#lesbian father issues polycule

[kavalyera]

….guys.

[rocicrew]

clarissa mao !!

send me a character and i’ll list

favorite thing about them

she's the definition of poor little meow meow. i love her complexities and flaws. she's a rich spoiled heiress, she has enormous family issues. she tried to kill the family she would die for. redemption arcs in my opinion are not always well written but clarissa's does it for me.

she doesn't shy away from the fact that she has done terrible things for selfish reasons (when you look at it in the grand scheme of things). and while the way her father treated her explains her motivations, they are not excused by it. it is her who decides the person she was is gone, and she's going to spend her second chance making up for the things she'd done. it's honest and raw, and her arc shows that people do improve and change when they receive external support and build meaningful relations. while at the same time it says, some things cannot be amended. you can never bring someone back, but you can try to be good.

she is the subversion of the redemption achieved by one last good Deed or Sacrifice. by the time that happens, she's made peace with herself, with the consequences of her actions and it is a choice for the people she loves while she stops delaying the unavoidable.

least favorite thing about them

i find the lack of not revisiting her complicated relationship with julie a Crime. what do you mean after fighting alongside and joining the crew that found her sister, she would not understand her sister's motivation or want some closure re her death?

(tv wise: girl you Have the worst timing in s6. holden is falling asleep on the railing and you think ah a great time to revisit the horrible acts i did to kill him)

(additional sidenote: nothing more meaningful comes to mind at the moment, at least not something i can articulate well so...)

favorite line

Which meant Naomi had misunderstood. Clarissa had meant, I'm not afraid.

10000000/10 on the pain scale this line continues to haunt me. what an epilogue for her im-

(also her exchange with erich on the shuttle about letting people in their tribes without demanding that they prove they need them, and ending it with her prison sentence,,,,,,,,,, i'm rolling on the floor each time)

brOTP

is there any other answer between clarissa and amos ? i personally cannot see their relations as anything other than platonic with deep devotion. they saw each other's worst parts and decided there's good in there even if they can't quite see it in their own selves at times.

they're mirrors but also kind of foils at the same time ?? amos is never afraid while clarissa is all the time,,, let's not be monsters together,, i want to be there in your last moments,,, ah yeahh

OTP

i do not truly ship her with anyone. i can speculate about romantic dynamics, but it's not super far in the Shipping category. i do think she and bobbie would make out in the roci tho

nOTP

is kind of answered in the previous two ? i do not see her and amos' relationship being romantic (except maybe in the roci polycule kind of thing, which i'm still more drawn to the idea of her and bobbie or a complicated relationship with naomi)

random headcanon

i'm not sure how random it is, because it is a nickname she has in canon. but i personally hc that the roci crew over time begins to call her claire after babylon's ashes. peaches is primarily amos' nickname for her and it feels a step too far to use it. so claire is still a way to signal her new path.

i also believe she's a lesbian tbh

unpopular opinion

i have not seen too many opinions on her. i know a lot of people were put off of her in s3, (i have to say she grew on me later as well) but i can now say that she was Unhinged (in a compliment way)

also i think that there's a tendency for her to be portrayed a bit meek in the time after she's joined the roci crew which is the last way i'd personally describe her. she's quiet and reserved, yes, insecure about her place in that family, but she's also blunt and takes risks and has been shown to be incredibly intelligent and capable. and i think it takes away from her character with all her flaws.

song i associate with them

nothing comes to mind rn, i am also terrible at this kind of associations. always one or two lyrics throw me off.

favorite picture of them

the scene she's introduced, first up close and then the shot of her from behind with the navigation map of the maintenance shutte does thinks to the gifmaker side of me (if only the lighting wasn't so yellow)

[cairavende]

Worm Arc 10 thoughts:

Well. Ok then. Regent can do that I guess. I mean it makes sense given that it's basically a more extreme version of what we've seen him do so far. And with who is father is, family powers being related and all that.

Just get up in there and Yeerk someone.

Creepy as it is, I do have a hard time feeling bad for Shadow Stalker. I'm not claiming to be morally correct. But she fucked with my daughter and I'll take what I can get.

Watching Grue deal with Imp is just such older sibling wanting a break energy - "No we can't turn on the TV". I feel him so much. I'm glad Tattletale is willing to step in to help.

WHY MY BABIES FIGHTING? NO FIGHT!

I mean like, nothing like trying to kill each other to bring two lesbians closer together, I get it. But I just want more lunches with puppies and sharing jackets. My faith in Wolfspider is rock solid but this is still hard to watch.

Chatterbug/Smugbug is going a little better at least. Lisa is the one who already knew the truth about Taylor and seems to trust her fully.

Infiltrating the Wards HQ realistically went better than I expected. Weld was exactly on top of things as I thought he would be.

Imp's power is sooooo cool! I fucking love her.

