#Very Fitting that On Valentine's Day I post Gay People so-

[namedoggo]

Lmao I just realized I never posted this Art here Despite Loving it so... OC Time‼️

[horistans]

what are some other good bisexual het romance series?

Honestly, I wasn't quite sure how to answer this! You likely didn't mean anything by it, but "bisexual het" really threw me for a loop 😭 😭 I would refrain from using that phrase in the future!

Anyway, I'm assuming you are looking for something like GSNK ❤️ Since I'm not sure what it is you like about GSNK, or who you are and what you usually read, I'll just recommend a bunch of stuff :p

I worked at a bookshop last year, so I'll start with my usual recommendations on LGBT+ manga/graphic novels (that are officially licensed in English). They're mostly coming-of-age stories. Linked is the instagram post with more recommendations, explanations, & summaries!

Also in this rec are: Manga with characters like Kashima (and relationships like HoriKashi)

I was gonna include a lot more, but this list is already pretty excessive 😅 This is scheduled to post tomorrow evening, but know I finished this at midnight!!!!!!!!!!!! (Happy Valentine's Day!!!)

Main Recommendations

My usual rotation of recommendations from back when I worked at a bookstore

Blue Flag by KAITO

8 volumes. My favourite series!! I have so many thoughts about it. Simplest way to summarize the theme of the series is in the first sentence, "Your best friend... or your lover. You can only save one." (implied: who would you choose?). Love triangle between the main character, Taichi, a shy female classmate, Futaba, and the main character's popular, childhood friend, Toma.

A lot of western fans complain about the ending, but I thought it was very fitting for the series. I might be biased because it's my favourite, and I can't necessarily justify myself without spoiling it >.<;; CW for homophobia & outing as a major conflict in a later volume.

Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani

4 volumes. Beautiful visual metaphors. Main character comes to terms with being gay & overcoming his internalized-homophobia. CW for attempted suicide & homophobia.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

1 volume. Focuses on gender identity and presentation!

Skip & Loafer by Misaki Tamamatsu

8 volumes (7 English localizations), ongoing. Has an anime coming out soon! I reread it recently and joined their fan server, but I'm just lurking ^^; I feel like people who enjoy GSNK would also enjoy this series.

Although it isn't explicitly queer unlike the other two recommendations. It's still very charming! I really like the main character and her aunt. Even though her aunt is a supporting character, the chapter that focused on her made me cry a lot. My favourite characters are actually the aunt and the drama club president (a side character... but given his role, it tracks LOL /hj) I remember when I first read it and didn't understand why people would call it WLW representation (I still enjoyed it though!) After my recent reread, I get it now >u< Even if it's not canon, I ship two of the main character's friends together. I'm very curious to other people's interpretations~ My wife doesn't really read the same things I do, so I have to wait to watch the anime with her when it comes out before we can discuss it together.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

1 volume. Focuses on gender identity and presentation! I picked it up because I liked the cover and I wanted to read more things by Asian American authors. I remember telling my sister it reminded me of Miraculous Ladybug (likely because the main character is a dressmaker)

Manga with Ikemen Girls (like Kashima)

Most, if not all, can be found on mangadex. Not all of them are HoriKashi-esque, but half of them are

The Story of How I Went to a Mixer and There Were No Women There

Only scanlated up to ch. 8 unfortunately 😢 I've started buying the Japanese volumes but my grasp of the language has gone downhill since I graduated lol Pretty much as the title says! Some guy gets invited to goukon by a female classmate, but he and his friends find 3 ikemen when they arrive. Turns out his classmate and her friends work at a crossdressing bar! And they just didn't feel like changing back after work!

Story About How My xx Girlfriend Dotes on Me

Also known as The Androgynous Girlfriend is Doting on the President. A cute short series (with short chapters) about the class president (unnamed until the 2nd "vol") and his super handsome, cool girlfriend, Natsuki. Under her stoic exterior, she's a little spoiled and very forward about her love for the president! I thought this series was really cute! I want more chapters of them!!

Cigarette Kiss / Refrain Kiss by Yorumo (part of the Resonant Blue—Girl's Best Time collection)

2 chapters of a cute GL collection by the artist Yorumo! Kobayashi knows she's cute, and she flaunts it with the intention of hooking up with handsome guys! And to her luck, she was just assigned to work with the cool Akira. But it turns out Akira's a girl! The only GL in this recommendation list...

Ikemen Dansou Reiya ni Koishiteru!! by Yunoki

AKA I'm in Love with a Handsome Cosplayer Dressed as a Man!! Another title summary lol... Only 1 chapter has been scanlated so far. Is a remake of another series by the author with a (slightly) different title, but I recommend this version (restarted in 2022). The main characters have a lot of similarities to HoriKashi! Assistant cameraman Kippei is invited to attend a cosplay event for the first time to get practice photographing people. He is immediately captivated by cosplayer Makoto. Makoto is equally interested in Kippei (he has muscle from lifting heavy shooting equipment after all!), but, not wanting to disappoint him, she continues to pretend to be a man in an attempt to get closer to him.

Tonari no Kinniku Joshi by Ano Amesuke

A short series about a muscular girl and a tsundere boy Ruby (the muscular girl) isn't technically an ikemen, but I love their dynamic (maybe I just like tsunderes?) I also have no recollection on how I found this series but it was saved on my mangadex. Some parts of the scanlation read weirdly, and since it's a short series, the writing isn't the best, but I still enjoyed it!!!!!!

Not a manga but will include it anyway: the Taiwanese drama Bromance would also fall under this category! I remember when older HoriKashi fans and I would talk about how well it would suit them as an AU ^^

--

There's so many more I wanted to recommend for one reason or another (like My Crossdressing Senpai... I wanted to make a whole section about exploring gender identity or featuring trans characters... And then there's some that barely have any relation and I just think people should pick up like Ruri Dragon) but I've been working on this for the past 4 hours LOL

Anyway if you took the time to read all this, thank you ❤️ If you've read any of these, feel free to reply ur thoughts or which ur most interested in!

[vampstel]

Haha I'm back from school More asks even though it's Past Valentine's Day (Last one for now ^^;) 1. How would Past Rei (Before Transition) and Lawrence feel about their present self? 2. How does Rei feel about his Mother Now? 3. How Do Rei and Lawrence feel about The "Gay" Stereotypes? 4. How many AUs Do you have of them? 5. What are their Likes? (List as many as you please) 6. What made them grow out their hair (If they had any reason) 7. What Skills do they have that nobody knows of? -Dreamist

A little late to these but better late than never

1. I feel like Past Rei would be very shocked by his present self. Past Rei is timid, insecure and unsure of who he is while Present Rei expresses himself confidently and talks so eloquently. It amazes him to see how his older self is thriving and it gives him hope that his life will be better some day. Past Rei and Present Rei interacting would be so sweet and sappy. I just imagine Rei reassuring his past self that everything will be okay and— wuUUUUUU 😭😭

Past Lawrence would be even more shocked at his present self. Past Lawrence is an absolute sweetheart, very extroverted and a little clumsy at times while Present Lawrence is the complete opposite of that. His present self is more brash, strict, but elegant. Past Lawrence would be gushing about how cool his older self is, and I think present Lawrence would be a little embarrassed about it but he finds it endearing. Even if he’s become a bit of a jackass, he‘s still a softie at heart just like his younger self.

2. Rei feels indifferent to her now. What once was anger, fear, and hatred, turned into nothing. Maybe a little sympathy but that’s it. He’s cut ties with Ryoko completely and so has his father. They’ve both shut that chapter in their lives happily.

3. Depends what stereotypes we’re talking about but I think they’d both find them hilarious. Some stereotypes fit them and they like to point and laugh at each other about it LOL

Just imagine Rei scrolling through social media and he starts snickering cause he sees a post about a bi stereotype that fits Lawrence to a T. Or imagine Lawrence trying to contain his laughter when he sees Rei do the most stereotypical, gayest thing he’s ever done. I love them SO much they’re so cute

4. GOD... WHERE DO I START?? The first AU I had of them was Genshin, of course, since that's where Rei used to be. Then I have the vampire AU because “Lawrence is inspired by Alucard, might as well imagine him being a vampire as a joke.” and it stopped being a joke. At one point, I had an AU where Lawrence was a bard that fell in love with merman Rei. Then an AU where both of them are royalty and got married for the sake of their kingdoms. It ends with them falling in love with each other

The one I’ve been writing about the most is the Vampire AU. The two husbands have an interesting dynamic in that AU and I kinda want share it someday...

5. Rei and Lawrence both like sweets (Lawrence doesn’t like to admit it though). They’re also both cat people. Lawrence really likes history, mystery books, and coffee. Rei really likes mythology, flowers (blue roses especially), and strawberries

6. Rei always liked having long hair, but had to cut it short due to gender dysphoria. Once he started hormone therapy, he grew out his hair again. Sometimes he cuts it shoulder length (like my icon) since his hair grows out fast. Lawrence had pretty long hair as a kid and liked how he resembles his mother because of it. So he refuses to have it cut short, especially now that he’s an adult and his mother is deceased

7. Lawrence has this odd skill with spinning his conductor’s baton (which, of course, he doesn’t do while conducting). He does it as a stim and only Rei has seen him do it. Rei’s got almost inhumane hearing and it’s insane. There’s this one video of Zenitsu’s VA where he guesses the right amount of money that drops to the floor. I associate Rei and Allen with that video

[bisluthq]

Kaylor Reunited?

Possibly due to all of the mess, as well as the existing issues we’ve discussed, Joshlie take a break again and Kaylor appears to reunite. We know this because Josh’s presence suddenly halts on Karlie’s socials, they don’t get seen together, and a fan account later mentions a Joshlie “reunion” which suggests this was discussed at the time. Kaylor cement their reunion with a trip to Nashville, which seems loud and out of character given the back and forth. This is also when Tay decides to pick up a beard, because she probably thinks they’re on for good and plans to write love songs for her luvah.

1 February 2015 - Karlie posts a pic of Taylor’s cat from Nashville - they seem to have travelled there together. This is the first time they’ve travelled together without Josh since the Big Sur trip in March 2014 - so it does seem fairly important.

2 February 2015 - Kaylor and Lily A watch the Superbowl in Nashville. Karlie posts a pic of the three of them together. 

13 February 2015 - Kaylor Kover Vogue. Karlie also posts about it on her Instagram, as does Ivanka. We could use Ivanka’s pic as evidence for Joshlie but I tend to think she’s a bit clueless when it comes to the complex dynamics involved and - importantly - she was also featured so it may have been her mostly punting herself. 

How do fashion fans and insiders respond? They’re pleased to see a model on the cover. They debate the legitimacy of the friendship. And some point out the uncanny similarities to a shoot with Poppy Delevingne and Alexa Chung. You’ve probably never heard of that other photo shoot but it did, indeed, come out months before and feature two real life besties on a “road trip”. Miranda Priestley is outchea calling the Kaylor spread: 

Let’s take a moment to consider two things about the setting of the Kaylor spread.  Firstly, as previously discussed, this shoot was a recycled idea already seen in a previous spread with Poppy Delevingne and Alexa Chung.  It’s sort of sad but in a way very telling that Kaylor didn’t have an original and romantic idea for their spread.  But secondly, the Kaylor shoot is just a rehash of the 2014 Big Sur trip (one of the few times it seems that Kaylor is exclusive and together and Josh isn’t in the picture.)  It’s possible they chose to recycle this setting precisely because it’s one of the few times that Kaylor was in a (more) simple romantic relationship and not in the throes of Joshlie and/or their complicated PR friendship/romantic entanglement/real friendship.

On that same day, Enty alleges that someone asked Karlie about Taylor at a party and Karlie supposedly had a very angry reaction to being questioned about Taylor. If Enty is right, that would support the idea that they really do seem to be together at this point in time - as in Karlie is protective over her private relationship with Taylor at this point in time (but of course always take Enty with a grain of salt)... And Karlie might not want to get outed. Because yeah, while most of the response is covered (kovered?) above, some fashion people are also saying they seem gay. They’re supportive (the fashion industry usually is) but given Karlie is - as we’ll show - still not over Josh this is kind of the last thing she’d need. 

14 February 2015 - Karlie posts a picture from the Vogue Kover and wishes Taylor a ‘happy Galentines day’.

15 February 2015 - Karlie does a super weird throwback to that Insta post Kevin posted way back when. This is an objectively weird way to wish someone Happy Valentine’s Day, a whole day after Valentine’s Day,and seems like she’s trying to quell the gay rumors that emerged from the kover. And let me tell you these rumors got loud. After the cover dropped, it’s all gossip and fashion blogs discussed. Well, that and if they were fake friends or not (as I’ve said above). Spoiler, I personally think both sides were right because I think they were initially a PR-geared friendship that not only turned real and genuine but also became romantic. 

16 February 2015 - Taylor cameos on SNL’s 40th anniversary. Karlie does a shout out for it. Karlie also promotes Vogue on GMA. Meanwhile, Dianna watches a ‘smug’ Karlie walk in NYFW. 

17 February 2015 - Kaylor attend an Oscar De La Renta show and Tay makes a weird comment saying “my publicist would get mad at me” if she explained why she was there. This is the clearest sign that Kaylor was back on. Also, this, along with the Riptide/Love Story compilation I discussed earlier suggests Taylor was more invested and reckless in this relationship, contrary to fandom lore. Given Karlie had pretty intense feelings for Josh, this is no surprise. It’s also supported by this recent deuxmoi blind - where supposedly the rumors bothered Taylor much less than they bothered Karlie. Again, we can’t go off of blinds alone, but given all we have seen from the timeline, that comment fits into a broader pattern.

18 February 2015 - Karlie posts a pic with Derek and Taylor from the front row at the Oscar De La Renta show.  Karlie also posts a pic of Taylor on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon talking about the Vogue cover (this is joint promo, so is hardly a surprise). Karlie also does her own promotion, talking to CBS about Taylor and Koding with Klossy.

20 February 2015 - Karlie promotes Vogue again and again. They’re pushing this out hard and absolutely NOT putting distance between each other as traditionally claimed in fandom during the post Kissgate period. There was no distance. They were loud.

24 February 2015 - Taylor attends Karlie’s Fund Fair and Karlie cops a feel. The Fund Fair - which Karlie is a co-host of - is circus themed (irrelevant but an interesting Dianna parallel for those of you invested in Swiftgron). This is the event that hardcore Kaylors say is where they apparently responded to seeing one another as though they had not seen each other in months, however they’d seen each other, publicly, the previous week so that idea is entirely inaccurate (as is the idea that Kaylor went underground due to Kissgate). There’s also an image of Kaylor potentially arguing from that night so it’s not that they were necessarily in a great place. This is supposedly where Taylor meets Calvin for the first time. Note the public meeting parallel… This often happens when Taylor is about to get loud and noisy with someone. This tells me she’s feeling serious about Karlie, if she’s looking to onboard a beard.

25 February 2015 - Kaylor attend the Brit Awards and the afterparty together. Gossip magazines claim she was seen flirting with Calvin here. This is the last time Kaylor is seen together publicly until June. NOW is when they go underground, because now they have something to hide. This is almost three months after Kissgate. 

26 February 2015 - Karlie posts about the Brits. She also posts a pic with Derek, Tay and Kim Kardashian which she captions “Two KKs a Tay and Bae”. It’s notable that she distinguished Tay from Bae even in a silly joking caption.

CONCLUSION: Kaylor is on in a real and romantic way. Karlie is supposedly snapping at someone at a party who asked her about Taylor. Taylor is saying weird stuff about her publicist when discussing why she’s at the same events as Karlie and Taylor is looking for a beard. Kaylor going underground here suggests that things are getting real, and, as Taylor had done with her previous relationship with Dianna, Taylor is going to try to hide it to keep it real.

[lonelier-version-of-you]

Did my eyes and ears deceive me, or did we have two decent episodes of Holby City in a row?

Like, I would still refrain from saying the show is great at the moment. Holby’s better offerings this year are still nowhere close to the quality of Casualty’s better offerings. But?? Two decent episodes?? In a row?? It’s a miracle! I genuinely enjoyed watching Holby tonight and I genuinely can’t wait for next week and it’s nice to be able to say that again.

