The Citrus Scale is a classic way to label the sexual explicitness of your fanfiction work.
Nowadays, it is more common to simply see the tag 'smut', but if you want to be a little more discreet while still specifying the level of explicitness, you can use the citrus scale.
The most commonly used fruits on the scale are lime and lemon.
Lime indicates the presence of sexual content, which is more implied, involving make-out sessions and groping, but not direct intercourse. Often, the scene ends with a fade-to-black moment when intercourse begins, so it is implied without going into detail.
Lemon is more explicit. You can expect graphic details in a lemon story.
So there is a bit of a difference between a 'lime' and a 'lemon' story. However, there are some other fruits on the scale which I haven't come across that often.
There's orange, which doesn't even imply intercourse, but rather light intimacy, such as kissing and cuddling.
The last one is grapefruit. I really haven't seen this that often, so don't quote me on it, but in my experience, grapefruit signals an even smuttier lemon story to come.
Have you used the citrus scale before? Tell me which fruits you know!
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Summary: You were assigned to cook for a party, but it’s sundown. The party doesn’t start until a few hours. And Mr Chow here can’t take another moment without you, even though you’re right next to him. That isn’t what he meant when he said he can’t have another moment without you. However, your daughter could come in at any moment so he has to be quick yet efficient with it. Wouldn’t wanna leave his baby unsatisfied would he?
Contains: the confirmed munch of the hour, Bo Chow. Established/martial relationship. Y’all have a kid, named whatever you want. No use of Y/N, couple nicknames instead. Fem reader in a 2nd POV. No vamps (sorry), but a good ending because ANNIE’S PREGGERS! Also, everyone is southern.
Warning: Eating out, multiple orgasms, piv, yearning, overstimulation?, slightly public (y’all are in the damn kitchen. Perverts😒)
Word Count: 1209
(Part 2 for Remmick is indeed coming soon but I needed this nigga Bo out my brain.)
Smoke volun-told you to cook for them since Annie was well with child. When you tried to get Stack’s opinion on it, he almost got popped in the mouth. So now you had no choice BUT to cook. Still, you tried to retaliate against it.
“Nigga, are you serious? I got shit to do,” you told him off.
Smoke scoffed, blowing a puff from his cigarette at you, “like what? Girl, it’s just some fuckin’ catfish. All we need. Annie gotta be fully rested for our baby. And you make the second best catfish.”
You slapped the cigarette out his hand, “if you gon’ smoke, go on head and do it outside. Not where I got my customers up in here. Now you got ‘em all scar—“
Before you could finish, your husband came out the back. Using his apron to dry his hands as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder, giving a kiss on the forehead. Then he went up to dap up and hug Smoke, did the same for Stack.
“Baby, what’s goin’ on? Why are you over here yellin’ like that?”
You smacked your husband’s forehead, “lean back, ya stupid ass friend tryna tell me that I have to cook for their party.” Stack stifled a laugh, quickly looking away while Smoke sighed. Bo held onto his forehead in pain before shaking it off.
“Now, why’d you hit me fa’ like I did something.”
“Guilty by association,” before you could hit him again, he grabbed your arm. Pulling you close to him.
His voice gently whispered into your ear, giving you a slight chill in places that you were all too familiar with, “tonight, we’ll cook. Our lil’ girl heading to her friends anyways. You won’t be alone in this, okay?”
You nodded. Once he let go of you, you swatted him in his shoulder. The twins awkwardly backed away as you continued on.
~~
“Baby, are you cookin’ with stale grease?”
Your head snapped around to look at him, “boy, have you lost ya’ mind?”
Bo only laughed at you, wrapping his arms around your hips as he began to plant kisses on the back of your neck. Humming in response the random affection as you continued to drop the fishes in the oil.
“Missed you,” he muttered, his face was in your neck. Consuming your scent before beginning to kiss on it.
“You see me everyday, baby.”
