#not feeling super eloquent today

[madbard]

Normal person: “So, do you ship Sifloop or do you enjoy them as a freaky and fascinating metaphor for the complex interplay between self-hatred and self-love?”

Me: “…yes.”

[3hks]

How to Write a CHARMING Villain

Everyone loves a good villain, and they especially love a charming one. If you want to write an antagonist who's both evil yet irresistible, look no further!

1. Show Their "Kindness"

Kindness? Wait, I thought you said we're writing a villain today.

Yup, I mean it--make your antagonist appear kind. Realistically, someone who's polite and friendly is often considered more attractive than someone who's rude and judgmental, so make them kind. It doesn't have to be honest kindness, but you want your readers to doubt the malevolence of your character, if that makes sense.

You can show this kindness through small, daily actions; they don't have to have a lot of impact on the story. Something simple like leaving a big tip, granting a minion a vacation, letting someone go first in the line, and holding open the door all contribute to this image.

2. Smooth Talker

Effective communication is everything. If your villain is eloquent, they seem more capable and intelligent! However, if you're looking to expand further, explore what they can do with their speech.

Does everyone pay attention when they start speaking? Are they able to calmly resolve conflicts verbally? Are they really persuasive? Do they speak elegantly?

Show the effects of their communication skills!

3. Good leader

Make them a good leader. Make them consider how their subordinates might feel. Make them choose good decisions. Perhaps they give their workers days off when they need it. Perhaps they engage with their followers often. Perhaps they're more down-to-earth.

A solid leader looks respectable while a poor one looks ridiculous.

4. Intelligent + Logic

I say this all the time, but make your villains smart, make them logical, make your readers understand where they're coming from. Some of the best antagonists I've ever seen are not the ones that seem excessively evil or unhinged, but rather the ones that seem logical in their actions. And knowing that they're well-aware of their actions and the consequences makes things that much scarier.

if you want a charming villain, you have to start with someone who is competent.

5. Conflicting Moments

At the end of the day, your character is still the antagonist. Yes, they might appear kind, but that's not going to last forever. There will be times when they act unnecessary cruel, and that's okay.

Your audience might be unsettled and confused from the whiplash, and that's okay. Don't force your character into being someone else to satisfy the readers. Embrace the difference.

6. Backstory

Backstories matter for all different types of reasons. From establishing the basis to one's goals, morals, and values to providing the foundation for their character, an effective backstory can do a lot.

However, I want to specifically talk about how the backstory demonstrates someone overcoming their obstacles. If they made it to the present, then they really defied all odds to be here, and honestly? That's admirable (and attractive), no matter what kind of person they turn out to be.

Now, if you're thinking "what if I don't give the antagonist a painful backstory?", I'll address that real quick. You don't have to give them a super depressing past, but there will always be pain and hurt in their past, even if it isn't something "lifechanging" or there 24/7. There is no such thing as a perfect, happy past.

CONCLUSION

To quickly conclude, a charming villain is often not one who appears visibly evil, but one who appears compassionate, intelligent, well-spoken, and acts like a good leader.

Happy writing~

3hks :)

[kitkatscabinet]

NO THING DEFINES A MAN LIKE LOVE THAT MAKES HIM SOFT

requested by anon

summary: Jason's always been undeniably soft for you, his friends and family take every opportunity to tease him for it.

pairing: jason todd x wondergirl! reader

word count: 2.5k

You throw open the door to Jason's apartment, wincing when the wood slams against the wall with a bang.

Roy doesn't even look up when he greets you, too enthralled with whatever violent video game he's playing today. Jason, however, perks up at your arrival, putting his book down as he turns to look at you. He can't help it, the way he responds automatically at your presence, his face splitting into a bright smile at the sight of you.

You're too tired to walk around the couch, so you sit on the back of the couch, flipping yourself backwards inelegantly. You sink into the shitty couch beside Jason, draping yourself across his lap with a groan.

You've always been so free with your physical affection, but it still makes Jason's heart leap to his throat; butterflies erupt in his stomach like a child with their first crush.

He stiffens for a second, hands hovering awkwardly midair like he’s not sure where to put them with Roy suddenly watching so intently. On your waist? Your legs? Just hovering there like an idiot?

You shift, cuddling closer, totally oblivious to the dilemma you're causing.

Roy smirks at him from across the room, wriggling his brows suggestively. Jason flips him the bird, glaring harshly, before quickly retracting his hand when you turn to stare up at him. He has to fight back the urge to squirm under the weight of your adoring gaze.

You reach up, tugging at his little white curl playfully, before you turn back around and nestle into Jason’s stomach, content to steal all his body heat without a second thought.

Jason, poor Jason, just slowly rests his hand on your back like he’s afraid you’ll suddenly disappear if he moves even an inch. You let out a happy little hum, nuzzling further into him as your muscular arms encircle his waist.

Trapped as he is, Jason is powerless to stop Roy as his friend whips out his phone and takes an incriminating photo. "Group chat’s gonna love this," he murmurs gleefully.

Jason glares at him with the intensity of a thousand burning suns. "You’re dead to me." He whispers, careful not to wake you.

"Don't worry, I'll send it to you too." Jason refuses to verbalise how much he actually wants that.

You're out like a light, bruises decorating your skin and hair dishevelled from a long day of sparring, and yet you're still as beautiful as ever. He watches you sleep with no small amount of reverence, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth unbidden.

He still remembers the first time you met, with startling clarity. His memories of you are some of the only things untainted by the Lazarus Pit and his subsequent time in the League.

It was during his early days as Robin, when he was still rough around the edges and angry at the world, trying so desperately to prove himself.

Dick had been even more giddy than usual, promising Jason he had "a super duper exciting surprise that he'd absolutely love!" as he lured him down to the Batcave.

"I doubt it." He'd grumped, only to nearly instantly eat his words at the sight of Wonder Woman, the greatest hero ever. Not just Wonder Woman, but you, bright, breathtaking you.

You were a force of nature, all wild hair and sharper wit, smiling like the world hadn't yet taught you to be wary. You offer him your hand eagerly, and Jason takes it, his eyes trailing up and up and up.

"...You’re so tall." He inwardly cringes at his lack of eloquence, too tongue-tied at the literal demi-goddess towering over him.

"Is that a problem?" you asked curiously, arms folding across your chest as you looked him up and down. "Should I shrink myself to spare your ego, Robin?" Diana had warned you that men tended to feel emasculated when women were taller than they were, but you'd yet to experience that.

"No!" Jason practically shouts, as if the mere idea offended him.

Dick made a choking noise and immediately began texting someone, not that Jason noticed, entranced with you as he was.

(Jason would later learn this was the exact moment a group chat called 'Jason + Wondergirl = ENDGAME' was born.)

You'd then proceed to flatten him into the dirt for the next thirty minutes as you sparred, and Jason fell just a little bit in love.

You'd picked him up off the floor with ease, smiling dopily despite his busted lip, and he'd asked if you were ready to get serious. You'd laughed, full-bodied and delighted, and Jason had known then that he was doomed.

You became his person so effortlessly, it was almost embarrassing. You'd squeeze yourself into the spaces he left open, the cracks he didn’t realise were there, until he couldn’t imagine a world where you weren't right beside him.

You were his best friend, his confidante, his favourite person in the entire world.

Even when you argued, which was rare, because you always listened to him. When his anger got the better of him and he lashed out, you were understanding, refusing to let him push you away.

Even when he'd died and then come back different, wrong, you'd never once judged him or hated him. Bruce had been outraged at what Jason had become, but you'd offered nothing but kindness and understanding.

You never hated him or begrudged him for becoming a killer, nor did you attempt to stop him, simply happy to have him back by your side.

His brothers teased him relentlessly, but Jason couldn't prevent the smile that covered his face when you entered the room, even if he tried. Roy constantly comments on how his body releases the tension it always seems to hold whenever you're around. Even Bruce had become relentless in his not-so-subtle, offhand comments about the two of you, with Jason actually shooting at him when his old man brought up grandchildren.

Jason sighed softly, dragging a hand through his hair as he tried to push away those thoughts. Of you and him, together.

You shift slightly, face scrunching in your sleep, and he immediately softens even more, reaching out to brush a piece of hair from your forehead with infinite gentleness reserved solely for you.

