#Cath Bore

[cats4salad]

autism pt2 electric boogaloo

[todesboten]

I think they’re referring to how in one episode a few years back, Homer and Bart befriended a priest and converted to Catholicism, Marge tried to convince them to convert back, failed, and by the end of the episode they were both still Catholic. And it wasn’t even the stereotypical evil Catholics, but just regular Catholics. So now the Simpson family is two Presbyterians (Marge and Maggie), two Catholics (Homer and Bart), and one Buddhist (Lisa).

now that you mention i feel like i’ve seen that episode even. but the way that headline was phrased is just delightfully absurd to me

[hazbin-but-good]

another hazbin hotel rewrite/redesign?

yup! and i'm so serious about it that i made a whole blog for it. i'm a white queer ex-cath tran doing this as an art and writing exercise, so feedback from other creatives + jewish and/or racialized folks is especially welcome.

i'm putting this post and only this post in the main tags for visibility. also, not gonna link my main, but i do make my own original stuff, and i encourage fans and haters alike to do the same.

anyway, here's a mostly good-faith 1.7k-word essay on the original. i think it's pretty funny and brings up some less talked-about points. correct me on the facts, disagree with my opinions, and ask clarifying questions, but don't come at me with any piss-poor reading comprehension.

the hellaverse is garbage, and here's why

cw: strong language, stronger opinions, intersectional feminist critical discourse analysis

1. vivienne medrano, the person

medrano was born as a well-off white-passing latina (salvadoran-american) in bougieass frederick, maryland. while attending new york's top art school, she got popular on deviantart-tumblr-twitter by being a prolific multifandom fujoshi furry who's more into ornamental character design than storytelling. upon graduation, she leveraged her fanbase and industry connections to make the hazbin and helluva boss pilots, get helluva made for youtube, and get hazbin made for amazon prime.

like every woman online, she gets harassed for no good reason, and as a certified autist, i will defend her right to be dumb, weird, annoying, and bad with words. however, there are legit reasons to criticize her:

racism, misogyny, homophobia, fatphobia, some antisemitism, past transphobia, past ableism

shitty boss, bad friend

cowardly, vindictive, manipulative, thoughtless behavior

skeevy friends

sucks at taking criticism

in short, i think she desperately needs a PR person and someone to clean up her digital footprint.

2. medrano's art

incurious

inauthentic

noncommittal

creatively stagnant

overindulgent, and the indulgence isn't even fun

shallow and childish framed as complex and mature

bland and boring framed as shocking and subversive

to be clear, i'm at peace with the existence of suckass art like this; i just think the money, attention, and praise it gets are unearned and should go to more interesting works, of which there are infinite.

medrano's had the time, money, and social cache to grow as an artist, learn from the best, and take creative risks, but she hasn't. if she truly has nothing more to offer, she should let her collaborators take the wheel, but she doesn't do that either. instead, she keeps getting more and more resources to make the same baby bullshit, and that pisses me off. she could be the nicest person ever, and this fundamental arrogance would still make her art blow.

stop with the pointless guilt: liking medrano's work does not make you stupid or evil. however, if you stay in the kiddie pool of culture, if you refuse to engage with a diversity of art, if the hellaverse is your point of reference for anything media-related, you can't expect to have your opinions on art, media, or culture taken seriously. you have not earned a seat at the table. you gotta hit the books first.

i cannot emphasize enough how much incredible stuff is out there if you're willing to look further than what social media and streaming services put right in front of you. if you come away from this blog having learned about just one new artist or piece of art, i'll be a happy camper.

3. the hellaverse

a. empty and confused

hazbin and helluva's content and marketing has no clear target audience. the subjects are inappropiate for teens, but the execution is too childish for adults, and lemme tell you what i don't mean by that, first.

not inherently inappropriate for teens:

sex and sexuality

violence, including when it intersects with the above

politics and religion

not inherently childish:

animation (any style)

comedy

episodic writing and/or loose continuity

young characters

fun, happiness, optimism, the power of friendship, cuteness, tenderness, sincerity, etc.

what i mean is that these shows are literally about adult characters who fuck, smoke, drink, do drugs, go clubbing, work full-time, manage their own finances, and deal with stuff like bureaucracy, sexual violence, domestic abuse, marriage, divorce, late adoption, and family estrangement.

however, none of these "adult" things are given enough specificity to create drama or comedy. it's all too stock, vague, flat, weirdly sanitized, and thus utterly banal—pure aesthetics on top of bad saturday morning cartoons. it's exactly what i'd expect from a sheltered disney kid who needs to log off and get into their local gay scene ASAP so their only contact with things like poverty, policing, addiction, and sex work stops being facile movies and TV.

if the shows were aware of this and played with it, that could be amazing, but they're not. they give you the mickey mouse version of the world with a straight face and then play looney tunes sound effects to try to make you laugh and sad_violin.mp3 to try to make you cry. now that's funny.

b. old and tired

let's make like americans and pretend that the rest of the world doesn't exist. even within the confines of the USA, home of the hays code, the red scare, and reaganite propaganda, this neopuritan fascist state ruled by 1000 megachurches in a trenchcoat, the indie/underground animation scene has been doing crazier shit for decades. anti-war films in the 60's, bakshi movies in the 70's, the simpsons shorts and r-rated movies in the 80's, adult swim and MTV in the 90's, flash/newgrounds/youtube in the 00's, streaming in the 2010's—so what are we doing in the 2020's with this wet white rice drowned in expired ketchup? i feel crazy making this point because it's obvious if you've watched these things, but if you haven't, you're gonna be like "well, there's gotta be something new here". no! there isn't! in the words of jimmy "the scot" jordan, nothing, nothing, NOTHING!

c. ideological purgatory

actually, there is one thing in these shows i've never seen before: the presbysterianism. shout out some interesting or at least intentional presbysterian art in the comments, because the way these ideas are presented here is not compelling. it just makes the rainbow neoliberalism even more confusing and contradictory.

