#everyone gay everyone queer everyone shuffling

[somethingexcessivelyphallic]

omg yall i went to a wedding today (old high school friend) (super nice) (fun wedding) and i smoked the wettest weed everr (so wet) (gross) (bathroom weed) (not my weed but hit dat anyways) and it was also open bar (wow) (so generous) (how rich are they????) and so many old people from high school (repressed memories) (bad) where there that I have no kept in touch with or seen for like 10+ years now (adhd) (enough said)and so many people i had crushes on (i had crushes on everyone tho) (so it’s not a saying much) (so thirsty) and they’re like all even hotter and cooler and yes now yes

[mihai-florescu]

My next shuffle unit theme proposal: Lady Gaga's 2011 hit song Born This Way.

Synopsis: Eichi legalizes gay marriage under Ensemble Square, announces it to the outside world through a new queer anthem that promotes ES as THE place to be for LGBTQ+ people.

Members: Eichi, Arashi, Shu, Himeru, Chiaki.

Shenanigans ensue when Chiaki thinks he's invited in the role of straight ally. Everyone turns around and starts whispering "Does he not know he's bi yet?" "HiMERU thought he was dating a guy for as long as HiMERU has known him" "Yes I invited my old hospital friend out of an affinity that we're both dating a blue haired member of the 5 eccentrics" "Are we sure Kanata is a man though maybe that's where the misunderstanding lies" to be continued

[narcosfandomdiscord]

narcos october prompts

The Narcos Fandom Forever discord server is introducing a month-long challenge, the Narcos October Prompts, which is open to fan creators for both the OG Narcos and Narcos MX TV shows.

Creators of all kinds are encouraged to make all types of fanworks! Fic, art, gifs, vids, and other miscellaneous fanworks are all welcome. 

Each fanwork must be published on the day that corresponds to the prompt. There are two prompts for each day of the month, and you can choose which you prefer.

For example, you can post a fanwork inspired by the Day 7 prompt “Blackout” on October 7. If you create something late, you can publish it on the amnesty day, which is October 30. 

Please use the hashtag #narcoctober to submit your entries, so we can find them and reblog them! 

EDIT: the event is now over. To enjoy the things we've created, peruse masterlist i (days 1-10), masterlist ii (day 11-25), and masterlist iii (day 26-31).

🍰 Prompt List 🍰

October 1 — Day of Firsts

Create a fanwork about a canon character you’ve never written about/used before.

Create a fanwork of an alternate universe you’ve never tried to create before.

October 2 — “Porque No Los Dos?” Day

Create a crossover for the original Narcos show and the Narcos: Mexico show, featuring at least one character for each.

Anything involving polyamory, ex: a fic about somebody who has two or more partners (with their partners’ knowledge and consent, aka not infidelity. That’s a different prompt).

October 3 — Day of Music

Create and post a playlist for fic/wip of yours OR your favorite episode and explain why each song resonates for that fic/wip or episode.

Put your favorite playlist on shuffle and whatever song comes up first, that’s your prompt.

>>> more prompts below the cut

October 4 — Day of Conflict

Anything involving a fistfight or a gunfight.

Quote prompt: “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

October 5 — Day of Visual Art

Visual fanworks: post a screenshot, meme, gif, gifset, video, or other non-fic visual fanwork.

Create a fanwork about a character interacting with a piece of art (e.g. buying decoration for a new home, stealing a piece, hitting on a stranger at a gallery, creating art themselves, etc)

October 6 — Day of International Relations

Write non-English language fic.

Use a random country picker and utilize that country in your work in some way: a character is from that country, a food from that country shows up, there’s international politics, etc. You get two rerolls if you don’t like the first or second country you get. If you get the United States, reroll automatically.

October 7 — Day of Darkness

Make something centered around non-death dark topics (we have a specific death day already). Morally or emotionally dark topics/themes.

One-word prompt: Blackout.

October 8 — Day of Light

A day of pure fluff: anything insanely, unambiguously, self-indulgently, luxuriously enjoyable.

One-word prompt: Sunrise.

October 9 — Day of Gay

Create anything devoted to an LGBTQ+ character. This can be your headcanon, but if you want a canon gay character, Pacho and his boyfriends are canonically gay. Also, one of Pacho’s biker lady criminals is played by a trans actress.

Create anything with a queer and/or trans original character or reader insert.

October 10 — Day of Tough Shit

Write a fic whose exact wordcount is divisible by 500 (500, 1000, 1500, etc).

Make a fanwork in a medium you’ve never used before. If you make GIFs, write something. If you write, draw. Etc. As long as it’s uncharted territory for you!

October 11 — Day of Fun

Create a non-visual, non-fic fanwork: quiz, game, playlist, incorrect quotes.

Create a fanwork with at least one joke in it (that YOU think is funny, fuck everyone else if they don’t think it’s funny lmao).

October 12 — Day of Death

Kill a character who lives in canon.

Create something with a character who is mourning a dying thing rather than a person (their dying relationship, their dying career, their dying city, their dying memories, their dying friendship, their dying dreams, etc etc etc)

October 13 — Day of Life

Create a fanwork in which a character avoids their canonical death.

Create a fanwork about characters having kids (sex to have kids, pregnancy, the birth itself, the kids growing up) or choosing not to have kids. It's a free country (it’s sorta a free country) (it’s sorta kinda a free country) (depends on which country we’re talking about i suppose)

October 14 — Day of Support

Create a review, response, or analysis of a Narcos or Narcos Mexico fic, in the style of an Amazon review or a NYT book review or something like that. Please keep it constructive and positive, no roasts.

Quote prompt: “I got you.”

October 15 — Day of Absolute Filth

Create a smut fanwork that includes three different kinks and/or sex acts (basically you could tag it with at least three tags that are Pure Filth).

Create a fanwork about a character’s moral corruption.

October 16 — Day of Surprises

These prompts were revealed at the start of the day.

Create a fanwork that focuses on dreams, either literal or metaphorical.

Shrimp.

October 17 — Day of Rare Treasures

Create a fanwork about a character that only shows up in one (1) season of the show. the rarer the better honestly

“I laughed and said, Life is easy. What I meant was, Life is easy with you here, and when you leave, it will be hard again.”

October 18 — Day of History

Create a fanwork about characters experiencing, participating in, or witnessing a real life historical event (could have been depicted in canon or not) e.g. moon landing.

Create a fanwork about two exes meeting unexpectedly.

October 19 — Day of Hurt

Create a fanwork about a character so emotionally or physically hurt that they can’t help but start crying even though they don’t want to.

Make a spitework (that is, a fanwork addressing something in canon that pissed you off, whether it was a character or a plot point).

October 20 — Day of Comfort

Create a fanwork about a character getting exactly what they need from someone unexpected.

Create a fanwork inspired by your #1 narcos comfort episode (not necessarily “the best” but rather the episode you rewatch the most often because you love it so much).

October 21 — Day of Women Who Will Step On You For Free

Create a f/f-centric fanwork.

Create a fanwork focused on the character development of a woman from the show.

October 22 — Day of Cross-Fandom Pollination

Create a fanwork that includes at least one Narcos character and at least one character from another fandom.

Create a fanwork with the plot or setting stolen from another fandom (and cite which fandom it is). For example, a daisy jones and the six fic where món is a 60s singer.

October 23 — Day of Threes

Create a fanwork that includes three items you can currently see.

Create a fanwork including three canon characters. extra difficult version: three canon characters that have never met.

October 24 — Day of Monsters

Create a fanwork about a character turning into a supernatural creature.

Quote prompt: “The world isn’t made up of heroes and monsters. Just broken people balancing between the two.”

October 25 — Day of Wow, That Escalated Quickly

Create a fanwork that begins in a canon-compatible place, but ends up going somewhere more dramatic.

Quote prompt: “It’s surprising how much can change in just one hour.”

October 26 — Day of Echoes

Pick a quote from the show that you love and use it as inspiration for your fanwork. Then share what the quote is at the end of your post.

Create a fanwork inspired by any mythological story (Greek, Norse, Aztec, Celtic, etc. get weird with it. Bible counts as mythology, fuck it)

October 27 — People of Color Day

Create a fanwork about an original character or reader character who is explicitly a person of color.

Create a fanwork about a canon character of color (e.g. Truijllo, Enrique, Kiki, Rafa, Azul).

October 28 — Day of Friendship

Create a fanwork inspired by somebody else’s fanwork, or including a cameo of somebody else’s original character (fanvids, fanart, moodboard, etc included — just please ask for permission from the original creator to use inspo before you do it!)

Quote prompt: “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

October 29 — Day of Horror

Create a fanwork inspired by your favorite horror movie.

Prompt: came back wrong.

October 30 — (penultimate day, October 30) Day of Amnesty

Post a fanwork you started for any previous prompt but weren’t able to finish in time.

Quote prompt: “I forgive you.”

October 31 — (final day, October 31) Day of Legacy

Create a sequel or counterpart to a fanwork you posted previously this month.

Quote prompt: “This is [my/your/their] legacy.”

