#one piece sapphic challenge

[honeydrrop]

one piece au

[fandom]

Top 24 of 2024

Well, well, well, look what we have here. If it isn’t 52 weeks’ worth of data drawn from the exemplary original posts you’ve been producing day in, day out, combined with the likes, reblogs, and search data—all of it weighed, ranked, and presented here for your viewing pleasure. In news that will come as a shock to no one at all, 2024 was the year of Artists on Tumblr. But quite right, too, as just a cursory scroll through the fanart, illustrations, digital pieces, paintings, textiles, and more will attest. It’s a goldmine. But this ain’t just any goldmine, this is your goldmine, and we’ve got abundant gratitude for the wonderful work you’ve shared this last year. 

Dungeon Meshi won hearts and minds with its cozy feel, its cookery, its cast of eclectic, likable characters, and a delightfully off-center vibe. Farcille made for the sapphic love story we didn’t know we needed—and the inspiration for endless, exquisite fanart. There was much appreciation for season one, and excitement abounds for season two. But there were endings as well as beginnings, sadly, as the much-loved Jujutsu Kaisen brought six years of sublime storytelling to a close with Chapter 271. Good faced Evil, a nephew faced an uncle, and some really liked it, and others really did not. Discourse ensued, as discourse is wont to do. 

Television! And lots of it! 2024 was the year in which animation ruled supreme with an embarrassment of riches to plunder. Gravity Falls and The Book of Bill became your fall fixations and simply refused to stop trending for seemingly an age (a Good Thing). Bill Cipher and Stanford Pines both made the Top 24 in their own right as you shipped them to high hell, with Billford coming top of Ships for 2024. Speaking of Hell, Hazbin Hotel was the new kid on the block. And, after a five-year wait, the new kid charmed—it was filthier, funnier, raunchier, and more heartfelt than you could have hoped for. 

When it comes to hope, the times continue to be challenging, and the news can threaten to overwhelm. 2024 was no different. But you all painted the dash every color of the rainbow, stood loud and proud, and supported your ever-growing community online and offline in the struggle for LGBTQIA+ rights. While folks continue to voice their distress and concern for the ongoing crisis in Palestine, they also fight the good fight with activism and fundraising efforts across the dash. These may be dark days, but you all work tirelessly for the greater good as only you know how.

Looking after oneself is vital in these trying times, and you’ve all done just that in your own inimitable fashion. Cats still rule Tumblr as bears still poop in woods, and everyone has taken essential time to peruse the dashboard’s plethora of cat GIFs, cat art, boopin’ cats, cats of yore, and so on. You’re keeping things similarly wholesome with some more Tumblr mainstays: cottagecore, and its sister aesthetic, naturecore, imagine a simpler, greener, and quieter time. A time where the breeze billows softly through the long grass and gently turns the blades of the windmill; a time where we, too, might poop in woods.

The only thing more important than looking after oneself is treating oneself, and what better way to do that than gaming? Baldur’s Gate 3 made a most impressive leap from #21 last year to #7 in 2024, as the need for sexy monsters and beautiful beasties becomes ever more imperative with each passing year. Pokémon may have dropped a little from five to 11, but these games and shows still hold a dear place in your hearts—as demonstrated by your bountiful and beautiful fanart.

Here are the 24 most-mentioned things on Tumblr in 2024.

Artists on Tumblr

Palestine

Dungeon Meshi

Gravity Falls

Hazbin Hotel

Baldur's Gate 3

Cats of Tumblr

Jujutsu Kaisen

The Batman Universe

Pokémon

One Piece

Good Omens

Marcille Donato | Dungeon Meshi

Laios Touden | Dungeon Meshi

Cottagecore

Hermitcraft

LGBTQIA+

Bill Cipher | Gravity Falls

Naturecore

Doctor Who

Percy Jackson

Falin Touden | Dungeon Meshi

Stanford Pines | Gravity Falls

Jason Todd | the DC universe

Feeling inspired? Want to create a dedicated place to discuss the things you love with the other people who love them? Create a Community here on Tumblr to do just that.

[her-satanic-wiles]

Welcome to my masterlist!

Commissions are closed!

All my fics, unless stated otherwise, are 18+. So please proceed with caution, and minors do not interact.

If it has a red DF, it means it's dark fiction, and you should heed the trigger warnings. I would actually recommend to people 21+.

If it has a blue S, it means the work is sapphic.

If it has a purple A, it means the work is achillean.

If it has a green GN, it means the reader is gender neutral.

If it has a pink PS, it means the reader is plus size.

No bound copies, translations, or other derivative works of these fics may be created or distributed without express permission from the author, for monetary gain or public use.

Major thank you to @da-rulah for beta reading all of these!

If you like what you've been reading, why not consider supporting me over on Ko-fi?

Enjoy your stay!

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Titfucking, (Kinktober 2023) PS “Earthly Delight” by @thew0man ART

Glory Hole, (Kinktober 2023) GN

Pregnancy, (Kinktober 2023)

Guess Who? PS

Caning (Kinktober 2024) GN

Series

Divine Desires [COMING SOON] PS

You grew up in the Catholic Church as the daughter of a very powerful Cardinal. However, in your early adulthood, the reigning Pope dies, and the title falls to your father. You learn, as the daughter of a Catholic official, that there are two sides to every story. This lesson is taught by your Satanic counterpart, who does his fair share of opening your eyes to the world around you.

One shots

Hate Sex, (Catholic!Reader) (Kinktober 2023) ⛧ Part 2

Public Sex, (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+)

Lupercalia

Bejewelled

Guess Who? PS

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Collaring, (Kinktober 2023)

Medical Play, (Kinktober 2023) GN

Threesome or moresome, (+Era 3 Ghouls) (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+)

Thigh Fucking, (Kinktober 2023) PS

Double Penetration In Two Holes, (ft. Cardinal Copia) (Kinktober 2023) A GN

Teratophilia, (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+) PS

Guess Who? PS

Frottage (Kinktober 2024) GN

Series

Dawn Chorus ⛧ Masterlist DF (21+)

When you question the Almighty for a third time, you find yourself on the run and escaping a horde of wrathful angels ready to punish you for your insolence. Whose garden should you fall into than Cardinal Copia’s? And he has more nefarious plans for you.

Hellish Delights ⛧ Masterlist DF (21+)

After a ritual went wrong, you were left to deal with the consequences. Since that fateful night, your moral compass smashed to pieces and you began to feed into your deepest, darkest desires as you continue to come to terms with the traumatic night in question. With the help of two of the people closest to you, you take part in the ultimate sins of the flesh.

Lost in Translation ⛧ Masterlist

As the newly appointed Cardinal Copia struggles with the weight of a looming prophecy, a resilient scholar challenges the narrative, uncovering a conspiracy that reaches beyond the walls of the Ministry. The emergence of a forbidden love ignites a rebellion against a power-hungry Sister, whose thirst for control threatens to reshape the very foundations of the Church. Will the revelation of those schemes lead to liberation or plunge the Ministry into chaos?

