#I had a lot more ideas for sapphic week

[otherpeoplesheartachept-2]

🪲Stink Bug🪲

Niamh is big and tough okay? The bug just flew reallyyyyy close to her hand.

(written for the @carry-on-sapphic-week inspired by one of @facewithoutheart 's posts)

Read on AO3 or below the cut :)

“Agatha!!” Niamh shouts from the other side of the flat. 

I walk into the bathroom to find the faucet running and my girlfriend smushing her large frame into the very narrow space between the toilet and the bathtub. 

“What?” I ask, furrowing my brow. 

She points to the sink counter, cowering away from it. 

There sits a little green bug, exploring the white vinyl. 

“It's just a stink bug, Niamh.”

“Yes, but made a really loud buzz!” She huffs, “and nearly landed on my hand!” she waves her wet hand for emphasis and flicks water all over the room. 

I can't stop the roll of my eyes, or the exhale of amusement. 

“Will you just take care of it for me, please?”

She looks so pitiful like this, muscular arms crossed protectively across her chest. 

“Alright.” I never could resist a sufficiently whiney ‘please’ from my girlfriend. 

I quickly grab a wad of toilet paper and squish the thing with an unpleasant crunch. 

“Agatha what the fuck!!” Niamh yells when I lift the toilet paper and swipe up the remaining bug guts from the counter. “I didn't mean kill it!” She whines, her blue eyes turning watery. 

“You told me to deal with it!” I defend myself. 

“I meant take it outside! You just murdered the poor thing!”

Niamh’s voice gets a little shaky, she steps towards me, reaching for my hand with the mangled corpse, before thinking better of it. 

I forgot she’s started caring about bugs since she watched some documentary about insects last month. She tried making me watch it but I get so bored sitting through documentaries. 

“Babe,” I say, awkwardly binning the insect in my hand and trying to console my girlfriend. “It's fine, Penny told me once these stink bugs are invasive, okay?” I place a hand on Niamh's shoulder. 

“You’re sure?” She furrows her brow. 

“Yeah, they like wreak havoc on native trees or something.”

“Oh,” she looks down, putting on her thinking frown.

“I guess it's for the greater good then,” she sighs. 

I nod, leading us out of the bathroom. 

Thank magick she didn't see me kill that spider I found in the kitchen cabinet last night.

[fantasiacafecat]

I noticed I didn't post any LGBTQ+ stuff or any Skyrim modded Follower content in more than a week. So why not make both right now?

Lgbtq+ headcanons with the Dovahkrew

These are Sexuality and romantic orientations not gender orientation headcanons. Sorry. These are also MY headcanons so if they don't match up with your headcanons it's not personal so please don't get mad at me. I am curious to see your headcanons as well though.

Inigo- Heteroflexible. He is most definitely interested in women and I always head canon that after the events of Skyrim he does settle down with the woman of his dreams who just happens to own a sweet roll shop. But I also feel like he would definitely point out a man's beauty. He seems like a very comfortable in his Sexuality kind of guy.

Lucien- Questioning Asexual Biromantic. He seems more interested in knowledge and learning other things than a relationship. And if someone did ask about his orientations then I feel like he wouldn't be able to answer that because he doesn't really try to experiment with romance of any kind.

Kaidan- Bisexual with maybe a fem preference (including feminine or men). I also see him as Pansexual because honestly I don't think he really cares about what gender his lover is.

Auri- Sapphic or Lesbian. I mean her creator basically made it Canon that she Prefers women.

Rumarin- Panflux 100%. Gender doesn't get in the way when it comes to any type of attraction to one another.

Vilja- I really only know her from a video of Inigo dialogue they have together. If I had to make a guess I would say she's straight or Pan, but I'm leading more into Straight.

Sofia- Bi with a big male preference.

Hoth- I really wish there were more videos and content on his commentary in Skyrim because I don't have him, but I'm interested him so much that I'd love to know more about his character. I feel like he doesn't use labels and gender isn't that much of an issue when it comes to love.

Taliesin- Pansexual. I mean come on its THE Talisman.

Gore (aka bby girl)- Questioning Omnisexual. It just feels right to me

Caryalind- I can't remember if rabbit said his sexuality was Demiromantic Asexual. I know he is Ace (or at least on the Ace spectrum) but I can't remember is they anything about being demi. I think he's Demiromantic.

Lucifer- Polysexual but I feel like he does have a male preference though I could be very very wrong. It's so funny because I play with him a lot on Skyrim but barely know anything about him. He holds grudges, he's very secretive (good on him because i would be too if i was in his situation), and he loves argonians. He seems to look up to Xelzaz and Inigo (and in some sense he does seem to be very enthusiastic when first meeting Nebarra until he realizes he doesnt like his personality) a lot which is what fueled my belief that he's maybe Achillean (Sapphic but for masculine terms instead of feminine).

Nebarra- I 100% believe that he refuses to use any labels. I think he might lean toward women a bit more, but that would only be because of how altmer are only raised to make the perfect child, so opposite sex relationships are probably the most common in the Summerset Isles. His fixation with Niranye and past relationship with Camia shows that. He doesn't seem Asexual because he doesn't hide the fact that he does enjoy the idea of doing the naughty naughty. His commentary on Dibella, Dibella Sybil quest, in the Night to Remember he says how he hopes we got to experience the Dibellan arts, and how he jokes about being Lucifer's father just prove that.

Xelzaz- Don't get mad at me, but I think he's straight. He says when hes ready he's like to marry a female argonian, and the only other time he's fallen I love was with another girl. I don't think he's asexual, but I think he definitely isn't very interested in it though we wouldn't really know because he seems very adamant on wanting to keep that part of his life private (as he should I love a king that doesn't feel like he has to tell us his sexual life).

Remiel- Asexual Panromantic. It was already proved Canon that she's Asexual. I had the conversation with her where she tells is she doesn't feel sexual feelings towards someone as she does with romantic feelings (also good on her. Not every relationship needs to have sexual desire in them). She's fallen in love with boys before and didn't seem too mad about being arranged to another man so I don't want to label her as Sapphic. And she does fall in love with you regardless of gender and I haven't seen anything that says she has a preference from the creator so I believe she's panromantic.

Secunda- I really don't know her that much yet as I'm still playing with her. First impressions is telling me panflux though I could be wrong though.

Extra!

Serana- Without the SDA. She always gave me Asexual Biromantic vibes.

Teldryn Sero- Haven't started A serious Teldryn mod yet so I don't know too too much about his personal preferences, but he seems like the type who doesn't really use labels. Though I'm positive he is Bisexual.

Karina- Panromantic Demisexual. It was confirmed by the one who made her @jewelthejaguar742

Arstul- Asexual Omniromantic with a male preference. Talked with @joonjii about it and it's confirmed. However, they also said he could be panromantic with a male preference too but they said my opinion was valid and technically right.

I might post sexuality headcanons for all my dragonborn and follower ocs

[melanielocke]

Book recommendations - Queer POC books

Some more book recommendations, this time I'm focusing on Queer PoC books, all by authors of color. All the books shown in the picture are UK editions. I generally like it when books have a UK paperback edition because they're a lot cheaper than US hardcovers, usually also cheaper than US paperbacks, and release the same week as the US hardcover. I don't think these editions are always available if you live in North America, but to those living in Europe, buying UK editions can save you a lot of money. Other parts of the world I honestly don't know which editions are easiest to come by. Only downside for UK editions is that sometimes there are some with a redesigned cover that is very ugly. Of the books shown here, only the Witchery has a different cover than the US edition but in this case I like both.

Starting with this Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

This is a duology, the second and last book was released last June and so this is a complete series. It is inspired by Greek mythology, and specifically, the myth of Medea, and follows Briseis, who was adopted and inherits an estate from her aunt whom she never met. Briseis has always been able to make plants grow, and is immune to poisonous plants, and at the estate she discovers her birth family had these same gifts, and they keep a garden with some of the most poisonous plants in the world. This book has some great characters, and Briseis was adopted and raised by two sapphic Black mothers, who also play a big role in this series. This series has also served as inspiration for the Lightwood's magic garden in Flowers Bloom

Also by this author: Cinderella is Dead, which I'd also recommend, the Vanquishers, a MG which I did not read

Upcoming books: My Dear Henry, a Jekyll & Hide retelling (3-2023); You're not Supposed to Die Tonight, a slasher horror (6-2023)

Next up is Afterlove by Tanya Byrne

This is a sapphic love story with a MC of Indian decent. At New Years's Eve, just before midnight, Ash is hit by a car and dies instantly. She gets the offer to become a reaper, who guide the city's dead to their afterlife. But Ash can't forget Poppy, her girlfriend, and will do anything to get to see her again.

