#it feels like strong platonic love for each other i see them as friends..........

[cantagirldrawinpeace]

This is the main message of One Piece for me. Monkey D Luffy would say this shit if he could form media analysis thoughts.

This moment at Arlong Park is when I knew the series was gonna be different in terms of how it treats friendships (especially between women and men) and I’m so happy it’s stayed that way. (Pardon the dub but I like the line a lil better in English) I’m so happy that Oda says there will never be romance between any of the StrawHat crew - it makes their bond feel much more special to me.

And the fact that pretty much all of the iconic “I love you” scenes (Belle-mere, Corazon, Ace) or just general loving sacrifice scenes (Zoro’s “Nothing Happened”, Robin during and before Enies Lobby,, Hiriluk’s final protest, Bon Clay’s distractions, Shank’s arm, Kuma in general, Zeff’s leg, Whitebeard’s attack on Marineford, Pedro’s fight, Sanji’s willing capture, Sabo’s return to his birth family, Oden’s sacrifice, Nami’s decision to endure Arlong, and many many many more) are platonic or familial in a show this long is just so incredible.

Even as the most romantically driven character of the main cast, Sanji got a whole arc where he actively chooses to go back to his crew even while in the midst of a (garanted, very forced) marriage because he loves them so much. He subconsciously made all their favorite foods while preparing a romantic picnic for his fiancé! That’s incredible, I never see tropes like that happen in that way. It’s always the person subconsciously doing something for/that reminds them of their romantic partner when they’re not around, never for their friends while preping for a romantic thing.

I also love how gender is just never really a factor. Like the male-female relationships are silly and sweet and very true, but they are never forced into romantic territory. Luffy is Robin’s reason to live, he saved her life so many times in so many ways, and she looks at him with so much love in her eyes. But never do they have a weird blushy moment or do either of them show any interest in each other in any way other than platonically. Not cuz either of them is perusing anyone else, either. It’s cuz they love each other and they are friends and that’s it!

And the male-male friendships are honest and true and they tell each other how much they care for one another with words as well as actions, and they know about and care for each other’s feelings as well as their physical safety. Zoro and Luffy have a bond like no other, and they love each other very much. Their relationship grows to be full of hugs and exited shouts of each other’s name when they see each other after separating for a little bit. Quiet moments of contemplation together as well as loud raucous shenanigans and battles.

And the female-female friendships aren’t full of dishonesty or jealousy, they are emotional and kind and genuine whilst still being full of complexities and hardships that they wanna endure together, just as the other relationships are. Nami’s first main motivation to get physically stronger and to buff up her navigation skills was in order to help Vivi, and she says that out loud a lot. Nami is consistently one of the first people to mention/get excited about any news of Vivi, and they inspire each other a lot.

And Luffy as the main character embodies this so so so well. He values his friends so much and loves them with his whole being. He has challenged the entire world for the sake of a single one of them. He will go up against unimaginably strong people and huge systems of power without a second thought for the sake of any of them. And he’s never shown an interest EVER in becoming “more than friends” with someone, because to him being “just friends” isn’t being “”just” friends”. They are everything to him, and he loves them with the same ferocity and passion that most stories reserve for romantic relationships only.

He needs them. And he tells them that. He loves them so much and he needs them around. Them, specifically, individually, entirely.

This scene where the thought of his friends is enough to bring him back from the worst breakdown we’ve ever seen him have is tribute to that. The way this scene is composed both visually and musically is so classically romantic, but although it romanticizes, it is still so clearly platonic. And it’s beautiful, and so so very full of love.

It’s just so refreshing, and it means the whole world to me.

listen, sometimes it's more powerful for a fictional relationship to be a friendship precisely because friendship is devalued in comparison to romance. anyone can sacrifice themself for the love of their life. but for a friend? if anything, that kind of devotion can be even more moving than if the relationship is romantic. there's a real dramatic power to prioritising friendship in your narratives sometimes.

[gatorbites-imagines]

GATOR!!! GIVE ME YOUR HEADCANONS OF AN INVINCIBLE CHARACTER OF YOUR CHOICE WITH A TAMARANEAN READER AND MY LIFE IS YOURS!!!!

*kneels before you like a fucked up yaoi squire*

anyways, can you tell I love tamaraneans? Cause I love them. My beloved humanoid cat gladiators <3. They should be able to purr along side the laser eyes, tbh.

ps. Congrats on the internship, king 👑

Mark Grayson x Tamaranean male reader 

Headcanons 

*sits on my throne like a yaoi king, with a comically big crown and scepter* 

Hey gamers, sorry for the lack of posting, my internship is busy and I use most of my free time on artfight, lmao. But here I am, enjoy. Have some Tamaranean headcanons as well. 

I think its a bit of an accepted fact that Mark likes redheads, right? Just like Dick Grayson, sigh. Those Graysons and their redheads. 

So, Mark would immediately think a Tamaranean would be pretty. When you turn out to be really nice and approachable too? Well, hes sold. 

Tamaraneans are a people fueled a lot by emotions, meaning they love fiercly and hate just as strongly, so Mark feels overwhelmed when you guys become friends, and you are all over him. 

He doesn't know what to do with himself when you kiss his cheek and cuddle him platonically. You being as strong as you are adds to it too, as it's been a while since he's been able to just hug and squeeze someone. 

It's hard to say who falls first, or who falls hardest. Mark is so brave and bright that it's impossible not to fall in love with him. And you are so approachable and kind, how can he not? 

But you guys start dating, at some point. It most likely happens sometimes post season 2, even season 3, so you fight alongside him when everything happens, ya know?

 

Now on to alien biology, hehe :3ccc 

As Viltrumites run hotter than humans, tamaranean reader would be so comfy cuddling Mark, just draped over him and melting. 

Mark is so taken with the readers hair, especially when you guys are flying and it looks like it's on fire. Expect Mark to circle you on the regular, no matter how long you two have been dating. 

I think tamaraneans purr, but it's a bit more guttural in sound. Think like the noises big cats do instead of the purr small cats do. As they are a very emotion-based people, tamaraneans purr very easily too. 

Mark realizes after a while that your pupils do shrink and grow. It's not to the same degree as cats, but he can noticeably see them widen when you look at him, and shrink when you look at Cecil. 

Tamaraneans with claws? Tamaraneans with claws. They can be flicked in and out like a cat, and aren't typically used. 

As Viltrumites don't purr or the like, Mark is fascinated and loves all the little alien noises you make, or things you do. You'll catch him admiring you a lot, but that's just in general. 

I feel like viltrumites and tamaraneans know each other, since they're both strong alien species, if that makes sense. Theres probs been a lot of fighting in the past. 

This makes Mark so scared and nervous about meeting your family when the time comes. You can only really just sit back as he paces and works himself into a tizzy. 

Only way to get him to stop is to hug him, hold him, and tell him all the things you love about him, and to reassure him that your family will love him, because you love him. 

Some of your family may be somewhat cautious when they meet Mark, especially when they learn he's a viltrumite. But they they're all shown he's nothing like other viltrumites, then he's accepted with open arms. 

Mark just ends up stuck between a lot of purring tamaraneans, who are asking him so many questions. About him, about you, your relationship, his plans, your plans, etc, etc. 

Your family can be a lot, even for you, so at the end of the day you guys can go back to your room and just relax, or more if that's what ya want.  

Its exhausting but also satisfying in a way. You two do have a feeling that your parents, aunts and uncles, are already planning your wedding, but thats for later. 

[yourstrulynobody]

I would like to share a personal opinion on TechClaw (Roxanne x Eclipse):

I dont want TechClaw to be canon.

TechClaw is a great ship and all (especially with how theyre on par with each other which is admittedly adorable and I see why people ship them!), but being canon in the show? I dont think I'd like that; I would prefer if TechClaw would stay fanon.

Now why say this?

Eclipse seems to be Demiromantic (someone who only develops romantic feelings once they form a strong bond), and it'll be, as per usual, forced when Eclipse suddenly falls for Roxanne who hes only known for FIVE months—not even a year has passed! That just doesnt seem like a strong bond to me which means I dont see how Eclipse would fall for her so easily like this. (←Sorry. I am VERY cautious when it comes to portrayal of sexualities and want to try portray them as accurately as possible, so TechClaw suddenly becoming canon when theyve only known each other for a mere FIVE months doesnt feel right to me in terms of how Eclipse seems to be identifying himself.)

I personally agree with what @nosleepygay (sorry for the @!) says about them specifically: platonic parents. Seriously, look at that amazing, new and fresh dynamic! Platonic parents. Look. Amazing; beautiful. So why waste it? Why waste such a genuinely new dynamic you just made? Its so much more prettier to see a boy and a girl just being friends rather than being romantically involved with each other—isnt that what they argue about sometimes? How a girl and a boy cant just be friends?

