#hopefully this reply is okay ._.

[prince-liest]

I’m a sex-repulsed ace, and reading the latest chapter of 666 (as well as your analysis here on Tumblr) made me realize that I have been subconsciously thinking about MY OWN sexuality from an allo perspective? And that it has kinda been messing me up?? Like, ever since I learned that sexual attraction was actually a Thing and that it’s Important To People, I had been carrying around a fear of being deficient in some way and not being able to love to the same extent as allos. (1)

Even though I know logically that’s complete garbage and totally untrue, I felt left out of the loop because people seemed to care strongly about this thing I couldn’t even imagine. Whenever it looked like a relationship might happen I panicked for a reason that I couldn’t understand. But now I’m starting to realize that it’s because I was subconsciously terrified of an ‘ulterior motive’ behind the other person’s reasons for wanting to be with me. (2) That part of the reason they even cared was because of something I don’t experience. So thank you, because this realization just clicked into place while reading your work. The thing is, this way of thinking was just internalized in such a way that I didn’t even realize it was there until literally this week. And I think you’re right; one of the main reasons behind that is because I’ve always consumed media written from an allo perspective. (3) If ace/aros are shown at all, they’re depicted as “lacking” and their character development usually revolves around being “fixed” by the story. When I was ~10 years old my mom sometimes let me watch the Big Bang Theory with her (looking back, maybe not the best decision). Anyways, there was one episode deep into the series where Sheldon (who for the past nineish seasons was probably the closest thing to mainstream ace rep) has sex with his girlfriend for the first time. (4) Afterwards, he says something along the lines of “that was better than I thought it would be”, and it’s presented as a Very Good Thing and a big step in their relationship. I think a lifetime of stuff like that makes it very easy to internalize aphobia and feel like the lesser part of the relationship. Or to feel like the other partner is making a huge sacrifice to be with you. That got wayy too long, sorry. All that was just a lot of words to say that I appreciate you. Take care of yourself!(5)

The portrayal of asexuality that you see in media being almost exclusively as you described is very tedious to me because it presumes that something is inherently lacking in aro/aceness rather than that feeling of "lacking" being something that is induced by societal norms. Actually, one of the things that I find additionally alienating is that fandom spaces specifically have been getting better and better about ace characters - but got damn does fandom not jive with aromanticism. Like, a character doesn't want to fuck? That's becoming a liiiittle more fine, it's 2024, we stan consent. But not shipping someone romantically?? Not so easy, now.

I'm glad that my work has been something that resonated with you in this respect! Alastor cares a lot about his reputation as a demon but is pretty blatantly a person who could not possibly give less of a shit about being "wrong" for not being experiencing romantic or sexual attraction. The explanation Viv gave at one point for his own understanding of himself (that he thinks he's just "waiting for the right woman") actually stuck out to me a lot because it's a very "well, nothing is wrong with me for not feeling anything, it's the world that's failed to produce a suitable person" perspective.

But having that kind of confident perspective of your own rightness in the world is really not often portrayed in media, or even in fandom, which even ten years ago was still in the throes of standardizing "Oh, no! Me, gay? These feelings are so wrong!" style m/m content and is honestly not that far off from essentially that for aro/ace characters.

Anyway, all of that is to say that there's not yet much out there that doesn't frame allo/amatonormative values as the default that "even aro/ace people can (and should want to) achieve," and that it's really fun to write a fic that is unequivocally from the perspective of a character who is aroace and doesn't see it as even remotely a fault in himself. Does he have moments where he's a little confused and trying to process how things fit for him? Absolutely. But he just doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who thinks he owes romance to Vox of all people, hahaha. I've written him trying to conform to allo/amatonormativity more with Mimzy, because I think the social standards of their time could push him into it, but Vox? Absolutely not, he does not respect Vox enough for it to even enter his mind.

And then, on the other hand, writing it from an aroace perspective centers the way that romantic and sexual interest can feel like a betrayal of a good thing. With a character like Alastor, it frames romantic and sexual attraction the same alien way that we usually see aromanticism and asexuality framed as.

In the end, this is just one of a plethora of different experiences that aro/ace people can have, but it's one that I really wanted to see represented more, so I'm very happy to write it. I'm glad that you're enjoying it!

