#then it's going to be their relationship (romantic or platonic)
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imhere-imqueer-ilikedeer · 10 hours ago
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To those of you who say/imply we shouldn't have an issue with Valentine's say because it's for all forms of love, not just romantic:
That's not really the point. I don't dislike Valentine's Day because it symbolizes people's relationships. I'm happy for all those relationships! I'm happy you've got a day dedicated to the love you have for each other, platonic, romantic, familial, whatever! That's awesome!!
It's the amatonormativity that the day perpetuates.
Imagine you're allergic to flowers. And one day a year, everyone celebrates flowers in excessive amounts. You literally cannot go outside without some company shoving flowers in your face and telling you to buy them, you can't go to your relative's house because your aunt will throw a flower garland over your head. You can tell them you're allergic, but they'll always smile and say "oh, well that's okay!!! It doesn't have to be just flowers! You can enjoy trees as well!!!"
But that doesn't change the fact that you're still going to be surrounded by the very thing you're allergic too all day!!! It doesn't matter that you can also love the trees, because you're going to spend most of the day drowning in flowers and allergies! Because society is so hell bent on having flowers all over literally everything, including you!
That's why I don't like Valentine's day. Yes, I can enjoy it outside of romance. But it doesn't change the fact that the world is hell bent on drowning you in it.
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letmetellyouaboutmyfeels · 13 hours ago
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Two very important facts have just hit me like a sack of bricks dropped on my head:
Jones can land any date he wants. That's not his problem. His problem is he keeps standing them up for work.
Winter manages to somehow go on several dates with a gorgeous woman without realizing, at any point, that they are dates.
You see the vision.
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kazuyumi1412 · 3 days ago
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I kinda wanna hop in on this, since I usually don’t say much. (But to note, I will be including platonic ships, since I ship some romantically, platonically, or both.)
(My rambles will be under a “Read More” just in case.)
~~~
Octopath 1:
I love quite a few of the different ships in the first game, but if I had to have a favorite, it’s a three-way tie between Alfyn x Therion, Alfyn x Ophilia, and Cyrus x Olberic. I love those 3 too much!
But for this section, I’ll specifically elaborate on Alfyn x Ophilia. Personally, I don’t ship them as much in a romantic sense, since I enjoy the platonic sense more. And also, I feel like not too many people ship these two, but I also may be out of the loop.
I enjoy how the personalities of these two play together, especially since both of them are such caring individuals. I love combining Ophilia’s kind and understanding nature with Alfyn’s resourcefulness and desire to help people in need.
Particularly involving Alfyn’s Chapter 3 and Ophilia’s Chapter 4, I think that they would be great supporting each other. Ophilia’s story emphasizes how people can pick up the pieces from a loss or a traumatic event, and how people can reach out to those close to them for help. I think that Ophilia would help Alfyn navigate the consequences of his Chapter 3, since he had to go against his creed and take a life instead of saving them, and that he got stabbed in the back by someone he trusted and wanted to help. It’d be similar for Alfyn helping Ophilia after Lianna’s betrayal, since they both know that Lianna’s grieving over the loss of her father.
I also just enjoy that even though they’re very kind individuals, they’re not ones to be pushed around. They’re not going to be trampled on like doormats. If they or someone they love is being wronged, they’ll stand up and fight to make things right.
I personally see them as close friends or sibling figures, but I can understand how people can ship them romantically.
~~~
Octopath 2:
I actually don’t ship as many people in Octopath 2 compared to Octopath 1. For some, I just don’t see them being romantically involved with any of them, and for others, I think some are better off being friends or otherwise in a platonic relationship.
However, Crick and Temenos have me at the throat, both in a possibly romantic sense and especially in a platonic sense. These two are the Mikotoba and Sholmes of the Octopath universe to me, and I adore it.
I adore Temenos and Crick as characters, but pairing them together with their specific dynamic makes it all the more entertaining. Temenos teases his partner a lot, but overall, he appreciates everything that Crick does. And as much as Crick hates how laissez-faire Temenos is with his methods, he can’t deny that it revealed things that they would not be able to find if they went with the conventional methods.
Temenos being in Crick’s debt and wishing to repay him… God, that bit in Stormhail had me at the throat, especially after Crick’s untimely demise. I adore how Temenos carried on Crick’s work after him putting his life on the line to get the one clue that he needed.
Outside of the romantic sense, I love the unspoken respect between the two of them. Yes, one works within the law and one works outside of it, but they recognize each others’ talents. There’s a lot that they can learn from each other.
I miss octopath yapping with people so uh yknow what! We’re gonna play a game!!
Explain in the notes what y’all’s favorite ships are and why you like them!!!
Only rules are
1) do not explain why everyone should think your ship is canon, as that is not the point of this post 2) do not put any other ships down bc that is also not the point of this post 3) ALL games are included (yes including cotc) 4) ANY SHIPS ARE ALLOWED!!! GO NUTS!!!!
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hyuniemyunie · 14 hours ago
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Valentine's Day ⋆˚☆˖°
sonic characters! (some of them)
sfw
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
(ФωФ): all romantic, except tails. silver the hedgehog x gn!reader, established relationship, fluff, long distance angst. shadow the hedgehog x gn!reader, confession, first kiss, awkward shadow. knuckles the echidna x gn!reader, mutual pining, protective knuckles. rouge the bat x gn!reader, flirty, playful, yet romantic. sonic the hedgehog x gn!reader, ride or die ahh. tails x gn!reader, platonic, found family.
⠄・ ⋆ ・ ⠄⠂⋆ ・ ⠄⠂⋆ ・ ⠄⠄・ ⋆ ・ ⠄⠂⋆ ・ ⠄⠂⋆ ・ ⠄⠄・ ⋆ ・
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Love Across Time and Space
Silver always knew time was a fragile thing. He had spent his whole life watching it shatter, crumble, and reassemble itself in ways that never felt quite right. But right now, he wasn’t thinking about time in the grand, world-ending way he usually did. He was thinking about how much time he had spent away from you.
Valentine’s Day was meaningless in a ruined future, but with you, it meant something. It meant love, warmth, and all the little moments he had once believed were lost to history. So when he finally managed to pull together enough energy to warp to your timeline, he landed on your doorstep, breathless and unsteady, hands clutching a small, carefully wrapped package.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he panted, silver quills disheveled, eyes bright with excitement.
You barely had time to react before he was hugging you, holding on like you might disappear if he let go. “I didn’t think you’d make it,” you murmured into his shoulder, feeling the tension in his muscles ease at your touch.
“I’d tear through time itself to see you,” he whispered, pressing the gift into your hands. Inside was a small, glowing crystal—something he had pulled from the ruins of his future, polished and shaped until it shimmered like a star. “So even when I’m not here, you have a little piece of me.”
Tears pricked your eyes. You held it close, knowing he had fought against fate itself just to be here, to bring you this. You kissed him, slow and lingering, pouring all the love he had missed into one perfect moment.
No matter what time tried to take from him, he would always, always find his way back to you.
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Love in the Shadows
Shadow didn’t believe in Valentine’s Day.
It was frivolous. Commercialized. A human construct designed to make people feel lonely, or worse—forced into performative displays of affection.
And yet.
Here he was, standing at your door, holding a single, freshly picked rose. He wasn’t even sure why he had grabbed it. Maybe because Rouge told him showing up empty-handed would be “pathetic,” or maybe because he had seen the way you admired flowers, even the most insignificant ones.
You opened the door, surprised to see him. “Shadow?”
He shifted uncomfortably, gripping the stem of the rose a little too hard. “I… was in the area.” A lie. He had walked here. On purpose. “Here.” He thrust the rose toward you like it was a weapon. “For you.”
You took it carefully, a small smile playing on your lips. “You’re really bad at this, huh?”
Shadow stiffened. “At what?”
“Romance.”
His ears twitched. “...Is that what this is?”
You stepped closer, looking up at him. “Why else would you be here?”
Shadow opened his mouth, then closed it, red eyes darting away. The silence stretched, but you didn’t rush him. Finally, he exhaled sharply. “I think about you too much,” he admitted, voice quiet. “It’s… distracting. But when I don’t see you, it’s worse.”
