#look at that woman and tell me she isn’t queer. you can’t.

[sagesparrow394]

Gillion Tidestrider: Charlie, I just wanted to tell you… I’m gay and asexual.

Charlie Slimecicle: Okay

William Wisp and Troy Lougferd: Charlie, we also are attracted to guys

Charlie: Do any of my jrwi characters like women???

Ms Gilbert:

[angellwingss]

Wasn’t going to go on a big rant but you know what since that other post is gaining traction yeah I think I will. So big long rant under the cut. Lolll

I feel like. A lot of people might tell me ���it’s not that deep’ but to me it is that deep.

I don’t have a problem with JayVik or it’s shippers like. At all. I just think some of them are à really good demonstration of like. Every bad thing when it comes to fandom ever LMAO.

Once again I am (supposed to be) writing a whole big long essay about this already so I will try and keep this kind of short and sweet and it might be a bit lacking but wtvr.

I think a lot of JayVik fans tend to be white queer people. Someone left a tag on my OG post that said basically ‘my take is I’m a faggot and I don’t have to care about a character if I don’t want to’ and no hate to that person cuz you’re right, but this is exactly the kind of stuff that made me make that first post.

I feel like a lot of white queer people have an issue with seeing outside their own identity? If that makes sense? This is seen time and time again with the way some of them behave when big movements happen online, some have a tendency to centre themselves and whatnot so i think it’s kind of the same thing.

It makes total sense that a queer person would prefer queer ships and would prefer JayVik over MelJay, that is not a crime. But I do think part of that is because they can’t relate/identify with Mel or see themselves in her like they can with Jayce or Viktor.

I hate to also make it about feminism but i think a lot of you guys are super like. Male centred, like just in your attraction which once again, not the issue not a crime. But i think it’s also why CaitVi, which is a canon queer ship, although popular is still not quite as popular as JayVik despite being canon. Women fetishizing gay men in fandom is not something new, which I think might play a small part in it- I’ve seen a lot of people especially back in s1 infantilizing Viktor and acting like he had no agency or independence and that he NEEDS Jayce to take care of him (that’s another thing. Ableism(looks at you with my eyes)) and they also do the same thing with Jayce where they act like he had 0 agency with any decisions he makes and that he’s like a big dumb baby who doesn’t know anything politics. Hey, guys. That’s a grown man.

My main issue isn’t that people prefer JayVik over MelJay it’s just that some shippers demonize Mel to an insane degree, blame her for getting in the way of their ship (this is also happening right now with Maddie- there’s a leak going around saying that she gets with Caitlyn and people are so upset that this character is getting some INSANE hate and I feel like that’s the same thing going on.)

they blame her for ‘stealing’ Jayce etc etc like. Idk. You don’t have to ship MelJay but I wish more people would appreciate Mel just as a character- imo she is super interesting and has a great story but she’s only ever seen and ‘the other woman’. I’ve seen people say she isn’t like, well characterized and that her story entirely revolves around Jayce which. Yeah she’s definitely heavily involved with him in s1 but she’s clearly got a lot more going on than just that and you would know that if you GAF 🗣️🗣️

for just being. Who she is. I think Mel deserves more attention just in the fandom and it’s just frustrating. People making memes about Jayce going insane over Viktor leaving but like. Mel also just got fucking kidnapped guys. His lover has just vanished without a trace why is nobody also talking about that !!!! Why can’t he care about both these people at the same time !!!!!!!

Anyway I’m not nearly well equipped enough to talk more in-depth about like. Any of this but I do think the demonization of Mel and refusal to see her relationship with Jayce as it is can often times be boiled down to racism like straight up. And also things like the fetishization of gay men in fandom and just things like that are sometimes what can lead to female characters- even the well written ones to be shelved and pushed aside in favour of their male counterparts.

Obligatory ‘not all JayVik fans’ obviously a lot of you are awesome, shouldn’t have to say this. If I’m not aiming for you, you shouldn’t be getting shot.

[pinkskiessss]

LACY - chapter 5

Paige Bueckers x oc

Warnings: internalized homophobia, mature content

A/N: I feel like alot of the last few chapters have been about Layla really struggling with coming to terms with identity/sexuality. Which I wanted to write because I wanted to show the process of really coming to terms with being queer and how it isn’t just something you immediately accept in one night, based on my own experiences personally ofc. So with that being said, I hope someone else can find comfort in her character or relates. (Also forgot to write this in, but for anyone wondering, Layla has been involved “romantically” with guys in the past, but I think it’s just a realization now for her that it was like a cover up for who she actually is, because she’s feeling emotions she’s never felt towards a man, towards a woman if that makes sense. Basically she’s gay lol hope this helps! Which like same girl) Anywayssss sorry for the rant, enjoy loves!

—

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the folded note on my bedside table.

I hope you feel better. Text me when you get up.

I exhaled slowly, the events of last night still swirling in my mind. Her low voice, her subtle touches—it made my skin crawl, the way I feel when she touches me. Even if it’s only for a second. The way it made something stir inside me that I couldn’t ignore, but couldn’t accept either.

I grabbed my phone and texted her, my fingers shaking slightly.

Me: Hey, I just woke up. Thanks for taking care of me last night. I’m sorry for being such a mess.

Her reply came quickly, almost like she’d been waiting for me.

Paige: Don’t trip. You’re good. Seriously.

Paige: You feeling better?

Me: Yeah, a little. Thanks again.

There was a short pause before her next message came through.

Paige: Can we talk? In person, if you’re not busy?

I hesitated, biting my lip. I didn’t want to see her, not right now. I’d rather save myself the embarrassment. But I couldn’t avoid it forever.

Me: Sure. You can come over if you want. I’m heading to the gym soon to practice, though.

Paige: Volleyball grind? Big game coming up, right?

Me: Yeah, it’s the regional final this weekend. If we win, we’re in the Final Four.

Paige: No pressure or anything

Me: Tell me about it lol

Paige: Can I come practice with you for fun cause why not? I won’t distract you to much I swear.

I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of her trying to play volleyball.

Me: Ok sure, if you insistttt

When Paige arrived, she was dressed in basketball shorts and a black tee, her hair pulled into a messy bun. Somehow she always looks perfect like all the time. It’s crazy actually.

—

We set up the net, and Paige was already messing around with the volleyball like she had no idea what she was doing. I tossed her the ball.

“Alright, ready?” I asked.

She caught it but didn’t seem to know what to do next. “Uh, sure. Can’t be too hard.”

Her first attempt was… not great to say the least. The ball went flying across the gym, and she just stood there, looking at it like it had betrayed her.

“Okay, so let’s just act like you didn’t see that,” she said, laughing at herself.

I couldn’t help but laugh too, the tension easing just a little. “Maybe try not to hit it like you’re dunking a basketball.”

“Yo I didn’t sign up for this kind of slander, not to much on me,” she said with a grin. “But fine, I’ll try again.”

We kept going, and she got a little better—or at least, less terrible. But I couldn’t focus. My mind kept drifting back to last night, what I asked her in a drunken haze. How awkward it feels that I got drunk and slipped into a vulnerable state where I felt comfortable enough to ask her how she knew she was gay. Like come on Layla, why do you always have to make shit weird.

I tried to push it out of my mind, but when she stood beside me, her shoulder brushing mine as we took a break, I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. The kind of knot that made me want to run. To escape this feeling.

“Layla,” Paige said softly, breaking the silence. “You okay?”

I glanced at her, swallowing hard. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

She didn’t seem convinced. She took a step closer, her eyes searching mine. “You sure? You don’t have to pretend everything’s fine if it’s not, you know this.”

I shook my head, looking down at the ground. “I don’t know what to think anymore, Paige. I don’t even know why I asked you what I did. It just… felt like something I needed to say. I was really drunk and confused I guess. But now, I just feel… weird.”

Paige’s expression shifted, a flicker of something defensive in her eyes. “Weird how?”

I was silent, except for the sound of my breath, heavy and uneven. I could feel the weight of Paige’s words pressing down on me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside me was breaking. I didn’t know how to fix it.

“I just don’t get it, Layla,” Paige said, her voice a little shaky but firm. “Why are choosing to continuously hurt yourself by denying the facts.”

“I’m not. I just—” I paused, struggling to find the right words. “I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want people to look at me like it’s all they see when I play. I don’t want to be judged. People already say enough disgusting stuff online about queer people. Imagine what they would say if they found out an athlete they looked up to secretly liked the same gender. It would hurt my career so much if people found out Paige, you don’t get it.”

Paige’s face tightened, her blue eyes flashing with anger. “What the hell, Layla? Are you seriously forgetting that I’m gay myself? I would get it. People speculate about my sexuality all the time, and yeah, it’s obvious. Everyone knows it. Sure, there’s a small percentage of people who hate on me for it, and I see it. But if I let that control my life, I’d be a pretty shitty person. People always have their opinions, and most of them are garbage, but you can’t let them define how you see yourself. You’re letting people on the internet make you think you’re wrong for feeling how you feel. It’s fucking ridiculous.”

I flinched at her words, the anger in her voice cutting deeper than I expected. I didn’t answer, my heart pounding in my chest. She was right. She knew exactly what it was like to feel out of place. But I couldn’t help the way I felt.

“I’m sorry,” Paige says quietly, her voice suddenly soft, regret seeping into her tone. “I shouldn’t have said that the way I did at all. I shouldn’t have gotten that mad, I just hate hearing you talk about yourself like that.”

My hands were shaking now, and I wiped at my eyes, feeling the tears I’d been holding back start to fall. I couldn’t stop them. I couldn’t stop any of it.

Paige saw me crying, and her expression softened instantly. She stepped forward, reaching out to gently grab my arms, pulling them away from my face. “Layla, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let it get that far. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I looked up at her, my chest tight. “It’s not you, I just don’t know what to do, Paige. I don’t know how to feel. I don’t know how to make this go away.”

