#she loved her in a platonic way that can certainly be confused with romantic love

[k-martins]

You know, Nobara saying that "it's horrible not being recognized by your high school crush" to Ozawa sounds a little personal to me after yesterday's episode. I can imagine her thinking this every time she thinks about meeting Saori, although she always ends up finding some excuse to never go.

[a-hazbin-reader]

alastor x reader where they already have kids and it connects with the headcanons about reader being insecure about their stretch marks but this time it's after she starts loving them and when they're alone, alastor is just like "how about we have another baby?" over and over again and reader constantly gets flustered because she/they knows what he wants to do

Alastor having MORE kids???

Alastor X Reader Headcanons

✅️Romantic

❌️Platonic

TW: Suggestive, Husband and wife are NOT properly communicating IMPORTANT topics

Description: ☝️⬆️

Being a mother was difficult but definitely rewarding, it was something you had wanted for so long and now you have it

All because of your wonderful husband who fought against the impossible just to make you happy

And you like to think that Alastor is happy with his life too, he certainly seems happy

Well, he's always smiling so..

He's always doting on his babies, practically beaming with pride at every little thing they do

And he doesn't neglect his duties as a husband either 😏

Your confidence is higher than ever and you're living out your dreams with Alastor by your side

You thought your husband would be content with two adorable babies, seeing as the second one was a surprise

Apparently not, he wanted more, your greedy husband

He springs the question on you while you two are alone, enjoying your uninterrupted time together

You barely have time to catch your breath before Alastor is kissing and biting at your neck

His claws scrape ever so slightly against your stomach, caressing your marks and reminding both of you of your miracle pregnancy

He pulls away to admire how disheveled you look now, the happy gleam in your eyes as you stare back at him

"Let's have another baby, darling~"

"What?"

He doesn't answer you, instead going back to kissing the life out of you and leaving your knees weak

The next day, you almost think you imagined it, wishful thinking and all that because Alastor is completely normal with you

You almost believe that all the way up until lunchtime with your babies, you're feeding and cooing at them when Alastor comes in

You can feel him watching you from the doorway as you try to get your little boy to take a few more bites of a new food

His sister is, of course, devouring her own food with no problem

Your husband slinks around behind you and wraps his arms around you, resting his chin on your shoulder

"Mm... they're such beautiful children, aren't they?"

You're so blissed out by the presence of your husband and children that you don't realize where he's going with this

His hands are creeping down to your stomach, rubbing soothing circles into your sides

"Wouldn't it be lovely if we had another one, my dear~?"

Before you can even turn around to ask him if he's serious, Alastor is picking up his daughter and cooing at her

You're left flustered and confused, picking up your son who was getting fussy

You go through weeks of this bizarre ambush tactic of his, your husband never just sitting you down and talking with you

You're in the shower? Alastor slips in, turns the heat up between you two then asks for another baby

You're cleaning up after your babies? Suddenly your husband is there doing all the work and helps you relax afterwards before bringing up more kids

You're not even safe when shopping with him, he brings you tiny baby socks and clothes while lamenting that the twins don't fit in clothes this size anymore

All his little tricks are starting to work on you though

You're definitely getting a second round of baby fever, especially whenever you bump into your husband

You honestly don't know who's jumping who at this point, you just know that you both simultaneously have decided you want another baby

Alastor has you blushing and following after him with just a look

You have him stumbling out of his pants to get to you with just a few curls of your finger

You put the babies down for a nap? Your husband is suddenly right there pulling you into the bedroom

You go into a closet for cleaning supplies? He's locking the door behind you both, and it's a suspiciously long time before you two walk out

Alastor is up in his radio tower? Guess who's strolling in and interrupting his show

Nobody is shocked to find out that you're pregnant again, you two haven't been subtle

But it would've been nice if you guys had asked the rest of them first-

GAH I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG-

[nnooahhsworld]

YANDERE HUSKER X MASC! READER WITH FLUCTUATING APPEARENCE

SUMMARY: Headcanons of “Yandere” Husk x Reader with fluctuating appearence.

FANDOM/CHARACTER/READER: Hazbin Hotel ;; Husker ;; Masc Reader.

PAIRING: Romantic or Platonic

WARNINGS: Stalking, manipulation, overprotective and Obssesed behavior, reader being kinda mentally unstable and insecure.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: love this request by @cupophrogs!! even if this isn't really yandere, i still wanted to implied it since that what's about my account.

✧ Honestly, I can't think of any other way you can meet Husk other than walking into the hotel and staying there.

✧ At first, you are insignificant to him (as ugly as that sounds). At first.

✧ I don't think Husk is someone who is very curious. Let alone gossipy. He's not nosy about other people's lives and tends to ignore them as long as they don't mess with him.

✧ Still, he is a great listener. He is willing to listen to others and gives good advice. I mean, he died while he was an old man, something he must have learned in his human life or in his life as an Overlord.

✧ Or after delivering his soul to the radio demon.

✧ But over time, he shows you more attention. I mean, the fact that your appearance and certain physical aspects of you change depending on your mood is intriguing.

✧ Because he has seen it. Everyone has seen it.

✧ You are someone with emotional problems, sensitive to a certain point. Your moods are constantly changing and therefore, certain characteristics of yours. That managed to capture his attention rather quickly.

✧ He is interested in these changes... how your teeth and fingers become sharper, your skin/fur becomes hard as scales and even your hair grows longer when you are angry and ready to attack.

✧ How your eyes get bigger, other smaller eyes appear and you can certainly shrink a little when you are startled by being off guard or feeling threatened or in danger.

✧ As your skin/fur grows and you lock yourself in it making yourself into a ball when you are sad and don't let anyone near you as your fingers sharpen to threaten anyone.

✧ As for that, Charlie really tries to help you. She wants to be there for you when you're down like your good friend but you shut down. With her, with everyone... except with Husk.

✧ Everyone opens up to some extent with Husk. Either because they're really drunk or they seriously need someone to talk to and Charlie isn't always the best, unfortunately.

✧ Let's remember that Husk knows everyone's problems in the hotel and sooner or later, he knows yours too. How you hate to overreact to anything, how you hate to see your appearance deform and become something horrible in your eyes because of your moods.

✧ Husk feels... pity. Although, after a while he becomes more overprotective as he forms a bond with you.

✧ At a certain point, understand your self-hatred as well, it's not nice that people in general are scared of you in general because of your mere appearance.

✧ Once he knows you beyond your problems, once he sees the sinner calm instead of angry, once he knows the real you, that's when his real obsession begins.

✧ Obsession that confuses with severe concern for you and becomes suffocating.

✧ He gets to the point of following you around when you're not in the hotel. You're not someone very powerful and you're in hell itself. Everyone is crazy and you'll never be safe there. Not unless he's in the shadows, watching you warily.

✧ You feel something strange in the air... eyes staring at you, your mind screaming at you that you are not as safe as you think and consequently, small eyes appear on your face and look everywhere desperate and scared, your fingers and fangs sharpen in any alert situation.

✧ Even inside the hotel, he watches discreetly and quietly. And that's one of the reasons why you're also a little more restless and cautious: you don't stop having that uneasy feeling no matter where you go.

✧ And you go to Husk for protection and the thought only gets worse once you get close.

✧ Husk wants you to only have confidence in him.... he doesn't like it when he notices you closer to Angel Dust, when you spend more time with Sir Pentious. And if you were to become close with Alastor, Husk would go crazy.

✧ His obsession with you turns him into a paranoid overthinker. What if he makes a deal with you? What if he steals your soul? What if he takes away your freedom? What if he takes you away from him?

✧ He puts his fear into your head indirectly. Subtle warnings, reminders of how dangerous Alastor is... whatever it takes to keep you safe.

✧ He also manipulates you into not trusting others. I mean, as jealous as he gets to feel, deep down he's happy to see you making friends. But shit, he's afraid that you won't trust him anymore, that you'll stop going to him for comfort, that he won't be the only one who sees through you anymore.

✧ So go ahead, bare your fangs and claws at the others but open your arms to him... only him.

[finnbbl]

Hyunjin x M! Reader - Dancer AU | SMAU | Chapter 9

Ch. 9 - Where you wanna be | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter |

| Story Masterlist |

Written: Yes

Smau: Yes

A/N: I do want to clarify that this is in fact a slow burn. I find relationships more genuine when it’s friends to lovers rather than anything else so that’s the path i’m leading this down. I’ve made Y/N to be a very touchy feely person so I promise you any affection is highly platonic with him (for now) There will not be any romantic feelings until much later on.

