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i-will-cry-you-a-river · 2 months

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The Proud Immortal Demon Way was a clusterfuck. Master Airplane was a fucking hack of an author who should never ever be allowed to write papapa. The characters were complete idiots, so blind and stupid and Shen Yuan suspected the close proximity to the abundance of aphrodisiacs was to be blamed for the lack of intelligence points. The plot was nonexistent, the fantastic flora and fauna was forgotten for more pointless papapa. However!

However…

Shen Yuan had to admit. The fanarts and fan merch did not do justice to the beauties residing in the universe.

That hack of an author could not write porn. But his characters really were peerless beauties. One would think if the beauty standards were this high that everyone was a peerless beauty, they should be considered as normal.

One would think it wrong. If he could, he would take back his comments on this specific topic; their beauties really were peerless.

One, like the blooming peach blossom, charming and deceptively sweet; another like the oak tree, tall and reliable; and another like the prettiest blue iris, knowledgeable and lovely. It was a disaster.

Back then it was only the blackened protagonist and his life sized body pillow that made him go through a sexuality crisis. As a shut-in, the people he met with never really made him feel warm under the collar, so being gay was only a theoretical experience for him, only having crushes on fictional people. Now, on the other hand, it was a completely different experience.

He couldn't even step outside of his bedroom without feeling like an emotional wreck. The minute he does that-

“This discipline made breakfast for Shizun!”

The radiant halo of the protagonist blinded him day after day; his precious white lotus is just the cutest and purest, fluffiest sheep ever. Shen Yuan can see the future Emperor in him, the husband of hundreds of pretty flowers, but he was still just his 17 years old discipline, so filial and full of wonder.

Ah, Binghe, such a good boy for this master…

“This master is thankful. Go along now, your shijie is waiting for you,” Shen Qingqiu waved his fan. His little white lotus pouted as if Shen Qingqiu would believe he wasn't excited to spend time with his future wife. He encouraged the two of them to spend time together, and he was certain that the sweet and touching young love bloomed under his careful watch. He was like a fairy godmother…

[-10 protagonist satisfaction points]

Shen Qingqiu sighed behind his open fan. Luo Binghe started to become a homebody, which, as a past homebody himself, knew was a slippery slope and even with all the lost points, he had to make sure his white sheep left the bamboo house. Staying home was great, but when you were the future Emperor of the Three Realms, defeater of countless monsters and husband of a triple digits harem, you just had to learn how to be open to new experiences. Sorry, Binghe…

“Yes, Shizun! This discipline will leave now.” Luo Binghe bows, and it takes everything not to touch and pat his fluffy head.

“Good. This master expects excellence from his disciples.”

“Yes, Shizun. This discipline understands and will do everything to exceed Shizun’s expectations.”

Such a filial discipline! Such a sweet white lotus! This one is truly a scum villain to do what he needs to do.

[Host is-]

I know I know! You don't have to remind me![(⁠ب⁠_⁠ب⁠)]

Shen Qingqiu sighed, hiding his shame and regret behind his mask. He really was just a scum villain.

With a conscious decision to not think about the future, he ate his breakfast instead, noting the protagonist’s amazing cooking powers. He would miss this after Luo Binghe gets married and starts to cook for his wives instead.

Maybe the guy he finds for himself will be good at cooking… nothing compared to the protagonist, of course, but nobody can be compared to him. That would be unfair for his potential partner.

However, even though he'd been Shen Qingqiu for three years, he hasn't yet found anybody for himself. He tried to flirt, he tried to see who might be gay other than him - statistically, there should be SOMEONE, right?! -, but no results.

The Sect Leader immediately brother-zoned Shen Qingqiu through his and the original good's past bond, which was quite unfair in Shen Yuan's opinion. Yue Qingyuan was a fine specimen of a man. Strong and reliable, just the kindest man Shen Qingqiu ever met. He was the perfect man, THE husband material. Yet, the original good has been so cold to him, cruelly causing his death, even though they were like brothers. Shen Yuan wouldn't have minded the Sect Leader as his husband; someone loyal and powerful, someone who could protect him from his blackened lotus. So unfair…

His Liu-shidi, the prettiest man alive, was so straight, only the protagonist was straighter than him. Shen Qingqiu was honestly sad for him; all the women in PiDW belonged to the Emperor. He was quite tempted to find a way to punch Airplane Shooting Towards Sky in his face for making Liu Qingge straight. Look. Shen Yuan was a weak, weak man; if Liu Qingge would show the slightest inclination to be at least bi-curious, he would be all over his shidi in a heartbeat. That man, honestly… it was no wonder the author killed him before the plot. Liu Qingge was typically the Second Male Lead, who was the boyfriend of all readers. (He definitely would have been Shen Yuan's fictional boyfriend, that's for sure. Maybe if he would have stayed alive in the novel, Shen Yuan wouldn't have minded the lack of plot that much. Liu Qingge would have definitely made the whole thing a thousand times better just by being alive. Like he did it now. The best times of the week were when his shidi visited him to spar or to cleanse his meridians.)

Shen Qingqiu had high hopes for Mu Qingfang. The doctor was quite queer in the sense of being weird. He hoped he was queer as in gay as well. However, the only time Shen Qingqiu tried to flirt with him, resulted in a two day stay at Cang Qiong mountain under constant supervision. That was a quite humiliating result, if he could say so.

Shen Qingqiu bit back a groan. No matter; that was just the peak lords he kept close contact with. He had the whole universe to find that one (1) gay person who would be happy to spend that depressingly short amount of time with him until he was still alive. He might have only five years to live, before he would become a human stick, but he would NOT die as a virgin disaster gay. He would remain a disaster gay forever, but he would lose his virginity before his death, damnit!

Now, volunteer, where are you?

Here they are

#shen yuan #shen qingqiu #svsss #svsss fanfiction #sy transmigrated after realizing he is gay au #luo binghe #liu qingge #yue qingyuan #mu qingfang #sqq's harem #bingqiu #liushen #mushen #yueshen

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chaifootsteps · 30 days

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I’m kinda devastated by the “cockblocktavia” thing, she’s the only female character who really feels like a lead, the closest to a real girl, even if her only waking thought is her dad just like Loonas is boys in general and Millie’s is her husband. Octavia just felt, different, more real.

I’m also a huge fan of Barret Wilbert Weed so I was so excited for her to have more focus and sing with that incredible voice of hers. I thought lots of people would see Via shine and be on her side, creating an actual dilemma in the show that’s been well foreshadowed. But now it’s like Brandon completely overshadowed it, and sabotaged the emotional impact of her story arc and performance for the sake of his character and his musical debut (which is going to sound bad, I’m sorry, but it is) What a selfish prick. What the fuck is Via even getting “in the way” of?? Stolas actually loves her, not obsesses. They have an actual bond. What irritates me too is “stolitz” is nothing but a marketing tool. Only garbage shows have to rely on a dramatic gay ship for views and money, and even this show is better than that.

Also how pathetic is it that the so called protagonist only has a musical debut now in season 2, and even then he has to share it with another character who has sang three times to date. That is the craziest case of creators pet I’ve ever seen. Why isn’t Blitzøs daughter having a big emotional moment? Why can’t we see his family breakdown in real time? Everything is about stolas’ shitty family while Blitzøs is the one that’s actually interesting. And sad. Tight-knit families formed under harsh environments have strong touching bonds, nobles don’t give a rats ass about each other, but Viv hates the poor, so she would never understand that.

Agreed, agreed completely.

I hate that I actually had some hope that maybe, this show wasn't actually going in the direction the Octavia leaks made it seem, that they weren't actually going to villainize this sad, troubled girl in favor of her dad. But it looks like that's exactly what we're getting, and it's surreal and disgusting.

#Anonymous #viv stuff #helluva boss critical #actual blog post

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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 3 months

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Was Javier Garcia "not bisexual enough" in ANF?

I feel like everyone reading the title of this essay is going to say, "Well, yeah? Obviously? Javi didn't show any interest in men outside of that one optional moment of flirting with Jesus and then he was confirmed bisexual by one of the writers after the season ended. If they wanted to make him bi, they should've done more with it because that's not enough."

That's a commonly expressed opinion no matter where you look, and it's not like it's unfounded, either.

On a surface level, I agree. While I understand the excitement of learning a character is canonically bi, in the case of Javier Garcia it still feels like celebrating crumbs tossed to us by Telltale after they had their cake and ate it, too. They snuck in some bisexual representation at the last minute for queer audiences without it being explicit so the homophobes wouldn't throw a tantrum.

Stuff like that happens. Sometimes the representation is subtle or implied in the subtext. Or, the queerness is condensed into something digestible and sanitized for straight audiences. Or, it's stated after the fact with little to no actual evidence to support it in canon.

Hell, even if it is obvious, like with Clementine being bisexual in TFS, you still have biphobes who will die on the hill of denial. Even now, in the year 2024, we have people insisting "Clem being bi came out of nowhere! They should've showed it in earlier seasons if they wanted it to make sense. I'm not homophobic but here's my essay PROVING that violentine is bad and forced and that Clem isn't bi!" Or, on the other extreme, "Clementine is a lesbian to me, bisexuality isn't real :)"

But I've already talked about Clementine and what her bisexuality means to me. I want to talk about Javier now.

He's an interesting case, both in the way his queerness was handled and portrayed in the game, and how audiences received it... as in, a lot of people said, "That's great and all, but is it really representation when it's not actually present? It's not enough."