Roxanne herself said that she didnt have to be the kids (Andrew, Andy and Jake) mother to take care of them (it was this ep I think), so why just disregard her words? Especially so far into the lore?

SPEAKING OF LORE; why a romance subplot now?

If TechClaw does become canon (which, again, I WOULDNT MIND IF IT DID! if you ship it, thats fine and I support you), I would prefer if it becomes canon AFTER everything is resolved.

Why? Because danger is literally coming; if Eclipse decides to be romantically involved with anyone (AGAIN: I wouldnt mind if he did!), that would be risky.

How? Because not only does he have to manage his new relationship, but he also has kids to care for and teach, and then theres Charlie who he needs to train, Henry who he needs to protect, AND finding Afton. Managing relationships, especially romantic ones, are hard and can get in the way of so many things. (←I am not saying this is the case for most, rather I am saying that now isnt the time for Eclipse to have a relationship with all the chaos thats happened, is happening, and will happen.)

(Again, I am so sorry! I nitpick a LOT when it comes to 'why, how and when' something happens. I know TechClaw will grow on me if it does become canon since StarTools/Solar x Nebula has actually done the same thing! But right now? Right now I dont know if I want TechClaw to be canon with the state of whats happening in their dimension; nurturing a fresh relationship when theres already a storm coming your way wont make anything stronger, especially since you dont know the person that long. ←I dont have experience, but friendships can be the same thing ig?)

Now, I am NOT being ungrateful; I love the work everyone who works on EAPS puts into it and pumping videos to be uploaded daily—its wonderful and I love and respect every single one of them. This is, again, just my personal opinion, so feel free to disagree!

If you ship TechClaw/Roxanne x Eclipse, thats perfectly fine and I support you! After all, I can see why people ship it with how they act with each other and what their dynamic is. By all means, keep shipping it, I dont mind it one bit :3

[shuggyisreal]

I saw another creator get harassed again for shipping and here's my take:

I personally think powerscaling and shipping are just two sides of the same coin. Both are forms of imaginative engagement, each focusing on a different aspect of the story. You like a certain part of the story and then you use your own imagination to expand on it. Powerscaling fans love thinking about who would win in a fight, how strong someone really is or what would happen if two characters clashed. Shipping do the same thing but with feelings and character bonds. They're just fleshing out the emotional side. I think it’s both the same thing really. You like the story, so you build on it in your head. Fill in the gaps to make it more fun for you and others.

So what's with the constant harassment?

I think a lot of guys just suck at dealing with emotions or reading between the lines, so when character dynamics get a bit deep or complicated, they kinda just check out. They feel left out or confused when the convo isn’t just about surface-level stuff. Shipping happens when fans see a connection between characters and want to explore it more. Shippers enjoy the tension, the care, the drama, whatever. It’s not even always romantic, sometimes it's just building on something that’s already there.

But some dudes can’t process that kind of emotional stuff, so their first reaction is to hate on it and act like shippers killed their entire family. They want everything to just be simple friendship that's why you hear the same sentiment, "why can't characters just be friends?" constantly. They want to boil it down to it's simplest form of relationship so they can get it. It’s not that deep to them, so they get mad when it is for other fans.

I mean, they can still do that, no? Nobody's stopping them from enjoying it. Enjoying a ship doesn’t mean they're undermining platonic relationships. Just like how some people enjoy their eggs raw in rice with chili oil, that doesn’t suddenly make sunny side ups any worse. It's just another way of enjoying a story.

I know I'm generalizing, but that's just how I see it.

[si-cucumber]

Thinking about starting my comic is scary but I don't think that anything's been more frightening than knowing that there will be people shipping my AroAce protag with his best friend :'D

[babyleostuff]

── OLYMPICS MASTERLIST

[🌊] DISCIPLINE: SWIMMING

PAIRING: swimmer!mingyu x swimmer!fem reader GENRE: fluff, friends to lovers(ish), idiots that doesn't realise the other one is in love with them too, mingyu is a tease but also down bad WARNINGS: the reader gets hurt (hits her head, nothing too descriptive), mingyu is a hottie WORD COUNT: 3k

SYNOPSIS: what will it take for you and mingyu to finally understand that you're literally meant to be?

natalia's note: @wonijinjin the broad back and bulging biceps are for you

“i can’t do this anymore.” 

mingyu's words hit you like a speeding train. 

you quickly lifted your head from where you were looking at your fingers splashing the water, facing your best friend. 

“w-what?” you asked, horrified. “what do you mean?” 

his shoulders dropped, causing the water to ripple around your bodies, and you couldn’t shake off the feeling that you wouldn’t like what he was about to say next. 

“i can’t do this anymore. i can’t watch you lose again and again,” he sighed, and dived under the red lane line, emerging a second later right next to you. “it’s,” he took a breath, “heartbreaking.” 

with how close he was to you now you didn’t have a choice but to look up, which was stupid because come on - you were in the water. a wole ass swimming pool. like, he could literally submerge himself a little bit more and you’d be eye level, but no. kim mingyu had to flash everyone in the damn room with his godly sculptured chest and shoulders. 

you mentally scolded yourself for losing the last ounces of your dignity over a man, because why was it so hard for you to peel your eyes off his pecs? and a quiet voice inside your head was telling you that mingyu didn’t do this by accident - he knew how it affected you. but it shouldn’t. you were best friends after all. 

and best friends didn’t look at each other’s chests. and wide shoulders. and bulging biceps. 

“then stop being such a bitch, kim mingyu,” you cleared your throat, suddenly very interested in the purple “paris 2024” banners over his head. “if it’s breaking your heart then that’s your problem, not mine.”  

mingyu rolled his eyes, and quickly lifted his hand to splash water at you, making you shriek. what a shame god didn’t bless you with quicker reflexes, so you could cover your eyes at least. it was funny how people used to tell your coach that it would be for the best to split your training sessions because you didn’t get on well with each other, while in reality you got on well a bit too much. 

“uh, excuse moi?” you cringed at his horrible attempt to speak french, “you’re calling the three time world champion and two time olympic gold medalist a bitch?” he put his hand over his heart. 

“then why don’t you want to race with me anymore?” you practically whined. “are you afraid of getting beaten by a girl? would that do damage to your reputation in the olympic village?” you giggled at his unamused stare. “i’m sure the gymnasts would be very disappointed to find out you’re not as big and strong as they thought,” you pouted at him, mockingly. 

“i told you baby, i don’t want to see you lose again, simple as that” mingyu put his hand on your shoulder. “can’t you race against ava or liv?” 

you weren’t sure if it was better to go underwater or to call for the medics at this point. this infuriatingly hot man just called you baby for god’s sake and he had his hand placed so close to your neck it felt as if he was cradling it. luckly you could blame the cold water for your shivering. the worst part - you were 99% sure you saw him make out with alexa before going to paris, so all of the sweet words and gentle touches were platonic. 

they meant nothing. 

which… were you even surprised? the hottest guy making out with the hottest girl on the team. both multiple champions. both insanely talented. 

still, you wouldn’t give up, and that definitely wasn’t because of your delusions that you could pull the hottest and the best swimmer on the continent, but because you didn’t want to lose your best friend.

“you’re not fooling me, kim mingyu. i think you’re just scared of me beating you.” 

he scoffed, and finally lowered himself into the water. thank heavens. “okay then. what do you say about one last race to finish this training off?” mingyu said, and sent you a challenging look, which he knew would rile you up even more. 

“deal,” you shook his extended hand. “but don’t come crying to me when you lose.” 

“as you wish, my queen,” he bowed his head, and snickered. “but-,” 

“no buts,” you cut him off. 

“ah, ah,” he pointed a finger at you. “if you lose you have to take a bath in the seine.” 

sometimes you wondered why exactly you had a crush on him because stuff like these reminded you he was only a man. more like a man-child, but that was if you wanted to be nitpicky. 

“that’s illegal, you moron.” 

you swore you’d drown him one of these days.

with the goggles over your eyes you swam under the lane line to have a whole lane for yourself, because there was no way you’d fit in one lane with mingyu. 

“okay champ, let’s see-,” suddenly you felt a tap on your shoulder. 

“je suis désolé, mais tu dois sortir de l'eau. les préparatifs pour la course vont bientôt commencer,” one of the volunteers was crouching by the edge of the pool with his hand outstretched in your direction. 

“uh,” you shot mingyu a quick look, “i’m sorry, je ne comprends pas.” i don’t understand. the only french you managed to learn before coming to paris, which you figured would come in handy, and as it turned out - it did. a point for you. 

“the competition,” the guy scratched the back of his neck, clearly trying to find the right words. “begin soon.” 

“do you want us to get out of the pool?” mingyu asked, pointing at him and you and then the outside of the pool. 