His phone vibrates, but he stalwartly ignores it, even when Roy starts to gesture at him aggressively. It's not until he fears the constant vibrations will wake you that he snatches his phone up with a glare, only to find he's been added to a chat that he definitely wasn't part of before.

Arse-nal: LOOK AT HIM!! LOOK HOW SOFT HE IS!!!

Attached was the photo, an annoyingly well-taken photo, of you, fast asleep in his lap, using him as your personal pillow. But even worse is the clear adoration in his gaze as he stares down at you.

LoverBoy: fuck all of you. i hope you step on a pile of legos

Eldest Daughter Syndrome (Dick): VINDICATION!!!! Look at that face! I knew it. I’ve been telling you all, he's been obsessed with her for years. You think he’s tough? This dude’s a marshmallow when it comes to her.

Arse-nal: BRO IS WHIPPED. Now there's no refuting that he's literally softer than cotton candy.

Fastest Dumbass Alive (Wally): OH MY GOD IT'S HAPPENING! STATIONS EVERYONE!!! REMAIN CALM!!

Stalker (Tim): Didn't know you could smile. Ur glowing. This feels illegal.

BeastieBoy: That's that Amazon magic babyyyyy. His skin? CLEAR, crops? Watered, depression? Cured.

Demolition Barbie (Cassie): Why do i wanna cry? He's so in love its a little disgusting.

Ebony Dark’ness (Raven): What would the criminals say if they could see you now? The Big Bad Red Hood, secretly a wife guy, the world must be ending.

Lover Boy: Delete that shit before i delete you.

Arse-nal: No can do brother. The people deserve to see it. Maybe this will help you finally man up and express your feelings.

Fastest Dumbass Alive: RIGHT? LIKE, LETS NOT PRETEND THIS HASNT BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING. U 2 R SICKENINGLY SWEET

LoverBoy: You are weirdly intense about this. I feel mildly unsafe.

Fastest Dumbass Alive: SOME OF US HAVE BEEN INVESTED SINCE SEASON ONE, JASON. DONT DISRESPECT MY EMOTIONAL JOURNEY

Eldest daughter syndrome: I'm literally tearing up. y'all don't understand; Wally was there when Jason first awkwardly complimented her combat skills after she kicked his ass.

Arse-nal: Thats basically a proposal in Jason language.

Stalker: There are Oscar-nominated films with less buildup than this relationship. Waiting on that Netflix deal fr.

LoverBoy: I hate all of you. Deeply. Profoundly.

Queen Supreme (Donna): You love her though ;)

Fastest Dumbass Alive: YEAH, HOWS THAT FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. SO PROUD OF YOU <3

Jason wanted to scream, or throttle Roy, probably both, neither of which were options he had available as you were still sprawled across his lap.

Roy, sensing his luck was about to run out as Jason searched for something to throw, made a quick tactical retreat. (Not before snapping a bunch more photos, though.)

His thoughts of vengeance are abruptly derailed when you sigh happily, trying to push yourself closer against him in your sleep.

His neck will murder him tomorrow for sure, but Jason would rather die than wake you now. So he lets you spend the night like that, succumbing to sleep himself as he allows his imagination to run just a little wild.

Despite the furious ache in his body the next day, Jason had no regrets, not when it was the best sleep he'd had in years. He was on cloud 9 that day; nothing could bring him down.

Nothing until his phone started buzzing incessantly again.

Stalker: GUYS GUYS GUYS I MADE T-SHIRTS

Attached: a pic of a black t-shirt with the photo of Jason with you sleeping on his lap, printed below in giant bold letters is: "LOVER BOY"

Fastest Dumbass Alive: I AM ACTUALLY CRYING PUT ME DOWN FOR TEN I’M GIVING THEM OUT LIKE PARTY FAVOURS                                                                                                                                  Beastie Boy:                                                                                                        It hasn’t even been a day! The devil works hard, but Tim Drake works harder!!

Arse-nal:                                                                                  TIMOTHY. YOU BEAUTIFUL BOY I NEED A HOODIE TOO.

Eldest Daughter Syndrome: I’m buying in bulk. I’m handing them out at the next League meeting. 

Demolition Barbie: THIS IS THE GREATEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE. I WANT A TANK TOP VERSION.

Ebony Dark’ness: You are all unsupervised children. …but also I’ll take two.

Queen Supreme: We need matching hats. No one gets left behind.

Stalker: DON’T WORRY. Hats. Hoodies. Totes. Phone cases. I’m building an empire off Jason's misery. 

LoverBoy: I SWEAR TO GOD. IF I SEE ONE PERSON WEARING THAT SHIRT, YOU’RE ALL DEAD.

Fastest Dumbass Alive: 👕👕👕👕

Eldest Daughter Syndrome: Hey Jay, what size are you? Just wanna make sure your own shirt fits well. 

Arse-nal: NO ONE TELL HER. I WANNA SEE HIS FACE WHEN SHE SEES THEM IN THE WILD.

Ebony Dark’ness: This is the happiest I’ve seen all of you. Concerning.

Stalker: THE POWER OF LOVE, BABY. AND PETTY SIBLING BULLYING. BEAUTIFUL.

LoverBoy: i hope all your phones die at 1% when you're lost and need gps. i hope every chair you sit on has one short leg. i hope your toast falls butter side down. i hope you step on water in socks. i hate you. i hate you all so much. sleep with both eyes open.

Queen Supreme: We should get banners printed and roll them out at their wedding.

LoverBoy: I am begging you to touch grass. I am BEGGING you to seek help.

Stalker: too late bro. Train’s already left the station. By that I mean I’ve already sent the photo out to every hero number i have, I’m already getting requests. 

Fastest Dumbass Alive: hope ur ready to be the face of love, king <3

Jason clenches his teeth so hard he swears he hears a cracking noise. Oh god, he needed to find you, needed to explain before one of the idiots got to you first.

Unfortunately for him, Stephanie gets to you first, bursting into your room at the Titans tower, dressed in the prototype of the shirt.™

"Stephanie, what. is. that." You blink, focused on the garish neon pink text beneath the picture on her shirt.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She beams, wiping a fake tear from the corner of her eye. Steph had been prepared for embarrassment, what she hadn't been prepared for, was to see the glee on your face.

"Where did you get it. I want one." You demand, taking Steph by surprise.

Your gaze is so intense, and she ends up just stripping it off to give to you for fear that you'd take it by force. She's a lot shorter and slimmer than you, but luckily the shirt had been oversized on Steph already.

You're admiring it in the mirror, it really is a cute picture of the two of you, when Jason suddenly slides into your room, out of breath. "I need to... talk... to you." He trails off in horror, witnessing you wearing the abomination Tim had created to embarrass him.

"Baby, we're so cute!" You chirp, proudly showing off your new article of clothing.

"Baby?" Steph squeals in delight, typing something furiously on her phone as Jason just sighs.

"You're cute," he corrects, grabbing one of your hands and placing a kiss on the back of your palm.

Stephanie sputters, pointing an accusing finger at Jason, who's doing his damndest to ignore her existence.

You pull him closer, tugging him against your chest as you lean down to kiss him. You know Jason prefers to keep your relationship private, but you're pretty sure the cat is well and truly out of the bag now, and you really want to kiss your absolutely adorable boyfriend.

Jason, who is always powerless against your kisses, melts into you, barely noticing Stephanie's outraged squawking.

You're quick to shove the blonde out the door, locking it before she can barge her way back in, never once pulling away from Jason.

Though you've been together romantically for a while now, he's still unused to your touch, to how gently you cradle him with calloused, war-torn hands.

"You know they're going to be even more insufferable once Steph blabs right?"

"Hmm, don't care, just wanna show everyone how much I love you." The sincerity in your words nearly stops his heart, but not as much as it pounds against his chest when you pick him up, pinning him to your bed.

"But let's not think about them any longer, yeah?" He nods, anything you wanted, he'd give it to you.

[idkfitememate]

I NEED A CONTINUATION OF GOLDEN WEASEL!

Mountain Shaper Encounter

૮꒰˶ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ˶꒱ა Pairings : GN! Weasel Reader x Old Man & Mountain Shaper

૮꒰ྀི∩´ ᵕ `∩꒱ྀིა W.K. : 729

໒꒰ྀིᵔ ᵕ ᵔ ꒱ྀི১ Tags/CW&TW : fluff, more found family

As you sat wrapped around The Old Man’s neck, you watched as the scenery of Liyue passed you both by.

