#a heroic gay friend

[daryun]

(I come back from a weekend of LARPing and I cannot express how feral chapter 120 makes me feel)

[y00v1]

Explanation!!! In my AU Apple White falling in love with White Knight (especially in the image of a noble prince on a white horse), after being awakened by Darling's kiss (she doesn't know who kissed her). Meanwhile, Darling does not reveal her identity as the White Knight and continues to act as a hero in a mask. After his(her) heroics in Wonderland and EAH, he(she) becomes quite popular among the people (girls😊😊😊). And yeah I made Chase gay 💋💋💋 he is Darling's friend, but fall in love with White Knight.

Tags??: gender intrigue, romantic (GRRAAAA LESBIAAAAANNNNS), friends since childhood, from friends to lovers, death of main characters, resurrection, postcanon.

[thydungeongal]

Yeah. Sometimes I feel alone in this but I will always take inarticulate or even problematic yet sincere allyship over someone clearly just trying to check the right boxes.

Inclusion is important but when, say, dragon age uses the word nonbinary it feels incoherent. You can't just insert queer language without thinking about why the language exists in a given world, but a corporation is incapable of thinking about that bc it's inherently messy.

Oh absolutely. And this is actually something I have talked about to my friends: identity means so much to me and while it's sometimes just fun to play a character in D&D who, like me, is a queer woman, without any friction, I care so much about stories that center identity and about the potential for storytelling and exploring those topics in fantasy that I don't want just another heroic fantasy story but the characters introduce themselves with their 21st century identity labels and pronouns.

I want to know how gender and sexuality work in the messed up fantasy society where magic is real. I want to know what made-up terms people who interact with magic on the daily will come up with to describe their relationship to sexuality and gender. I want to know the unique ways in which people transgress those boundaries.

And heck, I want games that explore those topics through metaphor. Like how Monsterhearts is on the surface about monsters but on a thematic level it is about queerness. D&D is queer on the surface in the sense that it has a gay coat of paint. But on a thematic and gameplay level there's nothing.

[makingqueerhistory]

Queer Books Challenged in Florida Schools and Libraries

There are some affiliate links below in case you want to support MQH.

Gender Queer: A Memoir, Maia Kobabe: Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears.

The Color Purple, Alice Walker: Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie sustain their loyalty to and hope in each other across time, distance and silence. Through a series of letters spanning nearly thirty years, first from Celie to God, then the sisters to each other despite the unknown, the novel draws readers into its rich and memorable portrayals of Celie, Nettie, Shug Avery and Sofia and their experience. The Color Purple broke the silence around domestic and sexual abuse, narrating the lives of women through their pain and struggle, companionship and growth, resilience and bravery.

Julián Is a Mermaid, Jessica Love: While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes -- and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love's author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.

Drama: A Graphic Novel, Raina Telgemeier: Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon over Mississippi, she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the drama department's stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen. And when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!

Cemetery Boys, Aiden Thomas: Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

I Am Billie Jean King, Brad Meltzer: This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of one of America's icons in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero's childhood influences. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos. This volume features Billie Jean King, the world champion tennis player who fought successfully for women's rights. From a young age, Billie Jean King loved sports--especially tennis! But as she got older, she realized that plenty of people, even respected male athletes, didn't take women athletes seriously. She set to prove them wrong and show girls everywhere that sports are for everyone, regardless of gender.

This One Summer, Mariko Tamaki: Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. One of the local teens - just a couple of years older than Rose and Windy - is caught up in something bad... Something life threatening. It's a summer of secrets, and sorrow, and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

Marriage of a Thousand Lies, Sj Sindu: Lucky and her husband, Krishna, are gay. They present an illusion of marital bliss to their conservative Sri Lankan-American families, while each dates on the side. It's not ideal, but for Lucky, it seems to be working. She goes out dancing, she drinks a bit, she makes ends meet by doing digital art on commission. But when Lucky's grandmother has a nasty fall, Lucky returns to her childhood home and unexpectedly reconnects with her former best friend and first lover, Nisha, who is preparing for her own arranged wedding with a man she's never met.

And Tango Makes Three, Peter Parnell: At the penguin house at the Central Park Zoo, two penguins named Roy and Silo were a little bit different from the others. But their desire for a family was the same. And with the help of a kindly zookeeper, Roy and Silo got the chance to welcome a baby penguin of their very own.

More Happy Than Not, Adam Silvera: In the months following his father's suicide, sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto can't seem to find happiness again, despite the support of his girlfriend, Genevieve, and his overworked mom. Grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist won't let him forget the pain. But when Aaron meets Thomas, a new kid in the neighborhood, something starts to shift inside him. Aaron can't deny his unexpected feelings for Thomas despite the tensions their friendship has created with Genevieve and his tight-knit crew. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound happiness, he considers taking drastic actions. The Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-altering procedure will straighten him out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.

Melissa, Alex Gino: When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.

Melissa thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. Melissa really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part... because she's a boy.

With the help of her best friend, Kelly, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities, Mady G, Jules Zuckerberg: In this quick and easy guide to queer and trans identities, cartoonists Mady G and Jules Zuckerberg guide you through the basics of the LGBT+ world! Covering essential topics like sexuality, gender identity, coming out, and navigating relationships, this guide explains the spectrum of human experience through informative comics, interviews, worksheets, and imaginative examples. A great starting point for anyone curious about queer and trans life, and helpful for those already on their own journeys!