Warnings: Swearing (i think that’s it, let me know if i missed anything )

You adjusted your hat and jacket in the bathroom mirror as your conversation with Hyunjin played over in your head. His text implied that the other members wanted to hang out with you, and for some reason that made your stomach churn. Not in a bad way, this whole touring with famous people was really new. Maybe that was it, it was hard to believe they wanted to be around you. But then again, you had heard that this group didn’t necessarily care about others’ fame. They loved their fans and the people they worked with dearly. Maybe you had just gotten used to the entitled artists you’d previously worked with.

You grabbed your phone and headed to the dressing room. As you made your way down the hallway, you noticed you had several texts from the group chat with the girls. As you opened it to respond, you felt a tap on your shoulder behind you. Causing you to turn your head to be met with a shorter female. You weren’t sure who she was exactly, you just knew her as one of the makeup artists. “Hey, so sorry to bother you…” She trailed off as you fully turned your body around to face her. “You’re Y/N right?” She knew your name? Hesitant, and slightly confused, you nodded. “Oh great, I wanted to say you’re one of my favorite dancers, I’ve been watching your videos on social media for a while now. Can I have a photo?” She held her phone to her chest as she shyly asked. A photo? Someone wants a photo from you? It certainly caught you off guard, and left you stunned and speechless. So much you didn’t hear the dressing room door open behind you. “I mean unless it makes you uncomfortable-“

Seeing the girl’s demeanor change snapped you back into your senses. “Oh, no no not at all. Sorry It just caught me off guard.” A nervous laugh led your voice as you slipped your phone into your pocket. “We can take a photo, I don’t mind.” A genuine smile fell on your face as you stood next to her, leaning down to fit into frame. After snapping the selfie, she proceeded to thank you before heading towards the exit. You froze for a moment, there’s no way that just happened. You just couldn’t understand how someone would want a photo with you, you weren’t famous at all.

“Oh someone’s a little popular huh?” The sudden voice behind you startled you as you turned around. Turns out the dressing room door did open, because all eight of the boys stood in front of you. “No, not really.” You responded to Hyunjin with a small chuckle. “I thought you guys were waiting in there?”

“Yeah but they kicked us out, here’s your bag.” He responded as you walked closer to them. You reached out to grab it, muttering a small thank you to him. Bang Chan, as the leader, began giving out instructions to his group. Telling them to stay together and not wonder off by themselves. It was very obvious he care deeply about his members and their safety. Everyone began walking and making small talk along the way. You started to feel very awkward and out of place, and stayed rather quiet as the 9 of you made your way to the exit doors. Chan must’ve noticed, cause then he started talking to you and including you in the conversations. “You know, you did really good tonight.” This caught you a bit off guard, it was a rather random statement. “I mean.. All I did was do my job.” You started with a light chuckle. “No, I mean off stage. You were very patient and calm unlike the other ones.” The leader stated with an eye roll. He wasn’t wrong, the other dancers seemed really obnoxious. Maybe this is what Hyunjin meant earlier.

“I almost punched one of them earlier.” You added with a scoff, earning a mischevious chuckle from someone behind you. “Do it next time, I didn’t see a thing.” You turned your head around to see that it was Minho who said it. He stated it playfully, as he pretended to look around in order to add effect to his statement. The entire group started to laugh before Bang Chan chimed in once again. “As much as I’d like to see that, don’t. You’ll lose your job.” He ended his sentence with a teasing chuckle as you all neared the buses. Your feet paused as you were the last one in line to get on, behind Hyunjin. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to get on the bus with you guys..?” It made you nervous, you didn’t want to get in trouble or get anyone else in trouble. “For the last time, yes.” The blonde male grabbed your arm and started to pull you up the steps of the bus.

“Okay okay damn bro.” You yanked your arm back from his rather tight grip, “i oughta punch you after that.” Seething your teeth in slight pain, rushing him to his seat so you weren’t in the middle of the aisle. Your only worry was about someone else seeing you get on the bus with them. Rumors start rather fast. And with the way these entitled dancers acted, you wouldn’t be surprised if they started drama or made a huge deal about it. You sat down next to Hyunjin, across the aisle from Bang Chan and Felix. Everyone engrossed themselves in conversations along the way. And you seemed to be able to participate in them a lot better now.

It turns out, chan and you had actually had a lot in common. Something else that Hyunjin was right about, you and him definitely did get along. You had very similar likes and interests and it wasn’t long before the entire group had felt like your friends. At first you weren’t sure, but you definitely knew this is where you wanted to be. This is how you wanted it to be.

Taglist: @silverstarburst @virluna148 @galaxycatdrawz @onementally-unstabel-kid @uso-dakedo

[angelfleurry]

Toko catching feelings plz 👉👈

♡ Toko Fukawa Catching Feelings!! ♡

Ask and you shall receive, Anon!! I hope these are okay and that I did Toko’s character well enough!

~

♡ “W-what…?!”

♡ Poor Toko’s such a mess.

♡ She definitely locks herself in her bedroom, probably won’t emerge for days unless someone (most likely you) goes to check on her.

♡ You’re so lovely to her, it’s…weird.

♡ She’s in disbelief at how someone would want to spend time with her, and how you’re not just looking for something from her.

♡ What that something is, she’s not sure of, but when she first got to know you, your kindness towards her threw her off guard.

♡ She actually didn’t like you at first, not even platonically.

♡ She thought you were being fake, that you weren’t actually as nice as you seemed, and so she decided she just couldn’t stand you.

♡ She wondered why Komaru was even your friend at all. Surely she could sense the lies too, right?

♡ Yet, for some reason, you kept persisting.

♡ You’d always try to involve her in things, always smile when you saw her, always try to talk to her, even when she was in her most foulest of moods.

♡ Eventually (and rather reluctantly), Toko came to the realisation that maybe you *were* just as kind as you presented yourself to be.

♡ She didn’t quite understand why you were doing the things you were doing.

♡ In her opinion, you shouldn’t even bother. Just leave her alone.

♡ But, she would be lying if she said she didn’t start to enjoy your attention.

♡ She started tolerating you, slowly building an internal fondness.

♡ Eventually, that tolerance became full-blown adoration.

♡ She didn’t realise it for a little while, until she was writing part of a new story and it hit her…

♡ Cue the mortified realisation.

♡ It feels almost…wrong for her to care for someone as sweet as you.

♡ Toko’s nearly there in terms of accepting that you genuinely care for her, and that you don’t have some ulterior motive, but…it confuses her.

♡ For all the work of her romantic novels, she certainly didn’t realise how strong these feelings would actually be.

♡ It’s a nightmare, but a lovely one.

♡ All of her judgement of you from the start seems to have morphed into protectiveness.

♡ Syo’s rather fond of you too. She takes the mick, but she’s fond.

♡ Toko stumbles into panic mode once she realises her feelings.

♡ She’s obsessive, but in a weirdly shy way.

♡ It’s been made apparent of how she used to be with a certain affluent prodigy, but the way she acts now is certainly different.

♡ Toko lurks beside you, never too close, but never too far. She’s got her eye on you, but not directly so.

♡ These newfound feelings make Toko want to be close to you, constantly.

♡ During the days in which she locked herself away, Toko was either writing or hyperventilating; no in-between.

♡ All her works were centred around her feelings, a miraculous myriad of despaired affection for you - never directly named.

♡ Is debating whether to show you or not.

♡ Can’t hold eye contact with you. She looks at you for a second and that’s all she can manage.

♡ Her face is always somewhat red when she’s around you, even moreso when you’re talking.

♡ She’s not completely subtle, but she’s also not obvious.

♡ Toko gets very defensive about you to anyone, even Komaru. Say one thing that sounds slightly less than positive and she’s on it. She’s defending your honour, even if it doesn’t need to be done.

♡ She also just giggles about you constantly.

♡ You make her dizzy, so incredibly dizzy. She can’t even spend a minute with you without feeling as if she may pass out.

♡ Her compliments to you are very…interesting.

♡ They’re always said with some snarky hint, or some exhausted sigh, but also with some strange touch of warmth that makes it hard to determine whether she’s being genuine or not.

♡ She is. She loves you, and it’s weird to her, but she does.

♡ It’s very difficult for Toko to navigate these feelings, even to herself.

♡ She’s got so many words to use, but she can’t find any that are appropriate to fully describe her emotions.

♡ All she wants to do is hold you, or have you hold her, but at the same time…oh good gosh it’s so confusing!

♡ She just wants your affection, your approval, she just wants to have your energy in her life always!!

♡ She’s definitely a daydreamer.

