposable income to blow, and free time. Plus most ENM/Poly people are heavily in therapy, and just have a fuckton of time to deal with their various baggages… or at least like to posture as though they are doing those things.

Non monog can be liberatory— disabled polycules caring for one another. QPRs! Multiparent households! But ENM/Poly is very lodged in a liberal, hyper-independent Super Good Boundaries Thank You Very Much world of its own, and so most of the “resources” like More Than 2 or Polysecure have hella flaws in that respect.

COME OFF ANON SO I CAN FOLLOW YOU! Because you just said a whole word.

I find "ethical nonmonogamy" and polyamory circles to be viscerally unpleasant and alienating to be in as a crazy, chaotic antipsych person who does not always make choices for carefully therapized, restrained reasons -- and who doesn't believe that most other people do either, no matter how much they claim to.

I don't fuck multiple people to serve some higher purpose; I do it because I'm horny, impulsive, and have a variety of niche fetishes that are really difficult to satisfy.

I didn't choose to be openly nonmonogamous because I nurtured my soul and found that it was abundant with love that I just had to give -- all my relationships already were nonmonogamous at one point or another, either because I cheated or the other person did or both, and I eventually decided to move with my feelings rather than against them, and to stop denying all that is inside me -- all of the hunger and darkness as well as the light.

And I can't say that my nonmonogamy is inherently "ethical" either -- just like my monogamy sure wasn't! I'm a human being, and a crazy one at that, I get jealous, I have emotional blowups, I lash out and fuck other people to make myself feel better or to affirm that I am desired, I make big demands of the people I date, I fail to show up for people consistently, I get hurt, and I hurt others, and I will continually have more to learn. I will also continually have wild animal emotions and triggers, and I won't always deal with them in the way my partner(s) might want me to. I try to avoid hurting other people needlessly, of course, but sometimes your own needs are incompatible with another person's, and hurt is inevitable.

When there is only so much time and attention available in our lives, it's true that somebody's often going to come up short. And ultimately the person that I choose above all others is me. And so, no, I can't say I'm always doing nonmonogamy in some caring yet dispassionate way, or that love is the solution to all problems -- I am driven by passion and need, and sometimes being alive in those ways means getting hurt, or hurting in turn.

I would echo essentially all that you've said. We need time and resources and spaces to enjoy privacy with other people, and if you're not some rich work-from-homer, that shit's all in short supply. I hate the sheen of calm positivity that "ENM" and polyamory folks tend to place on everything -- as if no choices they make are fueled ever by bitterness, dislike, resentment, or hell, fucking white hot irrational DESIRE. With how fair and measured so many of them make their polyamory sound, I don't even see what's fun about any of it.

Sometimes you want to upend your whole life because you're so down bad for a person. Sometimes you hate the shit out of your partner's partners and you say and do little manipulative shitty things to convey those feelings, or to try and blow the relationship up. Sometimes the hours just don't add up and somebody gets shafted. Sometimes you make a promise and then you can't follow through, or just don't WANT to anymore because you have changed.

These are real human realities whether we like it or not, and I find it terribly unrealistic AND unsexy to refuse to acknowledge all the darkness and frustration that comes out in any relationship. I think a lot of the ENM/poly crowd that is white and middle class and heavily therapized is so averse to naming anything edgy or prickly in themselves that they make their spaces actively hostile to anybody who openly expresses negative feelings. That means Black & brown people get tone-policed a ton, "mad" people like me get no-true-scotsmanned out of "ethical" nonmonogamy for ever doing anything messily, and all the romance and sexiness of relationships gets sanded down into a Canva-graphic beige blandness of weekly polycule meetings and processing sessions.

In this world of self-optimization, even fucking and loving other people has to be cast as therapuetic -- our desires must justify themselves by somehow making us better, more capable, more controlled people, But fuck that. Sometimes sex or love is worth exploding your whole life over. The ENM/poly crowd says their way of loving makes them more even-keeled but it seems like a kind of death to me.

[lucabyte]

If you wouldn't mind, could you explain to me in detail how your sifloop works? Would there ever be a romantic relationship between the two (and how do you think they would get to that stage) or do you just think they'll be stuck in this weird messed up obsession and loathing loop forever? Anyway your takes on sifloop are my favourite if you couldn't tell

Oh, I've been depicting it as romantic the whole time (remembers I'm asexual and aromantic and thus my depictions of such are alien at best) Er, though you'd be forgiven for not noticing.

I know I don't draw them being particularly traditionally cute (kissing, cuddling, etc) (even though I do envision that any time it's not literally extremely inconvenient that they are entangled like a pair of magnetised squiddles) particularly often.*

(Though, I do have some hints at that kind of behaviour: (x) (x) (x)) But this is where, hm, my particular readings of these characters' self-assessment comes in.

I believe that I (an aroace tumblr user who has been immersed in nuianced language about such things since i was an early teen) and Siffrin/Loop (a guy approaching their thirties who seems to have escaped social pressures primarily via isolation from their peers) will have some different views on things. Hell, Sif/Loop don't even have words for Asexuality and Aromanticism even if they seem to be able to point toward the feeling with roundabout language.

I think that their relationship, in the way that it would manifest, would first and foremost be Physical. Some real Maslow's hierarchy shit. Both of them are viciously touch starved and given the whole shared-ownership-of-body thing I keep alluding to (x) (x) I think they are prone to being a tangled pile of limbs both clothed and unclothed.

Now I (enlightened modern day asexual) do not think that physical/sexual/romantic are in any way synonyms unless you want them to be. I believe that literally all associated behaviours of these can be platonic if that's how you feel about it. Howeverrrrrrr. I really cannot envision "black-and-white-thinking-world-champion siffrin and/or loop" being able to disentangle that so easily. I think they would have trouble squaring the circle of certain actions not being reserved for romance, at least not until after several years of continued unpacking and philosophical discussion with Mirabelle and Odile.

And then there's the part where Siffrin/Loop (and also Isabeau!) have some absolutely insane Jealous streaks. Not even on the downlow, they just do. I think that combination of jealousy and posessiveness when paired with unevenly splitting time between A Guy You're Established To Be (at the very least on his side, romantically) In Love With, and Your Weird Fucking Clone Who You Keep Being Intimate And Intensely Emotional With, is going to cause some problems when it comes to labelling things.

I do not think Sif/Loop are stupid, but man do they ever lack emotional intelligence in a lot of areas (a thing the whole game hammers home). I do not think that they would be level-headed enough to independently invent the idea of "QPR, but the kind where you do basically fuck sometimes". I think they would just (agonise over cheating, first of all.) call it a romantic pairing and be done with it.

And then Isabeau is also there I guess. I gesture at him and at my aforementioned Iseabeau Torment Nexus thoughts (x)(x). I believe this polycule can work and even be healthy but hahahaha oh man they are gonna have some weirrrrrrd fuckin tension beforehand lolllll.

as for how i think they'd get to that stage? lol, lmao. I think of things with a lens of 'what would be the most narratively intense' a lot of the time, so my answer there is:

They basically act like one right out of the gate, at least to the average onlooker**. This makes the fights feel worse. This makes them both paranoid in different ways about how this affects Siffrin's relationship to Isabeau. This makes it more difficult for the party to go "hey so, your friend, we're all being very accepting of their sharp edges because they're clearly someone who's struggling, but why are they suuuuch an asshole?". They fret about this and it causes more push and pull as either side feels guilty about this relationship they're not 'supposed' to have. Even if their relationship woes could easily be squared away by either categorising it as a QPR or talking to Isa (who is vaugardian and probably thus lax about polyamory) neither of them are going to do that right out of the gate because they lack the language, are prone to being wracked by guilt, often assume the worst will happen should they talk about difficult topics, and straight up maybe just see intimacy/sexuality/romance as a package deal due to lacking the social expertise... You see what I mean.

I don't Know if what I envision is... The literal platonic ideal of "A Romantic Relationship". I don't know that if Cupid came on down and inspected my brain that they'd agree that this is romantic and not just like, something really fucking weird, man. I don't even know if I would call it romantic, necessarily. BUT. I Do Think. That These Two. Would Maybe Label It That Way. Because it would make it easier for them to understand and come to peace with that way. Which is what matters. Labels are Descriptive, not Prescriptive.

