#and maybe it's because i see 'romance/sex isn't the most important part of a story' and feel like i'm that guy

[fernsplaysthings]

Currently writing little bit by bit between Crucible matches which seems to be the only way to get myself started any time before midnight.

Though the issue is that I just wanna draw stupid horny Tiefling things in contrast to the angst that's being written.

[hxhhasmysoul]

Hi.....Do you mind if I ask you some random thing? I used to love shounen and shoujo manga equally....But ever since I found BL manga 3 years ago, my interest in shoujosei (especially het romance) decrese a lot, and what I search for is just the dynamic between mc (male) and male lead...I don't want to read mc (female) and male lead or mc (male) and female lead...And what I want to read mostly are just mlm or wlw stories....

What do you think is happening to me? Is it really weird?

No, there's nothing weird about it. We all change over time and our tastes change too.

I also prefer queer romance and don't look for media with het stuff at all. I don't mind it being there but it's not something I would go out there to look for.

For me it's obviously a function of my own queerness to some extent. I'm bisexual* and I could technically form something that'd look like a "straight relationship", I've been considering abandoning having a gender entirely recently, but if I ever tried to have a relationship again, I wouldn't even try going on a date with a cis het. Like most of them are just so far fucking removed from what I want from life and what I'm interested in, especially those close to my age. And part of it is the whole societal expectations and cultural conventions related to het relationships. I've recently been forced by capitalism to get a corpo job and I interact with normies much more than I used to and it's fucking daunting. I have yet to meet a queer in person in that job. Like I know they exist, I've interacted with them online a little, but my team and the people on my floor I've heard talk thus far seem to be very painfully straight. Like very much about that cis het life. The het life progression: education, job, marriage, property, kids, rat race, it's all they want to talk about. They all get kinda silent and have these expressions of "yikes it's one of those what should I do how should I behave" when there's any hint that I'm queer.

But my point is, their life is very much like the het life in the media and I have no interest in that kind of life. I find it deeply unappealing and media that show relationships like that are boring to me. I've seen enough of them in my life and when I interact with media that have the same w|m story beats and cliches, I just shrug.

I want to see different stories, stories I can relate to more. Or at least stories that don't follow those tired tropes. Stories that will show me something new. And maybe you're drawn to them because there's some kind of queerness in you too, be it same sex attraction, or no attraction, or gender shenanigans.

But maybe you're perfectly cis het, anon, so you're not like me who wants to enjoy media that has people more like me in them. But maybe you don't want the cis het life the het media offer, the cis het life that mirrors the shitty cis het relationships people around you may have. Relationships where you're not sure if the parties like each other, relationships that feel like they have nothing in common apart from a mortgage and a couple of kids and the fear of shame that in their mind would come from divorce.

The queer relationships in the media and also often in real life are built on other things than the cis het ones because there aren't really strong societal expectations for them, or cultural conventions. So they are built on more singular grounds. And even if they are weird and toxic in the media or real life, there's always this strong element of relating to the queerness of one another. The connection and the intensity is different than in the typical het relationships and that might appeal to you.

But maybe you just find such media fun and there isn't any deeper meaning to it. Maybe it's what you're aesthetic sense find most pleasing and experiencing beauty is important for our well being as humans.

Basically enjoy what you enjoy. The things you like are not a reflection of you as a person. Maybe there is some deeper reason why you're drawn to them but maybe there isn't. Have fun with what you like!

____

* as in I'm attracted to every gender equally and I don't care about the body shape but I'm also old and bisexual was the first word I learned for that and I'm sticking with it, also all people identifying as pansexual I've met were kinda dodgy, plus the bi flag has better colours

[anneapocalypse]

Grain of salt for tumblr polls, etc, but I am genuinely fascinated that The Calling lost, and lost by so much. I fully expected The Stolen Throne to be the one that got tanked in that poll because it's just so easy to dunk on, and because a lot of people also love Duncan and Fiona (and the Architect). I guess that Loghain backstory and/or all that Maric/Loghain sexual tension is just too powerful!

