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suits-of-woe · 3 years

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can you do a gay two gentlemen of verona?

(aka the post where i try to find some emotional coherence in the worst line in the canon)

well. can you do a gay two gentlemen of verona?

a. yes

b. but should you?

honestly, i'm really not sure. this play is bad. really, really bad. i assume most people reading this post know how it ends, but let's just be crystal clear: (cw rape) proteus, one of our supposed romantic heroes, tries to rape silvia after she rejects his advances. valentine stops him, but after proteus apologizes, valentine, our other hero and silvia's love interest, offers to give silvia to the man who just tried to rape her in an act of friendship.

so no, i don't think this interpretation (or any interpretation) can make that moment okay. even if it somehow could, it's just one moment, and misogyny is baked into almost every part of this play. and no, i absolutely do not mean to suggest that interpreting characters as gay can be used to excuse any of this, or that gayness is somehow an explanation for violent misogyny.

that said, we live in a world where this play exists. people talk about it and write about it and perform it fairly frequently, and since that's not changing any time soon, i do think it can be worthwhile to see what we can do with it. my interest is not in sanitizing anything but in creating some emotional coherence out of something that just feels nonsensical at first glance.

phew. so. can you do a gay two gentlemen of verona? does it actually make the play more compelling? i think it could.

you really don't have to look that far for homoeroticism in this play. i mean jesus, the first line is valentine calling proteus "my loving proteus." we get shit like this, which feels like it's just begging to be played as tender unrequited love:

PRO: [...] If ever danger do environ thee, Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers, For I will be thy beadsman, Valentine.

VAL: And on a love-book pray for my success?

PRO: Upon some book I love I'll pray for thee.

individual lines aside, the whole first scene is just...a lot. proteus has clearly been begging valentine not to leave and trying to delay their parting as long as possible. valentine makes it very clear that he wants proteus with him and he wouldn't be leaving without him if it weren't for the fact that proteus is in love. it's all just very...yeah.

so here's the interpretation i think works best: proteus and valentine are in love. they have been for a long time. valentine is aware of it. proteus isn't. he's deep, deep in denial, fixating on julia to avoid the feelings that are harder to acknowledge. and valentine's decided it's finally time to stop waiting around and let go.

so valentine goes to milan. he starts to move on. he finds genuine love with silvia (valentine is definitely bi in this interpretation), and maybe she's not proteus and he's not quite over the situation, but they're good for each other and they're happy. at least, until proteus shows up.

and proteus takes one look at valentine and silvia together and hates it. he's instantly very, very upset by that relationship, even if he can't quite put his finger on why. there's even a line where he wonders if his fixation on silvia is specifically because of the way valentine talks about her:

Is it mine, or Valentine's praise, Her true perfection, or my false transgression, That makes me reasonless to reason thus?

but it's because he loves silvia. obviously. that's the source of that jealousy. no need to investigate that any further.

and valentine is too easily falling back into old habits. we get shit like this from him:

Forgive me that I do not dream on thee, Because thou see'st me dote upon my love.

forgive me that i do not dream on thee? hello?????

meanwhile, proteus is having his own crisis. mostly about how he's betraying both julia and valentine through this, and hm, isn't it weird how those betrayals feel like the exact same thing? i mean

To leave my Julia, shall I be forsworn; To love fair Silvia, shall I be forsworn; To wrong my friend, I shall be much forsworn

the exact

Julia I lose and Valentine I lose: If I keep them, I needs must lose myself; If I lose them, thus find I by their loss For Valentine myself, for Julia Silvia.

same

I will forget that Julia is alive, Remembering that my love to her is dead; And Valentine I'll hold an enemy, Aiming at Silvia as a sweeter friend.

THING???

then we get to the part of the play that i think needs the least interpretation, because it's basically just the same. proteus is still proteus and proteus is still awful to everyone around him, just this time with the added context of all those layers of denial. valentine is still devastated to leave silvia, because he does love her, and she's the first positive force in his life in so long, and he was just starting to try to move on.

side note: ymmv with regards to silvia, she doesn't have to be in the know for this interpretation to work, but i think it works better if valentine has confided in her about proteus, at least if we want a chance at an ending that doesn't feel like pure tragedy. she knows what he's going through, knows proteus isn't good for him, and is trying to help him get past that. i think it could make the way she berates proteus for betraying valentine extra compelling, because she knows how desperately valentine cares for this man who didn't think twice before ruining his life.

and then we get to. the scene. proteus, at this point, is desperate and volatile in his obsession with control. he's convinced himself that if he just has silvia, that will be it, and he'll finally be happy. and thank god, thank god valentine is there to stop him. but valentine is also seeing his friend for the first time in a long time, and he still has this weak spot that never fully went away, and even with the absolute horror of the situation, proteus is there and proteus is apologizing and there's still a part of valentine that wants so desperately to forgive him.

Then I am paid; And once again I do receive thee honest. Who by repentance is not satisfied Is nor of heaven nor earth, for these are pleased. By penitence the Eternal's wrath's appeased: And, that my love may appear plain and free, All that was mine in Silvia I give thee.

this line can't not be appalling, but this is the only way i can see it making sense to me. it's not an actual offer, it's more just a recognition of how desperate valentine is in this moment, how much he hates himself for still caring after everything. this line spat out through angry tears, as in "fine, fine, take her if you really want her so badly, if she's really the one you care about, because for me it's always been you, so fine, take her if you really just want to take everything from me."

as for the ending, i really don't know. maybe there's a long moment when valentine and proteus hug, or almost kiss, or even just stare at each other, and maybe it seems like proteus finally gets what he's been denying the entire time.

and then proteus' page faints. the moment is broken. and then it all comes out, and face to face with julia, proteus slides right back into that comfortable denial.

i think you could maybe make the valentine/silvia ending work, if you set it up well enough. if she understands what he's been going through the whole time and is willing to forgive him, to try to move on and heal from this man who's hurt them both so much. it's messy and upsetting but maybe it's enough.

on the other hand, though, i don't know how you could preserve that emotional coherence without cutting at least some of the lines from this mess of an ending. i really don't know how you make proteus and julia getting together again anything other than horrifying. maybe you cut that part. maybe you lean into the horror. maybe- WHAT'S THIS? IT'S CRAB WITH A STEEL CHAIR

all that to say, i don't think this (or anything) can really "fix" two gentlemen of verona. and if i'm conveniently disregarding a lot of lines in favour of finding a story that i hate a bit less, well, here we are. but i do think this version could potentially make something compelling out of shakespeare's greatest trainwreck.

#two gentlemen of verona #shakespeare #it's almost 2am and this post is LONG #i've been threatening to subject the internet to this for over a year but max finally gave me an audience for it #sorry for not posting about good plays #and sorry for a billion disclaimers but i want to make it abundantly clear that i am not excusing or condoning *gestures to everything*#rape //#mine #queue stars keep not their motion in one sphere

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qwertyfingers · 3 years

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we know that bobby only watched ds9 and dean watched the tos movies for sure which implies he's seen tos as well (plus he calls jack spock). so what do you think everyone's favorite trek is? sam is without a doubt a tng fan first and foremost. i think out of all tos movies cas prefers the wrath of khan because he Feels Things when kirk and spock do the ta'al through the glass. charlie has definitely seen some trek (we've seen her llap), do you think she's into tos first and foremost? anyway let's talk about star trek nights in the bunker.

OKAY SO I HAVE. MANY MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS. SORRY THIS IS SO LONG.

like. like of COURSE bobby only likes ds9 of course he does i could have told you this without the show becuase like. bobby is That Bitch. i think rufus will have watched TOS at least because leonard nimoy worked hard on linking jewish faith and practices into the vulcan lore and i think that would mean something to him. bobby will catch rufus smiling at him sometimes while they’re watching ds9 and ask him what all gruffly and rufus will smirk at him and say something about sisko with jake and bobby with dean and bobby will just cough and take a swig of whiskey and rufus will raise his eyebrows but let it slide. rufus definitely makes a comment once about dean&cas being like jake&nog that totally flies over dean’s head but bobby is all knowing eyebrow raise about.

i think cas and jack would really like discovery. while it has some issues with inconsistency, pacing, being a little dark, it also does better than the other TV treks at utilising the nature of film as a medium to instill a sense of wonder, at space and the world, and that’s something they’d really appreciate. i have my own issues with disco, but an obol for charon is as close to the central core of trek that disco ever gets. cas and jack also like that one in particular because they like listening to all the different languages being spoken. they all love michael (everyone loves michael). cas’ faves are stamets and reno because they’re mean and gay, jack’s fave is tilly because she’s excitable and bright and he latches onto that. dean likes reno because she’s got spunk. sam’s fave is airiam and he will never forgive them for killing her off. sam, cas and dean all feel an uncomfortable kinship with both ash and culber - they’ve both been the one with monster teeming under the surface, controleld by something not themself, but they’ve also all spent that time in hell/purgatory, separated from everyone they love.

