#These gays can hold so much repression in them

[officialspec]

can you pleeeeease post your dm sexuality/gender hcs on here.... 🥺 i don't have a twitter but i wanna know. it's like a pandora's box to me now i'm like scratching at the door. let me in

heres the link 2 the thread (mild spoilers btw) ill post a transcript under the cut for ppl who dont have twitter

first off i think laios relationship to sex is super removed for like 50 reasons without even getting into his actual sexuality

he grew up in a place with very repressed ideas about sex and has a lot of fear about asserting his presence in situations

his special interest takes precedent over any social interactions he has and the level of closeness he feels towards people

he has a hard time figuring out his feelings towards other people both bc hes autistic and bc he has freaky deviantart fetishes that make sex in his mind a very abstract concept <- this one is me projecting mostly

that aside, i feel like gender-wise hes attracted to ppl so infrequently it may as well be entirely case-by-case

the idea of him being gay appeals to me from the 'raised with traditional values he Does Not fit into/hasnt begun to question it yet' perspective, i lauve characters who put a lot of stock into performing a role thats expected of them and fail miserably for unknown (gay) reasons

from his perspective tho i dont think he would ever really label himself anything. hes going to pride parades in the shirt+shorts Ally Fit to clap for his friends

hes also 'cis by indifference' imo... i love tmasc laios hcs it just doesnt mesh w his personal history to me. i do think hes got some kind of therian gender thing going on (not trans or nb but a secret third thing) but i cant see him changing anything abt his appearance/pronouns to accommodate that post-canon. hes just doin his thang

falin is in a similar boat for gender. i LOOVE tfem falin but the village repression thing has been bugging at me so i dont think i subscribe to it anymore (canon purist sorry) BUT if u hold that hc i am clapping and cheering regardless

instead i was propagandised to a while back and i LOVEEE the idea that being fused w a male dragon and the residual traits she has after being revived have given her a type of gender euphoria she didnt realise she was missing. a little boygirl swagger if u will

sexuality-wise i also dont think she would care to label herself, shes a lesbian by virtue of only being interested in One woman and zero other people. without marcille i do think shes still exclusively attracted to women, and i like to imagine she might experiment around a bit during her travels post-canon (pre-relationship). hearing abt it might put marcille on the news though

marcille is very simple That is a transfem lesbian. she cant get pregnant, shes obsessed w being femme and all that combined w her half-tallman struggles to be seen as 'properly feminine' by elf standards reads very transfeminine to Me. also her bookboy crush REEKS of comphet its not subtle

i think a more comfortable marcy might have the space to experiment w being elf butch like her manga boys but thats mainly self indulgence for me. utena could have saved her

senshi is gay his whole thing is abt not being able to perform dwarven masculinity to a proper standard (soft hearted, not as strong or rugged as his peers) which is like gaycoding 101. also hes a bear. homosexuality be damned by boy can work a grill

adding onto this i rly think senshi got some type of euphoria from being an elf in the changeling chapters. he was feeling himself so much i think he was using it as an outlet to have fun being a little fem and fruity without needing to justify it. do u understand

i dont have any particular opinions abt him gender-wise beyond that. his bulge is an essential part of his character design but i also saw a transmasc senshi a couple days ago that made me nod my head thoughtfully so i could go either way

chilchuck is cis and bisexual this is just canon. not even just his old man crush on senshi altho i do think thats very funny but they put his ass on a cover themed like hes in a dating sim with all the men and women in the cast and then slapped it in front of a chapter called "bicorn". i simply cant pass up that kind of overt signaling. its so fucking funny what else is there to say truly

izu to ME is a transmasc aroace lesbian (this one has the least basis in canon i just know it to be true) shes a little genderfluid with it nd uses he/she i think. i like to imagine she consistently uses masculine personal pronouns to refer to herself either way tho (boku, ore)

i think izutsumis gender/sexuality is entirely secondary in priorities to her body dysphoria. she has a lot of learning and acceptance 2 do before that kind of self discovery is on the docket and in my mind eschewing gender on some level is part of that. get sillay

shuro is cishet but at least he feels bad about it. next

kabru is a transmasc bisexual this is also practically text. his whole thing of being treated like a doll by milsiril to put in pretty dresses, plus i think it would be pretty easy for him to stealth in the west since tallmen are seen as inherently more masculine than elves

(i also think changing genders is just more common for elves. theyre androgynous enough that it wouldnt be hard and like who in their right miiiiind would be the same gender for 500 years. dwarves too)

i think he started presenting as male socially in the west but didnt need to consider medical transition until he moved to a more mixed culture where other races might see him as a woman

i dont have to explain the bisexual part. have u seen him

namari is a butch bisexual this is just canon straight up. shes not transmasc but i think the default settings for dwarven women is like 4 years of T regardless. shes a hit at all the local cruising spots despite her renfaire nerdisms i know this

and just bc im thinking abt em kiki and kaka are identical and kiki is tfem :} theyre both attracted to women but kaka is a sub so i forgive him

THATS ALL 4 NOW theres a lot of characters so i cant have thoughts abt all of them at once but i hope this was good. im right about everything forever as per usual

#ask #headcanons #passes out. my Mind #dunmesh

[ohnoitstbskyen]

The weirdest thing to me about League is that for some reason in a pool of amazing characters my brain latched into Lux of all people. Why? Who knows but I want her to leave Demacia and hunt down Nocturne and meet people who grew up with magic and accept her as she is and she learns through these experiences that she has to return home and really take a stand.

Why Lux. Why did it have to be Lux and not... idk Veigar or smth

Lux has a compelling story - not an especially original one, but a compelling one, built on compelling tropes.

She's this sheltered girl raised in privilege, who should have every reason in the world to simply embrace her fortune, go with the flow and live as her family wants her to. The Crownguards are more than capable of protecting her from the persecution that Demacia heaps on every other mage and magical creature, and more than happy to, so long as Lux lives up to the family name.

And yet... she can't do it. First of all, as she grows up, she becomes ever more sickly aware in her soul how inhuman the treatment of mages is under Demacian law, the brutality and oppression that is leveraged against them, all to prop up the legitimacy of the government. Second... she doesn't want to repress her magic. She has a light inside of her which is intrinsic to her being, a true and natural extension of who she is, how she exists in the world, and pushing it down and denying it is painful. She is full of curiosity about it, and eager to see what she can do with it, but she cannot be both a free mage and a Crownguard.

Lux is, in other words, a queer trans nonbinary lesbian genderqueer aroace gay gay gay homosexual gay. Or, to be less flippant, in her story magic is an extremely apt metaphor for queerness and how to navigate being queer in a bigoted environment.

It also works for other things, of course, there are other reasons to feel stifled and trapped by the rules and restrictions of society or by the demands of your family. Lux could also be a secret socialist, and the oppression of mages could reflect the way the bodies of the proletariat are abused to build capitalist state power - or you could read it as a theme of neurodivergency in a world that is still run on a lot of eugenicist logic. Although to be perfectly frank with you, if Lux is cishet, then I am a honey badger, her magic power is literally rainbow lasers.

So there are themes there, there are things to relate to, to hold on to, to be carried away by. There's a lot of great characters in League of Legends, all of which deserve better than to be owned by Riot Games, and Lux is one of them.

Also, her best friend is a building-sized himbo dragon statue which comes to life when she uses her magic around him and gives her friendly life advice while musing about how much he wants to punch kaiju in the face, which, like, I don't know how to NOT be charmed by that.

#league of legends #lux crownguard #galio #demacia

[cat-hesarose]

Izzy Hands and broken promises

Now that I've had a day to digest the ending, I'm still in the "Izzy should have lived" camp but can better understand why it soured an otherwise great season finale for me.

Keep reading if you like rants about storytelling and queer catharsis from people with a Bachelor degree's worth of overconfidence and strong opinions.

Bar a handful of icks (Zheng Yi Sao getting outsmarted by Ricky, etc), I loved this season and don't see a wealth of problems that would not have been solved by two additional episodes. That said, Izzy's death is one of the things I can't see making any more sense if they had more time to explore his journey because his journey is what problematizes djenk's stated reasoning for his death.

In that one interview (and to be fair, we only have a brief window into his intentions as of right now), djenks positions Izzy as two things, specifically to Ed: a mentor and a father figure. And yeah, mentor figures often die. Their student surpasses them, or acquires a new narrative drive from their mentor's death to continue a quest.