This Book Is Gay, Juno Dawson: This candid, funny, and uncensored exploration of sexuality and what it's like to grow up LGBTQ also includes real stories from people across the gender and sexual spectrums, not to mention hilarious illustrations.

Little & Lion, Brandy Colbert: When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she's isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (as well as her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support. But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself--or worse.

King and the Dragonflies, Kacen Callender: Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.

It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. But just days before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship, after overhearing a secret about Sandy-that he thinks he might be gay. "You don't want anyone to think you're gay too, do you?"

Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place: A Transgender Memoir, Jackson Bird: An unflinching and endearing memoir from LGBTQ+ advocate Jackson Bird about how he finally sorted things out and came out as a transgender man.When Jackson Bird was twenty-five, he came out as transgender to his friends, family, and anyone in the world with an internet connection. Assigned female at birth and raised as a girl, he often wondered if he should have been born a boy. Jackson didn't share this thought with anyone because he didn't think he could share it with anyone.

The Black Flamingo, Dean Atta: Michael is a mixed-race gay teen growing up in London. All his life, he's navigated what it means to be Greek-Cypriot and Jamaican--but never quite feeling Greek or Black enough.

As he gets older, Michael's coming out is only the start of learning who he is and where he fits in. When he discovers the Drag Society, he finally finds where he belongs--and the Black Flamingo is born

Explore the full list here.

[timbitshockey]

you know when i was 13 my best friend and i (classic too-intense young girl friendship between a closeted lesbian & her bestie) decided that when we grew up we were going to marry twin brothers so we’d get to have the same husband. and they’d be firefighters (heroic!) and they’d work long shifts of course but we’d live in two mansions that had a big tunnel underground that connected them so her and i could always just hang out and have sleepovers whenever we wanted because our identical heroic handsome husbands were always busy hanging out together and working and whatever boring stuff they liked to do. they were there, in the fantasy, of course, to facilitate a life where we could hang out together forever and never have to be apart and everyone would love us and our handsome but never-present husbands who were away from us for valid heroic reasons but away from us nonetheless. this is not an uncommon pipe dream for childhood best friends who will later have a friendship implosion that wont make sense until much much later on. but it’s just a silly fantasy, right?

except lauren and celeste DID it. they actually did it. they managed to pull it off. god i could cry. it’s possible it’s really possible... live strong little yet-to-be-gay girls out there!!!! the dream is alive!!!! it CAN happen!!!!! NEVER GIVE UP!!!!!

[worldof3ntertainment]

WhiteRaven Death Theory:

Disclaimer: I have by no means read every post about these theories, so if any have been disproven, please feel free to let me know.

Anyways. On my first few reads through, I was dead set (no pun intended) on the idea that Lenore killed herself after Annabel's death, no matter whose fault it was. The lesbian tragedy of it all. Then, going through it again, one panel in the beginning of the story, when they were running through the gates of Nevermore, caught my eye:

This looks, to me, like the foreshadowing of her death: the shock/horror on her face, the blood splatter, and possibly most importantly the opposing color scheme to Annabel's death scene. We know they have reoccurring color contrast motifs, so what's one more parallel?

These images would imply that both were shot by someone they were facing, and (most important to my own previous theories) definitely someone else. Additionally, I saw someone mention that all the students so far have seemingly been killed in an act of murder/manslaughter, which even ties into theories on other characters' deaths. Pluto's potential hanging by his father, Morella's possible heroic death on Bloody Sunday or Bloody Friday, etc.

I don't think Lenore killed Annabel for many, many reasons. I won't go too far into that, because that's not my focus here. But let's just settle on: Trace and Flynn obviously wanted to paint it like that's what Annabel is assuming. The most horrifying thing your love could do, and you still trust her? Again, the lesbian tragedy of it all.

So, who did kill Annabel, and possibly Lenore as well? And did they die at the same time or not? We know time doesn't really affect when one washes ashore at Nevermore, since everyone's from different decades, so their close arrival could be chalked up to tRUe lOvE (or really deep, codependent, obsessive loyalty and the absolute need to follow each other into every realm of existence, but I digress). Perhaps Lenore died days afterward, having hunted Annabel's murderer, and they shot each other. While I like the idea that Lenore hasn't unlocked her Spectre yet because she hasn't felt that deep-seated drive for revenge, I don't think that's what happened. In the first picture (of potential foreshadowing/flashback), it's not just her head spattered in blood; it's all of her clothing, especially her boots.

So, lemme paint a picture: Annabel, Lenore, wedding day. Annabel is shot, her blood sprays everywhere, like damn that stuff's all over the place, and all over Lenore. Lenore's like "NO! MY WIFE!" and goes to shoot the killer, potentially on her knees next to her love's lifeless body, and basically gets put down like a dog for her "crimes." Her gay ass crimes.

