#Buck discovering he's a queer man with feelings for another man?

[min-kit]

https://www.tumblr.com/min-kit/747586253787217920/lol-yeah-tommy-is-absolutely-sticking-around-by

I’m not saying he’s not staying longer than planed but with Oliver you have to also take his interviews with many grains of salt. Like love him to death but he also says things like this about every possible LI he gets. Just look at the last few interviews from season 6 where he was going on about the future of Buck and Natalia and how excited he was is to see it play out in season 7 and explore their dynamic etc. and then we all saw what happened with that lol.

to be fair, when he said those things, Fox hadn't cancelled 9-1-1 yet & ABC hadn't picked it up. for all he figured, Buck & Natalia could've been something in s7 had it been on fox and things didn't play out the way they did. & I don't blame him for saying things like this about every LI cuz I'm sure he prob hopes at least 1 will stick around for some time. Buck has certainly drawn the short end of the stick as far as LI's go, but Tommy is incredibly different than any of his past LI's and, frankly, whether you like BuckTommy or not, it'd be stupid to just brush him aside when this pairing allows for a ton of new, rich storylines that they can tell.

And isn't getting Buck off that hamster wheel Kristen put him on in seasons 5 & 6 the entire point of this?

[sevensoulmates]

7x05 Buddie Meta "You Don't Know Me" Part 1 (of 4)

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Welp. I'm back at it again with the four-part metas. I was hoping this one wouldn't take too long but alas there was even more to unpack in this episode than last episode.

Fair warning my meta does contain speculation, and is very much my opinion/interpretation. I will be diving into my personal opinions about Eddie's sexuality and marriage to Shannon here. My headcanon is that Eddie is a repressed gay man, not bisexual, and I believe that while he did love Shannon, he was not in love with her and their marriage was something they were pressured into and was not healthy for either of them. I do my best to look at these topics in a nuanced light, but if you are sensitive to reading opinions that differ from yours I'm warning you of mine now. Let's begin!

Taylor Wong is nothing if not an amazing comedy writer. This call didn't end up being as psychological as I may have hoped but it still acts as an interesting parallel and metaphor. "I'm the Boss of Me!" is the tagline for a self-control conference and Buck and Eddie being the ones hurt here. How they got hurt is interesting too and reflects their exact conflicts in this episode.

Buck is being choked, stopping his ability to breathe but also his ability to talk. In the context of this episode, his inability to bring himself to tell Eddie the truth weighs on him--chokes him with guilt-- until he finally does come clean near the end, and only then is he able to exhale again. For Eddie, his being grabbed by the crotch is funny, but it's also an indicator of his storyline in this episode too. He deals with sexual dysfunction because learning about Marisol being a nun makes him feel so deeply uncomfortable that the idea of being with her sexually disgusts him and stops him from having a functioning sex life. For both of them, the pain and discomfort still linger even after the claw arm guy lets him go, but my hope is that this is indicative that one day both of them will get clarity and be set free too.

"Keeping our options open" is a call back to the last episode where Buck says he's "keeping his options fluid". Whereas the last episode it seemed to be more about sexuality, options open with men and women, this time it seems to be about something else. Maybe it's an indicator of Buck keeping his options open with different people? Which is interesting considering who pops up a second later.

This is part of why I think it's a good idea they're having Buck get used to queerness with another man other than Eddie. I feel like if Buck had discovered his queerness with Eddie, these kinds of issues might've been blown out of proportion on both of their ends and probably caused much MUCH bigger problems. Allowing Buck the chance to work through this with someone safer was a good bet.

Additionally, I find it interesting here that both Buck and Eddie are dealing with external and internal conflicts that mirror each other in this episode. In this instance, it's the fear of being Perceived. For Eddie, being perceived by God. For Buck, being perceived by Heteronormative Society at large.

This would be an adjustment for anyone, so I don't necessarily think Buck is dealing with internalized homophobia that's too detrimental. I think it's more so he needs an adjustment period and needs to figure out why he's uncomfortable. Is it the idea of being perceived as queer by others? Is it the idea of being perceived as queer by Eddie? Is it the fact that you are on a date with a man? Or is it because you're not sure if you're on a date with the right man? More on this when we get to his scene with Maddie.

Now I had a strong feeling that Tommy was going to be someone who only figured out who he was later in life too. And it seems a lot of that was due to his past, possibly how he grew up, and being in the 118 under Gerard who was every "ist" in the book. It goes to show how far Tommy has come and also proves to be interesting if we keep thinking of Tommy as a parallel to Eddie. I also had a feeling that Tommy was going to lean slightly more toward the gay side (though he's purposefully unlabeled which is fair).

To me, the phrase "lying about who I was" seems to align more with someone who is into men and not into women, but that's just my interpretation. Especially because in the next moment, Buck says that he's not lying about how he is, which is more in line with the bisexual experience.

Because Buck isn't lying. He was always/still currently is attracted to women, and is only just now discovering a new aspect of himself with his attraction to men. Whereas Tommy seems to be implying that when he was with women he was lying to himself about his attraction to them. Sound like anyone else we know?

Additionally, we have another call back to 7x04 (plus a myriad of other episodes) where Buck "makes it about him" when Tommy was really just trying to tell Buck more about himself, not imply that Buck was also lying. I'm going to give Buck some grace here because this is all new for him, so I understand his hyper-sensitivity. But it is once again showing another instance of Buck failing to really connect with Tommy about something related just to Tommy. Last episode, every conversation they had always found its way back to Eddie or was about Buck's feelings regarding what was happening. This time, when Tommy tries to be vulnerable and connect with Buck, Buck makes it about him and it feels like a misconnection (like how I predicted with the missed hand grab in 7x03 with Tommy and Buck trying to connect, but something always not quite hitting the intended target).

If down the road we see Tommy's (abridged) story about "lying to himself" come to fruition in a similar light with Eddie's storyline I'm going to be delighted. Here Buck is out on a date with a man who the last episode spent the entire time telling us was extremely similar to Eddie, only to have Tommy align perfectly with a lot of our headcanons about Eddie's sexuality too. I think this is something to stick a pin in to come back to later for sure.

Oh, Buck. OH, baby bi Buck. My heart aches for you and my body cringes. He's obviously on edge, but Eddie showing up just makes it worse. Buck immediately tries to no homo not just himself, but Tommy as well, stating that they're going to go find some "hot chicks" to pick up. Eddie makes a face, obviously picking up on the weirdness of Buck's statement (because "picking up chicks" is wildly out of character for current Buck and has been for years) but he's too distracted with Marisol to dig any deeper into it. He believes it very easily instead of stopping to question why else these two men might be on what looks like an intimate date. Tommy looks hurt, and I feel bad for him, but this was obviously his breaking point, and I can understand why.

I want to briefly touch on Eddie and the way he was speaking about Marisol throughout the entire episode separately from the whole nun thing. I found this piece of dialogue so odd here, because in general this isn't really how Eddie talks, it doesn't feel natural for him, but at the same time, it also harkens back to some of his horrendous dialogue with Ana back in season 5. "This hot chick already found her firefighter" "Spank me with a ruler" "kinda naughty" "Grade me on a curve" "Maybe you need to keep me after class", etc.

I've always wondered why Eddie starts talking like this about or with his girlfriends. I was discussing it with my roommate and she said to her it sounded like an "8th grade boy sitting with his guy friends trying to talk up how he banged some chick when really it's just a ploy to make himself look good to the boys and like he's more sexually active than he actually is for social clout". And you know what? I think that's exactly what it is. Eddie speaking like this feels like overcompensation on so many levels (not to mention Marisol looks lowkey uncomfortable here, that smile is fake af). Trying to make himself seem way more into sex or kinky things (like roleplaying with a teacher or nun) than he actually is. The dialogue is cringey and Ryan overacts it because the audience isn't supposed to feel comfortable with it. It's not supposed to feel natural. It's not supposed to endear us to the couple, it's meant to feel out of place and wrong because Eddie being with Ana and Marisol was and is out of place and wrong. It feels like a performance to us because IT IS A PERFORMANCE.

This is only enhanced by the new jarring information that Eddie has apparently asked Marisol to move in with him (offscreen). Keep in mind that they've been together for (I'm assuming) less than six months, he obviously didn't discuss it with anyone since both Tommy, Buck, and Bobby later are surprised. Christopher is also noticeably absent from this episode which leads me to believe he likely didn't really discuss it with him beforehand. This choice feels simultaneously like an OOC choice AND so very in character.

It's OOC because Eddie has stated that he doesn't like performing, he doesn't want a "ready-made family" and one would think that he would sit and contemplate this seriously given that if something goes wrong, he's providing another example of a failed relationship to his son. Not to mention that living with your parent's girlfriend is a huge thing. I've been through that process before in my own life with my mom and it's really only something you do if you're really committing to a person for the long haul because that's the message that sends to your kids.

But at the same time, this is also so severely in character for Eddie. As is pointed out later, he got married to Shannon because he was guilted into it, he dated Ana because he was pressured into it, and then overcommitted to her far too fast. And now he's doing the same thing with Marisol. This is very much a PATTERN for Eddie. Maybe, as this episode suggests, it's a facet of Catholic guilt that pushes Eddie to move way too fast in his relationships. Or maybe, Eddie finds the idea of being settled with a woman comforting, and he'd be okay sacrificing his happiness and settling with any woman as long as he got to have that comforting facade. All of this points to very obvious compulsory heterosexuality for me. More on this later.

I'm going to talk more about the way the show is choosing to use physical objects, Marisol's things, as a metaphor for who Marisol is, and Eddie's willingness to receive/learn about them as a literary device later. For now, I wanna talk about the exchange of Eddie being the one to bring up "closet space", Tommy being the one to say "Aint't that the truth" and point it towards Buck, who hammers it home with his "bro" line. I find it interesting that they had Eddie say this line, when it very easily could've been Marisol (after all it is her armoire) with Tommy in the middle. Tommy (IMO) is in the center of these two men's queer realization arc. The more subtle one in the earliest stages (Eddie) and the more present one (Buck). The way all of them volleyed this dialogue felt like I was watching a choreographed play, and the lines landed perfectly.

This is also the third line in five episodes specifically poking at Eddie possibly being queer alongside Tommy and Buck. "I've never seen a man turn off a woman with such skill. it's a gift" "you both like to watch half-naked men pummel each other" and now this. "You can never have enough closet space" suggesting that not only was there Tommy in the closet in the past, Buck in the closet recently (and somewhat presently given that Buck just shoved himself and Tommy back into it), and Eddie right now still deep in that closet. Hopefully, there's enough space for all y'all!

I very much liked how this went down. Tommy has a right to break things off if the person he's with clearly exhibits weirdness around being out with you. I don't blame him for his choice here. I like that he's also not making it about the fact that's he inexperienced. Additionally, I think this is another instance of Tommy witnessing something weird between Buck and Eddie, and I'm not sure how much of that he's picking up on, or if he thinks it's generally about being perceived as queer, or just needing to slow things down and process before he actually starts a relationship with a man. All are valid, but I think it's just interesting that a lot of it had to do with Eddie yet again, and I wonder how much of that Tommy is aware of.

From the start of this conversation with Maddie, Buck makes it seem like the thing that's making him uncomfortable most is the fact that he lied to Eddie about the truth of his date with Tommy. Obviously, he's not going to immediately jump into telling Maddie the truth, and he's gotta start the conversation somewhere, but I do find it interesting that rather than seeking her advice on "how to get his date back" he instead is seeking advice on why he lied to Eddie and can't bring himself to tell him the truth.

This could be deflecting because he's not yet ready to tell Maddie. Or it could be the truth that all of this angst may stem from him still trying to get comfortable in his queerness. But the main issue that isn't sitting right with his soul is that he lied to Eddie, that he's hiding a fundamental piece of the truth of who he is from Eddie. Because to Buck it is unthinkable that Eddie doesn't always know the whole truth, all of who Buck is, at all times. At this point in their relationship, they're supposed to know everything about each other, and yet something about sharing this part of himself with Eddie in particular scares him. Could it possibly be that he's aware that sometimes "straight" men get weird around their queer male friends? Could it be that he thinks his relationship with Eddie would be negatively effected if he told Eddie this truth? I will touch more on this later. But for now, Buck makes it clear that his interest isn't wholly in getting Tommy back right now. It's making sure that all is right in his relationship with Eddie.

