cj-writes-things

[cj-writes-things]

Roses

A semi-horror short story, entirely told through the narration by the antagonist, with implied actions/dialogue by the reader here and there. Basically, an anthophile is taking you on a tour of her house

*disclaimer: I don't write much in the realm of horror, this was one of my attempts at venturing into the genre and was written maybe... 2 years ago? So it might be a bit lackluster or awkwardly written; constructive criticism is welcome as always :3

~~~

Why roses, you ask? They're so... beautiful, so fascinating. I wished to fill my whole life with them, and so I did.

Lovely red gardens surround my home; I've even got a statue of one in the center of the yard! Paintings and tapestries turn the walls into yet another rose garden, and the flowers decorate the pillows of my couch and fill various vases on every table.

In my study I have a shelf which holds every book about roses I could get my hands on- gardening guides, botanist's studies, poetry, you name it.

I even named my cat Rose, and the cat before her, and the cat before him, and so on.

I tried to dye rose patterns into my hair, but it always turned out quite messy and a bit gruesome-looking. So I decided to have them tattooed all over my body instead!

Ah, you've noticed all the smoke. There are a lot of rose-scented candles burning around the house. My shampoo, lotion, and all that- those are rose-scented too! Isn't it a delightful aroma?

I'm glad you agree. My neighbors didn't like it so much. They whispered about me behind my back, calling me awful things like "obsessed" and "fanatic," but they simply didn't appreciate my dedication toward my interests.

But anyway, off of such distasteful topics! Would you like some rose hip tea? I enjoy a cup every afternoon, and you're just in time. There are cupcakes under that glass, if you'd like one. Pretty, aren't they? Cake without sugared rose petals decorating the frosting is a culinary travesty, if you ask me.

Why are you looking at me like that? What do you mean, "all the cabinets are full of dead roses?" Of course they are! Do you think I'd just throw them out after they wilt? Don't be silly. You're starting to sound like my neighbors.

Well, if you don't like my kitchen, at least come down to see my personal laboratory. I'm something of a botanist myself. Come along; we're almost done with the tour.

Just down these stairs here, and through this door-

Yes, the room is soundproofed; I can't have anything disturbing my work, now can I?

Well, what do you think? Topiaries, strangling vines, the biggest roses you've ever seen- I'm quite proud of it all. I've been playing around with horticulture, genetic manipulation, controlled growth-

What are you doing?

That door is locked, silly. You won't get out that way. Why do you look so frightened, anyway?

Oh, that? That was Paul; he lived two doors down. He said my climbing vines were ugly, so I thought he ought to get to know them better. They're quite close now, as you can see. Isn't that nice? Paul doesn't insult my plants anymore, that's for sure!

Stop shaking, dear, you'll knock over my flower pots. They weren't originally that red, did you know?

Ah, well, how could you have? But don't fret, I'll let you in on the secret: I acquired the all-natural red paint from my annoying neighbor Shirley.

She used to complain about all the thorns that got into her yard from my rosebushes, said they were getting stuck in her children's feet. I figured, well, I'd give her something to complain about!

Though she doesn't do much of that these days; it's hard to whine with a four-foot thorn through your stomach, as one might expect.

I don't suppose you want to see the rest?

No?

All right, well that concludes our tour then.

"Leave?" No, silly, you don't leave at the end of my tour. Now you get to join the collection!

Isn't that exciting?

[cj-writes-things]

Current writing project

Life is so silly sometimes, you accidentally cross paths with your ex one time on your way to class and next thing you know you're staring at a 19 page word document of poetry & stuff

[cj-writes-things]

I guess it goes without saying but just fyi I'm taking a break from song of the day until further notice

[cj-writes-things]

Song of the day #22

Date: March/4/24

Song title: We're Gonna Be Okay

Artist: Cody Francis

Runtime: 3 minutes 19 seconds

Genre: folk

Album: It'll Be Alright

Notes: listened to this more than once on my walk tonight because ppl are really testing my stress threshold and this song has a comforting vibe

[cj-writes-things]

~Playlists~

For anyone looking for a little musical exploration or some pre-curated themed playlists, I've got you. Feel free to check these out if any of them sound like your kinda vibe!

