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yurimother · 3 years

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Fishing for Lesbians: Arguments About Queerbaiting in Anime

The Owl House creator Dana Terrace once spoke about queerbaiting and said, "I see [baiting] a lot in modern anime, specifically."

But I disagree and believe that anime's problem with LGBTQ+ characters and audiences is, in fact, much worse.

Check out my new article: Fishing for Lesbians: Arguments About Queerbaiting in Anime

Read it and other Secret Garden articles on Pateron

The Secret Garden is YuriMother’s series of monthly articles about Yuri and LGBTQ anime and manga. You can get exclusive access to the entire series on the YuriMother Patreon, and get other rewards like early access and more. Check out free articles and subscribe for the full series: https://t.co/3fkQ8lVSz0?amp=1

And check out a preview of the Fishing for Lesbians below.

...

The logical and literal interpretations of queerbaiting as we look at it do not apply to anime. So why is it still so frustrating when an anime we so desperately want to show same-sex romance does not? Why, as Terrace said, does it feel like these anime are "making fun of viewers for becoming invested in a relationship?" The constant and historic disregard and ignorance about LGBTQ+ audiences goes further than just trying to bait them in to improve ratings and sales. And it is hard to point the blame at a director or studio when this is what anime has always done. They do not need to put lesbian characters in because just having two women be friends is enough. It is still Yuri. They do not need to have discussions about gay and transgender audiences because BL and Yuri were never made exclusively for them, and in the vast majority of cases, they do not portray them and overlook their vast contributions to the genres. Indeed, the current definitions of queerbaiting does not do enough to express how disregarded and unnoticed we are.

As queer people, we face so much torment and rejection that we turn to media, to fictional worlds. And when these worlds hint that they recognize and accept us, it gives us such hope that it will affirm our identities in ways reality too often does not. It is why we all celebrated so hard when Luz and Amity asked each other out, why we look at every new anime that features two girls smiling with arms wrapped around each other's shoulders with hope, and why it causes so much pain and it is so overwhelmingly frustrating to have those hopes dashed again and again.

I can tell you exactly where I was when I binged the final season of She-Ra; describe precisely what I felt when I first saw episode 12 of Strawberry Panic and saw Nagisa and Shizuma kiss; articulate why I could not stand and was sobbing tears of happiness on Valentine's Day 2014 after I finished The Last of Us: Left Behind; perfectly recall the overwhelming joy and disbelief the queer community experienced and expressed on Tumblr when the Korra finale aired and our wildest dreams came true. Ask me in 10 years, and I can guarantee I will remember everything about July 31, 2021, when Lumity became canon. These moments of validation, excitement, and community are forever impactful. And as an anime fan and member of the LGBTQ community, I know what it is like to be resigned, and in a near-constant state of disappointment in a medium I love. It is not "queerbaiting", but a constant disregard and ignorance about queer people's lives and participation in anime and manga, and damn does it hurt.

Continue reading at https://www.patreon.com/posts/54386395

#Yuri #lgbtq #lgbt #patreon #the secret garden #lgbtq+#queer #gay #lesbian #lesbians #girls love #gl #wlw

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missaureus · 4 years

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CRASH LANDING ON YOU

Number of Episodes: 16

Genre: Romance, Drama

Rating: 10/10

I actually finished this series prior to the quarantine season but let me just include it to the list because I invested so much emotions to it, to the point it left me handicapped.

Crash Landing on You has so much on its plate! Not to mention the controversy it faced, being criticized by the liberal party for romanticizing not their own kind. I truly appreciate how this production served something new to the audience! The disclaimer being rolled before each episode is a reminder how a vast mind can offer so much - a window to let us visually access how the life is in the world's most secretive country, North Korea. Sure, there are already dramas with North Korea as a setting but the overall portrayal of CLoY makes it loved by the general public.

Apart from the reason of casting big actors as leads, how the supporting roles in CLoY are being painted give a big impact to the whole canvas, even the hostiles and the helpless. The side stories are definitely not something to be skipped. Surprisingly, my favorite character is Seo Dan's mom. She exudes peak mom level! Actually, all mother figures radiate strong personalities! Among all, I appreciate Seo Dan's character development the most! She is definitely a revolution herself. Thank you for empowering women on screen! Lastly, the backbone of the story are the best squads in the history of kdrama, the soldier squad and the mom squad ㅋㅋThey are just pure and fun to watch, even their chemistry with Seri is good~

I honestly ran out of expectations from this drama. I was afraid how it is going to end but the greatest takeaway is that, each character reached their own resolution. Probably some might disagree re: Seo Dan and Seung Jun's tragedy. But the second male lead saying: I was wrong. When I die, there’s someone who will cry for me. The fact that it’s you makes me sad and happy. I guess that resolved his own conflict. *criii*

I have so much to say, to be honest because this drama is generous enough with insights. Highly recommended~ People saying this is too overrated need to sit down and repent lol!

ITAEWON CLASS

Number of Episodes: 16

Genre: Drama, Revenge

Rating: 9/10

First episode and it was already dark and bold. The plot caters a pool of societal issues such as class differences, abuse of power/injustices, transgender discrimination, and racism. This drama has a different aura compared to previous works of Park Seo Joon. Even the love story of the leads is not the typical lovey dovey~

The main character's determination to avenge his father's death is scalding hot throughout the episodes. It was as consistent as his hairstyle for years istg. Hard work does not betray, indeed. What struck me the most is when one character, Seung Kwon, who used to be Saeroyi jailmate, crossed paths again after years in the outer world. He narrated how everyone is given the same amount of time but the depth of time one spends is completely different compared to someone who does not set goals and persevere through time to get it.

No wonder how the rating of the show did good since the characters are effectively pulled off despite how tacky each personality is.

HI BYE, MAMA!

Number of Episodes: 16

Genre: Drama, Fantasy

Rating: 10/10

This series stirred the general public for a fact that the one portraying Seo Woo is actually a boy. The enormous attention it absorbed was also due to its heartbreaking storyline. It is not even an exaggeration that there is no episode that would not let you cry. It will give your tear ducts so much work.

It reflects a pool of family values and love. It will make you realize even more no matter what age you have, you will still need your mom. It will make you ponder how death can rob you in an instant. Midong, a shaman in the drama, once said: A woman who lost her husband is called a widow. A man who lost his wife is called a widower. And a kid who lost his parents is called an orphan. But there’s no word for a parent who lost their kid. Know why? It’s because no word can describe it. There’s no word in this world that can describe the excruciating pain. That is too devastating, I can't digest it.

I want to commend the three main characters so much! They deserve a round of applause each. Both Seowoo's moms deserve her. Yuri and Minjung are both selfless and strong, as mothers should be. It's true that being aggressive with their respective decision against the other without feeling sorry could have been done if one is mean towards the other. This drama has no antagonist and it is frustrating that no one can take the blame. Sadly, one mom must be hurt deeply in order to save the other mom. Shoutout to all stepmoms! Not all are evil, stop labeling them as one. Seowoo's dad, Kanghwa, for me, has the hardest character. He has been walking on eggshells. All his life, his shoulders are heavy. He endured so much and embraced unnecessary guilt. His walls are too high that made his relationship with others shaky. He is afraid for people to get hurt to the point being too considerate does not help him at all, making himself his own punching bag.

