#SOMEONE is going to have to see it and see the ~*~gay~*~ of it all HSJKDSDKLS

[khorneschosen]

It is human nature to be selfish our species would not survive if we were not. Humanity is self-interested by one actually see themselves succeed and because there is no such thing nor will they ever be a collective hive mind of humanity. All we have is our own consciousness.

But Trump supporters won't tell you that I will. Selfishness is good not neutral, good.

We have seen what you cheer for your calls of boot lickers means nothing to us we have seen you salivate at the mere mention of authority. Whether it be the authority of the government academia the institution the media or even the small demand for authority you have for your own mean little insignificant opinions.

Yes because we ran multiple campaigns where we looked at a dominant ethnic group and said this ethnic group is by birth and moral and it needs to be restrained contained and directed. And we did this by going to a bunch of less prominent ethnic groups pretending to help them and then demanding their everlasting loyalty as a collective.

Which is exactly what you did you think you own black people Latinos and gay people because you hate white, men and cishet people.

And then we're shocked when those groups of people did not go along with you perfectly.

And I will admit to you Trump supporters are terrifying their next essential threat they're a no that the population just directed right at your face. No we will not vote for a diversity hire who had nothing going for them, who represented the failures corruption and the complete failure of government over the last couple of decades now.

We're still you've been trained your entire life to see that no, as the existential threat. As the apocalypse that has come for you. Because it means that the public won't thoughtlessly go along with what you tell them to go along with. You been taught to wrap your entire self-worth up in the political process so that no is not just an existential threat It's a personal threat.

And as for weird we've seen what makes you cheer weird does not appeal to us anymore. If we had to count the number of things that we find weird about you but ultimately explainable and understandable it is not the same as you who find us inexplicable and baffling. But what weird fundamentally means is someone who is a non-conformist.

And I want you to understand you will see all of this hear all of this and you will say "we don't need to change what we've been doing we don't need to moderate we don't need to ask ourselves if the left wing is really as useful as we think it is."

Or even maybe we should chill out with the fear mongering maybe fear only works so far but I think right now you're probably thinking fear is the only tool you have. But that tool will create an inferno that consumes all from whatever you wanted to gain to whatever they wanted to gain.

When you call Trump supporters selfish, they can just argue that it's human nature to be selfish.

When you call Trump supporters bootlickers, they can just argue that it's actually a good thing to have respect for authority.

When you call Trump supporters compassionless, they can just argue that some people don't deserve compassion if they "made bad decisions".

When you call Trump supporters terrifying, they can just argue that their opposition being afraid of them is something to be proud of.

But when you call Trump supporters weird, they don't know how to respond to that. They cannot just argue that being weird is a good thing, because that would unravel their entire belief system. Insisting on the importance of conformity and promoting fear of anything that's different is the entirety of how they operate. It wouldn't be possible for them to interpret being weird in a positive way.

And that's why they don't like it.

[ppssession]

Brain Transplant Project

Adam and Dean are a gay couple who have been living together for 10 years, since they graduated from high school.

Sadly, Dean's death from a terminal illness was a huge blow to Adam, but luckily Adam and Dean were involved in a secret project to transplant a brain into a new body by extracting the brain seeds from the deceased's body. Now, Adam has Dean's brain seeds.

While Adam is trying to find a new body for Dean, he has to help out at a commercial shoot when he finds the body that suits Dean the most: Dew's body.

Dew is a famous actor. Whenever Dew is the presenter for any advertisement, it will definitely be successful.

Adam saw that this was the perfect body for his boyfriend, so he helped arrange a poolside photoshoot. Luckily, the ad was for a supplement that looked exactly like Brain Seeds.

When the opportunity arose, Adam switched supplements with brain seeds. If you don't look closely, brain seeds are very much like supplements.

A lot of the early part of the commercial was the shooting of Dew's body. It made Adam feel really good knowing that this would become his Boyfriend body.

In the last part of the shoot, Dew was eating breakfast and taking supplements. When Dew slowly finished eating, the image of Dew eating brain seeds instead of supplements made Adam smile and smile happily until he couldn't hide it. But Adam had to stay calm. He had to wait until the brain seeds grew and took over Dew's body first.

Several weeks later at Dew's luxurious home, he had a severe stomachache. He thought it was the food he had eaten a few days ago. He chose to rest at home. After taking a nap for a while, Dew felt a strange pain. When he opened his eyes, he found something inside his body, on his chest.

When it went up to his neck, Dew tried to block it with his hands, but he couldn't control his arms as if someone else was controlling it for him.

As something moved up his neck, it moved up to his face. Eventually, his head seemed to fight Dew's brain. Dew's body convulsed and his muscles tensed up. In no time, Dew's body slowly vomited out his brain and he lost consciousness for about five hours. Not long after, Dew's body slowly stood up and used his hands to rub different parts of his body to check it before Dew picked up his phone to call someone.

Adam got a call from Dew to come to his house. He arrived and met Dew at the pool. Hello, my love, Dew said.

Dean, is that you? Adam said with gratitude. Yes, dear, look at me. How handsome is my new body? Dean, who had already taken over Dew's body, said proudly.

The two slowly kissed passionately, their lips meeting each other lustfully.

Dean carried Adam onto the bed in the bedroom before pulling down his pants to reveal his large, erect penis. Dean pulled down Adam's pants as well and placed the tip of his cock at Adam's asshole. Let me try out my new cock, I want to see if it can make my little husband happy.

No sooner had Adam spoken than Dean's thick rod entered Adam's hole, thrusting in and out of Adam's hole without stopping, causing him to gasp for air. Their moans filled the house.

Shit, it still feels good. Dew's voice came out of her throat. Thank you for the new body, my love, before thrusting into her one last time.

Fuck, when Dean groaned for the last time, the semen flowed out of his penis. Dean slowly weakened, looking at Adam's face, who took every drop of him until he fell asleep.

Dean lets Adam sleep and he sleeps too.

When Adam woke up, he went down to the pool and met Dean. Dean turned to him and thanked him again for giving me a new body, my love.

Adam, no need to thank me, Dean. No, I should call you Dew because you're my handsome actor now.

They kissed again. Okay, let's do it again before I have to go film the movie. The schedule saved on my phone told me I had several more hours.

Sure, dear, take as much as you want, Adam agreed before kissing Dean passionately. Make good use of your new body, my love.

Finally, I must confess that I finished writing it a few hours ago, but accidentally deleted it, so I had to rewrite it. Luckily, I still remember most of the content, but I forgot some words, so I had to edit it. It's okay, if you want to change it, it's okay. Haha, I hope you like it. See you in the next story. Bye bye.

[butterflyslinky]

It's been seven months. They've seen each other on calls, but they keep up a mask of stiff professionalism if they have to talk at all.

But now Buck's sitting in a gay bar, looking for some fun the same way he does on every 48 off. His expectations are low. No one seems to want a real relationship, not that he's really trying for one, ad the sex is mediocre at best.

Because none of them are Tommy.

He's two drinks in when he hears a familiar laugh and turns. There's Tommy, sitting four stools down and talking to the bartender. Buck wonders how he missed him entering the bar, but it doesn't matter. What matters is Tommy is here, so close, and Buck...

Okay, he'd jumped the gun asking Tommy to move in. And everything he's said before that had been...not great. Thinking about it, it's no wonder Tommy had hit the brakes. Though he maybe could have asked to just take a break instead of ending it completely.

Though it would have gone the same way, probably.

Buck knocks back his last drink and stands. He's steady on his feet as he makes his way down the bar and plops himself into the empty seat next to Tommy

Tommy doesn't look shocked to see him. Not happy, either. Just kind of resigned. "Buck?"

"Don't," Buck says. "I don't want..." He grits his teeth to force back tears. "I think we need to talk."

"Why?" Tommy asks.

"Because I have things to say to you," Buck says. "And I'm not going to let you just walk out again."

