#is it too much to ask to have one (1) canonically queer couple

[starlight-bread-blog]

Why Lokius Should Have Been Canon

This is a sort of combo of two metas that didn't quite get point my across. Some parts will be copied directly, but there's a lot of original content. I will discuss the ship between Loki and Mobius, their place in the show, and the MCU at large. My focus for this meta won't be parallels or motifs, because these things border on well-written friendships. But there will be some of that.

Romance in the MCU

There are a lot of straight couples in the MCU. (Almost) Every main hero is in some heterosexual relationship, Loki included.

(That's not all, not remotely).

But in the LGBTQ+ department... uh.. I think it was mentioned that Valkyrie had a girlfriend... uh... America Chavez had a pride pin... and Loki:

One line. Queer experiences are never a focal point of a show/movie the same way heterosexual experiences are. And that needs to change.

Romance In the Show

Wrong, toxic, or unsuccessfu romantic love is a recurring theme in the show.

Sylki

Sylki was an icky relationship right off the bat. They are the same person. I can't find the post at the moment, but someone has pointed out in their post that them being the same person is referenced in every episode in season 1 (edit: here it is), which is when the romance took place. This made their romance uncomfortable for many viewers.

(Some consider Sylki a toxic relationship, but for this post, the topic is too large to handle with the nuance I'd like to handle it with).

When he's drunk, Loki compares love to a dagger, stating that it hurts you, but when you try to find strength in it, it's not real.

Which is exactly what happens. Sylvie pushes Loki into a portal and they never get back together.

The Love Triangle

In 02×03, Ravonna Renslayer is infatuated with Victor Timely, but he leaves her behind and betrays her when Miss Minutes told him to. One episode later, we discover that they were indeed an item, and established the TVA together. He Who Remains deleted her memories and they never rekindle their love.

Later in the episode, is the best example of "wrong" romance in the show. Miss Minutes, the AI clock, confesses her love to Viktor Timely. He, obviously, freaks out and shuts her off. Nothing ever comes of this.

Brad and Dox

This one is small, but a big indication to romance being a theme. In 02×01, we're shown this:

The gap in the age of the actors is uncomfortable, and a character in universe has this reaction to it. It is never mentioned again.

So what does all of this leave us with? Not much. None of this properly ties to the finale, or anything really. If I were to write the show I would cut a lot of this out, since it serves no purpose. But it does make you keep romance and its shortcomings in mind. The writers want it to be there, in the back of your head.

Loki and Mobius

Finally! I got to talk about them. The two people in question. First things first, who are they, together? They became really supportive, close friends.

Fans even drew parallels to Chaos & Order, which is a very important theme in Loki. But I'm not here to unpack them. These things don't necessarily make them in love. So what does make them in love? I'll present you my evidence, and you ask yourself,

Would it be valid to suggest romantic implications if a man and a women are:

1) Extremely thouchy with each other.

2) Riding on a tandem bike together.

3) Willing to suffer a fate worst than death for another.

4) Falling on each other after that^

5) Literally the Interrupted Declaration of Love trope. (Ex)

6) Being framed in a circle.

7) Waiting & giving permission to attack.

8) Fixing themselvs before seeing the other.

Of course yes. Maybe you think some of these are a strech, but ultimately, people would point out romantic connotations across the board. And I'm here, pointing them out right now. Some scenes between Loki and Mobius have romantic implications.

Conclusion

Loki is a queer protagonist in the MCU, a universe that lacks representation of queer experiences. His show constantlty reminded us of romance, sometimes for seemigly no reason. In the second season, they wrote him and his best friend with romantic implications. And then, nothing. It should not have been nothing. Lokius should have been canon.

#loki series #anti sylki #antisylki #lokius meta #lokius gif #lokius #loki x mobius #mobius x loki #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #loki #loki season 2 #loki s2 #loki spoilers #loki 2 #anti loki series #anti loki show #loki series criticism #loki series critical #loki and mobius #mobius mcu #mobius marvel #mobius m mobius #tom hiddleston #tom hiddelston loki #owen wilson #marvel mcu #mcu loki #lgbt #queer

[mazzystar24]

I’m respectfully about to lose my mind at some of the fandom rn with the way buddie shippers are being treated… It’s like no one understands the whole point of shipping a couple is to want them to be together, so duh if something happens that could potentially lead to that pairing they’re going to get excited and theorize? Yes it’s absolutely important for Buck to explore his sexuality outside of buddie but the way people are trying to say that buddie shippers are homophobic for wanting endgame buddie….. when buddie is literally a queer ship? it doesn’t make any sense to me as a queer person myself because it’s like- y’all do realize that buck dating eddie would in fact mean that he is still bisexual, and that people have wanted thst for years, so A) why are we shocked and appalled at buddie shippers for being happy that they are one step closer to endgame buddie, B) why are we calling people homophobic or biphobic when they are quite literally shipping two men together, C) why are we all acting as if buddie endgame hasn’t been simmering just under the surface for YEARS and that if they were going to give us buddie, then thag means buck and eddie would both have to come oit as queer…

I’ve seen so many prominent blogs in the community who have made posts like “buck’s bisexuality has nothing to do with buddie and you are a horrible human for even insinuating that” and so many people are agreeing??? And not to mention the fact that now these same people are trying to villainize and trash on Eddie when in all honesty Buck’s behavior in 7x04 was NOT okay- physically harming someone because they’re not giving you attention is never okay (and i’m saying this as someone whi ADORES Buck, he still needs to be held accountable.)

It just reads very icky to me that so many people are screaming “bi pride” but then spewing all of this vitriol over a ship that would fit within Buck’s bisexuality…

It worries me that the writers are going to see this negativity from people and they’re going to just completely back-burner Eddie’s character in favor of Buck and it disappoints me because even outside of buddie, a major tv show portraying a repressed gay poc with religious and family trauma would be EQUALLY as powerful as Bi Buck is……

but i guess that’s just people only caring about the queer storylines when it’s about a white man since these are also the people acting like Hen and Karen or Michael and David haven’t been there the whole time

but that’s just me i guess….

I’m bullet pointing not to be curt by the way just because I prefer addressing part by part🫶

1. Agreed like this fandom was relatively peaceful then BAM it fully shifted overnight like in the words of Taylor swift THIS IS WHY WE CANT HAVE NICE THINGS

2. Yesss exactly like I’m very much a dont yuck someone else’s yum type of person so like even ships I don’t like I’ll be like okay respect 🫡 enjoy your fandom space love that for you AS LONG AS THEYRE RESPECTFUL TOO and I’m not gonna lie to you I see the primary source of negativity and stuff in the fandom be people who legit never watched anything other than the bucktommy related content (which I kinda have a whole other rant about but I don’t wanna give you miles and miles to read in one ask)

3. Yes to that 100% - buddie is a queer ship the cognitive dissonance it takes to call someone homophobic for shipping them is honestly fascinating atp, Buck is bi canonically now and y’all do realise that who he’s with or if he’s single even doesn’t take away from that right??? Like the rep is THERE and will always be THERE

4. You worded it a bit weird but I got what you meant (I hope) so anyone who didn’t may require a little clarification, the sentiment of bucks bisexuality being separate from buddie I think is 1000% correct and I agree wholeheartedly that a persons sexuality and their journey shouldn’t be just about their love interests but about themselves as a person, the issue people are taking is that 1. The people saying this are saying it on every buddie post even when the same blogs posting it have 177283 posts talking about buck as an individual and as a bisexual man outside of buddie and bucktommy, so it’s sort of become a weaponised statement if that makes sense 2. The buddie shippers are the ones who have been advocating so hard for the show to give us canon bi buck like that’s just fact no one can deny so to the og fans who’ve been here for YEARS (I’ve only started like 2023 ish so I’m not counting myself there) this must be such a total slap in the face to be receiving so much hate now

