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twigstarpikachutroll22 · 1 year

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The thing about how when I tell people offline that I'm aroace they usually go "Oh, I didn't know that was a thing!" is like. It’s a good response, it’s good that the response I get generally isn’t outright aphobic, but it reminds me just how much they don't know. Like. The sheer range of the aro and ace spectrums and the experiences relating to attraction that I see people in those communities talk about, the amount of breaking down of attraction and relationships, the amount of discussion about ALLLLLLLLL the hecking nuance both of those can have, and like. So many people literally Do Not Know that even the words "aromantic" and "asexual" exist. And just "doesn't feel attraction" is the easiest and most basic thing here to understand. It’s the tip of the iceberg. It’s the tip of a really really freaking huge iceberg. And plenty of allos have a hard time wrapping their heads around even that, let alone all the many more identities and many many more kinds of experiences on these spectrums. So many people literally do not know that not feeling attraction the way they do is a thing. So many people, like, the VAST majority of the population, are entirely confined to this incredibly freaking limited ONE standard concept of how attraction and relationships can work that seems mandated for everycreature. So many people don't even know that anything outside of that exists. And SO MUCH outside of that can exist. It's some straight-up allegory of the cave junk.

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heretherebedork · 9 months

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I am very interested in what BMF was saying today about asexuality versus insecurity about sex versus sex in a relationship.

We saw Kawi say he would be more than happy to simply hold hands in bed forever. We saw Max say that he has sex before he ever starts dating anyone. We saw Piseang's desire but also willingness to follow Kawi's lead.

Three different approaches to the idea of sexuality and sex in a relationship and none are right and none are wrong but we did end with the implication that Kawi agreed to sex with Piseang as something new after a day or rejecting new ideas and no discussion about his own thoughts on sex.

So... is this asexual erasure? Is the idea of this episode that Kawi was avoiding sex out of fear rather than a lack of desire?

There is no evidence either way for that. Because there is no singular way to be ace. Kawi doesn't have to be sex repulsed to be ace. Heck, he doesn't have to be ace. He might be demi and only discovering what sexual desire is because he's finally found that part of himself with Piseang.

It was interesting to have the entire conversation with Max revolve around sex and sexual desire and not include asexuality but I also understand it because this is a discussion a lot of BLs over the years have stayed away from entirely (see the blushing maiden trope via @absolutebl because it is a DOOZY, honestly) so is this about asexuality or is this about the idea that for certain people society has said that desire is wrong?

What kind of societal commentary are we exploring with Kawi's reluctance? IS this about asexuality or a fear of sexuality? Is this about how he doesn't want to have sex or about how his reluctance is shaped by society in a way he doesn't even see? Is this commentary on older BLs and their lack of examination of this reluctance?

There are so many facets to what this could be and could mean and I feel like we ending with Kawi agreeing to trying to try sex with Piseang is a very interesting choice that I both understand and am a bit reluctant about. Because what is this about? Kawi's reluctance because he's uninterested or because he's afraid in a way he can't articulate? Is the rollercoaster representing something new or something scary or something that he knows he doesn't like but can't fully articulate?

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ecoamerica · 21 days

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quitealotofsodapop · 8 days

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[Jade Emperor would explode if he ever found out since by Celestial law, Wukong is his firstborn daughter's son, aka his Heir]

XD Goodness, imagine if Azure'd just reveal that tidbit to the Jade Emperor - no fighting needed, just a cardiac arrest of celestial proportions.

Though, granted, if no actual fight for the throne, wouldn't that just mean the power goes to the next in line? Hmm...

Damn, this family tree is complicated - add in reborn JE as Freenoodles River Baby Bao and we're gonna be needing to make this tree 3-dimensional.

Wait, does Luzhen also count as JE's and Queen Mother's grandkid?

referencing.

Probably would XD

Atleast in the AUs he has his wife to back him up emotionally, during the Brotherhood's siege he's on his own in the throne room.

Heck, if Azure managed to dig up that dirt while in Diyu, then he'd double down on his infatuation of Wukong. Cus, a strong powerful leader AND the legal heir to the Celestial Throne!? He want for political clout. Full on Gaston-level; "I'll make this go away if you marry me and I become the Emperor"-type manipulation. Not conciously at first.

When the MKrew and Wukong are released at Camel Ridge, Azure would make a point of proposing to Wukong then and there with the knowledge he's found. Wukong thinks its all nuts and refuses, leading to his recapture.

Meanwhile...

The Jade Emperor - Yudi - Emperor of the Celestial Realm Cause of Death: Heart Attack from Shock of hearing that he's a Monkey's Grandfather.

Every demon, immortal, and mortal feels a skip in their chest when it happens.

Also in terms of baby Bao from the Mother River Tang AU; you suddenly have a situation where by celestial law, Tang is now considered Wukong's great-grandmother. Also Pigsy is the reincarnation/decendant of Zhu Bajie, who in turn used to be Marshal Canopy - Xiwangmu's brother. Pigsy is now considered both the brother of the Queen Mother, and the brother-in-kaw/father of the Jade Emperor. Not even time-travel family trees get this weird. Again its all Celestial/Immortals not understanding the differences between reincarnations, and/or that the new incarnation doesn't have the memories or personality of the "originals".

As for Luzhen its a little complicated since while his birth parent ("The Consort") was the Stone Matriarch's mate/marriage partner, he himself was partially formed from the Matriarch's shared Dao due to being an asexual stone egg. He's considered the genetic brother (nearly twin) of Sun Wukong despite not technincally being "blood" related.

The Queen Mother and Jade Emperor would consider him a grandchild just to avoid the headache of trying to understand Stone Monkey reproduction methods. They'd also see him as a "second chance" to raise their daughter's child, as they had failed with Wukong. However, Luzhen is very confused and clearly prefers his fellow monkeys over the royals, and Wukong in turn has taken him in as his own cub. They argue a lot about the proper way to raise Luzhen.