I haven't seen a lot of people talk about this book, but I really enjoyed it. The main focus is the romance here, and it's more romance with a fantasy aspect to it than fantasy.

Other books by this author: there are several other older books, none of which I've read

Upcoming books: The Mermaid of Black Rock (9-2023), a sapphic book about a girl with no memory found in the sea and a girl who falls in love with her

The Jasmine Throne is the only adult series I put in this list (the rest is YA), and is a fantasy trilogy set in an India inspired world. Book 1 and 2 are out now.

Malini is a princess who is imprisoned in an old temple by her dictator brother, an emperor obsessed with religious ideas revolving women gaining purity and immortality by being burnt alive. Malini refused to burn for his sake.

Priya is a maidservant who travels to the temple every night to clean Malini's chambers. Before her land was conquered by Malini's family, Priya was a temple child, and she had passed through the magical deathless waters once, but all the temple children were murdered except a few who survived and she has to hide her past.

Malini and Priya eventually start working together, with the goal of restoring the throne to Malini's other, oldest brother who'd abandoned the throne to become a priest.

Other books by this author: The Books of Ambha duology, adult fantasy, and What Souls are Made of, a YA Wuthering Heights retelling

Upcoming books: Book 3 of the series, scheduled for 2023, currently no release date known

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas is one of my personal favorites of this year. It's the first book in a YA fantasy duology set in a world inspired by Mexican culture. In this world, the sunbearer trials are held every ten years to replenish the energy of the sol stones and keep the sun alive and evil gods at bay. Ten demigods (called semidioses) are chosen by Sol to compete in a set of trials. The winner becomes the Sunbearer and gets to replenish the sol stones. The loser becomes a human sacrifice that is necessary to replenish said stones.

Semidioses are divided in gold and jade categories, depending on if their parent is a gold or jade god. Gold gods are the most powerful gods, ruling over things like the earth, the seas, fire etc, while jade gods are considered less powerful and their children too. There haven't been any jade competitors in the Sunbearer trials in over a century, but that year, two are chosen.

Teo is the transgender son of Quetzal, the goddess of birds, and he never expected to be chosen for the trials. The other jade is Xio, the son of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck. The other 8 competitors are all gold semidioses, including Teo's best friend Niya, daughter of Tierra, god of the Earth and the twin children of the fire goddess, Aurelio and Auristela. Compared to many of the others, Teo does not have a lot of powers and will have to fight with everything he has to survive.

The fantasy world in this book is modern second world, so while everything is different from this world, there are equivalents of instagram and tiktok for example, and they have trading cards featuring different semidiose heroes.

Other books by the author: Cemetery Boys, Lost in the Never Woods, I've read both and they're very good

Upcoming books: book 2 of the sunbearer trials (expected in 2023), companion/sequel to Cemetery Boys (fall 2024), untitled book pitched as gay titanic in space (2024), Just Max (a contemporary set in college, 2024).

I don't think it's likely there'll be 3 books coming out in 2024 but that's the information I currently have

The last book in the picture is the Witchery by S. Isabelle

This book features four witches and two human boys. Logan only recently found out she's a witch and transferred to a school for witches, and so far she's no good at it. But she's taken under the wing by the Red Three, three Black witches and the most powerful witches at the school. Thalia, a greenwitch, Iris, a deathwitch and Jailah, the most powerful witch at school, want to end the curse that's plaguing their town, and want Logan's help to do it.

Every year, there's a Haunting Season during which wolves come out of the swamp and kill people. The witches can protect people, to some extent, but the Red Three want to end the Haunting Season once and for all.

This book has a total of 6 POV's, which can make it confusing but I think it worked well. All the characters were interesting, but there wasn't enough space to flesh them all out as much as I would have liked. Still, I think the story was great, and would recommend it. There's not much focus on romance, but Jailah is a lesbian which is why I included it on this list.

Other books by this author: The Witchery is her first book

Upcoming books: another book is expected to be released in 2023. I have no idea what this book is about

Let me know if there are specific recommendations you'd like me to cover next time, I think I'll make more posts like these because it's lots of fun. Also, if you've read any of the books I recommend and want to talk about it, let me know, because I don't have a lot of people to talk about my favorite books with

@alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @astriefer @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @bottomdelioncourt @ikissedsmithparker

[t1meslayer]

Busy with important family events over the next couple of days, and so I thought it would be good to get a day-and-date release for this Debrief on the latest entry in my Sapphic Valley series, "How You Get The Girl." Be sure to read the story before jumping in!

Did you do it? Did you read the story?

Alright, I'm trusting you. Go ahead and hit that 'Keep Reading' button you scamp.

It only seems appropriate to start this Debrief off by addressing the elephant in the room. I haven't posted anything in over a month, and "By Moonlight" came about a month after its predecessor, the conclusion to "Stone-Cold Lovers."

Work, naturally, has been a major factor.

You can see me talk about that almost two weeks ago in this Tumblr post I made about writing in a coffee shop, which came weeks after I actually started writing during a trip to a friend's house.

===

Side note:

Just wanted to take a moment and acknowledge my beautiful Haley and Emily keychains. My friend who's responsible for the affairs of one ghostly farmer named Jizzabelle (Gisabelle to the laymen) got them for me! Only appropriate after I commissioned some art of her and Abigail.

Emily was my first Stardew wife, and Haley currently holds the biggest place in my heart. They make a lovely duo!

And I'll avoid any sister-wife jokes

===

While I've had some other projects like Zine writing to take care of, work and life can't explain the full absence.

The best way I can think to explain things is that:

I had the general writer's block, and

Despite the best intentions and advice of my irl friends and online pals like @alchemicallymoon and @duelbraids, I couldn't force myself to "break" that block by just... Writing something else.

This is entirely the result of my own psychosis. I have a tendency to carefully plot things out and impose a timetable that really doesn't need to exist. When I feel the cause is righteous enough, it's hard to get around that. In this case, I knew I needed to get my poll-winning idea out after dawdling for holidays like Valentine's Day, and then I knew I only wanted to post one more story before jumping on a very special event for my upcoming 30th AO3 post.

Thus, here we are: arbitrarily forcing myself into a spiral of writer's block misery because of a silly promise on Tumblr and my own sense of ordered chaos.

At the very least, this meant it's coming out not long after my AO3 pal InsertACatchyPennameHere also emerged from the woodwork to tell me they're working on something INSPIRED by my four-person friend group farm adaptations.

Much love to them, wherever they may be.

I'll probably start writing more eclectically now that my shoulders are unweighed, but don't expect my next publication to hit until I'm finished working on teasing the big event. All you Pokemon fans better get hype!

And oh how sweet this publication feels. Between my great set of recent ceramics, the figure drawing class I've been attending, and creative writing, I've felt more fulfilled than ever.

You're here to talk about Stardew, though. So let us talk.

This idea began less with any one event as it did a desire to advance the Alexis/Haley relationship, and Haley's characterization in particular. It was always going to end with watercolor painting reference, but 2 Willow Lane was what I really wanted to dig into.

As I see it, a lot of what keeps people invested in Stardew when its comfy vibes becoming routine is the air of mystery in Eric Barone's worldbuilding. Haley and Emily's parents being some world-traveling duo who left their home in the siblings' care for who knows how long (and who knows how many times over their lifetime) really piqued my interest. So much so that the new writing challenge I set for myself in "How You Get The Girl" was crafting a particularly long set of descriptions that emphasize how overwhelming the parents' influence feels — without creating an impenetrable wall of text.

Hopefully I succeeded in that. Let me know!

I tried to include some vaguely real world-adjacent references into that description of the house, as happens with the magical-realism world of Stardew Valley. For example:

The computer sitting next to their bonsai tree is an iMac G3, the kind of old 'futuristic' tech that my dad loves!

A Speedwell refrigerator is based on even more vintage tech, the Mayflower fridge, but named after a different ship ridden by Pilgrims coming to America.

That city that the family visited in an old photograph with a "monument of arching, interlocking steel" is, of course, Paris — with the statue bookends referencing any number of statues in the Louvre.

Haley's FAD magazine could be referencing any number of publications, but Vogue is probably the closest analogue to what I imagine her reading.

Furthermore, I took some notes on describing the home's layout off of my sister's apartment building, and I asked my bestie @trybard for input on what kind of hanging plant should be used in the transitional hallway. Hanging pothos, philodendron, and spider plants were the three options provided, and my response was appropriate:

They know so much about plants.

Go bug them about it.