#ask #personal #Anonymous #long post #t #aroace #ace #he cares about Vox at this point! #but that's. not really the same as respecting him. #anyway this next chapter is important to me because it's very #how do I put this #“this was okay at the moment but that doesn't mean he's okay with it overall and forever” #“and it does not mean that they've 'progressed' their relationship to the point where Alastor being aroace is a 'nonissue'” #“(feat. ofc the heavy implication that it was an issue in the first place)” #ANYWAY. SOMETIMES I HAVE A HARD TIME EXPRESSING THIS IN NON-FIC WORDS #SO HOPEFULLY THE FIC AS IT CONTINUES SPEAKS FOR ME. I AM GLAD THAT IT HAS SPOKEN TO YOU SO FAR <3 THANK YOU!! #sexuality #my writing #hazbin hotel #this is a hot button topic atm and it took me a minute to write a reply #that didn't seem like it invited discourse lmfao #actually I still feel weird posting my opinion this strongly oops OH WELL

[birthclod]

YOU: "What does it mean if people keep tagging my personal posts as 'Harry DuBois?'"

EMPATHY: Uh oh.

INLAND EMPIRE: So good news and bad news...

LOGIC: It seems like people think that your posts are Harry DuBois coded. Maybe this is also a sign to try the game Disco Elysium, or watch a gameplay.

PAIN THRESHOLD: It means you can lose by sitting in a chair so shitty you lose all morale and have a mental breakdown.

CONCEPTUALIZATION: Uh oh.

ENCYCLOPEDIA: Harry DuBois, also known as Raphael Ambrosius Costeau, is the main character of Disco Elysium. He is an eccentric mess: a middle-aged, wifeless, amnesiac, suicidal, communist-and/or-fascist prone to non-sequitur and uttering what seems like nonsense to an outsider, convinced of a "homosexual underground" despite being strongly coded as gay or bisexual himself, who cannot stop smiling, digs through garbage, speaks to his tie, and is possibly psychic.

VOLITION: Don't worry. It means you're a superstar.

DRAMA: It means you are a disco animal, sire, and you should keep doing whatever you're doing!

COMPOSURE: Don't even worry about it. It's probably not important and definitely doesn't say anything terrifying about your mental health.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: You should call her.

#when the cookie crumbles #disco elysium #original post by catmask #after seeing the reblog saying the replies also sound like DE i couldn't resist. #hopefully this looks okay for a funny joke i havent read DE dialogue in-game in a long time jdjdjdkdk

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

ari what do you mean u write fics on ur phone 😭 how are u just casually writing 8.9k + words on your phone 😭😭

PHDJDHUDHD IS THAT NOT NROMAL?????????????? I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE STANDARD PROCEDURE HAVE I BEEN DOING IT WRONG THIS WHOLE TIME 😭😭😭😭 i literally want to write on my laptop SO bad just for the aesthetic but i can never get into it….. 😞😞😞

wait alexis i have to know ok . what is ur usual writing method …. do u have any rituals 🎤🎤 i am looking to learn . all i do is drink lots of coffee and hope for the best i cant keep living like this

#WE’RE SO LINKED BTW i was just abt to reply to ur tags on the sugu fic when u sent this #ILY ALEXIS UR SO SWEET 😔😔😔😔 i am hugging u tightly like a teddybear #but . is it genuinely more common to write on ur laptop i thought all tumblrinas were doing it on their phone ……. #i thought i was a part of the club 😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥 have i just been sitting here tapping my phone all on my own bc i will cry #ALSO ALEXIS im almost done w the yan!gojo fic >:3…… gotta polish it but trust i will tag u when its out #probably tmrw just so i can make it extra Tasty for u hopefully itll end up okay 🙏🙏 Need that sweet taste of the alexis approval TM #ask tag ✩ #alexis !! ✩

[fredgar]

redraw of an older fredgar piece 😊

#my art #fredgar #edgar valden #freddy riley #idv #you all WILL love this. OKAY? PROMISE. NOW. #i mmight turn on reblogs for this one because i like it a little bit #but thats only if someone wants to rb it #OH i can respond to REPLIES with THIS BLOG now too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #so exciting #it took me ~5-6hrs to make? #so thats pretty awesome i think im getting Faster #i really need to work on my actual things now though #decided to make the sketch runaway and record keeper again because i realized the poses between them were similar #and i wanted to see if i improved (kind of? i definitely shade more complicated but comparing this to my other pieces its not as much impro #ement as id like) #anyways i hope you guys like it #hopefully i can get back into drawing again soon #this is the first fanart piece ive made all of 2024 #:( #wanted to make one earlier but im just. ugh

[simplysolo]

ehhhhh kinda going in and out of a bad bout of depression right now, so i think i’ll be pretty on and off of here for now

#still workin on some more art because it’s kinda giving me some will to live rn #hopefully things improve within the next week #usually how these things go for me #i’ll be okay though! #eventually #i’m gonna take a step back from the internet for a but right now though #just to focus on my work and wellbeing to the best of my ability #my asks and dms will stay open #can’t promise a quick reply though #simply speaks #and struggles

[fulcrvm]