Hitting the resolution of the story is a painful process but it is the kind of hurt that liberated all characters involved. To be able to point out what went wrong and ungrasping it--- Yuri boldy telling his used-to-be husband "I am not yours anymore. You can let me go now." opened the door to silence the conflicts. Acceptance.

Literally, I cried how the epilogue gave a glimpse of the couple's life if Yuri was able to escape his death note. It only takes a second to change a life-changing event. But reaching the final episode was the real deal for my tear ducts ㅠ I seriously cried 90 minutes straight! I am so satisfied how it is wrapped up. No better ending no matter heartbreaking it is!

HE IS PSYCHOMETRIC

Number of Episodes: 16

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, Thriller

Rating: 9/10

Why did I just watch it noW? ㅠ Wow, this is a masterpiece! The plot twist is insane! I love how the truth was unfold throughout the story. It was helluva stressful hahaha. Dark enough. Since I was hungry for an answer, I finished this one almost straight 16 hours!!! If you have watched While You Were Sleeping, which was about someone who can dream about the future, this series is a counterpart. The main lead can see the past by touching a person or object. This unique ability helped him solve cases, especially the event the greatly involved him in the past.

I commend Jinyoung for crying that much! Crazy he has lots of frame that in need of crying ㅋㅋㅋ Rise the flag of actor-idol! He is a natural, to be honest. His character, Ahn's funny antics always got me~ The female lead, Ye Eun has an uncanning resemblance of Yerim, hahaha it awed me while watching~

I am satisfied how it ended. Although I would to see more of their love story but in totality it is a must-watch definitely!

WHEN THE CAMELLIA BLOOMS

Number of Episodes: 40

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Thriller

Rating: 9/10

I love how this is filtered ♡ Very aesthetic that I want to live in Ongsan too! Life for the female lead is too complex. The plot revolves around straightening the strands of conflicts of her life. Dealing with her son who does not want her to have a boyfriend, who is short-tempered and acts maturely to protect her mom; dealing with her boyfriend who loves her unconditionally, who always believes in her and brings out the best of her; dealing with her ex husband, who wants to stand as a father to his child and fill in those years he missed to take care of him; dealing with her neighbors, who speak ill and put her in a bad light at first; dealing with her mother who made her an orphan and came back to her sick; dealing with her secret killer...

This runs for 20 hours and I could not remember the last drama I've watched this long but I savored it without any hint boredom. It ended but I still want mooore. I love how every character is given ample amount of screen time in the last episode. Everyone ended up happily. The went through so much, a happy ending is deserved by all. I was moved. I learned so much about life which is too complex to be completely understood.

Props to Haneul! His loud and vibrant acting is commendable!!! And the post-credit is so heartwarming ㅠㅠ I had a fair share of tears for this drama ㅠㅠ

BECAUSE THIS IS MY FIRST LIFE

Number of Episodes: 16

Genre: Drama, Romance

Rating: 9/10

I had two attempts to successfully finish this series and what a shame it took me this long? This series also moved me so much. It talks about views and opinion about living independently and marriage. Throughout, I was also questioning my decisions in life and effectively made me reflect.

Ji Ho who is 30, who is jobless, who is homeless. and Se Hee holds the answer to her problems. Se Hee who only loves his cat, who only values his house. Apart from having the same interest in beer and soccer, they mutually signed a contract that both benefitted them. Weird. How can you marry someone without involving emotions?

I also love the opposite personalities of the female lead's friends. Soo Ji who does not believe in marriage and described it as a tomb of a relationship. She is strong and independent. She does not take any guy seriously until Sang Goo happened. Ho Rang who dreams of being a housewife and a mother. She desperately wanted to marry his long-term partner because she is already hitting three decades. Sadly, his partner, Wonseok, expressed how he is not that ready yet and still starting to get a stable job.

I love how this drama ended! Heartwarming~

Part 1 | https://daisy-illusive.tumblr.com/post/162383689643

Part 2 | https://daisy-illusive.tumblr.com/post/169033240193

#personal #kdrama #kdrama recommendations #kdrama review #crash landing on you #hi bye mama #itaewon class #korean drama #korean series #review #he is psychometric #when the camellia blooms #because this is my first life

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sol1056 · 6 years

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Can you explain why LGBT representation is so important and why Voltron's negative portrayal of LGBT characters/rep should be scorned as harshly as it has been? I'm trying to prove a point to a friend and they don't get why representation has to be as important as we're making it.

Oh, this is a huge topic, and one I’m not sure I could do justice to, all by myself. Given that, this time I’ll let people speak for themselves. Anyone else reading (and I know a whole lot of you are out there) who’ve valued representation – regardless as to whether you relate to the character as a lived experience – feel free to add your thoughts, or links to any other articles, podcasts, or videos you’re recommend.

Fabricio Leal Cogo, Why Queer Representation Matters

I remember growing up here in Brazil and not seeing anyone like me portrayed on TV—or at least, not anyone with a similarly complex inner life. The few times I saw gays on TV, they were always a punchline in a comedy—a source of laughter. Many people, I’m sure, are probably thinking: It’s just a joke, right?

But representation matters.

It’s impossible to overstate the power of being able to identify with a public figure, particularly when that figure is actually seen in the fullest sense. As Michael Morgan, a former professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a researcher on media effects, told the Huffington Post earlier this year, “When you don’t see people like yourself, the message is: You’re invisible. The message is: You don’t count. And the message is: ‘There’s something wrong with me.’” He continued: “Over and over and over, week after week, month after month, year after year, it sends a very clear message, not only to members of those groups, but to members of other groups, as well.”

Uma Dodd, Queerbaiting And The Issue Of LGBT Representation In The Media:

Of the 125 movies released by major US studios in 2016, the media monitoring organisation GLAAD found that only 23 (18.4%) contained characters who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer – an increase of less than 1% from the previous year. … It’s insulting, and often quite disheartening, to be told that you’re only worth the three lines of dialogue and five minutes of screen time that the one LGBT character in a film might have, just because of your sexuality or gender.

Queerbaiting relies solely on subtext and the subsequent interpretation of it by fans, and as a result, creates the perfect paradox: writers are able to attract an LGBT audience with vague promises of representation, implied by the text and often encouraged by the writer, but will then never actually confirm or explicitly show said representation, reducing the amount of effort that has to be put in on their part.

You may say that I’m blowing this issue out of proportion, but that too, is a part of the problem. Because queerbaiting is based on purely subtextual hints, any evidence of it, no matter how blatant it might seem to the viewer/reader, is often insubstantial and difficult to quantify. This allows writers and cast members to dismiss the anger of LGBT fans as simple overreaction and, as a result, makes any legitimate pleas for better representation easier to ignore.

Another by-product that has resulted out of increasing calls for better LGBT representation is implied representation. This is where writers will claim that a character is LGBT but never explicitly show this within the TV show, film, or novel. This is a method which has been employed by many creators of famous franchises, and it allows them to insert that token bit of representation which makes them look good, without ever actually providing said representation explicitly … Not only does this result in LGBT characters, once again, being shoved into the background – and often killed off for shock value – it raises the question: is this kind of representation good enough?