What I DO think i envision however is something so fucking aroace brained that i can point to sif/loop's canon labels, point to MY labels, and then give you a big thumbs up hoping that you won't get on my ass for implying several sentences upstream that "they probably basically fuck, or something, idk, does star-sucking count as sex? i'm not a doctor nor medical professional of any kind. you probably shouldn't drink whatever comes out of it though"

Implicit question 2: "Jesus Christ you make them seem to hate each other, is that not contradictory? Is that all supposed to be during them being romantically involved?" Yup! Sorry for the subtle undercurrent I haven't previously explicitly and overtly established literally at all but a good chunk of that percieved hatred is a byproduct of Loop keeping their identity secret. That's the space wherein I set most of my fanart. (x) Once that cat is out of the bag I think the heat cools off significantly because then they aren't both talking around each other trying not to actually say what they're fighting about. They can actually bond about shared experiences out in the open rather than keeping their traps shut in case the party overhears. They still fight and have problems thereafter, but it's not made worse by being unable to directly discuss the core issue (+ the party can actually contribute/try to shut things down rather than being unclear on what exactly the issue is)

The above ALSO not helping when it comes to jealousy/feelings of infidelity re: Isabeau. (When specifically in the context of Romantic Frustration here, since that jealousy extends to the whole party when generalised) So that adds another thing to, not necessarily fight about, but be bitter over.

As for hatred being contradictory. Mmm. Nah.

The opposite of Love is not Hate. It is Indifference. (A theme ISAT notably gets at). Hate is distinctly something you do if you care. Often if you care Way Too Much.

I try not to write them hating each other, so much as feeling extremely intensely about each other. (x)

Feeling intensely Thankful, Understood, Sorry, Trapped, Devoted, Jealous, Protective, Pitying, Indebted...

^ Scary ! Complicated ! Hard to deal with ! Even the positive ones can be overwhelming! It's gonna make things weird!

So uh, Yeah. There's your answer? I suppose tl;dr: I view relationships as nebulous and only defined by those in it. (This is something I have previously yapped about at length in essays about my OCs lol) And generally view that there's no "true" label for any relationship except the one that doesn't cause undue distress. (which. i mean it does here. but it probably works out in the end with enough talking)

Asking me to define if something is romantic is like asking me to pin down the true form of the Human Soul. Like dawg i dont know how to do that i dont even know if that shit is real. there are merely actions and their constructed societal categories. If i tell you I think they kiss sometimes does that clear it up? (It shouldn't, obviously, but you get what I mean)

But yeah. Gestures broadly. Shipping an ace (and maybe even aroace based on some shit that little fella says) character like this means it comes with an essay. Because it necessarily interfaces with their nonstandard mode of interaction in that arena. The part where its weirdo fucking ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ selfcest merely adds a layer.***

... Anyway I'll leave you with this. The mirasifloop qpr "so what is.... romance?" discussion sessions are probably downright dialectical aren't they. Feelings Buddies discuss the phrase "Self-Love" 23467324235 dead 3 injured

*i do have like . 2 wips. that would. include this kind of behaviour explicitly. but i simply have not gotten around to them yet. and also don't worry neither of them are purely fluff both of them still have an air of worrying fuckedupedness about them. yay !

** inkeeping with my "geared for maximal conflict" mind, this can be flavoured with some "technically nobody can say it's not canon, I guess?" during-the-game Sifloop. By handing them the 'started leaning on each other for comfort more blatantly toward the end of a4' thing, since, well, I think exploring the "Loop expected at least one of them to be dead by the end of this/Loop never expected this to end, and thus began filling in that 'Lover' role as comfort/pity/selfishness/mercy given their knowledge that Isabeau is forever out of reach for both of/at least one of them" angle is... Well it's certainly fuckin' compelling that's for sure. Like oops, you let the timeloop malaise get to you and maybe started a trist because you thought you'd be dead before there'd be any lasting consequences. Here's those consequences, motherfucker !! But you won't catch me putting that explicitly in my comics because I don't want to change anything about the raw text of canon when I'm exploring its consequences. However, nothing I do is Incompatible with this read. And I enjoy making things more tortured so. Shrugs and hands this to you. Be free. (....x)

*** those of you that know what i mean by this just had all of it click just now didnt you. lol.

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

Post because I just found out that my Cancellation vs No Payneland Endgame poll has caused a lot of drama on certain blogs and I never meant for that to happen.

I'm sorry to anyone who was hurt by it. It wasn't my intention.

But, just so people know:

My strong belief that I'd rather have the show stay canceled than Payneland not be endgame isn't exclusively because of the joy the ship brings me.

It's also not because I don't think people's friends are less important to them than romantic partners, and I'm shocked that people think I believe that.

It's definitely in part because I like imagining their future. They're my comfort ship, and I love that they will always be best friends over anything. I want to see that friendship take a new shape, and I want to see them love each other in every way.

I understand relationship anarchy and 'no hierarchy' stuff, but the show has been clear that Edwin and Charles are each other's most important person no matter what. Relationship anarchy is not true to their specific dynamic. Having someone come between them ruins the best thing about their relationship/friendship. They are each other's.

Also, expecting them to be exclusively platonic is unrealistic because Edwin already canonically has romantic feelings for Charles. There is currently a discrepancy in how they love each other (canonically - I would argue that Charles is extremely in love, but hey, to each their own.) I think it would be disingenuous to the characters and their development for them to not be together. I also think that the show did a good job of convincing me that falling in love with Charles helped Edwin overcome his repression - pulling back from this love feels like backtracking and quashing those feelings down.

Additionally - and this is just true - if Charles and Edwin were straight, no one would say they should be "just friends." Their getting together would be a given. The way that the story is set up would make this feel like adjacent to a massive DestielJohnlock queerbait, even if Edwin is canonically gay.

(Also, I find it extremely weird that some people think it's progressive - or anything other than extremely regressive - to keep them as "just friends." We have seen that story a million times on TV. QPR may not be an oft-used term, but it's an oft-depicted concept used in media with closely-bonded pairs of men.)

It's also in large part about the show's writing.

So far, the show has been very much about Payneland, about the power that loving Charles romantically has had on Edwin. It's about their bond. To de-center that bond in favour of another love story would be... bad writing. Plain and simple. A version of DBDA where Payneland isn't endgame is a version of DBDA with inconsistent writing, the world's longest game of gay chicken, and a very jumbled plotline.

"I'd rather the show stay canceled than have Payneland not be endgame" isn't a devaluation of their friendship. For Gods' sake, I ship them BECAUSE of their friendship's strength. It's a statement that "I would rather have this show remain canceled now than have the writers fuck it up with inconsistent plotting and a devaluation of the bond that makes the series special" and "I'm sick of being borderline queerbaited."

And, yes, for God's sake, I'd rather have my cute comforting post-canon headcanons. Sue me.

[somewhat-insane]

Hello, its me again- the ShadowPeach x GN!Reader (QPR Wukong & Reader) thhank you for the lovely headcanons again btw. nervous to request more, but i am starving so- i was thinking about a drabble / oneshot. in which shadowpeach has been established (and reader has been a large help with that), but macaque is now realizing he has feelings for the reader, and how he goes about addressing it. so i guess a simple get together story. but macaques lowkey having a crisis. <3 take ur time hope ur having a great week.

I LOVE YOUR REQUESTS SO MUCH LIKE- No need to be nervous! I only have two other requests I'm working on right now, and knowing that you liked my stuff enough to request more means a lot to me!

•°¤(¯`°🌹(Conflicted )🌹°´¯)¤°•

Tags: GN!Reader x Macaque, queerplatonic relationships

Overall, it had been great. Amazing, even. As unsentimental as Macaque was tried (and failed) to be, he couldn't help but admit he enjoyed having his best friend back. That alone had seemed little more than a distant dream a little over a month ago, but being more than that? It seemed impossible. So impossible that he refused to even entertain such a thought, lest he risk the pain of subjecting his already battered and bruised heart to more abuse. Eventually he conceded that would be the case regardless of what he let himself believe.

But then you came along. Foolish, stubborn, adorable you. Despite arguments from both sides that this was hopeless and a waste of time; despite even MK suggesting you step down so as to not get caught in their crossfire, you persevered. Turns out the centuries old murderous demons are much more hesitant to get into physical altercations with each other when their fragile mortal friend is standing between them. (Which had the entertaining benefit of you getting to hear the creative insults they would yell at each other. Most of Macaque's seemed like cheesy Pinterest lines while Wukong made use of hand motions that you're pretty sure depicted some very graphic death scenes.)

Even after you got involved, things weren't always easy, things rarely are when it comes to dealing with these monkeys, you've found. They still argued and healing came slower than either of them had anticipated (logically they knew centuries of pain couldn't be undone by a few chat sessions over tea and an unlicensed therapist, but you couldn't blame them for hoping).