My main/default playlist; there's a little bit of everything in here so it's good for when there's no particular vibe and you just want random shit on shuffle for hours:

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Playlist I listen to when I'm feeling alone/down; made from a place of feeling unable to accept or reciprocate love and having difficulty forming or maintaining personal relationships, with a few comfort songs mixed in:

"wdym ur lonely? so many ppl love you"

Playlist for hiking, roadtripping, setting out on an adventure, admiring the cosmos, pondering existence, etc (very indie/folk-heavy playlist):

Trailblazin' & Stargazin'

I mentioned this one in my valentine's day post; the title pretty much sums it up I'd say:

love songs I actually like

This one goes along/overlaps with the previous one & was also mentioned in my valentine's day post; basically, songs that helped me get an idea of the kind of love I hope to experience and a better understanding of love in general:

a love like this

Collection of mostly soft, comforting/uplifting songs to listen to when I'm stressed out or anxious or whatever, with a little bit of subdued angst sprinkled in:

calm down

Another one that doesn't really need a description; I don't know exactly what the vibe is with this one I just needed to make it bc reasons:

my personal collection of Sam Smith & Calum Scott songs

Slowed & reverb songs for my adhd bitches who have to have background noise 24/7 but get distracted by more upbeat lively music when they should be sleeping (I've used this one many a night):

Trying to fall asleep

Playlist for feeling overwhelmed, unprepared for adulthood, resistant to growing up, scared of change:

I'm not ready

Songs that either feel trans-coded/supportive or just that I like to listen to specifically during more masc/enby phases, usually because they feel gender-affirming somehow:

For Your Dysphoric Days

Touch-starved, depressed, out of it, and desperate to feel something playlist:

feeling numb.

A few more based purely on vibes whose titles more or less speak for themselves:

life in a YA dystopian fantasy/sci-fi epic

Villain POV

Run Away with Me

Mortality

Phantoms, Fables, and Echoes of the Divine

Chilled, Somber yet Mellow (mostly SYML)

ripples through murky water

This Might Be The End

POV: angsty queer teen with religious trauma

That's all for now, hope somebody gets some enjoyment out of these

[cj-writes-things]

Song of the day #21

Date: March/3/24

Song title: 1000 Years

Artist: KT Tunstall & Bleu

Runtime: 3 minutes 16 seconds

Genre: this is another one I couldn't find so like... idk

Album: (see notes)

Notes: this goes along with yesterday's post, which can be found here, and is from the same album

[cj-writes-things]

Song of the day #20

Date: March/2/24

Song title: Strange Sight

Artist: KT Tunstall

Runtime: 2 minutes 46 seconds

Genre: probably pop idk

Album: Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast

Notes: yes it's from a tinker bell movie don't judge me it's honestly a sweet song

[cj-writes-things]

Oh sorry, didn't notice you posted something about your song recs, can you talk about you Oc's instead?

Obviously- as shown in my response to your first ask, lol- I don't at all mind talking about music, but sure, I'd love to!

There are a lot to pick from though, so to avoid getting caught up in rambling about all my little guys w/o knowing if they're the sort of character you're interested in, I'm gonna give some very squished down general descriptions, and then if there's any that you'd like to hear more about, just let me know!

I've got:

a rich depressed vampire and his "jock" werewolf groundskeeper/bf,

desert-dwelling freedom fighters and their adopted (vigilante goodwill kidnapping my beloved) dragon-blooded kid,

a band of mythical/supernatural creatures on a quest to find a better home,

a pair of not-exactly-humans living in a religious-trauma-personified surveillance state (feat. involuntary body transformations & hiding quasi-powers from the government)

a bunch of students at my own take on the magical school trope but this time it's shapeshifters (heavy focus on a friends-to-lovers queer romance, if that happens to be your cup of tea),

and of course, the various cats from my warriors au love over law

Just so ya know, several- most, really- of my characters are queer, mentally ill and/or neurodivergent, fantasy-esque, repetitive (like a lot of my OCs kinda feel like the same person in different fonts), and typically some sort of self-projection

I know a lot of them are super cliche or whatever, I don't care :)

So anyway, if any of those stand out to you, feel free to ask for a followup on the character(s) of your choice

Oh and also- chances are any followup will contain major spoilers for works I may or may not ever post/publish, so just be warned about that

[cj-writes-things]

Song of the day #19

Date: March/1/24

Song title: I'm Not A Cynic

Artist: Alec Benjamin

Runtime: 2 minutes 17 seconds

Genre: pop

Album: These Two Windows

Notes: another Alec song for you, unfortunately tho I actually am a cynic

[cj-writes-things]

Song of the day #18

Date: Feb/29/24

Song title: The Devil Within

Artist: Digital Daggers

Runtime: 3 minutes 50 seconds

Genre: alternative/indie

Album: Close Your Eyes

Notes: this is another one I picked up from a warriors amv, this one was about Mapleshade I think?

[cj-writes-things]

Fav song(s) at the moment?

I'm sure this is about to be wayyy more than you asked for, but... here ya go!

