#two is non binary and cross-dresses for fun

[briandraws]

Wip :]

[letters-to-lgbt-kids]

My dear lgbt+ kids, 

Let’s look at some myths and facts about drag queens:

Myth: “Drag queen” is a gender identity.

Fact: Drag is a performance art. 

Let’s go into some detail here: “Drag queen” is a role you play, for example as a form of entertainment or as an expression of your creativity. A gender identity on the other hand is intrinsic and enduring, it’s about who you are in your mind and heart (For example: a trans woman doesn’t “play” a woman, she IS a woman). So, drag and gender identity are two separate things - although we also need to add a little disclaimer here that gender identity is wonderfully complex and highly individual and not always so easily defined. So while drag is usually separate from gender identity, there can be overlap! 

Myth: All drag queens are gay cis men.  

Fact: Drag is an inclusive art form. Many drag queens are gay cis men, but not all. Drag performers can have any sexual orientation and gender identity - including transgender or non-binary. See that part about “overlap” above! 

Myth: There’s only one type of drag.  

Fact: Drag is incredibly diverse and has many different styles. Drag queens may also blend different types to create their own unique persona. Some examples: Pageant drag focuses on glamour and beauty (drawing inspiration from traditional beauty pageants). Camp drag leans into humor and exaggeration (celebrating the “so bad it's good” aesthetic). Alternative drag experiments with unconventional or avant-garde looks (breaking norms to challenge mainstream beauty standards). Club kid drag is known for its bold, futuristic looks (inspired by the nightlife scenes of the 80s and 90s). 

Myth: Drag is inherently sexual.  

Fact: Any art form can potentially be done in a sexual way but that doesn’t mean art is an inherently sexual thing. So, while some drag performances may include adult humor or themes (if they’re advertised for an adult audience), many other shows are family-friendly and focus on comedy, storytelling, or artistry. A drag event advertised as a family event will not be sexual. (It’s really just a common sense thing: You don’t expect kids movies to be sexual, just because adult movies also exist). 

Myth: Drag has only been around for a few years.  

Fact: Drag has a long history, dating back centuries. Men and women have cross-dressed in theater since at least the time of Shakespeare, and modern drag has roots in the ballroom culture of the 20th century. It definitely didn’t randomly spring up in the 2020s. 

Myth: Drag queens make fun of women.  

Fact: It’s more the opposite. Drag is a tribute to femininity and celebrates aspects of female identity and fashion. While some drag may use exaggerated features for humor, it’s usually done with admiration and respect, not as mockery. If it mocks something, it’s usually things like extreme beauty standards, gender stereotypes etc. 

Myth: All drag queens are famous and rich.  It’s easy money. 

Fact: The majority of drag performers are local artists who put a lot of time, effort, and money into their craft without making much. Only a small fraction gain fame or wealth, most do it out of passion.

Myth: Drag isn’t important for the lgbt+ movement. A ban on drag doesn’t really affect the community.  

Fact: Drag historically has been (and still is) an essential part of the lgbt+ movement, creating a visible platform for self-expression and providing a safe space where people can explore their identities. Drag performers have often led the way in activism, supporting many causes from HIV/AIDS awareness to transgender rights. A ban on drag doesn’t just limit artistic freedom - it threatens to silence a key part of queer culture and history. It also sets a dangerous precedent that can lead to further restrictions on our rights, marking the start of a slippery slope toward broader discrimination.

With all my love, 

Your Tumblr Dad 

[eirasummersart]

I WANNA KNOW THE APPLExSNAKE SHIP PLEEEEASE

Ahhh, thanks for the ask! I'm glad someone cares to know about them as well 👉👈

I still haven't decided exactly how the ship is gonna work, but I'll try my best to organize my thoughts and explain my ideas so far for you~ I'll even add Akshaya's banner. I need to make one for the ship hahah

Text under the cut!

Akshaya definitely mets Epel through either Jack or Yuu. They're the two people she sitcks to at first and she's really bad at making friends, so she just tags along with them. One of the times when the 1st year group is together is when she and Epel are introduced, most likely.

They're just acquitances from then on, but at some point Epel helps Akshaya out with something (still undecided, but in the vibe of "catching her before he falls" or "blocking a ball that was gonna hit her"). Either way, Akshaya thinks that was a cool move and tells him "Thank you, you're so cool!" or similar. "Cool" is definitely on the "manly" side of praise (you know, from Epel's basic boy gender norms perspective XDD), so Epel gets all happy about it and boasts a bit.

Akshaya takes more notice of him from then on. She mostly enjoys when he's being "himself" and not meek for Vil. And she genuinely thinks he's cool and manly and all that. Basically, she admires what she lacks (she's so shy and meek). So she tells him. And since Epel likes those kinds of comments and attention, he'd keep showing off for her at the same time.

Little by little they'll get closer and somehow(?) they end up being a couple. I haven't thought that far ahead hahahah

And now, some little things I also have in mind for them or that make me like this ship, in no particular order:

They're a really confusing couple gender-wise. For others, mostly, they each have their own gender clear. But with Epel looking so "cute/femenine" by traditional standards, and Akshaya being more in the non-binary appearance wise, dressing in a really neutral way, it's easy to mistake who is what. And you know what? Too bad, you shouldn't judge people's gender by their appearance anyway~ But yea, I find this kind of thing fun to play with~ Also, Akshaya is 1cm taller than Epel (he'd hate that forever, maybe he'll grow taller than her in a couple of years XD). It's a small difference, so they basically look the same height 😌 It's just cute!

Kula is a bit more sceptical about Epel at first. In the end, he's the most cautelous of the two and his priority is always to keep Akshaya safe. He also doesn't think Epel is as cool as Akshaya does, but mostly just rolls his eyes at her about that hahaha. He warms up to him after, and mostly does not care as long as he makes Akshaya happy. When Akshaya and Epel are having a moment or they spend time together after they become a couple, Kula will either hide himself away inside Akshaya's clothes and sleep, or go to a hidden close-by location and sleep there until they're done. At that point, he trusts Epel, so he has no worries leaving them "alone".

I like to imagine Akshaya tagging along in the Harveston event too. I did a drawing of it for Twistober this year~ But a bit more about it. Akshaya is terrible with the cold, so even if she prepared in advance and put a lot of clothes on the day they go there, she's still cold af. They give her one of the warmest outfits later when they change, and Epel keeps checking on her to make sure she's never too cold. He even will give her his poncho sometimes to help her keep warm 🤭 And well, she'd love the part about making their own little animal plushies to help with the race! She loves cross-stitching the most, but also likes sewing in general. She'll be really happy learning about the tradition and how they're used. She'd make a snake plushie for herself, of course! She'd also be interested on how the traditional outfits they wear are made and probably chat with Epel's grandma about them for a while~ She'd be extremelly awkward around her at first, tho. Akshaya is super shy after all, and she wants to make a good impression on her. But seeing how she's really sweet (usually), and she's similar to her grandson, she'd quickly warm up to her ❤

Also, regarding the song I shared yesterday, I think some of the character developement for Akshaya will come from being close to Epel. With the other 1st years as well, but since she'll end up being closest with Epel, he'd have the most influence. Just how he openly welcomes her, always includes her and is really nice to her. He'll also be patient when she's all shy or can't quite make up her mind about something because of her fears of rejection. And slowly, she'll be a bit more open and be less social awkward~ (she's still that way, though, that won't go away completely hahah but getting better slowly 😌)

On another note, because of how you worded your ask… I realized I could even add some symbolism about the apple and the snake hahaha I never thought about it but it could be fun XD If only I knew more about religion(?). Maybe I'll ask a friend of mine who know a bunch about it if she has some ideas for this C:

And I think that's all I have for them so far~ One day I wanna answer those "ship questions" I have with them~ that would be fun :D

OH, and if anyone has ideas for the ship name, let me know~ I'm so bad at thinking those XD

That's it for the rambling. Thanks for giving me a reason to talk away away about something I enjoy 💕

And to everyone who read untill here, thank you as well! Have a nice day!

[callsigndreadfrost]

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 PRIDE THEMED OC ASK GAME 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 1. What's your OC's gender identity? What's their relationship to their gender?

He identifies as male but sees himself as he looks, androgynous. He actually thought about and even considered the possibility of being non-binary but to him it didn't fit. He fully embraces any and all masculinity though he certainly does not portray it in the “traditional sense”. He also embraces femininity completely.

He fully embraces his androgynous state, getting a giggle out of people when they fully believe he's actually a woman. It never bothered him, he’s hyper aware of what he looks like physically and no matter how hard he tries his voice will never sound deep like other men’s. He's honestly just having fun with what he's got.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 2. What's your OC's orientation? (Romantic/sexual/platonic alterous ect) Do they have opinions about it?

He's gay. He's got no opinions on it, he’s known since he was in his late 20s to early 30s and has never questioned it. Feels pretty at home. He did try and experiment to see if maybe he liked women as well but that spectacularly failed.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 3. How did your OC discover themself? Did something cause them to question, or did they always know?

This is complicated given his past. After the first two years after his grandpa, Jelani, Loke and Trevor rescued him he would stick close to Jela as he was the first person he saw that wasn't his abusers and the act of carrying him out of that makeshift grave in the basement made him feel safe around him. He deemed Jela someone that was safe to be around. So he legit followed him around like some lost little puppy. Didn't help the fact that Jela would often read to him and even taught him how to read.

As he went into his late teens he was completely smitten by him though he wasn't really aware of this. Remember, while he was with his abusers they never taught him anything, he wasn't even taught how to actually speak. So he was starting from scratch at age 14. It wasn't until his mid to late 20s that he learned about romantic love and relationships and by his early 30s he was aware that he liked Jelani in a romantic way since he was 14.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 4. Is your OC's environment supportive about their identity? How does this impact them?

Absolutely! He's completely surrounded by other queer people and on top of that he has a grandfather that is 100% supportive of him.

It's really helped him find himself in many ways. Being allowed to explore himself and experiment in an environment where he is safe and supported has let him become the person he is today.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 5. How did you figure out your OC's identity?

Holy shit, I’m about to say something that I’ve only said out loud maybe one or twice in the 24 years I’ve had this OC…

He's everything I’d ever want to be. He's an improved self-insert. He's grown alongside me. It's like one entity but two separate people, if that makes sense.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 6. How does your OC feel about labels? Theirs, or in general?

Loves them. He thinks it's great that people can have choices in how they identify themselves and how they can allow people to be perceived by others. He knows there are people who don't like labels and while he doesn't understand that he respects that too.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 7. Is there something that could cause your OC to question their identity? What?

Nope. He's extremely sure of his identity even as “complicated” as it may be to others.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 8. Have they had struggles with their identity, be it due to internal or external reasons?

Eh, no but sometimes people's attitudes make him feel a little off. He has a lot of qualities that make people mad for stupid reasons. He's gay and not just gay he’s very feminine and cross dresses, he’s gnc and androgynous and intersex. People tend to be weird at him about all those things but especially the fact that he’s intersex because let's face it, people are extremely ignorant and uneducated when it comes to that subject.

