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radioappleheadcanons · 2 months

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QPR RadioApple scenario

Alastor manages to drop enough hints to Lucifer that he’s in a deal he doesn’t want to be, and Lucifer brute forces his way through it to free Al. Lilith can tell that something has happened she just can’t tell what. She decides to check up on that while she’s visiting Charlie to scope out the situation.

Charlie is thrilled to have her mom back. She expects her dad to be too, and while he is glad to see her, it’s not the reaction either woman was expecting. Charlie insists that they work it out right away and Lucifer just gives her a tight smile and says “Char Char, I love you Mom. Always have, always will. But I’ve also come to realize that we didn’t have the healthiest relationship. I do want to fix things, to be a family again. But for that to happen, there would have to be changes both your mom and I would need to make, and I just don’t know if that’s going to happen. So, I’m just… on guard so that doesn’t happen.”

Lilith is, of course, very upset by this because their relationship was fine! Sure, it was tense before the split, but they had millenniums together that were good. She demands to know what these changes would be and Lucifer bites his lip before explaining. “We can’t be each other’s only support. We need to have relationships and connections outside of that. You had your band, but you got mad anytime I tried to make some. You yelled that you should be good enough, and lashed out when I asked why that was the cause for me and not you. You wanted to be the sole support for me, but you weren’t there when I needed you. I didn’t understand your passions and your drive, you didn’t understand my depression and how it affected me.”

Lilith starts to protest, and Lucifer cuts her off. “You didn’t even like that I had a relationship with Charlie Lilith. You were angry that she could make me smile and seem more like myself than you could. It never even occurred to you that I was faking it. That I was still empty and wanted to vanish into nothingness, but that I was trying to be strong for our daughter.”

Lilith is quiet, because, well she hadn’t considered that. Charlie is even more upset now because while she had started to put some of this information together (mainly the last part) she hadn’t expected this. But she tries to put on a brave face, “We can work through that though, right? Mom, you know there’s nothing wrong with Dad going to other people for help. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. And dad, Mom wanting to be your support is because she loves you too.”

Lucifer, who was watching his shadow (read, staring down Al who is hiding in it) turns to look at her, pursing his lips. “No, and yes, duckling. I’m not sure if we can work through it. Not all at once at least. But yes, I know it’s because she loves me. However,.” His eyes dart to the shadow again, “there is one more thing we’d have to consider. It’s one thing to ask that she let her have friends and that I make sure she doesn’t feel like she’s being replaced. It’s another to ask her to accept that I…. have recently entered into QPR. And if she doesn’t accept that, that’s okay. Because it’s a lot. But it's also not okay for her to ask to be to end said QPR so I can be with her.” that just opens a whole other can of worms because neither Lilith nor Charlie really understands what that means because a QPR is something that is super personalized to the people in it.

Lucifer hopes that Charlie will understand how important it is to him, even if she doesn’t fully understand it and help back him up, but Charlie is too busy freaking out over the fact that 1) apparently her dad’s been in a relationship with someone and hasn’t told her and 2) this might keep her family apart. Lilith is just ticked off about #1, and it turns into an all-out fight.

Alastor decides to finally step in, because Lucifer is clearly getting overwhelmed by this and because of who it is, he’s not going to do anything to really stop them.

This proves to be a bad idea, as Lilith realizes what must have happened to the deal and starts yelling about that as well. Charlie is now under the impression that Alastor only comes to the hotel because of her mother (which is, not wrong) and also that her dad may or may not have forced this QPR on Alastor. Lucifer is devastated by this accusation, and Alastor loses it. Like, flings them back in a fit of rage, has Charlie by the neck, threatens to kill her if Lilith makes one wrong step. Lucifer is just paralyzed in shock. “Alastor!” Is all he gets out, and Alastor waves a hand in his direction. Charlie is dropped into a chair, and Alastor gets in her face.

“Let’s make a few things very clear, child. First of all, your mother is hardly a good person. She left you and your father so she could cozy up with Adam in heaven. The only reason she is back is that she needs to find a way to convince them to let her stay now, he’s gone. Second, while I did originally come because of her orders, I stayed because I had started to care.” He spits the word out like it's poison. “A foolish thing to do, I knew. If only I knew exactly how stupid of a mistake that was. Caring for people who defend monsters while accusing innocents of being worse is always the worst move. And that brings me to the last point. Your father has never, ever, used his position to force anything on anyone. He is a perfect gentleman, and it’s one of the things that draws me to him the most. There is no expectation of kissing, sex, anything! No, the only expectation is that we carry on as ourselves.”

He pulls away, still in his demon form. He glares at Lilith and snarls. Lilith takes a step back because she wasn’t expecting him to dare face her.

“You are pathic. You should be ashamed to call yourself a mother. All you’ve ever done is hurt that girl. How Lucifer still has it in him to love you, I will never know.” He takes a step towards the king and scopes him up in one hand. “I believe that Charlote said she wanted you out of her hotel, did she not? Well, then we shall leave. A week should be enough to think things over, I believe. If you still want us gone by them, we’ll stay away.” His smile shifted from strained to cruel. “Though I would also consider that losing us means losing Nifty, Husk and both our towers.” Charlie is still just staring at them, trying to understand what she’s seeing.

Surely Alastor isn’t cradling her dad to his chest. Her dad is silently crying, curling up to the Radio demon. This isn’t happening, it makes no sense. When it’s obvious that she isn’t going to say anything, Lilith starts to speak.

The men are gone in a puddle of shadow before she can get a word out.

Lucifer is having a horrible time at his place, a full-blown panic attack, crying, the works. Alastor is trying to help, but he really has no clue what he’s doing. He’s also not in the best state to be trying. Eventually, they managed to calm down enough to get food and water and crash into one of the king-size beds in a guest room. They don’t even really touch as they sleep, just curl up next to each other.

Meanwhile, Charlie is also not having a great time. Vaggie practically busted down the door after Alastor took her dad and left, and as much as the princess wants to tell her girlfriend what happened, she can’t. She’s still trying to work through it.

That’s all the thoughts I have on the matter for the moment. But I will do part two, and there will be a happy ending.

#qpr radioapple #💚 aka mine #charlie morningstar #lilith morningstar #long post

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kitsu-katsu · 1 year

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I was talking with someone about just how canon the ineffable husbands are in good omens and I brought up how Gaiman said that what they have is canonically a love story (which is really reflected in the show, with their moments of vulnerability towards the other, their despair at the thought of losing one another, their comfort with eachother, the way they stick together through millennia even when they're never trying to, etc), but they don't have labels, as they don't have genders and the human conception of intimacy eludes them as ethereal beings that aren't human

And the complications with that

Because this person I was discussing with is not as versed in fandom discourse, and so they're only now finding the vocabulary of "queer baiting" to talk about that Sherlock show

And so they're like "I hope I see Crowley and Aziraphale absolutely eat eachother's mouths, it has to be canonized" and I'm standing here like. It is canon though. Like they won't add some "hetero romance" cop-out last minute. They are canonically in a love story. What's interesting is how the label-less queerness of it can also explore non-binary aspects and an aroace perspective on what "love" is

And they're bummed out because if they don't "absolutely eat eachother's mouths" it doesn't feel as canon to them. And I'm still standing here in aroace like. Bro. There are so many forms of relationships. A kiss on screen doesn't have to make it any more or less canon

But at the same time, from the amatonormative perspective, I get how the kiss on screen is seen as the end all be all. Because in general media, the main pairings will have the kiss at the end. And they will live happily ever after with that

Before the kiss it is only as canon as the kiss is predictable, and after the kiss, you can point to that one scene as "the moment it was canonized for realsies despite even people in the show making constant remarks about this being an obvious thing"

And I kinda hate it

I just wish the whole community wouldn't have to keep its guards up like this so much to discern whether something is coming from a genuine place of wanting to tell a story for a queer audience or about a queer subject or if it's all just a ploy to get our money, spit in our faces, smile at the traditional homophobic crowd and fund some conservative party with it

Because then we wouldn't have to play it by the boring straight rules. If everything points to it being obvious, then why is an intense kiss necessary? Why is it all you want? Why can't this represent a qpr? Or a loving relationship where intimacy in the form of a kiss just isn't something the characters want? Or a more open thing instead of being a purely monogamous arrangement? Or something completely new, a dynamic you can only describe in an essay lest you don't make their chemistry justice?