thinking about episodes that would really get to them all, darmok is. THE ONE. i have a whole unfinished essay about darmok as the platonic ideal of star trek; the perfect distillation of everything trek is SUPPOSED to be about. it doens’t always get there but by god it tries! that speech michael gives in the disco s2 finale - “There's a whole galaxy of people out there who will reach for you. You have to let them. Find that person who seems farthest from you and reach for them.” - that’s what darmok is about!!! it’s all about a situation where real communication seems impossible, where everything we know about talking and learning has broken down. and picard says, okay, i will find another way. i can’t relate to you, you can’t relate to me, but by god i’m going to try. we all meet people we have trouble communicating with in our lives, and often, those people will not care about changing their own ways to accommodate us. for people with autism, adhd, psychosis, the list goes on, this is a very common occurrence. it’s exhausting and frustrating and alienating. darmok is all about crossing that barrier. about reaching for someone through a world of difficulty and learning how to talk. learning how to share something with someone who seems out of our reach. it’s beautiful, it’s heartwrenching, it means more to me than i can easily put into words!

anyway i think the bunker fam would experience a lot of emotions watching it together. there’s defintiely a lot of hugging eachother, sam cries a lot and won’t look at anyone until after the episode ends. jack just asks a lot of questions and talks about his progress learning sign language with cas. dean snakes his hand into cas’ halfway through and doesn’t let go. doesn’t show the emotion on his face, but he clutches harder at the emotional beats. cas runs his fingers through jack’s hair and thinks a lot, and decides not to say anything unless dean talks first. its just a Lot for everyone.

dean def makes them marathon all the TOS and TNG movies. it’s an experience everyone needs at least once. i think you’re right about cas and TWOK with the ta’al through the glass, but also ‘this simple feeling’ and the hand hold would make him feel crazy. bones being the one that spock entrusts with his katra DEF makes dean feel some type of way because as much as destiel is kirkspock-coded, dean IS bones, and seeing spock trust bones so completely despite how at odds they were when they first knew eachother would dig deep into dean’s psyche and make him more than a little bit nutso. the movies are way too long for jack so he mostly sits and plays animal crossing while they watch and looks at the screen when everyone else gasps or when something exciting is happening that holds his attention for a while. sam’s fave is nemesis precisely because it’s terrible and he loves how camp it is.

dean has definitely seen all of trek. i refuse to believe someone who watches as much tv and films as dean wouldn’t sit and watch the whole shebang. i think he’s probably seen TOS and the TOS movies more than the others because its easier than sitting through 7 seasons, but i think rather than that being his favourite he’d just have really strong opinions about the best episodes of each one? like if you asked him what his favourite is he’d say you can’t answer that because they’re all so different from eachother

VOY - bride of chaotica, non seqitur, macrocosm for the favourite episodes. seven, janeway and tuvok would be his favourite characters. he think toms a bit of a knob but also feels a kinship with him for the similar brand of bab dad-ism but he wouldn’t be able to put that into words. he’s also a fierce defender of threshold being a good episode (he’s right for that)

DS9 - our man bashir it’s our man bashir. he doesn’t dislike ds9 but its very plot heavy and he didn’t care for it when he was younger. rewatching it after living through multiple supernatural wars he’d probably appreciate it more. i know for a fact he cries every time there’s an episode about sisko being a good dad. jadzia and garak are his faves

TNG - he LOVES q. he also absolutely will not be caught dead referencing how much loves q after cas comes into his life because sam will do the little brotherly knowing eyebrow raise at him and he will die of embarrassment. he regularly references ‘there are four lights’ because he’s a fucking nerd. he has made cas watch elementary my dear data and fistful of datas a half dozen times each at LEAST. cas KNEW how dean was going to be about the cowboy hat he’s defintiely got into full cowboy getup at home just for watching movies and in cas’ head star trek is fully to blame.

TOS - oh there are so many good TOS eps to choose from. obv he loves most of the series becuase TOS has MANY banger eps, his favourites are probably like. mirror mirror, amok time (baby dean defintiely had some kind of crisis watching it for the first time; i know the rituals are intricate). i know deep in my bones that dean watched the conscience of the king (introduction of the tarsus iv massacre) once and then spent his entire teenage years writing fic about that in his head, whether he posted it or not. dean related too much to those experiences of shared hunger. city on the edge of forever is one of everyone’s faves for a reason (and i’m STILL mad we never got a closer take on that episode in spn it could have been so fun).

ENT - he definitely thinks enterprise is stupid and he’s not wrong but he has also definitely watched it and been very repressed about the whole thing. mans was like oh i feel a kinship with malcolm reed the obviously repressed queer man. i will never examine this feeling ever again thank you <3 he also makes fun of archer for being obsessed with, of all sports, water polo. shran is his favourite character because he’s a little shit and makes him laugh, and t’pol, because t’pol is a badass and he’d appreciate that. i can’t remember the title of a single episode off the top of my head though lol.

i can see what you’re saying about sam being a TNG stan. i’m conflicted though, I feel like TNG’s generally the favourite of 1) obnoxious nerds who think knowing trivia facts makes them smart, 2) men desperately trying to seem masculine and 3) people who’ve watched it three times and have extremely complex thoughts on the personhood and rights of robots. i could see sam fitting into the third group, but people who are in it for the robot feelings are a coin flip between voyager and tng being the fave, and i just have a feeling that voyager would be his favourite. i know kid sam is getting gender envy watching voyager in shitty motels while dad and dean are out, trying to find the words for it. his first semester at stanford he talks a friend into giving him the janeway haircut and rides that high for months. sam’s favourite characters are seven and EMH.

sam and dean have definitely had dozens of long drawn out debates about philosophical topics in star trek. do the holograms deserve rights and if so which ones. are the romulans and vulcans still meaningfully the same people. was spock right for trying to foment reunification by going undercover on romulus. can the borg be redeemed. etc etc.

i haven’t seen any of picard at all so i can’t comment. i also think sam and dean probably read a lot of the trek books? they’re pretty common to find in secondhand bookstores and cheap, would have been even cheaper back in the day. sam probably doesn’t care for them much, dean has a few solid faves though. i’ve only read the disco books so i can’t comment anything specifically (besides the fact that i think dean read dead endless and cried like a baby), but some of the TOS and DS9 books are gay as hell and i know dean was eyes emoji-ing that shit.

#spn #spn fic #tfw 2.0 #treknatural

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peterstanslizzie · 4 years

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Reacting To: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Season 2 Episode 7)

Episode Title: Benson and the Beast

Spoiler Warning: Kindly proceed if you’ve already seen the episode or are able to handle spoilers.

1. The past few episodes have been starting out with flashbacks huh? Well, this episode is no exception; We travel back one year into the past and we see Benson climbing down into a deep den with baby Dave in his backpack. He’s there because he wants to get his cassette player back from two giant bat mutes. However, they catch him red-handed and tell Benson they need the player to build an alien communicator to reach out to the aliens.

2. Baby Dave then molts rapidly across one entire cycle and stops at his toddler stage. This makes the bats think that he’s an alien. Why are they so sure that he is though? Lol. So afterwards, Benson and Dave were able to escape with his cassette player.

3. We are now in present times and it picks up where things left off last episode; Full Mega Jaguar Kipo is chasing after Scarlemagne who has her mother, Song aka the Mega Monkey under his mind control. One of the Nobles tries to shoot Kipo with an arrow but he gets taken down by the three scientists with a paralyzing dart.

4. Kipo goes on to attack them and Dr. Emilia retaliates by shooting the darts at her. Luckily, she’s stopped by Wolf and Benson then tries to calm Kipo down and remind her who she is by showing her, her family photo. However, Zane points his arrow at Kipo, which startles her and accidentally bumps Benson to the ground in the process. He tries again one more time and Kipo manages to turn back into a human. Wow, that sure was suspenseful!

5. The scientists immediately recognize she’s Lio and Song’s child (I think) and they try to act like they know nothing about her parents. I think they are gonna try to kidnap Kipo themselves to experiment on her. They claim to be part of the human resistance that’s against Scarlemagne and they plan to wait till the Noble whom they just took out snaps out of his mind control state in order to extract information about Scarlemagne’s plans.

6. It looks like Benson has dislocated his shoulder; Poor thing! Dr. Emilia tries to trick them into following them back to their headquarters but Wolf is highly suspicious of them. We also know that the scientists were actually looking for Kipo for 13 years! Okay, so they definitely know she’s Lio and Oak’s daughter. Also, they secretly plan to use Kipo as their weapon and dispose of her afterwards. Yikes! That’s evil! Anyways, despite still having reservations about them, Kipo and the others agree to follow them because they really need for Benson to get medical help.

7. Another flashback!; This time, we go back to the time when Song decided to stay back to answer the knock on her and Lio’s apartment door. As I’ve predicted, the same scientists were the ones behind the door. Song opens it and Dr. Emilia immediately calls her out for lying to them about being able to isolate the mutagen.

8. If I’m not wrong. there’s two sides here. The first side, which Song and Lio belong to are the ones who want humans and mutes to live in harmony with one another and that’s by genetically modifying humans to become half-mutes in order to survive on the surface world. And as for the other side, which the scientists belong to, they just want to take mutes down and turn them back into animals so that humans can go back to being the dominant race again.

9. Dr. Emilia tells Song that she’s going to find Kipo and take her away; Song tries to resist them but accidentally falls off the balcony. Luckily, she transforms into the Mega Monkey just in time. That was a cool scene I must say.