Once again, this choice by the writers to center Eddie in every step of the way of Buck's queer realization journey is telling. Especially given that he's able to tell Maddie without ~too~ much struggle.

I understand where Buck is coming from. It's again distancing himself from Tommy, trying to get her advice about Eddie. But also, it's an attempt by him to normalize him going on a date with a man, which should be normal, but it's not in Buck's personal historical normal.

Buck wants to believe that because he was an "ally" that that means he'd just be automatically okay with dating a man right away. But I think he's trying to push himself at a speed faster than he's comfortable with (which he again does at the end by inviting Tommy to Madney's wedding) and needs to realize that he can slow down, which is a parallel with Eddie the whole episode. Which is why I think Tommy was right to step back and give him some time. The other part that is interesting is that Buck once again appears confused about the truth of his feelings, similar to the last episode and I just find it interesting in this scene where Buck and Maddie are once again talking about Eddie at her house, it's once again ambiguous if the subject Buck's really hung up on is Tommy....or Eddie. Both are true at the same time.

Go to part 2!

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

[stagefoureddiediaz]

ugh this is horrible news tommy is still around, hope to god he's gone in the finale. v

Maybe in your world Nonnie, but not in mine and I'm not entirely sure why you felt the need to come and complain about it on my blog, but here we are!

It makes perfect Narrative sense for Tommy to still be around in the back end of the season, and even possibly into the start of season 8. The show is telling a story of Bucks bisexuality, so why woould they get rid of Tommy so quickly? To do so would do a disservice to that story - a massive disservice. I'm guessing you're hating on this relationship becasue you see it getting in the way of Buddie, rather than viewing it as a vital step on the route to Buddie.

Lets put it into simple terms - Buck figures out he's bi and then begins to explore that newly discovered aspect of himself. The show has also taken the time to move Buck from someone who didn't really do relationships (of the long term variety), into someone who is looking for love and looking for forever. But in amongst all of that, he hasn't really had a healthy long term relationship, the closest he had to that was with Ali and that one didn't last especially long and she wasn't around for most of it

Buck isn't ready for an endgame queer relationship right now - he is still to immature from a relationship perspective - especially a queer relationship perspective. If Eddie was available and he and Buck got together - as they are as characters right now, they wouldn't last - they're not in a position to do so successfully. And this isn't me suggesting that they need to have figured everything out before they get together - to have fully healed etc, because thats neither realistic or something I would want to see - what it means is that they both need to get to a point where they are in a healthy enough place to put in the work together, understand each others flaws, and their own flaws and proactively work towards overcoming those things together and as of right now, neither of them are - they are getting their and moving rapidly in the right direction, but Buck needs to learn a bit more, and in many ways learn how to be with a man, before he will be ready to start anything with Eddie.

The growth we're getting to watch Buck go through right now - in the aftermath of the lightening strike, his reckoning with his mortality etc and the fact he's now off the hamster wheel and moving forward - in a healthy and faster way than we've ever seen from him, speaks volumes.

Tommy is also a far better developed love interest than any other love interest we've seen Buck (or indeed Eddie) with (Abby excepted but she was a main, so had her own purpose on the show)- I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling like I know Tommy more after 3 episodes plus what we got from the begins episodes he was in, than I managed to ascertain about Taylor or Ana or Nataila etc!

Not to mention, him figuring out he's in Love with Eddie as part of this process is going to be fun to watch. The show has made no bones about re-enforcing at every. Single. Opportunity how close, how entwined and how important Buck and Eddie are to one another - the show has quite literally been prioritising that over anything else Buck and Eddie related - Buck was there front and centre - placed very much on an equal footing with Shannon and even Eddie himself in 7x01, and then Eddie was the centre of Bucks bi arc in 7x04 and in his coming out in 7x05. They are literally moving chess pieces into place to tell an amazing story of queer love in later life and creating an epic slow burn for the ages.

And finally, Eddie is, as far as we know at this point in time, still in a relationship with Marisol - why shouldn't Buck get to explore who he is and what he want's within a relationship rather than sitting pining on the sidelines - that isn't healthy in any way shape or form. Eddie still has stuff to figure out about himself.

Even Tim and Oliver have stated in interviews that this is about a happy and joyful queer experience of figuring out bisexuality and therefore within that is giving the narrative a romcom vibe. But they have also stated that Tommy isn't going to be around for that long - that he is very much a narrative device.

It is worth pointing out that timelines on various aspects of the narrative may have been shifted because of the season 8 renewal - but that is only going to help tell the story because now it doesn't have to be rushed. I'm still fully expecting some form of feeling realisation from one of them by the end of the season (my money is on Buck), setting up for season 8 and Buddie going canon either 8a finale or early into 8b.

You have every right to dislike Tommy if thats you jam - have at it, but don't come to my blog and expect me to agree with you. I'm not a multi shipper by any means - I'm a one ship kind of gal and I will be a Buddie shipper until the end of time, but within that, I am here for amazing storytelling and amazing queer storytelling - the like of which I've not had the privilege to watch on my screen before - especially one that hits so close to home. Its a really important story to tell and I'd rather it not be rushed.

And if you had to pick - I'm pretty sure you'd rather have Tommy around for a bit longer that Marisol!!!!

[queerdiaz]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by my beloveds @bidisasterevankinard and @confetti-cupcake tysm babes!

So I saw this gifset from the amazing @cafecitoeddie and got this instant need to write an Eddie x Terry fic (don't worry I'm still working on my buddie longfic and all my prompts). I'm not sure about what I've written so far but here you go

If Eddie were to say that today was a day then that would be the understatement of the fucking millienia. After what felt like forever, they had finally found a bloodied and bruised Chimney. Tommy had even flew in a fucking helicopter so the groom could finally marry the bride – after getting thoroughly checked by Hen of course.

And now here they are, everyone happy and dancing like Chimney didn’t almost die, again. But that’s okay, because if any of them learned anything from their job and all the trauma, is to enjoy what you have when you have it.

At that thought, Eddie looks away from the bride and groom carefully but still lovingly dancing to see Buck and Tommy in their own little world swaying to the sweet love song. He quickly turns around and walks towards the drink table to grab another flute of champagne.

Eddie downs the entire glass and sighs.

It’s pretty damn awful timing to break up with your girlfriend because – surprise! – you realized that not only you’re gay but you’re in love with your best friend only after said best friend also discovered his queerness but is starting to date a guy that you’re pretty sure you also had a crush on as well.

The universe is a cruel, cruel bitch.

“Hey, Eddie!” A voice comes to break himself out of his thoughts.

Eddie turns to see a face he hasn’t seen since working at dispatch.

He pushes all his anguish aside for now for him to process later with Frank, and lets out a genuine smile.

“Hey, Terry! Long time no see.”

The other man gives him a bright smile in return. “Yeah, it’s been a while. How’ve you been?”

Feeling like a sad gay disaster, he thinks. He says, “Great. How ‘bout you?”

“Pretty good.” He looks tentatively at Eddie for a moment before continuing. “I know you’re where you belong but I have to say I was kinda sad when you left dispatch. The LAFD twitter is just not the same without you.”

Eddie laughs.

That was a dark time in his life. But where Josh made him feel like an outsider, Terry – along with May, Linda, and Sue – helped him feel welcomed there. It’s nice to feel like he was missed.

“Yeah, I do not miss that. But I do miss y’all over there.” He pauses. “Even though I'm so glad I left.”

Terry laughs, his smile wide, and something in Eddie's stomach flutters. Like butterflies.

It then hits him. He’s attracted to Terry. He likes Terry.

That both terrifies him and sends thrills down his spine.

Tagging: @wh0re-behavi0r @honestlydarkprincess @monsterrae1 @saybiwithme @eddiediazisascorpio @parva-noctua @steadfastsaturnsrings @insecuregodcomplex and whoever wants to do it

[shadowsandsunset]

The BuckTommy OF!Buck fic (with eventual BuckTommyEddie)

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE (You Are Here)

PART FOUR (Had to split part three, it got too long, posting soon)

notes: No smut, but 18+ to be safe.

Eddie figures himself out. Buck, Tommy, and Eddie talk.

Tommy remains amazing, Eddie falls in love. <3

3000-ish words. Ooops.

I should also find a title for this eventually, for when I post on AO3.

From this post here.

Weeks go by before Eddie feels ready to talk to Buck.

He's been reading about compulsory heterosexuality, polyamory and queer platonic relationships; he's been watching queer media and movies; he's been exploring himself, his body, in a new context.

He talked to Hen and Karen and they pointed him in the right directions: queer bookstores and gay bars and how to find the information he needs to let him get a new feel for how he fits in the world.

So, he's ready. Or, well, he's as ready as he can possibly be and too impatient to wait longer.

So, he has to face things. Face Buck. Face his desperate horniness for his best friend and his best friend's boyfriend. Face the fact that he's in love with Buck. Face the fact that he could see himself falling for Tommy, too. To be with both of them, not a love triangle but a love circle, a hand reaching for each of them, a completed circuit.

Does he know that they'll be into it? No. Is it moving too fast? Absolutely. Is he even out to anyone but Hen and Karen? Nope. Is he slowly going insane? You know it.

But in his head and in his heart, he knows what he wants: a king size bed, a walk in closet, two of the best men he knows to raise his son with him, a house full of love and nights full of the kind of things he can't speak about without blushing.

He's watched so much gay porn these past weeks to get a grip on what he likes, what he doesn't like, and what he would like to do to another and what he would like done to him. The first time he came from having his own fingers inside of his ass? Revolutionary. He doesn't have a preference, top or bottom, or, ideally, both. Oh yeah, he's imagined being inside of Buck as Tommy is moving inside him, using him, to fuck both of them. When he came imagining that scenario he thought he was going to pass out, his heart beating so fast.

So now all he has to do is talk to Buck and Tommy. Buck first, then the both of them together.

He's standing outside of Buck's apartment building and getting ready to go up. He's terrified. The ways in which this can go wrong are innumerable. But, they've been through worse together. They'll talk it through. Buck won't hate him for this, he just has to remind himself of that.

Really? That's the best he's got at the moment outside of just info-dumping everything he's read about?

But what does he say?

"Hey I accidentally saw your porn and it made me rethink my entire life and sexuality?"

He's nervous, he's scared, he's absolutely getting ready to turn around and run when he sees Tommy approaching.

"Hey man, didn't know you were hanging out tonight." Tommy motions at the building in front of them.

Eddie just nods, "Yeah, uh, he doesn't know I'm here, actually, and I…fuck."

Tommy peers at him, eyes taking in how nervous Eddie is, the fidgeting and sweat pooling at his hairline.

"Everything ok, Eddie?" Tommy puts a hand on his shoulder, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Eddie freezes when Tommy's hand makes contact with his shoulder, his skin heating up at the touch, but then he feels himself relaxing.

Maybe it would be better for him to talk to Tommy first, another gay man, who might understand what he's going through.

He won't mention that he wants to fuck them, Buck and Tommy, he'll just talk about what he has discovered, yeah, that'll work.

And then he can talk to Buck when he's a little calmer.

He turns to Tommy, "Yeah, I think I do. Want to talk about it. But you're here to see Buck and I don't want to keep you."

Tommy smiles, "I'm actually early, so he's not expecting me yet if you want to talk." He motions to his truck, "We can sit down for a bit, if you want."

Eddie agrees and climbs into Tommy's truck, as Tommy climbs in and turns it just so the A/C is running and music plays softly over the radio.

"So, are you ok?" Tommy asks, gentle and quiet.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ok, Chris is ok, nothing like that. It's just…"

Eddie twists his hands together, squeezing his finger in a little pinch, just to ground him.

"So…a while back I, uh, I realized something. Something about myself. Something I wasn't ever able to realize before, growing up in Texas and being…well, married young, had a kid young, joined the army… It was just…" He trails off, looking out the window.

"Ah," Tommy breathes out, "I see. And when did you realize…that you're?" Tommy leaves the end of his sentence as a question, let's Eddie fill in the blanks.

