#horror and the wild + ruin feel very 'how do i process the absence of these people who have never left me before now?'
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I have a confession to make to the LoZ fandom...
I kind of hate the premise of Age of Calamity.
Nintendo crafted an exquisite tragedy to serve as the backstory for Breath of the Wild--and that's a tragedy in the Greek sense, where the terrible outcome is inevitable because of the human flaws of the people involved (mostly Rhoam, but also slightly Zelda). The game needed a tragic backstory in order to be what it was--a game about moving on from loss, learning to appreciate and make the most of and protect what remains, and finding the beauty in stillness and emptiness.
And by and large, players adore it. We love exploring this desolate Hyrule, discovering ruined structures--some ancient, some a mere century old--and memories, and gradually piecing together the horror of the Calamity that left the world in this state. We love what hasn't been destroyed--the NPCs who have slowly been rebuilding civilization in Link's absence, the unspoiled wilderness reclaiming what was once settled and filling it with natural resources and beauty. We love Link as a microcosm of his world, battered and scarred to near destruction but barely pulled back from that precipice and now functionally reborn, shorn of the weight of his former role along with his memories. As he gets to start over, to recover himself without the extraneous baggage that once oppressed him, so too does Hyrule re-emerge from the ashes and even attain new growth, as with the Tarrey Town sidequest. We find meaning in the aftermath of the tragedy, in what it decimated, what it merely brushed against, and what it seemed not to touch at all.
And then along comes AoC to say nope, actually, the thing to do if possible is prevent the Calamity...and since we're the game devs at Nintendo, it IS possible! The true ending is the one where the tragedy is averted...and hence BotW never happens.
It just feels...idk, kinda cheap, like Nintendo is backpedalling away from the sad story they told us...after thousands and thousands of us found deep meaning in it. And in the process, that meaning is denied.
And I kind of hate it.
They could have done so much better. Imagine a version of AoC that instead leans in to the tragedy, letting us play as Link and Zelda and the Champions as they barrel toward a horrible foregone conclusion, seeing what little they can save along the way. Imagine missions such as rescuing a family cowering in their home as Guardians tear it apart, or escorting a group of evacuating soldiers and citizens, or being a Champion mowing down hordes of monsters on the way to your Divine Beast, only to be faced with the Blight Ganon and unable to win, but scoring based on how long you hold out.
I mean, jeez.
And at the very least, if they wanted the option to avert the Calamity, the pitch should have been "On this day 100 years ago, the kingdom of Hyrule fell...because YOU [the player] weren't there! This is your opportunity to change history!" But instead we got "What if secret time-traveling robot?" It's unsatisfying.
Okay, rant over.
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ok but when the amazing devil said “watching everyone i’ve ever loved walk past” and “never quite getting the knack of knowing that no one will not ever come back for you” and “would have stayed if you had asked” and “if i’m good will you come back?” and “how could you leave me here?” and “i won’t leave without a fight” and “know we’ll always love you even though you’re leaving us behind” and “nothing quite prepares you for when they don’t come back” and and and,
#angel.txt#the amazing devil#web weaving#i took some lyrics out bc they didn't Quite fit but like. aaaaa#i think this is my favorite motif across all their albums#loneliness and the longing for companionship and the grieving of people and places and the non-physical#love run feels very 'i'm used to people leaving and will hold tight to the people i love even if it hurts us both'#horror and the wild + ruin feel very 'how do i process the absence of these people who have never left me before now?'#and i love them all i love tad so Much#there are so many other lyrics like this but hhhh the motif of 'coming back' is something that can be so personal...#not me breaking down sobbing the first time the lyrics of two minutes really sunk in for me#tad meta
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AroWriMo 2021 Roundup
Here is the compilation of all 48 works submitted to AroWriMo 2021!
We have a lot of variety this year - short stories, poetry, non-fiction, a play, song lyrics, a zine, flash fiction and some novel/novellas! Check out the impressive writing collected here and support the writers themselves - links to their other sites/accounts are included where possible. Give them a look/follow, and share the works you really enjoy!
Thanks to all who submitted and shared for a wonderful AroWriMo 2021, and I look forward to doing it again in 2022!
Play/Script
Leaving: A (very) Unfinished Stage Play by charcharcharace (blogspot)
Post, direct link (blogspot)
Summary:
A fractured personal narrative on entering and leaving an unhealthy relationship and the pain of being aromantic without that knowledge.