Aren't all of those just a much more under-thought about queer dynamics than what "I want these characters to kiss eachother until they can't remember their names on screen or else it isn't canon enough" can convey?

But at the same time, without something as concise and strong in media language, how do you make sure it won't all stay in just subtext and the reason it looks like clear text to you is because you're starved for queer stories and have become way too accustomed to reading between the lines?

I mean, it's also been proven to not be an absolute in instances where the text goes ham in letting you know what it's saying, when it's not implying, it is just telling. For one, Rose and Pearl in Steven Universe never did share a kiss on screen, and nevertheless we all know what was going on there

Idk, it's complicated and it's 1am, and this is all just a ramble, but I am in my aroace hating amatonormativity mood and the sentiment that characters being a canon thing without an explicit kiss bums someone out to the point they say "ok, ok, I get the whole nb ace ethereal beings that aren't human idea, but I want something more explicit because it doesn't feel canon enough" when that isn't strictly necessary for the story to get it across just got me in a weird mood and this is about so much more than good omens, I needed to try and word it out and might as well put it out there

Just. Why does queerness have to be allonormative and also amatonormative to be valid in the eyes of the queer masses necessarily? You'd think we'd figured out that queerness goes beyond just the L, G, B and binary T by now

#kitsu rambles #aroace #aro #aromantic #ace #asexual #good omens #steven universe #ineffable husbands #crowley good omens #crowley #aziraphale #aziraphale good omens #amatonormativity #allonormativity #queer baiting #fandom discourse

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critter-rarepair-reccs · 3 months

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Welcome to Critter Rarepair Reccs!

Hey y'all! Welcome to Critter Rarepair Reccs, a recommendation list aimed at fics written for ships that are largely under-represented, appreciated, and loved in our fandom! Now, let's address the elephant in the room first; rarepair is a misnomer here, knowingly. Some of the ships eligible to be recc'ed on this list might not be ones you'd consider a rarepair! So, the more proper welcome would be-

Welcome to Critter Underloved Ship Reccs

For brevity's sake, the URL is staying, though.

Now, it goes without saying, but before we get into the details here, let's get one thing clear: this blog is dedicated to spreading love and appreciation to fanworks and their creators. Ship hate of any kind will not be tolerated and will result in a block.

With that said, let's talk about the criteria for an underloved ship and why we're defining it the way we are.

Definition & Explantion

There is one qualifier for a ship to be eligible for this list: less than 100 fics were written for it and posted to Ao3 during 2023.

We landed on this metric for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it casts a very wide net for pairings while still narrowing the field a fair bit. The gulf of works between flagship pairings, endgame pairings, and some of the larger side/non-canon pairings is significant. Secondly, we wanted to take a look at how the fandom is currently, which is why we pivoted away from using the Wildflower System ( @cr-summer-wildflowers ) of excluding any pairing with more than 500 fics total. There are a number of pairings that were extremely popular at one point in time, but these days get far less love and attention. Let's take Widofjord for example. They have almost a thousand fics total and were in the Top 10 relationship tags for Critical Role on Ao3 for a long time. But last year? Only 27 fics were written for them. They have, functionally, become a rarepair.

So, to be fair to ships that exist in that same, nebulous space, we're looking at totals from last year, not lifetime.

For illustration purposes, here are charts (compiled by the wonderful @spottedenchants ) showing how many fics were written for each PC/PC ship last year.

Ineligible Ships

Which ships, then, don't qualify under that definition? It's not a terribly long list. PC endgame relationships, primarily, a handful of non-canon pairings, and some prospective endgame ships. For simplicity's sake, we'll break them down by campaign.

Campaign 1: Perc'ahlia, Vaxleth, Pikelan, Perc'ildan

Campaign 2: Shadowgast, Beauyasha, Fjorester, Widomauk

Campaign 3: Imodna, Dorym, Ashrym

If one of these pairings is secondary or background to a fic, that's alright! But the fic shouldn't focus or center on them. It's also worth noting that polyamorous ships that include one of these pairs are also alright! Shadowidomauk, for example, only had 61 fics written for it last year, so they're in the clear! The same goes for Dashrym, as another example, as they've only ever had 36 fics written for them.

It is also worth noting all accepted submissions must be respectful of character’s canon sexualities; for example, we will not take fics that feature an M/F pairing of a lesbian character, even if said pairing fits the “rarepair” criteria.

The caveat to the above would be queerplatonic fic! There will be an option on the submission form to specify, to avoid confusion due to Ao3’s lack of a designated QPR relationship tag!

So when does the list open for submissions?

Very soon! February 7th, next Wednesday! The opening theme with be Fluff, and that list will be posted a week later, on Valentine’s Day, February 14th! I hope we’ll see you then! 🩷

#recc list rules & info #cr rarepair recc list

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kydrogendragon · 4 months

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I saw your birthday post and had an idea. It's comics canon Dream gets obsessive over his romantic partners, but... But! I wanna see that kind of obsessive devotion showered on his friend. His friend who waited and procured a new meeting place. No romance, no sex though QPR levels of skinship would be nice. I could see them both being different levels of touch starved. I would love to see 0 to 100 levels of friendship. Dream should get the chance with Hob who has already shown such loyalty.

We got our fifth post for the day!!

Ohhhh I loved this promp, thought! Honestly, this deserves it's own full length character study-type fic cause there's so much you can do with it here. I tried my best to fit bits in in a coherent manner and tried my best to show that obsession and devotion without it feeling like it dove too close to the "romance" track.

Thank you so much, anon! Hope you enjoy!

Relationship: Hob & Dream Words: 4141 Warnings: None Ao3 Link

The first time that Dream met with Hob Gadling after escaping Fawney Rig and restoring his realm, he had expected a great many things. What he hadn’t expected was for the White Horse to have been demolished and for his friend to create a new meeting place for them. The words The New Inn hung proudly against the brick building and a sense of warmth emanated from it in a way Dream had not experienced in many years.

Hob Gadling greeted him with a smile. Dream shouldn’t be surprised by this. The man was a well of optimism and joy. He has always looked upon life with a sense of wonder and excitement that Dream could hardly fathom. He should not be surprised his arrival was treated with that same level of happiness.

Still, he was surprised nonetheless.

They had talked well into the night, far past the normal operating hours of the establishment, but it did not matter when Hob owned the place. Being here with Hob, simply talking and listening to the mundane stories of his life, brought a peace to Dream. It was a comfort to simply be in a way he has not known how. When he was imprisoned, even then he had not simply existed. He was far into his mind, constantly staking out any weaknesses in their defenses or gaps in their bindings. Even when he had not moved in over a hundred years, Dream had not known rest.

But here was different. In these walls, rebuilt and lovingly fashioned with friendly intents and hopes, and with Hob’s cheerful baritone voice washing over him, Dream could finally relax. It was a strange sensation, one he fought initially, but sometime, after most patrons eased out and it was just the two of them, Dream managed to let the tension in his shoulders drop.