"That I'm. That I'm gay? Weeks ago. Almost two months now. I, uh, went to Hen, and Karen, and they were really great about it, taught me things, places to go to learn, and I guess…" Eddie takes a deep breath, holds it for a second, "I guess the way I grew up, it was be straight or bust. It was the only option. I remember being like, younger than Chris is, and the things people would say, not just about queer men, but about masculinity and the expectations of it, the 'right way' to be a man. And I just… didn't let myself think about it. I did what was expected."

Tommy nods, "I was at the 118 under Gerrard. He was not an accepting man, and I knew, I realized about myself, but it wasn't allowed, and it wasn't until Hen came and shook us all up that I had any hope of it ever being different. So it seems we both owe Hen a giant fruit basket." Tommy winks at the last, and Eddie bursts into jovial titters, relief that somebody else gets it.

Eddie giggles trail off. "It's ok, right? I'll be ok?"

"Yeah, you'll be fine, better than fine. Because you already have people who love you and will accept you. And I'm here for you, too."

Eddie releases the breath he feels like he's been holding his whole life.

"There's something else, and I, I'm not sure I should even mention it. The thing that made me realize and rethink and all that?" He looks at Tommy in the eyes, "I saw a video on a porn site."

He stops, looks away, looks out the window, everywhere but at Tommy's patient, lovely face.

"It was from OnlyFans. It was you and Buck. I didn't know that Buck had one. He's so open with so much and closed about other things, and I don't know why I watched it, I just recognized him, his back, his scars, you know? And I clicked on it and I watched it and," he curses low under his breath and looks at Tommy again, "I've never come harder in my life."

Tommy's eyebrows are raised in surprise, his mouth is open in a little gasp, and Eddie feels himself burning in shame. He can't help it. It's awkward.

Tommy, whose brain seems to kickstart back into gear, laughs lightly.

"When we first became friends, before I got with Evan, I thought you two were together. You were so close, you know? But now, Eddie, I've been a part of both of your sexuality awakenings and I have to admit it's a good little ego boost."

Eddie smiles at Tommy, "You're incredibly attractive, Tommy. You have to know that, right?"

Tommy smiles back, ever gentle, "Thank you. But, uh, I'm with Evan. And I don't cheat, especially not with my partner's best friend. And I don't think you're that type of guy, either."

Eddie feels something warm in his chest, a small bit like what he feels for Buck, a candle flame versus an inferno. Oh, he could love this man.

"No, I'm not. And I didn't mean to imply that, anyway." He gathers his inner strength, "But have you heard of, uh, polyamory?"

Tommy blinks, "Polyamory. The three of us? Or open? Because…Eddie, I like you, but I don't want an open relationship, not with anyone, but especially not with Evan. I love him."

Eddie shakes his head, "Not open. Just…I've been imagining it for weeks. I love Buck, I'm jealous of you, truly, and I wish I had got my head out of my ass sooner. But I love him, am in love with him, and have been for way longer than I realized, if I look back on things. But Tommy, you're also a wonderful person, and I can absolutely see myself falling for you, in addition, not in replacement of Buck."

"I don't know, Eddie. I have no idea if this would work, or if Evan would even be willing. Am I attracted to you? Well, I have eyes, so yes. But… Maybe you should talk to Evan. Or maybe I should. I don't know."

Eddie places his hand over Tommy's bigger one, "I'm not going to try and steal him from you. I love him, yeah, and it'll suck to see him with somebody else, but I am not a homewrecker. I want you both. I've spent a lot of time fantasizing about it, actually. This is something I've thought through, and I know that this is a sudden and unexpected thing, and maybe I'm just in my head, which is why I didn't bring it up until now. Now, I'm sure. And maybe you and Buck aren't interested, but, I really think this could be amazing."

Tommy sits quietly for a few moments but doesn't pull his hand away from Eddie's. He glances at the time on the radio. "You should come up with me, I believe you when you say you won't try to steal him, but I know he loves you, Eddie. You won't have to try."

Tommy looks sad, resigned, like he knows the outcome. Eddie feels his heart break, he already knows how that feels. He won't let them lose this man, not if he can help it.

"He loves you, Tommy. I'm not going to make his decisions for him, but I'm not willing to cast you aside either; not now, not ever. Cause yeah, I love Buck. But I'm pretty sure I'm already halfway in love with you, and I know you don't trust that yet, but I'll show you, if you and Buck will give me a chance."

Tommy turns off the ignition off and climbs out of the truck, Eddie following after.

They make their way upstairs and into Buck's apartment, Buck greeting them warmly but seeming to pick up on the tension.

"So, uh, what's up?" Buck scratches the back of his neck, confused and wary.

Tommy nods at Eddie, giving him the floor. Fuck. Fuck, ok. Go time.

Eddie takes in a deep breath, releases it. This is it. This is where his best friend either breaks his heart or gets awkward or Tommy ends up being right and that doesn't sit well with Eddie at all.

So he goes for it.

"Sit down, Buck. I think you need to be sitting down."

Tommy is leaning against the wall, looking nervous and ready to bolt, like his heart is already broken. Fuck, that's not what Eddie wants. He has to do this right, put his years of therapy to good use.

Buck sits. Eddie stays standing, paces a bit but doesn't take his eyes off either of the other men.

"So. Uh. A couple of months ago, I watched something. Something I should have never seen."

Buck seems to understand, going pale, stuttering out a disbelieving "what?"

Eddie continues, "I'm glad I did see it. It put things in perspective for me," he makes air quotes, "brought forth the real me".

He stops pacing, settling down next to Buck. "I recognized you, I'll always recognize you, your scars and freckles and skin. I know you probably thought no one would, but I could recognize you in the dark, underwater, anywhere. I'm sorry, that you probably didn't want me to see that."

Buck seems to be close to breaking down, breath heaving, eyes looking for Tommy who nods back at him to keep listening to Eddie.

Eddie takes Buck's hand in his, comforting as he can, and continues.

"I realized I'm gay because of that video. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I know that we don't keep things from each other but I was struggling to understand how I could go so long without realizing. But I wanted to tell you, tell you everything."

Buck snaps his head to look at Eddie, "You're gay?"

"I'm gay. I can explain about compulsory heterosexuality and the way I grew up, later, but I needed to tell you."

"Why do I feel like I am still missing something?"

Eddie looks at Tommy, motions for him to take a seat on Buck's other side and then waits for him to do so.

"Buck. Buck, you're my best friend, my kid's other Dad. I love you." Buck looks at Tommy, Tommy looks at Eddie, Eddie looks at both of them: Tommy tucked up behind Buck's back, protective, Buck leaning on Tommy but reaching out for Eddie's hand.

Eddie takes a few quick shallow breaths, and then starts again.

"I love you. And you are one of the most important people in my life and I am terrified of losing you. I know you love Tommy, and that's wonderful, Buck, I'm so happy for you both. I love you, and I'm in love with you," he hears Buck's breath stutter, but he continues, "I'm in love with you, and Tommy is someone who is so amazing, and I think I'm falling for him too, for all the same reasons you did."

"What the fuck."

Buck pulls his hand out of Eddie's, Eddie feels his heart shatter. Oh no.

Buck stutters, "You, you what? You realize you're gay and then you tell me you're in love with me AND my boyfriend, and what? I'm supposed to choose? You or him? That's fucked up. And you think you're falling for him? So what? Are we all just supposed to date each other?"

Eddie interrupts before Buck can spiral further, "Yeah, ideally. If you want that, and if Tommy wants that. Because that's what I want."

Buck stops, looks at Tommy, looks back at Eddie. He stands, pulls Tommy up with him, then points at Eddie.

"Stay here."

Tommy and Buck go into the bedroom and Eddie can hear their voices but not make out words. He can't help but think that he's ruined everything.

They're gone for what feels like hours but is only about twenty minutes. Buck's eyes are wet and shiny, but his cheeks are dry, if red. Tommy is following Buck, quiet but looking steady.

Buck approaches, sits back down, Tommy standing behind him, supportive and protective, and Eddie can't help but appreciate the strength of Tommy, not just the physical, but his emotional and mental. These men. These men are something truly special.

Buck begins speaking, "Ok," he takes a shaky breath, "Tommy and I think it's best if we approach this like any relationship, even if we already know each other, we should, uh, date. We should learn how this'll work, if it'll work, and take it slow, or, as slow as feels right."

Tommy nods, "Evan and I didn't jump into things either, for what it's worth. And I know this is new for you, and I don't want to rush this and things go south." He shrugs, "But we agreed to give it a shot."

Eddie feels something inside of him relax. "So, I didn't ruin everything?" Fuck, that's not what he meant to say.

Buck's expression goes tragic for a second before reaching to pull Eddie into a hug, "Eddie, no. Even if this doesn't work out, you're always going to be my family, you and Chris. It just might be awkward for a bit but we've been through too much for anything to ever get between us." Buck grins, playfully, "Except for Tommy, sometimes, I mean, we'll have to take turns being in the middle, right?"

Eddie and Tommy both laugh, relieved.

"Right." They agree in unison.

They sit and talk for a while, joking and smiling, flirty comments and all.

Before Eddie heads home for the night he stops, turning to the two men.

"I know we said we'd take it slow, but I, I haven't kissed a man before and I really want to kiss you, both of you…if that's ok?"

Buck and Tommy share a look then nod. Buck takes Eddie's face in his rough, warm palms and kisses Eddie gently, sweetly. Eddie feels like he has honey in his veins, warm and syrupy. He relaxed into the kiss, it feels good, so incredibly good, great, spectacular. It's a simple kiss, no tongue, but it's confirmation of what he knows to be true.

Buck pulls away and Eddie is slow to open his eyes, overwhelmed with gratitude and affection.

"Wow." He takes a breath, "Yeah, ok, damn."

Tommy smiles at him, "I had the pleasure of being Evan's first kiss with a guy, I thought he would like to be yours."

Buck nods, "Absolutely."

Tommy pulls Buck into a hug with one arm and Eddie with the other, and they wrap around each other, and it feels right, it feels like he is where he belongs and Eddie could cry, if Tommy didn't tilt his face up to kiss him.

Where Buck's kiss was soft, almost chaste, Tommy kisses him with a bit more pressure, and it's wonderful. Eddie isn't a small guy by any means but being held by these two men makes him feel small, but not in a bad way, more like being cherished.

Tommy pulls back, kisses Buck on the temple. Eddie feels his heart pounding.

"Thank you." Eddie says, voice wavering with emotion.

They make plans for their first date together, and Eddie wants to take flight, soar through the sky on wings he doesn't have, he's so happy.

[fuji09]

I don't want to assume anything from that response on anti Tommy, but that's not entirely the truth and most certainly not the whole narrative as that's only focusing on a fraction of the cause. People hated Tommy/Lou's reintroduce before season 7 premiered.

It was word of mouth that we MIGHT get canon Bi/Queer Buck, especially with Tim back and being on ABC, and some fans took and ran off with that meaning Buddie was going to go canon, as it's publicly known to everyone involved people ship them the most. Some cast members/crew promoted in interviews, that Buck and Eddie "have a special bond, rely on each other, understand each other, need each other, have things to work out with each other etc." And that both Eddie and Buck are "going to discover something about themselves" And fans and shippers created their own interpretation and narrative of what that meant and some took that as confirmation that Buddie was going to happen this season because of the phrasing and "idk 🤭 well see what happens." There were many "interviewers" and "journalists" who also thought this and some who were publicly bias of this ship and kept that a focus, as no one from 9-1-1 would or could say the Buddie was or wasn't happening, as that would "ruin the plot" so it was to hook us in and give hope and they also probably guessed the responding negativity they're seeing now and didn't want that to affect viewership.

Shit hit the fan when photos of Lou were taken on set prerelease. That's when a blog at the time said, "What if Tommy's Buck's Love Interest?!" And at first it was jokingly, people were saying ~lol "Tuck" no they wouldn't... but that would be funny if it was true... wait, I like the idea, what's a shipname for them! omg this could actually happen!~ As at the time, it was more wind that Bi Buck was coming, and it was exciting. People still adored Buddie, but more importantly, it meant that we got representation. But that didn't go over well with others. It was a mix of "Who's Tommy?" and "What about Buddie?" (along with generalized homophobia) It honestly started as a joke ship, but people were upset, and even though most couldn't "remember" Tommy, they didn't like him. "It's not fair, they promised Buddie, Buck wouldn't like anyone besides Eddie, Eddie should be the one who make Buck realize his feelings" People shamed others for liking Tommy and the concept of Bi Buck without Eddie. "He's a nobody, ugly, white man" Agian most people didn't "remember" Tommy, and still they piggybacked from other accounts because they heard/read "Tommy's a bad guy and I don't want Buck to be with someone like that!" Stan accounts cropped the narrative of Tommy's character and focused on the episode where he was problematic and amplified it tenfold. It was cased closed. They ignored and refused to accept his character development. It was "he couldn't've changed, we didn't see him apologize, I won't forgive him, and if you do, you're just as bad" Then people brought up Ryan's past and how they support him. That was another spiral as people compared an actor to a character, forgiveness, and whether it mattered at all because "it's a TV show."

