#introspective storytelling

[jonathanmoya1955]

The Art that Stayed

I was expecting giants—brushstrokes that shaped history, colors that conquered time. But the walls whispered absence, their icons carried elsewhere, lent to hands that bear their weight. Only the quiet ones remained, anchored in the still air, aching to be adopted, longing for eyes to grant them meaning, a gaze that wholly loves their frail existence, to be taken in—cradled, fed, held close to…

[chiokedmachi]

Cliff Notes Version: The Heartless Reign Chronicles by Chioke Dmach

– **Setting:** The story unfolds in the stark and sterile environment of the Reign Apartment Homes complex, where diverse characters grapple with their inner demons and search for meaning in their lives. – **Characters:** 1. Chioke: A strong, charismatic young man in his mid-20s, radiating innocence and faith despite the challenges he faces. 2. August: A brooding figure battling self-doubt and…

[imaginal-ai]

"Going Within" (0001)

[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.

[spaciebabie]

see i absolutely despise jimmy (and curly) as a character(s) but as a literary freak i can appreciate the way hes used as a story device with his relationship to curly. i could type this more eloquently but currently ive had a glass of champagne and i havent drank in like 6 months so my tolerance is low so forgive my writing but. jimmy cannibalizing curly. yeah.

theres multiple messages here, theres the message that jimmy is doing what curly (assumedly) did to get into his position and, employing another metaphor, taking the "dog eat dog world" saying to heart. and literally. devouring his competition. or maybe curly didnt do that. and thats what jimmy thinks curly did and so he aims to do the same. choose whichever one you like more they're both interesting storywise.

theres the message where jimmy "consumes" curly in some twisted expression of love. devouring curly so that he remains a part of him, an expression that he is the gold star captain and something to aspire to. admiration for something he'll never be and so he chooses to consume him in order to potentially absorb some of his skill or become more like him.

and then there is curly sitting there helplessly being devoured. its something he has no say in, not something that he chose to happen to him, its something hes become swept up in. he becomes devoured by jimmy in the literal sense of cannibalism, but also in the sense that he became so absorbed in his friendship w/jimmy he ignored his wrongdoings and ultimately led to anya's assault as well as the death of the whole crew.

curly and jimmy intertwined so that one is always consumed by the other. curly in a literal sense, jimmy in a more psychological one. i mean like its really quite crazy they did the "im consumed with thoughts about this guy and want to be him so i must literally consume him" thing quite well. when examining mouthwashing's narrative you find new things to admire every time. each little story element has a place in creating a wonderfully complex and heartbreaking story. its very well done and honestly something to aspire to from the perspective of someone who enjoys studying/writing literature.

all of this is to say i think that there should be more art of jimmy covered in blood and engaging in this cannibalism like the stupid little leech he is

[niggadiffusion]

"Adaptable"

(a street poem by DiegoJae)

Born where winters bite and summers spit heat—

Detroit streets taught me rhythm before I knew the beat.

East side chaos, west side lessons,

backyards and basements became my confessions.

A pit bull heart with a poet’s tongue,

I bend but don’t break, been doin' this since young.

Got kicked out the nest, flew through broken skies,

every scar I wear got truth behind the lies.

They say “stay in your lane,” but I pave my own,

with a chipped-up crown and a mobile phone.

No lights, no water, still the vision clear—

Majik in the ink, turn pain into premiere.

Adaptable. Ain’t just a word I say,

it’s stitched in my hustle, it’s how I pray.

It’s sleeping on couches, still dressing in pride,

it’s the music I make when the world collides.

It’s loving too hard, then learning the burn,

it’s flipping the script when tables don’t turn.

I’m soul over sound, I’m beat over boast,

I’m the ghost in the groove when you need it most.

So when they ask me what I’ve been through,

I don’t unpack—I paint the view.

With rhythm, with grace, with a whisper or roar,

I’m the storm and the shelter, the slam and the door.

Adaptable.

Like the art I bleed,

like the life I grow

from every damn seed.

