#fabulous middle aged lesbians

[laolafi]

Rosamund Painswick has a companion. An equally wealthy and spectacular socialite who lives right on the other side of Belgrave Square. Widowed at a young age, even younger than Rosamund, but around the same time Marmaduke Painswick died. Let's call her Alice.

They host the most spectacular soirées in their respective Belgravia homes. They travel the continent together, extensively. They collect art and become patrons for museums and collections that would later rise to global importance. That kind of thing. They raise Alice's children together – the Crawley girls wonder why they call her "Auntie Rummy". They're madly, deeply in love and it shows.

Over time, the family grows extremely fond of Alice. Robert, who had the hardest time accepting the situation and spent a lot of time indignantly huffing and puffing about it, most of all. It's just a basic fact, Aunt Rosamund comes with her companion or not at all.

When Maud Bagshaw appears and announces that she intends to make her young maid Lucy her companion, Robert jumps to all the wrong conclusions and is appropriately scandalised.

[aimmyarrowshigh]

I keep thinking about Matthew Perry's show Go On, which was about grief. It was also fabulously funny. His best friends in the show were John Cho and a middle-aged grieving lesbian. His performance in it was so... Healing? He was so funny but so sad, at the same time, for the whole show. I just, I'm thinking about that. Funny, but so sad.

[commiehilfiger]

finished the fabulous and i love those middle aged lesbians ms. oh and ms. hong!!! and rly glad joseph got his frisbee boyfriend good for him!! anyways..seon ho 😍😍 rly homophobic to give her boyfriends instead of letting her date the cute model she saved from that rich lady.. but ig they go to nyc together in the end yay crumbs.. altho i think her and esther would've been cute together since they were the real mvps of the show

[meruz]

asks which i realized i actually havent answered in a while?

thank you for all the hobbit love!!!!!!!!! I was kind of nervous about posting that design because i didnt know whether tolkien fandom would be chill with ...well furries essentially. happy that you guys dont seem to mind at all ^^ here’s more that I could never figure out a post for LOL

thank you! and lol i was kind of joking about leaving the p5 fandom but uhhh I don’t think i’ll be drawing much more p5 because I think I got it out of my system. also tbh I don’t know if I actually like p5?? or if I just had a lot of shit I wanted to express and say about it via fanart. I had like this whole agenda where I wanted to make p5 art based on a more noir...almost graphic american comics style because I felt like that was the most interesting thing about the game’s art direction and not a lot of fanartists cashed in on it. Also I wanted to depict like a very specific shuake vibe that wasnt too romantic but also not ... completely un-romantic. something that really capitalized on the fact that they’re just terrible teens. idk. anyways I like the work I made for the fandom and I think I managed to say everything I wanted to say w it.

I AM signed up for a shuake zine though so expect an encore before I sign out completely LOL.

thank YOU being very nice to me. ik its been a while but I WILL Draw digimon again sometime. kids with big shoes and monster pals is just the most fun thing to draw ever.

uhhhguhhg not particularly? The tamers kids just seem SO young.

I thought the scene where takato confesses to juri was incredibly lovely but it’s well done because it’s not particularly romantic or ship-indulgent its like... all about the way kids attach to each other when they feel out of place or scared. and how simply someone can become special to you at that age. 

if i mentally age them up a little I could see kazu and kenta being a fun ship. they had that one episode where they were like. kind of a parallel for those married digimon?? which is deeply amusing. 

also I think ruki is a baby lesbian. just the way she dismisses every boy but is obsessed with even the most random girl they encounter...! but i think her rivalry with ryo is so so funny because its like a like... little league tcg rivalry. I want to believe that when theyre in middle school ruki and ryo date for like 2 weeks and the plain existence of that relationship wreaks havoc on kazu and kenta who are in weird idol love with ryo and hate ruki but also are friends with ruki. and then they break up because they realize theyre both gay or whatever but kazu and kenta take approx a month to recover from the psychological& emotional damage.

I like ruki/juri too but i have no solid concept of how that would work out...

I actually totally meant to draw all this in like a convoluted fanart post at one point but I never got around to it so thanks for asking about tamers shipping LOL

How it ends up looking painterly.... idk. Because I’m a messy painter and I use big strokes? I don’t really blend but I do use mid-opacity textured brushes when I paint a lot so thats probably part of what makes it look soft/painterly/integrated. I use the lasso for hard edges and then brushes to create soft shapes within them... if that makes sense? SORRY THIS IS HARD TO EXPLAIN, anyways, I have a handful of videos of me drawing on youtube. Theyre really boring because they dont have music and I didn’t bother to edit them in interesting ways but.. theyre there. Maybe itll help?

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxOLP2dN4f5kJKT6p3Inq4A

Thank u!!! steve and tony are positioned to be slightly holding hands lol

My pull list currently is:

X-Men

Marauders

Excalibur

S.W.O.R.D.

Hellions

X-Factor

Wolverine

Cable

X-Force

New Mutants

Guardians of the Galaxy

Daredevil

Miles Morales: Spider-Man

Champions

Far Sector

True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem

Home Sick Pilots

So like all of the x-books, the occasional teen hero and the occasional indie. I was thinking of dropping Wolverine and Cable but idk... Cable sort of won me over during x of swords and if wolverine brings adam kubert back I think I’ll start digging it again LOL. I jumped onto Guardians on a whim but its suddenly become one of my favorite books along with S.W.O.R.D... so I guess I have to go back and read Immortal Hulk at some point, become a true Al Ewing stan.

Far Sector is my only DC pull atm but also I loved a lot of the GN releases this past year and Wonder Woman Dead Earth is like my favorite 2020 comic actually. So dc imprints are KICKING ALL KINDS OF ASS. main dc tho.... idk. I’m kind of eyeing the new robin book but I think thats where my interest ends.

<3

[ghost-teat]

2020 top five recap

so @r0b0tb0y​ tagged me to do this and it turns out i am a slut for being tagged in things. LET’S GO.

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 (or so) favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works.

1. i told you when i came, i was a stranger

(the mandalorian/dincobb)

so this one’s a wip, but i’m pretty damn proud of it so far. if i had to point to a fic that ticks every box on ghost_teeth bingo, this would be it: sad-sack dudes dealing with trauma poorly, wildly pretentious dream sequences, song lyric title, ordinary tragedies, gross metaphors, legendary hangovers, passive-aggressive cuddling, and an eventual good-enough ending.

2. for a moment there, i thought we were in trouble

(the mandalorian/dincobb)

i have no excuse for this. it’s 100% id. it pretends to be deep but it’s just a couple of lonely middle-aged men whacking off in a public restroom.

3. red all over

(detroit: become human/hankcon)

on twitter, i threatened to put the twinky robot on mars for the Ultimate Blueballs Experience and i followed through. i don’t know SHIT about outer space, but there’s a lot of nudity and Gay Yearning to distract from that. also i shoehorned some highly functional robo-lesbians in there.

4. once more, with feeling

(danger days: the true lives of the fabulous killjoys/kind of gen???)

i regret the title, but whatever. the danger days universe was my comfort fandom through the first half of quarantine, so naturally i had to write something sad for it. i love me a groundhog day-style fic but somehow i’d never written one until this. you can pry feral-nonbinary-asshole party poison from my cold dead claws.

5. ‘til the water rises

(detroit: become human/hankcon)

i wrote this one for a mermay anthology organized by a lovely soul on twitter. i generally don’t go for merpeople aus, so i wrote something more on-brand for me (creepy, gross, sad). kinda pleased with the conciseness i managed in order to stay within word-limit rules (which nobody else followed).

let’s see... i’m tagging @wolfhalls and... @susiesundrop if ya feelin it?

[veronicalodgeoutfitanalysis]

Chapter Twenty One: House of the Devil

‘With every kiss and embrace they seemed to be saying ”You have no power over me, Death”‘. This episode starts out with a Varchie sex montage, how fun!

This is a cute outfit, I’m sad we only saw it for like two seconds. This burgundy skater skirt is very similar to the one she wore last episode and this black top is pretty simple. if you look closely you can see that she’s taking off the navy velvet coat from the start of the season. 

Archie’s shirt, cute and comfy. 

This is a cute bra but taking a screenshot of it felt pretty weird, lets move on.

Does a fur throw count as an outfit, if so Veronica looks fabulous in it.

She’s got some pretty interesting jewelery on here, this dark blue and gold band on her wrist and this pearl necklace that’s not quite a strand, I like it.

Now this is a very cute dress. It’s very reminiscent of similar dresses she wore in 2x05 and 2x06, except this one is upgraded with this gorgeous floral brocade pattern. It’s paired with a scalloped collar and an incredibly large bow which, topped off the with Teardrop Pearl, creates an incredibly cute look. 

Scalloped coat returns, paired with the collar its scallops on scallops. 

Are we really to believe that a bunch of middle aged gang members would be totally fine with a literal sixteen year old child taking over?

Hey now, this is cute. This top is very Veronica in pattern and shape but the colour scheme of pinks and purples is far more Betty, is it possible that she’s leaning into Betty’s colour scheme as she takes over her role as a sleuth? It appears to be paired with a pretty simple black A line skirt.