I drew on other friends' knowledge to help decorate the house. Specifically, I asked one of my witchiest friends what kinds of protective wards someone like Emily would leave around doorways and windows. She had... A lot of reference material.

I picked Hazel given it purportedly "protects against evil; encourages abundance and inspiration." I also picked Amethyst as one of Emily's loved gifts, one that purportedly "absorbs negative energy, promotes harmony."

My witchy friend is the same one who provided the TikTok that I referenced in my advertisement post:

Perhaps the most important thing about 2 Willow Lane was the recurring motif of Barbie's Dream House.

As a surface-level reference, I think the groundwork is clear. Blondie's love of fashion and general queen bee demeanor fits comparisons to Barbie well, and she lives in a big ol' house full of stuff. We all saw Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie last year. It's still in the cultural zeitgeist.

I'm hip with the kids.

Yet, early on I also tried to make it clear that if this is a "dream" house, it's neither Haley's nor Emily's dream. Haley is a Barbie in that stereotypical sense, but also there's much to be mined from the analogy of a sort of powerless doll in an immutable house, constrained by social obligation to her family rather than literal plastic and stickers.

The cold open of Jodi and Sam was meant to stand alone, but in execution I also think drawing Kent's absence into the conversation makes for a more thematically rich comparison to these sisters who appear to have themselves more put together.

My beta reader said this wound up being one of my stronger stories because of how all of that intertwined, which I appreciated given how down on myself I was following the whole writer's block thing.

But also.

Also.

Alexis gets to be horny. She's hitting on lonely MILFs and watching girls shake their asses to the tune of bad reality TV.

We love a buff dommy mommy farm girl in this house.

Haley is probably horny too, she just doesn't realize it yet. For now I think it's fun enough to play into her being coy about building excuses for Alexis to come over, and then getting incensed when Emily barges in on their private time meant to learn more about this farm girl she just can't get out of her head.

===

Fun fact:

Every story in this series is named after a Taylor Swift song, but I know next-to nothing about her discography. All of them are suggestions by my friend whose house I was at when starting this story — the same one who controls Gardenia on the farm.

While I went with "How You Get The Girl," her alternative suggestion was "The Man."

===

All that w|w talk aside, I also want to give Sam the loveable idiot a shoutout. Had to do a fair bit of research into how skateboards are constructed for his failed ollie, and I slipped in a reference to shitty old technology that's exclusively for my beta reader to enjoy.

I also tried doing some agricultural research to figure out how the folks at Kevin Farm could have grown cucumbers so there'd be a jar of legitimate pickles... But that was getting too in the weeds.

Insert laugh track here

Decided to just go with pickled artichoke hearts to save everyone a lot of trouble.

And where does "Kevin Farm" come from, you may be asking yourself. Or the fabulous "Kevin's Special" with its definitely not innuendo tagline.

That story will have to wait for another day, my friends.

[citnamora]

pls tell me more abt ur arospec ace attorney headcanons. my personal fav is lovequeer aro phoenix wright 4 loveless aro miles edgeworth.

Lovequeer Phoenix makes me SO happy!!! AND YESSSS LOVELESS ARO EDGEWORTH!!!!!! Aro4aro Narumitsu is hands down my absolute favorite flavor of the ship!! Oh my goodness!!! ARO4ARO SO TRUE!!!! Two aros absolutely demolishing amatonormativity with their level of trust and devotion to one another <33

Seeing this ask got me so excited to indulge because I'm aro so obviously I love projecting my community's, and my own, labels onto my favorite characters! But AA is something really special because there's very little canon romance which means lots of room for interpretation!!

(So a lot of my headcanons are a result of them just looking like the flags because the arospec community is full of beautifully colored flags I can't help but see everywhere)

Phoenix is recipro to me because any time he's shown romantic interest in someone it's pretty much always been when they hit on him first. Like the idea doesn't even cross his mind until then!! From what I've seen from recipro individuals this is a really common experience which is why it Makes Sense to me! I'm generally open to any and all arospec Phoenix headcanons because they just click with me (for obvious reasons, LOL)

For me, Iris is demiro because her whole story with Phoenix just screams it to me. She probably went in only hoping to get the necklace back from her sister's next victim and then she gets to know him as this kindhearted guy who would do anything for the people he loves and she falls HARD. I don't think they were "dating" the whole time which I'm pretty sure was confirmed by Iris herself but I honest to goodness believe they were lovey dovey in those last weeks or months leading up to Dahlia stepping in! I should also confess I'm a Feenris shipper, haha, so I'm biased on that front. Demiro Iris just means A Lot to me

Maya is aroace lesbian in that she thinks girls are really pretty!! And also in how she kept moving between the aroace and lesbian labels to the point she decided she'd label herself both. This one was mostly inspired by her going "omg that girl was so pretty" to just about every girl she meets which feels very, very sapphic LOL. I hc she's romance indifferent in the sense she doesn't mind dating but it's not something she actively seeks out! Though I think she'd love the meals that come with dinner dates- she's got food on the brain 24/7 after all (just like me for real)

Mia is pan angled aroace, more specifically greypansexual aro! Because she gives me romance repulsed aro vibes at first but her relationship with Diego (and possibly with Lana) would point to her being more romance ambivalent. Pansexual Mia is a headcanon I've had for a looooong time as far back as my first AA hc document while greysexual is a recent development. She's always been aro to me! Aro plant mom <3

Franziska is quiromantic to me. I mean, she's the palette of the platoniromantic flag! This headcanon only came about because of that 4koma comic where Phoenix makes Franziska flustered by telling her Maya's being strong for her because she sees Franziska as a dear friend. I just got the vibes. Also, the colors! I honestly don't think she'd see the appeal of romance with or without the feelings she can't distinguish. She enjoys her independence and I can't see her "settling down" in the slightest

Now, I've bounced around with where I think Edgeworth is on the aromantic spectrum. But I know damn well he belongs there! Lately I've considered Edgeworth being lithro gay, whether he loses feelings upon entering a relationship or doesn't want to act on them in the first place I'm honestly not sure. (Edgeworth is an interesting case for me because I flip flop between him having feelings or being omniaromantic lol) Probably never getting married regardless. Even before the lines about it I had my doubts! I like the idea of him marrying for tax benefits but outside of that.. I can't see him ever entering a traditional marriage let alone traditional romance. It feels out of character for him

There are others but these are by far the most developed ones! Recipro Phoenix and aroace lesbian Maya are my favorites because they feel the most accurate in regards to canon but pan angled aroace Mia is also up there. I'm probably going to post more arospec headcanons as I come up with them because y'all seem to really like them and I like talking about em!!

Thank you so much for asking!

[lolzitop]

Aikatsu Stars is cool but I have the hubris of a god and I think I can do better so I decided to rewrite everything about it lmao (this is for you @arabella-pink)

Season 1

Main characters are Yume, Koharu, Rola, Mahiru, Ako, and Haruka Ruka (I can’t help it her wide eyes and cute character design has captured me) 

Pre-Season 1 Yume is someone who had a decent amount of fame as a child star and lost it (idk how I came up with all this a week ago and forgot) and now is doing everything she can to regain popularity again 

Yume and Koharu are still childhood friends they are a package deal and you cannot and will not separate them

Four Star Academy is a highly prestigious idol academy that’s super duper competitive- especially considering that you have to be the best of the best to be in S4 

Speaking of S4, in Season 1, S4 only consists of Yozora, Tsubasa, and Yuzu 

Before the school year in Season 1 started, Hime completely disappeared from the spotlight due to the pressure she has felt as the top idol (she’s the most favorited out of S4, every brand she promotes sells out in seconds, she is bigger than life itself, think of her as the Taylor Swift (popularity wise) of Aikatsu) 

Yozora, Tsubasa, and Yuzu are the only ones who know where she is, but refuse to disclose, to the point that Moroboshi almost disbands S4 because of it 

We find out where Hime is like,,, end of S1- beginning of S2 (Hime plays a bigger role in S2) 

Erasing the whole dress-make system that Aikatsu had because I am sick of idol designers I want regular designers back please

For a while, Yume had left her old star life before seeing S4 performs (and being hit with the classic Aikatsu moment™ where she realizes that this is what she wants)

The only problem is… Yume’s not very talented in the idol field… she struggles with dancing and singing and practically has two left feet

So imagine everyone’s surprise (including Yume) when she absolutely kills her debut performance (this is where the magic rainbow power comes in) 

The rainbow power is one of Aikatsu Stars’ biggest mysteries because??? What are you??? Where did you come from?? WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS AND WHY DO YOU TARGET RANDOM IDOLS??