Paige’s eyes softened as she held my arms. “You don’t have to make it go away, Layla. You don’t have to figure it out right now. But please, don’t hate yourself for it. You’re not disgusting, or weird. You’re… you’re perfect just the way you are.”

Her words hit me like a wave, and for the first time, I felt like I could breathe. Like maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t as lost as I thought.

“I really care for you,” Paige continued, her voice low and sincere. Hearing you talk about yourself like that—it hurts me. It hurts to see you think you’re not worth it. You are. You really are.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a surge of warmth in my chest. I stepped closer to her, not sure what I was doing but knowing I needed to be near her. “I’m sorry, too,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like that.”

She smiled softly, her hand brushing against my cheek. “You don’t need to apologize. I just want you to know you’re not alone in this. I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

I felt a pull in my chest, an undeniable connection that I couldn’t ignore. I leaned in slightly, my breath catching in my throat. I was close enough to feel the warmth of her skin, to see the way her blue eyes softened, the way her pink lips parted just slightly. My heart raced, the air thick with unspoken words, with everything we hadn’t said yet.

For a moment, everything seemed to stop. The world around us faded, leaving just the two of us in this fragile, suspended moment. I could hear the soft sound of her breathing, the way it matched mine, both of us caught in the tension that had been building between us.

I barely registered that I was moving closer until our noses were almost touching, the smallest breath between us. I could feel the heat of her body against mine, the way her cologne lingered in the air, intoxicating and all-consuming. I could feel the pull, stronger now, undeniable, and it was like something inside me snapped.

I couldn’t stop myself. I leaned in, closing the space between us, and my lips brushed against hers in the softest kiss. It was tentative at first, a question, a hesitation, but it felt right. Her lips were warm and inviting, soft as velvet, and I couldn’t help but press into her, deepening the kiss just slightly, my hands finding their way to her neck, pulling her closer.

Her lips moved against mine with a gentle pressure, and I responded instinctively, my body leaning into hers, craving more. There was no fear, no doubt. Just the rush of the moment, the way her touch made everything else fade away. It felt right.

But then, just as quickly as it started, I pulled away, breathless, my chest heaving. I looked at her, my heart pounding in my ears, and I saw the same intensity reflected in her eyes.

“Paige,” I whispered, my voice shaky. “I—”

She didn’t give me a chance to finish. Before I could say another word, she pulled me back to her, her lips crashing against mine with a hunger that took me by surprise. This time, there was no hesitation, no softness. Her hands were on my waist, pulling me even closer, and I could feel the urgency in her kiss, the way she needed me as much as I needed her.

I kissed her back with everything I had, my hands threading through her hair, pulling her even closer, if that was even possible. I could feel the heat between us, the way our bodies pressed together, desperate to feel more. It was a kiss that left no room for doubt, no space for anything but the raw, overwhelming undeniable connection between us.

—

Taglist:

@unadulteratedcyclepaper

[littlemisssatanist]

on the topic of me being team green

a bit of a different post for me, considering what my blog is, but i was honestly so offended at being called a misogynist i made a fresh google docs page and typed out 1634 words of me ranting.

is there a real reason to post this? probably not, but i felt the need to establish myself as team green, considering all the posts i've been liking and commenting on lately. (if you are team green, and you see this, feel free to be my friend. in fact, i am begging you to be my friend. i have no tg friends and i need to see the light).

beware, typos and repitition are probably aplenty.

Whenever I see people talk about being TG, I always will see TB stans in the comments saying something along the lines of “Oh, you must be a misogynist, then.” And you know, it never happened to me until a few days ago when I commented on a TikTok post about Rhaenyra beefing with two-year-old Aegon. Someone replied to me, saying that I only brought it up because I’m a misogynist.

And. You know, I’ve been insulted before. I’ve been called ugly, stupid, immature, whatever whatever. But I honestly can’t think of a worse thing for someone to say to me, that I’m a misogynist. I know this isn’t that commentator’s fault, because they obviously don't know me. But the irony of calling me a misogynist when I am the most misandristic person to exist on this earth. I pray for the downfall of men daily. I make fun of them. Whenever I see an AITA post on TikTok, I am immediately on the woman’s side, regardless of what she may have done. 

It’s because I distrust men to a certain degree. You know what’s different for ASoIaF, though? It’s not real. It’s all fiction. TB stans will come on the internet daily and complain about TG existing, calling us misogynists, elevating the conflict between us to that of a literal genocide. Are y'all delusional? Are you guys stuck so far up Rhaenyra’s ass that you can’t tell reality from fiction? 

Y’all love to preach about how Rhaenyra is the number one feminist girlboss of Westeros, without realizing exactly how exactly you’re falling into the trap. You uphold a woman because she’s the heir, meanwhile she steals Rhaena’s and Baela’s inheritance in order to put her illegitimate sons on the throne (which, btw, is treason). But of course you guys wouldn’t care, because you like to think Rhaenyra is the exception to the rule.

That’s the thing. She’s only the exception because of her father, the king. After Viserys dies, she suddenly finds herself back in the same patriarchal world that y’all love to claim she’s trying to overthrow, that she’s trying to change. 

I don’t hate Rhaenyra because she’s a woman. I hate her because she’s a stupid woman. She knew exactly what it meant to be a woman in Westeros; she gets forced into an unwanted marriage (and even in that she gets far more freedom and will to choose than other women), she is undermined for being a woman, and others view her as unfit to rule. I would sympathize with her if she did absolutely anything to change that whatsoever. 

Y’all love to say that she’s so iconic with her dragon scenes, but what did that really accomplish aside from showcasing she is unfit to rule? She has three illegitimate sons who look absolutely nothing like her. Even if Viserys was on her side, everyone knows that they are bastards. Like, at least Cersei’s bastards looked like her. Rhaenyra was a white woman with white hair married to a black man with white hair, and her first three children are white boys with brown hair. Girl, if you were going to have bastards, at least do it with someone that bears at least some resemblance to your husband, or yourself. She purposefully made it harder for herself.

And for those of you guys who will bring up something about Laenor being gay. I genuinely don’t know how to tell you this, but if they truly cared about keeping up appearances, they would have had children. I say this as a queer person myself: If I were in Laenor’s shoes, I would have children with my coverup. Afterall, that’s what a coverup is for. And also: I could find nothing about Laenor being infertile. 

And for those who will also bring up Laenor accepting the Strong boys as his own, I literally couldn't care less. Everyone and their grandmother could see that those boys were bastards. Laenor accepting them and Viserys being delusional doesn’t change the fact that they were illegitimate, and everybody knew it. Secondly: Rhaenyra would need to admit the boys were bastards in the first place for anybody to claim them, something she did not do. In fact, she went so far the opposite way, I wouldn’t be surprised if she managed to delude herself that they were legitimate. 

And this I don’t understand. How do you shoot yourself in the foot, not once, not twice, but three times, with three obvious bastards, knowing that people would oppose you, people already oppose you, and still think yourself fit to rule? Every decision Rhaenyra makes is so stupid, it’s almost mind blowing to me. To live in Dragonstone for years while your father, the king, is sick (in which case, btw, the heir is supposed to step in to rule). Instead, we see Alicent ruling the kingdoms from behind the shadow, because Rhaenyra does nothing but live out a couple of years of bliss and comes back to King's Landing expecting everything to be handed to her. She does absolutely no politicking, absolutely nothing in order to sway the lords to her side. Should she be so surprised, then, that she is met with such resistance? 

Y’all TB stands love to call TG misogynistic because we don’t worship your perfect little dragon lady, as if her uncle-husband isn’t Lord of Fleabottom and grooms and rapes her from a young age. As if Daemon hasn’t called women whores and bitches, and his first wife, Rhea Royce, ‘Bronze Bitch.’ Like, is that not disgusting to you? Y’all love to preach about how Daemon loved Rhaenyra, as if he didn’t choke her the moment she disagreed with his methods. As if his first instinct everytime is anger and death and war.

(In case y’all couldn’t tell, I am extremely anti-war. I am under the impression that if you can’t solve things by talking it out, then you are definitely not mature enough to be ruling a kingdom, and Daemon is one of the most immature rapist misogynists I’ve ever had the displeasure of seeing).

(As an aside, I am not blaming Rhaenyra for her relationship with Daemon. Yes, I do find that most of her actions are stupid, but I cannot deny the fact that she was groomed and raped by him-- yes, raped, because she was a child, and children cannot consent. That is in no way her fault, and Daemon is the one responsible for this).

Y’all praise Rhaenyra for her maternal instincts while simultaneously hating Alicent for hers. Of course, an eye for an eye is unreasonable and far too much, but a son for a son is totally reasonable and to be expected. Rhaenyra protecting her children is being a good mother, but Alicent (rightfully) assuming that her children would be persecuted if Rhaenyra ascended the throne is her being a jealous bitch. Y’all blow her “sweet sister” line so much out of proportion, saying that she wouldn’t have killed her siblings if they just came over to her side. As if Alicent’s children, Alicent’s family, would choose Rhaenyra over her. Because “Helaena was the only good green” and “if only she just joined Rhaenyra”. Why would she ever do that? Because Aegon was a bad husband? The show literally stated that he only ever laid with her when he was drunk, because he couldn't do it otherwise. Obviously neither of them sought any pleasure from it, but they are still family. Helaena only had Aemond, Aegon, Daeron, and Alicent. Why would Rhaenyra ever be worth what her family is worth to her?

On a similar note, TB stans will constantly say how “oh, I feel sorry for younger Alicent, but not older Alicent.” As if Alicent wasn’t a 14 year old girl groomed and abused, as if she wasn’t twice pregnant by 17. As if Alicent wasn’t a victim doing her best in a world specifically designed against her.