10. Back at the scientists’ HQ, Dr. Emilia is able to fix Benson’s dislocated shoulder. She then gives them a tour of their offices and we see more scientists busy working on plans to rescue the mind-controlled humans in Aurum and they have a tunnel that can take them there. We also get introduced to some of the things they’ve created to use against the mutes like a pheromone proof room and their Sonic Emitter, which emits sound waves that can only bother mutes.

11. However, the sonic waves unknowingly wakes up the two mute bats. Are these bats supposed to be good or bad? We discover later on that the mind-controlled human they managed to capture is actually Troy’s dad, Roberto! Finally! After 6 episodes, we get a mention of Troy again. I miss him. And so does Benson hehe. Lol, look at Dr. Emilia’s face in this picture.

12. Dr. Emilia now wants to train Kipo to control her powers and Benson wants to come along since she needs her anchor. Before leaving, he asks Wolf if she could make him look good in front of Troy’s dad. LOL! He still gotta impress his boo’s dad even during a time of crisis. Well, he still has a date set with Troy after all! I hope we get to see this date by the end of the season!

13. During the training, Kipo is finding it difficult to go back into her full jaguar form again. By the way, Dr. Emilia is INTENSE! Benson tries to talk to Kipo to figure out where her head’s at and Kipo tells him she’s afraid of hurting him or anyone again. Well, that’s a valid fear to have.

14. Meanwhile, Wolf is re-telling the story about how Benson and Troy had set up their date to Dave. Suddenly, Roberto wakes up and Wolf explains to him what happened, including letting him know that Troy is safe with the Timbercats, thanks to Benson. Roberts asks them who these people are to which they explain everything to the best of their ability lol.

15. I appreciate Dave for trying to talk Benson up to Roberto lol. I mean, that’s gonna be his future father-in-law. Zane and Greta discover that Roberto is awake and asks him to explain Scarlemagne’s plan during his future coronation; He reveals that Scarlemagne plans to gather all the humans in the arena to mind-control them. Benson, Kipo and Dr. Emilia joins them and Roberto tells Benson he’s impressed with the heroic things he didn’t do, thanks to Dave.

16. Suddenly, the mute bats barge into the building and fortunately, they’re not evil/mind-controlled but they are really obsessed in trying to find that “alien communicator” they so desperately want. They (Geli and Jibralta) start rummaging through the place and attacking whomever in standing in their way. Kipo tries to stop them with her two jaguar arms but it’s not enough.

17. Because Benson recognizes these two, he tries to lure them to him by telling them that the sonic emitter is the communicator. However, they think he is an alien whisperer and they grab hold of him and take him away. Aww, Dave is upset that Benson’s gone. Finally, Kipo is able to trigger her transformation into her full Jaguar form.

18. The crazy bats take him to their den and ask Benson to use the “communicator” to make contact with the aliens. Kipo, the full jaguar then jumps into the burrow and starts to chase the bats. Wow and she’s giving them a beating for sure lol. As Kipo is about to attack them some more, Benson manages to calm her down by showing the family photo to her again. Phew! I’m glad that she’s able to transform back again because you know how some shows will try to make it more dramatic by not allowing its characters to do something for some random reason.

19. But they still have to deal with Geli and Jibralta and it turns out, Kipo is able to transform back into a jaguar again without any problems, in order to scare them. Wow, I’m impressed; She’s getting good at this. Afterwards, Benson gets on top of Kipo and they head off.

20. They reunite with the others and Kipo impressively turns back into her human form once again. She’s happy that she’s able to now control her powers and she’s confident in taking down Scarlemagne without hurting the humans. However, Dr. Emilia wants Kipo to use her powers to specifically take down the Mega Monkey. But Kipo doesn’t say anything. Why can’t she tell them that the monkey is her mom? It’s not like Kipo was given the impression that the scientists already knew of her or her family.

21. Awkward moment alert! Roberto tells Benson that he should date Wolf because she’s been saying nice things about Benson to him. LOL! His plan backfired. Benson decides to tell the truth and Roberto immediately gets the hint and it seems like he would be happy for his son, Troy to be with Benson. Phew! For a minute there, I thought Roberto would be that homophobic parent we all hate tbh. But considering the fact that the show’s setting takes place very much in the distant future, I’d like to think that gay relationships would be much more normalized by then.

22. Kipo is facing a dilemma because she might have to fight her own mom, who is mind-controlled. Benson, yet again, comes up with a plan to get Kipo and Roberto to sneak out in the middle of the night and Roberto navigating through the tunnels to get Kipo to reach the place where her mom is being kept. She goes up to the surface to immediately find her mom who is asleep but it looks like she’s tied to a giant tree?

23. OMG look at that face; I just want to cry. Song wakes up and they share an emotional reunion. However, Kipo gets grabbed by a flamingo and is dropped onto an empty clearing in the forest.

24. She is then greeted by Scarlemagne and her mind-controlled father. So she has no other choice but to hold herself back from attacking. The episode then ends here.

25. That’s the end of my review of episode 7. Thank you guys so much for having read my review/reaction. I really appreciate your support. Please check out my review of episode 8 for when it will be out tomorrow. Till then, bye!

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spaceorphan18 · 5 years

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Finding Kurt Hummel: The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester

Masterpost

6x10: The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester

And here we are at the infamous Sue episode panned by fans everywhere. Is it really that bad? Well I did have it as my least favorite episode of the series, (though after careful inspection, that title truly goes to the hot mess that is I Kissed a Girl). However, believe it or not, I don’t think this is the /worst/ Glee ever put out. I do, though, think the context is what makes it so frustrating.

Child Star and Other Missed Opportunities

Here’s the thing - when you write out season 6 on paper, I think the structure of what the writers were going for makes a lot more sense. The main story that they were telling was getting the Glee club back in order, to be, in a way, an echo of what season 1 was. And for the most part, I do think that structure works. You have Rachel in the ‘Will’ spot as teacher, trying to get her life together while trying to inspire these young kids to be awesome, and like the end of the Front 13 - the ending there is Sectionals.

All the other plot lines are secondary, including Rachel’s triumphant return to New York, which is the b-story of the entire season. Kurt (and Blaine)’s reunion arc might be, eh, a distant 3rd? Maybe 4th after Will’s. But that’s what makes these final three episodes (before the final two that make up, essentially, the series finale) so jarring. We’ve been used to strong focus on Kurt and Blaine as secondary characters, and the kids have been the main focus since season 3. Shifting everything back so that Will and Sue are the main characters, with Rachel as a secondary lead feels... off.

The thing is -- I see what they were trying to do here. After wrapping up the Klaine (and Brittana) arc - the last arcs that the ‘kid’ characters get (besides Rachel) we essentially have three extra episodes left. One will be the competition episode. One was the episode about the New Newbies which I don’t think was a bad thing - even if I think introducing a new character five episodes before the end was a dumb move. But like the original kids, I think these new kids rightfully deserved an episode of their own. And thus leaves one episode where they needed to do, well, something.

And hence - we get Sue.

Yeah - It would have been nice if they had spent an episode exploring Kurt and Blaine’s now married life, or what the hell are Mercedes, Artie, Tina, Brittany, Santana, Mike, etc, etc, etc, etc, doing with their lives. But - in the minds of the glee writers... they already did that in various capacities over the previous episodes.

But even more than that - for reasons I’ll never fully understand, unless it’s about how much they love Jane Lynch, they decided to focus an episode on Sue. And while the episode isn’t the utter worst thing Glee ever did (honestly, go back and watch IKAG again...), trying to make emotional sense of a character you’ve reduced to a cartoon character, who breaks the fourth wall just... doesn’t work. And on top of that, they don’t resolve anything, nor is it that interesting to watch. Sue remains, well, Sue and nothing remotely happens.

So yeah, this ‘filler’ episode was a way to stall time before the obligatory ending Sectionals episode - and they filled it up with a lot of what no one wanted, especially the precious few who were still watching. And thus, we have the most frustrating and least satisfying episode of the entire series. Thankfully, Kurt is barely in it.

Burn the House Down

So, we open with the New New New Directions in typical Glee fashion, doing the hot single of the moment - idk even know the name of the song, though - Rather Be? Idk. Anyway, Kurt and Blaine come sombering in, cause, plot dictates they be there for exposition.

And we find out that Dalton has burned to the ground.

So.

Here’s the thing - there could have been an interesting story here for Blaine -- matching Rachel’s story about having to grow up and move on. I mean, it’s kind of subtly and subtextually there. It is (another) reason Blaine is forced to move on and grow up.

But. Do you know why they burned Dalton to the ground (other than doing it probably out of spite)? Not for some kind of deeper level of symbolism. Nope. They did it so New Directions can meet their quota of having 12 members. That stupid, fucking rule. I realize that it’s now become a joke (as mentioned earlier in the Hurt Locker episodes). But c’mon Glee. It’s like you’re not even trying now.

But also, like after most big Klaine events - do Kurt and Blaine get a moment to reflect on their newly marriage life? Nope. Other than talking about a piano exploding in the next episode, Kurt and Blaine won’t share dialogue again until the series finale. On top of that -- instead of getting to be happy newlyweds, they have Blaine upset because his surrogate home has burned down. Thanks writers. Thanks.