Your heart pounded. “Shadow, are you saying—”
“I don’t know what I’m saying,” he interrupted. “But if I don’t do this now, I’ll never do it.”
Before you could react, he kissed you—brief, uncertain, like he was afraid he had made a mistake. But when he pulled back, he saw your stunned expression, the way your fingers touched your lips, and for the first time in his life, he didn’t feel like running away.
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Fists, Fireworks, and Feelings
Knuckles had never been good with words.
He could fight off entire armies, guard the Master Emerald with unwavering dedication, and endure the crushing weight of loneliness, but the idea of telling you how he felt? Impossible.
So when he saw someone bothering you at the marketplace—some overly pushy vendor who wouldn’t take no for an answer—he didn’t think. He acted.
“Back off,” he growled, stepping between you and the merchant, towering over them with a glare that could melt steel.
The vendor stammered out an apology and scurried away. You blinked up at Knuckles, wide-eyed. “Uh. Thanks?”
Knuckles crossed his arms, trying to ignore how fast his heart was beating. “You shouldn’t let people push you around,” he muttered.
You raised an eyebrow. “I was handling it.”
He hesitated. “...I know.” His ears burned. “I just don’t like seeing people mess with you.”
A slow smile spread across your lips. “Knuckles, are you being protective?”
“No,” he blurted, then immediately sighed. “Maybe.”
You tilted your head, amused. “Because you like me?”
His entire body tensed. He turned away, rubbing the back of his head, mumbling something you couldn’t quite hear.
You stepped closer. “What was that?”
“I said yes,” he grumbled. “Happy?”
Your laughter made his stomach flip. “Yeah, actually.”
And then you kissed his cheek—just a quick, playful peck—and Knuckles, the mighty guardian of Angel Island, went completely red, utterly speechless.
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A Thief's Heart
Rouge loved shiny things.
She loved jewels, rare artifacts, and anything that glittered under the moonlight. But above all, she loved the things she couldn’t have.
Which was why she was currently lounging on your windowsill, one leg crossed over the other, a knowing smirk on her lips. “Miss me, sweetheart?”
You rolled your eyes, leaning against the wall. “You say that like you ever give me time to miss you.”
She chuckled, gracefully dropping down from the windowsill. “I can’t help it. You’re my favorite heist.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Heist?”
She tapped a manicured finger against your chest. “You stole my heart first.”
Your face heated up. “That was… disgustingly smooth.”
“I know.” She leaned in, voice softer now. “But I mean it.”
For all her bravado, there was something genuine in the way she looked at you—something unguarded, just for you. You swallowed, trying to keep up with her pace. “So… is this where you sweep me off my feet and take me away?”
Rouge hummed, pretending to think. “Tempting. But I’d rather stay right here.”
She kissed you then, slow and deliberate, her hands tracing over your shoulders like she was mapping every inch of you. When she pulled away, she grinned. “Happy Valentine’s Day, sugar.”
And just like that, she was gone, slipping back into the shadows—but not before leaving a single, heart-shaped ruby in your palm.
She may have been a thief, but tonight, she was the one who had given something away.
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Love at the Speed of Sound
Dating Sonic was like trying to hold onto a summer breeze—he was fast, untouchable, and always on the move. But somehow, against all odds, he always found his way back to you.
Which was why, on Valentine’s Day, you weren’t expecting anything too special. Sonic wasn’t exactly the chocolates-and-roses type. You figured maybe a quick visit, a few jokes, and then he’d be off, chasing another adventure.
What you didn’t expect was him showing up at your door, grinning ear to ear, holding a blindfold.
“Uh,” you said, eyeing it. “Do I even want to know?”
“Oh, c’mon, where’s your sense of adventure?” Sonic wiggled the blindfold in front of you. “Trust me, it’ll be worth it.”
You sighed but let him tie it over your eyes. The next thing you knew, he had scooped you into his arms, wind rushing past as he took off running.
Your stomach flipped as he skidded to a stop. “Okay, ready?”
He tugged the blindfold off, and your breath caught. You were standing at the peak of a cliff, overlooking an endless ocean. The sunset turned the sky into a painting of pink and gold, waves crashing below. It was breathtaking.
Sonic leaned against the railing, smirking. “Not bad, huh?”
You turned to him. “You ran me all the way out here just for a view?”
“Nah.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I mean, yeah, it’s nice and all, but… I just wanted to spend today with you. No running off, no bad guys. Just us.”
Your heart melted. For all his speed, for all his need to be anywhere but standing still, he had chosen to stop—just for you.
He stretched out a hand. “So… what do you say? Wanna watch the sunset with me?”
You took his hand, fingers lacing together. “I’d race you to it, but we both know I’d lose.”
Sonic laughed. “Yeah, but I’d let you win just this once.”
And for once, he didn’t run away.
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Genius at Work
Tails had been locked in his workshop all day. You weren’t surprised—once he got lost in a project, hours could pass without him realizing it. But it was Valentine’s Day, and you weren’t about to let him spend it cooped up with nothing but blueprints and half-finished gadgets.
You knocked on the door. “Tails? You in there?”
A crash, a muffled “Ow,” and then, “Uh—yeah! Hold on!”
A moment later, he opened the door, goggles perched on his forehead, fur smudged with oil. “Oh! Hey, What’s up?”
You held up a small box. “Figured you’d forget to eat, so I brought you something.”
His ears perked up, tails wagging slightly. “Oh! Thanks!” He took the box, opening it to reveal a homemade meal, carefully packed. His eyes softened. “You really didn’t have to…”
“I wanted to.” You leaned against the doorway. “You do a lot for everyone, Tails. Thought someone should return the favor.”
He scratched the back of his head, embarrassed but clearly touched. “I guess I do get carried away sometimes…”
You grinned. “That’s what I’m here for—to remind you to actually be human. Or, well… fox.”
Tails laughed. “Well, in that case—wanna see what I’ve been working on?”
You knew what that meant: hours of enthusiastic explanations, endless tinkering, and getting caught up in his excitement. And honestly? You wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Sweeter Than Candy
Amy had never been subtle about her feelings. She loved love. She believed in grand gestures, romantic confessions, and fairytale endings.
So when she showed up at your door on Valentine’s Day, holding a heart-shaped box of chocolates, you knew exactly what was coming.
She took a deep breath, gripping the box like it was a lifeline. “Okay! I rehearsed this, but now that I’m actually here, I’m kinda panicking—”
You reached out, gently squeezing her hand. “Amy. Breathe.”
She exhaled. “Right. Okay. Here goes.” She thrust the chocolates toward you. “I like you.”
You blinked. “I—”
“Like, a lot,” she continued, words tumbling out in a rush. “Like, more-than-friends like. Like, every time I see you, my heart does this stupid little happy dance, and I think you’re amazing, and I—”
“Amy.” You smiled, taking the chocolates from her hands. “I like you too.”
She froze. “You—wait, really?”
You laughed. “Yeah, really.”
Amy made a sound somewhere between a squeal and a gasp. “Oh my gosh! Okay, um—wait, I had a whole speech planned, and now I—wait, no, that doesn’t matter, because—you like me back!”
She threw her arms around you, squeezing tight, her hammer clattering to the ground as she forgot everything else. You hugged her just as tightly, warmth blooming in your chest.
Amy pulled back, eyes sparkling. “So does this mean I can call you my Valentine?”
You tapped your chin, pretending to think. “Hmm… I dunno. What’s in it for me?”
She gasped dramatically. “Rude!”
You laughed, and before she could protest, you leaned in, kissing her cheek. “Of course, I’m your Valentine.”
Amy beamed. “Best. Valentine’s Day. EVER.”
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olderthannetfic · 3 days ago
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https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/774737485890813952/i-mean-i-do-feel-like-if-someone-was-traumatized?source=share
So glad I read your response to this because it reflects my thoughts on the matter. Interestingly, my aha came from trying to figure out what the difference between Fandom and Religion are. Because there is one. Clearly.