“yes, yes,” the volunteer nodded quickly. 

well, you could wave your race bye bye. 

maybe the universe didn’t want you and mingyu together, maybe all you were destined to be was friends? besides, one silly race wouldn’t make a difference, if anything, it would probably lead to you pulling a muscle, which would mean a big disaster with your eliminations right around the corner. 

your fate was to end up alone for the rest of your life, crying over a guy you could never have. typical. 

“shit,” mingyu sighed, taking off his goggles. “i really wanted to race you.” 

you sent him a quick smile, dismissing his teasing tone. the quicker you’d realise this wouldn’t work out the better for your poor heart. 

“yeah, that’s a bummer,” you said, grabbing onto the edge of the pool to pull yourself up. 

mingyu grinded his teeth and side eyed the volunteer. if it weren't for the dozens of people around you who were clearly starting to prepare for the race, he would have thrown the guy into the water with his own bare hands. 

“thanks for being a cockblock, dude.”

well, not literally, but this had to be the first time mingyu managed to talk to you without stuttering every other word and not acting that embarrassing. but no. someone had to sweep in and take this away from him. 

“be careful,” mingyu ran a hand over his face, and looked over to you, “the tiles might be slippery.” 

“you don’t say,” you said, and shot him a glare. “im not that-.” 

but before you could finish your sentence one of your hands slipped and you lost the grip, splashing back into the pool. 

“hey, hey,” mingyu immediately swam up to you, closing the gap between your bodies in seconds. “are you okay?” he put his arm around your waist, turning you around in his grip so you’d face him. 

shit.

“did you hit your head?” he asked quickly, taking off your cap. fuck, mingyu felt his lunch creeping back into his throat. if anything happened to you… 

“mhm, i think so,” you answered, disoriented. your vision was clearly unsteady and you were shaking in his embrace, though he didn’t know if that was due to the cold water or the hit. 

“fuck,” he muttered, running his hand gently over your head to look for any cuts or bruises. “we need to get you out of the water.” 

you nodded your head slowly, but that was a bad call, because it only made you more nauseous and made your vision even worse. 

“hey, don’t move. put your other arm around my neck and hold onto me,” mingyu said. 

“but i’m heavy.” 

“shut it or i’ll leave you here,” mingyu grumbled, and tightened his hold around you. 

with ease, as if he was born in the water, mingyu managed to get you to the edge of the pool with ladders, and called for help.

“i’m such a loser,” you mumbled, resting your head against his shoulder. “almost passing out in the middle of an olympic swimming pool,” you let out a bitter laugh, before whimpering. maybe making bad jokes right after almost cracking your skull open wasn’t a good idea. 

mingyu didn’t say anything but you could feel his body tense. 

“she hit her head on the tiles,” he said once the medics made their way over to you. 

they quickly helped him get you out of the water without causing you more pain and laid you on the stretcher. the medics whispered something between them, or maybe you were just so out of it that you couldn’t understand what they were saying, but you could clearly make out mingyu’s voice in between. 

suddenly, you felt as if you were being lifted off the ground, but your blurry vision made it impossible for you to see what exactly was going on. 

“min-mingyu?” you called out. 

“i’m here baby, don’t worry,” mingyu said, and reached for your hand, grasping it tightly so you’d know he was really right there next to you. 

“stop calling me that,” you said, your tone bossy as usual. 

“stop calling you what?” mingyu couldn’t help but giggle when he heard you scoff. good, that meant you weren’t that badly hurt. 

“baby.” 

“what if i don’t want to?” he asked, and ran a thumb over the back of your hand, smiling to himself when he felt your fingers wrap tighter around his.  

you shook your head, or at least you tried to. “then i’ll race you and if i win you’ll stop.” 

“you know i won’t let that happen,” he said softly. 

“stop messing with my heart, kim mingyu.” 

a champion, an olympics medalist, a man made of steel, and still, mingyu felt like he was melting under your gaze. your big eyes looking up at him, your soft lips parted in a slight gasp, your gentle fingers holding onto him for dear life…  

“i won’t,” he shook his head. “not until you stop messing with mine.” 

as it turned out, luckily for you, the impact didn’t cause much damage. “it caused panic more than anything else,” the doctor said. 

“so i’ll be able to race on monday, right?” you asked, twisting the rings around your fingers nervously. the olympics were something you sacrificed your whole life for - you couldn’t remember the last time you slept in, the last time you ate dinner with your family, the last time you had time for yourself, and if all of that would go to waste because of a stupid mistake… you didn’t know what you’d do. 

“don’t worry, you’ll be just fine for the race. i think your boyfriend overreacted a bit out there,” the doctor laughed. “maybe more than a bit.” 

you almost choked on the pills you were swallowing, your face burning with heat. the doctor feeding into your delusions was a big no no, and you definitely did not need that right now. 

“you might want to text him though, he was sitting outside the whole time we were running tests. had to send him back to the village,” he sighed, “he looked like a kicked puppy.” 

that was dangerous, and you needed to get out of there quickly. 

mingyu, on the other hand, couldn’t stop worrying. after the doctor sent him off, he didn’t really know what to do with himself, and he definitely didn’t know how he ended up sitting in front of the door to your room. 

god, he was being so pathetic. instead of telling you how and what he felt, he was acting like a lame highschooler trying to impress you with what? being a faster swimmer? mingyu was never good at flirting but this had to be his lowest low. 

„gyu? what are you doing here?” his head shot up, and there you were - safe and sound. no bandages, nothing. for the first time since he got out of that damn swimming pool he took in a deep, proper breath. 

“the doctor he, um…,” 

“i know.” 

“you know?”

“i know,” you nodded. why did he look so nervous all of a sudden? “shouldn’t you be at the gym? preparing for tomorrow?” 

right. the race. 

“i probably should,” more than “probably” to be honest. your trainer would most likely have killed him already if not for the fact that he was the best swimmer on the team. “but i needed to know that you were okay.” 

“you could’ve just texted, you know,” you said. why was he being so… un-mingyu?

he shook his head, and stood up to his full 6 feet 2. “let me put it this way,” he took a step towards you, “i needed to see if you were okay.”

was he really about to risk your whole friendship? all this time spent on getting to know you, your likes and dislikes, what annoyed you and how he could push your buttons to see that bright smile on your face that always made his day a bit better. he didn’t want to lose all of that. 

but… mingyu felt his hands reaching out for you on their own to make sure that you weren’t in pain anymore, to kiss any bump or scratch to make it better, to hold you close to his chest this evening and keep you safe from all the wet tiles. 

���listen,” he scratched the back of his neck. he needed to do something with his hands. “i have to tell you one thing, and please just let me say it because i don’t think i’ll have enough courage to say it ever again.” 

you nodded your head, your gaze slightly confused. 

it was now or never. 

“okay, so i know we’re technically only friends from work, but not really since we hang out otherwise, and we’ve known each other for how long now? three years? and that’s great, i love training with you, and going to competitions with you, and hanging out with you, but lately… or not lately, really. for a long time-,” 

„mingyu,” you sighed, but the boy kept on rambling. „min,” you tried again, to no avail. „gyu!” 

finally, the man in front of you fell silent, looking at you with eyes wide and mouth agape. 

“i,” you took a deep breath. you knew exactly where this was going. „i can’t do this right now,” you said, and watched the spark in mingyu’s eyes die out. “with what happened today, and the eliminations tomorrow… i just can’t deal with this right now,” god, this broke your heart. “i need some rest, and i need some sleep,” you added. “besides, i also have the relay tomorrow, so i need to focus. this is not only about me, but about the girls. i can’t let them down.”   

mingyu’s heart dropped. if he knew this would end like this, then why was he feeling so disappointed? but he couldn’t be mad at you, no. it wasn’t your fault you weren’t feeling the same, and it definitely wasn’t your fault for wanting some rest. the olympics meant so much to you, and he knew how excited you were for them - he wouldn’t take that happiness away from you. 

„of-of course,” mingyu said, though his voice, his body language, his gaze - his everything, screamed anything but „of course”. he nodded his head and shrugged. „i’ll see you later then.”

you quickly grabbed his arm before he could turn around. „gyu,” you said. „i can’t deal with this now, but i never said i couldn’t deal with this ever.” 

he was so cute, you couldn’t help but hide your smile behind your hand. with slightly dishevelled hair (probably from running his fingers through them too much), un-matching shirt and pants, which you were sure were from last season, and his mingyu smile that showed off his canines… you’d have to be stupid and blind not to have a massive crush on this man. 

„r-really?” 

you nodded your head.

“maybe we can talk about this tomorrow?” you said, and slid your hand down his arm to his hand. “after the eliminations?” 

mingyu looked down wide-eyed at your hand holding his. was this really happening? maybe he was the one to hit his head? his poor heart and fuzzy brain couldn’t actually believe that the girl he had been pining after for god knows how long was actually saying that… that she liked him back? huh, if this was a dream he hoped he’d never wake up. 

“yes,” he breathed. “we can do that.” 

“great,” you smiled, and mingyu felt his heart skip a beat. “you’ll be watching me tomorrow, right?”