No one stared, looked, or even glanced at him, you guess it was noticeably pissing you off, because he began to gently scratch under your chin. You leaned into the gentle touch, making him chuckle.

The hand he wasn’t using to pet you was gripped around a cane, a basket hanging off his arm as well. Compared to rest of Liyue, he was dressed in extremely traditional clothing, his hair was tied into a traditional top knot with a beautiful guan. He also had a nice little beard. With his looks, you honestly wondered how old the man was, because on top of his… well his beauty, his home - despite it being a house boat - was also decked out in traditional furnishings and decor.

The only accessory you had was an earring made of mora with a dragon modeled after Morax attached to the bottom - it was a hanging earring. When you found out your old man had spent ONE HUNDRED MORA ON IT, you scolded him for an hour. Him kneeling as you stood on your hind legs loudly chittering at him.

The only reasons you wore it was because:

A. He bought it as a thank you for staying by his side, even in old age.

And

B. The damn thing cost a hundred mora why the fuck wouldn’t you

And finally

C. It helped differentiate you from other weasel thieves.

As you continued down the lanes, his little basket began to fill up, though its weight never seemed to bother him. You’d often chirp at him to see if you could carry it - you were strong for a weasel - but he’d just shake off your concerns with another chuckle.

And as you continued, you began to feel sleep with the gently sway of his body slowly walking along the paths, and probably would’ve too, if it weren’t for the fact that he stopped to speak with someone. Wait no that’s red and black bird.

… wait a minute.

“Mountain Shaper, my friend. Why do you walk among the mortals this fine day? To what do we owe the pleasure?” Did you mention The Old Man spoke super fucking eloquently? Because he does.

“Nothing but a stroll. And why are you here, old friend?” Wait Old Man knew an Adeptus? Old friend? What the hell-

“Ah, simply retrieving some items from the merchants. Nothing more. And as much as I’d adore to stay and chat, I must be off, so as to make me and my little friend here’s daily afternoon tea time, hehe!” You noticed that the Adeptus’s eyes were now on you, but only with a hint of curiosity.

“I see… well don’t let me take up more of your time.” The bird mused.

“Well actually… I believe we may have space for one more, if you’d care to join.” You looked around to see if anyone else was seeing this shit, but it seemed like no one else was around.

“Well if you’d allow me…” And with that, you were now walking with an Adeptus towards The Old Man’s houseboat. Feeling a bit bold, you stuck a paw out in the direction of the bird. All he did was glance at you, before chuckling. You smacked your lips before settling down on Old Man’s neck.

Your mind drifted as you thought of what tea he would make today… maybe Mountain Shaper would have something new in mind… perhaps a story awaited you as well… you yawned and closed your eyes, pressing your face into into the crook of your neck.

“You feel it as well, don’t you my friend.” Mountain Shaper asked.

“I do.” The Old Man responded.

“Will you ever tell them-“

“Only when the time is right.” The Old Man interrupted. “Now, they just want to live, and I will allow them that freedom. I have no right to strip that from them.”

“You sound like the God of Freedom.” The bird chuckled, making the Man sigh.

“Be quiet before I tie your beak shut.”

“*GASP* You wouldn’t dare!”

“I may not be as nimble as I was back then, but you and I both know you’d have no chance, especially if I actually tried.~”

“WHY YOU-“

໒꒰ྀི˶˙Ⱉ˙˶꒱ྀིა Author’s note : Uh oh, Old Man had a secret, what ever will it be?~ Anyway, Weasel really just wants to live life. And since we’re doing some past stuff now, I imagine they were a petty thief in their past life, which is why they became a little thieving guy in Genshin ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა!

[astroyongie]

Can you do that angel demon thing for TXT? and if possible more on how it affects their personality, thanks yongie!

Note: Sure thing! I will just put the same disclaimer than on the original post <33

TXT: Their Angel and Demon Influence

Notes: Let's start with some context first! In the Shem HaMephorash, which is derived from the Kabbalah and also linked with the Exodus 14:19-21, there's 72 Angels. These angels are represented in days of the year which are also based on the division of the 360-degree zodiac into 72 parts (each angel covering 5 degrees). In the The Lesser Key of Solomon (Lemegeton), specifically Ars Goetia, he also lists 72 demons although the origins of these spirits likely stem from a mix of Mesopotamian deities and spirits (Babylonian and Sumerian origins). However there's a gap between the 15 and 19 march in which is suggested that this is a "neutral period" where spiritual energy resets before the new cycle begins at the Aries equinox.

-> With this said, everyone of us (beside that gap) is ruled with a higher and lower astral which is supposed to influence our spiritual self.

This post is educational only <3 Have fun!

Soobin

➜ Higher astral: Nanael – Soobin was born under the influence of Nanael. He has an encouragement toward solitude, meaning he prefers to be alone and also enjoys divine contemplation like being alone on his own thoughts .Soobin is also a deep thinkers but he may struggle with isolation a lot.

➜ Lower astral: Caim – On his lower astral we have Caim. Now this means that Soobin was granted understanding of animals in a way where he can feel very empathetic toward them, can have deep connection with animals and his pets. he also has a lot of eloquence, people love to hear him talk. Soobin is also very intuitive but prone to outbursts.

Yeonjun

➜ Higher astral: Menadel – Yeonjun was born under the influence of Menadel. this energy makes Yeojun lucky because he will never know issues with employment and purpose in life. he will never be other than what he is today. Yeonjun is also someone who is very diligent but may fear instability with his life which can prone some control behaviors

➜ Lower astral: Stolas – Stolas is his lower astral being. so this energy makes Yeonjun have a thing for astronomy and being good with it if he studies and also with herbs (he would easily become an expert in medicine, plantation, ect). but yeonjun is also tempted on eccentricity. He is super brilliant but odd.

Beomgyu

➜ Higher astral: Mumiah – Beomgyu was born under the influence of Mumiah. Without a doubt, Beomgyu's life is full of rebirths and spiritual enlightenment in each cycle of his life. he is also someone who's wise but must avoid fear of change because that is the energy that always holds him back

➜ Lower astral: Andromalius – This lower astral is funny to me because he hates stealing. Meaning his influence goes on Beomgyu as someone who hates thieves and would try to always uncover them but beomgyu also hates uncovered secrets. the bad thing is that beomgu is also prone to be ruthless.

Taehyun

➜ Higher astral: Damabiah – Taehyun was born under the influence of Damabiah, which makes him blessed with wisdom and success in water related matters (most people with this placement swim well or have jobs related with water. needless to say he is safer on water than earth). Taehyun is intuitive but he is also emotional unstable in his every day life

➜ Lower astral: Andrealphus – his lower astral is Andrealphus and this demon makes Taehyun be very good in subjects like astronomy and geometry however he may also find it very confused as he understanding it but being unable to put it in practice with formatted methods. Taehyun is clever but chaotic overall

Hueningkai

➜ Higher astral: Omael – Kai was born under the influence of Omael. His energy makes Kai be someone who always have multiplication of resources when it comes to luck in life and he also has a thing for healing others and himself (rarely getting sick). Kai is blessed with generousity but may struggle with wastefulness.

➜ Lower astral: Forneus – and finally his lower astral is Forneus which means that Kai has an impeccable charisma to him and reputation that will always stick to him but he can also easily fosters deceit. Kai was blessed with respected energy but he can be very manipulative when needed

[thoughtportal]

In November 2024, PEN America released its key findings from over ten thousand documented cases of book bans that occurred in the 2023–2024 school year: Thirty-nine percent of reported books included LGBTQ+ content. Concurrently, the United States saw a surge in anti-trans legislation, a trend that continues into 2025. According to the independent research organization Trans Legislation Tracker, at the time of this writing, there are 700 active bills across forty-nine states that would gravely impact the lives of trans people; thirty-two have passed so far. And the current Trump administration has been openly hostile in its stance toward the community: removing content related to LGBTQ+ identity as well as HIV from the White House and CDC websites, erasing nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ federal employees, and threatening essential funding to institutions that promote “gender ideology,” including organizations applying for grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and hospitals offering gender-affirming care for trans youth. It is in this climate that queer authors persevere—not only writing and publishing novels, stories, essays, and poems, but also turning toward the broader community and capturing the wide array of experience and possibility in queer humanity.

