#where our safe married gay people

[rebirthdinosaurs]

i want married! platonic stobin. i want some corporate jobs! steddie. i want a fic where steve runs a company under his familys name or smthn and eddie gets a job there and develops a crush on the office cutie and himbo boss man steve harrington, only for him to figure out that he’s married (”of course hes married”) and in a really healthy relationship with some lady named robin. i want him to meet robin at corporate party and realize “oh this is a lesbian” (because steve is bi and really good at accidentally putting up a straight persona at work, and all of steves flirthing tactics go right over this mans head, but a gay recognizing a lesbian is instant). i want eddie to derail and jump to conclusions and think that robin is just using steve as some coverup and a money bag and obviously poor heterosexual himbo steve has zero clue as to whats going on. 

i want robin and steve to invite eddie over for dinner one day only for him to see a couple of their wedding photos of them in semi formal clothing like their dressed for prom, both in suit, and max contact a hug or a kiss on the cheek. maybe one is robin sitting down with steves head in her lap. (the were half tempted for steve to wear a wedding dress, and robin to wear a tux, but decided it wasnt very subtle. i would love a fic that is just about them trying and sorta failing to have a very heteronormative wedding but they just cant help themselves, can they?)

along the way, they become friends, eddie introduces them to his best friend, chrissy, and eddie is eventually told that steve and robin married as a safe way to conceal their complete gayness from the homophobic agenda (around the same time, before or after, he figures out that robin and chrissy are totally crushing on each other. eddie and chrissy eventually marry with the arrangement that they can be safe and date their neighbors steve and robin under the guise of steve and eddie and chrissy and robin just being “bestfriends” instead of completely and totally gay for one another.   

[theashesofthefirststar]

Edwin-centric fic idea for those of us who like to see our favorite gay ghost boy suffer

Edwin gets caught up with Destiny The Endless, who attempts to torment him with visions of what his life could have been like if he lived. He explains that one's future is never set in stone, but some outcomes are more likely than others, and for Edwin, all of his most likely paths were nearly as tragic as the one that ended in his death.

In one path he’s conscripted into the military at 18 and dies a month before the war ends in November of 1918. In a similar path he develops a relationship with a fellow platoon member only to be found out and court marshaled for “gross indecency”. He spends 10 years in prison.

There’s even a path where a teacher finds him the night of what was supposed to be his sacrifice and puts a stop to everything before the demon shows up. Later, a tense confrontation with Simion leads to a stolen kiss, which leads to a secret, years long affair that only ends when Edwin is invited to Simion's wedding.

None of this has much of an effect on Edwin. He always knew there was no happy endings for people like him when he was alive. It's why he's never yearned for his life or grieved his death in the way Charles does.

So Destiny changes tactics and fills Edwins's mind with versions of the life Charles could have had if he hadn't died. Unlike Edwin's, these paths are all happy and full. Charles getting away from his father. Charles going off to college. Charles making new, better friends. Charles taking up guitar. Charles kissing pretty girls. Charles getting a good job and moving his mother somewhere safe. Charles falling in love and getting married and having kids and making them spaghetti and singing them songs and doing all the things he's been yearning for since his death, but that Edwin can never give him.

And Destiny taunts Edwin. "How does it feel," he asks, "Knowing that any life would have been better for Charles than the one he shares with you?"

[weemsfreak]

The Only One

Hi ya'll, happy pride month!!

Sorry for being mia, I have been quite busy with school and also working on this (slowly) all of June. I was unsure of the vibes I wanted this story to give, as I have been feeling confused(?) as of late, and for some reason June has brought many feelings and a couple crap experiences that I wanted to incorporate into here. I did make the story hopeful toward the end, but I just wanted to say that if anyone feels this way, you are not alone!

Calling our Lesbian Headmistress to help make the confusing and lonely times a bit better with a pride event. I know not everybody likes to celebrate pride in this way, but I thought it was cute.

Larissa Weems x studentreader (platonic) ~4.6k words

Part of my 'All the Time' series, based on reader being a lesbian but struggles with her sexuality and falls for her straight friend (canon experience ;))

Warnings: partially closeted, mention of family not understanding, self reflection (internalized homophobia/being proud)

༻༺

Nobody ever talks about how lonely it is, being queer in a small town.

The lack of representation, of places to go, and people to meet. The sliver of hope that you will feel safe if you decide to venture, if you decide to try.

Her with him and him with her and 'girl crush' this and 'man crush' that.

But all in all, you thought that perhaps the worst of it all was the feeling of being the only one.

You listen to songs that describe other places, places you wish your mother would tell you to go.

You know she wants you to stay, but you can't ignore the crazy visions of you in…well, somewhere that perhaps doesn't exist- or maybe it does.

Somewhere a different version of yourself could live; hopeful, happy, proud.

Your favorite movie, which makes you feel accepted, alive, is less than ten years old, even though you're a fan of old classic Hollywood.

You don't see yourself in them.

Many times before, you've heard people say 'it would be so much easier to be gay.'

They must've been joking, of course; but being gay was not a joke.

They joke about being gay but they've never wondered if their family would still love them.

They joke about being gay but they've never been scared of their friends abandoning them and talking behind their back.

They joke about being gay but they've never rejected a man with the reason of being interested in women, just for the man to ask if it's the truth, 'they could turn you', so they say.

They joke about being gay but they've never been the quiet one when others talked about boys.

They joke about being gay but they've never felt like they were disrespecting women because they found them attractive.

They joke about being gay but they've never been the outcast.

They joke about being gay but they've never worried about their loved ones not attending their wedding.

They joke about being gay but they've never pretended to like men to try and fit in with their peers.

They joke about being gay but they've never had nobody to talk to.

They joke about being gay but they've never had nobody to cry to.

They joke about being gay but they've never wished they were a boy, for the sole reason of a woman liking them back.

They joke about being gay but they've never had to love somebody in secret.

They joke about being gay but they'll never know what it feels like.

As bad as you felt, through the loneliness, the grief, the 'what ifs' and the doubt, it wasn't the fact of being queer that scared you, it wasn't that you weren't open, or accepting.

What did hurt though, was what came with it.

The fear of never finding someone, the fear of being rejected and harmed in public, the fear of never understanding how you really felt; the fear of feeling too deeply.

There have been times where you almost, almost, decided to leave it be.

'In another life' you said, shrugging your shoulders as a tear dripped down your cheek at the thought of faking it, and marrying a man.

But one day, you were reading a book dated from the 60s, when the realization hit you.

Years ago, regrettably not that many, you would not have the choice, you would not have the freedom.

And here you were, in the age of progression, hiding away in the land of heterosexuals.

You had a choice, you had freedom.

For the woman before you who were stuck in sham marriages, cried themselves to sleep, snuck around with another woman and feared for their life, for the women who raised children but not with whom they loved, for the women who had no such thing as freedom of choice.

You would not fake it, you would not hide, you would be your true self for them, and for you, regardless of the very possible fact that you could be the only queer in this small town.

༻༺

The headmistress stood outside of the chemistry classroom one gloomy morning, greeting students as they entered as your teacher always did.

You sauntered through the halls as you watched your peers and their modernistic and typical ways.

You weren't sure who's twisted idea it was, to put hundreds of adolescents in underfunded schools run by people whose dreams were crushed years ago…but you admired the sadism.

Opening your locker and retrieving your books, your sketchbook met the floor with an echo when a guy accidentally bumped into you.

"Oh crap, sorry Y/N"

You gave him a menacing look, before taking a breath and straightening yourself out.

"No worries."

His friend, who had shoved him into you, continued on to class as he spoke from down the hall. "C'mon man, leave the freak alone."

You expected him to continue on as well, but he didn't.

"How are things going?"

You'd likely be late for class if he kept the conversation up.

"A lot of this" you shrugged, pointing to your books.

"Yea, me too. The harvest festival is coming up though, I know you love the fall, and all things creepy."

You huffed in amusement, nodding your head.

"It’s nice to have things to look forward to."

He smiled and nodded, looking to his feet.

"Well, I'll see you there. Maybe I'll message you?"

You shook your head uninterested, not holding him to it.

"Sure."

Bending down to pick your sketchbook up off the floor, it was open to a doodle you had done which was rather, well, not appropriate for school.

Slamming your sketchbook shut, you stood and met your locker mirror; your own reflection, as well as the principals, smiling back at you.

Jump scare.

"Good morning, darling."

You spun around in surprise, staring wide eyed.

"Principal Weems, good morning."

She nodded as she looked at you in amusement, hoping to hide her true thoughts about your morning interactions.

"Where is Ms. Currie?"

The principal tilted her head at you, "Out today. I was notified last minute, so I'm your substitute."

Well, it was your lucky day.

The principal never failed to notice your…disinterest.

She didn't fail to notice the way some students picked on you, nor your lack of emotion; your presence of indifference towards men.

She saw herself in you, you were just like her.

That thought brought her both joy and pain.

༻༺

Sitting in the quad, you nervously twisted your fingers as you watched your friend approach.

You had heard, apparently, that it was a 'cannon lesbian experience' to have a crush on your friend.

Man were they right, and man, did it hurt.

She sat with a smile, though you could see that her attention was diverted.

"Hi."

"Hey Mar."