One shots

Pegging (Kinktober 2023) GN

Praise Kink, (Kinktober 2023) PS

Olfactophilia, (Kinktober 2023)

Double Penetration In Two Holes, (ft. Papa Emeritus III) (Kinktober 2023) A GN

Free Use, (Kinktober 2023)

Midnight Surveillance DF (21+)

Tulips and Daisies

Guess Who? PS

Piss Kink (Kinktober 2024)

Aphrodisiac (Kinktober 2024) PS

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Dubcon, (Fan roleplay) (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+)

Orgasm Denial (Kinktober 2023)

Deepthroating & Face Sitting (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+)

Mary "Piss Boy" Goore PS

Era 3

Alpha

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Threesome or moresome, (+Era 3 Ghouls & Terzo) (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+)

Gale

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Threesome or moresome, (+Era 3 Ghouls & Terzo) (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+)

Moss

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Threesome or moresome, (+Era 3 Ghouls & Terzo) (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+)

Omega

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Threesome or moresome, (+Era 3 Ghouls & Terzo) (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+)

Stream

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Threesome or moresome, (+Era 3 Ghouls & Terzo) (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+)

Eras 4 & 5

Aurora

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Food Play (Kinktober 2023) S

Cirrus

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Sensory Deprivation (Kinktober 2023) S

Object Penetration (Toys - Not Worn) (Kinktober 2024) S

Cumulus

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Sex Toys (Kinktober 2023) S

Dewdrop

Series

Realm of Souls ⛧ Masterlist DF (21+) A

In the eerie moonlit forest, you are ensnared in a nightmarish game of hide and seek with the malevolent entity Dewdrop, whose demonic force has targeted you. The chilling objective is to survive until sunrise, seeking refuge in the Ministry’s cabin deep within the sinister woods. With the dawn as your only salvation, you must navigate the haunted forest, outwit the relentless demon, and reach safety before Dewdrop claims you as his prize. The race against time intensifies, making the night unforgiving as you strive to survive until sunrise in this twisted pursuit.

One shots

Stuck in Wall (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+)

Panic Attacks and Comfort (ft. Swiss) SFW.

Topping from the Bottom (Kinktober 2024) GN

Mountain

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Size Kink (Kinktober 2023) GN

Magical Fleshlight (Kinktober 2024)

Phantom

Series

The Cardinal ⛧ Masterlist

You got a promotion, and a new promotion means a new uniform and your very own Ghoul-in-training! That Ghoul just so happens to be your closest friend, Phantom. However, your new uniform and position does something to Phantom that gets harder and harder to deny.

One shots

Coming soon...

Rain

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Rimming (Kinktober 2023) GN

Fuck or Die (Kinktober 2024)

Swiss

Hellish Delights ⛧ Masterlist DF (21+)

After a ritual went wrong, you were left to deal with the consequences. Since that fateful night, your moral compass smashed to pieces and you began to feed into your deepest, darkest desires as you continue to come to terms with the traumatic night in question. With the help of two of the people closest to you, you take part in the ultimate sins of the flesh.

Coming soon...

One shots

Panties & Lingerie, (Kinktober 2023)

Breathplay, (Kinktober 2023)

Panic Attacks and Comfort (ft. Dewdrop) SFW.

Papa Emeritus Nihil

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Breeding (Kinktober 2023) DF (21+)

Writing on the Body (Kinktober 2024)

Sister Imperator

Series

Coming soon...

One shots

Coming soon...

2023 2024

[foibles-fables]

I have a question. How did you come to the wonderful conclusion that Aloy and Talanah would be a good couple? I can see the appeal in it, but I'd rather hear it from you

[CRACKS KNUCKLES] Watch me try to stay as concise as I can with this post, hahaha.

First thing I'll say is--I'm an absolute sucker for a strong-based friends to lovers ship. The loyalty, the devotion, the knowing each other before and after the world changes them and every stage between, the slow strengthening of feelings, the contending with blurred boundaries, the oh moment, the it was this all along, the I have always been here and so have you and so we will, the settling into even deeper contentment with the other, hoo boy I can go on and on. I especially like it when it comes in a sapphic flavor of the Burdened Chosen One and their Tender, Caring, Supportive Best Friend.

[looks directly at camera]

So you can already see where I'm coming from, here. But--truly, for me--it comes down to 1) the similarities AND innate differences in their life stories/situations and 2) their interactions in HZD. A combined one-two punch that crushed my windpipe and stole my lunch money.

I'm a sucker for a friends to lovers ship, and I'm also a sucker for a ship with compelling parallels. What interests me most about the Aloy/Talanah dynamic is that they're narrative mirrors, but foils in situation. Both are highly-skilled hunters; both driven by their fixation on a parental figure (either avenging or uncovering); both lost their father (figure) to a cruelty much too large for them, with their fathers' shared desire for them to survive; both inheriting new titles (Sunhawk, Alpha Prime) and shouldering the burdens of their deceased parental figure; both proving their place and worth in the world as based on, in Talanah's words, more than the nature of their birth alone; I could keep going. (Don't tempt me.) But here Aloy was an outcast, while Talanah is from one of the noblest houses of her tribe--the difference of change from without versus change from within, and all the ways in which both are complicated. So narrative mirrors coming from opposing situations--how does that make them alike, and how does it make them different? How does it change they way they navigated through the world, and how does it change the way they would navigate one another?

I also love to point out the fact that Talanah is the perfect example of what Rost was trying to demonstrate to Aloy in his final lesson. The strength to stand alone and to make a stand. Her dedication to a selfless cause--ambition not for her own sake, but to restore her family's legacy, and to change her culture. GOD. My fingers are going numb just thinking about it.

What I'm trying to say is that Talanah is in a unique position to see and empathize with the burden Aloy feels post-HZD, and I'm not sure I'll ever forgive the writers for not capitalizing on that during the pivotal time of HFW. Carrying on of your parent's legacy is not easy, and even if Talanah doesn't know it by weight, she knows it by shape. Importantly, to me--Talanah understands--she's lived analogous experiences to Aloy's--but she's also different enough to challenge her. In fact, it goes both ways. There's a mutuality to the way that they make up for what the other has maybe lacked--puzzle pieces instead of cognate shapes, or the same image repeated twice, amplifying itself. There's harmony where there could just be volume.

