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mybworlds · 6 months ago

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Chapter 3: A Cloud of Pleasure

Pairing: joel miller x f!reader (no use of Y/N) | Rating: 18+ Minors DNI | W.C.: 2.8k

Summary: Your life sounds perfect: you live with a perfect man, you live in your dream house, you do the job you love, you don't miss anything, except love and passion.

Warnings: no use of Y/N, use of you, reader is a photographer, reader has no physical descriptions except hair (no type or color) long enough to hold on to, unspecified age gap, Joel and reader are two cheaters, for a while. Smut, use of pet names, dirty talk, masturbation, unprotected PiV but the first time, creampies, comeplay, oral (both f and m recieving), exhibitionism, size kink, personal use of an unspecified sex toy. No outbreak here. Let me know if I missed anything!

Before to leave, thank you very much for your silent support ❤️

Masterlist

follow @mybworlds and turn on notifications to get notified when I post new fics

Thx for the dividers @saradika-graphics

Taglist @harriedandharassed

The temperature has dropped quite a bit, you're cold, so you shrug your shoulders as you stand at one of the hotel tables having breakfast with the man you ran away from last night. Joel wanders his gaze from your eyes to your hands to the little balcony overlooking the beach, perhaps also uncertain what to do. You are joined by a waiter who disposes of your dishes, “Are you storm-locked too?”

“Yes,” the two of you reply in chorus and then look into each other's eyes for a long silent moment.

“I'm afraid it lasts a while,” the waiter adds again, shaking his head.

“A half hour?” you ask hoping to hear a yes.

“Maybe yes or maybe the whole day, we'll see.” replies the man again.

“If I need to change, can I go back to the room?” you ask again.

“I don't know, either they let you use the changing room or maybe yes. Either way, talk to the attendant at the front desk.”

“Thank you.” you reply, the man leaves and you find Joel's eyes on you again “What?”

“You're afraid to be with me.” he says narrowing his eyes, and it's not a question his.

“No, but what-”

“From the first moment we saw each other in your store,” he continues, “you had that reaction. I'd like to understand why, if I gave you reason to be afraid of me, if I said or did anything.”

“No,” you're the one who interrupts him this time, “it's not you.” you sigh, you already know you're going to regret saying those words, but you have to, it's not fair for him to think there's something wrong with him “It's me being afraid of what I can do.” you blurt it out.

Joel doesn't comment right away, he wanders his gaze from your face to your figure a couple of times, then looks up at you again “What could you do?” he repeats “Are you a serial killer?” he adds barely holding back a smile, a smile escapes you too “No, seriously, what are you afraid of?”

You know you will regret saying those words even more than the previous ones, but by now you are on a road with no turning back, “I immediately felt a strong…uhm…a strong…” you scratch your forehead in a nervous gesture as he takes your hand interrupting that gesture and wrapping it completely, it is so warm and big, you have palpitations and you even feel like you are covered in a cold sweat.

“'s that why you stopped me last night?” he asks you, you nod almost unable to sustain his gaze, you should tell him that you are engaged for ten years to a wonderful man, but for some strange reason, it's a thought that doesn't cross your mind “I got it, you know. I realized it even last night during the wedding party that you are a person who doesn't relax easily, who is afraid to experience the emotions to the fullest.” your breath becomes short "Let go," he adds, as he moves closer to you placing a hand in your hair and very slowly bringing his lips closer to yours, you hold your breath almost still resisting that contact, ”Let go.“ he says again, his warm breath against your lips breaks your ability to resist because you are the one who shortens the distance and places your lips on his, initially it is a chaste kiss lips against lips and nothing else, then things change when he caresses your lower lip with his tongue making you moan "Honey," he murmurs almost on the lips barely tightening his grip on some strands of your hair and making your faces come even closer together if possible. Everything that happens next is an escalation that you can no longer control or stop: Joel has persuaded the attendant to have you use a room because you're not feeling very well, or at least that was the excuse, you're actually perfectly fine, you are shaking.

You're trembling from the excitement of being in Joel's arms, of being able to be his, of being in a situation you absolutely shouldn't be in.

You are squeezed between the bed and Joel who has you caged in his arms, he kisses you very slowly first on the lips, then along your jaw, up to your earlobe, and vice versa, you have your hands resting on his back savoring this attention he is giving you with your eyes closed and your lips parted. Lightning flashes light up the room from time to time while he grabs in one hand a strand of your hair and pulls it slightly so that you bend your head to the side and expose your neck, his soft lips graze your skin as his beard teases it.

“Joel?” you call him, laying your hands along his sides.

“Hmm?” he mumbles giving a kiss on your neck and then looking into your eyes.

“Can I take this off?” you ask him taking his shirt between the fists of your hands.

“So needy.” he says giving you a soft kiss on your lips and then sits down on his knees thus making you sit down too so that you are facing each other, he raises his arms and you slip off his shirt making him reveal himself in all his mighty, you find yourself swallowing in observing his shoulders, his broad chest and the strip of dark hair disappearing in his pants, “You like what you see? “ he teases you by placing one hand behind the back of your neck and the other at the level of your breasts before kissing you.

You lace your hands behind his neck as you feel his hands fumbling with your shirt buttons, he opens it completely and only then does he pull his lips away from yours, “Fuck,” he murmurs licking his lips as he slides your garment off your shoulders, he lays his lips on your neck making you lie back against the mattress, “You have the softest skin, baby,” he continues by running his lips down your collarbones, then on your still covered breasts. You sigh closing and opening your eyes at his caresses and his lips lapping at your still covered breasts, you moan softly opening your legs and bending them so that he draws them even closer to you, “So needy,” he repeats to you and then moving just away from your breasts and unfastening your bra. Your nipples immediately harden on contact with the cold air of the room and in front of his gaze. You swallow in front of his dark eyes full of lust staring at your breasts before he bolts up and takes a nipple between his lips.

“Fuck,” you groan, abandoning your head to the side and closing your eyes in arousal as you feel his tongue gently pinch now your nipple, which hardens more and more in the face of his attentions, you thread your hand through his hair as his tongue continues to tease you relentlessly as he passes from one breast to the other. You arch your back repeatedly, it is wonderful.

“You really needed care and attention,” he teases you when he lets go of your other nipple as well. You are in a pitiful state, you are already horny as hell and you already wished he was inside you thrusting until you forgot even who you are but instead he is still on you playing with you “Lost your tongue?” he teases you with a half smile.

“No,” you groan breathlessly “I'm waiting for you to continue.” you tease him in turn returning his smile and kissing him yourself this time, you take advantage of his pause to reverse positions and sit on him where you feel his erection, you tease him a little by rocking you back and forth to grind your center on his bulge and this makes the two of you hold your breaths, you smile “Lost your tongue now?” you ask him approaching his face and kissing him hard. His hands travel down your back caressing you and then return to your breasts caressing them a little less gently this time, but that's okay, you like that way too.

In the meantime your hands travel along his chest while your lips are on his flushed neck with the veins clearly evident, then you go down to kiss his collarbones and kiss his breasts first one and then the other, you feel his gaze on you, you look up at him “Does it bother you?” you ask him stopping for a moment.

“No, but no one had…don' mind, go on.” he replies, as you again gently bring your lips close to his breasts feeling him hold his breath and then release it heavily, your lips then continue until they reach the waistband of his pants, you pull your lips away from him and unfasten the waistband looking him in the eyes, you lower his pants and boxers together releasing his massive arousal that rests on his soft stomach “You like what you see? “ he asks you again caressing one cheek and drawing you to him to kiss you, it's a gentle kiss now, slow and his hands rest on your hips still covered by your pants, "Stop bragging." you tell him nudging him just barely with a smile, he lays back down resting his head on the mattress "Alright, honey." he mumbles closing his eyes and breathing deeply.

You go back to looking at his shaft, it's really big, crisscrossed by several veins, there's a very visible one running through it all the way to his mushroom tip, your mouth is watering “'s my favorite part of me,” he continues to tease you, oh you really want to shut him up and you know how. You place your lips on the tip of his throbbing cock kissing it gently and he finally stops teasing you.

You look for his eyes and see him watching you with lust-filled gaze and then you return to his erection and begin to play with it by slowly wrapping it between your lips. You hear Joel hold his breath and then moan heavily. He is really big, you almost feel like you are choking, but you want to enjoy every moment with him. You swirl your tongue around the tip as if it were a delicious ice cream cone, tasting his precum pearl, "Just like that" he whispers before you start to suck and pump fast, you adore the softness and hardness of his manhood “Fuck, that's it!” he moans in a hiss, grabbing your hair with both hands holding you there as he thrusts vigorously into your mouth almost choking you and then suddenly leaving your mouth.

You catch your breath, “Fuck,” he moans pulling you up on top of him with one hand on your back and stroking your lower lip with the other “I was about to come…. “ he tells you breathlessly, "but I don't want to yet, I have to make you come first," he adds causing you to shudder hard, you look him in the eye passing a hand through his hair "Don't worry," you tell him placing a kiss on his lips, he looks at you as if you just said heresy ”Are you kidding! Don't worry, just relax,” he tells you by reversing positions and having your back against the mattress again.

He places a kiss on your lips again and then shifts his attention to your elastic pants pulling down your legs, you remain with your lips parted almost holding your breath, not knowing what to expect.

The roaring of thunders fade while he kisses your still-covered mound making you almost flinch in surprise, “You're already wet, you naughty girl,” he says with a small grin continuing to kiss your still-open mound, “Joel, please,” you beg him slipping a hand through his hair to let him know he has to stop to tease with you. That's when he also lowers your briefs exposing your intimacy to his focused and lust-filled gaze, you seek his eyes, never had anyone observed your intimacy like that making your skin crawl with the immense desire to be touched. He touches with a fingertip first one of the outer lips making you jerk and lower your gaze towards him, Joel then looks up at you “Don't worry, I'll treat her as she deserves,” he says then caresses the other one as well gathering some of your arousal, you moan softly tightening your lips “Don't hold back,” he urges you repeating the same movement with exhausting slowness making your skin crawl and abandon your head on the mattress again closing your eyes.

His fingers play some more on your mound only to be replaced by his lips causing you to snap your eyes open and look down, seeing him between your legs and devoting so much attention to your intimacy almost causes you to spasm. His hands open your intimacy to him and to his mouth, which begins to lick your intimacy along its entire length making you moan and sigh louder and louder, you thrust your hands into his hair pulling a few strands of his hair from time to time, he repeats that gesture several times and then devotes himself to your clit caressing and sucking it gently first faster then “Joel, fuck, fuck,” you gasp clutching his hair tighter and tighter abandoning your head back and spreading your legs further and further, “J - Joel, I… I - oh, fuck, I'm going to-” you moan sonorously and then your climax occurs between his lips as he continues to collect your nectar.