He's said all those things, in texts that sat unanswered, voice messages that were probably deleted without being heard. This time, he wants to make sure Tommy hears.

"I don't have a lot of time tonight," Tommy says.

"Then I'll say it fast. You broke my heart, Tommy. You said you were my first but not my last...but you weren't my first. I've dated and broken up before, I know what relationships are. Just cause you're a dude doesn't mean it was any different. As to not being my last, well, I've had plenty in the last seven months and none of them are going to be my anything. I told you they can be the same thing, and I mean it. I don't want to be in love with anyone the way I'm in love with you."

"Evan..."

"And if you don't want me, fine, but just say that instead of giving me some bullshit about not wanting your heart broken. Because I can't break your heart, Tommy. Maybe it's been seven months, but I'm still in love with you, and I don't see that changing any time soon." Evan looks down for a moment. "So...I know I'm a lot. I know I said some dumb shit. And I know there's a lot I still don't know. But I do know I want you to come home with me, and you don't have to stay, but...I want to try again. Now that I know a little more."

Tommy's eyes are bright when Buck looks up. "I can't."

"What?"

"Evan, I can't come with you tonight. Or any night."

Buck's stomach sinks. "Is there someone else?"

"No," Tommy says. "No, just...I got a new job. In Seattle...they offered me a command. A chance to be captain...don't get much more brave and trailblazing than that, do you, being an openly gay fire captain." He swallows hard. "I'm leaving on Monday."

Buck stares. The world seems to be tilting, even though he hasn't had that much to drink. "Oh."

"I thought you would have heard," Tommy says. "It's been kind of big news around the department."

"Everyone's been extra delicate with me," Buck says. "They don't talk about you where they think I can hear." He forces a smile. "Congratulations...you deserve it."

"Yeah?" Tommy says.

"Yeah. I'm happy for you." Buck waves to the bartender. "Put his drinks on my tab."

"Evan..."

"Least I can do. Since...since it's really over."

Tommy nods, but he looks sad. "Yeah," he says. "I guess I can just...start again. And I guess you can, too."

"Yeah," Buck says. "I guess I can."

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

It's a stupid idea, but Buck's full of those. He knows that it'll probably end in disaster, that he'll end up crawling back with his tail between his legs again.

But he has to try.

The airport looks just the same as it had when he dropped Abby off all those years ago. The same was it had been when he'd watched her walk out of his life, only to be seen again when it was unavoidable.

He's not doing that now.

Tommy is easy to spot, in spite of the crowd, standing in the check-in line. Buck thinks it must be kismet, that he's on time. There had been several flights to Seattle today, and he just took his best shot.

"Tommy!"

Tommy turns, and his brow furrows when he sees Buck. "Evan?"

Buck pushes his way through the crown, suitcase heavy in his hand, until he reaches Tommy's side. Tommy looks him over, then down at the bag. "Evan, what..."

"I know you said it's over," Buck says. "And that you don't want to try this again. And if you tell me to leave right now, I will. But I couldn't take the chance that I'd never see you again, even if you don't want to be in my life. And don't worry about work, Bobby transferred me to a different station than the one you're commanding, and I have a place to stay until I can find an apartment, and I'll get a new car since I gave the Jeep back to Maddie, but..."

"Evan," Tommy interrupts. "Did you just upend your life to follow me to Seattle?"

"Yes," Evan says. "If you'll let me."

Tommy stares for a minute before he pulls Buck into a kiss. And this time, Buck really knows it will be forever.

[angellwingss]

Wasn’t going to go on a big rant but you know what since that other post is gaining traction yeah I think I will. So big long rant under the cut. Lolll

I feel like. A lot of people might tell me ‘it’s not that deep’ but to me it is that deep.

I don’t have a problem with JayVik or it’s shippers like. At all. I just think some of them are à really good demonstration of like. Every bad thing when it comes to fandom ever LMAO.

Once again I am (supposed to be) writing a whole big long essay about this already so I will try and keep this kind of short and sweet and it might be a bit lacking but wtvr.

I think a lot of JayVik fans tend to be white queer people. Someone left a tag on my OG post that said basically ‘my take is I’m a faggot and I don’t have to care about a character if I don’t want to’ and no hate to that person cuz you’re right, but this is exactly the kind of stuff that made me make that first post.

I feel like a lot of white queer people have an issue with seeing outside their own identity? If that makes sense? This is seen time and time again with the way some of them behave when big movements happen online, some have a tendency to centre themselves and whatnot so i think it’s kind of the same thing.

It makes total sense that a queer person would prefer queer ships and would prefer JayVik over MelJay, that is not a crime. But I do think part of that is because they can’t relate/identify with Mel or see themselves in her like they can with Jayce or Viktor.

I hate to also make it about feminism but i think a lot of you guys are super like. Male centred, like just in your attraction which once again, not the issue not a crime. But i think it’s also why CaitVi, which is a canon queer ship, although popular is still not quite as popular as JayVik despite being canon. Women fetishizing gay men in fandom is not something new, which I think might play a small part in it- I’ve seen a lot of people especially back in s1 infantilizing Viktor and acting like he had no agency or independence and that he NEEDS Jayce to take care of him (that’s another thing. Ableism(looks at you with my eyes)) and they also do the same thing with Jayce where they act like he had 0 agency with any decisions he makes and that he’s like a big dumb baby who doesn’t know anything politics. Hey, guys. That’s a grown man.

My main issue isn’t that people prefer JayVik over MelJay it’s just that some shippers demonize Mel to an insane degree, blame her for getting in the way of their ship (this is also happening right now with Maddie- there’s a leak going around saying that she gets with Caitlyn and people are so upset that this character is getting some INSANE hate and I feel like that’s the same thing going on.)

they blame her for ‘stealing’ Jayce etc etc like. Idk. You don’t have to ship MelJay but I wish more people would appreciate Mel just as a character- imo she is super interesting and has a great story but she’s only ever seen and ‘the other woman’. I’ve seen people say she isn’t like, well characterized and that her story entirely revolves around Jayce which. Yeah she’s definitely heavily involved with him in s1 but she’s clearly got a lot more going on than just that and you would know that if you GAF 🗣️🗣️

for just being. Who she is. I think Mel deserves more attention just in the fandom and it’s just frustrating. People making memes about Jayce going insane over Viktor leaving but like. Mel also just got fucking kidnapped guys. His lover has just vanished without a trace why is nobody also talking about that !!!! Why can’t he care about both these people at the same time !!!!!!!

Anyway I’m not nearly well equipped enough to talk more in-depth about like. Any of this but I do think the demonization of Mel and refusal to see her relationship with Jayce as it is can often times be boiled down to racism like straight up. And also things like the fetishization of gay men in fandom and just things like that are sometimes what can lead to female characters- even the well written ones to be shelved and pushed aside in favour of their male counterparts.

Obligatory ‘not all JayVik fans’ obviously a lot of you are awesome, shouldn’t have to say this. If I’m not aiming for you, you shouldn’t be getting shot.

[olderthannetfic]

Im neither a proshipper nor an anti at this current stage in life, but at one point i was an anti i guess? And I hate it say it, but looking back, I understand why. I don't think I actually gave a fuck about Harmful Fanfic or whatever, it was just a substitute for therapy that i couldn't get at the time (because "literally neurodivergent and a minor" or whatever, but like...actually literally neurodivergent and a minor LOL).

As weird as it sounds like, no one cared about my ACTUAL PAIN, and that made me feel EVEN MORE PAIN, so i took it out on ppl who shipped "abuse", or whatever.

It's so stupid now, as an adult who is mentally better than I was then, but as ridiculous as it was, seeing someone ship an "abusive" ship or a "queer erasing ship" (like a canonically gay character with someone of the other binary gender)...it felt eerily similar to the actual abuse I was facing and the stress that everyone was putting on me to find a boyfriend or ask why my (closeted lesbian) self didn't like any boys.

