#why must all gay love stories end in such heartbreak???

[ghostliest-ghosty-ghost-bastard]

Ooh ouch. Yeah no, Crowley ow.

[tmf-confessions]

I HAVE TO CONFESS IT. I HAVE TO SAY IT. GOSHDARNIT I HATE LANDER WITH EVERY BONE IN MY BODY- 😭😭😭

Okay, so, may get some slander for this but Let me explain myself first- Lander is literally the least developed, most emotionless relationship in tmf.

1. Its (pretty much) useless to the plot

Literally like, they’re supposed to be “super close”, they used to be childhood best friends and now they’re lovers! But like…When do we see that ever???

Lander was basically just an excuse to give luke some screentime, and to give zander some more screentime. I know that not everything has to be necessary to the plot of tmf, but in general, when things happen, especially in such a short series (less than 15 episodes in season 1), even filler content should somehow be able to push the plot forward, right? Apparently not, because Lander literally did nothing plot wise!

You could argue that yes, it did show Zander and luke that jake was a trustworthy, but theres so many other ways that he could have done it, without the whole lander arc, which could have arguably set up both characters for more interesting arcs?

Honestly, I feel like there could have been an arc where luke accepted stacy, and zander had to learn to deal with heartbreak, and it would still push the narrative in the same direction, could have had a lot more buildup too

2. It feels like it’s just there for representation

As a queer person myself, do not get me wrong, it is WONDERFUL to have representation within media, on bigger more popular shows too! I’m eternally grateful that rosy added them in to showcase a queer relationship, however, lander honestly feels like its just that. Like its there, JUST to showcase a real relationship.

Like, they had a cute confession moment, but it was so early on in the series that it genuinely didn’t seem like something that was built up to. Sure, we got a bit of time, but how much time was that? 2 episodes of build up tops? “Lovesick luke” and “a drummers confession” was like, literally it. Nothing beforehand to build up to it, besides the whole “Zander is gay” and “zander and luke are childhood best friends” thing, but those can exist within platonic relationships too, so thats not really buildup at all

We never get to see why they’re attracted to eachother, other than “wow, they’ve been friends for a while and admire eachother, they must have crushes on eachother” like- even as a person who is VERY VERY VERY romantically attracted (think opposite of aromantic, then scale it 20x past that), its just giving “boy and girl co-star on a show and end up together at the end because you cant have 2 friends be close without them being romantic,” but made queer.

Genuinely, if theres going to be a relationship, i think that (as much as i personally am not really a shipper of it) jailey is a WONDERFUL example.

They kind of grew on eachother, and we see that attraction growing slowly, rather than being shoved in our faces or being rushed. Its a well thought out love arc, and almost perfectly encapsulates a slowly formed relationship. even in such a short show, it didn’t feel rushed.

(While rereading this, i’m really notsure how to phrase my words, so these words absolutely do not reflect my ABSOLUTE feelings on this, but this is about as close as I can get with it. I am in absolutely no way accusing rosy of being homophobic, Infact i see quite the opposite in her, she’s a wonderful ally, its just meh writing)

3. Its honestly not the best ship? (This part is my opinion purely)

Dont get me wrong, they’re not toxic by any means, (infact, they seem quite healthy!) but they 100% have some issues they need to work on. Like… does no one notice how Luke like, threatened jake if he hurt zander? Obsession issues a tad bit, perchance?/notneg

Luke kinda exists to push zander’s story arc along in the first season, so we get like, no luke character traits, which i think definitely contributes to them not being the best pairing, but overall they’re so generically “mehh” of a relationship. They’re just kinda together, to be together.

4. FINAL REASON: It was just there to push jake’s story along.

Honestly, I think this is the underlying reason here. Jake is the main character in a really short show, so if somethings not revolved around him, its gotta be quick. Lander would definitely be so much better with more development, but because its not jake centred, we basically get nothing on them. This isnt rosy’s fault by any means, shes gotta get the main story in ofc, it just sucks that that seems to cost other characters screen time and development that could have been really nice.

Overall, Rosy please make more lander stuff in season 2, I need to stop hating it cause it could genuinely be so cute 🙏

confession #810

[ammy246]

Just saw some Narusasu shippers shitting on Bakudeku, and as someone who's first gay ship and otp used to be Narusasu instead of Bakudeku, I have some thoughts.

I remember the heartbreak I felt the day Kishimoto ruined Narusasu by forcing them to be romantically involved with women without a single bit of relationship development. Naruto ended up with Hinata in a filler movie despite having ignored her even after her romantic confession to him, and Sasuke abandoned Sakura after having a child with her. This was not the ending any of us wanted. We wanted Naruto and Sasuke to peacefully resolve their rivalry, and find love in each other after all they've been through. But unfortunately, that's not what happened as Kishimoto had to force a next-gen onto us, and permanently friendzoned them. It's tragic and felt like a betrayal, but shounen had not been ready for queer relationships, so Narusasu being shafted was ultimately inevitable.

While I cannot say for 100% certain, I can say that Bakudeku has a much greater chance of becoming canon than Narusasu ever did. Horikoshi once stated that he will tell the story he wants to be told and not follow the stereotypical formula, contradicting Kishimoto who went with the shounen ending we've seen many times before of the protagonist accomplishing their goal and marrying a woman and having kids (even though they have no chemistry with said woman or a lack of feelings for them compared to their rival).

Horikoshi had the chance to make Izuocha canon. They could've confessed before the war, but they didn't. The two moved on with their lives, and have made no desire to talk about feelings for each other, but are rather focused on other peope (Bakugou and Toga) as that's where their hearts reside. Bakugou also has no other potential love interest aside from Midoriya as he is the one he is closest too in the entire world and knows the most which is different than Sasuke who had some moments with Sakura scattered throughout the series from the start.

Bakugou cares about Midoriya in a way that's beyond friendship. He means the word to him to the point he was willing to sacrifice himself and even die for him, and will make himself vulnerable around him and nobody else. Midoriya has hidden feelings for Bakugou as his thoughts regarding him are hidden, and his heart always spirals out of control because of Bakugou, but we have not yet been directly told why. Midoriya does not act like this around his other friends, and he has many.

Naruto and Sasuke resolved things right after their final fight, and their friendship returned stronger than ever before, but that was it. Yet even after Bakugou's apology, there are still unresolved issues even though Midoriya chose to forgive him, meaning something must still be said between the two. Midoriya did not want an apology; he wanted to deepen their bond beyond friendship, but was too afraid of rejection hence why he never confessed and hid his feelings instead.

This plotline is still unresolved as of chapter 405. Bakugou is now being honest about his feelings, yet we have still yet to see Midoriya's thoughts regarding Bakugou's death and revival only having been given face expressions. So if their friendship has returned and gotten stronger than ever before despite the series not yet being over, what else is there to develop aside from romantic feelings?

Narusasu shippers, I hate to say it, but we lost. We cannot change the past, but we can have hope for the future. Bakudeku has surpassed Narusasu long ago, and the two are closer to a love confession than ever before, which is something we never quite got close to with Narusasu. If Horikoshi is serious about not following the typical shounen formula, we might have a real chance here. We might not get a kiss or marriage, but if the two confess their feelings for each other and do not end up with women like nothing happened, then that would be a huge victory for the LGBT+ community, and hopefully open the gateway for more queer relationships in shounen jump for the future.

Both Bakudeku and Narusasu are amazing ships. I wish we could live in a reality where both became canon, but getting one would still be a major milestone. Do not attack each other over what could have been, but resolve your differences like Bakugou & Midoriya and Naruto & Sasuke did and look towards a brighter future where LGBT+ can be mainstream without us having to fight for it and fear losing.

[myboyknows]

WIP Wednesday

We do this thing in the [Runs in the Blood server] every other week, where we post short excerpts from Fanged Four (and subpairing) stories that we're working on - about 4,000 characters. This is an off week, but here's my last snippet because I keep forgetting I have a tumblr and I wanted to post something! The context here is that in 1880, three months after Spike became a vampire, the family goes to Paris for a big vampire event. Some plot happened to their clothes on the way, so Angelus takes Spike to get an outfit to wear and they find something suitable on a young man near Le Chabanais, which is a popular Parisian brothel. He's wearing a green carnation on his lapel, which used to be a code for gay men, and so Angelus is about to take the opportunity to teach young Spike how to seduce the pants off someone.

