#trans diego is near and dear to my heart!!!!

[queerhargreeves]

Not A Hardship

TUA Pride Month, day 5: Coming out

Diego has been sitting on a thought for a while now: How did Five adjust to his identity so well? I mean, he knows that the kid read Vanya’s book. And she had the courtesy to at least use his name and pronouns in the godforsaken thing. But he must’ve looked like a complete stranger - an imposter. He was 13, forced to see his dead, transitioned sibling. Five hasn’t once slipped up on his name or pronouns since he’s been back.

TW: Slight discussion of misgendering/transphobia

Diego Hargreeves has had to “come out” many, many times throughout his life. Certainly more than most people barely out of their 20’s. He’s been out as male for 15 years now, bisexual for 10. The process of coming out certainly isn’t a one time thing: you don’t just tell people once. It’s a never ending cycle.

He’s gone through the uncomfortable coming out process to his new coworkers when he found their eyes lingering on the scars beneath his pecs a little too long to just be a passing glance. He has to come out on every first date, a little part of him terrified of the reactions to come. He's been subjected to too many ignorant, spiteful words - too many T slurs for it to get any easier. He has to disclose his identity to new doctors, hoping his extensive google research of trans friendly professionals proved to be right.

And every single time he goes through this he still experiences the heart dropping anxiety he did the first time he came out. 15 year old Diego stumbled through his words, his bangs shielding his glazed over eyes as he found solace in Klaus on his bedroom floor all those years ago.

The only sibling he hasn’t really come out to yet is the now littlest one of the bunch, Five. Diego came out two years after he disappeared. The two were never the closest as children, not like Five and Vanya or Klaus and Diego. Five was always too wrapped up in overcoming what Sir Reginald deemed plausible for him to notice much else. And Diego himself was too immersed in his own personal training and ranking to spend much energy on the boy three ranks below. The second Five disappeared however, Diego’s anger caught up to him. His brother’s disappearance then followed by his other brother’s death was the slap in the face he needed to truly realize the monster they grew up calling Dad.

But that was then and this is now. And now, they’ve avoided the end of the world. Now, they’re all living under the same roof again, relearning what it means to be a family. Because their sense of brother and sisterhood is certainly warped due to their upbringing. It meant relearning everything they thought they knew about themselves and one another.

Diego has been sitting on a thought for a while now: How did Five adjust to his identity so well? I mean, he knows that the kid read Vanya’s book. And she had the courtesy to at least use his name and pronouns in the godforsaken thing. But he must’ve looked like a complete stranger - an imposter. He was 13, forced to see his dead, transitioned sibling. Five hasn’t once slipped up on his name or pronouns since he’s been back.

And every sibling had their own adjusting period with his identity. Klaus of course was the most receptive, taking little to no time to gender him correctly. The first week though, there were a few slip ups. Allison took a few months, Ben around the same. Vanya avoided using gendered language for him for quite a while, just saying ‘Diego’ or ‘Number Two’ instead of pronouns. And Luther, well, the guy tried his best. He saw how his face fell every time he messed up, how quick he was to correct himself. And that’s all Diego could ask for really.

But Diego can’t exactly imagine that being something on Five’s priority list during his time in the apocalypse.

“Oh yeah, I’m 13 years old and I’m stuck in the goddamn end of the world right now! But let me focus on my dead sibling and uhhh not misgendering or deadnaming them. Also, how am I going to survive winter?” doesn’t quite seem all that plausible.

So Diego’s just going to ask him. Well, he’s been trying to that is. He’s been standing in front of Five’s door venturing on ten minutes now, working up the courage to just knock. They have all been trying to do that lately - communicating. They actually talk through their thoughts and problems. And so far it’s proven to be beneficial. Who knew that efficient, healthy communication actually worked?

Five swinging the door open, properly knocking the man square in the head, snaps him out of it though. He stumbles back a few steps, hand jumping straight to his forehead.

“Jesus fuck, Five!” He hisses, rubbing at his throbbing temple.

Five rolls his eyes, taking a step back in his doorway and shoving a hand in his pocket.

“Maybe you shouldn’t just stand in front of doors, Diego. I heard that’s a good method in avoiding getting hit by one.”

“I was gonna knock, dude. Maybe cool it with the violent opening?” He scowls, dropping his hand.

“I’m assuming you actually want to talk about something instead of just throwing insults? Because you and I both know we could do this all day.”

“No I,” He clears his throat, “I wanted to talk, yeah.”

