#btw the other five hottest characters are

[sanjipussyindulgence]

stussy has reached top five hottest one piece characters at an alarming rate.

[duckprintspress]

Genderfluid Characters for Genderfluid Visibility Week!

This week, October 17th to 24th, is Genderfluid Visibility Week! There are depressingly few books out with genderfluid rep, and even then it’s often open to interpretation whether a character is genderfluid or not, but we’ve done our best to gather a modest list. (btw, if you’re wondering why it’s 7 reads and 5 covers, it’s cause our anthology Aether Beyond the Binary has three short stories with genderfluid characters!) The contributors to this list are Meera S., Shannon and 2 anonymous contributors.

-

A Flame in the Night (New Age Gothic series) by Morgan Dante

The start of bloody decadence…

The definition of marriage: Two people and their silver-haired vampire.

In 1924, Paris is a bastion of sexual freedom, even for shell-shocked Leon Laflamme, the most dramatic blond this side of the Seine. After years of loneliness and secrecy, he’s married the clever and sumptuous burlesque dancer Claire. However, Leon truly finds liberation when he meets the stoic, intriguing, and silver-haired Count Matthias, who offers true freedom in his dark gift: immortality.

-

Both Can Be True by Jules Machias

Ash is no stranger to feeling like an outcast. For someone who cycles through genders, it’s a daily struggle to feel in control of how people perceive you. Some days Ash is undoubtedly girl, but other times, 100 percent guy. Daniel lacks control too—of his emotions. He’s been told he’s overly sensitive more times than he can count. He can’t help the way he is, and he sure wishes someone would accept him for it.

So when Daniel’s big heart leads him to rescue a dog that’s about to be euthanized, he’s relieved to find Ash willing to help. The two bond over their four-legged secret. When they start catching feelings for each other, however, things go from cute to complicated. Daniel thinks Ash is all girl . . . what happens when he finds out there’s more to Ash’s story?

With so much on the line—truth, identity, acceptance, and the life of an adorable pup named Chewbarka—will Ash and Daniel forever feel at war with themselves because they don’t fit into the world’s binaries? Or will their friendship help them embrace the beauty of living in between?

-

The Brilliant Death (The Brilliant Death series) by Amy Rose Capetta

For Teodora DiSangro, a mafia don’s daughter, family is fate.

All her life, Teodora has hidden the fact that she secretly turns her family’s enemies into music boxes, mirrors, and other decorative objects. After all, everyone in Vinalia knows that stregas—wielders of magic—are figures out of fairytales. Nobody believes they’re real.

Then the Capo, the land’s new ruler, sends poisoned letters to the heads of the Five Families that have long controlled Vinalia. Four lie dead and Teo’s beloved father is gravely ill. To save him, Teo must travel to the capital as a DiSangro son—not merely disguised as a boy, but transformed into one.

Enter Cielo, a strega who can switch back and forth between male and female as effortlessly as turning a page in a book. Teo and Cielo journey together to the capital, and Teo struggles to master her powers and to keep her growing feelings for Cielo locked in her heart. As she falls in love with witty, irascible Cielo, Teo realizes how much of life she’s missed by hiding her true nature. But she can’t forget her mission, and the closer they get to the palace, the more sinister secrets they uncover about what’s really going on in their beloved country—and the more determined Teo becomes to save her family at any cost.

-

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Paris, at the dawn of the modern age: 

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride–or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia–the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion 

Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances–one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.

-

Aether Beyond the Binary Anthology

The core concept of Aether Beyond the Binary is simple and compelling: create intriguing main characters outside the gender binary and set them loose to explore the modern world twisted or unchanged, enhanced or destroyed by magical aether. This power source may replace technology, supplement it, or oppose it. These characters may be agender, genderfluid, bigender, or any other non-binary identity. The thread that unites these tales is exploration: of the world around them and of the self. We propose no final conclusions; instead, we demonstrate how far-reaching the questions are and how expansive the range of possible answers can be, thereby broadening the discussion about the nature of gender and the place of genderqueer characters in fantasy fiction. We hope you’ll join us to explore the endless possibilities of these magical worlds. 

How Your Garden Grows by Nicola Kapron, True by Kelas Lloyd, and N(ae)ghbours by Scarlett Gale have genderfluid characters!

-

What are your favorite books with genderfluid characters?

View all the books from this year’s and last year’s Genderfluid Visibility Week lists by visiting our shelf on Goodreads!

Browse this book as a rec list on Bookshop.org!

[abeautifulblog]

Welcome to Dream Daddies!

A primer for people who want to read A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood but for whatever reason are denying themselves the pleasure of playing this game -- even though it is one of the most well-written, most hilarious, most heartfelt pieces of media I have ever encountered.