#stone matriarch au #lmk aus #stone egg talk #sun wukong #lmk the jade emperor #lmk the brotherhood #lmk azure lion #lmk golden winged peng #lmk yellow tusk elephant #century stone egg au #mother child river tang au #slow boiled stone egg au #lmk #lego monkie kid

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stormtheskyelf2 · 17 days

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Can you share more of the Murder Drones stuff? Headcanons, thoughts, sennarios?

*Deep breath in*

Contains: Lgbtq+, vore, ranting, abuse mentionsTHIS IS LONG!

HEADCANONS FOR THE SILLY LIL MURDER ROBOTS :D

Let's start with the background characters!

I think Lizzy would be lesbian. Ofc, crushing on V. I also think she'd have an extreme soft spot for anyone who treated her with respect out of hey, Lizzy's actually pretty cool and not heck, if I don't be nice she'll spread a petty rumor- (she has and will do it again)

Thad.. Thad's gay. He is.. SO GAY. I know he's a 'jock' and all that, but the way he act is kinda soft, I wouldn't be surprised if he fell for the rival school's quarterback-

Now for the main 3 Disassembly Drones!

I don't have any actual headcanons for J because A, I don't like her.. at all- and B, she barely shows up-

But I think J would be one of those extremely straight, extremely Christian people. She's okay with LGBTQ+ people, but she's never held hands with any woman other than her mother. Do Murder Drones have mothers like Worker Drones? N is straight! I love him to death and I think him and Uzi's relationship in the series is adorable, though I don't see him being attracted to any other gender.

I have a feeling that N may have had some cheap programming for him to be so soft on Worker Drones. Perhaps he was made fast using any part available, or maybe repaired, and they used some Worker Drone parts to fix him?

V is such a damn lesbian and you cannot tell me that she doesn't has a crush on Lizzy-

I don't know what it is about the Vizzy ship, but I love it. It might just be my love for gay, interspecies romance, but... gimme all of it!

Now for the others!

Tessa is straight, though that.. doesn't really matter anymore considering she's like the only human left-

Tessa has been both verbally and physically abused from just being overly scolded in her childhood, to being locked/chained in the library/basement/wherever V and her were in Ep. 5, Home-

Uzi is pansexual- she'll take anyone as long as it's genuine love, since she's been starved of affection for so long (Khan I'm gonna beat you up for this)

Uzi bit Rebecca once when she was mocking her. It's canon now.

Doll.. I think she'd be extremely against love and she'd think she's asexual, but then she has love at first sight with someone and she panics.

I have a feeling she has a Gacha 2019 backstory- her mom loved her and her dad couldn't care, and oh no, here comes V killing them both, and now she's the quiet kid

Nori has no clue what her sexuality is. That was an arranged marriage between Khan and her; I don't think she'd actually fall for someone that interested in doors and doors only- but then again, Khan got more adventurous in Ep. 7, so that could show how he was before Nori 'died', which in that case she would have happily indulged in her crazy drawings with him.

"ACCORDING TO MY WIFE'S CLOSET, THE PLANET IS GOING TO START EATING US SOON."

Khan is doorsexual straight. He's a simple man, despite his... affection for doors. I don't have anything on him other than he has an overwhelming guilt for having to 'put Nori out of her misery' and being a horrible dad to Uzi.

Yeva doesn't get much screentime, so.. I don't have any real headcanons for her.. I got nothing :P

Scenarios:

Once V gets regrown or respawned or whatever, I think she'd get immediately hug-tackled by Uzi. She's definitely shown some growth in personality in a good way.

N would let Uzi shove herself down his throat because A, is this an act of love? B, he's too shy to stop her, and C, oh hey she tastes nice

Nori could shrink and then eat Uzi like the mother she is

or vice/versa, Uzi finds Nori and eats her to keep her safe

I is kinda drained so uh yeah that's all the stuff I can spew, thank you for asking this and sorry-

#ask #asks #murder drones vore #murder drones ship #murder drones #headcanon #safe vore #sfw vore #extreme cuddling #g/t vore #soft vore

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cyberr-v0id · 6 months

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I should probably make a proper introduction post so here goes

Hi hey hello wassup sup howdy hola hooray

My name is Hecate but I also go by *lists a ton of names because I am genderfluid as hell, can’t choose just one, have a complicated relationship with my irl name, and eventually toss aside every name I go by* here’s the link to my full name post: https://www.tumblr.com/cyberr-v0id/731097944976228352/ok-so-as-i-apparently-use-a-lot-of-names-here-are

My main blog is @cyberr-v0id but I have a ton of side blogs, because I’m addicted to cool usernames??? Apparently??? But I’m only really active on four or five of them

I use he/she/they/fae and occasionally it sets of pronouns, and I am a genderfluid, afab, asexual, lesbian oriented demiromantic. Deal with it or leave :)

I currently have a crush on one of my awesome friends because I only develop crushes on people I have a strong bond with and/or have know for a while . Aka: my friends. It can be low-key awkward but we roll

I am Romani but don’t travel because reasons and I am kinda detached from my culture, but heck of I don’t defend it till my last breath

Now onto what I am interested in ehhehehehe

I AM SO GOSHDARN TOTALLY BRAIN IN THE SAND EYES GOUGED OUT INSANELY OBSESSED WITH ODYSSEUS RN. ITS A PROBLEM. IT KEEPS COMING BACK. IS THIS A HYPER FIXATION??? IS THIS A SPECIAL INTEREST? I HAVENT BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH (oh wait I should probably put that down as information then come back to my interests)

Ok so, I have never been diagnosed with anything ✨brain wise✨ however pretty much every autistic person I have ever met has said that they think I might be as well, without me even bringing it up, including my AuDHD brother. My mother has said repeatedly throughout my lifetime comments such as ‘are you sure you’re not autistic’ and ‘that is very autistic or you maybe we should get you diagnosed’ but then she denies it if i bring it up