“you know i will,” mingyu said, squeezing your hand, and this - your hand in his - this felt right. this was right, and this was how it was always supposed to be. “i always do.” 

and then he did something that almost knocked you off your feet. 

he quickly closed the gap between you, pushing your body gently against the door behind you, and placed a soft peck on your cheek. you almost didn’t notice how his strong arm had snuck around you, holding your waist in a featherlight touch that didn’t quite match his strong hands and big biceps, or how the other one cradled the side of your face, and how his thumb stroked your cheek. almost.

and it was only a kiss on the cheek. 

“good luck, baby.”

[elysiansparadise]

My experience with some synastry aspects/overlays

🩶His Moon in my 7th house (#1): I still remember it sometimes, that way a smile would appear on my face at his mere presence. I perceived him as eccentric as he was very different from me, but he had a certain charm. He awakened a warm side in me that at the time I did not know how to understand or handle. But what I did know is that I wanted his happiness, whether it was with me or not. We both loved each other very much, I would dare to say that in the purest way that I have ever loved someone and although there were ups and downs and it did not turn out as planned, I will always wish him the best and I will remember him with warmth in my chest.

🩶Her Moon in my 7th house (#2): She was a sweetheart, she had a light charm and charisma that enchanted many people no matter how different they were from her. Her company made me feel comfortable and she was someone who spoke about her emotions in a balanced and even tender way. I felt very protective of her and that she felt okay in every way, I even remember putting off some tasks to spend time with her because I genuinely appreciated spending time with her. One of my closest bestfriends.

🩶Her stellium (Sun, Mars, Mercury & Venus) in my 12th house: I feel very lucky to have met her in this life, she became my safe place and someone I know I can count on regardless of distance or other factors. I think we reflect a lot on a subconscious level and I see in her aspects of my personality [obviously linked to the signs in which her stellium is]. She makes me feel seen and accepted, I know she will never judge me and she has shown me with actions that I can rely on her. I feel like we connect a lot and can understand each other deeply. She is without a doubt one of my best friends and knows that whenever she needs me I can offer her comfort, advice or support. 

🩶His Venus in my 12th house: It was a bit tense, mostly because he has very tense aspects in his chart. Throughout this connection I knew that he loved me the way he knew how to love, although that did not mean that he loved me well or how I wanted him to love me. The energy of the 12th house makes me understand things, even empathize, but it does not mean that they are justified. It was conjunct to my Rising, and I experienced this seeing how he prioritized me a lot and despite being someone who was not affectionate, he was affectionate with me. However, many times because of this difference in ways of loving, I felt his absence. 

🩶Their Mars in my 3rd house: I have to admit... debating with them [I have experienced this overlay several times] was stimulating and even a bit exciting at times. There was a certain tension between us and I never experienced big arguments with them, everything remained a playful banter. They told me that they were very attracted to the way I spoke, from my voice to mannerisms. They put a lot of emphasis on my knowledge about what I liked and how my voice caught their attention. 

🩶His Jupiter in my 7th house: Husband material. It is the most summarized way of explaining it, but I saw this man as someone I would have liked to marry in the future, beyond feelings (which there were) it was a matter of admiration and looking up at him, his ideals, his way of acting. It felt more like a decision than a whim or impulse to want to be with him.

🩶Her Mars in my 10th house: She was my crush [platonic love?]. I truly adored her very much. The way she carried herself and her strong, reliable and reserved appearance that she portrayed attractive to me. I really like the confidence with which she carries herself and she always behaved very nice and kind to me, becoming protective. She had a tendency to baby me though and being incredibly sweet to me [perhaps her Venus in my 4th house]. A strong attraction and support. [Scorpio + Leo energy]

🩶His Mars conjunct my Moon: He was the first person I liked. I would say that it was a strong attraction since we met, although it was not always easy. We used to clash at times, him being more irascible and me being more lighthearted. What was very present is that we always wanted to be close to each other, we used to spend a lot of time together and could be very possessive of each other [and his Moon in Scorpio + lots of tense aspects didn't help much either]. 

🩶Her Mars square my Mars: There was some tension between us, I think she was much more impulsive than me and reacted defensively. She was very direct with me, with her affection, attraction and even when there were differences or she disagreed, being a positive point. It was very intense and we were definitely very different. She was never aggressive or disrespectful to me, but she had very intense ways of reacting when she got angry with other people and of course, I didn't like that. It should be added that she also had the Moon in Scorpio and afflicted.

🩶Her Saturn trine my Venus: She was always loyal and constant with me. She wasn't very verbal but she gave me gifts and details. Her way of showing affection or pampering me was with things she knew I liked or fulfilling whims I had. She was capable of spending hours searching for the perfect gift for me and more than once offered to help me pay for large expenses that I had to make. Definitely a lot of provider energy.

🩶Her Saturn conjunct my Moon: She is one of my best friends, I always tell her that she helps me know how to better manage my emotional crises, that she gives me comfort and security and she tells me that I give her warmth. I believe that we bring a lot of positivity to each other, there is no judgment between us and we help each other as much as we can. We have been friends for several years now and sometimes we forget that there is an age gap between us. I have always thought that she is rather practical and straight to the point, and that is one of the reasons why I feel safe with her. I have always wanted to provide her with emotional support and comfort. 

🩶His Jupiter conjunct my Rising: One of the funny things with him is that he usually does things behind my back to help me, but when we are together we basically tease/argue with each other, most likely because this conjunction happens while his Jupiter falls in my 12th house. He has done a lot of good things for me, from opportunities for professional internships to even inviting me out to hang out or taking me to my favorite places. We always make each other laugh, especially me whenever I’m in the mood. And I've noticed that no matter how tense we are, we can forget a little about it when we chat or spend time together.

🩶Her Moon conjunct my Sun: She has always been very protective of me, always looking out for my well-being when we are together and making sure I am comfortable and happy. We have been friends for more than 10 years and she lets me talk about my emotions when I feel low, or even if what I say is something trivial. She is very gentle with me and likes to 'nurture' my independence and self-expression. There is a strong emotional bond between us, even from the first moment. We used to be inseparable when we lived nearby and even after I moved away, I usually go visit her.

🩶His Moon conjunct my Uranus: He's a good friend of mine, we tend to have a lot of fun, we've been on some crazy adventures together and we've even traveled together [we even missed a flight once]. We are quite different, while he is more given to creating connections everywhere, I am rather independent and even a bit of a hermit sometimes. Despite that, we love each other a lot and provide emotional support if necessary. I have noticed that we compensate each other, if one is being more emotional, the other behaves rationally [even blurting out truths in a very cold manner]. We can go days without speaking [up to weeks] and when we see each other we catch up and talk as if nothing happened.

🩶His Mars opposite my Saturn: I feel that on many occasions he tries to behave when he is with me, many times I am even the one who has a cool head when he explodes or when he is being irascible. When we have to work together we are a great team, we even organize ourselves quite well and we have similar ethics. However, the problem comes when we hang out for a long time, since I perceive him as someone who does not want to change and someone who is generally difficult to live with. His impulsive nature and the way he behaves makes me put some distance between us, even if we can keep things cordial.

[nozomisumino]

The reason Farcille appeals to me as a dynamic is because it's really refreshing and unique for a fantasy series. They're two girls who found each other and became close on their own terms, not just because they like a man, or through a man. Marcille is Falin's first friend. Marcille is the only one besides her own brother, who bothered to try and reach out to Falin despite her absurdities, and try to understand her and not judge her because she's different. Falin felt she didn't belong and wasn't normal, and Marcille struggles with similar feelings.

Their bond is an important and vital aspect of the series. Laios and Marcille both wanting to save Falin after she sacrificed herself against the red dragon. Marcille having attachment issues alongside Falin and having to learn to be independent and less clingy on her. Furthered by Falin herself realising she needs time alone after being saved at the end of series as she knows she has mostly relied on Marcille and Laios her whole life. Falin wants to become her own person and find her identity outside of the both of them.

I just love how Falin and Marcille love and care for one another but also realise they were initially co dependant and try to improve themselves without each other and don't trap each other down by what they want. It's just refreshing seeing two female characters in a fantasy series have such a strong bond with each other (regardless if you see them romantic or not). That isn't just tied around their worth with men around them. It feels realistic and it's relateable.

Falin is a really personal character for me and I love the way the series handles her connection with Marcille and her brother Laios. The way it also recognises her issues and flaws through other characters and it ends with her taking control of her own life. Dungeon Meshi has so many themes which can appeal to many different types of people, it's why i started loving this series so much. It's so comforting seeing platonic, romantic, familial bonds being explored in unique, real ways.

Anyway the point of this thread was just to explain why so many people love Farcille as a dynamic. It feels natural but also a refreshing relationship between two women who love and care for one another without their worth being tied down by male characters. Falin and Marcille, Laios and Falin's sibling dynamic, Kabru and Mithrun are all really refreshing dynamics Dungeon Meshi actually takes the time to explore and develop across it's story. Not many manga really develop relationships in this way, it's why i love the series!

