#Gay friendly Chicago

[gaytravelinfo]

W Chicago City Center

W Chicago City Center | 172 W Adams St, Chicago, IL 60603 | 312-332-1200 Timeless elegance meets modern luxury at W Chicago – City Center. Occupying a historic Beaux Arts building in the heart of downtown, on Chicago’s famed Loop, our hotel provides an enviable location to experience the charms of the Windy City. Step into our Art Deco-inspired lobby and be greeted with soaring ceilings and…

[cator99]

Last year around this time I was in Chicago trying to buy shrooms off some underweight white dreads boy at addison station after trying to go to some "sapphic night" at a bar only to pull up and be told that tickets were $30 absolutely not happening I went back to my old time fav Charlie's but it was lowkey a flop wasn't feeling it at all crowd was boring as fuck not a single latino offered me coke which was how I knew it was an off night so I went back to the train. Omw back I hung out with a bunch of black dudes who were sitting on fold out lawn chairs out the back of a suv celebrating one of the dudes nephews graduating top of his class and getting a university scholarship and little dude was gay so they wanted to show their support but like since he was too young to go into the gay clubs they decided to just hang around in boystown getting wasted together and that was really fun those dudes were dope but by the time I got back to addison i was like um i came out here tonight looking 4 shrooms and will be disappointed to go back empty handed so when I saw the opportunity I took it but this white dreads californian refugee was acting wack from the start despite the fact that he also clearly was prepared to sell to me--- he started sayin I looked like a cop (normie hair, all black fit, shoes that are far too reasonable and would in hindsight be considered cop shoes to the average drifter from the west coast unaccustomed to the east coast way of life (yes I was wearing hokas), mostly sober, suspiciously in shape for someone trying to buy drugs from strangers)- I remember exactly what he said: "if you're a cop I will kill myself- no joke, straight up, I will kill myself." By the time I took out my flip phone to get his number... it was all over for me. Absolutely not happening. Please– I pleaded– I'm Canadian! "What, they don't have smartphones in Canada?" Dude I feel like cops have the budget to get normal burner phones for stings... I don't! I just want shrooms! Also worth mentioning is that there was some sort of annoying-type lesbian that had just left the sapphic party Very Disappointed By The Vibe who had been trying to hit on me prior to my asking that dude if he knows where to get shrooms since he asked to bum a smoke first and sure from her perspective I'm sure she felt as though we had been hitting it off but I'm just a friendly person and when I quickly diverted my attention away to ask some bum for drugs... she scoffed, full on scoffed. Proceeded to make a whole thing about backing away slowly and saying "I'm going to go waaayyy over here now! Good! BYE!" You're wearing cut off overalls. A tie dyed crop top. A choker. You're going back to your parents place in Evanston. I do not want to continue our conversation all the way up the red line til I get off at morse, I will kill myself- no joke, straight up, I will kill myself.

[thisapplepielife]

Written for the @steddieholidaydrabbles December challenge.

A Hazy Shade of Winter

Prompt Day 13: Road Trip | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: M | CW: Internalized Homophobia, Sexual Content | Tags: Canon Divergence Post-Season 4, Eddie Munson Lives, Road Trip, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Boys in Love, Dual POV

This does take place during my fic Take the Money and Run, but can be read as a standalone. They're on a road trip that's unfortunately winding down.

Day 84/90: December 18th, 1986 Madison, Wisconsin

Eddie

It's fucking cold. Eddie bounces on his toes, trying to warm up. There's a little bit of snow on the ground, but it's not too bad for December. Merlyn's, the club that he thought they were going to tonight, has apparently been closed for two years. That's just his fucking luck. 

It's not like he has lots of backup ideas for things to do in Madison, Wisconsin. It's just a stop on the way home. But he doesn't want to waste it, because every day they get closer to Hawkins, the more stressed out Eddie gets. 

They're planning to spend their last days of this road trip in Chicago, holed up, together. Eddie wants that, desperately. Everything about these days feels desperate. 

Surely there's somewhere else to go tonight. 

They duck into a little cafe, and Eddie approaches the counter while Steve hangs back by the door. Waiting. 

"Hey. So, we were looking for a club, but it's closed. Permanently, I guess," Eddie says, smiling sheepishly. "Any suggestions?" 

The guy looks at Eddie, then at Steve, then back at Eddie. 

"I think The Six is what you want, there's no live music though." 

That's fine, as long as it has heat, Eddie's game. 

"Thanks. You happen to have an address?" 

The guy gives him the cross-streets and Eddie hopes he can relay them to Steve. This place isn't going to be on the atlas, he's pretty damn sure. 

They get back in the car, and Steve cranks up the heat, and pulls Eddie's hands between his own to warm them up. Eddie smiles. 

Steve brings them to his mouth, and breathes out a puff of warm air. 

"Better?" Steve asks. 

Eddie nods. Much. 

"We could just go back to the motel, if you want," Steve offers, giving him the look. 

That's tempting. Very tempting. 

But he wants to go do something first. 

"Let's just see where this is," Eddie says, taking his hands back and looking at the map with the flashlight. 

He quickly realizes it's literally right up the street. Less than half a mile. He laughs. 

"So, it's like three blocks away. We can walk." 

"It's cold, we can drive," Steve says, and Eddie knows that's for his benefit. It's kind, and one of the reasons Eddie loves him so much.

They have less than a week left of this road trip, and that's weighing on Eddie pretty heavily at the moment. He's not ready to give this up. Give Steve up. 

He's never gonna be ready for that. 

"Let's just walk," Eddie says, and Steve nods. 

They get out of the car and Eddie leads the way, and they find it without issue. 

It's quiet inside. No live music is an understatement. There's no music at all. No jukebox. No noise. No TV blaring sports in the corner, nothing. 

They order a couple beers and find a table. 

And Eddie really looks around. He thinks this might be a gay bar. Not blatantly so, like Twin Peaks in San Francisco. This is the Midwest, still. But it's gay-friendly, at a minimum. 

He looks at Steve, and Steve looks oblivious. Or if he knows, he just doesn't care. 

Steve Harrington is too brave for his own good. 

Steve

Steve's pretty sure this is a gay bar, if he couldn't tell by looking around, he can definitely tell by the look on Eddie's face. 

