#I love tragic gay imagery

[hiboudark]

Summer of 85 (Ozon, 2020) // Saltburn (Fennell, 2023)

#I know the stories weren’t that similar but some imagery was kinda similar so yeah #especially the grave scenes #and the “discovering your bf is dead scenes #I love tragic gay imagery #summer of 85 #francois ozon #felix lefebvre #saltburn #emerald fennell #felix catton #oliver quick #jacob elordi #barry keoghan

[fitz-higgins]

LGBT literature of the 1860s–1910s. Part 5

After a long pause, the list is back! Here we have a couple of plays, accounts by two trans women, lesbian poetry, and more.

1. Despised and Rejected, by A.T. Fitzroy (Rose Allatini; 1918). A pacifist novel published during World War One? With gay and lesbian characters? Yes, that was sure to get people in trouble. Its publisher was fined and the judge called it “morally unhealthy and most pernicious”. So, Dennis is a young composer who hates violence and therefore refuses to go to war. He also suffers because he is a “musical man”, that is, gay, and loves Alan, art-loving son of a wealthy businessman. His friend Antoinette, meanwhile, is “strangely attracted” to a woman. Nevertheless, the two attempt to love each other. When the war begins, Alan appears in Dennis’ life again, and they try to avoid being sent to the front together. Alan also persuades Dennis to accept who he is. Edward Carpenter himself defended the novel, saying that “the book is also a plea for toleration of a very much misunderstood section of humanity”. Read online

2. Autobiography of an Androgyne, by Ralph Werther (1918). Ralph Werther, also known as Jennie June, wrote this autobiography for doctors, and it is very revealing. Being a New York fairy (male prostitute) and possibly a trans woman, they tell frankly about the city’s gay underworld of the early 20th century and their personal experience, which is sometimes too frank and dark perhaps, but all the more interesting. Read online 

3. Poems by Mikhail Kuzmin. Kuzmin was not just the author of Russia’s first gay novel, but also a poet. Many of his works were dedicated to or mentioned his lovers. I’d recommend Where Will I Find Words (in English and Russian), Night Was Done (both in English and Russian), from the 1906-1907 collection Love of This Summer (available fully in Russian), mostly based on his love affair with Pavel Maslov in 1906. And also If They Say (in English and Russian), which is a great statement.

4. The Loom of Youth, by Alec Waugh (1917). A semi-biographical novel based on Evelyn Waugh’s older brother’s experience at Sherborne School in Dorset. It is a story of Gordon Caruthers’ school years, from the age of 13 to 19, and it is full of different stories typical for public schools, be it pranks and cheating exams or dorm life and sports. Although the homosexual subject was quite understated, the author implied that it was a tradition and open secret in public schools. The book became popular and soon caused a great scandal. Worth noting that before that Alec was expelled for flirting with a boy.  Read online 

5. Two Speak Together, by Amy Lowell (1919). Lowell was a famous American poet and lesbian. Many of her poems were dedicated to her lover, actress Ada Dwyer Russell, specifically the section Two Speak Together from Pictures of the Floating World. These poems are infused with flower imagery, which wasn’t uncommon for lesbian poetry of the time. Read online

6. De berg van licht/The Mountain of Light, by Louis Couperus (1905-1906). Couperus is called the Dutch Oscar Wilde for a reason: this is one of the first decadent novels in Dutch literature. It is also a historical one, telling about a young androgynous Syrian priest Heliogabalus who then becomes a Roman Emperor. Homoerotism, hedonism, aestheticism: Couperus creates a very vivid world of Ancient Rome. He also covered the topic of androgyny in his novel Noodlot, which was mentioned in Part 3 of this list. Read online in Dutch 

7. Frühlings Erwachen/Spring Awakening/The Awakening of Spring, by Frank Wedekind (1891, first performed in 1906). This play criticized the sexually oppressive culture prevalent in Europe at the time through a collection of monologues and short scenes about several troubled teens. Each one of them struggles with their puberty, which often leads to a tragic end. Like in The Loom of Youth, homosexuality is not the central focus of the play, but one character, Hänschen, is homosexual and explores his sexuality through Shakespear and paintings. The play was later turned into a famous musical. Read online in German or in English

8. Twixt Earth and Stars, by Radclyffe Hall (1906). Though it wasn’t known to many at the time, these poems were dedicated to women, some to Hall’s actual lovers. Read online

9. The Secret Confessions of a Parisian: The Countess, 1850-1871, by Arthur Berloget (published in 1895). This account is similar to the Autobiography of an Androgyne, albeit shorter. The author nowadays is thought to be a trans woman. They describe their love for women’s dresses, the euphoria from wearing dresses, makeup and wigs, the life as a “female impersonator” in Parisian cafe-concerts, and their love affair with a fellow prisoner. The autobiography is not available online, but you can read it in Queer Lives: Men’s Autobiographies from Nineteenth-Century France by William Peniston and Nancy Erber.

10. At Saint Judas’s, by Henry Blake Fuller (1896). This is possibly the first American play about homosexuality. It is very short. An excited groom is waiting for his wedding ceremony in the company of his gloomy best man. They are former lovers, and this short scene is not going to end well… Read online

Previous part is here

#lgbt literature #lgbt fiction #queer history #queer fiction #lesbian literature #russian literature #gay literature #gay history #spring awakening #lesbian history #blog: history #blog: literature

[ladyloveandjustice]

My Favorite New Manga and Graphic Novels I Read in 2023

It's time to take a look at the comics and manga I read this year! I read  a whopping 78 manga and graphic novels in all. Here's a link to my Goodreads year in books (the manga is at the beginning, the novels start with Siren Queen) and my storygraph wrap up.

I also read 36 novels! If you want to see my favorites, check out my reviews here!

And finally, I've got the continuing manga series I've enjoyed this year here, so check that post out too!

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

This is a tale about a first-generation Vietnamese-American boy struggling with coming out to his mother. He connects with his mother through fairytales-- she uses them to express her journey as an immigrant, and he uses them to explore his queerness and identity as a Vietnamese kid growing up in America. It's an absolutely gorgeous book full of Trung Le Nguyen's signature stunning art. The fantastical, ethereal fairy tales are weaved beautifully into the lives of the characters. The book explores how fairy tales can form connection, can express culture, can tap deeply into something real and true, and can offer tragedy and catharsis. The protagonist uses fairy tales to write his own story, and the ending is lovely and moving.