5. Oh yeah the Eddie bashers can personally come fight me

6. If I’m 100% honest I choose to interpret the basketball injury as being mostly accidental like I think he got too into it and forgot himself and his own force for a second rather than intentionally hurt Eddie, like it so happens in sports, I think it’s like just the after guilt that made him question himself and his motives, idk that may just be me denying canon because it just felt too out of character for me to believe

7. I think the fake bi pride stuff also irks me BAD like some of these people are looking for very surface level superficial representation and if you don’t push for more and more substantial and meaningful representation then you’re gonna get constant variations of the same exact thing and these are also the same people ignoring every other queer character in 911 which is just🙃

8. Idk how much the writers take fandom into account but I constantly say like if they were to listen to fandom they’d go the route they know people wanted for years

9. YES about Eddie’s character like I made a whole post about gay and comphet Eddie and how meaningful it would be because it’s just so so unique and unprecedented

10.HAHSKDK THE CROSSED OUT PART IS WHAT I JUST SAID BUT I DIDNT READ IT GAJSKDKFM

#thanks anon! #can’t remember if I left you long but flowers for you too💐💐💐 #eddie diaz #911 abc #911 fox #evan buck buckley #911onfox #911 spoilers #buddie #buckley diaz family #evan buckley #911

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

PRIDE MONTH PROMPTS 2024

They are here!!

Last year I released them in May, and I asked you when I should release it this year. You agreed I should release it early/mid april. And I think the perfect time is now! You have plenty of time to prepare your things for June!

So, here are 30 prompts, 1 prompt per day, for all of June! Use them for writing, or for art, or why not for something else creative you can come up with?

I will now write all the prompts in the list if it's hard to read, plus some explanations/suggestion what you can do for them.

Day 1. Actually, I'm not straight. Someone kicking off pride month by telling their nearest and dearest that they aren't straight, like everyone seems to think!

Day 2. Surprise! We're dating! A couple comes out to their friends ;)

Day 3. Early signs. Early signs someone was not straight, or not cis. Or both!

Day 4. Gender euphoria. Euphoooooriaaaaa forever to end of time /j Ok no but yeah, someone experiencing gender euphoria :) It's great :)

Day 5. Surprise! We're engaged! Surprise engagement! Did people even know they were dating?

Day 6. Proposal. You can choose to show the proposal for the couple at day 5... or a brand new couple! :D

Day 7. Pride flags. Are they making pride flags? Buying pride flags? Identifying pride flags? So much you can do! :)

Day 8. Prideful baking. A return from last year! Who's baking? Are they doing it with pride? Are they making rainbow cakes? This is also a way to make some ships be cute together as they bake.

Day 9. Wedding. To quote Sam from Glee: "YEAH! COME ON GUYS! GAY MARRIAGE GOOD!"

Day 10. Shenanigans at the Pride Parade. Time to let those characters run wild at the pride parade!

Day 11. Coming out as trans. Pretty self explanatory I think ;)

Day 12. Planning for a child. Two women, two men, maybe a trans couple... any not-cishet couple are planning for a child <3 Are they adopting? IVF? However they're doing it, they're gonna get that child :)

Day 13. Two moms. Two mommies thriving with their kiddos!

Day 14. Are they dating or not? People are speculating the relationship of some people.

Day 15. First crush. Aww, someone's first crush! Have they ever felt this before?

Day 16. Alternate universe. Go crazy with this! This could mean anything from "a universe in which this ship is canon" to "they live in a fantasy world". Do whatever!

Day 17. Realizing they're ace. Self explanatory ;)

Day 18. Two dads. Two daddies on request (Sorry I've watched too much of Papás por encargo (Daddies on request) to not make that joke). They'll do anything for the kids!

Day 19. I thought everyone liked both? What??? They don't?????

Day 20. Fruity sleepover. Anything and everything can happen at a sleepover!

Day 21. Pining. They pine so hard and yet... will their crush ever notice?

Day 22. Secret dating. Or are they as they secret as they think? How much chaos do they end up in to keep this?

Day 23. Dinner. Maybe just a normal dinner in a queer friendgroup. Or maybe someone coming out at dinner. Maybe the first dinner at their partner's house. Or maybe someone's making dinner for their loved one.

Day 24. Confession. Coming out confession? Confession to your crush? Just a confession about your favorite food in the middle of a pride parade? Yeah, you decide!

Day 25. Date. THEY'RE ON A DATE THE BABIES!!! Is it a good date? I hope so!

Day 26. Gender is a construct. Not everything is binary.

Day 27. Queer group meeting. You can toy around with this a lot. A group meeting with closeted gays? A group meeting with every character from your different fandoms that you headcanon as bi that you want to interact in the group meeting for disaster bi's? A group meeting for aces just vibing? Maybe we'll meet a lot of different groups!

Day 28. Accidental coming out. Oops!

Day 29. Alternate time period. You want to play out a little love story but instead they live in the 1950s? Or maybe they live in the future! Maybe they live in the medieval times! Woah!

Day 30. Growing old together. Look at them now. Who knew they'd find each other in the world and now they're here?

I hope I'm gonna see some of you in pride month! It's always a pleasure! Also, when the time comes in June, and you want to use one of these prompts, don't forget to tag me ;)

#pride month prompts #prompts #pride month

[kyanitedragon]

I wanna talk about how "fast" and yet well-done the Clankie slow burn is

When we first heard that the show was going to feature Frankie x Cleo, I was really unsure about it

When it was first confirmed the show would have a queer relationship, I had figured that the queer rep of the show would instead be:

Clawdeen and Cleo, who hit it off immediately in the first couple episodes

Draculaura and Lagoona, because Draculaura is a closeted witch that feels very queer-coded, Lagoona's line of "a romance between a monster and a witch", and soon after that they became fast and very endearing friends

Frankie and Deuce, because they hit it off as friends from the start and are very goofy and upbeat and would make an interesting couple dynamic

Compared to all that, I honestly couldn't see how Clankie could be an option, nevermind canon.

We were several episodes in when the Clankie leaks came out, and at the time, Frankie and Cleo didn't have any interaction.

I couldn't picture how their interactions would be, because they hadn't interacted yet. Even their gen 1 counterparts didn't have too much one-on-one interaction. My mind was just entirely blanking on any possible Frankie / Cleo dynamic. I couldn't imagine what it would look like.

But then Pyramid Scheme happened. And we got to see Frankie's crush confirmed. It was shown so perfectly. It was subtle and not forced, yet very clear to the audience that it was in fact a crush.

Then Crushed happened, and we got to see not only what Frankie and Cleo's dynamic was - which I had thought was long overdue yet amazingly it was shown so naturally. And with a great moral lesson, too! - But also, we basically got to see what Cleo means to Frankie and what exactly they see in her.

And now, Horrorscare, which not only shows Frankie both falling deeper in love and trying to further bond with Cleo. But also showing Cleo's side - what Frankie means to her and what Cleo sees in them. And, by the end, it seems that Cleo's gained a crush and is just starting to realize it.

People have talked a lot about how great it is that we're getting Clankie content so early. A lot of canon queer relationships only ever become canon by the end of the series. You get to celebrate them becoming canon and getting together and maybe kissing once or twice, and then that's it, show's over, that's all the romantic content you get.

And I agree, it's great! We're in 11/26 episodes right now, and both sides have crushes! And we know from the leaks that the finale will feature Frankie asking out Cleo. Which, now knowing how Cleo feels, I'm sure she'll accept Frankie's proposal. And we have a season 2 confirmed, so maybe we'll see them as an established couple from the get-go!