i guess the big presbysterian things are protestanism, calvinism, and, uh, big church government? presbysterians, get your shit together. get your brand down. catholics have BDSM and vampires, evangelicals have TV and corporatism; what do you have? celtic crosses? no wonder medrano has such uninspired ideas on divinity.

d. queer deficiency

when i look at a piece of art, i ask myself: "what does this give me that i can't get from the hunchback of notre dame (1996)?" if the answer is as limp as "uhh, gay people, i guess", i can probably look for my gay shit elsewhere and rewatch the hunchback of notre dame (1996) in the meantime.

but let's say that you have no standards. you've been waiting for ages for a show about gays by the gays for the gays, and by god you're gonna get it. this is it! here we go! time for some

generic twink obliteration

male sexuality as aggression and dominance displays

WLW (sex and chemistry not included)

a couple straight femdoms

and the stalest sex jokes known to man

...yeah, it's not very queer. and by "queer", i mean "questioning or subverting gender norms (including sexual roles) within a given cultural context regardless of creator identity and intent". i'm not a queer studies scholar so LMK if there's a more specific term for this, but whatever you call it, it's not in the hellaverse much.

there's not even any transness, literal or metaphorical, just ancient drag jokes. i guess the writers thought we would've been too controversial. so much for an indie animation studio that prides itself in the diversity of its staff both above and below the line, bakshi-style. i wonder how medrano, a bisexual woman, would've felt if told that a lesbian main couple in hazbin would be "too controversial".

4. spindlehorse and the vivziepop brand

spindlehorse toons underpays its overworked staff and keeps outsourcing more and more labor to even more overworked freelancers overseas to cut costs. a rainbow sweatshop is still a sweatshop, and just because these practices may be "industry standard" doesn't make them any more ethical.

the studio has also been repeatedly accused by current and former employees and contractors of creating a hostile and abusive workplace. AFAIK, it still has no dedicated HR person, and victims are too afraid of retaliation like blacklisting and online harassment to speak out.

this is exactly the stuff that unions exist to prevent. as i'm writing this, the IATSE (the parent union of TAG, which is the parent union of all US animation unions) is negotiating with entertainment industry executives for better working conditions, and if the execs fuck around like last year, it's strike time again. so watch this space, voice your support, and don't cross any picket lines.

i hope spindlehorse unionizes, but until then and for these reasons, i don't think you should give money to the company.

first of all, all content on amazon-owned platforms is ok to pirate, and all youtube ads are ok to block. everyone involved in making the episodes has (or should have) been paid upfront, so you're not taking the bread out of anyone's mouth.

next, let's look at the succulent offerings of the official vivziepop merch shop:

$10 pins and keychains

$15 sticker packs

$20 mugs and acrylic cutouts

$25 shirts

$30 metal cards (not even tarot)

$40 lounge pants

$50 mini backpacks

random $80 skateboard deck

forgive my latin americanness, but this is all stuff you can get made by a local metalsmith, print/sublimation shop, or just crafty people in your life. it's cheaper, customizable, and better for the environment to skip all the shipping and packaging. also, not painting your own skateboard is poser shit.

the hazbin website also has $15 pins, one $20 keychain, and $6 trading card packs. people are weird about trading cards, so if for some reason you wanna gamble for a mass-produced bit of cardboard, plastic, and tinfoil, at least bulk-order for all the vivziepoppers in your area so it's less of a huge waste. better yet, trace the designs and make infinite bootlegs.

at the end of the day, buying merch is not activism. your bulk order of trading cards will not save any wage slaves from getting evicted from their overpriced studio apartments. however, the shop links you to all the credited artists/designers, and more of your bucks will actually reach them if you buy their designs directly, then turn them into body pillows or life-sized bronze statues or whatever the fuck.

go through the credits of any episode of helluva or hazbin, and you'll find even more creatives you might wanna support. get jinkx monsoon's albums on CD. subscribe to actually good artist, animator, and composer gooseworx. lots of voice actors now have patreon, cameo, or self-hosted pages where you can write better lines for their characters and have them read it. these things may not look as shiny as Official Merch™, but we all need less plastic shit and more culture anyway.

[callsign-rogueone]

our girl - d.a + x.r.

Dain Aetos x reader x Xaden Riorson You and Xaden have been hooking up for a while now, but Threshing throws a wrench (and another person) into your relationship. [request] words: 2.5k (went a little overboard lol, this dynamic was so fun to think about) 🏷: FOURTH WING AND IRON FLAME SPOILERS. NSFW at the end. she/her reader. I did this one a little differently; a full scene with dialogue, and then headcanons about what the relationship would be like (sfw, nsfw + angst; I apologize in advance…) banner made by user cafekitsune!

You dismount, managing to land on your feet. Maybe the gauntlet had been good practice after all, and not just a form of torture. The flight field is slowly filling in with dragons and their chosen riders. Dain is standing next to you with a massive red daggertail. Nice.

Your two dragons look at each other, and for a moment you’re worried they’re going to start a fight, but they just bump heads softly. They’re… friends?

Then Dain’s dragon turns toward you, looking you in the eye, and you freeze, holding completely still as it sniffs you. You must pass inspection, because he pulls back after a few seconds, satisfied, but you don’t dare move, your heart still pounding.

“Relax, girl. I will not hurt you.”

You startle at the second voice speaking to you, stumbling back in shock. A shimmering red string has appeared beside the soft blue one you share with Lann. You tug on it gently, and Dain’s eyes snap toward you, having felt the pull.

“They’re mated.”

“Smart boy,” Cath purrs.

You’re still trying to get used to having another being speaking in your head, hearing your every thought, but now you have two?

You don’t have time to complain about it before Xaden comes running toward you.