Ask Game: List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who liked or reblogged something from you! get to know your mutuals and followers :)

hello!!! :D

COMICS!!!! Most recently, Dead Boy Detectives of course lol (let's pretend we don't see the horrendous view statistics from an hour-ish ago shhhh)

knowing ill be traveling to visit family soon

playing guitar again

getting time to write again

finally being on summer break in general :)

#thanks for sending the ask!!! hope youre well!!!! <3 #i answered a similar ask a couple days ago so hopefully these 5 things are separate enough from those lol #well okay ill travel to visit my family if i dont get into the jobs im applying for so. idk good thing either way #im just happy to travel anywhere outside of the states i cant stand it here anymore lmaooo #rex replies #carnelianmeluha #ask game

[solbellaria]

You never notice how nice and chill hermitcraft community is untill you interact with any other mainstream fandom

#i posted 2 anime characters next to pride flags and have gotten 2 death treats and a nazi in replies #anime fans are deeply unserious #hermitcraft #<- hopefully its okay to tag it im still getting used to tumblr tag etiquettes!!

[darling-winnie]

Do you have any hearcanons of finny and Robin?

I'll give you happy Finbin headcanons because I mainly think of sad ones.

Finney loves being exactly 2 inches taller than Robin.

Robin loves playing with Finney's hands.

Finney loves playing with Robin's hair.

Robin learns how to drive first and teaches Finney.

Finney doesn't like driving so Robin is always behind the wheel.

Robin compliments and flirts with Finney in spanish.

Finney starts picking up some spanish and blushes whenever Robin flirts with him.

Robin loves making Finney blush. It's his favorite thing to do.

Finney loves making Robin smile that certain kind of happy smile that he can't describe.

Donna thinks they're cute, Gwen thinks they're disgusting.

Gwen secretly thinks they're cute.

#the black phone #finney shaw #robin arellano #finney x robin #finbin #asked and answered #winnie replied #this was hard #sad hcs come easier to me #hopefully these are okay #i'll think of better ones #winnie chats

[qtubbo]

Has someone made a full list of all the qsmp streamers comfrimed to be going to vegas because like I’m struggling to figure it out. Edit:Actually adding to this just tell me if your streamers going and I haven’t added them yet so I can make a list

#I know tubbo. Mariana. Slime. Quackity. Bad. Roier. #But like idk who else #Qsmp #replies are adding Cellbit Forever Fit Etoiles and Pac(hopefully) pierre(?) #Also jaiden foolish tina mouse #okay also rubius

[divkazkdovikde]

guess who’s back back again shady’s back tell a friend guess who’s back guess who’s bac-

okay

sorry ‘bout that

so, did y’all miss me? i know u didn’t, i’m good at disappearing without anyone noticing and there’s not much of y’all anyway, since i interact with close to nobody here, i’m weird like that. (but really tell me you missed me even if you don’t mean it i need to hear it delulu is the solulu and all that) (started with a fight and now we kissin endin with you saying how you miss me yeah you miss me and all the things that we diddd-)

(okay now that sounds so self-pitying, ignore it please, i’m cringing at myself okay, i see what i wrote, i’m not blind)

anyway haha im so funny im so quirky

i’m sORRY I’M NERVOUS GIVE ME A REST OKAY

okay so, haven’t been there for like a week so i need to know what did i miss? give it to me, gimme gimme (gimme gimme gimme a man after midnigh- sorry) i need to know all the gossip, i need to see all the new art, i need to read all those new fics, i need to know how y’all doing (ARE WE ALL STILL ALIVE?), i need all the everything- PLEASE I BEG YOU I’LL EVEN PLAY THE “I HAD A HARD WEEK PLEASE PITY ME” CARD

ALSO SEND ME SOME ASKS I NEED DISTRACTION AND I WANT TO GET TO KNOW Y’ALL, ANYTHING

#i also need to reply to all the unread messages #im trying okay don’t take it personally please #i’ll get the soon hopefully #i pinky promise i’ll try #marauders #taylor swift #music #fandoms #pjo #wolfstar #dead gay wizards #harry styles #louis tomlinson #good omens #hozier #art #history #drarry #aftg #andreil #remus lupin #sirius black #james potter #jegulus #regulus black #anime #one peice #q

[emlos]

if someone has the time could you explain to me why this is racist? sometimes i cant listen to my favorite songs that have violins, because my teeth feel like theyre going to explode out of my skull, so how is that different?

