#and you like sarcastic queer teenagers

[betaphannie]

I'm on episode 6 of dead boy detectives and I am having so much fun this show is incredible

[silver-soul00]

You don't like Wenclair? Absolutely OK, that's all very well, but to call it forced is just a big mistake and I will explain why (the artist of the fan art on Percy and Annabeth is Sethkiel, Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram) + Percy Jackson spoilers about his romantic relationship in the books

Enid is in effect an ideal choice as a partner for Wednesday Addams not only because of their obvious character complementarity, but also because of the positive impact a relationship based on their dynamic could have on both personalities.

Various psychological and social studies support the idea that interpersonal relationships based on complementarity and mutual acceptance are more likely to be healthy and long-lasting. Wednesday, with her introverted, cynical and distant character, is balanced by Enid, who stands out for her emotional openness, empathy and desire to connect with others.

This polarity creates a synergy that not only enriches their friendship but could serve as the basis for a meaningful romantic relationship.

One of the key components is the unconditional support Enid offers Wednesday. According to research on the psychology of relationships, emotional support is one of the strongest indicators of relationship satisfaction.

Enid, despite the difficulties Wednesday poses to her, constantly stands by her side, demonstrating a patience and understanding that goes beyond mere friendship.

This type of dynamic is consistent with the findings of Feeney and Collins (2015), who highlight how relationships characterised by a partner who serves as a ‘secure base’ improve resilience and psychological well-being for both parties. For Wednesday, who often shows difficulties in trusting others and expressing her emotions, having a figure like Enid beside her could help her explore deeper aspects of her emotional identity.

Moreover, Enid represents a form of positivity and optimism that counterbalances Wednesday's cynicism. This counterbalance, far from being a hindrance, proves beneficial. Studies conducted by Gable et al. (2006) suggest that relationships in which one partner promotes positive emotions and encourages the other to experience joy and pleasure have a positive impact not only on individual well-being, but also on couple cohesion. Enid's ability to celebrate life's simple moments and accept Wednesday as it is can offer her a safe space in which to lower her defences without feeling judged.

The chance of a queer relationship between Wednesday Addams and Enid Sinclair is not only coherent with the long history of the Addams Family, but also represents a natural evolution of Wednesday's character.

The Addams Family, since its creation, has been a symbol of rebellion against social norms and celebration of difference.

Charles Addams conceived the family as a parody of traditional American families, overturning their conventional values.

While middle-class American families aspired to normality, the Addams family found pride and beauty in their eccentricity. This attitude made the family an icon for anyone who felt marginalized or different, including queer communities. Their gothic aesthetic, black humour and unqualified acceptance of all forms of strangeness made them symbols of inclusivity, even if this theme was rarely made explicit directly.

Wednesday Addams, in particular, embodies this challenge to social projections. From her earliest appearances, she has been portrayed as an intelligent, sarcastic and deeply independent outsider who rejects imposed social norms. In the films of the 1990s, this nature is clearly expressed: Wednesday, despite being young, is perfectly aware of her identity and interests, refusing any attempt to force her to conform.

An emblematic example is her relationship with Joel Glicker in The Addams Family 2.

Joel, an insecure and nerdy boy, becomes an ally and romantic interest, but the relationship is clearly devoid of the traditional dynamics of teenage romance.

Wednesday shows interest, but expresses it in his own way, with humour and detachment. This episode shows that Wednesday is not ‘immune’ to romance, but lives it according to her own rules.

In the Netflix series Wednesday, the dynamic with Enid Sinclair adds an even greater level of complexity. Enid, with her sunny disposition and expansive nature, is the perfect counterbalance to Wednesday's coldness.

Their relationship is built on a foundation of trust, emotional intimacy and mutual support that far surpasses any other connection Wednesday develops in the series, including those with her male romantic interests, Tyler and Xavier. Psychological studies, such as that of Aron et al. (1997) on interpersonal intimacy, show that the strongest relationships are often based on complementary differences. Wednesday and Enid embody this complementarity: the dark and the light, the rational and the emotional, detachment and empathy.

This kind of dynamic is often the basis of the most memorable romantic relationships in fiction, and it would be only natural for their bond to evolve into something more.

The criticism that a queer relationship between Wednesday and Enid would be a ‘stretch’ often masks prejudices about queer inclusivity. Interestingly, audiences unreservedly accept heterosexual romance in contexts that do not always align perfectly with the characters' personalities.

For instance, in the 1990s films, no one criticised the fact that Wednesday, a deeply cynical and aloof girl, had a romantic moment with Joel. Similarly, in the Netflix series, her interactions with Tyler and Xavier are accepted without particular objection, despite the fact that Wednesday shows very little genuine interest in either of them.

This demonstrates a double standard: heterosexual romance is perceived as ‘natural’ and acceptable, while queer romance must be justified or considered as extraordinary.

Queer representation in the media, as studies by GLAAD (2022) show, is crucial in normalising these relationships and offering positive role models for those who identify outside traditional norms. The relationship between Wednesday and Enid would not only be consistent with the characters, but also an important step towards greater inclusivity. Furthermore, the argument that Wednesday ‘is not made for romance’ is easily disproved by her narrative history. She has never been a traditionally romantic character, but that does not mean she cannot develop genuine and deep connections.

Her emotional openness towards Enid in the series is a clear sign of personal growth and openness towards meaningful relationships.

Finally, it is important to point out that many of the most famous romantic relationships in fiction were born out of deep friendships. From Harry Potter (Ron and Hermione) to Friends (Ross and Rachel), the transition from friendship to romance is a widely accepted narrative trope, especially when it involves heterosexual couples. It is hypocritical to consider it a stretch only in the case of queer relationships. In the case of Wednesday and Enid, their emotional intimacy and mutual support lay a solid foundation for a romantic relationship that would not only be consistent with the Addams Family's history, but would also represent a natural evolution of Wednesday's character, keeping her rebellious and non-conformist essence intact.

Let's take a concrete example to show that the basis of the Wenclair ship is valid?

Percy Jackson.

The relationship between Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase is built in a gradual way and represents a story arc that starts with friendship and grows into romance, making it a perfect example to show that it is not ‘forced’ when a close bond turns into love.

The saga of Percy Jackson and the Gods of Olympus offers an excellent example of how a friendship can develop naturally into a romantic relationship. The dynamic between Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase develops gradually, reflecting a relationship-building model that emphasises mutual growth, respect and trust. Initially, Percy and Annabeth meet in the context of Camp Half-Blood, where significant differences in their characters emerge. Annabeth, rational and strategic, tends to see Percy as an unprepared novice, while Percy perceives Annabeth as distant and authoritarian. Nevertheless, their shared adventures lead to a mutual respect that becomes the basis for a solid friendship.

In later books, such as The Sea of Monsters and The Titan's Curse, their relationship deepens through moments of vulnerability and emotional connection. Annabeth shares with Percy her ambitions and fears, such as the dream of building something lasting or the burden of her loyalty to the gods. Percy, for his part, shows a growing sense of protection towards Annabeth, being willing to risk his life to save her on several occasions. These episodes mark a gradual evolution of their relationship, but without ever abandoning the friendly core that sustains it.

The turning point occurs in the fourth book of the saga, The Battle of the Labyrinth, when Percy begins to acknowledge his romantic feelings for Annabeth. However, the transition does not happen abruptly; both characters, being still teenagers, navigate uncertainly between friendship and love, making their relational development realistic and free of narrative forcing. In later books, such as The Final Clash and especially in the Heroes of Olympus series, Percy and Annabeth consolidate their romantic relationship without ever losing the bond of friendship that characterises them. This balance is particularly evident in The House of Hades, where their mutual support, even in extreme situations, underlines the depth of their bond.

The transition between friendship and love in the case of Percy and Annabeth is an example of a well-constructed narrative, reflecting real dynamics also highlighted by psychological studies. According to Kaplan and Keys (1997), many successful romantic relationships develop from pre-existing friendships due to the presence of trust and emotional intimacy as solid foundations. Moreover, this dynamic is widely accepted by the public, as it reflects common human experiences. The story of Percy and Annabeth demonstrates that the transition from friendship to romance can be organic and believable, especially when constructed with attention to the emotional aspects of the characters.

Applying this perspective to the case of Wednesday and Enid, it becomes clear that such a transition would not be ‘forced’, as is often claimed by some critics. The two girls share a relationship that is based on complementarity and mutual growth: Wednesday is cynical and reserved, while Enid is expansive and empathetic, and together they create a balance similar to that between Percy and Annabeth.

To ignore this possibility is to operate a double standard, considering acceptable for heterosexual couples a dynamic that is labelled as unnatural or artificial in the case of a queer couple. The representation of Wednesday and Enid in a romantic relationship would not only be consistent with traditional narrative dynamics, but could also contribute to greater inclusivity and a richer, more nuanced representation of relationships in pop culture.

[cranberryjuice-posts]

I kissed a girl and liked it

Pairings - teenage Abby anderson X lesbian! Fem! reader

An - abby and reader Are 16/17, this is around a year after Jerry’s death and Owen n abby r still together

Tw - reader smokes, making out, cheating (again don’t cheat on your partners)

Synopsis- Abby is a confused young queer girl who doesn’t know if she likes women or not and you being a good friend help her out

Abby was currently hanging out at owens place. He shared an apartment with a few other rookie soldiers but Abby didn’t mind just as long as she got to hangout with him.

