#let queer characters be happy challenge

[bassistreggie]

anyone who thinks that the bucktommy scene from tonight’s episode is gross, or immature, or out of place, let them be happy, and flirty and, queer, and kinky! take your prejudice elsewhere, buck is happy with tommy. leave whatever negative feelings you have about the (admittedly kinda cringey) line outside before you try to jump into queer friendly spaces. i love them, i love queer joy, leave them (and especially Lou Ferrigno Jr.) alone!

[sweet-as-an-angel]

MW Reaction to You Taking the BDSM Test

Warnings: Implied Smut, MW Characters Being Down Bad & Feral, Mean! MW, Rough! MW, Dominant! MW, Submissive! MW, Teasing, Petnames, Profanity, No Pronouns Used For Reader Except You.

Ghost

His laugh is gruff from over your shoulder. A glower, if you listen closely enough. His hands, rough and calloused with the weight of his atrocities, clamp down on your shoulders. He squeezes them. Tight. Tighter.

“You don’t need a test to find out what you’re into, Love.”

He stands closer. From your position on the couch, you can feel something hard pressing between your shoulder blades. He rolls against you, his grip tightening. You whimper, wince, and he lets go a hum.

His hands drop from your shoulders to the front of your shirt. There, he grips the seam and rips it open. You jump, gasping, the buttons flying off into god-knows where — corners of the room, pinging off furniture.

His hands are on your chest, kneading, needing. He’s rough. He needs you now — he can’t even stop to remember to be gentle.

“I can do that,” he lowers his lips to your ear. His breath is hot.

“And more.”

König

König had sat with you while you took the test, curious to see what you’d choose — what your heart truly desired.

Of course, despite how close the two of you were, you did try to retain what little of your dignity you could by choosing answers that didn’t make you look insane. Or nymphomanic.

Little did you know that König could see right through you, his lips stretching into a smile whenever he saw your fingers itching to choose the highest values for kinks he absolutely knew you had (whether you were aware of his knowing or not).

When the test was over and you got your results, you thought you’d walked it. “See?” You showed your results to König. “Told you I wasn’t into anything—“ you searched for the term he’d used. “Extreme.”

“Oh, Maus,” König said, almost growling. Purring, perhaps. His eyes were narrowed, feline. “We both know that’s not true.”

König took your phone and placed it somewhere out of your reach. Frozen with anticipation, you gave no fight as König took you by your shoulders and laid you down, pressing you into the floor. He brought his thighs over you, caged you beneath him. His hands either side of your head, he smiled.

“You needn’t be evasive with me, Darling.” His hips dipped down. Something hard pressed against your abdomen. König’s eye twitched. ”Now then, let’s see how many of your answers were true, shall we?”

Soap

Johnny looks at you with what you could only construe as confidence. A challenge. You could feel the sly remark creeping up his throat as you tried to explain away the results of your test, trying not to paint yourself as someone whose answers suited them a little too well.

“Oh aye, Bonnie — I believe you,” came Johnny. With all the genuity in the world. “I just don’t think you do.”

When you gave him a queer look, his smile grew.

“What I’m sayin’ is you know there’s more to sex than that test’ll have you believe.”

Johnny shifted closer to you, eye-level with you. His hand came up to your chin, taking it between his fingers. He held you there.

“And I’d be more than happy to show ya what you’re missing out on.”

Valeria

“Looks like mi Cariño’s had a little too much screen time.”

She’s on you before you can even escape to your lock screen, a viper-strike hand plucking your phone from your grip and throwing it over Valeria’s shoulder. It cracks, somewhere, but her frame is all you can see as she pushes you to the floor.

“Seems like you’ve forgotten your place,” she grunts as she forces you to the ground, watching you fall flat on your backside. The carpet is enough to cushion your fall, but there isn’t a material in the known universe that can withstand the fire in Valeria’s eyes.

“Seems to me that you need to be reminded what you like.” Valeria bites her lip, coming to stand over you. Her shadow roves over you, almost as if to grope you, feel you.

She brings her boot onto your chest. Keeps you down.

“And where you like it.”

Price

“So you think I’m vanilla, Hm?” Price’s voice carried a weight you were not unfamiliar with, but the way in which he spoke suggested something unknown. His ankle sat atop his knee, arms crossed over his chest.

You’d gotten him to take the BDSM Test — “For science!” you’d told him. And, to nobody’s surprise, John’s results had come back relatively tame. Yours, however, were a different story.

John leaned back in his chair, his cigar lying in the ashtray, embers fading.

“Why don’t you come over here,” John said, voice low. He spread his legs, patted the expanse of his covered thigh. His eyes glinted with all the light of a black mirror.

“And teach this old dog some new tricks.”

Horangi

Hong-jin had seen your results by accident and had decided that teasing you about it would provide him with enough of a distraction to stop himself from salivating at the possibilities they opened.

Sure, it started off tame. The odd comment here and there about you seeming to be ‘tied up’ with whatever task you were doing, that you were doing such a good job of completing your work, etc.

Anything to get you hot under the collar.

And, luckily for Hong-jin, it worked. You came to him, frustrated and very much in need of relief.

Hong-Jin hummed, putting you on his lap. He ground his thigh between your legs, calling you his “Good little pet — behaving so well for me.”

His eyes almost seem to glimmer as he tells you how much he should reward you for being able to hold out for so long. Something to the tune of an oddly specific interest you knew you’d never told him. But that’s alright; your scores told him everything he needed to know.

Alejandro

He was NOT expecting the answers you got on your BDSM test. And you weren’t fully prepared for what you found on his.

Yes, Alejandro leans towards taking the dominant role in bed. Sure, not all the time, but enough that one look at the two of you could definitively conclude which of you wore the pants in bed.

Which, until tonight, neither of you had questioned.

“You know, Corazón,” came Alejandro. He sat beside you, not looking away from the TV. “It couldn’t hurt to…test some of our weaker areas.”

You looked at him, eyebrow raised. Then, it clicked.

“Oh,” you said, leaning closer, smiling. Knowing. Alejandro looked down at you. You could see him biting back a wide grin.

That night was spent with Alejandro bottoming while you went to town making him cry, whimper and beg for more.

Rodolfo

You’d assumed that Rodolfo’s results would be, at most, rather banal. In spite of his military background, he was gentle — loving — when it was just you, him and the late hours of the night.

So, when you saw his results and discovered that, oh you’re kind of depraved, actually (in a loving, non-judgemental way; you just weren’t expecting how much his results told you he was into), you wanted to test Rudy’s limits.

A whole day of teasing, complete with a healthy side of blue-balling, had, eventually, caused Rudy to grab you and drag you into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him and locking it. He threw you to the bed, his strength masked by his lamb-like disposition.

“I know what you’re doing,” he said. He stood over you, arms crossed over his chest. “And I know why you’re doing it. You’re trying to make me cave — trying to get me to ruin you.”

You couldn’t have put it better yourself. But he could. He approached you, came down to your level, crawling over the bed. You backed up until you hit the headboard (for the first of many times, you suspected), and Rudy, with a dark glint in his eye, gripped the headboard behind you, trapping you.

“Trust me, Amour,” he said, bringing his face level with yours, his voice low.  “With the way you’re acting, you’ll be lucky if there’s anything left of you to ruin by the time I’m done with you.”

Graves

Bless your cotton socks — you’d forgotten to close the tab on Graves’ phone that had your results splashed across it. Hence, Phillip was having a good old laugh about it now in the confines of his office. Though, the longer he studied your results, the stronger the throbbing between his legs became.

