Queer Love - Blog Posts
Ppl should stop putting so much pressure on gay ppl to "come out" and more pressure on straight ppl to stop assuming everyone's sexuality is fucking straight
The Embrace of Love and Death, Chapter 6: From Liability to Menace
Chapter Summary: Astarion and Miss Fortune are rudely awoken by sacks being thrown over their heads as they are spirited away for a final test of their combat skills. They must work together using a blend of stealth and brutality to free themselves before time runs out. Should they succeed, the companions will be able to resume their adventures. Fail, and Lae’zel threatens to gut them and take Miss Fortune’s role as leader.
Read the full chapter on AO3!
Excerpt:
The ropes binding Miss Fortune’s hands behind their back cut into their wrists as they squirmed to get free. They had no idea where they were. Several minutes ago they’d been awoken suddenly this morning to a sack being thrown over their head as Lae’zel pulled them roughly to their feet. Their reward for several days of hard training, she explained, was a final test. Pass, and she’d declare both them and Astarion as no longer being liabilities, and they could get back on the road looking for a cure. Fail, and she’d gut them both and lead Gale and Shadowheart onwards herself before their bodies even had a chance to grow cold.
“No, no, this is just a friendly assessment,” Gale had interjected. “The only negative consequences for failing will be extra training!”
Miss Fortune was led forward with a rough hand against the back of their head for some ways until the hand gripped harder, stopping them. Someone else pushed them down into a chair and bound their hands behind their back.
“Your armor and weapons are in the room with you,” Lae’zel began.
“Room…? Where have you taken-“
“LISTEN, istik! You will free yourself, arm yourself. Astarion is already in your same predicament somewhere else nearby. You must find one another and fight your way out before Gale’s illusion spell wears off. Understand?”
“I have so many questions, foremost being ‘What the fuck?’ But sure, I understand the general instructions,” Miss Fortune had groaned. Their companions must have grabbed them early because they were so exhausted they could barely process the situation. Their suspicions were confirmed when Lae’zel tugged the hood off of them and they saw that dawn was only just beginning to break. “This couldn’t have been a midday test?”
Lae’zel elected not to answer that last question, instead turning on her heel to leave and motioning for Gale to follow. They shimmered out of sight as they presumably left the range of whatever illusion spell Gale had woven.
This left Miss Fortune alone and bound, but knowing this was an illusion helped stave off any panic. They wondered if the companions had grabbed Astarion first and then come back for them or if they’d left poor Shadowheart to “capture” him on her own.
A smile tugged at their mouth as they imagined how absolutely livid the vampire must be right now. Interrupting his beauty trance? Messing up his hair with that awful sack? Risking a broken nail to wriggle free of the ropes? They could picture his scowl and the vitriol spewing from it so clearly in their mind. The image of threats of violence issuing forth from such a beautiful man was delicious, especially seeing as they would be directed at other people and not them. Focus, they scolded themselves. You can daydream later.
Miss Fortune never thought they’d be glad for their history as a courtesan in their new life, but as luck would have it they were well-versed in the art of rope play. A wicked smile spread across their face as they tested the bindings. Lae’zel would have to try harder than that to keep them tied up. After all, they’d had their entire body intricately trussed and bound more times than they could count - oftentimes while suspended from the ceiling - and they’d been taught to find their way out of any ties. They were free from Lae’zel’s shoddy knots in no time at all.
The half-elf made a mental note to teach her how to do a better job tying up prisoners after this. Or better yet, to make sure they always did it themselves.
Once they had dressed and armed themselves, the next step was to survey their surroundings. Gale’s sage advice from the last few days replayed in their head: deep breaths, take time to note your exits and your advantages, use all your senses. They were in a small stone room with slits for windows and one door. The only things inside were the chair, the chest their gear had been in, and themselves. Which was to say, not much to take in. Putting their ear against the door, they paused. At first, they heard nothing. But then came the sounds of footsteps drawing nearer - it sounded like two sets.
They waited and listened, breathing as quietly as possible, as the footsteps passed right by their door and then began to recede on the far side of it. Some kind of patrol then, it seemed. Once the sound had completely faded, they took a chance opening their door. Relief flooded their veins when they found it unlocked. That would save them time and reduce the chances of getting caught mid-lockpicking.
The door opened into a short hallway with two other doors to the left of theirs. Clinging to the wall they crept over to the middle door, once again cupping an ear against it to listen inside. No sounds of struggle inside, so they moved on. Miss Fortune felt thoroughly confused when they got to the last door because they could smell Astarion’s perfume - Rosemary, bergamot, and a touch of brandy, he’d recently revealed - before they even reached the door.