Final point, who shot them? Who knew about the "crime"? I've seen lots of people mention the two most likely suspects are the childhood friend and the father, Ira. The friend could have been jealous, come to visit, blah blah blah. I'm sure you've read them; I have, and have thoroughly enjoyed them. Same with the Ira theories. BUT--why not both? Trace and Flynn went out of their way to put focus on Annabel's childhood friend, just like they painted a clear picture of her father before he was even introduced. Her friend doesn't seem all that important to her, so "betrayal" isn't quite right. But Ira also doesn't seem that suspicious--in fact, he seems overjoyed at the idea of them marrying. Finally! His daughter had chosen someone, and it's someone rich, well bred, and witty. What more could he ask for? But perhaps the childhood friend shows up, jealous, but not out of his mind. He does some digging, and here it is--his smoking gun (sorry, puns are fun). But he's a man from the 1800s, so he probably sees Annabel as property to claim; instead of going on a rage-fueled shooting, he brings his evidence to Ira, hoping he will get rid of Lenore and "give" Annabel to who's meant to have her. But Ira does not react calmly--Annabel is all he has left since his wife is out of the picture (institutionalized? dead? ran away?) and he is loath this evil lesbian ruin her life. So he goes in with a gun.

Lenore has also brought a gun, because she wanted to elope, but Annabel's stipulation for their marriage was that they don't leave behind the world like that; she's expecting the danger, but not for the danger to be Ira. Annabel's face portrays raw fear--she's begging Lenore not to shoot her father and her father not to shoot Lenore. Lenore hesitates, because her soon-to-be-wife always knows the best strategy; but Ira doesn't pause. Annabel steps between them, and we have our bloody, bloody scene from earlier.

Thank you for reading, input is appreciated. Also, I just learned how to screenshot Webtoon panels, and this so helpful??

[valevntine]

hello friends,

in regards to what i've been seeing recently happening in this fandom, i feel like i want to remind something to everyone.

i'm a white queer woman, and while i'm not able to even start to understand the systematic hate BIPOC are subjected to everyday, i'm documenting myself and i hope my words are a reminder to us folks in the lgbtq community - especially us whites.

don't forget our roots!! don't forget who fought for us before anyone ever did: marsha p. johnson, a transgender black woman, sylvia rivera, a transgender latina woman, stormé delarverie, a butch, biracial lesbian woman and many, many other bipoc figures!

there's this phrase i've been seeing around lately: "some people are gay but not queer" and it's so so true. it makes me go insane and leaves me absolutely baffled when some people tell me they've never heard of such amazing, brave and heroic people of color, literal pieces of our history. they paved the way for us to live as freely as we can today - because yes, as much as we're terrorised now, their days were much worse.

marsha was one of the founders of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), formed as a response to the Stonewall riots.

along with sylvia, they also founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) which provided shelter, protection and food to LGBTQ youth.

there's much more they all did, the list would be never ending. i'll leave a few resources down below. i know it's not much, but i hope that this - as i said before - may serve as a reminder to us in the queer community to never turn a blind eye to our BIPOC friends, to always uplift them and boost their voices. we need to thank them for everything they did.

the Marsha P. Johnson Institute

SRLP (Sylvia Rivera Law Project)

the Stonewall Inn and The Stonewall Forever documentary

BIPOC in LGBTQ+ Liberation

more queer and trans BIPOC leaders

documents from BIPOC/radicalised individuals during the AIDS epidemic in the 90s

Marsha's Plate - a podcast hosted by three black trans women

anyone is free to add more in the comments and if there is any mistakes i made please do correct me! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤

[butter-bubbles]

Alan Turing & Will Byers: How Will's Happy Ending is Foreshadowed by His "Historical Heroes" Project...

Wait, I just realized that the Alan Turing reference goes deeper than just Will's admiration for a gay historical figure by basically juxtaposing against Will's likely trajectory in S5 to show that he will have a happy ending!

I mean, I've basically had zero doubts that Will will be surviving S5 since S4 came out. It just makes no sense for what his character has been building up to; in fact, this post by our resident lawyer goes into detail about how the Duffer brothers have been setting up a happy ending for Will since S1. Specifically, his conversation with Joyce in S3 where he says he's "not going to fall in love", and then the Duffers' own admission that Will is going to come into his own as a hero and a protector after four seasons of being the protected one of the friend group.

But I never realized how Alan Turing's legacy has been juxtaposed against Will's heroic setup in S4.

So if you somehow don't know the tragic story of Alan Turing's life yet, he significantly expediated the British Enigma code-breaking efforts during World War II with his machine the Bombe and went on to help create the modern computer in his post-war career, only to be arrested and chemically c*strated for being gay by the British government. He died soon afterwards via ingested cyanide.

Will gives his historical heroes presentation on Turing in S4, clearly understanding the persecution that Turing faced in his life and relating it to his own sense of alienation.

This, to me, feeds right back into his own (understandably) pessimistic views about his likelihood of having love/a relationship in S3.

Here's this accomplished, intelligent, selfless, heroic gay man who was condemned by his own country after helping to save it from the brink of collapse. This is likely how Will views himself; that, if it ever came down to it, he'd probably have to sacrifice his own life to save his world and never even receive any love or recognition for it. It makes a lot of sense that Will would gravitate to the tragedy of Turing's life, especially given the fact that he was ready to sacrifice himself for the good of humanity in S2.

But it also shows exactly why Will needs a happy ending. If there's one thing that Stranger Things excels at, it's breaking the mold; we see this in Nancy's unconventional relationship, Lukas and Max's interracial coupling, Steve's redemption (and likely lack of partnership by S5), Rovickie's romance, El being the unlikely hero of Hawkins.