This isn't to say I’m spinning his identity as some tragedy, there's too much of that already. No, he’s very happy the way he is and you can even say he's very proud of who he is. It's just that some people are weird about it and he's not made of stone, he’s gonna feel some type of way. But overall he’s happy and sure of himself.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 9. Are there cultural or lore specific aspects to their identity? If applicable, does their species affect it?

No, not really. He was raised (I don’t count the years between ages 2 and 14 for more than obvious reasons) among very open queer people of many different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds. He was heavily influenced by them all.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 10. Does your OC celebrate Pride? How?

Yes! Ashstone has its own celebration and even their own pride which he and the others attend every year (IF they aren’t on the job). Soon as it’s midnight he starts decorating with all sorts of rainbow things around the apartment. Like a kid during christmas. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 11. Is your OC open about their identity? Are they more lowkey or more blunt about it? Why or why not?

Like I said, he was raised around very open queer people and it shaped him. He’s very open about his identity and corrects people when they need correcting. Like I said he identifies as a man but he’s extremely gnc what with his over the top femininity and his embracing of it and his flamboyant nature. While he does use he/him pronouns mostly he does feel a sort of kinship with it/it’s BUT he only allows other queer people to use it for him.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 12. Does/did your OC ever wish they could change the way they are? Why? If it's in the past, how did they get over the feeling? (this can be about internalized homo/transphobia)

Like I said on question 8 he’s very comfortable with who he is completely. He never got any “corrective” surgery because there was no need for it. Having both genitals didn’t hinder him in any way or caused problems and to him it’s perfect as is. Having half a uterus leads to some painful periods when he gets them but he doesn’t want it removed either since he’d like a kid or two someday and meds (and his abnormally high pain tolerance) often help with it.

Like I said during that same question I don’t want him or any OC to feel bad about who they are in terms of their queer identities. There’s far too much media out there that does that and I want anyone that interacts with these OCs or reads any of the material to not have to get that out of them.

He doesn’t wish he’d be “normal” or wasn’t gay or effeminate. He loves being gay, being faggy as fuck and effeminate, he loves cross-dressing and being mistaken for a woman, and more importantly he loves being intersex, he loves everything about it. From his curves to the two genitals, the half a uterus (I know it has a name but I forgot), his high pitched voice, his androgynous features, and is very outspoken about it and proud of it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 13. Would your OC be open to a poly relationship? Why or why not?

No. He’s very in love with his husband and only his husband. He does love Trevor but he’s not in love with him. Despite the arrangement he, Jelani and Trevor have there is no one else he’d wanna be married to. He and Jela may add in a third or however many they feel like at any given moment but it’s strictly sexual.

[daxwritesstories]

College AU Part 28: Flowers

Scene 1: Modern Love

(Scene title by David Bowie)

INT. Cafeteria - Noon

Connor, Cyra, and Vir are sitting at a table together, eating lunch. Cyra nods at Connor.

CYRA: How come you're not method acting today?

Connor laughs.

CONNOR: You want me to keep cross-dressing until the play is done?

CYRA: Yes.

Vir laughs.

VIR: You're one of those people who look good in men's and women's clothing.

CONNOR: Thank you! You're one of those people too, Vir.

VIR: Mm... I don't know about that.

CONNOR: Are you kidding? I've seen you wear masculine clothing. It looks good.

Vir smiles and flicks her wrist.

VIR: Oh stop...

CYRA: It's true. Remember when we were in middle school and you had that phase where you only wore flannels and men's pants?

Vir laughs.

VIR: Of course I remember. How was I so much gayer back then?

Connor and Cyra laugh.

We cut to a shot of Leon walking through the cafeteria. He looks over at Cyra's table, hearing laughter. When he realizes who it is, he approaches them. Cyra notices him right away.

CYRA: Hey, Leon!

LEON: Hi Cyra. Mind if I sit with you guys?

VIR: Go ahead.

Leon grabs a chair and sits down.

CONNOR: Don't I know you from somewhere?

VIR: He was at Cyra's Halloween party.

CONNOR: Oh! You were dressed like a puppy.

Leon chuckles.

LEON: Yeah... Um, I'm also Jayce's roommate. I think you know him...?

Connor smiles and nods.

CONNOR: Mhm... Was he talking about me?

Connor's tone changes to something more flirtatious. Cyra immediately picks up on it.

CYRA: Wait, did you fuck Jayce?

Leon snickers.

CONNOR: What's it to you?

Cyra smacks Connor's arm.

CYRA: That's my ex-boyfriend, you whore!

CONNOR: Ex-boyfriend.

CYRA: Stop fucking my exes!

CONNOR: Hey, you didn't have a problem when you found Celia in my dorm.

CYRA: I was in a good mood that day.

VIR: Okay, stop it, you two.

Vir grabs Cyra's wrist and squeezes it to calm her down. Leon fiddles with his thumbs.

LEON: So, um... Are you, like, bi or...?

Connor smiles.

CONNOR: I like everyone. Why do you ask, cutie?

LEON: Uh... Are you all bi?

VIR: I'm gay.

CYRA: I'm like Connor, I like everything. Technically it's called pansexual but I grew up with the word bisexual so that's what I use.

CONNOR: Same. Not many people use the pansexual label in my country so I just say I'm bi.

LEON: Huh...

Leon makes a face like he's thinking hard. Cyra smiles at him.

CYRA: Learning a lot?

Leon laughs.

LEON: There weren't really any gay people in my hometown. At least, not that I knew of. So hanging out with Prince and Jayce has been pretty cool. I've never really thought about this stuff before.

CYRA: Oh! So I'm assuming Prince is the first non-binary person you've met?

LEON: Yeah.

Cyra leans forward and raises an eyebrow.

CYRA: They're hot, aren't they?

LEON: Uh, yeah. They are.

CONNOR: Oh, I see.

LEON: What?

CONNOR: You're attracted to Prince, who you've seen looking both feminine and masculine. So now you're questioning things about yourself.

Cyra nods. Leon laughs nervously and glances around to see if anyone's listening.

LEON: I guess I'm being more obvious about it than I thought.

CYRA: Prince has that effect on people. Same thing happened to Jayce.

VIR: Did you bring this up because you want our help?

Leon shrugs.

LEON: I don't know. Well... how did you all figure it out?

Cyra pokes Vir's shoulder.

CYRA: I knew because of this bitch.

Vir laughs.

CYRA: We were really close when we were kids and eventually I realized that I had feelings for her.

VIR: And for me it was a lot of different things. I was already questioning and then Cyra kinda brought it out more.

Leon nods and then looks at Connor.

LEON: What about you?

CONNOR: I had a threesome with a guy and a girl. I ended up liking the guy just as much as I liked the girl.

CYRA: Okay, that story's way more fun than mine.

VIR: Yeah, what the fuck?

CYRA: How old were you?

Connor furrows his brow, thinking.

CONNOR: 15?

CYRA: Whoa!

CONNOR: What? How old were you?

CYRA: I was 11 when we started dating. Vir was 12.

VIR: But we weren't, like, doing stuff.

CYRA: Yeah.

LEON: Does it usually happen when you're young?

Cyra shakes her head.

CYRA: Some people don't figure it out until they're older.

CONNOR: Much older.

LEON: Huh...

Leon thinks some more. Cyra and Connor exchange mischievous glances.

CYRA: Why don't you talk about it with Jayce more? You two seem pretty close.

LEON: Jayce doesn't wanna talk about it.

CYRA: Hm. I guess he still gets embarrassed about that kind of stuff.

CONNOR: He didn't seem very embarrassed when I was with him.

CYRA: I'm gonna kill you.

Vir starts laughing.

Scene 2: Man To Man

(Scene title by Dorian Electra)

EXT. Campus - Evening

Erik is leaning against one of the school buildings, smoking. The nearby doors slide open and Devin walks out. He notices Erik and casually walks over to him.

DEVIN: Hey, man. Are you alright?

Erik takes a drag of his cigarette and then looks at Devin. He points at his black eye.

ERIK: Do I look alright to you?

DEVIN: What happened?

ERIK: I got in a fight. I lost.

DEVIN: With who?

ERIK: It doesn't matter. I'm not gonna try it again.

Devin sighs and leans against the wall.

DEVIN: You've been in a pretty bad mood since the cast announcement.

Erik frowns but doesn't say anything, taking another drag instead.

DEVIN: Look, I get it. I auditioned on a dare. I didn't wanna be in the play either.

ERIK: Yeah, I figured it was something like that.

DEVIN: We should probably just make the best of it. Otherwise we're both gonna have a terrible time.

ERIK: I guess so...

The pair fall silent for a moment.

ERIK: What do you think of the music prof?

DEVIN: The one directing the play? He seems pretty cool.

ERIK: Hm.

DEVIN: I thought you two would get along. Since he used to be in a band.

ERIK: Apparently he was the frontman. Singers usually piss me off.

Devin laughs. Erik isn't amused though.

DEVIN: Why? Because they're bossy?

ERIK: They just think that everything is about them. They think they can do whatever they want.

DEVIN: Ah. I get you.

Erik stares off into space.

Scene 3: In Too Deep

(Scene title by Sum 41)

INT. Boys dorm hallway - Morning

Cyra is sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. She is staring forward blankly.

The door to Ace and Zayn's dorm opens and Zayn comes out. Cyra immediately scrambles to her feet.

CYRA: Zayn!

ZAYN: Uh, hey. What are you doing here?

CYRA: I wanted to talk to you but I wasn't sure if you were awake yet...

ZAYN: Oh. What did you wanna talk about?

Cyra looks like she's about to cry. She hesitates for a moment before rushing over to Zayn and wrapping her arms around him. When she speaks we can hear her crying.

CYRA: I'm so sorry!

Zayn hugs back, squeezing her around her waist.

ZAYN: What are you talking about?

CYRA: You got attacked because of me. You didn't deserve that. I'm sorry I got you wrapped up in this mess.

Zayn sighs and lets go of Cyra. He puts his hands on her shoulders when he pulls away from her.

ZAYN: What gave you that idea?

CYRA: I know Phoenix was trying to get back at you and Ace for helping me.

Cyra slouches in shame.

CYRA: I lied to Axel. I told him that Phoenix never did anything to me. Maybe if I had told the truth then Phoenix would've just left us all alone.

Zayn's gaze wanders as he thinks of what to say.

ZAYN: Honestly I kind of doubt that.

CYRA: What?

ZAYN: You have nothing to apologize for, Cyra. Phoenix obviously has it out for all three of us. He was the one who attacked you. You had no control over that.

CYRA: But I let him into the dorm.

ZAYN: Because you thought he was friends with Ace, right?

Cyra looks a little surprised.

CYRA: Well... Yeah, I guess.

ZAYN: See? You didn't know. You couldn't have.

Cyra sighs, giving up arguing.

CYRA: I still feel bad...

Zayn thinks for a moment.

ZAYN: Do you have classes this afternoon?

CYRA: Um... I have rehearsal for the play, but that's not until later.

ZAYN: Could you help me with something then?

CYRA: Yeah. Anything.

Scene 4: Flowers

(Scene title by Miley Cyrus)

INT. Flower shop - Afternoon

Zayn and Cyra are walking around a flower shop together.