However - there are two things I do like about this little moment. A) the fact that Kurt is being a very comforting husband. B) the fact that they are wearing their proposal colors. Nice touch costume dept. You get the gold star.

In the next scene - we get the indoctrination of the Warblers into the New Directions. And Kurt just nods his head along in all the appropriate places. Not a whole lot to talk about -- other than now that we’ve got Will back in charge, Rachel and Kurt have faded into the background. Is Kurt even teaching anything any more? No, not really - despite all the ‘conversations’ Kurt, Rachel, Will, and Blaine have off screen.

Anyway - you know another reason Dalton was burned to ground? To service the Sue plot. Yup. God. Luckily, though, I don’t really have to go into it.

The Way Too Long Geraldo Segment

So, long story short, Sue’s hurt locker was found out and then she’s exposed on Geraldo, which does go on way, way to long. Look, there are some funny moments and callbacks, like the finding of Sue’s Penthouse magazine and the quick return of Joe. But it just becomes stale as it continues after the commercial break. Also, though, Sue’s not going to actually face ramifications. I mean, she should really be in jail just on the hurt locker alone. But this is Glee, where Will, Sue, and Rachel never have to really deal with the actions they make.

So - Kurt’s bit is about the elevator. Which is... fine. It kind of feels hollow since they’re going to thank her in the finale, and she just sent them on a week long honeymoon. But yeah - don’t kidnap people, guys. Bad. The best part of this is the look on Blaine’s face.

Unity

This scene was almost impossible to get a good still. Oh well. Anyway, a good twenty minutes of the episode later...

So, I should mention in the previous scene, the gang is all trying to help Rachel through her issues and trying to get her back to New York (or whatever). It’s a little weird that Kurt is not here since he’s spent so much of his screen time playing emotional prop to Rachel Berry. but I guess I’m not complaining even if I think it’s weird? But we do get Sam calling NYADA a scam school, and info that Blaine was kicked out by Carmen herself - to which I say, why does anyone care about this school?? Whatever. It is a funny little scene though.

Anyway, back to this scene -- where the Warblers and the New Directions are arguing over costumes. And the only real thing I get out of it (Kurt-wise) is that Kurt really hated wearing that uniform when he went there, lol. (He did, though, it’s in season 2.)

And I know there was some grumbling of this scene - why is Kurt taking New Directions’s side? Why is he not supporting Blaine and the Warblers - to which I say... the writers didn’t give a shit about that. Seriously. This scene is a) about comedy and b) presenting this argument that will be compromised in about ten minutes anyway. It’s not at all any kind of reflection on Kurt or Blaine or their relationship. And actually, I’m of half mind that the writers completely forgot that Kurt even went to Dalton himself.

In the large scheme of Kurt related things - this scene barely registers, tbh. **shrugs**

Hey, but costumes wins again - Kurt and Blaine are wearing each other’s colors!

Final Countdown

So, Sue and Will duke it out through music - like it’s always done, and we get confirmation -- all those fantasy performances? Were just that -- fantasies. I kinda do like when the kids come in and are like - wtf??!? Kurt tells Rachel that he hopes that the’ll never become that. Oh y’all won’t, promise ;) Anyway - I love that the show comments that Will and Sue have lost it - like we haven’t known that since the end of season 1.

So, uh, the next day? Will apologizes for being an idiot. Okay, fine. And then Rachel says that now -- if the glee club doesn’t win, all fine arts will be cut. Because that makes a load of sense, c’mon writers, c’mon....

Anyway - the one redeeming thing for this otherwise ridiculous little scene, is that Kurt’s a ball of optimism -- he inwardly reflects on all the crap that’s happened in his life and he turns it around saying that they’ll never give up on anything (to which Blaine looks at him adoringly). And, I mean, it’s a subtle thing -- but I kinda love this. Because here’s a kid who has been through hell and back and a lot of shitty things (even recently) and you know what? He’s fine. He’s in a good place, he’s happy, he’s loved, he’s got a great support system, and a good attitude about life. And, he’s got a great motto to go along with it -- It’s Got Bette Midler. (lol)

But I mean, let’s take a second and think about the fact that Kurt started his journey being that kid who gets thrown in dumpsters for being weird and gay and now, you know what? He’s fine. He’s really, really, really fine. :)

Rise

So - here at the end, we see Blaine solving the absolute crisis of the episode and somehow he’s managed to make, like, twenty unity blazers overnight, combining the Dalton tradition with the McKinley colors. And did it without Kurt knowing what he was up to because Kurt was totally surprised. But it’s in a good way, Kurt’s incredibly proud that Blaine managed to solve this epic dilemma. (I joke, but really, it’s sweet that Kurt’s, again, proud of his new husband).

Meanwhile, we get the song Rise, written by Darren Criss -- and I’m kind of impressed with this song -- it manages to reference birds, Dalton burning down, the kids rising to the top, and the fall of Sue Sylvester all in one go. Color me impressed, too. (Btw, this is such a Darren-esque song, I can hear this in his voice even if I’ve never heard him actually sing it.)

I’ll leave you with the some lyrics, which I’m sure you can work out their meaning on your own ;)

Have you ever felt like you woke up (On the wrong side of your heart) Has it ever felt like it's broken (Like the world tore it apart) Have you felt so weak, You could hardly stand Like if you ever fell You could never tell If you'd ever get back up again I know it's hard to do, But I think you can make it, Cause I know we can take it Baby we will... Rise We are young we are the dreamers we will fly When the world will not believe us, We will rise above the ashes Before this whole life passes us by You and I, we will rise

#finding kh #kurt hummel

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biamondpickaxe · 6 years

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All Hail The Outlaws

Genre: More angst than I intended

Words: 1.8k

Summary: Dan doesn’t understand why some people are so damn homophobic

A/N All of this has basically happened to me so at this point I’m just turning my traumatic coming out experience into a phanfic I’m so sorry.

Contains: Sexuality crisis, swearing, discussions of sex, homophobia, homophobic slurs, anti-vaccination beliefs

Dan didn’t realize what he was saying until the words came out of his mouth.

“I don’t see what the big deal about being gay is.”

His friend, Zakary, paused the game of Halo and looked at Dan with an expression he couldn’t quite read.

“You got something you need to tell me, Howell?” Zakary joked, snickering.

“I’m just saying. Think about it, Zak. Technically, what’s the big difference between fucking a dude and fucking a girl?” Dan made sure to keep his voice down, knowing that Zak’s mom was making dinner downstairs.

“Dudes are fucking gross, man. Girls are hot,” Zak said simply.

“Okay, yeah, but it would feel the same, right? Fucking them, I mean,” Dan continued.

“I’m pretty sure sticking it up a dude’s ass would be different than a girl’s pussy,” Zakary snorted.

“Okay, well then what about blowjobs? Same thing, right?” Dan asked. He didn’t exactly know why he kept pushing the subject, but he figured he should learn to be able to prove his point if his parents wanted him to be a lawyer.

“Do you just let anyone suck you off, Howell? Even if they’re not attractive? Guess that makes sense, though, all fags are sluts. That’s why they all have AIDS,” Zakary said before unpausing the video game and carrying on as if nothing had happened.

“I’m not... I’m not gay,” was all Dan said. He quickly got back into the game as well, not wanting Zak to know how badly his words actually hurt.

Dan swallowed the lump in his throat and fought back the tears that were pressing hard against his eyelids. It was fine.

That night Dan couldn’t sleep. He thought that everyone was attracted to both sexes. Maybe not romantically, but sexually, at least. It just made sense to Dan. It would feel good either way, what was the big fuss about?

Apparently, not everyone felt the way Dan did.

He sighed, turning himself onto his side and curling up into a ball. What did this mean for him?

He wasn’t gay. He knew that much. He couldn’t be gay because he liked girls. But the thought of being with a guy, kissing a guy, holding hands with a guy was just as appealing as doing all of those things with a girl.

After two weeks of fighting with himself and a lot of research, Dan decided that the term bisexual fit him the best.

Now it was just time to tell his parents.

When his parents both got home from work, he approached them in their bedroom where they were watching TV.

“Hey, guys. I need to talk to you,” Dan said, starting out simply. This was good. A good place to start.

His mom turned off the TV, a silent go-ahead for Dan to start talking.

“Well, I’ve been thinking about relationships and things. Love and stuff...” the 16-year-old paused and looked up at his parents with scared, wide brown eyes. They mostly looked confused, so he figured he should get to the point.

Dan swallowed and sighed before speaking again. “Dating a girl... and kissing a girl... that sounds good to me. It feels right. Appealing, I guess.”

Dan chewed on the inside of his cheek before continuing. “But, the thing is... I can also see myself doing all that with a boy. It feels equally as right and appealing. So, I’m not gay, ‘cause I still like girls, but I’m bisexual.”

When Dan said the words, he expected to feel a great weight lifted from him. But he didn’t. He could just feel his heart beating in his chest and adrenaline coursing through his veins as he scanned his parent’s faces.

The anticipation was eating at his insides, rotting them away with acid and Dan wondered if he was going to throw up or pass out or die when his mom finally spoke up.