Everything points to the fact that Will will be rewarded for his bravery and heroism, and get his happy ending with his boyfriend after saving the world. Will is not going to be another Alan Turing. He can have it all, which is everything that Will deserves.

[jenlrossman]

So I've been thinking about Miles O'Brien and how he was basically the same in the regular universe and the mirror universe

Why did they do that? They even had another character mention it

Could this be why he is the most important man in Starfleet history? Not because he did anything important himself, necessarily, but just by existing as some sort of… dimensional constant, what if he helped someone figure out like, the Grand Unified Theory of how the universes work?

Because we know from Strange New Worlds, there are other dimensions aside from the regular one and the mirror one. There's an entire dimension where everything is musical theater

What if, in every permutation of the multiverse, the one constant is Miles Edward O'Brien?

Just an ordinary guy, blue-collar worker, good dad with the occasional traumatic experience. He doesn't rise to power, he isn't evil, he doesn't sing more than the average person

He isn't a villain, but he doesn't think of himself as a hero either. He doesn't go off and do amazing things every day, and he doesn't want to. He's gay but not really and only for a couple dudes, the same way he is straight but only for one or two women

He's just that guy you can rely on to fix the ship and occasionally do something heroic but mostly he just wants to have a drink with his friends, do a little homoerotic LARPing, not get killed or tortured, and go home to his family

In. Every. Universe.

He is what everyone thought the Higgs boson would be

Miles O'Brien is our God particle that explains the universes

[yuukei-yikes]

dude i'm sorry for all the kanoshin posting but like the way shintaro immediately forgives kano for telling him as ayano how it was all his fault. what shintaro went through was so awful he lost all his friends and his Best friend committed suicide after apparently saying "it's YOUR fault for never noticing" like that shit does irreparable damage to ur well being bro. for all this time shintaro thought it was HIS FAULT that ayano killed herself

and when kano admits it was him who said that shintaro doesn't isolate it from everything else kano was going through at that moment, so he doesn't hold it against him and he forgives him so easily. and that bit is from shintaro's pov so when we switch back to kano and he's so guilty and sort of in disbelief shintaro doesn't hate him. sorry that entire part with kano's pov in the seventh novel reads SO extremely romantic towards shintaro it's crazy. maybe i'm just gay but "he used to smile at my sister in a different way than he'd smile for everyone else. now he's smiling at me just like that" girl. EXCUSE ME. i didnt even care about kanoshin when i first read the seventh novel btw and i was still like oh so kano's into him. got it.

like shintaro's the victim to probably the most cruel thing kano's ever done to someone and he FORGIVES HIM so for kano who hates himself it's like. something something he sees me at my worst and still has the nerve to be kind to me. something something.

and in between all that there's kido and mary like god shintaro ur so lameeee, and kano in his mind is like i think he's cool actually.... im not saying it out loud though. he's down so bad for him it's so funny because it switches from all those convoluted guilty feelings to kano sort of twiling his hair like omg he's so heroic. and it's kind of endearing

kano's crush on shintaro is infuriatingly well written it's crazy. and it's even crazier that it's by accident and then u read the stuff not written directly by jin like the anthologies and the manga and instead they go for the weird incest shit, it's so jarring lol. and i'm not saying jin intended for it to be romantic. in fact it seems to me at least like jin thinks haruka and shintaro are the gayest ones?? just from how he jokes around and stuff. but it's funny how he wrote all that for kano but NOOOO kano's like such a flirt with women he's totally a lady's man. what's REALLY gay is haruka and shintaro crying in front of each other. can u imagine, boys... crying and being vulnerable with each other... hahhh so gay!!! girl maybe but RIGHT before that u wrote haruka going on about how he realizes he's into takane romantically precisely because HE'S NOT into shintaro romantically. like it is very much a point he makes. sorry that was a side tangent. anyways.

[bi-conbuckley]

On Tommy and the writer’s purpose for him in s2

The thing we all need to remember is that the writers created Tommy for a reason. He was the character chosen to represent the “Boys Club” that the 118 was under Gerrard, he was the character chosen to show that Gerrard enforced a very toxic racist/misogynistic/homophobic work environment. Hen and Chim, and the way they were treated by Gerrard and this by the men under his command, shows what happens when you’re not a straight white man. Tommy was the chosen character to represent the 118 at this point, which means he is also the chosen character to represent how it changed because of Chim and Hen. You watch Tommy grow to respect them, and grow to understand that he was being a really shitty person; you watch him actively then begin to try and mend things between them and become friends.

And they do. They do become friends. This is shown in Bobby Begins. The three of them actively hang out outside of work. They have created their own little group to survive the revolving door of captains, the three of them: Hen, Chim AND Tommy. They don’t even stop here to show the way he grew and changed into a better person, they bring this specific character arc to a close by having him be the hero. Chim calls Tommy for help and he saves the lives of the rest of the 118, even the cinematography is meant to show it as this really big, cool, heroic moment. THAT is the bookend to his character arc; his REDEMPTION arc.

