#acespec headcanons

[threemoonwatchers]

*throws caedoromantic asexual Lloyd at fandom and runs*

[eleiyaumei]

Rambling about aro, ace, aroace, demi Sesshōmaru

romantic attraction =/= sexual attraction, aromanticism =/= asexuality

For most people, their romantic identity matches their sexual identity (e.g. aroace, gay, straight, bi) but that doesn’t mean that they are the same. Alloromantic asexual people and aromantic allosexual people might be the best examples for this but it’s also possible to be heterosexual and panromantic.

As far as I know, alloromantic allosexual Sesshōmaru is the most common representation of him in fan works which makes sense because most people on the planet identify that way.

In regards to “proof” that Sesshōmaru might be one identity or another, in my judgement, there is none, neither in manga nor anime – not even in YH, which I do not include in this because for me, it is not canon. There are several instances where Sesshōmaru’s kind of feelings are ambiguous, especially in the case of Kagura, but none show explicitly that he feels romantic or sexual attraction to anyone. (If you disagree, feel free to let me know!)

So, in accordance with the “lack of proof on sexual and romantic attraction”, I interpret Sesshōmaru to be aroace. But this is influenced by me being ace and thinking in the pattern “asexual until proven allosexual”. Similarly, alloromantic allosexual people might think “allo/allo until proven otherwise” and see Sesshōmaru that way until he says something like “I am not interested in romance and/or sex” and that’s valid as well.

But 1) we can’t look inside his brain, heart or body and determine what he experiences

and 2) we as fans can headcanon him as whatever identity we like.

(I personally separate interpretation from headcanon for interpretation to mean “something that can be supported by the text” and for headcanon to mean “whatever someone imagines – whether supported by the text or not”.)

Interpreting or HCing Sesshōmaru as demisexual and/or demiromantic seems to be the best compromise for a lot of people, allo and aro-/ace-specs alike. Like, he ‘is’ asexual/aromantic until he forms a deep bond with someone and he then ‘becomes’ allo.

Demisexual/-romantic people, please tell me what you think of that wording because I’m not a fan of it. It reminds me of things allo people tell a-spec people, the whole “You just have to find the right person”, or of what supporters of Purity Culture want people to be like: Abstaining from sex, sexual thoughts, fantasies etc. until you marry and then having sex regularly to reproduce, pleasing your partner etc.

I’m also not fond of the wording of the common definition of demisexuality/-romanticism: “Experiencing sexual/romantic attraction after developing a strong emotional bond with someone” because it can make it seem like you automatically experience these attractions once you formed said bond when I don’t think that’s the case for most demi people.

I prefer the definition that I heard from a demi person (Christi Kerr), in the vein of “rarely experiencing sexual/romantic attraction and when you do, it’s towards someone you developed a strong emotional bond with”. [Source]

Demisexuality and -romanticism aren’t experienced in a monolithic way. Some might develop sexual/romantic attraction to every person they bond with emotionally, some might predict a possibility that they will develop attraction once they get close to a specific person and some might get close to people (with the hope/assumption that they’ll develop attraction) only to realize that they still don’t feel attraction towards them.

(As an asexual person who only experiences sexual attraction towards 1 fictional character, I’m pretty jealous of the first two groups. Like, “It’s THAT easy for you guys? GREAT. Wish that were me.” But I know that no experience is “easy”, people can still deal with unreciprocated feelings/attraction, fleeting attraction, and many other struggles.)

What worries me about people HCing Sesshomaru as demisexual/-romantic is the potential that some allo people only use that HC to fetishize/project their own fantasies onto the real identities of demisexuality/-romanticism. Like, they might accept the aro/ace parts only because he does experience attraction towards them/their OC(s)/the person(s) they’re shipping him with (and attraction is kinda a must-have in romance/smut works) and because it gives them a sense of relationship security, fewer reasons to get jealous towards people he’s interacting with.

But I have to be fair and acknowledge that people can separate fact from fiction and can see their fantasies as such. Though, I must admit, I’m pretty pessimistic about that since the spectrums of asexuality and aromanticism are not common knowledge and a lot of misconceptions are roaming about...

[kyanitedragon]

Cupiosexual Denji

(Plain Text: Cupiosexual Denji)

[ID: Chainsaw Man panels featuring Denji, taken from the official manga coloring, with tumblr posts edited onto them. Each tumblr post has a green border around it.

Denji and Power dressed and posing smartly. Power declares "Commence operation: Super Smart!" The tumblr post is from AceOfSquiddles and reads "When you're trying to figure out if someone could be ace or aro: Aspec-ulation"

Denji excitedly saying "Sweet!" as Power hangs over his shoulder and says "Wah!" The tumblr post is an anon submission to cupio-culture-is and reads "Cupiosexual culture is seeing other aces being like 'garlic bread is better than sex' and saying 'both. both is good'."