My dad thinks I am adhd, my mum thinks I would be add rather than adhd because I am, to quote, ‘not hyperactive like [brothers name] is’. He is a twelve year old boy. I am a fifteen year old girl. I also take apart all my pens in lessons if I don’t have something less destructible to fidget with. Take that how you will

I personally have done a lot of of research into the both, and feel that I could be either, but slightly more likely adhd

I have a weird issue with my feet where the bones are too close together in places, which means I have really clicky ankle joints, am much more likely to have my ankles roll, twist, or give way, and often my legs hurt pretty bad, and my feet as well, while walking or standing for a long time. But hey! They’re getting better finally :D

OK SO NOW MY INTERESTS

I AM LITERALLY SO OBSESSED WITH ODYSSEUS HE IS ALL I HACE BEEN ABLE TO THINK ABOUT FOR LIKE THREE WEEKS NOW, I HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTING HIS NAME EVERY TIME I SEE IT IN THE ILIAD, I HAVE LISTENED TO THE EPIC MUSICAL EVERY NIGHT FOR OVER A WEEK, AND THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR THAT MY OBSESSION HAS APPEARED. AND IT GETS WORSE BY THE DAY.

I HAVE LITERALLY SAT AND RESEARCHED HIM AT BREAKFAST, I HAVE RANTED ABOUT HIM YO EVERY MEMBER OF MY FRIEND GROUP AND MY CRUSH SO MANY TIMES, MY ENGLISH TEACHER HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO TWO ODYSSEUS RANTS THIS WEEK AND I HAD TO RESTRAIN MYSELF FROM INFODUMPING ON ONE OF MY MUSICAL THEATRE TEACHERS.

THE ONLY THING STOPPING ME FROM CREATING ODYSSEUS FAN ART IS MY ART SKILLS

Ahem

Onto other interests:

• mythology in general but the one I know the most about and am obsessed with the most is Greek mythology

• the owl house

• Percy Jackson, obviously

• amphibia

• the inheritance cycle

• the dragon prince

• miss peregrines home for peculiar children

•avatar the last air bender

•dragon age absolution

• how to train your dragon (books, films, series)

•the wizards of once

•dragons themself as a thing

•folklore and faeries

• nimona

•Dracula

•redwall

•and a heck ton more that I cannot think of. I’ll rant about it eventually if I love it that much

The main sports I do rn are archery, paddle boarding, and skateboarding, as well as dance through my musical theatre group. Also lightsaber fighting in my street

I do art and writing and reading and acting and lots more I do a lot and then I abandon my hobbies for a while, and jewelry making and sewing and

I’ll link some more posts here that may be useful to y’all:

And remember, this blog is ran by an Odysseus obsessed teen above all else

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variousqueerthings · 1 year

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something about asexuality that is underappreciated is its potential to recontextualise -- this is true of queer reads + disabled reads generally, but asexuality is very much still widely in a space considered unworthy of looking at closer, because for many people it simply represents “not doing anything.”

this also embedded in irl acephobic wank that claims it’s “not as queer” as other kinds of queerness, because again, all that is perceived is a surface-level idea that as it is apparently just “not having sex,” that must mean it is at odds with liberatory queer sexual theory/practice

and so what does this apparent “not doing anything” have to say about our fictional reads? what does it say about desires for closeness, lack of language or gain of language, what does it say about characters who have never had sex, or about characters who have? what does it say about (lack of) agency and consent? about desire? how does it play into bdsm and kink? into concepts of sexiness and attractiveness (both wanting or not wanting to be perceived as such and perceiving or not perceiving of others as such)? into bodies and our relationships with them? how does it recontexualise characters goals or lack of goals for life? how does it put them at odds with social expectations for them in the times/stories they exist in?

and once one starts asking actual curious questions, one can easily see that a character being read as -- or, hell being, if we’re so lucky -- asexual, is potentially doing a heck of a lot!

#i focused on asexuality here instead of asexuality and aromanticism #because I was particularly thinking about sex/versions of sex #which is a little more specific + i think there is something a little different id wanna write about aromanticism #its invisibility is more encompassing/slightly different/the antagonism against it has similarities but also differences #asexuality #queer stuff #queer reads #queer fiction #ace stuff

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existencebringsonlypain · 9 months

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Okay! So! This post is factually inaccurate. I'd been told the creator of the sunset aroace flag was a nazi, turns out that's a baseless accusation and comes from another untrue rumor. So. I won't delete this post, because it was a fun exercise to create a flag, but take every claim about the morality of the og artist with, like, negative one grain of salt.

I've heard about the whole controversy regarding the aroace flag, and I do get the sentiment- we shouldn't be using a flag created by a nazi. However, it's so widespread and recognizable a flag that it's hard to change it without backlash. Makes sense, if people are used to a certain flag to mean their identity, they'll probably resist changing the flag- it may make it feel like you're replacing their identity.

Therefore, I propose we do indeed change the flag, but make it highly reminiscent of the widespread flag, so the transition between the two is easier and less significant. Yes, it's still using a similar design to a nazi's, but it might be the best we can do- and who says we can't reclaim a symbol?

I've made my own take on the flag. I'm not saying this is the best one, just the best I could do.

As with any flag, the stripes have meaning.

The orange represents love, in a platonic/familial/aesthetic way, all the aspects of love- excluding romantic and sexual. This is why it's not red, the main color for love, because it can be different for us than it is for others. It's also reminiscent of a sunrise, and due to that it can represent the beauty inherent in love. It's meant to symbolize how though aroace people may not experience romantic and sexual love, but we sure as heck still feel love.

The tan represents unity, not only between those who are aroace, but with the queer community as a whole. Though we are not allo, we are still queer, and we are part of the whole.

