#gentle storytelling

[luvinaeverdene]

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

[everydayanewpage]

The story so far...

In the quiet suburbs of Minnesota, eleven-year-old Gemma encounters a lone coyote in her garden—a silent observer that seems to beckon her into the unknown. In the deep woods behind Gemma's home, the coyote transforms into a human boy and flees soon after.  Maddeningly, no one believes what she claims to have seen.

Years later, at seventeen, Gemma boards a train bound for the east coast, leaving behind a life marked by isolation and unanswered questions. The rhythmic clatter of the train wheels becomes a soothing backdrop as she contemplates the uncertainties of her future.

Upon arrival, Gemma is welcomed by Kade, a compassionate father figure who offers her a semblance of stability. His home becomes a sanctuary where she begins to confront the shadows of her past. Interactions with Gavin, another resident, challenge her guarded demeanor, prompting reflections on trust and vulnerability. Despite the warmth extended to her, Gemma grapples with feelings of unworthiness and the fear of being an outsider, she also can't help but start to think Gavin might be hiding something.

As she navigates this new environment, Gemma's internal struggles surface. Moments of solitude reveal her deep-seated insecurities and the weight of her history. Yet, amidst the turmoil, there's a flicker of hope—a tentative belief that she might find her place in this unfamiliar world.

About This Project

Welcome! This is a slow-reading, daily fiction project. I’m posting one page at a time from my original young adult novel — a story about grief, chosen family, and magic in unexpected places.

Each day, a new page is added to the blog. You don’t need to start from the beginning (though you’re welcome to); you can read at your own pace, jump in anywhere, or just follow along quietly.

The story follows a seventeen-year-old girl as she leaves behind a difficult past and begins a new life in a house of strangers—people who may or may not have answers to the questions she’s been carrying for years.

Pages are posted in order, and chapters are marked clearly as they begin. All posts are free to read.

📖 Want to start from the first page? → HERE

Support This Project on Patreon

If you’ve been enjoying the story or want to read full chapters, you can support the project on Patreon. It's completely optional, but deeply appreciated.

All individual pages will always remain free to read on Tumblr. Patreon just helps me share more of the story, keep the project going, and connect with readers more directly.

Thank you for reading — whether you’re just peeking in or following every page. This story means a lot to me, and I’m glad you’re here.

[crayonboxkid]

Welcome to the Playground!

Hiiiiii!! Welcome-welcome-WELCOOOOOME to my happy little corner of the internet! I'm Skip ( he / him ) You’ve just stumbled into a world full of retro rainbow dreams, pixel sprinkles, juice box joy, and soft plushy hugs! This blog is a kidcore/retro/nostalgia/comfort BURST of colour, soft feeling, and fun — like diving into a toy chest full of memories and forgotten favourites!!

I’m so super duper glad you’re here!!! Picture me waving wildly from a treehouse and offering you a well loved Beanie Baby — THAT’S the vibe!!

This is a space to feel cosy, act weird, feel safe, embrace being silly, and return to a time full of wonder. Whether you're here for 90s cartoons, fuzzy static from VHS tapes, sticker book aesthetics, or just the comfort of rainbow socks and mystery glitter glue stains —pull up a beanbag, we're best friends now!

You can send me ANY kind of ask!

Want to talk about your favorite stuffed animal as a kid? Show me your ✨ treasured ✨ stickers? Ask something silly or deep or in-between? DO IT!! I’m always down to share my (virtual) snacks, stickers, and random thoughts.

♡🧸🎠🍭💾🍬🛝💖

DNI (Do Not Interact, Pretty Please!):

No bigotry of any kind (racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, etc — NOPE!)

NSFW / kink blogs (this is a comfy, cozy corner, not that kind of corner!)

TERFs, MAPs , DDLG ect

Pro-shippers or anyone romanticizing abuse

If you're mean on purpose or think saying something is ' cringe ' is in anyway meaningful input.

♡🧸🎠🍭💾🍬🛝💖

This is a joy zone, and we’re here to be kind, weird, and wonderfully ourselves.