November 1 — Bonus — Day of Celebration

reblog a fanwork that is your favorite creation that you made in the month

[dragonfirerogue-writes]

Pls could i make another Quinn request😭😭

sorry i’m just so in love w her✨

anygay…

here goes:

R and Quinn met as kids but then R had to move away. They reunited in college. They actually got paired as roommates! Then when R is unpacking Quinn comes in the door and says her hello, R turns around and is having a gay panic bc she’s so beautiful but can’t help but recognise her from somewhere.

Quinn knows instantly who it is and whispers ‘y/n?’ making sure she’s right. Then it clicks for R, ‘Lucy?’ then Quinn jumps into her arms and they fall onto the bed being all happy they finally found each other again. They date then when the glee club gets shut down she invites R to go back to Lima w her and she does. The day she gets introduced to everyone Puck has a problem w her (for no reason except he’s in love w Quinn still) and starts shit w her and she just remains calm while Puck is yelling at her.

“are you done?”

Then proceeded to calmly go on a rant about how she loves Quinn and tells story’s about their time together (Puck realises that she really does love Quinn, a lot better than he ever did or ever could) and she lets it slip that she wants to marry her and was hoping everyone would support it bc she knows how Quinn sees all these people as her family.

Unknown to them Quinn heard it all from down the hall with Santana and wanted to run and break up their argument until Santana stopped her to see how it would play out. Then teases Quinn about how much R loves her. But she never heard the proposal part bc R lowered her voice and had her back to the two girls.

R and Puck hug it out and he apologised, then leads R to the rest of the team to make a plan to propose to Quinn and flies out her old high school glee club (bc she’s a queen) plus they all love Quinn and met her since most of them went to college w R and are all their friends.

R proposes, Quinn says yes and they have a party in the choir room where Mr Shue finds R in the corner just admiring the smile on Quinn’s face and has a ‘dad talk’ w her since Quinn doesn’t really have one and Mr shue kinda was that for her. But he only says positive things making R v happy.

They live happily ever after🥰🥰

A/N: Oh, don't feel bad about sending requests. I also love Quinn.

Quinn x Reader

Quinn takes a deep breath as she stands at the door of her new Yale dorm room. This was a new step in her life. High school and all of its past drama is behind her. This was terrifying and exciting and as soon as she opens the door, it begins. She can hear the shuffle of her roommate inside. A new person in her new life. Her hand is on the doorknob. It's time to start anew.

When the door opens, it draws your attention from fighting with command strips. As soon as your eyes land upon the blonde at the door, your heart stops. This girl was stunning. You're seeing the embodiment of Aphrodite in front of you. You're staring and you almost don't care.

Almost.

Because now you're thinking about whether this girl is queer at all. Thoughts of having to deal with the girl dating around with mediocre guys make your skin crawl. You're already floored by the girl's beauty, so seeing this girl every day was either a curse or a blessing. But there's also something else. Something oddly familiar, but you can quite place it. At least, not until the angelic voice breaks you from your thoughts.

"It can't be... Y/N?"

The words were quiet, almost to herself. You weren't sure whether you were meant to hear it, but you did and it blasted you into the depths of your memories.

Your ten year old self is crying, not wanting to move away. To leave your best friend behind. You had gotten along so quickly when you met at kindergarten and were thick as thieves. You stood up to bullies and made sure your friend felt loved. Even at this point, she was your everything. Being forced to leave her was heartbreaking and it was an unintentional traumatic experience for you. You never forgot her. It was impossible for you to forget your...

"L-Lucy? No way..."

The blonde lets out a soft sob. Tears flowing from her eyes and a wide smile on her face. She launches herself at you, flying into your open arms as you embrace for the first time in years. The impact causes you to lose your balance and fall onto your bed, but you couldn't care less. Your best friend, your first love, was in your arms again. And this time, you had no plans to let her go.

-----+++++-----

You were so happy to have Lucy, or Quinn rather, in your life again. Just like when you were kids, you two were attached at the hip. You marveled at how different she looked. You always thought she was pretty before, even when she was more on the hefty side. It was her eyes. They always shone with emotion whenever you looked into them. Even now, with her by your side again, it's those hazel eyes that catch you the most.

Now that you're older, you also recognize that the feelings you had for Quinn were romantic. Before, there was just pure love. Child-like and innocent. Now, it wasn't so innocent. But you also didn't want to ruin the renewed relationship. You didn't want to lose Quinn again. So you bide your time and it was time well spent.

As you spent your time together, your physical affection evolved tenfold. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for someone to see Quinn sitting on your lap or leaning on you in some way. People often thought you were already going out and neither of you really tried to deny it.

"Hey, Luce?" You called. While Quinn preferred her current name, the old nickname made her smile.

"Hm?" She was at her desk, while you were on her bed.

"I'm curious. Does it bother you that people think we're dating?"

Quinn just tilts her head. "No. It doesn't really." She eyes you warily. "Does it bother you?"

You were about to shake your head, but then you thought about it. If it was any time to confess, it was now, you guess.

"I mean... Kind of." You sat up and looked at the blonde. She waited for you to continue, slight fear in her eyes. "Just because we're not together... Even when I want us to be."

You hear a soft gasp from the stunned blonde. There's a bit of a staring contest before Quinn stands from her seat and barrels into you, forcing you back into the bed and buries herself into your neck. Her next words made you the happiest you've ever been.

"I want us to be too..."

-----+++++-----

Walking the halls of your girlfriend's high school is definitely a weird experience. You can feel the history in the halls, knowing the drama from Quinn's own words. You make your way to the choir room, knowing you'll find your love there.

You had followed Quinn to Lima when she found out that her Glee Club had disbanded and her friends were trying to build it up again. Having been a part of one yourself, you joined to help out as well.

Entering the choir room, you didn't find Quinn. Instead you ran into Noah Puckerman, along with some of the other Glee alumni. Ever since you arrived with Quinn in your arms, he had been antagonistic towards you. He reverted back into his bully tactics and it was frustrating you. Hopefully you can maybe clear the air.

"Hey guys. You've seen Lu- uh Quinn around?"

Tina's the one who answers you. "I think she's with Santana. Something about the Cheerios, I think."

Puck chooses then to walk up to you, trying to intimidate by looming over you.

"You think you're gonna get into our good graces just cuz you're with Quinn?" He growls.

"Noah, stop it!" Rachel tries to interject but he ignores her."

"Quinn's just experimenting. We've known her longer. We've been around when she needed us. We saw her at her lowest and we still love her. I still love her. You don't deserve the Quinn you have now. You weren't there when she had her baby. You weren't there when she had her car accident. You weren't there for her so what makes you think you deserve her?"

You just stood there, taking the verbal assault with your head held high. The man in front of you heaves from his rant and you give him a moment to cool down before replying.

"You done?" Puck jerks his head back in surprise. You continue on.

"I love Quinn. It's as simple as that. She's been a part of my life since I was five, even when we parted ways. I lost the light of my life the day I moved away. Finding her again, by complete chance, made me feel like we're fated to have each other in our lives.

"I may have not been a part of her recent life, but I knew Quinn before all of you. I knew Quinn as Lucy. Before the expectations of life changed her appearance and her view on life. I loved her then, and I love her infinitely more now. Her growth in life shaped her to be her very best and she's just going to get better. And I intend to be there every step of the way."

You stepped closer to the group, anxiety suddenly filling your heart. But it bolstered you to continue on knowing that this was your Luce's chosen family.

"I don't intend on losing my light again." You start in a low voice. "We may have not dated for long, but I know my love for her spans years. I intend to marry her." The girls around, and Kurt, let out a soft gasp. "And I would like the support of you all, her family. Because you mean the world to her and who am I to tear her away from that."

Puck steps up again, sizing you up. You stand tall with resolve in your eyes. There's a beat of silence before he opens his arms and pulls you into an embrace.

"Just take care of her. If you don't, I'll come after you."

You return the hug with a chuckle. "If I don't, I'd throw myself off a cliff first."

The rest of the group join in on the hug, surrounding you with a welcoming love.

Quinn watches from the doorway, Santana by her side. They had heard Puck's ranting from the hallway and came to investigate. While the blonde wanted to intervene, the Latina stopped her to see how things would play out and she's glad they didn't step in.

"She looooves you," Santana teases. "She wants to kiss you." Quinn just shoves the other girl away with a smile.

"Shut up, San. I know she loves me." She looks over at you and her family. "I love her too."

-----+++++-----

Quinn makes her way to the choir room after talking to Sue. It was a normal conversation to have with her, the younger blonde leaving just a little more confused than she was initially. Typical Sue Sylvester.

When she enters the choir room, she's greeted by the entirety of the New Directions and your old Glee friends who had joined you in Yale. They were all crowded on the steps where the chairs usually are. That left you standing in front of them, by yourself.

"What's going on?" She asks, a confused smile on her face. You just return the smile and nod to the group behind you. Suddenly, they start to sing and Quinn is enthralled.

I swear

By the moon and stars in the skies

And I swear

Like the shadow that's by your side

You started your verse, holding your hand out for Quinn to take. As soon as she takes a hold, you pull her into a simple dance, more swaying than anything. You twirl her gently, letting the mood of the song take hold. Her soft smile gives you the courage to continue as your friends join you in the chorus. With a deep breath, the second half is yours and with a final twirl, you drop to one knee, pulling out a small, velvet box. Quinn gasps as you sing the next lines.

