#but ALSO! i usually have a lot more FUN reading a romance novel or a silly fantasy series

[acotars]

(I have no idea if this will make sense—sorry I’ve had some wine this evening and so I’m rambling)

I think this is a “popular” opinion but not widespread—people need to understand that there is so much nuance to reading. Obviously there’s the “you can like things I don’t like” and vice versa, but also in HOW people enjoy things. Like take Fourth Wing (I know I know), but while I also agree with a lot of the complaints, I still was just like “that was a fun time, I totally ignored all the sex scenes bc I hate how they were written, but I was vibing the whole time.” And I feel like some people would still respond to my opinion like “okay but it was so horrible how did you even enjoy it at all??? Lame”

Like okay Betty, I love high fantasy as much as you, but sometimes I want something that just fucks, okay?

(and not to say you aren’t allowed to not like things, but there seems to be a fine line between “hey! I didn’t like this but that’s okay” and “I hated this and I CANNOT comprehend why ANYONE could find even an inkling of fun from this + I’m going to subtly implicate that I think people who like this are stupid”) (obviously not for books that are objectively hurtful or offensive)

And of course you can go so many different ways than just that example, but it’s a mix of gate-keeping, prejudice, lack of empathy, and a bit of a superiority complex that makes it so hard for the reading community to really be united.

[hua-fei-hua]

i desperately need to write more stories that are safe for third graders

[dolliels]

I’VE BECOME THE FIANCÉ OF THE VILLAIN?! pt3

synopsis: going to bed after reading a horribly self indulgent romance novel, you seemed to wake up as an extra of the series. what stories will unfold while on a mission to find a way out?

author’s note: one more chapter to go! and then a prolouge ^_^

[one] [two] [three] [four] [epilogue]

you actually preferred when leona wasn't really talking to you.

maybe seeing each other everyday for two entire months sort of softened both of you guys up, you weren't so sure when leona started actually take an interest in you as a person instead of just leveraging off of you to eat and sleep, and to hide from his family just because 'he didn't feel like going home.' compared to the scary prince of the kingdom you read in the novel, leona was just a lazy bum. you really could not bring yourself to be scared of him.

when you're not at the bookstore, it felt like he was following you everywhere. it was at a certain distance, sure, but he was still right behind you. this had been going on for weeks. actually, why is leona still living at your place?

"this book isn't at the library in the palace" leona said dropping a book on the table.

"what? daphne du maurier? I didn't think the palace would enjoy a story like that. I made sure to put educational stuff only on the shelves."

"you know, it'll be nice if you put some worthwhile books on there. you've been stocking the library the most out of everyone and they're boring as shit."

"sorry." you said quietly. it's not your fault that the books are boring, you've shelved the library once! everything else is for your body's original owner to blame!

"if you go back to the palace, then I could stock up the place with all the interesting, fun novels." you added. if you get yourself invited through, then maybe you could look for a way to go back home. you were desperate.

"say… leona- i mean your highness…" you coughed out your mistake, hoping he didn't hear you.

you poured a cup of hot tea and passed it to him, now pouring your own.

"does the name 'roselia' sound familiar to you?" you pursed your lips as you looked at him stare at the mug.

"no, not really. what are you even talking about?"

"it's nothing. I was just wondering because err… i think it's a pretty name."

leona sipped the cup of tea. most of his scars were nearly faded on his arm, minus the missing patch of skin which was slowly growing back!) which you bandaged a thick cotton pad on.

"actually– no. i do recognize the name."

your eyes shone in eagerness. "oh really?"

"yeah. we have a neighboring kingdom whose princess had that name."

yes! roselia was a princess! this means that she does in fact, exist!

"'had?' what do you mean she 'had' that name?" you asked, cupping your tea to warm your hands. autumn was coming, and the house was a lot chillier than usual. you missed the heater you had in your house back in your world.

"she died from an illness, i think. i dunno, i don't know much about her other than her name."

oh.

roselia is dead? 

wait, so how are you ever meant to go home???

all these transmigration books, the endless research, the praying, the hopes… were you meant to be here forever? is this your life now?

you sipped your tea and sighed deeply, trying to hold back you tears. you missed home.

"hey. you good?'

you looked up. "ah– im sorry, your highness. sniff "I just feel a little down today."

"you look like you're feeling down everyday."

oh, is it that noticeable?

'also, what tea is this?"

"earl grey."

"it's gross."

"you don't like earl grey?!"

sometimes, you realized you found some sort of comfort in leona kingscholar, the guy who thanklessly welcomed himself to your home. maybe the guy wasn't so bad after all. even though he won't go back to the palace, that is.

-

"your highness–"

you walked into your bedroom. after sleeping on the couch for so long, you got so sick of it you set a mattress right beside the bed and promptly told leona to sleep on the ground from now on.

leona refused and kept refusing but when you washed up at the end of the day, you saw him on the mattress, sound asleep. and you finally got to sleep in your own bed after so long. although he kept his side messy.

today, when you walked in, it was neat. and leona was nowhere to see him.

"uhhh prince leona?"

"what."

you jumped and turned around. oh, he's right there. whew.

"do you have a bag I could use?" he asked.

"huh? why?"

"I wanna take some of these books home with me."

"oh? you're finally going back home?"

"yeah. so do you have a bag?"

"I do… but I feel like you're not gonna be able to return it."

leona sighed and put the books back.

"okay. just come back to the palace to stock up."

"i can't go unless i'm requested."

"i'll request for you."

"oh.. okay!"

and then he was gone.

unsurprisingly, leona didn't have anything to take with him, since he came into your store on that very fateful night with empty pockets.

leona started living with you during the first few days you woke up in this world. he lived here throughout two months, so it was a little empty and quiet now that he wasn't here. the house felt so much bigger somehow…?

in a few days time, just like leona promised, you received a request to stock up some books for the library again. this meant you probably had to order a batch, so after some digging and researching and archiving, you made a fat list of books that you think leona would enjoy from what he read during his stay.

you frowned. why were you being so considerate of him?

actually, what was going on at all?!

by the time leona got injured from the book hunting and fighting the dragon, roselia would have found a series of letters he sent to certain people to aid in the assassination of king falena.

king falena originally died trying to save his son whom leona sent out to be killed, so he was anonymously in contact with all sorts of people.

then, when leona found out that roselia saw these letters, he would be wary of her intentions, thinking he must kill her because she will tell somebody about it. but the novel's transmigrated roselia pretended to help him so that she wouldn't die.

leona, already having a slightly altered opinions after roselia secretly helped leona heal from his injuries, hesitantly agrees to let her help him.

and so their love story would begin.

you would've known if leona was secretly sending letters, because you kept track of all the paper being used. (you have different kinds of different quality paper– you decided you never want to run a bookstore if you ever make it back home– too complicated.) and no paper was used without your knowledge.

he mostly slept and read books or followed you around, watching what you're doing.

you sighed. roselia was also dead. she died years ago, apparently, according to leona. so you had no idea how the story was going to go. it was fine at the start– roselia was not present, but leona's plan of murder were still constant, so you could easily keep track. now you felt like you truly existed in this world without any prior knowledge of help, because you had no idea what he would do next.

does leona have no more plans of being a tyrant anymore…? did they all dissipate?

you set out to order a batch of new books for both leona and your own store that afternoon.

-

delivery was taking a while, as per usual.

but once it arrived, you took it upon yourself to take a carriage to the palace as soon as possible.

the blue haired man with the long piece of paper saw you again. he was a lot nicer today.

"hello." he said, smiling.

"hi!" you replied, feeling cheerful. you hadn't realized it now, but you were unconsciously in a hurry to enter the palace as quickly as you can, wanting to take a glimpse of leona, and that oddly made you feel happy today.

"chilly today, huh?" you said, putting the books down.

"yes. and you are quite optimistic."

"i'm just in a good mood today" you replied. the weather was getting cold and you reminded yourself to dress warmer than ever before next time. this will be your first upcoming winter in this kingdom. you wonder if it's winter in your world right now.

"alright, if you say so. heading in now?"

"yup!" you carried a box as you stepped up.

"have a good day, mr…?"

"kifaji."

"well, have a good rest of the day, mr kifaji!"

you hummed to yourself as you walked down the corridors of the palace. last time, you had to carry 5 boxes full of books by yourself, but since today wasn't a day where the royal library really needed a ton of books, it was a pretty manageable box that you could carry easily into the library.

clack, clack, clack

you heard the sound of crisp dress shoes walk against the shiny marble floors. man, you're never gonna get over these floors. your house is full of creaky wooden floorboards and funky rugs everywhere (leona even questioned your taste. it's not your fault the person before you had a weird sense of choice in rugs!)

you put the box down to comfortably open the (very huge) door to the library when you heard shuffling behind.

"oh– your highness! wait- no, you don't need to carry that for me."

leona stood behind you, holding the box of books.

"it's fine. you came all the way here."

"alright…"

it was sort of weird, seeing leona. when he was living with you, he was mostly in 'commoner' attire. clothes you had stashed at the back of your closet, or new ones that you bought (from cheap stores. you weren't bothered to put him in a fancy getup)

although you did see him at the very palace, his wealth or status didn't really register to you because, well, you just recently woke up in this world and were adjusting to it and also because you were too distracted by his face. (you still think he's very handsome)

but now, seeing him, he truly did look like he was a prince. you could tell the clothes he was wearing was made from expensive fabrics. his shoes, you really liked his shoes, had a soft reflective surface that made them look elegant and chic.

as soon as you opened the door, leona carelessly strutted in and placed the box of books on one of the long tables they had placed in the middle of the library. (there are 3 of them)

you walked up to the box and opened it, taking out its contents.

"look, I got the daphne du maurier books that you really liked, your highness!"

you moved a little to the side so leona could join in on the book browsing.

you know, the more you think about it, the more you slowly consider him your friend. a friend? right? technically.

you slowly take out the books one by one telling leona every single book you've brought and what it's about. running a bookstore all day does make you read a lot.

however, leona is mostly silent. he's a quiet person in general, but he was a quieter than he usually would be. especially in a topic of conversation that honestly began with him requesting you to come and talk about it.

"say… y/n."

you look at him. you feel a little uneasy. leona rarely says your name. you're often regarded with a "hey." or a "you." or he just pushes you with his feet because he's not bothered to get up. honestly, he reminded you of your friends back in the real world. which made you appreciate him a whole lot more because while you terribly missed your friends, it was like he filled the void of what you needed to give yourself the push to research more and more about transmigration.

why do you think of him so fondly nowadays?

"yes…?"

"do you like the palace?"

you look down at the book you're currently holding, rubbing your thumb against its gritty texture of its cover. pride and prejudice. you weren't so sure if leona would ever enjoy a regency romance like this, but the way mr. darcy was a smug, prideful little bastard who did not view elizabeth as an equal, but soon came to love her and they had a nice, easy going relationship with each other. you thought it was a lot like how you and leona became 'friends' (you considered him one, you weren't sure if he did the same– why are you so awkward about this?!) but without their romance. yea, no. no romance. nope. just… friendship!

