#worth it for the skyrocketing sex appeal~

[transmechanicus]

Still need a tie but otherwise Fem!Denji is ready to go~

[vetrubius]

ANONYMOUS AFFECTION

CHAPTER 1: ACKNOWLEDGING EXISTENCE/

W.C:1,624

Summary: Y/N L/N is a 24 year old bartender who owns a small bar. The usual life of hers is about to change after meeting the Hero Associations Chairman, Izuku Midoriya. She’s in charge of the afterparty of the Sports Festival for the Hero Association. Watch her as she falls in love gracefully with one of the strongest hero.

Warnings: Aged up characters, SMUT, Alcohol, Cigarette, Hook ups, Slight Name-Calling, Nudity :)))

The bar at the corner of the road had a warm aura in it. Any new comer would be welcomed at the sight of young adults lost in a mist of dense smoke, and liquor. The laughter resonating through the small bar established the happening atmosphere in the space. The humongous bar on the left did the space justice. The glowing bottles of alcohol with yellow encompassing it was a view worth dying for. The row of bottles stacked up from top to the bottom shelf was balancing the small live stage on the opposite side of the wall. The large floral stained window did justice to the space. The chairs and table in the middle were filled with people as the live performance was ongoing. The warm light flooding the room and the task light above the live stage ensured that the attention would remain to the girl singing on the stage.

You watch Jirou sing on the stage with her purple satin dress whose thin straps held up the dress and the fabric draping along her curves, highlighting them beautifully and enlarging every detail possible. On the stage with her was Mina, gracing the wooden floor with a green satin cage bralette and black latex which complemented her skin tone. Her sex appeal bursting through the whole space, kept the audience thoroughly involved with her. Behind the two ladies were Kirishima and Denki on the guitar and the drums. Kirishima adorning the little bow tie he’d tied over his white shirt and his low rise ripped jeans which lowkey showed his V through his shirt (not that he minded the way the college girls threw themselves at him). As Kirishima played his guitar, your gaze was fixed on the yellow haired friend with a black highlight who was playing his drums. 

You and Denki had been friends for a while which had led to the build up of sensual energy between the two of you. There had been nights where your head was settled between his crotch, engulfing his manhood in your mouth as sweet moans escaped his mouths. His hands leaving marks on your ass and whimpers leaving your mouth and him filling you up to the point you couldn’t even talk or walk properly. Tonight might be another such night where you’d be under him with a guarantee of sore legs the next day.

“Hey Y/N,” your eyes darted towards the voice “Looking pretty in the trousers and shirt. Going for a gender neutral look?” Tenya said as he made himself comfortable on the bar chair.

“Yeah, trying that but clearly isn’t working on the person I want.” You said a smile creeping up your cheeks. 

Tenya and you had been college best friends and the pact of not dating each other had already been made. The beauty of you two was the fact that both of you upheld it. You’d never thought about Tenya that way and he didn’t too. 

“A shot of bourbon, please” he said as he shuffled in his seat to remove his wallet. 

“Ah, don’t worry about it, the first one is on the house.” You said, sliding the shot glass towards him which he downed in almost an instant. 

“Tough day at work, huh?” You asked, resting your chin between the palms of your hands as your elbows rested on the black granite table. 

“Yeah, too many bad guys out there you know,” he said, signalling for another one “Keep the bar and yourself safe, Y/N.” 

Your eyes returned back to the yellow-head on the stage. “So, Denki huh?” Tenya said while taking the second drink.

 “Yeah, he’s a good plaything.” you said smiling at Kaminari from behind the bar.

“Don’t get emotionally involved with him. He’s a great guy. But not someone you’d want to spend the rest of your life with” he said while keeping the shot glass down. 

“I don’t plan to. But I do plan to keep him on the toes until you get your official hero licenses. It’ll be a good motivation for him.” you said, looking back at Iida and grinning. 

“The typical Y/N card. Always baiting other people to do their best using her body.” he said looking at the table and smiling. 

You looked around the bar. The college kids sitting in front of you. Some were pursuing their education but most of them had to appear for their heroes licenses exam in six months. You too had dreams of becoming a hero when you were a kid. Until you realised your quirk was useless. The one idea of developing an amazing quirk that you desperately wanted was snatched away from you. The terror in your eyes when the doctor said to your guardians “Her quirk is being immune to alcohol poisoning” It felt like the world had collapsed. What could a 6 year old like you do with a quirk like that? The children in your school kept name-calling you. Drunk hag, alcohol creep were some of the many. You were so used to it. 

Now that you were 24 and owned a bar, it’s not like your life had any spice to it. Just one night stands, your everyday customers and your best friend. Of course that didn’t mean you didn’t have ambitions. You did want a family and to be reciting your vows in front of the stained glass window. But you weren’t sure if you were available emotionally for anyone yet. Also, the acceptability of your quirk in the other households was not something you anticipated. 

Your thoughts were interrupted when you heard Tenya’s voice “Are you facing any problems in the bar?” he asked after downing his third drink. 

“Yeah, the liquor prices are becoming slightly expensive, the electricity units are skyrocketing and I need more furniture,” you sighed. “I want more customers but where will I accommodate them?” your eyes returning to the stage but this time at Jirou. 

“Actually our firm was planning a after UA festival afterparty, only for adults.” he said tapping his fingers on the cold platform. “Could we use your bar? There won’t be a lot of people. Only official members and the boss. Do you think you could handle that?” he glanced towards you. 

A party? You pause to think a little. 

Your brainstorming lasted roughly about 45 seconds. 

“Yes, but I’ll need advance payment.” you say, looking at Tenya with fire in your eyes. 

“I’ll ask for permission from my higher ups and let you know.” he said, picking up his bag “Meanwhile, you deal with him.” he said, tilting his head behind you.

You flip to be face in face with Denki. 

“Hey sexy, ready to go?”

The door unlocked only for Denki to push you against the wall with his lips attacking yours. With one hand he grabbed your face while the other worked on locking the door. 

“Aren’t we feisty today” you said as he made his way on your neck, as you tried to unbutton him with one hand and the other grabbing his hair. Denki was quick to pick you up in bridal style and make his way to the dining table. Before he kept you down, he unbuckled your trousers, removed and dropped them on the side. 

Placing you softly on the table without breaking the kiss, he starts to slowly drag his fingers along the slit on your wet panties. “Oh Kaminari~” your back arching and your hands on his back, scratching every edge you can get. 

Denki enjoying every little bit your body reacts. The small whimpers, the bite on his shoulder blades, most of all the way your mouth steams on his. It makes him almost lose whatever little composure he has out of the window. 

“Ah gorgeous.” he said while breaking the kiss and taking a step back to admiring your body. 

The little protective crystal dangling on your boobs. The black bralette, the white shirt covering your arms and your sides and your panties soaking wet for him. You looked sinful

“Beg.”

“Can you please eat me?” you ask, grabbing your one boob in your hand and the other one in your mouth. 

“Try harder.” 

“Sir, could you please eat me out?” you say between the moans, with one hand circling your clit, the other hand on your boob.

He picks you up again and takes you to the bedroom and dumps your body on the mattress. 

“Come sit here, I wanna try something.” he said, clambering behind you. You don’t waste time trying to fit the pocket of his arms. 

The second you make your way, his lips made his way on your ears as the walls witnessed your undoing. 

With one hand, he played with your tits a little more and the other made his way inside your panties. This unholy sensation made your soul leave your body. His thumb rubbing your clit and his index and middle in your pussy. The squelches and your moans were absorbed by the walls. He knew you were at your limit. 

Kaminari stopped abruptly, breaking a protest whine from you. “More, please” You said through your broken voice. 

Meanwhile in Hero Association:

“Hey Tenya, how have you been?”

“I’ve been great. Hey, I got a venue for the afterparty. It’s a bar of one of my best friends. It’s down by the old man's shop.”

“I see. Y/N L/N, was it?”

“Yeah, her.” 

“I’m interested. Could you book the place for 25th November?” 

“Alright. I’ll email her. And Izuku?” 

“Mhm?”

“You’ll find her interesting.” 

“I hope so. It’s been a while” the putting out of a cigarette and footsteps towards the window was audible as the green haired hero overlooked the city.

series masterlist

[brideofcthulhu10]

Here we are, I apologize for the delay you guys but I can guarantee you it is so worth the wait! A humongous shout out to my incredible co-author @imlostinsantacarla for writing this with me, I had an amazing time and this is arguably one of the best written posts I’ve done so far. SO without further ado, I give you

Lost Boys Fem!S/O Gives Birth [3/4]

CONTENT WARNING: Offensive Language, Blood, Child Birthing Process, Intense Environment! READER'S DISCRETION IS ADVISED!

Marko

The soft silver moonlight slithered through the cracks and crevices overhead in the hotel, illuminating your form in a tender glow. You laid casually atop the dusty old couch worn from years of perpetual abuse, staring up into the cave’s ceiling at the little slivers of sky you could see between them, fingers fondling the soft blanket wrapped around you. Nerves caused your heart to stutter as another set of cramps waded through your body, making you feel nauseated. However, you put on a valiant front, hardly batting an eyelash as your boyfriend Marko sat beside you, eyes fixated on your form in an adoring fashion, though there was worry mixed within his countenance, a deep groove carved between his brows. Granted when you had initially announced your pregnancy you could have gone about it differently, however you were met with a joyous response from your adoring vampire. Originally David had suggested they turn you whilst pregnant to prevent any foreseeable complications, but there arose a new set of issues. Your infant would be a hybrid of vampire and human, something none of you even knew was possible. The potential need for a live body could mean that turning yourself before the birth could kill him or her in the process. Even if the birth could result in your death, unfortunately, all you could do was patiently wait, as going to a hospital was surely out of the question. Nevertheless, patience was a virtue- one Marko had yet to achieve. 

The months of waiting grew heavier on him as time ticked by, whilst the haunting lack of knowledge grew more frustrating with any passing discomfort he witnessed. His inability to help you outside of a shoulder to cry on when your cramps became too unbearable to sleep through made him feel helpless, a sensation that not only was he unfamiliar with; it was one he absolutely loathed. The boys did their utmost best to be accommodating to the situation, and one certainly had to give them credit for the amount of effort they had gone through. Dwayne had gone to the library for a few books for yourself and Marko, including one or two children’s books for the baby. Paul had spent his free nights shoplifting for supplies you’d need. No one could dismantle and sneak out an entire crib like Paul could. The guy had created a craft in the endeavor. David, with the help of Dwayne, had scoped through the caves and old hotel rooms still salvageable and managed to reinforce one of the rooms closest to their own cave. You eagerly draped the walls in colorful fabrics, finding an old dresser for your child’s clothes with a surface now cluttered with stuffed animals. Toys were crammed into a wooden chest, a massive rug laid across the old wooden flooring to deter any stray splinters from harming you. Watching Paul and Marko stubbornly argue over the crib instructions was certainly the highlight of your pregnancy while David was barking at them to move out of the way when he came carrying in the glider chair in one arm and a mass of pillows in the other. Although, you had to draw the line once Marko had smacked Paul with a two by four. Surely, that was uncalled for. But according to Marko, not so! Best friend or not, no one said he had the building skills of a drunk monkey!

Tonight was the night that would mark round about the eighth month of your pregnancy, and, - if it were truly possible -, Marko nearly had a heart attack when your false contractions came into play a few weeks ago. This ignited a vigilant nature within him, motivating him to remain much closer to you than he had previously been, which resulted in a lot of checking up on every unusual sound that you made. It was impossible for it to be helped. Well, that's what he kept telling you anyway.  