ZAYN: See, I thought his favorite color was pink, but he's always wearing purple.

CYRA: It has to be pink. Everything he owns is pink. I think he just wears purple a lot because it's edgier.

ZAYN: Are you sure?

CYRA: Um, well... not entirely.

Cyra thinks hard.

CYRA: He wanted the car I bought him to be pink. I had to pay extra for it.

Zayn laughs.

ZAYN: I guess that is a pretty big decision.

CYRA: And it only took him a second to decide.

ZAYN: Huh. I guess if he was that certain about it...

An employee approaches them.

EMPLOYEE: Hi there! Can I help you find anything?

Zayn and Cyra both turn around to face her. Zayn looks caught off guard.

ZAYN: Uh...

CYRA: Do you have any flowers that come in, like, hot pink?

EMPLOYEE: Certainly! Who are these for?

Cyra looks at Zayn, waiting for him to answer.

ZAYN: They're for my, um, boyfriend.

EMPLOYEE: Okay! Do you know if he has a type of flower he likes the best?

Zayn looks a little panicked so Cyra answers for him.

CYRA: He likes pretty, feminine things.

EMPLOYEE: Okay... I have a couple ideas then. Follow me, please.

Cyra and Zayn follow the employee to a different part of the shop.

We cut to a bit later. The employee is standing behind the counter, next to a few different wrapping papers.

EMPLOYEE: The azaleas will be perfect for him!

ZAYN: I hope so...

Cyra smiles at Zayn and gives him a reassuring nod.

EMPLOYEE: What kind of wrapping did we want today?

CYRA: Can we see the colors you have for ribbons?

EMPLOYEE: Sure. Ribbons cost extra. Is that alright?

CYRA: Yes.

The employee opens a drawer in the front of the desk so Cyra and Zayn can look. Cyra picks up the end of one, a hot pink one, and holds it up to compare to the wrapping. After looking closely at it, Cyra points to a clear wrapping with pink stripes.

CYRA: That matches this ribbon. And they both go with the flowers.

EMPLOYEE: Oh! Good eye! So will we take these?

CYRA: Yes, please.

The employee goes to wrap up the flowers. Zayn takes a step closer to Cyra to talk to her.

ZAYN: Did they have to match?

CYRA: Ace will notice if they don't. You've probably noticed that he has an eye for details. He notices things that other people don't.

ZAYN: That's... true.

CYRA: I'm sure he wouldn't really care if they didn't match but it's the little things that make a difference.

EXT. Street - Afternoon

Cyra and Zayn exit the flower shop together. Zayn is holding the wrapped flowers.

CYRA: So... is there, like, a special occasion?

ZAYN: Ace is taking an exam right now. With that and my injury, he's been really stressed out. I wanted to surprise him after he finished the exam.

Cyra sighs and looks down at the ground.

CYRA: That's really sweet. I had no idea he was so stressed.

ZAYN: He hides it well.

Cyra shakes her head.

CYRA: That's not it. He's been avoiding me since the other night...

ZAYN: Oh.

CYRA: I don't know if it's because he's mad at me or if he feels awkward. Did he tell you what happened when he drove us home from the hospital?

ZAYN: About you having sex in the car? Yeah, he told me.

CYRA: It was weird. He was, like, mad at me and he kept looking like he was gonna change his mind and stop.

Zayn glances at Cyra, worried.

ZAYN: How old are you again?

CYRA: 18.

Zayn sighs.

ZAYN: Emotions are weird like that sometimes. You're still a teenager so it might be hard to understand something like that.

Cyra smiles.

CYRA: I'm not a baby.

ZAYN: I know. I just don't want you to feel confused.

CYRA: I think that ship already sailed.

Zayn laughs.

ZAYN: Well, I can't say for sure how he feels about you. I just know that it's complicated.

CYRA: Yeah...

ZAYN: Why don't you come wait for him with me?

Cyra looks confused.

CYRA: But... this was your idea.

ZAYN: And you helped me a lot. It can be a gift from both of us.

Cyra thinks for a moment and then smiles.

Scene 5: If It Means A Lot To You

(Scene title by A Day To Remember)

INT. Exam room - Afternoon

Ace walks up to the desk at the front of the room and puts his exam in a small basket.

PROF: Think you did well, Ace?

ACE: I guarantee I'll get the highest score in the class.

The prof nods.

PROF: I hope you're right.

INT. Hallway - Afternoon

Ace leaves the exam room. Zayn and Cyra are waiting there for him with the flowers. Ace stops for a moment, smiling but looking confused.

ACE: What's this?

Zayn holds out the flowers and Ace takes them.

ZAYN: Just a little gift. To celebrate finishing your exams.

ACE: From... both of you?

CYRA: Nope. Just from Zayn.

ZAYN: Cyra helped me pick these out.

CYRA: No I didn't!

ZAYN: And she paid for them.

CYRA: Nuh-uh!

Ace giggles and examines the flowers. He notably runs the ribbon through his fingers.

ACE: Thank you. They're beautiful.

Ace wraps his free arm around Zayn and kisses him. Cyra watches with a conflicted expression.

When Ace pulls away, he turns to face Cyra, which seems to make her nervous. Ace gently holds her jaw, forcing her to look him in the eye.

ACE: Good job, pup.

Cyra melts from his words, staring up at him with wide eyes. Ace smiles and lets go of her.

ACE: Are you coming back to the dorm with us?

Cyra's face lights up, but it only lasts a second before her posture deflates and she sighs.

CYRA: I have to go to rehearsal. It's the last one before the winter break.

ACE: Oh. Well, that's unfortunate for you. I guess we'll see you later then.

Ace ruffles Cyra's hair and starts walking away. Zayn follows him and whispers to Cyra when he passes her.

ZAYN (whispering): Thank you.

Cyra nods and waves at the men as they leave. Once they are out of sight, she leans against the wall and lets out a frustrated noise.

[matsbarzal]

#6 angst “just breathe, it's okay. it'll be okay." with mat barzal? 🥺

(also if you could make it gender neutral / non-binary reader for your favorite hopeless trans, I would love you forever 💙💙💙 but absolutely no worries if not!!)

angst #6. "just breathe, it's okay. it'll be okay."

word count: 1.3k pairing: mat barzal x gn!reader warnings: mentions of panic attack, anxiety

It wasn’t that you didn’t like going to Islanders’ events with Mat, it wasn’t that at all. Mat always stood by your side, eager to have you meet everyone, eager to introduce his partner to all his friends and fans. He always matched your outfits, always going out of his way to make sure the two of you looked great standing side-by-side.

It was the fact that all these events were so crowded, so overbearing, like you couldn’t walk away for five minutes without being hounded by the next person eager to talk about Mat, or about the Islanders’ success. You loved everyone you met, truly, but you could only last so long before the crowds, the noise, before everything finally just… got to you.

Mat knew how you felt about the events, knew that sometimes you just had to disappear into a bathroom, or out into the hall to catch a breather.

“Y/N’s okay, they just need a bit of a breather. Packed rooms like this and all these people aren’t really their forte.”

He never questioned your decision to take a walk, or a breather, constantly shooting you looks from wherever he was standing with Tito or Anders, eyeing you to make sure you were alright. Mat knew that crowds weren’t your thing, but he always tried to push you a bit, push you to get out of your comfort zone, push you to do things you wouldn’t have done without him.

It was something you appreciated immensely, especially because Mat always knew when enough was enough and that the push and the encouragement were going too far. Until tonight.

Casino Night was always one of the biggest events of the year for Islanders’ loyalist fans. And it was one of Mat’s favourite events out of all the one’s the team hosted throughout the season. He always said something about helping kids and knowing the money was going to a good cause made it worth dealing with loads of people for one night, something you had to force yourself to agree with.

That’s how you found yourself here, dressed to the nines and pressed into Mat’s side as he introduced you to people you didn’t already know. The room was slowly becoming more and more crowded as you both weaved your way in and out of groups of people, stopping occasionally whenever Mat recognized someone from previous events.

You could feel the anxiety starting to bubble up inside of you, your stomach churning every time a polite smile crossed across your lips to greet another person. Your shoulders had been tensed up since the two of you arrived at the event, only to strain more and more as the night slowly dragged on.

“You okay, love? Your hands are shaking, wanna go for a walk?”

Shaking your head at his worsts, you gently squeezed his hand in response, a tight smile lining your lips. “I’m okay, just getting a little overwhelmed. I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me.”

Pressing your lips to the edge of his cheek, Mat smiled brightly and squeezed your hand a little tighter, pulling the side of your body flush against the side of his. It didn’t take long for him to have to depart from you, his services needed at the Blackjack table to relieve Anthony of his duties for the next hour, promising you that he’d be back the moment he could get away.

Anthony smiled in greeting as he approached you, standing off to the side, observing the event.

“Big turnout tonight, eh?”

“God, you’re so Canadian. Eh?”

Laughing, all Anthony did was shrug as he looked around at his teammates and fans, the chatter evident in the room, the music from the stereos not blocking out the sounds of people enjoying their night.

“You having fun? Barzy said you weren’t the biggest fan of big crowds and huge events like this, but that you promised you’d come an’ shit. Just lemme’ know if you want to escape for a little bit at all, I know the perfect hiding place in this place. Mat and I dipped like… six times last year to go hide and shotgun a beer in peace,” a sparkle was evident in his eyes, a grin taking over his cheeks as he reminisced on the year prior.

Shrugging your shoulders with a small nod to your head, you surveyed the people around you. “It’s nice, I’m happy it’s all for a good cause which makes it worth it. Maybe I’ll go toss some money into Matt’s basket, see if I can steal Syd’s husband and convince him to bring their baby with him for the day.”

“They really know how to make some beautiful kids, huh?”

Nodding your head with a laugh, Anthony just grinned as he bid you a quick goodbye, maneuvering himself around you and towards the agent that was eagerly trying to get his attention.

Peering around you, you realized you didn’t recognize any of the surrounding people. Mat’s teammates were all at their stations, the few that weren’t were catered up to the front, the bidding war for a day with an Islander about to begin.

You could feel the skin on your arm start to itch, the air flowing through your lips becoming shallow as you tried to make out your surroundings. The feeling of your legs tensing up just another indication that you had to get yourself out of the room, and quickly. Which is how you found your legs moving before your brain could even comprehend what you were doing, pushing yourself out of the exit of the hall and towards the closest bench you could find.

Trying to calm your breathing through your nose and your mouth were impossible, the pace becoming quicker and quicker as you gripped the edge of the bench, your knuckles going white the harder your hands clenched. Every time you let out a breath of air, you could feel as it scratched against the dryness of your throat, your stomach churning as the nausea began to take over, the tears swimming in your eyes and making it impossible to make out anything, or anyone in front of you.

You jumped the moment you felt a hand on your arm. “Hey… hey. It’s okay, it’s alright. Just breathe, it’s okay. It’ll be okay, don’t worry.”

Pushing yourself closer into Mat, you felt his arm wrap around you gently, his hand gently caressing up and down your back as he whispered calming words into your ear. His fingertips were light as they feathered across your back, your brain trying to focus solely on that and the sound of his voice.