Neither of these things feel like a fit for Izzy and Ed's dynamic nor their respective arcs. Neither does "father figure". Izzy was a love interest. He was described as a love interest. He confessed love to Edward. His mentor relationship was more established with Stede, if anything, who is an unreliable narrator and may well have been lying about Edward claiming that Izzy taught him everything he knows.

The journey that Izzy went on this season was parallel to Ed and Stede but it was with the crew. It's one big queerplatonic love story essentially, of him finding himself as an individual through the support they give and the space they hold for him. Season 2 Izzy Hands is, among other things, a love letter and showcase of the queer community's power to revive hope and purpose.

Izzy has the world's messiest breakup with Ed when they're both at their worst, and his healing begins with the crew of the Revenge. He only interacts with Ed again after bonding with, and growing through, the crew. So yes, it absolutely makes sense that his journey would proceed towards making peace with/saying goodbye to "Blackbeard". But it does not make sense that it would end there, with his death.

Djenks says that they're pirates, and people die. And yeah they do. But in the hand-wavy logic universe of OFMD it feels dismissive to say that about the death of a major character. And odds are, David "Izzy is my favourite character" Jenkins is not dismissive of Izzy, so that leaves tragedy.

My issue with that is, season 2 Izzy is no longer an innately tragic character. If you told me at the end of season 1 that season 2 would end with Izzy dying in Edward's arms telling him to go forth and change and accept love, I would've gone "that's sad but it makes sense." Because it would have, at the time. Season 2 Izzy departed from the trappings (so I thought) of the doomed fate of the bitter old repressed grimdark pirate when he put on the gold-painted wooden hoof and embraced his new role as First Mate of Stede Bonnet's gay floating kindergarten.

His death feels like a betrayal because, in a show that does queer characters Really Well, Izzy's arc feels like a broken promise. To say nothing of the politics of having a character attempt suicide, begin to heal, then say "I want to go" before dying, I wanted Izzy to want to live. It really felt like that was where his character was going, where his character was supposed to go.

Death for a character who is showing all this potential is only a natural ending in a tragedy. It isn't presented as peaceful or to punctuate another character's growth. Season 2 Izzy Hands had ceased to be reliant on and subject to Blackbeard. If anything, he was tied to the crew, who all stood back and felt much more removed from his death than they probably would have been if the show had more time to show their emotional responses. Having him die in Ed's arms, apologising for fueling Ed's destructive tendencies and encouraging him to be himself and accept love, feels like he got shunted off his new arc and back onto the old one. It feels like he went through all of that just to take a last-minute huge step back and re-subjugate himself to this character who does not reciprocate his devotion.

It makes me wonder if his death scene was one of the first ones written, before all that energy was spent giving him a new life and new connections and new, you know, new reason to live.

Anyway, that's how I feel about it. TL;DR Izzy's growth should have included LIVING HIS HARD-WON NEW LIFE and if I ever see djenks i'm going to cross the road and avoid eye contact.

#ofmd #ofmd meta #ofmd spoilers #ofmd season 2 #ofmd season 2 spoilers #izzy hands #storytelling #comedy and tragedy #why yes i am participating in #discourse #media literacy #fandomposting #stede and izzy should have fucked

[sexy-sapphic-sorcerer]

1: Magic is a Metaphor < 2: Morgana is a Lesbian > 3: Merlin is Gay > 4: Arthur is Bi

Building off of the whole metaphor idea, Morgana's character arc is basically that she starts to question her identity because she's having all of these dreams and thoughts that she doesn't understand. Then Gaius, who is straight up a conversion therapist, literally gaslights her and is like, 'no no, you're just going crazy, you're overreacting, here, why don't you take all of these drugs to suppress those thoughts?'

Meanwhile, Uther is saying all of this stuff about how sorcerers are all evil and should be killed, and Morgana will try to argue with him and he will just be like, 'well, why do you care so much?' And she's all, 'oh, no reason. I'm just an ally. I'm just really passionate about social justice.' Like, girl, we've all been there.

And then once Morgana does come to terms with her identity and she realises how fucked up the way that she was treated is, she goes batshit and starts a revolution and assassinates her dad. And good for her! I honestly think that all repressed lesbians deserve a little bit of murder, it's only fair, especially if they look so hot doing it.

Also, Morgana doesn't have any male love interests. I mean, she will sometimes flirt with men to manipulate them into doing what she wants, but it's very clear that that is what she is doing, she never actually cares about them or follows through.

Besides, Katie McGrath has never played a heterosexual in her life. She's basically straight up said that she played Morgana as a lesbian. You know where she said that? Here:

Hear me out.

Are they technically half-sisters? Yes. But omg the sexual tension between these two is undeniable. You really do think that they're just going to kiss at any given moment. This has been straight up confirmed. This is a quote from the same conversation as earlier between the main producer and Katie McGrath, where they fully admit that there are definitely lesbian undertones there, and not only did both actresses play it that way, but it was written that way. So I rest my case.

Gwen knew about Morgana's prophetic visions from the start and she was never scared of it or tried to deny that it was magic. Instead, she was always by Morgana's bedside (or in her bed) so she could hold her face and stroke her hair and tell her she would be okay. Gayasses.

Although, as Iori Miyazawa can attest, yuri is often best found in the absence of it. Because once Morgana accepts her identity and her magic becomes an unavoidable part of of her life rather than thoughts she could repress, she begins to push Gwen away, often in the form of telling her not to undress her anymore.

Then this tension between them is emphasised when Morgana starts having nightmares of Gwen marrying Arthur and is really upset by it for some reason. I know that she justifies it by saying that she doesn't want Gwen to take her place as queen, but if you think about that for more than 5 seconds, it makes absolutely no sense. Arthur is still going to be king regardless of who he marries, so unless Morgana is planning to follow the legend a bit too closely and marry her brother, then Gwen is absolutely not taking her place.

And yet Morgana spends the entire rest of the show obsessing over Gwen, including: planting false evidence to break up Gwen and Arthur, using necroLancey as a puppet to seduce her, kidnapping Gwen only to tenderly caress her face and force her to have dinner with her, and then of course enchanting Gwen to kill Arthur so that Morgana can be queen, and Gwen will seemingly also still be queen. And they will be two queens, together, platonically. Hmmm

#now with an added morgwen slide since I didn't have it when I first made this (like 2 years ago now) because I had not yet been enlightened #morgana pendragon #morgwen #morgcest #merlin meta #bbc merlin #merlin #the magic of metaphor

[concert-bflat]

I need to rant about Ivan guys guys I neeed to rant about Ivan (<--- keeps trying to write fics of him but Never finishes him) like God this man is so gay and so in love it genuinely hurts it Hurts and I am Injured by it and the imagrey is Sooo Good (and Yes this is probably me just parroting stuff Everyone has already said before but shut up it's my turn now!! (aka please I've been holding in these thoughts for Months now I must let them out of their cage before one of them Dies)) [Edit I am Not fucking proofreading this I spent 2 hours on it if there is a mistake you Imagined it </3]

Just like,

You can see it in the way he sees the stars in Till. His own hopes for freedom and the only real light in this world that he lost sight of in Till. He is the hope and wish for freedom that he has shut away and repressed and it makes him fall So Hard

Or how you only really see that red in his eyes (after. Almost Dying) when he's with or singing/thinking about how Till has Inspired him, like a fire has been lit inside him. A fire lit in the darkness. . hmm...

even at the end of the song, where he knows full well that he absolutely Crushed his opponent and also knows full well that Till is his next one. I'm sick. I'm so sick.

Or like. When he frees Till and everything is just Engulfed in that red now. How Till has that same fire in his eyes, he and Ivan are on the same page now. They see that same hope for freedom and they both share it. They're running towards the light (like the sky's lighter there, more on that in a sec), hell, the corners of the right side of the screen are literally tinted in LIGHT GREEN. Till's color. God dammit the whole scene is tinted in red and green. They are literally Complementary Colors. I'mmm soooooooo (God these scenes are soo pretty too I was genuinely Stunned when I first saw this)

DID YOU EVEN NOTICE I ONLY NOTICED NOW the Stars are fucking green. You can see it better in some of the Later Images but they are Literally Green because Ivan sees the stars in Till and uuuughsdfbshb

OR LIKE WHEN TILL TURNS BACK?? AND. And that red is no longer in his eyes and before The Realization hits Ivan his eyes are just Glowing with red. Because he was just Filled with that hope. Freedom was, potentially, Right There

Did you guys even notice in that like. 5 frames in the half-second animation of Till turning away he's totally engulfed in his shade of green. Like of Course. That's such a Till thing to do because of Course he's running back he never actually liked Ivan that way in the first place.