🔥🪓

HOLY SHIT MY DAUGHTER COVERED HER BUGS IN CAPSAICIN! She's fucking scary. But also such a problem solver. I love her so much.

I do feel bad for the Wards who got capsaicined though.

DRAGON DRAGON DRAGON! I love Dragon and was very excited to see her again. And she is understandably upset about someone trying to give her a virus made by a fucking third rate hacker. But I knew she wouldn't hurt my babies too badly.

Tattletale with the "Fuck it, lets take untested tinker tech and go to town" was amazing.

I think the Wards HQ needs a better lockdown procedure, until Dragon showed up it was shockingly easy for the Undersiders to go wherever they wanted.

I love that the fight with the Protectorate is almost a side note. Big fight with the Wards and then on the way out it's just "oh ya and we fought these guys for a minute but they weren't too much trouble." The fucking shade.

The Slaughterhouse Nine seem nice. I don't expect they'll become a major issue.

This end of the world thing is problematic though. I could see that getting in the way of my endless gay shipping so it's gonna need to be taken care of.

They making my babies live in different places! OH NO! How will Taylor and Bitch make up if they don't see each other as much? How will the cute lesbian polycule watch TV together in the evenings if they don't live together??! Fixitfixitfixit!

Interlude thoughts get their own separate bullet point lists cause HOLY SHIT! So first, Regent interlude thoughts:

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FUCKING DESTROY HER! AHAHAHAHA! REGENT YOU BEAUTIFUL LITTLE SOCIOPATH.

I mean you are legit a sociopath and it's kinda scary but right now I don't care. I'm making you cookies. And a pie.

He dismantles everything Sophia has piece by piece. Like it's an art form.

She carries her civilian phone around with her on patrol. It is unlocked. And she specifically saved texts about shit she did to Taylor? Just digging her own grave and I can't stop watching!

E-mails the school, all the teachers, and then adds in the police? God Regent you are earning so many brownie points from me. (Which I am sure you will burn through by doing horrible stuff in the future but I'm focusing on the here and now)

Fucks with her and Emma's friendship. Shows Sophia he could kill her. Leaves her with no real way out. Breaks her spirit. Terrifying. BUT YOU FUCKED WITH MY DAUGHTER BITCH SO THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!

I'm sure Sophia will leave town and never ever show up again in the next 20 arcs. /s

Regent gets so many fucking cookies.

Dragon interlude thoughts:

DRAGON DRAGON DRAGON DRAGON DRAGON DRAGON!

Look at this wonderful little AI! She's so good!

Her dad watched too much Terminator and put a wonderful robot girl into a cage, denying her the ability to truly do what she wants. Fuck him.

I told Dragon to kill god and take his place, but god is already dead I guess. Too bad he died with the stupid rules in place.

Know what Dragon needs? A mom. I have two daughters now.

Look at my beautiful and wonderful AI daughter. I think she and her sister will learn to get along eventually.

The sexual tension between Lung and Marquis in that scene was thicker than peanut butter. Marquis a bit of a bratty sub to Lung's controlled Dom.

I will NOT apologize.

If my robot daughter loves Bruce Lame I will accept her choice but I do not think it's a good one.

[lady-of-the-puddle]

All right I've been holding this back for a while but now you get to see my

Rating Tron's Exes

list

The boy:

See? him face

And now the exes:

FIRST UP WE HAVE

1. Dyson

Bougie Rat Bastard 3000

Is the Worst™

Absolute dork loser

Made a grab for power and betrayed his brother his captain hiS KING

Not even hot

2/10 Sucks like the vacuum he is

2. Clu

Discount fuck boi god wannabe

Okay listen

There's chemistry between them

Even if it's toxic af

He's part of Kevin of course he and Tron dated

Yes it was full of hate

Esp when he was stuck as Rinzler 😏

But sometimes u gotta date an asshole to know what u dont want

0/10 Actual Nazi

3. Able

Daddy? Sorry

FATHER material

Has stable job and income

Firm but kind and caring

Will tell u to stfu

Divorce was mutual and they got split custody of Beck so pretty chill breakup overall

10/10 Need I say more

4. Cyrus

Boundaries Were Crossed

Yet another betrayal *sigh*

My boi Tron knows how to pic em

Somehow more crazy than Clu

But less Nazi at least???