…Whilst any representation of non-heteronormative characters is a good start, this way of representing us can’t be allowed to become the norm – we deserve to be explicitly shown in the media as much as anyone else does. We need better representation and we need to be shown that not all LGBT characters have to remain in the closet, because what kind of a message is that sending to those young people out there who are currently questioning their sexuality?

B. Whiteside, 6 Reasons It’s Important to Have LGBT Characters on Children’s TV Shows:

A recent study by the Williams Institute at UCLA revealed that nearly 6 million adults and children have an LGBT parent. There are more than 125,000 same-sex couple households with nearly 220,000 children under the age 18. These children go to school and are active members of their communities. Their identities and home life deserve to be portrayed and represented just as much as anyone else’s.

Being a child can be tough, especially when one can’t identify with anyone around them. There are children and young adults alike who identify as LGBT or have parents who do so. Having content that mirrors their lives can, in fact, save their own. It isn’t always easy for children to articulate what’s wrong or what they need. So it can be a tremendous help to see their favorite character in their same predicament live out their life and truth.

Aristeaus Sizer, We Need To Talk About LGBT Representation, Apparently:

…since Cinderella, there have been 11 Disney princesses. All of which have been heterosexual, and the majority of them married by the end of their film. There is no shortage of straight princesses in this world, so why would it be such a crime for one of them to be LGBTQ? If anyone is forcing any agenda down anybody’s throats, Mary, it is you and your heteronormative agenda.

As a heterosexual, and I don’t mean to patronise here it’s simply the truth, you cannot understand in full capacity how important representation is. Seeing yourself on screen in a genuine, non-caricature form is hugely validating. When I was a kid I thought being gay was like doing drugs, it was a fun choice you made when you wanted to spice things up, and that all came from the films I had seen and how sordid LGBTQ people were portrayed as being. Then, later on into my teenage years, I thought I’d never be able to show public displays of affection without violent repercussion. Again, this was because of the media I had consumed telling me this. Films and media may not dictate our personalities, but they tell us how much of it we should hide, and the implicit message when you have an entire franchise of heterosexuals is that anything other should be kept underground, out of sight.

…we’ve been everywhere for so long you’ve just never noticed. Primarily because every movie and every advert and every t.v show and every animated cartoon is packed to the brim with straight people. LGBTQ people deserve representation because there’s far more of us than you think. … To you, it’s just a gay Disney princess where there could have been another straight one, but to someone that princess is the validation they needed that they aren’t some abomination or sinful mistake. They’re valid, they’re wonderful, and they have every right to love and be loved.

Danielle Cox, The Importance of LGBT Representation in Media:

[In 2016, GLAAD’s annual] shows the highest percentage of LGBT characters on our televisions … [but] when more than twenty-five of those characters are killed off in the same year, we know there is still a lot of work to be done. In fact, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis released a statement saying, “When the most repeated ending for a queer woman is violent death, producers must do better to question the reason for a character’s demise and what they are really communicating to the audience.” When this ending is repeated in show after show and character after character, we can’t help but think the message they are sending is about the worth of our LGBT characters or rather lack thereof.

James Dawson, The importance of LGBT visibility in children’s books:

I was unaware gay people even existed and, when puberty hit, found myself more than a little lost. I so dearly wish there had been just one book with a character who was a bit like me – just a normal teenage guy who happened to be gay. I would have especially loved one whose sexuality did not define him.

I just know that had there been a diverse range of people like me in books when I was growing up, I wouldn’t have felt abnormal for all those years, which I see now, overwhelmingly, I am not. In 2014, it’s my hope that all young LGBT people can see themselves in fiction and recognise there is a place for them in the world.

Palmer Haasch, “Yuri!!! On Ice” and the importance of positive LGBTQ representation:

Despite my resigned certainty that I was about to be drawn in by the potential of a queer relationship only to be disappointed for the umpteenth time, Yuri!!! On Ice managed to exceed all of my expectations. In the end, the show delivered a thoughtful portrayal of two men developing a deep and trusting romantic relationship that provides LGBTQ viewers with representation of queer individuals being happy together above all else, which is something that we desperately need.

For me, it was the first piece of entertainment media I had seen that didn’t present queer individuals as “other,” but allowed them to simply freely love and exist. While watching, I didn’t have to worry about whether Yuuri or Victor would be outed in an unsafe environment or if Yuuri was going to be unfairly judged on the ice because of his sexuality like so many real life figure skaters have feared in the past. Rather, I fretted over when they were finally going to kiss (because really, it was a long time coming) and if I was ever going to get to see the wedding that was hinted at by their matching gold rings.

Although it is true that the discrimination-free world of Yuri!!! On Ice isn’t realistic (yet), it can help reassure queer individuals like me that they can experience love in the same way as anyone else. At the same time, it provides a glimpse of a future where being queer doesn’t mean being “other”. And that notion is something that I will always work towards and protect.

Additional reading:

Why Visibility Matters

Make Them Gay: Why Queer Representation Matters

Why LGBT Representation Is Important In Media

We Need More Than Visibility

Why It’s Important To Make More Diverse LGBT Films

Queer Representation in the Media

Why Television Needs More LGBT Characters

Importance of LGBT Representation

#queer media #lgbtqia+#representation

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eldaryanightmare · 6 years

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I played only for them, i needed fullbodies for reference(it’s not like i really need shoes for yaoi, but now i can decide if i want them), leaving here because maybe someone else wants to use boys. Their height might be off, because i forgot to care about it when resizing, but it’s not like i’ll just draw them standing stil... I'll probably play out of my curiosity for Nathaniel lower parts, but that’s probably it.

I missed castiel poster because it didn't appear. I'm fine with talking to ghosts in invisible space but that. That was actually important. I will need to do replay to get it... AHAHA no way i'll do replay. I can with all my AP, but nope. Playing this was such a pain after trying out Sweet Elite demo. At this point i am actually glad my boy didn't make it into game. But you all, if you really want to play MCL, i suggest waiting a bit. There is chance they will make changes in AP system. ...that is after those desperate players put all their money into game! :*

Or nothing will change, if there are enough crazy rich people who pay.

If i want to spend my money on something, i rather buy those two a coffee(click them, there are links to ko-fi on pages)

Einfrost Rann Credits were first thing i checked when i saw beta, and i still see people going around chino that, chino this. She even mentioned that there will be credit page, and many still didn’t find it(also, go there and hover erwin and noemi with your cursor)

Oh, and that decor artist gashi here

There are more artist, but google them by yourself. Art is the only thing i enjoyed, but i still feel like it’s a waste that they draw in chino style.

Well also here are some of my feelings on MCL UL

(Screenshot from game You left me, it’s about losing someone and it’s sad, i cried, but maybe it’s because had Lys on my mind while playing)

Maybe they changed some dialogues, but what was seen, can’t be unseen, my poor Lys :___;

(Screenshot from Starlit flowers, it’s fantasy yuri)

It’s also supposed to be free game, but it’s kind of not anymore from what i see.

(Screenshot from one night, hot springs about transgender woman at hot springs in japan)

That AP system. Well, many of us wanted changes when we were losing so much AP searching for someone, but that, really, how is that making anyone happy D:

(Screenshot from the shadows that run alongside our car, just two people talking in car during zombie apocalypse )

So i guess i’ll just observe Morgan and Alexy on youtube. Because...