But... how could Macaque even pretend he wasn't grateful when he got to wake up to find his personal ray of sunshine nestled against him, withered from age and stress but still as beautiful as ever? For a moment, as cheesy as it sounds, his heart had felt full again. He had felt like the young warrior he used to be; devoted to his king and untouched by the dark truths of the world. But after a while he realized there was still something missing, a piece of himself he had simply... misplaced rather than the one that had been buried. Wukong held the pieces of Liu'er Mihou, but the warrior realized, at some point, a piece of Macaque got away from him. Something-someone had been able to weasel their way into his peripheral when he had been trapped in an obsessive loop of trying to kill his murderer, and now that that desire was gone and his tunnel vision had given way to something wider, it was aggressively clear that his being no longer only craved Wukong. Someone after the terror and pain. Someone who fed that piece of his soul which clung onto hope harder than Macaque had dared to in a long time. A piece fueled by friendly words and crooked smiles...

At first he thought it was some kind of boredom. He had spent centuries locked in a rivalry with the Monkey King, it makes sense it would feel weird to no longer have that... anticipation coiled tight in his muscles. To no longer have something to chase after; to no longer have a goal or a plan. Though... isn't this was what he had always wanted? Ever since Wukong first promised it to him...

And no matter how long he spent meditating or talking through his inner turmoils with Sandy and MK, there was this aching void that persisted, refusing to be tended to. Almost as stubborn as-

"Mac?" Your voice broke him out of his thoughts, allowing him to blink away the haze he hadn't noticed forming and focus on the credits now rolling down the TV screen.

"Ah- the movie's over?"

"Uh, yeah? Where'd that handsome mind of yours take you?" Wukong smirked from his place pressed against Macaque's side, playfully letting his tail coil around the warrior's leg. Macaque huffed and rolled his eyes fondly. He's about to respond but freezes as he meets your concerned but slightly amused gaze. His fur bristles slightly as you open your mouth to speak, his eyes dilating at the motion of your lips parting and he tears his gaze away, already mentally beating himself up for how his heart stuttered at that, the poet in him already latching onto even the smallest of details to fawn over. The guilt dancing inside him only intensified when he caught sight of the barely concealed concern dancing in Wukong's eyes that mirrored your own.

Macaque rushes to interrupt you before you could say anything that would make the stubborn void of a heart inside him start radiating that stupid warmth again.

"I- Nowhere. I need to uh- pee?" Macaque abruptly stood up, much to Wukong's displeasure as he had gotten rather comfortable. Before Wukong could voice this, Macaque had already disappeared into a shadow, leaving you and Wukong to sit in a confused silence.

"... What was that about?" You find yourself asking. You had been used to witnessing their fights and seeing how they act when tensions are high, but the only time you've seen Macaque act like that was when you forced him onto his first date with Wukong.

"Honestly? I have no clue... he's been quiet today," before you can say anything he amends, "quieter than usual."

You chew on the inside of your cheek thoughtfully, examining Wukong's expression. He's looking at the spot Macaque left through, chewing nervously on his lower lip. You could nearly see the overthinking beginning to build up in the way his eyes remained locked onto that one spot, his brows creased tightly and his tail flicking against the couch. Sighing, you knock your knee against his to get his attention before tossing a controller into his lap.

"Think you'll finally beat my high score?"

-

"Stupid, stupid, stupid..." Macaque groaned to himself, pacing back and forth beside a small stream, monkeys already gathered on his shoulders. Their curious chirps went ignored as Macaque focused on the thoughts swirling in his head and tried to push down the emotions swirling in his chest, "what is wrong with me?"

He finally had everything he could've ever wanted and his stupid heart craved more.

Not only did he not want to ruin everything he worked so hard for with Wukong, but he also didn't want to ruin his friendship with you. Genuine friendship was so rare for him. He was... amicable with most of the brotherhood (everyone except Peng, at least,) but he only truly considered Wukong a friend. MK, as good of a kid as he is, barely hits the mark. But you arrived and despite his cold demeanor, you got to him with your sarcastic comments and surprisingly insightful views. It was nice to have a friend that felt... normal. Someone who wasn't trying to kill him. Someone who knew him as "that weird angsty guy" instead of a villain.

Plus, if you really wanted him like that, you wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to get him and Wukong together... granted, that does sound like a very you thing to do.

Macaque sighs, running his hands over his face. It's not like he wants to replace Wukong with you. Wukong isn't replaceable and you could never be just a replacement.

Taking a deep breath, Macaque assures himself that it must just be a passing... infatuation, of sorts. He'll get over it... mortals do this stuff all the time. He can't count on one hand the amount of times you've complained about workplace drama involving one guy who is head over heels for another person each week.

He comes back with a familiar easy smirk, watching as you and Wukong wrestle each other, both of you trying to distract the other to get an upper hand in whatever game you two were playing (it seemed to be a bunch of tiny brick men jumping around the screen and- was that Wukong wearing a cheerleader outfit?) before perking up when you see Macaque and he swears he's boiling from the inside based on the warmth blooming in his chest at the sight.

Wukong goes to say something but you see your chance and push him off the couch, ignoring his indignant squawk in favor of winning the game. When you go to brag in Wukong's face, you're met with a shoe being thrown at your own.

You respond very respectfully by jumping off the couch to body slam Wukong, which doesn't do much to the immortal monkey but does pull another amusing sound from him as he screeches and thrashes under you, clawing at the abused floorboards as he tries to escape you. Despite knowing he could easily throw you off if he was actually trying, you smirked triumphantly and sat on his back to keep him on the ground

Macaque watches with a fond smile...

He's so screwed.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Thank you so much for reading! I know the "get together" part of this never really happened, but I wasn't sure how to transition into that without making this too long. I can always do more if you want; your requests have genuinely been my favorite so far. I'm so sorry it always takes me so long to get this stuff done- There were a few parts of this where I considered taking a part out, but most of the time I decided not to. Hopefully it ended up being at least semi-enjoyable?

Don't be afraid to let me know of any typos, grammar, or consistency mistakes! Constructive criticism is accepted and appreciated!

(I'm so nervous to post this for some reason-)

[cannibalbuffe]

hi! I've honestly been craving some qpr headcanons with Alastor as someone who's also aroace! The concept piques my curiosity so much considering most of the stuff with him is purely romantic (no offense to those writers, I just wanna see more qpr stuff! :])

Of course! But do forgive me, annon, I got so carried away with this 😅. I just really like Alastor a lot.

I ended up writing some backstory to your relationship first, but I highlighted the start of the proper qpr headcanons if you feel like skipping that.

Obligatory I'm sorry if this is ooc, I'm still getting used to writing about these characters. This is also all based on my own perception of him.

(Also, I am aware that qprs are very different from one another and there is no single mold for a qpr, I'm just going off of what I think it would be like with Alastor.)

Uhh, I also finished this at 1 AM, so forgive any mistakes. And I'm pretty sure I changed the verb conjugations(? Is this how you say that in English?) from present to past at some point. Sorry. Enough with the A/Ns now. Hope you enjoy!

Alastor queerplatonic relationship headcanons

(gender neutral reader, Alastor x reader)

‼️Trigger-warning‼️: mentions of cannibalism (not graphic), a single mention of tongue-kissing and making out (spoiler: he doesn't want either of those things in this work.) Usage of the word queer, but not as a slur. Alastor is a grandpa and you have to explain LGBTQ+ stuff to him, but he gets it.

› At first, before you were close, it's likely that he didn't see you as an equal.

› Truly, in his eyes, it seems not really is his equal. He is the most powerful overlord in hell and he knows it.

› Unless you are someone he holds in high regard (and this is mostly based on vibes, barely anything to do with power, as we can see by how he is with Lucifer of all people) before your first meeting, like Zestial, you won't be on equal footing at first.

› You only really start getting close when his perception of you shifts.

› You respect his boundaries, you are interesting, you and him share quite a few interests (or not really, but you're at least interested in hearing about his), and you're, surprisingly, pretty wise and mature.

› And caring. I personally believe he would be drawn to that in a way that he may not even understand fully- or realize it at all.

› Still, the point is. He respects you, and you respect him.

› (And not in the way some others do, where they're only "respectful" out of fear. You would act like this regardless of his power.)

› This, by the way, is important. You don't treat him like a superior, but as an equal.