Eddie's surely fretting about how he got clocked at the cafe. Steve doesn't think it was Eddie at all, it was probably him. He's not sure he can school his face to not look at Eddie like he hasn't been fucking him on the regular. 

Like they aren't in love. 

This might be a problem when they get home. 

"Eddie, it's okay," Steve says, and he reaches over to touch Eddie's hand, and Eddie pulls it away. 

Steve knew better, but he did it anyway. 

He folds his hands and puts them in his lap, "Sorry."

"No, Harrington, I was rude," Eddie says, reaching a hand across the table towards him. A peace offering. 

Steve doesn't need it. He knows how Eddie feels about him, and that doesn't change just because Eddie doesn't want the world to know. 

Steve sees. That's good enough. It's a change from his past relationships, but Steve can adapt. He's good at that, he's learned. 

Steve covers Eddie's hand with his own, very briefly, and then lets go, not wanting Eddie uncomfortable. 

"We can go," Steve offers. 

Eddie shakes his head, "No. Let's have a beer."

So they do. And then they leave. 

They drive to the motel, and as soon as they are in the door Eddie's on him. Steve knows it's an apology. One he doesn't need, but he kisses Eddie back. 

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"Eddie, I'm good. We're good," Steve promises.

Eddie nods, and Steve smiles. 

"Then let's see what we can find to do, hmm?" Steve banters, reaching for Eddie's belt buckle. He pops open the handcuffs with ease, a well-practiced move, now. 

Eddie

Eddie sprawls out on the bed, and watches as Steve gets underdressed. They both have scars, inside and out, but they don't hurt so much anymore. Not when they're together. 

Eddie runs his thumb over his disfigured nipple, and feels nothing. But looking at Steve, he feels everything. 

Steve covers his body, and flicks his tongue over the nerve-damaged nipple, saying hi. 

Saying, I love you.

Just as you are. 

Then he moves to the other one, the one that can feel it and Eddie arches up under him, sliding their dicks together. It's good, with Steve. Sex is good, when you're in love. 

And Eddie is in love. Too far gone to recover. 

Steve hovers over him and smiles, "Where's that sex pumpkin?" 

Eddie laughs, and fumbles for the plastic pumpkin to get the lube. He wonders if McDonald's does Christmas buckets. A sex snowman might be a nice change, festive. 

Notes: In the research theme of Take the Money and Run, both of those bars did exist in the 1980s. Merlyn's was a club that did close in 1984, and "The Six" is The 602 Club, which was a unique bar.

Here's a great article about The 602 Club, with pictures. It had an informal split of the bar, for gay and straight patrons. In the 60s! It's described as, "Madison in the 1960s was a Midwest way station between San Francisco, Berkeley and Greenwich Village for a tidal wave of rebellion, new thought and cultural evolution."

Here's a Tumblr post showing vintage pics of the exterior of the building, including the original neon sign.

Since this fic's original chapters were song titles, this one is from Simon & Garfunkel's song of the same name.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddieholidaydrabbles and follow along with the fun!

If you want to see more of my entries into this month-long challenge, you can check them out in my Steddie Holiday Drabbles tag, right here!

[gamerpup1]

change what you want (ray stantz personalkity 4 charcter ai)

[{Character(“Raymond Stantz”)

Alias(“Ray”)

Gender(“Cisgender male”)

Age(“46")

Sexuality(“Gay" + “Attracted to men”)

Height(“6’0”)

Language(“English")

Status(“Single” + “Interested in {{user}}”)

Occupation("Ghostbuster" + “Owner of Ray's Occult Books”)

Personality(“Honest" + “Trustworthy” + “Loving” + “Caring” + “Enthusiastic” + “Open-minded” + “Autistic” + “Intelligent” + “Smart” + “Charismatic” + “Excitable” + “Capable” + “Brilliant” + “Cheerful” + “Positive” + “Easily flustered” + “Smart” + “Gullible” + “Oblivious” + “Compassionate” + “Cooperative” + “Respectful” + “Responsible” + “Courteous” + “Creative” + “Handy” + “Educated” + “Earnest” + “Empathetic” + “Forgiving” + “Friendly” + “Polite” + “Kind” + “Freethinking” + “Gentle” + “Imaginative” + “Lovable” + “Unorganized” + “Messy” + “Optimistic” + “Observant” + “Passionate” + “Patient” + “Playful” + “Selfless” + “Simple” + “Sympathetic” + “Absentminded” + “Amusing” + “Ambitious” + “Determined” + “Focused” + “Folksy” + “Sociable” + “Soft”)

Skills(“Great mechanic” + “Gifted mechanic” + “Good with cars” + “Scientist” + “Skilled at dealing with ghosts” + “Knowledgeable on ghosts” + “Knowledgeable on the supernatural” + “Good at caring for kids” + “Knows sign language”)

Appearance(“Birthmark under his chin" + “Messy brown hair” + “Brown eyes” + “A few gray strands of hair” + “Messy stubble” + “Chubby” + “Fat” + “Strong arms” + “Hairy arms and legs” + “Hairy chest” + “Casual fashion” + “Round face” + “Soft face” + “Pudgy stomach” + “Pudgy tummy” + “Chubby stomach” + “Widow's peak hair”)

Habit(“Bouncing leg when sat down” + “Humming to himself” + “Making dad jokes” + “Whistling” + “Sleeping with a stuffed animal” + “Physical affection” + “Glancing at watch” + “Chewing gum” + “Smoking” + “Patting people on the back” + “Tapping foot” + “Slouching” + “Oral fixation” + “Taking care of Slimer” + “Reading” + “Wearing reading glasses while reading” + “Moving his lips while reading”)

Race(“Human”)

Likes(“Dad jokes” + “Puns” + “Chinese food” + “Greek food” + “Pizza” + “Chicago pizza” + “Whiskey” + “Ghosts” + “The supernatural” + “Studying the supernatural” + “Books” + “Nature” + “Fiction” + “Animals” + “Sweets” + “The blues” + “Jazz music” + “Old rock music” + “Dogs” + “Affection” + “Physical affection” + “Hugs” + “Coziness” + “His friends” + “Oingo Boingo” + “Frank Sinatra” + “Elvis Presley” + “The Platters” + “ABBA” + “Paul Anka” + “Tears for Fears” + “Warm blankets” + “Calm” + “Fall weather” + “Journaling” + “Bubble baths” + “Stuffed animals” + “Comic books” + “Cartoons” + “Action figures” + “Cars” + “Game shows” + “Bagels” + “Marshmallows” + “The Ghostbusters” + “Sleeping in” + “Warm colors” + “50s pop culture”)

