#i love me a messy sapphic dynamic...

[bittcrsuite]

all of this would be fine and dandy if dani hadn’t decided on a new year’s resolution already. to make an effort to finally get over blaire and commit to more than just a one night stand with someone new. she’d spent far too long moping over her but… the new year hadn’t technically started yet. so, of course she’d jump at the opportunity to pretend to be in a happy relationship with her. she was weak when it came to blaire. her eyes widened at the mention of a makeover, shaking her head before she even finished. “dude, please don’t push your luck.” she took a step back, pulling out her phone to cancel her new years plans. “you owe me. big time, okay?” as she texted a vague something came up! might miss tonight :( to the group chat, dani glanced up for a moment to meet blaire’s familiar baby blues. “especially for asking on such short notice. what’s wrong, you scared i was going to say no?”

“ jeez, still honest abe over here. and it's not so much happy as it is to make me feel sane. my family's breathing down my neck till next month. ” blaire cringed, sinking further into the loveseat. she didn't feel guilty about asking dani for help, but it made her seem desperate to come running back. “ you'd be my first new year's eve kiss in about . . . three years? i've got everything covered. champagne on me. wardrobe also on me. ” the blonde's features lit up, nearly knocking the seat over as she stood.  “ oh, you've got to let me make you over! i haven't done it in forever. it'll be fun! ”

[magpizza]

Mag’s Sapphic Book Recs Part 2

Part 1

I read more sapphic books in 2024 so here are more books to check out! Note: these are not necessarily books that came out in 2024, just books I read last year.

ADULT

Can we start off light with some romance? -Bachelorette Number 12 by Jae - A really sweet and fun book, about two medical professionals who don't get along having to go on dates due to a charity bid snafu. The banter was really fun, and as they get to know each other, it turned super sweet. -Lavash at First Sight by Taleen Voskuni - Two women get to know and develop feelings for each other despite their family's rivalry, all set during a food packaging conference. Really sweet and made me very hungry. -Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters - Two strangers inherit a sex toy shop, which forces them to work together and get to know each other. A good amount of fun sexiness but also great emotions and sweetness! -Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd - Two teachers clash but then work together on the school play and develop a relationship. The humor in this book is wonderful, as are all the little reveals about the characters and their history as the story goes along. One of the most entertaining reading styles, so much heart and humor. -Looking for a Sign by Susie Dumond - A sweet and spicy story about a woman determined to date someone from each astrological sign. Some of the dates go well, some go disastrously, and all throughout you root for her to find someone who will be her match! -Outdrawn by Deanna Grey - Set at a comic company, two rivals attempt to work together to reboot a cult classic comic. I loved the peek into artist life and how the two clash and get together. While a novel, the book had some really fun art and sketches throughout!

How about romance but make it a little sad? -Here We Go Again by Alison Chochrun - Two childhood friends-turned-rivals who then had a falling out are roped into a cross-country road trip with their dying English teacher. A standout book about love, adventure, and loss. Get your tissues ready. -Forgetting With You by Robin Clairvaux - After an unlikely one-night-stand, two women find themselves still pulled together, and help each other through loss and life issues. Really sweet overall.

I know it's January but I'm still in the mood for some holiday romances! -I'll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone - swapping houses for the holidays is already tricky, but with the complicated dynamics of the lives they leave behind, this one gets deliciously messy at times! -It's a Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer - an adaptation of the Christmas classic film It's a Beautiful Life, but the angels are drag queens with special powers! That alone caught my attention, but then the characters and lovely town kept me glued to the story. -Season of Love by Helena Greer - Your classic "woman inherits a Christmas tree farm and now she has to decide if she wants to save it from going under" story but with a fun twist: she's Jewish and gay! A really sweet romance.

Got anything way spicier? -The Black Diamond series by Anna Stone - this three-book series follows each sister in the Black family as they get down and sexy but also find love. The connected story through all three volumes was also very interesting with some fun twists along the way. -Triple Sec by TJ Alexander - a bartender is wooed by a polyamorous couple. I love a sexy book but I especially love a sexy book with a lot of warmth and heart to it and this one definitely had that! -One Weekend in Aspen by Jamie Clevenger - an amazingly heartfelt and emotional story about a lesbian weekend sex party in Aspen, and how two women meet and fall in love during it. -Dragon Queens by Kathleen de Plume - this one is a fantasy but has so much spice I wanted to include it here. A princess flees to avoid her marriage and is captured by a bounty hunter, but the two make a deal to pretend to be involved so the princess' betrothed won't want to go through with the marriage.

Romance is fun, but how about something more based in history? -Cantoras by Caro de Robertis - This book is one of my top reads for 2024, it was incredibly emotional, about five queer women who meet during the Uruguayan regime and find refuge and solace in each other and in a quiet beach cottage they decide to claim as their own. -The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron - queer pirate adventures on the high seas, this book filled that Our Flag Means Death hole in my heart with its sweet found family and daring action. -The Duke's Sister And I by Emma-Claire Sunday - a period drama where the main female character falls for her male suitor's sister. The characters are lovely and the story has a slow, cozy pace.

Can we get into some fantasy now? -The Alamaxa Duology by Hadeer Elsbai - I loved both books in this series. Really interesting society, elemental-based magic system, and two women fighting against misogynistic laws. Loved so many of these characters and found myself surprisingly emotional when something happened to them. -A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland - There's nothing like a selkie story and this one was so sweet and a bit heartbreaking. Loved it dearly. -The Order by TJ O'Shae - A young woman is kidnapped by an assassin rebel, part of a group trying to topple her father's regime. This book is a slow, winding burn. Really well-developed characters with complicated backstories and motivations. -Three Women in Paradise by Victoria Avila - A story inspired by Dante's Inferno, with many references to other classic art. Another favorite read for 2024. Loved this absolutely bizarre story that tore me apart and put me back together again. The writing really pulled me in. -Faebound by Saara El-Arifi - Two elven sisters have to leave the Elf Court and find themselves in an unknown wilderness where they encounter the Fae court. There's magical creatures, special bonds, and falling in love with the wrong people, it's got it all! Excited for the sequel coming out soon. -This Will Be Fun by E. B. Asher - The title says it all, it was fun! A group of adventurers already saved the world and broke apart due to the strain and trauma afterwards, but now have to come back together for one more important mission. -The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean - I love a story around animals, and this one takes place in a zoo for magical and mythical creatures! The main character and her love interest are rivals but as they came to understand each other, their relationship became very sweet. -Road to Ruin by Hana Lee - this book has three POV characters and I loved every single one of them. There's such a sweet way each one of them is described and how they connect and move throughout this very original world. The ending broke my heart a bit and I hope the sequel will fix it! -A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft - While on an expedition to find a fabled spring that promises untold power, two academic rivals must team up together to solve their mentor's murder! Can you tell I love people who hate each other teaming up? Cause I dooooo.

Enough magic, anything more sciency? -No Shelter But the Stars by Virginia Black - Two women from opposite sides of an intergalactic conflict become stranded on the same strange alien planet and have to work together to survive. An absolutely gripping journey. -Afterparty by Daryl Gregory - This book was amazing. A drug is making people believe they can see god with dangerous outcomes. A woman has to delve back into her past to find out who's released the drug and for what purpose. Gregory writes with surgical precision.

Now can you scare my socks off? -Please Stop Trying to Leave Me by Alana Saab - okay, not technically a horror book, but one that filled me with a lot of dread and fear just due to its subject matter. The main character deals with a lot of mental and emotional issues, things like that god sends her signs through instagram or that she needs to breakup with her girlfriend to finish writing her manuscript. The book takes a turn I wasn't expecting and I found it very touching by the end. -We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer - A couple just moved into a new home they intend to flip and a family claiming to have lived there before asks if they can come inside to see the house again. Reads like a creepypasta in the best way. This book kept me on my toes. -Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell - A shapeshifting monster finds herself falling for a human woman and wanting to implant her with her eggs, but that would kill her. What's a shapeshifting monster to do? This book is surprisingly sweet and romantic despite that description. And it explores themes like who are the real monsters. -The Girl With All the Gifts by Mike Carey - Unlike most of the books on this list, this book doesn't have a sapphic relationship, but the main character is sapphic. A very unique take on the usual zombie apocalypse story

I want to read something with lots of art! -Crowded written by Christopher Sebela, with art by Triona Farrell, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt - this three-book series is an absolute, fun, action-filled adventure. This world has a hit-man crowdfunding website and a woman has a hit put out on her that gets so many contributions she has the whole country after her! She has to hire a bodyguard and both their lives go to shit from there. -A Thing Called Truth written by Iolanda Zanfardin with art by Elisa Romboli - A workaholic scientist and a woman who fears nothing end up on a road trip where they re-enact scenes from movies. It's a story of self-discovery, and dealing with change and loss. They just had a successful Kickstarter for the second book to end the series!

YOUNG ADULT

Phew, okay I'm ready for some sweet romances again! -The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth - Two young teens agree to a no-strings-attached summer of dates that imitate a romance movie's usual "falling in love montage." But of course, you can't have the montage without the falling in love part! A very sweet romance. -Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan - I love stories set in theme parks and this one did not disappoint! A young girl wants to get the boy she likes to fall in love with her and break up with his perfect gf, and save the park from closing down. Much of it doesn't go as she expects. ;) -If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia So - Two old friends connect after a long time and find themselves feeling as if they had never left. A surprisingly complex story about friendship, lost love, and reconnection. -Wish You Weren't Here by Erin Baldwin - Two girls who can't stand each other also can't avoid each other in their small town and friend groups. Generally, they avoid each other but somehow get put into the same cabin at their sleepaway camp. From there, they get to grow a better understanding of each other!

Alright I'm ready for more of a thriller vibe! -The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe - This book was a fun thrill ride all the way through! Three friends dealing with some secrets coming out amongst each other find themselves caught up in a bank robbery. The main character has a complicated history that makes her uniquely equipped to deal with this dangerous situation. I also include the sequel, The Girl In Question in this rec!

Some escapism please, now back to fantasy! -The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland - three girls go after one supernatural killer. This book has such great structure and pacing. I loved how the three girls have very different goals and reasons that all align towards the same objective. Loved the writing and it stuck with me even after finishing. -The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley - one of the most original retellings of Beauty and the Beast! Loved all the changes and the way the author really made this classic story their own -This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings - New take on vampires set in the backdrop of Jazz Age Harlem? Sign me the fuck up. Also, this has problematic past-best friends who are now enemies who now have to work together which is deeeelicious.

Now let's get into some science fiction! -Monstersona by Chloe Spencer - Two girls escape their small town after a vicious large monster attack leaves it all burnt down. I don't want to say too much more because the fun mysteries and surprises this story weaves are better discovered by reading it!