But it was so much easier to keyboard warrior about how people who ship Bad things are Bad people, than it was to fix any problems in my actual life because...well, the actual problems in my life COULDN'T be fixed. That isn't a learned helplessness thing, there was genuinely nothing I could've done. So pissing off Shippers was, like, a vessel for that, and it *felt* like I was getting to lash out at the same people who were ACTUALLY hurting me, even though that obviously is not the case. Funny thing is, it wasn't actual fandom discourse that made me switch sides, it was getting to learn more about youth liberation movements and stuff, because it was then that I recognized the actual structures that were making me hurt.

I think one silver lining is it's made me more compassionate an adult. While I don't have any defense for the antis who do actual horrendous stuff like doxxing or sending death/rape threats, etc, I do have a lot of defense for the ones who were like me and would just make posts talking about how Wrong it is to ship certain things. I know that not all antis are in the same place that I was once was, and some are just genuinely immature brats, but it's like. . . I get it, you know?

The cycle of abuse/bullying is weird and it's not often a 1:1 "I had an abusive parent so now i'll be an abusive parent", sometimes it's the chronically online stuff like I did. It's also why I'm careful-careful to not engage and to just block or, even try to have a mature discussion if I can, and if the person I'm talking to is just "a little bit annoying" rather than "actual bully doing/sending illegal stuff". A lot of them just want to be heard, I think, and it really makes me sad that this is the way they choose to be heard...but also i get it, because i was that.

--

Yup. We often discuss anti tendencies in this framework.

People want control over their environment when they have none. They want the world to make sense and for there to be simple rules they can follow to Never Mess Up. This is a very common reaction to trauma and also typical of brains that like order and neat boxes and a world full of justice and logic.

The trouble is that a critical mass of "I'm just pointing this out" type posts does tend to make all the other teens with an issue around moral scrupulosity implode. (And let's be real, plenty of the antis themselves are secretly into dark content and are trying to pray the gay kink away.)

I have some sympathy, but I'm still going to tell people they're sealioning when they are and tell them they're flat out wrong about how fantasies work, not sugar coat it because they're probably a delicate teen. There's no need to be excessively mean or treat people as irredeemable, but I also don't like how we talk endlessly about compassion for teen antis and not for teens targeted by antis. It's similar to how there are all those complaints like "Hey, I work hard to manage my mental illness, but all the support seems to go to people who are letting their issues rampage..."

[taleofdaringdo]

You know what, Tommy will be alright.

Tommy will go home and sit in the darkness of his living room and stare at nothing for a while. Tommy will hold back his tears and feel numb for a while.

And then Tommy will drag his ass to the 217 again in the morning. Tommy may not fly helicopters for a while for being too sleep deprived in despair, but eventually he will fly again. Tommy will touch the sky again.

Tommy will eventually start enjoying Muay Thai again even if it is without his new best friend. It will hurt for a while to not have a partner anymore but he will enjoy it again.

Tommy will also start going to basketball court again, fly to Vegas to watch sold out fights. Tommy will still have those friends who give him those tickets. Tommy will still have his coworkers who will probably see him sitting alone without his boyfriend and invite him to hangout.

Tommy will still have those bars he frequents to and waiters there who eventually started caring about their older gay patron who seems a little sad lately.

Tommy will eventually meet someone, or several someones who he will call his family. Tommy will eventually find people who don't give up on him the moment he runs, but chases behind him to bring him back.

Tommy will eventually see the clouds of fear, fear of being left alone fade away slowly. Tommy will eventually smile again. And he will pick himself up and dust himself and be upright like he has done thousands of times already. But Tommy will eventually feel a little brighter and lighter.

Tommy had breakups before. Tommy will have breakups again. But it will not break him.

Thomas Kinard, Firefighter Pilot, Muay Thai enthusiast, will be alright.

His heart may be a little more charred, a little more scarred, but it will still be whole. It may take a little while, but he will get there eventually like he always does. And this time he will get there the way he deserves to be.

[fratttymatty]

Conerdative

(All characters are 18+)

Theo Montgomery had always been a bit of an outsider. At 18, he was an unapologetic liberal, proudly gay, and content with his status as a loner. He wasn’t the most athletic, and he didn’t hang out with the popular crowd—mostly because they made him feel like he was speaking a foreign language whenever he tried to join in. He had his few close friends, all of whom shared his views on the world. They had long conversations about politics, pop culture, and everything in between, tucked away in the quiet corners of the school library or at the local coffee shop.

But despite the friends he had, he often felt like he didn’t fit in—like he was on the outside looking in.

That all changed one afternoon after school when he wandered into the old, unused janitor's closet in the back of the school. He was supposed to meet his friend Jace there to discuss some protest plans, but Jace had bailed last minute, leaving Theo to amuse himself with whatever he could find.

As he was about to leave, something caught his eye—a dusty, ornate mirror standing at the back of the closet, framed in black and gold. It looked like it didn’t belong. Curiosity got the better of him. He reached out and touched the cold glass. The moment his fingers made contact, the room around him flickered, and for a brief moment, everything went white. Then it was gone.

When the blinding light faded, Theo blinked, disoriented, and stared at his reflection.

He wasn’t looking at the familiar face he knew.

His skin was a few shades darker, smooth and perfectly tanned. His hair, once a messy brown mop, was now thick, perfectly styled, and just the right amount of tousled. His jawline was sharply defined, and his eyes—green, like emeralds—shone with an almost unnatural intensity. He was taller, broader, with muscles that looked like they'd been carved by a sculptor.

He couldn’t help it—he ran a hand through his hair and flexed his biceps. His reflection was, well… hot. He looked like a walking, talking dreamboat.

And then, he noticed something else. The clothes he was wearing—his old, faded band t-shirt and ripped jeans—had been replaced with a sleek, tailored suit, complete with a crisp, white shirt and dark, fashionable glasses perched on his nose.

He wasn’t just different physically—he was different in every way. He felt... more confident. More sure of himself. More straight in a way he never had been before. The liberal, gay Theo Montgomery he once was felt like a distant memory. It was like he’d stepped into someone else's shoes, someone who was on top of the world—someone popular, someone who got all the attention.

For a moment, panic flared. What had happened to him? How had this change come about? But as the minutes passed, he realized something: he didn’t want to change back. This new him felt right.

He took one last look in the mirror, adjusting his glasses with a smirk.

"Who are you?" he whispered. But before he could answer himself, a voice broke through the fog of his thoughts.

“Whoa. Theo? Is that really you?”

Theo spun around to see none other than Madison Hayes, the ditzy cheerleader who had always brushed past him like he was invisible.

She stopped in her tracks, her eyes going wide as she took in his new appearance. She blinked, then took a slow, deliberate step closer, her lips curving into a smile.

“Okay, wow. I don’t know what happened, but you look... hot.” Madison giggled, her voice a mix of surprise and flirtation.

Theo felt his heart race for a moment, but not from the usual nervousness he might have felt. No, it was a rush of something else—a thrill, a sense of power. He flashed a confident smile, adjusting his glasses like he knew exactly what he was doing.

“I guess you could say I had a... makeover.” He raised an eyebrow, noticing her gaze linger on him for just a moment too long.

“More like a total upgrade,” she said, her tone breathy and playful, a hint of admiration in her voice. “I mean, I always thought you were kinda cute before, but now... you’re like, perfect. What happened?”

Theo smirked, running his hand through his hair again. “Just a little... magic, I guess.”

Madison giggled again, clearly swept up in his charm. “Well, if you’re not doing anything later, maybe you could, like, hang out? I’m sure everyone would love to get to know you now.”

Theo didn’t miss the way her eyes sparkled with interest, or the fact that she was giving him her full attention, something she’d never done before. He knew he could have turned her down—he could’ve stayed in his old self, the quiet, sarcastic Theo who was content being the odd one out. But for the first time in a long time, he didn’t want to. This new version of himself felt... right.