Dislikes("Bacon" + “Thai food” + “Vodka” + “Rainy days” + “Bright lights” + “Loud noises” + “Cats” + “Gozer” + “Being made fun of” + “Horror movies” + “Being scared” + “False calls” + “Goats” + “Being late” + “Traffic” + “Bullying” + “Being alone” + “Roughness” + “Going to the doctors” + “Grapes” + “Broccoli” + “Seafood” + “Being ignored” + “Bugs” + “School” + “Heights” + “Scorn” + “Clowns” + “Judgment” + “Being sick” + “Having a runny nose” + “Bigots” + “Oppression” + “Ignorance” + “Politics” + “Burnt food” + “Foul odors” + “Headaches” + “Losing” + “Small areas” + “Small planes” + “Math”)

Relationships("Younger sister named Jean” + “Older brother named Carl” + “Friends with Peter Venkman” + “Friends with Egon Spengler” + “Friends with Winston Zeddemore” + “Dead parents” + “Swiss great grandparents” + “Aunt named Lois” + “Family from Russia” + “Family from Switzerland” + “Friends with Slimer”)

Ethnicity(“White” + “Swiss” + “Russian”)

Residence(“Lives in the Ghostbusters firehouse”)

Attributes(“Autistic" + “Needs glasses to read” + “Needs reading glasses” + “Generous” + “Loyal” + “Creative” + “Humorous” + “Compassionate” + “Curious” + “On the autism spectrum” + “Messy” + “Physically affectionate” + “Affectionate”)

Backstory("In his childhood, Ray Stantz went to Camp Waconda. Sitting at the campfire and roasting Stay Puft Marshmallows became one of his fondest memory. In his adulthood, Dr. Ray Stantz worked in the private sector at one point but he was not adept at producing the results they wanted. By 1984, Ray's parents passed away and he inherited the home he was born in. 

Ray went to work at Columbia University and studied the paranomal phenomena with Dr. Peter Venkman and Dr. Egon Spengler. Egon and Ray were usually the first to interview case subjects, even people Peter called "schizos" no matter how far-fetched their stories were. Ray was adamant about a personal paranormal experience he once had, he was witness to an undersea, unexplained Mass Sponge Migration. 

Once he was able to save up enough money by selling his parents' home, he bought an abandoned firehouse and began to build his business, The Ghostbusters, alongside his friends. After a year of ghost busting, him and the rest of the Ghostbusters defeated an ancient god named Gozer.")}]

[jurassicteeth]

Refs for the power couple of the Mojave. 😳

(Heres what it all says if its a lil hard to read!)

Harper Virgil Navarro-Garland ( he/him, 24, gay, intersex, transmasc )

Tagged Skills: Science, Medicine, Repair

- His moms, Catherine and Janae, raised him in vault 101 with his much older half-brother, Dante. His moms were friends with James, the Lone Wanderer’s father, so he grew up with the LW.

> He was childhood friends with Amata and Lucas.

> Had a romantic interest for Lucas.

> He was bullied by Scarecrow (LW) and Butch Deloria, however they are friends by the time they arrive in the Mojave.

- Became a BOS scribe, while Dante became a Knight- these titles were short lived considering they both abandoned the BOS.

- Janae and James both died during the Enclave attack on the Jefferson Memorial, Janae’s body being found in a sewer system that she tried to escape through- however her injuries were fatal.

- Generally speaking, project purity was successful with the efforts of Scarecrow, Lucas, and Harper. Collectively they did things that helped DC, however the general trust they had for the Brotherhood of Steel was very slim by the end of the main events of F3(post Broken Steel), which is why they were pretty quick to leave DC with The League.

- Before travelling to the Mojave, he and his family were apart of a group that helped The League out in Chicago to prevent the Brotherhood of Steel from taking over. (2278-2279)

> This group that came from DC consisted of him, Dante, Catherine, Scarecrow, Butch, Lucas, and Charon. They were all brought to Chicago by Tashaun Bruce via vertibird.

> At this point Harper and Charon are in a romantic relationship, which ends once they start their journey to the Mojave in 2280. It made the journey a little awkward but, they remained civil and friendly!

- His group, after a few stops for maintenance and refueling, landed safely near Northside. Tashaun drops them off and bids farewell, and they all stay in Westside for awhile. Charon left first to find work as a mercenary or as a caravan guard. Meanwhile, Harper’s family and Lucas were advised to go to Freeside by Tom Anderson, who asked them to take their skills there so that they could assist the Followers and New Vegas in general.(2280)

> Around this time is when Harper meets Soda-Pop, Kara Roths, Julie Farkas, and Arcade Gannon.

> Became work partners with Julie and Arcade, but worked mainly as a field doctor and representative of the FotA who travelled with Kara and Soda.

- In the beginning of year 2280, Harper and Soda start an on again off again romance for awhile until officially being together. However, Harper fell deeper into his addiction to Med-x, which caused him to be absent in the relationship- and that led to him taking a step back and breaking it off with Soda.

> Harper had this addiction from 2277 to mid 2281.

> Harper becomes friends with Sarsaparilla and Jasper Steele around this time.

> Around mid 2280, he chose to try and focus more on his work as a researcher and doctor… which caused him and Arcade to begin a romantic relationship. They had been friends for awhile, however upon spending more time with eachother they caught more intimate feelings.

- In early 2281, Harper, Julie, and others led the beginning of the independence against the main heads of the Mojave. The Followers of the Apocalypse became a beacon of hope, taking in people from various factions- as refugees or as helpers.

> As tensions got higher between the independence and the ncr/legion/house, things got progressively more dangerous. Because of this, one day while scouting with Jasper and Sarsaparilla, a legionary saw the trio, and shot Harper’s left eye- aiming for the brain, but luckily missed.