Lae’zel had mentioned that this was some sort of elaborate illusion Gale wove. Could the perfume smell be part of it, designed to trick them into opening the wrong door? No, they decided. They hadn’t ever noticed Astarion and Gale in close enough contact for the wizard to replicate the vampire’s scent this well. Putting an ear to the door revealed shuffling sounds, confirming their hunch that Astarion was behind door number three.
Hearing distant footsteps once more, they quickly ducked inside Astarion’s room and shut the door as quietly as possible. The sight that greeted them was one they hoped they could commit to memory. The vampire was on the last clasp of his padded armor, muttering what sounded like foul Elvish curses under his breath. His hair was a beautiful mess with curls going in every direction, but the best part was his facial expression. His eyebrows were downturned slashes over his fiery eyes, and his mouth was twisted into a livid grimace; the very paragon of anger. It took everything Miss Fortune had to stifle their laughter; this was even better than they had imagined.
Read from chapter 1: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64221298?view_full_work=true
Gentle touch….idk, couldn’t think of a better title lol! Part of a “class project“ that I am sort of almost done with!
Your first crush❤️ it’s a weird feeling
First time using csp’s lighting/glowing tools….I think I did an okay job. Also wanted wanted to draw something cute too
And down the Steven Universe rabbit whole we go again!!!
Got a Peridot and Labradorite gem OC, a Labradorite guard falls for one of the Peridot scientists while on guard duty.
And yes I do have a fusion idea but it's not set in stone so I won't show it just yet
i love being a boy in love.
i love my partner and how our minds are so alike and how we fit together so well like parts of a machine and how it loves my tummy and my body hair and it gets excited at my silly boy voice and thinks my teeth are beautiful
i have never felt so whole and secure and seen. i love being a boy in love.
imagine taking your long distance girlfriend on a hometown date where you get to show her your favorite places and where you used to hangout with your friends after school and going to dinner at your old favorite diner hnn
imagine just existing with a girl no not existing because i don’t want to just exist i want to live i want to be living i want to have a life and be happy and be with a girl because she is perfect and we can go on daily adventures with each other in a small town and we can go to bagel stores every sunday morning and pick up flowers for our tiny apartment before the train ride back home idk i just want this i want happy this is happy
OOOOKAAYY I never draw my characters being affectionate or intimate but because it’s pride month I’m gonna start drawing sum of my sillies being unapologetically queer RAHHH💪💪💪 [Skylars face is a lil messed up bc of a recent scene where he got his ass beat in a fight I ain’t posting that shit☠️/ref]
Hey friend, I hope I can ask a favour from you. I’m a black non-binary lesbian going through a tough phase as Both of my parents are openly homophobic and transphobic. I've organised a crowdfunding to solicit for support to evacuate my home, it's been help for me. Please consider to donate to my pinned link on my profile if you can Reblog and share my pin post to reach a large audience with support . Anything helps at the moment.🙏❤️
Yo yo fellow potatoes/gremlings/gremlins/earthlings/humans (idk anymore ya'll's be cool), let's gather to help a homie out! As said above, they need help, so yeah. They have a link, so imma put it here :): https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-black-nonbinary-escape-transphobia-household?qid=0558df410eb45b5a29218a7e283e4a8b
If you aren't able to help them, perhaps tell your friends or enemies, I dunno, but tell them, that this is a story about a person in need, and that they need a lift from you. A lift could be as simple as word of mouth, reblogging, texting, crossposting on various platforms, and if there's anything else use that creativity or some strategic way to help this epic human :)
I’m not very good at metaphors and symbolism and stuff so I need to know if this makes sense or is completely idiotic
In Loki episode 3 Loki says “Love is a dagger, It's a weapon to be wielded far away or up close. You can see yourself in it. It's beautiful until it makes you bleed. But ultimately, when you reach for it….”
Then in episode 5 they hug Mobuis:
And they’re dragger is being clearly shown.
So, dagger=love and during the hug the dagger is on display, so does hug=their in love?
Am I thinking into this too much?
Okay, let's get something straight (or rather, gay). This goes out to all kpop fans.
If I have to see one more comment or tweet talking about how weird/gross it is for fans to discuss an idol's sexuality, or come after other fans for suggesting an idol might be queer, or act all holier-than-thou and talk about how we shouldn't "assume people's sexuality, I am going to fucking scream.
And before you come at me with wild accusations, let me get this out of the way - in no way do I condone the hypersexualization or objectification of idols. Or anyone for that matter. But discussing someone's possible orientation or seeing something that points to queerness isn't inherently sexual or fetishizing and to equate those two things is disgustingly homophobic on levels I cannot even begin to unpack here. Sexualities of all kinds (gay, straight, bi, ace, pan etc) are all celebrations of humanity and while it is up to every individual how public or private they want to be with their identity, it is not wrong to playfully guess or acknowledge signs of queerness (especially when so often there are explicit signs of queercoding!)