(Screenshots from i woke up next to you again, it’s about addiction and hell, it was creepy. And short.)

...to part away! Time for last stage of grief :C I guess i’m getting back to my “log into game during events and change avatar twice a year”.

While i’m still waiting for moonlight lovers i have bad feelings.

I put those other games here because they are great, free and short, why don’t you play some for a change after this whole mess?

#my candy love #mcl #amour sucre #play some other games too

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abbywritestrash · 7 years

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Patiently Impatient

Summary; After waiting not so very impatiently for the last 6 months, Yuri finally gets his hands on Otabek.

Here it is, the long awaited trans!Yuri fic! This was super nice to write and I want to send out a special thanks to everyone who spoke to me in regards to being transgender! Remember that, while I try my very best, it’s hard for me to relate to such a subject, but if you see anything that makes you uncomfortable or upset, please let me know so I can fix it or we can talk it out. This isn’t posted with any malice intent, so if it causes any hurt, I need to know! Special thanks to @puppybek who practically held my hand through this fic and gave me an insight into the trans world. Thank you dude. Also, this baby is going to be part of a series. Drop some prompts for what else you wanna see! This fic includes; dick touching, a lot of kissing, Otabek being a complete gentleman and of course, transgender Yuri. Don’t like, don’t read!

Otabek doesn’t know what he’s doing anymore. All he knows is that Yuri has rendered him senseless, his hands continually sweeping through Otabek’s hair as he pulls him closer and kisses him more desperately. Yuri is grinding against him, the lack of a bulge in his underwear going completely unnoticed as Yuri uses his tongue and teeth in ways Otabek totally hasn’t dreamed about for months. Yuri is even letting Otabek touch him, something unheard of up until this point, finally letting his soft warm hands cup his chest as Yuri arches into it and mewls against his lips.

They started dating almost immediately after Otabek moved to Russia, swapping his home rink for Yuri’s, and it’s been a blissful and frustrating 6 months since then. Otabek is patient, more so than Yuri, so when they talk about Yuri’s sex in comparison to his gender, he makes sure to slow the relationship down to a crawl. They have all the time in the world, he’d told Yuri, and apparently 6 months is more than enough for Yuri to wait, having eagerly pressed Otabek into the mattress as soon as he entered his bedroom. They’ve done all this before, but Yuri has always been tentative and careful. Today he feels reckless, the dull ache between his legs growing more and more as they slide their tongues against one another.

Yuri pulls back from the kiss and Otabek immediately goes for the soft spot on Yuri’s neck, where his collar and his throat meet, grazing his teeth against the unmarked skin there. Yuri is whining softly, a sound that makes Otabek already want to come, but then Yuri’s hand is taking hold of Otabek’s much larger one and guiding it down his body, between his legs. Otabek can already feel the heat as he presses his hand against him, even through Yuri’s boxers. This is new, it’s completely uncharted territory for the both of them and Otabek can feel his hand shaking against Yuri, but it’s soothed softly by Yuri’s slender fingers smoothing over his hand and encouraging him to touch and feel. “Shit, Beka.” It’s the first time Yuri has sounded like that.

“Are you sure? Really sure, Yura?” Otabek is already (embarrassingly) breathless, his hand still tentatively cupping between Yuri’s spread thighs. Otabek could stop here, happily, but Yuri’s fingernails are gripping into the skin on the back of his hand. Yuri nods, moaning softly as he presses Otabek’s hand ever closer and begins to grind against it.

“Done waiting, just want you to touch me, Beka.” Otabek knows it’s meant to be forceful and strong, but Yuri’s voice is wavering, even with such little stimulation. He’s rocking against Otabek’s hand in jerky motions and Otabek can hardly think, he’s pretty sure he’s going to stop breathing eventually just from watching Yuri and feeling how wet he’s getting under his boxers. His cock is straining against his own boxers and his brain only starts working again when Yuri starts to talk. “Can I take them off?” Otabek doesn’t have a clue which of them Yuri’s talking about (let’s face it, he’s struggling to remember his own name right now), but he nods anyway, reluctantly letting Yuri slip off of his lap.

Watching Yuri strip off his boxers is torture and Otabek has to slip one of his hands into his boxers to grip his cock and calm down a little. It’s awful because despite not being a fan of his own body, Yuri still knows how sexy Otabek finds him and he lavishes the attention. He slips his fingers into the back of his boxers and slowly pushes them down under the curve of his ass, his green eyes watching Beka’s every move. Yuri drops the boxers to the floor before he climbs back on the bed while Otabek tries desperately to maintain eye contact instead of just staring at the parts of Yuri’s body he hasn’t seen before.

Yuri slips his fingers under Otabek’s boxers, his nails catching on the sensitive skin of his lower stomach, and then drags them down, purposely letting his nails continue their path downwards, making Otabek’s hips buck. Once they’re off, Yuri finally takes his place back on top of Otabek’s lap, this time grinding down against his bare cock. Yuri takes ahold of the back of Otabek’s neck and presses their lips together harshly, slipping his tongue in as soon as he can.

They stay like that for a while, messily grinding against one another until Yuri finally breaks the kiss and settles his forehead against Beka’s, their eyes locking as they pant against one another. Yuri’s gaze falls down the length of their bodies and he watches them move together, soft whines falling from his lips as he rocks against Beka’s cock faster. His eyes flick back up to his partners. “You can look, you know.” It’s refreshing and instantly calming that Yuri hasn’t lost his cocky attitude. “Your cock is so hard, Beka.”

Otabek finally lets his eyes follow the length of Yuri’s body, his hands gripping tightly onto Yuri’s tiny waist. He’s seen Yuri shirtless a bunch of times, looked at his muscular and flat chest unashamedly, but this feels much more private. His eyes trail down lower and Otabek smooths his hands over Yuri’s lower stomach, feeling the soft hair there, something that had increased when Yuri had started taking T. Otabek lets one of his hands slip lower, trailing his fingers through Yuri’s pubic hair before tentatively dipping lower and brushing over the sensitive nub there.

The reaction is immediate, Yuri’s whole body flinches and a whirl of breath falls over his lips, his back arching into Otabek. “Sorry. Really sensitive.” Otabek gives Yuri a warm smile before he focuses his attention back down. Yuri’s skin is still incredibly soft, something Otabek loves, but this time when he lets his fingertips brush over him, it’s a little more forceful and focused. The low moan from Yuri is encouraging and Otabek starts to move his fingers in slow circles, avoiding immediate pressure on him and choosing instead to focus on the soft area around it, fingers occasionally nudging and brushing against the sensitive spot. It’s hard to do from this angle because his wrist is bent uncomfortably, but Yuri seems to notice and quickly removes himself from Otabek’s lap and flops down beside him on the bed. Otabek has to laugh because the act is just so Yuri.

Otabek turns on his side and presses close to Yuri, his hand teasingly drawing patterns at the bottom of Yuri’s stomach. Yuri tilts his head to the side locks eyes with Otabek as he slips a hand down between his legs, decidedly ignoring Otabek’s own hand on his stomach. There’s a small smirk on his lips, along with some spit that’s making them look slick and completely kissable. Yuri’s head tips back and his mouth opens and Otabek’s eyes quickly snap down to see what he’s missing.