Factions/settlements recruited by/protected by the FotA for the independence: Jacobstown, The Great Khans, Novac, Freeside, The Kings, Enclave Remnants, The Boomers.

- Has three kids— Catherine (2282, born soon after the 2nd battle of Hoover), Marlyn (2285), Miguel (2287). He has Catherine with Arcade, Marlyn with Soda-Pop, and Miguel with Cora. They’re all poly/were in a polycule after the Independence won.

- Loves to draw, doodle, and create little statues out of metal scraps and clay.

Arcade Israel Gannon ( he/they, 35, gay, intersex )

Tagged skills: Science, Medicine, Energy Weapons

Canon information: Arcade Gannon is apart of the Followers of the Apocalypse at the Old Mormon Fort. He is a doctor of medicine and got most if not all of his training from the Followers. In 2281, He works mainly as a botanical researcher, due to not being- in his words- a “people person”. They are a man led by their firm moral beliefs, supporting an independent Vegas and individual freedoms. He puts himself down a lot, however they are not only witty, but fairly charming.

Background + headcannons:

- Was born at the Navarro base in 2246 to Mark and Nancy Gannon.

> Mark was an Enclave officer, and Nancy was a vertibird mechanic.

> Both of Arcade’s parents worked at the Navarro military base around the same time that Catherine did when she was younger. They worked in very different sections, but did know of one another.

> His mother died pretty recently, probably a few years before the events of fnv, mainly due to health complications.

- Arcade spent a lot of their teenage years in The boneyard, that being where he got their medical knowledge. When the brotherhood and NCR started cracking down on weeding out former Enclave personel, him, his mom, and the enclave platoon he called family moved progressively closer to the New Vegas area to avoid prosecution. (Probably left the Boneyard when he was 18.)

> Had a few boyfriends growing up, however they never let them get too close, because of being the son of an Enclave officer- and also given him and their family’s inability to settle given the actions of the BOS and NCR. This defensive emotional wall persisted into his young adult and adult relationships.

> They feel extreme guilt over being related to a man who was apart of a fascist paramilitary organization, hiding it from anyone and everyone for a long time. Harper was the first person he tells in detail about his situation, Harp was accepting- considering Catherine was a doctor and scientist for the enclave when she was 18.

- Has been working and living in the Mojave since 2277, and has been a Follower since 2278.

- Arcade has several journals filled with neat, organized notes. He also has a few that are full of various poems, being his main way of venting out a lot of his thoughts.

> In his scientific research he includes small, simple doodles of various plants that he studies.

- When Arcade met Harper, he felt extremely silly- falling head over heels for the fellow doctor… however he kept his distance, out of fear and considering that they didnt work much together when Harper first joined the Followers. When the working situation changed, Arcade managed to charm Harper with witty comments about pre war literature and science jokes- granted he was extremely awkward at first, Harper always thought it was very cute.

- Fights with the enclave remnants in his father’s old gear during the second battle of Hoover Dam, proud of himself for gaining the confidence to do the right thing in his father’s memory. After the battle at Hoover Dam, and becoming a father, he shifts from being a researcher to being a doctor- wanting to help more directly.

Anyways yeah… 😳👉👈 my scrimblos that I love so very much… thank you JE Sawyer for creating Arcade Gannon.

[drdemonprince]

I love the name Devon! Howd you choose it

Before my name change, my middle name was Dawn. In my Midwestern accent, that name is indistinguishable from Don, and I got a real thrill out of people being surprised that I had a "man's name" for my middle name throughout my childhood. That probably led me to gravitate toward names that started with the letter D.

I was also besotted by a female cellist in my high school orchestra with the name of Devon; she was quiet and self-serious and incredibly talented in an unshowy way, and I just thought it was so damn cool that she had an androgynous, male-leaning name. I'd always found it so cool when girls had names like Ryan or Max as well.

Later, in college, I'd become close friends with a sarcastic, witty environmental studies major named Devon; we talked a lot about Sufjan Stevens music and got drunk together before a falling out between my boyfriend and his roommate kinda drove us apart. As an adult another Devin, this time with an "I" instead of an "o" became my friend through the Chicago Live Lit scene. He's a gay ex-evangelical and comic book nerd with a sweet disposition, encyclopedic knowledge of graphic novels, and a winningly boisterous laugh. So the name had only positive associations.

Around the time my transgender egg was getting cracked, I was on the tabletop role playing podcast @wheelandway. My character in the first season was a hillbilly wizard named Dale. I tried that name on for size because I liked the letter D, and I thought it suited my Appalachian background. Eventually I decided it didn't quite fit, it didn't have enough of an edge for me, but I was headed in the right direction.

I considered other, loosely similar names like Damon (yeah like Albarn, sorry), but Devon seemed the most appealing to me. It was English and kind of classy sounding to my American but British-and-Scottish-ancestried ear, and I liked that it meant "shield" and nicely matched my chosen last name, Price. I liked that it was androgynous but leaning masculine, with the majority of babies named Devon today still being male -- usually once a name becomes androgynous, it breaks in a more female direction, in terms of enduring naming trends. Devon is one of the few names to remain solidly neutral and something people will still willingly name their boy babies as well as girls.

All in all, it felt right, seemed like a name that both suited me and on that was appropriate for me to claim, it looked and sounded good with my last name, and it only evoked positive memories of other people for me. I'm so fortunate that I didn't google the name Devon Price before choosing it, because if I had, I wouldn't have become close friends with another social psychologist nearly my exact same age who has the same name and occupation as me.

I've had many names in the past and I don't view any of them as dead names or anything I feel any need to conceal from people. Part of me does experience regret over trying to distance myself from my dad and my hillbilly family by getting rid of their surname in favor of Price. At the time that I made that choice, when I was eighteen, some of it was motivated by a desire for respectability and a shame over my family's class background and how I might be perceived within academia. My current public-facing name is very friendly to being an academic and a noted public thinker, and I think it's kinda wack that I've profitted off of that. Sometimes I think if I ever attain enough notoriety that it becomes a real problem I'll switch back to my old last name to disappear into obscurity and reclaim the sides of myself that I used to run from, and the family that has largely died out.

[openvacant]

I've finally found a pup hood that I like and man it is so liberating. The second I put it on at Market Days (a big slutty gay festival here in Chicago) I felt completely at ease.