At this point it was 2am and Owen was passed out asleep, Abby however was awake. She just silently walked in circles until she heard a nock at the window.

She moved to the sound and opened it where she found you standing. “Hey hot stuff” You teased which made the blonde blush.

“What are You doing here so late” she chuckled and tucked some hair behind her ear. You hardly saw her with her hair down but when you did you made sure to pay attention.

“What are You doing up so late hm?” You asked Back with a teasing grin. “Well I couldnt Sleep” Abby leaned forward on the window.

“Then I couldnt Sleep either” Abby just rolled her eyes at your response. She then noticed you had your backpack on. “What’s with the bag? Are you going out or something?”

You just shook your head. “Nah I’m going to go smoke”

“Smoke? Y/n isn’t it to early for that” she slightly criticized but you just gave her a sarcastic look. “Really? I’m 16 abs I think infected or a scar will kill me before smoking some weed”

“I meant its 2am”

“Oh..”

There was some awkward silence before you just rolled your eyes. “So are you gonna come with me or not”

Abby shook her head “not unfortunately, owens asleep and I’d feel bad leaving him”

“Fuck Owen dude, come hang out with me it’ll be a hundred times better I swear” you spoke with a clear distaste for Owen, abby could never figure out why you hated him so much.

After a few moments abby looked back at her sleeping boyfriend before nodding. “Allright you win” You jumped excited and helped the blonde out of the window and onto the stair case.

Normally Both of you walked down and into the city bellow, it helped that the rookies homes was stationed in an old apartment complex inside the WLF QZ and super close to the stadium so whenever you felt like skipping out you were able to just explore the abandoned city.

This time however you started to go up the fire escape. “Where are you going” Abby yelled after you while pulling her hair back into a braid.

“You’ll see!” You shouted back and continued to climb, Abby of course had no choice but to follow.

Soon you two were up at the roof. You set your bag down and laid out a few blankets some snacks you stole and two rolled joints as-well as your water canister.

Abby took a seat beside you, enjoying the cold breeze the light from the full moon and just the comfortable silence.. the starts were bright and Abby couldn’t help but stare at them wondering if old world had ever gotten to see the stars like this.

You leaned over and pointed to a constellation. “See that constellation there, that’s Hercules and there riiighhhht above it that’s Lyra” looking over you saw Abby’s smile and you gave a content sigh before moving back.

“So.. how’s that book about greek myths you found going?” She asked as you light the blunt. You nodded excitedly and smiled. “Great actually! I can’t believe people were able to think of stories like these”

The two of you continued to talk and pass the blunt around. Abby loved being around you, she would even think more than she liked being around Owen but she would never admit it. She studied how you looked under the moonlight with your cute pj pants sports bra and jacket, the way your hair complimented your face and skin tone and your lips… she looked away embarrassed but you took note.

You softly stopped laughing and put up a face of concern wondering if you had said something wrong “What’s wrong abs?” her cheeks were a soft red. There was some silence and you grew more worried, leaning forward more towards her. “Hey, you can talk to me” you touched her hand with a certain comfort that Abby couldn’t take it anymore

She breathed out gently and leaned on her arm. “Your like into women right”

Confused and taken back you nodded “uh yeah I’m really only into women men just don’t do it for me” Abby took in the information.

“Right.. well I mean I’m with Owen so I wouldn’t know but what’s it like, being with a girl?” She finally looked over at you. You were still confused but decided to humor Her, you moved your hand away and placed it on your thigh. “Uh it’s nice… I mean there’s this certian understanding between both of you that you could never find with a guy, I mean girls are soft gentle you both just want to be loved unconditionally so it’s easier to show that with them… plus it’s funner to kiss them” You threw in the final joke but Abby just nodded.

“Ok..” was all she spoke, Abby looked back to the scenery down bellow.. you gave her a suspicious look before chuckling.

“Abby do you want to kiss a girl?” You teased but Abby shook her head a little to quickly. You laughed and moved to face her better. “It’s ok, your pretty cute so if you really really wanted to someone would”

She just rolled her eyes but eventually made eye contact with you. There was silence.. neither of you made a move but it was clear both wanted to. After a moment both reached forward and kissed each other.

You stood in your knees with your hands in Abby hair. Inhaling she took in your subtle perfume and the cherry chapstick you always wore. Abby grabbed your waist and pulled you into her as you both kissed.

It was different from when she kissed Owen, you followed Abby’s lead and worked with her to make the entire kiss enjoyable. The way your hands ran through her braided hair and caressed her cheek. Abby ran her hands up and down your back with subtle shy touches to your butt which made you laugh in the kiss.

She hated how wrong it was but shit did it feel right. Your soft lips on hers, the way you started to kiss down her jaw and eventually landing on her neck.

Abby gasped once you started to lightly suck on her neck, your new position was laying in-between Abby’s legs with your hands tracing her body. She gently tucked some hair behind your ear while you kissed her and leaned back to give you more room.

——

You two laid on your backs, your head was laying on Abby’s chest and her arm was around you. Neither daring to speak of what you two had just done. Would owen be mad if he found out you two made out yes, yes he would but if he didn’t know then there’s no way he would mind right.. right.

You felt Abby pull you closer and you just chuckled.. sitting up you kissed her cheek before her lips softly. “Common, let’s get you back before your sucky boyfriend wakes up” you joked and started to pack up, mainly you wanted to leave because you knew you loved Abby but there was no way she would love you back.

You dropped Abby back off and helped her into the window.. silently looking at each-other you finally turned and left to go back to your place, Abby gripped the window seal and watched as you walked away, she wished she could regret what you two had done but deep down she knew that was the best kiss she ever had..

The following day at training you avoided Abby not wanting to make things awkward even though you knew that was the last thing to do to not make shit awakard.

Abby sat down exhausted and Owen followed. He tried to lean over and kiss her but she just pulled back putting a hand on his chest and giving a small smile. Owen rolled his eyes playfully and looked down confused.

“Where’d you get that” he touched her neck gently rubbing the hickey you accidently left.. Abby paniced and cleared her throat.

“Oh uh it’s just a bruise, some kid was throwing rocks and it hit me in the throat” Abby lied, Owen however put on a more serious look. “Damn.. just be more careful ok”

“Yeah ok” Abby reassured him. He kissed her cheek but little did he know she was looking behind him and at you.

——

A week later Abby broke up with Owen.

Abby - *kisses y/n*

Abby -I’m a homosexual.. IM A HOMOSEXUAL😢

—

[tayfabe75]

Did Taylor and Matty meet on Myspace? (And other early coincidences!)

Early on in their careers, Taylor and Matty both utilized Myspace as a way to promote their music. Taylor, specifically, would message with other teenagers on Myspace:

"I'd post my songs on my MySpace and, yes, MySpace, and would message with other teenagers like me who loved country music, but just didn't have anyone singing from their perspective."

Matty, too, described himself as "King of Myspace" when he was fifteen. But he brought it up more recently on the Ion Pack Podcast, even mentioning his age as seventeen at the time. And here's a retro clip of Taylor talking about how she wasn't some corporate entity on Myspace, if you messaged her account, you were talking to her! She also filled out her profile in her own words.

She has some things in her profile that might've caught Matty's eye, a fellow teenage country fan and fan of American music specifically, that might've emboldened him to message her:

"I love people who like my music. I love people who are nice to me. I like people who are excitable. I think it's endearing when people cry when they're happy. I'm pretty excitable too. Guys don't ask me out because they know I'll write songs about them. But I'm also the girl who still believes prince charming exists somewhere out there -- fully equipped with great hair and an immature sense of humor. I'm fascinated by black and white pictures. I like people who can be sarcastic and laugh about tense situations. I'm a fan of fans."

Say whatever you will about Matty, but that man is a genuine fan of Taylor's music. When he became a fan is open for discussion, but let's just pretend, for fun, that he found her via Myspace early on in her career.

Now, here is the old Myspace page for The 1975 back when they were known as 'Drive Like I Do' in 2008. Note the James Taylor in the list of Influences! (as well as the Jamie Squire in the top 8! How sweet, I'm sobbing!)

Taylor was a bit of a firecracker on Myspace (and not just there, there's a whole conspiracy theory she used to troll 4Chan!). A few of her comments were screenshotted and you can find them around the internet. Here are some. The one from October 31st, 2005 about a queer fellow ("I'm sorry that I'm kinda queer, it's not as weird as it appears") with a Sex van ("take your shoes off in the back of my van") really caught my eye, anyway…

"Listen my queer fellow. I thinketh we shall hangeth out sometime soon, eh? yes, I do believe I am growing fond of this idea. drive over in your sex van and come pick me up, farewell knave."

Notice the spelling here, too. Thinketh? Hangeth? Knave? Feels a little bit Shakespearean, at least for say, a fifteen-going-on-sixteen-year-old girl (as we would later discover, Love Story and Robbers were both inspired by Romeo and Juliet, both written around the same time so far as I know, but it's hard to find exact dates!)

