#making it gay doesn't magically make it good writing

[byerseason]

why byler is the only logical way to end stranger things: a personal opinion

long post incoming. i've been thinking about what else can they do other than canon byler or is there any logical way which would please everyone. but i genuinely can't find any logical ending.

first of all, let's see the options i heard from people who doesn't think byler is gonna happen.

not adressing will's love for mike, mike never finding out about it and will's arc simply focusing on supernatural part : well, we all know that's impossible. not after spending a whole season to show us his deep love for mike. also it's confirmed that an emotional arc for him is what is gonna tie up the story.

"his love for mike was for him to explore his sexuality, he's gonna have another boyfriend." : they could easily show it to us without bringing mike into it. the byers moving to california was a perfect chance for it since it's a place better than hawkins when it comes to LGBT, they could easily give him a love interest, include him to their journey to find el just like they included argyle and give him a good character arc in s5, just like robin in s4. well, they didn't.

"mike is gonna reject will" : okay, then what was the reason of making him fall in love with mike? did the writers want to write a horrible story for the only gay child in the group? especially after showing us how miserable he feels about mike and how much he loves him? no.

now let's look deeper at the character arcs. my biggest reason to think byler is the only logical way is: will byers

i don't think i have to mention how much will suffered throughout the show and how he needs the happiest ending. they left season 4 at a point where everything about that love triangle is unresolved and they're obviously going to do something with it.

we all know mike is the one who understands will the most. he always been, since the very beginning. we've been shown that their bond is different and special. in a scenario where mike rejects will, we all know this is gonna be ruined. will is not gonna magically bury his love and go back to being besties with mike. and for mike, it's not possible for him to ignore will's love for him and stay friends as nothing happened. it would ruin their friendship for absolutely nothing.they can't simply take the only one who understands away from him.

will said he wants to spend the rest of his life with mike for two times. even if he doesn't have any hope, he desires it. so why giving him a love that he will never have? in this scenario will's character arc is literally "the gay kid always thought he will never have love just because he is gay, he thinks it's wrong and he is a mistake, well yes, he was right! he will never find the love and just watch the other straight people have it. thanks for watching stranger things." will's arc should be an arc where he is proven wrong, where he understands it's okay to love, where he is loved the way he loves, purely. otherwise his character arc is gonna be useless. where did we leave will in s4? he was thinking there's no chance for mike to love him and he has zero hope-- he ripped off the band aid. if mike rejects him the character arc and all the build up in season 4 becomes useless. he was at zero, and he is still at zero.

like i said giving him an arc where he is loved the way he loves was easy to be done without mike but now it's too late. they made it super clear that will doesn't want to be loved, he wants to be loved by mike. mike hurts him yet he still thinks mike makes him feel like he's not a mistake at all. that's not a simple crush. that's pure love. as a writer of a show you don't spend too much time to sympathize the characters love to the audience -something you never did with your other characters, at least not as much as will- you don't show them pouring their heart to a gift, just to waste it, just to make the character feel the worst they can feel just to make the person they love happy. will loves mike such a way that he prioritizes his happiness over his. this is what is gonna pay off.

the second character whose character arc needs byler: mike wheeler

mike has always been the most complicated character of the show, but most of his actions have no explanation other than him dealing with his own feelings. the show introduced mike as the leader of the party and i think it's okay to say he was one of the main characters in season 1 & 2. what happened after s2? a crazy character downfall. the audience started to dislike him and think he is useless. he didn't have any character development in the past 2 seasons. why? why? why?

because we all just watched him struggling. dealing with something inside of his mind that we don't know.

let's talk about a scenario where byler doesn't happen. this makes all mike's arc about being a love interest since s3. no development, no explanation for his behavior in the past 2 seasons. of course mike is traumatized and never talks to anyone which effects his behavior a lot. but there's still an unanswered question. why is he distancing himself from will specificially? the writers showed us that they understand each other the best, they know each other the best and notice if somethings wrong, so why is he distancing himself from the person who he needs the most as a best friend?

this is where we start to think if the problem is will himself, for mike.

why did we make will fall in love with mike just for mike to distance himself from will for no reason and make will upset? did we want will to suffer for no reason or create an empty storyline?

if mike is not how we think he is, he is going to end the show with an empty character arc who is nothing but a love interest, a side character. if mike ends up how we think he is, he is going to be the best onscreen representation of internalized homophobia. people think he is useless or just an asshole but he will turn out to be a perfectly written character who has his own arc.

people love to say "gay people didn't exist in 80s, byler would be unrealistic." which is completely wrong. gay people DID exist in 80s and they DID find love. did they have peace? they didn't. this is why mike and will are gonna be a real representation. we watched all the real struggles they went through. even if we don't get to see them as a couple, they will know they love each other by the end and that's what matters. and there's nothing unrealistic about it.

[belladonazeppole]

What if?... Husk knew his harem when alive.

(Using the Harem!Husk idea of @dealwithadeer also I propose that the harem could be called "Strong Suit")

It would make sense with Husk be one who live the longest.

The thing is that they meet Husk in a high point of his life so they only saw the good side and nobody make the connection that they're the same person.

Problem? Husk does remember them.

Lucifer? One doesn't forget that summoned the devil and survive no matter how much you drink.

Alastor? It was quite clear and more since Alastor doesn't hide who he was when alive.

Angel? He tells him a story when they're alone in the bar and Angel is a bit drunk so he gave a lot of details and Husk make the connection pretty easily later.

Vox? He told him in one of their "dates" that he make him remember the one who got away (in a way to look more sincere and Husk gave him info)

How they meet?

First one Lucifer, they meet in the 20's and Husk was in his early twenties, maybe he was fucking around with a book and end up summoning by accident Lucifer and instead of be scare he ask him for money (a gambler to the the end) Lucifer was amuse by this odd and pretty (I headcanon that Husk was super pretty in his youth, sue me!)

So the deal was that Husk show him a night of entertainment and he would gave him the money, he actually hope to Husk to fail but was surprise for the magic shows of Husk, the glamour of Vegas, having somebody in his arms again (he and Lilith were divorce at that point since I refuse to write Luci as a cheater) it was the most fun he ever had in a long time.

Husk got the money and a King.

Next is Alastor, in the early 30's so Husk was in his early to mid thirties, Husk was the new bartender/sax player in his town at first he was suppose to be his newest victim, and I think that Alastor has a thing in having a "interview" with his victims. He expect to Husk to be like the other men he interview crude, boring and stupid.

He was surprise in how Husk break his expectentions, they actually got along so Alastor decide it would be a waste in killing him so soon, so he spare him, even deciding that if Husk end ups boring him that he could be a nice dessert.

Husk got to live longer and a Ace.

Now Angel Dust, this was in the 40's and Husk was in his mid forties, Angel was recently kick out of his family for be gay and was dealing with a lot of self-hate and drugs, it was his lowest point (so far) and he pass out one night in the snow.

He was shock of waking up in a warm bed while somebody was taking care of him. It was Husk with his boyfriend (Husk was dating a rich dude at the time) even if neither of them say out loud they were boyfriends they also never hide it.

This make Angel feel safe and Husk took care of Angel, in return Angel told him that he make sure that nobody will bother them, Husk didn't know that Angel was a mafioso just kind words of somebody he help.

Husk got protection and a Heart.

Finally is Vox, they meet a lot actually from the 20's to the 50's they had a lot of quick enconters. I headcanon that Husk did drag when he was alive and that is how they meet, Vox wanted to ask Husk for a date but he was already gone for traveling.

Each time they meet again Vox felt a sense of peace since times where changing, he was changing but the only person that maintain all his life was Husk that in the big picture he was still a total stranger but for Vox the only person who saw him since day one.

Vox was either was a cult leader or a CEO (almost the same) so he wanted Husk a his side since he was somebody that see pass his charm. Husk was like the wind pass his fingers and was unable to control him just go to wherever he desire.

Husk got to maintain his freedom and a Diamond.

[malereadermaniac]

Too Trusting ~ Ben Florian x Male Reader

You're a part of the VK's, Mother Gothel's son

Mal doesn't like Ben at all, but all the others do, you a little more than the others

Goodness class was awfully boring

But having your friends with you made it tolerable

What made it better was running into the soon-to-be king, Ben

Ben and you had a rocky friendship, Mal made it tough for you and the other VK's to get along with him

But you still tried your best, joking with him and having witty conversations before they were interrupted by either Audrey getting jealous or Mal dragging you away

But luckily the two of you shared 'history of magic' and sat by each other after Ben generously volunteered to sit by you when you moved to Auradon

You two did pay attention to the class but you talked a lot

About the island, about your mother, about the VK's, and about relationships....

Ben felt comfortable around you

It was different to how he felt around other guys like Chad

And very different to how he felt with Audrey

He'd said he felt as if he "were walking on egg shells around her"

One day, after Ben noticed that it was always Mal that dragged you away, he decided to ask you about it

"Are you and Mal a thing?" Ben asked innocently

You blush

"What? Haha no way!" You chuckle at his question

"Was my question that ridiculous?" Ben asks, smiling but slightly embarrassed

"I mean, kind of? Because I'm gay, Ben" you say as you keep chuckling, writing down whatever the fairy-godmother was saying

"Ah- I never noticed!" Ben says with an apologetic look

"Don't worry haha.... The fashion on the island is very similar to gay Auradon fashion so it must be hard to tell the difference"

After class Ben and you kept chatting until Audrey shouted from across the hall

"Benny-boo! I'm waiting for you to walk me to lunch!" She shouts with that headache inducing high-pitched voice

"Guess I've got to go"

"I guess you do Benny-boo~" you tease and the two of you laugh as he leaves

"You two seem to have hit it off"

"AH! M-Mal... ew no I'm like... just pretending haha" you jump as you notice Mal behind you

"Sure... Listen I have a plan on how to get the wand" She says in a mocking tone

"I'm listening"

"A little birdie told me that the King's partner sits front row at the coronation, and they bring the wand out during coronation"

"I don't get it.... ARE YOU GONNA DATE KING BEAST?! Mal he has a wife..."

"Are you stupid.... No I mean the King to be, as in Ben" Mal says with a smile

"Oh... Are you planning to date Ben? He's dating Audrey" you say with a confused look

"No I'm not, I can't stand him... You are! You're going to spell him!"