The problem is Angelus is so bloody charming. Not all the time, of course – certainly not during the late afternoon, that last hour before sunset, when they've been trapped indoors for hours and all four of them are beginning to get hungry, testy, twitchy. Sunlight itches, Spike decided early on. The idea of it itches, knowing it's sitting just on the other side of the wall waiting to devour you in flames. Watching Angelus itch during that hour every day is like looking 127 years into the future and seeing his own self still annoyed by the sun after all this time. Must be something you never get used to, no matter how much you train yourself to sit still and draw a fucking beautiful portrait of your sire cuddling Death like a lover as she poses in elegant but scandalous positions. He can sense it roiling just beneath the surface of Angelus and Darla both, the restlessness, the impatience, despite their calm exteriors. Spike's been experimenting with ways to escape that last hour itch by making love to Drusilla before sunset, but she's itchy and irritable during that time as well, and they always end up fucking wild and fast like they're angry at something – nothing like the way they love each other's bodies in the dark – but he's still finding angry sex to be a pretty great way to spend the time and Dru seems happy to take out her itchiness on him as well, so he hasn't begun to look for other distractions. Maybe in 127 years, he'll learn to draw. But after the soothing sunset, and especially after the evening's first kill or caper, that's when Angelus turns on his ridiculous charm. Spike hates it, except when he forgets to hate it. It's confusing in a way that nothing else is anymore, not since he dug himself out of the earth. Now it feels as if everything in life has been made perfectly clear to him – everything but this one thing, this way that Angelus makes him feel when he's being so goddamn bloody fucking charming. Just tonight, after they'd pushed the remains of supper off a bridge into the Seine and watched the very satisfying resulting sploosh (and after Darla had screamed and Dru had pretended to faint, and Angelus had spun a heartbreaking tale in French to the local Sûreté of trying to prevent the poor human couple from committing a tragic double suicide) the big vampire had been in such a pleasant and playful mood that as soon as they were alone again, he'd twirled Drusilla around and danced her halfway across the bridge and back, both of them laughing. He'd bowed to Darla, grinning, and then – then! – he'd grabbed Spike and danced him around the bridge as well. And in spite of himself, Spike had laughed heartily as they galloped around in a wide circle, full of warm Parisian blood and high on the feeling that there was nothing the four of them couldn't do and get away with, too, and then he took his own lively turn around the bridge with Dru and dipped her so low the tips of her hair swept across the cobblestones. But when he looked up, Angelus wasn't watching. It's not like Spike cares. Why should he care? He barely knows the git, certainly has no reason to want his attention. But the problem is this way Angelus has of making you feel a certain way and then stopping, like it's all some big game. You don't even get to play; you just get danced around the board laughing until you realize suddenly that Angelus has begun playing something else. The problem is Spike keeps forgetting this is how it works, and then the problem is that he remembers. That's why, as he watches Angelus talk quietly to the young man in the alley beside Le Chabanais, his head tilted down as he looks up with just his eyes, smiling, and brushes his fingertips over the petals of the pale green carnation on the man's lapel, as he sees the way this man has fallen immediately under the spell of Angelus's charm, Spike again has the same problem he's been having for the last three months, and he still can't figure out what to fucking do about it.

[nightmaretalesofpain]

KimChay - La Forte

Set in the backdrop of Kinnporsche. Chay struggles to settle in his new life as the younger son of the minor family. With an absent Porsche, deranged mother, Chay has to navigate the dangers of the mafia world, all while struggling to fit in at university.

@satursticket - for you

Genre: smut, gay love, mafia, heartbreak, bl, boys' love, homosexuality, underworld

Chapter two - 

My big brother was staring at my face, giggling, while I glowered at him. Kinn sat next to him, eating his lunch, while the older brother, the nut case, was screaming at the TV upstairs about how his life was ruined because Lee Joong Ki died in some crappy TV show. I recommended that movie to him so that he'd shut the hell up and leave me alone. 

Kinn and Porsche were amused at this, but they also marvelled at my ability to be so cruel. My head was still aching, as I hadn’t recovered since last week. 

"So, Chay, I heard that you are hanging out with Lily. And you even stayed over at our old place. Should I be informed about something?" my brother teased, and I dropped the spoon on the table. I lost my appetite. 

The pervert brother of mine had no idea what I went through last week, and he has the audacity to ask me whether I was the one dating. The fucking freak. If only he knew. 

"I had no idea you were this close. I mean, you grew up together, when did love blossom?" he continued, grinning.

"Who's Lily?" asked Kinn, playing along. 

"Our neighbour who lives down the street. She and Chay go to the same school. They used to play together when they were kids. Who knew that one day love would blossom between friends?" 

My brother was the dumbest man on the planet, and so was his boyfriend. How the hell is it that neither of them knew or suspected that I was previously involved with the youngest son of the mafia boss of this household and that Lily was so bitter about her love being stolen by Janward that she had sworn off men permanently? 

I shook my head. "She's mad at me. She's not even talking to me," I informed them, earning their attention. 

"What did you do?" asked Kinn, amused. 

"She hates me. She loathes me enough to run away at the mere sight of my reflection," I revealed. It was upsetting; my friend was scared to talk to me and was furious with me after what happened last Friday. She pretended that I didn't exist. The friend who would buy me lunch and cheer me up, was avoiding me like I was the COVID virus. She refused to be anywhere near me. I would most certainly cry if she kept this up. As it is I had a few friends and Lily was the only one who got me.

My brother gave me a concerned glance. "Chay, you're a good kid. There must be some misunderstanding. Lily has been your friend for years," 

Yeah, and you and your mafia boyfriend ruined it.

"Did something happen the night you stayed over at our house?"

"Did your minions report that to you? Didn't they tell you the whole story? I guess they aren't good at their job."

Porsche is worried about my demeanour now. I was mean and angry at him, which was rare. 

"Chay, do you want to talk about this?"

"No. Lily abhors me. And instead of going shopping with me and taking me to the salon, she's going to the hair stylist with Thanapan !" I declared, annoyed. Luke Thanapan was her gay cousin. He recently came out to society and was ready to make his debut officially as a gay man.

I continued eating, as my brother fretted over my alleged heartbreak. Hah, too late, brother. 

I bet he came up with a hundred scenarios as to why 'my girl' was mad at me. I'm sure one of the reasons included something sex-related, the moron. 

"Give her flowers. Send her a big bouquet of flowers," he stated, and I gazed at him like he was a buffoon. "Wait for her to cool down. Have a conversation when she's ready. No matter what she is mad about, send her flowers and apologise. Go to her place and deliver them yourself. Or go to her workplace and wait until her shift ends," he advised. 

My God, this nincompoop believed that this was some lover's quarrel that I had to sort out. She's batshit scared of me; why the hell would she even talk to me? She's worried for her safety. 

"I tried that; it didn't work. And Lily doesn't like flowers. She likes money." I answered, drinking the soup. 

"Give a bouquet with money," suggested Kinn. My God, this man had absolutely no clue how to pursue or apologise to women. Thank God he's gay. 

"Lily will kill me if I do that. She's fiercely independent. She doesn't need any man's help."

"Help her get a new job. Encourage her and motivate her. That way she'll still get it on her own, and you'll still be a reliable man in her eyes," blurted out Kinn. 

I blinked. For once, this man had a point.

"Joong Ki! I love you! How could you die? JOONG KI!" I heard the madman scream from upstairs as both of them began rubbing their temples. 

***

Lily looked like she wanted to shoot me, while simultaneously being afraid of me. We were at the salon, as Luke got his hair cut, and I was sitting next to her, on the couch. ���For God’s sake man! Go away before I scream,” she hissed, livid. “Lily, I didn’t do anything to you, why would you scream?” I inquired. “Bro, your bodyguards are two feet away. I don’t want to start shit. Go away,” she said through her teeth, as her cousin was taking a selfie.

“Talk to me Lily,” I insisted. "About your concerns,”

“Bro, its not a concern, I’m in a state of shock. You are weird as hell. I knew your family had debt. Who asked you to get involved with the mafia just to avoid it? Now you are dangerous. Stay away from me and my family. I do not want to get involved with the underworld,” she declared.

“I’m not a part of the mafia,”

“Then why do you have bodyguards?”

“I don’t have a choice,”

“Neither do I. Get the hell away from me, or I’ll scream,”

Thanapan was watching us, and Lily was losing her mind.

“Hanging out with you in public is harmful for me. How do I know that one of your goons won’t kill me?”

I assured her repeatedly that my bodyguards would never harm her. But she had a counter argument. What if one of Kinn's enemies came after her to get back at Kinn?

She knew the whole story. I was the ignoramus to not realise sooner.

I was dumbstruck. I didn’t have an answer. My brother almost got killed. Tomorrow, if one of Anakinn’s enemies decides to attack either major or minor family, we’d all be dead. I recalled watching the guns, goons, and bodyguards, as I was strapped to the gurney.

Imaging Lily being kidnapped, harassed, or being subjected to even more horror was a dark thought. A realistic thought. I dropped the magazine I was holding and gulped. What if something did happen to Lily? Its not just Lily. Gary, Charlie, all of my friends would meet the same fate. They would have to go through the same agony I did, and their families would have deal with my fate. Living in fear, wondering whether my brother and I would live or die.

How did I not think of this sooner?

I could not put everyone at risk.

I remained motionless, as Lily turned pale. I saw her face as she began sweating. "You said that your bodyguards are trained in martial arts?" she questioned and I nodded. "That man has been watching us since the past hour. Either he's one of daddy's debt collectors or one of your enemies. Take a pick. But we have to decide what to do," came her low voice.

"Are you sure he's here for one of us?" I asked, and she affirmed. "Pretend to take a selfie with me. I want this dude's face for future reference," Lily said, and we took many shots with the man in the background. He tried to avoid being caught on camera. Suspicious indeed.

Lily indicated to her cousin that we had company, and he paid the bill. His pepper spray and I ife ready for use. We carefully walked out, as Lily recorded herself, pretending to go live on YouTube.

Indeed, the man followed us for a good two blocks, keeping his distance. The two bodyguards noticed as well. My face turned white as chalk, as I realised how sinister the man looked. Large, burly, black beady eyes and scar on his right eye.