Super Gay Poems: LGBTQIA+ Poetry After Stonewall was published by Belknap Press in April; So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color is forthcoming in May from Algonquin Books.

Highlighting the numerous shades of queer life is part of the mission behind the new anthology Super Gay Poems: LGBTQIA+ Poetry After Stonewall (Belknap Press, April 2025), a collection of fifty-one poems edited by poet and literary critic Stephanie Burt. Burt had been encouraged by Sharmila Sen, the editorial director of Harvard University Press, to write a follow-up collection to her book The Poem Is You: 60 Contemporary American Poems and How to Read Them (Belknap Press, 2016). Both collections include essays by Burt, written in response to each entry. For Super Gay Poems, Burt wanted to expand the scope of writers beyond the United States, to consider the craft internationally as well. 

“I wanted demographic variety: poets from various nations, and ethnic groups, and regions, and poets with other identity markers, such as physical disability,” Burt says. “I also wanted other kinds of variety, the kinds that distinguish poems but don’t show up in the census. Shyness and boldness. Terseness and copious eloquence. Old forms and devices…also the new weird, the casual, and the semi-recherché post-avant-garde. Humor and mourning. Youth and old age.”

Abundant in forms and voices, the pieces in Super Gay Poems represent windows into individual lives that may variously feel new to readers or reflect familiar experiences that affirm their sense of self. “Poems let people who can’t live out their own stories—and who among us can live all our stories out fully?—put words that speak for ourselves out into the world,” Burt says.

The question of whose stories are lived, told, and listened to was vital for the novelist Caro De Robertis as they wrote So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color (Algonquin Books, May 2025). “When it comes to trans and queer experience, storytelling can save lives,” De Robertis says. Composed of interviews and testimonies from twenty queer elders, the book serves as evidence of a longer queer cultural lineage as well as a guide for finding a path forward during difficult times. “Our trans and queer elders paved the way for the extent of freedoms we have today,” De Robertis says.

De Robertis further acknowledges why they believe it is crucial for a book like So Many Stars to exist right now: “There’s no question that this book feels extremely urgent in our current time, when trans and nonbinary rights—when the very existence of trans and nonbinary people—are under attack. There’s so much fear and pain in our communities right now. We need each other—to hear one another’s voices, to know we’ve got one another’s backs—more than ever. I think about that constantly, in terms of my responsibilities as a writer. And yet in some ways our responsibility as trans and queer writers hasn’t changed: It has always been our work to write against erasure.”

So Many Stars and other LGBTQ+ books are doing just that—curating and amplifying the stories that some are trying to tear down. Irreverence is in some cases a tool in this serious work, as in Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley’s Be Gay, Do Crime: Sixteen Stories of Queer Chaos, an anthology of short fiction forthcoming in June from Dzanc Books. A follow-up to their 2023 anthology, Peach Pit: Sixteen Stories of Unsavory Women, also published by Dzanc, the upcoming collection relishes queer havoc, protest, and the counterculture that has been integral to the longevity of queer life. 

This culture of resistance and defiance, as present in the queer literature of today, and in the stories and movements from our past, is emphatically grounded in an ethic of joy and love. “If you’re young and trans or gender nonconforming, never think you’re not loved,” De Robertis says. “Your elders see you, cherish you, and are cheering you on.”

Christopher Gonzalez is the author of the story collection I’m Not Hungry but I Could Eat (Santa Fe Writers Project, 2021). He splits his time between Brooklyn, New York, and Providence.

[romance-rambles]

[modern] cael | red dress, white dress

After Cael picks up a new hobby relating to your latest work, the two of you discuss weddings and wedding dresses. It ends with a proposal, from you to him.

1.8k, set after qixi [+ some spoilers for his whisper], romantic fluff + super self-indulgent, reader is mc, sequel to this cael fic [but you don't have to read it in order], series: none

IN THE TIME SINCE THE night of the QIxi festival, Cael has discovered an amusing new hobby with which to occupy himself with, when he's with you.

The words that the painter and the spirit speak—particularly towards end of your oneshot—are, evidently, not unrelated to your relationship with him. That much is obvious. And it'd be rather difficult to claim otherwise, given the faces they wear.

You haven't tried to, either.

Between the two of you, there is an acknowledgment, implicit, that they are a reflection of your innermost thoughts and desires. That they are the kind of daydreams that even someone eloquent as him would find difficult to describe, domestic and loving—just tumultuous enough to describe their standing, with the sort of fairytale ending most would wish for. That they are memories, transformed only in setting and time—only this time, they are not newly acquainted or on a time limit.

He thinks of the quaint little moment where the painter promises to make sure that no one will bother his lover. Had he not done the same for you, once, long ago?

He remembers the casual affection the spirit showers upon her love too, the way she finds herself with her head on his lap underneath the wisterias, and if that ever stops feeling familiar, it must be because he's lost his mind.

After all, you've always been an affectionate person. How can he miss it when the evidence remains in the lingering heat left by your touch? Through the way you so easily take his hand, or throw your arms around him—

When your lovesick gaze isn't boring holes into his body, that is.

He's no better in that regard. In some ways, he thinks he might be worse, with the way his loving gaze seems incapable of following anyone but you. But you might turn it into a competition if he brings it up, so Cael—well aware it won't end well for him—keeps his mouth shut.

Still, it's clear that you never expected him to start quoting your dialogue back at you.

It reminds him of one of the first times he'd properly let his mask down. The way the gears turned in your head, your deer-in-headlights expression betraying your panic before he'd clarified his joke. You'd stared at him—half-relieved, half-surprised, sitting in the silence a bit longer before you laughed.

Today, when you stare at him, there is a hint of defiance peeking through from underneath your flustered mien.

You're dressed casually, in a yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt with one of your favorite cartoon characters. Jagged lines run across the drawing, signaling its age. Some parts of the design have entirely vanished, but it remains one of your most faithful companions still.

With your head on his lap and legs thrown over the armrest, you're sprawled across the couch. In your hand is your phone, and before he dropped his line of the day on you, you'd been showing him a red dress that you really liked—one you intended to buy with your next paycheck.

"Thank you." The effect of your haughty tone is greatly lessened by the scarlet hue painting your cheeks. You clear your throat. "Does that mean you'd like to see me in a red dress?"

Cael chuckles, brushing your hair gently. "To me, it seems like you're the one who wants to be seen in a red dress."

"Of course, I do," you reply, your hand reaching out to play with his hair. "But red or white, it's not the dress that matters. As long as there's a certain someone waiting for me at the end."

For a moment, his quick-thinking mind betrays him, offering him nothing but static. He puts down the book in his hand down and carefully adjust the bookmark until it looks neat. His attention had left its crisp pages when you'd sat down beside him, but it remained in his hand still.

Occasionally, he would flip to the next page, then remember that he had absorbed none of the words on the previous page. So, he would go back, a fact that had not escaped your keen gaze—you'd teased him plenty for it, and who was he to stop you?

"I wonder who that certain someone is," he murmurs.

"I think he knows who he is," you answer, holding onto the end of his now braided strands. After a moment of digging around in your pockets, and the sofa as well, you managed to find a hair tie. "Or, he should, by this point."

"Indeed," Cael says, earning himself a wry smile from you. "It would be difficult to miss."

Enamored by your smile, he sifts through his memories, searching for the line that had left every single reader in desperate search of their own painter.

You'd been rather pleased when you went scrolling through the comments, with a smile so big it bordered on evil. So pleased, in fact, that you made sure to show him every such comment. The underlying meaning to your words was clear—you'd already found your painter, after all.

You'd have a big ego if you were dating someone so pretty too, you'd said, when he'd commented offhandedly on it.

He remembers responding with:

Then I'm certain I have the biggest ego out of anyone.

Though, his words ended up only disarming you for a brief second. It wasn't long before you were throwing your arms around him and calling him a liar ". But for the time being, the comment section was forgotten, and it was just you and him—and Beanie, watching you both from his favorite spot underneath the round table in the corner, seemingly miffed at being excluded.

He had snuck in a few extra treats for him.

Then, all was well in their relationship once more.