[the-selfship-corner]

Selfship Vocabulary Guide!

Selfship: To ship yourself or a self-insert with a character, whether it be platonic, romantic, or familial.

Yume/Yumeship: A different word for selfship. Short for yumejoshi (feminine), yumedanshi (masculine), or yumejin (gender-neutral).

F/O or Fictional Other: A character that you ship yourself with.

S/i or Self-Insert: A character you created that represents yourself in the world of a series, movie, book, video game, etc. They usually (but not always) have similar personality and features to their creator.

Romantic F/Os: Fictional characters that you feel a strong romantic attraction to. You may imagine yourself being in a relationship with them.

Familial F/Os: Fictional characters that you feel are like your family. This could be characters you consider your parents, siblings, kids, etc.

Platonic F/Os: Fictional characters that you consider to be your friends or feel a platonic love towards.

OC x Canon: Shipping an original character such as a self insert with a canon character in their world.

Canon x Canon: Shipping two canon characters with each other. This may be canon in the story or not. Many selfshippers feel uncomfortable seeing their F/O in these ships.

Y/N or Your Name: Mostly used in fan fictions, it’s meant for you to insert your name into the story like a self-insert.

Comfort Character: A character that can bring somebody comfort without self inserting. (Or just in general)

Doubles or shared: F/Os that you and another person may have that are the same character

Sharing NG: “Sharing Not Good” this person is uncomfortable with sharing their F/Os or interacting with people that have the same ones

Let me know if there’s any I missed/should add!

Edit: WHY IS THIS BLOWING UP HELP 😭😭❤️❤️

[fawnspotholiday]

(pre-tl;dr: all ships are canon)

non-tl;dr version:

only other thing i will say about the Shipping Wars is that i think the people that say only suselle is "canon" are not paying attention. I actually think you're not even understanding the characters if you're not seeing that all these ships are on some level semi-canon... And that being romantically lonely is even implied to be part of Kris's character (they get a "monsters 4 humans" targeted ad).

Suselle - Susie and Noelle obviously have straightforward crushes on each other no explanation needed (people that think this is one-sided are also ??? to me though. why do you think susie is so interested in noelle's dream or asks ralsei about her or i mean the entire main route at noelle's house SHE'S TAKING HER ON A DATE??? what are you talking about. Susie also first noticed Noelle when she gave her a pencil and had a soft spot for her ever since then but probably didn't imagine a girl like that would be into her. You can tell she still kind of finds it hard to believe which is why she does a lot of assurance seeking from Noelle - asking about her dream, wanting her to clarify her relationship with Kris - etc. but towards the end of the study date you can tell she's gotten more confident about it. She gets excited and anxious seeing "love finds its way to the girl" because she's thinking about a possible future between them.)

Kriselle - a childhood sweethearts history has seemed implied ever since Noelle blushed if you gave her the gift in ch 2 and reminisced about how Kris used to give her gifts and wondered "are they saying they want things to go back to..." But it is also implied these feelings between them didn't survive the grief over Dess and they have since moved on with possible lingering unacknowledged feelings. When Susie asks how Noelle felt about the Ferris wheel ride with Kris, an implied romantic context, Noelle doesn't want to answer and pretends she doesn't remember. Outside of the romantic undertones forced on them in weird route, after Noelle is comforted by Kris post ch 2 something about the moment between them on the porch seems to reawaken Noelle's buried feelings for them. Rudy hints to Kris that Noelle now wants to go to the festival with them, Noelle is a lot less fixated on Susie and doesn't have strong a reaction to seeing her at the church nor inviting her to her home - doing so mainly because she wants to talk to Kris, she recounts that hearing Kris's real voice brings her to tears because she missed them that much, and she scooches suggestively close to Kris on the couch - even when she's close enough to perhaps talk in a lower tone if that was her intention she still gets even closer haha. Maybe alone you could dismiss it, but with everything else it comes off as flirtatious. Though Kris blushes when Susie brings up the Ferris wheel, mostly Kris's feelings about Noelle are unclear - but it's explicitly implied Noelle has long-held feelings for Kris even if she's tried to move on from them.

Krusie - Kris holds an enormous amount of affection for Susie and seemingly has since before our involvement got them to become friends according to Noelle's blog post - only giggling at Susie's attempt to bully them and eating an apple Susie had already bitten into in front of her (suggestive???). Kris has probably always wanted to know Susie since she came to their school. Susie's presence brings them a lot of security, stating explicitly that seeing Susie with themself in the mirror was comforting and made them feel okay with themselves. Susie causes Kris to act without player input - shielding her in ch 1 (I remember that was the first moment I went "oh..." with this ship haha), and playing the piano with her encouragement which seemed like a big deal. They're on the same wavelength and have a lot of tender moments, Susie's smile even makes Kris's soul shine. Sure you could call this all a platonic bromance... if not for the fact that Susie also causes Kris to blush the most, that Susie is the only festival date option that Kris says earnestly, that Kris keeps a book with a sexy purple dragon on the cover that they seem embarrassed for her to see haha. They also have a moment in ch 3? I actually haven't fully seen it myself, I didn't get the whole experience of the secret mantle/manhole game in my first play-through so I've been trying to avoid spoilers for it - but from the glimpses I've seen it looks pretty suggestive, like a near-kiss??? Anyway, I think Kris having a crush on Susie is likely - but Susie seems pretty oblivious to it. We don't get to see what it was that Kris drew on the window in the diner scene - but I think Susie's reaction of "I can never tell when you're messing around" kind of sums it up - she doesn't think of Kris in that way, and so is missing any signals they might be giving off. Would that change if she were more aware? Would she be interested? Who's to say.

Kralsei - Ralsei obviously has a crush on Kris and dotes on them - even if it's to flatter the player they seem to know personal things about Kris too and tries to appease them. Outside of Suselle they're the most explicitly teased in the game seeming to always be put into romantic situations - the tunnel of love, the ch 3 block push scene. Ralsei is always really flustered when receiving any affection or compliments from Kris. Susie seems to think there's something between them and teases them about it. Despite all this, since Kris is only following player input it's unclear how they feel about him. But with Kris preventing the player from being cruel to him in recent chapters and taking initiative to comfort him, Kris at the very least cares about Ralsei.

Ralsusie - Similar to Kris, Ralsei's flirtation with Susie might just be a way to charm her into lowering her defenses. But he seems to like baiting Susie into calling him cute, and she makes him blush a lot. Susie enjoys teasing him (does she know Noelle wants to be treated like this lol). They develop deep affection for each other with Susie inspiring Ralsei to challenge his preconceived notions about himself. Susie shows a lot of tenderness towards Ralsei: inviting them to the festival and wanting to make up their room, and Ralsei worries over Susie asking Kris to make sure she isn't lonely for him. I do think this relationship is mostly platonic - but hey the flirting/blushing is there, and Ralsei didn't seem too opposed to the throuple idea haha.

Kerdly - This is mostly played as a gag, but hey since Berdly is into it that makes it at least semi-canon haha - goes for all his ships I suppose. Who knows maybe Kris and Berdly will hit it off at the festival (*sound of Kris flinging a nestle syrup bottle at me*)

So yeah!!! All ships are teased!!! You must stop ship wars now and instead celebrate Toby being insane wanting everyone to kiss!!!

Throuples have been acknowledged thus put on the table!!! Anything can happen!!

[alexwilltellyouthings]

Something about the line between platonic and romantic and what that means for Edwin and Charles.

What even is that line? Like, in general? Especially when it comes to queer relationships? We've all been there or seen it happening, kissing a friend, found family, lovers to exes to friends again. It's common for queer groups to be messy, but also that's not messy, that's just how we roll.

Sometimes it's more about how you perceive things than about how the world is saying that they are.

And Edwin and Charles, the line is so, so high up. The love doesn't change no matter how you're looking at it, but the difference is the knowledge — the way they understand the feelings.

So even though Edwin has been in love for decades (because it was the same feeling), he didn't see it like that. Everything he did for Charles was platonic up until the moment it wasn't. The same goes for Charles: even if he, too, has been in love since the beginning, he didn't consider it and so his acts were platonic. He did actually go to hell for his best mate.

Because what's the difference? If it's that strong, it can only be romantic? Nah, I know most of us don't actually believe that.

That's why I think that them turning romantic doesn't diminish the strenght of the friendship itself. From now on, yeah, they may see themselves as lovers. But they were friends for 30+ years first, and they loved each other like that, and it wasn't less. It was the same.