Within seconds, he charged full speed ahead, ready to stab one of us. He had pulled out his large knife and the menacing look on his face made me scream.

All three of us ran at top speed, as a defense. The two bodyguards with us instantly tackled him to the ground and disarmed him. Turns out that he had a knife and a gun. Unfortunately for the bodyguards the guy was big and burly, and very agile. It took him a few seconds to slash one bodyguard's face while the other disarmed him.

Much to my horror, the man escaped as both guards chased after him. Much to our dismay, he hopped into a car and disappeared even before we could blink.

"Oh hell no. That guy was after you Chay. No loan shark is that sophisticated to plan and escape," Lily stated. Thanapan disagreed. He stated that either him or I could have been kidnapped for repayment, hence, the car.

None of us recognised the large man. Thanapan and Lily's fathers owed multiple loan sharks huge amounts of money. Both had mentioned stalking and threatening them. But kidnapping was was an extreme move.

All three of us were convinced that the man had a murderous intent. He either planned to hurt one of us and kidnap us, or kill us. To prove a point. Either way, all of us were frightened out of our wits.

[paperstorm]

It’s actually really sad to think Carlos got married to a women after telling his parents he was gay and they still didn’t said a word to him, not even to ask if he had been mistaken.

(And this is why badly thought plots fuck everything up, cause not talking to your child about their love life is one thing but not talking to them about it after they get married to a gender they said they weren’t attracted to is absolutely heartbreaking. This writers have an idea and don’t think how unimaginably sad they’re gonna make their story thanks to all of the plot holes they’re about to create)

It is really really sad :( How confused they must have been, how much maybe Carlos was internally begging them to say something. Especially toward the end, when he was realizing this was a mistake. Carlos would've been so hard on himself at that time but maybe not able yet to admit that he can't make this work and inside he would have been praying Andrea spoke up just so he doesn't have to feel like the only one who knows this isn't working. And maybe he would have internalized the fact that they didn't say anything, maybe he turned that in his head into proof that him being married to a woman is what they really wanted even if he wasn't happy. It's all so heartbreaking.

[celiastjamesoscar]

Lol yeah Mike should pay us for breaking our gay hearts and tormenting us with his beautiful but heartbreaking stories. LEXA IS A TRUE U-HAUL LESBIAN!! She saw something she liked and went for it. I'd love to have her conference. If there wouldn't have been a war then Lexa would have married Clarke immediately. YOU HAVE TO WATCH THE SHOW!!! IT'S FANTASTIC! (Aside from season 3 and the last 5 minutes)

HOUSE OF USHER WAS SO FUCKING GOOD!! I loved it. Everyone in this family was a gigantic asshole and they lowkey deserved their fate (not Camille though, she is mother and can't do anything wrong). The cinematography, the metaphors, the shots. Everything was so beautiful and once again Mike managed to create such a wonderful story with great horror elements. I love that guy. And I'm so happy that I called the "twist"/reason for everything that's happened around episode 4. Usually I suck at predictions but now I'm so proud of myself 😁 You really have to force your brother to watch Hill House! Everyone must see this masterpiece at least once in their lives.

My day was good. I had fantastic food for lunch, hung out with the chickens and binged House of Usher. And read many more Wanda/Nat fics...

Look at her. Why couldn't she have gotten more screen time �� https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJTkWVBe/

My tiktok is full of her now... https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJTBrwgL/

And to complete the hot trio, here is Mel https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJ7P3v1K/

I don't understand how one person can be so beautiful

Honestly, everyone should aspire to have Lexa’s confidence and her U-Haul lesbianism!!! I mean, Lexa basically did marry Clarke when she swore fealty to her in season 3!! I definitely do need to watch the rest of the show sometime!

THAT SHOW SO WAS FUCKING GOOD AND ONLY FOR 8 EPISODES?!?! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 10!! Kate Siegel try not to serve cunt challenge (impossible)!!! I loved all of the little references to Edgar Allan Pie’s story, especially the name ‘Fortunato.’ I had to explain most of the references to Poe’s work to my brother because he never got to read them in 8 grade because that was his covid year sadly, but he really loved that show!! It took me a hot minute to guess the twist, but I eventually did around episode 6 😭 I’m probably going to rewatch it again but after I read Poe’s stories, just so I can get a better understanding of it. And oh my god, I actually ship Verna and Madeline!!! Her final monologue in episode 8 was peak Mike Flanagan, and every word was written to perfection! Trust me, my brother will watch Hill House whether he wants to or not!

I’m glad you had a good day and some fantastic food!! Reading Wanda/Nat fics is the best way to end a day!

ALL OF HER OUTFITS WERE AMAZING!! ESPECIALLY THAT ONE WITH THE SNAKES

Those are my two favorite eras of her hair!!! Winter Soldier and Civil War are chefs kiss 😩

I absolutely love Melissa so much, how can she be so hot?!??

Also, I don’t know if this is true or not, but I’ve heard some things about Mel not returning to play Sam in the Scream 7 🧍‍♀️ I don’t think it’s true, because Sam is the new face of the movies, but I don’t know…

[runicmagitek]

4, 5, and/or 13?

Answered 4 over here, but will gladly tackle the rest! Thanks a bunch for the ask 💕

5) What aspect of writing have you most improved over time? How did you improve this? What are you trying to improve on now? Oh fuck, that's a lot to wrap my head around, because I've been writing for A While lol. I think in general, my project management of all my fics has improved. Thanks to a lot of spreadsheets, I have a good idea of how many words I can feasibly write per day and how long it would take me to begin and complete a particular fic idea. I've also done a lot to fine tune my editing process, which I was NOT good at in my earlier days. I could probably revisit Darkness/Starlight and shave 20k words off it easily, but hey, it's a learning process. I look at how long it took me to edit that and where I struggled… then look at What Leads You Here, which was longer and took literally a third of the time to edit. I'll take that win for sure.

What I'm trying to improve on now? Being concise. I always ramble too much in the first drafts, so I'd love to do lesss of that. However, I also feel that's just a part of my process and I know I'll edit myself during revisions, so maybe it's fine the way it is.

13) What are some must-read fanfics in your fandoms? Why do you admire these, and how have they impacted your works? If it's on my bookmarks page on AO3, I highly rec it. But here are some faves of those faves that come to mind, along with my bookmark notes for them. As for how they impacted my own works? Well, aren't we always inspired by the art that's around us? You experience something beautiful like catching lightning in a bottle and you never want to let it go, really. That's just being a creative type in a nutshell.

We Are Cinders From a Fire Burning Long Ago (Celes/Terra - Final Fantasy VI) Celes and Terra adjust to their new lives after Kefka's defeat and learn to not only live again, but come to love one another. A delicious treat of a story, equal parts witty and dark with the most well-earned happy ending I've read in some time.

In the Case of Bailey Gilande (Bailey & Royce - Transistor) A heartbreaking glimpse of Bailey's life before she left for the country.

Get On My Wave (Keitaro/Natsuno - 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim) A lovely mid-destruction missing scene, where these two have a touching moment together, complete with hurt/comfort and kissies~

lifetime in repeat (BJ/Ei - 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim) ~cries in gay~ oh my god, he's in love with the robot and it hurts so good and I love Them and- ~insert more hysterical sobbing here~

The Villain of Time (Ganondorf/Zelda - Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker) Don't mind me, I'm just lying face down in the rain and screaming forever. And by rain, I mean my tears. A fucking STUNNING take on Wind Waker and behind Ganondorf's intentions. Grab tissues - you're gonna need them.

[flying-elliska]

Anyway ! Better late than never but here's my favorite stuff I read in 2022 :

- Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by Malinda Lo. Without a doubt my favorite read of the year. Somehow it manages to be heartbreaking, tender and uplifting all at once. The writing is beautifully evocative, the details chosen so clever, and I found the main character painfully relatable. It illuminates a type of experience, that of a young Chinese American lesbian in 1950s San Francisco, that has generally fallen through the cracks of history - it's a celebration of the fact that queer people have existed, everywhere through time and space, and have found ways to be happy even though it was scary and hard and they couldn't tell anyone. And it also illustrates the complex intersections between her different identities - the struggle of her immigrant family to build a life in the US during the Red Scare, the racism she experiences in queer spaces, how she struggles to make a future for herself as a woman interested in science, etc, in a way that feels very important and builds on each other. Also, it's a wonderful tribute to queer spaces and how life saving they must have been, the wonder of discovery, having to rely on crumbs of info and representation, how dangerous and uncertain it all was, just, ugh. Reading this made me think of my 17 year old self who would repeatedly go through the street of the only lesbian bar in town on purpose without daring to go in for years. It's like !!!! That specific mix of longing and anxiety and anticipation. Things have gotten so much better, and yet. Ugh. Anyway, the sense of place and geography in this book is brilliant. Also the romance is very sweet, and the end, if frustratingly open ended, took my breath away. Anyway there is a reason why it got so popular and it's one of the best sapphic books I've read - also YA at its best, easy to read uplifting coming of age story that is also well written and doesn't set aside complexity, richness of historical detail or psychological nuance. Destined to be a classic honestly.

- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston ; already reviewed this one but for me this was the perfect fun enjoyable queer summer romance with an interesting plot and cool characters and vibes. Perfect for what it was honestly.

- Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand ; also popular for a reason ; clever and inventive and inspiring YA, with a great uplifting kick the patriarchy solidarity between girls + Buffy vibes. Good ace rep and I just found the main couple really compelling, especially Val, the privileged queen bee with the family secretly cursed to serve a horrible monster that takes over their bodies and forces them to commit atrocities, how she's honestly kind of an evil bitch at times and is allowed that moral ambiguity but also gets to be brave and heartbreaking and lovable and redeemed in the end and also empathized with as a victim of abuse, and it's like !!!! This is exactly the treatment that male characters get so often and female characters were denied for a long time. Main couple feels like the meme where the popular shallow girl and the 'not like other girls' edgy loner girl are actually falling in love and also, real people instead of cliches. I feel like the author could have done a bit more with the atmosphere but overall it was great and I would have been obsessed with this book as a teenager.

- A Marvellous Light, Freya Marske : gay Regency fantasy romance, what's not to love? Fascinating characters and cool magic system and just a joy to read. My main caveat is that I read it in the beginning of the year and I don't remember much of it but I did remember having a blast reading it.

- Cultish, Amanda Montell : Cults have been a hyperfixation of mine for a long time, for reasons that range from intellectual/writerly interest in what it says about human behavior and group dynamics, wanting to understand how power abuse works and generally processing some fucked up shit I've experienced and witnessed growing up. And there is a lot of sensationalist, dehumanizing stuff out there, so I liked the book's more compassionate and humanistic approach. People on the whole don't join cults because they're isolated wackos or mentally weak or instable or desperate ; in fact cults tend to go for the strong willed, determined idealists who want to see the best in people and have a lot to gain in joining a movement that promises change and real action for a better world. (Unfortunately this is why a lot of cult victims are oppressed minorities). They prey on people's innate need for group belonging and meaning in an atomized world that offers little, using manipulative mechanisms of language that slowly shift your reality away from you. Far from outlandish, these mechanisms are already used at a lesser degree by a lot of big mainstream institutions and religion, and are everywhere in ads and on social media (I especially liked the bit about how MLMs function like capitalistic cults whose protestant/prosperity gospel ideology is deeply tied into our current system, which is why they've been allowed to proliferate so well). And yeah honestly i think recognizing those techniques in order to be immune to them should be basic education. Also I liked the point that a lot of what makes people vulnerable to cults are also often very useful important qualities in other settings so you can't set them aside entirely. So a very interesting book, even though it's still pop science so it gets judgmental and imprecise in places.

- Getting to Yes, Fisher and Ury : lmao this is not a very tumblr book but this is a book about principled negociation, e.g how it's not being a domineering asshole that makes you a good negotiator but instead you can get to the best outcomes by being methodical, empathetic, knowing exactly when and where to stand your ground and when to be generous, setting good boundaries and communication and showing the example by being fair without being taken advantage of. Obvs very useful in a pro setting but I think in general this is a very affirming book if you're the quiet, shy type who struggles with self-confidence. Like, you don't have to be an obnoxious immoral backstabby asshole to get what you want, you really don't.

Overall this was not a good reading year, with 18 books read down from 34 in 2021 - mostly because there were some months where I completely forgot to read. But, I did have a lot of fun reading and I still think that's the most important. Also I read more queer love stories than straight ones, which I am very happy with and definitely want to continue with.

My main goals for 2023 are to read more and especially all the books sitting unread on my shelves (you know the issue.) I want to get into more intellectually challenging stuff and balance it out with lighter reads, esp. queer adult romance and fantasy. I'd like to write more reviews here again. And yeah I want to keep having fun most of all.

[sterwerssunda]

Okayyyy here I go😭 THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT

I have to talk about this movie. Because it is a masterpiece and I am going to rewatch it many times to study the nuances, so *some spoilers*

>>>

Everyone’s been fixated on Pedro Pascal and for good reason. Javi is one of the best written and acted characters I’ve ever seen, and there’s a constant tension because you just want to like him but you’re not sure if you should.

But this is a Bromance. And he’s only half the equation.

Nicholas Cage held nothing back for this movie, and what’s absolutely insane is that this isn’t really him at all.

*glances nervously at the industry before continuing

Nicholas Cage, from everything I can find, is a quirky, average person. He likes action movies. He likes acting. He prioritizes his family, and he likes to read books and sit in chairs with a cat. And that is the basis of his reality. Explosions, popcorn flicks, get paid, relax with the family.

But Nick Cage. Ohhhoho no. Nick Cage is a tormented artist, struggling with the weight of what it means to create fine art in a world that only wants car chases and guns. He cares about meaning and purpose and finding meaning in life. What it is to feel alive, why art even matters…he wants things to move him. And he finds his match in Javi.

AND THIS IS THE UNBELIEVABLE PART OKAY?!? I DO NOT KNOW IF HE EVEN KNEW HE WAS CREATING A SELF AWARE AND BITTERSWEET BROM-COM. I DON’T THINK HE UNDERSTANDS THE SCRIPT AND THE MOVIE BECAUSE THATS NOT ACTUALLY HOW HE THINKS.

So what this means. Is that Nicholas Cage, a basic oblivious white actor with some films on his IMDb, who won’t even watch the movie, has just created a poignant queer lighthearted hopeful tragedy without knowing it.

These people not only got permission to make it, but coached him somehow to deliver very believable performances, and managed to create GAY LA LA LAND, complete with the tragically “happy ending.”

And only some of the people watching will even know what they’re watching. It could be a buddy comedy to them. It could have a happy ending. Good for them, they have girls in their lives. But they’re missing the complete point of the movie.

And what kills me the most is the real villain is the audience. The movie is a baklava of layered subtext, with the “movie” they’re writing often referring to the story they’re in. And both of them want a “beautiful character piece,” but they both realize that the people, the industry…those people wouldn’t watch it. Wouldn’t get it. Wouldn’t support it. They decide with heavy hearts that it should then turn into a “Hollywood blockbuster.”

They want a nuanced gay love story, a drama, a poignant art piece. But the only way it’ll get made is if they cleverly disguise it as a guns and explosions movie. Because that will get people in the theaters. And there’s a devastation, a heartbreaking turn as the story shifts. They know it has to. But they don’t want to point guns at each other. They don’t want cheap explosions and kidnappings. But that is the way it must be.

ALL WHILE NICHOLAS CAGE HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THIS. I really think he mostly did it because of the explosions😭

But I just know that Pedro Pascal understood the assignment. That Javi’s forbidden love wasn’t just about some random girl, it was about his icon. About the person he understood the most. The one who asked to trade shoes with him.

PEDRO PASCAL IS AMAZING IN THIS MOVIE BECAUSE HE KNEW ALL THE ANGLES. JAVI IS A CHARMING BUT THREATENING GUY WHO TURNS OUT TO JUST BE THE GAY SOFTBOY WE ALL THOUGHT HE WAS.

NICHOLAS CAGE IS AMAZING IN THIS MOVIE BECAUSE THE ENTIRE CREW MANAGED TO PULL A HEARTSTOPPINGLY GAY PERFORMANCE OUT OF A STRAIGHT MAN WITHOUT HIM EVEN KNOWING. TURNING HIS MEMED AND CHAOTIC FILMOGRAPHY INTO THE BACKDROP FOR AN ACHING LONELY ARTIST PERSONA WHO WANTED ART AND LOVE AND TO FEEL SOMETHING AGAIN.

Sure, write your Javi x reader fanfics but don’t forget the Nick x Javi ones. Because this is a ship we need to protect. One that who knows how many people secretly fought for. A closeted masterpiece explaining why it can’t fully come out.

It was too short on purpose. It was fleeting and beautiful, and all our beautiful moments were exchanged for dark basements and kidnappings and guns, because that’s what the people crave. Mindless violence. Fast food stories.

SIDE NOTE IT’S ALSO HILARIOUS AND YOU’LL LAUGH SO MUCH LIKE HOWWWW

>>>

There are so many things that I know I’ve missed, and things I want to find once I own it😅

But here are bonus notes:

- the movie The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari is about an evil controlling man who makes an innocent pawn kidnap a girl.

- the movie Paddington 2 is about Paddington Bear being wrongly imprisoned and bringing the best out of his seemingly intimidating cell mates.

Already loads of theories just with that. Go dig up more. Study story and art and write the gayest shit you can. Fight for all the art. Because otherwise it’ll be taped over and replaced with what some grumpy old men with family money want just because they think they own everything. Ehehehe oh crud I’m gonna get cancelled. While I’m at it, yes. The title is a dick joke.

[yurimother]

The Best Yuri of 2020

2020 was hell in every way, and many of us are looking forward to new possibilities and advances in 2021. However, the year brought us many small moments and gifts worth celebrating. Among these, the explosive growth and change within the Yuri genre are among the most precious and most outstanding achievements. This second century of Yuri opened with a bang, as phenomenal new works, creators, and moments made their mark and helped change the future genre.

This annual list is a celebration of just a handful of the fantastic titles, people, and events in Yuri. There are likely some even greater ones that did not make the list because there is so much content in both English and Japanese that even I cannot keep up. However, among the troves of treasure, these titles stood out as shining examples of Yuri excellence. Some were released this year, others were recently adapted into English, and still, others are established titles that rose to prominence to dominate the conversation and my mind this year, but every one of them is worthy of being on this list and in your heart.