Remember when I said “shows what happens when you’re not a straight white man”? Let’s not forget that Tommy is gay. He was a gay man who grew up with a shitty father who was like Gerrard [as said in the finale], was then in the army [remember don’t ask don’t tell?], and then under the command of Gerrard [we all know how he feels about gay people]. All he EVER knew was to hide who he was to protect himself. Does that excuse how he acted toward Hen and Chim? Absolutely not. But he was doing the only thing he ever knew how to do in order to keep himself safe. It wasn’t until he got to know them that he realized there are other ways to live your life, pushing back against the people like Gerrard when you have the ability to [he was one of the ones who helped oust Gerrard, remember].

These are the things that people tend to ignore in order to justify hating him. You don’t have to forgive him nor like him, but you do have to accept that Hen and Chim did and you do have to acknowledge that the writers PURPOSEFULLY wrote him to have a redemption arc and to be forgiven and befriended by Hen and Chim in the end, and then gave the situation more complicated nuance when he came back and revealed that he is gay and had been scared in the closet the whole time Gerrard was there. It’s in the writing but that requires actually being willing to acknowledge what the writers are trying to show you.

[entropicbias]

Last couple asks has me wondering what kind of johndave rep DO you like to read/see? Any examples you can think of in fanworks? And just your own interpretation. Thank you

i have got to reiterate that this is just a me thing. i'm not saying this to police anyone on their writing! i'm just really specific about the way i see these two get portrayed.

this is gonna suck and i'm gonna ramble about it for a while cause i'm mentally challenged. i have a hard time explaining my own thoughts with accuracy. sorry i can't keep this short and sweet. i am the type of person to just know when something is done right. i can't tell you why, but i'll try for you, anon. if you don't want to read all this here, i summarized it.

even more simplified

this is so crude. canon dave is really hard to nail for writers for some reason let alone the specific way i see him. i like a more chillaxed dave. some of the things that really throw me off with dave writing is missing the mark on how annoying he is and dumbing his character down to either angst, obama and apple juice jokes, or him being gay. i think john also encounters this issue. not enough research goes into their interests so writers can only represent them with the bare minimum. nicholas cage, con air, and 'dave i'm not a homosexual'. john and dave are assholes. they tease each other and aren't shy of doing that to other people. not that they're bad people! they care about each other and their friends a lot! but they're not afraid of being really honest about their thoughts or overexaggerating something that doesn't really bother them to poke fun at someone. they can make mendacious remarks to be polite, it just doesn't occur to them as often as just blatantly stating their thoughts on something or someone. i also like seeing them have more naturalistic dialogue. for some reason, when i think of that i think of zach from oneyplays or his character charlie from smiling friends. which is dumb even if it gives you an idea. i feel like a lot of this kind of banter is missing from these fanfics i read. at least, in the way i want it to go. think powerup comics.

gay part upcoming. i think the john and dave's relationship is best portrayed as a childhood crush that is unspoken of. a term i recently learned was "demiromantic", and i think that very perfectly describes how i think john's homosexuality would work. i mean, he doesn't really have a problem admiring dudes, which in itself could be called gay but that's not why i think he would be attracted to dave. i think it's kind of hilarious when people attribute john's homosexuality to him being "romantically interested in cage". john's idols are more like heroic figures to him. i don't like it when that is used as evidence that he's gay unless someone is making fun of him. this is the part where i talk about how john insists on the fact that he's straight. i'm not doubting that at all i think john still likes women and it's easier for him to do so. but he can also develop feelings for someone like dave. hence why i think he's demiromantic in that regard. this is exactly what my sexuality is like, so maybe i am projecting. i like to imagine i'm not projecting incorrectly, though. i think he'd only be able to develop feelings for dave in a setting where he is really a prominent figure in his life. earlier acts of homestuck were like this, but unfortunately the johndave relationship wouldn't work out on john's end with the way homestuck went. their friendship was kind of forgotten after a while, which sucks. in an ideal world, they would have remained in contact and then gotten close again in earth c. but dave was written to be with karkat and jade, which either nulls his feelings for john or opens up a whole new avenue of internalizing it. which is dumb and convoluted and i don't care about postcanon.

dave on the other hand would think about his feelings towards john a little more. i like to think that homestuck dave definitely had feelings towards john. i like to imagine they both developed a crush on each other around the same time, but unlike john who doesn't give it the time of day or even considers it as a crush, dave would. and he'd know that but he wouldn't want to act on it because of a plethora of reasons. probably to retain their friendship and his self image. i guess that could give them some 'angst'.

but you know what? i don't even care for romance all that much! they're bros before they're anything else! and that's all that matters to me! just nailing their friendship in itself is gold. john and dave mean a lot to each other in a platonic sense. even if they pursue other romantic avenues or don't, i don't care! i just like people putting them in a similar setting and showcasing their awesome bromance!

fig. 3, i also like davejade. thinking of iterations of him and john in fanworks that i like is really hard cause i don't read much in that department. what comes to mind is mr. tambourine man and some of deacon_blues's comics. kgtac has a really good dave and karkat too. cole is a spectacular writer. but i've finished neither of those comics so i'm just basing it off the very little i've read. also, none of these examples are particularly johndave related. i just wanted to note down examples of john egbert and dave strider writing i enjoyed. i read like, one comic faygos made but that was also pretty good. pinballhazard is also a phenomenal writer and artist. especially for john! you guys should check all these guys out. anyways, thanks for reading all that!