Five nods and steps aside, motioning Diego to come in. He’s pleased to find his walls are no longer covered in chalk equations. They haven’t been since they found Five passed out in his room, every single wall littered with equations. He worked himself out so thin that he didn’t wake up for another three days. He’s been getting better at taking care of himself, his family always reminding him to take breaks and whatever else he needs throughout the day.

“So,” Five takes a seat at his desk chair and Diego on the mattress, “What’s on your mind?”

Diego stares at his interlocked hands in his lap, his thumb twisting at the ring on his index finger.

“I just, I never really-” He stops himself, trying to picture what he wants to say in his mind. Not purely because he’s afraid of stuttering, no. But because he’s not even quite sure how to word what he wants to say.

“Is this about you being trans?” Five finally asks after a few beats of silence, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

Diego looks up at the question, meeting Five’s eyes.

“Yeah, it is.”

“I just wanted to ask why, or like, how you adjusted so well I guess? It must’ve been a lot seeing me...I mean I know seeing us like that couldn’t of been easy, of course.” Diego prefaces, placing both hands out in front of him and waving them slightly,

“But I probably looked like a-a completely different person to what you knew.” His voice is noticably smaller by the end of his rambling than when he started.

Five listened patiently as Diego spoke. He sucked on his cheek in his mouth, his brows furrowed ever so slightly.  “Well, I was able to figure out it was you by the tattoo. And you were always so angry when Grace made you wear bras. It was easy to put two and two together.” He explained, waving a hand in the air and the other one still tucked.

“And as to how I adjusted? I read Vanya’s book of course. And I had to relearn the way I addressed you in my head. I worked on it for ages, adamant on gendering you correctly. Number Two, Diego Hargreeves. Brother. He/him.” Five went on, putting up a finger with each word.

“There were times I messed up of course. And I definitely was not happy with myself when I did.”

“But-”

“No Diego, I already know what you’re going to say.” Five interjects, leaning down to rest his elbows on his knees so he can stare at the man at eye-level,

“That wasn’t a hardship for me. It was important to me.  Important I gender you correctly, to give you the respect you deserve to be seen as who you are. Yes, I had a lot hard shit to deal with. But coming to terms with you being my brother certainly wasn’t one of them.”

Diego swallows, processing the weight of Five’s words. The fact that he cared that much about him, that he loved Diego enough to do that for him, spoke volumes.

“Five, I-” He stops himself, standing up and closing the space between them. Five stands up, beating Diego and wrapping his arms around the taller man’s waist. Diego smiles softly, wrapping one arm around his shoulder and the other cradling his head. He leans down and places a kiss on top of his hair, “Thank you, Five. I love you.”

Five grins, scrunching his brother’s sweater in his hands and letting out a muffled,

“I love you too, Di.”

[riotzzzz]

for my ua headcanons for sexuality and gender can kinda switch up but generally these are my hc (which i might elaborate on in the future)

Luther = he/him, cis, straight (but gives me lowkey ace spectrum vibes maybe demi romantic) I think he really values the relationship and needs the connection (possibly learns more about this after the furry/rave/drug induced incident)

Diego = he/him, and i very much like the trans hc but i flip flop with how adamant i am about it (so either trans or cis depending on the situation ig) but most definitely bisexual. he just exudes bi vibes.

Allison = she/her, cis, maybe bisexual (maybe with a lean for guys) she maybe more open to dating either women or men now she’s no longer in a relationship (if she wasn’t going after Luther and he wasn’t reciprocating).

Klaus = he/they, non-binary, pan (was my headcanon but now is confirmed which is nice) but i feel like he never actually came out to his family like they just presume its Klaus antics and Klaus doesn't mind too much (Ben probably knows and Five has their suspicions).

Five = he/him, cis, straight i’d say but possibly demi romantic and/or aromatic. To some extent that’s what happened with Dolores (other elements involved as well but point stands?). Though non-binary five is very much valid (also they have no real dead name so bonus like i wish i had no dead name).

Ben = he/him, trans, bi or straight. I am a complete sucker for trans Ben. It is very near and dear to my heart. But on sexuality i think he’s into girls and maybe experimented or is interested in boys (tho technically didn’t have much time to)

Vanya = she/her, cis and lesbian. Personally, I think Vanya’s a lesbian with deep relationship issues and a need to be loved and to feel special (for obvious reasons). She never really explored herself when she was younger so never really figured it out (didn’t even consider love a possibility) 

[jaimistoryteller]

OC/Author PrideFest Question Mess Part 3

Thanks for the tag @raevenlywrites​​ ! Ended up sleeping longer than expected, here’s the last part of the set of questions.