That. That right there: "It's not enough." That's what I want to break down and examine.

Is Javier Garcia not valid as a queer character because he didn't reach this concept of "enough" in the eyes of the player? But what would have been "enough" then? Do people really understand what they're asking for when they discuss what they think Telltale should've done? Does it actually matter if Javier is queer when it comes to the plot and his journey as the protagonist, and if it doesn't matter, is that okay?

Should we just accept these crumbs sprinkled in our hands?

I want to make it clear that I'm but one bisexual examining a bisexual character and doing an analysis. I've climbed out of my bog to write this because I want to discuss Javier and the writing as it pertains to his queerness, or lack thereof. I'm also aware that I'm not providing any irrefutable, concrete evidence here one way or the other; I'm speculating about Javier through a queer lens. I encourage any other bi, pan, or other queer person to add to these discussion points, whether in agreement or not.

Prior to TFS, the queer representation in TWDG wasn't great...

Though the games do get progressively gayer as the seasons go on. And some even get to live! Progress!

S1 had... uh, none? Wait, is that right? ...Yeah, no, I'm tuning my gay radio and it isn't picking up any signals, Captain. Nothing gay in these waters.

S2 had Walter and Matthew, who both died shortly after being introduced. There's some homoerotic undertones between Luke and Nick but nothing was ever confirmed. Also, they both died, so... not great.

The Michonne mini-series had Jonas and Zachary, but Zachary will always die no matter what. Jonas can die, too, but it's determinant. Paige was confirmed to be queer by the writers, though. Uh, progress? Kind of? Not really, it's never talked about and you only pick up on her feelings for Sam if you squint and pay close attention. But hey, at least she got to live!

Then, in ANF we have Javier, our playable protagonist, and Paul "Jesus" Monroe, a gay character who also showed up in the comics and TV show. Would'ja look at that, they both got to live! I should also mention nothing was ever confirmed about Ava but... c'mon, y'know? Captain, there's a faint signal on my radio; when you know, you know. Except she died, to, so... still not great.

Then came TFS, who really said, "Screw you, here's all the gay!"

They gave us bisexual Clementine with both of her romance routes. Violet, Minerva, James, mentions of his past boyfriend, Charlie... Aasim was planned to be bisexual and I don't see why we can't reclaim that for him, and one day I'll crawl out of my bog to write my analysis on the queer-coding/subtext of Louis' character because if I read "lmao Louis is such a Straight" one more time, I'm going to let the gators take a bite out of me just so that I can feel something other than irritation for once.

Sigh. It's so hard being a "Louis ain't straight" truther out here, so few understand.

My plights aside, there's no avoiding the queerness of TFS. Even if your Clementine doesn't romance anyone, or romances Louis, you can't avoid the fact that Violet and Minerva were girlfriends at one point. It's determinant if James will tell you about Charlie, but that doesn't change the fact that James is gay.

But it runs deeper than that. This is a story about these troubled youth who were abandoned by their families and teachers, the ones who were supposed to love and help them, because "something was wrong with them, they did something bad... they need fixing."

These young people have to fight against an oppressive group of adults looking to steal their autonomy, change them, mold them into what's expected to survive. Their identities don't matter to the raiders. All the raiders care about is erasing such identities so that they fall in line and obey, and if they don't comply, they die... or worse.

Yes, it's a story about Clementine and AJ finally finding a home, but no matter how you play, it's also a narrative steeped in queer themes and subtext. You can tell that the people who made it not only cared about these things and wanted them weaved throughout the story, but that some of them were queer themselves.

But where does that leave us with Javier?

With everything TFS did, it's easy to look back at ANF with a critical eye and pinpoint its flaws in every aspect. While I don't believe it's the worst game Telltale ever made [I mean, Minecraft Story Mode exists], in my opinion, it's the messiest game in the main series. It's not bad, but I'd much rather play S1 or TFS.

For all the criticism it received, most players did like Javier as the playable protagonist. Well, they did once they got over the fact that Clementine wouldn't be taking on that role again, and was instead relegated to only being playable in flashbacks.

Javi's personality can vary depending on player choices, but for the most part, he's a charismatic man who loves his family. He used to be a professional baseball player before he was booted from the league for gambling. He can be cocky and sarcastic, and it usually lands him in trouble. He tends to cope and deflect using humor. He has a past of being irresponsible and selfish; he wasn't even there when his father died, despite knowing he was dying of cancer. His relationship with David is complicated, only made messier if he and Kate end up together. He's trying his best... for the most part. Javi even ends up being a father figure to Gabe and Mariana after they all thought David was dead, and he's very open about his grief following Mariana's death.

But given everything we learn about him while playing ANF, how do we know Javi isn't straight? After all, his main love interest is Kate, a woman. He also has opportunities to flirt with Eleanor, another woman. He doesn't show any signs of being attracted to any of the men who are around... until Paul "Jesus" Monroe.

At the end of ep5, Javi and Jesus have a conversation where one of the dialogue options is, "I like you, Jesus." Granted, that doesn't have to mean "like-like;" you can say you like someone without any romantic intentions. Plus, Jesus IS a cool character. Players who picked that option likely weren't thinking of it in a romantic sense.

It's the way that Jesus responds to this option, though: a flirtatious smile, lidded eyes, the deep dip of his voice.

Javier: I gotta admit, man. You're a fucking badass! Jesus: You're a real charmer... You know that? Through and through.

It's not difficult to see Jesus is being flirtatious, and Javi sees it, too. How does he react?

Forgive me, but I'm about to over-analyze this six-second gif. I love his reaction so much. That subtle jump of his shoulders as if a jolt just ran through his gut at the way Jesus lowers his voice. Surprised, and then the movement of the brows, the slide of the eyes, and the little upturn of the mouth says to me "Oh… oh." Caught off guard, perhaps a little bashful.

Option 1: Javier: Oh, you know what they say. Takes one to know one. Jesus: That they do. Option 2: Javier: Are you really sure you don't want to stay? There's room. Jesus: Oh, uh... I'm sure there is, but... we got other people depending on us, Javi. Just the way it is. Option 3: Javier: Meant to tell you... That, uh, armor you got is great. Jesus: Oh... Oh, uh... Hmm... Well, uh... Thanks, um... It gets the job done.

Javi knows what Jesus is getting at regardless of your choice. He understands this is flirtatious, but is startled since he likely didn't consider that Jesus likes men, too. We the audience have a better chance at knowing if, especially those familiar with the character from the comics and the TV show. Javi wouldn't because why would he? It's not like Jesus is obvious and flaunting with the fact that he's gay.

What's funny about that is, given our topic of discussion, we could also argue that Jesus wasn't gay enough, couldn't we? If we're going to pick on Javier for not being more open about his sexuality, then it's only fair that we pick on other characters, no? Did Jesus need to be gayer? Would that improve ANF?

In fact, now that I think about, was James gay enough in TFS? Was one moment where he talks about his boyfriend, a scene that's determinant so not every player got it, enough? What about Minerva? We know she and Violet were girlfriends before Marlon traded her away, that's information that's unavoidable, but did she actually reach this apparent high standard of "enough" in the eyes of the audience?

Are we entitled to unequivocal evidence of queerness, and the heaping amount we deem necessary, otherwise it's not good enough and shouldn't be bothered with at all? Are more casual displays of queerness bad?

I can already hear people jumping to defend James and Minerva, and likely Jesus, against this because "it's totally different!"

Sure. Javier's situation is different from James, Jesus, and Minerva's respective situations. James actually uses the word boyfriend and he keeps a picture of him and Charlie in his pocket. Jesus appears in The Walking Dead universe outside of the game with more evidence of queerness. Minerva's past relationship with Violet is made clear even when you don't pursue Violet's route, not to mention the underlying metaphor of conversion with her being changed/brainwashed/traumatized by the raiders to be just like them.

Javier is different because that scene with Jesus is the only in-game evidence of his queerness, right? Then he had to be confirmed as bisexual by one of the writers once ANF ended.

Surely, they could've brought up the fact that Javier's bi earlier, right? Made mentions of a past boyfriend, or had a flashback about Javi coming out to his family? Why only let him flirt with Kate and Eleanor? Why wasn't there an option to flirt with Tripp, or some other male character? What about a darker turn where David didn't accept Javi for it? David's portrayed as an antagonist, anyway, why not toss a little homophobia into the mix? Why not reveal it if Javi rejects Kate? What if Kate was so hurt by the rejection that she asked him, "It's true, David was right. It's because you like men, isn't it?"

It feels like they decided at the last minute to just toss it in, like someone walked into Telltale one day and said, "Y'all, I just thought of the funniest thing- Javi should be bi so that we can make jokes about him swinging both ways!" And then everyone clapped.

Here's the deal: Something about this sits differently with me, and that's probably thanks to one of ANF's writers, Adam Esquenazi Douglas.

He's the one that confirmed Javier as bisexual.

Adam had his hand in writing for 4/5 episodes, and he said he wrote the scene where Javi can flirt back with Jesus, but it's that last line of his: "After all, they always say write what you know."

I don't know how many of you who are reading this are writers, or creators in general, but I assume many of you are. It doesn't matter if you write fanfiction, create fanart, write essay posts or headcanons or whatever. I have a firm belief that creative people pour so much of themselves into their work that, if given enough material and studied enough, you can get a glimpse of their soul. Even if done unintentionally, we project ourselves into these works; the characters, themes, conclusions, everything.

