#not even in a romantic way. but like. gay people literally are that dramatic

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 4 MATCH 4

Dorian propaganda:

“Hot gay mage with traumatic homophobic parents thay disowned him so he ran away and yet he is still trying to do his best for his people. Also he knows he is hot stuff and flirts with everyone even when he isn't interested in female characters.”

Gale propaganda:

“He is my cringe malewife I love him <3”

“Listen. Some may dunk on him for eating all of your magic artifacts (he only eats three!!) and others may dislike him for various bugs in his romance. But man oh man does this guy take devotion to the next level. He is such a romantic. Says the line "Whether I condemn this world or not, I choose you." after you successfully convince him to disobey his goddess who is also his ex girlfriend. He's a bit hungry for power, but in like, a sexy way, where he wants to get it to elevate you both to Godhood. And if you tell him that you want him for the man he is and not the God he aspires to be, he abandons that search for power and proposes. You can have wizard sex with him in the sky. His "rebellious streak" consists of staying up late reading and summoning a cat when his parents told him he couldn't have one, and also the aforementioned pursuit of godlike powers. What an absolute catch. He's always saying dramatic stuff in battle, but if you have him sneak around, he starts complaining like a grumpy old man. He's extra attracted to you when you're in battle. He has a bomb in his chest. And it is a very nice chest. Anyway. Boyfriend material.”

“This man is so sweet and idealistic. He wants everything about your romance to go perfectly like a fairy tale but that isn't really possible in apocalyptic settings, so he will use magic to help you forget  your surroundings when trying to be intimate to get as close as he can to perfect because he wants you to have the best. He is also attracted to literally all of your character and gets really turned on when you are musky and covered in blood after a battle. Just love my nerdy awkward horny romantic wizard.”

#dorian pavus #dragon age #dragon age inquisition #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #Baldur's Gate 3 #BG3 #Round 4 #MDDC 2

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Autistic Anime Boys Prelims - Propaganda Division - Group 2

Propaganda:

Kyouya -

"what's there to say? you know him. you love him. vote kyoya."

Rinnosuke -

"Rinnosuke Morichika lives in an overly-cluttered curio shop, and has a special interest in making magical inventions. Since he doesn’t live in a modern setting— but a pocket dimension slightly disconnected to the outside world— whenever a modern item shows up in his shop via spiriting away, he can obsess over it for extended periods of time. He is quite blunt without realizing it, even to people he cares for. He also has a special ability to generally understand the name and use of any item he touches (though this backfires sometimes, he thought a Gameboy was a doomsday device once)."

Fuuta -

"okay look theres so many fucking signs hes autistic. he cannot tell tone and often doesn't know how to react to stuff which is a major point in his character id say. he was asked if he remembered his victim's name (hes a murderer. oops!) and his response was something along the lines of "Of course I do. I saw it everywhere." because he did not understand that they wanted to know what it was since it wasnt directly stated. im convinced that hoodies are a comfort object of his because i genuinely have not seen him without one except for one time. also hes canonically a chronically online twitter user. also he gets really passionate about his interests. also not really related but everyone in the fandom agrees hes transgender but no one can agree on what way. ive seen every single gender hc for this dude. vote kajiyama fuuta for this sopping wet poor little meow meow of a man."

Hansum -

"He's just a very odd and strange lad, can't remember names well, is an alien (mild spoiler), he's very popular, obsessed with Doritos and becomes their mascot, just refers to everyone as humans which is a mood, and is completely socially oblivious."

Miyuki -

"Relatable neurodivergent-Gifted Child syndromeTM case with all the superiority-inferiority complex that results. A chronic show-off and scheming strategist with a lowkey hopeless romantic dramatic aspect to him, silly cool and pathetic in a very hilarious way. Shirogane has a trademark glare purely thanks to his eyebags as he runs on coffee everyday having to support his family with multiple jobs in addition to class, on top of student council president duties. He's kind and an obsessive perfectionist who fills his entire wall with the weirdest motivational posters. Shirogane is very devoted to his love. He likes penguins (Kaguya and him is peak asd4asd and bi4bi btw)."

Kirito -

"He's autistic and bisexual as hell, and there's a good bit of trans coding in him 🥺

Autism coding: Bro's literally got a sword and swordfighting hyperfixation where, despite playing a game that focuses around guns, he still chooses to use a sword!! We also see him completely missing Asuna's flirting at first (he tells her she could have just checked her friendlist to make sure he was alive, in response to her tracking him down to see him)

Bi coding: Dual wielding swords is literally a euphemism in Japan for bisexuality; and Kirito initially tries to hide the fact he can dual wield out of fear of how the people he's close to will view him (and once he reveals it to them and they accept it, he begins to be more open about it.) Also in the Underworld arc he becomes very close with Eugeo to the point of living with him (and sharing a bed on occasion), and there are several parallels between Eugeo and Asuna, and they're so gay for each other that despite the anime having only a toned down version of it, they're still very affectionate (Also of note is that Eugeo is the only guy in SAO canon to consistently have a 'laying in bed with Kirito' talk CG in the spinoff games) (There's more but it's spoilers and this is a shortened version)

Trans coding: Kirito is very trans coded in the light novel (which shows Kirito's thoughts in much greater detail than the anime) Aincrad arc reveals that Kirito explicitly Does Not Like his real face, and dislikes how feminine it looks (he mentions that its led to him and his cousin being mistaken for sisters) And in Phantom Bullet arc, he's visibly uncomfortable at being mistaken for a girl due to his avatar's appearance, and in response to being misgendered he briefly panics and checks to make sure his chest flat (at least in the anime adaptation) 🏳️‍⚧️"

Shirou -

"Has one goal in life and ignores almost everything in favor of trying to fulfil that goal."

Keith -

"Speaks in a way that is seen as weird and has mannerisms others think is funny. He struggles with not being taken seriously by others because of this and many of the things others say goes over his head. He struggles to connect with other people because of these things. His entire arc in the second film is about him deciding that the people who don't accept him for who he is aren't worth it and that he's going to continue being himself."

Junpei -

"for other fans of this series, I know the more obvious representation here may be Luou, Junpei is So Good. his special interest is ballet and he has so many hangups involving how his family sees him and how other boys his age interpret him to the point that his idea of masculinity is extremely narrow and he enforces social rules on himself to mask and keep people from realizing that he loves something that Isn't Manly. he misinterprets social cues and takes things literally, like assuming that when Miyako asked him to dance with her she meant Right This Minute rather than as a pair in the studio. for some reason the point where he cuts his hair super short to prove his devotion to ballet is also sticking with me, I think maybe it's the combination of the way it's normal for boys/men in Japan to do that, yet Junpei didn't realize that kind of attitude/action didn't suit ballet at all? he wasn't aware that the context was completely different. Junpei also doesn't act or pretend very well, he's gotta put his whole entire ass into his roles, which he then proceeds to get TOO into and cause a lot of trouble, without giving too much away! he's really relatable to me as someone who's socially anxious but very skilled at masking, and seeing him become more comfortable with himself and start to show how he really feels is so inspiring to me."

Kazuma -

"He may be (wildly) misguided but his intentions are good kinda! He’s just the Guy of all time idk how to explain it."

#autistic anime boys poll #tumblr polls #prelims #kyouya ootori #ouran high school host club #rinnosuke morichika #touhou project #fuuta kajiyama #milgram #hansum ochinchin #not so shoujo love story #miyuki shirogane #kaguya-sama: love is war #kazuto kirigaya #kirito #sword art online #shirou emiya #fate/stay night #keith goodman #tiger & bunny #junpei murao #dance dance danseur #kazuma asogi #the great ace attorney

[beanghostprincess]

Im finally catching up with OP and did shanks really just decided “yeah f that laugh tale shit, I’m staying with buggy because he can’t go”. What Oda meant by that, what’s going on….. I thought you all were joking, he really did this FOR BUGGY. I know he’s big on doing things for others but c mon, it was not life or death situation here, it was not that dramatic. What in complete dedication just happened here, I get why it got so popular now, because no way, just no way literally GAYEST pure home of sexual shanks moment went to BUGGY of all people

I THOUGHT IT WAS HEADCANON/FANWORK JUST LIKE THEM EATING TOGETHER ON THE COVER

WHAT IS ODS TRYING TO DO HERE. I SAW FANART LIKE THIS FOR OTHER SHIPS AND SHANKS DO THIS GAY SHIT IN CANON

I’m having meltdown here

I thought people were exaggerating too and it turns out Shuggy really is the greatest love story ever created because what do you mean Shanks postponed their dream because he didn't want to go without Buggy... Because he was worried... What do you mean he stayed behind to take care of him because he was sick... This shit only happens in fanfics...