*

You, the player-character—the Dadsona, if you will—are a single Dad who has just moved to scenic Maple Bay, Massachusetts. In Beautiful Day, the Dadsona is Gene:

(He's thirty-eight. He just moisturizes. Take note of that cat shirt, because it will return to haunt you.)

You and your eighteen-year-old daughter Amanda have just moved into a cul-de-sac that is chock full of other Hot Dads—which is all well and good, though everyone's takeaway from the game is YEAH THE HOT DADS ARE ALRIGHT, BUT MY BABY IS GOING OFF TO COLLEGE NEXT YEAR!! 😭😭😭 

(Seriously, you will fall in love with Amanda and want one of your own, she is darling.)

But Gene isn't the protagonist of Beautiful Day, he's the love interest. The protagonist is Robert, one of the dateable dads:

Robert is...

Well.

Well.

He’s weird and intense and unpredictable. He's ten tons of issues in a five-pound bag, and I love him. Trashfire of my heart. ❤

(He’s not kidding with that, btw.)

I went into the game knowing who my Dream Daddy was going to be (what can I say? I can pick my type out of a lineup >_>) but then I actually played it and Robert blew all my expectations out of the water. Seriously, my just-the-facts-ma’am summary does not do this game justice, the writing is so so good.

Like the Dadsona, Robert is also a widower with an adult daughter, except that he—for a myriad of reasons—didn't handle it nearly as well as the Dadsona did. He hasn't spoken with his daughter in four years and these days he just hangs out on the periphery of Maple Bay's social scene, getting drunk and (I'm pretty sure) hooking up on grindr, waiting for his lifestyle choices to catch up with him. He is deeply in a rut, but maybe what he needs is someone to jolt him out of it.

Other relevant characters are—

*

Robert's best friend, Mary:

She's a bitch, and we love her. Alpha Wine Mom. Terror of the PTA. Iron hand of the church socials. She thinks you're both fucking nerds, and she's right.

*

Craig Cahn -- Maple Bay's Most Eligible Bachelor, and the Dadsona's BFF-since-college. Formerly “Keg-Stand Craig,” the sweetest frat bro ever to bro, now turned fitness god:

He is recently divorced, but has stayed on on good terms with his ex-wife Ashley Smashley, whom the Dadsona also knows from college. He has three girls, a set of twelve-year-old twins plus River (aka, The Baby), who spends most of her time in a baby sling strapped to Craig’s chest.

Craig is also a romance option, and Gene doesn't go there, but if you would like a story about romancing him, may I recommend my good friend Sam's fic?

*

Mary's husband. Joseph. >:|

I have written a lot of meta about this motherfucker.

Joseph is also a romance option.

He's a youth minister.

He has a sex yacht where he will take you to seal the deal, out on the open ocean, where no one can hear you scream.

(You may have heard something about him being a satanic cult leader, and I will tell you: he is not. That was a weird alternate ending that cannot be reached in-game, it was only found via datamining. No one is exactly sure what it was supposed to be—a Halloween special, or something to fuck with the dataminers, or what—but the devs have confirmed that it is not canon. Joseph's evil is far more mundane than that.)

He also has history with Robert, which the fic alludes to early-on. Don’t worry, you’re not missing any context -- all will be revealed in time.

*

Robert's daughter, Val:

ie, probably the hottest person in the whole damn game. She's a fashion editor in New York City, and is roughly 1000% higher-functioning than her father. She has a canonical girlfriend, who I named Naomi in Beautiful Day and headcanoned as NYC Jewish. Amanda visibly has a bisexual awakening when she meets Val.

*

Betsy -- aka Robert’s dog, aka the world’s dumbest Boston terrier:

*

Everyone else, insofar as they are relevant to this fic:

Damien is the poster child for How To Be Goth Over Forty; he volunteers at the animal shelter with Mary and has an equally gothy son (Lucien) who is currently running every side hustle in Maple Bay. (Damien is also the trans dad, for folks who are interested, though that doesn’t come up in this fic.)

Mat owns a cute, music-themed cafe called The Coffee Spoon, and has a daughter (Carmencita) who is a dead ringer for a younger version of Amanda.

Hugo is Amanda’s English teacher; he’s recently divorced, and his 13-year-old son Ernest is an unholy terror who is determined to make himself everyone else’s problem too.

Brian is a big jovial dude who somehow brings out the Dadsona’s competitive streak like none other. In the game, Amanda immediately bonds with his daughter Daisy and they conspire to Parent Trap the two of you together -- though in my fic, Amanda sets her sights on Mat and Carmencita instead.