#like ok my understanding of race sucks ikik #theres not a lot of a black population in poland that are vocal about music and have as deep history as the us #so all of my understanding of how stuff like not liking rap or whatever is racist because throwing a whole culture in one basket is definit #ly not okay #but this person seems to have a problem with a particular sound? so what am i missing #again im not replying under the post because i dont wanna be the white person that has to have their micoraggressions 101 explained to them #but what am i supposed to do if i dont understand something? not ask and blindly follow? thats not good either #text #im asking because almost every reblog points out that this is racist and id like to know why #hopefully from a Black person if anybody wants to explain #i tried to word it as politely as i can sorry

[hyaciiintho]

🌸｡*ﾟ+. Sorry to everyone I owe things to. It’s been extremely hard trying to get myself to start working on any replies and remaining starters. Been losing focus and zoning out more frequently these work shifts, so it’s been difficult to do much of anything ;; ;; I’m hoping soon I can kick myself back into gear, but right now my brain is just not having a good time.

Sending good vibes to everyone and well wishes. Hopefully the creative drive keeps strong with y’all ♡

#MUN SPEAKING 🌸 ᴬ ʷᵉᵃᵛᵉʳ ᵒᶠ ᵗᵃˡᵉˢ; ᴾᵃⁱⁿᵗᵉʳ ᵒᶠ ˢᵗᵃʳˢ #Still having a rough time processing things. I’ll be okay for like an hour and then suddenly just— #not be okay jfsijdbd This is gonna be one hell of a year to get through… #but hopefully I can kick my butt into gear and get that momentum going again with stuff on here. #That’ll help keep my brain focused on other things and just give some more good times to look forward to ;; ;; #I still have the art stuff too so I’m looking forward to working on those… just… again ;;; ;;; trying to get started first. #The starting is the hardest part for me but I’ll keep trying in the meantime. #Just know I’m not shoving anything aside. I’m actively trying every night at work during my shifts. I just end up staring at my screen #for the whole 10 hour shift ;;; ;;; so… sorry for the wait on replies and stuff ckdjxbebc #I rambled in the tags again— what else is new??? LOL anyways yeah big hugs to all. Might try another inbox call maybe #to keep giving people interaction stuff. Or do like a… perma-inbox thing?? So I know who to bother randomly when I wanna reach out #and not add to anyone’s plate who doesn’t want additional stuff to answer. I KEEP RAMBLING OKAY BYE KISSIES AND HUGS—!!!!!

[hiddencitywaters]

Continued

@watchimgwatching

He had bristled slightly at her hair but more from surprise than annoyance. He had been raised to help anyone, but especially women even if they were personally capable and something about her spirit drew him too her. He hoped that he hadn't thrown a wrench into her day or worry her further. "An honest mistake I am sorry for startling you. I happen to be very acquainted with blonde hair. Matthias Helvar, Nice to meet you Goldie, but absolutely,"

#// replying at 3 am again so hopefully this is okay #musings: Matthias Helvar

[doctorweebmd]

good news chapter 12 of the path to paradise is basically done so i need to edit and tweak some things before my night shift tomorrow but hopefully i'll post it then!!!

#i'm super excited. its a major plot reveal chapter AND its an atsushi chapter similar to the akutagawa chapter #where he gets awful advice has a few important conversations and thinks about his feelings #i can't wait to reveal the ages thing too #have i mentioned that i think the path to paradise is my second most favorite thing i've ever written???? #(after zero-sum game of course) #just. its clever. i love it. AHHHH. #but if i'm posting tomorrow i need to answer all my comments AHHH #okay maybe i'll do that right now #my dear beautiful friend mania_sama your comments always leave me feeling like in an alternate lifetime you were my mentor #is that an insane thing to say #anyway...... on to annoy people in their inboxed #actually personally i kind of love when authors reply to my comments #like i dont hold it against anyone for NOT responding (i certainly havent to a LOT.......... bad anna) #but talking about a story and hopefully making them smile makes me so happy!!! #i'm really trying to do my best to comment on more stuff

[guqin-and-flute]

I’m going through my drafts to fill up my queue and get inspired for more writing, so if I randomly reblog something from you from...like...3 years ago, that’s why

#I'm not just lurking on your blog all the way back :D #my stuff #My brain wants busy work today so I'm going to do that and then pull a sneak attack of creativity #edit: OKAY so I have 215 posts in my queue and I think I've dealt with somewhere between 300-400 posts. I have 2201 posts in drafts now #because that's who i am as a person #I feel accomplished and will probably do this every once in a while over the next few weeks #but i feel thoroughly saturated in content now and hopefully this means more writing and editing #and replying to things!

[valkyrie-chemist]

Readers who comment along as they read have my whole heart. Like yes babygurl we’re on this ride togetherrr

#and we’re never getting off #hopefully the characters will tho ;) #oop #look i don’t get to make that decision okay #i’m just the author #i try my best to reply to them #but sometimes they get away from me #seeing sand #tomarry fanfic #read on ao3 #fanfic