Of course, he sought you out. And of course, he made now secret of your faux pas. And, of course, you tried to explain it away. ‘I took it for fun’, ‘It was for a laugh’, ‘I didn’t t think you’d find it—‘

“Ah, there we go. The truth, coveted as it is,” said Graves, smiling from ear to ear. He stepped over the threshold of your bedroom, backing you up against the edge of the bed. He kicked the door shut behind him. No escape.

“Now,” he drawled, approaching you. “You’re gonna show me exactly what you’re into, where you like it,” He stood chest-to-chest with you now, watching you lose your balance as you fell back onto the bed. He all but pounced on you, taking your wrists and pressing them into the mattress.

His eyes were ablaze with a lustful vengeance as he pressed down on you. Into you.

“Or I’m gonna fuck it outta ya.”

Gaz

“Didn’t know you were into…” Gaz squinted, looking over your results from over your shoulder. He went quiet.

“Oh…” From the corner of your eye, you saw his face turn pink. Then red. He cleared his throat and took a step back.

“Y-yes, well— uh— that’s a very…colourful scorecard you have there!”

Smiling, a hint of mirth in your eyes, you turned to him. You could see he was nursing a rather pressing, growing problem, and you sought to relieve him of it.

“How about you come and help me make it a bit more colourful, hm?”

At that, Gaz’s eyes widened. His tongue tied as he tried to form words — a word — anything !

Your smile grew. So did Gaz. “Oh, come on, Gaz! Big military man like you scared of a little fun?”

Let’s just say, Gaz also found himself taking the test shortly after you’d ruined him.

Reblog for more content like this! It helps creators like myself tremendously and it is greatly appreciated :-)

Masterlist Masterlist [Continued] Masterpost Modern Warfare AI Masterlist

AO3 Wattpad

[oc-challenges]

WELCOME TO PRIDE CHALLENGE 2025!

Hello guys, gals, nonbinary pals, and every other lovely person in this community! The time has come once again for pride challenge, now in a time where we need pride in our LGBTQIA+ communities more than ever. Check out the last day of the challenge to fill out the form to enter the exchange! BIG THANKS to @come-along-pond for being such a big helper and supporting me throughout the absolute nightmare of a few months it has been, as well as coming up with the brilliant culture idea.

Rules

This challenge is for LGBTQ+ ocs only… hence why it’s called the pride challenge.

Tag your posts with #opc2025 in order to have them reblogged. (please do not tag any non-challenge related edits with this)

DON’T steal edits. If you feel your edit or someone else’s has been stolen, report it to our submission box by following these guidelines.

If you want to make a crossover edit with somebody else’s oc, make sure the other person is okay with crossovers.

Feel free to send us any questions and keep in mind that all challenges are up for interpretation.

Be kind!!

WEEK ONE: IDENTITIES

Day One (June 1st): Gay

Make something for an oc that identifies as gay!

Day Two (June 2nd): Lesbian

Make something for an oc that identifies as a lesbian!

Day Three (June 3rd): Bi

Make something for an oc that identifies as bisexual and/or biromantic!

Day Four (June 4th): Pan

Make something for an oc that identifies as pansexual and/or panromantic!

Day Five (June 5th): Aro/Ace

Make something for an oc who identifies with the aro-ace spectrum!

Day Six (June 6th): Poly

Make something for an oc who is in a polyamorous relationship and/or identifies as poly in anyway!

Day Seven (June 7th): Gender

Make something for an oc who is not cisgender!

Day Eight (June 8th): Anyone Else (Or Again)

Make something for an OC who is LGBTQIA+ in a way we missed in previous days, or take the chance to do another oc who identifies with some of the previous prompts!

WEEK TWO: PROMPTS

Day Nine (June 9th): Terms of Endearment

Make an edit or write about the term(s) of endearment your OC calls their love interest, or the other way around!

Day Ten (June 10th): Live/Life

Show a moment where your oc embraces life, even if it’s messy, bold, or scary. Or show some of the most important moments in their life.

Day Eleven (June 11th): Revelation

Your OC discovers something important about themselves or their identity. What do they realize, and how does it change them or the way they see the world? Maybe a certain someone helped them come to this revelation?

Day Twelve (June 12th): Joy

Show a moment where your OC feels truly happy. What brings them joy, and what does it look like when they let themselves feel it fully?

Day Thirteen (June 13th): Reclaim

Your OC takes back something that was taken from them—like their name, identity, life, confidence, or a word. What are they reclaiming, and why does it matter to them?

Day Fourteen (June 14th): Pride

Your OC feels proud of who they are. What makes them feel confident, strong, or seen? Show a moment where they stand tall and own their identity, their journey of finding pride, or what pride means to them.

WEEK THREE: QUEER CULTURE

Day Fifteen (June 15th): LGBTQIA+ Visage

Choose a queer visual artist (painter, photographer, fashion designer, sculptor, etc.) and make something for your oc using their art, whether that's through writing or edits!

Day Sixteen (June 16th): LGBTQIA+ Writers

Choose an LGBTQIA+ author, poet, or playwright. What would your OC think of their writing? Create a scene, moodboard, or quote-based art that reflects their connection.

Day Seventeen (June 17th): Pride On Screen

Celebrate LGBTQIA+ film or television. Base your OC’s look, vibe, or a short drabble on a queer movie/show or character that resonates with them.

Day Eighteen (June 18th): LGBTQIA+ Music Icons

Pick a queer musician or band (past or present) and create something inspired by their work. How would your OC connect with this artist’s music or vibe?

Day Nineteen (June 19th): Queer History

Pick a moment, movement, or figure from LGBTQIA+ history and imagine how your OC would react to it—or how they’d fit into that time. Would they be marching at Stonewall, creating zines in the '80s, or finding kinship in underground spaces?

Day Twenty (June 20th): Role Models

Maybe you want another chance to highlight someone from the previous challenges, or maybe your OCs connection to queer culture and their queer role models are a fellow oc or character in their canon universe. Either way, celebrate the queer icons who helped your oc connect to the culture, accept themselves, or someone they aspire to be too.

Day Twenty-One (June 20th): Freedom for Joy

Celebrate any other aspect of queer culture-- perhaps your ocs pride outfit/celebration, your ocs drag persona, their coming out, or anything else you can think of!

WEEK FOUR: RANDOM

Day Twenty-Two & Twenty Three (June 22nd & 23rd): Alternate Universes

Put your OC in a different world, fandom, or setting—fantasy, sci-fi, historical, anything fun! Show how their identity stays true, no matter where they are.

Day Twenty Four & Twenty Five (June 24th & 25th): LGBTQIA+ Tropes

Tropes are a ton of fun, and there’s a trope for basically everything! Take a look at this list (or come up with your own) and apply them to your ocs!

Day Twenty-Six (June 26th): Survival & Strength

Share how one of your ocs navigated homophobia or adversity.

Day Twenty-Seven (June 27th): Before & After

Show their transformation in self-acceptance.

Day Twenty Eight & Twenty Nine (June 28th & 29th): Wave Your Flag(s) High

Celebrate your OC’s identity by drawing inspiration from their pride flag(s)!