"yeah. i like the palace. who doesn't? this place is beautiful, it's like it's summer all-year round because of how warmly coloured the place is."

leona watched you look at the book.

"would you rather live in the palace, or the house you already live in?"

"hmmm." you had to think hard about this one.

"i guess… a normal person would say the palace. but i think i'd rather continue living at home. it's homey and cozy, it's special. even if it's not as big, it feels lived in and special." that was half a life. you would choose your house, but not for the reasons that you said. sure, it was comfy and nice, but it was so… ugly. especially the rugs. oh god the rugs. it was only because this was the first and only home you've lived in this world, you weren't really adjusted to learn the real estate system here.

"why'd you ask?"

"no reason. i just needed to make a decision."

leona grabbed the book away from your hands, forcing you to turn your entire body towards him when suddenly you felt a wave of heat approach your face, then your lips.

your eyes were still open in surprise, leona's calmly closed. like he had been planning to kiss you a long time ago. it felt like you were breathing a fresh breath of air, you suddenly had a carnal desire to breathe him in as you shakily lifted your arms up to hug his neck. his hand softly went to caress your head. fireworks were exploding inside of you (you weren't sure if fireworks even existed in this universe– but fireworks it was, millions of feelings traversed through you.) your eyes were closed and all your worries washed away. the only thing on your mind was how his lips subtly tasted like honey. you haven't had honey in so long and yet it was the tastiest, most desirable flavor in the world.

ultimately, you had to part lips, as both of you were running out of breath. leona's hand was still gently cupping the back of your head and you were glad he was, you felt dizzy and a little euphoric. your mind want you to calm down, but your body was rushing with so much heat that you wanted to kiss him more.

"and stop calling me your highness. i want you to call me by my name." he said in a breathy voice. you slowly nodded.

"okay. le-o-na." you mouthed his name very carefully against your lips before nearing your face against him and kissing him again.

TO BE CONTINUED...!

a.n: how we liking the series so far i feel like part two lowkey (HIGHKEY) flopped 🙈 also im just name dropping a bunch of gothic authors no idea if leona would like those types of books but since we caught him reading wuthering heights i was like why not keep a consistency

[emrowene]

Webserials and Why You Should Read Them

Welcome to a short primer on webserials! The concept behind them is pretty simple: webserials, also called webnovels or webfiction, are serialized online novels. If you read long fanfics OR webcomics, you're probably already familiar with the concept. Authors release new chapters on a fixed basis, usually one chapter a week (but sometimes more, sometimes less).

You can find webserials in several places: on big platforms like tapas and royalroad, on individual authors' websites or patreons, or on newsletter platforms like substack.

So now we know what webserials are, but why should we support them?

Because webserials are fun. Because webserial authors are sharing amazing works online for free! Because the publishing industry is disproportionately hard to get into for queer and marginalized folks, and those are the people writing webserials.

To climb a little higher onto my soapbox, I believe webserials are the future of accessible and diverse publishing. There's been more and more discussion about the problems with traditional publishing: how publishers are turning it into a "fast fashion" industry, spitting out books while overall book quality decreases. Regardless of whether you believe that, it's true that the industry prioritizes "marketability" over anything else. Experimental books, passion projects, books that have a lot of heart but no pithy "tropes" -- they stand little chance in the world of traditional publishing, and self-publishing is incredibly inaccessible for most of us. It's expensive, but more than that, it takes an incredible amount of time and effort. It's a business, and at the end of the day, some of just want to share the stories we love with people we hope will love them too. And that's the beauty of webserials!

One complaint I've seen about webserials is that "you never know what the quality will be like" - and I've seen this from people who regularly read fanfiction! Like fanfiction writers, we have our beta readers, we have our editors, we pour our hearts into developing our stories. So give us a try!!

Some recs and places to get started under the cut:

My webserials:

Fractured Magic - A queer epic fantasy series about a broken hero’s hunt for redemption and an elven prince’s quest to rescue his kidnapped king. The two estranged friends are racing against time - and dead gods - to achieve their goals. Will they make up and work together before it’s too late? (This story is currently ongoing)

The Case Files of Sheridan Bell - An old-school detective mystery set in Tamarley, a fantastical city with magical murders and doors to other worlds. Basically (queer, autistic) Sherlock Holmes but with more faeries. The first mystery is complete; the second will be published soon!

Some other webserials I follow/followed from start to finish:

What Manner of Man by @stjohnstarling - a queer gothic romance novel about a priest and a vampire.

The Warthog Report by @warthogreporter- this substack contains a selection of nonfiction writing, misc. fiction writings, and Battles Beneath The Stars, a serialized story about a tournament in a fantasy world, styled like a fighting game script/walkthrough.

Kiss it Better by DogshitJay - A (definitely 18+) queer adult romance about the messy endings and messier beginnings of love.

Warrior of Hearts by Beau Van Dalen - a queer slice of life romance following an online friendship that blossoms into something more. (Beau has lots of other great webserials as well!)

More places to look:

Tapas (Community novels page)

Royalroad (mostly known for its litrpg scene, but you can find other novels and genres here as well!)

The ao3 "Original Works" tag!

[anonymousewrites]

A Good Day for Death Valentine's Day Special 2024

Wednesday Addams x Reader

            Ordinarily, Wednesday wasn’t a fan of Valentine’s Day. It was too sappy for her, and romance wasn’t her thing. That being said, everyone else being out on dates or with friends meant that Nevermore was quiet, and if there was one thing Wednesday liked, it was solitude.

            She could come out of her dorm with her typewriter to work on her novel without being bothered. She finished her work for the day, packed away her typewriter, and walked towards the library to pick out a book to read.

            Wednesday paused as she passed a hallway full of empty classrooms. Sounds echoed out from within, music and singing with a mysterious tune. Wednesday wasn’t someone to not investigate, so she walked down the corridor and arrived at a classroom. She looked in and saw the projector turned on and playing an animated movie. The character on screen sang dramatically, the sound reverberating through the silent school.

“Our son will be married, According to plan.”

            Wednesday glanced between the unique animation and looked at the desks at the front of the room. She was a bit surprised to see (Y/N) alone. They were leaning on their hands while watching the movie.

            “(Y/N)?” said Wednesday.

            (Y/N) started and turned. They smiled when they noticed who it was. “Oh, hi, Wednesday!” They reached over and paused the movie. “How are you?”

            “I thought everyone had gone out for the holiday,” said Wednesday.

            (Y/N) shrugged. “All of my friends had dates.”

            “I do not,” said Wednesday.

            “We’re friends?” said (Y/N) teasingly.

            “By the typical definition, I suppose,” said Wednesday, but she knew that they were. And, of course, she had a crush on (Y/N), but that was neither here nor there (another lie).

            (Y/N) grinned. “Whatever you say!” They tilted their head. “What are you up to today while everyone else is out?”

            “I worked on my novel,” said Wednesday, walking farther down in the room to the row of desks (Y/N) sat out.

            “That’s cool. I just slept in, wrote a few melancholy poems about love—very ‘tragic poet’ of me, I know—and came in here to watch a movie,” said (Y/N). “Do you want to join me? If you’re not going to do anything.”

            “I had planned to read,” said Wednesday.

            “Oh, well, then, have fun,” said (Y/N), a little (lot) disappointed that Wednesday didn’t want to hang out. They knew their crush wasn’t exactly a people-person in any sense of the word, but they had hoped maybe she’d want to spend time with them since they were both alone and friends.

            “…How long is this movie?” said Wednesday.

            (Y/N) brightened. “A little over an hour.”

            Wednesday pretended to consider, but she already knew she was going to stay. (Y/N)’s companionship was nice, and a nice moment alone with her crush would be…pleasant since usually Wednesday was also around other people.

            “I will still have time to read,” decided Wednesday. “I’ll stay.” She sat down at the desk next to (Y/N). “What are we watching?”

            “Corpse Bride,” said (Y/N). “It’s a fun Tim Burton musical. It’s on the spooky side. My mom and I watched it a lot growing up.”

            “Is it a love story?” asked Wednesday.

            “Yeah, but it’s got ghosts and murder and mystery, so you’ll enjoy it, too,” said (Y/N).

            “You chose something you thought I would enjoy?” said Wednesday, not missing anything.

            (Y/N)’s cheeks warmed, and they chuckled nervously. “Well, you know, I knew you’d be in Nevermore, so I thought I’d choose something you’d enjoy in case you came in.”

            Wednesday felt the now-familiar—but still disturbing—warmth enter her chest at (Y/N)’s consideration. “That’s…unusual.”

            “To think of my friend?” (Y/N) laughed. “You need to get more friends, Wednesday.”

            “I don’t have an affinity for people,” said Wednesday.

            “Neither do I,” said (Y/N), shrugging. “I guess we make sense together, then. Two people not great with others but okay with each other.”

            Wednesday allowed herself a smile. “I suppose so.” She steeled her features and faced the screen. “Now, how much have I missed?”

            “Oh, not much! The movie just started. Basically, what you need to know is…” (Y/N) began to ramble.

            Wednesday had to fight not to stare at them as they spoke so passionately and happily. It was pleasant to watch them be so happy and bright. Wednesday knew they were right: she and (Y/N) worked well together. They understood each other well, and Wednesday liked that (Y/N) was her friend. And it was nice to know they felt the same way.

            It was amusing that neither knew they felt the same in another way.

Taglist:

@strawberriesareprettycool

@im-making-an-effort

@champagnewitnocham

@simpcreator

@ksunoosworld

@dot-and-co

@genderfluid-anime-goth

@itsyapeepkiri

@daza1s-w1fe

@tired-writing-reader

@mary-jinx

@ognenniyvolk

@under-kitty

@colezb

@simp4natasha

@emily-roberts

@left-and-right-up-and-down

@star583

@rainbow-love4ever

@nemtodd-barnes1923

@likefirenrain

@ziro-the-null-god

@youralphawolf72

@mjoiner1136

@alexkolax

[rainbowsky]

Hi rainbowsky! I'm a new-ish (autumn 2023) Yizhan fan - it's been so much fun to explore and read everything available, your blog included! I really enjoy your opinions and insights. I have a question and a request. Question: When CQL first started airing, what were people saying about the relationship between WWX and LZ in the show, and about the actors playing them? Did the CP start right away? Request: Then later on, when the BTS started appearing (when was that - after the show finished airing, right?), what were people saying about the real interactions between the two actors? Were people shocked? Amazed? Even more curious? I can imagine social media was on fire! But I'd like to hear from someone who "lived" through it in real time. Please give me a description of what it was like - especially what your thoughts and feeling were as you saw it happening. I wish I could have been there! Thank you!

Hi Blbrave! Thanks so much, I'm glad you're enjoying my blog!

This is all a very, very long time ago, but I'll do my best to share what I can remember.