"WHAT!? I can't do that, you may not like him, Mal but I do and I don't wanna spell him to fall for me" you say with grimace on your face

"Oh come on! (Y/n) I can clearly see you like him, just indulge in your own desires for once! You're mother would be disappointed in how selfless you are" Mal went in for the kill with that one

"Oh shut up... Fine I'll do it, but you're helping me"

"Obviously, I can't trust you to make spelled brownies, I can't trust you to even make regular brownies" She chuckles and the two of you giggle as you walk away

The tub of brownies was in your bag, it was time for history of magic again

"Today's topic is Villain magic" you could feel everyone look at you when the fairy-godmother said that

"Can you do any, (y/n)?" Ben asks you

You blush at the question

"Good question, Ben! (Y/n) would you mind coming up here and explaining it to us?"

The FGM must be some kind of sadist because you were in physical pain as you walked up to the front of the class

You explained the basics of villain magic, and how it derives from their origins and was adapted to their own persons

Then you mention yours being the same as your mother's, deriving from the song she sang to rapunzel

After class, Ben questioned you constantly

"So how does it work??"

"Is it only one song or multiple?"

"Can you sing me a spell??"

"Why don't you sing more often?"

After answering most of his questions you see Mal out of the corner of your eyes, miming towards your bag

"Oh by the way! I made you something for the big game" you say with a smile as you pull out the brownies

"Oh thank you but I don't eat before games"

"Oh I get it don't worry"

"It's nothing against you it's just my-"

"No no I get it don't trust a villains kid and all" you cut deep, you and to, Mal was counting on you and so was your mother

"What no it's not like that!" Ben says with a worried look on his face, the last thing he wants to do is offend you

"Ben I understand don't worry abou-" but the blonde interrupts you as he takes the brownie out of your hand and immediately eats it

" *Shee I Twust Yew* " he says with his mouth full

After he swallows the whole brownie, you look st him with a worried look but quickly hide it with a smile

"So how do you feel? Are they good?" You test the waters

"I feel great... You look great- I mean they taste great!" He mumbles, his eyes never leaving yours

God was he attractive, the way he immediately ate the brownie after he felt he'd offended you.... He's too Trusting but that makes him that much hotter you

After the madness of the game and his love proclamation ensues, Ben and you start dating

You feel incredibly guilty

For spelling him of course, but mostly for enjoying it

So after many dates and nights together, you had enough

You loved him so much, and he loved you but it didn't feel real - probably because it wasn't

So one day, when he begged you to show him a spell, you decided to try break the spell on him

"Fine, I'll try and spell you, happy?" You say faking annoyance

"Finally!" He says happily and gives you a kiss on the cheek

You blush and smile, but feel ill on the inside

This was it, you think to yourself what the correct spell for this situation was and then began

🎶Isn't it just so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string, tying you to me ~~~~ but something must've changed, it isn't pretty to think all the love from that golden string has been drained🎶

(Ignore me shittily trying to include taylor swift)

Ben goes quiet for a second

'Did it work??' You think to yourself

"So? Am I a frog now??" Ben jokes

"Haha... clearly I'm out of practice, the spell failed" you chuckle with s glum smile

"That's fine, my boyfriend doesn't need to be amazing at everything, just most things" he jokes

He kisses you again, on the lips this time

You hate that you love it so much

After more dates and more troubles ensuing, the day of the coronation arrived

You hadn't told Mal about trying to break the spell

But she had suggested to break the spell after taking the wand anyway

After the troubles of the coronation happening, you meet once again with Ben

This time at the enchanted lake

"I baked you brownies again! For after our date" you say with a smile

You wanted one last perfect date with him

"Oh I'm starving, I'll have them now!"

"W-Wait! Swimming on a full stomach isn't the best idea you know I-" you were trying to grab the brownies back as Ben chuckles

However he scoffs them down as quick as he can as he laughs

"Crap... Do youuuu feel fine?" You ask with a worried look

"Umm yeah I guess? But let's give the reverse love spell some time to work, let's go back to our date!" Ben nonchalantly says

"Yeah that's a good idea.... wait what?" You look into his eyes with a worried, scarred look

"How long have you know?!" You shout

"Since you tried to spell we with a song, I didn't expect you to reverse Mal's love spell" Ben says with a chuckle

"I'm so sorry, you must think so lowly of me and you should do it was-" you apologise profusely but get interrupted by a kiss

"I'm not mad, (Y/n)..."

"You're not?"

"Nope, clearly you liked me but Audrey was keeping you from getting with me"

"Yeah..." you say with a sad smile

"Honestly I'm kind of thankful, I never realised I also liked guys and also how bad of a girlfriend Audrey was haha"

"I'm glad! I'm guessing this means you wanna call off our date?" You say with a bittersweet tone

"Of course not! Didn't you hear me earlier, I said we should get back to our date"

"Really??" You say in shock

"Definitely, come swim with me, my dear boyfriend (y/n)~"

[hotxcheeto]

Heyyy, I hope you’re doing well ! I am so happy that you opened your requests again ! I would love to read a young vi x reader where through some actions the reader makes Vi realize that she’s gay. I hope it makes sense lol and thank you if you write it !

━ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐕𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒

𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜(𝙨) - Vi x Fem!Reader 

𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 - Cursing, vi has a wound in #3, mentions/descriptions of blood and pain ( vi ), hidden feelings, friends to lovers, happy ending

𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 ? - Yeah/Nope

𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 - sorry it took forever!!!!! this is such a cute idea thoughhhhhhh thank you for requesting this! ily! <3

REBLOGS ARE EXTREMELY APPRECIATED AND NOTICED!

Vi wondered three times if you were gay, three, and probably more that she doesn't remember. But these moments she does, and looking back, she wonders if it was her not getting it right away, or you not giving it too easily.

It was probably both. Yeah. It was definitely both.

#1: The time when Powder and you were hanging out, and Vi was a bit too close by, and couldn't help but listen in. But it didn't give her any answer she was looking for.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Powder asked, scribbling onto the wall beside your bed. "Yeah, I believe in a lot of things though. Things people call crazy." Powder dropped her marker and turned to you, seeing you laid out on your pillow while staring up at the top bunk.

"Like what?"

Nearby Vi sat quietly, staring at a puzzle cube in her hand, rotating it again and again but never solving it. You had before though, many times actually, you even tried to teach Vi.

"Reincarnation. Fairies. True love and soulmates." Vi looked over at that, hands faltering around puzzle. "You believe in fairies?" Powder giggled while Vi was much more caught up on something else.

"Yep, I bet that one day I'll even see one." "Will I be there?" You nodded happily, sitting up and crossing your legs. "If you wanna be. Vi too, if she wants." Your eyes then snapped to hers, Vi looking away with a coat of blush on her cheeks.

"No way, she'd just scare away the fairies." You giggled while Vi huffed and tossed aside the cube. "No I wouldn't, you would. You're too loud for your good." Powder stuck her tongue out at this, making Vi roll her eyes and do the same.

"Alright you two, that's enough." Powder then looked back at you with a grin. "What about other things?" "Hm... like I said, I believe in soulmates, dragons are probably real. Magic."

Vi then laughed, catching your attention.

"What? Think I'm ridiculous?" She quickly shook her head, brushing her hair back while swinging her leg over the chair arm. Dangling it off the ground.

"No, but soulmates? Magic? Never seen it." You huffed. "So? Just because you've never seen it, doesn't mean it isn't real. I've never seen you cry, but I believe you're capable."

Powder nodded profusely, sliding off the mattress and walking towards her sister.

"She's got a point." The blue haired girl said, skipping towards the couch. "Shut it Pow." "Oh c'mon, Vi!"

You watched the two sisters glare at one another, silently watching while amused. Standing up and off your bed to walk towards Vi.

"Besides, everyone has a soulmate. You can't go through life alone." Vi's smile faltered at this, Powder no longer listening and having skipped off to bother her inventions that had yet to work.

"How do you know?" You shrugged, looking off while leaning against her chair.

"Well, I think that at some point everyone has had one. Romantic or not. And they may have lost them, they may have married them. But they've met them at some point. They feel it. They know."

You looked away at the walls of the room, thinking for a moment while biting your lip.

"And?" You looked back at her, meeting her eyes. "And some people, people kind of like you, just don't care. They don't chase that feeling, that person. They give up or they convince themselves they're nuts. I believe when you feel it, you go for it."

She snorted, standing up, taller than you as she moved to walk in front of your frame still sitting on the arn. Unfazed at her lack of belief.

"You really believe some guy is just out there and ready to find you?"

"Who said it was a guy?" You swore her face changed, barely, but it changed. "And I never said it was romantic." And then again, it changed once more, but again, you didn't notice. "But yeah, probably."

It was quiet, Vi staring into your eyes as you stared back.

"Y/n!" You looked over, Powder holding a few of her monkey's in hand. "C'mon we have to test them now! You promised!"

"Alright, alright I'm coming."

Vi watched you disappear, off with her sister, wondering much more about what the feeling you described, actually felt like.

#2: When Milo was a little too close to Vi's curiosity, and it ended up with you both giving away a little more than you realized.

"What about that guy?" Milo pointed to a man walking passed, Powder gagging and shaking her head. "He's hideous." "I thought you two could be soulmates!" Milo then joked, turning to smile at you while you only rolled your eyes.

"What about you Y/n? What are your opinions on that fine man?" You giggled crossing your ankles while shrugging. "He's... alright?" You swear you heard a few snorts, Powder and Milo glancing at each other. "What you don't think he's cute?" "Not really my type?" You shrugged once more, looking at them both with a questioning expression.

"I don't get it? What's so funny?" You asked, messing with your fingers. "You've said that about everybody!" Milo began, "Same thing every time, do you even have a type?" He grinned, Powder leaning over farther to be able to see you better, kicking her legs off the wall of the building.

"I do. And it isn't you, or that man." Laughter came from behind you guys, all three of your bodies shuffling to turn around. "What's funny Vi?" Milo asked, a slight frown complementing his furrowed brow.

"You don't have a chance in the world Milo." She laughed, her hands in her hoodie pockets, still dressed in what she slept in. "And you do?" You swore her face turned light red, but you didn't pay much attention, looking back down at the streets.