For better or worse

Til death do us part

I'll love you with every beat of my heart

And I swear...

You see tears in Quinn's eyes when you open the box, revealing a simple, elegant diamond ring. You try to still your shaking hands as the room falls silent.

"Lucy Quinn Fabray. I lost you once because of reasons out of our control. Years later, Fate brought us together again. Now, I refuse to lose you again. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Almost immediately, Quinn nods and lets out a weepy 'yes.' With a wide grin, you place the ring on her finger and pull her into a tight embrace. Your friends surround you with cheers before charging in for a massive group hug. The room fills with laughs and joy before a party starts with a pop of sparkling cider.

As the party continues, Mr. Schuster, the New Direction's teacher, comes up to you.

"Hey, Y/N. Congratulations."

You smile in response. "Thank you, Will. I'm glad everyone's supportive."

The man pats you on the shoulder. "Just treat her well. She's been through more than enough to last a lifetime." You both watch her chat with your friends. "She deserves the best life and I hope it's with you."

You tear up at his words. "Of course. She's the light in my life, my Luce. There's no one else I'd rather spend my life with."

Mr. Schue pulls you into a hug in thanks and lets you go so you can mingle with the others. When your eyes meet Quinn's, you swear you could see the rest of your lives together in a short span of time.

And it was perfection.

[bengiyo]

Step By Step: I Get It, But I'm Fine

There's a lot of frustration coming out of episode 11 for a lot of folks, and I genuinely respect how everyone is feeling about it.

I get that we probably should have spent more time inside of Pat and Jeng's dynamic so we could understand what was and wasn't working so we'd be more connected to the breakup.

I get that we probably should have spent more time with Chot and Krit to get a sense of what a long-term, partially-closted relationship looked like in this setting.

I get that we probably spent too much time away from the office tower, and so lost the thread of the workplace politics while in the LGBT-BL-production bubble.

And yet, for me the absence of so many of the romantic beats folks are writing about feels oddly correct for me. Pat has only had one bad relationship, and Jeng feels like he's underdeveloped romantically as well. So much of their relationship feels like a series of false starts and missteps, and Jeng (and Put) are unable to talk about those problems and work with Pat.

It sucks, because I feel like so much of this story is about Pat growing because of the insights he has from his parents, Chot, and his own history, and it's being a bit lost in the shuffle.

Like @ginnymoonbeam wrote and @respectthepetty detailed, I think much of the throughline has been foreshadowed well enough. As a gay person who dated from the closet, I genuinely get a lot of what's happening at an intrinsic level. I'm dissatisfied that their romance is failing, but I'm not surprised or offended, per se. It again makes sense to me.

I mostly just wish everything didn't feel so muddled, because the ideas about how queer people are not allowed romance or joy in the workplace that is going to profit from their existence is a strong theme I wish hadn't gotten lost in the shuffle.

[quodekash]

guys jokezo just made out and now they have to share a bed together. just chew on that for a bit.

NO, DON'T GIVE ME THEM SITTING ON A BUS

GIVE ME WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY HAD TO SLEEP IN THE SAME FREAKING BED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY MADE OUT

👀

(they made out last night btw)

(just in case anyone forgot)

(and then they had to share a bed)

ass x7

also zo is fully just not doing anything lmao

everyone's pushing with all their might and zo is just 🧍‍♂️

FUIWEBSDGIOUVEWJBOGD

oh the desperate thigh grab

yeah, im with him on this, they need to talk about it. especially about how they had to slEEP IN THE SAME FREAKING BED AFTER THAT

welp. I guess joke's day was just ruined in a slap to the face disguised as a few words

AND THE WAY HE TAKES HIS HAND OFF ZO'S THIGH AFTER THAT????? OUCHHHH

I must say tho, this is really giving episode-6-of-bad-buddy

its very patpran-post-rooftop-kiss-core

the vibes be gay and yearning and very very sad

OKAY, THE MOTHER, FINALLY

a few things to say about her

1. she's gorgeous

2. DAMN she is SHORT

3. I was rewatching the first four episodes yesterday and today because I could, and I noticed in the first episode, zo asked his friends to not tag him in photos they took at the bar, because "I don't want my mum to see"

but my question is... why? he's just out drinking with friends, he's an adult, he's not being irresponsible or anything, so why doesn't he want her to see the photos?

is it something to do with what his mum thinks of him? is she overbearing? does she have high expectations of him? does she kinda suck?

she's probably lovely though, and ill end up adding her to my list-of-fictional-parents-to-get-adopted-by (it's a very long list)

I guess we shall find out today as the episode progresses

oh, honey, you're so queer

the amount of times ive done exactly this

she's so short its hilarious omg

also: ive decided I love his mum

she's so sweet

and neither of them know how to use a stove and I think that's so hilarious and endearing

HSDHSHFSHDHHS

(also: this scene is making me think of akkayan at aye's house having a meal with his mum and rhbgdhjgb)

he's putting two and two together

the few braincells he has that aren't dedicated to debating are whirring in his mind

I can practically hear his thoughts

"he kissed me back... he wants to talk about the kiss... we went on two dates together at his suggestion... he showed up at my house and charmed my mother... he says I have secret admirers..." cmon sweetie youre so close

"WAIT, DOES HE LIKE ME?" omg honeybun you did it!

or maybe he didn't do it

maybe he was still shuffling the pieces in his brain but hadn't put them together and then his mum said something and distracted him

either way: that was hilarious and I want to high five dunk for his acting there

HIGH EXPECTATIONS, I KNEW IT

still love her tho

high expectations suck but she seems wonderful so far (obviously my opinion will change if the circumstances do (like if it turns out she completely sucks) but for now she's made it to the adoption list)

brb, gonna go cry real quick

well now their thumbs are making out

you see, I understand the things he's saying. and I honestly agree with him. if I were ever somehow put in his position, id probably say the same things.

HOWEVER, I just want my bl boys to kiss again and be happy and together and I appreciate the realism over the usual fantasy kinda situation we go for in bls, but I just want them to kissssss

this is very good advice

I hope that jokezo kiss again this episode

also AAAGBRDHFKBG JENGPOK CRUMBS

YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHO'S LOSING THEIR MIND OVER JENGPOK AGAIN

BERIUFDJKGBEORPVFD

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

SHUT UP

SHUT UP SHUT UP

IM NOT CRYING YOU'RE CRYING

FHEWSDGFVESDV

THIS IS TOO FUNNY

im gonna start crying soon

its so funny

help me

girl is worried

I know this is what jeng told you to do but is during debate club really the right moment

im so certain that she ships it

awwhhhhh

HE SAID IT

HE SAID THE THING

AAAAAAAAA

hell yeah

GOUERJLHDGOBIERVLDNF

AAAAAAAAAAA

IM SCREAMING

THATS IT??

THAT'S THE END OF THE EPISODE??

THEY DIDNT EVEN KISS

OR ADDRESS THE FACT THAT - and I can't stress this enough - THEY SLEPT IN THE SAME FREAKING BED AFTER FULL-ASS MAKING OUT

omg next episode is gonna be amazing

I can't wait

gekjrdsbfd I love them so much

im like 70% certain they're gonna kiss next episode so fingers crossed

ALSO NITA DEFINITELY SHIPS IT

anyway. that was good. I should go to sleep now

[verdemoun]

I'm legitimately thinking about the gang witnessing big events. Bessie was probably there when USSR collapsed. The gang and 9/11. Big advances in queer rights in general (I can definitely see Bill telling someone to turn up the radio after he hears a snippet). Covid, fucking covid. And that's just a few. That must've been wild. I can see some of the newcomers getting overwhelmed - the world has never seemed like this in their first life. There was never so much happening.

(i can also see Lenny fucking thriving; boy loves studying. I can DEFINITELY see him asking Bessie about events she witnessed before anyone arrived.)

I'M SO SORRY THIS WAS EATEN BY DRAFTS PLEASE ENJOY

Side shuffling around the gang living through 9/11 as a non-American who was alive but too busy shoving crayons up my nose to fully understand the devastation from 9/11 from a global perspective I am not going to attempt that But a) it definitely contributed to Arthur's fear of flying b) it was the first time the gang were seriously agitated by Bessie's no guns in the house rule because all the safety they had worked towards finding in modern era was ripped away from them and c) they would have been very bothered by the sheer amount of racism it inspired they did not go through 1899 bigotry just to watch it be born again.

QUEER RIGHTS MY PASSION

The gang were all over that shit they may still have a bit of that 1899 assumes pronouns and don't fully understand some LGBTQIA+ identities but most of them needed a hobby and keeping up to date with how queer rights were being adapted into civil rights was a whole gang affair.

Arthur hot for voting rights Morgan out there accidentally intimidating people to vote for parties that openly supported pro-lgbtqia+ agendas.

The number one thing Isaac never got in trouble from the gang for protesting no matter how much actual legal trouble he got into. He was wearing skirts and dresses to school to protest gendered uniforms, he was punching protestors in the face (maybe a lil trouble for that one but not nearly as much as he probably should have been), vandalizing homophobic signs and billboards he was out fighting.