Am I suggesting that Adam was secretly a bisexual mastermind who threaded queerness throughout the entirety of ANF and we were all too blind to see it? No, and if he did, then he needs to step forward and tell me so that I can study ANF frame by frame to compile the secret evidence into a new essay.

...Actually, on second thought, maybe don't do that to me, Adam.

My point is, yes, it's true that it's likely Javi being bi was added in at the last minute... but can we really dismiss Javier as "not bisexual enough" when Adam had influence over Javi's character throughout the whole season? And I ask again: is the casual queerness of Javier bad?

Time to speculate and answer some of those questions about Javier

Let's talk about Kate for a minute. She is Javier's main love interest, whether you choose to accept her feelings or not, so she can give us a good point of reference for what Javi looks for in a partner.

Kate and Javi share a similar sense of humor that bounces well between the two. Kate wants to travel, Javi's well traveled from his time as a profession baseball player. They both exist in this space of "we're kind of the family screw up." Granted, Javi's more in it than Kate is, but you can see parts of her that come through where she's a little rebellious, a little not good enough [ironically]. They both feel trapped in their situations; Kate in her marriage, Javi in a slow downward spiral of not knowing what to do with himself now that he's booted from his career. They have complicated relationships with David, and together, they've raised Gabe and Mariana through the years after they believed David was dead.

They're a lot alike in many ways, so this is hardly an opposites attract type of romance.

What's interesting is if you then look at Jesus, he has some similar qualities to Kate; a sense of humor even when things are looking bleak, they to help and protect people, are willing to throw themselves in danger to save Richmond. Then if you add Eleanor, the other person Javi has some flirtatious dialogue with, you can apply those qualities to her, as well... though the big difference with her is Eleanor sells the group out because she wants to stay.

With the little information we have, we can speculate on Javi's preferences. He prefers someone more similar to him. I know, I know, everyone loves a good opposites attract tale, they're so different but similar at their cores, they fill in each other's gaps, yada yada... except not everyone is like that, obviously.

My working theory is that a partner who would act as the opposite of Javi would be someone who acts like David... and does Javi really want to date someone like his brother? Though that then opens up a whole can of worms since if Javi and Kate are so similar, and David married Kate... this isn't an essay about David, but that's certainly a thing to chew on.

With that, I suppose we can answer the question, "But if Javi's bi, why didn't he flirt with any men prior to Jesus?"

What men?

No, seriously, where are all these men Javi's supposed to flirt with? Are they hiding? I know you hid them in the game, Adam, where are they?

Wait, do you mean Tripp?

I don't want to step on the toes of any Javi/Tripp shippers out there, but let's actually think about this. When we meet Tripp, Javi's just been separated from his family. He was knocked out and tied up by these assholes who caught him siphoning their gas, then this teenager cut down a tree which resulted in him getting into a car accident. Said teenager then tried to rob him before agreeing to escort him back to his family but first, they gotta go to Prescott. I wouldn't say Javier's in the flirtatious mood by the time he meets Tripp.

But he can flirt with Eleanor, right?

So, why not Tripp?

Because Tripp is a man and he has feelings for Eleanor. That's made quite clear from ep1. He told Javi that he and Eleanor had a thing once. Sure, Javi could still harmlessly flirt with him, but have we stopped to consider that Javi isn't as confident with openly flirting with men like he is women? After all, who initiated the actual flirting between him and Jesus in ep5? That would be Jesus, and it happens after the danger is over and Javi doesn't have to worry about dying for a little bit.

Listen, I understand that Tripp is big. He's built like the lumberjack of our dreams. He has a nice beard. He's not afraid to talk about his feelings even when he fumbles all over them. He's strong and caring and brave. He could easily toss me over his shoulder like I'm a sack of flour and then throw me across the room... what's not to love? Surely, if Javi actually liked men, he would've made a move on Tripp at some point.

Except, would he? Is Tripp even Javi's type? Because I'm pressing X to doubt.

Also, why does he need to?

This is where I question why some people think Javi has to flirt with a bunch of men to "prove" he's bisexual? I'm sorry, do you believe there's a quota all bisexuals have to meet to maintain their membership card? You have to flirt with this many genders a month otherwise they'll revoke your premium status?

Sometimes I wonder if people unintentionally lean into the "promiscuous bisexual" stereotype, or if they do genuinely believe that bisexuals have to express interest in multiple people of different genders in order to prove themselves queer enough.

Did we ever stop to think that Javi's just not like that? An open flirt, I mean. Yeah he's charismatic and funny and all that, but Kate, Eleanor, and Jesus all initiate the romantic dialogue with him first; Kate tells him she needs to get laid hint hint, Eleanor calls him pretty, and Jesus calls him a real charmer.

Tripp never gives him any indication that he's interested or that he even likes men, so why would Javi make a move?

As for any other man? Again, what men? Max? Dr. Lingard? Clint? Conrad? And forget adding a new character to ANF; it could barely handle the characters it already had and you want to add a new one just for Javier? Let's face it, Tripp was the best option and that's just it, he wasn't an option.

"But my Javi WOULD flirt with Tripp and the game didn't give me the option!"

And there it is.

Javier isn't your OC

ANF isn't a massive RPG where starting a new game brings you to a character creation menu, and you get to decide every factor about the character you want to play.

ANF is an episodic, point-and-click Telltale game, and Javier isn't your OC. Like with Lee and Clementine, there are some things you just don't get a say in, and I think that gets to the player sometimes.

When I sit down to play a Dragon Age game, I go into it knowing that my character is mine, I get to decide who they are and who they're interested in. DA as an RPG has the capacity to give me a bunch of romantic options both in and out of my party that shape who my character is.

When I sit down to play TWDG, I go into it knowing that while I have my own Lee, Clementine, and Javi, I didn't create them but I am influencing who they become. I know it's a Telltale game, and that means limitations.

These games have always had the "illusion of choice" criticism chucked at them from the beginning. Usually that pertains to the choices you make that affect the overall story, but ultimately don't matter in the end.

For example, it doesn't matter if you save Carley or Doug because no matter what, they both die. My counter-argument for this has always been that the choice does matter in the way that it shapes your playable character, and how if affects the characters around you. A Lee who saved Doug over Carley had reasons for making that choice, and in turn, has a different experience going forward than a player who chose to save Carley.

Does it matter who shoots Duck in the woods after he's bitten? Or if he's left to turn? No matter what, he's going to die, so is that the illusion of choice? I don't believe so, because it does matter. It affects player experience.

That being said, I believe players who become invested in this series, especially those who engage in fandom, develop a warped sense of what should've been, forgetting the nature of a Telltale game. I know this because that's the foundation my blog was built on.

Javier Garcia isn't a blank slate. You didn't create him. He had a life before the start of the game, he has a personality that you didn't choose for him, and there are things you have no control over. If anything, we act as an influence over the TWDG playable protagonists. Most every option given is something that could reasonably play into their character. I say "most" because we all remember that [GLASS HIM] moment where Javi tells David that Kate's going to leave him and we were all like "THAT'S NOT WHAT I THOUGHT THAT OPTION WAS!" and it felt out of character.

Anyway, you don't dictate who these characters are but you get sway over the direction they take.

Javi can be a real prick to everyone, but that plays into the selfish and entitled part established with his character from the beginning. You can play him as genuine, trying to step up and do better for the sake of his family, another thing brought up from the very beginning.

"But why couldn't I make Javi flirt with Trip!?"

Because it's not an option. I don't know what else to tell you. I don't know what you want me to tell you.

ANF is a Telltale game that centers about Javier Garcia. It's a story about a man who, prior to the outbreak, screwed up and was wasting his life away. His relationship to his family sat upon a rocky foundation, crumbled by his own hands. He wasn't even there when his father died. We follow this man through a story of a family trying to survive, we watch him reunite with his brother and risk losing everything that kept him grounded and going. He experiences grief and anger and sorrow and happiness. In the end, he comes out of it all a different man, for better or worse.

That man just also happened to be bisexual.

And that's the thing: This isn't a story about Javier's sexuality. He isn't going around making moves on these elusive men that mastermind Adam Esquenazi Douglas maybe hid in the game somewhere because the game isn't about Javi liking men.

It's a game about his complicated relationships with Kate and David made messy by Kate being in love with him, and whether or not Javi loves her, too.

It's about Javi helping Clementine back on her path after she's been alone and bitter for so long. It's about them fighting to take down a group of people doing really shitty things to other communities. It's about losing Mariana and avenging her by killing the man who shot her. It's about Gabe feeling conflicted about his father, a man he always wanted to be just like, after realizing that David isn't this idealized figure Gabe thought he was.

It's about the promise Javi made to his father.

The fact that Javi happens to be bi doesn't matter in the grand scheme of the plot. It's just something that's apart of who he is, but because it's a small detail we feel was added in at the last minute, we decide it's not enough.

But what if it is enough? Do we even truly know what this concept of "enough" is?

Throughout writing this piece, I've found myself in a loop.

I'm happy Javier is bisexual. -> But should I be? -> We shouldn't settle for crumbs, we deserve more explicit representation. -> But is there really anything wrong with casual representation where the story doesn't focus on sexuality? It doesn't take away from other stories that do. -> I'm happy Javier is bisexual. -> But should I be?