Rules I am going with: answer the questions you know or are comfortable sharing, tag others, add a question if you feel like something is missing.

Note: I will be answering in three different posts, one per section, rather than all together because of how many questions there are.

Questions for you:

Introduce yourself! Tell us a little bit about you and what you write

Why do you write LGBT+ characters?

Have you always written LGBT+ characters? If no, what inspired you to start? Is it a deliberate representational choice?

Do you use modern labels in your work? Why or why not?

World builders: do you have any neat societal twists? (unique names for IDs, different marriage practices, etc.)

Do you write outside your own experiences? (cis writing trans, wlw writing mlm, etc.) If yes, how confident do you feel about it?

Tell us about a favorite book/character someone else wrote that inspired you (or just plain gave you a warm and fuzzy)

Any advice for someone else writing LGBT+ characters?

Would you like people to ask you more questions when this is over?

Free space! Wax poetic about something near and dear to your heart.

Questions for your Ocs (in character or out, dealer’s choice):

Say hi! Let us get to know you, you big beautiful person, you!

How do you feel about the world your author has created for you?

Are you out? To whom, why or why not, etc?

Tell us a little about your journey. Have you always IDed the way you do now? Are there parts of you you’re still figuring out?

Do you feel settled in your ID, or do you think it might change as you and your author go on?

Did your author always know you were [blank], or did you have to tell them? If yes, oh please, please tell us how! :3

Is being [blank] particularly hard in your world? How does your society treat you differently than ours might?

Tell us a little about your unique experiences with your ID. Do you experience dysphoria? Is it impossible to find a date? Just want to find that special someone for snuggles but everyone expects sex? Unload for a minute, it’s okay to struggle sometimes.

What’s the best part about being [blank] in your world?

Do you like getting fan-mail? Would you like people to ask you more questions when this is over?

Grab that mic! Drop some truth on us, something you’ve just been dying to share! Shout out to your besties!

Questions for either you or your OCs:

Going to answer these like I would a Q&A post, with the first three characters that comes to mind for each question.

What’s your orientation and gender? Wave that flag!!!

Tichina - female and pan. I’m proud of both. While I have not yet met my soulmates, I have had a variety of partners over the year that covers the spectrum of genders and sexualities. 

Quin - agender and queer. I am much more comfortable with my gender then I am my orientation. 

Stepan - male, demisexual, pan or poly romantic, never quite sure which is a better fit. I’m good with my alignments and try to always be respectful of other peoples. If my patient has one I am unfamiliar with, then I make sure to do research so I can help my patient to the best of my abilities. 

When did you realize you were LGBT+?

Jon - as a preteen. The others on the gymnastics team were talking about how cute people were and I didn’t see it.

Isa - in my mid-twenties. I’m older than I look.

Nazreen - after meeting my soulmates in my mid-twenties, prior to that I just thought there was something wrong with me.

What makes your heart melt?

Nazreen - not technically related to my orientation, but seeing Akaal with the children, particularly the smaller ones. He’s so big and yet I know he’s never going to harm them. 

Sitara *chuckles* Nazreen beat me to that one, *thoughtful look* I’m going with the way acceptance is the norm and not the unusual within the Balakhnov Building.

Tichina - any time I am able to get one of my high risk kids off the street, bonus points for the ones who find themselves and do so proudly. 

Do you have a favorite LGBT+ song? Movie? Book? Artist? (comic?)

Marie - too many books to list them all, the beauty of being an editor. I’ve always enjoyed All the Things She Said by t.A.T.u

Ioanna - Father would have been horrified if still alive to know I play games like Saints Row 2. I think that Gat, Aisha, and the main character are a triad. Since the main character can be anything the player ones, I take them to be genderfluid, so no matter how the relationship unfolds it’s bi

Sparks - Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman. You know she keeps them in line and makes Bruce stop brooding so damned much. 

Do you have a secret crush outside of your own work? Some wild crossover OTP?

Aither - I spent my teenage years shipping myself with Buffy and Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and there was that one time I wondered what it would be like to be an Aither sandwich with Squall and Seifer from FFVIII. . Of course, as an adult I have also shipped myself with Sam and Gabriel from Supernatural. 

Aaron *tries not to fidget* Q from the Craig!Bond movies is quiet adorable and I wouldn’t mind a good snuggle with him. 

Diego - I don’t know if I’d like anything more than friendship, but I’d love to get to know Stiles and Lydia from Teen Wolf. Maybe Even Scott if he could get his head out of his rump long enough to actually act like the friend he’s supposed to be. 