Matty, by the way, used to refer to himself as the "Prince of the Tyne". He's also got some old Drive Like I Do lyrics from 'We Are the Streetfighters' that are suspicious to me: "Well in four thousand miles we'll meet you" (The nearest airport to Macclesfield is in Manchester, and the distance between Manchester and Nashville? Roughly 4000 miles)

Two months later on December 21st, 2005, just after turning 16, Taylor says she's in England.

Did they meet? Who knows! But there's enough weirdness there to make me wonder. Speaking of weirdness… we're going to go on a side tangent about Fearless, but that's part of the puzzle, so bear with me…

I don't know about anyone else, but when I saw Matty's Fearless Love Gaze™, I was rocked to my core! Men do not look at women like that, but especially not brand-new flings. They're too concerned with trying to look cool and unaffected. For most men (stereotypically), romance and love are "dumb" and "stupid" and perceived as a "woman thing" that men can't be bothered with. But not Matty. Matty was utterly transfixed by her. Something about that touch of mischief in the lip bite when she says the bit about "absentmindedly making me want you", the way he just barely mouths along to the words at the end of the clip, well… sirens started going off for me. So, I followed my intuition and started researching all of this.

Now, Taylor wrote the song 'Fearless' sometime in 2006. The hidden message liner note for Fearless? "I loved you before I met you". Taylor describes 'Fearless' as a song she wrote about a perfect first date she hadn't had yet, about something she didn't have but dreamt of. She debuted it for the first time on April 6th, 2007 in Reading, PA (if you don't already know it, that's two days before Matty's 18th birthday). At this show, she debuted 'Sparks Fly' (yes, in 2007! Original lyrics were brown eyes rather than green eyes, by the way) and 'Tied Together With A Smile'. She also played a cover of John Waite's song 'Missing You' which seems to be about a long-distance relationship: "And it's my heart that's breakin' down this long distance line tonight"

Speaking of Matty's birthday, the release of Fearless TV happened to coincide with Matty's birthday! She dropped a sneak peek of Fearless on his birthday in 2021, and the album would release one day later on the ninth (perhaps because albums release on Fridays and that's as close as she could get?)

Taylor describes the Fearless album as her diary from when she was seventeen (misplaced my source on that quote, d'oh!) That said, 'Love Story' interests me as well. There are some interesting facts about Love Story:

Hidden message: Someday, I'll find this. Taylor wrote this song in a very short amount of time after her parents had told her that she couldn't be with the person she wanted to be with. And in her own words:

"'Love Story' is actually about a guy that I almost dated. But when I introduced him to my family and my friends, they all said they didn't like him. All of them! For the first time, I could relate to that Romeo-and-Juliet situation where the only people who wanted them to be together were them. That's the most romantic song I've written, and it's not even about a person I really dated."

Taylor's UK television debut (like first time ever performing on TV in the UK) was on Loose Women (Matty's mother's show). Now, Denise was not there during this period as a host, but she had been before that and would be afterward, so maybe there's some significance? Maybe not. But if Taylor and Matty knew each other, he would definitely get to be in the audience to see her if he wanted to. The song she chose to perform was 'Love Story'.

Now, 'Robbers' is also based on Romeo and Juliet (and also written circa 2007), and Matty describes that here in a fan video from 2015. We'd see Romeo and Juliet imagery pop up again in 2014, both in Taylor's video for Blank Space (where she's on a balcony looking down at her lover) and in November where she stood up on a balcony at Matty's show as he serenaded her with Fallingforyou (visual comparisons here)

Blank Space, too, might reference Fallingforyou. There's a scene where she rides bikes with her lover inside her enormous house, perhaps reminiscent of Matty's lyric: "All we need's my bike and your enormous house":

Matty even dresses a bit like the lover from 'Love Story' music video at the 2017 BRITs:

When you fall down the Myspace rabbit hole, you start noticing other strange similarities in their lyrics - like Matty referring to a "girl on the screen" in 'If You're Too Shy', which perhaps parallels Taylor's "guy on the screen" in 'Karma'. In 'The 1' (another song that lyrically parallels 'Robbers'), Taylor imagines "the 1 that got away" meeting a woman on the internet and taking her home, which might be another reference to Matty, perhaps lyrically paralleling The 1975's 'Playing On My Mind'. This theory, of course, makes the entire album 'A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships' suspect, especially given that 'Be My Mistake' is a song Matty wrote "about Nashville", the striking similarities between 'Sincerity is Scary' and 'Me!', a song called 'Mine' that references the year 2009, and the inclusion of a Drive Like I Do track Matty wrote when he was just fifteen years old, '102' (the same age he was when he was "King of Myspace"). Considering 'Love Story' was written for someone who Taylor's parents disapproved of, it makes this lyric all the more striking:

"I hope this song will remind you I'm not half as bad as what you've been told."

Lastly, if Matty is the confirmed 'Cardigan' muse and if 'Willow' is the continuation of 'Cardigan' (based on where the music video begins), the scene where she gazes into the water at her lover could perhaps represent a visual metaphor for looking through a screen, no?

Back to the NYU commencement speech! I recommend listening to the FULL clip. She talks about: feeling lonely, chatting with other teenage country fans on Myspace, and then segues into her motivation behind protecting her private life:

"Having the world treat my love life like a spectator sport in which I lose every single game was not a great way to date in my teens and twenties, but it taught me to protect my private life fiercely."

All of this seems correlated to me (also why it's hard for me to reconcile this whole football charade! But for me, it's easier to believe Taylor here about privacy being important to her, and not assume that some boyfriend kept her locked away in a dungeon against her will or something)

Now, to tie this all into a very nice bow, here's a quote where Taylor talks about how she uses easter eggs:

"Easter eggs can be left on clothing or jewelry. This is one of my favorite ways to do this, because you wear something that foreshadows something else, and people don't usually find out this one immediately, but they know you're probably sending a message. They'll figure it out in time."

What shirt was she wearing during her pap walk with Matty? Think of the "He lets her Bejeweled" meme… She had on an NYU sweatshirt.

Now, could be just a giant coincidence, trust me, I know, I get it. However… maybe she's really hinting about an old Myspace pal that she has protected fiercely. I mean, she did seem to use that speech to easter egg/foreshadow YOYOK & Labyrinth lyrics…

Speaking of 'Bejeweled'… On July 15th, 2023 Taylor flubbed the lyrics: "Sapphire tears on Myspace", and then she giggled. Freudian slip, perhaps? But this is the woman who assures us that "nothing is accidental"... and in a song that mentions a "Top 5", no less! (reminiscent of a Top 8, perhaps?)

Maybe James and Betty were involved in a "teenage love triangle" for a reason, and maybe TTPD references "teenage petulance" for that same reason… or maybe it's nothing but a bunch of eerie coincidences! Who knows! In the meantime, I'll keep on clownin'! 🤡

[everywherenothere]

okay, so a couple of days ago i saw on the clock app this video of a jock and a obviously queer man living together and my brain went STEVE AND EDDIE OMG I NEED A FIC OF THIS and i know there is somewhere in the internet but i need to put into words so here it goes:

Robin loves Steve. And Steve loves Robin. They have been attatched to the hip since the mysterious accident that have burned the gigantic new mall and, subsocuently, the ice cream shop where they used to work. They have been living together since before Robin went to a college out of the little town they used to live (we all know Steve's parents were shit and probably being a teenager living alone, Robin's parents practically adopted him) and Steve without anything holding him back followed her.

Now, a couple years later, partners and one-night-stands came and went from their apartment because you cannot convince me those two dont have some kind of rizz. Steve with his bitchy attitude and jock alike body and Robin with her nerdy and charismatic energy have definetly bagged some people. One of them being the now-and-Robin-hope-for-a-very-long-time Robin's new girlfriend who the last two months has been living with them. And for sometime it was good, great even, but feeling like a third wheel most of the time Steve decided to move.

Apartment hunting was hard. Most places were way out of his budget or too small for a human to actually live comfortable and host dinners like he used to do when the now-not-so-kids visited him on the summer. So, he decided to search for a roomate. It was a little bit easier but to find someone who wasnt crazy and actually just mind their bussiness was a full job.

That's how he met Eddie. A nerdy metalhead who can and will up his bitchy attitude with a flirtatious response. And Steve absolutely loves it. At the beggining he tries so hard to convince himself that is just because he reminds him of Robin. That is just because both of them are a little bit smaller than him and nerdy. That is just because of the manerisms and the way they dont even flinch at his sarcastic and mean-girl-type of comments. That is just because both of them talked with passion about what they had been invested in the last couple of days.

But then is also the way Eddie always dress to impress and has a varierity of responses (and even actions) when people call him slurs without even letting those comments affect him.

And the way his eyes glows and do a little dance when he finally got one bridge right on a really difficult song that has been practicing the last couple of weeks.

And the way that he isnt a morning person but still wakes up earlier than Steve to make breakfast because he has learn that Steve bearly takes care of himself without a pressure of someone being dissapointed of him.