[miwiheroes]

Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love + Stranger Things Couples

This is very different from my other posts on here, but I was inspired by @hawkinsschoolcounselor to make this. Just wanted to give this tag some of my own insight from a Psychology student's perspective, specifically talking about the Triangular Theory of Love (TTL) in relation to couples (whether they are platonic or romantic or not) on Stranger Things. I'm not here to say that the Duffer Brothers specifically took inspiration for their couples from this theoretical model, just that this is one of the many theoretical models of relationships that can be applied to how people view love. Therefore, a writer would have written real life people's experiences of love into the show.

(Just want to quickly add -- this theory was made in the 80s. The most common criticism of this model is that it is made on the basis of westernised ideals of love. It also does not take asexuality or aromanticism into account.)

First of all, an Introduction to the TTL:

Imagine yourself a triangle. Every triangle has three sides. Each side of this triangle is an essential component to love. It’s the combination of these elements that creates the different types of love we experience.

First, we have Intimacy, which isn't your classic physical intimacy that you know (e.g. hugging, kissing). It's basically the emotional side of love. Can you tell this person your deepest secrets? Can you trust them? Do you two have similar interests? Can you have a laugh? Intimacy is what makes us feel understood and accepted for who we are.

Next, is Passion, which is the fire, the spark, the physical attraction that ignites the magnetic pull between two people. The chemistry, the electricity, you could say. We feel this at the beginning of most relationships, that intense desire to be with someone, emotionally and physically.

Lastly is Commitment. This is the decision to stay, to continue even if something changes. This can be for various reasons like investments you've made in the relationship, the promises you've made to someone.

Each of these components are associated with a certain type of love.

Nonlove -- This relationship has neither intimacy, commitment, or passion. You are acquaintances with this person.

Liking -- This relationship has intimacy only. This is a friendship, without commitment or passion that a romantic relationship has.

Infatuation -- Only has passion. It's exciting, overwhelming, but there's no emotional connection, trust, or commitment.

Empty -- Only has commitment. The relationship is stable and safe, but has no real connection or passion that it may once have had or never had.

Companionate -- This relationship his intimacy and commitment, but it does not have passion. This could be a very close friend, or a couple that may be in love but do not have physical attraction to one another.

Romantic -- You are intimate with this person and have passion with them, but you are not yet committed. For example, a partner that you've been dating for a short time.

Fatuous -- The presence of passion and commitment, but without intimacy. For example, two people who barely know each other can get married super quick on a whim.

Consummate -- Is the 'ideal' love. This is the complete, balanced love we all strive for. It’s a mix of deep emotional connection, physical attraction, and a strong, lasting commitment.

So how does this relate to Stranger Things?

I do believe we can sort of apply these definitions of love to many different duos in ST, and see what this means for them in the future. Love can also be different on either side, for example, on side of the duo may see passion in their love, while the other side sees none.

BTW you may notice that I'm not going to include Byler or Mileven in this first list, I will diagnose them after all the other duos in the show. So scroll down if you want to only see them.

Nonlove

This would be a duo from ST that really has no interaction with each other. No commitment, no emotional connection, no physical connection. I guess we can just pick people who've barely had an interaction, like Steve and Will. Eddie and Hopper. Mike and Robin (not yet anyways).

Liking

E.g. Joyce and Murray, Mike and Lucas. Just friends, but they are friends enough that they have believable closeness and an understanding of one another. More examples include all the party's friendships with each other (except Mike and Will). I don't want to really dumb them down into not being committed toward each other, but we can see that they're not dependent on each other in a way that's got more emotional depth than some other platonic duos in the show.

Infatuation

The only notable one that I can think of here is Stancy, more specifically on Nancy's side. This means she only has passion with him, aka, physical attraction. She's not intimate with him (in this model's definition at least). This model's definition of intimate means sharing deep secrets and trusting each other. During S1, Nancy's reason for being with Steve was because he was popular and she was just excited to be with the most desire guy in high school. She didn't confide in him about her emotional turmoil, she didn't understand his decisions and he didn't understand hers. In S2, this is the same. The only time that she confronted him was when she was drunk, other times she didn't feel he understood her enough like Jonathan did.

She also wasn't committed to him, which makes sense, because she had a far more emotional intimacy with Jonathan.

Empty

The first one that comes to mind ^. Obviously, this isn't necessarily fully in line with the psychological definition of 'Empty love', because Karen is not fully committed to Ted in S2 or S3, but ultimately she does make the decision not to cheat on her husband because of her commitment to her family. They have no intimacy and no passion (Ted's bed is literally downstairs). This is one of those relationships where people don't even have to ask why they don't get a divorce -- because they're too committed, which is their downfall.

Companionate

I believe Steve and Robin are different to those friendships in the 'Liking' category. They have intimacy, because they confide in each other and understand each other on a deeper level. But they're also committed to each other in a way that the other platonic duos don't have. They go where the other goes -- (they always need to have the same job together), and other people already think they are a couple (based on heteronormativity but also because they're seen together so often). They obviously have no passion, because uh well, their physical attractions lie elsewhere.

Romantic

I couldn't think of anything that just fitted only intimacy and passion and no commitment, most of the couples on ST basically have commitment if they also have the other two.

Fatuous

Without intimacy, but only commitment and passion, this is a super rare kind of love, and probably not represented in Stranger Things. If anyone has any idea of what could be in this section, please let me know.

Consummate

The ideal love, with intimacy, passion and commitment, is luckily represented by most of the canon couples in Stranger Things. This is how you know that the writers are good at writing believable romances -- you don't need the characters to explicitly state that they are in love for you to know, because they have all three of the staples for an ideal love.

Jancy has intimacy because they can tell each other secrets and they understand each other's emotional traumas (Jonathan understands Nancy's trauma surrounding Barb, for example. As a wise man once said, they have shared trauma). The biggest reason why they definitely have this love to me, though, is because the moments that they have the most trouble in their relationship is when one of these sections breaks down. AKA -- intimacy was broken down in S3 when they 'don't understand each other' anymore, and they were able to come back from this, showing their commitment. Season 4 also shows their commitment, because while Nancy was being sweet talked to by Steve (ugh sorry), she still stayed committed to Jonathan, same on Jonathan's side. Despite being in a different state, he still made all his decisions based on her future as well as his, showing they were committed.

Jopper has intimacy because she feels that he understands her more than anyone -- he met her in high school and clearly have both shared memories and shared trauma. They trust each other with sensitive information about each other's lives, and are able to confide in each other when the other is going through something. The commitment is shown deeply in Season 4. Joyce's commitment is quite literally shown in almost crashing in a plane for him and trying to break him out of prison. Hopper's is the plan he makes to break out and go see her. Their passion well.... that is also shown in the way Hopper continues to pine for her in S3, giving her longing looks, but also in S4 because this desire has a pay off.

Okay so now we can talk about which categories Mileven and Byler fit into:

Mileven and Byler

Lets' start by looking at each of the three components:

Mileven's Intimacy:  In the beginning of Season 1, Mike has emotional understanding with El, but this is gone by the time Season 4 rolls around. She explicitly states to him "No. You don't." He also finds no time to express his insecurities about his relationship with her actually with her, instead choosing to confide in Will about his insecurities. On El's side, she chooses to lie to Mike about having a really hard time in California, because she does not have the intimacy with him to feel like she can confide in him. There is a reason for this, obviously, and that is because she feels insecure about their relationship. But instead of communicating that, she chooses to ignore it. When Mike finally chooses to tell El about his 'feelings', even if they are true, he is only spurred on by Will alone, not by his own desire to do it. Whenever Mike tries to actually tell El what he's feeling, he ends up trying to do it in other ways in order to avoid it. Their scenes where they're about to open up to each other are either interrupted or extremely frustrating.

Byler's Intimacy: Will has always chosen Mike to talk about his problems with. He says to him in the 'crazy together' scene that Mike can't tell the others because they won't understand, showing that they have a unique kind of intimacy. Will also chooses to confide only with Mike about his problem with D'art in S2, because the situation is slightly icky (because D'art was literally inside him ig) and trusts only Mike with this situation. This is the same as the situation at the end of S4, where Will knows it would be scary for anyone else to hear, but he's happy to tell Mike about Vecna being alive. Luckily, Mike is ready to jump into action at the drop of a hat in both situations. Mike's intimacy with Will is the sheer amount of heart-to-heart scenes they have in S4. He's always ready to tell Will about his relationship problems, but not El (and no, not just because she's in the lab). He's more comfortable around him than El. All Mike and El do is make out (in S3), have some slight banter, but they don't actually have any shared interests. Mike and Will both have the shared interest of all things nerdy, and Mike finds Will's artwork moving and amazing. Mike has been shown to have an appreciation for what Will creates.