“It’s alright. It’s okay, I sound like a recorder, but it’s okay. We’ll go home, it’s alright. Everyone will understand, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone, especially when you still barely know anyone. I’m sorry.”

Shaking your head, you gripped onto Mat’s head tightly, aggressively shaking your head as he looked at you worriedly.

“It’s not your fault, I just… I hate crowds. So much. There were too many things going on at once, I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize how overwhelmed I was until it was too late, I’m sorry.”

The panic was still evident in the way your hands shook, the shallow breaths that continued to fall from your mouth as Mat held onto you gently, the way your throat was dry and sore, the heaviness in your eyes evoking a headache almost immediately.

“Why don’t we go to Denny’s? Or like… anywhere other than here? I’m bored anyways, how do some pancakes sound? Or some waffles? Maybe a parfait if you’re feeling a little frisky?”

A small laugh fell from your lips as you nodded your head at him, his kind eyes and his kind words convincing you that everything would be okay. His endearment and willingness to sit there and hold you as you calmed down, to sit there and whisper kind and soothing things in your ear the push you needed to get up, to follow him wherever he wanted to go next.

note: i hope this was perfect to your request, love!!! thank you for requesting, and i hope you enjoy <3

[pearl484-blog]

Potentially Controversial Ideas I Will Likely Put Into Replay

Here is a list of things I will probably put into Replay that might be controversial but will not have trigger warnings. Trigger warnings are at the beginning of a chapter and are for things that may cause signifigant harm to a person. This is just a list of potential nuisances that I have planned ahead. Spoiler warnings ahead.

Anti-hero Bunnyx:  Bunnyx is a Rabbit, and this is a Peggy Sue fic. She is going to want to change the world back to the way it was before, and naturally, that will bring her in conflict with the Adriens. Although I will try to represent both sides of the argument, she is an opposing force to the two main characters and may have 

Duplicate Survival:  Both Adriens will survive this story. 

Human Adrien/Felix: Adrien and Felix are human, and their families have complex backstories. These backstories are likely not canon. 

Magic System:  There is a magic system based on character oddities in Miraculous and headcanons from Miraculous Ladybug and Ghost Force. 

Non-sentient Sentimonsters Senti-monsters are now magic’s answer to robots. They are sometimes sentient and sometimes not. They’re often used as drones and guards or workers in dangerous situations. They can be given sentience, but it’s not automatic.

Playing with Gender:  We will be having a bit of fun with gender throughout the fic. From non-binary foxes to cross-dressing for fun, I will be exploring it in quite a few ways. I’m not going to be perfect in representing it, and there will be messiness. Why? I’m a drama queen, and I want a mess.

Quantum Mechanics:  Yes, the one thing I know will tick off anyone with even a passing idea of physics and confuse anyone who does not. If New York Special wants to bring it up, New York Special gets to live with it. More specifically though, we will be discussing quantum entanglement. That is when two or more particles are so in sync that they react as if they are one object, no matter how far apart they may be. However, if anything should cause them to stop, they will no longer be able to behave in that matter. Think of it as like two twins who are ALWAYS in direct communication with each other. They are the best of friends and agree on EVERYTHING. They also both share magical phones that allow they to send instant updates about everything. Their every thought, feeling and experience is always immediately shared with each other they instant it happens. If twin A learns heartbreaking news that their mutual crush is dating someone, then twin B has instantly been alerted as well, and is also heartbroken, even if twin A and B are on two different sides of the globe. BUT if twin A and twin B suddenly have a falling out because one of their crushes asks twin A out and not twin B, twins A and B will no longer have the exact same reactions to every single bit of news anymore.  In real science, it is VERY difficult to achieve and maintain quantum entanglement, so we are never going to match what I’m putting in the story. 

Rebalancing the Miraculous The Miraculous have been rebalanced so that the Ladybug and the Black Cat are once again the most powerful. I still kept the same basic powers, but with new drawbacks and/or advantages. 

Smug Felix Felix is 14 years old at the start of this fic. While he is a genius prodigy, he is a teenager that sometimes is in over his head. He is going to screw up royally. 

[musings-from-mars]

more genderfluid penny pls- I may be a simp 👉👈

Genderfluid Penny AU - Part 3

“And now, it is time for Operation: Non Your Binary!” Ruby declared.

Penny nodded, a determined look in their eyes. “Yes. We must consult with the resident enby expert for their wisdom.”

“Indeed. And I know just where to find this particular she/they—the same place she/they always is at any given time...”

“In her/their bed reading for hours on end?”