› You'd think someone like him would love to be treated like a superior, and it's true. He very much does.

› But he has to admit to himself that it does feel nice whenever someone isn't shaking in their boots and can hold really good conversations with him while still not being pushy, annoying or just generally disrespectful.

› Anyways.

› Ever since you became friends (which took long), one could say, you just kept becoming closer and closer.

› You were the first one to be vulnerable with him, of course. It happened on accident, but you trusted him enough for that.

› You were also the first one to share any more intimate information with him. Something you wouldn't tell just anyone.

› Between this, your conversations, and maybe even helping each other around (honestly, he probably helps you more than you do him, but you always offer it and always in a sweet way, never condescending, and he appreciates that.)

› He eventually felt more comfortable sharing personal things with you too.

› (He may have distanced himself a bit when he realized this, but it was short-lived. You can't be without each other for so long, and you were pretty upset at his suddenly withdrawal. You may not have mentioned it to him, but he could tell, and as much as he hated to admit it, it hurt him to see you sad because of him.)

› This marks the beginning of the path toward your queerplatonic relationship.

› I mean, you didn't initially label it as such, but it definitely started there.

› Surprisingly, I feel like the first one to ever do any sort of affectionate gesture towards the other was him.

› You knew he didn't like to be touched, so you didn't.

› But! He just started getting more and more comfortable with touching you. At first it was hands on your shoulders, or putting his arm over them.

› I can even see a head pat or two, which he probably passed off as some sort of joke the first few times, but, if you liked them so much, just became a thing he does to you.

› And then one day you, completely absent-mindedly, intertwined your arm with his while walking around.

› When you noticed you had done it and he hadn't said anything, you questioned him about it.

› "Alastor, I'm sorry I didn't ask... is this alright?"

› "This?... Oh, you mean the arms? Ah, dear, don't worry, if it weren't I would have simply told you so!"

› From them on you only got more and more physically affectionate with each other. At first you would usually be the one to start it, but eventually you were both shockingly equal in doing so.

› (You still would always ask if you could touch him beforehand, but after a while he just gave you a free-pass.)

› Not a lot in public, though. Mostly just hand holding, or intertwining arms (if in public, that is.)

› Alastor also was so protective of you. You were the person he treasured most, after all.

› Well, demon.

› Even if you told him you were going to be okay, he would watch out nonetheless. He couldn't afford to lose you, not when he's never trusted and cared for a person this much.

› You two also cuddle a lot. You were the first one to ask, as usual, but now both of you feel weird sleeping alone.

› Alastor loves being the big spoon, if you're doing that.

› But he is also quite fond of occasionally being the little spoon, although he wouldn't be caught dead admitting it.

› A hobby you two do together is cooking. Cooking with Alastor is fun... especially if you're okay with cannibalism.

› But if you don't like that, he won't insist, of course.

› He's pretty good at cooking, though! If you're also good at it, then great. If not, he'll tease you about it (in a friendly way), but still teach you.

› On teasing, he teases you quite a bit, but never in a mean way. If you don't mind, of course.

› You also may tease him occasionally, but he doesn't appreciate you teasing him in public.

› The two of you also have a good amount of inside jokes that probably confuse the hell out of the others.

› Kissing... well. I don't really see Alastor as the type who would enjoy kissing on the lips too much.

› Tongue is out of question for him, as well as any sort of making out, but otherwise... if you like it, he can do that for you.

› He might actually like a peck or two. An acquired taste for him. Don't overdo it, though.

› Of course, him being from the 1930s and not very familiar with anything LGBTQ+ related, he would, at first, be somewhat confused by the request.

› You would probably have to explain to him that nothing is inherently romantic, especially not if you don't want it to be.

› "A kiss on the lips? Well... we aren't courting, Y/n."

› "We can put our own meanings to things, though. Would you like this kiss to be romantic?"

› "Definitely not!"

› "Well, me neither. So it's not!"

› "... That is very sound logic! I can't believe I've never thought of this myself."

› Kisses on the rest of the face are something else, though. He does enjoy it whenever you kiss him on the cheek. He himself might occasionally kiss you on the forehead.

› But overall I don't think he's big on kissing.

› If you want to really solidify that you're in a queerplatonic relationship you'd also have to explain what that means to him, sorry.

› Again, he's old and not up to date with things.

› Thankfully he understands things easily.

› "I see... I suppose we do have quite the queer relationship, don't we? And it is certainly platonic. I don't see why not!"

› Going back to vulnerability. It will never feel fully natural for him to just be vulnerable with you — or anyone else, for the matter.

› (In case you couldn't tell, he's using the word queer as meaning odd (and doing a little pun. You know. Because it's a. Queerplatonic relationship. Queer. Hehehehe), as it defies the norm of what a platonic relationship usually looks like, despite being one.)

› But you know him well enough at this point to recognize whenever there's something going on with him.

› And if you show concern and give him enough time he will share whatever it is with you.

› If it's not anything too big he might even reach out to you first.

› He can also read you like a book and gives surprisingly good advice, and is also pretty good at comforting you.

› You are the only person allowed at his studio while he's live on the radio. You usually read as he speaks in the background, his voice is very relaxing. He enjoys having you around.

› He's also particularly gentlemanly to you, more than to the others. When you're with him you never have to open a single door yourself, for one. If it's raining, he'll hold the umbrella for the two of you. When walking together on the sidewalk, he's always on the side closest to the street instead of you.

› You two often go out for dinner. If you also fancy some cannibalism, he will definitely show you his favorite restaurants around. If not he will just pick the best non-cannibal places (but you know those are not his favorites, haha.)

› He just cares about you a lot, even if it took him long to admit (it may have seemed fast-paced during this, but Alastor is someone who really takes long to get close to.)

› And you care about him lot too!

› (And you're probably never going to be in a life-threatening situation again, at least not at the hands of most demons. Who would ever want trouble with Alastor?)

[veinsfullofstars]

For marxolor!

💝

💓

👀

🥄

Oh, wow… a whole batch of ‘em! Really giving me a run for my money, Anon, haha! (Maybe I should’ve put a cap on how many can be submitted at once… ^^’ ) Don’t worry about it, though, I think I can manage this one. Let’s see…

6. 💝 What is each person’s love language (words of affirmation, acts of service, giving gifts, quality time, and physical touch)?

18. 💓 How did they tell their friends that they were together/do their friends know or is their relationship a secret?

I haven’t really talked about how Marx and Magolor meet in the CFAU yet... mostly because it’s, like, a Whole Thing™. A story I was working on well before the CFAU was even conceptualized and practically a sub-AU in and of itself. It’s also… very work-in-progress and very not finished yet (kinda fell on the back burner once the other AUs took precedent, oops ^^’ ). Just know that the boys get the slow-burn treatment something fierce. Seriously, they don’t even get to the QPR stage until some time after Mags returns from purgatory, and even then only after some lingering baggage is dealt with…

Anyway, to make a long and incredibly complicated story short, they figure it out eventually (idiots-in-not-quite-love style), keeping it a poorly-guarded secret when they inevitably end up back on Popstar. Then - after a bunch of [REDACTED] happens, a crisis is narrowly averted, and things get sappy and cathartic - Marx just kind of… blurts it out, completely unbothered, tired of all the hiding and running and keeping secrets (at least for today). It leaves the Dream Land 4 in varying shades of surprised (or not surprised) and Magolor in a single shade of mortified… though not for too long. After all, it’s not like it’s the worst secret to even come out about him, and certainly not one he should be ashamed of.

When they have a moment to talk about it later, it might go something like this:

Mags: I can’t believe you did that. In front of everyone. Without even asking me first. Marx: Heh, sorry. Got caught up in the moment. I mean, you try keepin’ a secret like that after almost dyin’, hehe… Um. You’re not… actually mad about it, are you? Mags: … *sigh* No. It’s fine. I’ll be fine. Heh, honestly? It’s… kind of a relief.

9. 👀 What do other characters think of their relationship? Do they approve or disapprove?

To tie in with the previous question, how about some more ✨ non-canon interviews ✨? (Fair warning - this is happening after the end of a story I haven’t told or finished yet, so these answers are probably gonna be vague as hell and very out-of-context.)

Bonus interviews with some folks who find out much later:

22. 🥄 When they’re cuddling together who’s the big spoon and who’s the little spoon?