That's what started that back and forth leading to the ship war and it was forcing people to "take sides" and that hate of multishipping when people wouldn't, because "If you like Tommy, you can't/don't support Buddie!" So it was a divide and yet as the show started and progressed... there was still no denial from the 9-1-1 that Buddie wasn't happening, it was found out that Ryan was offered the queer Eddie/Lou storyline -it didn't happen as it "fell through" and it was offered to Oliver who accepted, who had been pushing for Bi Buck for years yet was rejected and he said he was gonna play Buck queer regardless of a green light, and it was stated that Lou was know to originally be in a set number -as the season haven't even finished being written, they switched networks, lost episodes, lost 2 actresses, re-editted and moved around placement. So it was going around that Lou wasn't going to stick around, and shamefully, how the show was being promoted, it looked like Buddie was endgame. Promotion kept pushing and creating a certain narrative that now people now believe is false/baiting/fan service or somehow confirmed... I mean to some it was really made to believe that Buddie it going to happen in some capacity, not to say it won't, but they never actually said by anyone it 100% WAS happening.

Extremists have been unaccepting of facts and canon, twisted and manipulated interviews, post, episodes to justify Buddie, taking one phrase/line as confirmation and refusing to accept anything else. They hate on Lou's appearance, sprout homophobia throughout the community, say people are fetishing queer men, looked up HIS pass, hate on fan's Cameos, edited outrageous post, send threats, promote violence to BT shippers. It's as Lou is Tommy, Tommy is Lou. Any fault he does is magnified.

The show showed Tommy as forgiven. Chim, Hen, and Bobby have been friendly and acquainted since season 2. He's hung out witb them, helped on calls after he left. The cast and him acknowledge his mistakes, multiple times I may add, and one time he downplayed it, people went mad and now use that as the only thing he's ever said on the topic. He's liked/made bad/weird post (over a decade ago) like other cast members. He's fatphobic, as he was an overweight bullied child who had a very famous bodybuilder father. That same father who turned out to be racist, misogynistic, and abusive, so he estranged and distanted himself. He can't do any right as Lou is Tommy... So if you like Lou or Tommy, it's a problem.

There are blogs on both sides saying what's right is right, but one side by popularity carries the weight as they've been established for longer, and their influence is substantial. I've seen from certain well known members encouraging actual hate and disapproval in extreme fashion resulting in queerphobia, transphobia, racism, exclusion, threats of multiple types of assault, doxing, falsely reporting accounts, sending hate to members of 9-1-1, down rating episodes if Lou is in it, commenting hate for Lou/Tommy/Tevan on offical 9-1-1 accounts, false/negative edits, leaking info of the show, lying for engagement, pushing for/to deactivation, discouragement for shipping/multishipping, purposeful false tagging, pushing for SH... And I've seen the progression that the other side doesn't want to hear it anymore and have to "act tough" Kinda push the asshole route as I've seen it, it's like talking to a brick wall. I happen to witness the straight rejection, trying to compromise, block and blacklist, and now the aggression. Both/all sides are mirroring each other... It's beyond negative as a community. I think seeing and being part of it from the beginning, you can see some delusion shipping as a whole is causing.

And regarding those fundraiser debacle. That blog had more than enough reason(s) and right to not promote that particular one, knowing how it started/was promoted and who's running/participating in it - They DID NOT say to NOT donate for Palestinian/Gaza we should get that straight. They discouraged and brought attention to another questionable and negative behavior in connection to it. Doing something for a good cause doesn't mean they get a pass to hate and shame others and then do it again when they get called out. People's activism and morals should be aligned and support what they must. I think it's sad to have to do that in the first place as it really is for a good cause. General psa~ If you want to support it, go for it! There are also other verified foundations if that suits you better. There's also no need to shame your community for not participating it this particular event or having bought a Cameo for an actor in the past. That's unnecessary. And neither for already or future donations. Or not being able to donate.

Wow I don't really know what to say. Thank you for saying all that. I always appreciate when people take the time and explain everything.

I'm so sorry all that horrible stuff happened. I'm new to the fandom and I wish ship wars hadn't claimed another fandom and ship. I wish people understood you can have NOTP's and it not mean the ship itself is bad. There's no moral high ground depending on who ships what. I hope things can get better for everyone.

[focusfixated]

april fic rec round-up

oof. another month gone. let’s forget our troubles and read some fic.

--

for i am fearfully and wonderfully-made by @itsevidentvery

rating: E

fandom & pairing: good omens - aziraphale/crowley

summary: In which Aziraphale teaches Crowley to take a compliment.

notes: good, old-fashioned praise-kink fic, but with a subtle, humorous twist. i really enjoy the precision and structure of the writing style here, and how certain words work as a kind of motif throughout. there’s some deeper ideas at the heart of this, but also such a deft, light-touch of comedy and silliness - aziraphale trying to sneak praise in where crowley won’t notice was just extremely delightful.

--

meanwhile by @drawsaurus

rating: T

fandom & pairing: tintin - haddock/tintin

summary: He was such a wildly clumsy man, Tintin thought with great fondness, and yet so firm and reliable when it was needed of him.

notes: there are a few authors whose writing moves me beyond what they choose to do with the characters, at the level where the word-choice and verbal construction of the story is as captivating as the story that's being told & @drawsaurus is one of them. there’s such lovely homage to the source material in this, and beautiful details that create a glorious picture of domesticity. and the longing, oh boy, the longing. what’s wonderful about the story is the way that the misunderstanding between the two characters is not so deliberately obtuse as to be unbelievable. it’s a kind of soft skirting of the edges of a feeling, giving into it on some level, understanding the strangeness of it but not the fullness of it. simple, evocative, emotional. just perfect. 

--

better dreams and plenty & isoscelees (extra e) by @stitchyblogs

rating: E

fandom & pairing: it - richie/eddie

summary: Miniseries Eddie wakes up in a strange world thirty years after his second battle with It. He’s stranded from the time and the people he knew, and he needs help. Luckily he’s not the only Loser around.

notes: two stories in which eddie from the 90s miniseries collides with the film-verse versions of richie and eddie. i was surprised by how much i got into this polyamory premise, but the balance of deeply-engaging character development with a super fun, heartwarming story is just perfect. amazing prose, precise and never overwrought, and the dialogue is so in-character, amusing and dynamic and pitched just right. there's a beautiful kind of hope to this story too that got to my feelings in a way i didn't expect when i started reading. a gorgeous story about discovering yourself, learning to love, and understanding that sometimes you have more than enough love to go around.

--

stood up tall on two legs like a man does by @skinks

rating: E

fandom & pairing: it - richie/eddie

summary: Eddie rides a mechanical bull like a pro, and Richie wants to buck his bronco.

notes: a short but brilliant read. the concept of this is so ridiculously hot, but the entire thing is heightened to an absolute unbearable heat by the poetic carnality of the language here. an incredible stream-of-consciousness that transposes you directly into some kind of wild-west fever dream. incredible, transformative.

--

let’s get together before we get much older by tempestbreak

rating: E

fandom & pairing: it - richie/eddie

summary: Eddie has never been to Richie’s birthday party. But Richie had kind of hoped this time would be different.

notes: this is such a lovely story. there's something deep-down-soulfully satisfying about this kind of unconfessed longing that lasts a lifetime and finally, finally comes out. a wonderfully-written and moving character journey for the both of them. the dialogue is so wonderfully in-character, and so perfectly crafted for the telling of the story, with memories and motifs coming back in meaningful ways later down the line. really excellent.

--

salt all around that rim by @royal-chandler

rating: E

fandom & pairing: it - richie/eddie

summary: Richie moves farther onto the bed as his hand sneaks higher, bending over the gorgeous stretch of golden-limbed glory that is Eddie Kaspbrak.

notes: extremely yes. a story that manages to be deeply soft and affectionate while giving off this absolutely rabid carnal energy. there's also a sweet relationship at the core of this without the kind of tiresome snappishness that can characterise this sort of "my boyfriend is an idiot" dynamic. really creatively written with lovely use of language, a treat for the brain on all levels.

---

queer eye 5.01: adult content by @tiny-steve

rating: G

fandom & pairing: it - richie/eddie

summary: In which Bill accidentally nominates Richie for Queer Eye. Are five gay guys in his house Richie Tozier's worst nightmare or will they turn out to be just what he needed? The answer is yes.

notes: gorgeously-written. a tricky thing to pull off, writing a story structured as a TV show, but reads so naturally with the script insertions and real-time conversations in between. this is really masterful writing. the strength of this is really on the pure-dialogue script moments of the fab five, the banter and dynamic and the speed of their interaction and the author absolutely nails their speaking style. it's just wonderful. and the whole thing is also just really fucking lovely and soft.

---

previous fic-rec posts:

month #01: january

month #02: february

month #03: march

[stellarstacey]

ERA AU BUDDIE

World War II Buddie

“You got yourself a dame back home, Diaz?” Buck asked as he laid in the bunk above Diaz’s.The ship was so crowded and Buck hated it. 

“Just my kid. My wife...she passed on due to complications when she delivered him.” Eddie muttered as he played with his switchblade. 

Buck frowned. “That’s rough.” Buck whispered as he folded the letter Maddie had sent him.

“What about you? Got yourself a baby-doll waiting for you?” Eddie wondered and Buck frowned. 

“I had this older dame that I liked. Really nice broad but she left me for this geezer. Some big honcho in Los Angeles with megabucks.” Buck grumbled as he thought about Abigail. 

“You blow a fuse?” Eddie asked and Buck sighed.

“No, I just went on a bender and got sauced.” Buck mumbled and Eddie chuckled. 

“What I wouldn’t give to get sauced right now.” Eddie whispered and Buck frowned. 

“I just want a decent shut-eye.” Buck sighed as the boat rocked back and forth. 

“You stay close when we touch down, Buckley.” Eddie muttered lowly and Buck snorted. 

“I mean it, Knucklehead. Stay close.” Eddie whispered seriously and Buck looked over the edge of his bunk and down at Eddie. 

“You worried about me, Dreamboat?” Buck smirked and Eddie looked around before sighing softly.

“Keep your voice down. Don’t want anyone thinking we’re queer.” Eddie scolded gently and Buck frowned. 

“Ease up, Eddie. Everyone’s asleep.” Buck mumbled hurt and Eddie sighed again.

“Get some sleep. I don’t need you croaking on me, tomorrow.” Eddie ordered gently grazing his knuckles down Buck’s cheek. 

“I’d rather just stare at your ugly mug.” Buck teased and Eddie smiled.

“You’re a pain in my neck, Buckley.” Eddie sighed as he traced Buck’s lower lip with his thumb.

“If I get clipped tomorrow…” Buck started and Eddie frowned at him.

“You ain’t dying on my watch, kid.”  Eddie muttered and Buck bit Eddie’s thumb gently.

“If I get clipped, promise me you will take care of my sister?” Buck mumbled and Eddie fought back the tears stinging his eyes.

“I will.” Eddie swore and Buck smiled.

“Thanks.” Buck whispered and Eddie wanted so much to kiss him...if only he had the damn courage. 

“Get some shut-eye, Buck.” Eddie ordered and Buck nodded.

“Sir, yes sir.” Buck sighed.

Maybe one day, when the world was a kinder one, they would find each other. 

 Medieval Buddie

Buck soothed Fallian. The black mare was very tense and clearly anxious. Buck fed him an apple as he brushed his coat. Soon Fallian calmed right down. Buck smiled and leaned his forehead against the mare’s. 

“He normally hates men.” A voice called out causing Buck to jump just the slightest bit. 

“My Lord.” Buck bowed as Eddie leaned against the stable door.