Mileven's Passion: I guess it's slightly awkward to talk about this kind of stuff with either Mileven or Byler, because they are teenagers. But teenagers obviously experience physical attraction and desire. The reason we can see this desire in other couples is because they have a lot of build up. Jancy have desire because they've been kept from each other because of Steve and Nancy being together. Jopper have been kept from each other because of Joyce's relationship with Bob and her grief, then Hopper being kept in jail (though that's not to do with romance). Lumax have been kept from one another because of Max refusing to get help from others. There was no pining, desiring moment with Mileven. And I know what people might say: Season 2 and Season 3 had moments where they were kept from each other and it was shown that Mike wanted her back. Oh? You mean the Mike that gave up on calling her and focused on Will until El reappeared again? You mean the Mike that joked around with Lucas after El broke up with him and played himself as the victim? It's not the same, because it has no pay off like the others. The maybe-pay off is the 'passion' of them making out in S3, constantly getting interrupted by some funny old guy haha!. As Hopper said, too much passion is 'not normal, not healthy'. This passion has Mike pulling her hands away from him and is just presented as humour/puberty-ridden teens figuring themselves out. Idk man

Byler's Passion:  Ignoring the fact I feel so weird talking about this, let's just reiterate some of the points I brought up to you in the last paragraph. All other main couples in ST have had a moment of unambiguous pining. Jopper, Jancy and Lumax. This is also the case with Byler, clearly, from S4, Will's pining for Mike can be seen as him wanting something. Have you seen those longing looks, marked by sweet, pining music? Those scream attraction, even though some of you might be allergic to two teen boys showing attraction to each other but are totally fine with 13 year olds making out. Those are just Will's pining moments. I mean, I can talk at length about Mike's slip ups. The triple take? The amount of lip glances on this man? It's hard to say at the moment whether they have passion in this relationship, but the thing is. We don't need to have it right now. All we need to know is that there is potential for it, potential for an amazing pay off where Will confesses his feelings. And from the amount of pining Will's shown (and Mike in a lot of ways), there definitely is potential.

Mileven's commitment: So this is where they actually have something. But that's not necessarily a good thing. Mike is the first person that treats El well after being stuck in an abusive lab for the first 12 years of her life. He made a promise to her that he would take care of her, and they both stress that Friends Don't Lie. They don't want to lose each other. Mike tells Will and El that he doesn't want to lose her and wants her to need him. This is not the same as romantically loving somebody. Mike's feelings shift during S2 and S4, but his commitment to El overrides everything. El wants to break up with him because of various reasons, and says that he is her 'first boyfriend' during S3. But they still stay together despite the troubles in their relationship, showing that the commitment is not something they want but something they need in order to feel secure. We have established they have no intimacy, we have established they have no passion. So why do they stay together? Because of the security, or some other reason. We have seen that Mike doesn't love El during S4 because he describes 'explaining himself' to her, while also not knowing what to say when she spells it out for him. We have seen how Mike treats El poorly, and the other way around. They lie to each other, they don't confide in the other. But they stay together because... they've made a promise, a commitment. Mike says I love you because she's going to die and believes it's what she wants. Even if this commitment was supposed to be genuine and pure, it can't be worth rooting for without intimacy and passion.

Byler's commitment: Will states many times that he will always be Mike's friend, always need him, wants to be with him for the rest of his life, playing games in his basement. That is the most obvious sign of commitment I have ever seen. He is so committed that he is willing to sacrifice his own feelings in order to make Mike happy, effectively tying himself to his love forever. Mike is committed to Will in his own way. He is always the one to apologise and take the fall in their arguments, while with El he is not committed in that way. When Will is away from Mike, he's worried that he's lost him. Basically this means Mike is afraid that Will isn't as committed as he is to their friendship. It's funny because Will has the exact same worries during the Rink o Mania fight. But that's the irony. They are both committed. Mike's commitment despite the distance is shown through his fear of losing Will. Will's commitment to him despite the distance is through his painting. No matter what, Mike is always ready to be a team with Will and work with him. Even while they were supposed to be fighting, Mike confides in Will. And Will? A huge part of Will's arc is his undying commitment towards Mike, which makes his scenes with Mileven so upsetting -- because we know his love will never end, meaning his sadness won't end unless Mileven break up.

So what's the diagnosis?

Mileven: Empty Love (Only commitment to each other. There is no show of emotional understanding and connection. The passion and pining for each other is not shown like with other ST couples.)

Byler: Consummate Love (Has all three elements. Both have a mutual understanding to each other's needs, both have a mutual pining, even though it's much easier to see on Will's side. Both have a commitment to the other in their own way. All other popular ST couples have this love and would fit in with Byler's)

Im so scared to post this because it's so different from my other posts. But hopefully you see that even if Byler is not endgame, Mileven being endgame would not be a true show of 'love defeats all' -- because it is not a healthy love. 

[littlegeecko]

Ah! I have so many questions,, gahhh. What I meant by refreshing is that I don't really see people depict Telamon as crazy as he should be! It's morbid in a cool way!!! It's a very new and interesting take

Another question! What kinda relationship does Dusekkar and Telamon have? What dynamic do they have going on? They seem like friends, or at the very least the trust seems to be there

Aww thank you, again i'm happy there's people that like my stuff, sometimes i get a little intense with the stuff i write (mostly why i stick to shitposting and lighter stuff haha) but it's great to see my Telamon and 1x1 stuff got some good first impressions : ]

Also, I've been thinking about it, but here's what i have about them so far! (Could change in the future if it clashes too much with the Forsaken Dusekkar & Shed lore or i feel like changing it)

Dusekkar, or Matthew Dusekkar (Yea, different name for the sake of my mental health haha) was offered to Telamon as a blood sacrifice, and while Telamon kinda laughed at this at first he eventually found out how Different this one was.

May i mention, Matt is NOT a robloxian (equivalent of full-human), the pumpkin heads are a humanoid species of sorts, so Telamon had a lighter hand with him from the start.

He kinda treated him like a court jester for the laughs at the start, getting him to do little tricks for him or show him what he knew about magic, and sometimes like a sand bag to "toughen him up" for a battle, even if Dusekkar is not the type for hand-to-hand combat and swordfighting primarily in comparison to his wizard powers he's still pretty skilled in that regard thanks to Telamon, bro's a twig but built like a titanium rod that could cave your skull in easy (this is relevant)

The thing is, just like Telamon was teaching Matt how to "be of use around here", Matt was also sharing things with Telamon; more especifically books, food, general knowledge about what's Below The Clouds, Music and even a light conversation once in a while, all of this fascinated Telamon bit by bit, becoming more and more prone to indulging in such vanal, mortal things for fun, and slowly but surely Matt was not only some sorta right-hand man for Telamon, but also a confidant, a friend even

---Also is Telamon's fault Matt gets so fucked up on wine nowadays.

Matt was often the link between Telamon and the Below, letting the admins know about his terms and conditions on how the Heights should be handled once the people started rolling in to fight for the funsies or train, eventually, Telamon joined their side officially, and the two were an inseparable duo that everyone on the admins group knew about- they were like two of the most fucking dangerous dogs you've ever seen simply hanging out and laughing at the stupidiest things only they understand, but could easily snap someone's neck in an instant if necessary (or for fun, in Telamon's case)

Telamon spared Matt's life multiple times during sparrings because he talked back to him, even spat at him a few times, bared his teeth and burned him with his head flames, took the blows like a champ too and saying "if you're gonna kill me then just do it" no balls bro, which simply fascinated the bird man, no one EVER yelled back at him, this one had guts huh? funny pumpkin man, i like that!

Mercy however, comes with a price:

Matt has been by Telamon's side for so long, he has seen people come and go, had seen him create and destroy over and over again, and somehow, they understood each other in a way no one else could, their connection became unique, a friendship and trust so strong it changed them both...at the cost of 1x1x1x1 becoming a thing.

But i suppose it was their fate. Written on the stars

How funny, pumpkin man became tough, and bird man became soft, get changed by love idiots!!!!

(may i add, their relationship in my au (both with Shed and Telamon) is exclusively platonic :J idc if some of yall ship em to an extent, but that's my jist, i loooove meaningful non-romantic friendships!!!!)

Anyway ty for reading :3

[yanderes-galore]

Hi.. could you do best friend itadori x reader where itadori is a platonic yandere but then becomes romantic yandere when they are 1 year away from going to college?

-💮

Oh sure! This sounds like a cute idea :)

Yandere! Best Friend! Yuji Itadori Concept

Pairing: Platonic -> Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Jealousy, Blood, Violence, Stalking, Possessive behavior, Denial of feelings, Clingy behavior, Dubious relationship.

Yuji has always cared for you during Jujutsu High.

Even when he was a vessel, he's been protective of you.

I can definitely see Yuji falling for a best friend he has.

When he was learning to be a Jujutsu Sorcerer he barely had time for love.

Despite this... He always felt a close connection with you.

Through training under Gojo sensei, you two worked together to he Jujutsu Sorcerers.

Yuji didn't realize it at the time, but throughout his school life he fell for you more and more.

Even when you all lost Gojo during Shibuya and felt lost... You did your best to guide Yuji forward.