"What about her?" Powder pointed at a woman, walking down the road with her arms crossed. "Now that's what I'm talking about." Milo nodded earning himself a smack on the back of the neck from your pink haired friend. "Shut it Milo."

"What? Don't you agree, Y/n. She's pretty!" All you could do was laugh, then nodded. "I mean, yeah, I guess. I think, though, everyone has their own beauty to them." "Except for maybe Milo." Vi joked, Milo glaring at her. "I wouldn't talk if I were you since you seem to have a type too."

You didn't notice, but Vi couldn't help my glare at Milo, a laugh coming from Powder as she stood up.

"I'm bored, you should come play with me Y/n, Vander just got me new markers." You turned the little girl, nodding. "Sounds good, just give me a sec." Watching Powder skip off, Milo followed after her with a mutter of nonsense towards Vi, leaving you and the girl alone on the rooftop overlooking the slow to set sun.

"So I hear you have a type?" You giggled, glancing over to Vi while bumping her shoulder. "What? No, he was just being a dick." "So you're telling me you haven't had a crush?" She hurriedly shook her head. "No, just... I dunno. Never put a lot of thought into a girlfriend."

"Ahh, okay." You hummed. "What about you?" Her eyes lingered on you for a moment, watching you take a deep breath as the orange colors reflected your eyes. Her own breathing not quite catching up with the rest of her.

"Never put a lot of thought into dating, like you said." Vi nodded, biting her lip as she thought about her next question, but before she could ask you interrupted her.

"I should probably get down there with Pow, she tends to get impatient when I spend too much time with you. Scared I'll pick a favorite sister."

A smile a lingered on her lips as you stood from beside her, brushing off your pants before meeting her eyes.

"I expect you to be down, help me come up with good backstories." You jumped to the main part of the roof. "You're better at it." Vi then said. "But you're my memory, I can't remember all my best details. Quit looking at the ladies on the road and come hang out with your bestest friend in the whole world."

Her face went up in flames once again, looking away from you, though this time you caught it. Biting your lip with a grin.

"Whatever, I'll check you later. She's a ladies, lady, hates my guts." You rambled to yourself, Vi scoffing. "I'll be there soon, moron."

#3: Or the time Vi got hurt, not the first and not the last, but you were there again, and she realized that something in her hoped you'd always be.

"Ow, ow, ow.." Vi muttered to herself, lifting the side of her shirt in order for her to see the giant cut that rested on her hip. The memory of snagging it on the broken pipe replaying her mind once again.

"Mother-"

"Language.." You walked in after, carrying a first-aid kit in hand and a few other things with your arm. "How'd this one happened?" "Don't wanna talk about it." She said, anger lingering behind her words and a sour expression on her face.

"Alright then, sit please." Despite the frustration, Vi plopped down on the couch, feeling you softly pull her shirt up higher exposing her stomach to the cold air. "I'll be done before you know it, promise."

The guilt then set in, Vi looking away from you as you began to clean the blood around the cut. Focusing on being as light as possible in order to not hurt your friend.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, almost inaudible if you hadn't been sitting as close to her as you were. "It's okay Vi." "Not it's not, I feel like an asshole." "Never said you weren't." You met her stare, giving her a wink before pouring your cleaning liquid right onto the wound, watching her hiss in pain.

"You okay?" "Yeah, yeah fine." You continued to patch the wound, wiping away everything else before laying the bandage overtop of it. Vi staying silent nearly the entire rest of the time.

"Sorry about ruining your time with your friend." "We're not friends" You giggled, tapping her to sit up so you could wrap the bandage around her stomach. "What?" "Well-"

"Vi." Vander's voice came from behind you, Vi's eyes shifting from your own to right beside your head. You turned around, facing the man who had his hands on his hips and a worried look in his eyes.

"What happened out there?" Vi huffed, rolling her eyes and smacking her hands over her face. "Milo happened." "Again?"

You began to pick up your things as they talked, standing up when Vander's hand rested itself on your shoulder. The man smiling at you.

"Thanks for looking after her." "Anytime, but hopefully not again too soon?" A laugh passed through Vi's nose, the girl watching you put everything away and leave the room.

She began to hum and nod to everything Vander said, standing up from the couch. A sudden curious energy running through her, wanting her question to be answered before you could return to your friend. The one that was a little too touchy for her liking.

"Yeah no problem we'll be more careful, swear it." "Vi, are you even listening?" She nodded quickly. "Yeah, of course." "Vi." She grinned at him, walking towards the stairs.

"We'll be careful next time, swear, but you should really be lecturing Milo since he's the one that got us into that mess." Vi moved her hands around dramatically as she spoke, crossing them over her chest. "Not me. Okay? See you later!"

She skipped away before the man got a chance to argue, Vi practically flying to the front of the bar. Looking around for any sight of you.

And for a second, there wasn't one, unable to find you lurking in any of the corners or chatting around any of the tables. It was like you'd disappeared.

"Boo!" "What!" Vi whipped around, breathing heavily with her hand resting on her hip where it hurt. "Sorry, had to take the chance! You should've seen your face!" "Fuck I hate you." You continued laughing, looking around.

"What were you looking for? You seemed worried?" For a moment Vi noticed the flash of worry that crossed your face. "Nothing. What happened to that girl, that you're 'not friends' with?" You shrugged, taking her arm and walking towards an empty table. "Didn't work out." "What didn't work out?"

You sat down, Vi across from you while you grinned.

"A lot of things, and she was one of them."

"Why are you so cryptic?" Vi then asked, resting back against her chair. "Why are you so boring?" "Got me there, cupcake."

#1: The time she finally realized.

It was late, and it had been a long day, yet somehow you couldn't sleep even if it would've saved your life. Instead you sat up, laying on the couch while everyone slept around you, curtains keeping them from the rest of the room.

You instead messed with the puzzle cube, solving it before closing your eyes and mixing it up once more. Opening them to solve it once again. You did this over and over before your mind was fried, looking around in the darkness.

You wondered if Vi would mind being woken up, but instead you decided against it. Standing up and walking back towards your empty bed, except it wasn't empty anymore.

"What are you doing?" You whispered, almost startled at your voice that you hadn't heard in the hours of silence. "Making myself comfortable, my bed is too hot and Claggor snores too loud. It's quiet and cold over here."

"So invade mine, thanks." She smiled at you, despite both of you barely able to see each other. Vi then felt you climb beside her, then over her body to sleep beside the wall.

"Geez, you're hot Vi." "Thanks, cupcake." You laughed, shoving her shoulder before laying down, opting to only rest half the blanket on your legs. "Not like that, asshole." "What? You don't find me pretty?"

You finally laid against the pillow, rolling your eyes as you relaxed into the mattress.

"I find you very pretty." Vi felt her face heat up, covered by the inky room that kept her flustered state hidden. "Thanks, can say the same for you." "Such a ladies lady." It was Vi's turn to roll her eyes, hand messing with the very end of her tank top.

"Do you say that to all the girls?" You then asked, moving to rest your cold cheek on her chest, her arm still up and behind her head, closing your eyes when you felt her lower it around your shoulders.

"No, only you." You then giggled, moving to touch her stomach with your freezing fingers. "Holy shit!" She whispered, making you hide your laughter with your other hand.

"Only me, huh?" Vi hummed. "Liar." "What about you and that guy from earlier? Bet you thought he was pretty." You snorted, opening your eyes again. "No way, he's not my type."

"What is your type?" You thought for a second, opening your mouth before taking a breath. "Girls. With pink hair and loud mouths." You could feel her freeze up, hand coming to a still from twirling her shirt. "They also have to be considerably dense to flirting."

"You have a crush on Sevika?" You sputtered out broken sounds, digging your face into her stomach as you laughed, her lip between her teeth so she didn't burst out in giggles. "How'd you know?" You sat up, a grin on your lips while her eyes focused in on your face.

"You made it so obvious."

For a second you went silent, staring at one another in silence. The moonlight finally shifting into the room, hitting Vi in the face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" "It was fun, watching you squirm around the question." She scoffed, pushing you away. "Thanks."

You then turned to roll over, Vi continuing to watch you.

"What? No goodnight kiss?" You turned your head, gesturing her forward, the girl leaning towards you.

"C'mere." You grabbed her, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"Give me a real one tomorrow, that way its on your terms. Besides, I've waited long enough for you to make a move. Now I'm giving you a go ahead. Make the most of it."

Vi nodded, a cute sparkle of excitement on her face.

"Deal."

[monsteractialuna]

So I'm a massive fan of demon aus and stuff so i ummm made my own demon au 👉👈

I'm not 100% sure if I'm going to write a fic or not for this,, I plan on maybe writing a few chapters, see if I vibe with it, and then post it or leave it in the abyss depending on how I feel when I'm done.

You are a freelance demon hunter with an odd relationship in regards to the demons you hunt. You allow those who kill criminals or the scum of the Earth to go free but hunt and kill those who harm the innocent. You never thought that your work would follow you home, and you certainly never thought that your work would wake you up every morning with pancakes and waffles. Who taught these demons to work a stove?

Some fun facts about the characters and stuff below the read more :)

-Y/n was raised by a demon, hence why they have such an odd relationship with demons. Y/n views them more as people who can make mistakes and less like evil creatures from hell. Y/n allows demons that kill horrible people to live because their Mother was one of those demons, often targeting abusive spouses and partners.

-Sun and Moon used to be one entity but had split decades ago due to a disagreement. They hadn't seen each other since the split until they both broke into Y'n's house.

-Y/n has lost several limbs during their hunts; but since they're on good terms with multiple demons they are always patched back up and made "whole" again. Y/n's mother is constantly on the verge of tearing their face off from stress.

-Since Sun is a plasma demon his body runs extremely hot. He has to maintain constant control of his body temperature or he risks burning everything around him. He also has to control the brightness of his body as if he gets too excited he WILL blind people. Sun smells like ozone before a lightening strike.

-Moon is a demon made entirely of frigid cold water, so just like Sun he has to work to control his body temperature. His natural temperature is extremely cold but if he gets too upset the water that makes up his body could solidify turning to ice. He can freeze the water in the air around him easily. He smells like the ocean during winter.