Day Thirty (June 30th): Pride & Presents

Fill out this form by May 30th, get your match on May 31st, and send in your gift by June 26th! We're closing sign-ups a bit early to make sure everyone has plenty of time to create something truly special. This exchange will follow the same format as past @ocpotluck events! ONCE AGAIN, HERE'S THE FORM! Guidelines Gifsets: → 8+ gifs if using two smaller columns → 5+ gifs if using one larger column → Please only use gifs you’ve made yourself Graphics/Manips: → Minimum of 2 images Aesthetic Boards: → Must include 9 images or more Writing: → At least 500 words Playlists: → Minimum of 10 songs Drawings: → Must include some color → Sketches should be complete and decently detailed Mix & Match Gifts: → Totally allowed! Just be sure to include at least 4 total pieces (e.g. 2 gifs + 2 manips)

[panerasbox]

DISCLAIMER: So... this is fanfiction. Obviously. I don't own any of these characters. I didn't create them. I'm just…borrowing them for a little emotional devastation and maybe a kiss or two, is that a crime?! Don't answer that. Everything here is fake, but also deeply personal and kind of terrifying if you think about it too hard, so maybe just…don't. I'm not making money off this. God, I wish I was. Do you think l'd be on Tumblr at 2 a.m. writing slow-burn queer yearning for free if I had a functioning life? No! Anyway. If you don't like angst, tension, or unresolved trauma dressed up as romance, maybe go read something safer. Like the back of a cereal box. For everyone else: welcome to the spiral. :]

⋆.𐙚 ̊Melissa Schemmenti

💕30 Days of Melissa Schemmenti

(04.09.25) A/N:This is not a drill, i’m meeting LAW in 30 days!! It still doesn’t even seem real to me. To keep myself busy in my spare time until then, I thought it’d be fun to do a 30 day countdown/challenge, each day a new Melissa Schemmenti oneshot or drabble!

🌸30 days to go: I can see you

🌷29 days to go: 10 Things I Hate About You

🌸28 days to go: More Than Friendship Goals

🌷27 days to go: Hurting Each Other

🌸26 days to go: Those Damn Glitter Pens

🌷25 days to go: Lady in Red

🌸24 days to go: Haunted

🌷23 days to go: What We Don’t Say Out Loud

🌸22 days to go: The Bell Rings Anyway

🌷21 days to go: What We Meant

🌸20 days to go: Life’s Not a Goddamn Romcom

🌷19 days to go: Go blue team?

🌸18 days to go: I Got The Recipe

🌷17 days to go: Third Times the Charm

🌸16 days to go: Could Be Worse

🌷15 days to go: Plaid Shirt Days

🌸14 days to go: My Angel

🌷13 days to go: Get Used to It

🌸12 days to go: Just Tonight

🌷11 days to go: Wrong Way, Right Girl

🌸10 days to go: Talk Too Much

🌷9 days to go: Soft Place To Land

🌸8 days to go: Flour, Fire & Feelings

🌷7 days to go: Make it worse

🌸6 days to go: Last Slice

🌷5 days to go: Monologue

🌸4 days to go: Steady

🌷3 days to go: Cinnamon Sin

🌸2 days to go: Covered In You

🌷1 day to go!!: Little Bit Heisty

✨Meeting Lisa Ann Walter!! (05.09.25)

🎀 Cinematic (oneshot)

☀️ Advice (oneshot)

🦋 Backup (oneshot)

🌻 Famiglia (oneshot)

🍒 Unfinished Business (oneshot)

🏡 Until It Feels Like Home (multi chapter)

👠 The Devil Wears Leopard (multi chapter AU)

⋆.𐙚 ̊ Ava Coleman

🌹 Urgent Supply Order (oneshot)

🍒 I’m Rich, Baby (oneshot)

🔥 Sweat & Victoria’s Secret (oneshot)

🌈 Dating Ava Coleman (headcanons)

⭐️ Star Student (oneshot)

⋆.𐙚 ̊ Chessy

☕️ My House of Stone (multi-chapter on AO3)

⋆.𐙚 ̊ Marvel

🌙 For This I’ll Burn (Multichapter Agatha Harkness)

💙 Threads Of a New Spell (Request/Multichapter/Agatha Harkness)

⋆.𐙚 ̊ Misc Characters

🏫 For The Love Of Learning (Abbott Elementary Staff College multi chapter AU on Ao3) discontinued

🪶 The Villain (Aaron Burr ~ Hamilton musical oneshot)

❤️‍🩹 You’re Everything (Sharon Raydor oneshot)

🏩 Just Let Me Stay (Norma Bates Oneshot)

🏳️‍🌈 Abbott Elementary Staff Headcanons (pride)

♡˗ˏˋ Ships ˎˊ˗♡

⋆.𐙚 ̊ AvaMel

💛 Not This Time (oneshot)

🌈 Happy Pride from AvaMel (oneshot)

⋆.𐙚 ̊ AvaNine

❤️‍🔥 How Bad Do U Want Me? (oneshot)

⋆.𐙚 ̊ SamBucky

💌 Three Days Of This (multi chapter on AO3)

⋆.𐙚 ̊ Brenda/Sharon

🚔 Internal Affairs (oneshot on ao3)

[curiouspupsicle]

Good Omens Fan Fiction Friday (6/20/25) - Acceptance

In divisive times, it can challenging to find the universals that unite us. But all humans want to be seen, known, and accepted. That yearning turns up as a theme in many Good Omens fan fics. So for my third Pride-themed fic rec, I'll be shouting out some beautiful fics in which acceptance is centered. This will be a tiny selection, as usual. To keep the rec list concise, I'm focusing on fics in which a character hides something of themselves and expresses fear or anxiety that once seen, they'll be rejected. Of course, their inclusion on the list means that doesn't happen.

Let's start with one so beautiful it made me cry. It's Our Souls are Meant to Shine (NR) by BlackUnicorn. Aziraphale is a loving parent to Adam and Warlock and happily married to Crowley when he realizes, at 50 years old, that he's a man. Yes, having it on this list is a spoiler. Hope you don't mind. It's worth a read even if you know how it ends.

You Can Have It (E) by @voluptatiscausa deals more with self-acceptance (the title is a hint). It starts with an adorable meet-cute when a stunning, ginger delivery person shows up with flowers from Aziraphale's ex. As the story goes on, Aziraphale tries to move past his doubts that he deserves happiness. It's charming.

Shoutout to @addledmongoose who recommended this next fic when they reblogged my Queer Guardians recs. I think it fits here as well. It's A Model Guardian (E) by Fuuma-san. Crowley is a genderqueer model on their way up. Aziraphale (that's Mr. BAMF!Aziraphale to you) is the body guard hired to protect the model after a recent attack. Crowley avoids revealing themself at work so they don't hinder their career. But everything they show to Aziraphale is met with total acceptance. Aziraphale is also a legal guardian to four queer young people who need the man's love and acceptance as they navigate growing up. Lovely characterizations and a compelling plot add to the thread of "acceptance" that runs through the fic.

Not a Thirst Trap, But an Oasis (M) features text by @scullyphile/@brenna and art by @lexarturo. Aziraphale and Crowley were best friends as children who lost contact for 25 years. Aziraphale is nervous about reconnecting. Although much has changed, the pair discover their bond is still strong. There are many romantic stories in the Good Omens fandom that seem like pure fantasies that would never happen in real life. However, I know two couples who got together after 25 years or more separated. So at least one story trope may be based in reality.

In @tawnyontumblr/tawnyowl95's Tastes (E) Aziraphale is being forced into an engagement against his wishes. He decides the best way to avoid the betrothal to the bride he's never met is to take lessons from notorious rake Crowley. If you've been following my fics for a while, you probably know I love a surprise. And Tastes offers surprising treats. So that's all you're going to hear about this fic here. Oh, and Aziraphale's mother is a real piece of work--one of my favorite characters. Go check it out! There are many more fics that could go on this list. But I'll close it out here and encourage you to reblog and share your favorite fan fics in which "acceptance" is centered.

I'll return next Friday with more great Good Omens fan fics on a new theme. In the meantime, check out my other favorite fics on this pinned post of weekly Good Omens fan fiction recommendations. And if my faves appear to be your faves, check out my bookmarks on AO3--all the fics I rate in my top 10% of everything I've read.

Nurture and encourage the fan fic community. Share kudos and comments to show the many wonderful creators how much we appreciate them.