“Alright. Why don’t you, uh, go to your room and let your father and I talk about this?”

Dan just nodded - he didn’t know what else he could do - and scurried out of the room and into his own. He sighed and flopped down on his bed, the butterflies in his stomach not ceasing their fluttering.

That was easy. Too easy. He could almost feel a static in the air, like the calm before the storm. It made the hair on his arms stand up and he had the urge to flee but he knew he had nowhere to go.

So, he stayed on his bed with his eyes closed as he tried to steady his breathing.

Ten minutes later, Dan’s eyes shot open when he heard yelling coming from his parent’s room.

“No! This is a phase and you know it!” Dan’s dad screamed.

Dan rolled his eyes. This was the kind of thing he read about online when he had researched other people’s coming out stories, but he never actually expected to hear the words from his dad.

Dan sighed. He thought his parents would be okay with this, but he was wrong.

“He’s doing it for attention, why can’t you see that!?” Again, his father’s voice sounded throughout the house. At that moment, Dan was glad his brother was at a friend’s house so he didn’t have to hear all the yelling.

The pit in Dan’s stomach grew as the arguing continued. He was numb. He could hear each and every word that was being screamed and he just let it wash over him, but he knew it would sink in sooner or later.

Dan only let himself go when he heard his parent’s bedroom door slam, and then the front door being slammed. He curled in on himself and cried himself to sleep.

Over the next two years, Dan kept exploring his sexuality. He identified as gay, straight, definitely-not-straight-but-I-don’t-need-a-label before finally landing back on bisexual. It was still the only one that felt truly right to him.

Even though the first time Dan came out was less than perfect, the moment Dan felt like trying out a new label he went to his parents and told them. He always had a close relationship with his parents, and he could talk to them about anything.

Dan didn’t want the topic of his sexual orientation to be taboo just because their initial reaction wasn’t great. Dan wanted to normalize the discussion of LGBT topics because, in reality, it wasn’t anything abnormal.

So, Dan found out that each time he came out to his parents it was easier and they reacted better each time.

It took two years, but eventually, his parents and brother were excited to go to pride with him. Of course, they were still learning and growing, but they were always improving.

Dan was grateful for this. He voiced that one night while on Skype with his new best friend (slash kind-of-boyfriend), Phil.

“I’m grateful for them being willing to change,” Dan said.

“That’s good!” Phil said, smiling at Dan through the shitty webcam.

“It’s just... well, nevermind,” Dan decided. He averted his eyes from the screen of his laptop.

“What is it? You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, but I’m here for you, no matter what. You know that. I’m not here to judge,” Phil replied soothingly.

Dan exhaled through his nose. He was grateful for Phil, too. They had only been friends for a few months but it felt like they had known each other for a lifetime.

“Well, as great as my parents are sometimes, with my mom it’s like... I never really know what she thinks of my sexuality. It’s just... it can feel like her acceptance is just a facade,” Dan confessed.

“Why do you say that?” Phil asked.

“About a year after I came out - for the first time - things were going well. Until one day she told me that she thought that people were only gay because the government created vaccines to make them that way. To control the population or something,” Dan explained.

Phil gasped. “Oh my god, Dan.”

“I mean, I’ve always known she was anti-vaccine. I don’t agree with her but those are her beliefs. I just never knew that she thought vaccines had anything to do with LGBT,” Dan said.

“That’s... terrible,” Phil said. It was clear he was still processing everything Dan had just said.

Dan had never told anyone this before, so as soon as he let it out, he couldn’t stop. It was like a portal had been opened and all of these emotions he’d been burying for years with no one to talk to were finally coming out.

“It doesn’t even make sense. Like, I’ve never even been vaccinated up until this year. She wouldn’t let me until I was 18. And even then, there are ways to have biological children so the concept in and of itself is completely illogical,” Dan ranted.

“I know. What she said... it’s not true. I’m so sorry you had to go through all that, Dan,” Phil said.

“‘S fine. But, like, what do you even say to that? Oh, son, I think that a large part of who you are was fabricated in a lab and then injected into you. So I just said ‘oh’ and then went to my room,” Dan paused to take a deep breath. “She says that she doesn’t still think that, but... I don’t know. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to trust anything she says again. For an entire year, she let me believe that she was all accepting when really she was thinking this the whole time. She still reads all these anti-vaccine books and... I guess it just hurts.”

“I’m sure it does, baby. Nobody should have to go through all that. Especially someone as amazing and kind and cute as you are,” Phil tried his best to be comforting, but there was really nothing he could do that would heal these deep scars except for simply being there for Dan. He knew it was all he could do, but it still didn’t feel like enough.

“And then, a few weeks ago, she basically implied that gay men deserve to be called faggots. Like, what the fuck? Who says that? Who buys their son rainbow flags and goes with him to pride and then says that? Of all things, why did it have to be that?” Dan felt his throat closing up as he talked. He forced the tears away, though, determined not to cry in front of Phil. He was good at that - not crying.

“Bear, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” Phil said, deeply saddened.

“It’s okay,” Dan sniffed, “just a few more weeks ‘til I get to come visit you, right?”

“That’s right, angel. Just a few more weeks.”

I don’t want to get into an argument with anyone about vaccines. This is just me basically venting about something that happened to me.

Idk if pride and vaccines and all that work the same way in the UK as the US but it’s a fic so just go with it please.

I take prompts/requests! <3

Title from X Ambassadors - Masterlist & AO3

#mine #my work #fanfic #phanfic #fanfiction #phanfiction #phan #angst #sexuality crisis #tw homophobia #tw homophobic slurs #coming out #phan angst

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ravennest1342-blog · 6 years

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BTS Fanfic Recommendations

Ok, so I don’t know if it’s considered weird to hype up other people when you write fan fiction and basically turn the attention away from yourself but IDK because I’ve been dying to share all my favorite fanfics with you guys! I hope you enjoy this, most (if not all) of these will be on AO3! A few will be from here, here being Tumblr. I’m such a dork, omg don’t look at me! But read! Read these beauties and leave me be!!!!! 😂Also, I’ll be putting warnings beside the ones that have smut/BDSM/or anything else that’s weird. A lot of these will have smut because for a long time I was really insecure about writing smut so I tended to read books that advertised it in order to know what the hell I was actually writing.

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The Songbird and the Sea

Author — MissterMaia (follow her on Twitter she’s actually hilarious and I love her)

Pairing — Yoonmin, with side Namjin and Taekook.

Rating— Mature (there’s smut in this so tread carefully)

Description — In a world where dominance of the sea is an endless battle between pirates and mariners, Park Jimin is content living in his little village on a small, uninteresting island by the eastern mainland. He wants nothing to do with the bloodshed of good and evil, the heartless killing of both innocents and condemned, the constant establishment and disruption of order. What he wants is peace, to live his life in the same town he was born in, to spend his days in the beautiful forest, and to use the powers of his Blessed Rune to nurture the home he loves so dearly. But when his island is attacked by pirates, Jimin will have no other choice than to do as they command and leave all thoughts of peace behind in favor of boarding the Agust, a pirate ship captained by the infamous Min Yoongi, Black Fox of the East.

My thoughts — omg, where do I begin? God this book was so beautiful. The character development! The plot! The ROMANCE! AH! It was such a perfect work of art! I never felt bored like at all and normally I get bored pretty easy on long chaptered books like this! She’s also getting the book published! (With different character names obviously and it’s like super edited.) I don’t know what else to say other than GO READ THIS!!! SHE IS THE QUEEN OF YOONMIN!! YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!

Hidden Omega

Author — LadyPrussia

Pairing — Namjoon Centric

Rating — Explicit (there’s smut in this so tread carefully)

Description — At 21 Namjoon still hasn't presented leaving him as a dud, with the BTS pack having their own issues and not treating him like a real member a tragic event forces Namjoon's body to present as an omega. Is it really too late for BTS to win Namjoon's heart? Or will one of the 4 other packs steal it instead? Or maybe a darkhorse will appear.

My Thoughts — this book is great! Not only is it super long (over eighty chapters) and still being updated, but the character development is super refreshing. Forewarning though, the author has said that there is a good chance Namjoon won’t end up in the Bangtan Pack but a different one, and originally that made me upset, but with the way she painted the story I actually don’t care what Pack he ends up with; their all beautiful and it’s an amazing book! Lots of drama and angst for you angst lovers out there!

No Spell can Cure Shyness

Author — MissterMaia (seriously — I love her)

Pairing — Yoonmin, mentioned Namjin, Side Taekook

Rating — teens and up

Description — Yoongi really doesn’t expect the witchboy who sent him an accidental text to be the prettiest boy he's ever seen in all his life. Or the nicest. Or the kindest. Or just the best in every possible way. Painfully shy and (un)smooth as he is, Yoongi decides the best way to approach this Jimin person is in the form of a cat. A cat who can't talk. Great plan, Yoongi.

My Thoughts — The FLUFF!!! I can’t even begin to describe how much I love this book! All of this woman’s works are masterpieces that need to be appreciated! Yoongi is so shy it’s hilarious and he has the most extra reactions to like everything — and and I LOVE!!! YOU need to read it! Stop whatever your doing and go read it!