Yuri is touching himself, that much is evident, but it’s mesmerising to watch. He’s using two fingers split into a V to gently run along the sides of his dick, already swollen and hard. Otabek hadn’t thought of that before, the idea that Yuri very much can get and is hard, and it makes him swallow the spit collecting in his mouth from watching. He can feel his own cock throbbing and grinds against Yuri’s thigh to relieve some of the pressure, only to have Yuri whining softly dipping his fingers downwards. When they return to their previous motions, they’re slick; Otabek can tell from the shiny fluid coating them. He lets one of his hands move over to the other side of Yuri and hovers above him, kissing at his stomach as his hips jerk upwards.

Otabek kisses sloppily against Yuri’s lower stomach until he begins to spread his legs, letting Otabek slip between them. He’s still touching himself, but at what seems a leisurely pace, not in any attempt to get himself off before Otabek has his hands on him. The last kiss Otabek leaves is right on Yuri’s public bone, buried a little in the coarse hair there, and then Yuri is taking his hand away from himself and instead running it through the longer part of Otabek’s hair, tugging his head up slightly. Yuri is squirming against the sheets, his eyes wide and nervous as he looks down at Otabek between his spread thighs. “Are you okay?” The words are soft and near whispered, but Yuri nods tipping his head back against the pillows at the head of the bed and looking toward the ceiling. “My beautiful boyfriend.” Otabek breathes, and finally Yuri is pulling Otabek’s head forward, shuddering as his fingers tighten in his hair.

Otabek has no experience with this act, so at this point it’s mostly trial and error, but he remembers everything Yuri had been doing when touching himself and tries to copy the motions with his mouth. Otabek knows how sensitive the tip of Yuri’s dick is, so he avoids that and instead chooses to let his tongue move around it, carefully making small circles and rubbing against the sides. Yuri seems appreciative of it when he slowly starts rocking his hips into the motion, chasing Otabek’s tongue. There’s more than enough of Yuri to suck, too, so he closes his lips around him and suckles softly, listening to Yuri’s insistent cursing above him. “Fucking hell, Beka. Beka- fuck- I-” Yuri is all stutters and loud pants as he shudders beneath his boyfriend, jerking his hips up against his mouth. Otabek slips his arms under Yuri’s thighs and grips as his hips, encouraging him more to fuck up into his face and digging his nails into the taut skin stretched over his hipbones.

As if it’s even possible, every little sound Yuri is making makes his own cock harder, now flush against his stomach beneath him, trapped between the sheets and his own body. It’s absurdly hot in Otabek’s bedroom and he can feel how easily his cock slips against his own stomach, a mixture of sweat and precome making everything deliciously slick as he ruts against the harsh sheets beneath him. Thankfully, unlike Yuri, Otabek isn’t as sensitive, because he’s one hundred percent certain that if he was, he would have lost his shit by now and come all over the sheets beneath him.

It’s bizarre how much Otabek is affected by this, just by pleasuring Yuri and listening to him practically wailing above him, but when both of Yuri’s hands clamp down hard at the back of his skull and tug him forward, Otabek’s hips start to move of their own accord, eliciting moan after moan from him through no control of his own. He can feel Yuri’s thighs tensing on either side of him, hear his breath repeatedly catching in his throat and can feel how desperately he’s shaking, his back arching off the sheets. Otabek physically has to let go of one of Yuri’s hips and grip his cock, fisting it tightly.

“Gonna’ come, gonna’ come, Beka-”

Otabek wants to encourage him, tell Yuri how utterly gorgeous he looks like this, how fucking lucky he is to have Yuri as his boyfriend, how much he’s enjoying sucking Yuri off, he really does, but he can’t because Yuri has a near death-grip on him, his hips coming off the bed completely as Otabek continues to lick and suck around him. Yuri’s whole body goes taut, shaking furiously before it hits him, one sharp, shrill moan leaving him before his body shudders in waves, keeping Otabek’s mouth firmly in place with a surprisingly loud “Don’t fucking stop.”.

So he doesn’t, he keeps sucking and teasing the soft skin around Yuri’s dick until Yuri’s hips jerk unpleasantly and he’s dragged away and immediately up to Yuri’s mouth. Yuri’s hand goes straight to Otabek cock, immediately stroking him as he slips his tongue in his mouth, not caring at all if he can taste himself. Yuri feels grossly sticky between his legs, but Otabek is whining into his open mouth, fucking the tight fist Yuri has provided.

There’s no warning from Otabek, only a few out of time thrusts and then a low moan to let him know that he’s coming. Yuri can feel it against his stomach, only adding to the need for him to shower, but he doesn’t mind, Beka can always shower with him. He doesn’t stop stroking Otabek through it until he begins to slump against Yuri, both of them feeling boneless and sated. Yuri lets go of his hold of Otabek to shift them into a more comfortable position, letting him lay his head on Yuri’s chest.

Otabek curls against him, wrapping his arm around Yuri’s stomach and pulling him as close as he can, making Yuri smile as he brushes Otabek’s hair from his eyes.

“Worth the wait?”

Yuri laughs, sweeping his hand backwards through the hair he’d just smoothed out, making it fall forward and stick to Otabek’s forehead. Otabek huffs, the hair barely moving from the sweat coating it before he nuzzles back into Yuri, feeling comfortable and content in his arms.

“I love you, Yura.”

“I love you, too.”

#Otayuri #otayuri fic #trans!yuri #yuri on ice #yuri on ice fanfiction #yurabek #otabek x yuri #otabek x yurio #otayuri smut #Smut #let me know what you think!

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yuriyuu · 7 years

Text

Sharks

Yuri had plans to come out to Yuuri, eventually at least, but such things rarely go as planned.

Pairing: Yuuri/Yuri

Warnings for mentions of period talk and anxiety/insecurity about coming out.

(Also please don’t tell me I wrote my trans character the wrong way. I’m trans and this is loosely based off of my own experiences)

(Read on AO3)

(Portuguese translation)

Yuri had a secret, one that he never dared speak of. He kept it well guarded, even more well guarded than his oh so secret more than friendly feelings for a certain Japanese figure skater. Such secrets he never planned to tell, he’d take them to the grave he always figured, but things don't always go as planned. Accidentally confessing his long harbored crush to Yuuri while they were thousands of miles apart from each other? Yuri hadn’t planned that. And he certainly wasn't expecting Yuuri to reciprocate his feelings and to end up in a long distance relationship with him over the course of the course the next few weeks. Really, the fact they were now a little over half a year into a relationship was the only reason why Yuri would spill his closely guarded secret to him. Under no other circumstances would he even dream of letting the cat out of the bag so to speak.