[teambyler]

The most heartbreaking way Byler can culminate (and how I predict it will)

(pic from 80smayfieldz)

Just cry me with today, okay? :')

We all know that when Mike and Will confess their love it has to be EPIC. Like, extreme circumstances need to happen to make these gay boys in an 80s small town confess their love. It's the only way a romance with THIS much build-up over years should pay off.

Bylers need to watch this scene from the Season 1 finale of Agents of SHIELD (Warning: spoilery if you plan to watch this old show... and you will cry!) It's two LONG-TIME BEST FRIENDS but only one can make it out alive. A secretly loves B and has avoided confessing his love because he thinks it's unrequited. He finally admits it, to explain why he's making the ultimate sacrifice.

Now think of Mike and Will on a dangerous mission that is KEY to saving Hawkins. Maybe they're in the church that Noah and Finn are shooting a scene in. Will realizes only one of them can make it out alive, and decides it'll be Mike:

Mike: "There's got to be another way, that's RIDICULOUS! You can't do this, you're my best friend!" Will: "You're more than that, Mike (can't believe he said it, fights back tears) ... Now, PLEASE..."

This is my best prediction of how it'll go. WILL confessing to MIKE makes more sense writing-wise. Mike probably figures out the Painting Lie early in s5, but how he feels for Will remains a mystery. So how MIKE responds to a love confession is uncertain.

This is a season where the Duffers have hinted they'll highlight Will's courage. So he can finish his coming-out arc by telling the person he loves. The Duffers have said Will, always the protected one, the rescued one, will come into his own in s5. I think this means he gets to be the hero this time. It will be a poetic way for Will to finally thank Mike for everything he did for him in s1 and s2; it gives symmetry to their relationship. And it would be a heroic send-off for Will.

(And NO I don't think Will will die. We gays have already had our Reddie and Destiel tragedies. Will dying would go against how the Duffers have set this show up.)

What will Mike do, when confronted with losing Will forever?

We know how he felt once before...

Mike offers himself instead, but for the mission it needs to be Will. This is the last time he'll see Will alive.

Does Mike tell Will he loves him? We know the boy struggles with saying how he feels.

Mike begs Will not to die. He can't lose him AGAIN. He couldn't live if he did. When Will doesn't believe it, MIKE KISSES HIM.

Actions, not words. ("I didn't say it." "You didn't have to.")

Mike insists on staying. Will tries to make him leave, but he refuses.

"You've always been an idiot, Mike." Will doesn't know to laugh or cry. He's sad... not about dying, but regrets the years they lost not being together.

They kiss again and hold each other tightly... And we again hear Peter Gabriel, as the church walls fall and the world is about to end:

And we kissed as though nothing could fall And the shame The shame was on the other side And we can be heroes just for one day.

-teambyler

[howlingday]

Whitley's ARC Problem

Whitley: No, no, architect Faunus! It's all wrong!

Whitley: The muscles on the Jaune statue biceps need to be at least three times as big! Really capture his superiority!

Worker: Sir, my name is Ted, and I honestly can't make these muscles any bigger without compromising the infrastructure of New Mantle.

Whitley: Yes, yes, Moseby, I understand that, but if it's a choice between the children having a roof over their heads or my best friend in the entire world's statue being 100% accurate, well then sacrifices must be made!

Worker: Cool. Awesome. I guess my little girl is sleeping in the cold, then.

Whitley: Excellent!

Ruby: Whitley, um, honey? Can we talk?

Whitley: Ah! Ruby! My beautiful wife and the love of my life! What can I do for you, my beloved?

Ruby: Whitley... You know how you saying stuff like that makes me feel...

Ruby: But, actually, I need to talk to you about something. Is that okay?

Whitley: Of course it is! Communication is the cornerstone to any good and healthy relationship, regardless of it being professional or romantic! No relationship can survive without a healthy amount of communication!

Whitley: Isn't that right, Rikki?

Worker: Fuck you, sir!

Whitley: Yeah, he loves me... So, what is it you wanted to talk about?

Ruby: Well, it's... It's about Jaune.

Whitley: OH! You had me at Jaune, Ruby~! Of course we can talk about him! After all, he is the brave and incredible hero that I am proud to call my best friend~! Atop his heroic deeds and selfless personality, he also has those stunning looks that make men and women swoon~! Furhtermore-

Ruby: Yeah, that. That's what I wanted to talk about. The way you talk about Jaune is really... specific.

Whitley: Specific in what regard? You mean specifically the truth because he's so handsome and amazing~?

Ruby: No, like you're specifically talking about him to people like you're... Well.... Kinda gay for him?

Whitley: Of course I'm gay for him~!

Ruby: WHAT?!

Whitley: YES~! I'm always happy when he's around, and thinking about him simply makes me want to cheer up just so I can see him smile!

Ruby: I... I didn't think you would just- Oh! No, no, no! Whitley, I don't mean the dictionary definition of gay.

Whitley: I beg your pardon? What else could you mean then?

Ruby: I mean you act really... homosexual around him.

Whitley: WHAT?! Whatever would give you THAT impression?!

Ruby: Well, there's the way you talk about his body...

Whitley: You mean his perfect and god-like body you'd be a fool not to fall in love with and want to sleep next to? I fail to see how that makes me gay!

Ruby: Okay, then what about how you talk about his personality?