And the way both (Steve and Eddie) are on the couch on a Saturday evening watching nothing on the TV when Eddie starts talking his thoughts out. And of course, Steve being Steve cant help but tease him about something he said wrong and then it started: a back and forth of teasing and getting close as trying to prove a point. And when both are a hand away of breathing the same air, Steve realized. And Eddie purposly looked at Steve lips and get just a molecule closer just to see how Steve gets all red and backs down, of course Eddie laughs teasingly and walks to his room for a dictionary, leaving Steve all confused about wtf has happened. But Eddie's laugh continues to live on his ears and oh the way Eddie laughs.

Steve is pretty sure he is fucked up when he realized that he would do anything to make him laugh. And then Steve is also pretty sure that the friendship he has with Robin is one thing and the thing he has (or hope he has) with Eddie is another.

But that is one thought for another time, one existential crisis at the time, please.

[spitblaze]

Tumblr fucking sucks ass and I'm not joking. I think I might hate this place actually. I hate the shitty circular queer discourse that ALWAYS assumes malice or disgust and nobody is given the benefit of the doubt and if they do are also presumed guilty, I hate that every single statement needs to be couched in qualifiers and conditions and speaking on One Topic about One Group is not fucking allowed, I hate that this website has built a transphobic surveillance culture around itself, I hate that people will see ONE POST that sucks and spend the next several months publicly ruminating over it and extending the discourse long after it's run its course and assuming the worst about everyone involved, I hate that seven out of ten posts about feminism are made by the terfs who run rampant on this site and have nothing better to do than spew vitriol and hate because they don't care to develop the emotional maturity to see anything from a point of view other than their own, I hate that the moment a transgender person dares to have sexual wants and desires outside of the vanilla ideal you’re a freak and a deviant and a pedophile somehow, I hate that for SO LONG we let depressed anti-recovery teenagers dominate the attitude regarding mental health and self-improvement here and it has had lasting effects TO THIS DAY, I hate that as the internet has gotten meaner and crueller and less accommodating that the place that loves to pat itself on the back for its openness and tolerance has 100000% followed suit, I hate that every single fucking topic is dominated by overconfident white shutins who do not talk to other people irl let alone queer ones, I hate how every interesting and important topic of social justice is co-opted and bastardized into an unrecognizable cudgel that only further enforces the status quo rather than challenging it as they're meant to, I hate how often the gender binary is re-invented and deviations from it are punished, I hate that we love to say shit like 'be cringe be free uwu' but the second a member of the cringe queers du jour makes something twee or says something stupid everyone jumps on the dogpile to talk about how that entire group should be prevented from speaking or making art or associating with REAL queers, I hate that making points about double standards and discrimination always involves using people we should be in solidarity with as a gotcha if not throwing them directly under the bus, I hate that for all the talk about engagement with fandom we have nobody ever decides to actually examine their engagement thereof and how so much of it is still a cesspool to this day, I hate how everyone makes such huge generalizations and expects everyone to agree (guilty but I'm pissed), I hate how people take fucking everything personally (including myself), I hate that people are going to read this and get mad at me because everyone here has worse reading comprehension than the average fifth grader, I hate that people cannot self-express without other people getting indignant because they didn't see themselves in it, I hate that the only other regularly inhabited parts of the internet anymore are fifty times worse about ALL of this, I hate how much of a fucking nightmare for my mental health this has become, I hate that people are probably gonna give me sarcastic or smug 'yeah you should probably just log off king's in the comments or to me personally, I hate how much of this I personally am guilty of, and I especially hate that I'm still fucking here.

[theartisticcrow]

I don't make my own posts often, but I feel like I need to write this down for myself. I don't know what to say my gender is. I, for the past few years, have found myself comfortable going by any pronouns because my gender doesn't really concern me much and it feels nice when people sometimes refer to me as they or he. I'm generally just quite chill with how people refer to me.

But something I also realised about myself while learning more about the different sexualities and idk, queerness in general, is that growing up as a child, it felt strange to refer to myself as a girl and sometimes I thought I felt more boy-ish. It wasn't something that I felt all the time though, but I did feel that way a fair bit. Never mentioned it to anyone cause I thought that it was normal, but I realise now it wasn't quite what I thought.

And now, some days I'll be getting undressed to have a shower and I'll look at myself in the mirror and see myself and feel comfortable and confident about the way my body looks, but then some days it feels wrong; I can't stand looking at the shape of my body for too long. Some days I feel like embracing the way I look, no problem wearing some feminine things, because I look good in that fashion, but sometimes I have this need to put on my tightest sports bra and wear clothing more masculine (though just as stylish). Sometimes I'd like to wear a bit of dark makeup, sometimes I'd rather rub dirt on my face; Sometimes I wear my hair messy going just past my shoulders, sometimes I tie it back to make it look shorter; Sometimes I wear slightly tighter fitting clothes that outline my body and make me feel a bit sexy, sometimes I wear long jackets that hide my hips and sometimes it's a mix of all these things.

And I'm really beginning to wonder just what am I? Who am I? Does it really matter? Do I have to put a label to it? I don't know, but these past few months I've really wondered about it. "Maybe I'm trans?" "Am I agender? Or perhaps nonbinary?" "I might be genderfluid..." I know I don't have to put any label to it, I know it wouldn't change much, I know I'm only a teenager and I still have PLENTY of time to figure it out... But I do still wonder.

Maybe I am genderfluid. That's what I'm thinking right now. It seems to fit. Is there any point to this post? Not really, but sometimes writing out my thoughts helps to figure stuff out, and who the hell knows. Maybe some other person will find this helpful. It's a tricky thing sometimes, figuring out how to define yourself, but I know who I am regardless of any labels. I'm wicked, sharp, stylish and sarcastic and nobody, not a single person, can tell me who I am other than myself.

For anyone else struggling with similar problems in figuring out their identity, just know that whoever you are, you are loved an appreciated. Never stop being yourself.

[silly-little-gooses]

what are some other straight ships like averyjameson which do not totally suck pls i need to read some non-toxic book tropes

ofc! and I completely understand your other message abt not being homophobic, that’s not how I interpreted the original message anyway. you’re all good, I understand :)

here’s some straight couples in books that I simply ADORE, some are like averyjameson, others not so much but I still love them

kaz and inej (six of crows) they’re not very averyjameson but if you’re looking for the “I have childhood trauma and I’m scared to love you but also ilysm” kinda trope, this is IT

nina and matthias (six of crows) again, they’re not super averyjameson, but they’re a wonderful enemies to lovers pairing. it’s forced proximity and grumpy x sunshine if you’re into that too!

scarlett and julian (caraval) I haven’t read this book in a while, but I remember I loved it! these two are somewhat averyjameson. scarlett is facing an arranged marriage with a man she’s never met so she goes to caraval, an epic dangerous game for the elite where you have to solve riddles to win, with julian, a sailor who took her there. the fake dating trope is used with them during their time at caraval, where they pretend to be engaged.

jude and cardan (the cruel prince) if you like averyjameson, you will love them. another fantasy enemies to lovers!!! they love each other, but REALLY don’t like it, often comparing hate to love as the same thing.

ravi and pip (a good girls guide to murder) I haven’t actually read this book (YET) but I know that this couple is totally adorable. ya murder mystery book abt a teenage girl trying to solve a local murder case. I can’t provide any tropes for this bc I haven’t read it, but there are many other people in here who probably can!

percy and annabeth (pjo) a classic! I love them sooooo much! in my opinion, avery and jameson are just grown up percabeth. at first, they don’t really get along. they grow to become good friends and are completely oblivious to each others feelings for the other. they eventually become lovers! percy is very sarcastic and silly, yet also very clever when the time calls for it (similar to jameson or xander). annabeth is a badass smart girl who knows everything about mythology, battle, etc. (very much avery-like)

if you guys want a version of this but with queer couples, I’d be happy to do it!

if you want to learn more about these couples and more, I recommend tvtropes.org, which provides tropes for movies, tv shows, books, and more! it also blurs out spoilers and by clicking on them, you can see the spoiler! would totally recommend. bye my loves! <3

[flameswallower]

Briar's Favorite First Time Reads of 2023!

I read sixty or so books (start to finish) for the first time this year, which is pretty average for me. I liked most of them pretty well, since if I dislike a book I usually won't finish it. But there were some stand outs, which I'm going to list here.

First up: NOVELS!

Pseudotooth, by Verity Holloway (2017) is the first portal fantasy coming of age novel I've read in a long, long time that I found genuinely charming. It has a very dark Gothic edge to it, with shades of Gormenghast and Edward Gorey making for a uniquely unsettling and bleak fantasy world. The novel also deals frankly and seriously with themes of ableism, eugenics, medical abuse, xenophobia, socio-economic class, rape/sexual abuse, and the psychic fallout of rape/sexual abuse. But it's got a lot of whimsical absurdist humor to it, too, and a deep humanist compassion for its characters. The three young adults at the center of the story are all quite likeable, and though they are involved in a kind of love triangle, I found the particulars of it refreshingly queer, strange, and not the primary focus of the story.

The Marigold, by Andrew F. Sullivan (2023) is a pitch-dark, stone cold bummer that is also frequently hilarious and emotionally moving in tender ways that took me by surprise. In this dystopian satire, a bunch of down-and-out relatable characters and one horrible rich guy struggle to survive as near-future Toronto is engulfed by "the Wet"-- a sapient mold-based hive mind accidentally created by the depravity and greed of big business. The residents of the titular condominium/apartment complex feature in short vignettes that demonstrate the despair and alienation people suffer under late stage capitalism, and the way the Wet calls to these people, lures them in, hunts them.