Both Lann and Cath stand taller, flaring their nostrils. Cath looks like he’s contemplating how Xaden would taste.

Xaden comes to a stop a few yards away, not wanting to provoke them. It’s easy enough for him to put it together, seeing Dain standing behind you with the mated pair. “Is this some kind of joke?”

Cath blows a puff of foul-smelling steam at Xaden in warning. “Tell him to watch his tone.” 

You don’t.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Xaden says, a look in his eye you’ve never seen before; pure anger.

You take a step back, bumping into Lann’s foreleg. She curls her neck down, placing her head between your body and Xaden’s. You’ve only been bonded all of ten minutes, but she’s already willing to protect you with her life.

“It wasn’t her fault,” Dain challenges, crossing his arms. “Nor is it mine.” 

Your stomach flips. You’d never expected that Dain would be the one defending you here.

“I should gut you before the bond gets any stronger,” Xaden threatens. What is he so mad for?

“You of all people should know that the consequences can be dire. You won’t risk her life in that way.”

“What the hell are the two of you talking about?” You ask, but they don’t answer, too busy threatening each other.

“Human males and their arguing,” Lann sighs. “Were they dragons, they’d fight to the death and the victor would keep you.”

“That remains a possibility,” you reply quietly, still watching the two of them. Xaden certainly looks like he’s contemplating murder right now. 

“I could just incinerate him, but Sgaeyl would have my head if I did,” Cath muses, sounding bored. “And you seem attached.”

You turn to glare at him. “Not funny.”

“Threats from someone your size are only humorous,” Cath replies, still watching the two men argue.

“Like it or not, Riorson, she’s my responsibility now,” Dain says firmly. What is that supposed to mean? Why does Dain care all of a sudden if you live or die?

“Do not forget that you have a voice in this matter, too,” Lann adds.

She’s right.

“Quit it, both of you!” You interrupt before they can come to blows, and both boys turn toward you, quieting. “Stop talking about me like I’m not even here!”

Their eyes soften.

“Darling, I didn’t mean-“ Xaden begins.

You cross your arms over your chest, glaring up at the boy. “I’m not done,” you say, and he falls silent. “Dain’s right; neither of us asked for this, but it happened, and there’s no changing it now. I know you two hate each other, but I will not have you two fighting over me like I’m some kind of object. Neither of you have any claim to me. I’m not your girlfriend, and even if I was, you still don’t own me. I’m an adult, I can make my own decisions and keep myself safe.”

Neither of them respond, silent and guilty as your words settle in.

“And that is why I chose you,” Lann says proudly.

You ignore the compliment, stepping away from her and turning to leave, swiping the tears from your cheeks.

“I apologize, shrewd one.”

“It’s okay,” you say quietly. “You didn’t know.”

—————————————————

“Professor Kaori?” You ask quietly. “Can I ask you a few questions?”

He already knows why you’re here. “I heard about you and Aetos. Cath and Lann have been mated for nearly two centuries. Their bond is strong.”

“Have you known many other pairs like them?”

“A few,” he answers. “Dragons can live for millennia. Unlike us, they do not fall in love at age twenty, and they are quite selective with their partner. It is a lifelong commitment for them, and not one they take lightly.”

“And their riders?” You ask, holding your breath.

“A pair at Montserrat, who are now married, and another pair who regard each other like blood sisters.” 

He doesn’t mention anyone like you and Dain, who hardly know each other and don’t really care to.

“I‘ll make this clear with you, cadet, as you need to know this and accept it; you and Aetos will be stuck together until the end of your days. The four of you must exist as a functional unit. The grief of one of your deaths may be enough to end you all.”

Your eyes widen. So that’s why Xaden had been so pissed.

“You are both excellent students who will undoubtedly become skilled riders,” Kaori says. “Get to know each other in the coming weeks, and settle your differences sooner than later. The health of your relationship, even if it remains strictly professional, is vital.”

You thank him quietly, heading back to your room. You don’t have time to stew over the news; you have assignments due tomorrow.

Two hours pass. You’ve just finished proofreading your essay when there’s a knock on the door.

Dain and Xaden. You motion for them to come in, knowing that the two of them together outside your door will look deeply suspicious to any passerby. 

“What the fuck do you two want?”

Xaden nods at Dain, motioning for him to talk.

“We discussed it, and we realized you’re right. We’re just going to have to deal with this, and there’s no use in us fighting about it.”

Xaden speaks next. “You’ve proven that you can handle yourself, but we both still want to protect you. We care for you deeply, and that’s not going to change. We’re declaring a truce.”

“Whose idea was that?” You ask, wary.

“His,” Dain answers. Interesting. 

You look to Xaden. “And you’re fine with this,” you say, motioning between you and Dain, “that we’ll be able to speak directly to each other, that we can’t be apart for more than a few days, that we’re going to be stationed together for life?”

“Yes. I trust him not to hurt you, if only because his life is now tied to yours.”

That’s high praise coming from Riorson, who doesn’t fully trust anyone. You don’t dare ask why he feels this way.

“As you said,” Xaden continues, the tone of his voice making your heart flutter, “I hold no claim to you. You remain your own person, no matter how strongly I feel for you or how many nights we have spent together. The decision lies with you.”

“Dain?” You ask. 

He’s been silent, watching you with a softness in his eyes. He’d never taken a good look at you before, never appreciated how beautiful you are. “If he’s okay with it, and you are, then I am too.”

You’d never felt compassion for Dain, never cared if he lived or died, but now you’re overwhelmed with a sense that you need to protect him — to guard that little red string until your last breath. “I care for both of you as well. You’re both good men, who are important to me, and I’d like to have you remain in my life, if you promise to play nicely.”

You extend a pinky to each of them.

Dain looks confused.

“She doesn’t fuck around with pinky promises. This might as well be a blood oath for her,” Xaden explains, interlocking your fingers — this isn’t new to him.