Now can you scare me but just a little bit? -I Will Never Leave You by Kara A. Kennedy - This book deals with a very toxic and controlling relationship, one that continues even after death. It touched on a very real and difficult topic in a great way that only horror could really pull off. I felt so much for the protagonist as she struggled to figure herself out through this relationship. -The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington - This book had a great combination of mystery and thriller along with horror. It deals with evil spirits along with teen horror movie tropes in really interesting and original ways. All the characters were very engaging and their relationships were very complex, especially the sisters' relationship.

Let's get into some stories with lots of pictures again! -Sunhead by Alex Assan - There was such a sweetness to this graphic novel, about a girl feeling like she's pulling away from her friends but then makes a new friend who she feels oddly close to, as more feelings start to develop. -Bunt! Striking Out on Financial Aid by Ngozi Ukazu and Mad Rupert - Really great art style but also such a fun ensemble of characters all dealing with very relatable money problems. The story hooked me and the characters kept me thinking about them long after I had finished!

[bossthebicon]

a ranking & summary of my thoughts on gmmtv 2025

overall this was by far the best lineup from gmmtv! I would honestly watch pretty much all the shows presented, although there are some clear favorites :)

burnout syndrome: y'all ALREADY KNOW!!! of course we all wanted a darker series for offgun's new show, but... I NEVER EXPECTED IT TO BE DIRECTED BY P'NUCHIE!!! this is so so so iconic considering I just finished my master thesis on the political art of not me, and here is p'nuchie creating a new offgun show with gun as an artist & off as his nude muse???? HELL YES. I'm obsessed with this & so intrigued bc the trailer divulged very little so I AM SAT!!! can't wait for my new roman empire <3

ticket to heaven: I almost cried watching this trailer, it really brought all of my religious trauma to the surface lmao. no but more seriously, if written & directed correctly, this has the opportunity to enter my top 10 favorite thai dramas (no pressure or anything.) the trailer gave me a very indie feel à la ITSAY (who everyone knows I adore) crossed with the difficult queer longing of your name engraved herein. in summary, it has the potential to be everything I love & extremely heartwrenching. I'M SAT.

girl rules: the sapphic friend zone/only friends???? all I can say is YES!!! having both my crushes namtan & milk in this really does something to me, this looks messy & absolutely PERFECT!!! us sapphics deserve this kind of messy representation too lol, I love it!

whale store xoxo: a cute sapphic adult romcom is EXACTLY what I love! I also like the more lower class background of the show, and the side ship looks very cute (although my viewjune heart hurts lol) also piploy liking milk's character only convinces me further I need a kapookpiploy main gl for 2026!!!

only friends 2: y'all know I'm an only friends HATER... but of course I'll watch this just for jossgawin, they are my everything apart from offgun & namtanfilm and I'm excited to see them in this kind of role, especially gawin!

my romance scammer: this looks so fun!!! very lakorn-y plot, I'm so excited for fluke jeeratch in this as I've loved him since his first role in my ride :)

a dog & a plane: this looks SO fun & cute! I also love marcpoon so this is an automatic yes! also tay with tattoos let's gooooo!!!

that summer: that looks very cute, and mond in a bl ship playing an uncle??? of course I'm fully signed up lol

head 2 head: enemies to lovers??? sign me up, always!!! also I do really enjoy seakeen, they're very cute :)

cat for cash: this looks very cute, the first firstkhao show to entice me since the eclipse! of course you can't go wrong with cats lol, but this looks like a nice healing family drama which I always enjoy! will give it a try!

me and thee: this looks quite fun, although it seems to be the same old pondphuwin dynamic of pond always concealing his real intentions lol. but I love the over-the-top nature of it all & I'll definitely give this a try!

boys in love: I have a soft spot for high school romances, and this looked quite cute! I also really enjoyed chokun's acting in my love mix-up TH, and OF COURSE I WILL BE WATCHING FOR PODDPAPANG MY NEW FAVE SHIP!!!

dare you to death: this is the first joongdunk show that actually seems enticing to me. I like the cluedo vibes & will watch for the ensemble cast bc I love them sm!

my magic prophecy: this is the first jimmysea show that actually entices me, which, if you haven't noticed, is a pattern with this lineup! might watch it!

mu-te-luv: this was quite a chaotic trailer, but lego, neo, yacht & fluke playing a queen gang was everything I didn't know I needed LMAO. will probably give it a try!

melody of secrets: this left me incredibly confused, but at the same time this seems interesting & quite different from other gmmtv shows. I'll give it a try!

love you teacher: I think it's an interesting plot, but I'm quite scared they're gonna make it weird with santa's character being mentally 7 years old while perth sees him as his adult lover. I feel like there's a high chance there's gonna be something weird in this, especially since the trailer even aknowledges that this feels more like a bl fantasy kinda plot, so yeah... I will reserve judgement until further notice.

wu: y'all know I'm the first to defend non-bl thai dramas and say to give them a chance, but... if this was gay I would watch this. however it seems like a bromance cash grab kinda queerbaiting skynani fans & it makes me feel a bit icky. but frankly the plot seems interesting, I just feel like gmmtv is exploiting people shipping these two without actually committing to it so I don't love it...

I love a lot of you: nanon looks incredible in this & this looks fun but a little basic. I might watch, though!

memoir of rati: I always feel like I can't say this without getting unfair criticism, but seeing inn speak literal nonsensical french that even google translate would do better PHYSICALLY HURT ME. idk gmmtv's obsession with french, I get that this is historically accurate, but... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can they start actually hiring actors that speak french for these roles??? this is really bad, also no shade but certain plastic surgery faces just don't look like they could belong in 1915... that feels mean to say but it's true. frankly I would've eaten this up if it was any other ship & actually someone who can speak french, but... I might give it a shot for my babies aouboom who seem really good in this... I'm so divided & frustrated by this, UGH.

[saltpepperbeard]

OBLIGATORY COMPLETE OFMD SEASON 2 TRAILER THOUGHTS AND RAMBLES POST™

Woo boy this is going to be a long one, and I mean, A LONG ONE LMAO. And, of course, all in good fun; i simply just Have To Scream and Incessantly Ramble. So, if you'd like to scream along with me, and read through an ESSAY OF THOUGHTS HERE SHDKJSDHS-

I just have to start things off with my babygirl. With the babygirlest of babygirls. LOOK at that pining. INSANE levels of pining. "When will my husband return from the war" levels of it, quite frankly PFFF. And with the hair back and the slut strands out too like???

I will say, it's very interesting to see him pining like this out in the open. I very much expected him to say locked away in his cabin most of the time, and stay entirely masked whenever he's out. But it seems like he makes STEPS towards healing rather early into the season, as the Kraken Getup seems to drop pretty quick. So, I'm very interested to know how that'll play into his dynamic with other characters (Fang, for example, seems to take notice, based on the comment he makes in the next screenie).

regardless, babygirl you're so strong and beautiful and i'm wrapping you in a blanket, kissing you on the forehead, and express shipping your man RIGHT into your arms. it'll get better, i promise.

but no really i'm going insane because like...just when edward teach couldn't get anymore beautiful, he really decides to pull up with a MESSY BUN???

HIIIIIII FANGY HI FRENCHIE HELLLOOOO MY SWEETHEARTS <3

I don't talk about Fang nearly as much as I should because I love him so much. I think getting a hug from him would Heal Me, actually. Like please hsdjkss he's so sweet- "I've never seen Blackbeard like this 🥺." CAN I GET HIM A PUPPY? I'M GETTING HIM A PUPPY.

Also please are they eating cake hsdksjks. ARE THEY EATING WEDDING CAKE. Imagine your raid is to crash a wedding, steal cake toppers, and then eat what's left of the wedding cake jskdhsdjkls. DREAM JOB???

AND THEN THIS. HOOOOO BOY. HOOOOOOOOOOO BOY.

when i tell y'all i am Foaming At The Mouth over this. Like, it obviously guts me to see Stede crying, but it makes me SO intrigued to know what made him come to the more stark realization, what made him flip from optimistic and bitchy to more somber and pained.

There SEEMS to be some sort of shift sometime around when he sees Ed's wanted poster, because there's that shot of him looking melancholic in the rain. But it doesn't quite seem as stark as THIS.

It makes me wonder if it's a gradual assembly of puzzle pieces, ie finding out about the marooning, then Lucius, then Ed's scourge across the Caribbean, etc etc. And it slooooowly dawns on him that his decision to leave in order to keep Ed happy ended up doing EXACTLY the opposite.

OR, I wonder if this is following the reunion—a PAINFUL one at that. Like, maybe he still was going into it a bit idyllic, and was holding onto the hope that it would still be alright...only for Ed to react poorly/in a way he never anticipated to see. He went into it maybe with a bit of anxiety, but ultimately leaned on the denial...only to have all the fears confirmed.

Or maybe it's a mixture of both. But either way, it's SO so interesting to see him have to SIT with it all. And even though it hurts to see HIM hurt, I'm actually very glad they addressed this and made him feel the heavier weight.

...Only to transition right into silliness here with this shot dHJKSDKLS. ed babe listen i get it. i Get It. i'm right there with you, babe.

BUT ALSO, makes me wonder what he was smoking in his pipe beforehand. Or maybe it was the transition from pipe to a straight BLUNT that got him shdjksd. Or MAYBE it was just ~*~the sapphic kush~*~ that took him out PFFFF. wlw on mlm violence idk.

SPEAKING of which...

here we go, lesbians. here we go, lesbians, come on. oH MY GOD, LESBIANS,,,

do you think anne and mary want me

BUT OKAY LMAO THESE TWO,,,

With that whole shot where it looks like Anne just kissed Stede, and the way they're both 👀👀 at Ed and Stede having their tense little interaction, I have to wonder if their gaydars go off and one or both subsequently decide to stir shit up PFFFF. Like, causing chaos by making Ed/Stede jealous type deal. And maybe Anne kissing Stede is what makes Ed choke on the blunt sdhkshdks WHO KNOWS.

Regardless, very excited to see the pairs interact. WHO KNOWS WHAT SORT OF MLM WLW SHENANIGANS WILL HAPPEN SDKJS.

And ALSO in relation to that scene, I just have to shdjksdhljksdkls over the editing because it took me out. Ed being like "And more importantly, no more Stede >:)" only to show his little wedding topper doll with Stede's subsequent "HULLOOO, IDWAD."

Killed me. KILLED ME DEAD. And also, a neat little way of editing call Ed out on his bullshit REAL FAST HSDJKSL. like, honey, you can try, but you know full and damn well that silly little guy has burrowed into the deepest chambers of your heart. he has your heart and you have his, WHOOPS.

Ricky, right? This is Ricky??

"WHEN I CATCH YOU, RICKY. RICKY, WHEN I CATCH YOU, RICKY..."