Right, let’s talk about Henruss first, because obviously they are my priority with this show. (...Sorry, Ollie, I really do love you and you are still one of my faves, but I love Henrik, and by extension Russ, more.) HOW gay was that last scene?!?! Henrik telling Russ to come to his office and “talk about the clinical lead job” and “celebrate” with some drinks. ...Except Ollie also got good news (well, what Henrik thought was good news, but Ollie knows he’s not fit to be working at all at the moment, let alone performing surgery) and Henrik didn’t invite him to his office. Henrik was also giving Russ some very flirtatious looks indeed.

As I said on Twitter: I get the impression Henrik wants to do much more with Russ in that office than just talking to him about the clinical lead job, if you know what I mean.

Anyway. We didn’t get much Henrik tonight, but we did get quite a lot of Russ, and god, I LOVE him more and more with every episode. For anyone saying that Russ was “suspicious”, I think tonight has safely settled that. He is a good, nice, caring bloke at the end of the day. He’s a bit up himself and a bit of a bastard but he really does care about his colleagues and want to support them.

He’s the perfect Chaotic Gay to Henrik’s Disaster Bisexual, actually. (And god, tonight really showed why Henrik is into Russ, didn’t it? He’s actually not all that dissimilar from Henrik himself - slightly morally grey queer man who can be a bit of a jerk but ultimately does care about people. There are also definitely shades of Gaskell to him, but like, a nice Gaskell, but still. I love having my years-long theory about Henrik being into bad boys canonically validated, lmaooo. And I’m also starting to think Henrik has a thing for people with bright blue eyes. Maja, John, now Russ. Does Carole have blue eyes too or did I imagine that? I’ll have to go back and check once I’ve posted this.)

Elsewhere. Lucky’s left. Okay then. It was a decent exit, I suppose? Also liked Max blowing her a kiss before she left, a win for the MaxLucky shippers if I do say so myself.

In general, Lucky was a bit of a waste of what could have potentially been an interesting character. Vineeta Rishi is a good actress when given good enough material. But she was hardly ever given that material, unfortunately.

Also, why was Lucky taken to Holby to be treated by people she knows? Why not St. James’s? (I know the answer, the answer is plot convenience. But still.)

Phoebe French was great as Evie tonight, also. You could really see this sort of... restlessness and anxiety in Evie as a result of her trauma and it was very well played. So kudos to her for that.

Speaking of great actresses, how incredible was Rosie Marcel tonight?! She is a truly amazing actress, she’s so good.

I am worried about Jac though. Amelia is very obviously set to die, but I wouldn’t put it past Holby to kill both Amelia and Jac. I really hope they don’t. Please let Jac live, Holby.

We got an actual patient storyline for once, and it was great. Did I nearly cry at the cute old lesbians? Yes I did, because I’m a sap.

Also absolutely ADORED Ollie Valentine, disabled icon, calling out over-medication in care homes. Dylan Keogh would be proud of him for that, I think. (I know Ollie really shouldn’t be being a doctor right now but I am hit with the sudden need to see Ollie and Dylan interact? They could vent about abled people together lol. I’d like that, actually.)

Ollie still shouldn’t be ignoring the fact that he isn’t well enough to be working and definitely not in any state to plausibly be a surgeon again, though. What are you doing, Ollie.

Josh’s storyline is still very good, although when they’re actually going to show stuff related to his eating disorder, I wish they’d have a warning beforehand. Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge was excellent tonight, as was Davood Ghadami in the scene where Eli explained that he needed to be there for Amelia, and Josh had to open up to Ange. Both Trieve and also Dawn Steele were very good in the last scene, too. I’m glad Ange knows about Josh’s illness now and can be there to support him, even if it’s going to be a difficult road for them both.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #384

“watch your tongue or have it cut from your head”

Do you post to say happy birthday on other people’s walls? Sometimes. Depends on my mood and the person. When was the last time you saw a rainbow? Idr. What’s your favorite television commercial? I don't watch TV enough at all to have one. And who has a favorite commercial, anyway? Do you trip a lot? I don't really trip a lot, but kinda fumble over my footing and stray a bit. I'm horrible at walking straight, and it's gotten worse as my legs have. How old is your television? The one in the living room is god knows how old. My parents were still together when they bought it. When did you last talk on the phone with someone? A couple days ago for my appointment with my psychiatrist. Are you currently sleepy? I'm quite convinced I'm permanently tired. Are you hot or cold natured? I am ALWAYS fucking hot, ugh. Do you take any advanced classes? I took mostly Honors classes in school. Do you have weak upper body strength? My body is just weak as a whole. What is the worst insult someone can call you? Emotionally weak. Are you good at sketching? If we're talking meerkats, haha. They're the only complex thing that I can freehand no problem without needing a reference, honestly. Ever play Angry Birds? Nah. I thought the movie was cute, though. Have you ever been to the zoo before? Yeah. Has anyone ever been weirdly obsessed with you? No. Are you afraid someone might steal your identity someday? It's not something I actively worry about at all. Like, you don't want my identity, I promise. Do you have any talents that come naturally? Growing up, adults always told me I was a "gifted" artist and writer. Also that I seem to have an unnaturally strong connection with animals. I've always been that person where a pet's owner is like "omg ____ never lets people do that" and whatnot. Have you ever had plastic surgery before? I haven't. It's funny though, how opposed to it I used to be... Like goddamn, I was such a fucking stupid and honestly judgmental teenager, regarding many things. I look back on her and cringe. Like damn dude, if you have a safe surgical procedure to help you enjoy the body you're stuck with the rest of your life, you go for it, boo. Are you afraid of airplane rides? Not really. What’s the best Valentine’s Day gift you’ve gotten? There was this one year where Jason had to go to work on Valentine's Day and I was super bummed, yet he still surprised me with a heart-shaped box of chocolates, roses, and a game I really wanted, Heavy Rain. I thought it was the sweetest. What is something you lose often? My phone. ;-; Do you enter a lot of sweepstakes? I don't enter any. Do you consider yourself physically active? *chuckles nervously* Do you have Netflix? Yeah. Favorite salad dressing? That Olive Garden replica you can buy at the store. Do you enjoy dancing? Once upon a time I did. My body could never handle it now. Have you ever considered writing a novel? Many times. Snow or sand? Snow, by twenty thousand miles. It is VERY hard for me to walk through sand, and I also hate hate hate hate HATE the sensation. Do you like sour candy? Heeeeeell yeah man. Have you gotten any injuries lately? If so, what & how? Nothing notable. Are you a clumsy person? Like you would not fucking believe. Last male you talked to in person? I think my primary physician's nurse. Are you thinking about asking anyone out? No. Pink lemonade or regular lemonade? Pink lemonade, for sure. But I love both. Chocolate or strawberry milk? CHOCOLATE. Strawberry milk is disgusting. Have you ever won a contest on the radio?No. Is there a song that reminds you of your best friend? There's quite a few. Has a book ever made you cry? Yes. Do you automatically check your phone when you wake up? Yes, for the time. Do you know anyone who has a pet bunny? Not that I'm aware. What store or website would you most like a gift card for? Rebel's Market. How do you feel about wolves? I adore wolves. Beautiful, majestic creatures with very interesting social dynamics. Name your top 3 favorite musical instruments. Electric guitar, violin, piano. What was the last book(s) you bought at a bookstore? At an actual bookstore, I think it was The Fault In Our Stars, which I never actually read. Do you use Pinterest? Yes. Do you know any sign language? No. Do you have a favorite poem? No. Do you have a dog? No. The one we were pretty much stuck with has a home now. Have you ever read The Little House on the Prairie series? I haven't. Have you ever gone on a service trip to an underprivileged country? No. Have you ever performed in front of more than 100 people? Yes, for dance. When (if ever) was the last time you went to church? Forever ago, I don't even remember the last time. What's a quote you think is really powerful? There's a whole lot. The first one that came to mind was, "An eye for an eye will leave the world blind," which I do believe has great depth in it. Have you ever had to do your laundry at a laundromat? Yes. Are you the oldest person who lives in your household? No. My mom is turning 60 (... I think?) this year. If you have tattoos, how long have you had them? I got my first the day I turned 18. Do you and your dad have similar personalities? We're alike in some ways, imo most notably in that we have NO fucking common sense, embarrassing as that is to admit. We're both kinda slow at understanding things, too. What were the last three things you had to drink? Mountain Lightning, milk, and water. What did your family usually do for Easter when you were a kid? Us three kids all got Easter baskets full of stuff, and we'd go egg-hunting when we were all awake. My little sister Nicole would always wake our parents up in excitement, haha. My parents hid plenty throughout the house, and there was always this one "special" egg that was actually from Mom's childhood and was extremely intricate and beautiful. You basically "won" the hunt if you found it, and it was extremely well-hidden. When you have house guests over, where do they sleep? Historically since living here, my two half-sisters and their spouses (the only people who've stayed over) slept in what is *technically* Mom's room, but for whatever reason this woman still insists on sleeping on the couch in the living room, I guess because she's used to it after all the years she didn't have her own room and bed. Are you emotionally stable? LOLOOLOLOOLLOLOOLOOLOLLOOLOLLLLLLLLLLL Do you still talk to the very first person you had sex with? No. Are you an atheist? No. I don't quite know how to define what I am, but since I believe there's SOME higher power, I don't think it's fitting to call me an atheist. What’s the largest bug you’ve ever found in your house? Hm... I'm unsure. Probably a male mosquito, 'cuz them bitches are big'ins. Would it annoy you if a stranger called you "sweetie?" If it was a man, I'd be creeped out. Are you into fashion design? Not really. What’s the worst thing you’ve gone through in the past year? My leg muscles continuing to degrade, honestly. I have to do something about this shit. How did you get your last bruise? I fell when stepping over the stupid dog gate. Have your parents ever forgotten your birthday? Yikes, no. Would you rather have some bacon or beef jerky? Bacon. Do you like your orange juice with lots or no pulp? NONE. Do you wear skinny jeans? Back when I wore jeans, they were the only kind I wore. What projects are you doing now for school? I'm outta school. What’s the most number of comments you have on a Facebook picture? What is the picture of? I have no idea. Do you like coconut flavored things? No. Have you ever met a famous author before? No. Do you know anybody who has been raped before? No, thank god. I know someone who might've almost been, though. I don't know what the fucking pig was going to do to her if my sister and I weren't there. Have you ever wished for bigger boobs? No. Being overweight, I just want smaller ones now, haha. Have you ever gone a full day without interacting with another person? I've gone many days without it. How many relationships have you been in that lasted less than a year? Four, if you're counting everyone that had the "boyfriend" title. Where were you going the last time you were on a plane? Home from Illinois. Where were you going the last time you were on a train? I've never been on one. Have you ever been significantly more physically fit than you are now? Holy fuck, yes. You would never guess now that I was perfectly healthy in high school especially, yet I still thought I was kinda fat. It hurts so much to look back on. When growing up, did you parents keep the house very tidy? I mean not excessively, but Mom was pretty dedicated to keeping the house in decent condition. With three kids though, of course the house was somewhat messy with toys and all. When you shop at IKEA, do you always stop to eat a snack/meal in the cafeteria? ... There's a fucking cafeteria in a furniture store? o_o I've never been there before. How many watches do you own? None, save for one in my "treasure box" from when I was a kid. I was SO SO SO obsessed with Finding Nemo that I kept my broken one. I did the same with my horribly aged sneakers, like the soles were coming off and Mom finally made me stop wearing them, ha. Are there any ways in which you greatly differ from everyone else in your family? I do fucking nothing and am useless to society. Should teenagers be allowed to have their cell phones with them in class? Yes, because emergencies happen. I personally think it's best to maybe have your cell phone flipped over on the corner of your desk or something and on vibrate, that way the noise isn't too disruptive and the teacher can see you're not just using it for other purposes. Do you have any gay relatives? Yes. Have you ever had to have a pet put down? Sigh, multiple. Have you unfollowed, deleted, or blocked anyone on social media recently? If so, what was the reason? Not recently. How many cups of coffee do you typically drink per day? None. Do you know what your vocal range is? No, but it's not very broad. What’s the biggest financial mistake you’ve ever made? I haven't been in this position before. Have you ever been in a relationship where there was a large difference in maturity levels? No. What’s the longest you’ve ever stayed as a guest at someone’s house? I wanna say over a month while we were technically homeless. How bad was your acne when you were a teenager? Oh dear, it was rough. Like there were people who had it worse than me, but ya girl was lookin preeeetty rough lmao.

[taxevader42069]

i’m not sure i will ever get over pegoryu. like, to me at least, it’s kind of obvious ryuji was meant to have a romance route, at least in the early stages of writing. like yosuke, the way his relationship builds with the main character is heavily implied to have something else to it. the only difference is that with ryuji, we have nothing. no scrapped confession lines, no solid proof that he was meant to be a dateable character in the game. but even just in tropes, they fit under a ton of japanese romance stereotypes. there’s a point in the anime where ryuji is handing sae’s treasure to akira, but for just a few moments, their hands linger on each other’s. ryuji knows the plan is to get arrested and have akiren fake his death, but he’s stated in the game that he was worried akira wouldn’t make it. i think the scene was meant to demonstrate that ryuji believed in akiren despite his rational fears, but they already did that with his mannerisms. he said he knew their leader would make it, but sounded unsure. he wasn’t ready to say goodbye in any way but he pretended to have confidence so their plan would work, but even so, the animation adds this detail without prompting. i understand that this is a strange detail to linger on for this long, but i’ve always thought of this scene when i think of pegoryu. if you ask me, this probably isnt the best point to say “ryuji would confess here!” because he absolutely wouldnt. he wants their leader to be able to focus, he wants him to be safe more than anything. what i do think, though, is that this is a huge turning point for ryuji’s thoughts. everything leading up to that hand hold was more likely a buildup towards ryuji accepting his feelings himself. again, like yosuke, ryuji delivers a few lines implying that he’s weirded out by gay men, or that he wouldn’t really even consider a relationship with a guy, so it would obviously be a while before this himbo of a man accepts his own feelings. but upon understanding what he felt, i don’t think he felt trapped or upset. i think he would promise himself that as soon as akiren got out alive, he would confess to him.

now, the moment akira comes back to leblanc, you’ll notice that everyone is waiting for him. however, the first person to run up to their leader is ryuji. not only does he become the first person to approach akira, he gives him a big ol hug while he’s there. he says that he missed him, and he seems extremely relieved/ happy to see akira again altogether. this can easily be read as platonic, although it’s extremely doubtful ryuji would walk up to just whoever and give them a hug in the same manner he did akira. you never see him do this with anyone else in the game, he is ONLY this touchy with akira, and that’s highlited a few times. the game makes it very clear that only one person gets this treatment. this touchiness isnt just for one scene though, there are clear times where ryuji approaches akira unprompted, as if he just wants to be with him. the infamous bath house scene where ryuji leans on akira, to which akira says “don’t touch me,” (very flustered, might i add) and the treasure chest opening animation, where he keeps his hand on akita’s shoulder supportively the whole time, even giving him a little pat on the back.

speaking of being extremely touchy,, the valentine’s day short that nobody talks about. i know i just wrote a novel on how touchy ryuji is in the game, but this is a whole different BREED of touchy. there are points in this animation where ryuji smiles and holds akira’s hand, refers to akiren as “my renren!” and most importantly kisses akira. now, in all fairness? this short was really vague with what exactly happened. you ask ryuji if you’re his valentine, to which he provides an extremely clear “yes, yes of course,” before pausing and providing a much less confident “NOT!” you converse wirh ryuji for a while, and then it cuts to the attic. you can only see silhouettes of ryuji and akira through the window at this point, but they’re very clearly holding onto each other. their faces both lean towards each other, then the short is over. that’s it, that’s all the clarification we get. i’ve seen a lot of people argue that this was a hug, and usually i could agree. with a company like atlus, it’s a lot more likely that’s all it was. the one thing that leads me to believe otherwise is the fact that they didn’t let us see. if it was a hug, there’s nothing to censor, right? if they keep a kiss subtle, or if they’re able to make it subliminal, less people get pissed, everyone’s happy. EVERYONE EXCEPT ME BECAUSE THIS WAS BULLSHIT LET THEM KISS!!!!

regardless, touching back on the point where ryuji realizes his own feelings, there’s a scene during shido’s palace arc where ryuji calls the mc after everyone leaves his place. this is another scene everyone and their grandma has talked about, but i feel like i cannot drive this point home enough: this is the point where ryuji would have confessed if he hadn’t gotten too scared. he starts to say something, but he brushes it off with a “forget it,” and it’s never touched on again. am i going to say ryuji knew he would sacrifice himself if it came down to it and he wanted akiren to know in case that had to happen? yeah that’s. exactly what i’m going to say. in the end, i think his fear of ruining things outweighed his bravery, and so he hung up.

one of the BIGGEST points in the game that just drives home the idea that they’re romantically involved is at the very beginning. during the first palace ever, when akiren awakens to his persona, he does it to save ryuji. this might not seem like much, but considering the fact that most everyone else has an extreme driving reason to awaken to their persona, and akira’s is this kid he just met, i think that says a lot. DARE I SAY, they are literally soulmates. not only that, though, because akira is also partially responsible for ryuji’s awakening. i would argue it was ryuji’s anger at kamoshida for taking away the track team, or the fact that ryuji himself was about to be killed, but i believe that if that were the case, ryuji would have awoken to his persona at the same time akira did. there were extremely similar circumstances, and the opportunity was definitely there. but instead, it’s only when akira is on the ground and encourages him not to lose hope that he gets pissed enough to get his persona. they are each other’s reason to not let hope die. that’s it that’s the post

[sentient-stove]

Crashing Down.