Arthur picking him up from holding after teen Isaac got caught vandalizing a homophobic billboard and instead of a lecture Isaac gets McDonalds on the way home.

Bill didn't say outright it was to celebrate gay marriage finally being legalized but the day it was confirmed gay marriage was going nation-wide he invited everyone over for the biggest boozy cook-out ever and internalized homophobia be damned my boy can work a grill.

Also poor Bessie having to be the one to explain to the 1899 gang when they timewarped in 1999 that same-sex intercourse was still technically a crime and if anything the laws around it had gotten more explicitly anti-gay since 1899 when every single one of them was a little slice of fruit cake - the absolute riot she had to deal with in her living room.

COVID

Arthur was a nervous wreck. He died of the last plague and is absolutely convinced covid-19 would be his second demise. Comes off as really aggressive about people wearing masks and sanitizing their hands but in private Charles is fully aware he is absolutely terrified. Like paling as the death toll rises Charles having to convince him to turn off the news before he has a meltdown.

Arthur was living lockdown style even before lockdown was announced would not leave the house, sprayed any groceries left at the door with disinfectant, insisted Charles get changed out of outside-contaminated clothes before he walked into the house ect.

Charles had to be a very patient, loving supportive husband. Many bird houses and loafs of bread were made.

The gang very nearly shackled Hosea to the couch because his attitude was 'bah how many epidemics have i survived already' despite being an elderly smoker with pre-existing lung issues.

On his way home the day lockdown was announced Lenny bought as much gym equipment as he could fit in his car and while Sean absolutely went insane not being able to go out and do things he did accidentally get shredded because he would spend hours in the temporary home gym trying to burn energy.

Jack immediately dipped. Grabbed a suitcase and moved into Isaac's because being trapped at home with John, Uncle, Abigail and Addie would have resulted in someone being sent to hospital for grievous bodily injuries.

Kieran thrived. Objectively the peak of his neurodivergent and mental health. No cars? Reduced people in stores? 3ft apart? It was the first time he could leave the house without noise-cancelling headphones (still took them but wore them around his neck in bliss upon realizing how quiet it was). Jumped at the chance to go to the store or drop off things because he loved leaving the house when the world was so much more quiet.

Also little people-watcher knew exactly what things to drop off to just make someone's day a little less bad. Favorite snacks, fidgets, movies they'd love, craft kits. A lot of the gang were really grateful for how well Kieran actually knew them and looked forward to the random texts of presents left at the door-step.

Sulked when restrictions were taken away he was glad the pandemic was considered over but also having to retreat to those supports because outside was too overwhelming again. (i'm projecting)

Micah got covid twice during peak pandemic, was almost hospitalized the first time, and still anti-vac.

[thatonegaybrit]

; hey everyone !! It's officially pride month, and since I'm an absolute fucking ambitious idiot I've made a list, enjoy.

; I love you

Lesbians ( ALL LESBIANS !! )

Sapphics

Biromantics

Bigenders

Bigenderfluxes

Bisexuals

Polysexuals

Polyromantics

Polygenders

Omnisexuals

Omniromantics

Omnigenders

Omnigenderfluxes

Pansexuals

Panromantics

Pangenders

Demiboys

Demigirls

Demigenders

Demifluxes

Demisexuals

Demiromantics

Graysexuals

Grayromantics

Asexuals

Aromantics

Acefluxes

Arofluxes

Aroaces

Aroacespecs

Acespecs

Arospecs

Quoiromantics

Qouisexuals

Cupidsexuals

Cupidromantics

Lithromantics

Lithrosexuals

Gays

Genderfluids

Genderfluxes

Apagenders

Xenogenders

Intersexuals

Agenders

Transgenders

Transfemmes

Transmascs

Non-binaries

Genderqueers

Akoisexuals

Akoiromantics

Queers

Attractiofluxes

Abrosexuals

Abromantics

Polyamorous-es

Ambiamorous-es

Fraysexuals

Frayromanticss

Uranics

Nebulas

Neptunics

Orchidsexuals

Orchidromantics

Genderflors

Genderflirs

Genderfauns

Boyfluxs

Girlfluxs

Faesaris

Questioning ppl

Maveriques

Pomosexuals

Achilleans

Torics

Trigenders

Libramascs

Librafemmes

Libragenders

Paragirls

Paraboys

Berrisexuals

Berriromantics

Almondsexuals

Almondromantics

Bellussexuals

Bellusromantics

Genderhoarders

Xenohoarders

Sequencesexuals

Polarsexuals

Two spirits

Enbians

Reciproromantics

Aporagenders

Finromantics

Finsexuals

Reciprosexuals

Androgynes

; is this list meant to demean or invalidate anyone who isn't on it ?? No. It's showing you that in just a few minutes ( seriously, minutes. ) I've listed 100 identities. 1 0 0. The LGBTQIA+ community is vast. So so incredibly vast !! Even if your identity is not listed on here, you're still so so valid and I love you so much. You're a part of this community, you're important and you're you. Whether you use 20+ labels or prefer not to just roll with it and use none, whether you use " common " labels like bi or lesbian, or you use an array of xenogenders that js describe you so perfectly. Whatever. As long as you're comfortable and you're happy with your identity or lack thereof, then I'm so proud of you.

; or if you haven't yet figured out what labels to use or you're shuffling between loads in confusion, that's okay !! Finding yourself takes time, it could take forever, you as a person are constantly changing and so how you identify is " allowed " to change w that. It's okay. You're still valid and you're still a part of this community.

; to the people who are out and proud, whether those people were accepting or not, you're so valid and brave and I'm so proud of you !! And you're an inspiration to those around you I'm sure. And to those still closeted for whatever reason .. It's alright, everything will be okay. You don't have to tell anyone anything, you don't owe anyone anything, you're not lying to them or anything ( it's only a lie if they're entitled to know ) !! And when the time comes, whoever you tell, I wish you luck. For now simply stay safe, be yourself and don't let anyone stop you !!

; happy pride everyone, the fun has only js begun !! Get ready to taste the mother fucking rainbow !! >:]] /nsx

; I'd also like to say if you want me to add to this list then feel free to shoot me an ask or message !! /gen /nf

[sarucane]

OFMD Spiral Parallels 19: Ed and Izzy Sing

Intro: What I love most about how season 2 builds on season 1 of OFMD is the spiral narrative structure. Ground is repeatedly and explicitly re-trod from season 1 to season 2, but in season 2 everything goes deeper than season 1. Meanings are shuffled, emotions are stronger and truer, and transformation is showcased above everything. The first season plucks certain notes, then the second season plucks the same ones--but louder, and then it weaves them together to create a symphony.

---

In both seasons 1 and 2, a person the crew of the Revenge knows very well turns up, wearing an unexpected and gender-non-conforming outfit, and starts belting out a heartfelt song. The crew initially reacts with some confusion, but that soon shifts to encouragement, and even participation.

In season 1, Ed is reeling from his breakup with Stede. Rather than retreat into his Blackbeard persona, or running away, he tries to sit with his pain. It's wallowing, it's undignified, and it's emotionally healthy. The result is a rather terrible but entirely heartfelt song about trying to accept the "death" of that relationship.

In season 2, Izzy is reeling from his "breakup" with Ed/Blackbeard and the loss of his leg. Rather than wallowing in self-pity though, he's using the leg offered by the crew to participate fully in a group activity.

When Ed sings, the Revenge crew are confused and a bit uncomfortable about how personal he's being (and how obvious the bad breakup behind it is, there's a reason Olu is very firm telling Stede "you dumped him" later), but they don't question Ed's choice to do this or come close to laughing. That said, Ed is essentially forcing everyone to participate in his pain, so this could easily have gone to a dark place. But then Ed, with a combination of earnestness and obliviousness, almost immediately acts to create emotional space for others. He's turning his own poisoning into positivity, into a chance for everyone to deepen their community--even to stop being pirates.

In contrast, when Izzy sings, he's joining a pre-existing group activity. He's not the only one in drag, he's enhancing something that's already there. It's a very different community act from Ed's: while Ed was creating a safe community around him, Izzy is just adding depth to a community that's already safe.

Which brings us to the reactions Ed and Izzy each have to the other singing. Because each is present at the other's debut, and the reactions each has to the other's singing sets a tone for the entire relationship going forward.

In season 1, Izzy is baffled and horrified by Ed's singing, and how he acts after singing. Ed is very clearly changing in front of all their eyes, embracing a side of himself that he previously buried deep. Stede's gone, but Ed's growth triggered by that relationship is actually continuing. Izzy thought the "problem" with Ed--the reason he wasn't into being Blackbeard anymore--was Stede (and Izzy still thinks that as late as S2E1). But he was wrong that "no Stede" would lead to Blackbeard again, and he's realizing that, and he hates it. Unable to deal with this directly, he instead tries to regulate the way the crew treat Ed, to make them act as re-enforcers of the "Blackbeard" persona. This fails, because Ed himself is no longer interested in living like that. The next time Izzy tries to intervene in this, he does so in private.

And then there's the queerness of it all. Ed's gender expression here is very different from his normal presentation. Sure, the silk robe is technically men's clothes, but it's also pink and covered in flowers. On top of that, Ed's mannerisms in this scene are noticeably more "gay"-coded than at just about any point in the past. Yet, despite his pain, he seems comfortable in his skin as he presents like this. He's not performing a persona, he's "laying himself bare."

