#or b) a reader of pro authors

[not-poignant]

Y'all, I hate to say it, but if you're reading romance books by rapid release romance authors from the past two years, there is a really high chance that unless they've made an explicit statement saying they're NOT using ChatGPT in the process of writing their books, chances are really high that they are.

There are many many FB groups for professional authors (like 'Gen-AI for Authors') where authors literally compile ways to use Gen-AI to do as little writing as possible, to get as much bang for their buck. Authors who were used to using ghost-writers are now no longer paying them the small bucks and going to ChatGPT instead. (To say nothing of Gen-AI and book covers). (To say nothing of Gen-AI and audiobook readings, Audible doesn't allow them, but everywhere else pretty much does).

The only difference between this and other situations is that this author got caught because they got fucking lazy. But I guarantee you that if you're a voracious romance reader you're now also a voracious Gen-AI romance reader. It's truly dystopian out there, right now (*stares at US politics and tries hard to stay on topic*).

I had to leave quite a few professional author groups last year because unlike the fine arts, so many pro authors are so incredibly pro Gen-AI. I think romance is the worst for it, because that's where rapid release (like the 20booksto50k method) really gets pushed hard in romance writing circles. And of course not everyone is doing it, and if you're particularly savvy, you might have already been able to tell when you're reading just weirdly slightly overwritten romance novels and had a 'hmmm is this...? I think this might be at least slightly influenced by Gen-AI.'

If the plots seem more generic, if the character voices are more generic, if the paragraphs are more generic, if it's all a bit more weirdly overwritten check a) when that author started publishing and b) what the quality of their work was like pre-2023.

And don't be afraid to point blank ask authors if they can declare their works Gen-AI free. Most authors are on socials now. Though be careful, many are encouraging each other to lie in FB groups about it, even saying things like 'readers don't have a right to know if I use Gen-AI it has nothing to do with them.'

So y'know.

This author got caught. Silly author. The vast majority of them aren't getting caught. And a huge amount of that bunch are favourable to lying to their readers and to Amazon's little 'declare that you used AI in making this' ticky box.

(Also please know that a not insignificant amount (i.e. easily thousands) of rapid release romance writers never cared about the craft of writing, and they only care about gaming the algorithm and making the big bucks. There are six figure romance authors who could not give less of a shit about the quality of their writing, and only care about KU page reads, because even 50 page reads of a terrible novel is still going to equal way way more dollars if their marketing is really good.

This is not all pro romance authors of course!! I'm a romance author, I know a lot of romance authors feeling like they're drowning in this right now. Any romance writer releasing one book a year is - if in professional circles - getting weird looks from their peers for not releasing a novel a month. Rapid release romance authors have among some of the highest burnout rates if they sincerely love writing, and if they don't, they have zero issues turning to ChatGPT and lying to their readers about it.)

Like, we have books in the bestseller lists with Gen-AI covers, Gen-AI content, Gen-AI plots, Gen-AI characters and Gen-AI dialogue. Non-fiction and romance are two of the worst genres for this. Be careful, get educated, hold authors accountable, and remember, the only thing that's unusual about this author is not that they used ChatGPT at all, it's that they got caught.

[icemankazansky]

A Simple Guide to Not Being Afraid to Write Comments to Fic You Read

I've seen a lot of posts about the current state of fanfiction comments. Writers, especially writers who have been in fandom for a decade or more, are frustrated by the lack of comments, and have noticed a definite decline in comments (and all other forms of reader interaction) in the past ten years or so. Many readers feel daunted by the expectation of leaving comments, afraid they'll do something wrong. As a fandom old maid, the latter confused me for a while, until I realized that most of the people who feel that way probably have not been taught this form of communication.

But your loving fandom elders are here for you. Come along as your auntie tumblr user icemankazansky makes this shit easy.

The easiest way to think of fanfiction comment etiquette is to compare it to something you likely already know: Gift Receiving Etiquette.

Fanfiction began as largely a gift economy. And a lot of it still is! You'll see authors participate in exchanges like Yuletide and Id Pro Quo; those are ficswaps in which authors write for a specific person to specific prompts. And even outside that, fanfiction is not written for money; authors write and post it simply for the joy of creation and community with fellow fans. Fic is posted free for anyone to enjoy. Is that not a gift?

So. When you as a reader finish the chapter or story you're reading and you are faced with the comment box, try to follow the same etiquette you would when receiving a gift. (And even if you didn't love this gift and it's not your favorite gift ever, we already know that it's more useful than the products from your cousin's MLM that they're passing off as gifts, because you read the story. At the very least, it entertained you for the time you took to read it.)

The big rule of gift receiving etiquette is not to insult the person who gave you the gift, either directly or indirectly. That's it. Full stop.

I've been seeing a lot of comments lately that are just along the lines of, "Thank you for writing this story and sharing it with us." A+, top of the class, full marks, you're doing amazing. If you don't feel comfortable commenting on the story itself, that is perfect feedback. And that's the most basic way you respond to a gift, yes? Thank you for the gift. Thank you for thinking of me. Thank you for sharing.

Does this rule mean that you cannot say anything at all that might be negative about anything? No, absolutely not. What you want to avoid is saying something that is, at its core, a negative evaluation of the author or their work. Let's do some examples.

Character A's obliviousness about Character B's MASSIVE crush on them made me so frustrated! I was tearing my hair out internally screaming, "JUST LET HIM LOVE YOU."

✔️ Excellent comment! You're allowed to have all sorts of feelings about things that happen in the story, and in fact authors LOVE to hear about any emotions they made you feel. Yes, frustration is not a positive emotion, but the thing you are expressing frustration about is not the author themselves or their shortcomings.

Contrast that to:

I was really frustrated that it took you so long to post this chapter. The cliffhanger at the end of the previous chapter had me tearing my hair out, and then you just left us hanging FOREVER!

❌ Nope! Here what you are expressing is frustration with the author and how fast they come out with new chapters. Imagine your sister buys you a gift for your birthday, but she isn't able to give it to you until the next week, and you respond with: "What took you so long?" I think Emily Post would frown on that.

Reframing

The way you say something and the point of view from which you give feedback can have a HUGE impact on the message you're sending. Let's take the last comment (the one about wanting an update) and see what happens when we reframe the same sentiment as a positive:

I was SO EXCITED to see that you updated this story! I have really been looking forward to seeing what happened after the cliffhanger in the last chapter.

✔️ Now it's not an insult. The author will be happy to know that you are happy to see new work from them.

This idea extends beyond the story itself: to the fandom, the characters, the pairing, the tropes, etc. Let's do some examples.

I looooove reading about these sexy boys SO IN LOVE even though the movie you're writing about is SOOOOO problematic.

❌ Nope! Assume that the author enjoys the canon, characters, pairing, etc. in the stories they write. This comment is insulting to the author because it basically says, "That thing you love is not great, and you should probably feel bad for liking it." Imagine your aunt gifts you a sweater from a popular retailer, and you respond with, "This is so cute, I love it! It's a shame that it was made in a sweatshop." Do you have a valid point about the canon or the retailer's business practices? You very well might. Is this the proper time and place to talk about it? Absolutely not.

Let's do a reframing exercise. You should be very careful about how you approach commenting negatively on anything in the story that appears in the tags list, but you can make it a compliment and good feedback if you have the right perspective. See the difference with these two approaches:

I kind of think frottage is disgusting, but I liked it in this story.

❌ Nope! You just told the author you think their kink is disgusting. That's like telling your poor aunt who is just trying to keep you warm this winter that she has awful taste in knitwear. Try again.

Frottage normally isn't my kink, but I love your other stories with this pairing, so I decided to give it a try, and I'm SOOOOO GLAD that I did! This story was 🔥🔥🔥

✔️ "This normally isn't my thing, but you made me expand my horizons!" Authors love to hear that. That's like telling your aunt, "I never thought this color looked good on me, but I look so cute in this sweater! I'm so glad you helped me step outside my comfort zone, because I'm the better for it."

thank u, next

The last thing I want to address is this new trend I've seen in commenting lately: placing an order. If your mom surprises you with new headphones, you don't respond with, "I wanted the white ones 🙁," or, "You should get me a new phone, too." It's easy to see why that isn't appropriate in a gifting situation, and it's also not appropriate when commenting on fanfiction.

Let's do some examples:

This fic was soooo cute, but it would have been a million times better if Character A had been with Character C instead of Character B.

❌ There are a few things going on here. Number one, you're telling your mom you wanted the white headphones, not the ones she actually bought you. You're also disparaging the A/B pairing that the author chose to write about, and as we discussed, we can assume that the author wrote the pairing because they liked it. Even if it's not their favorite and/or they also write A/C, they made a choice for this story to be A/B, and the comments section of a fic is not the place to question choices the author made in their own work.

You should write a story where Character Z who is not even in this story does [thing that is vaguely referenced in the B plot].

❌ "You should get me a new phone, too."

I want a sequel. 😞

❌ "Thank you, next!"

You can reframe this kind of sentiment if you are careful about it, and it's not all you say.

I really loved this story. I would be so interested to see these ideas explored further if you ever decide to write more in this universe.

✔️ Not "gimme." Not "more." This is, "If you build it, I will come." It is a HUGE difference.

You already know how to do this. You know how to graciously accept a gift; just use that same etiquette, and boom! Now you know how to fearlessly write a comment to fic you read. You're doing amazing. Go forth and comment.

[ladyymiisa]

RISE AND SHINE!

summary: mornings with shouta might be a challenge, but you still love him unconditionally, even when he's being a total pain.

tags: aizawa shouta x fem!reader, fluff, shouta is an insufferable little shit in this so i’m sorry if it seems a bit ooc

author’s note: misa writing about someone who’s not hawks? absolutely crazy. anyway, eat up my children!! (i wish he would eat me instead)

mornings with shouta can go one of two ways:

1. you wake up first, only to be sweetly persuaded into remaining in bed with him for another hour or so. this usually happens on the weekends.

2. you wake up first and are confronted with the formidable task of ensuring that your boyfriend gets out of bed on time to attend to his responsibilities as both a pro hero and a teacher.

today happens to be the second scenario.

“come on, shouta,” you urge, attempting to pull the blanket from his body, only to succeed in moving it a mere millimeter from his grasp. even freshly awake, his grip remains unyielding—a trait whose logic you’ll never quite comprehend.

with a sigh of frustration, you give the blanket another tug, this time applying more force. “your alarm has rung three times already. how much longer do you intend to lounge around?” you ask, your annoyance evident.

shouta remains silent and you find yourself sighing once again.

this won’t do. he should have been out the door by now, and you’re pretty sure nezu will give him another reprimand for being late once again. there’s only so much he’ll let slide.

with your lips pressed together, you silently watch shouta. you observe the steady rise and fall of his chest as he dozes off peacefully, without a care in the world. a few unruly strands of hair have fallen across his eyes, partially obscuring his face from view. perfect.

it's time to resort to plan b.

with your plan set in motion, you roll your shoulders, savoring the satisfying pops of your joints, then position yourself, ready for action. without an ounce of hesitation, you allow your body to collapse onto his like a ragdoll, face landing straight against his bare chest. this action finally elicits a response from shouta.

he grunts in disapproval, partly due to the unexpected impact of your body landing atop his own without warning, but makes no effort to push you away. instead, he remains there, defeated and motionless.

"get off." he grumbles, voice thick with sleep.

"only if you get up." you retort.

you feel the low rumble in his chest as he grumbles once more. a few seconds of silence pass, and just as you begin to think you might have won, his arms unexpectedly wrap around you, securing you in place.

this prompts you to gasp in offence and struggle against his grip, but your efforts are in vain. shouta has no intention of letting you go so easily, not when the warmth of your body nearly lulls him back into slumber. you let out a whine, lifting your head slightly to look at him.

the fucking bastard is smirking triumphantly.

with a resigned sigh, you allow your head to fall against his chest once more. something tells you that shouta won’t be the only one getting an earful from nezu today.

[touyas-multi-purpose-saline]

DAY XII. — HAND HOLDING (DURING THE ACT)

cw: Fluff, Romantic Talk, Hand Holding, Cunnilingus, Aged-Up / Pro-Hero Time Skip, Fem! Reader. 18+ Only!

author's note: It was so interesting writing Deku. He's so cute but he's still an anxious dweeb who struggles to talk to girls. Enjoy!

word count: Approximately 1.2k words.

“Um, okay. I’m not sure if—well, it’s just, I’ve never done anything like this before so I don’t know if I’ll be able to perform at the kind of standard you might be expecting, which—”

“Izuku.” 

Izuku pauses, the brows of his face pinched together and his pretty emerald eyes wide. They’re glossy with emotion, shiny underneath the dim lighting of your bedroom. His head rests in between your thighs, hands curled around the swell of your knees, fingers pinching into your skin. The way he looks at you makes you pause, but you just amend your surprise with a half moon of a smile. 

“It’s okay, really. I don’t expect you to be an expert at this. I mean, I’m sure I wouldn’t be good going down on you either.” 

A distinct little yelp squeaks in the back of Izuku’s throat before he quickly flings his gaze off to the side, red flames igniting and powdering across his face while he stammers a response. 

“Ha ha! W-Well, you’re great at everything you do, or, you have been, so I’m sure you’d do great if you, uh, did g-go down on m-me. B-But we’re not talking about me right now! I’m just trying to make sure that you’re comfortable with this, and that—” 

“Izuku.” 

Once again, his teeth snap shut, and his eyes meet yours. 

“Don’t think about it too much. Just do what your gut tells you. I know it’ll feel good, don’t sweat it.” 

Izuku gulps, but he nods, determined. His face shifts a little, and his body wiggles along with it. He tries to press himself further in between your legs, squeezing your knees before he starts to push them down so he can accurately lower his face to the meadows of your cunt. Izuku’s determination fades a little, cracks of doubt breaking through his facade before he swallows and scrunches his brow ridge. You stare at him fondly, content with observing him build up the courage to swoop forward and claim what already belongs to him. His locks sway along his forehead, full and curly, and they tickle your thighs with Izuku’s every subtle movement. One of your hands reaches for him, tapping his head in a wave gently before you start to pet him. Izuku jumps, quickly glancing at you before he blinks and looks down again. 

“J-Just tell me if you don’t like this and want me to stop. I’ll…” 

Izuku doesn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he finally bows his head until his hot breath fans against the meaty lips of your cunt. Another swallow, but Izuku doesn’t keep you waiting any longer. He’s delicate and ginger whenever he connects your lips, his mouth is soft and warm, and you moan quietly at the sensation that unfolds beneath him. It’s lightning, but it’s slow, it’s nothing real. Fire, but it’s dull, but toasty enough to feel like ice thawing from your body. The feelings start to weigh down on you, and your head collapses onto the pillow within a mere second of Izuku’s mouth against your cunt. 

The fingers in his hair braid themselves, a shallow sort of attempt to ground yourself. Izuku pauses for a split second, probably listening for any signs of discomfort, but resumes once another moan floats from your chest. His mouth parts, and his tongue pokes out like a snake hidden within tall stalks of gross to lay a thin stripe over the seam of your cunt. You feel like you’re spinning on a carousel, faster and faster, and your thighs clench once Izuku’s tongue prods against your clit. It’s hard, heavy, and thumping, eager to be touched and Izuku decidedly flicks it a few times. You groan each time, encouraging Izuku to tilt his head to the side so that he could suction his mouth against your clit. Both of your eyes roll back into your head, scattering like bowling pins smacked in the center, and a moan that’s way too loud escapes you whenever Izuku starts to suck and tug your clit. 

“W-What was that you were saying about not being good? Ahhh, haa, oh, Izuku, that feels so so sooo good. Don’t stop, don’t stop!” 

Your praise spurns Izuku on, and he starts to work his jaw in miniscule circles to lap at your clit and play it over his tongue like a meal, like food he wanted to savor, like a broth and soup that spreads love and health throughout his chest. You wondered what Izuku was thinking, you wondered if he was really enjoying this, but an ear-splitting slurp made your head dizzy and all thoughts flew out of your mind. 

His belly is flat to the bed, but you can feel him start to crunch up, can feel whenever he starts to gyrate his hips. Izuku’s moving in a way that slides you further towards him, your knees are growing closer to your head by the moment, and his face dives deeper. His groans vibrate your body, too, and his chin is parting your cunt down the middle. Glaze is slick down your flesh, but Izuku just bobs and weaves his head, smearing you wet, like he’s gone. 

“Like that! Yeah, ohhh, yes, yes.” 

Izuku nods to the best of his ability, and you’re left gritting your teeth and groaning. You wonder if he’s asked how to do this or if he’s researched it himself because, fuck, he’s so good, but that thought is fleeting and all you can imagine is teasing him after this is over by returning the favor. Because he’s eating you out like he’s mad with a fever, like you’re cetirizine. Maybe he’s listened to you gush one too many times—and that idea flatters you so badly, it makes you feel special to think someone is that dedicated to making you feel like this. 

And whenever one of Izuku’s hands leaves your thigh, trailing down, leaving storms and electricity in his wake, you nearly gasp and cry out his name whenever he finds your free palm and taps it gently. You flex, trying to process everything, trying to focus on anything all at once but finding each feeling overlapping and overwhelming. Izuku traces his fingers up before he laces them between the gaps of yours, curling down over your knuckles and squeezing. Tears spring to your eyes, fresh and new, and you start to pant, chanting Izuku’s name with every molecule of air you sip through. 

You can feel this burning, this reality that is starting to compress the rims of your belly. It’s down, but then it’s shivering and shuddering throughout your thighs all the way down to your stretching toes. But then it’s up, making your shoulder recoil and your chest bounce like a gunshot. 

Izuku’s hand is in yours, and yours is in his. You return his hold, losing yourself to the intimacy of him, of Izuku, of your lover, of your pleasure. His mouth seems to suck you in, through a drain and tumbling into the rabbit hole, and you’re crying before you can catch yourself. It’s getting to be too much, the way you seem to slowly implode, and your back arches before Izuku’s name is your death rattle.

And you squeeze again, hands intertwined, and Izuku holds you all the way through your orgasm. 

[pinkykats-place]

Bakugo x Reader ft. OmegaVerse

Tumblr Recommendations

Disclaimers!

None of the fics linked are mine.

Some contain mature content.

Readers are male and female.

Note: If you read any of these stories and like them please let the author by liking, commenting & reblogging the original fic!

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

A Comforting Space

Alpha Pro Hero Bakugo x omega (implied female) co-worker

Summary: There are many benefits to working at Dynamight’s agency. A nesting room is one of them.

Kinktober Day 9: Alpha & Omega

Katsuki Bakugo x fem!Reader

WARNINGS/TAGS: a/b/o dynamics (alpha Katsuki/omega reader), knotting, age-gap (Katsuki is in his grumpy 40s, you're in college), he calls you "kid", fucking in a pool, some mention of sex toys, degradation, creampie

Alpha!Bakugo x Omega!Reader

Omega!Bakugou headcanons

Bakugou - Alpha (headcanons)

The Silent Treatment 

Omega!Bakugou x Fem!Alpha!Reader

Nightmares

Omega!Bakugou x Alpha!Reader

Heat

𝑶𝒎𝒆𝒈𝒂 𝑲𝒂𝒕𝒔𝒖𝒌𝒊 𝒙 𝑨𝒍𝒑𝒉𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

BAKUGO HEAT HEADCANNONS

[O!Bakugo Katsuki x A!Male Reader] 

Nesting Fever

Alpha!Pro!Katsuki x Omega!Reader

CHANGE OF HEART

O!Bakugo Katsuki x A!Male Reader

Omega!Bakugou with an Alpha s/o

Alpha! Kitsune! Bakugo Katsuki x Omega! Kitsune! Gender-neutral! Reader

[popopretty]

[Translation] Asagiri Kafka's afterwords for The Day I Picked up Dazai novel

Normally, afterwords would be the last thing I read in a novel, but as there are not many changes to the published novel this time compared to the movie bonus version, I was able to skim through the text quickly and get to this. And to be honest, despite not being a writer myself, I was so moved by Asagiri's views about writing and his characters that he shared in the afterwords, that I had to sit down and translate it right away.

This is just my crappy translation, as usual, but I hope it gave you a short, interesting look into the author and the characters. And please do not forget to buy the novel if you have the chance.

The translation is under the cut, thank you!

It has been a while. This is Asagiri Kafka.

Have you been enjoying Bungou Stray Dogs?

This novel, “The Day I Picked up Dazai”, is a compilation of the first week’s bonus novel “The Day I Picked up Dazai – Side A” and the second week’s bonus novel “The Day I Picked up Dazai – Side B” for the screening of “Bungou Stray Dogs BEAST” movie (hereinafter referred to as “BEAST”).

Normally, it is difficult to publish a bonus like this, but since "BEAST” and “Fifteen” that were published earlier by BEANS Bunko were originally bonus novels too, "The Day I Picked up Dazai” was also published in the same way, thanks to the efforts of all parties involved in the Bungou Stray Dogs series.

It is the story of Dazai and Odasaku’s first meeting, where Dazai who wants to die, collapsed in front of Odasaku’s place, who is neither a mafioso nor a hit man.

Why are there two different stores, Side A and Sode B? Regarding this question, please read the novel and see for yourself. If you keep in mind that this is the bonus for the BEAST movie, I think you will be able to understand it better.

Let me reminisce a little bit here.

This story was actually suggested to me by Igarashi Takuya, Director of the Bungou Stray Dogs anime.

Shortly before BEAST movie premiered, I was struggling. It was because I was asked to write a bonus novel for movie-goers again. I said “again” because, as I mentioned earlier, BEAST itself was a bonus novel for the Bungou Stray Dogs DEAD APPLE movie. I remembered having a hard time writing it, because I let myself run wild and wrote a total of 190 pages instead of 50 pages as requested.

But I had learnt my lesson after the last rampage. I can’t just write whatever I want anymore. I have to wrap the story in a reasonable length, like a pro should do.

A proper, professional story.

Huh?

My pen stopped right there. I stopped, looked around, feeling lost.

What is a proper story?

The act of writing novel is quite different in character compared to other types of media such as writing manga, anime scripts, or game scenarios. You can say it is almost a different thing. Writing novels, rather than narrating an event, is more like putting the flow of emotions into specific sentences. You use the sequence of letters to create rhythms, create flows, and create emotions. If anything, it might be closer to composing a song than writing a story.

Therefore, you have to decide “what kind of emotion will be put in this novel” from the very beginning, or you can’t start writing. That is the only and absolute rule.

Now, however, that is where the condition of a “proper story” hung over me.

A proper novel, of a proper volume, with a proper content for a bonus.

In other words, a proper emotion.

I searched through the drawers inside my head. For a proper emotion that is waiting to be brought out.

There was nothing but emptiness there.

A professional story teller is one with the skill to move the readers’ emotions. When people find the chance to move their own emotions, they will happily be paying for it. Human-being is that kind of creature.

And writers are ones who create and sell those kinds of emotions: the fear, the excitement, the heart throb etc., those that make you think. It is that kind of job.

It is supposed to be that kind of job.

Yet I became unable to move forward.

A good story is a story that moves people. I know that. Then what kind of emotion I should put in the story to make it "proper"?

How do I find that emotion?

I mean, how did I even write novels until now?

I stood still. My legs stiffened, my knees froze, unable to take even a step forward.

I then tried to at least pretend that I was moving forward, by listening to music, by taking a walk around the neighborhood at night. But as good as the night breeze felt, I didn’t manage to reach a single story that I needed to write.

What if I stayed like this forever, what would I do?

I felt a chill plunging into my back.

Then I realized, that stories, or probably emotions too, are not things you can search for or come up with. You have no choice but to patiently wait for it to come your way. You have no choice but to humbly and earnestly sit and wait for the story’s visit.

I got that, but the "proper 50-page story” still refused to come.

It was not long before one week passed. Then two weeks.

I was doing other work, while keeping my heart’s door open, waiting for the story to come to me.

At that time, I had an online meeting with the anime staff. I casually asked Director Igarashi, “Do you have any story you want to see?”

The Director gave it a little thought then told me, "I want to see the story of Dazai and Oda’s encounter”.

At that very moment, the story rushed in through my door, like a bang. I could hear that sound very clearly.

Two stories. Odasaku, and the two Dazais. A story where they met, and a story where they couldn’t meet. A story of gain and a story of loss. If I can portray the gain and loss side by side, the amplitude of the heart will be doubled and rise up in front of us.

That was a momentary event. Rather than pushing my way forward, I felt as if something was pulling my hand. Before I noticed, I have already finished the stories.

I came to realize.

It is not the writer who searches for the story. It is the story that chooses its writer, and at some point it will come our way. A professional writer is no more than someone with the ability to catch that call.

Also, this is the most important thing: there is no such thing as a “proper emotion”. Because after all, the feelings of other people belong to them only. That is why there is no guarantee that a novel can move others “properly”. However, you can move your own emotions. You know what kind of novel can and how it will move you. If you do, you can write just that. That’s the only way. That is the truly professional attitude. That’s what I thought.

Well then.

It is a little bit off topic, but as we are talking about “stories that come our way”, let’s talk about Odasaku’s first-person narrative.

Odasaku is a special character. For me, he is exclusively a novel character, and I have never portrayed him in the manga.

He first appeared as the narrator in “Dazai Osamu and The Dark Era”, then “BEAST” and now this “The Day I Picked up Dazai”. All are novels. That’s why for me, Odasaku doesn’t live inside the pictures, he lives inside the first-person narrative passages.

He is an eccentric guy. Even if you prepare the place and tell him to speak, he won’t speak to you that easily. His way of thinking is rather unique, that if I write his narrative after writing other characters’ first-person narrative, I would stumble for sure. Odasaku doesn’t speak. He just sits there in silence, while I can do nothing but sitting in front of my blank manuscript paper, trying to talk to him, like “What’s up?”, “Here, here”. However, he is a guy who won’t speak when it is not necessary. Sometimes it goes days or even weeks without him saying a word. Why did such a character come to me...?

During such time, there is only one thing I can do. That is, of course, to stay with him, sit patiently, and simply wait.

Finally he will start speaking. In his unique rhythm, word by word. His words have the power to cut through the world from a certain angle. That special cross-section is full of things I have never seen before and it never fails to surprise me.

And then when he finishes telling his story, he will swiftly disappear. To a dark and quiet place somewhere – probably, I can only imagine, somewhere like a bar. He will sit there calmly and keep his own time to himself. After that, it will be hard to call him again. It is a backbreaking task to me, but in the end, that is the type of guy Odasaku is, and if I am allowed to sound self-conscious, that is Odasaku's charm.

This story was written in such a way. There is a chance that he will come back again. And when he does, I will patiently listen to his voice again.

This story was completed and published thanks to the help of many people: in the Bungou Stray Dogs BEAST movie’s Production Committee, the anime staff, Young Ace’s Editorial Department, BEANS Bunko’s Editorial Department, and the many people who were involved in the publication of the book. Thank you very much. It is all thanks to you that the book was published without any problem this time as well.

Well then, see you in the next story.

Asagiri Kafka.

[mi-dori]

☆How the Resident evil girls would take care of you☆

●Featuring: Ada Wong, Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield●

●Warnings: gn reader with a cock, dom bottom char, sub top R, oral, breasts sucking, h-job, b-job, creampies●

Being an agent isn't an easy task; and it certainly was enjoyable. You had to deal with unbelievable things from day to day and it had become a regular occurrence for you but what hadn't was the fact that you came home extremely tired one day and you're girlfriend decided to take care of you.

●ADA WONG

Ada isn't the type to show affection nor is she the type to care (I mean she does but she hardly ever shows it).

Since she's a mercenary, you hardly ever saw her. Her job takes her places you don't know about for long long periods of time and when she does return, you're on a mission or doing something that will prevent you from seeing your lover.

When that rare opportunity comes for the two of you to be together, hell, she's definitely gonna make the most of it.

"Ada..." you whined out, feeling the sly vixen teasing your already leaking tip. The mission you were sent on was a dangerous one but with your skills, you managed to make it out, but it drained all of your energy. Ada knew this, she wanted to take care of you, to pamper you, but it was in her nature to tease you. She loved hearing your little whines and pleas for her; it gave her a feeling of authority over you.

"Yes sweetness? That's my name baby, tell me what you want," she purred, her hands moving up and down your length in a slow agonising movement. You let out a breath, one of frustration.

"Please go faster. Don't tease me, please baby." You gave her your best puppy eyes and of course she'd fall for it. Ada can withstand anything but your puppy eyes. With a small smile, she increased the movements of her hand, stroking your cock faster. You felt yourself already cumming so you bucked your hips into her hand.

"Uh uh uh, no cumming. Not as yet." With a confused look on your face, Ada stopped her movements. Her hands were replaced with her warm wet mouth and you let out a shaky breath, hands gripping the sheets under you.

"Oh fuck.." you gasped out, feeling Ada take more of your length down her throat. She was a pro, doing all kinds of tricks with her tongue on it. You couldn't help but moan at how good she felt. She loved hearing your moans, it made her feel proud and even more motivated to make you let out more sounds.

Ada lifted your shirt a little, running her hands all over your stomach. She looked at you with hazy eyes, her beautiful brown orbs staring deep into yours. Her gaze had a certain effect on you, making you shiver. She continued bobbing her head, sloppy sounds coming from her mouth. Not once did she pull away for air, she kept sucking, increasing her pace. You groaned loudly, feeling yourself getting real close.

"A-baby... I'm close..." you gasped out. Ada closed her eyes and took the other two inches that were left out down her throat, eliciting a gasp from you. With a final suck, you released your load in her mouth, to which she swallowed without hesitation. As she pulled away, your cock went limp and you fell back onto the bed.

"T-thank you baby.." you smiled widely, your eyes threatening to close.

Ada hummed. "I expect something from you as well," as she said that, your head shot up but once you saw her soft smile, you relaxed. "Tomorrow morning of course. For now, sleep." She gently kissed your head as you dozed off and for once, she was able to let go of her act, and become a school girl with a crush as she admired your sleeping form.

●CLAIRE REDFIELD

Claire and your relationship was the sweetest thing to exist in your home. Both of you were so understanding and caring with each other. With her going to college, and you being an agent, you both know your schedules will always be busy, however, your love out weighed all of that.

Claire isn't afraid to let people know that you are hers and she is yours. Both of you have this weird obsession with each other- which was harmless of course. It was more of an adorable one really, you would always squeal and compliment her over the littlest things she did and she would do the same to you as well.

When the two of you have a chance to be together, it mostly consisted of you telling her about the missions and you helping her study. She was a great listener and was always excited to hear your stories. Sometimes, these opportunities turn into makeout sessions which would soon lead you and Claire to become tangled with each other.

Another rough day you had, Claire was at home, waiting for you. Once she did saw you, instead of plunging into your arms, she gently hugged you, noticing the grim expression on your face. You had enough energy to hug her back and you stood there, basking in all the comfort you could. "Rough day huh?" She asked, combing her fingers through your hair. You nodded in response as she took you to the couch. She straddled your lap and began kissing you softly.

"It's okay darling, I got you." Her words of comfort and the gentle touches she gave you made you feel so warm and fuzzy. Her kisses got a little rougher and you knew where this was headed. Your hands trailed to her behind, resting on it as she moved her kisses down to your neck.

"You're so adorable," she whispered, sucking on your neck. She felt your cock harden in your pants to which she smirked. "Feeling excited honey?" She mused, getting up and taking off her clothes. You took off your pants with a smile which was soon followed by your boxers. Claire took her position back on your lap, her wet folds dragging on your cock making you whine.

"Want to put it inside?"

"Yes please.."

With a smile, Claire aligned your dick before sitting down on it, moaning as the length stretched her out. It's been a while since you two had intimacy and each time, you could never get used to the feeling of her warm wet cunt sucking you in. With a sigh, she slowly began rocking herself, holding your head close to her chest, whispering sweet words to you.

"I love you baby," she moaned out as she began bouncing on it. You groaned at the feeling, your hands landing on her ass. She let out a cry of pleasure as your cock hit that spot inside. "F-fuck you feel so good baby... oh my god you're so big.."

As she kept bouncing, you took her right ripple between your teeth, sucking as she gasped and threaded her fingers in your hair. "Oooh just like that baby..."

You nodded and moved onto her other nipple, sucking it like it's your last day. Claire felt her orgasm approach but she was determined to keep going until you came. After all, it was her taking care of you. You thrust your hips up, but she shook her head. "No no baby, let me do the work." She slammed herself harder on your dick, pulling a loud moan from you, feeling your high approaching.

"Claire... I'm cumming.."

"R-really? Then cum in me baby.." she said breathing heavily as she kept bouncing. With a small cry, you came inside of her, shooting ropes and ropes of cum, painting her insides white. It wasn't long after she came and both of you stayed in each other's arms.

"Did I do good baby?" She asked.

"Oh my god that was wonderful love," you smiled widely, admiring her ocean blue eyes. She kissed your nose slightly before laying on your chest.

You went to sleep, knowing that no matter what, Claire always had your back.

●JILL VALENTINE

Jill was a top agent in S.T.A.R.S and you were but a rookie, now beginning to do heavy missions with your superior's supervision of course.

You joined the force just to be close to Jill, and as childish as it sounds, you needed Jill so you'd do anything to have her by your side. Jill of course wasn't too fond of the idea, knowing the crazy bull shit she dealt with every day but seeing how determined you were, she didn't have the heart to stop you.

Jill and you would always hang out together in the break room any chance you had. To the others in the force, you two looked like normal friends but nobody knows what goes on in that break room whenever you two were occupying it.

"Y/n did amazing for their first official job as a S.T.A.R.S officer," one of your superior patted your back with a smile. Yeah you did good, but you hadn't expected to be so shaken up after it. Jill noticed your frowned and she titled her head.

"What's wrong rookie?" She asked you, gently touching your face. "Did something happen?"

"No not really. I just hadn't anticipated that I'd be so shaken up after my first mission," you let out a light chuckle, leaning into her touch.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it in due time. Come on, let's head into the break room and talk more." You followed her into the break room and took a seat on the bench. "What's on your mind?" She asked softly, pulling you into a hug. With a heavy sigh, you let yourself relax in her touch.

"Is there anything I can do to relief you?" Her tone carried a hint of teasing and you knew what she meant. So with a smile, you nodded.

"Yeah. Can I eat you out Jill, please?" She was taken aback by your request though it wasn't an odd one-she knew how much you loved giving oral and who was she to refuse?

"I don't see why not darling but we have to be quick," she gasped as soon as you got between her thighs and took off her pants. "Someone's in a hurry," she giggled but it was soon replaced by a soft moan when your tongue came in contact with her clit. "Oh fuck.."

She gripped your hair, leaning her head back as her legs were placed on your shoulders. God her scent was intoxicating, it was addicting. You could eat her out for hours and never stop. You circled her sensitive bud with your tongue before sucking on it gently. The feeling of your warm tongue on her cunt sent her mind beyond the realms of earth. "Oh my god... you're doing so good for me baby.."

You hummed, sending vibrations all over her body which resulted in her shivering. Slowly, you inserted your tongue in her tight hole, and began tongue fucking her to the best of your ability. Jill let a loud moan, loud enough to alert the others of what was taking place but she didn't care. All she cared about was how good she felt. It was supposed to be her taking care of your needs but just pleasing her was enough to keep you happy.

Your tongue thrusted in and out, relentlessly fucking her till she sees the stars. "B-babe I'm close.." she gasped out, holding onto your head as her chest heaved up and down. You pulled you impossibly closer, relishing the taste of your woman. With a loud moan, Jill came undone on your tongue. You lapped up all her juices, cleaning her up before helping her put on her pants.

"Woah... you were hungry." She chuckled to which you smiled sheepishly.

"I feel better now," you pecked her lips.

"I know you do."

Jill and you walked out of the break room, ignoring all the wide eyed stares you got and you're both pretty sure everyone knows you're together now.

[weirdbookweeb]

Simon (Ghost) Riley NSFW Alphabet

Many thanks to @fictional-loves for the template <3 and obviously, this is NSFW. Proceed as you wish. Reader is fairly genderless throughout the whole thing. Pros of a non-binary author. Lots of love <3 request AUs, Headcanons, Alphabets of any kind for literally any character for any fandom in my inbox. This did involve some very interesting research. Cough cough.

A= Aftercare (what they’re like after the act)

He is a snugglebug for a solid 10 minutes after. He's got his arms wrapped around your waist, his face nuzzled in your chest while he's half-asleep. He'll make soft noises and reply gently to you with a soft, grumbly voice that just melts you to the bones. Then after those ten minutes, he gains his composure and cleans up everything, giving you kisses with teasing half-smiles. He then carries you to a bathtub filled with warm water and slides in right behind you to soak both of your aches away.

B= Body part (favorite body part their own or their lovers)

His own switches between his arms and his cock. His likes how strong he is and how big he physically is compared to a lot of other people, you included. His arms are what hold on to you and protect what needs to be protected. And his cock is just something he is really damn proud of cause it makes you feel good.

His favorite things about you are your thighs and your hair. He likes to tangle his fingers in your hair when he's kissing you, and to stroke it when you're resting in his lap, and to just smell the scent of you when he hugs you from behind. Your thighs are his kryptonite, though. The fact that they clench around his head when he's eating you out, or he can grab them as he fuck deeper into you, or that he can fuck them and feel their soft warmth.

C= Cum (anything that has to do with it)

He loves how dirty anything doing with cum can be. Tasting his cum on your lips? Seeing your eyes widen when he tastes yours? Seeing his cum on your pretty skin? Feeling your cum on his face and pelvis? He loves it all. He wears a condom when he's inside of you, but otherwise he wants you to be his canvas and he wants to taste you.

D= Dirty secret (Pretty self explanatory)

He kind of wants to do something where someone can find you both. Where he has to muffle your sounds and whisper in your ear things that make it hard to not be caught. He thinks it's really hot. He gets hard just thinking about it. He would agree to it immediately if it was brought up, but only if you brought it up.

E= Experience (do they know what they’re doing)

He's kind of got experience. He's slept with very few people and done a few vanilla things, but his job usually gets in the way of things. So he know the basics, but not the extremes.

F= Favorite position

Initially upon meeting you, it's missionary because it's how most of his previous sex was done and he really liked seeing your face. Eventually it becomes Breeze because he likes how deep he can penetrate you and can make you gasp for breath.

G= Goofy (how serious are they)

He's pretty serious. He's the kind of person who would chuckle if something funny did happen, like you both falling on the floor or someone farting, but he'd never go out of his way to make jokes. He's usually so deep in the moment that everything seems erotic unless it's genuinely really funny.

H= Hair (grooming habits)

He's neat, but he's not hairless by any means. He's always got a happy trail. It gets a little bit grown out on particularly long deployments (on over a couple of weeks), but never overgrown, unmaintained, and gross.

He also prefers his partners a similar way. Neat, but not hairless. As long as you take care of yourself, he doesn't really care.

I= Intimacy (in the moment romantic or rough/dirty)

This man is dirty. He swears under his breath when he enters you and talks about how warm and tight you are and cannot shut up about how much he likes fucking up into you. There is no romantic words in his sentences, only dirty promises and sexual gratification. He's gripping you like you're his dark angel bringing him his sinful savior, rough and desperate.

J= Jack off (do they masturbate and how often)

He masturbates semi-regularly. Every few days, he just kinda gets bored and horny. Passively paws at his dick through his pants as it hardens, teasingly, groaning under his breath before finally slipping his hand under the waistband and taking his cock into his fist with a hiss of pleasure.

K= Kink (kinks what they like possibly unusual)

He likes when his back gets all scratched up. Not to the point of bleeding, but angry red marks up and down his back drive him insane. He also loves begging, himself or his partner. He likes being worshipped and worshipping. He also likes wearing his work mask at times.

L= Location (where they like to get it on)

He prefers his own bedroom, but he also likes the kitchen. The bedroom is ideal because of comfort, availability, and the fact you can usually be more likely to go to bed right after. But something about how 'public' the kitchen is, and how he can fold you over the counters makes him love it.

M= Motivation (things that makes them tick/turn ons)

If you tease this man with a gentle carress and a few sexy sentences, he'll be turned on. Hot outfit? Turned on. Particularly proud moment? He wants to fuck you right then and there. He's kind of just turned on by you. He's got self control, but he's also just a man.

N= No (turnoffs or absolutely won’t do)

Anything to do with non-sexual bodily fluids (scat, piss, blood), multiple people, weapons (knifeplay, gunplay, anything similar), age play, breathplay, and anything that interferes with your ability to consent (CNC, S/A, ETC)

O= Oral (receiving or giving and how skillful they are)

He is good with both, be he prefers recieving so he can kiss you afterwards. He is incredibly skilled with his tongue and fingers, though. I mean. His ability to give oral is immeasurable. He was a little bit of a rookie when you got together, but he learned quick what you liked.

P= Pace (how fast they are and how long they last in bed)

He gives it long and hard. He can hold out pretty long (the better part of half an hour). He can range from 15 minutes if he's been built up for a while to over an hour if he's already came and can handle holding out for a while.

Q= Quickie (do they prefer fast and hard)

He's not fond of them. He used to do them with one night stands on deployment and they're not exactly his cup of tea anymore. Besides, what's fun in them if he can pull you aside for half an hour, have way more fun and leave you trembling from an orgasm.

R= Risk (do they like to try new things)

If you bring them up, he’s willing to try a lot of things. But outside of the bedroom, he's pretty shy when talking about sex. You'll have to be the one to talk about things you want to happen. He’s nothing if not a pleaser.

S= Stamina (how many times they can go and how long each round lasts)

He can go a few rounds. 3 or 4 with a resting period, maybe more if you give him an hour. He's not exactly 25 anymore. But each round can last around half an hour each, give or take.

T= Toys (are they game for using sex toys on themselves or lovers)

He's got stuff for the both of you. It's no fun otherwise. There's more stuff for you than for him, but there's vibrators, pentration equipment, lubricant (because yes, men and women and everyone in between can use lubricant, be safe), and more. Some stuff is hidden where you can't find it, just in case you get curious and ask one day to try something out.

U= Unfair (how do they tease or do they enjoy suspense themselves)

He is so unfair, but he expects it in return. He is the kind of person to tease you for an hour before you even enter the bedroom.

V= Volume (are they loud, what sounds, and do they talk)

He's pretty quiet. He grunts, groans, sighs, and hisses. If he's completely desperate and pushed to the edge, you can pull a whimper out of him, but most of it is breathy and bass-filled. He speaks constantly, telling you praises about your body, noises, feelings, everything.

W= Wild card (random sincannon of any sort)

This is solely for the femmes and women, sorry mascs and men, but he's got a bit of a mommy kink. If he's feeling a bit pathetic and desperate, he'll whisper out a pathetic "mommy..." and grab you tighter while thrusting into you and biting down into your shoulder.

X= X-ray (what’s down below in dem pants)

(I'm a science girlie in the most ungendered way possible, so I'm not going to say he has a 10 inch cock like I've seen a few people do, that is almost entirely unrealistic, Rasputin.) He's standardly sizable at 6.5 inches erect and 5.5 inches soft. He's circumcised and has a bit of a curve to him.

Y= Yearning (sexdrive level)

Again, he’s pretty easily excitable when it comes to you, but he’s also not 25 anymore. He doesn't have a super high sex drive, but he's definitely willing to do sex. On a scale of 0-10, 0 being absolutely no sex, 10 being horny all the time, he's a solid 6 with a "not horny all the time, but i definitely thing about it and I'm definitely open to it when offered".

Z= Zzzz (do they sleep after if so how quickly after)

He's got problems sleeping in general so he doesn't sleep afterwards. He'll be tired, but he'll kinda just hang out with you for a bit. If he were to fall asleep, it would rake him a couple hours at least and you'd have to fall asleep first and he'd have to follow a specific routine before falling asleep. Fallback from being in the military and being constantly unsafe made him have a pretty paranoid sleeping routine.

[ihopesocomic]

Thank you guys for laying down a boundary of stopping people from being ableist via “wow this character is EVIL they must be mentally ill”. As a reader with multiple b-spec disorders, I have met neurotypicals that act identical to the villains in this. I already trusted yall to be normal with that kinda thing but it rules that youre telling people its shitty :D!

Being something such as psychotic or delusional or anything heavily stigmatized already paints a giant red target on our backs. Its nice to see authors and artists show their allyship :) you guys have gone out of your ways to write realistic abuse and trauma and mental illness and it means a lot! Have a good day!

Couldn’t agree more, anons! I’m schizophrenic myself and that’s like… THE disorder that’s applied to evil or eccentric individuals next to ASPD so yep, I’m tired. lol

And it’s not like we haven’t had to have this convo before with Storm because of how she acted during one scene a few chapters ago. This is a pro disability comic so this means we’re not playing into y’all’s negative perceptions of certain disorders and applying them to “bad” or w/e characters.

But anyway, this is the last we’re saying on this. Back to lions just being chaotic because it’s what they chose. lol

[mercurygray]

Friends! I have a lot of things to celebrate - and one of them is all of you! This blog has just recently passed 1400 followers, so I decided I should have a little party.

Longtime readers of this blog will know that I love a prompt list, so to mark the occasion, I’ve made one of my own - and since friends, followers, fandom, and fourteen hundred all start with F, that's the theme we're sticking with!

Pick a prompt from the" words for the letter F" list, and, using one of the fandoms, frequent characters, or OCs usually on this blog, you can create something to share! This could be a fic, a moodboard or graphic, gifset, or another creative outlet of your choice. Then, when you’re done, tag me and I’ll share it here!

You do not have to be following me to participate! Simply send me an Ask or a DM with the word (or two, or three) you’d like to use for a prompt. (You can mention which fandom you’re using, or keep it a surprise!) I'll add all the words and their authors here, and add links when the work is finished!

More details below the cut - this is a pro-readmore blog, after all.

If your writing is over 500 words, please use a Read More or I cannot in good conscience share it! Please use appropriate tags for ships and for content warnings.

Canon couple, OC fic, and gen fic are all welcomed! (No reader insert, please.) F/M and multi ships are preferred, but I have been known to enjoy the occasional M/M drabble as well, if that’s more your style!

This author does not particularly enjoy kidfic or underage fic, non-con, mpreg, incest, the use of y/n, RPF, a/b/o, coffeeshop or college aus.

This author loves historical aus, original female characters, appropriately tagged smut, punctuation and paragraph breaks, and learning something new. If you would like, I welcome and love work for my own OCs, so if you’ve always wanted your characters and mine to have a teaparty, this is the time for it!

Frequent Fandoms List A Discovery of Witches, Band of Brothers, Downton Abbey, Dune, House of the Dragon, Masters of the Air, Mercy Street, The Pacific, Peaky Blinders, SAS: Rogue Heroes, Vikings:Valhalla

OC List available here.

[gojuo]

Maybe I don't have text interpretation skills, but I never understand when people say that F&B is a book biased in favor of the greens. For the love of God, on the contrary, every time I read it, it's as if the author was inducing the reader to root for the blacks

Daemon is described more as a hero than anything. Not a hero who saves people like Superman, but the badass Greek hero who kills the monster

Gyldayn says that Jacaerys is a worthy heir to the throne, even though he insinuates all the time that he is a bastard

GRRM put the fandom's favorite houses on Rhaenyra's side

Baela e Rhaenys badass

Mushroom has a sympathy and affection for Rhaenyra that Eustace doesn't have for any of the Greens, he even calls Aemond a kinslayer

And this becomes more obvious when you think it's a medieval war of succession based on a fucking medieval succession and Rhaenyra had more allies, when that's completely unrealistic! No king would choose his daughter above his son! The Anarchy was between Matilda and Stephen, they were not brothers, Mathilda's brother died and that's why she became heiress! After all, a king would still prefer a daughter to a nephew!

The only thing we have is Aegon& Sunfyre bond being so strong and their will to survive and win

but that's going to be ruined in this shitty show that only makes what was bad worse

At this point, if anyone calls anything in F&B Green propaganda I'm just going to assume that 1. they have never read a single page of Fire & Blood, or 2. they're a Targ Stan so the worth of their opinions or critical analyses of the text amounts to a total of absolutely nothing before all else. GRRM did not sit there and write a 700-page lore book with no truth to it in any corner. If you have even a basic understanding of his themes and quirks, it's easy enough to figure out what he was going for in F&B. And yes, he leaves enough room in the text to leave the details hanging in the air for readers to make up their own canon, but he's not writing an outline of the story and its beats that's false. Because what is the point of wasting time and effort to write F&B then in the first place?

Even when you look at F&B in-universe ... Rhaenyra's son becomes king and her other son Hand for the next 40 or so years. Why would a historian risk their career by writing about how the king's late mother (whose death was a huge source of trauma to him) sucked major ass? It's more likely that accounts sympathetic to the Blacks survived rather than those that weren't. We even hear about Baelor burning Mushroom's Testimony (was probably Viserys who ordered it though) for revealing a lot of the things Rhaenyra did, like Brothel Queens. Gyldayn in the text often dismisses Mushroom's writings because they weren't repeated in or by other sources, but who is to say that those other sources weren't burned? There could have been dozens of other accounts confirming Mushroom's writings about the Blacks and Rhaenyra but just weren't lucky enough to survive Baelor's purge. Or you can rationalize it away by understanding that those accounts were either never written by authors or kept/maintained by lords because they were too afraid of the king's wrath. For every pro-Green Septon Eustace account there might as well have been multiple other pro-Green authors who weren't protected by the organization of the Faith and couldn't get off scot-free for talking shit about the king's mother.

Even as I say all that, it's important to remember that the main source for the Dance was written by a guy literally held in a dungeon cell by the Blacks awaiting trial. It's only logical to me that he thought being most favorable towards Rhaenyra and her cause would mean leniency. So if anyone thinks that Orwyle was biased against Team Black and was writing down some mad shit about Rhaenyra, then like I said, they've never read a single page of F&B in their life.

People often repeat the idiotic "Maesters wrote F&B so of course it's pro-Hightower Greens!" lie but this take is so braindead that it could only be the crazed utterings of a worthless Targ stan whose opinions one should never take seriously anyways. If the Citadel wanted to slander Rhaenyra so bad according to these Targ stans, then Gyldayn would have had a ton of material to work with. Instead, he has to rely on one High Septon, one captive held in the dungeons by the Blacks, and a sex-crazed literal court jester who was Rhaenyra's #1 fanboy. Where are these so-called sources written by Archmaester Greenyle, Archmaester Fuckblacks and Archmaester ThreesomeswithMushroomwascanonys then? The Hightowers during the Dance were pro-Green, but eventually they all died and Lyonel became lord, who is explicitly said to be under the influence of his pro-Black wife Samantha Tarly. Lyonel made peace with the Blacks and was approving of Aegon 3 ascending the throne. So if any maesters wanted to talk mad shit about Rhaenyra (the sitting king's MOTHER), pro-Black Samantha Tarly would have just told Lyonel to stop sending money to the Citadel, which would have scared them off because they'd know this would happen.

Gyldayn himself wrote F&B during Robert "Kill All Targaryens" Baratheon's reign. It makes the most sense to me that he isn't pro-Green or pro-Black in any way, rather he's just anti Targaryen.

[marsattaxk]

「Swan Song」 / KATSUKI BAKUGO EXTRA

MY HERO ACADEMIA  ✦  KATSUKI BAKUGO × BALLERINA!GN!READER  ✦ ©marsattaxk 2024

AUTHORS NOTE: hawaiian cocktail from spongebob starts playing. me when i lie and say i'd try to be consistent but ended up disappearing for two months. my bad y'all. i promise i didn't forget about you all and this fanfic, however university ended up grabbing me by the jugular and not letting go until just earlier this month. i, unfortunately, don't have the next chapter for y'all, i weep as well, but i do have something to give y'all as an early Christmas present. at some point this week y'all will get a BONUS ENCOUNTER and today you are getting head canons, twitter profiles, relationship moments, and some random ass facts about SWAN, aka you, the reader, they needed a name so I wasn't going crazy writing [Y/N] all the time. As well as a small preview to the BONUS ENCOUNTER that shall come later out this week. So please forgive me for the wait, i'll start working on chapter two this month so hopefully you'll have a new year's blessing. so for now, peace and love, stay freaky and angsty. - mars

FACTS ABOUT SWAN ( AKA [Y/N] ):

Swan from now on shall be the name we use when talking specifically about ballerina! [y/n], since a: it’s shorter, b: goes with their quirk, and c: since this story is part of a universe of fics, it helps differentiate them from the other [y/n]’s that at some point will appear

Just to quickly get it out of the way, there shall be no physical descriptions of Swan, just that they are tall, and there will be minor tidbits here and there about random things, but never something that talks about their appearance, birthday, ethnic background, etc. The only thing about their nationality is that they are not from Japan, that's it. 

They are at least bilingual. I mean, they moved from their home country to go do ballet in a complete different one with a whole new language they at least known two languages. Maybe three if we count the English classes students take in school.

While there is no specified birthday for Swan, since y’all’s birthdays are their birthday, they are older than Katsuki. It could be by a year or by a few months they are just older than Katsuki.

Anyway moving on, I stated in the fic and in the notes that they are tall. How tall? In the current, present set of the fanfic, they are 5’11. They are on the way taller side of the spectrum for ballerina height, but hey a little height never hurt anyone. And just to give a bit more insight on this story’s epilogue (yes there will be an epilogue) they shall remain taller than Bakugou. So, tall partner for the win. 

They are left-handed. It’ll probably show up in future chapters but when it came to writing down basic plot points for each, I described them as using their left hand for a lot of basic tasks such as writing, and using scissors. 

It’s mentioned in the story, but they come from a pro-hero family. Their parents are pro-heroes, as well as their grandparents, and great-grandparents. They are the first in three generations to not become a pro hero.

I guess you can kinda infer it but they are closer with their dad than they are with their mom. They have a good relationship with both, don't get me wrong, however there's been moments where they feel like their mom wants them to follow the pro-hero lifestyle more than what they want. While their dad just wants them to do what they are happy doing.

They aren’t really close with their extended family. Not due to problems or arguments, just due to the fact they never see them, and how they now live on the complete other side of the planet. Plus being a ballerina in a pro-hero family doesn’t give you much to talk about. 

Which is even more highlighted by the fact they are an only child. Having no siblings to continue the family tradition of being pro-heroes for their parents. Sometimes they feel as if their extended family pities their parent’s for having a child who wanted to follow what they love more than a tradition.

It’s mentioned in chapter 1 that their whole life is just ballet. This unfortunately led them to not have much to talk about with people in school as once everyone else has their short lived interest and they were trying to achieve their life long dream.

They practically always wear black. The only time they wear color is when they are at practice, during performances, and rehearsals. Any other time they are always wearing black. 

I don't wanna just throw a style at y'all in case you have a completely different way of thinking Swan dresses in, but in my head I see Swan as having a very casual style. Wearing zip up jackets, loose jeans, sneakers. That type of wear since every other day they are wearing leotards and point shoes to dance in.

The ballet performance that they were watching on TV that made them want to be a prima ballerina was Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake (I’m so funny chat). 

It’s mentioned in the first chapter and in the notes, Swan’s quirk is called Swan Song. Their families quirk’s are all, if not most, bird related. 

Swan Song is a quirk that allows Swan to be able to dance with supernatural precision and elegance. As well as create graceful and artistic effects out of air currents. However, their quirk requires them to be at an emotional state, and since they are constantly at practice, they are always over emotional and prone to outburst. As well as be exhausted from the constant use of it for performances.

While ballet may be Swan's ultimate passion, I like to think they have other hobbies outside of just ballet (I mean that’d just be sad). They like to listen to music, as well as have some knowledge of playing the piano (I mean Tchaikovsky was a composer and he composed Swan Lake). They are also very much an avid reader because I said so and because I like to imagine that their favorite book is The Perks of Being a Wallflower. 

Oh, going back to dance. Ballet isn't the only type of dance style that Swan does or did. They used to do contemporary, and did some modern dance. But, ballet is what they focus on more. Swan also isn't opposed to learning other styles of dance, even if ballet is their main one, they are still a dancer and they'd like to learn more.

They also did gymnastics for a year. It was to help them become more flexible for certain moves in ballet. They enjoyed it, but it's not for them.

Their favorite game of all time is Persona 4, which includes Golden.

In general their favorite games are story-based rpg’s. They like the way the stories flow and how everything connects in the end.

Some of Swan’s favorite artists include, but are not limited to: The Marias, Laufey, Imogen Heap, Tommy february6/ heavenly6, Tory Lanez, etc. 

I will drop a playlist if y'all ask me too. 

Contrary to popular belief, Swan doesn’t have a favorite hero, even after growing up in a hero household. From a young age they used to say their parents. Now? They don’t have one. They really have no care for the hero world.

When texting they always type in lowercase. It may be due to the fact that their handwriting is so small, that to imitate that through text they always type in lowercase. And in short text as well, which unfortunately pisses off Katuski in some instances. Example:

Katsuki <3: Did you see the post about that movie you wanted to go see? (clearly trying to take his partner out)

Swan: yeah

Swan: what about it?

Katsuki <3: Didn’t you want to go see it?

Swan: yeah

Swan: i’ll probably go see it my friends 

Katsuki <3: …

Katsuki <3: Dumbass, I’m trying to invite you to go watch it.

Swan: oh 

Swan: why didn’t you just ask?

Katsuki <3 : … I should have expected you to not pick up what I was putting down. 

Swan: hey >:(

Swan is me, and I am Swan. We both don’t understand social cues.

Talking about social cues.

RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS: 

There won’t be spoilers for the chapters but mostly just post story/ they are dating headcanons. And maybe, just maybe, some small epilogue stuff. 

I’m sorry to disappoint chat, but neither of them have relationship experience. If you thought, well maybe Swan does, nope. They are two teens who for a great majority of their lives focused on one thing, they are idiots when it comes to romance. 

Unlike Katsukie who practically never had a crush in his life, Swan fortunately did, so they get some brownie points. 

I’ll get it out of the way, both of them are queer. Have you seen those Izuku and Katsuki moments? Yeah, explosion murder god Dyamight is bisexual in this universe you can’t tell me otherwise. But, yeah dude knew he was bisexual from an early age. I’m going off those head canons of Katsuki seeing nothing wrong about thinking of marrying Izuku when they were kids, and not caring about it, but that’s just me chat. 

Swan? Queer. They are just queer, I envision them always knowing they didn’t care about gender from a young age and that just stuck until they found the label of queer. They’ve had crushes on guys, girls, they’s, trans, and everything in between since middle school, but Katsuki is their first boyfriend. 

They are each other's firsts. First relationship, first kiss, first date, first hand holding, idk just firsts in general. 

Their official first date, happens right after the last chapter (yeah, y’all wont get to see it lmao (you’ll get a BONUS ENCOUNTER of it though)), Katsuki takes them on a late picnic by the river date (all while still in ballet gear (mans couldn’t wait))

While they will briefly interact in one of the chapters, Swan didn’t meet the bakusquad until later on in their relationship (the bonus encounter y’all are getting is about this).

The first ever bonus encounter isn’t just about meeting bakusquad but also meeting Katsuki’s parents, so I won’t go too much into them here. But for Swan's parents, Katsuki meets them after a performance. He thought they wouldn’t be there and then he ended up at dinner with Swan, and their parents at a fancy restaurant while he was wearing the most casual iteration and definition of formal attire. 

His mother did end up yelling at him after finding this out.

Speaking of Mitsuki. She loves Swan. She genuinely believes they are a good influence on Katsuki and enjoys seeing his son happy with someone.

Also this is just me, but I’m a big enjoyer of the concept of Katsuki and his partner basically just being Mitsuki and Masaru when they were younger. And so that’s what Swan and Katsuki are.

It’s probably no secret but you could infer that Swan's physical therapy sessions will come to an end first than Katsuki’s, meaning the entire time Katsuki is still going through his rehabilitation he is complaining to Swan about how he left him all alone in the therapy center. 

Katsuki’s love language is acts of service, while Swans is quality time.

Yapper x Listener. You can guess who’s who. 

They are also: angry, aggressive orange cat and calm, elegant black cat.

They have a blend on spotify together. It took Swan literally begging Katsuki to actually even agree to do so.

He literally out of the blue texted them that their music taste wasn’t that bad making them freak out over the fact he had in fact joined the blend.

Continuing with the spotify talk, since you can see what your friends are listening on spotify, sometimes Katsuki wonders if something is wrong when he sees Swan listening to some sad, heartbreak song, and sits there and wondering if he no longer has a partner. (he still does (Swan just likes sad songs)). 

Katsuki is a romance manga reader, while Swan reads shonen manga as well as thriller/ horror. 

Going back to the hero thing. Katsuki took it upon himself to teach Swan about heroes, especially All Might. So, now Swan has some idea of who these people on TV are.

They both don't use pet names at all. They mostly just stick to each others names. However, Katsuki does pull out the 'baby' whenever he notices that Swan is getting nervous. In turn, whenever Katsuki starts to get agitated, Swan pulls out either 'Suki', 'baby', or the deadly combo 'Suki, baby'. It works wonders on the blonde.

Whenever Katsuki texts Swan, and they can’t type out a response, they send him a picture of whatever it is they are doing.  

Example: Katsuki could asked them what they are doing and they’d respond with a picture, sometimes video, of them just at the dance studio.

This also connects with the fact that at random, Swan sometimes will send Katsuki pictures of two random things together and just caption it with the words ‘us’. And no, Katsuki still doesn’t understand how a creeper and an enderman from minecraft are the two of them. 

This leads to the fact of Swan calling them Badtz-maru and Kuromi. Katsuki did not see it at first but he’s come around to it.

Quickly circling back to bakusquad, they absolutely adore Swan. Most wonder how Katsuki was able to pull them but hey mans got a partner and that’s all Kirishima can ask of his best bro. 

Katsuki has to deal with Swan sending him those random couple trend videos tiktok. He greatly disapproves of most of them and actively judges a lot of tiktok couples. The only trend he actually liked was the ‘I wanna turn the whole world upside down’ one. 

While the two of them don’t get into arguments and fights often, they do happen and they mostly resolve it in the end because communication is something they do. No we will never have a miscommunication trope here chat, I can’t stand them. 

A small sneak peak into their future, and epilogue. They are still together, and they are married. It took a while, some heartbreak, tears, multiple connecting flights, but they are married. 

They are the definition of Pro-Hero and his Talented, Beautiful, Out of This World Spouse that he can’t stop bragging about. 

Yes, Katsuki does have a 5+ hour compilation on youtube of him just referencing, talking about, mentioning his spouse, and girlfriend at the time, he is very much proud of it. This started when he graduated from UA. 

That's all I’ll give. I wanna save the rest for the actual epilogue. 

I think this is obvious but he attends all of their performances. 

We love a supportive boyfriend who supports your borderline obsessive lifelong career

The first time the rest of class 1-A, or 2-A in this case, met Swan was during the sport festival since Katsuki invited them to watch him compete in it. Just like bakusquad, they were all shocked Katsuki was the first one in their class to get a significant other. (eyes shift to the side as if I’m hiding something up my sleeve).

It won’t be mentioned in the BONUS ENCOUNTER because it’s mostly focusing on bakusquad and Katsuki’s parents meeting Swan, but he actually introduced them to All Might and Izuku to before anyone else because that’s his favorite hero and mentor as well as his best friend. 

All Might was proud of young Bakugo for finding a connection with someone else that wasn’t young Midoriya. 

Meanwhile, Izuku ‘I know everything about Kacchan’ Midoriya was freaking out about the fact Katsuki didn’t tell him that he had gotten a partner sooner. 

The two of them yelled at each other while Swan and All Might had a pleasant conversation between themselves while drinking tea. 

Katsuki mostly just has social media because of the fact he’s going to become a famous pro-hero and needs to somehow interact with fans (even though we all know he won't) but he instead mostly uses it to see what his friends are retweeting, posting, and reposting. And to see all the stuff Swan sends him on tiktok. 

He only ever posts about band practice, UA hero work related stuff, or just of him and Swan. That's it. We love a chronically offline king. 

Speaking of social media.

SMAU ( FAKE TWITTERS AND TEXTS):

A quick thing, any of the pictures used do not depict how you, the reader, look like. They are just used to show what or how Katsuki’s and Swan’s (you) relationship looks like. 

SWAN'S TWITTER:

KATSUKI'S TWITTER:

THE TWO OF THEM:

TEXTS:

Damn. I sure as hell gave you all a lot of content to enjoy and maybe come up with more head canons, ideas, scenarios in your heads. I hope this keeps y'all fed for a little while. But, just like i promised. Here is a sneak peak into the BONUS ENCONTER. Recount the night that I first met your mother, that shall drop at some point this week.

SYNOPSIS: Two months into their relationship, KATSUKI BAKUGO finally has the realization that his parents would have to meet his partner, [Y/N]. He struggled to rationalize prolonging the inevitable while also handling his group of friends hounding him to finally and properly introduce them to each other. What he doesn’t know is that while he is trying to find a way to introduce [Y/N] to his parents, is that they have already met.

TAGLIST (open): @oddball08

[hadassah4ever]

sfw alphabet = greg hirsch/cousin greg

Authors note: reader is decently shorter than Greg in this (under 6’). i want to actually write a full fic but i get like, 3-4 paragraphs in and im like “not enough dialogue arghhh” but whatever. i’ll probably write the nsfw one later.

Warnings: Alcohol mention and that’s basically it.

W.C.: 2.2k

Playlist (if you’d like): my romanticized idea of a real person— https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1UtNchOFEaGUW6puUeVf0q?si=2r9wzpH4Sx2M21v3uV60bw

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He would probably be quite nervous to show physical affection more intimate than a hug for a bit, he doesn’t wanna overstep any boundaries or anything. As soon as he’s comfortable with you? Strap in. He would be kinda awkward showing any affection in public, (we all know what happened when he went too far in public 😭) aside from holding hands or a kiss on the cheek, but in private you would have to pry his hands from you. He really loves physical affection and how close it makes you two, physically and emotionally.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

He’d be the sweetest best friend ever. You’d probably be acquaintances through work and would end up having to work with each other at some point, you two would get along like a house on fire and you’d be one of the only people who isn’t actively rude to him.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

C’mon. This man loves to cuddle. People typically say he’s the little spoon, but I think you’d switch. He really loves it when you’re the big spoon, I mean, how could he ever say no to having your arms wrapped around him? (That’s rhetorical, he can’t.) I also think he might like to occasionally be the big spoon, though, he’s glad that you don’t make him feel resigned to it, though.

Sometimes you might not even spoon. I think he’d also love it when he puts his head on your chest and sleeps like that. He would melt if you ran your fingers through his hair while laying on you, too.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

I generally think he’d like to settle down sometime. However, I don’t think he can do much cooking and cleaning. He’d probably try to cook and clean for events, especially your birthday or valentine’s day. He probably bought a cookbook with a bunch of pretty simple recipes and is improving in the cooking department, but I don’t think he could wash the dishes without breaking a cup, so he probably just politely asks you to do dishes, and probably vacuums or something.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

I don’t think he could end a relationship super easily. I feel like he might do it over text, just because he knows that he’d struggle to get the correct words out. I also feel like he’s willing to just resign himself to an unhealthy/unhappy relationship for a bit, just to push off ending it. Just know that if Greg breaks up with you, you REALLY fucked up. 💀

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He’d love to get married! He’s definitely fucking horrified for the proposal, though. He’d probably know pretty quickly in the relationship if he’d like to marry you, but would wait like, 3 years bare minimum to propose. I think he’d probably propose around 4 years. He probably planned it really well, though.

He’d definitely take you to a spot you really enjoy (and could get nice photos in). He’d definitely start crying when you say yes, he’s so grateful you’re willing to spend the rest of your life with him and he swears he’ll never take you for granted.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He’s a Great Dane in a human suit. He is so incredibly gentle. He never wants to hurt you, he definitely feels lucky to just be in your presence.

This man probably struggled to kiss you properly for the first time, you really wouldn’t find him getting too rough with you. He might find himself underestimating his own strength, though. He would definitely squeeze you a little too tight on occasion.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He’d hug you 24/7 if it was possible. Unfortunately it isn’t.

He definitely has bear hugs when it comes to you, though. If he’s VERY excited and happy he definitely would pick you up, sorry, I don’t make the rules. (He probably did after you said yes to his proposal.)

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

You would have to say it first, but Jesus Christ, this man was thinking it for a very long time. He couldn’t stop thinking about how much he loved you. He’d basically cut you off in the middle of saying it, he’s just so eager.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Slightly jealous. I think it would take a lot to actually have him act on it, though. He trusts you with literally everything he has, and although he’s quite insecure about himself, he knows you love him, and that’s all the reassurance he needs.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Inexperienced at first, but he’s a quick learner. Had a few high school relationships, but nothing major or super long term, so he’s not super experienced. He loves little cheek, nose or forehead kisses, though.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He loves children, and children love him. He’s just the gentlest, especially around babies. He can be a bit nervous to interact with ones he just met, but any young kids in his family definitely love him so much. (Mostly because they like to get up on his shoulders, but he barely trusts himself to let them get up there.)

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He’s super groggy like every morning and begs you to just stay in bed slightly longer, and it’s really a coin flip if you say yes or no. He’s genuinely eternally grateful if you make breakfast, especially if you make it a routine. Mornings with him are quiet, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He probably likes to have discussions with you about literally anything that comes to mind while you’re both cuddling and are beginning to fall asleep. He loves it when he hears a sleepy laugh from you and your words start to come slower, he finds you especially cute when you’re on the edge between awake and asleep.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He probably doesn’t want to scare you off by complaining about day-to-day things, nonetheless his childhood and whatnot. Get him a solid 2-3 drinks in, though, and you’re going to know basically everything about his life.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

I mean, he’s Greg. You could bludgeon him with your own two hands and his last words would be thanking you.

Once he feels more comfortable about opening up to you, I think he opens up to you about how disrespected he is at work, and you’ll hear a decent amount of his anger, he definitely apologises for talking to you while angry. You have to reassure him that you’re glad he feels safe enough to rant about things like that to you, and how it’s better than keeping his emotions bottled up.

So yeah, he doesn’t like showing you his angry side.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

I think he’s one of those people that stores those tiny details about you in his brain and surprises you with the small things you like. How you enjoy your coffee, your favourite chip flavour, favourite colours, favourite animals, favourite literally anything.

R = Remember (What is their favourite moment in your relationship?)

He has too many, but after your second date he was too scared to kiss you, you two were in the stairwell of your apartment and you saw him looking down at you with those eyes that were practically begging you to kiss him. You moved up two steps on the stairs to reach him and kissed him. He was just completely amazed by you.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He thinks that being too protective of you is weird, you’re not a little unassuming object that people are trying to steal from him. You’re a grown adult. I do think that if someone was actively harassing you though, he might surprise himself and punch them. He probably has more strength than he knows, and it really shows in that moment.

He would literally fall for you so much harder if you stood up for him at work, you’re literally risking your job just to make sure he doesn’t feel like crap?? Oh my god??? He’s getting lightheaded. (Anyone who you stood up to probably just laughs it off, though. You’re just a lowly employee.)

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

His thoughtfulness really comes in here, you mentioned you specifically liked one restaurant to a coworker while he was in the room? He’s mentally making a reservation. He loves to give you little gifts (and as his paycheque increases they continually get more expensive). All in all, he really tries, and he loves making an effort for you!

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He’s really clingy and depends on you for his happiness and confidence a lot of the time, meaning you’ll have to take on his emotions a lot of the time.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He’s lowkey felt insecure about his looks since high school. He’s not super concerned about his looks, he got his haircut to feel someone touch his head, not to look nice.

I also think he thinks you’re the most attractive person on earth whether or not you put effort in. He could see you walk out the room with a fever, blanket wrapped around your shoulders, in a kinda gross hoodie and sweatpants and makeup smudged all over your face and still be like “awww, they’re the cutest. 🥰🥰”.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Yes. End of sentence.

Kinda going back to letter U, but yeah. He knows he should be able to stand by himself emotionally, but he doesn’t really know if he can. (He probably begged literally everyone higher up for either you, or him to switch desks so he can be beside you all day.)

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

The first time he realised he loved you, he stuck by your side like glue the rest of the day, he was stuck imagining what the rest of your lives would be like together. (In an endearing way.)

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

To be honest, I don’t really think there is much. He’s quite accepting of your flaws, even glaring ones. He’s just glad you’re dating him.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He probably had insomnia before he met you, he was so embarrassed about his sleep schedule and never told anyone the truth about how much he slept, and now he has a semi-decent one with you. He really can’t sleep well without you, though. Any family trip? You’re coming along, because he really doesn’t wanna function on 3 hours of sleep again.

(guys i love our loser boyfriend)

[ineffable-opinions]

BL Commercialization

I am not the biggest fan of commercialization of BL.

BL spread across the globe not through commercial channels but through labor of love. It grew on the backs of creators and audience who spend their efforts and affection for the genre, fought and accompanied each other. There is a sort of sisterhood, a sort of fraternity that can’t be assigned a monetary value. It was popularized by readers and audience who loved it and wanted to share that love. It was shared with a sense of competition, indoctrination and infighting. It grew out of love, desire, lust, rage, jealousy and appreciation.

BL mangas and novels from Japan reached across the globe through piracy and fan-translations.

Where BL reached, new BL formed.

Forum engagements. Check out the BL I wrote. Here’s a BL I liked. Look at this crap an author wrote. That b!tch plagiarized. She wrote it first. So many people wrote the same thing, it is a cliché now. You can’t write like that. Who are you to say that? That main character is so flat-chested. If you want to write female protagonist, go to straight romance section. Wife! Please complete this story, I’m dy!ng to read. Where are the H scenes?

It involved fans drawing fan art. Thriving under attention. Wilting under bullying.

It involved male BL lovers – queer or otherwise – voicing BL audio drama adaptations and fan-dubs for free. BL lovers asking them to moan sweetly, to pant harshly and to act cute.

It involved creators like Chai Jidan who produced a super low-budget adaptation of her novel Addicted and send the State scrambling when BL became the talk of the town.

Now companies can swoop in and reap the dividends of years of unpaid, hard, emotional work done by innumerable rotten people, acquire intellectual property born out of the universe of BL and pay no respect to what came before them.

Moreover, now international audience can fly down and rubbish BL traditions, deem them anti-queer and anti-feminist. And influence how BL is produced. Wipe out the spaces local BL fans created for themselves. Without ever wondering what purpose did the so called ‘anti-queer and anti-feminist’ tropes and themes serves. Why were they made? (Other than the premature assessment that Asian BL audience and creators are heterosexists and misogynists and need rescuing and education from international, mainly western audience.) How do they interact and intersect with local non-BL queer content? All the while enjoying the soft boy aesthetics and elaborate queer narratives their pro-feminist, pro-queer western nations are not making enough of. And production houses and creators have to bow down to their definition of right queer representation.

So, I am not the biggest fan of commercialization of BL where interactions are skewed neo-colonially.

[Update]

Ambivalent affective labor: The datafication of qing and danmei writers in the cultural industry

Liang Ge

[sophieinwonderland]

Additional points that we...KIND OF made in two different posts yesterday (not even having to do with the current debacle, just...in general) that we feel is very important, and are just going to re-post in here:

You should believe endogenics exist first and foremost because they tell you they exist.

It's nice that science is starting to support us and the DSM and ICD are doing great at getting better for that, but it's still the weapon of our oppressors.

Just a few decades ago, you'd be anti-science for saying transgender people AREN'T a mental illness.

It is very, very easy to see how that can change back once you realize progress is not linear. "Progress is not linear" is the part individuals seem to forget (and we're not gonna lie, we sometimes do too, because that's terrifying to think about).

We feel like discourse wouldn't be discourse anymore if people acknowledged that because a lot of them would be forced to, we guess, question the acceptability of targeting X over Y and Z, and why they give A and B more authority over how X experiences their lives than even over X — if we can use letters in placement of actual groups of people here for a sec.

<Context note for people who do not know us, Rusanya: we agree with Sophie on a ton of points and enjoy her blog. We have an anti-psychiatry [institution, not the science itself, although we feel only bad-faith readers would see that?] and pro-mad-pride spin on our world view though, compared to Sophie. So sometimes we like throwing random things in her inbox because she's like the One Person who can pick our brain and it feels like she is not being an asshole.>

I do think in an ideal world, people would be respected for their identities regardless of opinions of authority figures.

But at the same time, I think the best path to acceptance is to direct arguments to the world you live in, not the one you want. And that means taking things that have historically been weapons of oppression and turning them against the oppressors.

Because the fact is that psychologists and psychiatrists are seen as a valid authority on matters of psychology.

Is there a possibility that the pendulum could swing the other way, that hard anti-endo sentiment could somehow take root in the psychiatric community? Sure. And if that happens, we'll have to adapt and figure out how to deal with that to the best of our ability.

But... I don't think it will happen. I mean, we already know the Stanford tulpa study is going to show neurological differences in tulpamancers. Whatever those differences may be, I think endogenic plurality being accepted as a real psychological phenomenon is inevitable.

On the other hand, we do have to acknowledge that we've seen backslides before. The False Memory Syndrome Foundation in the 90s successfully managed to turn an entire generation against trauma survivors and their therapists, and made diagnosing DID toxic to the point that therapists completely refused to diagnose it. So we can't say what the future will hold for certain.

To me though, I think this just means it's important to be vigilant, and try to foster positive relationships with the psychiatric community.

Because I also think most people who go into psychiatry do so because they genuinely want to help people. Yes, there are bad psychiatrists and there are abusive ones. And there are well-meaning ones who end up causing more harm than good because they think they know better. There are a lot of problems in psychiatry that need to be addressed. But I don't feel that fostering an adversarial relationship is a productive way to accomplish our community's goals.

[thesorcerersapprentice]

Resource Review: John Truby's The Anatomy of Genres

Book Blurb: "Most people think genres are simply categories on Netflix or Amazon that provide a helpful guide to making entertainment choices. Most people are wrong. Genre stories aren’t just a small subset of the films, video games, TV shows, and books that people consume. They are the all-stars of the entertainment world, comprising the vast majority of popular stories worldwide. That’s why businesses—movie studios, production companies, video game studios, and publishing houses—buy and sell them. Writers who want to succeed professionally must write the stories these businesses want to buy. Simply put, the storytelling game is won by mastering the structure of genres. The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works is the legendary writing teacher John Truby’s step-by-step guide to understanding and using the basic building blocks of the story world. He details the three ironclad rules of successful genre writing and analyzes more than a dozen major genres and the essential plot events, or “beats,” that define each of them. As he shows, the ability to combine these beats in the right way is what separates stories that sell from those that don’t. Truby also reveals how a single story can combine elements of different genres, and how the best writers use this technique to craft unforgettable stories that stand out from the crowd."

Pros

The Anatomy of Genres is a (mostly) straightforward guide to the must-have story beats for most fiction genres (these include: horror, action, myth, memoir, coming-of-age, science fiction, crime, comedy, western, gangster, fantasy, detective, and romance).

Each chapter is dedicated to a single genre, so there's no need to read the entire 700-page guide in one sitting. Just skip to the chapter on the genre relevant to you and leave the rest for later. Only be aware that the author sometimes references information provided in previous chapters.

Truby offers fresh insights into how to mix and match genre beats for maximum effect. This is helpful if you want to write something a little off-centre, keep your readers on their toes and/or never worry about that pesky B-Plot again.

Cons

While Truby provides thoughtful meditations on the value of stories and how they change our worldview, these are somewhat distracting from the main content of the guide and are very lightly supported with arguments and/or evidence. Be ready for some philosophical name-dropping and contentious "hot takes."

The guide is US American-centric, with most examples hailing from US TV & Literature (the author is a US American screenwriter). This isn't necessarily a "con," but if you were looking for a more global outlook on genre, prepare to be disappointed.

Finally, the chapters are structurally inconsistent, with each chapter containing totally different section divisions. Don't expect to be able to readily reference parallel story beats across genres. This will take a bit of effort on your part and won't always work out.

My recommendation? Ignore the philosophy, embrace the beats, and take it all with a pinch of salt.

Best for: experienced writers who want to ensure their novel hits all the right notes and/or anyone looking to get out of a brainstorming rut.