-Y/n is one of the only demon hunters capable of locking demons into objects. If they cannot kill a demon they will imprison them into an object and keep them in a locked room inside their house. They often put Sun and Moon inside a plasma ball and a snow globe when the two start fighting. Gay demon jail.

-Y/n is capable of using their mother's demonic magic, which is how they are so proficient during hunts. Mother's magic is plant based and helps Y/n control roots, vines, and other flora in their surroundings. The bracelet they wear signifies the bond the two have and Y/n can communicate with their mother through that bond. The bracelet can only be removed if the bond is severed, either through one party dying, both parties agreeing to sever said bond, or a strong enough desire to break free of the bond in some cases.

-Bonds between a demon and a human can come in a few flavors, romantic bonds are symbolized through the demon's solidified magic turning into a ring, familial or friendly bonds are symbolized with a bracelet, and forced bonds are symbolized via a collar around the victims throat.

-Vanessa is Y/n's protegee, after Y/n helped save Vanessa from a forced bond from a demon Vanessa decided she wanted to become a demon hunter to get revenge on the demon who enslaved her. Vanessa doesn't fully believe that demons aren't just evil creatures from hell, but does trust Y/n's judgement.

-The other animatronics are also demons! Y/n is friends with most of them :) Roxanne is a demon that specifically hunts human traffickers, Chica is a demon who hunts people that dump waste into the environment illegally (and then proceeds to consume the dump to ensure the environment isn't too badly effected), Freddy and Bonnie hunt down child abusers and often work as a team to do it, and Monty hunts poachers and exotic animal traffickers.

-Moon falls for Y/n first and falls fast. The minute y/n kicked his ass the first time he was down bad. He makes himself a nuisance to Y/n because he isn't entirely sure how to process these feelings and decides to makes it everybody else's problem. Sun originally just wanted to be friends but as time went on he realized he was falling for Y/n too. While Moon fell in love with you for your ferocity during hunts, Sun falls for your kindness and understanding towards those affected by other demons. Sun absolutely adores your passion and need for justice and it literally makes him swoon.

[olderthannetfic]

When m/m writers say "women DNI / don't read" on a platform like here or AO3 that's majority female, what's the thinking behind this? Are they insecure in their masculinity and trying to preemptively block fujo cooties from getting on their fiction? Are they trying to meet people for RP or dating through engagement with their fics? That I can maybe understand. But if it's the former, there's a culture mismatch. "Women DNI" writers mostly aren't writing stuff that's popular on Space Battles, Sufficient Velocity, Royal Road or even ff.net, which gets more of the "malebrained" (sorry) game nerd stuff with sexless shonen-like characters levelling up or solving problems with "hard magic." Those spaces also have a concrit culture where you can be a little mean and mocking, and the "women DNIs" only want praise and clout. It always makes me think of Married with Children and Al Bundy's NO MA'AM (National Organization of Men Against Amazonian Masterhood) club.

Anyway, it's extra odd when I see this kind of clout goblinry in a market context where most of the sales are to women. I've seen gay dudes (cis and trans) lightly threaten that a big conversation about what gets popular in paying m/m space was coming soon (spoiler: it never came). And it's always someone who doesn't have the kind of career they want despite doing lots of marketing. I think it's OK to vent, but the gay men who are doing numbers in m/m space don't threaten women's careers or disparage their own readership.

--

Are they insecure in their masculinity and trying to preemptively block fujo cooties from getting on their fiction?

Yes.

No, really. That's it.

Ask any trans man who's been on T for a few years and has supportive friends and family what he thinks about this dumb behavior vs. a scared trans boy who just figured it out in his own head and whose entire experience of living openly as a man is being rude to strangers on twitter.

The pro version is just professional jealousy.

If Jordan L. Hawk can come out and stay at the top of the heap (despite, sorry not sorry, a bit of a career slump lately due to Life), so can other trans dudes, and there are plenty of cis dudes who write in a BLy style and sell just fine to BL/slash fandom type readers.

Dudes who are secure don't need to pull this shit, and good marketers know not to insult their paying customers in public because it's bad for business.

TBH, when I find out a m/m author is a guy, I'll usually try one of his books. I don't think fujoshi culture is ~appropriation~, but i guess I do think it's nice to give a guy a shot. I have pretty universally been underwhelmed (in the Sturgeon's Law way, not the men can't write way). But I doubt I'm alone in this behavior. A dude who's not a whiny little bitch about having a chick audience can use this to his marketing advantage. Instead, a lot of losers want to shoot themselves in the foot.

[novelconcepts]

Another year, another absurd amount of books read (296, because if I wasn't reading or writing this year, my brain was on fire). I was asked again for my top books of the year, so here we go: 2023's top 10, in no particular order.

This was the first book I read of the year--literally, vacated the hangout with my wife and sibling-in-laws to sit on their couch upstairs and eat through it. Do you love The Fall of the House of Usher, but wish for a nonbinary protagonist and a lot more mushrooms? This is the book for you! (T. Kingfisher is fucking rad, I made a concerted effort to only list ONE of her books on here, but honorable mention goes to The Twisted Ones for fucking me upppp.)

A gay, post-apocolyptic Pinocchio retelling involving copious robots, found family elements, and a cool-ass treehouse. Klune always hits for me with his unrepentant queer family dynamics and sense of humor. Honorable mention to the first two in the Green Creek series (although that's got a lot more...adult elements in among the werewolves, you've been warned).

I thiiiink I found this through The Homo Schedule podcast (PSA: if you missed out on Jasmin Savoy Brown and Liv Hewson doing a podcast together, now you know better), and it wrecked my shit. Tons of trigger warnings, as this is a memoir about abuse within a queer relationship, but it's so beautifully written. I personally suggest listening to the audiobook first, then standing anxiously behind someone at a book warehouse sale, hoping they'll set down the only paperback copy so you can swipe it.

A fantastical-historical reimagining in which the KKK is filled with literal monsters, and Black women are resistance fighters armed to take them out. Visceral and intense, and truly an excellent horror story.

Just. Such a soft time travel story about a daughter and her father and cherishing the time you get with loved ones. I was thoroughly unprepared for how lovely I found this one. It's very kind.

Spooky house, take-no-shit redhead, protective sibling elements, bisexual recluse with a sword who really just needs a nap. I haven't found a Harrow book yet I haven't slapped five stars on. She's so good at character and atmosphere, and I'm always surprised at how fast her stories race by.

The whole Daevabad trilogy (of which this is the first book) is just magical. A girl from the mortal world finds herself embroiled with the centuries-long prejudices and wars of djinn in a fantastical city. It's one of the rare stories of its kind that does have a love triangle, but doesn't feel like a love triangle; it's far less interested in the insufferable "who gets picked" than it is in the actual horrors these people are both perpetrating and coping with. It's an intoxicating ride.

Fuck You, TERFS: the book. Given that fact, there's obviously quite a lot of transphobia to deal with, but it's very clear that those people are wrong, and it's a super-engaging (and super-oh-god-what-comes-next) witchy time populated with queer, protective, interesting characters I'm excited to see again in the follow-up.

Have you ever wanted a haunted house story with visceral imagery and a rather lovely twist? Gailey has you covered. As much as I enjoyed The Echo Wife, I think I actually loved this one more, and it makes me so excited to see what else they've got up their sleeve.

One of my final reads for the year, when I was just churning through hardcovers at the speed of sound. I love this book. I recognize it won't be for everyone, but it takes so much of what I love about IT (one of my all-time favorite books, despite its flaws) and twists it through the lens of an author who escaped the Mormon church. It's horrific, it's fantastically abstract in places, it explores childhood and memory, imagination and abuse, and almost every character is queer. It's a great "I simply cannot sleep until I've finished" read.

[qdbs-writes]

Hello, are you still writing for Twilight? I can order The human reader who comes to high school is calm and beautiful, but the Cullen can't use their powers on him and that's a strange thing like Alice can't read his future and Edward can't read their mind and Jasper can't know their feelings If it's a lot of characters you can just do cullens boys

Fresh 'n hot headcanons coming right up! I'll focus on the Cullens who are in high school

Cullens React To Hot Reader Who's Immune To Their Powers

Edward

Edward is what some might call pathologically unobservant

Being able to read minds means he's constantly drowning out the menial thoughts of everyone around him, so you'll forgive him if he doesn't notice you immediately

He will notice you quickly once he realises that compared to everyone else your mind is like a soothing, quiet oasis. He will then notice just how stunning you are

And frankly, the rest of the high school agrees with him, you're a total babe! Edward is used to having people fawn over him and he's not sure how to handle all the attention suddenly being on you

Once he works up the courage to finally go talk to you, he decides he's quite okay with being your equal

Jasper

Jasper doesn't register your immunity until you're beating him in a civil war trivia kahoot quiz and he decides to make you dizzy to inhibit you

When he realises that you're still winning, he tries to make you miserable in case it was an accident. When you continue to merrily beat his score, that's when alarm bells start to ring

Jasper is very insecure about his inability to control your emotions, it's not a power the rest of the Cullen's really respect and it's not like he can walk up to you and ask you why you're immune to his magical emotional manipulation

He prepares to glare a hole into the back of your head instead until you glance in his direction and he sees just how gorgeous you are

Well now it'll just be ungentlemanly of him if he doesn't congratulate your victory, no use being a sore loser after all

Alice

After school, Alice sees you cross the road without looking, and you unknowingly walk into the path of an oncoming car. She fully expects to see a vision of your head cracked open across the tarmac with the rest of your body mangled under the bumper. But it never comes.

In fact, no visions come. She looks towards you again to see the car screech to a halt just in front of you, as you reach the other side and apologize to the shouting driver.

Interesting, very interesting. She decides to test her powers on you the next day by focusing hard on what your math final scores would be. Again, nothing comes to her. Alice finds you after the results were posted to ask how you did, and you had gotten a 98. It was the last good grade you needed to get into your dream college, the best news you could've gotten this week.