[fiona-fififi]

Anti under the cut. Look away.

But it actually makes me genuinely sad how hard people are willing to ride for Tommy.

Because yeah, queer characters deserve development, and yeah, I think for Buck's sake this relationship deserved more development because his arc was sidelined in questionable ways.

But also, as a queer person, I am actually kind of tired of seeing queer characters on network tv paired up permanently with the only other queer character in their general vicinity. And I certainly do not enjoy watching this happen with random characters I have no investment in who are newly introduced several seasons in. And I don't actually really want to watch a show develop a boring side character I don't have any reason to care about (especially when I have several reasons to dislike them, actually) who was introduced very clearly as a plot device just because they're queer. I don't think it's bad representation, actually, especially in a show like 911 with so much queer rep, to just let a queer character be a plot device.

And more importantly, it makes me genuinely sad that so many people now want Buck's "great love" to be with some random dude he barely knows instead of with the man he has actively and intentionally devoted himself to for seven years and who has given back that devotion in kind.

Yes, I want Buck to be happy. But there is no one in the world who would make him happier than Eddie. Nothing about this new relationship came close to challenging that. I don't want to see him settle just because this was his first queer romance, and it makes me genuinely sad that so many people seem to want that for him.

[puzzleglum]

To share at least one post for the 10 year anniversary of The Glass Scientists, here's a theory for the next few pages!

I believe Fake!Jasper is finally gonna show up. Sage confirmed a while ago that we'd see him eventually. And I think his words will carry more teeth than those from the other "fake" constructed-image people in Jekyll and Hyde's head. He's likely still gonna have a face, because the real Jasper hasn't been knocked off the pedestal Jekyll put him on, yet.

What does Fake!Jasper represent? Mainly, the Good Leader, and Jekyll's shame of not living up to that ideal. Jasper knew just what to do to get through to the Lodgers, and convince them all to get back to work on the Exhibition, remember?

Fake!Jasper could be really nasty. He could be the voice in Jekyll's head that's saying: now that you've sacrificed yourself, you are FINALLY a Good Leader. You did it. Don't you dare be selfish and take it back! They don't need you anymore. You're replaceable. The real Jasper can handle things without you.

Remember Jekyll's last words to the Society, before he buried himself in his mind?

Yeah. Oof.

Another source of shame is how Jasper called Jekyll out on his wallowing, over Lanyon AND the Lodgers. Because he was right, Jekyll was wallowing. And in particular, I'd like to point out how Jasper challenged Jekyll's belief that it's simply impossible for queer people to be happy, and find lasting relationships.

Look at these thoughts Jekyll has, waking up the morning after he FINALLY took the risk of telling Lanyon he truly wanted him. Thus getting back together, after so long of suffering, and pining for him in silence.

So another thing Fake!Jasper could represent is Jekyll's shame and frustration over not saying anything to Lanyon, about his true feelings, for 15 years.

The real Jasper isn't perfect at leadership either, or navigating the troubles that often come with being queer. But the "fake" people, that represent constructed images and the shame of not living up to them, aren't about being real. They're voices in Jekyll's head that poke at him for not being "perfect" and "good" and living up to impossible, pure ideals. Perfect boxes, that nobody actually fits into fully. And yet Jekyll wishes he did.

Shame is Jekyll’s prison. He's always comparing himself negatively to his idols, the people he admires. He feels like a fraud, an imposter who tries to emulate them, but always falls short in some way. Not a real aristocrat. Not a real scientist. Not a real leader. Henry Jekyll is basically impostor syndrome personified.

He needs to let them go. To ignore them. Their control over him, the shame of not living up perfectly to ANY of these ideals. Nobody does! Remember when Fake!Lanyon talked about the reason he lost his face?

Where do these impossible ideals even come from, if nobody actually lives up to them? That, too, is a question that likely needs to be answered in the narrative.

As for me, I think it has a lot to do with Jekyll's anxiety, self-hatred, perfectionism, and tendency to negatively compare himself to others. He often thinks others must be better than him in some way. Uncritically listening to these voices is another way Jekyll tends to harm himself.

Note that Jekyll called Hyde a mistake before, and now that's echoed by Fake!Lanyon. These voices say things that Jekyll believes about himself, deep down. That's why dealing with them is important.

It's only right that Hyde should have to face them now, theme, character arc, and narrative wise. These insecurities are some of the reasons Jekyll chose to bury himself away, resigned to his own fate. Hyde needs to argue back against these voices--or at least acknowledge and understand them and what they TRULY are, and so figure out how to properly ignore them--before he's ready to face Jekyll. Hyde will need to gain some insights into their own head (their psyche, why they are the way they are), if he wants to have any hope of convincing Jekyll to come back to the waking world.

However it's gonna go, I'm very excited to see this confrontation between Hyde, and Jekyll's voices of shame and insecurities continue! Thanks for reading, and please share any thoughts in the replies or tags! I love reading people's feedback!!

(Also, if my arguments don't quite cohere, please feel free to blame it on me being sick while I wrote this. Agh! I'm very tired of the fact I got sick again within a two month period. Sigh. Writing needs must, sometimes.)

[bronte-blues]

Three Tropes Tag Game!

The Prompt: Choose three of your favorite QL tropes, and show us three of your favorite examples of each.

Thanks @nabi-unveiled for tagging me!

I thought all day about the many, many tropes that give me joy. A couple of these are vibes from people/groupings that others might not see-- but I am always on the lookout for!

🩷The Polyamorous Love Triangle🩷

Queer love is about breaking out of societies restrictions on attraction, love, and relationships. Poly relationships (or, in most cases, poly vibes from several characters) is another form of revolutionizing love! I love it when a show will hint at the complexity of human relationships

Not every love triangle has the feel of polyamory. And not every polyamorous relationship has to be romantic and/or sexual--platonic life partners, simply romantic life partners, or long term sexual partners you care about exist!

Tinted with You

I love Eun Ho for falling into this Very Serious period drama pairing and bringing some light hearted sweetness!

GIF by @highwarlockkareena

Light on Me

Should Tae Kyung have dated both boys? Idk. But it was a viable option!

GIF by @jimmysea

Deep Night

All three of them dating each other was a bit of a stretch, but they seem happy!

GIF by @pharawee

🩵Fake Dating🩵

Honestly, this one can be overused BUT it gets me every time! The "forced" dynamics that feel so right?? Having a complicated secret from the rest of the world?? The blurring of "fake" emotion and "real" emotion?? The angst that comes from this particular set up always breaks my heart in such a good way.

Wandee Godday

Fake dating while getting dicked down to make your long time crush jealous? Why not.

GIF by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

25 Ji, Akasaka de

Secret fake dating to become a better BL actor? Yes, please.

GIF by @itagakimizuki

Your Sky

Fake dating to protect the cutest boy to ever exist? Every time.

GIF by @aousboom

💜The Nuerodivergent Pairing💜

As an autism gal in love with a beautiful ADHD goblin, I always love seeing my relationships in the intersection of queer love and nuerodivergent existence.

These are two states of being that the world, at best, was not made for or, at worst, is actively hostile towards. Queer people and nuerodivergent people often learn to shield themselves from mistreatment or misunderstanding. They sometimes don't fully understand what it is that the world dislikes about them. And it's always so beautiful to see them finally be able to unmask, to understand themselves, and to kiss the person they want to kiss.

This one is usually not stated and I mostly assume some level of nuerodivergence based on my own experience!

Boys Be Brave

Jin U struggling with rules and social situations while Gi Seop struggles to define himself due to rejection sensitivity? And then they fall in love? Adorable.

GIF by @heretherebedork

Life: Love on the Line

They meet because they both habitually must walk a painted line home. It's a very nuerodivergent thing to do and a very good metaphor for adhering to social standards.

