#i can see her being a kickass bisexual

[inkameswetrust]

MLM/WLW SOLIDARITY

mlm/wlw solidarity in the sense that they're the last person of the opposite gender they've dated until they realized they're gay 😭

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hello again!

Okay I'm just here for a chat (if thats okay) (i think you're lovely!)

There are some stuff about the show that really bother me you know... First of all in season 4 What Happens to John Watson.. like he is simply characterized by loyalty right it is who he is, then HOW does he cheat on Mary?! (Okay granted that his heart was elsewhere... ahem. But he's just not someone who would cheat)

Also i think Mary shouldn't be a villain... i know she possibly looks like it messes up Johnlock but i think its the opposite actually. I think John is bisexual and his love for her was real but she was basically a Sherlock substitute who looked like him (John)! Plus, she was there when he was at rock bottom so. But what doesn't make sense is her shooting Sherlock in the chest?! What's up with that!

Okay but the Weirdest part is in the last episode when Sherlock has to choose between John and Mycroft and finally choses to shoot himself... BOTH John and Mycroft do Nothing?? HOW

AAAAA the Last Season was SO much angst.. i think this fandom saved me <3

In my head It was love at first sight... and then slowly falling head over heels crazy in love with your best friend and all of it culminating in the most beautiful TV Romance.

(okay im sorry i think i ranted a bit)

Hi Lovely!

Inbox is always open for a chat (even if it takes me a long time to get to it, LOL), so no worries!

Let's address each of you things one by one:

What HAPPENS to John Watson – Your guess is as good as mine, Lovely, and it's a lot of the reason a lot of us can't take S4 seriously. It feels so OOC for John to cheat on Mary with ANY other woman, other than Sherlock (hence it being part of the Alibi theory, this part of it referencing SHERLOCK as being the one John is actually texting in the night), so many of us just don't think that S4 is what it appears to be on the surface. Of course, it could all just be a coping mechanism to deal with how dirty a beloved series did it's fandom, but we take what we can get, honestly.

As for villain Mary, I have to respectfully disagree, only because I believe that I think they were setting her up in S3 to BE a kickass antagonist for S4. Amanda ALSO thought they were going that route for a bit until (my speculation) things went sour with MF, AND they built up her character as a psychopath imho. Then they made her character attempt a piss-poor redemption arc that just... really soiled S4 for me because I firmly believe that John would have NEVER forgiven Mary for trying to kill Sherlock after seeing what it did to him the first time.

But to your point: John is bisexual, yes, but I don't think he's biromantic. I think he's homoromantic, and it's VERY played up in the series that this is the case: his blasé attitude about ALL his girlfriends, but pouncing around the close men in his life like a puppy? Heck, if Lestrade was single, I have NO doubt John would have taken his chances with him too, LOL. John is horny. That's literally the gist of it. He likes sex, he doesn't care what hole it goes in, just as long as he gets it. But I do think he forms VERY strong attachments to men in his life, and in turn he gets hurt, so he pretends he's not into men because it's "just easier" (you can read more posts about my and others' thoughts on John's sexuality here). He was with Mary because he was lonely, and Mary played him like a fiddle. She knew what John liked, and played that up. I believe it's even explicitly stated she knows what John likes. They only knew each other 6 months, CONVENIENTLY just before Sherlock was on his way back? Even ANDERSON picked up on Sherlock making his way back to London. I believe she was a Moriarty plant to see if John knew Sherlock was for-real dead, and she herself enjoyed the game and stealing and keeping John for herself away from Sherlock was part of that game upon the return. So yeah, I really have a hard time believing she OR John actually loved each other. I dunno, again, personal biases and readings of the series, apologies, LOL. I spent a LOT of time analysing Mary's character arc. But I WANTED her to be the big bad for S4, and it just... fizzled and died.

And finally, on your point about the weirdness of John nor Mycroft opting to stop Sherlock, yeah, have to agree with you there. TFP was a goddamned clustereff of WTF moments and mischaracterizations of literally every character on-screen. The only character NOT in character was Eurus and that's literally because they didn't know what to fucking do with her. TFP was so dumb. I have a hard time believing any of it actually happened the way it did on-screen. But yeah, S4 was a big disappointment for everyone including the actors. I think they only people who thought it was great was Mofftiss and that's because they love the smell of their own farts. I can't believe that they GENUINELY thought TFP was going to be Emmy-worthy (for those unaware, they initially planned to nominate TFP for the Emmy, and instead chose TLD, I believe, after the poor reception of TFP, and acted like they were always going to nominate TLD lol).

Anyway, yeah, it was full of angst, though my reasons for it are probably different than everyone else's, LOL. But the fandom IS fantastic, and that's why we stay here, and why I choose now to curate fandom content. Makes me happy, and keeps me out of drama, LOL.

Thank you so much for giving ME the opportunity to chat and rant! It's been so long since I've done mini meta, and posted my thoughts about everything. I like chatting.

Hope you're having a wonderful day, and sorry again for the delay! <3

[noahtally-famous]

I haven't made a tier list, like, ever bc I'm highkey worried ppl will come at me for my ships but fuck it we ball

some explanations/highlights below the cut!

emwayne = the best friends of rajbow getting together?? hell yeah (bowie and emma will always be best friends to me). wayne would help emma come into her growth while making sure she stays silly, I love them sm

I think the rest of the first-tier ships are pretty self-explanatory?? if you want me to (ramble) talk abt any of them lmk!

I thought of caleb/chase (calase? chaleb?) out of nowhere one bright sunny morning and they've been a concept in my head ever since. I find it funny that I hc the idea of caleb being this kitten lover who also works hard to get where he stands trying not to use his looks as an advantage, while chase is this laidback thrillseeker, pet-store destroyer, who would totally do stuff recklessly unlike caleb's more methodical approaches. it'd aggravate caleb so so much, like what if chase is the only person that he comes close to snapping at lmao I genuinely can talk abt them all day but I digress

ripaxel is actually interesting--I'm an axelle truther through and through but axel can be bi or pan or anything in between, y'know. plus their dynamic is kinda funny, like kickass girl x alpha-male wannabe

I adore rajbow, but bowie x caleb is one of the ships I ironically don't mind seeing on my dash; it's interesting to think abt how things would've gone if they'd gotten together

(speaking of which, raj x caleb was one of the ships on the list but I didn't add it, though it would've been interesting as well to imagine like rajbow would still be endgame but if caleb was raj's gay awakening without raj even realizing)

raynebow, admit it or not, would be an awesome dynamic. emwayne is on top for me, but these three would be pretty cool together, like rajbow already being a thing and then wayne coming into his own sexuality realization lmao for me, wayne is either the classic straight best friend or a bisexual mess, there's no in between

the concept of what's going on between priya and caleb currently is what I like more than the ship itself; I like the idea of priya having a crush (though her character derailment for it is a bit annoying smh) while caleb is just genuinely doing this for an alliance lmao (if caleb does grow feelings for priya in the process--which I don't doubt could happen, it's total drama after all, that'd be even funnier)

bowie & chase are the reluctant exasperated and annoyed sibling & feral sibling dynamic for me. like chase does smth stupid (not a hard thing to do) and bowie's genuinely stunned whenever it actually seems to work (I'm thinking abt ep1 of s2 here lmaoo)

bowie & emma weren't mentioned as one of the pairings, for obvious reasons, but them as besties fr and I really wanted them to rekindle their friendship 😔

mk using caleb to get ahead of the game in tiny details (climbing on his back, etc etc) is so fucking funny, they're on the platonic tier for me simply bc of that. and caleb would be so oblivious lmfaoo

waaay before when s1 hadn't come out and ppl speculated on priya & chase being the Main Couple (and then everything went to shit after), I've switched trains in regards to that; them as a platonic friends duo would be crazy. kickass girl who can do anything (except feelings) & dumbass guy who does stupid impulsive shit for thrills (and cannot do feelings); they'd both fumble at romance shit and rant abt it while making it seem like they have it under control, it'd be wack; she would hate him for doing stupid shit and making them lose challenges, he'd talk shit abt "taking risks" and whatnot, and she'd be like "I'll smash my water bottle over your head, that's a risk I want to take rn!!" fr priya would beat his ass (and maybe save his ass if they ever reach that point of their dynamic lmaoo)

I think that's all I need to say! also I didn't add all of the ships on the list mostly bc idk much abt them or their dynamics

[geek-antic]

Jayce Talis

was reading League Jayce's trivia and saw this

I ended up asking my phone for the definition of apollo because I couldn't remember which Greek god it was (it's the sunny one btw) but it also said it was the name of a butterfly and I thought, well those sure do appear in Arcane, so I googled it to see if it matched

And I decided eh, not really, but it does have Jayce's red and white color scheme, even has a bit of yellow to match his gold. but then I remembered a post I saw, said something about "Talis" being a type of moth and, while writing Talis moth yielded disappointing results, searching for Apollo moths yielded this lil guy

which kiiiinda looks like the ones we see in Arcane? the butterfly one has the transparency in their wings but the moth has the yellow spots so maybe it's just one of those fantasy things where they mash two species together to create something new that can symbolize both things all while giving the artists freedom to be creative and make something unique. but hey if you can pinpoint which species of moth or butterfly it is, I would genuinely love to find out.

But I digress. I wanted to bring this up because Jayce Talis acts like a moth when it comes to certain people who represent light sources.

Mainly, Viktor and Mel Medarda.

And what I really want to specifically focus on, is the different types of light sources they each represent. which is very well conveyed in the scene where Viktor & Jayce try to break into Heimerdingers lab, and are caught by Mel.