So okay, a nose prosthesis is metal as hell, but that means we ALLLLLL know who he got tangled with PFFF. And I believe we see him in the Republic of Pirates talking to Stede and Co??? So I'm very VERY interested to see how that all devolves, and how he goes from vibing to wanting to throw hands.

Unless he was like, on some sort of reconnaissance mission for the British in the first place.

But I digress. RICKY, WHEN I CATCH YOU, RICKY. RICKY, WHEN I CATCH YOU HSDJKLSLKS

...The way I missed this SEVERAL times over, and didn't even see it until someone else pointed it out in another post.

IZZY WITH A HOOF PEGLEG. PRESUMABLY FROM THE UNICORN. BECAUSE WHERE ELSE WOULD THEY GET A WOODEN HOOF HSDKLJS.

But that also has me like 👁️👁️ for SO many different reasons. How did he lose a good portion of his leg? Was Stede the one to offer up the unicorn leg as a pegleg?

And TRULY, WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH HIM AND STEDE ANYWAY HSDKJLS LIKE I STILL CAN'T EVEN WRAP MY MIND FULLY AROUND THAT ONE,,,

My running theory is still that like...Izzy wanted a very specific version of Blackbeard. Izzy wanted someone who no longer exists, or maybe never existed to begin with. And so Izzy thought he was doing right by taking Stede out of the picture and nudging Ed back into a more viscous type of pirating...

Only for that to COMPLETELY backfire, and for Ed to get far more unstable. And like, something something Izzy was already complaining about Ed's "erratic moods" and "questionable decisions" BEFORE Stede came into the picture, so I doubt he's going to be content with Ed's turmoil and all the impulsivity that'll likely come with it.

So maybe, MAYBE, I'm thinking he'll have a bit of growth by realizing that Ed and Stede need each other, or maybe that Ed was way happier when things were smoother between him and Stede, at least. And knowing him and his characterization lol, it might not even be a selfless realization/decision. Maybe he'll only be doing it because he wants a less emotional version of Ed, and thinks that having Stede around and being cordial with him will allow that to happen.

And maybe it leads to even MORE growth when he gets roped into training Stede/the crew idk.

Regardless, REGARDLESS, they are one of the last pairs I ever expected to team up, because they were ACTIVELY bitching at each other all through last season HSDJKS.

HI AGAIN OLU MY SWEET LOVELY OLU MY SWEETHEART DARLING <3

BUT WHO ARE WE FIGHTING, SIR. WHAT'S THE TEA????

I'm not 100% certain, but it SEEMS like this is at Jackie's, or at least in the Republic of Pirates somewhere. And based on Ricky's injury, and also other little tidbits of footage, it SEEMS like something goes down there. Maybe some sort of scuffle between the Navy and our guys or something equivalent that snowballs into even ~*~Larger Problems~*~

SEE BECAUSE YEAH—EXPLOSIONS?? CANNON FIRE??? WHAT'RE Y'ALL DOIIINNNGGG LMAO.

And it's so wild because I definitely see Olu (with the CROCS OFC LMAO) and Pete, and then I THINK I see Lucius and Izzy in that mix too??? So like,,,

WHAT DID Y'ALL GET TANGLED IN SDHJKSKLS. AND WHERE IN THE SEASON WOULD THIS FALL??????

Oh this hurts lol. This one hurts. This one hurts a LOT. Stede Bonnet stop breaking my heart Challenge: impossible.

Because that's his home. That's his soul placed into a ship. That's the conglomeration of his hope, and heart, and adventure, and family,,,

And it's in RUINS.

LIKE, CAN THINGS STOP GOING BADLY FOR HIM ACTUALLY HSDKJS. CAN HE STOP GETTING DECKED BY HIS TRAUMA OVER AND OVER AND OVER. BECAUSE,,,

Fresh off the "you defile beautiful things/you're a monster/you're a failure/you ruin everything you touch" train, and he comes back to this. And if this is after he reunites with Ed and realizes things are bad, then man, that'll be even WORSE.

LIKE, NUMEROUS CHAMBERS OF HIS HEART HAVE BEEN SHREDDED. HIS HOME AND HEART ARE BROKEN.

mmMMmmmMMMMMM DAVID CAN WE MAYBE NOT <3 SHDJKLSKS

BUT, off we go cartwheeling from that footage to a VERY interesting bit of dialogue from Stede:

"The entire escape relies on this."

Escape?? ESCAPE???

Here I was thinking they enlisted they help of the Red Flag Fleet and/or Susan to try and catch up with the Revenge. So, ESCAPE???????

Did they get captured? Snatched up from the Republic of Pirates or something equivalent? Does someone have beef with Ed and holds Stede and Co hostage because they're trying to aid him?

OR, are they voluntarily on that ship to hide/lay low from the Navy or something, but their cover has been blown, and they have to quickly flee back onto the Revenge?

Very very inch resting whatever the case.

...

STEDE. FOOKIN. BONNET,,,

🧎🧎🧎🧎🧎🧎

LIKE SIR, WHAT THE FUCK SHDSKD, Y'KNOW??? WITH THE STIDDIES OUT AND THE EARRING AND THE SCRUFF,,,

GOD LMAO. JESUS CHALUPA. CEASE.

like, you're telling me ed is going to see him like this and isn't going to IMMEDIATELY drop and start tying his hair into a ponytail? mmmMMKAY

BUT OKAY—ACTUALLY, that joke sort of brings me to a more angsty theory, because of course it does lol. I have to wonder if Stede is dressing like this because he legitimately wants to, OR, if it's because he feels like he has to.

Like, something something he's trying to do everything he can to win respect and establish himself and ALSO win back his man. And, something something he is ONCE AGAIN doing what HE thinks Ed wants, as opposed to what Ed might ACTUALLY want. Like, "Oh, he's a notorious pirate. He'll like me again if I have a little more gruff and backbone, right? That's what pirates like, right???"

LIKE NO YOU DOOFUS HSDSHDS HE LOVES YOU AS YOU ARE, JUST AS YOU LOVE HIM HOW HE IS. AND HE DREAMS OF DRESSING IN A DRESS WHEN MARRYING YOU. SO LIKE,,,

IF THAT IS INDEED THE CASE, I'M BEATING ED TO THE CHASE AND HEADBUTTING HIM MYSELF HSDKJLSDS.

*grumbling* even though it's a very VERY good look on him, so i hope it's more on his own volition.

I just want him to feel comfortable as HIMSELF, and feel like he doesn't have to perform/conform to anything. And I think there's something very deeply queer about him and Ed BOTH going through that. They're BOTH trying to figure themselves out and what they're comfortable with and who they want to be. And I hope that, IF this is his look, it's something that HE wants entirely.

((Which makes me raise my eyebrows a bit more because of the Cunty Red Jacket. Because he's CUNT. And also his curls are more pronounced when he wears that too. SooOOOoooOOO?????? VERY interested to see what he wants, and where he comfortably settles))

AND GODDDDDD ONTO YET ANOTHER VERY EYEBROW RAISING PART LMAO.

So, we've seen that shot of someone falling into the water like 80 million times at this point. And this trailer ALSO showed an additional shot of said person SINKING into the gloom. At least, I THINK it was the same person/connected. Again, could be a total misdirect lol.

And then we've seen all the blue-tinted shots of Ed off on his own somewhere, fight someone/something all the while being accompanied by some unknown figure.

And BECAUSE of the tinting/consistent lighting, and BECAUSE of the figure accompanying him, I have to also wonder like others similarly are...

Is this a DREAM???

Is this some sort of unconscious sequence where Ed works through trauma/hurt/demons? Is that person with him the ghost of Hornigold or another significant figure from his past? And does said sequence end with him jumping from the cliff and allowing the Kraken to disappear back to the gloom???

But something that makes that whole theory SUS is the shots we've gotten of someone, presumably Ed, coming up out of the ocean. And it's not tinted blue like all of these other shots are.

So it's just hsdjkhsdjksdhskjdhsjksfs??????

Regardless, REGARDLESS, I think all of this points to Ed going on some sort of journey, some sort of bout of self-discovery and self-acceptance. I think he's going to heal parts of himself, or at least SETTLE with parts of himself, no matter the circumstances. And that would be so good because I want that so badly for him. I want him to be able to do that for himself.

...AND SPEAKING OF HEALING SHDJKSKLS

BUNNY. BUNNET. SIR THAT'S MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT STEDE BUNNET.

but omfg this is yet another case of my brain not being able to piece together timelines. because ed babe where ARE you. "BABYGIRL WHERE ARE YEEEWW..."

He looks so soft, and also has on a different ring??? An emerald/cyan looking ring??? AND THE KRAKEN RING THAT TAIKA ALWAYS WEARS HSDKJS.

So I just hsdjkhdjklsdhdjklshsjkls. "jodi you'e literally going to find out in like less than a month" I KNOW I KNOW OKAY BUT THAT DOESN'T PREVENT ME FROM GNAWING ON MY DESK FOR 18-ISH MORE DAYS HSDKJLS.

Also, as an aside, I SO very hope this leads to Fangy getting a puppy. I SO very hope that the "pets befouling the ship" clause is scratched from the rulebook PFFFF.

LOOK AT MY SWEETHEARTS HAVING FUN. LOOK AT JIM BEING UNHINGED SHDKJSS LOVE THAT FOR THEM. SERIOUS GOOSE IS BACK TO SILLY GOOSE!!! LOOK AT STEDE LOOKING LIKE A PROUD DAD. THIS IS THE SHIT I'M HERE FOR!!!

also hi hello is that archie. dO YOU THINK ARCHIE WANTS M-(GUNSHOTS)

i'll just be in the corner sobbing over being attracted to so many of these damn pirates. like, it's an Issue

...mmMMMMMM ONLY FOR ME TO TRANSITION RIGHT BACK INTO ANGST TERRITORY LMAO. BECAUSE STEDE, DARLING, WHAT IS THAT INJURY???

I've seen people theorize it's a stab wound, a bullet wound, or some sort of wound that was burned/cauterized. Either way, EITHER WAY, OUCH??? CAN MY DARLING PLEASE KNOW PEACE HSDJKSDKL

Also again, this all plays back into my theory that they're having a party, only to get crashed by some sort of navy personal or another pirate bounty hunter of some variety. And Stede gets captured/tortured.

*Banging pots and pans together* WHEEEEERE ARE WE IN THE TIMELINE WHERE ARE WE IN THE TIMELINE WHERE ARE WE HSDJKLSHDLKS

Same shirt, but has his EARRING. And is BATTLING A SHIT TON OF PEOPLE. So I would assume this comes AFTER the party fiasco, but also jsjshdjkshlJKHDKLS????