That’s the difference between her and Rhaenyra. Both were victims to a much older man, but Rhaenyra considered herself an exception. Alicent had no choice but to be the bad guy, and despite how much y’all love to ignore it, Rhaenyra should have done the same. “Oh but Alicent was jealous of Rhaenyra!” Like you wouldn’t also be jealous of Rhaenyra? Rhaenyra, the perfect little princess, loved by her rapist daddy the king, who had everything handed to her on a silver platter. Would you not also be infuriated by her attitude, the entitled way she views the world? I’m sorry, but if your “strong female character” needs every other female character to agree with her, then she’s not that strong. Or a girlboss.

In conclusion, Rhaenyra sucks and is a terrible role model. True feminists love Alicent Hightower. Also, negative comments will be deleted, bc yk what is so fun about the internet? You can block people. I know, crazy concept. If you don’t want to see me or other TG on your for you page, consider blocking them. That tends to get rid of the thing you don’t want to see. I will also be doing this to anyone who thinks they’re smart enough to argue this topic with me. I do not care, hope your day goes terribly. <3

Btw, please never call me a misogynist again. In fact, you can call me Little Miss Misandrist, because there is no universe out there where I side with a man over Alicent Hightower. Or any woman at all, for that matter. 

(Except for maybe if the pickings were between Rhaenyra and Criston. If you’re one of the media illiterate TB stands who consider Criston to be an incel, you should also go ahead and block me, your stupidness is draining my brain cells).

Stay mad, xoxo.

[jackactuallywrites]

All Seeing, All Knowing, All Loving Part 7

Rating: Overdrinking and drunk emotions

Warnings: Ghost is in his feelings

Summary: You get rejected by a mysterious stranger and then Ghost turns up at your house drunk!

Notes: extra long because the last one was so short (also mc is not alcoholic she’s just British)

Word Count: 2,435

ao3 link

Considering that you’d sworn off alcohol after your New Year’s hangover, it hadn’t taken you and the girls long to get back into the clubs.

Granted, you were only having one drink tonight, and it was a nice cocktail rather than a shot, more of a sophisticated sex and the city girls' night out rather than a full booze-up.

In keeping with this theme, you were checking out the local talent in the bar. Helen had already disappeared from your little group to chat up a beautiful dark-haired woman at the bar, which left you, Katie, and Marge sat, trying to play the game of ‘queer woman or overly friendly straight’. So far, you and Katie were leaning towards a straight woman who was blissfully unaware of Helen trying to hit on her, whereas Marge still held hope.

“See, she’s leaning in! She’s so gay.”

“That was a laugh lean in; that doesn’t count.”

“She’s looking at her lips!”

“Because she’s listening to her talking!”

“Homophobe you are!”

You snorted at the pair of them bickering, sipping your cocktail as you watched the two women at the bar. You would have liked to have believed that Helen would pull, but inexplicably, she had a habit of only ever managing to find the straightest women out there.

Marge gave up trying to convince Katie and turned to you instead: “So, are we gonna talk about the guy that’s been staring at you since he came in?”

“What? Who’s staring at us?”

“Don’t look now, you div! Tall, blond, beefier than a prize-winning bull.”

“Is he fit?”

“Well, he’s about twenty-odd years too young for me, but I think you’d like him.”

“You sure he’s staring at me and not Katie?”

“I’m not senile yet! I can tell who he’s looking at!”

Marge was sat across the table from you, so whomever she was looking at was annoyingly out of your range of sight.

“Katie, have a look, what’s he like?”

Katie looked over very unsubtly, leaning back so she could get a better angle,

“Oh, he’s gorgeous. Bet he could bench press you, no problem. Tall, too. Surrounded by lads though.”

“Like, lads lads?”

“Oh aye. Tattooed and the like, jägerbombs and all. Willing to bet you’d be choked by Lynx the second you get near them.”

“Ew. Is he a lad, d’you reckon?”

Katie hummed, frowning.

“Yeah, probably. He is gorgeous, though.”

“Does he have a jägers?”

“Uhhh,” she squinted, “Could be a whiskey or summat?”

“Okay, okay, stop- stop looking, Kate, Jesus Christ. Subtle as an elephant, you are.”

“Aha! See? That woman’s sliding their number over to Helen! Told youse she was gay.”

You looked back to the bar, seeing Helen looking pleased as punch, though you still weren’t convinced that the other woman wasn’t just being friendly.

“Alright, Marge, I’ll buy you a drink then.”

“Weren’t we supposed to be doing just the one drink tonight?”

“It’s not like we’re gonna get proper hammered or anything. Just another drink.”

You should have known, really. If you stayed with the one drink, you might have been fine, but the moment you moved on to that second drink, it was all over. Two drinks turned into three, four, and then shots until you were almost as rowdy as the bunch of lads across the bar.

“I just think you should talk to him!”

Katie was insistent, with Marge in support.

“I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“Really? You’re gonna ask us like I can’t give you hundreds of worst-case scenarios?”

“But like, realistically?”

“He could laugh at me, he could reject me, he could pour a drink on my head.”

“Oh, come off it.”

Katie pushed her empty glass over to you,

“It’s your turn to go get the drinks, anyways.”

“He’s at the bar, isn’t he?”

“Oh, would you look at that? Coincidence. Get a move on.”

Helen tapped her fingers on the table, having returned newly emboldened from the bar, “I will buy all your drinks for the rest of the night if you at least say hello to him.”

“All my drinks for the next month.”

“All your drinks for the next month!”

You really didn’t want to, but you could spend your money on so much more pointless shit if you didn’t have to spend it on drinks. After all, you had seen a fancy litter tray for Soap, something you wouldn’t splurge on normally, but if you didn’t have to buy drinks for a month?

“Fine.”

You were regretting making your deal the second you’d gotten up. What the hell were you going to say? You weren’t dressed for the occasion; you’d planned on a chill night out with the girls, so you hadn’t worn anything too alluring; the dress was shoulderless, sure, but it was also made of a nice thick knit to keep you warm, and it reached just below your mid-thigh. Your shoes weren’t all that exciting either, a pair of dark leather boots so you wouldn’t slip over on the icy pavements. You looked nice, but you didn’t feel sexy. Not ideal to try and go on the pull.

When you finally turned around to go to the bar, you could see him. As described, he was, in fact, tall and built like a brick shithouse, though you’d describe him as more a dirty blond. Above all else, though, he was gorgeous. Strong jawline, pale green eyes, and a large nose with a slight bump in it. He was wearing relaxed blue jeans, and a thick black jumper, with a basic pair of trainers. He turned over to look at you, and he watched you for a moment, his expression subtle but curious.

You were the one to break the eye contact, looking away so you could pick your way through the crowd to the bar, steadily making your way toward him, trying not to drop the glasses and make a tit of yourself before you’d so much as opened your mouth.

Once you’d reached the bar, standing beside him as you placed the empty glasses down, your mind seemed to have completely gone blank. What were you going to say? ‘Hello’ didn’t seem cool, ‘hi’ seemed too awkward, and ‘hey’ made you feel like you were trying too hard. You turned to look at him, hoping that you could think of something to say in the spur of the moment. He’d turned to look down at you, his head slightly tilted to the side, the corner of his lips picked up in a slight smile.

“Hi.”

Fuck.

“Can I help you?”

Even his voice was attractive, smooth and self-assured, with a certain level of warmth. Damn alcohol had made your brain all fuzzy.

“Hi. No. I mean, yes.” You pressed your fingers to your temple. How could you have fucked up so quickly?

“Take your time, love.”

In for a penny, in for a pound.

“Can I have your number?”

He actually looked surprised. Of course he did. You were acting like an absolute fool.

“Really?”

“Uh, yup.”

“I, uh, I don’t think-“

Oh God. Oh fucking Christ, he was turning you down. You could feel the embarrassment eating away at you like a virus in your gut.

“Never mind!”

You abandoned the drinks, fleeing back to your table of girls, knowing that your cheeks were flaming red. Fucking Katie.

Expectedly, you’d called it an early night after that.

It didn’t matter how much your girls told you that you were sexy and beautiful and that the man at the bar was an idiot; all you could feel was the sting of rejection, which the alcohol did little to dampen. They’d tried to convince you to stay, to ignore that group of pricks, but all you wanted was to go back to bed and curl up under the cover with Soap. At least that man would never let you down. He quite literally didn’t have the balls to.

You hadn’t expected to be disturbed after that; the girly group chat had been pinging with their remarks, mostly about the guy at the bar getting embarrassingly drunk and having to be carried out, clearly to do with the shame of missing out on a woman like you. You weren’t convinced. You’d just ignored your phone after that, knowing that the pings were lovey-dovey mush in the group chat, as per usual after a night out, and settled in for a quiet night with Soap, who’d taken his position of privilege, lying across your chest as you watched tv on your laptop.

Would it have been rude to mute the girly chat? It was still going off, not the usual rapid-fire messages, but slower, enough that it would catch your attention every time it lit up. Reluctantly, you tapped the space bar to pause your documentary, gently holding Soap as you leant across to grab your phone where it had been sat on charge.

It wasn’t the group chat.

It was Ghost.

‘Where are you?’

‘Tell me where you are.’

‘Talk to me.’

‘Talk to me or I’m breaking in again.’

‘Please.’

What the fuck.

He’d never text you like this before. He’d never really text. Shit, you better text him back, he actually might break in if you didn’t.

‘??? I’m literally at home chill out’

God, you were nervous now.

‘Simon don’t actually break in? Okay??’

Ah, there it was. The knock at the door. Well, it was less of a knock and more of a thump, one and then another, as though he’d leant his entire body weight against the door and used his head to knock. You would have liked to have used your camera to see what it was, but you hadn’t bothered replacing it since he’d ripped it off. Like there was a chance it could be anyone else banging on your door this late. You sighed, and picked up Soap, hugging him to your chest as you got out of bed and walked to the door,

“Time to see your father.”

You didn’t bother with the chain on the door, deciding you had little to fear from Ghost.