But I also want to talk about the slow burn. Because it's slow burn, but its a fast slow burn! We went from friend to crush in the same episode, and then confirmed reciprocated crushes in the next episode. In 15-minute episodes, no less! Where there's also B-plots happening!

It's fast, and yet it doesn't seem too fast, y'know? The way the writing is, it feels natural and well-written. I'm really impressed with the writers.

I can't wait to see how their relationship further develops. And I especially can't wait to see what happens in the finale!

(Also I wanna shout out to all of you Clankie truthers that have been shipping and blogging since the beginning! Congrats on calling it so early, and congrats on the canon ship!)

#monster high g3 #mh g3 #clankie #g3 frankie x cleo

[scoupsahoy]

so i, like most people, pretty much subscribe to the bisexual steve harrington and bisexual nancy wheeler cinematic universes and all that and i've never really had any conflicting thoughts about it

but i was thinking about it this morning and i'm having gay thoughts and i just wanted to pitch them as a lesbian projecting my experiences onto these guys

specifically steve and nancy are so interesting when thinking about this because - partly because they dated - their fanon identities are SO popular and pretty rigid that it's almost accepted as canon. and i dont want to step on that at all but i do want to explore it...

i'm gonna go back and forth but we're gonna dip our toe in with steve.

the thing about him is that basically since season 1 he's been - not queer coded - but definitely immediately latched onto by both fandom and the actors as queer in some way. the guy who played tommy hagan apparently played tommy as harboring feelings for steve, same with dacre as billy, and the way ostensibly one of the only popular ships in the first couple of years or so was stoncy. so like there's this groundwork there which is admittedly impacted by the fact that joe is like. an attractive white adult man. obviously.

but i'm sitting here as a lesbian also really drawn to steve for a lot of reasons but particularly because i see a lot of myself in him? i'm running with something here okay -

season 1 steve is head over heels for nancy. that's, like, undeniable, and honestly the main reason people think he's attracted to women at all but !

he's practiced. he knows what to say to girls. and everyone tells him he's barking up the wrong tree. nancy is too smart for him and honestly super uncomfortable when tied to him. she's playing hard to get, that's his favorite game. she sleeps with him, sure, but she doesn't tell anyone about it, she doesn't like how affectionate he is all the way up to season 2, is honestly incapable of saying she loves him. he's heartbroken by that, but he's not surprised. he's spent a lot of time basically trying to force this pretty little box to close tightly and it bursts open in his hands. and he's upset even though he knew it wouldn't all fit.

there's this through-line with nancy that she's being misunderstood all the time and she resents it, that she knows what she wants and makes it clear to herself but nobody can read her well enough to figure it out. and steve is part of that. she's vaguely uncomfortable with him and his affection and how much he loves her and honestly deeply resents him for not being able to see her and her priorities.

for nancy, she's with steve because he's nice and funny and attractive and he's who she should want to be with. he makes her feel good and gives her butterflies and whatever but it's not really steve she likes, is it? she likes that steve likes her and fights for her and respects her and shows her love and for a year she convinces herself that that's what love is!!

but it's not. of course it's not. she didn't love steve and she doesn't even really know she doesn't until he asks her to say it. and she can't. she didn't know she was lying until she was confronted with it and it's deeply sad for steve but it's also deeply sad for her.

maybe this is just me projecting as someone who was "boy crazy" through middle and high school, but the person you have tricked yourself into thinking you loved noticing that you don't, won't, can't love them, feels like shit. you want to prove them wrong. you want to prove yourself wrong.

because nancy is different than steve. after barb dies, she is no longer friendly with like. any girls. at all. honestly until season 4 when ronance started to get popular she was probably most often headcanoned as this badass straight girl or whatever, which is fine obviously, but also maybe by design?

her best friend is a lesbian (overwhelmingly in fanon) and after she dies she only interacts with men until robin. boys understand her and she wants to prove to them that she's tough and they like her, she's the queen of hawkins high or whatever fred benson says to her.

like. immediately after she ends things with steve, she's with jonathan, because he likes her a lot and he sees her more clearly than steve did and she thinks: okay this is what i needed, this one is right, it's better, it's good

come season 3, she's frustrated again because jonathan doesnt really understand her the way she wants to be understood. but they love each other! she wants to make this work! she's the most driven person she knows, she is determined and stubborn and after everything, there's no reason she shouldn't want to be with jonathan. so they make it work and it's good. all patched up.

brief look back at steve: hitting on women and completely striking out this entire season. it's comical actually. it's actually embarrassing how bad he strikes out, it's like his spark is gone, like he's not even trying! he hardly has the time, anyway, with the kids and work and the upside down. all that.

and then, after some pressing with dustin, he falls for robin. like falls for her. and she's totally different from nancy, because nancy wasn't emotionally available, nancy would never have been able to love him, he's come to terms with that. but robin?

oh she's a lesbian.

season 4. steve is going on dates with girls he doesn't like, who don't like him, who he's not even interested in. robin points it out: you have no idea what you want. which is true. he's very easily swayed. he falls fast and hard but it's never good, he wants something REAL. robin knows exactly what she wants. if only they could combine...

enter nancy wheeler. getting slow-motion broken up with by her boyfriend, too busy to care. boys love her, by the way, she's sought-after, but she has a good excuse. she has a boyfriend that lives far away. she doesnt know why he doesn't come to visit her, but she's also not really interested in coming to visit him either. they're at a stalemate. and it's perfect. she gets to live her life free of romance because she technically already has a boyfriend who loves her very much.

and then her and steve are thrown back together again, and they're so different from how they used to be after less than a year and a half. they've grown and they. woah, they want completely different things. he wants six kids and she thinks that's a nightmare. she doesn't want to be like her mom, doesn't want some big nuclear family, and the problems she and steve had haven't gone away, but she still flirts with him. she thinks it's fun. it doesn't mean anything. she's with jonathan now.

and everyone is up both of their asses like: oh my god nancy and steve need to get back together, they lost each other along the way, they were destined to be together.

but really. steve couldn't be going after someone less interested in him if he tried, with nancy. not with robin or the girls he goes on dates with. he's so positive he likes girls, and these girls never ever like him back (and when they do... he's painfully disinterested), and he doesn't consider why he keeps crawling back to something so unattainable on purpose. over and over again.

and nancy, really is only chasing the opposite of what other people expect from her. she doesn't want to be her mom. she doesnt want to be with steve. she doesnt want to be with jonathan. but thats what everyone thinks she wants. and the worst part is that she doesn't really know what she wants! because this is what she knows she's supposed to want! she's got to be with some man if she's going to get anywhere she wants in life. but god, it is never about the men at all.

im just sitting here holding steve harrington by the face, like: please examine why you are exclusively interested in women that want nothing to do with you. examine why you're so determined to make things work with people you know it will not work with.

and i'm sitting here holding nancy wheeler by the face, like: please examine why you are exclusively interested in men only when they've expressed romantic interest in you first. examine why you're so determined to stay in relationships that you're unhappy in for way past their expiration date. because being pursued feels worse.

i'm just saying that all the crushes i had when i was in high school ended up coming out as gay after graduation or were otherwise extremely disinterested. and every guy i did date had to literally corner me in a hallway to ask me out before the last day of school or something so i wouldnt literally run away from them.

#steve harrington #nancy wheeler #stranger things #meta #mine #gay steve harrington #lesbian nancy wheeler #feel free to disagree this is just my brainworms

[kitkatt0430]

Hartley Rathaway for the character ask?