Tell us about your LGTB+ headcannons (I’d really love to see someone’s character answer this)

Karl - I always thought that William and Geoffrey from A Knight’s Tale were boyfriends. When Jocelyn joins them, they form a proper triad. 

Isaak - no one can convince me that Bones, Spock and Jim weren’t a space-husband triad!

Vara - I’d like to think that Nathan, Audrey, and Duke in Haven are a triad. Most of Nathan and Duke’s conflict coming from the fact neither of them wants to admit it for whatever silly reason.

What’s your favorite thing about being LGBT+?

Vasilia - I’m myself and able to accept that I am myself, rather than trying to be someone I am not because I hadn’t accepted being transgender.

Isa - there is a community of people like me.

Keywon - pride in my friends and community. 

Is there a cool place you like to hang out with your squad? Maybe an LGBT+ meet up?

Keywon - well, our team hangs out at the basketball court a lot, we also spend time in the community center where we are able to get help with any school work we need. We’re encouraged to bring others our age or orientation to hang out and what not. 

Quin - before meeting Aither, I spent a lot of my time at the queer book store, I didn’t really have a squad, but at least it was somewhere safe for me in public. Not that I like being in public too often. 

Molon - while I do spend a lot of time at the community center and at the basketball court, I also spend a lot of time at the nomyn san (Mongolian Library) where a lot of people of a similar descent hang out to share culture.

What are some things you do to keep positive?

Tichina - I help those in my community and the communities around mine. Every time I do so, I know I am helping someone else avoid the hardships that I and others before me went through. They’ll have a chance at a better life. 

Tzvia - prayer and regular worship, I am active in the both my faith and sports. 

Isaak - studying helps me keep positive because it means I can reach for the stars (literally)

Do you have any advice for young LGBT+ people?

Jon - you’re not broken, wrong, or otherwise odd. No matter what some people might claim, they’re idiots. 

Aither - own whatever space you are in, most won’t know how to take it.

Jamie - be yourself, it might require leaving what you know, but in the long run it’ll be far better for you. 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Isaak - hopefully on the moon, it’s going to take a lot of hard work and study, but my Uncle and Aunt are making it possible so I’m not letting them or myself down.

Falco - retiring, I hope. I sometimes feel far too old for position within the Network that I hold. 

Ioanna - I happier and healthier me, preferably. 

Welp, that took way longer than planned because of a host of reasons. Still, have some more information on my massive world.

Tagging some peeps I am getting to know off the writer peeps spreadsheet so they can see my answers or do them as they feel fit.

@authordai @forlornraven @lagamerita @writing-at-dusk and @wordsbysarah

 Part 1 and  Part 2

[queerhargreeves]

hi again :)) Trans!diego is near and dear to my heart and this is me projecting/venting my dysphoria onto my angel boys and nb love. this could be really triggering so pls read w caution ! yet another fic written too late at night on little sleep

———————————————————————————

Diego woke up with a jolt as he frantically eyed his room. He looked over at the clock which read “2:26 AM”. He sighed, running a hand down his face. Waking up during the wee hours of 2 - 4 AM had become an unfortunate common occurrence lately. After successfully avoiding the end of the world it was sort of difficult to think about life clearly again. He’d become a bit lost on what he wanted to do. He knew he couldn’t play pretend cop forever just like he knew the Umbrella Academy couldn’t last forever. Even if they had come together to save the lives of billions.

However it took about two more seconds before he registered the dampness beneath him. He froze, the smell of dead skunk quickly slapping him in the face.

Silently, Diego stood up. The sticky/damp feeling growing to be too uncomfortable. He turned on a lamp to assess the damage. His baby blue sheets looked like a murder scene.

When he had his first period, Grace was the person who helped him. Diego has had to walk into the kitchen with stained sheets in hand and eyes red on more than one occasion. She would understand immediately every single time. She’d put a hand on his cheek and wipe any tears that remained.

“Accidents happen Diego - even to big, strong men like yourself. I’ll go ahead and put these in the wash. Go have a seat and I’ll make you some tea.” She’d kiss his forehead and would go off with her duties. Diego always would go back to bed feeling more content than he did when he awoke.

Diego let out a whimper and immediately wrapped his hands around his stomach. Diego’s cycles were always the worst out of the Hargreeves siblings. He had hoped that going on testosterone would stop his mensuration but alas he wasn’t so lucky. Of course he wasn’t. Testosterone did however make his periods far and few between. He had gone a year and a half without a period just to have a 2 month long cycle. The unknown was the worst part. When he had his unexpected periods he suffered all of the symptoms and then some.

