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oc-cafe · 2 years

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Episode 1: Dusty Old Book

Once again, please check the trigger warnings before proceeding, since this story will probably have death, violence and angst and mentions of blood.

Cover made with Canva, crossposted on my AO3 account.

A silent figure walked through the busy streets of Nelaghati. Draped in a simple cotton sari and a few ornaments, she blends in easily with the bustling crowd. She pulled her pallu over her head, partly because of the heat, partly to avoid anyone recognising her.

There will be plenty of time to get back to her later. First, let us have a look around this charming town.

Nelaghati was a beautiful, busy place. Bursting with colour and life, this kingdom was sure to enthrall any who came by.

Now, our 'Silent Figure' was walking in the streets of Nelaghati's biggest marketplaces. The area is buzzing with people. Vendors selling their wares, street performers performing, a suspicious person selling even more suspicious trinkets, and so many more things, but if we stop to list them all we will never get to the point.

She hurried past all the people trying to stop her, to convince her to try their items, to warn her about all those 'other sellers' who won't have such amazing quality or prices, but eventually she escapes them all, and found her way to a secluded spot, where a horse with a velvety brown coat and a black mane was impatiently waiting for her. It neighed disapprovingly.

Now, here's two things about the horse that our reader might find interesting. One, that it belonged to Aditi, AKA our 'Silent Figure'; and two, that it bore the royal seal.

Aditi lowered her pallu and lovingly stroked the horse. She held up a dusty old book.

"Look what I got!"

The horse seemed unimpressed.

"Hey, hey, look, I'm sorry. I came back here as soon as I could."

It seemed satisfied with her - admittedly flimsy - apology and she mounted it in a second, gently squeezing its side with her legs to make it start moving.

They rode for a while, gradually gaining speed , Aditi getting more and more harrowed by the second. They soon reached the small wood that bordered the palace.

The wood was a wonderful resource, and although it was certainly very pleasant, it would take a while to get through, which only increased Aditi's distress.

"Tvarte, tvarte," She urged her horse on as calmly as she could, which was, to be fair, not very calm. "We're running late!"

Somehow managing to get to the palace in record time, she led her horse to the stables, unbridling, untacking and giving it water. She assigned the stable hand to groom it, and after making them swear not to tell anyone she had been out, she headed towards her chambers, hoping to make it there without anybody else seeing her.

"Aditi! Where have you been?!" She heard a familiar voice hiss into her ear.

"Rekha, hey, do you mind not telling anyone?"

Rekha, her handmaiden, rolled her eyes.

"You're lucky no one noticed. Yet. And what's that you're trying to hide?"

Aditi raised her hands in surrender, one hand still grasping the dusty old book.

"You got me."

"Wait, wait, wait. So you sneaked out, even though you knew that you could get into massive trouble for that, all for a Dusty Old Book?

"Yes?"

"... alright. Let's get you cleaned up before someone notices."

Aditi grinned. "You're a lifesaver, Rekha."

Rekha made no reply and simply led Aditi away, all the while chastising her about how much trouble she would have gotten into - to which Aditi could only smile ruefully and utter a quick apology - and quickly scrubbed her down, removing all the branches and brambles and dirt she had managed to get in her hair. She waited as Aditi got dressed in her more 'regal' sari, and royal ornaments, and then gently wove gajra flowers into her silky black tresses, which had been tied up in a low bun.

"So, where did you get the book?"

"Sarva Chowk."

"You're always in Sarva Chowk. Mind telling me what exactly so is so special about that book?"

Aditi shrugged. "I just thought it looked neat."

"Aditi, you know you're my best friend, right?"

"Of course, and you are mine."

"I say this with all the love I can, but that is the dumbest reason I have ever heard for breaking curfew."

"Would you believe me if I said I agree but... it felt like it was holding some kind of power over me. You know?"

Rekha tilted her head sideways in confusion.

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"Now, Rekha, when have I ever lied to you?"

"We're not opening that can of worms. Just... open the book and let's see what's written in it. Not like we have anything better to do anyways."

Aditi nodded, dusting off the book and setting it at her table.

She slowly opened it, as though expecting something exciting to happen. She peeked at the pages, hoping to find something magical, perhaps. She didn't know why she felt like that, to be completely honest. She just felt as though something would happen. Gut feelings couldn't be wrong.

Not being able to bear the suspense any longer, she pulled the book open completely.

She didn't know why she had gotten so worked up.

"Oh, great." Rekha muttered. "It's blank."

Aditi plopped onto her bed in despair. She had hoped something would happen, something different, something new.