Whitley: Absolutely ridiculous! How does me truthfully stating that Jaune is masculine perfection incarnate from his strength to stand against threats to his positive and uplifting charisma to be kind to everyone to his adorable fascination with and love of cinema to even his sexy confidence in whatever he does come across as GAY?!

Ruby: Whitley... You're literally building a statue of Jaune, SHIRTLESS WITH YOU HUGGING HIM, in the middle of the front yard driveway! Heck, you moved your grandpa's statue away from there just to put it there!

Whitley: Well, yes, but it absolutely belongs up there! It's a commemoration of the time Jaune, removed of his armor, allowed me to embrace and take shelter within him in front of everyone!

Ruby: Stop.

Whitley: And let me tell you, we both were quite sweaty as I took hold of him, and there was so much fluids everywhere that it was almost unbearable!

Ruby: Please, STOP.

Whitley: And even though that massive one-eyed snake was a tough and sturdy beast, Jaune and I, together, pushed through its fluids and whacked away that snake into a crater! It was a long and hard thing to whack, but finally, our endless whacking offed the one-eyed snake, stopping it from squirting any further fluids all over the people of New Atlas!

Ruby: I'm convince you're doing this on purpose...

Whitley: Doing what?! I'm just describing how Jaune and I shared a good whacking together!

Ruby: Whitley! Please!

Whitley: Look, Ruby, I understand you have concerns, and maybe the way I talk about Jaune is a bit much, but it's purely out of admiration and respect for the man who married my sister, and who saved all of New Atlas from that one-eyed snake's squirting!

Ruby: Whitley...

Whitley: (Holds her hands) But trust me when I say that is all there is to it! You are the love of my life, Ruby~. You're a kind and gentle soul who cares for everyone and only wants them to be happy, and I'm honored to have you as my wife~.

Ruby: Babe... That's... That's so sweet~! Thank you for saying that! (Hugs) I'll admit, maybe I was just jealous of your bond with Jaune and, even though what you were saying before didn't help, I see it's nothing like I thought it was. And even though you have this weird habit to say innuendos, you really love me the way I love you~.

Whitley: Indeed! You have nothing to worry about, my love~!

Ruby: (Giggles) Yeah... I know better now, honey...

Whitley: Besides, we only had sex, like, 19 times!

Ruby: ...

Ruby: W H A T ?

Whitley: YES! And those are only since you and I have been married~! Oh, but don't worry; we were both wearing socks the entire time, so it wasn't gay!

Ruby: THAT'S... YOU... I...

Whitley: Because as "NotGayDongLover6969" posted, "You can have sex with the homies as much as you want and as long as you wear socks it's not gay!" Truly, a voice for the modern age to live by~!

Ruby: I want a divorce.

Whitley: WHAT?! WHY?!

[sevinagreatergood]

Today I'm talking a lot about Lily. For a fictional girl she sure has my attention. I love redheads with green eyes. Usually I wrote my male gay MC's like that or my female heterosexual MC's. She has a lot of potential. In her Hogwarts life she was a sheltered princess of some sort. The queen bee so to speak. The leader.

Wouldn't be childish to say that her friends also probably hyped her up that a leader like her deserves a leader like James as a boyfriend. Probably could've been a key element in her and James dating. Would only mean she's easily swayed by the crowd.

Anyway, aside that. People, people, people. Sit down will you. Especially the marauders fans and Lily fans. I haven't met many comments telling me that JKR admitted that she cried while writing Remus his story. Or the ones that call Lily a saint. But to me one is too much already. L Let's take this out a bit into reality.

You see, JKR wrote those characters. However you may deny it, she wrote your precious Lily, James, Remus, Sirius and Peter. As you read the books. Her popular girls are kind of pick-me or one-of-the-boys vibe.

That implies a girl or woman behaving in a certain way, to get attention or approval from her male peers. Or behavior they show that is more typical for boys. The last one isn't bad, it's just in those books of her, these girls are placed on a pedestal and popular. While the other ones who are more in touch with their feminine side, are basically spit on, which IS the problem. Talking about Cho here.

She wrote Remus as an inspiration of Aids and homosexuality that so-called preyed on younger kids. In other words, she thought homosexuals were predators.

She wrote death eaters as a Nazi inspiration which is very insensitive to do so, especially from her era where many victims were still alive and in pain. Not to mention that comparing her fiction to an actual real life happening was completely overboard, inconsiderate and inhumane.

That's her role model. How do people think that THAT woman could create iconic good characters? Her own reality seeps into the characters. Discrimination and mysoginistic value especially.

Sure, many of you would say now "she may be like that, but what she writes is different"

Is she? If she is entitled and condescending enough to word online on how she supports and hates people, it's not exactly hiding or shying away from that dirty truth within herself. She enjoys her truth, she basks in the glory of her truth. The woman hates asexuals, trans and kind of has a bad view on homosexuality all together as the pictures below demonstrate.

How do you think she shaped Lily? The iconic woman of her dreams? Her Lily would not be pro anything, because it is JKR's Lily.

James? Her so-called loveable popular idiot? Same story.

Same with Sirius.

That's the funny thing. They were discriminating. They were discriminating Snape for being poor. They discriminated Remus for being a lycan. James only wanted to get in Lily's pants. I mean, who bullies a crush their friend, threatens, extorts the crush and in the end breaks a promise with their crush after they got together.