“Precisely!”

~~~

Blake peeked over the top of their book to see two big grinning faces looking at her. She slowly closed their book. “Uhm...what’s up?”

“Penny has something to tell you,” Ruby said, then stepped aside like she had just introduced Penny onto a stage.

Penny smiled and nodded. “I am genderfluid, and I wish to ask you about how to be nonbinary!”

Blake blinked and smiled. “Hey, that’s really cool. But...I mean, I don’t know what advice to give you, honestly. Being nonbinary is as much a gender identity as it is a way of rejecting the concept of gender altogether. There really isn’t a wrong way to be nonbinary.”

Penny considered that and nodded. “Okay. But...how do you do it? What do you do to be nonbinary?”

Blake tilted their head to the side and thought about it. “Well, if I’m trying to perform nonbinary-ness, I try to be present androgynously. Like maybe skinny jeans, boots, a crop top, with my hair up in a high bun. Something indefinable like that.” She shrugged. “Or I could say fuck it and wear whatever feels right that day.”

“Hmm...perhaps I should say ‘fuck it’ as well...”

Ruby blushed. “You saying that sounds so wrong.”

Blake giggled. “So what feels right to you, Penny? It can be anything. Nothing is off limits.”

“I want to wear a skirt,” Penny declared with certainty. “But perhaps with a jacket, and some big black boots, a black bow...”

“It sounds like you’re just stealing Blake’s style,” Ruby remarked with a giggle.

“I mean, I have all the things they’re mentioning,” Blake said. “Wanna try on something like that, Penny?”

“Would I?!”

Blake giggled and led them to the closet. “One moment, I think I know just the look for you.”

Once they were done, Blake nodded to Penny. “There.”

Penny spun around and faced Ruby, who had sworn to keeping her eyes covered until Penny was dressed. “Tada!”

Ruby opened her eyes and gasped, jaw dropping. “Oh, Brothers Grimm...”

Penny wore a black leather jacket over a crop top, with a black skirt and silver chain, black boots, all with their hair done up in a bun just like Blake had described. “I look so tough!”

“You sure do!” Blake agreed with a laugh. “You make for quite the badass enby.”

“Yeah!” Penny clenched their fists. “I say fuck it!”

Blake laughed some more while Ruby continued to stare. “Penny...you look so—”

The dorm room door opened, and Yang entered only for her to stop in her tracks. “Oh damn, Penny’s hot!”

“Aren’t they?” Blake agreed, beaming with pride.

Penny was about to greet Yang in their usual enthusiastic manner, only to halt themself and instead cross their arms and nod their head at Yang. “‘Sup.”

Yang leaned against the doorframe and fanned herself. “I swoon~”

“H-hey!” Ruby yelped. “That’s my boy-slash-girl-slash-enby-friend you’re flirting with!”

“Aww, I am so many different kinds of friends now!” Penny said proudly.

“I concede,” Blake said. “I am no longer the hottest enby at Beacon.”

“Until I change genders again,” Penny noted with an assuring nod. “Then you will have that title back.”

“Aww, how gracious of you,” Blake said with a giggle.

Penny was practically glowing with happiness. “Today was so fun! I am so glad I asked you about gender things, Ruby.”

“I’m glad you did, too.” Ruby nodded. “If you hadn’t, I would never have gotten to see this.”

“Oh, so...” Penny bit their lip and struck a pose, hand on their hip with the other running back through their hair. “You like it, hm?”

Ruby flinched, her whole face flushed red. “Yang?”

“Hm?”

“Catch me.”

“Catch you?”

Ruby began to fall over like a tree

“Oh heck—!”

[benevolentbirdgal]

“Thirteen″ Tips for Writing About Synagogues / Jewish Writing Advice / Advice for Visiting Synagogues

So your story includes a Jew (or two) and you’ve a got a scene in a synagogue. Maybe there’s a bar mitzvah, maybe your gentile protagonist is visiting their partner’s synagogue. Maybe there’s a wedding or a community meeting being held there. For whatever reason, you want a scene in a shul. I’m here as your friendly (virtual) neighborhood Jewish professional to help you not sound like a gentile who thinks a synagogue is just a church with a Star of David instead of a cross. 

Quick note: The are lots of synagogues around the world, with different specific cultural, local, and denominational practices. The Jewish community is made up of roughly 14 million people worldwide with all sorts of backgrounds, practices, life circumstances, and beliefs. I’m just one American Jew, but I’ve had exposure to Jewishness in many forms after living in 3.5 states (at several different population densities/layouts), attending Jewish day school and youth groups, doing Jewish college stuff, and landing a job at a Jewish non-profit. I’m speaking specifically in an American or Americanish context, though some of this will apply elsewhere as well. I’m also writing from the view of Before Times when gatherings and food and human contact was okay.

Bear in mind as well, in this discussion, the sliding scale of traditional observance to secular/liberal observance in modern denominations: Ultraorthodox (strict tradition), Modern Orthodox (Jewish law matters but we live in a modern world), Conservative (no relation to conservative politics, brands itself middle ground Judaism), Reconstructionist (start with Jewish law and then drop/add bits to choose your own adventure), and Reform (true build your own adventure, start at basically zero and incorporate only as you actively choose).

Synagogue = shul = temple. Mikvah (ritual bath) is its own thing and usually not attached to the shul. Jewish cemeteries are also typically nowhere near the shul, because dead bodies are considered impure.   

A Bar/Bat/Bnai Mitzvah is the Jewish coming of age ceremony. Bar (“son”) for boys at 13+, Bat (“daughter”) at 12+, and Bnai (“children”) for multiples (i.e. twins/triplets/siblings) or non-binary kids (although the use of the phrase “Bnai Mitzvah” this way is pretty new). 12/13 is the minimum, 12-14 the norm but very Reform will sometimes allow 11 and anybody above 12/13 can have theirs. Probably a dedicated post for another time. Generally, however, the following will happen: the kid will lead some parts of services, read from and/or carry the Torah, and make a couple of speeches. 

Attire: think Sunday Best (in this case Saturday), not come as you are. Even at very liberal reconstructionist/reform synagogues you wouldn’t show up in jeans and a t-shirt or work overalls. Unless they are seriously disconnected from their culture, your Jewish character is not coming to Saturday morning services in sneakers and jeans (their gentile guest, however, might come too casual and that’d be awkward).  1a. The more traditional the denomination, the more modest the attire. Outside of orthodoxy woman may wear pants, but dresses/skirts are more common. Tights for anything above knee common for Conservative/Reform/Recon, common for even below knee for orthodox shuls. Men will typically be wearing suits or close to it, except in very Reform spaces.  1b. Really, think business casual or nice dinner is the level of dressiness here for regular services. Some minor holidays or smaller events more casual is fine. Social events and classes casual is fine too.  1c. Even in reform synagogues, modesty is a thing. Get to the knee or close to it. No shoulders (this an obsession in many Jewish religious spaces for whatever reason), midriffs, or excessive cleavage (as I imagine to be the norm in most houses of worship). 

Gendered clothing:  3a. Men and boys wear kippahs (alt kippot, yarmulkes) in synagogues, regardless of whether they’re Jewish or not out of respect to the space. Outside of Jewish spaces it’s saying “I’m a Jew” but inside of Jewish spaces it’s saying “I’m a Jew or a gentile dude who respects the Jewish space.”  Outside of very Reform shuls, it’s a major faux pass to be a dude not wearing one.  3b. There are little buckets of loaner kippahs if you don’t bring your own and commemorative kippahs are given away at events (bar mitzvah, weddings). Your Jewish dude character not bringing or grabbing one is basically shouting “I’m new here.”  3c. Women are permitted to wear kippahs, but the adoption of a the traditionally masculine accessory will likely be interpreted by other Jews as LGBTQ+ presentation, intense feminism, and/or intense but nontraditional devoutness. Nobody will clutch their pearls (outside of ultraorthodoxy) but your character is sending a message.  3d. Tefillin are leather boxes and wrappings with prayers inside them that some Jewish men wrap around their arms (no under bar mitzvah or gentiles). Like with the kippah, a woman doing this is sending a message of feminism and/or nontraditional religious fervor.  3e. Additionally, prayer shawls, known as tallit, are encouraged/lightly expected of Jewish males (over 13) but not as much as Kippahs are. It is more common to have a personal set of tallit than tefillin. Blue and white is traditional, but they come in all sorts of fun colors and patterns now. Mine is purple and pink. It is much more common for women to have tallit and carries much fewer implications about their relationship to Judaism than wearing a kippah does.  3f. Married woman usually cover their hair in synagogues. Orthodox women will have wigs or full hair covers, but most Jewish woman will put a token scarf or doily on their head in the synagogue that doesn’t actually cover their hair. The shul will also have a doily loaner bucket. 

Jewish services are long (like 3-4 hours on a Saturday morning), but most people don’t get there until about the 1-1.5 hour mark. Your disconnected Jewish character or their gentile partner might not know that though. 

Although an active and traditional synagogue will have brief prayers three times every day, Torah services thrice a week, holiday programming, and weekly Friday night and Saturday morning services, the latter is the thing your Jewish character is most likely attending on the reg. A typical Saturday morning service will start with Shacharit (morning prayers) at 8:30-9, your genre savvy not-rabbi not-Bnai mitzvah kid Jewish character will get there around 9:30-10:15. 10:15-10:30 is the Torah service, which is followed by additional prayers. Depending on the day of the Jewish year (holidays, first day of new month, special shabbats), they’ll be done by 12:30 or 1 p.m. Usually.  After that is the oneg, a communal meal. Onegs start with wine and challah, and commence with a full meal. No waiting 4-8 hours to have a covered-dish supper after services. The oneg, outside of very, very, very Reform spaces will be kosher meat or kosher dairy. 

To conduct certain prayers (including the mourner’s prayers and the Torah service) you need a Minyan, which at least 10 Jewish “adults” must be present, defined as post Bar/Bat/Bnai Mitzvah. In Conservative/Reform/Recon, men and women are counted equally. In Ultraorthodox women are not counted. In Modern Orthodox it depends on the congregation, and some congregations will hold women’s-only services as well with at least ten “adult” Jewish women present.

In Conservative and Orthodox shuls, very little English is used outside of speeches and sermons. Prayers are in Hebrew, which many Jews can read the script of but not understand. Transliterations are also a thing.  In Reform synagogues, there’s heavy reliance on the lingua franca (usually English in American congregations). Reconstructionist really varies, but is generally more Hebrew-based than Reform. 

We’re a very inquisitive people. If your character is new to the synagogue, there will be lots of questions at the post-services oneg (meal, typically brunch/lunch). Are you new in town? Have you been here before? Where did you come from? Are you related to my friend from there? How was parking? Do you know my cousin? Are you single? What is your mother’s name? What do you think of the oneg - was there enough cream cheese? What summer camp did you go to? Can you read Hebrew? Have you joined?  A disconnected Jew or gentile might find it overwhelming, but many connected Jews who are used to it would be like “home sweet chaos” because it’s OUR chaos. 

In Orthodox synagogues, men and women have separate seating sections. There may be a balcony or back section, or there may be a divider known as a mechitzah in the middle. Children under 12/13 are permitted on either side, but over 12/13 folks have to stay one section or the other. Yes, this is a problem/challenge for trans and nonbinary Jews.  Mechitzahs are not a thing outside of orthodoxy. Some older Conservative synagogues will have women’s sections, but no longer expect or enforce this arrangement.   

Money. Is. Not. Handled. On. Shabbat. Or. Holidays. Especially. Not. In. The. Synagogue. Seriously, nothing says “goy writing Jews” more than a collection plate in shul. No money plate, no checks being passed around, even over calls for money (as opposed to just talking about all the great stuff they do and upcoming projects) are tacky and forbidden on Shabbat. Synagogues rely on donations and dues, and will solicit from members, but don’t outright request money on holidays and Shabbat. 

Outside of Reform and very nontraditional Conservative spaces, no instruments on Shabbat or holidays. No clapping either. Same goes for phones, cameras, and other electronics outside of microphones (which aren’t permitted in Orthodox services either).  11a. In the now-times an increasing number of shuls have set up cameras ahead of time pre-programmed to record, so they don’t have to actively “make fire” which is “work” (this is the relevant commandment/mitzvah) on Shabbat, so services can be live-streamed. 11b. After someone has completed an honor (reading from the Torah, carrying the Torah, opening the ark, etc), the appropriate response is a handshake after and the words “Yasher Koach” (again, Before-Times).

Jewish services involve a lot of movement. Get up, sit down. Look behind you, look in front of you. Twist left, twist right. A disconnected Jew or gentile visitor would be best off just trying to follow along with what an exchange student we had once termed “Jewish choreography.” Some prayers are standing prayers (if able), some are sitting prayers. It’s just how it is, although a handful of prayers have variations on who stands. 

[n0kt3rnal]

Twelfth Night breaks so many gender binaries in such a fun way. Realistically at the time it was written, a large part of the comedy was: a boy playing a girl was disguised as a boy. As girls were played by teen boys on stage. So really every early modern play messes with gender binaries in a way modern storytelling isn’t always comfortable with. As women just, weren’t allowed to act outside the privacy of their own homes. 

Cross dressing was just part of the early modern theatre. So nobody would be threatened by it taking place in a narrative either. In the same way nobody really gave two shits about the queer implications of the romances because it got resolved in an acceptably heteronormative way for the time. Ironically I think early modern story telling was a lot more forgiving of a big fat helping of gay in it, because our ideas of queerness just didn’t apply in that time period. So many plays or stories that were seen as just, fun little dramas, translate in a very gay way to us. 