Yet every time he wanted to tell him the nature of the beast, it just simply wasn't the right time. And sometimes, Yuri would just outright forget it was an issue. He lived as male, he passed as male (for the most part anyway), his paperwork? Well, Yuuri didn't have to look at that and he competed in men's, didn't he? Surely his absent mindedness in forgetting to inform Yuuri about what he had (or didn't have) in his pants could be forgiven. It's not like anyone else knew, and it's not like he wanted anyone to know or that anyone had to know. Not to mention, the excitement of having four years worth of pent up romantic attraction actually be returned is enough to make anyone forget such a small, minor detail, right? And to his credit, he had plans to tell Yuuri. He just thought such a conversation of, “Hey, I know we are dating but there's something important that I forgot to mention. I'm actually transgender so I probably don't have quite the anatomy you are expecting and I come loaded with gender related emotional baggage that you probably don't wanna deal with, but we’re cool, right?” is better suited for face to face, rather than text message, phone call, or video chat, or so Yuri told himself. Him? Procrastinating on telling? Nonsense.

He’d tell Yuuri the next time they’d see each other in person for skating. That was his final decision, his ultimatum to himself. He would tell him after the Grand Prix Final. That way if Yuuri wanted to break up with him, he'd have the entire offseason to get over it. Not to mention, Yuri refused to be broken up with before he got any in person, real life cuddles and kisses, damnit.

But now, he has regrets. Oh boy does he have regrets. He’s stuck in a hotel bathroom in a foreign city staring at the crime scene in his underwear with the utmost horror. Shit. Why does he always forget this happens? Maybe he's lucky, maybe he didn't bleed through to his jeans so he could sneakily go to the store without changing. But oh, what is he saying. Of course he did. It's the curse of having a heavy flow! Every month this happens, every month he's caught unaware and his pants ruined without fail. Pads and tampons? Him remember to pack them? Utter nonsense. He never remembered to. He hadn't remembered to ever since he moved out of his grandpa’s home, and only then did he remember because good ol’ grandpa Plisetsky would remind him like the kind soul he is.

Yuuri knocks on the door. “Yuri? Are you okay? You’ve been in there for a while.”

“I’m fine!” Yuri barks out. Shit. What the hell was he supposed to do in this situation? Perhaps he could do what he normally did, which was to wear his shittiest black sweatpants, shove copious amounts of toilet paper in his underwear, and wander about until he found a store. That’s so suspicious though, and Yuuri would definitely raise questions. Ugh, this was the worst. This is definitely not what he had planned at all.

Yuri sits on the toilet, heart racing in panic over the dilemma he’d gotten himself into and how he could weasel himself out of it. He really, really doesn’t want to wander around a strange city by himself as he bleeds his weight in bodily fluid junk, and he really doesn’t want to lie to Yuuri either. He should have told him a long time ago, like in the beginning of their relationship or even while they were discussing the nature of their feelings and what it meant for them. Only now was the weight of his mistake is sinking in.

Yuri Plisetsky was utterly screwed.

Unless...he asked Yuuri to get tampons for him? He could kill two birds with one stone then, but he planned to wait until after Finals to drop the bomb. That way if things took a turn for the worse, he’d have time to throw himself a private, one man pity party and not have to see Yuuri’s ugly face around while he did so.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need anything?” Yuuri asks again as more minutes crawl by. Yuri’s starting to feel utterly desperate by this time, so he takes a deep breath, and he figures he may as well rip the bandaid off all at once.

Yuri cracks open the door and peeks his head out. “Hey, Katsudon. Be good boyfriend for me and go to the store and buy me some tampons.”

“Eh? What do you need those for?” Yuuri asks, utterly confused by Yuri’s strange request.

He huffs. “What do you think I need them for, you moron? Go to the store and get me some! I swear I’ll explain everything when you get back, okay?!”

Maybe calling him a moron wasn't the best thing to do, and he didn't plan on that either. Why must he be like this? Why can't things ever go as planned?

“I don’t know the first thing about tampons!” Yuuri cries out, “What kind do you need?”

“Oh my god I don’t care what kind you get. Just get me something. If you get something useless, it’ll at least get me to the store so I can buy the right ones. Just hurry up and go!”

“O-okay! Hang on, okay? I’ll be back soon!”

And with that, Yuuri is gone and Yuri is stuck, left to deal with an onslaught of anxiety.

This totally isn’t how he wanted to come out to Yuuri at all. Oh well, what’s done is done, and if Yuuri breaks up with him over this, then so be it. At least he got his cuddles and his kisses. And maybe being broken up with while there’s a lot going on to distract him wouldn’t be such a bad thing…

As Yuri’s left to stew in his thoughts, a wave of guilt hits him for even feeling like he has to mentally prepare for a messy break up. Yuuri is kind and understanding and patient, so very patient. Yuri has faith that he won't hate him over this, he really does. He has faith this won't dissolve their relationship into nothing, or mutate it into something unsalvageable and unrecognizable. But...people can get weird about such things. He’s trans, he’s heard the stories, he’s not naive. Sometimes faith just isn’t enough, and yet, it’s all he can have. So he clings onto the tiny fabric of hope that Yuuri won’t be weirded out, or hate him, or be repulsed by his misaligned body, or even be pissed that he kept it a secret all these months.

Man, he really wishes Yuuri would get back soon. He’s not sure if it’s the hormones, the feeling of dread, or a concoction of both, but Yuri really wants to be held right now.

When he hears the sound of the door opening, Yuri breathes a sigh of relief.

“I’m back! Here, open the door so I can give them to you.” Yuri hears after what feels like a decade, and Yuuri’s voice sounds like angels calling. Yuri cracks open the door and Yuuri hands him a plastic shopping bag.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, avoiding eye contact with Yuuri as he takes the bag.

Goodness, how many packages of period product did Yuuri buy? It seems there’s something of everything in this bag. Pads, tampons, heavy flow, light flow, extra comfort, overnight...really it’s a bit overkill and overwhelming. But surely this was a good sign? That Yuuri still cared about him even though he was just about to drop the biggest plot twist of the century on him? I mean...if he didn’t care he wouldn’t have bought all kinds of random things to make sure Yuri was comfortable...right? If he was about to break up with him over such a thing, he probably would have just grabbed whatever and called it a day...right?

Ugh, whatever. Yuri really needs to get out and face Yuuri now. He grabs a tampon, concludes his business, and is finally free of bathroom prison.

When Yuuri sees that Yuri is finally out of the bathroom, he immediately says, “Sorry I took so long! I wasn’t sure what to get. I hope there was something useful in there.”

“No, no. It’s fine,” Yuri reassures, “What you got was fine. I’ll be good for a while.” He’s still avoiding eye contact with him.

“Oh that’s good, I’m relieved.” Yuuri says as he digs through another bag, “Here, I also got you painkillers and chocolate. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but my sister always said that chocolate helps, and I know cramps are a thing.”

Yuri nervously plays with the edge of his t-shirt, tugging slightly at the fabric and wrapping it around his fingers. “Yeah um, thanks for that…” All he can do is look down at his feet, look anywhere but at Yuuri. He doesn’t even know if Yuuri is looking at him. The last thing he wants is to see his boyfriend giving him any kind of weird, confused look.

Neither of them are exactly saying anything, and Yuri can feel the awkwardness of the situation suffocating him. He wants to say it, just blurt out the words, “Yuuri, I’m transgender. I wasn’t born a boy.” He wants to blurt out an apology for being secretive, for not telling him straight away. There’s so many things he wants to say, but the words feel like rocks lodged in his throat and all he can do is choke on them.