You swallowed, looking her in the eye across the table.

"I um, I was thinking, the Rave 'N is soon, maybe we could go together…"

Just then, you watched Gannon make his way to the table and sit beside your friend.

She squealed lightly, pulling him closer to her.

"Y/N, did I tell you Gannon and I are going to the Rave 'N together?!"

Your heart dropped, but it wasn't anything new, it wasn't at all surprising.

For you knew your friend liked men, but you had thought that maybe, well, you didn’t know; maybe there was hope that someone could be like you.

"Oh, uh, congratulations."

Your heart panged as they looked into each others eyes, smiling in anticipation.

"So, what were you talking about?"

You shook your head and let out a weak chuckle, quickly thinking of an excuse.

"I um, I was thinking maybe we could get ready for the Rave'N together, that could be fun."

Marcella smiled as she stood, linking her arm with Gannon's.

"Sure! I'll see you later!"

The principal, who supervised lunch in the quad, watched your rejection with disappointment and regret.

It dug deep, it brought back memories of her own time at Nevermore; the hate and the heartbreak that she felt, that you felt.

Sometimes, things never changed.

'I don't know if I believe the way I feel is real

And I often wonder if it is

Watching your friend dance with a guy

And pondering whether it's what she truly wishes

Should you step in, or leave her be?

You know you wouldn’t wish it, but does she?

It hurts a bit, a little, a lot; watching her dance so close to him

And maybe she'd dance with you like that too

But not in this life, no, not now,

For she's dancing with him, and you watch from the crowd'

༻༺

You knew it wasn’t the fault of your own; the despair, the regret, the loneliness.

But, you couldn't help but feel it when you were alone, so utterly alone, regardless of the fact that you could be surrounded by people.

They'd never understand the feeling of being so outcast, ironically, the feeling of being so different. The feeling of being told that how you felt was somehow wrong.

You felt it, you felt it wholeheartedly; and how could your heart be wrong?

Your parents, who never meant any harm, contradicted themselves.

Honestly, you couldn't exactly say how, but it hurt in a way that you didn't understand.

You thought maybe they were smarter, more knowledgeable, perhaps wiser than you.

They had always said that you could talk to them, but it was useless, as any attempt made you feel worse, not better.

They had been on this earth for sometime, however, surely they must've experienced the hate, and transformed themselves to some degree?

Wishful thinking.

They could never be so open.

And you think, maybe that's what hurt the most; wishing they could understand, wishing they would care enough to understand.

Alas, wishing was useless.

There were nights where you prayed for an older, wiser being to cry to. Someone who could tell you what to do and how to feel, someone who would listen, someone who would care.

Someone who would see you. Someone who understood, because they felt it themself.

༻༺

You made every attempt to be true to yourself.

To not lie, to let yourself feel what you felt, to get out more; to live.

It was hard to be true to yourself, though, when your friends agreed to accompany you to a pride day in Jericho, and then ditched you.

You resented them, you envied them, they didn't know what it felt like; they never would.

The hurt multiplied ten fold when June came around. The hiding, the thinking, the loneliness, it didn't settle, it didn't stop.

After an hour of scrubbing off your makeup, crying face down into your bed, and ditching your  themed outfit, you arrived in Jericho, the opening ceremony finished.

The town square was very festive, multiple restaurants and shops agreed to host a scavenger hunt, crafted special meals to celebrate, provide smaller fun activities, and fireworks. You were proud of the small town of Jericho, they were trying; as were you.

And although they were trying, these activities were not really fun to do, well…alone.

Alas, that's what you were. Alone.

Passing by the Weathervane, you saw a small group of Nevermore students on their way out. You wanted to join in, but you didn’t know them, not that well.

Peering over at the counter, you found a drink special for the day;

'buy any regular sized drink, get rainbow whipped cream for free.'

You snorted, it was rather cheesy, but cute.

Stepping up to the counter, you ordered an iced coffee.

"Would you like rainbow whipped cream on that?"

You sighed, about to shake your head no when you heard a voice at the other end of the counter.

"Thank you, dear. This looks delicious."

She was standing tall with a red lipped smile, peering down at her hot chocolate; rainbow whipped cream on top.

You had to agree, it did look delicious.

"Yes, uh, whipped cream please."

As soon as your drink was made, you beelined it for the door, hoping she wouldn't see you.

It wasn't that you didn’t want to see her, it wasn't that you didn’t want to talk.

It was that you didn’t want her to see you- alone.

Unsure of where to go next, you stood on the sidewalk and tried your drink; delicious.

The doorbell rang and she stepped out, gazing around the streets.

In a flash, you turned and headed down the sidewalk, away from the activities, away from her.

"Y/N?"

You stopped, slowly turning as if you were unsure of where the voice had come from.

A wave, a smile, and she was next to you in a few strides.

"Darling, you're going the wrong way, the festival is this way!"

She never failed to make you happy, her and her rainbow hot chocolate.

You shrugged, "I uh, I don't really want to participate."

Her head tiled in question as she caught sight of your drink.

"You're not interested in celebrating pride?"

Well, that just made you sound homophobic. You shook your head quickly.

"No, no I am. I just, my friends were supposed to come with me but, they changed their minds I guess."

The principal looked down at you, your head hung in sadness, perhaps shame.

Today was not a day to be sad, it was not a day to be shameful, it was a day to be proud, to celebrate.

"Well, I am here with a few Nevermore students. I am proud to support them, no matter who or what they are."

You couldn't help but smile crookedly in awe, meeting her appreciative blue gaze. She bent down closer to you, softening her voice. "That includes you, love."

Your heart beat fast as you stared in surprise, tears threatened to spill as you felt accepted and cared for, for the first time in a long time.

Taking a sip of your drink with a shaky hand, you fiddled with your jewellery.

The woman saw you thinking, contemplating.

She felt the exact same at your age. Knowing who you were, to an extent, but pushing the feeling away with every chance you got.

You didn’t want to, she knew, you wanted to be proud, she knew, but it was hard when you felt like the only one, the only one in this small town.

"How about we try the scavenger hunt, hmm?"

You looked up at her with a frown, but inside you felt joyful.

"We're probably already behind" you chuckled.

The woman waved a hand in dismissal, "Nonsense. We have a good chance if we work together."

༻༺

1.

You made your way back into the Weathervane, retrieving the first clue to the hunt.

'If the first pride flag was designed in Jericho, it would've been designed here.'

You passed the first clue to her, knowing the first pride flag was designed in 1978. If it had have been designed in Jericho, well, you had three options.

The woman smiled, gasping lightly as she recalled "'Sew it forward', it was established here in the 1960s."

༻༺

2.

You followed the intriguing woman to 'Sew it forward', watching as she retrieved the second clue and stamped the pride book red.

She took the clue between her fingers, narrowing her eyes at the small writing.

'This famous bar in New York City was the site of the 1969 riots, a pivotal event in LGBTQ+ history. Find the Jericho bar that starts with the same letter.'

You racked your brain around the bars in Jericho. You have never been to the bars besides for lunch.

"Stones!"

The principal raised a brow at you, a small smirk on her face.

"What?! Just because I'm not of age doesn’t mean I haven't been. Stones has good pizza."

A loud laugh was heard throughout the fabric shop. You were overjoyed that you could make her laugh freely, albeit most likely sounding stupid.

She headed for the door; and you would follow her anywhere.

༻༺

3.

Arriving at Stones, you found those also attempting the hunt, and those drowning in drinks.

You stamped the book with the second stamp, orange, and retrieved the third clue.

'Locate a pin or item that displays personal pronouns or sexual orientation, both important ways to respect people's identities.'

Leading the way out into the street, you looked around.

You didn’t remember seeing a shop with a prominent pin or badge.

"A pin or badge."

You looked up at the tall woman, her eyebrows furrowed in question.

Raking your eyes over her form, you found a brooch on her jacket, one you knew she wore often.

Lips.

"Where did you get that brooch?"

She peered down at her brooch, straightening it out as a light blush overtook her cheeks.

"Oh, my brooch. I got it at the antique shop, Uriah's Heap."

Uriah's Heap, a shop so very, well, out of the ordinary.

It was your favorite.

You stared at her for a moment hoping she would catch on, until her eyes widened in excitement.

"Let's go!" she smiled, grabbing your hand as she drug you to the shop.

༻༺

4.

You stood outside of Uriah's Heap, finding a large progressive pride flag pin on their window.

You knew this was a scavenger hunt, a race of some sort, but you always loved searching for hidden treasures in the shop that many people didn’t appreciate.

Following the principal, she found her way to the antique jewelry.

Choosing a vintage locket, you placed it on the counter and found a basket of pins staring back at you.

"Hello, did you find something of interest?"

The woman, who you remembered enjoyed chaga tea after working here on outreach day, peered down at you.

"Yes, may I purchase this?"

Peering over at the tall woman, she held a brooch up to you.

"Do you think this is nice, darling?"

A brooch which you thought resembled an eye. Very fitting for the principal and her unique look.

"It's beautiful, it matches your bracelet."

She smiled gratefully down at you, placing it on the counter.

"You are very perceptive" she remarked.

The lady rang up both items, the principal speaking up.

"Oh, I'll purchase that separate."

You shook your head at her with a sly smile, "I got it Principal Weems."

