#Do you like gays? Do you like the ocean? Do you like character growth? Do you like flawed characters?

[kelpiemomma]

For my fellow Tide Child deckchilder...

Call of the Bone Ships chapter 48 huh :)

The Boneships Wake chapter 58 right :)

[cambriancrew]

What is Young Wizards, is it anything like The Aepects by L C Mawson at all????

(And if it isn't that's even more of an excuse to Tell Us About Young Wizards!! Win-win!!!)

AHHH YES. We could talk about Young Wizards literally for hours.

So. It's, in a nutshell, a series by @/dduane Diane Duane, about teenagers who get the ability to use magic, which is enacted primarily by use of the wizardly language The Speech, in exchange for using it to fight the Lone Power who created death and entropy. The main wizard characters are Nita Callahan, a nerdy bookworm with an affinity for plants; her best friend Kit Rodriguez, who has an affinity for mechanical things; and Nita's little sister Dairine, who is a geek whose Wizards manual is a walking laptop. The books are incredibly inventive, with places in them like an alternate universe Manhattan where cars and other vehicles are alive; multiple distant planets, each with amazing aliens; the bottom of the ocean; Ireland where the myths really are true; a Mars where people's ideas of Mars from various forms of media including War of the Worlds and Marvin the Martian from Looney Tunes are present.

They're also beautifully diverse and life affirming. The Senior Advisory wizards are a gay couple. Kit is Hispanic. One major side character is black and autistic. There's other various queer characters. The series deals with serious topics like bullying, cancer, death and loss. But there's a throughthread of determination and hope.

Also, supportive adults! Parents who really care about their kids and support their wizardry! Family dynamics that are actually really good! (Most of the time. Nita and Dairine have their moments lol.)

And then there's the Oath. It's so wonderful, we patterned our Code of Conduct partly on it. There's many different versions, but the one we love the most is as follows:

In Life's name and for Life's sake, I assert that I will employ the Art which is Its gift in Life's service alone, rejecting all other usages. I will guard growth and ease pain. I will fight to preserve that which grows and lives well in its own way. Nor will I change any creature unless its growth or life or that of the system of which it is a part are threatened, or threaten another.

To these ends, in the practice of my Art, I will ever put aside fear for courage, and death for life, when it is right to do so, looking always to the Heart of Time where all our sundered times are one and all our myriad worlds lie whole in That from which they preceeded.

Also an art version of the Oath:

I can't seem to find the original creator of the art, it was someone on Tumblr but Tumblr search isn't helping, as usual.

We want two tattoos based on this series. One would be Wizard's Knot plus the first little part of the Oath, "In Life's name and for Life's sake". The other would be the traditional greeting of the Lone Power: "Fairest and Fallen, greetings and defiance." Probably would have that one surrounding the semicolon for depression survival, as suicidality is our personal battle with this universe's version of the Lone Power.

They're also super cheap to get as ebooks through the author's own website, as long as you're not in the UK due to Brexit.

We cannot recommend this series highly enough. If you do end up buying the series and reading it, let us know! We'd love to hear what you think. :)

[4ce-of-2pades]

I see you're into PJO. If you had to assign yourself and your mutuals a Greek/Roman God/Goddess, who would it be and why?

(Mutuals, don’t feel left out if I… leave you out. This is just who I happened to get ideas for.)

Myself: My instinct is to answer Hephaestus, because he’s really cool and I love steampunk, or Hecate, because magic is awesome, or even Apollo, because I’m both an artist and a singer. But I think I’d be a/be a demigod of a wind god. For starters, my moods often shift quickly and dramatically enough, but I love the wind itself, and will always say so aloud whenever it’s windy. Wind fills me with life, the way touching water energizes Percy. Plus, I really really want to be able to fly, Jason-style. (I had a very vivid dream as a kid that I did fly once, and I believed it for years. Perfect backstory.)

@lexiconic-light: I associate you with Hestia, ‘cause you’ve got that same kind, welcoming personality. If we’re talking demigods though, Hestia doesn’t have kids, so maybe you’d be a plant nymph or a child of Demeter, because you have a lot of plants and take care of them very well. Or maybe a child of Calliope, because of your writing and love of stories.

@many-gay-magpies: Either somebody artsy, or somebody nature-ey. One of the Muses, Demeter, a nymph, a satyr, etc. Though I also get Hecate vibes from you, so maybe her. You’re mysterious and magic-y. And you like birds. And draw/paint really freaking well. Something along those lines. I feel like I’m missing some obvious connection.

@disneyautistic: Maybe it’s just because you were really into Pirates of the Caribbean the last time we saw each other, but I diagnose you with Posideon. You’d decorate everything with shells and bits of sea glass, and paint ocean creatures on your walls, and wear a sea captain’s coat everywhere. Plus, I think you’d enjoy shapeshifting powers, if you could have them (I know it’s rare for Poseidon demigods, but you never know).

@linklog: Based purely on vibes, I assign you Hermes. No solid evidence for that, I just think you have a good personality for a trickster. Or maybe you’d embody the theatrical side of Apollo or Dionysus. Is there a Greek god of fashion and cosplay? Because I’ve always admired the creativity of your outfits.

@whosectype: Both Hecate and something nature-ey, no question. Maybe a satyr that is also a student of Hecate, learning magic like Hazel was? You’d cast dark spells involving bird bones and fungi and lots and lots of teeth, to increase the growth of moss or make something rot faster. You’d draw your spell-circles-on-the-floor™ in fresh mud. You’d enjoy being a little unnerving to the other satyrs, who prefer frolicking in sunlit fields to lurking in the shadowed areas of the forest and watching trees get overtaken by parasitic bugs.