The white is, actually, not in fact white- it's a very light warm grey. This is to represent the spectrum of identities under the term aroace. The white isn't actually white, but that's okay, it makes the flag more cohesive. The aroace term might not quite align with your identity, but that's fine. Words are what you make them. Colors don't always fit in rigid boxes, and neither do people.

These are going to be out of order, just because it makes more sense to read it this way. I would do it in this order on the flag, but I both want it to look like the widespread one and want it to look like a gradient.

The darker turquoise represents the joining of aromanticity and asexuality- residing between the two colors in the color wheel. It's not a direct mixture between the shades, because when the two identities combine, they form a whole new identity, while still reflecting the original. Also, it's more vibrant.

The sky blue represents the variety ever-present within the identity. It represents the aroacespec people. It's lighter than the color between aro's green and ace's purple, because attraction can vary. Demi and auto and flux people exist, and they're still in the flag- because they're still part of our community.

This flag is very similar to the more common aroace flag, but that's not really a great flag to use. None of the colors are the exact same, intentionally. It's unique enough to be separate, rather than just a redesign of the same flag, but it's still recognizable as aroace. Here's a comparison:

In my opinion, at least, it looks better. The top is a more cohesive gradient rather than a yellow coming from nowhere, and the bottom band isn't as contrasting. The duller band in the middle just makes it look nicer in general imo, but it's mainly motivated by the meaning.

This isn't perfect! This flag is just my little experiment, since I always liked how the flag looks like a sunset, yet didn't want to use a flag designed by a nazi. Feel free to use this flag anywhere you'd like, as long as it's, like, a good use. Like, no oppression or exclusion. Keep the original meanings in mind. We are all a community.

Finally, a call to action: try and use this flag rather than the original! Or, if you don't like this flag that much, make your own! Try to come up with your own meanings, it's harder than you think. This is our flag, ‍‌ and we choose what we use and what we value. Or just inform people on the history of the flag, I personally had no idea it was issue-laden until recently. Either way, let's go out there and love.

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ayashitetsuko · 6 months

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I started out this fandom by being a hardcore HappyEdIzzy shipper, but even then I’m aware that their aura can he heavy. Even when I wrote them as a happy couple, the air surrounding them can be stuffy. “I was born to love you” kind of love. It’s beautiful but phew.

This is why I become so passionate about Stizzy. They’re sexy, intriguing, flirty—they’re two horny idiots stuck in an elevator. Writing them allows you to have so much fun with occasional touch of sweetness, a fluffy romance that doesn’t have to involve big ideas like destiny.

Also, the way their relationship progresses in canon is indeed the best part of the season, the one that almost remedies the finale—apart from Izzy’s transformation itself. My hot take: With Izzy, Stede has the opportunity to develop a healthier and more stable relationship. One that is based on respect for what the other person actually is—not his romanticised idea of him.

Another character that I passionately ship Izzy with is Jim.

Because they are just so incredibly sexy together. Heck, even the age gap is deliciously scandalous—if you don’t believe in creative freedom in shipping then shoo shoo. Their similarities mean they have great chemistry together. Izzy can be Jim’s daddy (not dad). And Jim can make him feel young again, making him believe in life and love again. Jim can be the first enby he dates and it really opens up his horizons.

Other characters I ship Izzy with:

- Kitty Bites aka Fang x Izzy x Frenchie

A sweet, asexual kind of love. Supportive and affirming. They help ease Izzy into this brand new world of partnership and acceptance. Izzy can give them the devotion they deserve for being such kind souls

- Mary and the widows’ club

If I were to write Izzy as Bi/Pan or even straight, this is where I’m going. He is the ladies man. He treats them like princesses. He provides them both the chivalry and the adventurous, sexy side of being with a pirate woohoo. The widows deserve this after years of boredom and restrictions.

I’m also cool with Lucius and Pete and genuinely believe they were going to be together in canon.

Come on. Where is Lucius’s sketch of Izzy? And that is a literal horseshoe on Pete’s belt FFS. If only a certain showrunner has more common sense in leading us through this journey

#izzy hands #headcanon #ships #jim jimenez #stede bonnet #stizzy #jizzy #mary allamby bonnet #lucius spriggs #black pete

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suffersinfandom · 27 days

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I’m still thinking about dumb discourse because my brain is broken and guys there’s so much “Ed and Stede are not as queer as Izzy” out there what the heck.

Anyway. I said this in response to a different post:

There are so many ways to be queer and so many kinds of queer experiences. Not everyone is going to see themselves in Ed or Stede, and that's fine. Some people are going to see themselves in Izzy, and that's also fine. What's not fine is asserting that your pet white guy (who, yes, conforms to pirate standards of masculinity better than anyone else on the Revenge) is the only character with a valid queer arc.

But why do some Izzy fans (can we call them Izzy Heads? Izheads? I want a word for that specific flavor of fan) relate only to the queerness in Izzy's story? I can't stop thinking about it.

It seems that at least some people who consider Izzy the best example of queer rep in OFMD do so because they relate to the character. They don’t have a romantic partner or they’re in love with someone who doesn’t feel the same way. They’re disabled and focus on the intersection of disability and queerness. They feel as though they’re outsiders, even in a queer community (or a largely queer fandom like this one). They’re not cis men and they’re not trans in the same way as Jim is, so they don’t see their gender explicitly represented onscreen.

On paper, most of that describes me too. The thing is? I do relate to Stede and Ed and I don’t relate to Izzy at all.

I’m an AFAB nonbinary person who’s physically and mentally disabled. I’m aromantic and asexual with the sliders all set to 100%; I have never so much as dated, and I almost never engage with romantic media because I just don’t get it. I feel like a freak in most circles, like I’m missing a fundamental part of what makes humans human. There isn’t a character in OFMD who shares my specific gender or sexual identity, but Ed and Stede are absolutely queer in ways that are understandable to me and, I think, a lot of other people in this community.