When the spasms of your climax leave you, you loosen your grip in his hair until you pull your hands away altogether, look down, and see him still there intent on kissing your intimacy; then, it's his turn to look at your eyes, “I'd say no one has ever made you cum,” he comments with a half grin.

“Stop bragging and come here,” you reply by sitting up to encircle his neck with your arms and make him lie on you again to kiss him. Although you still feel the contractions of your climax, the taste of you on his tongue and his hands holding you caged beneath him arouse you again “Please make me cum again.” you beg him, barely pulling away from his lips.

“If you ask me so nicely,” he replies smiling at you just barely and then resuming kissing you, “I gotta grab a condom, darlin'” he says pulling away from you as he gets off the bed. You see him take the package and unwrap it, he sits on the bed and slips it on. The mere sight of it makes you moisten even more.

Joel returns to you and with one hand you feel him reach down to your intimacy, almost probing that you are still wet for him. The two of you almost hold your breaths as the tip of his cock lines with your intimacy and then he fills you up “Oh, fuck!” you exclaim almost in unison gasping. Joel fills you all the way and never before had anyone come to touch such internal points of you, he remains only a few moments still to allow you to get used to his presence.

Your eyes close from the intense pleasure you are experiencing, “Open your eyes,” he tells you, you open them, you almost feel as if you can't see as well as the pleasure you are feeling “I know,” he tells you, then giving you a kiss on the lips before starting to move. You moan as he thrusts back and forth, in and out at a faster and faster pace that quickly takes your breath away and makes you moan louder and louder, "So tight, so wet fo' me" he gasps while you hear the pelting rain in the distance.

His thrusts are stronger and deeper as your clearly hear the squelching sounds of your soaked folds “Joel, I'm…I'm…” you stutter moaning, “Baby, me too,” he says without slowing the pace until you arch violently against him letting out the loudest moan you've ever let out, he also grunts loudly in your ear as he comes.

Then, he comes out from inside you and he removes the condom tossing it in the trash. He lies back down beside you, you are both breathless.

You are shivering.

You had a good time, a very good time, but it is only at that moment that you are reminded of Patrick and realize what you have done, a great sense of guilt wells up inside you, and you turn your back to Joel, who is watching you perplexed.

“What's goin' on?” he asks you, “Hey,” he says laying a hand on your shoulder so you turn to him and resting a hand on your cheek “What's goin' on? Did I hurt you?” you shake your head ”Didn't you like that? Did I do somethin' wrong?”

You sigh and sit up bringing your knees closer to your chest, “There's something I haven't told you…”

“You married?” he asks you wrinkling his forehead.

“No,” you answer.

He almost seems to relax, “Then what's up?”

“I'm not a free woman,” you tell him, resting your head on your lap and ready to hear him rail against you. Deep down he would be right, you certainly are not free, he for what you know is and he did nothing wrong in fucking a stranger, it is you who should not have.

“Okay…” he says “I have a question to ask you and please look me in the eye,” you look at him biting your lower lip softly “because from your answer, there are two possible scenarios.” he continues “You happy with him?”

The big question, are you still happy with Patrick? There was a time when you would not have thought twice about it and would have answered sure, of course. And now what do you answer?

You swallow, observing his dark eyes, then the words come out so naturally “Not anymore, I mean…I was fine with him for a long time, then things changed and I've been trying for two years already, I keep telling myself that sooner or later this time will pass, but” you shake your head “it doesn't go.”

He nods, “What 'bout him? Is he also no longer happy or is it something only 'bout you?” you open your mouth to answer, but the truth is that you don't know what to say. Patrick is the sweetest, quietest person you've ever met and that's also why you fell in love with him a long time ago “Just as I thought,” he adds again as he gets out of bed “Anyway, don't worry. I wasn't looking for any story or girlfriend, y'know.” he says before entering the bathroom and turning on the shower faucet.

You lie down again resting an arm under your head, feeling like a slut.

Joel has told you that what has been between you is a noncommittal thing anyway, but can you ever accept this new version of you? Can you accept that you only fucked? Have you really fallen that low?

When Joel comes out of the shower, he hears you talking on the phone with Patrick to whom you ask to pick you up by telling him that the car doesn't start. As you talk to your fiancé, Joel casts long silent glances at you; you watch him too, observing the features of his face, the muscles in his arms, his soft tummy, his now distended but equally large shaft, the well-defined muscles in his legs. Patrick tells you he would leave right away but it will take him two hours to get you, you simply thank him as he interrupts the call with a shy I love you.

The storm's over by now. You are outside the hotel again, but something inside you has changed. You don't know if you like what you have discovered about yourself, you don't know if you can live with it. You feel wrong and guilty.

Joel leaves you in front of your car, you look at each other, he is about to say something, but you shake your head lowering your gaze. You don't know what he wants to say, but at the moment you are overwhelmed by events. He nods silently and then with one last indecipherable look he drives away, leaving you alone in the car.

You are sitting there waiting for Patrick, you don't know what has become of the good girl you always thought you were, you knew you were - not perfect, of course - but at least normal, now you are like so many other women who have betrayed their partners in order to feel again that breeze of newness, that breath of life after years of a now flat relationship.

Patrick rescues you by using the wires thus managing to start the car, on the return trip you think back to what you did, how you gave yourself up after a feeble resistance to the advances of a stranger about whom you know what he wanted to tell you and maybe it is not even the truth. When you get home, your fiancé wants to help you carry your luggage, but you refuse, saying it's light and you can manage it, he cuddles you as always and even makes you dinner. You eat in silence, you justify your silence with some tiredness, but who knows if he has realized that there has been a passing cloud in your life that has unleashed a storm inside you and that you don't know what possible consequences it may bring.

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mjjune · 2 years ago

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How To Have a Good Beta Reading Experience (or: what I've learned from 3 years of beta reading)

So lately I've been having a lot of discussions about beta reading with my discord groups so I thought I would write it out here and also share some resources I've used over the years.

This is mostly by and for writers, however readers can learn from this post as well!

DISCLAIMER: I'm by no means a writing expert, but I have been either beta reading others' books, or having my own stories beta read consistently since 2020. THIS IS ALL PERSONAL EXPERIENCE/OPINION. Others may agree or disagree ❤️

Here are the main points I'm going to talk about in this post, and I'll do it under the cut to save your dash space:

Understanding Alpha vs. Beta Readers

Choosing Readers

Being Clear About Feedback

Swapping / Compensation

The Importance of Writing Community/Groups

Websites/Resources for Finding Beta Readers

1. Understanding Alphas vs. Betas

So this is extremely important and for me, this may be the difference between me finishing your book or not. Many times, especially from new writers who had never had anyone read their work before, had extremely rough drafts that were barely coherent and were NOT beta ready, but asked me to beta read. I am not a person who can look past extensive grammar errors, nor am I the kind of person who will sit and fix all your grammar line-by-line for you.

Alpha Readers - for first/second drafts

Beta Readers - for polished drafts

It is ok for alpha reads to be unpolished and have grammar issues, and it's even ok if they have plot issues, continuity errors, etc. Because alpha readers are there for that purpose: to be the first eyes on your story and help you find and fix those issues.

The issue I have had over and over, though, is people asking for a beta reader when what they really needed was an alpha. I went in expecting a polished draft and got someone's Draft 0. In some cases, I got 100k drafts where the writer obviously had no idea how to format dialogue grammar and every single dialogue was wrong. Obviously this made me slow and in many cases, unable to finish.

Alpha readers will go in expecting it to be unpolished, and will be prepared to look past grammar/stylistic errors in order to focus on the big picture issues (plot holes, character consistency, pacing/engagement issues, etc). A Beta may be too frustrated by an unpolished draft to finish it or provide the feedback you're looking for. If you have been experiencing a lot of betas backing out and not finishing your work, you might consider this as a possible reason why.

I would also recommend, if you have never had anyone read your work before, even if you have had multiple drafts, it might be safest to ask for alphas rather than betas.

A quick way to see if your work is beta ready (again, personal experience): Pick up a published book from the shelf in your genre. Does your book read similarly? Does your formatting & grammar look the same? Bonus: read it out loud! If reading the published book out loud is significantly easier than reading yours out loud, you're probably in the alpha stage.

TL;DR: Understand your draft and which level of reader your draft is ready for. Know the difference between polished and unpolished, and be upfront about it.

2. Choosing Alphas/Betas

You may not like it but: Just because someone is your friend, real life or online, does not mean they will make a good reader for you.

#1 MOST IMPORTANT: GET READERS WHO LIKE & REGULARLY READ YOUR GENRE!

I cannot stress this enough. As someone who writes vampire content, I cannot begin to express to you the amount of useless comments I got from readers who had clearly never read a vampire book in their life.

You need someone who is familiar with your genre and you likes your synopsis/blurb.

Caveat: that said, I did find a few great betas who had never read vampire content before and gave awesome feedback. However, these readers knew and admitted they knew nothing about the paranormal genre, and because of that did not make any comments on worldbuilding, instead sticking to plot and character development only. Some readers can't make this separation.

Another thing I would recommend, especially if you are swapping or the beta reader is also a writer/on writeblr, I would recommend reading their writing before having them beta read. If you read their excerpts and see that it's really unpolished or a style that's vastly different than yours, that might change whether you want them to read for you.

In my most recent beta round, I used a google form to do a quick survey to see who was interested in beta reading. This worked really well for me and I would recommend it! You can also use this to make all potential readers agree to not share/distribute/plagiarize your work, so you have it in writing just in case someone were to try something.

This was also a great way to see which genres they usually read and how many times they have beta read in the past!

TL;DR: Get readers who LIKE your genre. Read their writing and see how they write. Use an online signup form to narrow down.

3. Be Clear About The Type of Feedback You Want

This is perhaps the second most important thing when you get readers. Many readers will shy away from reading your work if you have nothing in mind for them to look out for. Also, being clear about this shows that you 1) know it isn't perfect and needs work and 2) you have insight into what the issues already are.

For Alphas, these traits are what I have found to be the most helpful:

Immediate inline reactions - particularly emotional engagement and pointing out lines that resonated with them

NO grammar/stylistic comments (unless incomprehensible)

Questioning of worldbuilding, character decisions, and character development - particularly if confusing or unclear

Comments on action sequences & their readability

Comments on believability of the plot points/progression

For Betas, these are what have been most helpful to me:

Comments on grammar, especially if repetitive

Stylistic comments, particularly for over-used words or noticeably repetitive sentence structures

Comments on pacing

Comments on plot initiation point and buildup/execution of the climax

Not questioning my worldbuilding/plot and trusting that what I have written is intentional. Only pointing out areas that have on-page evidence of inconsistencies.