But like Religious people make religious artwork, right essays and stories (The Red Tent was great), log their sources "religiously" like a fanwiki. Hell "fan" is short for "fanatic" so the equivalency is baked it. Fandom *looks* religious from an outside perspective. But they are Not The Same. Helenists, Classicists, and Zag/Than fanartists are doing different things.
But you know what that entire discussion looks and feels like? "What makes going to the movies with your girl different from with your bros?" "OK, But I give my mom chocolate too?" And other such "what makes these actions Romantic when none of them inherently are?"
Anyway, I've added something to my version of the Split Atrraction Model. Sexual, Romantic, Platonic, Aesthetic, and Agapic(Agape). I didn't even have to coin the term Agape, we already had a word for Divine Love.
Indulging in the Agape Drive does a Thing. A Thing that is Fulfilling to those that feel it and completely baffling to those that don't. Like me. 100% anagape here. Even when I was completely convinced Mormonism was true I was never really tempted to do anything about it. I just Don't Get It, but it does suddenly make a lot of Evangelist Arguments make sense.
"Aren't you sad and lonely without god?" Nope. I'm also not sad and lonely without a romantic partner. On account of the Aromanticism. Good day, sir.
However, alloros do feel more fulfilled in romantic relationships. So they should be able to have them. And people who feel divine love should also be able to fulfill that need.
This does make Cult Leaders the Agape version of abusive partners and Megachurch pastors the equivalent of catfishers. They just use that religious drive to get away with abuse/take all your money instead of sex and romance.
--
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adragoncalledcat · 2 days ago
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Oh what’s got me crying tonight? Well, thank you so much for asking.
Maybe it’s that how throughout the entirety of Willow one of the main themes is always love. Romantic, platonic, familial, bittersweet. All of the main characters develop solid, concrete relationships with each other in individual, unique ways, and it’s not just romance! Kit and Elora’s sisterhood, Willow and Graydon’s mentor/mentee dynamic, the list goes on and on.
Elora literally says in episode 5, “I believe that love is the most powerful force in the universe.”
A lot of pieces of media have beautiful poetic lines for the sake of having a nice moment, but they never back up that character’s words in the story.
But that’s not the case with Willow. This show is chock full of love! And the amount of times the force of love was able to save someone, however indirectly is incredible. Willow destroying the possessed soldiers in response to Silas’ death, Elora healing Graydon with a kiss, Jade proclaiming her love for Kit at the waterfall before going to help her fight.
And all of those instances of love then led up to the climactic moment where Kit reaches out to her twin brother, tells him she loves him, and in the end he is saved.
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rainbows-caught-on-film · 2 days ago
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Listen I love shipping and relationships but I still can't believe some of you guys are out there like. Doing that. The thought of being IN a romantic relationship makes me nauseous- I only like looking at them from the outside. Meanwhile you guys are actually DOING the dating and kissing, yourselves, like. What the fuck.
You put your mouth on their mouth??? You go on romantic dates???? What the fuck and hell?????
I like cuddles and stuff but the second it's in the context of a relationship It suddenly makes my skin crawl, which is why the idea of a QPR is fine to me but not a romantic relationship. Platonic hangouts and platonic living together sounds great to me but romance makes me feel icky unless it's like, removed from me? I like seeing other people have romance but I don't want to touch it.
And then there's sex, which RIP to y'all but I don't get it at all. Freaks me the fuck out. Pretty sure I'm sex repulsed. I'm still sex positive though, like, do whatever you want and be happy and healthy and shit I just...not for me.
Weird to imagine that people partake in those things like, personally. And not secondhand though friends or fanfiction. Like it's THEIR relationship. Wild.
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heart-of-the-morningstar · 19 hours ago
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This isn't gonna be in line with my regular posts, but I wanted to rant/have a discussion about dating/romance as someone who falls under the asexual umbrella (demi).
To my fellow aspecs, is dating really supposed to be this hard? Is it suppose to feel this hopeless? I haven't been involved with anyone in over 2 years now, and we weren't even dating, it was a FWB situation. Looking back at it, I shouldn't have let get that far. I am still friends with this person because I do care about him and I understand that he never meant to hurt me. We're not as close as we used to be, but we still talk occasionally. But it took me a while to realize what happened between me and him just kind of broke me in a way.
I thought that if I gave him just enough, he would care for me like I did for him. When I reached my limit of what I was willing to give him, nothing changed. The pain I felt was torturous. I'm doing better now but sometimes when I think about how it all went down, I want to cry and yell at myself for letting it go as far as it did. Now I just can't find the strength to put myself back out there again.
On the very few dates I've been on (all prior to the situation between me and my friend), all they wanted was a sexual relationship. I don't want that, I've never wanted that. And I don't know what I have to do to find someone who feels the same way as me. I want to get to know someone, become close friends, fall in love...I want that fairytale ending but it seems impossible for someone like me to have. All I've ever wanted was to be loved for who I am and for my boundaries to be respected.
I don't want to give out my whole life story, but I have not gone all the way with anyone yet. (I'm not going to go into what I have done, that's TMI.) And for me personally, waiting till marriage is extremely important to me. I know for a lot of people, that's super out of date and old fashioned. I am in no way passing judgement on what anyone else does, that's your life to live and as long as your happy, that's all that matters and I'm happy for you! I just want my real first time to be with the person I love most, the person who has shown that they love me just as much as I love them, making a commitment to me and to us. I hope this all makes sense.
But going back to my original point, dating right now just seems...impossible if you're aspec. How am I supposed to find the right one when I can't find someone who holds that same values as me. I've honestly felt like I'm just a piece of meat to these people, just someone to use for their own gratification. Especially since I'm a bigger girl (more so in the past, but my point remains.) But it feels like they think I will accept any kind of attention because they think I'm desperate enough to forego my values. I almost let that happen with my friend, and I don't want it to come to that point again. I shouldn't have to give up who I am for the chance of experiencing love.
I know romantic love is not the end all, be all to relationships. I have a lot of platonic friends, new and old, that I love and care about deeply. I really hope this rant does not come off as me being bitter or envious, that was not my intention. I just wanted to know if there are others who feel this same way...I know myself, I know I am a very fragile person. I am a people pleaser, I feel as though I have to hide my true self around most people because I want them to like me. I overcompensate, I become meek because I am not confident in the way I look. In my mind, I think "if I make them laugh, if I'm compliant, if I'm soft spoken, maybe they'll overlook the parts of me I hate the most." It's not healthy to think this way, I know. But it's been a habit for 29 years and I'm not sure how to break it.
So, as another Valentine's day approaches where I am single once again, I'm left with this reoccurring thought that true love will never find me...and my biggest fear is that I'll have to learn to be okay with that.
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gayofthefae · 13 hours ago
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True reason Byler is canon? Will's feelings serve no purpose for MILKVAN.
Honestly, I've said before I'm a bandwagon fan because I can't handle the heartbreak of it, so I was thinking of if I had to rewatch it and jump ship.
And I don't think I could on this one. It feels too much like "their love beats all odds and...!...overcomes...queerness? He was almost queer but they saved it and he came back to her?" what is the obstacle here?
You say it's the I love you, but then how do Will's feelings factor in at all? Because having 0 impact on Mike not only isn't how writing works but also the prospect of that was erased heavy handedly by the painting and Will encouraging Mike for the ily speech. Will's feelings must serve Mike's story, even if, unfortunately for the message to queer people, that is his story with El.
And that doesn't mean encouraging it. Will easily could done that as a friend. Often a love triangle in some way or another teaches you what you really wanted, I don't feel that they can successfully imply that he didn't know that was El, and season 4 does not show the realization that Will has feelings for him driving him further to El because he realizes, more like Nancy with Steve and Jonathan, that it IS her he really wants. Of course, honestly, the best execution of that would require him to be bisexual and have been considering Will but realize El was his true person.
But that isn't what happened. He already told her he loved her and went back to her and that wasn't the motivation for it. His actions on the surface were unrelated to Will, which means that they were motivated by him in yet to be revealed ways. Those ways could technically be heterosexual and platonic, but it remains true that a character must be impacted by the other's actions. Both must be or it doesn't serve enough of a purpose and it has been poorly written, a waste of time for the character receiving.
If all he needed was to feel loved by Will or to be encouraged, Will did not need to have feelings for him.
