#i am going to read books to children at a fun winter event and then go to the nutcracker ballet

[diffenbachiae]

the worst part of anxiety is that it feels bad before you do the thing, while you’re doing the thing, AND after you’re doing the thing, but if you ever stop doing the things it gets WAY WORSE!!!!

[steddieasitgoes]

@steddiemas Day 30: Smut Themed Sentence Starters

I ended up using two sentences: "Who needs a sleigh ride when I can ride you instead" and "Is that a candy cane in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

Tags: Established Relationship, Implied Smut, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Eddie Munson Is A Menace, Steve Harrington Is A Romantic

wc: 1345 | Rating: M

Read on ao3 | ao3 collection

Steve is a hopeless romantic.

Always has been and probably always will be.

Eddie pretends to hate it, but Steve knows the truth. That under all that leather and loud music is a giant teddy bear who swoons every time Steve shows up with a fresh bouquet of flowers or a pack of his favorite cigarettes from Melvalds.

Everyone else may be fooled, but not Steve.

Which is why Steve has to pull out all the stops for their first winter together as a couple.

He set the bar high last year when they were just friends and now he has to top it. Not because Eddie’s expecting it or anything, but because he wants to. Eddie deserves it. And honestly, so does Steve.

After watching hours of romantic holiday movies and driving around the local towns to see what winter activities they have to offer, Steve draws up the plan. He rents a small cabin two towns over where the snow is already two feet deep with more on the way and buys tickets to all the fun events the town has to offer. Well, almost all of the events. Ice skating is out of the question after last year’s incident left them both battered, bruised, and so sore they could barely get out of their own beds for the Hopper-Byers New Year’s Eve party.

So far, the vacation is everything Steve hoped it would be. They’ve played in the snow, eaten the best apple pie he’s ever gotten his hands on, and strolled around town whispering judgments about the over-the-top Christmas decorations people have outside their houses. They’ve also made themselves comfortable in the cabin — breaking in the bed and the couch and maybe even the indoor hot tub once or twice.

But today is the real showstopper. The grand finale to their little winter weekend getaway and the entire reason Steve booked this place in the first place.

They’re going on a reindeer-pulled sleigh ride through the picturesque snowy terrain of the town.

Or at least they’re supposed to be going on a reindeer-pulled sleigh ride.

“What do you mean you double booked?”

“It seems we accidentally scheduled you and another party for the two o’clock sleigh ride,” the woman behind the counter says. She’s older, graying hair pulled back in a neat bun and thin glasses falling down the bridge of her nose. Steve glares as her lips turn up in what is supposed to be an apologetic smile as she continues. “Since the other party included children, we assumed you wouldn’t mind giving up your spot for a refund.”

“Well, you assumed wrong,” Steve snaps, hands slamming down on the desk a bit more forceful than he had hoped. “You didn’t even give me a courtesy call to let me know of the cancelation.”

“We were just about to do that.”

“Bullshit! My reservation was scheduled for ten minutes ago. If you were going to call you would have done it the moment you realized your mistake.”

“I am sorry for the inconvenience Mr. Harrington but we only realized the error when the other family checked in early.”

“So if I was allowed to check in early like I tried to do, you would have let us keep our reservation?” Steve asks, growing more and more irritated by the second.

He and Eddie have been freezing their balls off for almost an hour now outside of the rustic shop. Even bundled up in their winter coats, beanies, and hand-knitted scarf and mitten set from Claudia hasn't been enough to keep them warm. It’s why he sent Eddie off in the direction of the hot chocolate stand while he tried to work his charm and get them into an earlier slot.

“Well, no, that’s not what I’m saying, but—“

“This is ridiculous,” Steve huffs, tugging at the hem of his scarf. “I booked this trip specifically for this sleigh ride and now you’re telling me I can’t go on it.”

“I understand your disappointment Mr. Harr—“

“Stop calling me that!” If there’s one thing Steve hates more than being unjustly inconvenienced it’s being referred to be his surname. He doesn’t need to be reminded of the man he shares his name with. Not now, not ever.

“Um, sorry…” the woman trails off and glances down at her schedule. “Steve. I can offer you a voucher for the trouble. Unfortunately, we are booked up for the rest of the week.”

“Keep the voucher and shove it,” Steve hisses before shoving himself away from the counter.