Everything above is simply personal preference. You might find other comments to be better for alphas/betas. However, being upfront about which comments you want or don't want can drastically change which people want to read for you!

Some readers are obsessed with in-depth inline grammar/style comments, some aren't at all. Some writers LOVE these in-depth grammar comments, and some don't. Being clear about what you want is the best way to make sure you and your readers are compatible for the stage of editing you're at.

4. Swapping / Compensation

So this one I might have a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I wanted to cover it because so many people talk about it on here and other sites.

Again, based on my personal experience, swapping and compensation does not mean you're going to get better feedback or have a better experience or relationship with readers.

For the record, for everyone who beta reads for me—and finishes—I always offer to read theirs, even if it's a genre I don't like.

Personally, I have never tried compensation (re: money) for beta readers. However, there are a few issues I've come across with swapping:

Mine was beta ready and theirs was unpolished first draft

Our types of feedback didn't align

Our genre preferences didn't align

Their feedback was nowhere near as high quality or constructive as mine

In these cases, one or both of us burnt out on reading the others' work, and then we'd both bail. Especially with #4, it was very disheartening for me to spend hours finding their plot holes, helping them come up with ways to fix them, for them to then write 1 paragraph about what they thought of my story that was extremely surface level. To me, that wasn't even a swap, and was practically worthless. There was even one who got sensitive about the feedback I was providing (which was a queer sensitivity read) and then left almost identical comments on my story, which weren't even relevant. It was like revenge-commenting.

All this to say: I have had positive experiences with swaps. My alpha for twtr was a swap and I really enjoy her work and she enjoys mine, and we will probably continue to swap forever.

This goes back to #2 above: be picky & choose your readers well. Your story is your baby, and it deserves to be critiqued by people who value you and your story, and want to help you make it the best possible version of itself.

To summarize, I have had two good swapping experiences. I have had 10+ good uncompensated betas—with an offer for me to read their stuff when it's ready. Do with that what you will.

5. Writing Community / Groups

On to a more positive note! I have had the best experience here on writeblr, and this is coming from someone who has tried multiple other communities (which I discuss in the last section below). Having my own discord server from tumblr, joining a few other writers' discord servers, has completely changed the game regarding finding consistent betas, more resources, and just having an overall much more positive time writing and editing.

Writeblr keeps me grounded, keeps me hopeful, and even if I share something that doesn't get tons of notes, it's so nice to have interaction. It's so nice to give and get back, consistently.

I do want to emphasize the importance of giving to get back. If no one is liking/interacting with your excerpts, tag/ask games, etc. then that's probably because you're not interacting with them! It's very important to show interest in other people's work!!

I'm not saying you need to jump onto everyone's taglists for all their wips, but join the ones that genuinely interest you the most. Play in ask/tag games consistently. Follow writers back who follow you (if they post things you're interested in, ofc).

I have the same amount of followers as the people I follow right now, and I think that goes to show that people reciprocate here on writeblr! It's a lovely community and don't be afraid to reach out ❤️

I have found almost ALL my recent betas from my tumblr and discord groups. They have been lovely so far and I would highly recommend building up community here if you are interested in finding betas.

6. Websites/Resources for Finding Betas

Alright, last section. Thanks for bearing with me. I'm going to go through the sites I have used, and why I still use them, or why I dropped them.

Scribophile

So, for starters, this is one I don't use anymore. This was the site I first used when I had a polished draft in 2020 and had no idea how to get feedback. Essentially, they have a point-system. The more comments you make, the more points you get, and then when you have 3 points, you can post a chapter. It continues in a cycle.

Pros: Personally, I think the site helped me a lot in realizing what a bad critique looks like (which is helpful!) and also helped me learn which comments/feedback types work for me, and which don't. I don't regret my time there by any means, and I found one life-long friend and beta reader there I wouldn't trade for the world. It also allows you to post/remove your story and the readers don't have direct access to it—meaning if they want to download/steal/plagiarize, they'd have to copy and paste or screenshot chapter by chapter. It's a little safety precaution.

Cons: It's not the best place to get constructive feedback. The issue with their system is it encourages quantity over quality in critiques. Because of that, you'll get strangers rewriting your entire chapter in their own style so they get 2-3 points for one critique, but... was any of it actually helpful to you? Maybe, maybe not. It's also random, so you can't control who comments on your stuff, and they might just comment to get points even if they hate your genre. I also don't think it's fair to have to do 3-5 chapter critiques in order to save up enough points to post ONE chapter of your own. And if you want to post your story for full beta reads and control who reads it and who doesn't, you have to subscribe monthly.

So I keep an eye on it occasionally to look through their forums on writing, agents, publishing, etc. But most of the forums gets nasty, because there are a lot of really pretentious writers who think they know all the rules. If you join small groups (e.g. sub-groups based on diversity, etc) they tend to have better and more meaningful discussions.

Personally, I would never use it for beta/alpha/feedback ever again. This is the site where most of my bad swaps came from. But you might find it useful! So I thought I would share it.

Nanowrimo Forums

This is another one I don't use anymore, but might consider reusing in the future. The biggest issue I have with nanowrimo is that a lot, and I mean A LOT, of these participants are first-time writers and have no concept of what polished vs. unpolished even means. I did find two really good swaps there (actually the only two good full swaps I've had) but those were very hard to find.

There is also the issue that a good chunk of them only write during November, not year round. So for finding consistent, year-long partners, this is not the best option. I'm a member of 2 discords that have all fallen silent as soon as Nano actually ended.

Also, in my experience, asking questions about anything related to "controversial" topics (especially trans and minority ethnic groups) becomes toxic very quick, which is unfortunate. There are even a few moderators who seem to be contributing to the toxic/immature discussions rather than fixing them/shutting them down, which is the main reason I stopped using it.

However, it's a GREAT place to get free, simple covers! Their artisan section is fantastic and there are a lot of people there willing to make basic covers/banners for you for free.

BetaBooks

I've only been using this one about a month so far, but I'm really liking it. It's set up that you can invite betas to your story specifically, or you can look through a beta reader library, read their profiles, and invite them to see if they're interested.

This is essentially an alternative to Scribophile. It allows you to post your story online and find betas and become a beta.

Why I like it better than Scribophile: it's not a point-based system, meaning it's uncompensated so the readers have nothing to gain other than enjoying/helping your story. There's no hard feelings if someone bails. It allows you to see all comments in one place (which Scrib can't do). (And with discount codes found through google, it's cheaper, too. Message me if you need help with this 👀)

It also is all online, easily removable, so readers would have to copy/paste or screenshot chapter-by-chapter to steal it. So again, just a little safety net that makes me feel better.

Writeblr

Yep, that's right. Right here. Actually right here on tumblr has been where I have found the most beta readers and in the shortest time. I talked about this in the section before so I won't regurgitate. But there's a reason why this community is so long-lasting. It really is the best one out there I've found.

TL;DR / IN CONCLUSION:

Know where your book is in terms of reader-readiness. Know the difference between alphas/betas and polished/unpolished. Know the types of feedback that work for you and specifically request it when recruiting betas.

Interact with a community. Give interaction in order to receive, and don't expect people to reblog/like your content if you don't reach out first. Join small, niche writing community discords. Find like-minded writers.

Decide to swap or not, but this won't make or break you.

There are many writing communities out there designed to help you not only find betas, to provide beta-reading feedback forms and commentary. Try them out and see what works best for you.

And above all, thank Writeblr for being such a lovely community ❤️

#writeblr #writblr #writers on tumblr #writeblr community #writerblr #writer community #writing community #novel writing #beta readers #fantasy writing #wtwcommunity #mj posts #mj mumbles #mj talks about beta reading #100 #300 #500

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isa-beenme · 1 year ago

Note

friends to lovers with Azriel? they’re both secretly pining after each other and even flirt but it has never gone past that

Fun fact: I received 3 or 4 of the same request of friends to lovers and now I have to think of different stories for each of them (how much do I hate myself? Here's the answer)

One more prompt babies (getting in trouble), send the request for her so I can finish the bingo or I'll never write again 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

Also, please comment on the posts, I get super happy and it definitely makes me go back to Google Docs to finish what I'm currently writing

I Think He Knows

It basically started weeks ago when you were researching something you couldn't even remember what it was that Rhysand asked. You were deep into the books, nothing was making sense in your mind and frustration was starting to set in as you struggled to find the answers you sought. Azriel silently slipped into the library and observed you from the shadows, captivated by the sight of you so concentrated and focused on your work. He noticed the frustration building in you, unable to resist, he stepped forward, revealing himself with his usual quiet grace.

-Need some assistance? - His velvet voice reached your ears, sending a shiver down your spine. You looked up, your eyes locking with his, and you couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement.

-Well, I wouldn't mind a second opinion on this research - You replied, trying to maintain your composure despite the sudden warmth spreading through your cheeks.

Azriel moved closer, leaning over your shoulder to examine the texts you had been poring over. The close proximity sent your heart racing, and you could feel the heat of his breath on your skin.

-You're looking in the wrong section - He said softly, his fingers brushing against yours as he pointed to a nearby shelf.

Your hands touched, and you both felt a jolt of electricity shoot through you. You glanced up, your eyes meeting his, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. Azriel's lips quirked into a faint smile, as if he knew the effect he had on you.

-Let me show you - He offered, gesturing for you to follow him.

You walked together through the aisles of books, discussing the research, and exchanging ideas. You found yourself drawn to Azriel's intellect and the way he effortlessly wove his knowledge into the conversation. As you spoke, the flirtatious undertones became more evident. You teased each other playfully, your laughter filling the library like music. It was as if you had known each other for years, despite the fact that this was the first time you had engaged in a real conversation alone.

Usually all your interactions with the Inner Circle had Rhysand's presence. And besides the fact that you considered and was equally considered by all of them as a friend, this was the first time you actually talked alone with Azriel, no need to keep formality or the topic of work getting in the way. The more you flirted, the more you realized how easy it was to be yourself around him. Walls that you had carefully built began to crumble, revealing your true self, vulnerable and unguarded.

The spark of attraction between you was undeniable, and it left both of you surprised and intrigued. It was a dance you hadn't expected to partake in, but neither of you could resist the magnetic pull that drew you closer.

As the night wore on, you reluctantly bid each other farewell, promising to meet again in the library to help each other if necessary. But even as you walked away, your thoughts were consumed by him and only him.

In the days that followed, your flirtatious encounters continued, fueled by a desire you couldn't ignore. Each meeting left you wanting more, and yet you hesitated, unsure of the depths you were diving into. Suddenly you were being invited to family dinners and the Valkyries' training. You weren't sure who exactly you should blame: Rhysand and his necessity of taking you under his wing or Azriel with the need of having you closer to him. Somehow you knew the answer without asking directly.