The Open Curtain, by Brian Evenson (2006) is a harrowing nightmare about madness, violence, possession, Mormonism, and the destabilization of one's known reality (well, see also "madness"). It's a type of story that could easily feel shlocky and exploitative of people with certain mental disorders, or just predictable (there are some plot twists you'll guess very quickly if you've ever like...read books or seen movies before...), but Evenson's unornamented yet masterful prose, his meticulous attention to detail, and his non-condescending empathy for both victims of violence and people struggling with delusions, violent impulses, etc. make it rise above those potential problems. At least in my opinion! This one's very disturbing, will definitely leave you feeling like shit.

Hummingbird Salamander, by Jeff VanderMeer (2021) is very emotionally moving and a suspenseful, well-plotted eco-noir page turner! Also a bummer, but leaves one feeling awe and hope and determination as well as mourning the devastating loss of life that climate change has wrought. The protagonist is great, a truly unusual and unlikely detective. I loved her voice-- like any good noir hero, she can throw off a legitimately funny sarcastic quip with the best of them, but she's also prone to astute social observations and flights of breathtaking lyricism.

How to Get Over the End Of the World, by Hal Schrieve (2023) is a TRAGICALLY under-promoted and underrated punk rock magical realist YA masterpiece about trans high schoolers, and their dysfunctional adult mentors, putting on a rock opera to save their community center. This one, unlike most of what I read, is NOT EVEN KIND OF A BUMMER. It's delightful and hilarious from start to finish, though it's definitely not saccharine-sweet or afraid of conflict. In fact, it deals quite bluntly and refreshingly with topics ranging from the relationship one character has with his violent, abusive father, to sexual relationships between teenagers, to the ever-looming awareness of climate change. Every major character is trans! Every single one!! This is kind of a spoiler, but, like, not really lol

Sudden Glory, by Hal Johnson (2023) just goes to show that guys named Hal can really write comic novels. This book has perhaps the highest joke-to-paragraph ratio of anything I’ve ever read, and also probably the most varied types of joke: a person whose sense of humor runs to preposterous situation comedy, slapstick, and lowbrow sexual humor will find a lot to like here, and so will someone whose sense of humor runs to moderately esoteric literary/historical references, social satire, five-layer wordplay, and Wildean bon mots. Since it’s set in the New York City of 2003, there’s even room for a few 9/11 jokes, which could not have appeared without controversy in a book actually published in 2003. This slightly "politically incorrect" edge comes off as good-natured and in keeping with Johnson's commitment to absurdism-- there's never a "laughing at" vibe, more one of "laughing with" human folly, futility, pretensions, etc. At base, this is a story about a person who feels he can't tell the truth or be himself for fear of social rejection, and all the trouble that gets him into.

Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke (2020) is fucking gorgeous, probably one of my favorite books of all time now, this hole was made for me, etc. I can't reasonably expect that most others will have as intense a response to it as I did-- I felt it perfectly conveyed some very important and difficult to articulate things about, like, my personal experience of consciousness, and my experience as a person with certain types of neurological/cognitive/developmental disability navigating the world, through a kind of fabulist prism. But it got great reviews, so, you know, give it a shot! I think it's better not to know anything about it going in, but let me just say, if you're into weird, massive labyrinthine buildings, this hole might also have been made for you.

Devil House, by John Darnielle (2022) is exactly the novel you'd expect "the Mountain Goats guy" to write, in all the best possible ways. It's a story that elevates the inner lives of neurodivergent outsider teens to the mythic heights they deserve. It's a story that brutally critiques the true crime industry. It's a story about the problems of defining people exclusively by their victimhood, or exclusively by the worst thing they ever did. It's a story about the importance of having a little space to oneself, a shelter from the demands and threats of an often cruel world, and the lengths to which a person will go to defend such a shelter if it's broached. Also, there's a long, nauseating section about how it's actually really difficult and gross to chop up a human corpse for disposal.

[hamliet]

Hello, Hamliet.... is it true that the Bible said homosexuals should be punish in new testament? If I'm not wrong remembered (yes, I'm from christian household) is it not that king david have 'special feelings' for jonathan?

My mother has really strong belief in religion (christianity) and she is an anti-LGBTQ+. But do you believe that her brother (my uncle) who is definitely a queer (wear make up, dresses really feminely, and sometimes called himself as she, never married until he's in sixties), my mother said he is normal ?????

That's why I want to know more about LGBTQ+ (eventhough in my country it is still a taboo topic).

Do you think it's weird Hamliet, if I prefer to read mlm & wlw instead of het romance? I just felt fed up with reading or watching het romance (wlm)....

Thanks to you Hamliet, I know more about myself, eventhough there are still a bit if feeling guilty every time I read or watch LGBTQ+ contents....

No, it doesn't say it should be punished in the New Testament.

It does get mentioned once, arguably three times, but really for certain once, and that context has nothing to do with punishment.

I'm going to give a very bare bones explanation of my understanding of it below! There are also lots of theology papers on it and I'm like, skimming the surface here.

The arguable ones lists a word that is often translated as "homosexuality" in a list of sins that "won't inherit the kingdom of God." However, the two words that get translated as such need more looking at.

One is always translated literally as "softness," but is always used in reference to prostitution. Most likely (given the letters it appears to and the communities they were a part of and the prevalence of temple prostitution there) temple prostitution (which should not be thought of as largely consensual in this context, either). There are also some fair arguments based on the words used and the known history of these cities that it's referring to ritual p*do abuse of children.

The other of the Greek words that gets translated as such is extremely unusual. So unusual that it's never seen elsewhere.

Yeah. It's a made-up word.

Now, the word arsenokoitēs certainly had meaning to the specific community to which the letter it appears in is addressed, but it's not like a word that can be translated with 100% certainty. What we do know for certain is that parts of the word are taken from words that refer to "men" and "bed/sex." So I see why people translate it that way. The thing is, though, it occurs in two lists, and these lists consist of issues concerning idolatry and slave dealers. Hence, the context strongly indicates that it's condemning some form of exploitation involving men who have sex with males.

The larger historical/cultural context also indicates this. If you read ancient Greek texts, like, say, Plato's Symposium, you'll get a very distinct view of exactly which same-sex relationships were normalized in those days, and you'll also be somewhat horrified. Basically the idea was that mentors (adult men) would mentor teenager boys, and the teen boys would be receptive to the adult man having sex with them. Does it sound creepy and exploitative? Because it is!

Yes, even for the time period. It isn't unique. Julius Caesar--yes, THE Julius Caesar--had to deal with rumors that he was one of those boys to an older mentee (Nicomedes). Because clearly, being on the receiving end of male-male sex means that you're actually a woman, which as everyone knows is the WORST thing you could possibly be (sarcastic). Anyways, this type of exploitative bs was extremely common, and even back in those days, it was known to be somewhat, y'know, f*cked up.

The other time it's talked about in the NT is in Romans 1, during which the main theme of the passage is that giving yourself over to lust is a bad thing. Paul cites women having sex with women and men with men as examples of overabundance of lust. I think most Christians, even sex-positive ones like myself, would agree that being consumed with lust (or with anything) to where it controls you and you start losing control of your life is unhealthy.

Now, that said, you can make an argument that Paul's view seems to be that homosexual tendencies stem from over abundance. But we know that's not true nowadays. And that gets into how you read the Bible as a whole.

I love the Bible. I see it as God's word to humanity, divinely inspired. I also think that to truly see it as God's word, you have to acknowledge what it is.

It's literature.

That doesn't mean it's fiction or whatever. It just means that God chose literature as a means to communicate with human beings, and that means that God knew that the whole point of literature is that people wrestle with the concepts and debate the themes. It enhances my respect of Scripture and my love of God to do precisely this, to dig into the text and its historical context and discover the timeless themes. To call it "inerrant" where every word can be taken out of context and seen as a command does a disservice to the writers God used to craft poetry, histories, stories, measurements, and letters to friends. To view the Bible as God when the Bible itself says that Jesus is the Word of God personified misses the forest for the trees, the spirit of the law for the letter.

The other really cool thing that genuinely excites me about Christianity is that God works with human beings. Individuals, yes, but also communities. He works within cultures, too. Despite modern evangelicals claiming "No Compromise!" Scripture is FULL of God compromising with humans, bargaining with them, accepting that they are flawed and working with us. He worked within human limits so much he became one to save us from death; it's kinda the premise!

So, God working to deliver his very message to us through human writers of literature is kind of amazing to me, awe-inspiring. But that also means human beings are limited by what we know and our own time periods, our own cultures. And, that's okay. Yes, keep working to do better, but it means that we can have grace for ourselves and one another. Even now, when we know a lot more about the world as a whole, we are still very limited by our own experiences, cultures, and time period. There's this attitude that modernity has reached the stage of ultimate enlightenment and boy have we not.

