#luciferouslight

I hope I'm not way out of my lane on this one, but here’s just my thoughts. I don't think you were rude or had a negative tone in your initial comment, and you did raise a legitimate concern and make really solid points. If a major character within the story is trans, it can be really frustrating for it not to be tagged. However, I don't think the author is ever required to tag things.

No, you’re totally fine! And you’re right, they don’t have to tag things. They aren’t required by AO3, only that if they tag, they’re required to tag truthfully. That said, there’s always been an unspoken deal within fandom that you tag. It was specifically why I mentioned the MCD thing with the author, because I’m not going to lie or sugar coat this one -- if you write MCD and you don’t tell your readers, that’s a total dick move. I cannot handle MCD, and I won’t read it in any shape or form. Just ask @boopifer. She wrote a beautiful story based on the movie Ghost, and she’s also one of my dearest friends, so I always read what she writes. But that one? I not only told her flat out I can’t read it, but while she, myself, and @brendaonao3 are all in a group chat together, any time they discussed story ideas for it, they went in a private chat so I wouldn’t have to see it (fucking BEST FRIENDS, those two, is2g).

Trans is different, and I get that. But I had a few people tell me they won’t read trans stories for personal reasons (none of which were transphobic -- one was specifically because a friend is in transition and it’s tough for this person to read a trans story while helping their friend go through it IRL). And they should have the right to make that decision going in. So that was my thing. We have additional tagging on AO3 because unlike published books, we have the luxury of giving our readers a total heads up on what to expect, and we do. I try to, at least. Every time something major comes up in TLBB, I add an appropriate tag. 

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oh gosh

Awkward moment where both the original anon and several others pop up to tell you you posted a broken link for the prompt - hopefully this one doesn’t fuck up!

“Which one’s Owen?” Gray was staring wide eyed at the men clustered around the edges of the pen “Aunt Claire said he was the one in charge!” Zach glanced briefly up from his phone screen “No idea, stay back from the edge would you?”

He pulled Gray away from the railings and leaned back against the metal – the raptors had been cool at first, but there was only so much running around in circles he could take. He turned his attention back to his phone.

“HOLD… EYES UP!”

“That one’s Owen” Zach conceded without bothering to look up from his screen. “The guy yelling is usually in charge.”

“Wow” Gray was completely mesmerised and pointing his camera at everything that moved.

“That is good, that is damn good… and… GO!” The trainer waved the raptors on with a simple hand command. Zach squinted in the relentless sunlight, trying to make out anything more than the outline of the older man

Gray let out another gasp as the raptors broke their formation and skittered away into the more sheltered areas of the pen, snapping at each other playfully.

“C’mon” Zach pushed away from the railings. “Aunt Claire said we could watch the training and then we had to go back’

Gray snapped a few more photos in quick succession “That was so cool!”

Zach waited with barely concealed impatience “Gray come on we gotta-‘ “PIG LOOSE!” Zach looked to the pen as a frantic squealing rent the air.

“Pig loose!”

“I wanna see” Gray ran along the catwalk as the raptors burst forth from the scrub, snapping pictures as fast as he could.

One of the handlers came barrelling along the cat-walk clutching an extra-long catchpole, sprinting towards the piglets cries

“Gray watch out!” Zach pulled his little brother from the path of the panicked wrangler, taking the brunt of the accidental shoulder charge as they collided on the too narrow walkway. Zach and the worker tipped over the railings and the air was knocked clean out of Zach’s lungs as they plummeted to the ground

Zach’s head was swimming and he could taste blood. “I’m fine” he called up to Gray who was leaning over the railings calling his name. Zach flipped over and scrambled to his feet. The hard earth swam dangerously under his feet. The raptors flanked the two helpless men, inching forwards as they assessed the two humans that had been dumped into their midst.

The raptor at the front with the blue accented skin chirruped almost curiously and took a step towards Zach. A sinister hissing issued from its throat and Zach swallowed nervously as it cocked its head and surveyed him. Zach stared back as though he were faced with a dangerous dog. Don’t break eye contact, don’t show fear he remembered his dad telling him when one had gotten into their backyard.

The guy who had knocked them down whimpered and tried to crawl backwards. The blue raptor’s head turned quicker than Zach could follow and the hapless worker shrunk under the full force of the animal’s intelligent gaze

Vaguely, Zach registered the blaring alarm that accompanied the gate at the side of the training pen.