Here is the Best Yuri of 2020!

15: The Curse of Kudan Remastered

Japanese Yuri visual novel developers show no sign of slowing down as they continue to push to new heights and try new ideas. These are the same amazing people who brought us the delightful educational Yuri game The Expression Amrilato and the hilarious and surprisingly queer OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbando’s. However, this most recent release, The Curse of Kudan Remastered, is their best work yet. Released near Halloween, this game brings a new edge of dark mystery and the occult to Yuri audiences worldwide.

The Curse of Kudan is available on MangaGamer, JAST USA, Denpasoft, and Sekai Project.

14: Adachi and Shimamura

English audiences were finally treated this year to Hitoma Iruma’s long-running and wildly successful Yuri light novel series, Adachi and Shimamura. Although the story struggles to gain traction, dedicated readers’ have their patience rewarded with a sweet tale full of gay pining. Alternatively, you can jump into its stellar anime adaptation, with gorgeous visuals and realized characters you will actually be willing to put up with the annoying Yashiro just to see where the title characters go. The series shows no sign of slowing down either, as the manga adaptation is coming to Western audiences next year.

Adachi and Shimamura is available to stream on Funimation. The light novel series is published by Seven Seas - https://amzn.to/3rTSZTK

Honorable Mention: Happy Go Lucky Days

The OVA adaptation of Fragtime got most of the attention this year. Still, director Takuya Satou and Pony Canyon also gave us this much-overlooked “love is love” anthology movie based on Takako Shimura’s manga (Sweet Blue Flowers, Wandering Son). The first short in the film, “Happy,” is easily the best Yuri anime of the year. It follows the beautiful yet realistic queer love story of two women hooking up at a mutual ex-girlfriend’s wedding, only for the relationship to blossom and warm viewers’ hearts. Sadly, while stylized, the budget demanded the animation cut a few too many corners. Additionally, the subsequent stories are at best tedious and at worst alarmingly problematic, which is why Happy Go Lucky Days only gets an honorable mention.

The OVA is streaming on HIDIVE

13: Mieri Hiranishi

The Yuri scene has many colorful creators with a breadth of different ideas and stories in the genre, yet few have provided as much humor and joy as Mieri. This talented creator spectacularly tumbled into the scene with her manga essay The Moment I Realized I Wasn’t Straight, which embodies the brutal honesty and realism of Nagata Kabi and matches it with exaggerated hilarity. She continues to chronicle her painful struggles of being a butch girl in love with butch girls in the monthly series The Girl that Can’t Get a Girlfriend. Alternatively, you can follow her on Twitter for just as much heart and laughter.

Read The Girl that Can’t get a Girlfriend on Tapas and Webtoon.

12: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

My Next Life as a Villainess has what can only be described as volcanic bisexual energy. Every character protagonist Catarina Claes encounters is entirely enthralled by her. Of course, she is far too preoccupied with her quest to avoid doom flags and change her ultimate fate to notice any romantic interest. The series is rewarding and well structured, as views are just as focused on how Catarina plans to avoid certain doom as they are with the various romantic misses her band of companions cooks up. While the “friendship ending” did not capitalize on its Yuri potential, it was perhaps the most satisfying possibility for this crazy harem, at least until season two comes out, which looks, unfortunately, to be significantly less queer.

My Next Life as a Villainess is streaming on Crunchyroll

11: Love Me for Who I Am

Kata Konayama’s manga series is less Yuri than a general LGBT work, but it has a lesbian character and explores her identity and struggles in great detail. Few titles before have captured the exciting and nervous waves of emotions that young people feel as they explore gender and sexual identities and try to find themselves. This heartfelt and extremely queer series rubberbands between cute moe dress up to tragic and gripping backstory, keeping readers on their toes the whole time.

Love me for Who I Am is published by Seven Seas - https://amzn.to/3rTSZTK

10: A Summer’s End – Hong Kong 1986

Oracle and Bone’s debut visual novel, A Summer’s End, is set in a vibrant and electric 1980’s Hong Kong. Drawing inspiration from classic Asian cinema, music, and fashion. The worlds of Michelle, a young office worker, and a free-spirited woman named Same collide. The two struggle to comprehend and accept each other’s feelings just as they struggle against society’s expectations and prejudices. An incredibly thoughtful and touching adventure, the creators incorporated vital contemporary elements include Asian LGBTQ rights and growing political unrest in Hong Kong, into this illustrious game.

The visual novel is available on Steam.

Honorable Mention: Goodbye, My Rose Garden

In the same vein as A Summer’s End, Goodbye, My Rose Garden is a beautiful period piece that incorporates LGBT views into its shattering narrative. The story follows a bright-eyed immigrant, Hanako, wanting to make a new life in England as an author at the dawn of the twentieth century. She takes a job as a maid to noblewoman Alice, but their relationship takes a turn when Alice asks Hanako to kill her. This poignant tale is beautiful and an honest depiction of love and its conflict with responsibility and society.

Goodbye, My Rose Garden is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/3hFSyaG

9: Shio Usui

Usui’s hit Shaikaijin Yuri manga Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon could easily take this spot even though it is not even out in English until February 2021. The manga is already making waves and receiving constant praise. The characters and their journey to discover love and self-acceptance are as charming as they are relatable and grounded. However, it is the creator, Usui, who really deserves acclaim. Not just for their work on Doughnuts, but having a second serialized story, Onna Tomodachi to Kekkon Shitemita, in monthly Yuri magazine Comic Yuri Hime simultaneously. It is even more remarkable when you consider these two iconic stories are Usui’s first long-running works, as they only contributed one-shots before.

8: Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka

Bloom Into You is possibly the most iconic Yuri series in the past decade, and while the manga deserves its own place on this list, the best thing to come out of the series as a whole is easily the light novels. This trilogy by Adachi and Shimamura creator Hitoma Iruma dives deep into supporting cast member Sayaka. Readers are treated to a delightful journey as she discovers her sexuality, experiences heartbreak, and finally finds herself breaking free and falling in love. With the help of gorgeous illustrations by Nakatani Nio herself, Iruma masterfully captures Sayaka’s unique voice and emotions in this wonderful series. Whether a fan of the originals or not, every Yurijin must check out Regarding Saeki Sayaka.

The light novel series is published by Seven Seas - https://amzn.to/3hFSyaG

7: Our Teachers are Dating

The best a Yuri can get. This workplace romance follows two teachers at the start of a new relationship taking nervous yet enthusiastic first steps, including saying I love you, going on their first date, and even sleeping together. It is so heartfelt and salacious that readers will squeal the whole time. Additionally, our heroines are supported in their relationship by everyone they know, their students, colleagues, and even the principal. It is a perfect world for these two lovebirds! Our Teachers are Dating would easily be number one or two in any other year, but the competition is fierce in 2020. So even though this is only number seven, it is still a master class Yuri manga.

The manga is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/38XY3O9

6: Amongst Us

Who would have thought that a comedy alternative universe story spinoff of a fantasy action series would be the single best Yuri webcomic this year? Shilin’s astounding artwork illustrations the hilarious and irresistible journey of girlfriends Blackbird and Veloce. These two eccentric young women get into all kinds of everyday mischief that bounces between tender and touching romance, completely outrageous comedy, and downright thirst-inducing sorcery. Seriously, you should buy the first volume for Veloce’s back muscles alone. The storyline skips between time, but both their established relationship and their meeting as teenagers are adorkable and captivating.

Amongst Us is available online free on Webtoon and the comic’s website. The first volume is in paperback on Shilin’s site.

Honorable Mention: Éclair

There are a lot of Yuri anthologies out there, and they have done some beautiful things. Many focus on themes like Syrup. Others collect a series of stories by an author into one bound work. However, out of all of them, Éclair is the most successful. ASCII Media Works took some of the genre’s most extraordinary creators and let them do whatever they wanted, and the results are spectacular. The incredible talent behind Éclair somehow packs a full volume’s worth of story and character into just a few pages with every chapter. While the first volume came overseas a few years ago, Yen Press gave Yurijin a gift this year by releasing the entire rest of the series in which readers can get lost.

The anthology series is published by Yen Press - https://amzn.to/38XY3O9

5: I’m in Love with the Villainess

A small trend of isekai Yuri with villainesses emerged recently, and I honestly had few hopes of I’m in Love with the Villainess. The series is pretty popular, but I often find that this does not denote quality, and with isekai having some institutional issues, I suspected this would fall flat. Then the volume three cover showcased an incredible accomplishment, allowing for a lesbian relationship to blossom into a family with children, and it blew me away. Finally, I read volume one and realized that the series has incredible character, some of the best world-building I have ever seen in a light novel, thoughtful discussions of inequality and societal issues, and most impressively, open and frank discussion of queer identity and life Yuri has ever seen! This one is something special.

The series is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/3nedvdZ

4: The Last of Us Part II

Yes, I know this one is not Yuri and that a portion of the population despises this game and will likely be exceptionally angry at me for including it. However, I maintain that it was an incredibly challenging masterpiece. Naughty Dog did not take the easy route out and delivered one of the most devastating media experiences I have ever seen. As I said in my article about the game, playing it changed me, and it sticks with me to this day. The Last of Us Part II earns its spot on this list because it pushed boundaries more with LGBTQ inclusion than any other AAA game. From brave inclusion of LGBTQ themes to queer characters and storylines at its center, the game changes gaming and it will never go back.