Marx has more of the “big-spoon energy” between them (though good luck getting Magolor to admit that), but trying to cuddle with his wings is… not ideal, as the raw magic that perpetually leaks from them is enough to overwhelm Magolor’s finely-tuned senses (like staring into a spotlight from inches away or walking into a very saturated perfume department). Besides, Magolor is the one with hands around here, so the role of big spoon tends to default to him anyway. Marx doesn’t mind so much, trusting the wizard enough to feel comfortable (even safe) curled up against him. Magolor - who’s still recovering from a life of being a socially-distant, touch-starved hermit - is always a little worried he’s doing it wrong but gets better about it with time, which is nice.

Sketch started 03/13/25, finished 03/18/25. | Kirby Ship Ask Game (made by @/sweetandglovelyart) | Childhood Friends AU Masterpost

[everestgale]

Skeptic for the ask thingy? :D

I'm getting through these so slowly 😭 Sorry for the wait! Time to ramble about everyone's favorite detective bird-

[Send Me a Character and I'll List Ask Game]

favorite thing about them

Weirdly, it's the contrast between how intelligent and logical Skeptic is as a character vs. how absurd and irrational the Construct is. The way Skeptic fights and seeks universal singular truth in a world that, by design, does not have any... which was so masterfully highlighted in the Cage and the new Den. I remember genuinely exclaiming "SKEPTIC NO, STOP-" when the tunnel began collapsing (though in fairness, Hero is the one who started it). And the way Skeptic blamed himself for not "thinking it through," because that's how he thinks the world around him should work:

"Why for the love of everything did I not think about the stability of the tunnels?! I'm supposed to be smarter than this! I'm supposed to have a plan for everything."

And the entire dialogue with Hero following that line, too-

...Long story short, there is something very tragic but incredibly appealing about putting a character, who is all about facts, logic, and deduction, into a world that shifts based on your perception where nothing is certain. Sorry Skeptic, love you Skeptic </3

[What's up with all these asks getting so long... more under the cut </3]

least favorite thing about them

Rewritten and deleted lines from the Prisoner. Hands down. It's one of the few things I dislike about the DLC, and I choose to not accept it as canon. I really, really miss that triumphant "I knew it!" followed by "She couldn't tip her hand to Him. He wouldn't have let us leave." It really highlighted Skeptic's intelligence, along with an innate desire to trust the Prisoner, to think of her as someone with a plan. She wouldn't just cut off her own head like that, and he knew it.

I understand that this was done to make the lead-up to the Cage easier / more natural... but I feel like there were other ways to do it! Hero is right there, and he just watched Prisoner cut her head off, he could be disturbed and panicking about the whole situation and really want to leave, which would feel quite natural too! And then perhaps Skeptic was sure that Prisoner had a plan, but after you choose to leave her behind... he isn't so sure anymore, which could lead to him slowly losing his mind and devolving during the Cage. That would've been perfect, at least in my opinion!

Honorable mention goes to the fact that, even after the Pristine Cut, he still feels a little underutilized to me. I talked about it in my Paranoid character ask, but Deconstructed Damsel -> HEA should've had Skeptic instead of Paranoid (T v T)

favorite line

"You have the attention span of a fly. How are we supposed to unravel the mysteries of this place if you're so easily distracted by empty promises?"

Honestly I feel you, Hero, I also have the attention span of a fly-

And of course, how can I not mention: "Yes, yes, don't believe a word she says. Just go in, take the knife, and do what you're supposed to. Wink."

brOTP

I already talked about how I really like the Grey Brothers (Skeptic + Smitten) dynamic in Smitten's post, it's very fun to imagine these two as very different people who have very little in common... but who still care about each other.

But I also want to mention Skeptic + Hunted. I liked the idea of them being comfortable in each other's spaces even before the extended Den. And with them working together so well in the Den post-Pristine Cut, I think they would have a pretty close friendship.

Everest trying really hard to explain a dynamic they like, without resorting to just "they cool. me like them"-

OTP

For the record, I HC my Skeptic as aroace (or demiromantic asexual, I haven't fully decided yet). That will not stop my QPR-Skeptunist from completely taking over my brain <3

There is something very appealing about their dynamic - Opportunist is trying to get on Skeptic's "good side" and is interested in how intelligent Skeptic is (and how he could utilize that intelligence for his schemes), while Skeptic is curious about Opportunist and that rat brain of his (/aff), trying to see what's beneath those layers and layers of masks that Oppy likes to wear. In a way, they are both almost trying to outsmart one another, but from a place of curiosity... which could lead them to slowly enjoy each other's company :]

Also, this ship is really funny, and it's hilarious to imagine all the stupid scenarios they find themselves in- OH, and I wrote this on them like a month ago:

"I do genuinely feel like they would, not always but often, enjoy each other's company and yap - we all know that Skeptic is listening to Oppy's endless rambles to understand that gremlin mind of his, but I feel like he would come to like Oppy's weird plans and logic as a sort of 'new perspective' - and Oppy really appreciates someone acknowledging 'his genius,' and maybe in turn, he would also listen to Skeptic's esoteric rambles on stenography (it feels like they would be interesting, and depending on the topic, Oppy could actually be genuinely interested in Skeptic's yap in like a "oh, this would be helpful for my next scheme" kind of way)"

...I like this ship way too much for how little they interact in the game (which is "not at all")

Honorable mention almost goes to ParaSkep, courtesy of @/wintergrofyuri and @/itsonlypolite. It's so close to clicking with me (it feels like a dynamic I would like, I want to like them)... but it's just barely not it, I don't know what exactly, but something is missing / just not quite clicking with me (T v T)

nOTP

Don't think I have any nOTPs for Skeptic! I haven't seen any ship with him that I disliked :]

random headcanon

I already mentioned like 3 headcanons in this post: the fact that my Skeptic is aroace (or demiromantic ace), the fact that my Skeptic knows shorthand (and writes exclusively in it), the fact that Skeptic is actually a yapper who likes to explain and go in-depth on the topics he finds interesting... /silly

Let's add another one! I like the idea of a linguistics nerd Skeptic, who is really into the etymology of words (I talked about it in this post where I talked about voice's hobbies!), sounds like the kind of thing Skeptic would be interested in.

Are any of these HCs based on anything from the game? Nope! These are all entirely based on ✨ vibes ✨.

unpopular opinion

To be honest, I don't know what counts as an "unpopular opinion" for Skeptic. I don't think I have any? At least none that I feel strongly about, most of my opinions about Skeptic are either directly based on the lines from the game OR are completely irrelevant silly HCs based on nothing but my own likes lol

song i associate with them

I very rarely listen to just instrumental music (outside of lo-fi and a couple specific artists)... but none of the songs I listen to really fit Skeptic. And so my first instinct is... the original Objection! theme from Phoenix Wright-

Also Open the Game by Jiro. Not the kind of music I usually listen to, but a friend suggested it to me as "music that fits Skeptic" a while ago, and I agree with my friend, I think it really suits him in terms of musical style :]

favorite picture of them

...I'm going to be honest, I'm currently debating if I should give Skeptic a major re-design (because something about his current design just irks me). But if I had to pick an image for Skeptic that I made, it would be this-

...I don't think I shared this before (I probably will in a doodle dump of "voices in dresses" sometime in the future), but this is Skeptic in Alice in Wonderland's dress. A few friends and I joked too much about how awful of a time Skeptic would have in Wonderland, and so this was born!

[katurdayss]

Every so often I remember the absolute character assassination that was Infinity War: Endgame and why I refuse to watch the MCU anymore. At random times. Like, maybe, right before I fell asleep last night.

5 years. 5 YEARS and I still do not believe for a second that Steve would not at the very bare minimum say good bye to Bucky. From the beginning, the MCU laid the foundation for how important Bucky was to Steve. *checks notes*

Steve and Bucky say "til the end of the line" when the serious important shit happens and they want to the other to know they ain't going nowhere

Steve disobeys orders and air drops himself behind enemy lines to save Bucky in WW2

the MCU sets up Steve to watch Bucky fall to his death, and then shows him drinking all alone in the bombed out bar where Bucky was the first to join the Howlies even though Steve can't get drunk

once Steve sees Bucky is the Winter Solider, he is devastated Bucky doesn't remember him, and spends the rest of the time trying to get Bucky to remember him, to the point where he stops fighting him entirely once the mission is accomplished trusting Bucky won't kill him

spends god knows how long chasing the guy across the world before he gets the memo Bucky doesn't want to be found and goes back home.

literally fights a civil war against his fellow Avengers to protect Bucky from the Accords and false allegations

Keeps the secret Bucky killed Tony Stark's parents

chooses Bucky over the shield/Captain America mantle

the MCU sets up Bucky to be the last one 'snapped' in front of Steve, zeroing in on Steve's face as he watches Bucky die AGAIN

And yet after all that, he basically ignores Bucky all of Endgame? Doesn't stand with him at the funeral? Doesn't even have the manners to tell his BEST FRIEND, hey I'm not abandoning you but I'm fucking exhausted and want a life with Peggy?