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Queer stories are important and our voices need to be heard. We need stories that don't shy away from experiences that are hard to stomach. We need queer stories told by queer people. We need stories that are unapologetic, that aren't afraid to face their audience with pride. Stories that don't say "yeah but we have to bend a little to the bigots to maximize our profits." We need these stories that inspire us, hurt us, make us cry and piss us off. We need queer stories with happy endings that give us hope, that push us to seek a better future so that new generations of queer people don't feel alone in their struggles. We need queer stories that make us feel heard, seen.

Do stories with casual representation of queer characters fit in there somewhere, too? I think they do, because TFS is a casual representation story.

Clementine is bi and it isn't a big deal; she never has a moment where she's openly questioning, she doesn't have this big coming-out scene, there's no tears shed or anything. She isn't stomping around with her bi pride flag and announcing who she is with a heartwarming speech.

She just is.

Same thing with Violet. She never comes out to Clementine as a lesbian, no one ever calls her that, she just is.

Clementine's romance with Violet is treated just as it is with Louis, sincere and normal. No one questions her or Violet because to the Ericson crew, it is normal. They knew Violet and Minerva were together before but no one has any quips about it, positive or negative.

If you romance Violet but then save Louis, he makes mention that Clementine and Violet are close so why save him? But Louis, for as much as people side eye him for making jokes and never taking anything seriously, doesn't say anything more. He could've made a joke, "Ah, you like girls, I guess I never stood a chance then, haha." He doesn't, because it's not something out of the ordinary for him and it's not something he feels the need to pry over.

If you go fishing with Violet and Brody, you find the carved heart with Violet and Minerva's initials and AJ asks what it means. Clementine can tell him they were girlfriends, and AJ doesn't go, "Oh, that's weird," or "Huh, I didn't know girls could like each other." He just goes, "Oh. Love." and moves on because he grew up differently, it isn't a big deal to.

Even the antagonists aren't out here spewing homophobia, at least that I recall.

The Ericson crew are a generation that understands and accepts. Where Clementine could end up with either Louis or Violet and no one will raise a brow, or even feel compelled to signal their alliance like, "Ah, yes, I am accepting of you and your choice, good for you, I am an ally, I'm making this about me."

The Final Season of TWDG is great, and it proves that the writers at Telltale at the time wanted to explore these topics earnestly. It wasn't pandering or trying to score "woke points" with the LGBTQ+ community like some bigots will insist. If it were, it would've been way more obvious about it, I think.

Casual queer stories or serious stories that tackle the hardships of being gay?

Like the bisexual I am, I like both and everything in between.

Clementine didn't need to prove her bisexuality as "enough" in TFS, but since the circumstances were different, did Javier?

I'm going to take the potentially controversial road and say no. I understand why we wish they did more, and I understand why people have frustrations over creators dropping that information without actually having to commit in their work... but I also have some appreciation for the casual reveal of Javi being bi, regardless of why it was dropped.

Javier is valid. He didn't need to "prove" anything.

In a way, I believe we do have some control over the portrayal of Javier, and that's by engaging in fandom. If you were disappointed that Javi's queerness wasn't explored in game, then find a fic that does explore that side of him, or write your own. Engage with other people and their work about it. Comment on fanart, fics, and thought pieces. Write brain dumps. Find other Javi/Tripp shippers and prove me wrong, prove that Tripp is indeed Javi's type and have fun while doing it.

Telltale gave us the crumbs, so let that inspire us to bake a cake.

I don't think this concept of "not enough" is the most productive way we could go about discussing topics like this. Not everyone has the same level or standard, and every work is a unique case. But I think it is fun and productive to share ideas of what we would've done differently so that it may inspire us.

ANF, for all of its flaws, could be a tool used to teach us where our priorities are in storytelling, and influence what we want to create ourselves.

In conclusion: Javier Garcia is enough to me.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to crawl back to my bog and begin research into the meaning and metaphors behind walkers and their existence.

But before that, I want to give a big thank you to @pi-creates for making the Javi gif used in this essay, as well as for listening to all my bullshit during the writing process.

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vintage-bentley · 3 months

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in depth harry potter spoiler warning. but i wanted to talk about gay!dumbledore. what jkr really does well is the adult backstories. you meet the adult characters from an eleven year old’s perspective. as harry ages (in the last book he’s seventeen) he gradually learns new things about the adults and gains a better understanding of them as full people. but every single one of these adults was already the full person harry understands them as in book 7 all the way back in book 1. a lot of other ya authors try to imitate this and fuck up, either because they get excited and jump the gun, giving us way too much info way too soon, or because it’s blatant that the complexity was added later. dumbledore is a great example. in book 1 when harry first learns who he is (from the back of a candy box trading card with commentary from his friend ron) he’s this highly revered wizard who famously defeated the greatest dark wizard of all time pre-voldemort in a duel. when harry meets him it’s noted that his nose is crooked like it had been broken and never healed correctly. there’s a mirror that shows you your greatest wish and when harry asks what dumbledore sees he says a nice pair of knitted socks. harry can tell he’s lying but doesn’t push because he realizes that was a really personal question, but he doesn’t know dumbledore well enough to know what the truth would be. we get the full backstory drop in book 7. the simple version is: when dumbledore was a young man he was extremely close to another young man, one his brother didn’t like. they wind up in a three way brawl, dumbledore’s sister gets caught in the crossfire and dies. boyfriend up and leaves, brother breaks dumbledore’s nose at the funeral, boyfriend goes on to be the powerful dark wizard that dumbledore battles decades later. so even though harry didn’t know that backstory in book 1, it’s clear looking back it was already a part of him. anyway this is why it drives me bonkers when people say that dumbledore wasn’t gay in the books and jkr just said that after the fact for clout, because it’s an integrated part of his character and arc and has clearly been what jkr had in mind from the get go. no, harry doesn’t get the definition of homosexuality talk but homosexuality is absolutely there (and in more than just how close he and evil wizard were in backstory, in book 7 a homophobic tabloid journalist insinuates dumbledore was molesting harry). people act like him being gay was a retcon when it was just jkr being honest about what she wrote. sorry for the novel but yeah

Don’t be sorry, I’m glad to have this context!! Like I said, I haven’t read or watched HP so I’m completely clueless here and don’t really want to praise or bash Rowling over something I don’t know about. I lean towards praise though because it seems like anyone not caught on the “I hate JKR!” Bandwagon claims that Gay Dumbledore was handled well.

I really like the concept of finding out more about the adults as the child protagonist ages and gains new insight!

Tbh I imagine that this is a similar situation to GO S1: it’s not technically canon because it’s not explicit, and readers/viewers who either don’t want to see homosexuality, or are too entrenched in heteronormativity to think of spotting it, won’t see it. But LGB people and possibly even allies will spot it, because they’re either used to reading between the lines or are willing to see it.

So I don’t think she should be praised for explicit gay representation, which I haven’t seen anyone claiming (although like I said, I haven’t read the books so it’s possible I’d change my mind if I read them). But she’s much different from Neil in that she’s said “yes, it was my intention that he was gay, and there’s clues in the text that point to this and prove my intentions”. Neil has been like “yeah we called him the f slur and made him a gay stereotype for the laughs, but no he’s not gay. He can be literally anything else though”.

#asks #anon

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acandrewswriter · 2 years

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An LGBTQ+ Epic Fantasy

An epic fantasy tale with gods, vampires, ghosts, magic, and more:

Gay, transmasc, and non-binary protagonists

MM romance

Dark fantasy

Vibrant worldbuilding and intense action!

Available in Kindle Unlimited!

Books I and II available now!

Descent of Ravens (Book I of Bel’s War)

The old covenant of the gods is broken. Will the world break, too? When an army of vampires invades the island of Trosika, Rio and Turi must fight for their future. Rio is a healer and a priest of Astara who suffers severe self-doubt and a growing crisis of faith; even his goddess cannot stop the forces arrayed against them. Turi has long buried a secret about himself that he fears could upend everything.

When Rio unseals a centuries-old tomb, releasing the night-cursed prince Philip, he discovers that he has a bond with Philip that stretches across lifetimes. As Turi grapples with his secrets, he is recruited by the terrifying goddess Mormo and gifted with necromancy for reasons he does not understand.

Rio and Turi must contend with bloodthirsty mages, battle an endless army of vampires, and confront the truth of who Turi truly is; most of all, they must rely on their unshakable friendship to survive. As they struggle to protect each other, their religion, and their island home, the fate of an empire hangs in the balance.

To get Descent of Ravens:

US: https://amzn.to/3BI0j8Y

UK: https://amzn.to/3zJtkR0

AU: https://amzn.to/3tpBcVt

CA: https://amzn.to/3tktZ8Z

Will of Dragons (Book II of Bel’s War)

About Book II:

Evil hides beneath armor of gleaming white.

The new civil war has cracked the empire apart as Turi and Rio race to gather allies against Clan Ishima’s brutality. The enemy is ten steps ahead, and Turi is pushed to his limit to stop the evil a corrupted paladin order has unleashed.

Demari, finally fulfilling a lifelong dream at sea with his brother, finds himself recruited into the designs of a goddess and soul-bound to a man he barely knows. In the fight for supremacy in the empire’s waters, Demari’s newfound power and connection will alter the course of the war and change his life forever.

Meanwhile, back on Trosika the new empress, Sarina Marias, faces betrayal, ancient magic, and intrigue as Ishima agents make their next move to control the island. When fate brings her face to face with the God of War, can she match her will to his?

What readers are saying about Book I, Descent of Ravens:

"A veritable buffet of the paranormal, and I haven't even started on the MCs yet. Suffice as to say that I've given the story five hearts - I loved them too." - Reviewed by Taylin Clavelli for Love Bytes

"Descent of Ravens is a sweeping epic fantasy that is a roller coaster of emotion. ...The sweeping tale embraces high fantasy and runs with it, creating a richly detailed world in which a reader can immerse themselves." - Reviewed by Kris for Joyfully Jay LGBTQ Romance Reviews

"An exhilarating tale . . . set in a richly imagined world."—Independent Book Review

"Andrews crafts a sleek series opener bolstered by consistent action, a straightforward magic system, and strong LGBTQ+ representation. . . .A crafty, well-paced LGBTQ+ fantasy series opener."—Kirkus Reviews

"AC Andrews' DESCENT OF RAVENS is skillful, splendid storytelling. ...a near-perfect fantasy featuring superb world-building and excellent storytelling that will be compelling for any audience that enjoys epic fantasy. "—Ellen Graham for IndieReader

"An original and identity-affirming tale, Descent of Ravens is a dark and masterful YA novel. The combination of classic fantasy elements and contemporary cultural themes results in a thought-provoking and norm-challenging story that is both deeply intimate and broadly appealing." —Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★½

"The holy grail of fantasy for the m/m /lgbtq sub-genre. ... this one is in my top 5 books for the year." - Boyslove, Goodreads Reviewer

"One of the best fantasy reads I have encountered in ages." - Charneen, Goodreads Reviewer

"Exciting, fast flowing and extremely well written. A.C. Andrews has created a world and mythology infused with a rich history." - Mark Lucas-Taylor, Goodreads Reviewer

Cover Art: Sleepy Fox Studio

#lgbt fantasy #lgbtq books #LGBTQIA #LGBT books #lgbtqbooks #lgbtqreads #lgbtq representation #lgbtq reads #bookblr #transgender #transmasc #nonbinary #Gay books #mmbooks #mm books #mm romance #lgbtq+#trans #trans fantasy

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bengiyo · 1 year

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The New Employee Ep 2 Stray Thoughts

Last week, the very existence of this show made me suddenly yearn for a domestic BL à la What Did You Eat Yesterday? or Old Fashion Cupcake from Watcha. We watched Wu Seung Hyun try to be a good new employee to a stern team lead, another division try to take advantage of him, and meet an old classmate. A flashback revealed both the classmate and our protagonist met in an LGBT group in college, so my hopes have been raised.

I didn't comment on the lead being the same guy from Once Again. Excited about more actors willing to repeat in BL.

We don't have a ton of time for the past, but I'm glad this LGBT group includes visible women and femmes.

Oh good. His bestie gave off huge queer energy last week, but I didn't want to hope.

I'm already intrigued by the impending romantic rivalry.

It's fun seeing a superior recognize raw talent and encourage it. Also good to see he's not going to let Seung Hyun get jerked around by any employee.

He's been holding his arm for quite a while.

Nothing but respect for my man Jong Chan. Not only does he watch out for his junior, he doesn't steal his ideas either. Then, he makes sure Seung Hyun understands the score before he works too hard. Finally, assures him he wants to work together.

The attraction is mutual, and observed by both besties.

My man Jong Chan knows what he wants and is moving for it. He drank the liquor for Seung Hyun and asked directly if Ji Yeon and Seung Hyun were dating. His reward was their gay little group cheer.

And he kissed his cheek on their first outing?? I'm here for it.

#the new employee #korean bl #bl series #Ben watches

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lanaevyssmoved · 9 months

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helloooo Afhiri sounds SO lovely. can you tell me more about how they feel at the start of act 1 about her predicament with the tadpoles, her companions, etc etc if you want!!

it might be cruel to say that they're pretty damn simple . actually no its not ive decided theyre pretty damn simple. literally wakes up and has a panic attack because where is flute?? where flute?? WHERE. FLU TE? flute was no where to be seen (depression). a very sad clown exploring this ship literally with minimum interest because flute :( flute :( this is a child who has lost their autistic hyperfixation toy.

lae'zel is hot. the sword scene is hot. hiri has immediate gay panic and forgets flute for 2 whole seconds. asks lae'zel if seen flute. lae'zel doesn't even know what a flute is.. smh. sticks around because was told to. does whats told (for now........ ominous.) so to start lae'zel is literally party lead this clown is NOT a protagonist (for now...... no im not making that joke twice)

SHADOWHEART IS HOT... absolutely ignores lae'zel to free shadowheart. literally dumbass tries to pull the door off. lae'zel ends up being the one like "maybe u should look around if u INSIST on saving this HALF ELF." frees shadowheart :) oh my god you have an autistic hyperfixation too?? your rock is so cool!!!!!!!

the flute is not rescued. please F's in chat for the lost flute of afhiri's childhood. her father made her that flute and it's DEAD. AND THERE WASN'T EVEN TIME FOR A FUNERAL.

the first thing they do after hoarding all of the fish on the beach like a little goblin creature is find gale's portal. shiny. Oh My God is that an arm without a body? that is Soooo cool...... high fives. they free him of course!!! used bard Magicks to calm that shit down and free the silly man. she finds him SOOO silly. he is such a silly little guy. his lil expressions and hand movements are SO funny. she wants to get acting classes from him so she can be just as funny and then she'll rank up in Clown. she's sure of it. (he is a clown to her. a truly excellent clown. there's real talent..........)

after that she gets knife throat by astarion :( not very nice of you :( i would have given you money if u wanted :( oh not a robbery? OH WE'RE WORM BUDDIES? friendship acquired :) they genuinely don't have any more thoughts rly at the start because he is mean and she doesn't understand its mean and looks at him stupidly like a dog who cannot understand the new word u just said. tilts head :)

their friendship stat is SO high all of a sudden. this clown has had NO friends their entire damn life (weirdo coded) and suddenly they've got SOOO many best friends oh my god they're so excited for the campfire stories hehee :)

next is oh my godd its the hot. gi..gi... Girlfriend? :) no its gith u stupid clown. get pied. ANYWAY tells the tieflings some absolute BULLSHITERY. this clown is So good at lying (this is a positive. their moral code is kinda messy.) and frees lae'zel :) shadowheart doesn't trust lae'zel but how can you Not when she's Also Green? I'm Green? You're Green? Da Ba Dee

after that its oh my god is that A GOBLIN? never seen a goblin before. finds them extremely cute. they're also kind of green (positive). and A WARG? can i PET IT? No? It'll eat me? bite off my hand? chew up my suit? this is supreme sadness. wait- flute still gone. that's supreme sadness. ALSO WYLL IS FUN!!!! wyll gives her fairytale hero prince vibes and is absolutely fascinated and thinks as a bard should sing of his tale because hes so cool (please don't trust them. they will make him sound like a fool.)

hearing about the spooky scary teeth-ling from wyll is super!! exciting!!!! a devil?? fought in devil war?? fire?? death?? epic story . we must find out more (not to kill. to talk to. must have some REALLY COOL STORIES!!!) very easy to convince wyll not to kil- OH MY GOD HOT?? HOT? ?? literally hot. this is the most Supreme Gay Panic. afhiri never thought about girls (or boys) like this before. none of the Lads give the Panik.. but these girls are a little too much (fainting vibes) also karlach is so fun :) daydreams about karlach throwing her like a javelin into battle

the tadpole though :/ they don't know!! everyone keeps saying. bad! evil! bad! removal! death! kill! and they're like :/ idk guys.. worms are kinda cute. u ever seen a worm do a lil wiggle on some mud? its so cool.. i wish i was a worm..... everyone is concerned. do not trust them with decisions (they trust them with decisions. they are All stupid.) they name the worm. the worm is named little buddy. it's not creative. it's not a name. but this is Little Buddy and she talks to her little buddy sometimes. she even wrote it a song. (she doesn't consume more little buddies. that's weird.. this is HER little buddy and those are OTHER little buddies. there's only one little buddy for her....)

extra: GUARDIAN. oooohhhhh my god .. never seen someone soooooo CLOWN. (this is false. guardian looks nothing like a clown. theyre projecting HARD. guardian plays along because this is clearly going to work better than being Hot and Mysterious). trust them explicitly (reminder: not smart), treats like another Best Friend like the squad. gets sad they don't ever join them in camp for her performances. does private performances sometimes :)

DOUBLE EXTRA: the possession.. of Flute 2.

a daring tale of (gale takes some of the squads money and buys them a flute. cannot bare to see the sad puppy dog eyes any longer.) AN INCREDIBLE ADVENTURE OF PERIL AND DANGER... THERE WAS GNOLLS AND GOBLINS AND MAYBE A BEHOLDER!!!!! gale.. an incredibly brave adventurer.. this is going in his next song

#ask #astarien #need yall to know i try so hard to get across their Vibe in how i type LMFAOOO #i am so excited about clown :)#i hope u enjoy clown!!!!!!!#she/they #oc afhiri

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rosemelon82 · 1 year

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Just finished watching a strange world and I honestly have to say that it is such a beautiful story. There’s a lot of different views you can take on about the story, which just makes it even better. First off, I am just going to say that there is so much representation in this movie. They have quiet acceptance for the queers because our main boy Ethan is gay and according to the disney fandom page, the third openly gay Disney protagonist. Not to mention, his voice actor is also openly gay which is totally awesome. It was just Ethan falling for Diazo and *spoiler* them getting together in the end which was just the cutest thing. I also definitely thought that Callipso gave off butch lesbian vibes but that might just be me being really attracted to her. And not really related to this but Meridian just slays so hard the entire movie and I really hope you enjoy her character. She's just so awesome.

ANYWAYS, it also has a lot of awareness about the environment. It directly/indirectly talks a lot about how humans really need to think about the consequences of our actions on the planet. Everything we do, makes it look like its good for us and our survival as humans. But did we not get multiple warnings about how disastrous our lifestyle is to the environment? Did we not completely ignore it and choose to hide it away? It's going to keep coming back to us and we won't be able to fix things until it's too late.

Third, this movie hits a little close to home for some. It might just be me who interprets it like this but I thought it also represented cancer. It felt as though Jaeger was the one who was dying from cancer and the others were trying so hard to save him. The pando, in my mind, represented radiation therapy or chemotherapy. It seems like it's working until it's not and the only way to get rid of it is pulling it out from the roots. It isn't always possible and doesn't always end well but in this case, it did.

Fourth, I really loved the way that they did not hesitate in showing that parents really do end up forcing things on their children. They might not realize it sometimes because they've tried to get away from it themselves. Love that Ethan was getting the understanding and love that he deserves.

I also love the way that they showed Avalonia as so small. It really puts things into perspective. Maybe the world that you know is so small only because it's the only thing that you've tried to see. Definitely make some decisions that might seem out of the box or something that you don't think you'd do or try because it might be the way to bring you out of that small world that you know. Not to mention, the creatures in the other parts of the world are just absolutely adorable. Also, I got like really excited over the ending. I really hope that you enjoy it, if you choose to watch it. It's such a beautiful movie. I almost cried multiple times. But yea, anyways. Enjoy and thank you for reading to the end of my little rant about this adorable movie.

#disney movies #strange world #ethan clade #jaeger clade #searcher clade #meridian clade #callipso #mentions of cancer #environmental awareness #lgbtq representation #diazo #disney #disney animation #absolutely beautiful

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philcoulsonismyhero · 10 months

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My brain is violently ping-pong-ing between half a dozen different original fiction ideas right now and getting excited about all of them at once, so I guess here's a rundown of the things that are occupying my brain right now:

The Woodsman and the Wolf

The newest idea on the list, this one is going to be a comic/graphic novel. It's a queerplatonic fable-y, fairytale-y short story about a woodsman who lives in a village under the threat of The Wolf (a monstrous creature that's been killing livestock and villagers who stray too far from the village's lights) and the injured traveller that he rescues in the forest one day. Except said traveller is secretly a werewolf and maybe there's also more to The Wolf than first appears... It's a story about who and what we call a monster and the harm that othering can cause, and it kind of sprung fully formed into my head after I watched the Nimona movie after re-reading Witches Abroad and while also thinking about all the things that made me mad about how She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Platformed treated Lupin in the HP books. It's also about anger, and werewolves as a metaphor for the parts of ourselves we're scared to acknowledge, and the healing that comes from choosing to build things rather than destroy. I thought about making it gay, but then I realised that I had an opportunity to have the happy ending be queerplatonic and now I'm really excited about writing these sad broken disasters (because the Woodsman has his own share of baggage) slowly finding understanding and a home together. Do I have any idea how to make a graphic novel? No, but I'm not going to let that stop me because I've become very fond of this story very quickly.

Untitled Science Fantasy Thing

I've been referring to the setting for this one as 'Willa's World' after one of the protagonists, and I think it's a novel? This one came about when I smashed together my two favourite general characters, Ironwood and Armstrong, and ended up with an extremely tired, angry woman who's desperately trying to protect her country from an ever-escalating invasion of monsters from the frozen north while slowly losing what remains of her shit and being pushed out of her own story by The Idealistic Teen Protagonist(TM) who has just crashed into the middle of all this and is equally determined to save the world her own way. The general is Willa Stonehold, the Teen Protagonist is Maisie Kennard, and I love them both, the whole story is built around their clash of narratives and genres and personalities and the fact that neither of them can save the world alone. Willa's side of the story is about being middle-aged and butch and aroace and disabled and angry and lonely and reckoning with the fact that she's been tearing herself apart to protect a world that at best wishes she'd stay quiet and invisible, but fuck them she's going to go down in a blaze of glory and destroy the monsters along with herself and Then They'll All See. And Maisie is also aroace and figuring out where she fits in the world but doing it with a determined bloody-minded hopefulness that, along with her Weird Magic Protagonist Powers, might just warp the story around her enough that she can drag the people she cares about into a happy ending as well. And that's not even the half of it, it's a whole thing, I've only got about 2/3rds of a plot figured out but a whole heck of a lot of Thematic Stuff that I'm rotating violently in my brain and cackling delightedly about.

Brownies and Bogles

This one has been bouncing around my brain for years, and really it's a TV series concept, but realistically I think the right format for it is going to be a series of short comics. It's otherwise known as 'that Scottish urban fantasy thing', and the basic idea is that Our Protagonists work for an organisation that deals with the weird stuff that arises when the human and magical worlds interact. These are the guys that go around the universities and do presentations telling students not to drink any beer if they end up at a fairy party, or settle disputes over beach usage between selkies and tourists, or deal with brownie infestations on the high street. There's a glamour situation at play kind of equivalent to the 'Somebody Else's Problem field' from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, where regular people mostly don't notice or slowly forget the magical elements of things they see, but the more exposed you are to magic the more of it you start seeing around you. Most of the employees at the organisation are people who got involved in some sort of magic nonsense and suddenly were seeing it everywhere and demanding explanations. The main characters are Kevin, a thoroughly regular bloke who is also aroace and has been platonically married to his best mate Dave ever since that was legal and got them tax benefits, and Jay, who is three hundred years old and laughs at your concepts of gender and is also deeply magically weird thanks to being left on a fairy hill as a child and adopted by the fae, who rubbed off on them. Together, they investigate weird shit and get up to wacky adventures, mostly in places in Scotland that I personally know because why the hell not. (An iconic minor character that my sister and I co-invented years ago is Nippy the Chip Kelpie, a particularly weird kelpie that lives in the River Girvan and likes nothing better than hanging out with the seagulls at the beach and sticking his giant soggy horse head through car windows in order to steal chips from people parked by the promenade to enjoy the view.) The whole 'verse is a bit more on the comedy side of things, it's fun.

Werewolf Detectives Thing

This is another pretty recent idea, because I've had werewolves on the brain. Well, some of it is older, but the current iteration that's in the early stages of development is from the last few months. The basic idea is that it's the late 1820s in Edinburgh, and assorted magical folks are living on the edges of human society, including both werewolves and wulvers. A former trainee soldier who was kicked out of the army after he was bitten by a werewolf (and doesn't have a definite name yet, but I think his surname might be Grey) has been existing in this society as a werewolf for a decade or two when he comes across another man, a teacher, who has only been recently turned. He takes it upon himself to mentor the new werewolf, to help him figure out his new life, but said teacher is a little bit distracted trying to investigate some disappearances and deaths within the magical community. (Even when he was human, he was known to magical folks because because he was one of the few willing to teach magical children to read and write.) Grey gets dragged into investigating along with him, and they eventually end up setting up a detective agency together. (In theory it's a book series and they go on to have continuing adventures, but who the fuck knows if I'll ever get that far.) It's specifically set in the 1820s because that's when Edinburgh was in the middle of a whole thing involving graverobbing to provide corpses for the medical school, which eventually led to the Burke and Hare murders, and that seemed like an interesting time to plonk some magical shenanigans and amateur detective nonsense. Oh, and the teacher? He's trans, and faked his own death before he moved to the big city under his new name. Which I haven't decided on yet, names are hard, but I love him, he's great. In this one, the werewolf stuff is a big old queer metaphor, and I'm going to have some fun with the relationship between werewolves and wulvers on that front, too.

Untitled DnD Nonsense feat. Sam and Arthur

This is what happens when you realise that the backstories of a couple of DnD characters rhyme rather nicely, and I don't know if it's a novel or a comic or really what the main bulk of the plot is, but I am rotating it in my brain. Dr Sam Harnendil is accidentally a cleric, but really he'd rather just be a doctor. He was conscripted as a battlefield surgeon, and he gained his cleric abilities when he yelled at the holy symbol of a dying paladin, telling her god that she ought to Do Her Fucking Job, and said god gave him magic in answer. He struggled to go back to a normal life after the war ended, so in the present he's a travelling doctor, helping where he can and keeping his magic upgrade on the down-low. And then there's Arthur Fenn, a sellsword that he meets on the road, who clearly has a lot of history that he is Not going to talk about. It eventually turns out that Arthur was General Ridill, the general in command of the army that conscripted Sam all those years ago, and he lost everything when his kingdom fell in the final battle of the war. Not just that, but he was mutinied against by his own troops for wanting to unleash a monstrous shadow entity on the enemy as a desperate last resort, and he's now just a little bit possessed by said shadow entity that's been giving him powers and feeding him promises of vengeance. Ideally I'd love to bounce the two of them off of each other in a DnD campaign, but since I can't do that I've been slowly coming up with a story around the two of them that's about a doctor and a general who were fucked up by the same war and the parts they played in it, and how they figure out their own paths in the face of the powerful entities that want to control them. Other potential players in the story are Arthur's ex-something (it's complicated), a man called Cor (aka Cornelius Fenn, and yes, Arthur is using his surname as a alias) who was a spy for the same kingdom, and a teenage wannabe monster slayer called Merewyn who decides she's going to tag along with these losers after they pass through her village and study them for her own entertainment and education.