Then, Hob had invited him back. He had said Dream was welcome to visit anytime. Didn’t matter when, he was welcome. It was an offer he had never received before. A standing invite, one that Dream well knew Hob meant with all his heart, was a rare thing to be extended to anyone, let alone an Endless. And yet, the impossible immortal did so anyways.

Which is why Dream is currently sitting on Hob Gadling’s couch in the dark.

He had shown up to his flat the next day. Repairs in the Dreaming were progressing and, if Dream is being honest, he missed the sense of comfort he got from being near his friend (a friend. He did not have friends. And yet, he now has one.) Dream had failed to account for his work schedule, however, and upon arriving in Hob’s living room, found the place empty. It was no matter. Hob had told him he was welcome at anytime. He could wait.

Dream had explored the living room, trailing a finger across book titles and picture frames, ghosting touches over ancient artifacts with stories so embedded within, it made Dream smile. He brushed against the daydreams of sunlight and warmth from the plants upon his window ledges and, when the sun began to tilt down, heading for the horizon, Dream plucked a book from the expansive selection of Hob’s personal library and began to read.

He had lounged upon the plush fabric couch, his boots fading to sand as he tucked his legs underneath him. The book in had was an original print, well loved and well worn. The pages still carried with them the dreams of the author, though faint. It had also been many years since Dream had simply taken the time to read a book himself. Yes, the knowledge, the story told, it lay inside him, but the act of turning each page, of reading each word, there was something also calming about it.

Dream was nearly finished when Hob Gadling finally arrives.

The door creaks open into the darkness that’s settled into the room. There is a faint glow from the streetlights outside. Dream watches as his friend shuffles his bag off of his shoulder as he closes the door behind him. He tosses his keys on the counter beside him and sighs. “Ah, Christ,” his friend mutters, slinging the bag onto the counter as well. He looks up. Then he screams.

Dream blinks.

“Jesus, fuck! Dream?” Hob cries, stumbling backwards into his front door, one hand raised out, as if prepared to defend himself.

“Hello, Hob.”

His friends sighs and visibly sags. Dream frowns. Perhaps the invitation had not been made genuinely. Perhaps he should leave-

“Christ, you scared me, my friend,” Hob says, chuckling to himself. “Are those... do you have cat eyes?”

Dream blinks again. “Cat eyes?”

“Yeah, s’what scared me half to death. Two beady little eyes staring up at me in the darkness.”

“Ah,” Dream says, closing the cover of the book in his hands and setting it on the coffee table in front of him. “They are stars that you are seeing. They are not cat eyes.”

As Dream’s gaze lifts back to his friends, he sees Hob just staring at him, mouth slightly agape. “Right. Stars.” He says. Hob takes a steadying breath before nodding. “Sure. Star eyes. Why not.” Dream follows Hob’s movements as he makes his way to the kitchen and flicks on the soft under cabinet lighting. It brightens the room, but not considerably. The soft glow is comforting, almost. “Tea?”

Dream nods as he stands. He makes his way to the other side of the counter, watching Hob go through the motions of preparing two cups of tea. He pulls down a pair of novelty mugs, chuckling to himself as he reaches for the black mug peppered with small stars. He looks over to Dream with a smirk. “Star mug for Mr. Star-Eyes.”

It is after they had drank their tea on the comfort of Hob’s couch in the darkness and when Hob’s foot taps against his leg with a smile at a joke he cracks that Dream begins to realize that he cares quite deeply for this man that he calls friend.

It is a month later when Dream returns to the New Inn. It is not his third visit, but rather his tenth, though this one is special. He had brought with him a gift. It is customary, he has found, to give gifts to ones friends. And, Dream finds, he wishes to. Hob Gadling, who waited, who was loyal. Who stayed here, knowing Dream would return eventually when he had given him every reason to believe otherwise. He showed a level of faith he’d seen only in one other - Lucienne. And she had been his Raven, his first. How better to reward, to thank, such faith, such loyalty, than with a gift, spun from dreamstuff by his own hand?

The fine metal bracelet rests in his coat pocket. It it warm against him, thrumming with his own power and vibrates, perhaps a bit too excitedly, against his hand, eager to fulfill it’s function. Dream steps into the building that has become as close to a home in the Waking as Dream could ever know. Hob sits at their usual table, engrossed in his laptop. He walks forward, pulling his usual seat out, and sits as Hob looks up and greets him with that familiar smile.

“Well, hello there, my friend!” Hob says, closing the top of his laptop. He crosses his arm atop it. “How are you doing?”

“I am well. Yourself?”

Hob smiles and dives into their usual routine. He talks of work and his students, he talks of the staff and the customers. He talks of the frustrations with the Dean and the lack of support for a new course he wishes to teach. Dream makes a mental note of this. But most importantly, he talks of himself, of his latest botched cooking attempt and his struggles with keeping his newest plant alive.

As the conversation naturally ebbs, Dream speaks. “I have a gift for you.” Hob’s eyes widen comically.

“A gift? For me?”

Dream nods and reaches into his coat pocket. The thin gold metal band shines in the overhead lighting. It is simple in design, though the underside of the band contains script of a language few speak any longer, though Hob was borne into. The Middle English reads, “Min Gadling”. He holds it out on his palm in front of Hob.

His friend looks between him and the bracelet, shock and confusion on his face, but reaches forward, slowly, and plucks the metal from his hand. Dream sighs, his hand retreating, as the dreamstuff hums in Hob’s hold. He examines it, turning it in his hands, when his eyes finally spot the text. He inhales sharply as his eyes dart up to Dream.

It is in this moment that Dream realizes, perhaps, this gift is too much. When he’d broached the topic to Matthew, his raven had ensured him that gifts between friends were fine, though the examples given were often food or small tokens. This, he realizes, may not qualify as appropriate gifts.

Dream tenses, his mind already spinning tales of possible ends, most of which involve Hob revoking his offers of friendship, of visitation permission. Even in friendship, it seems, he is too much. Then Hob speaks.

“You know, my last name apparently means companion or comrade.” He smiles. Dream lets out a breath.

“It can also mean rogue,” he replies, allowing a small smile to grace his face in return.

Hob chuckles. “Yeah, pretty sure that’s what mine was meant to mean.” He looks back down at the bracelet, fondness in his eyes. “Thank you for this. It means a lot. Truly. I don’t have much with my true name on it these days. It’ll be nice to have something always on me to remind me where I came from. How far I’ve come.” His eyes lift, meeting Dream’s. “The friends I’ve made along the way.”

Hob fiddles with the metal in his hands, his brows furrowing as his eyes dart across Dream’s face. “Not that I’m not grateful. I am. Completely! And I love it and will always happily accept any gifts, but… why?”

“I-” Dream starts, letting his eyes fall to the table between them. The truth? Dream wished to bestow upon Hob all that he could offer for everything Hob has given him. He wished to thank him for his friendship, for his stories and companionship. He wished to offer him but a paltry piece of the debt he has piled himself with off of Hob Gadling's kindness. He wished to see Hob wear that which marks him as his, as his friend, his one and only. Dream only knew intensity. His lover often complained of such, but change does not come easy to Dream. And in friendship, it seems, he is no different.

“Friendship bracelets, I’ve been told, are common in this century, are they not?” It is far from the truth, though it was the inspiration for the gift’s form.

“Well, yeah,” Hob chuckles, finally sliding the bracelet over his hand. It shrinks, fitting his wrist perfectly. His friend’s mouth drops as he stares at the metal. “I- did that just shrink?”

“Yes,” Dream replies. “It will adjust to whatever size you desire.”