Word Count: 1200
Theme: Humanity
Language: English
Genre: Personal
CW: Depression, manipulation, unhealthy romantic relationship, processing self-blame
Novels/Novellas
Syrinxian Diamond: Chapter One by charcharcharace (blogspot)
Post, Direct link (blogspot)
Summary:
After a heist gone wrong, our hero is caught up in an interdimensional prophecy that just may bring them answers to the questions they don't know how to put into words, a feeling of difference, of not feeling right acting how they're supposed to act - but what other way is there to be? Follow our hero through desert ruins, the Wild West, a royal ball, and of course, a midnight trip to the library.
Word Count: 2539
Prompt: Hope
Theme: Fantasy, Ancient World
Language: English
Genre: Portal Fantasy, Heist
CW: Unsupportive sibling, chapter one features the absence of knowledge of aromanticism, and doesn't feature aromanticism directly.
Oh, the truth shall set you free by @amanita-cynth
Summary:
“I know exactly four things about Alway.” She said wryly. “She’s 23, a genius, she keeps at least three feet between her and other people at all times, and she can root out the truth like nobody else.” Of course, coming from another profiler, such an assessment carried a lot of weight. Eden Alway, the newest member of an FBI profiling unit, is odd even by their standards. But as they begin to pry more into her life and struggle with some of what they find, her past is racing to catch up with her and drag them into the storm that was her life. Featuring misunderstandings, odd behaviour, the constant problems of amatonormativity, and a rapidly escalating series of bizarre problems that they are in no way qualified for but definitely isn’t magic.
Word Count: 11000
Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships, Self-reliance
Theme: Fantasy
Language: English
Genre: Crime, portal fantasy
CW: Romance, Violence, Gore, amatonormativity, religious imagery, mild body horror later on, currently a WIP
Lyrics
Embers by @clad-in-sunshine (Wordpress, Twitter)
Post, Direct link (tumblr), Direct link (wordpress)
Summary:
I’m terrible at picking titles. But I have been enjoying writing songs, and this is one I wrote for AroWriMo and the Valentines theme of ‘Love, Romance and Friendship’ at my local folk club. The middle part is entirely uninteresting to me, so this is more about love and friendship than anything else, and the various forms that can take.
The tune is called 'Midnight on The Water'.
Word Count: 479
Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships, Self-reliance
Language: English
Genre: Singer/songwriter, Folk
Games/Interactive Media
Superheroes Inc. by charcharcharace (blogspot)
Post, Direct link (blogspot)
Summary:
It's time for your first day as the Supervising Hero Response Manager at Superhero Incorporated, the largest collection of super heroes on the US West Coast. It's a big step up from your last job managing a team of five up-and-comers out of Chicago to supervising a nearly a hundred teams. Your priority, of course, is choosing which of the 12 big league heroes to have Shadow teleport to high crisis events.
Word Count: 3000
Prompt: Future
Theme: Sci-Fi
Language: English
Genre: Sci-Fi
CW: Death, Bigotry
Comics/Zine
My Aro Heart: A Zine by charcharcharace (blogspot)
Post, Direct link (blogspot)
Summary:
A short zine about loving the aro community.
Word Count: 50
Language: English
Genre: Zine
CW: Love (non-romantic)
Flash Fiction
#3 by @fuckin-fudge-nutter
Post link, Direct link (google docs)
Word Count: 304
Prompt: Future
Theme: Defying Expectations
Language: English
Genre: Realistic Fiction
CW: Mild internalized arophobia
A Moth And No Flames by @voidpunk.kenku on Instagram
Post, Direct link (toyhou.se)
Word Count: 337
Category: Flash Fiction
Prompt: Hope
Language: English
Genre: gaslamp fantasy
CW: insects
Future by 27twinsister on Ao3
Post, Direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Hikari would be alone forever. He liked that idea. The note contains my headcanons for Hikari and what the words mean.
Word Count: 146
Prompt: Future
Language: English
Fandom: Ressha Sentai ToQger, Nonomura Hikari
Genre: Character study
CW: None
Loveless by 27twinsister on Ao3
Post, Direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Takeru and Akari love each other (not like that, this is genfic). Mentions “ love potions or something” in one line.
The note contains my headcanons for Takeru and what the words mean.
Word Count: 231
Prompt: Romo/loveless
Language: English
Fandom: Kamen Rider Ghost
Genre: Fantasy/Supernatural, hurt/comfort
CW: None given
Music by 27twinsister
Post, direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Shinnosuke didn’t like silence. He liked being in an environment with other people, or with background noise. That only caused a bit of trouble at home once he lived with Kiriko.