@cupid-shortcake: Between your username and your pastel pink aesthetic, assigning you Cupid or Aphrodite seems like such an easy answer that it can’t possibly be right. I think it actually works though. On one hand, you show a lot of love and kindness to your friends, lifting them up and making them feel supported and appreciated. But you’ve also got that evil streak where you’ll make an endless series of terrible things happen to your characters because it makes a better story (as most writers do). If you applied that evil streak to real people’s lives and relationships, then you’d make an excellent Greek goddess of love.

(Actually, I think assigning the whole @cupheadocscasino crew gods from the Greek pantheon would make a REALLY COOL AU. I just don’t have ideas for all fifteen, and the characters themselves would probably be different gods than their creators would, so even the three here aren’t set in stone.)

[mousegard]

i feel like so many of edelgard's positive qualities don't get enough attention in the fandom. like yes she's gay and beautiful and you can kill the pope together, which is wonderful, but it wouldn't be as wonderful without...

her humanism and her staunch faith in her ideals, namely that humans deserve better than magic dragon blood based feudalism— being so unwavering in those ideals that even at her worst and most desperate, she doesn't waver. she witnessed firsthand all of the worst humanity had to offer, and instead of closing herself off and becoming a misanthropist or a bitter pessimist, she committed herself to revolutionary humanism at an expected immense personal cost

she strives to be the best leader she can be and brings out the best in all the people around her, even if it takes her a little while to figure out what "the best" looks like in someone like linhardt. even in non-cf routes the absolute loyalty she has endeared herself to among her men is highlighted on multiple occasions

she's ruthless, but merciful. she treats even her worst enemies as mercifully as she can and exhibits a steadfast refusal to prioritize revenge over restorative justice. her wide perspective and compassion for all the world acts as the foundation for all of her values. and it's just there beneath the surface and the ice-hearted facade for those who care enough to look

she's soberly self-aware and at every step of her journey understands the full consequences of her actions to the best of her capabilities, and does everything she can to mitigate those consequences and wage as clean a war as she possibly can given her circumstances and constraints (raising the thorny issue of how "clean" a war can really be and how much culpability she bears in routes where she has less leverage over the agarthans)

one of edelgard's greatest flaws is that she can be quick to assume she knows what's best for everyone, and i love how that flaw is explored and overcome in canon vis a vis the support chains she has with linhardt and caspar, for example, where they push back against that tendency and she gains a better sense of what they really need as opposed to what she thinks they ought to need. i think it's that growth that ultimately separates her from people like rhea, seteth, and dimitri, and also that demonstrates that she among all the characters in three houses has the greatest aptitude for real and effective leadership (claude is a close second, and i love that they're both very good and effective leaders for different reasons). and, if i can get on my crack crossover bullshit for a sec, that's one axis where i think her personality and toriel's intersect, so it's been fun writing my undertale crossover and having them butt heads over being actually too like each other)

her most tragic flaw, of course, is that she thinks she's become something nobody could love or trust, and thus is resigned to dying alone as the villain in everybody's story. but the better angels of her nature are always fighting against that flaw. she honestly cannot fucking help but reach out to people, make connections, and give them helping hands, even if she lives with the constant sword of damocles looming over her head that it will all come crashing down and she'll be alone again. but she can't help herself. because that is who she is. nothing about her at heart is solitary. and that's one of the magical things about cf! validating her for reaching out in spite of everything! showing that the bonds she formed with her classmates and teachers weren't all for naught! showing that she doesn't have to live a solitary life as a tyrant and cement a place for herself on the wrong side of history! she is going to live and love and thrive and she will not do it alone. it's so beautiful. she's so beautiful

it's not that everything she does is good or right, or that she doesn't have blood on her hands. if that moral complexity wasn't there and she wasn't fully conscious of the oceans of blood she wades through in pursuit of a better world she would be such a less interesting and thought-provoking character. it's not that she's perfect... it's just that there is literally nothing i would change about her*

if you delve deeply into 3h's use of religion and religious symbolism in its story, there's a very interesting subtextual narrative that paints edelgard as a revolutionary who is not just a staunch humanist but also inadvertently doing the work of the goddess, even though she lost her faith long ago, and is willing to die and go down in history as a devil if it means having the slimmest chance of rescuing humanity from the tyranny of a false prophet

i honestly think she's one of the greatest revolutionary humanist icons i've ever seen in a video game. maybe any piece of mainstream media outside of a terry pratchett book. she's mary wollstonecraft with a giant fuckoff axe. she's napoleon meets emperor meiji. she's not the messiah, she's a very naughty girl. she's a female cringe ass lobster. she's as gay as the day is long. she's edelgard von hresvelg and i've written two million words about her and could easily write two million more

* except her species, of course

[jcinktinder]

Site name and link: 𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒕 - https://driftjcink.tumblr.com/ Site genre: Isekai, RPG, MLM, Small Town, Ocean Setting Projected opening date: 10/23/2023 Site info: 𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒕 offers plot, action, and character growth for those - like myself - who enjoy big moves and deep lore. With a simplified class system that borrows heavily from video games and pulp fantasy, characters can work together and explore this vast and strange water world. Growing in strength with every step not just as an individual but as a community as well. Conversely, with a cruise ship carrying nearly ten thousand passengers and crew on her eighteen decks, you have a small town-like home that can foster quieter character-driven moments for the folks who are in it for the vibes. Your name: Angel Contact info: You can hit me up on Tumblr or Discord @thickorita Positions hiring for: All positions Information about positions:

Visuals Admin - Those with an eye for design and experience with coding.

Mechanics Admin - TTRPG and video game knowledge would be clutch.

Advertising Mod - The lifeblood of any site.

Discord Mod - Handle the chat when board work needs doing.

Other notes: I hope to foster a queer-friendly (queer-made) environment that is full of lighthearted gay fun and endless summer vibes. Dependable people who take the hobby seriously, but not themselves. If that sounds like you then let's get to work!