1: sexuality headcanon

Gay, as per his canon sexuality. But very non-gate-keeper-y. If his boyfriend turns out to not always a boy (as I sometimes like to play with Cisco and Barry's genders and they are also my two favorites to ship Hartley with...) he's still super gay for that person.

2: otp

Cisco/Hartley - 100% Hartmon otp

3: brotp

Lisa Snart, though I do really enjoy Caitlin & Hartley and Iris & Hartley friendships too.

4: notp

honestly I can only really think of Joe? Joe is just too much of a dad character, I can't ship him with anyone the same age as his kids (or age range, whatever)

5: first headcanon that pops into my head

Jerrie's first word was Hartley's name. She didn't start talking until late, so she actually was able to do a pretty decent approximation for her first try. Still didn't quite have the H sound yet, but her big brother was her favorite even then so of course she wanted to say his name, get his attention.

Hartley was the most delighted big brother ever and would not shut up about it at school all week.

6: favorite line from this character

I realize you don't have to explain your hiring decisions to me, but maybe for the sake of a fun exercise, we could pretend you did.

So while yes, this is Hartley being a dick about Cisco, there's actually a lot to unpack about this dialog.

Hartley's talking like this *to his boss* which tells us how comfortable Hartley is with Eowells. He plays chess with him, has Latin as a sort of secret language between them, and he demands to be treated as an equal even while acknowledging they technically aren't. (It is with good reason that I so often have Eowells/Hartley as backstory...)

But also, Hartley is not pleased with Cisco's hiring. And while Hartley clearly disapproves of Cisco's clothing choices, it kind of comes off as a focus point for everything else going on when it gets brought up. Cisco is a fresh-out-of-college hire and his clothes make that *extremely* obvious. But Hartley is specifically calling into question here - in private, which is actually the one (only) way Hartley does actually manage to behave professionally in regards to Cisco in the flashbacks - if Cisco is qualified for the job which... makes me suspect that Cisco probably wasn't, based solely on job experience.

I suspect Eowells was just so eager to hire Cisco that he hired him for a job that was intended for a more senior engineer. Or at least a junior one with a couple years of experience under their belt. Not a college grad who may or may not even have some of the certifications needed for the position. TBH, Hartley takes his anger out on Eowells in the 'present' portion of The Sound and the Fury on Barry so it really makes sense to me that Hartley's bad behavior in the past towards Cisco was also Hartley misdirecting his frustration with Eowells onto a more convenient target. Part jealousy because Eowells is looking favorably (and fanboying a bit, let's be real) over Cisco (future superhero Vibe and Eowells gets to mentor him? how could he help but fanboy?) and that's how Hartley's relationship with Eowells began too... but also Eowells hired someone who pretty clearly does not fit the job description.

Obviously canon never supports this little pet theory of mine and it's entirely born of a more forgiving interpretation of this line of dialog from the episode but... I do really like the interpretation because it makes Hartley a bit more sympathetic without excusing his bad behavior towards Cisco. And it establishes parallels between his past and present behavior.

7: one way in which I relate to this character

Honestly Hartley and I don't have a whole lot in common. I latched on to him because he's such an interesting and canonically gay character and the more I learned about his comics incarnation the more I liked the character.

I definitely relate to his queerness though. I may not be a gay dude - aroace and only sometimes a girl (though always a girl when its funny, gotta commit to the bit) - and it's kinda hard to explain how I feel I relate to his queerness but... I really do.

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character

Every time he's a classist dick towards Cisco in S1. Way to misunderstand the character, show writers. *wincing painfully* Did they even read any of the stuff with Hartley in it? Guy who stands up, even to the Flash, on behalf of the homeless people of Central City...

Not that I don't still lean into that trait sometimes when writing fanfic so I can then have him grow out of it, but still. Makes me cringe a little inside every time.

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

Cinnamon roll - sure he's got a checkered past, but his heart's always in the right place. He just wants to help people, make the world a better place, and abolish the police. Even if his comics self is dating/engaged to a CSI.

#thank you :D #kitatt0430 answers #character ask #hartley rathaway

[epickiya722]

Random ask....Do you think anime like Free, Sk8, Jeweler Richard and Yuri on Ice are queerbaiting or at least have semi canon couples? I mean I love those anime series and my fav otps are from those series, but what do you think? Also, why do you think shounen series like bnha, haikyuu, and naruto has the largest shipping fandom compare to canon romantic BL series?

Hmmm...

Okay, off bat, I'll say that "queerbaiting" is a lose term to me. People use it so much that most of the time I feel like they say it just to say it. (Not directed at you, Anon.)

And I actually never watched Jeweler Richard. I've heard of it, but I didn't watch it... because I forgot about it. I also, never watched all of Free!

Now to answer the first bit... I'm leaning towards "no" here.

Queerbaiting to me is if the promise of some queer rep happening is marketed just to draw in the audience and then the people who made said show switches it up at the end like "oops sorry, actually these characters are totally straight and they're dating people of the opposite sex" and erase all that rep or just never touched on it.

Yuri On Ice, I wouldn't consider it queerbaiting because we get some same-sex romance. It happened. Even if the gay romance in there was used in marketing, it still happened. Sure, it did lure in the audience, but promises were not broken. Yuri and Viktor are a thing.

Same for SK8, I don't consider it queerbaiting either.

BONES never promised us that Reki and Langa were going to be a thing by the end of season 1. We also gotta remember that SK8 isn't a strictly romance. It's a SPORTS anime just like YOI. So the show focused more on skateboarding and the purpose of it for the characters than actual romance because it's not necessary.

It's why I really disliked how some people treated the ending as if it was the worse thing in the world. Maybe it's just me, but I didn't get mad at it because I just wanted my boys happy and skating together again.

Just because Reki and Langa didn't kiss, it didn't mean that we were queerbaited. They weren't promised to be a couple. Surely implied, maybe yeah, but explicitly promised? No.

Also, just because a couple doesn't kiss at the end doesn't mean they're not canon. A ship doesn't have to kiss to be canon!

Kida and Milo didn't kiss at the end of Atlantis: the Lost Empire, but guess what? People were aware they're a couple by the end of it. They held hands and that was it.

Kissing isn't the only romantic gesture. There's hugging, cuddling, holding hands, words and even jumping in front of someone to protect them.

And just like how all that can be romantic, it also can be platonic, too. It depends on the context of how that action or those words are being used to show romance or just platonic feelings.

We really don't know if a relationship is a canon romantic one unless it's confirmed.

Back to SK8, at best, the relationship between Reki and Langa is an explicit close one. They trust each other, they want to skate together, they're comfortable around each other, they are friends.

And with a season 2 apparently coming, Reki and Langa may just happen. It was probably built up the way it was for a chance to make it canon, just in case they could do a second season. But just in case they couldn't, they ended it on a safe note, let the audience interpret how Reki and Langa feel about each other but made it clear that they are indeed close.

Now for the second part!

I think those animes have the largest shipping fandoms over BL series because they are some of the most popular animes. A lot of romantic series slide over the radar because series like BNHA and Naruto have a wider reach. There's games, cons where the VAs show up, movies, collabs, etc. They're also the "less risky" series.

People wouldn't clutch their pearls if someone says "Oh this anime is about superheroes" or "this anime is about ninjas".

However, if you say "Oh, this is about a romance between two boys", you're probably going to get someone homophobic.

I also figure because even without gender or sexuality involved, people don't care for an actual romance anime. With a romance, it's like... because it is a romance you know who is going to be with who. You can be happy with the choices, but maybe the thrill isn't there. You know the clichés and whatnot. The characters are the same characters you see in any romance.