The Night Court's dinner table was a scene of elegance and camaraderie as the Inner Circle gathered for their nightly meal. Amidst the laughter and casual conversations, Azriel and you found yourselves seated beside each other, eyes locked in a silent promise of something more. Your foot unintentionally brushed against Azriel's calf under the table, sending a thrill through both of you. Azriel's fingers ghosted along the back of your hand, a subtle invitation to continue the game you started playing.

Rhysand and Cassian exchanged bemused glances, sensing the charged atmosphere between their two friends. Feyre tried to hide a knowing smile, while Amren raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. You carefully leaned in, your lips so close to Azriel's ear that your warm breath sent shivers down his spine.

-You're playing a dangerous game - You whispered, your voice laden with mischief.

-Danger happens to be my job, dear - Azriel replied, his voice husky and filled with desire.

As the dinner conversation flowed around you, Azriel and you engaged in a subtle dance of seduction beneath the table. Your fingers intertwined, your touch light but electrifying, as you teased each other with playful caresses. You let your fingers trail along Azriel's forearm, relishing the way his muscles tensed beneath your touch. Azriel responded in kind, brushing his thumb across the outside of thigh, deliberate circles that left your craving more.

The rest of the Inner Circle exchanged glances, unable to believe what you were witnessing. Cassian leaned over to Rhysand, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

-I think we're witnessing the birth of a mating bond - He teased, causing Rhysand to chuckle. Across the table, Mor was trying her best to suppress a grin, while Amren simply rolled her eyes, unimpressed by your antics.

Nestha, always one to relish in mischief, decided to stir the pot. With a sly grin, she looked at Azriel and you at his side, already planning a way to burst the bubble you settle yourselves in.

-So, Shadowsinger, what's the most daring thing you've ever done? Cassian just told his - Her mate looked at her confused, until he realized her plan and agreed along with the rest of the table. Azriel's eyes twinkled with mischief as he slightly turned his gaze towards you.

-Oh, I think I'd rather show than tell - You felt a blush creeping up your cheeks, but you didn't back down.

-And what about you, Rhys? What's the most thrilling thing you've ever experienced that didn't involve your mate? - You turned to Rhysand and asked with a playful glint in your eye. The High Lord only chuckled, sensing the game you were playing.

-Well, it might just be seeing the way Azriel flirts with someone he cares about, it's rather fun, to say the least - He replied, glancing pointedly at his spymaster.

Azriel's lips quirked up in a knowing smile, and he leaned towards you, his voice low and suggestive, as he spoke high enough for everyone at the table to hear.

-Oh, don't worry, my love, I save my best for you - Your heart skipped a beat at his response, but you maintain your composure, turning the tables again. You looked at Cassian, one that looked very amused by the whole interaction.

-Cassian, have you ever been so captivated by someone that you couldn't take your mind off them to the point you simply did and said stupid things all the time? - Cassian grinned, understanding the game and more than willing to play along.

-Well, you see, I have a habit of getting distracted by a certain female warrior with mesmerizing eyes - He replied, winking at Nesta, who rolled her eyes and tried to hide her smile.

-And what about you, Az? Have you ever been so captivated by someone that left you breathless? - Azriel met your gaze with an intensity that sent shivers down your spine.

-Every time I look at you - He answered, his voice soft and sincere. Feyre quickly interrupted the moment to get Nyx who started to cry in his bedroom, cutting out the atmosphere that was building up.

The next day you had to keep working as if nothing changed, even if you and Azriel were becoming more and more shameless at each encounter. The library in the Night Court was always a sanctuary of knowledge, and you found solace amidst the ancient texts and dusty books. The spymaster often changed his plans to find you there, absorbed in the magic of the written word, only to engage in another one of the flirtatious conversations you always lead each other, even if this wasn't exactly the original plan.

In this particular afternoon, you were stretching on your tiptoes, trying to reach a book on the highest shelf. As you strained to grasp it, you felt a familiar presence behind you. A soft, warm breath grazed the back of your neck, sending shivers down your spine. Azriel's velvety voice caressed your ear,

-Need some help? - You turned to find Azriel standing so close that you could feel the heat emanating from his body. Your heart fluttered, but you masked your flustered state with a playful smirk.

-Oh, so you're finally offering to be useful, Shadowsinger? - You teased, your eyes locking with his. A mischievous glint danced in Azriel's eyes as he reached for the book, effortlessly retrieving it from the shelf. Instead of handing it to you, he held it just out of your reach, enjoying the proximity between your bodies.

-I always knew you'd come to appreciate my usefulness - He replied, his voice low and teasing.

You refused to back down, your competitive spirit coming to the surface. You leaned in, closing the distance between you, and attempted to snatch the book from his grasp. But Azriel was too quick, tilting his hand just enough to evade you. Your faces were now mere inches apart, and the tension between you crackled like electricity. With a smoldering look, Azriel brought the book down slightly, just teasingly close to your fingers.

-If you want it, you'll have to work for it - He challenged, his lips quirking into a seductive smile.

Your breath hitched at the playful yet alluring demeanor of the warrior. Determined to match his boldness, you leaned in even closer, allowing your lips to brush against his.

-I don't mind a little challenge - A low growl rumbled in Azriel's throat, and he gave up, handing you the book. But he didn't step back, instead, he closed the remaining distance between you, pressing his body against yours, creating an intoxicating blend of heat and desire.

Your eyes locked once more, and the air around you crackled with tension. Without thinking, Azriel's fingers grazed your cheek, tracing a path along your jawline. Yourheart pounded wildly, the sensation of his touch igniting a fire within you.

-You have no idea what you do to me - Azriel admitted huskily, his voice thick with desire.

-Show me - You whispered, unable to resist the pull you felt towards him any longer.

In that moment, the world around you ceased to exist. The library faded away, leaving only the two of you enveloped in a haze of passion and longing. With an intensity you had both kept bottled up for too long, you surrendered to each other's embrace, your lips meeting in a fiery kiss that ignited a love that had been simmering beneath the surface.

Your whispered affections and tender touches among the books unveiled the truth you had both been hiding – that you were more than friends, that your souls had found your match. Your lips couldn't seem to snap away from his, the book long forgotten in the ground as you entangled your hands in his hair and pulled him closer.

-... Are you somewheEAHHH - Gwyn's scream made you separate from Azriel in a flash, her eyes almost popping out of her head as she took in the scene in front of her, all the priestess around stepping closer to understand the commotion - Clotho is asking if you found the book - She pointed behind her, a smile playing in her as the Shadowsinger quickly bid you goodbye and ran away. You threw the book at your friend when she started to laugh - I just want to see how the training is going to be tomorrow.

And honestly? You wanted to know too.

Training sessions in the House of the Wind were usually filled with a lot of matches between the girls and intense training, but today was different. You and Azriel found yourselves paired together as a matter of destiny, the air around you charged with an electric tension that couldn't be ignored. As you sparred, the other Valkyries couldn't help but watch, completely shocked by the intense flirtation that unfolded before them. Gwyneth being the one pinpointing the looks you threw to him.

Your eyes locked with Azriel's as you circled each other, each movement purposeful and tantalizing. He could see the fire burning in your eyes, and it only fueled his desire to provoke you further . With a smirk, he raised an eyebrow, a silent challenge, inviting you to make the first move.

You didn't disappoint. In a swift motion, you lunged, your blades dancing gracefully through the air. Azriel effortlessly parried your strikes, your weapons clashing with a resounding echo. But beneath the fierce combat, there was an undercurrent of something more, a seductive dance of pure desire from the last day. Azriel leaned in close, his breath ghosting over your ear as you defended his attack.

-You are fighting with such passion today, what happened? - He laughed when you pushed him far from you with a kick - It's almost intoxicating - A shiver ran down the reader's spine as you met his gaze, unyielding.

-I'm just getting started - You replied, your voice dripping with provocation - Someone started something and couldn't finish. Let's see if you can end this fight at least.

Your banter continued as you moved in sync, each anticipating the other's moves. The sexual tension between you was palpable, and the other Valkyries couldn't tear their eyes away, their training momentarily forgotten. Azriel's wings unfurled slightly, showcasing his strength and power.

-You know - He suddenly said, his voice deep and alluring, but not low enough to not let your public hear, ever the exhibitionist he was - I could show you a few moves that aren't part of the regular training regimen - Your cheeks flushed when you heard the gasps from the other females, but you didn't back down. Instead, you leaned in even closer, your body inches from his.

-And what kind of moves are those, Shadowsinger? - You purred, your tone daring him to reveal his thoughts.

-The kind that leaves you breathless - He teased, the double entendre not lost on the watching Valkyries when some of them let out small screams of excitement.

- I bet you could teach me something new, anyway - A wicked grin tugged at the corners of your mouth when he growled after your words, trying to strike you down.

The training session continued with a fervor, the intensity between you and Azriel growing with each exchange. Your bodies moved in harmony, pushing each other to new limits. At one point, you managed to disarm Azriel and pin him to the ground, and for a brief moment, you had the upper hand. But Azriel didn't seem bothered by it; instead, he wore an approving smile.

-Impressive - He murmured, his voice dripping with admiration.

Your closeness was almost suffocating, the desire between you reaching a breaking point. The other Valkyries exchanged glances, unsure if they should intervene or let the fiery tension run its course.

As the training session came to an end, you and Azriel stood face to face, breathing heavily from the exertion. The intensity in your eyes was undeniable, and you both knew that this was just the beginning of something. The Valkyries couldn't help but gasp as Azriel leaned in, his lips dangerously close to yours.

-You have no idea of what you've done to me, the hunger you awake - He whispered, his voice dark and alluring.

-If it's any closer to what I'm feeling then you better be prepared to satisfy it, Shadowsinger - With a playful smile, you replied before you stepped away from the training grounds, leaving the other Valkyries in a state of awe and disbelief. Your flirtatious dance had left a remarkable message between you and Azriel, one that you would try to ignore as best as you could, even against your will.

Weeks of tension and flirting had passed between you and Azriel. The subtle glances, teasing words, lingering touches, and sometimes a kiss or other had kept both of your hearts racing. Yet, neither of you dared to take the leap beyond your friendship. One evening, after a gathering at the Town House, you found yourself seeking solace and guidance from Feyre, always the good listener High Lady. She smiled knowingly as you spilled your heart out, admitting your crush on Azriel and detailing the last few weeks of encounters with him, not knowing when to point out the sudden change in your friendship with him.

-You know, I don't think he's disinterested in you. Azriel is just cautious, especially with matters of the heart - Feyre reassured you, caressing your head that was in her lap.

-I mean, he's obviously not disinterested in me. The thing is, does he want a relationship or just this weird kissing friendship we are doing? I think he knows I like him, it's impossible to not know. Even Nyx confirmed, he called me auntie, it's because I'm gonna marry his uncle, right? - She laughed at you, and you playfully smack her arm - I'm being serious. Solve this problem, you are the High Lady, you're supposed to be serious when one of your subjects needs help.