[allthingsroleplay]

Site name and link: 𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒕 - https://driftjcink.tumblr.com/ Site genre: Isekai, RPG, MLM, Small Town, Ocean Setting Projected opening date: 10/23/2023 Site info: 𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒕 offers plot, action, and character growth for those - like myself - who enjoy big moves and deep lore. With a simplified class system that borrows heavily from video games and pulp fantasy, characters can work together and explore this vast and strange water world. Growing in strength with every step not just as an individual but as a community as well. Conversely, with a cruise ship carrying nearly ten thousand passengers and crew on her eighteen decks, you have a small town-like home that can foster quieter character-driven moments for the folks who are in it for the vibes. Your name: Angel Contact info: You can hit me up on Tumblr or Discord @thickorita Positions hiring for: All positions Information about positions:

Visuals Admin - Those with an eye for design and experience with coding.

Mechanics Admin - TTRPG and video game knowledge would be clutch.

Advertising Mod - The lifeblood of any site.

Discord Mod - Handle the chat when board work needs doing.

Other notes: I hope to foster a queer-friendly (queer-made) environment that is full of lighthearted gay fun and endless summer vibes. Dependable people who take the hobby seriously, but not themselves. If that sounds like you then let's get to work!

[p-taryn-dactyl]

15, 28, 43, 57, 62!

hi!!!

15: favorite book you’ve read as a school assignment?

A List of Cages by robin roe was during the summer before my freshman year of high school, a while back, and I remember annotating it, loving the plot, enjoying the assignment which was to take notes and annotate the pages if the book was our personal one and then we…didn’t do anything with it except a handout that said “did you do the reading?” with checkboxes labeled yes and no. I was so disappointed but I remember loving that book. There’s also Brain On Fire by Susannah Cahalan, which is just an amazing true story (the movie is ok but the book is just *chefs kiss*. I’m actually using it in my final project in my psychology course this year!!

28: five songs to describe you?

Damn. This is a hard one….i had to consult the counsel (my group chat) for guidance [edit: some were helpful…others weren’t] [another edit: i did take a few quizzes to find what songs describe me bc i was thinking of songs that i associated with me and idk if thats what this meant lol, can you tell i overthink things?]

no body, no crime by taylor swift

better than revenge by taylor swift

dear reader by taylor swift

human by gabrielle aplin

hi, it’s me by ashnikko (but I’m the best friend)

Ik it was mostly TS but i listen to her a lot so

43: hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket, or bomber jacket?

once upon a time i was recognized by the oversized jean jacket that i wore…not anymore. I love cardigans and leather jackets buttt i have the soul of an elderly librarian so definitively cardigan. (I love librarians, my Grammy was a librarian and she’s the best)

57: the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

Coming out to myself. I actually came out to my friends before myself, which sounds weird but hold on. I knew i was queer so i told them, the ones i was comfortable with, about my sexuality. But i wasn’t in full terms with it. I grew up very religious and the way my church and family spoke about homosexuality just made me feel like an outcast. Thankfully, I’m proud of who i am today and while I’m terrified of the day I come out to my family, i know i can make it through the tough times if they come

My belief in god isn’t a struggle per se but i much prefer my relationship with them today than my past relationship with them. In the past i was a nightmare, just a total bitch and even though ik today it was because of how i was raised and what i absorbed and all the internalized homophobia, i still know it’s not an excuse to unlearn all my taught hatred so I’m pretty proud to say that i am a much, much better person today ✨character growth✨

My fear of death. While i haven’t completely overcome this, ive come to better terms with the fact that one day i will die and the only thing i can do is live life to the fullest and just live, not to force myself into a box of what i have to do but just enjoy being alive while i am. My new fear however is the ocean, just being alone in the middle of the sea, no boat just me…my heart beat very fast as I typed that

62: seven characters you relate to?

Percy Jackson. I have neither ADHD or dyslexia but i do wear my sarcasm and humor as my shield. Also, i just feel like he would be such a good friend and compliment to my personality

Tony stark. I do have anxiety and depression but i am not a billionaire or genius. I just get him, ya know? I can easily put myself in his place and see his thought process.

Daniel Jackson. Huge history nerd over here and he’s just the best, i love him

harry potter…my man is way too underrated for the main character. Same thing as tony, i just feel connected to his character

yelena belova. Idk why but i just feel like she’s what i could be if i was put in her situations ya know

alec lightwood, i too am a disaster gay and would be speechless at the sight of magnus bane

Nebula. I know what it’s like to be overlooked and forgotten but thankfully, like nebula, ive a found family that sees me

Thank you so much!!! I’m sorry my answers were so long lol 😅

[rpgadverts]

Site name and link: 𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒕 - https://driftjcink.tumblr.com/ Site genre: Isekai, RPG, MLM, Small Town, Ocean Setting Projected opening date: 10/23/2023 Site info: 𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒕 offers plot, action, and character growth for those - like myself - who enjoy big moves and deep lore. With a simplified class system that borrows heavily from video games and pulp fantasy, characters can work together and explore this vast and strange water world. Growing in strength with every step not just as an individual but as a community as well. Conversely, with a cruise ship carrying nearly ten thousand passengers and crew on her eighteen decks, you have a small town-like home that can foster quieter character-driven moments for the folks who are in it for the vibes. Your name: Angel Contact info: You can hit me up on Tumblr or Discord @thickorita Positions hiring for: All positions Information about positions:

Visuals Admin - Those with an eye for design and experience with coding.

Mechanics Admin - TTRPG and video game knowledge would be clutch.

Advertising Mod - The lifeblood of any site.

Discord Mod - Handle the chat when board work needs doing.

Other notes: I hope to foster a queer-friendly (queer-made) environment that is full of lighthearted gay fun and endless summer vibes. Dependable people who take the hobby seriously, but not themselves. If that sounds like you then let's get to work!