Izzy shames Ed for this. In their next scene, he calls Ed being like this "a fate worse than death." He then displays maybe the most overt homophobia ever to appear on the show, mocking Ed as "namby-pamby," shaming his clothes, and tying all of that to Ed's sexual preferences. It's frankly an evil thing for one human being to do to another, and done when Ed is just starting to feel better about being himself again. The relationship between Ed and Izzy never really recovers (til the very end), it just morphs from one kind of toxicity to another before exploding.

Which is why it's important that Ed doesn't say anything when Izzy comes out in drag. Now it's Izzy who's moving outside the traditional bounds of gender, flirting with a drag queen and singing a love song (written by a woman, to add to the nonconformism). And Ed, like Izzy did, keeps his distance from this. KHe's a bit confused, like Izzy was, but his reaction to this confusion isn't to attack. It's to offer approbation. He raises his drink to toast Izzy, confused but not remotely hostile.

And crucially, the reason all this was able to happen was Ed himself. This party is how they're turning Ed's poison into positivity: Ed's own actions, his desire to correct the very mistakes that Izzy once pushed him to make, have helped create a space for Izzy himself to be vulnerable.

On a personal level, Izzy and Ed just weren't any good for each other. When they tried to hang on to each other, one way or another, they dragged each other down. But when they step back from each other, each is finally able to grow.

Over the course of season 2. Ed is accepted back into the crew--but as Stede's boyfriend. He never goes back to the same emotional place with the crew as when he was singing. He even forgets that there was supposed to be a talent show at all.

But despite the interruption of Ned Lowe, Izzy gets to finish his song. He gets to lead the crew in humming along. And he even has a chance to sing another.

[sadaveniren]

This is just me being sappy and gay about music and queerness and fandom under the cut but I just want to say it

One of the highlights of my trip to Iowa was definitely the moment me and @jaerie were alone in her car Malchik Gay by t.A.T.u came on shuffle. Jenna is pretty open about being someone who doesn’t really listen to female singers - like the entire ride with Alex from the Des Moines airport I heard exactly 2 female singers - so like out of this playlist of 48000 songs or something it’s fucking Malchik Gay the moment the two of us were alone.

We both doubled over in laughter and early 2000s queer bonding because OF FUCKING COURSE it’s t.A.T.u. Like there clearly could be no one else that came on.

And like here’s the thing. She grew up in the Midwest, I grew up on the east coast. While we both were heavily involved in internet fandom during this time we were in vastly different fandoms. We only met in adulthood in 1D fandom and that’s when she became one of my closest friends of all time, but we both were openly queer in the early 00s and so we have such similar experiences from that time even not knowing one another or living near each other.

So of fucking course we both listened to fucking t.A.T.u! We were baby gays and despite everything people might hate about them now because it’s not “progressive” and they weren’t actually gay and they were just being used to make money from fucking music labels, they were so important to us as young queer kids in ways that 20 years later still hits us and connects us to each other.

And idk. I just… really love that. I hope that in 20 years some younger Louis and Harry and 1D fans get to meet up with each other when they’re in their 30s, going to some other show or event (because fandom doesn’t end when you’re 20!) and All this time comes on or Lights Up or Only the Brave or End of the Day and they look at each other and go FUCK YOU WERE THERE TOO! Even when we didn’t know each other, even when we felt alone in our experiences in real life and all we might have had was music and pop culture we now have someone who was there with us too, experiencing the same moments in time we were.

Maybe watching Louis have the rainbow mega mix lights now (or Harry lifting a flag during TPWK) will be to them what watching t.A.T.u’s MTV Movie Awards was to us. Not seen as perfect by any means then, and definitely not looked at favorably now by people who weren’t there, but still so fucking important to them.

Idk. Be kind to each other. Let people enjoy what they enjoy because it might be all they have in the moment. 🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride everyone.

[dottie-writes-tmnt]

Settled In

This is part five of my story A New Kind of Familiar. Tags and other chapters can be found here!

No summary this time we ballin; Ruby gets his own room tho

Ruby woke up to quiet commotion going on around the couch he was sleeping on. Leo, Mikey, Casey Sr., and Donnie were all begging Red for something.

“Raph, cmon, please?”

“You’ve been saying ‘next year’ for the past 3 years!”

“Red, we should all go. It will be a bonding experience for all of us,” Casey said, oddly formal.

“I concur. Unless Ruby’s straight and/or homophobic, in which case it’ll be horrible.”

“Oh, shit. I forgot those exist. But Ruby’s literally Raph from another dimension. Isn’t he queer by default?”

“There’s always a possibility, Leon.”

“ Ouch,” Ruby snarked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “It was already offensive enough when ya said I was straight, but the jump to homophobic was just evil. You guys really need to work on not talkin’ about a guy when he’s in the room with ya, by the way.”

He watched with mild amusement as everyone in the room looked at him in either shock or guilt.

“Anyway, where are you guys tryin’ to convince Red to let ya go?”

In his sleepy haze, it took him awhile to process what he’d heard.

“A pr—“

“Wait a damn minute, Leo’s— you’re all— holy crap, this dimension is so backwards oh my god.”

“Language.”

“You don’t mean to tell me I’m straight in your dimension!?”

“It’s not the end of the world, Leon.”

“You’re not straight all of a sudden?!”

“I’ve known I was gay since I was 6!”

“That’s fuckin’ crazy.”

“Language,” Raph warned, just slightly louder, overlapping once again with the Leonardo ingrained in his mind.

“Ah, right, I haven’t asked any questions about your dimension yet! I have been trying to let you settle in first, but my curiosity is slowly getting the better of me. And what better time to do it than while ‘buying’ more pride things for all of our ever-growing collections?”

“That’s a Donatello way of saying ‘be prepared, bitch, I’m gonna interrogate the fuck outta you’, ain’t it?”

“Third strike, yer out,” Red growled playfully, grabbing Ruby by the top of his shell and lifting him until he dangled in the air.

The turtle swallowed his immediate panic, recalling Raph doing similar things to Leo, Mikey, and Donnie.

“Donnie, you can interrogate ‘im next week. Ruby, ya get air jail for 10 minutes.”

“Haha you got air jail,” Leo taunted, sticking his tongue out at him.

Mikey gasped beside them.

“Guys, we have to go! It’ll be Casey Jr.’s first one, since Raph didn’t let us go last year! Ruby, have you ever been to a pride parade?”

“I’ve been nocturnal for most of my life and spent the rest of it fearing humans for all I’m worth. So no.”

“That’s why your sleep schedule sucks,” the box turtle said like he’d cracked some magic code to the secret of life.

Raph finally sighed.

“Fine, we can go. We’re going shoppin’ today, we’ll go to a parade tomorrow, and we’ll watch old gay movies the next day, and maybe if y’all behave, Raph and Leo’ll make ya some extra clothes, mm?”

The others rejoiced, waking up Casey Jr., who shuffled into the living room and leaned against the doorway, rubbing his eyes to try to wake up. His hair was a mess and he looked like he was back asleep already. Raph set Ruby back on the couch.

“Wha’s hap’nin?” the boy slurred, humming happily when Raph scooped him up and nuzzled the side of his head.

“Mornin’, Casey.”

“Mmmm.”

“I think he’s already asleep again,” Leo murmured.

“No, he’s not.”

The snapper set him down on the couch near Ruby and the teen immediately latched onto him, nuzzling his face into the turtle’s shoulder. He stiffened immediately, eyes going to the teen on him.

“You’re gonna be there awhile,” Donnie informed. 

“Sooo…we call April, Barry, maybe Dad and leave around ten-ish?”

“Yeah, we do need to update Dad’s collection, don’t we?”

That was the craziest shit he’d heard all night. Apparently, during summer, the family was nocturnal.

“Now y’all are just lying to me.”

“About?”

“Splinter is a homophobic conservative. Anything else and you’re lying.”

“Sorry to break it to you, amigo, but Dad is very much a bisexual.”

“You’re lying. Casey drools in his sleep.”

“I know. We’ll get him in a bit.”

“Everybody’s eating before we leave,” Raph growled, glowering at Donnie. Suddenly, music started blaring from Leo’s phone.

“You already know you’re dealing with this shit all month,” the slider said simply as I Like Boys by Todrick Hall played. “Anyway, just lemme know when we’re leaving.”

Donnie rolled his eyes. “Leon, we depart in close to an hour.”

“Yeah, whatever, I’ll see you guys then!”

“He’s going to see Usagi,” Donnie said at the same time Red said “he’s goin’ visit Usagi.”

They both sighed, rolling their eyes.

“Who?”

“You’ll see. Anyway, have fun with Jr.”

“Wait a damn minute!”

“Language.”

“I’m gonna go work on cooking, so we can all actually eat something before we leave.”

“SHELLDON is in need of his routine scrubbing. And I need to continue working on his body.”

“What?”

“SHELLDON is our nephew, only the best little AI in the world,” Mikey chirped. (What.)

“With villain tendencies,” chimed Cassandra, before getting up. “Yeah, I’m gonna get a workout in before we leave.”