Hob runs a hand through his hair, his eyes glued to his wrist. “I’ll never get over just how incredible you are, you know that?” Dream smiles, preening under the praise. Hob shakes his head and manages to tear his eyes away and turn back to Dream. “Anyways, yes, friendship bracelets are a thing, but they’re usually small things made of twine or colored yarns, not decorative metals with fancy scripts and fancy magics. Besides, usually friendship bracelets have a twin. One for each of us.”

“Oh?” He has made an error, it seems. One that can be resolved quickly. He moves, readying to whirl in a matching bracelet for himself when Hob speaks again.

“But! Key part- I have to make yours. Just, you know, don’t expect anything as fancy as this, yeah?” He says, waggling his wrist just above the table with a grin.

Ah. The act of the creation is as important to the function as the bracelet itself. “I look forward to the fruits of your labor then, Hob Gadling.”

If the Dean suddenly wakes up with an overwhelming nagging feeling to greenlight Hob’s proposed class the next morning, who’s to say?

The first time Hob truly touches him, Dream stiffens. They are out visiting the newest exhibit at the Natural History museum. Hob was staring up at a wall-sized painting of a Titanosaur, the largest dinosaur, according to the various placards in the room. Dream had been talking to the inaccuracies of the painting, noting a distinct lack of fur and a poor distribution of fat when a large school group makes their way through the smaller hallway they are standing in.

The hoard of teenage youth slide through, jovial and pointing at various pieces of arts and relics as they pass. Hob reaches out, a hand resting on Dream’s back as he guides the pair of them a few steps closer, making room for those walking by. His touch is warm and melts into his core like honey-sweet syrup. The sensation is so startling, Dream simply… goes. He follows Hob’s hand and allows his friend to move him. Then, he returns his hand to his side.

Dream, on principle, does not allow touch, not unless he wishes. And he most certainly does not allow for people to move him. But, he finds, his mind allows both of these to Hob Gadling, even if he had not consciously made the choice. It is a strange realization, learning the allowances he would have for his friend. The worst is Hob seems oblivious to the inner turmoil occurring in Dream.

The strangest, he supposes, his how a part of his wishes to list into his friend, into his warmth again. It has been mere minutes, yet he is left wanting for the feeling. He looks down, his eyes drifting beside the nameplate to the right of the large work of art as Hob’s voice washes over him again, talking of archeology and his desires to “give it a shot, one of these lives.” Perhaps, Dream thinks to himself, he has been without touch for far too long.

The second time Hob touches him, Dream had initiated it. Well, more than he had the last time, at least. They are in his flat, this time, resting on the couch, watching a movie Hob had insisted upon. It is evening in London. A few boxes of Thai takeout rest on the coffee table beside a plate of biscuits Hob had made just for Dream after learning his preference of the sweet things. He has a blanket draped over his form, another insistence from Hob. He claimed movies were always better when bundled up, then accused him of always looking cold.

Dream had been unable to argue against him. He was always cold. It lingered on the edges of his form. The memory of cool, unforgiving glass pressed against his skin, chilling him to his core. Though, Dream is certain he has been cold for longer than that. But with Hob, in his flat, under a well-loved blanket that feels and smells of his friend, Dream finally feels almost warm.

Hob sits beside him, still upright, still near, as he works through the last few bites of his Pad Thai. Dream could shift his foot just slightly and rest it against Hob’s thigh if he so wished. So he did. The slight curve of his foot melds into the soft give of his warm flesh, covered as it is by corduroy. Hob tilts his head back and to the side, eyes looking at Dream with a question in his brow.

He stares at the television, refusing to meet Hob’s gaze. It was an ask, nonverbal as it was. He did not wish to see the rejection should it come. But it didn’t. Instead, he felt Hob shift, setting down the now empty takeout container on the table and shifts, letting his arm drape over the back of the couch as he presses back against Dream’s foot. When he finally glances over at Hob, he’s met with a gentle smile before those warm brown eyes turn back to the movie.

If Dream rested his head against the back of the couch, just beside Hob’s hand, and if he let his eyes fall closed as fingers carded through his hair, he would never say.

“Hey! I was hoping I might see you today,” Hob called from his usual spot in the New Inn. Dream made his way over to the seat across the table and looks at him with a confused frown.

“Is something the matter?” Was he in trouble? Or perhaps Hob was finally shifting from this current life to the next one. He had talked with Dream about running out of life left in this place after all.

“No, nothing bad, don’t worry.” Hob said with a smile. He turns, digging through the bag to his right. He exclaims in joy as he pulls forth from the depths of his bag a small paper box. Sliding it across the table, he looks up, excitement in his eyes.

Dream reaches down, plucking the small, light-weight box from the table. Already, he can feel the daydreams that waft through the box from the object inside. Tales of friendship and hope, of care and consideration flow through. Most importantly, though, is how he is the focus of all these daydreams. When he removes the lid and sees the delicate black leather cuff inside, he knows exactly what it is.

“The twin to your friendship bracelet, yes?” Dream asks, taking the leather cuff in his own hands. It is thinner than many cuffs. Perhaps two fingers wide, but the face is decorated, stamped with care, with trailing vines and images of birds - ravens, he suspects - in flight. It is not perfect. There are imperfections in the stamping, shadows of a second press just slightly misaligned from the first. The stitches are mostly even, though there are spots, Dream notices as he rubs his thumb over the edges, that are off– a little too close to the edge, a little too far from it.

It is imperfectly perfect. It is human and hand-made. Dream would not have it any other way.

Hob nods, speaking as Dream slowly buttons the leather cuff around his wrist, letting the softness of the well-worked leather cement him more firmly into this form. “Yeah, took forever trying to think of what would match your all black ensemble. Figured a dark stained leather would be a safe bet. Plus I’m shit at weaving.” He smiles, watching Dream’s deft fingers finish securing the leather around his wrist. Dream turns his wrist, watching the light cast shadows in the small indents of the hide.

He has not been gifted things often. Less so is he gifted things with the sole intent of giving him something without wanting something in return. He is also nearly certain that this is the first time he has been given something with the intent to match, so that they each hold claim over the other. Dream shivers at the thought. Hob had eagerly accepted his gift, his mark, and that alone had been a heady thing. This? Having Hob Gadling's mark upon him? Having the spoils of his work and effort, all done solely for him, so that they’d “match”?

There are tears in his eyes. Hob’s face falls into one of concern. “Hey, you okay? Is it too much?” He asks, resting his hands, palms up, on the table in front of Dream. An offer of comfort, if needed. Hob has always been considerate in this regard since that movie night in his flat. The offer of touch has become an open one, though gestures such as this make accepting it all the easier.

Dream rests his hand, the one bearing the black leather, on top of Hob’s own. Warm fingers wrap around him instantly, giving him a gentle squeeze. “No,” Dream manages, tearing his eyes away from their hands and up to his friend’s face. “It is perfect. Thank you, my dear friend.”

And Hob smiles. “Anytime.”

It has been well over a year since Dream returned to the Waking, since first returned to Hob Gadling. He has just arrived for their newest tradition: Monday Movie Nights. Matthew rests on his shoulder as he stands outside the door to Hob’s flat, a bottle of wine plucked from his own dreams along with the venison pasties he had so wished for Dream to try back at their 1589 meeting.

Hob opens the door with a wide smile and ushers them both in, taking the food and drink from Dream’s hands with a fond chuckle. “Grab these from a dream, did you?” Hob asks, setting both offerings on the coffee table next to the fish and chips and the plate of biscuits. There’s also a small bowl on the table beside the chair that Matthew has taken to resting in full of different seed. “Can’t imagine you slaving away in a kitchen.”