Alice slowly comes to terms with the fact that your life and its events may be completely beyond her, that despite all the effort in the world she will have no warning on what may happen to you next, but she wishes you all the best regardless

Emmett

Emmett first notices you in the boys changing room. For totally heterosexual reasons of course

You were the new kid on the football team, and the coach was eager to join you even after tryouts

You were a wide receiver while Emmett was on tackle, you didn't get to talk much, but he loves grappling your fit, muscular body into the ground. Shame he might have to smack you in your pretty face, though

And hey, you were good. Not as good as him, obviously, but still good

He invites you to sit with him at lunch, to talk strategy, and to hang out as guy friends. Totally not a gay thing, haha, unless you want it to be...

Rosalie

Now Rosalie had to give credit where credit was due; you were super hot

But unlike all the other hot people at Forks High, you were not completely full of yourself

But Rosalie doesn't just give her respect to any hot mortal, she wants to see how you handle all the attention you get from everyone else

You seem to keep to yourself, for the most part, politely declining all the young women vying for your affection. Your popularity knew few bounds, as you were admired by both teachers and students alike

But you remained calm and reflective in every situation, being humble at every compliment and word of praise

Rosalie will consider making you her friend, people like you are very hard to find, even for immortals

[franki-lew-yo]

An 'A-ha!' fandom moment, ft. The Owl House

These comments I screencapped from a user I watch elsewhere really hit like a brick in the face to me. I'm blotting out OP's name, mostly cuz this was just a shower thought they had rather than any meaningful open discussion with people, but it ended up making me realize something (also NO they're not some contrarian AntiSJW type or even hate TOH; they're a very gay+trans writer themselves. Sorry if youknowwhoyouare sees this and recognizes ur posts but you don't allow reblogs or comments and I wanted to present it on my own):

The Owl House was always hampered by being killed halfway through, writing wise and that will always be it's greatest 'sin'. However, OP's comment made me realize how much the show kind of tells you it's characters are flawed rather than actually give them arcs to suggest it, especially in season 1. When I say flawed I don't mean lacking quirks that are relatable but human: Eda is a recluse criminal; King thought he could kill people and acted like it; Luz is a genki girl; Amity starts off as a bully; Hunter...is unfortunately Hunter, ect. Those ARE flaws, character wise, but in the presence of the complete story (as complete as the show will ever be) they really aren't actually flawed, bad people in anyway.

Before I go further, two things: 1, IN ALL FAIRNESS, this is why myself and others particularly LOVE the characters and why TOH was a comfort show for me rather than a 'high-tension narrative'. The characters are a lot of what you want and hope to be like and I think that's really sweet and enjoyable, especially for horror and especially for kids.

2, NO! I DON'T think any particular bad faith cartoon reviewer opinions about coddling certain characters and punishing others IS WHAT DANA and co did at all here! Steven Universe and certain crap-reviewer's takes ON Steven Universe and how it's characters were flawed but overly forgiven by the fandom the show itself are NOT the b-all end-all of this discussion, nor are they the reason The Owl House is the way it is!

The context op was talking about was how in the upcoming hate crime The Last Airbender live-action show the showrunners are going to tone down Sokka's sexism because they think it's 'unlikable'. Even though, we all knew as children that this was an arc for him and it was WRONG, so axing it because we the audience lack nuance to recognize characters we love doing problamtic-sisms is BEYOND annoying.

Op's point is how The Owl House in particular doesn't actually expect much or want much out of it's characters. Or audience. For any infighting early on about how much Amity should 'die' because of reasons, that's really just fandom infighting when you get right down to it. There's nothing on par with the disagreement people have over, say, the Diamonds from Steven Universe and how Steven 'totally forgave them or 'should have murdered them in cold blood' about The Owl House. And like...from a fandom point of view that's good, but otherwise the show is pretty concrete the way you're supposed to see certain characters vs other shows which allow you to make up your own mind.

Avatar, Star vs the Forces of Evil (pre finale), Centaurworld and Amphibia all showcase your protagonists being genuinely, intensely flawed. Sure, maybe some neckbreather crap-pseudocritic complains that they 'made the unlikable' or whatever (i.e. me with Friendship is Magic) but overall the actual point is HOW the characters actually have grown and have ended up with the ending and morality they need. The villains, no not Zukos or 'redeemed' villains who joined the protagonist squad, VILLAIN-villains, will always be at least one serious step behind the protagonists and that's what give the protagonists the cautionary wherewithal to end them like they should and not 'be like them'. It's such a fufilling narrative, there's a reason people like it so much because it's really good when it's delivered well.

Removed from my fandom gaze; the Owl House feels like it's saying it has that ultimate messaging and character arc when it actually doesn't. Your protagonists have the endearing aspirational-part totally covered, but as far as the actual 'edge' and nuance? Well...

Eda is, at most, naughty. She really isn't any kind of morally sidetracked character. She's an outlaw because literally her society is awful to her and she's in the right to be against it. She's cursed but she's not addicted to her potions or hiding it or not really taking care of herself or her loved ones because of it. Her actual biggest flaw is that she's been 'running away' from problems rather than dealing with them, but I'd be lying if that wasn't suggested more than it's actually portrayed; or at least, dealt with fast enough in "Eda's Requiem". A bigger issue I see, even if it's what's also endearing about her, is that she REALLY isn't a flawed caregiver at all. It's portrayed as her most redeeming feature that she's otherwise a good mom and mentor, but Eda having virtually no problems in raising Luz and King just, again, makes her feel ONLY aspirational. All of the angst about 'failing' to parent and making up for it is moved all onto Camilla and sadly all of that angst for her is mostly within an already bloated episode. Eda, while an absolute mood, lacks any real kind of edge. Does she need it or not? I don't know. Discuss, kids.

Luz, like OP says, is treated like this high-energy super-optimist. She's like Star Butterfly in that her fangirlism and impulsivness are supposed to get her in trouble. But, she absolutely just isn't one when you break it down. Besides episode 2, Luz really is never that inconsiderate or lost in her fantasies ever again throughout the show. She never has anything like what Steven goes through where he hops into Larz' body and makes things worse for people by trying to fix things- which is not only good filler but it calls forward to the ultimate ending of Steven's arc for the series - Luz is just sort of adorable. Luz has blindsided by hype moments of weakness, like when she accidentally hurts Owlbert or messes with Amity's secret room, but still always level headed and down-to-earth. Her impulses are always kind of treated like...excusable? Because, again, they usually are. This is a large part about what makes her self-hatred at the end of the show about accidentally helping Belos' feel 'forced'. Even MOREso than what Hunter and Daddy Titan explain about Belos using her, we the audience never see Luz's choice to go back in time and try and get answers from Philip as being anything other than just, you know, logical. Because it is. The show acts like what Luz did was reckless and bad and that she was SOOO overtaken by her fangirlism about Philip and now just how much she has to live with the guilt and regret of helping being duped by him...it just doesn't come off that way at all. She was only so much excited about meeting him and her interest was getting home to her mother. In terms of comparing her to Philip, that's all fine and good, but again it's not 'flawed'. Not really, anyway.

Lilith absolutely has it the worst...but I kinda think people know that. She arguably does have the most morally-gray turning point in the show given what she did to her own sister. But neither the characters nor her nor the show really hold her accountable in any lasting way for cursing Eda. Lilith is the closest we get to that 'Diamond'-dilemma. She does 'make things right way too quickly and it's obvious to even her biggest fans that her character is really rushed in this area. They lampshade what Lilith did and that she was their villain in season 2 and 2B, but lampshading isn't the same thing as progress. As a result, as a Lilith fan you kind of never really forgive her for what she did. None of that's her fault, cause' you know...she doesn't exist, but it makes it frustrating that you the fan watching the show is doing the heavy-lifting in your mind in this area.What you come away from is this feeling of loving the characters for being able to work everything out. They're engaging and nuanced in theory, but you also feel robbed, w or w/o the Disney interference, of them being fully rounded or WHOLE. It kinda feels like 'and suddenly, he wasn't racist, anymore' all the time with every character ever with except Amity's mom, the Titan Trappers and Belos.

The reason everyone dunks on Star vs the Forces of Evil's finale, (besides being salty over ship wars and declaring THAT'S the reason for the drop in quality) is that 'Cleaved' could have not only worked but REALLY worked. It just needed to be better written and processed as an ending. Instead people reviled Star, the protagonist we're supposed to be rooting for, for what feels like impulsive apathy and cruelty towards everyone else by destroying magic, as opposed to it being an actually selfless sacrifice that makes her different than Toffee. Ultimatley, I do prefer The Owl House, unfinished as it is, to any of that. But yeah... I can now never unsee the characters as being what they are: fun but indulgent when they're supposedly complex. Indulgent is never bad u guys, but the problem is when you only have that to go on while insisting you have fully developed characters, there's a lot of the show telling you how to feel and how to come away from it rather than letting you, the audience, make of that yourself. As annoying as fan-wars can be over this stuff and when people are either WAAAY to forgiving of their villain blorbo or form hate-campaigns over Glub Shitto for ruining their life, it is ultimately a good thing that shows give you that chance to really see the characters that way at all.

The Owl House is, as OP calls it, "tumblr feels" not for being gay and magical and fun and wholesome and indulgent like that stuff is GREAT. It feels 'tumblr oriented' in that it all kind of feels too easy even when it's not for your protagonists. It's never actually "challenging". I guess, in as far as 'good' indulgence is concerned, it's as warm and fuzzy and a happy AU fanfic you found but not so much the Pacifist Ending of Undertale where you really do feel bad if you rectify the good ending in anyway. It's fun and it's comfort food, but not entirely lasting as you want it to be???

Amphibia, I think, was also way better than Owl House in this respect. It wasn't perfect cause nothing is but you really got a feeling for HOW flawed Marcy, Sasha, the townsfolk and even Hop Pop throughout their arcs-- which made it so SO rewarding to see them get their happy endings and come together to defeat the core and be the better people they needed to become.

The Owl House is my favorite where I think Amphibia is the better of the two.

[blorbingqls]

Karan and Achi beyond the mask

okay, so i am not okay from the last episode of Cherry Magic Thailand. i personally relate to Karan and Achi a lot, and i felt like writing something on this.

so, in ep 1, we saw Karan to be this perfect guy in the office: winning the awards, getting better oppurtunities and being a great cheerleader for everyone. but, we saw the "mask" shatter when Achi heard his thoughts.

our thoughts, which are so personal in real life and usually are so restricted to ourselves - its hard to imagine what they might get out of it. and, the fact that Karan, while being so perfect, is so mysterious and private of his feelings, really hits hard when you see him internally squealing over being so close to his crush. And, that is why, his crush made us go:

(but in a relatable sort of way...)