Word Count: 223
Category: Flash Fiction
Prompt: Music
Language: English
Fandom: Kamen Rider Drive
Genre: Character study
CW: None
Freedom by 27twinsister
Post, direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Eiji likes his freedom.
The note contains my headcanons for Eiji and what the words mean.
Word Count: 140
Category: Flash Fiction
Prompt: Freedom
Language: English
Fandom: Kamen Rider OOO
Genre: Character study
CW: None
Mirror by 27twinsister
Post, direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Tsukasa doesn’t dwell in any world. He just stays for as long as he needs.
The note contains my headcanons for Tsukasa and what the words mean.
Word Count: 223
Category: Flash Fiction
Prompt: Music
Language: English
Fandom: Kamen Rider Decade
Genre: Character study
CW: None
Hope by 27twinsister
Post, Direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Haruto is nervous about coming out.
Word Count: 150
Category: Flash Fiction
Prompt: Hope
Language: English
Fandom: Kamen Rider Wizard
Genre: Character study
CW: None
Self-Reliance by 27twinsister (Ao3)
Post, direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Tsubasa likes to be alone. The note contains my headcanons for Tsubasa and what the words mean.
Word Count: 161
Prompt: Self-reliance
Language: English
Fandom: Mahou Sentai Magiranger
Genre: Character study
CW: None
Non-Romantic Relationships by 27twinsister (Ao3)
Post, Direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Jiro doesn’t know if his relationship with Yuki is romantic. But it’s special to him. The note contains my headcanons for Jiro and what the words mean
Word Count: 209
Prompt: Non-Romantic Relationships
Language: English
Fandom: Dogengers
Genre: Character study
CW: Romance mention
Non-fiction
Thursday Thoughts: AroWriMo Week 1: Romo/Loveless & Future by @sophieakatz
Post, Direct link
Word Count: 562
Prompt: Romo/Loveless, Future
Language: English
CW: Romance mention
The Future Is Arospec by aceofarrows
Post, Direct link
Summary:
This blog post talks about the nature of romantic attraction, why getting rid of amatonormativity is a worthwhile project, and how arospec people can help bring this about by getting involved in political activism and queer liberation.
Word Count: 800
Category: Non-fiction
Prompt: Romo/loveless, Future
Language: English
CW: None
Freedom and Music by @nzcienif
Post, direct link
Word Count: 488
Prompt: Freedom, Music
Theme: Defying Expectations
Language: English
Genre: Non Fiction
CW: None
Link: https://nzcienif.tumblr.com/post/642572547990421504/arowrimo-week-2-freedom-and-music
Promo: https://nzcienif.tumblr.com/
The Demand for Freedom to Be Oneself by @graces-of-luck
Post, direct link
Word Count: 363
Prompt: Freedom
Theme: Defying Expectations
Language: English
Genre: Narrative
CW: None
Thursday Thoughts: AroWriMo Week 2: Freedom & Music by @sophieakatz
Post, direct link
Word Count: 647
Prompt: Freedom, Music
Language: English
Genre: Non Fiction
CW: None
Defying expectations by @aallotarenunelma
Post, direct link
Word Count: 986
Prompt: Hope, Mirror
Theme: Defying Expectations
Language: English
Genre: Essay
CW: Romance, Amatonormativity
Aro Visions and Hopes by @penandquillcafe ( @aroacechillzone )
Post, Direct link
Word Count: 729
Prompt: Hope, Mirror
Language: English
Genre: Nonfiction
CW: amatonormativity, arophobia, loneliness (metaphor)
Thursday Thoughts: AroWriMo Week 3: Hope & Mirror by @sophieakatz
Post, Direct link
Word count: 201
Prompt: Hope, Mirror
Language: English
Genre: Non-fiction
CW: Romance mention, Sex mention
Relationship Anarchy and Hugs by charcharcharace (blogspot)
Post, Direct link (blogspot)
Summary:
Applying relationship anarchy to family relationships and hugs.