Viktor uses a soft light that's easy on the eyes, bright enough to see what's in front of them, but not bright enough to get noticed. Meanwhile Mel Medarda catches the duo off-guard with a blindingly sharp light.

After Jayce convinces her to give them a chance she leaves to distract a guard. Viktor turns on his flashlight again and they both look after her with these hilarious puzzled facial expressions of "holy shit I can't believe that worked"

Viktor turns to see Jayce who has a what I can only describe as an absolutely lovestruck expression on his face

And is disappointed to find out he quite literally got outshined

yes, yes, very sad, tragic one sided romance etc etc. Look, he ends up as a cool magical cyborg scientist with a kickass robot for a kid, while Jayce ends up having a bisexual awakening during a midlife crisis. idk about you but I'm calling that a win, so lets move on shall we?

My point is, Viktor is a glowing ember while Mel is a bright distant star, (gotta love the on point imagery)

(And Jayce is a dumb lil genius moth who keeps bonking his head into em and falling down all dazed and dizzy. ok I'll stop)

In the the end of the series we see Viktor become more of a dying ember, while Mel becomes less of a distant star as the show progresses and we get to understand her better, with the final act of the metaphorical distant star landing in how she takes her family symbol in the form of her ring, and places it on the council table, finally being within reach and on the same level as Jayce and Viktor with the amount of risk there is with her choice of going against her mothers wishes and potentially never earning back her place within her own family, which is what we've seen her strive for throughout the series.

Viktor in the meantime may be a fading ember but there are places in Zaun where a soft glow like that might be preferred in comparison to a bright flash of light that would end up blinding anyone who had to survive in the dark for too long. like, say, the folks in the sump.

[celiabowens]

underrated SFF books (YA and Adult)

So uhm, since I keep seeing the same books on my dash all the time (and I like them too, just...there’s more! to read!) here’s a list of less popular SFF books, divided into YA and Adult. I’ve tried to mention when there is lgbt rep and the trigger warnings. Also, books written by poc will be in bold. Please point out any typo or mistake or if I’ve forgotten specific rep/tw mentions.

All of these are books that I’ve read and enjoyed (by enjoyed I mean anything from 3 stars and above), but if anyone wants to add titles please feel free to do so!!

YA:

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi: beautifully written, fairytale-like story rich in mythology (inspired by several Hindu myths. There’s a full list on goodreads indicated by the author herself). Roshani’s prose is gorgeous.

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi: it’s a companion novel to The Star-Touched Queen, but both can be read as a standalone. I liked this one more than its companion and I particularly loved how the romance was written (slow burn, but specifically, the author really highlights the mutual respect between the characters, we love to see it).

The Young Elites by Marie Lu: fantasy trilogy set in a world inspired by Renaissance Italy, in which children who survived a mysterious and deadly illness ended up with strange and dangerous powers. Secret societies and a female villain!

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu: historical fantasy following Mozart’s sister, Nannerl, a girl as talented as her brother, but afraid of being forgotten because of the lack of opportunities she has to be seen and heard. Nuanced sibling relationship, no romance.  

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski: fantasy f/f romance! Both a coming of age story set in a society with a rigid class system and a slow burn f/f romance with a lot of banter. TW: abuse.

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore: magical realism. The book follows two families of traveling performers that have been locked in a feud for over a generation. This was the author’s debut and I remember getting an arc of it and being impressed by both the prose and how the forbidden love trope was handled.

When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore: another magical realism novel. One of the main characters is a trans boy and the book focuses on issues of racism and gender. One of my favorite YA!

Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton: fantasy romance set in a village that periodically sacrifices a young man in order to keep a deal with the devil that ensures their prosperity. Also, polyamorous and non-binary rep.

The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee: first book in a duology following avatar Kyoshi’s life. It explores the political and cultural aspect of the Earth Kingdom and Kyoshi’s past. Bisexual rep.

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He: sort of a murder mystery fantasy, as the main character finds herself suddenly thrust into power once her father has been murdered. The story has a slow build up to a last part full of twists and machinations and it features lots of court intrigue. Warning: the ending is quite open and afaik there isn’t a sequel planned as of now.

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones: a quite unique take on zombies influenced by Welsh mythology (it’s super cool). The novel follows Ryn and their siblings, as they try to get by after their parents’ death by working as gravediggers. Only well, the dead don’t always stay dead. The characters read a bit younger than they are imo. There is chronic pain rep.

The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas: retelling of the original ballad of Mulan. The book follows Mulan, who’s trained her whole life to win a duel for a priceless heirloom, as she joins the army. There’s a lot of political and historical details, which I really appreciated. Do not go into it expecting a fun adventure though. The descriptions of war aren’t extremely graphic, but be aware of the fact that most of the book is set during a conflict.

The Candle and The Flame by Nafiza Azad: standalone fantasy set in a city on the Silk Road! It’s a quite slow-paced tale about love, family and politics. It has lush descriptions of landscapes and cultures (and FOOD, there are some really great descriptions of food). It’s a very atmospheric book and while I struggled a bit with the pace I’d still recommend it.

Forest of a Thousand Lanters by Julie C. Dao: sort of an East Asian inspired retelling of Snow White, but following the Evil Queen before she became Snow White’s stepmother. I honestly haven’t read its sequel (which should focus on Snow White herself), but I do think this can be read and enjoyed as a standalone too.

The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner: it’s hard to point out exactly what this series is about because it has evolved so much with time. It starts out as classic quest/adventure series with The Thief (which may seem a classic and simple book, but is actually full of foreshadowing and has a really clever set up), but develops into a complex and intriguing political fantasy in The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia (and then goes back to the quest theme in book 5, Thick as Thieves).

Adult:

A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers by Alyssa Wong: I’m cheating with this one because it’s technically a short story but I love Alyssa Wong’s stories so I’m putting it here anyway. It can be read for free and you should just...read it.

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang: grimdark fantasy (TW: abuse, self harm, rape, drug abuse), inspired by Chinese history. It’s adult, but follows younger MCs and the unique blend of different historical periods/inspirations makes it extremely interesting. The characters are extremely fucked up in the best possible way, plus the use of shamanism is awesome. Please make sure you check all the TW before reading.

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang: a Japanese-inspired militaristic fantasy, with elemental magic, a badass housewife dealing with her past and hiding a sword in her kitchen’s floor. It has interesting and nuanced family dynamics and a great reflection on propaganda and the use of narratives.

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri: first book in an epic fantasy duology inspired by Mughal India (TW: abuse, slavery). I really liked both Empire of Sand and its companion and I find them pretty underrated. Both books have great slow burn romance (with a focus on mutual trust and respect) and focus on culture, religion, self acceptance and politics.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: a fantasy bildungsroman set in Mexico during the Jazz age. It’s a great approach to adult SFF as it follows a young girl on a life changing adventure. It features Mayan mythology and a god slowly becoming human (this trope is everything!).

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden: a coming of age story inspired by Russian folklore. The trilogy as a whole has one of the best arcs I’ve ever seen: each book is perfectly self-contained and has its own arc, but also fits perfectly in the bigger picture of the trilogy. The atmosphere is amazing, the cast of characters is extremely well developed. Also frost demons are better than men.

The Binding by Bridget Collins: historical fantasy, but with very minimal fantasy elements. It’s set in a world vaguely reminiscent of 19th century England. I’d say this book is about humans and self discovery. It’s about cowardice and the lies we tell ourselves and those we wish we could tell ourselves. Gay rep. (TW: abuse, sexual assault, pretty graphic suicide scene).

The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett: starting with City of Stairs, it follows a female diplomat and spymaster(!!). The whole trilogy features an interesting discussion about godhood, religion, fanatism, politics, without ever being boring or preachy. It has complex and rich world building and a pretty compelling mystery.

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett: heist fantasy following a thief as she’s hired to steal a powerful artifact that may change magical technology as she knows it. Set in a Venice-like merchant city. Also, slow burn f/f romance.

Jade City by Fonda Lee: sort of a gangster urban fantasy, heavily inspired by wuxia and set in an Asian-inspired metropolis. It follows a pretty big cast of characters, each with their own journey and development. It features nuanced family dynamics and a lot of political and economical subplots. Not extremely prominent, but book 2 features m/m side rep.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse: inspired by Native American culture and specifically by the idea of subsequent worlds. It has a kickass MC and a good mix of original elements and typical UF tropes. TW: the book isn’t extremely violent but there is death and some gore.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine: space opera inspired by the Mexica and middle period Byzantium. It focuses on topics like colonialism and the power of narratives and language. It has one of the best descriptions of what it’s like to live in between spaces I’ve ever read. Also very interesting political intrigue and has a slow burn f/f romance (and a poly relationship recalled through flashbacks). I ranted a lot about it already.

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee: a Korean-inspired space opera with a magic system based on math. It’s honestly quite convoluted and difficult to follow, but it also features some of the best political intrigue I’ve ever read. Plenty of lying, backstabbing and mind games. It also features lesbian and bisexual rep and an aroace side character (TW: mass shooting, sexual assault, abuse). I also really recommend Yoon Ha Lee’s short-story collection Conservation of Shadows.

The long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers: character driven space opera featuring a found family journeying through space. A fun read, that also deals with topics such as sexuality and race. Quite easy to go through, as the world building and plot aren’t particularly complex themselves. f/f romance.  