Saltation

Author — momora

Pairing — Yoonmin, side Taekook, and Namjin

Rating — explicit (there’s smut in this so tread carefully)

Description — Jimin had grown up watching his mother sort the point-oh-one percent beta defaults into the alpha-omega communities, but that doesn't make being a part of the statistic much easier. He'd be doing okay at this new omega thing if that watchful alpha Min Yoongi could stay out of the situation. He just wants to settle into his new life and finish his useless degree already. Instead, all hell breaks loose.

My Thoughts — This book is the one of the best a/b/o fics I have ever read in my entire life! Alpha’s and Omega’s live separate from Beta’s due to different instincts and Jimin was born in the beta community but presented as an omega. And it’s really funny because He keeps slipping up and doing/saying things that leave everyone else kind of like (0.0) The writing is fantastic! The characters are absolutely riveting as is the plot and the AUTHOR KEEPS TEADING ME ON TWITTER ABOUT HER NEXT UPDATE AND HOLY HELL IM BREAKING DOWN OVER HERE!!!

Jammed

Author — minverse

Pairing — Vmin, side Yoonseok, maybe Namjin?

Rating — explicit (there’s smut in this so tread carefully)

Description —The rational part of Jimin's brain screams at him to remember what his mother said about strangers and vans. But the rational part of his brain is no match for really bad whiskey and Kim Taehyung. ((au where Jimin gets stuck on the interstate in the middle of a blizzard and Taehyung lives in a van))

My Thoughts — this book! *wheezes from laughter* is so funny! Jimin is trying to make it to Yoongi and Hoseok’s wedding (which he is kind of dreading because Hoseok is trying to set him up with his own best man) and he gets stuck in a blizzard and boom there’s Taehyung! A renowned author that decided to live in his van and travel the world while writing his new book. This book was so funny you guys! I was dying, there was a smut scene and it was pretty great. The whole book was phenomenal and I loved it so much. Because I have literally no self control I’m gonna add a sneak peak.

NU ABO: A Memoir by Park Jimin

Author — decompositionbooks

Pairing — Jikook

Rating — explicit (there’s smut in this so tread carefully.)

Description — The world didn't think it was necessary to give him a guide when it shoved all of these omega hormones at him, so here it is, Park Jimin's handbook on dealing with heats, unrequited love, and Jeon Jungkook.

My Thoughts — this book was so good! Omega’s are really rare and Jimin is so against the stereotypes put on omega’s and he is CONVINCED that Jungkook thinks of him as a tiny child that needs protection and he’s such a little ball of rage and god it’s so funny and he’s so sarcastic and furious that he’s being forced into this cutesy image (that he refuses to admit he likes) and it’s so cute and hilarious.

In Your Eyes

Author — TrappingLighteningBugs

Pairing — Jikook

Rating — Explicit (there’s smut and light dim/sub in this so tread carefully)

Description — On nights where everything seems against him, Jimin wishes he could take Jungkook down a few pegs.

My Thoughts — I originally read this because I was trying to expand my view on what a dom!Jimin would look like for my Bunny Breath book but I actually really liked this a lot. The characterization was good, it wasn’t like most smut oneshots where the characters go at with like literally no push and seems to be mildly dubious consent. This was well thought out and I enjoyed reading it.

A Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing

Author — blimpish

Pairing — Junghope

Rating — Explicit (there’s smut so tread carefully)

Description — When Jeongguk decides it's time to live out his fantasy of being knotted, he determines that Hoseok is the best (read: least awful) candidate for the job.

My Thoughts — I read this book because I’m a hoe for Junghope. But it’s really good! I remember feeling mildly dubious about it until I got to this really funny scene when Jungkook (a beta) asks Jimin (an omega)if he knows any alpha’s that wouldn’t be weirded out bu having sex with a beta and Jimin’s just like “I know three but your not gonna like it.” And after that it’s a hilarious conversation of them deciding which of their friends would be the least cringe worthy for Jungkook to sleep with. Jimin admits that Hoseok is great and it goes from there. BUT THERE IS A PLOT LINE!!! ITS NOT JUST SMUT!!

Unfamiliars

Author— themarmalade

Pairing — Yoonseok (my library is mostly Yoonseok.)

Rating — Mature (I can’t remember if there’s smut and it’s a long book so I don’t want to go read through all of it. Fuck I totally will but that’s beside the point. Read the tags when you click on the link.)

Description — Hoseok rescues a kitty in a summer storm. Thanks to some weird magic, Yoongi is that kitty. In a tiny apartment full of plants and moonlight, a simple, aching happiness blooms. But with what Jungkook knows, how long can the happiness last?

My Thoughts — this is so cute! Yoongi is just minding his own business when he accidentally steps into a warlocks spell pentagram and gets turned into a cat by Jin, he positively freaks the fuck out runs away, gets picked up by Hobi and things go from there. It’s so cute and soft and ima go read it BYE!!!!

Bad at Love

Author — shooky__bear

Pairing — Yoonseok with side Namjin.

Rating — Explicit (there is smut and definite don/sub so tread carefully.)

Description —Yoongi was pretty sure he was straight. Pretty sure (And not remotely interested in love or Jung Hoseok.) Alternatively ; that fic where yoon thinks he's straight and he's a bit of a slut and keeps fucking girls tho he likes hoseok and seoks a Patient Loving Gay who waits and Supports yoon through his Gay Crisis.

My Thoughts — this book is full of so much emotion and general truth. I love it so much, I cried several times when reading and admittedly geared up at the end. Hoseok was so sweet and patient and he had to literally teach Yoongi that it was ok to trust him and crap now I’m crying.

Take Me to the Edge

Author — Nasobem

Pairing — Yoonseok

Rating — Explicit (there is smut and Don/sub undertones so tread carefully)

Description —Yoongi takes a pointed step backwards and glares at "Hobi". "What the fuck kind of name is that," he says, "and don't touch me." Namjoon makes a funny noise. Yoongi ignores it for the sake of eviscerating "Hobi" with his stare. It seems to be weirdly ineffective. Or Yoongi is hired to work Tech Support and Security for Jung Corp and it'd honestly be pretty chill if it wasn't for this one obnoxiously handsome dude whose life mission it seems to be to bother Yoongi until he breaks.

My Thoughts— I love this book. Yoongi is such an angry little bean and Hoseok literally just wants to make him happy — the Maknae Line are little shits but what’s new there? This whole book is amazing. I wish I could find a good Vmin/Vhope/Minjoon/Sugakookie book like this. *cries*

Our Burned Bridges

Author — tendershipping (nothing about her ships are tender! *sobs*)

Pairing — Vminkook (she’s the Vmin queen)

Rating — Mature (no smut but brutal themes so tread carefully)

Description —Agent Jeon Jeongguk is given a cover story and assigned to guard amnesiac Kim Taehyung. (Taehyung has nightmares most nights after he wakes, at first. He screams and cries names Jeongguk doesn’t recognize, always one in particular—Jimin.)

My Thoughts— I’m, I’m so EMOTIONAL!!! I read it and was a literal mess halfway through and IT JUST GOT MORE DARK and *chokes* Vmin we’re MARRIED and enter Jimin who seems so bitter and mean and sarcastic but he’s really just broken and angry about things and — go read this. It has a happy ending to so win win.

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I have been so active tonight shit. Idk why. You know what. I’ma wait till tomorrow to upload this.

Is it tomorrow? It’s tomorrow. Have fun with this wonderful list of my FAVORITE FANFICS (only the Songbird and The Sea is my favorite lol)

#bts fanfic rec #bts yoonseok #bts yoonmin #bts jikook #fanfic recommendation #the songbird and the sea

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bastard-man · 6 years

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s13:

hi okay i kept talking in the tags on my last post so here is more about s13 predictions ig

like i said we all know den literally can't function without mac it's been proven several times in the show

CLEARLY in mac & dennis break up

& my thought is how this will affect s13

so like,,,they're lying if they're gonna try & pretend like dennis can actually cope w/o mac if anything i think he needs him more than ever rn. even if dennis miraculously developed quickly & amazingly enough 2 be a dad that doesn't change how much he depends on mac. boy couldn't live without him in s5, and he was still like, okay then? obviously none of these characters r okay but i've seen only a few ppl mention dennis in the latest seasons. consequently mac seems happier this past season especially now that he's out which is great (i mean then u have DDL & then that kinda shattered but let's not mention that rn) but like we know dennis has been like,,,ragin' a lot more & he was diagnosed in s10 & we haven't really seen him happy in awhile like compared 2 earlier seasons when he seemed more calm & happy. what he thinks he needs is to leave his old life behind but what he actually needs, probably, is the gang rn more than ever but ofc he's not gonna admit that! so he run!