Something that would free her from this routine. Something that would change anything.

Much of her rebellious nature could be chalked up to her sheltered life as a royal. The tedious routine, the same thing every day, again and again, like clockwork.

The rigid rules were like chains that bound her, restraining her, keeping her back from her full potential.

No, Aditi, you can't do that, that wouldn't be proper, now, would it? You are going the be the queen one day, Aditi, you are going to need to learn how to behave.

She had been alive for nineteen years, yet she had never once lived.

Forgive her for wanting something, something fun, something dangerous, something new.

Forgive her for wanting to live a little.

Anyway, while we had been delving into Aditi's emotional backstory, Rekha noticed something rather... interesting.

"Aditi... your hair... it's glowing!"

~~~~

Glossary:

Tvarte (sanskrit)- quick

Taglist (let us know if you want to be added/removed):

@pinkyy-promises @sassychaostrash @ghostdragoncookie @minaglobe @quakeismyhero @ialmostdonothingnew @gravitational-potential-energy @death-and-the-lady13 @otbyosh @fierreth-who @mister-finally-found-himself @coffeelovinggayidiot

Obligatory Mod Tag: @permanently-exhausted @stressedsnake

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knifearo · 10 days

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this year my challenge for everyone is to unlearn the association between love and morality. love is not something that is inherently morally good, and the absence of love is not something that is inherently bad. sex without love isn't morally bankrupt, it's just an action. people without love aren't less kind or less good, they're just people. when we can get past this false (and often unnoticed) dichotomy of good love/evil lovelessness then i think we are going to be able to take leaps and bounds in sex positivity, aro advocacy, certain discussions of mental health...

#and also. not the direct focus. but love doesn't make things good. you can be in love and do terrible terrible things.#people do bad things in the name of love and in despite of love all the time.#but!! imagine a world where people could exist as people and not be demonized.#sex positivity means being cool about All sex. reexamine your internal systems of moral judgement.#this goes for sex workers. for aroallo people. especially aroallo men. for aro people in general who might enjoy sex.#and frankly i think it can easily bleed into discussions about mental health disorders around 'not feeling' certain things #especially demonizing ppl who don't feel as much empathy. i think there's definitely a correlation between that and the emphasis on love.#our support needs to go out to Everybody and i think these things are all structured together in one way or another!!#it might not be immediately obvious but when i tell you it all leads back to amatonormativity..... little bit wild.... large bit wild....#anyway. horror movie psychopath 'oh he can't feel emotions or love' damn alright. well. let's take a closer look at that.#silly that there's an association between lack of love and Murdering. feel like that might affect some stuff.#love is just an emotion/a feeling it doesn't mean anything about you one way or another #same with empathy. you can feel it all you want but it doesn't inherently change the actions you choose to take #anyway. thesis statement. there is a socially constructed link between love and morality. unlearn that.#kiss kiss (<— lovelessly)#aromantic #aromanticism #arospec #talking #aroace #aspec #sex positivity

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cupcakeshakesnake · 4 months

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I personally think videogames need to offer more paths than just the linear progression of "ally > friend > love interest"

Like there needs to be a "really close friend" relationship option that isn't just a tier lower from "love interest"

Besties option, dare I say

#snake talks #snake's text post #videogames #asexual #aroace #I want to be closer to [insert NPC] but not in *that way* which leads to just staying friends awkwardly #aromantic

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batri-jopa · 1 year

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I love my life highly satisfied just being myself

(Female version here)

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elmaxlys · 9 months

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#see? you can have an aroace lead and the movie will be absolutely incredible. more of that #barbie #aroace

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poorly-drawn-mdzs · 1 year

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A lasting impression

[First] Prev <–-> Next

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #xue yang #xiao xingchen #song lan #wei wuxian #lan wangji #my personal and very specific headcanon for XXC and SL is that they’re both aroace but bound for life #they’ve been in a common law relationship for years and regularly go on bestie dates #soulmates arent just lovers!#They complement each other! They go where the other leads!#obviously not taking away from anyone who does see them as romantic. Just my own little projection B*)#this is the second time the thin panel preluding The Madness has come into play…at least the gore is off screen this time #xue yang doesn’t know how to deal with any emotion ever unless it’s with violence #regarding the ambiguity in that last sentence: its on purpose B*) a secret callback for later B*)#lwj is hoping so hard that his cool narritive skills impress wwx #and he is impressed. also DEpressed.