GIF by @smittenskitten

Sk8 The Infinity

Some might not see this as BL and some may not see the ADHD-autism pairing that I see, but their friendship-romance is based on a mutual understanding of how they differ from each other/the world and yet are the same.

GIF by @nezuxi

If anyone who's GIF I tagged would like to do this challenge, I'd love to see your post!

I apologize for not knowing how to embed GIFs correctly. Please, let me me know if there is any faux pas I need to fix!

[lurkingshan]

10 Things I Love About Oppan

I have been tracking Ossan no pantsu ga nandatte ii janai ka aka Don't Care for an Old Man's Underwear aka Oppan in my weekly Japanese QL Corner posts, but this show is so good that I need to give it a full tribute now that the entire thing is available with English subs courtesy of @isaksbestpillow. You can find everything you need to watch here.

This is easily one of my favorite dramas of the year, and it had such a great cast of awesome characters and a story chock full of fantastic themes. This is a show that encourages us not to get desensitized to the world around us, to always challenge ourselves to learn and grow and update how we think about others and the culture we live in, and to prioritize personal happiness over conformity. I love it so much and I want to talk about why, because I hope more of you will, too! @twig-tea wrote a great spoiler free pitch for the show here; this one is not spoiler free in the hopes that those of you who like a bit more info will be further enticed to give it a try. On to the list!

This is a story about a middle-aged cishet man who realizes he has damaged his relationships and sets out to change to do right by his family

There are so few stories of genuinely great fathers in media, and I found something so healing in watching a dad try so hard to do his best. Just the very fact that Makoto cares that he has hurt his family and is willing to put in work to change sets him apart, both in media and in real life.

An unconventional friendship is the heart of the story—and it changes both the characters' lives

Our core relationship begins when Daichi prevents Makoto from falling down a set of neighborhood steps, and the two strike up a surprising friendship when Daichi proves open to listening to Makoto as he struggles to figure out where he went wrong with his family. Daichi is kind and warm-hearted but also firm in his convictions, and his wisdom is exactly what Makoto needs to start updating himself.

Daichi is a gay character who’s allowed to be a whole human—he is not here just to be a magical queer mentor for Makoto

And before you worry that Daichi is a Manic Pixie Dream Gay here only to support Makoto, let me assure you that he also has a story, and it’s more complex than you might initially expect. Daichi has a lot of confidence when it comes to helping other people solve their own problems, but we eventually learn that he's not so assured about his own struggles. Daichi has other relationships that matter aside from his bond with Makoto and his family and he gets his own character arc in which Makoto is able to support him in return. They have a mutual bond that changes both of them for the better.

It takes a gentle and thoughtful approach to figuring yourself out, and encourages us to be kind to others experiencing things we don't understand 

There are so many characters in this show whose stories highlight this theme, but it is perhaps most evident in the story of Kakeru, Makoto's son, grappling with his identity and gender presentation. This show will surprise you again and again with how open and thoughtful it is about questions of identity and preference, and it constantly reinforces that we shouldn't assume we know everything about others and how they will react to our truths--if we give people a chance to know us, they might be more kind and supportive than we think.

This story sincerely believes that doing what makes you happy is always the right choice

And they make it clear over and over again: your personal happiness matters more than any societal constructs or cultural norms. Letting go of what people outside of their family think is what heals the Okitas and helps them find their love and trust for one another again.

Relatedly, it gets fandom in a way few dramas do

Makoto's wife, Mika, is a kpop stan, and his daughter, Moe, is a yaoi mangaka. One of the best parts of the show is Makoto coming to understand and appreciate their fandom and learn to respect the joy it gives them, and in turn, the whole family.

Everyone has the chance to redeem themselves

Regardless of what they have done in the past, every character in this story has a chance to redeem themselves and earn trust and respect back--and earn is the operative word there. This show doesn't demand perfection, but it absolutely demands that you care when you harm others and earnestly try to do better, and we see many characters take that journey. This is further underlined by a character in the story who does not put in that effort to try, and consequently is not forgiven or brought into the family fold. So satisfying.

Every character and every relationship matters

I was constantly amazed by how attentive this show is to every single relationship, not just the big family ones, or even just Makoto and Daichi. Makoto also goes out of his way to get to know Daichi's boyfriend Madoka, his coworkers, and Moe and Kakeru's friends, and we see connections form and deepen between so many side characters in this story. It really cares about all its characters as whole people.

And while it's doing all of this important thematic work and making us cry on the regular, it also manages to be very fucking funny! 

This show is hilarious, which may surprise you given all the heavy thematic work it's doing. But the writing has a deft touch and it manages to explore all these themes with a lot of humor. Watching Makoto learn new things and blunder his way through connecting with others is truly a delight.

And it caps off all of this with a great story about having the courage to love in the face of bigotry and a beautiful gay wedding

Perhaps the biggest spoiler here: we get a gay wedding! I was so surprised and thrilled to see Daichi and Madoka decide to marry--and not without some stumbles--and bring the Okita family so fully into their joy. What a beautiful way to end a gorgeous show. I will miss all of these people dearly.

[mermaidsirennikita]

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! what are your top 10 favorite queer romance movies?

WHAT A GREAT QUESTION

Fire Island—one of the best Pride and Prejudice retellings, absolutely hysterical, such a great summer movie too!!!

Imagine Me and You—one of the few movies that actually sells love at first sight (I mean, Lena Headey helps), very sweet and full of fun side characters as well

Bros—look, this is an underrated movie, and Billy being annoying as hell doesn't mean he can't make a great romcom; the romantic conflict in this movie is also so realistic, and his spiel about how he's done all these great things and his parents don't get to see it and it's actually been very hard.... is the kind of thing I wish more young people (lol I sound old but still) would watch because, as recent events have shown, LGBT+ acceptance is neither universal nor a longstanding concept

Red, White, and Royal Blue—just an incredibly lovely movie, very heartwarming while also having a good bit of fun tension

Y Tu Mama Tambien—I mean.... I MEAN.... THE ANCIENT TEXTS ARE IMPORTANT.

The Wedding Banquet (2025)—New, obviously, but I loved it so much that I feel confident in adding it here (damn Bowen Yang making waves)

Bottoms—SUCH A GREAT MOVIE. Legitimately made me laugh until I cried, brilliant performances all around, just a fantastic movie.

The Birdcage—Look, there are things about this movie that have not aged perfectly, but Robin Williams and Nathan Lane portray such a great old married couple (with their issues!) and the themes of love are just... so great. A+ performances, and I do think sometimes you've gotta give it to these older movies that, again, aren't perfect, but did A LOT.

Challengers—look man...... Challengers is a celebration of bisexuality and one of the only movies that's ever nailed the love triangle to polyamory pipeline, even if SOME people don't get that, and I refuse to let that go

Professor Marston and The Wonder Women—lol then this movies goes "BUT WHAT IF THE POLY WAS SUPER CLEAR???" and I'm like "that's great, let's go girls"

+adding A Nice Indian Boy because I really think it's up there but it's also a movie I saw less than 24 hours ago so let's let it SETTLE

Honorable Mentions:

Passing—Obviously, not a movie everyone would immediately identify as LGBT+ and not a movie with a HAPPY QUEER ROMANCE LOL, but they can't all be happy, and this is toxic sapphic perfection *chef's kiss*

I Saw The TV Glow—wow horrifying one of the most disturbing movies I've ever seen also a 10/10 film

Boy Meets Girl—I haven't seen this in foreeever, so I really need to rewatch it before having an Opinion, but I remember appreciating the love triangle especially

The Wedding Banquet (1993)—lol I get why there's controversy now, valid, but I find this movie incredibly good

Good Manners—werewolf horror lesbianism yaaaaaay

The Handmaiden—I ain't saying there aren't valid critiques but it's a banger

Moonlight—OBVIOUSLY

[nobylerdoubt]

Having byler doubt because yes, it is a rlly good show, it’s just not the best written, and everyone’s talking about if bylers endgame, it would be the most beautifully, well written queer couple in a a long time. And yes, of course it will be, but I’m not sure if the show is able to do that, and be that well written and be endgame.