[uncriticalbunny]

me whenever I see people desperate for the writers to make sydney asexual and/or a lesbian.

long post ahead.

as a black woman who is ace, I don’t think sydney being asexual would be revolutionary or interesting. it would actually be so incredibly, hugely, profoundly... boringggggg. and people who insist on sydney being asexual get a massive side eye from me. especially white asexuals, because fuck your representation, and cishet people because who the fuck are y’all? 

so rarely are black women in tv and film treated with respect and nuance, much less when it comes to romance. so rarely are we treated as a person to be desired. to be loved. openly. warmly. carnally. even less so when it’s a darkskin black woman. writers pick from one of two things when it comes to black female characters: hypersexualized vs desexualized. superficially, for all outward appearances, there are lots of asexual black women in media. that is to say, they are certainly almost treated that way. unintentionally. intentionally. maliciously. void of sexuality or sensuality. no romance because she’s a Strong Black Woman who doesn’t need a man. or a relationship so pathetic that it can hardly be called a romance. would it be nice to have an asexual black female character who has a storyline that treats asexuality with respect? yes, yes it would. but that’s not really the point of this increasingly wordy essay. if the creators/writers are to be taken at their word that sydcarmy is strictly platonic, and they had her reject marcus because he misread their interactions, then it just shows they’ve developed nothing for sydney romantically. all the shots of carmy looking at her like she hung the moon and the stars are simply because she's his #bro. marcus really only liked her for her personality and simply confused that for romantic longing. platonic connections and a one-sided pursuit with zero heat. how groundbreaking. 

every fucking white character can have all of the romance-related things though. they can kiss each other, be shown as desirable, etc. etc. nat can be cuddled and cherished by pete. richie can go on dates in a nice suit with dirt caked under his nails, be loving with his then-wife, and ostensibly be wanted by jess. tiffany can still be yearned for by her ex-husband as she prepares to marry a new one. carmy can skip around like he’s in a romcom while neglecting his responsibilities to make out with claire and call her beautiful. claire can be shot in soft, dreamy sequences with closeups of her face and have a convo with her ass out for no reason other than to say she’s desirable and fucked carmy. claire and carmy can have screentime set aside for their relationship and a tender lovemaking scene. it’s expected for white people. it’s the norm. no romantic love for sydney though. because she’s driven. because she deserves better. because romance is unimportant. because she wants that star. because she can have no distractions. because asexual. because representation. [audience cheering]

sydney being a lesbian would also bore me immensely. too often are black female characters treated by writers as russian dolls with every diversity point they can think of. books, comics, tv, film, etc. she’s black, she's lesbian, she's asexual, she’s trans, she’s disabled, she’s poor, she’s this, she’s that. the diversity and representation everyone wants. why is every other character surrounding this ~pinnacle of diversity~ straight, or white, or a man? yes, because that’s who’s mainly writing and casting and greenlighting these things and maybe it’s silly to expect otherwise, but still, what the fuck? congrats on being represented by this fictional character. but it doesn’t feel genuine; it feels spiteful and lazy and self-congratulatory. like where's the other black women and diverse characters lmao. to be clear, I do want to see all the black lesbians in media because there's still not very many. and black women with one, or two, or all of those “diversity points” do exist in real life. we are lesbians, we are bi, we are disabled, we are trans. we're all of those and more. and we are loved and adored. on screen? maybe with a nonexistent or poor romantic storyline. or perhaps a decent and maybe even good storyline that eventually crashes and burns. there's a popular twitter thread right now about the disposable black gf trope and the examples that keep pouring in are bleak af.

the black lesbian character headcanon/canon increasingly feels like just another way to fridge us romantically. #notalllesbiantruthers but too many tbh. a black female character will simply exist without uttering a word and a slew of white women will be there to loudly proclaim her as the lesbian representation they want, need, crave, and adore. especially if there’s zero indication of the character being a lesbian. just stereotypes and vibes. hollow, insincere proclamations. bi black women don't even exist in their world. all these things I’ve observed with sydney. she's a bro, she's butch, she's a top, she's so husband-coded. babygirl is only reserved for the most woeful, pitiful white male characters. it's hilariously #coded. and no one will push back because after all, any gay representation is a good thing.

you’ll see hit tweets about how they know deep down sydney's a lesbian or how it will be so funny when the writers make her one. really, why is that? she can't be bi lest she actually gets with carmy. carmy can't be gay because they want to fuck him too badly. yeah I’m not so convinced all the lesbian sydney truthers earnestly want to see her loved, adored, cuddled, kissed, or fucked by another woman. because would that really be the writers’ objective or finished product? or will they just make her a lesbian and pat themselves on the back for doing only that. a throwaway line? maybe give her a cute romance built largely off-screen? lesbian sydney is a win for diversity and that’s enough. and who really wants to see sydney loved on loudly or be sexual anyway? that's not who she really is! she wears minimal makeup and oversized shirts and sweaters. let’s just focus on her working herself to the bone and getting that star. and I think deep down a lot of these truthers know her storyline possibly wouldn't be done justice. that's why it's going to be so funny to them when they make her one.

it all feels so shallow. fanfiction of sydney x fem!reader or original female character or nayia (the gorgiana black chef from s02ep03) is quite literally nonexistent [!!!]. sorry, y'all are not progressive or galaxy-brained. we get a black female character who’s multifaceted and fascinating, a deuteragonist even, in a show with a fandom that barely considers her as a person, and you’ve set your grubby paws upon her to be shelved romantically. bffr, the writers are already flailing romance-wise when it comes to sydney; they would not do an asexual/lesbian storyline justice. and even if they somehow make a halfway decent attempt, maybe they should have made it clear from the very beginning. not in season 3 or 4 or 5 or wheneverthefuck after they’ve given all the white characters romantic angles and developed her strongest and most important relationship with carmy, the main white guy or possibly because they hate the fact that people ship her with the main white guy. because then it just feels reactionary. and spiteful. and lazy. anyway, this ended up being way longer than I wanted. thanks for reading. fin.

[it-happened-one-fic]

Dancing With Visions - Morale - Cha-Cha - Gorou

Author Notes: Yet another Latin dance. This was actually my first time writing Gorou, but I don't think it turned out to bad. The performance in this fic was inspired by Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess’s Cha Cha to “I Don’t Like it, I Love it” by Flo Rida feat. Robin Thicke and Verdine White from season 21 week 1 of “Dancing with the Stars.” Just like the rest of this series, Reader is female. I hope you enjoy!

If you would like to read more of this series, the fics can be found here: Dancing with Visions Masterlist.

Type: Female reader/ dance/ fluff/platonic or romantic /sfw

Word Count: 1461

I almost pitied Gorou, but Kokomi had certainly gotten him this time. But I couldn’t blame the young woman. It had to be exhausting to be constantly asked for advice, and she had to have her fun somehow. So when Gorou had come asking for advice on how to bolster the troops morale, she’d seen her chance.

Telling him that performing a dance for the troops would boost morale and further asserting that learning said dance could be useful for strength and agility training was no doubt a bit of fun on her part. Especially since she knew I'd be perfectly willing to help the fluffy general with his plight as soon as he came requesting my help.

It had been endearing how focused he’d been during every single practice too. He’d given learning the cha-cha his all, and I had no doubts he’d do well now that it was time for us to perform. With that said, though, it was perfectly obvious that Gorou was feeling the pressure now.

Pressure, that no doubt came from the simple fact that Kokomi had been right. The very knowledge that their beloved general was going to be performing a dance had already pepped up the soldiers.

I let my hand rest lightly on his shoulder, smiling as Gorou looked over at me, slightly surprised with pricked ears, before he smiled in return when he noticed it was just me. 

“Nervous?” I questioned him softly, already knowing the answer even as I tilted my head at him.

He chuckled slightly at my one-word question before nodding, “Yeah, I guess I am. I don’t want to let anybody down, though. You included. You spent a lot of time teaching me.”

 I smiled at his earnest words, shaking my head fondly even though I was touched, “You won’t let me down, Gorou. You won’t let anyone down, no matter how the performance goes. What matters is that you're stepping forward and giving this an honest shot.”

He nodded again, smiling to himself all the while, “Thanks, but I still don’t want to do poorly.”

I sighed slightly, not entirely surprised by his words. I’d already seen how driven he was just from how determined he’d been throughout his lessons. He probably wasn’t entirely willing to accept the idea of doing poorly now.

I shifted closer, though, and bumped him lightly with my shoulder. And that was all it took to pull him from his own nervous thoughts and cause him to look my way as I spoke quietly, “You know how Lady Kokomi told you that your fatal flaw is getting too engrossed in battle?”

I eyed him closely as he looked back my way, frowning slightly before he nodded, “Of course I do. I take all of Her Excellency’s advice seriously.”