Lesbians?

Return of the Cape! It’s hard to see in the light but this one is burghundy and I am obsessed with it! We’ll see it again very soon so watch out...

This is a very professional look! This is actually an all in one dress and it feels unique enough to make a statement while still keeping with the usual style of Veronica’s wardrobe. This is our second incredibly large bow in one episode, Veronica’s clearly trying to make a statement.

Here you can see a better look at her dress, and her bow pumps. 

Now this is a look for a party at a gang bar. This tartan skirt and very risque top combo scream night out and a pairing similar to some of her other party looks, It’s hard to see in the light but this skirt is zip front, a new look for Veronica. She may be breaking up with her boyfriend but she looks fantastic doing it!

Total:10 outfits, though this is bloated by the montage.

Cape Count: A new cape for this episode.

Teardrop Pearl: Present and accounted for

Favourite Outfit: The floral collared dress.

See you for the Christmas episode!

[totally-tiny-tiger]

All of my diverse-ish characters from various stories I’ve written

Kad: Native American, disabled, born with only one leg and uses a wheelchair and sometimes crutches, also ace

Dyu: Native American (that’s not the source of his name tho) and currently unsure if he identifies as non-binary or male, prefers he/him over they/them pronouns but doesn’t care too much as long as you’re respectful.

Aunt Ewah: The badass non-binary legal guardian / their father’s sibling of Dyu and Kad, she/her and them/them 

Theo: Trans ftm, Indonesian

Aiene: Trans ftm, Theo’s role model

Ene: Black, gender fluid, deaf and mute 

Nikola: Black and Native American, ADHD and social anxiety

Lucas: blind 

Lou: drag queen (Drag name is Mollie Matador), bi, arospec, gray ace

Vance: Mixed race (Mostly Puerto Rican and Italian, a bit of Black, South American, and Inuit heritage) and pan

Bianca: Mixed race (Mostly Puerto Rican and Italian, a bit of Black, South American, and Inuit heritage), drag King (Golden Charles) started at age 8 and has kept the same name, demisexual

Nigel: Mixed race (Mostly Puerto Rican and Italian, a bit of Black, South American, and Inuit heritage), moderate to severe anxiety, and fabulously gay

Maggie: bi but prefers girls, demisexual, and slightly deaf in one ear

Seth: non-binary, drag queen/non-binary royalty but doesn’t do it in front of anyone but friends

Dylan: ace aro 

Dee: born with extreme birth defects on his face, never lets that stop him (his backstory is based on Auggie form Wonder, but his story goes in a completely different direction)

Darla: Indian, technically closeted lesbian but everyone is aware that she at the very least doesn’t like guys

Bella: pan, liberal Muslim, from a middle east country but she doesn’t know which bc uncle smuggled her into the US and doesn’t like talking about their family and past because of some PTSD

William: Bella’s uncle, suffers from PTSD, autistic, Muslim 

Brock: aro, unsure of how he feels about sex (gray ace but doesn’t realize it yet)

Drako: has mild schizofrenia

Ono: Black

Alex: Black, autistic, polyamorous

Tory: blind, polyamorous, severe social anxiety but still tries to encourage others that if she made it through her darkest years, they can too 

Liam: Chinese Korean, autistic, polyamorous

One story that centered around Chianese Americans so we have Akio, Sadako, Takahiro, Aunt Kenichi, and lastly half white, half Chinese Dianne.

And so, so many allies I can’t name them all. Basically any character I’ve ever written that isn’t Aunt Kenichi, who I can only describe as house wife Umbridge, or Udun, Kad and Dyu’s piece of shit father.

Last note, Darla and Bella are dating in secret even though they don’t don’t need to because family is super supportive. Liam, Tory, and Alex are together. Theo and Kad are together. 

[pinkandgreenarepurpleandyellow]

Shinshinkai College au? Post Part 1 (?)

This is basically me dumping everything i have so far into a post, so bear with me. (Also feel free to add shit in, I’d love to see y’alls ideas).

So, just to clear shit up, this is meant to be a ‘continuity happens but also squad goes to college in the meanwhile’ type thing, not ‘everything is different and doppo is now a college teacher’ type au. The other thing is that this au has 2 different bit ‘plot things’, one is for the squad, and the other is because i have favorites and issues.

Part 1: Katou in America.

So, based on age and info, Katou is 25 during the current arcs, and he left Japan for about 4 years, so he was roughly 21 at the time. (Part 1 is basically just him) So Katou’s not exactly swimming in gold, but he’s clever, he’s resourceful, and he’s got a grey morality, which makes him a perfect person for most of the jobs he ends up working. The jobs range in anything and everything from bodyguard to smuggler to barista to mechanic and so on. But his main interests, aside form karate, are psychology and mechanics (also a little bit on morality and philosophy but shhh). Between that and needing a degree for most non-illegal jobs in the area, Katou decides to try doing community college. It seems like an okay thing, and it’s pretty cheap, so as long as he gives up any and all sleep/free time, Katou even has enough money left over to be able to buy food often enough that he is no longer legally starving. It’s still not enough left over to afford proper first aid for the injuries sustained in half of his jobs (medical care in america is EXPENSIVE), but Katou knows how to deal with most of them, so it’s not too big a deal comapred to the food thing.

The main issue, at first, is the roommate he’s forced to have. Once they meet they actually hit it off. The roommate’s actually fairly chill when she figures out his careers, in part because she’s not exactly a ‘clean hands’ person herself (It’s hard to have clean hands as a mercenary after all), so she gets his ‘i have grey morals and need money more than anything right now’ shtick. The deal is that as long as she ignores the organ containers and suspicious wounds and injuries he comes back with, he’ll ignore the guns and corpses she hides in the closet, on the condition the corpses get moved before they start to decompose. (It also helps a little that they get along fairly well since his roommate isn’t afraid that Katou’ll hit on her, he’s made it clear thats not what he wants.)

The two get along fabulously, almost like a rom-com but without the ‘rom’. Thus the college houses the karateka-turned-jack-of-all-trades and the lesbian blueberry-loving mercenary for almost three years before both of them graduate and move on to different things. (They still keep in touch of course, they’ve bonded after living together for three years after all).

---

Part 2: Shinshinkai Squad and College in Japan

(This takes part in the current timeline, and actually includes all three of our disaster boys)

Katsumi’s been a little busy with karate to ever think about college, so he’s only starting to think about it at 20. Suedo went and graduated, but he also wants to go beyond the basic degree since he’s way more interested in his field. Katou has the America degree in mechanics, but he also needs something official proving his expertise in psychology, and he knows roughly how college works. So the three all apply to a handful of places, and end up choosing the same university. By sheer coincidence, they’re also in the same exact dorm, all three of them.

Cue suffering! Katou’s realizing how much harder the system is in Japan than America (and also how hard it is to memorize so many vocab terms). Suedo is now remembering why college is evil, and Katusmi is just freakign the f out.

Cue antics as they remember that they get to bunk with their best friends. Katsumi, for a joke, buys the ‘thot squad’ sign from an American transfer and hangs it up. Suedo quickly becomes known as a meme/shitpost dealer for all new students. Katou gains the reputations of both the ‘go to him and he’ll do almost anything for you in exchange for blueberries/money’ guy and the ‘eats spaghetti while hanging upside down in the middle of a lecture’ guy. All three of them have been known to parkour/scale the buildings to get to their classes on time. 

so yeah, this is all i got for now, so feel free to suggest and add on folks 

[roidespd-blog]

Chapter Sixteen : THE QUEER KING RECOMMENDS

The Queer King recommends THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON (2017) No one knows what really happened to activist and trans pioneer Marsha P. Johnson the night she died. People still trying to understand. Why do you need to see it ? Marsha P. Johnson is an icon and learning about her is learning about Stonewall and our culture.

The Queer King recommends FAGGOTS, Larry Kramer (1978) Fred Lemish, looking for love, gravitates in a New York City full of glory holes, BDSM, orgies and becomes disillusioned along the way. Why do you need to read it ? It’s Kramer’s first novel. It’s ruff. His writing doesn’t shy away from the reality of gay life and he does not take any prisoners alive. A must read.

The Queer King recommends TANGERINE, Sean Baker (2015) On Christmas Eve, Sin-Dee discovers her pimp boyfriend has been cheating on her. With her friend Alexandra, she goes searching for him Why do you need to see it ? Shot on an IPhone for a ridiculous amount of money, this dramedy puts trans women up front with incredible narrative audacity.

The Queer King recommends A LITTLE LIFE, Hanya Yanagihara (2015) Jude, Willem, JB & Malcolm are best friends living in New York City. From college to middle-age, with most focus on Jude, you will learn to care for them like no other fictional characters before. Why do you need to read it ? I can’t stress this enough. This novel is extraordinary. 18 months later, I’m still not over it. It will break your heart.

The Queer King Recommends PLEASE LIKE ME, Josh Thomas (2013–2016) Josh discovers he’s gay, putting a spin in the lives of his girlfriend, his lazy best friend, his newly-wed dad and his depressed mother. Why do you need to see it ? This Australian comedy achieves in tone and heart what Looking never could. And also, there’s Arnold. Oh, Arnold.