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles by Mark Russell and Mike Feehan

You may know Mark Russell from his darker, socially aware re-imagining of the Flintstones, which made quite a splash on Tumblr with this post. Well, I had pleasure of meeting him at a local convention, and I finally got his comic re-imagining of Snagglepuss, also of Hanna-Barbera. He re-imagines the titular pink puma as a closeted gay playwright in the 50's dealing with McCarthyism. It's as wild as it sounds,but also really digs into the politics of the time, the struggle of standing against oppression and how art fights through suppression and censorship. It's tragic, hopeful, poignant and full of historical references. I enjoyed it ! Definitely be cautious if you're deeply disturbed by homophobia and suicide.

The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren

A story about a teenage boy, Yoshiki, who realizes that his best friend and crush Hikaru has died and been replaced by a strange eldritch being who is imitating him. But, missing his loved one and desperate to cling to any piece of him, Yoshiki decides to keep on having a relationship with this mysterious entity. This book's horror is visceral and sublime, especially the bizarre, creepy, beautiful body horror involving the being who replaced Hikaru. It's an exploration of anxieties involving grief, relationships, and sexuality that hits just right, and the atmosphere layered with dread is top notch. I love me some messed up relationships and unknowable queer monsters, and this book delivers.

Chainsaw Man, Look Back and Goodbye Eri by Tatsuki Fujimoto

Chainsaw Man needs no introduction, but I did end up really enjoying the story of the doggy-devil boy hunting other devils. It got so tragic and intense at the end, with lots of great surreal horror imagery and darkly funny moments. I'm impressed it went so hard, though the random powers that kept piling up made what was happening hard to follow at times, especially in fights. I'm also enjoying the current weird arc starring a class-A disaster girl and the demon sharing her body.

Look Back

I really do enjoy how Fuijimoto writes messy pre-teen/teenage girls. They ring so true. The manga follows the fraught friendship between two girls as they create manga, exploring the struggle of art mixing with real relationships, and how someone keeps creating after tragedy. It's a little hard to follow at times (especially since I have to differentiate the leads based on hairstyle), but it's a good read.

Goodbye Eri

Probably my least favorite of the three, but it's a fun read- a weird ride that examines the thin line between fiction and reality in art and makes good use of Fujimoto's cinephile background and signature gaslight gatekeep girlboss characters.

Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki

The story follows a teenage girl, Chika, who has always struggled with not being attracted to anyone. When Chika enters college, she meets queer people all across the spectrum of asexuality, and starts exploring her own identity. As an ace, this is the best story about asexuality that I've read. It was a nuanced look at asexuality and queerness and all the variations. Chika's journey and how she found her community was moving and poignant. It's a honest, moving look at relationships and identity, and how complicated and hard to define both of those things can be. I loved the moments of Chika imagining herself as an alien to explore and cope, and how she bonded with people through magical girl shows and other geekery. My favorite new manga of the year, it really connected with me!

The Girl that Can’t Get a Girlfriend by Mieri Hiranishi

Oh girl, I've been there. This is a fun autobiographical comic about a butch4butch lesbian's struggles finding a partner in a word that favors butch/femme, and it's just an honest look at the messiness of loneliness and relationships. I also appreciate that crushing on Haruka in Sailor Moon and becoming a HaruMichi stan was the beginning the author's queer awakening because uh...same! She has taste, and is truly relatable.

Qualia the Purple: The Complete Manga Collection by Hisamitsu Ueo and Shirou Tsunashima

See my review of the light novel here for my general thoughts on the story, since it's adapted pretty faithfully. I do think the manga is overall the best experience though, because the illustrations break up the detailed explanations of quantum mechanics a bit, and it includes a bit of extra content that fleshes things out, especially withthe ending.

The Single Life: 60 year old lesbian who is single and living alone by Akiko Morishima

Just like it says on the tin, this focuses on a 60-year-old single lesbian. And definitely the shortest thing on here, since only one 30 page chapter is out.  It's a grounded story about a woman looking back on her journey to finding her identity, touching on sexism in the workplace and other challenges. It paints a portrait of a proudly gay elder who's still perfectly content being single and feels fulfilled by the life she had rather than regretting past relationships. I definitely want to see more.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm by Hiromu Arakawa

Arakawa's latest, the story is about a boy who lives in a small village with his little sister is imprisoned and has to carry out a mysterious duty...but then the village is attacked, supernatural daemons awaken, and everything he knows might be wrong. I'm enjoying this fun romp so far! It delivers an really nice plot twist right out the gate (and an excellent subversion of the usual shonen "must-protect-my-saintly-sister" narratives). It boasts Arakawa's usual fun cast and interesting world (and cool ladies). There's some slight tone and pacing issues in the first part- there's so much time spent explaining mechanics the lead doesn't really get to react to his life turning upside down. But it starts smoothing out by the second volume. I'm excited to see what's next!

Superman: Space Age by Mark Russell and Michael Allred

This is a retelling of Superman set throughout the late fifties to early eighties that has Superman interact with the political and social upheaval of the time and question his own role in things. It explored the Superman mythos through a lot of cool new angles, and has a good Lois (why yes she would break Watergate) which is how I always measure a Superman adaptation. My one complaint is, while I liked some of the things it did with Batman, the ending with the Joker was pretty weak. The ending of the overall comic will also be bizarre for anyone not uses to how weird comics can get, but I think I dug it.

#DRCL by Shin'ichi Sakamoto

A manga retelling of Dracula that focuses on Mina as the protagonist and imagines the characters at an English prep school. It adds a lot of  diversity to the characters  and has exquisite, evocative art. I'm curious where it will go and what it  intends to do with all it's changes (especially Lucy), because right now it's mostly vibes and creepiness and the direction isn't clear.