Untitled (And Slightly Neglected) Sci-Fi Thing

This one is a novel that's been rattling around by brain for about five years now, and is pretty much the first original project I was serious about as an adult, although I've slightly neglected it of late. It's a sci-fi story about first contact, in which an exploration pilot called Alastair Hayashi who lives in the space-future ends up becoming the first human to meet aliens when they capture his ship in the middle of a mysterious uncharted area of Weird Space Nonsense nicknamed the Gnarly Cloud. (After how it was described by the space truckers who got the first good in-person look at it.) Alastair ends up stuck on an alien world surrounded by belligerent, xenophobic bird people, in the role of the alien in Area 51, and having to explain the concept of humans to a race that was just as unaware of their neighbours as we were of them. The fact that their Prototypical Human is a gay, autistic Japanese-Scottish amputee rather than a Straight Cis White Guy(TM) is a source of alternating amusement and exasperation to him, he is having A Time. Meanwhile, back on the space station where he lives on the edge of the Cloud, he's been declared missing-presumed-dead, which his best friend and fellow pilot who saw the abduction is Strenuously objecting to because she wants to go in and rescue him, and his space trucker husband is starting to uncover evidence that maybe the existence of aliens on the other side of the Cloud wasn't as much a surprise to certain people as it ought to have been... Alastair eventually makes it back to the station with the help of one of the alien scientists, and finds himself stuck in the middle of a first contact situation that is rapidly sliding in the direction of a war that he is determined to prevent. I still love this story and the characters, but it's not thematically grabbing me the way it used to so I think I need to play around with it some more. (And maybe rewatch Voltron, because frustrations about Shiro's storyline was what spawned Alastair in the first place.) It's got 2/3rds of a plot but I need to re-find the themes that got me excited about it in the first place, and maybe throw in some more that are more what I'm enjoying in stories now, five-ish years after I came up with this one.

Red Shift Blue Shift

Last but the opposite of least, this one is the webcomic I'm developing with @yourfriendlyneighborhoodenby! It's got a whole blog with character stuff and art over at @redshiftblueshiftcomic, but here's the short-ish version:

Dan Gibson (they/them) is the leader of a team in the space-future that investigates crimes against robots and works to protect robot rights, and they're the sort of exhausted team dad character that inevitably becomes my favourite in any media about a team. They're Hotch from Criminal Minds meets the person Harrison Wells originally seemed to be in s1 of The Flash, meets early volumes Ironwood, and they're transmasc nonbinary and aroace Because Why Not. Also on their team are Georgie (she/her), boisterous gym butch and the team's legal expert, Bob (he/him), an ancient and grumpy military tank bot who renounced his weapons and was part of the first generation of robots to be considered sapient, Peregrine (he/they), Dan's protégé and a bitchy android with custom giant claw feet, Cobi (they/them), an excitable spaceship AI who gets the team where they want to go, and Max (ey/em), an opinionated and principled trainee agent who's a human who was raised by robots. Together, they have a bunch of adventures involving, among other things, an ancient sentient generation ship that they have to rescue from unscrupulous salvagers, bots going missing on a robot retirement moon, a would-be cult leader enslaving robots with mysterious mind-control tech he claims to have brought back from the future, and a mysterious mask-wearing individual that seems to be following the team around and pursuing some sort of unknown agenda of their own.

Other characters include Hector (he/him), a fellow agent in the anti-terrorism branch of the team's organisation who is starting to have doubts about how the organisation is run, Kamari (she/her), an enigmatic and dapper butch android working for persons and causes unknown, and Patch (they/them), a spaceship repair bot who has upgraded their own programming so many times that their list of skills is as long as one of their extendable arms (and even includes brain surgery, which no one has let them try yet, much to their disappointment). And, of course, aforementioned mysterious masked individual, the truth of whose identity drags the team and the rest of the cast into something much bigger and more ominous than they ever suspected could be going on.

It's a story about robots and queer people and queer robots (most of whom are also autistic), and so much of the Big Plot Stuff is a metaphor for the times we live in and the backslide in attitudes towards trans folks in particular, but also it's about having adventures in space and robots and spaceships and the power of solidarity, and we're both so excited about the whole thing. It really is one of those stories where we're putting everything that we love into it, and it's going to be big and epic and it's terribly daunting to thinking about the work that's going to go into a ten chapter webcomic, but we love this story and these characters and it's going to be a thing that we can actually share eventually. You should absolutely check out the blog we're been throwing the character development art onto if any of this sounds like a good time to you too.

(No, this post wasn't originally intended to be a 'check out our webcomic-in-development post, but it sort of is now, I guess.)

So yeah, stories! I have so many, they're all I want to talk about, please talk to me about some of these ideas if any of them have grabbed you, you'll make my week.

#personal stuff #long post #very long post sorry but screw it i don't want to hide any of these beyond a link #this is of course the point where i forget all of the tags that i use for original stuff #oc tag #red shift blue shift #i should not be posting this at this time of night no one will see it but oh well #it's more a brain dump than anything else

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alexissara · 2 years

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A collection of Short Yuri Manga reviews I Wrote Recently

5 Star SHWD is an exciting action yuri series which features something most manga and comics typically do not feature, women with actual muscles. There is a good diversity in the range of muscles on women but the story has so far only 4 women in it and like 0 men who matter at all. It's very focused on the characters who matter to the story it's telling.

The story it's telling it a world where eldrich horrors that were made during "the war" appear driving people into killing frenzys and consuming them. Our heroes work at SHWD a private company that disposes of these monsters. The monsters are like ugly slime things they at present exist as a thing for the people to kill and aren't like "villains" they are the nature of the world stained by war.

Politically I am not sure if I am connecting to the plot or theme but I am not totally sure what the story is trying to say other then wouldn't it be hot if a slammer buff woman and a big buff woman kissed on the lips on the battle field and to that end, I agree, whole heartedly and I want to see it. I look forward to future volumes, I am not totally sure if the series will be for me but I am super glad I Picked this up and supported this very original piece of art.

5 Stars Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games is one of the most beautifully drawn manga's I've read. There is fantastically stunning ugly moments for the girls and captivating panels aplenty.

The manga's story follows assimilation, desire, growing up, and more all in fun fighting game action, sparks of romance between the two lead girls and more. There is nothing explicitly, openly gay, yet in this volume but there is many many moments that do read as next and not subtext.

The setting gives them a reason to hide their shared passion for each other, well fighting each other at fighting games. Aya's deep dive into conforming hoping she'll feel the joy she felt as a kid again by becoming a proper young lady is sad, heart breaking and exciting to watch break as she falls for Shirayuri.

I need to read the other volumes stat.

5 Stars Princess Anisphia is a ridiculously charismatic protagonist able to lend emotion, humor and excitement into every scene of this manga. Euphyllia is immediately capturing but the depth they give to her makes her a compelling romantic lead and character for the plot. It feels far beyond the bog standard Isaki story where one's past life makes them uniquely equipped to deal with the world but instead Princess Anisphia is likely actively having her dreams hindered by realizing her past life in the modern world. I think the story has really interesting hooks for later conflicts and great romantic hooks for that building relationship between the two women. It's very good.

4 Stars Black and White: Tough Love at the Office is a wonderfully drawn manga, the tension between these two very fake women as they show their real sides to only each other is fantastic. There is a lot of chemistry in their heated just off screen violent sex scenes. They are the stars of the book but the story does focus on the stakes of their jobs or potential promotions or whatever else and I just can't get invested in that. Regardless, I Would read Volume 2 just for them but I would hope that we would zoom in even more on them, get to know them internally better to understand them. I am detached from office culture and for sure not attached to Japanese corporate culture, like the dorms sounds dystopian to me in a way that I doubt the reality of this fiction, even though it's probably a perfectly normal thing. Regardless, I enjoyed my read of the book and I think there is a particular flavor of sapphics that will have this be their favorite series.

------ That's it for this selection of reviews. If you liked this I wrote some twitter thread reviews I could make presentable for several other manga and a few GNs I read this year. I'll also be writing more of these over time, I decided I like doing little reviews on Good Reads after I finish something, helps with my bad memory.

#Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games #Yuri Manga #Yuri review #yuri recs #yuri #manga #manga review #review #Black and White: Tough Love at the Office #The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady #TMRRPGYL #SHWD

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spaceshipkat · 2 years

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A/ster queried Lightlark for 10 years and was rejected for 10 years. She's 27 now, which means she wrote Lightlark at 17... and I get the feeling she edited very little if none at all in these 10 years. Just like Mess wrote ToG when she was a teen.

The book definitely needed a couple more rounds of editing at the very least. The writing is juvenile (teens are so smart! start treating them as such!), the rep virtually non existent (one relevant character is poc and gay, yay tokenism!), the misogyny ("pure", not like other girls protagonist, the slut-shaming). These are deep issues with the author's and editor's mentality and aren't easy to get rid of. But more editing would've definitely improved the writing style, at least.

But the publisher was in a hurry...

10 years of rejections, then A/ster makes a viral tiktok and bam! one week later she's contacted and signed by a publisher. The hype continues, A/ster sells the movie rights. The publisher does everything in their power to ride the wave and publish the book as quickly as possible.

Less than a year and a half from that tiktok, Lightlark is published... after 10 years of rejections.