“What am I supposed to do about Casey Jr.?”

“Someone’ll swing by to get him or his body clock will wake him up. Good luck. You also look like ya need more sleep,” Raph said, glancing Ruby’s way.

“I can’t fall back asleep once I wake up. Trust me, I’ve got all the sleep I’m gonna get.”

“Alright. I’m gonna watch some Lou Jitsu,” the snapper said simply, turning on the projector and sitting near the couch.

Ruby turned to watch the screen, Casey inhaling deeply, shifting in his sleep as he sighed before he tightened his hold on the turtle and huffed.

“Jr.’s a very clingy sleeper. He lost a lot of people.”

“This’s worse than Chompy,” he muttered, sighing as he rubbed the human’s back. It was a subconscious gesture, his mind drifting to the last time he’d taken a nap with his child.

“Chompy?”

“Turtle alien from the time we went to space.”

“Space?!”

“Yeah. To stop murderous aliens from killing everyone ‘n destroying the planet. Ya know, the usual.”

“That…how old’re you, again?”

“Eh, I dunno anymore. With the whole Dimension X thing, and the whole time travel thing, none of us know how old we are. But I’m the second oldest. I could be anywhere from 15 to fuckin’, what, 17?”

“When did you guys go to space?”

“Well, that was the time travel thing. I think I was 15? We count Leo as being a year older than me, so uh… I think. Why?”

“No reason. Just, y’all were kids.”

“I know. What does that hafta do with anything?”

“Nothin’! It’s great you guys did so much for the world.”

“Yeah, somethin’ like that.”

The two settled to watch the man on the TV scream hot soup and take out enemies courageously.

Some time passed with Ruby watching blurry colors and hearing static instead of the actual movie, the weight on top of him the only thing that kept him from completely being lost. That happened to him a lot.

“—by? Ruby? Hey, Ruby?”

He clocked in enough to hear Red’s voice gain more concern as he still didn’t respond. He couldn’t force noise from his mouth, unsure why he was having such trouble. He grunted, shifting to try to get some life back into himself. Jr. woke immediately, sitting up.

“Raph?”

Mikey.

“It’s time to go,” the box turtle continued, walking over. “Ruby?”

He really wished people would just shut the fuck up and leave him alone.

“Blink if you’re hearing what I’m saying.”

Blink once or blink twice? He didn’t think it mattered, simply blinking anyway.

“Okay. Casey, lay back down.”

The ravenette obeyed without question, one of the turtle’s rumored “Doctor Personas” close to surfacing from the looks of it.

The human drummed nonsense patterns on his shoulder, and Ruby counted each impact for fun. What did they all need, anyway? There had to be a reason they were trying to get a response from him.

“Because it’s time to go shopping like we planned earlier. Of course, we don’t have to if you’re not up for it. We all were going to eat before we leave, though?”

Had he said that out loud?

“Yeah, big guy, ya did. Think you can get up?”

Casey got up again easily, hopping over the back of the couch. The red banded turtle sat up, wishing distantly they’d quit looking at him like that.

“We’ll be in the kitchen.”

He simply nodded. Now he wondered how long he’d been out of it. He shrugged it off in favor of getting his ass up and going to the kitchen. He had shopping to do later.

 

Malls were a lot bigger than he remembered. Leo immediately ran off, screaming about getting a Harry Styles poster. Draxum simply followed everyone to Hot Topic, then going off to buy his own stuff. Ruby stood looking at everything until Casey Jr. mumbled something next to him.

“I’ve never been in one of these stores either. I think we can just get whatever.”

Raph was pondering squishmallows while Cassandra gazed at jackets. Mikey was with Raph and Donnie was looking at pins. The teen beside him nudged him further into the store.

“Just see what you find.”

 

After looking for a while, he did find a nice looking leather jacket that he could modify later. And a few nice looking pins. And if Red caught him staring at a few Hello Kitty plushies and picked them up for him, nobody had to know.

After Leo returned, he shoved a trans pin at everyone.

“Renewing my gender like I do every year,” he drawled, putting it on his sash and brandishing his Harry Styles poster.

Ruby rolled his eyes, and they all went back to the lair. Splinter hadn’t come along but nobody seemed to be even remotely phased. April had been asleep and they didn’t disturb her further. 

“We actually have a surprise for you, Ruby!”

He quirked a brow ridge.

“What if I hated surprises?”

“Well, it’s kinda too late now. Cover your eyes.”

He did so reluctantly, Red guiding him somewhere.

“Open!”

He uncovered his eyes and felt his jaw drop. A subway car, just like the other bedrooms, but the walls were a dark red, and the stool he’d helped Mikey paint was at a desk with sewing supplies.

There was a mattress he recognized pushed into a corner, a bookshelf with books he’d rescued from the scrap yard hanging nearby. There were little bird skulls all over the room, and suddenly everything made sense.

Donnie dragging him into his lab to ask him questions about what shows and movies he liked explained the Corpse Bride poster on the wall, Mikey asking what colors he thought went with which, Leo annoyingly taunting him about the most random things until he could get sewing tips, Red just being Red—

“Holy shit, what the fuck.”

They’d pulled this straight under his beak.

“Do you like it?”

“How did I not notice?”

“Because we’re just that good.”

“That just ain’t true.”

“Soo…?”

“You guys did a nice job.”

“Wooo! He likes it!”

Everyone around him rejoiced and Draxum set a hand on his shoulder.

“This is just how they incorporate others into the family. If you think they were bad before, it only gets worse. I would run while I could, child,” the yokai said, clearly joking.

Mikey’s affronted scoff signed the baron’s death wish.

Distantly, Raph wondered how his brothers were doing. Quietly, he wondered if they cared.

Previous Chapter | Next chapter

[panickinganakin]

stepping stones to hell ch. 3 (ronance fic)

this is chapter 3 of an ongoing fic, you can find all previous chapters here. 

word count: 2,310

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

After soundcheck Robin made her way back to the dressing room areas. She needed to drink water and ice her wrists with what little time she had left. She knocked on the first dressing room door, hoping Steve would be inside. 

“Come in,” she had heard his voice from the other side. 

Relief flooded through her just at the sound of her best friend's voice. She pushed the door open and groaned. As she shuffled into the room, Eddie was already holding a bottle of water out for her. She grabbed it thankfully and plopped down on the couch next to Steve. “Well, how’d it go?” He asked. 

Robin waited until she had drunk almost half the water before answering. Trying to decide what to say. “It went well. I wasn’t expecting Nancy Wheeler to be there. Why didn’t you say that?”

“Well, I just know tensions used to be high between the two of you. I was afraid you might turn the offer down had I told you beforehand.”

Robin cocked an eyebrow. “What are you talking about? I’ve always liked Nancy. Sure, we may have not been compatible friends back in the day but.. I’ve always respected her as a person and not to mention she’s a hell of a writer.”

Eddie lifted his water, “Cheers to that.”

“It was nice though. Nancy asked me questions that mattered and that were centered around what I had to offer to men. It was a really good environment. I fear the pictures might look… Well, I don’t know.” She looked in the large mirror across from them. The lipstick didn’t look bad. She didn’t look bad. “Okay, fine. I look great. But, I just feel like posing is hard. I probably look like a stiff board.”

Steve laughed then patted Robin’s knee. Robin’s thoughts drifted back to the last question Nancy had asked her. “What do you guys think about me coming out?”

Steve tilted his head but it was Eddie who spoke first, “To who?”

“Like everyone?”

Robin could feel her cheeks heating, “It was just an idea. I just thought maybe,” she started but paused to hear any protests. But they both were silent and listening closely. “Well, you know the point of this is to like, be a role model right? Women for women and such. It’s important for young girls and women to have women in all industries they can look up to.”

“Okay, go on,” Steve encouraged. 

“But, what about queer women? Like sure there’s representation with me doing an article cursing the patriarchy but what about what coming out could do? I just think of someone who was like me. Young, confused and just wanting someone to look to. I just-” she choked. Why was it so hard to say? “I just think coming out could give hope to people out there. Not just gay women, but anyone in our community. I’m just afraid of opinions.”

“Opinions of who? We already know your gay, babes,” Eddie said. 

“Well, what about Nancy? Will she even publish a story focused on a gay woman?”

Robin bit her nail but Steve smacked her hand away from her mouth. “We just painted those.  But, no? Why would Nancy care?”

“Well, because, well-” But Robin had nothing to add to that. Of course an all woman magazine would be progressive. 

“I think you’re more scared of yourself than anyone. Why?” Eddie asked. 

Robin rolled her eyes. She hated when Eddie spoke deeply and started making sense. “I’m not scared.”

“Really? You’ve only ever had one girlfriend and you wouldn't even bring her on a double date.”

Robin threw up a hand, Steve had no right to bring that up. “I was young! I’ve been busy. I’m not dating because I don’t want to. I just can’t right now. I’m focusing on this band, obviously.”

Eddie and Steve exchanged a silent look and Robin groaned. She hated when they spoke with their minds. “Nevermind, just forget it.” 

She stood up and grabbed an extra water. Before she made it to the door Steve stopped her, “Robs. You know we are proud of you no matter what. We will always support you and stand behind your decision. You can come out in this article or months down the road. Don’t ever ask us how you should do it. We are standing behind you no matter how.”