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Characters: Logan, c!Thomas Sanders (mentioned), Virgil, Roman, Patton, Remus, Janus, Nico Flores.

Relationships: c!Thomas/Nico, Logan/Nico, Logan&Virgil, Platonic DRLAMP, Roman/Patton

Additional tags: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH (x2), Angst with a happy ending, Sad Logan hours, Homophobia, Protests.

Summary: What if gay marriage was made illegal again? What if you never got the chance to tell the person that you loved that you loved them? What if they were torn from you?

Notes: Hey, gay marriage is actually super close to becoming illegal again in the United States, so catch me being killed because people hate me for who I am. This is a very sad story, but it has a happy ending. enjoy.

AO3

Virgil can’t breathe.  There’s a knee pressing into his neck and as he chokes, the leering face of the man looms over him.

God, he doesn’t want this to be the last thing he sees, but his vision is swimming and the way that stars are dancing in his vision reminds him of Logan…

The darkness wins.

…

Logan is at work when he gets the call.

Logan is twenty five when he loses his best friend at a protest.

Logan is twenty five when the world comes crashing down.

It had been something that Virgil had offhandedly brought up that morning, when the two were in bed, using each other as radiators so that they didn’t have to pay for heating.  A protest that someone had organized that was directly fighting against the ban on gay marriage that had been reinstated after only being legal for five years.  He understood where the anger came from and he promised to meet Virgil there after work.

It never happened.

Instead Logan was asked to identify a body in a morgue.  Virgil looked like shit as a dead man, the dark circles under his eyes matching in a horrible way with the strangulation marks on his neck.

He didn’t cry.  Not until he was knocking on his brother’s door, falling into the arms of Patton and sobbing as his older brother easily lifted him and carried him to the couch.  Logan lets himself be hugged, even if it isn’t what he wants, it’s what he needs in the moment, someone to hug him and whisper lies that everything will be okay.

But it’s not.  Patton can’t marry his husband, (they were married but it was nullified after gay marriage was banned), and Logan is alone.

Gosh, it’s only been seven hours and he misses Virgil more than anything.  Roman came in sometime during the crying fest and joined the pile, simply giving Logan a knowing look.

The protest wasn’t supposed to get violent.  That man wasn’t supposed to try to kill that girl and Virgil wasn’t supposed to push him away, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle.

According to the people that managed to pull the guy off of Virgil, his best friend’s last words were along the lines of telling the dude to fuck himself with a hot iron.

It’s fitting.

…

Would it be lying to say that it snowed the day of the funeral?  Janus looked up at the sleet that was coming down, tilting his umbrella back just enough to catch some in his face.

His brother had always wanted to be cremated and then scattered in a Walmart parking lot at the witching hour, and so here they are at three am, scattering ashes like how Virgil wanted.  Twins were weird that way.  Janus never felt like they were related, but Virgil had always loved the strange and obscure, almost the exact opposite of himself.

Logan hasn’t said a word for a week and it scares Janus.  He knew that the pair were close, but this was concerning.

The ashes blend well with the sleet, disappearing as each take a turn to scatter some.  Janus saved the last bit, and the others pretended not to notice.

…

Patton finds the journal when they’re cleaning out the small apartment that Logan used to share with Virgil.

It’s tucked under the floorboards, it’s really a miracle that he stumbled on it and when he opens it, he can see Virgil’s beautiful cursive filling every page.

Who knew the emo could write so pretty?  The journal itself is not that old, the first date from less than six months ago.  Each page has a snippet from his life and it’s the words on the last page that prompt Patton to fresh tears.

I think I’ll tell Logan tomorrow.  Ask him if maybe… after all this is over, maybe he’ll go out on a date with me?

The entry was three days before he died.

Patton doesn’t show Logan the journal when his brother comes back into the room to carry out a box.  The timing isn’t right and Logan is still fragile, barely eating, barely speaking.

…

Roman sat across from the man who did it, the man who’s now in cuffs, blank stare boring into his soul.

“Why?” “He was in the way.”

Roman refrains from showing any emotion, although if there wasn’t a pane of glass between them, he’d beat the man until he was black and blue for what he did.

“Do you regret it.”

“Yes.”

“But not for the reasons you should.”

…

It’s Remus who finds Logan one night.  Both of them are on the wrong side of the bridge railing, tempting fate.

“I miss him.”  Logan admits softly.  Remus doesn’t blame him.  It’s been three months since the funeral and so much has changed.  Roman and Patton are married again, Janus disappeared to Italy and has yet to send out another text confirming if he’s alive and Remus?

He finds Logan.  He takes Logan home and helps him eat, helps him stay alive as the world tunnels for the nerd.

He misses Virgil.

But he moves on.  Remus doesn’t dwell on things for long, it’s part of the reason why Virgil called him heartless as a joke.  It rings false, they both knew it.

Logan was his first friend.  They had met in high school, back before Virgil was in the picture.  Logan had found Remus on a bridge like this.  He’d sat down and coaxed Remus back over the right edge, concern lacing his voice as he talked him through his intrusive thoughts.  Logan had later met Virgil and the three became unstoppable senior year of high school.

  Remus knows that Logan misses that feeling.

Because he does too.

…

Logan is under his covers when the package arrives, addressed to him in flowing cursive.

It’s Virgil’s handwriting, he’s seen it enough times on the grocery lists that they put together.

It’s a simple bracelet.

Logan didn’t realize that it was Valentine’s day until almost a week later, when he went to the post office to mail a letter and the mailperson processing the letter asked if he got the package okay.

Apparently Virgil had set up the package almost a year in advance, hoping to have forgotten by the time Valentine’s rolled around so his friend could have a surprise.

Logan went home and sobbed for an hour after.

…

Janus returns, a new scar cutting across his cheek and a tattoo on the back of his neck that is a simple padlock with a lightning bolt on it.

He brings with him a delicate glass blown pendant.  The glass was mixed with the leftover of Virgil’s ashes and he gave it to Logan.

It rests against Logan’s heartbeat and he pretends to be okay even though everything is crashing down.

…

Virgil’s murderer is released from prison.  He later kills another gay man at a protest and is given the death penalty.

It’s too merciful. 

…

Logan turns twenty six.  He doesn’t celebrate.

…

Patton gives Logan the journal one day, on a whim when Logan asks if he can help with cooking the anniversary dinner for when Roman and Patton got remarried.

…

Logan is twenty seven when he meets Nico in a mall.  They ran into each other- literally and at a later time, he finds out that Nico lost someone too.

Virgil and Thomas.

It’s strange how you lose the ones you love the most.

Together, they pick up the broken pieces and struggle forward.

…

Logan is thirty when he becomes Logan Flores.

Later, after the wedding reception, he’ll hold his husband close and promise, no, vow to always be there for him.

They fall asleep tangled together and everything seems to click back into place.  For Logan, he still feels like a vase that's been shattered at a teenager's party, but he's slowing fixing himself, slowly getting better.

…

Sometimes you lose your first love.

Sometimes it snows and you think of them.  

Sometimes you pretend that it's okay.

Sometimes everything comes crashing down.

Sometimes it gets fixed.

This is one of those times.

[duckiefishpond]

Lover’s Day

(IT’s V-day, so can post this now.)

“And one, two, three!”

“And one, two, three!”

“Ack! Sorry!”

“No, no, my friend. Quite alright!”

Lover’s Day was around the corner for Valentin. It was the monster’s holiday for couples that happened on the 3rd of June. Over time though, it was adopted as an official holiday of Valentin by all residence; much to monsters’ resistant of commercial use. Still, the day was approaching fast as Collin was thrown in a stupor.

Collin was never good at planning things but this being his and Tessara’s 26th wedding year, he wanted to make this holiday special; seeing as their wedding anniversary was still a bit down the road. Believe him, Collin never expected for Tessara to have stayed this long as she has. Collin wanted to do something out of the ordinary. 26 years wasn’t a mile stone, but it was something special to Collin. 26 years that Tessara had been by his side, given him two wonderful children, and been there for him at his worst. No, Collin wanted to show his wife how special she was to him. How much he appreciated her and how much he loved her.

So here he was, day of the holiday, while Tessara was at the palace fully today, taking dance lessons from China. Bless the poor cat man for how many times Collin has stepped on his feet for the last few days of practice as Tessara was out for work.

“And dip and done! Well done my friend! You have improved immensely!” China chuckled as Collin brought China back up.

Blushing slightly, Collin rubbed the back of his head as Serenity and Seth clapped.

“Mama’s going to love it when you show her you can dance better now,” Serenity chuckled.

“Mommy happy,” Seth stated while smiling.

“Yeah, yeah,” Collin remarked, rolling his eyes.

“No, my friend, they’re right. Duckie loves dancing and music. You know this. So you know she will be over the moon when she sees how much you have improved,” China commented, patting Collin on the back, “Just breathe through things and you will be fine.”

“I hope so,” Collin replied, giving a half confident look.

Still unsure how things will go, Collin gave a slight pout as China continued to pat his back.

“Collin, what bothers you? Are those man’s comments from yesterday still buzzing around your head like a pesky mosquito?” China asked.

Collin sighed.

“Sadly yes,” Collin replied, “I can’t stand it. Everybody thinks she deserves better. Whether they state it or not, people give us looks. It seems only her close friends, other than Marissa, seem to support us. Even now. And that guy yesterday, gods, he lusted at her. Telling her how beautiful she was and how if she was with him, he would give her the world. I could tell she was grossed out so of course I stepped in. But I’m not stupid. I’m not fighting some muscle head. But to be called weak and some stick that clings onto her when she could be with a real man, it-”

Trailing off, Collin went quiet as China gave a sad look but perked back up.

“My friend. You are not weak. You love Duckie dearly and would do anything to make sure she’s safe and happy. Granted, she can protect herself, but you give her protection that not others can. You give her the love she’s wanted for so long. People like that, they don’t understand. So do not let words like that bother you,” China reassured.

Sighing again, Collin perked back up before giving his children a reassuring smile that he was alright.

“I know. I know. I just hate it. I wish they would leave her alone. She’s mine. She’s my wife and I’m her husband,” Collin spoke.

“And so you are. And you will take her out to the willow tree and give her a wonderful Lover’s Day picnic dinner and sweep her off her feet tonight,” China chuckled, “As for Marissa. She’s a fiddly one. I think more is going on under the seams of her demeanor towards you but she is a private person and I am not one to pry. Give it time though. I think she’s slowly warming up to you.”

Collin just chuckled. “That or she’s waiting to throw another knife at me,” Collin remarked.

To that, everybody was laughing now.

4 o clock rolled around and Tessara was walking through the door; seemingly very tired. One of her pigtails was slightly undone, sleeves were slipping down, and giving off a very tired sigh, walked over to the stairs and sat down.

Giving her no time, Seth was already in his mother’s lap looking worried at her. Nuzzling his nose with hers, Tessara gave her son a kiss on the forehead with a tired smile.

“Hi sweetheart,” Tessara commented.

Walking out of the living room, Serenity behind him, Collin was surprised to see the state his wife was in.

“Duckie-dearest, what happened to you?” Collin questioned as he took a seat next to her on the stairs.

“Chasing intruders. Surprisingly not my fans, but Umi’s,” Tessara replied.

Giving a confused and annoyed look, Collin replied, “Don’t those damn girls know he’s gay and with someone?”

“As if they care about that? No, somehow these three sneaked their way into the meetings today and just had to get close to him. Then we had to chase one down which one threw a fit and started to fight us. Granted, oni are no match for me, it was still a hell of a day,” Tessara sighed.

Rubbing her back, Collin kissed his wife’s forehead.

“Well, it’s over and now you can enjoy the rest of the day. And I have a small surprise for you. Yet, you got to wash up and get nice and dressed for it,”  Collin replied.

Raising an eyebrow, seems that caught Tessara’s attention.

“Oh?” she questioned, “And what do tell, do you have planned?”

Tessara knew what today was. Was probably the reason the girls broke into the palace. Still, Collin having something planned? That was new to her.

“Just have to wait and see,” Collin replied with a cheeky smile.

Chuckling, Tessara kissed her husband as she got up.

“Fine,” she playfully replied before heading upstairs; carrying Seth with her.

Looking at each other, Collin and Serenity chuckled and smiled.

With 6 o clock striking on the clock, Collin had washed up and freshened up at the downstairs bathroom as he was sitting on the stairs with Serenity brushing his hair.

“Starbeam says by the time you guys get there, the food will be ready and things will be set up,” Serenity remarked as she finished brushing her father’s hair and started to braid it.

“Good. Now all we have to do now is wai-” Collin began to speak.

“Hi handsome,” a voice spoke.

Looking up, Tessara had finished in the bedroom and was dressed in a nice blue dress with fashionable flats. Light pink lipstick and having dropped her godly appearance, her medium length blond hair was tied into a bun with a fancy hair piece.

Grinning from ear to ear, Collin replied, “Well hello to you too gorgeous. My, are you lost, because I would LOVE to be your guide tonight.”

This got Tessara to laugh as Serenity playfully smacked Collin on the back of his head; causing him to laugh.

“Daddy, that was terrible!” Serenity stated although chuckling herself.

“Silly Daddy,” Seth commented; having come down the stairs behind his mother and clinging to her leg at the moment.

“Hehe, so, we ready to go here?” Tessara questioned; still chuckling.

Finishing up braiding his hair and tying it up with his usual purple hair ribbon, Serenity replied, “Yep!”

Although not as clean as Tessara, Collin was well dressed with a nice white dress shirt and purple dress slacks. Nice shoes and with his hair braided, Tessara did have to admire how nice her husband looked.

Getting up, Collin held his hand out to his wife as Tessara happily took it. Walking down the stairs, the pair walked towards the door as Collin opened it up for Tessara. “My lady first of course,” Collin stated.

Tessara just chuckled as she walked out the front door.

Waiting for them was Collin’s dirt bike; freshly washed and new tires.

“Now where are we going?” Tessara questioned.

“Again my darling, it’s a surprise,” Collin replied as he started up the bike before handing Tessara a helmet.

Looking back, the pair noticed Sonji had come down the stairs and was with the kids on the front porch.

“In bed by 9. No later than 10,” Tessara spoke.

“As if I haven’t watched them before,” Sonji replied.

“Bye Mama. Bye Daddy! Have fun!” Serenity spoke with a wave.

“Buh Bye,” Seth chuckled and waved.

Waving at their children, Tessara wrapped her arms around Collin once she had her helmet on. Placing his on, Collin kicked the bike stand up and off they went down the dirt road from the house.

Riding down the dirt road to the main paved road, the pair hit the four way before taking a left and riding on for quite a while to Limestone Peak. The trail here was a common walking path for the couple as Collin parked the bike at the beginning of the trail.

“Okay. Now here, I need you blindfolded,” Collin remarked as he took off his helmet; pulling a black cloth out of his dress shirt pocket.

Puzzled as she set her helmet on the bike, Tessara asked, “Why?”

“For the surprise of course. I know where I’m going so I’ll lead,” Collin chuckled.

Trusting her husband, Tessara replied, “Okay.”

Coming behind her, Collin placed the black cloth around her eyes and tied it under Tessara’s hair before taking hold of her hand and leading the way. A good long walk, Tessara kept asking questions.