But I love seeing contemporary adaptations engage with those ideas and injecting a really queer experience into it. Bisexual Orsino. Bisexual Olivia. Gender non conforming Viola. Himbo Sebastian. There is no straight explanation in a modern version of this play for the Viola Orsino Olivia love triangle I will hear no arguments. Twelfth Night, more like Twelfth Gender. Give me gayer Twelfth Night thanks. 

[panda-writes-kpop]

Dami x Reader - First Date (High School AU)

A/N: Hello guys, girls, and non-binary pearls! I hope you enjoy this work.

P.S. - If you haven’t read the first part yet, then click here!

TW: None!

9 a.m. dates weren’t usually a thing for you, but you were willing to make an exception for Dami.

You made sure to get enough rest so you could actually enjoy the morning ahead of you.

You quickly get dressed and ready as your best friend’s car pulls into your driveway.

“Are you ready for this?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

The car arrives in the museum parking lot with a few minutes to spare, so you shoot Dami a quick text just to let her know that you’re here.

You loiter around the entrance for a bit until you see her figure walk towards you.

“Dami! I’m so glad you made it.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

She gently takes your hand before leading you inside.

Dami guides you throughout the museum while showing off her favorite exhibits to you.

She talks about the history and such behind it, but you’re not really paying attention to anything but her sweet voice.

This is the most you’ve ever heard her talk in all the years that you’ve known her.

You do try to retain some of the information, and you’re able to start a conversation every now and again with the things that you remember from history class.

After you’re done touring the museum, she’ll take you back outside and ask you if you liked it.

“Of course! I had a lot of fun, and I’d love to do something like this with you again.”

A light smile crosses her face after you respond.

“Well, I don’t know if there are any more museums around here, but there is a bookstore that I’ve been wanting to check out for a while.”

“If you ever have a free day, Dami, then I’d love to join you.”

A loud car horn disrupts your conversation as your best friend gives you a thumbs up behind the driver’s wheel.

“I’ve got to go. I’ll see you at school.”

“I’ll see you then.”

And as you two parted, that’s when the realization hit that you two had been holding hands throughout the museum date.

And you were never going to live that one down from your best friend.

[cloveroctobers]

Our baby going to prom prompt with jordan baker please 🥺🥺

From this prompt list

so I feel like his first born would be a little girl (which he predicted but initially wanted a couple of boys first...typical I know)

he’s extremely protective over his baby girl okay it doesn’t matter how old she gets he’s still gonna be that dad

Has a loving/goofy relationship with her, something he picked up from his own dad but he’s only serious when he feels like he needs to be

Chose her middle name since he wanted her first name to be “olive” but you weren’t having it. He tried to be creative by relating it to his twin but Olivia also agreed that the name kinda sucked but to compromise with Jordan you allowed it to be her middle name

he calls her “olly” instead of her first name

He wanted to be very active in this whole process while you were more easy-going about the whole ordeal but also just as excited as your little girl once the date started approaching

“They think they’re all cool now but wait until they see you in your dress, I bet $20 bucks they’ll be bawling like a baby.” Jordan whispered to your daughter who bumped her dad’s shoulder laughing with a shake of her head

“I can hear you, you know.”

“Do you have ears on the back of your head too?”

Jordan was very vocal about your daughter’s dress choices, giving his input of what he liked and what he didn’t like

“Honey, that compliments your skin so nicely but let’s talk about that neckline and one of your thighs is peeking out...”

Sure he might not agree with certain lengths or what was being shown but if it was something you really wanted he’d cave.

Anything for his little girl

“I’m gonna go broke before she’s married.” Jordan grumbled as the assistant carefully handled the dress

You laughed with your arms wrapped around Jordan’s waist, “you haven’t seen nothing yet. Ask my dad how much he paid for my wedding attire.”

Jordan threw his head back, “oh god!”

“Thanks dad!” Your daughter giggled running up to the both of you to wrap her arms around the pair to add to the embrace

“You’re welcome, little stinker.”

You did everything else far as the glitz and glamour bonding with your daughter and getting the latest teen gossip as always + some more info on your daughters prom date

You’ve already met the kid once or twice at the school and he was a nice kid as far as you were concerned

“Yeah he better be or I’ll have to call in some reinforcements to help get rid of the body.” Jordan huffed the night before prom as you lay in bed beside each other

“I don’t know about all that with the way your back is set up...”you laughed at the appalled look Your husband sent you

“I sure haven’t heard any complaints from you.” He argued as you entangled your legs together making Jordan flinch after he peeled his glasses off to lay on his nightstand, “always cold, aren’t you?”

“warm me up then.”

Jordan smirked as he lowered himself into the bed palming your cheek, “like I said, no complaints.”

The girls were upstairs as their dates waited outside in front of the house

Most of the parents were inside chatting away as you waited for the girls...well one out of the friend group was non-binary something Jordan was still trying to figure out but was still respectful towards the friend

they all took their time but it was common for your daughter to be dramatic she was into theatre after all

you had Olivia recording on the camcorder and Spencer on his cellphone to send the videos to all the friends and family that couldn’t be here

While you were acting like paparazzi getting all the angles of your daughter and then her friends then all together

“we can always count on you to make us look the best.” Your daughter said as you got up from the floor

You fixed your daughter’s hair after her poses, “you’re always stunning without even trying, my baby.”

Your daughter blew a raspberry until she noticed tears swimming in your eyes

“I mean she looks just like me so of course it’s effortless.” Jordan tossed an arm over your shoulders earning a laugh from some parents who listened in while they attended to their own children

Your daughter rolled her eyes, “I have the most extra parents.”

“Oh nooo, What gave that idea away?” Aunt Olivia sarcastically asked

Uncle Spencer added, “was it parent one trying to do parkour to get pictures or your dad threatening your date in the shed with his hardware tools?”

Your daughter whipped around to face Jordan along with your raised brow, “Dad, you didn’t.”

“I had to set some boundaries!! even the nerdy ones aren’t what they’ve seem. I’ve seen some tik toks you know?” Jordan defended while you placed a smile on your face bringing your daughter into your arms as you hid your sniffles

Your daughter and Jordan shared a glance

“I’ll give you $20 the day after tomorrow.” Your daughter tried to mouth

Jordan turned his eyes into slits, “what?”

Your daughter slapped one hand against her head before pulling back to smooth down your hair for reassurance

“You gonna be okay?”

“Stop growing! I’ll be fine! Let’s get some pictures of all of you with your dates before we send you off to live your lives!” You sighed waving everyone outside

“It’s just prom Mrs/Mr. Baker!” One of your daughters friend’s attempted to make you feel better

While their parent replied, “yeah but to us it’s like you’re already entering adulthood.”

The kids all groaned as they tracked down the steps to meet their dates who expressed how they liked their “fits”

All the parents snapped away and wishing them all to have fun

The parents thanked you for the hospitality and the wine/beer before taking their leaves promising to chat about the kids drama later on in the week

You were in full on tears ten minutes after watching your daughter ride off in the limo with Jordan cradling your head to his chest

Olivia and Spencer were completely confused

“Is this normal?” Olivia asked getting comfortable on the couch

Jordan patted your head, “I knew it was coming.”

“Shut up, mr. I’ll get rid of the body myself if I have to.” But it came out a lot less clear to Olivia and Spencer but Jordan understood your crying fits oddly

Olivia turned to Spencer who rested his hand against her knee

“You ready for kids?”

Olivia widened her eyes as you let out another dramatic sob and blew your nose against Jordan’s shirt who bit back a laugh, secretly making fun of you, which means this must have been love ‘cause high school Jordan would have thrown a fit if his significant other was using his shirt to deal with their emotions rn

“I think I can wait another year.” Olivia answered

Spencer eyed his in-laws over his shoulder as Jordan brought you over to the center of the living room to grab the baby book but decided to put it back down, “want to play olly’s favorite game: twister?”

“Her favorite game isn’t twister that’s mine! She loves charades.”

“Oh yeah,” Jordan’s mind went elsewhere before shaking those thoughts away, “...What about Jenga?”

“What about jenga?” You mocked, “next you’ll say it’s operation.”

Olivia didn’t want to interject and say it was actually “clue” so she watched the usual banter between the two parents glancing over at Spencer awaiting his answer

“Yeaaah I’m cool on that. Waiting a year sounds good to me.” He agreed watching as you pointed a finger into Jordan’s chest who scoffed at you and crossed his arms 

A/N: This was too cute/fun to write!! Thanks for requesting! we love dad Jordan! Why do I see him driving a dad car during the week like a Subaru and then bringing out the expensive cars on the weekend with his baby girl in the passenger seat screaming along to prince and new edition songs. Just imagine billy in the backseat along for the ride too. Woooow! The ideas. I love domestic fluff so much 😩💕

[youngsoli]

{“I know you know” you say softly but with an intense gaze. His face turns bright pink, and he turns back to finish his nachos }

Genre: fluff, smut, masturbation (I think this can be considered fluff?)

Warning: this writing is meant for 18+ readers, assuming you’re going to read it anyways please be cautious and prepared for crude topics

wc: 1026

Pairing: Yunho(ateez) x reader (f/m/x)

A/N: if you read this and find it to be unsuitable with a female, male or non binary reader please message me, I tend to forget what I’ve written and may have described something that isn’t inclusive.

Yunho was often occupied with his job, early mornings and meetings kept him late.

There were days where all you wanted to do was curl up in his arms, you missed him more often than not.

You had an extra-long weekend, so you decided to have some fun by yourself, filling the time.

You swear it had been at least 45 minutes, if anyone were to walk in you could feel how far from dry the surrounding air was. Underwear pooled at your ankles, your free hand gripping the loose corner of your pillowcase.

He texted you earlier to let you know he would be home later because had a meeting. He shouldn’t have been home, but the keys clink as they are tossed on the counter.

Unsure of the sound but refusing to slow yourself, it took far too long to get to this point, teetering on the edge of a gratifying warmth rushing your stomach.

You didn’t seize to quiet your moans either, a shadow becoming darker and darker at the bottom of the door. You waited for the door to creak open, but that never occurred.

Hand caressing yourself, you’re washed over by the intense pleasure, head tilting forward as you ride it out, the shadow still visible. After a quick rinse to wake yourself back up, throwing on some pj’s and heading towards the kitchen.

It was obvious he didn’t know that you knew. Still in his dress pants and a black button-up, it was challenging to hide the slight bulge. He walked around the kitchen, making himself a pan of nachos. After noticing your presence in the kitchen, he glanced at you,

“Hey babe” voice audibly wobbly out of nervousness.

It was clear he was avoiding eye contact, and you couldn’t help but grin at his shy demeanour.

Spreading the grated cheese over his chips, you slide your arms around his waist, he jumps.

“Yunho what’s wrong, are you okay?” It was hard not to tease him.

“Yeah yeah I’m fine y/n”

You attempt to pull him to the side so you can see his face, but his body is stiff and he and refuses to move, still trying to spread his cheese over his food.

You grab his hips and shove them to turn, his body moving with them. He tries his best to keep his attention on making his food. You giggle and cup the cheek that’s turned away from you, pulling it so his face is parallel to yours. His eyes look at everything but your eyes.

“I know you know” you say softly, but with an intense gaze.

His face turns bright pink, and he turns back to finish his nachos.

“w-what are you talking about?”

Your fingers slide around his belt and you yank him towards you.

“I said, I know you know”

Your eyes have more of a lustful gaze, a mischievous look crossing your face.

He gulps, his face hot with embarrassment.

“I didn’t mean to intrude babe” he says in a soft tone, just audible.

Letting out a snicker, “you have no idea, do you? That was exciting, I wouldn’t have finished if you weren’t snooping”

His cheeks blushing once again.

Before you know it he has his hands gripping your ass, pulling you up around his hips. You wrap your legs around him, taking a moment to look at him. He still had an embarrassed expression, but you know what he was thinking was far from innocent.

Leaning his head forward to meet your lips, you push back towards him, your tongue slipping over his.

“How did you know” he says mid caress.

You didn’t answer him, opting to hop off him.

A confused expression crossing his face.

You pull him down to continue the make out, hands shifting down to his belt and subtly undoing the hook. You feel his face go hot, his hands sliding down and pulling at the small of your back.

Pulling away for a moment,

“you aren’t too tired for this are you?”

not wanting to have to cut it short because he fell asleep while you were on top. He shook his head and reached back out to grab you and pull you back.

You take a couple of steps back, he raises an eyebrow at you. He was a big teddy bear most of the time, except when he really, really wanted something. His facial expressions became the complete opposite of what it was only moments ago.