Also, it gets gayer and even more romantic! <3

#these two are canon to me #like there is NO WAY- #one piece #shuggy #ask-bean!

[byersfanclub]

can i say another thing, they go to “rescue” el, like it’s this whole thing of mike going to “rescue” el once they realize that she could be in danger but the thing is mike doesn’t rescue el, she rescues herself because mike is right, el doesn’t need him and that’s exactly what makes mike feel so inferior. after everything el went through at nina and everything mike and will talked about while in the pizza van, i think it’s safe to say that this scene right here is used to give people a false sense of hope between mike and el when it’s so clear that their relationship is toast already from what we’ve seen just in s4. i mean really. this scene is so unserious. they make is feel so dramatic with the slight zooms and the music and then argyle SCHLAPS a pizza down in front of them and mike’s like “ew pineapple” (plus argyle calling mike romeo, foreshadowing how this isn’t going to end well) like yeah what a great way to make the scene feel romantic by it being interrupted with the comedic relief character slapping a pizza between them and then having the canon gay character in love with mike pine and feel jealously from the other room. sure. feels so romantic.

also, if mike was going to say he loved el here, then why did he hesitate so much when she was literally DYING in front of him? mike isn’t stupid, if he truly loved her he would have said it right away in hopes it would help her fight. even after he’s pushed by will and how will feels about him, his words still don’t help. the only word that gives el the power is “fight” while she’s watching her best friend be murdered right in front of her. max is what truly gave el the strength to fight vecna. not mike. because max and el’s friendship is stronger than mike and el’s relationship.

#byler #elmax

[roxxeatzgravel]

I don't know why I made this

Why Romeo + Juliet 1996 lowkey implied that gay people (Tybalt) exist

A unorganized essay by Roxx

I firmly believe there is no way Tybalt, Capulet's nephew and Juliet’s cousin, was heterosexual in any way, shape, or form. He is, at least to me, extremely queer coded, whether it was intentional or not. The way Tybalt interacts with the cast screams Internalized Homophobia, from his aggressive and somewhat jealous nature towards Romeo to the banter he and Mercutio shared during their fight, he is just a very queer character and the gays love a enemies to lovers story (I’m the gays)

We don’t see Tybalt interact with Juliet, but I personally would guess they are close, at least as close as cousins are, given they most likely lived a majority of their lives together. If you really look into Romeo’s attempt to calm Tybalt in the play (and most versions) it can read in a homoerotic nature

Tybalt:  “Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford, No better term: Thou art a Villain”

Romeo: Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee Doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting. Villain am I none. Therefore farewell. I see thou knowest me not.” Quote; Act 3 scene 1, they basically just broke up

 and the 1996 version of the film doesn’t help this notion of Tybalt having a raging homo crush on Romeo (haha mean girls reference) either, given how close they are standing next to each other and Romeo’s expression, in that film he looks absolutely heartbroken that Tybalt would resort to such violent action and refuses to strike him. that angers Tybalt and he beats Romeo up, talk about romance am I right? (That was sarcasm, don’t beat your partners it’s fucked up),  and before this, Tybalt looked at Romeo in a way that made him look almost obsessed with him. 

Mercutio and Tybalt are obviously interconnected, they’re not opposites though instead they’re two sides of the same coin, They could even be read as a metaphor for how the hyper-masculinization of Queer men of colour, especially black and dark skinned Queer men, can be harmful and imply the stereotype that men of colour are violent and “uncivilized.” 

So Tybalt’s aggressive nature could be read a reflection of his own internalized homophobia and self hatred that has been pushed onto him by society and probably even his own family, While Mercutio’s aggression could be read as a form of self perseverance to keep himself out of harm's way. They both know that if they are openly queer, they are inherently in danger just by existing.

Tybalt, within this context, hates Romeo because he’s in love with him and he can’t fathom the idea of being in love with a man and a Montague no less.

Also he literally calls Romeo “My man”, I know in various contexts that could mean a platonic bond but c’mon, that's pretty damn gay.

So you might be asking, “Why do you think Romeo and Juliet would be better if Romeo and Tybalt were in love instead? And why not Mercutio and Tybalt?” Firstly, no one would’ve died; The entire reason R & J is R & J is because Tybalt was there, what truly sets off the chain reaction of some of the most memorable parts of R & J is Tybalt. If he wasn’t in the room when Romeo and Juliet were talking, R & J wouldn’t exist, and if he was Romeo’s romantic interest instead no one would be dead, Secondly, JULIET IS TOO YOUNG, I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL, and Third, Romeo and Tybalt would have a more interesting dynamic; the idea of Tybalt having to learn how to be vulnerable with a romantic partner is pretty interesting, I don’t think Tybalt could really ever learn to be vulnerable with Mercutio given both of their short tempers (and Mercutio is lowkey a dick but he’s still cool either way) and lack of respect for the others house. Romeo, obviously, is a bleeding heart romantic who is very very dramatic, while Tybalt is a ruthless, blood-thirsty, and closed off jackass who has some form of daddy and/or mommy issues, and that sort of opposites attract dynamic is the most interesting part of the entire idea of Romeo & Tybalt being an item.

it's giving "She likes a boy, She likes a boy, She likes a boy, She likes a boy, and I'm not a boy, I'm not a boy, I'm not a boy, I'm not a boy"

#ramble :3 #romeo + juliet 1996 #romeo x tybalt #its not done but yknow

[intrusiveinks]

I have a question. What is your MLP poly au about?

Sorry for the bad formatting I'm on phone and in a rush bc I spent all lunch writing this lmao

I also wanna start out by saying you don't have to agree with all my hcs n I don't mind other interpretations of these characters obviously, lmao

Tbh it's mainly just like random gay little hcs of mine, mainly surrounding the mane 6 being Poly, of course. I suppose it's technically one of my more fluid aus, as in not everything is honestly set in stone bc I can't decide if I want some of it to be darker or completely keep it more to Canon yet.

It's technically similar in some aspects to my Elements of Necessity Mane 6, just... a lot less horrible overall? Still not the the best ponies but also not the Worst like Necessity plans on being once I work on that again. (Especially w similarities w Twilight at least at first)

Despite shipping (almost) all of the mane 6 together (I just don't rlly see AJ n Pinkie as dating in any way, even if I don't entirely think they're actually related (I don't think they ever officially confirmed things in the show even later on so I could be wrong!)), my main fixation is on Dash x Pinkie x Shy and then also Twi x Rarity x Aj, and when talking to a friend I thought the concept of those two trios actually getting together first (and going through a semi-dramatic (kinda rivals in some cases) to friends to lovers thing and finally calming down then girls from both groups start falling for each other and it's chaos ALL OVER AGAIN!!!

Twilight is a lot more like ep 1 Twi (can u tell I loved that version of her) and she's not super social and when she is she can be rude (sometimes on purpose) and she's very work oriented and perfectionistic, even after she befriends the mane 6 in a similar way to the first ep, she doesn't do a super immediate flip and she doesn't ever entirely drop all of her more unsociable mannerisms because they are a part of her, she's not a total dick, but I like the thought that even people who don't socialize normally can be friends and have friendship!

Aj is a workaholic and kinda judgemental, especially if she doesn't really think somepony is as tough/mature/reliable as her, but she still tries to be polite because of how she was raised. A lot of those judgements normally happen when she feels like she's forced to interact with ponies who aren't relatives, (Rarity cough cough) but a lot of her judgements are because she forced herself to grow up fast and later on some of her frustrations turn out to be because she likes the others and not just bc she's annoyed.

Rarity is pretty much the same but even more slay serve dramatic queen in some aspects, she's actually pretty self conscious though, and for a while she's put herself in a creative rut because she feels ponies only want certain designs from her and she's scared to expand from that. (I wonder if 5 mares w different styles could help her out with that ;]) also kinda a workaholic.

Fluttershy is a EARTH PONY I do think unicorn Flutters is interesting but she's literally so earth pony coded idc!!! She's pretty much the same except a lot of her interactions (especially w Dash and Pinkie) are based on her admiration of them and then it becomes romantic over time. Similar with AJ and Rarity but in a kind of different way. With Twilight she actually relates to her social issues and ends up reaching out more when Twi is struggling to help her and the two of them get a bit of a bond sharing interests. Flutters also doesn't really care about getting messy and loves wilderness activities! The darkness is scary, but if she's scavenging in the day or sleeping in a tent she feels a lot safer, especially if she knows it's just some animals nearby (like a bear. And not a monster).