Actually, the CP started before the show began airing. The supertopics were opened during filming in 2018. I think this was inevitable, given that the series is based on a BL story. Of course fans of the novel will go into all of this with an eye toward the two characters and, by extension, GG and DD.

Similarly, as the show was airing of course there were a large number of viewers who knew it was a BL and viewed it as a BL at that time, even though it was being billed as a martial brotherhood series. There was a lot of analysis from fans trying to spot various ways that the production team managed to get around censorship and signal the queer romance between WWX and LWJ.

Others have done far better, more comprehensive analysis of all that than I could ever do, but it's so long ago I don't know where those posts might have gone. Some of this was discussed in my post about queerbaiting, so you can look there for more info.

As I said in that post, one of their smartest ways of highlighting the queer relationship was to downplay romance between the straight characters. We never see a straight couple doing something that we don’t also see LWJ and WWX doing. Yanli's wedding happens off camera, yet we see LWJ and WWX do their bows on camera. There’s never a kiss or any kind of PDA between straight characters, yet we see LWJ and WWX in each other’s arms throughout the series.

We got a gay kiss:

We got gay sex:

There was also the headband repeatedly being described as the domain of only family and spouses, and the various ways they connected it with WWX. WWX grabbing it when he was possessing the paperman, and also at one point being tied to LWJ by the wrist with the headband - all of this signalling that WWX was a spousal figure for LWJ.

There was the drunk scene with LWJ giving WWX chickens (a wedding tradition in China).

And many more examples I won't get into.

There were many of those types of things in the series, and they were discussed enthusiastically at the time. However, I don't think there were many bystanders who made those connections. It was primarily fans of the books/show (i.e. those who appreciated it as a BL story and not as a bromance/friendship story) who saw and discussed those hints.

I know the idea that anyone could be so oblivious to the gay subtext throughout the story that they miss the queerness entirely is hard to get one's head around, but straight viewers usually just see WWX and LWJ as best friends and sworn martial brothers. The show could never have been made or aired if that wasn't the case.

In fact, newer fans might not be aware that there was a lot of controversy during filming because of leaked early attempts to create a straight romance between Wei Wuxian and Wen Qing. Some relationship-building scenes between them were filmed, and at one point in the BTS GG is heard complaining about the straight romance and saying that all those scenes should be deleted.

In the production team's defense, there was doubt at the time about whether the show could air given its source material as a BL novel. They likely had investors and backers pressuring them to make sure that the story was unambiguously straight.

Fans of the novel made a massive uproar about it, threatening to boycott the series. The backlash was so extreme that it became a bigger threat to the success of the show, and the straight romance was killed. We all owe a lot to those agitators! 😅

The BTS

The BTS clips were first discussed in an Untamed press conference (that section of the interview starts at around 36:30). The producer said that in the future some of the behind-the-scenes moments would be shared. GG and DD exchanged a glance and looked extremely uncomfortable with it.

A lot of turtles find that clip funny, and laugh about what GG and DD might 'have to hide', but I have never understood how fans can find GG and DD's discomfort funny.

It might surprise some newer turtles to hear that there were moments where GG and DD appeared to be uncomfortable with the BTS, but there were.

Another moment happened in an interview where GG and DD were asked to explain a BTS scene of the two of them in the boat, where GG is lying in DD's lap. DD turns to the interviewer with a shocked and displeased look on his face and says, "They released this?"

There were other moments as well, but I haven't kept a comprehensive record of all that. This happened long before I clued in on how quickly clips can disappear in this fandom.

I believe that it is totally normal to have mixed feelings about the BTS, and I believe GG and DD are no exception to that. No doubt they enjoy some of the clips and feel uncomfortable about some of them, just like many turtles (myself included).

There were official BTS clips released during promo, but the unofficial BTS clips didn't come until later. I talked in more detail about the unofficial BTS and how they came to be released here.

The unofficial clips began being released by fansites in the fall of 2020. It would be hard to overstate how different the atmosphere around them was to what it is now. Now it's quite common to find BTS clips all over the place, both in C-social media and on international sites like YouTube and Instagram.

However, back in 2020 they were extremely hard to get ahold of, and sharing them outside of where they were initially released was strictly forbidden and frowned upon by fans. In fact, if you dig back through my 2020 posts I'm sure you'll find many posts where I admonish people not to share the BTS clips, and where I bitch about people sharing them without authorization. I also answered a lot of asks about these issues at the time (just one example).

Times have changed a lot, and now everyone is sharing them all very freely without any concerns.

The situation was a lot different back then:

GG and DD had gained a tremendous amount of popularity from the show, but their reputations and careers were not yet fully established and secure.

227 was still an active concern that was still making news and still impacting GG's life directly. He had not yet recovered from any of it and was still mostly lying low. He was constantly being attacked and antis were constantly out to get him.

The Untamed was still fresh and current, and being discussed regularly in the media. Because filming was still fairly recent, what happened during filming would still run the risk of impacting GG and DD's lives and careers.

Fans were coming under very close scrutiny because of 227 and other fandom-related scandals. The government was starting to crack down heavily on fandom culture.

This was all uncharted territory. No one knew how the BTS might be received, or how it might impact GG and DD. Fans were very freaked out about the possibility of anything compromising getting leaked and harming the boys.

No doubt fansites were also worried about how fans might respond to some of the releases, and wanted to ensure they didn't upset or anger fans, or stir up more excitement than could be safely contained within the fandom.

All of this contributed to a climate of extreme caution and secrecy around the release of BTS clips.

We never knew when one might be released, and when they were released they were typically only put online for a few minutes, then deleted. This was all done in an effort to limit the exposure of these clips primarily to turtles who have GGDD's best interests in mind.

The clips were heavily watermarked and overlaid with visual and audio curses that 'reuploaders must die!' ('banyun biss', which I'm sure most of you have encountered in some of the clips you've seen).

Early clips were heavily watermarked.

Those who missed out were out of luck. It was extremely socially unacceptable to re-share clips once they'd been deleted. Those who missed out would have to rely on recaps and transcripts from those who had seen the clips. Fans took to staying up all hours watching and waiting for a release.

Back in those days people tried to save every clip they could, hoarding them greedily. Turtles' phones were filling up with large video files. It's funny to think about now, because the clips are everywhere and so easy to find these days, but back then it was a whole Thing.

The initial releases were sporadic and quite tame as fansites dipped their toes in the water of how all this would be received. Gradually over time clips became more frequent and stayed up longer, and some of the more salacious stuff began being released. Those clips were often accompanied by hilarious intro images.

(For those who don't get it, it's the PornHub logo).

Of course all of the clips were heavily discussed as they came out, and a clearer picture of GG and DD's relationship and of their experience of filming began to take shape over time. Some of the fake rumors (such as the 49 fake candies and the CPN that GG designed a racing suit for DD) were gradually proved to be true as these clips were released. However, that was mostly confined to fandom circles.

There were occasionally times when these clips or their content would cross over into the mainstream and start trending on Weibo. In many of those cases, the hotsearches would be bought and pushed by antis of GG and DD who want to see them cancelled. At those times turtles would jump into action to wash those topics and replace them with mundane, unrelated content.

There were fan theories and fake rumors about GG and DD's reaction to the clips. Sometimes when new clips were released GG and DD would be seen online and turtles assumed they were watching them. Of course, considering the clips featured them, it's highly likely that they did eagerly await releases just like the rest of us.

I suspect that it was likely a mixed bag for them. Some clips might have really stressed them out either upon initial release or after reactions began to emerge, while others likely made them laugh and feel nostalgic about filming.

A large percentage of BXG light banners and slogans came directly out of the BTS, some of which you can see GG and DD discussing in LRLG rumors.

Dumplings, rice noodles, 3+2 biscuits (cr @knivescharade in this post), discussed in this LRLG rumor.

There were definitely a few scandals and close calls that came out of the unofficial BTS, and solos and antis frequently tried to use them against GG and DD and tried to spin negative narratives about their relationship using disingenuous takes and edits of them (they still do to this day).

For example, the clip where GG tells DD that he prefers a natural look to idol makeup was used against GG at the time, and antis tried to make it seem like GG was homophobic and that GG was against men wearing makeup. Some of the clips where they were playfighting or bickering were used to try to create a narrative that they hated each other. That kind of thing.

BTS and fan service

One of the most common questions I've gotten about the BTS - and I still often get this question - is, "Aren't the BTS just acted out/scripted as fan service to promote the show?"

There are a few reasons people have this question in their minds.

Solos #1 narrative about GGDD is that their CP was just for the show and the BTS was all fan service, and nothing about their relationship is real. They push this claim very aggressively on social media anytime GGDD or The Untamed is discussed, and new fans will almost always encounter those claims in this way.

CP fan service is a normal part of how dramas are promoted, so people familiar with Asian dramas will often immediately jump to that assumption about GG and DD and about the BTS.

Heteronormativity leads many people to immediately dismiss the possibility of a gay relationship, which leads them to try to come up with other explanations for those clips.

People naturally have a hard time believing what they're seeing with some of those clips. Some of it is pretty jaw-dropping and it's understandable that some people will be skeptical.

However, there are a lot of really good reasons why these clips are obviously not fan service.

For one thing, the show was billed as a martial brotherhood, not as a romance. Some of the official BTS clearly did try to appeal to CP and MDZS fans and could be counted as fan service, but those weren't even the ones BXG are most excited about. (There is a playlist of some of the official BTS clips here).

The most exciting stuff was never released during promo, and almost none of it is overtly romantic. A lot of it is really crude and totally unreleasable as promo. GG and DD are lewd, crude and often rude in ways that only two people who are really close could ever get away with. In many cases it's the casual way GG and DD constantly cross polite social boundaries with each other that shows their intimacy, rather than anything overtly sweet or romantic.

A lot of it is also totally incomprehensible to regular audiences. You have to be a turtle digging deeply into GGDD to understand the significance of most of it. For example the way GG took care of DD on his birthday, or the way DD constantly bargained and haggled with GG to get him to eat more.

Most importantly, if it was all fan service then why did GG and DD never do any joint CP endorsements? The entire point of doing that type of fan service is to make a buck. Other drama CP - including BL - do this all the time.

And it doesn't make sense that a production that was as low budget as The Untamed could afford to have the two lead actors learn a whole second set of lines and do a whole second performance that never ended up getting released.

And of course, none of that explains why the bulk of the BTS clips ended up in the hands of fans and released years after the show finished airing. A lot of it still has never been released to this day.

I've often joked that if the BTS were scripted they were far more complex, more melodramatic and better written than the drama itself. You just can't come up with this stuff in a writer's room. 😅

Anyway, this post got a bit long but hopefully it gives you a bit more of a picture of what it was all like at the time. Sorry, I guess I didn't talk much about my own feelings/reactions, but hopefully you can get somewhat of a sense.

Overall it was exciting, but I also had some deep reservations about it all (and got a lot of hate mail for voicing those feelings, too). Keep in mind this wasn't long after 227, so I think it's understandable that I was feeling very wary about everything.