[rpings]

Site name and link: 𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒕 - https://driftjcink.tumblr.com/ Site genre: Isekai, RPG, MLM, Small Town, Ocean Setting Projected opening date: 10/23/2023 Site info: 𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒕 offers plot, action, and character growth for those - like myself - who enjoy big moves and deep lore. With a simplified class system that borrows heavily from video games and pulp fantasy, characters can work together and explore this vast and strange water world. Growing in strength with every step not just as an individual but as a community as well. Conversely, with a cruise ship carrying nearly ten thousand passengers and crew on her eighteen decks, you have a small town-like home that can foster quieter character-driven moments for the folks who are in it for the vibes. Your name: Angel/Siren Contact info: You can hit me up on Tumblr or Discord @thickorita Positions hiring for: All positions Information about positions:

Visuals Admin - Those with an eye for design and experience with coding.

Mechanics Admin - TTRPG and video game knowledge would be clutch.

Advertising Mod - The lifeblood of any site.

Discord Mod - Handle the chat when board work needs doing.

Other notes: I hope to foster a queer-friendly (queer-made) environment that is full of lighthearted gay fun and endless summer vibes. Dependable people who take the hobby seriously, but not themselves. If that sounds like you then let’s get to work!

[diatomaceous-worth]

Hetalia Characters as Dorian Electra Songs

Career Boy - America

Daddy Like - China

Man to Man - Is a FRUK song

Musical Genius - Austria

Flamboyant - France

Guyliner - Prussia

Live By The Sword - Japan

Mr. To You - England

Lyrics + Explanations under the cut

Career Boy - America

Career boy (career boy) You know they got me working overtime, yeah (working overtime, yeah) Career boy (career boy) And you know I got that one track mind, oh-yeah (one track mind)

Even after I get what I want, I can see, baby-baby That it's lonely at the top, yeah Career boy Nothing is ever gonna make me stop

Ambitious, workaholic, growth at all costs Alfred? Yup.

Daddy Like - China

(One) A ring-a-ding-ding (Two) In the limousine, yeah (Three) I buy you nice things again, again, again, again, yeah (One) I pay your rent (Two) Rent check sent (Three) That's money well spent (Yeah) [Chorus] Daddy like Daddy like Daddy like Daddy like (I really like that)

The lyrics are pretty simple so there's not much reasoning here I just think Yao as a sugar daddy would be hot. He's 4,000+ years old and knows how to treat a person, right?

Man to Man - Is a FRUK song

You know I ain't straight

But I'ma say it straight to you

...

So you want to play rough in the parking lot? See you acting tough, but I know you're not We can take it outside, scuffle in the streetlight I just really wanna fight with you Man to man, hand to hand One on one, friend to friend Are you man enough to soften up? Are you tough enough to open up? Man to man You gotta let me in

Self explanatory.

Musical Genius - Austria

I got the mind of a genius in the body of a man I always comprehend and I always understand How it all fits together, how it can sound that grand I'm a musical, musical genius won't you be my fan?

Flamboyant - France

I'm a very flaming, flammable guy Some say my fire burns way too high Some say they find me too hot to touch But I, I think it's not enough

I'm flamboyant, I go all the way I'm flamboyant, I go all the way Flamboyant, every day I'm flamboyant, I go all the way

Guyliner - Prussia

I wake up, open my eyes Gotta spice it up, yeah, gotta make it shine Look in the mirror and I'm feeling fine It's crystal clear, that it's time to line my eyes

I'm a guy Don't be surprised If I take my time to glamorize No reason why That I can't try To line my eyes It feels so right

...

Chicks dig it when they see me cry

Live By The Sword - Japan

You'll get what's yours if you live by the sword You'll get your reward if you live by the sword You'll get what's yours if you live by the sword You'll get your reward if you by the sword

It's cold like the ocean cold like the rain Show your devotion, show me the pain Show me the blood, show me you tried, Show me the tears coming down from your eyes

Mr. To You - England

No first name basis, it's not like that

I want you on the edge, don't relax

Don't get way too casual, casual

You can call me Mister, Mister

It's Mister to you

Don't get it twisted, twisted

Don't get confused

I want you to listen, listen

I thought you knew

It's Mister to you

= the British gentleman persona

Maybes/unsure:

FReAkY 4 Life: Possibly Russia?

Freaky, freaky, freaky for life

My little brain, it isn't the same I told you I'm not the normal type Normal like you, not something I do Even as hard as I try

...

I hear what they call me, I hear what they say I'm not very cool yeah but I'll never change I'll stick to my guns, then throw them away I'm a freak forever, from my cradle to my grave

Ivan's kinda an oddball character. Soft and childlike and at the same time genuinely scary...struggles for friendships that aren't literally forced. So it kinda fits.

Emasculate - kind stumped for this one

Emasculate me Cut the man right out of me Emasculate me (emasculate, emasculate) Do it now I can't wait baby I'm begging for you to come save me Emasculate me (emasculate, emasculate)

Like could be anyone if you wanted to write them that way?

Adam and Steve - could honestly be a lot of characters depending on your characterization

They want to destroy me, they will all enjoy it Say I'm an abomination, but I'm God's creation They all want to crush me, say I am so disgusting Secretly they love me, just like Him And God made me And He loves me, and He loves me God made me, and Adam and Steve And He loves me, and He loves me God made me this way And He loves me, and He loves me God made me gay And He loves me, 'cause God made me (Made me)

These are only from Flamboyant. I'm not as familiar with their newer songs. I'm also biased by what characters I like the most.

[springsteenicious]

I've read a fic where Hyde's nickname for Jackie is "Blue" because of the song by The Ozark Mountain Daredevils and I can't get this off my mind, it's a headcanon of mine now. I'm dying to read another fic where he calls her that because I just think it's a cute nickname and it's totally something he'd come up with.