In the rewrite, the rainbow power is something that is a “gift” from the Aikatsu System (which idk I might make another post about with my ideas) in which it amplifies abilities of idols: gives them the most beautiful voices and powerful auras to the point it overrides any other auras nearby; however, it does have its cons: it causes the idol to lose their voice (like in canon), become more fragile, and forget their memories the more they use the power

Anyways, Yume’s feeling great and then the partner performance thing comes and she’s paired with Rola and does absolutely horrendous

Even then, her confidence is still high because she proclaims Rola as her rival (who agrees but doesn’t really take it seriously) 

Oh, I forgot to mention, Rola and Mahiru are prodigies from really rich families (*gasp* nepotism…) and have been child stars- they’re also rivals who are constantly at each other’s throats 

Rola doesn’t really think Yume’s a threat so most of the time she’s quite dismissive of Yume, but Mahiru respects Yume a lot after her debut performance 

Mahiru and Rola had planned to be in Flower Song Class together (and whoever won the selection would win their “little” rivalry) but Mahiru switches classes after seeing Yume’s performance (who has made it very clear that she’s going to go to Flower Song Class) 

Also Flower Song Class has a reputation of pushing out the biggest top idols of their age (ex. Hotaru Yukino, Hime) and is a highly competitive class 

Anyways, Yume and Rola make it to Flower Song (Yume’s power activates again), Mahiru and Koharu are in Moon Beauty, Ako is in Bird Theater, and Haruka Ruka is in Wind Dance 

Rola and Mahiru have a big fight about how Mahiru is a coward and is backing out of their rivalry, blah blah blah some sapphic fighting idk guys they just have a big fight 

Also Ako and Haruka Ruka are friends as well 

Ako became an idol similar to canon,, she liked a member of M4 and wanted to get close to him (except its Kanata she likes and not Subaru because I like Kanata more) 

She basically calculates and plans to trick him into liking her lmao (except it turns out Kanata knew the whole time and liked her for her true self) 

Guys I swear I’ll come up with more stuff for Ako and Haruka Ruka I WILL I PROMISE IT'S BEEN A BUSY WEEK

I may pull a Bandai and abandon M4 because I do not know how they could impact the plot they’re just,,, standing there and looking pretty (I only have stupid headcanons)

Back to Yume, she finds out more about her power somehow and instead of trying to get rid of it,,, she uses it more to her advantage 

Girl is DEAD set on being famous- she finds out a way to use the power frequently, which sets her at the top of her class and actually makes her popular with the general public (she probably got an album out i dunno) 

She’s been warned by Moroboshi, who has seen how this power has hurt his own sister. But won’t stop, she can’t stop, because she’s climbing up and up. She’s made a name for herself, she’s made new friends… and she’s losing them even quicker than she made them 

She can’t remember much about herself anymore: what songs she hums when she can’t sleep, the food her mother used to make for her when she was upset, the games that Koharu and Yume used to play when they were little. But it’s fine, it's perfectly fine because Yume is famous now. She has everything she wants. 

Yume’s been thriving in Four Star’s competitive environment. Koharu, on the other hand… hasn’t been doing the best. Koharu has always been more of a designer than an idol, and she’s always behind everyone else. She doesn’t have many friends outside of Yume, and even Yume has been too busy to hang out with Koharu. The pressure and stress is too much, and she decides to leave Four Star Academy to be better. (*Episode 30 flashbacks*) Yume comes back to their dorm with all of Koharu’s things gone, and only some candy and a note left for Yume. It’s only then that Yume realizes all that she’s lost, that in the search for fame, she’s lost who she was, her friends, her family, everything, just to get her name to the top. 

Yume struggles a lot with fame, where she barely gets an ounce of privacy, and the pressure is crumbling her (along with the guilt that this isn’t her, it’s the magic power). She’s been used by many people, who use her name to be more famous, and then immediately leave her. 

Yume realizes why Hime left. Hime had a midas touch, everything she would touch would turn gold. However, what good is a midas touch if all you wanted was to wear silver jewelry? And Yume thinks of how lucky Hime is, to have taken her dignity and left the idol world. 

A big part of Yume’s arc is how she isn’t idol-worthy. She doesn’t really have the star quality in her. Everyone around her is naturally talented and good at everything and Yume… isn’t. Everyone is sort of the chosen one… except Yume. Yume is a person who knows she isn’t special, but makes herself special. There will always be queens and princesses, but what about the girls without magic in their blood? They have to hold their heads high, as if they are the ones who are adorned with crowns (that’s a Six of Crows reference I love Six of Crows) 

I also had an idea where Yume actually stole the magic power from someone but I also have NO idea how she would do that… guys this is still a work in progress and I’m sorry its so messy its so late and I didn’t get much sleep 

Additional ideas I had that I didn’t know where to put

Koharu is basically a personification of Yume’s childhood and everything that makes Yume… well Yume, so her disappearing is just symbolism for how Yume has lost herself and her childhood 

Mahiru and Rola are gay and they like each other in the rewrite because I think their dynamic is cool (they’re also lacy by Olivia Rodrigo coded you guys should listen) 

FSA still puts an emphasis on individuality so students are encouraged to customize their uniforms as well as their school coords (so their Star Coords all have different silhouettes)

Hime is sort of someone who “haunts” the narrative in Season 1 

Ako gets her own brand (that isn’t FuwaFuwa Dream nor Shiny Smile but a secret third thing (I don’t know yet))

Haruka Ruka may have a Pop Brand with a decora concept called “DECO●LOUR MY WORLD” but I don’t know yet 

Koharu is also a cute type idol 

Anyways the Season 2 post (if I ever make one we’ll see) will have Hime getting an SPR and Yume NOT getting an SPR but she gets Koharu back so I think that’s a fair trade

Also some songs for the rewrite would be The Lucky One (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift, making the bed by Olivia Rodrigo, You’re On Your Own Kid by Taylor Swift, and Castle’s Crumbling (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) by Taylor Swift

[gwen-tolios]

Nine people I’d like to know better (Tag Game)

tagged by @rockinlibrarian

One-sentence byline: Short story writer specializing in speculative flash fiction, but who also has a sapphic romantic drama for the ace girlies who like the idea of falling in love with a friend.

Last song: Ceilings by Lizzy McAlphine. I can tell you nothing about it. I just had Spotify's 'Fresh Finds Class of 2023' playlist going while I worked.

Favourite colour: Blue! I don't have a specific shade, but a chunk of my condo I painted different hues of it, including a mural in my bedroom that's an ombre sea thing

Currently watching: Only Murders in the Building. I'm two nights into watching it and am already on S2E2. Pls send help.

Last movie/tv show: Barbie! Recently rewatched with my father, who then brought it up as a conversation topic around the Thanksgiving table. He and I have...different views of it and for the past two weeks I keep replying some of our conversations and wish I had asked if what really pissed him off was the fact that the 'dumb blonde' character wasn't a woman.

Spicy/savoury/sweet: It used to be sweet, but as I've gotten older I've leaned more into savory items.

Relationship status: Single. Maybe happily so. (Ace and probably some form of aro but haven't dug too deep)

Current obsession: Middlegame. I feel in love with McGuire's work when I first read Every Heart A Doorway for my ace bookclub, to the point where I then bought everything my local bookshop had by her. Or at least a representation of every series. Middlegame has been on my radar for awhile, but picked it up for a spooky October read that I'm....still reading.

Last thing you googled: Like, needed to google? Definitions for acronyms I use at work. OEM, MAU. Fun googles? Potential problems surrounding blood transfusions for my NaNo original work, A Shelter for Witch Familiars. There were....a lot more murders in that book that I expected.

Tagging: @redstorm23 @notquitebilateral @chris-in-eugene @nightingalesighs @aprilraine @averyconfusedhuman @xirkanos @diesel-park @wigglyparty

[emsprovisions]

Gus week Day 4 — childhood

Uhhh uhhh I have no explanation for writing TWO drabbles for today other than this idea got a vice grip on me and wouldn’t let go

@sapphic--kiwi

Word count: 702

Latissa was a fun town, in Augustus’s opinion. The witches and demons here looked a little rougher around the edges, but Augustus thought that only made them more interesting. When he went on evening walks with his parents, they’d each hold one of his hands and swing them between him, the three of them coming up with stories for the townspeople they’d see.

Today though, Augustus’s mom had taken him to the slayground. There weren’t too many kids around, but Augustus did see a young boy around his age playing by himself in the sandpit. He was drawing small spell circles in the air, tongue sticking out of his mouth in concentration as he tried to erect little castles out of the sand.