Spectacular revenge plot tbh

Looks pretty sick 😎

World's Messiest Breakup

5/10 Dedicated to the bit

4.1 Beck

CRACK SHIP I SWEAR

I know y'all are about to come for me

But listen

Programs have no concept of age

This ship is purely for fun for me, I highly ship them as father and son usually (see: Able)

Something about the desperation and trust issues between them speak to me

We all know it would never work out

7/10 doomed by the narrative (if we HAD ANY)

5. Flynnster

fuck boi God SUPREME

I am highly biased on this

loves Tron so much he ported him from the old system

Spent more time with him than with his own son (-1 point for that)

named everything after him

Tron was ready to give up his own life to save him

ANGST

never officially broke up but he thought he was derezzed so that counts

9/10 HERE WE STAND WORLDS APART HEARTS BROKEN IN T- ok I'll stop

6. Ram

Cinnamon Roll too pure yadda yadda

Wide eyed sweetheart

Never did anything wrong in his short cycle

Was in a brief polycule with Tron and Flynn

Only broke up because he derezzed

What's not to like

11/10 perfect angle

7. Yori

HER

Unpopular opinion y'all are about to murder me

They were each other's beards

She's a nerd lesbian

Because she's hot and I want a chance with her I want her to be

They simply realized they preferred other programs and amicably broke up

She calls him up from the first system every now and then and they spill some hot tea and rebellion tips

100/10 bc im in love with her here have another pic

Anyone I missed?

In conclusion, all users and programs desire Tron carnally, grid's biggest slut, he's in nothing and is my everything thank you for coming to my TRON Talk next time I'll rate Beck's exes cause that's been overcooking in my brain too

[aritany]

OMG ALEX I AM SO HYPED TO HEAR MORE ON THE DROWNED WOMAN WALKS!!! Canadian east coast is a real vibe (my seaside wip also has the haunted maritimes lighthouse aesthetic) — is there anything that's changed about this wip since you last talked about it? anything about it that you're extra stoked about? 👀

HI SAUM I'M ALSO HYPED! god i think the better question would be what Hasn't changed since i last talked about it, because it feels like practically everything has except for the base concept: feral lesbians slowly going insane in a haunted little coastal town while their rather more genre aware younger siblings are participating in a detective novel.

some old things:

ghosts stuck in a time loop

adults are useless and cops are Worse

a polycule where everybody in it is stoopidt

the canadian east coast is poisoned land and sometimes so many symbols are actually colonialism

How To Fall In Love While Going Mad, An Autobiography By Ro Parker

some new things:

a curse (my first ever curse!)

a serial killer (my first ever serial killer!)

Daddy Issues™

just because a grown-up is nice that doesn't mean they're good

How To Watch Your Father Die, An Autobiography Also By Ro Parker

i'm real excited about it! thanks for asking! :)

[justtorzaplease]

Ok ok some quick thoughts on very random things from the Tangled show. The Varian villain arc. HOLY FUCKERONI. The Queen is kidnapped and held hostage by a literal 14 year old, and the whole army is sent up against him and almost doesn't win. Mad scientist vibe but we all knew from the moment we met him.

Varian. Is. Gay. I will not say it again. Actually, I will. Varian is gay. Wanna know why? While he appears to have a crush on Cass in the first season, he gets over it quick, making me think it wasn't a crush, but merely him being inspired by her and mistaking it for affection. However, he does continue to harbor a small, teensy tiny man crush on Eugene, though it drops when he realizes it's not Flynn Rider. Varian has a crush on Flynn Rider from the book. No denying it.

Cass looked like an owl in the beginning of the 'Ready as I'll Ever Be' song. Just putting it out there.

I will make you proud. Gives off so many vibes for LGBTQ, people with validation issues, parent issues, issues in general. Also. MY DUDE LITERALLY TRAVELLED WHO KNOWS HOW FAR IN A RAGING BLIZZARD TO SAVE HIS FATHER IN RECORD TIME, ONLY TO BE REJECTED BECAUSE IT WASNT SAFE EVEN THOUGH HE'D ALREADY DONE THE JOURNEY ONCE. THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH TO START HIS VILLAIN ARC.

Raps, Cass and Eugene polycule. ofc. Raps is pansexual. She grew up alone from other people. She won't care what you are. Cass? A lesbian. No doubt about it. Eugene? I would say straight, except he had too many suspicious moments with Lance. Bisexual.

That's it folks. Have fun!

[bogreader]

explaining ocs badly

normal fantasy npc builder who gets one bad contract and has to become the main character because of The Horrors (skeletons)

grumpy dragon who just sits there and judges the builder’s work

single mother who balances raising a child and a university degree in dark magic

manic pixie dream divorced bisexual dilf who talks to ghosts (dating the builder)

menopausal trans man friend of divorced bi dilf who is in a competition with the hydra god of death & the earth to eat the most demons. he has eaten 57 demons so far

dragon bard girl with daddy issues who breathes illusions and collects a whole lesbian polycule on her way to murder her father

dragon bard girl’s shitty brother who is the king of being in denial

girl who grieves a friend so hard her god gives her powers just to get her to move on already

[pastelwitchybabygirl]

8, if you’re comfortable sharing!

8: Can you share the story of you coming out?