After purchasing your items, the principal retrieved the fourth clue and stamped the book yellow.

'What LGBTQ+ novel, written by Sheridan Le Fanu, preceded Dracula?'

You had read this book recently, an easy clue, really.

"Carmilla"

The woman looked down at you in surprise, nodding her head.

"Great novel, absolutely the best. I'm proud" she winked.

You smiled, gaze landing on the floor bashfully before peering back over at the pins in the basket.

The woman noticed and sorted through them. "Hmm, so many options. Would you like one?"

You watched as she held them in her hands to you, every option they had available.

There were so many colors, so many flags and pronouns.

You hummed and hawed over them, knowing which you wanted to chose, but still unsure.

"Well, I think I like this one."

The principal chose one; red, orange, white and pink stripes staring back at you.

Your mouth opened in shock as you watched her pin it to her jacket.

She smiled mischievously, "What's the matter, darling?"

The lesbian flag, something you didn't see often included in pride merchandise.

"I, uh, are you…" you stuttered.

The woman chuckled, straightening out the pin. "A lesbian?"

You nodded speechless as you stared up at her, thrill running through your veins.

She clasped her hands together and gave one nod, a bright smile as she batted her eyelashes your way.

Her support, her happiness, the confidence that she had, it made you want to cry.

You were so, so happy for her, you were so very proud.

Proud of her for her openness, proud of her for her representation, proud of her for being her true self, and for showing others that it was okay to be gay.

Grateful for her bravery, to show others that they were not alone.

You took a deep breath, "Can I have the same one?"

She dug through the pins, finding the very same flag and holding it out to you, "May I?"

You nodded, presenting your jacket to her.

She pinned in on, running a hand soothingly over your arm.

"I'm so very proud of you, darling."

You breathed in heavily, taking in her sincere and caring smile before meeting her gaze.

"I'm proud of you too, Principal Weems. And I'm so happy for you, thank you."

It was all the principal had wished for on this day, to help at least one person through their journey. To help you present yourself, to help you feel like you deserved to be seen, to help you feel proud.

"Of course, love. Now, where can we find the novel 'Carmilla'?"

Well, the library or bookstore, of course. But, you took a bet that Carmilla may not be at the library, so you headed to the bookstore.

༻

5. Crow bookshop

You retrieved the second last clue, stamping the book green.

'Locate the basket prepared for a festive outdoor meal, filled with colorful snacks and drinks. Perfect for a celebration under the open sky.'

The principal looked down at you in contemplation.  "The Basket, like the restaurant?"

You shrugged your shoulders, unsure of where else they would be referring to.

༻༺

6.

You arrived at 'The Basket', a restaurant just before the beach.

There were a few specials, a fruit basket, a flight of ciders, and a flight of sliders.

You knew the principal was a fan of burgers.

"Are you hungry?"

The tall woman looked down at you, smiling as she read over the special.

"Chipotle, Bacon and cheese, Veggie, Bean, Texas, and Chicken sliders. Would you like to share?"

You looked over the menu, rereading what she had just rhymed off.

Nodding, you asked, "What's a flight?"

She chuckled, ordering the special for you both.

"You're about to find out."

Sitting at a table on the back patio, you settled down across from the principal.

A moment silence, you looked her up and down, questioning many things.

An older, wiser being. A beautiful one who appeared to be pretty open, who seemed like she'd understand, who seemed like she cared.

"How did you know that you liked women and not men?"

The woman raised her gaze to you, lips stretching into a sad smile.

She took a deep breath and smoothed a napkin over her lap.

"Well, when I was your age, this small town was all that I knew, just like you.

I knew that I didn't feel the same as my peers, I never cared to talk about boys, I never really fit in in the way that I hoped to.

One day I realized that I wouldn't at all mind kissing my friend, in fact I longed to" she chuckled. "Representation was lacking, but what little of it there was, it helped me realize how I felt as I grew. It's hard to accept yourself, for many reasons, but when you try to push it away, it doesn't get any better, it never changes."

Your voice was hoarse as you asked in confirmation.  "It never changes?"

She shook her head, "It never changes. You have to decide for yourself.

Do whatever makes you happy, feel whatever makes you happy, no matter how different it is, no matter how alone you may feel."

You pursed your lips as tears built in your eyes, she was right, of course she was.

"Well, it helps knowing I'm not the only one."

The woman nodded her head in agreement, wallowing over the memories of her feeling alone, of her heartbreakingly coming to the realization of how she truly felt, of who she really was.

It brought her sadness, to know that others felt the same; perhaps even worse.

"The journey is not an easy one, it's not for the weak. You have to know that you're strong, and you're worthy, always."

The sliders were placed on your table, averting her attention.

She carefully cut them all in half, holding up a piece of the bacon and cheese as she offered the rest to you.

"Bon appétit."

The principal stamped the book blue and picked up the last clue.

 '"At midnight, in the month of June, I stand beneath the mystic moon." What establishment is named after this poet?'

She looked down at you with a finger pointed your way.

You scrunched your eyebrows, Edgar Allan Poe.

The only establishment could be, "The Poe!"

You and the principal laughed, shouting the answer at the same time.

༻༺

7.

 You headed to The Poe, a small museum and shop on the beach that sold trinkets, drinks, and ice cream.

Principal Weems stamped the last page purple, turning in the scavenger hunt book to the shop.

"Well, congratulations! You were fifth to finish the scavenger hunt."

You laughed, fifth place.

The tall woman smiled down at you with a wink, "We're losers."

You both were, in fact, losers.

After collecting your prizes and ordering ice cream, which the principal insisted on, you made your way to a bench on the beach.

You watched the woman with great interest. An intelligent, interesting woman she was. A powerful, selfless woman. A perceptive woman, a force to be reckoned with.

You hoped and prayed that you would grow up to be at least half the person that she was.

The principal caught your interest with a low chuckle.

"I'm having lots of fun with you, love, but I'm sorry you had to spend the day with your principal."

You tilted your head in confusion; you were not sorry, not one bit.

"I'm not sorry. Today was the best day I've had in awhile. Thank you."

The woman pouted, opening her arms to you; you gladly embraced her.

With a deep breath you pulled away, placing your hand in her soft reassuring one.

"So what happened with your friend? The one you wanted to kiss?"

The principal chuckled remorsefully. "Nothing."

Looking out over the water, her smile turned to a frown.

"I wanted to hold her, to protect her from men with all the fury I had grown.

They don't see her beauty like I do, they don't care to.

But unfortunately, it's the same old story."

She turned to you with sad eyes.

"A girl cries over a girl and that girl cries over a guy, and well…

it goes on and on and on,

and it doesn't stop.

It never stops."

You were just like her, perhaps there was hope for you.

Just then, fireworks lit up the darkness of the beach. All colors of the spectrum were on display, but all you saw was red, orange, white, and pink.

Your attention was then diverted to a girl wearing a Nevermore uniform as she made her way to you.

She waved, "Hi Principal Weems."

She then looked to you. "Hi Y/N"

She spoke with the principal as you analyzed her. You recognized her, but you didn't know her name, so how did she know yours?

The girl's eyes landed on you once again, meeting your gaze. You didn't want to ask.

"Aura, I like your pin." A sly tone to the older woman's voice.

You followed the principals gaze to the pin on Aura's jacket, then you peered down at the pin attached to yours.

"Thanks Principal Weems" she smiled, eyes slowly trailing to the woman's pin, then to yours.

Your eyebrows furrowed, and Aura's raised in surprise.

"Oh, we all have the same pin!"

The principal chuckled, gazing down at you with a bright smile.

"See darling, you're never alone. I promise you're not the only one."

[ceilidhtransing]

It's frankly horrifying how blasé some American queer people are being about the stripping away of legal rights under a potential Trump administration.

I'm very aware that queer politics and queer liberation are bigger than just “what's legal” or “what the state allows us to do” or whatever. Queer people have a very long history of existing without state support and building our own community structures when the rest of society fails us. But oh my god this doesn't mean that our legal rights aren't important. Protection against discrimination is important. The right to marry is important. Being able to access legal HRT is important. The right to legal gender change is important. Adoption rights are important. Protection against “gay panic” and “trans panic” defences is important. Not being classified as a “mental illness” or a “sex crime” is important. Having laws that are on our side isn't everything but it sure as hell isn't nothing.

I feel like some queer people today have this idealised, romanticised idea of what life was like for the queer community in the west in the 60s, 70s, 80s - this sense that Yes It Was Tough, But It Wasn't Anything We Couldn't Deal With, that it was more “radical” and “punk” and “politically pure” and so really we should be wanting to return to that because That Was When All The Cool Grassroots Queer Organising Was Happening before we started getting proper legal protections.

But a lot of the organising that people were doing back then - not all, but a lot - was towards the very rights that some people now don't seem too concerned about throwing away. They fought hard for stuff like anti-discrimination protections and HRT access and I know that's not “glamorous”, it's not “throwing bricks at cops”, but it's important activism that makes a genuine material difference to the lives of so many queer people. They wouldn't have fought so hard for these rights if they didn't matter. And the idea that acknowledging this is somehow “anti-revolutionary” or “bootlicking” or whatever is absurd.