And also the lighting of the sky Flips. Because the light has always been with Till. And Ivan's left in the darkness. In the. Haha. Ha. Black Sorrow. Aha *sits down cries*

And Again with this mf's stupid eyes how they revert to just black because that hope's been stripped away again, how it's even reflected in his present self singing as he reminisces on it. Fucking. Ivan's Expression when Till runs away.T here's so fucking much like the irony. Like did he even see Till hesitate or did he just see him turn and run away.

Like the irony that the guy who's always breaking the rules and fighting and defying and clearly hating living in a world like this won't run away with him, who has always been passive and obeying the rules and just accepting captivity and has been repressing his desire for freedom is so Bitter and Awful but also he always Knew this would happen what the Hell was he thinking this was such a stupid idea like

this man gets No Breaks No Breaks Ever oh yeah btw they're facing off against each other in a literal Death Match. That they might've had a Chance of avoiding if they ran away. Ahah. Hh *sob*

Also this art brings me so much Joy as much as it hurts me on a visceral level like. Ivan Always has his eyes on Till but it goes from a fond smile. Like So Fond flat out lovestruck affectionate gaze because he loves this man and loves spending time with him to a grimace once they're on stage. How Till never really changes or really Has Changed, and that's why Ivan loves him as much as he is resentful towards him. How that's what brought them here, to the stage. How Ivan changed for Till and Because of Till but still Till is like a god damn immovable object with how he stubbornly sticks to his ways. There's such resentment but isn't he himself also stubborn for always sticking to Till anyways? Hell, he's singing all about him in Round 3 and loses control over his own emotions and expressions during it I'mmm Guhhh

Also the first image is titled Observation while the second one is titled Decision(? I think). Like mf What are you deciding. What happened Last Time you decided to do something I'm going to punt you into the next planet

Speaking of observing,

Just. How Ivan's Always Observing. I saw one person point out he's like a background character and it's like he sees himself as one too. He is a passive observer in his Own Life. How he watches all the other children in Anakt garden play. How his childhood leading him to Anakt Garden just kind of. Happens around him while he watches indifferently.

How he's always trailing behind Till. Or how he tends to just. Observe quietly and is portrayed as such.

Not to mention how he doesn't appear in the memories of Anyone else's rounds, not even Till's, even when he literally (temporarily) freed him from the city. He doesn't even appear At All in Luka's round even though we get a clear shot of Till getting his hopes and dreams shattered (though it Does parallel another shot of him from Round 2)

And then the One Times he tries to take action. Or start something. It gets rejected and he's resigned to just. Trailing behind again. Because of Course he'll always follow after Till. And of Course he's fucking bitter about it and bitter about himself because he Knew this would happen and Till is Always looking at someone else and that Never Changes but. He just thought for a moment that he could change something. Man.

Oh I forgot to talk about the competitions themselves huh? Wellll, (and I'll Attempt to keep it brief because I've been writing this post for Much too long but)

Till spends his first round singing completely devotedly to Mizi. Hell, his song wasn't even in the program, it's likely- no, almost definitely something he wrote entirely for her, and Ivan has no part in it, just watches bitterly as he passes out after his, er, stunt at the end

And continues to be passed out for almost the entirety of Ivan's song

Oh but he woke up for the emotional/musical climax at least, going over Ivan's most important memory of them together, that's cool at least right?! Surely Till felt something from that

Maybe they can talk something out, or at least acknowledge their relationship in Some way. Maybe Ivan could at least be seen by Till-

Aaand Till's Actual love interest Supposedly gets shot and now he probably thinks she's dead. His attention is turned to her once again, like it's always been from the start. He never really changes huh?

Better luck next time Ivan--

Just. This mf Never Wins and it makes me Laugh as much as it makes me So Sad

Gets hopes and dreams and future crushed by aliens (standard stuff). Sold off in an auction. Put in prestigious singing school and up to that point he hasn't really cared about Anything and has simply been going through the motions.

Meets boy that basically embodies the freedom and hope he used to have. Falls badly in love. Boy loves someone else. Tries to free him and give him the thing he'd surely want most. Rejected. Back to school you go loser.

Oh btw this school is to train you for a competition to the death. Btw you're facing off against that boy you love in the semi-finals of said death competition. And you might kill him or he'll kill you. Because you didn't run away when you had the chance.

Also he didn't sing or think about you at all during his round. In fact I'm pretty sure he wrote a whole ass song that wasn't even registered in the Alien Queue or whatever for someone else. Also he probably has hardly looked at you. Also he was unconscious for almost the entirety of your song. Except for the part where you lost control of your emotions.

Oh but that doesn't matter now because now he thinks the person He likes was just killed. So he's kiiinda gonna be distracted by that. And that might fuck up your round with him. Sorry man

This was Originally a rant about how much I love Black Sorrow's imagery and the portrayal of Ivan's love because this man clearly has Complex Emotions and then Kinda derailed into me just ranting about how many L's he's being handed before getting the executioner's blade. Uhhhhh oops. Congrats on sticking to the end though?

I just love Ivan very much. He is So Bitter and so Horribly In Love and looks up to and is inspired by Till So Much and I wish people explored him on a deeper level/more personally.

I wish I saw more deep looks at Ivan/Till, there's clearly Complicated Things going on there. Hell, we don't even know what Till's pov on the whole thing is aside from that One scene of him hesitating before running away from Ivan. As much as I love fluffy interpretations of them, I (did I mention that I'm an angst addict btw. Could You Tell) wish all their Complexities could be acknowledged. Like how Ivan Clearly puts Till on such a spotlight and it is Such a downfall for him through and through and he Kinda knows it but also What Else does he Have and he really looks up to him Sooo Much (just. Look at them in that official art of them in Anakt Garden !!!) and deep down just wants to run away from this horrible place and wants to run with Till, the Light of his life the fire in the darkness the fucking stars the universe his black sorrow just. Oh My God I need to end this post already I was supposed to be studying but spent those 2 hours Writing instead

But anyways yeah uuhhh long story short? This guy is a gay loser. He tries to look sooo cool and smooth but he is suuuch a gay lovestruck loser and his rose tinted glasses are so thick he can't see shit (I'm pretty sure I quoted that from something (but also no genuinely when I first got into alnst after just watching the first 3 rounds videos and saw Ivan in official art I was So Surprised like "Oh he's actually That kind of mf that tries to look Cool and Hot but is actually just Pathetic and Sad and Gay I thought he was Just Sad and Gay")) he's probably also touchstarved as hell idk and his love is doomed by the narrative (unless Hyuna saves his and Till's asses. Buuut we'll see </333)

Love ya Ivan keep taking L's <3333 mwah

#alien stage #alnst #ivan alien stage #till alien stage #ivantill #tillvan #character analysis #oh my god i spent like 2 hours onthis #i was supposed to be studyinnnggg #and now i need to go to sleep like asap #god damn you ivan #this is karma. but fr this guy just Keeps Losing it's so sad and funny #number 1 homosexual loser <3 #i love this stupid little gay man with his dumb red eyes and his stupid tiny fang #dumbass /affectionate #touchstarved dumbass #okay i need to shut up now #thank you for humoring me alnst fandom

[saltybutsad]

saw someone saying keisou/keishin has no chemistry and like. yeah they wanna rip each others throats out. that’s the point. ya ever heard of toxic yaoi.

seriously tho it’s about how they both look at each other and see themselves, and since they hate themselves they can’t see a world where they don’t hate the other

it’s about the “it’s different now” it’s about the collar reveal it’s about the “he can’t die like this i still need to-“

it’s about how they’ve both gone through hell together, and how they’re the only two that can fully understand the trauma the death game gave them, so they’re drawn to each other no matter how much they’d rather slit each others throats. how they’re so attached to each other despite wanting each other dead.

it’s about how they’re both SO smart and can deduce so much about each other but are SO dumb when it comes to human relationships, and have no concept of how to care, so instead they hate.

it’s about how they’re both just straight up not great people and don’t feel a need to improve because it’s better this way- they don’t deserve good things, which is why they deserve each other

it’s about how they’re both SO emotionally repressed and will NEVER talk about their feelings, but even without doing so they fully understand everything the other hates about themself. and whether they’ll use that against each other or have fire gay sex and ignore it all is still a mystery.

it’s about how when they finally start seeing the good in each other, when they finally realize their walls are dropping and that maybe this can be something good, they try SO hard to reel it back, they want to hate each other so so badly but they can’t now that they’ve started noticing the good things about each other. Hating is easy, whatever the hell this is is so much harder.

it’s about the late nights where they’re just holding each other, and hate themselves when they realize how undeniably cared for they feel. in any other world they wouldn’t be together, they shouldn’t, but right now this is all that matters.

it’s about the enemies with benefits to codependent and trauma bonded pipeline.