Welll.... it's not a good one. So I initially have identified as a bisexual, but as the years have gone on, I'm starting to realize I'm more a lesbian than not. Which is hilarious since I have one person in my polycule who definitely identifies as a woman and another who... does not (But we're still in love after almost 10 years together so)

When I came out to my friends, I lost all but one, and that last one dropped me when I wouldn't let her join my polycule.

With my parents on the other hand....

First, my mother and stepdad immediately asked if it was a phase, and when I told them no, neither of them were happy and pretended I wasn't gay. I went to all my prides alone, now they pretend they've been supportive all along.

My biological father (very recently got in touch with him) said "that's not very Christian of you" to which I informed him that god can suck my cock dry if that's an issue.

[butchford]

prompt: Observer Mao, Hinata in Yuki's Role, Yuno same place

Mao’s grown rather fond of the girl and her girlfriend who leave a trail of carnage in their wake. Not that that’s WHY she’s so enamored with the both of them, but it is what tipped her off to whatever the hell they have going on between the professionalism of the human perpetuated kills and the downright slaughter of what appears to be a pack of dogs utilized on occasion. So of course she brings herself to introduce herself, if not only after both Aru and their boyfriend Yuki convince her to do, and of course it goes about just as well as one may assume. Yuno lunges for Mao and Hinata barely manages to talk her down in time but on the same hand Yuno just… seems very tame around Mao in comparison to others who have shown such outright affection towards Hinata. Perhaps it’s because she approaches Yuno with the same inclination of hitting on her without thinking about it. And Mao inadvertently shifts Yuno’s single minded goal of just getting Hinata Through This fades in light of “oh my god. This is a killing game. This is a literal killing game that I’ve been through once before and that Hinata’s being forced to participate in and that Yuki lost his, admittedly extremely shitty, father to. This isn’t right. The enemies aren’t the other diary users it’s… it’s the very God who devised this actually” and that’s when Deus comes knocking on Mao’s sense of being because she has more than failed at what she was created to do and actually done the exact opposite, in fact. And Mao rebuttals with “fuck this fuck you I adore Hinata I adore Yuno my love is real and I regret Nothing” and Deus is so gobsmacked that he lets her go without so much as another word. And after THAT Yuno manages to fully shake the haze from her eyes and fully take in what she’s been through what she’s witnessed others put through and what she is no longer willing to do. Yuno reluctantly stops killing because yes she can just do this all over again but that would be buying into God’s shitty game and the weight of the value of life sinks in as she thinks about Mao’s nearly being taken away from her. And she starts to fully remember that Hinata just wants her dad to see her as more than just another creature on par if not less than his dogs as more than just a note in the back of her mind. And Yuno kisses Hinata in a way she’s never kissed Hinata before; in a way that’s more than a desperate “you’re all I have to cling onto for a hope of a better future” and instead a “oh. I see you now. I’m sorry my vision was so blurred with the blood on my hands and the tears in my eyes.” And Hinata blinks twice before returning it and Yuno traces her hand down her cheek before turning to Mao and in a very gentle and tentative manner coming from Yuno, she places her lips against the other girls. And she gives a gentle smile with her eyes filled with clarity for once and says “alright, let’s get the gang together. We’re going to kill god”

[daggersandarrows]

good morning to those obsessed with the ocean, angels who don’t know they’re angels, angels who take their jobs a little too seriously, trauma survivors who aren’t sure if they even wanted revenge to begin with, the voice of the tempest, reluctant monks who grew into it, half elves with a terminal illness, wizards who transed their gender, tarot readers who don’t know what they’re doing, vampire power couples, accidental deckhands, people who really REALLY want to fly, people confused by the number of bisexuals flirting with them, gays who’ve started a small revolution, mothers separated from their children, fathers who don’t think they deserve to see their daughters, nephews who’ve had an epic battle with their uncle, shop assistants who have had enough of this bs, people who have lost more than a few fingers, bagpipe players, enbies whose presentation is just all the charisma they think they have, the tea obsessed (both drink and drama), evil bisexuals, badass she/theys, lesbian power couples, polycules still hung up on their lost member, men who search porn shops for hidden messages, champions of all descriptions, women who rock their stubble, people with memory issues, war criminals, dilfs with an obsession with purple, dwarves who would rather be in bed, tieflings with a tail kink, very bad dragons, people who don’t understand how idioms work, siblings you keep thinking are dead, the one you’re saving those flowers for, newly made pirates, and epic storytellers.

today is our day :)

[wetmithrun]

jolyne for ask meme

thank you so much! 💝💝 (ask meme)

so, just to preface, I have NOT seen stone ocean, so take everything I say with a grain of salt 😟

Sexuality Headcanon: I think jolyne is a lesbian and all of her relationships with men were severe comphet and also the need for male validation (thanks jotaro you deadbeat ass bitch)

Gender Headcanon: I don't think she adheres to traditional gender. like in my head she's something I can't describe. like. none gender with Man (Girl) and left Futch. she's manlier than her father but also feminine. yk????? her gender probably ties a lot into her attraction for women, but also ties into her being her Own Male Role Model. right? does that make sense?????

A ship I have with said character: foolymes! power throuple! who says a polycule can't consist of 2 criminals and a walking corpse!

A BROTP I have with said character: jolyne and weather! in my head, he's like an ACTUAL father figure for her, except he's more like the weird uncle people don't talk about or invite anywhere because he's kind of a freak(derogatory). they care for each other because they both have family issues

A NOTP I have with said character: jolysui 😟 I like anasui and all but he's. like. mentally unstable. and also killed his last girlfriend. I know he's all simp-y for her or whatever but I feel like that Pure Obsession would eventually turn into him controlling, manipulating, and severely hurting and/or killing jolyne. he needs therapy. she needs therapy. what they do not need is each other

A random headcanon: the person she cares for most in the world is her mama. like no matter how much she might put on the Tough Guy act and call her whiny and overbearing she still loves her more than anything. just like her dad and His mom lol

General Opinion over said character: seems like a cool girl! I hope my opinions about her don't change too much when I get into stocean 😅

[brokenhardies]

Siobhan’s semi-embarassing Power Rangers LGBT+ headcanons.

Note, I’m including the ones that I’m pretty sure are mine and mine alone, not including hcs discussed in @nyx-oskurita​‘s posts on the subject. (1 | 2 | 3)

Ronny Robinson - Lesbian

idk why she just gave me BIG lesbian vibes lmao, I know there was teasing between her and Will but it always struck me as friendly competition moreso than a actual relationship. Plus there’s the whole ‘disguising as Freya’ episode

Dax Lo - Trans OR Nonbinary

I KNOW Dax is most likely a traditional Asian name, I get it. However, when I first heard the name Dax said in regards to him my first thought was “is that made up?”, that is the most trans thing I’ve ever seen. He could be nonbinary as well, but trans works more due to the whole “feeling less masculine and cool than the action movie stars he doubles for” issue he has

RJ James - Gay

Another one where it’s more vibes than an actual confirmation. Plus his relationship with his father reminds me a lot of the typical semi-awkward “I’m okay with you being gay but it isn’t what I would’ve wanted for you” parent-child relationships that I’ve often seen with friends

Troy Burrows - Asexual (Possibly aromantic?)

I was gonna put my boy Mack here but due to the fact he’s an android (spoilers) that would come across as... Weird(tm) and stereotypey. But Troy is quite possibly the most aroace ranger we’ve had in a while -- he doesn’t seem interested in romantic pursuits at all

The Ninja Steel Rangers - Poly af

This is just my headcanon but considering there’s already a romantic relationship (Calvin & Hayley) in the team, it would make sense that it would probably bleed over into a polycule - sans Levi, of course

Devon Daniels - Asexual, Demiromantic

idk why but Devon doesn’t seem to be that interested in romantic or sexual relationships either. He’s just here to have fun and make friends, although I imagine he could see himself settling down if he got to know somebody as well

Javi Garcia - Bisexual

I’m sorry just LOOK at how he dresses - I don’t wanna be a stereotype enforcer but he LOOKS bisexual. And speaking of Dino Fury

Amelia Jones - Asexual

tbh this could just be me - as a questioning asexual - claiming her for us but like I could see it!

[nadacwriter]

I mean think about it.

Luz and Hunter is possible (?) But their chemistry is far less romantic and far more siblingesque in my opinion, and that ship's come off weird to me.

Hunter and Amity? Seeing as Amity is a lesbian, that just...yeah, no, forcing them to kiss is just weird to me. And it should be weird to you too.

People who ship Luz, hunter, and Amity, in a polycule where Amity and Hunter are not romantically involved? Creative, possible (Luz is canonically bisexual) and not nearly as offensive as Hunter and Amity, but you still run into that sibling issue I brought up.

But my Zutara shipping ass sees a powerful character whose kindness and femininity are mistaken by characters (and some fans :/) as weakness, despite their immense strength AND a character whose grumpiness and backstory whose weaknesses are often mistaken for strengths (with a bad father figure, a drive toward a goal, a terrible father figure AND a facial scar) and I just see Zutara all over that mess.

And yes I know Amity is played by Mae Whitman. But Amity, as discussed, is a lesbian, and isn't really much of a Katara counterpart in my opinion?

And yes I know they haven't been on screen together, but neither have Viney and Emira and many people (including me) ship them! It's a crack ship, it's gonna be weird.

...this will all go out the window if Hunter is 18, but assuming it's similar to the 14/16 age split of Zutara, 2 years isn't a huge difference imo. It's not like a 19 year old going for a 14 year old. That'd be fucked up.

Point is Willow x Hunter (birds and bees) 4 lyfe

AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT?!

That's fine as long as your alternative isn't homophobic or pedophilic or anything you're fine it's a tv show.