I love this.

I just listened to the song and followed along with the lyrics, and I have several thoughts. One, I don't think it's particularly Hyde's style of music, but I do think he may have listened to the song at one point or another and gotten the idea. Two, I don't think the song fits Jackie's character that well, but to some degrees, it does fit her. I still like the pet name, I think it's cute. The origin is a little OOC, but I can make it work. I definitely think Hyde would come up with a pet name based on a song.

It makes me think of the movie (and novel) Love, Simon. The boy Simon falls for uses the name Blue online to hide his identity. That movie is pretty good, I recommend it if you haven't seen it. It was the first movie I watched that had a gay main character and relationship.

Putting that aside... This could possibly be something I use in Where The Ocean Ends. The song Tangled Up In Blue by Bob Dylan has a lot of significance in the story. The song gets in Hyde's head and causes him to make one of the most important decisions he makes the whole story. See this post to learn more about it. It would be really cool if Hyde started calling her that once they reconnect. It would be really nice for him to give her a new pet name instead of going back to 'grasshopper,' which I have him calling her in 1978-1979. It would show growth and how they're moving on from the past. Thanks for the idea!

[potatomarble]

SOTUS S

This series is the continuation of the life and love of Kongpob and Arthit. Unlike the previous season, Sotus S has a new environment added to their story - the corporate world. Kongpob (portrayed by Singto) is now in his third year of college, while Arthit (portrayed by Krist) is starting his career as an employee of Ocean Electric.

Nothing much has changed over the years they've been together. As usual, Kongpob likes to throw sweet banters to Arthit, and the other always pushes it away. Kong's healthy obsession with his partner is so fluffy, I became addicted to it. And yes, just like the first installment, there's no 18+ scenes to look out for.

SOTUS S now revolves on two plot lines, Arthit's working environment and Kongpob's university life. And as the story progress, they will soon meet in the middle when Kongpob finally enters internship.

CHARACTERS

Most of the characters from this season are old faces. You'll meet almost same group of people in the university, but with the addition of Day. He is an introverted freshie that caught Tew's attention. Throughout the episode, you'll see how Tew manages to enter Day's bubble and becomes his friend. The new supporting characters of this series came from Arthit's workplace, Ocean Electric. Also, this is where we get to see Kongpob's parents.

CONFLICTS

Lack of communication

Kongpob and Arthit have been dating for 2 years now, and they barely know each other. Arthit doesn't even know Kongpob's parents. He doesn't know anything about his family and his lifestyle. Imagine how shocked I was when I found out that Kong is from a rich family, and his dad owns a huge company. But, at the same time, I was like. Okaaay. Now, it made sense why Kongpob acted like a fearless guy on season 1. He has everything. Another thing, Kong doesn't open up that much to Arthit. He makes decisions on his own before telling his partner. And in some scenes, that made Arthit really upset.

Arthit's Inner Conflicts

I think this one of the major themes of the story - Arthit being comfortable with who he is. We all know that he has a shy personality, and he still finds it uncomfortable to do PDAs. Even though all of their friends knew that they are together, coming out is not just a one and done thing. You have to do it over and over, especially when you're put into unfamiliar environments. Also, along with coming out, you can't help but anticipate the mixed reactions of people around you. This is what keeps Arthit closeted at work. He is somehow scared of what others might think of him.

Stigma between Gay Couple.

When people from Ocean Electric found out the score between Kong and Arthit, some employees started gossiping about their "unconventional" relationship. I hate it when some of the supporting characters from the factory said that it is such a shame for them to be together. Like for real? How close-minded can you be? In my opinion, what's more shameful is when someone is nosy about someone else's life instead of improving their own. Good thing, Cherry an employee who's openly gay, slapped these good-for-nothing gossipmongers a piece of her mind.

Unappreciated Love

Another major theme of the series. Kongpob is always the one fighting for Arthit's attention. He never stops running behind him. Most of the time, I think he's the one putting more effort in trying to make the relationship work. It pains me to see how Arthit never appreciated his efforts, and sometimes, he even finds it annoying. Good thing Kongpob manages to speak up and made Arthit realize that love shouldn't just be a one-way street. The giver should also receive love, and should not be taken for granted.

BL CLICHÉ

What I like about Sotus is that it doesn't have the typical bl cliché other series have. First, they don't vilify women. Instead, the boost them up. We have Earth who embodied a strong woman moving on from her previous relationship and finding a new love. Then there's Prae, a campus crush who becomes open dating another woman. Second, there's no third party that causes conflict in the main characters' love story. I am so done with that cliché. The series focuses more on real life and adulthood struggles which even the straight audience can relate to.

FLASHBACKS

The use of flashbacks in Sotus S gave us an insight of the things that happened in Kong and Arthit's relationship. Even though it is a slow-paced progress, you will see how well they adapt to each other. Since the passing of the head hazer position to frequent sleepovers. Every scene gives us butterflies. You will also witness how Arthit tries to open up slowly, and how Kong playfully supports him.

AD PLACEMENTS

Is it just me or GMMTV is so addicted to product placements? Most of the time, I can easily ignore it. However, there were times when I find it too much and unnecessary. I just hope they can be a little discreet about it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sotus S may not be as romantic as the previous installment, but I like this one better. I love how this series showed us a glimpse of adulthood, and how a fresh graduate managed to survive the real world. This series tackled a more matured topic that suits the growth of the characters. One example is when Arthit got into the procurement department instead of his chosen one. Eventually, he fits in and it made him grateful of the opportunity given to him. It was like a silver lining moment.