I nodded, looking away from him and at the stage set up for us, “You do that in dancing too. You get engrossed in your performance, determined to do your best every time. The difference here is that you can use that as a strength.”

I smiled back over at him, half-chuckling at his confused expression before I continued, “If you let yourself get engrossed in the dance, you’ll be able to dance freely without your nerves getting to you, and I guarantee you’ll do well.”

He was frowning, glancing side to side as if he were checking if anyone was listening before he looked back at me in an almost cautious fashion, “Really?”

I smiled at him, relaxed as I nodded in response, because I really was confident in him. Gorou had done wonderfully throughout his lessons and our practice. I had every faith that he could pull off one dance performance successfully, just like how he always returned, victorious, from battle.

He perked up, his ears twitching slightly as he smiled at me before he gave me a quick nod of his head, “Alright. I’ll trust you then.”

And with those words, he straightened, causing me to smile as we both took off. Both of us walking out onto the platform with him to the applause of Sangonomiya’s troops.

We entered our poses behind the screen that would have us silhouetted until it was removed. Me with one hip out to the side and my hands behind my head and him with his legs crossed, one leg kicked out as he leaned to the side and away from me.

He moved to the music first. Matching the beat with energetic steps that carried him towards me before he stopped and pointed my way right as I shifted. And then we both launched into motion, mirroring one another’s steps and pointing towards one another right as the screen was pulled up. Parting in the middle and revealing the two of us smiling at one another to the soldier who loudly applauded. Already cheering on their general as Kokomi clapped politely with a brilliant smile on her face.

Gorou reached out, taking my hand lightly in his and twirling me across the floor until I stopped in front of him. His hands clasping my waist as we both sashayed rhythmically.

It was amusing now to think back on how embarrassed Gorou had been by such motions when we’d first started dancing. By now he was used to them, and barely even hesitated, even with the thunderous applause that almost drowned out our music.

And while it was true that his motions weren’t perfect by any means, they were just fine and perfectly respectable for someone who’d only just learned how to dance the cha-cha.

We parted, smiling as we slid across the floor together. Perfectly matching one another even though we weren’t even holding hands as we danced together.

The beat of the music picked up, and I danced backwards, using the short, lively steps of the cha-cha to retreat away from Gorou, who danced towards me. A smile on his face that made the very idea of him being nervous mere moments ago seem ridiculous, save for the fact I’d been by his side this entire time.

He spun, holding out his hand in a silent request that I accepted with a grin as he spun me across the floor in front of him so that we were side by side once more and stepping lightly across the stage.

He let go of my hand as we continued to dance. Both of us reaching out and tracing our hands up the other’s shoulders and over to their chin as we leaned towards each other. Perfectly comfortable with one another after having practiced for so long together.

I turned, smiling out at the crowd as I danced away from him, half laughing at the way he followed along behind me. Ready and waiting with his hand held up for me to take as soon as I spun back to look at him.

Our hands locked together as we slid, sashaying to the side and grinning at each other. We parted though, spinning to look back at the crowd as we stepped together to the beat.

Without even having to glance at the other, we reached out. Our hands linking together once more as we spun first to face each other, then back out to look at the crowd, and repeat. 

We twirled together, our motions syncing so that we could both reach out to the other one without having to worry that they wouldn’t be there.  

My hands cupping his face and his hands rested lightly on my hips as soon as our rotations ended before we stepped, almost immediately, apart. Leaving us so that we were joined only by our hands that seemed to find one another on instinct.

He pulled me across the floor in front of him before letting go of me. Leaving me to twirl freely across the stage before I came to a stop. Looking at him as he ran, dropped to his knees, and slid over to where I waited. 

I looked down at him as he clasped my waist, looking up at me from his position on his knees with a smile as I laughed, reaching down and cupping his face with my hands.

I found myself bending slightly as he shifted, starting to stand as we both laughed, “See? You did great!” 

He nodded, stepped to his feet, and continued to laugh slightly as we both turned to face the crowd of soldiers whose morale had most certainly been boosted.

And as we bowed, I could honestly say that I suspected that it wasn’t just the troops whose moods had improved. Judging from the smile on Gorou’s face and the way his hand clasped mine tightly, I was almost positive that his mood was also soaring.

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[bookwyrminspiration]

Sotam headcanons please? Platonic or romantic whichever you prefer atm. I just love them haha

I love them too! Their dynamic is among my favorites of the series. I tend to be more canon adherent, but I can certainly try my hand at headcanons!

They've talked via shadowwhispering and telepathy so much that at this point they can near seamlessly read each other's faces

Entire conversations via facial expression without a word passing between them. It drives Keefe mad

Their height difference is perfect for Tam to rest his arm on her shoulder, or his chin on her head. Sophie's indignant about it at first, but has softened with time

What hasn't softened is their humor. It only gets more sarcastic and teasing with time. Everyone else they know always tells them off for their brand of dark humor, so they fully indulge each other

This is sometimes done via facial expression

They frequently do homework together, partially because Tam despises it and Sophie is trying to be a good role model so he has a good reputation with his teachers and the grades they give will be in his favor. Homework's worth is an ongoing debate between them, Sophie's argument being that the fact he's at Foxfire at all after everything is incredible, so he shouldn't waste it

Tam's argument is that homework sucks

He's winning the debate, Sophie just refuses to admit she's wrong

They're the first person the other hails in the middle of the night when they can't sleep. They're more likely than anyone else to still be awake, and they long ago stopped feeling bad that they might wake the other

Those late night hails are something between just the two of them. They can talk about anything and everything, no judgement, no expectations, no regrets

Sometimes those hails end in late night visits, going to one house or the other to sit in quiet comfort, or to continue their conversation face to face

Maybe instead of a house, they'll end up somewhere outside. A beach, a mountainside, a forest, a meadow, anywhere in the world where they can be alone and forget about their troubles

It always a little easier to sleep after they've talked, or visited. Though it can be confusing to their parents when they wake and find an extra kid in the house, but they never have the heart to mind

I'll stop there, but these can be interpreted as any kind of relationship. They're have other people and supports in their life, but they occupy a certain kind of dark, secret content space. They rely on each other, support each other, make each other worse (in a good way). They're so so special to me <3

[just-otter-thoughts]

One of my reasons to think I might be trans is that, every single masculine feature I'd like to have, I'm attracted to.

I have been a bald man with a beard, I'm attracted to that. I wanna be muscular, I'm attracted to that. I love being hairy, I'm attracted to that. I like how deep my voice can get, I'm attracted to that.

So, like, do I wanna be those things? Or do I think that I should aspire to have those qualities just because I think they're attractive, but what I really wanna be is something else?

But would I feel better if I were hairless and had boobs? That's not even necessary to be a woman, but like, we're doing things commonly associated with masculinity so let's do things commonly associated with femininity too. What if I were hairless and had boobs and had long hair? What if my voice were higher? Would I feel happier?

Do I even feel happy like this? It serves me well. But what kills me is that I can't answer the former question. I don't know if I would be happier as a girl because I haven't really tried it. When I went by a feminine name and she/her pronouns, I didn't like it, but I wonder if that's just because he/him and male names feels like home? If they feel like home, does that automatically mean I'm a man?

I also feel really connected to the gay label. I'm not a straight girl. I fought tooth and nail to get to where I am now and call myself a gay man. But does that only mean I don't want to let go of it specifically because of the hardships I've had to endure to be able to do that, and not that that's actually what I am?

I've never really questioned what I was. It was always clear to me right from the get-go that I was gay. What my parents told me at first, that I could be confusing really wanting to be friends with guys with wanting to date them, I actually did with girls as a small child. I had a girlfriend in, like, pre-1st grade, but all we did was talk (though of course that's mostly what children our age would do). I had "crushes" on girls up until 7th grade, when I first came out, and I know the feeling is different because that very year I had a crush on a guy that would last 4 years. The feeling is different, it's a different color.

So if I think about feelings of gender the same way I think about feelings of platonic and romantic attraction, in that they're different colors, then being masculine is a different color from being feminine. When I put makeup on, I love it, and it's a feeling of a different color than when I "put a beard on" (grow it). I feel good with both, but I already understand that I can have qualities of both, what I really wonder is the permanent aesthetics of "man" and "woman".

Makeup as a guy feels great, even if just eyeliner. The closest to drag I've ever done was a full face while I had shaved, and that felt great, but it wasn't exactly something I wanted to go back to every day... or was it? I remember really wanting to do makeup (just on myself). At the time, to me, that meant nothing about gender, but that's just cause I hadn't even realized I could be a gender other than the one I already had.