“Ha!” Matthew cries, flying from Dream’s shoulder over to the chair’s armrest. “Now that’s something I’d pay to see.” His raven cranes his neck up, watching as Hob uncorks the wine and pours them both a glass. “Can you even cook? Like, I know you don’t usually eat, so you probably don’t really need to cook. And you could probably just… magic up food if you really wanted it.”

Dream sits on the edge of the couch, waiting for Hob to take his usual spot before getting comfortable. He whisks away his boots and coat with a thought, letting them fall into sand, disappearing before hitting the ground. “I contain the collective subconscious, Matthew. I could cook if I desired to.” He takes the offered wine glass in hand. Hob nabs the remote from the table and falls back into the plush cushions. He wears his usual lounge wear, the cuffs of his joggers riding up his legs slightly. He leans back, his spine pressed into the soft curve of the edge of the back cushion as it flows into the armrest. Dream scooches himself closer, letting his back fall against his friend’s chest as he settles himself between his legs.

He has found, after a night spent in tears in Hob Gadling’s arm after telling him the tale of Fawney Rig, of cold glass and dried blood, that he feels calmer than ever when enveloped in his warmth. So, when the situation allows, Dream lets himself be draped in Hob’s arms and enjoys the solidity he finds in the touch and the warmth. Hob has since admitted, during one of their previous movie nights, that he is happy Dream enjoys these moments, that he’s missed being able to hold someone close like this.

Dream had been surprised at the time. Hob was always a touchy person, based on his interactions with others, though after the many many months together, he’s found that while Hob may have other friends and expresses his affections through hugs and touch and friendly slaps on the back, he misses this. He lacks the skinship they have with each other here. Human society may be getting better at allowing such gestures among friends, “cuddling with the homies” as Matthew had so gracefully put it, was still not widely accepted. But they had each other. And that was enough.

Hob’s arm wraps around his center, holding him close, his other sets his glass down on the side table next to Matthew’s seed. He hits play on the remote and retrieves his glass again, giving it a gentle tap to the edge of Dream’s own. He smiles, tilting his head against Hob’s shoulder.

The movie plays. Dream snacks on the freshly baked biscuits and even tries one of the venison pasties, much to Hob’s delight. He will admit, they were quite tasty. Hob, himself, works a steady pace through their acquired snacks and drink and sighs contentedly when he sets down his emptied glass of wine. He and Matthew chat, commenting on the film and it’s poor special effects work while Dream listens. The fireplace below the television crackles gently.

Dream smiles, closing his eyes as he lets his mind focus on the friendly chatter, the warmth of Hob’s body against his own, and the the feeling of happiness that starts to stir inside of him. He must thank his sister one day for bringing Hob Gadling into his life. Dream doesn’t know what he would have done without him.

#dreamling #hob gadling #dream of the endless #the sandman #ky writes #Kydrogen's Birthday Prompts

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wayfayrr · 4 months

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Good day dear!

I want to order a Red Velvet spiked latte, sugar-free! I'm craving Warriors in a qpr, and I'm having one of those days involving being Aromantic :')

I hope you're doing well; please and thank you 🙏🙏🙏

Here's your order - I hope it's to your liking <3

I get having those days, sometimes they just like to sneak up on you without any warning and it's the worst ;-; I know it's a bit late but I hope wars can make you feel better darling

[Event masterlist]

Why did the portal have to split us up and spit me and wars out in the hebra region of all places. Did the shadow get sick of throwing monsters at us and decide to off us with hypothermia? Even with that, why drop us off in a cave rather than in the snow?

“You still have our bed rolls right? I’m not entirely sure we’ll make it through the night if we don’t have them and I’d really prefer to not risk losing any limbs.”

Oh, no, no, no, don’t look through your bag then at me like that. That shy smile with those adorable eyes, like you’re waiting to tell me you don’t have them. I could have sworn that he had packed them both away in there this morning, did my own eyes lie to me?

“Only one of them is still intact, I think the other one started tearing this morning and seeing as legend has the group's only sewing kit…”

“So we shouldn’t risk making it any worse till we can fix it but this cold it’s sure to be worse at night.”

“If we light a fire and sleep in shifts it shouldn’t be so bad.”

This is how people die, I’ve seen it in films back home, and I’ve heard stories of overzealous climbers perishing to the cold, I refuse to let us become like them. Even if it is being over cautious.

“We could share the last bedroll and use the torn one as an extra blanket. If we scout out the cave and push some of those loose boulders into the entrance we most likely won’t need to take shifts.”

“You’d be alright with sleeping like that when there’s no one on lookout?”

“Any other way and it might only be one of us waking up tomorrow if we’re lucky.”

I’m not sure he likes that suggestion, he’s glancing around and biting his lip like something is wrong. Any link to be uncomfortable with the idea, wars makes the most sense. He’s the captain, someone who’s had to live through too many betrayals and ambushes to stay sane, why wouldn’t he be nervous of being alone like this? I’d like to hope he knows that I wouldn’t ever betray him though, why would his partner do something like that to him?

“if you're alright with it then, I don't want to make you uncomfortable being that close?”

That's what he's worried about right now? my comfort over us freezing to death, is he out of his mind?

“I'm certain, it'd be far more uncomfortable waking up to the frozen corpse of my closest.”

“...”

“did you really not consider that?”

“I just want to make sure you're safe… if that means killing myself… well anything for you.”

Was that drilled into him during his training, that he should be willing to die like this for any reason? With the blush on his face I would say otherwise though, why would he get so flustered over something like this. We’re talking about his potential death here, not some vacation together.

"Wars you idiot why would you let yourself die of hypothermia if there's such an easy solution?"

“I didn’t want to think about that but you’re right. We need to stay as warm as we can.”

Finally, that’s gotten through his thick skull that I don’t want him sacrificing himself for something as stupid as that. So we can get to preparing our very hasty camp for the night, with his scouting showing we’ll be free of any monsters and my efforts in shifting a couple of rocks closing most of the entrance. The two bed-rolls thrown on top of each other look more inviting than anything I’ve seen in a long while.

“After you.”

“Sure.”

It is not as warm as it looked. “Stop looking so uncertain, I promise I’m not going to suddenly stab you in your sleep.”

“That’s not what I’m…”

The squeak that left him when I pulled him down on top of me was cute. He’s redder than I’ve ever seen him too, but that started to die down after I pulled the makeshift blankets over us, or it might’ve, not that I could see it after turning over anyway.

“Night link.”

Not even an answer then. He must be a bit flustered still. Nothing even as my eyes flutter closed, when I feel a very soft weight on my side, keeping me barely awake to hear what he says, but not enough to respond.

“Would you be bothered if we never reunited with the others? I’m all you’ll ever need right… I’m sure we could find a way back to your world, even if I have to call in a few overdue favours. They wouldn’t even need to know we’re still alive… just you and I forever. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

What?

“Even if you don’t know what I’m really looking for we can start tomorrow. Sleep well darling, I hope you’re warm enough like this…”

#I try to leave weather it's a qpr or romantic up to personal preference most of the time #I really hope this comes across as a qpr right for you though #moss✦writes #300 event #linked universe x reader #yandere linked universe x reader #yandere linked universe #link x reader #yandere link #lu warriors x reader #lu warriors

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bloggingboutburgers · 14 days

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hey! just have a quick question about getting into qprs... i have this person i've known for about 2-3 years now and i'd absolutely love to get into a qpr with them; i've tried to hint at it in the past but my autistic ass can't figure out how to say it and have them pick it up (they've never noticed any of my hints before) without explicitly asking "hey have you heard of this thing called a queer-platonic relationship before? yeah i want to do that with you", as that'd just be awkward and i have nowhere fucking near the confidence to do that with all my anxiety and whatnot. essentially i'm asking for your wisdom on how to suggest it to someone without explicitly saying that and with truckloads more anxiety than the average person. any help will be much appreciated, but keep in mind that autism bars a lot of stuff, including the ability to properly judge social situations (this is one area where i particularly struggle). thank you!!