But that's all water under the bridge now. It's been many years, and if the BTS were going to harm GGDD it would have already happened. I think it's all pretty safe territory now.

Edit: some more of my thoughts and feelings at the time:

One of the most exciting things for me about the BTS clips was seeing so many of the fake rumors being proved true. There were a lot of rumors (including the 49 fake candies) that I totally scoffed at when I first heard about them, only to later find via the BTS clips that I had been totally wrong about them and that these things had actually happened, and even crazier things were gradually revealed.

Things were changing pretty rapidly for a while there now that I think about it.

Learning more about their relationship and seeing just how much they looked out for each other was another big one for me. Also the timeline. The BTS really reinforced my belief in The Devil's Timeline (the belief that they got together prior to filming).

But overall that was a very different time in the fandom as well. There were always so many candies coming out, not just BTS clips but things that came out of GG and DD's activities and social media posts. It was a really really busy time in the fandom.

Since then there has been a government crackdown on fandom culture, on the entertainment industry, on LGBTQ etc. in China, plus DD's split with Nike and him having to delete a lot of his GG candy posts from his Weibo account.

Things are so different now, and unfortunately a lot of it for the worse. Being a turtle is not always easy, and I'm sure being GG and DD can't always be easy either. We make it work, but I do sometimes look back wistfully on the freer, more exciting times in the fandom.

More such times could come in the future. We just have to keep moving forward and hope for the best.

Somewhat related: I did a semi-comprehensive post about GG and DD's reaction to turtles here.

[withlove-xixi]

There's a serious lack of Marcille fics out there, so what are your thoughts on her with a beastman reader? Maybe a wolf one to contrast Izutsumi

Girl is always getting injured, so now she has someone strong as a bodyguard, plus someone warm to cuddle at night

And as a bonus, it would make for so many fun moments. Like with the doppelganger, maybe Marcille's version of them highlights the things she likes! They'd maybe look extra handsome/dashing like Senshi, or just be so alike because of her observing them. Cue them instantly starting to howl and engage hunting mode when Laios starts howling and barking at the doppelganger tho

Much protectiveness and mutual longing, so much potential

— MARCILLE THOUGHTS: marcille x beastkin!reader

ᥫ cw: none ★ I LOVE THIS IDEA SO MUCH!@?#! you're right ... theres too little marcille fics (or fics for the female characters in general me thinks _:(´□`」 ∠):_)

for as long as she can remember, marcille always wanted a dog, you were ... close enough.

at first she was a bit intimidated, those sharp fangs paired with such a piecing gaze ... everyone would be intimidated. your canine-like features had made you look unapproachable and scary, like you were ready ro hunt down prey; claws looked like they should be covered in blood, teeth looked ready to tear into flesh.

but oh, marcille very quickly learned you were just a little puppy.

she loves scratching the back of your ears and playing with them. like she'd gently blow against them to watch them twitch, then she'd giggle and repeat the process over and over until you have to stop her.

i think she's very protective of you, just as much as you are protective of her. she's always first to defend you when people mock you or try to pick fights with you, always first to offer healing you too (she's a jealous girl after all).

marcille, at all costs, keeps you as far away from laios as possible too (he pulled your tail once and never again would she let that happen). but really she's no better than him because she cant help but be curious about your wolfish nature, playing with your ears or combing your tail.

so her protectiveness and her curiousity combined makes her ... very clingy. it was like she was the dog on a leash. she's always holding your hand (paw?) or holding onto your arm, anything to keep you by her side. she sleeps closer to you too, though i think she doesnt like it when it gets hot and she ends up rolling around a lot. but when she sleeps, she's usually got your tail in her hands, just gently holding onto it or smoothing over the fur in her sleep.

sometimes it really feels like she got the dog she always wanted lol! it was proven when the party had encountered the shapeshifter and there was distinctly a very cutesy looking puppy-like version of you compared to the other more beasty ones. (marcille had immediately blushed when she saw it lol)

her favorite part of you has to be your tail tho. she has difficulty not giggling whenever it swishes around or whenever it wags when youre happy. despite it not being entire intentional, your body language through your tail was a nice subtle way for marcille to get reassurance on things, to know if youre happy or scared or anxious. it was nice, and shes certain you haven't even realized she was doing it lol.

marcille also loves your strength and agility. it makes her a bit flustered whenever you swiftly rush to her side to protect her or carry her with such ease. you were like those princes she's grew up reading in those silly romance novels she loves. and she loves being your princess so to say, being carried around or rescued (tho i doubt she'd ever admit it, too embarrassed and prideful to lol)

i think too marcille would try to break off your curse if you wanted to. or even if you didn't she'd be trying to. as much as she loves your canine side, part of her is a bit worried about the magic surrounding it. if you told her not to, she'd stop. and really, she'd never try anything without your permission, but it was a nice motivation for her to continue her research on ancient magic.

also .. i like to think she's tried to share sweet with you like a chocolate cake and im sure she had immediately panicked about it after, trying to pry your mouth open or get you to spit it out because chocolate is bad for dogs and oh my god, did she just kill you, oh my god, oh my god, were you going to die? spit that out right now!

i think too when they first entered the golden kingdom, you became very very dog-like, similar to what happened to izutsumi. and, man, marcille was having a field day. while she found the implications a bit strange, she couldn't outright refuse you when you brought her a large stick to play fetch with. embarrassed and a bit excited, she'd play with you in the fields of the kingdom. that and trying to get you and izutsumi to get along better lmao.

[chronicmisfit]

Hello!! May I have some fish 'n chips with a vanilla almond latte? I would like both whipped cream and no whipped cream but I wouldn't want to trouble you to all that. Thanks ♡!

It's no trouble anon! It was actually a fun challenge including platonic and romantic parts in the headcanons.

For this soulmate AU I went with the concept of meeting in dreams, because I had an idea on that being platonic which I'll explain in a moment.

Also I kinda got lost in the sauce halfway through and started going into the soulmate AU while forgetting to fluff, I'm sorry

Order: Platonic AND Romantic Villains with Fluff and Soulmate AU

Soulmate AU: Meet in a dream - Soul bonds can exist between people and cause them to meet in dreams every time they are asleep at the same time after they are both Adults. The connection between the two people can be either platonic or romantic.

When Kate and William first met in a dream, she was confused

William, however, had heard of soul bonds and explained it to her

She was relieved to hear that she’s not necessarily destined for romance with a stranger

She tries to ask about him

But he always turns the conversation to her

He encourages her to do as she pleases

If they decide to just be friends:

William will let her fly away like a free robin

Of course, he will always help her if she needs

If they decide to date

William and Her will be open with their love

And free with their desires

When Kate and Liam first met in a dream, they both were confused

The next time they met they both excitedly told each other about Soul Bonds

Then laughed because they did the same thing

They usually always talk and have fun in their dreams

Sometimes Liam mentions a curiosity that is dangerous

After that Kate starts to encourage Liam to talk to her more about what he thinks of

If she decides to just be friends with him:

She will continue to play therapist

But if it gets too bad, then she will beg Alfons for help

If they start dating

Kate will become the sole focus of Liam’s curiosity

Which is a lot healthier for Liam’s safety

When Kate and Harrison first met in a dream, Harrison convinced Kate that he wasn’t even real

Harrison knows what soul bonds are

He read a Mystery Novel that mentioned them

But his tragic fate looms in the back of his mind

He doesn’t want to find out how she would grow to not trust him

Once she finds out he’s real, she asks him why he lied to her

And he lies again

But by this point she became a lot better at guessing which of his statements are lies

If she fell in love with him, she calls him out on the lie this time

Calling him out results in her being opened up to the world of Crown

If she just wants to be friends, she lets him lie

They’ll still meet up as friends, but she can tell he is hiding something

When Kate and Elbert first met in a dream, Elbert was confused

This time Kate knows what soul bonds are

She explains the concept to Elbert

But he’s honestly still confused

He asks Alfons if the girl in his dream is beautiful

‘I’ve never seen her… but I imagine a figment of your imagination is only as beautiful as you can imagine.’

Alfons did not help

Elbert only realizes what Kate was trying to explain when he finds out she’s real

He decides she is beautiful, and attempts to steal her away

If she fell for him, she convinces him not to lock her up

If not, Alfons convinces him not to lock her up

Either way, they spend a lot of time together

When Kate and Alfons first met in a dream, Alfons pretended to be a figment of her imagination

Together they explored Kate’s imagination

It became a way for Kate to escape the harsh reality of the world

Just what Alfons was hoping for

Once Kate and Alfons met, Kate become confused

Alfons pretended not to know her in order to preserve her dignity

After what they did in the dreams, Alfons believes that Kate wouldn’t want him to know about it

It takes a week for Kate to learn about soul bonds

And she immediately questions Alfons, mad at him for fooling her

If she wants romance, she continues to question him over a week’s time until he finally gives in

If she wants friendship, she relents and allows him to be her escape from reality

When Kate and Roger first met in a dream, Roger told her about the concept of soul bonds

The world in their dream appeared as a bar

So, Roger and Kate would drink and talk whenever they met

Roger is a flirt, so half of their dreams are spent with him woo’ing her

If she’s not interested in romance she politely shuts him down

Once they meet, Kate has been exposed to Crown

She decides to help him with his research of the curses

Roger is still a flirt in reality

This either results in her shutting him down again

Or they begin dating

If he’s shut down, then Kate and Roger just become drinking buddies

When Kate and Jude first met in a dream, Jude was annoyed

Jude knows what soul bonds are

But he never really believed in soulmates so he hates that he has one

For a while they never even talk in the dream

Kate eventually wears him down

Jude is actually the one who falls in love first

Because he’s acting ruder than normal to try to push Kate away

He doesn’t want her wrapped up in the darkness of the world

So, as he falls in love he gets meaner.

When they meet, she tells on him to Ellis

Ellis and Kate together wear Jude down more

If Kate and Jude start dating, he’s only a little nicer to her than other people

But he also teases her a lot

If they don’t start dating, she basically becomes a guinea pig for some products that pass through his company

When Kate and Ellis first met in a dream, they both were excited

Both of them know what soul bonds are

Ellis at first just wants to make her happy like he does for everyone

Kate at some point begins to wonder why they only do what she wants when they dream about each other

Ellis avoids the questions when Kate asks

He does his Ellis thing to get the topic back on what would make Kate happy

It takes meeting Crown and talking to Roger for Kate to figure things out

Roger tells her about the curse of the Briar Thorns and what he knows about Ellis specifically

The new information is immediately used to try to get through to Kate

If Kate is in love with Ellis, she takes the time to get through to Ellis

And he will be more selfish with what he wants

Both of them are very happy

If she isn’t in love with Ellis, they stay friends

But she doesn’t truly get through to him

When Kate and Victor met in a dream, Kate had to explain what a soul bond is

Victor didn’t know, but now that he does he is excited

After he was told that the relationship doesn’t have to be romantic

Victor realized, from that, that the soul bond doesn’t necessarily mean that Kate has to be engulfed into his darkness

As long as he is careful, this soul bond thing will be very fun

Kate enjoys seeing Victor’s magic tricks

And Victor enjoys talking to Kate

Once Kate and Victor fall for each other

Kate has to convince Victor that she’s fine with seeing the darkness in his life

And Victor becomes selfish

As much as he wants her to not be swallowed up by his fate, he doesn’t want to let her go.