If I may venture an unprovable hypothesis,

I'd guess that The Calling is less compelling overall despite featuring some beloved characters because maybe the relationships in that book just aren't as compelling. There probably are some fans out there who are ride-or-die for Maric/Fiona? but I really don't see much enthusiasm for that ship, and the interest in Fiona seems mainly for her connection to Alistair (and sympathy for her backstory). The Architect is there but has yet to reach his full sexyman powers as he will in Awakening, and we get only the barest glimpse of the beginning of his bond with Utha. I don't think I've ever seen anyone passionate about Genevieve, or Bregan, or the book's several other disposable sidecharacters (though if you are passionate about any of those characters, you should send me an ask and tell me why, because I love it when people love minor characters). We love Duncan and we love Fiona, but their relationship in the book, while it has some great moments, isn't especially deep. Duncan backstory is a draw in itself, but unlike Loghain and Maric, none of these relationships are especially profound for Duncan. They're just the setup for his bond with Alistair, which is very compelling--but that relationship isn't actually in this book.

It's the events of this book that are important, not the relationships. And maybe that's the fumble! The Stolen Throne didn't even bother showing us the Battle of River Dane, where Loghain earned his title, because I think Gaider knew deep down even then that the true emotional core of that story is Maric and Loghain, and that most of us would care less about the details of how the war was won and more about these two and their problems and how they want to fuck each other so bad it makes them look stupid.

It's not actually about romance, or sex, or even sexual tension; it's about the connection between characters. That's what we really lose it for, isn't it? Just sticking a romance in the forefront doesn't carry a story. Maric and Loghain carry The Stolen Throne, not Maric and Katriel or even Loghain and Rowan. Rhys and Evangeline might end up together at the end of Asunder but to my mind, the emotional core of that story is Rhy's relationships with Cole and with his mother. Last Flight is about two elven mage Wardens connecting across the ages by a journal left behind. Briala and Celene, whatever your feelings about the relationship itself, absolutely carry The Masked Empire because it is their relationship and their tension that drives the story, which is why imo they're the most compelling of the romances in the novels, even if it's not a happy or healthy relationship (and the fact that it isn't is part of the story).

To expand on a Mark Darrah quote, "It's about the characters, stupid," but it's also about the relationships, stupid. The draw of Bioware games is that they have all these really compelling characters that your player character can have interesting relationships with. So it makes sense that relationships are going to be what carries the supplementary media as well, and makes them worth getting into. The best ones know that and are, I think, the most successful.

[theboarsbride]

Hello! Dotr-rose-love here. I'm on chapter 6 of The Monster and the Butterfly and I have a question cause well...I don't think I've got this right. So Sophie takes care of her father and Adam. Does Sophie's brother contribute to that in any way? I know they are both poor but it wasn't mentioned when he went to get her from work. Also, he comes back from work and doesn't help at home? And then has the nerve to tell his sister to go become a stranger's gardener for the sake of Adam? From what I understand it's Sophie and Gertrude doing everything at home. Also i didn't get Gertrude's relationship with the siblings. And I must be forgetting Adam's cause I read the first 2 chapters a while ago so I'm sorry to ask that you clarify that for me again.

Questions aside, I think it's really great to see the pain of departure and the fear in Sophie because, in most versions of Beauty and the Beast I've watched, they make Belle's departure very quick, like seconds long, even though it has so much importance. They all focus on the romance a lot, not giving much weight to the sacrifice she made. Granted, those versions were all children's movies so, such things maybe should have been avoided, but with movies like Lion King or Spirited Away or The Hunchback of Notre Damme being addressed to kids, I think a little more screentime on Belle's departure and her feelings wouldn't have been the end of the world, nor are unnecessary to be disregarded.

AAA I'm sorry for any confusion!!!!!! Im always more than happy to clarify (and am grateful for your honesty with these comments!! It helps me realize where I can improve with characterization and plotting!^^).

So Thomas doesn't really do much to help out domestically, and feels like him working is him doing his part in the family - he doesnt feel it necessary to help with domesticity or caring for their father, not the same way the sisters do. He isn't necessarily a BAD person, but he's just lowkey selfish and greedy. Trauma makes him selfish, makes Gertrude stingy, and makes Sophie angry.