Pinkie is a pegasus like her Granny pie was because I said so, though she is the only one out of all her siblings to be one, (Maud, Lime, Marble, and Octavio), so she was actually raised on the ground, hence her hopping a lot of the time because it's like a middle ground for her! She's kinda mentally ill, and very ND obviously! She's been besties with Dash for AGES to the point Ponyville thinks they're gay before they even start dating (they don't say anything to be polite, Twilight is actually the one who says it out loud (she's still new) and it kicks off a "wait??? Do I like her??" For the two ponies who for the most part normally don't care about who they might like).

Dash is your local loser gamer boy but he's not only a boy she's also a girl (both states are masculine bc gender is a fuck!!!) She's still egotistical but a lot more aggressive in certain places too because of her own self consciousness issues. She's not diagnosed with ADHD but God he really needs to be! He actually deals more with storm clouds and the aftermath when it comes to weather! She's literally only been open with Pinkie about doing silly things like stimming for Ages bc she has a problem with admitting she may think she has anything. Kinda similar to how she ends up bonding w Twi over reading Daring-Do.

Idk if I've been too open about things but the base hcs for pronouns/Gender/etc for the mane 6 (at least in this au) are

Twilight - She/Her - Cis - Bisexual (She doesn't know it yet)

Rarity - She/Her, They/Them - Nonbinary (I can't decide exactly? Maybe a demigirl? Genderfluid? I'm unsure.) - Unlabeled

Apple Jack - She/Her - Cis - Sapphic (I'm not sure on anything for her yet I just know she deffo likes girls)

Fluttershy - She/Her, They/Them - Demigirl - Queer

Pinkie Pie - She/Her, They/Them, He/Him, It/Its, (Probably neos too) - Nonbinary (not really any solid gender identity but mainly goes as some form of a girl) - Pansexual

Rainbow Dash - He/Him, She/Her - Bigender (Male and Female Specifically) - She likes girls but she doesn't really care to label herself on specifics.

#mlp #my little pony #my little pony friendship is magic #mlp fim #mane 6 #poly mane 6 #mlp headcanons #twilight sparkle #rarity #apple jack #rainbow dash #pinkie pie #fluttershy

[stormblessed95]

Hi Stormy,

I hope you are doing well. I appreciate your perspective and level-headed take on things and I'm writing to share my perspective because I think maybe people forget how hard/tricky it can be to be lgbtqi+ in a society that actively discriminates.

I'm an older ARMY and came out as queer around the time our boys were born. I live in the US, so I came out at a time when there were zero legal protections. Really it was a dramatically different world from how it is here now and, from what I observe, there are similarities to how Korea is currently. I also lived with a group of Koreans for several years in the 90s so got super familiar with Korean skinship and norms. Being older with this experience, I think I just see things a little differently.

When I first got into BTS, I noticed JK & JM having a different vibe than the others. Then, very early on, I came across GCF and I quite literally thought that GCF Tokyo was a coming out video. I thought JK & JM were together and out. My partner (not ARMY) watched it and said, "Aw, he loves him so much." Of course, I watched more and looked into it and realized that they are not out. It was only after watching original content and thinking they were a couple that I discovered shipping which was a little crazy when I look back on it. And, it's funny because the reasons I think they are a couple have little to do with their skinship that are so often shown as "proof" of their relationship. What makes them seem like a couple to me has more to do with their (or other members) tiny moments of panic that point to something more/hidden. I just have not picked up on little panic moments like that with any of the other members. I mean if "real couples" were based on skinship, we have a video of Jin literally sticking his hand through Tae's legs and grabbing his balls, but I don't think they are a couple. Seriously, if it were based on skinship alone, you'd think all of Bangtan are together. (Which is within the realm of possibility but seems very very unlikely to me.)

Anyway, like you, I think Jikook are a couple but I also think it is possible that I'm wrong and that they are just very close friends. If I'm wrong, no big deal. Regardless, one thing I am 100% sure of is that they love each other dearly either romantically or otherwise. I find delight in watching them interact because they are adorable.

On to my real point now! Military service is looming for them and this is a huge deal. It is quite literally dangerous to be queer and entering the South Korean military. If you are out or outed, you can be classified as having a mental disorder and can be dishonorably discharged. Even if you are not discharged, being queer will negatively effect your assignment in the military. Not to mention the risk of receiving all kinds of hate. If you are caught engaging in "homosexual acts" while in the military (on base) you can be jailed for 2 years. Basically, discrimination is written directly into the protocols of the SK military. So, our boys are closeted (assuming we are correct and they are not straight) and entering into this system soon.

In my view, it is 100% normal and expected for them to get more and more careful the closer they get to service. I feel like we are seeing this more with JM than JK. This is not surprising to me - JM fits the, "gay stereotype" way more than JK, so may feel more at risk. Plus, personality wise, he's more a rule follower and has clearly struggled more with self-acceptance. This military stuff may just be harder for him. I think it's hard for both of them, but maybe harder for JM.

I think it is very possible that they are intentionally toning things down and/or that they may be spending more time apart as a way to prepare. At any rate, I think we as outside observers need to remember that this is scary. The fear of consequences when you have no legal protections is hard to explain if you've never felt it. It's intense. They may lie to protect themselves and I would 100% understand that and support them in doing so. I also think there may be some push/pull happening. Like they may act kinda chilly to each other and then forget and act their normal lovey selves and then remember and act chill or stay away from each other when on camera. In things that have been filmed post their Las Vegas concerts, they have seemed a little more camera aware and careful to me than they have been in the years prior to then. All that seems normal to me given what they are facing right now.

Given all this, I think JM has been so brave with his queer coded stuff for Face. (As an aside - as an older queer for whom Maplethorp was an icon, him wearing those pants was AMAZING and meant so so much. Like I can't put into words how powerful that was.) And, JK has shown his love with those JM focused WeLives in a way that is so sweet. And, we've had these little interactions that really would not be happening if they were a couple who have now broken up. But, we have not really seen them together all that much. I think that's intentional and is really best for their safety.

So, yeah, sorry this got so long. I just hope folks think a little about how this current situation may play into what we see from jikook and that we recognize the very real possibility that this isn't a reflection on how they may be doing as a couple but a reflection on their current circumstances. We as a fandom need to remember always that we are not seeing the whole story and there is lots we don't know. These guys have been through a lot. They are strong (individually and with each other) and have a lot of support around them. Let's all send them our love and support, enjoy what they choose to share and remember that they may be holding back for very good reasons.

Thanks for sharing your story. Other than that you are older than I am, our thoughts and story has been pretty similar. I also don't totally agree with everything you've said military wise, I'm not sure honestly where I Land there. Haven't been thinking too hard about it honestly. BUT I do for the most part agree with all your feelings there. I also have multiple posts on my masterlist about lgbtq+ hardships in South Korea right now and among others too. Which touch on alot you said here as well.

Thanks again for sharing 💜💜💜

#jikook #kookmin

[iron-sides]

HI HELLO i have One small request, could you give me some desertduo fic recs? (like besides yours bc i just all of yours and it made me even Worse) im Unwell abt them

ok i assume u mean like in the life series since all my desertduo fics are life series but !!! i will also be suggesting grand opening of our hearts by @funkily just because well . its sweet i love gay people and fake dating what can i say ?