I encounter people's internalized homophobia and heteronormativity everyday both online and in person but the level of cognitive dissonance people have about this subject sometimes in the kpop fandoms I'm in is ASTOUNDING. So here I am writing this post to deconstruct some of shit.
First of all, the "oh, we shouldn't assume their sexuality" bullshit. People assume sexuality all the time. Literally, so much of the kpop industry itself is built on performative heterosexuality. We see in this in how commonly idols are asked about their "ideal type" (usually clearly implying the opposite gender). In how the slightest interactions between idols of different genders leads to dating rumors. In how it's assumed, especially for boy groups, that the fandom is mostly women/girls. In how it's normal for fans to pretend they are in a relationship with their bias. Like, be so for fucking real, kpop fan culture is literally where the word DELULU comes from. So it's okay to assume sexuality with all of this, but it's not okay if someone teases or so much as suggests that an idol might not be straight? The only time assuming sexuality is cast as being wrong is when the sexuality in question is anything but heterosexuality. And coming from a queer person, if you have ever said this, disrespectfully, fuck you.
Because in the process of saying shit like that you are essentially insinuating, intentionally or unintentionally, that not being straight is bad or abnormal. Because why else would you treat the suggestion of someone's queerness as an insult? Why would the idea that an idol is not straight be offensive or demeaning?
Even worse, this bullshit, patronizing, hetero-morality complex shuts down any discourse queer kpop fans want to have about queercoding in the industry. And there is a LOT of that. Korea is conservative, coming out isn't the only way to affirm queerness. And not wanting, not being able to be out and proud does not negate someone's possible queerness, idol or not. So queercoding is often an important form of self expression for some idols and to deny that discourse is denying those very idols you claim to be protecting their right to express themselves, their personhood and humanity.
And the cherry on top of the fucking cake is that of all places to do this, KPOP? An entertainment business model that has literally been built on queerbaiting? As much as I enjoy kpop, as a queer fan, this is one of the less than savory aspects of industry I have to be aware of and contend with. And if you find yourself wondering how kpop queerbaits, think about the concept of "fan service" between members of an idol group. Fan service includes all instances of a group encouraged to perform "skinship" or flirt with each other to amuse the fans. Fan service is literally an euphemistic way of referring to queerbaiting and it is unbelievable how people don't even realize it. It's even more frustrating to see some fans having the audacity to brush things off as "fan service" when fans playfully (emphasis on playfully) engage in shipping. They don't even realize how problematic it is that such "fan service" is used for the viewing pleasure of straight fans and baits queer fans but simultaneously denies queer fans their space and voice and shuts down actual queerness in the industry. If you enjoy fan service (and nothing wrong with that by itself), but also demonize shippers or shut down queer fans discussing queercoding, you are part of the problem. Don't come up trying to say you wish the kpop industry would be a little less severe on idols dating or being queer, because you are part of the reason why the industry is the way it is.
To all my fellow queer fans, be absolutely unapologetic for your jokes or memes or ships or thought-provoking discussions on queerness and queercoding. There is no shame in our joy, we are not wrong or twisted for it. Because we know that we would celebrate our idols for who they are or want to be no matter how they choose to express themselves. Do not let people who would twist it into something perverted or bad, as an excuse for their own homophobia, shame you for the innocent joy of celebrating queerness. Do not let yourself be ashamed of it. As long as you are kind and respectful, love what you love and be queer and proud and happy.
I love that my fiancé and I kinda have matching islands but in different directions! Mine is a kinda cottagecore village with a welsh name and a tune from Lord Of The Rings/ The Hobbit, and my fiancé's island is a kinda cottagecore town with a Japanese name and a Studio Ghibli island tune! I love seeing that Lark is visiting from Komorebi with the title "Aspiring Pet" just as much as I'm sure xe loves seeing that Lynx is visiting from Caochan Eit with the title "Festive Pet". My energy is matched SO well down to every little detail🥰
Even our island names are kinda matching cottagecore vibes with xyr island name meaning "Light dappling through the trees" and mine meaning "A river hidden by vegetation" and "The act of leaving quartz crystals in riverbeds by moonlight to attract fish". Just very cottagecore vibes🌲🌟🪻
watcha thinkin abt?
Been indoors lately , decided to go to the river to have a good swim
Do I look good in these panties?❤️🤭
Redrew a few of my old ocs. The one with the bat ears is Lurdium and the one with the prosthetic arm is Arcanum :D