Also, this series depicted a very realistic life a gay couple. Even though, the main characters love each other. It is not always rainbows and butterflies. There were times when they both got tired and almost quit. The relationship has its ups and downs. It is up to the couple if they'll give up or go hand in hand in order to solve the obstacles in front of them.

(STILL NO PREMWAD!!!)

[eddiescouch]

I am so exhausted by Lovecraft that any time someone mentions Lovecraft or Lovecraftian I go feral, emerge out of my skin so the barest essentials of me can tear their throat out and hopefully never hear the name again. 

I am tired. Why are we still fellating the work of a man who was antisemitic, misogynistic, racist, and possibly one of the greasiest shit-heels on Earth? Sure, if we pretend for a moment that you can examine a work in a vacuum, and that his racism and misogyny didn’t show through into his work- which it did-, for the time period his work contributed to horror and gave a lot to the genre but it’s stopped giving.  I dedicate that run-on sentence to him. It’s all he’s worth. 

I think of Lovecraft as a genre parallel to Tolkien. Both of them made works that essentially set the stage of how horror and fantasy novels would be written into the modern era. Both were also white men who were racist and it showed in their work. Since passing the torch, I think Tolkien sword and sorcery has grown more than Lovecraftian horror has. I don’t know if it’s just due to DnD making it accessible, but I’ve read a breadth of novels under the banner that always manage to feel new and exciting even though it’s the same general layout. I’ve seen more of a push to make the genre take responsibility for its racism and misogyny both from authors and readers. I haven’t seen that with Lovecraftian horror. 

 Lovecraft was a man so damn scared of everything that he’s centered fear of the other into his work and it only works if you’re not the other.  Cosmic horror only works if you’ve been told you matter from the start. Being powerless is only a shock if you’ve had power. You want me to be scared of a village who’s inhabitants are part of a secret cult worshiping an old god that will turn us all into fish people? Then turns out- You are a fish person! There’s a reason Cthulhu the movie was about a gay character. 

I am bored. If this was just ‘Hey this antiquated author who never amounted to much is a mud-man made of horse shit’ i wouldn’t care so much, but the man had to start a cultural movement so practically any time you do something in horror ‘Lovecraftian’ or ‘Cosmic’ gets spackled onto it with no real thought or meaning. I feel like it’s nearly a safe bet at this point that if someone is calling something Lovecraftian it’s either mislabeling the contents, or it’s just a bad rehash of some old god bullshit. Most of the people in the latter category don’t even know why this brand of horror was so appealing in the first place and they sure as shit can’t adapt it for the modern age without shallowly going through the tentacle motions. The result is none of this is scary any more. It’s tiring. You can’t just tell me that I’m going insane by looking at something. 

None of the Lovecraft inspired works I’ve seen in a while feel like they have any thought to them. There’s no goal or real underlying message. Cosmic horror isn’t supposed to be the shrill pitch of slasher horror that has adrenaline screaming in your veins, it’s supposed to be the deep base that shakes you down to your soul. In order to do that you need to sit on the starry beach of existentialism and the black ocean of nihilism for a good long while, and most people don’t want to do that because it, well, scares them. Cosmic horror is supposed to sit you down and look you in the eyes and tell you ‘this is all it is, and this is what you are, the point is not what you thought- if it even exists in the first place’. It breaks the conceptions we have about the grandness of our own lives and that is impossibly refreshing but you have to really make that hit deep. You can’t just come at me with your octopus fursona with wings and expect me to care that he can turn my brain into rice pudding. 

I’ll end this by doing a bit of clarifying. I think where fantasy did a lot of growing inside Tolkien’s framework, there’s been more growth in horror in the genre at large. Lovecraft’s decedents seem to be stuck in this recursive loop where they loose fidelity with each pass, but other facets of the genre are doing very well for themselves. I just think that soon either Lovecraft will finally be left to gather dust or the makers of derivative works will have to do some distinct catching up. 

[bookandcover]

Haunting, complex, raising many questions and intentionally giving no easy answers--this is a beautiful novel, compressed into a glittering, sharp gem. I was really pleased to receive this novel as a gift and as a recommendation from my literary friend. I hadn’t heard of Alexander Chee before this book, but he’s clearly someone I should know. The space his work inhabits--between fiction and nonfiction--is a lovely, poignant suspension, dream-like, that asks us to consider others’ lives and to look critically at our own. 

It seems an oversimplification to compare Edinburgh to Lolita--both beautiful novels dealing with the fringe topic of pedophilia--because this book is its own thing, its own life. Yet, I did think of Lolita while reading this because of the beauty of the prose and the awareness of beauty on the part of the author. The sense of beauty that permeates these pages, that takes on a life of its own and transcends above any subject matter, reminded me of Nabokov. Chee’s prose is stunning, direct, effervescent--like sinking into a crystal, still lake. Chee writes, as Fee contemplates and then attempts suicide for the first time: “The new year is underway, and the snow makes everything seem perfected, cleaned off and put away until the spring. The evergreens are the suggestion or the idea of a tree, a green shadow helmeted in white. And the bare trees, arterial, reach out as if they give up something of the earth to the air above.” The novel’s characters, like Chee through his prose and his literary craft, experience a love of beauty, and a longing for it, which creates both a contrast and a resonance with the darkest moments in the novel. Chee’s characters struggle with depression, violence, self-harm, sexual assault, and the erasure of their identities. But, at the same time, they leap toward beauty--elegant lines of others’ bodies captured in art, mythology and history studied and retold, repeated motifs of fire and foxes burning brightly against a dark landscape, and the ever-present sublimity of nature. 