So I'm a bit unsure as to how to respond to this - because I think this comes down to a difference in opinion. Personally I think that Stranger Things is one of the most well written shows in a long time, so much so that I can't even think of parts that aren't well written (well, besides maybe the Kali plot in s2, but I can even make an argument for that).

But I'm not here to try and convince you the writing is good - but that regardless of wether you think it's good or not there is precedent in the show for they kind of story we're being told with Byler.

The Byler Plot: Will and Mike have feelings for each other, but their dynamic is complicated when Mike starts dating El.

Let's look at Jancy and Jopper:

Jancy: Nancy and Jonathan have feelings for each other, but their relationship becomes complicated because Nancy started dating Steve again.

Jopper: Joyce and Hopper have had some sort of relationship in the past, and still have lingering feelings for each other, but their relationship is complicated when Joyce dates Bob and he dies unexpectedly and horrifically.

In both Jancy and Jopper as well, there aren't too many initial clues of their feelings for each other aside from their chemistry. Later on we start to get some signs (Nancy asking Jonathan what happened to them, stating how she waited for him, but Jonathan says it was only for like a month. Dr. Owens calls Joyce and Hopper "Mom" and "Pops" when they go together to Will's appointments. Hopper very much doesn't want Joyce to leave Hawkins, etc.)

Then both of them get called out by Murray - their feelings said aloud, just before they inevitably make the jump and confess feelings for another, in a way that doesn't say it out loud. (Nancy and Jonathan making out and sleeping together, Joyce asking Hopper for a redo of their Enzo's date - only this time it will actually be a date.)

As a side note I feel like Murray - aside from being a great character in his own right, and I will stand by that - is used as a plot device as a last ditch effort to tell the audience, if it wasn't obvious enough "Hey, these two like each other." I can very much see Murray serving a similar purpose in Byler's get-together.

So far from Byler's romantic storyline we've seen the same initial setup (love triangle of sorts) and build up (unspoken clues that the two have feelings for each other, and a ramping up in the more obvious signs of their feelings) and now we're just waiting on the third act of their storyline, when they (potentially) get called out and then actually get together.

So whether the writers of Stranger Things are capable of writing the Byler storyline - they already have. It just hasn't been done gay yet.

On a final note, what makes Byler so beautifully well-written is already written. The beauty comes from a long term friendship who has feelings for one another, but faces challenges from the world around them who can't stand to see them (gay people) happy. That's already written into the core of the show.

Will was always going to be gay. In my upcoming analysis we see that there is a running through line of omnipresent homophobia. Theres many examples of heteronormativity pushing Mike to be in this straight relationship and Will to believe that he's never gonna fall in love.

We already have Will labeled as canonically gay - which was set up since season 1. We have several instances of tender moments between Will and Mike that are interrupted (a common trope with romantic couples throughout, even seen throughout this series.) All the pieces for this beautifully written story are already there.

All that's left is to seal the deal.

[sp00kymulderr]

Thank you for tagging me @kedsandtubesocks @schnarfer @almostfoxglove @guiltyasdave @chronically-ghosted & @arcanefox207 to post my favourites of my own work this year ❤️

FOR MY FAVOURITES FROM OTHER WRITERS/ARTISTS THIS YEAR CLICK HERE

I will be honest I wasn’t going to do this, but I suppose we can be nice to ourselves as a treat 😅 I think it’s a lovely idea and absolutely everyone should be allowed to feel proud of their creativity and expression. It’s not always easy, we really are our own worst critics aren’t we? But celebrating ourselves is important.

It’s been a very up and down year for me as a person and a creator. I want to write all the time, but most of the time my brain doesn’t allow that. I’ve thought about deleting. I’ve thought about giving up writing. But I haven’t, and I’m still here, and I thank my gorgeous friends and the absolutely incredible people in this fandom for that for being so loving and encouraging 💕

Anyway let me stop blathering on, here’s some of the things I’ve enjoyed making this year!

🩵The Dieter Bravo Brainrot club is without a doubt the best thing I’ve been involved in this year. Me and @chronically-ghosted launched our dedicated Dieter discord server in January and now I don’t know where I’d be without it. It was just a silly little idea me and Taylor both had separately at seemingly the same time, and now it’s a whole thing. I’ve run writing challenges, we’ve had numerous watch parties, silly games, and now a gift exchange! And it’s never felt like anything but joy. We are feral, we are fun, we are encouraging and we lift each other up. And did I mention feral? I love having a dedicated space to talk about That Man, I love the ideas that pop up in there, the art and thoughts that are shared. I love running that place and I love everyone who is part of that community - thank you all for making my year 🩷

🩵Lover boy - Joel Miller x transmasc reader - Lover boy is my pride and joy, and truly the thing I’ve written I think i personally connect with the most. I was scared of posting the first fic tbh, but I’m so glad I did. It’s a chance for me to explore things that mean a lot to me. And I just love how in love they are. It’s only a few short pieces for now, but I have so much more planned for these two.

🩵After - Dave York x Carol York x Reader - This little story came to me after rereading one of my favourite poems. I loved the ache of it, the sweetness of the melancholy and the warmth of the post-threesome glow. I really love this short piece, I find myself coming back to it a lot.

🩵lost, found - Dieter Bravo x reader - Dieter and angst just makes sense, and this was born of my own angst which I guess is why it’s stuck with me since writing it. I think Dieter is an easy character to project certain feelings on to, and I have a lot of headcanons about his early life and his queerness especially. Also this story features my favourite polycule and one day I’m gonna write all about them.

🩵inhale, exhale - Joel Miller x reader - I’ve written a lot of Joel this year, more than any other character. Can’t help it, he’s fantastic to write. This is a little angsty, a little smutty, with a slice of the horrors of the qz too. I remember it just flowing from me while I wrote it and I’m really happy with the finished piece.

🩵Closer to light - Javi P x reader - Idk I just think this is insanely hot if I do say so myself.

Tagging some others to share their own 2024 favourites and celebrate their work! @covetyou @seventeenpins @perotovar @qveerthe0ry @sin-djarin

@luxurychristmaspudding @for-a-longlongtime @strang3lov3 @missredherring @ozarkthedog (And if you’ve already done this, tag me in yours ❤️ I wanna see!)

[tevanbegins]

Well, I wanted to ramble a bit about how I totally love everything about the way Buck's bisexuality arc has been handled so far on 9-1-1. 💗💜💙 The sheer positivity and euphoria on display about it within the show makes me so profoundly happy! There has been no shame spiral, no element of exclusively targeted biphobia, only pure queer joy and acceptance thus far. 🌈 Buck accepted his newfound identity with ease, and his friends and loved ones also accepted him easily (his parents' hilariously weird reaction is a different story, but let's not get into decoding that right now.)

But it is Tommy's acceptance of Buck's bisexuality I really love the most. I especially adore how Tommy respects the fact that though Buck has only recently discovered he liked kissing men, it won't change that Buck has been attracted to women and will continue to be (Their exchange during the first date in 7x05 — I'm not lying about who I am / I didn't say you were, I was talking about me.) Tommy is a gay man but he is not at all insecure about Buck's attraction to multiple genders, and is not the least bit doubtful of Buck's same-sex attraction towards himself. And I think that is absolutely wonderful to see!