Augustus approached him, always cautious and a little shy around kids his age.

“Hi!” He said when he’d come close enough to the boy.

The boy looked up. He had wild brown hair and even wilder brown eyes. Freckles were splattered across his nose, and when he smiled, Augustus could see he was missing his two front teeth and one of his baby fangs. His sand building immediately crumbled at the loss of his concentration.

“Hi,” he said, with his gap-toothed grin.

“Oh, I’m sorry about your sandcastle.” Augustus cringed, but the boy shrugged. “Can I play with you?”

“Sure!” He said. “My name’s Matías and my big brother is over there.” He raised a hand to point at the big brother, a teenager with similar hair and a horn on his forehead, sitting on one of the benches nearby with a book in his hand. There was a coven scout on the front cover.

“Cool! I’m Augustus. My mommy’s over there.” Augustus pointed out his mom at the other bench, she waved encouragingly at him and his new friend.

“Are you any good at construction magic?” Matías asked.

“Not really. I’m learning to be an illusionist like my mom.”

“Oh.” Matías frowned for a moment, a look of concentration on his face, then his face lit up with an idea. “Wait, can you illusion a sand castle?”

“Oh! I can try! Have you ever seen the Emperor’s castle?” Augustus asked.

Matías shook his head. “I’ve never left Latissa before.”

“Oh. Well it’s really cool! My dad’s taken me there before on one of his jobs.”

“What’s his job?” Matías looked up from where he was gathering a bunch of sand to look inquisitively at Augustus.

“He’s a reporter! He writes stories about real life.”

“Ohhh,” Matías said, sounding intrigued. “That’s really cool. My mom and dad are constructionists. That’s why I wanna be one. Or I wanna be like my big brother! He’s gonna be a coven scout. He’s probably gonna see the big castle too!”

“Ooh yeah! Maybe then he can take you to see it!”

Augustus smiled at his new friend. He was one of the nicest kids Augustus had ever hung around with. Children rarely ever wanted to play with him when they didn’t go to school together. But Matías was nice. Augustus liked him.

Together, the boys worked on sandcastles, Augustus casting small illusions of castles that Matías would try and replicate in the sand with construction magic. Augustus tried to recreate the Emperor’s castle, but his illusion magic wasn’t that good yet.

They were still playing a while later when Matías’s brother began to call for him, signaling it was time to go. Augustus’s mom did the same. The boys pouted, having far too much fun with their new friend to want to leave so soon.

“Are you going to go to Glandus?” Matías asked.

“No,” Augustus shook his head, sadly and Matías frowned. “I’m homeschooled and we travel a lot for my daddy’s job. But we’ll be in town for a little while longer! Maybe we can play again?”

Matías’s face brightened. “Yeah! I’ll ask my big brother and you ask your mom! Maybe we can play again tomorrow!”

“Okay! Bye, Matías!”

“Bye, Augustus.” The boy smiled at him. “I’ll see you again soon!”

“Yeah,” Augustus agreed. “See you soon!”

He really hoped he would get to see Matías again. He wished they could play every day and be best friends forever.

[alexissara]

The Best of Me 2023

I did a ton of writing on tumblr this year, with at least one post a week but multiple weeks with 2 or 3 posts in a week. I've worked hard to make writing that is relevant to my fellow sapphics and artists. I want to talk about the stuff I wrote this year I am most proud of.

Note: This list does not include my articles for Anime Feminist because they are professionally edited therefore a cut above anything I am posting on tumblr but please do read them here and tell them you want more articles by me [I actually have more to write for them ooops].

Why Hunt Monsters?

I am so proud of this little article, for me this is one of the things I feel very strongly about. As a TTRPG player I have found myself retreating from a lot more games because I just can't get behind, we murder monsters plots and I was really happy to share my perspective on this fairly taken from granted feature of games.

How To Find Sapphic Media 

This little guide to finding Sapphic Art was really important to me because well, I was really tired of seeing people say there was not compelling art about and by sapphic women and so I wanted to make a base level resource for finding amazing sapphic shit.

Sapphic Games Goddess List

In my efforts to make Sapphic Art more known I have worked really fucking hard to research what sapphic games are coming up so people wouldn't even have to put in the effort to go hunting them down. I want people to be able to live out there sapphic dreams and so it's important to me to share what I am researching for my own play time since I at this point really only play games I can be a lesbian in or otherwise are standout in gameplay with probably no romance instead. I even did an updated version of this list since most of the games on the first list have come out and I am working on the next one as we speak with more new additions gearing up.

Why Obsession Hits Different When Gay

I love diving into queer theorizing. I am not going big brain citing a ton of people or doing a lot of academic research but I like to share my own thoughts, experiences and the stuff I have learned over years especially as a writer and general creator of sapphic art. I think it's a perfect little rebuttal for folks who may claim there is a "double standard" that lesbians have or something.

Polyamory Is Queer

This is a deeply personal little blog post I did where I talked about why polyamory is so important to me and why it is in fact queer. I have seen so many people demonize polyamory over the years and I was just tired of seeing people in my own community bullying other polyamorous folks.

Fantasy Vs Sexuality Labels

As a writer this is maybe one of the things I feel most passionate about a creative choice for my fellow queer creators. I really wanted to make my case on why we should use labels in fantasy worlds and why these labels matter for stories.

My entries for Edelgard Rarepair week and Monica Week

I from time to time to time write fan fiction and I had a blast doing it this year for two different week events going with both the Edelgard Rarepair week and the Monica fics week. I love Three Houses/Hopes so it was a blast to throw my passion into something even if in general I don't like to be a free marketing arm for companies by making creative works like those.

TTRPG Characters Need Trauma In Their Backstory

I had one person who utterly hated this post and started attacking me in basically every post I made on some social media site I abandoned because of it. That alone makes me love this post even more because it made me sit down and think about this post and feel even more assured that what I wrote is correct and that trauma is in fact needed for TTRPG characters. I think I wrote something that really dived into the idea of what is trauma, how trauma relates to us as humans and why it's basically propaganda to remove us from trauma.

Trans People Deserve More 

I feel super strongly about this article, I sat on it for a long time but I've met so many other trans people with awful relationships and mild relationships with their family. I wanted to make a shout out to all my fellow trans folks to tell them that it's okay to demand more, that we don't need to settle.

A Dive Into Heather 

I adored diving into one of my all time favorite Fire Emblem characters and it's something I've wanted to do more of. I'd love to do more dives into characters in video games I like and I did well before this post have a series of drafts that I still have up as a series that particularly is just a bit by bit break down of Edelgard's political beliefs.

[honest-moth-of-silver-grove]

For the BG3 Matchups may I offer my tav Jubilee, my little tiefling sorceress had been adventuring for like 2 weeks trying to figure out the origins of her magic when she got yoinked by mindflayers so she has no idea what anyone of any class/role is supposed to be like. She just kinda assumes whatever her companions do is the norm even when it’s really not, Shadowheart hates selûne with a passion I guess all clerics just get grumpy about gods other than theirs and she offered another rouge her blood once because she assumed that’s just how they are and got a horrified reaction. The woman is just taking things at face value and needs to be wrangled by the party about her misconceptions about how this works. This being said she has no idea what a sorcerer is supposed to be like and often ends up acting far more like an overly compassionate Druid or an innocently charming bard. She was working as a baker before getting all the adventuring nonsense and keeps bringing her party member’s pastries the way one would expect a cat to bring you a dead mouse. She is a genuine sweetheart who is deeply in over her head with everything happening too her. She a simple woman with a strong sense of fairness but has some strong people pleasing and attention seeking tendencies. She wants to be liked and while that leads to her being kind and helpful it can also lead to her being pushy. She has a lot of energy and is extremely affectionate to everyone. As mentioned before she’s an avid baker but can also sing and play the lute. She also just loves insects and has a collection of the little creatures, she hates loud noises as she has very sensitive hearing and sarcasm confounds her more often than not. I threw in a doodle of her for fun!

She’s down for Poly and extremely sapphic.

A/N: Lol, I love it! This is now officially a Jubilee stan blog. 

And oh my gosh at that doodle? She’s so sweet??? I love her so much??? 

“She was working as a baker before getting all the adventuring nonsense and keeps bringing her party member’s pastries the way one would expect a cat to bring you a dead mouse.” 

@botanicalbard Literally my favorite line ever in a matchup submission, holy shit lol. Like she is so precious! Her companions better protect her or I will personally jump into the game to kick their asses. 

Please Like & Reblog!

Okay… So for Jubilee, as you said she’s into women, and down with a poly relationship, I think her best matchups would be monogamous relationships either with (or a poly relationship with both) Karlach and Hope!