Without the chain holding the door back as you opened it, Ghost practically fell in through the doorframe, catching himself at the last second. He stood unsteadily, swaying, his hand firmly gripping the doorframe like it was the only thing keeping him upright. You blinked at him, taking a step back,

“Jesus, you been drinking?”

“‘M sorry love.”

You could practically smell the alcohol on his breath, it was that strong, and you wrinkled your nose,

“Fucking hell, how much did you drink?”

He reached out for you, his hand grabbing onto your arm like a vice, pulling you close to him, giving you little chance to freak out about the complete personality shift that seemed to be going through him right now. Both you and Soap were crushed against his chest, your face smothered in the black fabric of his jumper, able to smell his cologne and the unmistakable scent of cigarettes, the common shame of a drunkard. Soap squirmed uncomfortably, and you gently pushed away from Ghost,

“Simon, Simon, there’s a kitty here.”

Ghost pulled back, and you looked up at his face, his eyes a little bloodshot, but the pain in them was so tangible it tugged at your heartstrings. He reached out again, gentler this time, his fingers brushing against Soap’s head, “Johnny, ‘m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I shoulda been there.”

There were tears in the man’s eyes.

You’d just have to pretend Ghost was a drunk girlfriend.

You reached out to touch his arm,

“Hey, hey, come on. It’s okay, you’re okay. Come in and sit down, yeah?”

Ghost nodded softly, and you gently guided him toward the sofa,

“Take your trainers off and get comfy, yeah? I’ll put the kettle on. Here, have Soap.”

You dumped Soap on his lap, still not entirely sure why he seemed so emotional about the cat. There was something more there. But, it wasn’t your place to pry.

The situation was familiar; once you’d been drunk on that sofa while Ghost made tea, and now the situation was reversed. You chewed your lip as you waited for the kettle to boil. You could hear him calling your cat Johnny again, apologising to him over and over. You didn’t want to interrupt; clearly, the man had some serious demons, but you didn’t want to abandon him either. Instead, you busied yourself with the tea, rummaging in the cupboards louder than usual to drown out his conversation, unwilling to eavesdrop.

With tea and a pint of water in hand, you returned to the living room to find Ghost with his forehead pressed against Soap’s, his shoulders shaking in silence. Fuck.

You set the tea and glass down on the coffee table, eschewing the mandatory coaster in favour of speed as you sat on the sofa next to him, reaching out to place your hand on his back, rubbing it reassuringly,

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, you’re okay.”

His voice was soft, broken, his forehead still pressed against Soap’s.

“S’fucking stupid. Shouldn’t be here.”

“No, no, it’s okay, don’t worry.”

“I didn’t- I couldn’t-“

“Simon, seriously, it’s okay.”

He was quiet then, the only sound being his breathing, the sniffs that accompanied every inhale. You leaned in, resting your head against his shoulder as you did your best to wrap your arm around his broad back, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

Ghost shifted away from your touch after a minute, gently nudging Soap off his lap. He turned away from your touch, his back to you as he pulled off his mask, throwing it at the wall with some force.

“Ghost’s a fucking prick.”

You weren’t sure what to say to that. In fact, you weren’t sure what to do at all, you’d been winging it and it didn’t seem to be helping him. He’d wrapped his arms around his head and buried his face in the corner of the sofa, only the dark blonde hair on the back of his head visible. Strange, you’d always thought of him with black hair. You didn’t know whether to leave or stay, awkwardly perched on the edge of the sofa, unsure whether to touch him or not. A blanket was always a good idea, and you pulled the fluffy throw off the back of your sofa, gently draping it over him.

“Sleep it off, Simon.”

He didn’t respond, and you didn’t press him.

“Goodnight. Please don’t throw up on the carpet.”

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Aita for dressing up as Frank n furter for Halloween?

This happened on the 28th of October but people are still indecisive about whether I’m the asshole so I’d thought I’d get some outside opinion.

I, 23M, am a trans guy(I don’t pass as a guy if that’s relevant), and on the 28th I went to a Halloween party hosted by one of my friends. Most of our circle is queer and open minded so I thought it would be safe for me to dress up as Frank n furter from rocky horror picture show. I went all out, makeup, fake tattoo, etc.

There’s a trans girl who’s pretty popular in the friend group, I’ll call her Alice. I haven’t spoken to Alice too much but I’ve been in group conversations and we’ve gotten along well enough.

When I entered the party, I got a few compliments on my outfit but when I saw Alice she sort of gave me a bit of a dirty look. I didn’t think much of it until she pulled me aside an hour later and said that it was insensitive for me to dress up as Frank n furter because the character was offensive to trans women. I didn’t really know what to say to that so I just sort of went “well, he’s an icon for a lot of queer people” and sort of shrugged my shoulders. She then said that I should have a bit more empathy for trans women and to try and not appropriate caricatures of them.

Now, to be fair, this is a condensed version and she was very polite and said this to me in a more educating tone than that, I just thought it would be better to get to the point, especially since it was like a 15 minute conversation.

I ended up telling her that I know that some trans people take offence to Frank n furter, but that other trans people, like myself, looked up to and admired the gender fuckery of the character, even if it isn’t the best portrayal.

We had a bit of back and forth where it got a bit heated, I was and still am adamant that I can dress up as whoever I want for Halloween, especially a character from a play/movie I really like and she was adamant that I was appropriating trans women’s struggle somehow? She likened it to how trans men can’t say the t slur, which I also personally disagree with.

Alice ended the conversation by pretty much saying “you can’t fully understand the negative impact of that character because you are a trans man and not a trans woman”

At the after party I brought this up with some of my closer friends and it was a very mixed opinion across all genders and we didn’t get to a definitive answer.

So, AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[octahyde]

🏳️‍🌈 riddle, vil, epel, and idia? :3c

thank you for the gaggle of transgender people

Riddle: gay trans guy. I respect fem/transfem Riddle stuff but honestly to me personally it (ironically considering the next one) goes against his character. His entire life and childhood he’s had femininity forced on him (note the half dress from his overblot especially) and him being a trans guy and desperately trying to break out of it just makes sense. Being gay also goes into this to a degree as well but also just look at this kid and tell me he isn’t a little gayboy.

Vil: Transhet woman. I know this one is really really REALLY controversial but… her entire story feels like a trans narrative to me. Especially as a GNC trans guy (the only “acceptable” trans hc for her in the fandom), I see a lot of my gender envy towards feminine cis men in her treatment of Epel and Neige- Neige being amab and that soft and feminine without even trying, and Epel being feminine naturally and wanting to “throw it away”, so to speak. Especially when she tries so hard to be soft and feminine and it’s never “good” enough. As for transhet I just can’t see her with girls tbh. (Also I know transfem drag queens who have gotten into the series and took one look at Vil and said she’s a trans woman just saying.)

Epel: come on we all know this kid is a trans gayboy. Idk if this specifically is a hot take but from his second year onward I REALLY want him out of pome and into savanaclaw. I’m glad he’s made peace with his appearance for the time being but everything about it is. Insane repression to me and honestly makes me uncomfortable, again as a GNC trans guy myself. Once he realizes how legitimately traumatic his first year is I can’t see him forgiving Vil or Rook for an EXTREMELY long time, if ever. Lately I’ve also been kind of interested in exploring transfem Epel too… not because he’s soft and dainty and forced into feminine roles (I think I just established how extremely uncomfortable I am with that LMAO)… but because Epel has grown up around so many strong women, and I think him idolizing them and wanting to be a strong, masculine woman specifically himself is interesting. A naturally GNC boy desiring to become a GNC woman is really interesting to me and says a lot of very profound things about gender. I also think it gives a unique spin on his relationship with Vil- he knows things aren’t limited to just men and women, and he feels stifled specifically because he wants to be a woman who does things usually expected for men. I’m still 100% masc gay guy Epel, but I think it’s some REALLY interesting food for thought about gender and what is and isn’t expected of gender roles and how that affects trans people.

Idia: Beautiful Transhet Woman, My Beautiful Wife. I really don’t know how to explain this one except she is literally a coding gaming tgirl to a T. It literally unintentionally feels like they gathered a bunch of nerdy tgirls into a room and had them workshop the most stereotypical boymoder they could LMAO. Everything about her is So Transfeminine. She very much has a jrpg loving trans woman who was Very interested in TTYD Vivian as a child energy. Especially since I joined a discord server for a queer TTYD streamer recently AKFKSKFK My bg on desktop is what it is for a reason. As for why I say transhet… well she’s a major factor in how I realized I’m a st4t transhet man. She also radiates gayboy obsessed with yaoi to fujoshi pipeline which is very much a thing AKDJSFJDN I think her being bi with a pref for guys is really cute also though. Give her a few years and online she is going to be VERY popular with the (t)ladies.

[mariailoveyou-guerin]

Dana and the paramedic giving off vibes I knew it she’s lesbian/sapphic think her and the paramedic is gonna be a thing or at least after she stops being a patient!

Ericka first thought being Jacob when she needed someone she so real

and I knew wolf favorite was gonna be doctor nash!

they better not make Ericka change her mind about kids bc of van that’ll be worst thing ever, it’s what I hate the most when writers force something a character dosent want on them!

the way Jacob bonds with the patient and shares their pain or burden is so very admirable he’s gonna great doctor he already is!

Dana said gay awakening I knew she was a lesbain or queer I wonder why she didn’t say lesbian awakening?

OMG she said lesbian and I just got the Dana Jacob wlw himbo minus the fact he’s a genius and incredibly smart to be called that he’s just pretty an interesting! I can’t believe I got everything that I was wishing for literally few hours ago they heard my prayers I’m 😭

I stopped after she said lesbian wait what? not her uno reverse talking jericka stop I knew I could trust bestie that’s his bestie telling each other what’s good and looking out for each other! do I know how to mf read characters like the back of my hand or what?

wolf having pierce and pierce having wolf and Dana having Jacob and Jacob having Dana and them being each others go to! and pierce and Dana being nr wolfnicols and jericka shippers those are my family y’all my people!