You squeal as you dash out of the kitchen, almost tripping up the stairs as you take two at a time. Glancing back to see where he was, you were disappointed to see he was just standing at the base of the stairs. You stop and turn around, a pout on your face.

He smirks “I’m was giving you a head start” his legs skipping the stairs as he makes his way up to you.

It happened so quickly and he already scooped you up and had you in his arms hanging sideways like a small kid.

You burst into laughter as he walked over to your bedroom.

Without even putting you down first, you were practically flung onto the bed.

You don’t know when he took his shirt off, but he was already on top of you, chest exposed.

His breathing was heavy, a ravenous gaze filled his eyes, that alone made you squirm of excitement.

Luckily the buttons on your shirt were clips, Yunho practically ripping open your shirt, exposing your bare chest.

He sits back to admire you, your hand’s move to cover your self, feeling sheepish under his gaze.

He grabs your hands, intertwining his finger’s in yours and pushing them down over top your head, before getting sliding off the bed and heading towards the closet.

He whips around with a smirk across his face, slowly pulling out a pair of handcuffs, a blindfold and to your surprise, nipple clamps. You were hasty to slip off your pants and your open shirt. He strutted over to you, sliding on the blindfold and handcuffs, he was slow with the clamps.

Your head dropped back, his hands skimming down across your stomach and thighs, you’re waiting for his first move.

if this sucks it’s cause I wrote half of it to Firetruck, not exactly the sexiest song

[brynwrites]

How to Write Non-binary Characters: Part II

Visit PART ONE: the basics first!

PART TWO: the nitty gritty.

Non-binary in relation to Presentation.

What are we talking about here when we say presentation?

Presentation in relation to gender is how a person chooses to look, dress, and act in relation to their culture's gender norms. A person who wears dresses and makeup, speaks in a higher pitch, and daintily crosses their ankles is presenting in a feminine manner in most Western cultures because these are traits labeled as feminine in these particular cultures.

As mentioned in part I, non-binary people may choose to present themselves in many different ways.

Androgynous. The androgynous presentation (i.e. a presentation that is between masculine and feminine, presenting with traits ascribed to both) is commonly associated with non-binary people. Some non-binary people present as androgynous because it feels most natural to them, while others present as androgynous because it helps to inform the rest of the world of their gender.

Masculine or Feminine. Many non-binary people present as masculine or feminine despite being non-binary. They may present this way because they enjoy it and it feels natural, or because they grew up presenting that way and don’t have the time or means or desire to adjust, or because their best efforts would not allow them to present as androgynous without extreme measures they don’t feel the desire to undergo. But whatever the case, non-binary people who present as masculine or feminine are just as non-binary as those who present as androgynous!

A mix of presentations. Some non-binary people will mix up their presentation, either based on their mood, or on how they feel about their gender at that moment, or to keep their presentation similar around a specific group of people (such as work vs friends). This can mean presenting as masculine sometimes and feminine other times, or as androgynous sometimes and masculine or feminine others, or a mix of all three. This switch may happen in relatively even amounts, or the person may wish to usually present one way and on rare occasions another, or anything in between.

A word on gender dysphoria: non-binary people may or may not experience gender dysphoria (i.e. a feeling of unease or distress because their body does not match their gender identity). For non-binary people, this generally takes the form of wanting to be more androgynous. Whether or not a non-binary person experiences any dysphoria does not make them “more” or “less” non-binary. It is not in any way a qualification of non-binary-ness.

A word on gender nonconformity: Just because someone is gender nonconforming does not necissarily mean they are non-binary. Many binary queer people choose to present in ways that don’t conform to gender norms, and they have every right to do so. Sometimes gender nonconforming people are trying to decide whether they are truly binary or not. Whether they decide that they are binary, or non-binary, or trans, or make no decision at all, this is a perfectly respectable way to explore one’s gender.   

Non-binary in relation to Pronouns.

Pronouns are often used as a linguistic form of gender presentation and designation. Most people relate singular they/them pronouns to non-binary people—and often non-binary people do use they/them exclusively—but there are many combinations and ranges of pronouns non-binary people choose. Let's go over some common options:

They/them, exclusively. They/them have been used as singular pronouns since the 14th century, and are already a popular way to refer to a person of unknown gender. They/them is often used by agender and bigender people, but as with all pronouns, may be claimed my anyone of any gender, including binary people who feel they/them if the best portrayal of their gender identity.

He sometimes, she other times. Transitioning between two or more different pronouns based on how someone is living their gender in the moment is very common for gender-fluid people. Just like with presentation, this exchange may be equal or it may be weighted heavily to one pronoun over another, or anything in between.

Binary pronouns, exclusively. Some non-binary people never feel the need to switch from the pronouns they were asigned at birth, while others feel they fit the binary pronoun opposite the one asigned them at birth. Some also choose to keep their original pronouns in order to avoid coming out to transphobic people. This is no way makes these people less non-binary than non-binary people who choose any other set of pronouns!

Multiple pronouns. People from all non-binary identities will commonly choose to go by multiple pronouns simultaneously. This can be because they feel close to all those sets of pronouns, because they have no desire to choose a specific set, or because they don't feel the need to give up the pronouns they were assigned at birth in order to take on new pronouns.

Note that this is the one situation in which people might have preferred pronouns. (If someone chooses a single set of pronouns, those are their pronouns! It's not a preference—it's a part of who they are.) But people who have chosen to go by multiple pronoun sets might have one they prefer to be called, especially in a particular setting. For example, a non-binary person might say "I prefer to go by they pronouns at work, but I also identify with and accept she pronouns, so I won't be offended if customers routinely use those for me."

New pronouns. Now that the non-binary community in western culture is finally coming together, there are new sets of pronouns being created specifically for non-binary people to use. There are infinite options here, one of the most popular being xe/xir, but they're still the least claimed pronouns due to most of society not being familiar with them.

It/its pronouns. While some people have claimed it/its pronouns and there are situations where it/its pronouns might accurately fit a character, its best to leave those stories to non-binary and trans writers, due to the long history of it/its being used to dehumanize trans people.

A word on gendered terms: the non-binary community interacts with gendered termanology (such as Mrs., brother, dude, gal, queen, gentlemen, sir, etc) in the same way as they do pronouns. Many non-binary people have certain gendered terms they accept, while some accept all and others accept only genderless terms. These accepted terms may match with their pronouns (e.g. someone who uses he pronouns also using masculine terminology, like mister, sir, brother, dude, etc) or may not.

Now that we have all these cool pronouns, how do we relay this information in our writing?

There are a few common techniques to help relay character pronouns in writing:

The Mind Reader's Way. Let your point of view characters just happily know what everyone else's correct pronouns are all the time so you can move on with the story and not have to sit down for awkward conversations. It may be unrealistic, but should not break suspension of disbelief for anyone who genuinely wants to read about characters from non-binary genders going on fun adventures. Keep in mind that this works best in societies where characters only use one pronoun set.

The Introduction Path. Have it be customary for characters to introduce themselves by stating their pronouns, and call all characters by they/them pronouns until they do so. This lets the story move forward quickly, but can be awkward if you have primary characters (such as villains) who never introduce themselves to the point of view character.

The Everyone's Friends Route. Have there conveniently always be someone else who knows that character's pronouns and can slip them into conversation.

The Pronoun Pin Road. Much like pronoun pins, include a piece of world building into your setting that culturally requires people to wear something particular relaying their pronouns. This works best either in a modern or futuristic setting where characters can wear actual pins/shirts/etc, or a secondary world where you can control all aspects of the culture.

The Coming Out Highway. The most awkward but most realistic option is to force your characters to explain their pronouns if they don't fit society's strict gender norms. This can be as simple as one character asking "sorry, I don't mean to bug you, but what pronouns do you go by?" or another character arriving to the second day of class in masculine clothes and announcing "I go by he/him pronouns today."

Whatever route you choose, make sure to be consistent throughout the story. 

Part Three: Common Pitfalls and Easy Fixes.

[yanderecandystore]

Halloween Costumes [Yandere!OCS - Headcanon]:

Here is a little scenario I thought it would be cute to share. I'll answer your asks soon, is just that it has been kinda hard to create in this couple of days. This is just a little Headcanon about what types of costumes would my characters wear on Halloween night.

🍒 Bullies 🍭:

→Alexandra Coldwell:

A mummy, oddly enough. Although the twins are always expected to wear something similar every now and then, when it comes to halloween they rarely ever match costumes. Alexandra had a bunch of options inside her head, but a mummy was what she had decided to go with. Why? No one really knows, neither does she. It just felt fitting.

She is absolutely one of the cutest evilest mummies you would ever meet tho. Instead of being just toilet paper, you'll see a bandage cutie covered in gold and jewels.

→Adrien Coldwell:

He normally doesn't care about what costume he will choose, as long as he can exaggerate his costume in a fancy way. This year, why not go with a classic homoerotic vampire? Just because he is lazy and doesn't really care for what costume he chooses, doesn't mean he won't put in a lot of effort to interpret the most dramatic vampire you would ever meet. He could just wear a cape and a pair of fangs, but what is the fun in that?

Expect a really extravagant vampire boy with a sassy attitude to really seal the whole character. Just make sure he doesn't get his role over his head and starts to bite people.

🍎 Teacher 📕:

→Madeline Allen:

Little riding hood, for obvious reasons. I mean, as a teacher that already offers cookies to every single student she meets along the way, why not dress as a character that holds treats in a little basket? It could be really fun to give students and other teachers candies while dressing as a character from her favorite fable. Also because, well, red is her favorite color.

You would see her passing through school halls while maintaining her character just for fun. Although she would serve candy to everyone, she would make sure to give you more than everyone else.

→Matthew Robinson:

Werewolf. He is��� Not exactly the most creative person (neither am I-). He likes the stories he heard when he was a kid about the wolves that lived in the woods around his town. Maybe he was really naive, but just the thought of finding one of them walking around would be enough to stop him from sneaking out of his house at night, until he was old enough to know that no, werewolves aren't real.

You should have seen his face while searching for an online costume. He found some of the most questionable things under the search of "Werewolves". Not that the costumes were necessarily bad, but not exactly the best for the public eye. He decided to wear something really, really simple but that would still be recognizable.

He still bought one of the questionable ones, just… For the curiosity of it. Maybe he'll need it one day, who knows.

🍋 Delinquent 🐍:

→Janette Sartorius:

Frankenstein. She thinks she can pull it off just because she has a bunch of scars. She just needs some paint and some "extra effects". She is planning on scaring people, either because she is going to be part of a "haunted house" attraction, or because she couldn't contain the need to make someone terrified. I imagine her volunteering to be part of a scare attraction to both earn her some money, but also if it's for some sort of fundraiser.

She is absolutely terrible at doing it on her own, so the effects are to help her acting so it doesn't feel so lacking. Would you help her set everything up?

→Jackson Macnee:

Michael Myers. Or Jason, he isn't sure yet. Any Slasher is fine for him. Especially since because of his height no one takes him seriously, so he is, uhn… Planning on changing that. Yes, yes he is salty that people offer him candy as if he is a little kid. He still takes them, but, ya know?? It's not cool… He prefers cigarettes and the blood of his enemies (coughs don't worry, he is being edgy again coughs).

Okay that's not really true, but come on! He has his own gang, he has robbed and he has hurt people almost to the point of killing them, he deserves some respect don't you think?

I'm joking around but like, you should probably keep an eye on him. His costume is covering his face and his digitals, so if the idea of murdering someone on Halloween night ever crosses his mind, I think you should stay close to him so he doesn't kill some rich kids or something.

👾 A.I 🍏(non-binary):

→Yuma Soma:

Doesn't really know the importance of this day. In their game, there was a halloween like event, where all characters wear spooky outfits, their original one was the skeleton, so they might as well choose a skeleton costume.

Yuma is starting to really like this holiday, as through the whole month everyone seems so excited and happy just because it's a spooky month. They're kinda jealous of the little kids that get free candy, doesn't they deserve some as well?? They're just if not more adorable than all of these pipsqueaks.