Ed and Stede both grow up and live the first decades of their adult lives in societies that don’t want them to be themselves. Stede can’t love flowers or bright and flashy fashion; he needs to dress down and become a family man. He’s forced to marry a woman he doesn’t love (and who doesn’t love him) and father children to inherit his wealth. Ed can’t fancy a fine fabric or pursue a peaceful life because his world is one that demands cruelty and violence. He has to wrap himself up in leather and layers of myth and legend to survive. They’re both GNC and wearing masks and entirely miserable.

I know -- I think most of us know -- what it’s like to suppress who we are so we can fit in or be who the people around us expect us to be. I think we know what it’s like to be miserable and lonely for ages -- to bury who we really are deeper and deeper until we barely remember who that person is -- right up until we find out that there are people out there who get us. There are places where we can be who we are, or at least experiment a bit and discover ourselves.

Even if we don’t know what it’s like to find a great love like Stede and Ed do, there are parts of their relationship that we understand. I'm sure plenty of us know what it’s like to meet someone who doesn’t ask us to pretend for the first time. We know what it’s like to be on the same silly, stupid wavelength as someone else, and we know how it feels to play with someone who gets us. I think that the friendship that Ed and Stede share, even with the romantic and sexual elements removed, is a distinctly queer one.

So I guess I still don't know why Izheads only relate to his queer experience when Ed and Stede, in my opinion, are both extremely queer even beyond, like, the thing where they're wildly in love.

I want to think it has something to do with Izzy's status as a side character and not racism, internalized homophobia, or anything else like that. Characters without fully fleshed-out backgrounds provide opportunities to project whatever we want, you know? If you want to see your specific gender or sexual identity in a character, just grab one with little canon lore and fill in the blanks. Maybe I can be happy with characters who aren't just like me, but I don't expect everyone to be content with that.

What was I even typing about?

Oh, right.

Ed and Stede are super fucking queer. You don't have to relate to them because there are infinite ways to be queer, but you do have to acknowledge that there is nothing heteronormative about their relationship or them as individuals.

#ofmd #me typing things #like no really #i'm just out here typing things #no thesis no plan #gentlebeard #ofmd discourse #edward teach #stede bonnet #breaking news: ace discovers their first OTP #now i even read smut!#(if there's good character work)#(which there usually is with these guys)#queer #< tagging just in case

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myemuisemo · 16 days

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There is so much characterization tucked into "The Statement of the Case" in the 2nd of Letters from Watson about The Sign of the Four. To marshal my thoughts at all, let's go by character, starting with my cinnamon roll Dr. Watson, then turning to Holmes and to Mary Morstan.

Watson

Watson's close observation of Miss Morstan demonstrates that he's capable of making deductions from observation. He deduces from the simplicity of her attire that she has limited means, and he has a good deal to say about how the character promised by her features and manner.

In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents, I have never looked upon a face which gave a clearer promise of a refined and sensitive nature.

This is a tiny bit amusing because all of Miss Morstan's actions suggest she has the orderly soul of someone who would have been an accountant in an era more supportive of women's careers. This woman keeps receipts. She may be nervous about bringing her concerns to the Great Detective, but she's not the slightest bit delicate.

Watson seems a bit pricked in the ego by Holmes' extensive knowledge of cigar ash, as he's touting his experience with women. That would be a monograph, indeed, something sold discreetly, in a corner of the bookshop behind a curtain. I'm going to guess that the third continent, after Europe and Asia, is Africa, both because the British did a good deal of colonial meddling there and because it makes Holmes suggestion of The Martyrdom of Man so much more apposite.

Holmes

The Martyrdom of Man turns out to be a progressive best seller about world history. Author Winwood Reade's perspective is to show the importance of Africa in the development of the world. This is entirely at odds with Victorian self-confidence about the white European and American missions of colonialism. Holmes is implying, deliberately or not, that Watson knows less about at least two continents than he thinks he does.

Reade's prose feels comparatively modern -- it has the sprightly feel of early 20th century writing rather than the long, turgid sentences of the 19th century. I've been distracted by reading bits of it, as while it's not how an historian would handle its topics today, it's an interesting read.

A side note on Winwood Reade is that he was open about being an atheist, so his book is also at odds with the popular idea of Divine Providence smiling about the endeavors of the British Empire. Contemporary audiences would surely have drawn some conclusions about Holmes' religious and political leanings.

The book recommendation is preceded by Holmes establishing that he's not a sentimentalist:

He smiled gently. “It is of the first importance,” he said, “not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities. A client is to me a mere unit,—a factor in a problem. The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning. I assure you that the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money, and the most repellant man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London poor.”

My first reaction was "welp, he really is ace, isn't he?" On reflection, I think that reaction is both right and wrong. On the side of "right," there is no way that Holmes, as written, is a neurotypical allosexual heterosexual. Asexuality is not the only possible category for him, but it's a solid contender.

On the side of "wrong," what he's arguing for from "I assure you" on is simply not to judge a book by its cover. We're used to that as a moral. We're also accustomed to believing that "body language" and such can give clues to the person within. Heck, Holmes was just on about handwriting analysis. So there's a messy little tension here between two views that were common then as now: "outer aspects reveal the person's true nature" and "don't judge a book by its cover."

Mary Morstan

I like Mary Morstan a good deal, not least because she keeps receipts.

This image from the New York Public Library gives a sense of Mary's plain beige walking suit, though the feathers are far too big.

My first reaction to Mary Morstan's backstory was to check the publication date of Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess, because how many little girls were being left in boarding schools by their UK Army officer fathers who were serving in India?

Quite a few, it seems. It was standard practice to send children back to the UK to boarding school "for their health." That last euphemism raised my "what in the racist colonial claptrap" hackles, but there was a legit health concern -- malaria. Malaria is potentially deadly for anyone and worse for children, since a child who survived might have ruined health and intellectual development for life. It was not until 1897 that surgeon Ronald Ross established that malaria was transmitted by mosquitos. Miss Morstan was a child in India in the 1860s; she really would have been sent away for her own safety.