If they stay friends, then Victor will be like a mother hen to her

Just like with the other Crown Members

Masterlist

[seangelfish]

buster bros with a younger sister.. you,, SHAKES YOU !! sobbing it was so so cute !! i love how you interpretated it and how each bro had a different relationship w/ her !! it was very heartwarming aughhuhuuhhh

so,, im back to request more yippee !! could i request ichiro dating someone ? what would their relationship be like, how would his brothers react and most importantly would they approve,,

sorry if this is too much i just love buster bros a completely normal amount,,

A/N: I'm so glad you liked it as I had so much fun writing it! And of course, I'm loving the Ichiro requests from you haha~ I am SO sorry this took so long, but I hope you will also like this one too! (´꒳`)♡

Relationship headcanons

Ichiro Yamada x reader ♡ Genres/types: Fluff, headcanons, established relationship, she/her pronouns, not proofread! ♡ Word count: 854 ♡ Synopsis: Headcanons of what Ichiro is like in a relationship and how his brothers react to it.

– Ichiro would be the best lover you could ever ask for. He's so attentive and loving that it melts your heart. He knows every little thing about you that you were sure he wouldn't remember, so it would always be a sweet surprise when he'd gift you your favourite snack or drink.

– Despite how busy he is, you're always on his mind. Whenever he thinks about you, a smile never fails to creep up on his face. He's always hoping that your day goes the way you want it to, but if it doesn't, he'll always be there to cheer you up!

– His love language would definitely be acts of service. If you want something done, he'll do it in seconds. If you can't or don't have the motivation to run your usual errands, he'll do it for you instead. If you're an anxious and shy individual, he'll be your voice. He won't even mind it if you can't speak up for yourself because he'll do it for you.

– He'll be there to stand up for you if you aren't able to. He'll even be mad at your behalf if something or someone hurts you. Because of this, the person who has done you wrong will apologise immediately.

"Ichiro, you don't need to do that, it's fine..."

"No, it's not. They can't say that to you and get away with it!"

– Therefore, a relationship with Ichiro would be an ideal one. He's dependent and reliable, and is always emotionally and physically supportive. You don't need to tell him what to do because he just knows what you'd like for him to do. But of course, he'd like for you to communicate the things you like too.

– It's comfortable and safe with Ichiro. You know you can depend on him and he enjoys taking care of you too. It's probably because of his brotherly instincts, but his love for you is a lot different than his love for his brothers. He loves you with his whole heart and he isn't afraid to show it... only after getting comfortable in the relationship though.

– When he first had a crush on you, Ichiro was extremely bashful. He couldn't help it though. You were just so amazing and pretty. His eyes would light up every time he saw you. But he tried being subtle about it. His confession was kind of subtle too, but it was cute and romantic - just like the romance novels he reads.

He had brought you to a place where you could see the stars in the skies clearly, how beautiful they sparkled from where you stood.

You were in awe of how they looked. "Wow, the night sky is so pretty from up here!" you exclaim.

"Mhmm," Ichiro agrees. "This is how I see you too."

– The two of you would definitely watch anime together. You would give him recommendations of your favourite ones and he would immediately watch them. He loves all your suggestions and always asks for more.

– In addition, you would read manga with him too - sometimes together or just separately - but when you read together, he likes it when the two of you lay on your fronts as he holds the manga for you.

– You would cook together too. It feels like you're already married considering you take care of his younger brothers as well. After all, they're kids, so you treat them with love and care, cooking them meals and eating together like a family too.

– However, when you first met his brothers, they didn't seem to like you. You knew why as their reasons were obvious. They were so possessive of Ichiro, fully believing you were going to take him away from them. It was hilariously cute, but you had to reassure them with actions that wasn't your intention.

– You find their love for Ichiro really sweet, so you try befriending them. However, since they were so hard to get, Ichiro had to tell them to be nicer to you.

– Gradually, they start warming up to you. Jiro probably warms up to you first before Saburo does. They realise how much you care about their big bro and how much you care about them too. They always feel fluffy whenever they talk to you since you're so attentive and kind.

– Therefore, when they finally do approve of the relationship, they start wanting to hang out with you too. They think of you as their older sister or even a mother with the way you act. They love having you around, so it feels kind of empty whenever you're not there. When you were gone for almost two weeks due to work, they're the ones who miss you more than Ichiro does.

– Ultimately, being in a relationship with Ichiro is warm and loving. There's never a dull day being in the Yamada household either. It becomes a second home to you where you never want to leave as it's so comforting and full of life.

– And perhaps one day, this life will become a permanent one, where you get to stay with Ichiro forever alongside his brothers too.

Intro page | Hypnosis Mic masterlist | Requests rules

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

i think you're onto something with the romance novels world and plot points needing to mirror the kind of outlandishness of the love story. bc the main characters are already inherently acting absurd just by falling madly in love in a month or whatever and then if you add in the contrivances of romance tropes, it starts to feel like whiplash trying to pretend the characters live in any sort of grounded "normal" world. Like when the author adds in a family conflict subplot where the MC is like in absolute shambles because her mom said something slightly passive aggressive at lunch. that reads as more jarring to me than like conflict being something ridiculous that her mom doesn't want her being a marine biologist bc they come from a long line of fishmongers. Give me absurd drama to match the over the top dialogue and character emotions, I knew it would be unrealistic it's a romance novel! I guess this applies more to romcoms, but the same would apply I think to an analogous serious scenario. Or at least that's my take on it

okay so having just finished genuinely the most boring romance novel I have ever read in my LIFE I'm going to expand on this a little so thank you for sending an ask that gives me such a great platform to do that

I personally generally prefer a romance that just gets fucking silly with it, like really outlandish. A Lady for the Duke (Alexis Hall) is obviously the dream, being a whole swoony historical trans-affirming fantasy, but contemporary fake relationship stories can also be fun in their sheer ridiculousness, like Love, Hate, and Clickbait (Liz Bowery), which I actually liked, and Unfortunately Yours (Tessa Bailey), which I did not like but was very funny. and let's not forget queen Helen Hoang's Bride Test, which has a premise that dances perilously close to human trafficking but all works out in the end!!!

BUT HAVING SAID THAT. I don't think that something needs to be totally implausible to be a good romance. two of my very favorites romance novels anywhere ever are Helen Hoang's Heart Principle (no one should be surprised Hoang is on her twice I adore her) and Akwaeke Emezi's You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty. both of these books are very grounded in reality but with very uncommon situations to heighten emotions and add urgency; in Hoang's case it's a character's adult autism diagnosis + death of a parent and in Emezi's case it's a very sudden and #problematic attraction coming out of absolutely nowhere. the stakes are very real, mostly centering around being true to yourself v disappointing your family, but the circumstances are still wild enough to make you say "god DAMN" and keep turning pages. hell, I'll even be extremely generous and include Mistakes Were Made (Meryl Wilsner) which is kind of a flop but does have the intriguing premise of "what if you were fucking a milf but her kid was YOUR BEST FRIEND and it was a secret?"

those are like the two sweet spots TO ME, and this book I just read (which was Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz, I feel so bad putting it on blast but I know people are going to ask) really solidified it for me because TYFS didn't fall into either of those categories. I'm going to say something absolutely insane, which is that multiple times while I was reading it I found myself wishing that the book was fanfic, because on its own it just... didn't bring a lot to the table? it falls into the grounded category but doesn't really bring any of those heightened stakes to the story, it's just 330 pages of people in their late twenties complaining about dating and their office jobs. if I wanted that I could just ask my group chat! there's nothing particularly particularly gripping about watching made up strangers do it!

but then I was like oh hang on... if this was two fictional characters who are usually fighting with swords or throwing cars at each other or something this would be so gripping. it's literally the coffee shop AU principle, right? like seeing people in a very mundane setting having an office job and going to a bar is very shrimpteresting when they're normally defusing space bombs. I was explaining this to my housemates and I couldn't think of a straight couple to apply it to (the book is m/f) so I said Naruto and Sasuke, which is crazy because I've never seen a single episode of Naruto, but like. idk Naruto being a museum curator who has to work with Sasuke, a marketing specialist who he had beef with a summer camp 14 years ago, sounds kind of compelling, right? definitely more than just two people I don't know.

there's a post on here that I think about a lot that talks about why advertising a story with tropes doesn't work for original fiction as well as it does for fan fic because knowing the tropes is more helpful when you already have a sense of investment in the characters and their personalities, and I think this is related to that! I think sometimes you NEED to have a wider sense of scope for the characters for them to be interesting in a very mundane setting!

ANYWAY. much to consider, etc.

[spaceorphan18]

Ranking the Bridgerton Books

Well. I have finished all eight novels in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series (yes - I know there are a bunch of spin-offs, and that's great -- I have no desire to read those.) And of course, I have thoughts...

Before I jump into the rankings, though, I a few overall thoughts... I liked the series much more than I thought I would. Look, I'm rarely a romance reader, and really have no desire to read most historical fiction. But these books aren't as bad as I feared they would be. They're fun and light and you could probably read them all over the course of a week if you were dedicated to it. I don't know that there's anything (to me) that makes them really stand out, but other than being rather dated, and depicting some historical-ish things, I don't think there is anything too offensive about them, either.

I also... don't love Julia Quinn's writing style. These books -- are literally all the same structure of book. Some of the plot details, and the character tropes are different. But if you read one, you've read all of them, so you either have to get on board with that, or not. I also have to quibbles with the writing -- first of all, the men, omg, are usually pretty terrible. Most of the time they're prone to anger and they're just kind of asshats all the way around. The second thing is a writer-y thing. Quinn lets a scene go on and on and on for way too long without really doing anything, which caused the books to drag a bit. These books could have worked at half length, but ah well.

I think also, one thing that I wrestled with throughout, is that I think my favorite aspect of all the books -- was more about the Bridgertons as a family, and sibling dynamics, etc, than the actual romances. I don't know if any of the actual romances really worked for me, ultimately. None of them moved me emotionally the way I think they were supposed to. And that's fine. (No, I don't have a heart of stone - I just relate to romance stories in a different way than these books are presented, I suppose.) Idk - this thought may get another post.

That all said... The thing about ranking these is this -- all of it is incredibly subjective. Because I think the fact that they all use such different tropes, everyone is going to feel differently towards each book? And some things are going to resonate with certain people, while other people are going to enjoy aspects of other books? So - this is just tuned into my own tastes, and less about looking at how the books were written (because, honestly -- I'd rate them pretty much all at the same level) and more about how I felt when reading them.