That got away from me, so I'll just keep on going with how their interactions in HZD fishhooked me. I made a post the other day about Aloy's joy in the Redmaw victory, and that's a major part of it. The rest is just--the sense of ease and understanding that comes out in all of their conversations? And how Talanah always and consistently from the beginning sees Aloy as Aloy, not a Seeker, not a savior, not an oddity, just based on her own merit alone? How she heard Aloy give herself a name--Aloy despite the Nora--says she'll remember it, and then does, TWICE? Every smile she brings out of Aloy, every moment of bare genuineness between them, that giggle from Aloy post-quest? And don't get me started on the "you made this possible, Aloy" parallel. Don't even let me think about "you'll always have a special home here, if you want it." It'll end badly for all of us, category 10 blorbo emergency.

But it's not only what Talanah can offer Aloy (a deep bond of loyalty and fondness, a sense of belongingness, the simple fact of being seen as exactly how you yourself want to be seen)--Aloy gives back to Talanah as well!! Much more deeply than just helping her earn the Sunhawk title and restoring her family's legacy. Think about their pre-Alight conversation: "I won't stand aside while one of mine fights alone. Not again." Aloy has become one of Talanah's--a person who has lost everyone dear to her. Something that must be absolutely terrifying (see my post-HZD Lanah characterization, lmao) but still worth fighting for.

I was lucky enough to read the entire Sunhawk comic directly after the credits rolled on HZD, and that again just blew me out of the water with how much sense they make. The fact that Talanah was the only one to see Aloy leave makes my brain wanna come gushing out of my ears. And how they just--keep running into one another (more on this in the next paragraph). But perhaps the most important comic moment is Talanah's affirmation of "you don't owe me anything" after Aloy apologizes for leaving. That right there is respect to Aloy's agency and personhood (versus instrumentality!!) and the burden Talanah can sense she's under. She trusts Aloy to have told her what was up, if she had wanted her to know. And trusts that whatever she is doing must be important. Even if it's been difficult to be without her, Talanah knows she can't ask Aloy for more than what she is or what she can give.

(that's not to say Talanah isn't hurt. I think she still is--and projects a lot of that hurt and attachment onto another woodsy hermit--but that's a topic for a different post. You can trust and accept something like this while still being hurt by it.)

You asked how I came to the conclusion of THEM, so I haven't really included HFW in this analysis (I was clearly a goner from HZD), but it's there too. The way Aloy just happens to find out Talanah is nearby after her entire worldview is cracked open at Latopolis, how seeking her out and finding her seems to just make things okay again despite everything? (again, the constant finding of each other.) The fondness of their reunion? "It feels good to hunt by your side again"? The easy way they settle into old comfortable patterns of conversation? The tone of You love him, don't you and Really??? and Come here.? It's just all there screaming at me. I can't.

I just. I love them so much. It's so clear to me how they already have helped and can continue to help each other grow. Especially now that the series has placed them in yet another paralleled situation post-HBS. From where I see it, they've been dancing around each other since the beginning. And the way they've both sought things with others (ALSO EACH HAVING PARALLELS TO THE OTHER) only to walk away makes me wanna go absolutely feral. I can very, very clearly see this playing out into an what was I looking for when there was you moment and it might actually be the thing that makes me perish

I'm so sorry if this was totally incoherent. I've got a lot of feelings about this ship and I'm gonna continue to make them your problem.

[claypigeonpottery]

sold

happy pride month!!

have some sapphic pigeons <3

this plate was done for an art challenge, one piece of art a week for four weeks, each one inspired by a queer flag. I chose the sapphic flag for this one, with violets surrounding two pigeons.

there was supposed to be a bit more of a lavender colour on the pidge on the left, but underglaze is fickle *shrug*

I carved this plate back before our pigeon, Albertha, died. Albertha and Jewel were mates, they did everything pigeon mates do, and this plate depicts them together.

we still have Jewel, and we got her a friend for company, Scout, but they aren't mates. I miss my grumpy bird.

Jewel (white) and Albertha (grey)

my etsy

[ninja-muse]

My last wrap-up of the year! Featuring one stack of "didn't know what to read, hey, this is on my shelf, also it's short and reading goals", and one stack of Christmas gifts. I'm very pleased about both. The Laurie Lee was as good as expected and the mafia romance was a gift last Christmas so it's nice to have that finished before the year was up. And I'm two books closer to having my Pratchett collection complete! I'm missing one major Discworld tie-in book now, and a handful of the maps that came out over the years.

In other news, whew, another year is over! It feels like it's taken ages, which I'm going to blame on a bunch of long books and general slumpiness rather than the global political climate. After all, this month has felt long due to both factors. A History of Ancient Egypt, Vol. 3 did take me twice as long as a normal book, and I had two DNFs.

As you can probably tell from the list below, apart from the history book, in December I prioritized fun. (It's about all I wanted to pick up after my workdays.) I was also trying to finish one of my Storygraph reading challenges, which I've managed—75 books from a list I set, mostly, at the start of the year. I recommend everything I finished, though Among the Gnomes is not a masterwork of Victorian fiction by any means. It was, however, readily available as an ebook when I needed something goofy.

In non-book news, I got home for Christmas? Barely a visit, but it worked out and I got to see my grandpa, who is getting very old. I'm sure one of the family cats is beside himself now, though, since I am his official lap provider and rarely around to offer that service. And I went on a walking tour near the start of the month, and ate far too many chocolates and baked goods.

I'll save discussion about reading goals and 2025 resolutions and what-not for my end-of-year wrap-up, which is coming soon, and in the meantime turn you over to my list of everything I read this month, in the rough order of how glad I was to have read them.

A History of Ancient Egypt, Volume 3 - John Romer

A history of the last major cultural periods of ancient Egypt, centering archaeology and primary sources and deconstructing traditional Western scholarship and all its baggage.

8/10

warning: discusses racists and colonial attitudes

library book

Swordcrossed - Freya Marske

When Mattinesh Jay hires a swordsman for his wedding, he gets Luca Piere, annoying, attractive, and much more than he bargained for. And that’s before Luca discovers a conspiracy against Matti’s House…

8/10

🏳️‍🌈 main characters (gay), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (sapphic, trans man, nonbinary), brown-skinned main character, brown-skinned secondary characters, 🏳️‍🌈 author

library ebook

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning - Laurie Lee

At 19, in the 1930s, Laurie leaves his childhood home to walk to London, Europe, and the future.

7.5/10

warning: mildly racist towards Black people and Roma, period-typical misogyny, sexualization of child, sex trafficking of children

off my TBR

Greymist Fair - Francesca Zappia

Empty clothes in the middle of the only road to town. A tailor’s daughter and a witch’s cottage. A wandering prince. A lonely, beautiful girl. Magic, wargs, and Death in the forest.

8/10

major genderless character, 🏳️‍🌈 incidental characters (sapphic, achillean)

reading copy

Saga, Vol. 10 - Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (illustrator)

Hazel and her family are picking up the pieces and getting by, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of danger. The Will is still out there, and so is Landfall.