#year in comics #manga #yuri #the summer hikaru died #the magic fish #chainsaw man #superman #daemons of the shadow realm #drcl midnight children #is love the answer? #superman: space age #goodbye eri #snagglepuss #my reviews #drcl #the girl who can't get a girlfriend #the single life #trung le nguyen #qualia the purple #tatsuki fujimoto #hiromu arakawa

[ice-cream-nekogirl]

Hot Take On BNHA Chapter 394: I've Seen Gayer

Okay, so I'm seeing everyone go on and on about this Togachako stuff, and hey that's cool, ship who you want you guys. Definitely hype up what you want and say it's your favorite gay ship, it's valid! Your ship is valid.

Hell, I keep hearing people say it's the "gayest thing ever".

I'm just here to share my opinion, because I'm thinking, nah, I've seen gayer.

Now for my critical take on the writing aspect of it all. This chapter was so spur of the moment it's honestly hard for my personally to feel anything for it. I don't buy for a second that there's anything that deep into this mess of a relationship between Ochako and Toga. I'm actually kinda proud that Ochako showed genuine sympathy and compassion for Toga... but what did that cost?

The rest of her sympathy and compassion for the people Toga hurt, and killed and impacted for the rest of their lives.

Why are people forgetting that?

I'm a Toga fan, I feel bad for her, she's a tragic villain and that's why I love her as a villain! She's an excellent villain with troubling motivations that would make her dangerous in real life, and watching her on screen is a delight.

But as someone who enjoys her villainous antics, I've made it a point to notforget that she's killed quite a few, some innocent people and just people in general who didn't really deserve it, Curious and her Squad is debatable but still comes into question. Even though Ochako says she isn't going to forget either, here she is, telling her that she's got the cutest smile?

That's kinda bullshit?

Or am I crazy?

This very disturbed girl who has shown NO remorse for attacking people, killing them and drinking their blood without any of their consent, has "the cutest smile"? Okay, I know there are fans who like the unhinged x cinnamon roll ship, but this is ridiculous.

I don't know. I guess there was no other way Hori could have written the end to this weak-as-hell Ochako and Toga final endgame conflict. I mean if it were me I would have tried something a little different that includes NOT... this. Not telling the girl who murdered people with no true remorse that her smile is cute. Especially since this is the same girl who attacked and hurt some of her friends.

To make matters worse, Hori strikes again with his 'crying child' imagery to invoke easy sympathy from readers and it's clearly working since everyone and their grandma is sobbing over it while forgetting that Toga is a murderer and Ochako now suddenly feels sorry for her despite how many people she's killed.

Whatever. I don't like it.

And just for emphasis, I've seen gayer. I greatly prefer Momojirou, an actually healthy lesbian pairing. And Tsuchako! A sweet friendship that is both healthy and heartwarming, because even though I'm not an Ochako fan at all, she deserves better than what she's getting in this story.

#bnha critical #i don't like this #toga himiko #urakara ochako #anti togachako #i don't ship it #at all #it's a shame because it could be a cute ship #but ultimately in canon it's not #no hate #i just don't like it #bnha crit #mha crit #bnha spoilers #bnha leaks #bnha manga spoilers #i'm not okay with this #mha critical

[nicosraf]

I think something akin to horrific yet beautiful imagery fits nicer on an abm shirt. I usually buy a T-shirt because it looks pleasing, and it could be a rather stylish outwear. I don't mind paying a little more to have a pretty outfit for my favorite book ^^ (also I'm afraid text would be very easy for people to steal and I think that's not very fair :( ))

Perhaps one where it presents the book pairings or friend group (Micheal/Lucifer, Asmodeous/Rosier, Uri-Kimah, Baal/Lucifer, Asmodeous & Rosier & Lucifer friendship, the archangels, Phanuel, please anything Phanuel) from start to finish in four to five stages

- first meeting

- Getting to know each other

- super homo gay sex

-appallingharrowingcalamitouslamentableruinousdesolatingcatastrophichapless tragic end

And then the most favorite quote of the pairings beneath the rectangle images or between them

Or maybe skip the horrificness and just have snapshots of any character(s)/pairings/friend group with their favorite things plus quotes around it. Those are absolutely cute!!!

This is just a quick thought I made in 5 minutes, if you don't quite understand what was rambling about (which is understandable) I can send you a picture of my suggestions?? Sorry if it's too much!! I'm very passionate about outfits and I can suggest something more simple if you would like <33

I really love this! My only concern is that I would have to commission all this art, of course, and it can get pretty expensive. I should probably budget for eventually getting A&M themed prints instead...

If shirts happen, it'll likely be something pretty simple - like just a plain shirt with an embroidered quote, but we'll see! Thank you for your ideas :)

#mine #ask

[maniacwatchestheworld]

Two-Face ought to be a top Batman sexyman!

Of the candidates left in @batman-heritageposts' Batman Sexyman tournament, in my mind Two-Face is the best suited to be considered the best Batman sexyman, even though unlike Scarecrow, he does not even have an actual entry on Sexypedia! To prove my point, I have gone onto Sexypedia's trope list and taken the liberty of actually compiling a list of all the sexyman tropes that I believe can definitively apply to him. So for your viewing pleasure, the list:

Angst Tragic backstory. Lamenting the life he's lost as well as his own present existence. Two-Face is FULL of all kinds of angst! And given that he used to be besties with Bruce, he even makes Batman angst too!

Chaoslord Comes with the territory of his gimmicks. He is often noted as being Batman's most unpredictable villain because he lets a coin make all of the decisions for him! Even he can't predict what he's going to do next! Chaos vs order is a persistent theme with him.

Criminal Obviously.

Dealmaker More in a gambling way than in a supernatural 'deal with the devil' way. But he often makes promises and deals and will keep to them so long as the coin flips the right way. Also he used to be a lawyer. Kinda comes with the territory.

DILF He may not be a canonical parent right now, but boy does he have the vibes for it!

Distinctive Voice (Two-Face) While Harvey tends to talk in a pretty normal voice, Two-Face often talks in a growl. Depends on the iteration though.

Divorced We know for a fact that Harvey was married... And while in current canon his wife is supposed to be dead, in many canons it's often unclear whether she's dead, they split up for whatever reason through whatever methods, or whether they're still together. Because you know. Continuity! In any case, him being divorced from Gilda isn't an unpopular theory. A valid one, certainly given how he's caught up in a cycle of being at Arkham and on the streets as a criminal.