So yeah!! Grab a juice pouch, hop on the rainbow slide, and let’s make this the coziest nostalgia show & tell ! You’re totally invited !!

Tag along and let’s make digital friendship bracelets!!

Love ya already!!

– Your friendly neighborhood memory-hoarder

PS: If you’ve read this far, tell me your favorite childhood snack. Or don’t. Or DO!!.

𖡡⌒ﾟ｡☆彡✿🍭🦕🪩💾

[thedreamingteainn]

A Reflection by the Hearth -Quiet Gestures, Silent Wishes

Tonight was a quiet night again. The few guests still lingering in the tavern, have taken their final sips for the evening and have gone to their rooms. The only thing keeping me company are the warm embers in the hearth, as well as the light rumblings outside the Inn signaling a small storm is coming. Other than the oncoming rain, the sound of the soft rustle of parchment lingers in the air as I…

[compassionmattersmost]

Drifting to Peace: A Bedtime Story of Stillness, Dreams, and the Buddha’s Wisdom

Once upon a time, there was a child named Sam who loved bedtime, that quiet time when the world softened, and all the day’s noise faded into whispers. One evening, as Sam settled into bed, he felt an unusually deep sense of calm. He listened to his own breath, rising and falling like waves, each one slower and softer than the last. He let go, bit by bit, of every thought, feeling his body melt…

[mythboundcal]

The Garden Doesn’t Know She’s Gone Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Fanfic by MythboundCal

Zelda’s garden doesn’t know she’s gone.

It still blooms like she’ll be back any second—like the sunflowers haven’t noticed she stopped humming to them, like the lavender didn’t watch her vanish into light.

Link stands at the gate. The wood is soft with age, half-swallowed by ivy. The watering can rests exactly where she left it in Hateno. Rusting. Waiting.

He doesn’t touch it.

Not out of neglect.

Just… fear.

That if he waters the garden, it might forget her—that its roots will stop searching for her footsteps, its blossoms will stop blooming in her colors.

So he lets it grow wild.

The basil climbs the wrong wall. The squash vines curl over the porch. The chimes still sing when the wind hits just right, a song no one ever wrote down.

And her gloves still hang on a bent nail by the shed. One turned inside out. He doesn’t fix it.

Somewhere beneath the soil are seeds she never named. He won’t dig for them. If they bloom, they bloom. If they don’t… he’ll wait with them.

Today, he sits. The Master Sword leans nearby, but he doesn’t reach for it.

The porch creaks under his weight. He watches the marigolds twitch in the breeze, reaching for hands that never come.

The villagers don’t ask anymore. He’s glad.

Because how do you explain a wound that grows flowers?

Even now, he hears her voice on the air—light, scolding, fond. “Don’t overwater the rosemary, Link. It hates being fussed over.”

He doesn’t answer.

Just lets the wind rustle the leaves. Lets the garden carry the silence.

And when a white lily opens—out of season, out of place—he doesn’t wonder how.

The garden remembers.

So he doesn’t have to.

[luvinaeverdene]

My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

[everydayanewpage]

If you’ve been following along, thank you—it really means a lot.

If you’re new, you can start reading from → here. 

Chapter 5 - Page 14 of 18

I nod politely, biting my lip, looking around at all the other couples scattered around the restaurant. They all look content and pleased to be there with each other. Some glance at us and look away when I catch their eyes.  

Gavin orders two glasses of champagne when our waiter comes by. I’m taken aback when he doesn't ask me for my I.D., but I suppose it’s because of Gavin who looks rather intimidating in a dark grey blazer and a copper tie that matches his glasses.  

"I've been looking forward to taking you out for quite some time," Gavin says, trying to start conversation again after the waiter disappears. "You look so beautiful, Gemma." 

I smile at him, feeling a bit warm, uneasy, and not at all sure of how to respond. I’ve never received so many compliments before. I busy myself with the menu, but none of the words come into focus with Gavin watching me so intently. 

"I know we’ve only known each other for a short amount of time, but I like you, Gemma. I’ve never really cared for anyone as much as I seem to for you.”

My eyes widen. Was he serious? “ Wow, er… Gavin-" Where is this coming from? 