Robin’s chin quivered and she nodded, “I know that. I love you guys and I’m very thankful for you both. I’ll think about it. Maybe I’ll know after the show.”

Robin followed the hall down to where she knew dressing room ‘C’ was located. She tapped on the door twice and pushed it open before hearing a response. Gareth was sitting on the sofa, tapping drumsticks against a practice pad. He looked up and smiled, “Oh hey, Bubs. How did the interview go?” 

Robin took a seat beside Gareth and sighed dramatically. She laid her head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her. She couldn’t remember when Gareth had given her the nickname but it had been years of him using it. Their practice sessions had led to them becoming very close. He was practically her best friend after Steve. “It wasn’t bad, was it?” 

“No, no. It was fine! Nancy Wheeler was actually the person interviewing me.” 

“At least you knew someone. Did they take photos?” 

Robin nodded, “They did. I felt sort of silly alone but I think it’ll be okay. The work they’re doing is great.” 

“That’s good, I know how much it means to you.” 

That was true. Robin was very grateful for all of her bandmates. On more than one occasion they had stood with her, signs held high at different protests. Not only gender equality protests but also LGBT protests. “I think it’s going to be good. Nancy is a phenomenal writer.” 

“One of the best,” he agreed. Robin notes his silence and he knew he was thinking of her article she wrote for Eddie. Truly she deserved a large portion of credit when it came to Eddie’s name being cleared. 

The door swung open quickly and Nancy’s head popped in. Her eyes went big, “Oh, I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt anything. I just missed something but,” Nancy looked down at her notes, her brows furrowing. “Uhm, I’ll just find you after the show.” 

She turned and shut the door behind before Gareth or Robin could respond. “That was weird. Maybe go talk to her?” He suggested. 

Robin debated it for a moment then stood up, letting out a small sigh. She exited the room and saw Nancy standing at the end of the hallway. She held the notepad in her hands but was looking straight forward at the wall. “Uh, Nancy? What did you miss?” 

“Oh! Oh, uhm,” she paused. She looked down at the notes and sighed, “Nevermind. I had read it wrong, I thought I missed half of the answer to the growing up question but I drew an arrow to the margin and for some reason I missed that.” She inhaled, “Sorry I stormed in. I didn’t mean to interrupt your privacy. Steve just told me where to find you and,” she shook her head then smiled. “Please tell Gareth I’m sorry.” 

Robin raised an eyebrow. Nancy was acting like she had walked in on something scandalous. “Oookay. It’s not like either of us were offended. He was just asking me about the interview.” Robin took another step toward Nancy, “You said you’re going to stay for the show?” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah! Steve said it was fine and I wanted to take some notes to maybe have some stuff to fluff up your article. Is that okay?” 

“Do whatever you want,” Robin gave a smile then thought again about what she had discussed with Steve and Eddie. “How long does it take to run an article?” 

“Well, we’re hoping we get this one bumped to the issue that drops in two weeks but it really depends on the printers. It may be next month's issue.” 

“Okay, cool. Does that mean we could change some things around?” 

Nancy raised an eyebrow, tucking her notepad under her arm. “Like what?” She smoothed her shirt down and Robin noticed now she was wearing a short gray skirt, almost the color of her shorts. “Was there something you didn’t like?” 

“Oh, no! Everything was great! I just feel like I could have answered one of the questions differently. You know,” Robin paused to take a breath. Her chest felt funny as the internal debate with herself started again. What would the outcome of this be? Would it have the impact she thought? And why did she feel the need to have validation? “Maybe I’m just overthinking stuff. Everything was great.”

Robin rocked back on her heels and Nancy looked at her curiously. She needed to change the subject so she clapped her hands together. “Have you ever been onstage before a show? The doors open soon but we have enough time to take a tour. Would you be interested?” 

Nancy’s face cracked into a smile and she nodded, “Yes! That would be perfect!” 

“Come on,” Robin motioned for Nancy to follow her. 

They walked through the hall staying silent, Robin was unsure of what to say. It was nice though, she has to admit. Being around someone from her past and a woman at that. 

As they approached the black curtains that separated them from the stage Robin quickened her step to go and hold them open for Nancy. 

Nancy stepped out on the stage slowly with Robin following. She turned taking in the whole venue. “Holy shit,” she said almost breathlessly. “It always seems so big when you’re out in the crowd but seeing it from this angle?” 

Robin watched Nancy as she stepped towards the middle of the stage. With the overhanging light above, Robin could see the colors she had added to her hair better. There were blonde streaks but also reddish brown ones. “This many people? All around America? Incredible.” 

The room had an upper balcony seating with back of house seating in the back as well. The pit stretched to the seats in the back making the venue able to accommodate nearly five thousand people. Tonight was a sold out show. One of the largest they’ve played. 

Robin took her usual seat at the drum kit, “London. Mexico. Brazil. We’ve been a little bit of everywhere now.” 

Nancy shook her head as she turned to look at Robin. “That’s so crazy. It seems like just yesterday we were still in Hawkins. Now you’re on planes, touring the world.” 

“Plans suck. The worst. I have to be medicated just to step on one.” 

Nancy chuckled, “Really? I don’t think they’re that bad. I kind of like being that high up. It’s nice looking down at the world.” 

Robin shook her head, “You’re bonkers. I can’t even look out the window when I’m on one.”

She laughed softly before sitting at the edge of the platform Robin’s drums were on. She stared out at the empty room for a long moment before Robin saw her shoulders lift in a shrug. “I’m really proud of you and the rest of the guys. It’s so crazy, don’t you think?” She turned to look at Robin and the light caught the glitter in her eyeshadow, “You guys started playing music and now you’re doing it. You’re living out people’s dreams.” 

Robin nodded, “You are too. I mean, you always wanted to write, right? And I mean, all those times you were dismissed and made to be a secretary? Now look at you! You own your own magazine and employee only women. That’s so fucking bad ass.” 

Nancy’s cheeks turned pink and she nodded, “I think we both turned out pretty badass.” 

“Doors in five!” A security guard shouted toward the stage from the back of the room. 

Robin gave a thumbs up, hopping off the platform. She offered a hand to Nancy to help her up. Nancy pulled herself using Robin for support. “Thanks for showing me this. It was super neat.” 

“Are you going to watch to watch the show from side stage?” Robin led them back behind the curtain and towards the dressing room areas once again. 

“Well, I actually got Steve to agree to an all access pass. I’m going to watch from the barricade.” 

“Nancy Wheeler,” Robin said in sort of shocked but delightful tone. “I did not take tour for a barricade kinda girl.” 

Nancy made a snorting noise, “Okay, one thing about me? I love live shows. Another thing? Stepping Stones to Hell? Favorite song ever.” 

Robin felt a small bulb of pride fill her chest. Gareth had actually written that song with Eddie. It was her favorite to play because she had an extended drum solo while the rest of the group paused for water. “Well, Wheeler, that just happens to be the best song we play live.” 

The two them entered a room where there were more snacks and refreshments. They both took a water then sat down across from one another at a table. “Are you supposed to have favorites? Isn’t that biased?” 

“I think you’ll know why after you see it tonight.” 

“Alright then, looking forward to it.” 

“As fun as this has been, if you want barricade you better be getting down there. It’s going to fill in quick once the doors open.” 

She stood, finishing off her water then bowing her head slightly. “Thank you for the advice. Im looking forward to your show.” 

“At least you know it’s mine and not the guys,” Robin said jokingly. 

Nancy shook her head with laughter, waving at Robin before hurrying out the door. 

[gorgonstaringcontest]

I've had this a number of times, but the funniest example was being out with a bunch of guy friends at a club, that was not my usual sort of club. There was about six of us. It didn't mean anything at the time but I was the only queer one in the group.

We ran into a group of girls, also another group of six, some of whom I knew and some that I didn't. Everyone was talking and our groups kind of merged - nice, fun, friendly, right?

Well. There was one girl that I didn't know, who wasn't talking to anyone. I felt bad that she looked a bit left out, so I struck up a conversation. I introduced myself, the usual "do you know everyone here?" conversation script ran, and we exchanged pleasantries about how we knew each person from the our own group and the others.

In retrospect, this is where the issue started. I had taught myself a polite habit when out at bars or clubs, that if I'm talking to one person and I want to get another drink, I will offer to buy them one too. It marks a sort of place holder in the conversation that we can come back to, they can come with me or go to the bathroom, and it's ingratiating when someone offers to buy you a drink. I'm autistic, and I like people thinking I'm interesting and nice so this works. It also gives a break in the conversation that if I've missed the cue that they want to go they can politely exit.

So I did. I had finished my drink and wanted another, so I offered to buy her a drink, she said yes, and I got her one. When I came back, I handed over the drink, and within a few seconds, the song playing changed to one that I really liked.

Before the conversation could kick off again, I said "I fucking love this song. I want to go dance. Do you want to come?" and she said yes.

So we merged out onto the dance floor. We danced. The next five or six songs were also good, so we stayed. Others from our group came on the floor at the same time, or joined shortly after so there was about eight to ten people from our respective groups dancing in proximity to each other.