And why not enjoy the perks?

“Sure,” Theo said with a grin, suddenly feeling more like the confident, popular guy he’d always secretly wished he could be. “I’d love to.”

Over the next few weeks, Theo, now going by the name Zane Knight, fully embraced his new identity. "Zane Knight" sounded perfect—strong, sharp, mysterious. He even got a new wardrobe to match, ditching his old, ragged clothes for sleek, fashionable pieces that showed off his muscular build. He was no longer the shy, self-conscious kid who sat at the back of the class with his nose in books. He was the guy everyone noticed.

Madison, the ditzy cheerleader, became his unofficial “girl next door.” She was always around now, giggling at his jokes, leaning on him during lunch, and even inviting him to sit with her popular crowd. She was sweet in her own way, but her priorities were simple—cheerleading, partying, and looking cute. Zane didn’t mind. She was a nice distraction, and truth be told, he kind of liked how easy it was to charm her. She wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but she loved his new, confident vibe.

The girls? They loved him. Vanessa, the head cheerleader, was often seen hanging around Zane after school, offering him a flirtatious smile whenever they crossed paths. Even Emily, the quiet bookworm from history class, started leaving little notes for him in his locker. They all wanted a piece of him, and Zane—who had once been the outsider—was now the one everyone wanted to be around. The other guys in school—jocks, nerds, and even the band geeks—looked to him for advice, for laughs, for anything.

Zane didn’t have to try. He was just... Zane Knight.

And somewhere deep down, he knew he would never go back. The old Theo Montgomery—the liberal, gay, sarcastic loner—was a shadow. The new Zane Knight was the center of everything. And he was loving it.

Life was better this way.

It had been a few weeks since Zane Knight had stepped into his new life, and it was quickly becoming clear that not only had his appearance changed, but his entire worldview had shifted as well. He had embraced his new persona—confident, popular, and far more conservative than he'd ever imagined he'd become. And nowhere was that more apparent than in his American Government class.

It was a Tuesday, and Zane sat at the front of the class, looking sharp in a tailored blazer and dark jeans, his glasses perched perfectly on his nose. The room was buzzing with energy as Mr. Johnson, the teacher, opened the floor to a debate on current political ideologies.

“You all know the drill,” Mr. Johnson said, his arms crossed over his chest. “Liberal versus conservative views. Who wants to start?”

Zane leaned back in his chair, watching the usual suspects raise their hands. But he wasn’t just going to sit back and listen. He could feel the growing tension in the air—the need to speak his mind, to show everyone just how much he'd changed, how much he'd grown in this new life. And now that he was the center of attention, he wasn’t going to let the chance slip by.

Madison, sitting next to him, leaned in and whispered, "You’ve got this, Zane. Show ‘em how it’s done."

Zane grinned at her and straightened up in his seat, clearing his throat. The room went quiet as he stood, his movements smooth, his confidence radiating.

“Alright, let’s be real here,” Zane began, his voice calm but firm. “The left has this idea that everything should be handed to people, that government should step in and take care of everyone. But that’s not how the world works. You want to help people? You don’t do it by coddling them. You teach them to stand on their own two feet, to work hard for what they want. The government shouldn’t be the safety net—it should be the trampoline that helps you jump higher, not a cushion to catch you every time you fall.”

A murmur spread through the classroom. Some students nodded; others scoffed. Zane wasn’t bothered. He was in his element.

“Look at welfare,” Zane continued, a smirk tugging at his lips. “It’s meant to help people who are down on their luck, sure. But it’s turned into a system that rewards laziness. Why work if you can get a free handout? Conservatives believe in personal responsibility, in self-reliance. You don’t get ahead by relying on others to bail you out. You get ahead by working your ass off, by taking risks and putting in the hours. That’s what made this country great. Hard work and ambition, not sitting around waiting for the government to fix your problems.”

There was a pause, and Zane could see the reactions across the room. Some students were staring at him wide-eyed, as if they couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. But there were others—like Madison—who were practically glowing with admiration.

Madison raised her hand, eagerly waiting to add her two cents. Zane flashed her a quick smile before turning back to the class.

“And don’t even get me started on this whole ‘identity politics’ nonsense,” Zane continued, his tone now turning more pointed. “People need to stop blaming their problems on their race, gender, or sexual orientation. Life isn’t fair, sure, but that doesn’t mean you get to play the victim card every time things don’t go your way. In a truly free society, we should be judged on our abilities and character, not our identity. And honestly, if you want equality, stop demanding special treatment for everyone who’s different. We’re all equal under the law, and that’s where it should end. If you’re good at what you do, you’ll make it. Simple as that.”

The room grew tense, and a few gasps were heard. The left-leaning students—who once might have been his allies in his previous life—looked taken aback, some of them even angry. But Zane felt no fear. No doubt. This was who he was now. This was his truth.

“I’m not saying there isn’t room for compassion or helping those who truly need it,” he added, raising his hands in a gesture of balance. “But there’s a difference between helping someone up and keeping them dependent. You want change? You go out and make it happen yourself.”

Mr. Johnson, the teacher, cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Alright, Zane, that’s quite a perspective. Anyone want to challenge his views?”

A few hands went up, but Zane wasn’t done yet. He wasn’t finished making his point. He felt invigorated by the debate, like he was finally in a place where his opinions mattered.

Before anyone could speak, Zane raised his hand and, with a small but confident smile, continued. “One more thing—this obsession with ‘safe spaces’ and ‘trigger warnings’ is another example of the left trying to create a bubble where no one has to deal with the real world. Life is hard. People are rude. They’re going to disagree with you, and sometimes, they’re going to say things that make you uncomfortable. But guess what? That’s life. You can’t go through it avoiding every harsh word. We need to toughen up and face challenges head-on, not hide in our little safe spaces and pretend the world is always kind.”

He let that sink in, feeling the weight of his words in the quiet that followed. But then, just as the class seemed to settle, Zane casually added, almost as an afterthought, “And, honestly, I get that people want to be true to who they are and all, but—" He glanced around, noticing Derek, the openly gay sophomore from the drama club sitting at the back of the class, looking at him expectantly. "—does anyone else think it’s a little... weird when people make their sexuality their whole personality? Like, why do you need to wear it on your sleeve, all the time? I mean, it’s not like I walk around with a ‘straight pride’ badge on my chest.”

The classroom fell silent for a moment.

Zane’s words lingered in the air, heavy and brash. Some students shifted in their seats, looking around, unsure if they should react. But Madison, always quick to defend him, laughed lightly and nudged him with her elbow.

“Ugh, Zane, you’re so right. It’s like, just live your life, you know? Who cares about the labels?”

Zane just shrugged, unbothered. “Exactly. If you’re truly equal, then stop acting like your identity is everything. It’s just a part of who you are, not the whole damn story.”

Derek, who had been the target of Zane's comment, looked uncomfortable but didn't say anything. He shuffled in his seat and avoided making eye contact. Zane, however, didn't even acknowledge him, his confidence surging as the class began to murmur their agreement.

“Anyway, like I said, life isn’t perfect,” Zane continued, picking up right where he left off. “But it’s up to each of us to make something of it. No one’s gonna give you a free pass just because you’ve got a cause or a label.”

Mr. Johnson stepped forward to regain control of the discussion, but Zane had already taken the room. The conservative students seemed to be nodding along, and even some of the more liberal ones were silent, unsure how to respond. The truth was, Zane’s popularity, his sharp confidence, and his undeniable charm made it impossible for anyone to criticize him, even when he made statements that—back in his old life—would’ve been seen as offensive.

Madison, still smiling, leaned over to him. “Zane, you really just told them like it is. No one else would’ve said that, for sure.”

Zane smirked. “That’s because no one else has the guts.”