Heya!

I've said it in the past in response to some other asks, but my partner was the one who suggested the idea of a QPR to me, not the other way around (I had no idea what QPRs were at the time), so... I'm not the best person to give advice on this TwT Of course it doesn't help that every person is different and that there's no guarantee that what works for a person will necessarily work for another...

I will say this though, in case it helps in any way: my partner had known me for a year and a half before they offered the idea, and apparently they'd wanted to offer it within just a couple months of starting to talk to me. Thing is, I'd made it clear early on that I'm not interested in romance or sex (as an aroace it's kind of something I'd built a reflex to let everyone know, at that point, so people wouldn't build expectations on me), so they might've thought even the idea of a QPR might make me wanna distance myself... But no, actually, I took it like it was a completely natural consequence with the most anticlimatic "OK sure sounds cool" imaginable.

But most importantly... "Hey have you heard of this thing called a queer-platonic relationship before? yeah i want to do that with you" IS pretty much exactly how they asked me, and that went well. If there's anything that I can offer as advice or comfort, it's that very fact. I can tell you from experience that it didn't make things awkward for me at all. The confidence part of course is another whole issue that I don't wanna downplay, though I'm not really sure what to offer as an alternative... TwT But I hope whatever you go for, it'll work out well for you in the end.

Here's pretty much word for word how it went for us, if it helps at all as well! There definitely was some tension whiplash to bear with, and some discussions that followed to see where that really left us, but in the end, we really are vibing^^ And personally, I feel there's nothing that works better than actually speaking from the heart and sincerely, as terrifying (and socially dangerous) as that can be sometimes. It can slam back in your face sometimes, I won't deny that, but it can also help a great deal other times, and in my experience, it gets easier the more you do it. Heck, I know it's easier said than done TwT But that's the most sincere thing I could say about that.

#...that said i hope it doesn't come to bite you in the future #getting whiplash from speaking from the heart can truly hurt #but yeah i definitely wish you the best of luck and all the courage nonetheless #queerplatonic #queer platonic relationship #qpr #anon #sorry this is so long btw TwT

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raindrvq · 2 years

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Incorrect RTC quotes: ship edition except its actually just nischa with one spacedolls/starsheep quote bc i prefer them as a qpr so i didnt see most of the quotes fitting </3

Noel: Someone take me to art museums and make out with me.

Mischa: But they said not to touch the masterpieces.

Noel: Well somebody's got to pin the artwork to the wall.

Constance, on a walkie talkie: This is Constance, those idiots are fucking around in the East wing again.

Noel, throwing his head into Mischa's lap: Tell me I'm pretty!

Mischa, lovingly stroking his hair: You're pretty fucking annoying, that's what you are.

Mischa: I don't need to go to bed. I'm not tired, I'll be fine.

Noel: But, darling, I'll be so lonely without you. Come curl up in my arms so I can feel whole again.

Mischa: Oh well— ...Are you trying to seduce me into healthy sleeping patterns??

Noel: Is it working?

Ricky: Hey, Mischa, are you free on Friday? Like around eight?

Mischa: Yeah.

Ricky: And you, Noel?

Noel: Umm... yes?

Ricky: Great! Because I'm not. You two go out without me. Enjoy your date!

Noel: Did they just–

Constance: Is there anyone here who's actually straight?

Mischa: *raises hand*

Noel: *puts his hand down*

Mischa: *angrily presses Noel against a wall* WHERE'S THE MONEY?!

Noel: ...

Noel: Are we about to kiss-

Noel: That was so hot, Mischa.

Mischa: I literally called the person who just flirted with you a degenterate dog and told them I hope they get dragged through the streets.

Noel: I'm so in love with you.

*Mischa and Noel are in Paris.*

Mischa: I'm...moved. I...I don't know what it is I'm feeling right now. I feel...destiny?

Noel: But...

Mischa: I don't know what it is. I feel like... I just never thought I'd see it with my own two eyes. And here it is. It's just there. It's right in front of me, and...

Noel: This is what you wanted to see? The bridge from Inception?

Mischa: Yeah.

Noel: But the Eiffel Tower is behind us, babe.

Mischa: Yeah, but this is the bridge FROM INCEPTION.

Noel: Okay, alright.

Noel: The stars are so beautiful...

Mischa: They're just giant balls of gas.

Noel: You know what, if you're just going to ruin this, then—

Mischa: And yet none of them are as huge as my love for you.

Noel: Oh...

Mischa: Ugh, crushes are so dumb.

Noel: I know. Whenever I'm near the person I like I just start acting stupid.

Mischa: But you're always acting stupid?

Noel: ...

Noel: Yeah, don't think about that too hard.

Noel: Valentine's day is just a consumerist holiday that holds no real value other than drive people insane buying heart shaped chocolates for their significant others and pos-

Mischa: I wrote you a poem.

Noel, already crying: You did?

Mischa: Bro—

Noel: No, no, hold up, rewind.

Noel: We were literally making out just a second ago and now you're calling me bro??

Ocean: Why are Penny and Ricky sitting with their backs to each other?

Constance: They had a fight.

Ocean: Then why are they holding hands?

Constance: They get sad when they fight.

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vroomvroomwee · 5 months

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Unpopular opinion, but book GO and show GO are allowed to be different. And I'm saying this as an aromantic. It's OK to have Crowley and Aziraphale be aromantic in the book but not in the show.

Does it hurt because our identities are "not interesting" enough for audiences? Yes. Yes, God, it hurts. But I can't be mad at the showrunners or Neil for that. It's a common fact that media is far too obsessed with sex and romance, and of course, they would want the show to go over well so we could get a second and third season. So when people as a collective change, representation for aro people will also change. But until then, I'm grateful for just the book.

And that's fine. Having the book and the TV show be different is what makes watching/reading them interesting. What's the point of making a show if it's a copy-paste version of the book? And it gives you a choice. If I want to read about two beings in a qpr, I'll read the book. If I want to see two beings romantically love each other, I'll watch the show.

Yes. I want more aro rep, yes we deserve more queer allo rep. And I'm hoping we get more of it. But right now I'm glad I have the option to enjoy both.

#technically their pretty much canon ace in the show as well so i made this post specifically for aros #good omens #goodomens #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #book good omens #show good omens #aro #aromantic #aromanticism #aromantic representation #aromantic characters

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happilychee · 2 months

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The aromantic Levy headcannons anon here!

Levy is in a qpr with Jet & Droy. Gajeel ofc becomes a part of it once he joins Fairy Tail. So does Lily

She did feel like she was a bit of an outcast since the girl's and some guys would talk about romance and she didn't understand it. Same as Lucy, Levy enjoyed reading about it, but the love parts just to her, weird and confusing

Jet & Droy helped her figure herself out and finding out she was aromantic made her smile.

Levy had to contain her excitement when Lucy approached her, talking the way she used to about romance. She was happy that she wasn't the only aro girl in the guild.

Gajeel surprisingly was the easiest to tell that she was aromantic. "...I'm aromantic" "Cool" "Wow. That was easy" Natsu on the other hand, was the hardest. He just stood there with a confused look on his face so she had to explain it in a different way. "I prefer friendship over romance, Natsu" "So calling you my best friend is okay?" " Yes you dummy"

it's not a lot but I hope you like them

sending hugs and a nice warm bowl of soup your way, anon; I love these mwah <2

writing this post just in time for aromantic spectrum awareness week!!

aromantic fairy tail headcanons

♡ yes to everything above. levy adores jet and droy, then gajeel and lily. she gets such a sense of fulfillment and joy when she's with them.