I, personally, was very aware of the setting of this novel as part of its beauty. The landscape of Maine--the weather, the flowers, the ocean, the outdoors--is woven throughout the book. This landscape seems to exist in relationship to the emotional state of the narrator (whether Fee or Warden). The natural objects are not symbols, as they too often are in literature. Stones and butterflies don’t represent something that they’re not. Instead, they appear at the right moments, as if summoned into being by the emotional state of each narrator. Or, perhaps, each narrator is able to see them, suddenly, because of a familiarity, a recognition between his inner life and the outer life of the world. We, the readers, notice these connections. Warden sees the glacial erratics, in the oceans and fields, and asks Fee about them just when he feels out of place, just when he feels shattered against a larger, impossible stone. Fee works for Speck and sees his painted fresco of Edinburgh, encounters the letter from the trapped man, right when he feels buried, assumed “dead” by those around him. But we’re not asked to overanalyze these objects, to cheapen them through assignment of meeting. Their role, instead, is to create affinity--a common feeling, an intimacy--between a vulnerable human and a, somehow, sympathetic world. 

It was certainly an odd experience to read a prominent book set in a place I’m so familiar with; I swam in the Cape Elizabeth pool for swim meets in middle school and high school, I camped throughout Maine, I drove through the streets of South Portland that Chee mentions, my guy friends growing up were in Boy Singers of Maine (which Chee calls the Pine State Boys Choir in the novel). Especially in the first section of the book, this familiarity took some getting used to. But it also added to the experience of reading for me. It felt like this story was being told to me by a friend, someone close to me and talking about things I was familiar with. Fee’s experiences, therefore, took on the added horrifying level of proximity, a kind of “this could be me” or “this could be my close friend” feeling. I felt, acutely, the privilege of this not being me, of having been able to grow up slowly and at my pace. Of having been able to ask questions about myself and my identity when I was ready to and not on someone else’s schedule or with someone else’s cold, self-serving interference. 

One of the values of this book, I think, is the way that it does not provide easy answers about pedophilia, sexuality, queerness, and identity. I love the fact that, in the second half of the novel, Warden shows us the experiences of a teenager wildly attracted to an adult, crossing the stigmatized border between adult and child in a very different way than it is crossed by his father Eric Gorendt. At the same time, the novel’s awareness that the line between adult/child is not simple, and that love and attraction can move across it, does not lessen nor excuse Big Eric’s crimes. Big Eric’s crimes are never treated as anything less than horrifying and reprehensible; we see the terrible impact on the boys he assaulted--from Peter’s suicide to Zach’s suicide. Yet, at the same time, we’re privy to Fee’s guilt, his confusion over whether his sexuality played some strange role in these crimes. Fee seems to repeatedly wonder whether Big Eric sensed in him some affinity, some willingness to be complicit? Fee’s misguided guilt, his confusion, his ongoing obsession with Peter and boys who look like him allows us readers to view all these issues and questions around attraction as ones that are deeply complex. We can, and we are asked to, condemn Big Eric. But we are not asked to condemn attraction beyond the barriers that are normally established by society. And we are asked to question our own assumptions, about anything. 

At the heart of this novel, there is love. It’s a novel, fundamentally, about love. Love that is not to be confused with attraction, with obsession, with selfishness--although the characters question themselves, repeatedly, on the reasons they experience all of these feelings. I’m not sure I understand the ending of this novel--a lot seems unresolved--as it spirals into a rather shocking resolution with Warden’s attack on his father (the kind of decisive action Fee never seemed to be able to bring himself to?), the sudden affair between Fee and Warden, and Fee’s choice (is it final?) to abandon Warden and return to Bridey. After thinking about this a lot, my interpretation is that the ending works as a reminder of the central, essential role of love. Love is healing. Fee is the main character and he moves through the novel from a place of trauma to a resolution in healing. The novel, while feeling unfinished around certain plot points, is finished when its narrative arc is understood to be Fee’s journey toward healing. His brief, passionate relationship with Warden allows him to directly address the long-term trauma that he carries, which has solidified in an obsession with Peter and Peter’s death. At the same time, his choice to let Warden go, to go back to Bridey, shows real growth and healing. Fee chooses the relationship that means “moving on.” He chooses the adult relationship and the life he built for himself, and not the relationship that is about processing and recycling his past. Fee’s choice is an act of self-love, an act of healing, an act of freedom. 

It’s a bit troubling(?) that this act of self-love, this choice, might come at expense of other characters. The jury’s still out on whether “troubling” is the way I feel about this... The novel does a good job setting up Bridey’s character and liberating him from this; he loves Fee wholly and this love comes with understanding. He understands that Fee needs to process his past and he is not irrevocably hurt by this (in fact, he almost seems to see Fee’s affair coming, with his comments on “needing to keep in practice in case I get dumped.”) Bridey finds Fee at the end of the novel. He knows him. He waits for him. And this is the love that changes Fee, that allows him to choose a life free from his past. The Lady Tammamo myth circles around again at the end of the book, as Fee reflects that “love ruins monsters.” All Lady Tammamo needed to do to become human was to love one man. Fee, too, seems to become human, in his own eyes, faced with Bridey’s unconditional love. There is hope for them, going forward, awareness of a new version of Fee that is better to be in love with. 

But what of Warden? We don’t get Warden’s resolution, his reaction to Fee’s departure, and I wondered about this. Warden’s descriptions of his love for Fee always got to me, always took hold of my heart and squeezed, transfixed me--like the butterflies he preserves on pins. These are the kinds of lines you’d want to write and rewrite, on journals, on skin, in places you’d see them everyday. 

“And so it is that the faint, caused by my thinking of the theft of the picture, is the first reason he takes me in his arms.” 

“I love him, I say, surprising myself. When he’s around, it feels like he’s in charge of everything in me. I don’t know what to do with that. Do you kiss it? I don’t know.” 

“So let me get this straight. You throw up so much that you are fainting, and now you have been prescribed drugs, because you want this man so much, but, you aren’t gay.” 