And from these people there's so little recognition of the fact that actually, for many of us, we didn't survive this era. Or we survived but endured so much avoidable suffering. There's a tendency to romanticise “community organising” that tries to compensate for a hostile state while forgetting that community organising can't save everyone. [And it's much, much easier to do community organising when you have a modicum of legal protection. It's a lot harder to organise your queer community pantry and support hotline and safe sex supplies dispensary when the law now defines running any kind of queer venue as “child grooming” or “a public obscenity” or whatever and starts jailing people for it.] Don't rose-tint this time as one of Cool Underground Radicalism without acknowledging that a hell of a lot of people suffered and died because society was far more hostile to them and they didn't have the legal framework that we have now.

Am I saying that, because queer people have some legal rights now, everything is lovely and perfect? That queer activism is “finished because we have gay marriage now”? No. Of course not. Inequality persists. Discrimination persists. The rights that currently exist still don't protect everyone equally, especially where queerness intersects with other forms of marginalisation. There is still so much more to push for.

But pushing for more is completely incompatible with allowing a rollback of what we already have. This casual “so what if Trump takes away our rights; I'm still not voting Democrat” is a spit in the face of all the people who fought so hard for queers to have these rights. Throwing away your vote in order to make a political point and thus allowing someone into power who plans to remove legal rights for queer people - and who is also unimaginably worse than his opponent on basically every other issue - is not what queer activism looks like, and this casual willingness to sacrifice hard-fought rights is demonstrative of either immense privilege or an incredible blindness to what life is like for queer people who don't enjoy these rights. There are queer people in the world who are still fighting for their identities not to be fucking criminalised, who will be looking at the attitude of essentially “who cares if Trump gets into power and sets fire to decades' worth of queer legal victories, if that's what it takes to prove a point to the Democrats” with utter appalment. (And if you're not queer, but are perfectly unconcerned about sacrificing our rights on the altar of Refusing To Vote For A Democrat, that is disgusting, and you are not an ally.)

People fought so hard to have these rights. Rolling them back will have horrific consequences. Please don't just toss them away.

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 4 MATCH 7

Chrom propaganda:

“Chrobin (Chrom x player character) is so many tropes in one oml. You have friends-to-lovers (Chrom and Robin are canonically best friends according to Nintendo), enemies-to-lovers (Robin is heir to the Grimleal cult, the enemy of the Halidom of Ylisse which Chrom is the prince, and later king, of), there's amnesia, time travel, official next-gen AUs, changed dialogue to lore important events in the game if you marry Chrom, and Nintendo keeps teasing us with the ship. Cheery prince who knows when to be serious, very strategically smart but very bad at communicating, a guy that can comfort you when you're down, make a fool of himself when you're not around, and he's just generally a very sweet guy. Also please consider the fact that you get to watch a cutscene of him dying in the prologue and despite the horrors he's just so supportive of the protagonist. Chrom doesn't care about where you came from or who you're related to, he cares for YOU. He gets KILLED by the protag and he reassures them that they did nothing wrong and pleads with them to get out, to a safe place. I lost my soul to Chrom, I physically can't play this game without romancing him.”

“He eats oranges with the peel still on, he's an absolute himbo. Also the writers accidentally made his daughter canonically trans so he definitely supports trans rights. And technically you can only marry him if you play as female Robin but their dynamic is still just as romantic if you play as male Robin (they literally call each other their other half and m!Robin and Chrom have a valentine's day duo unit in the gatcha, and in the anthology manga m!Robin asks Chrom to make polygamy legal so he can also marry Chrom's wife and they can be a family) so most people play the game with the gay mod so they can still marry him as a guy. He's incredibly stupid ("yeah, let's set all our ships on fire then walk through a volcano, you're so smart, Robin" "I know you've had prophetic visions about killing me and our daughter came from the future to warn us it would happen but I'm sure THIS TIME it won't because of the power of our bonds") but also really sweet. In the summer DLC they're fighting on a beach and when he sees Robin get excited over a weird creature they found he immediately forgets about the battle and starts trying to make a bunch of crafts (and failing) and cooking food (and failing again) and writing "Chrom and Robin were here" in the sand so that Robin could have some nice beach memories. I'm obsessed with this man”

Asra propaganda:

“He GIVES AWAY HALF HIS HEART TO REVIVE YOU okay but like. He's the MCs roommate and they were together for a few years before the MC caught a plague and died and he obsesses over a way to bring them back before succeeding by making a deal with a god to trade half his heart for MC and betraying the emperor. And then when MC comes back but without any of their memories, he takes care of them and teaches them how to live all over again and he never asks for anything in return. On all the routes where you don't choose him he's really supportive and helps you out despite your history and overall he's just really nice and supportive of the MC and is their rock no matter what route you go down. Also he has a pet snake named Faust and I love her she's so <33 

Idk I just appreciate him so much”

"He gave you half his HEART!! He would literally go to hell and back for you!! He wants to take you on adventures all around the world—doesn’t matter where, as long as he’s by your side!! AND he’s nonbinary!!!"

[veryintricaterituals]

I am Jewish, what does that mean?

I was born in Colombia on the 49th anniversary of Hitler's suicide, I was raised here but I lived in Israel for about four years. I am not white, I don't look white, and my first language is Spanish. I came back to Colombia three years ago because of the pandemic.

I grew up Jewish and swallowed all the pro-Israel propaganda, I moved there looking for better opportunities and somewhere safe where I could come out of the closet. It took me less than a month to understand where I really had ended up in. It wasn't so different from my own colonized third world country filled with violence.

I did my best, I voted against the current Israeli government four separate times, I worked with and was great friends with many Palestinians and Arab Israelis (there unfortunately is a difference), I went to protests, I donated blood, I donated food and money. I fucking hate Netanyahu with all my heart.

For two years I taught English at a low income school in Jerusalem where all my students were mizrahi jews (from Arab countries) whose families had been kicked out of various surrounding countries in the 20th century. When I spoke to their parents and grandparents they talked about Iran, Morroco, Egypt, Yemen, with such longing and they brought me the most delicious foods. (Two of my students were killed two weeks ago, kids, barely 18 now, much younger when I taught them, I remember them).

My great grandmother on my mom's side was born in Jerusalem and raised in Egypt until all Jews were expelled and she had to flee with my newborn grandfather. They ended up in Colombia because she spoke ladino (Jewish dialect that is close to Spanish) they were undocumented, without a nationality because Egypt had rejected them, they had to lie and pay for falsified documents in order to get a passport, I still have a Red Cross passport in my house with my grandfather's name that determines he has no home country.

My great grandparents on my dad's side were born and raised in Bielorrusia and had to escape with my newborn paternal grandfather from the progroms after they destroyed their shtetl, they tried to make it to the US but they wouldn't take any more Jews so they ended up in Colombia.

My great grandmother on my paternal side was born in Romania, at the age of 12 she got on a boat with her 15 year old cousin, not knowing where it would take them. Her parents had both died and antisemitism was on the rise. She was so afraid that they were going to send her back that she threw her passport (that said JEW in capital letters) into the sea when they arrived at the port of a country she had never heard of, to this day we don't know when her birthday was.

My maternal grandmother is Colombian, she was born and raised here, Catholic until she converted to marry my grandfather, and yet when I went looking up our family tree I found we came from Sephardic Jews that had been expelled from Spain almost 500 years ago by the inquisition.

There are less than 400 Jews in my city that homes over 4 million people. My synagogue has been closed since October 12th, our president has equated all of Israel with Nazism on multiple occasions in the last few weeks. The kids that go to our tiny Jewish school have stopped wearing the uniform so that they cannot be identified. Ours is one of the countries with the least amount of antisemitism in the world. Someone in my university saw my Magen David necklace and screamed at me to go back where I came from. I went online and saw countless posts telling Israelis to do the same.

I am Jewish, I am latina, I am gay. My story is complicated, my relationship with my community is complicated, my relationship with my country is complicated. My relationship with G-d is complicated, my relationship with Israel is incredibly complicated. My history is complicated.

I am Jewish. What does that mean?

[sonik-kun]

What?! There's period typical homophobia and sexism in a BOOK SET IN ANCIENT TIMES?! SHOCK! HORROR 😱😱😱😱😱😱

Seriously though stop applying MODERN standards to historic settings in books. You just sound silly.

Learn to separate our standards from the past and you'll appreciate the characters and themes of the book better, I promise.

Unfortunate as it is, the novel's society does have what we consider today as bigoted standards. But to them, homosexuality for example, was not the norm. In MDZS, it was unusual, in fact, hence everyone other than wangxian's reactions towards it. (Even then, WWX had his own confusion and, in a sense, bigotry towards it, which I mentioned in a previous post. And that brings me back to the PERIOD TYPICAL STANDARDS of the book's setting which ALL the characters subscribed to in some way!!)

The characters are therefore acting on the morals OF THAT TIME PERIOD.

As uncomfortable as it is, stop holding characters to our standards. Oh and whilst you're at it, let people interpret characters however they like in FANON.

Would also like to add that even fanon aside, JC himself is 🏳️‍🌈 coded, regardless of what the author says. As such, it is completely understandable how some LGBT fans like and latch onto him and headcannon him as such.

See the jealously he has towards anyone talking to WWX and his zero interest in women. Plus his reaction to seeing WWX with LWJ and the fact he never married.....