#yes I’m in therapy #keishin #keisou #yttd #your turn to die #kimi ga shine #kgs #keiji shinogi #shin tsukimi #salty speaks

[momotonescreaming]

Trying my hand at something different based off of a silly text post I made about a 90s/00s chatfic au. Not 100% sure if I'll continue it yet, so please let me know what you think! 💜❤️

Eddie couldn’t lie to himself that his heart skipped a beat when he got the notification. When he saw who the notification was for. The familiar bloop noise and the little pop up at the corner of the screen.

KingSteve85 is Online

Finally. Steve had moved away for college almost two weeks ago now, and Eddie had barely heard from him. Logically he knows that he and Robin needed the time to drive up, and set up in their cramped little dorms, and do other fancy college orientation things. But he missed them. Now that he had them, people who weren’t scared of him, people who weren’t afraid to call him out on his shit, people who got it. They talked almost every day after… everything.

Eddie would log on to the shitty old computer he and Wayne had fixed up and wedged in the corner of the trailer, scroll the internet, listen to music — and chat with Steve. He was a good fucking guy. And funny. And hot. And now it felt weird not chatting to him every day. Not logging on after a shift at Thatcher Tyre to find the little green Online dot next to his username. Not logging on at 2am after a nightmare to find Steve also online.

But Steve’s at college now, and his PC is currently boxed up in Robin’s childhood bedroom. Didn’t trust his new roommate, he said. Or his parents, after he moved out.

Without hesitating, ignoring the flip of his stomach and beat of his heart — he sends Steve a message.

c0rr0d3d_3dd13: soooooo how was ur 1st wk of college? :D

Steve replies immediately.

KingSteve85: so crazy haha KingSteve85: sorry i haven’t been online haha c0rr0d3d_3dd13: lol allgud. i know ur a big college boy now C0rr0d3d_3dd13: don’t have time 4 me anymor lol ;_;

Eddie cringes as soon as he says it, as soon as he hears the click of the enter key sending the message. Recoiling into a ball, hands over his face, curling up on the wheeled office chair, he lets himself spin as he watches the screen. Waits for the KingSteve85 is typing… message to pop up. God, Steve’s barely left and Eddie’s already a needy, self deprecating, mess.

Fuck his life. Crushes are stupid.

Because that’s what that is. He can admit that to himself now. Now that Steve’s left. He’s got a big, fat, gay crush on Steve Harrington. Him and all the other repressed queer kids at Hawkins High. What a cliché.

The computer pings with a new message, and his gaze is ripped towards the screen.

KingSteve85: never! there was just a lot of events and stuff this first week KingSteve85: did not have time to go to the library and log on lol KingSteve85: haven’t even called Dustin yet c0rr0d3d_3dd13: ur messaging me b4 dusty? Ur gonna make a girl blush harrington

Hunched over on the office chair with the broken wheel, at the computer he helped fix, with the shoddy speakers him and Wayne haven’t gotten around to yet — Eddie felt special. Dustin was Steve’s brother, one of his best friends. And yet Steve chose to message him first.

He tries to humble himself, hold back the blush with the knowledge that if Robin went to a different college than Steve (which was highly unlikely), he would have messaged her first. But Robin isn’t at a different college. And Eddie got the message first.

c0rr0d3d_3dd13: wot sort of events were there? music and drinking? Rotfl KingSteve85: literally yes haha KingSteve85: during the day there were like,,, tours and stalls advertising clubs and stuff KingSteve85: but as soon as it was night it all popped off haha c0rr0d3d_3dd13: u go 2 any? KingSteve85: some! not a lot haha. Robs wasn’t super excited and i didn’t want to leave her alone

It warmed his cynical heart, how much Steve cared for Robin. And how much she cared for him in return. They cared, and they love each other so much. Eddie thinks they’d still be close, even without all the debilitating trauma that glued them together. Robin had mentioned wanting to merge her and Steve into one being before, so they could always be close and balance each other out. Steve had immediately agreed.

Eddie had friends in the Corroded Coffin boys, but he wasn’t sure if they were at the ‘merge into one mega being’ stage of their friendship yet. Maybe Jeff. Jeff had gone off to college this year with Frank — to a different place than Steve and Robin — and Eddie had already received a postcard from him. It was nice to not be forgotten. A part of him wondered if he would be, when everyone went off to college.

But Jeff didn’t. Steve didn’t.

c0rr0d3d_3dd13: wot a gentleman lol c0rr0d3d_3dd13: wots ur timetable lik now? KingSteve85: fucking crazy dude KingSteve85: got lectures & tutorials & work & been thinking about doing a sport again c0rr0d3d_3dd13: which sport lol? u’ve got like… 3 to pick from c0rr0d3d_3dd13: ALSO DAMN DUDE THATS BUSY KingSteve85: i guess haha KingSteve85: been thinking either basketball or swimming. maybe baseball lol KingSteve85: which’ll add practices and meets and games and stuff haha

Before he left, Steve had quietly admitted that he wasn’t sure if he’d try out for a sport or not. During his senior year Billy Hargrove gave him a concussion so bad it benched him for months, and he’d spent ages trying to work back up to it again. So he could play without wanting to puke. And then he didn’t get into college when he applied to the fancy schools his dad made him apply for, and he missed out on any possible scholarships he would’ve gotten.

And he would’ve gotten them. Eddie’s not much of a sports guy, but he knows Steve was good. Great. One of the best.

Eddie quietly believed in Steve. He wouldn’t be himself unless he was exercising or playing a sport. You could see it in his face when he watched a game with Robin, when he played pick-up basketball with Lucas. It made him happy. So Eddie wanted Steve to try out. He was at the sappy stage where the thought of Steve being happy made his heart swell. He was happy he was happy.

(A part of Eddie just wondered if maybe Steve could be happy with him.)

c0rr0d3d_3dd13: do it!! i’ll cheer 4 u from here c0rr0d3d_3dd13: but leave som time free lol or u’ll go mad KingSteve85: enough free time i can chat w you? Haha

His hear clenches at the fact that it was Steve who bought it up. Their chatting. Maybe he thinks of it as often as Eddie does.

c0rr0d3d_3dd13: obvs??? c0rr0d3d_3dd13: if u 4get ab me im gonna cry dude KingSteve85: of course i won’t haha KingSteve85: gotta chat w you so you won’t go crazy back in Hawkins c0rr0d3d_3dd13: and i’ll make sure u don’t go crazy over there with your full ass schedule KingSteve85: its not that bad haha KingSteve85: but thank u c0rr0d3d_3dd13: i’d argue it *is* that bad c0rr0d3d_3dd13: i hav a full time job and the thought of ur schedule makes me cry

Wayne had managed to get him a job at Thatcher Tyre, through a few mutual acquaintances and a favour he had yet to cash in. It made him feel like one of those rich shit kids who go to college on daddy’s money and get a job in his company without having to work for it. The type of kid Steve was.

But Eddie can’t be picky now, and he and Wayne need the money. He’s good at cars, doesn’t completely hate it, and it pays. So he bit his lip, and now he has a full time job with a schedule of his own.

It is not as busy as Steve’s. He knows if he asks Robin, hers will be the same. Filled with band practices and sports games. Birds of a feather.