"You know, I can skip out on the hunt tonight…" Marko trailed off, cool fare fingertips dancing along the soft flesh of your arms, creating goosebumps to rise in their wake. The contrast between body temperatures was ghastly and you shivered, more at the electric shock that raced through you whenever he touched you. 

"Babe, you skipped out on the hunt last night, and the night before, and even the night before that. Marko, you must be starving!" You sighed irately, tipping your head back in frustration before turning it in his direction. Ever since the news of your pregnancy, Marko's primal instincts to protect you and your child had grown in vast numbers. It was pleasant to begin with, almost endearing… Though, as months sped by it had grown a hindrance because the young man was hardly even caring for himself now, and he hardly ever left your side. Honest to God, it was smothering, leaving you almost agitated at the sight of him. He was aware of this, yet still could not resist the urge within him that called for him to aid you in whatever way he could. There was an ample amount of anxiety over future happenstances such as your water breaking, uncontrollable cramps, the ACTUAL birthing of the child! You were understanding of his concern, but there was only so much that could be done. After all, you wanted your baby just as badly as he did. But he couldn’t allow his health to decline due to his own worry, you needed him. And frankly, your sense of unease was bordering onto the bandwagon of fear when you saw Marko’s ribs sticking tightly against his translucent flesh, a plethora of dark circles sinking his blue eyes into his skull. He wasn’t eating, he hardly slept, and soon he wouldn’t be able to control his frenzies.

"I don't know, baby girl," Marko began hesitantly, his round eyes widening as they peered into your own thoughtfully. Worry had never been a good look on Marko, and now, you longed for the days where reading him had been more difficult. His anxiety was like a fungi, infecting your very aura at the same time. "I don't wanna leave in case something happens you know? I mean, yeah, I guess I'm kinda thirsty but that stuff can wai-" You interrupted him with your fingertips gently silencing his lips, your eyes having shut as you breathed deeply to calm your nerves. This boy was driving you nuts. 

"Marko, I know how worried you are. I am too. But babe, I can tell that it's getting harder for you to be around me because you haven't fed. I really don’t want to start smelling like a fillet mignon to you, and if you’ve been looking at me like some mouth watering steak, we run the risk of the baby becoming appealing as well, I know you don’t want to risk that." You quipped with a quirked brow, lips tucked up into a wry smile as you stared straight at him. Your case was a good one, there was no doubt about it. There could be a very good chance that Marko, albeit not on purpose, could harm you or the baby if he smelled the scent of blood or even heard a too hasty of a heartbeat. And if there were to be an accident such as that, Marko would be plagued by an immense amount of guilt for all eternity. “Besides, it’s only the seven and a half or eight month point right now. I’m not having the baby for at least six more weeks. Right now, I need you to be at your best. Please babe.”

"But-" Marko began to protest.

"She's right, Marko." David piped up lazily from across the room, his eyes never leaving the book that he had been reading. He turned the page briskly before continuing, "You need to feed. It's the basic terms of vampire-hood. If you don't, you die! Now, what good would that do anyone then?" He inquired sardonically, a trace of a smirk in the air. 

"Yeah, bud! David and Y/n are right! Just go on one feed with us." Paul grinned from ear to ear at his bestest pal in the whole world, despite the horrifying fact that said best friend had hit him in the head with a two by four. Excitement had been rushing through Paul's entire being during this whole process. He was going to be an uncle man, how could he not be excited?! It had been such a bummer since Star left with Laddie, it’d be cool having some new tiny mind he could influence. Not that he'd even get as far to really influence the child without getting a brisk smack to the back of the head by David before you and Marko could even lift your fingers. No, he would not be teaching your child about the world of “Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll” at five years old!

"I mean-" 

"With the way you're going, you're gonna be a shriveled prune." Dwayne muttered out of thin air as he slowly rolled past Marko and yourself on his skateboard. The hulking raven haired vampire came to a standstill  as he stepped slowly off of his board. Dwayne was also right. Marko wasn't looking his brightest. Feeding was a nightly routine for a vampire in order to ensure they took in the right nutrients their dead bodies could not produce for themselves. Especially since they weren't capable of absorbing those nutrients through human food any more. Marko had to feed, there was no whisking his way around it, no matter how many excuses he could come up with. 

The trio of boys stared at the curly haired blonde, your eyes also capturing his form. There was a stretch of intense silence that flooded through the hotel as Marko thought over his options, pushing a mesh of frizzed blonde hair away from his face. He didn't want to risk going out and a possible complication occurring with the baby or yourself. But he also didn't have a strong desire to cause a catastrophic accident whilst going into a frenzy when your heart rate started skyrocketing due to cramps or whatever. Already his mouth was watering profusely as he stared down at his worn hands beginning to wither from lack of nourishment, the consistent thudding of your heart and the delectable rush of your blood in your veins made it practically impossible for the man to focus for much longer. 

"Man, just go! I'll stay with her." Paul finally interjected, slightly irritated that his buddy was being such a pansy about the entire situation. "If anything happens I'll scream at the top of my lungs or something, man. I got this! Scouts honor!" Paul added sarcastically, flattening a palm over his heart as he raised his free one up by his head. The entire thing looked comical, it made the others laugh. 

"Yeah, sure, let me get the flowers early for the funeral," Dwayne muttered, settling himself on another dusty old couch with a soft sigh. 

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, dick breath?" Paul roared, brows pulled together in anger, punching Dwayne’s shoulder.. 

“Can you even give scouts honor if you were never in it?” you asked with a laugh to your tone, raising a brow at the blonde trying to rapid punch the utterly indifferent vampire planted in place.

"Dwayne has a good point, Paul." David sneered at his comrade, blue eyes lit up like torches watching Dwayne yank Paul into a headlock on it’s way to a noogie. "You remember the last time we-" 

"Ow! Okay, I didn't know she wasn't allowed to drink alcohol! But she never drank any so I don't get why you guys keep bringing this shit up!" Paul muttered, managing to wiggle himself out of Dwayne’s iron grip. With stubborn stomps he huffed, flopping onto the edge of the fountain in the middle of the room, his chin resting on his hands. He stared at you and Marko for a moment before continuing. "Man, I swear I won't pull another stunt like that again! I can take care of her! Dwayne told me the gist of what she can and can't have. I can do this, buddy." it was practically the most pitiful thing you had ever seen, it even tugged a little at your heartstrings.

You looked to Marko for confirmation and from the twinkle in his eyes, you could tell he was thinking the same thing as you. 'Let's just let him do this so he can stop pouting like a brat.'

"Alright, alright!" Marko stated, gloved hands raising up in the air in defeat. "You can watch out for her, but if ANYTHING happens, man, you've gotta go and find me. No fucking around and no fucking weed either!" Marko was firm as he spoke, eyes boring seriously into Paul's. 

The sun broke out onto Paul's face, his pearly whites glinting from the fires scattered around the hotel. You could tell in that moment that Marko had made Paul's entire century. "Fuck yeah! Scouts honor, dude. Just like I said before!" the blonde rocker was practically bouncing in his seat like he needed a piss. He hardly looked like a badass biker vampire that went out murdering people left, right, and center every night. He looked more like a baby rabbit. 

“I fucking mean it man,” Marko firmly repeated. “No weed, no booze, no being a dumbass.” Although he was being firm there was a slight twitch to his mouth. Being stern with Paul was often impossible but you had to admit, Marko was doing a grand job without the two by four!

Paul threw his hands up in the air in such a rushing motion that you were surprised they hadn't flung out of their sockets. “God damn, trust me man. I’m not gonna let anything happen! You guys need to gimme more credit here, who’s the one that stole a fucking crib for you assholes?”

With a tenacious huff, you wedged your hands behind your back feeling that the full weight of your belly was determined to keep you jammed between cushions, but nevertheless, you managed to heave yourself up and off of the dusty old couch with an audible grunt. The four boys' heads turned to watch you, instinctively with brows furrowed. They thought they'd insisted that if you needed to be moved, they would help you rather than let you strain yourself any more than you had to. But you were impossibly stubborn! You had insisted on multiple occasions that it was necessary for you to move, even exercise to keep you and the baby healthy. None of them were willing to humor you but you’d found that tuning out their protests was the best course of action in most occasions. And by impulsive habit, Marko dove over to offer you assistance, though you only responded by swatting his hands away from you. You were fine!

“I’m fine Marko, don’t worry I can get up on my own. Anyway, Paul’s right,” you agreed, looking over at your friend who beamed with delight at your praise, arms crossed over his chest with a nodding head of total satisfaction as if you had just given a mighty speech. “He’s not gonna let anything happen. Besides, what could really go wrong in just a few hours?”

"Babe, don't say shit like that, you could jinx it!" Marko cried incredulously, eyes practically bulging out of his head. 

"Babe get a grip. There's no such thing as “jinxing” things." His worrying was really starting to bug you. And what did you do in turn? You did and said the exact opposite of him, a way to subconsciously counteract the apprehension that oozed out of him like a foul smell. Carefully you took his hands into yours and placed them on your taut belly. “See? Feel for yourself.”

For the past several months Marko had attested to being able to hear your unborn spawn within your stomach. Not necessarily thoughts, but emotions. Cluttered, wild, uncertain emotions that would come in jumbled waves. There was a weary contentment within you, sleeping soundly in a cradle of water kept safe within. Finally his muscles began to relax, tension beading out into limp arms as Marko pulled you in for a firm hug, holding you against him.

“You promise me.. If anything happens, you scream for me immediately. No toughing it out because you’re worried about me eating.” He mumbled sweetly into your hair, taking in a slow inhale of your heavenly scent. It was the one thing that could soothe his soul instantaneously, burying his face into the crook of your neck. 

“Marko-”

“Please, Y/n.”

 His plea made your heart ache with slight agony. It was a desperate rasp, his arms almost trembling. There was a rush of relief filling him when you wrapped your own arms around him with a tender smile. “Okay. Alright, I promise, if anything happens I’ll call for you,” you hummed in tender response. For a moment you had to take a moment to pause, feeling a low and deep, sharp pain stretching from your abdomen to your back. Instead of making a fuss you tried to ease your breathing before Marko could notice. You weren't prepared to allow a few false contractions to get the better of you and stop him from getting his fill of the blood he so desperately needed at this point. And you also weren't going to play into any of Marko's anxieties either. You could do that when he returned from his hunt. Gently you lifted his chin. His cold lips felt cracked against your own, cementing how desperately he needed to feed. Even his kisses grew hungry, and you had to pull away from him before this grew into a horror show. “Go, you goof.”

It had taken some further convincing for him to leave, by the time he finally left with David and Dwayne it almost felt otherworldly in that cave. The lack of presence was almost spooky, though thankfully Paul was nice enough to loan you his walkman to curb the initial silence. Playing his Def Leppard tape you sat back into the couch, breathing through the occasional cramps that would continue to sneak up on you in a pulsing fashion. Hysteria was always your favorite album, as the dulcet tones of the rock ballad began to lull you into a half sleep state. But the continuous bombardment of contractions had begun to grow concerning. They weren’t slowing down, nor consistent in their spaces between as they should be. Cautiously you sat up, counting out the seconds between the first and the next. One minute, two minute, three… and again. For a full minute your muscles spasmed and ached, almost drawing an audible gasp from your mouth. Again you counted. One minute, two, th- no! Now it came again at a two minute interval. In a haste you peeled the headphones from your ears, grasping your stomach as you leaned forward suddenly. Your legs buckled, every time you tried to stand the pain just dragged you back down. “Fuck.. oh go- Paul!”