If I rewatched this show for Mlvn, Will wouldn't even be an obstacle they overcame, which he should be. Either Will's feelings for Mike and El make Mike and El stronger than they would have been without them or they exist to be satisfied and reciprocated. Those are the only two options, and as it exists, Mike and El do not have a threat to their relationship to be overcome as their entire issue has been resolved - "4 seasons of buildup", right? They did it. It's finished. And that wasn't Will's service to the plot. He DID have impact on it. But his romantic feelings did not. They had 0 bearing on his ability to help get them where they needed to be. His 4x05 advice on telling the truth was about him being gay, not his feelings, and what he passed on from El had no reason to not be true.
Will's feelings have no impact on their romantic relationship. We've covered that his queerness is important but his feelings are useless to his arc whether he ends up with someone else or not (he could have realized through an endgame boy or through Tom Cruise, it could have been anything and didn't need a stepping stone realization boy, let alone set-back heartbreak), but we need to also acknowledge that they have no impact on Mike and El's relationship, or anyone else at all for that matter.
If they do not end up together, his feelings are effectively useless. If you wanted active representation of life without actionable messages or themes, watch a movie about somebody's honest to God day to day that has no purpose or plot, just then going to work coming home cooking and going to sleep. I mean, it's accurate.
Bringing it back to Little Women comparisons, if Mike and El are endgame then that would make Will Jo instead of Amy. But Mike is still Laurie. And part of what drives Laurie is having the comparison of a different kind of love, even if romantic, to contrast his with Amy when he finds it, and his heartbreak matures him to where he needs to be when he reaches her. But this all requires him to have had feelings for the Jo character, and even if the contrast were used to show the difference between platonic and romantic, he would at some point have had to be unsure of that with the Jo character. The perceived romance with Jo would have also had to explicitly come first. These are all things that would have had to happen already.
There is one season left, yes. But the way the conflicts and timing have been written, it is already too late for Will's feelings to impact their relationship - that they would not been together in the end without his feelings for Mike specifically driving them towards each other, the same way I expect Steve's to be a wake-up call for Nancy.
Will's feelings would have to teach Mike or El something that brings them closer and overcome a previous internal threat to their relationship. But they overcame his threat without even knowing about his romantic feelings and as a result of actions that were not dependent on them - Will could have even said the exact same painting speech but as himself platonically, the hiding is what makes it romantic. They overcame it before Will's feelings could even get involved. So, yes, there is a 5th season. But they're supposedly closer than ever with the multi-season threat to their relationship gone, and they did it without the impact of his romantic feelings, so
They are useless. They are painful, unactionable, and simply would be a drag to rewatch - which is the opposite of their leading intention with this show. UNLESS, Mike reciprocates.
To be useful is to change the course of the story. Will did change the course through his encouragements. Will did not change the course by any use of his romantic feelings. Meaning from HERE, the course needs to be changed...and Mike and El's doesn't need any more fixing. So which direction do we go for them now?
I think that answers itself, there is only one. Away. We move away.
Will must break them up, it is the only thing left for them to do. And there is only one way that he could do that that cannot be saved.
Will's romantic feelings are useless to all parties unless Mike reciprocates and it is too late to make them useful if he doesn't. In fact, the only way they have been useful up until this point is if his feelings already posed a threat to their relationship, only possible by reciprocation.
"Mike is unimpacted by Will's feelings!" Really? Because if Mike and El were endgame he would actually HAVE to be.
If Mike had already had romantic feelings for Will, Mlvn endgame would be more likely. He didn't. His feelings are useless to every character in the show. Professional writers don't write useless things.
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baphometsss · 3 days ago
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AND ANOTHER THING oml I'll shut up in a minute I swear
Solas's view of the modern people of Thedas obviously influenced the way he saw his relationships with them. How could he connect with people so disconnected from the Fade when he himself was borne from its magic? There's no bridge for them to meet on because he himself severed it, unlike the ancient elvhen or spirit friends he made before. The mental circles this man was running in I stg... It would've only heightened his sense that the Veil needed to come down urgently, so he could bring his 'true' or 'real' friends back.
Yet he does end up forging bonds with the inner circle because ironically it's only through that process of being disconnected from his past (and by extension, his relationships, which up until this point have all been with spirits or manifested spirits) that he's able to be more authentically himself than ever before. There's no pretence of Fen'harel. At what point does he stop seeing his friends in the Inquisition and his love for the Inquisitor as inferior to the bonds he forged with the ancient elves and spirits? When does he start seeing them as 'real', and that Felassan was right? You can very easily say that his friendships with the Inquisition were strong enough to be at least equal to them, that without a war or a rebellion to spearhead, his true nature could shine through more clearly than it had in aeons. I would even go as far as saying that it reminded him of his friendship with Mythal, the version of her he treasured most--her spirit form, which she did not value as much as he did, because it was where they were at their simplest and most peaceful. While distracted from the weight of duty and responsibility, he found that place once again--only this time, from within a physical body, possibly for the first time ever.
However, I do truly believe what Trick was saying when they said that in order to fully appreciate the emotional depth of Solas you have to romance him. Falling in love with the Inquisitor adds a layer of depth to his character that can't be found with friendship. Like I said, the friendship is obviously important enough, but for this man, who has canonically never known romantic love, he finds himself understanding it on a level he could never have anticipated.
Pardon me while I get a bit philosophical here, but I think true love (platonic or romantic) is how we touch infinity. You go beyond yourself in love; your ego transcends and you live in total alignment not just with your own being but the being of another. Experiencing that romantically after only ever witnessing it from the outside is one thing; to be made a part of that kind of love in such an all-consuming way (which is in itself a spiritual experience) is another thing entirely.
Now imagine being an immortal manifested spirit of Wisdom who thinks he's seen it all, enough to be cocksure that a romance won't disrupt your plans or make you consider abandoning your duty, and then... boom. You fall in love with a mortal, and it totally consumes you and makes you consider the true breadth of your own existence and meaning in the world the way only romantic love does, and now you think you've actually changed so dramatically that uhh... yeah. Those plans might not be the best idea after all. Maybe this love is greater than duty, maybe it's greater than the sunk cost fallacy and the mental circles you've been running around in for thousands of years. Maybe this is worth saving more than the Empire of Elvhenan.
That's, I think, the moment he realises that he was wrong about his relationships in the past being more important, and when he realises that the love he shares with these mortals is equally, or even more, important than those bonds from the past. Because these people don't make him pine for spirithood like he did with Mythal and Felassan. And if this is the case, what does he lose, on balance, with all he has gained? The ancient elves have been gone a long time already by this point, and as Cole points out--they're not gone so long as you remember them. In fact, Solas wants to give up his goals, he wants to give up his dream of seeing Elvhenan restored and Mythal avenged. He says so himself and very nearly follows through.
The problem is that he can't. He can't give up now. It's already in motion. It's too late. All his understanding and revelations have to fall by the wayside so he can see it all through. His own heart has to die so he can bring back what he thought he wanted most before. The guilt alone would be enough to destroy him, so giving it up would never have worked anyway. The catch-22 is the tragedy, and how he becomes more corrupted--because now he has to go against his own wisdom and heart.
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fanfic-obsessed · 8 hours ago
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A mating of the soul
Here is another one that requires some careful build up beforehand. It has been on my mind for a while and I think it has finally percolated enough to release into the wild to find its forever home. 
As always, ignore any part of canon that contradicts this, for I certainly am.
So this one is going to take some necessary world building facts, then some world building cultural implications, and finally some actual build up to get to the scenes in my head.  Buckle in folks, the ride is about to begin. 
World building Facts
Soulmates: Soulmates exist, with all the regular mythology and usage as in our world (the universe is saying that we should be together).  However the reality is much different.  Soulmates are two or more people who make a vow during a highly specific ritual that carries over through every lifetime after (This relationship can be platonic, familial, romantic, even adversarial).  This ritual has been lost since before any writing was invented, no one can even be sure that this ritual originated on earth. Part of the reason for that is as part of the ritual itself, the participants sacrifice their knowledge of how to do the ritual. 