KingSteve85: i’m used to it haha KingSteve85: at least i’m only planning on one sport and not two lol c0rr0d3d_3dd13: u better stick to that harrington c0rr0d3d_3dd13: or i’ll drive up there and kick ur ass until you take care of urself

There’s a pause. The KingSteve85 is typing… message flickered on the screen, loading whatever message Steve was typing.

It eventually came through.

KingSteve85: i promise. but maybe i should break that rule so you can come visit c0rr0d3d_3dd13: u dont have 2 con me into visiting stevie. just say the word

Another pause.

KingSteve85: i will

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steddie fic #steddie au #chatfic #kinda #My Writing #momo.txt #kinda want to continue this just so i can include a scene where Wayne kicks Eddie off the computer so he can use the phone #dial up my old friend #unbeta'd haha i wrote this in one sitting #so if u see any mistakes no u dont <3 #idk i had fun with the formatting and the chatspeak!

[sabertoothwalrus]

out of curiosity, why do you not like zelink anymore? it never really appealed to me but I keep seeing art of it and I don't really feel the chemistry haha

HMMM well I still like it in some regards!

as kid I was almost exclusively a fan of OoT zelink. Like DIE HARD. Like it was my whole personality. I liked Link & Tetra a lot too, their dynamic is GREAT but I didn’t draw them as much. I wasn’t interested in TP zelink and I remember telling myself it was because “the designs are too hard for me to draw I’m only 9” and not that they had literally no chemistry 💀

It’s kinda wild cause I was already deep in the zelink trenches when skyward sword came out, but for some reason that game didn’t appeal to me at all??? idk if it was cause the game just wasn’t as fun to play, or if the designs put me off. It just didn’t hold my interest.

By the time botw rolled out in 2017, I was already identifying as aroace (<- spoiler I was actually a repressed lesbian) and had long gotten over zelink being the “default”.

Even my beloved oot zelink felt less realistic to me— I know it’s fiction and you can do whatever you want, but generally princesses don���t marry random knights (in child timeline, no one remembers Link’s heroism, so to everyone else he really would just be some random knight). I’ve come to appreciate oot zelink for its potential tragedy and complexity, with childhood friends-to-lovers, who are literal soulmates that share memories of war no one else in their world knows of, but for political reasons cannot be together. Their relationship would be messy and secret and bittersweet. Link wouldn’t even have anywhere else to go, since he no longer belongs with the kokiri. He canonically dies as a royal guard. He had children (TP Link is part of his bloodline) but he presumably died before they were old enough for him to teach them his swordsman techniques.

So far, botw zelink is one of my least favorite zelinks 🙈 I’m sorry I just don’t see it!! Which is INSANE because it’s by far been the most popular zelink in the past 15 years I’ve been in online fandoms for it. At most it’s unrequited and at least they’re both gay. To be fair I never actually beat calamity ganon 🤡 I’M GONNA DO THAT THIS WEEKEND SHHH and have managed to stay mostly unspoiled about botw’s ending, but I really don’t think,, that that alone will be enough to convince me. Idk. Maybe I’ll change my mind. Maybe totk will do it for me.

[wildlife4life]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @exhuastedpigeon, @jeeyuns, @wikiangela, @ladydorian05, @giddyupbuck, @thewolvesof1998 @hippolotamusand @911onabc You all so lovely and I look forward to all your future works!

Some more angst and the end of the buddie fight from NFL Buck.

Buck’s emotionless façade cracked, revealing just how truly wrecked he was, “Eddie, I love you so much and I am trying to give you leeway with all of this, but you’re allowing your parents… allowing your mother to push me away. You’re not having my back like you promised. And everything with Christopher… You’ve told me over and over that he is mine just as much as he is yours, yet you do this and then call me out over circumstances I have no control over. You’re letting Helena win! And why?! Some long repressed need to have your parents’ approval?! Or maybe it’s some twisted way for earning forgiveness for being gay. I don’t know. But you need to figure it out.” He sucks in a breath, barely holding back a sob, “I don’t know how Helena got my number, but she needs to lose it. You can talk to Christopher first, break the news if your mother hasn’t already. I’ll talk to him later.” Eddie’s own tears began to form, the flames of his rage doused by Buck’s anguish, “Okay.” He agreed, giving up and swallowing down his apology. The fight was over for now. Buck asked for space to lick his would and collect his thoughts, to think about what comes next for them. Eddie needed to back down and do the same.  “Okay.” Buck mirrored in a barely there whisper, not meeting Eddie’s eyes, “Call if there’s an emergency. But beyond that… We’ll see.” Translation: Evan wanted the silent treatment on both ends. DO NOT DISTURB flashed brightly in Eddie’s mind over Buck’s head and all Eddie could do was adhere to it. “Stay safe.” Buck hung up at that and his distressed face was replaced with the iPad’s background of a brightly smiling Christopher smeared in ice cream. A photo taken by Buck, who brought out the smile on his son’s face, bought the ice cream, and spent the entirety of the afternoon playing at a private field, making Christopher feel like a star player. Just like his Buck.

I'm sorry? But not really. If you want to see more NFL Buck just search under the nfl tag on my page.

Tagging: @disasterbuckdiaz, @eddiediaztho, @try-set-me-on-fire, @forthewolves, @jesuisici33, @alyxmastershipper, @spotsandsocks, @spaceprincessem, @loserdiaz, @devirnis, @bvckandeddie, @thekristen999, @rogerzsteven, @buddierights, @watchyourbuck, @diazblunt, @911-on-abc, @monsterrae1, @cowboydiazes, @cowboy-buddie, @cowboy-buck, @buck-coded, @transbuck, @elvensorceress, @starlingbite, @bekkachaos, @housewifebuck, @honestlydarkprincess, @brokenribsdiaz, @bigfootsmom Plus anyone else I forgot to tag and anyone who wants to share! Tag me, I want to see all the snippets!

#wip wednesday #tag games #my wip #911 fox #911 abc #911 show #911 fic #buddie #buddie fic #evan buckley #eddie díaz #christopher diaz #nfl #quarterback buck #firefighter eddie #secret relationship #fighting #angst #christopher is buck's son

[henry-fox-biggest-stan]

One thing I deeply love about Henry’s character than it’s not often acknowledged in the fandom is how he’s unapologetically gay, and his journey to become unapologetically gay.

We know Henry has been aware of his sexuality since young, than unlike Alex, it wasn’t something he didn’t acknowledge/repress. Henry (quoting Casey) “was born awake”, had no queer awakening. We know it was not something he was proud of when he was younger, he believed it was “the most unforgivable thing about me.”

And yet, he spends his time learning queer history and reading queer literature. He spends the book in the closet, believing he will never come out, that maybe he shouldn’t come out. And he finished the book out, running a shelter for lgbt teens. Do you guys understand that? This is someone who went from being locked away and not even looking for the key to someone who decides enough is enough, and is tired of faking. He becomes some kind of icon for queer teenagers, someone they can look up to, someone who understands. Henry and Pez start a shelter, and they became the queer elders they once needed in their life.

Henry is proud of being gay. Henry doesn’t want to hide, Henry is incredibly passionate about his history and those who came before him, Henry will remember them, they won’t be forgotten, not if he’s here. This is someone who grew up on a homophobic environment (not necessarily because of homophobic parents, but monarchy isn’t exactly known for it’s acceptance and diversity), who felt bad about being gay for so long, who was made believe that being in the closet was good, that he couldn’t come out, than he shouldn’t, that it would be best for everybody if nobody knew. That he should be hidden away, that no one could know, it was shameful, unnatural. And on top of it all, being a prince means responsibility and the weight of a country on your shoulders, it means cameras following you around, having a whole nation judging what you’re wearing today. The hiding was constant, his defenses were always up. Could he tell this person? Could he be sure they wouldn’t leak it to the press?

Henry never experienced community. How could he, when he spent all his life either hiding or being hidden away? Yet he wants to. He longs for it so much. He reads about queer history and wonders how it must have been like, to be at the front of a protest, and know those behind are with you, are like you, and for once, look into the eyes of a police officer and not feel afraid. How it must have been like to go to a parade, would his throat feel tight, would he choke back tears? Or would he smile, feeling at peace? No idea, and it’s not like he could ever discover, right? The only thing he had always longed for the most, the feeling of community, of acceptance, is the thing most out of his reach there is. The one thing he cannot buy, cannot get.