“You’re the new stable hand?” Eddie asked casually as Buck felt clearly inferior to the man.

Buck was in rags and this man was in the finest of tunics. 

“Yes, my Lord. Evan of Buckley.” Buck kept his eyes cast downwards in respect. 

“Well, Evan of Buckley, I am glad to see my mare is in such capable hands.” Eddie smiled as he walked over to pat his prized mare. 

“My hands are very capable of doing wondrous things.” Buck stated innocently as he fed another apple to Fallian.

“Oh?” Eddie asked amused and Buck frowned before he replayed the words in his head. 

Buck blushed beet red as Eddie smiled at him.

“I...My apologies, my Lord.” Buck winced and Eddie smiled softly. 

“Quite handsome to be working in the stables. No young Lady interested in your hand?” Eddie asked and Buck rubbed the back of his neck.

“I come from nothing. No Lady would be interested in my hand, my Lord.” Buck muttered and Eddie nodded. 

“Such fools we are looking over such... beauty for riches.” Eddie whispered and Buck felt his heart thump in his chest. 

“One cannot eat beauty, my Lord.” Buck joked and Eddie laughed before his eyes turned dark. 

“Oh such innocence.” Eddie teased and Buck frowned. 

“My Lord?” Buck asked confused and Eddie smiled. 

“One can devour true beauty, Evan of Buckley. One just needs to get on his knees in order to do so.” Eddie smirked and Buck choked. 

“I uh I wha...I.” Eddie put a finger to his lips and then traced his birthmark with another finger. 

“Perhaps one day you can show me the wondrous things your hands are capable of and I can show you how to devour true beauty.” Eddie murmured before taking a step back. 

“It was a pleasure, Evan of Buckley. I will be looking forward to our next meeting.” Eddie smiled and Buck blushed. 

“My Lord.” Buck stuttered as he watched Eddie leave the stable a blush staining his cheeks. 

 Viking Buddie

Buck stood trial. He stood tall in front of the Earl he had yet to meet. 

“You stand accused of killing your own brethren.” Eddie tilted his head at the young warrior examining him. 

Buck nodded remaining silent. 

“Now is your time to speak! Speak or be fed to the dogs.” Eddie growled and Buck lifted his head. 

“I killed my brethren. I feel no remorse. I will do it again if I could.” Buck stated and Eddie glared at him.

“They were your brethren.” Eddie yelled standing from his throne. 

“They were forcing themselves on screaming women, some as young as a decade!” Buck snarled and Eddie froze. 

Eddie looked away. “It is their right…” Eddie hated that he had to say it...Hated it with a fiery passion.

“No one has the right to force themselves on the unwilling!” Buck snapped and Eddie felt a fierce pride flow through him for the young warrior. 

“So you killed them?” Eddie stated flatly. 

“Yes. If you must kill me for it then I will gladly go to Valhalla with my conscious clear.” Buck stood tall and Eddie blinked at his iron will. 

“You will not see Valhalla today.” Eddie stated and Buck frowned at him. 

The crowd around them whispered in hushed tones. 

“You are letting me go?” Buck asked in surprised and Eddie frowned. 

“I said no such thing. You will repay your debt to me. You cost me valuable men. So you will train new ones.” Eddie commanded earning gasps of disbelief among his men. 

Buck looked shocked. 

“Perhaps you can instill in them, your own morality.” Eddie stated casually and Buck’s eyes widened. 

“I relish the opportunity.” Buck nodded and Eddie smirked. 

“We should discuss this more in private.” Eddie stared at him with slight hunger. 

Buck raised an amused eyebrow. “That would be wise.” Buck licked his lips. 

 Roaring 20′s Buddie

“You’re carrying quite the torch.” Buck turned to see a man with a small smirk on his face.

“Pardon?” Buck asked confused.

“You’re in here every night that that dame sings.” The man observed and Buck laughed.

“That dame is my sister. I’m her chaperon.” Buck replied taking a swig of his drink. 

The man’s eyes darkened slightly. 

“A fella like you must have yourself a nice gal?” The man prodded and Buck felt the blush start up his neck.

“No,” Buck leaned against the bar and the man raised an eyebrow.

“Eddie Diaz.” The man held out at hand and Buck shook it.

“Buck.” Buck answered and the man’s eyebrow raised just a bit higher.

“What’s a hard-boiled fella like yourself doing in this joint?” Buck asked and Eddie smirked.

“What makes you think I’m hard-boiled?” Eddie wondered.

Buck snorted looking the muscular man up and down. Eddie smiled.

“You’re no wet-blanket either I assume?” Eddie licked his lips and Buck felt his heart accelerate.

“Are you dropping hairpins?” Buck asked unsure and Eddie smiled.

“Yes.” Eddie answered and Buck swallowed.

“I can’t leave my sister unchaperoned.” Buck whispered and Eddie smirked.

“I’ll wait for you.” Eddie told him and Buck felt his insides churn with desire.

Buck leaned forward to whisper his address into Eddie’s ear.

Eddie licked his lips. “See you later.” Eddie brushed passed him.

Buck watched him until he left. Buck bit his lip. Tonight was going to be fun.

  Ancient Rome Buddie

Buck hissed as he pulled off his chest plate. The gash on his chest was deep and painful. The Colosseum still roared with excitement as the next fight took place. Eddie was leaning against the wall watching him. Buck knew Eddie was worried. 

“I’m fine. It will heal.” Buck muttered and Eddie scoffed. 

“Your body can only take so much.” Eddie stated with anger.

Buck glared at him. “There isn’t much I can do about it except fight till I earn my freedom.” Buck growled and Eddie shook his head.

“They will never free us from this hell. No matter how many fights we win.” Eddie spat and Buck walked over to him. 

Eddie looked up at him with barely concealed despair.

“We will earn our freedom. We will build ourselves a home.” Buck cupped his jaw and Eddie frowned. 

“Don’t give me hope.” Eddie leaned into his hand.

“Hope is all we have, my love.” Buck whispered as he kissed Eddie’s forehead. 

“We will die here.” Eddie choked and Buck sighed. 

“Perhaps we will. But I promise you. I will find you in another life.” Buck swore and Eddie kissed his palm.

“I will be waiting for you, my love.” Eddie whispered before he grabbed his shield and sword. 

“Don’t lose hope. Fight to come back to me.” Buck pleaded and Eddie kissed him.

“I’ll always fight to come back to you.” Eddie nodded before entering the Colosseum.

 Victorian Buddie

Eddie rolled his eyes at Buck. 

“This is utterly ridiculous.” Eddie grumbled as they stood in the seance room. 

“This is utterly fascinating.” Buck corrected and Eddie scoffed. 

“There is no such things as the paranormal, my friend.” Eddie shook his head and Buck frowned. 

“Expand the horizons of your mind, Eddie. There is so much we have yet to discover.” Buck clapped his shoulder and Eddie scoffed. 

“I do not for the life of me understand why I let you drag me into this types of things.” Eddie muttered and Buck smirked. 

“Because you secretly enjoy every second of it.” Buck answered and Eddie shook his head again. 

“We are seeing no ghosts tonight. I guarantee it.” Eddie stated and Buck lifted an eyebrow.

“Not with that negative energy we will not. You must be open Eddie.” Buck told him and Eddie sighed. 

“I open to leaving.” Eddie grumbled and Buck frowned. 

When suddenly the lights flickered and a book fell from the shelf. Buck jumped and Eddie sighed. 

“The room is rigged.” Eddie whispered to him but Buck sighed. 

“It is not!” Buck growled and Eddie walked over to the shelves and found a fishing wire tied to the book. 

Buck sighed and stepped out of the room. 

The whole carriage ride was silent and Eddie could feel Buck’s annoyance. 

“I’m sorry. I ruined your enjoyment.” Eddie stated and Buck huffed. 

“You always have to be right.” Buck pouted and Eddie bit his lip.

“I will make it up to.” Eddie promised and Buck stared at his lip.

“Perhaps I could be persuaded.” Buck teased and Eddie rolled his eyes. 

[theradioghost]

what books did u get ? i rly need to get back into reading more now school is over

oh man. so I’ll give you what I bought & then I’m also gonna throw in some similar books that I have already read just because I can actually vouch for the quality of those

(brief note that my main qualifications when I was looking for books, besides not wanting YA, was that 1. they were not about straight cis white men and/or 2. they had particular appeal to one of the areas of sf&f that I have a particular fondness for and/or 3. they cost under five bucks. so there’s a lot of diverse lit, and a lot of novellas, and a lot of urban fantasy wizards who are also detectives/rebellious angels and or demons/necromancy/dragons/stuff that is explictly Lovecraftian adaptations but takes the piss out of Lovecraft/anything on this list/anything published by Tor)

new books that I have read:

(coming back to update this as I get through these books)

the Lovelace & Wick series by Jennifer Rainey – this is the Demon Husbands one I’ve been yelling about. Two gentleman demons in love – a Faustian tempter and a bringer of catastrophes – are growing increasingly dissatisfied with the work they do for hell, while also being forced to contend with new and dangerous enemies. Set in a vaguely-steampunk 1890s Massachusetts. Also includes monster-hunting steampunk scientist lesbian wives.

Deadline by Stephanie Ahn – fourteen months after a disastrous failed ritual, disgraced blood witch Harrietta Lee gets offered a ridiculously lucrative job quietly recovering a stolen artifact for a young member of a powerful magical family, and promptly finds out that this is too good to be true. Also she keeps meeting scary, hot women. Instantly the only wisecracking urban fantasy PI named Harry that my heart has any room for. (This one’s a bit Spicier than my usual fare but the author actually includes a list of content warnings including page numbers at the front of each book, which you can view with the preview option on the Amazon page.)

Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw – A kid hires London PI John Persons to kill his stepfather. The first catch is that the stepfather is a Lovecraftian horror. The second catch is that Persons is too. This is like, the noir-est horror I’ve ever read and that’s something I am very into. 

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark – An urban fantasy police procedural set in an alternate 1912 Cairo, in which two government officials are sent to deal with a strange, malevolent spirit in the midst of political upheaval as Egypt’s women demand universal suffrage. There’s a free short story prequel to this on tor.com called “A Dead Djinn in Cairo“ that’s worth reading first.

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone – high fantasy with a black protagonist, in which Tara Abernathy, a disgraced magic user and rookie associate in an internationally renowned necromancy firm, is assigned to resurrect a city’s murdered patron fire god – but first, with the help of a chain-smoking priest and a vampire-addicted servant of Justice Herself, she has to track down his killer.

River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey – in an alternate history where the 1910 “Hippo Bill” passed, Winslow Remington Houndstooth, an ex-rancher out for revenge, is hired to travel north with a ragtag crew – a con artist and pickpocket, a demolitions expert with a proclivity for poisoning, the most dangerous contract killer in the country, and the very man who ruined his life – and take on the dangers of the massive swamp that was once the Mississippi river, a place ruled over by deadly feral hippos and a homicidal riverboat gambling king.

or, essentially, a swamp-based heist Western with a cast including a British-East Asian bisexual man, a black nb person, an unashamedly fat woman, and a pregnant Latina lesbian, and also their pet hippos. Listen just go ahead and get the version with both stories in it

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh – Tobias has lived in the woods as long as anyone can remember; long enough that the nearby town tells stories of the Green Man, the spirit-king of the forest, who dwells in the trees. These stories are truer, and far more dangerous, than anyone but Tobias knows – so when friendly, handsome, curious Henry Silver buys up the neighboring Greenhollow Hall and starts investigating the local folklore, Tobias will have to decide whether to sacrifice the only life he has known for centuries, or the first person he has loved in all that time.

not-new books that I have read:

idk if you don’t know about the Wayfarers series, the first of which is The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, but it is an absolutely stellar bit of sci-fi very much based around ideas of found family and discovering your own identity and place in the universe and love and compassion and stories based around sweet slice-of-life stuff in a scifi universe with lots of fun aliens and it is so very queer and so very heartwarming and all three books (which each have different casts, although the characters in all three are connected to one another and sort of cameo across all the books) are fantastic.