Dominating (Two-Face) Usually Two-Face, not Harvey so much, and through sheer force of personality. Big step on me vibes here!

Duality The basis of his entire character and gimmick!

Egotistical (Two-Face) Harvey tends to be a pretty humble guy. He certainly has a lot to brag about, being a legitimate legal genius and all, but he tends to keep it on the down-low. Two-Face on the other hand? He ABSOLUTELY thinks that he's hot shit and will brag about it, and will shoot at anyone who doesn't want to listen or disagrees with him!

Eye Imagery His whole asymmetrical deal leads to him having very... Interesting eyes... In many iterations he doesn't have an eyelid on the scarred side, making that eye look bulbous in comparison. Also the whole getting half of his face melted off thing led to his eye color changing in many iterations. So as a minimum, he's usually portrayed as having some form of heterochromia.

Gay/Questionable LGBT Rep The fact that this man who is Bi everything NOT being confirmed as interested in men should be considered a CRIME! Let Harvey make out with Bruce already!

Hot-headed (Two-Face) Harvey can usually keep his cool, but Two-Face is noted for being very hot-headed. When Harvey loses his temper, that's usually when Two-Face ends up fronting.

Intelligence (mostly Harvey) While Two-Face is certainly no idiot, Harvey is likely the smarter one by sheer virtue of he's an actual genius when it comes to matters involving the law. Law genius also translates pretty well to criminal genius, turns out. There was a reason that Harvey was District Attorney. He was just the best damn lawyer in all of Gotham and for good reason!

Knifemurderer Yep! Two-Face sure has murdered a whole lot of people! Two-Face is probably most well-known for deciding whether to kill people or not based off of a coin flip.

Magnificent Bastard In many iterations, fits this trope to a T.

Power of Love In his third ever appearance, he decided to stop being a criminal because Gilda still loved him despite his appearance. Since then, this is a theme that continues to pop up now and again with his character- that so long as people love Harvey, he can be saved.

Questionable Neurodivergent Rep Is explicitly shown to be plural and having OCD. The representation is often... Not so great... Though it does seem to be a thing that many writers are trying to improve on.

Scars Literally half of his entire face, and oftenhis body will be scarred up too! It's where he gets his moniker of "Two-Face" and is therefore deeply tied to his character and gimmicks.

Tall Usually.

Twisted Freaking Cycle Path Yep! Usually with DID.

Unkempt (Two-Face) Harvey usually keeps pretty tidy, but sometimes Two-Face will be unkempt on his side of the body.

Villain Obviously.

Morally Grey Obviously, again. Also this is like his entire deal!

Well-Dressed/Suitguy He's practically THE suitguy of the Batman rogues gallery! With snazzy two-tones suits that are split down the middle too! Definitely among the best dressed of the rogues.

White Hair Often his disfigured side will have messy white hair, if he has hair on that side at all.

Meanwhile, how many sexyman tropes apply to Dick Grayson? I'll be honest, I know nothing about the Talon iteration of Dick Grayson and therefore more of the sexyman tropes likely apply to him than your bog standard Dick Grayson... BUT IS IT 27 TROPES!!!??? Even Scarecrow doesn't have 27 tropes attributed to him on his sexyman page! And I didn't even include the more subjective tropes the require a fair bit of popularity like Johnlocked, Controversial, or Fanon Splintering!

Do the right thing and prove that Two-Face is the best Batman sexyman!

Vote Harvey "Two-Face" Dent for Batman sexyman!

#long post #tumblr sexyman #sexyman #sexyman contest #batman #harvey dent #two-face #twoface #two face #batman sexyman tournament #batman-heritageposts #batman rogues gallery #gotham rogues #batman rogues

[lunedegrel]

This tag is still so me whenever I see anything that gives me horror yuri/yaoi vibes cause I'm serious on how beautifully deep this feels

Specially in old literature stuff I swore to see but don't know the name of! And yet there needs to be such a care and symbolization for it to work, at least how I see it...

'CAUSE anyone knows the name of this?? Can anyone tag me in classical old poetry or anything related to love specially homosexual love (homoerotic, romance and/or gay sex) being symbolized through The Horrors, the animalistic, even that tainted of religious guilt and imagery yet also beautifully put in a spiritual even divine way...

Like through the vibes of paintings like this! Even the sensation itself, of uneasiness, a deep nervous feeling in the name of Love. That same oppression, tragic life an insane even wicked character suffers that represents the arduous life of a queer person; a character who is also queer in the way they end up doing a queer experience allegory where being fucked up is both separate and intertwined to being queer...

UHH IDK!! EXPLAINING MYSELF THROUGH PINS I FOUND

#cw blood #metaphorical cannibalism #no cause I once saw a blog about it unfortunately I felt it wasn't appropriate for me and I felt quite uneasy w that blog #imágenes meme representando canibalismo simbolizando amor para decir “sonnovies:3” #not toxic yaoi/yuri is HORROR GAY METAPHOR combo of the divine and profane #This came due to acheswan short animation

[journalsouppe]

My spread of one of my top 3 favorite written works made -- Congruent (and Isometry) by @sincosma! This is the only fanfic I have journaled and wow this fic is truly incredible. It's always amazing finding a piece of fiction that just connects with you completely, and I'm so glad I found it by chance (or was it fate?) from a beautiful piece of artwork by Art Nevoa.

Thank you to sincosma for writing such a beautiful story and it just makes me much more excited to be in the Sheik zine! And spoilers for anyone who hasn't read Congruent!!

Writing typed below! (plus an extra blurb on the review and some other fanart links)

This review is structured more for myself detailing what made me love the fic throughout the story, which is different than a review I'd post on AO3 as this is for me to recall what I was thinking at the time of reading the fic. It was only around this time that I considered posting my spreads online so this was mostly a personal review! If I spent more time on it I would have worded some things differently but alas, it is in permanent ink.

Here's two other pieces of art that I absolutely love here and here (although this one is a spoiler).