He believed himself “a problem that deserved to stay hidden, never quite trusted myself or what I wanted”. Not only for his sexuality, for himself as a person, but being gay also played a role, of course it did. He never trusted what he wanted, why would he, when what he wants is shameful and forbidden. Being gay was never an option. First, being gay was unfathomable, something that made him different, shameful. Something his classmates joked and laughed about, about those people. Then, being gay was a thing brave, normal people were. The ones at the head of the protests, the ones marrying each other, the ones writing books, those were not princes. Even after learning his history, and that people like him have always been there, he’s still not allowed. Perhaps he would be, if only he had been born in another family, but he hasn’t, and there’s nothing he can do about it. Being gay was something brave people are, people who stand in the front, who aren’t afraid to look at hate in the eye, those who run away to be themselves, not caring the difficulties they might face on the way, those who hold hands and link arms and rest heads on each other’s shoulders, who found a community, who found people like them, and who aren’t letting go, who are protecting each other. And Henry, Henry was a coward. Would he be able to do that, to return home with a bloody nose and a broken arm, and still find the courage to wake up the next morning and know to have been in the right? To not regret it? Would Henry have accepted the fight, stood in the front of a revolution, or would he have hidden away, and watched from the sidelines?

Henry is proven wrong about being a coward, he’s brave, so brave, but he doesn’t see it.

Through the book, Henry begins to hope, to want to come out. Begins trusting himself, believing in himself. He stands up for himself, he won’t be locked away anymore, he will find a key, or he will make it himself.

Henry goes from someone hidden away to someone proud, unapologetic, and free.

Henry is unapologetically gay, and it took some time to get there, but he is, and he’s now helping other people on their journey to pride.

#henry fox mountchristen windsor #rwrb #casey mcquiston #red white and royal blue #firstprince #red white & royal blue #alex claremont diaz

[sennqu]

ok i am ready to be spicy. so i made this post the other day (or yesterday what is time) without tags: (with some slight word changes)

"oh, I get it now. I think I understand a big reason why the "Mike is in love with Will but just doesn't want to admit it because he has internalized homophobia" is such a popular fandom opinion. Because then Mike's behavior becomes "obviously" romantic since this take assumes that he's aware of his behavior.

The take that he's "simply oblivious, simply doesn't know his feelings are actually romantic in nature", which -- in my opinion -- is much more heavily supported by the text, is... actually kind of scary to consider from a "wanting the ship to be canon" perspective. Because it's pretty much close to saying that his feelings are actually just platonic after all because that's what Mike thinks they are."

So, I have been thinking very hard on this for a while because I do think that this is why there is a sort of...friction? anxiety? in the general vibes of the fandom with regards to how byler can even work out in S5 after the events of S4.

In my opinion, I think that the second take -- Mike is oblivious -- actually lends itself well to the prospect of official, no ways around it endgame byler better than the first one does.

Because imagine it: Mike doesn't have to suffer through thinking he's wrong or he's a mistake or that he's not conforming to society's standards before coming to terms with his feelings. He just has to realize he's in love with his best friend, and that his best friend is in love with him. Mike is going to be the out, loud, and proud person of this relationship. He just has to figure his shit out.

First, what do we know about Mike so far and what can we take away from it? and why is it not "internalized homophobia"?

The biggest evidence for me against the "internalized homophobia" take is in S1 when Will was being called names by Troy and friend. Mike physically retaliated. He didn't look ashamed; he looked angry. Because they were insulting his missing best friend right in front of him. He was not internalizing these slurs. What he was doing was defending Will, who was the target of this hate. He prioritized defending Will, who wasn't even there, over cowing to displays of homophobia.

What about that "It's not my fault you don't like girls" line? Surely that means he's repressed and internalizing some shit? Yeah, and maybe he was just talking faster than his mind could think? Mike ends up clarifying this line and gives away the actual thing that's holding him back: heteronormative thinking. He talks about getting girlfriends as part of growing up as a young man. He says this like a neutral piece of information.

Let's talk about Mike's fears. So far, all of Mike’s insecurities are about being needed, being useful. It's not conforming to society. It's not fitting the mold. If he feared that then he'd have done what Lucas did and joined a popular group. But what did he do? He leaned into his DnD hobby and even started dressing differently, growing his hair out too. S4 Mike is not afraid to be an outcast.

What he does fear most is people leaving him behind. That's what he says about/to El, and that's practically what he says to Will as his excuse for being weird at the airport. The knock-off outfit, the flowers. That wasn't him trying to be straight so he wouldn't be outed as gay or in love with his best friend or whatever. That was his attempt at saving his relationship because he does love El and he doesn't want to lose her too. But they are incompatible. He doesn't realize he doesn't love her romantically but he does love her. That's why he's struggling. Because he can't differentiate between the two.

Lastly, he says to Will: "I feel like I lost you". Which means he felt like he already lost Will. Loving someone and losing them is something Mike never wants to happen again because it already happened once, twice, three times before with Will. Once when Will vanished, the second time when Will got possessed, and the third time when Will moved away. Mike's issue isn't about loving Will and fearing he's gay; it's about losing Will again.

The bolded part is the one I want to highlight because it's the most important piece of the puzzle imo. I am willing to bet that not wanting to lose Will again is going to be a huge part of Mike’s arc in S5 and is going to lead to him finally realizing his feelings. I honestly don't think Will's confession is going to figure into things at all until Mike's realized his feelings. Because the audience has to see Mike fall in love with Will before he figures out Will loves him back. The audience should not be made to think that Mike only falls in love with Will because Will's in love with him.

But how will Mike realize exactly the difference between his love for Will and his love for El if he's this goddamn oblivious? How will the process even start? El has to break up with him. No other way around it. El has to tell him straight up that she does not believe he is in love with her. Only then can Mike be free to even think about what romantic love actually means to him. I imagine this is where he and Nancy will actually get to talk about something substantial again, when he asks her what being in love means. and that will further get the ball rolling. And I believe however his arc plays out, we will get to see Mike and Will definitively end up together.

Because Mike loves Will so much. He isn't quite aware of what this love is yet but he has it in abundance. That is why he was the only one apart from Joyce who pushed for finding Will initially; that is why he is always the first to apologize when he and Will fight; that is why the best thing he's ever done was ask Will to be his friend; that is why he lashed out at Will at the roller rink; that is why he was so over the moon about Will's painting and Will's words in the van that he ironically didn't even see Will crying; that is why he only said his monologue after Will practically told him to.

Will is and continues to be Mike's most important person. Once Mike realizes he's in love with Will and the feeling is mutual? Homophobia can go suck a tail pipe because how dare this concept make the love of his life feel like a mistake? Mike is going to kiss Will as soon he realizes because he is not going to let anyone make him wait a minute longer before kissing the boy of his dreams.

sneaky edit: the underlined parts are links to other analyses i've done before regarding Mike's behavior. Analyses over the airport/roller rink scene, him being oblivious, his love for El, etc!

#this is.... very long #absolutely the longest post i have ever written #it's not as concise or as pinpointed as i wanted it to be #but that's fine. I'm laying it all out there #ku blarghs #strangely blogging #byler #this is a great starting off point for my planned predictions post too #and as is the norm for my posts... links abound... #also i know i am very confidence and 100% hope personified in this post #because i am. i am confident. not about the specifics. but i am 100% they are going to kiss #you guys can be worried about it being canon it's ok. i have enough confidence and hope for all of us lmao

[lurkingshan]

Shan’s Confession Corner: Minato’s Laundromat

I’ve just finished the second episode of Minato’s Laundromat 2, and I absolutely loved it. I love the clear intent behind this new season, and I love where the story is headed. And it made me think this might be a good time for me to unpack my complicated feelings about the first season. All gifs used in this post are by the wonderful @wanderlust-in-my-soul.

So here’s the confession: I didn’t love Minato’s Laundromat as much as a lot of you did. I respect it, of course. I recognize it as a very well-executed show that fulfilled its vision with smart writing and filming techniques and an excellent cast. I recognize that the characterization of Shin and Minato was very much based in yaoi tropes and that Shin being the pursuer while Minato resisted was a necessary construct to make the age gap palatable. 