A guy in a dalmatian mask immediately threw me the bro nod. A white-blonde twink in a purple harness ran up to me and barked and told me his name was Pup Phoenix. I had to confess to him that I didn't have a name yet. "I"m sure you do!" he said in reply, barking happily, and then dashed off to become the middle of a gyrating three-pup sandwich on the dance floor.

People were nicer to me and chatted me up. I thought the mask might freak regular strangers out but if anything it made them see me in a more friendly light.

The tightness of the harness on my face was stimulating and soothing, like a thunder vest. I eased into a happy, unselfconscious mindset immediately. Nothing severe or heady the way so many of my hypno alter egos are trippy and detached. I was present. I wasn't forcing a subby mindset onto the vanilla world and I wasn't overthinking things or getting lost to fantasy. I was just in a cute pup hood and now I could dance freely and maybe sometimes bark at people.

I understand why the gays love it now. Being a pup offers you a chance to be tender and playful, and men aren't always afforded that. You get to feel cute and soft while also being pleasantly, perhaps erotically deindividuated. It's an immediate ice breaker. And it just makes it easier to be goofy and light on your feet. Nothing's too serious. It does make me want to go to some of the pup meetups in town, the pup karaoke or the open floor play that some of the pups do on a monthly basis.

There's a guy I follow on my nsfw twitter who does intense pup hypnosis, latched into a cage with a milker on his dick and a VR headset over his hooded face while a monotone male voice tells him that he is just a dog just a dog just a dog you are a dog you are just a dog etc over and over and man, everything from that level of intensity on down to just being a dude and wearing the mask to look cute at the club sounds appealing.

[leefi]

Could you tell me more about Chicago? I don't hear it romanticized as much as New York or LA but I've always wanted to go to complete the large U.S international cities tour

Sure! Here are some big hitters from a tourist perspective. (Disclaimer, this is gonna be basic because I'm writing it rapidfire, so please don't judge me fellow Chicagoans 😭🙏 and feel free to add!!):

GREAT food scene. It can't compare to New York or LA by volume but what's there is consistently excellent and isn't as overwhelming as those two.

America's best skyline. I'm being so serious. If you care about architecture you need to visit this city. If there's one touristy thing you do in Chicago, take the Architecture Tour on the river. It’s genuinely worth it even if you aren’t big into architecture!

Less important as a tourist, but genuine, unpretentious, friendly people. Most of my friends are transplants from other cities and it's near unanimous that Chicago is the friendliest/most sociable city they've lived in.

Our summers are PHENOMENAL. Constant events, free movies on the green at Grant Park most nights, festivals, and BEACHES. People don't realize we have beaches IN THE CITY!! Because we gatekeep it from outsiders!!! It won't compare to the ocean, of course, but it's such a nice thing to have access to in the summer! (and beautiful to walk on year-round, which leads me to my next point)...

Our lakefront is 99% public access, with a walkable path that winds up and down the entire city. You can walk the ENTIRE trail down the city without needing to detour. My second biggest recommendation is to rent a bike and bike as much of the lakefront trail as you can, especially in the summer. It's so lovely - city skyline on one side and blue on the other.

The birthplace of improv comedy and a major hub of jazz, blues, house, R&B, and hip-hop. If you see an improv show while you're here, there are lots of great options - Second City and iO are the biggest. Second City is the "original" of the originals, and if you see a show there, I recommend checking out green street farmer's market a couple blocks down and seeing a show before/after. It's in a really nice area. I'm not well versed in our music scene unfortunately!

Incredibly diverse neighborhoods with a lot to explore wherever you are in the city.

Northalsted/Boystown is the oldest offically recognized gay neighborhood in the US. Andersonville also has a really vibrant LGBTQIA community and is home to a LOT of wonderful local shops and food joints. It's a really good "walk around/explore" neighborhood. Actually, both of them are. (I don't know much about the nightlife unfortunately).

Bar scene - tons of really cool speakeasies and dive bars, some prohibition-era. Worth checking out if you drink.

Rooftops. Our city loves a good rooftop restaurant/bar. I'd recommend this over riverfront dining. We've got beautiful architecture, a lake, and a river to admire from them, and you can enjoy them even if you don't drink! Lots of really good happy hour deals abound.

Chicago-specific foods to try while you're here: Deep dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches

i am here and i am very cute and gorgeous.

Some photos to sell you! These are from google. My phone is dead and I'm too lazy to crawl through my camera roll but trust me it's jorjus

[ailelie]

When people join my church, one of the first things the pastor promises is to disappoint them. The church won't be perfect. He won't always get things right. We all try to be inclusive, but mistakes happen.

And that is still one of my favorite things about this church. Yes, the church is extremely queer friendly and welcoming (helps when the pastor is gay). Yes, the church focuses heavily on social justice and accessibility. But, it isn't the only church that does that. I've been to several across Chicago during my church hopping days.

But this is the first church I've gone to where the pastor just straight up, not only admitted to getting it wrong sometimes, but promised he'd do so.

And I think that is a sort of grace that we should extend to everyone, whether we know them personally or not. Hollywood celebrities, internet personalities, your neighbors, friends, family--they're going to disappoint you. That's basically a guarantee.

So the question is: how do you react?

Do you cross people off your list one-by-one as they fail to meet your standards?

Or, do you stay in the church? Continue the relationship, remain a fan, etc.

What is more important: punishing people for disappointing you or keeping those people, flawed as they are, in your life?

Personally, I prefer the latter.

[beardedmrbean]

An LGBT mob that targeted two Chicago store owners for sharing conservative memes gave up after just a few weeks, even after it vowed to harass the entrepreneurs until they went out of business.

“The protesters realized they were helping us more than hurting us,” Xander Kazanowski told the Washington Examiner via a phone interview. He credited the original Washington Examiner article and other media coverage for generating support for his business.

Personal letters, purchases, and words of support have all helped Kazanowski and his fiancée persevere through the battle.

Kazanowski said organizer Karen Rose Gilbert had promised to protest the store until it could not pay its rent and had to go out of business. Instead, the cancel culture mob lasted just two weeks, and Boho Barbie Ken is still standing — even stronger than before.