He quickly disposed of his underwear and sweat pants and threw them in a bag along with his sheets to inspect the damage. He came to the conclusion that shark week took victim on yet another pair of perfectly good underwear, pj’s, and sheets.

He set the bag aside and walked over to his dresser. He got ahold of another pair of sweatpants and underwear and shuffled into the bathroom, uncomfortable in his now complete nudity. Once inside he took a look at himself in the mirror. His face was rugged, jaw sharp. He had facial hair, thick brows, and two scars underneath his chest. His flat chest. He looks like the epitome of masculinity. Diego should see a man looking back at him. But all he sees is the little girl his father oh so wanted him to be. He saw the little kid with bangs and long hair in that stupid uniform. He saw that little kid that hated being called “she”. His vision started to blur and he blinked violently. He let the tears stream down his face as he choked back a sob. He couldn’t do this now.

Diego shook his head and slapped his cheeks, focusing back to the task at hand. He quickly opened the sink drawer and found the black box hidden in the very back. Opening it he grabbed a pad and placed the box back where it belonged.

For Christmas one year Klaus had bought Diego special briefs that were made for pads. His sibling learned that tampons made him even more dysphoric - the thought of anything being “inside” of him was too much to handle. They were 17 and Klaus had helped him get through a particularly bad episode. He was always thankful for him for that even when Klaus insisted on calling them his “best sibling ever rescue briefs”.

Diego placed the pad in his underwear and slipped the pair on, sweatpants quickly after. He washed his hands and made his way out of the bathroom, avoiding the mirror. His reflection was a little too much to handle right now.

Without the damp clothes on he already felt a bit better. Diego knew he probably wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon; he never did when he had these accidents. Diego grabbed the bag and walked out of his room and made his way towards the kitchen as quietly as he could.

As walked down the stairs he saw that the kitchen light was still on.

“Huh.” Diego thought to himself. His mom was already asleep as is everyone else in the house. Or so he assumed.

He turned the corner and into the kitchen to find Klaus in nothing but tiny silk shorts that probably belonged to Allison. They had a cup of tea in their hands and they were chatting softly to the seat next to them. They seemed to be in a pretty deep conversation seeing as they didn’t notice Diego.

Finally Klaus made a little “wha” sound and whipped their head around.

“Oh! Guten morgen brother!” Klaus chimed with a grin on their face.

“What brings you down here?”

Diego swallowed, his voice and brain trying to process what he wants to say.

“I-I uh,” Diego shifted his gaze, not wanting to make eye contact. Even after all these years, after all that Klaus had seen, he still felt ashamed when he was vulnerable.

“Shark week.” Diego signed, sliding his pointer finger straight across his palm. He didn’t quite trust his words yet.

Klaus’ smile quickly turned into a look sympathy, their muscles softening. They knew how bad their brother hurt when this happened. They got up from their seat and walked over to Diego, linking their elbow with his and walked him over to the table.

“I’m going to get you some Advil and make you a cup of tea, alright? You sit tight, sir. Ben will keep you company.” Klaus took a deep breath and clenched his fists. Blue light emitted from them and slowly their brother appeared in the seat across from Diego. Over the months of sobriety and training, Klaus had gotten a lot stronger in their abilities. It didn’t take nearly as much out of them to manifest their brother. They just couldn’t do it for 12+ hours at a time. Klaus took the bag from Diego’s hand and disposed of the remnants of his items.

Ben had a welcoming smile on his face as he pat Diego’s shoulder.

“How are you?” Ben asked softly, his eyes never leaving Diego’s gaze.

“P-pai-pain.” Diego choked weakly, wanting nothing more than to look away. But he knew his brother wasn’t there to judge or hurt him. Ben, other than Klaus, was the only other person who could understand some what of what he was going through. Ben never felt at peace with his body either, his “demons” hurt him. Physically and emotionally.

The hooded man nodded, “You know what I mean Diego,” Ben started. He chose his next words carefully, “How are you dealing with this? It’s been what....7 months since your last one?”

Diego shook his head, “N-nine mo-onths. Glor-g-glorious months.”

Klaus walked over to their siblings with 3 advil PM’s in one hand and a hot cup of chamomile tea in the other. They placed them in front of Diego, taking a seat next to him. He popped the pills in his mouth wordlessly and swallowed.

“If you don’t want to talk about this it’s fine, I understand. But,” Klaus put their finger under Diego’s chin and turned his head so they were making eye contact, “you know we’re always here for you. The even numbers gotta stick together, yeah?” They winked, removing their hand from his chin and back into their lap.