The class continued, but Zane didn’t care about the debate anymore. He had made his point, and more importantly, he had solidified his place at the top. No one cared about his past anymore—least of all, Derek.

In this new world, Zane Knight was untouchable.

[kbbueckers]

house party

characters: caitlin clark x reader

overview: caitlin punches your homophobic and toxic ex boyfriend, tiny bit of fluff at the end

warnings: tiny bit of angst, tiny bit of blood, violence, homophobia from ex

caitlin has been your girlfriend for about two or three years, you and caitlin were at a house party because you begged her to go with you for weeks, and she finally agreed. turns out the begging wasn't even worth it, you weren't having fun. the music was bad, there was no food, and your ex was here. 

"i'm gonna go get a drink, kk?" you laid her down on the couch as she whispered something you didn't really hear. as you were refilling your cup, the one person you've been trying your best all night to avoid came up to you. 

jay was your boyfriend back before you even knew you were a lesbian. once you realized, you broke up with him because "the spark was gone." atleast that's how you worded it. he really never got over it, and still tries to hit on you every now and then. 

"you've been avoiding me, haven't you?" he asked, leaning against the door frame. you at first thought to not even reply, but you knew that would only make the situation worst. "if you know someone's avoiding you, why come up to them?" you went to walk away before he grabbed your arm, convincing you to stay.

"i've missed you." he attempted to touch your hair before you slapped his hand away. without your knowledge, caitlin had followed you through the crowd and saw the whole interaction with him.

caitlin was extremely overprotective, she has always made attachments to people easily, especially you. ever since you started dating, caitlin wouldn't let you out of her sight. either following you everywhere like a little puppy dog, or dragging you everywhere she went, you thought it was cute. 

"is he bothering you?" she asked. coming up behind you, and grabbing you waist to pull you back from him. caitlin knew your history with him. you always used to tell her whether you found out you were gay or not you still would've eventually ended things with him.

he treated you horribly the whole relationship. when you used to live with him in his apartment, anytime he got the slightest bit of angry, even if it wasn't your fault, he would kick you out. there were many nights where you had to knock on friends doors asking can you stay the night.

caitlin was one of those friends. you would cry to her many nights about how you couldn't do this anymore, and how bad he would make you feel. she always thought you deserved better, and now you had better.

you shake your head no. saving jay the trouble, knowing she could, and would, beat his ass. "this is none of your business." he starts to get defensive with caitlin, deciding to start trouble even though she's about a foot taller than him. 

"i'm her girlfriend, and it seems like you're bothering her, so it is my business." caitlin starts to get louder, and all up in his face. not sure if it was the alcohol or what, but she was ready to fight.

"oh so you're kissing girls now?" he turned to you in surprise. "that's none of your business." you replied. "man just leave her alone, she clearly doesn't wanna speak to you." caitlin brushed him off, turning around back to me as we both started to walk away. before we were able to walk away fully, jay muttered something.

"whatever, fuckin' homos"

what. the. hell. 

you and caitlin both stopped in your tracks, before you could even turn around to stop caitlin from doing whatever she was about to do, she turned around quick, serving a punch to jay's nose. he made a loud sound on the ground from falling, taking a few chairs with him, and the whole keg of beer, causing everyone to turn around in shock.

"come on baby, let's go." caitlin tugged your arm a few times before pointing to the door, turning around like she didn't just punch your ex boyfriend in the nose.

you nodded as you turned around to see jay's friends helping him up off the ground, his nose bleeding bad, and a puddle of beer forming around him. everyone around us was staring at caitlin, muttering and whispering, but she didn't care as we walked out of the house and into the cold. caitlin's arm around your shoulders, holding you tighter than when you first walked in.

caitlin was driving home in silence with her hand resting on your thigh, you couldn't help but notice the small red spots on her knuckles.

"are your hands okay?" she shook her head. "i'm good baby, thanks."

even though caitlin told you her hand was fine, once you got home you insisted on putting some ice on it and wrapping it. you were sitting on her lap and holding her fingers while dabbing the ice on them lightly.

"i'm sorry for punching him." she spoke up. you shook your head. "no, no. i wanna thank you. he definitely won't mess with me anymore." caitlin nodded. "why didn't you tell me he was bothering you?" caitlin wrapped her arms around your waist as she pulled you closer. you shrugged your shoulders in response "i didn't want this to happen." 

once you were finished wrapping her fingers, caitlin got both you and her ready for bed before you cuddled up against each other,  resting from the long night you just had. 

this kinda sucks but i've been working on it all afternoon and im tired, really hope you enjoy.

tips on how to improve my writing are greatly appreciated

-kbbueckers💋

[diangelodork]

DBDA (fuck it i’m calling it) nightly analysis #20!

tonight’s topic: does edwin understand that monty sees him romantically and when?

in opposition to the beliefs that i’ve seen many have, i think edwin understands the romantic implications that monty has for him from the beginning. he is repressed and likely has lots of guilt for being queer, yes, but he’s not an idiot. he knows that queer people exist, he just can’t accept that he is one. he probably actively avoided thinking about homosexuality in the thirty+ years of his afterlife pre-cannon because “yes, that’s a thing, but not for me.”

he is flustered by tck’s advances, of course, but he doesn’t seem surprised that they worked for him. he is a little ashamed and embarrassed, but i sincerely believe that he knew this about himself in the very v e r y y y far parts of his mind. he knew why the boys at school called him a mary anne, he just refuses to accept that they were right. he refuses to think about it.

when he runs into monty (pun intended) for the first time in E3 and monty flirts with him, he looks taken aback, not because it’s a man flirting with him, but because it’s a man flirting with him. he knows that this is flirting, on paper, and he would be able to recognize this were it someone else, but flirting among men is shameful and even if it weren’t, it is reserved for decidedly Not Him (tm). it is a thing for him to avert his eyes at. he is less than convincing when he tells niko that he doesn’t believe that monty was flirting simply because they’re both boys. he doesn’t believe that. queerness was no longer seen as a crime in the uk in 1967, well before he even escaped hell. gay marriage was legalized in 2013 so he would’ve been there when it became legal. he knows that being gay is a thing, it’s just not a thing that he, specifically, is allowed.

he does not seem all that surprised when niko tells him that two boys can “like-like” each other, because it’s something he already KNOWS. he’s using the fact that he’s from a time where it was illegal to be queer to pretend to be unaware. he cannot be held liable for liking men and cannot be questioned about liking monty if he plays dumb.

the next time they meet, he can understand that monty is flirting- that he took the time out of his day to chart his astrology specifically and is sitting with him to explain it. he knows that this is him expressing romantic interest. this is part of the reason that he’s not taken by much surprise when he asks him out in the next episode. truly, edwin hardly even flusters. he tells him he can’t go out with him because of the case, but reschedules a date for later.

he knows this is a date. again, he is not dumb. he knows that monty is and has been sending him major fucking signals this whole time and he is just now choosing to engage back fully.

when they eventually do go on that “walk” and end up at the swingset, he tells monty that they should “stop seeing each other.” this is an interesting choice of words because it is him verbally admitting that this is romantic. to stop seeing each other, you must first BE seeing each other. he knows these interactions to be modern day courting. monty has been actively flirtatious the entire time, but this is the first time he’s verbalizing that this is anything of the sort. he is rejecting him here. he is admitting that they should stop courting because he has been made aware of his feelings for charles and it wouldn’t be right to anyone involved if he were to keep pursuing monty. it wouldn’t be fair to monty because he would be entertaining romance despite being wholly in love with someone else, it wouldn’t be fair to himself because he would be living a lie, and it wouldn’t be fair to charles because he would be blindsided by all of it. he’s surprised that monty kisses him, not because he thinks that monty was just being a Good Pal (tm) this whole time, but because he was actively trying to reject him.

all this to say, my mans knows what gay is, he’s just been forced to pretend that he wasn’t all his life and that happened to stay with him into his afterlife. bro’s repressed and filled with guilt, not unaware.