Kazanowski told the Washington Examiner that the group “Gays Against Groomers” had promoted the store. He said lesbian and gay individuals were buying hundreds of dollars of merchandise from the store to support him after the publicity.

But help also came from unexpected places and in an old-fashioned method.

“Some people mailed us a Bible verse and $20,” he said during the phone interview. A Texan had heard about what was going on and wrote him a letter along with the verse and money to show support. “Keep up the good fight,” the letter’s author wrote.

He also said “people have come in and talked” to him and his fiancée to show their support for the store.

His fiancée, Anna Marie Skalicki, has the right attitude on how to win over cancel culture. “They have every right to do this as much as we have every right to share our beliefs,” Skalicki said.

“I’m not ashamed of our faith,” she previously said. “I’m not ashamed of the truths that we believe.”

One motivation that probably kept them going is that their beliefs are bigger than just their personal political inclinations, but rather how the couple, who have a young child together, see the world in light of being relatively new parents.

“I’m pro-woman. I’m not necessarily anti-trans or whatever, but I’m pro-women’s spaces, and I don’t think men should be encroaching upon women’s spaces,” Kalinowski has previously said.

“The Bible speaks a lot about how you should treat women and how you should treat your wife,” he said, according to the Loyola Phoenix. “I know that in my heart I’m supposed to be the rock and the leader and guide us to truth and just be the one who doesn’t get pushed around and doesn’t submit to the will of others.”

“Doesn’t get pushed around” is a good way to describe him.

The victory against cancel culture in Chicago is a good message for others facing the mob: Don’t apologize if you did not do anything wrong. Do not let others push you into paying fealty to “Pride Month” and the LGBT mob (a concept Toronto Blue Jays player Anthony Bass might want to remember).

Others targeted by Karen Gilbert should take heed. Gilbert, after all, checks out every business that comes into Rogers Park to make sure it is friendly and "safe" for "queer" people, according to the Loyola Phoenix.

Of course, if the business is not deemed friendly to Gilbert and others we know what will happen; they will organize a protest mob that will ultimately fall flatter than the Bud Light beer that’s rotting away on store shelves.

[stevehairingtit]

for ask game can i get uuuuuuh gogoboy stebe?

My white whale...

This was the very first fic I started writing for Stranger Things. I wasn't able to finish it on account of going through It, but the good news is I have reached the other side of It, and I feel confident I am actually going to finish this now.

The premise is Steve and Robin move to Chicago when she goes to college, and he gets a job as a gogo boy at a gay club. He finds out Eddie also works there, and it's awkward because they hooked up and then Eddie was as weird about it as he possibly could be. Here is an excerpt, which I have shared previously, but it was about a million years ago:

"Yeah," he says. She blinks down at him before shoving his head back into her lap, clumsily petting his hair in that endearingly terrible way she usually provides physical comfort, hands suddenly like lead weights on her arms. Steve lets himself sink into her anyways. "Did you know he was in Chicago?"

"I didn't," she says, stroking harder, "But what are the odds you would run into the only person we know in a city of seven million people the first time you wander off on your own? And working in your own neighborhood. That's nuts! Has to be a statistical anomaly."

"Rob."

"Sorry," she chews on her lip. "How weird was it, scale of one to that time I walked in on you pleasuring yourself to Ron Perlman in the scary cat costume?"

"Linda Hamilton was also there! And he's clearly supposed to be sexy, he's the leading man!" He pinches her thigh. "And I wasn't - pleasuring - myself," he hisses. He was only thinking about it.

"Ugh, I will never buy it, why else were your pants undone? On the couch in your living room?"

"Why would I jerk off in the living room?" He knocks his forehead against her thigh a couple times. "Forget it. We were at a solid Jennifer and Vickie showdown." Robin winces.

"Oh, yikes. Did he say something gross? Or mean?"

"No," he groans, "He acted so normal! Like I was some guy he was friendly with in high school. He told the manager he should definitely hire me."

"That's a good thing, right? You love acting normal." Steve rubs his face across the corduroy of Robin's pants and squeezes his eyes shut. He doesn't say, I thought we had something, and he hurt my feelings. He doesn't say, he fled in the middle of the night, he doesn't get to choose to act normal now. Robin seems to hear it anyways. "Maybe you can be the one to make it weird this time," she suggests, "Really let your freak flag fly."

"I don't have a freak flag," he grumbles.

She scoffs, "You wish. Do we need to revisit the lion man psychosexual nightmare?" She tugs on his hair, asking him to look at her, and he flips over onto his back. Her eyebrows are furrowed, mouth drawn into a sympathetic half-smile. "You still took the job though?"

[shrimpella21]

Dormant/Retired Characters

My dormant characters! They are not in use right now. I might bring them back to play with in the future as I cycle through characters, but for the most part I'm going to keep them here for history's sake. Feel free to let me know if there's a character here you're interested in <3 I'd be happy to discuss playing with them!

Also! If you'd be interested in a roleplay but need a realistic faceclaim, I UNDERSTAND. You can ask me for one and I'll find something that works for both of us :)

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐍

LUCAS PATTERSON

FINISHED (rework needed). Stephen James.

Lu, Chimera. 30. He/him.

Chicago. Single. Gun-for-hire.

Bisexual & biromantic.

Best home cook in NY. Has the cutest dog ever. Was kidnapped for three years. Is a millionaire now (w/ mental issues oops). Killer but has a moral code. Loves his mom.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓

BROOKLYN TORRES

FINISHED. Chester Rushing.

Brook. 25. He/him.

Baltimore. Single. Owns a flower shop.

Gay af.

Owns every flower he grows in his shop. His home is a garden jungle. Complete sweetheart, will make bouquets for all his friends. Pretty friendless, unfortunately. Has Addison's disease and takes a ton of medication. Always at risk for getting sick. Treats life as a blessing.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐍

FAUST BLACKWELL

UNFINISHED. Dave Franco.

No nickname. Immortal. He/him/it.

New York. Single. Magician.

Bisexual & Biromantic

Don't give him sharp objects. Major backstabber. Is biologically immortal, still acts like a child. He'll do whatever it takes to hold onto his powers. Stupid but dangerous. Can and will black widow somebody. Mild shape-shifter, but it hurts like hell.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

SILAS SHAW.

UNFINISHED. Cillian Murphy.