Diego’s vision blurred once more and he felt his cheeks heat up. He took a shaky breath as he tried to regain his composure.

“Diego it’s okay. I promise it’s okay.” Ben reassured his brother. He knew he needed time to process his thoughts when he got like this.

“Y-you’d th-th-think aft-after all th-these years I-I-I,” he let a sob escape his lips, his whole body jerked as he did so, “I’d b-be u-u-used to th-th-this. I’m f-f-fucking thirty!” Diego exclaimed, slamming a fist on the table.

“Diego you shouldn’t have to get used to feeling like your body doesn’t belong to you.” Klaus took their brothers hand, leaning down so they could attempt to lock eyes.

“Your body is yours and it’s a wonderful body. It’s a strong body. Its a talented body, one that can do things not a lot others can. It’s saved the world before too, ya know? It has a lot of memories written on it.” Klaus ran their thumb along the scar on Diego’s eyebrow.

“You are you and that’s all we could ever ask you to be.” Ben expressed, his tone steady.

His siblings kind affirmations were proving to be too much for Diego to handle. He broke down even more, his body shaking violently. Ben got up and walked around the table to his brother. He immediately wrapped his arms around the sobbing man, cherishing the fact he was able to comfort his siblings again. Klaus quickly followed suit.

Klaus and Ben gave each other an expectant look and then a nod. After a few minutes of their embrace, Diego’s sobs slowly started to subside. They silently stood up and put their hand on their brothers back.

“Diego we’re gonna have a cuddle pile, okay?” Klaus inquired even though they knew Diego would have no problem with it.

Diego nodded and they made their way up the stairs and into the “cuddle room”, a term Ben coined. It was one of the many guest rooms in this giant house however this one had a full king size bed. Aka a bed big enough to fit 3 grown adults.

This room had been their safe haven growing up. It had been Klaus’ when he woke up screaming, his nightmares not having left him in his sleep. It has been Ben’s when his demons were hurting and taunting him so much he felt like he couldn’t breathe. And it had been Diego’s when his body worked against him. They were always there for each other.

Ben opened the door and they made their way to the large bed, the three of them finding comfort in the familiar fluffy light yellow comforter. Diego crawled in first with Ben to his left and Klaus to his right.

“Is this okay?” Klaus asked, their voice barely above a whisper. Their arm hovered above Diego’s mid section, ready to back off if needed.

Diego mumbled out a “Mmm” and Klaus happily dropped their arm. Ben nuzzled up on the other side and followed suit, wrapping his arm around his brother.

The three of them fell asleep within minutes. Klaus nightmare-less, Diego content, and Ben relishing in their touch. This was the best night sleep they had gotten in a while.

[jaimistoryteller]

OC/Author PrideFest Question Mess Part 2

Thanks for the tag @raevenlywrites! I am now up to all the people who liked my post with the link character list having received at least one (mostly more) questions from me.

Rules I am going with: answer the questions you know or are comfortable sharing, tag others, add a question if you feel like something is missing.

Note: I will be answering in three different posts, one per section, rather than all together because of how many questions there are.

Questions for you:

Introduce yourself! Tell us a little bit about you and what you write

Why do you write LGBT+ characters?

Have you always written LGBT+ characters? If no, what inspired you to start? Is it a deliberate representational choice?

Do you use modern labels in your work? Why or why not?

World builders: do you have any neat societal twists? (unique names for IDs, different marriage practices, etc.)

Do you write outside your own experiences? (cis writing trans, wlw writing mlm, etc.) If yes, how confident do you feel about it?

Tell us about a favorite book/character someone else wrote that inspired you (or just plain gave you a warm and fuzzy)

Any advice for someone else writing LGBT+ characters?

Would you like people to ask you more questions when this is over?

Free space! Wax poetic about something near and dear to your heart.

Questions for your Ocs (in character or out, dealer’s choice):

Going to answer these like I would a Q&A post, with the first three characters that comes to mind for each question. 

Say hi! Let us get to know you, you big beautiful person, you!

Sparks  *grins and waves* I definitely qualify as big at 6′9, sadly I lost some height due to my teenage activities. Sitara and Aither both think I look good, though really I don’t see it half the time. 

Lettie *snickers and gives a graceful bow* I always startle people with the fact I am not clumsy. Too many skinny and slender folks need to get the idea out of their head that big does not equal able. I enjoy having clothes altered for me and enjoying as people stare at how perfectly I carry myself. 