It takes him a minute to reign in his anger as he stomps his way toward Eddie. He’s sitting on a bench holding two cups of hot chocolate. Judging by the way his body shivers, they’re not doing much to keep him warm.

“Uh oh,” Eddie says, setting the cups aside when Steve gets closer. “I don’t like that frown.”

“Yeah, well, get used to it. Gladys over there fucked with our reservation,” Steve sneers, plopping down on the bench. “Said they doubled booked us and voided our reservation to give to some couple with kids because she “figured I wouldn’t mind.” Of course, I fucking mind!”

“Oh sweetheart,” Eddie sighs, tugging Steve until he’s tucked securely under his left arm. “M’sorry. She sounds like a bitch.”

“Those kids aren’t even going to remember the sleigh ride when they’re older! But we would have!”

Eddie nods in agreement, nuzzling his cheek into the soft cotton of Steve’s beanie. The contact is almost enough to extinguish Steve’s anger. Almost.

“Now the vacation is ruined.”

“And you say I’m a drama queen,” Eddie teases, pulling away and twisting on the bench to face Steve. He tucks one leg under him and lets the other dangle off the bench before joining their hands together as best he can given they’re still wearing mittens. “Our vacation is not ruined. It’s been fun. Maybe our best one yet.”

“Yeah, well it could have been even better.”

“Oh come on,” Eddie tsks, squeezing his hand. “Who needs a sleigh ride when I can ride you instead.”

“Eddie!” Steve gapes. He can feel what little heat is in his body crawling its way to his cheeks, turning them a bright shade of red if he had to guess.

“Or you could ride me,” Eddie says, before leaning forward. He gets his lips on the shell of Steve’s ear before continuing, “You know I’m not picky.”

Suddenly the blood rushing to his face takes a detour traveling down, down, down until it settles in his dick. Steve can feel it twitch at Eddie’s word and the feeling of his warm breath against his ear.

“You’re a menace.”

Eddie hums, glancing around to make sure no one is watching them before letting his hand drift to Steve’s lap. He moves slowly at first, teasing him until his hand finally settles on the apparent bulge in his pants.

“M’ you like it though, don’t ya big boy,” Eddie says, giving an experimental squeeze before pulling his hand away completely. When Steve looks up, he’s staring at him with those big round mischievous eyes of his. “Is that a candy cane in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”

Steve groans both in pleasure and in exasperation. He buries his head in the crook of Eddie’s neck for a moment before pulling away. “You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

“Hey, it put a smile on your face didn’t it.”

It did. Though, if he’s honest with himself, Eddie always puts a smile on his face. Even when he’s being an annoying, teasing, little shithead. Leaning forward to close the distance, Steve gives him a quick kiss on the lips before pulling away.

“Christ, your lips are freezing.”

“Better take me inside and warm me up.”

Steve gets himself on his feet before turning around to offer a hand to Eddie. “Come on then, I think I know just how to get you nice and warm, baby.”

[hell-drabbles]

I imagine Companion will go back to human world but would treat Hell/Heaven like a vacation home after all the trouble is finally over and sorted

They'd like visit Hell occasionally maybe just during the Winter months or something like for Lucifer

Also what would Companion and Solomon's relationship be like if they had ever met?

I might write a Companion and Solomon piece now

What if Companion was alive in Solomon's time rather then Ra-On's

Dante Anon

Hmm that's assuming I have this Embittered Companion AU end on a happy note. I kid I kid, though I would imagine that instead of vacation home, it be more like visiting relatives on the Companion's part? It's not the place they're attached to so much as the people there.

Anyways hhohohoho I have thoughts!! Read under the cut, because I ramble.

Though, I wouldn't be shock if there were angels and devils that are trying to make excuses and events to have the Companion stay longer. They want the Companion to treat Hell and Heaven like a vacation home but the Companion has a lot of fun not giving them what they want. And it ends up sparking a weird rivalry between the angels and devils on who can get the Companion to treat their realm as a vacation spot first. That would be funny.

Anyways...

If anything, the Companion probably visits those places every once in a while just to make sure things aren't going to shit. Probably had a few scares that another war was brewing because of the amount of chaos happening in Hell and Heaven, but nope that's just their default state of being. Angels and devils are always brimming with the need to fight and fuck so they just express it openly, to the detriment of the buildings around them.