"'If that day ever comes, no matter what you want—'" Cael smiles helplessly, remembering the way you'd so easily captured his expression on the painter's face. "'I'll do everything in my power to bring you the most elegant wedding in the entire world.' Though you said the dress itself doesn't matter..."

You inhale sharply, seemingly forgetting—for a moment—that you're in the middle of braiding another section of his hair. When you look back at him, having looked away, your eyes are shining with poorly-disguised affection and your voice is painfully soft.

"When," you correct. "When that day comes. That's what I should've written down."

Letting go of his hair, you pull yourself off his lap and draw your knees closer to your chest. You rest your head on his shoulder. And as loose dark hair begins to tickle his cheek, his hand seeks out yours, pinky finger brushing against the back of your hand.

"When that day comes, we'll get married."

His gaze softens when he looks at you, in the midst of murmuring his agreement. Your wedding is something he's thought about often—his own is not. But now, the groom at the altar is no longer a blurry figure, devoid of any recognizable qualities and having only an aura of happiness that befits a day so celebrated.

It is something he'll ponder over until the day comes, all so that you're the happiest bride to ever live, whether on Earth or any other world.

"Good." You squeeze his hand gently. "Consider it a proposal then."

"It's the first time I've ever been proposed to," he comments offhandedly.

"Really?" For some reason, you sound surprised. And though your words sound like they could pass for a joke, the thoughtful note to them makes it clear that they are not. "Alright, I'm taking it back. I'll make sure to come back with a ring next time."

Cael smiles helplessly at you. "I'm not sure if you can take something like that back so easily."

His breath catches in his throat when you lift your head slightly to meet his gaze. Because in that moment, you're smiling at him brightly, It is blinding. While he's distracted, you lean in close and steal a quick kiss from his lips.

"Temporary measure," you respond, squinting at him in faux annoyance. "You're not getting rid of me so easily."

In a voice so soft that he's half certain you'll miss it, he says, sincerely, "I would never dream of it."

Judging by the way your smile widens into a grin, you don't miss it at all.

+extra

"YOU KNOW, YOU MISSED IT BEFORE," you point out unexpectedly, long after they've moved on from the topic of weddings and wedding dresses.

Cael catches onto the context immediately.

It's past dinner time now. The dirty dishes in the sink wait for you and your yellow rubber gloves patiently for their turn. He'd been the one to make dinner, something quick and easy, per your request. Your wish for the day had been "a lazy day together", so your initial intention was to order to takeout.

But halfway through the day, you began to crave his cooking.

Once he'd made sure the ingredients were there, getting them both out of a trip to the supermarket, you had no reason to refuse his offer. So you'd scrapped your plans and followed him into the kitchen to help.

"I'm not sure it would've been very appropriate to point out," he says, from where he sits at the dining table.

He'd expected nothing to come out of it, so he simply never brought it up. There were more important things to worry about at the time—your presence in Godheim, and all that came after that. His heart aches at the memory of your tears, particularly because he'd been the one to cause them.

They'd never properly spoken of it—of the day Peter Pan understood, but could not bring himself to make peace with, the fact that Wendy would have to leave him one day.

"After all, you were a teenager," Cael adds, remembering what he'd told your friend Natalie. "It would be no different than taking advantage of you."

His words, however, go in one ear and go out the other. You're rather specific about what you choose to pick out from his words, your next words discarding all but the subtext.

"So, you did know about my crush on you."

Though your words are undeniably a conclusion, a statement and not a question, they carry with them an expectation of a response. You crane your neck to fix him with an equally expectant stare, as if the weight behind your words isn't enough.

"Yes, I knew about your crush on me," Cael admits wryly. A helpless sigh accompanies his words. "What brought this on?"

You hum strainedly, returning to your dishes. "Nothing."

For the time being, he leaves it at that.

It is only when the two of you happen to encounter Lars while on a date that he discovers the truth, after some coaxing on his part. That you'd been under the impression that your crush on him was a secret kept carefully under wraps. That it'd been Lars who'd guessed otherwise—after some advice on how to handle Cael's new hobby—and subsequently been proven correct, leaving you to sulk on your own.

Unsurprisingly, Cael does not manage to stifle his laughter before you notice.

[friendofbetty]

Thoughts on the day of the Super Bowl

Ahhh I remember two years ago when here in England you wouldn’t even have a clue that it was superbowl weekend. Good old times.

My only offline Taylor friend asked me yesterday why I don’t listen to TTPD anymore. I didn’t shut up about how much I love this album last year, yesterday she asked me if I don’t love it anymore. And no, I do still love it, that’s the point.

I don’t listen to it because if I did, I’d feel all the feelings and think all the thoughts that I did when I first heard these songs 10 months ago. I’d have sympathy for a closeted gay woman with 20 years of anger and pain and admiration for her as an artist who’s able to pack all those traumas so eloquently into songs. And I don’t want that right now. Because she doesn’t deserve my admiration in a time like this when people are rightfully scared and she’s making money for the NFL and cuddling Trump supporters on a global stage. I don’t care about the motives, it’s gross and hypocritical, she could bring out an exposure documentary tomorrow and I still wouldn’t think of it any other way. It might be petty, but I want to have the moral high ground on this.

My dad spent his 61st birthday yesterday handing out flyers and asking people in my home town in Germany not to vote for nazis in the upcoming election. In 2025 that should not be a hot take. But it is. Because the world at large is catering to Sarah’s and Hannah’s rather than telling them to f** off. Like a certain blonde billionaire. So I’ll be doing my best today and tomorrow to avoid this shit show. I’m not fixing the world, but at least I’m not making it worse.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Anon Advice Asks - February 27

teen angst anon, pinterest anon (new), comparing anon (new), mature anon (new), @teasiswriter

teen angst anon

teen angst anon here!

I’m going out of my normal cycle to tell you about the super fun thing that happened to me, so sorry about that (can you tell how neurotypical I am?! I’m literally the most neurotypical person ever omg)

ok, so basically, I’ve been collapsing (blacking out, but not loosing consciousness) a lot lately, so when I went to the doctor for my routine “dying of a chronic illness” checkup, I was like “hey! Ummm … this feels bad, right?” And she was like “YEAH thats not good”. So she was like “we’re gonna run a bunch of labs, and see what’s going on about that”. So me and my parents went today, and they were like “ooh more tests got added - that’s gonna be a lot of blood” and my dad was like … can she just do it all today? Because if she has to do it in two, she’s going to be scared for the second one. Which, is fair. So they’re like “yeah technically?” So it ended up being four vials of blood, which isn’t terrible? I think? But, the Phlebotomist told me to tell her about my favorite subject in school (History). So, me being me, I decide to tell her about the Spanish Inquisition! I did pass out, which sucked, and then when I woke up I puked. So anyway. I’m still kinda delirious and I’m sure this is not the most eloquent story I’ve ever told, but whatevs.

also - on another note. In regards to my friend, my parents know, and she has a therapist. And, my best friend and I are currently in the process of convincing her to tell our school. Worst comes to worst, we’d rather she get hospitalized than be in her parents house.

oh my....I really hope the tests at least give you some answers so it was worth it, because that sounds awful.

As far as your friend, it sounds like you're doing really well with helping her. I'm so glad your parents know and she has a therapist <3 I hope you convince her to tell the school!

____

Pinterest anon

okay so we're currently having our finals and i sent one of my friends several pinterest edits and reels this week. tbf, there's like thirty of each and obviously i didn't really expect them to watch it during the week because finals. so i asked them yesterday and they were like "im busy not now after the exams" except they sent one of our friends a seven minute long voice message, sent several reels themselves yesterday and posts after saying "i don't have time to watch them" (them being the ones i sent) when i first brought it up like it's not that they don't have time, they clearly do, but they don't feel like watching them and that's fine but like just say that you don't feel like it or that you feel too lazy to reply literally anything that's even remotely more conceivable than a blatant lie like i know for a fact that they had the time but they just didn't want to which is also okay but like stop with the bullshit maybe??

Hi!

Okay I'm not trying to make excuses for your friend because i totally understand where you're coming from and you have a right to your feelings...but I know for me, when people send me a LOT at once, I get overwhelmed and I don't want to look at any of it. Like when I see I have 16 unread texts, I can't bring myself to look at any of them, but if I only have one, it's easier. Maybe it's something like that? Again, you still have a right to your feelings but maybe it's something like that?