[milk-and-wildflowers]

The Milward Story Collection

Not every story is told in words—some are remembered in flavor. This companion collection is a poetic tasting menu of the Milward girls’ lives and loves, where sweetness clings, salt lingers, and bitterness sings softly through the cracks. These are memory slices and flavor notes, tiny aches and secret comforts, whispered through metaphor and steeped in longing. Taste them slowly. Let them stir something you thought you forgot.

[everydayanewpage]

CHAPTER 3 — Page 15 of 16

📖 42 pages total so far

Kade watches me as I consider this. 

“I know you’ve never had much time to experience unconditional love and that you may not even remember regardless, but it’s not too late. It’s never too late Gemma. You deserve a better life than the one you left behind… remember that.” Kade affirms. “I assure you that there are people here who will watch out for you and that you should feel safe here.”

I nod silently just as the front door opens and Gavin wanders into the kitchen carrying a pizza. The box looks out of character in his hands, as I imagined he only ate fancy food. Perhaps I’m too judgmental of him? 

“Speaking of which…” Kade walks over to clap Gavin on the back.   

“I thought you guys could use some dinner.” Gavin says setting the pizza open on the dining table. 

“Oh please stay, join us.” Kade says, and I search around for plates in the unfamiliar cupboards. Together we sit around the table, and I watch silently as Kade and Gavin chat like old friends. All of a sudden, I feel like an intruder in these people’s lives. Like I was just dumped here and now they have to accommodate me. 

 “How are you settling in Gemma?” Gavin asks abruptly tearing his eyes away from Kade to focus on me. 

“Um, just fine…” I say meekly. “Can I be excused?” I get up without eating much and make my way up to my room, passing Toby on the stairs who quickly waddles into the kitchen, probably to beg for scraps. 

I sulk over to my window seat, bringing my knees up to my chest. After such a nice day, how can I suddenly feel so bleak? Kade, this place, it’s more than I could have ever asked for…Why am I so set on being miserable? 

There’s a knock on my door. “Yes?” I call, not wanting to leave my post.

Gavin peaks his head in. “Can I?” 

I nod and he walks in, closing the door behind him. 

[mimok]

In the Center of the Silence~

There is a space in the center of the noise. A pause. A stillness. A moment that invites us to listen more deeply. This image brought that to mind for me tonight— standing alone in the middle of an empty amphitheater, surrounded by layers of silence, facing the sky, the land, the echo of your own heartbeat. In this world full of clamor and conflict, how do we remain attuned to what is…

[beachbabe69]

White Fur Coat

I wear a white fur coat to stamp out cigarettes Each burn a memory I’d rather forget Matted and tattered, still draped on display Shame wraps around me like smoke every day The ash clings, the scent never fades Regret in the lining, soft as a blade I look in the mirror and now see I was afraid to show the real me My soft vulnerability So I dressed it in sequins and called it charm A mask to impress, Worn armor over arms

Traded my voice for the sound of my name Dressed to impress, then hated the game My white fur coat is now a smoky brown Sequin dress drips to the ground Dra-dra-dragging me down I lost myself somewhere along the way

I look in the mirror and now see I’m learning to show the real me My soft vulnerability I let the clothes fall with relief Let the mask fall with the lies I believed It’s time to disarm at last

[ace-and-ranty]

Because of your Nimona posting, I invited myself to my friend’s house so I could use her Netflix and watch it. We both cried. What a film.

I'm on FIRE lately with my recs, god DAMN. Seriously, though, doesn't it just bring your soul joy?.

ND Stevenson does these little personal blog style comics over here: https://www.imfineimfine.com and he just recently posted an entry about the Nimona world premiere, and, much like Nimona itself, it is funny, it is charming, it is captivating, and it is gonna PUNCH YOUR HEART OUT:

[indiestar]

I hear a song I used to love, and suddenly, I’m back there, back in a room that doesn't exist anymore, back with people who have turned into memories. Funny how a few notes can fold time like paper. But if I went back, would it ever feel the same?