One of those "I care for them but boy am I not in the mood to handle what drama will come of it." Because there will always be drama. The Companion is cursed with that bad luck!

Hmm the Companion and Solomon interacting... Well, let's see, I would imagine hostility(shocker, I know right?) on the Companion's part because the first time they've met him would be when Solomon temporarily takes over Ra-on's body and that's a big no no in their books. Though, what is the Companion to do besides do their usual verbal threats? They can't just punch the problem out of Ra-on, because that's his body they're hitting.

And, well, obviously Solomon can't hate the Companion in any capacity because he's lived long enough to know that this anger is coming from care in their heart. He's got that kind of long lived wisdom to him that sort of pisses off the Companion because no matter what the Companion says, he won't flinch of falter at any of the words they say. He pities them and every other devil and even Ra-on. Solomon has basically endless patience and the Companion can't help but interpret that as him treating all of them like they're children. Like his years of experience automatically makes him obligated to teach them, so any advice he tries to give tends to snub the Companion the wrong way. Any advice given to the Companion when they're angry tends to translate to "There's something wrong with your way of life, your independence, so I'm gonna give you advice so you can correct that."

Because lord knows Ra-on tried to do the "protagonist gives life advice and wisdom when they have no experience to justify or explain it," to the Companion and it escalated to a huge argument. You know, when the dating sim protagonist somehow say the right words towards a love interest that is having their second act breakdown. The kind of words that are very much holier than thou but because they're the "right words," the love interest takes them in and is forever changed. So yeah, who is Ra-on to think he's in any position to give life advice to someone like the Companion who has their shit together?

And ho, if the Companion was alive during Solomon's time? Man, imagine some reincarnation bullshit where the Companion and Solomon were very close friends, where Solomon had a crush on the Companion at one point but they were lost to the sands of time or disease or an angel attack? Either way, the Companion is the Lost Lenore to Solomon and man did he spend a long time mourning for them. Solomon passes, lays dormant for who knows how long until Solomon reawakens again in Ra-on though his blood. He pities the descendant that has to undo all his contracts, has to inherit all the troubles that Solomon had left behind,

And then Solomon sees the exact face he thought was forever lost. Solomon can't say a word, can't even breathe.

And just as Solomon is about to run to them, to embrace them as he always wanted, the Companion glares, grabs this body by the shoulders and growls, "Who the fuck are you?"

Wouldn't that be a time?

[taiyaki-translations]

A Gift to Spring Breeze - 4

Season: Winter Characters: Subaru, Mao, Eichi Translator: taiyaki-translations

Mao: “Good afternoon everyone~! I am the student council president and the host of this on-campus charity flea market, Isara Mao. Thank you for joining us today!”

“Let me briefly explain the rules of the event! Everyone can hand in the items they want to donate to the largest booth located on the north side of the grounds, and the staff will determine if they can be accepted.” 

“The items that are not suitable to be given away directly will be placed on the stalls on the east and west side of the charity sale. If you’ve prepared a lot of items, you can also apply for a stall in advance.” 

“All proceeds from the sales will be used to purchase materials to be donated to the orphanage in the name of all the students and teachers of Yumenosaki. The whole process will be supervised carefully to ensure that everything is delivered properly.” 

“Everyone is also welcome to participate in the handicrafts activities on the south side of the grounds whenever they want! The handicrafts, candies and snacks prepared by everyone will be sent to the children as special New Year’s gifts.” 

“Finally, I hope everyone can have fun today, and have a happy and meaningful time ♪”

…Ahaha, I saw the producer applauding with everyone in the audience. It’s a little embarrassing~ 

I really looked like a student council president just now? Really? 

To be honest, I have always felt like I’m still far behind the former president. Thank you for cheering me on ♪

Also, this charity event seems to be running smoothly. Thank you for all your help, producer. 

Even though you have so much work to do as a producer, you were still willing to take the time to help us contact and communicate with others on all aspects of this event. It’s because of that the event could be finalized so quickly.

Leave it to the student council now! Even if it’s just to measure up to your hard work, we will definitely make the event a complete success ☆

By the way, does that big bag you’re carrying hold all the things you want to donate? If it’s heavy, shall I help you carry it?

You say it’s not that heavy…? Oh, so they’re old clothes that belonged to the producer’s brother that he can no longer wear. 

Haha, I get it, I get it. Boys’ heights increase quickly when they’re growing up, right~? 