His hand began to move to your breast, gently squeezing them, “that ain’t what I meant and y’know it.”
You attempted to push him away but it didn’t work completely. He did let go of your breast, still lingering near you like a hungry dog. When you moved to the sink, he was mere centimeters away. Then you moved to a counter, still centimeters away.
“Can you back the hell up? Our baby’ll be back at any moment now,” turning to him, “y’know it too. We can do whatever later. Besides I’m cooking.”
Bo began to drop down to his knees, looking up at you as he began to move his hands under your skirt, “I can make it quick then.” Suddenly, Bo’s head disappeared inside your skirt. You completely gave up on attempting to stop him. He is a stubborn thing. Like a triton or incubus. Kissing up your thigh until Bo met your under garment. Pulling them away, met with your pussy.
“You ready,” he asked, muffled due to his head already being an inch away from your pussy.
A shaken sigh left you, “y-yea…”
Immediately attaching his mouth to your cunt. His thumbs opened you up more, licking your folds as his middle finger found his way inside you. Your hand cupped your mouth so the moans wouldn’t be so loud. Almost biting your hand until he reached your clit. Since you couldn’t see what he was doing, all you could do was feel him.
Moans intensified until you came in his mouth. He detached from you with a low chuckle, making your thighs quiver even more. Bo left the depths of your skirt , nonchalantly getting up to check on the catfish. Leaving you there, shaking. Taking the catfish, putting in on the platter, then putting in two more battered up fishes into the oil. He went to wash his hands. You took this as your opportunity to try and walk away from him. But he grabbed you by the arm,
“baby, we ain’t done.”
Helping you up then pushing you against the counter. Back facing him, Bo pulled your skirt up completely. His hand still your skirt balled up in one hand, his other was undoing his pants until his cock was out. Erected, twitchy, and dripping of sperm. Stroking it then pulling you up.
“Spit on it,” and you obliged. Spitting directly on it. He gave you a kiss on your neck, “good girl.”
Going behind you, stroking his cock until he was ready. But he also had to make sure you were as well. He uses his fingers to open you up, then he asked, “you ready for me?”
All you did was nod, but Bo only laughed, “I need some words come out your lips, sweetheart.”
“I-I’m ready…”
He inserted himself into you. Bring your bodies closer together, marking up your neck and shoulders as he pounded into you. The house was filled with your moans and pleas for him to slow down or at least stop going so deep inside of you. Pushing your hand on his abdomen but Bo grabbed your arm to put it behind you.
“It’s okay, I-I’m almost done— fuck. feel too good, baby.”
“Mhh, too deep,” was all you could mutter. He was all up in you and you couldn’t do a damn thing. Your husband eventually started using his finger to play with your clit again. Legs wobbling all over the place, the only thing holding you up was Bo. Your body tensed up before releasing on Bo, soon after he released inside of you. Then you heard foot steps on your porch. Bo quickly left you, pulling up his pants, then pushing your skirt back down. You both heard your daughter enter the house.
“Mama? Daddy? I’m home,” she slammed the door behind her. Walking around the house, “what y’all makin’?”
Bo saw the girl enter the kitchen and spoke, “hey, sweet thing, Mama started to feel uneasy so help her on the couch if you can. We’re making some catfish for our friends but I’ll save you a piece, okay?”
She nodded, you steadied yourself but held onto her. The living room couch wasn’t far, it wasn’t horrible to drag you along. A kiss on the forehead was placed by her before she oblivious walked away from you, “rest, Mama. You need it.”
A few moments later, Bo went into the living room to ‘check’ on you.
“I’ll take better care of you in a second, twins are pulling up soon. Catfish is almost done. You think they’ll notice even though I’m using your recipe?”
You just glared at him, causing him to laugh.
“You’re disgusting, Bo.”
He faked a pout, “y’know you love me,” then he planted a kiss on your forehead.
Citrus as a descriptor is often used as a neutral term, or number 0 on the scale, the descriptor of "citrus" simply meant there there is sexual content or queer romantic themes of any level or explicitness in the work, even for what we would today consider G rated fics.