there's a number of reasons why i can't see them letting den be gone for any length of time but the main one being that it just doesn't make sense? like frank said u can't just go be a dad & he was right, & even if i think dennis could be capable of that it's obvious he's getting Worse & to be away from his friends, his family rn is not gonna help that, especially when we know he would be miserable in ND which is literally essentially what he says in 10.01 when he gets off the plane. i'm not a dumbass who thinks he's a sociopath & i know he has big feelings but i still don't see this being a situation where a child is magically the thing 2 crack dennis & fix all his problems

so like, there's my argument based on just the POV of the setting. now let's go back 2 den himself. like i said it definitely seems like he's getting worse, & him admitting that he has feelings was a huge, pivotal thing for him especially to admit that to the entire gang. from there they could use that to finally get den's character to open up a lil more & not try to suppress everything which i think is essentially why he seems worse? he wants to be one way & not feel & it's affecting him as it has over the years. we also know from mac, that he's been distant w him. whether u ship them or not they have a connection that's different from all the rest. so mac senses that den is acting different& like pushing him away, & we know it's not bc he's gay cuz den always knew that. this is where theories come into play, cuz it could have to do w den's feelings & trying to push the gang away so that he can pretend everything is okay which i think is a reasonable guess, or if u wanna add another layer to that there's also been the mention of him being uncomfortable with mac being out because now he's scared of mac's feelings & his own feelings.

it could be bc of the thing b/w them, or just the different connection that they have, but mac is the only one who says anything about dennis being distant. so is he only being distant w mac, or do the others just not notice bc they're not mac? either way mac is the one who notices & he's gonna be the first one to notice things going on w dennis. den has been like on a downward spiral almost & i think the RPG & brian jr just brought that to a head, & he runs, supposedly 2 deal w the latter. (i'm sorry i'm referring 2 a fuckin baby like it's a war crime but i don't evenl like them anyway so it's fine)

like depending on how u wanna interpret it, RPG=dennis realizing how he feels about mac, or how mac feels about him, or just the fact that he was all upset about vday only 2 find out mac got him what he wanted more than anythin & it didn't even matter 2 him that there wasn't a rocket bc it was the gesture so i mean interpret that how u will but FEELINGS

& then brian jr=who he apparently knew about but only becomes a problem bc mandy all of a sudden decides 2 show up & also thinks he's someone else so i really still don't understand some of the logic behind this event but anyhow. he's like noticeably v on edge this ep bc he literally had no idea how 2 get out of it & then all of a sudden he's like wait no i don't want to, but that's not the only thing? pretending to be in a relationship w mac & mac telling him he wanted 2 fake it & raise the kid w him was obviously also adding onto that & still his response was "im not gonna PRETEND to be in a relationship w u for the entirety of my child's life" so again interpret that how u will but...obviously we know he decides 2 go raise brian jr

but he's not gonna be able to do that. not bc he's not capable. i'd like 2 point out he left everyone & everything behind including his RPG & his beloved range rover, so i mean he prob left everything at his apartment too. (i have some theories bout this but it is not the time for those) like his car. is still in philly. his decision is made essentially on a whim after a moment w his kid & like an existential crisis while his friends danced around him bc up until that point he just didn't wanna deal w it

so it could've been like a few hours b/w those scenes but it's still a pretty impulsive decision considering it's a child, a new state you don't even like, a lovely woman ur not interested in, and leaving your friends, family, job, and entire life back in philly. maybe he also thinks it'll help him w his feelings. but he's been repressing shit for at least 12 years that we've seen (we know it's been longer like prob his whole life) & noticeably been getting worse, gives a sudden revelation to his friends about his feelings, & then leaves. that's not...okay. like we know they all have trauma & ridiculously unhealthy coping mechanisms but even if u take everything else away he's not gonna be happy having suppressed all his emotions and problems & then leaving having barely dealt with them w the others at all.

especially mac, who's a huge part of this which u can't deny even if u don't ship them. now i do so like my comments are gonna sway a bit more but i think it'll still work even if u don't agree w me on that aspect. personally i think there could be some sort of parallel there about how mac has gotten happier, while dennis has been more unhappy? like mac comes out & u could even argue dennis being jealous & acting that way bc he wants 2 come out & he's been suppressing that for so long but he's still not at a place rn to do it. or even the fact that mac feels more open & free to be himself while dennis feels the complete opposite & if anything has felt like repressing things even more, while mac mentions being sensitive (12.08 hints he feels more free 2 be sensitive now that he's out & doesn't have 2 worry about being so masculine so that he won't be called gay) & dennis mentions his big feelings but he's still not rlly talking about anything bc i mean u don't really just reveal everything suddenly. so especially in that regard he definitely needs mac.

like not only bc of their connection but bc he depends so much on mac & now mac feels more open & honest & i really think den needs to be around him more, not pushing him away (which could also be why) bc he needs to see how much happier mac is & how he's changed & maybe it'll help him open up more, & if anything mac would probably be the best one for him to do that w anyway.

i'm also gonna mention my sort of views on some ways den could come back: now considering his car was still there i think it could even be possible that mac goes home to their apartment to find that dennis is still there, maybe just waiting or maybe packing, who knows. them blowing up the range rover & using the RPG without him only to find that he hadn't left yet, or at all is definitely something i could see happening (& i know this is a more serious post about den but come on i think we'd all laugh @ that) or the thing i definitely see happening is the gang talking in the bar, who knows how long it's been (maybe a day, maybe a few months) & all of a sudden dennis strolls in and says nothing, walks behind the bar & grabs a beer while the others just stop talking and stare. cue title card "dennis is back" (tbh this is one of the most realistic ones i think & i know glenn mentioned it might be funny if he just didn't come back at all but i think this is vastly more funny & in keeping w the show i mean come ON) or there's like the sad part. this again could depend on how u wanna view things. but if u look at it as dennis going on a downward spiral, only for him to kinda hit rock bottom w the RPG & brian jr. (which isn't even a theory that's literally what happened) then we know this isn't good. it's not a typical situation where they leave on good terms, or they leave happy because we know he wasn't happy. we know he initially didn't want this & isn't ready & we know he hates north dakota, & we also know it's not like he's in love w mandy or anything no matter how nice she seemed, as the person he was closest to was: mac. so it's not like he's really leaving for a better lifestyle either necessarily, because he may have mentioned envisioning himself getting married & having a kid but we saw how it went when he married someone he didn't love, and how he again was unable to function without mac, and it's obviously not how anyone plans on those things happening, & if they did have him settle down w mandy which i do not see ever happening we know he'd literally be settling.

so for him to have been going through a rough patch, to hit an extremely low point & then walk away from his friends, is not going to end well. he hit that low point & is now leaving without dealing with any of his problems because his focus is on fixing one of them: the kid, but also how he was affected by frank because he doesn't want the kid to grow up in that same way. so he thinks that's the most important issue, because he also likes to pretend he doesn't have any other ones, & thinks this is the thing he needs to deal with and everything will be fine. but he didn't deal with anything else, he's only bringing those problems with him, to north dakota, to mandy, to the kid, to his "new life." so if anything he's only gonna be more miserable and he won't even have mac there w him, who he literally depends on to function & considering he's only getting worse being w/o mac is the last thing he needs even if he thinks, or wants to believe that that's exactly what will help. idk how they're gonna deal w him being gone, if he's gone for any length of time or anything, but my point is if he's stated to be gone for months or something like that i'm pretty sure he's gonna come back at the worst we've ever seen him because he was only without mac for hours before he realized he had no idea what to do & they were only, what, a few miles away? part of all this is that he's codependent but that is most heavily dealing with mac. s5 dennis was still doing pretty okay, considering. so him not functioning without mac was just pathetic. s12 dennis has been a mess & him being without mac at arguably his lowest point is kind of scary to think about.

#im sorry this is SO LONG #but...yeah basically #some of y'all thought den was dark #but if hes gone for any length of time...#like hes gonna be sad as shit #& this isnt me being like omg he cant function w/o mac!#cuz like.#he literally cant.#theyve said this.#it isnt a joke #its not me saying it bc theyre so in love #its like..a direct result of dennis' bpd #mac happens to be the one he really relies on #that would be where id say the love comes in but #yeah #i really hope they dont do that #because ive thought before 'oh he should be gone awhile'#like maybe he'll develop more w the kid & everything #or that it'd be interesting to see the gang respond to life without him #but then i think about this #i hope they bring him back like right away like i said #cuz otherwise the only logical response from den being gone for awhile is for him to be like...Bad #ive seen fics mentioning like self harm & suicide (TW) & i've thought well i dont see that happening or thats too dark...#but honestly when i've written this all out i'm thinking it's more likely than not #& im not a psychologist im not claiming to be but i do get his character a lot bc we're very similar in that aspect like how we deal w thing #basically den needs to come back & ASAP bc its not gonna be good for him if he doesnt #dennis reynolds #macdennis #dennis needs him like now more than ever

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tragicbooks · 7 years

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A day in the life after you've been kicked out for being gay.

Youth homelessness is an epidemic, especially for young LGBTQ people. Here are three of their stories.

<br>

Image by Michael Calcagno/Upworthy.

As darkness blanketed New York City, Skye Adrian sat alone outside his parents' apartment, devastated and left with very few options.

He had a feeling it could come to this, he tells me. His parents had warned him he better start looking for another place to stay, after all. Still, nothing quite prepares you for the moment your parents kick you out because you’re gay.

"I had nowhere to go," recalls the now 21-year-old of that spring night in 2015. An immigrant from Jamaica, Adrian had just moved to New York and had nowhere to turn. "I didn't know anybody. I'm not from here."