It just so happens that I also want to donate some comic books that I’ve read, so I’ll go over to the staff with you. 

Although I feel a little reluctant to give them up, I want more people to be able to read these beautiful comics ♪

Wow, the line for donations is so long… It seems like everyone’s enthusiasm is much higher than I thought.

Subaru: Yahoo yahoo~ Sally~, Producer! Look here, give me a smile, a smile ☆

Mao: ~☆

…I unconsciously followed the producer’s lead and made a peace sign. Subaru, are you taking pictures of us with that camera?

Subaru: That’s right, I’m being conscientious and completing the task that the producer assigned to me! 

Mao: So that’s it… This time, you needed to record the details as a demonstration of how to run this kind of event in the future. Subaru is familiar with the school’s affairs and has some experience with a camera, so you asked him to do it?

Subaru: Fufun~ Eichi-senpai has given me a similar assignment before, so I’m pretty good at it now. I’ve taken a lot of good photos and videos~♪

Look, this is a souvenir photo of me with my glass marbles. I asked the staff next to me to take the photo. Aren’t they sparkly~☆

Mao: Oh, I remember that Subaru has always liked the glass marbles from soda bottles, right? It must have taken you a long time to get such a full can…?

Subaru: It’s no problem, I can always restart my collection. If they can bring sparkling smiles to the children, then every glass marble has even greater value ☆

Huh, producer? Why did you suddenly pat my head? Are you praising me? 

Haha, I feel that everyone who is willing to share what they like with others is amazing! 

For example, Hokke brought konpeito candy and gaming books, as expected. And Natsume and that yellow kid would be interested in buying  the retro games that Ukki found at his house, right? 

Aira’s stall has a lot of duplicate idol goods that he said he bought on impulse. I got a small hand light with Shinonon’s face printed on it ☆

Oh also, also, this photo—

Eichi: Oh, isn’t this Tori? He looks so cute hugging that giant teddy bear.

Mao: …Uwah!? T-Tenshouin-senpai, when did you get behind me?

Eichi: Sorry, did I scare you? Seeing you all chatting so happily, I got curious so I couldn’t help but come over ♪

Subaru: We’re just looking at the photos I took! Himemin said that he and his sister picked this bear for the children together. They even left a note saying “Take good care of me!” in the bear’s pocket. 

Mao: Ah, it looks like it’s almost our turn in line. After this, I’ll meet up with the other members of the student council to patrol the grounds. 

Producer, you don’t have any other work assignments this afternoon, right? That’s a rare opportunity, so why not enjoy this as an ordinary high school student and hang out with Tenshouin-senpai? ♪

Subaru: Then, I’ll go and continue taking pictures~ See you later!

Eichi: So in the end, it’s just me and the producer, huh? Don’t you think it’s a date-like atmosphere? 

Oh my, your reaction is so calm, I’m a little disappointed. 

However, this serious and frank character of yours is also one of your good points and what makes you so cute. That’s why I can’t help but joke around so I can see more interesting expressions from you ♪

Hm, I smell food… That should be the students selling various home-made snacks at the nearby stalls. Even steamed buns are available. 

“Then let’s start with the takoyaki”? Haha, that’s fine with me. It’s rare to see the producer so motivated about something other than work. 

This really gives off the feeling of being at a festival and it reminds me of the time when the Kenkafes(?) was held. 

For me, that was a very pleasant and unforgettable summer memory…♪

Previous | Directory | Next

[parslynne]

Bonus:

Based off the fact Gojo canonically bought a ¥250000 (before tax) shirt.

____

Part 1 || Part 2 (you are here) || Extras (not ready yet deepest apologies) ||

Click on the images for crispy lines and legible text.

The main comic is split into two posts because the images were too big to fit into one! I have some extra stuff I am wanting to make, but they're not finished enough for human viewing. I've got many theories on how the siblings went from “If I go, will Tsumiki be happy? My answer depends on that.” TO “Don’t act like you’re my guardian. You gross me out.” (for reasons aside from the usual middle school phase of sibling conflict) AND I TRIED INJECTING THEM INTO THIS COMIC (which originally had a count of 9 pages but now is 13 pages + bonus content) BUT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A JOLLY ONE ABOUT MEGUMI AND TSUMIKI’S ATTEMPTS TO ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES WITHOUT ELECTRICITY. SO NO PAIN

More ranting about the comic below the cut. Spoilers for the manga!!!