♡ levy wears green on valentine's day. yes, it's a statement, and she'll patiently spend the day explaining aromanticism to anyone who asks. she also binges on discount chocolates with lucy that night as they watch shitty romcom movies. the two can and do coexist.

♡ another qpr/qpp pairing is juvia and lisanna. they're not only close emotionally; lisanna is by nature a physically affectionate person, and juvia is severely touch starved. the only person she could theoretically be comfortable with touching her is gajeel, but he's not one for soft affection (she's been thrown into too many brotherly headlocks over the years.) so when lisanna casually grabs onto juvia's arm when they're out and about, a switch flips in her head. juvia is very touchy with lisanna, and only lisanna. this leads to most of the guild thinking they're dating.

♡ the words "we're just friends" leave a bad taste in lisanna's mouth. juvia wrinkles her nose when she hears people say "oh, so you're not more than friends." both consider each other one of the most important people in their lives. them being friends doesn't somehow diminish that. juvia lets the worry slip when she's shopping with lucy, who brings her to levy. the three have a long and thoughtful discussion, but honestly, it leaves juvia feeling confused. she's never been one for close relationships with anyone, given her childhood, and all these labels make her head hurt. levy and lucy say that's fine, the only person she really needs to make sure is on the same page is lisanna.

♡ lisanna is very much on the same page of "idk what we are but I like where we are." they decide to just... keep doing what they're doing. when there's new developments (juvia gets a nosebleed when she sees lisanna in a swimsuit, to her own horror), they talk it out and set boundaries for what they want and don't want to do (juvia very, very shyly asks if she could give lisanna a kiss on the cheek.)

♡ also, at some point, juvia and lisanna move out of fairy hills and get an apartment together. mira objects to this only on the grounds that she won't be able to prevent them from starting kitchen fires with their baking attempts. she ends up over more often than not, and lisanna feels her chest swell with warmth at seeing her big sister and her best friend get along so well.

♡ also big aro vibes... gray, cana, and loke. the three of them are so chill about everything. the guild suspects they're in a relationship, but then they also see cana going out with lucy and get confused. gray just shrugs and says it's a girls' night. completely unbothered king. besides, he's got a board game score to settle with loke and natsu.

♡ erza, I think, is a big romantic at heart, but the thing is she does that to everyone. she gets a lot of money from s-class jobs, and there's only so much she can spend on herself or new sets of armor. eventually, team natsu starts finding beautiful bouquets of flowers on their doorsteps. someone dares to tell erza that men don't like flowers, and suddenly every man in fairy tail is getting a monthly bouquet of roses.

♡ erza also misses a lot of "romantic" cues. she wouldn't be able to tell if someone was flirting with her if her life depended on it. gray and natsu, the little shits, take full advantage of this to mess with the poor suitor. I also think erza is demi, so she really has to have a strong emotional bond with someone before she considers having sex with them. she likes to take care and be taken care of, so she wants it to be with someone who knows her inside and out.

♡ natsu honestly has huge aspec vibes, mostly because he completely bulldozes over any societal conventions, labels, and definitions. if natsu feels a certain way, he's going to let the person know. if he wants to be cuddly with them and they're okay with it, he will be cuddly. doesn't matter who they are; even laxus gets the occasional natsu cuddle. levy and lucy almost lose their minds because they're so busy having deep discussions about the intricacies of aromanticism, and then natsu comes in like a breath of fresh air because he genuinely does not care. not in a bad way, he loves to listen to lucy's passionate rants (she's cute when she's excited) but. it's just something that never bothered him. personally, I do think out of everyone, he's closest to lucy in the "romantic" sense, but even then, it's just a different type of relationship to him. there's no way in hell he would specifically choose just lucy over everyone else in the guild. they're all his family!

♡ in conclusion, fairy tail is aromantic and aspec as fuck.

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bomberqueen17 · 6 months

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The Witch King

This is not like, a coherent review or anything.

Yesterday I was just like possessed with anxiety nonstop the whole day and everything I did seemed to make it worse and i just like spun my wheels and I got some things done but mostly felt worse and worse and more and more stressed, due partly to external circumstances but largely, i think, to nothing in particular. And finally after dinner I was sitting on the couch comfortably and realized you know what, fuck it, I am not going to "try to write" and wind up refreshing tumblr and chatting on discord all night, not while I'm already fretting and stewing like this, i'm going to be miserable and probably get in a fight or something and i don't want that. Fuck it. So I went to the tab I already had open in my browser, which I'd had open for weeks but the time was never right, and I bought the kindle version of Witch King and read it right there in my browser, the whole way through, did not click away or put it down or move or do anything else, and you know what it was fantastic.

I'd read a preview and been like hm i don't know what this is about and read a couple of amazon reviews that were like this was really confusing, some of which concluded so i didn't like it and some of which concluded so i super liked it, and like, I've been a fan of Martha Wells since she put the Element of Fire up for free chapter by chapter on her Livejournal when the rights reverted to her in like 2006 or so, so I knew what I was going to get and also knew that I would not particularly know exactly what I was going to get until I got it, and I also knew I was going to enjoy the ride, but I hadn't wanted to read it in stolen or exhausted moments lest the "this is confusing" bits prove too much.

In the end I found it not in the slightest bit confusing, it was a very straightforward interspersed flashbacks storytelling technique that i thought suited the story beautifully (not to be spoilery but we join a character in medias res with an action scene and it's him trying to figure out who has betrayed him in a complicated political scenario, and in the process of unspooling this he has to revisit the site of where the complicated political scenario was first set up, some sixty (?) years earlier, so he's retracing his own steps and it's really well done I think, introducing new bits of history right as they're relevant to the current storyline-- and just fantastically done, not at all forced, completely natural and compelling, and no the reader isn't told anything they don't need to know but you do get everthing you need to know, there's no unneccessary coyness at all).

So anyway i loved that, and I hope there's a sequel planned but it stands alone just fine if not, I'm already figuring i'll alternate my rereads and do every other chapter each time, so I can do All The Backstory first, then All The Current Timeline story, and that's such a fun way to eke out many many many rereads of a story that like all of Wells' works I will reread until I have chunks of them memorized (anyone who has read my works surely has found whole undigested bits of hers bobbing around in there because I do this so much; I found the phrase weary past bearing in something of mine the other day and was like oh that's moon when ember first shows up i stole that whole emotion wholesale out of the third raksura book yes i did).

Little side notes: Love the aroace qpr vibes with Kai and Zeide, also sort of enjoy the lowkey genderfuckery that comes with a demon who has his own gender then inhabiting bodies that had different genders. Great magic system too, and I love that we first get introduced to how Kai's pain magic works as a like totally fait accompli chunk of didactic worldbuilding and then in a later chapter we get to see the flashback of him inventing it and understand why it works the way it does, that was also so well-wrapped-up.

Anyway-- Definitely recommend this one but probably it is best if you can do it like I did, in one big binge-read. It took me probably three hours and I was trying hard not to read it too fast.

Yeah. Anyway. People assume I'm a big reader. I was, as a kid. I am not now. This is the first new book I've read since probably the spring sometime. I don't casually read things i only read them if I'm going to add them to my Pantheon of Rereads, and that goes for fic too mostly.