Dain reaches forward, the warmth of his skin against yours sending a wave of soothing energy through you.

“Are you going to make us pinky promise each other too?” He asks playfully, the first joke you’ve ever heard him crack.

Xaden is unamused. “Don’t push it, Aetos.”

You giggle at his barely-restrained contempt. This is gonna be fun.

———————————————

sfw

Most of the quadrant know that yours and Dain’s dragons are mated, and that messing with one of the four of you means invoking the wrath of the other three. For the first time since conscription day, you can walk the halls alone without fearing for your life.

Nobody is aware of Xaden’s role in the relationship, and he prefers to keep it that way — it keeps the target off your back, and this way nobody can say that he’s giving you special treatment or shame you for having two partners. Garrick is the only person who knows about all of this, and he’s sworn to secrecy (that had certainly been an interesting conversation to have).

Xaden may not declare his feelings for you publicly, but he and Sgaeyl are always watching your back, ready to jump in should Dain not be there or should things get out of his control.

The two act generally indifferent to each other, but their love of you is enough for them to behave when you’re around.

They find a good balance between treating you like a princess and pushing you to be the best you can be, letting you do your own work and prepare yourself for what’s to come after graduation. 

nsfw:

The first time you felt Lann and Cath going at it was... interesting.

Xaden knew that this would happen eventually, having felt the same feeling before from Tairn and Sgaeyl. He had warned you days prior that the overwhelming need could lead you astray easily, but that he wouldn’t be mad if you and Dain acted on it.

And act you did. You became addicted to Dain’s touch as soon as you felt it, not wanting it to be a one-time thing, and that’s when the three of you decided that the boys would share you.

We all know Xaden is possessive. He used to call you “my girl” when it was just the two of you hooking up, but now you’re their girl.

“Aww, is our pretty girl needy?”

“I think our girl deserves a reward for being so good.”

Dain is shy at first, but he works up the confidence to start teasing you through the bond. He loves to watch you squirm from across the room as his voice speaks directly into your mind, telling you how hot you looked sparring, what he’s going to do to you tonight…

Xaden does something similar, his shadows brushing your arms and neck, sometimes even slipping under your clothes to touch your body when he can’t, giving soft caresses to your back and waist, but he’ll never take it too far — just enough to make you want his hands on you instead. 

They’re competitive as hell. They’ll tag team you, taking turns to see who can make you cum harder/faster. Your personal record is six times in one night, three apiece before you nearly passed out. They declared a tie, putting aside their egos to care for their sweet girl who had taken it all so well for them.

Sometimes you get both of them at once, and it’s a little overwhelming but so so good. Making out with one while the other is on his knees for you, or one holding your hand and telling you how pretty you look while the other pounds you into the mattress…

The two of them together are the ultimate brat taming combo, with Dain’s strictness and Xaden’s strength. If you give them attitude, get too cozy with another rider, purposely put yourself in danger, or neglect to take care of yourself (overworking, skipping meals, not getting enough sleep…), you’ll have some consequences to face when you’re back behind closed doors that night.

Xaden will tie your hands behind your back with his shadows, Dain edging you until you cry and apologize, promising that you’ll never break their rules again (but you inevitably do, and then they have to teach you your lesson all over again, hehe)

Despite how rough they can be with you, they always take incredibly good care of you afterward, staying to clean you up and hold you close, reminding you how much they love you.

You’re always in the middle when cuddling afterward, as they refuse to touch each other more than absolutely necessary, but you don’t complain, just happy to be held and fall asleep safe between your two strong men 🥰

and now some angst, because that’s what I do:

When you and Dain came back from RSC, bloody and limp, Xaden took care of both of you, finally showing some love to Dain and taking pity on him, helping bandage his wounds and wash the dried blood from his skin.

Eventually Xaden starts distancing himself from the two of you, worried that Dain will read his memories either on purpose or by accident, and find out about his dealings with the gryphon fliers, which you have no idea about.

He plays it off as being busy with third year / wingleader stuff, and you and Dain don’t think anything of it; Xaden has always been withdrawn, never the type to share his thoughts unprompted, and he likes to spend time alone.

When Violet bonds with Tairn at threshing, you realize how Xaden had felt when he realized you and Dain were tied together, only you were less angry and more sad. 

You knew this would happen, that Tairn would have to choose a rider eventually, but it still hurt you deeply. Dain held you all night, whispering sweet things to you while you cried and promising that he would never ever leave you.

You decide to rip the bandage off first, finding Xaden alone a few days later and telling him that for the sake of all four of you and your dragons, this should end here.

He agreed quietly, giving you one last kiss and holding you for a few minutes before finally letting go. 

When Basgiath found out about the revolution, about everything going on beyond the wards, the two of you didn’t hesitate to follow Xaden to Aretia — he may no longer be yours, but you still love him and would gladly fight by his side until the end of your days. 💔

[sleepr-agent420]

watching "ghosted" clegan brainrot

• johns a farmer basic guy doesnt leave the country. just got broken up with bc he was too "clingy and needy and pathetic"

• gale is a SUPER SPY :D on a break between missions and goes to a farmers market to buy a plant bc why not hes bored

• gale trys to buy a plant but admits that hes almost never home so he wants a plant that can survive without water for awhile. john refuses to sell gale a plant bc "if you dont have time to takr care of a living thing you dont deSERVE IT"

• the actual owner of the plant booth steps in and sells the plant to gale before they get into a fist fight. gale leaves. the owner asks john why he didny get that guys number bc "there was definitely something under all that fighting you guys were sooo flirting"

• john runs after gale and cathes him pulling out of the parking lot. gale decides to give him a chance and takes john out for coffee. they have a DAY LONG DATE where they go to an art gallery and a museum and a bar and THEN back to gales place to get down and dirty

• john goes home the next day and tells his family about it and they remind him not to mess thjs shit up by being CLINGY AND ANNOYING (hes already quadruple texted gale)

• next few days john waits for a text back and KEEPS SENDING TXTS. um i wasnt paying attention during this part of yhe movie but apparently he has some kind of tracker on the girl so JOHN has some kind of tracker on gale and sees hes in london

• flies to london to surprise him as a romantic gesture. gets kidnapped bc wrong place wrong time and they thought he was gale. gale saves him blah blah oh my god

[weirdrtvscomments]

I know many of us can relate when I say HLVRAI was the gateway that brought me into this amazing fanbase. I don't think I would have gotten through the last few years as sane had it not been for the amazing, niche, underrated productions of RTVS. I remember being enamored instantly when watching the commentary streams, then RE-WATCHING them again and again, memorizing everyones names, stealing their jokes, and thinking "hmm, I wonder what other vods I could watch of theirs?"