Urban Dragon by J.W. Troemner – Dragons are supposed to be ruthless, unpredictable, deadly, selfish creatures. So why is it that Rosa Hernandez seems to be able to keep her best friend Arkay in check? How did Arkay, a shape-changing dragon with lightning at her command, end up being found alone and starving and with no memory of her past by a homeless woman? And as evidence mounts that someone is hunting down supernatural beings, who can they trust? (I stumbled across this while looking for urban fantasy on TV Tropes and BOY am I glad I did. Good if you like close friendships between queer women or the enemies-to-lovers trope)

The Merry Spinster by Daniel Mallory Ortberg – of course I was going to read Daniel Ortberg’s short story collection, are you kidding me. Not “””darker””” fairy tale retellings, but fairy tales as often very surreal, psychological horror. Read this if you want to totally ruin “The Velveteen Rabbit” for yourself.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker – historical fantasy set in the early-20th-century Orthodox Jewish and Middle Eastern immigrant communities of NYC, about the strange friendship that springs up between a bitter jinn trapped in a mortal body and a masterless golem living among humans. and it gave me feelings.

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle – a retelling of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Horror at Red Hook” from the perspective of a black man. One of the better pieces of horror I have ever read.

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff – a very different take on a similar concept to The Ballad of Black Tom, wherein a mid-century black Midwestern family find themselves mixed up in the plans of a bunch of cultists and set out to disentangle themselves from this whole cosmic-horror mess. Apparently Jordan Peele is adapting this into a TV show, so I’m stoked for that.

new books that I have not read:

(& also a couple that are just books I want, and some that I just haven’t read yet but got free from the Tor monthly ebook club, which is very much worth joining)

Armed in Her Fashion by Kate Heartfield– I’m just going to let the official blurb speak for this one because there is absolutely no way I could improve on it

The Black God’s Drums by P. Djeli Clark – New Orleans-based steampunk fantasy about an airship captain and a stowaway who talks to orishas.

Rupert Wong, Cannibal Chef by Cassandra Khaw – Apparently several authors have written standalone works in this series, and Cassandra Khaw’s aren’t chronologically the first, but I love Cassandra Khaw and “chef for ghouls and pencil-pusher for the Ten Chinese Hells is forced to solve an inter-pantheon murder mystery” just sounds so good to me.

Bones and Bourbon by Dorian Graves – Cursed half-huldra PI is forced to help out his little brother and the demon who shares his body, and then everything goes wrong. Feat. carnivorous unicorns.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova – reluctant bruja attempts to rid herself of her magic and instead plunges her entire family into magical trouble. YA.

Robbergirl by S. T. Gibson – WLW retelling of The Snow Queen from the perspective of the bandit princess. YA.

Passing Strange by Ellen Klages – slightly-fantastical historical lesbian noir novella set in the burgeoning 1940s gay club scene in San Francisco.

The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang – admittedly caught my eye because the cover art reminded me of Moribito, which I adore. East-Asian-inspired epic fantasy which I believe has a nonbinary protagonist.

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire – I’ve been neglecting getting around to October Daye way, way too long considering how much I love Seanan McGuire and urban fantasy, but my mom started reading this and that pushed me over the edge because damn it, yes I want to read her take on the Wizard Detective genre that I have such a weakness for.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson – this was recommended to me in a Tumblr post listing interesting, diverse fantasy, and I’ve been into high fantasy political intrigue lately.

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg – came across this in a Twitter thread about fantasy worlds with unconventional and interesting magic systems. A newly graduated student of magic is bitter about being sent to learn paper-crafting magic rather than working with metal, until Murder Stuff Happens. YA.

Miranda in Milan by Katharine Duckett – queer fantasy sequel to The Tempest, with Miranda as protagonist.

Witchmark by C. L. Polk – post-WWI gaslamp fantasy MLM romance about a male witch in hiding, working as a doctor; the reviews seem to indicate people think it’s more ‘delightful’ than ‘literary’ but apparently it is pretty fucking delightful.

In the Vanisher’s Palace by Aliette de Bodard– East Asian WLW retelling of Beauty and the Beast and also one of them is a dragon.

Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys – another one of the rash of new Lovecraft adaptations that are turning perspectives around, this being one where the citizens of Innsmouth are the protagonists. Also has a really good short story prequel you can read for free on tor.com.

also I just feel like mentioning that I’m stupidly excited for Gideon the Ninth by Tamsin Muir to come out this fall because the review they’ve decided to put at the top of every blurb is “Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!” (not my exclamation mark) and I don’t know how anyone could more perfectly craft something to my tastes.

[bookandslugclub]

literary first lines

Pride and Prejudice: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Moby Dick: Call me Ishmael.

Anna Karenina: Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

1984: . It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

A Tale of Two Cities: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.

Farenheit 451: It was a pleasure to burn.

The Time Machine: The time traveler (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us.

Catch-22: It was love at first sight.

The Bell Jar: It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York.

David Copperfield: Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.

Slaughterhouse-Five: All this happened, more or less.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded yellow sun.

The Martian: I'm pretty much fucked.

The Great Gatsby: In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.

The Catcher in the Rye: If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how

my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.

I Capture the Castle: I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.

Scaramouche: He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad.

Cat's Eye: Time is not a line but a dimension, like the dimensions of space.

Don Quixote: Somewhere in la Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago, one of those who has a lance and ancient shield on a shelf and keeps a skinny nag and a greyhound for racing.

The Princess Bride: This is my favourite book in all the world, though I have never read it.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Mr and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

Peter Pan: All children, except one, grow up.

Howl's Moving Castle: In the land of Ingary where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three.

The Hobbit: In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?'?.

The Color Purple: You better not never tell nobody but God.

One Hundred Years of Solitude: Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.

Scaramouche: He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad.

Notes from Underground: I am a sick man... I am a spiteful man.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: The year 1866 was signalized by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten.

Charlotte's Web: 'Where's Papa going with that ax?' said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.

Frankenstein: I am by birth a Genevese, and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic.

Of Mice and Men: A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy.

The Trial: Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested.

Gone with the Wind: Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it was caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.

The Stranger: Mother died today.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: They're out there.

Neuromancer: The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.

2001 A Space Odyssey: The drought had lasted now for ten million years, and the reign of the terrible lizards had long since ended.

Jane Eyre: There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.

The Outsiders: When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I only had two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.

A Clockwork Orange: That was me, that is Alex, and my three droogs, that is Pete, Georgie and Dum, Dum being really dim, and we sat in the Korova Milkbar making up our rassoodocks what to do with the evening, a flip dark chill winter bastard through dry.

To Kill a Mockingbird: When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.

The Hunger Games: When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.

Life of Pi: My suffering left me sad and gloomy.

Invisible Man: I am an invisible man.

Mrs Dalloway: Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.

The Old Man and the Sea: He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.

Cat's Eye: Time is not a line but a dimension, like the dimensions of space.

Midnight's Children: I was born in the city of Bombay...once upon a time.

Good Omens: It was a nice day.

The Handmaid's Tale: We slept in what had once been the gymnasium.

The Hunger Games: When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.

Kindred: I lost an arm on my last trip home.

Never Let me Go: My name is Kathy H. I am thirty-one years old, and I've been a carer now for over eleven years.

Gravity's Rainbow: A screaming comes across the sky.

Lord of the Flies: The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way towards the lagoon.

Ulysses: Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.

Rebecca: Last night I dreamt I want to Manderly again.

Murder on the Orient Express: It was five o'clock on a winter's morning in Syria.

In Cold Blood: The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call 'out there.'

The Picture of Dorian Gray: The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn.

The Knife of Never Letting Go: The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say.

IT: The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years - if it ever did end - began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain.

[inkyardpress]

10 YA Reads That Have Us Loving the Skin We’re In

There are so many diverse and empowering new reads out there totally flooding our TBR that we couldn’t pick just one of our current obsessions to share—so here’s a list of ten we can’t stop talking about. From kick-ass queer anthologies to MC’s who totally get what it’s like living with anxiety, from the body-positive heroes we deserve to the everyday teens showing us how to be true to who we are inside, these books have us feeling ourselves and celebrating our individuality.

Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis

For sixteen-year-old Tiffany Sly, life hasn't been safe or normal for a while. Losing her mom to cancer has her a little bit traumatized, and now she has to leave her hometown of Chicago to live with the biological dad she's never known.

Anthony Stone is a rich man with four other daughters—and rules for every second of the day. Tiffany tries to make the best of things, but she doesn't fit into her new luxurious, but super-strict, home—or get along with her standoffish sister London. The only thing that makes her new life even remotely bearable is the strange boy across the street. Marcus McKinney has had his own experiences with death, and the unexpected friendship that blossoms between them is the only thing that makes her feel grounded.

But Tiffany has a secret. Another man claims he's Tiffany's real dad—and she has only seven days before he shows up to demand a paternity test and the truth comes out. With her life about to fall apart all over again, Tiffany finds herself discovering unexpected truths about her father, her mother and herself, and realizing that maybe family is in the bonds you make—and that life means sometimes taking risks.

Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Puddin’ by Julie Murphy

Millie Michalchuk has gone to fat camp every year since she was a little girl. Not this year. This year she has new plans to chase her secret dream of being a newscaster—and to kiss the boy she’s crushing on.

Callie Reyes is the pretty girl who is next in line for dance team captain and has the popular boyfriend. But when it comes to other girls, she’s more frenemy than friend.

When circumstances bring the girls together over the course of a semester, they surprise everyone (especially themselves) by realizing that they might have more in common than they ever imagined.

Puddin’ is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Fat Girl on a Plane by Kelly DeVos

FAT.

High school senior Cookie Vonn’s postgraduation dreams include getting out of Phoenix, attending Parsons and becoming the next great fashion designer. But in the world of fashion, being fat is a cardinal sin. It doesn’t help that she’s constantly compared to her supermodel mother—and named after a dessert. Thanks to her job at a fashion blog, Cookie scores a trip to New York to pitch her portfolio and appeal for a scholarship, but her plans are put on standby when she’s declared too fat to fly. Forced to turn to her BFF for cash, Cookie buys a second seat on the plane. She arrives in the city to find that she’s been replaced by the boss’s daughter, a girl who’s everything she’s not—ultrathin and superrich. Bowing to society’s pressure, she vows to lose weight, get out of the friend zone with her crush and put her life on track.

SKINNY.

Cookie expected sunshine and rainbows, but nothing about her new life is turning out like she planned. When the fashion designer of the moment offers her what she’s always wanted—an opportunity to live and study in New York—she finds herself in a world full of people more interested in putting women down than dressing them up. Her designs make waves, but her real dream of creating great clothes for people of all sizes seems to grow more distant by the day.

Will she realize that she’s always had the power to make her own dreams come true?

Fat Girl on a Plane is out June 5th. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

Mila Flores and her best friend Riley have always been inseparable. There's not much excitement in their small town of Cross Creek, so Mila and Riley make their own fun, devoting most of their time to Riley's favorite activity: amateur witchcraft.

So when Riley and two Fairmont Academy mean girls die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe everyone's explanation that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, armed with a tube of lip gloss and an ancient grimoire, Mila does the unthinkable to uncover the truth: she brings the girls back to life.

Unfortunately, Riley, June, and Dayton have no recollection of their murders, but they do have unfinished business to attend to. Now, with only seven days until the spell wears off and the girls return to their graves, Mila must wrangle the distracted group of undead teens and work fast to discover their murderer...before the killer strikes again.

Undead Girl Gang is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell

Take a journey through time and genres and discover a past where queer figures live, love and shape the world around them. Seventeen of the best young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens.

From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.

All Out is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Runebinder by Alex R. Kahler

When magic returned to the world, it could have saved humanity, but greed and thirst for power caused mankind's downfall instead. Now once-human monsters called Howls prowl abandoned streets, their hunger guided by corrupt necromancers and the all-powerful Kin. Only Hunters have the power to fight back in the unending war, using the same magic that ended civilization in the first place.

But they are losing.

Tenn is a Hunter, resigned to fight even though hope is nearly lost. When he is singled out by a seductive Kin named Tomás and the enigmatic Hunter Jarrett, Tenn realizes he’s become a pawn in a bigger game. One that could turn the tides of war. But if his mutinous magic and wayward heart get in the way, his power might not be used in favor of mankind.

If Tenn fails to play his part, it could cost him his friends, his life…and the entire world.

Runebinder is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman

Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings. These are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries.

Fifteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.