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo: an Asian-inspired fantasy novella that gives a voice to people usually silenced by history. It follows a cleric (non binary rep) as they chronicle the story of the late empress, retold through objects that she used in her life. It focuses on bonds between women and the power that lies in being unnoticed. f/f side rep.

The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark: an urban fantasy novella, based on Orisha mythology and set in an alternate, sort of steampunk, New Orleans. I really like how creative Clark’s worlds are and how good he is at writing female characters (which rarely happens with male authors).

The haunting of tram car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark: novella set in an alternate steampunk Cairo populated by supernatural entities. It’s set in the same world of a Dead Djinn in Cairo, which is a short story you can read for free.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: epistolary novella set during a time-travel war. It has gorgeous writing and an amazing f/f romance. As a novella, it’s quite short but it’s beautifully crafted and so complex for such a short book!

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls by Aliette de Bodard: a novella set in the Xuya universe (a series of novellas/short stories set in a timeline where Asia became dominant, and where the space age has empires of Vietnamese and Chinese inspiration), but can be read as a standalone. It’s a space opera featuring a disappeared citadel and the complex relationship between the empress and her daughter as war threatens her empire.

One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake: self-published urban fantasy following two rival families in New York. Sort of a Romeo and Juliette retelling but with gangster families and magic. Honestly recommend all of her books, I love how Olivie writes and especially how she writes female characters.

[gimmeromance]

Ask from a user who wants to remain anonymous:

Can you make this anon?

Lately I've been reading a bunch of romance and it's always with alpha males. I'd really love to read more romance like The Rakess with an alpha heroine where the woman is the dominant personality and the man is not. BDSM is fine so long as it is actually romance and not just erotica. I want to see women in heterosexual relationships being awesome and dominant and the dude totally being okay with it. (Like Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff.)

` 

Please help! It feels like romance tends to forget that het/bi/pan women with alpha personalities need love too.

Alpha females are definitely not the norm in most romance, you’re quite correct. We’re glad you already discovered The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham; that author has written a couple of submissive males in her BDSM historicals. Also weirdly enough, some old school historical romance totally gets into this trope - probably because Elizabeth Bennet/Mr. Darcy is the original Alpha Heroine/Beta Hero (unless you count the Taming of the Shrew which depending on the production and interpretation is viable.) And as you likely already know, OP, having an alpha personality doesn’t mean that the woman has to be unfeminine. It just means that in the relationship the woman is the dominant partner.

We’ve scoured around and found a few more you might enjoy!

Historical

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan - M/F, Victorian Romance, Asian Romance (heroine is Chinese, hero is half-Chinese), alpha female, Open Door

Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt - M/F, Regency Romance, Open Door, heroine is a masked vigilante

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - M/F - Regency Romance, No Sex, Heroine is Gentry. Classic Romance.

Desire in Disguise by Rebecca Brandywine - M/F - French Revolution, Open door, heroine is a pirate, Old School Romance.

Skye O’Malley by Bertrice Small - M/F - Elizabethan England, Open Door, Interracial Romance, Old School Romance, CW: Rape, Domestic Abuse, and Sexual Slavery. Book 1 of a two book series. Heroine is Irish and head of her Clan and Captain of a fleet of ships.

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole - M/F - Civil War America, Open Door, Interracial Romance, CW: Slavery, Rape, Racism (all the racism). Heroine is a Spy

A Duke Will Never Do by Darcy Burke - M/F - Regency Romance, Open Door, CW: Alcohol Abuse, Withdrawal, Sexual Assault. Heroine is a Spinster.

An Eye for an Earl by Jean Wilde - M/F - Regency Romance, Open Door, CW: Rape, Sexual Assault, Heroine is a Courtesan.

---

Fantasy

Tinker by Wen Spencer - M/F, Fantasy Romance, Mechanic Heroine, Elf Hero, Near-Future, Unknown Heat Level - book 1 of 4, HFN in Book 1.

The Stormbringer by Isabel Cooper - M/F. Fantasy Romance, Warrior Heroine, Epic Fantasy, Open Door. Book 1 of 3, each featuring a different couple, heroines are all warriors.

The Edge of the Woods by Jules Kelley - M/F Bisexual (MFC referenced having past relationships with women), Shifter Romance. Open Door - heroine is alpha wolf of her pack, hero is not a shifter

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs - M/F, Shifter Romance, Urban Fantasy Romance, Native American heroine, Interracial romance, Love Triangle, Open Door - book 1 of 13 (and counting) in the Mercy Thompson series

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse - M/F, Post Apocalyptic Romance, Urban Fantasy (Magic User), Native American Heroine, book 1 of 2 and likely more.

Alpha Night by Nalini Singh - M/F - Urban Fantasy (Shifter, Psychic), Book 19 of a 20 book and counting series, Heroine is the Alpha of her Pack.

Men Are Frogs by Saranna DeWylde - M/F - Contemporary Fantasy - Fairy Tale Retelling, Interracial Romance, Heroine is a Wedding Planner, Book 2 of a 3 book and counting series.

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Science Fiction

Finders Keepers by Linnea Sinclair - M/F, SciFi Romance, Smuggler Heroine, Open Door - you cannot go wrong with Linnea Sinclair. Her entire catalogue fits your ask. Try Gabriel’s Ghost or Games of Command or An Accidental Goddess, too.

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre - M/F, SciFi Romance, Pilot Heroine, Closed Door - book 1/6 in the Sirantha Jax series. Each book has an HFN and book 6 Jax and March get their HEA.

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YA Romance

You’ll actually find quite a lot of kickass heroines (and the heroes who adore them) in the YA genre. From Katniss in The Hunger Games to Celaena in Throne of Glass and Jaenelle in the Black Jewels trilogy. However, these are not always romance, in that they don’t always fulfill the promise of the HEA or even HFN (Jaenelle doesn’t get either, in particular). It’s very common for the HEA not to come until the end of the series, so bear that in mind when looking at the recommendations below (and any other YA series).

Graceling by Kristin Cashore - M/F. YA Fantasy Romance, Unknown Heat Level, Assassin Heroine - book 1 in a series of 4.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers - M/F, YA Fantasy Romance, Open Door, Assassin Heroine - book 1 of a trilogy.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer - M/F, YA Science Fiction Romance, Open Door, Cyborg Heroine. Book 1 of a series of 4; each featuring a different strong heroine.

Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena - M/F, YA Fantasy Romance, No Sex, Magic User Heroine, Book 1 in a Duology.

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Contemporary Romance

Vanessa’s Winter Romance by Christina Rose Andrews - M/F - Open Door - Interracial Romance, Law School Heroine, Black Heroine, Hispanic Hero, Beta Hero. (Bood 2 of a 3 book series)

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert - M/F - Open Door, Interracial romance, College Professor Heroine, Black Heroine, Muslim Hero, Bisexual Heroine, Beta Hero (Book 2 of a 3 book series)

Dirty Sweet Wild by Julie Kriss - M/F - Open Door, Disabled Hero (Amputee and PTSD), Sex Worker Heroine, Veteran Romance, Billionaire Romance (Book 2 of a 4 book series)

Tramps Like Us/Kimi wa Pet/You’re My Pet by Yayoi Ogawa - M/F - Open Door - MANGA Series, CW: Homelessness, Love Triangle. Heroine is a successful Business woman.

*These suggestions are not endorsements. Please read the description and the reviews to decide whether you want to read the books!

[veiledsilver]

top five fictional boys, go

I'M GLAD YOU ASKED. These are the kinds of asks I was hoping for, everyone. The scale is from 1 ("look at my good taste") to 5 ("haha don't judge me")

Boys

1. Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Hands down, no contest, forgive me for who I'll become when this fine swordsman gets animated by Ufotable, I could go on! He's gentle and kind but also the way he gets when he's super focused is SO hot omg... his twin brother had a scene where his kimono got ripped to shreds, revealing his chiseled abs, and the fact that it never happened to Yoriichi is a crime ugh

2. Todoroki Shouto deserves a place on this list for being my first anime crush. In middle school I motivated myself to do difficult homework by pretending I was on a study date with him. I got into reader inserts because of this guy. Also the contrast between crimson and white, fire and ice, and turquoise and silver is just gorgeous omg. I love him

3. I did not like him in the first seasons, but when Zuko started getting proper hair (and it was fluffy hair!) I started paying attention haHA. His redemption arc was brilliant and carefully woven together, and I like how there were subtle hints of him being redeemable even when he was an antagonist. Then I found a fantastic reader insert series and now we're here

4. Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd made me blow all my allowance money on fe3h despite not being very good at it. I also lost the game card very early on 💔 so I never got past the bandit's canyon. However. I love how he was described as having the facade of a charming prince but having darkness lurking beneath the surface... get you a man who can do both!