Which was enforced upon me when I deviated from the norms as a child, until I learned to love it. I remember wanting to get rid of my body hair when I started getting it, until I learned to love it and until I started finding it attractive.

I think what I find attractive and what I want to be is a Venn diagram of two sets, with a non-small overlap. For example, like anyone who consumes pornography, especially of the gay variety, I think hairless hugely muscular guys with short hair are attractive, I'm not going to lie. But I don't wanna be that at all. I wanna be a mildly big otter, which I also think is attractive.

There's also the fact that, while I'm certainly not the most "anything goes" when it comes to being attracted to all types of men, I like to think it's pretty broad. So obviously what I want to be and what I'm attracted to will overlap.

I don't know. I feel like I always have this questioning about myself, and every time I try to rationalize it I end up deciding I'm just a guy, but then I keep thinking, almost like it's intrusive thoughts, that I'm actually an egg and that my true self is a woman. Even though I'm perfectly happy like this.

[piracytheorist]

Anyway so if you ship Dami/anya and are sensitive about it you might wanna skip this post.

Now I don't know who this will help, it will certainly help me, but it may, idk, speak to some people who share my opinion and are tired of all the constant shipping. Maybe it's only me. Idk. My blog my rules. Block me if you will and I don't mean that ironically.

So yeah look people will ship what they wanna ship and that's okay. I'm just saying that sometimes when you're an outsider (aka aroace who didn't ship her first ship until she was 21 years old) you can see... some patterns.

And shipping this ship screams of amatonormativity and compulsory heterosexuality to me. Like when some people see two toddlers, a boy and a girl, playing together and they immediately go like "aw they're boyfriend and girlfriend!" which like. 99,9% of those people have pure intentions and thoughts about it but still. The fact that you see two toddlers interact and your immediate thought is to connect their interactions to something sexually active adults do, just because said toddlers are of the opposite gender, is exactly what amatonormativity is about.

Amatonormativity is about how the only way for someone to prosper and be happy is with a romantic partner. Other relationships they may have don't matter, their personal success and growth don't matter; if they don't have a romantic partner then they're "sad" and "unfulfilled". And growing up with this makes us cling onto the tiniest possibility of where romantic relationships can happen, and yes, leads us to see two toddlers of opposite genders and say "They're a couple!" Yes it's a joke. Yes it has good intentions. But the toddlers themselves don't follow your rules. They have no concept of romance. They just see a human their age, who is as willing and energetic for play as they are, and they cling to them because they've found a person who "communicates" in the same way. Amatonormativity is when you take that, a connection between two people and, no matter the context, you interpret it as romantic (or potentially romantic). Because god forbid anyone is happy with only platonic partners, right.

Similarly with compulsory heterosexuality, where heterosexuality is considered the norm and natural instinct of humans. It leads us to prioritizing hetero romance above all else. It leads us to seeing two characters of the opposite gender and focus only on how a romantic relationship between them can work, and only that. Nothing else.

As I said, I'm aroace, and even though I didn't realize that until less than ten years ago, I was always confused, always, since my pre-teen years even, about why there was so much romance in media, and when I entered fandom spaces I was very overwhelmed with how much people did the shipping stuff. I still don't connect with it very much but at least now I'm used to it and expect it.

So yeah. I don't think there's anything creepy or wrong with shipping this ship. But the way so many people lean to doing that says something about how our society conditions us to only have one way of thinking, the "right" way of thinking.

But Nette!, I hear you say. What about shipping twiyor? Doesn't that fall under the same circumstances? They clearly establish their relationship as one without romantic interests involved, yet look at the swarms of people shipping them!

And to that I say yes, it does. Again, I'm aroace and didn't actually ship my first ship until I was 21. You have no idea how much obsession with romance I see around me and go like that vine of "Can I please get a waffle?"

But I am a blogger that focuses a lot on narrative, and I love understanding what the author wants to tell me. I like it so much that I'll consume a bigoted piece of media just to understand how the author's bigotry works. That's how much I like understanding Author's Intent and use of narrative.

I'm not saying what I do is right, or the "best" option. It's just how I work, and that this, along with being aroace, gives me a wholly different and "outsider" perspective.

And Twiyor growing romantic feelings for each other? It can provide something to the narrative. From the very beginning they were already in a phase of working together as platonic roommates, because of how kind Yor is and how adaptable Twilight is. They reached the "mutual respect" point almost immediately. But Yor is also socially inexperienced and Twilight is also emotionally constipated. Having them grow romantic feelings for each other can provide something on par with Spy x Family: humor! Because none of them know what it feels like to be in love, and those feelings can develop while they're under layers of denial, for different reasons for each character. With Yor feeling insecure and Twilight having zero self-consciousness, it can actually make for some humor where the audience will know and the characters will not. And that can be fun! And eventually, when they do recognize their feelings, it can be a step of them knowing themselves better. All that can add layers to the romance and not do it just for the sake of romance.

That is, they don't have to become a couple to make their characters complete by the end of the story. Though it would be interesting to see how they handle the identity reveals if they come after they've developed romantic feelings, how Yor will handle physical intimacy within a romantic setting, seeing how her instinctual move upon physical proximity is to beat the other person into another dimension, and how Twilight will handle a romantic relationship that he for the first time is emotionally invested in after having faked such relationships for his missions.

Now, for the other ship (that I don't mention by name simply because I don't want this post ending up in search results and their shippers being exposed to something they most likely won't like), they're both too young to even comprehend the concept of romance - Damian has a school crush. That's all. I had one too in his age. Didn't develop into anything deeper than wanting to spend more time with the classmate in question. It cannot develop into anything deeper because six-year-old brains are naturally incapable of that. Most of what creates romantic feelings are hormones, in other words, your hormones liking another person's hormones. And six-year-olds do not produce such hormones, nor have developed receptors to analyze such hormones around them, so romance is simply naturally impossible for them. Not even mentioning sexual activity here.

So we're not talking about actual romance here. We're just talking about a 6yo boy developing fond feelings for a fellow 6yo girl. Feelings which he fights because said girl defied him and he's not used to being defied. Neglected and ignored, yes, but not defied, especially from someone whom he considers less important than him.

And while that gives him character, he's still part of the narrative. And the narrative doesn't focus on him! He's just a recurring character. The narrative focuses on Anya, and by putting her against a character who is fighting his feelings for her and ends up bullying her harder for that is not for romance; it's to provide conflict.

Stories where the characters achieve their goals easily without any obstacles are not interesting. We want our characters to face difficulties because those can help the characters grow and develop, express their feelings, prove how resourceful and adaptable they are, etc etc. It's what the matter of conflict in stories is about. Damian liking Anya creates conflict for him, and him existing in the story as he does creates conflict for her. He's literally there to make Anya grow as a character, not as a source of support, but as a source of conflict.

Let me elaborate on that: Anya has to approach Damian for the sake of the mission. In multiple cases she's shown a refusal to do so because he's mean to her and she'd rather spend time with someone who treats her well, aka Becky. Ironically, Damian growing feelings for her makes it harder for her to approach him, because he's ashamed that he has a crush on a girl of a lower class, and even more so a girl who punched and defied him. And because of that, he ends up treating Anya worse than he would be if he didn't have a crush on her. If he didn't have those feelings he would just be a decorative brat that would either ignore Anya completely or consider her pathetic for how hard she would try to approach him. Not a very interesting plot line, nor an interesting character. The "romance" there is what makes Damian layered, more relevant and interesting for the story.

As for Anya, as I said, this "romance" gives her external conflict and nothing more. She doesn't like Damian and would rather not approach him, but feels she has to to complete her "mission". And as of where the anime stands, any of her attempts towards that have led to her being insulted by Damian but progressing the mission even slightly. Her punching Damian gave Twilight a conversation starter with Donovan, and her challenging Damian to go meet his father resulted in Twilight meeting with him as well. She just had to operate under difficult circumstances because of Damian's treatment of her, but it's that that makes for an interesting story.

And so it can be very telling when people ignore all that narrative importance and focus on "But romance tho!"

Not saying it's bad or wrong. Just influenced by amatonormativity, as I said above. No-one to blame in this but the patriarchy. In this blog we fight the patriarchy by not shipping a ship the author doesn't want us to ship. W for liberation.

Yeah jokes aside I do find it an interesting way fandom works. I mean it's still a result of a toxic and harmful mentality that conservatism and patriarchy inflict upon us, but it's telling how it can influence even the way we enjoy fictional stories and what we prioritize on them when doing so, often even ignoring what the author wants to tell us.