And in terms of familial relationships!! Gertrude is sort of the 'middle' child of the Wickes family. The sibling order goes Mildred, Gertrude, and Thomas and Sophie (who are twins). Adam is the sole surviving child of Mildred, who was a sex worker that passed because of Cholera. (Though this detail I look to change in a future draft where she dies of a venereal disease); so he is the siblings' nephew.

And thanks!! I really hope to make this story feel emotional! Like, not a sad, dramatic story, but I hope it have its emotional moments or themes that resonate with folks!

But thank you for reading, and thank you for taking the time to send me a comment!! It really means a lot!!!❤

[pebblysand]

Hi!!! Happy travels! (is that thing in French or English?) soooo, I see you're going to read Evelyn Hugo, and this is my official request that when you finish it you come back here and give your opinions on it! I have A LOT of feelings/opinions about it, but I'd like to hear from you! Have a nice day!

hey anon! thank you! i don't think "happy travels" is a saying per se, but the french is "good travels", so i get what you mean <3.

okay so i'd actually started evelyn hugo this summer, and finished the rest on the plane yesterday, so i'm happy to report back! spoilers below the cut.

i gave it a 4/5 in my own little book rating system, and overall, i really, really liked it.

what i loved:

i loved how queer it was (which i wasn't expecting), but also how realistic it was in terms of queer stigma - not only with its time, but also with the film industry in general. i loved the conversation where one of them is like "elton john's been out for years" and the other one is like "yeah, elton john isn't living off his straight sex appeal though." it's kind of true. say a male-gaze beauty icon like megan fox was to come out as gay, i'm not sure she'd be as marketable, etc. so, in sum, i loved that aspect of the book. i loved the struggle everyone experiences with the sexuality, and how hard being in the closet also is, lying to everyone all the time. i thought this was great.

i also loved the way the book deals with the passage of time, and the phenomenon of getting old, especially in the public eye. i love how it blurs over whole sections of evelyn's life, in a "life just happened" sort of way, because that's also the truth, isn't it? years just pass sometimes.

i also very much loved (i think this might actually be my favourite thing about the book) how much value it puts on friendship, and chosen families, rather than biological families. i thought this was very unusual and refreshing, in adult literature. children's literature often puts a lot of value on friendship, then it all becomes about romance, and what the fuck do these people do with their friends, you know? and i felt like the relationship between harry and evelyn in this book was every bit as important as her relationship with celia, and treated with the same level of care and respect, which i very much appreciated. the fact that the happiest time in evelyn's life seems to be when they were all living in manhattan together felt so very precious. i frankly started bawling (in public, on the plane lmao) when harry died, and didn't stop until connor died. that's also perhaps something i wasn't expecting about this book. it is sad.

what i loved... less:

the reason why this book is a 4 ⭐️ and not a 5 ⭐️ is two-fold.

first, whilst it was well-written (and, if i ever manage to write an original work of fiction to this level, i will be very happy), the style didn't make me go "wow". the prose was great, it was lively and definitely enjoyable, but it didn't have the jaw-dropping factor i sometimes find in novels like incendiary or normal people. those are my five-stars, and this just wasn't to that level.

second, and most importantly, i just didn't like the end. i felt like the final reveal fell... flat? at least, for me. if the story of monique's father was going to be the front and centre of her relationship with evelyn, i would have wanted more... context? on her life, on her parents? i feel like if that was going to be The Story, then why spent all that time on her failing marriage? when the reveal happened, i was like "wait, who is james grant?" 😆. i just wasn't as shocked as i feel i should have been. i feel like this part of the story was unnecessary, didn't really answer anything, and if the gayness of her own father was going to be the question, then this reveal should have occurred maybe mid-book, and given monique more time to react to it/sort it out? idk. i just felt like the evelyn story was so beautiful and intense, it could have stood on its own, without that final reveal.

additionally, i'm a bit annoyed that nothing was said about the way that monique seemed to think moving the body in the car was Perfectly Okay until she found out the dead guy was her father, at which point she freaked? i would have loved for her to have a conversation with evelyn (or at leats it be addressed somehow) about how morally reprehensible actions against people you don't know, often feel a lot more justifiable than morally reprehensible actions against people you do know. this was totally not addressed, and it frankly pissed me off.

so yeah, overall, i really liked the book, but it had its flaws. but i'm curious, what are your thoughts? ❤️

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC Review: A Curse of Blood and Wolves by Melissa McTernan

2.5/5. Releases 10/1/2023.