“Am I going to like what you have planned?” Tessara asked.

“Hopefully,” Collin replied.

“I’m surprised we are all the way out here,” Tessara commented.

“Well, the town was probably packed and restaurants full. Rather do something special in places we like to go to together,” Collin stated.

Chuckling, Tessara replied, “Yes and if I’m thinking correctly, we are headed to the willow tree, aren’t we?”

“Maybe,” Collin chuckled before finally stopping.

Stopping, Tessara waited for a moment before what seemed to be light started to shine through the cloth.

Walking behind her, Collin began to undo the cloth before waiting to take it off.

“Ready?” Collin spoke.

“Yeah,” Tessara chuckled.

Pulling the cloth up, Tessara’s eyes went wide in excitement.

The willow tree, a usual spot the pair liked to hang out and talk at, was covered in star lights that made the tree glow in golden light. Sitting at its base was a picnic set up with fine dishware and a dinner waiting for them. Next to that was a freshly made pitcher of tea.

Placing her hands over her nose and mouth, it was obvious Tessara was grinning from ear to ear before turning and hugging her husband.

“You planned this?” Tessara questioned; the happiness and giddiness in her voice when she asked.

“All for you,” Collin replied as he took one of his wife’s hands and led her to the blanket to sit.

The cooking was obviously Starbeam’s; grill cooked steaks with freshly tossed salad, hand made potatoes and steam cooked greens. The only thing that stuck out to be anything that wasn’t cooked by her was the macaroni and cheese; obviously done by Collin while Tessara was cleaning up.

Tessara was still grinning as she looked over everything; the food, the willow tree, and then at her husband. That smile never leaving her face, Collin could tell she loved it.

Grabbing cups, Collin made drinks for the two of them as Tessara started to make plates. Everything made, the two took their usual spot between the roots; pillows having been placed there for them.

“You didn’t have to do all this,” Tessara commented before taking another bite of her steak.

“Yeah well. Once in a while I should show you I can be romantic,” Collin chuckled.

“As if you haven’t been for the last 26 years,” Tessara chuckled.

“26 years is a long time. And at some points, I don’t think I expressed enough how much you mean to me,” Collin replied.

Leaning closer, Tessara snuggled up to her husband with a big grin on her face.

“As if I didn’t know. You love me. You want me,” Tessara playfully teased.

“Everyday. Every night. Every minute. Every hour. Every second,” Collin replied.

To this the two busted out laughing.

With night finally setting in as the day cycle finished and the sky turned to the starry view of space outside the shields, the pair finished up dinner as Collin wrapped an arm around Tessara and held her close; both holding their cups of tea.

“Surprised you didn’t grab the wine from the basement,” Tessara commented.

“I don’t think you would want me drunk tonight,” Collin teased.

Chuckling, Tessara replied, “Probably not. Though you usually are just more sappy and like to throw pick up lines.”

“You like my pick up lines,” Collin remarked, “I mean look at this sky. So gorgeous. Yet nothing compares to the star that is here next to me. The brightest in all the universe and she’s all mine!”

Blushing, Tessara started to push Collin away playfully as she laughed.

“Oh my gods! Stop! You’re just as bad when sober!” Tessara laughed.

“It’s true though! Diamonds may be my favorite gem, but there is no gem more dazzling and beautiful as you!” Collin continued.

“STTTTOOOPPP! ACK, YOU CHEESE BALL!!!” Tessara laughed.

Both laughing, Collin took the cups and set them aside before passionately kissing his wife. Wrapping her arms around him, Tessara happily returned the kisses as Collin leaned her into the pillows.

Kissing for a few minutes, it took Tessara a moment to realize music had started to play. Breaking the kiss, Tessara looked confused but pleased. Realizing she caught on to the music, Collin smiled.

“Got something else for yah,” Collin stated.

“Oh?” Tessara questioned.

Setting up, Collin held a hand out as Tessara grabbed it. Helping her up on her feet, Collin walked her over and off the blanket before letting her hand go and bowing.

“My lady. May I have this dance?” Collin asked.

Chuckling, Tessara held her hand out again as she replied, “Oh, but of course!”

Taking hold of it, Collin lead as the pair danced around to the music. Showing her what he had learned, Collin was happy to see how smiley and happy his wife was in his arms. Dipping her as the music came to the end, Tessara hadn’t noticed in one of their circles around the tree, Collin had grabbed something with one his tails until it came into view.

“And I didn’t forget the roses,” Collin stated as he brought his wife back up and handed her the bouquet of red roses with his tail.

Taking the bouquet, Tessara was blushing as she stated, “You are such a sap!”

“You married me,” Collin chuckled.

“And never regretted one day of it,” Tessara replied before kissing her husband again.

With midnight drawing close, the pair decided to finish things up with a walk on the trail. Chatting away about things, the pair arrived at the peak where the rock side dropped off to a beautiful view of the mountain range during the day. Though at night, the starry sky above made things just as breathtaking.

“Oh, this view is just as lovely at night as it is during the day. I’m surprised more people don’t come out here,” Tessara commented.

“Yeah really. Look at star cluster there,” Collin replied.

Pointing out stars and planets, the pair hadn’t paid attention to the commotion behind them till something squawked. Puzzled by the sound, the two turned around when a large crow flew out towards them. Surprised and startled, Tessara jumped back as the crow flew between them; a mocking bird following behind it. It seemed the crow must have messed with its nest and was being attacked by the mocking bird.

Though too far back, Tessara hadn’t realized how close to the edge she had gotten till slight rumbling could be heard. Seems from the rain storm a few days ago, the limestone edges were still soft with water and started to crumble.

The next few seconds flashed before her. Grabbing out for Collin as he rushed towards her, feeling nothing under her feet, to being held by something. Not realizing she had shut her eyes in all this, Tessara opened them to see wide open space.

“DUCKIE! DUCKIE, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!?” Collin spoke in a panic.

It took Tessara a moment to register things. She was in Collin’s arms. Deciding to look down, she saw trees below her and Collin’s feet. Now realizing what was going on, Tessara’s eyes went wide.

She fell off the edge, Collin jumped for her and grabbed her and-

“YOU CAN FLY?!?” Tessara shouted in stunned confusion.

“Um….yeah,” Collin replied.

They were indeed in the air as Collin held onto Tessara. Having jumped for his wife, he grabbed onto her before using his powers to fly and catch their bearings.

Flying back up to the top, Collin landed away from the edge before setting Tessara down. Still holding onto her husband, Tessara was still stunned.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Tessara questioned.

Brushing the back of his head, Collin looked a bit flustered.

“It’s one of those things with my powers I had to keep hidden. You knew my father had forbidden me to use my powers. So much I had to learn things on my own behind his back. Flying was one of them. But being so forced to keep it hidden, it was just one of those things that fell to the wayside. Just rather walk and bike than fly around. You know,” Collin explained before looking at his wife, “Does...that bother you?”

“Wha-no! I’m just surprised….Thank you! For saving me,” Tessara replied before planting a kiss on her husband’s cheek.

“Well...I mean. You probably would have been alright. But you did really scare me and I jus-” Collin tried to speak.

“COLLIN!” Tessara huffed.

“Ah-oh. Okay...You’re welcome,” Collin replied sheepishly before kissing his wife.

Returning the kiss, Tessara was the one to break it as she remarked, “Come on. It’s getting late. Let’s get home.”

“Maybe I’m not tired though,” Collin remarked, smirk on his face.

“There are things we can do at the house that I rather do at the house than outside silly,” Tessara replied  with a “come get me” look.

“And my Duckie-dearest, what would those things be?” Collin questioned; playing innocent and curious.

“You’ll just have to see when we get there,” Tessara replied with a smirk.

“Such a tease,” Collin replied.

Tessara just chuckled.

Taking her hand as Collin lead, the pair finally made their way back to the bike as Collin got it started.

Seeing Tessara put her helmet on, Collin remarked, “Hold on my darling.”

“Always,” Tessara replied.

Leaning and holding onto Collin, Tessara was smiling as Collin drove the way back home; happy with the Lover’s Day surprise she got, happy with her husband, and happy with the life she had.

[popculturebuffet]

Darkwing Duck Reviews Halloween Special: Fungus Amongus and Ghoul of My Dream

Happy Halloween! Halloween Havoc races to the finish with another Darkwing Double Feature! Love is kinda crazy with a spooky girl like Morgana, and in this case “kinda crazy” means a board of ghouls stealing pizza, sentient mushrooms, grumpy spiders, student lone debt, and a gremlin who somehow sees himself as a valid romantic option. It’s a Darkwing Duck Halloween under the cut.+

We’ve made it! While I got less Halloween reviews done than I would’ve liked, I’m still happy with the ones done and there’s still two more to get in the pocket before the day’s up. So with Halloween today it seemed fitting to talk about the Justice Ducks resident sorcerer and Darkwing’s Girlfriend, Morgana Macawber. Morgana was the only one of the four to stick around as a recurring character out of the four Justice Ducks: Gizmoduck would show up once more after the four parter, and sadly Neptunia and Stegamutt just seemed to vanish but the crew clearly liked Morg a lot and her relationship with Darkwing, so she stuck around for the rest of the series, and is even the focus of the final episode “Malice’s Restaurant”, as well as a sizeable part of the comics. And it’s easy to see why as Kathie Sourcie had great chemistry with Jim Cummings and Morgana’s very presence, being a sorceress raised by the munsters and living in a creepy mansion, allowed for diffrent stories than what Darkwing usually dealt with. While magic didn’t feel like it contrasted with the world, as Darkwing’s world feels like your standard superhero fantasy kitchen sink where anything is possible, most of his foes were either super villains or the kinds of super spies you’d find in a comic book. So fighting ghoouls, goblins, and Satan himself, yes that’s an episode that actually happened, no it’s sadly not on Disney plus, and yes I will be covering it eventually, was a nice out of genre experience and a nice way to put our daring duck of mystery out of his element.

She brought something diffrent to the table, both forcing Darkwing to grapple with letting someone into his life, and with having something to focus on other than Gosalyn or crime. So I wanted to see how this plays out, so expect me to cover all her episodes and not just the Satan one or the Valentine’s Day one, though like my Tom Lucitor retrospective, expect this one to also take some time. So with that all set up, Halloween is the perfect time to begin our journey with her first two episodes.. and Morgana’s Villian Career. Yeah while she only had about 9 episodes to her name, 2 of them are as a Catwoman or Black Cat style antagonist, someone whose likeable and who are hero is attracted to, but is on the wrong side of the law.

She eventually came around, but it’s still an intresting way to start things and an intresting dilema for our hero I wish stuck around for just a smidge longer. These aren’t bad episodes with Ghoul of My Dreams being a pretty good one. If I had to guess though the reason the dynamic fizzled out.. is they simply didn’t have a lot of ideas of how to use her as a bad guy. Part of the reason i’m covering these two episodes together is that they follow basically the same plot beat, the only differences being Darkwing meets Morgana in the first one and they know each other in the second, and that the evil entity who ends up turning against her she works with is different for both. The third act is also entirely unique to each episode, so it feels less like them lazily repeating themselves on an episode and more like they genuinely realized they didn’t have a ton of ideas for Morgana as a villain and thus had her reform with the Justice Ducks two parter. And I can’t blame them: fan would get annoyed if basically every Morgana plot played out the same, and this way she could know Drake’s secret identity, and thus allow the stories to use Gosalyn, though I do wish she’d shown up in one of the villian ones just to see how that played out. But still her time as a Villian is there, and is even a plot point in the valentine’s episode, so let’s see how it played out and see what I think.

Fungus Amongus

The plot here is fairly simple: there’s been a rash of mysterious thefts in St. Canard, and Darkwing is stumped.. until Launchpad asks if they can go for pizza, because he’s hungry and Darkwing is the terrible kind of boss that doesn’t’t care about meal breaks. It makes our hungry hero realize that each of the thefts are connected to PIzza Toppings, and after thwarting the bats and spiders stealing some anchovies, figures there’s only two left: Green Peppers and Mushrooms, and so he decides it’s time to split up gang and while Launchpad guards the peppers, Darkwing goes to visit the head of the mushrom company, who naturally turns out to be Morgana. The two end up taken with one another, to the board’s annoyance as Darkwing is onto them and could stop their whole evil plan and they want to just murder his ass and be done with it. But Morgana proves seduction’s a bit more useful as she sweetalks our hero into leaving, and points out given he’s also a creature of the night in a sense, she plans to turn him.. or kill him if she has to. More on that in our next episode. The facade dosen’t last long as Darkwing goes to help launchpad at the pepper place, and ends up finding out oh no the hot lady he met five minutes ago is bad! While the board plans to feed Launchpad to mutant mushrooms, while Morgana seemingly turns Darkwing into her mindless slave.. but really just played the board and switched sides, not wanting to hurt the guy she just met because he’s cute, they defeat the mushrooms and the board who turn into mushrooms in the light because....

The day is saved though we do get the one standout bit of the episode. Darkwing despite his attraction to her, wants to turn her in, while Morgana simply teleports her house away. And thus the dance begins. As for the episode... as you can tell by how brief I was... for one i’m not doing my usual died in wool recapping for these two to get them out on time. And i’m also not because this one.. is pretty thin. The mutant mushroom and boards’d esigns are cool and Morgana is intresting.. but having seen Ghoul of my Dreams first.. it’s just not as fun, funny or good on the Morgana Darkwing dynamic. Morgana just decides because she wants to ride that dick she’ll be good for a moment, and throw away her hard worked scheme, and the board is turned into mushrooms because.. well see the lex luger pic above. It’s not a TERRIBLE episode, just not a terribly intresting one. It has good elements, but they just don’t come together well and the pizza scheme isn’t as funny as the episode thinks it is. I can kinda see why this one was buried deeper into the series and Ghoul of My Dreams is where they put focus. I just don’t have a lot to say about this one, it’s just bland and uninteresting. It’s kind of why I just sorta plopped it next to Ghoul, I needed to review it for completion’s sake, but lord if I can think of a lot to say about it that isn’t tied into the next one. So since I can’t...

Ghoul of my Dreams:

Now this is better. The basic plot is still simple but allows for a lot more intresting set pieces: It’s a slow night in St. Canard, to Darkwing’s natural annoyance, until a bunch of fire fighters start sleepwalking and throwing gold to some spiders and bats. Something is afoot and since the bats belong to Morgana, Darkwing goes to investigate her. Granted we just MET eek and squeak, but it’s easy enough to assume Morgana struck again off screen and some time has passed. And i’ts honestly what makes this episode more interesting: now it’s more of a cat and mouse game, with Morgana using their chemistry against him, but still being genuinely drawn to him and not wanting to hurt him. It’s better than “I met you five minutes ago might as well throw away my money for you”.  Instead Morg truly likes Drake, but wants to keep doing crimes to, in easily the best joke of the entire series “Finally pay off my student loans”.. which makes her already not really a bad guy. I may not haves em but I know people who do. Those loan people do not play around. It’s investing and Sourcie and Cumming’s chemstiry really makes it pop. Sourcie really is what makes the character, giving her energy, sedcutivness when called for and a really sympathetic quality that makes her face turn, sudden as it is, believable. It’s why I really like the character. And I get why some don’t: Her romance with darkwing is sudden,  her face turn is even more sudden, and she gets in the way of Drakepad shippers. The first two are valid criticisms, while the last one is understandable.. depending on motive. If your just bummed this relationship you don’t like is forced into the show and gets in the way of the one you actually enjoy.. trust me...

BEEN THERE. And far far worse.. I didn’t start up an entire retrospective on the guy who DIDN’T get the girl here for nothing. But if you say “oh well it’s homophobic or you hate gays” if you don’t ship drakepad, which I have actually heard for both this ship and delpad.. kindly go fuck yourself and stay away from my posts. It’s NOT homophobic to ship a character who is CANOCIALLY into women, with a woman. Launchpad had a girl of the week or two in ducktales, Drake’s attraction to morgana is canon and he also had some ship tease with Neptunia. They both like women.. but there’s nothing saying they DON’T like men, don’t want to date men, or aren’t attracted to them.