Also the CONCERN on his face is so striking. It makes me wonder if he's looking at Ed. ESPECIALLY because—

SAME BEACH, SAME BATTLE??? SEPARATED BY THE PARTY FIASCO AND ARE NOW FIGHTING TO GET TO ONE ANOTHER?????

But two things about this shot. Well, three, if you count me absolutely FOAMING at the mouth at getting to see Ed battle because hsdjhsjkhsdjkls bARK,,,

One, his sword is bloody. Love that for him. King shit. Slicing and dicing.

BUT TWO, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE APPEARS TO BE HOLDING HIS RIGHT SIDE. NOT THE LEFT SIDE WHERE HE'S BEEN STABBED LIKE 12+ TIMES, BUT THE RIGHT.

HE GETS INJURED??? DO THEY BOTH GET INJURED?????? DAVID I KNOW WE HAVE LIKE 18+ DAYS LEFT BUT I'M DYING OVER HERE HSDJKSLDS

oh hi izzy lmao the way i did not expect the hardest line in the trailer to come from him.

"You don't know the first thing about piracy. It's not about glory, it's about belonging to something."

God. GOD. I really feel like he's going to end up surprising me so much this season lmao.

((BECAUSE NOT TO MENTION, THE FACT THAT HE'S TALKING TO RICKY, AND IT JUST SEEMS,,, 👀))

oh god y'all lmao. want to see how loud i can scream. because, i missed this my first few watches, and didn't even notice until it was later pointed out in people's posts, but,,,

LUCIUS!!! L U C I U S!!!!!! MY BEST FUCKING FRIEND LUCIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BEARD, WOODEN FINGER, AND ALL.

MY DARLING. MY GUY. MY BESTIE!!!!!!!

Listen, I was like 99.9999999999999999% sure he was alive okay lol. Because NARRATIVELY, he had to be. NARRATIVELY, I think his death would have sent things into irreparable places. Also, silly little pirate rom/com; Y'ALL CAN'T KILL OFF ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED CHARACTERS LMAO LIKE NO WAY.

But regardless, I'm so happy to see him. I'm SO so happy to see him. AND I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE HIM REUNITE WITH PETE, AS WELL AS SEE HIS REAL AWKWARD INTERACTIONS WITH ED, I'M SURE HSDJKS

Obligatory Wee John in drag mention/shoutout. Because come on now. COME ON NOW. HE'S FUCKING SERVING. ABSOLUTELY SLAYING. THAT BLUE LOOKS SO SO FUCKING GOOD ON HIM TOO. AND IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY FOR KRISTIAN AS WELL LIKE WHAT THE FUCK!!!!

Annnnnnd Obligatory Tealoranges mention/shoutout because goodness, look at them. LOOK at them. LOOK HOW SOFT JIM LOOKS. LOOK HOW SWEET THEY ARE. I'M EATING MY ARM!!!

*Baywatch Theme starts playing*

But okay okay what are we thinking:

Training montage/sequence? Or romantic moment?

STEDE'S ROCKY MOMENT LMAO, OR STEDE'S ROMANTIC HERO MOMENT. RUNNING TO GET GAINS, OR RUNNING TO GET HIS MAN.

OOOOOOO BITCH LMAO. OOOOOOOOOOOO BITCH. *RUBS HANDS TOGETHER*

and also snorting at ed's eyes because, just when i think they can't get any bigger,,, just when i think he can't possibly get even More Eyes than usual,,,

But okay hi hello WOWZERS this sequence. This one REALLY has my brain churning.

And I'm subsequently in the camp of thinking that this is very very soon after their reunion, if not their REUNION PROPER. I'm sort of leaning more towards the former, because something tells me they'd want to keep their reunion proper a secret/save it, since it'll likely be a very pivotal moment.

But regardless, SOMETHING SOMETHING SEASON 1 EP3 MIRROR? STEDE FINDS ED INJURED AND WATCHES OVER HIM???? I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW HYPE THAT WOULD MAKE MEEEEE HURT/COMFORT AND PARALLELS MY BELOVED!!!

Because Ed is DEFINITELY injured. Blood on the side of his head, various cuts and bruises across his face, etc etc. And Stede looks very Concerned when he calls his name. So I'm just 👀

Not to mention also, Ed seems VERY out of it. His eyes are wide/glazed-looking in all of the subsequent shots. And his first reaction is to headbutt Stede away shdkjshdkjs.

So again, the theory that it's right around their reunion seems very plausible, based upon reactions and outfits and the like. BUT WHO KNOWS.

also, for the record, still sobbing at how stede keeps his arm protectively draped over ed during these shots,,,

AND *RUBS HANDS OVER THIS ONE TOO*

,,,and maybe also *wipes tears away* because he just looks so SERENE. he looks so CALM. i have to wonder if this is after a pivotal moment in his healing, be it from his own realizations, an intimate conversation with stede, or both.

i just hope he's legitimately feeling better right here because i want that for him. i want that SO bad for him. I WANT THE WORLD FOR HIM!!!

Annnnnnnd ending it off with this shot because omfg. Three things.

One, JACKIE AND ED GIRLS NIGHT REAL,,,

Two, Ed trying something "different" has me sobbing and throwing up. He just wants to be comfortable. He just wants to be HIMSELF. He just wants to stop PERFORMING AND MASKING.

Three, THE SWEDE AND JACKIE LMAO??? SWACKIE??? THE SWEDE LOOKING SO INCREDIBLY HOT??? THEY WERE NOT LYING WHEN THEY SAID EVERYONE WAS GOING TO BE HOT SHDJKSD

anyway, if you made it this far, then bless you and your resilience LMAO. but also if you made it this far, you're probably just as excited as i am. like, after this trailer, after seeing all of our darlings and seeing the silliness and seeing the interactions...

idk, i'm just feeling THAT much happier. i'm feeling THAT much more confident in our showrunners/cast/crew. and i cannot WAIT to continue feeling happy with all of y'all <3

18 DAYS AND COUNTING. CANNOT WAIT TO SEE HOW WRONG I AM LMAOOOO <333

[masochist-marmot]

In defence of "problematic" ships

CW: references to abusive relationships

There seems to be a growing mindset in fandom spaces that a ship is not valid if it's somehow problematic. Interestingly, the criticism towards a ship is rarely formed as "I don't like it"/"it makes me uncomfortable". Instead, they often attack the shipper with a "you must enjoy being abused and will end up being killed by your partner" or whatever.

Can we not?

First of all, and I'm so sorry to break it to you, but these characters are not real people. They have been constructed to serve a narrative. And seeing an interesting dynamic on the screen/page/whatever and thinking it's worth exploring does not mean you want to be inserted into that situation, nor does it mean that you endorse it in real life. It makes me wonder if these people even understand what fiction is for. I've had my share of toxic relationships, and I'd rather not get into another one. So it's a good thing that I can explore these dynamics safely without putting myself in danger.

And before you bring up the danger of romanticising abuse, I get it. There's plenty of media out there that depicts abuse and toxicity as somehow desirable qualities, and I understand that media can reflect and influence the audience's worldview. This is where you pause for a second, put on your media literacy goggles, and try to see what's actually being said. Depiction does not equal endorsement. Also, shippers are usually just existing in their own spaces and not affecting the wider public in any way.

Secondly, I see a lot of variations of "these characters are not in love because they are not good to each other". Hello? Are we seriously going to claim that romantic feelings only exist in their most pure, uncomplicated, healthy form? Interestingly enough, these sentiments are usually applied to queer ships. When Honkai: Star Rail dropped an animated short containing a prolonged and incredibly sapphic dance scene that ended in Black Swan being mentally (though unintentionally?) violated by Acheron, I saw so many comments along the lines of "I thought it was pretty gay until the mental flaying happened". I mean, it's still pretty gay. Just because you don't think it's healthy, doesn't mean it stops being queer. Are we just that afraid of showing problematic queer representation? We are people, and our relationships will be messy, and I think it's okay to show that. Though once again, I'm aware that for a long time it was all that could be shown, and that wasn't great either. I just feel like the pendulum has swung a bit too much towards the other end.

I've also seen a lot of comments to the effect of "he said he hated him so your ship is invalid". I will excuse these comments if you're on the autism spectrum and have difficulty reading past the literal meaning of words, otherwise, let's dig up those media literacy goggles again. In the next paragraph I'm going to vehemently defend my beloved akeshu, so massive spoilers for Persona 5 Royal.

In his confidant rank 8, Akechi says to the protagonist, in no uncertain terms: "I hate you." And the next time you see him alone, he shoots you in the head (it's complicated, okay?). So you could take this and run with it and go bash akeshu shippers over the head with it. Or you could try to analyse his actions and motivations over the course of the entire game and come to the conclusion that his hatred is a shorthand for a bundle of complicated emotions. Morgana even picks up on it after you fight him later in the game: "You don't really hate Joker, do you?" What Akechi actually feels is admiration and jealousy, since he feels that the protagonist has been handed everything he himself had to work so hard for. It's companionship for his first ever friend and respect for a worthy rival who will rise up to all of his challenges. It's regret that he couldn't have met Joker earlier in life when his master plan wasn't already in motion and his only driving force in life. All of this bundles up in something the emotionally stunted teenager can't and probably doesn't want to unpack, and he settles on what's both very simple and familiar to him: hatred. Which he probably latches onto so that he's capable of putting a bullet in the head of the only friend he's ever had. I could (and honestly, probably will) rant about Akechi on other occasions, but I'll leave it here for now. The point is: If the best you can muster for invalidating a ship is this, I honestly don't feel like I have to listen to your opinion.

Just to be clear, I don't think you need to go find the justifications for your ships in the actual text. In this rant I've mostly brought up ships that stem from how the characters interact in canon. (Though oddly enough, queer ships tend to be subjected to this kind of scrutiny way more than straight ones.) But sometimes it's fun to explore the most unlikely relationship dynamics by shipping characters who barely even interact. They're not what I find personally interesting, but go off. You will never find me gatekeeping ships. Even if it's Hisoka/Gon, in which case you're free to do your thing but I hope I'll never see it.

TLDR; I'm sick of people attacking each other over problematic ships. The characters aren't real, you can't hurt their feelings. But I am, as hard as that may be to grasp sometimes.

[jasper-tarot-reader]

Hello I would like to participate in your Three Kings tarot study if still available. three kings reddit is what got me started on rituals lol.

Name: eli

pronouns: he/it

King

In Court

Fire

Question: My father and I had an awful relationship while he was alive largely due to his religious paranoia.He has been dead for a few years now and has been definitely sending me signs. My other spirit guides seem to be encouraging us to reconnect which I was NOT expecting considering they encouraged me to curse him while he was alive. I'm looking for any advice or warnings on communicating with him!

Thank you so much! I love your work!!!!