Really, it’s stupid that he’s so scared. Yuuri went above and beyond in dealing with this little surprise period escapade. He wouldn’t buy him expensive pads and tampons, wouldn’t buy him painkillers and chocolate if he was about to break up with him over such a thing...right?

But god, what if Yuuri thinks he’s a girl now? Will refuse to see him as a boy now? He doesn’t mind of Yuuri is ignorant or doesn’t understand, but please, he doesn’t want to be thought of as a girl. He’d break off the relationship his damn self should it come to that.

It’s Yuuri who breaks the silence. He gently grabs both of Yuri’s hands to get his attention. “Hey, Yuri. I have a question to ask you,” He says. His voice sounds calm, and a bit meek, as if he’s encroaching forbidden territory.

“Then spit it out already,” Yuri says back, although his voice lacks its usual bite. He’s looking down at their hands, and gently squeezes when Yuuri starts running his thumb along his.

“Are you…” Yuuri pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts, or maybe even his courage, “Are you trans?”

If Yuri wasn’t already giving Yuuri his undivided attention, he certainly was now. For the first time since his solitary confinement in the bathroom, he’s actually looking at Yuuri now, staring at him even, wide eyed and in shock.

“Why? Is it that obvious? Do you hate me now or something?”

The minute Yuri sees panic flash across Yuuri’s eyes, he feels guilty.

“No! Not at all!” Yuuri yells out as he squeezes both of Yuri’s hands before pulling him into a hug, “I don’t hate you because of that! Why would you say something like that?”

The rocks are back, lodged firmly in Yuri’s throat as he slowly returns Yuuri’s hug. “Because...people treat us like we’re some kind of freaks or something. We’re weird, we’re not right in the head, we’re sick.”

Yuri’s words only make Yuuri hold him tighter, and Yuri feels as if he could melt into the embrace. “Oh, Yuri... I don’t understand what it’s like, I know I can’t, but please know I don’t think that at alll. I care about you. You’re my boyfriend and my friend, and I want you to feel comfortable, okay?”

Emotions aren’t Yuri’s strong suit, and he feels at a loss of what to say. Relief floods through his body, but it leaves him feeling weak and paralyzed. He hides his face in the crook of Yuuri’s neck and just nods and prays that Yuuri understands what he wants to convey.

Yuuri sits down along the edge of the bed with Yuri still clinging onto him. “And it’s not obvious that you’re trans, so don’t worry. I actually had no idea, even after you asked me to go the store for you. I was so confused, but it hit me while I was walking back to the hotel.”

“I’m sorry,” Yuri mumbles into Yuuri’s neck.

“For what?”

“Where do you want me to begin? Keeping it a secret, not telling you right away, springing this on you in the worst way possible. Really…I should have told you before we started going out.” He pauses and adjusts himself to look at Yuuri. “But I was scared to.”

Admitting his fear leaves him feeling vulnerable and naked, as if he’s giving Yuuri permission to hurt him and catch him off guard. Yuuri wouldn’t hurt him, he would never, but he still can’t shake the paranoia that comes with signing over your secrets to someone you hold dear.

“I planned to tell you in the beginning, I really did. But I was scared you would break up with me before we even got to see each other again, and like hell was I going to be broken up with before I got to see you in person, especially not after I spent the last four years of my life hiding my feelings from you.”

He pauses to collect his thoughts, and Yuuri patiently waits.

“And then I figured, maybe it’s not a big deal. Maybe I don’t have to tell you. No one in the skating world knows, except Yakov and Lilia. The only people outside of the skating world who know is my Grandpa and my deadbeat family. That honestly seemed like the best option, to just never tell you, especially considering we are mostly long distance…” Yuri looks away, as if he’s ashamed he just admitted his desire to never let Yuuri know, “But the closer we got to actually seeing each other again, I realized that wouldn’t be good. I haven’t had surgery yet, it’s obvious. I mean i’m lucky i’m small, and I can bind with just a heavy duty sports bra, so you can’t tell by looking at me or when i’m skating, but if we were to do anything...you’d know.”

Yuuri stays quiet, as if he’s waiting for Yuri to let him know he’s done saying his part. The last thing he wants to do is interrupt him before he gets everything off his chest.

Yuri takes Yuuri’s silence as permission to keep speaking. “And plus, I don’t want to keep lying to you. I don’t want to keep secrets from you. When you accepted my feelings, you accepted them from a boy, not a confused girl trying to be a boy.”

He wasn’t planning on interrupting Yuri, but Yuuri feels it would now be an appropriate time to interrupt. “Do you think you’re confused?”

Yuri’s expression turns into a scowl. “Fuck no, I’m not confused. Everyone else is confused, which is why it’s easier to just not say anything.”

“Do you think I’m confused?”

The question catches Yuri off guard, and he shifts uncomfortably next to Yuuri. “I don’t know. Are you? I mean if you are I guess I could answer your questions...I mean you don’t seem to be judging me and you seem to be pretty okay with the idea of this.”

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m dating a another guy. When we met all those years ago, you were a guy. You were always a guy to me. This doesn’t change anything. Maybe I don’t fully understand, maybe I’ll say the wrong thing by mistake, but I don’t see you as a confused girl trying to be a boy. You always were a boy to me, and you will continue to be one to me.” He has no idea if that was the right thing to say, or if that was comforting at all to Yuri. He certainly hopes, because the last thing he wants to do is say something callous when Yuri is trusting him with something as personal as this.

“You’re not as confused as I thought you would be, and you’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would.” Really, now Yuri feels like an ass for assuming the worst out of Yuri.

“I used to be confused, but my roommate before Phichit was also trans. He taught me a lot.”

“Oh, good,” Yuri says as he leans into Yuuri’s shoulder, “I should thank him for doing the obnoxious part for me. I hate dealing with people’s questions and stupid confused faces..” He pauses for a moment, and panics slightly. “But I would happily deal with your questions and stupid confused face…”

“I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not.” He can’t help but laugh slightly. Out of what? Nervousness? Mild amusement? He doesn’t know.

“No! Would you believe that I’m not being sarcastic for once?” He ends up laughing too. “I mean it! If you have questions or don’t get anything, you’re the one person I wouldn’t mind answering to, so you better feel special!”

Yuri’s laughter is music to Yuuri’s ears. After seeing him look so solemn and anxious the entire discussion, he’s glad to hear the relief in his voice. “Oh, trust me. I feel very special.”

“Good, you better feel special,” he purrs as he crawls into Yuuri’s lap and kisses the tip of his nose. “You’re really okay with this?”

“More than okay with this.”

“Also, one final thing,” he says, voice lowering to a stern whisper, “Don’t tell a soul about this. I swear to god, if you tell anyone, I will come to Japan and personally bleed all over everything you love.”

Oh, what a Yuri thing to say after all this is said and done. It brings a smile to his face.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Your secret is safe with me. Please don’t come to my house and bleed all over everything I love, okay? Promise?” He even gives Yuri a kiss for good measure, for extra pleading, and he smiles when Yuri kisses him back.

“I promise.”