The blonde vampire was so lost in his own world he was nearly jolted out of his seat by your panicked cries. “What, what’s up you- JESUS!”

Without missing a beat, Paul slipped on the floor beneath his feet, barely having the reflexes to catch himself before his face could meet the ground with a harsh smack. The floor was soaked! Seriously, who spilled water everywhere? “Damn man, what happened here? Why is it all-” again, his words were paused, almost as if they'd been caught in his throat whilst he looked over your doubled over form clutching your profound belly. “Oh- oh shit! Oh fuck no way! Shit, holy fuck shit are you-?? Is it?!”

“Yes! ” You cried out incredulously, cutting off his panicked questioning in a hasty fashion. A sudden cry escaped your lips whilst you gasped in desperation, your spine going erect as you flattened your palms out behind you to stabilize yourself. "Oh god!"

"Oh shit man, I better get Mark-" Paul began, face having dropped to terror. 

"No! I swear to go- ow! Paul, if you even dare- I swear I will stake you myself! Ow!" 

“What, are you crazy?!” He demanded, jutting his arms in your direction. “You swore you’d call him, dude! This is big, man, he’ll kill me if anything happens to you! Oh fuck but he’ll kill me if I leave you alone- Fuck!” Paul swiftly kicked over one of the tables, running his hands through his mess of hair. The thing looked more like a lions' mane in all honesty. “Bed! We gotta get you to your bed, like now!”

"And how are we gonna do that, asshole?"

Paul's face soured immediately at your insult and with a swift motion, he swung you up into his arms bridal style, paying little mind to your plethora of protests. “Shut up already. I’m not doing this for my fuckin’ health! But you gotta be in bed! I may be a dumbass but I at least know that much!” He muttered, carefully tightening his grip as you attempted to wiggle out from it. He rapidly stepped over tunnels and rocks whilst he swung his way into the cavernous nursery where your bed was nestled into a corner, his calloused fingers on one hand releasing your legs as he pushed the black curtains that draped heavily over the frame. And with that, he placed you gingerly down on the bed, staring at you with a perplexed expression with a hint of something else. Was- no, that couldn't be embarrassment. 

"What're you staring at," you questioned, a nervous twinge to your voice. You rolled on your side to relieve some of the pulsating throbs that ran rampant through your muscles.”

"Uh- well- shit! I mean, we need to take off your pants, man. What if you start pushing and the baby suffocate or something?"

“I can’t even start pushing until I know how dilated I am,” your voice was quivering, clutching your stomach. “If I were to push too early it could kill us both.” 

"Oh fuck! Where's Marko when you need him?!" 

The dreaded predicament was growing increasingly deadly the more your body warned of its approaching birth, and soon you were left with a terrifying decision. Wiping away the thick layer of sweat misting your flushed cheeks, you managed to breathe out a hesitant response. “Paul.. You have to go get him.” 

"I’m sorry, WHAT?!" Paul’s voice echoed in the caves at a high pitched octave. “No! No freaking way, I am not leaving you here, you’re having a fucking baby! What if something happens to you? Fuck Marko being haunted, there’s no way I would be able to live with myself!” Paul ranted on, throwing his arms in the air whilst he paced around the sides of your bed in an antsy motion.

Sobs made your chest spasm uncontrollably, rolling over again onto your back. No position provided relief anymore, the contractions following still at an even two minutes each. “It could be hours before I’m actually ready to give birth! We have to know h-how far I am a-and the only way to do that…”

“...Yes? What way, c’mon maybe I can do that!” Paul stopped dead in his tracks to face you, serene as he had ever been in his entire life.

“You’d have to stick your fingers in me,” you groaned with imminent embarrassment, receiving an equal look of humiliation and horror from Paul’s pale face. He looked down, then at the cave’s entrance. Guilt plagued him, this kind of decision had never been put in front of him before.  He knew his options were slim, but he also knew where they hunted, if he could catch Marko’s scent outside he could easily find him. But again, he looked at you writhing in pure agony on top of your bed in tears. A knot tore at his own gut like someone was trying to rip them right out of him, his throat aching when he swallowed, a dryness had developed from nerves. “You sure you can handle it until I get back. You fucking swear you’ll be okay? Just for a few minutes.”

You could only nod in response as the pain was so debilitating it rendered you utterly speechless!

“Please, just go get him.” You managed to squeak out intensely. The expression of pain mixed with fear that captured your beautiful features truly did break his heart.

Paul sighed deeply in defeat, his fingers gently pushing your hair from your face. “Stay tough kiddo, I’ll be fast as fucking lightning.” You hadn’t even seen him leave, a huge gust of wind caused  the bed to shudder, leaving you utterly and completely alone.

 Kicking away your soggy jeans, you promptly pulled yourself to the top of the bed with your back pressed against the headboard. With every passing contraction you fought to breath evenly through it, fingers tightly clutching the sheets beneath you. “Fuck...god Paul hurry please!”

Paul flew as speedily as he could carry himself through the air, his nocturnal eyes aflame, rapidly scanning the ground for any sight of his buddies. The fresh scent of blood wafted through the cool night's air which coaxed him closer to the boardwalk, perhaps a mile or two north. The fucking sand dunes, of course! Sure enough, amongst a towering, crackling bonfire stacked high with the charred remains of surfboards that belonged to screaming Santa Carlites currently being devoured, there he spotted the trio of vampires tearing and ripping into the flesh and bones of unfortunate victims. Their blood spraying in odd directions, splattering across their clothes and hair. "Marko!” Paul yelled far louder than he needed to, panic evident on his countenance whilst he clumsily crash landed into the  wind whipped rouge sands below. The display caught the attention of his brothers immediately as they finished off their prey in a geyser of crimson fluids, leaving the ground stained.

Marko dropped the lifeless shriveled up human carcass he had been cradling savagely in his arms to the ground with little interest for it any longer. His previous frail lineament now long gone, replaced with a healthy  complexion. Although Marko felt he was back to his full capacity, he couldn't help the immediate apprehension and terror that sparked within his chest as it panged in his gut nauseously. "Paul?! Dude what the fuck are you doing here, where’s Y/N?? What's wrong?" He asked, panic straining his voice. 

"Dude! Fucking hurry up! I think Y/n's in labor, man!”

“What the fuck are you talking about,” Marko demanded, grabbing Paul by his jacket. “You fucking left her?!”

“Marko, man, listen! One minute she was okay, the next she's screaming bloody murder and the fucking floors drenched!" Paul panted, doubled over as he'd flown here with all his might. "Before you ask, she's on her bed, okay? I took her there myself, even with her kicking and screaming. Dude I swear I didn’t just ditch! I swear, man I didn't wanna leave her but she said she needed someone to stick their fingers inside her or fucking whatever cuz if she pushes the baby will die, I dunno man but I'm not itching to do that ever!"

Marko said nothing, primal instincts kicking in full throttle as he sailed through the air and headed straight for the cave. His mind wandered to perilous details in furious cluttered thought, things that already created all the more apprehension to to twist in his gut, turning them round and round. His thoughts immediately went to the fact that you were alone in the hotel, in the purest of all agonies, having to go at this on your lonesome. The closer he sailed over the coastline the more he could hear. Your voice was just in the distance carried on the winds in gut wrenching cries that tore him apart. His next thoughts dwindled on your safety as well as the babies. He was very aware that there was no doctor involved in the mix, which meant no hospital and certainly no pain killers. He was terrified as his mind blasted through the worst of the worst. Didn't women used to die of childbirth back in the day? Was there a possibility that you could die? 

Marko hadn't even noticed that the others boys had been hot on his heels, prepared to offer aid wherever they could.

 "Marko, man! Slow down!" David called, struggling to keep up with the pace in which his pal was flying. The little bugger had gotten a head start, fueled by his pessimistic contemplation. But Marko didn't halt or slow down for that matter. There was no time for any of that! He had to get to the hotel and into your room as swiftly as possible, he wouldn’t dare slow down! What the hell was David even talking about anyway? Slow down?! Slowing down would do nothing but increase the chances of something else going wrong. He knew that the moment you'd spoken the words of, "what could go wrong in a couple of hours", that you had completely and utterly jinxed the entire night! 

His body dove and swerved through the hotel passing caves and holes, nearly crashing as he sped to a desperate stop inside the nursery. Your screams were crystal clear, as though they were right there, yet the sound rattled his ribs until he thought he would pass out. Still hidden away behind pitch black curtains, he could almost see your pitiful form writhing in limitlessly excruciating anguish. Rapidly his steps carried him to your bedside where you were still smothered in fresh blood, wrenching away the curtains. The sight was a visage of carnage torn straight from hell itself! Yet you only saw your dearest prince, and it was truly a sight for sore eyes left distorted by cruel tears. His coarse hand clutched yours immediately, providing the first rare moment of sanctity you had felt. The sudden motion and contact from him startled you tremendously, causing you to shriek when another contraction sent you into a panic. "Hey, it's me, baby girl. It's just me." He cooed comforting down at you, his free hand smoothing your damp hair from your sweat slick face. He probably looked like hell, still covered head to toe in his latest victims blood. That probably wasn't the most hygienic state for him to be in during the birthing of his child. But he had to work with what he had. There wasn't exactly running fresh water in the hotel anyway. It was almost unbearable for him to watch you, the color drained from your cheeks, grasping his hand until he swore he heard bones begin to crack.

“Marko.. I-I can’t push yet.. I d-don’t know how far I am,” You choked out, pressing the back of your head into the mattress when pulsating rivers of agony wove through you in cruel waves. The pain was now a disarray of spontaneous choreography, a violent tempo swelling and spreading throughout your entire body, leaving your brain foggy and black spots waltzing at the corners of your vision.

Before Marko was able to utter a word, the three boys bounded into the room, breathless and covered in a film of dampness, no doubt most likely from the crashing waves of the sea that battered along the cliffs' edge. The intrusion was noisy and agitating, leading to Marko's eyes becoming beacons of flourishing orange and his head whipped towards the guys. "Will you guys get lost? I'm not about to have you guys stand there like the Triplets of Fucking Bullshit while I try to figure out how dilated Y/n is!" he practically roared, the cave was shuddering for a moment as specs of dust flitted sporadically to the ground.

“Marko, baby, please calm down," you begged him, placing a hand on his forearm. The sight of him still smeared in blood was one thing, but such rage even at his brothers almost frightened you, his head practically whipping around to face you with fangs bared and piercing white hot eyes tearing into your own. It felt like he had stared straight through into your soul which was certainly not what you needed currently. The petrified expression left plastered across your palored cheeks made Marko feel incredibly remorseful, running his fingers through his hair. He was running on little sleep and barely had enough to satiate his lingering appetite, leaving him still quite exhausted.

"It's fine. We'll clear out. C'mon boys." David stated, Dwayne having already left. He stared pointedly at Paul though, who was staring at you in fright. He felt as though he should be there, however, with David staring at him so intently, he glanced over your way. You could only give him a weakened smile, your gaze assuring him you were safe now. Paul hung his head low and squeezed past the spiked blonde boy briskly. And David followed suit, not sparing another glance your way. It seemed cold but truthfully, David wasn't entirely sure what to make of the situation. Heightened emotions made him uncomfortable. David was better away from this specific spotlight, and currently his friend was in a frenzy he wasn’t willing to have escalated in such a delicate moment. He'd deal with the aftermath once the storm had passed. Marko could deal with the storm singlehandedly if that's what he so desperately desired. I mean, David hadn't knocked you up, so why get his feathers ruffled when he wasn't wanted there anyway?