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rearranging-deck-chairs · 9 months

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ever think about how the doctor and the master live in like this aroacenormative universe where Friend, or Best Friend, is the highest and most important title you can give a person you care about

#i think it's bc theres like no affection on gallifrey #so like 'i care about you' is like mindblowing rebel shit #fuck the system youre my FRIEND #and they share this too like. idk. i think it's sweet #their first experiences with love were each other so now theyre forever each other's First Friend #that relationship rewrote their brains in like a bunnchhh of ways but also in this way #make a family friendly show and accidentally make your lead an aroace icon bc hes defined by his genre

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bandtrees · 6 months

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increasingly endeared lately by the prospect of mob falling in love with tsubomi all over again when he meets her "real" self

#scribbles #mp100 #mob psycho 100 #tsubomi takane #shigeo kageyama #tsumob #tsumob is a ship i am INCREDIBLY picky about because. obviously the show is built on the crux that its unreciprocated #and i also believe firmly in aro tsubomi #but the two of them have a lot in common and i like the idea of them kind of starting over postcanon #and that can lead anywhere. im endeared by them being qpps but thats also my aroace bias talking LOL i'll make any ship a qpr

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aq2003 · 6 months

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pairing ten's "will just kind of let himself be used as a vessel for romance if someone makes the first move" trait with his "spent a whole season not catching that his codependence insanity bestie was in love with him" trait means that if martha had made like astrid or christina and confessed/kissed him outright i think they would have entered a 10x more nightmarish toxic relationship where ten would attempt to get on the comphet grind to ignore his ptsd and depression harder and martha would have to speedrun all the highlights of a loveless marriage with a 20th century war veteran that never learned what being aroace is. i think she would have to leave and never talk to him again

#sorry i think this is a bad post i peaked with the ten is a bus driver one and it's downhill from here #dr who #ten and martha #aspec doc tag #edit; please note i am picturing this post lazarus experiment where ten is back to being insane enough #to offer joan of all people to be his companion. off the self isolation grind still on the s3 insanity #edit 2. thinking about this more. this post is still bad but it has ideas in it.#like i don't think early s3 ten had it in him to lead martha on so she'd stay w him obv. hes too autistic aroace for that.#but i DO think he has a 50% chance in him mid s3 to react to an undeniable confession/display of love this way #and martha would like catch onto him a month in and would have to leave. for his own good if not hers #ten could jotaro pacificism fic his way to hell and back but only during this specific time and only with her. gbles #10 era

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bytedykes · 4 days

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always funny to me when people interpret liushen in a way where lqg idolizes sqq. i just don't think it's true. shen jiu has probably kicked lqg in the dick before and i don't think you can come back from that in any way that matters

#lqg and sqq are best friends but i do not think lqg holds sqq Above anyone. i dont think he sees him as some untouchable beautiful immortal #<- of course my thoughts are influenced by the fact that i dont really ship liushen and think lqg is aroace #although lqg idolizing sqq does lead to the idea that hes fully aware sqq is no longer sj. which is funny in its own ways #anyway what im trying to say is have a guy try to beat you up enough times as a teenager and there is no worshipping him from there #u already know hes capable of biting unprovoked . sorry sqq's aloof immortal image but lqg must have seen a number of sj's ragefits before #anyway please no one take this too seriously i am just putting words on a post #svsss #misc

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thehappiestgolucky · 11 months

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you understand my vision, yes?

#pokemon legends arceus #doodles #clan leader irida #warden ingo #aromantic #asexual #hello yes they are aroace solidarity to counterbalance palina bi and gaeric gayy #yes i think irida is barry’s ancestor #i like to think she decided she wanted a kid later in life and so did so. only for baby #partner? all she knows is she now has obtained a child who will eventually lead to barry #and ingo is aroace as hell. emmet is mlm. not exactly gay but. likes men

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carnivalcarriondiscarded · 2 months

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That post about everything being "Nah" I felt in my core. I'll always respect people who identify differently but when they ask me "what's your pronouns?" Or "where do you lie romanticaly?" I'm just "eh call me whatever you want I guess" or *I don't feel romantically for much anything" maybe cause online people always thought I'm one gender and irl people always thought I was the other so I just responded with "sure I guess"

and it's honestly such an easier way to live ngl... like when it comes to people who Know that i use they/them, it hurts to hear my given pronouns. but when it comes to strangers and just people who i haven't told, it's like... "yeah. ok. ill put on this hat" it feels a bit like a performance. it feels Mischievous, even! ohoho, they've been Tricked!