However, let's say with BNHA. There's a thrill to shipping... I'll take DabiHawks off the shelf for this. There's a thrill because DabiHawks, it's a variety to it. You don't get the "boy next door" or "the better guy but not the choice". You get two enemies that fans turn into lovers in their fics. People dig the enemies to lovers trope and characters like Hawks and Dabi have fans drawn into the series. They're "cooler" than the male love interest of a romance.

And fanworks are there to create something that you can't possibly get in canon.

Some people may feel this: what's the point of writing a fic of a ship that is already canon?

#kiya answers #kiya answers questions #anime #manga #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #naruto #sk8 the infinity #sk8 #yuri on ice #yoi #haikyuu

[girl4music]

I have a question about WLW couples or relationships that I’m sure you guys will be able to help me answer.

Is it appropriate to say it’s a lesbian/gay couple or lesbian/gay relationship if one or both of the women in it do not identify as either a gay or a lesbian woman?

The reason why I ask is that I’m bisexual and a woman but if I was in a relationship with another woman, I would have no problem with anyone referring to us as a lesbian/gay relationship or as a lesbian/gay couple. But my partner might feel differently if she didn’t identify as a lesbian or gay either but bi/pan/queer or some other sexuality in the confusing alphabet soup.

Is that an appropriate term to use or is ‘sapphic’ better? Which I also would have no problem with.

In terms of WLW in TV art/entertainment or storytelling I don’t often have too much of a worry because the characters are fictional along with it.

However…

Xena and Gabrielle is a TV WLW relationship/dynamic I’ve loved all my life. They are my NO.1 OTP of all-time. But I’ve always been wary of referring to them as a lesbian/gay couple or a lesbian/gay relationship because I interpret Xena as bisexual and Gabrielle as a lesbian. But I’ve never worried about calling them a WLW couple or relationship because they’re both women. And so I often just say WLW or queer.

I’ve never really used the term ‘sapphic’ but I’ve seen it been used a lot in regards to Xena and Gabrielle due to them being in the time of Sappho but also because no one can quite agree on their canon sexualities in the Xenaverse fandom. There’s many that interpret them both as lesbian/gay. There’s very few fans that only interpret both as straight. But the one thing that seems to be unanimously agreed upon by all fans is that they have feelings for each other romantically/sexually if not a couple or never made it as a couple.

It’s a bit difficult when it comes to them so it just got me wondering what’s the most appropriate term?

Saying that. Would WLW also be appropriate if one or both in the relationship didn’t identify as women? But rather non-binary or transgender or agender instead.

You think I would know this information by now but I’m honestly not so sure with the sources I’ve been using to educate myself on. They aren’t entirely reliable for accurate and up-to-date information.

And I have a very diverse following on here so I think you guys could tell me more accurate information or at least direct me to sources of where I can find it.

#wlw #sexuality #identification #what’s the most appropriate term? #xena and gabrielle #some lesbian women don’t like to be referred to as gay #some gay women don’t like to be referred to as lesbian #it’s hard okay #what if it’s two trans women in a relationship? #or two nonbinary characters? #what if they don’t identify as anything at all? #I don’t like ignoring minorities #I once wrote this entire piece on trans people being excluded from the confusing alphabet soup because no one knows what to refer them as #I still say LGBTQ but now there’s numbers and mathematical symbols #so it’s no longer just an alphabet soup #I’m very confused #things change and evolve faster than my brain can keep up with

[pinkbowsandprettyprose]

Can you please share your story of how you became a Kisshu x Ichigo shipper and Tokyo Mew Mew fan in the first place? It would be really interesting to discover the original of it all!

Sure! :) putting this under a readmore because it’s going to be long.

I discovered TMM as an anime first, via the ominous depths of 2006 YouTube, split into 3 parts and uploaded in 360p. I’d already watched a bit of anime — mostly whatever was popular — I think I’d finished all of Inuyasha, seen most of classic Sailor Moon, and I was halfway through Cardcaptor Sakura when I picked up TMM. I fell in love with it pretty much from episode 1, and immediately dove into fan forums, wikis, etc. I finished my first watch of it on YouTube and immediately wanted more, so little 5th grader me scraped together some cash and bought the first two volumes of the manga. When I finished those over the span of literally one evening, I read the last five while sitting on the floor of a Barnes & Noble (as one does when you’re young and broke and really wanna read a new manga).

Not to get too deep, but I had a pretty bizarre and lonely childhood, so I basically took whatever anime or manga I could find and inhaled it as a form of escapism. I was at the library almost every weekend camped out in a corner reading manga. I went on to watch basically any anime that was appealing to my demographic as a middle schooler — Shugo Chara, FMA, Soul Eater, Full Moon, Ouran — you name the anime that a middle school girl would be into, and I’d seen it. But literally nothing could scratch the itch for a unique story and creativity in its characters like TMM did. I wrote a ton of (terrible) fanfiction for it back in the day, watched every single AMV on the internet, and argued with people in TMM forums about whether ZakuMint is canon or not (as one does when you’re queer and in middle school and full of emotions).

Speaking more specifically to why Quiche & Ichigo is still my OTP as an adult — I think it was the first time I’d really experienced a pairing that was a more complex (and dark) take on a villain/hero relationship. Those kinds of pairings in movies and TV shows had always fascinated me as a kid, but Mia Ikumi’s vision for kishigo in TMM’s manga had me totally captivated. Coupled with the fact that Quiche as a character was fascinating to me (more on that in my other ask I’ve already answered here), I think it’s hard to match that same childhood excitement and wonder while consuming new media as an adult. Once you have a childhood OTP, it’s hard to let go of it completely. You can find other ships you’re excited about, but if you’re really, truly in love with one pairing, and you’re getting treated to new media for it like Ikumi’s Re-Turn… it’s hard to replicate. :)

I’m still a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers and villain/hero tropes today, and TMM will always be a special fandom for me that I return to time and time again. 💖

#thank you for the ask anon ! #asks #long post #oh god I’m sorry this is such a rant lol #I hope this answers what you were looking for anon!! #I love these kinds of asks :) #tokyo mew mew

[thequeenofsarcaasm]

- Who are your top favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series (can be canon or non-canon)?

[Feel free if you want to write the reasons or not of why you love those couples....]

- Is there a fictional couple who you dislike but you just know that they are right for each other?

- Which fandom that first introduce you to ffn or ao3?

Thanks if you want to answer, hope you have a wonderful day....

Thank you for asking ❤️

1-Let me just name 10 of them

Naru Sasu (IYKYK. I’ll leave it at that)

SatoSugu (I don’t need to explain)

MadoHomu ( I love dramatic sapphics and pure insanity. That’s what they represent to me)

Katniss and Peeta ( I love THG cause the “love triangle” is an allegory really. Katniss chose peace when she decided to be with Peeta. You can’t top that)

KilluGon (It’s the devotion for me. Also the parallels with Komugi and Meruem? The “lover’s suicide” line? The fact Killua’s birthday is on Tanabata??? I’m sold)

Okabe and Kurisu (I think they’re just made for each other. When things started going downhill, Okabe was so lost that the plot stopped progressing for an episode or two but the moment Kurisu asked him what had happened it felt like she was pulling on an entangled string. I love them so much)

Ed and Winry (She gave that boy a leg to keep moving forward. He saved her by reminding her who she was and what she stood for 🤷🏾‍♀️ )

SuzaLulu cause they’re toxic as fuck and I love toxic (not the real reason but it would be too long to explain. They’re just so GHHGFDD)

AshEiji (*sobs*)

BokuAka (“We’re the protagonists of the world” 🙄 I hate them anime queers)

2-I am sorry but I hated Helena and Damon. That’s your little bros gf!! Are you dumb? GET AWAY FROM HER!!!!!!