“Hold your fire, do not fire! Put twelve amps in these animals and they’re never gonna trust me again”

The trainer scrambled underneath the gate calling out as he planted himself squarely between Zach and the raptors

The whimpering guy was seized by one of the men who had been watching the training and dragged back to safety. Zach inched closer to the second man who was holding the raptors attention.

“Blue, stand down… stand down” The raptor hissed. “Hey, Hey! What did I just say? Delta? I see you, back up! Okay… okay, good, good… close the gate!”

“Are you crazy?” The other trainer’s eyes widened in alarm. “Close the gate!” shrieked the rescued worker, his voice screechy with fear and adrenaline

The alarm blared again and the gate descended. Owen grabbed Zach by the arm and flung them both under the gate. The heavy metal clanged into place and Zach coughed and retched as the dust cleared. The trainer had landed squarely on top of him and was staring down him from an alarmingly close distance.

“Hey, hey! Are you ok?”

“Yeah I’m fine” Zach wheezed.

“You don’t sound fine”

“Yeah well you’re heavy” The trainer was six feet plus of solid muscle.

“Oh shit”

Owen rolled off the guy and tried not blush. He’d been a little distracted, his eyes flicking from the high cheekbones and sharp jawline to the kid’s pillowy mouth.

He gave him the once over before turning to the guy who knocked them down. “You’re the new guy?” The guy nodded, pale and looking terrified

“You ever wonder why there was a job opening? Never turn your back to the cage”.

Owen turned back to Zach. “Let’s get you cleaned up- someone keep an eye on his kid brother while I take care of this!” Owen called out over his shoulder, half dragging Zach away from the walls of the pen

“I’m fine really”

“You’re not fine, you’re concussed and bleeding; that’s the very definition of not fine” Owen lead Zach to a tent a little ways off.

“Sit”

Zach sat on the closest available surface, clearing mugs and a couple of plates out of his way.

“Look at me” Owen palmed the side of the kids head “What’s your name”

“Zach, I’m Claire Dearing’s nephew”

Owen gave a low whistle “looks like someone’s getting fired” he chuckled. “I’m Owen Grady, Claire’s pain in the ass”

He started cleaning away the blood that ran in a thin trickle from the corner of Zach’s mouth. Zach used the time to really look at the older man. His hands were gentle as he dabbed at Zach’s mouth. Zach drank in the honey kissed skin, leaning forward slightly to catch the scent of big, healthy male. The slight sweat and soap smell coming of Owen was fresh and outdoorsy and just- mmm.

Zach leaned forward just a little. Owen glanced up and was startled to find himself the subject of that heavy lidded gaze. Zach’s mouth quirked up at the side revealing a crooked and utterly heart stopping grin.

“I gotta check for any other lacerations, you went down hard”

“Mmhmm”, Zach just nodded as Owen started running his fingers through Zach’s mussed hair, skimming across his scalp and checking for any lumps and bumps. Zach bit his lip and stifled a groan, not as successfully as he would have liked, a low moan escaped his lips and Owen stopped his examination and glanced down. “Don’t do that, don’t bite”

“Most guys don’t complain about the biting”

Owen froze as Zach leant forward once again and skimmed along Owens neck. “You smell like sunlight” Owen reared back and placed his hands on either side of Zach’s head, his eyes were unfocused and dreamy.

“Definitely concussed” he concluded “You’ll need someone to sit with you tonight, keep you… occupied.

“Yeah?” Zach dropped his gaze and then looked up at Owen from underneath lowered lashes. “I don’t suppose you’re free?”

Owen chuckled, a little more nervously than he would have liked. He placed his hands on either side of Zach legs and leaned in, twitching Zach’s hoodie back into place. “No uh, not me, you’re obviously not up for – well um, just not me”

Owen grinned and pushed away from the bench. “Your little brother should be up to the task don’t you think” Owen ducked out of the tent and called to Gray.

Zach tried to swallow his disappointment and slid off the bench. “Zach, Zach!” Gray came running in and threw his arms around his brother. “You’re okay!”

“Yeah, I’m just fine, except you’re gonna have to be in charge tonight and stay up with me okay, I’m a bit concussed”

“Okay! What’s that?” Gray pulled at a slip of paper out of his brother’s pocket. Zach took it from him and stuffed it back into his pocket, not quite hiding the smile that spread across his face