Been waiting to reference Schitt’s Creek at some point here now i’ve started watching it. It’s biphobic to say this sort of harmful shit, and it doesn’t’t help there are plenty of gay people who genuinely believe bi and pan aren’t sexualities and harm their own community by doing so. Saying this kind of shit just fuels their fire and bi people like me and pan people like my firend have a hard enough time with straight people being dicks about this. You should know and be better. Don’t bring that shit into this fandom. We’ve already ridden incest out on a rail we don’t need this. I already put up with enough bullshit being a loud house fan and having to deal with ACTUAL homophobic ships like Sam/Lincoln, aka setting up a character you don’t know to be anything but gay, versus her girlfriend whose canocially been shown to be bi if preferring women, whose the proment and well like love interest of a woman, and pair her with her younger brother to clearly troll people. Now that’s a homophobic ship and that you shoudl be angry about, not “oh no the person who likes women in canon.. LIKES A WOMAN IN FANON”. It’s part of what made shiping delpad hard at times because people got really dumb about it to the point someone drew some very horrible fanart just to clog up the tag. Knock. it off.

And if your curious for my actual thoughts on Drakepad: in the classic series.. i’m not a fan, but I get it, and I do think they could work... it’s just. that Drake treats Launchpad really bad, including throwing him out of the house for a year without telling him why over something that really wasn’t his fault, not feeding him, not treating him as an equal after a while. This would have to change for them to work but I could see it happening, as the comics and one of the peisodes make a point that Drake can be a pretty shitty partner to Morgana too.

And just to show i’m equal opprtunity, despite shipping Delpad in the past, i’ve moved on to Penpad and Drakepad , ironcially enough, i’m not as big a fan anymore. LIke the above, Della just dosen’t respect launchpad as a human being. She was willing to keep the Halloween thing up JUST to scare children, looks down on him, and whie is his friend, is not all that close. I could see them happening, and do still think it’d be cute, it’d just take a ton of work and there are better ships for both. And yes I do ship Drakepad in the reboot, but there the two aren’t employer and employee, but equals who genuinely love and respect one another, listen to one another, and value each other. In the Reboot they have genuine chemistry and I could see them together, while in the original Launchpad and Morgana both really deserve better.

Now that’s settled, we get a fun scene of the two primping for each other. then flirting a bit, though Morgana, in AWFUL looking black lipstick wins with the move above and has her spider web launchpad, who hates morgana.. which is one part common sense given how darkwing gets around her and one part ho yay. But yeah this is pretty much Launchpad for both these episodes.

And darkwing dick is calling the shots so fair enough. But Morgana is once again nto wokring alone and is working with a creepy, well designed gremlin, named Nodoff... eh i’ve heard worse, whose giving her sleeping dust to knock out her targets and hits on her constnatly. Naturally he plans to betray her as soon as he can, and is likely only tolerating her because he wants to hit that.  There dynamic boils down to this.

There’s also tons of fun dream sequences including one at the top with darkwing being confronted by his enitre Rogue’s gallery before seeing morgana, NOdoff using baseball on Morg’s next target and some great ones at the climax. It’s part of hwy I like this episode better: While someone using dreams for stuff has been done a lot, it’s given a creative spin here as instead of killing them, Morgana’s simply using them to steal. Good stuff.

Darkwing foils their first attempt, though gets blamed for it because St. Canard is about as grateful as New York when it comes to superheroes. Morgana knocks darkwing out with some dust via Eeka and Squeak and admits Nodoff is working for her, though fobids him to harm Darkwing. This.. dosen’t last and we get another great setpiece, of sarkwing on a high dive. Thankfully, Launchpad finds him, and they find Morgana, who gives off the student loans comment. But in the struggle to stop her, Darkwing accidently puts her and the city to sleep.. and Nodoff is now super powerful and imprisons morgana. Darkwing i s back at her house, wondering what to do, but the bats give him a clue.. by flying him thorugh the door to fight Nodoff. It goes about as well as you’d expect with him freeing Morgana.. then trying to murder them both. Darkwing however pulls an Elm Streett 3 and says to think happy thoughts and take control of the dream.. which ends up at Darkwing’s Wedding to Morgana to his horror..... remind me whose the hero again. The woman who, while doing crimes is trying to pay off unfair debts, or the guy who finds the idea of commitment horrifying.  

Anyways we get some more great bits, I brush over them so I don’t ahve to talk about them conantly, including darkwing getting a cake on him, before Darkwing turns the tables by finding the hourglass full of the dust.. and in a clever finale, loading it into his gun and firing it on nodoff. This puts him to sleep.. which puts him in the real world, while Launchpad uses a giant alarm clock to wake everyone. They throw NOdoff back into the dream world.. for some reason.. and the episode ends iwth morgana kissing darkwing and the episode possibly having been all a dream.

This one, while I was again breif, is a classic, with a much more interesting dynamic. Instead of a morgana who goes from willing to kill we get one whose conflicted over things, who clearly wants to be a crook but may like darkwing more than that, as evidenced when he talks her out of taking Nodoff’s offer of riches. It’s good stuff and the gags are back to the show’s usual top notch level. It’s a creative, fun episode that really helps Morgana come into her own and I look forward to more of her. Overall i’d recommend skipping fungus amongus, but DEFINTELY check out ghoul of my dreams, as it’s throughly fantastic. I’ll be back in a bit for one last Halloween review and as always you can find my backlog on my blog. i recently covered Tiff of the Titans and there’s regular ducktales coverage every monday. Until then make sure to vote, wear a mask and check your house for gary busey till we meet again! Play us out Gerard Way!

[charlie-writes1]

Valentine

By: @charlie-writes1

Writing Masterlist

Fandom: My hero academia

Ship: KiriBaku

Warnings: Swearing, gay

Word count: 2,354

Posted: 27.4.21

a/n I got this idea from a comic I saw a long time ago (like a year or two), I don't know who created it and I only ever saw a few short panels. If someone knows the comic please please please tell me because I want to link it! As I said I only ever saw a few short panels so minus a very short scene that I tweaked to be my own the rest of the story is mine. (Characters belong to the respectful creator)

-Summary-

Today is the day! Kirishima was going to ask out his crush. That is... he was going to ask him out, but someone beat him to the punch and he didn't think he had any chances left.

"Yo! Baku wait up!" Kirishima yelled, running up behind his explosive friend.

"What do you want Shitty Hair?" Bakugo grumbled. He didn't even spare Kirishima a glance as the redhead swung an arm playfully around his shoulder, topical interaction for the two students.

"Well, I was wondering- uhh-" Kirishima stared as he fiddled with a small box in his pocket. He took a deep breath, about to speak again but was cut off.

"U-umm excuse m-me? B-Bakugo?" A timid voice came from behind the two. They turned to see one of the 1-C students. She had orange hair that had been shaved on one side of her head while the rest of it covered her left eye. She was shorter than the two boys so Bakugo was literally and figuratively looking down at her.

"Damn extra, what do you want?" Bakugo grumbled, not in the mood to have to talk with people he didn’t know or care about.

She looked at the ground and Kirishima noticed she was holding a nicely wrapped box with a small heart-shaped card on top. "I-I w-was wondering, w-well I mean I umm-"

"Just spit it out, I'm going to be late for class," Bakugo snapped.

"I would like you to accept my feelings and be my Valentine!" She bowed and held out the box for Bakugo. Kirishima stared at the small gift, it was similar to the one he was just about to give the blond moments ago before she cut him off.

"Tsk, and why would I do that? I don't even know you," Bakugo told her. “You’re just some extra.”

"B-but-" In reality, they had had a few classes together, sometimes their classes work together in different subjects, not often but it happens, especially when a teacher had to take the day off for hero work or a sick day.

"Besides, I'm trying to become a hero, I don't have time for stupid distractions like a girlfriend, though I guess you wouldn't know much about becoming a hero since you're in general studies.” Bakugo’s voice was cold as ice. Even Kirishima thought it was harsh, even for Bakugo.

"Bro, that's not nice..." Kirishima said quietly. He didn't know how to feel, Bakugo was rejecting her, therefore he still sort of had a chance, but the way he had said it... 'I don't have time for stupid distractions like a girlfriend' that probably went for boyfriends as well.

"Tsk whatever, come on Shitty Hair we're going to be late for class," Bakugo grumbled turning back around and walking towards their class. He didn’t even spare a glance back at the girl who just stood there staring at the ground, shoulders shaking ever so slightly as she tried to hold in her tears. Kirishima gave a sympathetic look to the girl who had just had her heartbroken, she looked like she was about to cry, and truthfully, Kirishima was right there with her, Bakugo had indirectly said he wouldn't date him.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Kirishima muttered, turning back around to follow Bakugo. He gripped the box in his pocket and shook his head trying to forget about it. There’s no point in giving it to him now, not now that he knew what the reaction would be.

Kirishima couldn't get his mind off the scene from that morning all class. "I don't have time for stupid distractions like a girlfriend." Was it a stupid distraction? Was dating someone really just a distraction when they were training to be heroes? Even if both had their minds set on the same goal?

"Kiri? You okay bro?" Kaminari asked as they stood in line for their lunch food. "You've been extremely spaced out all day, did something happen?" It wasn’t normal for Kirishima to not at least try and crack a few jokes, so when he had barely even spoken three sentences... his friend had gotten worried.

The redhead looked up to his friend, getting pulled out of his daze a little too quickly. "What? Yeah, I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" Kirishima asked, flashing one of his signature smiles, but it didn't quite reach his eyes like it usually did, and the blond could tell. Kaminari gave him a look that seemed to say, 'yeah right, you're not okay.' "Okay fine, maybe I'm not completely okay," Kirishima admitted, looking down at the floor.

“So what’s bothering you?” He asked, tilting his head to the side a little.

"Can we talk about it after we get our food?" Kirishima asked, he didn't need anyone else listening in on their conversation. If someone heard... it didn't matter if UA was generally really good when it came to queer kids, Kirishima didn’t know what he would do if it got out that he had the biggest crush on the most explosive person in the school.

Kaminari smiled a little, "sure thing." They got their food and Kirishima led his friend out of the cafeteria to talk. He made sure that they were far enough away that no one would hear them before turning a corner and sitting against the wall. "So what's got you all down in the dumps? Girl troubles?" Kaminari asked jokingly.

Kirishima stared at him for a moment. "It's not girl troubles, Kaminari, I'm gay," he told him. Had he not told Kaminari, one of his closest friends, that he was gay?

Kaminari's face went red with embarrassment, "man I got to stop assuming this stuff, first Mina and now you, totally cool with it though don't get me wrong," Kaminari started to ramble. "Anyways what was it?"

Kirishima took out the box from his pocket. "I was going to confess today," he muttered, handing the small box over to his friend.

Kaminari took the box and turned it over a couple times in his hand. It was wrapped in shiny orange and black wrapping paper, though there was about half a roll of tape trying to hold it together. 'Be my Valentine?' had been written across the top in sharpie. You could tell he was trying to keep it neat, though it didn't work. "So what happened?"

——

Bakugo had noticed that Kirishima had been acting strangely after that morning, though he couldn't figure out why. It was almost like the redhead was avoiding him. No nagging for him to hang out with the self-proclaimed “Bakusquad” no arm being randomly thrown over his shoulder, no “Bakubro!” Being yelled, while he tried to do his work. It was too quiet.

When he noticed Kirishima and Kaminari leaving the cafeteria instead of sitting with their friends like usual, Bakugo got even more suspicious. He couldn’t remember a day that the two didn’t sit with the others, so he went to investigate.

He left enough space between them so the two in front wouldn't notice they were being followed. When they turned the corner and sat against the wall, Bakugo waited just on the other side to listen in.

No, Bakugo was not one to usually eavesdrop, but he wanted to know what was going on. Though he may not say it, Kirishima was his best friend, and maybe even more than that to the blond. He wanted to make sure Kirishima was okay.

"So, what's got you all down in the dumps? Girl troubles?" Kaminari's voice came.

Bakugo couldn't imagine Kirishima having girl troubles, it just didn't make sense to him. He didn’t know if it was because the redhead had never shown much interest in any girls or if it was because Bakugo thought Kirishima was nearly perfect in every way, having girl troubles just didn’t fit with his character.

There was a small silence, "It's not girl troubles, Kaminari, I'm gay."

Bakugo was shocked to say that least, though that would explain why he never showed any interest in girls like Kaminari or some of the other boys in their class had. He would not have pegged Kirishima as gay. But he couldn't help but feel happy about that.

Kaminari began rambling about something before asking again what was happening.

"I was rejected," Kirishima said. He sounded hurt, he sounded broken, he sounded like it was going to take years to build him back up again.

"By who?" Kaminari asked with a bit of worry in his voice.

"Well, it wasn't direct, but he made it clear that he didn't have time for a relationship," Kirishima muttered almost too quiet for Bakugo to hear.

"Who was it?" Kaminari asked again. His answer was too quiet for Bakugo. But whatever he said shocked Kaminari. "What? Him? He’s so... How?"

"Oh shut up," Kirishima said. Bakugo imagined him rolling his eyes. "He's not that bad," he continued. "I just, can't get his words out of my head.”

"What'd he say?"

"Just that he didn't have time for relationships, and that he had to focus on school."

The words began to click in Bakugo's head. If he wasn't trying to stay hidden right now he would be cursing at himself for being so stupid and saying something like that in front of Kirishima. He realized the way he turned down that girl made him think there was no chance when in reality Bakugo had turned her down because he liked Kirishima in a way he's never liked, anyone. This explosive Pomeranian was gay as well for his best friend.

He had to find a way to make it up to him somehow, make sure he knows that he still had a chance... but how?

"Well, he's a dick for saying that," Kaminari said. "Well, he's a dick in general-

"Kami," Kirishima cut him off, not very amused. "I'm not in the mood for that right now," He muttered.

"Right, sorry," Kaminari said.

Bakugo had heard enough and went back to the cafeteria. "I'm so fucking stupid," he muttered under his breath.

——

When school ended, Kirishima was going to head straight home. All his friends had plans so there was no point in going anywhere else, that is until he was yanked aside by the explosive blond he had been avoiding all day.

"Bakugo what are you-"

"Shut up and follow me Shitty Hair," Bakugo grumbled, pulling at Kirishima's arm for him to follow.

Kirishima stayed quiet and followed Bakugo around to the side of the school. He wasn't sure what to expect but what happened next was not it.

Bakugo stopped and turned to Kirishima. Staring at the ground he started talking. "I fucking messed up and I feel like fucking shit for saying what I said so I..." he trailed off. Shoving his hand in his pocket he pulled out a slightly wrinkled card. "JUST FUCKING READ THIS," Bakugo said shoving the card in Kirishima's hand.

Kirishima was shocked and looked down at the card. It had originally said "to Shitty Hair" in Bakugo's handwriting but then it was crossed out and replaced with "to Kirishima Eijiro."

He looked up at the blond confused. "Just fucking read it," Bakugo grumbled, a small blush crossing his cheeks as he continued staring at the ground, his hands finding their way back in his pockets.

Opening the card Kirishima read out loud. "'I don't have time for a stupid girlfriend, but maybe I can make time for a stupid shitty-haired boyfriend?' Bakugo what is th-" he was cut off by Bakugo grabbing his shirt caller and pulling him into a rough kiss.

Kirishima was too shocked to do anything. The note he was holding fell to the ground and he wasn't sure where to put his hands.

"Just shut up, I heard you talking with sparky, I'm sorry you thought I didn't want a relationship," Bakugo muttered when he pulled away. "I'm gonna sound fucking cheese and you're not allowed to tell anyone I said this, but you're the only person I can imagine being with."

Kirishima was shocked, taking a long moment to process what he was being told before a huge grin formed across his lips. He let out a small laugh before pulling Bakugo back into a kiss.

"You're the only person I can imagine being with too, Bakugo," Kirishima said pulling away slightly and resting his forehead on Bakugo's. "Even if you are loud and explosive," he laughed.

"So? Will you be my Valentine?" He sounded so cheese saying that, but honestly, at that moment, he couldn't care less.

"Of course, Bakugo Katsuki, of course," Kirishima said smiled. "Oh, I almost forgot, I have this for you," he said pulling back and taking a small box out of his pocket.

Bakugo took the box, looking up at Kirishima a little confused. The redhead motioned for Bakugo to open the box and unwrapped it before sliding the top off. The blond found a pack of cinnamon candy hearts, pokey and... "dog tags?" Bakugo asked pulling out the long chain that had two of what looked like military dog tags dangling from it.