“You… owe th-them an... a-apology,” you managed to pant out, wearily smacking his arm when a moment of relief between contractions allowed your voice to return. 

Marko huffed, shimmying off his jacket and tossing it onto the chair as he climbed on top of the bed with you, shutting the curtains. “I’ll make it up to them later babe, now’s not the fucking time.” Marko grumbled indignantly, his vampiric features morphing back to his human ones.

It was incredibly important for Marko to ensure that you were dilated 10 centimeters. This was not just for the babies sake but also for your own. If you pushed too soon it could prove fatal for you and your child. There was an instinct in you that told you to push, though Marko insisted adamantly that you hold off on pushing for the meantime. Stress riddled Marko to the core as he knelt down in front of you on the bed, his fingers comfortingly stroking your inner thighs prior to pulling back and nearing your entrance. To begin with he slipped in a finger, pushing softly as the books had told him until he reached the surface of the cervix which if he hadn't been reading the books that Dwayne had given him, he would have thought it didn't exist. Instead, he was met with a rubbery balloon-like texture which he knew was the bag of waters that held your baby. He slowly retracted his finger and added a few more, until he was certain that you were way past the 5cm mark. "Ow! B-babe! Tbh-that hurts!" You complained loudly, back arching off the mattress as you flinched, brows knitted together in contorted pain. 

"Really?" Marko snapped, eyes meeting yours whilst his fingers froze within you. "You've had much worse in there and a few fingers hurt? Sheesh!" He stated slowly, his expression flattening momentarily. And suddenly, as if by magic, the tension that had been suffocating the pair of you lifted somewhat, causing the pair of you to chortle for a moment before you winced, a grimace clouding your expression. 

"Shut up you complete asshole, h-how about I sh-shove a watermelon up you butt, s-s-see how you like it,” you breathlessly laugh, leaning your head back against your pillow. “So, c-can I p-push now, or not?" 

"Yeah, I'm pretty certain that you're 10 centimeters now, babe."

Some form of twisted relief washed over your soul in that moment as you let the instinct to push was over you. There was a slow, long drag pulling through your back. It was like a tiger had dug it’s hooked claws into you and was pulling them down through your flesh.  The endeavor was tiring, grueling in fact, leaving you dizzy and exhausted. But yet there was a set determination that took over you whilst you pushed desperately. Your toes tightly curled in place, grunts and panting replaced by blood curdling screams that sent chills down any who heard it. Tears made it impossible to see, the salty concoction of tears and sweat staining your face. Everything burned, you were fearful you may pass out. Though as soon as you pushed you found yourself holding your breath, to which Marko had to coach you through how  to breathe. A deep breathe in and another deep breathe out. In through the nose out through the mouth. Well, more like, in through the mouth and back out again. He also had to remind you when to rest,especially when he took note of exhaustion blanketing across you. 

“Marko- I can’t! No, no! Fuck I can’t it hurts so fucking bad,” you cried out until your throat was raw, having to be snatched by him before you launched up, pinned precisely in place by his steel grip. “No, god, I can’t do this! Please, I-I can’t I can’t it h-hurts!” 

"Come on, baby girl you can’t stop now! You have to hold still, it’s gonna be okay, you've got this." Marko encouraged ceaselessly, offering his pale hand to you to hold. Using his other he cemented you in place, knowing one wrong move could kill the baby. Your strength caught him by surprise when you snatched his hand tightly, grateful he couldn’t feel the crushing grasp of your fingers as his dead bones began to crack. Fortunately for him, years of rigor mortis and rot had decayed most of his nervous system by now. He held your head back on his chest, continuing to coax you with tender words. “Almost there baby, almost I know it hurts, I know, I’m so sorry baby." He whispered softly into your ear, his cool breath fanning across your hot flushed skin. You swallowed thickly, almost as though you were in a trance as you continued your strained pushes. A pinkish liquid spilled out and onto the sheets in a cruel, seeping motion. Marko noted it’s scent carried a heavy copper tone and glanced down as the pale salmon tint deepened into a dark crimson hue. Your screams had nearly numbed his ears by now, although it was not a sound he desired to grow accustomed to. 

Marko softly unwound his arms around you, though he kept his left hand in your ironclad grip. He needed to ensure that blood was the baby’s head crowning and not some horrendous miscarriage. He wouldn’t dare mention the alternative to his mate mid-birth, pushing away the blankets covering your legs and to his amazement there was your baby's head crowning momentarily before slipping back inside. From what he'd read, this was a completely normal process, your pushing, in conjunction with your contractions would continue to shift the baby down the birthing canal and out of you. Your heels dug into the mattress with your back arching upward as your mouth was aghast in treacherous suffering, a hideous cry drawing tears from your eyes. The room began to sway, the pace of your heart was that of wild horses unleashed on an open plain. Heat grasped you from every angle, it was getting harder to breathe the more you fought through it. Fear grabbed hold of your lungs, squeezing violently, picking up your heart rate until Marko could hear it thundering beneath your rib cage like a frightened animal wanting to be let loose of its cage. Your rapid labored breaths carried a concerning pace that had him beside you once again.

“Marko.. T-the room..,” you tried to whimper out between screams, head swaying to the side staring at the pitch black curtains that somehow seemed to be seeping into your surroundings. You could feel the drag pulling down your back into your birth canal, you were so close but the sheer exhaustion tempted you to faint at any moment. “I..I can’t..” you gasped out under your breath so quiet he almost thought he'd imagined the words.

"Just one more push, babe," Marko pleaded, brushing his hand over your damp forehead. In a sweet, yet ardent motion your hair was pushed back from your face. You clung to his hand, pressing your forehead against his frigid palm savoring the relieving rush of cold. The sight of his wide eyes connecting with yours forced a momentary breath of air, those perfect blue pools gave you something to focus on. The blackness was scattered, a last scream forcing it's way out of your throat as you gave one final push, the dragging motion within you halting. Light faded in and out of your vision, rapid black splotches flickering around the room, the pain becoming dull and pulsating. You hardly even noticed the muffled, shrill cries emitting from your newborn, or the fact that Marko had already had her wrapped in a towel once he'd cut the umbilical cord. Your chest shuddered when you breathed, the small pink infant squirming beneath white fabric making whimpering grunts. Small fingers stretched out, clutching at Marko’s shirt.

“Marko.. Wh-what are they,” you groaned our, flickering lashes barely keeping you conscious.

Marko hesitated to glance between misted eyes, choking out a stunned laugh. “A girl…”

The blood stained her red skin, and before he could wipe away the sticky red substance off her fingers she suckled at the red liquid, eyes bright white just as his were when his fangs were bared. She had yet to form her own, and when there was none left on her hand they had faded back into little grey, uncolored orbs. The lack of food had become noticable, and she let out a fussy whine, kicking her feet against the blanket in a fit. So that's what she needed to feed on. Marko gently bounced her in his arms, nuzzling his forehead against hers until her tantrum was subdued. “Shhh shhh, it’s okay baby girl.. Plenty of time for that later... Daddy will bring you a big ol bag of blood when mommy feels better, I promise.”  

You blinked away tears as she was delicately passed into your arms, weighing no more than eight or nine pounds just as weary as you were. “Wilhelmina...,” you choked out, brushing your fingers across her plump cheek.

“Billie huh?” Marko asked, laying on his side beside you with his bent arm elevating his head, his fingers reached out to brush against the blonde dusting of hair on the head of his daughter, a grin plastered on his face, an exhausted twinkle dancing in his eyes. "I like that... Wilhelmina it is.."

He now felt like finally, in these eight months of your pregnancy, that he could catch some shut eye. Time had become distorted, he had no idea whether it was daytime or night time any more, the two may as well have been blurred together. In your safe haven of thick black flowing curtains, Marko placed Billie delicately into your heavy arms, slumber already having wrapped you tightly in its deep and vast embrace. He curled his fingers around the dark fabric, pulling it skeptically out of the way. The room was swallowed in darkness, however, his nocturnal eyes easily scoped out the shut door at the other end of the room. He thought for a minute, capturing his bottom lip in between his teeth. He chewed on it for a moment before pulling himself up and off the bed. Truthfully now that his territorial rage had fizzled out he knew he owed the guys for how much of an ass he'd been when confronted with your unexpected labor. 

With tentative steps, so as not to disturb you, Marko flitted towards the shut door, no light seeping underneath the crack of the door. He twisted the knob carefully, a low squeak creeping into the air as he opened the door. He stepped out into the passageway leading to the main cave and began a somewhat hurried stroll. Honestly he was ecstatic to tell the boys. To show them his daughter was something he was practically bouncing on the spot for he couldn't wait! 

Marko, briefly unaware with his contemplation cluttering his mind, did not fully register the danger as he stepped forward into a stream of sunlight just up ahead cutting clearly through the decrepit roof of the hotel. It wasn't until the searing sizzle of his flesh did he register that he was caught aflame from the sun's rays. With a shriek he recoiled, battering at exposed flesh to kill the flames. He smoldered for a moment, back pressed to the wall as he peered into the vacant lobby of the ancient hotel. He sighed, shaking his head in dismay. "Dammit! Well... I guess they'll just have to meet Billie tonight then," he concluded with finality, not giving it much thought before he turned and made his way back to your room with heavy eyelids, finally content. As he padded softly into the room, shutting the door behind him, Marko couldn't help but feel relief wash over him. It was an enormous weight lifted from his shoulders now that he'd be able to go out to feed without fearing something could happen to you. That was more than enough to cure him of any and all anxiety that had previously immobilized him.

As he settled himself underneath the covers, he brought you closer, baby Billie placed tenderly between you both and he grinned half halfheartedly, a dopey, wide grin that pulled on his heavy eyelids. "I'm kinda glad you jinxed it, babe." he breathed into the air before he allowed the weight of sleep to shut his eyes and encapsulate him in its lulling motion.

[houseplant-central]

Yuri Katsuki does a better, more nuanced job of the "clumsy girl" trope than any female character I've ever seen

I will start this off by saying that I DO NOT think the 2016 anime about figure skating "Yuri!!! On Ice" is in any way "good cinema". It's 90% fanservice, fetishization of mlm relationships, and one 16 year old antagonist/ comic relief character being way over-sexualized (Plisetsky, where are your parents?)*.

It has some problems to say the least and I'm certainly not here to hype it up as an example of good writing or an example of good representation.

HOWEVER, Yuri Katsuki's character (the main character of the show) does an interesting thing by very closely conforming to what I would describe as the stereotype of the "clumsy girl".

My childhood and teen years were FULL of "makeover stories". Of narratives in which a nerdy, clumsy, bookish girl gets a makeover by the popular kids, gets contacts instead of glasses, and suddenly becomes a member of this societal elite, escaping former bullying. From the music video for "Last Friday Night" by Katy Perry, to (the classic) Mean Girls, to the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, to the Heather's Musical (although Heather's pokes a bit of fun at this trope and how popularity might not work out for you), narratives about a dorky girl who suddenly gets swept up by somebody popular and "taught" how to "be" popular permeated my youth.

Besides just giving my entire generation the incorrect impression that glasses had to be taken off in order of the makeover to be complete, these stories had the strange reverse effect of appealing to girls who felt like they were the "before" of the makeover. If Bella Swan, self described as "too clumsy to play badminton without sustaining an injury" and "too awkward to have friends" could be swept off her feet by the hottest vampire in town because he saw something in her, then there was hope for the rest of us. This sort of idea of "potential" untapped permeates the genre, because the clumsy girl was always pretty, she just needed to take off her glasses, put on some makeup, and gain some self-confidence.