A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother’s mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place. From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish.

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

The Diminished by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

In the Alskad Empire, nearly all are born with a twin, two halves to form one whole…yet some face the world alone.

A rare few are singleborn in each generation, and therefore given the right to rule by the gods and goddesses. Bo Trousillion is one of these few, born into the royal line and destined to rule. Though he has been chosen to succeed his great-aunt, Queen Runa, as the leader of the Alskad Empire, Bo has never felt equal to the grand future before him.

When one twin dies, the other usually follows, unable to face the world without their other half. Those who survive are considered diminished, doomed to succumb to the violent grief that inevitably destroys everyone whose twin has died. Such is the fate of Vi Abernathy, whose twin sister died in infancy. Raised by the anchorites of the temple after her family cast her off, Vi has spent her whole life scheming for a way to escape and live out what’s left of her life in peace.

As their sixteenth birthdays approach, Bo and Vi face very different futures—one a life of luxury as the heir to the throne, the other years of backbreaking work as a temple servant. But a long-held secret and the fate of the empire are destined to bring them together in a way they never could have imagined.

The Diminished is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.

Emergency Contact is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Someone to Love by Melissa de la Cruz

Olivia "Liv" Blakely knows how important it is to look good. Her father is running for governor, and Liv will be making public appearances with her family. Liv has an image to uphold—to her maybe boyfriend, to the new friends who suddenly welcome her into their circle and to the public, who love to find fault on social media.

Liv's sunny, charming facade hides a dark inner voice that will settle for nothing less than perfection. No matter who she has to give up to get there. No matter what she has to lose to do it. Liv is working for the day when what she sees in the mirror is worthy…worthy of confidence. Worthy of success. Worthy of love. But as the high price of perfection takes a toll, placing her body and soul at risk, Liv herself has to realize what she has to live for.

Someone to Love is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

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[linkbumble796]

Whitman Speed Dating Central

Speed Dating Questions

Speed Dating Nyc

Whitman Speed Dating Central

Someone You can Love is Nearby. Browse Profiles & Photos of Single Women in Whitman, MA! Join Match.com, the leader in online dating with more dates, more relationships and more marriages than any other dating site.

Having a smart arsenal of great speed dating questions is essential to mastering the art of speed dating. And yes, speed dating is an art form. But don't worry because we're going to give you all the tools you need to be the best speed dater at the table. You ever get tired of the time and energy it takes to find a good date? First dates require an enormous up front investment of time, energy.

Pennsylvania Virtual Catholic Speed Dating Age 18-38 is Friday, Jan. 22 at 8PM Eastern (5PM Pacific, 6PM Mountain, 7PM Central); Age 25-49 is Saturday, Jan. 23 and All Ages is Monday, Jan. While it's specific to Pennsylvania, all states are invited.

(1819 – 1892) American poet

Whitman was born on a Long Island (New York) farm to a typically heterosexual family. His father drank too much; his mother suffered; and his eight siblings did poorly except for two brothers. The poet idolised his mother, Louisa Van Velsor Whitman, and credited her with inspiring his poetry. From first to last, his writings applaud sexual love. ‘Song of Myself’, published in 1855, contains Section V, which celebrates the soul through the trope of fellatio: ‘Loafe with me on the grass, loose the stop from your throat, / … Only the lull I like, the hum of your valved voice’. Leaves of Grass, the title Whitman gave his collected poems, pivots upon this dalliance with a young man in the grass. In 1889, the poet told an interviewer, ‘Sex, sex, sex: sex is the root of it all.’

During the Civil War, Whitman worked in Washington. An outraged Methodist fired him from the Interior Department after discovering a copy of Leaves of Grass in Whitman’s desk, but Attorney-General James Speed quickly found him another position. Speed’s brother Joshua had spent four years sleeping with Abraham Lincoln in Illinois. Lincoln himself had read and admired the second edition of Leaves of Grass. One of the soldiers, Alonzo Bush, wrote Whitman about a friend who ‘went down on your BK, both so often with me. I wished that I could … have some fun for he is a gay boy’ (22 December 1863); ‘BK’ might mean ‘buck’ or ‘book’, but one writer suggests ‘Big Cock’. The death of President Lincoln devastated Whitman. He wrote his last great poem, ‘When lilacs last in the dooryard bloomed’, for Lincoln. The poet himself suffered a stroke in 1873 and he moved to Camden, New Jersey, with his brother. The later poems became more abstract and less homoerotic, although Whitman’s health recovered after he swam in Timber Creek with his lover Harry Stafford, Carpenter and other young men.

Whitman may now be the premier United States poet, but his work had to overcome much resistance. Leaves of Grass first appeared in a self-published edition in 1855 with few readers; it underwent multiple transformations before the so-called ‘death-bed’ edition in 1892. Leaves of Grass certainly marked the boldest departure from standard English prosody. Of the five reviews to the first edition, Whitman wrote three anonymous favourable ones. Another reviewer was lukewarm, but the other denounced ‘that horrible crime not to be mentioned among Christians’. The fervently homoerotic 1860 edition with the Calamus cluster attracted little attention and the publisher quickly went bankrupt; the 1882 edition was banned in Boston.

During the 1950s, biographer Gay Wilson Allen established Whitman as the philopietistic poet for what Henry Luce (head of the Time-Life conglomerate) called the ‘American Century’. When the Roman Catholic authorities in New Jersey protested against naming a bridge from Camden to Philadelphia after the poet, Allen certified that Whitman was no queer. New Jersey later added a Whitman rest stop on their turnpike. Gay interpretations outraged traditional Whitman scholars; they excoriated Robert K. Martin, whose Homosexual Tradition in American Poetry (1979, 1998) declared, ‘Whitman intended his work to communicate his homosexuality to his readers.’

Good evidence supports the view that Whitman was an urban sophisticate. He followed theatre and opera and during the 1850s was associated with musical, dramatic and literary critics in New York City; ‘my darlings my gossips’, he called them. Whitman wrote in 1863, recalling these ‘dear boys’ company & their gayety & electricity, their precious friendship’. The poet claimed that contral to Marietta Alboni inspired his work; he attended her every performance in New York City. He encouraged his lover Peter Doyle to attend the theatre regularly; in Ford’s Theater on 14 April 1865, Doyle saw actor John Wilkes Booth assassinate President Lincoln. Whitman was then visiting his mother in Brooklyn, where he wrote his extraordinary memorial to Lincoln, which follows the outline of an opera.

“The Icon History Display was created by a student intern and is not meant to replace a comprehensive search on these historical figures. Content on these biographies was created from the following sources: Queers in History: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Historical Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Transgenders by Keith Stern (2009); The Gay 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Gay Men and Lesbians, Past and Present by Paul Russell (1995). To suggest an addition or change contact us at gss@uis.edu or 217-206-8316.”

Christian speed dating is an out of the box way of meeting Christian singles in laid back settings such as cafes, pubs, churches and clubs. Although the Christian speed dating phenomenon is popping up everywhere, it is still most prevalent in large urban areas of the US, UK, Ireland and Australia.

How Christian Speed Dating Works

A typical Christian speed dating evening goes is like this: An equal number of Christian single women and men appear at an “event” after having registered beforehand. In an effort to get to know as many potential dates as possible, couples spend up to 10 minutes with each other.

After the pre-determined time of the “Christian speed date” is over, the single person would be matched with another single to repeat the process. At the end of the Christian speed dating event, singles hand in a list of the people (if any) they wouldn’t mind meeting again, and give it off to the Christian dating event coordinators. If there is a Christian speed dating match between any two attendees, the organizers forward this info to the Christian speed daters, along with contact information.

Christian Speed Dating Benefits

Christian Speed Dating Benefit #1

Where else can you meet a large number of Christian singles interested in the same thing you are: finding a date.

Christian Speed Dating Benefit #2

Speed Dating Questions

Speed dating does what it implies: It saves time in the search process for a dating relationship

Christian Speed Dating Benefit # 3

The structured interaction helps love shy singles overcome their fears of meeting others.

Christian Speed Dating Benefit # 4

It’s a low pressure and fun way to interact with the opposite sex.

If you have any Christian speed dating questions, feel free to contact us. Are you a single Christian who has tried speed dating? Share your Christian speed dating experiences with us!

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[sarahreeese]

The diversity issue One Chicago isn’t fixing any time soon

6 years on TV 15 seasons of all the One Chicago shows combined. 94 regular and recurring characters 2 specifically stated LGBTQ+ characters that were on for more than an episode. One who died due to man pain, and the other a manipulative awful girlfriend of said dead woman.

That’s about 2% of the characters on all of the shows.  

Their only significant gay character died in 2014. That’s nearly 4 years without any kind of representation. When One Chicago was criticized for having a lack of racial diversity on their shows, they made Med, whose cast is nearly half people of color. (Though they don’t all get equal air time or story quality but that’s another post.)  Justice took it one step further and had more people of color than white people.  So they can take criticism and change tactics, they’ve shown that. So why not change this? They’ve had time, characters, and 2 shows to correct this glaring problem. Why haven’t they?

It wasn’t planned from the beginning/The characters haven’t shown any signs of being gay. Sexuality isn’t something that needs to be revealed right away, there are so many storylines especially in the field that these characters work in that would make for great drama AND great representation. Give me a fire fighter or a cop who is gay, and hides it from the team because they don’t want to be seen differently by their team. Or a new character who had a horrible experience with their old team or house or whatever, and decides to come out only after they trust people. Or we could just have a great storyline where someone is out and proud and everyone deals with it respectfully. As for trans characters, all of the above apply, but they could also have a doctor transitioning, and we see the medical storyline play out as well as the emotional one with the doctors. People discover these things about them later on in life, there is no reason any character couldn’t be made to have these thoughts and feelings. These storylines write themselves and are incredibly easy to weave into the shows naturally. You’re just being lazy One Chicago.

It doesn’t have network appeal/wouldn’t play well with the demo. There are currently about 36 regulars/recurring characters active in the One Chicago Universe. No one is being threatened by putting any LGBTQ+ characters into the storyline. Also if people aren’t exposed to this in television, how will they be introduced to these ideas if they don’t know anyone personally. Also queer people exist and watch this show. We want representation too. And 18-49 is definitely going to have some of us in it.

They’d have to bring in new characters in order to have LGBTQ+ ones. No, they wouldn’t. See the first mock question. But also in the past 2 seasons they have introduced about 7 recurring or main characters. All of them straight.

You don’t know if they’re straight, you’re assuming. Yeah, because that’s the intention that the shows are going for. In order for representation to exist there needs to be some sort of explicit statement or act to show it. Otherwise it doesn’t count.

It’s not realistic to the type of jobs. Really... There are no gay cops or firefighters, or doctors?

These shows are about the jobs not the personal lives. Sexuality and gender expression ARE NOT PERSONAL LIFE THINGS. It’s who someone is, and that’s One Chicago’s specialty. The characters stop them from being just like every other procedural on every other network. And if you have time to show us scenes of every other heterosexual couple you have time to show us queer ones.

Stop watching the show if you don’t like it. No. I love these characters and that’s why I want these shows to do better, and be better. I’d also love consistent writing, which I’m not going to get either, but I can still ask for it.

Now here’s a list of characters who could easily be either read as queer or could discover they were queer. (Also PS, I’ll be using gay in the colloquial manner as in Make this Character Gay, which also means like make them queer or any kind of LGBTQ)

Starting with the newest regular characters.

Ava Bekker: Definitely brought in to be the new lady Connor fucks, but hey you could make her Bi or Pan. She made a comment about liking dangerous men, does that mean she doesn’t like dangerous women? Make her gay 2K18. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see her not wooed by Connor’s charms and become Zanetti 2.0? She could use a great girlfriend, or non binary friend. Maybe a sweet smart bundle of anxiety who is a second year psychiatry resident? You could show possible anxiety she might have about coming out when she’s in line for a competitive position.

Hailey Upton: Possibly had an affair with that dude. Alright. Make her bi then. Or if she didn’t have that affair, make her gay. There’d probably be very positive feedback, and her character might be better received if it didn’t look like she was taking Erin’s place completely. She’s cool, and calm, and doesn’t do a million illegal things an episode like some other characters. Gay Icon 2K18. Make it happen PD.