____________

Comparing anon

HI CASS!!!

uhmmm I don't really write these (ever), but I really need to get someone's opinion or just to tell someone.

but iv been getting better from a really bad period, but I can find myself slowly drifting back and I'm terrified because it was such a bad time for me. but the thing is I really just need to talk someone or just a hug tbh, but I don't have many friends or talk to them outside of school. however I talk to one friend and I love them so much, but their barely message me if I talk to them and always reply really short and give me nothing to go off. and ik their going through a hard time right now but won't let me in so I have no idea how to help them. ANYWAY, as much as I love them, I find myself constantly comparing myself to them, and base my mood around on how they treat me and honestly their making me worse, even though they probably don't mean it.

sorry for yapping on and on, but I just don't know what to do cause they are literally the only person I keep in contact with and don't want to lose the one thing helping feel connected in life, but it's making me fall deeper into the hole of badness and yuckiness.

( p.s IV REALISED HOW MUCH IV TALKED, IM SO SORRY, YOU DONT HAVE TO REPLY TO THIS IS YOU DONT WANT)

Hi!

Please don't feel bad at all!

Honestly I think the first thing to do is to talk to them. Share how you're feeling. Hell, even show them this ask. It could be that they're struggling so much with their own shit that they don't realize what you're going through. I know it's scary to lay your feelings out like that, but communication is so important in a friendship, and this sounds like an important friendship for you. <3

Keep me updated!

____

mature anon

Hello Cas!!! I'm a nonbinary person, and I struggle a lot with pronouns in my native language. In my language, we don’t have neutral pronouns like they/them in English. The people in the community have basically created a new one for us, but when I tell you everyone makes fun of it, I mean, it's treated as so unserious and pathetic. There are even memes going around mocking nonbinary people for using those pronouns, as if it's just some joke.

People associate those pronouns with a joke, with a meme. They basically bullied a nonbinary person for using them, and those are the pronouns I feel the most comfortable with, in fact, the only ones. But people see them as immature. I'm 26 years old, I have a full-time job, and I'm expected to be "more mature than that." But you have no idea how much it HURTS every time people use other pronouns for me. I can't correct them, and even the most liberal and open-minded people don't accept those pronouns. Gender-neutral pronouns simply don’t exist in my language.

It's honestly so hard, and I feel like the only time I can be myself is here on the internet, behind a screen, using they/them pronouns that allow me to breathe. I don’t know why it matters so much, but it does, especially knowing I will have to live my whole life like this. But this is a safe space for me, and your account feels like a hug to the soul. I guess that's why I'm sending this message to you.

"I don't know why it matters so much" um it matters because it's who you are! Of COURSE it matters! This sounds SO infuriating and invalidating and I am so sorry <3 It makes me happy that I can give you a safe space, but you deserve a lot more than that, and I'm sorry you're not getting it. I'm sending you all the love and hugs and respect, because you deserve respect for your identity.

__________

@teasiswriter

Hellooooo! I hope you’re doing well

Earlier I mentioned my old abusive friends but I’ve been thinking about them and some other trauma more often and I m not sure what to do? I mean I was planning on suppressing it until I got to college or something and could get a therapist, or if i was asked about it by someone I could trust? But I was told that suppressing it is bad for me. What should I do? Do I think about it? Remember it? Deconstruct what I feel about it? That sounds exhausting, that hurts. But I’m not supposed to suppress it apparently… and I don’t have anyone to talk about it with right now

What do I do with it?

Yeah suppressing it isn't great. But you're right that working through it can be scary and exhausting. Do you have a trusted adult you can talk to about it (teacher, parent, family member, family friend, coach, guidance counselor)? Or maybe if you could find some online forums to talk about it on? If not, as long as it doesn't make your mental health worse, you could try writing about it, drawing about it, something like that?

[my-prompt-dump]

WIP for Soldier Boy x OC JPad character on The Boys that I made up based on this post

Jared's character will allude his Sam character and some demonic elements too. I think it'd be a nice touch too to name him Sam, Nick, or even Dean (both for spn and gilmore girls reference)

ANYWAY

For this WIPs sake, he's Sam Moore (very original). He's one of the scientists that is doing tests on Soldier Boy while he's stuck in that facility Homelander put him in.

At first, Soldier Boy hated the guy. Doing weird ass tests and poking him with shit he can't pronounce (don't get him started on the stupid electroshock BS that's "important to test your brainwaves" or whatever nerd speak). Seriously, this dude is so pretentious.

Sam is mostly cold to him but after a while, Soldier Boy got bored of being a douchebag and decided to just be an annoying asshole instead. With nothing else to entertain himself, he cracked jokes and yapped about everything until one day, he got a reaction out of Sam. The man rolled his eyes in exasperation from his latest creative joke of the week.

"Ha! So you do have a sense of humor!"

Sam doesn't remove his focus from writing down today's test results. "Never said I didn't."

"Admit it. You find me funny."

"Hilarious." Sam said sarcasticlly.

"By the way, Sammy. When's this thing gonna end? This shit is lasting longer than usual."

"Maybe if you shut the fuck up once in a while, we'd get done faster."

"I feel bad for the girl you're fuckin' if that's how you think."

Then one time Sam missed a schedule. His tests were performed by a girl too shy to be acting like a torture scientist. He asks the girl if Sam had a day off or something as nonchalantly as possible, to which the girl just said: "Sam is uh, indisposed! And he is not allowed to leave the premises, Mr. Soldier Boy sir."

"The fuck does that mean?"

"I uhm- I do not have the authority to share that with you. Sam will be back as soon as he can."

"But where is he?"

"Sam is still indis-"

"Yeah. Indisposed. Heard you the first time."

Soon turns out to be 2 days later. And Sam looks... like hell.

"The fuck happened to you?"

"Your stupid son did."

"Told you not to call him my son. He's more like a sperm that didn't get swallowed."

"Very eloquent."

"You're deflecting. What do you mean Walmart me did that to you?"

"What? You can't understand English now? Should I ask Katie what kind of new tests did she do?"

Soldier Boy likes the banter on a normal day but he's getting annoyed now. "You mean to tell me you went and got in a fight with Homelander and you aren't dead?"

"It was just.. a disagreement."

And that's when it hit Soldier Boy.

"You're a Supe." It wasn't a question but Sam's silence is all the answer he needed.

"Holy shit, you are."

"No. I'm not a Supe."

"Super speed? Strength?" Soldier Boy sees the wounds. "Healing."

"No. Not exactly."

And that was the end of the conversation. Sam refused to talk to him any further and he stopped the next time they saw each other because he can't take this silent treatment.

He's about to tear his hair out from curiosity, though. And he got some kind of answer on their nth schedule this month when Homelander decided he wants to sit in. Soldier Boy is not even trying to hide how he's ignoring the stupid fuck.

"How is he reacting to the new version of V?" Homelander decides to ask Sam.

"Nothing. Because I stopped it."

Homelander freezes and turns his deadly eyes on Sam. "What?"

"I said I stopped it. It wasn't giving productive results."

"And who said you could do that?"

"I did. When you people made me in charge of him."

"I specifically requested for that test. You answer to me!" Homelander is letting his anger explode now.

"I answer to no one. I'm the one doing the tests, I'll decide what to take."

Homelander is all up in Sam's face now. He's floating the the air to be even be eye level of Sam. Most fucks from the Seven would cower in even the slightest bit of anger from Homelander, but Sam barely flinches.

"I'm gonna-"

"Kill me? Do it. We both know I'm more valuable to Vought that you or any of the other Supes in the building right now."

"You will beg for death when I'm done with you."

"I'm not here to beg for anyone. I came here to tell you that I saw you."

"What?" Yeah what? Soldier Boy is lost.

"I saw you."

A realization dawned on Homelander's face but quickly put up his stoic mask again.

"Sometime this month, when a bus load of your fans show up, I'm going to be out there, on Vought's front lawn. And you're going to tuck your tail between your legs and run.

Homelander scoffs. "And why would I do that?"

"Because I don't think you're better than me, John." The lights of the lab began flickering. "I have the Devil's favor on my side. And you? You're just meat in spandex. And I'd love to see the whole world's reaction when I prove that to you."