3- I started reading ff after Shugo Chara but it was Saint Seiya : The last canvas that introduced me to mlm ships (it’s also the first manga I ever read since we never got a second season ). In SS you have two guys who’ve been friends since forever cause one of them uses a technique that literally causes his heart to burn so he was appointed as partner the only guy who has a cooling technique. Do you see the potential???? Do you see the vision????

Also, the guy who’s possessed by Hades is the bff of the hero and he clearly loves him.

Honestly, all the ships are 12/10

I started STRONG cause the first SS fic I read was violent…( I won’t get into the details but I aspire to that level of toxicity)

🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾

#asks

[bazzybelle]

Get to know me (and you)

Thank you @windsweptinred for tagging me! I am sorry it took me so long to get to this.

1. 3 ships I really like right now: Ohhh this is always tough for me. I have so many ships at all times. Ok well if we're going by my current brain rot...

Dreamling: No one is surprised by this. They caught me by the throat and have not let go for the last year. It's so funny coming in as someone who was familiar with the comics before the Netflix adaptation, because they are not at all romantic. Like, I got no romantic vibes from them (and I'm someone who sees romance vibes in everything). The MOST romance I can see MAYYYYYBE (and this is a massive maybe because I only read this arc after the show aired and I was already getting into Dreamling) happens in The Wake (and I won't go into further details because those are massive spoilers). Why do I like Dreamling? They're just so feral for each other in fanon. Plus it helps that the actors on the show had incredible chemistry with each other (I would also consider HellDream and DreamMuse as other potentials because yeah he looked like he was about to make out with those two actresses).

SnowBaz: I still have so much love for SnowBaz. This was the pair that got me through a massive depression/writing slump. Seriously guys, read Wayward Son and Any Way The Wind Blows if you want an accurate representation about depression and intimacy problems and just finding yourself once that biggest event of your life is over. It's about learning to live after trauma and how to heal. Plus this was also the first CANON queer couple I read and helped me to become comfortable with my own queer identity. Yeah... I may move on and have other loves, but Simon and Baz will always hold an irreplaceable part of my heart.

Tie between Ineffable Husbands and BlackBonnet: These are two very new relationships and I just love them both so much. I don't know much about BlackBonnet, because I've only seen gifs of the second season and nothing more, but from what I've seen, omg I am so excited. As for Ineffable Husbands, they are SO interesting to me and I have been enjoying reading the Metas that have been coming out after the second season. It's so interesting to me, to connect this to SnowBaz, to see the reactions after the second season aired. It reminds me A LOT of the explosion that occurred after Wayward Son was released (an explosion that not only continued the closer we got to AWTWB being released, but also contributed to Rainbow Rowell leaving Twitter). I'm not going to get too deep into this (though @carryonsimoncarryonbaz has been trying to convince to write a meta comparing the two because MY GOD ARE THERE SO MANY CONNECTIONS).

2. First ever ship: Honestly? Sailor Mercury/That boyfriend she had... what was his name? Greg? I thought they were so flipping cute. Plus I liked that the nerdy girl had someone who thought she was cute. As the Nerdy Girl myself, it made me happy to see.

3. Last song:

Fegari - Natasa Theodoridou: One of my favourite Greek songs. I've been in a Greek music mood as of late, and this is a beautiful song. It's about a woman who prays to the moon to bring her husband back from his mistress, and to watch over him if she can't. She also asks the moon to take her from the Earth so that she may see her husband from above.

At least... that's what my husband tells me. Greek music is so morose you guys.

4. Last movie: I watched Barbie last week with my husband. We both loved it so much. It's such a great dark comedy.

5. Currently reading: Lots of fanfiction, but I recently bought a beautiful Jane Austen collection, as well as an illustrated collection of poems by Rumi, so I want to dive into those.

6. Currently watching: My husband on the couch. But in all seriousness, we're probably going to watch either Our Flag Means Death or Silo next.

7. Currently eating: Nothing, but I am craving some cereal.

8. Currently craving: xD Cereal.

Tags: @seiya-starsniper @mentallyinvernation @mallory-x @carryonsimoncarryonbaz @ninemagicks @amywaterwings @namistrella @signiorbenedickofpadua @tryan-a-bex @artsyunderstudy @yellobb @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @spockandthings @wellbelesbian @j-nipper-95 @zigzag-wanderer @fleabaggotme @arialerendeair @aristocratic-otter @messofthejess

#belle babbles #tag games #these are always fun #get to know me #get to know you #Spotify

[goodfornothingstar]

A humble request to jegulus writers:-

#1 Most time jegulus fic is accompained by secondary pairings. My question is why make every couple homosexual. I mean I am all for promoting queers and trans. But out of all the 10-12 people you are showing, not even 2-3 couple are of opposite sex. Why??? Why always the same couple in all the fic. It has become too much predictable and boring.

#2 I will begin this by saying that Sirius is no way wrong for running away. But if you show that reg was really that much affected by it so how could you make it like they are friends once again. Traumas like this take real time. Sometime years. And that is not for the sake of not trying or lack of understanding. Just because reg accepts that sirius had to leave does not mean his feelings are wrong of resentment towards his brother. But every writer make that pain erase with just one hug or within the span of a couple of weeks.

I humbly request all the talented writers out there to depict variety. For example that despite being understanding and forgiving they are not super close. They cannot bridge that gap despite being in terms with the other persons reasons. That things are always awkward and a little uncomfortable.

#3 Also the whole wizard war theme is based on prejudice. If say someone says a slur to muggleborn then they are hated by this do gooder group. But then what happens with just saying people like regulus, who are shown to be deep down closeted muggle lovers, are bullied for reason not so big but for their sorting. If being prejudiced is so wrong then make them grovel this time.

#4 Also why always pair with wolfstar. Variations are always welcomed. Sometime make Sirius as aroace. Othertime make him stright. Also he could be queer and also not have feelings for his best friend. That is also okay and not too much big of earth shattering news.

#5 Sometime we are shown that James was secretly dating regulus then R got into death eating business then J jumped ship and got together with lily, had a baby, then R miraculously saves the day by either ending the war or bringing them the key info to end it. Then we are asked to believe the these two people who have the audacity to have a kid in the middle of a war in which they are active soldiers are not even that much into each other. They are just co parent. Seems illogical. This is all to bring Harry into picture. And then Regulus with absolutely no self respect decides to again be in relationship with this guy who within the span of a year of their break up had knocked up the girl he used had crush on.

Poor reg only has James Potter to fall on. And make his life good. 🥲

#6 All friends of James end up being super cosy and loving with all friends of regulus. Cheesy much. And I am not even talking about fluffy fics. No angsty fics too have everyone becoming a big happy family in the end.

#7 Making walburga and orion use crucio and imperio. Like why do you need to go into deep end of abuse. Just simple hex is also abuse. And wrong.

It is really funny that reg and sirius did not end up becoming like Alice and frank from canon with the amount of liberty you writers take on using the crucio.

#8 Making Remus and Lily as the shiny example of all good people in the world. It gest boring pretty fast. Let them be vilian sometimes.

No but They are the smartest, they are the most emotionally intelligent, they are the most understanding, they are the one who do not make mistake, if they do mistake it is forgiven quite quickly as compared to the mistakes of reg, sirius and James.

#9 Lily is declining James because she is lesbian or is bisexual but has hots for another 'girl'. Again repetitive much. Can't she be straight and still rejecting James. Can't she have feelings for a 'guy' and not into James. Can't she decide to not enter in a relationship without being aroace.

