37 Note: DAMN this is long. I'm sorry it came off like that, but I mean everything I said. Mimi gives some downright excellent crit. It reminds me of how my writing professors are - eagle eyed and going over everything with the finest of combs. I really think Mimi would make a perfect professional editor. Talent like that shouldn't be wasted (not really wasted, but I can't think of a better term) on fanfics on the internet. Don't get me wrong, I've read some absolutely beautiful fanfics that really blew me away. But when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, it's still a fanfic on the internet. I'm just trying to be realistic. As for the trans thing. I have a few trans friends and I am also trans myself. I can't speak for other transmen, but I do know that among my friends and myself, pronouns are a huge deal. It's something we can't help. Being referred to as a "good girl" pisses me off beyond belief and makes me upset and ashamed. Not everyone knows I'm trans, so some people still refer to me as a she. I try not to let it bother me, but it's hard. If I were in the situation that Pyro is currently in, I don't think I'd be handling it nearly as well as he is. This fic started out as being written for something to do, but it's becoming a sort of therapy for me now. One of my greatest fears is that someday I'll be with a group of guys (at work, hanging out, whatever) and they don't know I'm trans but then they find out. It's sad, but I know many transmen who were raped to "put the woman back in them" or some other such nonsense. In a way, this fear has gotten irrational for me and it's getting hard to deal with. Writing this story helps, somehow. I can't explain how or why, but this story is cathartic for me. I try to be as forward as I can be and as honest as possible. I know some of the shit I say can come off as pissy and condescending, and I apologize for that. I am a very naturally sarcastic person, but misunderstandings are even more frequent over the internet. In any case, I mean everything I say and I'm sorry if I pissed anyone off.