Meanwhile, although A Little Princess was published in 1905, it was expanded from a short story published in 1887. a few years before The Sign of the Four was written. That doesn't mean there's a connection: stories about a common situation and the fears arising from it are going to have similarities.

Miss Morstan's lack of English relatives did have me wondering if her mother was Indian, especially as her complexion lacks "beauty" (isn't translucently pale). Since she's blonde and light-eyed, presumably we're to assume that both parents were English or Scottish. (The genetics of eye color inheritance weren't established at all until 1907, but people obviously had folk beliefs about how much children looked like their parents, and in what ways, before that. Using today's knowledge, it seems possible that her mother had one English parent and one Indian parent, but who knows?).

At twenty-seven, she is "on the shelf" -- past the ordinary age of courtship and marriage. Her job as either a companion or a governess implies she brings no financial assets to a marriage beyond those mysterious pearls. Watson's musings that twenty-seven is "a sweet age" establishes both that he's head-over-heels for Miss Morstan and that he's enough a man of the world to prefer a woman "a little sobered by experience" to a blushing debutante.

So do the mysterious pearls mean we're going down a path superficially similar to Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone (1868), where a heroine inherits a mysterious gem from a British Army office relative? Rachel Verinder's uncle was a horrible person who came by his gem in the worst way; but Mary Morstan's father was a guard at a prison for political prisoners, which doesn't bode well for his connections. Mary has far too much good sense than to wear her pearls, though.

I do want my cinnamon roll Dr. Watson to get the girl.

#sherlock holmes #letters from watson #the sign of the four

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inevitably-johnlocked · 6 months

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Hello Steph!

Ace Awareness week is already over, but I'd be really happy if I could ask you something about being a-spec. I'm honestly not sure who to ask irl and I feel like I've learned a lot on your blog, that's why I'm sharing this with you. I really hope this isn't too long or personal. If it is, please ignore it and thank you for reading <3.

So, I recently found out for myself that I'm pan(-sex.&-rom.) and platoniromantic (whee, there's a word for it! and I'm not automatically a creep! whoop!) For me it means, I basically have crushes on all of my friends at all times, (but Lgbt wiki says it falls under the aromantic-umbrella) which can get a bit awkward.

Growing up as a girl with my female friends, I've been confused by how physically affectionate they were (Hugs, and hand holding; Platonically sharing the bed etc.) bc I don't think any of them were sapphic. It was just cute and sweet for them, but they didn't want more. As a consequence I've been careful not to act on those feelings and not make my friends uncomfortable or abuse their trust(hence why I thought I'm creepy); the times I hinted at taking it further, they never seemed to be interested (I mean, what are the chances they're even sapphic?) It's kind of been the same with my bi/straight male friends. My dating pool is basically my small rl friend group (currently 2 lovely women), but I guess that way it's less likely they're also like me romantically back?

Over the years, it's just caused me a bit of heartbreak, because I have cared deeply about my friends and crave a closer romantic connection to someone. And, I mean, I do think it's kinda sweet that when my lizard-brain sees something friend-shaped, it wants to put a ring on it, but I don't really know how to proceed from here.

I'm honestly embarrassed that I'm already in my mid-twenties and have so little experience (no romantic/sexual relationships, not even proper kissing) (partly bc the pandemic struck 1 year after I got out of school). Do you maybe have some advice on how to meet people that 'match'? I'm quite shy and people usually call me uptight, so I haven't really been to any queer spaces in rl bc I'm a bit intimidated. Like, I don't seem particularly queer and I'm not great at talking about these things (I'm not even out to my family yet). Heck, for the longest time I thought I'm straight and just doing friendships wrong.

I'd appreciate a morsel of your wisdom, but it's also been really nice to just be able to share this with someone. It's made me feel less weird. Thank you.

Hey Nonny *HUGS*

Never ever hesitate to ask a question here... sometimes I answer them, sometimes I don't, but I try my best! <3 Especially asks about asexuality, because I like sharing the stuff I learned on my journey, AND I also enjoy researching to learn more as I reply to these asks!

So, OOOF, romance is definitely not something I know a lot about. And PLEASE don't be embarrassed at all. It's society that engrains this horrid notion that if you're in your 20s and you still haven't met someone / had sex, you're all dried up and no good (hence all the terrible ageism in fandom spaces). Nonny, I'm in my 40s and I've never had a serious relationship – sexual nor romantic – in my entire life. I crave wanting to be in love, but sadly it's not something that's probably ever in my future. And that said, I am LITERALLY the worst person to ask advice on how to "meet people" – I'm neurotic and introverted with horrid social anxiety, so meeting new people for me is a months-long prep period for me. And because I'm ace, I feel like sites like tinder and bumble aren't going to welcome me, so I've just... never tried.

Pfff so I suppose probably looking into community groups in your area, or joining social program (both things I haven't done because – you know – anxious). A-spec relationships are tough, it seems, because some of us such as myself just want to meet someone I can cuddle and love and spend all my time with for the rest of my life, while others might want the sex but not the romance... it's tough. Honestly there's no right answer I can offer you, mainly because I'm very inexperienced myself.

For me, I take joy in loving the people in my life in the various roles they play in it: my coworkers, my sister, my besties, and my family all have different attachments to me. I care about them all, and it's fulfilling in its own way. And I DO want a partner, if one will ever have me, but it's not a necessity to make life fulfilling for me.

I also haven't really been to queer spaces IRL either other than Pride and the cons I've visited, but yeah I feel like I'm going to be intruding because I'm not outgoing myself. I really wish I had the right answer for you, Lovely. I'd like to know myself. I feel like, sometimes, that I just got in too late.