The concept of "untapped potential" is also quite prevalent in the world of sports anime. Again, this makes sense, since a story about a winning athlete just continuing to win would be boring, so naturally works within this genre often start with the athlete at their lowest, and then follow them on their journey to a comeback or newfound fame. The mentor character who gives the athlete life-changing advice is also a staple, and it's easy to see how that mentor character might be similar to Regina George holding the makeup brush in "Mean Girls".

However, the creators of "Yuri on Ice" seemed to want their (questionably fetishizing) romance to over conform to the genre standards so they drop-kicked the mentor character archetype out the window and had Yuri's dreamy coach do much more makeover-ing than athlete-training. Some of this rests at the intersection of the fact that the sport of choice in the series is figure-skating, where your image matters quite a lot, and Viktor being implied to be in love with our fair protagonist Yuri**, but neither of these aspects fully explain how well the writers made this sports anime series fit into the "makeover" genre instead of the "sports anime" genre.

But back to Yuri Katsuki himself. In the first episode, we see him crying in a bathroom. We learn that he has serious issues with self-confidence in his sport and his personal life, and that this materializes in insecurity about his weight. Episode one Yuri fits nearly every aspect of the "clumsy girl" trope: he's socially awkward, quiet, and... well, clumsy. He narrates a lot of the first episode with his own voice, saying he's "a dime a dozen skater" and "totally awkward", a kind of self-narration reminiscent of Bella Swan. While the other characters are dressed in modern clothes, Yuri's in an oversized, comfortable sweater, and has a generally very outdated wardrobe. He doesn't seem to care about how the world perceives him, (or more likely won't make an effort because he's afraid of rejection). Were he a female character, this is what I would call the "not like other girls" trope. We immediately elevate him to a pedestal as the viewers because he's relatable, and in comparison, the other characters seem to be trying too hard. While this is not as prevalent in male characters from the time (because the other male characters surrounding them are rarely well dressed except for maybe one jock the viewers are supposed to hate), it's hard to find a piece of media between 2014 and 2016 with a female lead without this opposition of "main character can't dress but all other female characters are well dressed, clearly they're try-hards." (Ironic, because that main character is about to be well dressed after their makeover, but I digress).

(Yes, this is an issue that's been in media for a long time and will be for a long time still, and yes there are plenty of good examples of stories where the male main character is just "not like other boys" and has to compete in a world where the other boys are all well dressed, but cases of writers doing this to their female characters SKYROCKETED in the few years while I was a younger teen and it was slightly ridiculous).

Anyways, Yuri is insecure and undressed. But he has a heart of gold! Who can help?

Enter mentor character Viktor (who is.... very naked for some reason. Mitsurou Kubo, was that really necessary to subject my eyeballs to?). Viktor is the epitome of high class. He's good-looking, rich, and successful at his sport, and we're told that Yuri has personally idolized him for a long time. While not exactly a Regina George, he does present his offer to help Yuri in a way that implies that Yuri would be a fool not to accept his help; he's the best of the best and he knows it, he's used to hearing it.

Over the next few episodes Yuri is basically forced into a position acting outside his comfort zone preforming a figure skating routine called "Eros". There's a weird but somewhat comedic moment where a frazzled Yuri, hard-pressed to explain what the concept of eros means to him, says that eros means his favourite food, pork katsudon. While comedic, it is to me the very epitome of "clumsy girl": while other female characters might be alluring in their experience, the clumsy girl is appealing to the love interest and appealing to the male gaze because she doesn't "get it", she's not tangled up in the politics of sex like many female characters are written to be, she's different. (I could talk for hours about how problematic this aspect of the "clumsy girl" trope is, the implication that childishness/ lack of experience is attractive is so gross, but I will spare you).

As a whole, this fanservicy nonsense is fairly par for the course, but it's two aspects of the journey to completing the "Eros" program that interests me. We see him eventually go to his friend, who is a dance teacher, and ask her for help on how to move more femininely. This in part is a nod towards his future realization of his sexuality (or not, depending on whether you watched it before or after they retconed his and Viktor's relationship). But as his dance teacher friend shows him how to move with confidence, he fulfills one of the first steps of getting the clumsy girl makeover: somebody shows him how to move in a "sexy" way, and he is miraculously no longer clumsy. The other thing about this figure skating program is his literal makeover: as Regina George had given to Katy before them, Viktor gives Yuri one of his old outfits, which symbolizes the high-class and success that he's supposedly preparing Yuri for. Yuri switches his glasses for contacts (an iconic aspect of the trope), slicks back his hair, and is suddenly more confident.  

As the show progresses Yuri gains more confidence, symbolized not just by his body language but also by his clothing and presentation. He meets a fan of his and has a character changing moment when he realizes that he has a fan who idolizes him like he once idolized Viktor. This realization of new societal power is often a turning point for the clumsy girl finally feeling like she has self-worth, and indeed, Yuri immediately ties a new sense of self-worth to the knowledge that he has fans.

After quite a lot of figure skating animation, fanservice, and a weird subplot about a poodle, Yuri finds a sense of self-worth in the life he's building for himself as a member of "high society" and leader in his sport, no longer relying on outside validation. This, I think is the part that differs from other clumsy girl stories.

Why is this interesting? I think because I'm so very used to seeing female characters get shallow character development in the form of taking their glasses off, letting their hair down, and suddenly being hot, and male characters getting character development in the form of working out in a montage to the eye of the tiger and then getting hot. Despite Yuri basically only doing what female characters often do to become "popular" and no longer nerdy, his character development feels genuine, fuller, and less shallow. For him, his new look genuinely ties to internal character development, whereas in media with women it's usually all about the looks, and the assumption that a changed style must equal a changed character.

Bella Swan from Twilight, Katy from Mean Girls, and Veronica from Heathers all experienced a makeover and new look and implied character development because of a rise in social status (whether they asked for it or not), but ultimately all of them realized the popularity was not what was important to them and they went back to how they "looked" before to symbolize their identity and values shifting back to what they were at the beginning. Yuri ends the series in the fanciest suit we've seen him in yet, dancing with Viktor and excited about the prospects his new high-society life will present him with. His transformation into being self-confident is genuine, and his changing appearance was just a reflection of that internal transformation. Ultimately, I think this plotline is what the original genre of "clumsy girl gets makeover was aiming for", because it is what's most appealing to the viewer: genuine growth and happiness. But all the female "clumsy girl" stories I've seen fell flat of that in one way or another, leading me to very much dislike the trope until "Yuri on Ice" quite accidentally did a good job of it.

* to anyone who's seen this show: yes, I do know what is implied to have happened to Yurio's parents. I'm just a) quoting that vine where the kid goes "wouldn't you like to know, weatherboy" and the reporter goes "where are your parents?" and b) I'm mad that this over-sexualization of Yurio (even within the plot of the series) is something that happens relentlessly to young female characters who've "carved out a place for themselves in an adult world" and also apparently happens to effeminate (implied to be queer) male characters who have done the same thing, and that's not cool either.

**For the sake of my sanity I'll say implied, because though they kiss onscreen, there is apparently much room for debate. The original Japanese cut had them exchange engagement rings near the end of the series, but then both the Japnese version and the English dubbed version ended up having them show off their rings and say "look at our friendship rings". (Ah yes, because I love wearing a matching gold band on my left ring finger with my buddy to show the world what good homies we are (/sarcasm.))

As an interesting aside, in an Uno reverse card moment, the "clumsy girl" trope was made for the male gaze (proof: any trope that talks that much about women putting on less clothing and suddenly becoming hot is 1000% for the male gaze), and was accidentally latched onto by teenage girls. Yuri on Ice was made for the teenage girl gaze (proof: the fetishization of queer men, the pre-existing "boy love" genre that's so popular it has a name), and accidentally fell into the trope of the "clumsy girl".

[arcticdementor]

My maternal grandparents met through mutual friends at a summer pool party in the suburbs of Detroit shortly after World War II. Thirty years later, their oldest daughter met my dad in Washington, D.C., at the suggestion of a mutual friend from Texas. Forty years after that, when I met my girlfriend in the summer of 2015, one sophisticated algorithm and two rightward swipes did all the work.

…

For the past 10 years, the Stanford sociologist Michael Rosenfeld has been compiling data on how couples meet. In almost any other period, this project would have been an excruciating bore. That’s because for centuries, most couples met the same way: They relied on their families and friends to set them up. In sociology-speak, our relationships were “mediated.” In human-speak, your wingman was your dad.

But dating has changed more in the past two decades than in the previous 2,000 years, thanks to the explosion of matchmaking sites such as Tinder, OKCupid, and Bumble. A 2012 paper co-written by Rosenfeld found that the share of straight couples who met online rose from about zero percent in the mid-1990s to about 20 percent in 2009. For gay couples, the figure soared to nearly 70 percent.

…

In a new paper awaiting publication, Rosenfeld finds that the online-dating phenomenon shows no signs of abating. According to data collected through 2017, the majority of straight couples now meet online or at bars and restaurants. As the co-authors write in their conclusion, “Internet dating has displaced friends and family [as] key intermediaries.” We used to rely on intimates to screen our future partners. Now that’s work we have to do ourselves, getting by with a little help from our robots.

…

I figured my Twitter audience—entirely online, disproportionately young, and intimately familiar with dating sites—would accept the inevitability of online matchmaking. But the most common responses to my post were not hearty cheers. They were lamentations about the spiritual bankruptcy of modern love. Bryan Scott Anderson, for example, suggested that the rise of online dating “may be an illustration of heightened isolation and a diminished sense of belonging within communities.”

It is true, as Rosenfeld’s data show, that online dating has freed young adults from the limitations and biases of their hometowns. But to be free of those old crutches can be both exhilarating and exhausting. As the influence of friends and family has melted away, the burden of finding a partner has been swallowed whole by the individual—at the very moment that expectations of our partners are skyrocketing.

…

If the journey toward coupling is more formidable than it used to be, it’s also more lonesome. With the declining influence of friends and family and most other social institutions, more single people today are on their own, having set up shop at a digital bazaar where one’s appearance, interestingness, quick humor, lighthearted banter, sex appeal, photo selection—one’s worth—is submitted for 24/7 evaluation before an audience of distracted or cruel strangers, whose distraction and cruelty might be related to the fact that they are also undergoing the same anxious appraisal.

[jeramymobley]

A Proust Questionnaire for Personality Brands: Farrah Fawcett

Most celebrities aren’t brands. Legendary icons are.

As agents for some of the most legendary icons in history, Omnicom’s Beanstalk agency created our own, informal, “Proust Questionnaire for Personality Brands” to examine how our notable clientele became icons in the first place and how we can help their loved ones frame their long-term legacies.

This month we’re focusing on Farrah Fawcett. Martin Cribbs (right), who heads Beanstalk’s Icon Representation business, spoke to Alana Stewart, an actress, model, and the President and CEO for our client, the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. Stewart was one of Fawcett’s closest friends and answered this month’s questionnaire.

Beanstalk represents the Farrah Fawcett Foundation for all commercial uses of Farrah Fawcett’s name, image, or likeness—either in advertising or on products.

Tell me what you do in relation to Farrah Fawcett.

I am the President and CEO of the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. Our mission is to raise money for cutting edge HPV cancer research, support patients in need, and to raise awareness about cancer prevention.

Why did you chose to work with the Farrah Fawcett Foundation?

Farrah was my close friend for many years. I was with her during her three-year battle with cancer that took her life. We traveled to Germany numerous times seeking alternative treatments. Farrah talked about what she wanted to do with the Foundation, which was to support cutting-edge cancer research and help others with cancer who didn’t have the resources to access treatment. She planned to run the Foundation herself and I was going to work with her. After she passed, I was asked to oversee and run the organization, which I was very happy to do, to carry on the memory and legacy of my friend.