Now, this is also another thing - I think dancing is fun. I like dancing with people. I will dance with absolutely anybody. I will mirror how they're dancing to a degree. So if some Goth is putting up cobwebs near me, I will nod and smirk and we can pat the wolves in each other's direction. If someone starts grinding on me, sure. If we're headbanging, let's go. If you want to shuffle, I most certainly will. There's limits of course, but I see dancing as fun and playful so as long as someone's not got really bad body odour or isn't touching inappropriately, it's fair game - other than moshing because it doesn't feel like dancing.

So I danced with this girl. One of the songs that came on was one with male and female vocal parts so we did them each and it was fun.

In retrospect, again, it's very clear what this looked like. In the moment (intoxicated moment on my part) it was just "oh, this is fun! I am with my friends, ran into some other friends, and made some more friends!".

I made the universal "I'm going to go out for a smoke" hand gesture, and so we went - me, her, and a couple of the others from our groups. We had a smoke, and I said I was going to the bathroom and would be back in a moment.

I went inside, used the bathroom, and upon leaving was immediately grabbed by one of the girls from that group - the one I knew best and that I had been friends with for a couple of years - by the front of my shirt and pushed into the wall next to the bathroom door.

"Tell her you're gay. TELL HER. SHE THINKS YOU'RE GOING TO GO HOME WITH HER."

My autistic queer himbo self was like - "what? Why would she? I was just being nice? How could she not know?"

"You've been talking to her for hours. You bought her a drink. You asked her to dance! You danced with her! She thinks you're being nice to get into her pants!"

"I said I liked her dress, and that her heels suited her! That's gay! That's what gay men say!"

"What? No! That's code for liking her tits! Guys say that when they get caught looking! Fucking tell her you idiot, don't lead her on!"

And so, I had to go, and awkwardly explain that I had not in fact been hitting on her. A couple of the guys in my group were kind of close to where we were having this conversation and I didn't realise they had overheard until they helpfully chimed in "to back me up" by telling her about how I'd hit on them in ernest when I'd met them on different respective occasions - which was mortifying, since it was true - but at least it wasn't like the actual worst time this happened and I got punched in the mouth.

She actually took it well, and I ended up wingmanning for her. So she went home with another guy we knew to be a good guy who was also conveniently straight.

The number of times I have been delighted by witty banter only to find out later that I was “Flirting” is both unfortunate and disappointing.

[franettifritz]

None of this will matter

I tend to stay relatively silent in social media when it comes to trans rights and lgbtqia+ because I get my words so badly muddled if often doesn’t come across right.

What really gets me is that the bigotry, the transphobia, the homophobia the basic nastiness that comes from people who can’t even respect pronouns or hate being referred to as “cis”, because how DARE we specify we mean those who identify as their assigned gender when we speak out… none of their b.s. is gonna matter a penny when they kick the bucket. When any of us shuffle off our mortal coil.

They’re speaking with their whole chest that the alphabet mafia are shoving gay and trans and drag queens (and kings) down their throats and never once do they look in the mirror at themselves to see they’re doing the very same by pushing their binary and beliefs on everyone.

Times are changing, and we have so far to go but we’ve also come so far, and I think it’s important that we as a community don’t lose sight of that and to keep pushing back and continue fighting for our rights.

I see a fair amount of in-fighting in the queer community and it hurts to basically see a civil war when we all want the same thing. To just live, as ourselves, without fear of other’s hurting us at the bare minimum… we want to live.

It doesn’t matter what you believe happens after we pass; on the basic level we all end up as skeletons or dust and it comes down to what you want to leave behind.

Do you want to be remembered as someone who, if it came down to it, your own child wouldn’t feel comfortable opening up to about their struggles? Or a safe space who accepted a person for who and what they are and loved them unconditionally?

Do you want to cause trauma or help heal it?

A lot of the arguments I see include Christian’s citing bible verses and lines and they forget a very important one… love thy neighbour.

Not love thy neighbour as long as they conform to your bigoted beliefs. Just love thy neighbour… and you can’t do that when you fight against your neighbour’s rights as a human being and brand them a predator simply because they present themselves a certain way.

Just say you don’t understand and then be OPEN TO LEARNING. Be open to an actual conversation and a learning experience. It can be scary to say you don’t get something, AND THAT’S FINE. The important part is how you react when someone tries to explain their truth and their being to you.

Don’t leave behind a memory of you as a person who had hatred in their heart towards a group of people who aren’t doing harm… and if you’re so worried about the safety of children maybe start doing something about actual predators (look into the Catholic Church, law enforcement, school coaches to name a few) not some perceived danger because a “man in a dress” used a ladies restroom to pee!

I’d rather share a restroom with a trans person than a TERF any day.

Nobody is threatening womanhood or manhood because both of those perceptions are socially taught to us. They’re not real!

Gender is 100% a social construct and the sooner people learn that the better.

Trans, gay, lesbian, queer… we’re not going anywhere and while we will do no harm… we’ll also take no shit.

[pashterlengkap]

Under swaying pine boughs and misty stars, I came out as bisexual to my husband in a hot tub at thirty-four years old.  It was early 2021, about a year into the pandemic. I chose the moment for its privacy, knowing I wouldn’t have to see his face in the dark, fearing my words might form a hairline crack in the sturdy foundation of our marriage. --- Related Stories This out bisexual singer reigned as Empress of the Blues in the 1920’s She sold more than 2 million records in the first ten months after she was signed by Columbia Records and performed on Broadway – and then the Great Depression hit. --- My delivery lacked eloquence but delivered these main points: I love you, what I’m about to say doesn’t change how I feel about you, and I’ve always been attracted to women as well as men. I knew I was queer as long as I can remember. Jasmine was just as cute as Aladdin, my buxom art teacher allured as infuriatingly as the bearded substitute. I lusted after both softball and baseball captains. But coming of age within a religious family and uptight New England community, I learned quickly to conceal this side of myself.  My parents weren’t overt in their homophobia, but it was subtly implied in how they discussed their rare LGBTQ+ encounters: “The lesbian neighbors have company again,” or “Can you believe so-and-so is gay? Not that I have a problem with that…” After a confidential and troubled queer relationship in college, I joyfully married a man and assumed the woman-loving part of my life was over. For a long time, it was. My husband and I had a baby, bought a house, and settled down. When Covid shut down the world, like everyone else, I had a lot of self-reflection time. I started to realize the part of myself I’d buried was still in there, shuffling about in neglect, and that by hiding it from my daughter in particular, I was being inauthentic.  How could I expect her to embrace her true self if I wasn’t doing the same? When I came out to my husband, hiding in the hot tub, he was tender, supportive, and unsurprised. He said he loved all of me, and that I should let others do the same. After this heartfelt conversation, I timidly chose the path of least resistance and declared myself bisexual in one fell swoop via an Instagram post. My friends were exuberantly approving, my religious family’s reactions were predictably mixed, but after a week, the hoopla settled. I wondered what I’d been so worried about; it was over. The other day, I received a text from a good friend: “Wait you’re bi? When did that happen?” Now that we’re on the “other side” of the pandemic, I’ve had to come out repeatedly. In queer spaces, I’m assumed straight because I’m partnered with a man. On the playground while picking up my daughter, most parents I meet revert to ‘husband’ without inquiring, even after I use the neutral term ‘partner.’ These instances make me feel small and silly, like my sexuality is a trivial preference akin to sports fandom, like I’m an annoyance every time I make a correction. Monosexism exists in both straight and queer spaces, assuming singularity in sexual preference without leaving room for those whose preferences are expansive. I’ve learned that as a bisexual person in a straight-presenting relationship, coming out isn’t a one-time deal. I have to proclaim my identity again and again. In fact, I expect I’ll have to do it forever. There’s privilege that comes with being able to hide my queerness, in my ability to tuck it up neatly as I stand next to my husband, but there’s a cost in having to assert myself over and over, too. Being closeted for over thirty years is sad, desolate, yet deceptively normal until you catch a glimpse of someone else standing in a shaft of light while you cower in the shadows.  What happens when you stay in the darkness that long is an unfulfilled sense of self and a cavernous pit of loneliness. I won’t go back.  This is why I choose to assert myself, over and over.  This is why I’ll keep coming out forever. http://dlvr.it/Sld1Bf

[secondbeatsongs]

May I have a song please? :) I promise to adopt it into my liked songs and cherish it forever!

ohh, lucky for you, you got a great one! and it comes with a bit of history!

the song that came up for you on shuffle is "Hark The Herald Fairies Shout" by the Gay Liberation Quire!

to quote Queer Music Heritage's December 2001 show: "That group was formed in 1981, and over the next six years was very active in the gay movement in Australia, giving over 300 concerts at all sorts of venues. They took songs that everyone knew and crafted lyrics that made social commentary on not just the fight for gay & lesbian rights, but for a host of progressive causes. They did fundraising and consciousness raising with their lyrics, and in 1983 released an EP single called 'The Gay Liberation Quire Goes Down On Vinyl.'"

you can read more about them (and hear more of their music) on the Queer Music Heritage website, which is an amazing resource!

and because the song can't really be found anywhere else online (and I feel bad hotlinking to it on the QMH site), I will put it here for you: