#idk i was rereading it and the way they were changing pronouns in the same sentence….. that spoke to me

[ques-e]

he/it pronouns but like in an AM way

[dunmeshistash]

On the note of the last ask i don't actually think it's that strange to have a strong interest in the pronouns used in japanese, as, in japanese fandoms in general, there is actually a big fixation with what pronouns characters use for themselves (and when), not primarily due to gender, but moreso personality implications.

For example, thistle's use of 私(watashi) implying when he uses 僕(boku) (such as around those he considers family) that is how he refers to himself casually. This is interesting, since most male characters (and men in general) use 俺(ore) as their casual pronoun. In a lot of cases, a male character using 僕 casually reads as childish. (though there are exceptions, and it is less so when used by tomboyish women, though that isn't really relevant.)

I haven't finished rereading dungeon meshi in japanese, so i don't know all of the character's personal pronouns, but it is definitely an interesting topic. (i also haven't backread what's been posted on this fully so a lot of this might have already been said)

Anonymous asked: Forgot to mention in my previous ask, Thistle uses both 私 AND 僕, i checked some of the chapters in the thistle arc to see how he referred to himself, and he used 私 when speaking to laios, and 僕 with the royal family and in his own thoughts.

Oh I love that! Thank you!

I assumed they meant "Why are you obsessing over pronouns in japanese to guess gender presentation" idk

The last part where they mentioned speech pattern tells more makes sense but I wouldn't imagine something that jokey on dunmeshi, even elf Senshi still acted not too exaggerated.

I enjoy the personality implications like you mentioned. I like to get as much insight into characters I like as I can. Ofc this is only because these are characters and choices like self pronouns are part of the way authors indicate things about characters usually, it's not how it works irl, I remember seeing a chart once about 1st person pronoun use percentages and it changed a lot based on where they where and who they were talking to. (like the same people changed between watashi ore and boku depending)

Anyway Thistle is so cute.

[slutsofren]

God I just keep thinking about the denial of personhood in the ACOTAR rewrite and it’s almost horrifying implications. Multiple times throughout the story Amren and the Suriel tell the reader that she’s Feyre now and whoever she was before doesn’t matter, but nothing could ever be more wrong. Everything she does NOW is because of who she was BEFORE. There would be no changes if she was simply “just Feyre”. I mean imagine living a full 20, 30, maybe even 40 years only to be told that none of that matters. Talk about a nervous breakdown in the making. Not to mention the crisis it puts her through with the mating bonds. If she’s “just Feyre” now then does that mean the bonds are only there because of the body? I mean, imagine working tirelessly for 10 years hoping that you can die and go home, only for it to not work and now people refuse acknowledge you as the person you are. If it were me I would have started screaming years ago. I could go on about this topic for hours and never be able to convey the horror, anger, and dread I get from rereading those scenes.

SCREAMS "YOU GET IT" FROM THE TOPS OF MY LUNGS

listen i wont be an ass and like say that was my whole point of the constant denial and blatant disregard of emotional (and for that matter mental) validation of reader but but but but i will say i ABSOLUTELY intended it to be a kind of? self vent of how people in my life have invalidated my own identity that i chose for myself- that my pronouns are they/them, that i am explicitly nonbinary.

when i started high lady it was definitely supposed to be just kind of just for me that reader was inherently my own self insert and hearing that no matter how hard i try, people will always choose to ignore MY OWN choices and MY OWN self expression in favor for what they perceived as "the right way" to view me. idk. it was just supposed to always be a thing for me to point at and be like "hehe ooops" but then the fic exploded the way it did. and tbh like if anyone ever takes the same kind of interpretation of their own validation (esp when things come to a climax of the whole identity thing in the fic) i hope they will always take away that their identity matters, your identity matters, no matter what people think is best for you.

[chippedaxe]

hello!! could i ask for a request where dream used to be a top but his ego has gotten up too high and the reader is tired of him being a bitch and decides to turn into the bitch? so it’s like sub!dream x dom!dream. i don’t really have ideas of what could happen, maybe dream won lost a manhunt and is pretty mad and yeahhh :) thank you already!

☆○o。　　。o���☆

Title: Poor Baby

Warnings: NSFW !Minor's steer clear, coarse language, praising, teasing, degrading, bit of humiliation, nipple play, fingering, anal play, begging, idk if there should be more.

Pairing: Sub! Dream X Dom! Reader

Pronouns: They/Them, non specified genitalia,

Synopsis: Dream tries to dominate you but you've had enough so you toy with Dream.

Word count: 1.5k

Note: tbh i was rlly confused so i hope this is somewhat what u wanted <3

- if it doesn't make sense like halfway thru the story then I'm rlly sorry, I wrote half of it one time and half of it another time (and I don't rlly reread or edit my work)

☆○o。　　。o○☆

Dream storms into the room looking angry, his hands have been balled into fists and you can tell that he's not thinking rationally "Dear- what's wrong? What happened, baby?" you tried to calm him down but he completely dismissed you "Take off your clothes." he ordered "excuse me?" you were taken back "come on- please just take off your clothes,, manhunt made angry.." Dream grumbled.

"Baby, just calm down.. Rest" you pulled him down onto the bed gently "Sweetheart, don't you want my cock?" Dream grabs your chin and looks into your eyes "of course I do-" he stops you right there "Then why're you being difficult?" he caresses your cheek, "Well I just feel like you're acting like a serious bitch right now" you confessed bluntly.

"Me? A bitch?" Dream groaned at your words, his hands reaching out to touch you but you stand up from the bed "Yeah. A really big bitch. So why don't you just calm down and rest, okay?" you put your hands on your hips and looked down at him "You don't give the orders okay? I give them! I'm the dominant one here!" Dream exclaimed "Then maybe I should be." you shut him down.

"What? You? Dom me? I don't think so" Dream chuckled to himself, "You think it's so funny now but wait I'm making you dizzy and seeing stars from how good I can make you feel.." you warned him "How do you expect to get me to be submissive for you?" Dream growled "Watch me." you responded as you then approached him.

You straddled his knee and crawled onto his lap, your hands moving to his chest "This is all you've got?" Dream rolled his eyes "Of course not, this isn't even close to the beginning" you leaned down to kiss his neck. You turned your head to the side and began suckling roughly on his skin, biting gently every few seconds "Ah- Yeah, keep doing that, doll." Dream tried to make it seem like he was in control but his words only affirmed your new dominant position.

"Yeah? You like it when I suck on your neck? I bet you'll like it a lot when I suck your cock too.." you tease him, your hands feeling up his chest and groping the man. "Don't tease me, or I'll punish you" Dream tried to sound scary "Punish me? But I'm being so kind, dominating you when you're clearly not fit to be on top.." you decided to bully him a little bit with some degrading words.

"Huh? What? What're you saying.." Dream started to get real riled up, his face starting to glow a bright red "What? Is my Dream angry with me?" you acted coy, kissing his jaw and pouting "Sorry Dream, I know how sensitive you are.." you teased him further "Don't make me flip you over and ram you- I will do it!" he threatened "Oh I bet you will.." your voice was condescending.

Your hands slid Dream's shirt off his body, revealing his tense muscles "Oh wow.. You look so pretty, all of this for me darling?" you cooed "Don't talk like that, I'm not you're little sub!" Dream shouted "Of course not, you're just someone who's below me and is acting quite submissive..." you pointed out. Your hands were cold, finger tips colder, pinching Dream's nipples to get a reaction out of him.

"H-uhgh..." Dream let out a small noise, his erection growing in his pants until it became a raging boner. "Aw you like when I play with your nipples? That's adorable.." you tease him as you continue to toy and play with his soft buds "n-no!" he was surely embarrassed, probably feeling humiliated. "Stop it- You're humiliating me!" Dream complained "Oh am I? You want me to stop? Then beg me, slut."

Dream went quiet and he froze up a little bit, clearly not expecting you to talk to him like that "Speak Darling, or are you too dumb?" you teased him. Dream gulped nervously and glanced up to meet your gaze "Please stop teasing me- please!" he gasped. "Okay, what do you want me to do?" you leaned over him.

Dream shuddered slightly "I want you to touch me properly!" he spoke up "What's the magic word?" you placed your hands on your hips, clearly enjoying the sudden change in superiority. "P-Please.. Please touch me, Please.." Dream groaned softly, you almost felt bad from the way he was begging you. Almost.

You looked down at him, his cock twitched in his pants, growing harder against the tight fabric "It hurt's so bad.. Please help me.." Dream hugged you and hung his head on your shoulder. "Okay baby, I'll help you.." you unzipped his pants just a bit so you could slip your hand in to palm him gently.

"Ah- I need more.. Please.." Dream bucked his hips up against your hand, desperately trying to grind against you but to no avail. "Be patient darling" you hushed him up and pulled his penis out, stroking his length gently. You admired the way it throbbed in your hand, twitching slightly as Dream rolled his head back and groaned "You're not usually this vocal, something change?" you smirked at him.

"That feels so good, so good.." Dream rolled his hips against you, legs closing together to give him a little more friction "Uh uh- open up." you slapped his thigh which made him open them back up reluctantly. You wanted to give in and let Dream fuck your insides but you fought the urges, today you were going to fuck him instead.

You took off his pants finally, letting the blonde boy relax more. "I'm gonna try something new with you, alright?" you didn't give Dream much time to answer as your hand dipped down between his legs, one of your fingers thrusting into his tight hole. "Ah! I- I've never touched there before!" Dream was feeling a little bit shy clearly.

"Your walls are sucking my fingers in so well, oh my god.. I should definitely buy a dildo or something for you.." you thought out loud to yourself. Dream quivered underneath you, his hole clenching around your finger at the thought of you fucking him with a toy. "M- More.." he was definitely feeling ashamed, his head turned away to face the wall.

You gave him what he wanted and stuck a second finger inside, curling them gently to press against his prostate. Dream squealed and covered his mouth to hide his lewd noises "Hands off." you instructed "But-" he protested "But nothing, hands off yourself or I'll stop touching you" you argued. Dream swallowed his pride and removed his hands, letting out a loud sound when your fingers thrusted deeper inside of him.

"Do you like this?" you asked "Of course- It feels so sO good!" Dream cried out "You like it more than when I play with your penis?" you questioned, Dream nodded and bit on his lip to keep quiet "So.. You'd let me do this again sometime?" you were starting to feel really excited "W-Whenever you want!!" Dream was now completely your bitch.

"I-I think I'm gonna cum, it feels sO weird!" Dream babbled on and on "Nuh uh- not unless you say you're my bitch." you wanted desperately to hear him say those little words "What??" you slowed down your pace and started to gently remove your fingers "No- No! I-I'm your bitch! I said it! I'm your bitch! Now please let me cum!" he bawled.

"Good boy.." You sped it up, not giving any mercy to his ass as you finger fucked him. "AH! I'm cumming! FUCK!" he arched his back, walls convulsing around your fingers as his hot white liquid spat out of his cock and ran down his legs. "Dirty slut, go clean yourself up" you snickered down at him before pulling your fingers out of his ass and leaving the bedroom.

You're not a monster so you obviously won't just be leaving him there, although it's not like you're gonna help him much. You grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and came back to hand it to him, he weakly reached out to grab the bottle but dropped it "Don't tell me.. Does my little slut need help drinking from a bottle? Pathetic.." you spat at him before drinking some of the water.

You grabbed his chin and opened it gently, spitting your water into his mouth for him to swallow. Dream gulped it down and flushed a deep red, "Thank you.." he thanked you and was flustered. "No problem, I love you baby." you kissed his cheek "I love you too, thank you for taking care of me today.. I think I liked it better when you were in charge.." Dream admitted "I was thinking the same thing, sweetheart" you smiled at him.

[foolishs-blog1]

☾     ▹     °     ⋅     aaron     tveit          /          thirty   -  five          /          cis     male          ;          have     you     had     the     chance     to     meet     gabriel     crowley          ?          he     has     lived     in     old     sprigg     for     thirty     years     ,     gaining     a     reputation     for     being     quite     intrepid     ,     romantic     ,     tragicomic          &          tenebrous     .     this     pansexual     gemini     can     be     found     around     the     clover     and     he     works     as     a     lawyer          &          playwright     .     most     people     tend     to     associate     them     with     expensive     shirts     undone     at     the     throat     and     rolled     up     to     the     forearms     ,     and     the     passenger     seat     of     a     well     -     loved     car     piled     with     reusable     coffee     cups     ,     half     -     scribbled     drafts     and     case     briefs     alike     .

this  was  meant  to  go  up  earlier  but  i  fell  asleep  and  then  my  laptop  decided  to  reboot  itself  and  i  lost  all  my  progress  and  i  kind  of  had  a  breakdown  over  it .  anyways   !   i’m  vanya ,  i’m  20 ,  i’m  writing  from  aest / hell ,  and  i  tend  to  use  she/they  pns .  i’m  the  world’s  worst  law  student ,  so  catch  me  whipping  up  lengthy  emotional  responses  when  i’m  meant  to  be  writing  letters  of  advice  n  whatnot   !   this  is  the  first  of  two  intros ,  so  bear  w  me   --- -   but  without  further  ado ,  here’s  the  loml ,  gabe   !

𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚛     𝚘𝚗𝚎     .          x          𝗱𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿     .

full  name:  gabriel  arthur  crowley .  

nicknames:  goes  primarily  by  gabe .

age:  thirty - five .

date  of  birth:  june  sixteenth .

place  of  birth:  old  sprigg ,  missouri .

occupation:  local  lawyer ,  aspiring  playwright .

gender  identity  &  pronouns:  cisgender  male ,  he/him .

sexual  identity:  pansexual .

romantic  identity:  panromantic .

western  zodiac:  gemini .

hogwarts  house:  gryffindor .

𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚛     𝚝𝚠𝚘     .          x          𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆     .

so ,  gabriel  is  from  a  pretty  prominent  family  in  old  sprigg   --- -   they’ve  been  living  there  for  generations ,  and  lay  claim  to  a  mom  and  pop  convenience  store  in  the  centre  of  town .  the  crowleys  aren’t  wealthy  wealthy ,  but  they  are  comfortable  (  which  is  what  rich  people  say ,  but  whatever  ) .  he’s  the  oldest  of  his  five  siblings  (  wcs  that  i’ll  probs  pop  in  later ,  oops  )  and  the  responsibility  of  taking  care  of  the  shop  has  fallen  to his  younger  sister .

just  for  reference ,  the  family  structure  is  below   !   they  range  from  35,  obvs,  to  27 .  they  were  all  born  in  quite  quick  succession .  bold  indicates  twins   !

gabriel .

younger sister .

younger sister .

younger brother .

younger sister .

growing  up ,  he  was  quick  to  assume  responsibility  and  play  the  protective  older  brother   --- -   he  helped  get  lunches  ready  in  the  morning ,  helped  cook  dinner ,  helped  look  after  the  younger  four  ;   he  adapted  well  to  the  responsibility .  he’s  always  been  quite  mature  in  that  respect ,  always  choosing  to  go  home  and  help  with  the  younger  kids  than  to  go  out  and  party  and  whatnot .  

throughout  his  childhood ,  he  showed  incredible  promise  with  language .  he  was  a  keen  reader ,  and  developed  a  taste  for  classic  literature  early  on .  his  teachers  understood  that  and  responded  to  it  well ,  and  fostered  that  love .  by  the  time  he  was  in  fourth  grade ,  he  was  being  sent  off  to  do  much  more  advanced  work .  he’s  maintained  this  love  for  literature  and  language   --- -   an  entire  room  in  his  house  is  dedicated  to  all  of  his  books .  (  he’s  formed  his  own  little  library ,  and  he’s  not  mad  about  it .  )

somewhere  in  high  school ,  he  was  introduced  to  the  possibility  of  doing  law ,  and  fell  head  over  heels .  there  was  something  about  its  innate  intricacies ,  the  interweaving  of  theory  and  language  and  cleverness  that  spoke  to  his  soul .  he  started  discussing  the  idea  with  his  parents ,  who  jumped  at  the  idea  of  having  a  lawyer  in  the  family  again  (  bc  who  the  fuck  wouldn’t  )   --- -   they  eventually  decided  on  a   university  in  kansas  city ,  and  before  he  even  realised  it ,  he  was  applying .  

he  moved  out  of  the  family  home  at  eighteen ,  car  loaded  with  boxes  and  heart  full  of  sorrow  and  the  inexplicable  joy  of  what  was  to  come .  he  can’t  say  he’s  sorry  for  leaving ,  but  he  will  admit  that  it  was  hard  .  living  in  such  a  close - knit ,  beautiful  family ,  you  get  very  attached  to  the  people  around  you  and  having  to  leave  is  a  pain  like  no  other .  (  he  drove  home  every  chance  he  could ,  brought  books  and  records  for  his  younger  siblings  to  swap  around ,  told  stories  of  university  life  with  only  a  touch  of  embellishment ,  bc  no  one  wants  to  hear  another  story  abt  how  you  stayed  home  on  friday  night  rereading  the  iliad  again .  )

he  pretty  much  cruised  through  uni  on  high  marks ,  tbh .  in  his  latter  years  he  became  a  tutor  and  peer  mentor ,  but  he  pretty  much  stuck  to  himself  for  most  of  his  time  there .  he  dabbled  in  theatre  arts ,  stage  managed  and  starred  in  a  few  shows ,  but  for  the  most  part  he  stuck  to  his  own  guns  and  got  through  uni  the  way  he  wanted  to .  it’s  here  that  he  starts  drafting  ideas  for  his  own  plays ,  but  he  doesn’t  take  them  too  seriously .  he  tends  to  write  them  as  a  detox  from  writing  legal  essays ,  and  his  first  ones  aren’t  great  but  they  get  better  and  better  as  time  goes  on .

after  he  graduated  with  first  class  honours ,  gabe  started  looking  for  work  and  after  a  month  of  relative  unemployment  (  there  was  a  whole  lot  of  greasy  takeout  and  near - teary  breakdowns  experienced  that  month ) ,  he  got  the  job  of  an  absolute  lifetime   --- -   working  as  a  legal  assistant  in  a  firm  in  new  york  city .  he  didn’t  hesitate  about  taking  that  job .

new  york  wasn’t  quite  what  it  was  cracked  up  to  be .  the  rent  on  his  apartment  was  exorbitant ,  moments  of  peace  and  quiet  were  transitory ,  he  was  overworked  and  underpaid ,  but  there  was  still  something  about  it  that  appealed  to  him  like  nothing  else .  he’d  save  his  change  and  go  see  broadway  shows  when  he  could ,  fell  in  love  with  everything  about  the  theatre .  note  that  his  burgenoning  love  for  theatre  didn’t  replace  his  love  for  the  law   --- -   it  merely  grew  out  of  the  same  place ,  that  same  love  for language  and  literature  that  drove  him  into  law .  

he  ended  up  working  in  new  york  for  about  five  years  before  deciding  to  pack  it  in  and  move  back  to  old  sprigg .  there’d  been  a  job  opening  back  home  and  he  was  starting  to  feel  the  urge  to  return  home   ---   so  five  years  ago ,  he  packed  up  his  car  again  and  made  the  long  trip  back  home .  he  doesn’t  regret  leaving  new  york ,  not  at  all .  he’d  made  quite  the  success  story  of  himself  there ,  and  it’s  not  like  he  couldn’t  just  travel  back  and  forth  for  big  cases .  the  firm  was  reticent  to  let  their  ‘  hotshot  little  attorney   ’  go ,  but  it’s  been  the  best  thing  for  him .

he’s  been  back  for  five  years  now .  he  bought  a  house  relatively  close  to  his  parents  and  siblings ,  and  has  since  established  a  small  business  offering  legal  advice  and  taking  on  distance  cases .  he  travels  back  and  forth ,  but  he  loves  it  regardless .  he’s  adopted  three  dogs  and  a  cat ,  all  of  whom  insist  on  sleeping  in  the  bed   --- -   gabe  gets  the  smallest  sliver  of  bed ,  naturally .  he’s  written  two  plays  (  both  of  which  have  been  published  )  and  he’s  starting  work  on  the  third  one  now .

idk  he’s  just  happier  in  old  sprigg  than  he  ever  was  in  nyc  and  he  deserves  that

𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚛     𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎     .          x          𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗸𝘀     .

style  inspirations:  spencer  reid ,  the  tenth  doctor .  it’s  a  lot  of  expensive  dress  shirts  and  scuffed - up  sneakers .  when  he’s  actually  in  court ,  he’ll  dress  quite  professionally  but  when  he’s  not ,  he’ll  keep  the  nice  shirts  and  swap  everything  else  out  for  worn  jeans  and  converse  in  varying  colours .  occasionally ,  we’ll  get  a  knitted  scarf .

exhales   ...   big  on  saving  the  environment .  turns  up  to  convenience  stores  with  canvas  bags  in  tow ,  has  a  reusable  coffee  cup  for  every  mood ,  tries  to  make  as  little  waste  as  humanly  possible .  he’s  slowly  weaning  himself  off  of  meat ,  and  he  won’t  go  fully  vegan ,  but  he’s  doing  his  best  to  avoid  meat  and  dairy .  (  yes ,  he  saw  greta  thunberg’s  tedtalk  and  promptly  felt  guilty  and  started  making  changes .  )

used  to  smoke ,  because  it  was  a  social  thing  in  the  firm  he  worked  at  in  nyc .  since  he’s  moved  back ,  he’s  quit .  he’ll  have  one  a  week  if  he  feels  the  need .  

he  did  a  few  shows  in  high  school  and  university .  he’s  got  a  fuckin  beautiful  voice ,  and  if  you  walk  by  at  the  right  time ,  you  can  catch  him  singing  to  himself  and  his  dogs  while  making  breakfast .  

he  jogs ,  bc  of  fucking  course  he  does .

talks  with  his  hands  a  lot .  doesn’t  know  where  he  gets  it  from .

holds  a  regular  saturday  night  movie  marathon  at  his  house  for  friends  and  family  ,  and  seeing  as  fall  is  approaching  it’s  gonna  be  halloween  movies  from  now  on .  he’s  a  sucker  for  a  good  horror  movie .

angelic  in  every  way ,  shape  n  form .  thank  u .

[bentchcreates]

Start Here, Stories of First Encounters 

Let me just say this right off the bat, I’m giving this 6 of 5 Stars! First of all, the editors and my co-authors deserve the 5.5 of 5 Stars. This is my favorite book this year, cheesy for me to say, but it is! I’m giving a half star more for my own story because I’m very proud of this, okay? :P I’ll talk more about that on a separate blog post, haha.

To begin, I want to thank the editors (and our PM, Hi Mina!) for coming up with this anthology. The intros by Ron and Brij, in itself, were already strong messages to those who are looking for contemporary romance that represents Filipinos of this time, LGBTQIAP or not. It perfectly put out the reasons behind the conception of this anthology, as well as the hope that this sparks a flame towards more Queer Romance and Queer HEA in Philippine Literature.

1. In the Moonlight by Agay Llanera

This was a sweet start to set the tone for the rest of the stories. It’s an awesome sequel to my other favorite, Another Word For Happy. And like what I said in my review for AWFH last year, Caleb seems to have been made after my own heart.

I wish I was exaggerating, but the indecision, the awkward reaction to ‘the kiss’, the hyperawareness to the smallest of things, IT ME! When I was Caleb’s age, at least. LOL. And I’m sure a lot of gay people (maybe not even gay people, everyone, really) will find it relatable one way or another.

What Caleb is better than me, though, is his courage towards the end of the story. He did something I never would’ve been able to do. And I hope when others read this, they’d be inspired to be braver, too.

2. Come Full Circle by Bobbi Moran

I love me some slow burn romance and huhu, the slow burn in this one killed me (in a good way!).

This short felt quite episodic as the characters are shown through different stages of them finding themselves – and eventually, love – but that slow progression allowed me to really root for them to be together at the end.

I found the attention to detail fascinating (especially the architectural ones when Alana and Marion went on a holiday) but what I loved most about this is the accuracy of tiptoeing in a relationship when one is still unsure where the other one stands. I mean, relationships are already complicated without the whole guessing-and-hoping-the-other-one-plays-on-the-same-team narrative, but add in sexual confusion (and tension!) and you’re in for a wild, but nonetheless more interesting, ride. This story tied to a full circle satisfyingly.

3. Gorgeous by Motsie Dapul

This is probably my first F/enby romance and it certainly lived up to its title. This might also be the first fiction story I’ve read using the singular they/them pronoun and while it took me about a minute to re calibrate my [faulty] sense of grammar, it wasn’t jarring and it told Jays and the MC (I’m not 100% sure she was named, I need to reread the story, stat!)more genuinely for me.

It is also somewhat a variation of the enemies to lovers trope which is always interesting. I’m happy to note that there is grovel. :) 

I think what I want to focus more about this story is how something that happened years ago, something that seemed small and irrelevant to you, might mean a whole different world to another person. And simple things like words said haplessly, or actions that weren’t well thought of in our youth, could still impact us as adults no matter how much we’ve changed in the time in between.

This story tells and awesome story of discovering one’s self, discovery of love, and acceptance of the MC’s past, present and future with Them. :)

4. Shipping Included by Danice Sison

Can this be any cuter?? <3 <3 <3

I will admit that I didn’t get all the KPop references but I know those who are knowledgeable (and obsessed) with oppas will appreciate and enjoy this.

Done in alternating POVs between the protagonists, David and Kiko, the story’s strength lay on the well-rounded characterization of the heroes, as well as the kids who made their meetcute extra cute! There is a glimpse of what it must be like to be a Filipino KPop fan while also focusing the spotlight on those who don’t share the dedication but support their loved one’s hobbies nonetheless.

The Kuya and Tito may not be in their girls’ fandoms but Kpopocalypse gave them (all of us, really) a different reason to swoon and make fingerhearts at each other.  

5. Delubyo by Barbie Barbieto

This is beautifully written.

This was the first work from the author that I’ve read and I loved it so much, it made me seek out her other work. Haha. The style and flow of words are smooth and easygoing, it hooked me up real quick.

Add to that is Pebbles’ odd four-month relationship rule which I thought was mean at first, but actually makes so much sense and is understandable from someone who’s constantly afraid to put her heart on the line. Still, I don’t tolerate it. (I loved this so much, I’m super invested and I want to have a talk with Pebbles bec huhu, the poor ex-girlfriends! LOL)

I love the progression of her feelings towards Gabrielle, told brilliantly somewhere in the middle of the story – after that awesome beginning! It made the ending such a relief and a source of immense kilig!

6. The Other Story by H. Bentham

*sly grin emoji*

7. Blooms and Hues by Ella Banta

I loved the softness of the themes in this short story, reminiscent of Gay YA fiction I used to devour in college (from foreign authors like Brian Sloan, Alex Sanchez, John Hall, etc.) and the short films I still find on YouTube from time to time.

It is a lovely addition to this anthology, despite not being heavy on the romance like the other stories, especially since being queer in this country, love, relationships - and matters of the heart in general - are less likely to be this soft and dreamy. (At least during my time as an actual young adult. IDK, maybe kids these days are allowed this gay tenderness we weren’t given access to. It wasn’t even such a long time ago, I mean…anyway, that’s not what this review is all about. I got distracted. lol)

The artistic MC and LI are adorable. And flowers! I’m never not in love with stories where flowers come into play.

8. Another First by Yeyet Soriano

I admit that I felt scared to continue with this once it was established that Jess, the MC, is in a long term relationship at the beginning of the story. I dislike scenes with messy break-ups due to cheating, but I soldiered on and was greatly relieved that this didn’t go that way.

I liked that the characters acted like the adults that they are and that this did not turn into a rehash of popular love-triangle telenovela plots. I especially loved the part where things had to settle down and fall into place for all characters (Jess, Lili and even Matt) separately at first – on a personal level – before the romance could be resolved. It showed a healthy depiction of self-discovery and acceptance a little bit later in life.

9. Luck from the Skies by Katt Briones

This one I’ve actually read before the book came out and ugh, rereading it second, third and fourth time did not make it less wonderful! The characters have supporting roles from Katt’s other book, Chasing Mr. Prefect, but the timeline here is before that book’s time.

I liked the fictional artista/modeling angles and the progression of friendship between Chan and Asher towards a romantic ship (#ChaSher5everr!!!). The rainy weather theme is also very Filipino and how it plays in the advancement of the plot is just brilliant! And kilig! So kilig!

Sab is defineitely a scene stealer (I love bestfriends!) but since the romance was so strong in the first place, she didn’t overshadow my boys. LOL.

Also, prepare to crave bulalo!  

10. Lemon Drop Friday by Brigitte Bautista.

“Here goes [Brij] again, making a mess [with my heart]”

When I was reading the review copy and got to this point in the book, I stopped for a full day before I started this story. Part of me knew I would breeze through it and I didn’t want the book to end just yet. And I was right.

Brij did it again! Made me fall in love with her mastery of words and then made me cry because this was so good and so satisfying.

I was highlighting passages throughout the book (for review notes) but with this one, I couldn’t even stop to highlight words, I just wanted to fully immerse in that universe and feel the love, and the fear of rejection, and the ultimate HEA where these messy girls finally, finally got together!

I have a favorite quote (aside from the mis-quote above. Lol)

“If she looked at me a tad longer, she would figure it out.”

Argh! MY HEART! I loved Tala’s POV so much! It’s quirky and funny and honest and SO relatable. I’m done talking about this because I WILL SPOIL IT FOR EVERYONE so please get the book and read it! :P

To end, again I want to thank everyone who worked (and continue to work hard to promote) this book! I cannot fully express into words how important this is to me, as well as to others who might need these stories in their lives (whether they know it or not). I hold this dear this not because it is among the first queer books from #romanceclass, but more because all were written with wonderful skill and heart. Each story offers something unique for the reader who might be reading queer for the first time as well as someone looking for themselves in the written page,

We yearned so much to be represented well. We craved for stories we can connect to on a deeply personal level. We waited for our happy endings, in fiction at the very least.. This is definitely the beginning of us getting all that. And more.

Blurb:

There’s a first time for everything. Gatecrashing a KPop concert with an oppa in a business suit. Taking shelter from the storm with the girl you’ve been meaning to shake off. That kiss that blurs the line between friendship and something more. A one-night stand (or, is it?) with your best friend from across the hallway.

Dive into these 10 stories of first encounters – unapologetically queer, happy endings required, with a smattering of that signature #romanceclass kilig. Whether you’re recalling your own firsts or out there looking for one, there’s a story in here for you.

So, go on.

Turn the page.

Start here.

Edited by Ronald S. Lim and Brigitte Bautista. Featuring short stories by Agay Llanera, H. Bentham, Ella Banta, Danice Sison, Yeyet Soriano, Barbie Barbieto, Katt Briones, Bobbi Moran, Motzie Dapul, and Brigitte Bautista. This anthology contains M/M, F/F, F/NB romance stories with happy endings. Some stories have a high heat level.

Release Date: January 27, 2018

Book Cover Design: Dani Hernandez

Additional Photography: Alexandra Urrea & Chachic Fernandez

Buy Links:

Pre-order Start Here on Amazon: bit.ly/rcStartHere Order Start Here on paperback (PH only): bit.ly/StartHere-PrintPH

Add Start Here on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37880247-start-here

Author links:

Katt Briones: @kttbri (Twitter& IG)

Ella Banta:  @gabbie_ellaine (Twitter) , @ellamaepot (IG),  gabrielluna.wordpress.com (blog) , https:// www.facebook.com/ ellabantawriting/ (FB)

Agay Llanera:  http:// amzn.to/ 2k2gj34.(Amazon)

Yeyet Soriano: @ysrealm (Twitter & IG) @Yeyetsorianowrites (FB), www.yeyetsoriano.com (blog), yeyetms@gmail.com

Danice Sison: @hastyteenflick (Twitter)

Bobbi Moran: bobbimoran26@gmail.com

Motzie Dapul: FB.com/atemozzarella, FB.com/atemozzarellastories, @atemozzarella (Tumblr) , mozzarellastories.wordpress.com (blog), motzie.dapul@ gmail.com.

Barbie Barbieto: @barbiebarbieto (Twitter),  barbiebarbieto.com (blog) 

H. Bentham: this is me. heh.

Editors: 

Brigitte Bautista: @brijbautista (Twitter & IG), brijbautista.wordpress.com (blog)

Ronald S. Lim: @tristantrakand (Twitter), ronlim20@gmail.com