#Anyway. ANYWAY. Sorry about all the polls

[shima-draws]

Props my head up hey. I’m still coming up with character concepts. And I’m trying to decide what kind of Vibe my healer girl should have 👀

Quick refresher on her:

Soft spoken and kind, she takes care of the group’s injuries and provides support in battle. Everyone’s a little intimidated by her bc she’s scary when they don’t immediately come to her for medical treatment after battle, or brush off their injuries. Grows close with mute girl. Is the calming presence of the group, and everyone comes to her when they are stressed. (This causes her to have a complex about being the calm one, the cheerful one, the one who always has their shit together. This is unhealthy. Lmao) Is also some kind of royalty. She and edgy boy bond over their garbage experiences with the upper class.

I’m either going to make her a water elemental or a forest elemental (both of which are capable of having healing powers!) but I can’t decide if I want to go with a fluffy winter theme (probably using ice as a numbing agent with her healing) or an autumn theme (just bc most forest elementals are associated with green colors and I think an autumn themed one would be neat). So I’m coming to YOU for opinions!!

(Secret third thing possibly being a time elemental who can “rewind” the state of someone’s body to heal injuries. But I don’t have an outfit theme for this one. Suggestions are welcome)

[sparky-is-spiders]

Favorite non j/mart jonship

I am soso curious about this actually. Also I want to think about my favoritest blorbo and make other people think about them also. So here's a poll with some Jonships. Can be platonic or romantic. Choose whichever speaks to you most. (Note: this is favorite jonship ASIDE from j/mart. If that's your fave, pick your second fave here or pick none/no preference please, not other).

No pressure but if you rb w/ tags explaining your choice I will love you forever. Also would appreciate reblogs for a larger sample size.

Edit: I don't think many people are going to see this but if you do and you are part of the 1.2% (at time of edit (6/9/2024, 14:11 EST)) who voted for Jonpeter or Jonmelanie please please tell me your reasoning, not just why you like them but why you chose them over all the other options. I like them too. I won't judge. Please. I want to love them the way you do. I want to understand.

[ni-kol-koru]

⋆ ˚｡⋆♡ ˚ Satsuki Momoi ˚ ♡⋆｡˚ ⋆

[destinywillowleaf]

one of a kind living in a world gone plastic

baby you're so classic

@most-tragic-character-tournament

(all my thoughts in the tags)

[deoidesign]

Thinks about my next series again... I drew the icon for it!

I'm planning to have it launched within a year! I'm hoping for summer 2025. I want to make a prelaunch page before Time and Time Again ends so people can subscribe if they're interested, but I'm worried the series return would be too early...

[ruvviks]

The Dobrynin family is a corpo family through and through, rooted in Arasaka and Orbital Air going back by several generations; though their powerful position within the corporate world ends with the children of Nadya and Matvey Dobrynin. With Vitali and Daniil fired from Arasaka and Kang Tao respectively— the former indirectly getting his parents fired, too— and Roksana having refused to set foot within a megacorporation from the start, the family begins crumbling apart at the very seams when clashing interests lead to grudges, betrayal, and pointless acts of revenge. ↳ read the unrevised fic here if you're interested!

taglist (opt in/out)

@shellibisshe, @florbelles, @ncytiri, @roseeway, @stars-of-the-heart;

@lestatlioncunt, @katsigian, @radioactiveshitstorm, @estevnys, @adelaidedrubman;

@celticwoman, @rindemption, @carlosoliveiraa, @noirapocalypto, @dickytwister;

@killerspinal, @euryalex, @ri-a-rose, @velocitic, @thedeadthree;

@kanos, @swordcoasts, @ordinarymaine, @claudiawolf, @strafethesesinners

[pigeonstab]

I showed my mom a Cross body pillow and she was like 'oh yeah well we can order that for Christmas'

[pinkeoni]

During his emotionally charged speech in the van, Will says one particularly potent line.

"When you're different... You feel like... a mistake."

This line is highlighted visually by the camera shifting positions to outside of the van, a shot that is only used one other time to punctuate the end of the scene. This line holds extra weight and the show wants you to know it.

I already made an analysis on the word mistake and what that means for Will, but I want to look at the word different, which feels emphasized in the delivery of the line as well.

"When you're [pause for effect] different..."

It's popular headcanon among st fandom that "everyone in Hawkins is gay!" which sometimes bleeds from into their belief of real canon. Sexuality headcanon lists suddenly are seen with an air of truth to them, and a number of fanon queer ships are accompanied with evidence of their supposed endgame status.

I realize that this is kind of a... weird post to make. I'm not really making this to tell people to stop doing something, this is more of just a rattling off of some opinions I've had for awhile.

I do wanna start off with the obligatory: Do whatever the hell you want. I'm not here to stop you from doing something or tell you that you are wrong for thinking that a character is gay or for shipping something. You are allowed to ship whoever you want, think whatever you want about any character, any ship I don't like I have filtered. But I'm also allowed to not like these ships, or disagree with how others view certain characters. Just as others are allowed to have and express their opinion, I'm also allowed to have and state my opinions on the opinion website.