The Queer King Recommends HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, John Cameron Mitchell (2001) Hedwig, an East German gender queer rock singer, is waiting for her operation that will get rid of the one-inch mound of flesh between her legs. Why do you need to see it ? Poignant, full of incredible tunes and an extraordinary performance from writer-director JCM. Sugar Daddy, Bring it Home.

The Queer King Recommends THE PRINCE OF SALT/CAROL, Patricia Highsmith (1952) Young Therese meets Carol, an rich older woman. The “friendship” that will follow will change her life forever. Why do you need to read it ? An unprecedented feat in literature, a lesbian love story in which the protagonists are not punished in the end. The movie adaptation by Todd Haynes is also a must-see.

The Queer King Recommends 120 BATTEMENTS PAR MINUTE, Robin Campillo (2017) France, 1990s. Act Up. The AIDS Epidemic. Love. Revolution. Why do you need to see it ? To remember what happened. It’s earth-shattering. Silence = Death. What are you waiting for ? Go see it, now !

The Queer King Recommends ONE DAY AT A TIME (2017–2019) A family of hispanic descent tries to survive in today’s America. Why do you need to see it ? For the greatest coming-out storyline on television. So perfect. Bring the show back!

The Queer King Recommends GIOVANNI’S ROOM, James Baldwin (1956) David, a young american who lived in Paris, remembers his complex relationships with the men in his life, particularly a bartender named Giovanni. Why do you need to read it ? Top-3 greatest gay novel of all-time. The first time I read it, I couldn’t finish it. I read the last 30 pages 4 years later. It’s THAT powerful.

The Queer King Recommends A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL , Stephen Frears. (2018) Three-part miniseries about the Jeremy Thorpe Scandal. Why do you need to see it ? Three words. Whishaw. Davies. Frears. Funny as fuck. I’m starting a Ben Whishaw fanclub BTW.

The Queer King recommends THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Stephan Elliott (1994) Three drag queens take a road trip across Australia to get to a paid-job. Why do you need to see it ? One of the rare 90s positive representation of LGBT+ people, it’s funny, gorgeous looking. A classic. PS The soundtrack is IN-CRE-DI-BLE.

The Queer King recommends JUST KIDS, Patti Smith (2010) The chronicles of a love story beyond societal restrictions between Patti Smith and revolutionary artist Robert Mapplethorpe. Why do you need to read it ? Aside from the historical accuracy of the 60/70s, you explore what it feels like to really love someone. And Mapplethorpe is a fascinating man. I cried multiple times.

The Queer King recommends THE X PORTOFLIO , Robert Mapplethorpe (1978) A series of photographs that shade a light on homosexual practices (most of them extremes). Why do you need to see it ? A lot of Mapplethorpe’s work is great, but this is beyond. Not for the sensible soul. Hardcore.

The Queer King recommends SHORTBUS, John Cameron Mitchell (2006) An extremely diverse group of people are desperately trying to connect in a vibrant New York City. Why do you need to see it ? That little miracle isn’t shy about sex. ALL kinds of sex. It’s very much like a Robert Altman movie, if Robert Altman shot a lot of oral sex in his career.

The Queer King recommends LESS, Andrew Sean Greer (2018) As his 50th birthday is coming up, writer Andrew Less is traveling around the world to avoid going to his ex’s wedding. Why do you need to read it ? For the exploration of a gay man’s psyché while his youth and opportunities are behind him. As a gay man, it made me sad. Then it gave me hope. Also now, I want a blue suit.

The Queer King recommends CLOSET MONSTER, Stephen Dunn (2015) 18-year old Oscar tries to figure out his sexuality and face his childhood demons Why do you need to see it ? The Buffy references and great acting. Duh.

The Queer King recommends THE WAY HE LOOKS, Daniel Ribeiro (2014) Blind high school student Leo meets new classmate Gabriel. He starts developing romantic feelings towards him. Why do you need to see it ? Desires and self-realization are themes very well exploited in this movie. The two main actors are phenomenal. I almost wished I was 16 again (but not really).

The Queer King recommends WHEN WE RISE, Cleve Jones (2016) A complete memoir about the journey of activist Cleve Jones, following into the path of Harvey Milk to keep fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and against the AIDS Epidemic. Why do you need to read it ? An in depth look at life at the fore front of activism, with gorgeous interludes of romance, sex and heartbreaks.

The Queer King recommends KILLING EVE, Phoebe Waller-Bridge (2018-present) MI:5 Eve Polastri’s pursuit of International killer Villanelle. Why do you need to see it ? Because lesbian desires are still mostly unseen on mainstream, award-winning programs. It’s very, very, very good.

The Queer King recommends ZIGGY, STARDUST & ME, James Brandon (2019) 1973. Jonathan meets Web. He’s not supposed to. He needs to change. Sweet Ziggy won’t help him now. Why do you need to read it ? It’s not out until August (but I have a proof copy). It’s not great literature (it’s YA after all) but it did fill my heart with feelings of love and hope. Everything Bowie is good for the soul anyway.

The Queer King recommends PRIDE, Stephen Boresford (2014) 1984, Brittain. A strike is breaking the country apart. Lesbians & Gays decide to give their support to the miners. Why do you need to see it ? Because it’s still rare to see a funny movie about gay people which is not condescending.

The Queer King recommends ANGELS IN AMERICA, Tony Kushner (1991–1993) A complex, metaphorical examination of American life, the AIDS epidemic and homosexuality in the 80s. Why do you need to read it ? The writing is glorious, full with incredible characters. A very sensitive approach of flaws in the human spirit. It’s epic.

The Queer King recommends LE ROSE ET LE NOIR , Frédéric Martel (1996) Everything that happened to the Queer community in France from 1968 until the arrival of the PACS. Why do you need to read it ? Information is key. You won’t get a deeper source of information.

The Queer King recommends LILTING, Hong Khaou (2014) A mother tries to understand who her son was after his death, co-existing with his grieving lover. Why do you need to see it ? A story of death, acceptance and race, Lilting is a delicate piece of filmmaking. And again, Ben Whishaw. Goddamn Ben Whishaw.

The Queer King recommends MOONLIGHT, Barry Jenkins (2016) The youth, teenage years and adult life of a black gay man struggling with his identity. Why do you need to see it ? Black gay men are not a common subject. It won Best Picture at the Oscars. Fucking Amazing.

The Queer King recommends POSE (2018-present) The tribulations of gay and transgender characters in the ball scene of the late 80s. Why do you need to see it ? The first of its kind — where representation is limitless, it’s an homage to a fabulous and terrible time in LGBTQ+’s life. As I said in a previous article, it’s essential.

[ayellowbirds]

42 Webcomics Keshet Reads

I was recently reminded that I currently read a lot of webcomics, or have done so in the past. Here’s an incomplete list, linking to the first page where i can (which will usually mean the worst art). Organized thus:  Title, Author. Genre. Format (long-format stories, short-format & single-page stories, or mixed). Description.

The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, by Christopher Hastings. Comedy, Parody, Action. A man from a long line of Irish ninjas has devoted his own life to saving lives as a doctor, disappointing his family. His staff includes a sentient but non-speaking gorilla receptionist, and eventually a boy sidekick who grew a fabulous mustache out of sheer determination. Recurring threats include fast food mascots, ghosts, wizards, ghost wizards, and a disease that turns people into giant lumberjacks. Completed.

BACK, by Anthony Clark and KC Green. Comedy, Adventure, Absurdity, Weird West. Long-Format. A cowgirl comes back from the dead with no memory of who she was or how she died, and is told by a trio of “Cool Witches” that she has to bring about the end of the world—though what exactly that means remains a mystery. Consistently excellent visual storytelling from masters of sequential art; at least one WLW pairing among the characters. 

Bite Me!, by Dylan Meconis. Comedy, Horror, Historic Fiction. Long-Format. A young woman becomes a vampire amidst the chaos of the French Revolution. Featuring immortal angst, a Jewish werewolf, and sacré bleu, the chickens. Completed (website can be slow to load).

Broodhollow, by Kris Straub. Horror, Weird Fiction. Long-Format. By the creator of the original creepypasta that inspired Channel Zero. A young man abounding with neuroses and compulsions comes to a strange little town in order to settle a late relative’s estate. Themes of unreliable memories and differences of perception.

Chainsawsuit, by Kris Straub. Comedy. Short-Format. Three-panel gag comic.

ChaosLife, by A. Stiffler & K. Copeland. Slice of Life, Autobiographical. Mixed-Format. The life of a queer couple and their pets: humor, lgbt issues, mental illness (K. experiences paranoid schizophrenia), cats, and occasional puppets.

Crunchy Bunches, by Scott Warren. Comedy. Mixed-Format. Cereal mascot parody focused on snaggle-toothed feline mascot Munchy and his friends. 

Dead Winter, by Allison Shabet. Action, Horror, Comedy. Long-Format. Zombie apocalypse story with occasional partially-animated scenes, and a relatively low focus on the actual zombies. Infrequent updates, but has a Patreon with weekly content.