8/10

🇨🇦

off my TBR

The Forbidden Book - Sacha Lamb

Fleeing a marriage to the rebbe’s son, Sorel adopts the identity of Isser Jacobs, not knowing that there’s a real Isser who’s just stolen a very important, very illegal book.

7/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (genderqueer, lesbian), Jewish cast, Jewish author, 🏳️‍🌈 author

library ebook

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop - Emmeline Duncan

Bookshop owner Bailey is running the first literary festival in her Halloween-themed town when she stumbles over a murder victim.

7/10

Indigenous secondary characters

library book

The Rivals - Jane Pek

Claudia and Veracity are still tracking synth-bot accounts on dating sites when a prospective client dies after reporting a copycat profile. Was it someone from the app's developer, or truly an accident?

7/10

Taiwanese-American protagonist, Taiwanese-American secondary characters, Indian and Mexican secondary characters, 🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (lesbian), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (gay, achillean, lesbian), Singaporean-American author

warning: suicide

reading copy

Broken Whispers - Neva Altaj

To calm a war between the Italian mafia and the Bratva, a ballerina is pushed into marriage with an enforcer. Beauty and the Beast vibes.

6.5/10

main character with damaged vocal chords, main character with monocular vision

warning: mafia-typical violence and torture

off my TBR

Under the Smokestrewn Sky - A. Deborah Baker

Avery, Zib, and their companions have reached the Kingdom of Fire, one “step” away from the Impossible City on the Improbable Road. But that doesn’t mean they’re home free yet.

6.5/10

off my TBR

Among the Gnomes - Franz Hartmann

A scientist travels to the Unterberg to disprove the existence of gnomes, only to find himself living among them. An anti-science satire.

6/10

warning: anti-Irish xenophobia

ebook/off my TBR

DNF

The Stardust Grail - Yume Kitasei

Maya’s put her thieving past aside to pursue academia, but when a chance to find the legendary stardust grail (and save her friend’s species) falls into her lap, she can’t help but be tempted—even if Earth wants to use it to save itself.

protagonist with Japanese heritage, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (achillean, nonbinary, alternate gender system)

library book

Big Gay Wedding - Byron Lane

Barnett returns to his mom’s farm in Louisiana to confront her unspoken disapproval and introduce his fiancé. And possibly get married there, if certain parties in town don’t stop them.

🏳️‍🌈 POV characters (gay)

warning: homophobia

library ebook

Currently reading

In Veritas - C.J. Lavigne

Drawn by her synesthesia and a dog-that-is-snake-is-shadow, Verity encounters a hidden world in an Ottawa theatre. A world threatened by technology and in need of saving.

🇨🇦

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle Victorian detective stories

disabled POV character (limb injury), occasional Indian secondary characters

warning: racism, colonialism

Monthly total: 11 Yearly total: 127 Queer books: 3 Authors of colour: 2 Books by women: 6 Authors outside the binary: 1 Canadian authors: 1 Classics: 2 Off the TBR shelves: 5 Books hauled: 4 ARCs acquired: 1 ARCs unhauled: 2 DNFs: 2

January February March April May June July August September October November

[effypcfcwrites]

The Owl House

(Originally posted on my personal Facebook dated April 25, 2023)

This is probably the first time I'll be posting a detailed review of a piece of media that I like, so witness me sing all of my praises for this animated series from the House of Mouse, because wow, I've never been so invested in a Disney show after rewatching Gravity Falls.

For those unfamiliar, The Owl House revolves around Luz Noceda, a teenage girl who stumbles upon a portal to an alternate world called The Boiling Isles, meets a witch named Eda Clawthorne, learns magic under her tutelage and eventually enrolls in Hexside, a magic school where she makes many friends and goes on multiple adventures.

I binged this whole show in a span of weeks and even stayed up all night on my day off to finish it up to Season 3, the first 2 Seasons being on Disney+ and the latter on Disney Channel's YouTube page.

Simply put, I love it so much! I love how it reminds me of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and, dare I say, Harry Potter, which it even poked fun at, at times. Well-deserved, considering J.K. Rowling’s transphobic views and HP’s underlying anti-Semitic undertones.

I loved the pop culture references to Thor: Ragnarok, Howl's Moving Castle, Metal Gear Solid, and even Hades, among many others! I thought those were very clever and funny, and just a treat for fellow nerds, geeks, and fans of fantasy stories, anime, and video games.

I love the LGBTQ+ representation all throughout the show, which was such a bold move considering Disney’s iffy stance on the subject. None of them were antagonized for it, and it was treated as something normalized in both the Human and Demon Realms. The show featured 2 gay dads, non-binary and aromantic-asexual characters, and one of the internet’s favorite sapphic/WLW couples Lumity, which is the ship consisting of canonically bisexual Luz and implied lesbian Amity Blight, whose rivals-to-friends-to-lovers relationship was just so wholesome, so natural, and very healthy, considering they're both teenagers. Suprisingly, there was very little melodrama, not once were they petty towards one another whenever either party did something wrong, and they never got tired of showing affection towards each other. I found myself shamelessly gushing over how cute, adorable, and supportive they were together, and tearing up a lot during key moments of their relationship, especially when they both found themselves in dire straits as the story progressed.

I love the writing and the character development of them all! None of them felt static, they all grew throughout the series, maturing, getting better, and healing from their own insecurities, trauma, and guilt. The humor and comedic timing was a nice touch, and I was really taken aback by how S2 ended on such a dark cliffhanger with all stakes raised to the roof, similar to A:TLA S2 and The Empire Strikes Back, as mentioned earlier. That season wasn’t afraid to have such a grim ending, with such a great payoff by the end of S3 which is worth celebrating.

I love the animation and art style, which blended colorful and whimsical with eerie and ominous in just the right amounts. As a sucker for animated movies and series such as Adventure Time, The Prince of Egypt, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, it was just such a delight watching it.

I love the overarching message of the show, which is to be truly yourself, to embrace your quirks, and never to limit yourself and your potential based on what the majority of society and the powers-that-be expect from you. All throughout, you’ll find the characters challenging pre-established norms and roles, and it’s just so satisfying seeing them all win.

11/10 top-tier show. Don’t @ me, it’s hard for me to find something I disliked about the series. It's definitely a must-watch, especially if you're sick and tired of all the bleak nihilism of modern adult animation, and you just want to baby your inner child and escape to a whimsical fantasy world with characters you can all relate to. Betting my bottom peso you'll all be hooked, like I was.

[bilightningwhumper]

Whump Writing Intro

People who use AI in their writing (generating scenarios, generating story text, etc) please DO NOT follow me or interact with my posts. I absolutely DO NOT consent to any of my writing, posts, or reblogs being used as inputs or data for AI.

Seriously, don't. I don't care your reasoning. Theft is theft. End of story.

Whump writing side blog to @bilightningwriter

Generic writing blog is @bilightningwriter-writing

My blog is majority labeled as Mature or 18+. If you're a minor and interact anyway, on your own head be it.