5. ...Ace Trappola from Twisted Wonderland. If I had a nickel for each time I crushed on a ginger boy with zero self preservation, I'd have two nickels. But now I know my dream relationship dynamic and it's me, sandwiched between a elegant yet brooding dark-haired guy and a more outgoing, teasing one with lighter hair. Is that weird? 😂

Girls

1. Lan Fan was my bisexual awakening (I won't watch the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime because she isn't in it). She's so cute but also kickass! Ling would not have survived without her! I like how we both wear black comfy clothes 99.9% of the time! Can I get a bodyguard au where she vows to protect my life and I tenderly h*ld her h*nd

2. Nobara Kugisaki!! Jujutsu Kaisen has so many pretty girls and they revolve around in my head at all times. Today it's Nobara's turn! I love her rose aesthetic and how she's so confident in herself! I'm sure she'd prefer a girl with a spine, unlike me, but I'd love to shop my way through the streets of Tokyo with her! We can get ice cream at a cafe afterwards ♡

3. Emerald Sustrai from RWBY. I like everything about her- her mint green hair, her weapons, her illusion powers, ma'am please stop chasing after Cinder when she doesn't even like you, because I'll definitely return your feelings! I stopped watching the show but I heard Emerald gets major focus in the newest volume, so I just might come back 👀

4. A very very very minor character. I dropped Bleach after the Save Rukia arc to focus on studies, but I'd pick it up again just to see Cyan Sung-Sun have actual speaking lines. She's so mysterious and elegant, and she has such a pretty kimono outfit in the mobile game! Oh to be a shinigami dueling her in a fight dripping with tension,,

5. I'm so sorry but when I read the manga I... also thirsted hard... over Daki. I know she eats people and there's the whole thing with her being turned at thirteen (😬). But... maybe in the author's modern au where she's a high schooler... I can dodge her brother long enough to risk giving her my number. She'll think I was ballsy at best lmaooo

I have more but these are the ten I thought of from the top of my head 😂 but they'll never replace you in my heart, Rin!

[ranger-of-estel]

Thoughts on how Legends has progressed as a show?

Okay Anon, settle in.

I love Legends, it’s one of the few shows I have actually gone through the trouble of keeping up with on a weekly basis instead of just waiting for the season to drop on Netflix. That said...I have a lot of thoughts on how the writers are killing it so I’ll break it into a few sections.

Overall Plot: Legends is a show about Time Travel. This is not a type of story telling that can take itself seriously, not if it wants to keep going. So at no point did I expect the show to be realistic, in fact I would have been dissapointed if it tried to take itself to seriously.  So breaking time, souls escaping from hell, mythical creatures on the loose, I’ve loved all of it. Alternate universes, hey it’s a comic based show so I can’t complain about that either. I’ll admit I wasn’t a huge fan of aliens being introduced. Which makes me skeptical going into the new season...because aliens feel like a stretch even for Legends. At least to me.

Characters: So here is where my issues start. I love the characters they have on Legends, hell that’s why I started watching to begin with. The original team was my favorite, but I was excited to see Constantine, I’ve enjoyed Gary & Mona and initially Ava.  I love the potential of all these characters. What I don’t love is how the writers have butchered every one single one of them. The longer the series goes the more we lose character developement. A few examples:

Sara: Sara started the show as a woman being haunted by her past, and fighting her bloodlust. She learns control, regains her confidence, grows into the role as Captain, even tries settling into a relationship. And then suddenly we’re moving backwards. That confidence begins to dissapear, she needs a co-captian, she’s losing a lot of the things I loved to start with. The other thing I’ll mention, but only briefly as I am not personally part of the LGBT comunity, and therefore cannot claim to know how said comunity feels as a whole. But I have felt like, starting with season 2, the show is intent on earasing Sara’s identity as a Bisexual. Like they wanted to erase her male oriented romances, or at least heavily downplay them...and maybe that’s just me, but it felt like changing another core part of my favorite character.

Ava: Dovetailing into Sara in a way. Ava was brought onto the show as a Kickass if strictly by-the-book agent. I liked Ava, I liked her rivalry with Sara. She grew from enemy to reluctant partner with the Legends, she grows into her own leadership role. Then she finds out she’s a clone...and suddenly she’s on the same backwards slide as Sara. This incredibly confident woman is suddenly crumbling under stress, requiring constant validation, needing to prove she can lead. She stops growing into a roll, and just becomes the other half of whatever codepent item they’re writing her as with Sara.

Mick: Mick Rory started the show as a criminal, and he ended season one as a man who’d been through hell and come out better. He lived lifetimes as Chronos, he learned more about time & flying in it than anyone on the team. He let himself be more than the muscle, he started helping plan, he let himself become an author, he developed loyalty....only to be dropped back to the “dumb one���, to the alcoholic who’s just there for a laugh.

I could go on & on, with nearly the whole team. Gary who they could have done so much with, only to sideline him as Constantine’s Pet. Stien, who they let grow only to kill him in one of the most tasteless ways I could imagine. Nate, who went from brilliant historian to lovesick frat boy. And don’t even start me on Leonard Snart....that’s it’s own rant.

In conclusion: Legends has, since it’s begining, had a downward trajectory. Parts of that (More goofy plots/villians) are charming in thier own way. But, as with literally everything the CW touches, the writers have managed to look at a story & ignore the wealth of potential it starts with in favor of chasing poor jokes & shock factor. I will always love what Legends could be, what the fandom has fleshed it out to become...but I’m not sure how much longer I will watch the (not so) slow decent to madness the show is becoming.

[coplins]

Fave Females Tag

List 10 different female faves from 10 different fandoms, then tag 10 people!

Okay this should be easy but it isn't. Not at all. I quickly figured out as a kid that almost all characters I identified with were boys. They had similar personalities as me, similar interest, similar clothing preferences, similar everything, while girls were portrayed utterly alien. I had almost exclusively male friends and wanted to be a boy all the way up until I was fifteen. Not because I had any issues with my body, but because guys got to be and do everything that was core-me. Now, I was a good girl with respect of the law, so I patiently waited until the age of consent before having sex (15 y/o in Sweden) and that's when I figured being a girl was pretty kickass after all, since I fitted another male stereotype--being a horndog--and girls have it a lot easier getting laid at will. ^^'

Today I'm very aware of why I have trouble connecting with female characters. It's to do with stereotypes, with how often they're just written in as love interests, with underdeveloped personalities, less screen time, and so on and so forth.

I know the question wasn't "10 female characters you identify with", and I could just pick side characters that I like in a general sense to fill out the list. But I don't want to do that. I want to pick actual favorites, which makes it super hard to come up with 10 characters. Especially when they have to be in different fandoms.

I was tagged by @pinepickled​ 

In no particular order (But I had to think hard after the first 4):

1. Xena ( Xena - Warrior Princess )

2. Louise McCloud (The Young Riders )

3. Mulan ( Disney's Mulan *animated )

4. Charlie Bradbury (Supernatural)

5. Leona (Masamune Shirow's Dominion Tank Police *comics)

6. Arya Stark ( Game of Thrones *books )

7. Elle Woods ( Legally Blond )

8. Donna Noble ( Doctor Who )

9. Gracie Hart ( Miss Congeniality )

10. Clarice Starling ( Silence of the lambs *1991 movie adaption )

Phew. This would've been a lot easier if I could re-use the same fandom. I fricking LOVE Jody and Donna from SPN. It's just that Original Charlie top them. You know, before they forced the story by making everyone act ooc just so they could have nazi's kill her and dump her in a bathtub for shock value and manpain. (What do you mean, bitter? Me? Noooo. Never!)

Anyway, this tag triggered a day long introspect about myself and my relationship with female characters, so, you know, thanks for that. -.-’ It was really interesting though to see patterns start to emerge. Like, three on that list are girls pretending to be boys. Also Yvonne Suhor (no.2) and Jodie Foster (no.10) are part of my Holy yep-I’m-bisexual Trinity from when I was young. ^^’ The last part of that trinity is Nicole Kidman in Bangkok Hilton. I was swooning for those three ladies before I even figured out that bisexual is a thing you can be.

Anyway, if you just wanted me to list my characters and pass along the list and don’t dive into TMI, then you shouldn’t have tagged me. ;)

I tag @keeperofcuriousthings​ @zafona​ @angeltrapsanddemonsigils​ @78669​ @superpotterdiaries​ @patient-number-zero​ @coffee-queen448​ and @allofmyabandonment​

Only do it if you feel like it. :) Any other follower I didn’t tag, consider yourself tagged if you feel like doing it. And don’t feel you have to have a minor breakdown on the tag post like I did. XD

[pascalpanic]

Congrats on 1k babe! I am so happy for you, your blog is wonderful and so are you and you deserve every single follower you have gotten along the way! 🎉🍾🎉🍾🎉

I am 20 and average in height with shorter brown hair and I have green eyes. I wear glasses and am also on the curvier side, and I like to dress in more of a dark academia/grunge type style and I have an hourglass/skull tattoo on my forearm. I am bisexual and am an INTJ, the architect/strategist, my pronouns are She/Her, and my sun sign is Sagittarius. My favorite color is dark purple, my favorite artists to listen too are Hozier and Bastille. I am a really introverted person and am anxious around new people and crowds, as a result I have a bad habit of chewing on my bottom lip often. With people I know and am close with though I am really sarcastic and tend to joke around but I am still alot more quiet than I am online. In my friend group I am what I call the Dad friend. I am like the mom friend but make really bad, and sometimes crude or dark, jokes and have endless amounts of just useless weird knowledge and I am stubborn as all get out lol. I won't actively stop you from doing stupid stuff, but I will be there to help you clean up the aftermath and tell you 'I told you so'. I am blunt and won't sugarcoat my opinions and I am a very opinionated person. I am a reliable person, and I will go out of my way to help the people am close with. I am naturally kind hearted and respectful, as well as a people pleaser, but I hold grudges like no other and don't take kindly to people who treat others badly or discriminate for no reason. If you make me mad I will hold that against you for a long while and I will cut you out of my life if I deem it necessary. I have a soft spot for young children and all animals. I have a green thumb and love being surrounded by plants, and I own several, my favorite flowers are Lilacs and Irises. I love writing and drawing, even if I think that I am not great at either. I also love reading, whether it is fanfics or published books, and I can and will go on for hours if I feel comfortable enough to talk about a topic I am interested, whether it is something about a fandom I am in, or something philosophical that I have been thinking about. I am currently pursuing a career in forensic pathology and would also like to become a published author some day!