I'm sorry to sound like an asshole, but rejections happen for a reason. Yes, agents want something that's easy to sell, the industry churns out books like a fast food chain, creativity isn't always welcome... but sometimes your writing is just bad? This wasn't a case of Lightlark being "too mold-breaking", too creative to have a place and a market in YA. Not at all. It's just like any other YA I've read by super hyped authors.

Something something publishing is a business that only cares for money and hype

A/ster also acts like this is her first novel when it's not. I understand it's her YA debut, but she acts like her duology doesn't exist. I know her agent dropped her because the duology wasn't as successful as expected and A/ster couldn't stop talking about the Lightlark project, but still.

The biggest issue is that people were promised a "diverse Hunger Games meets ACOTAR". Diverse being the key word. And people were really excited because A/ster is Latina.

Her parents are both millionaires, she and her twin sisters were given money to start their various businesses, but her mom does come from Colombia. So even though A/ster is a rich, privileged, young pretty girl (like most YA authors atm) people were excited. Especially poc.

Baiting diversity is just so low 🤢🤦🏾‍♀️

the timeline is, as i understand it, more along the lines of she’s queried various books for years (and anyone—not you, anon, but i’ve seen a lot of people throw doubt about this—saying it’s unrealistic that she queried for a decade bc she’s only 27 is unfair, and i can use myself as an example bc i too am 27 and have been actively trying to get published since i was 17, having written books from the age of 12) and then signed with her first agent for her middle grade books. those released in 2020 and 2021, but the numbers weren’t doing so hot, probably thanks to the pandemic. Aster meanwhile was writing Lightlark and refusing to work on anything else, even though her agent said no to Lightlark many times (which is a fair thing for agents to do! they know the market better than any writer, so if an agent says “no, work on something else bc this won’t work in the market,” you should take that under serious consideration). bc Aster refused to work on anything else and her agent didn’t want Lightlark, they parted ways (which is also a fair thing, however much it might suck; besides, knowing what we do of Lightlark, i can see why her first agent said no), after which Aster went on tiktok and made her viral video and then, presumably, queried Lightlark with that under her belt. that then got her a new agent, who also then used that viral video to sell Lightlark to her editor, and from there to foreign publishers bc she has like a dozen of them now (or at least did when i last checked).

so yeah, all of this definitely comes down to the publishing industry seeing an easy dollar and deciding to run with it. if they spent more time on edits to make the prose more elegant, the world-building and plot more cohesive, clean up the bad elements you listed, anon, and made the characters more realistic, i could see why publishing decided to publish the book. it does have a premise that would bring a lot of people in (hence why it went viral and why so many people are excited about it) but the premise doesn’t do as promised, and very few of the things Aster claimed were in the book in her various tiktoks are actually in the book, so people feel and very much have been lied to. the ratings on goodreads say more than enough, i think, especially since a good number of the one star reviews are based on those readers having actually read the book/listened to the audiobook (i read a lot of them, so idk why people in various places are acting like most of those one star reviews are people just being mean to Aster).

and to be fair, an author and their publisher acting like an author’s new book is their debut isn’t unheard of. my best friend had that happen to her (though not bc her technical debut was bad or its sales didn’t do well) and i’m sure countless other authors have, too, even if the author doesn’t publish/re-debut under a pen name. it could happen for many reasons, but especially when sales don’t do well and it’d be more marketable to have an author be introduced as a debut vs an established author with mediocre sales. and from what i’ve seen, she still posts about her MG debut on her insta? or at the very least she hasn’t deleted those various posts about it. but, granted, i don’t pay attention to her tiktok so it’s completely possible i just missed her acting like her MG debut never happened.

either way, there’s a lot of hurt she caused by making readers expect things she promised were in the book, not only from a plot/trope standpoint but as an author of color promising to write a book for readers of color who wanted an ac0tar where they actually exist and in center stage. it’s no surprise to me she’s getting a lot of flack for that. like you said, diversity baiting is fucked.

#ask #anonymous #lightlark

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truly-morgan · 8 months

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[Kinktober 2022: Masturbation (18+)]

LiuShen | Scum Villain Self-Saving system 01-10-2022

Day 1: [Masturbation] | B̷r̷e̷a̷t̷h̷p̷l̷a̷y | B̷o̷d̷y̷ ̷M̷o̷d̷i̷f̷i̷c̷a̷t̷i̷o̷n

Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge are away on a mission to slay some monsters. One night, Shen Qingqiu wakes up to Liu Qingge masturbating and decides to join.

====

Shen Qingqiu would lie if he said he knew why he had been dragged along with Liu Qingge to his mission. It was usually the Bai Zhan Peak Lord who was enough to take care of monsters causing trouble to villages.

Well, Shen Qingqiu would lie if he said he hated following along, it was nice being with his shidi side, even more, when he could learn even more about monsters!

But a mission that should have taken at best two nights of work took five.

Thankfully they had managed to deal with all the problems after those five days, they could now rest so they would have energy for the three days trip back home. He still didn’t understand how they couldn’t just fly on swords like every xianxia story!!

As much as he enjoyed staying by his Shidi’s side, after a week of always being by his side without a moment alone, he was starting to miss home. He had no privacy, how was he supposed to relieve himself?! How was Liu Qingge doing?

He got his answer to the last question that night when he woke up in the middle of the night. When he noticed the quiet panting and groaning coming from his shidi’s bed he got worried. He didn’t really remember him getting badly hurt?!

But then as he quietly made his way closer to take a look and make sure Liu Qingge was alright, he got flustered.

Liu Qingge wasn’t hurt, he was masturbating!!

It had probably all been too much for his poor shidi and he had to take care of it even before they could be back. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help the huff that escaped him, because he too would like to jerk off but wasn’t sure he would be quiet enough.

His huff hadn’t been though and suddenly a flustered Liu Qingge turned around to see him standing near his bed. Shen Qingqiu nearly jumps out of his own skin at the sudden movement, trying to regain his composure quickly.

“I didn’t know shidi was so pent up” he decided to tease, which only made the other Peak Lord blush even more than he already was, trying to him his lower part as best he could.

Shen Qingqiu was pretty sure he was probably not all that much better in the blushing department. Plus he might have gotten excited a little too now that he was in this situation.

“This isn’t…. I just needed” Liu Qingge tried, clearly unsure what to do.

“Shidi needed?” Shen Qingqiu asked with a smirk, approaching his bed. An idea had come to his mind. Clearly, his fellow Peak Lord needed pleasure so did he, they could help each other.

“I-I got like this without wanting to” the man mumbled, starting to panic a little when Shen Qingqiu sat on the bed too. “What are you doing?!”.

“Well, I too am in need of this, why don’t we help each other?” Shen Qingqiu asked. This wasn’t gay, this was just two Peak Lords giving each other a little help in needed times.

Liu Qingge then looked at him a bit unsure, looking to the side as he clearly thought about it, before sighing. Shen Qingqiu smiled at this, knowing he had won.

They soon got rid of any fabric that was in the way, awkwardly trying to find a position where they could face each other. Shen Qingqiu would probably not admit it aloud, but his shidi was really pretty as he was pleasuring himself.

Panting and groaning with such a different and interesting expression from when he did so while fighting.

Then his eyes travelled to where his shidi’s hand were working on his own cock, hands unconsciously matching the rhythm.

He noted that Liu Qingge wasn’t doing too bad in the size department, it was probably nothing compared to what the protagonist of the story will have. But Shen Qingqiu was pretty sure many would envy the Peak Lord for his good size.

“Don’t stare” he heard Liu Qingge whisper close to his face, taking him out of his observation. He hadn’t realised just how close they were now.

“Ahah, sorry” he replied, “I was just thinking Liu-shidi would be considered lucky by many people” he pointed out.

The other man just scoffed at his word, blushing prettily. Then he reached out with his other hand, touching Shen Qingqiu’s dick as the Peak Lord had slowed his strokes. “Shixiong isn’t to pity either” he replied, his fingertip teasing him.

Shen Qingqiu had not expected this, his breath hitching at the touch of someone else on it. Then he got embarrassed by the moan that escaped his mouth when Liu Qingge wrapped his fingers around him.

And his shidi had the gall to chuckle at his reaction!

Shen Qingqiu then decides to retaliate, letting go of himself to instead wrap his hand around Liu Qingge, starting to jerk him off. He didn’t expect to enjoy the man’s reaction so much, continuing to get more out of him.

Before either of them really knew it they were just moaning and groaning against each other, faces close to each other. Hips buck up as best they could in this position to fuck into the other’s fists.

Liu Qingge was the first one to release, Shen Qingqiu following closely behind. The Qing Jing Peak Lord leaned his head against his shidi shoulder, coming down from his climax.

He was a little surprised when he felt a kiss being placed against his naked shoulder, shivering a little bit at the contact.

Before he could really question Liu Qingge he felt arms pull him close before being laid down in bed.

He was a bit confused at how he was being hugged by Liu Qingge, the man already falling asleep while holding him.

But Shen Qingqiu was starting to feel too tired to try and get out of the hold. Plus it did feel nice.

The next morning would be awkward and he’d find reasons, but for now, he just wanted to enjoy the warmth.

====

(hehe, sqq and lqg are having some bonding time while Binghe is away in the abyss)

Original - AO3

#tweet archive #svsss #scum villain self-saving system #liushen #shen qingqiu #liu qingge #kinktober 2022 #hand j0b #nsft

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