Over 2 years later and I now tell my friends I've more than surpassed probably 200 hours worth of vod watching of RTVS. I feel like I've found "my celebrities," the people I feel confident I'll never get bored of for years to come. I barely catch their livestreams due to shitty internet, but I always aspire for the day I can. Even with shitty internet I'll find excuses to catch that stream on the 16th.

I'm very excited for HLVRAI2 or whatever it entails. Its going to be huge. We've got a big storm coming... and I fucking love storms.

Happy christmas hlvraiheads and rtvsheads :]

True path of a real radiohead... funny half life roleplay let us all to a place of something really unqiue and special that i dont think i ever saw anywhere else. I relate to your story, especially with "unable to cath streams" part LOL.

hlvrai fans, rtvs fans... we are all the same. united under the one flag of baaulpnation.

Weeheads roll out!!!!

[infiniteeight8]

Steter: One of them thinks the other has gotten bored with their sex life.

This has never happened to Peter before.

People may not like him, but his sexual prowess has never been questioned. No one has ever left his bed unsatisfied, and a number of people had kept coming back even against their better judgment because of it.

Of course Stiles would have to be the exception in this, too. Five months together and over the last three the frequency of their sex life has slowly declined from more than once a day to a couple times a week. So far it seems to be holding steady there, but that doesn’t help Peter figure out what’s wrong. For the first time he understands why people read those inane articles about how to spice up their sex lives. He hasn’t sunk that low, but he has been poking around Stiles’ porn hub account for inspiration, which is almost as bad. Not that it’s done any good: their actual sex life is more interesting than the porn in his history, even now.

Thanks to werewolf senses, Peter returns Stiles’ laptop to its previous state and is on the other side of the room, reading, when the door swings open and Stiles comes in. “I swear,” he says, letting the door close behind him with a thump that’s very nearly a slam, “the best thing about being in a long term relationship is finally getting past that feeling that you have to prove something to everyone.” Stiles sheds his coat and hangs it up without being told, for once. “Jamie was all over Cath for half of dinner, never mind that there were four other people there. Like, I get it already, you’re a stud, you’re having all the sex! You can stop demonstrating any time now!” Stiles throws up his hands, then comes around the couch and drops down next to Peter. “Maybe I should just make my excuses until they’ve been together a few more months.”

Oh.

Peter sets a hand on the back of Stiles’ neck and starts rubbing at the spots where the tension always collects. “Assuming it lasts a few more months,” he says aloud. “Not everyone is as lucky as you are, finding your one true love so early.”

“Don’t jinx it,” Stiles protests. “Wish our happiness on everyone! Manifest their dreams!”

“Isn’t it supposed to be your dreams?” Peter asks, grinning. 

“Yeah, yeah, work with me here.”

“I always do,” Peter murmurs.

[mays-corner]

Hello everyone!

I finally decided to work on my introduction because I feel like that with almost 60 readers is necessary.

Without further ado, let’s start!

You can call me May but all my friends know me as Cath, I’m 21 years old and my birthday is on the 10th of May, I share my birthdate with John Constantine.

I am Italian and I’m from Rome, to understand better where I am from you should read and watch the things Zerocalcare has written and done, trust me, it’s worth it!

I was a huge fan of anime, manga and everything Japan related but I started to get bored of them after june of 2023.

I decided to discover more of the world of comicbooks and superheroes and here I am, reading and learning about various characters that I like, for example like, Red Hood (I’m sorry, but for me Curran Walters was good as Jason and he started my comic book obsession), Nightwing (Again, Brendon Thwaites was good, BUT I prefer the DCAU version), Blue Beetle (I like how Xolo Mariduena played Jaime Reyes) and many others.

My favourite heroes other than the ones I’ve already written about are, Nightcrawler (Kurt my beloved), Daredevil (I’m sorry how cool is Matt Murdock?), Rogue and Gambit, Roy Harper (I like a bit of angst with the personal stories of comic book charachters) and Batman (in general).

I won’t be talking about John Constantine because if you know me you know that I crush hard on Matt Ryan and that I hope to meet him soon, but I’m a broke 21 year old, I hate my current situation.

He’s not the only actor that I like, for example I’m a fan of Xolo Mariduena as I said before and Curran Walters (however I dislike the fact that Curran is a fan of that ugly rat called Matt Rife).

I also like Inaki Godoy, but my most favourite between these men is Neil Newbon, He taught me a lot and I’m proud to be his fan.

I am currently reading:

Hellblazer

John Constantine Dead in America

I’m waiting for my next comic book order to arrive so I’ll update you as soon as I can (I also have exams oops).

I also like videogames and in fact I’m playing Assassin’s Creed IV:Black flag (I told you I was crushing hard on Matt), but also Baldur’s Gate 3, Minecraft, Detroit Become Human and Stardew Valley.

I can’t wait to talk more about the things I’m passionate about and remember to watch Dead Boy Detectives (also The Sandman, but mostly Dead Boy Detectives).

See ya at the next post!