As we moved on from episode to episode, we are seeing the said mask get shatter every moment or as shrek goes:

and we first see that reflect once we understand how Karan feels about having those feelings for Achi. which he thinks is beyond shameful. but isn't love something we are told to cherish so fiercely? and thats where i related it with my initial feelings of being queer. societally, we have been told us much on not being gay that when you actually do feel it, it feels guilty. it feels wrong to have these feelings; its a shame to have them because its only just you who has it. (but it is not like that)

Karan, in his whole life, has only been perceived as a mask. a mask of good looks who somewhat can do the job. he's perfect, mysterious and flawless. but, unknowingly, he's very sad and tired of it. so much so that he was scared for Achi to discover that he reads manga. his life, beyond his office is comparatively lonelier.

then the incident happened. his first year of working with the company: in a meeting with his seniors to learn all about the trade. he has prepared everything, he did the research and practiced what to speak in front of the client, only for his boss to reduce him to "the junior who has good looks."

Achi noticed that and later, was the only one who saw beyond the mask at his lowest. Achi said things which made sense to him, because he understands how bad it is be reduced to that mask because Achi goes through that low self esteem every day. however his kindness doesn't let him get it to others around him. for him, he is okay to be behind the scenes, as along it makes him feel happy.

cheering up Karan wasn't something Achi did in order to get something out of Karan. he only did it because he wanted Karan to feel better. and Karan saw that.

to like someone who sees you beyond what anyone is willing to show to the outside world and doesn't demean for it, means a lot to someone like Karan. and that's why, Karan's small acts of care for Achi made sense. because Achi's small acts of kindness towards the office is so similar to what Karan does for Achi. that's why, even though Achi doesn't believe it yet, but, Karan and Achi are similar in a lot more ways than he thinks.

so when Karan gets so close to Achi, he starts feeling so so special. initially, he was so happy with this small acts, it would make his day when he could just interact with Achi. but as Karan and Achi got to know each other more, with Karan's feelings out there for Achi to know, Karan also started feeling so special to Achi, even though the uncomfort lingered around.

with Achi's mask of being the ordinary, clumsy guy as the world sees him, his esteem made him fear the love Karan gave him, as he got closer to him. but he didn't understand how his ideas of buffers actually left Karan feeling so unacknowledged of his place in Achi's life all of a sudden.

so even if Achi knew Karan's feelings way before than Karan expressed it to him, he still didn't know what to say 'cause his heart couldn't reassure him of the genuinity of the feelings he felt for Karan or Karan's feelings for him.

with that post it note, Achi figured out the sincerity of Karan's love.

and for me, that is both of them reaching out beyond their masks and come out of their comfort zones to embrace the said love.

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 1, Match 4 HALF vs. MAGIC

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for HALF:

kazui may just be an old gay man but HE CAN SING.

its. literally stunning.

like aside from his character and everything else, half is just really really beautifully written

THE INSTRUMENTALS.

HIS V O I C E??? its so pretty

heartbreaking lyrics. i dont love kazui as a character but i have bawled to half

GAY RIGHTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love amane but she will undoubtedly win when her purge march poll rolls around, so lets let the old man have a win shall we?

---

half propaganda let's goooo sorry i'm sobern't in true kazui style so this probably won't make a bit of sense

theatre kid man. i love him, incredible mv.

this song is pure ASMR to me

visually aligned with Cat and it's so lovely to see that continuity

the GRAINY MOVIE DOTS THING ON THE MV <3

kazui is so dramatic. i love him i love him

dapper gentleman. such clothes

the key change is so well done

AND THE . THE PART WITH THE. THE ENDING SORT OF LYRICS OVERLAID WITH SPEAKING. and then his quieter singing and, and, and o h my god. im sorry. im not very coherent abt this rn

every part of the song is amazing but once it gets to the key change and after it keeps stepping up the amount of being perfect

kazui is in it

um

kazui is in it

go my psionic warriors vote for everyone's favourite failhusband

no children were tortured in the making of this MV (cough looking at You magic)

---

Allow me to present my Half propaganda!

- The slower tempo adds a very relaxing feeling to the song. Kinda ironic, but I like it! It sort of reminds of old indie songs from 2012 (especially with what I think is whistling added in the instrumental in-between chorus and verses.)

- Kazui’s voice. Enough said.

- It’s very easy to listen to, and I find it’s one of the only songs from Milgram that I like to listen to out of context (besides After Pain, Backdraft, and Purge March, oddly enough.)

- The MV is rife with imagery, and is used to beautiful effect. It really makes you feel for Kazui and his situation.

- The scene with him and Hinako before the key change… that makes me so emo.

- The overlapping part at the end… the lyrics combined with the dialogue in the background makes me really sad in a way I can’t explain.

Propaganda for MAGIC:

MAGIC MY BELOVED MAGIC!!! Its one of the best MVs in the entire series, even including T2. Magic is visually stunning and has some fantastic art direction but also is very clever in how it conveys its themes and ideas. Magic doesn't really hide anything from you, not really. It's all symbolic but it Tells You Things. It shows you the abuse, it shows you the cat. There's a fun little relationship going on here where, In Magic. Amane's pain and suffering isn't taken seriously by the people around her and the Audience we are discouraged to take it at face value due to the fictionalized nature of Magic. It's so cool. I'm so fond of the song as well, it's one of the best in the series purely cause of the Layers in it. The implications of this Inability to be good is seeped into Magic. Amane knows this isn't reality, Magic knows it's a show, she watches it at the end. And it's so Sad to me that even in her fictionalized happy world she Cannot be a good girl. It's a standard completely out of reach for her and that idea is just conveyed so well visually.

Im not even talking about the goddamn cat yet- the cat symbolism goes Deep. That cat is HER it has the same wounds Amane has in Purge March. I- I cant talk about the intertextuality of Purge March and Magic here this is Magic propaganda only- I- there's so much good stuff to Magic. I Re watched it over and over again. It has some the Best Writing and Visual Communication in Milgram and I will Die on this Hill.

---

shoutout to magic for having pretty props AND being vague as fuck about the crime! diversity win!

seriously though amane looks SO cute in it! the mv has such a pretty and colorful style and even with that it's able to show the horrors of what amane went through.

adding onto my last point. that scene where the cat is hyperventilating and you see the camera shaking???? that scene where the mascots find amane helping the cat and they're all standing over her? CHILLS. im repeating myself but the fact that they were able to portray the awful things amane went through in a genuinely emotional way while still keeping the cute cartoon look is soo impressive

there are SO many layers to itill the entire cartoony style making it look like a tv show… utilizing the cartoony effects and bright colors to show amane downplaying her own pain… the transformation after she gets punished barely changing anything to show just how manipulated she was from the start… ueueueue

ALSO ALSO ALSO THE SCENE AT THE END WITH AMANE STARING AT THE SCENE? OHHH ITS SO GOOD it adds such a feeling of dread and reminds you on top of this whole thing that all of this is truly horrifying! something is going on here!

this song is so catchy it gets stuck in my head CONSTANTLY

"Dear wise one, Am I worthy? Is it ok to spoil myself?" AMANE... UEUEUUEUE

the little ding sound effects in the instrumental?????

amanes voice is ADORABLE

THE INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT PART WHERE SHES HELPING THE CAT HAS THAT GODLY TYPE SOUND YOUD TYPICALLY ASSOCIATE WITH CHURCHES AND STUFF AND I DONT KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT PROPERLY BUT JUST RELISTEN TO IT AND YOU WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN. ITS SUCH A NEAT DETAIL

i could go on about this mv for days but i am not a theorist unfortunately. just. magic sweep

[king-krisu]

hi king! got any favorite bojere fics?

I'm shaking I'm so excited for this ohmygod anon I love you.

I'm gonna be honest, like 60% of my bookmarks are just pure filth so I'll only rec a few of them and try to find actual plot one's lol.

Here's a very long chaotic list and why I love them:

Enough by homegrown_simp is the first multichapter fic I bookmarked and it's just so so good ever time I read it. It has probably the best ESC-era and post-ESC era Bojere from May/June times in my opinion

Now I'm Going to Dance by Monsters_Minima is 2 chapters, with the first one being utterly *heartbreaking*, and the second one will fix that right up with fluff/smut. I usually don't read falling out/break up fics, but for some reason the way this was written just gripped me so... yeah

Guys being dudes, dudes being gay by Anonymous is just pure filth BUT the way that both Bojan and Jere are written is just so magical and it's just so so so good and realistic and fun and yeah. Just a really good read, I felt out of breath (lol) after reading it bcs the writing just gripped me (again, lol)

I'm not even gonna rec anything in particular from mitochondriencocktail (except Put Me Together, Thread a Needle which EVERYONE has to read), every single one of their BoJere fics is written so unbelievably well. I honestly had a throwback to my own screenwriting classes from how well the fics always progressed etc.

When I don't have you, my demons are with me by Anonymous now THIS ONE is a doozy. For all the girlies that want to make Jere cry during sex, here's your chance. If you are triggered by (brief, taken care of) dub-con, overstimulation or jealousy then this might not be for you, but dor the rest of you.... Have at it. There's a part 2 to this that is incredibly fluffy and cute, but unfortunately it's by anon so it's not easy to find haha

You look at me and babe, I wanna catch on fire by JuliaBaggins just... just read this okay. I cried and felt like floating afterwards

Sano mulle jotain seksikästä by Anonymous FOR ALL YOU FINNS, THIS WILL MAKE YOU FEEL SO SEEN. The rest of you, enjoy nice fluffy filth

The story of love (that hurts) by ate_my_brain is also one that I think everyone just has to read. Period.