These are some of my favorite artists + albums/songs of theirs I'd recommend:

The Lumineers

From their self-titled album: Dead Sea, Ho Hey, Slow It Down, Stubborn Love, Big Parade, Charlie Boy

From Cleopatra: Sleep On The Floor, Ophelia, Cleopatra, Long Way From Home, My Eyes

From III: Gloria, Salt And The Sea

Noah Kahan

Albums: Busyhead, I Was/I Am, Cape Elizabeth, Hurt Somebody

Singles: Animal, Part of Me, Come Down, Pride, Hold It Down, Fine, Crazier Things, Sink

Sleeping At Last

From Atlas I: Light, You Are Enough, Earth, Saturn

From Atlas II: Life, Son, Daughter, Touch, Smell, Sight

All 1-9 of Atlas: Enneagram

Hozier

Let's be honest, pretty much anything by this guy is gonna be good. If I try to list all of his songs I really like this will be too long

Lewis Capaldi

Albums: Bloom, Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent (I have this one on vinyl I know every song)

Lord Huron

From Strange Trails: Love Like Ghosts, Meet Me in the Woods, The Night We Met

From Lonesome Dreams: Ends of the Earth, The Ghost on the Shore

Amber Run

From The Assembly: Amen

From 5AM: I Found, Hurricane, 5AM, Just My Soul Responding, Don't Wanna Fight, Heaven

Single: Alaska

Calum Scott

From Only Human: If Our Love Is Wrong, Dancing On My Own, You Are The Reason, No Matter What

From Bridges: Run With Me, Flaws, Heaven, I'll Be There, Boys In The Street

Rainbow Kitten Surprise

From RKS: Cold Love, Cocaine Jesus, All's Well That Ends

From Seven + Mary: First Class, Devil Like Me

My go-to response if anyone asks me my #1 favorite song, btw, is Saturn. I'm not religious but this song is spiritual to me

[cj-writes-things]

Hey so look

I may or may not have pulled an all nighter* the other day working on chapter outlines for my silly little story about my silly little cats (more like a feline soap opera really)

(*A decision- and its consequences- I mentioned on my main blog yesterday)

So while LoL still hasn't been updated, just know there's lots of stuff in the works- I haven't abandoned it again, life's just been kinda kicking my ass lately and it's been really hard to get any work done, but I have been working on it behind the scenes, and I have some stuff I'm really excited to (eventually) share with you

I did try to find my ultimate guide, only to realize after digging through two tubs worth of stuff that it was actually one of the very few books of my collection that I sold a few years back

So. That's helpful. (Not)

But that's okay! Between warriors wiki, memory, and making my own shit up like I probably should have done anyway, I'll manage

As mentioned earlier, chapter 10 will be about the Mountainclan apprentices being taught the warrior code

It has come to my attention that this has been amended in more recent books, but for plot reasons I'm going to ignore that, since a lot of my ideas for the storyline were based on the rules as they existed back when I was reading the series, but I'll probably also change it up a bit myself, especially the backstories for each law, since the clans of the LoLverse are separate from and not connected to the canon clans & their history

I know barely anyone reads this so I really didn't have to make a whole announcement but it's been bouncing around my head and I needed to get it out of the way

Anywho, to anyone who happens to see this, have a lovely day, and specifically to any writers- the struggle is real, I'm right there in it with you, but you've got this, just keep on truckin' buddy (and don't be like me. Don't sacrifice your sleep schedule for your WIP, at least not when you have class the next morning)

P.S. for anyone who's interested in seeing the writing process, I'm thinking about posting the outline for each chapter after it's released, so sort of like watching in reverse how the story comes together; if I do end up doing that the outlines will be linked on the LoL masterpost

[cj-writes-things]

Song of the day #17

Date: Feb/28/24

Song title: If I'm Being Honest

Artist: Beth Crowley

Runtime: 4 minutes 14 seconds

Genre: pop (I guess? Tried to look it up but couldn't get a clear answer)

Album: N/A (single)

Notes: "I won't twist our story / making it seem as if you were the villain / I should have hated all along" I feel called out tbh, although I don't do this on purpose

[cj-writes-things]

Song of the day #16

Date: Feb/27/24

Song title: Let Me Down Slowly

Artist: Alec Benjamin

Runtime: 2 minutes 49 seconds

Genre: pop

Album: N/A (single)

Notes: this was my first Alec Benjamin song, and I was introduced to it via a Crowfeather AMV

[cj-writes-things]

Song of the day #14 & 15

Date: Feb/26/24 (forgot to do one yesterday so today you get a double)

Song title: Cool Kids | Symphony

Artist: Echosmith | Clean Bandit

Runtime: 3 minutes 58 seconds | 3 minutes 33 seconds

Genre: alternative/indie | EDM

Album: Talking Dreams | What Is Love?

Notes: I can't hear these songs without thinking of this one family vacation several years ago where we pretty much just went and stayed in a hotel with my cousins for a few days, doesn't sound very exciting I know but we had fun and these kept playing over the lobby speakers and they stuck in our memory

[cj-writes-things]

Song of the day #13

Date: Feb/24/24

Song title: I Don't Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)

Artist: Glass Animals

Runtime: 3 minutes 15 seconds

Genre: alternative/indie

Album: Dreamland (+ Bonus Levels)

Notes: this song is catchy as fuck; the funny thing, if you know what the song is about, is that I only know it bc of my ex

[cj-writes-things]

Song of the day #12

Date: Feb/23/24

Song title: Kings & Queens

Artist: Ava Max

Runtime: 2 minutes 42 seconds

Genre: pop

Album: Heaven & Hell

Notes: fun, catchy, and with some nice feminist vibes to top it off