so the latest update to the sims 4 added sexuality customization. i was like “oh cool we can probably, like, make gay sims now instead of having everyone be bi. cool. good for the gays.”

I dared not HOPE that they would even think about aros but DUDE. THEY ADDED THE SPLIT ATTRACTION MODEL

YOU CAN NOW MAKE SIMS THAT ARE ARO, ACE, OR OTHERWISE HAVE SPLIT ATTRACTIONS VIA THE NEW SEXUALITY TAB IN THE CREATE A SIM (its under the same tab as the custom gender options)

[image ID: a small cropped screenshot of a notification from the sims 4, in which a sim says “I am not interested in romantic relationships.” end ID]

NO MORE DO WE HAVE TO SUFFER WITH THE (modded in from sims 3) UNFLIRTY TRAIT. THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER. IT STRAIGHT UP DELETES THE OPTION FOR ROMANTIC INTERACTIONS, BOTH PLAYER MADE AND AUTONOMOUS, FOR THE SIM AND FOR ANY SIMS INTERACTING WITH THEM WHO KNOW THEIR ROMANTIC ORIENTATION.

and!!!!!! then I thought!!!! no! it couldn’t possibly be! this is wonderful but they couldn’t possibly have moved the sexual interactions out of the romance tab, where they’ve always been in every sims game! if you only check the sexual attractions and leave romantic attractions unchecked it probably just like, doesn’t let you do them! they couldn’t possibly!

NOPE

[image ID: a cropped screenshot of the sims 4 showing some interaction options listed under the “friendly” category in the interaction tree. the highlighted interaction is “ask to be WooHoo partners.” end ID]

WOOHOO PARTNERS. FWB. A COMPLETELY NEW RELATIONSHIP TYPE THAT UNLOCKS WOOHOO INTERACTIONS WITHOUT REQUIRING A ROMANTIC RAPPORT LIKE YOU’VE ALWAYS NEEDED IN THE SIMS.

[image ID: a cropped screenshot of the sims 4 showing three different WooHoo options listed under the “friendly” category in the interaction tree. end ID]

LOOK AT IT. IT PUTS THE WOOHOO OPTIONS UNDER THE FRIENDLY TAB.

this is alloaro representation! this is legitimately alloaro representation, with gameplay dedicated to alloaro relationships!

Whenever I react to posts about representation that throw me under the bus as a sex-favourable, non-partnering allo-aro, I'm always asked the same question: do you have resources for writing allo-aro characters?

But there aren't many resources that focus on writing allo-aro characters (as opposed to our being included in general resources for aromantic characters). As a believer in the truth that almost any type of character can be written in stories with a sufficient amount of different allo-aro characters, most resources don't fit my philosophy as both an allo-aro and a storyteller. I've also long felt that, when it comes to allies writing allo-aro characters, the "ally" aspect is far more important--and less often discussed--than the "character" aspect.

So, for Aro Week, I'm posting a two-part series about how I think allies to allo-aros should go about the process of writing allo-aro characters.

I want to stress that these posts are not for or directed at own voices creators. (I'm not comfortable with the idea of telling other allo-aros how to go about their work!) It's also likely that other allo-aros disagree with me on some or many points when it comes to how our allies write allo-aro characters, and that’s fine: just like in anything else, we have no monolithic viewpoint on representation. Only though having lots of different conversations, and all the missteps such conversations inevitably entail, can we muddle our way towards (something close to) a conclusion.

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