anyway here are some of my favs !! um heads up every fic i link you today most likely will be at least a little bit slash are because altho the romance isnt what interests me wrt desertduo it is like. very integral to my interpretation of their dynamic as tumblr user mcyt once said. they fucked in that cactus ring. also im sorting these into two categories namely works that make me crazyyy and man that fic sure is fun :) <- lying

works that make me crazyyy: (stuff that indirectly or otherwise inspired my own takes on these fuckers, iirc theyre all canon compliant or the canon setting) um . all of these come with a blanket warning for the canonical end of third life taken to its dramatic saddest including the fight in the cactus ring and grian killing himself, even if none of these per se involve anyone actually permanently dying they definitely get dark 👍 read the tags lol

fireworks exploding in the distance (this writer is just really good in general (altho i couldnt find a tumblr sadly) but this is my favorite lol) its soooooo well um yousee. scarian and grians resistance or otherwise to being touched (explodes)

when the tether snaps the anchor sinks by @eeriefeelingsat3amuwu listen dl!desert duo is sooo interesting to me and i just think this is a really interesting exploration of what the fuck is wrong with them

ashes by @raichett is like ok so first off this whole series is great im user subbed to this author but 2 im so obsessed w this fic i think about it constantly likeee. grian and guilt is such an interesting sort of Thing to me right like he does all this stuff and then he feels sooo guilty . and then he does it again anyway. i want to study him anyway !!! great fic :)

now okay so @sparxwrites sparxwrites is a rec as is because wow !!!! like you can tell when a person has had years to hone their class and sparx clearly has- beware of nsfw tho cos it definitely abounds lol. specific sparx recs, like, my favorites would be here i am, again which is just. its an au where grian and scar win together and this goes exactly as well as you expect :( also! yours were the arms (that the whole world was in) is a last life fic a mumscarian polyamory negotiations fic and its just really good ! i really liked it lol im not much of a last life girly but theres something to the way all these characters so clearly know each other better than we know them thats sooo good and its only 1231 words so its not too long to read in an afternoon so like go read it ! and then come !!!! about it with me bc its sooooooooooo well i dont even know how to say it or i would its great tho

ok now for fics thats are ust !! :) <- mostly they are less :) and more :(( but shhh these are slightly less thinky but no less mwah !! (+ less warnings (still read the tags) + they lean more romantic)

mad scientists can be a little hot. as a treat. by @romanocheese this is exactly what it sounds like, takes place just after grians triple kill w the tnt minecart in third life

coliseum by @artanogon is a steampunk au where pretty much everyone save dogwarts is allied trying to bring down the red king ! unfinished but the tension is sooo high like. the mystery, the suspense, ive literally watched third life i know how this ends and yet here i am on the edge of my seat waiting for each update !!

my heart has been half asleep all my life is a series by @sciencechicken + if i was reccing one fic from it that would be i dont think i could stand to be where you dont see me which is a double life fic that definitely belongs in the other category (grian assumes after scar spent all of DL episode 1 ignoring him that he doesnt want to be soulmates) however since im reccing the full series (its all so good im subscribed to it lol) + the literal second fic is vampire scar/blood drinking/making out... im putting it here lol but its really wonderful i enjoy it greatly

friend of the devil by @mochiwrites and @idioddyssey ok all of the series mochi does are great but this is the one im currently avoiding reading the latest update on because i am soooo invested and i have a terrible feeling something is about to happen . :((( regarding well i shant say because spoilers like i know its gonna be great im just nervous lmao anyway its a mumscarian crime au and it is a delight to read ! recently it has featured tubbo as scars office aide and also well i shant say (spoilers etc) but yeah very fun i really enjoy it :D

l'appel du vide by @pixelfun20 is basically what if grian right after winning 3l was plopped into hermitcraft! i just really enjoy this kind of premise tbh it hasnt been updated since last june sadly but its. a lighter???? read than what else is here! well maybe not lighter but fewer people die iirc

and last but not least: @atherix midnight series which is soooooo like well ok so its mumscarian kind of like fantasy au? featuring vampire mumbo socerer/elf scar and whatever the fuck is up with grian and well ok i am rooting for it to become mumbo/scar/grian/cub actually because well. read and find out? but just trust me ok this series is one of my favorites of the ones im currently following bc of the way it sets up and then pays off conflict-- like, grian'll do something i wont specify due to spoilers and immediately i know that by the time the fic is done there is going to be SUCH a nice catharsis about this !! also the plot of the dsmp is just kind of like playing out as a sidequest for scars adopted son tubbo which i love <- former dsmp girly moment

ok i lied im also gonna plug mochi's series solem et lunam really fast because i like it !! basically grian is the sun god mumbo is the moon god they have a forbidden romance until the unthinkable happens (read the tags !!) OKAY ACTUALLY BYE THIS TIME

#answered asks #HI AXE #btw sorry if anyone i tagged in this didnt want to be tagged just let me know and ill happily untag u :] i typically avoid tagging ppl bc #they might not want to be but im a nosy bitch wrt ppl talking abt my writing so i thought others might be as well lmao #fic recs #ficposting #sorry if this is a lot axe i am severely mentally ill !! #my thots

[metvmorqhoses]

Nononono waitttt what do you mean about Good Omens season 2?? Why didn't you like it?

I personally thought it was better than season 1 - better paced. There wasn't a single boring moment. And sure, the plot maybe had fewer stakes, but seeing as this was a bridge season between season 1 (the of Good Omens book) and hopefully season 3 (the book that never came out, “668” or something like that), I thought it was good. Warm & fuzzy.

I need to know your opinion now

As abashed as I am to have to respond to such enthusiasm with, well... the very opposite of enthusiasm, please at least know that I consider the truth the best thing I have to offer in general and in regard to that unfortunate (yet somehow still-untouchable?) mess the second season of Good Omens has proven itself to be in particular, so accept it as some sort of well-intended even if perhaps unwanted gift.

This is probably the most unpopular opinion one can have on Tumblr right now, so I'll go straight to the point: Gaiman managed to ruin Good Omens (perhaps he isn't able to write it by himself, perhaps he got carried away with fan service, who knows), once one of the most delightful, witty, engaging, profound books/shows existent, changing its register and raison d'être in order to turn it into, per great popular request, the same lame simple plotless cheesy cookie-cutter gay romance without rime and reason apparently every single piece of media is deforming itself into lately.

The dramatic loss of... artistic quality this show suffered is appalling and even more appalling is the fact I seem to be one of the very few on this green earth to have even noticed? Did I perhaps read too much in the show before? I don't think so, it was indeed a masterpiece. I saw many die-hard fans of the series beyond puzzled at this last season too, straining themselves to try and make sense of it with wild theories, justifying them with the simple fact that Neil Gaiman is a genius and surely this hot mess must mean something, right? I wasn't aware the world was mostly populated by hysterically besotted people hailing Neil Gaiman's alleged greatness from dawn til dusk without contextualized merit, and the discovery didn't particularly excite me, to be quite honest. I think a healthy amount of fairness in the critique of any artist should always be the norm, but I digress.

I'll try to keep it as brief and matter-of-factly as possible, especially since some time has passed and the fumes of my rage aren't as scorching or as precise as they used to be lol

In a word, this season was subpar. Not only did it lack that original witty, ineffable meaningfulness, that intrinsic and very human sense of wonder and protectiveness towards life and its profound sense the original show brimmed with, but even from the most basic literary point of view, it literally lacked a plot worthy of this name, a story, characters that felt complex and real instead of caricatures who tried and reenact themselves, and in general what should have been, quite simply, good writing.

More than Good Omens' long-awaited season 2, this felt more like a high-budget filler fanfiction created by someone who didn't know what they were doing with story and characters most of the time, but who sure as hell wanted to please the audience to disastrous lengths.

The very first thing that irked me beyond belief, and it literally started from minute one, was the immediate, more or less subtle, change in acting from both Michael and David. Michael stressed it way more, with, in my opinion, quite tragic results, thing that from the start immediately allowed me to guess where they were going with their (already established as extremely complex) relationship, entirely turning the vibe from sophisticated allegory of Divine Comedy kind of love (love for your enemy, love for your friend, love in all its form and in its entirety) to banal romantic comedy-level gay drama, downgrading what Crowley and Aziraphale shared (the subtle abysses of it!) into the most boring and obvious of soap operas, obviously forcing them to act out of character in order to compensate (was any flash-back meaningful to their character or the story? Was there a writing reason behind any of them beyond writing for the sake of filling screen-time?).

Some relationships deserve to be left alone, alone in their subtlety and ambiguousness or you'll inevitably ruin them. Not everyone must kiss on screen, no matter how much the audience screams and throws up for it. This little woke drama completely ruined and eclipsed everything else those two characters were for each other, turning them from cosmic and devastatingly loyal best friends to petty and dumb lovers that need two plot devices (the messy pointless and quite frankly offensive representation-wise lesbians from across the street they literally met five minutes prior) to tell them they actually have feeling for each other and should share them. After literal millennia of this relationship, relationship that has its own inner workings and reasons, we needed the plot-lesbians to subvert the order of things and spur Crowley into action, obviously obtaining disastrous and lame results? Are we witnessing the interaction of immortal beings or five-year-olds? The only way I can genuinely make sense of this dumbness is considering those two female "characters" (that feel anything but real people) no more than that, characters, golems, put there by Metatron via the power of the Book of Life (again, so many Chekhov's guns with no use whatsoever in this season) in order to separate Az and Crowley using the only thing that could succeed in doing it - an ill placed declaration of love.