#which is Equally funny when i get 'misgendered' the other way. actually its More So #its so delightful. the sheer joy of having genderfucked myself to the point where people get it wrong in the Opposite way #ive had moments where i was confidently referred to with the 'wrong' set until i opened my mouth #and then theres The Face Of Terror and them scrambling to use the 'correct' set while visibly dying inside #ITS SO FUNNYYYYYY #this is my gender. fucking with people Is My Gender i have just realized #my goal every time i leave the house is to make people go '?????'#GODDDDD I LOVE NOT CARING ABOUT GENDER ALL THAT MUCH ITS SO FUCKING FUN #like yeah. sure youre wrong but lmfao whatever im vibing #rambles from the bog #im a bit less excited about being aroace purely bc i know the stigma around it #and ive heard So Many disheartening stories about aro/ace folks getting rejected/shunned in queer spaces #like there's a queer bar i wanna go to but now im. less enthused because someone Will hit on me im confident about that #and flirting is fun but like... man i dont wanna lead anyone on but-#sorry sorry i didnt mean to start Worrying Out Loud lmao #but no yeah i respect strong gender feels and labels but like. Eh! Im Just Me!#i use nonbinary bc technically Yea and also the flag fucks <3

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beeftony · 2 months

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I might actually have to read the Bloom Into You manga to get the rest of the story because the 2018 anime adaptation just like. ends.

#bloom into you #I did like the angle of having an aroace lead who ends up in a situationship with a girl with a whole back catalog of identity issues #but that can’t be the actual ending

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enbyleighlines · 2 months

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Hey, how come no one has written a fic in which Kieran tries to help Mia find her fated rival? Like, both of them are so into the idea, and Kieran already has his fated rival (even if he’s the only one that think so)

Would it or would it not be the cutest little oneshot? Bonus points if it includes established oskieran, and Mia’s fated rival turns out to be Lucia

I mean, she does wear white, doesn’t she?

And maybe Mia can finally live out her dream of dueling her fated rival at dawn

Extra bonus points if Lucia is *not* a morning person and finds this entire thing to be very tedious and silly, but decides to go along with it anyway

#whether it leads to lucia/mia can be up for interpretation #i like to hc mia as aroace #but lucia i see as a bicon #charming men and women #like the trope of the princely girl in yuri #tellius

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science-lings · 3 months

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They weren’t lying, those attorneys sure are asexual, like sure they have some gayass moments sometimes but aside from that I’ve literally never seen how canonly asexual these guys are from any other popular media.

Phoenix is the type of asexual whose romantic and sexual inclinations (or lack of) stem from relationship trauma and is incredibly hesitant to enter any relationship ever, Edgeworth is a mix of hopelessly repressed and sick of how the world is centered around romantic relationships on top of just not understanding how attraction feels, and Apollo just has so much better shit to do than deal with all that.

It’s practically a joke how much attention from women Edgeworth gets and how much he doesn’t even notice it. Not just that he doesn’t care but he doesn’t even perceive that it’s happening. It’s also a joke that Trucy is asking Phoenix for a new mom and he’s just perpetually single forever.

#queer platonic narumisu deserves more love #but I also love the vibe of them both being aspec/demi and experiencing romantic/sexual attraction for the first time with each other #which leads to them freaking out about it #miles faked his death bc he kept thinking about kissing Phoenix and had to leave the country #also Athena having the color scheme of the aroace flag? not a coincidence…#you can be both aspec and have incredible homoerotic tension with you courtroom rival #ace attorney

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lab-gr0wn-lambs · 5 months

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Oh jesus wait! Only now that something might finally be starting with Carol and Daryl did I suddenly think.. what if Daryl was aroace tho. and now I'm just-

#I'm sorry but why did this massive big-brain thought come to me NOW.#after I've been holding out for Caryl #and now that it seems to be actually becoming a thing finally #BECAUSE LISTEN #It was always just one-sided joke flirting from Carol #and he'd always respond with a 'lol. stop.' They're clearly best friends I mean they used that exact phrasing themselves.#but I was taking that as 'for now..'#and look Daryl is the only adult main character who don't be fuckin. At any point ever.#but yknow what! either way this turns out I'm happy #Besties? hell yeah. Dating? hell yeah.#*I'm* aroace. the hell is the matter with me what was I thinking-#twd liveblog #the walking dead #the walking dead spoilers #their friendship bracelet scene got to me ok.#look I know this'll never be anything but a headcanon because. c'mon. like this show would even acknowlege aroace people.#let alone for the leading man #but if he and Carol don't end up together that's my hc and I'm sticking to it

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