[so-long-soldier28]

if you could omit a storyline from the tvd show. which one would it be and why???

okay to complete this ask, i had to recall the main storylines from each season. this is what i produced. i will stick that below along with my decisions and thought processes.

also, i say it in the notes, but if this form of answering asks is too chaotic, i can switch back to the neat paragraph format i used in the avengers x kai post. i can cut out my gibberish and actually capitalize my sentences again 😅 just let me know which you prefer!

no tw except for spoilers all the way to season 8

the seasons & their storylines

1 - damon + kath / tomb

2 - stefan being a dick (+ wolves)

3 - mikaelsons

4 - shane + cure

5 - silas + travelers

6 - kai + geminis

7 - heretics + rayna cruz

8 - fucking sirens + stupid donovan family reunion

now... to judge them all and remove one...

alright… tbh, it took me way too long to remember the second villian of s7, because post-lily, my mind went blank

then it went, ah, yes, that stupid hunter storyline

and then i immediately selected that one bc i hated watching bonnie get abused again

this storyline was so stupid; the seven year time jump was so confusing

we were also given NO CONTEXT and MINOR HISTORY into bonnie and enzo's THREE YEAR RELATIONSHIP

like i love both these characters, but them together came out of nowhere

also… damon caring so little for enzo and vice versa in seasons 7 & 8 after all the history they had together PISSED ME OFF SO BAD, like they don't care for each other at all?? not even romantically, just platonic care / trauma bond, NOTHING?

anyway that's aside the point

i loved early season 7

nora, val, and mary louise were funny; matt being angry all the time was funny; bonnie and damon coming back from europe and immediately killing a heretic was funny

bonnie had so much sass in this season

but then plec had to drive her underground again with the magic pills & nearly killing her & all that shit

and i liked rayna, to some extent; she was pretty cool

but there was no reason to drag bonnie in the mix and make her kill her friends just because she took some stupid pills, just because some relative of enzo wanted her to open a vault

that st. john stuff was insanity; i still don't understand it

i don't think the characters did either; probably not the actors, either

i also don't like that the rayna storyline killed off nora and ML, like, let the lesbian heretics live, fuck off julie plec

and bonnie and nora should've had a fling but that's a different story

so yeah… the 7 years into the future storyline + hunters is the storyline i would erase

also… i don't know why caroline kept showing up with blood on her face and ranting about stefan, like, i was genuinely confused

it kept reminding me of season 2 when damon dated that newscaster but then stefan killed her.. or whatever happened...

anyway, let's take a look at a close contender… season 8 - donovans

why… the fuck… did the donovans have to have a family reunion?

i do not care about his dad, i do not care about his mom, i do not care about vicki, i don't care about matt, and i certainly don't care to see them all in one place

matt only survived bc zach and julie plec were hooking up i stg

this man and his whole family are weak links

the sirens didn't bother me all that much, compared to the donovans fucking existence

i actually liked seline, ish

[unless i just liked the actress bc she's in that containment series so i associate her with chris 💀]

but i liked that she was playing games with alaric

i think she and kai would get along well… fucking with alaric, nearly killing twins… plus his comment about wanting to fuck hot cannibals…

this post isn't about kai moving on

the sirens were hella annoying at first and i hated them, but as soon as they released damon & enzo, i started to like them

then they died

speaking of death, stefan's death was so stupid

i have a lot to say about that but that's for a different time

kelly ruining steroline wedding was so stupid

gtfo woman

another contender… the stupid travelers of season 5

what tf was happening bc i genuinely don't know

i have no idea what happened when tyler was possessed

i don't even know what to say bc i was so lost the entire time

but i wouldn't omit the storyline bc the spell that eradicated them is what kai sucked up later

and then he became all hot & dangerous

but where did they go after the spell kept them out??

where did they come from, where did they go??

i liked liv & luke, they were both grumpy & slightly dickish

the travelers shit introduced them so that's cool... bc they had to stop the dopplegangers or something, i have no idea

liv has a vendetta against life for no reason. she's just so angry

she doesn't even remember the Great Sibling Slaughter of 1994, she was 4. why are you so bitter, liv?

we'll never know ig

idk tho living with joshua parker post-1994 doesn't seem fun. doesn't seem fun pre-1994, but i feel he'd be even 10x angrier after, so maybe it's just the childhood trauma. sorry, liv

also i might've shipped her with bonnie just a little bit… just a smidge… thought bon would be real cute with another witch

aside the point

stefan's dopplegangers were great… i like both of them more than i like stefan

but the kill the dopplegangers thing was confusing and if not for early s5 with silas & quetsiyah + blonde twins in later parts, i would hate s5

other seasons' notes

season 4... i hated shane bc he was creepy, but i found it funny that bonnie was so into him. damon was so perturbed at this

oH! not a storyline, but omit them killing kol bc fuck elena. that's my other man

but i know why they did it

and i adored davina bringing him back

so ig not omit, but fuck them for killing him, especially for their own personal gain

kol died so that jeremy could dramatically yell while ripping off his shirt

season 2... so i just remembered that s2 was more than just a precursor to klaus / middle part elijah; it also had wolves

i forgot about them initially, bc i don't care about most the wolves

tyler, i have so many mixed emotions; hayley, hated in tvd, liked in s1-2 of the orginals, didn't care for her later on; mason, nice to look at, don't care about him; jewel, or jade, idk, blonde girl that was looking for mason and found tyler, hated her; the random apperance of stephen amell… gtfo off my screen

wouldn't omit the wolves bc they had a point (ish) and grew the show, but i just don't care

not to say i don't like werewolves bc i fucking love the werewolves (cough twilight cough) but i don't care for the tvd wolves - the originals included, fuck off jackson

that was mean… he was a good man, good husband… i just don't care, i'm sorry

oliver was way worse, let's focus on him instead. he can fuck off; jackson can stay

so yeah, the hunter curse thing in s7 needs to go

unless you're kai and there's sexual tension involved & you're mutually causing each other pain, don't hurt bonnie

the magic pills were confusing, don't hurt my lesbian heretics, either

st. john stuff made no sense; probably just an introduction to the armory so alaric could feel important again

one final note

i hate that the beautiful salvatore mansion was turned into a school for weasel-y children to destroy

children are messy, that thing's an antique

i hate alaric

oh, i know i also made a post about wishing kai didn't kill jo so that alaric wouldn't have feelings for caroline, but i don't know if i fully stand by that post

as much as i wanted kai to have a redemption arc, him being a heretic was fun (while it lasted)

if they were dedicated towards keeping kai alive (therefore omiting his death storyline), he'd be a great time

i can see him and damon becoming buddies & being absolute menaces together

damon fights it sooo hard at first, but can't help wanting to dive into kai's bad influence

he makes vampirism feel like vampirism again… raising hell and not being afraid to be the bad guy

while simultaneously getting bad looks from all his friends and promising he's trying to be kai's good influence, but we all know he's not trying that hard

jo would survive and raise her twins with her creepy husband

she'd live in fear of kai coming after her kids any given day, but would try to ignore the thought

maybe they move away & free us from ric for good

but while this sounds really fun, i don't know where the story would go from there

kai would definitely get stuck under lily's control with the rest of the heretics & he'd have a big fucking fit about it

if enzo got with bonnie with kai still alive, that would be ugly

he would totally fuck a siren… and then help them kill the twins

but…

him killing jo & raising absolute hell was very fun & i loved it

his sudden return in s8, effectively pissing off damon & ric was hilarious

loved that he got back & immediately killed a grill employee

just like old times

i really wished they didn't kill him off, but i did like his pop-up later on

so… the storyline I would omit:

hunters. as explained.

back-up omissions:

kai death

stupid legacies

[girl4music]

The person you’re dating doesn’t identify as a male or a female? Use gender neutral terms of endearment to refer to them by or as when talking about them and your relationship to them/their relationship to you so you can avoid ‘girlfriend/boyfriend’ and ‘wife/husband’ or anything with a ‘man/male’ or ‘woman/female’ as part of it. (Note: This is a lot more difficult than you think if they’re in a job position where there is traditionally a role with those gendered terms in it. I work as a ward hostess in a hospital and that is the official name of the job role. So you can just imagine how they’d have to accommodate for just a male worker alone, never mind a worker that doesn’t identify as either male or female. They could use “host” I guess but that’s still not very inclusive, is it?)

Some of the most common ones are:

Partner

Significant other

Lover

It depends on the depth of the relationship between you and them I guess. If it’s just starting out but is established enough for many people to know about you and them: “My honey” is a good one to use.

Married to them? Spouse. Marital partner.

Just engaged to them? Fiancé. Betrothed. Intended.

Some personal favourites of mine but I never see anybody really use them because of how intimate they are. You can thank Xena for most of these terms: My person. My home. My love. My entire heart. My source. My soulmate. My everything. My whole life.