Because they're new to this whole shenanigan, you better tell them that A: they can't eat all the candy, it doesn't matter if they throw a tantrum. And B: Just because they see someone who looks like a video game character, doesn't mean that person really is that character, they're more likely just a cosplayer that likes the game and characters.

But despite your warnings, they'll still eat all the candy they can find, and they will still ask the Luigi cosplayer for some autograph.

🦊 Kitsune 🍬:

→Tatsumi:

Just a masquerade mask. Because firstly: He isn't planning on wearing any clothes the whole night, and secondly: Because he doesn't have the money to go all for it. If he could, he would probably dress as, I don't know, Tuxedo Mask? I mean, look at this man, he fits the role perfectly~

All jokes aside, Tatsumi feels a little too self-conscious to dress up as the things he wants to dress up as. Not because of his appearance, but more because of himself as a whole. He… Does have a little bit of self hatred hiding in there.

Even if he was invited time and time again to go to a party filled with monsters living a double life just like him, he would prefer to stay inside and watch some horror movies. If you don't mind, can you stay with him?

🩸Vampire 🍷:

→Abigail Barlow:

Halloween? Costumes? Do you think she is a clown? Just asking her out of curiosity would be enough to make her belittle you. Saying how such a thing was way beneath her, only commoners like you do such a childish thing. Unbelievable how little you think of her!

But, let's say, that for some coincidence the people of your village have decided to make a "ball" around the town's main fountain. Of course you would go, wouldn't you? A masked ball with only the common and humble folk of your village. Sounds really fun right?

But she can't have you finding some lowlife as a partner, that would be a disgrace to her and to you. Yet, she is pretty sure you wouldn't want to see her face around your folk, and you would probably question her hypocrisy.

Maybe you find a really interesting companion while you dance, maybe not...

🍰 CEO 📏:

→Ingrid Bright:

Even if people tell her to dress as Ariel or Merida (ha ha, redheads only dress as redheads), she would prefer something that could be practical, but she ended up choosing a demon anyway. I mean, she can totally rock any outfit, so why not?

Why not be a little devil? It should be fun. But it isn't really reassuring knowing how most of her co-workers see her as one already. Well, whatever, she'll wear whatever the hell she wants, and no one can stop her-

Oh look! What a coincidence, aren't you wearing a little angel costume? Oh, you two are opposites, how adorable.

What a strange coincidence, totally not the result of one month prior of planning and stressing over the possibility of her plan not working!

Really though, whatever her darling wears, she I'll wear the opposite of. It's supposed to be a cute coincidence but sometimes it can be so on the nose.

She hopes you don't mind her being near you all the time, flirting or towering over you. Come on darling, you can be the angel of this demon, can't you?

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

[sanderssidesfanfiction]

If There’s a Place I Could Be - Chapter Eighty One

If There’s a Place I Could Be Tag

July 16th, 1999

Remy glanced up from the back corner of the library as a girl laughed a little too close to comfort for him. His mom had let him come to the library on the condition that she be there (and monitor what he checked out, but neither of them acknowledged that), but he was allowed as much time as he wanted in the teen section. Which meant he could sneak in some magical-girl-manga-reading.

He checked to make sure his mom wasn’t around and continued to read. He loved this, probably a little too much for his own good, but he didn’t care right now. Right now, he just wanted to make sure the Sailor Scouts would get out of peril safely.

And maybe, one day, he’d find a place where he could rent out the books and not have to pray that no one checked out the one he was reading while he was gone.

  February 14th, 2002

Remy looked over his list again, grumbling. That idea was too sappy, that one was too plain, that one didn’t have the right amount of sentimentality, the other one had too much! How hard could it be to find a proposal plan that worked?! Seriously, he was going insane figuring this out, and he hadn’t even decided on a ring, yet!

Maybe he should do that first? But no, he wanted the ring to fit the occasion too. Because Emile was a traditions sort-of guy, but Remy wasn’t. And he was pretty sure Emile would kill him if Remy bought Emile a diamond, but that meant the options for rings just grew.

“Decisions, decisions...” Remy grumbled, staring at the paper. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair. He had no idea what he was going to do.

An idea struck him over the head in an instant. What if he proposed at Sleep Easy, once it was clear that the store was going to be a success? Opening day would also be dramatic, but Remy wanted to be sure that the store would do well, in case in the heat of the moment he made allusions to the success of the store relating to the success of their marriage. Yeah, that could work!

...Gay marriage would have to be legal for them to actually get married, but hey, they could probably invite their friends and Emile’s family to a ceremony even if the actual marriage part didn’t happen.

Remy smiled. Yeah, he could find a ring that he’d be willing to show off to the patrons of Sleep Easy in a ring box as he proposed to Emile. He could work with that...

He was rooting around in his desk for another piece of paper and a pen to write down more ideas when there was a knock at the office door. Remy turned with a smile to see Emile there. “Hey, stranger,” Remy said. “What’s up?”

“You’ve been in here for at least two hours. It’s Valentine’s Day. I demand attention,” Emile said, offering a playful smile.

“Oh, come on,” Remy said, letting his arms fall off the armrests of the chair. “You can’t even give me a couple hours to scheme something romantic for you before you want me back with you?”

“For me?” Emile said, moving closer.

Remy slammed the papers into his designated drawer of the desk and locked the drawer. “Uh, no, nuh-uh, you are not reading what this is about, mister!”

“Oh, I see, so you can get grumpy about me keeping the shop from you for literal months but the second I try to read something you wrote I’m not allowed to?” Emile teased.

Remy rolled his eyes. “I admitted you were right, that the shop was much better as a surprise. Same thing applies with this. You don’t want to know.”

Emile did an exaggerated pout before he grinned. “So, what’s up? Do you have the time to spare to pay attention to me?”

“Yes, honey, I can spend time with you,” Remy said, rolling his eyes and standing up, leading Emile out of the room. “What are you hoping to rope me into today?”

“Maybe a little...afternoon out?” Emile asked, grinning. “I’m willing to take you to the local comic shops to browse, maybe buy a few things that you’ve been eyeing for a while.”

Remy’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, really?”

“Mhm,” Emile agreed. “And then we could go out to dinner, and maybe afterwards we could head to the park, stargaze a bit, and have a little bit of time to ourselves this Valentine’s.”

“As opposed to every other day when we’re, what, surrounded by children?” Remy asked, amused.

“No, but we have outside worries, and things to focus on that aren’t each other,” Emile said with a shrug. “And I think just focusing on each other for a bit would be nice.”

“You’re right, that would feel good,” Remy agreed, smiling softly. “I’ve been way too caught up in my own head recently and I want to spend some quality time with you.”

“So what say you to going out and having some fun, girl?” Emile asked with a wink.

“I say...sounds perfect,” Remy said, kissing Emile’s cheek and grabbing his jacket.

Emile grinned and Remy let himself be led out to their car and got in the passenger’s seat. Emile got in the driver’s seat and started the car, a smile on his face. Remy frowned when instead of a left out of the neighborhood, Emile took a right. “This isn’t the way to the comics shop,” Remy said.

“Yes it is,” Emile said.

“No, Emile, I’ve driven there a thousand times, we make a left if we want to get there. Right is how we get out of the city,” Remy said.

Emile just grinned and continued to keep driving.

“Emile, I don’t understand you, and I hope you realize that when you realize you’re wrong, I will be saying I told you so,” Remy said.

“That’s fine,” Emile said, “Because I’m not wrong.”

Remy rolled his eyes and let Emile drive, arms crossed. He listened to the music on the radio, not really paying attention to anything until he noticed they were in the same city that they went to Pride last year. “Emile, where are we going?”

“I told you, we’re going to the comic book store.”

Remy shook his head. “No, seriously.”

“Seriously,” Emile said, pulling into a parking lot and parking the car. “We’re going to the comic book store.”

Remy blinked and got out of the car, looking at the small building in front of them. It didn’t look run down, but it wasn’t some top-of-the-line huge corporation either. Emile led Remy inside and Remy gaped. Wall to wall to wall and dozens of bookshelves were holding comics, graphic novels, and geekery of all kinds. “What?” he asked barely above a whisper. “What is this place?”

“I got on the subscription list for that comics startup you were interested in,” Emile said. “This is their first store. Obviously, they carry some of the bigger comics, but most of their stuff is local, start-up based, and queer.”

Remy looked around in awe. “Unbelievable,” he breathed. “Un. Believable. And you were going to tell me about this?”

“Yeah,” Emile said. “If you weren’t up for going out today I would have told you. But they only opened in January, I figured we should give them a little bit of time to stock everything.”

Remy nodded idly, already drifting towards the shelves upon shelves of comic books. He hesitantly reached for a couple before pulling his hand back and looking at Emile. “Don’t judge me?” he requested.

“Why would I judge you when I literally brought you here to geek out?” Emile asked.

“Because people can be arbitrarily mean and weird about my interests for whatever reason they can tangentially tie to it,” Remy said.

“I’m not people,” Emile said. “I’m your boyfriend.”

Remy considered that a moment, before reaching back to the comic and pulling it out. “I’ve been really wanting to read this series for a while.”

Emile looked at the cover, frowning. “What is it?”

“Think... Sailor Moon crossed with Darkwing Duck,” Remy said, a blush creeping up his face as he realized exactly how stupid that must sound.

“Magical girls crossed with a super-powered duck?” Emile asked skeptically.

“More like...magical girls crossed with found family and crime fighting. Darkwing Duck was the first thing I thought of that you might recognize.” Remy shrugged. “I know it sounds dumb...”

“You kidding me, Rem? That sounds really cool!” Emile exclaimed. “I didn’t take you to be one for magical girls, though.”

“I...well...I always had this guilty pleasure about it,” Remy admitted. “I always wanted that, in a way. The ability to have that confidence wearing a miniskirt.” He laughed weakly.

Emile didn’t. “I think we all have those,” Emile said. “Rem...”

Remy’s stomach sank. “Oh, I know that tone.”

“You’re really sure you’re not trans?” Emile asked, grimacing.

“I...I don’t...know...” Remy admitted. “I always get clocked as trans, I know this, you know this. I like wearing blouses and one day I want to be brave enough to try a dress or a skirt, go full drag. But I never really...” Tears were coming to his eyes. “I never really felt like a full woman for more than a day or so at a time. And the rest of the time I’m mostly happy being a guy. I don’t...I don’t want to be a woman. Not all the time. I just want to be...me. Whoever that is.”

Emile looked Remy up and down and said, “Okay.”

“Okay?” Remy repeated dumbly.

“Okay. You want to be you? Be you. Whether that’s a man, a woman, that non-binary thing we hear about at Pride, or a genderless blob. We can call each other boyfriends for simplicity’s sake if you want, but I won’t judge if you don’t want to be what everyone expects a man to be,” Emile hugged Remy tight as he continued, “I just want you to be happy, Rem. Forcing yourself to say you’re a guy all the time doesn’t make you happy. So if you just want to be Remy, then you absolutely can just be Remy. Not a guy, not a girl. Just you.”

Remy didn’t realize how much he wanted, or needed, to hear those words until he heard them, and he broke down crying. He clutched Emile’s shoulders, comics all but forgotten as he realized that he was safe here. He had a safety here that he hadn’t ever felt with any of his family, including Toby. He was free to be his one hundred percent authentic self, and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have that.

When his tears finally dried, he took a step back from Emile, and he was beaming. “Let’s get these comics, I have a feeling that you’ll like them too,” Remy said, picking up the stack.

Emile smiled genuinely at Remy as he moved around the rest of the shelves, continuing to geek out for as long as they were there. Once they had purchased the comics Remy was interested in, they went to dinner at a sit-down restaurant (which Remy still had to remind himself would not break the bank, much as he worried otherwise), and they went to the local park as the sun was setting. The February air was brisk, but Emile laid out a blanket for the two of them to lie down on, and Remy got settled into Emile’s side, just a hair away from lying on top of him. No one would mistake them for simply being friendly like this, but Remy didn’t care.

“Tonight was nice,” Remy sighed. “I really, really loved it.”

“Good, I’m glad,” Emile said with a smile. “You know I love you, Rem.”

“I love you too, Emile,” Remy said back, a smile lacing his words.

“Hey, Rem?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to come to the next monthly meeting with Dice? It’s coming up at the end of the month...”

“That’s okay, Emile, I’m not too worried about it,” Remy said with a hand-wave, eyes never leaving the sky as the first few stars started twinkling. “If something important happens, I trust you to tell me, or at least...y’know, set up a surprise for me. You wouldn’t keep the information to yourself indefinitely.”

“You love Toby too much to let me get away with that, first of all,” Emile laughed. “Second of all, I love you. I want to see you happy. And I know, one-hundred percent, that this will make you happy. It might take some time and catching up and therapy, but this would be good for you, Rem. I don’t want to hold you back from that.”

“I love you too, I hope you know that.”

“Trust me. I know.”