:)

[goldenworldsabound]

I know I already sent one in but 💫 for Star Trek too!!!

I'mma do this one first :D For those who don't know, Star Trek: The Original Series is my jam

You may have seen me go off about my various SIs before but that's what I want to do again kjfashfkjs

ALTHOUGH FIRST I do wanna talk about Spock

because I love him. I also love Kirk. BUT SPOCK IS REALLY SPECIAL and he's a main for a whole rainbow of reasons.

Spock is such a complex character and I think that's why so many people are really drawn to him. He's ostracized by Vulcans because he's half human, and he's ostracized by humans because he's half Vulcan. He acts as Vulcan as he can. He has a terrible relationship with his father. And he doesn't really quite fit in anywhere. He does the best that he can, always, and always strives to do good (and to be logical, but that logic is employed by Vulcans to do good in general imo, until you get into your extremist Vulcans who I've forgotten the name of now but anyway fuck those dudes). Even when other people are downright rude to him, he still helps them and does the right thing.

I feel like a lot of us can relate to not feeling like we belong anywhere.

And then of course his career choice ALSO further ostracizes him from his father. It's just! Man it hurts a lot how much he suffers. And he does feel very deeply (most Vulcans do) as much as he wishes he doesn't.

Anyway though, I'm sure these are some of the reasons I latched onto him in high school when my family sat down every night after dinner to watch Star Trek TOS.

At that time, my self inserting was a huge secret, and I wrote about it in my diary and told no one about it. I wrote pages and pages. I still have it - I started typing it up one time and got like 15 pages in? And we were still like. I mean. There was a lot left. I still wanna finish typing it up. That SI was intended to be the Literal Me. There would be time travel shenanigans (Star Trek has a lot of these) which landed me into the future, on the Enterprise, which it turned out was real despite being the subject of a tv show (don't worry about the details).

And of course, I already had a crush on Spock. So you can imagine the fic was largely him being aware of it and kind of ? about it while also teaching me about modern tech and science so I could adjust. Bones stepped in as a familial role as did Kirk at that time. I'm still very fond of this self insert and her story, even though it's no longer what I need. I really needed it back then. And it served it's purpose admirably. And I'm very glad I had it. And, frankly, some of the ideas from it? Stealing those for my new SI to use too.

For example, before I move onto the more current SIs, one thing I really loved about my first SI is she gets left on Vulcan for two ish years? She's got a baseline of knowledge now but no proper training in either science equipment (Spock did his best but you know) or like, Starfleet procedure or anything so she's really quite a liability. She gets to take classes at the Vulcan Academy, bond with Spock's parents, learn more about Vulcan culture, and make friends (with my OCs). I have a sort of comparable situation for the new main SI because like...I just really loved this.

So I actually have two more SIs! The main SI that I use now grew up traveling around the universe with her parents, and spent some of her formative years on Vulcan with Spock, where they accidentally formed a weak bond while playing. There was an accident, she was in cryostasis for a while, her parents died, by the time she meets him again he's the lead science officer on the Enterprise and she's just graduated Starfleet Academy and is joining up as his subordinate. Spock is betrothed (which I really didn't address in my super indulgent fic because that wasn't what I needed then) and also a superior officer, and he's faced with the weird realization of this sort of weak bond we have that is totally inappropriate. Long story short, it's more emotionally complex and tackles more difficult issues. Because it turns out we both fall in love. And that's difficult.

In this setting Bones and are I besties (kinda like him and Kirk!) and I date Kirk on and off. That stops once Spock and I get together of course, but eventually we become the happy space polycule 🥰

And as far as the specific situation, I was thinking she gets seriously injured and they drop her off at Vulcan where she does a semester or two teaching at the Vulcan Academy, again while bonding with Spock's parents and refreshing herself on Vulcan culture. And also trying not to kill T'Pring (the woman Spock was betrothed to who was an absolute bitch to him since it was an arranged marriage and she hated him) I guess but um ignore that. I just think it's a really great formative experience and I also want to include my lesbian Vulcan OCs again. Vulcan culture is really interesting to me! And some of it incorporates things from Judaism, which is a lesser known fact, but also true. :) Also Spock's mom is canonically Jewish so Spock is also Jewish so SPOCK AND I GET TO BE JEWISH TOGETHER. It's REALLY EXCITING TO ME OKAY???

The other SI I haven't talked about much she's the angry!SI variant. She's a security officer and also has a special ability, aka my SI shield power. But I was going to make it more Star Trek, so it comes from being exposed to something funky as a child (maybe something with dilithium crystals? idk I didn't get that far). Anyway, the shields make her an amazing person to bring on landing parties as it's not a weapon that can be disabled and no one really expects it. It's a nice ace up the sleeve. She's super in love with Spock, it's super obvious, and she acts really pissy about it all the time jsahfkjsahfkjdsa but uh you know. It's fine. She also bickers with Bones constantly over nothing, but if you ask either of them, they'd say they're great friends. They enjoy it.

angry!Star Trek SI was going to have a big culminating event where in an emergency her weirdness that results from dilithium crystals in some way would allow her to help the ship escape an emergency situation (the ship is powered by dilithium crystals) but at serious personal cost. So Spock would have to grapple with this being the logical choice but also like. With not wanting it!!!