Both Xena and Gabrielle identified as female and yet not once did they refer to each other in binary terms. And the fanfiction follows this trend by using “warrior” and “bard” in replacement of their actual pronouns.

And honestly… the most often terms they used to refer to each other by or as? They just referred to each other by their names most of the time. It’s hard to explain what I mean by this but there is a real intimacy in them just calling each other by their names in a very specific way. No shorthands or terms of endearment like “babe/baby” or “sweetie”. Just Xena/Gabrielle.

There was also a lot of use of “friend” but everybody who watches Xena knows that Xena uses that term regardless whether the relationship she has with another character is platonic or romantic. ‘Best friend’ or “Only friend” is the way she refers to Gabrielle. That can certainly get confusing when they have many friends between them. I specifically remember that one time when Xena referred to both Gabrielle and Aphrodite as her “girlfriends” and that was…. A lot. I actually really don’t like it when actual platonic female friends call one another ‘girlfriend’. It’s too confusing.

But anyway, besides that one time, it might be a dated show but ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ was actually pretty good for gender neutrality: “may the best person win”.

[monty-glasses-roxy]

Jurassic Bark ship really do be three animatronics just going absolutely insane but in different ways over two other people.

Roxy? Psh. She's not in love with Chica! Don't be ridiculous!! What she's feeling? Nah, that's not romantic. It can't be! This is just how they've always been!!! Right??? Chica's super affectionate with her!! She's just... returning the favour every now and then!! There's nothing wrong with that okay?? There's absolutely nothing else going on there!! And her and Monty?? HAH YEAH RIGHT!! She'd rather beat him into the ground than snuggle with him on the couch!! They're rivals!! They're competitors!!! It's fun competing with him and she wouldn't ever want to risk losing to anyone else!!! She'd rather be with anyone but him!! He's the only one that can match her in competition and he's always honored when she stopped it when she thought it was unfair!! He'd never cheat to beat her he's better than that!! He respects her too much and that's FINE!!! And she's TOTALLY okay with it being like this she doesn't WANT to feels his claws in her hair or to give him little bites on his arm to tell him she cares or to laugh with him until the sunrises!! She would never want that!! ......Wait no oh god oh no this can't be happening why'd it have to be BOTH of them holy fuck one was bad enough fuck shit fuck fuck fuck fuck noooooooo-

Monty and Roxy? Don't be stupid. He could NEVER be with her!! Sure, she's the only one that match him in almost any game they play but he'd rather kick her ass at the next fight night!! He doesn't wanna be all cutesy with her!! They're FIGHTERS and he's NOT INTERESTED and she's NOT FUNNY even a LITTLE BIT and they DON'T make each other SMILE don't be fucking stupid!!! He has NOT fallen for her!!! He's not being affectionate with her at all!!! He's just... making sure she knows he's got her back!!! Rivals do that ya know!! What?? NO her tail wags AREN'T cute shut the FUCK up!!! FINE OKAY THEY'RE KINDA SORTA FRIENDS NOW BUT THAT'S IT OKAY?? FUCK OFF!!! And Chica? Well Chica's one of his best friends!!! That's all he's feeling, right?? They're just super close!!! They're... like Roxy and DJ or something and it doesn't feel wrong to say that no no no absolutely not!!! He doesn't love her little chirps or think her singing little rhymes to herself as she does her own thing is cute!! He likes COOL things okay??? It MIGHT be cool that she jumps down from the ceiling to scare the staff and it MIGHT be cool that she can play the electric guitar so well and it MIGHT be cool to hang out with her sometimes but THATS IT!!! No he does NOT find all of that cute as well!!! NO NO NO NO HE'S COOL AND AWESOME AND HE'S NOT FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIS TWO BESTIES GOD DAMN IT NO NO NO FUCKING NOOOOOOOO DON'T DO THIS TO HIIIIMMMMM-

Chica? Crushing. She's crushing so hard. On two people? Yes on two people. Confusing but whatever she's over it. She's crossed that bridge already. Roxy is so cute and pretty and cool and Monty is so handsome and cute and cool... and they're both just so nice to her!! They make her laugh, she makes them laugh and oh they can smile and light up the whole world in her eyes!! And they've really come out of their shells with her!! They're so much more affectionate and they're just so cute and she loves them both so so so much!!! But... they're getting awful close to each other... no... they're not a thing! She would know if they were a thing!! They're terrible at hiding things!! They'd be way more obvious!!! And they're acting super nice to her too and well. They're CERTAINLY not a thing!! What do you mean they're acting super affectionate with her too?? No no no... that's just... how they always are!! Or is it?? But what if it is??? What if they're falling for each other and they've got no room for her anymore?? Oh but the three of them are always together so what if they do have room for her??? That was a platonic hug they just gave her right??? They're getting really big on those compliments too!! Ohhh she's not gonna explode she's fine okay it's fine they're not falling for her hahahaa she's just being silly!!! Crushes always pass right?? She'l be over it soon!! It's fine its fine its fine there's a logical explanation for ALL of this she swears she's fine she's not going to combust into flames cause Roxy made her a little sculpture out of scrap metal OR because Monty gave her a side hug and said she looked cute with his glasses on!! No no no she's soooooooooooo fine!!! What are you talking about she's SO fine she swears-

[askanaroace]

[Sent this ask to another blog as well, but I’m curious to hear your opinion as an caderomantic.]

Is romantic love more… intense than platonic love? My initial reaction was no, but when I thought about the way people describe their romantic partners (merging their souls together, being so deeply intertwined and interconnected, knowing them better then you know yourself), I realized that I haven’t really heard anyone talk about their platonic partners that intensely, even when they’re in a committed lifelong relationship.

Another question that is 100% subjective and will vary by person!

My personal answer is yes and no. It's contextual. It not only varies by person but also by each relationship.

Yes because I generally didn't/don't experience platonic love. I had a friend group that I cared about, wanted good things to happen to, and would protect. But I couldn't say that I "loved" them. What even is love? How do friends know they love each other?

And when I started having crushes and then got into my first relationship, now that was a feeling. A very obvious, intense feeling. Obviously the crushes weren't love, but they were intense and noticeable and absolutely different from being friends with people. And I'd never wanted to be friends with others. Other people made friends with me because I was solitary, they were solitary, they wanted a friend, and they reasoned it'd be easier to become friends with me than fit into an already established group. But the crushes were people I was absolutely drawn to.

For my dating relationship, there was no sudden spark of realization that I loved him. He said "I love you" really quickly, and I definitely panicked and spent a lot of time thinking about it. I said it back before I felt it or knew I felt it. But over the years, I realized that I did feel very strongly about him and love him. (Now, of course that gets confusing because what was actually forming was a trauma bond rather than love, but it's hard to clearly separate out this kind of thing.)

No because near the end of that relationship, I felt something that I eventually categorized as something most closely resembling alterous attraction for someone because I definitely had Feelings(TM) for her that were very similar to how intense a crush was. I was drawn to her, wanted to be around her, got excited and flustered and complimented when she wanted to spend time with me, was very disappointed when she ended up in a relationship with another student - but ultimately decided that I didn't want to date her (didn't want to date anyone), and so the feelings got categorized as some sort of platonic or alterous feelings. (I ended up pulling away from her out of heteronormative respect for her blossoming romantic relationship + I was still in a relationship and thinking very hard about what I wanted to do with that.) But know that these were VERY confusing feelings for me that I ruminated on for quite a long time trying to figure out because they were so strong/similar to previous crush feelings, but even stronger because I didn't even talk to or hang out with many of my crushes.

So in my post where I talked about how intense romantic attraction/love was for many allos, I want to clarify some things.

A) I didn't mean to downplay how intense and strong non-romantic feelings can be for people, and I do apologize for that, particularly to anybody who felt dismissed or ignored when I did that. It was certainly allonormative of me.

B) Absolutely allos (alloro, allose, and both) can experience strong platonic feelings as well!

C) In an amatonormative society, there's definitely pressure on the romantic relationship being the strongest and most important, and people don't exist in a vacuum. It's impossible to completely separate out personal feelings from the messages we're taking out from society. Even people who feel strong non-romantic love may end up suppressing that and/or prioritizing romantic feelings/relationships anyway because that's what we're told we're supposed to do. I do believe that the majority of allos would probably automatically answer that romantic feelings are inherently stronger than platonic feelings, though how actually honest that might be, I can't speak to. Studies are fallible, especially those relying solely on people's word.