I think the important thing regarding Will being different is the fact that he is different. As my good friend @karenchildress once put it, if everyone were queer, it would cheapen the message the show is trying to give. Sure, the show displays a variety of ways of being different, but being gay is, among other things Will has been through re: being taken into the Upside Down, is Will's way of being different in Hawkins.

And of course Robin is gay as well, and while there is some crossover, the lived experiences of a gay man is different from that of a lesbian woman, which the show does touch on. Will's story is part of an extended AIDS metaphor, and Robin struggles to gain the attention of women in a world that seems to revolve around the attention of men.

It might be nice to have a moment between Will and Robin, although that alone won't solve Will's problem, i.e. his belief that being different makes him a mistake. Cause that's the thing: the resolution is that being different is a good thing.

If everyone character were queer, this would cheapen the message. Suddenly the resolution isn't that being different is a good thing, but that he isn't different after all.

So then, are queer stories meant to have only token characters?

I think it depends on the type of story, and what it's trying to say. Heartstopper has an eclectic queer cast, but it's also a show that embraces finding community and other people like you. Sex Education has a variety of different sexual identities, but it's also a show that aims to explore a lot of different perspectives.

And there are also queer stories where the queer character's disposition, and their struggle because of that, is a big part of the story. I believe this is what this show is trying to do— highlight Will's difference and how that pertains to his personal struggle and the resolution of that.

One argument that I hear against Will with powers is the idea that making him more different would be bad for his character, because he hates being different. But the thing is, Will is going to learn that his differences are a good thing, which may include any possible powers.

Of course Will isn't the only one with powers, and he also isn't the only gay one. El, Henry, and Kali all have powers, and Robin, Vickie, and Mike (and maybe Henry? I haven't seen TFS myself so I'm not commenting on that) are all gay. So while he's not alone, these things are still a rarity. It's not a case of a headcanon list with mostly everyone gay and some token straights.

"Characters are not straight by default."

This sentiment isn't unique to the st fandom and also didn't originate within this fandom, but it is something that I hear often. And it's... not really true, although it kind of depends on the piece of media we are talking about. It might be easy to say this about a show made in the 2020's, although this same sentiment is hard to state about, well, most shows made before the 2020s. And even then, it depends on what the show is going for.

People being not straight by default is a true statement in real life. You shouldn't assume a sexuality for anyone, gay, straight or what have you. But characters are made by people, and people have different biases on how these characters should be written. Calling the Duffers "two straight men" would go against what I just said, although I don't think that the show was written with everyone being gay in mind. Aside from the 4 (maybe 5) I listed, the other characters are not written to be queer. They just aren't.

All of the queer characters have arcs that feature their queerness. Will's queerness has been mentioned since season one. Robin's romance becomes part of her plot in season 4, and Vickie is introduced as her love interest. Romance has always been an important facet of Mike's story since season one, and his failure in a straight romance is highlighted in seasons three and four. Chekhov's painting of season 4 seems to solidify a gay Mike.

Elmax and Ronance as endgame options not only have no lead up but are also mean spirited towards Lucas and Vickie. Elmax gets together, breaking up Lumax, which has been built up since season two, and Lucas is supposed to be okay with this because????? Ronance get's together, effectively writing off a queer character that the show had introduced, and she can't even fulfill the reason she exists in the first place? Rockie is not the most well developed relationship out there, but it's the one that the show has decided to go for. Maybe Ronance could work, in an alternate universe where the show actually wrote that in.

For those that argue that both Max and Nancy are queer I simply... disagree. And you can disagree with me too, we'll both just agree to disagree. I'm not against headcanons, which are usually harmless, but also usually driven by the desires of the headcanon-er and less so the canon of the show. Which again, is fine, but it's also these headcanons which are being used to drive an argument for actual show canon. Usually the argument for any character being queer that wasn't already listed in canon rests solely on vibes, not any concrete evidence that may suggest actual attraction to the same sex.

More substantial evidence usually comes when someone applies a queer lens to a certain character, but an interpretation can be different from authorial intent. And sometimes, the viewer may be so focused on the metaphorical, that they fail to see the literal.

I do think that you could easily apply a queer lens to El's story. Her story is about, in her words, "not belonging," in society, having to remain in hiding, and deviating from feminine norms. I can easily see how you can derive a queer message from this, but all of the traits listed above are a result of her having powers and being raised in a lab, not being attracted to the same sex. Metaphor alone cannot prove that she likes girls.

Going back to Nancy, Nancy's romantic options are between Jonathan and Steve, although the show seems to make it clear that it's going with Jonathan in the end, what with Jancy holding hands at the end of season 4. Steve get's brought up in conversation between the two, alluding two some unresolved tension that's likely to be brought up in season 5, and Robin is... at the high school with Vickie. That is the end of the season establishing the arcs and romances for the final season.