May🩵

[gimmequeerbooks]

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (review/rec)

Genre: Fantasy

My rating: 9/10

I feel like Tumblr is well aware of these books already, but I figured it was a solid start as any.

Carry On and its subsequent books was such a pleasant surprise! Years ago, I had read Fangirl, another book by Rowell. And I loved it! I also recommend that one, but there are no LGBTQ+ characters or themes from what I remember. In it, the main character, Cath, was writing a fanfic from her favorite book series from childhood, Simon Snow. Simon Snow evidently involved a teenage boy named Simon whom attended wizarding school. Oddly, some sort of event or disaster would happen at this school every year, with Simon and his friends (but mostly Simon), being at the center of it. Simon would appear to be some sort of “chosen one”. Sound familiar?

Carry On, is the fanfic that Cath was working on. From Fangirl, we already knew that it followed Simon through his last year at wizarding school and that Cath possibly made the best enemies to lovers story known to the world of fanfiction. I actually avoided reading Carry On for a long time because I usually really hate Harry Potter fics. Not to mention that I thought it was going to be a lot like other spin-off books that end up just being boring. Eventually, out of desperation to find more queer stories, I caved, and I found out that my assumptions were absolutely wrong. It turns out that Cath really did write an excellent enemies to lovers story!

The characters are extremely relatable, and over the series we get to see how these characters develop from teenagers to young adults. I love that we also get to see how they react emotionally to the things that have happened to them as well. Unlike a lot of Chosen-One stories where the main trio can just take on challenge after challenge and make it out seemingly unfazed, it feels like Carry On pulls back the curtain on what these sorts of characters would actually be dealing with after facing huge, life-altering events. I’d like to say more here, but I’m afraid that I will spoil them!

The world of Simon Snow is also pretty hilarious. Every once in a while, Rowell will seemingly poke fun at Harry Potter’s plot holes or stupid rules. These books had me laughing when it didn’t have me in Deep Introspection Mode. What with its tongue-twisters of spells taken from nursery rhymes and the main villain being named “The Insidious Humdrum”. That being said, while Carry On perhaps has its roots in Harry Potter, it is a complete story in its own right. Instead of being about the up-and-coming Chosen One and the chaos that ensues, Carry On is more-so about how people can and do move on and grow after their world was turned upside-down. Most Chosen-One stories, and really most young adult fiction books, end with high school, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the Rowell gave Simon and his friends a future beyond just high school. I love how she shows how at every age there are new challenges to face. Life goes on beyond high school!

Of course, I don’t want to forget the reason that these books have made it onto my blog! Where is the gay content!? The main characters, Simon and Baz fall in love, and it’s adorable. Simon doesn’t realize at first that he may be into men, so he has to have a bit of self-discovery there. Meanwhile, Baz thinks he’s pining for a straight boy who could never fall in love with his enemy and rival and hates vampires, like him. It’s like if Malfoy and Harry were to fall in love, except Malfoy actually has some redeeming qualities and proves that he’s quite nice. I feel like this comparison still doesn’t do Simon and Baz justice though. Rowell also shows the awkwardness between first loves and how it may not always be smooth sailing throughout the books. In addition, I have a headcanon that Penelope, another one of the main characters, may be somewhere on the demiromantic and/or demisexual spectrum.

If your in the mood for laughing, some crying (or both at once), discussions about change, and the feeling that you just want to reach into the books to give a hug to people that don’t exist I highly recommend the Simon Snow trilogy.

[thelesbianpoirot]

Comedy is subjective, but I don't find Detective Eddie in Deadloch funny, she's kinda annoying, and isn't good at solving the cases. I thought she was probably a "Bunny eared lawyer" like House, JD or Sean from psych, but she comes off as grating. It's only eight episodes so i'll keep watching for other things I like. She may grow on me. Mainly love the actresses they chose, lots of my type, Sharelle the bar tender, Cath, Vanessa. Also Dulcie is ungrateful, she's got my dream life, a high-strung attached woman with a dream, and she's bored of it, she's minutes from a mid life crisis affair

[lostfirefly]

You’ve Got the Same Dream as Me

Hello, kiddos! The idea for this fanfic came to me from a dream (again) I had about a month ago. Тhe main characters were Tom Cruise and Henry Cavill (don't ask me why), but with a light hand they have been replaced (sorry, guys). The main action of the dream took place somewhere in the sands. Аlthough this fanfic will feature Sir Crocodile and our beloved Buggy, the action shifts to the desert. No marines, ships etc. Sorry, not sorry :) The devil fruit's abilities are preserved. Catch the Mummy and Indiana Jones vibes :) I have no idea how many chapters there will be.

Since English is not my native language, errors may occur. As always, feel free to share your thoughts :) 

And thank you to my dear @yujo-nishimura and @laurasoretta for believing in me :)

Description: Catherine, a librarian who is searching for the trail of her sister who went missing on an expedition. Notes in books and diaries lead her to Cairo. There she finds Rika, a retailer from an artifact shop who, in exchange for selling her a map and equipment, insists that Catherine take her along. They get into a little (or maybe a big) adventure.. 

Warnings: 12+, I think. As always, no smut, angst, violence. Adventures and fun only. Buggy x OC, Sir Crocodile x OC.

Words: 700

The title is taken from «You've Got the Same Dream as Me» (Sonya Belousova & Giona Ostinelli) (One Piece, Netflix)

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Chapter 1

"I need one ticket, please! I need to get on that plane!". Catherine said pleadingly, snapping her fingers in front of the girl's face. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

That was the last flight to Cairo for today. 

Tired and laden with bags Catherine begged the girl at the check-in desk to sell her a ticket. 

"I N-E-E-D T-O G-E-T O-N T-H-I-S P-LA-N-E". She spelled it out in an irritated voice. 

'You need help?" a girl's voice came through.  

"What? Oh, yes. I need to buy a ticket. This’s the last flight to Cairo, I cannot wait until tomorrow. But she..", Catherine pointed at the girl behind the counter, "Said there are no available tickets". 