Lo *smiles and invites everyone in for tea or other beverage of choice* what would you like to discuss? There are plenty of things I know, both about the Network and the world in general. *they play with the many bracelets on their left arm*

How do you feel about the world your author has created for you?

Aither - it’s better than the world the author lives in. Seriously, the author needs a few people like myself and Jon to help deal with some problems in the government, and if our more diplomatic (aka hacking for those who don’t know) methods don’t know, well, we have access to bunch of assassins, not even counting our significant others. 

[Author: seriously Aither?]

Lo *listens to the question as they settle on their seat, adjusting their robe like outfit to fan out* there are times I wish it was a bit more accepting of people like myself. However, Aither is correct in saying it is much better than the one the author is from. 

[Author: this is going to be a thing.]

Tichina - I am a solidly built WOC in a position of power and respected. While there have been struggles in my life, there have been a lot of times that are better than expected. I am able to save my kids (the teenagers and young adults on my sports teams and in my neighborhood) from the gangs and lives of poverty through education and opportunity. That counts for a lot considering out parallel world is not nearly as forgiving from my understanding. 

[Author: *sighs dramatically* this is what I get for being honest with them.]

Are you out? To whom, why or why not, etc?

Jon - pretty much everyone who has ever met me realizes that I am not quite like  the majority of people. Particularly if they start talking about how hot or attractive someone is. 

Isaac - I came out to my family as genderfluid and was promptly kicked out, since then I don’t really talk about it, I just live it.

Nazreen - only to my soulmates am I out. To everyone else I tell them to mind their business.

Tell us a little about your journey. Have you always IDed the way you do now? Are there parts of you you’re still figuring out?

Vasilia - I spent my childhood perfectly content as a boy, it wasn’t until I started going through puberty that I started feeling off. At which point I started lashing out. 

At everyone. It was the guard, Isa, that actually helped me realize what was going on as I watched them move around with complete confidence in the fact that they are not a man or a woman. 

Uncle Akaal put in some huge libraries in the building when we first moved in that are always being added to. Actually, those might be from Uncle Isha and Luc, and Aunt Aither. Anyways, I was able to do some research in them. I went through several labels before realizing I am a transwoman. My siblings and cousins were supportive along the way, and Uncle Akaal made sure I had everything I needed or wanted to try. 

Isaak - I’m still figuring myself out. I’m pretty sure that I am uninterested in sex, not sure if it’s because I am demi, ace, or simply haven’t met anyone I find appealing enough because I am picky. Or maybe it’s because of how focused I am on my studies. I’m not sure. *shrugs* at least I know my family will be supportive no matter how it goes. 

Marie - the first thing I realized when I entered puberty is the fact I like women, not men. My parents trying to have the safe sex talk with me was a hoot, at least looking back on that talk it was. At the time I blushed up a storm. 

Do you feel settled in your ID, or do you think it might change as you and your author go on?

Isaak - it’ll probably change since it’s not firm at this point. Besides, I’m four when the author meets me, and in my late teens when I start babbling about what I want with my future, there is plenty of time for growth and discovery. I have an entire book, maybe more to grow in! (thank you @lady-redshield-writes @essagandana @raevenlywrites and @ratracechronicler for encouraging the author on that. I love the fact I get a moon base farm!!!)

[Author: *sighs*]

Ioanna - I don’t know who I am. I hope to find out at some point, right now I am simply hurt and confused most the time, so I hope it will change as we go!

Diego - I like growing and changing, and hopefully I will continue to do so. I also like surprising the author, because it’s fun! Beside, the very nature of science is change. 

[Author: does anyone else’s characters make a point of driving them up a wall?]

Did your author always know you were [blank], or did you have to tell them? If yes, oh please, please tell us how! :3

Nazreen - I had to inform the author of my nature and I took my time doing so because I don’t like to talk about myself or share private details. The author only figured it out because I am sex repulsed and have a male soulmate who is not. Though he has been very good to me, accepting my boundaries in a way my ex-husband never did. 

Aither - oh yeah, the author always knew I was pan, even before knowing the actual word for it. Back then omnis-nihil which is extremely choppy Latin for ‘all-any’. 

Arona - no, the author didn’t always know, that detail was figured out when I had a freak out over the fact that I’m intersex and that’s why I haven’t gone through puberty like my sisters. It also happened to be the day my first soulmark started to appear. 

Is being [blank] particularly hard in your world? How does your society treat you differently than ours might?