Link to my kofi (if you want, absolutely no pressure)

Blog header image made from [dolldivine.com], watermarks for the creators of the games left in the images. On the left is Minna and the right is Kyrie from my "Belonging with Nightmares" story.

Ask box is open, but if you do anything with an ask game or prompts list, please tell me which one because I share a lot that inspire me randomly. A lot of the ask games I'll come across I've been tagging with #just tell me it's from this or I'll forget, so that's a good tag to check if you want to do those! Questions about my WIPs are also welcome!

Main writing whump tropes used in no particular order:

institutional whump (partially inspired by the BBU community)

noncon/ nsfw (majority of my noncon scenes are kept to whumpee's perspective only, not the whumper), more explicit in consensual situations, but I am a descriptive writer regardless

Female/lady whump, as well as male and enby whump

Captive whump

Creepy/intimate/manipulative whumpers

Torture whump (more mental and emotional than physical but I do write all of these)

Conditioning whump

Nonhuman whump

Lab whump

What I don't write:

gore

main character death (unless it's a whumper)

explicit underage (try not to, anyway; will have warnings if that occurs)

Consensual incest (thought I'd had it on this list but just noticed I didn’t; tbh, this is a squick of mine, too)

I also write LGBT+ and/or neurodiverse characters. I enjoy happy endings, so hurt/comfort is big for me. Basically a lot of whump eventually followed with a lot of fluff.

{IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of AI scrapers, all of my fics on Ao3 are avaliable to user-readers only. Remember, you can make an account for free on Ao3 (it's not money-subscription based, it really is just free) with your email.}

My Ao3 Psueds

Works below the cut

[Starting Nov 23rd, 2024, I plan on queuing parts of stories for 5pm EST each Friday/Saturday (Friday if completed in time, Saturday if delayed) to hopefully write at least one piece a week; with the exception of writing events that I join in with]

All characters are LGBT+ and/or neurodiverse unless stated otherwise. If you want to be on a taglist, feel free to dm/pm me or comment on the post, as I don't update on a schedule (just whenever I finish a piece/chapter).

~ ~ will be around whichever story/masterlist I'm fixated on at the moment

Whumpees Masterlists-

~My Lady/Female Whumpee-led Story/Fic Collection~

My Male Whumpee-led Story/Fic Collection

My Enby/Nonbinary Whumpee-led Story/Fic Collection

Main works-

~Belonging to Nightmares: a "12 Dancing Princesses" inspired story~

~BtN Masterlist~

The New Eden Institution series: Omegaverse institutional/nonhuman-adjacent/conditioning whump, retelling Fairy Tales in a Modern Dystopia AU with LGBT+ and neurodivergent characters (more modern than medieval, but you'll see why as stories go on)

TNEI Tumblr Masterlist Ao3 link to series TNEI Ao3 link Masterlist Mangst 2024 Masterlist with this series

Shadow of a Shield: Omegaverse AU with alternate ending to Endgame where some Avengers had unknown children

SoaS Series Masterlist Ao3 link to series (in the process of being rewritten) SoaS Ao3 link Masterlist

Temptations of Fate: Sapphic Romeo and Juliet-inspired angels/demons story

ToF Masterlist

Completed writing events/challenges-

My AI-less Whumptober 2024 Masterlist

Current writing events/challenges I'm doing or finishing-

My Angstober 2024 Masterlist

My Flufftober 2024 Masterlist

Corresponding Ao3 Collections for October 2024 events

I don't know what's going to happen in the coming years, as I live in the USA (even if I'm in a relatively "safe" state). But I plan on writing as much as I can until I can't anymore. If I stop, it won't be because I wanted to.

[tempestgnostic]

The Werewolf: Archetype and Identity

Someday I’ll make a list of my alterhuman and otherhearted identities, but I’m not sure when that will be. For now, I’ll just talk about the the most prominent one: The Werewolf. I capitalize the name for both its significance and the fact that it’s an archetypal identity, so to speak. (I also use he/him throughout this essay, simply because I’m speaking of The Werewolf in relation to myself, and as myself.) I’m not a specific werewolf in any sense, and I’m not drawn from just one piece of folklore, or even one broad interpretation. It’s much bigger than that. Of course, explaining all the finer details would require an essay, and time is at a premium nowadays. Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief. Pay no attention to the appropriately-timed readmore.

Let’s look at an example of what I mean: the eponymous baron in Bisclavret is a specific werewolf, but he’s also one of many depictions of The Werewolf as a somewhat noble being who is wronged by others—in this case, his wife—as a consequence of his true nature. This “noble beast” interpretation can be contrasted with folk tales of feral werewolves who threaten villagers and fear neither torch nor blade. Werewolves aren’t solely monsters meant to inspire empathy or fear, however. They can also serve specific literary functions, often as symbols of broader concepts and experiences. The werewolf story can be used as a metaphor for a young person coming-of-age, a challenging tale of tangling with the darker aspects of human nature, or even as an exploration of queer identity and the liminal spaces we occupy. These are certainly not unique to werewolves, and the latter is especially common among other creatures embraced by the horror genre.

Each broad interpretation of The Werewolf feels to me like a part of my identity on some level. I’m the werewolf who feels guilty for the harm he’s done, who tries to resist his feral urges, but I’m also the one who embraces that side and indulges in it. I’m the werewolf who was born this way, the one who was blessed (or cursed) by some spirit or deity, but also the one who was bitten or scratched—forever changed out of cruelty, indifference, or even a dark perversion of love. The only bits of werewolf folklore I won’t engage with on some level are those from practices and cultures that are closed for me. They’re not mine to claim on any level—certainly not in any way that would be respectful.

Like so many in our community, my connection to The Werewolf is intricately intertwined with almost all other aspects of my identity. I’m genderqueer, yet I strictly use he/him pronouns. I have a beard—a thick one, at that—and a flat chest, yet I also identify myself as butch and sapphic. It’s been uniquely gender-affirming for me to have partners who identify as lesbians—to be fully seen and understood as butch. It would feel incredibly uncomfortable and even dysphoric for me to be with a straight woman. Even within queer spaces, at times I feel either gravely misunderstood or utterly invisible. I am, on some level, expected to conform, and my refusal to do so marks me at best as ‘confused,’ and at worst as a threat.

I embrace the androgyny in my voice and mannerisms, and I easily—often unintentionally—slip into different social presentations depending on who’s around me. (I’m also autistic, to no one’s surprise.) Code-switching comes naturally to me, likely as a result of having to cobble together adequate social skills over the course of a decade, but also as a matter of safety as a queer person who’s only ever lived in red states. The Werewolf is a liminal creature, existing in several different worlds at once and moving through them with varying levels of ability. I am no different—charming and quick to make friends when I know the social landscape, and terribly awkward and clumsy when I don’t.