‪no not Jacob coming just to thank her and giving her favourite ice cream please they so cute and her being I appreciate you so cute I’m about cry! how many times has he come over for him to go all those times and to notice her apartment lights being out again 🤔‬

acob saw the shoes and it looked like she wanted for him to come in if she didn’t already have someone there!

‪nah that woman is one manipulative bit*ch first she threatened her and Carol being the great doctor she is checking up on her when she could’ve just let the paramedics go and do that! She’s better woman then me!

‪I keep replaying certain scenes of the ep and not that baby being all up on grown folks business when he repeated the “you said Jacob” for the people in the back like sweetie thank you but this is grown folk business #BrilliantMinds but Ericka needed that retrospective it’s good ‬

the fact I said I wanted this and now I’m getting this! give it to me nowww

I truly hope can’t believe in witnessing a slow burn on tv I never get that anymore last time was dair/delena brulian could’ve gotten jjpope but I didn’t 😔 now finally since the 2010s I’ve got a slow burn ship again and it’s actually so good and so slow burny y’all don’t get it

jacob becoming like wolf with the thinking outside the box putting himself in his patients shoes literally like when he joined Katie in the ice bath while Dana didn’t I always knew he was that doc glad we keep seeing it more! he’s so Alex coded minus s1 trashiness

the fact that in Ericka mind if she needs smth or somebody if she feels unsure nervous or anxious about smth the first person she thinks of or wanna call being Jacob ikdr we should definitely bring that up later also if he fixes the lights or talks to her landlord my hero!!

If this is a 16-22/25 Ep show season then I’m fine with them being slow burn until s2 but if it’s like 10-12 ep season show then I’m even fine with s2 last ep when they happen it would eat more if y’all know peak TV you know the rule/formula s2 being when (Delena) it happens 🤭🤭 every endgame ship start in s2 of show

that Jacob door scene if y’all know TV y’all know the difference between the two I love when tv does things like this subtle yet so obvious!! What it means later!

was right she’s a lesbain I just knew the way she was the only one not having googly eyes at Jacob(in ep1 at the lockers) it just made sense! characters should be less obvious if they trying to make us believe someone isn’t gay or lesbian bc first obx now this show they just make it to obvious with who’s a lesbian and who isn’t

[gonzo-rella]

Headcanons: Being Alexis Rose's Trans Boyfriend

MASTERLIST | AO3 | KO-FI

NOTE: While this was written more with binary trans men in mind, I hope this is also suitable for AFAB nonbinary trans people who are masc, male adjacent or otherwise identify with masculinity in some way. I consider myself nonbinary and possibly transmasc, and I wrote this with myself in mind, too. I'm also working on an Alexis x nonbinary!reader set of hcs, for AFAB and AMAB enbies alike, so if this doesn't work for you, stay tuned for that!

Relationship(s): Alexis Rose x transmasc!reader (romantic)

Warnings: Dysphoria, other slightly negative trans-related stuff. (Let me know if I need to add any)

(A/N: So, I'm currently going through a transmasc crisis. Like, I still consider myself nonbinary, but I'm also considering the possibility that I'm more on the dude side of things. I always use the analogy of Kermit the Frog, who's technically a guy, but it's weird to class him as a man because he's a frog puppet thing. To help me experiment and explore, I'm writing some fics with a transmasc reader, since the thing that's got me stumped is struggling to imagine myself as a masculine person in a romantic relationship with any gender. I've already written a set of headcanons using this prompt about Wallace Wells, but I really want to write some more of these for a wider range of characters. I chose to write about Alexis because I'm honestly so in love with her, but I'm struggling to picture myself as a guy sorta thing in a relationship with a feminine woman. So, if you're a trans guy or transmasc looking for some more representation in the fanfic space, feel free to peruse my fandom list and send in a request! My last Schitt's Creek fic flopped but I'm also considering writing a short piece about being Roland and Jocelyn's trans kid and them being confused but supportive, so let me know if you'd be interested in that!)

Alexis has a pretty colourful dating history, as part of her pretty colourful life.

So, being trans doesn’t make you stick out like a sore thumb when comparing yourself to her past boyfriends.

What does make you stick out is the fact that you’re just some guy, and not Brad Pitt or Jared Leto or a prince of a country you probably wouldn’t be welcome in.

Alexis wouldn’t mind that you’re trans.

Even if you don’t pass or don’t present in an overly masculine way, it won’t even cross her mind that you’re trans until you eventually tell her, which would probably be when you’ve been friends for a while.

The revelation won’t change things between you, until you mention something trans-related that she isn’t that familiar with, like dysphoria or something.

I feel like Alexis has some blind spots when it comes to trans people.

She’s experienced a lot in her life, and I imagine she’s been acquainted with at least a few trans people in her time.

But, being trans isn’t her lived experience, and she can be a little oblivious to things that aren’t part of her lived experience.

So, when she can’t do or say anything to help you and can only pretend that she understands, she decides that she needs to learn more about trans people.

She’s too embarrassed to admit to you that she isn’t that knowledgeable about trans people beyond a surface-level understanding.

She’ll try to fill those gaps by asking David questions that he’s mostly equipped to answer as a queer guy who’s been around and dated plenty of trans people, including trans guys.

(She’ll act like she’s not asking for you, though David will quickly realise that’s why she’s so interested in trans people all of a sudden)

But, if/when she starts asking questions about what your transness means specifically for you, he’ll groan and send her away, suggesting that she ask you if you’re open to answering her questions.

She’ll also spend a few late nights on her phone and laptop doing research into trans people and how to support them, and as sweet as David finds it, he does not appreciate the noise of Alexis typing keeping him awake until 3am.

Her sincere curiosity is unexpected but endearing, and if you do end up having a talk with her about your transness, it will be a catalyst in getting you two together, because seeing how much she cares about understanding you makes your heart melt.

Fast-forward to when you’re together.

Johnny and Moira are also a little unsure about the whole trans thing when they find out about it.

Unsure as in ‘we haven’t met many trans people’, not doubtful of its validity.

They’ll go to David to ask him (since he’s the queer one in the family), but Alexis proudly and confidently answers them, much to everyone’s shock and amazement.

David is especially impressed.

Alexis is the epitome of that ‘if I had a lameass boyfriend I would hype him up so much’ post.

You’re literally just some guy, but she introduces you as her boyfriend with so much pride.

She is so supportive of you.

She will not let you be down on yourself, or she’ll absolutely try her best.

She showers you with compliments on a regular day, and this quadruples if you feel particularly dysphoric.

It means a lot because she is completely sincere with everything she says, and she’s naturally very good at saying the right things to make you feel better, even if you might expect her to put her foot in her mouth.

If you’re unhappy with your style, she’ll be beyond excited to take you shopping for new clothes.

If you’re not comfortable going clothes shopping in a physical store, she’ll send you links to clothes she thinks will look good on you but also fit in with your desired style.

David will also gladly offer his assistance, since he considers himself an expert in men’s fashion.

But, they will both reluctantly shut up if their input proves unhelpful to you and goes against what you want to wear.

I’d like to think that most of the residents of Schitt’s Creek would be indifferent to you or supportive of you, but on the off chance that you encounter any transphobia, Alexis will come to your defence with an “um, excuse me?”

If you need a gender affirming haircut, she’ll look into trans-friendly hair stylists and barbers in the area.

If you’d like her to, she’ll accompany you to your appointment, and if you’re more passive, she’ll be assertive on your behalf, because sometimes hairdressers suck at listening to what trans clients want and she will fight for you to have your ideal haircut.

And, when you get the haircut, she’ll give you a kiss and tell you how handsome you look.

If you want to get top surgery, she’ll happily help you do research into different surgeons and look into how to help you when you’re recovering.

Basically, she’s already more than willing to spend half of her day on her phone, and she’s happy to spend a lot of that time looking into trans-related things for you.

It’s more than clear how much Alexis loves you.

She’s your biggest cheerleader, and she’ll always be there to support you.

At the end of the day, you’re her boyfriend, and that’s all that matters.

[ridiculoser06]

THIS FUCKING FILM BARBIE MOVIE *EUGHAHH*

Spoilers. GO SEE THIS FILM IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Barbie movie review from someone who can’t string a sentence together without keyboard slamming or yelling.

How queer coded the discontinued/weird barbie’s are PAINS ME. THANK YOU GRETA MY GOD.

Allan is for the all the gender non conforming mfs but also he’s so ✨bisexual✨ HELP. Like he’s not barbie, he’s not Ken, he’s just in between he’s to kenly for the barbies and too barbie-y for the Ken’s so he’s like his own category please that’s my existence 99% of the time.

Like he’s not manly (kenough) to be accepted by the Ken’s but also the barbies don’t really pay much attention to him either???!? Who hangs out with Allan! Allan is ALONE. Allan has no one to relate to because THERE’S ONLY ONE ALLAN. He feels so fucking disconnected from both sides of the spectrum, he has no one to connect with, he’s just THERE. He’s just ALLAN. There’s only one of him he doesn’t have the same connection that the barbies have and the Ken’s have because they ignore his fucking existence.

Also I’m MAD about midge. Why wasn’t she in any of the film she and Allan should’ve been like power duo. Also barbies little sisters like do they exist. Also where do the Ken’s live? Do the live at beach? So many questions. (I think they’re gonna do a sequel, like- I’ve just got a gut feeling. I sense the sequel material yk yk.)

EUGHUAHHAH

Weird barbie? The experience of most queer girls. Excluded ✅ Called weird ✅ Funky hair ✅

Like she knows what it’s like to be cast as the dog and the dad in games of house. She did the man voices for the Ken’s because she’s just ‘better at them.’ She made her Ken’s leave for work trips so that the barbie bffs could stay in the dream house together. She put her barbies on her disco ball and re-enacted the Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball music video. She is me I am her. She took the faces off of her dolls with nail polish remover and drew them back on with sharpies and cut up their hair and gave them Ken’s leather jackets. I LOVE WEIRD BARBIE AHAKGAHA.

But also stereotypical barbie is such a good representation of what growing up is like tho. Being a woman is so fucking terrifying. Growing up is terrifying and this movie absolutely subverted all my expectations like I thought it’d be some “we have to not let this little girl grow up! Ah- she’s 13 now she’s getting rid of her dolls, no don’t grow up you’re still young, yippee we saved the day now we can all play dolls.” BUT NO! They respected the fact that we all grow up and at a certain point we stopped playing with dolls. BUT ALSO Gloria shows the fact that a love of playing with dolls doesn’t always end for women, we still have such fond memories to look back on and some even relive those memories when they have daughters of their own.

The Ken’s are so interesting too tbf. The alt-right pipeline is so dangerous for impressionable minds (like Ken’s) and so many men fall victim to it, be it intentional or not. The patriarchy does not just hurt women it hurts men to.

This movie is such a great explanation for feminism imo, feminism isn’t to put men down because no one benefits from the patriarchy except those in a position of power.

This movie tells the story of women, and how damaging the patriarchy can be to society and tells it in such a unique, fun and beautiful way. EEK I LOVE ITTTT!!!

P.s can you tell I had fun with the text colours AGAAGAHAGAG

[lucky-clover-gazette]

The Big Picture

Vio & Shadow-focused Four Swords Manga Adaptation | Rated G

Chapter 4: Quest Updated

“Can you hear me?” asks the voice of Ganon, projected from some kind of unreachable void. Shadow isn’t exactly sure how Ganon’s remote oversight works. All he knows is that Ganon created him, Ganon’s will is truth, and Ganon will appear to him only when the time is right.

Not that Shadow cares, or anything.

“We can hear you,” sighs Vaati.

“I can’t hear you.”

Read the chapter (and very informative author's note!!) on ao3 or under the cut:

Author's Note: Finally, I’m working on this project again! I encourage you to re-read the previous chapters, because I just did a pretty significant amount of revision. The most notable change is the decision to not use manga dialogue verbatim—I’m still heavily referencing the transcription, but changing some language and phrasing to blend with my own style. Also important to note is the change of Vio, Shadow, Green, Blue, Red, Zelda, and Link Prime’s age, which is now 16 instead of 19. Working so closely with the manga, I’ve concluded that it makes the most sense for them to be around that age—mature enough to resonate with adults and potentially develop complex feelings, but young enough where it’s still believable that they would speak/act in line with the manga. To me, the True Manga Canon Links are 14-16 in the same way that, like, Katara, Sokka, Princess Azula, and Prince Zuko are ages 14-16. They’re not living in a world like ours, attending high school or something equivalent; they have very adult responsibilities, while simultaneously coping with teenage angst and the challenge of developing their own identities. And while Vio and Shadow stand out as the characters least believable as any age younger than 14, I do think the others—while silly in an cartoonish way—are not as a whole believable as preteens either. Like, Mabel and Dipper Pines are written as unusually clever preteens, and even they still seem younger than Red. Side note: cartoons are not my only frame of reference for media interpretation, but I am writing this specific thing like it’s a cartoon. Ultimately, I think that while I personally prefer writing a more mature interpretation, these characters can only be teenagers in something meant to complement and supplement canon. That said, I still fully intend to expand on the queer subtext between Vio and Shadow. Their canon arc reminds me a lot of the confusing, codependent, and ultimately life-altering relationships queer teenagers often find themselves in. This adaptation will explore Vio and Shadow’s journeys of queer discovery, both literally and allegorically, because that’s how I personally interpret the manga. Even if you’re not big on shipping these specific characters, I sincerely hope you can respect my interpretation and still find something that resonates. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this very belated update :)

Pure light transports the heroes to a chamber beneath Hyrule Castle. Link has been here before—very recently, in fact—but to Vio it somehow feels new.

“Are you well, heroes?” asks a soft female voice. Vio looks towards the center of the chamber, where a young woman floats trapped inside a magically crystal. She clasps her hands in front of her chest as if to pray.

“The Blue Maiden!” Red exclaims, his eyes wide.

“Did you save us?” asks Green.

“Link,” says the maiden, “something awful has begun. A terrible ordeal. Darkness once again covers Hyrule, just as in times of legend.”

Tell me something I don’t know, Vio wants to mutter, but decides not to antagonize the minor deity who probably just saved his life. .

“The shadow that took us was a phantom hero,” the maiden continues, “created by an evil demon.”

Vio perks up at that. The more he learns about that freak, the easier it will be to defeat him.

“It is a ‘Shadow Link. A dark reflection of you, but more powerful than any mere shadow.”

Vio attempts to process this. How exactly had Shadow Link been created? It couldn’t have been a similar process to himself. Vio is a fractured piece of a person, while Shadow Link is a dark reflection of a whole. No wonder he’s more powerful than the four of them—although combined, maybe the heroes could still stand a chance.

The maiden sighs, recapturing Vio’s attention. “It took all my might to send even that small light through the barrier. His power is not yet at its peak. You must stop him before that happens.”

“We’re no match for him now,” says Red in a defeated slump. “How can we ever beat him?”

Blue draws his sword. “We’ve gotta smash that barrier first!”

“That isn’t possible right now,” says the Blue Maiden. “The Four Sword has been cursed by Vaati. You must re-energize it, fill it with Life Force and the curse will be lifted. Then you can defeat the darkness for good.”

The four exchange uneasy glances. Finally, Green speaks up.

“Blue Maiden,” he says, “where is Princess Zelda?”

“I don’t know,” admits the maiden. “Weak as I am, I can’t sense clearly. But I can faintly sense her spirit… far, far away.”

Green nods, determined. “She’s alive. That’s enough.” It brings Vio relief, too, that this could all still be undone.

“Hold on, Blue Maiden,” says Green. “We’ll be back to save you soon.”

“Be careful, my four heroes.” The maiden closes her eyes tight, as if channeling the little power she has left. “Travel towards the Eastern Sea. I sense another Maiden within the Eastern Temple.”

Vio finds himself nodding, too.

They exit the castle through the dungeons, careful to remain undetected by Shadow Link’s army of monsters. Eventually they reach a path, which according to the sign leads directly from Castle Town to the Eastern Sea. Vio assumes that it’s meant to be followed by traveling merchants, over the course of days.

Red sighs loudly.

“Losing confidence?” Vio asks, almost playfully,.

“Yeah,” says Red, “how’d you know?”

“Because I am you.”

Green stares into the distance, filled with determination. “If Dark Link is our shadow,” he says, “we need to be better to beat him. Be more like father.”

“Yeah,” Vio smirks. “Right now, I’d give us a 50/50 chance.”

“But if we restore the sword we’ll get stronger!” says Red. “And if we can learn some teamwork—”

Blue scoffs, cutting him off. “I don’t care what it takes, we’re doing it.”

Green’s eyes sparkle in the daylight as he addresses his teammates. Vio can’t help but feel a little inspired. “Then it’s decided,” their leader announces. “Let’s go!”

─────────────────

“You’re late,” Vaati tells Shadow as he shuts the door behind him. The one-eyed demon waits at the far end of the conference table, as usual, scrutinizing the shade as he plops down into his own seat.

Steadying his heart, Shadow rolls his eyes. Reclines slightly, enough to slam his boots onto the table. Shoots Vaati a self-satisfied grin. “Sorry, I was busy. Doing things, in my body.”

Vaati’s eye narrows. The Wind Mage may now be free in the world of light, but he still lacks a corporeal form.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” Shadow adds. “For breaking the seal.”

“Don’t congratulate yourself just yet.”

The air in the dark room begins to crackle, an occurrence Shadow immediately recognizes. He removes his boots from the table and stiffens his posture.

“Can you hear me?” asks the voice of Ganon, projected from some kind of unreachable void. Shadow isn’t exactly sure how Ganon’s remote oversight works. All he knows is that Ganon created him, Ganon’s will is truth, and Ganon will appear to him only when the time is right.

Not that Shadow cares, or anything.

“We can hear you,” sighs Vaati.

“I can’t hear you.”

“Do you have us on mute?” Shadow asks, helpfully.

Vaati scoffs. “He just said he can’t hear you.” Shadow just shrugs.

“I think I have you on mute,” says Ganon. “Hold on, this is—ah. Yes, I see.”

Vaati and Shadow lock eyes, unsure who should speak first.

“I still can’t hear you,” Ganon repeats, frustrated.

“Lord Ganon,” Vaati finally says, “we are both here.”

“There you are. Excellent.”

Shadow preens under his approval. “My Lord, I have good news. The Wind Mage has been successfully freed, and the Four Sword drawn. Princess Zelda is in our clutches. Hyrule Castle has been overtaken by our forces.”

“Our clutches? Our forces?”

Shadow winces. “Yours, My Lord.”

Ganon pauses for a moment. Shadow grips the edge of the table. “It seems you are serving your purpose, Shadow Link.”

Shadow grins. “You should have seen it, Link’s father was so fooled. And the four heroes—”

“Are dead?” interrupts Ganon, and Shadow’s heart falls.

“Not… as such.”

“Explain yourself, Shadow Link.”

Shadow deliberates each word before it leaves his mouth. “They had assistance, my Lord. The Blue Maiden, while contained, used her remaining light magic to repel my presence and transport them to safety.”

“I see.”

Shadow braces himself for his creator’s disapproval.

“Because the heroes survive,” Ganon says, “they pose a great danger to you.”

Shadow hangs his head. “I’m sorry, I can’t control how I—”

“You are not the perfect being I sought to create, Shadow Link. You are inherently flawed, weak to the light.”