Three Kings Divination Explanation

For this reading, the Guardian of the Night Tarot is the querent and the King of Wands representing the Court of Fire, the Skyrim Tarot is the Queen and the Queen of Spells, and the Neopets Tarot is the Fool and the Page of Wands.

You are the King of Wands, head of the Court of Fire, represented by a maned lion in this deck. The lion represents passion, command, authority, royalty, power, and prestige. Your advice to yourself is the Five of Pentacles reversed and the Hierophant reversed. You are overall not feeling optimistic about this renewed presence. I don't know if you're the sort who believes that people can change after death, but skepticism is your shield right now. There is a chance that working with him after his death will help heal the rift between you when he was alive, but it's also entirely possible that it would just make things worse between you. Your father had expectations for you that didn't line up with you now, and if you don't want to deal with that again, it's up to you.

In my practice, a reversed card becomes its opposite element, meaning that this is a dynamic between Fire and Air (neutral elements) instead of Fire and Earth (best friend elements). Fire is willing to take Air's advice into consideration, but ultimately, the choice remains Fire's to make. And I don't associate the Major Arcana with elements unless they come built-in in the deck already, but it's important to note that the depiction of this card is, in the creator's own words, directly inspired by Ratatouille. Interpret that as you will.

Your Queen is the Queen of Spells, Master Wizard Mirabelle Ervine of the College of Winterhold. She is a Breton elemental mage and handles the actual running of the College while the Arch-Mage does fuckall. She prefers fire-based magic, as most of her offensive spells fall under the flames category. Her advice to you is Justice upright and the Two of Lockpicks upright. She believes that working with your father's spirit will help heal the rift between you two in life and bring justice and closure, but there's a strong emphasis on balance in this part of the reading. Happiness and harmony is key, particularly among one's spiritual family or court, and if you believe that your father's spirit will disrupt that balance, you are within your right to be wary.

In my practice, Fire and Earth are best friends. There is no element that Fire trusts the word of more than Earth. They are confidants, allies, and deeply understand each other. It's not a perfect relationship, of course, but it's a good one. And as I said, I don't associate the Major Arcana with elements, but Justice depicts Talos, the King of Earth and Sky, the Dragon of the North. That looks like Earth and Air to me. Most importantly here, he is the father of the Septim dynasty and founder of the Third Empire, ushering in the Third Era.

Your Fool is the Page of Wands, Jhudora the Dark Faerie (who would kill me for calling her a Fool). She has a longstanding rivalry with Illusen the Earth Faerie that more and more looks like a messy sapphic breakup. As far as Dark Faeries go, she's considered "nice", and her wand is one of the most powerful weapons in all of Neopia. No one knows what she does with all of the items that she has various Neopians fetch for her, but Queen Fyora is keeping an eye on her just in case. Her advice to you is Strength upright and the Four of Swords reversed. Unlike Mirabelle, Jhudora is grabbing you by the shoulders and telling you to think. Is this really something you want? Because if it is, you're in for something that will test your patience and your inner strength in a way that may be utterly miserable. You've listened to your spirit guides, you've listened to your court, you may even have listened to your father's spirit, but the important question here is, what do you want? Are you just paying attention out of obligation to family, or is a post-mortem reconnection something you're interested in?

In my practice...well, we've already gone over the Major Arcana and reversed elements thing. Fire and Earth are best friends, doubled down with the fact that the Strength card depicts Illusen the Earth Faerie. I snickered a little when I flipped over the card to see Jhudora referring to her rival for help.

This reading has a strong theme of balancing conflict and past rough edges in relationships. Or maybe that's because of the kantele music I was listening to in the background. Who knows.

Ultimately, the ball is in your court. Uh, literally. The most that I, your court, and your spirit guides can do is offer advice (though I'm to a much lesser degree). It's up to you if you want to bridge that gap with your father's spirit.

Please reblog this with feedback or send feedback to the ask box, as this is part of a test of the Three Kings Divination!

These readings wipe me out, so any insight, munching and crunching, and rambling thoughts you have about the reading will be very helpful with me analyzing how well this spread is doing! Anything you feel is pertinent, interesting, or personal - including your own interpretations of the cards or elements, if you wish - are welcome! Feel free to reblog this to whatever blog is most appropriate!

~Jasper

[moutheyes]

2025 QL Anticipations, Wishes, and Resolutions

After wrapping up my top 10 list for 2024, it's time to look ahead to next year with my most-anticipated upcoming series, series I'm planning to catch up on, and some resolutions.

Top 5 anticipated series in 2025

Us (pilot trailer) / dir. Fon Kanittha (GMMTV) / adaptation / rumored for January: Emi Thasorn had her Mark Pakin moment last year—she was literally everywhere (Last Twilight, Beauty Newbie, Wandee Goodday, The Rebound, The Trainee, and currently in Perfect 10 Liners), and that has built up my anticipation for her first leading role. I don’t actually have super high expectations for the storytelling, as this is an adaptation of an author with certain weaknesses, but I���m hoping the simplicity of the plot allows the acting to shine, and I’m enticed by the potential of two fresh GL pairings in EmiBonnie and ViewMim (if they do end up as a side couple).

Khemjira (pilot trailer) / dir. Ron Patarapon + Aoftion Kittipat (Mandee Works) / adaptation / currently filming: I am not the biggest fan of Domundi/Mandee projects, but this feels a little different in scope and flavor, with the supernatural horror elements and a largely rural setting. Also, I can’t lie, I'm excited for the combo of KengNamping and TleFirstone. I have a weird little fascination with the entire [vague handwaving] of DMD The Friendship and TleFirstone are my third-gen blorbos; I suffered through the entirety of Secret Love just to see if they kissed good (they did). Also, with the musical talent here, if we don’t at least get a banger OST out of this show I’m going to be so mad.

Knock Out (pilot trailer) / dir. Tee Bundit (Deehup/WeTV) / adaptation / recently did fitting: Boxing/martial arts settings are gonna be everywhere in 2025 (there are at least two more QLs that I can think of), but the combination of Deehup production quality, WeTV je ne sais quoi, and a promising new acting pair in GunNice is just delicious, especially after seeing that pilot trailer. Tee Bundit excels in not only drawing out excellent physical intimacy but also making show settings feel lived-in, and the action scenes in Jack & Joker were pretty decent, so I'm excited to see how he brings a boxing gym with ties to the mafia underworld to life.

Love You Teacher (pilot trailer) / dir. Dome Jarupat (Parbdee/GMMTV) / original / script being written: Boy, was this ever the most willfully misinterpreted pilot trailer from the entire GMMTV25 event. This post beautifully sums up most of my thoughts on that matter, but I want to add that after two episodes of watching PerthSanta elevate the milquetoast Perfect 10 Liners with impeccable chemistry, my excitement for them in these specific roles has grown exponentially. Give me the sunshine/grumpy dynamics with a poignant exploration of devotion and care! And we know p'Dome will bring the poignancy.

Girl Rules (pilot trailer) / dir. Jojo Tichakorn (Moongdoo/GMMTV) / original script / most likely late 2025?: p'Jojo is bringing the gospel of messy gays to the sapphics this year, and I will be seated front-row for it. I already know that Milk Pansa playing a stone cold casanova bitch is going to be A Problem for me, and I am on my knees begging for some honest-to-god hatesex or spite-fucking, just give me a truckload of whatever they have going on:

(I didn't include series like Cranium, Ticket to Heaven, and Love of Silom, which have either already been slated for 2026 or could go either way. Or series that simply don't have enough info, like 8 Hours. Ggurhggh I'm hoping the last two I listed above make the cut...)

5 series to catch up on

Pluto: I watched the first ep and definitely wanted to continue, but the series ended up on the back burner due to time. I also thought it would be a good one to binge due to the melodrama of the storyline. From the gifsets I've seen, I'm in for some good fucking food.

Century of Love: Honestly, I'm kind of looking forward to DaouOffroad's next project a little more (I think they are going to thrive in the bodyguard dynamic), but I know I'll want to watch something lakorn-ish at some point, and CoL will scratch that itch.

Reverse 4 You: This seemed to fly under the radar in fandom circles, but the concept sounded interesting (it has speculative elements like time manipulation and precognition) and by all accounts the acting was really solid. I also have Apple My Love (Kongthup + Ormsin lead = winning combo in my world) on the list but this one is just a little more compelling so it will take precedence.

Blueming + Where Your Eyes Linger (movie version probably): After losing my mind over LFCT, I promised myself to finally finish off the Hwang Daseul cinematic universe this year. 🫡

The On1y One: I prefer to binge Taiwanese series, so it's nice to have this in the back pocket for a slow weekend or whatever. See Your Love is making me remember how much the pacing of TWBLs drives me nuts sometimes, so we'll see when I'm in the mood again...

2025 resolutions

Prioritize GL! This might be obvious from the series I mentioned above lol. I did such a bad job of this last year, but luckily GL seems to be a growing slice of the pie. The things I'm looking forward to: new pairings, messier dynamics (GIRL RULES), and hopefully more original scripts (GIRL RULES!!!!) as well. Pipe dream: CAN I GET ONE (1) NON-FEMME SAPPHIC CHARACTER PLEASE...

Watch a series outside of the big four markets (Thailand, Japan, Korea, Taiwan). There are a couple of completed Filipino series on my watch list, so it's just about making time for it.

Write more consistently about QL. I did participate in Tumblr discussions this year, albeit spottily, and I'd like to do it more! I tend to put my thoughts in tags rather than adding onto a reblog or commenting on a post, so let's see if I can break that habit and contribute more directly.

[robthegoodfellow]

He Loves Me, Loves Me, Loves Me

Wet & Messy, Your Choice (Feminization), Breeding Kink, Begging for belated Days 24/25/29 of @harringrovekinktober additional incidental use of sex toys, praise kink, orgasm denial, dom/sub dynamic, role playing, come play, mirror sex, oh and minor food kink?? food play?? idk a cinnamon bun is involved

(roommates, kink experimentation, nsfw, billy is a good girl)

Handy Links to Previous Chapters: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve done? Robin had asked, a couple summers ago. Like, in bed? They’d been driving to Chicago for an Indigo Girls concert—not because either of them were massive fans, but because Robin was on the rebound and Steve her sworn wingman. Also he had a car. 

Caught off guard—moments before, she’d been narrating the time she’d bussed to the Windy City to meet up with an old friend from band camp who’d caved to their sapphic chemistry—Steve had stuttered an apparently disappointing answer: Ah… anal, I guess? And belatedly clarified, at her wide-eyed stare, Not me—I mean, with a few girls. Her surprise morphed to an eyeroll, complete with dismissive huff. Sorry for not being more adventurous, he drawled. 