Queer youth homelessness remains at crisis levels in the United States. Research suggests up to 40% of all youth who are homeless identify as LGBTQ, with a disproportionate number of them being transgender and people of color. That’s an alarmingly high figure, considering just about 9% of all youth identify as LGBTQ.

Why are so many young LGBTQ people homeless? The heartbreaking reason, advocates say, is that many are rejected by parents who seem to think it's more acceptable for their children to sleep on the street than to be gay.

For kids like Adrian, once the sun goes down, safe options are few and far between.

You might be able to couch-surf at friends’ houses for a while — like Adrian ended up doing — but that’s no permanent solution. If you’re lucky, you might find a shelter that’s both safe and has an available bed. You might snag a spot on a subway train or a public place like the library, neither of which is ideal. There’s always a sidewalk, of course, a particularly dangerous terrain that leaves you vulnerable to anything from violence to freezing temperatures.

Or there’s the option of "survival sex." As the term suggests, it’s an exchange someone in desperate need makes in order to stay alive. It’s a tactic homeless LGBTQ teens and young people resort to more often than their straight, cisgender peers. For a time, Adrian — who eventually ran out of couches to crash on — began using a hook-up app on his phone to find guys looking for one-night stands and willing to let him stay overnight. The constant stress of finding new partners took a toll on him, though. He was exhausted in more ways than one.

"Of course, if you wanted to stay there, it had to be sex," he tells me. "I got tired of that."

Image by Michael Calcagno/Upworthy.

As the sun came up over Los Angeles, Ashlee Marie Preston knew it would bring another exhausting day simply trying to survive.

As a transgender woman of color living in L.A., Preston found herself relying on meth to keep up. Without a place to call her own, she didn’t see any other way to keep up with a dizzying way of life that required staying alert and engaged throughout the night, relying on survival sex and keeping up with a group of friends who often resorted to prostitution. It made sense that her sunrises and sunsets eventually began to blur together.

"Here we are, 7 o’clock, 8 o’clock in the morning — I’m nodding off and drinking coffee — then we’d go to the drop-in center to sleep in the chairs," she explains. It was never supposed to be like this, though.

Preston moved to L.A. from Kentucky in 2004. She wanted to live in a safer city, a place more accepting of people like her. But even on the liberal West Coast, Preston underestimated the barriers that would stand in her way.

Being black and trans, finding a job was tough, as it is for many people in her shoes. Even when she’d land one, keeping it proved to be just as difficult. Employers wouldn’t necessarily know she was trans when they hired her, she says. When they found out, things would take a turn — "they would find different reasons to get rid of me," she says.

Unable to find steady employment or a stable living arrangement, she eventually lost all the things she brought with her from Kentucky, including many friends who weren’t accepting of her transition. She was completely devastated.

That feeling of complete loss is what a lot of people don’t understand about homelessness, Preston reveals. It’s not just about losing a physical place, "it's mental, emotional, and spiritual displacement," too, she says. "I felt like I had nowhere to be in the world."

That’s when she would end up at the drop-in center, trying to get some shut-eye as the rest of the city began a regular morning.

She'd wake up in a chair, hopefully be able to take a shower, and do whatever she could before the space would close its doors on her again. Often, she couldn’t find a shelter that would accept her overnight — men's shelters cited safety liabilities, and women's shelters argued that the fact that she'd been assigned male at birth disqualified her from taking one of the beds. It’s a dilemma that's all too common for homeless trans people.

Regardless of the reason, the end result was always the same: Preston and her friends would be back out on the streets just trying to make it through another day. "We had to do it all over again," she says of the exhausting cycle. "It was like rinse and repeat."

Image by Michael Calcagno/Upworthy.

It’s a chaotic day in Manhattan when Giovanni Lamour picks up their phone.

Lamour, who is genderqueer and uses they/them pronouns, quickly apologizes to me for the background noise (an ambulance siren is blaring and kids are screaming nearby), but they’re happy to discuss their difficult past, even during a busy afternoon on-the-go while preparing for their future.

Their life might not seem like most other 24-year-olds’ at the moment — Lamour is living in an emergency housing facility in Queens when we chat — but they’re putting all the pieces together to get there.

Lamour, who grew up in Spanish Harlem, had just come from a clinic visit to make sure they’re staying on top of their health. HIV and hepatitis C testing is just one of many services provided by the Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit committed to helping homeless LGBTQ youth. Lamour has received counseling and college preparation help, benefited from the center’s housing programs, and worked on their job readiness skills (like résumé-writing), all courtesy of Ali Forney.

"I always want to learn something new and problem-solve," they explain. "Where there’s a will, there’s a way."

After Lamour's mother died when they were just 15 years old, they went to live with their father. Their relationship with their dad "really wasn’t the best," they say, admitting they’re in part to blame for a handful of rebellious teen years. But still, Lamour vividly remembers their father’s habit of locking them out of the apartment on summer nights. Feeling unwanted was painfully normal in Lamour's house.

In the decade or so since Lamour’s mother passed away, a series of strained and complicated relationships — with their dad, uncle, friends, and significant others — gradually fell apart. With nowhere else to go, Lamour became homeless. "It’s entirely depressing," Lamour says of their blood relatives, whose intolerance forced them to create a new family. “I’ve really, like, chosen my family — my friends around the city."

Image by Michael Calcagno/Upworthy.

As the sun slowly drops in the sky and families settle into their living rooms across the country, thousands of young, homeless LGBTQ people are left wondering.

They wonder if they’ll eat dinner. They wonder where they’ll rest their heads once the sun disappears. They wonder if the future has any room for them in it.

While many homeless LGBTQ youth struggle in a continuous loop of basic survival, some — like Adrian, Preston, and Lamour — get the help they need and are able to find their way out. "The struggle that you’re going through is real," Lamour wants those young people to know. "It’s real, it’s common, and there’s help there for you."

Today, Lamour is one of Ali Forney’s youth advocates, working to draw more attention to the crisis of LGBTQ youth homelessness. They helped the nonprofit prep for a queer youth summit, for instance, and are leading the charge on various new projects to further Ali Forney’s mission. They’re determined to get back into school someday to prepare for a future in public advocacy. They dream of studying abroad.

Last fall, Adrian, who is living in transitional housing, also began working with Ali Forney. He’s helped the center on various initiatives, like an HIV prevention campaign and the fight to get more shelter beds for young LGBTQ people.

"I want to be a beacon of hope for all LGBT youth," Adrian explains, noting he’s focusing more on helping other young, queer immigrants like himself who’ve experienced similar struggles. "Regardless of you being homeless, you can still do what you need to get done."

And Preston? One day, she decided she deserved better, and she hasn’t looked back since.

"I remember thinking, 'You know what? I don't know what the plan is — I don't know what God, the universe, whatever, has in store for me,'" she says. "But I know it's no mistake that I'm still here."

The day we talk, Preston is prepping for a meeting at Facebook’s headquarters in San Francisco. Now she’s a media advocate and diversity speaker, focused on elevating the conversations around youth homelessness.

Adrian, Preston, and Lamour aren’t just overcoming their own battles — they’re fighting to save more young lives along the way.

Each and every LGBTQ kid should know they’re loved, after all.

They deserve to wake up to a better tomorrow.

To learn more and help fight LGBTQ youth homelessness, support organizations on the front lines of the crisis, like the Ali Forney Center, the Happy Hippie Foundation, and My Friend's Place.

<br>

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socialviralnews · 7 years

Text

A day in the life after you've been kicked out for being gay.

Youth homelessness is an epidemic, especially for young LGBTQ people. Here are three of their stories.

<br>

Image by Michael Calcagno/Upworthy.

As darkness blanketed New York City, Skye Adrian sat alone outside his parents' apartment, devastated and left with very few options.

For kids like Adrian, once the sun goes down, safe options are few and far between.

"Of course, if you wanted to stay there, it had to be sex," he tells me. "I got tired of that."

Image by Michael Calcagno/Upworthy.

As the sun came up over Los Angeles, Ashlee Marie Preston knew it would bring another exhausting day simply trying to survive.

That’s when she would end up at the drop-in center, trying to get some shut-eye as the rest of the city began a regular morning.

Image by Michael Calcagno/Upworthy.

It’s a chaotic day in Manhattan when Giovanni Lamour picks up their phone.

"I always want to learn something new and problem-solve," they explain. "Where there’s a will, there’s a way."

Image by Michael Calcagno/Upworthy.

As the sun slowly drops in the sky and families settle into their living rooms across the country, thousands of young, homeless LGBTQ people are left wondering.

They wonder if they’ll eat dinner. They wonder where they’ll rest their heads once the sun disappears. They wonder if the future has any room for them in it.

And Preston? One day, she decided she deserved better, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Adrian, Preston, and Lamour aren’t just overcoming their own battles — they’re fighting to save more young lives along the way.

Each and every LGBTQ kid should know they’re loved, after all.

They deserve to wake up to a better tomorrow.

To learn more and help fight LGBTQ youth homelessness, support organizations on the front lines of the crisis, like the Ali Forney Center, the Happy Hippie Foundation, and My Friend's Place.

<br> from Upworthy http://ift.tt/2icaEUU via cheap web hosting

#Upworthy

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