"Gay people didn't exist in the 80's."

That's an argument on the opposite end of things that just isn't true, although I've also heard the counter for this argument, that gay people did in fact exist in the 80's, as evidence that everyone is gay. I'm not really here to argue whether or not gay people existed in the 80's (they did) I'm just here to argue what I think the canon of the show is presenting.

That being said, the show taking place in the 80's is still significant. It may not be a hyperrealistic depiction of the 80's, but the show does seem to understand the idea that at that time, it was very difficult for gay people come out and to start relationships. It's the reason that Robin can't just go up to Vickie and ask her out, and it's the reason that Will can't just say that the painting is from him. It's the reason why Mike hasn't quite yet left his relationship with El and accepted himself. It's the reason why Rockie has to discreetly flirt through peanut butter sandwiches. A character who hasn't had queerness built into their plot, or a relationship that has no buildup, isn't suddenly going to become canon in the last season.

I was talking about this once with a friend who used the show Only Murders in the Building as an example. In the shows second season, Selena Gomez's character is revealed to be bisexual and dates a character that Cara Delevingne plays for most of the season. The show doesn't build up to her character being bisexual, she doesn't come out as such, the other characters don't make a big deal out of it, she just is. So why can this show do something like that but Stranger Things can't?

Well, Only Murders is a show that takes place in present day, and is a light-hearted comedy (albeit with murder). A character suddenly being bisexual with no set up makes sense for the tone that the show has established and when it takes place. Stranger Things takes place in the 80's and establishes within it's first season and maintains it throughout that gay people get killed and are seen as social pariahs.

It's not that I don't understand where the desire to have more characters be queer comes from, especially characters that people already like and relate to. I don't think it's harmful to think that these characters are queer, I'm making an argument purely with regard to authorial intent and the actual outcome of the show. Again, feel free to disagree with me and continue to do whatever you want, these are just some thoughts that I have had on my mind for a while and wanted to put out.

[fuckingstupidbracket]

like a regular bin, not even recycled or anything

[lily-blue-blue-lily]

also rb and say if you agree with me on any of these!

(i am so sorry if any of your favourite songs are on here, this is just my opinion!)

(i might make another of these polls with my favourite songs so i dont seem too negative lol)

[jackredfieldwasmyjacob]

pues ya estamos todos

santiago abascal is the leader of the far right party vox, who flew today to israel to have an audience with netanyahu, shortly after spain has recognised palestine as a state (needless to say the current president is from the main 'left' -with giant quotations- party), in order to basically pronounce himself an ally of his cause.

btw israel has been threatening spain ever since the president said he was gonna recognise palestine, with of course no response. it's funny cause among all the missile and bomb threats, israel also recognized catalonia as an independent state - something vox and other right-wing parties are against -, but I guess coherence is out of the picture of them.

[themyscirah]

Vanessa didn't even die and yet her story is still sadder and more fucked up than jtodd's. He wishes he was on her level

[autisticlancemcclain]

wip wednesday 12

some links for your convenience (and a list of some of the wips in question):

space whale au: 1

the loneliest series: 1 2 3 4

a mother's love: 1 2

MIA lance au: 1

blade lance au: 1 2 3

the applebees universe: 1 2 3

flower crown au: 1

and a list of the potential wips:

galtean au w a sprinkling of tangled inspriation

team has to secure an alliance with a planet that is like a giant ancient rome basically and has the military prowess to match and it is delicate enough that keith and lance are not allowed to help with negotiations and instead must just sit around and look pretty and amuse themselves in a big ass villa via falling in at least 40k of slowburn in love and aware but not letting ourselves yet love canon fic based off that taylor swift song. uh. the one with the spilling wine in the bathtub. dress

adult klance shoved together in a cross canada train car simultaneously going through a quarter life crisis modern au

keith really hates his dumbass realter job and his realter job hates him and gives him dilapidated ass houses to sell and in one such house he meets a newly created and very angry about it ghost named lance who has a Personal Problem with keith as if its his fault he's fuckin' dead modern au

journey to the centre of the earth au ft. keith who just wants to keep the memory of his brother alive thru geeky geology, his very emo thirteen year old niece hana, and a very intelligent but highly competitive mountain guide who seems to hate him a little for some reason and unfortunately looks very good doing so. this au is already partially written

superman keith lois lane lance au

mad chemist youtuber lance and awkward but hugely famous actor keith who like a dumbass tells the entire internet that he has the hots for said youtuber who then proceeds to play hard to get bc he is a shit nilered au

unbelievably insane and heavy period piece circa venice 1492 with emotionally agonised and Falling angel lance and cathedral stonemason keith who treats him as if hes holy

[llawlieta]

you get to resurrect one of these Death Note characters so that they may go back to the past and "fix" it... you can try to tell them what you think they should do, but, oh no, the super convenient magical Death Note loophole that has allowed this resurrection to happen doesn't leave you with a lot of time to explain!! it's ultimately up to them!!