But even this doesn't match the true être of what Good Omens originally was nor comes full circle with the ineffable mystery season 1 ended with. It genuinely feels like Gaiman changed the whole rhyme and reason of the story, vibes, meaning, register, just to meet the modern needs of a category that is sadly phagocytizes everything else in both life and fiction. And I find it a true pity - and a bore.

And even leaving aside this personal boredom of mine at a non-existent plot that consisted in 1) a big mystery that promised cosmic repercussions (season 1 ended with the after-nonapocalyptic world that was slightly changed just because two enemies had loved each other and life too much not to oppose god's plan - fact that was probably god's plan all along), mystery that was actually no mystery at all (two random, from the original story's perspective, previous minor characters in literally ten supernatural minutes fell in love and run away together) and that meant virtually nothing in the grand scheme of things, but serving as a plot device so that the other two minor new characters could intrude into the protagonists' relationship so they could finally have the excuse to jump literary genre and kiss & queer tragedy the story away 2) an endless series of symbols, facts, episodes and characters that constantly seemed to hint at something but that in reality resulted in nothing story-wise (also, the change of heart in God's personality, first the witty and almighty trickster for the greater good, now the divine bully??), even leaving all this aside, I'm mostly disappointed the quality of the writing plummeted so inesorabily one of my comfort show turned into the symbol of an artistic era I'm utterly distraught to have to witness - the era of crowd-pleasers and un-imagination.

As for this being a filler season, writing in such an unresolved way (basic and predictable plot, colourless characters, cliché romance, hours of happenings that don't mean a thing in the current story) is unacceptable and a failure, even if you are a famous writer. You cannot waste hours of the audience's time going nowhere shielded by the sole future promise of sense. Writing doesn't work that way, and I'm sincerely appalled to see people noticing it and deciding to excuse it with a "surely next season everything will look genius!". It doesn't work this way. The faults were too many, they can't possibly be all resolved next season. This product wasn't great, even if your faves kissed and your little fanfictions came true.

The sad thing is, Good Omens used to be a work of art, not the next consumeristic piece of fiction to satisfy woke needs.

#I don't want to sound harsh but this was a true let down #one of the many this year #art is dead #good omens #sofoulandfairaday #asks/replies #one and one thousand stories lis told

[sugar-konpeito]

The entire Sailor Moon fandom has an annoying obsession with interpreting Mamoru as “the straight friend” or “the boring straight man”, and it feels like they ignore his actual character to do so. It’s like they just go I don’t like him, he’s boring, and boring = straight. It’s so annoying because he’s queer-coded in the anime, and in the manga his sexuality is never commented on. Assuming that a character who has no confirmed sexuality is instantly straight is pretty queerphobic honestly. Straight is the default, I guess. :/ /s

He honestly seems asexual, demisexual, aromantic, and/or nonbinary to me (going off of his lack of interest in relationships and his rather androgynous speech patterns in Japanese Sailor Moon media), but any male character who isn’t stereotypically gay can’t be queer apparently. Which like, he’s pretty effeminate anyways?? So he could be interpreted that way, most people just don’t for some reason.

His mannerisms in pretty much all Sailor Moon media are very delicate and feminine. He expresses his feelings through poetry that he dramatically performs OUT LOUD. He has a flower motif and a knowledge of flower language. He seems to enjoy theatre and loves to put on a show. He kinda like,,, had a deep, special connection with a man?? One that’s heavily implied to be of a queer nature, if not a romantic one. I’m not sure how any of this screams “straight man” to you guys. TT0TT

He’s also in a friend group with a bunch of queer girls. What straight boy just befriends a bunch of queer girls?? It’s not exactly typical. You know who does, though? Queer boys! My friend group when I was a teenager was a group of girls and one boy. What did we have in common? We were all queer! Queer people are gravitated to each other.

I don’t even wanna unpack the fact that he’s based off of Otokoyaku, and is usually played women nowadays! (Because I don’t know a ton about Takarazuka, and there’s just too much going on there.) People say he’s “too beautiful” to be played by a man. That doesn’t sound like it contains any implications of gender experimentation or queerness. No way...😳 /s Anyways, look at the resemblance (He has the same style of suit and over-the-top, dramatic presentation)! (Forgive my photo editing.)

Here’s a passage from an article about Takarazuka that I think describes Mamoru to a T. “They go on to say that the magic of Takarazuka is that it makes them believe in fairy tales, and male actors would be too coarse in the roles displayed in the musicals. Other fans echoed this, adding that women can truly display what an ideal man is, one that is sweet, romantic, sensitive and caring — without all the bad parts of men.” (Link: https://studybreaks.com/thoughts/takarazuka/)

This is Mamoru! He was designed to be an ideal man who is sweet, romantic, sensitive, caring, and *delicate*. He’s called delicate by official materials all the time. This reeeeeeally doesn’t sound like your typical “boring straight man”. His very essence as a character is gender non-conforming! He’s supposed to be a person who has the good parts of men and women. He was purposefully made this way, and it’s not just my interpretation! Takeuchi Naoko has said she was very inspired by Takarazuka, and you can really see it in her work.

In conclusion, it doesn’t make sense that people always interpret him as a “boring straight dude”! There’s literally so much queer stuff going on with him. This is only scratching the surface.

#sailor moon #tuxedo mask #mamoru chiba #rambling #bad writing #i wrote this fast ok!! #im frustrated #rant #i feel like people close their eyes and go LALALA to make this character straight #when he's very... not straight honestly #Ikuhara Kunihiko also directed three seasons of the anime and the R movie #I'm pretty sure that guy can't make a story with a straight character :/ #lol #my headcanons #headcanon

[barnbridges]

not a full fleged rant but rather....

the greek class is undeniably a homosocial space, where literally anyone would assume the men in it are some flavour of queer, it's implied by both richard himself, richard's thoughts on julian and the dean of studies asking if they aren't supposed to be "naked wrestling" or such.

but another thing that homosexual behavior gets associated with is youth and inexperience. bunny's offhanded "francis needs a girlfriend" seems like either a lie or delusion, but it's not so when you look on how anyone besides richard treats it.

it's fine to bang your male classmates if it's a bacchanal. it's fine to hook up with francis if you're going back to your sister after. it's fine to be obsessed with food, you make henry eat it if you don't like it.

alongside the very known and discussed idea from the secret history that being in a heteronormative relationship rots you and leads you closer to death, being gay means you're childish. charles is a child. francis will outgrow his gayness. richard, pretend liker of women, is an "old man" buddy buddy because he's not yet shown how gay he truly is.

during the course of the novel, the only two of the class who do engage in heteronormative relationships are bunny and henry, who by both faculty and age are the oldest in the group. they are also both dead. neither is fully a heteronormative icon, henry was at the bacchanal and bunny *gestures wildly* the list is long with him, but they certainly aren't engaging in relationships for the sake of anything but... liking women.

these relationships separate them from the rest of the class, bunny physically being off to marion, while henry has to protect camilla from the effect their relationship has on charles. and when push comes to shove, francis and especially richard side with charles, after a scene that all but confirms charles is romantically interested in richard and richard's reaction to that is to bring up that francis is interested in him. they care for charles because he is their friend and lover, because he is still engaging in the homosocial behavior by going out with them and letting them take care of him. henry isn't afforded such niceties since he's straight.

which means, to me, that a tenet of richard papen's beliefs is that performing heterosexuality (or god forbid, actually being interested in women) ages you and deforms you, meanwhile being homosocial makes you dramatic and a man-child for the rest of your life, paralyzes your other senses and makes you crazy.

that leads into the epilogue, where even the three I've called homosocial (who did not date women during the main action of the book) have all to some extent performed heterosexuality, but not out of a genuine desire for women. charles has a girlfriend, but rejected her son and cannot settle, she's not even his girlfriend but someone's wife, while this relationship is between a man and a woman one would struggle to call it normal or anything but maladaptive, a pattern in regard to charles and women. charles is a manchild because he cannot ever find a nice woman his own age to settle, he likes women but not the way women should be liked by a grown man. richard tries to like women such, but fails the moment he is brought back into the rot, the place where he grew out of two emotionless people in a shitty marriage, seeing his own incoming shitty marriage and being left before it happens. richard pervades growing up and keeps dreaming about henry, no news under the sun. francis is the most powerful case, where the idea of performing heterosexuality as a fully homosexual man is outright against his nature and moral system and desires, so much so he attempts to end his own life. but he cannot, for only heterosexual happiness can kill you in this universe, so he prevails and well... performs. unlike richard or charles, he is forced to fully perform a heteronormative man not for some personal satisfaction, but for his desire to survive.

which is why he's grown up, but not killed. which is why we hear of him. he beat the gay allegations while not being heterosexual, which means he gets to live forever. all he needed was a girlfriend, we are left to understand after we hear he's alive in the goldfinch.