I probably went a little overboard with this, but I know that the more info you have the easier it is to write a ship lol

Congrats again! I hope to see you continue to climb in followers for all of your great content! 😊💗

THANK YOU BABE!!!

I would ship you with Frankie Morales!

first of all, hozier is Frankie’s JAM- he can and will make you slow dance to Like Real People Do in the kitchen while kissing your neck, then burying his face in your hair and kiss your head.

Frankie is a total dad friend too, and he loves your weird dark humor. Your jokes can and will leave Benny and Will stunned and Frankie has never been more in love. He loves how you’re kickass but also extremely kind- something about that juxtaposition is just what Frankie needs and wants in a lover.

Frankie loves animals and babies. He definitely has a pet or two, and his baby daughter would absolutely ADORE you, and Frankie would absolutely melt watching you with babies! Forensic pathology is super fascinating to Frankie, and he’d love to listen to you talk about whatever you’re studying or hyperfixating on.

I know you love Star Wars, and believe me, Frankie loves it almost as much as you! He’d be screaming at the screen during the prequels and pulls his hat over his eyes when Anakin rejects the light side and gets all burnt in the lava. He will cry when he hears “Chewie, we’re home!” Sometimes, Frankie needs your bluntness in his life. He appreciates that you’re not afraid to give a little tough love, and it makes him love you even more.

it’s a party! send me a ship request and I’ll match you with a Pedro character!

[stars-are-just-ghosts]

A World Full of Bullies, and the Four Kids Who Never Stop Fighting Them

This is a story about my four children and the small town they live in, a story about bullies and the people who stand up to them. Let me start by introducing the four of them. We’ll refer to them as the Sibling Mafia (this will be important later.) Each of them is as unique as the different parts of a harmony. They grew up closer than close. Best friends, siblings, confidants. They have their moments of disagreement, sibling rivalry, chaos. But there doesn’t go a day without them seeking out one another’s opinions and comfort. Theirs is a bond that can’t be replicated, or completely understood. The 17 year old, we’ll call her ‘Red,’ is the only girl in the bunch. She’s an artistic bisexual disaster (her words, not mine,) she’s riddled with equal parts anxiety and hope, and she holds her own like you wouldn’t believe (she’s surrounded by guys in her work, and out does them at every turn.) She’s five-foot-zero inches of kickass and love. And there isn’t a single person who can hold her back when she wants something. She’s had a rough several years, found herself beaten down to her most fractured level. But she fought back with every ounce of strength available to her and clawed her way back to the surface. She’s thriving. She’s scared. She’s dreaming of her future. (Her brothers have so often looked up to her, I think Red often feels like she’s surrounded by puppy dogs who would willingly battle-rush the world if it ever failed her.)  The 18 year old boy, we’ll call him ‘Blue,’ has high functioning autism and social communications disorder. The world is full of lines he’s steadily trying to figure out how to cross without changing the flow he relies on. From working in the adult world, to trying to hold on to the childhood he isn’t quite ready to let go of, Blue still manages to find the space and time to be the big brother he’s always been. It’s the most important thing to him. More important than his love for just about anything else. That has always been his choice. There isn’t a single one of his siblings that he doesn’t love ferociously. And though his emotions are sometimes tumultuous, he always finds a way to make what he really feels known to those closest to him. 

The 14 year old, we’ll call him ‘Purple,’ is a trans (female to male), bisexual, magnetic ray of absolute fricken sunshine. It’s impossible not to want to know more about him, to laugh with him, to share in his infectious well of joy. There isn’t a mean bone in his body, not a single inch of hatred in his DNA. From the moment he was born, he had a smile on his face. The world was his to make happy. And even though these last few years have been one hell of a confusing ride for him, he’s never stopped looking at the world around him like it’s something he wants to change for the better. The  almost-11 year old, we’ll call him ‘Green,’ is a pint sized sarcastic ball of genius who doesn’t see just how important he is to the people around him. His comedy is endless, a shield to protect himself and others from the nastier things life tries to throw. He’s smarter than the average 11 year old, but refuses to jump ahead a grade or two because he ‘just wants to enjoy school.’ And though he likes to pretend that he can handle everything that comes his way, there are times when it’s easy to see how young he truly is. It’s those moments that his siblings are his anchor to an uncertain universe, the chains that keep his gravity from failing him. And they are the epitome of his best friends, his comfort, his home. Red, Blue, Purple and Green have a lot in common. From Red and Purple loving art and music, to Green and Blue loving video games, to all four loving DnD night. They love to adventure together, to share inside jokes, to create beautiful mayhem on a daily basis. They love to learn together, to forget to do their chores together, to ask the world to ‘listen, dammit’ -together.  They also have trauma in common. Losses of those they loved, pains they’ve all had to feel, things a parent can’t protect them from... And there is so goddamn much I wish I could have protected them from. When Blue was in middle school, there was a boy, we’ll call him ‘Misunderstood.’ To him, Blue’s autism made him a prime target in the bullying arena. Like some other kids, Misunderstood would say mean things, call Blue names, make him momentarily feel like he would never fit into the world he so desperately wanted to be a part of. But what Misunderstood didn’t know was that Blue had a better world around him already, one that would come to save him when it counted most.  One day in gym class, Blue was playing basketball with his friends. He tossed the basketball, and it didn’t quite go where Blue was expecting. It sailed at Misunderstood and hit him in the head. It didn’t matter to Misunderstood that it was an accident. All that mattered was this could be a perfect excuse for retaliation. He closed the distance on Blue and punched him in the head. He knocked him out. But in that same moment, Blue’s friends and sister ran to the rescue. They rallied around him, chased Misunderstood away. Protected their friend and brother, because they knew that was exactly what Blue would have done for them. Because Blue is the sort of person to give a stranger the shirt off his back if they really needed it. Something of which Misunderstood couldn’t see. Imagine my terror when I got a phone call from the police. It was a sobering sight to see police cars and an ambulance when I squealed into the school parking lot. There is no way to explain the feelings of helplessness and fury I was inundated with. You know, logically, that your children will break bones and get stitches and have broken hearts and nightmares and a myriad of other pains that are simply a part of life. And you also know, unfortunately, that bullies exist. You never think that anything like this can happen, until it does, however. That’s not naivete. It’s not denial. It’s the hope that the world might not just be as awful as you think it is. Knowing that world proved that hope wrong, even for a moment, makes you want to wrap your children up in your arms and never let go. But that’s not how life works. There isn’t an excuse for what Misunderstood did. But there are things to understand. I can raise my children to be good, caring, kind people. But I have no say in what happens in other children’s lives. Was Misunderstood being cared for? Did he have parents who gave a shit about him? Or was he neglected? Was he lacking the resources to explain and feel his emotions properly? Was his life hell, and he just needed someone to see? I asked myself those things, trying to understand. I even asked the other adults in charge of the situation. But because Misunderstood was a minor, I had no legal right to know. It turned out, in the end, that Misunderstood was expelled. His parents moved him to a different school district. And Blue was left with the question he always seemed to ask when another child chose him to target: ‘Why me, Mom?’

There is no why. Because, like I said, nothing excuses what happened. What I wanted him to focus on was what happened inside the event. And what happened was loyalty, love, friendship and the coming together of individuals to stand up to a bully. Now, at 18 years old and nearly six feet, Blue still has those friends. And he has the lesson they taught him, not the one that Misunderstood wanted to teach. And he doesn’t ask ‘Why me, Mom?’ anymore. He asks, ‘Why not me?’ as he now steps in when someone needs protection. Most recently, Purple, my 14 year old, has had to face bullying of his own. Purple didn’t come out till a year and a half ago, and the daily progress to being the person he wants to be has been beautiful and brilliant. But there is another boy, who we’ll call ‘Unwarranted,’ who has pulled out all the stops to make Purple feel panic, anxiety, terror.  Back when covid was nearly past its first upsweep and all the schools were still closed down, Purple was desperately missing his friends. It was agreed, after a fair deal of hashing out the precautions, that he could see one of his best friends at the park. Purple hadn’t come out yet at that point, still struggling with what it would mean for all the relationships in his life. But the idea of seeing someone who he literally grew up with after being so long apart was too good for him to pass up. They met at the local park, a couple of other friends catching up with them there, and they hung out.  It was supposed to be an innocent, happy time for a kid who only ever tried to make people happy. It ended in police involvement and kids being physically hurt. Unwarranted had shown up with two much older kids. But the part he played was entirely his choice as all three terrorized the younger kids, with words and with physical threats that ended with large rocks being thrown. One child was hit in the head. My child was hit in the side. Both of them ended up hurt. All while they were running to Purple’s friend’s house for safety.  Unfortunately, there was so little we could do. It didn’t happen on school grounds, so the schools couldn’t be involved. The police couldn’t tell me much more other than they knew who the three bullies were, having been in trouble with the police before. And I couldn’t know anything else because they were minors. To protect my child, I couldn’t let him go to the park alone anymore. I drove him everywhere. I tried to help him forget. And over time, he did. Until the beginning of this school year. Purple started his Freshman year looking for new beginnings. He’d already firmly cemented himself in coming out, was totally authentic in who he is and who he wants to be. His friends are still his friends, completely accepting and loving him. And he tackled his first week of school with intensity and excitement.  In the back of my mind, however, I had never forgotten what happened at the park. The mother in me held on to it, because I couldn’t take the risk that something worse could happen. I hadn’t been able to protect or avoid what happened to Blue. But maybe I could protect Purple. I got in contact with the new principal at the high school, explaining the situation and that I did not want Purple to be in any classes with Unwarranted. He vehemently agreed. Purple doesn’t have a single class with him. It’s worked out well. Or it did, until they passed each other in the hall. In that brief moment, when classes were changing and kids were hurrying through the halls, Unwarranted took it upon himself to pick right up where he left off. Except now, Unwarranted isn’t the same size as Purple. He’s over six feet, athletic, and knows how intimidated Purple already was by him. The result was Purple incoherent with fear. There’s a reason I have referred to all four kids together as the Sibling Mafia. Because if you hurt one of them, you hurt all of them. And there’s hell to pay. Red and Blue, who are both Seniors at the high school, heard about the incident almost immediately. (It’s a small town, so small school, and word travels fast.) They didn’t go to their next classes. They took Purple to the office instead, and demanded something be done. They wanted answers and a resolution, and they wanted it fast. I received a phone call about it all from the guidance counselor who was just gushing over the bond they all shared, and the way they’d rallied around Purple. But it wasn’t just Red and Blue who rallied. It was their friends.  You see, if you’re friends with one of them, you’re friends with all of them. And in a place like this, it grows exponentially. So many people love Purple, and Red, and Blue, and Green. And it shows. The principal and counselor and school resource officer worked on a plan to keep Purple and Unwarranted from ever crossing paths. It was good. It was a start. Unfortunately, it did nothing for when the kids were walking home from school. Because Unwarranted decided to make prodding and inappropriate comments while walking behind him. Only, this time Blue and his best friend, we’ll call him ‘Orange,’ and two of Purple’s friends were there to do something about it. Because Unwarranted had a lot to say when he knew Purple was too scared to retaliate. (Red was with a friend, but was furious when she found out.) But being faced with the reality of a whole group who were more than capable of protecting Purple made him back right off. No fists were thrown. No one got hurt. And everyone made it home safely. 