Moreover, this is kind of a contrast to the Hen and Eva backstory wherein Eva is shown to get pregnant from Denny's bio-dad (I don't exactly recall if Eva cheated on Hen with the man, but I think she did, correct me if I am wrong though, may have to rewatch.) Eva was a dark character regardless of her sexual identity but whatever this storyline was, it still emphasised the harmful "bisexuals get around" narrative, which shouldn't be condoned.

That's why I love this easy acceptance of Buck's bisexuality, specifically from Tommy's end so much, because bisexuals are often not only discriminated against by queer-phobes in general, but also face discrimination from within the LGBTQ+ community too. I hope Tim Minear and the writers stick to this positive approach towards Buck's bi-acceptance (self as well as from fellow queers and non-queers), because this is a rarity to see on screen. I'm sure there are more examples but I think the only other time I've seen this kind of all-round positive bisexual acceptance is for Alex Claremont-Diaz in Red, White & Royal Blue. And similarly, David Rose's pansexuality on Schitt's Creek. Whereas on shows like Grey's Anatomy, Station 19, How to Get Away With Murder, etc. I've also seen a bit of biphobia on display in the same space they attempt to showcase bisexual pride and queer representation.

So considering everything, I really want to see Buck and Tommy's relationship grow moving forward and see them be happy and madly in love, but I also want to watch them navigate different challenges couples encounter in their romantic journey and stay committed to each other through the highs and lows of it all. But while the writers are at it, I really hope they never reinforce any unfair bisexual prejudices through the narrative. Because the way it's been positively dealt with in season 7 by Tim & Co. is truly precious, and I wouldn't want anything about it to change! ✨🏳‍🌈

[nonpracticinghumanbeing]

So Izzy said a thing.

The thing seems to be a part of a redemption arc and makes him sound like a human rather than a monster.

The Canyon went wild with joy and jubilation. The haters are doing everything they can to rationalize the thing in a way that would fit their point of view. One of these things makes me feel like a part of a wonderful, welcoming, and very queer community. The other makes me perplexed, annoyed, and sad at the same time - in a way that feels very personal.

OFMD is an explicitly and unapologetically queer show. And not just that, it shows a variety of non-normative behaviors (Jackie’s polyamory, Geraldo’s humiliation kink, Lucius and Pete’s penchant for “having an audience” to say nothing of Izzy’s masochistic tendencies) in a completely non-judgmental way, making the viewer feel like all ways of performing one’s sexuality are valid.

Izzy wants to be a part of this world. For all his anger and manipulations, and (yes, let’s call him out for the sake of fairness) his abusive behaviors, he desperately wants to be a part of the world where he is free to love who he loves, in whatever way he is capable of doing so. No matter how much the haters don’t want to acknowledge it, this is ultimately a story about love. Both Con and Daddy Jenkins admitted Izzy is in love with Edward and the fact that the antis are willing to contradict not only the actor (who, may I remind you, was instrumental in shaping Izzy’s character) but also the showrunner is very symptomatic of the larger issue of how queer people have been treated in society.

No one in their right mind chose to become a pirate unless they had no other option. Piracy was fraught with constant danger and meant being an outsider everywhere. The only place one could be more or less safe was between people in the same lifestyle. In OFMD that is represented by the Republic of Pirates, where not being a pirate would get one in trouble. Sure, there is some violence but it comes with the territory and - much more importantly - it’s never motivated by someone being a pirate.

Izzy claims to hate the Republic - and for someone as repressed as him it makes sense. There are people being a different kind of a pirate than Izzy would like there - drunk, rowdy, and undisciplined. He clearly takes great pride in his work and has built his whole identity around being Blackbeard’s first mate. Seeing people be pirates while taking their responsibilities lightly doesn’t fit his worldview because he’s been taught that all of his energy should be spent protecting whatever freedom the pirates managed to carve out for themselves.

Someone once wrote that despite what the popular meme says, Izzy isn’t a real pirate dropped into The Muppet Treasure Island, but rather a hard boiled queer-coded character from a 50s noir movie dropped into today’s Pride. He’s had to keep vigilant against any threat for so long he hasn’t noticed that there was a way to be a pirate/queer and still enjoy one’s life. That one can like frilly robes and be a somewhat competent sea captain. That it is possible to pine for one’s boyfriend and keep one’s crew safe. That being soft doesn’t necessarily mean being weak.

He’s willing to do whatever it takes and sacrifice whatever has to be sacrificed (Stede’s life, Edward’s happiness, his own status of the loyal first mate) to keep his little pirate/queer world safe. It’s this conviction that puts him in the way of Ed and Stede’s relationship and makes him an antagonist. But - and it’s something the haters seem to be incapable of grasping - an antagonist doesn’t have to equal a villain.

Why does Izzy react so violently to Stede, exactly? Why is he willing to go against his captain's wishes in challenging Stede to a duel? Why does he sell Stede out, making a deal with the enemy in the process? Because Stede is a stranger infiltrating Izzy’s safe space. The English are a huge threat, sure, but they are easily identifiable from a distance. Stede seems to Izzy to be something far more dangerous - an outsider worming his way into the heart of Izzy’s world, where he can do truly irreparable damage. The English are cops who chase gay boys around the park. Stede has the potential of being an undercover cop sent into a queer bar in the 1930s to get the dirt on the patrons so they can be blackmailed and arrested.

Of course, he may not be that, but it’s a risk Izzy can’t allow himself to take. With his vision of what it means to be a pirate/queer he's sure he sees through Stede’s ruse. Now, I’m not trying to excuse abusive behavior, as some of Izzy’s choices were hurtful to everyone around him. But as a queer person I do have sympathy for someone (grossly) overreacting in defense of their safe space. Constant vigilance is an inherent part of the queer experience, especially for those living in conservative countries or remembering the times before the Pride.

Like, for example, Con does. Con, who - yes, I will repeat this because it’s super important here - played a huge part in shaping Izzy’s character. Con, who despite having a decades-long career where he often clearly gravitated towards queer characters, only got comfortable enough THIS YEAR (and thanks to this show and this fandom) to publicly come out. Con, who - as a friend wonderfully phrased it - is queer as in start a riot, not as in love wins.

And Izzy is the same. He is a start a riot pirate/queer in a show full of love wins pirates/queers. His way of being what he is is so totally different from everyone around him that it makes him an antagonist. (Sure, there are other start a riot queers in the show - Jim literally kills a man who wronged them and Lucius is very outspoken about his opinions in a way that makes him somewhat radical, but neither of them is as extreme in their ways as Izzy is and neither goes against the main characters’ romance thus becoming an antagonist.) But. The thing is, when you are a part of a minority, when you are being prosecuted and targeted for who you are, you need safe spaces. And those safe spaces need protection, because every freedom can be taken away if wrong people come to power. No doubt the queer movement would look much more tame and palatable to the bigots if we were all the love wins queers. But we desperately need the start a riot queers if we are to survive.

So yeah, you can say Izzy said what he said because he needs a structure and clear hierarchy in his life. He absolutely does. Some of it comes from his submissive and masochistic tendencies, sure (I wrote a lot about that, including a piece for the Above All Else zine). Some of it may come from neurodivergence (some people read Izzy as autistic, I’m not going to discuss this because as a neurotypical person I have nothing of value to say about it). But it also ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY comes from the desperate need to protect his safe space from outsiders.

And there is one more thing the haters conveniently forget about: OFMD is also a show about growth. It’s about Stede turning from a wooden puppet into a real boy and then into a man. It’s about Edward learning there is a life beyond the legend of Blackbeard and peeling off at least some of the leather. And judging from the trailer, it’s about Izzy learning you can be a start a riot pirate while being accepting of the love wins pirates in your life. 