Hence, yeah, Paul's writing in Romans 1 especially might be kinda homophobic by today's standards. The ultimate premise--don't let yourself be under anything else's control--is a good one, but him using homosexuality as an example as if potentially all of it emerges from lust is not exactly woke, but also not necessarily abnormal for his time period and his culture. He's a flawed human being, after all, but God himself still worked with him to do some pretty great stuff, and to write some pretty cool letters that still have beautiful resonance today (the love passage in Corinthians? That's him!)

(Also, funnily enough, people--even the strictest evangelicals--actually do accept this about Paul and culture when he's writing about slavery. Because Paul doesn't endorse slavery and instructs masters to be kind to their slaves and treat them well, but he doesn't outright say "you're sinning by owning slaves" whereas today we'd definitely think that. Funny how that doesn't apply to gay people though.)

Lastly, your mom sounds like my mom. She claims she thinks it's a sin because she believes the Bible says so, but she genuinely is happy for friends who are gay and happily married and wishes them well. It's like she feels she has to believe it, not that she actually does in her core. And of course that's not an excuse, and I would never tell a gay person they should not be upset with her. Even within our modern cultures, it can be hard to unlearn things too especially if you grew up in such environments.

But reading mlm or wlw stories is actually a great tool for helping people empathize with others. Fiction absolutely helped me leave the cult I was raised in. I don't think it's inherently weird at all; curiosity exists, empathy exists, good stories exist, and also there's something to be said about people who exist in cultures that are very non-accepting seeing themselves in stories where a relationship that might often be condemned is accepted. Even if the person is straight and cis, they might have parts of themselves they see as something society would hate, and so they see themselves in the characters.

Oh actually, the real last lastly. Jonathan and David. Er... yeah. I mean, yes, people do have extremely close, extremely intimate, brotherly platonic friendships, even between men. But their relationship is certainly up for interpretation considering they literally refer to each other as having love for them that is "better than that of women." The words and phrasing used mirror those used in like, the Iliad to describe Achilles and Patroclus, and Gilgamesh between Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

David also married Jonathan's sister and didn't treat her very well, but did go out of his way to protect Jonathan's own children. Also, there are several other passages where the ancient Hebrew used could contain sexual nuances, although it doesn't necessarily have to. You can't definitively state either way what it is--the writers clearly wrote in plausible deniability. Still, there's enough to raise eyebrows even within that old ancient context that, whether or not it was ever physical, Jonathan and David were not platonic.

(Personally? David invented the Disaster Bisexual archetype.)

[gloriousmonsters]

@whittertwitter the key to happy relationships is to find two people roughly as morally bankrupt and mentally ill as you (and, most importantly, as hot as you) and enable/check each other's issues to the extent where you all function remarkably well, considering how all your other relationships went! Agreed on the rough timeline thing, her dying in the 00s sounds right for sure (assuming that the show starts around where the pilot was released, that gives her a bit of time in Hell but still makes her obnoxiously new on the scene compared to other Overlords).

That said, a summation of Vox and Val's daddy issues (cw for abuse, suicide mentioned)

Vox:

I still need to flesh out details/timeline of Vox's childhood, but I know that his dad was distant to the point of seeming to forget about his existence, sarcastic and emotionally cruel--primarily to Vox's mother, but the kid would occasionally come in for some--when he did remember he lived with other people, and was overall just an. intensely negative person, like sucks-all-the-energy-out-of-a-room vibes. (vox's mom was also emotionally neglectful and uncaring, but not ''''abusive-abusive''', if you get my point). He then proceeded to have an 'accident while cleaning a gun' when Vox was a young teenager, which Vox overheard his mother talking about the truth of--that it was suicide--with a friend. probably with a side helping of 'i can't believe he would be so weak/do something that shameful'.

I think his mother probably remarried very quickly, and Vox developed some auxiliary issues around not being able to become Man of the House when he was like, fourteen (although he would have hated it, he and his mom just did not like each other lol). But his relationship with the new guy was more just teeth-gritted tolerance, helping Vox build up his fake-ass geniality--his dad left him with some of the deep shit. Always be on guard, always control what you can. Power is cruel--and it might make people hate you, so hide it behind a smile, but even so it's better to be hated than weak. Being ignored is starvation, being judged and found wanting is a gut wound.

this mainly manifests in the intense desire to be needed and appreciated and affirmed in image whilst having behavioral patterns that mean only people who don't know you will like you

also there's just like, the bigotry and sexism he soaked up, but that's on his surrounding environment as much as his dad

Valentino (his mom is also heavily involved in Issues, so this is partly about her)

extremely physically and verbally abusive father, solely focused on his mother when Val was very young, but turning to include Val the moment he got old enough you could look at him and go 'something vaguely queer about this kid' + he could be judged as not being sufficiently cowed and respectful, which only got worse over time bc Val could not avoid making him angry and so usually gave up on even trying

his mother only managed to get away when Val was around 13, partly spurred to desperation by his father injuring him badly enough she was terrified Val might actually get killed if she stayed any longer (said event caused a concussion that left Val with vision/memory problems and headaches his entire life)

due to things getting that bad and the health issues that were clearly left over from it, his mom was intensely guilty for not being able to protect him/get out sooner, and compensated by investing herself completely in him; babying him physically and emotionally, never setting proper boundaries, taking his side in literally everything, etc etc. this lasted until she finally hit a limit and tried to point out he had anger issues (Kind Of Like Someone We Knew) when he was in his mid-20s

output: mother is cruel? mother is unyielding? i must leave for California i can no longer thrive in this environment

but seriously, anger issues + downplaying of said issues because he's not like his dad, he gets angry for legitimate reasons, and he can be so nice! all he wants is unconditional love, loyalty and commitment that doesn't waver or END like SOME PEOPLE who are apparently just waiting to ABANDON YOU

[sunshinemarauders]

Why do people babygirl-ify Death Eaters?

Hi everyone! I'm back with more of my research!

After returning to the marauders fandom to study it, I was particularly interested in why fans were drawn to characters that were canonically death eaters. I understood the obsession with Regulus Black and Draco Malfoy- they were canonically children and they canonically defied the Death Eaters, but I was curious about Evan Rosier and Barty Crouch Jr. To my (pretty extensive) knowledge, all we know about them is that they're Death Eaters, they're Wizard Nazis. So why did I, in doing my research, keep finding people saying these two characters were their "babygirls"? It concerned both me and my professor, who thought it indicated a bigger problem within fandom as a whole. The ability to think that making a character queer erases them of their ties to the Death Eaters is, in my opinion, dangerous. How will this be played out in the real world? Will we see actual Nazis, or actual terrorists, or actual war criminals be called babygirls?

This is a short summary of why people said they think people "babygirl-ify" Rosekiller (Evan Rosier and Barty Crouch Jr.) from my research. As always, if you have any questions or if you want to chat about any of this, reach out to me! My asks are open

Because its fun

I truly think it has less to do with their evilness, and more to do with what we have in canon. We know characters Draco Malfoy, we know what they're like, what they've done. Then, we see something 'uncharacteristic' and it stands out, like a literary uncanny valley. It stands out, and if someone was to try, I know I'd just swipe past it. However, when you compare them to "empty vessel" name-only characters, because we don't have many fully-fleshed out evil characters in the material, it's easy to slap a babygirl sticker all over him, and be like oh its my headcanon. A popular character, with facts and details about them, will stand out when you make a new headcanon that doesn't fit inside what we know about HP. I think characters like Barty, Evan, and even Regulus, are ragdolled around and basically original by the time nearly anyone writes them. This isn't a condemnation! Just how I understand it.

People started to realize that Regulus was an interesting character himself, rather than him being a bratty younger sibling to Sirius. Therefore he had to have friends, so we started to see a surge in Evan and Barty. In the early Reggie appreciation era (early 2022) we saw quite a bit of Bartylus, but that has died down as people like to think of Jegulus as their endgame now. I also think that fanfiction greatly shapes the minds of the fandom, especially well written popular ones. The first and most prominent one that Rosekiller character appears in is Just Lovers (like we were supposed to be) on ao3 by bizarrestars. Here, they are playful and sarcastic best friends of Reggie who help him through his lil emotions. Everyone loved them so much that the zar (the author) gave us their own lil intermission of it.