Getting down to the specifics, in the initial ritual all the participants (2 or more people) make a vow of some kind. This vow is unique to the pair or group, and in making this vow there is a mystical bond created between the participants, making them soulmates in that life and every life after.  In every life after the soulmates will find each other, and know each other (though specific memories of those previous lives will be of the feelings rather than the events), and they have a choice. They may make the vow, unchanged since it was first made, again reaffirming the bond for that lifetime. They may choose to stay connected but not reaffirm the vow for that lifetime (for instance if they met each other late in that life and one or all the partners have other commitments for the lifetime that mean they cannot keep the vow). They may also choose to dissolve the bonding entirely, painlessly. 
Should the soulmates reaffirm the vow, and one of the soulmates breaks that vow in that lifetime, a phenomenon called bondrot occurs. Bondrot is excruciating pain for the soulmates that did not break their vow, the magic of the ritual trying to encourage the complete shattering of the bond. Should all soulmates in a bond break the vow, not only is the bond forever broken but the former soulmates will live with an unspecified pain of something missing, in every life thereafter.
Magic: A quick note about magic in this universe. Magic functions a bit like chemistry or medication, in that different magic can mix and have strange reactions to each other. Any magic user above rank amateur (like any doctor worth their license) will not cast magic on a person where they do not know all the magic affecting them. 
For the purposes of this, the Lazarus Pit counts as magic. So does the Soulmate Ritual, no matter how many lifetimes ago the ritual was cast. 
World Building Cultural implications  
Now this next bit are not actual facts. However there is a culture that has grown up around these reincarnated soulmates. Even though most do not actually have solid memories of their past lives, they do start to recognize each other through the centuries.  Enough that in the past 200 years or so, there has been a small town of soulmates that has sprung up with enough magic that it is not tied to any one place but is accessible from all over the world. One pair of soulmates in this town have figured out how to bring forward more of the knowledge they have gained about Soulmates over their many lifetimes, and are the foremost experts in Soul based magic. 
Not every soulmate grouping lives in this town, but most come in contact with it in their lifetimes and certain cultural norms have developed. 
The Vow: Every group of soulmates guard their vow and it’s wording with everything they are. The only people who know the wording of the Vow are the people that swear it. Though no one actually knows, most soulmate groups believe that the initial ritual was created by some form of slaves, fearing that they would be separated from their loved ones.  Thus they keep the working a secret so that no one will be able to induce Bondrot or force the bonds to break. 
Current Lives: There is a tendency throughout all the soulmates to be somewhat disconnected from the people in their current lives. No one can really tell if the disconnect comes from the soulmates (not forming connections in the current life because they have connections already) or the non soulmate (that they can sense something strange so never form that connection) or some combination of both.  Because of this disconnect soulmates tend not to talk about being soulmates with anyone in their current lives.
Death: Soulmates do not see death as an ending, and in some cases is the answer to a problem (particularly if that problem is related to Bondrot). Most of the time, once one member of a soulmate group dies, the others die within about 6 months. Generally enough time to put their affairs in order. 
Now, almost three pages in, it is time to build the specifics.
One, Jason and Tim are soulmates. It is and was a romantic relationship.  They reaffirmed their vow (The vow they made was swearing to never willinging kiss another-further reinforcing the idea that the initial ritual was designed by slaves) two months before Jason died in Ethiopia, but had not told anyone in the batfam that they knew each other. 
Tim started to get his affairs in order, but realized that Bruce was losing his shit over Jason’s death. Thus decides that, before he can join Jason he needs to get Bruce back into better mental ground, still never letting on who Jason was to him. By the time Bruce is stable, Red Hood has been revealed as Jason. But here’s the twist. 
Jason comes back, digs himself out of his grave, and is thrown in the Lazarus Pit by Talia. Talia wants him to forge him into a weapon against Bruce, to an extent. She wants to break down Bruce’s psyche so that she and Ra’s can mold Bruce into the heir to the Demon’s head.  If her plan had gone as it was supposed to, Jason would have been wielded to kill Tim and Dick then killed by Bruce (in the midst of a grief fueled psychotic break) only to be revealed as Jason Todd as he died. Talia would then swoop in to the Broken Bruce with the lure of a remaining son (Damian). Bruce would follow after her for the sake of the only child he had left and she would mold him into the person she wanted him to be. 
This is not what happened. And where Magic enters. 
In the first place, there is no way that Jason does not recognize Tim, Robin costume or not. And Jason has no problem with his soulmate being Robin. Second, death does not mean the same thing to Jason as it would to most, and he’s aware of that.  He’s a little irritated at the Joker for murdering him, but despite the fact that he has no clear memories of his past life he is pretty sure that the Joker is not the only person to murder him (also to a certain extent does not feel traumatized/surprised that the Joker- an unrepentant murderer- murdered him). He is more betrayed and pissed at Sheila but she ends up dead. Jason is also very aware that Bruce has tons of trauma regarding death, so does not come out of the Pit thinking that Bruce should have killed (thus triggering the destruction of the core of Bruce’s being) the Joker.  He also outright, and vocally, disbelieves Talia when she tries to say that Dick deliberately missed his funeral.. 
In short Talia is not able to weaponize Jason after the Lazarus pit. So she finds a magic user. Later opinions will say she found an idiot of an amateur magic user, who she has cast a memory spell on Jason. It is a spell to suppress his happy memories from before his death, and to increase his anger toward Bruce, Tim, and Dick to a very specific level (so he does not go kill Bruce outright).
The Soulmate ritual is soul magic. It is ancient and, save for Bondrot and the bond breaking, is unbreakable.  However it does not need to be broken to be affected. If a person’s memory of making The Vow, and the memories of the person they made the vow to is suppressed, then how will Jason even know there is something to break or that he has. 
The Lazarus pit is magic of the body and mind. It heals and hurts and causes madness that is supposed to fade after a time. It saturates and causes instability, but is supposed to drain from the flesh.
The final spell cast is one of the mind and the emotions.  It is cast to be permanent, but not in the same way that Soul magic is permanent (it lasts unto death or being broken not it lasts unto eternity).  It is meant to exist on the surface and shape a person, but not meant to penetrate deeper. 
As far as Talia is concerned, the memory spell worked as intended, Jason no longer remembered most of his good memories from before his death and wanted to kill ‘The Replacement’. She noted that Jason’s pit madness did not seem to be fading like it should be, but cared very little about it. After all, it would not hurt her plans.  
She released him on Gotham to become The Red Hood. 
When Jason attacked Tim at Titan’s Tower, Tim realized quickly that something was wrong. He managed to knock Jason out and call ‘Doc’, a member of the soulmate group that was the foremost authority in soulmates and soul magic.  Doc was able to examine Jason, read the magic laid on him and their interactions. The magic had combined into a horrific Gordian knot, making it impossible to undo any of the magic without breaking any of the rest (and with that shattering both Jason and Tims souls and sending them into an eternity of agony).  They also could not tell Jason what was going on, for fear that the knowledge would put pressure on the memory spell (which was poorly applied besides), thus back to shattering it and  their souls. Though Tim and Doc discuss death as a reset, they cannot be sure that the magic will not follow them into the next life and make things worse.
Tim makes the decision to not tell the rest of the Batfam either, correctly deducing that they would never be able to leave it alone. He maintains the status quo, never letting on the pain he was feeling as Jason, not remembering their vow, breaks it often. He tell no one about his deeper relationship to Jason. 
Now we have built enough to arrive at the scenes in my head, set a few years after Bruce returns from the Timestream. The Bats (Batman, Red Hood, Nightwing, Red Robin, Black Bat, Batgirl, Robin), two lanterns, along with Zatanna and Constantine are captured by some weird new villain who has a device, decidedly running on science and not magic, that is supposed to transform suffering/ bad memories into  power for the villian. The villain had already drained one of the Lanterns, who was from off world, into a near catatonic state. 
The villain, who doesn’t get a name, they are not important enough, takes Jason to put in the machine, also plugs himself in and turns it on…
Only to begin to scream, which is not what happened the first time. The magic acting on Jason reacted badly to the villains machine.  For the villain. 
The distraction is enough for the group of heroes to break out and capture the villain. Tim goes right to unstrap Jason. 