Yeah. Makes perfect sense why LGBT headcannons of him would exist, especially if you read into how the gossipers in the book literally described his relationship with WWX.

To act as though the LGBT headcannons of him are nonsensical is, in fact, nonsensical in itself for these reasons. Just admit that you're going by your own bias towards JC and go. Because the LGBT HCs whether he be gay, bisexual, ace or a combination of some isn't as big of a reach as you think it is if you read into the character. And it explains how a lot of ace fans have latched onto his character and those still questioning their sexuality too because they may still be in an environment where it isn't safe or welcoming to come out yet (quite like the setting in MDZS).

Consider internalised homophobia exists, and can apply to some MXTX characters is all I'm saying and ultimately, let people enjoy their headcannons fs. It isn't hurting anyone. But remember that your shitty, biased opinions are!

[heterophobicdyke]

do you think bi women who only date women could use femme/butch? i’ve read that it was used by bisexuals since it was developed before the communities separated. i’m totally fine with lesbian being an exclusionary label though it wasn’t in the past, because words evolve and meanings change. but i’m not sure that should mean bi women don’t get to use terms they historically have? i already feel like since the label bisexual wasn’t used/widespreadt for a long time, bi women who participated in the lesbian community in the past get forgotten/ignored. i do however realize queer people tend to do a lot of history revisionism, so i wanted to hear your opinion on it.

ps. obviously if someone dates/seeks men they shouldn’t call yourself any of those terms.

I’m sorry but I am so so so tired of people making up that “all SSA women used to use lesbian.” No they didn’t. I even reached out to multiple lesbian historians and literally everybody said they have heard this shit before but nobody backs it up with meaningful proof.

There are fakers of every label, of course. But what bisexuals refer to when they say “lesbian used to be for bisexuals and lesbians” is because many more lesbians (female homosexuals!) were married or in longterm relationships with men before coming out because they literally had no other choice. Bisexuals take that to mean the lesbians are just stealing every SSA woman from history, rather than understanding why lesbians entered those relationships without desiring men at all.

You know where most bisexuals were back in the day? In desired relationships with the opposite-sex. Like today. But even more often back then, for reasons I hope are obvious. Same-sex relationships were even more dangerous to be in, which means less OSA women are going to risk it all on a SSA relationship because they’re capable of finding comfort within the heteronormative expectation. They’re able to find accepted love.

The true revisionism is this anonymous ask. “Lesbian” as a term to be identified with really only took off in the 1960s (but it is first documented in the late 1800s - around the same time “bisexual” was first documented). The word lesbian and the word bisexual gained popularity within a decade of each other, in the 1960s/1970s. And previously to that, in the 50s, lesbians mainly called themselves homophiles or gay. “Lesbian” became a way to carve out our own terminology seperate from gay men, during a period filled with so much frustration towards their misogyny within the gay rights/homophile movement that we turned to radical feminism - only to find so much homophobia. So if what you mean by it being a shared term is when bisexuals appropriated lesbianism by calling themselves “political lesbians,” literally using the ‘political’ because they KNEW they weren’t actual lesbians, then here’s a friendly reminder that homophobic pockets of OSA women appropriating lesbianism does not mean that the term was for all SSA women.

There are still bisexuals who believe everything lesbian, include butch/femme, should be for bisexuals (especially female-leaners), because nobody erases bisexuality like bisexuals. Bisexuals need to socialise and build community more with fellow bisexuals because y’all can’t keep complaining about the world seeing things as straight or gay when we are literally begging you to admit your bisexuality and stop hiding behind homosexual terminology. Nobody thinks of bisexual when they hear butch/femme. You would be willingly using terms people associate with lesbians, as a male-attracted woman. And while I’m sure the odd bisexual woman used those terms in the 1930s-1950s, most of you were in desired marriages with men safe from accusations of perversion.

How many bisexuals would have been in butch/femme working class dyke bars in the 50s? Come on. It’s like saying bisexuals should be able to reclaim “dyke” because they may have had it shouted at them before. What about GNC straight women? Should they, too, get to call themselves “dyke” because a man might shout it at them from a car window? I hate how downplayed it is that bisexuals tend to focus their attention on men. It’s not their fault because male/female relationships are normalised and it genuinely is hard being gay or gay-passing. But you can always go back to men and you usually do. So dabbling with lesbian terminology is not on. Create your own terms.

[mulletmitsuya]

Tokyo Revengers Groupchat

Warnings: swearing, suggestiveish,

Desc: a series of different dm's consisting of different pairs in tokrev more or less relating to the same event. also it's the last timeline where everything is jolly (ass description, my bad)

Draken + Mikey

Draken: man i'm so fucking tired of you

Draken: if you aren't here in the next 5 minutes i'm trashing your fucking bike

Mikey: no you won't lol

Mikey: you made it, you're not gonna hurt your precious creation are you?😙

Draken: ...

Draken: we won't name the baby after you

Mikey: you weren't going to anyway 😒

Draken: can't you just listen to me then???

Draken: YOU HAVE A RACE IN 10 MINUTES DICKWEED

Mikey: bro chill i was taking a piss

Draken: ITS BEEN 30 MINUTES

Draken: and YOU'RE LYING

Draken: YOU ARE FLIRTING WITH A MARRIED MAN

Draken: LEAVE MITCHY ALONE FOR CHRISTS SAKE

Mikey: no i'm literally in the bathroom

Draken: motherfucker i can see you 😐

Mikey: ok fine geez i'm coming down

Draken: i don't want you to be my client anymore

Mikey: you're married to my sister so you can't get rid of me

Mikey: brother in law😋

Inupi + Shin

Shin: yo Inupi! Mikey's gonna come over after the race and chill with me for a while

Shin: so you don't have to close up i'll take care of that

Inupi: i thought we were gonna hang out lol

Inupi: but ig you don't care about me

Shin: wha-

Shin: that's not true 😞✊

Shin: i mean, we work together so we always hang out😅

Shin: and i feel pretty weird drinking with you since i've known you since you were a kid😂

Inupi: i'm 30

Inupi: did you know that i also have sex sometimes

Inupi: i'm a grown adult Shinichiro

Shin: WOAH THERE BUDDY🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Shin: 😆

Shin: i get that you're grown but idk you're just lil Inupi to me

Inupi: 😐

Shin: just hang out with me and Mikey okay?

Inupi: no

Shin: bro why?

Inupi: i don't like him, at all

Shin: Mikey??? what's there not to like?

Inupi: 😑

Shin: :(

Inupi: fine

Shin: :)

Shin: i'll ask him to invite a few friends so it's not awkward and maybe you can invite Koko?

Inupi: k

Shin: 😁

Inupi: ...

Inupi: 🙂

Koko + Kisaki

Kisaki: you need to stop gambling Kokonoi

Kisaki: evertime you lose, a strand of your hair turns grey

Kisaki: and well... you lose a lot

Koko: my hair is white because i dyed it that way

Koko: no other reason

Kisaki: ...sure

Koko: and i'm not that bad, i just need a little more practice is all🙂

Kisaki: you have lost millions of yen due to this practice

Kisaki: enough is enough😕

Kisaki: anyway, i need a drink and there's a new restaurant that opened up yesterday, will you be joining me?

Koko: i'm meeting up with my friend Seishu today so i'll have to pass

Kisaki: oh yes, your friend

Kisaki: the pretty boy, correct?

Koko: yes

Koko: i mean you could call him that, i wouldn't know

Kisaki: ...

Kisaki: are you guys...

Kisaki: nevermind

Koko: are we what?

Kisaki: you know...

Kisaki: gay

Kisaki: are guys gay together? as in homosexual. as in attracted to each other as men? together?

Kisaki: like a couple of sorts

Kisaki: i usually don't like gay people but i'll make an exception for you and still be your colleague and even your friend

Koko: ...

Koko: Seishu is my friend

Koko: 😐

Kisaki: your secret is safe with me

Koko: there is no secret

Kisaki: alright 😏

Kisaki: i regret sending that emoji, i apologize

Koko: what about you and the hand tattoo man?? hm? what about that? Hanma was it?

Kisaki: Hanma??

Kisaki: i've called the police on Hanma 4 times already, you know that😐

Koko: he makes breakfast in your kitchen fully nude

Kisaki: we were friends in our teenage years and then he confessed his love to me and made it weird

Koko: and here he is still in your life

Kisaki: arguing with him is futile, even with the police. what do you want me to do?

Koko: just remember that when you point at someone there are three fingers pointing back at you

Koko: i'm leaving😐

Kisaki: not very slay of you

Pah + Peh

Peh: wife angry again

Peh: not talking to me

Pah: haha bozo

Pah: try rubbing her feet

Peh: they smell bad

Pah: try rubbing her back

Pah: massage

Peh: won't let me touch her 😕

Pah: her loss 👎

Pah: show off your abs

Peh: been eating more lately she cooks good no more abs

Pah: lmao

Pah: cry

Peh: already doing that 😐

Pah: sorry

Pah: don't know what you want me to do

Peh: i'll figure it out

Pah: why is she mad?