I mean goddamn I wouldn't fucking ghost a friend I did all that for. AND that's leaving out the qpr/romantic coded moments. Thats the worst case of incredibility I've ever had to pull me out of a narrative before and I'm in my 30s.

[boskadoff]

uh so Fiddleford is canonically likes men? And I guess Ford confirmed aro/ace hhksdkskdk

ok guys i- you-

I dont- post anything but the demons came back and they came back hard AhhHh

Why you making me write this why nobody else reporting this strong cannon

BoB confirmed two sexualities: Ford is aromantic and asexual, and Fiddleford likes men.

Lets start with Ford, cause its shorter:

BoB basically reiterated and highlighted that Ford is attracted to nothing.

Its actually very clearly pinpointed that Ford is aromantic/asexual. Why clearly? Like Alex chose, out of ALL the things to reveal about ford in Bills mind invasion section, is that he is "plansexual". He basically is indirectly says Ford feels no attraction. He is aromantic/asexual. Coupled with journal 3 entries "romance baffles me", and its confirmed.

Now Fiddleford, this is very interesting because it affects the story:

One, it clearifies why Fiddleford agreed to help with the portal. Bro just was GAY.

To extrapolate, he was from an area that expects traditional marriage Tennessee. He went through with it, probably wasn't super comfortable though seeing by how eagerly Fiddleford accepted Fords offer. So, integrating this new cannon, bro just always was gay for Ford and couldn't resist the opportunity to spend time with him.

Now lets gather all harder Book of Bill evidence

Bro knitted him gloves with many DRAFTS. (Shows how important it was to him to get it right)

Bro made him a snow globe of his lab.

Notice how it was HAND MADE.

He gave Emma-May nothing? He had time, he could have not made Ford two things, made one with for Ford and one thing for Emma-May. But he didn't?

The snowmen? And a whole picture of it??

Bill refers to Fiddleford as a third wheel.

They were roomates, obviously on very goods terms

"Try to forget"

"TheY emBraCed"

It was a very strong concentration on, and even mentioned in the same story, the gifts that Fiddleford gave. Notice how Alex SPECIFICALLY said Emma-Mays argument woth him was because Fiddleford gave her nothing. Which basically contrasts insanely with TWO HANDMADE gifts for Ford.

Lets couple with Journal 3 soft evidence where

His computer password was "Stanford"

The singular bed in the bunker.

Fiddleford knew when Stanford was possessed, shows how attentive he is.

He wrote up Fords research for him to publish.

Bro left his family for a while to spend time with Ford in isolation.

Disney decided to edit the phrase when Stanford says "happy to no longer be traveling this path alone" to " …happy to be traveling it with a friend". Basically showing the book was aware how gay these two sound.

Im note sure if Ford ever recipricated these feelings, he probably thought of Fiddleford as a very good friend, at most subconsciously some kind of QPR.

But BOY did Fiddleford fall for him.

In terms of why this might have been added to BoB:

I believe Alex saw how strongly Journal 3 implied Fiddauthor, (I watched too many interviews, and there were questions about those two, so it WAS on his mind) and just decided to finally clarify their bond. He eluded direct statements, but obviously made a call.

He may have also found the need to clearify why Fiddleford was so eager to jump in and help Ford for so many months, it is kind of murky evidence to say he just wanted to help out and leave his family for months for the heck of it while his son was still young. (Also in Twitter a long time ago, also kind of accepted that one jelous girlfriend meme of Bill Ford and Fiddleford where overlaid)

Moreover, the Alex didn't have to mention Fiddleford in the Book of Bill, all loose ends of his story were tied in Journal 3. Book of Bill was only supposed to be about Bills story, and clearification about his relation with Stanford. But he added Fiddleford anyway. And not only did he, but he chose to incorporate it in the Christmas scene: a very specific, often intimate time. This did not need to be included for any lore reason on than their relationship. It literally serves ZERO major purpose other than to elaborate on the relationship. Sure there were some minor mentions of fords childhood winter traditions for the funnies, a reference to dipper and mabel time traveling (footprints), and the santa goat story, but it revealed very little about any of it to defend the existence of that whole scene. It mostly supported already known lore with a silly santa goat story that circled around to Fiddleford being the hero anyway. Basically Christmas story = confirmed Fiddleford likes Ford more than his wife, which leads to gay romantic/QPR implications to his character.

Now, its clear that Fiddleford likes Ford, and by extention in some capacity likes men. So is he gay or bi? Not much evidence obviously, but I speculate he was gay, because if he had the ability to also like women as much as he liked men, why jump to the first woman so early in life and marry her? It feels like an impulse decision, he could have waited for others he liked more, to actually make gifts for them for christmas. He married her as if he was trying to hide something. Although no strong evidence to establish this.

And lastly, arguments may ensue because it was not "clearly stated given on a platter", but Alex communicates very indirectly about most lore, often leaving things for interpretation. Repeating the same information twice among two works, AND incorporated an INCREDIBLY specific scene about Christmas is pretty reinforced evidence of his intent.

I feel like Alex is kind of being devious and is toying with the audience because he knows there is a group kind of losing our minds over this particular relationship, hence the hazy statements and stories.

But I feel like summarizing what he wrote and the way he wrote it, there is no other reason why that content exists other than to confirm their sexualies and romantic preferences, and how it supports the plot of the story.

TLDR; update Fandom.con, Fiddleford likes men. Ford is aro/ace.

Like uh do you all agree or am I crazy or uh skmebody save me or 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

[celestetcetera]

Having finished binging all of BBC’s Sherlock for the first time, I would like to express the following opinions:

The show is actually so good. It’s incredibly camp & very entertaining. I can’t believe I let tumblr make me think it was bad for so long

My favorite season is season 3 followed closely by season 4. Fave episode was the sign of three, I love how the cases interconnected and it was adorable how hard Sherlock tried for John’s wedding

Mary honestly might be my favorite character lol. I wish we got more content with her. I liked how they handled her death though, was very fun to see John & Sherlock spiral into a depression

Honestly I kinda just wish we got more content in general. The 3 episodes at 90 minutes format kept my attention the entire time, but I really wish the show had something closer to the 13 episodes of 45 minutes like a lot of other things had at the time. I would’ve loved more “filler” episodes where we got to step back from the overarching plot and just solve some random crimes

Also think that format would’ve benefitted the Moriarty seasons. Felt like we kinda speedran him as a villain and I would’ve loved for him to be an ominous presence through more cases

I can absolutely see how seasons 1-2 gaslit people into thinking johnlock was gonna be canon and that’s very unfortunate bc the far better interpretation (imo) is Sherlock is aroace af and he and John are in a QPR (neither are aware of this, but Mary knows).

People seem to hate the ending episode a lot but tbh I quite liked it. I like Eurus and Sherlock’s dynamic towards the end though I do wish they didn’t re-imprison her. Also Molly deserved one goddamn scene where Sherlock apologized to her

[ravs6709]

I'd Chase You To The End Of The World - Queerplatonic Shiguang

word count: 2.4k words

or read on ao3 here!

prompt for @sgdlraction!!! ty for this opportunity, and ty to no_good_skyla on twitter for the donation and providing me with the wonderful wonderful prompt that is sentinel/guide shiguang (and for letting me qpr them <3)

its also a sorta vague hunter-dungeon au, but no powers or ranks or anything its just people pew pew monsters with guns. only magic-y stuff is the sentinel/guide stuff

warnings: injuries, and also while it is a qpr i do make them kiss because i felt like it (warning in case someone didnt want to read qpr with kiss)

Anyways, enjoy!

~•~•~•~•~•

Lu Guang took a deep breath, focusing on the target. Staring at where he wanted to shoot, he brought his arm up, then pulled the trigger three times. None of them hit the bullseye, but they seemed to all be nearby. Not perfect. But he was doing better. Faster, too. Consistency and speed would be more valuable than a rare shot. He exhaled, letting the tension ease out of himself. His phone rang, and just like that, he tensed again.

The caller started speaking the instant he pressed answer. “Guang Guang, where are you?” Cheng Xiaoshi asked, voice low. If Lu Guang paid close attention, he could sense a hint of breathlessness.