And now the heroes know it too, Shadow realizes, ashamed. Despite all of his prior gleeful theatrics, he hadn’t even considered acting unbothered by the light. Not when it scared him so much, not when it caught his so off-guard. Pathetic.

“However,” continues Ganon, “your failure is not in your weakness.”

Shadow’s breath hitches. “It isn’t?”

“Your failure is in your admittance of defeat. You have the power of darkness at your disposal—use it wisely.”

Shadow takes a deep breath and nods. “Yes, my Lord.”

“You will need to travel in darkness to defeat them,” Ganon instructs. “Do not attempt to approach the heroes during the daytime.”

“But then how am I supposed to—”

“Have patience. Observe. Prevent the four heroes from gaining power, but do not make yourself vulnerable again.”

Shadow’s palms itch. He’s not a delegator, and patience is not one of his virtues. There’s no place for theatricality in this mission. It doesn’t sound fun.

“I won’t disappoint you,” Shadow reassures his creator, already plotting ways to disrupt the heroes’ journey. He could still make this fun. He could succeed, despite his weakness. He isn’t a perfect creation, but he can still be the next best thing.

Or would he be the next worst thing, considering the evil of it all?

“Your supervision is appreciated,” Ganon tells Vaati. “And Shadow Link—”

“Yes?”

“I am… proud of what you have accomplished. I look forward to your future successes.”

Shadow breaks out into an almost childish smile. “Thank you, my Lord!”

Ganon doesn’t respond, but his presence still lingers. Vaati and Shadow exchange a tired glance.

“You have to end the call,” sighs the Wind Mage. “Sir.”

“Right,” says Ganon, admitting no fault of his own. “Meeting adjourned.”

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 One Last Stop Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD If you could live in a different time and place, when and where would you choose? ❓ 🦇 August expects moving to New York will only prove her cynicism right. The only way to live is to do it alone. That is, until a mysterious girl on the train hands her a scarf, sparking not only a major subway crush on the Q, but an adventure that will alter August's perspective of the world forever.

💜 Oh. My. Goddess. This book. THIS BOOK. This book hit me like a freight train (yes, yes, I see the pun). It's been a month since I read it because I couldn't find the words...I still can't. But I'll try. 💜 This. Book. Why did NO ONE tell me about this book?! 💜 From page one, this book is a childhood friend reaching out and tugging you into a warm, solid embrace before lifting you off your feet, spinning you around, and causing the word to blur. Casey McQuiston's narration is familiar, inviting, intimate. I couldn't stop annotating. August is raw and vulnerable and real, but still figuring out who she is away from her mother and messy childhood. We're only lucky enough to discover the woman she is alongside her. 💜 I don't want to spoil this story for anyone who hasn't read it yet, because there's a moment that changes EVERYTHING -- the genre, the plot, August, EVERYTHING. It's executed so well that I still feel the impact. WHY am I tearing up writing a review for this a MONTH later?! 💜 The underlying messages in this story are so heavy and impactful, yet written with such ease and grace and respect. There's: 🚇 Beautiful representation and discussion about virginity 🚇 Kisses for evidence-gathering 🚇 Exploration into New York's queer history 🚇 A Chinese lesbian displaced during the 70s 🚇 Lost memory 🚇 HIV/AIDs activists 💜 Beyond that, there's a beautiful sapphic ship, quirky cast of queer side characters, and sense of found family that's beyond heart-warming. I'm completely onboard for whatever Casey McQuiston has planned next.

💜 Literary Awards: 🚇 ALA Alex Award Nominee (2022) 🚇 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Romance (2021) 🚇 RUSA CODES Reading List for Romance (2022) 🚇She Reads Best of Award Nominee for Romance (2021)

🦇 Recommended for all readers; namely fans of Delilah Green Doesn't Care, She Gets the Girl, and Imogen, Obviously. This book is absolute magic. I read this in February but I can already say it's one of my top reads for the year. Yes, I'm still tearing up. What is wrong with me?

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🩷 Queer Found Family 🚇 Bisexual FMC 🩷 Diverse Cast 🏙️ Coming-of-Age 🩷 Sapphic Ship 🚝 Smut 🩷 Sci-Fi Twist

💬 Quotes ❝ Truth is, when you spend your whole life alone, it’s incredibly appealing to move somewhere big enough to get lost in, where being alone looks like a choice. ❞ ❝ August looks at her as the train reverses past Gravesend rooftops, this girl out of time, the same face and body and hair and smile that took August’s life by the shoulders in January and shook. And she can’t believe Jane had the nerve, the audacity, to become the one thing August can’t resist: a mystery. ❞ ❝ "Your friendly smile of acceptance—from the safe position of heterosexuality,’” Jane reads aloud, “‘isn’t enough. As long as you cherish that secret belief that you are a little bit better because you sleep with the opposite sex, you are still asleep in your cradle … and we will be the nightmare that awakens you.’” ❞ ❝ August laughs and wants so badly to know what it feels like to show off the person who’s yours from across the crowd...Maybe what she really wants is to be the person across the crowd who belongs to someone. ❞ ❝ “The attraction between you two is literally a spark, and it’s the same spark that’s bringing her back into reality." ❞ ❝ “I fell in love with you the day I met you, and then I fell in love with the person you remembered you are. I got to fall in love with you twice. That’s—that’s magic. You’re the first thing I’ve believed in since—since I don’t even remember, okay, you’re—you’re movies and destiny and every stupid, impossible thing, and it’s not because of the fucking train, it’s because of you. It’s because you fight and you care and you’re always kind but never easy, and you won’t let anything take that away from you. You’re my fucking hero, Jane. I don’t care if you think you’re not one. You are.” ❞

[resident-gay-bitch]

For my “I’m bored so give me a number between 1-50 and I’ll pick the correlating song from my playlist, and give you a marauders headcannon about it!” game!

@stxr-bxy picked number 15 which is: Feel Good by Yot Club

This song for me is such a summer late night drives song, so have some James and Sirius. This can be taken romantic or platonic, whichever you prefer :)) irs just a little fluffy headcannon.

But then you also get a second one because the vibe of my original thought does not correlate with the lyrics AT ALL. The song is about being in a stable relationship but still having a sense of doubt or not feeling good, soooo you get some sirius angst, internalised queer pining and major denial for this one :) also that one’s written in fic format too :) <3

★ ★ ★

THE FIRST ONE:

It’s summer after seventh year, they’re at the peak of the war and everything’s hard. But Sirius has just finished his bike. It flies and everything. He begs James to take it for a test run.

The air is hot outside, almost humid. Sirius’ hair is sticking out from under his helmet that he’s painted all over, and he’s grinning wider than ever. He even made a helmet special for James, with his nickname written over it and everything.

They hop on the bike, it’s so dark out, only the steet lights lighting the way. Sirius takes off, spreading through the little town and laughing as the wind whips at his skin.

James is holding him around the waist, laughing as they race along the road.

And then they lift off, taking to the air. James grips Sirius tighter, tucking his chin over Sirius’ shoulder to hold on for deer life. Sirius is laughing and James is screaming in his ear, begging for Sirius to let him make it home in one piece or his mum would kill them both.

Just James and Sirius letting go and enjoying a nice moment together after school, before everything goes to absolute shit.

THE SECOND ONE:

Sirius rolls over in bed, panting as he lies flat on his back. He looks up at the top of the canopy, a hand over his chest, skin sweaty. His chest feels hollow.

Beside him, Mary sighs, sitting up to sip her water. She’s beautiful, so beautiful, as she always is. So Sirius doesn’t know why he feels like this.

She leans over and kisses him, brushing his curls out of his eyes. He smiles up at her, kisses her back and then smacks a few on her cheeks for good measure. She hops up to shower, walking away, naked with an enticing shake of her hips.

But Sirius doesn’t watch. He pinches the bridge of his nose and hates himself.

He loves her.

He really really really loves her.

What’s not to love about her? She’s truely the most brilliant woman Sirius has ever had the pleasure of meeting. And they’re good, they’re stable. They have their own flat, and an anniversary coming up, and James has been telling him that the girls think he’s gonna propose. He should propose. They’re in love, for fucks sake, have been for years. Well, that’s what everyone else thinks.

Sirius feels sick thinking about it too long.

He just… doesn’t love her like that. He can’t. No matter how hard he tries it just feels… there’s something missing. Something wrong.

He should feel good, he should feel happy, but he doesn’t.

He feels safe with her, at home, but it’s still not enough.

There’s something wrong with him. He knows there’s something wrong with him. Something that makes him feel sick.

It tears him down until he breaks. It makes him numb, and fake, and horrible to be around. He lashes out, cries, and isolates. He doesn’t even know why Mary sticks around, why’d she’d even want him to propose.

He tells her he loves her, all the time, but surely she can feel how much of a lie that is, right? Or maybe he’s just gotten so good at pretending that she can’t tell anymore.

Maybe she just wants to be loved so desperately for something other than her body that she can take what she can get. Maybe she likes that Sirius isn’t constantly trying to fuck her; he prefers when they just have a nice meal, or cuddle up to read on the couch.

Maybe she does know and feels the same as he does.

He hopes that’s the way. The last thing he wants to do is to hurt her.

He rolls over and looks at his bedside table, at the picture he has framed there of the Marauders fresh out of school. He looks at one face in particular; scarred and freckled, honey brown eyes and sandy hair, and he feels his stomach flip. A longing sense of desire grows within.

But he ignores that, and follows Mary into the shower.

Okay holy fuck I really like that second one. I started writing it with no real direction but UGH I both love and hate how it turned out. So angsty and justice for Mary, but OHHHHHHHHH I LOVE IT.

[thedamnlesbian]

Stupid Valorant pronoun/sexuality hcs that nobody asked for :D

These are headcanons, you don’t have to agree ^^!