The Last of Us Part II is available on PlayStation 4

3: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

She-Ra feels like the culmination of all the LGBTQ progress western cartoons have made over the past few years. From The Legend of Korra to Steven Universe, young people are finally seeing more LGBTQ people represented on the small screen. This epic fantasy concluded with an amazing and powerful lesbian romance, delivering on its queer promise and revolutionized representation in a trope-defying crescendo.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is streaming on Netflix

2:  The Conditions of Paradise

The greatest single Yuri work of all in 2020 was the English release of Akiko Morishima’s breakthrough manga, The Conditions of Paradise. Initially released in 2007, this anthology detailed the love between adult women. It was in every way a manga ahead of its time, and seeing it finally get a small piece of the recognition it deserves overseas is a true gift. The fact that we can own this legendary piece of Yuri history and Morishima’s other anthologies is nothing short of a blessing from the Yuri goddess.

The Conditions of Paradise is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/38bh4xq

Honorable Mention: Otherside Picnic

This eerie sci-fi horror series combines the best of pulse-pounding thrillers, complex and intelligent hard science fiction, and exciting Yuri romance. Author Iori Miyazawa spends as much time crafting a well-paced and intriguing narrative about a mysterious world where occult creatures roam as he does establishing two believable and grounded heroes in Sorawo and Toriko. The romance between the two may be slow to start, but their chemistry is undeniable and as the stakes and story build, so too does their relationship. Not only are the light novels incredible, but the series’ manga adaptation is coming soon to the West as well as an upcoming TV anime in early 2021.

Otherside Picnic is streaming on Funimation. The light novels are published by J-Novel Club - https://amzn.to/3niiv1g

1. Yuri subgenres

For a long time, Yuri was not a genre of its own, but elements of romances or bonds between women found in other works. Now, thanks to an increasing library of works, the advent of social media, and a wider audience, Yuri is a genre on its own, with many creators telling different stories in different styles. However, 2020 saw the continued emergence of something extraordinary, subgenres. Yuri is now so vast, we can actually categorize the works within. Depending on their characters, like classic schoolgirl romances or spicy shakaijin office affairs, their world, such as fantasy or isekai series and thrilling science fiction adventures, and even other elements within. One of my personal favorites is the feminist Yuri that emerges from titles like Sexiled, where women celebrate the accomplishments of other women and dismantle power structures stacked against them. Now, no matter what kind of Yurijin you are, there is something for you to love.

I am happy to leave 2020 behind, but I bring with me a renewed love and admiration for Yuri. 2021 looks to be a somehow even better year for the genre, and I am thrilled to experience every minute of it that I can. Yuri has transformed into something far greater than I ever thought it would be, and let us all enjoy its evolution and expansion together in 2021.

[thebrokengate]

Damn, the Duffers really said they're not adding new characters for S5 because they want to focus on the original, already existing characters. So, it's either Byler is happening or Will is ending up alone, which I would not have a problem with if they didn't make him suffer and didn't make him in love with Mike in the first place. Aside from that, if their only gay main doesn't get to experience romance on screen whereas all the other straights are given love interests at some point, it is gonna look really bad.

I don't see him getting a no-face love interest as well when they really could have given him a love interest in S4, back in Cali. They introduced Vickie into the story, so I see no reason why they could not have introduced a new love interest for Will. Even if someone doesn't ship Byler must see that this whole build up, context and storyline would be really meaningless if Byler isn't canon. Because like other people have already pointed out, the Duffers really wrote themselves to a corner. I hope the Netflix execs do not interfere...

Yeah, if they were going to give Will a new love interest, season 4 would've been the time to do it. And I don't see them giving him an underdeveloped love interest or them pulling the "and suddenly he makes eye contact with a random boy, and roll credits" card either for a main character, because Will is going to be a central focus next season. They wouldn't have set Byler up this way if they weren't planning to go through with it. Unless they really hate Will, they wouldn't set him up for so much heartbreak and suffering over Mike for it to end in unrequited love, and if making it seem like everyone in the show forgot his birthday instead of opting to change it later is too sad, then I don't think they would leave him alone and miserable, stuck pining from afar forever. Will doesn't just have a crush on Mike, he's in love with him, and even in fiction, that's not something you get over fast. So it would literally make no sense from a narrative standpoint to throw away all of that build-up, especially for a relationship that they've presented as mediocre in comparison.

[ultrabrite-dl]

Reasons why I fell in love with Luca (2021)

(Warning: spoilers ahead)

The soundtrack, Pixar really does a good job at ripping my heart out and kissing it gently with their music, I still cry when I hear the ending theme.

The environnement: I can almost feel the sea breeze, the heat of the sun, the water splashing everywhere and as someone who traveled to Italy many times, Portorosso feel so lively and reminded me of those little cities I visited. This movie feel like summer hugging you.

Sea monsters. I don't know why I love the concept so much. I also love swimming. So yeah, instantaly pulled in. The transition from sea monster to human was really good (tho I wonder how their tails disapear? Do they shrink and grow back?)

The character design: I always loved Pixar's more cartoonish approach instead of Disney's more "pretty and realistic" designs. It make everything more dynamic.

SPEAKING OF DYNAMICS: Luca and Alberto's relationship IS SO BEAUTIFUL. I understand why many people see them as a romantic pair, but for my part, I don't really care, I just love the chemistry they have between them and also with Guilia. Like Alberto went from clinging on Luca and trying to keep him close to him at all cost to actively doing everything to help him move to the city and realize his dream even if it meant they would not see each other for a long time and I- 😭 (on a happier note, he got a new dad in the process). And Guilia being a loud girl just looking for people who understand her passion and finally meeting someone who's just as loud and energetic, as Luca want to learn and she's just so happy to teach. But seriously that train scene at the end; Alberto encouraging Luca to see the world on his own, selling his Vespa for him, the HUG AND THAT HEARTBREAKING GOODBYE, PIXAR, STOP! I'M NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THIS!

This entire movie felt like my chilhood vacations; going near the sea during summer, the old stories locals tell about the sea, the weird friends you make, the HEARTBREAKING GOODBYES as summer comes to an end.

The theme: now I heard many people talk about how this movie actually is about LGBTQIA+ issues and I must say there's a LOT of hints that point into that direction (especially with Alberto)(now, there's a lot of interpretations possible, but I think it's the most interesting one):

Being in and out of the water could be a metaphor for being in and out of the closet.

Alberto has been kicked away by his dad for odds reasons.

Even if he has been "out" for a long time, and while he still goes underwater, Alberto stays away from the other sea monsters AND the humans.

The fact that Luca parents want to send him away after he met Alberto, even though he's also a sea monster (Uncle Ugo even describe him as a "bad influence").

They try to keep him in the water and away from the surface.

The supportive grandma, who knows about the surface. "He's old enough to know about it".

Luca and Alberto feel braver together to explore the human town.

They have a hard time fitting in.

"We underdogs have to stick together"

The fact that they're almost "outed" multiple time and people have their suspicions about them.

Ercole and his gang beating Alberto in a dark alley in front of a powerless Luca.

Alberto getting jealous of Luca and Guilia friendship, because if he leaves, he's alone again, in the human world.

"What do you think will happen when they'll learn the truth about us?!"

When Alberto reveal himself as a sea monster and Luca turn on him and deny his own identify to stay safe. Oof. I could talk about the thousands of stories I've heard about gay couples where one is still in the closet, and when the other tries to help them come out to their relatives, they end up denying everything and end up outing and hurting their partner. Yup that one felt very real.

Alberto about his dad "I though that maybe he'd change his mind"

Luca finaly revealing himself when Alberto get hurt by the hunters.

Ercole: "This towns will never accept sea monster like you"

The old ladies (who were always together in the movie) at the end of the race revealing their identities in support.

"Some people, they'll never accept him. But some will. And he seems to know how to find the good ones."

Okay, I think that's it!

This is a very long post, and it's mostly me ranting, but I really needed to talk about this movie. I could talk about it for hours!

I'm so mad Disney didn't make a theatrical release for it, but watch it if you can ! AND LISTEN TO THE SOUNDTRACK !!

[iamthenightcolormeblack]

Impressions of Wilde (1997)

I really liked this movie and I'm sure you will too! It's a great introduction to Oscar Wilde (who he was, a glimpse into his personal life, and why he remains relevant and incredibly charming) and also a celebration of homosexuality.

1. Overview:

The movie doesn’t tell the whole story of Oscar Wilde's life. It covers the 1880s, his rise to fame and sudden fall, and ends shortly after his 1897 prison release. Some Oscar Wilde fans were disappointed because they wanted to see the early parts of his life (how he got his inspiration and crafted his aesthete persona).

The costumes and sets are absolutely gorgeous and transport you back to the late Victorian era; lots of deep red fabric curtains, detailed mahogany wood furnishings, intricate paintings, and lavish costumes.

The lead actors are amazing and they resemble the real people almost exactly.

2. Casting:

Stephen Fry as Oscar Wilde. One could say he IS Oscar Wilde reincarnated; he looks almost exactly like Wilde. Most importantly he perfectly combines Wilde's charm and intelligence. The film also tries to show Wilde as a father and married man in addition to the "gay fop" identity that he's usually placed in. As much as he mocks society, he's kind and loving (still cares about Bosie even though it's obvious at times that Bosie doesn't deserve his kindness).