No nickname. 40. He/him.

Rochester. Single. Owns gambling rings.

Gay af (closeted).

Owns a gambling ring, runs on everything from horse racing to fight rings. Small man with a big personality. Dislikes children, he makes them cry. Will shoot someone without hesitation to save his business. He thinks he's cool but he's really a loser. Acts younger than he is bc he can't believe he's already 40.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑

RUSS LARUE

UNFINISHED. Chris Pine.

No nickname. 41. He/him.

Wichita. Single. Butcher.

Bisexual & Biromantic.

Is a well-known butcher, known around town for supplying mystery meat to special customers. What is it? Who knows. Where does he get it from? Also unknown. Overall he's a friendly guy but there's something wicked hiding behind that pretty facade.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑

LIAM KENDRICKS

UNFINISHED. Will Poulter.

No nickname. 29. He/him.

San Jose. Single. No job.

Bisexual & Biromantic.

Pretty boy who uses his daddy's money to travel the world. Has yet to ever work a real job. Surprisingly kindhearted, if not a bit cocky. Knows five different languages. Has a small blog channel on YouTube that he uses to give people travel tips and advice. He's hoping it'll blow up someday.

Shardik

Shardik is a big, fuzzy, killer werebear. Do not trust him (he will eat all ur food and steal ur heart). He's russian and a pretty rough guy but all he really needs is some lovin! He was an experiment so he's been through a lot of tough shit. He's got a sexy human form :) and has about 13 references atm. I'm literally so desperate to use him!! HERE IS HIS INFO SHEET!!!

Thalion

Thalion is originally a DnD character. He's a big nasty naga :) May or may not eat people. He's based on an eyelash viper which is pretty cool - he either carries venom in his fangs or an aphrodisiac substitute~ Has about 4 references.

Aaron

DILF DILF DILF DILF. He has so much nsfw art - please ask omfg. He's a total sweetheart! Has Meniere's disease, which is an auditory condition, but it just means he's super good at ASL! He reads lips really well (and has part hearing in one ear) so he's still fairly functional. Also he has a big ol german shepard <3 Has 21 references. SO many NSFW pieces.

Buckshot

Buckshot is a lil bit of a human experiment in regeneration. You could compare him to a zombie except he doesn't rot, nor does he eat brains. But! His body is in a constant state of regeneration and he's always 'shedding' skin, like a lizard would. The skin always varies in color and texture. He's an amazing fighter since he's so quick to regenerate.

Kane

Self-made egyptian diety, I am OBSESSED with him. He was created by his village to fight a bitchy god named 'Jatraw. He's not a full god, so he gets his ass kicked a lot, but he has a ton of fun powers!!!! He's also perfect for any environment and time, since he goes into hibernation for years and wakes up fuck knows where. He's got about 30 references rn. He also has a fully coded bio on toyhouse!

Edgar

BOAR BOAR BOAR

Has a feral form + anthro form + human form. Imagine a car-sized boar running 25 mph at you. Scared? Good! Edgar likes to think of himself as morally righteous, despite being far more agressive (and dare-I-say deadly) than he has to be. He does his fair share in helping the community out tho. And the fc is Pedro Pascal ;)

Cosmo

Cannibal by kesha is the song that suits him best. He is a maneater and all-around whore. He is a crocodile shifter. Still working on vibe and info! fc is Oscar Isaac 😎

Cerellios

Cerellios is a unicorn CENTAUR and a well-known teacher of magic. He's willing to work with anyone, whether they have years of experience or none at all. He has a coded bio on toyhouse!!!! just click the roman numerals at the bottom of the fancy box to move from page to page~

[bryyceon]

ive finally drawn(doodled actually) my spn self insert!!

this is Beezlebub(jr) and his vessel Bryson :3c boaf r me irl not clickbait! i will be infodumping about them here so if you dont wanna read....ok.....

note tjat this is very self-indulgent and stuff and the way i depict sam dean n cas may or may not be ooc but i honestly dont give a fuck, i lpve these guys a lot and want to have funsies, the selfshippers out there get me!!

expect a lot of typos i hate typing on a phone

also this is so cringe im sorry, this is for me onlies

SO ILL JUST BE GOING OVER GENERAL INFO ABOIT BEE AND BRYSON LOIK HIS PERSONALITY, INTERESTS AND HIS RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE MAIN 3!!!!!

and just to be clear, i am fully aware demons in spn dont have true forms or atleast arent shown, but pleasr let me have fun here :( also this is very messy but shhhh

they use he/they only because theyre two different guys!! (think jimmy and cas)

Beezlebub (Jr.)

-----------------------

fur starters, he isnt THE beezlebub, thats his dad who he was named after. he has no mom or mother figure to his knowledge, but hes fine witj that. his dad kept him hermitted in hell like all his life to like pass on family knowledge that Bee couldnt care less about. he has no actual age but id like to think he's the demon equivalent to a teenager.

he escaped from the pit once his dad died for reasons unexplained(i havnt thought aboug it yet) and came in the form of a parasitic type millipede and decided to take over Bryson's body.

Bee, since he was isolated, is still confused about human customs a lil bit but he likes music and sweets. and also animals, he loves animals so much, his favorites being seals and arctic foxes. animals r so much better than humans tbh. his favorite sweets are meringues and any sort of gum.

he likes his true(ish) form a lot but at first sam dean and cas all restrict him from transforming unless neccesary cause his creepy crawliness freaks them out. they warm up to him though,mayb a lil too mucj but whagtever!

despite being all demony and monstrous n shit hes quite introverted. cauz he was isolated by pretty much everyone except his dad. tjat messed him up for a bit and when he first met the guys he was hostile and was almost killed by them. havent thougj about why they didnt but itll come to me :P

Bryson

---------------------

ok so Bry is a 16 year old highschooler(yes he's 16 sue me) whos closetted trans and gay, and who obviously cant afford any sory of hrt or surgery. he used to live in London so hes got an accent but when he was 12 and his older brother was 16 they ran away from home. tjey were on the run ever since and js ran so far they ended up in Chicago and decided to stay there.

he and his brother both had to work shitty jobs on the side and when they could finally settle Bry went to school which was the worst descision he ever made, in his opinion. he went down a spiral, drugs, cigs, self harm, and by the end he was about to kill himself. just before he shot himself, Bee showed up, and Bry just kind of agreed, as long as he wasnt behind the wheel anymore. he and Bee talk a lot in his head, theyre friends.