#10 In canon we see that at the end marauders were a pretty shakable group with betrayal, guilt, trust issues, or simply loosing touch with each other. But all fics with this pairing paint them as super close except for Peter sometimes. I mean it would be good to show them drifting apart and that angst of knowing that they will never be the same. That the good old school days are over and they are not as unbeatable as they assumed. Let them sometimes drift apart forever.

Why is there need for showing physical abuse and sexual assault and horcrux drama for angst? When you can have them normal people with normal suffering. Why make it all picture perfect in the end???.

#11 Sometime you can use pandora or dorcas or marlene or Mary to be surrogate and regulus being the biological father. Why does it always have to be James and Lily birthing harry. Again done too many times.

#12 Another idea that I want to see in the form of story is if regulus and group are really killing voldy then wouldn't it be fun to see the reaction of the goody people when these so cold evil snakes are hailed as heros of the wizarding world. Like-

Like sirius being jealous of regulus becoming hero when he and his friends were supposedly on the good side. Instead of him being always proud of his brother in all the fics.

Or permanent break up of wolfstar because they didn't trust each other. And them getting (happily) settled with someone else and being okay that they didn't work out and happy for each other.

And James watching regulus getting into relationship with some other guy and wishing that he had seen past the tattoo on his arm and not rushed into marrying Lily and having a kid because now they are fighting all the time but still remain married for the sake of their kid but has to see regulus in newspaper finally getting settled with someone who will choose him first and foremost and whose love is not so pitiful as to jump into someone else's arm so quickly and not even mourning their relationship as if he was nothing.

And Dorcas regretting giving up on her friends who won't accept her apology.

You get what I am saying. I hope.

#12 James parents took sirius because the kid for their kids bestie. But that does not mean they have like opened an orphanage. They will treat the group as friends of son. They will jot go out of the limb to be too sweet to be all the kids. That is practically not how I imagine pureblood parents to be. Even the potters.

Again this is just a request from a reader and constructive criticism and a plea to bring something new on the table. Because this much repetition is seen in no other pairing. Just Jegulus!!

#jegulus

[centauryscrubs]

ok so, there’s a LOT of reasons why inside job is one of my favourite gone-too-soon tv shows ever (fuck you netflix) and i could probably list them all and talk about them extensively (and i might in a future post!) but the couple that really did it for me were:

1. that they didn’t make reagan and brett a couple. this is SO important to me. the trope of “hetero friends to lovers” is overdone to the point of society expecting it/finding it weird when it’s not there. the fact that brett and reagan are just… literally best friends is so much sweeter than them being a couple. for me, at least. it just wouldn’t really suit them either, y’know? brett (imo) is more focused on strengthening PLATONIC bonds, because having friends isn’t something he really had as a child. and that’s the same for reagan! (plus she had ron. and EVEN THOUGH BRETT DIDNT REALLY LIKE HIM AT FIRST, HE STILL ACCEPTED AND RESPECTED THEIR RELATIONSHIP!! AND DIDNT BREAK IT UP!! in fact HE tried to change HIMSELF so that he’d like ron!!! if that’s not some serious ride or die friendship between brett and reagan idk what is! it’s not like brett was ever a third wheel when ron came along either!!)

connected to 1. — tamiko’s relationship/s is/are a perfect example of when het interactions can go well, regardless of if there are romantic feelings or not. with rand, it resulted in divorce BUT they did have fleeting romantic moments which were sweet, as well as some generally funny scenes together! the “date” with alpha-beta ended up in him learning how to love, despite tamiko being disgusted by his appearance/robotic physicality. i’ll admit i don’t even like ron x reagan that much, but their relationship worked too; the slight rivals to lovers trope was established well and it was very healthy for both of them!

2. that Miss Shion wasn’t afraid to show two men kissing. even if it was an accidental kiss. but also just bromances and homoeroticism in general. andre and myc being besties AND being in an orgy together??? amazing, andre getting mushroom herpes was worth it. rand and hannibal lecter lookalike being made to kiss, and then the latter going “UNLESS…?”??? so funny and much more entertaining than if it didn’t happen at all.

connected to 2. — they didn’t make characters’ sexuality their whole personality!! even the queer one/s!!! andre being described as “alwayssexual” was a funny, fleeting comedy moment and that was all! (i’m also counting the questionable quips like brett going “take your clothes off!!” at ron and ron asking reagan if she told everyone about his dingdong. btw brett is bicurious he told me)

in conclusion: canon queer characters are cool and het relationships (both romantic and platonic) CAN be portrayed very well, if done right!

#inside job #inside job spoilers #reagan ridley #brett hand #ron staedtler #dr andre lee #andre lee #magic myc #myc cellium #alpha beta #robotus #rand ridley #tamiko ridley #dietrich kluge #i have much more to say about this show generally #and certain characters #let me rant about andre #and alpha beta #and maybe brett #rant

[that-disabled-princess]

Top Ten vs Personal Ten

Thanks for the tag @stitchyqueer! I've seen this going around and wanted in, so I'm glad you tagged me!

Top ten

silver tongue [E, 5.5k]

tiddy donation [E, 2.2k]

Kiss It Better [T, 2.1k] - written for @you-remind-me-of-the-babe

Sexualities and Crises [T, 1.5k]

Drink Your Fucking Tea [T, 700]

All I Want for Christmas Is You [T, 2.6k]

Love of All My Lives [G, 800]

Something to suck on [E, 1.2k]

Melt, let yourself be Loved [M, 600]

Sober Enough to Kiss [T, 2.4k]

My top two fics being E-rated has been a topic of discussion between a friend and I for over a year now haha. Also--all of these fics have over 1000 hits? What?? That's insane. You guys are amazing.

Personal ten (with commentary)

I didn't go "HELL YES" to these bottom five, but I still love and adore them for different reasons!

10. En garde, Monsieur Migraine! [G, 700]

I love writing hurt/comfort, and this is one of those fics I come back to reread when I need some comfort myself.

And plus--Addams family reference! Who doesn't love the Addams family?

9. Come back like star(fish)s [M, 400] - written for @bookish-bogwitch

Hellloooo lambden! This was the first lambden fic I posted, back when Em sent me the wildest prompt I could dream of getting in my askbox. Pioneering this ship was so much fun. Thanks for indulging me, Em <3

8. silver tongue [E, 5.5k]

Okay, this one had to be on here. It contains one of my favorite scenes I have ever written, and if @confused-bi-queer says I write really good smut? I must write REALLY DAMN GOOD SMUT. I aspire to write smut like you, Lee.

7. make the yuletide gay (and horny) [E, 300]

I had to put a <500 word smut fic on here because GODDAMN? I am good at packing a lot into so few words.

6. True depths of love [T, 400]

Mind the tags if you read this.

This gets put higher than number seven because I think of this fic a lot more. I think of this fic a lot, of what could've happened that night in the forest if Simon was even a second too late. (I think most people underestimate the value of a second.)

These top five fics are the ones I went "HELL YES" to when I was going through my AO3. Let's get into them!

5. 101 ways to snag yourself a vampire: Romance edition [G, 1.2k] - written for @yeonjunenby

To me, this fic is the epitome of all things good in fanfic and headcanon. (I still cannot believe I actually got one hundred and one of these motherfuckers.) I compiled things from canon, my personal headcanons, and fics other people have written (credit given in the end notes). And out came this beautiful, funny, and heartfelt list!

4. Something to suck on [E, 1.2k]

This fic is just *chef's kiss* It's a masterpiece. A work of art. It's one of my favorite things I've written.

It's got Spadey love; it's got Simon love... what more could you want?