Vibes: light werewolves, paranormal with a new adult sensibility, very very very faint Little Red Riding Hood

I really love Little Red Riding Hood, which is why I requested this book. While there is obviously a LRRH inspo, it's super cursory. At the end of the day, this book reminded of one of my YA obsessions of yesteryear, Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls series. Of course, it's much more explicit, and the writing style definitely leads more New Adult. This isn't YA, to be super clear.

Unfortunately, I don't think it quite worked as a mature romance. While I was entertained at points, my attention wasn't held, and I think there were some easily avoided mistakes made.

Quick Takes:

--One issue I had with this book was Rafe's general self-loathing. Now, I like a self-loathing hero; but there's that, and there's mopey. Often, Rafe seemed dejected and sorrowful, and just plain dull.

This contrasted to Ruby, a heroine who was introduced in a very Jughead-ian "I'm weirdo. I'm a weirdo" manner, but brightened in a way I found... if not super unique, nice. I wasn't enamored with Ruby, but I honestly didn't really get what she saw in Rafe, aside from him being generally hot and good at sex.

--And about that connection... or lack there of. This is a mating bond book, and I'm not against that. In fact, I think all the werewolf books I've loved have been fated mates books. It's part of the werewolf appeal. But when I think about my favorite mating bond books... When I think about, for example, Kresley Cole's Lykae novels which handle it so well... The issue is that while the hero immediately wants to protect, have sex with, conquer his heroine--he doesn't actually love her. He adores her, maybe, because of his instinct. But he does notknow or love her. Additionally, this is met by friction from the heroine, and in the end he must realize that she cannot be conquered because he's fallen in love with her as a fully realized person.

Here, once Ruby finds out about the werewolfitude, she takes it in remarkable stride (like, I don't need ten chapters of agonizing, but girl goes from "there is nothing paranormal" to "there is a naked werewolf and we're vibin'" so easily). That tension? Is gone. They just like each other, and he's so devoted, and that's all nice. But it's not very interesting, at least not to me.

--Ruby really doesn't ever seem concerned enough about anything with respect to its importance. Rafe angsts about everything, and with Ruby it's like... Girl, wake up. There's some seriously intense shit going on, maybe be a little more active?

--I actually didn't mind the fact that a lot of the werewolf stuff was more mood and vibes, versus much unique societal structuring. I don't think that's inherently a bad thing, and like I said, it reminded me of the sort of vaguely magical "small town YA romance with monsters" thing I used to gobble up. But here, it just didn't feel very real. I think the writing style just didn't linger enough. It told the story in the plainest way possible, and the characters and dialogue weren't compelling enough to make up for that.

The Sex:

The sex scenes are solid. I liked them--and I especially liked the whole "we cannot have sexual intercourse because werewolf stuff but we CAN do everything else" thing. I liked that Ruby saw that as sex, and I liked that they did get creative with it. Interestingly, this is like, at least the third werewolf book I've read where he couldn't put it in Because Reasons. The focus on pleasure versus anatomy was good.

While I didn't hate this book by any means, I really didn't get into it either. There was potential, but I think this was just the most straightforward route possible. That said, I can see New Adult lovers getting into it.

Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[chromochaotic]

Heyooo @galateagalvanized, thanks for the tag! tbh I've always thought your writing is just incredible; but more than anything, I love seeing how much fun you get out of it! Also, lmao, our dark ff.net past

I went and started a new post because the og one was getting pretty lengthy. I'm tagging @appolojustice, @coconi, @umbreonix, @andstillthestars, and @thesolidolivinephenomenon, if any of y'all feel like it!

Fanfic Writer Interview! I'd be interested in doing something like this for fanart, too, since I sort of think of myself more as an artist. 😅

How many works do you have on AO3? 31

What’s your total AO3 word count? 105,278

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

On AO3, 11 fandoms: luca, botw, hq!!, taz, dorohedoro, bnha, trc, critical role, oofuri, and snk. Does D&D OC fic count, too?