Jude Law as Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas, Wilde's lover. I must say that Bosie definitely reminds me of Dorian Gray because he's blond, beautiful, and selfish. He throws lots of temper tantrums and reminds me of a teenage boy trying in vain to rebel against his father, the Marquess of Queensbury (Wilde's enemy who plays a big part in his downfall). He does seem to care for/love Wilde, but is still selfish in that his first concern is himself.

Jennifer Ehle as Constance Wilde. You may know her as Elizabeth Bennet from the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Film Constance is quite intelligent and unconditionally supportive of Oscar Wilde.

3. Scene Recaps:

The film begins quite unusually in the Wild West (no greater contrast between the gritty Colorado mining town and the elegant parlors of London). Wilde makes his entrance in a fancy fur coat, dressed to kill. He successfully entertains the miners with a story about an artist.

Back to London; Wilde was in Colorado on his North American lecture tour. At a party he meets Constance and marries her "because all artists need an audience." Quite an interesting quote because there's this general conception that artists are isolated people who need to get away from society to produce their best works, when in actuality they need others to appreciate their works. Constance is a good match for Wilde because she's intelligent and constantly (coincides with the name) supports him even though he cheats on her with his gay buddies.

We are then treated to a lovely scene where he walks through a crowd of lawyers (marking him as a nonconformist).

Robbie Ross, one of Wilde's best friends, introduces him to gay sex.

“Dinner with lord and lady Asquith” = code language for a fling.

Then he meets John Gray, a handsome bohemian played by Ioan Gruffud, a pretty guy with long hair, and has another fling with him. Gray brings up the idea of art as a means of capturing the soul (inspiration for The Picture of Dorian Gray, which brings scandal to the Wilde family).

Oscar Wilde has 2 boys with Constance. He loves his family and cares about the wife but he’s always away in London working on his plays/stories or having flings with his gay buddies.

I really liked how the film used Oscar Wilde's children's story The Selfish Giant as a metaphor for his relationship with his family. His success isolates him from his family; he's often away and doesn't visit often, much like the giant hides behind a wall.

He meets Bosie at the premiere of the play Lady Windermere’s Fan (not historically accurate). Bosie says something smart to flatter Wilde, summing up what Wilde did in his work: using wit to mock and amuse people simultaneously.

Bosie is a beautiful, selfish rich boy and wants Wilde for his own entertainment. He has some affection for OW but loves himself first; Wilde's friends and Robbie Ross are concerned for him. Wilde and Bosie have a passionate, open relationship. At times Bosie has sex with other men while Wilde watches.

They dine together without a concern for others’ opinion (another of my favorite scenes from the movie).

Wilde genuinely loves Bosie and sees him as the victim of bad parenting (what a pity, since it's unclear at times whether Bosie loves Wilde).

Eventually because of his relationship with Bosie, Wilde makes a powerful enemy in Bosie's father, the Marquess of Queensbury. Queensbury attempts to insult Wilde several times before sending him a card accusing Wilde of being a sodomite. Wilde sues for libel and that precipitates his downfall, as all the details of his personal life are revealed.

In the trial, Wilde tries to explain "the love that has no name" and is convicted. Then follows a heartbreaking scene where he tries to maintain his composure while being haggled and booed at by spectators, while his friends can only watch in silence.

Bosie swears to Wilde that he loves him, but while Wilde languishes in jail, he complains that the imprisonment affects him most as he's suffering (what a selfish person).

I have ambivalent feelings about the “happy” ending where Oscar Wilde is reunited with Bosie. As much as I like happy endings in LGBTQ+ movies (because that doesn't often happen), Bosie clearly isn't a very good person and maybe would have been bored with Wilde and left him.

4. Some things not included in the movie:

The film doesn't include the fact that Oscar Wilde slept with teenage boys and male prostitutes. The flings seemed to be consensual but some of the sexual partners were underage.

Constance is advised to change her last name to save her social reputation, but the film doesn't show that she actually did (changed it to Holland).

The last part of the film (the trial to the ending) merely serves to remind us that Wilde was courageous for being a nonconformist in a stifling society. They don't really show what happens to Wilde after his imprisonment with the exception of the reunion with Bosie.

Conclusion:

Definitely watch this movie if you haven't already; it's an excellent introduction to Oscar Wilde, or if you're a Wilde fan, it will be great entertainment.

I was going to write some more intelligent things about this movie but I just started college and I didn't get around to finishing this little post until a few weeks after I watched the movie (so I've forgotten some stuff in it/my other thoughts about it).

[batattta]

destiel fic recs nobody asked for

I’ve read a lot of fanfiction since november and I needed to express it somehow. so. here goes a HUGE rec list. 

no order at all, huh. canonverse, if not said otherwise. bold for my favorites.

part 2 | part 3 | part 4

part 1/?

first and second date (9k and 13k, t/e) very healthy s15 deancas relationship, dean goes to therapy (as he should), must-read

he bids good-bye to distance (3k, e) purgatory smut, you know the drill 

understanding your body in ten easy steps (13k, e) i love this dean so much, a little bit insecure and so vulnerable and caring! such a sweet fic!

the mirror (25k, m) this one actually made me sob; dean travels though alternate realities and meets...a lot of other deans and castiels

where the weeds take root (30k, e) this one is in my top-5, i guess. please, just GO READ. they live in the country, built a chicken coop, smoke weed and figure out their relationship. all of my favorite headcanons in one fic. and with gorgeous illustrations!! 

a turn of the earth (95k, m) heartbreaking, but with a happy ending. timetravel, cas meets pre-series dean. 

an idiot's guide to a successful love confession in two words or less (4k, e) okay. dean confesses to cas using thee mixtape. what more should i say? 

crazy diamonds (25k, e) dean from 2008 swaps places with dean from 2018. so cute, so sweet, but SO SAD. but good sad. not hopeless sad. don’t wanna spoil anything, but i was sitting in silence after finishing this one, like, for half an hour. 

a room of one’s one (95k, e) a classic one. ALL THE KINKS!! just a little bit of angst, but mostly very sweet. wing!kink 

the first five times (43k, e, mcd) oh. this one. endverse. very dark and depressing. but you know, they love each other. so much. and it describes my favorite concert about endverse. i cried like a baby. yeah. this kind of sad. 

you can keep holding on (352k, e) i love this one so, so much. i adore this cas and this dean. they are precious. there is one thing that author preferred not to include in tags (and i get why), but at the time it was. um. hard. still was worth it tho. but be careful. pretty heavy themes in this one. but such a HAPPY ENDING! ah. 

dean (and cas') top 13 zepp traxx (82k, e) post-canon, road trip, led zeppelin, love love love

tall grass (58k, e) cas grows a garden!!!!!! found family on maximum! sex scene like WOAH. hot. last few paragraphs are such a beautiful prose. i keep coming back and rereading them. 

build a home (20k, t) another post-canon found family fic. yeah. i have a soft spot for them.

that’s me in the corner (9k, e) “heaven can't wait” fic. i love all this fanfiction gap stories. this on is so *chefs kiss*. 

welcome to pine shores! (21k, e) and another post-canon story! can’t stop won't stop. they are old and own a motel. and still are dancing around each other. huh. they’re such idiots *fondly*

every story has to start somewhere (27k, e) i must confess. i have a soft spot for dean in denial trope. and this one is all about dean trying not to be gay. spoiler: he fails. lol. 

sunshine (8k, g) usually straight dean is ooc for me, you know. but this one is a good exception. it’s just so sweet and tender and all about their profound bond. yep. 

enough (1k, t) as grey ace person myself, ace cas is so very important for me. 

the mantra (3k, g) PLEASE READ IT. post 12.12. i reread it regularly. so tender. oh my god. i have no words. just. go read.

scratchmarks (12k, e) one of this smut fics, where smut is not about smut at all. this is 2009!dean/cas/2014!dean. sad, but so beautiful.

may i? (12k, e) post s15 purgatory fic. how it should have been. 

profoundly bonded (by law) (20k, e) firstly: sobsicles is currently one of my favorite destiel authors. so. cas asks dean to marry him. dean have no reason to decline. such a sweet domestic fic. dean is so dumb (we all know that).

the sum of my regrets (20k, m) dean goes to the past and meets cas’ female vessel. nothing happens between them back there, if you're worried. but dean does come to the realization.

the girlfriend experience (15k, e). another classic one. no words needed.

twenty dollars (15k, e) cas-centric, post gas-n-sip. he tries to survive and has no other choice but to turn tricks. poor baby. i wanted to hug him so bad while reading this. 

until the lost become the found (35k, e) such a unique story! i’ve never knew that i needed it so much until this fic. dean. cas. and endverse!cas. yep. you got it right. the ending!! the sex scene (omg)!! perfect characterization of endverse!cas. and you know, he deserves a lot of love. all the love. it may be not everyone’s cup of tea, but please, give this fic a chance. 

[rogueyami]

Haikyuu!! Fic Recs

I love reading fanfics, and I have so many bookmarked that I want to share. Hope you all enjoy and give these writers all the love. All of these are completed works, and they are a mixture of one shots and multi chaps.