Share five adjectives that best describe Farrah from your perspective.

Fun-loving, intelligent, caring, witty and down to earth

What was Farrah Fawcett’s greatest virtue?

Farrah was a very caring and compassionate person. She was genuinely concerned about the welfare of others. She liked helping people.

What about Farrah Fawcett distinguishes her from other iconic entertainers?

Farrah wasn’t a celebrity, she was an icon. The epitome of the All-American girl, she radiated wholesomeness and had an incredible sex appeal. She skyrocketed to fame almost overnight, and remained one of the most famous women in the world throughout her lifetime. Also, she was unique because she was admired by women and adored by men. Most importantly, Farrah was a cultural touchstone. Everything from her hairstyle that inspired a worldwide generation-long trend, to the famous poster that every young man in America had in their room, she defined an era.

What do you like about Farrah’s continuing presence in culture?

I like the fact that even though Farrah first became famous in the’70s, she is still so recognizable today. Her red swimsuit poster remains the highest-selling poster of all time and left such an imprint in our culture that it’s housed in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum. It’s worth noting that she chose to wear a one-piece bathing suit, modest for the time, which makes the success of the poster even more remarkable.

What does Farrah’s legacy do, right now, present tense?

Farrah’s legacy is not just her beauty, talent, and celebrity, but a larger part of her legacy is the Foundation that she created before she died. She planned to be part of this work but passed before she had the chance. Today, the Farrah Fawcett Foundation has its own clinical trial for those affected by HPV cancer, which, unfortunately, is on the rise. She would be proud to know that she contributed to this important work being done in her name.

Who or what contributes to Farrah’s ongoing, positive myth making and how does that story get told?

Whenever people learn I’m connected to Farrah and her Foundation, they tell stories of their connection. Women talk about her radiant beauty and amazing hair and how they tried to emulate her style. Men tell the story of the poster hanging in their bedroom and how they saw her as the perfect woman and were in love with her.

What is the primary message you want to impart to history about Farrah?

Personally, I think there will never be another Farrah Fawcett. She was wholesome, athletic, sexy, talented, and kind. We all see her with that gorgeous sun splashed hair and golden skin and yet those were just a part of what made her an icon. She was ground-breaking in the work she did. She left the security of a smash hit TV show to do more challenging work that included her critically acclaimed roles in The Burning Bed and Extremities – a role she also played Off-Broadway. She also became an advocate for women’s issues, including domestic violence. She didn’t want to be known just for her looks or acting but more as an artist generally. People don’t know that she was an incredibly talented sculptress and painter and often collaborated with other fine artists. She was truly gifted beyond her beauty.

When diagnosed with cancer she decided to use it as an opportunity to help others and make a difference in the world. What could be more important than that?

Click here to see more about Beanstalk.

The post A Proust Questionnaire for Personality Brands: Farrah Fawcett appeared first on brandchannel:.

[entrepreneursbloguk]

New Post has been published on Entrepreneurs Blog

New Post has been published on https://www.entrepreneursblog.co.uk/?p=14926

Logan Paul Net Worth [year]

Net Worth: $19 million Age: 24 Born: 1st April 1995 Country or Origin: United States of America Source of wealth: Social Media Entrepreneur Last updated: 2019

Introduction

Logan Paul was able to transition from the short video hosting application Vine to find a place in movies and series in Hollywood. He appeared in “The Space Between Us” (2017), episodes of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Weird Loners”.

Paul, who is also a director, screenwriter and rapper, is currently working on becoming a white-collar boxer. Yep, he wants to join the league of men and women of different white-collar professions without previous boxing experience who have trained to fight at special events.

From the basic facts of his biography to his fortune, including speculation about his death, here is everything you need to know about Logan Paul.

Early Life

Paul was born to Logan Alexander Paul to Pamela Ann Stepnick and Gregory Allan Paul on April 1, 1995, in Westlake, Ohio, in the United States. He is said to be of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Jewish ancestry.

Logan attended Westlake High School where he played both American football and wrestling, including qualifying for the individual games at the 2013 Ohio High School Athletic Association games. However, before he even went to high school, at the age of 10, Paul started a YouTube channel called Zoosh, where he posted videos. The chain grew to a few thousand subscribers when Paul enrolled at the University of Ohio to study industrial engineering, before leaving to pursue a career as an Internet personality.

Paul, who was only 19, then moved to Los Angeles and joined other Internet and social media personalities. His videos on the vine have earned him certain notoriety since he has gathered more than 3.1 million followers on all of his social media platforms.

Career

In 2015, he started earning several thousand dollars in advertising revenue and was ranked as the 10th most influential figure in Vine. The same year, he made his first appearance in a major production, “Law & Order: Special Unit for Victim Assistance”, before performing in “Weird Loners” and “Stitchers”. The following year, he trained with renowned theatre coaches to land a leading role in a film. He also trained with a few comedy troupes to improve his comedy sketch game.

Logan Paul then wrote the adult comedy, ‘Airplane Mode’, which will be released in 2020 and starred in HBO and PepsiCo advertising campaigns. In 2017, after cutting his scenes in the film Baywatch, Paul made several video sketches with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, including one in which The Rock informs Paul that he had been cut from the film before continuing it. a Baywatch movie ambassador.

There are also plans to fight against British YouTube personality JJ Olatunji, better known by the pseudonym KSI, in an amateur white-collar boxing match after having previously fought Joe Weller.

Highlights

Logan Paul has been involved in several life-threatening stunts, one of which left him with a damaged right testicle. He was also in the news about suicide in Japan, after finding and posting a video of a deceased man who allegedly committed suicide in Aokigahara, a place dubbed the suicide forest, at the foot of Mount Fuji. The video sparked uproar from YouTube viewers and celebrities who condemned Paul’s actions. It also prompted the petitioners to ask YouTube to delete Paul’s channel and stop working with him.

Paul later apologized for the incident, and even though YouTube put several of his works on hold, affecting his income, which was estimated to be millions of dollars, he donated a total of $ 1 million to several other suicide prevention agencies.

Began creating videos for Zoosh (2005)

Dropped out of university to pursue social media (2014)

10th Most Influential Person on Vine (2015)

Law & Order appearance (2015)

Stitchers appearance (2016)

Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2017)

Favourite Quotes

I do everything that I do, for the fans, and it means so much to me. – Logan Paul

Some people don’t like me because I’m always checking myself out. – Logan Paul

Hey Jake, I made one phone call. I got the same house as you. Same cars too, it’s not that hard. Oh hey, by the way, welcome to the top little brother. – Logan Paul

The goal with my content is always to entertain, to push the boundaries, to be all-inclusive in the world I live in. – Logan Paul

Don’t forget boy, you were my shadow on Vine. – Logan Paul

Do your investors know Team 10 ain’t making any money? – Logan Paul

I’m aware that my rhymes are super intelligent. It’s ’cause I’m in the zone. I’m an avatar in my element. I’m rhyming bender, here to stay, resident. – Logan Paul

I should’ve never posted the video. I should’ve put the cameras down and stopped recording what we were going through, there’s a lot of things I should’ve done differently but I didn’t and for that, from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry. – Logan Paul

Life Lessons

For a guy who’s worth $14 million at the age of 22, all through his own doing, there’s a lot of knowledge to be learnt from his experience.

Here are some of Paul’s life lessons we can learn from:

Know The Loopholes

If you know the loopholes in the rules — you can get away with anything. Logan Paul committed something seriously wrong. However, his channel is still there. He is still making money. He is still famous. And people still love him.

Beauty & Attractiveness Is Not Skin Deep

If you look good, handsome, cute & appealing — you can get away with most crimes. Oh, and did I forget to mention Money & Power also help? So focus on your external factors. It will help. And if in case you doubt me — ask yourself — if someone who said 500 pounds, ugly, unattractive, fat and old — if he had done most of the things Logan Paul was doing — would he have gotten away with it?

The Sinner Succeeds Because Of Society

Do you know why Logan Paul is doing whatever he is doing? Do you even know why does he do it? It’s simple. Because there is a market for it. Because his core audience loves him. Because they secretly enjoy his content. If no one likes him, if no one was ready to tolerate what he was doing, if people had ethics & morals in place, if they stood their ground and said NO, we will NOT accept this evil behaviour — do you think he would have done most of whatever he is doing? You know the answer.

Sh*t Sells

Today’s world & today’s generation only wants crap, garbage and rubbish online. They love nonsense. Not worthwhile stuff. Why do you think the word ‘sex’ or ‘porn’ is the highest searched word online? And you don’t have to go any further — why do you think most of the website feature whose wardrobe malfunctioned? People love to see nonsense. People portray themselves to be ‘holy’. However, that is not reality.

Money Talks

Youtube knows what he is doing is wrong. Parents know it. Adults know it. Children know it. Everyone knows it. However, is anyone doing anything about it? Are they? I am pretty sure you may know an Influential or Powerful figure who is also doing a lot of evil and wrongdoings in society. However, is anyone doing anything about it? Well — Money & Power talk. Period. Had the same crimes been committed by someone poorer — I doubt they would go very far.

Summary

As discussed above, Logan Paul has amassed quite a fortune since he left school to become a full-time YouTube / Internet personality. He was ranked the 10th highest income thanks to Vine ads in 2015 with an estimated income of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As of 2020, Paul would have an estimated net profit of $ 19 million. This figure will skyrocket in the years to come as the actor seeks to break into Hollywood while owning a line of clothing that would be the toast of teens and young adults.

[femgroup2-blog]

Women in the Male Dominated Fields of Biology and Sports

By: Natalie

Women today are taking the working world by storm; however, not all that long ago the working world was male dominated and women found it difficult to find their place in working society. This affects women today, as there are still some career fields that are traditionally male dominated. Two career fields that are typically male dominated that will be analyzed are biology and the lucrative professional sports. These two fields are both male dominated, leading to struggles for women to succeed, yet women refuse to give up their place within them.

In the field of biology, like most other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, it has been traditionally male dominated. However, according to research reported by MIT, about half of all biology graduate students are female and about 40% of post doc graduates are female (Trafton). According to these statistics it would be assumed that now the field of biology is professionally female dominant. Wrong. Only 36% of assistant biology professors are female, and only 18% of full time biology professors are female. The reason is that a lot of the Nobel prize winning and highly published research labs are not hiring females. These types of positions are the gateway in biology to success and representation within field. From 1969 to 2009, the number of females with doctoral degrees in biology jumped from 15% to 52%, but women still lag in their ability to attain faculty positions in the universities (Trafton). Although women are pursuing education in biology and dominating the field of biology at the universities, they are not being hired. Women are making great strides to take over the field of biology, but they are still experiencing patriarchy and gender discrimination. In the writings of Angela Davis, she discusses how women in 1981, when her article was written, were leaving the home to work, over 50 percent of them. But women were struggling to find jobs because they were women. Davis says just like racism, sexism is the great justification for women’s unemployment (Davis 239). It is amazing how women have made a lot of progress in so many ways in the last 35 years, but yet we are still facing the same issues. Women may be more educated and more employable, but women are still inferior to men in employer’s eyes. Silvia Federici sums up perfectly how society limits women’s worth in society when she states,” We struggle to break capital’s plan for women, which is an essential moment of that division of labor and social power that within the working class through which capital has been able to maintain its hegemony” (19).Some solutions proposed by an article in Forbes are to create programs at the universities that encourage women to go into STEM fields, like different programs that separate students based on their experience level to reduce fear of women in being less knowledgeable than their male peers. Also, to reorganize the K-12 education system to encourage young girls to pursue sciences and mathematics. Whether this means bringing in female engineers or other scientists to speak to these girls, or simply having workshops available for girls to get hands on experience in the STEM field. Lastly, it is important to erase stereotypes about women in these fields. Society needs to make it more publicized that women in these fields exist and that they are great options for young girls considering their career (Huhman). In the field of biology women have made great strides for success in their education, but there are still issues in the area of employment. The best way to change this is for the field itself to become more open to women in higher positions in the labs and university classrooms.