And Purple came to me, despite his fear and wariness, to ask... ‘What if something is wrong with Unwarranted? What if something happened at home to make him act this way? Maybe we can help...’ My response was to breathe. To stare at this kid of mine, because the compassion in those words made my heart hurt. Here was this boy who was obviously being terrorized by someone else, and all he could think about was making sure that bully was okay? I told Purple, ‘You have no idea how amazing your heart is.’ I told him, ‘I don’t know what might be going on with Unwarranted. And it’s wonderful of you to want to help. But you also have the right to be safe, whether you’re in school or walking on the streets. You have the right to have a happy learning experience without fear of being cornered in the hallways. For now, as much as I know you want to figure it all out, my priority is making sure that you are safe.’ He nodded, hugged me, and went about his day.

I read somewhere once that bullies are predators. They will go after what appears to them to be the weakest prey. Trying to stop a bully by teaching a child to stand up to them is like teaching the weakest gazelle to be stronger. The predator will not stop going after the weakest prey, it will only stop going after that target. But what if that target was never weak to begin with? Purple may not have the physical attributes of a football player or a wrestler. But he’s got something even better. He’s a wolf with a pack who would be lesser without his knowledge and love. And there’s nothing that pack wouldn’t do to protect him, just like there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to make their lives better. The Sibling Mafia extends beyond blood, it seems.  Now you might be wondering, where’s the almost-11 year old Green in all this? Green came into the first three’s lives when Purple was a little under three years old. At that point, they were already bonded and closer than I could have ever imagined. But the second Green’s little wiggly self came home, the change was immediate and overwhelming. Not in a bad way, not even remotely. You see, that bond transformed. It grew, it solidified, it settled into a whole new identity. It somehow made them far more whole than any of us realized they could be. Because all three older kids had lessons to teach and love to give, and with Green they could do all that together. Without any encouragement from me, because kids don’t need to be raising other kids, Green grew up being the literal center of their world. And they all loved each other more because of it. Green is just a little guy. He’s small and skinny and scrappy, full of wit and genius that often leaves the rest of us wondering where he got it from. He looks at his siblings like he wants to give them the universe. And he goes through life like he might just give it a reason to wise up to the possibility of goodness if it tries hard enough. Nothing holds him down for long. Events, losses, physical injury. He bounces back so fast that the rest of us get whiplash. 

But what happens when an event causes loss and physical injury at the same time?

Just this past week, the kids were walking home from school. Red has Senior release, which allows her to get out of school early most days. So it was just Blue, Purple and Green, walking with their friend Orange.  In the past, there have been bullies. Two of which I have mentioned. But some never made it to the ‘something we really have to worry about’ stage. One of these bullies, particular to Blue, decided it was time to graduate to that stage in a very dangerous way. We’ll call him, ‘Mistake.’ Because what he chose to do was a big mistake on his part. The kids had made it to just before the opening of our neighborhood. They were on the sidewalk. They’d been carefree, joking, laughing, talking, when a vehicle suddenly sped its way toward them on the road. The vehicle had a passenger and a driver: Mistake. And as Mistake accelerated, one of them threw a full bottle of Powerade out the window as hard as he could. We’re fairly certain he was aiming for Blue. 

It hit Green instead.  At that speed, with that much force, something as innocuous as a bottle of liquid can do real damage. It was only sheer luck that it hit Green in the leg. If it had hit him in the head, we’d all be sitting in a hospital room right now keeping vigil. That being said, Green is small. He’s skinny. The impact to his leg was enough to damage the muscles in his thigh. You can see the impact point, a literal imprint of the bottle on his skin. The bruising is very clear. The recovery will be slow. The first thing Green did was cling to Purple. Orange and Blue yelled after the car, but it had sped quickly away. The boys managed to get Green home right away. I had been working at my computer. And the next thing I knew, Green is in my arms, incoherent and in pain, crying so hard his whole body was shaking. Calling the police was an easy decision. Trying to hide my instant and unbridled rage was so much harder. The police are treating this as assault on a minor. The bottle was collected as evidence. Green was evaluated by physicians and will thankfully make a full physical recovery. But the emotional damage seems to be much worse. Green is not himself. He’s clingy, he’s worried, he’s having nightmares. He doesn’t want to walk home anymore, even knowing his brothers and Orange are there to protect him. His birthday is barely a week away, and he is trying so hard to be enthusiastic about it. But the bruise and pain in his leg keep offering reminders. The idea of leaving school grounds without one of his siblings or me makes him panic. And the light of innocence in his eyes is that much duller.

It was a senseless, useless act. One that’s rattled us all. 

Blue and Purple are blaming themselves, as though they should have been able to see it coming and protect Green. Red is angry that she didn’t just wait to walk with them, as though her being there would have stopped it altogether. Their grandparents, friends, teachers, counselors, and even random people I have never heard of are all up in arms. They want someone to pay. I think Green just wants to pretend it never happened at all. 

To be honest, I want Mistake to pay, too. Because it doesn’t matter who he was aiming at, this was clearly assault. Clearly intended to do harm. And I’m tired of feeling like I can’t protect my children.  When did the world become so cruel? When did parents stop teaching their children that kindness is not a weakness? When will I ever feel okay with sending my children out into such an unforgiving world? I know I’m angry. In fact, I’m enraged. But... I also still have hope. Green’s birthday is steadily approaching. The kids are doing everything they can think of to make him smile again, make him laugh, prove he’s loved and, most of all, safe. They’re using their hard earned money to get him gifts, to surprise him with a puppy they’re buying themselves, to give him his normalcy back. And I’m watching them hold on to each other through it all. Like they always have. Like, I hope, that they always will. The future is coming at them quickly. Red, Blue and Orange want to get an apartment together after high school. Purple and Green have decided they want to live together forever. And they’ve all decided that they have to make time, once a week or more, to be back under one roof.  We live in a small town, but they’re going to move on outside of it. Because the world outside of it is big, and they are well aware of that fact. They want to tackle it in their own way, individually and together. They want to see where this life takes them, no matter what tries to stop them. And they want to share that journey with each other, and with anyone who wants to be a part of it. I never could have predicted how close those four amazing kids would become, or how much they’ve already changed the world just by being who they are. They’re my hope, you see. In a world where anyone can be cruel, they choose to be kind. They choose to be the example by which everyone around them learns what kindness is. Misunderstood, Unwarranted, and Mistake are learning about kindness, too. Whether they realize it or not. Because in their misunderstood existence, in their unwarranted actions, in their irreversible mistakes, the kindness of the Sibling Mafia seems to be far more powerful.  This is a story about a world full of bullies and the four kids who never stop fighting them. One act of love, kindness, and hope at a time...

[sexbob-ombbeck]

Thinking about my PPG post and how I see the characters.

In context, the PPG and the RRB are all 21. Maybe older but for the pilot, I really wanted to drive home that they’ve reached the age of independence socially, the pilot leads up to the girls 21st birthday and the creation of their newest sibling.

Originally I was for the idea of Blossom being Asian, and I might still go back to that. But I also like the concept of her and Buttercup being reversed. So either, Black, Asian or both isn’t a problem.

Bubbles is always going to be white for me. Like, I’m not against her race being changed but I am personally not against her staying white. I do like the idea of her wearing her hair in space buns instead of pigtails though. I see her as short haired and she wears purple bunny clips.

For Buttercup, I see her with melanin in her skin. So she can honestly be any kind of POC, but the actress who plays her has to understand that her queerness is not her sole identity, nor is she just “the bad/kickass one”. All the girls are kickass.