♨ Karlach is such a sweet girl, despite years of being forced to fight in hell. She’s kind, happy, and boisterous. She doesn't beat around the bush. If she likes something, she says it. If she disagrees, she’ll make her opinion heard. She has a fair amount of experience, but still manages to look on the bright side without coming off as naive. I think she’d find Jubilee’s innocence and curiosity sweet, as opposed to some other companions who might find it off-putting or dangerous. So it’s okay for Jubilee to take what Karlach says at face value, and in the event she needs clarification (which you said seems to be most of the time lol), Karlach is there, ready and willing to give it to her. 

Karlach isn’t a magic expert. She’s a barbarian, so her frame of mind is “If I can hit it, I can damage it”, which, to be fair, works out more often than not. However, I do think Karlach would encourage Jubilee to do some digging into her past and into her possible education, to try and teach herself more about sorcery for a couple of reasons. 1) It would be a great addition to the party to have a sorcerer on board, and 2) Karlach knows how good it feels when she’s being true to herself, smashing the bad guys to bits. She wants Jubilee to feel that self of purpose herself. But in the meantime, Karlach enjoys the way Jubilee acts and approaches situations. It’s refreshing to see someone try their hardest to be a good person. After years of watching armies battle in hell, Karlach has seen people at their worst. Every moment above ground with Jubilee only further reminds her how beautiful and compassionate people can and should choose to be. 

She’s also obsessed with Jubilee’s baking. Karlach is a tank, alright. She’s gotta fuel up way more than the other companions. And as long as Jubilee is happy to bring her sweets and pastries, Karlach is more than happy to eat them. 

Karlach also feels a duty to protect Jubilee, physically and emotionally, from all the violence and betrayal out there. It’s a harsh world in Baldur’s Gate, and it’s very clear to Karlach and all the other party members that Jubilee’s in over her head. But that’s no matter. Karlach promises to stick by her side throughout it all. She truly believes that as long as they stick together, there’s nothing they can’t do. 

Jubilee is similar to Karlach in that they both have a lot of energy. In some ways, they’re both people-pleasing. This can cause some issues, with neither one of the two being able to put down super firm boundaries. Thankfully, Karlach’s protective nature prevents Jubilee from doing anything overly foolish or risky while Jubilee’s genuine love for Karlach reminds Karlach to not put herself in unnecessary mortal danger. Because for Karlach, it’s not just about her survival anymore- it’s about theirs. 

Karlach loves when they get a moment somewhere quiet, where Jubilee can sing or play the lute for her. It’s so sweet and peaceful, that for a moment they can forget all their troubles. 

I think if/once Karlach’s engine issue gets fixed, the two of them can count on a long future together. One filled with just a bit less perilous adventures and lots of pastry eating together. 

❂ Hope is actually the first character I thought of when I read your Jubilee description, (even though she isn’t a companion, but an NPC). She, much like her namesake, is an embodiment of hope in The Devil Raphael’s house of horrors. Despite years of torment and abuse, she still manages to have hope that things will get better. She naively believes that things will end well and that she will one day be free from the literal and metaphorical chains that bind her. That is one of the reasons Raphael chose to keep her locked away, as he could never seem to fully break her spirit, and it infuriated him. 

As a cleric, Hope would probably be better equipped with teaching Jubilee more about magic, spells, and sorcery overall. And it’s alright if Jubilee doesn't know a lot, because honestly, Hope doesn't either lol. She’s young at heart and in soul. There’s so much she still wants to learn, and do, and make for others. She and Jubilee could spend time together, each researching their own abilities, while still enjoying each other’s presence/company. 

Hope is overly compassionate herself. We know as much because she risks her own safety to help the party defeat Raphael. She’s giving but not completely selfless, asking to be rescued herself. This tells me she would be good at agreeing with Jubilee’s acts of compassion while keeping in mind her and Jubilee’s physical safety as well.

Hope would love to have Jubilee in her kitchen, brightening up the place. After taking the house from Raphael, she tells the player she plans to make the place more homely- some fresh paint, a new atmosphere, and her as the new owner- the place should be in much better spirits. Jubilee baking delicious pastries, and the smell of fresh baked goods wafting through the house just adds to that effect. It’s no longer a house of torment, but a safe home. 

And Jubilee being a bit pushy when it comes to people-pleasing won’t be an issue with Hope lol. Hope can be quite loud when she wants to be. Despite her smaller stature, she’ll make sure she’s heard. She has no problem pushing back against things that make her feel uncomfortable. Now that she’s free, she promises to never let herself be forced into uncomfortable situations again. If Jubilee is asking too much of her, Hope will communicate that. And on the other hand, Hope respects when Jubilee puts her foot down on something Hope may want to do. Communication is key to any relationship, and the two of them have it down pat. 

And Hope is interested in Jubilee’s insect collection. Hope is pretty small herself, so she feels a kinship with the little bugs and creatures Jubilee collects. And now that Hope has all these rooms, she has no problems converting one of them into a sort of conservatory to house all of Jubilee’s new little friends!

I think Karlah and Hope would get on well. Both of them know what it’s like to be trapped in hell and both of them managed to get through their traumas with their bright personalities intact. The best part about this arrangement is because Hope’s new house is technically located in hell, Karlach’s engine would calm down long enough for all three of them to come up with a plan to fix it. It would be the three of them- a trio of positive like-minded women versus the world. 

No imp or cambion, or even Zariel herself could tear them apart. The trio’s collective optimism and hope keeps them together. 

[danger-xylophones]

Can I request some Thrass x Platonic!Reader?

I'm just a little sapphic who loves Thrass and thinks he would be the best bestie ever.

Yes yes yes, of course! I love Thrass and am always down to talk about the silly syndic in any capacity!

I had too many ideas to put into one thing so you're getting hc's first

masterlist | chiss

Ok Thrass is without a doubt the greatest friend you could ask for

He's loyal and kind and unbelievably witty

And also very dumb - a smart dumbass type

You two share a brain cell when together

I also think he's a little fruity himself

You're both masters of side eye conversations

If you're both mitth syndics??? fucking unstoppable - Thurfian is shaking in his boots

If you're from rival families? You'll develop a healthy rivalry with each other that is not short on ribbing

You're going to be friends with Thrawn, whether you want to or not, there is no stopping it

You're always over at each other's place

There has been many a time where you've just gotten done with work and Thrass comes strolling in, hands dramatically waving over his head while he recounts to you the ridiculous thing another syndic said

He's surprisingly good at making mixed drinks and is a wine connoisseur

Can't handle beer though - says it tastes like fermented bread

Speaking of drinks, you go at once a week to get a few rounds with each other.

Or if it's not drinks, it's caf

All the local caf places know your regular orders

Thrass is the god of hugs, he's very squishy and knows that he makes a good pillow - as long as you're comfortable being hugged, you are being hugged (this is a threat)

I'm pretty certain one of his love languages is touch and this extends to his friends

Hand on the shoulder, on your back, messing with your hair if you'll let him, the list goes on

In moments of great stress when you're on the verge of a breakdown, he's happy to let you cling onto him and cry if you need to

He will defend you with his life

I can see him easily falling into a queer-platonic relationship

He's a very dedicated friend and he's got a lot of love to give

I warn you, he's got the Cain instinct

If there is a rogue cardboard tube you will be bonked with it

He likes to paint his nails and he's more than happy to paint yours

Shopping spree anyone?

Thrass is the therapy friend, he wants to know what's bothering you and he wants to help you - please tell him what's troubling you

But he also needs someone to be his therapy friend because he wants to be helpful but has trouble accepting help for himself

Thrass loves people and he loves his friends even more

If he's ever in another situation where he needs to proclaim that you're related, he is not afraid to say so

[blackbird-brewster]

Thoughts About Tara Lewis (CM Evolution Spoilers)

Tara Lewis is Queer.

I woke up this morning and the SECOND I was conscious, I turned to my partner and said 'Tara Lewis is Queer'. I woke them up two times last night to tell them the same thing. I have echoed this thought back and forth to friends for hours.

It almost feels like if I don't constantly remind myself that Tara is now canonically queer, then maybe it isn't real. Maybe it was a dream. OR maybe it will be taken from us.

The thing about being in this fandom since 2005 is that I've lived a WHOLE lot of life in that time. I have been through relationships and divorces and insurmountable loss. I can't even count how many times I've moved in that time. I have struggled, I have flourished. All the while, Criminal Minds was a constant for me.

If you're newer to this fandom (Welcome!) then you might not FULLY grasp how wildly improbable it is to be able to say: Tara Lewis, a main character on Criminal Minds, is canonically queer.