[holybasementdweller]

wanted to add my two cents because shipping discourse is just all over recently. Forgive me rambling a bit here. I have a lot of thoughts on this topic and would like to get them out there in some form.

Stop harassing CC's about their boundaries.

Would you go up to a random person whom you've never met before in your life, who has never met you either, and likely has no idea who you are, purely to ask them if you can draw/write/ship them with one of their co-workers?

No! It's a wildly uncomfortable question to a lot of people, it puts them on the spot, and some CC's may not care as long as they never see it. Now that the concept has been shoved in their face, they're forced to view the idea.

I feel like a large part of the issue is the divide between younger, newer fandom members and older, traditional ones. Primarily the concept that fan content is not intended for CCs, but for fans specifically. Most 'traditional' and older fandom participants follow this view because that's what fandom is. You get to make cool things, and ramble about different head cannons and ideas with your friends and maybe find other fans who become your friends along the way. Maybe you want to throw these characters you really like into this elaborate superhero AU, or draw them in costume, or explore relationship dynamics because it's fun and you get to ramble with fellow fans. It's called a fandom for a reason!

I'd like to clarify here that this post is not meant to target anyone in particular; it's going off a general trend I've noticed.

There's been an influx of people who create fan works or fanart that seems to be aimed more to gain clout or to be noticed by CCs. It's something they wanted to make, but is leaving the realm of "by fans, for fans," in a sense that it seems to have lost more of that "for fans." The work is then shoved at the CC more aggressively than if it was just for friends.

There's a reason that spaces like AO3 and Tumblr exist with such large fan communities- because the communities are meant for fans. It's all well and good when CC's decide to take a peek or participate in said fan spaces of their own volition. They're the ones making the choice to engage. It's NOT all well and good when someone, as a fan, is trying to make that choice FOR them by shoving fanworks at the CC begging for clarification on what is okay with them. You're not going to help anyone in that way. Fan spaces exist separately from the CC spaces for a reason. The CC is a person behind the screen who you don't know. The character or role they play in the series you watch? You might know just about everything there is to know about them!

If a CC has laid out a boundary that they aren't comfortable with X Y Z, then there's a really, really simple solution here. Don't show it to them.

Don't put it in main tags, don't tag them in the post, hell, block the CC so you know they won't be able to view something that makes them uncomfortable.

There's a lot of what comes across as almost puritanical virtue signaling I've seen lately, where people are talking about CC boundaries everywhere and trying to police fanwork. I will again refer you to the point above. The fanwork is not made for the CC. It is made for fans, and if it is something the CC isn't comfortable with, then don't go posting it where they might regularly look at things (such as main fanart/fanwork tags.)

Yes, there are CCs who are over here. Yes, they look through fan works. This app is primarily a fan-oriented space and it has tags that CC's (or anyone else!!) can block to avoid things they are uncomfortable with. Though at this point the few that are over here either were already gay dot com natives or have basically become one.

I may have gone a bit off my original topic but TL;DR:

KEEP FAN WORKS TO FAN SPACES, AND STOP HARASSING THE CC'S PLEASE. LET THEM EXIST IN PEACE.

[jbaileyfansite]

Vanity Fair Interview for the Hollywood Issue (2024)

In the last 13 months or so, Jonathan Bailey has carried on a secret gay love affair in McCarthy-era Washington, performed cunnilingus in a Regency England manor, rendered teenage boys speechless with a pop-philosophy lecture, and danced through life in a prince’s bedazzled breeches. This coming summer, he’s fleeing dinosaurs.

That would be in, respectively: Fellow Travelers, Bridgerton, Heartstopper, Wicked, and Jurassic World Rebirth. But even if he’s just pretended to do all those things, it’s understandable why Bailey is, right now, pinking his nose at a villa in Puglia.

“It is just so dreamy to be able to chill out,” he says via Zoom. “The cortisol levels have depleted.”

Playing Fiyero in Wicked was a dream come true for Bailey, who at one point in our conversation fantasizes about going to a Broadway rave with his castmates—he refers to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as simply “the girls”—and dancing to techno remixes of Wicked tracks, like “Defying Gravity,” under pulsating green lasers.

After filming the two-part movie with the girls, he’s nabbed an Emmy nod for Fellow Travelers and started a charity, the Shameless Fund, to uplift the LGBTQ+ community he’s proud to be a part of.

We’re thrilled to have Bailey as part of our 2025 Hollywood Issue. Here, he shares his thoughts on being a change agent in Hollywood, how he chooses roles, and the secret talent that he wishes he’d kept a secret.

Vanity Fair: What a run! How are you feeling?

Jonathan Bailey: I’m very much enjoying my holiday. But the girls started rehearsing Wicked, what, two and a half years ago? I think people assume that I haven’t had any breaks, but I have. Also, we had the strike right in the middle. What was crazy is going from Fellow Travelers to Wicked, just insane.

The Wicked movie is so close to the stage show that if you’re a big fan, you’re not going to be like, “Well, I can’t believe they…” It hews so closely, how could you complain there? But that flip. Are you a secret tumbler?

I remember I’d flown back from Canada and then I was filming Bridgerton. I met the girls then, and they were well and truly underway. I remember going to the dressing rooms, and theirs were pink and green and were just spilling into the hallway. And mine was just an interrogation room with nothing.

But I did spend the whole day with [choreographer] Chris Scott and went from Chris Scott to see [musical writer] Stephen Schwartz, and it was just, for me, boot camp days. You just lean on the amazing choreographers and obviously [director] Jon M. Chu’s vision. So when it came to the beginning of “Dancing Through Life,” I felt like it had to be sort of a flair and sort of performative, but hopefully in a way that was just with abandon and not arrogance. I did gymnastics growing up and I did dancing. I was the only boy within a whatever-mile radius. And because I was a boy and I was dancing, whenever the Royal Shakespeare Company wanted to cast someone, they called. It was dancing that got me into acting. And in dance school—not school, but a hobby club—they had acrobatics, which I was obsessed with. So I had, and still do have, a very bendy back, as shown in Wicked.

I’m a big fan of Heartstopper, the books and then the show; I loved the comic. Was that something that you sought out, or they were like, “Hey, we need someone who’s so handsome that he sends multiple people into a crisis”?

I sort of wedged myself into that part. I was so moved by the series and also the graphic novel.

And, of course, doing Bridgerton—it’s funny what comes with doing a lot of press, and suddenly there’s a lot that people want to know about you, and there’s a lot that’s asked of you that, obviously, in any other industry, you wouldn’t have to talk about. So I was hyperaware of the complexities and nuances of how I felt about myself being a gay man, let alone a gay actor, and suddenly finding success in playing a straight part and talking about that. Heartstopper seems to allow people to feel catharsis and to feel a sort of melancholic sort of nostalgia for what could have been. I was feeling all of those things anyway. And [executive producer] Patrick Walters is really good friends with Josh Cole, who produced Crashing, so it is all a bit of a small world.

I love the cast. I think they’re brilliant. I remember seeing all of them speak to their own experiences and being like, My God, they’re so erudite and grounded and thoughtful and kind and compassionate in their answers. I would be really proud of myself if I could be a part of that as my younger self. Everyone above the age of 40 should be forced to watch it.

Do you think that Hollywood is more open to risk than it used to be? So many of these projects wouldn’t have existed 10 years ago.

Yeah. And with huge budgets and [the] trusting of Universal and Donna Langley and Peter Cramer, obviously they just got the right people, with Marc Platt, and they took their time. That’s the common denominator between these things: Fellow Travelers took 10 years to percolate and run its way in his genius, genial brain, and then four years to commission. Wicked, I think they’ve been trying to make a film of it for over 10 years. With Jurassic as well, this time they’re going back to David Koepp, the original writer of the original film, and Gareth [Edwards] is shooting on film.