[forgaeven]

it's blasphemous, traitorous –

for years, rhea has abstained. it was easy to. her pride and stubbornness were alike the mountains of her homeland: it does not bend, and it does not buckle. her husband had chosen not to touch her when he would bed so many others, and rhea royce had taken it a personal challenge thereafter to keep herself beyond anyone's wanting. rid of that, and she had years worth of reputation full of the noble deed and the oath she has kept when runestone was passed to her. aye, sure, the ghost of being the unwanted wife certainly follows – but often, quickly, the men and women in her presence would be forced to meet the lord underneath. they would know, instantly, that she too cannot be trifled with.

and thus, abstaining felt – purposeful. it had felt right. it had felt, in her bones, like a quiet vengeance the only way she knows how but also a promise to herself that she will be the person her prince husband could not. how could she have forgotten to account for klaus in this silent iron-willed programme ? though, similarly, how could she have anticipated that they would be reunited ? that he would still have to him the eyes from when he stared at her during their youth : full, and giddy, and adoring ? adored. oh gods, she had forgotten what it was like to be adored.

and so – the kiss she trails to his jaw is blasphemous, traitorous, but rhea kisses: slow, and tentative, and careful. suddenly, away from the cloak of her responsibility, she is only a girl - only the woman who wanted, for once, to be loved. ❛⠀... i'm sorry, i shouldn't have – ❜ she whispers through her budding tears, pulling her mouth away, though she remains close, fearful of the inevitable parting and quite frankly stubborn. as she's said, she had just gotten him back. must she lose him again this quickly ? rhea catches his gaze, ❛⠀... my klaus. my- my nikolai. my dearest, the heart of all my summers. ❜ and then, around a broken smile, ❛⠀i really should've ran away with you, shouldn't i ? ❜

@storytelers ♡'d para starter call !

[imaginal-ai]

"Going Within" (0002)

(More of this series)

0001

[mythboundcal]

The Sea Forgets Slowly One Piece Fanfic by MythboundCal

It’s a windless day. The Thousand Sunny barely sways. The kind of quiet that only happens between islands—between battles.

Nami sits with her legs dangling off the deck. A glass of orange juice sweats in her hand. Beside her, Robin’s book is closed. She hasn’t opened it in an hour.

Neither of them says anything for a long time.

“It’s strange,” Nami says, finally. “You can sail for days and still feel like you’re not getting anywhere.”

Robin hums. “Sometimes that’s the point.”

The sun is soft today. Not lazy—just gentle, like it knows they need room to breathe.

“There’s this place on my old map,” Nami continues. “I used to call it the Nowhere Zone. No winds. No waves. I thought it was cursed. But now…”

She trails off.

Robin doesn’t push. She never does. She just waits—like tide on rock.

“I think maybe it was a place for people like us. The ones who lost too much too fast. Who needed the sea to stop moving so we could catch up.”

Robin smiles, small. Sad. True.

“I never mapped that place,” Nami says. “But I think we’re in it now.”

Robin looks out at the glassy water, her voice softer than the breeze. “The sea forgets slowly,” she says. “But it never forgets completely.”

They sit like that for a while. Two women stitched with old pain, breathing in silence like it’s a prayer.

And somewhere in the distance, the wind stirs—just a little. Not enough to move the ship.

But enough to remind them it still could.

---

A/N: I wrote “The Sea Forgets Slowly” because I think grief in the One Piece world is often loud—explosive, heroic, full of tears and flames. But grief can also be quiet. It can sit with you for days at sea, just like someone who understands without asking questions. I wanted to give Nami and Robin that kind of silence. That kind of breath. A moment between islands, where nothing has to happen—and that’s what makes it healing.

For anyone still carrying something heavy: this one’s for you.

– Cal 🦋✨

[palukoo]

man writing like slow burn repressed shit is sooooo funny bc it’ll have you like 75k into a fic like well I don’t know I think maybe I’ve had them be figuring stuff out too soon like maybe they are too in touch with their emotions like I don’t know that they’d have come to terms with their feelings enough to actually express those feelings in any real way and then you’re like well. it has taken them a while to get here has it not. but one must always wonder is it long enough? and well no it never fucking is.