Everything feels like everything by Televa is written by a Finn and is just so utterly heartbreaking but beautiful, it's short and just so so so good please go support finnish fic writers thanks <3

Your only one (and I'll prove it to you) by PupperMasterOnAString is obviously something I have to mention because it stemmed from me hornyposting about BoJere on here so.... thank you bestie I owe you my life this is such a good sub!Jere read <3

I'll probably add to this or make a part 2 because I am VERY versed in the BoJere tag on ao3 and I have like 20 others that I'd want to talk about lmao. Just as a treat here's a list of authors that I'm always sososososo excited about when I see they've written something new:

Mitochondriencocktail, obviously

PuppetMasterOnAString if you love sub!Jere (who doesn't)

Televa

Todayiseveryday (Tilhi)

[desultory-novice]

I find it hilarious that kirby doesn't know how to read or write. Yet he completely understands the concept of money and how it works!

So... I had a lot to say about the "Kirby can't read" thing?!?

See, this struck me last time I saw someone bring up Kirby can't read as proof Kirby is a very young child. (1) Speaking broadly, we as a species tie age/intelligence to reading level, which, by my reckoning, is a holdover of the school system. (:cough: That or callous systems of oppression to deny various people rights based on things like money, land, freedom, gender, religion, race, etc :cough:)

A Kirby who can't read must be a Kirby who hasn't gone to school!

But wait... ..."School??"

[continued below...w/ pictures!]

-

Is there even "school" in Dream Land? Waddle Dees seem to get put to work serving the king or guarding treasure or swinging happily across train tracks ("Oh my god, he's got airpods in! He can't hear us!") pretty much from the moment they make their first "Wanya!" In fact, Wise Waddle Dee seems to have become "wise" because...he found a book? Now, he was able to read it, but how long did it take him?? Can the other Waddle Dees read? Was Delivery Waddle Dee (?) taught to read by Wise Waddle Dee? How long did it take them to acquire this skill? They've all been there for X amount of time...

If Dream Land and Popstar as a whole has no mandatory schooling -public, private, or otherwise - can we really judge intelligence or age based on the same things we judge them on in the real world?

Another thing that made me question the logic of age = schooling was, amusingly enough, deciding to finally check out a rather FAMOUS episode of the anime...

A shame that the, erm, "feel good" ending leaves a bitter taste in the mouth now.

Anyway, the reason I went to watch the whole thing in the original Japanese was because I spotted something of interest and had to confirm it for myself...

King Dedede (at least in the anime) can't read either!

Now, Anime King Dedede also has cartoon human teeth (?) drives a ridiculously sized car everywhere, and abuses his gay snail second-in-command for "comedy" + a lot of other things we very much doubt of our beloved game Dedede. He's also portrayed as comically dumb. A little sad that the anime uses lack of literacy as an indicator that "Oh, look! He's embarrassingly stupid!" (That whole episode was Escargoon's fault. Not that I blame him, given the way Dedede treats him, but you really couldn't have just read the book aloud?!)

Anyway - because I'm me and I love to overanalyze insignificant or discarded tidbits and try to find clever ways to re-apply them in various canon - I thought about this and considered, "Yes, indeed! Why WOULD Dream Land have traditional schooling?! Why would anyone without a specific interest in books have any need develop the skill of reading in this world?" What is there TO read, even?

(Helpful road signs? All visual!)

My interpretation, at least, is that game Dedede is intelligent, if flawed. Still, he builds robots! He's good at chess! But these "smart" things are no indication he's good at reading or writing.

The note sent to Kirby in Kirby Fighters 2? We don't know Dedede wrote that. Meta Knight, who can read (...or so we assume?!?! Maybe That Book Meta Knight Was Reading on the Knoll in the Opening Cutscene for Return to Dream Land and Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a picture book!) might have written it for the two of them. Although... this puts another funny, twisty idea in my head!

We gather that, regardless of Kirby's need to read, Kirby has terrible handwriting, as implied by Kirby and the Forgotten Land. (Planet Robobot as well as various merch shows us that Kirby's not all that good at art, either.) Which is excusable, since they're writing with little nubs! Meta Knight has nubs too, but he covers them with (magical?) gloves that somehow give them better grip??

With these pseudo-hands, Meta Knight MUST be better at both letter writing and art than Kirby! Except... do we know that for sure...?

I point you to a certain Star Allies picture where Meta Knight's mirror duplicate, Dark Meta Knight, is drawing peacefully alongside Adeleine, Ribbon, and Daroach. Adeleine aside, the rest are, y'know, decent! ...Except Dark Meta Knight, who is TERRIBLE. Maybe even worse than Kirby! But...if Dark Meta Knight draws as badly as Kirby, and Dark Meta Knight is Meta Knight's mirror world duplicate...

Do you see where I'm going with this...?

(I blew out all my art skills on Apologies. Take this Kirby Meta Knight tier scribble...)

Just imagine, King Dedede boldly dictating the duo's letter of challenge to Meta Knight for the knight to write down... horribly! And King Dedede, who can't read, has no idea it's written in "Nub Scratch," nods happily that their "flawless" letter should be sent to Kirby immediately! Meta Knight, who cares about his image, does not clue him in to the truth. Neither does Kirby, who couldn't read it even if it were legible. Meta Knight's bad handwriting remains a secret that goes with him to his probably very cool-looking grave!

...

As for how money fits into the low-literacy world of Kirby, it's not hard to imagine King Dedede being responsible for that! The man loves his shinies! Assuming he wasn't born with a king's robe and crown on him, we have to accept that he dressed himself that way because he likes it! He likes being/looking wealthy and in charge. He likes gold. Maybe not as much as a certain rat, but enough.

And what is a kingdom without its own currency? ...Or maybe all those treasures in the Great Cave Offensive came with price tags and Kirby's just dutifully reporting the numbers to us?

--

(1)Young/Child Kirby is fine, btw! Honestly, some more modern content, like the concert, have been skewing in a young Kirby direction, with Kirby needing to take a nap in the middle of the show due to how late it was. As an old school fan, I still prefer my Kirby to be something unfathomably old (yet forever young at heart) or something cosmic beyond our mortal concept of age while still somehow able to be a friend to all... but that's a Dess-Lore thing!

(2) Of course, Kirby (and by association, Meta Knight) aren't natives to Popstar - Kirby being a wanderer carried on a Spring Breeze - thus, Dream Land's lack of an education system wouldn't affect whether the two know how to read or write. But I believe the same "Why does reading matter on their planet of origin?" / "Why would they have such a system?" COULD apply to them as well.

...For the humor of it, if nothing else!

[thecrowinacrown]

So I'm starting the Dead Boy Detectives

I've decided to write what i know about every show before i watch it, just because I'm oftenly veeery wrong or surprisingly right about some things I've accidentally seen outside on tumblr, which makes it funny. So:

• There's an asian girl with style✨️

• She's into astrology?..something like that?

• Or is it exorcism?

• She's giving Draculaura from the live action is a good way

• There's two boys and i guess they are 👉👈dating?

• Please tell me they are dating and i dont need to watch them go through a 600-6000 years of slow burn...

• Or maybe they are not in love! i just assumed cause they are main characters and i saw 1 (one) fanart of them kissing

• One of them is Charles

• (i have no idea where that name came from i hope it really is his name or I'm going crazy because of all of the other fictional Charles' in my life)

• I think one of them is going to be my favourite, the more polite one

• Idk if there's a polite one I'm telling from the looks

• I also don't remember how they look except for one(?) Is wearing a blazer?

• There's must be a 4th character but idk who

• Most important: it's a Neil Gaiman show. Which is a seal of quality.

• Gay

• For the same reason.

• I have zero idea what this show is actually about and why it's called like that I'm just watching it because of Neil Gaiman to be honest

• THERE'RE ANIMATED SEQUENCES

• I learned that just today when i saw a short on YouTube and i REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS FROM THE TANGLED SERIES

• Until the narrator started swearing

• So there's some old lady that never dies but also ages like Madame Gothel from Rapunzel

• And the narrator is some guy

• Idk

• Neil Gaiman really loves immortal characters doesn't he

• And i don't know aaaany other characters

• They do Magic???

Let's begin :))

UPDATE: 1. i just read the show description and omg THEY ARE GHOSTS??? I had no idea lmao

2. He IS Charles but what's worse the other one is named EDWIN.

HE'S ED.

TOO MANY EDS IN MY LIFE

(just from the name maybe HE is going to be my favourite) (or the girl who knows)

(Thanks god he's not Edward at least)

[themostineptthateverstepped]

Obviously, I am very tense about the Loki finale tonight, so this post may not age well, but I just have to say this.

The kiss in the season 1 finale was super weird. Not just because it was some strange version of selfcest, but because there was no real chemistry there. It genuinely felt like Sylvie's last-ditch effort to distract/confuse Loki enough to achieve her goal of killing He Who Remains. And that is exactly what that was. She kissed him, he looked completely defeated during said kiss, and then she kicked him through a time door, killed Kang, and then went about her life.

She did not look at all pleased to see Loki again, and there has been no spark of anything between them the entire season. Even when they join hands to use their magic, it looks like siblings. THEY READ LIKE SIBLINGS. There really hasn't been any effort put into developing their chemistry or connection romantically. Even in their most recent interaction at the bar, Sylvie is playing the detached therapist, trying to guide Loki into admitting what he already knows, the true "why" behind his mission, and it isn't her. She even explicitly defines that she has her own story and path and advises him to write his own. Separately.

Now all of this is a long way of saying that, if they move forward and push Sylkie on us at the eleventh hour, I won't be angry because it's not my ship, I will be angry because they did absolutely nothing to grow it, to nurture it, to have it make any real narrative sense.

Yes, this is Tumblr, and we all love a good gay ship (because we are sad and gay and starved for representation), but Loki and Mobius actually make narrative sense. Not only do they each represent the other's turning point and catalyst for growth and change, but they are also two characters that have developed into something together. Their evolution is incredible, and we have been given scenes all season that parallel their growth, in the way Mobius doesn't hesitate to trust Loki, how he embraces Loki's mischief, how Loki comes back to Mobius again and again, defends him, comforts him. They have actively built the framework for Lokius, even heavily implying that Mobius is the "who" that guides Loki's time slipping.

However they choose to manifest Loki and Mobius' relationship, if they leave it ambiguous, if it's queer-platonic, if it's whatever, they at the very least need to make it abundantly clear that THIS is the fundamental relationship. Their bond is the heart of the show.