Peh: we were watching E.T and she said she liked him and i told her that i would kill him with hammers brutally

Pah: fair reaction

Peh: women r so hard to understand

Pah: word

[kingdoms-and-empires]

People are asking facts about everyone and I feel unfair our best bro(mance), sweet, sweet Edward who we must protect doesn't have it yet soo, can you tell us some facts about him, pretty pleaaase?

Thanks!

Edward is an introvert but Frederick keeps bringing him along for adventures and Edward sleeps a bit too easily at night cause he's so tuckered out from interacting with people and keeping his cousin safe lmao.

Ed is a bit worried his father will hate him and his sister since both turned out gay, and because his father wouldnt force them to marry, it frustrates him that he feels like he's letting his father and ancestors down. He also hates himself for being worried that Frederick will be the successor to Mendrion instead.

Edd also wants to just stop being important and just chill. He's tired of being dependable and looked for as a fixer. He feels like he needs fixing too, but doesnt know where to get help with his emotions.

Eddy is a caretaker of street cats and lots of them come up to him whenever he walks in the mornings to rub against him since they like him. Yanno how Shikamaru wanted to be a cloud? Thats edward and cats lmao, he just wants to do nothing, laze around, be able to walk away when he pleases, and come back for rubs when he feels like it.

[icy-watch]

^^^^ me with Geo

So so so so so sooooooooooo

You've met GEO

My reasoning for loving him so much stems from Season 2 Part 1 so I can't fully explain

BUT

I can tell you some things that they show doesn't tell (I think):

Geo says that he's a Munch with the color of a Geckle but it's not true; he's half and half

If you didn't notice but only his left ear was pierced; a sign in the Gay community to other gays that you are gay back when being public about it was frowned upon

The man who wrote the episode "Land of Lost Things" and created Geo (I think he made the character) is gay himself! So in a way, Geo is a self-insert character

I am Aromantic. I just don't feel the need or want to have a romantic relationship. And that seems to have stepped over into the media I watch. I don't ship. I'm slightly romantic repulsed. I don't actively hate it, I just don't like it. I'm fine with canon ships like Jaya or Lumity (from Owl House (plz watch it)).

But something about Geo and Cole. Something about how they interact in Season 2 that just.........AUGHAUGHGHHAHG!!!!!!! It awoken something in me. I feel warm inside!!!! I found myself grinning ear to ear.

It could just be the fantastic writing, but it's so much more. The ship for Geo and Cole is called LostShipping and/or Geode. The fanbase kind of goes back and forth. I don't mind either.

I'm still aro, and I still cringe inside at most romance. But Geode is the one exception and the whole #savemyboycole thing is really dumb

Oh look, I did explain it all without spoiling lol

And yeah......there are ppl who are NOT happy about Geo and Cole. They're not even actually together yet some ppl on Twitter are pissy. They HAAAAATE Geo! It's stupid. First off, it's a lego. Second, it's a kids show. Calm down. It's not that bad/important. Some ppl see Cole as Gay (me) and others see him as straight. Both are fine. Both are cool. He's still the same guy.

Oh, and there's no minifig for Geo. I think it's bc of his hair. They don't have like a set piece of it or something.....eh....just make a plushie of him (and of Cole plzzzzzzzzzz) I'd buy 500 if they did honestly

And now that you've met him.....I am safe to change my pfp to GEO!!!!!!!! (I also LOVE his outfit so much!!!! I want it)

(I almost put in a pic of him in Season 2 and was like "Oops....back it up! Can't use that!")

Geo! A blorbo! He's such a bean!

I noticed something right off the bat with him looking like a Munce and a Geckle, so when he mentioned it, it kind of confirmed what I'd thought.

I totally remember the gay ear piercing thing! My cousin and uncle were double and triple checking when they got their ears pierced that they didn't get the wrong ear. And that was in the early 2000s. It's amazing what's changed in 20 years. (Note: this is not the cousin who got married in Malaysia last year. This is his older brother, the extreme goth who hosts the Halloween Birthday Party every year. The 1 where my sister pumped me up to do this.)

Oh! I love that little bit of trivia!

*gives you a virtual hug* I will always love my aro friendlies.

It's extremely rare to see a queer couple that is Comfortable and just Exists. With Geo and Cole, it feels natural and unforced. And I'm very glad for that. It's probably why shipping them feels... nice.

Idk, I'm rambling.

I'm guessing the #savemyboycole thing is connected to chriscreator0 somehow?

A characters sexuality or gender doesn't change who they are as a person, and I wish people who criticize media for including queer characters were more willing to understand that. Just bc something about them is revealed doesn't mean they still aren't the character that they liked.

Justice for Geo! We deserve an official minifig or plush of our pretty guy! I will shake my fist at LEGO until something is done for him.

[oubliette-odette]

The Reluctance of Love Pt. 32

Another beautiful day to talk about gay boys fighting for love, amiright?

Orc Male x Half-Elf Male, Fated Mates, Forbidden Love, Slow Burn Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 Content Warnings: violence, light torture All orcish is from orcishdictionary.com, created by Matt Vancil.

Pain and panic mixed with elation as Selhar half carried me down the steps. 

Lordhovid could only mean one thing. Drunrag was alive somewhere. He was alive. We were once again being pulled back to one another. I only hoped that Gaius meant what he said that help would be waiting for me at the Soaring Elk. 

My head was hanging, my vision blurred by the sweat that slipped into my eyes. I had no idea where we were, my feet were only as useful as keeping me from falling, but not much else and I could hear Selhar’s grunts as he hoisted me up again. 

“I’m…” I grunted. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.” Selhar snapped. “We’re almost there.”

I licked my lips and tasted salt. My clothes felt heavy and damp on me. I couldn’t help but wonder what Drunrag was going through. Was he safe? Was he able to get to me or was he as helpless as I was?

Selhar’s hold on me went slack and I heard him knock on a door. I lifted my head and saw that we were standing in front of a door on what seemed like a quiet street. 

Moments passed slowly and I gasped for another breath as a wave of heat washed over me.

The door finally opened after what felt like a long time, but only by a small crack.

“Who sent you here?” The voice was low and guarded, but not unkind.

Selhar cleared his throat. “Uh…Gaius Gideon said we could come here if we needed help. My brother…something’s wrong with him. Can you help us?”

The door opened more and I looked up again and locked eyes with bright green eyes, surrounded by a soft, grassy green skin. 

“You’re the Duke’s sons?” They asked, their voice suddenly peaked in interest. “Please, come in, boys.”

As the door opened, we both paused as we saw standing before us was a tall woman with wild auburn curls and the softest shade of green skin. Two small fangs peaked just a bit from her bottom lip. She wavered and placed her hands on her round belly, as she backed away from the door.

We stumbled into the house and were welcomed into a room that smelled like herbs and fresh bread. We both stopped and looked around in awe. The room was large and spacious and had tables situated all around to seat many people. There was a fireplace - something I was quite averse to at that moment - with comfortable soft seats around it. A set of stairs led up to another level and looking up I could see a balcony surrounding the perimeter of the room and doors along the walls.

“What is this place?” Selhar asked. 

The door closed quickly behind us and the woman gingerly walked over to us. “This is the Soaring Elk. It’s a safe home for strangers to Berdusk.” She gestured at one of the tables. “Take a seat and let me look at the young lord.”

Selhar made one final grunt before dragging me to the bench at the table and I leaned back and took a gulp of air. 

“Tell me your names.” She said, looking between us both. 

“I’m Selhar, the middle son.” Selhar placed a hand on his chest.

“Which means you must be Altan.” She said gravely. “I know what ails you then.”

I blinked up at her bright, open eyes. “You’re…”

She smiled shyly, “I’m Del. Gaius Gideon is my husband.”

We both found ourselves with our jaws on the ground before our eyes drifted to her belly. She caught the shift and smiled meekly, there was a twinkle in her eye. Never in all my years did I think Gaius Gideon - the stiff, ever vigilant, always-following-the-rules Gaius Gideion - would be a married man or that his spouse would be an orc woman who looks like the embodiment of spring or even that he would even know how to have a child. The entire idea was preposterous. For the briefest of moments, I believe I forgot that I was experiencing lordhovid.

Del Gideon exuded a warmth that was immediately safe and she reached towards me with an open hand, “May I?” She asked. 

Up close, she smelled like marigolds, and her hands were gentle as she pressed them against my forehead. I took a sharp intake of breath as the heat of her skin burned onto mine. She whispered her apologies before pulling back and looking into my eyes, studying me closely. “You know what this is?” She asked.

I nodded, “Lordhovid.”

Her smile was one of understanding. The horrifying thought that perhaps she and Gaius Gideon had experienced this same thing struck me.

Selhar glanced between the both of us, confusion passing over his face.

“These symptoms are worse than normal.” She said, “I’m not sure my herbs will be enough to sate the fever, but perhaps it will help a little. Selhar, would you kindly follow me into the kitchen?”

Selhar sprung to his feet and eagerly followed her back. I noticed the way his eyes were caught on her. If I hadn’t been going through my own personal crisis, I think I too would have been caught by her beauty. Instead, I hung my head back and sighed. 

Minutes later, Del and Selhar returned with a tray carrying various jars, bowls, and a kettle with warm water.

“This will be unpleasant at first,” She said. “But the herbs must be drunk as a tea.”

I groaned, “No more heat.”

