Apathetic Echidna

I am this oblivious too! Knowing how they feel makes me feel like ants are crawling under my skin when I am around them Surprise bad consent practices are the worst, especially if the romance quickly degrades into sex acts with no clear consents. At least if there is a warning that the story is noncon I can expect it and also have the knowledge that the author has the smarts to identify the thing that happens is not a good acceptable thing and should be warned against. So, I was raised to see most of this as acts of consideration. Holding and pushing in chairs is something that is done for all the older members of my family when we sit down to food and it can actually be handy when you are wearing stupidly large heels. I hold doorway doors for strangers and friends all the time, car doors I don't understand unless it is a chauffeur thing. But I guess specifically what you are talking about is when they rush or fight to be the one to do the thing and become all annoyed if you dare to do it to them as it undermines their perceived image of themselves as a provider/protector or some bull.

I chose sometimes to every question, here is why 1. Do you like hugs? hugs are mostly a comfort thing so I actively seek them out when I am upset or sick (spread the disease!), or a greeting/goodbye to someone I am close to and think they deserve more than a handshake. Otherwise it is a don't trap me in your arms scenario. 2. Do you like kisses? goodnight kisses are a thing in my family so sometimes it feels like I am missing out on something if I go to bed without one, but otherwise it is a bit iffy. 3. Do you like cuddling? When I am cold I have been known to seek out the warmest friend in the room, but I would much prefer to cuddle a hot water bottle or a dog. I have been told I cuddle a lot in bed when I am asleep but I think that is my heat seeking nature as those comments have only ever popped up in winter. Otherwise I find it quite awkward and I get twitchy and want to run.

yeah, this is much better. By nice I should have said shallow nice, though it can be truly nice. I just remember being with a friend and their partner and the conversation turned to driving and my friend goes "I remember driving you (the partner) everywhere you wanted the first week we started dating because I wanted you to think I was nice so you would like me as much as I like you"

it is too late at night and I should be sleeping but I have been staring at this topic so I feel I must post something. 28 Days Later, but I may just be logic-ing away any romantic overtones Daybreakers, a good vampire movie that focuses on the differing opinions which have caused a dysfunctional relationship between 2 brothers Cube, people be too scared for their lives to romance the anime Juuni Kokuki (The Twelve Kingdoms) I don't remember it having obvious romance, there is probably some minor side character stuff but it mostly focuses on how differing personalities perceive and interact with their world. Youko might as well be aro. How come no one has mentioned Hot Fuzz? after the crime scene break up there is only minor side character stuff and the Romeo + Juliet scene is ridiculously laughable

Looking back I could have probably labelled myself as aromantic at 12 or 13, but I probably would have also used asexual as well (mostly because I was surrounded by sex interested 12 and 13 year olds and I wasn't particularly bothered). But then the ace thing would have been dashed to pieces when I turned 16 which might have messed up my sense of identity along with the inevitable false hope of possibly actually being like most other people. So I guess what I am saying is identify yourself as young as you want but don't let it become integral to your identity too early as you may grow to discover new things about yourself which may affect how you identify yourself.

I am glad I'm not the only one. I thought I was very mercenary as my only fear is never owning my own house. Renting is ridiculously unstable and I hate change, plus I have heaps of stuff which makes moving VERY painful. My dream would to be building my dream house, but all I see are the piles of money needed for that and I have never seen a single person build a house and not be buried under a pile of debt. The housing market is so depressing anyway.......I need to win the lottery, either finding a sugar daddy happy with me or winning the actual lotto.

I guess I am another shining example of Australian drinking culture. The recent euro-migrant side of the family had me drinking wine with dinner early in my life to combat their perceived bad Australian attitudes to drinking and the Australian side were slyly encouraging me with beer and cocktails. Well you can't really escape it when you have cocktail Christmas every year. I can be proud to say I have never binge drinked (fund-raising pub crawls don't count. they are for charity!)

This is kinda the safest option! because the one time I decided to try something different I accidentally started a rant on how bad his personality was and that the last few weeks had been full of emotional manipulation on his part and I had been so proud of her when she broke up with him a week ago and why was she sad about finding out about his cheating if she had already dumped him? it did not go over well. Now I just offer icecream and hugs. I thought I was the only one to do this! I confess that the first time I heard my best friend do 'baby talk' as an endearment to their partner I excused myself to throw up I was so revolted. Still makes my skin crawl and I have to leave the room.