So yeah, for myself, as an aplatonic who's starting to accept that I also relate heavily to the loveless and heartless labels, romantic attraction was generally absolutely a stronger feeling in that I felt it more obviously and, as a result, put more obvious effort into that relationship. (Which is again complicated by other factors like the fact that my friend group actually respected me and my boundaries and that I was far less social for them, while my date was abusive and constantly demanding more of me than I could give.)

But your mileage is going to vary, and I'm sorry my answer earlier didn't make room for this.

And absolutely I believe the reason you haven't heard many people talking about strong platonic love is 100% tied up in amatonormativity. If we lived in a different society that valued platonic relationships more (as ours DOES absolutely have a tendency to shame this type of love, especially among adults), I think you would definitely hear about this way more. I absolutely think it exists now, but it's absolutely stigmatized to talk about.

[kalpasio]

Heart of Stone, Heart of Fire

D is for Delight

A Kalpas x Apathetic!Reader fic, Chapter 4, the final chapter below!

Aponia may be off limits, but that didn’t stop Kalpas from “protecting” you ever chance he got. Most times, you didn’t even know there was something to be “protected” from. Like the chef that was apparently flirting with you, or the pilot who winked at you when he dropped you of for a mission once. Interactions like those didn’t even register on your radar, but they certainly showed up on Kalpas’.

The chef? Kalpas ate him for breakfast. Pilot? Top of the no-fly list. Any time Elysia sent you a smile, he was glaring at her, flames spreading through his hair the longer she looked. Kosma was an exception—because Kalpas couldn’t even tell when the two of you were talking—and Hua was allowed one conversation a week.

Sakura made fun of him on missions (“If you two can split up for a second—” “No.”), though he never seemed to notice her jabs. It got to the point that he could hold your hand though a busy hall and no one would even glance at you both. Dragging you along became one of his favorite ways to get somewhere because it gave him an excuse to hold your hand, and you never saw a reason to pull away, so he could stay like that for as long as he wanted.

Holding his hand sent a warmth through you that couldn’t be found anywhere else. You knew it wasn’t possible for him to let you experience his emotions through touch alone, but he was certainly making you feel something and that was the best explanation you had. Elysia laughed and told you he just made you happy. You blinked and told her you already knew that.

Calling the two of you ‘emotionally stunted’ would be a compliment, everything beyond rage went over Kalpas’ head, and you weren’t any better. It took you months to realize what exhaustion was, and the differences in platonic love, romantic love, familial love, and so on were completely lost on you.

“If you care for the person then what does it matter?” Hua had nodded in agreement as though you were presenting a solid argument, making Eden wince at the thought of explaining to you both.

Despite your questionable understanding of feelings, Kalpas still had a personal goal of making you feel something. Obviously, rage was at the top of his list, but he’d take anything. Pain, happiness, boredom, fear, anything to spite Aponia, prove to her that you could still break free. It didn’t work very well, his attempts at making you mad often just left you confused and asking him if he wanted you to leave.

The closest he had gotten was when you both had fallen asleep on a couch together. He’d put on the worst movie he could find to try and get a raise out of you, but you’d just leaned onto his shoulder and closed your eyes about five minutes in. When your pillow stood up to leave, you held onto his arm, looking at him with what could maybe, possibly disappointment at his departure. It didn’t last very long, but that moment stuck in his memory, and gave him cause to keep trying.

On missions, you were a powerhouse alone, but working with Kalpas, you had taken out a Herrscher on a mission without even knowing it. Neither of you could take Elysia in a fight, but with you stopping all her attacks, and Kalpas constantly breaking though her defenses, you had a chance.

But even all that power was only enough to slow the Honkai down. It still won at the end of the day. The world was falling apart, and humanity’s only chance was to preserve a select few and try again in the future.

Project SAVE had no room for someone who could endanger the survivors. Without your discipline, you would destroy everything they worked to build. So Kalpas went. And you stayed.  He spat and swore and cursed every name he could, only stopping when you smiled.

Not the fake smile Elysia had been teaching you, a true smile that crinkled your eyes and tore straight into his heart no matter how hard he tried to cover it up. It was the last smile you’d ever give, and the last smile he’d ever see.

I am so so sorry, this took way too fucking long to get written, and it wasn't even written well. The idea in the ask was so good and I was so excited to write it and then I sat down and went "shit. I don't know what to do." I'll probably revisit this work and either edit to hell and back or just completely rework it because it really really could be super cool and I just didn't have that "Oh I have the perfect idea" moment

[taughtdefense]

sender kisses receiver's palm.

THE ELDRITCH’S MIND IS BEYOND TRILLIONS OF YEARS OLD ( in the most literal way possible ), but reciprocated, casual, platonic affection slid his way by those he's friends with is fairly uncharted territory. if anything, he’s usually the one intializing the hand-holding, or nudging someone’s shoulders. he’s gotten really into hugging or brushing up against tory during miyagi-fang trainings, something she absolutely loves to pieces. she’s not typically affectionate with anyone, even her sisters—both biological ( nova & stef ) & chosen ( scarlett, paisley, & cosima ). ethan’s pretty much taken the number one spot on tory’s list of people who give me consistent affection. ( she wouldn’t have it any other way. )

mr. larusso’s very well adjusted to ethan’s quirks & need for affection from his partners at all times by now, & will watch any type of affectionate interaction with an amused smile. chozen will roll his eyes, but he silently thinks of kumiko. sometimes, johnny will pause mid-lesson & snap lightly at ethan to stop playing footsie with his fiancés so publicly, but he’s clearly happy that ethan’s happy, so the shouting doesn’t bother him. he knows he’s just joking around.

ethan’s eldritch friends like shadow, gray & ciro aren't exactly the pinnacle of affection in any lifetimes. especially not ciro. what he's trying to get at is that affection is something he's not used to. familial? sure. wade & vanessa are certainly affectionate with him. just this morning, vanessa told him she was happy he was physically recovering so smoothly, & ruffled his hair. romantic? you bet. he has four partners he dotes on.

sanji is a formidable opponent during sparring matches, a hell of a chef, & he's a great friend/ally to have. but the version in front of him is not that same sanji, not really. …maybe he should make a friendship bracelet or something to differentiate one sanji from the other, otherwise ethan thinks he'll start rambling about stuff that current sanji wouldn't know what the fuck he's talking about. he swears he can hear current sanji asking him what the all blue is, or maybe he’d humor him. but ethan knows himself. he’d probably accidentally fuck up & tell the crewmate-of-the-seas version of sanji about cobra kai. yeesh. talk about embarrassing.

alternate lifetimes are so confusing.

but anyway, ethan receiving platonic affection? that’ll take some getting used to.

so when @lovehungered suddenly kisses his palm, ethan stops mid-sentence, the words dying on his tongue.

whatever he’d wanted to say flies right out the proverbial window after being set on fire. he just immediately forgets what he was going to say, because sanji just fucking kissed my palm out of nowhere, holy shit, & it was kinda… nice. he blinks a few times. his brain effectively short-circuits for a half-second, heat flying to his whole face, coloring his face a dusty pink.

he makes a quiet, surprised noise, clearly super flustered, staring at sanji with wide brown eyes. ( ethan’s just glad he’s not hospitalized again, because if he was hooked up to a heart-rate monitor right now, it would have betrayed him by beeping. loudly. & if that had happened, he’d never hear the end of it from his friends. yikes. )

shit. i/you/we are supposed to say something! i/you/we have been quiet for too long! the younger version of ethan screams at him in his head. start talking, motherfucker! in this universe, ethan physically blinks again like a two-headed owl just popped up next to him, then quickly blurts out something entirely freaking eloquent, like:

❝ thanks, sanj. platonic affection is super appreciated! i-i… well, wasn’t immediately expecting that, ❞ it’s clear he means that, & while he’d been surprised at the initial contact, his entire hand buzzes pleasantly, pins-&-needles & a warmth that makes him feel giddy, like he’s floating in the clouds—& oh boy, he can mentally see his younger vessel literally jumping for joy like a cartoon character, ❝ —but that kind of affection is not, um, unwanted? not from you, &-& n-not that i think you’re weird, or anything, & it’s actually really nice, & just look at my face right now, i’m super happy you kissed my palm & all— ❞ shit, now we/i/you need to stop fucking talking! shut the hell up! ethan’s younger, blonder, much more chaotic self suddenly snaps at him, practically begging for him/us to put a sock in it. ethan does his best to ignore the other version of himself currently flipping out. at least he’s not hearing silver’s voice. ❝ you’re s-so sweet. ❞ ethan stutters, giving him an awkward, but shy grin to finish off his rant session, eyes bright with warmth & a tender sort of joy, one that’s reserved exclusively for his friends.