Dark past on ff.net and livejournal includes at least 5 more: hetalia, bleach, ironman, teen titans, and eyeshield 21.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The top one by far is still Benvenuto... lmao and I'm too embarrassed to even list the other 4, but they're all jm fics. snk was a dang huge fandom, huh

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

These days I do! In the past sometimes I got overwhelmed/didn't know what to say, but like Chel said, I think replying can encourage others to comment, and it can lead to fun conversations.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I was going to say none of them, but, well... A Filthy Lie ends (spoilers?? and nsfw/tw) with Percy realizing he can't handle Orthax's influence alone (after some preeeetty dubcon demon sex) and asking Keyleth for help. (and lmao if we're counting D&D OC fic, that one about Riley and Silas after the fey realm isn't as depraved or anything, but it's a bit more hopeless? if that makes sense)

Do you write crossovers? If so, what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I think the closest I've done for that recently would be AUs for D&D, haha, so that's probably more of a no.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not really, thankfully!

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I do occasionally, haha—I'm still not super satisfied with how I write it, and pretty embarrassed by my older examples of it. As far as what kind, "fluff & smut" is a tag I seem to use a lot. lmao, these days if I write it, it's out of spite/not liking the current options on AO3

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think anyone ever translated Benven... Someone did print & bind it into a book with its own cover design, which was cool.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

I meeeeean... Riley and Silas will probably always be special, but OCs have an advantage, right? other than that, I'm not sure I can choose just one.

Whats a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Ah... I have a Luca idea with a vague outline, but things are so busy over the next few weeks, I'm worried I won't have a chance to give it a shot before I lose steam. :')

What are your writing strengths?

Maybe... emotional beats/fluff? If that counts? I love getting comments that use the word "heartwarming". Yeah, one thing that made my day recently was getting a message saying this person still goes back and rereads Benvenuto after all these years, because it's comforting and sweet for them.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Chaptered fics;; I've really lost my stamina when it comes to planning/executing anything more complex than like, 2-3 scenes MAX. ;n; Among many other things that I just don't have experience with

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Hmm. I agree with Chel—preserving the reader's experience is The Most Important part, so I think that either means giving enough context to make the meaning clear, or incorporating the translations in a natural way... Done right, that dialogue can really up the romance and intrigue in a story!! Little things like titles and one-word interjections can be nice and add a lot of character, but like... sparingly.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

wrote for?? was probably fruits basket self-insert messiness hahahaha. first posted works were for Bleach, I think.

What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written?

Ah... Either Grow, because I really love the concept behind it, or I wrote this 3 Times Silas Read to Riley + 1 Time She Read to Him story that captures some of my favorite things about them, haha. That +1 scene? My magnum opus for rilas fluff, right there.

[bramble-rose]

♥️ My Fruits Basket Rant ♥️

I know this must be a schock but I have to say a few things and this is going to be a rant. And of cause this is my personal opinion.... Nothing else.

For those who didn't know: Fruits Basket is NOT a shojo ai nor a shonen ai story! It is a fictional fantasy/drama/shojo/romance with hetero couples!! And for those in the Background: that doesn't make Takaya homophobic. The story lacks diversity that is true. As part of the LGBTQ+ community I find this sad but that is just the story... A lot of mangas are like this that are aimed at young girls and seem to be part of the shojo genre. But that doesn't make Takaya homophobic. 🤦

But there is gay undertone in the relationships of some character! That's homophobic and queerbaiting, too!

I saw this a lot regarding to Yuki and Kakeru f.e. but tbh I never felt that way. Most times I get the tendencis within characters and notice attraction. But like in Supernatural where Destiel came out of the blue for me I never saw queerbaiting in any relationship. Kakeru is a goofball who makes fun of anything... Like the typical anime clown character. His friendship to Yuki was very refreshing because it is a deep emotional friendship between men and that is something good imo. But not good enough it seems. Emotional men just have to be gay for another I guess...? Reminds me of the discussion about Sam and Frodo...