3. Anything, Everything [M, 200]

Poetry. Ah, poetry, my old friend. If you've ever heard me talk about this fic, you knew this one was coming.

This by far is not my most popular fic, but I truly appreciate the people who have read it and left comments. This fic has a piece of my heart.

2. Who we're supposed to be [T, 2k]

It was close between third and second! But this one squeaked ahead because...

I wrote this fic just a couple weeks ago, but it's already one of my favorite fics I've ever written. Aro characters speak to my soul, and I love writing and reading about them. And Baz has chronic pain in this!

1. Mark of the Beast [E, 1.5k]

"But, Jas, why isn't your top favorite fic snowbaz?" If you're asking this--are you serious. Were you there when I created this beautiful, cursed ship. Were you there when I wrote the first fic. Were you there when @otherpeoplesheartachept-2 and Em and @ic3-que3n joined the chaos (I will forever love you guys for this).

Mark of the Beast is the fic that began Lambden. (And this is honestly one of my proudest fandom moments xD) This fic, that writing, those details--I truly think this is one of the best things I've ever written.

I tag everyone I tagged above and @bazzybelle @artsyunderstudy @dragoneggos @martsonmars @tea-brigade @palimpsessed @carryonsimoncarryonbaz @fatalfangirl @johnwgrey @technetiumai if you want in 💖💖

#my writing #lambden

[medakakurokami]

Hi! I just saw your post about all the VNs you've read and was wondering if I could ask you about some recommendations, but fitting particular tags. Basically just: good for first timers, queer, and *not* high school or young people. Thank you!

I don't read a lot of VN's with a specific LGBTQ focus and read plenty with a school focus, but I'll do my best and in order of maybe best for first timers to worst for first timers:

Va-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

The game centers around Jill, a Bartender in a Cyberpunk city (with Action), following her daily job of chatting up an influx of patrons to the bar run by her former pro-wrestler boss Dana Zane. For me, it took awhile to get into and the humor only partially landed, but there is a really strong character arc for the protagonist that still won it out for me. Jill the protagonist is canonically bisexual and has romance options with several of the supporting cast, as well as some nice plutonic endings too. It's based on old PC-98 aesthetics which are pretty approachable, along with being hardy but not overlong length. There is a drink mixing mechanic which determines how much money you make every day, but afaik it has no outcome on story so if you don't like it you can just make a Sugar Rush every time and ignore it.

AI: The Somnium Files

This duology, which is in the realm of cyberpunk too, follows detectives that investigate crimes with assistance of AI companions. Both games have their own major underlying cases that are being investigated, but generally follow the same mechanics. The detective mechanics themselves are pretty straightforward and rarely have you scratching your head about how to progress. They have a comedic focus and the comedy may be the most niche aspect to it, it bounces around from being obscure and high brow to absolutely juvenile but it sells it all more often than not. There's no real romantic storylines in the game, but a few characters are canonically LGBTQ which comes up a couple times in game, along with characters straight up just voicing support of the LGBT community (and the author has also been vocally supportive)

The House of Fata Morgana

This is maybe on the fringes of your criteria, but I'm running out and this is just the #1 VN in general. It is not school focused and there is a major element to the plot involving LGBT themes. This story is absolutely shrouded in mystery so it's one of those things I have to say "go in blind" for, where even character details like that can be big giveaways to the plot. That story is fantastic, and the game's art and music are unforgettable. It's also at the bottom of the list because it might be the least approachable? It is longer than the other two, and has immensely morbid story content (cw for sexual assault, graphic violence, spousal and child abuse) but it approaches every cruel detail with artfulness and in a way that is core to the emotions and story of the characters.

I asked some other friends what a good non-school-based LGBT VN is and they seem to really like Scarlet Hollow as well. I haven't played it myself but the devs seem cool. If it sucks though blame my friends not me.

All these games are currently discounted during Steam's spring sale

#this post a preview for the top 10 recs I'm gonna post soon

[lady-of-the-spirit]

Pick any OC for the "if OC was canon" asks! "What feelings does your character most often instill in their fans?" "If your character had a breakout show/film/comic, what would the plot be? Who would be in their supporting cast?" "What controversies/drama would your character incite in fandom?" and "Are there ship wars? Are they a popular character to ship, or the kind of character that gets shuffled off and away from shipping for whatever reason?"

Gonna answer these with Hestia because I've been thinking about her in a meta way lately! (It has to do with shipping.)

What feelings does your character most often instill in their fans?

Her fans would love her! Like, she's a soft kindhearted woman, what's not to love??? But also she's got a slight hidden trickster side to her, she's got a surprising amount of backbone considering her general demeanor, and she is fully capable of using people's perceptions of her to her advantage. Her fans are gonna want to protect her so bad but also are like "she contains multitudes!!!" she'd be stanned so hard by her fans.

If your character had a breakout show/film/comic, what would the plot be? Who would be in their supporting cast?

OOH I remember my sister once made a netflix original series edit a few years back for a potential Hestia-centered series, and I can see that being it. Kinda like Agent Carter covering the development of SHIELD, this series covers the pre-Thor 1 stuff, the story of Hestia coming to Asgard, marrying Thor, how they learn to live together and fall in love, how Hestia learns to navigate her new kingdom and world. It's like... romance, comedy, drama, political drama, a little bit of action. But honestly probably mostly romance and comedy. Freida Pinto as Hestia, obviously, all the MCU Thor cast as their respective characters. We've also got Hestia's family. My old cast for them was Evan Rachel Wood as Hera, Pedro Pascal as Zeus (this was pre-Mandalorian), and Jason Momoa as Poseidon. (I had faceclaims for others, but I'd change them now, and her whole family makes appearances so I won't get into every single one.) Hestia would also probably have a few handmaidens as a crown princess, but I haven't thought about them at all.

What controversies/drama would your character incite in fandom?

Well she's a queer woman of colour in the MCU fandom. That alone is gonna be controversial. Plus she's married and in a romantic relationship with one of the main mcu guys, Thor, generally seen as the hottest one, so there's that too.

I can see a lot of discourse over her usefulness as a character. Like, Hestia's role once the movie events start going is going to be a lot of background stuff - politics, keeping people organized and keeping the kingdom running. Stuff that is important but, because these are action movies and she's not kicking ass with a sword or something, is gonna get her sidelined. She's also not openly snarky or sarcastic, she's kind even though she can make jokes and be funny, and I think that would also get her mischaracterized as weak or useless. On the flip side, she has a lot of power but chooses not to fight because of trauma, and that would get her called out because "she could have stopped xyz event and didn't".

Are there ship wars? Are they a popular character to ship, or the kind of character that gets shuffled off and away from shipping for whatever reason?

I'd like to believe that Thor and Hestia would be a popular ship, you know, "happily married couple deeply in love" is a popular trope for a reason! We love that shit! And it would be popular because they are obsessed with each other and love each other so much and again, we love that shit! But we live in the real world and the mcu so there would still be some shipping drama. Inevitably there would be people shipping Hestia and Loki. I hate to think about it but it would happen. They're very close and have a special relationship, but it's JUST as siblings/friends. They work as friends and siblings but romantically, nah.

Unfortunately I have to bring up the obvious: because people ship thor and loki, I can see fans pushing Hestia out of the way of that. Either by simply having her and Thor being friends in an arranged marriage rather than coming to love each other, or just cutting her out completely somehow. She'd end up the supportive shipper on deck for them and probably show up in the background in a relationship with like, Sif or Jane or some other female character to make it seem progressive that they're sidelining a leading queer woman of colour for their incest ship. Something similar would happen for any other thor ship I guarantee it.

OC meta ask list!

#thanks for asking! #ask #disneyfan50 #my ocs #hestia