DRIVE, by Dave Kellet. Sci-Fi, Comedy. Long-Format. Humanity has taken to the stars, led by a second Spanish Empire that controls the secrets of FTL travel. When the crew of the Machito recover their science advisor and accidentally pick up a mysterious amnesiac alien at the same time, they become embroiled in intrigue that affects the whole of human space and beyond, caught between secret police, mind-controlling invaders, and a species dedicated to invention who have a grudge against humans.

El Goonish Shive, by Dan Shive. Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Superheroics, Slice of Life, Mad Science. Long Format. Difficult to pin down, once described as “the most squeaky-clean fetish comic online”—lots of characters undergoing fantastic transformations of their bodies. Starts out weak but gradually grew into one of the most progressive webcomics out there as the creator started to really think about the meaning of someone wanting to transform from a nerdy boy into a busty girl. I’ve said more about it, here. Significant LGBT content, including canon gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, genderfluid, and asexual characters.

Family Man, by Dylan Meconis. Historic Fiction, Horror, Romance, Libraries. Long-Format. A learned man of Jewish ancestry takes a position as a lecturer at a small Christian university in the middle of nowhere in the Germanies of the 18th century, and falls in love with the daughter of the head of the university—who has some secrets relating to her mother’s family  On hiatus as of July 2017.

Freefall, by Mark Stanley. Comedy, Sci-Fi, Furry. Long-Format. A larcenous alien and his naive robot pal living on a human colony world acquire the services of an uplifted humanoid wolf as their ship’s engineer under less-than-legal circumstances. As time goes on, the crew becomes caught up in the struggles and politics of the artificial intelligences of the colony. Binge-reading page here, colored strips here.

Girl Genius, by Phil & Kaja Foglio. Gaslamp Fantasy (Not-Steampunk), Action, Comedy, Mad Science, Alternate History. Long-format. A young woman discovers that she is the latest in a line of mad scientists including the vanished heroes of Europa as well as some of its most terrible villains.

Goblins, by Ellipsis Hana Stephens. Fantasy, RPGs, Action, Body Horror. Long-format. A tribe of goblins go from being mere MOBs to taking levels as adventurers themselves, facing ambiguity about alignment, morality, and the place of "monsters” in a world that seems to favor humanoids. Can get very gory at times. Light LGBT content including a prominent gay male character; transgender creator.

Goodbye to Halos, by Valerie Halla. Fantasy, Adventure. Long Format. Forced through a gateway to another world for her own safety, Fenic finds herself in the “run-down queer district” of a city of animal people—and spends a few years coming into own identity as a trans lesbian, forging a new life. But the reasons she was forced into this world are catching up to her, and she’ll need to turn her protective streak towards defending herself. Heavy LGBT themes; often not safe for work. The only work i can think of where a trans girl’s underwear bulge is treated as a completely nonsexual and innocent thing.

Grrl Power, by Dave Barrack. Superheroes, Sci-Fi. Long Format. Probably Not Safe For Work. Comics nerd Sydney Scoville winds up becoming a superhero herself after circumstances force her to reveal her powers and join up with an agency providing training and oversight. While consistently funny and clever with the use of powers, it can be very centered on the male gaze; the art starts out being pretty . I actually first started reading it because I recognized one of the characters from years prior when the artist was posting softcore smut to furry websites.

Guilded Age, by T. Campbell & Phil Kahn, art by John & Jason Waltrip and Erica Henderson. Fantasy, RPGs, Action, MMOs. Long-Format. A group of adventurers face off against threats to their world—such as the CEO of the company that programmed their world in the first place. Strong themes of intrigue, the nature of violence, and the concept of good and evil in fantasy settings. Completed, now running extras & side stories, including annotated repeats of the original pages.

Gunnerkrigg Court, by Tom Siddell. Fantasy, Sci-Fi. Long-Format. A young girl attends a strange boarding school specializing in matters of the supernatural and obscure, making friends with classmates, a ghost, robots, psychopomps, living shadows, fairies, and eldritch horrors in the form of silly woodland creatures while exploring the mysteries of the school and her own ancestry. Shows remarkable art progression; the style of the first storyline is unrecognizable from the present. Especially rewarding if you’re into alchemy. LGBT content, including prominent WLW characters. Warnings: unreality is a recurring theme, and there is a bit of “suicidal” fairies desperate to be reincarnated as humans. Boxbot is rubbish.

Johnny Wander, by Yuko Ota & Ananth Hirsh. Autobiographical, Fantasy, Humor, Mixed-Format. A mix of slice-of-life autobiographical pages, and short stories, including the longer format “Barbarous” and “Lucky Penny”.

Kevin & Kell, by Bill Holbrook. Comedy, Slice-of-Life, Furry. Mixed-Format. Extremely long-running strip (daily updates since September of 1995). In a world of anthropomorphic animals where predatory species can legally & without repercussions hunt & consume other species, a businesswoman wolf (Kell) and her uncommonly large rabbit husband (Kevin) make their blended family work in spite of social stigma against predator/prey relationships. Far more light-hearted than it sounds, though it often touches on social issues and drama. Light LGBT content from some minor recurring characters.

Kill Six Billion Demons, by Abbadon. Fantasy, Metaphysical, Martial Arts. Long Format. A college student’s attempt at heterosexuality is interrupted by the arrival of a legendary king of all reality. Thrust into a battle over the greatest power of all worlds, Allison faces devils, angels, and the city at the center of the 777,777 universes. It’s a lot to take in. Occasionally not safe for work. Frequent LGBT content, including WLW.

Love Me Nice, by Amanda Lafrenais. Comedy, Hollywood. Long Format. Set in a world shared by cartoon characters and ‘real’ people (think Roger Rabbit), where TV star Mac T. Monkey Jr. struggles between his irresponsible instincts and his attempts to build a life as an adult and a relationship with fellow protagonist (and manager) Claire. Some LGBT content; infrequent updates. Occasionally Not Safe For Work. 

Manly Guys Doing Manly Things, by Coelasquid. Comedy, Videogames, Parody. Mixed-Format. The staff of a temp agency for “ludicrously macho guys” tries to help the protagonists of video games, TV, and movies deal with their testosterone-addled brains in a constructive fashion. Occasional LGBT content—mostly MLM, naturally. Keep an eye out for the fluffy little velociraptors, and Mr. Fish the Gyarados. On indefinite hiatus since June of 2018.

Narbonic, by Shaenon K. Garrity. Comedy, Sci-Fi, Mad Science, Gerbils. Mixed-Format. Comp Sci. grad Dave needs a job. Helen B. Narbon, cute blonde mad scientist with a gerbil fixation, is hiring. Story arcs feature action-packed forensic linguistics, a worldwide conspiracy of guys with the same name, rodents uplifted to sentience, time travel. Some awkwardness around gender transformations, light LGBT content. Completed, with author annotations.

Nedroid Picture Diary, by Anthony Clark. Comedy, Absurdity. Short Format. Short comics that very quickly come to focus on the antics of the anomalous ursine orb Beartato and his friend/roommate Reginald, a bird who is just terrible. 

Not Drunk Enough, by Tess Stone. Supernatural, Action, Horror. Long Format. A survival horror styled webcomic by a creator with a history of exceptionally dynamic page composition and lettering. Expect lots of magnificently weird body horror.

O Human Star, by Blue Delliquanti. Roboticist Al Sterling died. Al Sterling woke up an android body mimicking his own. As he reconnects with his former partner-in-several-senses, he explores a world that remembers him as one of its greatest innovators. Major themes of identity, the definition of humanity, and gender and sexuality. LGBT themes including MLM and transgender characters. Warning for some discussion of self-harm.

Outsider, by Jim Francis. Sci-Fi. Long Format. Beautifully-illustrated science fiction story that is painfully slow to update. If you watched a lot of 80s and 90s sci-fi anime, you’ll get the vibe that this has—including its arguable weak point of being centered on a man who finds himself among an alien race dominated by warrior women. 

Patrik the Vampire, by Bree Paulsen. Supernatural, Slice-of-Life. Long Format. The unlife and history of an exceptionally awkward vampire and the mortals around him—book club, knitting, coffee shops, violent murder. Some LGBT content.

Poppy O’Possum, by I. Everett. Fantasy, Furries. Long Format. A single mother in a world of animal people where only opossums lack magic, Poppy just wants to settle down in quiet and safety with her daughter Lily. The world has other ideas—but fortunately, Poppy is mind-blowingly strong. On hiatus. Some LGBT content.

Questionable Content, by Jeph Jacques. Slice-of-Life, Comedy, Sci-Fi. Mixed-Format. Starts out focusing on indie rock fan Marten and his robotic “anthroPC” Pintsize. As the art evolves, so does the subject matter, focusing more and more on the rest of the cast and topics like the nature of personhood and identity for artificial intelligence. Eventually comes to feature significant LGBT content, including bisexual and transgender characters in the main cast.

Rae the Doe, by Olive Brinker. Comedy, Slice-of-Life. (Mostly) Short Format. If Garfield was a transgender doe and wore clothes and also there weren’t any jokes about Mondays or lasagna and the comic was constantly assumed to be autobiographical in spite of its creator frequently asserting otherwise and the comic was still genuinely funny. But otherwise just like Garfield, really.