“How tear, as in to cry, and tear, as in to rip or pull, how they’re spelled the same? You could write them and someone reading would not know if you were crying or separating.” [Outro: Tear, anyone?]

I wanted happiness and healing for Warden, as well. But the bird inside him scares me. Perhaps his story is another story--Warden’s story, he was part of Fee’s only briefly. Is Warden’s story a tragedy or one in which he comes to know himself, though this experience of young love, and moves on--also looking to the future, and not the past? I hope so. If Fee has left Warden behind, another hurt child, that ending for this novel is, certainly, troubling. 

I don’t have an easy answer here (or anywhere). But the novel’s resistance to resolution/finality is realistic, and one of the most powerful moves of this story, as it inhabits that uncanny valley between fiction and non-fiction. 

[testingcheats0n]

In defense of one Haruno Sakura

As I watched a video called ‘Why People Hate Sakura so much’, I was illuminated, remembering a previous video titled ‘I WILL NOT SUCK NARUTO OF!!!’ that was a bit older and kinda put me in a mood to browse the anti naruto tag. There I found old posts that I already read about the obnoxious protagonist’s hypocrisy and in particular one very infuriating point that was made.

For those who don’t remember, a prevalent theme during the entire anime- especially in it’s beginnings was the conflict between hard work and inborn genius, or so to speak the inherited abilities such as bloodlines and social and social statuses that come with them compared to the humble origins of clanless civilians destined to become cannon fodder. 

Naruto’s main gripe was the power imbalance between those who had to hone their talents and those who barely had to work on it, the bloodline users inherently having advantages over the rest. Naruto’s main concern was also how it affected him, the social outcast with no real talent. 

(Listen... I know that I’m taking too long to get to the point pls hear me out.)

Naruto’s issues didn’t actually affect him in the long run. At all. There is no hard work behind his power- he is the son of an Uzumaki with oceans’ worth of chakra that also has conveniently at his disposal the Strongest Tailed Beast currently in existence. He is, as well, the reincarnation of a powerful God-like being that gives him additional powers. He had the favor of the Third and Fifth Hokages since day one, and also the surname of the Fourth Hokage, his own father. His former teacher was the Sixth Hokage and his second teacher was a man in a high position of the village hierarchy.

The boy has nothing to complain about lmao. (What a cheap shot to tug heartstrings and create a rivalry between him and Sasuke. (Who, by the way, trained just like everyone else.))

Sasuke follows more or less the same criteria- clan, bloodline limit, reincarnation. Kakashi is also from a clan, and also has a Sharingan, as well as a high position in the village hierarchy. EVERY SINGLE ONE of the Konoha 9 are from la creme de la creme the village had to offer after some careful Darwinian culling. Even Neji is from the second most powerful clan. 

What about the rest of the Gai Team? Here’s the main issue. There is a difference between Rock Lee and Tenten and Sakura and then an even bigger one between those three and the rest of Konoha 12. Rock Lee and Tenten, compared to Sakura got actual training from a teacher that was invested in their progress, Rock Lee is the protege of a man who can go toe to toe with Uchiha fucking Madara, for god’s sake.

Kakashi didn’t train Sakura when needed, the girl had to learn everything from scratch with Tsunade and even then a Sanin’s teachings can’t compare to gods, chakra beings and such. No matter how much she progresses she will NEVER, EVER get on those two hype beasts’ level. She is the true underdog, she is the true hard work to the rest of the characters’ innate talent. 

What is she going to do? Beat on Sasuke’s one tomoe sharingan with the good chakra control she has? That’s her only strength at the time. The stacks are against her, she has no clan and no ninja family. She has no connections like Naruto who got his fucking god dad to teach him from the go. Tsunade alone recognized her talent and choose to develop her potential, the strength Sakura Haruno has is hers and hers alone, as little as it seems in comparison. It’s strength she got with her own hard work with no tailed beast as a birthday gift. Naruto is a quack with cheap superficial messages and no self awareness. (Check your fucking privilege lmao)

I wish she were the main protagonist of Naruto, no author would dare to make the MC such a pathetic mess around her crush. Her potential was squashed at the beginning by her circumstances of birth- Sakura was ALWAYS the spare, the unwanted, but she managed to get strong and become an excellent kunoichi. 

If you were to compare her to the other shinobi that weren’t Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke she is way, way stronger. She could even go toe to toe with Konoha 12.

It’s a shame that her potential was squandered and overshadowed. Her personality may leave much to be desired, but her growth where it comes to power is Shonen main character worthy.

...Damn, does anyone recommend badass Sakura fics that have no pairings? Please help a girl out.

[jcinktinder]

Site name and link: 𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒕 - https://driftjcink.tumblr.com/ Site genre: Isekai, RPG, MLM, Small Town, Ocean Setting Projected opening date: 10/23/2023 Site info: 𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒕 offers plot, action, and character growth for those - like myself - who enjoy big moves and deep lore. With a simplified class system that borrows heavily from video games and pulp fantasy, characters can work together and explore this vast and strange water world. Growing in strength with every step not just as an individual but as a community as well. Conversely, with a cruise ship carrying nearly ten thousand passengers and crew on her eighteen decks, you have a small town-like home that can foster quieter character-driven moments for the folks who are in it for the vibes. Your name: Angel/Siren Contact info: You can hit me up on Tumblr or Discord @thickorita Positions hiring for: All positions Information about positions:

Visuals Admin - Those with an eye for design and experience with coding.

Mechanics Admin - TTRPG and video game knowledge would be clutch.

Advertising Mod - The lifeblood of any site.

Discord Mod - Handle the chat when board work needs doing.

Other notes: I hope to foster a queer-friendly (queer-made) environment that is full of lighthearted gay fun and endless summer vibes. Dependable people who take the hobby seriously, but not themselves. If that sounds like you then let’s get to work!