When the show first aired I was in college, I had graduated HS an entire year early because the homophobia I faced was suffocating and genuinely dangerous. I was threatened all the time in my school. I came out when I was 15, in a small rural religious town. It was horrific.

I graduated HS and started college by age 17. Criminal Minds started around then and I loved it, because I was already a huge fan of crime dramas (SVU, TXF, Bones). It became a comfort show to me.

It continued to be a comfort show to be for nearly the past two decades. I remember waiting week to week to find out what happened next. Or waiting all summer to find out what happened after a cliffhanger. Or waiting each year for news on whether it was getting renewed or not, especially through the 2007 writer's strike when the fate of many TV shows felt so volatile and unsure. I remember watching the Valhalla arc and Emily's 'death' live. As each season came out on DVD box set, I would buy them and re-watch them (This was when Netflix was only dvd rentals and not streaming. Streaming wasn't even a concept then. We all just bough 8-disc DVD box sets and had to change the DVD every 3 episodes to binge a show)

I remember when the interview came out about how Emily was originally supposed to wake up in bed with a woman. I remember how devastating that was to me. Emily was my fave character back then (now she ties with Tara) and she had always felt gay to me and to find out she COULD have been canonically confirmed as gay but they killed that idea, was really hard. We didn't have a lot of wlw rep in media back then. The L Word was a trailblazing show but it's representations of wlw ultimately did WAY more harm than good (imo. I could write an entire thesis about how tLw really fucked up my entire understanding of what it means to be gay, but I digress)

I remember watching the way CBS treated AJ, Paget and Kirsten. I remember following articles talking about why the women were forced to leave the show while the men were celebrated and doted upon. (Reasons why I hate certain characters that are popular here iykyk)

The very first scene with Tara Lewis in S11 made my heart skip a beat. My soul was screaming 'SHES QUEER!!!! SHE HAS GOT TO BE QUEER!' even though I never once held my breath that would ever become CANON.

Here I am, still in this fandom, seventeen years later, and I get to say 'Tara Lewis is canonically queer' on a show that has gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life. On a show I turned to for comfort when everything felt like Too Much.

Because there is something so incredibly magical about seeing my favourite character and saying: Tara Lewis is Queer...and So Am I.

I know people are already like 'Emily was right there!?' or  'Why not make Emily queer!?' to those people I have one thing to say:

Please stop. Please stop and understand HOW important it is for TARA to be queer.

We have A CANONICALLY QUEER BLACK WOMAN IN HER 50s played by a sapphic actor. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IMMINESLY RARE AND SPECIAL THAT IS?!?!? Do you have ANY idea of how IMPORTANT that is for representation?????

Emily Prentiss will never be confirmed queer in canon for many reasons. I have a LOT of thoughts about this, but that's not what this post is about.

This post is about celebrating one, extremely special fact.

And I couldn't be happier.

[halfagone]

Fanwork creators self rec! When you get this, reply with your five favorite fics/art/podfics/etc. that you've made, then pass on to others. Let’s spread the self-love 🌼(No pressure if you don't want to though!)Hope you have a good day! ✨

Oh wow, another one! I guess I'll just have to do five more of these, thankfully I have enough for that. 😅

First off, I guess we have:

I have not touched this fic in a hot minute, but this is technically my first DPxDC fic? I just passed its one year anniversary as well, but I haven't updated it in months now. There is a lot more I want to do for this story, but it's just so long that I really have to have to time and schedule to work it all out. Maybe when LL's Ascent is over I can pull through with it. And maybe Off With [the Demon's] Head. And maybe bloodlines and maybe- well, you get the idea. XD

This one took a little while longer to gain traction from what I've seen, but I am really proud about how I whipped this out so quickly for the event. I had been between ideas at the time, and I just needed something to get me into gear since the DP/DC Crossover Week was the first time I'd ever done a prompt week. But this was my first work of that event, so it holds a special place in my heart.

I know it's not the most popular fic from me but I am really excited for what this fic will bring and what I plan on doing with it. Horror as a genre is very fun and interesting to play with, but there are so many visual horror elements that don't always come across the same way on printed word as it might as onscreen. So it's an intricate process to try and incorporate those elements in a way that readers can still feel the fear and tension even when they can't see it as clearly as through a movie.

I wrote this fic in like... 10 hours I think? So much work, holy cow. But I do really love the Danny x Cass relationship so it was a great opportunity to share more of it with the world. I wanted to include Cass' canonical struggle with illiteracy and being essentially mute from a young age, and I am glad I could make it work in a relationship when communication is so important.

So this is the first sapphic relationship I have ever written. Like, fully blown sapphic relationship. weekend wonders technically includes a sapphic relationship as well, but I haven't written enough of that fic to really explore it. It's such a shame that f/f fics don't do well though, because they are a lot of fun to explore. And I did get to include my girl Cass in this one, so it was a good experience for my first full-blown fic.

[dinitride-art]

Some Thoughts I Have on Queer Stories (Currently)

Okay so with heartstopper and red white and royal blue and good omens we’ve got a lot of gay content right now. And that’s good! That’s lovely! However… (also note that I love and cherish the many aspects of good omens that explore identity and the idea of angels/demons/god and their relationships with gender/concept of it and the many queer characters- and i love that very much and feel very seen in a way that I don’t know if I’ve been able to have in a piece of media before- but my point in this post is going to hinge on aziraphale and Crowley within the story being for the most part what we consider male presenting and perceived for the most part as male presenting. Just to make this clear now. This is not a criticism of any of these media, I’m just pointing something out that I’ve noticed. Now that that’s out of the way- back to the post!)

… the main queer aspects of these media are about queer men (you see why I had to write the good omens disclaimer paragraph). Don’t get me wrong! I love stories about all queer identities and I certainly don’t want less of one story and more of another. I just want to talk about how the current popularity and visible amount of stories about queer men contrasts pretty much every story not about queer men. It’s great that there are so many stories now and especially that these stories (especially good omens and heartstopper- in different ways but no less meaningful) have other queer characters in them and are telling smaller stories about other queer identities within them, but the fact of the matter is that a lot of popular queer stories centre around queer men. That might just be where we are right now but I think that’s all the more reason to think about it.

Media that is about queer men seems to have the ability to build large fandoms and get very popular. It’s not overly hard to find stories about queer men if you check the tumblr trending tab every couple of weeks (or days if we’re thinking about the past few weeks). I heard about Red White and Royal Blue when it was a novel, from a couple different tumblr posts. Even books can get really popular. I also remember going into bookstores and when I was looking for queer stories most of them were about queer men. It was rare to find books about queer women and nearly impossible to find a book that had anything to do with gender in it, and while I haven’t been in a bookstore and sifted through as many books as possible in a while I believe it’s become slightly easier to find stories about queer women and… honestly I have zero hope for any other queer identity when I walk into a bookstore. That’s of course based off of where I live and my own personal bookstore experiences but I honestly don’t have much else to base it on. I honestly think I’ve only read one book that was explicitly about a non-binary character in my life. Are there more books about non-binary people? Yes of course there are but I have not been able to find them easily nor have they been uplifted to the same heights as the stories of queer men have been.

Books I’ve found are far better than film and tv for queer stories. Things like The Locked Tomb series and other stories with sapphic protagonists have come up on my radar but still less than stories about queer men. This is a pattern I’ve been noticing for a while now and it’s a pattern that’s been going on for a while now. At least in my lifetime (which really hasn’t been that long but again, I don’t have anything else to base this off but myself and my measly nineteen years of being alive and about eight years of actively looking for queer stories) this has been the pattern. I’ve read a lot of stories about queer men. They were very important to me. A lot of them were the first place I was able to see queer people and I’ll always love them for giving me a chance to see people like me in them, even if they didn’t have me specifically, those stories were and are endlessly meaningful. Most of the stories I’ve read and shows I’ve watched that are about queer people are about queer men. Those are the stories that people talk about and those are the stories that are popular and loved and respected enough to have more than one season. I don’t know if we’re there yet (or it it matters that we aren’t) but I know that I want more than that. And I think that’s enough for me to think that we should have more than that.

There are a lot of different queer people. There are more stories that can be told than can probably be read in a single lifetime. There’s queer history and there’s also the history of the entire world and the cultural importance of differences in gender and sexuality. A lot of that has been lost and buried and hidden away and destroyed. Everything is very large and very old. What we consider queer has always existed in some form and the current state of the world and different places is only a single point in time. But… we don’t live for thousands of years and we only exist in this point in time. At this point in time media about queer men is held just a bit higher than other media about other queer people. It’s far more complicated than that but that’s what I’ve seen in the simplest way I can explain. It’s not a bad thing that these stories are being written and seen, of course it’s not a bad thing, but it’s the difference between media about queer men and everyone else that seems worth contemplating.