Kirishima looked a little flustered. "I knew you weren't big on jewellery, but I thought you'd like these so I got them custom ordered," he explained. "One has your name and the other has mine. I-it's fine if you don't like it, I just wanted to get you something special."

Without a word, Bakugo slipped it on over his head and tucked it into his shirt. "Stop rambling. It's cool," Bakugo said, a light shade of pink on his cheeks as his eyes drifted to the side. Kirishima smiled. "I feel bad I didn't get you anything," Bakugo muttered.

"W-well it's not necessary, I just wanted to do something and-"

"I know," Bakugo said cutting Kirishima off. "You're free tonight, right?" He asked. Somehow Bakugo seemed a lot calmer and somehow softer as well. "I'll take you to dinner."

Kirishima's cheeks burned. "Y-you don't have to," Kirishima said. "R-really."

"I want to," Bakugo said. "Come on Kiri, I'll walk you home so you can get changed."

Bakugo started walking off and it took Kirishima a moment to register what just happened and follow. "R-right!" He said running a little to catch up.

He was happy it all worked out.

[writethehousedown]

ornaments. [Trixya] - meggie

A/N: It seems only fitting that I sneak a Trixya fic in here considering my very first Drag Race piece was a Trixya Christmas bit I wrote last year.

This drabble comes from a Baker!Trixie/CollegeProfessor!Katya AU that I’m working on and hope to have out sometime in the spring (life permitting). There have been a few snippets for SSS and other things like that, but this is an outtake from way post the end of that story (spoiler alert: it’s a happy ending).

Thank you to beanie (Trixya queen) for being the literal best and reading it over for me (and volunteering to help me with Trixya in general; I’m basically dying of excitement; you don’t even know). You da real MVP and I adore you.

It’s their first tree in their first apartment together.

Of course Trixie just wants to use the three-foot Pepto Bismol pink tinsel tree she’s had since college, but Katya thinks they should buy a new one, a better one, one they can make their own, in a totally gay way.

Katya’s never cared much for Christmas, could honestly take it or leave it most years, but Trixie loves it and she’s been talking about their first Christmas together in their apartment for months, so maybe Katya wants to make it special. She may not feel strongly about Christmas, but she does feel strongly about Trixie and that’s enough to make her want to make it a special holiday.

Katya decides she can live with the pink monstrosity in their bedroom (tucked into the corner where it will make Trixie smile when she wakes up and goes to sleep every night). On the first weekend after Halloween, though, they go to the craft store together and pick out a six-foot, pre-lit white tree and three boxes or ornaments (one box of pink because it’s Trixie’s favorite color; one box of red because it’s Katya’s favorite color; and one box of silver because they feel like it will tie it all together).

It looks a little bit like gay Valentine’s Day threw up on their tree with the multicolored strands of light and all the pink and red, but Katya loves it because it’s something she shares with Trixie, and they sit together on the couch in the glow of the tree every night, pressing kisses into one another’s foreheads.

It’s December 11th and Katya has had just about all she can handle of retail holiday hell when she sees the ornament hanging in the window of the Hallmark store. 

She hadn’t even planned to stop at the mall, but there was an amazing sale on Trixie’s favorite makeup brand at Sephora, and Katya knew she could get three times the product if she just sucked it up and stopped by after her last class of the day.

The ornament is blown glass, a delicate pink cupcake base decorate with heaps of even lighter pink icing sparkling with extra fine glitter. It looks almost exactly like the thousands of pink velvet cupcakes that Trixie has placed in the display cases in the year and a half Katya has known (and loved) her. It looks almost good enough to eat. 

Katya’s breath catches in her throat and she immediately walks into the store and buys the ornament. She says yes when the clerk asks her if she wants it gift wrapped even though there’s no way she’s waiting until Christmas to give this to Trixie.

*

That night, when they’re snuggled together on the couch, Dolly Parton singing about a “Hard Candy Christmas” in the background, Katya clears her throat and sits up. 

“I bought you something today.”

Trixie’s nose crinkles in confusion and she brushes her hair out of her face. “It’s not Christmas for another two weeks.”

“It doesn’t have to be Christmas for me to buy you a present,” Katya says, crossing from her place on the couch and grabbing the small box from her work bag on the entry table.

Trixie blushes a little and smiles as she sits up because Katya knows that she does like being spoiled even though she’ll never admit it.

Katya watches in anticipation as Trixie opens the gift, making short work of the expertly gift wrapped box. She’s gentle, but she’s impatient, so it isn’t long before the box with the ornament placed safely inside is sitting in her palm, and Trixie is gazing at it, her mouth open in a tiny ‘O’ of surprise, her eyes bright.

“Babe…” she whispers in the tree-lit room. “I love it.”

Katya bites back a smile. “I bought myself one too.” She pulls another, unwrapped, box from behind her back. “Yours is a cupcake, mine’s a paint palette. Get it? ‘Cause art. And you’re a baker.”

“I get it.” Trixie nods and looks up from the ornament for the first time. Tears glisten in her wide brown eyes. “Ornaments for the tree that represent us. Because it’s our first Christmas together.”

Katya nods. “I thought we could make sort of a tradition out of it… If you wanted. Like maybe each year we exchange ornaments when we put up the tree? If you want?”

It had seemed like such a good idea in the Hallmark store, with the rows and rows of ornaments spread out in front of her; Katya could have chosen at least ten that perfectly represented Trixie. That’s how she had come up with the idea in the first place. But now that she’s actual said it out loud to her, brought up the idea… She’s doubting everything.

Trixie extends her arms, wraps them tightly around Katya’s neck and pulls her close for a kiss. “That’s the sweetest, most romantic thing I’ve ever heard in my miserable life. I can’t believe a wretched old hag like you thought of something that pure.”

Katya lets out a laugh, chaotic and unbridled, one that only Trixie can bring out of her because she spent so many years hiding that part of herself away.

They kiss again, then Katya takes Trixie’s hand and escorts her to the tree where together they hang their ornaments amidst the amalgamation of red and pink. 

“I thought you hated Christmas,” Trixie breathes against Katya’s mouth as they embrace in front of the tree.

Katya shrugs. “I love you. And you know what they say: love changes people. I guess that means even old Grinches like me.”

Trixie smiles. “Did your heart grow three sizes today?”

“Oh, that happened when I met you, baby. Christmas had nothing to do with it. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

[erin-gilberts]

Bc It’s such a good post will you answer all the cafe asks?

Yessss totally! 

Vanilla Chai Latte : Are you in love?

Yes, wholeheartedly and unapologetically, I am. 

My girlfriend and I have only been together for two months, but it’s one of those things where when you know, you know. I’ve been in relationships lasting upwards of a year where I still didn’t know at the end of them whether or not I was in love. Early on in the year, I was actually even having conversations with my mom about how I wasn’t sure I’d ever been in love; I had no concept of what that felt like. I didn’t feel like I was feeling what I was supposed to be in relationships. I wondered if I was aromantic and if I wasn’t meant to experience romantic love.

With her, I’ve realized everything love IS supposed to feel like, and I’ve realized I AM capable of feeling those feelings - I just hadn’t met the right person yet. My heart was waiting for her. 

We daydream of the life we intend to build together, and it delights me to be able to wake up every day and choose her, again and again, as we run boldly and breathlessly into the future we now share. We totally u-hauled but we’re both so committed to blooming and becoming together; it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before despite having quite a bit of experience in relationships. 

Flat White : Coffee or Tea?

Coffee. It feels more substantial to me with more ways to customize it exactly how you like it. I also just have a lot of really positive memories being in coffee shops! I’m currently obsessing over Starbucks’s seasonal salted caramel mocha. 

Cappuccino : What’s your middle name?

Elizabeth! I was named after my mother and grandmother, so it’s the only part of my birth name I kept when I changed my name. 

Mocha : Dream Job?

A famous professional organizer on the same level as Marie Kondo and Dorothy Breininger! They’re my inspiration and the reason I went into this kind of work. Also, the executive director of my own LGBT-focused nonprofit (which I have been, and I intend to be again!). 

Pumpkin Spice : Dream car?

The super fancy bike I’ll use the day I ride in the AIDS LifeCycle? Haha, I don’t drive and I don’t intend to! 

Jasmine Tea : If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Ugh, if I could visit any place in the world right this moment, I’d choose to go back to Toronto in a heartbeat. I went there in 2015 for the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival and I LOVED that city. It was so fun and the people were so welcoming. Other than that? Moscow, because it’s where @googoogojob lives, or New York City, because I just learned Hook & Ladder 8 (the Ghostbusters firehouse) is a real place and I want to see it! 

Old English : You’re stranded on an island, who do you bring with you?

Do I have a limit?? If I have a choice, I’m definitely bringing my mom, brother, maternal grandparents, best friend, best friend’s family, cat, and girlfriend! That’s like the minimum amount of people in my life I couldn’t go without. 

Iced Chocolate : Do you have a crush on someone?

My girlfriend, who I continually redevelop a big gay crush on every day! But I feel like that’s not quite the spirit of what this question is asking, so - I also have a big gay crush on Kristen Wiig, which my girlfriend endlessly makes fun of me for! Like, to the point I named my cat Erin Gilbert. 

Caramel Frappe : Favorite video game?

It’s a tie between Minecraft and Undertale. I swing wildly between playing Minecraft daily to not playing for months, but it never gets old. The sandbox nature of the game enables infinite creativity, and the low stakes make it both accessible to me (not a gamer) and relaxing. And Undertale with its story and unique mechanics remains to this day the game to inspire the biggest emotional response in me. I’ve thought about having, “Despite everything, it’s still you” tattooed. 

Iced Lemon Tea : Favorite song/band?

My favorite songs of all time are “The Greatest” by Sia and “I Know a Place” by MUNA, both of which were written in the aftermath of the Pulse shooting and can be interpreted as the process of rediscovering queer joy at the same time your community is constantly faced with tragedy and pain. They hit hard in a beautiful way as a hate crime survivor. 

Iced Cafe Mocha : Favorite thing to do on rainy days?

I like to go out as soon as the storm passes and just walk downtown in the rain. The air always smells and feels so good; it clarifies me and I feel renewed. Walking in the light rain or before / after the storm always feels like breathing, really breathing, for the first time. It reminds me I exist and it reminds me that’s neat. 

Hot Chocolate : Are you an affectionate person?

Yessssss oh my god. I live and breathe being affectionate and not even in a strictly romantic sense. I’m naturally an exuberant person and I delight in making people happy. My girlfriend would also say I engage in “cat behavior” with my demands to be held or touching constantly. XD 

Caramel Macchiato : You’re travelling the entire world but you can only take one person with you. Who do you take?

My girlfriend @sweetmckinnon. Not only would we have the unprecedented opportunity to be gay in every country and continent, but we’re both writers, and we’d write an excellent book about these adventures! 

Green Tea : How tall are you?

5’7. 

Early Grey Tea : The inevitable Zombie Apocalypse is upon us! What’s your plan of action?

I’m rounding up everyone I care about and taking us to the nearest commune of marginalized people. We’ll be avoiding those uber-macho survivalist types like the plague, because their arrogance will 100% get everyone killed. At least marginalized communities would be more likely to understand working together and looking out for the community, not just yourself. 

Mint Tea : How do you relax?

Indoor cycling is my drug of choice. It’s HARD to be mad or stressed when you’re exerting that intensely. I might also write self-indulgent fanfics or indulge in a little controlled chaos (I’m an acrylic pour and collage artist). And talking to my girlfriend, best friend, or mom always makes me feel better, too. 

Vanilla Latte : Board games or drinking games?

I genuinely love board games and wish I had more people to play them with. 

Iced Coffee : Do you like reading? If so, what’s your favorite book?

I like reading, but having ADHD has made it extremely hard to read entire books in recent years. My favorite book is probably The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. The author takes what’s already a horrific story and a dark chapter in American history and with her devastating writing style, humanizes each woman involved to the point it makes you ache to read knowing the inevitability of their fate. Anytime anyone asks me for a book recommendation, this is the book I suggest. 

Italian Soda : Describe your dream date

My dream date would be after we’ve been together for a while - maybe on a date that’s special to us, like our anniversary, or maybe just on a random night because we feel like it, we have one of those super romantic dates like you see in the movies. We dress up super cute, go out to dinner and come home to a bedroom full of candles and rose petals on the floor, and every moment is spent just enjoying each other and what we have together in every way we can. <3 

Sparkling Water : Describe what qualities you look for in a person

Passion - I’m an activist who became the executive director of their own nonprofit at the age of 16. I’m not going to mesh with someone who’s just going through the motions of life without any aspirations. 

Flexibility - It’s a turnoff for me when someone is EXTREMELY committed to a very specific view of how their life is going to be. It tells me right away I’m going to have to continually contort myself to fit into their unbending path, because I accept I can’t predict the direction of my life with any degree of precision and I’m not rigid about it as a result. 

Creative - I’m currently dating another writer and it’s the most fun I’ve ever had in a relationship. The quickest way to get us to pop off into a spirited debate is to get us started about story structure and characterization. We. Go. OFF. And could go off for days. Our shared creative passion gives us endless ground to connect and bond on. 

Those are just a few, but definitely a few important ones for me! 

Orange Juice : Have you ever had a valentine?

My first girlfriend, who I dated from 12-17, is the only valentine I’ve ever had. The timing of my relationships as an adult has never worked out for me to be partnered on Valentine’s Day. We weren’t super out about our relationship at the time and didn’t spend Valentine’s Day together, but I still have the love letters she sent me copied into my 7th grade diary, and I still have the antique gold heart necklace with enamel roses she gave me one year, too! Lots of lovely memories from that relationship. 

Rose Hip Tea : Describe your first kiss

My first girlfriend and I were 12-13, cutting class in the bathroom because she was often bullied for her sexuality. She was having an especially rough day that day and I knew exactly where to find her. She kissed me out of the blue while I was comforting her and in all of my baby gay naivety, I hadn’t fully realized I was gay or that she liked me that way prior to that. Turns out I was and she did. We dated for five years. 

Herbal Tea : You’re at a candle shop, what scented candle do you buy?

Oh, I’m going right to the bakery scent section. I’m not a huge fan of chocolate-scented candles, but vanilla? Christmas cookies? Gingerbread? Sign me the FUCK up. 

Sandalwood is also one of my favorite scents, but depending on what it’s blended with, it can be hit or miss for me in candles. 

[basic-cable]

Fic Rec Bingo

I saw this making the rounds on Twitter and decided I’d like to try it (mostly because I enjoy going back through my list and reminiscing about the ones I love but haven’t read in a while), but didn’t feel like Twitter was the best place to post mine. I’ve got both Dreamwidth and Pillowfort, but I haven’t really used them. This is probably the kind of thing that should go there, so maybe I’ll post it there, too. We’ll see. 

Anyway, I only read in four fandoms, so maybe my recs will be boring to most people. But they’re good stories, and maybe there are even some people out there who haven’t read them. 

I don’t expect any reblogs or anything, but maybe people will see it and decide they’d like to take part, and then there will be more fic recs out there making the world a better place.

I put them under a cut because the descriptions and stuff take up so much space.

1. A fic you love without knowing the source material Take the Pieces and Build them Skywards by quarterturn Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 44,816 ** Explicit ** Character Death Gerard's not happy with his life, but that doesn't mean he's particularly thrilled when he wakes up dead. To add insult to injury, he finds out that instead of crossing over, he's been chosen to join the ranks of the grim reapers. Things get more complicated when he falls for one of the living, a waiter named Frank Iero. And just when everything finally seems to be falling into place, Frank's name shows up on the list of souls to be reaped. Loosely based on the TV show Dead Like Me.

I don’t know anything about the TV show Dead Like Me; when I first read this fic in 2009, I had never even heard of it. I’ve wondered since then if I like it even better because I don’t know anything about the source material, but I’ll never know.It made me laugh and cry; it’s an emotional roller coaster, and I love it.

2. A fic with a premise that shouldn’t work but does

An Inexplicable Occurrence of Angels by stele3

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 35,192 ** PG-13 ** No Warnings

I've messed with the band timeline, clearly. This is set in summer of 2005... but it ain't the Summer of Like. This is a story about second chances and gutting through your own failures, but never letting them defeat you. Take that, bitches.

Frank (Frank!) is a literal angel, okay, but there is not a thing I don’t love about this story. It’s angsty but still manages to be cute and charming as fuck, and the characterization is great.