This comic was stuck in my head for a while because when I got to c138 I was like OH MY GOD TSUMIKI, Gege why, and I love sibling shenanigans. There’s not much about Tsumiki and her personality just yet (she’s kind, but kind isn’t a personality), but there’s this panel here from chapter 59 that for this comic, I based her entirely on:

She just seems very fun.

Some context info for the comic:

This comic takes place a year an a half after the Hidden Inventory arc and 4 months after Gojo meets Megumi.

(random note: Megumi's age is a bit of a misnomer for me, because canon says Gojo met Megumi in his first year of elementary school in 2007. The events of the manga take place in 2018, 11 years later, when Fushiguro is 15. I'm a bit confused here because children in Japan start elementary school at age 6 (turning 7 by the time they move on to second grade in April), so Megumi should've been 6 years old when he met Gojo. In 2007 though, he should've been 4 turning 5 if he's only 15 (turning 16) in 2018. Did I misread something? For the purposes of this comic, Megumi is 7 and Tsumiki is turning 8).

In this comic, it takes a while for Gojo to gain custody of Megumi and Tsumiki due to the fact that he's still a minor (and has a few more hoops his influence has to jump through) and that he has to very carefully wheedle Megumi out of the Zen'in family's clutches. If he does it too persistently, the Zen'ins would figure out something's up and be more resistant, if not reluctant, to let him go without upping his price. Megumi's Cursed Technique is manifesting, but I think Gojo figured it out only because of his Six-Eyes. Gojo told Megumi to do his best to hide his wakening abilities (which Megumi took as being even less emotive than usual, much to Tsumiki's dismay). If the Zen'ins ever found out he had the Ten Shadows technique, Megumi's fate would've been sealed, and Gojo would have had no way of getting him out. Luckily, the clan's disdain for Toji clouds their judgement of Megumi. Megumi's also born in late December, so for the clan members who don't think he'd amount to much, this detail is easily forgotten, and when Megumi's six years old and nearing his 7th birthday, the clan members would assume he's already seven and passed the 'age limit' to manifest an inherited cursed technique. Gojo coming back to the apartment in 2008 after Megumi's 7th birthday suggests that he was successful in gaining custody of Megumi.

In the last panel of the main comic, you see there's a divine doggo on the roof top. Megumi accidentally summoned a divine dog during the spirited saga of Usa-Chan-Man, but luckily Gojo sensed it and subdued it, nullifying the exorcism ritual.

Speaking of Usa-Chan-Man, she is 1000% based on Lovely Usa-Chan Man from Oresama Teacher (same author as Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun). She's amazing. If you're interested, the manga's hilarious (even if Student-Teacher ain't your cup of tea, be rest assured----this manga is 90% humour, 8% drama, and 2% romance).

Some inaccuracies in this comic I am now aware of; please be gentle with judgement:

- The Fushiguro apartment is not a corner apartment, I know!! I just- I just didn't know okay, and I was committed to having a shot of Gojo chilling on the ledge of the roof

- SAILOR MOON STOPPED AIRING IN JAPAN IN 1997. I DIDN'T KNOW THIS. I personally watched Sailor Moon on VHS tapes. I just thought Sailor Moon would be a show that could be rerun 1203 times and people would be ok with it. I am 100% guessing that anime airs on Sundays at 9PM. I didn't research this at all. I tried to envision leaving out the Sailor Moon part, but there went my Usagi joke and that joke was originally supposed to end the comic at 9 pages. I eventually ended the comic a different way, but Usagi had to be there to create the scene transition to the ending. Just.. Sshh..

- What bills and account books look like in Japan. Yeah, I have no idea. Especially what they looked like back in 2008!! Also, how much utilities costed in Tokyo 2008.. I just went with conservative prices typical of modern day Hokkaido in the winter.

- What the weather was like in January 2008. Was it cold enough that kids were wearing winter jackets? I tried googling historical weather data, but I got nothing (it was just like 10 minutes of googling though, so I wasn't trying that hard). In Tokyo though, January is generally considered the coldest month of the year, so I hoped for the best!

- Candles are not strong enough to cast sharp enough shadows for shadow puppetry. Y...yes... But you see, this candle is really, really big and has a very large wick.