The Rowdyruff Boys are literally just genderswapped personality differed versions of the girls. Their races would have to match. However they aren’t kids anymore, and I can definitely see Brick has come into his leadership, Boomer is finding himself and changing into his own person. Butch grew up during his stints in underground fight clubs. HIM used a lot of gaslighting on him and it filled in with a lot of anger and rage. He’s gotten better and it took years before he came to terms with the sensitive side of himself and he is soft for Mitch. I thought I’d add this in because I touched on it in some of my responses, but Butch and Mitch started dating in their junior year of high school, but they’d been interacting much longer than that.

Professor Utonium is white, and the only actor I really would love to play him is Eric McCormack. But I’m open to ideas.

Ms. Keane is Korean. She is also a lesbian and happily married to her wife. She is the first one to learn about the newest Powerpuff in the second episode.

Ms. Bellium is black, and yes I am keeping the exes storyline between her and the Professor. But I am making it because she was tasked with keeping the city running while he was buckling down on his parenting as the girls got older. They dated for a few years during the girls elementary school days, and a brief romantic rekindling a summer before the girls went into senior year. They love each other but they also know their time is done.

Ms. Keane’s wife is Latinx. Blossom has Robin, who stayed friends with her, who is white.

You can’t convince me that Princess isn’t a spoiled white woman. I do have an idea where she is tries to lie about being Blossom’s jaded ex-girlfriend, but no one believes her.

For our newest Powerpuff, I’m currently stumped, but I do have an idea of Professor U calling them Bang.

“You can be called…hmm, what about Bang?”

“That’s a ridiculous name for a kid.”

“Oh, well the girls liked it.”

“Did you name them Blitz, Boom and Bow?”

“No, but Boomer is the name of one of their counterparts.”

“Their what?”

Send help??

For sexualities:

Blossom is asexual and demiromantic. But if anything, she’s rather have a platonic relationship with any partner of hers. She and Robin have cuddle sessions because it helps her when she’s stressed.

Bubbles is heterosexual. But as I’ve stated, she’s an ally. She also knows how to use her white privilege because her sisters have been racial profiled and send vocal about it.

Buttercup is queer. I know she leans more towards the wlw side, but she has felt romantic attraction to men.

Brick is bisexual and greysexual.

Boomer is heterosexual.

Butch is bisexual.

Robin and Mitch are lesbian and gay respectfully.

Professor Utonium is straight and so is Ms. Bellium.

I’ve already discussed Ms. Keane and our newest Powerpuff isn’t away of their sexuality. They know they’re not a girl, and perhaps not a boy thought I may write them as GNC as well.

Princess is straight but says she’s a lesbian for attention. No one believes her because of the crime scandals she’s been in with her on and off boyfriend.

[rottenheartedchild]

Witch of Songs

It's been a long time since I've posted anything here so here's the latest Bayonetta oc using my Dragon Raja because 1. He deserves to have kickass demon/dragon powers and 2. I'm bi. Huge apologies for any mistakes in the bio, let me know so I can correct them.

Also the left pic is from kazmourner's picrew, https://picrew.me/image_maker/163761)

Character template is from Kaishos,https://www.deviantart.com/kaishos/art/character-profile-template-123273743)

General Information First name: Isidore Surname: D’Aramitz Age: 19(physically), 570(chronologically) Date of birth: 13/10/1442 Race: Umbran Witch Gender: Trans man Sexuality: Bisexual Demiromantic Current residence: Cassell College  Relationship status: Currently engaged to Durante Traits of Voice Accent (if any): Slight Marseille that thickens whenever his emotion get the best of him Language spoken: English Other languages known: Enochian, French, Italian, Arabic, Russian, Spanish, very few Mandarin, very little Japanese, Turkish Style of speaking: Casual, occasionally formal Volume of voice: Deep, soft and gentle Physical Appearance Height: 5′4″,162.6cm Weight: 73kg,161lb Eye color: Pink Skin color: Dark brown Distinguishing features: Star shaped birthmark on the back Build of body: Athletic Hair color: Black with blue highlights Complexion: Combination type Posture: Slightly hunched Tattoos: Oleander flowers wrapped all over the left arm Piercings: Gold studs on the ears Typical clothing: Combat boots, billowy shirts, suspenders, pleather pants, pastel dresses, fishnet stockings, Doc Martens, distressed jeans, baggy t-shirts, old sneakers, fur coats, windbreakers, crop tops, fingerless gloves, oversized hoodies, fingerless gloves, thigh high socks, stilettos. Personality Likes: Food, music, birds, forests, stargazing, books, history, libraries, abandoned buildings, new sights, adventure novels, beaches, poisonous plants, science, diy projects, cooking, making new songs, musicals, concerts, graffiti, motor racing. Dislikes: Tacky furniture, minimalist design, elitist fans, bad hair days, exhaust fumes, strong perfumes, overcooked steaks, mafias, upper crust parties, being ordered around, bigots, racists, boring classes, older men, predictability. Education: College  Fears: Christmas, dead bodies, sirens, crowds, being trapped in an empty room, doctors  Personal goals: To discover more about his past and kill everyone responsible for the Black Swan massacre. General attitude: Very chill and easygoing guy but incredibly terrifying once provoked. Religious values: Agnostic General intelligence: Above average, a quick learner General sociability: Ambivert

Health Allergies (if any): Dairy products, peanuts Sleeping habits: Is a light sleeper Energy level: Mostly high Eating habits: Extremely unbalanced Memory: Eidetic memories Any unhealthy habits: Starts smoking as a way to relieve stress, or when it gets too much to handle. History Birth country: France Hometown: Marseille Childhood: Lived a relatively normal childhood with his baby sister until he was awoken with the dark arts one day, his sister with the light. Fearing for their safety, their parents sent them away to both Lumen and Umbra Clans so they could hone their gifts. Teen years: Training under Ivan’s tutelage, Isidore’s talents blossomed as he managed to take down one of the Clan’s gifted fighter, albeit with difficulties. Soon he made a pact with Monsieur Phenex, a Great Marquis of Inferno. Adult years: Accomplished in his line of duty, his next task was to be the mentor for the Master Assassin’s youngest daughter, Malika, who reminded him of his own sister. At the time, both he and an Umbran soldier, Durante, fell in love and engaged after years of courtship. Past places of residence: Vigrid, Black Swan Bay orphanage Briefly explain life story: Isidore was once a talented Witch under Ivan’s command before the Clan War erupted and nearly wiped both sides out, him included. A desperate Durante carried his and Marisol’s bodies to a far off place before sealing them in a tomb, using his gift to regress their bodies to that of a child, hoping they would be saved. 500 years have passed, and their tomb was discovered by an archeologist, surprised to see two living children sleeping in an ancient tomb. Curiosity piqued, he took the children to a man named Herzog to be studied and soon, they were placed under his care.

As time goes by, the now 19 years old Isidore lives peacefully with other orphans and even gets excited at the upcoming Christmas party when he found out Renata’s plan to ask Z as her partner. All of that were destroyed when bombs dropped out of nowhere and in his last moments was Renata pushing both him and his sister into the sea, begging them to live on. 20 passed and they woke up in a new place called Cassell College. The incident still fresh in his mind, he vow to kill every single monsters who murdered the orphan while trying to figure out those haunting scenes inside his head. Relationships Parents: Oscar D’Aramitz(deceased), Kahina Adebayo(deceased) Siblings: Marisol, Renata/Zero(adopted) Any enemies: Dr.Herzog/Osho, Bondarev/Masamune for the deaths in Black Swan Bay, the Laguna for the destruction of the Umbran clan. Friends: Erii, Aruna, Nono, Misaki, Satoshi, Johann Best friend(s): Chime, Tuncay, Aisya, Malika Important friends/relatives (explain): Ivan(His former mentor and the one who taught him how to fight), Salwa(Ivan’s wife and master of espionage Love interest (if there is one): Durante, Monsieur Phenex Combat Peaceful or violent: Peaceful, he only uses violence when it’s appropriate  Weapon (if applicable): Two pairs of guns named after the children of Persephone, a scythe that can be folded into a guitar containing the soul of a fallen angel and a sphere which uses his energy to manipulate time and heal injuries. Style of fighting: a mix between capoeira , krav maga, savate, boxing, bokator and stick-fighting. Others Occupation: Student by day, indie performer by night. After graduation, he became a bounty hunter while performing in cities and campuses. Current home: Cassell college Favourite types of food: Anything savory, spicy and sour. Favourite types of drink: fruit juices and herbal tea. Hobbies/past times: Strumming his guitar, catching up with the latest events, volunteering at shelters, doing music videos, watching YouTube videos, trying out recipes, sketching, crafting, documenting plants, napping, playing video games with his sister, bird watching, foraging, gossiping with people. Guilty pleasures: Erotic novels, late night snacking, staying up late to watch livestreams, consuming copious amount of jams and spreads. Pet peeves: When people didn’t finish their food, the sound of chalkboard being scratched, strangers touching him out of nowhere, being underestimated, going on unplanned trips, noodles not cooked right. Pets: Bebe (Citron cockatoo), Astro (African Grey parrot), Marmalade and Cream (cockatiel), Onyx (crow)

[inkykeiji]

Hello may I do this matchup Halloween thing. Im an 19 year old female and bisexual. Im an awkward mess and don't really have too many friends. I do think head over heart but also have severe anxiety mostly cause I think like that im not touch starved for like sex just for stuff like cuddles. Thanks \( ͡ᵔ ͜ʖ ͡ᵔ )/

hello!! yes you may!!