#this whole post doesn't address actual sexualities yes i know bisexuals exist yes #but i'm talking about SOCIAL perception which is would they call this guy a drivebyfag #“why don't you talk about camilla” camilla is a heterosexual woman

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 3 MATCH 32

Mammon propaganda:

“He was done dirty in the first round, I hope he wins this time because he deserves it 

First of all, he hates you at the start but then he starts to like you but he exclaimed his hate too much at the start so he can't admit it 

Everyone knows that he likes MC, even his little D (who are demons familiars) thinks that they should date 

He is a classic tsundere but doesn't actually hurt you like other tsunderes but he is so bad at hiding his feelings that everyone is just ignores it 

He is the avatar of greed, meaning he is clingy which may be a turn away for some people but he cares for you so so much 

He has never turned into his demon form to hurt you (Asmo hasn't but he has tried to seduce you with his power)

Don't get me started on his story cards, he literally is so cute

He wants to be a mentor to Luke, like Lucifer was to him, he is only mean to Luke because he wants Luke to learn about how life isn't all sunshine and rainbows

He is also so hot, he is a bisexual panic 

He is bullied by his brothers but he cares for them so so much despite their bullying

I am so in love with him and have written so many fics about him 

Anyway, I'm going to stop here because otherwise I'll be here all day”

“First friend, first pact, practically the MC's first everything, he is a major Tsundere, he holds my heart hostage, I just want to smooch him, he and MC share a room, he is such a cute little bab, he does bully Luke (a child) but it's revealed that he just wants to show Luke that the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows and want help him figure things out

He is the cutest little guy, he cares for his brother 

His sin is greed so he does steal things from people but since lesson 1 he hasn't stolen anything from MC 

He wrote a song to propose 

Sure he is clingy but in a good way

He is so cute 

He adopted a child, which he had to leave in the care of witches and willingly let's the witches extort him 

There is so much that I can say about him but 1. Spoilers and 2. I don't think you want to read that much”

“OKAY SO. OH MY GOD. 

First person we're able to properly romance in game. AND FOR GOOD REASON. He's had MCs back from the beginning, hes the one real one in the game. He's always trying to protect us and its so nice. Puppy boy. He's so me as well??? Like he's such a doting boyfriend it's literally so cute. When MC had to go back up to Earth, he kept breaking the rotating schedule in order to call us more. He always gets MC gifts (avatar of greed love language being gift giving im gonna collapse) and he just drops the most romantic lines out of nowhere??? Like sir are you trying to give me a heart attack. He's the secretly traumatized comic relief. He has ADHD. He's canonically queer (MC doesnt have a set gender). He even likes Head pats. Vote Mammon.”

“HE'S SO PATHETIC AND CRINGEFAIL. I LOVE HIM”

Jaehee propaganda:

“only female love interest in MM, not included in the first round for SOME REASON, you literally go off and live your coffee shop au with her at the end of her route.”

“My lesbian wife. Open a bakery with her after convincing her that she doesn't have to give up her happiness to make money. She can pursue her passions. Also her backstory is so sad and I just wanna hug and kiss her and throw hands at her "family" for making her feel like she does. Also the Valentine's dlc, you get locked in the back of the bakery with her and... Yeah that's my wife. I love her dearly. Also can we just acknowledge that she's like the only path that involves almost none of the dramatic death defying nonsense. You're just gay and in love and it's beautiful”

#mammon #mammon obey me #obey me #obey me shall we date #jaehee kang #mystic messenger #mysme #Round 3 #MDDC 2

[queerxqueen]

Some of the 'explanations' regarding Mike's actions from Milkvan's don't make much sense to me.

1- Mike acts weird around Will because they have not talked for months and Mike was focused on El.

Firstly, this doesn't make much sense to me. Ok, let's say that Mike was focused on El so much that he ignores his friends. But he cannot even give a proper hug to them? Like, what? I would have understood his actions, him focusing on El makes sense, but why would he have brushed off his friends around him (Will in this case) and cannot even bother to give a proper hug??? How's that make any sense? It would make any sense if the person Mike doesn't want to hug 1- was his ex-boyfriend/girlfriend and he didn't want El to misunderstood things, or 2- He had a thing going on with that said friend, and that's why Mike didn't want to hug him (Will) in front of El.

Honestly, there is no other decent explanation for this. You don't literally brush off your friend and don't want to hug them just because you are focused on your date. It just doesn't make any sense... unless, you know, there's something else going on.

2- Mike cannot say ily to Eleven because of his parents/he is shy

As most people have already pointed out-- there is no indication of this. I really would understand if Mike was truly being shy or got affected by his parents' actions, but like... as El also said, he cannot even write 'ily'. Why he cannot even write it?

Also, why does the plot make this so freaking important and dramatic in the first place? That means there is something else going on behind Mike's actions. They have been dragging this plot for ages now, if it was truly just about him being 'shy' or bc of his 'parents' they could indicate it in a different way. But they made it seem like there was another reason behind it. Honestly, it Duffers are planning this huge 'ily' declaration from Mike to El, and that's why they have been dragging this plot point for ages, it really would be so disappointing. The most possible and logical explanation from a writing standpoint would be Mike coming to the realization that, while he cares deeply for El and loves her-- he doesn't love her romantically.

3- Mike acts rude to Will because Mike has always been rude anyway

Mike has always been 'rude' but we, as the viewers, have to consider his actions and the reason behind them. All the times he has acted ''rude'' to someone else, there was a reason behind those actions. So, Mike just decided to distance himself from Will (he cannot even hug him??) because he just wanted to? What's the reason behind this action. Honestly, this comes to the first point-- if he's acting this way just because El is there, honestly, it makes no sense. You can focus on your gf and still hug your best friend. It's not like that best friend in question is your ex or your crush that El could potentially get jealous of. Mike's this change is supposed to be there for the audience to notice and think about it. Else, why the writers would decide to add such a plot point in the first place.

4- Will is acting weird just because he doesn't want to grow up

Yeah, when I don't want to grow up, I look at my best friend in such a dreamy and admiring way in order to remember my 'childhood', and want to gaze at him adoringly in order to 'stay as a kid'.

I would understand this 'Will doesn't want to grow up' theory but honestly, at this point from the way Will acts and just looks at Mike, it is very obvious he likes the guy lol. Also, the other scenes literally point out Will's sexuality (a pretty girl in his class outright flirts with him, he rejects her and ignores her advances). These types of scenes are there on purpose. They are meant to indicate something about Will. Will's project is about Allan Turing, a gay British man from the past. Alan freaking Turing is his childhood hero! C'mon guys! Writers specifically chose Turing to be Will's hero for a reason!

This is not about just some childhood thing anymore. It's pretty implicit that Will is gay. If he doesn't come out, honestly, then yet again it will be bad writing. Still, he'll be a queercoded character even if we don't get an open coming out because all of his characterization and proofs point out to Will being gay.

5- Will will come out but Mike will reject him because he is straight and is in love with El

If this happens then I truly want to ask Finn about his acting choices because lmao. Even Milkvans admit that his acting in his scenes with Eleven is weird and that Mike feels very 'empty' about the scene (their fight about Mike not being able to say or write ily) when Millie is giving all of her heart to the scene. And honestly, connecting these types of scenes together with the other ones, it honestly is obvious where Mike's character is probably going.

Also from a writing standpoint, why the writers would drag Will's love for Mike for all these years if it will just be 'unrequited'. Just for the angst and to make Will this 'little sad gay boy who has a one-sided crush on his straight friend but that straight friend ignores him for his gf' plot? This doesn't make any sense. If Will came out earlier on and was given a boyfriend, I honestly would be fine with that storyline for Will. Characters like Robin and Max all got added later on. But honestly, dragging Will's crush on Mike for years only for him to come out in season 4 or 5 to be rejected by his 'straight' friend is just a very weird choice IMO. It would also bring out so many questions about Mike's actions and other points I've written. It would literally be queerbaiting for me. Because even though Will comes out as gay, it still doesn't explain several choices for Mike's character. It would seem like they just brush off all the coding for Mike's character in order to make the heteronormativeness canon, and not make the gays thrive. It would play right into the 'sad gay boy having a sad crush on his straight bff' trope, which is not good. There were so many ways to make Will gay and come out without adding that tired trope.