Kagehina

where the night goes by bigspoonnoya (M)

Summary:

When their bond loses the immediate context of volleyball, they're left to consider why it's still so vital and important.

Meeting again, by chance, six years later.

Somewhere to Belong by Esselle (E)

Summary:

Once a year, all the villages that follow the way of the sun offer up one of their own to be taken to the sun god's divine temple. Kageyama Tobio, an orphan and loner, never wanted to be chosen—and until the sun god appeared, no one ever wanted to choose him, either. All Tobio wants is to find a place he fits in. What he actually gets is another story entirely.

by this time next year by reeology (T)

Summary:

"I got offers from two universities," Kageyama announces, pointing at his chest with his thumb. "I'm going to play volleyball at Keio this spring."

"You still have to pass an exam, even if it's an easy one," Takeda-sensei hurries to add, although he is beaming and bursting with pride at his fluffy little crow chick taking off to play volleyball at a university level.

"I'll pass," Kageyama says with the same kind of confidence he uses when he tells Hinata he'll get the toss to him. He looks straight at Hinata, and Hinata jerks and turns red, wondering if maybe Kageyama knew he was daydreaming about something as stupid as the way Kageyama talks to him during a game. But then Kageyama just points at him and says, "You'd better get in, too."

Hinata, stupid, naive, idiot that he is, grins wide and nods and says, "Yeah!"

He doesn't know what he's in for.

Not Alone by seconddaysea (E)

Summary:

"I'll visit you," Hinata says. "So you're not allowed to get lonely, you got it?" He turns so they're facing each other, hands warm against Tobio's back. "I'm already lonely," he replies quietly, and he presses his face against Hinata's heart, squeezing his eyes shut, because if this is a dream he doesn't want to wake up.

maps, from me to you by tothemoon (T)

Summary:

This is a (non-chronological) account of the memories they make out of millimeters.

Iwaoi

we can do better than that by spaceburgers (M)

Summary:

Oikawa and Iwaizumi go on a road trip during the summer after their high school graduation. It doesn't go as expected, but maybe that's not such a bad thing after all. 

we shine like diamonds by whiitemists (T)

Summary:

Oikawa is nine when he first hears the word. The boys on the playground whisper it like it's dirty, like the way they daringly mutter the word fuck and then look over their shoulders to check their parents hadn't heard.

"You know Abe-kun from class?" they snicker, hands cupped around their mouths like they're passing along a filthy secret. "I hear his older brother is... gay."

here comes your man by newamsterdam (T)

Summary:

Iwaizumi’s left his cell phone on the bench, and while Suga keeps his gaze away from Iwaizumi the phone lights up with a new message.

Iwa-chan, it reads, Have a good day today! Good luck! <3 <3 <3

Suga chokes. It’s hard to imagine anyone calling the scowling and fierce Doctor Iwaizumi “Iwa-chan.” But marriage probably comes with all sorts of liberties.

Mrs. Iwaizumi must be quite the doting wife, Suga thinks. Delivering hand-made bentos and sending along loving messages.

No one really knows much about the new surgical resident, Doctor Iwaizumi, other than the fact that he's married. Suga's determined to find out more, and make a friend of him in the process.            

just hear me out by loveclouds (T)     

Summary:

To stimulate Japan's low birthrates and take most of the guesswork out of dating, a beeper system was biologically developed in people's wrists, an audible confirmation to show romantic compatibility.

Iwaizumi's beeper has been going off for Oikawa since they've been kids. Oikawa's has only ever been silent.

 Call Security! by DeathBelle  (T)    

Summary:

Oikawa Tooru is attractive, charming, and irresistible.

He thinks so, anyway, until he meets the mall's new security guard.

In which Oikawa has a crush, Iwaizumi has no interest, and a chain of shoplifting incidents brings them together.

Bokuaka

(Don't) Touch Me by DeathBelle (E)         

Summary:

Akaashi has always had an aversion to human contact, but earlier in his life it had been bearable. It isn't until his last year of high school that it becomes intolerable. By the time he enters college, any skin contact has the potential to send him spiraling into a breathtaking panic attack.

He reconnects with Bokuto in college, and he seems to be the only person with the ability to calm Akaashi down. He finds himself relying on his old captain more and more, especially when Bokuto deems himself Akaashi's own personal guardian. Despite their connection, he can't touch Bokuto, either; no matter how badly he'd like to.    

Upstairs by yoogiboobi (E)    

Summary:

Bokuto first sees his neighbour at the supermarket, three days after he's moved into his new place.

[...] 

For about a second, a heartbeat, he's met with a pair of dark, piercing eyes, with what is probably eyeliner, looking back at him. It really is just a split second before his hand knocks down three cereal boxes that hit him square in the head, effectively making him break eye contact and drop his groceries to the floor.

In which some of the first things Bokuto learns about his upstairs neighbour are the colour of his eyes and the sound of his moans.         

bang! now we're even by Authoress (E)

Summary:

Akaashi only has two rules when it comes to his profession. One, complete the job as swiftly and cleanly as possible. Two, never trust anyone who smells like blood.

Rule three is to shoot Owl Eyes in the face should he ever come across him, but Akaashi never tells anyone about that one.

Crisis Converted  by valiantarmor (E)    

Summary:

Akaashi Keiji is just a normal cop with a penchant for getting himself into trouble, when quite suddenly he finds himself with a big promotion and a brand new partner.

But his habit of finding trouble hasn't gone away -- if anything, it's only gotten worse. 

cracks in the pavement will lead you home by deusreks (M)    

Summary:

Bokuto often thinks about Akaashi, especially when he’s running. It’s like his legs know where they’re supposed to take him. He grows into a habit of running a lot, just to keep that feeling going. Cracks and holes in the pavement aren’t fun to jump over if the final reward isn’t seeing Akaashi’s face.

An alternate universe with a little bit of magic and a lot of growing up.         

Ushiten

died in my dreams by MTrash (Makaria) (T)

Summary:

If anyone asked Ushijima how it came to this, he wouldn’t be able to formulate a proper answer.

Ushijima likes his quiet, his order, and his solitude. That is, until a loud, talkative and a little chaotic cyber tech convinces him that that's just plain boring.

while i nodded, nearly napping (suddenly there came a tapping) by pseudoanalytics (T)     

Summary:

Of course if there was one thing that could be counted on, it was Ushijima’s blunt, total honesty. “Do you think Tendou is attracted to me?”

Reon froze. “T-Tendou?”

“Yes.”

Tendou was notoriously hard to read, but Reon kind of figured that he wasn’t the type to be anything less than painfully overt with romantic affections.

“I... I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I think if Tendou was attracted to you, he would let you know,” Reon said. “I'd guess he just considers you his best friend.” He hoped his answer would satisfy whatever frenzy the guy had worked himself into so Reon could finally take advantage of his last precious hours of sleep.

But instead, Ushijima visibly deflated in front of him. “Yes. That’s what I thought too,” he said miserably.

Oh, Reon realized. Oh no...

Executive Excursion by DeathBelle (E)    

Summary:

Tendou is fun, quirky, and interesting.

Ushijima is none of the above.

It's no surprise that Ushijima is drawn to Tendou's magnetic personality. What's surprising is that Tendou seems to like Ushijima, too.

With a little support from his coworkers, Ushijima decides to take a chance and ask Tendou on a date. The results are better than expected.

fascinating facts about geckos by miracleboysatori (T)        

Summary:     

Ushijima Wakatoshi.

That’s the coach’s name. And he’s the new biology teacher on campus, so not only is he incredibly beautiful, he's also smart as hell.

Tendou can tell he’s completely doomed.

Affection, and other Quantifiable Actions by badbavarois (T)   

Summary:

(He's a monster) Ushijima Wakatoshi isn't a monster.            

Misc/ Other ships

but not for spring to well up by tookumade (T)  OsaSuna 

Summary:

After ending a relationship with a fiancé, Suna returns home and tries to heal from heartbreak. Here, he finds friends in the form of the Miya brothers, and learns patience, forgiveness, and what happiness means to him.           

the more things change by deadseasalt (E)  OiKage   

Summary:

“So let me get this straight. You went to the Meiji-Chuo game and saw your old crush and after watching Meiji bring Chuo to a crushing defeat, you realized you were still crushing on him big time?”

Kageyama wishes he could spit in Tsukishima’s drink. “It’s not a crush.”

Tsukishima laughs. “You poor dumb fuck.”

Third Impression by DeathBelle (E) Kuroo x Semi

Summary:

If Semi has a type, Kuroo isn't it.

After their first meeting, Semi concludes that Kuroo is smug, presumptuous, and a little too flirtatious for his own good. Their second encounter doesn't change his mind, and Semi does his best to avoid a third.

Kuroo has other ideas, and Semi finds himself tricked into an impromptu tutoring session with Kuroo himself.

It doesn't go as badly as Semi expects.

Mannequin Men by surveycorpsjean  (E) BokuAkaKuroTsukki

Summary:

The modeling world is full of hungry wolves, constantly clambering over the other, snarling and desperate. They fight, and they kill, trampling over anything in their path.

In this case, Akaashi fell in love with the wolves.

Efflorescence by h_lovely (E) MatsuHana

Summary:

"Are we flirting?"   "Do you want to be?"

[Efflorescence (n.) a state of blooming, flowering, and development.]