She sighed. “I wish I could do that for you, my lord. Selhar, hold this for me.” She handed my brother a small tea cup and proceeded to measure out various herbs from the jars into the cup. She worked quickly and not a single leaf spilled over the edge of the spoon without her knowledge. She then poured the steaming kettle over top and placed a saucer over top. “We’ll let it steep, but you should drink all of it once it’s ready.” She said. 

“What is lordhovid?” Selhar asked in the silence of waiting.

I couldn’t meet his eyes as Del explained the burning lust between Drunrag and I - the connection that kept us always yearning for one another. 

“Will he be this way forever?” Selhar asked, panicked.

Del shook her head, “Once the bond is made, lordhovid fades.”

“How is the bond made?”

Del hesitated, “It requires…physical intimacy.”

Selhar snapped his attention to me, eyes wide. ‘You haven’t slept with him already?”

I shook my head, exasperated at the timing of this conversation. “We didn’t exactly have the time.”

“You ran away for five days!”

“Drunrag’s…anxious.” I said.

Selhar groaned. “I can’t believe we have to deal with this because the two of you are prudes.” He buried his head in his hands and groaned.

“I’m the one suffering right now.” I said.

Del had the decency to say nothing, but her amusement was clear to anyone who looked. She passed me the teacup and gently coaxed me to bring it to my lips.

The water was positively scorching as it fell into my mouth. I flinched at how the hot liquid flowed like lava, but swallowed the contents as quickly as I could. I fell back, heaving and shaking.

“That’s good. You did well. You should feel the heat recede in a few minutes.”

Selhar watched me closely and Del quietly worked at cleaning up the tray and taking it back to the kitchen. Slowly, I felt my body finally slow and stop shaking and I could start to breathe normally. The heat didn’t leave, it felt like a fever from an illness, but it was bearable. I let out a relieved sigh.

“Better?” Del asked, returning. 

I nodded. “My thanks to you.”

She shook her head, “It’s nothing for friends of Gaius. He speaks very highly of you boys.” She settled down with a new tray, this time with sliced bread and two bowls of stew. “I presume the two of you are hungry?”

Selhar nodded and Del served us both the food. I at first felt reluctant to eat more hot food, but Del’s encouraging smile assured me I wouldn’t suffer this time. There was residual pain from the tea, but over time the warm stew settled in my stomach.

“So, I presume something must have happened to bring you here?” She asked, eyebrows raised.

We both nodded. “My father took things too far.”

She nodded. “Gaius has been waiting for him to make a false move. He was grateful to the both of you for warning him of Duke Hilmar’s plans before he could be caught.”

“Where is he?” I asked. 

“I believe he’s looking for aid to stop the Duke.” Her smile softened, ‘And I believe he was hoping he would find your raebukan while out there.”

“Okay, now what does that mean?” Selhar asked. 

“It means mate.” I said this time. 

“Oh.” he said. “Makes sense.”

“I can still feel him.” I said, placing a hand on my chest. “He’s still out there.”

Del’s eyes widened. “You can sense him?” 

I nodded, “Is that not normal?”

“It’s not unheard of, but it’s certainly not common.” She said, “From what my mother told me, those who can sense their raebukan even across great distances are those who possess the purest, strongest bond. It’s a union chosen by Gruumsh.” She shook her head.

“I can’t imagine the God of the Orcs would choose me to be Drunrag’s soulmate.” I said with a grim laugh. 

“Perhaps…but I’ve never been one to understand any god, really.” she said with a shrug.

“Del.” I said. “Do you know how I might find Commander Gideon? I need him to help me find Drunrag. I can’t do it alone.”

She shook her head, “No, you can’t. If you expect to travel, you’ll need to bring some of the tea with you. It only lasts about six hours.”

I sighed. Complications. Always complications.

She rose, “You’re lucky that I have no other guests right now. Get some rest and we’ll set off in the morning to find Gaius and Drunrag.”

“What?” Selhar and I both exclaimed.

She smiled brightly. “Do you think my pregnancy makes me unable to travel?” she laughed and pointed to her fangs. "Half-orc. Remember? I can take a few bumps.”

Neither of us said anything more. We finished our food and obediently followed Del up the stairs to a room with beds prepared. Del assured me she’d be back with more tea before the morning. 

I laid back on the soft bed. There were many questions unanswered, but something finally felt right leaving the Great Hall and finally going out and looking for Drunrag. Perhaps Selhar was right that we created more problems by waiting to consummate our union, but I couldn’t help but think it was to our benefit that we waited. I could feel him, which meant that I could find him.

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@eltrolodecadadia

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[thatonegaybrit]

; since it's the last day of pride ( for me at least ) I figured I'd make at least a lil post !!

; firstly I'd like to say being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community is one of the best things in my life. Sure it has it's flaws, it's discourse and it's hate but it's also freeing, and strong and beautiful in so many ways. There's been people in my life who I truly can't thank enough for being there, and we met because of this community. It's the one community that, even if some days I feel like a total outcast, I've felt truly at home in. At peace even.

; from the flags to the people it's js so breathtakingly stunning and creative and a symbol of resilience honestly. Being queer is a part of so many peoples lives, including the people no longer with us. Truly it's such a huge part of my life and ik it's silly to say but I wouldn't be here without this community and the people in it.

; there's been days when everything has felt hopeless and purposeless and that maybe it never has an end to all the suffering. But then I see a post of two queer kids attending pride for the first time or an old queer couple finally getting married legally and their smiles and the warmth is truly heartwarming. And the jokes and the humour and the community is so inviting and stupid I love it.

; but also how strong the community is, how strong the people in said community are. All of us. The Black Trans Women who started the pride we celebrate today and continue to support, the Indigenous Two Spirits who fight to be recognized and to fight for their people who've been erased, the Disabled queers who are loud and caring and support the community even when they're shunned for it, and every single person in the community who's existence is a fight and a protest and js. All stunning and powerful individuals, no matter who or what they are they're all truly inspirational and deserve the warmest of days and the biggest of hugs / whatever istg.

; from the ' common ' to the ' obscure ' the community is ridiculed and hated, but we're still here and we're still strong. We've always been here and always will. And to the queers living in countries like Palestine and Russia and places where they can't celebrate themselves and their pride, we do stand with you and we will do our best to support you in every way we can. There is no freedom till we are all free, I know one day you'll be safe and be free and be proud to be who you are. I and everyone else who can will make sure of it.

; we are so so diverse and real and wow. Simply wow. So to the Lesbians, the Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders, Queers, Intersexuals, Aromantics, Asexuals and Aroaces and all on that spectrum, to the Multigenders and the Multisexuals, the Non-binary people and the Two-Spirits and the Xenogenders and the Agenders and the Apathetics, the Repulsed and the Favourable, and to each and every single person in the queerest community out there. I wish you a happy fucking pride month and a wonderful rest of the year. Hold on for us ok ??

; whether you celebrated Pride Month or not, your existence yesterday, today and forever more is worth celebrating every damn day <3

[your-queer-dad]

Hi. I just wanted to say 2 things. Sorry about how long this post is - you don’t have to read it all if you don’t want to. At least I’ll have typed out what I’ve been keeping inside so long.

First, you’re a really good person. I’m sure you know that already, and have been told that already, but from a young person to you, thank you so much. You are such a blessing.

I want to preface the second thing by saying that I have no idea where to go for support. My parents are wonderful people, but I’m not ready to come out to them or anyone else because my overall community doesn’t feel safe.

I know that at least one of my uncles doesn’t support LGBT people. One of my former classmates didn’t put in a yearbook quote indicating she was gay because she was afraid of her parents seeing it - and we’re part of a similar community. I have reason to believe other people in our community, even family members, may feel similarly.

At my former high school, my classmates often said transphobic things (one of my friends even said that one day, when I was absent a student gave a presentation promoting debunked rapid onset gender dysphoria - although thankfully someone pushed back) and although I’m not trans, not only is that behavior crappy and must have made my trans classmates feel bad, but it indicated an environment that I didn’t feel safe in.

I want to be clear that my high school wasn’t an awful place - we had an LGBT club and an out teacher who wasn’t harassed by anyone, to my knowledge - but all those other elements, and the world outside my school, still existed. I didn’t know if it was safe to be out.

It’s also my fault I feel stuck, too. Everyone assumes I’m straight, and it just feels easier to go with the flow. To pretend that I’m definitely going to have a boyfriend. To pretend that I’m not a woman who loves women as well as men.

This anxiety is so stifling, but it feels terrifying to think about being out. Even typing these words makes my hands shake and palms sweat. I don’t want to live in a world where people debate whether I can marry, whether I can exist, whether I am human - I hate it. I hate this nervousness. I hate that now, even though I’m going to college, I may not have the courage to be myself on campus.

So, after all of that, I guess I just need to ask: is it possible to find support? How do you learn to love yourself? How do I find a community?

Sorry for the long post. Have a good day.

Hey kiddo! It's alright, I don't mind the long post and thank you so much for reaching out! Yes I think it's possible to find support and your community. I hate it too, that we have to fight so hard for something that's so such a basic human necessity like the right to be ourselves. But finding support is possible, it just isn't always in the way you expect. There's lgbtq people everywhere, who feel like you, and who wants support too. Sometimes it comes when you least expect it to. But you will always have your community online, and your international community here for you, even if you don't see us everyday, we're here (and we're queer!). Learning to accept and love yourself is the hardest and the most worthwhile journey you'll ever go on, and there isn't a rush to start it until you're ready.