“You finished the raid earlier than expected,” he replied, checking his watch. An hour and a half early, to be precise. “I’ll be there within ten minutes.”

“Weird, you’re always home by the time I return, like you sit around and wait.”

“I was doing a workout,” he said, silently putting away the gun.

“Working out? That’s new.”

“It’s just something I’ve picked up on doing while you’re away.”

Cheng Xiaoshi laughed. “Lu Guang, have you been lonely without me?”

He scoffed, picking up his bag. “I’m leaving now. Physical condition?”

Cheng Xiaoshi hummed, so Lu Guang made sure to walk at a faster than normal pace, since that man had a tendency to downplay serious injuries. The one consolation was that the raid had ended quickly (and as a success, otherwise they would’ve been having a very different conversion), so there shouldn’t be too many of them.

“I’m fine enough,” he replied. “But it would be real nice if my Guide could nurse me back to health—”

Lu Guang hung up on him, then broke into a sprint. He made it back to the main site, to their shared bedroom.

Cheng Xiaoshi murmured a greeting, slumped on the couch. Some scratches on his face, but no clearly visible wound. “Took you six minutes and thirty seven seconds.”

“Did you really time me?” Lu Guang asked, picking up the first-aid kit from its designated shelf.

He grumbled, not turning to face him. Clear lack of energy. “Clock’s ticking too loud. Want my Guide.”

Lu Guang sighed, putting the kit back down. While he would have preferred to do a physical examination first, it was clear that guiding him was the bigger priority. Cheng Xiaoshi was already at the point of having to rely on counting the seconds of the clock in order to ground himself. Worse than what he’d thought while over the phone.

He sat down on the couch, pulling the Sentinel into his lap, shuffling him into a more comfortable position. He took a hold of his wrist, feeling the rapid pulse, the faint trembling of his arm, the way his skin had gone colder as his body had begun to focus on staying conscious rather than warm.

“Relax,” he whispered, planting a kiss under his ear, “Open your mind for me.”

Cheng Xiaoshi let out a small noise, tense in his lap, but so very pliant.

Lu Guang reached into his mind, soothing him, delving deeper to a colourful, tangled bundle where all of Cheng Xiaoshi’s senses had conjoined. All of them intertwined with one another, each sense feeding to overstimulate the other. He picked apart the bundle, separating each sense, the tension quietly easing. He felt his hand get squeezed, Cheng Xiaoshi turning his head just enough to smile at him.

Sometimes, he still couldn’t believe that he had something like this. He’d once worked as a freelance Guide, unbonded and simply using his ability to assist any random Sentinel, for no other reason other than the fact that this was his role. He remembered just over a year ago, being assigned to Cheng Xiaoshi, a late-bloomer. A new Sentinel who had shown lots of promise, but due to being newly awakened plus a late-bloomer, he lacked control, and needed a steady Guide to help him manage his senses.

But here he was now: sticking with that same Sentinel for a year when the previous record he had ever stayed was just under three months, actually bonding to one within seven, harboring this unfamiliar yet all-consuming desire to hold someone close for the rest of his life, being determined to ensure their safety and protect their smile.

Cheng Xiaoshi’s skin warmed back to its normal pleasant temperature as the seconds passed. Lu Guang kissed his cheek for no reason other than to hear him sigh. He couldn’t tell whether the Sentinel had a strong affinity for touch, or if it was due to his denomination, but either way, Lu Guang was more than willing to give him what he wanted. Of course, they couldn’t just lay there forever, so he pulled him to sit up.

“Physical check now,” he whispered, hand sliding to remove his clothes.

Cheng Xiaoshi grumbled, hands grabbing at him. “Can’t we keep cuddling? I’m fine.”

Lu Guang batted them away. “No.”

No blood, and his old wounds hadn’t reopened either, though the large purple blotch on his shoulder had him frowning.

“Got tackled by a monster,” Cheng Xiaoshi explained. “Looks worse than it feels. I wanna cuddle more, please.”

“No,” he repeated, getting up. He leaned down to press a placating kiss on the man’s pitiful pout. He grabbed an ice pack, wrapping it in a cloth and handing it to him. “You relax and keep that there. I’m going to make dinner. And no— you’re not allowed to come help me.”

“Hey, Lu Guang?” Cheng Xiaoshi called out as he turned to the kitchen.

He looked over his shoulder.

“If you’re working out now, does that mean I'll get a view of your new suuuper sexy back muscles?”

“Idiot,” Lu Guang huffed, and walked into the kitchen.

 ~•~•~•~•~•

“So, this is what you’ve been up to recently?”

Lu Guang flinched at the voice, his whole body jerking right as he had pulled the trigger, wildly missing the target.

“Qiao Ling-jie,” he said, turning to her.

“Cheng Xiaoshi said he thought you’d been up to something weird, but I wasn’t expecting this,” she said, walking closer to him.

“I’m just… training.”

“Obviously, I can see that much,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Are you planning on joining the raids?”

He nodded. “Don’t tell him anything yet.”

“Huh?” she raised an eyebrow. “It’s legal now for Guides to enter raids. And even if it weren’t, you know he doesn’t view you in such a shitty way.”

Up until around a year and a half ago, it had been strictly illegal for a Guide to join a raid. Many viewed Guides as ones who should devote their entire existence to supporting Sentinels. Guide them, treat their physical injuries, then send the Sentinels (and the occasional Neutral)  out to fight again. Guides were viewed as too weak to fight, unlike a Sentinel who had enhanced senses. They were also seen as too valuable to go into a fight. But after Guides argued that a Sentinel would be useless once dropped in a dungeon if they didn’t have a Guide to heal them quickly rather than hoping someone could drag them back, the law eventually changed.

Lu Guang himself was content with staying out of the front lines, but raid after raid of seeing Cheng Xiaoshi return to him bloody and near death made him anxious. What if Cheng Xiaoshi had his own drop, and Lu Guang wasn’t there to save him?

“Qiao Ling-jie, “ he said, “Cheng Xiaoshi would stop me from joining.”

She huffed, throwing her hands up in the air. “This is my brother we’re talking about, you seriously think that he would—”

“As a Neutral, there are things you wouldn’t understand,” he said, cutting her off. “I’m not viewed as weak, but a bonded Sentinel is naturally protective of his Guide.”

The words his Guide came out smoothly from his tongue, a pang of disbelief hitting him that he was Cheng Xiaoshi’s Guide, that they were bonded.

Qiao Ling straightened. “Sure, I’m a Neutral, so I don’t have a full understanding of that kind of thing, but you know he’ll have to know eventually, right? If you just show up one day, he’ll have way more questions.”

“...I know.”

She sighed, picking up a gun from the nearest rack. “Best I can do is at least make sure you don’t get yourself hurt in the process. Watch and learn.” She aimed quickly and fired, hitting right at the center.

He nodded, impressed, even though he knew that Qiao Ling had been one of the Neutrals who would join some of the raids as a backup fighter. No enhanced senses like a Sentinel, but no risk of a drop either. He could learn a lot, to shoot like her.

 ~•~•~•~•~•

The second hand of the clock ticked loudly. Lu Guang checked his watch. 00:05. Cheng Xiaoshi wasn’t back yet, even though the estimated return time was 23:00. Delays were normal, he told himself. It wouldn't be the first time. That didn’t stop his heart from pacing twice within a second. It didn't stop him from grabbing the gun he'd kept hidden away, or from slinging the travel bag with medical supplies onto his back either.

He sprinted to the gate, and into the dungeon, seeking out the heartbeat of his Sentinel. Immediately, he had to shield his eyes, the scenery blindingly bright. He tried to pinpoint the direction of where to go, but the sound of birds screeching kept disrupting his focus.

No wonder why they were struggling. A Neutral would find this setting hell, let alone a Sentinel.

Lu Guang closed his eyes, feeling for Cheng Xiaoshi’s heartbeat again, then broke into a sprint. Nothing would stop him. He didn't care what got in his way, he thought as he reflexively shot at one of the screeching birds. He shot at a few more, the heartbeat louder in his ears, the stench of blood growing stronger.

After a while, he made it towards the other end of the dungeon, where a giant bird was soaring through the air, and various Sentinels were hiding under the trees, bloody, some clutching their heads as they tried to resist their drop. Numerous Sentinels, but not the one he was looking for…

A gunshot rang through the air, missing the bird. Lu Guang dashed to the origin of that shot. Cheng Xiaoshi had draped himself across a fragile tree branch, arm trembling as he held up his gun with his non-dominant hand. A large feather was lodged in his right shoulder.