The more I think about it, the more likely I find it that Stede’s “I don’t care what anybody says, he’s actually a good guy” line from the teaser refers to Izzy. But even if it doesn’t, I am 100% sure the haters will be proven wrong. This show never relied on stereotypes and cliches. In fact, it actively does everything to break them (from Jim’s sacred quest for revenge ending up with them befriending Jackie to the only names that get mispronounced being those of white characters) while killing off the real enemies of the pirate/queer crew (Badmintons, Jack, Geraldo) and giving all its characters place to grow.

So, maybe one day we will all learn to love Izzy? 

[belphiegore]

Here are just my overall thoughts about the MHA epilogue and the fandom response.

We don’t know if the leaks are real, they probably are, but until it’s confirmed we keep it open. AI can be crazy these days.

I’m upset about my ship yes, but not in the way people would think. I’m fully aware, most BkDk shippers are fully aware, that the ship wasn’t going to be canon, it never was. Shipping is a way to have fun, to look at the story through a different lens. Queer interpretations of literature and anime is not a new development. The reason I’m a little upset is because I know the IzuOcha moment will make ‘those’ people feel comfortable to be toxic towards fans who enjoyed same sex ships in anime, especially BkDk enjoyers. To be quite frank, most of the people doing the bragging aren’t what I’d call “true shippers” just people who hate same sex ships and are happy to see even the smallest inkling of confirmation of a straight ship so that they can rub it in the faces of others. Because let’s be honest, the IzuOcha moment was nothing more than that, just a small intimate moment that can imply romance just like all the other moments between them in the anime and manga so far. It’s nothing big like a kiss, so it’s not like the two were even confirmed to be together at all. Fans of the ship still had plenty to go off on and imagine them together afterwards, and fans of other ships have enough experience to just keep on shipping. Canon doesn’t matter, it’s just about doing what you want. Overall, it’s not an issue. At this point in time I do think that Horikoshi would’ve been smarter to completely refrain from any romantic moments in the end, as the bigger a popular fandoms is, it’s more likely to (sadly) contain people who get way too into shipping discourse, and begin displaying toxic behaviors. Now everybody keep in mind, shipping isn’t the problem. Shipping is fine. It’s fine for fans to feel upset about their ships, it’s a normal part of fandom culture. The problem comes when toxic behavior begins to become prevalent: doxxing, threats, bullying, offensive/bigoted language, harassment, mass reporting, and such are not acceptable. Long comment threads arguing with someone online for an hour or longer is just straight up annoying, I’m sure we can all agree. However I’m sure the discourse will die down, and the toxic behavior will stop. We just have to wait and abstain from disrespectful behavior.

Now about Izuku’s rejection of Katsuki. First, I’ve seen people saying Bakugo wanted Izuku to be his sidekick, which isn’t likely. While Bakugo is rejecting interns and sidekicks, I see it as him waiting for Izuku and trying to leave room for him in his agency. He doesn’t want Izuku as a sidekick he wants to be a duo. He doesn’t want to fill his agency with sidekicks and just call it a day, he wants someone to stand side by side with him and constantly challenge him and support him to be better.

I think with this ending Horikoshi is conveying that while Izuku is going to be a hero again, and is still friends with Katsuki and will still support and compete with him, he doesn’t want Katsuki to be “tied down”? (I don’t know how to explain it) When Izuku turns down Bakugo’s offer, Izuku ISN’T saying “no, I don’t value you or what you did for me”. He’s saying, “I’m thankful for what you did, I love and care about you but I don’t want you to be dependent on me. I have to make my own choices separate from you and put myself first.” Which is a good message. A great one. However I think it’s should have been made a little…clearer? So far the scene has Bakugo seemingly be left behind (again) saying “when everyone is special to you… no one is really special”. As if he feels abandoned. This seems like it’s against how their relationship has been defined throughout the story. It’s not about the ship, it never was about the ship for me. It’s about the relationship and development between two characters that I became so invested in.

One of the biggest things I enjoyed about MHA is these two characters. I enjoyed Deku’s ‘favoritism’ towards Bakugo, it’s a flaw, but an interesting one, and one that isn’t detrimental to his character as it can also be seen as a beneficial trait. Everyone has a person who holds a special weight, someone that they prioritize over others. This can be a bad thing and a good thing. I think this aspect of Bakugo and Deku’s relationship with each other is what drew so many to be so invested in their characters. I’ve always described the two of them as being soulmates in every sense of the word. Intrinsically tied together, despite the odds and despite their feelings. One cannot be without the other. Some might agree this is detrimental in a relationship, and I would say in real life it could be, but for two characters who’s writing and developments evolve in tandem with each other, it just makes sense to me. For them to be forever tied together. It’s good that Deku potentially doesn’t want them to become “just rivals” however to me, it was presented in a way that makes it pretty easy for people, to see it as out of left field with Deku straight up ‘rejecting’ Bakugo, when for the whole series one of his greatest wishes is to be at Katsuki’s side. I think the conclusion, that “no one is really special” is something that just hurts as a BkDk lover, and to me, seemingly goes against the development of their relationship.

Thankfully it seems that Katsuki says “See you”, not letting himself be left behind. He’s hurt and sad about Izuku’s rejection, but he’s still going to be close with him, he’ll still be Izuku’s friend and biggest supporter, he’s just not chasing after him. I suppose it’s implying that instead of chasing after one another, they’ll stand side by side. Not together as one, but together as individuals. Again, I wish it was a little clearer, as it gives this sense of openness that doesn’t really fit this story as an ending. I thought Chapter 430 was probably the better note to end off on, as it gives you that bittersweet feeling but ends on a final overwhelmingly positive note. The dream is realized, friends support friends, everything is final and conclusive. Nothing open that can be twisted negatively. But that’s just my personal opinion.

All in all, I’m not sure how to feel. It hurts a bit, it feels bittersweet. Because you worry. You know the two of them are so close, practically bound together, but you worry that they’ll grow apart, that their relationship will never be what was imagined. I don’t truly know the meaning of the scene, these are just my thoughts. Until Horikoshi confirms the leaks, we won’t definitely know his intentions for the scene and the ending. All I know is that I feel a little sad in my worry that these fictional characters I’m so ridiculously hung up on won’t be together anymore. And that’s okay. It’s okay for people to be so invested. It’s part of what keeps a fandom alive. Everyone just needs to keep in mind to be nice to each other. We went through such a nice period of calm when we thought ch 430 was the last chapter, please let this die down and we can return to that calm. We can all analyze, theorize, make fanart, create fix-it’s and rewrites once this is all over.

[dreamingamongthestars]

Man people are already getting mad on here saying that no one is "original" or "mature" enough to watch a movie about Catholicism other than Conclave

bitch I went to Catholic school. I watched a gazillion movies about Catholicism, critical of the church or not, both forcibly and willingly, and I will watch many more. but GOD FORBID a queer Catholic woman with religious trauma find solace and comfort in a movie that POINTEDLY addresses and challenges the church's norms and prejudices in which the canonically bisexual main character regains his hope in the progressive future of the church in the hands of a canonically Intersex Pope. This movie has even touched people of entirely different religions, and lots of us Christians have said that this movie has reconnected us with our faith. Let us have our fun and be happy omg.

Who says we haven't been engaging with other media anyway?? Or that we're unaware of the real life horrors of the church?? This is one of the main reasons WHY the movie is so popular. We can acknowledge and protest against the irl climate of the Catholic church while also enjoying this movie and its characters, even if it may be a bit optimistic and unrealistic. We are watching a movie that offers a hopeful storyline in which people like us can be more accepted and find happiness within our religion.