But despite understanding all of that I didn’t love it, and Minato is the reason why. I always have a hard time connecting with emotionally immature adult characters. I struggle mightily with romances that feel too one-sided. I cringe away from the blushing maiden trope. I dislike it when I can’t quite understand what one character sees in another. And all of this came up for me in the romance between Shin and Minato.

Now before @bengiyo comes through with his bat let me just say that I get it. I get that Minato is this way because he is a lonely gay man who has been repressing his sexuality since adolescence. I get that he never had the chance to mature because he was hiding who he was. I get that he is defensive around Shin at first because he is being responsible, and then because he is so unused to physical affection and attention that he doesn’t know how to handle it. Minato strikes me as someone who is both, as Ben sometimes says, touch-starved and touch-repulsed. And all of that is rooted in his experiences with internalized homophobia and a life lived in the closet.

While I can understand and empathize with all of that, I didn’t understand how that was meant to work in the context of a relationship with someone like Shin. Shin who is so honest, and so brave, and so smart, and so responsible, and so damn all around desirable. In my meanest moments, I would think to myself that Shin should really just go to school and meet new guys, guys who are his own age with less hang ups who could return his affections. And while I enjoyed the finale of the first season, I was not really satisfied with where we left them because it still didn’t feel like Minato had worked through his issues enough to be a good partner to Shin.

Which brings me to Minato’s Laundromat 2, and my love for what it’s doing. Because y’all, this is exactly what season 2 is about! And it’s interesting to me that this season is not based on the manga, and instead features brand new material. It says to me that the creators of this show had some of the same questions I did about how these characters would actually function together in a relationship, and decided to explore it and figure out how it could work. And that is my absolute favorite kind of season 2, because I am always interested in how a couple stays together, not just in the getting together itself.

So in these first two episodes of the second season, we have seen that after their initial getting together, Minato retreated into his usual patterns. He is still holding Shin at a distance. He is still doling out affection sparingly. He is still struggling to verbalize his feelings and he is still cringing away from physical intimacy. And Shin is, as ever, being patient and giving him space to work through it while sometimes expressing frustration and continuing to ask for and sometimes scheme his way into the things he wants. 

I love that we are already starting to see the subtle changes in Minato. He is, internally, able to recognize now that he loves Shin even if he won’t say it out loud. He is starting to notice and unpack his own reactions—I love him so much I can’t look him in the eye—and trying to push through them to return affection to Shin in the ways he is comfortable with. He is engaging in acts of service like cooking as a means to communicate his feelings. He is giving Shin some of what he wants, like living in the same place and handing over his spare key. Is he still doing it all with a grimace and many verbal protestations? Of course, he didn’t change his whole personality overnight. But he’s doing it, and Shin knows him well enough to understand how meaningful that is. 

I am excited to see how far the show intends to take this growth arc for Minato. Shin is patient but he’s not a saint; he will sometimes feel unsatisfied and push for more than what Minato wants to give, and seeing them work through that is exactly what we need to feel secure in their future as a couple. I am so glad we’re getting this season 2, both for the sake of the characters and for those of us in the audience who really needed it.

#minato’s laundromat #minato’s laundromat 2 #japanese bl #jdrama #shan shouts into the void

[zombiefishmonster]

My Personal Kickin' It Headcanons

- yes another kickin' it post. i'm making as many as my heart desires. enjoy.

- Rudy Gillespie

+ big anime phase in highschool, specifically dragon ball z and naruto

+ had a HUUGE crush on bobby wasabi in grade school. his dad showed him his first movie, and he was obsessed. he doesn't feel romantically towards him now at all but he still holds him in a higher regard.

+ trans rudy bisexual rudy.

+ ty, lonnie and him have "guys nights", they sometimes invite bobby and phil but only sometimes.

+ the reason why he became a sensei and cares so deeply for his students is because his parents were neglectful, so he's determined to be there for any other kids who need it.

+ he definitely goes to all their weddings/events

+ i'd like to think he and ms. applebottom stay together.

- Jack Brewer

+ definitely had a crush on jerry at a point

+ he really likes percy jackson (this is me projecting)

+ the only social media he has is instagram, and it's just because everyone made him get it.

+ we know about his haircare, but i think he'd also take incredible care of his skin. he's also very naturally tidy, despite having his less than classy moments

+ divorced parents, but they really try despite having busy jobs

+ his grandpa mostly took care of him growing up

+ he got his first tattoo at 18, he got it for his grandpa

+ bisexual jack.

- Kim Crawford

+ the most Normal home life

+ i can't decide if she's pansexual or straight.

+ has mostly guy cousins

+ she's such a lowkey nerd. but like in the way she doesn't realize she's nerdy. she's really interested in the history of martial arts

+ she stayed in contact with sloane, and they moved in together, with jack, after high school

+ her room is a clothes MESS.

+ even though her parents are normal, most of her cousins and extended family are batshit

+ i also think she draws, mostly just sketches of things around seaford

+ even though she can't dance for shit, she can sing (this is kinda canon)

- Eddie Jones

+ repressed queer

+ he left seaford because his mom got a better job offer

+ unfortunately, this made him fall out of karate but he got way more into dancing

+ he has REALLY nice handwriting

+ he has an older sister, like 10 years older, but they're still really close

+ literally LOVES tv dramas. he really likes greys anatomy

+ his mom has a cat that she got a few years after he was born

+ he tries to keep house plants alive, but it always ends up dying

+ he keeps in contact with milton and jerry a little

- Jerry Martinez

+ he's a big frequenter of the hospital

+ he had a crush on jack at a separate time

+ he and milton move in together after highschool, that's when they start dating

+ takes milton to dancing lessons/teaches him himself

+ started dancing wayyy before karate, only started karate in middle school

+ he has dyslexia

+ like eddie, he's close with his sisters (wiki says he has 7 unnamed sisters; i think 3 younger, 4 older, making him pretty much middle)

+ he's not "good" at painting, but he enjoys it

+ he has a strong appreciation for country music

+ eddie got him in to greys anatomy, they text each other on episode release days

- milton krupnik

+ the MOST online of them all, he definitely had a tumblr

+ surprisingly, he made the first move on jerry

+ despite the fiasco in "the commercial," he continued baking and actually got wayyy better

+ he's got a single dad, who does really try but he struggles a lot

+ probably the most mentally unstable. i can't explain it but it's his vibes. (im projecting)

+ he got more into hair and makeup as he got older

+ after julie, he realized he was gay and likes jerry

+ he had a warrior cats phase

+ he helped the rest of them study for all their finals, and he doesn't like to brag, but it's DEFINITELY the only reason why they passed

+ he spends the most time at the dojo, his dad works a lot, so it's just easier for him to stay at the dojo and help out with different classes / help around the mall

+ huge huge HUUUGE HUGE. enjoyer of the ocean. i can't explain it but it's true.

#kickin it #kickin' it #rudy gillespie #jack brewer #kim crawford #eddie jones #jerry martinez #milton krupnick #aka me projecting for a whole post

[kimbapisnotsushi]

hey all welcome to me rating hq schools based on how homophobic they are on completely arbitrary-not-arbitrary rules LET’S GET IT

(i feel like i need to clarify that high score = not at all homophobic and that low score = disgustingly homophobic hope that helps!!)

karasuno: 1000000/100000 i’m including BOTH teams in this to represent the whole school boys’ vbc i don’t even think i have to cite reasons BUT girls’ vbc i just know that poor little underclassman had a heart attack when michimiya grabbed her face like that

seijoh: i’m going to take off a point right off the bat bc i wanted to deck oikawa so bad the first time i saw him. 9/10 the day is saved because kyoutani and yahaba put so much yearning into that one panel and also because kindaichi has multiple breakdowns over what kageyama means to him every few days or so. kunimi would commit gay-on-gay crime but i’ll allow that he has the right to

date tech: i know for a fact we’ve all been kogane at some point in our lives and also i’m pretty sure all the first and second years were in love with moniwa at some point. onagawa’s nickname is pantalones. aone hyper focuses on the aces of rival teams. having nametsu as a manager is mlmwlw solidarity. 4/10 i took points away because futakuchi is a little bitch and isn’t afraid to show it and would accidentally come across as homophobic in the process when he isn’t

shiratorizawa: see this is tough bc tendou reads all that shounen and semi is SO gender and probably holes himself up in the dorm writing song lyrics about having the biggest crush on tendou and also goshiki and shirabu are obviously pining for their upperclassmen but ushijima has some SERIOUS repression going on and washijou looks like he’d say that being gay is a disease BUT i do think he’s open to learning so like. 6.5/10?