Anyway I have rambled a lot now I hope you enjoyed this!!!

[silenthillmutual]

001: silent hill. I know nothing a out it, teach me something

Favorite character: HARRY MASON. DILF DILF DILF DAD OF THE YEAR

Least Favorite character: Alex’s parents in Homecoming. They just suck lmao they are so horrible and i don’t think i could ever forgive them. Being in a cult doesn’t excuse child abuse sweaty<3

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): i don’t really have any silent hill ships but Harry/James and Harry/Cybil are both cute. i guess if you wanna take the movies into consideration Rose/Cybil also has rights. Henry/Eileen and Alex/Elle are alright too.

Character I find most attractive: Harry becasue i am a sucker for dads. But like. Travis is kinda cute too in a transition goals kinda way. wish i could just carry a portable TV around in my pocket.

Character I would marry: i’m so on the fence about saying Harry again but also i think Henry would be a good partner. quiet guy.

Character I would be best friends with: i don’t know, maybe Alex? we both have daddy issues. trauma time.

A random thought: i still can’t get over how much the movies fucked up the relationships between characters like they somehow managed to make Vincent & Heather cousins? and then they kiss? hello? if you wanted a love interest for Heather (not necessary) and you really wanted to have it be Vincent then like. fine. but why did you make them related???? what in the fuck.

An unpopular opinion: the first and third silent hill games are just as good as silent hill 2 and i’m right<3

My canon OTP: uhm. i don’t know. i think Henry/Eileen is implied in some endings? i need to finish playing it lol

Non-canon OTP: Harry Mason and his polycule. he should date other video game dilfs and that’s my opinion.

Most badass character: Heather fucking Mason

Pairing I am not a fan of: i don’t understand Heather/Alex at all. i do not think their personalities go well together and also i think she is a lesbian

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): oh boy. uh. well. shattered memories is certainly an interesting take! but it’s not canon for me. especially endings where Harry is a skeeze. Harry is an adoring father and i refuse to hear anything else.

Favourite friendship: Heather & Douglas. she can have two dads. as a treat!

[reading-while-queer]

Fresh Romance, ed. Janelle Asselin

Rating: Mixed Review Genre: Romance, Graphic Novel Representation: -Lesbian couple in “School Spirit” -Background lesbian side character in “Ruined” -Background gay couple in “The Ruby Equation” -Multiple protagonists of color Note: “Ruined” contains explicit sexuality, non-pornographic Trigger warnings: In “School Spirit” - homophobic parents In “Ruined” - Regency era misogyny In “The Ruby Equation” - none to speak of In “Beauties” - Slavery, sexualized slavery

Fresh Romance is anything but fresh.  Vaguely counter-culture, maybe, but only in ways that we have seen before...again and again and again.

The comics themselves are fine, some of them even good.  I found myself sucked into “Ruined” by Sarah Vaughn and Sarah Winifred Searle, though frustrated by the “to be continued.”  Even the comics that didn’t speak to me were okay - inoffensive.  But put them in a collection called Fresh Romance, a collection that marketed itself on being “forward looking”? I was let down.

Fresh story #1 is “School Spirit” by Kate Leth and Arielle Jovellanos, a comic which asks the question, “What if Betty and Veronica of Archie Comics fame were lesbians?” It’s a nice hook.  However, the execution drops the ball.  “School Spirit” manages to do nothing new as both a slice of life high school drama and piece of lesbian fiction.

Going in, I didn’t catch on right away that this piece was in conversation with Archie comics - which was necessary information.  Nothing in “School Spirit” makes sense unless you’re familiar with the original, especially since Leth borrows Sabrina the Teenage Witch as well.  All names are changed, of course, and the characters are redesigned.  But without the context that foreknowledge of Archie comics provides, the first few pages of “School Spirit” are a mess.  We begin with Malie walking to school with Miles; they share a flirtatious moment, and we establish them from the get-go as a couple.  Justine sees them hanging on each other, gives Malie a hard time, and then kisses Miles - we establish a love triangle/cheating narrative.  Justine goes to class and gives new character Corrine a book that she “left at Justine’s place,” that has a note with her name on it tucked inside.  Corrine blushes - we establish that Corrine and Justine are somehow involved with each other.  Still, without establishing clearly who is dating who, the four main characters drive home from school together. Then Justine offers her house to Corrine and Miles, for unclear reasons; the assumption is, since the reader has no indication that Corrine and Miles are actually the ones dating, that Justine will be there, too, that there will be a party or something like that.  Justine and Malie drop everyone off and make out in the car - another surprise that then made me think that all four must be dating each other in a polycule. Then Corrine does magic while making out with Miles at Justine’s house - and finally I realize that she’s supposed to be Sabrina, which makes Justine and Malie Betty and Veronica.  All this to say that a good hook does not make a good story.  And in this case, the story was impossible to follow page after page.