Selkie, by Dave Warren. Sci-Fi, Slice-of-Life, Comedy, Drama. Long-Format. Former adoptee Todd becomes a father himself to a strange young girl who turns out to be a refugee from a secret underwater civilization. While the public gradually becomes aware that humans are not alone, family forms and is redefined as secrets from both Todd and Selkie’s past are revealed and dealt with, and kids confront issues of inclusion and exclusion. Also, for some reason two of the kids from Evangelion are Todd’s neighbors.

Skin Deep, by Kory Bing. Fantasy, Coming-of-Age, Monster Girls (and Boys). Michelle discovers the secret world of mythical monster people after a small medallion unlocks her own heritage as a sphinx—supposedly long-extinct, according to the other monsters. Michelle must explore who she is and her family history while also trying to avoid completely upending nonhuman society and maintaining secrets within a culture already used to the use of magical illusions and transformations. Light LGBT content.

Skin Horse, by Shaenon Garrity.  Comedy, Sci-Fi, Mad Science, Zombies, Canadians. Mixed-Format. Set in the same universe as Narbonic (see above), “Skin Horse” follows an organization of  the same name dedicated to providing social services to beings only recognized by the secret shadow government—staffed by a patchwork zombie bioweapon, a talking sled dog, a cross-dressing pansexual psychologist, and a receptionist in the form of an immobile Victorian robotic weapon of mass destruction, all overseen by a sentient swarm of bees. Frequent LGBT content.

Something*Positive, by RK Milholland. Comedy, Slice-of-Live, Parody. Mixed-Format. Very long-running comic that gradually grows from a dark and misanthropic sense of humor into a dark and misanthropic sense of humor with a warm and gooey center. Earlier comics can be pretty weak and handle many subjects very poorly (the first strip, linked above, features an abortion “joke”); gradually improves.in terms of LGBT representation to the point that it’s one of the better webcomics in that regard. I might recommend skipping ahead in the archives to the current decade (the “1937″ and “1938″ are strips flashing back to the previous generations).

Spacetrawler, by Christopher Baldwin. Sci-Fi, Comedy. Long-Format. The naive but brilliant alien race known as the Eebs are enslaved by interplanetary society at large, depending on their servile nature to maintain the high standard of technology and transportation across the void of space. A group of utterly incompetent aliens come to Earth to seek help in freeing the Eebs... and generally fuck everything up for the best with their terrible choices of sample humans. Currently in the midst of a sequel series focusing on new intrigue and antics, including a talking, murderous kangaroo.

Spinnerette, by Krakow Studios. Superheroes, Comedy, Sci-Fi. Mixed-Format. A grad student develops spider-themed superpowers—including extra arms—and attempts to navigate both concealing her transformation, and becoming a superhero in a world where super-powered vigilantes and criminals are a fact of life. Not Work-Safe due to suggestive artwork including improbably form-fitting costumes over improbably large bosoms. Recurring LGBT content.

Val & Isaac, by @tredlocity​. Sci-Fi, Fantasy,  Comedy. Mixed-Format. A space mercenary, her wizard buddy, and the cyborg fish girl who keeps all their technology functional, occasionally featuring their shapeshifting assassin friend Space Dread. Major LGBT content, including WLW and MLM, and a prominent transgender character.

Vattu, by Evan Dahm. Fantasy, Worldbuilding. Long-Format. Born to the Fluters of the grasslands, Vattu finds her traditional subsistence lifestyle torn away as a multi-species empire asserts a claim over her people’s lands. A fantasy epic with several major arcs; see also the creator’s earlier completed works Rice Boy and Order of Tales.

XKCD, by Randall Munroe. Science, Parody, Comedy. Short Format. Stick figures and scientific silliness. Make a point of checking the alt-text of each comic by moving your cursor over the strip. Early pages are much more along the lines of experimental sketches; link above directs to a random comic in the archives. Some comics are more along the lines of interactive games!

Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic (YAFGC), by Rich Morris. Fantasy, Comedy, Parody. Mixed-Format. Not Work-Safe. The inhabitants of a world heavily based in Dungeons & Dragons go about their lives as monsters, humanoids, and soul-searching mixes of the two. Begins with a romance between a beholder and a goblin, gradually builds up to battles between nations and the gods themselves, while also finding time to explore family, loss and love, and whether kobolds count as sapient. Moderate LGBT content including recurring gay & bisexual characters (it’s a very large cast); new readers guide here.

[dracpuncher]

A Breakdown of Why Val Velocity is Such a Bitch

by Dr Lesbian, PhD (pain having disorder)

none of this makes any sense with canon

i do not care

god likes me

Our story starts when Val, age 12, decides he wants to be just like the Fabulous Killjoys. It’s the sound of the songs that crackle through the radio if you stand right at the edge of the terminal at the right time, and the flashy colors of the Exterminate posters. He knows what he wants, and there’s no one to stop him.

He’s only 13 when he makes the dash, but his determination carries him through the gates. Beyond the gates, after miles of tireless travel, he reaches a war zone. A firefight, but not the kind he’d read about in the news. Dracs and Crows are crouched behind crumbled walls, and stationed with their guns peeking over the rocks. On the opposing side, Zonerunners of all kinds are scattered about, reloading battery packs into their painted blasters lighting up cherry bombs. In the center of it all, there’s a toppled transport truck, and the figures of a few who’d already met the witch. More people are facing off than he’s ever seen.

As soon as he’s close enough to spot the dracs, they’re close enough to spot him. He’s caught up in the chaos without a blaster and without a clue. He runs for a nearby boulder, but before he makes it, an overwhelming pain rings out through his arm. There’s no telling whether it was a wayward blast from a joy or a target from a drac, but it doesn’t matter. He falls to his knees behind the boulder, clutching at the pool of blood starting to form, and he looks around for a way out of the scene. Behind him is the dracs, ahead of him is a group of ‘joys who probably couldn’t tell the difference between a Crow and a kid in a white jacket, and just ahead of him is a stretch of road, a place where another squad car could pull up any time. 

This wasn’t just any ordinary clap. At this point, it’d been dragging on for days. With something this big, of course the fab four had heard about it. Poison is at the wheel of the Trans Am, hitting the red line along route guano. Ghoul and Jet cover poison as Kid keeps the launcher steady. Thin snakes of light are beaming in the distance from all sides, matching in time with hectic sounds of the radio. Ghoul interrupts Poison’s order-barking to point out a small figure crouched in the distance. He begrudgingly comes to a stop at a good distance from the action.

Ghoul jumps out of the car, saying he swears that looks like a kid over there. He trudges quickly through the sand, and Jet trails behind. The next drac to glance in their direction is out in a flash. Poison and Kobra follow, for Ghoul’s sake if anybody’s. In the middle of the chaos, the four approach the kid slowly. Ghoul stands over Val, reaching an arm out to help him up. Val’s unsure whether to answer or run from the flamboyant strangers, but he can’t turn down the offer of a bandage for his arm. 

They take shelter back at the car where the four exchange knowing glances, all unable to leave this blank-slate kid on his own. It doesn’t take long for Val to match up the faces to the posters, and he thinks getting shot in the arm might’ve been the luckiest thing to have ever happened to him. 

Back at the diner, Val’s intimidated, if not a little starstruck. He’s with his heroes, experiencing the life of freedom he’d previously only dreamed of. It’s glorious in all it’s grit. The four don’t mind letting Val stay for a few days and recover. In fact, they can’t help but notice he seems to fit in. This gives Val an opportunity he can’t help but try to take. 

Val approaches Poison, taking the seat across from him in the diner booth. Though Poison’s intimidation had worn off somewhat over the last few days, Val still freezes up. One wrong word and he’d be crushed, but he has to work up the nerve and come out with it. With a little bit of flattery and a promise of determination, Val’s hero becomes his mentor. 

Being valued by his heroes is a glorious feeling. Though he’s starved and exhausted, he pushes through everything asked of him. Day by day he works to become stronger, faster, and smarter. He doesn’t lag behind on supply runs anymore, and his aim sure beats Ghoul’s. Though zone life is harsh, it’s everything he wanted.

At this point, Val’s tagging along and keeping up on every mission. The Fab Five are cruising down Route Guano, a box or four of stolen food in the back. They made it out with all they needed, but it’s not a real supply run if shots aren’t fired. Ahead of them, a BL/IND patrol truck is coming closer. Poison barks out the orders, Ghoul’s got his gun ready, and Val’s standing by as his second pair of eyes. Poison seems sure in what he’s saying, but there’s no denying that the dracs are closing in. Ghoul jumps as a shot hits the mirror of the Trans Am.

As confident as Poison seems, it’s not enough. Val snatches a lighter from the side of the car door, and grabs a cherry bomb from the crate in the back before anyone realizes what he’s doing. The patrol truck is sent off the road in one big blast, and Val’s got Destroya to thank for the fact that the Trans Am didn’t go with it. The silence in the car that follows is nauseating. 

When they get back to the diner, Poison doesn’t get out of the car with the others. Kobra, Jet, and Ghoul are quick to get away, but Val sees Ghoul shoot him a look of pity before walking away. Poison sits in the back, annoyance clear on his face. Val hangs behind in uneasy silence, waiting for Poison to speak. 