The citrus scale runs from orange to grapefruit, in four tiered levels of increasingly explicit eroticism or graphic sexual content.
The scale runs as such:
Orange - kissing, hugs, and some more touching beyond that that begins to have a hint of sexuality. The appropriate rating on AO3 may be G or T.
Lime - heavy making out and possibly some light groping. Works might not contain any onscreen sexual content, but heavily suggest lemon-rated activities. The appropriate rating on AO3 may be T or M.
Lemon - an explicitly pornographic work, with sexual intercourse described in the text. The appropriate rating on Ao3 may be M or E.
Grapefruit - a not only pornographic, but incredibly detailed smut work. Grapefruit is often used to describe works that contain detailed, graphic kink scenes. The appropriate rating on Ao3 is E.
While there have been slight variations in sub communities of fandom, the above is the most widely accepted scale.
Creation and Use
Beginning in the 1980s, the term "lemon" began being used to describe pornographic fannish works in the anime fandom. The term itself was in reference to the erotic anime/hentai series, Cream Lemon, which began in 1984. Over time, the scale grew around this original euphemism, into the one that was widely accepted as a standard by the early 2000s.
"Lemon" and the associated citrus scale has since become established as a pan-fandom code for rating various types of smut, in an direct response to censorship and bans on pornography in fiction, as well as queer media in general. Terms like Orange and Lime exist so that authors could tag their romantic fan fiction on sites where m/m and f/f works would be taken down, even if they did not contain pornography.
Thus the citrus scale is not just a part of fannish history, but of queer history. Lime and Lemon were the words that queer creators—or cishet authors writing abut queer characters—used. To find each other, our stories, and to hide from the ever-present threat of deletion.
These terms have mostly been laid to rest; with the founding of Ao3 and the promise of no more take downs, terms like "lemon" were retired with honors, replaced by a more direct rating system that needs no decoding.
Out of fashion as it might be, the citrus scale is not entirely obsolete. If has resurgences during times of censorship, and, as stated above, is intrinsically linked to fandom and fannish history. Here at Retro Writing May, we plan to celebrate that history.
During the lead-up to our event, we will be posting histories, examples, and critical analysis on all of our prompts. All of them will use the citrus scale as a lens of analysis.
By doing so we aim not to make fun or light of the historical use of the scale, but rather to educate, and to celebrate our own fannish history.
Warning: This dribble will have NSFW content! Minors do NOT interact!
- Sex isn’t high at all on the priority list. When his libido spikes, he usually just takes care of it himself. There’s not always the drive to seek out someone else to help with it. Nothing personal.
- Depending on his partners own drive, Leo will try to accommodate, but his life is busy. You will have to accept that there might not be time to get intimate often.
- When he does have time to be intimate, he is very careful and asks for consent for things people wouldn’t normally bother with. He’s cautious and wants his partner to be okay above all else.
- As far as being dominant or submissive goes, he’s versatile. It really depends on what role he thinks would be best for the relationship.
In the Dominant Role
- It will be slow and sensual unless you request otherwise.
- If he’s put in the more dominant role, Leo puts his all into trying to show his devotion and love.
- His focus is on his partners pleasure and that alone. He will learn how his partners body works, what makes it tick, and push all the buttons he can.
- Being as athletic as he is, he’s got a good amount of stamina. Hopefully you can keep up.
- Sometimes he’ll be a tease when he’s in a flirtatious mood, but he’s fairly quiet. - Not a lot of noises come out of him other than huffs or soft moans.
- He doesn’t have a preference on positions. As long as he gets to hold his partner; he’s golden.
- King of aftercare! Once he finishes, he’ll snuggle up close and hold you to his plastron. Maybe nuzzle the top of your head and whisper sweet nothings.
In the Submissive Role
- This is like the secret bonus level of a video game; only accessible after completing certain steps.