In the interest of keeping this even remotely readable in one sitting, I’ll wrap this up here. The Werewolf can be a charismatic yet dangerous lover, a pitiful and wretched thing, a creature just beyond the veil of understanding, or even a kindred spirit. I am and have been all of these things, both in my external life and my mind’s inner world. I experience phantom and mental shifts, and I see myself in so many depictions of werewolves in media. This part of my identity plays a vital role for me in kink—though I’ll save the details for a properly 18+ post—in my relationship dynamics, in my pagan spirituality, and many other parts of my life. It fits neatly over my gender expression like a second skin and provides a backdrop for my social presence. I am The Werewolf As Archetype: a being representing liminality, transformation, and embracing authenticity—at any cost. It is a vital part of me, without which I would cease to be.

[tothepointofinsanity]

Do you have any super into detail thoughts on kyosaya? I know you've drawn a few art pieces for the ship, but I haven't seen any written think pieces about it from you.

I know there are some who don't like to use ships as a way to tie to a characters personality, so I guess I'm curious what your overall thoughts are on it and how it ties into sayaka as a whole.

"Think pieces" is a pretty neat way to put it...The primary foundation of KyoSaya to me revolves around a uniquely sapphic relationship that I hope would be expanded upon in future shows in the series.

↑ Yet, what are all these words supposed to mean? Sayaka has always done things for the sake of others. Her sense of justice elevated to the point where she views herself as a knight, someone who kneels in the face of goodness in respect of whatever is honourable to maintain it. But a knight is just another form of a pawn, just a stronger one whom everyone perceives has the ability to: 1) protect others 2) kill The Enemy.

Sayaka used to only ever have been able to interpret this in an extreme and binary vision. If she has to defend others, she has to devote herself fully to the cause. To her, the notion of self-care and self-preservation is difficult to comprehend since she feels as though she always has to be a monolith of one singular thing, of one side of things. To her, everything is like a chessboard. There is no way to play knight for both teams at once: either you prioritise yourself, or you prioritise others.

I understand that it is also a realistic depiction of how individuals like Sayaka constantly push through their own struggles alone while always uplifting others, a demonstration of unbalanced relationship dynamics. When this vision is challenged, Sayaka does not know where and how else she is expected to just "move forward" when she realised reality is not a simple game of chess. So she shrinks her view of the world further by clashing with Kyoko, since Kyoko is The Enemy who obstructs Sayaka's own perception of all that is Good and Just. Sayaka knew she was manipulated by Cubey™, but it was not only in the later movies that she comprehended the full extent of it. Something like that feels too complicated in her mind, so it's easier, much less burdensome to just lock onto one person to be angry with. This mentality is almost a sort of fallacy for Sayaka given she becomes a Witch in every cycle she becomes a magical girl.

Sayaka wants to feel relied on by humans. Kyoko does not desire nor expect anything from people, and thus balances out the extremes of Sayaka by being detached from worldly expectations - at least, that is what's consistent with Kyoko's perception of herself. A puppet without strings. She is not a pawn, not a knight. That's why she was angry when she realised the wish-granting alien omitted information on magical girl mechanisms and their life cycles. Instead of shovelling forward headstrong like Sayaka, however, Kyoko reconsiders her childhood memories and her desire, and it was to die with Sayaka so that Sayaka would not have, in Kyoko's eyes, perished for the sake of The Greater Good, because Kyoko believes still in the Self, not the vague promise of a better future.

Uhm. It's probably nonsense now that I put it in legible words. Some other KyoSaya fans who are big brained enough should educate me more on their dynamic, but I find their relationship to be interesting. It's very fallen angel x demon coded. I feel...as though Sayaka and Kyoko are hard to separate given they exist as characters that neutralise and support each other. Perhaps not codependent, but Sayaka was unhinged enough for Homura to not threaten her once, but twice whenever Madoka's feelings are involved. Meanwhile Homura was more...tolerant of Kyoko. Kyoko is there to keep Sayaka in check to make sure she doesn't piss off the Devil to the next century, and to me that is also funny.

[Although, it is tragic that since Sayaka embodies the sea, the only way Kyoko can only be with her "in death" due to the theme of Ophelia, her lover and the flame of the witch. Who could have predicted the doomed yuri is doomed. A sinking ship, even.]

[rei-ismyname]

Do Not Fuck With Storm

As Scott Summers could tell you, Storm does not need her limitless control of weather to wreck your shit. I love Scott, but he got wrecked so hard in a duel for leadership of the X-Men that he moved to Alaska.

Callisto of the Morlocks learned the same lesson when challenging her to a customary knife fight to the death for Morlock leadership (Warren and Kitty were both hostage. She was confident at first until Ororo showed her Bruce Lee moves.

Kurt was wrong. She stabbed her in the heart. It was pretty sapphic, NGL. But I digress, my point is do not fuck with Storm.

Many Arakki learnt this lesson, such as my dude Calderak, the lava person.

There he is showboating, with colour commentary by Frenzy and Khora of the Burning Heart, two certified bad bitches.

Fire vs Ice. A classic.

Storm has better things to do, lol. Nobody told Tarn the Uncaring though, and honestly he wouldn't have listened. He's the biggest piece of shit on Arakko and he keeps goading Ororo during Great Ring meetings. He promised not to go to Krakoa (like Sinister, he's really big on stealing people's DNA.) He went to Krakoa.

This smug jerkoff. He is the Genomic Mage, Warden of the Abyssal Prisons. Up until quite recently, he oversaw the torture, murder, and imprisonment of much of the population. Most Arakki *hate* him. He's not even interested in governance, he holds his seat out of spite and cruelty. To hurt an already traumatized people.

Without missing a beat, Storm challenges him. Look at his petty motivation, he just doesn't like her. Because he can kill with a thought (or rewrite your DNA however he pleases) he has never been defeated. Storm talks a real good game here, conceding nothing.

Whoops, there goes her powers. A big dose of Cronenberg to rub it in too. Ugh, this guy sucks so much. He's so sure he's got this in the bag. What does she have left?

A knife, nay many knives. Storm always has double digit knives on her person. The ol' blade to the heart is a classic. You'll note Storm has been showing mercy to her foes, even Callisto lived. But that was a fluke, you mess with Ororo and you get the Storm.

Ovaries. Of. Steel. Do not fuck with Storm. Sadly, Tarn lived. Not for long though. His death is one of the most glorious moments of the First Krakoan Age. A whole other post.

[swcommentfest]

Star Wars Comment Fest: Themes & Tracking

Information

Schedule & Rules

Tracking

If you wish to track the number of comments you’ve made, you can use this tracking sheet (but it’s completely optional):

Remember that any kind of comment/reblog with tags/retweet/rec post/etc can count as one.

If you end up making more than 100 comments/reblogs/recs then you’re welcome fill it in more than once.