8. When He Was Wicked (Francesca and Michael)

I know, I know, I know I'm starting off with a controversial choice. When I was looking into the books, there were so many people who put this near and at the top. And I do get it -- this might be the most solid love story of the bunch; Michael is one of the best leads in that he is the least problematic, this book definitely has the spiciest smutty scenes, and their arc to each other probably makes the most sense.

But my god, did I find this book utterly boring. Here's the thing -- a lot of this book is tied up with death, grieving, hurt, and comfort. There's a lot of tragedy in Francesca's story -- and I these kind of thematic elements resonate with a lot of readers, and I get that! It's just not for me. They aren't the tropes I seek out when reading romance, and I didn't find myself caring all that much.

Add to that the fact that Francesca probably has the least connection to her family, and Michael's yearning just doesn't do it for me as it does other people, and this book just doesn't work (for me). So, it's at the bottom.

7. The Duke and I (Daphne and Simon)

I was actually pleasantly surprised when I read the book that I didn't hate it, because (and I'm so sorry) I don't really love their romance on the screen. With the exception of the incredibly problematic moments (you know which ones...) this book is by no means bad. I just found it, like When He Was Wicked, a bit boring at times. (I don't think it helps that I've seen the show enough times that I know the plot pretty well, and this book is adapted rather well for the show.)

My biggest issue is that Daphne is a rather blank slate -- ready for you to fill her in with your own experiences because she is almost a stand in for the reader more so than an actual character. And Simon is going to kick off a long line of male characters who have daddy and anger issues. But it also is the book that feels the most historical? I felt like we were in Regency England -- as opposed to pretty much all the rest of them feeling like generically historical.

Again, it's decently written for what it is, just feels a bit bland, which is why it's near the bottom.

6. To Sir Phillip, With Love (Eloise and Phillip)

I honestly expected to hate this book based on its reputation for being at the bottom or nearly at the bottom of every rankings list I sought out before I jumped into these. And... I didn't hate it. Is it the worst written one? Probably. Is Phillip Crane just a terrible person? Oh, absolutely. Is it hard to go to this Eloise after loving show Eloise so dearly? You bet!

But I didn't hate it -- and, even if there are definitely elements that are truly terrible, it kept me more engaged than the previous two books. I read somewhere recently that this book is also, kinda, a Beauty and the Beast retelling and I'm like -- huh, that makes a lot of sense. I can totally see it.

This book gets bumped up, also, for having one of my favorite sequences in the entirety of the series -- when Eloise's four brothers end up showing up at Phillip's doorstep to defend their sister. It's kind of hilarious, and as someone who really likes the sibling dynamics of these books, really works for me.

There's actually some fun things going on in this book... if you can overlook some of the more problematic aspects of it (and yes, it definitely has a lot of those, which is why it's near the bottom.)

5. An Offer From A Gentleman (Benedict and Sophie)

Hey, it's the Cinderella story -- and my god, it's literally Cinderella... in the first third of the book. And you know, I actually did like the first half of this book pretty well. I think Sophie is probably one of the sweetest characters in these books. And I think the story, overall, hangs together pretty well.

Which is why I have it here in the middle. The unfortunate thing is that half way through, things take a real turn, and Benedict -- who is mostly a blank slate at best up until this point -- becomes possibly one of the worst male characters in any of these books. He's raging and possessive and is just kind of a jerk, which makes the second half of the book unpleasant to read.

Which is a real shame, because I think I like the overall ideas in the book; the fairy tale angle, My Cottage, the fact that Sophie starts working for the Bridgertons... there are a lot of really good and interesting plot points going on, and the only real thing weighing it down is the fact that Benedict is an asshat...

4. On The Way To The Wedding (Gregory and Lucy)

It is kind of funny that this book ends up as high as it does, because it's almost by default. I struggled with the first half of this book. Really, I did. It suffers from being somewhat bland and boring in the way the bottom two books on this list suffer. But man that second half...

It's just kind of a bonkers wild ride that throws everything at the wall. There's actually some action going on (other than sexual, these books don't see a whole lot of action) and the characters become a bit wacky. Maybe that's due to Quinn being at the end of the line with this series, but man, I appreciate these characters kind of breaking out of their expected molds.

And Gregory and Lucy are likable enough. I don't know if I fully buy their romance, Gregory switches on a dime from one girl to the next, but honestly, they're more enjoyable to spend time with than many of the other couples on this list, so I'll take it.

3. The Viscount Who Loved Me (Anthony and Kate)

You know, I toyed with this being number one for a while, and I honestly see why it often tops a lot of lists. It really was a fun book to read -- the whole enemies to lovers, Taming of the Shrew stuff really works. Plus, both Kate and Anthony are well drawn, engaging and interesting characters. I think some of the best actual character of the series work is done in this novel, and it might be the romance I think works the best? (Kind of? I think it might be the romance that Quinn manages to portray the best? idk...) Plus, the story just remains engaging all the way through.

I also think this is some of the most fun, broader world stuff going on. The sibling dynamics are great, the pall mall stuff is a lot of fun, they get the best second epilogue when the family gets together again, and there's some great stuff with Penelope!

I guess what's holding me back from actually placing it on top is the fact that I wasn't a huge fan of the last third(-ish) of the novel. The way they're forced into marriage is just kind of dumb (seriously - no one would believe the bee sting?) and it just felt like Anthony took a little too long to settle into his marriage.

But this book is really good -- and if I were to recommend only one book to new fans, it'd probably be this one.

2. Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Colin and Penelope)

I've really had to sit and think about this one, and have been back and fourth about its placement for a long while. And... it kind of comes down to this...

Penelope is one of the best characters in this whole series (even if she really is only in the first four books). She just is; and I really love her and her story and despite the fact that I have issues with this book (and my god, I have issues with this book) I think my love for her as a character kind of transcends that. The Lady Whistledown stuff, too, remains one of the most interesting elements of these books (and it's a damn shame it disappears after this book). And that is why I have this one so high.

Because, my god Colin. Okay. So here's the thing that really hurts, though --- Colin in every other book I absolutely adore. I really do, he's hilarious and charming and fun and a good guy. And the problem in his own book is that Quinn tries to force him from being the easy going, fun one into crazy angry guy like Simon, Anthony, and Benedict before him -- and it makes him come off as a mentally unstable asshat as he swings between those two character types, and I think with better characterization, had Colin not swung so hard in that angry direction, I would have fully loved this book.

I would have even said this is a great book.

So, I don't know, maybe I love the possibility of this book more than the actual book itself, maybe I just have fallen in love with the characters so much in the last four months I'm giving this one a pass, maybe because I like the characters outside this book, too, that I'm giving it some room, but I just feel it goes here. And, i mean, there truly is a lot I do like about the book, too, don't get me wrong. but it's not perfect, it's not the best, and I get that. But it means something to me, and I suppose that's what matters.

1. It's In His Kiss (Hyacinth and Gareth)

Hyacinth is a goddamn delight, and this was the only book of the series that I truly enjoyed the whole way through.

And I think, in a way kind of opposite of Francesca's book, there are a bunch of tropes all working together that are a bunch of my favorite tropes. It's a funny book -- Hyacinth is a true joy in pretty much all the books she is in, and she gets to be fun and banter-y here with Gareth. This book is a comedy, in some ways, and that's great. She and Gareth go on sleuthing and solving mysteries together, which of course I love. And the two of them fall in love as they become friends and grow closer together through the shared interest of the mystery. And I mean, yeah, I am here for all of that.

Like all of these books, it's not perfect -- Gareth suffers (on a milder level) of the angry, daddy issue male lead thing. And there are times when I'm like, good god, Julia Quinn, why....

But after really thinking about it, and thinking about which books I'd really like to have and/or read again, this one just kept bubbling back up the list. Because besides RMB, this is, possibly, the only one I have a desire to read again. Because it was a delight.

And... there we go! All the Bridgerton Books Ranked. :)

[copperbadge]

If its not too personal could you talk about what was the inspiration for Michaelis? He's got a lot of depth to him, especially for what could have been a one off character in the background after Fete. Also the way he mourns but carries on really resonates with me in Jes.

Oh sure! I mean, on the one hand it is quite personal but it's a kind of personal I really enjoy sharing. :D Michaelis began life as the Standard Hallmark Parent -- you see them a lot in the movies, the parent who is

1. Kinda grouchy

2. Usually pushing their kid slightly too hard in slightly the wrong direction (with the best of intentions)

3. Often a widow/er

4. Practically a cameo designed to stress out the lead, but easily attractive enough that they could be romantic lead themselves in the sequel.

There are actually several Hallmark films where the over-sixty characters are either the supporting romance in a one-off film or the main romance of a sequel film. (The Wedding Veil films, which despite their flaws are actually very enjoyable, have a Michaelis-like character for the mother of the male lead in the first movie, and she then becomes the major supporting romantic lead in the fourth movie.)

By the time I got to Michaelis talking to Eddie at the end of the script for Fete, I'd grown to really like him. When I adapted the script to a novel, I liked him even more. I thought that I could do a sequel with him getting jolted out of himself a bit -- and I was encouraged by how many people liked him in the initial read through. The main inspirations for the actual plot of Infinite Jes were, one, Gregory jokingly suggesting he do a podcast, and two, Michaelis's defensive dismissal of Gregory's question about what he's done for companionship since Miranda passed.

Over the course of writing Infinite Jes, he came to be a collection of themes I've explored or wanted to explore, sometimes themes I knew I wasn't skilled enough to handle yet. The core of him is based on a professor I worked with as a student; the confidence that occasionally tips into arrogance, the keen intellect that likes to take things apart, the ability to look at some toxic family traits and decide "RIP but I'm different" and be a present, nurturing masculine figure, all come from that professor, who had a huge impact on me.

But I have also been fascinated for decades now by a certain kind of character in fiction, someone who has had a devastating loss and keeps going, even if they aren't driven by something like revenge. Profound grief is difficult and fascinating for me, and I finally felt capable of exploring that fully, perhaps because the pressure on romance novels is a bit lower at times.

And honestly, a lot of him is me, processing the fact that I am aging in fandom. I'm older (44) than the oldest person I knew in fandom (38) when I joined it at the age of 14. I have, for lack of a better word, a position in fandom, a status, that affords me certain perks and requires of me certain obligations. Not to call myself elected king of fandom ("I didn't vote for him!") but the duty I feel to fandom, both as a culture that raised me and a found family, is very similar.

Most of my characters contain some of me, but Michaelis and Jerry contain far more of me than most, perhaps because I'm in a place to do some reflection. Michaelis -- intelligent, experienced, hopefully a mentor, but also lonely and detached at times -- is who I'm coming to grips with being; Jerry, the charming fuckup with power but no real clue how to use it, who is doing his best to grow up a little later than a lot of his peers and figure out how disability fits into his identity, is who I still see myself as.