By: Sincosma 9.7/10 - Febr. 2023

What a beautiful and devastating story. This fanfic perfectly captured my thoughts and feelings about post canon OOT Link and Sheik. Congruent perfectly depicts both Link and Sheik suffering from PTSD while also trying to understand their feelings for each other. It was definitely odd at first to have Sheik be a separate character from Zelda, but the author handled him with such tender care that I completely understand her disappointment when they were revealed to be the same person. Sheikah lore is expanded on so well and in a way that perfectly fits the OOT depiction of Sheikah. Not to mention keeping and emphasizing Sheik's darker skin tone. I would honestly love to learn more about the Sheikah from the OOT era especially because they are completely different in BOTW. There were also some details (minor) that were different but were only mentioned once and didn't bug me much. For example the small comment about Link being tall, when in fact he is a short king. This fic also stressed me the hell out. The author really put Link and Sheik through it but also perfectly encapsulated the anxiety these events would give them. The Nether added a whole new level of horror I was not expecting. The void walker scenes especially were so bone chilling and anxiety inducing. I would actually be surprised if Link DIDN'T change from his experiences there. After the Nether was the development of a delicious slow burn consisting of Link constantly trying to suppress his very gay thoughts of his best friend. One of my favorite moments is when Link thinks "I don't understand why Sheik wouldn't want to be with Malon." Like huh Link I could ask you the same exact question LMAO. Not to mention the desert scenes where Link and Sheik started opening up to each other more and more omfg. My absolute favorite scenes all happened in the lost Sheikah city. Incredible mental environmental imagery, amazing plot points, and the beginning of congruence and healing. Man I wish we had more about the Sheikah than just Kakariko UGH this fic is so good with Sheikah lore. The revival of Kalyh was perfect not only to add tension to Link's budding feelings, but to also add tension to the plot and rising threat. The threat of Fourskys was really interesting. I like how Termina was always in Link's fate. I also like how Fourskys community is just filled with refugees from Hyrule, it emphasizes how corrupt Hyrule is while also showing even your own community can fall into corruption. Ugh this fic just felt so true to oCarina of Time I really have to tell myself it isn't canon. Even when Link and Sheik got together it was still tragic as they didn't know if they were going to die, or worse, during the fight. I love that the end concluded with Sheik losing his arm and magic as it shows just how cruel fate and prophecies can be, but also his willingness to give up anything just to be with Link. And that leads into Isometry, the perfect bittersweet conclusion. Link and Sheik still struggle with PTSD, but they have each other and were able to leave Hyrule. Nothing is perfect but they get to live humble and secluded lives, married. UGH I could go on forever but this is such an all time favorite piece of writing. I am so happy to have stumbled across it and hopefully I van do more with it in the future.

#journalsouppe #bullet journal #journal #tloz #legend of zelda #loz #the legend of zelda #zelda journal #oot #congruent #fanfiction #ao3

[catholic-character-tournament]

Round 1 - Resurrect Bracket (Losers Bracket) Side A

ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to [make it to the finals]

Propaganda below ⬇️

Saint Citrina Rocks (Dimension 20’s A Crown of Candy)

there’s nothing better that i can do for this character’s chance to win than to say that one of her titles, in canon, is “Cloistered Scholar of the Immaculate Confection” and if that ain’t a great pun I don’t know what is

I never finished acoc but if the fandom is actually right, shout out to gay lemon saint and martyr.

Popular headcanon says she fucked the broccoli Pope <3 (or at least that they had an intense romantic relationship which might’ve avoided premarital relations due to their religious ties).

OKAY so Citrina Rocks is basically the token Jesus freak (affectionate) of her very atheist maybe-a-touch-pagan family. She’s a saint of the church that’s actively fighting against her brother (the king of Candia, her home kingdom and yes the entire place and all the people are Just Candy) and his family. She was ordered to be murdered by a bishop of the church she was essentially canonically in homoerotic love with and she is made of lemon flavored hard candy. i love her SO MUCH

Hellboy Propaganda

He is literally the beast of the apocalypse. He was forcibly assigned catholic at birth, he deserves this. Now i know the rules said no demons, and that is fair. But here is my propaganda: he is a half-demon AND he absolutely does not want to end the world. He just wants to hang out and beat up monsters and work his job. But catholic guilt and apocalypse stuff always gets in the way. The comic books contain a ridiculous amount of religious imagery, the author was raised catholic, and passages from the bible are occasionally quoted. Hellboy is also portrayed as a messianic figure in conjunction with being an apocalyptic one. He uh, kind of becomes the savior of the new world and its like a whole thing. Catholic imagery appears frequently. Statues of the virgin mary, churches, etc. he also wears a literal cross on his belt, what can i say.

Okay here’s my rant. Hi, hello, propaganda. The last ten issues of the comic literally feature Hellboy going to hell and killing satan. He kills satan, fucks around in hell for a bit, and then blows everything up and its godamn tragic. Forcibly assigned catholic at birth. A bro did not ask for this it just happened. His mom was a witch but tried to become catholic after she died. Kind of a banger move. It didn’t work out for her but she gets points for trying. He tried real hard to save the world and it kind of worked but he did still die and go to hell. But not because he did anything bad, it was just kind of unavoidable. Again, he did blow the place the fuck up when he was done so. Respect.

Lapsed Catholic who is literally a half demon and also the rightful King of England that’s right he’s descended from King Arthur on his mother’s side.

#saint citrina rocks #citrina rocks #d20 a crown of candy #a crown of candy #hellboy #cct polls #tumblr tournament #tumblr bracket #tumblr polls

[gardenofshadcws]

Dorian Gray Weekly Day 2

Chapter 1

I’m a huge sucker for imagery (perhaps you’ve noticed) and this is making me claw my face off (positive)

I already love these two men. Basil is so extra and Lord Henry’s contradictions are entertaining while also being a fascinating thought experiment on the nonsensical nature of Victorian social norms

Also gay? gay

“we shall all suffer for what the gods have given us” spoilers dude

Lord Henry regarding secrecy as an unavoidable, even enjoyable part of marriage is super telling. I’m already getting shades of Wilde’s own life and it’s only chapter one. Poor guy.

Awww Basil is jealous

There are so many lines here I’m going to steal for my perfectworldshipping fics. Because it is the fate of every piece of classic lit to be chopped up and thrown into Pokemon fanfiction.