*

The beginning of Beautiful Day speeds through game-time pretty quickly, because originally I had assumed that anyone reading it would have played the game, and I didn't want to tediously retread ground they'd already seen. So most of the 'dates' from the game happen offscreen in the fic, but if you find yourself wanting more context...

(From here on out are spoilers for Robert’s route.)

DATE ZERO: MEET ROBERT

The first time you meet him is at a dive bar called Jim and Kim's, Robert's regular haunt, where you watch The Game and dazzle him with your suave flirting skills:

Robert's flat-affect makes it hard to tell whether he's receptive to the flirting or whether he's about to stab you. He leaves for a bit, with the implication that he's going to go snort coke in the bathroom. (Though let's be real—Robert talks a big game, but he's probably just checking on his tamagotchi.) While he's gone, Neil-the-bartender tells you that this is uncharacteristically talkative for Robert. So... maybe he's interested after all?

Robert comes back and the two of you walk home together from the bar, because it turns out you live on the same cul-de-sac. Then, apropos of nothing, Robert invites the Dadsona upstairs to fuck.

(Pro-tip: HOE DON'T DO IT.)

In the fic, Gene does not take him up on it; he awkwardly makes his excuses, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood kicks off the following morning.

*

DATE ONE: BOOZE AND PETTY CRIME (AND A FISTFIGHT WITH AN EIGHTH-GRADER)

The first “date” with Robert (“date” in irony quotes because nothing Robert ever does qualifies as a “date” in conventional terms) happens when he invites you out for a drink at Jim and Kim’s, which turns out to be slightly uncomfortable because he brought Mary along to third-wheel. She roasts you while Robert doesn't defend you (😠😠), but eventually you and Robert wander off and the rest of the date involves throwing rocks at cars and accidentally breaking someone's windshield, violating open-container laws, pineapple pizza, sneaking in through the back door of a movie theatre, drunkenly heckling a bad rom-com, and getting attacked by a middle schooler. (Hello, Ernest!)

It's rather cute by the end, but it, ah. Probably could have gone better.

But that's not really on you—that's just Robert, just roll with it.

*

DATE TWO: CRYPTID HUNTING

The second “date” happens after Robert has ghosted you for the past two weeks, then randomly blows up your phone in the middle of the night, asking if you want to go for a drive. Asking if you want to go for a drive RIGHT NOW.

Robert is subtly different on this date. As he drives you out to wherever-you're-going (and he declines to tell you where he's taking you), he's moody and quiet. The Dadsona privately wonders if Robert's taking him out into the woods to be murdered.

Eventually he drives you to his favorite scenic overlook:

Then he pulls a knife on you—

—and proceeds to teach you how to whittle, sort of. He gives you a knife and throws you in at the deep end, anyway. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Dadsona, unsurprising, isn't great at it, and you cut your hand open. Robert very sexily does first-aid, and tells a Patented Robert Bullshit™ story about this one time a local cryptid called the Dover Ghost ate his dog.

(Spoiler, she's fine.)

Then you hear something ominous lurching about in the woods and the two of you get spooked and bolt back to Robert's truck. Illegal dumpers, or the Dover Ghost? The world may never know.

Afterward, as he's driving you home, he continues to be in a weird mood, talking obliquely about all the regrets in his life, and how he envies your relationship with Amanda because it seems 'perfect.'

(Pro-tip: whenever Robert starts to be emotionally-honest with you, respond in kind.)

He drops you off at home; you run into Amanda, who happens to be awake and getting a drink of water when you make your midnight walk of shame.

*

DATE THREE: THE GOOFY GHOST TOUR

By now, you're starting to get a handle on Robert. You kick off the evening at Jim and Kim's again, where he appears to have taken a shower, just for you—

—and y’all are overall vibing better. Mary is there too, but she likes you now, so you're in on the joke rather than being the butt of it.

The three of you wind up attaching yourselves to a walking ghost tour, where Robert (with the Dadsona backing his play) steals the show with his bullshit stories, and the two of you score some 'cool' free t-shirts. Mary gets bored with you nerds and wanders off, but not before pulling the Dadsona aside briefly to say that she's known Robert long enough to know when something's wrong, and asks you to keep an eye on him.

After the ghost tour, Robert invites you back to his place for a drink, which turns into making out on his couch—

--but it's pretty clear that despite trying to distract himself with sex (as is his M.O.), Robert is not in a good place. The Dadsona gently puts on the brakes, and asks Robert to talk about what's really bothering him.

Congratulations, you have now unlocked Robert's tragic backstory! (Part of it, anyway.)

It turns out that his estranged daughter, Val, has contacted him again for the first time in four years and invited him to get lunch with her—but for all that Robert desperately wants to reconcile, he's convinced that she's better off without him. He tells you that he was “a bad husband and a worse father,” sketches a picture of a marriage that was decades of disappointment and substance abuse, and says that he thinks every day about how his wife must have died hating him. What's the point of even trying? He's just going to fuck it up again like he always does.