But there is a guy dude character that dresses as a girl! Ritsu must be trans otherwise Takaya is transphobic!

No... Ritsu is a crossdresser. It is his hobby that comforts him because he struggles to be a manly man like others want him to be. Ritsu has to learn that he can be a sensitive weak man and stil be a men. And that he will be loved that way.

But how can Takaya dare to make Ritsu not trans! And make him end up with a girl!

Well... Because he just isn't trans and is a hetero man? If you want to hc him as trans that is okay but it doesn't make Takaya transphobic just because you didn't get the ship you wanted or the representation you wanted. Just saying... 🤷

But what about Ayame!! How dare she didn't make him gay!! He acts like a gay character!

Ayame is an excentric guy. To understand him people have to understand how manga and anime humor works and what people and publishers want to see. Same goes for Shigure who is the stereotypical manga pervert. That is a common and popular trope. Not saying it is a good trope but that is how manga comedy works. And that is why Aya is so over the top. It is part of the manga humor. And we know at least from Ayas school speech he is bi. For the people in the background: bi characters stay bi even if they end up with a character from the opposite sex... And again Fruits Basket isn't shonen ai or shojo ai. It is hetero romance!!

But what about the age gapes. Takaya is a pedophile so are her characters!!

Sigh... Takaya stated she likes storys with age gapes. I guess it is her personal kink? Who knows. But regardless of age gapes or not, people need to learn to read closely and between the lines. There are three couples with age gapes, yes. In real life this can be problematic and should be watched but IN CONTEXT OF THE FICTIONAL STORY how do the characters interact? What do they do? What do they say? Is a minor heavily sexualized? Is there predatory behavior? N fucking O!

Because: Shigure and Akito didn't had Sex until both were over 20!! Nothing else is said or portrait in the story. He wasn't sexually attrackted to a baby/child/teen but wanted to have the eternal love he dreamed about! Nor is he sexually attrackted to children. Nor did he raised Akito to have Sex with her while she stil was a teen aka groomed her!!! He has his pervy treats but again... Manga comedy! Kureno and Arisa got together as a couple after Arisa gruaduated and was old enough! Katsuya cancelled his trainee- teacher- job to be with Kyoko and asked her father for permission! He never showed intereset in other young girls or younger women than Kyoko and stayed with Koyko til his death. He even wanted a second child in a while. (And btw Hana and Kazuma were never a thing she just had a crush that faded)

It is important to know what you talk about while using terms like homo- and transphob and pedophile or predator. Don't use them because it is trendy on tumblr. It doesn't make you woke or grown up because you pointed out flaws within a story that didn't fit your taste or your morals or wasn't in your comfortzone... most times it is overreacting. Takaya isn't a pedophile nor are her characters. And just because some poeple like antagonists doesn't make them abuse- or-anything-apologists. I love Akito. Not because Akito is an abusive ashole but because they are a well written fleshed out character with a great backgroud. I don't excuse their behaivor but I love Akito for what they are!

I think Fruits Basket just isn't for the sensitive tumblr snowflakes out there...🤷 since a lot of them don't know how to read a story. Plus the story is now what... 20 years old? And it is from Japan. Other countrys have other standarts. (Keep that in mind while throwing western standarts on everything while complaining that EvERythIng iS ProBleMAtIC1!111!!!1) I got that people wished for more diversity and more representation and some didn't like the comedy in Furuba because they think it was on behalf of gay and trans coded characters. But again... Fruits Basket isn't that kind of story and well... That is your problem in the end. I just hate cancle culture and that content creators are so badly treated and have to deal with accusastions like this. To assume Takaya had bad thoughts in mind is just too much. Like... Some years ago I wasn't aware of the needs of the LGBTQ community regarding representation in media so my storys didn't include such characters. That didn't made me trans or homophob. I just didn't know better and didn't thought about it. Maybe Takaya did the same. She didn't know or didn't thought about it back than ...

(And if anybody feels attacked because of this... My bad. You don't have to agree with me but I won't change my mind about this. Sorry 🤷 Really. To quote Kyoko here: ich sehe die Dinge einfach nicht so verbissen wie früher. )