Word Count: 522
Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships
Theme: Defying Expectations
Language: English
Genre: Non-Fiction
CW: consent issues, boundary breaking
Thursday Thoughts: AroWriMo Week 4: Non-Romantic Relationships & Self-Reliance by @sophieakatz
Post, Direct link (tumblr)
Word Count:
Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships, Self-reliance
Language: English
Genre: Non-fiction
CW: Romance mention
Poetry
Untitled by @brilliantsnafu
Post, Direct link
Word Count: 38
Prompt: Romo/loveless, Future
Language: English
Genre: Nonfiction
CW: Bigotry, arophobia; amatonormativity
Little Boxes by anon
Post, Direct link (Google docs)
Word Count: 456
Prompt: Freedom
Theme: Choosing to be Yourself
Language: English
Genre: Poem/non-fiction
To My Dear and Loving... by @writingthingsilike
Post, Direct link (tumblr)
Summary:
A poem about being aromantic but still wanting a life partner
Word Count: 165
Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships
Theme: Choosing to be Yourself
Language: English
Genre: Non-fiction
CW: None
AroAce by Catolica (Ao3)
Post, Direct link (Ao3)
Word Count: 254
Language: English
CW: Choose not to use warnings
icarus' stone by @franzimaya (@witchreyna on Twitter)
Post, direct link
Word Count: 199
Prompt: Freedom
Theme: Choosing to be Yourself
Language: English
Genre: Poetry
CW: Grief
The End of the Rouse Family Tree by @turnovers-and-coke (@arbys-chocolate-turnover, Wattpad)
Post, Direct link
Word Count: 144
Prompt: Mirror
Theme: Choosing to be Yourself
Language: English
Genre: poetry
CW: None
Care, uncoupled by @graces-of-luck
Post, Direct link (tumblr)
Word Count: 149
Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships
Theme: Humanity
Language: English
Genre: Free Verse
CW: Romance
Human = ( X - Y ) / Z by charcharcharace (blogspot)
Post, Direct link (blogspot)
Summary:
A poem about human essentialism
Word Count: 129
Theme: Humanity
Language: English
Genre: Poetry
CW: Mentions of essentialism and touches on dehumanizing ideas
Short Stories
Chasing Shadows by @secret-arrow-man
Post, Direct link
Summary:
A questioning aro discusses relationship problems with an old friend.
Word Count: 660
Theme: Choosing to be Yourself
Language: English
Genre: Fiction
CW: Romance, Alcohol mention
My Valentine by @bimboztown on twitter
Post, Direct link (Google docs)
Word Count: 305
Category: Short Stories
Theme: Choosing to be Yourself
Language: English
Genre: Coming of Age
CW: Suicide attempt mention
Made on the Shore by @clad-in-sunshine
Post, Direct link
Summary:
Cora had never had much interest in people, and had chosen to live alone on the shore for years by this point. When a ship sails close, she has to deal with both her interest in it and the Captain’s interest in her. Based on the song ‘Fair Maid on The Shore’.
Word Count: 2129
Prompt: Romo/loveless, Future
Theme: Choosing to be Yourself
Language: English
Genre: Fiction, Ambiguous historical fiction
CW: Romance, Guns, Alcohol
What is given by @amanita-cynth (Ao3)
Post, direct link
Summary:
A short exploration of a woman helping a traumatised, adopted girl come to terms with her newfound freedom.
Word Count: 5645
Category: Short Stories
Prompt: Freedom, Music
Theme: Choosing to be Yourself
Language: English
Genre: Mildly Science Fiction
CW: mentions of human experimentation
Lady in the Mirror by @amanita-cynth (Ao3)
Post, direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Everyone knows the story of the lady in the mirror. How she picks those she appears to is unknown. What she offers and why it is offered is similarly a mystery; those few that have interacted with her and speak of it are reluctant to share details. Maybe that is why the stories are so well-known, so far-travelled. The mystery calls to people and they want to believe they can solve it.
Word Count: 1799
Prompt: Hope, Mirror
Theme: Choosing to be Yourself
Language: English
Genre: Fantasy
CW: None
Lights, Camera, Aro! by charcharcharace (blogspot)
Post, Direct link (blogspot)
Summary:
An aromantic actress is conflicted over how to engage with a romantically coded improv challenge.
Word Count: 1885
Theme: Choosing to be Yourself
Language: English
Genre: Literary
CW: a ghost, pressure.
Dark secret love by @aallotarenunelma
Post, Direct link (part a), Direct link (part b)
Summary:
What if an aspec Wicked Lawless Love MC was paired with the incubus Sascha?
Word Count: 6941
Language: English
Fandom: Wicked Lawless Love (Lovestruck app), Sascha Orosco x MC (Suna)
Genre: Fantasy
CW: Death, Romance, Sexual content
Thought That Cupid Shot Me With Love But It Was Only An Aro by @entity9silvergen (Ao3, FF.net)
Post, Direct link (Tumblr), Direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Soulmates were supposed to be the other half of your soul. Your one true love.