At this point, the Dadsona can be gentle but level with him—“Nothing's going to change until you do”—and gives Robert the encouragement he needs to go see Val, even though he's terrified by the prospect. Robert winds up crying on the Dadsona's shoulder, and eventually they fall asleep on the couch together.

*

EPILOGUE: AMANDA'S GRADUATION PARTY

The Dadsona has thrown a surprise party for Amanda's graduation, and everyone in the neighborhood is invited. Robert has brought Val; when she talks with you, she acknowledges that the two of them have a long way to go, but she wants to repair the relationship with her father. She thanks you for what you're doing for him, and acknowledges that he’s happier now than she’s seen him in a very long time.

After playing host to your guests and sharing an emotional moment with Amanda, you slip off to go cozy up with Robert underneath the cherry tree. He admits that he likes you a lot, but he doesn't feel ready for a relationship just yet—he's aware that he has a lot to work on before he can commit to being a good partner. The Dadsona is willing to give Robert all the time he needs to figure himself out, and you cuddle with Robert beneath the cherry tree while he strokes your hair.

THE END

...

...

...except I wasn't entirely satisfied with that ending, because so many of Robert’s issues were still unresolved. So I, uh, wrote 136k words of fic.

I present to you: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. 😊

[neuronary]

If you're not done with the ask game, luthur?

oh oh yes i’m not done thank u i’m an unironic luther stan on main.

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life

hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would bang

hogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff

best quality: he’s trying so hard!! and not to be controversial but i actually think he’s a pretty good leader. his pep talks are awesome and he’s super optimistic. also himbo rights

worst quality: his resistance to change and the fact that he isn’t very independent. i think it would take him a while to learn how to let go of people and make decisions based on his own life experience rather than ‘what would [person] do’

ship them with: going to therapy honestly.

brotp them with: diego because clown to clown communication and also moving past their rivalry and becoming best bros!! but also ben. because ben can’t be there all the time, but he’s very good at calling people on their bullshit, and i think luther would be pretty responsive to that. luther would have ben there to reassure him of stuff and tell him to get over himself when necessary, but also not be able to develop an unhealthy dependency on him because he wouldn’t be around enough. also i need luther, ben, and five bonding over their bodies not being quite right and loneliness.

needs to stay away from: the academy. imo he needs to live elsewhere. i kinda want him and diego to move in together because it would be chaotic and hilarious. they get a two-bedroom and blow the kitchen up every other day. luther has the time and space to process his trauma and diego’s there to distract him from stuff when necessary by eating raw eggs like some kind of heathen.

misc. thoughts: um i have a lot, but honestly my hottest take is that i really liked luther in season one as well as season two. i think he’s a genuinely fascinating character and i want good things for him! also i read a fic called Jumping Without a Place to Land by CodeDuello, which explored the idea that the ‘i heard a rumour you love me’ that we heard in s01e08 was actually said to luther, not patrick, which fascinates me as a concept. it would be heartbreaking, but i’d like to explore the idea of luther needing to move on from allison in order to move past the rest of his trauma.

send me a character and i’ll yell about ‘em (applies to any character, btw, not just tua)

[linndechir]

because I still have a serious case of hero worship, and your opinion interests me a lot: What are five of your all time favourite characters and who are the five most handsome actors ever?

Sorry for taking forever to reply - I'm still grinning like an idiot about your message, btw. :D So, top fives, I always find those hard because I'm a fickle person who loves too much stuff and I permanently add new things to my favourites. Favourite characters: the first two are easy, Val Toreth (from the Administration series, a.k.a. my favourite character in anything ever) and Stannis Baratheon. Other characters I love a lot: Bruce Wayne now that BvS has successfully turned my general like for him into a full blown obsession, Tim Gutterson from Justified (and Boyd Crowder gets an honorary mention for being the most interesting character ever written), and number five would probably be Feanor? But then I also love Nightingale more than I can possibly say, and Ronan Lynch, and Raylan Givens, and John Winchester, and Hans Landa, and half a dozen Star Trek characters I've loved since I was a kid.

I'll try to do top five actors I find the hottest, since blandly handsome doesn't really do much for me: Mark Strong, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Richard Armitage, and after that ... idk, Michael Fassbender? Jason Statham? Ben Affleck when he's Bruce Wayne? Oh, god, probably Robert Knepper because, well, have you seen Robert Knepper? He's terrifying, that's 80% of what makes a man hot, no? ;) And Timothy Olyphant is sex on legs. Man, I'm shit at this top five thing. ;D