In the field of professional athletes, American society rants and raves over the NFL and the NBA, but women’s sports are never as highly publicized. Forbes listed Maria Sharapova, a tennis player, as the world's highest paid female athlete. She earned 29 million between June 2012 and 2013. That sounds like a lot of money until it is compared to the highest paid male athlete. Golfer, Tiger Woods, is the highest paid male athlete at 78 million in earnings (Rodriguez). This is over two times as much as the highest paid female athlete. Rodriguez also talks about in her article about how women athletes have to approach the media differently than male athletes. In order to become a celebrity, not just being a great athlete is enough, these women have to sell sex appeal to really get the eyes of the media on them. As an example, she uses Hannah Teeter, an extremely talented snowboarder, but it wasn’t until her 2010 Sports Illustrated spread that she skyrocketed to fame (Rodriguez). Male athletes can be unattractive and still famous for their athletic abilities, whereas women are still subjected to the idea that women are only important if they have sex appeal. According to Times magazine, the most famous and high earning sport for women is tennis. The article states that women are playing sports that were originally designed for men. That is why they do not do as well as men and even if they do well, they are not as recognized. Out of the Forbes 100 highest paid athletes only 3 of them were women, and they were all tennis players. Tennis is a sport that does not just give women equal opportunity in pay, but also in their ability to conjure fans (Dockterman). In the world of sports, women have not yet made enough progress to compete with men for fame and riches. It is unfortunate that only in one sport are women equally, if not more successful than men. If society encouraged more sports that are designed for women to be successful at to be popular, than we would have a larger number of famous female athletes. (Word Count: 982)

Works Cited:

Angela Y. Davis, “The Approaching Obsolescence of Housework: A Working-Class Perspective.” Women, Race & Class. New York: Vintage Books, 1983.  222-244.

Dockterman, Eliana. "Serena Williams in US Open Final: Why Women's Tennis Is Most Popular." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 09 Aug. 2017.   

Huhman, Heather R. "STEM Fields And The Gender Gap: Where Are The Women?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 02 Aug. 2012. Web. 09 Aug. 2017. 

Rodriguez, Ana. "Female athletes still face inequality." The Sundial. N.p., 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 09 Aug. 2017. 

Silvia Federici, “Wages Against Housework”. Revolution at Point Zero: Housework, Reproduction, and Feminist Struggle. Oakland: Common Notions, 2012. 15-22.  

[realityofyoutubers]

THE REALITY OF YOUTUBE STARS: IT'S NOT AS EASY AS IT SEEMS

YouTube content creation has become a well-established career field over the years, as thousands of individuals make a career out of creating YouTube videos. The respectability of their work is highly underestimated, for not only do YouTubers film their own videos, but they also adjust the lighting, writing their scripts, edit in post-production, and manage their various other social media channels, sponsorships, collaborations, and brand development.

According to YouTube Statistics, the site “has over a billion users — almost one-third of all people on the Internet — and every day, people watch hundreds of millions of hours on YouTube and generate billions of views.”

While many might lust after the YouTuber life that seems glamorous from afar:  comfortably working from home, talking to a camera instead of having to deal with a boss and colleagues, and uploading to thousands/millions of adoring fans, the reality is that a career on YouTube is an unsteady and unpredictable way to make a living, and oftentimes challenging. Moreover, it’s just as difficult to “make it” on YouTube as it is in the mainstream entertainment industry. YouTube is a glamorous subgenre of a freelancing and comes with all the same risks, despite the immense amounts of intellectual, affective, and creative labour that is inputted into it.

RISING POPULARITY OF YOUTUBE

It’s no doubt that YouTube is one of the biggest social networking sites, and its popularity is only growing. According to a Verizon survey in 2013, teenagers watch more than a third of their "television” online, which is almost triple the percentage viewed by people 35-64.

In October of 2015, video-tracking firm, Tubular Labs, stated that there were more than 17,000 YouTube channels with over 100,000 subscribers. There were nearly 1,500 YouTube channels with more than 1 million subscribers. With more than 1 billion unique monthly visitors, YouTube has reached one out of every seven people on Earth.  

YouTubers have become such an international sensation that an annual conference has created for them: VidCon, a fan-based conference held in Anaheim, California. It’s a three-day event where YouTubers interact with their fans through talks, panels, tutorials, and meet-and-greets. In 2016, 25,500 people attended Vidcon. These conventions are so successful that all YouTubers are required to get a security escort to protect them from the hundreds of teenagers mobbing the stars, as can be seen in various videos online.

So just how successful are YouTubers, according to today’s teenagers? I was shocked to find out that YouTubers’ likability exceeded that of mainstream Hollywood stars. In 2015, Variety Magazine published a survey proving amongst American teenagers, YouTube Stars are more popular than Hollywood celebrities. 1,500 teens in the 13-17 age range were polled, and were asked to compare 10 YouTubers with 10 mainstream stars that held the highest Q scores, which is an established measure of influence by advertisers. Out of these 20 people, YouTubers took the top 6 slots, ahead of Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars.

Variety Magazine

Other surveys proved that teens were 7 times as emotionally attached to Youtubers than mainstream stars. Moreover, YouTubers were seen as 17 times more engaging, and 11 times more extraordinary, than celebrities.

I wasn’t surprised to discover that teens relate more to YouTubers than mainstream celebrities, who are primped and groomed by their PR teams to portray a certain image. YouTubers, on the other hand, have the intimacy of talking to their viewers in their bedroom, seemingly only with the computer screen dividing them.

I wasn’t surprised to discover that teens relate more to YouTubers than mainstream celebrities, who are primped and groomed by their PR teams to portray a certain image. YouTubers, on the other hand, have the intimacy of talking to their viewers in their bedroom, seemingly only with the computer screen dividing them.

“Looking at survey comments and feedback, teens enjoy an intimate and authentic experience with YouTube celebrities, who aren’t subject to image strategies carefully orchestrated by PR pros. Teens also say they appreciate YouTube stars’ more candid sense of humour, lack of filter and risk-taking spirit, behaviours often curbed by Hollywood handlers,” wrote Variety in 2014.

Ironically, relatability and normalcy is what many movie stars and actresses attempt to relay in their interviews, to make them more likeable. Jennifer Lawrence’s skyrocket to popularity is not only due to her acting talents, but to her brash sense of humour and “realness” in her interviews, a quality most stars try to replicate. Unlike movie stars, however, YouTubers don’t have as thick of a facade to break through, as most of them have built their careers on talking directly to their audience.

“Their very ordinariness – their relatability – is what makes them so appealing. The ‘girl or boy next door’ who is ‘just like us’ is not an unusual trope in the entertainment world but on YouTube, it’s heightened.” wrote The Guardian.

YOUTUBE PHENOMENON IS NOTHING NEW

Though the notion of watching ordinary people live their day-to-day lives onscreen may draw confusion from technologically-inept old schmucks, participating in the YouTube culture can be seen as a form of youth rebellion, of teenagers immersing themselves in their own world. This is nothing new, considering the fact that for decades, youths across the globe have had infatuations with various bands and musician groups.

Mark Mulligan, a music industry analyst, wrote a blog post in September of 2015 to explain to music labels why teens seem to gravitate more towards YouTubers than mainstream musicians. Mulligan wrote, “For those not in the target demographic, it can sometimes be difficult to grasp exactly what the creative value is of many YouTubers. But that generational inability to grasp the essence of YouTube talent is exactly the same dynamic that music always had when it was the spearhead for youth rebellion.”

For the first time, Generation X and C has found a subculture that fully belongs to them, whether it’s watching Minecraft videos and PewdiePie screaming profanities into his webcam as he played mainstream games. My brother, a 12-year old, spends 2-4 hours each day watching endless Minecraft gaming and Roblox gaming videos on YouTube.

‘“A kid trying to explain to his mum why Stampy Does Minecraft is worth watching hours on end is simply a 21st century rerun of kids trying to convince their parents of the musical worth of Elvis, the Beatles, the Sex Pistols and so on,” wrote Mulligan. “That is the entire point of a youth culture – older generations aren’t meant to get it.”

VLOGGING FORMS INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS

Because relatability is key to a YouTuber’s popularity and financial success, it’s imperative that they remain in touch with their audience, and the best way to do this is through vlogs, or “video logs,” which creates a huge subset of YouTube. Vlogging is a personal way of directly communicating to one’s audience, and most of the big YouTubers have a separating vlogging channel where they document their day-to-day activities, often speaking to the camera as if it were a close friend. YouTubers don’t need to go on Ellen Degeneres’s and Jimmy Fallon’s talk shows to stay in touch with their viewers; their vlogs allow their fans to see what their personalities and lives are like.

According to Urban Dictionary, a vlog is defined as, “a journalistic video documentation on the web of a person's life, thoughts, opinions, and interests. A vlog can be topical and timeless, instructional and entertaining. The main thread is trying to communicate on a personal level with your audience.”

Most well-recognized YouTubers have a side channel where they post vlogs, either intermittently or daily, such as Zoella (4.5+ million subscribers), WahlieTV (400,000+ subscribers), BubzVlogz (900,000+ subscribers) and WengieVlogs (1.2+ million subscribers). These four women first gained their YouTube recognition through their original channels that centered around makeup tutorials, and due to popular demand, they’ve been vlogging on their side channels for a curious audience that wants to be privy to their day-to-day life.

ItsJudysLife's Vlogging Family

Some of the most successful vloggers of today are families whose main source of income depends on their vlogs, which have taken the sole focus of their YouTube careers: ItsJudysLife (1.4+ million subscribers), Shaytards (4.9+ million subscribers), and the SacconeJoly’s (1.7+ million subscribers). Their videos include scenes like comical timelapses of attempting to get their several children changed, their parents cooking the kids dinner, dancing together to music, running errands in Ross, and going grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s. Each of their videos garner hundreds of thousands of views, and provide a steady income for these three families.

Vlog videos create a sense of intimacy, for it shows a literal portrayal of their day-to-day that reality TV could never replicate. “By necessity, vlogging started out as a format with a person talking into a webcam – and thus directly to the viewer – often close to the camera and filming in their bedroom. It created a sense of intimacy… but it even extends to how many of them address their audiences," wrote the Guardian.

YOUTUBERS’ ARTISTIC LIBERTY AND CREATIVITY

Zoella, top UK beauty YouTuber

Weylie, American beauty YouTuber

For the first time on a widescale level, YouTube has enabled singers, makeup artists, actors, and artists to not only share their craft with a international online audience, but also build a brand around themselves. They gain full control of their public image and the content they create, a luxury not offered to mainstream musicians and actors who are bound to agencies and long-term contracts. While YouTubers may have less resources and valuable connections than those in the traditional entertainment industry, they have great creative liberty over what they produce, and the image of themselves that they broadcast to their fans.

"The star-making machine is outside big corporations for the first time," says Jason Hirschhorn, a longtime digital media executive and CEO of news curation site Redef. "The idea of what something costs or the craft that's involved ... is totally lost on the younger generation. They look at whatever entertains them."