#yuriyuu #yuri plisetsky #yuuri katsuki #trans yuri plisetsky #yuri on ice #my writing

90 notes · View notes

recentanimenews · 6 years

Text

Bookshelf Briefs 7/3/18

Ace of the Diamond, Vol. 12 | By Yuji Terajima | Kodansha Comics (digital only) –Seido had been sure their opponent for the quarter-finals of the East Tokyo qualifying tournament would be Ichidai, but when that team is taken out by Yakushi in a surprise upset, Seido is suddenly facing a team full of fearless batters. In this tense volume, Yakushi fields their fiercest batter first, and I was bracing for Furuya to crumble under the pressure, but instead he has a lot of fun, having faith in his reliable upperclassmen and demonstrating some growth in his fielding capabilities. In an effort to keep Yakushi from becoming accustomed to one pitcher’s style, Sawamura is switched in but before he can do too much, the volume’s over. This is really a series that benefits from being marathoned, for though it’s great fun the way that it is, it’s probably going to be immensely satisfying to binge 40+ volumes back-to-back. – Michelle Smith

After Hours, Vol. 2 | By Yuhta Nishio | Viz Media – This second volume does a nice job alternating between Emi and Kei trying to put on a live event and Emi trying to decide what to do about her relationship, if that’s what it is, with Kei. I was pleased that the manga chose to negotiate a fairly melodramatic path without going overboard—the emotions feel fairly realistic given what Emi is going through, and Kei is not ignored either. There’s also some great scenes of Emi meeting more members of the dance club crew, and making friends and bonding with them. Usually with yuri manga you’re following it for the romance and that’s about it. But this is a more mature yuri title, and that doesn’t just mean sex, it means career motivations and such. A keeper. – Sean Gaffney

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 9 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | VIZ Media –Anonymous Noise, Vol. 9 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | VIZ Media – It took me a long time to get to this point, but I think I’m finally ready to declare Anonymous Noise a keeper. In No Hurry has embarked on their first national tour, which is interesting in and of itself, but it also feels like Fukuyama has achieved a good balance between her characters’ professional growth—Nino’s gotten more experience, Momo has decided that he wants to release music that’s true to who he is—and their personal angst. Yes, the main love triangle is still going, and though Yuzu attempts a few times and Momo declares his intentions, neither boy has made clear their feelings to Nino. But now I at least care a little more about that, while predominantly being excited for what might happen for them career-wise. I’m glad I grew to truly enjoy this series. – Michelle Smith

As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 2 | By Matoba | Yen Press – It can be difficult when you’re rooting for a cute couple to get together in a series and that series is, at heart, a goofy comedy. It’s a shame, because when the series is focusing on the cute Beelzebub and her secretary Mullin, it’s pretty adorable. But that’s not what the author is here for, really. As such, we get some new characters in this volume, including a shotacon (bleah) and a shota for the shotacon to obsess over (meh). Belphegor’s crush on Azazel is more promising, mostly as there’s a bit less about how nervousness makes her want to pee and more actual affection. This is a cute series, but at heart it’s a comedy, and the comedy is hit-or-miss. It should try to be more of a romance. – Sean Gaffney

Claudine | By Riyoko Ikeda | Seven Seas – For a variety of reasons, one of my most anticipated manga releases of 2018 was Claudine. First of all, it’s by Riyoko Ikeda, one of the Magnificent Forty-Niners, a group of women who were extraordinarily influential to the development of shoujo manga in the 1970s and many of whom continue to create exceptional work. I was also particularly interested in Claudine due to its sympathetic, albeit tragic, portrayal of a transgender man, a rarity in comics of any country or era. First published in 1978, the manga follows the titular Claudine, a young man growing up in France who struggles with the perceptions others hold of him in regards to his gender and sexuality. Claudine repeatedly finds and loses love over the course of the short manga, acceptance and betrayal often following one after the other. Claudine is gorgeously illustrated and heartwrenchingly melodramatic, a beautiful and at times troubling work. – Ash Brown

The Elder Sister-Like One, Vol. 2 | By Iida Pochi | Yen Press – Strangely, given this is still based on a porn doujinshi, the author and editors have done a very good job at making it mainstream while keeping a goodly amount of fanservice. The core relationship between Yuu and his demon sister is familial here, despite the occasional suggestiveness, and the best scenes in the book show off the family connection that he desperately needs. There’s also hints of something darker, and the clever reader will realize this is not a lifestyle that is going to be sustainable for much longer. Something is bound to go wrong. Till then, I’m happy with Yuu’s heart slowly being healed, as long as the creators remember to avoid getting too salacious. – Sean Gaffney

Giant Spider & Me: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale, Vol. 2 | By Kikori Morino | Seven Seas – Despite the attempt of various dramatic events to make us think otherwise, at heart this is a cooking manga, and the core of each chapter shows off the various recipes. We get an addition to the cast of Belle, who is the grumpy snarker that sets off Nagi’s perky optimist nicely, and the two become fast friends. There’s also a stroll into town, which surprised me, and the town reacts to a giant mutant spider about the way you’d expect it to. Fortunately, the giant spider is a sweetie pie, and indeed might be a baby giant spider, which helps to explain why Nagi’s TLC is helping. Of course, there’s another cliffhanger with Nagi being kidnapped, but given how the last cliffhanger resolved, I’m not TOO worried. – Sean Gaffney

Monster Tamer Girls, Vol. 2 | By Mujirushi Shimazaki | Yen Press – As with a lot of series that end after only two or three volumes, there’s a sense of “please wrap this up as quickly as possible” to the ending of the book, but it’s still rather cute and romantic, with Koto and Tsukiko’s relationship getting as close to canonical as a series like this is going to get. I also liked the backstory for Sora, as we see that she was rescued by a monster as a child, and then we see that same monster needing to be “rescued” in a different sense. At heart a series more about building and continuing relationships than about monsters, two volumes was probably about the right length for it. Still a good read if you like cute girls and monsters. – Sean Gaffney

My Monster Secret, Vol. 11 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – Yes, Asahi and Youko are together, but this series isn’t even half over yet, so don’t expect a lot of dating and holding hands here. Instead it’s more comedy, which is good as My Monster Secret does comedy very well. Even the melodramatic drama is comedy, as Nagisa’s tearful return to her home planet is undercut by a) a running gag of her worried about public spankings, and b) the punchline. There’s also a return of Youko’s hyperprotective father, which leads to an endless string of amusing gags. About the only time that My Monster Secret misses is when the gags it relies on are too tired, such as Akari’s age. This still has the capacity to make me laugh a good deal. – Sean Gaffney

The Troublemakers | By Baron Yoshimoto | Retrofit Comics – Only a few manga have been released by Retrofit Comics, the most recent of which is The Troublemakers, a collection of Baron Yoshimoto’s short manga curated and translated by comics historian Ryan Holmberg. Along with an accompanying essay by Holmberg placing Yoshimoto and his work into historical context, The Troublemakers collects six stories originally published between 1966 and 1974. The volume isn’t necessarily intended to be a “best of” collection. Instead, the manga included are meant to be a representative sample of not only Yoshimoto’s creative output but also of the types of gekiga and seinen manga being published for men in Japan around the 1970s. The stories are engaging and provocative, sex and violence featuring prominently as part of intense and dramatic narratives with protagonists who are frequently society’s outsiders. Based on the manga collected in The Troublemakers, I’m intrigued and certainly interested in reading more work by Yoshimoto. – Ash Brown

By: Michelle Smith

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