-Do you want a relationship with him, darling? - You stopped to think about her question, the moments you spent with Azriel popping in your head, before and after the mess you created, a smile growing in your face at the memories.

-Yes. Definitely - You whispered, receiving a smile from Feyre as well, her eyes shining with some suspicious glint behind them.

-Then tell him. He might be waiting for your confession too - You quickly nodded, giving her a kiss on the cheek before getting up from your spot.

Feeling a bit more encouraged, you returned to your quarters, unaware that Azriel had overheard the entire conversation from the shadows. His heart pounded in his chest as he realized the depth of your feelings for him, and he knew it was time to act over his own.

Before you could even close the door behind you, Azriel stepped out of the darkness and into your room. Startled, you turned to face him, but before you could speak, he gently closed the door and pinned you against the wood with a mixture of intensity and tenderness. His hazel eyes bore into yours, searching for any sign of hesitation.

-I've known about your feelings - He admitted in a husky whisper - And I've been a fool for not making a move sooner - A shiver ran down your spine as his warm breath caressed your skin.

-Azriel - You managed to say, your heart racing with anticipation. He cupped your face with his hand, his thumb stroking your cheek softly.

-I've been in love with you too, but I was scared. Scared of losing our friendship, scared of hurting you, of making something wrong, of you changing your mind, I don't know - He confessed. You placed your hand over his heart, feeling it race beneath your touch.

-I don't want to lose you either - You could only admit, your voice filled with vulnerability as you couldn't say anything else.

-You won't - Azriel assured you, his voice steady but full of emotion - I promise to cherish and protect what we have, and I'll prove my devotion to you everyday from now on, if you let me - You could only agree under his eyes, your body heating at each word.

With that, he leaned in, closing the distance between you and capturing your lips in a tender, passionate kiss. The world around you melted away once again as you fully surrendered to the feelings you had kept hidden for so long.

Your hands explored each other's bodies gently, reveling in the newfound intimacy between you. Azriel's touch was both passionate and cautious, showing his care for you. As you deepened the kiss, you knew that this moment would mean the world from now on.

#spotify #acotar #azriel × reader #azriel #azriel shadowsinger #azriel/reader #azriel x oc #azriel x reader #azriel x female!reader

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blubberquark · 2 months ago

Text

Worse than Trolls: Engagement Optimisers, Tourists, Socialisers, and Enablers

As I previously explained, most online content moderation falls under I-know-it-when-I-see-it. There is very little else to say. People know spam when they see it, and I don't need to define what spam is. Spammers know they are spamming, and are unable and thankfully unwilling to argue your moderation decisions.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are ever so slightly corrosive behaviours than can destabilise an online community in the long term, often without the perpetrators knowing it, or at least without bad faith, without ill intent.

Engagement Optimisers

Users naturally optimise engagement by responding to feedback. When posting memes and cat pictures is rewarded, users post more cat pictures. When posting memes is rewarded, users post more memes.

If your users start to do this on purpose, you might have a problem. For example, somebody might notice that clickbait titles lead to more click-through in forum threads. The people who give their threads vague and mysterious titles get more replies. The people who add a call to action to their OP get more replies: Please share your opinions in the comments below. The people who ask broad, open-ended and opinion-based questions are more likely to get more replies: What programming language should I learn?

If somebody says something contentious or inflammatory by accident, that's fine. You morally can't fault them for sincerely held beliefs or misconceptions, or for soliciting a broader base of opinion. Only when done on purpose, and systematically, it becomes dangerous.

You may end up with a situation where power users learn to play the game and play it better and better, at least better than most users. This can give the people who learned to game the system outsized influence, even when there is no algorithm or karma or no way to spend the karma, because they gain more mindshare and notoriety.

You may also experience a systemic change, because many or most users catch on, and start modifying their behaviour and post different content in order to get noticed.

Still there is the possibility that your users, through group dynamics nobody is consciously exploiting, reward and promote mostly cat pictures and stupid puns, even though no individual user comes to your forum for stupid puns and cat pictures.

Early on in the history of Reddit, this was recognised as a major problem. You could farm upvotes by posting something like "DAE eat chocolate ice cream?", "Upvote if you're going to vote for Ron Paul", or "Linux sucks! There are no good text editors!"

Reddit tried to curb this, somewhat unsuccessfully at first, then more successfully, but in the long run, they lost the battle against their own user base and entropy itself.

Compare this with YouTube, where a call to action is not just allowed, but encouraged by YouTube itself. It's regularly part of the latest set of official tips for creators to grow their audiences. YouTubers thus say "What are your opinions on this topic? Let me know in the comments below!" or "Please like and subscribe".

Tourists

Tourists come in to make drive-by comments in flame war threads. Tourists google a question, find your forum, post a single question, and leave forever when they get the right answer. Tourists come in from Reddit. Tourists don't play the game. Tourists don't read the forum. Tourists don't read the FAQ.

You can't really punish people for coming to your site or channel and making their first comment. I mean, you can, but then they will definitely not come back.

Churn is bad. Tourists are churn personified. If most content comes from tourists, then your community culture is defined by tourists. You lose the ability to shape the culture of your site. It's easy to deter tourists, but it's hard to do so without also deterring people who would otherwise have become proper contributors or community members.

If somebody joins your web site, doesn't read the rules, doesn't read the FAQ, creates more work for the moderators, and is a minor annoyance to the established users without ever rising to the level of a serious rule violation, it's easy for that person to say "We all have to start somewhere" or "You'll never attract new people if you keep enforcing the rules like that."

If you have rules about cross-posting or proper spelling and punctuation, you have to be firm. You cannot retreat every time somebody who hasn't read the rules asks "Why are you so mean to me?"

On the other hand, I remember multiple times when I hopped in an IRC to ask a question like "Is this a known bug? Should I wait for the next release?" or "Does anybody want to collaborate on a game jam next month? Is anybody considering joining Ludum Dare?" only to be told "We don't accept bug reports in here. Bug reports need to be entered into bugzilla in the proper format." or "Please post job postings in the jobs channel only!"

Socialisers

Socialisers talk about off-topic stuff only. They hang out in the off-topic board or channel, and they tell everybody about their youngest child, their morning commute, or the story of how they met their spouse. Socialisers rarely engage with the actual main topic of the community, but everybody knows them, because they post a lot of off-topic content.

As long as socialisers know that the forum is about, and know their stuff, it's fine. The guy whose youngest son just got into middle school and who met his wife when they both reached for the last bottle of herbal shampoo at the supermarket isn't really disrupting your anime forum as long as he watches anime. If he could comment about the different animation studios that worked on Sailor Moon, but chooses not to, he's fine. The problem with socialisers only becomes noticeable when they attract socialisers who do not know or care anything about the on-topic content. If that happens, your forum is no longer a forum where some Haskell programmers post their lunch, it's a forum to post pictures of your lunch.

Enablers

Enablers are one step worse than socialisers. They don't just don't contribute on-topic content, they make the discussion actively worse. If you have a rule such as "do no post a maths homework question" or "do not answer personal questions" or "do not ask other people to answer your question in a DM", the enabler will happily comply anyway. "It's no skin off my back" he says, as he answers the homework question. "It's no skin off my back" he says, as he paraphrases the FAQ again. The enabler will make a good-faith effort to answer bad-faith questions, and he will enable people who just can't be bothered to read the FAQ and follow the rules.

Now there may be multiple reasons why you're not allowed to answer personal questions, ranging from OPSEC about pet names and the colour of your car to professionalism, and depending on those, this may be a big deal or not. When it comes to homework or answering in a DM, the reasoning should be straightforward.

The worst kind of enabling is probably taking abuse in stride, and continuing the conversation. If somebody starts insulting the other people in the conversation, the least you could do is disengage. If somebody calls people names because they can't solve his problem, you should not enable him and try to help him, too.

The most subtle kind of enabling behaviour is a response to Cunningham-style trolling. When somebody posts "Linux sucks, there are no good text editors", then the last thing you should do is reward this kind of behaviour. When somebody posts "I can't solve this in Python, I guess C++ is just a better language. I think I should go back and use C++", then you should say "Good riddance, and may the gods have mercy on the C++ forum."

The most common kind of enabling is when people ask a question and can't be bothered to Google it first, and somebody copies the question into Google it and pastes the answer. The long-term consequence of such behaviour is not only a degraded quality of the conversation, but a forum culture where people regularly Google answers (or worse, ask ChatGPT) and paste the result without checking.

Maybe in the future, something like "I asked ChatGPT this, is this true" or "Copilot wrote this code, can you help debug it" will become more common, and humouring these kinds of people will become the most common toxic enabling behaviour.

Drama Magnets/Troll Feeders

Finally, there is a kind of person who enables trolls and harassers by being thin-skinned, very easy to make fun of, and by boosting every insult. There is a certain kind of person who will just endlessly complain about being wronged in small ways, and will take offence to small perceived slights. This allows a malicious actor to get out much more in terms of reactions than he puts in. If a troll can poke somebody once, and get dozens of "Ow ow" and "he poked me" and "woe is me, I have been poked" out of a target, that will only motivate him.

If somebody freely volunteers his weak spots, things he is self-conscious about, ways to rile him up in the form of a profile, carrd, or bio, then trolls will have it even easier.

So What?

Over time, too many enablers, tourists, or drama magnets may or may not ruin your online community. Over time, engagement optimisers can slowly but steadily ruin your community. Socialisers may not notice or care either way.

A code of conduct may protect your community against bad actors, but it can't protect your forum culture from clueless actors. It's incredibly hard to create a good set of punitive rules against this. As a moderator, it's emotionally difficult to enforce rules against this. You don't want to kick people while they are down, and you don't want to punish them for making popular content, even if it's just pictures of kittens and pictures of their lunch.

The only way you can achieve anything is by educating your users, and hoping they give a damn about forum culture.

#community management

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iceunhie · 9 months ago

Text

@ ICEUNHIE'S BLOG RULES !

» content: writing, engaging, rambles, asks, etc. the whole shebang

DO NOT INTERACT WITH ME IF: you are homophobic, transphobic, actively hate and engage in discourse and start drama that can harm others, racist, and if the basic dni criteria apply to you. i will not hesitate to block you.

— WRITING !!

➣ all my works are exclusively and strictly sfw, however, suggestive and implied content will be marked appropriately followed by an age limit.

( side note : do not interact, comment or reblog the post if you don't meet said age limit. )

➣ scroll away from my blog immediately if you intend to bring discourse/drama/hate. i do not need that kind of negatively, nor do i ask for it. save that hate for yourself.