[chipthekeeper]

ChipTheKeeper's Velcinta Masterlist

Hi friends! Just wanted to put together a new post to pin for quick access to all my works on ao3 for this pair of characters that changed my life. These are in order by when they were published, oldest first.

One-shots:

Sharing a Blanket -- [2,046 words] With just a few days to go before the mission, Vel is starting to have some doubts. Luckily Cinta is there to ease her mind and remind her of why they fight.

This might not be my favorite of the things I've written for them (it's a bit out of character because, well, we didn't know as much about the characters when I wrote it), but I'm still overwhelmingly proud to have had the first story published in the tag for them. It's been a beautiful journey since then.

What's Left -- [4,729 words] In the aftermath of the Aldhani mission, Vel and Cinta try to come to terms with what they've lost. And what's still left to hold onto.

The longest of my one-shots because I had a lot of thoughts to process that week. Also introduces an OC that I've continued to use in stories with this pair.

New at This -- [3,644 words] Cinta Kaz prefers to work alone. Her handlers in the rebellion, however, feel she needs to learn to play nicely with others. Fortunately, her new partner grows on her quickly.

This came from a prompt to write about their first meeting, which turned out to have to be an alternative idea about their first meeting because I wanted to use a different one later, but I do love this one a lot too.

The Window to the Galaxy -- [4,232 words] Nine years after the robbery of the Aldhani garrison, in the waning months of the Galactic Civil War, Cinta returns to the planet with Vel to witness the Eye of Aldhani again.

No matter what Tony Gilroy has in mind for them, this is how I choose to believe their story goes. Fanfiction is built on hope.

Loved I Not Honor More -- [8,809 words] “Heroes who say ‘loved I not honor more’ enter a committed relationship and accept the strain that their role will put on that relationship. They allow themselves to fall in love, but the romance must take a backseat to duty. They'll dislike having to leave the wife or girl home alone to go save the world, but they won't hesitate (long) to do it.” - TVTropes.org -- A story of five times the struggle comes first and one time it doesn’t.

Written for Velcinta Week 2023. One of my all-time favorite things to have worked on.

It Won't Kill Ya -- [3,533 words] Vel has never been a fan of parties, especially not on Empire Day. Not until a stranger catches her eye and changes everything.

Don't have much commentary for this one, just threw something together out of boredom.

Gravity -- [3,398 words] My attempt to interpret the flashes of them we got in the season 2 teaser.

This one was a little bit devastating to write on a personal level but I'm happy with how it turned out. Pretty positive the show won't actually go like this at all but I would like for the ending to at least be similar.

Multichapter:

(oh, love, get me) out of the cold -- [22 chapters, 82,621 words] A lot can happen in five months on Aldhani. A lot that Vel and Cinta are prepared for, and much more that they're not.

This is the first meeting story that's my main headcanon. Many thousands of words spanning their entire time on Aldhani and through the end of season one of Andor. Title stolen from a Mayday Parade song I'm obsessed with.

The Fear of Being Alone -- [6 chapters, 11,798 words] A story of five times Vel didn't leave Cinta alone, and one time Cinta returned the favor.

A companion piece of sorts to Loved I Not Honor More, a 5+1 from Vel's perspective, written for Velcinta Sapphic September.

the heart is a muscle -- [8 chapters, 23,624 words ongoing] Cinta Kaz and Vel Sartha have worked together for years, becoming unlikely friends along the way. But a big opportunity on the planet of Aldhani is about to challenge the meaning of their partnership.

Another long one mostly about their time on Aldhani but this time they're old friends who go through some new shit together. Oh and also this is where I put all my headcanons/conspiracies (Vel is Luthen's daughter; Cinta was raised by Saw for a while).

Ficlets:

things you said -- Just some ficlets based on a list of prompts about "things you said" on tumblr.

I'll keep this pinned and update it as often as I remember to do so. Shoutout to everyone who's already read, kudos-ed, and commented on any of these. It's been so much fun to explore these characters by myself, but getting to share that and celebrate them with you makes it infinitely better :)

[nicknelsonmyson]

Re: First Kill vs. Heartstopper

I don't love the idea of wading into this disk horse, but I've decided I'm gonna because, well, I just can't help myself.

First, I am sorry FK was cancelled. It's a bummer for the folks who were enjoying it. It was still fairly unique in putting a sapphic couple front and center in the storytelling. There is not enough content like that out there, and it is a shame.

BUT!!!! There are several issues with using Heartstopper and its renewal as evidence for bias against WLW.

The (raw) hours viewed are NOT comparable. Why? Because Heartstopper episodes are 25 minutes long. FK episodes are 50 minutes long. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison. You have to DOUBLE Heartstopper's numbers if you want to see an accurate *proportional* comparison to FK's numbers.

Some of Netflix's key metrics for renewal are not visible or publicly available. One of the primary metrics Netflix uses to decide on renewals is the percentage of viewers who FINISH a season of a show a reasonable time after starting it. (I believe the time frame is ~2 weeks) Even if fewer people actually STARTED Heartstopper compared to FK, its quite possible a much higher percentage were actually finishing Heartstopper (compared to FK). If 80% of people who start Heartstopper typically finish it in under 2 weeks, compared to 50% of people who start FK, that matters to Netflix. And there's no way to know what the completion rates for the 2 shows were, because Netflix doesn't make that public. But it's quite possible a lot of people (like me) were starting FK, and watching some of it, but then never finishing it. Which could explain how it has high viewership in HOURS, but it still wasn't performing well (i.e., a lot of people didn't feel compelled to keep watching to the end)

First Kill is/was likely a much more expensive show to make, for several reasons. - FK had a full writers room. Heartstopper is completely written by Alice Oseman. FK had to put a lot more of their budget into writer compensation. - FK also has a bunch of fight scenes/stunts and special effects, which makes production more expensive. Heartstopper is a modern day slice of life show that has basically no stunts and very limited special effects (e.g., the occasional bit of minimal animation). This keeps its general production costs very low. - As previously stated, Heartstopper episodes are 25 minutes, FK episodes are 50 minutes. It is much cheaper to make 25 minutes' worth of content compared to 50 minutes' worth of content - Heartstopper also cost less in terms of cast. According to IMDb, FK had 10 actors who appeared in all 8 episodes of the first season (in addition to several supporting actors who appeared in some subset of episodes) Heartstopper only had 4 actors who appeared in all 8 episodes of the first season. Heartstopper's main cast was also MOSTLY made up of people who had never professionally acted before (meaning the salaries they commanded were likely very low). Even though FK's cast was largely unknowns, many of them were at least working actors with prior credits (aka people who command slightly higher salaries)

So again, even if ALL of FK's viewership metrics were similar to Heartstopper's, that doesn't put them on equal footing because Heartstopper is a much cheaper show to make compared to FK.

***

Which brings me to the final point which is, as much as I am sympathetic to the need for more WLW content in mainstream media, I truly believe FK was just not very good. I wanted to like it. I tried to finish it. I couldn't. It had an interesting premise and the dynamic between the 2 leads was very solid. But the writing was awful, and it wasn't even bad in an enjoyable way. It was just...bad. I have other issues with it as well (the terrible FX, the garish/ugly aesthetics, the soundtrack that was WAY too overbearing and distracting, etc.) But all those other flaws would be tolerable if they had actually written something solid. But they didn't.

Although critics can be biased, of course, Heartstopper was generally very well reviewed. It has a score of 85 on Metacritic. By comparison, FK has a score of 45. That's a BIG disparity. Obviously no opinion about this is objective or unbiased. But quality DOES matter to viewers (even queer viewers) and I'm not gonna sit through a show I think is terrible just because it is queer.

Apologies if you enjoyed FK. I do believe some people really did get something out of it. And again, I think it is a bummer for those folks. But I still think we need to inject more critical thinking into this discussion and not jump right to conspiratorial thinking. Heartstopper episodes are half the length of FK episodes, and that matters (particularly when you are looking at hours viewed). Completion rates (which aren't visible to anyone but Netflix) matter. Production costs matter. Quality matters.

Not all unequal treatment is evidence of bias. Sometimes, things just genuinely are not equal. (IMO, if anything is evidence of inequality here, it was the lack of quality control on FK. That show could have been quite good, and where I think Netflix failed was in not putting enough work into making the show high quality out of the gate, when it very easily could have been)