Because it's fun! I really don't think it's deeper than that. People started liking Regulus and then they decided that his friends could be nice too, and then they decided that his friends could be queer or even dating each other and they could be babygirls and who cares it's just fun. I'm not a big Rosekiller shipper and I'm more of a Wolfstar girl lately (but that's just because most of the Jegulus fics are sooo poor quatlity, like yes I know that Regulus is mean, but if you make him an absolute ass with no redeaming qualites I'm not gonna want them to get together) so I might not have the most insight on this, but I don't really with there's a deeper reasoning here other than the fact that it's fun.i guess because people just wanted to see them as "normal teenagers" like the marauders, like to remember that before they became death eaters they were boys as well doing stupid things and getting in trouble like everyone else did, and also because they fit well into regulus' potential circle of friends, idk i like the idea that the three of them (evan, barty and reg) were friends in school and then they took different paths where regulus "got" his redemption arc and the others just went insane following voldemort's ideals, i guess i just love angst and it would be a tragic story of how their friendship ended tbh

For a long time we had very few Slytherin students in the Marauders era, and whether we like it or not Slytherin is the most popular house of Harry Potter, people love characters with tragic pasts and dubious morality and also they are characters with very poor description and easy to shape in their personal desire, I don't think that's wrong, but I have no interest in them as characters, to me they're just irrelevent, occasionally appearing in my ideas for fanfics I'll never write, usually as future death eaters

i think the current fandom is less inclined to read/write self-insert fics or OCs, and evan and barty are essentially blank slates that authors can overlay whatever personality they want to that will help fill out their story. also, it’s fun to add characters to the slytherin house during years we don’t know much about. also x2, most fics aren’t writing about them killing people and enjoying it. i don’t think the fact that they were death eaters is the reason people are babygirl-ifying them or wanting to ship them.

this is a very interesting question, and i haven’t thought about it in these terms. personally, as i mentioned briefly in the last question, i hate babygirl-ification in general. i don’t like the way that it infantilizes men, and despite the fact that in this case they’re fictional, i’ve seen it happen with real people several times (dan and phil, crankgameplays, even markiplier a little bit). it has very weird connotations and i just don’t vibe with it at all. he’s not your softboy cinnamon roll babygirl, he’s a man in his 20s. it’s just odd to me, and i’m FTM transgender, so i’ve seen it happen to trans men too and it just feels gross to me. like i’m not softboy cinnamon roll i’m just. a guy. i am literally just a guy. but like in general i hate the concept of babygirl-ifying anyone, as for it being characters without a redemption arc, i think it’s because they got popular in a fic where they were never evil in the first place. i could be wrong, but from what i noticed barty and evan only became liked characters in Just Lovers, which is a no-voldemort AU, meaning they were never death eaters. and they were given nicer roles in the story to serve the plot and further regulus’ character development. like they only got a better reputation because the author needed them to for the plot and they were in a setting where that made sense, and ever since then they’ve been big characters. like i don’t think it’s necessarily about them in canon at all. i think people liked who they were in that one story and it just kind of exploded from there and now they’re being written with redemption arcs in other works too. and really, i don’t see anything wrong with that. i will say i am Not A Fan of those AUs where someone joins the death eaters to save someone else, like james joining for reg, i refuse to touch them. that’s icky to me. but yeah idk. i don’t like babygirl on the whole, i think it’s gross and infantilizing and weird, but as for why these characters are getting that treatment, i think it’s literally just because of a fic they read where they were interesting characters and weren’t morally reprehensible and it’s snowballed from there.

[ifyouknowmenahyoudontt]

canon sucks in the sense that there should be more characters of color than we can count on our fingers, more canonically queer characters, more disabled or neurodivergent characters. not everyone should be cishet, white, and neurotypical. ( and the "erm but actually dumbledore was gay and hermione was black!" bullshit doesn't satisfy this ) and i applaud the old fans for getting over the old faceclaims ( aaron taylor johnson, andrew garfield, ben barnes... i salute the many edits of them ) and the new age fandom for keeping up the poc headcanons!!

canon sucks in the sense that while we can have complex characters, morally grey leaning dark characters, those characters should not try to be slotted into "good or bad." those characters shouldn't have very brief redemptions that suddenly make them heroes and epic good guys after entire books of assholery and even bigotry. two guesses as to who i'm talking about here!

canon does not suck in the "my favorite character may have maybe a sentence of plot relevance doesn't get enough attention, so i'm going to ignore all the canon things that point to them being a bigot and instead woobify them and try to make them more important than they actually were" way.

like, fanon regulus black my ABHORRED. while he wasn't abused himself, was canonically the favorite of his parents because he aligned with their ideals, it's interesting to explore sirius' complicated thoughts on his little brother. one that many mistreated and abused older siblings have when it comes to their younger- could i have done more, could i have saved him, changed him, etc. but acting like regulus wouldn't have hated his guts and wanted sirius dead, literally became a death eater and fully agreed with voldemort's ideals?? did we read the same books?

and canon does not suck in the "i'm going to take these cool complex characters and dumb them down to a single personality trait or stereotype, and pretend they're not a complex person with flaws" way.

like, i love james and sirius, literally my favorite characters! they were not always the good guys. canonically, even if he turned out to be an exponentially worse person, they were the villains in someone's story. they used to be bullies, just for the sake of it. they used to be asshole teenage boys with big egos and privilege ( both coming from wealthy pureblood households ). and they don't have to use that privilege AGAINST anyone! they obviously wouldn't, both of them are considered "blood traitors" for a reason ( james marrying a muggleborn and sirius even associating with james and lily and remus ).

it's so much more interesting to explore how they would have been as privileged little dickheads in the 70s in the midst of war, rather than "sunshine himbo james" and "femboy twink sirius" ( or if we wanna go back to old fandom shit, "sexy, lady-killer, has fucked everyone and their mom sirius" ). i also just hate "big sexy strict alpha remus," i can stand him being sarcastic because it's funny but i can't with people who take away his shyness and kindness. give us quiet bookworm remus back PLEASSEEE

even peter, and i used to be a victim of this as well- THEY LIKED HIM! peter was a marauder, he was part of the group, he was their best friend too. i understand people who try to erase him altogether just out of hating him, but those who pretend that james, sirius, and remus didn't care for him are just wrong. it's okay to not like a character, but don't rewrite canon in a way that fully fucks up the story. peter's betrayal sucked from all angles, because he was their friend too.

and reading what you and multiple other people have said about lily is so right, she gets the "jealous straight girl that wants james but HATES REGULUS for stealing jamie!!" treatment, or is just cast out altogether. like, sorry, who did harry get his striking green eyes from? who brought him into the goddamn world? james sure as hell didn't do it alone, and last i checked, regulus was dead by then if we wanna be real about it.

this turned out to be an insane rant, SO sorry, but hp is my special interest and i LOVE the marauders era just as much as i love the golden trio era. they're interesting to explore as characters, ESPECIALLY james, in the same way a lot of people like rose quartz from steven universe? he's spoken about as this infamous, talented, really good dude who died protecting his wife and son and helped bring upon the savior of the wizarding world. but he was also like a huge asshole when he was in school, and harry probably would have hated to meet james and sirius from back then! but people dumb all of them down in the marauders era works just because we don't get explicit descriptions or tellings of what they were like. and it's so annoying!!

i strongly agree with this.

tbh regulus being one of the most popular character speaks a lot about this fandom. bigotry is a broad term and those who criticize JKR (rightfully tho) but go on again to do that to women? or the poc? hypocritical

and the fanon remus thing pisses me off so bad because the point of his character was that he was a soft and sensitive person contrasting with his “condition”!!!! he was human!!!!!!

i agree w this sm

[just-walk-around]

I don't read or watch the twilight saga, I only have seen some parts. But I love fanfics, I twilight fanfics are part of all the group of shows that I like. But my queer ass prefer a platonic relationship than romantic between Bella and Edward. WLW and MLM is the best friendship ever.

Edward (sad, dramatic, repressed hundred years old but still mentally teenager gay): I'M A MONSTER, AN ABOMINATION THE WORST, GOD WILL NEVER OPEN THE DOORS TO HEAVEN FOR ME.

Bella (kinda depressed, sarcastic, weird, grow up to fast, absolute disaster lesbian): DUDE, IS JUST A FUCKING SPIDER!

Bella x all female vampire (except esme that woman is her mother figure you can't change my mind) is delicious.

Alice? Friends to lovers, calm gf and too much energy gf, "sweast and t shirt is enough" "as your future wife I have full right to change your clothes" "my Future Fucking what?!" "opps spoilers" , oh you are weird I weird too! Besties!

Rosalie? Rival to lovers, tsundere gf and oblivious gf, "I fucking hate you" "oh, then what you buy me a new car?" "BECAUSE THAT SHITTY TRUCK HURT MY EYES", family intervention because they Will never get together otherwise "I'm not jealous!"You just make a boy cry because he told her how nice her hair looked!" "wow your sister is beautiful but she is a bitch, just because she is hot and smart and have a pretty smile and..." "Bells just ask her out this is painful to watch" "I don't love her!" "Bella take a moment to think about everything that happened between you two, EVERYTHING and tell me again that you don't love her" "I.. *processing information" "HOLY FUCK I'M IN LOVE WITH YOUR SISTER""Congratulations you are THE LAST TO KNOW IT! "

Any of the Denali trio ? Teacher x student, "I have met this human for one second now I love her I will provide everything for her I will make her happy Fucked up!Edward stay away", patient gf with hurt gf.

Victoria or any volturi girl? Enemy to friends to lovers, reluctant gf and resigned gf, denial, denial and more denial, the bad guys are actually doing good things, "I will never fall in love with you" "I have all the time of the world darling". Unhealthy relationship going to healthy relationship.

The other vampire clans? The possibilities are endless!.

PLUS PAPA BEAR CHARLIE JUS GOING FULL SUPPORTIVE,HE COULD EITHER BE PUTTING RAINBOWS STICKERS IN HIS CLOTHES, "YES SIR I LOVE NY GAY DAUGHTER DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT" OR HAVING NO IDEA HOW TO GO ABOUT IT, "So you like tits? I like tits too! I mean, uh" "did you need um you know advice? About you know?" "dad please you are killing me" the best Is that he wouldn't care if his daughter is dating a vampire BUT THEY ARE SO OLD, HE WOULD BE LOOKING THINKING IS THIS PREDATORY BEHAVIOR? AND BELLA BEING LIKE DAD WE JUST ARE HOLDING HANDS There will not be a shotgun he will buy a freaking flamethrower he will spend all his money for a fishing boat to buy it. Because God dammit he is a dad trying his best!.