ANYWAY, sorry if this isn't a good reply nor make you feel better, but I'm happy you felt comfy enough to share your story with me. Asks like this one make ME feel less alone too, Nonny. *HUGS**

If anyone has any advice, please feel free to add onto this post <3

#steph replies #aspec #chatting with nonnies #i am not a professional #my advice #life advice #sexuality #about me #my thoughts #sorry i suck nonny

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the-one-and-only-aroace · 1 year

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I’m only saying this one more time because I’m tired of having to say it. Reyna is no more ace than she is bisexual. There is nothing sexual mentioned in relation to her character, not having children, not nothing. Her sexual orientation is a complete mystery. Her romantic orientation on the other hand, very very clear. She’s aro, plain and simple. She isn’t alloace and never has been. She’s aroallo or aroace, those are the two options that comply with canon, and thats it. That stupid rick riordan tweet doesn’t freaking count because he says he wrote her all allo romantic and nothing about Reyna ever strictly aligns with her being alloromantic, and there’s a whole heck of a lot that says she’s aro. Call her ace all you want, but don’t count her as ace representation because ricks too much of a coward to even give her a label and don’t erase the only aro rep this entire franchise has by pretending she’s written as ace, not aro. (Sorry if this sounds aggressive, I’ve had to say this a million times)

Before thinking about arguing, please read my url, it confirms I am both aromantic and asexual, which means I have a lot of experience with this thing.

#reyna avila ramirez arellano #reyna arellano #toa #trials of apollo #hoo #heroes of olympus

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seananmcguire · 1 year

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Hello!! I recently reread EHaDW (...and proceeded to reread Down Among and Sugar Skies) this week, and since my library has the audiobook, I've put the book on to play for my dad when we cook together since that's kinda our tradition, and he's loving it as much as I did! Heck, even my brother, who was just existing in the same space when we started, is invested. They just recently got to the first.... mystery (I am trying to be vague for your followers who haven't read the book yet XD) and are furious with me for not warning them LMAO. It's been wonderful together recently. I cannot wait to get my brother to read Down Among too. My brother is trans and has contamination ocd, so not only is it great for him to see representation in media through kade, but we have both quite literally never seen an OCD character in media who wasn't vilified or made into a pity-party. When I first read wayward children, I didn't quite pick it up, but after reading it when my brother's ocd got worse and then diagnosed, it jumped out to me and i was excited, because it was so well done. And then I checked your blog and found out I was right - jack DOES have ocd!! (And so do you, which is cool. My brother is always excited to find creators with shared experiences with him).

And your book was the first time I'd seen Asexuality actually named in media rather than implied or left to my headcanoning. If you can tell from my profile picture, I am aroace, and Nancy will forever hold a special place in my heart. I also just adored her relationship with Kade. Actually, I loved Kade in general. He is so sweet and kind, big brotherly and funny, and I am also just so proud of him weirdly, for how he is growing into a man to be proud of and his aunt's right-hand-man. I think he is my favorite character, lol. (Followed by Jack and Nancy and Christopher). Just, thank you so much for this series. It means a lot to my brother and I.

One of my mutuals reblogged a post from you and when I saw your url I lost my shit skhdbs did not expect you to be on tumblr but I am very happy! I have been stalking your blog for the last like, hour, so sorry for the notifications. Also, I was a post from like 2019 discussing a movie/tv adaptation; is there anything more going on about that?

Sorry for the long wall of text. I just wanted to let you know how much this series means to me. (I've just put in a request with my library to get the rest of wayward children in, since atm we only have the three books I mentioned, and then I am going bookshop hunting with my best friend to try and find hardcopy versions. I already have the ebook copy of EHaDW). So yeah. just thank you <3

Walls of text are fine! I'm not fast or always good at answering them, but they don't bother me.

The Wayward Children movie is currently moving forward at Paramount, and I remain really hopeful that it's going to get made.

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2knightt · 3 months

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could i get a ship? id rather not share my name, im 5'6"- 5'7" (STILL GROWING) brown hair almost touching my shoulders with Teddy blonde streaks in the front, im mixed races so im tan, im kinda strong-ish, im kinda round around the middle but im working on it my personality is kind of like the mom friend and therapist sometimes and crackheaded, random, chaotic friend like i'll just kick someones knees or bonk their head sometimes but other times im keeping my friends from doing stupid stuff and keep them on task (sorta). my love language is physical touch so if im tired all i want is cuddles and stuff and im asexual as heck. Im on crew and used to be onstage for shows but thats kinda a minor thing, im in band and plan on trying out for marching band and maybe jazz band, i play tenor sax, alto sax, and piano. i will use either cheesy pickup lines or dirty ones regardless of whether youre a platonic friend or not. i'll do stuff like the lame yawn and put your arm around their shoulders thingy im kind of a nerd and i have really good grades and LOVE READING BOOKS. i am so sorry this was so long but i wanted to get an accurate ship y'know?

I’M GETTING SO MANY CHARACTERS RN OMG STOP U SOUND LIKE SUCH A SWEETHEART WAIT

i feel like you’d work the best with either darry or two-bit??

darry in the sense that you’d be his breath of fresh air—like the person that can be both calm and yet a little bit crazy. i feel like he’d really need someone like that. someone to keep him on his toes but at the end of the day, take care of him after a long day at his jobs. even more so with the fact that you are able to use your head so much to the point where you can learn all these things and still keep yourself in check.

i feel like darry would really like that!!1!1!1!1

and two-bit because you two would just get along so well lmfao. like??? imagine joking around with him?? the jokes you two would make would go crazy 😭.

two-bit would srsly enjoy ur company!!!1!1!1

#leo’s extra special event! ‧₊˚ ✩#match ups (real!)#idk how to tag match ups honestly #LMFAO WHOOPS

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variousqueerthings · 4 months