Yuji's always been concerned about your safety.

Even to the point Sukuna comments on you, wondering if the teen is having a little crush.

Yuji always ignores the curse in his head, thinking that it can't possibly be what he feels for you.

He... He's just like a brother, right...?

Although even that doesn't feel right to him.

There've been many situations in just his first year of meeting you where he's gotten bloody on your behalf.

Many battles have led to injury or him pummeling another curse user.

Each time you've been at his side to check his wounds and help him.

Yuji's experiences have made him worry about losing you.

He hates that you've both seen countless deaths and injuries due to curses and curse users.

This is one of the reasons your best friend is so overprotective.

He never leaves your side, checks to see if he trusts the people he leaves you alone with...

Get into fights with those who failed to protect you....

You've been his family since he started Jujutsu High.

You've always been there for him, his best friend....

Even when Sukuna's defeated and he continues high school with you, that protective behavior remains.

He's covered in scars from his battles... grimacing when he sees them on you too, apologizing for being unable to watch you.

Not that they... don't look attractive...

What is he thinking!?

It's nice for him to not have Sukuna whispering impulsive thoughts in his head.

He can finally clear his head... focus on you...

Why does he keep thinking of you?

Yuji is probably in denial about his feelings.

He wants to focus on his studies and training.

Yet he keeps finding his gaze flick over to you, wondering what it would be like if you two...

Best not to say that right now.

Yuji truthfully develops a crush throughout high school.

You both have grown quite strong and he only seems to admire you more the more you grow.

He tries his best not to show his growing feelings until after high school.

He still finds himself calling and texting often... visiting you... training with you...

You two are practically unable to be separated yet he hates admitting his crush.

You probably don't feel the same... and he should just watch over you for now.

Unfortunately... Watching you develop relationships with other people tends to make his heart ache.

College wasn't something Yuji thought he'd do.

Yet when you both graduated and you expressed an interest in pursuing a career outside of Sorcerer duties.

Well... He couldn't help but want to follow you.

Yuji wasn't sure what major he wanted, he just knew he wanted to continue being in your life.

Which is what leads him to setting up a college application to support your interests.

Yuji's not that bad of a yandere with Sukuna gone.

He isn't murderous and is most likely not going to kidnap.

He's a soft yandere, acting like a puppy around you when he finally accepts he has a crush on you.

Yuji tried to give you space before college, but he finds himself unable to do it.

Even if you were seeing someone at the time, he can't ignore the feelings steadily growing within him.

He's gone from wanting to protect you... to also wanting to kiss you.

He wants you to know you're loved.

Yuji would probably confess before you both went to college.

He's surprisingly shy, fidgeting as he admits he's loved you for a long time now.

If you're single and accept him, he's ecstatic.

If you aren't single or are and just decline... Yuji's understanding and drops it for now.

Yet he doesn't stop obsessing over you.

While he's a soft yandere, he still stalks you.

He tries not to... but he's so concerned about you he can't stay away from you.

You mean everything to him...

Even if you don't love him now, he hopes you will at some point.

If you had someone you were dating already, Yuji's going to secretly sabotage that relationship.

Then he's going to comfort you as your best friend... all while saying you deserve so much better.

While he doesn't want to be... Yuji can be manipulative.

He wants to be the only one for you.

His whole plan was for you to date in college....

It would be perfect!

His jealousy tends to make Yuji pushy, gently trying to nudge you into loving him.

He doesn't want to be best friends anymore...

He wants to be your boyfriend.

One way or another, Yuji's going to drag you into a relationship with him....

Even if it's just a pity date... Yuji plans to prove to you he's perfect for you.

He'll protect you like a good boyfriend should... just like he always has....

Yuji's intense with affection since he's trying to prove he's a good boyfriend.

He loves you... so much.

If it means hugging you tightly and covering you in kisses, he'll do it.

It's hard to focus on training or class work when he can only think of you.

He understands you may just want to be friends...

He tries to be patient...

But by now he can't see you as just a friend anymore.

He's addicted to you and your attention.

All he looks forward to is dragging you to his dorm for cuddles.

Probably even a bit of PDA in class to show others you're his.

While not a bad boyfriend... He doesn't leave you alone.

Yuji watches you from a distance when you're with others, he tracks your phone and socials...

He wants to be involved with everything you do.

He refuses to lose you to anyone.

He just can't... You need to be his.

If you aren't... He might just go insane.

There's times he's threatened those around you, unable to hide his jealousy.

There's times you hope the blood on his hands is just due to him training too hard.

He never gives a straight answer.

You can try to tell Yuji to back off, to give space for you to clear your head...

He backs off for a little while.

Yet then he comes right back like being alone is the most horrible experience for him.

You try to have Nobara and Megumi distract him... No dice.

Yuji now finally understands what he feels for you.

You're not his best friend... you're meant to be his partner.

Yuji wants to support, protect, and care for you... Nothing will take you from him...

As long as he loves you... Yuji will never leave you alone... even if you asked him too.

[biancasaidstfu]

Hey Bianca! I have been here since the beginning. I saw the beautiful frienship of Nicola and Luke, and I know for a fact that deep down, I shipped them together. Even when Luke was with Jade. They are really close. They have got that comfort that we can see today. And it never change. Oh boy am I so glad to see their interaction at SAGs. They have that special chemistry and we all can see that.

When Luke was with Jade, I really reminded myself that maybe it was truly platonic with nicluke, and nic supported both Luke and Jade. It was heartwarming. Then when Luke and J broke up, I thought that maybe us OGs are the only who can see it. Its been speculated for quite some time that time, Luke was having issues with his partner partly because of Nic and some haters. And his genuine feelings for Nic is what caused the rift between them. I for one did not believe this the slightest, but it seemed to have been a reason.

Then Antonia came to picture. We don't really give a fuck about her before. And she's only labeled as group friend of Luke before. Their repeated appearances in 2023 has what caused the dating rumours, but we only saw Luke acting like a friend. Then New Years 2024 vid came and it cemented Antonia's status as Luke's gf.

All their interactions Pre-feb looked genuine to be honest, but when Feb came, its starting to get weird. Especially with Antonia. She started behaving like some sort of stalker girl. I remember stopped rooting for Luke and Antonia when she took pics and vids of Luke multiple times without his consent. That shit didn't sit well with me. Especially with that concert. That is weird as hell.

Somebody asked me before that if we got a repeat of NYE kiss, am I going to stay here and my answer is yes.

I have seen a tug of war of feelings between Nic and Luke. And their closeness with each other intensified last year. And us OGs have began suspecting something did happened between the two of them.

I have survive multiple times in this fandom and lord, I am ten feet deep into this grave 🤣

But I will say this. Something changed between Nicola and Luke last year. And I mean this in a good way possible.

So I will be giving them another 2 years to settle whatever feelings they still fighting coz I have seen that shit. It ended with marriage.

So whatever you guys are hearing from their rumoured partner, nor what tabloids are saying. Trust yourselves. You guys have seen it with your own two eyes. That those two are unhinged and unstoppable when it comes to each other.

And I trusted myself, that's why I'm here. It got me here now, like the hell I am leaving now where its super close now. The possibility of them being together romantically is 100% certain.

Atleast, I know those two can't help and act like old married couple in love with each other for years now. Still true to this day.

You guys are strong as hell for sticking around this long!

[homosexualgirlandbags]

I like to think that Nikolai knew very early on that he was gay. Or at least had attractions towards guys. Which was one of the reasons he moved out of Russia almost immediately after he was able to. Seeing the world's sights and having the freedom to love whomever he wants was honestly the greatest relief to him. He probably was a bit of a fuck boy during his early years. He cut contact with his family almost immediately after leaving the country, preferring not to think too much about his own home whenever he can.

John on the other hand was raised in a conservative household. The kind in which even the word 'gay' could set off a rant inside of his dad. He spent a lot of his teenage years denying feelings and dating girls he couldn't be half arsed to care about. And then the military. It was almost impossible to hide himself there, to crave himself into the mold that the military and his family wanted to be. Made harder by the fact that he's constantly surrounded by naked and sweaty men, most of which are constantly making jokes about fucking each other. (He probably joined the military when he was 17, and was surrounded by men around his age)

And then one day, Laswell introduced Price to the russian man. And Price suddenly isn't too sure how to reciprocate the gestures Nik does for him. The casual closeness, how comfortable Nikolai was in his own skin. How he once got into a fight with a man in a pub over his sexuality, which led to the both of them getting kicked out. And suddenly, Price is longing for him, wishing he was there on days when the base was empty, wishing to see his familiar frame amongst a group of people. He convinced himself he was just worrying for a friend, that the thumping in his chest is just platonic feelings, nothing more.

The russian is more than amused, dropping hints left and right as he waits for the Brit. He was surprised by himself when he started turning down men in bars after meeting John. Waiting had never been his strong suit, but for John, he would wait.