6- Mike and El has been the main ship for seasons and breaking them up would erase that development

Honestly, I gotta disagree. There are many ships in the media that got together (and has been seen as the 'main ship' for many years) but didn't become an end game. Considering all the build-up, it honestly would make sense if Mike and El break up. If this all leads to a 'big love declaration' from Mike to El and they decide to stay together, honestly it would set their characters back in one go. If there was a proper point for Mike to say 'ily' it would have been before El became a ''superhero'' again. It still doesn't explain the reason behind Mike's not even writing love you to El, nor the other plot points in the show.

If you have other reasons to add here please do so. Honestly, I am usually a pessimistic person, and critical of the potential 'queerbaiting' and 'heteronormativeness', but all the things considered I honestly cannot see any ending than Byler.

Hard agree with everything above, Anon, thank you for sharing!!! Posting for others to read but I have nothing to add.

#byler #anon #answered #stranger things #stranger things 4

[denimbex1986]

'In the British director Andrew Haigh’s earlier films—“Weekend” (2011), “45 Years” (2015), and “Lean on Pete” (2017)—the images did much less of the work than the script and the actors. There has been something literal about his filmmaking that undercuts the intense emotion of the stories he films. His new movie, “All of Us Strangers,” is a little different and a lot better. The fact that it’s a kind of ghost story, a drama centered on fantasy, spurs Haigh to shoot in a way that conveys a distinctive, alternate realm of experience. Even if one didn’t know that he has strong personal associations with the story (and I didn’t, until after I’d seen the film), it’s clear that the confluence of this private investment and fantastical elements of the narrative impart new tone and shape to Haigh’s image-making. If his previous films have felt like mere renderings of their scripts, this one is a genuinely cinematic experience.

“All of Us Strangers” is a filmmaker’s movie—or, rather, a screenwriter’s one. That’s the job of the protagonist, Adam (Andrew Scott), and, when the action begins, he’s struggling with it. Living alone in a high-windowed flat, keeping the TV on for distraction and inspiration, moving from the blank screen of his laptop to the snoozy refuge of his sofa, Adam is enduring writerly frustration, heightened by the subject he has taken on: his own past, his own family. And his current circumstances are inflicting a deeper solitude: a single gay man, he lives in a new apartment tower with few other tenants. He does catch a strange glimpse of one, however, when, during a building-wide fire alarm, Adam goes outside half-dressed in the middle of the night. Looking up at a lighted window, he notices a neighbor who refuses to budge from his sixth-floor apartment. When Adam goes back home, he gets a knock on the door from that neighbor, Harry (Paul Mescal), who comes bearing a bottle of whiskey, but Adam sends him away.

So far, so literal, but there’s something slightly oneiric about this conjunction of slight odd events that places the action in the register of the uncanny. When Adam gets back to his script, with its scene heading “ext. suburban house 1987,” he’s in the paradoxical position of being too much inside his own head and not being in it deep enough. To jog his inspiration and reinvigorate his memory, he watches a video of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and rummages through a box of childhood memorabilia. Gazing out the window of his flat at nearby train tracks, he is impelled to hunt for his past in person, taking the train to his boyhood home, in Sanderstead, a suburb of London. There, at the window of the house where he lived, he sees a child; in a nearby park, he encounters a man who invites him home—his father (Jamie Bell). There, at the house, Adam’s mother (Claire Foy) is waiting for him, too. Both parents are apparently the age they were in 1987, when Adam was eleven. Spoiler alert: his parents were killed following a car accident on Christmas of that year. The essence of “All of Us Strangers” is Adam’s reconnection with them, sharing stories of his life since then and also things they didn’t know about his childhood self.

Once Adam reunites with his parents—who, movingly, appear to be younger than their fortysomething son—he is seemingly addicted to the experience, making ever more frequent and urgent trips to their home. They seem to be middle-class people with little knowledge of the arts, and are impressed that he has become a writer. (His self-deprecating view of screenwriting—saying he’s “not a proper writer”—plays like a director’s wink.) Momentously and affectingly, Adam comes out to them. His conversations with each of them, separately, reveal, with a sociological precision that’s dramatically impassioned, the changes in British legal and social attitudes toward homosexuality. His mother is surprised to know that Adam faces no harassment and can marry another man and raise children; dying while the aids crisis was raging, she is surprised to learn that the disease is manageable; when Adam talks of the bullying that he endured growing up, his father admits that, as a schoolboy, he would have been among the bullies. As Adam keeps returning to Sanderstead, he soon moves from merely recollecting his childhood toward reënacting it, with his parents’ enthusiastic participation—snuggling in bed between his parents when he can’t fall asleep, coming downstairs in his pajamas on Christmas Day, heading out to his favorite restaurant.

These phantasmagorical sequences, filmed with a bracing realism that renders the fantasy all the more poignant, make “All of Us Strangers” a sort of “It Wasn’t Always Such a Terrible Life”—a Christmas movie whose protagonist is able to extract from the workaday banalities of his childhood the loving devotion that lay beneath, and to bring it to the fore in the place of enduring traumas. Adam, ever the screenwriter, performs a brilliant editing job on his life, cutting out decades of agonized relationships and even normal conflicts. By seeing the details of his adolescence in the light of the life that he has led and by encountering his parents not as authority figures but as near-contemporaries, Adam alchemically transforms a troubled childhood into gold.

I didn’t know, until after seeing the movie, that Adam’s old home is filmed in the house where Haigh himself grew up. (Happily, his parents are still alive, though.) But the intensity of Haigh’s bond to the ghosts of childhood is apparent from the stuff of the movie itself, including subtly transformative images that are new to his cinematic vocabulary. The cliché of following the back of a character’s head to see what he sees suddenly seems fresh again, because being left to imagine Adam’s astonished gaze is more powerful than any performance could be. Haigh makes ordinary closeups convey more than mere emphasis by means of striking, painterly disproportions between foreground and background; even Adam’s adult height, in a town and a household that he’d always seen from a child’s viewpoint, is framed as conspicuously strange and disconcerting. Meanwhile, the scene in which Adam’s ghostly parents come into contact with the world outside the house offers one of the year’s best coups de cinéma.

There’s another aspect to “All of Us Strangers” that both expands the story far beyond the familial and launches it into an altogether different realm of wish-fulfillment. After the initial freeze-out, Adam’s neighbor Harry gives him a second chance, knocking on his door again. This time, Adam invites him in, and the two men begin a romantic and sexual relationship, in the course of which they discuss their family backgrounds. With the subject broached, Adam is inspired to bring Harry out to Sanderstead to meet his parental apparitions—yet another extraordinary twist in the movie’s metaphysical fantasy.

Unfortunately, this is where Haigh cannot transcend the limitations of his previous work. It wasn’t only the images in his three widely released features that seemed insufficient; in each, the central relationships were deftly sketched but thinly defined. The relationship that develops between Adam and Harry suffers in the same way. When they discuss their childhood, it is in numbingly general terms, long on psychologizing but short on animating detail. The scenes of Adam and Harry together, for all their warmth, are as slightly rendered as those with his parents are dramatically rich, and the power of Haigh’s direction dwindles to match. No point in giving away the last pieces in the movie’s puzzle, but Harry and Adam’s bond is a screenwriter’s relationship, pared down to its function in the plot and to its connection with Adam’s prime realm of fantasy—the appearance of his parents. What’s missing from the film is the spark that leaps the gap from imagination to reality. For all its droll shading of the screenwriter’s art, “All of Us Strangers” is a screenwriter’s movie, in which the power of intention over observation, of the blueprint over the finished product, is asserted with a vengeance.'

#All of Us Strangers #Andrew Haigh #Andrew Scott #Paul Mescal #Frankie Goes to Hollywood #Weekend #45 Years #Lean on Pete #Claire Foy #Jamie Bell

[juniperhillpatient]

The Drill Re-watch

The Dangerous Ladies are back! And they have a big scary drill. I love how Mai is just happy to get something to do & I had honestly forgotten how consistently ecstatic Ty Lee is at any opportunity for violence. She's so adorable & scary at the same time. Have I mentioned lately how much I love Ty Lee? +1000 iconic behavior points to her for taking out all those earth-benders & scaring Katara. I had also forgotten just how scared of Ty Lee Katara is & how much she dislikes her. Katara yelling & calling Ty Lee a circus freak was a badass moment. +1000 iconic behavior points. Mai disobeying Azula just because she doesn't want to get muddy & popping up in the end like "we lost" in a deadpan voice was hilarious & very based of her, +500 iconic behavior points. Sokka's plan to take out the drill from the inside was pretty smart. +500 iconic behavior points.