The meet cute with Dorian Gray aaaahhh!!!

“He too felt that we were destined to know each other” aaahhhhh!!!

“I couldn’t be happy if I didn’t see him every day. He is absolutely necessary to me.”. AAAAHHHH!!!!

I am Weak for tragic romances

#the picture of dorian gray #dorian gray liveblog #dorian gray weekly #books

[deanismysavior]

The fact that they're so close to writing a very homophobic arc for Will.... Like after everything we've seen, I cannot imagine any different scenario than canon Byler. And I am so nervous because we'll have to wait for 2 years to see the outcome. I really am gonna be so mad if they throw away all of Mike's queercoding out of the window. And yes, Mike is more queercoded than Will. His playlist, his relation to closets, rainbow imagery etc. The only reason ppl argue against Mike's queercoding is that he is 'Elsexual' apparently, lol. These guys want ''realism'' so bad but ignore the realistic effects of heteronormativity, COMPHET, and things like Internalized Homophobia (mildly or not). So, do you guys want to see realism, or just want gays to suffer?

Anyways. I am nervous about all of this but I have to trust the writers that they won't fuck things up.

My thing is this: when the Duffers originally pitched the series to Netflix, they only had s1 fully fleshed out, but Netflix made them write out what they thought the overarching stories would be for the whole 5-year plan of the show. If the queercoding for Mike has been there since day 1, I think both the writers room and Netflix know about the direction of Mike's arc, at least to a degree. I think if they had wanted to end things with a tragic, unrequited love story, they wouldn't have included SO MANY details about Mike's life, actions, and intentions that heavily suggest and support Mike being in the closet. I'd be very frustrated if they decided not to follow through on the arcs they created and carefully set up. Like I've said before, this show isn't Supernatural. There's a tight writers room and the ending, at least in a general sense, has been planned from the beginning. There's a lot more here to suggest the intentionality of the story arcs as a whole and not just rebellious writers imbuing scenes with queer subtext and dialogue, and likely, if Netflix knew their intentions from day 1, I can't see execs getting in the way of them following through on the storyline. I'm not saying that the Duffers' writing is perfect, but I think they've always had a good sense of intentionality that other long-running shows have not.

#byler #byler endgame #st #stranger things #mike wheeler #will byers #mike x will #will x mike #ask

[metalwarrior22]

I've never fallen from quite this high (falling into your ocean eyes)

Read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/0zlsg6H by gayestcatra Asami runs her fingers over the page, smudging the ink in a soft wash of black. She crumples the paper into a ball and slips it in her pocket, thinks about going down to the water and letting it drift on the waves until it dissolves into nothing. Thinks about messages in bottles, and all the impossible, romantic stories of them; how statistically there's no chance they could ever reach the one they're meant for, and how despite that, she finally understands why you might write one. Why you might try, against all logic, against all reason, against all hope. Or Every time Asami sees the ocean, she thinks of Korra. Written (belatedly) for the Summer Grounds Challenge 2023, prompt 2: Water. Words: 1105, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 2 of Summer Grounds Challenge 2023 Fandoms: Avatar: Legend of Korra Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/F Characters: Asami Sato, Korra (Avatar) Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato Additional Tags: Summer Grounds Challenge 2023 (Avatar), Water, Ocean, Metaphors, (also the literal ocean), (but metaphors), idk - Freeform, Introspection, Angst, Letters, Love Letters, Unsent letters, POV Asami Sato, During Canon, Pre-Relationship, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Emotional Hurt, Pining, why am i like this, very gay tragic letter writing, very gay tragic ocean imagery and metaphors, Post-Book 3: Change, korra is technically just mentioned, but very much present, Asami Sato Needs a Hug, Best Friends to Lovers, Hurt No Comfort, at least not in this fic, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Tagging, no beta we die like hiroshi, Title from a Billie Eilish Song Read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/0zlsg6H

#Ao3KA

[baladric]

What first got you into writing? How did you develop your style? And have you got any tips for other budding writers out there? Also who are your favourite authors and poets?

this got LONG but i'm going to tell myself you were ASKING FOR THAT and take a breath a;ldfkjwo;dfjsf

i can't remember if my inuyasha self-insert fic days predated my gaiaonline roleplaying days, but it was one of the two! definitely entirely a form of escape from a very painful and lonely life, but i think it was actually several years after i started definitionally Writing™ before i got into it, you know? i don't remember what kickstarted it, but somewhere along the way, i realized that i could really do whatever i wanted to, and i discovered figurative language and non-linear storytelling really went hogwild on some super niche death note fics ;alkfjwd and from there i started writing prose-poetry and really just. splashing around in there. i've been a musician my whole life, and it was like i'd realized that i could put music into the written word, like i wrote entirely for the way things tripped off my internal ear—like this one line from a poem i wrote when i was 14 still sticks with me, Leaves stain, leaves stains (rough obviously, but it was my first foray into writing about visual imagery that stuck in my sad little head)

my style started as its own nascent messy little thing, and like. man, people on here don't talk about Lolita because. you know. it's literally the apotheosis of the stuff that gets people wound-up in fandom spaces? literally a novel about SA and pedophilia and grooming—but the thing is, there's a reason it's considered a central part of the western literary canon, and that book revolutionized me as a writer. nabokov's entire thing really is just. ear-worms as text, like i cannot even express how often i still think "I am just winking happy thoughts into a little tiddle cup", or how many times i'll echolalia my way through this one line from the intro bit of the book: "Lo-Le-Ta: The tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth." take or leave the content of the book, nabokov does it like none other—or he did until ocean vuong published On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, which is just. idk if you haven't read it, please please please, do yourself a favor and make space for it. it's the most effecting book i've ever read, as well as the most gorgeous and the most lovingly, grievingly composed.