So yeah -- I find Michaelis incredibly fun and compelling to write for, and I think that's because I had hit a skill level in my work where I could combine a lot of tropes and themes into one character and use him to explore why I enjoy them so much. But he definitely began life as the Hallmark Widowed Dad. :D Well, there are worse origin stories.

[parkerdrabbles]

The Corruption Of Hermione Granger - Prologue

Pairing: Draco x Hermione

Summary:

Draco

I am tired of Hermione Granger, Gryffindor's little Princess, acting like she does no wrong. Acting as if she doesn't want the bloody shit banged out of her. So, I devised a plan - a plan she will have no issue getting that little nose stuck right into. My plan is to not only expose that she has deep, dark fantasies just like the rest of us at Hogwarts, that she's not all pure and innocent, but also to corrupt her. Break her. Someone has to. And God be damned, it will be me. I hate her, but God, I can't resist her either. And that scares me.

Hermione

With everything going on, I just want to focus on my studies, keep my head down. I want things to feel as normal as they possibly can be. Only, when I end up falling for none other than one of Draco Malfoy's traps, a book full of things that make me blush whenever I think of them, now that he has trapped me, he won't let me go so easily. I hate him, but I can't resist him, either. And that scares me.

Warnings: sexual content, oral sex, anal sex, spanking, choking, use of food in a sexual manner, just lots of smutty stuff

Authors Note: This is a multi part mini smut series that just came to my mind one day, if this does well, I will write more :)

Draco

•••

The plan is brilliant.

Perfect, really.

The bait will surely draw her in - one of those erotic romance novels I stole from my mum’s bedroom - it was so bloody easy to snag too, she won’t miss it - and there is no way that nosy little Mudblood would be able to resist opening it.

I have left the book, The Dark Knight it’s called, in her favorite spot to read; at the very back of the library, in the Restricted Section of course, in the last isle, where she spends hours and hours drowning in countless other worlds she wishes to visit, pathetic really, or studying for her tests until she is so exhausted, that her eyes droop shut and she is suddenly constantly trying to keep herself awake.

She has a habit of getting that nose into places it doesn’t belong, so she will have no problem getting it stuck right into my trap.

I want to expose her to the whole of Hogwarts – I want them to see that their little, innocent, Gryffindor princess is anything but. I want them to know the nasty desires that float around in her brain, and when I’m done with her, I want her to so corrupted that it shines so bright, it’s blinding.

That’s right.

I want to corrupt Hermione Granger.

Once and for all; someone needs to.

And I will have a bloody fun time doing it.

•••

Hermione

•••

I could have sworn that book hasn’t been there the last 347,000 times I’ve visited this place.

I eye the colorful book tucked cozy against the window, squinting to make out the cover.

It has beautiful binding, and on the front is a fiery redheaded woman, with her legs wrapped around the torso of a knight, his armored fingers tangling in her loose curls.

No, that definitely wasn’t there before.

Curiously, I approach the book, my wand held out in front of me, bathing my surroundings in pale blue light.

Once I get to the book, I just stare at it.

Who could have left this here?

I look to my left, then to my right, reach out to grab the book, but hesitate, pivoting back a step.

For God’s sake, Hermione. Just pick up the bloody book.

I look around once more, before picking up the book, running my fingers over the marred pages.

There are romance books in the restricted section, however, none quite as beautiful and as interesting as this.

I walk toward my usual spot and slide to the floor, holding my wand up to read the title.

The Dark Knight.

I flip open to the first page, and it’s a moving photo of the redhead and the Knight, talking animatedly in a beautiful courtyard.

I read the first few pages, completely leaving Hogwarts behind, falling into this world with the redhead and the Knight.

I was devouring the book, until I turned a page and what I saw made a blush make it’s way from my cheeks down to my neck.

It was a moving image of the two, arms wrapped around each other, tongues in each others mouths, both seeming desperate for more.

Of course I have seen people kissing before; both in books, and movies on the television back home, but none had ever been this…what’s the word?

Sexual?

I quickly closed the book and backed away, blushing madly.

Don’t be an idiot, just read it!

I slowly open the book again, and when I turn the page, my blush only deepens. Now the knight has her pressed against the wall, peppering kisses down her fragile throat, his helmet off.

Slight moans can be heard coming from both the Knight and the woman, and I bite my lip, half because I feel a tingling in my lower abdomen I have felt all but a few times, and half because I’m praying that nobody can hear what’s coming out of the book.

I utter a silencing charm

I quickly turn the page, and even more is happening.

Now, the woman is bent over his knee, his hand guiding her dress up over her ankles and her curvy hips and ass.

I sigh, the feeling in my abdomen sinking lower and lower, and the next page is where I come undone.

The redhead is on her knees, staring up at the knight with stars in her eyes, unzipping his pants.

Oh, my fuck.

I lean back against the book shelf, spreading my legs, propping the book up opposite me, leaving my wand on the floor to illuminate the pages.

I push my blue nightgown up over my white panties, seeing the arousal starting to peek through the fabric.

Only one thought runs through my mind right now.

I need more. I need more.

I flip the page and the woman is bobbing her head, sucking the Knight’s cock, his head facing toward the ceiling in pleasure.

My fingers travel down to my breast and I squeeze, trembling with need. My other hand snakes down to my panties, where I begin to rub my sensitive clit.

My face screws up with pleasure, and I can’t help the small moan that escapes my lips. I quickly cover my mouth and look around.

Silence and darkness surround me.

Once I am sure nobody is around, I turn the page, and the knight has one of the woman’s breasts in his mouth, his hand rubbing her wet, bare sex.

I desperately push my panties to the side, and begin rubbing vigorously, my head falling back against the shelf behind me.

“Yes, yes, please,” I beg to no one in particular.

Now, he has her bent over, positioning his cock at her entrance.

Stars explode behind my eyes as I continue to rub myself, eyes squeezed shut.

Oh my God, I’m so close.

And then, the sound of something being knocked over in the distance makes the blood freeze in my veins.

For a second, I just sit there, listening, then I spring into action, putting my wand out and picking up the book.

There are slight footsteps, and they are getting closer.

I quickly shove the book back against the window where it came from, pull my robes around me, and silently run through the isles, hoping, praying, that I won’t be caught.

The footsteps are getting louder, closer.

I crouch behind one of the tables, hugging my legs to my chest, willing whoever it is to just leave.

Please go away, please go away.

The footsteps stop for a few seconds, and I hold my breath, heart racing in my chest.

Then, finally, the footsteps go back the way they came, echoing off the walls, back into the distance.

Nobody has to tell me twice to get the bloody hell out of here.

And, with that, I run for the door, out into the halls, disappearing into the darkness.

Draco

•••

I watch from the shadows as Hermione runs out the door, robes flying out behind her, that skimpy little nightgown rising up the length of her legs, and smirk.

It worked.

She took the bait.

I grin at the thought of Gryffindor’s little innocent Princess getting off in the back of the library, legs spread, cheeks flushed red.

My cock hardens at the thought – the thought of her coming back for more.

And she will. I know that much. I know how stubborn and insistent she is, when she is on a mission, she doesn’t stop until the mission is complete.

And, I think her next trip, she just might get an unexpected visitor.

I take one last glance over at The Dark Knight, before sliding my hands into my pockets and walking out.

I can’t wait to expose that Granger is just as sexually frustrated and aroused as the rest of us, how she is anything but innocent – she rubbed herself in the bloody library for christ’s sake.

It's either I expose her, or I corrupt her – teach her a lesson.

It’s one or the other, and you best bloody believe it will be the second option.

[mildmayfoxe]

big fan of your romance novel complaint posts (love to see a fellow hater living it up) but i’m also curious if there are any you would recommend? not looking for anything in particular, just would love to hear your thoughts as someone else with nitpicky reading habits and a taste for trash

ok hello. i left you hanging for a FULL week and for that i am sorry but i wanted to be able to have some time to sit down and type out a real answer to which the short version is YES of course there are several that i have enjoyed!! my disclaimer is that i almost solely read gay romance so if you are looking for lesbian or even straight reccs i don't have much for you (although i will put a couple at the end anyway). hopefully something in this list is interesting to you or at least interesting to someone else! links are mostly to goodreads. break bc i'm gonna write too much

-kj charles is one of my fave authors in this genre bc they're all pretty reliable and there's a ton of them. they're all historical fiction and usually there's at least one murder- she's good at keeping a plot going while developing a romance. often supernatural or magical elements. sometimes cults! i've read almost all of the books she's written and have enjoyed them all

-charlie adhara wrote a really incredible werewolf series that i loved, the first of which is the wolf at the door. this is one of the only series i've read which keeps the emotional stakes up through the whole thing & kept me interested in a relationship after it was established bc sooo many series get boring the second the leads get together. i actually read the first book of the spin-off series (a pack of lies) first which is technically possible but i don't recommend bc i was like "wow they're really throwing me in here. i love it" and then i read the first series and i was like "oh i was supposed to know all this stuff." but i actually liked the dynamic between that couple better and i'm suffering every day because the next one still doesn't come out til 2025 and i read it in 2022. also worth noting that this (the original series) is cops-ajacent (~federal special agents~) and one of the characters is really prejudiced at the beginning & imo doesn't have enough character growth before it's waved away but if you can ignore that it's really good. mysteries! werewolves!

-speaking of werewolves (i could suggest several but i'll keep it to two) tj klune's wolfsong ends up at the top of a lot of gay werewolf novel lists (i'm keeping tabs) and there's a good reason. i enjoyed it a lot. made me kind of sad which is always a good sign to me. the writing voice was very fresh and novel at first but i did find it a little grating by the end so i've put off starting the second book in the series (it's also about a different couple which was disappointing) but i will get around to it. i enjoy tj klune in general although his recent stuff has a very different vibe than this and lightning struck heart is very 2015 in a bad way imo

-bone rider by j fally is a standalone that really delighted me. the russian mob? aliens? vaguely western? possession? throuple? it's got it all. very fun

-ok speaking of westerns there's this other series called magic & steam (yes it's steampunk. sorry. it's very silly) that starts with the engineer. a federal agent is sent to a town to apprehend a ~madman engineer~ except he runs into an infamous outlaw in the process. and the outlaw is really sexy. and probably why i enjoyed the series so much. the series also keeps them apart a lot in a way that i enjoy- i love when things take a long time. it's ongoing so this is another one that i keep checking for updates on

-i've read a lot of stuff by nr walker and they tend to be VERY hit or miss for me but one of my faves is evolved which is almost pure smut. it's about a sex robot that gains sentience. what more do i need to say. she also wrote a three-book series about an amnesiac that made me cry cry cry. and her cowboy (australian rancher) series is pretty ok. i could go through a list and tell you which novels of hers aren't worth it and which ones are good; i've read most of them

-salt magic skin magic by lee welch was a big surprise to me. cool magic, good folklore, fairies in there too. historical. big kj charles vibes which makes sense bc she edited it. welch also wrote a book called seducing the sorcerer which i had more mixed feelings about but had magic in it that i think about OFTEN (the horses)- that one's about an imposing sorcerer and a rundown groom cum handyman. and they're in their FORTIES!!! 🥳🥳🥳 (i love when books are not about 23 year olds)

-another one with a magic system i enjoyed was magician by kl noone. this was the first book i read by this author and i liked it but generally i find their books are too "nice" for me. i'm in the middle of one right now that i started months and months ago that i keep trying to go back to and it's sooo rough for me. but this one and the twelfth enchantment are pretty ok

-emily tesh wrote a duology of silver in the wood and drowned country that i loved because i am suuuuch a sucker for a wild man/green man story. really good. haunting! evocative! kj charles has a green man story too which was actually the first thing i read of hers (spectred isle)

-i complained about the monsterfucker book i was reading a while back but despite that i will also recommend the series it's from: lily mayne's monstrous, which starts with soul eater. are they messy? yes. are they repetitive? yes. are the monsters usually disappointingly humanoid? yes. are a lot of them about the military? also yes. so we're starting off on a bad foot. but the world building is interesting and there's LOTS of kinds of monsters and most of them were pretty fun. the one i just read (#7) was the worst one of the bunch though imo. and i have problems with #6. but 1 2 and 5 were good

-ok i should do a quickfire round. honeytrap: about two enemy agents during the cold war. put it off for a long time bc i didn't love that but it takes place over a VERY long period of time which is always interesting to me. zero at the bone: about a hitman who needs to protect a witness to a mob hit. really strong start but fell off a bit in the middle to the end imo.