It’s the first time Val sees the other side of Poison. His voice is cold as he lashes out at Val with no sympathy, only the rage of having been undermined. Val now cowers in front of his idol, ashamed to have been the one to save the day.

By the next day, the tension had almost entirely faded. Poison seems to continue on as if it was nothing, and Val thinks it best to let it go. Though deep down Val feels a sense of uneasiness over what happened, he pushes it down. To him, it wasn’t worth trashing the opportunity of a lifetime for. The following days went by without a hitch.

Though it took him some time, Poison eventually thought of what he needed to say. There were few things he hated more than apologizing, but few things he loved more than being adored as a hero. He swallows his pride and apologizes for his ‘outburst.’ They continue on, assuring that it was a one time fuck up on both their parts. For the next few weeks, it sort of seems they’d been right. The fabulous killjoys continue on drinking juice and karate chopping draculoids, getting along famously. 

As with all things though, it’s not that simple. Firefights are not as simple as just following orders. In the heat of the moment, under the pressure of bleach white blasters staring you down, things go wrong. Jet crouches beside Kobra in the back of the Trans Am, performing some DIY first aid on his burnt hand. That leaves Poison and Ghoul alone to fight off the squadron alone, so long as Val stays back like he was told.

But of course he doesn’t. 

Val can’t look Poison in the eye as they all climb back into the car. Poison doesn’t need to say anything to make it clear that he’s seething. Jet and Kobra pile in the back, uncomfortably pretending they hadn’t seen. Ghoul, once again, has a look of pity on his face that he tries to hide by keeping his head facing the window. Poison’s knuckles are white with a tight grip on the steering wheel. This time, Poison can’t wait until they reach the diner to begin belting out complaints and insults at Val. There’s no calming him down once Poison becomes caught up in his rage. They just let it play out.

And so it does. Beneath all the anger, it’s clear how scared Poison is of losing control, but to Val it’s simply clear that he needs to get the fuck away from Poison when he’s like this. After he’s too tired to get any more words in about how stupid he thinks that was, Poison stalks off into the diner, trying to continue on as if he hadn’t just punched a 13 year old in the nose. 

As much as Ghoul wants to, he can’t ignore it. The tension is blaring loud, and exchanging sad looks just won’t cut through the guilt anymore. When Val approaches him, there’s hardly anything to say other than that he’s sorry, and that this is just what Poison does. Val is devastated, no longer able to hide his frustration with Poison.

The following evening, the gang gathers at the diner to crack open a few cans of PowerPup. It’s much quieter than usual, with even Poison keeping his mouth shut. As hungry as he is, Val can’t stand to eat. He gets up from his seat at the booth, looking eye to eye with Poison. Everyone seems to hold their breath. Val tells Poison that he’s done with his shit, and he’s going off to start his own gang. Poison laughs in his face, seeming genuinely entertained at the thought of Val on his own. He explains, with brutal ‘honesty’, that Val wouldn’t make it 24 hours without the four there to save him. 

This time, Val doesn’t take it.

[5ivebyfive]

any bi kim headcanons? im a slut for those lol

DO I?! YES I DO.

I headcanon that Kim has known she was bi from a young age. Maybe she didn’t always have a name for it or know there was a name for it, but since she was a young girl she thought some girls were pretty and some boys were pretty. Obviously, this confused her. She knew she was only supposed to like boys, and she thought for awhile that she was broken or something, so she didn’t voice any of this. But she definitely had a couple of innocent crushes on schoolmates, or a teacher or two. Most of her life she had her mom saying things like “when you find a husband...” “when you meet the man of your dreams...” And she always thought to herself “what if I want to have a wife? what if I meet the girl of my dreams instead?” Not that she didn’t have crushes on boys, too. She did. At least, once she got out of elementary school. Before that she found boys to be pretty gross and annoying. 

Her first kiss was a boy when she was 13. It was clammy and awkward, and she thought, “why do people like this?” That following summer she was at sleep away camp and she kissed a girl. It was spin the bottle and it was the prettiest girl in camp. It was nice. She realized she not only liked kissing, but she liked kissing girls. She heard a lot of jokes about lesbians after that and she wondered if she was one, but then she met a boy that she really liked, and kissing him was just as nice. He was her first boyfriend, even though it was mostly holding hands and eating lunch together. They dated for three weeks. She still hadn’t heard the word bisexual, and didn’t know there was a label for her feelings, and she had bouts of anger and depression. Her mom tried to take her to therapy and get her medicated, but her therapist didn’t think it was necessary. Upon understanding her therapist couldn’t tell her mother anything, Kim opened up about her confusion. It was then she heard the word bisexual described to her, and she thought it might fit her. 

While all of this was going on with her mind she started befriending some of the cooler kids. She wanted to be one of them. She needed to be one of them. If she were one of them, then maybe if her secret ever came out it would be okay. Plus, it had to be amazing to be popular. Everything changed when Amanda Clark asked her to eat lunch with her and her friends. Kim thought Amanda was super cool, and the two hit it off. Amanda kept telling Kim she should try out to be a cheerleader when they start high school, and she taught Kim everything she knew. When high school started and auditions came around Kim was flawless. A natural. So much so that she started getting more attention than Amanda. Their Junior year, at 16, Kim made head cheerleader. She was elated. Amanda supported her and stood behind her as Kim became the most popular girl in school.

In the years leading up to that Kim had a handful of different boyfriends. Her standards were so high at that point that none of them seemed to be good enough. She still held her secret about being bi. She had crushes on different girls at school, but she kept it all to herself. It boiled inside of her and she pushed it down.

Then she started to date Ty. For a long time. He didn’t pass her requirements so much as he had the right status. It worked. Then when they were seniors, Amanda sent her the infamous picture. What she didn’t know was that Amanda had figured out her secret, or assumed it, and was taunting her. Amanda was out for Kim, and she went after Kim’s boyfriend. Then Kim sent Ty the photo, and everything burned around her. 

Then she met Trini. And Trini was hot. And feisty. And Kim couldn’t keep her eyes off of her. All the time. She knew how bi she was being, but Trini was hot! It was after they defeated Rita and Goldar that she finally told someone she was bi. She told Jason. It wasn’t easy. But he was really cool about it and supportive. She finally breathed easier knowing that someone, other than her therapist, knew about her. Like she could finally share a piece of herself that she had to hide for so long. 

She and Trini became close friends in the weeks and months after the attack, and she really wanted to tell Trini. Not because of her crush on her, but because Trini had been so open at the campfire and Kim wanted to be open as well. (Because deep down she had wanted to tell them all then, but on top of everything else she had to admit to someone, that was a thread too much.) She finally told Trini one night when they were having a sleepover and Trini was ranting about her mom. Kim liked to listen when Trini ranted, because it doesn’t happen all that often, so she tried. But then in the middle of it she just blurted it out. “I’m bisexual!” And Trini raised a brow and stared and was like “okay...wanna cookie?” And Kim almost cried. (She may have. A little.) 

Trini was Kim’s first girlfriend, and her first real love. She had never really been in love with Ty, but Trini? Trini she fell fast and hard for. They had been dating for three months when Kim finally decided to tell her parents. She stressed over it so much, and she was terrified. But she sat them down and said “Mom, Dad...I’m seeing someone. Someone you know...” And her mom was all “Jason?!” Kim rubbed her temples and said “No, not Jason. Uh...Trini, actually.” And she watched her parents process it and her mom lets out this long sigh and says “Thank god, I thought you were going to say Zack.” And Kim is grossed out a moment and shakes her head and finally says it, “Guys, I’m bisexual.” And they were okay with it. Took some adjusting, and it was a little awkward at first, especially when Trini came over to see them, but in time they didn’t treat the two any differently. 

Kim went on to have a fabulously bi life with her wonderful lady Trini at her side. 

[stvlti]

10 favourite female* characters

Since we're doing tag memes again on this blog I figured why not update my favourite characters list while I'm at it? Last time I did a similar list it was for anime characters only, so I thought why not make it women-themed this time?

(I know IWD/IWW has already passed but I haven't posted anything for it on here this year so please let me have this)

This isn't a real tag meme so absolutely no pressure, but I'd like it if y'all shared your favourite fem characters too! I nominate:

@boatiechat @sapphicdeathnote @lawliyeeeet @sweetgloss @hayatibobby @3dnygma @setfa

(*) female = any characters confirmed canonically to be fem-aligned. Let's goooo

Akane Tsunemori [Psycho Pass]

I still love her, she's alike me in so many ways back when I watched this series. I think the coming of age aspect (in a political and philosophical sense) really resonated with me.

Maeve Millay [Westworld]

She's so badass *__* I still have yet to watch Season 2 but I hope I get around to it sometime before Mr. Robot S4 comes out! Speaking of which...

Darlene Alderson [Mr. Robot]

I just love how she fucks with the MPDG archetype, and the tongue in cheek Lolita references too. And anyway you already know I love a complex, amoral female character

Ava [Ex Machina]

I guess... I kinda like the idea of her moreso than her character (since her character's got a pretty simple arc). But hell yeah give me all the android ladies who break free of man's exploitation (you seeing a theme here yet? hehe)

Nausicäa [Nausicäa of the Valley of the Wind]

Another character who is so important to me as a coming of age character. She's probably my favourite Ghibli girl protagonist...