i match you with ⇢ shigaraki tomura! tbh i think it would be a crime if i didn’t match u with him 🥺 he’d be able to relate to you, and he would find comfort and solace in you because of that. most of the time the two of you would be off in your own world; and that’s okay, you like it like that. you both firmly believe  that having a few good, loyal friends is much more important than having a lot of them. people are a nuisance to deal with anyway, he’d tell you. you’re both awkward, which you might think would be a bit of a hurdle, but in actuality it allows the two of you to become more comfortable with each other—it’s a lot less embarrassing when your partner’s just as awkward as you are, and usually you just end up laughing together when an awkward incident happens. i also genuinely think he would help you cope with your anxiety—he would hate to see you upset and would want to aid in any way he can <3

what you carve into your pumpkin ⇢  he deadass begs you to carve something gamer related into ur pumpkins and tbh u can’t say no to this man, so you stick with classics and end up carving sonic the hedgehog + spyro!!

which halloween candy you eat the most of ⇢  starburst or cookies ‘n’ creme hershey’s bars!

couples costume ⇢ kim and edward from edward scissorhands (oh gosh please please u guys would be SO CUTE eeee i’m squealing!!!! aaaah this makes me so soft omg <33 he’d look sooo good as edward you don’t even need any prosthetic scars and you would look adorable as kim 🥺 toga would lose her shit over this y’all r just too cute!!)

how you celebrate halloween ⇢ by building a kickass blanket fort and hoarding all kinds of candy in there (you only eat candy for the entire day, kurogiri definitely scolds u on this) and playing resident evil, either RE2 or RE7. he is determined to finish the entire thing in the day, which is entirely doable, he tells you, as long as you aren’t a completionist! it’s v cozy, v cute and v chill. it ends up being a rainy day, perfect for cuddles and horror games <3

clari’s 1k halloween matchups! 👻

[rainydays-n-happygays]

Hey I just watched Brokeback Mountain!

17 year old gal here, and I’ve wanted to see Brokeback Mountain since I was about 13, but just got around to it. It’s been off and on Streaming Services and I finally caved and just pirated it (don’t come for me NSA please). I can honestly say it’s in my top three favorite movies now, but what I can’t understand is what I’ve been told for the last four years. I’ve said I’ve wanted to see it and been fairly open about it because Heath Ledger is one of my favorite actors, and I’ve consistently been told, no you don’t want to watch that. But the thing is, I did. It’s a critically acclaimed movie, it’s plot and execution are both gorgeous, and the performances are some of the best I’ve ever seen onscreen. So what pisses me off, is the fact that I’ve been told that it wasn’t a good movie, an okay movie, a movie a sweet girl such as myself would like to see. I’m sorry, does my yeehaw ass stutter? I like cowboys, I like movies, I like good acting, so what’s not to love?

And no, I’m not dense.

I fucking know.

It’s because sweet girls don’t like Gay movies. Because sweet girls who say y’all and giggle and like cartoons can’t find homosexual movies appealing, they simply aren’t APPROPRIATE for her. But Cruel Intentions was, Mean Girls was, hell “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” my parents took me to see when I was 4. It’s not about appropriate. That’s a lie and we all know it. It’s because gay love still isn’t as pure as straight love in the eyes of the masses. It’s because true acts of gay love aren’t ok and don’t deserve to be viewed positively in this world. And you know what?

That shit shattered my little yeehaw sweet girl heart. Because sweet girl is a bisexual who wants to be happy. This girl has another girl she think she loves. And the world just proved that even after #love wins, endless pride parades, and 14 goddamn years of a kickass film being out, gay love still isn’t okay.

Gay love still isn’t ‘pure’.

Gay love still isn’t safe. So this gay girl is no longer pure.

She is no longer okay, and I am no longer safe. But I want to thank Brokeback Mountain, because it’s a beautiful movie that I do love. My sadness has nothing to do with the film itself. On the contrary, the film itself gave me hope that those around me squashed. So y’all should know Brokeback Mountain is a movie for girls like you, boys like you, people like you, everyone. Because I didn’t :)

[eyebright-iris]

Review: Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

“I’m the one they should be scared of.  Not you, not Mr. J – me.  ’Cause I’m Harley-fuckin’-Quinn.”

A triumphant riot of not just girl-power, but the true indomitable spirit of women who have been wronged their entire lives kicking back at the ones who have tried to ruin them.

Birds of Prey is truly one of the greatest movies I have seen in a long time, and this is after having seen some fantastic competition.  Finally, a Harley movie that actually cares about her as a character, as a person, that shows off all the things that makes her great and somehow doesn’t have to make her the film’s sole lead to give her the space she needs to perform.  She’s naïve, excitable, an emotional rollercoaster in a pair of rollerblades and the most delightful not-quite-villain to watch on screen.  Harley has broken up with the Joker and set out on her own, but she never forgets the clown look she is so known and loved for.  Where so many Joker depictions try to show of the madness of clowns, the scary side to make the Joker a formidable villain, Harley Quinn is joyous.  She’s a jack-in-the-box with a rocket launcher, pigtails and smiley-face mallet and maniacal glee in every bit of mayhem she causes.  Yeah, in her own words, she’s not a good person – but you want to be her best friend anyway because you can’t help but love her. Every outfit was sexy but not sexualised, all about Harley’s wild self-expression and not about how much of her ass could fit into each shot; you can feel that this was directed and produced by women; created by women, a project loved by the women behind it. There’s enough emotion to make you really feel for the characters despite the comedy, but manages to flip effortlessly between genuine emotion and humour without cheapening the authentic feelings like other films have done in the past (looking at you, Deadpool).

The film also makes brilliant use of its 15 rating with an explosion of foul language and violence – but none of it gratuitous.  The fights are gritty, lively, and feature none of the signature lady-fighting technique synonymous with Black Widow that involves bringing a man down with her thighs around his face.  The women in this movie punch, brass-knuckle or bare-knuckle; they swing bats and break limbs, they smash windows and noses and get punched back themselves because they aren’t reduced to something pretty for the time of the fight; the fights are fun, but never feel fake.  There’s enough weight behind the combat scenes to carry each of them without losing the fun of watching them.  The Booby-Trap fight scene is the obvious standout, the title scene of the movie where we finally have everything the movie promised us delivered on perfectly, but there are so many others – Harley’s raid on the police station with the shotgun is another personal favourite.  And good news – rumours of Harley having an ex-girlfriend are in fact true!  Bisexual badass Harley Quinn takes centre-stage.

But speaking of Harley, this isn’t just her movie: I couldn’t review this film without paying proper homage to the other characters.  Renee Montoya, a detective overshadowed when her partner took credit for her career-making case, watching him be captain while she never gets the respect she deserves.  For a movie with a cop as one of its leads I was surprised (very pleasantly) at the general tone the film takes towards the police (in colloquial terms, BoP said “fuck blue lives!” and I love it).  Renee’s a force to be reckoned with, a good heart in a bad city and she knows it. The film openly makes fun of how she speaks like an 80s cop movie, but only for the cheese of it all, because the intention behind the cheese, the desire to do good despite the rules, is what this film is all about and while I won’t spoil Montoya’s ending, I was ecstatic for her.  Oh, and did I mention she has an ex-girlfriend who appears multiple times in the movie?  Dinah Lance, Black Canary, is an iconic heroine of DC.  A crime lord’s club songbird with a bite, she clearly has a rough history with police and a lot of mistrust, but there’s a heart of gold beneath it all and she breaks all the rules she’s set for herself to save an innocent life.  Dinah also gets to show off her powers in a fight and it does not disappoint.  Lastly of the Birds, we have Huntress.  A mystery for much of the movie, she’s a lot of motorcycling around and mysteriously killing people for reasons unknown. However, when she does join the gang and come into the light, she’s incredible.  A ruthless assassin with not great people skills which make her formidable but adorably awkward as well, her character realistically reminds the audience that childhood trauma can indeed make superheroes – but that doesn’t magically undo the fact that it is, in fact, trauma.  Her interactions with Cassandra Cain are touching and she’s a fascinating case of someone with no real stake in the affairs that all the other characters are caught up in but takes a stand regardless because it’s the right thing to do.  Also, all these ladies are in fact very beautiful and powerful and kickass and I am very gay.

Cassandra makes the last of the protagonists and she doesn’t let her young age or small stature make her seem any smaller against her co-stars.  Fabulously cast and brilliantly acted, Cassandra is a little shit that people can’t help but take a liking to, but also very much a child in a frightening world who has no idea what she’s gotten mixed up in.  I can’t lie, it’s also very refreshing to see a kid being played and acted like a damn kid, not a thirty-year-old in a schoolgirl skirt.  The Booby-Trap fight where the Birds and Harley are furiously fighting dozens of goons whilst working to protect Cassandra is a really powerful scene, not just for the technicolour girl-power but also because the sight of women working together to protect a young girl in ways they themselves could not be protected is…*chef’s kiss*.

I don’t want to spoil any more than I may already have done, but the villains are phenomenal.  Ewan McGregor does an amazing job with Black Mask, terrifyingly unstable and violent, yet so entertaining at the same time. Also, queer-coded (or canon, if you take McGregor’s own words on the matter) villains are absolutely no issue with me when at least two of our main cast of incredible ladies are queer on screen in this movie (and yes, imo, the bad guys are gay your honour).

Conclusion:

A supernova of harlequin madness and an absolute resounding triumph.  Birds of Prey is everything we needed when Suicide Squad’s own neon-painted violence failed to live up to its potential.  The movie is vividly coloured and non-stop fun.  It’s lurid, violent, and perfectly Harley.

10/10