Denji in his chainsaw man form, staring at Yoru's body, who is wearing only her underwear. The tumblr post is an anon submission to cupio-culture-is and reads "Cupiosexual culture is not understanding fanservice but appreciating it nonetheless."

Denji staring ahead with a blank but concerned expression. The tumblr post is from PanickingAspec and reads "Me: I'm straight. Asexuality: Hey. Me: Shit"

Denji quickly turning around and yelling with a slightly angry and confused expression. The tumblr post is from Johanna-Swann and reads "Just found out about cupiosexuality. Why didn't that show up in my search results when I googles 'wants sex in general, but no sexual attraction'?"

Denji staring into space with a blank and thoughtful expression. Images of the planet earth are repeating in the background. The tumblr post is from AngryAngledForPositivity and reads "It's so funny how I can look back at my whole life after realizing I'm aspec and go 'so that's what that was about'."

Denji sprawled out on a couch with his head turned away, his body language exuding depression. The tumblr post is an anon submission to cupio-culture-is and reads "Cupio culture is having strong sensual feelings and desires without them being directed at any one person. It's longing in a way you can't quite articulate. It's a need for a level of physical and emotional intimacy that's unheard of in traditional friendships. It's an inability to express that need without it being labeled as romantic or sexual. Cupio culture is love and affection minus the attraction. Cupio culture is forever feeling misunderstood."

End ID]

[corelliaxdreaming]

Acespec Corran Horn Headcanons

In celebration of International Asexuality Day, a post about my shiny new acespec Corran thoughts! Of course I've been in this fandom since realizing I'm aroace, so I've thrown aspec headcanons at everyone, but this is my first time reading the books since then, so it's really interesting to dig back more into the details and what I can extrapolate from them. I had this image in my head of Corran as the fuckboy who thought every lady was hot and wanted to sleep with them all but...that's just not true. He's clearly attracted to Erisi, but he rebuffs her every time she makes a move on him and seems legitimately uncomfortable with much of the time. He always has another reason not to sleep with her, and I'm especially intrigued by it "just feeling wrong." He acknowledges Mirax is pretty but has no overtly sexual thoughts about her, getting to know her more slowly and connect on a personal level. Therefore, drumroll...

I can't figure out which works better, lithsexual or orchidsexual (or I suppose it could be both?), but I see Corran as feeling sexual attraction but not desiring to act on it and being uncomfortable being pursued. Until he gets to know someone, and that's the demisexual part. At that point, he's more comfortable with sex, both initiating it himself and accepting that kind of attention from his partner.

I just got through the bit in Wedge's Gamble where we hear about his time with Chertyl and a bit more of his CorSec-era dating history. I think he probably dated a lot during that time and had more sex than he probably would have had he understood his identity. At this point, Corran knows nothing about asexuality or the ace spectrum, and he's trying to be "normal." (I also see him as arospec, either demiro as well or cupio, so there's that too.) As for Chertyl specifically, the above holds true, but he's somewhere between sex-indifferent and sex-favorable, so he may still sometimes sleep with someone if he makes some kind of connection/is having a good time with them and very much enjoy it.

[adhd-orion]

Criminal Minds headcanons

Aaron Hotchner (he/him) - Greysexual, queer, transgender man

David Rossi (he/him) - Bisexual, greyromantic

Elle Greenaway (she/her) - Bisexual, aromantic

Derek Morgan (he/him) - Bisexual

Emily Prentiss (she/they) - Non-binary, lesbian

Jennifer Jareau (she/her) - Bisexual

Penelope Garcia (she/they) - Pansexual, transfeminine, demiwoman

Spencer Reid (they/he/she/xe) - Asexual, bi, agender, quoiromantic

[katquasar]

I could honestly see Ren being Reciproromantic/Reciprosexual tbh

like it could be plausible he didn't see Nora in a romantic light until he realizes she sees him that way (that scene in V4 is actually a great place to have the starting point of his romantic feelings I feel)

look I like the idea of Ren being in the ace/aro spectrum (I've already beem headcanoning him as demisexual for a long time anyway)

[herefortheacenaro]

Marius from les mis is arospec and acespec

Need proof?

"Could it be marius is in love at last" is a line in a song

[acefandom]

(Pacific Rim): Mako is bi and ace. Raleigh is bi grey-romantic ace. Newt is trans, pan, and a-spec. Hermann is gay aro-spec ace.

Great headcanons!

-Mod Spike