-you'll notice a lot of these have subgenres of like fantasy historical supernatural etc but here's some regular contemporaries. a lot of these are about sad guys bc those are my favorite. best laid plans: hardware store owner helps a guy fix his house. in the middle of somewhere: same author actually. guy moves to small town to work at a college. mr jingle bells: this is a christmas one. bad title. fake dating. part of the reason i think i liked it so much is because i expected it to be awful but it was actually pretty good. good emotional stakes. published 2021 but feels very 2014. ignore that part. work for it: i rated this five stars but actually don't remember much what it was like. i think they were both really sad which i love. give me big emotions and i eat them right up with a spoon. i should read it again

-OK now i've got some straight & lesbian options. talia hibbert's brown sisters series is good and cute. she also wrote work for it, above. the unhoneymooners is the first real Romance Novel that i read and it really surprised me because i had fun! previously i had kind of written off romance novels as not for me but this kicked off a reading habit that is still going strong (primarily reading romance novels). i read this in 2020 so it might not be as good as i remember. as for lesbian options olivia waite has a series that i enjoyed that's also historical, and a friend of mine really enjoyed delilah green doesn't care (but i haven't read that one myself). and while not really romances i will always be a sarah waters fan: you may recognize her as the author of fingersmith, which is the novel park chan-wook's movie the handmaiden is based on. if you haven't seen the movie or read the book i recommend both. her books are very dramatic lesbian historical fiction; they don't always have happy endings but they're all very good

ok i think that's the end! regular disclaimer that romance is generally not a genre notable for Good Writing so a lot of these are just things i had fun with or just stuck out in my memory for having fun conceits etc. i can't guarantee that any of these are actually good, especially because this is a list solely based on my own taste and bad memory. would love to hear anybody's thoughts and/or if anybody has recommendations for ME!!! this post took me over three hours to write! crazy!

[twistedminutia]

Twst Talk: Yuu is not the MC

Please note: I am an EN player and interact with English-speaking twst fandom, so these observations are based on that. I will only be referencing things from the EN server, since that is the only one I play. Please keep that in mind when reading if this isn’t applicable to JP or other sections of the fandom.

This post comes from me looking at how people in the twst fandom (specifically the EN fandom) refer to Yuu. People will use ‘MC’ to indicate Yuu in text posts or refer to Yuu as the ‘main character’ offhandedly. I have even seen people expressing annoyance that Yuu, as the main character, never seems to have that much of an impact on the plot, merely reacting to things around them. To which I can only say:

Yuu is not the main character.

I think the confusion with people believing Yuu is the main character and labeling them as such may be partially to do with the medium. Twisted Wonderland is, generally, a visual novel, and in visual novels, the player character is usually the main character. This can be for multiple reasons. First off, in most video games the player character is the main character since it’s generally more fun to play as the person the story is centered around. And second, the most common form of visual novel is the dating sim. The player character must be the main character in these games, because the main character is the one being romanced and the point of a dating sim is that the player is getting romanced themselves.

Players come in to Twisted Wonderland with the assumption from other games that the player character, by virtue of merely being the player character, must be the main character. But that’s never borne out in Twisted Wonderland. Yuu is never supposed to be the main character.

Before we continue, I’m going to define what I mean when I say ‘main character.’ The main character is the protagonist the person the story is about. They are the one the story focuses on. The one we learn about and who develops throughout the story, for good or bad. Tell me: does that sound like Yuu in Twisted Wonderland? Yuu is never developed because Yuu is not the main character. The story is not about them.

People often mistake the viewpoint character as the main character because that’s often the case. But even in other works of art, this isn’t true. Take the very famous example of The Great Gatsby. The narrator and the viewpoint character of that story is Nick Carraway. We see everything through his eyes. But the actual main character of the story is not Nick, but the titular Jay Gatsby. Even if Nick is telling the story, the person the story is about is Gatsby.

Similarly, Yuu is the person who observes and sometimes interacts with the story of Twisted Wonderland, but they are not the main character. The story isn’t about them. They’re just the narrator.

Okay, Then Who is the MC?

This is an interesting question to ask: if the MC isn’t Yuu, then who is it?

Well, there are a couple potential answers. First possibility: the overbotters are the main characters, trading off their MC status at the end of each book. Each book is about them, after all, so it seems reasonable that they are the main characters of their own books at least.

The second potential answer is one I am slightly more convinced of: there is no MC, not in a traditional sense. Twisted Wonderland is an ensemble game, where the game alternates the main characters and is about all of them in equal measure. I think you could argue that the overblotters are maybe more main than the rest of the characters, but even in overblot chapters, we get a lot of insight into other characters and the story is still somewhat about them. Not to mention that Twisted Wonderland is not exclusively the main story, but also the events and vignettes that give multiple characters time in the spotlight.

In Conclusion (or TLDR)

Yuu is the viewpoint character, but not the main character, and it is both inaccurate to refer to them as such and to place the expectations of a main character on them. It can be argued that Twisted Wonderland doesn’t have a main character at all, and shares the spotlight with multiple characters, even with all of them.

[veliseraptor]

June Reading Recap

Slower reading month on account of I got distracted by cdramas.

King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett. I don't know what to do with this book!!! It was by turns magnificent and difficult to get through. It definitely didn't hit me the way the Lymond Chronicles did/does, but even when I wasn't personally feeling it I can recognize a magisterial piece of work when I read one. The Thorfinn/Rognvald dynamic was probably one of the highlights for me, while it lasted. The premise of this one combines the life of the historical King Macbeth and that of Thorfinn Sigurdsson, positing that they were the same person. I did a lot of Wikipedia diving while reading, unsurprisingly. I recommend it for Dunnett readers, I think is what I'd ultimately say, or for historical fiction aficionados, but perhaps not more generally than that.

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler. I keep reading Django Wexler because I enjoy his work, and keep finding that while I enjoy it and find it fun there's not a lot of real substance. But this book's gimmick (combining "time loop" and "villain protagonist") was too pointed directly at me for me to not give it a try. And I'm glad I did! It was very fun, and yet again it felt like the real substance was not quite there. However, I probably still will be reading the sequel when it comes out. So you know, I can't be too hard on it.

Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood. I feel like I did not exactly "enjoy" the experience of reading this set of interconnected short stories but I still want to recommend it to others, if that makes sense as a perspective. It also really made me want to read more generally about this period of time, both in fiction and nonfiction.

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. This was totally a "let's just try something new for the heck of it" choice - fantasy romances are everywhere right now, this one was floating around in them and sounded potentially like fun in terms of concept, it was an impulse. I can't say it paid off. It wasn't an awful experience but I did find myself repeatedly going "why isn't this fluffy romance not digging more into its characters or implications" and the answer there is "that's not the point, Lise", I guess, and yeah, I think (English language) romance novels are probably just not for me.

The Law of Blood: Thinking and Acting as a Nazi by Johann Chapoutot. This was a really interesting book. It very much takes its point as "what if we take Nazi philosophy seriously as philosophy." I really haven't read anything quite like it before and it was definitely disturbing to read in terms of really...getting into the heads of How Nazis Thought They Were Supposed to Live, but fascinating for those reasons too, and the reasons of exploring how implications of ideology leads to specific real-world policy-making.

Translation State by Ann Leckie. Still haven't read anything else by Ann Leckie that gets close to the high of the original trilogy but I did really enjoy this one. It did make me feel like I need to reread the original trilogy because I've definitely forgotten a lot, and usually when reading something makes me go "I should reread this other work by the same author" it speaks at least somewhat well of it.

Qi Ye by Priest. Hard not to compare this one to TYK since, you know, same author and same universe, and ultimately this one I didn't like quite as much. I think I...wanted the whole "trauma from living multiple lives" to come up more and more often than I felt like it really did here, and the relationship between Wu Xi and Jing Beiyuan was fine but didn't have what I needed to particularly compel me.

Extinction: How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250 Million Years Ago by Douglas H. Erwin. As something of a mass extinction afficionado (as it were), for the most part there was nothing in this book that was really new to me except for one little brief glancing note at the end of the book about the possibility that we are not yet into the throes of a true mass extinction event and that's good, because if we were it would probably be too late to really do anything about it. Overall, though, it feels like this book falls somewhere in a confusing gap between "true academia" and "slightly too academic for general audiences" in terms of the specific analytical techniques it analyzes when assessing different arguments for extinction causes." Interesting, but not one I'd make a casual recommendation.

Sha Po Lang by Priest. I was feeling sort of middling on this one while I was reading it in official translation release time so I decided to just read the whole thing to see if I wanted to keep buying it, and I think after doing so I've come down on the side of "probably not." It was good, but, to be blunt, not quite good enough to grab me in the way I needed it to for the financial outlay. I still feel like I'm chasing the magic I got out of Faraway Wanderers and (what I've read of) LHJC from Priest and haven't found it again yet. I think part of the gap here was that I really liked Gu Yun but struggled to care very much about Chang Geng. I did kind of love the Pope being a major antagonist, though.

So probably the other reason I didn't read much last month is because I'm having a hard time finding something to read to really get into.

I'm currently reading too many books at the same time due to a confluence of factors including "travel" and "difficulty getting into one of them." The list is: The Grass Crown by Colleen McCullough, A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, Silent Reading by Priest, and (on the side) Black Midnight Holds the BE Script by Teng Luo Wei Zhi. so hopefully I'll finish at least one of those this July.