-------------------------------------------

A bit inspired by one quote of the Umbrella Academy. But essentially, Sam's ability is that he's still the actual Devil's vessel and got most of "Lucifer's" powers plus visions. He's also a bit immortal since Luci keeps bringing him back when he dies.

Next premise I'm thinking if Butcher and co. finding out that SB is held there and went to break him out. Found him, but was intercepted by Homelander. Sam stays behind to hold him off because he says that he can't leave the building anyway- he's tethered. The whole facility has a giant Devil's trap under it and that's how Sam's being kept there.

SB refuses to leave him behind but was assured it'll be okay by Sam. The building is slowly getting destroyed by Homelander's attacks.

SB and co. get out and Hughie or someone sees something from beneath the cracked floor. He yells for SB to punch the floor and when he did, the trap is broken.

There was silence and then a huge eldritch thing emerges from inside the building and devours it whole. People are screaming, running, evacuating.

They see Homelander fly out and zooms away into the distant sky.

The whole structure collapses and they see something on top off the rubble. For a moment, they saw a monster with wings and horns and snakes and blood, and next thing they saw Sam. Normal, lab coat wearing Sam.

Sam collapses from it. They gather him up and escape.

[bubble-popping]

day 21 i'm so consistent :) we'll see how long it rly lasts. more cryptid c!dream :D

He decided his best shot, since the thing could fucking teleport, was consulting an expert in the field. "Ranboo, I need your help." The chill of Snowchester was nothing compared to the literal Arctic, especially with his many layers of clothing and furs. The dual-toned ender hybrid stared at him, wide-eyed and speechless for a long moment. "Um. That's... probably the last thing I expected you to say. What, uh, what do you need my help with?"

"I have a pest problem, Ranboo, and I require your specific level of expertise." He explained so eloquently, yet Ranboo seemed even more confused than before.

"Oookay? Um, lead the way, I guess? I don't have anything special to do today, sooo..."

Exactly twenty minutes later, the two were trekking through the snow towards Techno's cozy cottage.

Techno looked over the horizon and smirked. "Perfect. It'll be here soon."

And the way he said that had Ranboo even more on edge, reluctance in his voice when he asked, "Um, what is it?"

"You'll see. It always come out at night," the pinkette said, nonchalant and cryptically terrifying at the same time.

"Oh. Okay."

The feeling of dread only worsened as they sat in Techno's living room in utter silence, not even a crackling fire to quell the awkwardness and tension. However, Techno just looked deep in concentration. His eyes were closed, body leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. He almost looked to be meditating, if not for the serious crease in his brow and stiffness in his muscles.

Ranboo really wanted to ask what the hell was going on, why he of all people had to be here, and how it was possible that The Technoblade needed help with something. Finally, after far too long of suffocating silence, Ranboo opened his mouth to speak-

Only for a sudden smash! to startle them both. Techno sprang to his feet and took Ranboo by the arm, hauling him up as well and pointing a finger to his lips. "Stay quiet. Don't spook it."

Ranboo quickly nodded his head and made no complaints as the clearly unhinged man led him to the basement trapdoor--resolutely ignoring how horrific that truly sounded--since he very much liked the fact that his head was attached to his shoulders.

Techno produced a torch from his inventory, marginally adding to the light of the torch already there. Some feet away, near the back of the room, laid the pieces of a broken glass bottle. As they walked closer to investigate, Techno grabbed his sleeve, halting him in his tracks, then gestured with his torch something off to the side.

Well, someone, actually.

Someone that Ranboo thought he recognized, though he wasn't sure why.

He addressed them, a simple greeting, but in a foreign tongue Techno could never hope to understand.

They jolted, retracting from rummaging in a chest to stare unblinking at the two. Their ears were perked, tail raised, the same pose they usually took just before they vanished.

Except, this time, they broke into a wide grin. They responded, just as indecipherable and not too unlike the guttural sounds of regular endermen, but in what Techno assumed to be an enthusiastic tone.

Ranboo too smiled, pointing to himself before pointing to them. Again, they replied, having lost interest in the chest enough to fully face them.

"So, what's up? What's it sayin'?" Techno interrupted, reminding Ranboo of the whole reason he was brought here in the first place.

"Oh! Right, so, this is a Farlands enderman, Farlander for short. They're super rare, especially so close to the server spawn. I'm not really sure why or how he got here-"

"Ranboo, Ranboo, it's great yer makin' friends and all, but can ya ask why he keeps trespassin' on my property?"

"Uh, I can try? I'm actually pretty bad at speaking Enderian besides the basics. I can understand it perfectly, even though he's got kinda, I guess what you guys would call an 'accent,' but anyway, holding a conversation is a whole different-"

The Farlander spoke again, surprising the duo to see he'd gotten closer.

"Oh, perfect! He understands English!"

"Wow, that's really convenient. Well, what'd he say?"

"He said he really likes honey."

Techno blinked, glancing between the two enders. "What does that have to do with my basement?"

At this, the Farlander took out a glass bottle as if demonstrating something while he explained.

"He saw how mad you got about what he did to the hives so he got the idea to harvest the honey in bottles like he saw you do before," Ranboo translated.

"That's it? Ya just wanted honey? Ya coulda just asked!"

He deadpanned and muttered something.

"You wouldn't have understood him. Plus, he didn't say this, but you'd probably be pretty freaked out if he just appeared one day trying to ask for honey in Enderian."

"I was pretty freaked out when this thief snuck into my basement and started stealin' my stuff! It wasn't about honey then, now was it?"

The Farlander fidgeted with his nails, sheepishly saying something under his breath.

"He was just really hungry and needed food, but he's sorry for scaring you."

"Scared? Of this oversized fluffball? Not a chance, I was merely confused. But nonetheless, I accept yer apology."

He beamed, showing off sharp canines, as his tail wagged behind him.

"Well, seems like you guys have this figured out now, so I'm gonna-"

"Ah-ah, not so fast, Ranboo. I wanna know what this guy's plan is! Are ya just gonna keep stealin' from me?"

The Farlander seemed to have a sad look on his face when he spoke now. Ranboo placed a hand over his heart, clearly touched by what he said.

"He'd gotten separated from his haunt in a blizzard. He tried looking for them, but hasn't found a single trace, so now he's alone trying to fend for himself."

"Yeah, sounds exactly like the kinda tragic backstory a traitor gives ya before stabbin' ya in the back."

"I'm... not gonna try to unpack all that, but it is serious for endermen to stay with their haunts until they're ready to go out on their own."

"I fail to see how's that my problem."

"Dude..."

"Yer the other enderman here! I dunno the first thing about takin' care of-"

Their argument was interrupted by the Farlander abruptly throwing his arms around Techno's shoulders and hugging him. The pinkette scowled at Ranboo's smug expression.

"Looks like he's already made up his mind."

And that was how Techno accidentally acquired a roommate.

[spacesummerchronicles]

Space’s Summer Chronicles #2: June 2nd

Today was my first day working part-time at my job! It was wonderful, I got a lot done and finished super quickly. Alas, the consequences of my own decisions have started to catch up to me. As I'm currently waiting for my salary, I couldn't really go out in the afternoon, but that shouldn't have been a problem, I made do all the time as a kid. However, I had to help my parents with their remote jobs so i spent half the afternoon doing that. Not the most summer-y activity, but I've always had the theory that restriction and change of plans makes things memorable, and honestly, I had fun helping them. It was a pretty uneventful day, I had dinner afterwards, watched the sunset in the yard and then I spent the evening planning my Budapest trip. Let me tell you, there are a LOT of things to see in Budapest (and somehow the entry fees are higher than the attractions in Paris? crazy, but I get it, Balkans. Balkans-ish? idk). Can't wait to depart soon!

Tomorrow's my friend's birthday and we're celebrating with a dinner. I have to post an Instagram story congratulating him, pray for me, I need to find some pics of us together, we don't take a lot.

I am currently enjoying the rhythm of doing things all day and then spending my time before bed writing these.... entries. Although I'm usually way more eloquent, the stream-of-consciousness thing is relaxing. I'm a very nostalgic person (and an INTP, so my tertiary function is Si, iykyk) so I can't wait to reread these posts in two years and feel accomplished and wistful hehe.