#martha wells #witch king #book recs #kind of a book review #sort of

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fountainpenguin · 1 month

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"It was a cup of good intentions... a tablespoon of one big mess! A dash of overreaction, and I assume you know the rest..." (x)

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New Dog's Life chapter today! ~ 3rd Life series fan-season

Chapter 28 - “Slow Burn (Bdubs, Scar, Charlotte)”

❤️ Read on AO3

💛 Start from Chapter 1

💚 More Pixels Imperfect fics

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Scott needs medical attention. Scar and SnifferMyFeet do their best to offer it... even if it means putting one of them on the line. Meanwhile, Bdubs and Grian discuss carrots and vacation plans.

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

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BdoubleO100 - Phantom

Status: Riled up

Captain of New Star Station's phantom hybrid flock

💙 🧡 💚

"Aha!" Bdubs grabs Grian by the wrists, yanking him forward. He pulls him, twisting him through a dopey dance in the kitchen. Grian yelps, socked feet twisting and gripless, and that just makes it better. "You want to be cringe and free!"

"I could do without the cringe," he protests, flapping his wings as Bdubs spins and prances with him, "but I do wish for love."

"Well, being truly known's the same thing, isn't it?" He swings Grian around to the other side. Grian squawks, pixels thickening and flipping over in his face. Purple flecks glitter underneath. He may as well've been run through a storm drain and flushed out the other side. "Tell you what! I'll love Etho if you love Mumbo, deal? Junglemate's honor!"

"Bdubs, that's not a deal."

"'Course it's a deal! It goes both ways; that defines it. Whadaya think? You wanna seal it?"

"… Yes."

"Let's do it, then." And he laughs, 'cuz it feels so good to love. It's what captains do, you know. When all hope is lost, look to the captain. Put all your faith in 'em, even when it looks like they're steering the wrong way. Captains always guide you back towards the light. Didn't you know Minecrafters like to move in circles? It's a way of stalking prey. "Always, and 'til the end!"

Grian catches a grip on the floor. "Bdubs? Bdubs, I hate to ask, but… What was the reason? Why didn't being romantic work with Etho? I mean, what made you feel like being queerplatonic partners made sense? How did you know?"

Bdubs' tail twitches at the end. Mossy shawl is crooked now, plushy bits tucked too tight against his neck. He pulls it around again. "I think being romantic would've worked a while, but this is what felt right. Just better this way long-term. Now, enough about Etho-"

"Do you ever regret it?"

Wow. Parrot stereotypes are true, then. Once they get their talons in something, they latch on tight and don't like letting go. Of course, that's mostly when they're dead. It's not his business, but Grian's watching, and Grian's a less experienced player, and he came from another world. Bringing him into the rest of the flock and teaching him things is what a captain does. "No? I don't regret choosing Etho."

"I meant the QPR," Grian says impatiently, taking his bar stool again. "I mean, that's a big conversation to have, right? And once you say it, it's hard to walk back and change your mind. I mean, what happens if you feel ready to be romantic?"

'Ready,' huh? Geez. Tell me you really don't know what's up with me and Etho without telling me you don't know anything about us.

Mm, scattered possibilities on how to answer that one. It's like a deck of cards strewn across the table- stat poker at its worst. Bdubs gazes back with his tail gently waving.

"Is this about you?" he asks in easy deflection. Grian's wings jump. "Communication's always gonna be your best bet. I think if you wanna change up your lifestyle, you can tell your partner straight, so long as you realize they might end things with you there- You get me?" He gestures to his wrist-comm then. "I mean, Brittney and I swing different ways all the time. We just let each other know when something comes up or we wanna see someone else."

Brittney's good. Doesn't expect him home too much; she knew what she was marrying into. He was already captain of New Star by the time they woke up with shared rings.

… It's nice though, huh? For the first time, he really eases his shoulders back, no longer compensating for heavy wings. Martyn's acting captain tonight. It's not his first time, though it usually doesn't last for long.

He may have burned his wing pixels off, but other than fly, Bdubs can do whatever he wants. As far as Martyn knows, he finished the delivery route. And the fact that he didn't isn't his problem tonight. If Martyn's too busy flirting with Cleo to catch an insubordinate flockmate in the act, well, consider this a lesson learned. He still glitters with white sparks wherever his bare skin faces upwards, like on the backs of his hands.

I can do… whatever I want. Isn't that something? Under the full moon, even! Usually he'd be bare-chested by now, wrestling Martyn while a crowd looks on. If Martyn enacts a challenge, anyway. He sometimes likes to. Bdubs' fingers brush the red feather hanging at his chest. He didn't give much consideration to wearing it. He just played along. This is Yes, And? This is fun. And he's out here doing whatever he wants.

Grian looks on, curious as ever. "I mean, you want him, don't you?"

"Do I ever! And got 'im right here!" (Not here here, but you know how it is under the wing).

"Aren't you disappointed?" Grian asks, foot twisting against the bar stool's little foot rest. He slouches against the counter. Maybe birds just like to perch on things. "I mean, you can't carrot with Etho now, if you're queerplatonic."

What? "Yeah I can." And this time he's more firm about it: "Etho and I can do whatever we want. Don't look at me! It's like you and Mumbo spawning a spark together when you're not dating. Raising kids together is fine." His eye twitches even as he says it. See, that's where the problem started.

Bdubs isn't really looking to be a dad right now. Right now, the flock comes first. He's saving his energy for when he, like Impulse and Jewel, takes his beloved's kids under his wing. Well, the players and cameras synced up to those kids, anyway. Four's a lot. Two's a lot, and it prob'ly won't be much longer before they're here- They're getting big. He gets emotion bleed of 'em on the regular, when they sit themselves in Daddy's lap or hang on his shoulders to watch him play.

Raising four kids someday ('cuz who doesn't take the cameras under their wing too?) is gonna burn him out. That's when he's gonna be so weak, Martyn takes his place as flock captain. Heck, Bdubs will throw the fight if he has to. The flock comes first, and once he's got his own, his time as captain's gonna run dry. Brittney and the kids are gonna be his flock then.

That's the schism between him and Etho, see, which is none of Grian's freakin' business. But Bdubs can't see himself raising server-restricted sparks this late in life when his real, Between dimension family is gonna get a whole lot bigger in a couple hundred years. He doesn't need babies. And Etho, who huddles up alone more often than he should, wants a litter he can lick and snuggle and hold.

It didn't end their friendship. It's just dangerous to dance around. They agreed a long time ago carrots were off the table. Bdubs is pretty sure Etho's never gotten his love hearts up before, and that makes him all the more unpredictable. Too wild. Unrestrained. It's just not worth the risk, 'cuz if an accident happened, Etho would whine and plead for him to stay. Void, he loves Etho. But accidents come easy, and Joel's living proof of it- Hermes is just one example…

Bdubs does not talk to Etho about Joel. Or Cleo, for that matter. Yeah, he'll play up his role as kid in the Clocker family, but he sheds it like a snakeskin when he's not in the mood. Except for "family dinner nights," where he's expected (and MCC watch parties by extension), he doesn't roleplay Clocker stuff in Between. Not in the teasing, flowery way that Etho, Scar, and Cleo do. On-server is full of emotion bleed- Scar got it right when he picked a puppet skin this season.

But Between is where he's real, and he's not gonna waste it roleplaying as the lowest member in the pecking order. Except for when it's fun.

[Full chapter on AO3 - Links at top]

#trafficfic #trafficblr #GoodTimesWithScar #Scott Smajor #Grian #BdoubleO100 #SnifferMyFeet #PiglinMyNose #Sniff and Pig #Dog's Life #Dog's Life art #fic announcement #ridwriting #apparently art #mcyt #... Jimmy is here too. do we tag him?#Maybe later so we don't clog tags #Dog's Life spoilers #ridspoilers

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