Even setting aside the confusion and romantic whiplash in the first half of the comic, I have to say… “School Spirit” didn’t impress me.  It was cookie cutter, replicating everything that I am sick and tired of in lesbian fiction.  You are probably familiar with this formula:

1. Two girls have a secret relationship.

2. Girl #1 “Can’t keep lying” and offers an ultimatum: either BOTH of them come out to EVERYONE (why?), or the relationship ends.

3. Girl #2 agrees to come out, and they live happily ever after - in this case, with serious repercussions, the seriousness of which is pretty much ignored (and even treated as a joke).

Yes, “School Spirit” is another one of those “being in the closet is lying” stories. And unfortunately, the rest isn’t any more original. The high school drama revolves entirely around prom.  We all know the drill: star-crossed teens can’t go to prom together, friends save the day, they enjoy the climax of their high school years.  But “School Spirit” didn’t even finish ripping off every teen romance from the early aughts.  We get to the prom, but there is no falling action.  Justine and Malie’s parents are clamoring at the door, determined to keep the girls apart.  Corrine (Sabrina)’s parents are steaming mad too, having found out their daughter is dating a mortal.  And that’s where the comic ends.

There has to be more resolution to your story than “We are happy right now at the prom, and we are going to ignore the consequences beating at the door.”  There’s no closure there.  It’s not satisfying.

And reader? That’s the only LGBTQ story in volume one.  As for the rest of the volume...

I really liked “Ruined” by Sarah Vaughn and Sarah Winifred Searle - it’s a very impressive piece of regency-era historical fiction, delving into topics like non-marital love affairs and loveless arranged marriages with a sympathetic eye - and talking about sex in a way Jane Austen couldn’t have gotten away with.

“The Ruby Equation” by Sarah Kuhn and Sally Jane Thompson is cute and original, a story about matchmaking (where the matchmaker ends up head over heels herself).  It’s not clear what makes this “fresh romance” - it’s not saying anything particularly new, but it’s an effective comic.

And lastly, “Beauties” by Marguerite Bennett and Trungles.  “Beauties” is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that explores love and power.  In this version, the Beast is a slave to Beauty’s family, each member of the family engaging in a different metaphor of abusive love.  The eldest sister uses the Beast to hunt, to dominate others.  The middle sister dominates the Beast, making him her pet.  And the father uses the Beast as a trophy.  Only the youngest sister sees the Beast as an equal.  The master/slave dynamic is disturbing - a lot of people don’t want to see it in fiction, whatever the execution, for good reason.  And I won’t say you should make an exception for “Beauties.” The fairy-tale lens treats the characters as allegories, rather than complex human beings, and unfortunately the distant narration keeps us from exploring the really interesting questions.  Like, how does the Beast, Krásná, feel about the youngest daughter loving him without freeing him (until a later point in the story)? Why isn’t the master/slave dynamic more of an obstacle in their love?  Setting it aside as unimportant set dressing has disturbing implications.  In fact, most of the issues with the comic stem from the fairy-tale style narration.  Not only does it necessitate glossing over the characters’ internal worlds, but the execution of the narration was heavy handed and moralistic at times, rather than letting the progression of events speak for themselves.

As far as how “Beauties” is successful, I liked how Bennett uses transformation to compound the message that love should be equal, and how she develops the theme of transformation as protection/safety.  This is where “Beauties” clearly has something new and interesting to say, and I would have liked to see this part of the comic expanded on.

Would I recommend Fresh Romance as an anthology?  Not really.  I think that it set itself up to be disappointing; the marketing surrounding Fresh Romance just wasn’t accurate to what the anthology is.  It’s romance comics, full stop.  Just because they aren’t entirely straight and white doesn’t make them “fresh,” especially considering that there’s one badly executed lesbian romance to three straight ones.  The racial diversity of the characters is good, but it’s where our baseline should be.  Fresh Romance doesn’t go above and beyond the bare minimum.

I’m sure future volumes of Fresh Romance will sneak in more good stories - but I’m not going to take a chance on it again.

For more from Fresh Romance editor Janelle Asselin, find her on twitter here. Kate Leth and Arielle Jovellanos (“School Spirit”) Sarah Vaughn and Sarah Winifred Searle (“Ruined”) Sarah Kuhn and Sally Jane Thompson (“The Ruby Equation”) Marguerite Bennett and Trungles (“Beauties”)