"Well, yeah. This destination is very popular now, unfortunately, it doesn't help these checkout girls learn English well. I’m Laura, by the way", the brown-haired girl, adjusting the strap of her bag, held out her hand to Catherine. 

"Oh, sorry. I’m Catherine. Catherine Mitchell". 

"Well, Cath, today is your lucky day, I think", Laura said, pulling a small envelope out of the inside pocket of her jacket.

"What? Me and happy days are clearly bypassing each other", Catherine mumbled, scratching her neck.

"Well, I was supposed to go to Cairo with my boyfriend. But he dumped me right outside the airport. Shithead. Said he was bored with me... Anyway, I've got an extra ticket if you want it. As I can see, you need it more", Laura said with a wide smile. 

"Really? You're just gonna give me a ticket? I… I'm-- I can pay for it…", Catherine reached for her wallet.

"No, please! You owe me a cup of coffee and one pizza. Furthermore, it'll be nice to talk to someone normal on the flight", Laura held out the ticket.

"But how do I get on the ticket? It's under a different name".

"Come on, the staff are rubbish, they don't really look at the details", Laura said with a teasing tone. 

"That’s… Great! I guess. You’ve saved my life!", Catherine couldn't contain her joy. "In that case… Come on! Let me buy you coffee and the biggest pizza".

"Just a minute, ok? I'm gonna give my mum a quick call and tell her it's okay and my trip's not cancelled".

"Sure".

Laura stepped behind a column and pulled out her phone. After looking around at the people around her, she dialed a number.

"Sir, everything's on schedule. She bought it". 

⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭

Dear passengers! Our plane has landed at Cairo airport. The temperature outside the window is +40 degrees.

"God, I'm going to die in this heat", Catherine groaned. 

"Well, you'll try not to die somehow. So.. I guess we'll say goodbye after baggage claim. Thank you so much for the company", Laura said, pulling a backpack off the luggage rack. 

"I can’t even express how thankful I am, Laura. Really". 

Walking out of the airport building with her suitcase, Catherine took a taxi and went to the hotel. When she finally got there, she shook out the contents of her backpack on the bed. 

"Where is... where is... ", Catherine was going through the papers and books that were all over the bed. "There it is! 15, Marineford Street. Hm.. Why does Cairo have a street with that name?"

Without wasting a second, Catherine put everything back into her backpack and ran out of the room. 

Within 30 minutes she was standing at the door of a small shop. Its entrance was decorated with a large brown door with peeling paint and a worn handle that had been probably tugged on for decades. 

"Rika's shop: your adventures begin here", Catherine whispered the name of the shop and rolled her eyes at the same second, "Oh my God, how original".

She started knocking on the door.

"Hello-o-o-o! People! Somebody? Anybody?", she put her ear to the door, hoping to hear the sound of footsteps.

"What's all the fuss? The shop's closed", said a woman passing by. 

"But I have to get to the shop!" said Catherine with hope in her voice. 

"Come back tomorrow, you lunatic. You'll get in then. The owner had already gone home. Get out of here".

"Come back tomorrow. Then you'll get in", Catherine muttered under her breath. 

There was nothing left for her to do but go back to the hotel, take a shower and burrow under the blanket. 

[readerbookclub]

Hello everyone :) I’m back with a new book list. This month, we’ve got books all about books. Bookception!

As always, please vote for your favourite using the link at the bottom of the post. 

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader, by Anne Fadiman

Anne Fadiman is (by her own admission) the sort of person who learned about sex from her father's copy of Fanny Hill, whose husband buys her 19 pounds of dusty books for her birthday, and who once found herself poring over her roommate's 1974 Toyota Corolla manual because it was the only written material in the apartment that she had not read at least twice. This witty collection of essays recounts a lifelong love affair with books and language. For Fadiman, as for many passionate readers, the books she loves have become chapters in her own life story. Writing with remarkable grace, she revives the tradition of the well-crafted personal essay, moving easily from anecdotes about Coleridge and Orwell to tales of her own pathologically literary family. As someone who played at blocks with her father's 22-volume set of Trollope ("My Ancestral Castles") and who only really considered herself married when she and her husband had merged collections ("Marrying Libraries"), she is exquisitely well equipped to expand upon the art of inscriptions, the perverse pleasures of compulsive proof-reading, the allure of long words, and the satisfactions of reading out loud. There is even a foray into pure literary gluttony: Charles Lamb liked buttered muffin crumbs between the leaves, and Fadiman knows of more than one reader who literally consumes page corners. Perfectly balanced between humor and erudition, Ex Libris establishes Fadiman as one of our finest contemporary essayists.

The Reading List, by Sara Nisha Adams

Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries. Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home. When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list… hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.

Lost For Words, by Stephanie Butland

Loveday Cardew prefers books to people. If you look closely, you might glimpse the first lines of the novels she loves most tattooed on her skin. But there are things she'll never show you. Fifteen years ago Loveday lost all she knew and loved in one unspeakable night. Now, she finds refuge in the unique little York bookshop where she works. Everything is about to change for Loveday. Someone knows about her past. Someone is trying to send her a message. And she can't hide any longer.

Words in Deep Blue, by Cath Crowley

Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favorite book in his family’s bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came. Now Rachel has returned to the city—and to the bookshop—to work alongside the boy she’d rather not see, if at all possible, for the rest of her life. But Rachel needs the distraction, and the escape. Her brother drowned months ago, and she can’t feel anything anymore. She can't see her future. Henry's future isn't looking too promising, either. His girlfriend dumped him. The bookstore is slipping away. And his family is breaking apart. As Henry and Rachel work side by side—surrounded by books, watching love stories unfold, exchanging letters between the pages—they find hope in each other. Because life may be uncontrollable, even unbearable sometimes. But it’s possible that words, and love, and second chances are enough.