3. A fic you’ve reread several times

Seeds by thesardine

Sherlock ** Gen, supposedly ** 5,475 ** PG-13 ** No Warnings

In a fit of boredom Sherlock plants some seeds, may or may not eat one cracker, and definitely waxes dramatic on the sofa for a while.

Sherlock struggles with a bit of depression caused by boredom, and accidentally discovers a hobby he slowly learns to allow himself to enjoy. I love this a lot; the author takes us into Sherlock’s headspace, so you’re painfully aware just how much he needs a distraction, and how much better off he is with John in his life.

4. A fic you still remember many years later

In Care Of by Fangs_Fawn

Harry Potter ** Gen ** 45,319 ** PG-13 ** Child Abuse

During the summer before sixth year, Harry finds an injured bat in the garden and decides to try to heal it...and an unwilling Snape learns just what kind of a person Harry Potter really is.

Between the Dursleys getting what’s coming to them, and the redemption of Harry, Snape, and Dumbledore in each others’ eyes, this story has really stuck with me through the years.

5. A comfort fic

Nature and Nurture by earlgreytea68

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 203,273 ** Mature ** No Warnings

The British Government accidentally clones Sherlock Holmes. Which brings a baby to 221B Baker Street.

Thousands of words of fluff. Literally. There’s not a lot of conflict in this story, which makes it a great comfort fic when your mind is too busy or real life is too depressing.

6. A cathartic fic

The Quiet Man by ivyblossom

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 157,369 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

"Do you just carry on talking when I'm away?"

Post-Reichenbach John is walking the line between fantasy and reality, choosing to stay with the Sherlock in his head rather than deal with the reality where he no longer exists. He eventually manages to attempt a normal life, but he’s bored and basically sleepwalking through his days, so when Sherlock finally reveals himself, it’s the best kind of relief. They go after the last remnants of Moriarty’s web, in hopes of a second chance at the life they should have had together.

7. A fic you’d print and put on your bookshelf

Saving Sherlock Holmes by earlgreytea68

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John Mycroft/Greg ** 139,494 ** Mature ** Underage

Okay. So. This was literally supposed to be, like, three or four chapters as a prologue to the show. Sort of a "what happened in the Holmes childhoods to make them the way they are today." That's why it's set in the time period it is, because I thought I was eventually going to leave them to go on to the show. And then...I got a bit carried away and thought, Here I have established the two young Holmes boys. Now what happens if, instead of making them wait twenty years, I give them everything they need to fix themselves right now? Forty-three chapters later, you have this story.

To be honest, I would like to have most of my favorite fics in book form, with actual pages, that I could pluck from my actual shelf and sit and read without the glare of a screen between us. But I do enjoy the feel of this story, and I do believe it would make a good actual book.

8. A fic you associate with a song

Unholyverse by bexless

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 186,764 ** Explicit ** Violence & Character Death

“He thinks I have stigmata,” Frank said, because what the fucking hell, it couldn’t get any worse. He might as well just lay it out.

“Oh, well,” said Brian into his hands. “Of course.”

Every time I so much as think about this series, MCR’s Heaven Help Us starts playing in my head.

9. A fic that inspires you

Turn by Saras_Girl

Harry Potter ** Harry/Draco ** 306,708 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

One good turn always deserves another. Apparently.

Frankly, I love every single thing this author has ever churned out, but this one is my very favorite. Harry gets a glimpse into what his life could have been, and a chance to make big changes he desperately needs. 

10. A fic that brought you on board a new ship

So, So Fucked by Anonymous

Bandom ** Pete/Patrick ** 12,565 ** Mature ** No Warnings

Pete accidentally "outs" himself and Patrick on Good Morning America. Only problem? They're not gay. What now?

I was reading strictly in Harry Potter at the time, and wasn’t interested in bandom at all, but my best friend was doing betas for someone who was writing in bandom, and she ended up getting into it and then wrote this one, and kept calling me about it to bounce ideas around, and the story was so cute, and Pete and Patrick were so cute, and I suddenly found myself totally invested. Honestly I think it may have been one of the best things that ever happened to me.

11. A fic you wish could be a movie

The Anatomy of a Fall by novembersmith

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 107,525 ** Explicit ** Violence & Character Death

The unholy union of a high school AU and a ghost story. Gerard's life takes a strange turn when his family moves to a small town in Vermont and he discovers the locals aren't all what they seem to be. Also includes: unexpected nature walks, murder, pining, improper treatment of crime scenes, a number of bone-related puns, high school bullies, and a short-range shrub named Ferdinand.

This story has excellent imagery that I think would work really well on the big screen. Plus I can’t even hear the name of it without my heart doing flip-flops.

12. A fic that led to you making friends with the author

Seven ficlets for Valentine’s Day Part VII by RedOrchid

Bandom ** GSF ** 1,042 ** Mature? ** No Warnings

Panic-as-cleaning-equipment-AU Valentine's Day GSF.

I technically don’t have a fic for this bingo square, but this one comes close, I guess. The author was already in my larger circle of friends, but we didn’t actually talk to each other? She wrote this crack ficlet around the same time we started talking to each other more, and I still vividly remember it because of the genius involved in turning band boys into literal cleaning equipment. The line “Ryan bristled” has stuck with me to this day.

13. free space

Elf ‘Verse by mokuyoubi

Bandom ** GSF ** 103,247 ** Explicit ** Underage

Modern AU where Ryan is a famous poet, and he and Spencer are fiercely private and insular and stupidly co-dependent until Jon shows up and effortlessly breaks down all their walls.

Or

Wherein Brendon and Frank are Christmas elves who, inspired by Will Farrell movies, venture into the real world to become rock stars. Or something of that nature.

I’ve got a lot of love for this universe for various reasons, but it’s also fun and heartwarming and honestly, I don’t really need anything else.

14. A fic you’ve gushed about irl

Harry Potter and the Battle of Wills by Jocelyn (and her mum)

Harry Potter ** Mostly Gen ** 137,385 ** Basically PG-13 ** Character Death

Harry mourns his godfather as the war finally begins in earnest, bringing tragedy and new struggles for all those on the side of Good. If they hope to win, all quarrels must be set aside, new alliances must be forged, and Harry Potter must find the courage to face down dark wizards, his own emotions, and a destiny he did not choose. Snape blows his cover as a spy to save Harry from Voldemort.

This begins after Order of the Phoenix, and the story and characters read more like canon than any other HP fic I’ve read, so because of that and because it’s so, so good, I like to rec this one to people who are new to fandom.

15. A fic you associate with a place

Stately Homes of Wiltshire by waspabi

Harry Potter ** Harry/Draco ** 57,582 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

Malfoy Manor has mould, dry rot and an infestation of unusually historical poltergeists. Harry Potter is on the case.

Wiltshire! I’ve never actually been there, but this author is really good about details. The story is also lovely and funny.

16. A fic that made you gasp out loud

Home is a Name by Arsenic

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 39,314 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

MCR Clinic of Love. Companion fic to Wednesday Night Boys.

Okay, so this one is actually a sequel, and the first installment, Wednesday Night Boys, should 100% be read first. It must be said, though, that while the sequel doesn’t have any warnings, Wednesday Night Boys is about the Panic! kids as prostitutes, and has warnings for graphic violence, rape/non-con, and underage sex. The MCR guys work at the free clinic, and Home is a Name focuses on them. They’re honestly both gorgeous stories.

17. A fic you found at the right time

real or not real by thearkdelinquents

Anne with an E ** Anne/Gilbert ** 11,587 ** PG ** No Warnings

“I could do it.” Gilbert said, looking straight ahead.

Anne stopped. “What?”

He turned to look at her; they were just outside Green Gables now. “I could do it. I could court you.”

“What- We- You- I- You don’t like me like that.” Anne sputtered.

Gilbert smirked at her. “Well we could pretend. I could court you and be your fake boyfriend.”

For one of the few times in her life, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert was speechless.

-

a fake dating fic but it's basically just a shirbert To All The Boys I Loved Before au.

I really, really loved Anne with an E. When the final season was released, I spent a weekend binge-watching the entire show, and then it was over and I was bereft, so I decided to see what was available on Ao3, and I found this, and it was exactly what I needed. And now I have another fandom.

18. A fic that you would read fic of

Left by lifeonmars

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 45,153 ** Mature ** No Warnings

John Watson is left-handed.

He’s tried not to let it affect his life, but as any Lefty knows, that’s almost impossible.

In this universe, all right-handed people have some kind of power, or ‘knack’, most of which are mild and easily categorized. Sherlock’s is rare and believed to be the only one like it in the world. John is left-handed, part of the 10% of the population without a knack. I would read all kinds of fics of this fic.

19. A fic that made you laugh out loud

What to do When Your Flatmate is Homicidal by hyacinth_sky747

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 58,650 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

Sherlock takes Molly's advice when dealing with his dangerous flatmate.

Heartwarming and hilarious. I laughed a lot.

20. A fic with a line (or two) that you’ve memorised by heart

A Necessary Requirement by Bexless

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 3,759 ** Mature ** No Warnings

Right, here is the extremely silly storylet I wrote BY HAND on holiday. On PAPER. With a PEN. My god. The things I do when I'm separated from my beloved net. It is set during the Summer of Like (Warped '05, for those of you who don't know) and is basically a product of my reaction to various pictures of Gerard groping himself on stage, which led to me obsessing about his dick and what it might look like. As usual, I chose to work this obsession out through Frank.

This fic could have gone to multiple other squares, but I am not usually the kind of person who can quote lines from things, and I have many lines from this story committed to memory. I’ve read it multiple times, because I read it every time I need a pick-me-up or a good laugh. Or if I’ve read something scary and I need something lighter before I can actually get up and move around my house...

21. A fic that gave you butterflies

Pretty Much A Sex God by adellyna

Bandom ** Spencer/Jon ** 3,985 ** PG-13 ** No Warnings

Jon and Spencer’s first date.

The Jon in this story is so soft and warm and fluffy and his character makes my heart and stomach do weird things.

22. A fic that embodies something you value in life

A Marauder’s Plan by CatsAreCool (Rachel500)

Harry Potter ** Harry/Hermione ** 865,520 ** PG13 ** Violence/Death/Underage

What if Sirius decided to stay in England and deliver on his promise to raise Harry instead of hiding somewhere sunny? Changes abound with that one decision...

ALSO

Harry’s New Home by kbinnz

Harry Potter ** Gen ** 318,389 ** PG-13 ** Abuse

One lonely little boy. One snarky, grumpy git. When the safety of one was entrusted to the other, everyone knew this was not going to turn out well... Or was it? AU, sequel to "Harry's First Detention". 

In these two stories, Sirius and Severus throw everything they have into creating the best possible world for Harry, as he is their number one priority, because that is exactly how parenthood should be. 

23. A favourite AU

Performance In a Leading Role by Mad_Lori

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 156,714 ** Explicit ** No Warnings

Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world?

This has got quite a bit of schmoop, which isn’t usually my thing, but this story is so, so good, and I always love stories that describe Sherlock realizing and appreciating how extraordinary John is.

24. A fic you stayed up too late to finish reading

Collared by VelvetMace

Sherlock ** Sherlock/John ** 83,028 ** Explicit ** Violence & Rape/Non-Con

In a world where the British Empire is still strong and slavery is her economic backbone, John has become a terrorist for the abolitionist movement. He is caught by Mycroft, enslaved, and given to Sherlock for training. The goal: To test a new kind of slave collar with the power to break even the strongest willed fighter. One that will make even John learn to love being a slave.

Dubious consent, and humiliation. I remember staying up very late reading this one, even though I had to work early the next morning. I just couldn’t put it down. 

25. A fic that made you feel seen

Buy Handmade by jjtaylor

Bandom ** Frank/Gerard ** 18,755 ** Mature ** No Warnings

He knows something else is going to happen; his life isn't always going to be this. He just doesn't know what has to happen for that change to come, for him to wake up and become an artist with an Etsy page and a home studio, and to never have to see a cubicle again.

This is the story of my heart. I have felt Frankie’s feelings and thought his thoughts, and I love that he does something about it, and I love Gerard so, so much. I first read this in 2009, and my love for it has never wavered. I could have used this one for a good half of the bingo squares, but it’s the only one that could go here.

[antiadvil]

We’re Getting Married!

PG13, 2.8k

video title: We’re Getting Married! uploaded: December 8, 2019 by AmazingPhil Description: We talk about our relationship with each other, our audience, and appropriate creator/audience boundaries. Sorry we couldn’t find a wedding venue that would fit three million people!

read more or read on ao3

A/N: *** indicates a jump cut. this is filmed in Phil’s bedroom bc in an imagined universe with joint content I can fulfill all my nostalgic fantasies oh also warning for discussion of the vday video if you're not into that

“Hey guys! Today I’m here with a very special surprise guest-”

Dan’s voice interrupted Phil from off camera. "Are you not going to put me in the thumbnail?"

Phil laughed. "I mean, probably."

"So I'm not much of a surprise."

"I guess not. Anyway, we have a special announcement-"

"Phil. They read the title. Why do your video intros always assume no one reads your titles?"

"Hey! I haven't decided what I’m going to title it yet."

Dan came into frame and flopped onto the bed with him. "Sure you haven't. You know exactly what will get this video the maximum number of clicks, you goddamn-"

Phil threw his hand over Dan’s mouth. “Stop.”

He yanked it back almost immediately. “Did you just lick me?”

Dan smiled. “Maybe.”

“You’re disgusting. I’m going to go wash my hands with bleach,” Phil said, climbing off of his bed.

“Can you bring me a glass of water?” Dan called after him. “I’m thirsty.”

Phil called something back. It was entirely bleeped out.

***

“Count of three,” Phil said. “One, two, three-”

“We’re getting married!” Dan’s normally large hand gestures were carefully constrained by the glass of water in his right hand.

“Some of you are probably confused-” Phil said.

“Some of you are probably hyperventilating,” Dan interrupted, “And I’d like to say that while you’re valid, get a life that is not vicariously lived through our relationship. Please.”

“So let’s do a bit of background first,” Phil finished. “So I think most of you who follow us know that Dan and I met on the internet in 2009 and then we met up later the same year, which is when we filmed the first Phil is not on fire.”

“What you probably know if you watched my coming out video is that the whole time, we were super gay for each other,” Dan added. “What I didn’t really get into is that we’re still super gay for each other.”

“Wait, we are?”

Dan shrugged, setting his water on Phil’s nightstand. “I mean, I’m still super gay for you.”

Phil frowned. “I don’t know if I’d describe it that way.”

“Well, this is awkward,” Dan muttered.

“Anyway, we’ve been dating ever since then, and we thought we’d give a quick little recap of our relationship for those of you who just got here. So, I already mentioned that we met in 2009-”

“Obligatory disclaimer, we don’t endorse travelling a hundred and fifty miles to meet a guy who’s four years older than you that you met on the internet, even if you were the one who stalked him first.”

“Hey!” Phil laughed.

“But anyway,” Dan continued, “Phil and I met in a public place before going to his house and it turned out he wasn’t an axe murderer, so everything was fine.”

“What would you have done if I was?” Phil asked.

“You know, that’s a really great question. I maybe should have thought a little bit more about that.”

“So, we’re not even five minutes into the video and the biggest takeaway is that you should never have come to meet me?”

Dan nodded. “Our entire relationship was a mistake. I’m sorry, everyone, time to go home.”

“So poor life choices aside, we met in 2009, filmed Phil is not on fire, and just generally hung out a lot.”

“Hung out is one word for what we spent most of our time doing, but since this is Phil’s channel, let’s leave it at that.” Dan winked.

“Hey!”

Dan rolled his eyes. “Look me in the eye and tell me that is not what we spent most of our time together doing.”

“That is not what we spent most of our time doing.”

“Okay then, if you say so-”

“I do-” Phil insisted.

“Then we’ll leave it at that. We visited a lot, but, full disclosure, long distance sucks, which was a big factor in my decision to attend uni in Manchester. You probably already know how that went down.” Dan rolled his eyes.

“Apart from the uni part, though, it was really nice being so close by, so we moved in together in 2011.”

“And then there was what you will probably know as the Valentine’s day video,” Dan said with a grimace.

“Dan and I don’t really feel comfortable discussing the details of that whole thing because that video was very personal to us.”

Dan smiled in Phil’s direction. “I still have a copy.”