My favorite part of the conflict with the drill was actually Ty Lee. I also really loved the flirty moment between her & Sokka, & Katara having to drag Sokka away. Honestly, I've never given much thought to Ty Lee/Sokka as a potential ship until this re-watch but their flirty banter during fights is so funny & cute. And I just can't get enough of Ty Lee happily kicking ass.

Surprisingly, I don't have that much to say about Azula in this episode which is rare for me but this was pretty much standard hero vs. villain "let's keep the Fire Nation out of Ba Sing Se" stuff. I mean, the Azula vs. Aang fight was badass, but I don't have any meaningful analysis of it. I think the most meaningful takeaway I have about Azula in this episode is regarding her relationship with Mai & Ty Lee. It's been commented on a hundred times that Mai disobeys Azula's order in this episode, but still, I'll comment on it again. I think it says a lot about the dynamic between Azula & Mai. Mai is a subordinate, & there is a power imbalance but Mai knows what she can & can't get away with & isn't afraid to do what she wants under certain circumstances. I think that the dynamic between these three girls is layered & this episode gives evidence to the idea that Azula does treat Mai & Ty Lee like friends to the extent that Azula can treat anyone like friends. Mai never felt coerced & if she was reluctant to follow specific orders, she simply didn't.

Jet & Zuko were my favorite part of this episode, actually. I can't believe it took me as long as it did spending time in this fandom to warm up to Jet/Zuko as a romantic pairing. Shocking & disappointing for me, really, I feel like I usually have good taste right away. SMH past me. Oh well, I see the truth now. They're literally Thee Template. Like, they met each other, said "be gay do crime" & had a touching heart to heart about both being traumatized & Zuko realized that he didn't always have to be alone & by the next episode Jet is following Zuko around like a lost puppy begging him to join his little found family. THEN freaking Iroh warms up his tea with fire-bending. Iroh, I was just warming up to you & starting to stand up for you, dude. What are you DOING? Zuko is right. For a supposedly wise old man, that's just.....really fucking stupid. I don't even know what to say. I guess Iroh got a little too comfortable? Like....what? Anyway....

Despite the rather contrived way in which it happened (yeah, sorry, I'm gonna say the writing is a LITTLE contrived like, I just don't get it is Iroh supposed to be smart or not?) I DO love a dramatic breakup between two characters who technically never even dated. Jet now knows that Zuko & Iroh are fire-benders. And MAN. A hundred smarter people than me have written fascinating essays & analyses & metas about the tragedy that Jet is right that they're fire-benders & more right than he knows because they're literally Fire Nation royalty & both personally responsible for a lot of harm inflicted by the Fire Nation but he's wrong because they are actually refugees now & not causing any new harm & also because he needs to let go of this obsessive hate because it will (& does) lead to his downfall like....We'll get to my thoughts on Jet's tragedy & his death when we get there but this set up for drama (by itself!!! pretending I'm watching for the first time!!!) IS excellent writing (if the specifics weren’t so contrived.) If only they ---- never mind, I'm done for now. I'm ending this ramble. Goodnight. Oh yes, Zuko & Jet get +1000 iconic behavior points for their quick little fling that will change them both forever & for having a dramatic breakup without Zuzu (king of drama on any other occasion!) even knowing about it.

Anyway, this was a great episode. I'm surprised I had so little to say about Azula & that she earned no iconic behavior points, but it's okay because she will blow everyone else out of the running in Crossroads of Destiny, I already know 100% for sure. Yeah, my favorite parts of this episode were the Dangerous Ladies & Jet & Zuko but I should also mention that I liked Sokka joking about the different group names even though "gaang" hasn't come up yet. And the hints about metal-bending & its potential were fun subtle foreshadowing.

#atla re watch #atla book 2 #the drill

[avelera]

I finally watched Top Gun: Maverick last night and while I don't have many impressions and will likely never think of it again since it's not really my speed, I suppose they were:

The flying scenes were very cool. I can see why people said that was worth the price of admission to a theater.

That said, if I hadn't been able to snark at the movie with my partner the whole time, everything except the flying scenes would have had my eyes rolling out of my head or had me chewing through the walls with irritation

As my partner said at all the "Rah rah, USA!" moments like when we first meet the fighter pilots in the bar, "Hmm, maybe I do hate my country!"

Some other observations, not all criticism! but with some spoilers below:

I don't blame the actors but yeah, the introduction to all the fighter pilots scene got my back up in that instinctive, evolutionary way that watching a bunch of jocks introduced in a movie as the heroes where they cheerfully bully the geeks makes me want to punch things. There wasn't necessarily any geek bullying but it was there, spiritually.

I have seen a plank of wood with more chemistry towards Jennifer Connelly than Tom Cruise had. Girl was trying her best but it was an entirely one way street. It actually might have been more poignant and matched the vibe better to make them brother and sister. (And actually, thematically, might have worked better too with the idea that Maverick has sacrificed his whole life to being a pilot, including relationships.) Truly one of the most baffling relationships of the film.

Because the actual most romantic and heartwrenching scenes (in that it had literally any heart at all but was also, admittedly, heartwrenching) was the Mav/Ice reunion. As my partner pointed out, it really took the actor's illness to bring anything that real onto the screen, because it was literally unavoidable. It was the only emotionally "real" moment in the film, for me at least, but that said it did pack a punch, to their credit. IceMav seems the only logical ship to me in the whole franchise I mean seriously, those dudes love each other. I felt bad for Mav losing his husband in the middle of the two weeks (??) they had to train for their mission. Truly awful timing, I'm sure Ice was very sorry for it (yes, I'm scoffing a bit at the realism of the timing even as I understand it from a dramatic angle).

No like seriously, Maverick and Ice loved each other so damn much that it made Tom Cruise's total lack of chemistry with Jennifer Connelly all the more side-eye worthy. Why even include it? I mean I know it's because a paint-by-numbers Hollywood script, especially in a film with as many "hunky" shirtless dudes rolling around in the sand together as Top Gun has, requires a token female to make sure we know that no one here is actually gay. But still. It almost made me *less* convinced of Mav's sexuality every time she was on screen with him (getting just an absurd number of closeups, btw. Seriously, did they do all those closeups on her so we wouldn't realize that she's taller than Tom Cruise or something? Was she ever on set at all? A mystery...)

Oh, and literally every time Mav pulled some stunt that would get him court martial-ed or something blatantly illegal or ridiculous in a US military setting happened, my partner and I exchanged a look and rolled our eyes. Yeah, the US military, famously known for being super tolerant of this bullshit.

There should genuinely have been a flashing sign during the scene where the pilots heroically set off for their mission that just said, "YOU WILL NEVER GET TO DO THIS IF YOU ENLIST. NEVER EVER. YOU WILL NEVER EVER EVER DO ANYTHING THIS COOL SO DO NOT ENLIST HOPING YOU WILL." Like, to the point where it's irresponsible to not make it clearer that this is total fantasy.

Literally why did they even have pilots? I mean I know they gave some gobbledy-gook about why and obviously it's why we have the movie, but watching those missiles blow the airstrip to smithereens was genuinely like, "Yo, why didn't we just use those? Or bomb them from orbit? Why do we need pilots?"

More to the point why didn't they use drones? (Obviously: because we wouldn't have a movie.) Seriously, I want at least a college humor take which is just a drone pilot with a joystick somewhere in Nevada nudging the drone flight to do the same thing while totally safe the whole time and then he clocks out for his lunch break like seriously, WHY were any humans involved?

Anyway, 'twas silly but I almost would have preferred the whole thing as like a fantasy anime with not even vague attachment to the real world, so that I could enjoy the fighter pilot stuff in the spirit it's intended. Because every whisper of like... the actual political realities and how flagrantly this would violate them made me see red.

Oh, and I realized that fighter pilot narratives could be almost shot for shot replaced with knights in shining armor in a Medieval setting and it would be basically the same in a remarkable number of ways, especially the prep scenes for the pilots (armor) and the planes (their mounts). It would be an interesting film experiment to do.

And that's about all I've got!

#maggie watches top gun maverick