Stella Kidd: She’s got a thing going with Severide. That’s great, you can be Bi and in a relationship with a dude. That’s what bi means. Have her talk about an ex who is not a dude. Or if you’re going to make Kelly find himself for the umpteenth time instead of getting them together, have Kidd find a nice not cis-guy to date. 

Isidore Latham: Sure he had that mean sex worker trick him at the conference he went to with Connor, but we don’t know any indications of who he is interested in. Why not make him queer?

Looking at characters who have been around for a few seasons.

Sarah Reese: She comes from the east coast with a very wealthy mother and absent father. Her mother was never home, and we are shown her numerous confidence issues. If she was bi or pan, she would probably not express it because she wants to stay in the shadows. We can see that in the pastel neutral colors that she dresses in, and her over all demeanor. Show me a Sarah who falls for someone who she thinks she shouldn’t, and have her wrestle with those feelings and come out ahead of them. Then we can see her date a super intelligent and confident heart surgeon from South Africa. Sarah is also young and has super liberal leanings, making her the most obvious choice in Med.

Maggie Lockwood: We know next to nothing about Maggie. She’s an open book and has no restrictions put on her by previous statements. She’d be an excellent lesbian who is proud of her sexuality and is one of the most respected people in the ED.

Noah Sexton: Give me something that would make me stand Noah as a character. Show him dealing with his identity as a latino man from a religious background. It would be interesting and much better than his sexual harassment storyline we’re going with in this season.

April Sexton: Very similar to Noah with regards to being latina with a religious household, but she also has very strong desires to please her parents, and falling in love with someone who isn’t a man would be a challenge for her to over come. 

Kelly Severide: I mean who says he hasn’t slept with someone who wasn’t a woman before. Again, he can be with Kidd or whoever else they want to put him with, and mention an ex-boyfriend. Or maybe he doesn’t mention it and it comes out and we see a respected queer lieutenant. And who wouldn’t want to see Taylor Kinney maybe make out with a dude?

Connor Rhodes:  Bad boy who bucks familial conventions by being bi. It’s one of the reasons he ran off when he graduated school. Now he’s back in Chicago and is juggling his identity with the expectations of his family, name and this fellowship. Ava finds out he’s bi too, and they become ONLY friends. But good friends. 

Kevin Atwater: You’ve given him 0 romantic options in the show in 5 seasons, while Ruzek has had 2 engagements...(different post...) Maybe it’s because he’s gay. He and Peter Stone had excellent chemistry on the Justice crossover, delve into that. Show this badass strong and sensitive guy with a great boyfriend.

Sylvie Brett: Maybe she ran away from her wedding for more than just cold feet about missing out on the world. Maybe she never acknowledged those feelings inside her and she wants to date someone other than a guy? I don’t know. Possibilities are open.

This is just a small amount of options. You could write a scenario for nearly every character in this universe. So why don’t they? 

PS: I’m horrible at coming up with Trans and Ace/Aro head canons so if you have any please reblog and put them. I want to read them very badly. ALSO if you have any head canons about this reblog and put them. Let’s get diversity in fanon if we’ll never have it in canon.

Special shoutout to  @lesbianhaileyupton, and @xelmanrique318 for bringing this up in the tags and causing me to get pissed enough about it to write this whole thing out. I reblogged their posts, and they’re 100% worth a read.

[elizabethleslie7654]

The Fruits of Brazil’s Libertarian Renaissance

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In what seems like ancient history but was just four short years ago, Brazil was seen as the model for what corporate libertarian agitation could accomplish. Their fingerprints were all over the social upheaval that resulted in the removal of a corrupt leftist tyrant. The “Free Brazil Movement” was responsible for ousting a popularly-elected ruler.

The Koch Bros-funded Atlas Network boasted about the progress made by Students For Liberty (SFL) and similar organizations. Migrant-born oriental Kim Kataguiri, now a congressman in Brazil, founded the Free Brazil Movement under the auspices of Atlas and other corporate-backed outsider groups. Atlas released a statement claiming that “many members within the Free Brazil Movement have passed through Atlas Network’s premier training program, the Atlas Leadership Academy, and are now applying what they have learned on the ground where they live and work.” Reason TV even released a lauding feature on the progress that was taking place in Brazil.

The globalist Koch Bros certainly believed that they were getting their money’s worth after corrupt leftist ruler Dilma Rousseff was forced to resign following revelations that she participated in a kickback scheme while working at state-owned oil company Petrobras. Reporter Glenn Greenwald, who lives in Brazil atop his homosexual lover with some store-bought brown children, painted the change of power back in 2016 as a neoliberal coup supported by foreign interests. He was able to gather a solid amount of evidence showing this was indeed the case. It is not uncommon for oligarchical interests to use strife within a country to replace one corrupt puppet with another more amenable to their particular agenda.

When corrupt neoliberal hack Michel Temer, who served as Vice President under Rousseff in a coalition government with her political party, was given the reigns of control, the Kochs and their lackeys felt it was a job well done. After all, Temer was their perfect political puppet. Temer supported the head of Goldman Sachs in Brazil as his central bank chief. He named another corporate banking insider as his finance minister. He pushed for austerity for government programs meant to help the impoverished Brazilian people while protecting bailouts, subsidies and tax breaks for the privileged elites. The Kochs and their underlings didn’t care much that Temer was at least as corrupt as his predecessor because he would at least play ball with corporate power, unlike the more left-leaning Rousseff. This was enough to satisfy the corporate cabal, but not the masses in the street. Turns out that the revolution didn’t belong to these scheming consultants, organizers and analysts, but rather, to the people in the streets fighting for their future and their nation.

Enter Jair Bolsonaro, a man possessing the strength and resolve to be the revolutionary leader that the Kochs and their well-paid operatives tried to bottle up.

Bolsonaro, a military officer turned outspoken congressman, is a proponent of liberalism in the manner the Founding Fathers might have understood the concept. He wants to open the markets, allow capital to rush into the country, and make reductions to socialist give-away programs while enforcing Singapore-style social controls to prevent minorities, feminists, homosexuals, and other degenerates from stopping the progress undertaken through his policies. Bolsonaro has frequently expressed kind words toward the military dictatorship that ruled from the 1960s into the 1980s as well as the Chilean coup enacted by Augusto Pinochet. On Oct. 28, Bolsonaro won the Presidency of Brazil by an overwhelming margin. His victory is the direct outgrowth of a real life libertarian movement gone horribly wrong or spectacularly right depending on your perspective.

What the “Free Brazil Movement” accomplished with their agitating was to undermine the public’s support in democracy and the political establishment. Contrary to the econometricians and other soothsayers of the Koch network, this didn’t result in a market renaissance. When the people soured on their government, a love of the market wasn’t subsequently discovered. The Brazilian people, radicalized against the state by the libertarian uprising, learned to hate their government and their corrupt political class and wanted an abrupt end to their national suffering. Furthermore, they wanted revenge. They wanted heads on pikes for the indignities they were forced to ensure. They wanted Jair, and they have the perfect man for the job in power now. Bolsonaro is finishing the job that libertarians started, in a similar manner that Ron Paul and his quixotic band of loonies passed the buck off to Trump who could actually win the US Presidency.

Like the Tea Party in the US, the Brazilian revolution started with a strain of innocent, naive libertarian thought. This may be a natural process of development within these type of popular movements. Once confronted with the hard reality that the opposition will never respect liberty or freedom, activists tend to grow hardened and the movement progresses into something much different. For better or worse, this is the inevitable process as the fight worsens due to the true nature of the Left. Preaching nonaggression as the boot tightens around your neck isn’t an eventuality that appeals to free individuals, except in the most extraneous libertarian collectives where tedious minutiae reigns supreme.

The SFL gang of the United States regularly boasts about how their efforts are universal and worldwide in scope, as an attack of Ron Paul’s nativist and isolationist ideology. In their dope-poisoned minds, they are breaking down borders and opening up society. However, in actuality, they are tools for a corporate agenda that is much more likely to lead to the instillation of neoliberal chumps or far-right asskickers like Bolsonaro then it will ever lead to the turbo-charged GloboHomo orgy run on Bitcoin of their dreams. Bolsonaro’s rise was the tangential handiwork of the green-haired SFL social justice warriors. They thought they were counter-acting the rise of the alt-right and white nationalism, but, really, they were outdoing us. The alt-right, although not without its successes, has never popularly elected a military dictator of sorts who promised to punish commies, queers, corrupt politicos, thieves, drug pushers, and other societal dregs. Our efforts pale in comparison to yours. We truly have much to learn from you in promoting worldwide authoritarianism.

Peak libertarianism will be achieved in Brazil as a man who is hurling down the Bolsonaro Freeway (through what was formerly known as the rain forest) careens off road in a drunken stupor, taking out the last of some endangered species—or, better yet, an indigenous shitholer whose mud people had been there for thousands of years—in a regrettable mistake. Whoopsies! But Draconian punishments are not in order in the Land of Bolsonaro if you are light-skinned and affluent enough, of course. After paying a small fee, the offender is released from custody after receiving an apology to further enjoy the land to his heart’s content.

When Bolsonaro eclipses Pinochet’s totals, he will have the SFL to thank for his efforts. Pinochet was said to have exterminated roughly 30,000 communists, said to be a human rights abuse to some. To hard-liners such as Bolsonaro, those could be considered rookie numbers to be eclipsed during a healthy day’s work. As the doors are kicked down, the communists are dragged into the street in an extrajudicial manner, and the cops are fully unleashed Rothbard style, it will have been the fittingly named Students for Liberty whose corporate-funded activism laid the groundwork for what would have otherwise been an inconceivable cultural shift against the Left!

As the heterosexual pride parade rolls through Rio de Janiero featuring healthy, well-adjusted families celebrating decent, functioning, wholesome society, SFL activists can feel responsible in the contrast displayed in comparison to the soulless, civilization-destroying filth of the LGBT movement gyrating down the public roads promoting child abuse and dangerous lifestyle choices. The difference will make the point to ordinary Brazilians just how unnatural these degenerate reprobates truly are and why tolerance must be soundly rejected. Homos, trannies, he-shes, cross dressers, pickle slurpers, carpet munchers, donut burners, and Sodomites of all stripes will all have their ‘Stephen Fry moment’ of surreal ownage in the face of Bolsonaro’s masculine and unyielding rule (sponsored by Jair’s SFL partners, of course).

Drug abusers will have instant relief for their maladies provided to them by safety squads. The sensation of hot lead piercing into their flesh will replace thrill of the heroin spike. This may not have been what the SFL acolytes had in mind when they embarked upon their dude-weed-bro activism, but they really should have known better. The libertarian dogma is too focused in the weeds while being completely unable to address pressing racial and cultural issues. Terrible consequences tend to occur when individuals pursue supercilious ideals not tethered to reality. However, it is worth noting that these consequences will not be bad for everyone, such as the enforcers of the new Brazilian regime.

A seriously good time is in order for these folks.

The SFL activists chanted “Menos Marx, Mais Mises” as they demanded liberty but didn’t quite think it through. President-elect Bolsonaro can be pictured holding up books written by Mises and fellow libertarian hero Frederic Bastiat. His son, Eduardo, is a student with the Mises Institute. Bolsonaro’s followers could have conceivably discovered Mises only to learn that his actual works are far different than how he is advertised by his libertarian followers. Mises was far from a closeted, bowtie-adorned cuck, and he espoused theories or race realism that would be at home on the pages of American Renaissance. Mises also promoted fascism as an ideology “full of the best intentions” that “won merit” despite its faults and “will live on eternally in history.”

“It is perfectly legitimate to assume that the races are different in their cognitive abilities and in their willpower and accordingly are unequally suited for the task of setting up societies, and that the better races are characterized in particular by their special ability to strengthen social bonds,” Mises wrote in “The Market Economy.”

Perhaps there is a cosmic lesson to be learned from this common trend of libertarian activist efforts being co-opted and expanded upon by right-wing authoritarians. Perhaps only after humanity is tamed once more will it be ready for freedom. Perhaps only after leftism is cut down to size can the seeds of liberty possibly take root. Even the Founding Fathers had to perpetrate a regime of incendiary violence against the British for the US to take shape. Lost freedom is only regained through sacrifice, through blood, through force. If electing a strongmen like Bolsonaro is all we have to give to restore what we have lost, we should consider ourselves blessed.

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