Themes & Tracker

Themes are completely optional, but if you wish to, you can use this tracker for daily and weekly themes:

Themes below the cut:

There are two themes for each day. The first identifies a type of work to comment on, and the second identifies a type of comment to make. The themes are completely independent of each other. They are listed as option 1 OR option 2. If you want to follow along with the themes, you can choose one or the other, or both, as you like. Some of the themes could work for multiple types of works, but many of them are more targeted at specific types of work, often written work.

May 4th: Comment on a work you've read/viewed before but haven't commented on OR Ask (while understanding there’s no guarantee of a reply) what the creator’s favorite part to create was

May 5th: Comment on a fic under 5K words OR Compliment something specific about a piece of visual art: the composition, the lighting, the palette, the textures

May 6th: Comment on a fic over 5K words OR Mention what aspect of the characters or their relationships you really liked

Week 1: Share a new work with others

May 7th: Comment on a work featuring a BIPOC character OR Mention a good in-character moment you enjoyed

May 8th: Comment on a gen/no-romo work OR Quote your three favorite lines of a work

May 9th: Comment on an unfinished fic that hasn't been updated in a while (without requesting an update or mentioning how long its been) OR Make your comment pretty with HTML

May 10th: Comment on a work more than 5 years old OR Comment on a platform you don’t usually comment on (eg. Tumblr if you usually use AO3)

May 11th: Comment on a work by a creator with 5 or fewer works OR Reply to a comment

May 12th: Comment on a piece for your favorite trope OR Write a comment of exactly 100 words

May 13th: Comment on a piece by a new creator in the fandom OR Tell the creator how their work made you feel

Week 2: Share a work via some form of social media including a note why you’re recommending it to others (and tag the author if they use the same platform)

May 14th: Comment on an old favorite OR Ask (while understanding there’s no guarantee of a reply) what the most challenging part was to create

May 15th: Comment on a work you haven't read that's more than 1 year old OR Mention what you were doing while you read/saw the work

May 16th: Comment on a work focused on your favorite ship OR Create a short stick figure comment and share it with the creator

May 17th: Comment on a work by your favorite creator OR Leave a comment that uses emojis

May 18th: Comment on a work other than a prose fic (art, podfic, meta, etc.) OR Describe what you will remember about their work 

May 19th: Comment on a sapphic work OR Mention something you really liked about the plot

May 20th: Comment on a piece celebrating a rarepair OR Point out your favorite line

Week 3: Create a rec list

[butmakeitgayblog]

Because I'm sad tonight just end me: how long does eventually live Lexa after getting married to Clarke?

Challenge accepted?

They get married in late August, and Clarke lays her to rest at the very beginning of the following spring in March. Which was longer than any of the doctors had imagined possible, but Lexa seemed pretty determined to spend at least one Christmas and Valentine's day together 😔.

They go apple picking in the fall and carve pumpkins for the window display at the shop and take a week long road trip along the coast to see all the fiery range of foliage. They dress up as Peter Pan and an extremely appreciated sluttier version of Wendy for Halloween just to get tipsy on hard apple cider on the front porch while handing out candy to the neighborhood kids.

For Christmas they make new stockings together and watch White Christmas and Meet Me in St. Louis and every other classic holiday movie that is vaguely musical on repeat just so Clarke can make Lexa sing a long to every song. They exchange gifts and bake cookies that Lexa doesn't really have the appitite to eat, but that's alright. It's more just to make the memories together anyway. Clarke manages to talk Lexa into making a little pair of sapphic snow angels in the yard, aaaand then spends the rest of the evening warming a very shivery Lexa back up by the Griffin's home fire 🤦🏼‍♀️

For Valentine's Lexa employs Abby and Gus of all people to go to the store in the city for her to get bags of tiny chocolates and those little cards kids give each other in grade school. 365 little valentines to be exact, and yes she makes her father count them for her - twice -, and she writes loving notes and sweet words of devotion for her wife. She puts them in box along with a thick stack of letters wrapped in a satin bow, each labeled with a day or an age or a big life event written in her elegant script across the top of the envelope. And she makes Clarke sit with her on the bed because she doesn't have a lot of leftover strength by then, and she explains her thoughts with her gift.

She explains that she knows the next year will probably get pretty dark at times. But that even on the bad days, when everything feels hopeless, and ugly, and bitter, Clarke will still always deserve to enjoy the small things in life. To take at least one moment each day and allow herself to enjoy the little things that make living just a little bit sweeter. And she explains that while maybe the letters feel a tiny bit morbid ("I really went back and forth on these. I didn't want it to feel like I was talking to you from beyond the grave 🤨" as Lexa puts it very seriously), they're meant to be little reminders that no matter what happens, Lexa is right there with her every step of the way. She says her favorite thing in the world has always been books (yes yes besides Clarke of course 😏🙄 "I can't believe I agreed to marry you. You're so full of yourself") because she believes something magical happens in the process of putting words on pages. That she believes when you take the time to put down your thoughts and your feelings onto paper, you leave a little piece of your soul scattered among the words. And now she knows Clarke will have these pieces of her, along with all her support and all of her love. And that on the big days of Clarke's future... like her graduation, or getting her dream job... getting remarried, maybe one day having kids... That should Clarke ever need or want to hear how proud she is of her, everything Lexa feels for her is just an envelope away.

Suffice it to say, it's a very love filled seven months...

[dustjacketdraws]

Artist End of Year 2024 Round Up

Look back over your year of creating and tag three or more artists to keep the game going!

1. How many finished pieces did you make this year?

9 for this year, which is pretty good. Edit: I missed my inktober entries which brought me up to 13. WOO!!

2. How many in progress WIPs do you have?

8, number subject to change, because I may or may not go back to them. I'm planning on finishing 2

3. Did you try a new style or experiement with anything different?

It seems like every piece I did was a different style this year, which was a lot of fun.

4. What new things did you learn this year through your art?

I was introduced to brushes this year, and finally mustered up the courage to download some new ones

5. Name a new to you artist you discovered this year.

I discovered @rosesncarnations

sometime around this year I think. Time is very fake so I can't remember

6. Who is an artist that inspires you?

@laxibbeb and @janearts for sure. As always, @loish is my constant art inspiration

7. Who is an author that inspires you?

Oh my god, too many to count. I'm gonna split this question with 8 and list specifically fanfiction inspiration for now

@thesistersarcheron and v&I, always. I don't think I'd be half as insane about nessriel without it

@witch-and-her-witcher for her incredibly fleshed out illyria in cylmwihm

@wishcamper for her take on illyria in acovav

Jellybeanjellyfish for her detailed descriptions of nestas clothes in acofs

And lastly, loml @kale-theteaqueen for her incredible scarification of Nesta in take my soul for yours

8. Was there any fanfiction or book you read that inspired your art? Or that you want to make art for?

The rise of wicked is reminding me of my previous brain rot. I haven't seen the movie yet but the stage production always inspired me.