You once told me that the human eye is god's loneliest creation. How so much of the world passes through the pupil and still it holds nothing. The eye, alone in its socket, doesn't even know there's another one, just like it, an inch away, just as hugry, as empty. Opening the front door to the first snowfall of my life, you whispered, "Look."

if i can ever write a single sentence that pins the wide universe and the complex sorrow and joy of the human experience in place the way ocean vuong does, i will die happy. honestly.

favorite authors/poets is in vein with that last bit, but the short list anyway:

ocean vuong, esp On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (novel) and Time is a Mother (poetry)

maggie stiefvater, specifically The Raven Cycle—i could (and have) gone on for hours about the way she puts her readers into a tactile, vivid world, and her singular skill for spinning characters so contradictory and multifaceted that, to my mind, they're whole entire people, instead of the archetypes or loving stereotypes of most other fiction

richard siken, for Crush, which. i mean, i'm a gay man obsessed with words, this one really goes without saying lmao, if you read nothing else from it, read Snow and Dirty Rain. it is my gospel and my lifeblood, i have it memorized and still i reread it every week.

katherine addison taught me so much about storytelling, unreliable narrators, and the complexities of healing/trauma recovery while contending with rigid society (tragically pertinent to our present lives)—her Chronicles of Osreth (comprised of The Goblin Emperor, Witness for the Dead and The Grief of Stones)

maggie nelson, both for Bluets and The Argonauts

becky chambers—Psalm for the Wild-Built altered me as a person, it is gorgeous and soaring and humble and such a necessary book

donna tartt, obviously

anne carson, also obviously

freya marske—will read anything she ever writes, her language is lush, her worldbuilding is unique and spectacular, and her smut is HOT

alexandra rowland, for the same reasons as freya marske, but also their characters are so stunningly sympathetic, as well as really loving examples of neurodivergence in fiction (evemer hoşkadem, my deeply autistic beloved)

robin hobb really writes a toxic, complicated relationship saga like none other, i am stunningly enraged by Realm of the Edlerlings and also am physically incapable of not thinking about it constantly

and then there's the authors who taught me about magic: Garth Nix (The Old Kingdom Series), Holly Black (Modern Faerie Tales), Tamora Pierce (Protector of the Small), and Francesca Lia Block (Weetzie Bat)

writer tips!!!!!! this is hokey, but honestly my main advice is READ and also HAVE FUN. storytelling is the oldest human act, and language is the show where everything's made-up and the points don't matter. language is a sandbox, and it's there for you to literally just fuck around in. it can be whatever you want—it can be your raison d'être as a writer, but also it can be incidental. it can be a means to an end, economical, and some of the best stories are taken with that approach. but also you can paint with language, if you want to. you can compose music with it. you can do whatever suits your fancy.

my second tip is WORD COUNT DOESN'T MATTER. stop counting. stop stop stop holding yourself to the weird, quantity-obsessed writer culture. 2,000 words a day? nobody has time for that except full-time writers or those really rare writers who blink and 5k words fall onto the page. personally, if i'm sitting down to write and i'm really determined to actually get something onto the page, whether or not it's necessarily good, i'll force out 200 words. 200! i can't remember where i got this tip, but the point of that number is that 200 words is attainable even on the most blocked day, and by the time you hit your 200th word, you're gonna be in the middle of a sentence or a thought that you'll have to finish, and you end up with 300. or you hit 200 and you've broken through the fog and warmed up to it, and you leave with 700 or 1,500 (or a couple wild times for me, 5k).

my third tip: if you're a writer, EVERYTHING IS WRITING. this goes for art, music, literally any creative pursuit. walking out your door in the morning is writing, because you're learning things about the world, you're processing stimuli, your wheels are never not spinning. every video game you play, every show you watch, every fic you read is inherently a generative act, because that story is entering your store of knowledge to be processed and synthesized and lend you inspiration for the kinds of stories you want to tell, or the characters you want to make, or even the kinds of things you want to avoid as a creator. i can't tell you how much i've learned from games (Outer Wilds, i'm lookin at you!!) or tv (Station Eleven....) or music (Joanna Newsom really should be on my list of authors) or fanfiction (if you're a goblin emperor beastie and you haven't read celebros's Blackbird series, RUN, don't walk. i learned literally everything about creating character conflict within a framework of love that really motivates characters to work at it and not just get angry and walk away, and i remain uhhHHH fuckin Gobsmacked and reeling that she wants to write with ME a;lkdjfalw;dfs also literally one of my most formative collaborative and creative experiences came from reading kingdom hearts fanfiction in 2010, so) so!!!! just live your life!!! think about what makes you tick, what makes stories tick, think about the stars or birds or the history of glassblowing, whatever lights you up, and that energy will find its way into the things you make.

oh and also NEVER FEEL BAD FOR TAKING BREAKS. and i don't mean a 5-minute break, or a few days. i mean weeks. i mean months or years or what-have-you. sometimes it's just not there, and that's not a failing. your creations aren't content, they're little critters you make with love, and you can't love a thing you're banging your head against day and night. take breaks. allow yourself ebbs and flows in your creativity. everything hibernates, and i promise it'll wake up again and it'll be better than you left it.

end point: i Love You, and if you're writing or hoping to write or planning to write, i love your writing, too, nascent or tangible.

#aj answers #anonymous ask #ask

[mieux-de-se-taire]

Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge - Part 1

Revenge is my favorite MCR album, though Black Parade and Bullets are close behind. You can really see how they took the intensity, emotion, and boldness of Bullets and refined and perfected it. Every single song is an absolute banger that works well on its own but is even better within the context of the album. The concept is interesting and something you can explore if you want to but also not distracting or necessary to understand in order to enjoy the album. I also really enjoy the general look and style of the album and the era.