Edward x Jacob? Enemy to friends to lovers, cross lovers, cat bf x dog bf, homophobic Edward, denial denial and more denial, supportive cullens or slightly homophobic because of their differents ages trying their best to overcome their views for their son/brother, VS the pack "my imprint is a boy" "That's okay we love you and support you anyway"" he is a vampire""WHAT THE FUCK YOU SAY?! EXILE FOR JACOB, EXILED FOR HUNDRED OF YEARS"

Edward x Emmett? I get us in trouble bf and I get us out of trouble bf, calm bf and too much energy bf, grumpy cat bf and dumb bear bf, "babe what animal is the pink panther?" "dear, is in the name" "I think is a lion" "love of my life is a panther" "I Google it panther aren't pink" "AND FUCKING LIONS ARE?" "You do something stupid again don't you" "no, I just think he will like some roses for his room and a new piano" "sure"

Edward x jasper? Learning together to live with overwhelming powers and the guilt of our decisions and mistakes.

And just for the shit of it, Edward x Aro, Carlisle going FULL PAPA BEAR ON IT.

Like it could go the hurt/comfort route or the comedic route and it will be amazing.

[stabbyfoxandrew]

Ok book recommendation. Not sure if this is something you'll like but it's one of my favourite series and I need more people to know about it.

The set up is basically: Atlantis is real and sometime in 1960s (I think) some astronaut saw Atlantis which was previously hidden from humans by magic. Humans obviously went to war with them and won. So now all the people of Atlantis have moved to Nantucket.

The governing class is a group of the most powerful magic users who all have sort of courts i guess with a bunch of lesser houses under them. They are all named after figures in a tarot deck (or rather the decks are named after them) so we have the tower, the fool, the lovers etc

For us the most important court is the Sun Court. The main character Rune and his best friend/bodyguard who have known each other since they were literal babies are from the sun court which was raided and fell when they were teenagers. Rune and Brand are in their 30s now.

Now they are sort of detectives for hire have been hired to find a missing person. While they also have to deal with some unexpected developments from a sanctioned raid they took part in.

Another thing worth noting about Brand (who is human) and Rune (who is an Atlantian) is that they share an emotional bond like they can literally feel each others emotions. It's an old Atlantian tradition that is explained in the books. Their relationship is so special to me. They have the best banter. And are so protective of each other.

Rune one of those characters that are both simultaneously so smart and badass while also being such a dumbass like he definitely laughs at dumb puns and thinks he's so funny. He is resourceful with his magic which he has to be and knows all about politics because he has to he was basically a prince before his court fell. He also has this quirk that I love where when he feels awkward in a situation he reverts back to being overly formal.

And Brand is that sarcastic, so over it bodyguard who will snipe at you but he is also so protective and caring (if you know where to look) (and Rune knows where to look and because it's from his pov you will hear all about it) and is the type of only I am allowed to make fun of him character. He will make you respect his people.

There is also an intricate magic system. Which i won't go into too much detail about but you basically have to charge these special objects with a spell you want to use in order to use magic.

The world is also so queer. Like it is stated multiple times that attraction to only one gender and monogamy are not the norm in this society.

The books are part of an ongoing series currently three of the planned nine books are out but the author also has published a bunch of free extra stories for in between the books.

The series is called The Tarot Sequence and the first book is called The Last Sun. By K.D. Edwards.

I would recommend looking at the trigger warnings though you should probably be fine seeing as you are in the aftg fandom.

(One of the opening lines is: "I am, before anything else, a survivor [...]" though so)

Sorry for writing this entire essay lol. I just really really love these books especially the relationships between the characters no matter if they're platonic, romantic or familial they all love and care for each other so much. They are some of the best interpersonal relationships i have read and I think about all of the characters so much. Sometimes I just have to stop and go oh randomly in my day to day when I think about another devastating thing about them (both positive and heartbreaking)

Oh one last thing before I finally shut up they don't know who lead the raid on their court so that is an underlying mystery throughout the series

oh my god anon thanks for this! like i have to admit i was on the fence when you mentioned atlantis, BUT the rest of your lil essay (cutie i love when people are passionate about their interests!) has convinced me to add these to my list!!! :D

also! when i looked it up on goodreads i was like 'ohhhhh' because i've seen the cover somewhere before? but yes! added! :) when i get to it i'll have to make a post!

[narcissusbrokenmirror]

Alex Mercer + catholic trauma really does something for me, i like reading fanfics abt it cuz it feels like home. shout out to all the projecting Alex writers out there.But i think its funny how inaccurate it is. not in a bad way ofc. But i have thoughts about 90's gay teen Alex. I need to get them out. But i think its funny how inaccurate it is. not in a bad way ofc. But i have thoughts about 90's gay teen Alex. I need to get them out.

I mean its the 90's, religion is not the only thing making people homophobic there, besides toxic masculinity being pretty much a thing, there was also the post aids moment, so despite the 90's not being the most homophobic era ever, gay people were like, a presence, on the social groups, especially on the art/acting/music scene. so, for me, it makes sense when Kenny Ortega says Alex was a proud character of his identity as a gay young man.

doesn't add up to me tho, being gay + proud + christian + in the 90's. like, you dont grow up proud of being queer if u spend your life hearing negative rhetoric about it. so i, personally, don't think Alex's family was religious.

Alex's family doesn't look religious and Alex doesn't seem into it, as well. Alex being confident, proud, relaxed and sarcastic brings me to think that he came from a very liberal family that was also homophobic. picture this with me.

the grunge/rock scene is full of people trying to make into a club that only people who look a certain way can be there, they're full of toxic masculinity behavior there. Alex's not like it, he knows better that rock is much more about expressing yourself through music and feeling with others, rather than how you look, you knows its bullshit. and im only mentioning this bc Alex doesn't dress like alt ppl usually do, he's always in this relaxed outfit, the same black sweatpants and different soft colored shirts and jackets, he doesn't put an effort to how he looks, he just wants to be comfortable. and not caring how you look as long as ur comfortable? rock behavior ig

Alex being confident and proud tells us about the background he came from. If his family considered him trustworthy and let Alex make his own choices without interfering even if they don't like it, certainly he did NOT came from a religious household.

Alex is a drummer, that shit expensive for you to just have a whole kit hanging around, so his parents probably got it for him, they supported his band and let him have his friends around, they were warm and loving, helping into building Alex's sense of self worth, which is very nice.

so we don't have anything concrete abt Alex's past relationships, but i guess he first came out to his band and then his parents, Luke says Alex never had a boyfriend, but Alex being so certain that he was having a mutual connection with Willie would feel weird if it was the first time Alex flirted with a guy. nah. He probably did met other gay boys on clubs and concerts, flirted, made out once or twice, maybe even gone on dates, you know, teenager things.

the shit happened when he came out to his parents and they gave him the cold shoulder and silence treatment. because they had reasons to not want their son to be gay. Gay people were seen as dirty, sick, perverted, pedophiles, promiscuous and also a target for violence. As a parent, they wouldn't want his son that they loved and supported so much to be associated with such a marginalized group. But it's their son, after all, they couldn't throw him away. So they didn't locked Alex away from his friends, wasn't thrown out of his house, wasn't forced to get that "fixed up". Because Alex was their son, but they didn't want that part of him there, they didn't wanted to know about it.

Alex having his friends over would always click a question on his parents' mind for what if they aren't just friends, what can they be doing together when they're not looking (bc you know, gay people dont have feelings or connections, its all about the sex), what else could Alex's dad think when he sees Luke sneaking out of Alex's room wearing his shirt? and the problem is centered around it happening near to them, whatever Alex does outside their roof is his business, but his homosexuality is not welcome on the Mercer's house. Although, they didn't felt comfortable around Alex anyway, bc inside their heads, they knew that he couldn't keep his homosexuality off when they were together. they couldn't process that their son would be a homosexual, they couldn't love that, they could love their son, but not that.

Alex probably knew that, probably thought that it would eventually stop and they would be normal, warm and loving again, that they would support him again, probably because he didn't had his parents' love hold against some condition, as if he had to earn it. (As it is pretty common in religious households) It doesn't mean he wouldn't get hurt from it, he did and it was a lot, the lack of love, attention and support that he got from his came out, after a life of being given proper dosis of love and being allowed to be who he was. By the way Alex deals with changes, that shit was probably getting to his head.

Alex knew he deserved better than being treated like that, he knew he deserved his family to love him bc they always did and that they shouldn't define him by one element that would always be a part of him, he knew he deserved it to be a part of his life, deserved to bring a nice guy he met home to meet his parents instead of sneaking them in and out like he had to live it secretly. He didn't wanted that, it wasn't fair to him. He shouldn't have to feel ashamed enough to hide it from his dad bc his dad shouldn't want him to be ashamed of himself.

Alex was decided to stop caring about his parents thought of him, even if it meant them not being a part of his life, not that he wanted it this way, bc he didn't. But if they could change once, they could change again.