I've been looking at my Kelly Bennett designs and am trying to reevaluate his hair timeline. I wanna keep his long hair, but also let it be short at some points. But he also canonically has haircuts so now I need to work his trauma into his hair length.
Thank you so much for this tournament, I can't wait to find more media with aspec characters! It's so cool how many have already been submitted but I wanted to add two characters from my all time favourite book series:
Kelly Bennett from the Green Creek series by TJ Klune is canonically ace. It's alluded to multiple times in the first two books and explicitly confirmed in the third book, Heartsong.
Tanner Reeves from the Green Creek series by TJ Klune is canonically aromantic. In the fourth book, Brothersong, he says about his relationship with his platonic mate (mate as in werewolves, not mate as in friend lol):
“It’s… platonic? Like, we’re not fucking or anything. But we trust each other. We love each other. I wanted to have that connection with someone. And being aromantic made that harder.” He glanced at Chris, his expression softening. “There’s no one I trust more. I know he’ll have my back no matter what. And I’ve got his. We’re in tune with each other. It made sense for us.”
ahhhhh ur so welcome!! Ty for the characters XD im getting a lot of characters by TJ Klune sounds like i gotta check out this author
Robbie had never stepped foot in Elizabeth’s studio before. He knew that she only allowed a handful of people to be in here while she worked. The few times that the door had been left open, Robbie was able to see inside. It was a cozy room filled with canvases and sketches that were scattered about, and a record player in the corner that played gentle music.
Even though he could have entered the room, he never took a step past the threshold. He hadn’t been invited in, it wouldn’t have been right.
So that is why he found himself feeling nervous when Elizabeth had said she wanted to show him something in her studio.
He fidgeted with his hands, not wanting to touch anything lest he accidentally ruin one of the beautiful paintings she had here. “So, what did you want to show me?” Robbie said quietly. It felt wrong to speak any louder and break the peaceful energy that this room contained.
“As you know, I’ve been working on a new painting recently,” Elizabeth replied, gently closing the door behind Robbie. For the past few days, she seemed to spend all her free time in here, stating that she was working on an important piece and that no one was allowed to see it until it was completed. “I just finished it this morning and I wanted you to be the first one to see it.”
Elizabeth approached an easel that had a white sheet draped over it, an outline of a canvas underneath. She fiddled with the sheet, almost nervously, and Robbie could not remember a time when Elizabeth had been anything but confident in what she painted.
“I wanted to make sure I got it just right before I showed you,” she continued. “But I was working off of a small photo and my own memory, so it may not be perfect.” She smiled at him before stepping to the side. “Why don’t you have a look?”
Robbie swallowed and approached the easel, his hands going to the sheet, delicately removing it. “Mrs. Bennett, I’m sure whatever it is it’ll be per…” His voice trailed off as the sheet fell away and he saw what was underneath.
The eyes that were staring back at him were ones that he had not seen in a very long time. The last time he had seen them they were wide with terror. Now they were full of happiness and crinkled at the corners. They were framed with the same pair of black glasses that Robbie now wore. Below them were cheekbones and a nose that Robbie found so similar to his own. The smile was beautiful, so full of joy and happiness and life.
This was his mother. Not the tiny picture from her drivers license with her serious expression. Not the look of fear that was on her face the last time Robbie had seen her alive. Not the slowly fading images in his memories from when he was young that he still desperately tried to cling to. This was her.
He slowly raised his hand and ghosted his fingertips over the painting as gently as he could. Usually someone who was so full of words, Robbie could only manage a whispered, “How…”
“I used the photo from her license as the main reference,” Elizabeth replied from behind him, voice soft, as if she was talking to a skittish animal. “Then I added the details from how I remembered her.”
Distantly, Robbie recalled a moment a few weeks ago. Elizabeth had asked to see his mother’s drivers license that he still kept tucked away in his backpack. He didn’t think twice about giving it to her. She was his pack, his family, someone who he could trust to handle one of his most treasured belongings.
“I took a picture of it before I gave it back to you,” she continued. “When I asked you to grab something from the kitchen for me.”
With what felt like a great amount of effort, Robbie turned away from the canvas and faced Elizabeth. “I… you…” he breathed, the full force of his emotions finally hitting him. They rolled off of him in waves. The blueblueblue that was so strong it felt like it would suffocate him, the tiny amount of green that was trying to fight its way through. His eyes burned with tears and they only fell when Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. He cried into her shoulder, trying to stop it from turning into full on sobs.
But she held him the whole time, whispering words in his ear that he couldn’t fully register, and running her hands across his shoulders and back in soothing circles. He didn’t know how long they stood there, only coming back to himself when he heard the studio door creak open.
“Mom?” a voice asked, cautiously.
Elizabeth didn’t move from her spot as she answered, “Everything is fine, Kelly. I was just showing Robbie something.”
Robbie opened his eyes and glanced at Kelly over Elizabeth’s shoulder. He was looking from the two of them to the painting of Robbie’s mother. His expression softened in understanding, and Robbie realized that Kelly would have felt his distress through their bond. He probably would have come running here immediately had he not known that Elizabeth and Robbie were up here together.
With a sniff, Robbie pulled back and looked at Elizabeth. Her own eyes were red-rimmed but she was much more composed than he was. She cupped his face in her hands, using her thumbs to wipe away the remaining tears on his cheeks, before placing a gentle kiss to his forehead. Robbie could see the damp patch he left on her shirt and distantly thought that he would feel embarrassed about it later but couldn’t bring himself to worry about it at the moment.
She turned toward where Kelly still stood in the doorway. “Kelly, why don’t you take Robbie?” Robbie must have made a noise because she looked at him again. “It’s alright. I’ll get the painting framed and give it to you properly later.”
Reluctantly, he nodded. Elizabeth passed him off to Kelly before going to stand next to the easel.
“Come on. Let’s go lay down for a bit,” Kelly softly said to him, taking his hand and leading him from the room.
Robbie followed him but not before looking back one last time. Elizabeth stood next to the painting wearing a smile identical to his mothers.
“Thank you,” he mouthed the words to her before shutting the door behind him.