➣ my writing consists of a horrendous mix of gender neutral/genderless readers, with the occasional female reader on the side that will, rest assured, be appropriately tagged as such; my work is meant for any orientation to enjoy! i also refer to my readers as either [name] or y/n.

➣ spoilers in any of my content will be marked and shown appropriately!!

➣ most of my work isn't proofread and capitalization isn't consistent, so sorry for that 😞😞

➣ my fics will occasionally feature grammatical errors and proofreading mistakes as well as dubious wording (☠️) as english is not my first language. pls bear with that T_T

➣ my readers often have a little bit of a personality in them! ill add random quirks and small details (habits, jobs and goals) about them that helps contribute with their dynamic/plot with the character. they may not be targeted to the audience most of the time, so i do hope you can still enjoy my work </3

— INBOX RULES & ASKS!

➣ PLEASE don't vent/traumadump on my inbox, it makes me uncomfortable and unsure of how to respond, so please just don't.

➣ again, for the love of everything good in this world; i don't accept requests, most especially request sent in during a period I'm unable to actually attend to them. there are periods in time when i may open them for milestones, but aside from that, you aren't getting anything from me, i apologize 😓

➣ i really love talking and interacting with people, despite how introverted my blog may look lol, so if you ever want to say something to me, do send me an ask (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)—♡

➣ i really try to answer asks as fast as i can, but there are some i gatekeep because they make me feel happy reading them hehe.

➣ if you're wondering why i don't answer brainrot asks, it's probably because i'll use the idea soon too or that life got the best of me. im sorry 😭

DO NOT, under any circumstances, use and repost my work or use it for AI purposes or anything associated with AI.

— ABOUT (M)HI(E) (get it?)

➣ i follow selectively and block liberally. blank blogs that have no reblogs in them or pfps will be blocked.

➣ do not spam like my fics/works; if you're enjoying my content, a reblog or a comment along with that will go a long way, more than likes!

➣i will hardblock/softblock mutuals if you've crossed any of my rules and/or have made me uncomfortable. while i'm not required to reveal the reason for breaking the mutual, please send an ask off anon so i can explain and talk about it in private.

thank you so much for reading my rules! here is my MASTERLIST at your viewing leisure. enjoy!

guys (gn) go ham in my inbox, ily /pos i apologize in advance if i end up capslocking everytime

#whoever reads ily thank u for taking the time to respect my rules #anyways I edited this like 3 times LOL my indecisive ass can't handle all the fancy formatting I put so i stuck to a basic theme #i love u gojo satoru one day I'll write for u

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ornithia · 2 years ago

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lmao i got blocked for this

i, a living, breathing, real-life existing aroace individual, a literal example of the very category you specifically attempted to white-knight, asked a genuine question regarding the puritanical "white-washing" of the general identity to which i and several of my peers belong to - but i suppose confronting your own bigotry was just too much to handle, eh?

let's go over your "values":

so you're not a "radical inclusionist" (w/e that means) ... but by your own logic, excluding certain marginalised groups (such as the select "undesirable" and "dirty" asexuals that do not fit the pure stereotype mold) precisely means you're also not a real leftist, but a "Republican in training" (this is literally YOUR own definition in YOUR own words)

so ... people like you, then? also awfully convenient that all of this info that constitutes blocking was hidden below a read-more, btw. (also, you commented on someone ELSE's post. i'd say that's fair game - maybe DON'T comment publicly at all if you truly don't want to engage with anyone, especially not if you're requiring them to read a whole TOS essay of your "voids" and "warranties")

this one was a little further down ... buddy. MOST people who ship alastor are asexuals themselves, safely exploring their identities and analysing their experiences through a fictional proxy. i can ASSURE you the majority of us are not aphobic, we're simply diverse, as human beings are wont to be. trying to fit us all into a neat little box and weeding out those who do not fit your standards or rhetoric, on the other hand - now THAT'S aphobic as all shit

going over the DNI list now and:

lmao WHAT. please research the history of humanity and the arts, i GUARANTEE you that most people who've written/created analogs of terrible things (since the very dawn of human creativity) have not PERSONALLY engaged in horrific deviancy so much as commentated on it, in order to make a point about its horrors and use it to tell a greater message. (also "predators in the making" is literally a dog whistle used in right-wing circles, specifically the ones that embrace terf-rhetoric, are homophobic, anti-feminist, and pro-censorship with the intended goal of resetting society to the "nuclear family" aka institute a social order in which the queers don't exist, women exist purely to spread their legs and pop out babies for their masters Men, children are DANGEROUSLY isolated and taught to be ignorant of the world that exists beyond their neighborhood so that when they eventually grow up they end up xenophobic Adults unable to cope with the notions of Different and New and far less able to creatively relate, empathise, or put themselves in others' shoes, for better or worse.

also, THIS is why ACTUAL critical thinking matters, and not just lazy broad strokes of some supposed "general morality", like holy shit you'd think you'd realise this given you consider yourself a "💜Beginner Satantic-Pagan Witch" and all the maligned things that THAT would imply based on a surface-level understanding of satan/lucifer's origins without actual research into the religion, like - based on the name alone, most people would assume you have a sadistic and LAUGHABLY disproportionate desire to see humans suffer due to a petty and envious "sibling rivalry" over the fact that god doted on humans just a little "too much" for lucifer's personal liking (per the canonical texts of the abrahamic religions)

OBVIOUSLY that's not the case, as there's ALWAYS more to the picture; you criticals should try applying this philosophy more often, you all seem so miserable all the time it's hard to imagine how this COULDN'T help

as for the rest of the list ... honestly, it isn't terrible. MOST of it is reasonable. pity, as we could've potentially been friends - had you just chosen to NOT speak on behalf of ALL asexuals with 0 consideration for our varied and complex nuance and spooked yourself into blocking me over a reality check

#hazbin hotel #alastor #discourse #hazbin critical #witchydemiaroace #asexuality #aphobia #got blocked again

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chen-chen-chen-again-chen · 2 years ago

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WIP Wednesday + fic drop

Thank you for the WWIP tags all you lovely souls: @bookish-bogwitch, @cutestkilla, @martsonmars, @artsyunderstudy, @whogaveyoupermission, @fatalfangirl, @larkral (I answer your call of a forceful tag! I'm sure it was a firm, grounding touch ❤️).

I have TWO things for you today. One of them is not actually an WIP, but a little shortie from the Rosethorn girl universe that you can read on AO3 right now! No fancy art because my brain is being Bad Brain right now. Thing 1:

They were all children once

Rating: Gen

Words: 823

Chapters: 1/1

Part 3 of Rosethorn girl

Summary:

Salisbury House thinks of the children that it's sheltered throughout the years.

Part of Carry On Countdown 2022's Day 13: Devotion.

I will also stick stuff about JELLY BABIES (a wee snippet & overly-emotional blather) under the cut. Next chapter with these sweet baby gays should be coming out tonight!

Ch. 10 (!!!!) of Jelly Babies is almost good to go. I THINK I will try to post daily until this bad boi is done?? I have a buffer of about 3-4 chapters, but I am human, so absolutely no guarantees. I do have an outline and a rough idea of where it's going to go, and I hope (DEAR GOD I HOPE) that it'll wrap up before the end of December. We shall see.

Thing 2. Here is a VERY SHORT SNIPPET from tonight's chapter:

“What?” Gregory asks, confused. He squints up at it. There’s some plants there that look familiar, a bunch of leaves with small white berries, wrapped up with a red ribbon. It looks like the stuff he helped Ioanna gather up the other day -

“That’s.” Swithin clears his throat. “That’s mistletoe.”

I just want to say a big, sloppy, huge, emotional, tearful, Gregory-esque thank you to everyone who has engaged with this work. Honestly, every time I write something (especially in fandom spaces), my go-to thought is, "This is so weird. This is just a lark. It's okay if no one reads it - I'm just happy that I wrote it and put it out into the world." But then y'all show up waving homemade signs and cheering and crying and Embracing the Weird and I am eternally grateful to exist in this corner of the internet with you.

I mentioned this before in responses to some comments, but I feel like writing and sharing "Jelly Babies" re-set some kind of button in my brain and my body so that I am actually able to experience joy again. And I hope that in some way, it brings you a little bit of joy and warmth and sweetness and the conviction that (as Dr. Chuck Tingle says) Love is Real. We're all just wee humans dealing with this hard shit and trying to make it through the day.

Whether you've been working joyfully or slogging away or unable to make anything at all - whether you're on top of the world or just struggling to make it through the the next minute - you always belong. You always deserve a hug and a hot drink and a rest so that you can sit down and take off your heavy boots.

Thank you. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Hello tags! @captain-aralias, @excalisbury, @facewithoutheart, @hushed-chorus, @ionlydrinkhotwater, @johnwgrey, @moodandmist, @nightimedreamersworld, @raenestee, @sailorblossoms, @thewholelemon, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe

#WIP Wednesday #carry on countdown #COC 2022 #swegory #sweet baby gays #snowbaz as elder gays #rosethorn girl #lucy lives #fuck the mage #Salisbury House #my fic tag

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bookwyrminspiration · 1 year ago

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nobody cares that you don’t like taylor swift. she outsold all your favs anyway

Well, Nonsie, clearly you cared enough to send this ask--in response to one reblogged post about finding her neutral, it seems. Though I will admit perhaps you've seen a few other posts I've made about her and those may factor in as well

It's partially this kind of hasty, immature defense of her that makes TS unappealing, personally. The full throttle adoration and childish comments to those who don't agree.

"She outsold all your favs anyway" is a generic, immature argument with no substance. One, I don't have "favs" as I intentionally try to be mindful that this is their job, they deserve privacy, that I don't know them and they could be anyone underneath the performance, so this is ill-aimed at me if you're trying to get a rise out of me. Two, if your defense/support of her relies on putting other artists down, that's a shitty, unhelpful perspective to have on art. Three, a perspective that ties monetary success and popularity to art is also a narrow perspective to have

I don't know you, you don't know me, and we're both allowed to have our opinions on the matter. If you like TS, great, you can do that. But if you cannot accept critique of things you enjoy and that not everyone will like them, then you are in no place to be having conversations like this as you will be unable to conduct yourself properly. If our paths cross again and you continue conducting yourself in this manner, I will engage with you no further

#ts critical #quil's queries #nonsie #should this be the last we speak #i wish you the best and that you see how behaving like this is detrimental to both yourself and others

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vanillahub · 1 year ago

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2, 3 & 17

@commandsir

Munday Asks: Salt Edition [Accepting]

2. What are your unpopular opinion(s) of the fandom you’re rping in?

// SW fans learn the difference between forcing something onto you, and someone just stating an opinion. You're not a bigger fan for preferring one version of the canon over another, and same thing goes to the lesser of a fan argument. And don't even get me started on the whole crusade about "morality in fiction". Nobody is more morally righteous for watching the latest shows, or not.