Lu Guang resisted the urge to scream for him, avoiding the risk of losing concentration. Instead, he scaled the tree too, one foot digging into a crevice, the other hanging in the air as he reached for Cheng Xiaoshi.

“Cheng Xiaoshi,” he called out quietly, feeling for the nearest patch of bare skin, the spot between his pants and his socks.

He felt him tense under his fingers, only for it to immediately ease out.

“Lu Guang,” he whispered, voice raspy. “What are you doing here?”

“I'm here for you,” he said sincerely, hand sliding up to grasp his thigh for better purchase. “Come down from there.”

“The dungeon boss—”

“It's just flying aimlessly. You attacking now by yourself won't kill it, and will only anger it more.”

Cheng Xiaoshi let out a sound of protest, but slowly made his way down the tree. It wasn't easy, since the feather had rendered his right arm unusable, but Lu Guang was at least able to bring him down to a sturdier branch.

“Your mind?” Lu Guang questioned.

“I'm fine,” said Cheng Xiaoshi, not to his surprise. “You should go guide someone else.”

He reached into his bag, pulling out a spare cloth. He took out the hardened feather, tying the wound. Fortunately, other than the feather, he didn't have any other critical injuries. Still, he reached into his bag and pulled out two blue crystals.

Cheng Xiaoshi's eyes widened. “We don't need to use them. I'll be okay.”

“No,” he bit out. “Don't be stupid, I told you, neither you nor I could handle that bird.”

“But if you guide some of the other—”

“I don’t have it in me to guide that many,” he said, which wasn't really a lie.

He used to guide more people back when he wasn’t bonded and he was paid for it. Even if he wasn't out of practice now, making his way took out plenty of his energy too.

“Cheng Xiaoshi,” he said, stroking his bloodied cheek, wiping it with a cloth. Desperation pooled in his stomach, burning hot. “Let's go home, and we can get the higher ups to send in some Neutrals and Guides, okay?”

He placed a crystal into Cheng Xiaoshi's hand. Thankfully, he activated it, and Lu Guang used his own, teleporting them out of the dungeon safely. He answered the questions they'd received, informing them the sensory dangers, the terrain, and where to go. Once that was done, Lu Guang carried Cheng Xiaoshi to their room, and started treating his wounds.

“S'this why you've been working out?” Cheng Xiaoshi mumbled, leaning into him.

Just a little bit of physical contact, and he was already showing his fatigue. As he'd thought, they would've never been able to beat the dungeon boss.

“Yes,” Lu Guang whispered, not wanting to be grating on his ears. “It's a good thing I came today.”

“Would've been fine,” he grumbled in reply.

“No you wouldn't, idiot.” He cleaned up the wound, wrapping it in gauze.

“And what if you got in danger?”

“I'd rather that than you being in danger while I just sit around.”

“You care that much?” The words were teasing, a question that Cheng Xiaoshi had asked numerous times. But this time, the tone was a hushed whisper, soft and vulnerable.

Lu Guang kissed him on the forehead. “I do.”

He smiled, huge and goofy. “Then let’s work together. But since I’m the Sentinel, I gotta protect you since I have the better senses, okay?”

“Okay,” he agreed.

But Lu Guang knew he would do anything to protect Cheng Xiaoshi.

 ~•~•~•~•~•

if anyone wants to be added to a link click taglist, just let me know!!!

[saturncoyote]

your portrayal of gardes aroaceness through the qpr he has with creek feels so authentic. like im aroace too, and i dont believe ive seen something that feels just SO... aroace, i guess! i love how you display intimacy without it coming off as like. super allo. it feels aro in a way where u have a deeper understanding of the complexities of relationships. i dont know if this is coming across well but i love love love what youve done with garde and creek. :)

WAAAA Thank you !!! Genuinely made me smile real big

In all honesty as a guy who recently figured out he's most likely aro (or at least somewhere on that spectrum) Garde has been a fantastic way to explore my own feelings about intimacy and relationships in general, they are very special to me :-)

[joobugg]

it just came to my attention that - as aro/ace - i don't actually like the 'friends to lovers' trope as much as i thought i did and i pretty much might hate it actually?

so let me explain!

i realized i usually just look for this specific setting in the few romance media i consume to supply the lack of queerplatonic representation in mainstream (or anything else), considering that the 'friends' part of the trope is normally sprinkled with the kind of oblivious affection that it's supposed to be seen as unintentionally romantic by the audience, but i simply... don't see it like that at all...

for me, at least, i like to imagine that those characters have a deep, immeasurable connection that don't exactly fit conventional labels of 'romance' but obviously aren't less meaningful because of that. I like to think, for just a tiny moment, that the friendship isn't being treated like another step on the path to romance, but a whole different journey; not something more, but something entirely different. It is frustrating when it inevitably comes to that point of the story where the characters conclude that all that endearment and love could possibly mean only one thing, however it's not like there's much of the kind of rep i'm actually looking for in media or even queer media, so i'd rather focus on the trip other than the destination.

all the pining, the fear of being 'too much' and end up pushing the other away, the amount of unresolved need for affection, or the urge to show how much you love and love and love but dreads being misunderstood, all things present in a loving platonic relationship, but, of course, it has to be downplayed in the name of a love that's supposedly stronger, better and/or more important.

and once i realized all that, i finally understood why would i always look for the slowest-burns possible or would very often drop a piece of media the second it extends itself too long after the couple got together or would get upset with strong friendships going romantic in canon, i finally figured it all out! lol

(and yes, i was absolutely exaggerating when i said i might hate the friends to lovers trope, i do believe it's pretty enjoyable, this is more of a plea for more aro/ace and qpr rep in media other than anything dw)

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

What makes you love payneland as a romantic pairing? Personally when I watched the show I saw them as a platonic pair almost exclusively. Like yes, I believe that sometimes you do look at your best friends with stars in your eyes, bc that's part of the queer experience to me. Anyway I'm getting off track. What drew you to them as a ship? How do you feel about Palasaki? Do you think the show will ever get picked up again? Will it ever be the same?

Love to know your thoughts!

I think Edwin and Charles's relationship is super queer and I love it. Like, they are best mates. They have been married 35 years. They've never kissed. They go to Hell for each other. They have lots of feelings that are a mix between friendship and devotion and romantic love, and the lines between those feelings blur. They are currently in essentially an exclusive relationship. They are not yet together.

Their dynamic is so fucking relatably queer, which I love.

In the end, the reasons that I advocate for them romantically (rather than in an exclusive QPR) are:

Edwin's current canonical feelings for Charles. I have Been In His Shoes and it is kind of a sucky place to be. I want him to experience love and romance, too, and I view Payneland as a Sold-as-a-Set do-not-separate nothing-comes-between-us monogamous unit already.

The fact that Charles so clearly already likes Edwin back. He did the hand over the heart thing! At the end of 8! Yes!!!

George and Jayden have amazing chemistry.

I just want to see them build their entire existences around each other in every sense of the world and be happy. It would bring me so much joy to see them happy and in love, because the trust and devotion they share would lend well to a beautiful and loving relationship.

I actually wrote an in-depth essay on this subject here!

I also think seeing them get together would help heal the sad little queer kid inside me that loved Destiel, lol.

Okay! What drew me to them as a ship?

They are my favourite kind of ship. Two very traumatized individuals who fit around each other's jagged edges and love each other all the more for those edges.

Edwin and Charles have been home for each other. For decades. They share every aspect of their existence and are fully comfortable together, and it's especially beautful considering that they had really lonely, short, horrible lives. They've saved each other.

Edwin wants to be safe? Charles makes him safe. Charles wants to live? He may not realize it, but Edwin is building a life after life with him.

Next, Palasaki! I do like Palasaki. I think they're a cute ship and have a lot of potential, and I would have loved to see them develop.

I'm not sure about the show being picked up again. I really hope it is (and also hope they totally sever it from Sandman). But shows that were canceled are rarely saved, and I'm not trying to get my hopes up. I think it has a chance, but I'm not letting myself hold my breath.

I think that the show would be the same if it did get picked up again. I trust this team of writers and think they have done really well with season 1, and I want to see what else they had in store during seasons 2-6.

However, I do have this fear that we'd do all this work to renew it and Payneland wouldn't be endgame. I think that would be a slap in the face to a lot of the fan base. Luckily, I am 99.9% sure they are endgame and am not that worried about this. I just have Anxiety.