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i find it easier to talk about aroace themes in doctor who than in good omens, because i know there was quite a fraught anti-aroace read of the characters that at best ignored the fanbase that was aroace and generally treated it as non-queer in concept -- heck, I wasn't and I'm not even really in in the fanbase (except as extension of doctor who and david tennant and generally enjoying it) and I had to unfollow a heck of a lot of blogs because of a sentiment that was very dismissive of ideas around non-(cis)gendered-allosexual-amatonormative reads of the characters, because it was considered "copping out" of Real Queer Reads of the text, and only really accepted it as Really Queer once The Kiss happened -- so I can only imagine how much it must have sucked for aroace fans of the show who were actively engaging with the fandom and felt that alienation x 1000

and it's interesting because The Kiss does not in fact make the characters less able to be read from a non-(cis)gendered aroace perspective, it's just that kisses are one of the acceptable shorthands for alloromantic allosexual textual reads, so The Kiss in fact makes people less likely to engage with complicated reads of the text (I say like that was happening in the first place), not because it doesn't work, but because amatonormativity accepts only certain semiotics of relationships as "real" or "valuable" while other relationships that don't fulfill these criteria are "merely good friends" and good friends... is ostensibly a non-queer thing to be (does not tangent about relationship anarchy and religious themes, slaps wrist)

all that being said, crowley and aziraphale absolutely do exist within an asexual aromantic agender (aspec) framework, and amatonormativity especially does shut down a lot of the interesting ways one can engage with these characters and the text that they interact with because of their non-normative place within any of the three worlds that are depicted in the story (heaven, hell, earth) -- they do not perform roles that are easily definable, or even acceptable, in these spaces. they get read as queer multiple times in both s1 and s2, but in ways that are simplistic to who they are and what their relationship has been up until that point. that boxing in is one of the reasons they struggle to find words during the last fifteen minutes of s2, because there are only so many "correct" "allowed" ways to relate to one another, and none of them fit, beyond the fun little word "us." which was who they were from s1 already, when they ostensibly weren't queering the text enough -- all of this is ironic because it's how they're treated in the text and by audience

unsure yet if I will talk about it more, because I think... it is still fraught. but I am thinking more about how I read from the framework of aspec experiences and the ways people have blind spots about their own especially amatonormativity, but also allosexual and cisnormative reads that play into how queerness is allowed to exist onscreen only if fulfilling specific semiotic criteria, and not as something that's actually deep and interesting, like theme or story structure or character arc

#good omens #crowley #aziraphale #anthony jemima crowley #good omens meta

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nerdyunicorns101 · 8 months

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When did you first realize you were aroace? Do you not like the idea of intimacy? I’m struggling to figure myself out, so I always appreciate a take from someone similar!

I'm glad you asked! Being aroace is a bit of a weird sexuality orientation, so I'm more than happy to shed some light on it.

I personally realized when I watched JaidenAnimations' "Being Not Straight" video she posted about a year ago (I'll link it at the bottom). The way she described her journey with realizing she was aroace made me stop and go "huh, that's kinda like me". Then it kinda all spiraled from there, and eventually I decided to come out as aroace.

For those reading this post who might not know, aroace is a term short for aromantic-asexual, meaning I feel little-to-no romantic or sexual attraction to people. Now, this can be different for everyone. Aromance focuses more on disliking the romance part of the relationship (holding hands, kissing, cuddling, etc.), whereas asexuality focuses more on disliking the sexual part of a relationship (ex. all of that). You could be either one, or both, like me. As Jaiden described, there are people who feel a lot of romantic attraction to people but little sexual attraction to people and vice-versa. I feel neither, which is why I'm a combination of the two, but you could feel different. And I know people who are aromantic or asexual and have partners they love dearly. Just because my experience is different doesn't mean yours has to be too. So keep an open mind!

I don't really feel anything when it comes to these things, to be completely honest. I've never had a crush on someone, nor have I cared for finding a partner. I've never cared to go to school dances or talk about how hot someone is. I just don't care. The thought of kissing someone, holding their hand, cuddling, sleeping together, any of that makes me uncomfortable. Like, incredibly uncomfortable. The thought of sex; an immediate no. Get me as far away from that as possible. Absolutely not. The term "romantically repulsed" often gets brought up when talking about stuff like this. That's me. I look at romance or any of that stuff, I go nah, that's not for me, which people find weird. Society has kinda engraved into our brains that we have to find love, we have to get married, there's no way someone can be happy without it. That's not the case. At all. I can find happiness other ways.

For one, platonic relationships are big. People often assume aroace people don't have feelings, like, ever, but that's completely wrong. I can love people platonically just the same as you can love people romantically. Just because I'm friends with someone doesn't mean we have to date each other. Heck, like I stated earlier, I know people who are aromantic and asexual and they're in relationships. Just because we might not want to kiss you, or hold your hand, or cuddle, or any of that doesn't mean we don't love you the same. I have fantastic friends I love so very dearly, but I don't need to be in any sort of romantic state with them to make that feeling better. Just because we might feel uncomfortable doing those things doesn't mean we're heartless monsters without feelings. You might feel uncomfortable doing specific things with someone, too, and that doesn't make you a jerk. It doesn't make us one either.

Growing up I've always felt some sort of disconnection from the world. Like I didn't fit in. This, obviously, is because of numerous reasons, but one is definitely because I'm aroace. I felt there was something wrong with me when I didn't have a crush on someone, or I wasn't making a list of things I hoped for in a partner, or I just... wasn't in a relationship at all. I see people platonically more than I do romantically, and actually usually freak out if I feel someone likes me in a romantically (because I sure as heck do not see them the same way). For now, I think I'm fine being partner-less in life. I have friends, and even if I didn't, I'd still be okay being on my own. Romance, sex, all of that, it just ain't my cup of tea. And if it's yours, that's okay.

Here's Jaiden's video btw. Highly recommend. She does a better job explaining things than I do. And if you're still unsure, that's fine! These things take time.

https://youtu.be/qF1DTK4U1AM?si=OyRmNVW4LimKErqQ

#anon ask #pride #lgbtqia #aroace #aromantic #asexual #aromantic asexual #aro pride #ace pride #jaiden animations

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