The holy grail that we call source material is nothing more than a, collection of answers to the questions you may have. Disney's SW and Legends' come with their own different sets of answers. Trying to intimidate someone from enjoying one thing, is such a low move. And to me it tells me that many people, likely feel SO insecure about their beliefs/HCs/takes. That they feel like they have to act this way, in an attempt to "protect" themselves.

As an adult that's approaching her 30s, I've been far more drawn towards the more mature version of SW. I haven't been getting the most satisfactory answers from the new canon, and as such, I'll keep turning to Legends. At the same time, I don't treat the old Legends stuff as the holy bible, it isn't. I don't like everything about it, in the same way I also enjoy some changes brought by the new canon.

3. What rp trends are you so over and can’t wait for it to die?

// Can we just go back to calling ourselves RP blogs? The whole shtick of 'This blog is a study of: X, Y, Z subjects that the RPer thinks it makes them look big brained for knowing uwu' doesn't look good, and imo it looks 1000x worse when the blog has little to no IC/character building done, and it is nothing but shitposts or generic aesthetics/musings.

It just makes the people behind those blogs come off as unnecessarily pompous. Especially when it is blatantly obvious, they don't know what they are talking about, because they are applying concepts/ideas wrongly in their fundamentals.

And I'm going to say it: anyone trying to pass that off as 'a joke' or how 'it wasn't meant to be taken seriously uwu' are just coping, because they likely realised how silly it all looks and sounds, but they convinced themselves this is better.

17. What are your opinions when someone makes negative posts constantly on their rp blog?

// I've had to deal with people like that many times in the past, and I've learned that it is best to just avoid those people. They are draining in every sense of the word, and my experience/time in communities has largerly improved, since I started filtering those people out.

To me, negativity can come in various forms.

There are obviously the people who are heavily tied to discourse, who are simply unable to drop a subject and move on, and they made hating a character/subject/part of a franchise's source material part of their personality. There are also people who overshare, every little bad thing that happened to them, and dump onto their mutuals/followers super personal shit that was never meant to be publicized. And they do that not out of malice in most cases, but because they are seeking out coddling and comfort in social media engagement (If anyone hits this point, they NEED to seek professional help.). And there are also people who are just unable to keep shit to themselves, or lack a circle of friends, to comment on every little thing others are doing. You know, the people who go 'oh ew. Imagine shipping/liking X Y stuff' or 'Oh what did I do? Why did I lose a follower? >:('. Now this is just vagueposting, which is targeting someone.

And before anyone tries to point fingers at me because, I support people doing whatever they want in their blogs. I also equally support people improving their online experience, and leave if they feel like they've had enough of something.

#[ rambles ]#thank you for the ask!#commandsir #this got long oops but aaaaaaaaa this was nice <3

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buy-telegram-members · 2 years ago

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#Buy Telegram Members #buy my premium #black girl magic

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dinosaurtsukki · 3 years ago

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fukuzawa, mori, and fyodor seeing their independent f/s!o crying for the first time

@aida690adriana: Hello. Can I ask for headcannons for Fukuzawa Yukichi, Mori Ogai, Fyodor Dostoyevsky (separately) and their strong and independent fem!s/o, who cried for the first time in his memory? S/o started crying from some trifle (for example, a waiter in a cafe was rude to her). This incident was the last straw, before that she always suppressed tears and did not allow herself to cry, so that she would not be considered weak. Please.

a/n: ooooh ngl this is a bit of a challenging one for me but i have been meaning to write for both fukuzawa and mori, and ofc fyodor is one of my faves so lets go!!

he has always been impressed by your independence and ability to take care of yourself

he's a busy man and as much as he would like to have the time to take care of you more, sadly his work doesn't allow it

although he admires your ability to hold your own, he sometimes worries that you don't truly feel free about expressing your emotions but he's not quite sure about breaching the topic with you yet

fukuzawa used to be apprehensive about you working with him in the ADA but you were just amazing at talking and negotiating with clients that he found your services valuable in the end

a lot of the ADA members look up to you and ask you for help sometimes so you have that reputation

but because of that, you would often pressure yourself to keep up such appearances because you're scared of letting your partner and the other ADA members down

it just so happened that you were having an extremely stressful work day since most of the ADA members were on a mission and you had to take on a lot of clients

one in particular was giving you a hard time and challenging your expertise, asking repeatedly to talk to fukuzawa even though he was out

you were in desperate need of a breather afterwards so you locked yourself in the supply closet out of fear of anyone seeing you cry

the agency office was basically empty at the end of the day but fukuzawa actually came back to fetch something from his office and he couldn't mistake the sounds of you crying in the supply closet

you practically jumped when he opened the door and fukuzawa was just as surprised as you are

the two of you were staring at each other for a bit before he asks "wouldn't you rather stay in my office?"

he knows you don't quite want to talk about things yet so he'll clear the couch in the room for you, set a box of tissues on the coffee table, and busy himself with making tea

and then when you start talking and apologizing about crying in the supply closet he's honestly surprised

fukuzawa would definitely be sweet and reassuring with you and say that even though he's amazed by your independence he doesn't want you to force yourself to be that all the time

"i know that the ADA work is very stressful so feel free to use my office to take a breather anytime"

during work, he sometimes takes the time to check in on you and even makes you coffee in the morning and afternoon

one of the things mori always loved about you was your independence and ability to stand up for yourself. you were rarely shaken by other people

he was always impressed watching you handle things by yourself whenever the two of you were dealing with other organization heads in yokohama

you did know what you were getting into when you got into a relationship with the boss of the port mafia so you didn't want to be someone who'd weigh him down

and that's why you also tried to be useful with mori's work

whenever you had a meeting or an event to attend, you'd have to go to the bathroom to take time and collect yourself before engaging with people

mori prides himself at being good at reading people's feelings and he definitely notices this from you

he's not the type to push things unless you initiate them. but sometimes he finds time to usher you away so you have time to breathe

whenever you and mori go to events you always encounter a rude guest or two who'd question your place by the port mafia boss's side

usually you're able to argue with them until they're unable to speak but you're exhausted by the night you've had and the rude guest is just picking you apart

finally, you just can't take it from them anymore and rush to the bathroom

mori, of course, notices your absence decides to wait for you outside while you're trying to fix yourself and make it look like you weren't crying

your eyes are still red when you decide to leave the bathroom and of course you're shocked to see mori out there

he doesn't miss the look on your face and quickly asks about what happened

you're a bit intimidated being so vulnerable in front of mori but he wraps an arm around your waist and takes you somewhere quieter where you reluctantly talk about what was bothering you

after you finish talking mori just gently puts his hands on your shoulders

"do you want me to take care of them for you?"

despite how dangerous his voice sounds you end up laughing at that and mori's kind of puzzled but relieved to see you feel slightly better

he reassures you with the fact that you don't have to involve yourself with mafia work and he won't love you any less for it UwU

you were always drawn to fyodor because of how easily he was able to read you and connect with your thoughts

it's something that you found useful in your relationship since you weren't used to openly communicating your thoughts or emotions and because of that you came off as more 'independent' to other people

when you're around him you actually find yourself relaxing a little because he has a good handle on what you're feeling or what you really want

he likes to assure you that he doesn't mind you being vulnerable around him or asking for help (that is if he's not busy with his usual work)

one of the downsides to being with fyodor though was that he was always busy and the two of you could only go on dates around once or twice a month

so whenever he invited you for dinner it was always a big deal for you and you especially looked forward to them so you liked to spend a bit of time getting ready

it was no surprise when fyodor texted that he was going to be a bit late. you were used to it since he had stuff to do and you pulled up your phone or a book to pass the time while waiting at the table

you booked the reservation in advance anticipating this and you thought it was fine but then you noticed that one of the waiters would visit your table a bit too often

at first the questions sounded like concern 'are you alright? is there anything you'd like to order first?' but then they later became a bit more pushy

then they started making side comments about how your date maybe just ditched you and that you should go home already even though you knew very well fyodor was on his way

eventually, it became a bit much and their comments got to you so you started getting ready to leave while quietly blinking back tears when fyodor finally shows up

he's concerned when he sees your teary face which you quickly try to conceal but he strokes your hand gently to try to calm you down

immediately he suspects that it was because of something someone says and as much as he wants to hurt them, fyodor knows that you need the attention first

when you apologize for crying in front of him, he just blinks and says that you never have to apologize for doing that

he's not the best at comforting in general but he gently asks if you would rather order and eat at home with him instead

fyodor knows you missed him a lot (and he missed you but he's not gonna say that out loud yet) so he pays more attention to you for the rest of the night

he makes it a point now to arrive at dinner dates a bit earlier

▸ 🎕 ┈┈┈┈ 🎕 ┈┈┈┈ 🎕 ┈┈┈┈ 🎕 ┈┈┈┈ 🎕 ◂

taglist (check out my post for details on being part of my taglist): @kiyoobi @atsumusdomain @laure-chan @goodfoodxoxoxo @guardianangelswings @kei-ya @loisuke @whootwhoot @liz-multifandom-hotel @kac-chowsballs @violentfarewll @fyoyacanruinmylifethanks @nightmare-light @miyakiyo0mi @whorefordazai @rirk-ke @cross-crye @alohablue @duhsies @alittlesimp @bsdparadise @fyodorscello @sage-brick

#bungou stray dogs #bsd #bungou stray dogs x reader #bsd x reader #fukuzawa yukichi x reader #fukuzawa x reader #mori ogai x reader #mori x reader #fyodor dostoevsky x reader #fyodor x reader #bungou stray dogs headcanons #bsd headcanons #bungou stray dogs imagines #bsd imagines

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mydaroga · 2 years ago

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Would you mind elaborating on the type of behaviour you're talking about? I'm not tryin to cause trouble, i just hate the idea that you feel like the fandom is unwelcoming and I'd like to understand more!

Hi there. Thank you for your interest, because I think this is an important topic. I want to be really careful about how I talk about this, because there's enough uncertainty in these parts and I don't want to be part of the problem. But by the same token... there's a lot of uncertainty in these parts and I think a lot of it comes from a lack of direct communication. I'm also hesitant because I've only been here since January, and I'm hardly an expert. I welcome comments from anyone who feels comfortable adding their thoughts, or who feels I've gotten something wrong.

So let me be clear and upfront about this, to start: I really like this fandom and I'm really happy to be here. I have met some really incredible people that I hope I will be friends with a long time. I have been warmly welcomed and made to feel like my contributions were appreciated. I have been reached out to and I have had my overtures returned.