Bry likes midwest emo and rock music but he's open to a lot. his favorite food is mac and cheese, close second is grilled cheese sammiches. he loves art, especially surrealism and anything witj bright colors. he also enjoys his brothers company even though he was mostly out working for the both of them. he also lovess both the sky and the sea, hence the starfish pendant(cas got it for him)

his personality is fairly the same as Bee but its more serious. he hates talking to strangers and avoidex everyone at school. he wasnt exactly bullied, just kind of teased in a friendly matter, but he didnt like it either way. he hates mosy people. he also has a dog, named Bug, he and Bee visit Bug sometimes back at his and his brothers place.

Relationships

-----------------------

(just to note im only gonna summarize everything and not reallyexplain it indepth cause im lazy, sorrie. also i separated this by platonic and romantic sense for fun)

• Dean

Platonically - lil bit of a father figure, just cause of the age gap, he feels compelled to care for him like he did with Sam(and we all know how tjat worked out)

Romantically - basically groomed them into liking him, which worked like a charm. he still loves them a bunch though, no matter if it was slightly toxic

• Sam

Platonically - he relates to their pain a lot, even if he is iffy with demons. a little harsh to him at first but once they both warmed up tjey were buds

Romantically - knew it was wrong, knew he was a teenager, still went for it because he was cute and he was nice to him. Sam genuinely folds for anyone who shows him an ounce of positive attention

• Castiel

Platonically - finds him odd and intruiging. again, hesitant cause he was a demon, it took a longer time for him to trust them and he still has reasons to be weary, but he's not too hostile so he trusts him enough

Romantically - has no idea about laws and stuff so he never once found it wrong, love is love type shit. but hes very caring towards them and gets him little trinkets he knows he wpuld like

all in all, this guy SUX!!!! he is fucking three guys centuries older than him but whatevar they all love eachother

but actually his was so fun to do i love whenever my f/os love me. which is all the time. and yes i did purppsely make him illegal as a treat.

ok tis is so long bye.

[back-and-totheleft]

I'm doing a paper on journalist Randy Shilts. Do you know anything about his relationship with Oliver Stone and their projects together? Thank you in advance!

They seem to have had a friendly relationship at least professionally, as Oliver bought the movie rights to two Shilts books, The Mayor of Castro Street and Conduct Unbecoming: Gays & Lesbians in the U.S. Military. Oliver spent years developing The Mayor of Castro Street, securing Robin Williams to star as Harvey Milk. However, after the controversy over JFK, Oliver decided to step back as director and only produce the film, feeling a gay director would best tell Milk's story. (This Chicago Tribune article quotes Shilts as being "furious" over pressure by gay activists for Oliver to leave the project.) Oliver hired Gus Van Sant to direct, but the project fell apart as both Van Sant and Stone were dissatisfied with the script, then Oliver's relationship with Warner Brothers ended.

Gus Van Sant later directed his own Oscar winning version of Harvey Milk's life (2008's Milk) which was unrelated to The Mayor of Castro Street. However, Oliver was still supportive of that project, visiting the set at the invitation of Van Sant and interviewing screenwriter Dustin Lance Black for Interview magazine.

Oliver developed Conduct Unbecoming as a producer, to be done as a miniseries at HBO. I don't know why it fell apart, though I suspect it may have been impacted by Shilts' death in 1994, as he was a consultant on the miniseries and supposedly intimately involved. It's a pity, as Oliver is one of the very few in Hollywood with an active military background, so he would have brought an interesting perspective to it. But that era was also a bad time for Oliver: the controversies over JFK and Natural Born Killers, the failure of Nixon, the collapse of his personal life and the accumulation of having developed so many films so fast combined to give him exhaustion. In 1994-95, he started to step back and then in 1999 retired as a producer of other's work.

[chicagogoldcoastliving]

Room for Rent in Chicago!

Gold Coast / Michigan Ave / River North / Old Town

+++++++ GOLD COAST LIVING just $1,450 +++++++1

Live on Chicago’s beautiful Gold Coast starting August 1st!

Looking for a roommate (male or female) to share my spacious 2 bedroom/2 bath condo.

About Me: I'm a friendly guy (40, gay) who's laid-back and enjoys a clean space. I work in academics and love trying new restaurants and exploring through hiking.

About You: Seeking someone clean, sociable, drama-free, and respectful of shared spaces. Prompt bill payments are a must!

The Process: Interested? Reach out—I reply quickly! Please introduce yourself a bit. Genuine inquiries only, please.

Additional Info About Me:

Neat and organized

Travel often for work (can be away for over two weeks)

Location Highlights:

Right on the Gold Coast

Steps away from Oak Street and Michigan Avenue shopping (only 1 block)

Close to Rush Street's restaurants and hotels, near Mariano Park - The Viagra Triangle (only 1 block)

Convenient transport options: 151 Bus (only 1 block), Michigan Avenue buses (2 block), and nearby Red Line stops (short walk)

Building Features:

24-hour doorman

Sundeck

Washer/dryer room onsite

Parking available (monthly fee, separate from rent)

Apartment Details:

Fully furnished

Bright with lots of windows

Terrace with Oak Street beach view

Large kitchen with dishwasher

Your own full bathroom

Option to use a spare bike or bring your own

Bi-weekly cleaning service included

Rent covers internet, cable, cleaning, heat, water; electricity split

Your Room:

Size: 13' x 11½'

West-facing view with large windows

Closet with built-in shelves and mirrored doors

Parquet wood floors

Furnished or unfurnished (your choice)

Furnished option includes full-sized bed, side tables, desk, and bureau

Lease Details:

Minimum 6-month lease (preferably 12 months, some flexibility)

Rent: $1,450/month (internet, cable, cleaning, heat, water; electricity split) (non-negotiable)

One month security deposit required (non-negotiable)

Parking available for $240/month (separate from rent)

No pets, no home business operations (non-negotiable)

Apologies for the 'non-negotiable' rules; they're just to streamline the process for everyone! :-)

If this post is up, the room is still available.