Harley Quinn [New Earth]

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the Gang of Harley's (New 52 onwards), but it's her personality in the original comic run that I found really compelling. She's the girl next door with a set of complexities that the current iteration just doesn't seem to replicate (and by complexities I'm not referring to her relationship with the Joker, but her other flaws, her vulnerable moments, her well-intentioned but chaotic approach to living life...)

Marceline the Vampire Queen [Adventure Time]

The original goth gf......... I had a big ol' crush on her but also wanted to be badass like her. Sum of my experience with this archetype, really 🙈 and then the series kept building on her back story, and I remember this particular shot so clearly of her cleaning her bellybutton - ig moral of the story I'm here for girls who are allowed to be gross in canon (see again: Harley Quinn)

Rem [Death Note]

Well, since we're talking about monster girls... Rem has big tragic butch lesbian energy and I don't care what Ohba has to say

Now here I couldn't actually choose 2 fave fem characters for the last spots on the list so I'm going to have to list a bunch of honourable mentions:

Missy [Colette (2018)]

This feels like a bit of a cheat because technically she isn't even a fictional character - she's based on a real person in the life of the woman that this biopic is about, that's like saying the men from Hamilton are fictional characters... Nevertheless the acting and the writing for Missy's portrayal in this film really captivated me, just the sheer ballsiness of her existence (as the way she chose to present herself) in Edwardian era Parisian society, and the dialogue they gave her in this film... (Btw I don't even know what Missy's preferred pronouns were irl, the film seemed to suggest that Missy liked he/him pronouns so someone come correct me if you know)

Blue [The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys]

my first favourite android lady... Looking back her character is quite one-dimensional but she meant a lot to me at the time

Ripley [the Alien franchise]

Well, I fell in love with her character in the second movie. She's good in the original film too. I didn't watch the third and the fourth tho. But she's kinda a seminal character (practically a prototypal final girl before the trope even existed) and deserves an honourable mention on this list for sure

Raven [Teen Titans 2003]

She gets an honourable mention here. I distinctly remember her being one of the first characters that truly resonated with me as a wee middle schooler but after revisiting the series a few years ago I don't think I'm all that into her anymore

If you made it this far thanks for sticking around! Sorry for the info-dump. I'm always up for discussing any of these shows/films/characters tho!

EDIT: oh shit i can’t believe i left out this character!!

Violet Baudelaire [A Series of Unfortunate Events - the books]

i haven’t gotten far with the Netflix series, but i distinctly remember her character being so important to my self-esteem as a 12-13 y/o. She was so intelligent and capable, yet fully human and real in a way that not many teenaged girls were allowed to be in fictional representations at the time. until the 11th book she didn’t even entertain any romantic inclinations (and even then it was so realistically innocent in a way that not many Y/A stories were either), which was so refreshing for me to read as a teenager-to-be because seemed like every other story immediately gave girls a male love interest. (which obviously didn’t appeal to me for obvious reasons). so yeah, if Raven got a spot on this honourable mentions list then Violet definitely deserves to be on here.

[thelastlesbean]

Max’s (Super Gay) Comic Rec

Cause we all need a lil more gay in our lives lets be real.

(R stands for Rating. What do u mean this is not a legit rating system? You’re not a legit rating system) 

(AL stands for Angst Level 1 being (almost) no angst, 5 being very fucking angsty)

LGBT+ 

Les Normaux by JJ & AI ( @lesnormaux ) | R: 12.5/10 | AL: 1.5 Follow the lives of a bunch of supernatural beings living in Paris Read for: INCREDIBLE ART INCREDIBLE CHARACTERS INCREDIBLE STORIES INCREDIBLE EVERYTHING basically read this if you’re having a bad day u will not regret 

Griefer Belt by Kales ( @grieferbeltcomic ) | R: 12.5/10 | AL: 3 A bunch of queer contract killers… what could go wrong? Read for: A+ art, A+ artist, A+ story, A+ characters, A+ anything

Green & Gold by Lisadorina | R: 13/10 | AL: 2 A story about teenagers at a German boarding school. Read for: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ART I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE IN A COMIC OKAY & also the story is just really really really great

Sharp Zero by Robotsharks ( @robotsharks ) | R: 13/10 | AL: 3.5 A superhero action comedy. The main character dies but it doesn’t end there... Read for: *grabs ur face* okay listen LISTEN THIS Story IS SO GooD OKAY JUST Read AND WeEP + The Art??? THE ATR IS BEAUTIFUL

Countdown to Countdown by Vel ( @velocesmells ) | R: 10/10 | AL: 4.5 Iris' life takes a turn for the worse five year into an apocalyptic outbreak Read for: ridiculously incredible art, unique art style and a great story that keeps you on the edge of your seat 

Falconhyrste by mcapriglioneart ( @falconhyrste ) | R: 10/10 | AL: 2 A story about a bunch of kids at a mysterious boarding school Read for: OCTAVIA AND HER AMAZINGNESS, quirky characters, really really great artwork & a story that pulls you in

Artistic Progress by Red-vaporeon ( @red-vaporeon-draws ) | R: 10/10 | AL: 2 A bunch of kids tackling everything that happens when you grow up Read for: really incredible characters, beautiful and very unique art style 

Lochbank cryptic society by Cryptid society ( @cryptidsociety​ ) | R: 10/10 | AL: 2 Three teenagers start an after school club dedicated to hunting cryptids and legends of their small town, only to discover a conspiracy bigger than anything they set out for. Read for: smart and intriguing story and characters 

More under the cut!! 

Aspera by rrroux | R: 9/10 | AL: 1 Amongst Parisian cobblestones, paint stains and empty coffee cups we find nine different young adults who somehow ended up in each other's lives. Read for: really unique and lovely art style, lovely story and well thought out characters 

Aversion by Hayden Marie ( @aversioncomic ) | R: 8/10 | AL: 3.5 A story about a human unwillingly caught in the middle of the Endless War of Heaven and Hell, and the angel Nadhirrah, assigned to protect him. Read for: very interesting story full of plot twists & crazy good colouring 

Chasing little stars by Eleviken | R: 9/10 | AL: 2 The world is dangerously polluted. As if that's not bad enough already, four kids also have to deal with their own issues at an elite high school in Shanghai. Read for: Beautifully created characters, setting and art 

Forget me by Bai ( @leello ) | R: 7.5/10 | AL: 2 A story about the exciting, complicated life of a college student. Read for: Really great characters and the story they tell 

Rock & Riot by Chelsey Furedi ( @rockandriotcomic​ ) | R: 9/10 | AL: 2 Opposing gangs, cool outfits, swooning humans all around and people falling in love. Read for: Funny story, lovey art work & great representation all over  Also check out: Project Nought

Acquainted with strangers by Crumbsicle ( @crumbsicle​ ) | R: 7.5/10 | AL: 1 Keenan decides to start designing the town’s first arcade with the help of the rich pretty-boy he just met. Read for: Really unique artstyle, intriguing story 

Monster crowd, creatures call by Void ( @monsterscrowdcreaturescall ) | R: 8/10 | AL: 2.5 A coming of age comic about monster teenagers in the 1980’s. Read for: interesting take on the monster genre and very unique but cool style 

Piercings by MacAngell | R: 7.5/10 | AL: 2A Drama about a slew of college kids from across the sexuality spectrum that are terrible at relationships and understanding what they want out of life. Read for: gorgeous story with interesting characters 

Danse orbitale by Princedesoies ( @princedesoies​ ) | R: 7.5/10 | AL: 1.5 A comic about two friends who enjoy dancing ballet together and can't be bothered about gender Read for: cool style and great exploration of what it means to be yourself 

WLW 

Elvis & Jules by Bibinella ( @bibinella ) | R: 10/10 | AL: 1 The moment they met they immediately hit it off, what will happen next? Read for: beautiful artstyle, interesting story that’s still developing 

Preheat by Bilvy | R: 9/10 | AL: 2 A young and ambitious baker loses her cafe in a disastrous fire, but sees none of the insurance payout. Read for: super super great art and promising story 

Short by Dani Bolim ( @bolinhopodre ) | R: 8/10 | AL: 1.5 Short story about lesbians Read for: Fun short stories that don’t take too long to read & cute art to boot! 