“But seriously, if you’re not me or Dan, I’d really appreciate it if you’d remove any copies you’ve posted on the internet and delete any copies you may have saved, out of respect for our privacy.”

“Believe me, I know nothing I can say will make that video disappear. My entire life is just proof that anything you put on the internet is permanent. And there’s nothing anyone can do about it now, but I want people to understand that all the speculation about my sexuality that came up when that video resurfaced really hurt me. Don’t do that. Seriously. If you think a celebrity or a YouTuber or whoever is hiding their sexuality, just let them. You don’t know what’s happening in their lives, and honestly, you’re not entitled to, either.”

Phil nodded. “Also, that was a really hard time for us as a couple as well as personally. I don’t think a lot of people realize the pressure being constantly under a microscope has on a relationship, which is one of the reasons we chose not to share our relationship and why we still don’t feel comfortable sharing everything about it.”

“Which is fine! Neither of us are ashamed of our relationship. We’re not hiding anything. We just aren’t really looking forward to reading newspaper headlines about our relationship, which really doesn’t seem like it should be news. Like, it’s our relationship, not the entire world’s relationship,” Dan explained.

“Really, it seems so weird to us that people even care about it. Like, it’s flattering and all, don’t get me wrong, but it was also a bit scary at first when we weren’t out.”

“It’s like, remember in my coming out video how I mentioned that when that guy said I gave off a bi vibe it really scared me? Having strangers on the internet tell me that my relationship with Phil was obvious was scary when even my parents didn’t know. The shipping was fine. It was mostly the speculation that was scary.”

“But we made it.” Phil put his hand on Dan’s leg and smiled.

Dan smiled back, almost forgetting the camera in the room. “God, there were some days I thought we wouldn’t. But we did. And I love you.”

Phil smiled even wider and swiped at his eyes.

Dan’s smile grew to a smirk. “Are you crying? Oh my god, you are such a dork.”

“Your mum’s a dork,” Phil muttered.

Dan reached for his phone. “I’m telling her you said that.”

“No!” Phil threw his shoulder into Dan’s chest, sending him sprawling against Phil’s bed.

Dan laughed. “Ow. Hey, Siri, call Mu-”

Phil put his hand over Dan’s mouth. “Stop.”

Dan’s phone chirped from the other side of the bed. “Okay. Calling Mum.”

Dan scrambled to reach it. “Oh shit, oh fuck, should I hang up?”

“Dan! You can’t call your mum and then hang up on her.”

“Shut up, rat, this is your fau- Oh, hey, Mum!”

“Hi!” Phil said.

“Oh, hello, Dan! And Phil. Is everything alright?”

“You need to call your mum more often, Dan, if every time she picks up she asks if something’s wrong,” Phil said.

Dan’s mum laughed. 

“Shut up, Phil. No, Mum, nothing’s wrong, just wanted to catch up.”

***

“So, I’m never jokingly asking Siri to call anyone ever again,” Dan said.

“Why? Was calling your mum that horrible?” Phil laughed.

“Shut up, Phil. That was your fault.” 

“Does your mum watch your videos?” Phil asked.

“Not really.”

“I’m sending her a link to this one.”

“I hate you,” Dan said quietly.

“You too.”

***

"Now, Phil, we've been dating for a pretty long time." 

Phil shrugged. "Only like ten years.”

"So, Phil, why did we wait so long for this?"

Phil nodded. "Well, first of all, it wasn't legal for a pretty long time."

"Right. Civil partnerships were a thing in 2004, but I'm lame and traditional, and same sex marriage was only legalized in 2014. That's half of our relationship, for some perspective."

"And, fun fact," Phil added, "Same sex marriage is still illegal in Northern Ireland."

Dan frowned. "That was not a fun fact. That was a very sad fact."

"But it's a true fact," Phil protested.

"Moving on, again!" Dan said. "I also wanted my family to be there, and, well, I'm a mess who didn't even come out to them until like six months ago."

Phil patted Dan's shoulder comfortingly. "You're not a mess."

Dan stared at the camera. "I'm a mess."

"Okay, fine. You're a little bit of a mess."

Dan turned to Phil in mock outrage. “You think I’m a mess?”

“No! I-”

Dan turned back to the camera. “You heard it here, folks. Phil is judging me because I took my time coming out. Phil hates closeted people.”

Phil glared at him. “I’m never agreeing with you ever again.”

“This relationship is off to a great start!”

***

“So back to the original question! Why now, Dan?”

“Well, Phil, now that I’m out to my family we can have a proper wedding, and now that we’re out to our viewers we don’t have to worry about one of our own personal stalkers finding our marriage records.” 

“Also, marriage does come with a lot of cool perks,” Phil added.

“Gotta get those sweet, sweet tax benefits.”

“And that sweet, sweet, societal recognition of our relationship.”

“Also, it makes buying a house and general joint property ownership way simpler, which will make it a lot easier to take all of Phil’s subscribers in the inevitable divorce.”

Phil laughed. “What?”

Dan blinked. “Sorry, I didn’t say anything. Did you hear something?”

“Well, I thought I heard you say you were going to divorce me and take my subscribers.”

Dan shook his head, his expression deeply offended. “Why would I say that? Who would do such a thing?”

Phil stared solemnly at the camera. “Gaslighting is a form of abuse.”

“Thank you for the PSA, Phil.”

“Just documenting the abuse I’m currently suffering under so that I can take all your subscribers in the divorce,” Phil said.

Dan frowned. “Okay, I wasn’t going to say anything, but you sounded really serious just then so I now feel the need to clarify that I am not abusing Phil and also, domestic violence is not funny.”

Phil laughed. “No actual abuse.”

Dan sighed. “We’re terrible people, aren’t we?”

“I mean, we’re not terrible people.”

Dan laughed. “We’re just bad people, with terrible senses of humor. That’s so much better.”

“We can edit it out if-” Phil started.

“I mean, it’s your channel-” Dan said.

They stared at each other for a moment before shrugging in unison. “Whatever,” they said, still in unison.

***

“So, Phil, what’s changing for our viewers?” Dan asked.

“Literally nothing. We’ll be taking a short break from uploading-”

“Which I do all the time! So I doubt you’ll even notice.”

“But we’re not going to change the types of videos we upload. This isn’t a relationship channel.”

Dan winked. “As much as you might want it to be.” 

“Seriously, though. We’re not even changing our names. Nothing’s changing,” Phil assured the camera.

“But in case it wasn’t clear, here are some FAQs.”

Phil pulled out a stack of notecards and put on his best announcer voice. “Are we invited?”

Dan smiled. “No.”

Phil flipped to the next card. “Kiss!”

“That’s not a question, but somehow, the answer is still no.”

Phil laughed. “I think a photo of us kissing would actually break the internet.”

Dan shrugged. “Really, we’re just being kind to your internet providers.”

“Lester-Howell or Howell-Lester?”

“We already answered that, Phil. You really need to screen these questions better, especially since you wrote them.”

“Answer it anyway,” Phil pleaded.

Dan sighed heavily. “Neither. I would never saddle my child with two last names.”

“Child?” Phil turned to the camera with an exaggerated gasp.

Dan smiled. “That’s all you’re getting. Let the fanfiction writing begin.”

Phil paused. “Wait, so whose last name-”

“Honestly, I was just joking because neither of us are changing our names, but if you want to have a Dan versus Phil to see who gets to name our child-”

“I’m good.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Phil turned to the next card. “Wedding photos?”

“Is that a question or a demand? Please don’t hack my hard drive.”

“Top or bottom?”

“There is no way anyone actually thinks we’ll answer that.”

“Probably not.” Phil flipped again. “And last, but definitely not least, why are we telling our viewers?”

“Well, I think it’s safe to say that we’re telling a lot more people than our viewers. But I never had any healthy models for queer relationships when I was a kid, and if I can provide that, I don’t see why not.” Dan’s voice was surprisingly serious.

“Think of us like your parents,” Phil added. “We’re here to show you how healthy relationships work, but we’re not here to show you everything. Partly because we need some privacy and partly because that would be gross.”

Dan was wincing as soon as he heard the word “parents.” “Phil, Phil, please stop. Do not encourage our audience to think of us as their parents. Did you learn nothing from our tumblr tag? Please never say those words again.”

“Fine, I’ll edit them out.”

Dan shook his head. “You said it, Phil. You can’t escape it.”

“Okay, well, at least give another response so I can decide if I want to keep it in,” Phil persuaded, in the soft, natural, voice he normally saved for off camera.

Dan gave an exaggerated sigh. “Honestly, hiding a relationship is just so much work. Especially a marriage. And you guys are total stalkers. Like seriously. Get a life. Please.”

“That’s better! And much more fitting with who our audience is.”

“Phil, I’m the one who gets to insult our fans. You’re the one who says we love them and appreciate them.”

“We do!” Phil insisted.

“Do we?” Dan asked skeptically.

“Yes.” Phil laughed, staring at Dan in disbelief.

“Kidding,” Dan muttered, flashing a smile at the camera. “Please buy my merch.”

Phil sighed. “Danielhowellshop.com?”

Dan smiled. “Also, while you’re at it, check out my good friend Phil’s merch at amazingphilshop.com!”

Phil stared straight at the camera. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

“You know what, we’re such close friends that we also have a joint merch shop, danandphilshop.com. You could begin there, Phil.”

“Is it too early for a divorce?” Phil asked.

“Yes. You’re stuck with me.”

“Am I really?”

“Just think about the tax benefits. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and remember how much money you’re going to save by marrying me.”

Phil shook his head. “It’s not worth it.”

Dan pouted.

***

“For more videos like this-”

“Phil. We’re never making another video like this again.”

“For more videos not like this, click on my face to subscribe to my channel, click on Dan’s face to subscribe to his channel-”

“I have plans to actually upload a video this year-”

“And for our joint channel, click here.” Phil raised their joined hands.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to edit this video, upload it, and disconnect my internet for at least a month.”

Dan turned to Phil. “That’s not a bad idea, actually. I’m not sure I want to open tumblr for the next six years.”

Phil cringed. “Me neither. Guys, please try not to go too crazy. I lost friends over the protip incident of 2016.”

Dan shuddered. “So many people refuse to talk to us now. I’m not even joking.”

“We appreciate the support!” Phil insisted.

“Just like, maybe on our videos instead of completely random ones,” Dan suggested.

Phil nodded. “Anyway, if you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up, or leave a comment. Like I said, Dan and I will be taking a short break from YouTube and social media for the wedding and honeymoon, but we’ll be back soon with plenty of content.”

“I don’t want to see any of your conspiracy theories about how we’re leaving YouTube out there, I promise it’ll only be like a month.”

“And that’s the normal amount of time between two Dan videos,” Phil interjected, “So-”

“Hey! I said I would upload this year.”

Phil smiled. “Never said you wouldn’t.”

***

“Count of three again?” Dan asked.

Phil nodded. “Three, two, one-”

“Goodbye!”

[all-things-lgbtqia]

Why the Nickelodeon Pride Tweet isn’t as Confusing as Everyone Says it is

On June 13, Nickelodeon released the above Tweet featuring rainbow patterns on three Nickelodeon characters: Schwoz Schwartz from Henry Danger, Korra from The Legend of Korra, and, our subject for today’s discussion, SpongeBob from SpongeBob SquarePants. The caption reads, “Celebrating #Pride with the LGBTQ+ community and their allies this month and every month”. This entire Tweet seems to have confused many a media outlet, and even if you know the truth about SpongeBob’s LGBTQIA+ status, you can’t blame the uneducated for being confused. Let’s clear up that confusion, shall we?

First of all, I really feel like the wording on this Tweet was a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, I love my allies, but pride month is about celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community, not our allies. This is kind of like wishing someone and their entire family a happy birthday. Plus, this wording has been the culprit in tripping a lot of people up. One of the ways people have interpreted this post is that SpongeBob is actually an LGBTQIA+ ally, and although I have no doubt SpongeBob would be supportive of his friends if they came out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, etc., I really don’t think that’s Nick’s point. Plus if only three of the characters in their entire pantheon would be considered allies, that would look really bad.

So let’s take a closer look at these characters. That will really clarify the use of all the rainbows. Korra is, of course, bisexual, and this reveal at the very end of the series really [pleasantly] shocked a lot of people. Even though the last episodes premiered online, the creators could only get away with so much if their two female leads kissed onscreen, and although a lot of people see it as a copout today, it’s important to remember that this was the best they could do at the time. LGBTQIA+ representation has, for a long time in media (especially for children), been about pushing that line more and more to increase what creators could get away with. Korra is the first Nickelodeon character to be confirmed on-screen to be LGBTIA+, and we shouldn’t take credit away because her coming out is no longer up to our standards. Schwoz I had to look up, because even though his actor, Michael D. Cohen, was assigned female at birth and underwent surgeries and hormone therapy to appear more masculine (I have to say that in interviews, Cohen has stated that he does not identify as transgender, which is why I don’t say he’s transgender here, but that he did have a transgender experience; although said experience fits the definition of “transgender”, it would be wrong of me to put that label on someone who does not want it), that doesn’t mean the character himself was also assigned female at birth. I went to the character’s Wiki page and found that all his love interests were women, so I scrolled down to trivia and found that Schwoz “will be transgender in the future, according to future Ray...”. This happens in the episode “Ox Pox”, whose synopsis can be viewed here. What is important to note is that the episode premiered in 2016 whereas Cohen came out in 2019, so this likely wasn’t a jab at his identity (or at the very least I am hoping it wasn’t). Finally, the sponge himself, SpongeBob SquarePants, is asexual.

SpongeBob Squarepants is asexual.

SpongeBob’s sexuality has been up for debate for years. We live in a society where any male character that doesn’t immediately express outward affection towards a female character, he must be gay. When asked about this in a 2002 interview with The Wall Street Journal, creator Steven Hillenburg said that he believed the characters, especially SpongeBob, to be asexual. For a children’s show, that makes sense (after all, it would be really inappropriate for sexual desire to be expressed on a kids’ show). Because the article is effectively behind a paywall, you can read an article from People that says basically the same thing here. The show actually has a bit of proof of this. If we look throughout the show’s run, we can find a lot of characters end up in romantic relationships or with romantic feelings for another character, but SpongeBob doesn’t have feelings for anyone other than a Krabby patty in an episode we’d all rather pretend doesn’t exist (but click the link if you’ve somehow forgotten and are curious, I guess). Mr. Krabs, of course, develops feelings for and even enters into a romantic relationship with Mrs. Puff, Patrick develops a crush on Princess Mindy in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Squidward goes on a date with a lady octopus (and SpongeBob even helps him practice), Plankton is married to his computer wife Karen, Pearl is a teenage girl and frequently fawns over various boys, and even SpongeBob’s pet snail Gary is seen crushing on other snails. It seems that Sandy and SpongeBob are the only main characters that don’t end up with love interests at any point in the show. Even if we want to pretend that “To Love a Patty” exists and totally wasn’t a shared fever dream, it’s important to note that asexual people are completely capable of falling in love and sustaining romantic relationships; they just don’t experience a sex drive the same way non-asexual people do. From what I’ve noticed from personal experience, asexual people also tend to care very dearly for their friends, which is apparent in plenty of pre-first movie episodes as well as post-Hillenburg’s return episodes. In fact, the Valentine’s Day episode is all about SpongeBob giving all his friends Valentines, and saving the best one for his best friend Patrick. All the evidence we need is in the show.

So, why the rainbow flag?

The rainbow flag represents all LGBTQIA+ identities

The original rainbow flag was lovingly dyed and stitched together by a large group of people, including lesbians (including lesbian transgender women, and don’t you forget it!), gay men, transgender and non-binary people, and yes, even asexuals. It was meant as a symbol for us all. It represents all non-hetero and non-cisgender identities. The flags that followed exist in part to help express all the unique identities that fall under the rainbow. Think of it like the United States flag. The Star-Spangled Banner represents all of the country of the United States, but every state within has its own flag. Just because I’m from New Jersey doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to fly the US flag on Independence Day. Or any day of the year because we Americans sure do like our flag. And just because Schwoz is transgender, Korra is bisexual, and SpongeBob is asexual, doesn’t mean they’re not allowed to use the rainbow flag. So no, SpongeBob isn’t a straight ally, and he isn’t gay, either; SpongeBob is asexual, and we’re proud to call him a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.