Ino always dreamed of finding her soulmate. Sai never wanted one.
Still, they cared for each other so they were going to make it work. Somehow.
Word Count: 10000
Prompt: Romo/loveless, Future
Language: English
Fandom: Naruto. Characters: Sai, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi
Genre: Friendship/ Relationships
CW: Mentioned Canon Death, Minor Aphobia
Mosaic by @entity9silvergen (Ao3, FF.net)
Post, Direct link (tumblr), Direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
We are just mosaics of everyone we love and that mosaic shows everyone we love how beautiful they are. Bean doesn’t think she can love like everyone else but maybe that’s okay.
Word Count: 2000
Language: English
Fandom: Disenchantment. Characters: Bean
Genre: Friendship, Self-Reflection
CW: Internalized arophobia, some self-deprecation, sex mention, drug mention, mention of canon interspecies relationships in fantasy setting
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29230041
Promo: entity9silvergen on Ao3, FFN, and tumblr
We Dance To Fast Music by @entity9silvergen (Ao3, FF.net)
Post, direct link (tumblr), direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Zuko didn’t like to dance. Neither did Mai. But Ty Lee did and they’d do it for her. Fortunately for them, Ty Lee cared about how they felt and wanted to show them just how wonderful music could be. All Zuko and Mai knew were slow dances, the things of ballrooms and romance. Ty Lee only knew the dances of friendship, freedom, and fun.
Word Count: 8000
Prompt: Freedom, Music
Language: English
Fandom: Avatar The Last Airbender. Characters: Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, Sokka, Suki, Aang, Katara, Toph
Genre: Friendship
CW: None
Oblique by @entity9silvergen (Ao3, FF.net)
Post, Direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Unable to experience romantic attraction, Remus feels incomplete. Unable to feel sexual attraction, Roman feels less than. Maybe as the King, they decide, they will feel whole again. Their partners and friends, however, know this isn’t the solution and seek to help them realize there’s nothing broken about them before it’s too late.
Word Count: 12000
Prompt: Mirror
Theme: None
Language: English
Fandom: Sanders Sides. Characters: Logan, Patton, Roman, Virgil, Nate, Remy, Emile, Seth, Toby, Janus, Remus, Unnamed Orange Side, Romulus, Dragon Witch
Genre: Friendship, Hurt/ Comfort
CW: Romance, Sexual content, Violence
He Is Mild And He Is Meek by @entity9silvergen (Ao3, FFN)
Post, Direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
He is mild and he is meek, he is Momo and he is what I seek. Suki always wanted three things in life. One was to become a professional soccer player. The second was to live in a cute apartment filled with succulents. The third was to get a cat. Momo probably wasn’t anyone’s first pick as a pet but Suki was determined to get this cat to love her as much as she loved him. If only he’d accept he had a home now.
Word Count: 6500
Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships
Language: English
Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender. Characters: Suki, Momo, Sokka, Aang
Genre: Friendship, Hurt/ Comfort
CW: Mention of sex, non-excessive swearing
sick of all those love songs (sing to me about my friend on the moon). by nwhrs
Post, Direct link (Ao3)
Summary:
Johnny has always tried to follow the game, Ten has always stood out like a sore thumb, Chenle has always been quite vocal about himself, and Jisung really has absolutely no idea just what is going on (or does he?). And this is just a little part of their story.
Word Count: 16413
Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships
Theme: Choosing to be Yourself
Language: English
Fandom: NCT // Park Jisung, Zhong Chen Le, Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Suh Youngho | Johnny
Genre: Slice of Life
CW: Romance, Discussions of romance & amatonormativity
he loves you (he loves you not) by @ternaryflower53
Summary:
"Who's your companion?" the man asks.
"This is Jango," he says, not adding his last name. They have a false one, a name Jango sometimes uses in undercover missions when he doesn’t want to risk being recognized as the Mand’alor’s son, but better if they can avoid using it. "He's my husband."
The man frowns down at his datapad, then looks up to study Jango. "I wasn't expecting you to come with a partner, Master Jedi."
or, jangobi fake dating au, but make it aromantic.
Word Count: 6270
Prompt: Non-romantic Relationships
Language: English
Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jango Fett)
Genre: Fanfic
CW: Romance, fake/pretend relationship, request to be in a romantic relationship that gets shut down
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