So when I said, in my tags, that there were unwelcoming elements under the surface, that is what I meant. When I first got here, I actually had more than one person warn me or express surprise that I found it friendly. That's troubling, don't you think? And in the past few months, what I've found is that there is some combination of 1) unwritten rules and 2) different rules for different people? spaces? topics? the upshot of which equals more people than myself feeling uncertain about where and whether their voices are welcome. There's a fair bit of policing, but it's not overt. You more just get the feeling from posts you see here and there that something is bad or wrong or stupid or unwanted, but to me anyway it's never entirely clear exactly what or why. And that leads to people thinking, "huh, they might be talking about me." Or, at best, “I don’t know how to engage with that because I don’t know what’s behind it even if I kinda agree with some of it.”

Whether one is "guilty" of said bad/wrong/stupid/unwanted thing, this only serves to make people feel uncomfortable, uncertain, and unable to respond. And I think that then compounds, because to bring it back to the OP that I was responding to, one thing I've noticed is posts that announce that "everyone who thinks X is wrong" are usually about things I've never seen anyone say, and then I see posts about how "everyone who thinks X is wrong is Y," and it becomes this bizarre game of telephone, based on an original annoyance or irritation that may well be true but is, at this point, untraceable and irrelevant.

And in that climate, it becomes scary to speak up, even about sometimes innocuous things, because people aren't really sure whether they're the ones being complained about, and aren't even sure whether they're "allowed" to speak. I've seen people complain that no one discusses or debates with them, and I've had people message me about being too afraid to discuss or debate. So something is keeping folks who want to from engaging, and I think that is unfortunate. Because there is no fandom without people contributing to it in their myriad forms and formats.

I hope that helps, and I hope I haven't put my foot in it, and as always I do welcome any comment or, yes, criticism. This is a very small fandom. Others I've been in are certainly not free of drama, but it can be a little easier to find "your people" and curate your experience because there are simply more of them. And my personal opinion is that there's not an insignificant number of folks in this fandom who feel this burden of uncertainty about just what is welcome.

And, though no one asked me, I think it should all be welcome barring that which is intentionally hurtful or hateful.

#this is just my observation/opinion #i thought about just saying i didn't want to talk about it but i think that's part of the issue #fwiw my inbox is always open #i know this is a lot of words but if I'm going to talk #i like to be thorough and clear #Kris talks a lot #the ask box #anon asks

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mrsgiovanna · 3 years ago

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Between the devil and the deep blue sea (Yakuza!Josuke x Reader x Don Giorno)

If you're looking for cinnamon bun Josuke and cinnamon roll Giorno this is NOT it. The reader is a courtesan in this instance, and the Duwang gang (heh) are actually a branch of the Yakuza. (Just a darker, criminal Jojo AU)

This request took way too long, @rubyninja1 here you go love, I hope this is what you were envisioning.

All characters are aged up as this occurs many years after Giorno becomes Don.

TW: Very OOC, yandere behavior if you squint, yakuza x mafia au, suggestive content.

Word Count: 1.7k

Minors please DNI with this post and block the n/sfw tag

You stared at your reflection in the misty mirror, wiping off the steam in one swipe. You had a very important engagement to get ready for, and for the first time since you entered this business, you were nervous. Ever since Giorno became the Don of Passione, the drug trade came to a grinding halt. The rules were adapted to suit his ideals and keep Italy’s youth safe from drugs. But there remained one problem- the activities of the former execution squad… at the best of times, the income brought in was meagre, not really being enough to support all of the assassins, and with the new regime, even those jobs had all but dried up. You had to get creative to generate a livable income, and after many conversations and playing to the Don’s affections for you, you were able to persuade him to allow you and an elite group of escorts to run your business while still being under the protection of Passione.

Under normal circumstances, Giorno would not have allowed you to do something like this, but you had asked him to give you just one month to prove that you would be able to protect yourself while doing the line of work you had proposed, him hoping silently that you would grow tired of that life in favor of a more mundane activity, however, in that short amount of time, not only had you established your business, but you had become the most requested companion, which meant you could accept and deny requests at will- suddenly money was no longer your motivation. It was an intoxicating feeling… being that desired, it was altogether euphoric watching them crumble at your sweet rejections. It was fair game for any man, deciding your rules according to your latest whims, although, one man was above all of those games, being in a superior league all on his own. There was no waiting, or appraising when your presence was requested by Don Giovanna. Most times he would request for you to entertain his associates, close to him so he could keep an eye on you- one of many guardians that you had collected over the years.

Moving into your adjoining room you put on the beautiful silken embroidered outfit and hair ornaments sent to you by Giorno- tonight was a special night as the Don wasn’t just hosting any old Mafiosi, these guests were his esteemed associates from Japan. Over and above the usual treatment doled out to those who met with the don, this visit was more important than most. The head of the visiting group was a relative of Giorno’s, so there was no room for error. You wondered about his convoluted bloodline, hearing murmurs about his origins, but nothing was ever confirmed or denied other than the fact that his mother is Japanese, and nobody dared to push further for answers, not that it mattered in any case, by this time, Giorno had rearranged the entire structure of Passione, and for all intents and purposes it worked, sustainably generating copious amounts of money with minimal bloodshed.

Right, mascara and I’ll be done you mused as you applied the finishing touches to your makeup. No sooner had you finished primping your lashes did you hear a knock on your door.

“It’s open…” you called out from the seat in front of your mirror.

“(y/n), they’re ready with the car downstairs, whenever you’re ready to go…”

“Thank you Ris…” the words left your carefully painted lips, barely acknowledged by your capo when he turned to leave. Well, referring to him as Capo was now redundant seeing that you were an entity in your own right, but old habits die hard, and you still respected him in the same way. He always worried before you set out on these types of missions, remembering a time when you used to be sent out on missions by him. Nonetheless, those days were over now, and you had a new role to fulfil.

There was nobody downstairs when you left, so you exited quietly and steeled your mind on the drive to the private cigar lounge.

“Fugo, I’ll be in my study, please alert me when Higashikata and his associates are here. Also confirm with Risotto if (y/n) is on board for this evening,”

“Of course Giogio, excuse me, I’ll also follow up with Mista on the status of the Capos he’s in charge of- I’ll have feedback for you in an hour,” with a small nod of acknowledgement Fugo took his leave and Giorno went back to examining the documents sent to him beforehand about the strange occurrences in Morioh, Washington, and now Naples. This was the start of something ominous, having a nagging feeling that this wasn’t the last time he would have to meet Josuke. It’s highly unusual for organisations like Passione and the Gokudo to interact in this manner, but this situation was exceptional, and when Jotaro had made contact with Giorno explaining the situation, he couldn’t turn a blind eye, and as such, Josuke was sent in his stead to meet with the young Don.

“Giogio, we should leave now if we want to get there before Higashikata’s group, Mista will meet us there,” with that, the Don and his consigliere had left to receive their guests.

Scents of old leather, expensive tobacco, and even more expensive cologne filled the air when you sauntered in. A handsome man with a pompadour, donning a designer suit, shirt opened a few buttons too low displaying the elaborate patterns adorning his chest offered you a wicked grin from across the room. Just next to him, another ruggedly good looking man with scars across his face nursed a drink while emphatically making conversation with a white haired young man who had a beautiful raven-haired woman draped over him.

“Ah, (y/n), there you are, come on, take this to Don Giovanna and Mr Higashikata,” Maria the head hostess, pushed a bottle of cognac into your hands, the Mafiosi already having gone through a couple of rounds before your arrival.

You approached the rowdy table, offering apologies for the delay, nestling yourself between Giorno and Josuke with a flirtatious giggle.

“Well dollface, it seems good things come to those who wait, so I’ll overlook it… this time,” You were surprised with the fluency at which Josuke spoke Italian- perfect Neapolitan dialect.

“Your Italian is impeccable Higashikata-sama,” you commented, remembering the honorifics you read about. Josuke looked impressed, cocking an eyebrow, taking a sip of the expensive liquor that remained in his glass, readying himself for you to pour him another drink. Watching the exchange, Giorno downed the rest of his drink as well, and took care of the formal introductions, not that it mattered in any case. You were being pulled in all to quickly by the magnetism exuded by the young man, being lulled by the dulcet tones of his voice. I guess this runs in the family you thought to yourself, recalling your first encounter with the don. Giorno continued his conversations with the rest of Josuke’s associates, discussing the occurrences that had brought them all the way to Naples, but kept one eye on you at all times. He wasn’t sure if it was Josuke’s brazen attitude, or your fawning, but the entire situation had annoyed him, which didn’t make sense even to him seeing that you were acting on his instruction… although by this point, you weren’t really acting.

“So Higash…”

“Please, call me Josuke,”

“Okay, Josuke, those are some interesting tattoos you have…” you say, delicately tracing the patterns on his chest with a manicured finger.

“Wanna see the rest of it?” not really waiting for an answer, Josuke unbuttons the rest of his shirt to show you the elaborate design on his back, a large stunning dragon sprawled menacingly across the taut skin, stopping just shy of star-shaped marking on his shoulder.

“Hey, that looks like the same mark on the don’s shoulder…” the young man pulled his shirt and coat back on and eyed Giorno knowingly, to which the don wordlessly replied with a smirk as he raised his glass. Giorno wasn’t always that condescending, but he had the urge to make it known that hewas the one who had been acquainted with you first. Not that any of that had bothered Josuke, he wasn’t one to fall for minor acts of derision when he had set his sights on something he wanted, and right now, that was you. Missing that entire interaction as you refreshed everyone else’s drinks, you returned to the table, however Josuke wanted to take your conversation to another location, somewhere quieter.

You lead him to one of the private meeting rooms, slowly sliding the door shut. Turning around to face him, you noticed the look on Josuke’s face changed, eyes darker, expression demanding your attention, which you were unable to avert regardless of your efforts. This feeling was exhilarating to you, for so long you had mostly been in charge of your encounters, only ever yielding control to Giorno when you were with him.

“Y’know, your don was doing his best to make it known that he’d been here first… I don’t much care for the conquest or doing things first, all that matters is doing it right…” inching closer towards you, a pair of strong arms placed you on the table, hungry lips captured your own, your hands attempting to go into his hair when you were gently reprimanded. As much as this was a job for you, evidence of your excitement pooled in your lingerie and left your lips in muted moans as deft hands and lips skillfully worshipped your body, bringing you to the precipice of ecstasy so many times before allowing you to fall in.

“Good girl… look at you, barely able to think…” Josuke spoke into your shoulder, resting his head there while he waited for you ride out your climax.

Outside your little slice of heaven, your absence was obvious, Giorno having concluded his business, had started to take his leave, not before catching a glimpse of your slightly disheveled form exiting the room. You didn’t see him watching you with a scowl, already having set in motion a plan for your future in both his life and the organization… for now the moment though it seemed ignorance truly was bliss.

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