I agree with romantic attraction being desire and intent rather than actions. I hold hands, kiss, hug, share a bed with other people for weeks at a time without feeling romantic towards them. as I understand romantic attraction, in the most general way, from my David Attenborough-like observations of couples: An attraction fixated on another person with the desire to become a partnered unit and have the bonding union acknowledged by others. When the attraction is returned and the relationship persued, the individuals involved are especially nice to each other and focus their attention on each other to the possible detriment of other previously established relationships. (I find that last bit is not something that happens with new friendships) extra points if you read this in your head with David Attenborough's voice!

I chose musicians I liked the music of because I was less likely to forget who I supposedly had a crush on. Though that kind of backfired on me when Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) album came out, friends freaked when they thought my crush was Marilyn Manson. I picked more generic looking singers for the next 10 years. sigh. 10 years of being asked who my crush was.....did my friends never notice I never asked them? probably because they couldn't compute that I didn't care...and teens are self-absorbed. I just found out I have the first 2 of his trilogy, though I only remember reading 1. I am really loving the premise as I re-read them at the moment! as for early signs of being aro...I guess the first time I was asked out I must have been 12 or something, I startled, said no, then preceded to freak out, terrified of being attacked by other offers for dates. I have mellowed, but back then being asked out felt like an attack or a threat.

yay! colour with a u is winning! Colour is my favourite colour of all!

Dear Apathetic Echidna of 2003 Soon you will see a poster on the way to the airport of a band that will be touring soon. They are called Blink-182. You will love them. You in 14 years will still love them. So do us a favour and beg everyone in the family for a ticket. This is the only chance you will ever have to see them live. EVER! You will eventually become allergic to figs, so enjoy them while you can. Also watermelon juice is an interesting and easy thing to bring to summer parties, it also makes a pretty decent mixer. You have another 8 years with your pet. Enjoy every day. Forever yours, Apathetic Echidna of 2017 PS. Pay attention to bushfire back-burning strategies in your environmental conservation course, it will be 20% of the final exam and the marker will not be amused by your rendition of the Mona Lisa as a bilby if you can't remember.

um, maybe ew? I don't like cordials eggplant

If I was going to comment or agree I would be quoting more than half of this thread! YMBAI you can't tell the difference between 'appropriate' love and 'inappropriate' love in songs. creeper, stalker, rapey, sweet, unrequited, and mutual love duets all sound the same. YMBAI you meet someone and think you have found an instant good friend then freak out when they try to kiss you, then they complain about sending mixed messages. When all you thought you were doing was being friendly. YMBAI you listen to a friend talk about their new boyfriend and you get happy seeing them happy but when they show you a picture you have no idea how to react. So you just go quiet and change the topic. YMBAI you thought romantic love was a social construct indoctrinated early and enforced by peer pressure to get people to pair up and form nuclear families.

I hadn't really thought about a lot of the characters mentioned. actually I don't even recognise some of them I would agree with this. Most of the relationships he has are more like friendly-ish colleague type ones if I remember rightly (It has been a while since I read or watched it) Glad to see Dean Winchester hasn't changed as the seasons progressed! I only watched til season 2 but he was definitely my favourite. I agree with everyone that Sherlock is ace/aro and so I avoid the fanfics because shipping fanfics are everywhere and always tend to turn sexual or romantic. I'm going to have to watch my favourite movies and shows again with new eyes. But there is one I can mention now, it is my most treasured headcannon: 28 Days Later is (the best in my opinion) non romantic love story. The movie is all about human connection and love under hardship (and infected rage non-zombies). Jim is aro, Selena is aro (and possibly romance repulsed), Hannah is aro! Everyone is aro! *throws glitter* And the kiss is explained as an 'I am so glad you are still alive and my life is much less in danger' platonic emotional outpouring. I almost kinda think Newt Scamader is demiromantic or something.....

I noticed that reading through! Personally I think just the colour scheme and an arrow. I saw a great picture of a dragon hugging an arrow as a representation of aromantics, though I think it was the old flag with the yellow stripe... as long as the only colours on the image are the greens, white, gray and black with an arrow somewhere it would be kind of obvious and interesting if you were searching for it. The you can do almost anything. An aro coloured rainbow with arrows of sunlight! Stripes of colour would be easier to recognise as I just had the thought of a t-shirt I saw of a hunter in camo with a crossbow which would technically fit my idea above of just a colour scheme.