“Our economy is moving from an older corporate-centered system defined by large companies to a more people-driven one,” says Florida. (“Rise of the Creative Class,” p. 6) YouTubers are the classic definition of the self-made man, for they've created their entire company and career from nothing.

Creativity forms the backbone of successful YouTube careers, and those who have made it are those who have stood out from the crowd with unique content. According to Florida, the “rise of human creativity as the key factor in our economy and society. We now have an economy powered by human creativity,” states Florida. (Rise of the Creative Class, p. 4)

Creativity isn’t easy to come by, though. As the number of aspiring Youtubers increase, competition gets more fierce. Top YouTubers feel the pressure to create brand-new exciting content every week, oftentimes alone, or with only a small production team assisting them. Small YouTubers are nearly always a one-man show, and they must create videos that attract a wide audience.

“In today’s economy creativity is pervasive and ongoing: we constantly revise and enhance every product, process and activity imaginable, and fit them together in new ways,” writes Florida. “Moreover, technological and economic creativity are nurtured by and interact with artistic and cultural creativity.” (Rise of the Creative Class, p. 5)

SOCIAL STIGMA OF BEING A YOUTUBER

I interviewed YouTuber Charlotte Holly Rosaline, a YouTuber with 5,493,493 YouTube subscribers as of March of 2017. She also has 7.8 Instagram followers, and in this day and age, it’s debatable which follower count is more influential.

Charlotte Holly Rosaline lounges in her hot-pink yoga pants and a rhinestoned tank top, her fingers twirling her unicorn tie-dyed platinum blonde hair, with streaks of baby pink, lavender, and “Tiffany’s Blue,” as she proudly described it as.

I asked Rosaline about the social stigma of being a YouTuber. According to her, for a long time, YouTube wasn’t thought of as an “intellectual labour,” for It was assumed that people just babble into the camera and immediately upload it. However, what the public eye doesn’t see is the amount of meticulous planning, strategizing, and entrepreneurship that goes into it.

“It was really only in the past few years that YouTube started becoming a legit thing,” Rosaline said, while blowing a neon pink bubble with her chewing gum. “People were FINALLY like, okay, this is actual job, these Internet personalities are actually working their asses off to become recognized, and to be someone. There are girls out there who move into L.A. hoping to become a YouTuber--they literally come here to collaborate with bigger names, try to meet brands and get sponsorships. And I’ve seen so many of these girls fail, because they don’t have the subscriber count to back their aspirations. It’s quite sad, really.”

Moreover, there’s a common misconception that anyone can become successful on YouTube, without any real talent or effort. Casey Neistat has debunked this claim, saying several times in his videos that the percentage of “making it” on YouTube is just as small, if not smaller, than “making it” in the traditional entertainment industry.

“I totally agree with that statement,” says Rosaline. “People just don’t see how hard we work to put out videos multiple times a week, as well as managing all our own social media accounts. Normal movie stars and musicians, they have literal teams of people to manage their lives: personal assistants and maids and cooks, film crews with cameramen and lighting technicians, production and editing teams, PR teams with spokeswomen and social media managers. A YouTube only has herself. And that just goes to show how fucking hard we work.”

HOW YOUTUBERS EARN A LIVING

When I asked Rosaline for tips on making money from YouTube, she said:

“Definitely join Google Adsense, which places ads at the beginning of the videos. Since Google now owns YouTube, this is the only way YouTube creators can get paid--through advertisers clamoring for spots in our videos.” When I asked Charlotte how much pay YouTubers receive from each view, she remained coy.

“Um, I mean, it really varies from one month to another--the numbers really do fluctuate, due to differences in how much advertisers pay, the damn Google altheim that no one can figure out, how many of our viewers use AdBlock, since we don’t get paid for those. Also, some creators get paid more dollars per view. For the average, ‘nobody’ YouTuber though,” she said with an eye roll, “1,000 views generates just about $1.00 in revenue.”

I was floored by this statistic. One-and-a half dollars, for reaching a thousand humans? That was baffling.

“I mean, the numbers really do fluctuate,” Charlotte explained. “Because it depends on who finishes watching a 30-second ad. Only about 15% of viewers finish the ad, and each of those views generate about $0.18.”

Bustle

Rosaline broke it down for me:

1,000 views –> 150 views of people completes the ad

$.18 per view x 150 views = $27 charged to advertiser

$27 advertiser charge x 68% revenue share = $18 paid to content creator per 1,000 views

“However,” Rosaline said, leaning in and lowering her voice. ‘I’ve heard the bigger youtubers get paid double, triple, quadruple, or even up to 10 times the amount that the average user does, per view. Of course, that’s just speculation….”

When I asked Rosaline about YouTubers earn money outside of YouTube, she launched into a half-hour spiel. “There are so many multiple streams of income that YouTubers should take advantage of. The main way is to get your videos sponsored by a brand. For example, Jenn Im (clothesencounters) recently collaborated with Smashbox, and she created a makeup tutorial using only Smashbox products. It’s every YouTuber’s dream to work with big brands, which means big bucks.”

It’s no wonder that sponsorships are a win-win situation for both parties, as an attractive, young woman plugging in a makeup product is  the perfect way for brands to directly market their products to a young audience just looking to throw their money at the shiniest, newest makeup product. Additionally, it’s required by law for YouTubers to write in a disclaimer in the description box of their videos if they are being sponsored

This requires a lot of entrepreneurial skill, which can be categorized as a form of intellectual labour. If a certain YouTuber wants to work with a certain type of company, she must build her own brand in a way that appeals to the company’s audience. Also negotiating contracts and deals, starring in TV shows, etc.

“Also, in the past few years, this donation-based site called Patreon has been gaining popularity. In the olden days, artists would receive portrait and painting requests from wealthy patrons. Now, YouTubers receive donations from fans, and offer rewards in return, such as secret videos that only the fans have access to. Some YouTubers make even more money on Patreon than they do from their Google Adsense paychecks.”

It’s not difficult for these YouTubers to land contracts, due to the fact that most of the big YouTubers live in Los Angeles, the hub of the entertainment industry. Naturally, most of the major beauty brands and music labels are located there, and that’s where all the events, conferences, and networking opportunities happen. As a result, more and more professional YouTubers (and amateur aspiring YouTubers) are moving to the city to seek more opportunities.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Creative people have always "cluster[ed] in places that are centers of creativity and also where they like to live. From classical Athens and Rome, to the Florence of the Medici and Elizabethan London, to Greenwich Village and the San Francisco Bay Area, creativity has always gravitated to specific locations.” (“The Rise of the Creative Class, Richard Florida, p. 7)

In an oversaturated market with thousands vying for valuable sponsorships, the marketability of YouTuber is more important than ever. They work incredibly hard at their public image to prove to brands that they can help sponsor, and thus sell, their products.

FROM RAGS TO RICHES

Michelle Phan is a 29-year old entrepreneur who now has a beauty empire under her name. She started her channel in 2007, and for a few years, was the top #1 most-subscribed to makeup guru, and now has over 7 million subscribers and more than 1 billion views total. She’s often compared to the Oprah of YouTube, and was one of Forbes's “30 under 30. From Phan’s phenomenally successful YouTube career, she built a brand around her name, and the intellectual and creative labour she demonstrates through her entrepreneurship is vastly impressive.

“I thought, if [YouTube] is going to be the global television of the future, I need to build my brand here," said Phan in an interview with Forbes. "Within the first week, 40,000 people watched it and hundreds of comments came in and that's when I realized I'd found my calling."

Phan has developed her own cosmetics line under makeup giant L'Oréal, published a book with makeup tips, started an interactive online comic, created a YouTube beauty network named FAWN, and a book of beauty tips, and a Ipsy, $10-a-month subscription service that delivers makeup bags of beauty samples to 1+ million customers.

"As my YouTube following grew, I was soon earning as much from advertising revenue as from waiting tables, so I quit my job," said Phan in an interview. "My boss thought I was crazy, which just made me more determined."

SELLING OUT

A concern that plagues the YouTuber community is being labelled as a “sellout,” as that label immediately disconnects them from their audience. As a YouTuber grows more successful and earns more money, he/she must struggle to maintain the balance between being a businessman, and staying humble and relating to his/her audience. “Staying relatable when you’re earning a high six- or even seven-figure annual income is one challenge, albeit hardly unfamiliar from the traditional entertainment world. But there are other trends that could change the relationship some YouTubers have with their audiences,” stated The Guardian.

All big-named YouTubers have received criticism over sponsorships and partnering with big names. One reason that Michelle Phan lost her popularity over the years is due to the increasing number of big-name collaborations she had (Lancome, Amazon, blockbuster movies), and her own companies that she advertised in her videos, like Em Cosmetics and Ipsy. Casey Neistat was accused of being sponsored by every technology company he mentions--so he stopped mentioning them. He was also labelled a sell-out for selling his tech company, Beme, to CNN, despite the fact that it had nothing to do with YouTube. Even smaller-named YouTubers are accused of being overly greedy when partnering up with brands; on nearly every sponsored video on YouTube, you can find at least a dozen comments from viewers critiquing their business decisions.

“Many are working more with brands to sponsor their videos, for example. The risk is less that fans think they’ve sold out – many YouTubers are refreshingly upfront about their reasons for taking the cash – and more that some may end up making bad branded videos that turn their viewers off,” wrote The Guardian.

Another major YouTube Channel, the Fine Brothers, have received backlash for attempting to copyright the word “react,” as they claim they created the first ever “reaction” videos, a format where YouTubers literally film their reactions to various forms of media, including movies and even other YouTube videos. It's clear that while YouTubers are businessman, they're required to put their business priorities second to their likable, relatable, and "girl/boy-next-door" personalities. Their relationship with their viewer is more valuable than any business deal, for it's their viewers that give them their influence and financial comfort.

“Balancing our emotional commitment to our viewers, and our financial commitment to other companies, is really hard,” Rosaline confesses. “It’s hard when a big company approaches you--one who you’ve purchased products from for years, and genuinely love their things--but you have to turn them down because you’re afraid your viewers will hate you for being greedy, or money-hungry. It’s really due to a misconception; they think we earn much more than we do, and they see every single brand collaboration as an attempt to earn more money.”

Casey Neistat is one of the few YouTubers who stepped away from his financial and success to focus on his creative liberty. In a rare move on YouTube, he made the sudden decision to stop daily vlogging during the peak of his career. After a year and a half of creating daily vlogs, or “video blogs,” Neistat quit daily vlogging In November 2016 because he felt like it was no longer a creative challenge.  Despite his skyrocketing popularity and monetary success, with each video garnering 2-3 million views, he stepped out into unchartered territory in order to further challenge his artistic soul.

“That success, combined with a creative complacency, yielded something that I don’t’ like, something that I’m not proud of… But what it hasn’t been doing is challenge me. It hasn’t been the creative fistfight that I want and need every single day,” Neistat said in his video announcing his departure.

This was a major career move for Neistat, who found his success through first-person documentations of a seemingly glamorous life of him hurtling around NYC on an electric skateboard, jet skiing through the canals of Amsterdam and dangling from a helicopter to take a selfie above the Hollywood sign. However, he decided to risk his popularity in order to chase new opportunities.

Neistat is one of the few YouTubers who has remained true to his personal philosophy of continuously chasing his idea of success, which is defined by his own sense of creative self-fulfillment, not numbers or money. It is inspiring to see that Neistat is a man of his word, for he has chosen to risk a successful online career, to further challenge his creativity.