"I know the age difference is concerning, but I hope you can look past that..." 

The waiter returns with our champagne, I take it from his hands rather roughly and sip it quickly. He and Gavin both stare openly at me, but I don’t care, I’m too nervous to care. 

Gavin orders two filet mignons as I drain my glass. He laughs quietly, nervously and orders a whole bottle of champagne too. 

I was completely caught off guard, he actually likes me, and taking me out on a date wasn’t done out of pity for a poor girl who’d never been, like I had assumed. But, I could think of nothing to say, all the while wondering why I just couldn't tell him I didn't feel the same way. Yet, I think I like him as a friend, and if I told him this, it might ruin our friendship and make things weirder between us. And I’m not sure I want that. 

[gilmores-glorious-blog]

where’s that one post that’s been going around the past couple weeks about like,, ‘you can have your negative opinions about c3 but please stop framing them like they’re facts’ because i. yeah.

[milk-and-wildflowers]

💐We’ve Saved You a Seat by the Window

The kettle’s already on. The teacups are mismatched. One has a chip in the rim. The other has a flower painted too far off-center. But they still hold warmth. And so will we.

You don’t have to say anything. Not right away. You can just sit here. Breathe a little slower. Let the quiet settle on your shoulders like a shawl.

This isn’t a story that rushes. It doesn’t unfold in fireworks. It unfurls, like wildflowers waking up after rain.

Here, the girls grow slowly. They speak softly. They fall in love with people who don’t always stay— and with versions of themselves they thought they had to leave behind.

This is where sisters laugh in kitchens. Where letters are written and never sent. Where coats still smell like someone who left gently. Where birthdays ache, and forgiveness sometimes smells like bread.

This is where Rosalina paints, and Petunia sparkles through her ache, and Liliana tries to hold the house up with both hands and a heart she’s too shy to mention.

This is where Abilene writes her letters in secret, where Sullivan waits without asking, and where even the ones we don’t speak of still live in the garden of memory.

You don’t have to be ready. You don’t have to be anything. Just curious. Just kind. Just here.

Take your shoes off, if you’d like. The floor creaks, but it’s friendly.

The girls are waiting in the next room. Their stories don’t demand your attention— they invite it.

You are not just a reader here.

You are someone we’ve been saving a seat for.

So come in, love. Sit by the window. Take a sip.

Let’s begin.

[saironwen]

I like to think of my illustrations as small doors to other worlds. Some are inspired by Tolkien, Sanderson or Tad Williams, like this Middle-earth map and the scene featuring Tanahaya and Aditu's, others come from my own stories, with creatures who dream, wander, or simply breathe.

If any of these drawings speak to you, I have more on VGen, where scene commissions are open with a discount (up to 2 characters + background). I’d love to help bring your story to life.

🖋️ You can also find me on Bluesky, Instagram, or anywhere there's a table, some paper, and a longing to tell something beautiful.

Thank you for being here. 💛

✨ También hablo español. Soy Argentina, pero vivo en Perú :)

[kix-mm]

I will find you pt2

Previous Next

@smallsday @devourerofcheesecake

You kept everyone in the shed, the monster eventually passed further into the neighborhood while calling out to you & your family. It seemed that everyone in the area was aware of this dire situation and had taken shelter and turned all the lights off. It made it quite difficult for the large creature to see anything.

Before you could make your decision your neighbors child finds you hiding in the shed, when you asked why they came over they explain that nobody was home and that they had an eerie feeling they were being watched. You reassure them that they made the right decision to leave the house, as it would have no longer been safe…

You have found an old backpack, it’s in decent condition and can hold 4 items.

You decide to pack while your eldest keeps watch and your neighbor helps you pack, though due to the only source of food coming from the outside freezer you don’t find much useful.

You find: 1 dirty backpack, 1 child & 1 frozen water

You have: 3 children. 1 light. 1 backpack (2/4 1 water & 1 spade)

[ukulele-hero]

Ayaka is in Love With Hiroko - Season 2 Episode 6

[mythboundcal]

The Last Person to Say My Name That Way Naruto (Kakashi) Fanfic by MythboundCal

He dreams of her in water.