Helena - an instant classic, beautiful and tragic and brimming with anger and pain, a song that really helped establish MCR’s place in pop culture, I love the effect on Gee’s voice at 2:07-2:32 during the bridge and how everything comes back in at 2:38 after “When both our cars collide”, overall it’s a truly elegant and honest expression of grief and self-loathing (I mean “Just like the match you strike to incinerate / the lives of everyone you know”) and that’s not even touching on the music video. The music video is iconic and theatrical and beautiful, and it demonstrates MCR’s dedication to every creative and artistic aspect of their work. If you’re interested, I highly recommend checking out the making of video, which is a lot of fun and gives some insight into the creative process of the music video, and the outtakes video, which shows several full clips of dancing and the band performing. I especially want to highlight the performance from 10:01 to 13:24 in the outtakes version, in particular 12:09-13:24, none of which appears in the official music video but which is one of Gerard’s most emotive and heart wrenching performances that I’ve seen

Give ‘Em Hell Kid - great little song, some of the franticness and intensity and noise of Bullets (but cleaner) especially at the beginning, my favorite part is the ending starting at 2:06 when Gerard says “What’d you call me / well there’s no way I’m kissing that guy” followed by a sort of cacophony and then broken up when Gee says ”Yeah” with a fun effect on his voice, I also really like the wa-oh sounds at 1:25-1:28, overall a fairly short but effective and enjoyable song

To the End - one of my favorites, super underrated, some very fun lyrics, I always love the line “She drives at 90 by the Barbies and Kens”, my favorite part is the pre-chorus (”If you marry me / would you bury me / would you carry me / to the end”), I especially like the lead up to the final “to the end” starting at 2:36, I’m a big fan of the imagery and vibe of the song, it has dark aspects but it’s very playful and witty and more approachable than some of the heavier and more aggressive songs on the album. The song is based on the short story “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner (The True Lives of My Chemical Romance, 103)

Prison - the most fun song on the record, the intro is great, I love the weird sound in the background at 1:02-1:05, (also, I thought the line at 1:05 was “they made me do pushups in track” for a long time until I read that it’s actually “they made me do pushups in drag”, which makes way more sense in the context of the song, but I just though it was funny he was airing unrelated high school trauma in his song about gay prison sex), my favorite part is at 2:06-2:26 with the screaming and guitar solo then followed by a moment of calm at 2:27-2:29 when Gee says “Life is but a” and then everything is brought back in at 2:30 when he yells “dream”, I also love his screams and how they work with the guitars at 2:47-2:52 and his weird little giggle at the very end, overall an amazing song and one of my favorites to listen to and also to watch live. Gerard’s intros to prison are fairly well known, and these are some of my favorites: moaning with audience, solo los muchachos take your shirts off, Detroit boys take your shirts off, and boys boys boys. Also, some fun facts, Prison was “inspired by [Gerard Way and Bert McCracken] sharing a kiss in a game of on-the-road truth or dare. (‘When you’re kissing a guy with a beard,’ Gerard said, ‘it’s different.’)” (The True Lives of My Chemical Romance, 93). And Gerard also said “‘When I sang “You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison”, I was running pornography in the room...I wasn’t wearing very many clothes either. I was in an attic that nobody was allowed into. I do remember Howard encouraging me to get pretty weird in there and I think I got weird in my own ways too’” (The True Lives of My Chemical Romance, 91).

I’m Not Okay - one of if not my favorite Revenge song (it’s so hard to choose though), immensely comforting to me for some reason, just hearing the guitars in the intro cheers me up, a feel-good song for me despite some of the dark lyrics, there’s just something deeply reassuring about it, which I guess is part of the point -- the assurance that it’s okay to not be okay and its very open and upfront nature, my absolute favorite part is of course the guitar solo at 1:52-2:06, I also adore the quiet part at 2:18-2:23, the line “I’m not o-fucking-kay” at 2:47 is another of my favorite parts, though everything from 1:52 to the end is brilliant, overall just an incredibly cathartic and wonderful song. Also, the video is just amazing, probably my favorite MCR music video, though I think Helena is more iconic and The Ghost of You is more cinematic. I love the intro and the whole fake movie trailer schtick and just everything about it. There’s also the making of video, which is hilarious (especially 2:47, 5:31, and 12:49), the outtakes version of the music video, which shows full clips (check out 4:43 and 5:56), and this kind of alternate video of the song without vocals, which shows clips of the band leaving the house to go to a show

The Ghost of You - another favorite of mine off Revenge, simple in a lot of ways especially in terms of song structure but incredibly effective, I love the contrast between the soft, slow, more melodic verse sections and the more intense, aggressive chorus, very direct lyrically but still beautiful and haunting, Gee’s voice is so expressive, my favorite part is the shift from the quiet bridge at 1:58-2:11 to the lead up to the final chorus at 2:12-2:37. The video of course speaks for itself since it’s an absolute cinematic masterpiece. The way it highlights the contrast between the chorus and the verses by switching between the dance and the soldiers storming the beach is brilliant. Then that one transition shot at 1:28, chef’s kiss, should have won an award for that alone. And Gerard’s acting (and Mikey’s too) is just incredible. My favorite part of the video is how after Mikey runs out and gets shot, Gerard in the flashback grieves as well. It’s really visceral, and I love it. The making of video is also really cool, as is the outtakes version

I was planning to just have one post for the entire album, but this got way too long. I’ll post the second half soon, hopefully.

#mcr #my chemical romance #three cheers for sweet revenge #helena #give em hell kid #to the end #you know what they do to guys like us in prison #im not okay #im not okay (i promise) #the ghost of you #album review

[rosencrantzsguildenstern]

hi Chitra! just wanted to say i love the new url ^_^

hi! sorry it took me a little while to reply to this ask lol

i love rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead, it's so TRAGIC they react to this confusing meta nonsense in such a HUMAN way!!!! like they're just 2 guys trying their best 2 figure this out the choices they make feel so REAL!!!!! and it's funny too. + it says some really interesting things about the 1 fundamental human experience;- the fact we'll all die one day! the fear of mortality! like it uses this meta storyline to really explore this not just be like haha wouldn't it be fucked up if these guys were in a story it's SO GOOD!

i also love the ____s____ format it makes fun kind of classy unique urls that are also often kind of gay feeling which is ideal here. and i put it in the order that its in bc i want to play guildenstern so much

whats motifbf about? i always assumed like. motif boyfriend. (or best friend whatever). you're the boyfriend who's always talking about fuckin. themes and imagery. but then i was on your blog and you said it was a penumbra reference?? i also ORIGINALLY originally read it as moth which i think is cute

#chitra.txt #ragad #lit #motifbf #friends tag

[abnerkrill]

bestie, my dearest, you would LOVE midpollo, they've got everything: tragic past, codependent love, extreme violence and dubious moral code, gay marriage, sun moon imagery and! best of all: criticism of the government and state's actions and lies

oh??????? a couple tailor made for moi? i cannot WAIT to get into this. i'm gonna check if my library has 'em asap :))

#salzundhonig