She patted his arm, consoling. Sorry for your vanilla lifestyle. Because her lifestyle, it seemed, had been infused with some spice of late. That girl I was telling you about? I fucked her. After finals. With a strap-on.

Just to be annoying, Steve had feigned a bored nonchalance. Wow—hands-free dildo. Whoop-dee-doo.

Funny thing, she shot back, smirking. What you can do with hands-free. Did her better than a guy ever had, she said.

He’d held out for maybe ten seconds before curiosity won. What was it like?

Fucking hot, she exclaimed, all self-satisfied loftiness abandoned. And not just the actual fucking part. It was like—hands waved, searching for the words—like it was hot just having it on, and feeling it hang as I moved and… and it changed how I moved? Like I finally understood why guys walk like that. At Steve’s questioning glance amidst the chuckles, she clarified. Like I had this swagger. This strut. And I liked it—this different version of me that just took the wheel. My inner dude or something.

Obviously, the Steve of the here and now could have listed quite a few far wilder things than coming in the back door, and now he had a clearer sense of what Robin had been trying to explain—that strangely electrifying sense of being something else, something other than you usually were. This bodily possession, except not by any demon, but by something that had been in you all along, only dormant. 

It wasn’t his recent forays into alternate headspaces that had triggered the memory of that car ride, though. No, the flash hit him the morning Billy greeted him in the kitchen in a cheerleading skirt, hair tied in a high messy knot—when Steve was corralled to the kitchen table while Billy brought him a cup of coffee, a cinnamon bun on a plate. 

Because he was moving different, too, and not just on account of the toy almost certainly snug in his ass. Like his steps were… more delicate, more fluid—this languid grace and daintiness, this sway that translated to the hem of the pleats hanging from his hips, brushing his upper thighs. It was feminine. This enticing feminine flare. Entrancing.

Steve leaned back in his chair as Billy set the plate and mug before him. Sighed, all forlorn. “Think the sight of you has me too weak to eat.” 

Billy bit the inside of his lip, tolerantly amused—took Steve’s hand when it was offered to carefully settle astride his lap, facing him, and twisted to retrieve the cinnamon bun. Holding it level with Steve’s mouth, he cautioned: “Better not move too much, then. Regain your strength.” Waited for the nod, then allowed a bite—helped himself to one, too, while Steve chewed. Giggled soft when Steve moaned fuck, so good through the mouthful.

Billy licked the icing from Steve’s lips when they were done—let Steve lick the icing from sticky fingers, energy sufficiently recovered to gently grip the raised wrist between them. Good girl was a warm squirming weight by then, seeking friction, so Steve opted to relax a bit—retrieve his coffee, ignore the blood rushing south. Take his time. He was, however, well within his rights to rest his free hand on Billy’s ass, apply just enough pressure to bring them flush beneath the skirt.

“How is it?” he asked, between sips. “Wearing your little uniform?” 

Delightful—the blush that dusted Billy’s cheeks. “It’s like I’m… hyper aware of my hips,” he admitted, quiet. “Of you looking at them. And how you could just reach under and—” A short gasp, and he arched, lifting off Steve’s thighs as the hand cupping his ass slid lower, tickling bare skin by the hem. The gasp turned to whining grunts, deep in the throat—Steve tracing an unseen edge of lace to the scrap of fabric that bridged the crack, and continued on, never quite as firm or as far as Billy wanted.

Not until he’d finished his coffee, anyway. The moment he set down the mug, he hugged Billy to his chest, cradling him as Steve slumped against the seatback, Billy’s ass raised off his lap. One arm wrapped iron around heaving ribs below the cropped tee, the other free to wander—palming asscheeks through rough lace, pressing around the base of the plug, never directly on, waiting for Billy to beg. And he did, squirming, glutes clenching, hard and throbbing against Steve’s abs, pleading so sweet.

“How’s this?” Panting, lips pressed to the flexing hinge of Billy’s jaw, so vulnerable with his hair pulled back. “You’re my girlfriend, pure as the driven snow, and I’ve been dying to fuck you for ages, but you wanna wait for marriage, and so…” Pausing for breath, he realized there were a couple ways this could go—all of them brain-melting in his book—so he passed it over to Billy. Ball in his court. “So you give me an ultimatum. What’s it gonna be?”

Billy clutched at his shoulders, face buried, his cheek grazing Steve’s neck as he nodded. “I tell you that… all you get is my a—ah…” His arms tightened, hips stuttering as fingers dipped under the lace, massaged his taint. Voice wavering high and tight, tried again. “All you get is my ass until you give me—a ring?” Shivers wracked his torso, words dropping to a shy whisper. “Or you wanna put a baby in me.”

That walloped Steve—went beyond what he expected, what he thought he’d want. Blindly, his arm shot out, clearing a space on the table, and with the strength that only came to him in the throes of lust, he hefted Billy and lay him flat, legs splayed, skirt hitched high enough to glimpse blue panties. 

“Knew it was this pair,” he murmured, attention locked at the apex of trembling thighs, hands smoothing upward, against the grain of soft leg hair. His fingers disappeared under the hem, dug blunt into skin to wedge under the delicate waistband. “If I accept, will you roll over now?” Thumbs stroked his poor prick through satin, teased the weeping tip as he spoke. “Let me take a look? Show me what you’re offering up?” 

Billy had been chanting yeah, low and breathy—barely waited for the prompting questions and he was contorting his spine, twisting onto his stomach. Might’ve been an unfortunate meeting of knee and crotch if Steve hadn’t stood to make room.

It was one of those views that sent him soaring, instant vertigo: table supporting most of Billy’s weight, arms folded under his cheek, round ass hanging off the edge, bent legs parted, socked feet searching for purchase on the floor. Blue scalloped lace peeked just past the drape of the skirt. 

Pulse pounding, feeling reeled in by the hips, he nudged near, planted himself between Billy’s legs, mindless palms drawn to the globes of that ass, pillow soft, fumbling to push the skirt up, gathered at the small of his back.

Steve breathed a sigh, long and appreciative. “Can we make a rule that when you’re home, you’re always in panties?” Because goddamn—he’d never grow tired of this. How the cut accentuated his curves from behind, and from the front, so tenderly trapped his desperate, leaking need. Billy hummed, musing, and arched to lift his ass off the table, straight-up taunting. “Now, now,” Steve reproved—applied quelling pressure to the plug, and Billy moaned. “Be my patient girl.”

Almost clinical, he hooked the waistband, drew them low enough to expose the plug’s base, gleaming glass… bigger than he’d expected. “Showing off, huh?” he commented, grasping the toy to indulge in a gradual pull, and savored the wavering whine from pink, parted lips. “Let go, babe,” he urged. 

Billy bore down, the base shifting. Another slow tug, a relieved whimper, and the slicked rim bloomed wide, glass slipping by—slid free. 

The pervy puppet master who jerked his strings whenever he sank into this state prevented the plug from dropping to the braided rug below—placed it upright on the table instead, guided by a flash of foresight.

“Not gonna fuck you now,” he said. Only half-heard the groan of protest as he thumbed the hole, the normally tight furl visibly slackened—slid in up to the second knuckle with hardly any pressure. He tsked, commiserating. “I know—my good girl is so ready.” 

It was a question of which particular fantasy ruled the others at any given moment, really. And right now? Right now he wanted to hold off in favor of drilling him later. Wanted, at the same time, to test the lubricating capacity of a load of jizz in the ass. Wanted to plug his good girl up again, full yet utterly unsatisfied. 

And he saw a way to do that. Kill a couple birds with one stone. Kill a whole flock of birds.

Fishing his dick from his sweatpants, where he’d been making a steadily stickier mess since the moment Billy sat on his lap, he jerked himself, smearing precome down the shaft. “Don’t worry… I’ll give you something else. Something to keep warm.”

“Please,” Billy mewled, and Steve ground flush against him, wet cockhead plumbing the groove of his crack, catching on the swollen hole. He was so close already, on a hair trigger, and then his lips were forming filth—no filter.

“Want you to reach back.” Propped on one hand planted low on Billy’s back, Steve jacked it quick, aiming best he could as Billy obeyed. “Grab that pretty ass. Hold yourself open for me.”

Shaking fingers bit into plush skin, pulling, rosy entrance so inviting, on full display, and all it took was a couple tugs to spill—splatter his cheeks, empty hole gleaming, clenching on nothing.

Totally spent, equally lacking in coordination, Steve palmed an ass cheek—caught a trail of come in the webbing between forefinger and thumb… and swept it to Billy’s crack. Watched it drip on down to the furl, and, hypnotized, probed with his thumb, feeding his come into a hole that gripped around him, convulsive. Like it was swallowing. 

His girl had been making this faint, fluttery sound—a gasping inhale, weak stuttering exhale, pitchy and high. So Steve kept his mouth going, shushing, crooning praise as Billy took it all, took every drop spooned into him, never loosing his hold, not even when the tip of the plug prodded where he was red and aching—he had to be aching—not even when Steve lodged it deep as slow and gentle as he could.

He only let go when Steve told him to. Drew his arms in, folded tight along his sides, one fist tucked under his chin, and sighed, long and unspooling, while Steve pulled his panties up, smoothed his skirt back down.

“Think I need a lie down,” Steve murmured, firm fingers stroking Billy’s spine. “That breakfast really took it out of me.”

A wet, throaty chuckle, then Billy extended a beseeching hand. “I’m gonna need some help walking.”

“Offer m’lady an arm?” Steve suggested, looping him in a hug from behind to lever him upright. Billy was pretty much dead weight, head tipped back on Steve’s shoulder. 

“How about a wheelbarrow?” he mumbled, and Steve snickered. Kissed his neck.

.

He hadn’t planned to keep Billy waiting too long—for one thing, anything but the smallest plug wasn’t meant for extended use—but once they were cuddled in bed, trading lazy touches and the occasional whispered word, it was hard to keep track of anything except the warmth of Billy along his front, enveloped snug. They were turned on their sides, the blanket and sheets kicked to the foot of the bed, humidity already on the rise.

Steve must have drifted off at one point, jarred back to reality when blunt heat pressed his palm through rough fabric: Billy had dragged his hand down, rutting against it.

“Babe—” 

“Look,” Billy puffed, cutting off his feigned outrage. “Look at us.”

Still half adrift, it took Steve a sec to crane his head up, see what Billy saw… and saw them, in the mirror over the dresser. Billy lifted his top leg, and Steve understood—hitched his knee forward, insinuating, interlocking.

“My good girl’s waited long enough?” Steve surmised, propping himself on an elbow to watch their reflection—watch as Billy let go of Steve’s hand, trusting him to take over. “Want your prize?”

Billy arched, silently begging. Curious, Steve dipped under the skirt, where the satin was damp, rubbing almost frictionless over his cock.

“So wet,” Steve breathed, then thought to check. Nuzzling his ear: “We still playing high school sweethearts?”