Not the battlefield. Not the mud and blood and the moment everything went wrong. Just… water. Still. Cool. Quiet.

Rin sits with her feet in the stream. Not smiling, not angry—just there. Like the past didn’t happen. Or maybe it hasn’t yet.

“Kakashi,” she says, and that’s the part that breaks him.

Not her face. Not her voice. But the way she says his name. Like it still means something good.

He doesn’t speak. Not yet. Not in these dreams. He just sits. A little downstream. Close enough to feel the ripples.

“You still think it was your fault,” she says after a while, plucking a petal from the water. “It wasn’t.”

“You died,” he replies. The petal slips through her fingers.

“So did you,” she says.

That part stings. Not because it’s untrue—but because she says it without blame.

Kakashi stares at the water. There’s no reflection. There never is.

“I’m not looking for forgiveness,” he says.

Rin hums. “Good. Because I’m not offering it.”

A pause.

“I’m just here.”

And somehow, that’s worse.

Because he wants to be punished. He wants her to scream. To cry. To make him say it out loud. But Rin… is just kind. Like she always was. And it guts him in ways the war never did.

She stands. Water doesn’t cling to her feet. She leaves no footprints on the grass.

He doesn’t look up. But she touches his shoulder. And for a moment, his whole body remembers what it was like to be chosen without effort.

“Try again,” she says gently. “And let someone say your name the way I used to.”

She fades before he can answer. She always does.

But when he wakes up, Kakashi whispers it to the ceiling anyway—

“Rin.”

And the way it echoes in his own voice… almost sounds like hope.

[wreckedhoney]

a while ago on the discord i brought up the "which desk at the station is forrest's desk" question when the answer should probably have been obvious. he's been at the job for approx. one week, so it's the desk with all the unpacked boxes. it just didnt occur to me because thats Frankly A Lot Of Boxes and my first thought was this is where all the storage and junk are piled on, but no. it's all stuff forrest brought (/hc). he's a heavy packer. he spite packed all the stuff he didn't want his old job to keep even if he doesnt need or even like them all that much but now that he's blacklisted then no one in the entirety of chicago can have them

[everydayanewpage]

If you’ve been following along, thank you—it really means a lot.

If you’re new, you can start reading from → here. 

Chapter 5 - Page 13 of 18

“I agree with you there, good luck…” She says good-bye and hangs up. 

I settle on a simple dark green dress that Kade bought for me, a black cardigan, and a pair of heels Lilith gave to me when she found out I had none. I put on my arrow necklace for good measure. It will have to do. 

 I stumble to my bed and kiss Toby, “Please don’t let me make a fool of myself…” I beg him, but he simply meows as I pat him on the head.

Both Kade and Gavin wait at the bottom of the stairs, watching as I try not to fall down them. My grace leaves me even in the best of times and I grab the railing for dear life. 

"You look stunning," Kade whispers, glowing. I know he’s secretly been rooting for Gavin ever since I told him about the date. “Have a great night you two.” 

I blush as Gavin takes my hand and kisses it. He says nothing, walking me outside. I manage to wobble to the R8 without falling, my first triumph of the evening. He opens the car door for me respectfully and drives us in silence to an elegant looking restaurant tucked away in the Litchfield hills. 

I feel so anxious and timid, not at all sure what I’m supposed to say or do while Gavin remains quiet, lost in his own head, perhaps wondering why he asked out such an odd girl. Surely he’s regretting his decision by now. 

He smiles warmly at me however, as he helps me out of the very low Audi and up wide rock stairs embedded into the hill that the restaurant sits upon. 

"I have a reservation," he says politely to the pretty girl at reception, who eyes him appreciatively. "Mr. Burridge and Miss Greyson." 

She leads us into the rather intimate dining room. The lighting is dim and candles glow softly from each table on top of crisp white tablecloths. Once we’re shown to our table, Gavin pulls out my chair for me. I wrap my sweater tighter around myself and take my seat.

"I'm so glad you're here with me, Gemma, " he says finally, taking his seat across from me.

Read the full chapter now on Patreon.