Lo *makes sure everyone has drinks as they consider the answer* for the most part I am left alone and to my own devices. From my understanding of the author’s world, I would have probably ended up leaving my home and becoming a traveler trying to find a safe haven. Although, I have a feeling I wouldn’t be able to unless I bought an island in the middle of nowhere since things seem to be getting worse in the author’s world, not better.

[Author: really Lo? You couldn’t have just left it at ‘my world’s better?]

No. 

Isaac - being genderfluid can be complicated. It’s not one of the socially accepted ‘norms’ so people can be idiots about it. In a lot of ways they are the same, I can’t think of anything major different. Maybe I wouldn’t have been able to get a job quite so easily? Dunno. 

Aaron - it’s considered perfectly normal, so it is ignored by most. In the author’s world I might have had to worry about bigots or conversion therapy. The fact I am markless is more tricky than my orientation. 

Tell us a little about your unique experiences with your ID. Do you experience dysphoria? Is it impossible to find a date? Just want to find that special someone for snuggles but everyone expects sex? Unload for a minute, it’s okay to struggle sometimes.

Jamie - while rare, there are times I have to deal with dysphoria, that happens more on days I have a sudden shift from masculine to feminine. Particularly if the shift involves feeling like my chest is suddenly too flat. 

Dates are generally easy for me. I’m good at getting people to take me to dinner, dancing, movies, whatever sort of activity I feel like doing that night. 

I enjoy sex but get tired of having to explain myself first, so it doesn’t happen often. I don’t really trust people, so finding someone to snuggle with gets complicated at times because of that little detail. 

I work off a lot of frustrations in my grifting. Particularly on jerks who like to cause problems for people like me. It’s actually how I met Aither actually.

Vasilia - my dysphoria was a large part of why I was lashing out, as soon as it was identified Uncle Akaal made sure I got what I needed to help with it. There was some trial and error as we figured it out, and boy did I feel awkward discussing it with my Uncle, so he talked to Uncle Isha who then put me in touch with some other transladies. 

I’m a teenager for most of the story, and working on figuring out who I like so those don’t really apply yet?

I have bad days where I wish I would have been born a lady without having to go through all the processes to become one. I sometimes wish that I could have children, even though I know it’s probably never going to have. I want to be the carrier mother, even if I can’t be. Those thoughts are more common as I get older and my soulmarks start to appear. A lot of times on those days I end up curled up with my sister. She holds me while I cry and mourn what I can’t have. 

[Author: none of the others feels like discussing it right now.]

What’s the best part about being [blank] in your world?

[Author: no one is answering...really? I got over 500 of you peeps and no one wants to answer? Fine. Moving on.]

Do you like getting fan-mail? Would you like people to ask you more questions when this is over?

Lo *beams as they check that everyone still has their refreshments* I would love fan-mail or to have people asking me questions!

Sparks - ask away, I’m sure I am the most boring one in the bunch, but I know a lot of things due to years of working for and dating Aither. 

Vara - I dare you to ask me things.

Grab that mic! Drop some truth on us, something you’ve just been dying to share! Shout out to your besties!

Mara {I didn’t like all the traveling with my handler but I love my human. My human needs me. My human often thinks he isn’t a good human but he is. His mates think he’s great and scent mark him often to reassure him of this. I don’t think he understands. He will in time. I’ll help him.}

[Author: apparently Iov’s service dog would like you to know she love’s her human.]

Sela - my twinlets are awesome! They could have been jerks about the fact I am technically two days younger, instead they declared the three of us have the same birthday. I hope they know how much I love them. 

Pyotr  *rubbing his neck nervously before straightening up to sign* I adore both my soulmates. Never sould I have guessed having a platonic soulmate, a non-romantic platonic soulmate would be in the cards for me, but it’s just right. We’re the best of friends, and I wouldn’t trade Marie for anyone else in the world.  

Questions for either you or your OCs:

What’s your orientation and gender? Wave that flag!!!

When did you realize you were LGBT+?

What makes your heart melt?

Do you have a favorite LGBT+ song? Movie? Book? Artist? (comic?)

Do you have a secret crush outside of your own work? Some wild crossover OTP?

Tell us about your LGTB+ headcannons (I’d really love to see someone’s character answer this)

What’s your favorite thing about being LGBT+?

Is there a cool place you like to hang out with your squad? Maybe an LGBT+ meet up?

What are some things you do to keep positive?

Do you have any advice for young LGBT+ people?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Tagging some peeps I am getting to know off the writer peeps spreadsheet so they can see my answers or do them as they feel fit.

@racqueljoneswritings  @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword @minor-writer @lexa-scribbles and @ally-thorne

Part 1 and Part 3