- dad x

[nerdygaymormon]

Gather Conference - Day 2

On Sept 15 & 16, 1400 people gathered together, making it the largest-ever Conference of LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints and their friends, relatives, and leaders.

The speaker's messages were powerful

The day began with GENTRI The Gentleman's Trio performing. They concluded by having their pianist share his story of coming out and being upset at God, and receiving a message from God which became their song Believe.

Most people first heard of Liv Medoza Haynes when at the 2021 BYU Women's Conference she introduced herself and included the label "queer."

In a church that emphasizes being of good cheer, she points out that Jesus wept and cried, he got angry, and it's fine that we also feel our emotions.

She was wearing a shirt that said, "Keep queer children safe," and she said in choosing what we wear and in our other decisions, choosing to promote love and not hate is the only choice worth making. She also said the only thing straight about her is her hair 😂

Her most powerful statement is that "no verse of scripture is worth losing another life over"

Michael Soto is a transgender man who grew up a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mesa, Arizona and is a leader in the U.S. LGBTQ+ rights movement. He spoke about Bridge Building. Choose to be uncomfortable, to learn, to grow, to change. God gave us agency so that we can change and be better to each other. The most important change you can make is to love yourself the way God loves you.

Ben Schilaty is well known inside the LDS Church as a gay man who is active and chooses to follow church standards. He said sharing our stories is letting people see and feel our wounds as Jesus did. When they can feel our hurts, they can share in feeling the pain and empathize with what we've been through. Ben is co-host of the podcast Questions from the Closet and their episodes which receive the most interaction are those where someone has been very vulnerable as they emotionally shared the difficult choices they had to make and the situations they were forced into as a queer person.

Ben Schilaty shared this poem by Carol Lynn Pearson that really hit home for me

I dim I dim I do not doubt If someone blew– I would go out.

I did not. I must be brighter than I thought

After 50 years of experiencing gender incongruence, Bree Borrowman came out as trans in 2019. Bree shared that the hiding, sneaking, and shame led to a loss of Spirit. Being authentic, being vulnerable, leaning into the LGBTQ spectrum brought the Spirit back into her life.

Coming out as trans has brought her great blessings. She feared she would lose everything, but God and Jesus turned out not to be the vindictive judges she thought they were. She was able to lay down her burden and has discovered and learned about herself.

Ashley Hess was a finalist on the 2019 season of American Idol. She performed 4 songs for us, each were beautiful, and each were meaningful. "To the Girl I used to Be" and "Grain of Salt" were wonderful, but my favorite was "Yet." I don't hear many songs from this perspective of ‘I'm trying, so God please don't give up on me.’

Charlie Bird shared with us that he is now married!!!! Big congratulations to him and Ryan. Charlie gave a powerful talk.

Satan's big lie is that an integral part of who we are and which we can't separate ourselves from is incompatible with God. We feel like we are only half a child of God, that we are only half worthy. These beliefs damn us and marginalize an entire demographic.

We do not have to choose between being a child of God and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. We are both.

Allison Dayton is the founder of Lift+Love and along with Ben Schilaty she conceived of the Gather Conference.

She shared a number of scripture verses about God's people in the wilderness and said we find God in the wilderness. Queer people and their families often feel like they are in the wilderness and that's where they find God.

Allison also shared that we are not supposed to be just friends, Zion means we are to be one. We are to be united, not dividing up people by who is good enough and who isn't.

We were never meant to be alone. Ever! The very first thing God called "not good" was loneliness. We can start Zion in our own homes by pulling people in who need a place to belong and welcome them

Jenny Richards & Kelly McConkie Stewart are musicians, members of the LDS church, and committed allies to the LBGTQ community.. They played the piano and cello. Their music was beautiful. At the conclusion of the conference, one of them said they wanted to buy some LDS/LGBT swag from the vendors in the lobby. I offered them some swag that isn't for sale out front. Jenny took the pin and said she is going to wear it to church the next day. Kelly took a sticker while commenting she will put it on her cello case

Jeff Case says we shouldn't focus on outcomes but on the process. For example, we can focus on the outcome of exaltation, or we can focus on the process of becoming Christlike. The process is what will lead to the the outcome we desire.

There are many processes which can lead to the outcome, but when we focus on the outcome we tend to shortcut the process. He spoke of being the father of a son who likes to play Yu-Gi-Oh! and he would tease him, like 'Aren't you too old to still play that game?' He was focused on what he wanted his son's life to look like when he grows up that he lost focus on the process. This is something his son loves so he could choose to participate as a way of spending time with his son and strengthening their relationship. Instead, by focusing on the outcome, he is indicating to his son that he may need to hide things from his dad, which, ironically, would not lead to the outcome that Jeff would want.

Tom Christofferson interviewed Darius Gray, and it felt like we were in the presence of one of the great ones as Darius shared his experience of choosing to join the LDS Church, being one of only 2 African-American students at BYU, meeting regularly with 3 apostles about how to improve life for Black members of the church, and living through the 1978 announcement and change. I nodded in agreement when Darius declared he's heard more Jesus talk at this conference than he hears in a typical LDS Sacrament Meeting.

John Gustav-Wrathel is married to his husband and chooses to attend church despite having been excommunicated many years ago. He said that when he looks back on his life, even as he was one of the most faithful people he knew, he was convinced he had no faith because he was taught that if he had enough faith that his sexual orientation would be changed. He believed the teachings of the time instead of listening to God and the Spirit and trusting his own experiences.

Steven Kapp Perry was host throughout the conference and took a moment to share a thought. You can never know that you are truly loved unless you share who you truly are.

Meghan Decker is a gay Latter-day Saint and has written 2 books. She began by sharing that life is hard and can be dark. She encourages us to share with each other what is saving our life now.

She grew up in the 1970's hearing all the harmful church teachings about queer people and it has left scars in her. She now knows that God loves her and has good intent for her.

When Meghan moved to Provo, UT, the first person in her ward to greet her was Janice Kapp Perry. Janice composed a song for the Gather Conference. She recognized the LGBTQ experience is not hers and needed help to get the lyrics right. She contacted Meghan and Meghan's words were used to create the verses of the song.

While reviewing what Meghan had written, Janice commented that the word "broken" is so strong and they should find an alternate word, but Meghan insisted that's how she and many other queer Latter-day Saints have felt. Meghan pointed out that during this day of the conference 8 of those who spoke used the word "broken" to describe how they felt.

Janice then asked, "Do you think my two boys felt that way?"

That question really hit my heart, a mom gaining insight into the pain of her queer children.

Janice wrote a song titled "All Are Alike Unto God." It was performed on the first day of the conference by Molly Flake and John Bowers. I wished I had recorded it as the words mean a lot to me. The final act of the conference before the closing prayer was for all those in attendance to sing the song. Janice has made the song available for free, you can access the sheet music on the Gather Conference website

Click here for a summary of Day 1 of the Gather Conference

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 3 MATCH 13

Chrom propaganda:

“Chrobin (Chrom x player character) is so many tropes in one oml. You have friends-to-lovers (Chrom and Robin are canonically best friends according to Nintendo), enemies-to-lovers (Robin is heir to the Grimleal cult, the enemy of the Halidom of Ylisse which Chrom is the prince, and later king, of), there's amnesia, time travel, official next-gen AUs, changed dialogue to lore important events in the game if you marry Chrom, and Nintendo keeps teasing us with the ship. Cheery prince who knows when to be serious, very strategically smart but very bad at communicating, a guy that can comfort you when you're down, make a fool of himself when you're not around, and he's just generally a very sweet guy. Also please consider the fact that you get to watch a cutscene of him dying in the prologue and despite the horrors he's just so supportive of the protagonist. Chrom doesn't care about where you came from or who you're related to, he cares for YOU. He gets KILLED by the protag and he reassures them that they did nothing wrong and pleads with them to get out, to a safe place. I lost my soul to Chrom, I physically can't play this game without romancing him.”

“He eats oranges with the peel still on, he's an absolute himbo. Also the writers accidentally made his daughter canonically trans so he definitely supports trans rights. And technically you can only marry him if you play as female Robin but their dynamic is still just as romantic if you play as male Robin (they literally call each other their other half and m!Robin and Chrom have a valentine's day duo unit in the gatcha, and in the anthology manga m!Robin asks Chrom to make polygamy legal so he can also marry Chrom's wife and they can be a family) so most people play the game with the gay mod so they can still marry him as a guy. He's incredibly stupid ("yeah, let's set all our ships on fire then walk through a volcano, you're so smart, Robin" "I know you've had prophetic visions about killing me and our daughter came from the future to warn us it would happen but I'm sure THIS TIME it won't because of the power of our bonds") but also really sweet. In the summer DLC they're fighting on a beach and when he sees Robin get excited over a weird creature they found he immediately forgets about the battle and starts trying to make a bunch of crafts (and failing) and cooking food (and failing again) and writing "Chrom and Robin were here" in the sand so that Robin could have some nice beach memories. I'm obsessed with this man”

Mhin propaganda:

No Mhin propaganda :(