The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better? Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

Please vote here.

[catholickedd]

HEY CATH! IM BORED! AND ON A BUS SO I HAVE NOTHING TO DO!!!!! OH WAIT I COULD SCRUMBLE...... BYEE

WHAT IS SCRUMBLING

[team-pokefriends]

Fenninkou: "Cool! An actual Xerneas! What do you do here? What does it mean to be the 'Pokemon of Life'?" The teen eagerly bounced on her toes. Her tail swished and wagged hyperly.

[Xerneas looks towards the hybrid with a little bit of curiousity, themself.]

[Xerneas] "Interesting. I've never seen a Pokémon quite like you before..."

[Before they could let their curiosity get to them, they snap their attention back to the question at hand.]

[Xerneas] "I digress. I am the founder of this town."

[Sophie] "Really? Are you, like, the leader?"

[Xerneas] "Long ago, but now that rule falls to democracy. Nowadays, I stand by the city and help during times of distress.

And as the Pokémon of Life, I have the power to bring life to anyone and anywhere. For example, this very tree you're standing in is my doing, and so are the trees that surround and house this very city."

[Sophie and Catherine look shocked.]

[Sophie] "Wait, you made the entire city?!"

[Xerneas] "Not by myself. I grew the trees that would be the base for many buildings in the area, and the Pokémon here shaped them all into what they needed."

[Sophie] "Wait, so you can, just, grow trees whenever you wanted?"

[Xerneas] "Yes, but, again, that's not all I can do. As the Pokémon of Life, I can also instill vitality into those who I wish."

[Sophie] "What's that mean?"

[Xerneas] "Allow me to explain from the beginning?"

[Sophie] "It won't be boring, will it?"

[Xerneas] "It's a simple explanation, I assure it won't be... but if you want, I could, instead, show you."

[Sophie] "Wait, really?"

[Xerneas] "Yes. I would need a volunteer, however."

[Sophie clenches her right hand into a fist and smacks her chest with a confident smirk on her face.]

[Sophie] "Count me in."

[Xerneas] "Very well."

[Xerneas stands proud and tall. Their antlers and legs begin to change color; from the base all the way to the end, it goes from the bright blue to a shiny yellow. The gems on its antlers also change color, going from a single blue for all of them to a variety of different colors, from red, to yellow, to purple, and a more saturated blue. Once the transformation is finished, Xerneas looks up to the sky.

Eight pillars of yellow light surround them, all surrounded by different circular particles of the colors present on their horns.

Sophie looks on in amazement, while Catherine looks concerned.]

[Catherine, thoughts] "(What's going on? What is he doing?)"

[After Catherine finishes her thought, the pillars turn blue and shoot up above Xerneas, forming into a massive ball of energy floating above their antlers. Xerneas then looks towards Sophie; their eyes flash yellow, and the energy shoots out as a beam towards the Slowking, absorbing itself into her.

Catherine gasps, not knowing exactly what is going on. Confusion races through her mind, and she can only hope nothing bad is happening to her best friend.

Once the last of the energy is absorbed, Xerneas returns to their blue color.

Sophie looks at her hands and realizes there is now a faint yellow glow around her body.]

[Catherine, worried] "Sophie? Are you okay?"

[The Slowking quickly looks at the concerned Dragonite, but he has a smile on her face.]

[Sophie] "Cath, I feel like I could take on an army of Ursarings!"

[Catherine, confused] "Huh?"

[Xerneas lightly chuckles.]

[Xerneas] "That's usually how it feels.]

[Sophie, curious] "What did you do to me?"

[Xerneas] "That, is my signature move, Geomancy. With it, I can give anyone, from just one Pokémon to an entire community, a surge of strength and energy."

[Sophie] "So, this is the power of the Pokémon of Life?"

[Xerneas nods.]

[Xerneas] "The power to revigorate, bring life to where there is none, and to make sure this life is healthy and lasting, that is what it means to be the Pokémon of Life."

[Sophie's more focused on the Geomancy glow and its effects on her.]

[Sophie] "This is so cool."

[@ask-team-misfit]

[rebuilding-paradise]

"Mmhhgg.. Another day, more annoying comments from the blonde stereotype. . ."

Cath was quietly getting ready for school. They always had trouble fitting in considering how similar they looked to a murder... But they just pushed that down. They put their cat-ear beanie on and headed out. Another boring day. . .

@kaylikestodrawlittlenightmares

[ciderjacks]

Concept:

Dulcie being raised in a really conservative and homophobic environment, and her parents reacted poorly to her being gay and held that stance for years. When she moved out, she was initially very uncomfortable with her sexuality and would fluster at any intimacy from women. Cath met her early after she’d left home, and was one of the first other gay women Dulcie met. Dulcie fell for her immediately, but never said anything, meanwhile Cath took a bit longer, and her feelings started pretty casually and flirtatiously, but when she fell she fell hard.

Cath being Cath was very open about her feelings started flirting with Dulcie as soon as she felt anything, but Dulcie was awkward and weird about it, and didn’t seem to be receptive at all. Put off by this, and a little bored, Cath decided that if Dulcie wasn't interested she’d just have some fun (also sort of hoping to make her jealous maybe)

This worked, Dulcie was very jealous. Seeing this reaction, Cath felt encouraged, and started hamming it up to try and get her to do something. This is also around when Cath started to really fall for her. Unfortunately, Dulcie being Dulcie, this didn’t work as planned and she started pulling away.

At this point Cath is very sick and tired of this, it’s not a game to her anymore because she’s legitimately in love, and so asks Dulcie straight up what she wants. Dulcie gives an awkward non-answer and Cath asks again, more directly, if she wants her. Dulcie hesitates, and so Cath gives up and starts to walk away, but as she’s about to leave, Dulcie frantically pulls her back in and kisses her dramatically.

and thats how they get together in my mind