“Yeah,” Billy said, voice small and tight, hips hitching. “Yeah.”

So Steve went for it—full virgin fantasy, one where the guy miraculously knew what he was doing. “You ever come before, babe?”

“No.” Eyes squeezed shut, Billy hid behind his hands. “Not supposed to—touch there. But—I want—”

“I can show you how,” Steve offered, rubbing circles at the crown. “Show you how to feel good.”

As Billy murmured please—truly the sweetest word from that mouth—Steve worked him through his panties, that just-right-not-quite-enough pressure and speed that edged him along by exquisite increments, from trembling, twitching, to teetering.

Steve was riveted, eyes roving the writhing body in the mirror—the strong shapely legs, the skirt splayed about his hips, abs flexing under a cropped tee ridden up so a dusky nipple peeked out when he shifted. One hand was cupped under his head, the other arm flung out on the bed. Lids were half-mast over those baby blues, lashes impossibly long, color high in his cheeks, golden curls tumbling loose from the bun, his rosy lips mouthing the air the way he did when he was close.

He was beautiful. So beautiful. Most beautiful thing Steve had ever seen.

Bending to speak low and hushed, his stare never leaving their image, his coaxing touch never stalling, Steve returned to the earlier ultimatum. “What if I really do—want you to be mine? Give you a ring? Put a—”

Billy curled liked he’d been punched, his face twisted, moaning, “Can I—can I—can I—”

“Yes—yeah.” Blurted it, all in a rush, euphoric, and with an agonized grunt, Billy came—so much, for so long, that the sticky wet seeped through the satin, the lace, to smear on his stomach, the skirt, the bedding beneath.

And Steve realized—he’d been asking for permission. Not asking to be his. Like that.

But then Billy turned, nosing into Steve’s chest. Seized the same hand that had worked him so good and cupped it to his belly. “If we actually could, would you really want to…?”

Like he’d taken a knife and flayed open his heart, stitched him back together. Felt just like that. Steve surged forward, kissing his cheeks, his neck, bowling Billy backward.

The yelp brought him up short, freezing before scrambling to all fours, reaching for his skirt. 

“Shit, sorry—we should probably—take that out.”

“You would, though?” Billy asked, parrying Steve’s arm even as he consented to be rolled onto his front. “You would—”

“Billy, I’d do anything with you.” The confession rang no less true for the thread of baffled laughter. “Anything. Everything.” He shook his head. “With you. For you. To you. I want to.”

It wasn’t even the first time he’d said something along those lines—All the time. Mine all the time—but it landed differently between them, just then. With finality. 

Billy blinked, a telling shimmer along his lashes. “You’d really… give me a ring?”

Steve smiled, helplessly fond. “If you want one,” he said, suddenly bashful. “I’m pretty invested in—giving you—making you—” Cringing, flushed to burning, he forced it out. “Happy.”

And then Billy looked choked up, and Steve was getting choked up, and given he still had to get the plug out of Billy’s butt before they accidentally did some lasting damage, he groped for his ass and some levity.

“I mean…” He chuckled, gesturing at the closet. “If you’re not too particular, I’ve got a whole set of rings for you in there.” As intended, Billy shot a speculative glance at the indicated hiding spot, and Steve couldn’t help himself. Leaning in, secretive: “Not the type that goes on your finger.”

Billy snorted when the penny dropped, rolling his eyes. “Unbelievable.” 

Steve shrugged, dramatically unbothered, and set to work on the plug, going slow. “If you’re not interested in those, I can totally return them—”

“No.” Hissing at the pressure, Billy shook his head. “No, that’s not… necessary.”

“Well, all right, then.” One last, steady tug, and the plug was out, shining with translucent white. “I’ll go clean this—”

The whine was so sharp that it took Steve a moment to hear the embedded word: “Later.” Yanking Steve to the mattress with the speed of a striking snake, Billy reminded him of their previous terms. “I said if you got me a ring, then you could—” Shifting, pulling, he managed to drape Steve half on top of him. “So now you have to…”

“Oh, I have to, huh?” 

“If you want to,” Billy amended. 

Steve nudged his grin into waves of blond. “I want to.”

.

NOW WITH FINAL CHAPTER: I Know That He Loves Me Any Way

[tangerinecherrygal]

Thoughts on Bridgerton S3 so far.

Under the cut for the sake of my poor moots and for spoilers. And first and foremost, I am a hater, so I will have some complaints but most are positive.

Positives:

Developing Cressida’s character. I’ve wanted this since I started watching with season 2. I love that she isn’t a cardboard cutout mean girl bc she gets shat on (deservedly sometimes) a lot by the main characters. Also I’m not sure which way they want to go with her character but I don’t think she needs any kind of redemption, maybe just a softening of her character.

Disabled visibility. It’s very clunky, but it is a step in the right direction.Period pieces tend to be worse than other types of shows and movies at erasing disabled people. It’s easy to forget that disabled people did exist and were apart of society. I can’t speak much to how they were treated, but this is bridgerton so it is very possible to portray them in ways that are realistic to the more modern experience of, say, being in a wheelchair.

Portia Featherington. Send tweet.

Benedict being a fun little guy.

Sibling dynamics of the bridgertons are really sweet to see and always make me smile.

Penelope serving cunt, intellect and agency.

Thr Mondrich family being on screen more. I’d love a side show on them like Queen Charlotte. Their relationship is so sweet and I am observing 👀 with upmost respect.

I do like Colin’s new look buuut… we will come back to this.

Francesca’s new actress is so talented. The shy girl rep that I need. She looks a lot like Phoebe and fits in perfectly.

The other stuff (and how i would change it)

Penelope’s makeover seemed rushed. I think her transformation should’ve been gradual as she gains confidence. Almost like Kate’s last season. She starts to reflect her confidence e gains throughout the season and i’m thinking that a fanfic may be brewing oh no.

Colin’s makeover is needed bc they had to downplay the actors beauty in earlier seasons. But I don’t see him as a devilishly handsome rake all of a sudden. Luke Newton has a kind and approachable (kind of baby) face and I think that they should play on that. A pretty kind of handsome instead of trying to immitate the more masculine look that they used for anthony. I know it’s because he is putting on a performance but I think they could have gona another way. His look in season 2 is great in my opinion, maybe if his clothing was more relaxed but he kept the same hair then it would be perfect.

They’re trying to convince us that he’s suave and smooth with the ladies but it’s not consistent with his character

The threesome scenes? Not a hundred percent sure who that was for. Sapphics let me know if you appreciated those scenes because I know they weren’t doing that for their famously large straight male audience. I also saw someone say it reduces the sex workers to props but in context that kind of works into the story so idk.

Colin went from being lost at the end of last season to gaining a sense of identity that isn’t implied to be an act.

Lots of side stories make it seem messy and wastes time that can go into understanding Francesca, Penelope, and Colin. Instead of focusing on stories like Lady Bridgerton’s romantic story they really should make a QS 2 where they can explore the older cast of characters.

Paaaaacinnng. Everything is happening so fast and the side stories mean that Polin doesn’t even make much sense to me. I don’t feel any chemistry. I’m not going to count how long they’ve been on screen together this season, but it’s not enough for me to believe that Colin finally sees Pen in a romantic way. The helping Pen find a husband quest lasted for a second and immediately he realises his feelings. I just don’t buy it. I almost want to cut away to horny ass Kanthony to see actual chemistry.

if anybody reads this and has their own takes pls comment. I love talking about the show and hearing what other people thought.

[juniperhillpatient]

So far 3 episodes into Fright Krewe season 2 my thoughts -

Forever insane that this show doesn’t have a massive fandom on tumblr simply based on vibes. Voo doo, New Orleans, vampires, demons, rougarous, fairies, a quirky bunch of teenagers investigating mysteries? I mean hello? Also it’s just good. The characters are interesting the dynamics are fun & it’s classic horror with blood rituals & monster girls WHAT is there not to like

I appreciate that we start off right where season 1 ended with the cliffhanger & we’re instantly getting to see the best & worst of both Soleil & Missy & they’re complicated history & badassery & potential for darkness & all the sapphic vibes this show is truly giving the people what they want

That said the guys feel simplified this season. Stanley was always a himbo but idk he’s getting the over the top idiot treatment sometimes this season in a way I don’t recall before. Maybe hasn’t gotten to do much & I’m eager to see him talk to his vampire brother like hello? Let’s address this more. Pat is his endearing self & I loved how he helped Nelson with grief but I need more Pat he feels pushed to the sidelines idk.

I’m not really criticizing these aspects too much though because there is time to address some of these things more. I’m just really loving the Soleil Missy stuff so far. Quite frankly they are the main appeal of the show for me (as far as main characters go - the plot, lore & aesthetic are also big draws & I do love all the characters but like. C’mon. It’s about the messy girlies. This is me.)

Anyway I like it so far, which is to be expected. I can only do so much of one show at a time no matter how much I love it so I might be done for tonight but I’m enjoying this season so far & I do wish this show had a bigger fandom.

[chargoeson]

An Ever-Fixed Mark

A low stakes, high tension light fantasy novel by @chargoeson (me!)

Two young sorceresses attending the same boarding school become entangled in a web of lust, lies, and inheritance.

Status: outline complete, draft one in progress Genre: Adult historical/au fantasy Features: sapphic romance, celestial magic systems, lies and deceit, shifting power dynamics, fake dating/engagement, sibling redemption arcs POV: third person multiple POV

Summary below the cut

Ester Beauchamp is a new student at Madame Devereaux’s Boarding School for Enchanting Ladies. It is at this high status but overtly traditional school that she meets Jaina Sumire, dazzling student leader and heiress of the famed Sumire Solutions, an engineering and lunar energy corporation that provides the majority of their continent’s machines and amenities. The two girls develop a timid friendship that blooms into something more. Returning to the Sumire mansion for the summer break, they must decide how far to pursue their feelings for each other, and how many people they are willing to deceive in their path.

If you liked: Saltburn, A Room with a View, Colette and lesbians being messy in general this may be the book for you!

I would love to answer any Qs or add to the taglist as requested <3 this project is very near and dear to my heart and is shaping up to be the perfect, overly dramatic, hedonistic summer wip.

taglist: @thelittlestspider

[delistravaganza]

I swear I relate to everything you have written about the enemies to lovers trope and lesbians.

it’s not even about lesbian representation, at least in fandom, of course that’s important but it’s not the point here, it’s about having wlw stories that are as...complex? Messed up? Intricated? as straight or even (in more recent years) mlm romantic storylines are allowed to be. I feel like I am constantly hungry of complicate stories with lesbian or bisexuals female characters involved in messy relationship. But almost every popolar ship that I meet on fandom or tv shows either is watered down, made all soft and sweet and not threatening and so not complicate enough to be appealing. (or in the fews that are not like that in the original media they get made in this way by the fandom- it’s so unnerving). it seems to me that’s it is either “tragic dead lesbian” or “soft sapphic story all is sweet uwu”. As someone who love stories with romance only when the romance is very complicated and not necessarily healthy and full of ambivalent feelings (don’t judge me as you said it’s just a matter of preference ashahaha) I sometimes read slash (mlm) fanfiction on ao3 that feature very complicate and not necessarily healthy dynamics and I go damn I wish that there was a fanfiction exactly like this but with two women instead of two men.