johzenji: they have cute nicknames for each other AND i think they’d kiss the homies good night. also terushima fell in love with daichi within the span of fifteen seconds. 7/10 i took away points because they think saying “no homo” while holding hands stops it from being homo

kakugawa: komaki, asamushi, and minamida all rotate the brain cell between them. they all look like middle schoolers next to hyakuzawa to the point where i keep forgetting they’re not. komaki does the glasses push so i’m giving extra for that. 7.5/10 because when hyakuzawa comes out to them they freak out (out of concern and trying to figure out how to best handle it!) and then freak hyakuzawa out so everyone is just freaking out for a full five minutes

wakunan: nakashima and tabi deserved SO MUCH MORE also i love tabi’s hair so 11/10 the extra 1 is for their break down

nekoma: 1000000.5/10 mostly because i’m biased but hello???? we have DIVERSITY here we can go rivals to lovers AND childhood friends to lovers AND friends to lovers all in one team. nekomata is self-explanatory. the .5 is because i already mentioned before that lev would be such a top tier ally if he wasn’t already swooning over kenma and yaku

fukurodani: akaashi will go on tangents about how historians will say they were just best friends. whenever yukie and kaori cuddle in front of everyone konoha makes gagging noises bc of how sickeningly sweet they are. it’s funny but i’ll be taking points off for that and also because bokuto once got the school computers infected with a virus trying to google “two guys making out”. 2/10

shinzen & ubugawa: i’m putting them together bc daiki and masaki are in love and eri and mako are in love. they go on double dates all the time and also chigaya is a bro he gets trusted with all the secret “dude i think i’m _____” talks and never tells a single soul about them 100/100

itachiyama: iizuna is the mlm awakening at itachiyama. iizuna was SAKUSA’S awakening. komori and sakusa fight because they say can’t both be the gay cousin. whenever iizuna interrupts their bickering they call him homophobic. 9/10 i subtracted a point because their uniforms make me want to claw my eyes out

nohebi: we all know daishou had a thing for kuroo way back when so like. also have you seen hiroo’s hair? those bangs are emo as hell what even is that. 8/10 because they’ll be homophobic against other teams in the middle of the goddamn game to bait them and the only reason they haven’t lost MORE points for that is bc i love kuguri

inarizaki: -117478492/10 i’ll fight miya atsumu myself. i don’t think he’s homophobic he just pisses me off sometimes

kamomedai: they get 475828929392/??? just because i love them so much

mujinazaka: usuri instills fear and admiration in me. also unann and mami are basically an old divorced couple who want to get back together but don’t know how to. honda probably gets shit on a lot for having his whole entire name sounding like car dealerships. ezo is the only one with a brain cell and for that i’ll give 8.5/10

niiyama: maiko doesn’t even know there are labels for it she just thinks girls are pretty and she’d kill for them 500/10

tsubakihara: the headbands are really cute and i like their motto 100/100

#HOLY SHIT I THINK I GOT MOSTLY ALL OF THEM #HOW THE FUCK DO I EVEN TAG THIS LMAAAAO #god i am NOT tagging characters i’m just going to tag hcs and call it a day #haikyuu #haikyuu!! #haikyuu hcs #sou says stuff

[reamnosart]

Can you share some of your Ikabod headcanons

Ok thank u for asking because I’ve been holding onto headcanons for so long that I was afraid to share bc I didn’t know how other people would react D: I don’t engage in fandom spaces very much since I used to strictly enjoy canon, but I’m letting myself take artistic liberties with The Upturned since I like it so much!!

In my brain there are two Iks; the real one and the funky little self indulgent one that lives in my brain

“Real” Ik

-Gay and nb (he/they)

-he has adhd!! And probably some other neurodivergence. I relate a lot to how impulsive he is, and I also relate to his problem solving skills (the whole thing with him getting the historic database files)

-Ik’s dad didn’t treat him well because he acted soft (he’s such a sweetheart and a pushover I love this guy)

-I used to think Ik’s line about thanking his dad for killing him would suggest a repression of his sexuality/ associating it with him dying and wishing he was different, but I’m more convinced that he was forgiving/ thanking his father since the afterlife has been a better outlet to experience his interests without being afraid of being himself

-The reason Ik has yellow eyes is because they resemble truck headlights

-traveler isn’t the first person Ik tried to be friends with at the hotel

-the reason Ik doesn’t fight back against sob is because he’s a victim of sob’s experiments. The only things keeping him from becoming a monster are fear and his customer service skills

-I asked Zeekerss once about why souks vary so much in size. He doesn’t have a straight answer for it, but suggested it has to do with characteristics of the person’s soul. Ik was probably around 6 feet tall when he was alive, but his towering stature in the afterlife represents the lengths he goes to make others happy

-same reason he’s got his big goofy smile. He’s like a beacon of hope in such a miserable place. He’s a kind soul who chose to help others instead of wallow like sob or the artist

Self indulgent Ik (basically an OC at this point)

-so basically everything is the same except Ik and Sob are transmasc butch lesbians (just like me fr)

-in canon Ik died at 15 and met sob around 18 but my version of Ik is 21 when he dies and meets Sob (just. Like me)

-it’s easier to have creative freedom with a character when I relate them to myself let me have this

-Ik is Sob’s willing assistant and works with him to find more subjects/ victims for experiments. The suffering of Sob’s victims are a small price to pay in the search for an end to the afterlife, a concept that millions of souls could benefit from (and may even be a way to connect back to the land of the living?)

-Ik has become numb to the idea of connecting to guests after meeting millions of them and being berated/ harassed by lost and confused souls. Traveler is the first person in 40 years he’s related to, so Ik goes out of his way to keep traveler safe from Sob’s traps.

I have so many more but it’s like 5 am so I can’t remember them all rn,,,, thank you again for asking!!! I always love talking about this game.

#the upturned #ikabod kee #the upturned ik #personal #reamnosart

[ginger-snap-talkin-nonsense]

Huh! I've never watched Fight Club before but I'm sure you're correct in that it's very transgender. Can you elaborate on that? :0

It's no secret at this point that the original book was written with a lot of homoerotic subtext as the author was a gay man who got the idea for the book following being hate crimed, and as such a popular school of thought is that Tyler to an extent represents sexual repression presenting as toxic masculinity.

However, Fincher is not one to make a movie without adding his own flair and interpretations, and Fincher has this really interesting consistent thread in his work wherein all the women are just inherently leading better lives than the self destructive and/or dangerous men running the film, and when a women is self destructive or dangerous it's BECAUSE of how society treats women rather than an internal problem.

And that's where Marla Singer's role gets upped from small(er) time character to important thematic core. Marla is, much like Tyler, seen as a mirror to our protagonist. She's a hot mess with a drug problem, sure. But she's confident in herself in a way our protagonist isn't. Shes bold, she knows what issues she has, and she knows how she likes to handle them. Shes put herself together best she can and chooses to let that which does not matter truly slide.

Tyler makes it a point to have sex with her to hurt the protagonist, while also despising her with a genuine anger that he has for nothing else-even the society he claims to rage against. Then, when our protagonist realizes that he and Tyler are the same his solace is turning to Marla for help which enrages Tyler so much he attempts to kill her.

The final shot after our protagonist kills Tyler is him holding hands with Marla (who in comparison to the All Time Low main here is looking her absolute best in the film) where he says the line:

"You've met me at a very strange point in my life"

Now if Tyler originally represents a potential suppressing of homosexual feelings represented by toxic masculinity, and Marla acts very similarly to Tyler in terms of role yet acts as a positive force for getting better, what could this mean about Marla?

Why does our protagonist believe that his life is at its worst when he first meets her for the expressed crime of being a reflection of himself? Why does Tyler appear after the main can't confront his feelings towards her like she can him? Why does Tyler push so hard to keep her and the main apart? Why is our protagonist's acceptance that he likes Marla the thing that makes him see Tyler as the perversion of masculinity he is?

Something to chew on.