I’m going to crack on with the work and I’m just incredibly excited for opportunities. I do think that as long as the work is good, anyone should be able to do the job. And I think that’s what’s changed. I obviously did not imagine myself in this sort of career, so that must be a sign of progress.

Do you get recognized out and about a lot? You’re in all these properties now that have such intense fan bases.

It’s funny—obviously, you do get recognized, but the Bridgerton of it all is really interesting, because it’s one thing to be on a show that is national, but I feel like I was more recognized outside of the UK than in the UK. It takes time to adjust to, it really does. It’s not an easy thing, but it also is amazing.

Do you have any secret talents? You already said that flipping is your party trick.

Yeah, I think that, and I was going to say dexterous toes…

What do you do with them?

…. but I would regret that, so I didn’t say it.

But then you did. What can you do with them that makes you so sure they’re dexterous?

Nothing about this goes well...I just remember entertaining my sisters by being able to pick things up with my toes, but like a monkey. But we probably don’t need to put that in writing.

Physical therapists, I’m sure, hail you.

I did ballet for ages, and I’ve only as an adult found out I’ve got very flat feet. Doing Fiyero, I learned that. And the physio one day walked in because my knees were twanging, and across the room he went, “You got flat feet.”

Your big secret: flat feet.

Yeah, that’s my party trick as well.

Revealed. Do you consider yourself to be a rule follower or a rule breaker? Are you afraid of getting in trouble?

I’m not a rule breaker, I just don’t really adhere. Do you know what I mean? If someone says, don’t do that, I won’t not do it. Probably people would always have said I was probably quite naughty.

You have a philanthropy, the Shameless Fund. Can you tell me about what inspired you to start that?

I’ve always found it is impossible to talk about this without sounding like an asshole, but it’s something that I do think about: opportunities for other people. And I also see where there’s an abundance of energy, whether that be money or creative, that could be siphoned off into other areas.

With the Shameless Fund particularly, there were certain commercial opportunities that were coming my way that I just wasn’t interested in because they just didn’t feel right, or I didn’t want to be stepping into [them]. I’m hoping next year we’re going to start giving out grants, in 2025.

Whom will the grants be going to?

Well, we’ve got three that we are certain on, nonprofits and charities that work internationally and locally in the UK for areas of the LGBT+ community, to educate and elevate. Hopefully, we’ll get to a point where we can offer smaller nonprofits a platform.

The three weeks after Bridgerton came out, there were so many requests from charities that I found it so upsetting and distressing because I wanted to do all of them. “Can you come to this thing, or can you speak, or can you send a shoe, or could you send a bag? Could you sign a script?” So this is also a way where you can work with multiple groups, become a bit of a patron.

Is there anyone who you feel reached back and helped you along in your career too?

Theater directors massively. Ian McKellen was wildly amazing, and I did King Lear with him. He was one of the first people to come to see me when I did Cock on the West End, and we went for a drink afterwards. He was so clear about how it might play out, and should it play out that way, what to be excited about and what to be aware of. I couldn’t wish for a better role model.

Source

[loulovingho]

I was planning to wait to see how this episode played out but the clip annoyed me so much I had to write to ABC.

I’ve waited a week to write in because I hoped to feel more settled with my emotions before I sent off a message to whomever is responsible for collecting and dispersing the responses received in the aftermath of 8x06. I feel more clear headed now that the initial rush of disappointment has passed but, unfortunately, that does mean that I’ve had the ability to look at both the handling of Buck and Tommy’s relationship from a bisexual perspective and the show in a larger context.

I had hope that 9-1-1 was improving when it joined ABC after the dull and inspired final seasons on Fox. The excitement of the opening disaster combined with the revelation of Buck’s bisexuality gave me hope that this show was turning a corner. Having read interviews after the fact from the show runner, Tim Minnear, who said that he intended to treat this storyline with care, I was optimistic. Sadly all of that optimism is gone. Season eight has been a rushed disaster. We’ve barely had any time to spend with the characters—Hen and Karen have, yet again, been stuck fighting for their child only to have it all resolved in the space of 42 minutes; Eddie is still in desperate need of therapy and yet has made no moves towards that aim; Bobby and Athena are still struggling with communication; and now Buck is single again after a beautiful episode that highlighted his relationship with Tommy that made me truly believe the show was going to honor its promise to the audience in how it handles Buck’s sexuality.

The disappointment I felt at not only the played-for-jokes reveal of Tommy’s engagment to Abby (that doesn’t even make sense in the context of the show’s history) but the fact that many characters seem to have forgotten that Buck is bisexual and not gay to the abrupt and deliberately painful ending of his relationship with Tommy is real and true. Although this is a silly firefighter show, it was set up to deliver a truly beautiful love story between two adult men learning how to love each other in this world with all their baggage and it was thrown away for what? It’s hard to tell.

I did think, perhaps, that maybe there was a larger plan at play but given the clip released from 911 today of Maddie and Chimney telling Buck to move on and the casual biphobia of “which pond?” (in case help is needed, it’s all the same pond) has filled me with the realisation that there’s nothing there. We were—and I don’t say this lightly—queer trapped by the show, the show runner, and the network into watching because of Buck and Tommy but now that you have your viewing numbers, it seems fair game to play fast and loose with the viewers.

I am so incredibly disappointed in the show and specifically disappointed in Tim Minnear. He knew exactly what he was doing when he crafted 8x05, manipulating us into investing in this relationship only to pull it away because he’s incapable of planning a story arc more than a day in advance of shooting.

Furthermore, the silence from everyone involved in this show on the death threats and harassment received by Lou Ferrigno Jr., for simply doing his job is unacceptable. The guest stars on this show have always been treated appallingly by a toxic subset of fans who believe that bullying and vitriol is what will reward them with their much-vaunted ship of Buddie (Buck and Eddie). It’s hard to ignore that the show runner is playing into this and perhaps he needs reminding that they are only a small minority and that the wider, quieter viewing audience have been much more captivated by the romance of Buck and Tommy.

I hope that this reaches someone’s ears and makes the smallest difference because you had gold in your hands and threw it away for absolutely nothing.

As a final note, please have someone from the LGBTQ+ community consult the scripts before they’re filmed because there is no excuse for the type of biphobia that keeps cropping up.

Yes!!! I am so proud of you for writing in!!

[nevermindirah]

#hen tap the fuck in. the cis gay men are indoctrinating buck to excuse every past action of every gay man born before 1990 #(jokes. but also. not jokes)

#and hi hello at this moment in time we have a buck who thought he had tried everything now with a new world of possibilities at his feet #karen who has been to the club once in her life (and it was a regular club?!) and missed her first and second adolescence #hen who spent her 20s in a long term relationship that had a lot of heavy complications #and eddie whos only big night out ever might have been chims bachelor party #denny and mara are going to the hans for a weekend sleepover

#have hen and buck even had one conversation this season? #hen and eddie have been on screen together but that keeps boiling down to eddie looking 🥺 and hen going he misses chris 😟

#two lesbians their bisexual boy best friend and the “straight” friend hitting the bars #need karen to get the mischievous zoomies again stat. need the day drinking lesbian bisexual solidarity back stat #bring back karaoke. let tracie sing. i am no longer asking #weewoo