Jason wakes up and calls Tim by a name the Bats had never heard (a nickname that had stuck around through each lifetime) and as Tim goes still, Jason apologizes over and over for what he was doing, saying that he can feel himself being dragged under again.  After a small amount of time Jason goes silent and when he speaks again it is clear he does not remember anything after being strapped into the machine. 
Later, during the debriefing in the Cave with the Bats and the two magic users (the lanterns had left to get the injured lantern medical care), Damian brings up Jasons strange words after the machine was turned off. Damian goes to say what Jason had called Tim, but Tim interrupts, saying that if Damian attempts to speak that term, Tim would rip his tongue out and feed it to him. Completely serious and threatening in a way that is unusual.  
There is a bit of back and forth while Tim tries to not have to answer any questions, Jason is very confused and irritated, and the rest of the table is only mildly less confused. Finally Tim does convince them that saying the wrong thing would have disastrous consequences (Dick: What’s the worst that could happen? Tim: You shatter the minds and souls of multiple people and send them into eternal agony), but they convince him that it is better to give them, including Jason, as much information as possible. Tim insists on calling Doc to explain things.  He also turns to Bruce and goes “Doc knows me as a civilian, we can either invite him to the Cave, and disclose our identities to him, or we can invite him to the Manor and Constantine and Zatanna can stop pretending they don’t know who we are.”
Batman decides to receive this Doc in one of the manor’s sitting rooms. 
Doc arrives, Tim gives him a brief overview of what went on. Doc then surprises everyone by asking Tim if he had any additional pain (since Tim is bearing all of the pain from their Bondrot, he would know better if the machine had done anything to make the bond unstable).  When Tim says no, Doc nods to himself and murmurs that they then have time to do things right. He looks at Jason and asks if he was ok with the rest, barring Tim, knowing what was going on. Dick tries to interject but Doc says that without Jason and Tim’s ok, none of them were learning squat. 
Jason does decide that he is okay with the bats and the magic users knowing whatever was going on. Doc nods and goes “Alright, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to do a quick spell to give an overview of what is going on. Mostly to establish my bonafides with the magic users, so that when I explain the sheer fuckery going on we don’t waste time with what I should or should not know. Then I will tell you what the parts that I safely can.” Jason starts to look even more irate “What I do or do not tell you has nothing to do with your abilities. But I will not risk a 80% of unending agony for your ego. After I explain I will do a slightly deeper check, then you will choose someone, not Tim, to make decisions on your behalf, I cast a spell to ensure that they will make choices with your long term interest at heart, then you and Tim will go somewhere out of earshot so that I can give a more complete explanation.Then see if we can plan on where to go from here.”
Jason let Doc do the overview spell (specifically created to not interfere with other magic), the results of which appear in triplicate on letter sized paper on a nearby table. The Doc goes “The long and short of it is, at some point after your cam out f the Lazarus Pits some moron of an amateur magic user cast a spell on you which interacted weirdly with both the Pit and another piece of beneficial magic that, if broken, is going to result in that eternal agony. Because of the interaction between the magic we can’t remove one without breaking the others. Too much information about the spell effects will cause your mind to break the spell and lead to the aforementioned eternal agony.”
With that Doc moved on to a verbal check with Tim. Things like likelihood of nightmares for Tim tonight (Tim: 100% Jay saw me completely for 1 minute 19 seconds before fading); Tim’s current pain level (Tim: 9.3 out of 10; Doc: That’s lower than I thought. Tim: 1 minute 19 second) and other questions that no one had the context for but the answers were still concerning.  
After that Jason picks Alfred to speak on his behalf, Doc behinds Alfred to make decisions for Jason’s long term welfare no matter Alfred’s feelings on the matter (on the off chance that Death is brought up as an option again). After Jason and Tim are out of earshot, Doc hands Constantine and Zatanna the most recent result of the spell, also summoning the previous results as well to give a more complete picture. 
The first thing Constantine said was agreeing that the memory spell was cast by a moron.  Then he gets a little pale when he sees the Soulmate magic that is affecting Jason. 
Doc explains Soulmates, that Jason and Tim are Soulmates in this sense, and what exactly the combination of magic on Jason is doing. He also mentions in this explanation that killing Tim and Jason had been discussed but put aside and that Jason had broken their vow (one of the contextless questions asked) three times in the last week. 
All of the bats, including Damian, are a little distressed to realize that the only reason that Death was not still be considered as an answer was that they did not know if the convoluted magic would follow Jason into the next life. Also Bruce and Dick were having a bit of a crisis in the realization that Bruce’s breakdown had prevented Tim’s death before they ever met him. 
Though Black Bat is not particularly well versed in magic, she is the one (while peering curiously over Zatanna’s shoulder) that points out there is a difference between the most recent results and the ones from previous overview spells cast. Doc looks and realizes that the machine had shifted something in the spell, in that telling Jason the vow he made would no longer shatter the spells. From the readings it was clear if Jason and Tim made their vow again, it would reestablish their bond, free of the other magic.  
There is still a risk. There was about a 20% chance it would not work and the act of Tim (because Tim is the only person who remembers the Vow) telling the vow to Jason would shatter them both. 
Doc (who had previously, extensively, discussed Tim’s wishes on the subject with him)and Alfred (bound by magic as well) decide that 20% is worth the risk, to Batman’s vocal displeasure.  The call JAson and Tim back in. Because of the way that the machine shifted the magic, they cannot tell Jason what he is vowing or why. All they can say is that Tim is going to tell you a vow that you will have to make, and that should fix things. 
Tim gets no explanation either, but goes along with it. He does insist that they find a room big enough that they can be in sight, but far enough away that no one can overhear their vow. 
They say their vows again (‘I swear not to willingly kiss anyone but you’) and it works, reestablishing their bond. It does not fully break the other spells, though that will come naturally with time.  But the bond being reestablished is enough for Jason to gain some of the knowledge he has again about soulmates and realize exactly how much pain he has been causing Tim.
Jason and tim, now holding hands, say goodbye to Doc (after another brief check to make sure things are as astable as can be) and go to leave to head to Tim’s Nest. The batfam expresses vocal displeasure with that. Jason goes ‘both of us are due about three panic attacks…each. We need to feel completely safe to do that, and the manor has not been safe for us for a long time’.
I have no idea where it goes from there, but anyone who wants to pick it up and run with it is welcome.
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howlsofbloodhounds · 10 hours ago
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imagine color and killer in a situation where both like each other but can't because of nightmare being kind of an obstacle (i think nightmare was homophobic but im not sure if it was true or not) and maybe killer was afraid that if nightmare found out, then he would do something to color, so both decided to hide their feelings for themselves until the escape
Nah, corrupted nightmare isn’t homophobic—as in he doesn’t care or have prejudice against others just because they’re gay or queer—but because he wants to spread and create negativity, and hates literally everyone and everything (probably even itself despite its massive ego), but will still use people’s greatest hurts and pains and fears against them to benefit itself. Even if that means aligning itself with those types of people, even though it also hates homophobes just as much.
So in this case, it’ll only use homophobic language if he knows it’s something that’ll cause negativity in color and killer. I doubt killer would care too much, but color would likely be filled with justice and integrity and be massively pissed off that the prick is willing to go that low for a few measly bits of negativity that won’t even matter in the long run or sustain it for long.
On that topic, if Color and Killer were to find themselves with romantic feelings of the sort during this period, I mostly think Color would be concerned about the possibility of Killer being in a vulnerable position and not ready for a relationship (as well as the fear of, what if he feels this way because he thinks no one will be kind to him (which I’m sure Color firmly believes that anyone would’ve done what he’s doing for Killer if they could, there are decent and kind and good people out there, even if Killer can’t see it or trust it), not because Killer actually cares about him or wants him as a person?) (it’s that low self esteem coming in), as well as the constant fear and worry of losing him yet again. Knowing the pain it’ll cause, knowing himself well enough to know how losing any other Killers would devastate him.
I’m sure Color, if he has lost Killers before, would want to maintain a level of emotional distance or boundaries; because he barely survived losing the Killers before. Both for his own self preservation, until he can at least manage to save one Killer at least, and because he wants to be mindful of Killer and his situation.