(Warning, This is me getting used to the whole layout thing + I hc almost the entire cast as Polyamorous)

Brimstone - He/they - I have no clue what his sexuality would be - This man is a he/they in a “I use he/him but people can use they/them on me” sort of way

Omen - Any pronouns(including neos/xenos) - Polyamorous queer - I feel like Omen wouldn’t really care about what people call them, she has her likes and dislikes, but isn’t really concerned about his gender

Viper - She/it/they - Polyamorous Aroflux Lesbian - Librafeminine - Okay. This might be purely projections but I’m a firm believer that Chamber and Viper are more queer platonic partners than romantic partners, again, I might be projecting as I am aroflux myself but let me have this

Raze - She/they/art/ze/boom - Lesbian - RAZE IS A LESBIAN. NANOBOMB LESBIANS REA

Cypher - He/it - Polyamorous Bisexual - Trans man - This man is a bisexual. There’s no denying it. (+BONUS!!! Nora - She/they - Trans woman - Bisexual - I NEED MORE NORA HCS. AMIR AND NORA T4T FR!!)

Sage - She/they - Polyamorous Lesbian - Sage doesn’t look like a man liker I’m sorry(also might just be me projecting)

Sova - He/it/hush/owl - Polyamorous Gay - Trans man - Right so the neo pronouns are most definitely projections AHA . I love Sova so much he’s such a silly guy (I ship him with almost the entire masc valorant cast I shit you not)

Phoenix - He/they - Polyamorous Bisexual - I. I have no explanation for this. There is no way Phoenix is straight .

Jett - She/they - Polyamorous Pansexual - I ALSO HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS The entire valorant thing is gay as hell 

Breach - He/it/flair - Queer - Trans masc - This guy’s gender is screaming.

Reyna - It/she/eye - Polyamorous Lesbian - REYNA IS A WOMAN LIKER !!!!!! SHE KISSES WOMAN !!!! I’M SAGE I WOULD KNOW !!!!!!!

Killjoy - they/It/xe/ze/she/bot/bit/robo/robot/nano/sys/com/tech/pix/pixel/exe/dot - Lesbian - Pangender - I’m so getting yelled at for this one . LISTEN. THERE IS NO WAY THE TECH LESBIAN IS CIS. IM SORRY BUT IM NOT SORRY . KJ’S GENDER IS ROBOTS.

Skye - She/they - Ambiamorous either Bi or Pansexual - Skye is so silly, idk if she’s bi or pan, but she swings both ways 

Yoru - He/they/it - Polyamorous Bisexual - When I was first learning the game and didn’t know the names of the characters I called Yoru ‘the bisexual’, and that has been so ingrained into my mind that whenever I panic and can’t speak properly I go “AH THERE’S A BISEXUAL-”

Astra - They/she/star - Lesbian - Listen I know that Galaxsea is great but I love Astra, Skye and Harbour as a gay/bi/lesbian trio, also because I love to think of their dynamic as a siblings

KAY/O - He/It/They/Bot/Toaster - no romance - I feel like he wouldn’t describe himself as aro/ace? Mainly because he doesn’t care. The neo pronouns were given to it by KJ as a joke, but the neos ended up sticking

Chamber - He/it/gold - Polyamorous Pansexual - They guy is so desperate he will try anyone. Honestly the guy just wants to be loved but at the same time is terrified of commitment

Neon - She/they/shock - Pansexual - Neon likes everyone, I don’t make the rules(but I do)

Fade - She/they/dae - Ambiamorous Lesbian(or omni fem lean idk) - Fade kisses Viper all the time fr(Fearbite real)

Harbor - He/it - Polyamorous Gay - HE KISSES MEN !!!!!!! You cannot look at this man and tell me he doesn’t kiss men on a daily basis

Gekko - He/him - Bisexual - This dude swings both ways !! He’s definitely screamed to Reyna about his crushes :3

[nerdygaymormon]

Genesis 19:26 - Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt

But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

The angels tell Lot to gather up his family and flee because the city is going to be destroyed. Don’t look behind you, don’t stop anywhere in the plains, but flee to the hills or else you’ll also be swept away. 

Lot, his wife, and two daughters leave. The Lord rains down brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot’s wife turns around to look and is turned into a pillar of salt. There is no further explanation, no moral of the story is given. She turns to salt and we move on.

—————————————————————

I have usually heard this taught as Lot's wife was turned to salt as punishment for disobeying the angels' warning. By looking back at the cities, it showed she secretly longed for that way of life, that’s where her heart was, and this made her unworthy. 

Lot was saved because Abraham pleaded for him, not because Lot was worthy to be saved. Lot was accepted by the residents of Sodom because he was a wealthy man, he lives as they live, and yet the woman is held up as the problem. 🙄

Maybe the sound of destruction caused her to turn to look to see what is making that noise. Maybe she’s thinking of her married daughters and sons-in-law who stayed behind. Maybe it’s one last look to remember her home and the memories and her family there.

—————————————————————

These scripture stories aren’t literal accounts, they’re meant to convey lessons and principles, to teach us how to live our life correctly. The author could’ve said that Lot’s wife (she doesn’t even get a name) is vaporized or disintegrated or turned into sand and blown away. Instead it's a pillar of salt. What are they trying to convey by this detail?

Instead of assuming this was a curse, what if we view this as a blessing?

Salt is valuable, wars have been fought over it. Salt is a preservative and has been used to treat meat so that it lasts and doesn’t go bad. Salt can pickle foods for future use for when food isn’t as plentiful.

Our tears are salty and being made into salt can be seen as recognizing the tears she has at the loss of so much life.

By becoming a pillar of salt, has become a memorial preserving the memory of what happened.

When there is tragedy or suffering, often the only thing we can do is bear witness. I can’t cure your cancer, but I can sit with you as you deal with the consequences of the treatment. I can’t relieve the loss you feel as you mourn someone who has passed away, but I can be present with you. I can’t change the transphobic laws that passed in my home state of Florida, but I can let you share your fear with me. 

There are people she loves in Sodom & Gomorrah. Perhaps she turned around to bear witness because she has pity for those who are there. For being a witness, she becomes a pillar of salt future people will see and recall this story.

—————————————————————

What would be a queer application of this?

Allies need to be witnesses to the pain inflicted on queer people. Allies need to testify of the suffering that the anti-gay and anti-trans laws cause in the lives of people they love. They need to testify of the results of theology that makes people feel broken and unworthy and causes families to abandon their own children. Our stories matter. Our stories need to be known and remembered. Our stories have the power to change hearts and lead to change.

Lot's wife became a memorial to the destruction of two cities and we need to witness and bear record of the suffering and marginalization of queer people

[merp-blerp]

I'm sorry if I'm insulting certain swifties, but I don't like the sudden theory that Midights was a breakup album the whole time. I understand the Jaylor breakup threw the fans for a loop, and we are used to clowning on average, but this theory... just doesn't make sense to me. Taylor and Joe were seen at least twice post-Midnights’s release before the breakup, so how could the album be about breaking-up with him? You think Taylor’s wrote breakup songs about him before they broke up, invisible stringing him along for a few months till she decided to call it quits? That’d be pretty mean of her. I don’t think anyone wants to believe that about her without proof. Maybe I’m misunderstanding the theory, but it just doesn’t make sense to me. And I’ve even seen people claiming that the breakup’s been hinted at since the Lover era. THE LOVER ERA! Come on, guys!

You can have any interpretation you’d like, but try not to connect it to Taylor’s personal life too hard to the point where you deluded yourself that you know her. She allows speculations like that, yes. But in moderation. Don’t be invasive. For example, I think songs like Ivy, Fearless, and I Know Places can have sapphic interpretations. Does that mean I’m labeling her as a lesbian or a sapphic person? No. I just like to interrupt songs through a sapphic lens sometimes ‘cause I’m a lesbian and want to relate on a personal level. I don’t think any of those songs are inherently sapphic just ‘cause I can interrupt them that way (except maybe Ivy, which tells a fictional story made up by Taylor). And I also don’t want to intrude on Tay’s life. If she’s queer that’s her business and she doesn’t owe the fans deep info on her sexuality. If she came out I’d be so happy for her; if she choose to “stay in the closet” or actively said that she wasn’t queer, I’d still be happy for her. In comparison, she doesn’t owe fans an explanation for what happened with Joe, so we shouldn’t make theories that intrude on both of them. Midnights could be interpreted as a breakup album, going through the stages of grief for a relationship, and it’s okay to do so. Does that mean it inherently is? It probably isn’t. It’s inherently about “sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life” because she said so. We’ve known this since the first announcement.

I know that many of us thought Taylor and Joe were never going to breakup ‘cause they made us believe in love, and the breakup has really made us feel a lot of things; it’s made some fans feel hurt and want to blame something or someone to get rid of the pain. And God knows we don’t want to blame Taylor, so some people (baselessly) are picking on Joe. I myself only began to believe that the breakup rumors were even true once Taylor began to (seemingly) reference that she was now single (and I don’t regret doing that) and I made a whole post about how it made me feel. But no need for us swifties to lose our heads and stop heeding logic over this. No need to try to sniff out what happened, invading Joe and Taylor’s personal lives. No need to start rumors about Joe cheating on her or anything else without Taylor saying he did so. No need to start making fun of Joe’s looks or whatever (though, toxic swifties were doing that even while they were together, so maybe I can’t ask them to get rid of their cognitive dissonance and not bully people in the name of a woman who notoriously hates bullying). No need to start shipping Taylor with her friends; shipping real people can get really toxic if you aren’t careful, so I recommend abstaining from it if you can. Please just respect Joe and Taylor instead of trying to find drama where there is seemingly none. They could’ve broken up amicably, have you considered that? We don’t even know where to look for drama right now in this situation. So many good things are happening with Taylor, like her breaking records yet again like the queen she is, so let’s try to focus on that. I too want the best for Taylor and don’t want to lift up those who’ve hurt her for no good reason, but we don’t know if Joe did anything. Keep cool while we slowly learn more—and I mean slowly—and respect those who deserve to be respected.