Honey & Venom by Kurzz ( @honeyandvenomcomic ) | R: 7.5/10 | AL: 2 A webcomic about ancient Roman/modern California lesbians. Read for: Interesting story & great art 

Long Hair Hotel by Momcarda | R: 7.5/10 | AL: 2 A story about letting go of your history and getting to know yourself Read for: a story that’s just beginning, unique and interesting art style 

Meriel’s law by Illuia | R: 8/10 | AL: 1 A very persistent saleswoman charming the heck out of a very grumpy witch Read for: MAGIC, WLW, CUTE ART 

Our story begins with by Shihho | R: 7/10 | AL: 1.5 A story through a relationship Read for: cute art

GRRRLS by 025GERU ( @025geru ) | R: 8/10 | AL: 2 Short stories about girls Read for: unique artstyle, interesting narratives and bite sized stories 

MLM

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman ( @heartstoppercomic ) | R: 12/10 | AL: 2.5 A really wonderful and cute story about figuring yourself out and falling in love as a teenager Read for: ridiculously amazing story, great representation on what it really is like figuring out you’re lgbt (without it being all about that) & super cute art style 

Autophobia by G.H.S.T ( @autophobiacomic ) | R: 13/10 | AL: 3 A story about Louis, an eleventh grader with anxiety trying to juggle school, his fathers expectations and later his budding feelings for a boy. Read for: the ridiculously amazing storytelling, best depiction of an anxiety attack I have ever seen in media and seeing the growth of an artist (this comic is my number one fave)  

Long Exposure by Mars ( @longexposurecomic​ ) | R: 12.5/10 | AL: 3.5 Nerds, bullies, superpowers, government conspiracies, secret labs… This story has it all Read for: Incredibly well thought out story, incredible art, incredibly amazing characters just !!!!! READ THIS !!!! 

Eerie Crests by Bell ( @eeriecrests ) | R: 12/10 | AL: 4 They say Malek is dead… Dallas isn’t so sure Read for: A-FUCKING-MAZING ART by an absolutely fabulous artist and a very very intriguing story 

Dear Boy by Blauerozen ( @blauerozen ) | R: 11/10 | AL: 2.5 Follow a group of not-so-human college boys as they whine about their tangled love lives. Read for: cute art, cute story, cute everything lets be real

Cupid by XUIO | R: 8.5/10 | AL: 3 Tony is a troublesome and carefree kid who has trouble falling in love, he then meets a forgiving and levelheaded Cupid named Koji, who helps him out, ironically. Read for: very interesting story and pretty art 

MondoMango by The Kao ( @thekao ) | R: 9.5/10 | AL: 1 Follow the day to day life of Kao as he goes on adventures or thinks stuff about things. Read for: funny little stand alone comics with great line art 

Breaks by Emma Vieceli  | R: 8/10 | AL: 3.5 A love story… but a little broken Read for: Very interesting story and great characters 

Cupido by Skatuya ( @skatuya ) | R: 8/10 | AL: 2 Alec has the ability to see soulmate marks of people and likes to play cupid (with some great help!) Read for: lovely story, awesome characters, interesting idea 

Fluxa by Kukkiia ( @fluxa ) | R: 8/10 | AL: 3 Callipus is on the run from the government when he meets a boy part of a rebellion Read for: In-cre-dible art, really cool story 

BSandL by Nilukka ( @drawthen ) | R: 9/10 | AL: 2.5 An alien crash lands on earth with a bang Read for: Original story and way of storytelling and multi dimensional characters 

Brian & Ditya by Bakanoapit ( @apitnobaka ) | R: 9/10 | AL: 1 Way more than friendship, not (yet) a relationship - told as bits and pieces of words. Read for: REALLY CUTE AND FLUFFY + GREAT A R T OKAY

Geoff & Rupert by Olive Guy | R: 8.5/10 | AL: 1 Plants and soul reapers Read for: Cute af art and cute af plants 

Jamie by NDGO ( @jamie-comic ) | R: 7.5/10 | AL: 2.5 Jamie falls for Aiden, Aiden isn’t so sure… Read for: interesting story & lovely art style 

This took me over 3 hours to put together jfc but yes read all of these they’re absolutely amazing 

Also @ the comic artists: if I put your comic in the wrong category pls let me know u guys are amazing and I love all your art so much 

[mic1204]

Honestly...

We're all here going off about "how little queer representation there is in media" or screaming "make them gay you cowards" at mainstream creators, asking them to mold their vision to ours.

And while i get that we as a community are somewhat starved of mainstream queer content, i legit cannot stress enough how i much i love every.single.piece. of queer cinema/series/art/music we have.

While we may not have a lot of mainstream rep, we have SUCH A FUCKING MULTITUDE OF QUEER SHIT, not necessarily hidden away, just a bit harder to find.

Give me the boring, same-old tropes...

Give me the random/unknown/up and coming actors just finding their way in the industry, through a single role in a queer production.

Give me the foreign language/ foreign country queer art.

Give me the period drama queers, all set against the political backdrop of resisting oppression and what not.

Give me the sad queers dying of disease due to the overwritten trope of "unsafe sex in the 80s equals death" (which is and was true, no doubt).

Most importantly give me the love. The tender, gasping kiss where one person's hand tenses on their knee. The little boy-who-isn't-a-boy who learns to embrace their mothers colorful wardrobe with the help of friends. Give me the middle aged black lesbians laughing at how their daughter is crushing hard on some boy. Give me the wartime suffering of closeted folks, only sneaking glances and maybe a few hidden kisses. Give me the schoolboys making out in a locker room. Give me the transwoman coming out with nothing less than a fabulous play.

GIVE ME THE LOVE.

Give me the queers.

Give me what i need, yet not what everyone else wants. I know i am not alone in asking for this. Just allow me and mine to express ourselves.

The dying artist's desperate creation is something we as a community relate to.

All those subtle/Arthouse/unknown queer films made back in the day???? They're being watched today by young kids,hiding under their blankets, who waited till everyone was asleep to plug in their headsets and watch, enraptured, breathless and exhilarated by seeing themselves, or at least in part their feelings, shown in a magical, awesome way.

All the underground, half-forgotten queer music ??? I guarantee you there's some queer kid out their scavenging their heart out for more of that one artist who sang about how it was okay to like someone of the same sex.

There is, without a doubt in my mind, some closeted queer kid taking an art class somewhere, looking so deep into the paintings and the sculptures and the art that they connect with the very creator themselves, queer too, closeted too.

Like myself, there is also a bunch of queer (and even cishet ppl) who write and cast and dream up stories and poems and wonderful pieces of art about how the girl can, in this perfect little dream world, get the girl.

Point is, we may not be in the spotlight, and we still have a long way to go, but as long as this underground/hidden/arthouse queer content is sneakily uploaded to youtube or some site or another, as long as we search and dig and scour the webs and the stores for this content, as long as we cling on to this art we see ourselves reflected in, then our community will never die, and never cease to be visible.

After all:

Ars long, vita brevis.

[missolitude]

hi there I really like your blog ♡ just wondering what are some of your favourite blogs?

Aww that’s a very sweet message, thank you lovely anon! I’m glad that you enjoy my blog and I’m happy to share some of my favourites that I definitely recommend following! :)

@drmottershead (This fabulous lady blogs about very similar fandoms that I do - Star Trek, Doctor Who, The Walking Dead, GoT, loK, Bates Motel, Holby City, Pamela Rabe and Wentworth and lots of multifandom goodness.)

@roslin (Here you can find a wide range of TV shows and movies, posts about feminism and politics, powerful, funny and relatable text posts, gorgeous middle-aged actresses and complex female characters in TV and movies, I could spend hours on this blog without ever getting bored!)

@aryasnow (Very classy and high quality content, beautiful photography and aesthetic posts, nature and landscapes, powerful quotes, GoT, fashion and occasionally wine porn.)

@gamergirloracle (A quality mutifandom blog, feminism, politics, femslash, Swan Queen, Supercorp/Supercat, educational and informative text posts and fandom news/rants, and of course: ladies!)

@virgovalkyrie @writemeanna @xshayarsha @gegenstandslos @a-quiet-life (A really beautiful mix between gorgeous photography, scenery, aesthetics and moving quotes.)

@static-warp-bubble @angrywarrior69 @sapphicstartrek (Everything Star Trek!)

@just–space (Space porn)

@celebratingamazingwomen (As the title suggests ;) )

Various mutifandom blogs with beautiful quality content:

@yetanotherramblingfangirl @middleagedwomen-curves @allxthexthings @elliepeutetre @royalvalkyrie @thequeerdragonwitch @supernovacoffee @tigresswraith @yousayperfect-isaystreep @notes-from-wonderland @captainepoppins @that-geek-in-the-tardis @kitscaboodle @deeperschwarz @vivinicorn @cersaerys @evilqueenofgallifrey @nervouspearl @dazzlingmermaid @hollowshadowwolf @thinkingofyoulately @daggers-in-the-smiles-of-men @oceansinmychest

Here are some lovely poetry blogs, some of which I visit almost daily:

@lifeinpoetry @violentwavesofemotion @existential-celestial @a-quiet-green-agreement @meanwhilepoetry @soracities @kehrouac @memoryslandscape @thousandsacredsweets @nymphesdelamer @ohsylvia @awildchase@theclassicsreader @antigonick @metaphorformetaphor @medeae @pouvoires @inkskinned 

Motivational blogs and body positivity:

@chubby-bunnies @recoveryisbeautiful @bodypositivism @strength-recovery

Sapphic goodies:

@dykes-lesbians @thegirlswholikegirls @sapphiclovee @lgbtposts @butchfemmeculture @lezgoals @lbpqfilms @sapphostication @moonlesbianthings @wlwbeauty @sapphic-art @x-girl-love-x @lestalklove @sapphic-aesthetic