He knows that how isolated Killer is, how his only meaningful experiences are more often than not with Nightmare and how that taints his views and interactions with anyone outside of his little bubble—and how deeply afraid and distrustful Killer is of himself.
So im sure Color will try to restrain any desires to act or talk about those feelings specifically, even as he gladly acts on his more platonic ones that Killer allows; because Killer is still very much his friend, and he won’t leave him doubting or questioning if Color cares, especially not as Nightmare works to convince Killer otherwise.
I doubt he’d hide his feelings from Killer if Killer ever directly asked or confronted him on them, or at least he’d definitely struggle to—he has far too much Integrity to try and lie about it. Not only does it go against what he believes in, but he doesn’t want to lie to Killer or risk losing his trust over something like fear of rejection or worse—abandonment.
By this point, he’s definitely already learned how hiding and suppressing his emotions and feelings because he’s afraid of being alone again only serves to damage his relationships and push the people he wants to stay further away.
I doubt he’d make the first move to turn their relationship in that direction—or at least not for a very long time. He’s genuinely just happy that Killer’s with him, alive and hopefully soon, safe.
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evilbookworm · 3 days ago
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i find it interesting that a lot of people can’t understand that el and mike simply dont work as a couple (byler aside)
the only reason mike pursued el was because the people in his life told him he like el in that way. im personally team mike never romantic liked/loved el, i genuinely believe he confused platonic feelings with romantic feelings i’m going to put queerness aside for a second to focus on heteronormative standards it’s actually very common for younger people to misinterpret platonic feelings as romantic ones especially (i had a friend in elementary school who was really like a brother to me and a lot of people keep telling us to date and i remember how uncomfortable and weirded out it made us feel because we didn’t want that or understood why people got that idea)
and i think s3 (even tho it’s like my least favorite season tbh) really highlights why mileven don’t work as a couple. it really does bother me that people ignored how el bypassed mike boundaries and never really apologies for it (im not gonna get into the way people hold mike overly accountable in his relationships with other characters even when they do the same thing and sometimes worse to him 😀)
They really don’t. They’ve been toxic all through season 3 and 4. It clearly isn’t a healthy relationship.
And you’re completely right anon! Nancy and Lucas were the ones who were always probing Mike on liking El. It was comphet. He had completely platonic feelings for her and viewed her more as his savior than as his partner, I think. Not to mention that Mike probably thinks he’s gonna end up in a marriage like his parents, loveless and for the money. Also, so sorry about what happened to you with your friend. As someone who’s still in the closet, (trans guy) I’ve been pushed to like a boy, which, I am gay, but I’m not comfortable with having a romantic relationship yet, since I’m not even out.
Season 3 does highlight that! Though I do think season 4 really cements it. And yeah, El was also in the wrong for not respecting Mike’s boundaries and never apologizing for it, just like Mike was in the wrong for calling El a “different species”. The two aren’t good for each other, and this can be confirmed in season 4, when it’s obvious they’re relationship isn’t working anymore, and they want different things.
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rift-rifter · 2 days ago
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omg rift.. you should rank vbs ships im curious
(im a multishipper dw)
TW: multishipping, straight ships, not straight ships, correct opinions, platonic, romantic
all of these can be interpreted as either platonic or romantic my ranking stands either way
Polysquad - ive already made a post about it here if ur curious but holy crap i love them they're so peak 420/10
Akian - fight me, i also made a post about this here lol 69/10
Anhane - they're literally canon bro have you SEEN them??, I love how obsessed An is with koha like AWHH (An fangirling about Kohane eating a burger in Toya5 lmao, plus all of their interactions) (the most canon ship in all of pjsk) 10/10
Akitoya - also kinda canon? can be interpreted as just bros tho ig, they get each other tho, and have been partners for the longest time out of any of vbs, they chill like that, 9/10
Akikoha - I love them A LOT, AND HOLY CRAP THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THEM, from Akito finally accepting Kohane as determined to their current relationship god damn what a trip (also i love their first trust rank name it makes me so happy 'acknowledging your resolve' 9/10
Toyan - the 😐 x 😆 is so real, An supports Toya and encouraged a lot of his first experiences that he didnt rlly have early bc of his father yk, like during the camping trip and such 8/10
Toyahane - I FEEL SO BAD PUTTING THIS LAST BUT ONLY COS I LIKE THE OTHER SHIPS MORE IM SORRY I STILL LOVE TOYAHANE ITS TIED WITH TOYAN FOR ME, aside from that, Toya and Kohane together is just🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️, like neither of them know what to say lmao, i feel like they would go on study dates together tho, talk about books and such, which they can't really do with the other two 8/10
yeah so thats my (correct) opinion‼️‼️
but polysquad >>> any other ship fight me
Ranking without yapping bc its hard to read:
Polysquad
Akian
Anhane
Akitoya
Akikoha
Toyan
Toyahane
Akitoya and Akikoha are kinda tied for me, so are Toyan and Toyahane
I love all these ships btw so choosing was HARD AF
also ilysm/p Raven this was so fun <33 (I love ranking things especially ships it tickles my brain in a slay way)
if u hate on me for my opinions you're a LOSER by the way‼️‼️ if i see any anons complaining there's gonna be some words said
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cagedchoices · 7 hours ago
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it’s kinda funny that i just stumble back across my own post once a year and get to see how my thoughts have changed or elaborated over time lmfao. i’ve finally finished all the relationship metas and honestly those ideas barely changed at all even though a lot of time passed between every part i wrote. most of the stuff about my stances on shipping holds up too.
i still read caleb and dolores as platonic for the most part but i know the people i’d trust if that ever did develop into a romantic relationship, and caleb and maeve i still read as kind of a “could go either way, but i personally lean toward romantic” type of thing. but to reiterate, i never want to impose any dynamic on someone that makes that person feel uncomfortable or that they’re just not interested in.
so in terms of canon connections, i am planning on writing full metas about caleb and maeve and also caleb and dolores but for right now i wanna say just a lil bit about how i interpret their relationships and what it means on this blog
with caleb and dolores, i think that their bond is completely platonic. they're more like a brother/sister-in-arms duo to me and they pretty much always have been, but i will acknowledge that they do have all the potential for a good romance in the right circumstances. personally if i ever were to write something in that direction i would be extremely picky about who i'm shipping with and a lot of that is because i have some...residual hangups...from the westworld fandom's hayday.
i'm a lot less picky on the topic of caleb and maeve which i've always found a sense of irony in?? because i literally read an interview once and in it the writers and the actors were like 'oh they're just good friends' and i was like '...are you sure about that??' but just like everything else, the base of this relationship, whether it turns romantic or not, is built on a deeply intimate comradery between the two.
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the-odd-shu · 2 months ago
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Lab shenanigans
Characters: Viktor, Jayce, Reader
A thread following the chaotic trio that is, laboratory illustrator!Reader, Viktor and Jayce being unsupervised in the lab.
Note this takes place during season 1:
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Gender Neutral!Reader who got hired as the lab illustrator because neither Jayce nor Viktor can draw and they need an illustrator to document all their official papers with recognisable diagrams of their inventions.
The next part
Masterlist
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Reader who was just freshly been employed as the lab illustrator, sitting diligently at their new desk whilst Jayce fetches the research folder and Viktor tinkers away in the background.
Reader who lets Jayce set down the heavy folder on their desk, which holds all of the pair's research as well as hundreds of cruedly drawn sketches of inventions such as the Hexclaw and early drafts of the Hexgates, drawn by both himself and Viktor. (They are not drawn well, and it is only because most of the drawings are labelled with big, obnoxoious arrows that you actually know what you're looking at).
Jayce pausing in his explanations of the tech on each page and his promises to pull everything out of storage when you need it for a refence, slowly trailing off when he catches sight of your reaction to the drawings: "Why are you making that face?"
Reader who is diligently flicking through the pages and trying not to crack up at the poorly drawn stick figures, and the messy, uneven parallel lines of wires and robotic arms, and the scribbled oblong that is supposed to be one of the gemstones. They're not half bad attempts from people who focus their energy and time into math equations and flowery research papers, but that doesn't mean they're not amusing to look at.
"What face? I'm not making a face."
Reader turns all of their attention down to the pages and proceeds to fail at smothering their snort as the concept sketch of one of the Zaun suits. They push the folder back along the desk, to create enough space to prop their elbows on the table, to pinch the bridge of their nose hard to try and school themselves into some form of calm.
"Why are you laughing?" Jayce asks, sounding geniunely confused.
Whilst Reader tries to save face by responding, "I'm not. I'm just- uh, coming to terms with how much work I have ahead of me."
Jayce frowns.
The commotion has caught Viktor's attention.
"Well, it is a lot." Jayce allows, "but we won't rush you. The deadline is months away after all, and if-"
His words fade into the background in your mind as Viktor chooses then to roll over on his wheelie office chair to see what's going on, only to immediately grin in understanding. He rolls his chair up on the adjascent side of your desk, mouth pulled into a wicked smirk as he points to a particularly wobbly zaun suit drawing. "That would be one of Jayce's masterpieces."
Jayce lets out an offended noise, whilst Viktor takes malicious joy in flipping through the folder to point out which other drawings were done by Jayce. Most of them are wobbly and uneven, but have clearly been mapped out with steady, slow care.
In retaliation, Jayce swipes the folder out of Viktor's gleeful hands, and pointedly flips to a fresher page dated back to a couple of days ago. You catch a glimpse of the title 'hexcore', scrawled across the top in confident letters, before Jayce is turning the folder back to you and loudly proclaiming the work of art as Viktor's.
[The ‘hexcore’ has been drawn with wobbly, uneven lines that lacked the sleek, parallel look of the actual subject, with poorly recreated runes that did not at all take into account perspective or foreshortening.]
Reader loses it at the attempt, whilst Jayce and Viktor continue to squabble with one another in the background.
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I just NEED all three of them to spend countless hours in that laboratory getting stuck in their respective tasks (creative Vs Scientific) and all three of them come out aching and satisfied by the time the janitor comes round to kick them out for the night, despite doing jobs that require different parts of their brains. The overlap of countless, almost unsolvable equations, with the hours of staring at a blank page and slowly but surely coaxing out an image, it just so precious to me somehow.
Bonus points of course, if Jayce and Viktor are getting really into a scientific debate across the room by the chalkboard, flinging enormous words back and forth at one another, whilst Reader slowly dies inside trying to make the metal part of an invention LOOK like metal.
I just need Reader allowing the background muttering and excited exclamations to sooth them as they carefully draw another diagram above a neatly scrawled out text box of the pair's latest concept.
Jayce: “Yes! That could work! What do you think, Y/n?”
Reader: Head snaps up at being addressed. “Uh…”
They blue screen as they come back to reality and realise they haven’t moved in hours and their back and neck desperately ache from the movement. They're suddenly starving, and hungry, and really need to pee, but didn't notice before because they were so engrossed in their work. Kind of like how the other two get about their research.
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Viktor being a night owl and working on projects late into the night.
Jayce being smart and taking cat naps on his desk because he's an early bird, but a deadline is coming up and he refuses to be defeated by exhaustion.
And then you have Reader. Who is not being supervised in the kitchen, where they've made their fifth coffee and with shaking, caffeinated hands, they begin pouring in a generous helping of a Piltover energy drink.
Viktor hears the can pop.
He says your name warningly. "You better not be making that culinary monstrosity again."
Instead of responding, they knock back the whole mug in desperate gulps, ignoring the rancid taste and shivering from the mix of burning liquid with the pop of hundreds of tiny bubbles.
The mug gets slammed loudly back on the counter. Viktor sighs heavily and pushes his wheelie chair towards Jayce's desk.
He wakes him up, with a prod of his cane into his side.
"I'm about to have a breakthrough." He explains quickly motioning to his desk. Blary eyed and clearly not fully awake yet, Jayce nods along. Viktor points dramatically to Jayce and then in the direction of the kitchen. "You're on assistant duty for the next half an hour."
The tiredness leeches out of Jayce's face. "They didn't-"
"They did."
"But they've already got caffeine shakes!"
"Tell that to the sound of the kettle bubbling away and the pop of a can lid. It has already happened Jayce. All we can do now it keep the damage to a minimum."
On silent feet, Reader's shadow appears on the other side of the desk. Both men jump. The light overhead casts their face into shadows and somehow makes their eyes glow. It is a terrifying sight.
Viktor recovers first. "We need to put a bell on you!"
"Kinky. Now, whatdoyouwantmetodrawnext?!" Their assistant rushes out in a single breath.
And both scientists pale. It was already beginning then.
The next four hours consists of Jayce struggling to keep his eyes open whilst Reader pokes fun at him and offers up their 'creation', Jayce firmly declining and trying to get on with his work, whilst Viktor keeps to himself and snorts periodically at the banter.
Reader draws and draws and then rubs out, before diligently getting back to drawing again. There is a frenzy to their marks. A wildness to their eyes. The scratch and scritch of their pen, getting lost amongst the sound of cogs turning and screws tightening and Jayce's yawning. So much so that when it suddenly ceases, neither of the scientists notice at first.
Not until Viktor asks for a warm tea, only for the previously eager assistant not to respond. He lets out a fond sigh, Jayce straightening up from his own work.
Reader is passed out on their sketchbook, having FINALLY crashed.
Viktor gets up to make his own tea.
Jayce shrugs off his jacket, and puts it over their shoulders as a makeshift blanket. The man has such broad shoulders that it practically swallows the assistant from sight, but they do not stir.
"That'll give them an awful neck ache tomorrow." Viktor observes aloud.
Jayce snorts. "Maybe it'll be enough of a punishment to stop them making that foul concoction."
"Unlikely."
Jayce just shakes his head and collapses back onto his desk and lays his head down on his arm. "Ten minutes." He mutters out before closing his eyes.
Viktor hums. And by the time he gets his tea back to the desk, his partner is out like a light, just as he had predicted.
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"I CANNOT believe you're making me do this Jayce." Viktor exclaims sarcastically.
"Viktor. Please let me get that cog for you. Just this time. Please!"
"Oh no, no, do not get up on my account." Viktor firmly dismisses as he shimmies down his cane, one hand over the other all the whilst making exaggerated groaning noises.
Jayce is practically vibrating in place. "Please! It is literally all the way under that side board. Can I just slide it out for you? You can pick it up yourself."
"Oh no, do not strain yourself!" Viktor insists, sitting himself down on the floor, one hand holding his cane up as he shoves his other arm under the side board.
"VIKTOR!" Jayce all but whines, and takes a step forward.
"Ah!" Viktor immediately reprimands. "Y/n get the spray bottle!"
You've been watching the entire scene in amusement from your desk. Quietly giggling at Viktor's ribbing and Jayce's desperation to be useful. They make a rather amusing duo.
Jayce's eyes have jumped up to you. Frozen mid-step, eyes pleading.
You grin, pointedly reaching across the gap between yours and Viktor's desks to grab said spray bottle.
On the floor, Viktor makes a triumphant noise, before straightening up and brandishing the cog above his head. "Got it!" He exclaims, before slamming the blasted thing onto the side board. Then he tries to clamber back up his cane to his feet. He is unsuccessful as his leg decides not to co-operate this time.
He sighs. "Jayce." He says heavily, "as punishment for making me get down here in the first place-"
"What?! I've literally been-"
"As reprimand for your dastardly crimes. You are obligated to offer me one hand. But ONLY one, or your punishment shall evolve into death by spray bottle." Dramatically, he holds out his hand to his exasperated partner.
In support, you give the spray bottle a little squeeze in Jayce's direction, to which he shoots you a dark look. You merely grin back.
Then Jayce offers Viktor his hand, their fingers wrapping around the others wrist. "Slow." Viktor instructs, as he readjusts his legs into the right position. Jayce nods.
Then Jayce gently pulls Viktor up as Viktor balances between his feet and his cane.
"Thank you." He says, patting Jayce on the cheek, before promptly turning on his heel to retreat back to his desk.
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They're so silly, I love them so much.
The next part
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