Also I saw Six this year and the costumes on that were incredible 😍

Arcane was also visually stunning and I've been considering doing more studies of it

9. Did any of your art challenge you?

Art always does, but none of them were excessive this year. As always, posing is a pain in the ass, so my secret santa gift to wishcamper took some time before Az got his chit together.

10. Were you surprised by anything you made - either creating it or the reception?

My poly sketch from early 2024 got really popular and it isn't even slightly complete lmao

11. Do you have any advice for new or aspiring artists?

Try something new! Anything new! Style, face or body type, shading, etc.

12. What are your creative goals for 2025?

This year was very nessian, maybe next year I'll get back into my sapphic rare pairs. And gelphie

Tagging

@vivictory-draws @rosesncarnations

[mxxnlightwriting]

Writemas 2024 Day 15

Thanks to @agirlandherquill for hosting this wonderful event!

Tari’s Note: Once again, technically late, but I'm committed to writing a drabble for every day, so here we are! I'm loving how this story is turning out, and if you're reading it, I hope you're enjoying it too! I have a masterlist for this challenge if you want to read this story from the beginning!

Prompt(s): A stage Synopsis: As Emma and Rae leave the town centre to go to Rae's place, Emily receives an unexpected phone call. Genre/age group: adult contemporary sapphic romance Word Count: 0.6k

"Do you want to sneak in the tent?" Emily asked as she joined Rae at the bottom of the stairs. "I really want to show you the stage. We shouldn't take long."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" At the smirk on Emily's face, Rae sighed. "You're not letting this go, are you?"

"Nope. We're going to see that stage right now."

Emily grabbed Rae's hand and pulled her towards the large tent in the middle of the town square. Henrietta and Henry were nowhere to be seen, so Emily had the path clear to sneak them both inside the tent, which she did without issues. She stopped when they reached the stage set in one of the ends of the tent and gestured to it as if it were the greatest thing on earth.

To Emily, it kind of was. She had spent most of the afternoon helping put all this together, and she wanted to show off some of her hard work.

"It's a… nice stage," Rae said, brow furrowed in confusion the more she stared at it. "Am I supposed to be looking for something or…?"

"I just wanted to show you what I worked on this afternoon! Do you see the stage's decoration? Henrietta let me choose it! Oh, and—"

Emily's phone rang, its sound carrying through the empty space and making her jump. She grabbed it from her bag and stared at her sister's name on the screen, wondering whether or not to take the call.

"Is it Chloe?" Rae asked, stepping closer. The light from the screen greeted her features harshly, making her frown appear deeper.

"I should take this." Emily sighed and took the call. "Hey, Chloe. What's up?"

"Where are you? I tried calling you a thousand times this afternoon and you didn't pick up!"

"I was busy," Emily said. She wasn't about to tell her sister what she had been doing this entire afternoon. "Why were you calling me, though?"

"Well, I had a meeting with the real estate agent, and Mom joined me, and it's official. We're selling the cabin. You should…"

Emily's ears rang as her heart broke into a million pieces. She gripped her phone close to her ear as her sister went on and on about the meeting, but Emily had stopped listening. She dragged herself out of the tent and collapsed on the town hall stairs, Rae following a few steps behind.

"Can we talk about this tomorrow?" Emily asked, her voice shaking. She didn't want to part ways with this town. She didn't want to part ways with the cabin. "I've had a busy day, and I can't think properly."

"Sure, we can talk about this in person tomorrow. I should be by the cabin around nine, so make sure you're up so you can open the door for me and Nathan, okay?"

Emily chuckled. After taking a deep breath, she said, "There's a spare key under the pink vase near the front door. You can use it to let yourself in. Don't be shocked if I'm not at the cabin when you get there. Call me once you're here."

She hung up and dropped her phone in her bag, running her hands through her face. Rae scooted closer and wrapped an arm around Emily's shoulders, her presence soothing some of the pain consuming Emily.

"I guess those weren't good news?" she asked, her voice a mere whisper. Emily shook her head. She had no energy to speak. Rae kissed her forehead tenderly. "I'm sorry, Ems. I really am. Do you want me to take you to the cabin instead?"

"No." Emily wrapped her arms around Rae's waist, burying her head deeper in the crook of her neck. "I went to be with you right now."

[previous] ● [masterlist] ● [next]

© mxxnlightwriting 2024 All Rights Reserved. Copying, reposting, translating and/or modifications of my work are strictly prohibited.

[fadingwinnerpirate]

You Should Play Noisz Starlivht

Noisz Starlivht is a rhythm game bullet hell RPG microgame collection rougelike Visual Novel, and if that laundry list of genres doesn't catch your attention, then the fact that it's the most diverse and inclusive piece of media I've ever experienced probably will. The premise is that four post high-school, if not post college, idols are performing a show when they're attacked by a Noisz Beast, which is basically the physical manifestation of a piece of music, and they're conscripted to repel these monsters using the Noisz by the mysterious Beyond. It's an odd mix of an idol story and a magical girl story, where the themes and tropes are more similar to the former, but the actual story structure is more reminiscent of the latter.

Also, everyone of the main characters is queer in some way, except one, and her straightness is used more as a joke than anything. The player character, who serves as Starlivht's Producer, is a wheelchair bound sapphic woman who's definitely not important to the plot haha. There's one trans man and a nonbinary person who changed their pronouns between this game and the prequel 2econds to Starlivht (which you should also play), which is neat! Two of the main characters are in a relationship from the word go, and the other is a trans woman who's voiced by a man in the songs because she's confident enough in her own presentation to not need to train her voice (she might also be too lazy lol). She's helped me cope with my own voice dysphoria because it makes me realize that people actually won't really notice or care if a woman has a deep voice, and the only reason you should do voice training is if you WANT to, if you try to do voice training purely because you think you SHOULD sound more feminine or whatever, you'll never be satisfied with the results. Uh, one of the protagonists is also ace, which is revealed over the course of the story, which is neat.

There are also a number of characters with disabilities and neurodivergencies. The Producer has already been mentioned, but one of the protagonist's big sister is also wheelchair bound, and there's even a little scene where the Producer recommends their wheelchair model to that character. There is also two characters who are a part of a system, which was a bit of a surprise for me, but not unwelcome. It also behooves me to mention that these characters talk like they're in a Discord chat half of the time, which is hilarious to me.

Also, the game is completely free to play, though it is greatly improved by spending the twenty bucks for the full version. It also works remarkably well for being a mobile rhythm game and (usually) only using your two thumbs. It's actually reasonably challenging, if that's something you care about, though there is an option if you just want to experience the story.

tl;dr- look at what.

YOU WANT TO PLAY NOISZ STARLIVHT