- Trust is the big one. Is it safe to want this? Do they want to do this to me? He’ll analyze your first interactions to gauge the dynamic before asking.
- Safety is also a major factor. If he doesn’t feel safe sharing that part of himself, then you’ll never see it. Unfortunately, it’s difficult for Leo to admit that sometimes, he’d like to be taken care of too (even if he knows it’s nothing to be ashamed of).
- Once he feels safe, he’s your blank canvas. Do what you wish with him. Make him beautiful.
- Slow and sensual? Sure, he can take it. It’ll test his endurance and let him decompress. Rough and domineering? Sounds great. Hold him down and take him for all he’s worth.
- Even at his best, he won’t admit how praise makes a shiver go down his spine and how he’d do almost anything to hear it again.
- He’d even let you tie him up if you wanted to
- He tries his best to be quiet, but his composure breaks sometimes. No matter what, he tries his best.
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Interview with the Vampire writer Hannah Moscovitch reveals the strangest question she’s ever had to answer for the show
I know Hannah got asked this question out of the blue and her life flashed before her eyes, but honestly I wish she hadn't said anything at all, cuz now my brain's taking me in terrible places.
The recent scandal in the scientific community over latex gloves spreading microplastics put me in a weird AF headspace that I 100% blame on IWTVL brainrot. Cuz if Hannah's (head)canon's that vamp splooge is acidic enough to eat thru leather, does that mean it's also acidic enough to eat thru latex--as in condoms? 💀
Latex gloves have little-to-zero protection against chemicals, unless they're "very dilute, aqueous solutions" containing < 0.1 - 1% of human carcinogens (which vamps don't have anyway) or hazardous chemicals. Anything above that and it eats straight thru latex.
"Leather can absorb and hold the chemical" and spread it to human skin--kinda like an adhesive--leather's like glue that passes chemicals around and sticks it to everything it touches. So for vamp blood to eat thru leather means vamp blood's way worse than corrosives.
Which would have higher percentages of acidity than the leather acids used to treat the pelt (remove hair, bacteria, color, etc):
Because leather can and will deteriorate in strong enough acids (> 4 - 10% for sulfiric acid):
TL;DR: So vamp blood--or rather, vamp ejaculate--is as strong or stronger than 4-10% sulfiric acid WTF?! 🤣
So how can a vampire ever have penetrative sex with a human?! 💀 Well--and FINISH, I mean? 💀💀
So did Loustat not fully do the deed in 1x1? 👀
What about Antoinette & Miss Lily? Lestat must've ALWAYS just Mind Gifted the Big O & put her to sleep. 🤔
😱 WHAT ABOUT JONAH?! 😱
Chile. This is making so much sense when I think about poor Ellen Hutter's final encounter with Orlok, and why he only slept with her as an incubus in her dreams before that, cuz omg--"do you know what it means to be loved by DEATH" is apt! 💀
[EDIT] The more I think about it, the more I suspect that either:
Hannah was plain WRONG, and just said yes cuz it's vampires duh ofc their splooge is weird & dangerous
Hannah was RIGHT; the splooge is deadly
2A) NONE of AMC's vamps have ever had full penetrative sex with humans (& finished), because they CAN'T. Lestat never fully slept Miss Lily & Antoinette; and Louis never finished with Jonah either. They stopped right b4 the splooge came out, and just Mind Gifted the rest so the humans wouldn't suspect anything.
2B) The vamps DID finish, and just used their blood to heal the BURNS of MELTED FLESH afterwards, the same way Lestat did with Louis after the Little Drink. The humans would've felt No Pain because of the numbing effect of the vampire bite (The Swoon)
NGL I think 2A makes the most sense overall? 🤷♂️
[EDIT 2] No TF it doesn't make sense--what about Claudia & Gabrielle?!
So is every guy a girl vamp sleeps with just dipping his peen in a vat of LAVA?? 😭💀😭💀😭💀😭💀