Lily too. Discriminates her friend for being a Slytherin. Her own sister discriminates Snape for being poor. I mean, there is so much in there going on, that people prefer to overlook and focus on the end product. Snape called lily a mudblood, Snape joined DE, Snape scared Neville and so on.

Nobody suddenly cares for the journey. Calling their characters either saintly, heroic and good. Well, how good are they if JKR sees DE, that she previously stated as a role model fo Nazi, is now trans people in her eyes. And the asexuals are fake oppressed.

Ironically, she hated her chemistry teacher John Nettleship. A feminist, someone that advocated for improved disability access. But I think this link will explain it better than me.

So, you see? Your favourite characters don't mean a lot (talking to you snaters) if the woman who wrote it has a very cheap view on women, feminism, genocide, homosexuality, trans and the LGBTQ community. It doesn't mean much. Really.

Her favorites are obviously based off on her own views that she liked. And look at what she hates. James, Lily, Sirius and Remus were bound to fall any time now. That you prefer YOUR James, Sirius, Lily, Remus or actual DE as your favourites because of fanon. That is not my problem you do you.

Just know, if you talk shit about Snape. He was based off of a good person, meanwhile your crack characters are her dream boat. Her good guys are basically wrong guys and wrong guys are basically good guys based on her view of reality.

[myimaginedcorner]

SCALES OF JUSTICE - PUBLICATION SET FOR JANUARY 2025

Hello my dear readers,

WE DID IT! After a few weeks of wait and talks, I can finally announce that Scales of Justice has been officially accepted for publication, both on Hosted Games and on Steam! The current publication date is set for January 2025; however, if that changes, I will update you with new information.

You can now wishlist the game on Steam! Here's the link -> https://store.steampowered.com/app/3089710/Scales_of_Justice/

I am so, so grateful to everyone who has been here for me during these past 3 years. What began as a shy attempt at dreaming has grown into a marvelous project that taught me so much, brought me so many new experiences and skills, and is going to end with my first publication as an author. I cannot be more grateful and excited. I hope this is only the beginning of an amazing journey.

I am currently finishing my degree and working on preparing for the release; however, I will soon be posting a little more of my thoughts about future projects (including SoJ 2), continuing Torn Page, and being a bit more active around here. Until then, please, spread the word, and let's celebrate this together! ^^

DEMO DESCRIPTION:

Scales of Justice is a fantasy story that takes place in a world afar – a place called Therania. Albeit there was some interaction between Therania and other worlds a long time ago, now it’s solely a tale from their lost past… or, at least, that is the most common belief. Regardless, this story does not focus on extraterrestrial connections: its plot revolves around the people of Therania and their lives, their history and – what’s more important – their ‘determined’ future.

There are plenty of species living together in Therania, yet the human race is currently split in two: the one known as Hero kingdom, which is ruled by ‘heroes’, and the one named Vannais kingdom, controlled by ‘villains’. Both nations hate each other - here, the fight of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ is something that happens on a national level. The game is focused on lore, character development, and the player's choices: perhaps, your MC just wants to live a peaceful life... or maybe they want to save the world.

Or even rule it, if you’re into such things.

THINGS TO DO IN THIS DEMO:

Set off on a new adventure towards Neutral Lands, to meet a mythic creature of all answers - The Visionary.

Play as a woman, man, or non-binary - straight, gay, or asexual.

Gather up to 3 companions to help you in your quest - befriend, romance, or rival them, the choice is yours.

Buy a horse - we know you want one.

Fight, conjure, support, speak or think - choose your way of handling a tricky situation.

Explore the kingdom of Hero up to Menai's shores, in search for someone - or something - to aid you in your journey.

The DEMO version of the book runs up to Chapter 5 and contains 276K words overall.

USEFUL LINKS:

If you want to know a little more about this project and read chapters 1-5, I'll leave the link to the game here -> https://dashingdon.com/play/myimaginedcorner/scales-of-justice/mygame/

If you want to discuss anything on CoG's forum, I'll leave the link for SoJ here -> https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/wip-scales-of-justice-new-project-announcement-and-demo-release/101088/16

If you want to send me a more extensive feedback, here's my email -> feedbackscalesofjustice@gmail.com

RO DESCRIPTIONS:

Shoren/Seile → Heir to the Hero kingdom’s throne, right where your journey starts. Also, your old friend who’s very attached to you. Likes to read and practices magic, enjoys adventure and heroic deeds. A recognised “hero”, with blonde curly hair, pale skin and a pair of sapphire eyes.

Robert/Reina → Order’s Paladin, defender of Hero and Knight of Fate. Brave and honourable, determined to protect the people of the kingdom. Very loyal to friends and very dangerous as an enemy. Has short brown hair, tanned skin and an athletic build.

Valerius/Venis → An Outworlder caught by cultists in the Wicked Woods. Gracious, elegant and charismatic. Has long dark brown hair with a silver streak, olive skin and golden eyes.

Arion/Aria → Leader of Vannais, a recognised “villain” who escaped from Hero and now rules the enemy kingdom. Serious but temperamental. Prefers action over words and so, is always present on battlefields and amidst negotiations, even if in an unofficial manner. Has short blonde hair, pale skin and emerald eyes.