ANYWAYS I WANT MY SALARY ARGHHHHH

Summer progress bar: 1.8%/100%

random pics from today:

[blondiest]

you have got to be fucking kidding me.

alright. i wasn't going to say anything at first, because initially i thought it was just a few eerie similarities, but this is egregious:

this story, posted today, is a very clear ripoff of what doesn't kill me makes me want you more, which i posted an excerpt from two days ago and linked to in the ship tag.

in this copycat fic, there are two really key differences. a) near is three years younger, and b) it's explicit smut. i personally am not interested in policing what other people write as long as it's tagged, but it is very, very upsetting and frustrating to me to have an idea of mine taken and used like this in particular. it's like this person wrote a porno parody of my story.

i am angry! it's actually hard for me to express how upsetting this is to me! what doesn't kill me is one of my dearest ideas. it's one i'm really attached to and proud of. i don't know how this person thought it would go unnoticed in such a small ship, honestly. maybe they just didn't think i would say anything. maybe they're just deeply unfamiliar with basic fucking etiquette and online behavior.

this isn't going to be super eloquent or coherent on my part because of how upset i am, but i think if you look at the examples below, it'll be pretty fucking clear why. there is a distinct difference between writing something inspired by someone else's work -- in which case it's polite to credit them -- and wholesale ripping it off.

let's get to it, i guess. i'll put this below the cut in order to not be deeply annoying and take up a bunch of space on your dashboard.

if you feel so inclined. feel free to go ahead and report the fic for plagiarism.

for starters, here is the opening of what doesn't kill me:

and here is the opening of Broken Glass-Shield:

here is a passage from later in chapter 1 of what doesn't kill me:

and here is a passage from Broken-Glass Shield:

again. a passage from what doesn't kill me:

and from Broken-Glass Shield:

an excerpt of what doesn't kill me that i posted two days ago in the ship tag:

an excerpt from Broken-Glass Shield:

from what doesn't kill me chapter 1:

and from Broken-Glass Shield:

AND I'M NOT DONE. SOMEHOW.

from what doesn't kill me:

from Broken-Glass Shield:

[stoopid-turtle]

hello... 😅 uhm, first of all, i truly am sorry in advance for being awkward 😭 but for once i decided not to let my awkwardness keep me from sharing (what i think/hope are) positive thoughts with a stranger on the internet, so here i am.

i'm not around much and legit only made this acc bc like you i'm a late bloomer here and needed as many outlets for my yizhan/wangxian obsession as i could get my greedy hands on, in the big year of 2023... sigh. anyway, as an avid lover of meta/analysis posts since my early fandom days began around 15 (oof 🥲) years ago, finding your acc was such a lovely surprise. i agree with your views a LOT, and really appreciate how eloquent and well-written your posts are! even more so bc there's a lot i still don't know and most of the time the source material is very hard to reach and/or understand due to the language barrier, so having other turtles to rely on to access those, even if filtered by their own biases/opinions, is wonderful. besides, such input coming from a new fan is also comforting and imo refreshing, juxtaposed with that of older fans... it keeps the fandom alive and all that jazz. it's also very brave given how ruthless some folks can be on the internet, and on this corner in particular 😮‍💨 it just felt like reading my own thoughts written by someone else sometimes. i gasped and nodded at your posts soooo many times djskdjdj thank you for that!

(btw you followed me back the other day and i legit fangirled irl bc ??? whatttttt 😅 i still think it was an accident but okay omg djskdjdj AHEM. sorry)

then today i logged in and read your recent posts feeling squeamish about sharing more thoughts and as much as i 100% relate to you saying that kind of attention makes you anxious, i just... idk, i had to let you know i enjoy everything you post, even though adult life has kept me from being able to read it all so far. i understand you stepping back and i respect that decision, i'm not by any means asking you to go against what you know is best for you. at the same time, i can't help but hope you'll still show up every now and then bc your posts will be missed 🥲 i guess the whole motivation behind this is that it just made me sad to think your valuable insights will be something i'm yet again late to, if that makes sense?

djskdjdj again, i'm so sorry for being awkward and weird and dropping all of this on your inbox unprovoked. you don't have to reply (or read this AT ALL omg 😭😭), in fact i'm so embarrassed by this that you'd probably have to reach me through inquiry lmaooo 💀 anyway, have a great life, thank you so much for the great job, bjyxszd etc ❤️💚💛

Oh, don't be anxious! I'm really not a big deal.

Thank you for dropping into my inbox! I love hearing from other turtles, especially relative newbies, like myself! One of my fav parts of coming out of lurking mode is getting to talk to other people. I kinda follow back anybody who follows me, cause it seems polite? I don't know tumblr etiquette. I just follow the tags when I get the chance.

I appreciate the encouragement! I try to avoid dramatics, so I'm sorry for the upset last week. The situation is largely resolved, and I am feeling more okay. I kinda backed off because I wasn't sure of my footing here in fandom as compared to others, especially as I do think I have some takes that fall outside fandom consensus. Again, I don't mean to rock any boats and I'm not invested in convincing anybody that they should have the same opinions as I do. Hearing from turtles who do want me to continue posting gave me some more confidence there.

So, yeah, I expect I'll post some more as I have time. I'd like to post more on dd (cause he's my fav). I'd also like to try to figure out gg cause that dude is so confusing to me. I do have RL stuff going on, and I don't have the time to be super-active outside of occasional posts. But I'd like keep posting stuff. At least until I get all my Yizhan thoughts out.

[ooops-i-arted]

Saw part of Giancarlo Esposito's panel today!

First of all his voice is just as amazing in person. He said some line from The Boys (I think) and just sounded super sinister. If he told me to clean my room I'd do it immediately lol.

According to him, Mandalorian season 4 is NOT confirmed. He is also not returning to the movie as Gideon. He said "I know Moff Gideon isn't dead, he's too strong a character to die. No one's told me that, but you didn't see me die." So it's his opinion, not canon-confirmed. But he did bluntly say "No one dies in Star Wars" and with clones around he just doesn't believe Gideon is dead. He says he would love to return in the future.

He said no one has correctly guessed his role in the new Captain America movie but referred to himself as a bad guy. (Edit: misremembered, he said badass.)

Edit: found a video on Insta of this part https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9YOy5Fx7P0/?igsh=Yzg4OXBuaXJpN2Nl

He actually spoke very eloquently about how media reflects what's in real life, and said "We can all be our own captain America. You have the power to change the world by voting." He danced around saying anything too political but did say he feels that young people are struggling with having no hope, being faced with two "incompetent choices for leadership" but that you can be your own superhero and make a difference, which I thought was lovely.

[indiaalphawhiskey]

Hi India!

I wanted to pop by and say hi! You're very cool and I find myself hardly ever disagreeing with you, but when I do, I walk away with having read a differing but interesting perspective on several topics. It also helps that you're super duper eloquent and articulate, and there have been several instances where I have a thought and no way to put it into words and find that you have done that very effectively. You're also SO KIND??? I can't.

You're a gem, a badass and most importantly (to me, at least) one of my favourite authors of all time. I love you! I hope you have the best day/night ahead!

I genuinely don’t know what sort of magic you have in your heart that you knew I needed something like this today, but thank you. 🩵

I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’m rarely (if ever) called cool. I guess in a traditional sense, I’m not (I’m super basic, and I’ve learned to embrace it) but I’ve always wanted to be. It’s a trait that’s always felt elusive to me; I just have never “had” it (although many people in my life do, in spades) and I’ve always wondered what it would take to get there.

It’s funny, because when Harry’s House first came out, a lot of people dissed the lyrics of Cinema, saying it was juvenile; meanwhile I was sitting here thinking it perfectly captured Louis Tomlinson because I totally know what it feels like to get all sparkled out by someone, and to look at them and think “Fuck, they’re so cool.”

So thank you for what I will now refer to as my Cinema moment. 🥰 and, I’m really glad hearing my opinions feel beneficial in some way, whether it’s because they voice some thoughts you have or because they give you a different perspective. What I like most about tumblr is that the format encourages that level of exchange if you pick and choose what conversations to have and how to have them. Sure, it doesn’t spare you from people determined to misunderstand you, but messages like these make me feel like I’m at least not screaming into the void.

As for every other compliment you peppered in there, dude. My heart is glowing. Seriously, thank you. I’m not always kind, but I try to be, and I feel like I’ve been made infinitely kinder by Larry and by being a larrie.

Forgive the 100k word count thank you, I just really really really needed this today. 😘✨