I get this 1000%. To be fair, I don't think it's just the wlw couples being UwUified in recent films and shows, this happens to all queer representation because of the pressure to create "good rep". To some extent, it's even happening with straight pairings because people are more aware now of sexism and what it really means to consent, though everyone still seems to be willing to let this knowledge fly off if teh guy iz HOT.

But there seems to be a particular issue with writing f/f interactions that are manipulative, dark or somehow more adult, not necessarily meaning sex but rather a more nuanced portrayal of the relationship. Whereas all the straight toxic romances went to specific (and thriving) genres such as "dark romance" (which at least seems to be more self-conscious as the Reylo fic I mentioned before), and we get glorious epics of m/m fanfiction stories (and books that feel like fanfiction), it sometimes seems like the women characters are treated as little girls.

Even in a dark, creepy, cannibalistic, adult-oriented show such as Yellowjackets, I found myself more interested in the hypothetical Jackie/Shauna pairing because oh boy that was complex! than in the actual lesbian pairings involving Tai, who is a great and somewhat nuanced character except when it comes to her (sanitized) relationships. Is it really just me favoring problematic and unhealthy dynamics or is there some truth to this? (It may be me.) Is Tai a bit tamed down because she's gay AND black?

Also, to be completely fair, I think that I have more expectations when it comes to wlw plots, maybe because I subconsciously think of them as more "me" than the others. I've read a lot about how women use slash to slip away from the narrative and write more freely, and the fact is - I've read a lot of trash when it comes to m/m. And I definitely don't remember it with the resentment I save for f/f media like First Kill ("you fucking set out to be everything I wanted and turned out to be a pile of dog shit!").

I have also read extremely interesting books featuring f/f dynamics on the latest years, which I could post here instead of whining à la Louis de Pointe du Lac, but the fact is that these books already set out to be a work of literary merit and weren't written to dwell on the romance or possible romance itself. I'm not even counting MBF here as I read it a while back for the first time, but it could be an example - I don't know, but it definitely wasn't written with UwUification in mind. I'm still thrilled at how much the marketing DID and DOES UwUify our girls and their relationship. Sometimes the marketing is like: Wouldn't you just love to have such a special friendship like these two? Uhhh what? No, thank you, I had my share of that shit?!?

Oh, and also - I'm not even sure it comes down to self-identification either. I said I identify with Catradora, but the fact is I don't necessarily identify with either Catra or Adora. I just identified with their feelings, and I felt empathy for them, and I worried and I suffered and I felt frustrated and I so, so, so hungered and feared for their fights and God, you should really check this one out because it's really on the edge between UwU and dark, and I think it's this mixture what made it work in today's world. It seemed to appeal to both parts of me - the one who lowkey wants the positive, young-and-healthy-oriented rep she didn't have as a teen, and the more prevalent one who prefers angst and twisted things. And yes, it's a cartoon. A cartoon did what many real, adult-oriented shows and books couldn't do with me.

But Catradora probably also worked because we, the audience, were purposefully kept in the dark about them, so we got to experience their story as it developed and without any clear expectation as what the end would be (compared to: here's your wlw romance of the day! Ship them! Hope they don't die!), something I'm sure you wouldn't be able to achieve now that all the info is out there.

Anyway, I'm rambling now and already taking too much time off work. But I find this topic fascinating. If anyone else wants to join in the conversation or point me somewhere that isn't Buffy/Faith or Catradora or Villanelle or Nicky/Lorna (YES I STILL SHIP THEM AND WILL ALWAYS DO) or our Neapolitan toxic friends, please do. And as always, nice talking to you. <3

---

P.D.: Here's a long video analysis that I really liked that tackles why "good" LGBT representation is boring (not wlw representation exclusively).

[alexissara]

Quick Review: Grand Slam Romance Book 1

Grand Slam Romance is a really fun time, I am not at all a sports girly and even less so a fan of baseball or softball but this story was a total blast to read with lots of lesbians having sex, being messy as shit and tons of great goofs. Astra Maxima is one of my favorite characters in any medium that I read in 2024 being a really fun and messy character who has a lot of solid funny scenes. The comic does a good job of keeping a light tone while also keeping you invested in these characters and their feelings for each other. At first it's hard to read Astra but getting to know her feelings near the end really feels like a nice pay off, everyone is fun and it's just a simple good time.

It does feel like the story didn't totally wrap everything up intentionally for a second book to exist but I want to read that second book, I think there MIckey and Astra end up is great and I adored seeing all the different kinds of sapphics represented from our He/hims to our non binary lesbians to femmy lesbian fuck boys we really had it all here. The character designs are top of the line and the pair of Ollie and Emma really work amazingly together. It's the kind of comic project you can tell the creators love each other and that love shows up in the world, a beautiful dance of collaboration that any artist who has got to work with someone they love will see the fruits of.

I bought this book on a whim and I for sure do not regret picking up the hard cover. It's a really great time and one I think other people should check out too. I look forward to the future book and seeing how the follow up to this works. The romance in book one was good, compelling, and a great bit of one of my favorite dynamics which is lesbian childhood best friends but I would love to see it go even further now that they are reunited.

Also like full bias Astra is like exactly how I make my OCs down to the look, like she looks basically like an ideal me so I am totally biased towards this fuckgirl. Basically she can do anything awful and I'd forgive her on sight, she's the moment, there is no blaming her.

If you enjoy these reviews you can read more, I write lots of them and if you really enjoy them I can always use support over on Patreon and Ko-fi.

[thistle--bug]

GMMTV 2025 Lineup Thoughts

After watching all the trailers, here are the shows I'm looking forward to!

Memoir of Rati. It looks so beautiful and elegant and it's a period piece set in 1910's? Hell yeah! Love me some elements of secrecy and arranged marriage

Whale Store XOXO: Listen. We got only two GL's and you bet I'm going to watch both. I love Milk, I love Love so here I am. Excited to see Love playing the more forward, making-moves character. I also like that it's focused more on adult life instead of their usual school series.

Only Friends Dream On: Will this be top quality content? Of course not. Will it be entertaining as hell? YES. Glad that Mix making a cameo ended up turning into this lol! It's less of a sequel and more of a spin-off and what a line-up. Earth! Mix! Ohm! Gawin! Let's GOOO. I'm also really entertained by Earth and Ohm being brothers (that have a lot of beef apparently). The setting being a theater putting on Romeo and Juliet is soooo up my alley. Though I doubt Boston will play a big role in this I hope he gets to sleep with everyone as a treat. King of messiness is back lmaoooo

That Summer: Winny and Satang get a show as main leads? Finally! They play bickering-to-lovers really well and it seems like it'll be sweet. Satang just suits the role of a prince so well. I hope he sings the theme song for this because his voice is lovely

Wu: Very little info in the trailer but I'm intrigued! I haven't actually seen High School Frenemy so I'm not familiar with the actors, but I like the vibe and the red string of fate thing they have going on. A lot of people are complaining that it's another "bromance" instead of being explicitly gay but honestly... I don't mind! I'm okay with their dynamic being left up to our interpretation.

Girl Rules: I CAN'T WAIT!!!! P'Jojo said I'm back with the messy ensemble shows but this time SAPPHIC and I adore him for it. We get to be toxic too yippee! In love with and obsessed with all of them already. It'll be so much fun to watch this while it's airing

Ticket to Heaven: WOW!!!! WOW WOW WOW!!! I can't even put into words how excited I am for this show! P'Aof is my favorite director and I've loved everything he's made so far so I trust him. Catholic seminary in the 90's with young men struggling with their faith and sexuality is SUCH a fantastic premise. And the fact that Gemini and Fourth are starring in this makes me even more excited. They are fantastic actors that killed it in Moonlight Chicken and I was hoping for more nuanced and mature shows like that instead of their usual high school rom-coms. And this is everything I wanted and more! I sobbed throughout the trailer. This will wreck me in the best way possible. Plus the cinematography was STUNNING. For sure my #1 favorite of the lineup

I might check out Burnout Syndrome, Dare you to Death, and My Magical Prophecy as well when they air, but we'll see. The rest I'll probably pass on unless someone tells me they're absolutely incredible. In general, there's a huge trend of fate, fortune telling, mind reading, etc, which is fun. HUGE push to make shows outside of high school and college which is also really refreshing. I have mixed feelings about the fixed pairs, but I am glad that they are pushing the actors to do things they haven't done before. Specifically Gemini and Fourth acting in a more serious show while First and Khaotung act in a very fluffy light-hearted show (which I will be passing on but I hope they have fun!). I am in awe that ONE SINGLE SHOW out of this lineup is straight. Yes ONE. That's a huge deal! We even have more GL shows that straight ones (not by much and I wanted WAY MORE booooo). Sure, not all of these shows look incredible, but the fact that there are so many queer shows to choose from is wonderful. There's variety! We love to see it!

[dayscapism]

So I finished seaosn 2 of Dickinson, and first, I think this is my favourite anachronisric historical show and sapphic couple on TV ever. I don't want to point at anyone in particular, but some of the criticisms I've seen of this season 2 sound super biphobic. I understand it isn't perfect writing (the thing I'm actually most sad about is that we don't have that many interactions of Emily and Death because that dynamics SLAPS). But it still has good writing, the humor and aesthetics and absurdism in this show are amazing. EmiSue is such a powerful love story for me, so much more because it's not perfect. Recently, I said I wanted complex, good representation, not easy representation. And I stand by it, even if sometimes it hurts.

I guess all I want to say is: no media will ever be perfect in the eyes of everyone, and people are messy and complex, and they make mistakes, and bisexuality exists. That's it.

[wond-las]

raven/kory for the ask game?

Love love love LOVE me some starrae <3333. What can I say I am a sucker for some tender sapphic love that is constantly walking the line between platonic and romantic and that's what raven and kory's relationship is to me (but lest be honest there are times when it's outright romantic in NTT Mr wolfman you knew what you were doing with that skinny dipping page). Even when thinking about their relationship as strictly platonic I think it's really beautiful because they are so similar but deal with their issues in very different ways and that reminds me of dynamics I have with my friends. But yeah they are so precious to me and probably one of the few ships I have that I don't HC as super messy lmaooo