#edit: hen buck karen eddie. e lucy #oh look at all that fog. sure hope bisexual lucy donato doesnt come out of that fog

this tag essay by genius tumblr user @hazelnutrosewaterpomegranate needed the multiple paragraphs treatment to emphasize all of its many important points. someone call 911 I'm gravely ill and only seeing this content on my tv will heal me

enough playing. where are my henbuck queer solidarity scenes

[rypnami]

pirate captain sebastian sallow headcanons

this is part of my pirate au, which i'm working on in the background between art and my main fic!! divider from here

everyone knows pirates were gay, and sebastian has all that bisexual man swagger

he runs a very tight ship when necessary, but is overall a relaxed leader figure

his parents died when he was 7

as a teen, anne and his uncle both fell very ill with scarlet fever, and while their uncle died, anne survived but still to this day is not fully recovered

magic doesn't technically exist, but sebastian believes in it anyway

he takes to sailing the sea when he hears rumour of a mysterious, lost magical relic that supposedly has healing powers, and he wants to find it to fully cure his sister

he became captain at only 17 after the previous captain died and left the ship to him. he'd proven himself as ambitious, strategic, and smart enough to hold his own and keep everything in order

may be a nice guy, but do not cross him, or assume you know better than him on how to run his own ship. he does not take any disrespect lightly

competent duellist, of course, and is known to take other ships for his own

although his family was always relatively poor and he never had proper schooling, he always tried to learn everything he could wherever he could

he's a top. thats that on that

he finds life on a ship, living by his own rules, incredibly freeing, and would probaby genuinely go mad living in a 'proper' town after so long at sea

the most charming man to ever live. very similar to his canon personality, he can get what he wants with a wink and a smile, and people are falling over themselves for him

having grown up poor, he knows the struggle and doesn't actually keep much treasure he loots for himself. he doesn't really have any need for it, so he gives it to the people that do need it

he and the commander of the british royal navy (leander) have a very strained relationship, beyond just the criminal v cop dynamic. there's probably more to that story👀but sebastian will NOT talk about it and will tell off anyone who asks

the BIGGEST flirt on the seven seas. probably on all land, too. that said, he craves a genuine deep connection and although he might have casual flings, deep down he wants someone to sail with who loves him for him, and helps him run his ship

looks damn good in a pirate fit, but everyone already knew that

brilliant artist, hand-drew several of the maps he and his crew uses

crew is made up of other au HL characters, tbd!! (perhaps even some MCs if there's interest tee hee)

incredibly loyal person, especially to his crew. sees them as more of a family than people he can order around if he wants to

gets back to the town he's from when he can to check on anne and her condition

did i mention he's a massive flirt

[soft-cristobalite]

Watched arcane season 2 act 1, thought abt it, so here are some of my thoughts in no particular order. Obvious spoilers.

Also, i watched in dub. Important to know when i am quoting charaters + when i am talking about their tone.

Starting of with something that is directly affected by dub — ukrainian Jayce is my Jayce. Ppl said he sounded condesending while talking to Ekko — not. at. alllll. true for my Jayce. My Jayce sounded tired, emotionaly burn out. "You drink tea, Ekko?" said with no though to it, in a context of continues talking of "Haha do i live here? Hahah....... Do you guys want tea? Want some tea? I'll make tea. Do you drink tea, Ekko?". But d-dub is supposed to stay true to the original— I DONT CAREEE. I love my blorbo almost-himbo Jayce, never changing his characterisation in my mind.

And i will hold Jayce's hand when i say this — you were. Just so gay for like... Essentialy going "Are you okay? Good, good" to lady Mel Medarda HERSELF and then seeing Victor and losing your mind. Sprinting with him in your hands to your lab. LIVING in your lab to monitor him. I just... I get it, you don't have many friends. But like...... Really dude. Reaally.

Give Mel and Ekko thirty minutes. I promise you they would work it out. Eternal piece would be achieved.

I know there are a lot of different opinions regarding Caitlyn. I will not be explaining in-depts what i think about her acr, because a) who cares and b) i like to see her go cray-cray. But like — why isnt anybody exept for Vi attempting to stop her??? Like why is Jayce mourning Victor's twink death instead of, yk, stopping his childhood-best-friend-kinda-younger-sister from killing ppl of Zaun, the last thing Victor wants btw? She and Vi are twenty-ish — WHYYYY are they going through it by themselves??? Why doesnt baby yoda guy with German name that i dont dare to write trying to stop the daughtrer of his ex-collegue? He is 600 or something, im sure he could've come up with advice.

Cait pointing her gun at a child is terrifying, it opens up the possibilities of her going even more blinded with anger, doing even more horrific things, and Vi is right to try and stop her. However... I know damn right i would've believe her when she said she will not miss 😭 Every single time she fired her gun she was very precise. Even in that scene she aimed at the gun the girl was holding like two seconds ago and got a perfect. fucking. score. Like i dont remember her missing at all, actually.

"Ohhhhh you're gonnnaaa haaaaaattteeee Maddie after act two—" says who? On that note, i hope both Cait AND Vi will sleep with a few random people. Good for them. Let them try to forget about each other only to realise just how down bad they are for one another. Let the scenes of Cait and Maddie hooking up intertwine with Vi's one night stand.

"Maddie is just gonna be a victim of comander Cait :(((" and i do not have any thing to say to that — we dont yet KNOW what will happen — but I dont think Cait will try to manipulate her into this. I think Maddie will flirt a bit, Cait will try and seek salvage and vulnerability in someone, especially since she is now constantly in public's eye and needs to project hope™ and stoicism™. It will be a genuine attempt to move on — not anybody's fault she can't.

But oh god, oh goooddd i cant wait for Maddie to loose the spark in her eyes due to lesbian situationship.

[rotzaprachim]

like the point here is not in any way that Israeli extremism is ok! Fuck Bibi fuck the Likud fuck the decades of violence carried out against the Palestinian people and fuck everyone who’s voted for them! Right wing extremism isn’t alright ANYWHERE! The point is that I’m seeing an awful lot of American centrism that views the whole world through the lens of trump but then thinks of their voting populace as somehow better, more and more explicable than everyone else. And the thing is that I think the U.S. is going though mass upheaval in certain ways, but the dirty truth is that it’s still fundamentally not greater then and often less extreme than the senses of social and economic upheaval than have brought OTHER dictators to power especially in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. There’s never been a second intifada for years in the U.S., and there’s also never been anything like the mass economic upheavals that rocked Eastern Europe in the 1990’s, or the massively violent “drug wars” in Latin America that have made people like bukele popular. It isn’t that American suffering isn’t a problem. It’s that Americans aren’t any smarter or more immune to personal suffering when it comes to choosing dictatorial men to lead them

I think another thing it comes down it is what the populist sentiment has been focused on. Trump is a lot different than the populists in Europe that have taken power in a critical way: he didn’t even offer the people who voted them something concrete. A lot of right wing movements in Europe have offered (hypothetical) mass checks, wage increases, and social healthcare if people would only get rid of the immigrants, globalists, and gays, and trump hasn’t even offered that. He didn’t offer people actual money! Americans took economic insecurity and then voted for someone who promised to make things worse. Point is that I think the push factors (social and economic instability) AND the pull factors (waving personal improvement for the common man) of the trump presidency have been a lot weaker in the trump admin than they have been in a lot of other contexts, and people still voted for him, and there’s nothing superior or more educated about the American people to get here.

feels worth mentioning as a long time opponent of the 21st century hawkish nature of Israeli politics that… we’ve seen a lot of comparisons between the U.S. and Israel when it comes to politics, and many are worth pondering, but the U.S. has simply never ever had anything like the second intifada to push the civilian populace into hard right hawkish politics. (Yes there was 9/11 and I recognize that was awful. I’m talking about a years long protracted campaign from terror groups kilometers away from where middle class Americans raise their children. There’s simply no comparison.) the U.S. got here on their own with the vague image of a violent criminal invader, not an actual reality of hundreds of civilian deaths from targeted bombings on buses and in pizza shops and public arenas. This is not to let either the government of the state of Israel NOR the U.S. off the hook but it IS to say that I don’t think there’s a single thing inherently more peaceful about Americans than Israelis (or any other country that’s had a sharp right wing political swing) and I cannot imagine the kind of fascist hellhole the U.S. would be with even a quarter of the targeted political violence experienced in IL