Loki needs to love Sylvie because he needs to be able to love and embrace himself as he is, all of his strengths, and all of his weaknesses. Sylvie, who is still so impulsive and bent on revenge, is an excellent opportunity for him to see where he came from and love her anyway. But we've seen him face her impulsive violence, and instead of him meeting her there and joining in, we saw him become calm and compassionate - we saw how Mobius had helped him to grow. We need Loki and Sylvie to love each other, because that is how they are going to heal, it's how they aren't going to lose. But it's self-acceptance, it's the love you have to have before you can truly love someone else, and I think given Loki's long arc as a character, we need to see him beak out of his narcissism, move beyond just loving himself, and truly love someone else.

They more than paved the way for Mobius and Loki, and if they through that away for Sylkie, it won't just be sinking a perfectly good ship, it would be horrifically ignorant, wasteful storytelling. And this is the God of Stories, so if you fuck this up... I mean. Just don't okay?

[remus-poopin]

Hi! Sorry to bother you but I’m looking for specific pieces of HP meta and I’m kinda lost.

Do you have any reading recommendations about homosexuality in the Harry Potter world? I’m trying to decide a couple of things about the world-building for a fic and I’d love to read about other takes on the topic.

Hi! It's not a bother at all I love this stuff! I have my own thoughts about this too and this is a question I often think about and I was planning on writing something about this eventually anyways so I'm glad I got this ask because now I have a excuse to! (And I can talk about some gripes I have with the author as well so yay)

CW: Homophobia and misogyny

Here is a meta by @thecarnivorousmuffinmeta on homophobia in the wizarding world.

Here is @hchollym's take on gay marriage in the WW

The books give no mention of homosexuality explicitly, but the author has slightly expanded on the topic at later times in interviews and tweets. In 2007 she confirmed that Dumbledore was gay and later she gives us more details about his sexlife. She then said this in 2007 about homosexuality and homophobia in the wizarding world:

"MA: 'We wanna talk about Dumbledore so bad. We know that you've created worldwide intrigue when you said that he is gay. But I wanted to ask you about homosexuality in the Wizarding World in general. Is it a taboo?' JKR: 'Now, that's something I never thought of. I would think that that would be-- it would be exactly what it is in the Muggle World. But the greatest taboo in the Wizarding World is, well, for some wizards... I mean if we're talking about prejudiced people within the Wizarding World, what they care most about is your blood status. So I think you could be, um, gay, pure-blood, and totally without any kind of criticism from the Lucius Malfoys of the world. I don't think that would be something that would interest him in the slightest. But, you know, I can't answer for all witches and wizards because I think in matters of the heart, it would be directly parallel to our world.'"

She also says this in a tweet about homophobia in 2014:

“Only by ludicrous Muggles. The wizards don't give a damn - it's all about the magic for them.”

Now whether or not you take this to be canon is up to you. What I think is interesting here is I feel as though we are made to think that homosexuality is a non issue in the wizarding world and not a point of prejudice by the second statement. From her first statement she says that its “something she never thought of” and I'm guessing her second statement is contradictory because she wanted to appease LGBT+ fans and reassure them that Hogwarts is a safe space (for some, lets not ask her about the other letters in the acronym). 

This is a pattern I've noticed JKR exhibiting in a lot of her post book words in which she is trying to communicate how egalitarian the world she created is through her new information, while the text does not reflect this worldview. I think a good example of this is how when she listed the ministers of magic she included several women, going back as far as the 1700s to try to show there are not as many barriers to entry for women in the WW. Yet we see many instances of sexism throughout the series from the characters. I think what she was trying to do is have her world primarily focus on blood purity, and creature rights and have the issues we face either go to the backburner or not be present at all. Now I understand this choice, (though I really don’t think it's necessary, more interesting or remotely realistic) but I also think her execution is pretty awful because you can (and I'm about to) make an argument that these issues are still very present in the wizarding world. I think the biggest issue here is that she doesn't understand the structures and systems of oppression that she handwaved to the side to truly write a world where they would not be a real problem. To me, given what we've seen of the wizarding world, homophobia would still very much be an issue. 

So I think if we're going to talk about what homosexuality looks like in the wizarding world we would also need to talk about what homophobia would look like in the wizarding world. Homophobia has many factors contributing and working with it to make it function as prejudice and a system. If I had to break it down to its biggest parts I would say our big three is: religious fears, rigid gender norms, and disgust. Those often play off each other to create an effective tool for upholding a power structure in society by subjugating certain members. Let's examine these in the context of Harry Potter.

Religious fears: 

Religious fears resulting in homophobia is very common in the real world but for this factor to apply to the WW I think we would need to determine whether or not the wizarding world is even religious. We have examples of christianity showing up across the books in casual ways, Harry has a Godfather, he was christened as a baby, and Lily and James have a quote from the bible on their tombstone. From this we can at least make the assumption that the Potter family is religious to some capacity. We also see that one of the Hogwarts ghosts is called “The Fat Friar’. But to my knowledge this is where the references end. If the wizarding world is religious, or at least wizarding Britain, they seem to be casually so. So I don't see this being a huge driving factor in any homophobia we would see in that universe. 

Rigid gender norms:

I think if you take away any religious influences you're still going to see homophobia even in its most violent forms and this has a lot to do with rigid gender norms. If gender norms are established to sustain a power structure that a society relies on to maintain a certain order, any breaking of those norms will be met with punishment (socially or physically). In a heteronormative culture, homosexuality can be seen as a breaking of these norms.   

First off, Pureblood culture seems to be obsessed with lineage and creating heirs, In one of the meta I linked it talks about how homosexuality would be a threat to that. At least in pureblood society, your job as a man is to make pureblooded babies and your job as a woman would be to give birth to them, anything else would be looked down upon.

If we step outside of pureblood society, we can see that the general wizarding population also seems to have strict ways in which men and women should act.

So what are the gender roles the wizarding world has? Well there are the clothing, all wizards wear robes, but dresses are traditionally for women and any robe that looks a little to dress-like for a man could be seen as embarrassing: 

“'What is that supposed to be?'  He was holding up something that looked to Harry like a long maroon velvet dress. It had moldy-looking lace frills at the collar and matching lace cuffs. - ‘Mum, you've given me Ginny's new dress,’ said Ron, holding it out to her. ‘Of course I haven't,’  said Mrs Weasley. ‘Thats for you, dress robes’.- “You've got to be kidding’ said Ron in disbelief ‘Im not wearing that, no way!' - In some trepidation Harry opened the last parcel on his camp bed. It wasn't as bad as he expected, however. His dress robes didn't have any lace on them at all - in fact they were more or less the same as his school ones, except they were bottle green except black” (GOF, pg 155 and 156)

“Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville changed into their dress robes up in their dormitory, all looking very self conscious, but none as much as Ron who surveyed himself in the long mirror in the corner with an appalled look on his face. There was no getting around the fact that his robes looked more like a dress than anything. In a desperate attempt to make them more manly he used a severing charm on the ruffs and cuffs." (GOF, pg 411)

There are cultural roles:

“‘Come on, Ginny's not bad,’ said George fairly sitting down next to Fred. ‘Actually , I dunno how she got so good, seeing how we never let her play with us…’  ‘she's been breaking into your broom shed in the garden since the age of six and taking each of your brooms out in turn when you weren't looking’  (OOTP, pg 574) 

There is no ostensible reason for Ginny not to be able to play Quidditch with her older brothers, even if she was too young at one point, very soon after she should have been able to, considering Ron was only a year older. From this we can assume that wizards, or at least the Weasleys, have a view of femininity as more fragile, or weaker than masculinity. This idea is reinforced through the founders of Hogwarts making separate dorm rooms for girls and boys where boys cannot enter the girls dorm but girls can enter the boys, this also positions men as aggressors in a sexual sense.

There are sexual roles, any time there is slutshaming in the series a women is at the end of it. Hermione is seen as a “scarlet women” for appearing to toy with Harry's heart:

“I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter! She's made you out to be some sort of - scarlet women!’ Hermione stopped looking astonished and snorted with laughter. ‘Scarlet women?’ - ‘It's what my mum calls them’ Ron muttered." (GOF, pg 513)

 Ginny is constantly facing accusations of behaving a little too promiscuously by her family. 

“'Let's get this straight once and for all. It is none of your business who I go out with or what I do with them, Ron -' ‘Yeah it is!’ Said Ron just as angrily. ‘D’you think I want people saying my sister’s a-’ (HBP, pg 287)

"'my tiara sets the whole thing nicely, said Aunt Muriel in a rather carrying whisper, 'but I must say, Ginevra's dress is far too low cut.'" (DH, pg 145)

Merope Riddle is called a slut for running off with Tom Riddle Sr.

"'dishonored us, she did, that little slut!'" (HBP, pg 365)

All of these instances are made to seem as negative and as a breaking of the societal norms. The norm being women as chaste, demure figures of virtue.

We've established these gender roles, and we've seen there are consequences when you fall out of line. So, what if the gender role calls for you to be masculine as a man and then defines that masculinity in part with obtaining women and sexual prowess? Homosexuality would be in direct conflict with that. And with that lets tie it into disgust.

Disgust:

The disgust that a homophobe feels can be stemming from a couple different places. Maybe it's religious fears like we talked about or maybe it's because of gender norms. But that disgust is only taking place because they perceive something they hold to be pure being tainted and violated; the word of god, the sanctity of masculinity, or hegemonic gender roles. In a society where these beliefs are upheld and treated as sacred, any conflict with that will be met with judgment at best and violence at worse. 

I don't see the wizarding world as a progressive space where homosexuality or anything LGBT+ would be considered a non issue because the text does not reflect that. The text shows the same misogyny, the same disdain for femininity, and the same reverence for masculinity that we see in everyday life and because of that I feel it only makes sense to see the wizarding world just as bigoted as ours. 

Ok so what does homosexuality look like in the wizarding world then?

Well if we've established the wizarding world as a society that would be hostile (in any way) to gay people I think its easier to move forward on how to imagine how they fit into that society since we have ours for reference. However, Its important to remember that our oppression doesn't define us and its not the only thing to consider while writing. Think about what the fashion would look like, what the music would sound like, what the spaces would be like and just generally what the culture would be. Have fun with it!

Hope this helped a little!