I am done. This is all for now. Thank you for reading, if you've read up till this point!!! Happy Jujutsu Friday and See y'all crying on Jujutsu Sunday.

[wangxianficrecs]

Follower Recs

Stories I haven’t read yet, but clearly need to put on my ever-expanding List.

~*~

Welcome back queen [Thank you, it’s so lovely to be back!] if ur still doing follower recs I gotta recommend I would wait for a thousand years by bleuett it’s soooooooo good

[This one was actually recced to me by two different people, the other of whom said, “ Maybe I'm crying a little so I feel like a should recommend ‘I would wait for a thousand years’ by bleuett on ao3.”]... it’s def. on my List!

I would wait for a thousand years

by bleuett (T, 10k, wangxian)

Summary:  During the worst of winter, a traveler comes to stay at Lan Wangji's inn. He wears a red ribbon in his hair.

“Do you see the rabbit?” Wei Ying asks and points at the moon. “That’s the moon rabbit, he helps make Chang’e more immortality elixir. He keeps Chang’e company.”

“I do not wish the rabbit for company,” Lan Wangji says tightly. “You are the one I want by my side.”

“And I’m here, Lan Zhan. If you go to the moon, I’ll follow you, I’ll always be here now.”

~*~

I just read a great fic by aisthuu "every love story is a ghost story", didn't see it in your recs so wanted to recommend it! LWJ is a guqin composer and teacher, buys a cheap guqin off eBay which ends up being attached to WWX's spirit from canon era. It's bittersweet, LWJ deals with Lan's homophobia (implicit in a Lan way) and his feelings towards the ghost. This is author's only ao3 fic and honestly I don't remember how I stumbled upon it, but I'm happy I did and hope you will enjoy it too!  [I’ve recently read this one, and loved it!]

every love story is a ghost story

by aisthuu (M, 59k, wangxian, my bookmark)

Summary:  The man is in Lan Zhan’s bed. Did they—he begins to wonder, eyes trailing to where the man’s body lies under the blanket. Had Lan Zhan—?

Then the sleep-fog clears and Lan Zhan realizes that the young man isn’t quite opaque around the edges.

“You’re a spirit.”

The spirit narrows its eyes. “I’m so much more than that.”

(Lan Zhan buys a guqin off eBay for a suspiciously low price, only to find that it’s haunted. And now there’s a ghost in his bed.)

~*~

Ok so I absolutely have to rec "see you yesterday" by glyphic. It's a wip, but it's currently at 101k so there's a whole lot there, and it's terrible and wonderful and beautiful all at once. The way the backstory of canon events is adapted to the modern-with-cultivation setting is brilliant, and then there's the amnesia, and then there's the time loop. This fic lives permanently rent-free in my brain.

see you yesterday

by glyphic (M, 101k, wangxian, WIP)

Summary:  

Wei Ying 21:09 hey lan zhan what’s the weirdest way youve died

Lan Zhan 21:11 Falling encyclopedias.

Wei Ying 21:12 omg no way that’s so rude turning books against you???

Lan Zhan 21:13 A betrayal I will never forget.

On Halloween night, an exiled demonic cultivator and a Lan disciple get stuck in a time-loop, find each other, and try to figure it all out.

~*~

If you are looking for recs for yourself I absolutely love (the complete!) story Just as the Snow Melts by draechali on AO3. It's a canon divergence where everyone lives, even WWX! ~ @airmidcelt

Just as the Snow Melts

by draechaeli (T, 67k, wangxian)

Summary:  Like a snowy mountain top in spring the residents of the Burial Mounds trickled down the mountain and joined the flow of society.

“I went to the Burial Mounds,” Lan WangJi said.

“Ah, yeah… I’m sorry Lan Zhan,” replied Wei WuXian, “I hadn’t thought anyone would come to visit. I am still not sure how it happened; I brought A-Yuan to Yiling to play by the river and then ended up somehow teaching a bunch of children swimming and writing along with him.”

~*~

Hello! It's come to my attention that you have not as yet read Grandmaster of Meme-onic Cultivation! Please do! It's the only thing that gave me joy during 2020 😆 like proper belly laughs and disney villain style cackling. It is a wip, and it is long but so so worth it!! The author has reworked the entire canon through these message crystals and still conveys complex characters despite the tricky format. It's just so good!! Highly highly recommend it! ❤ ~ @theladypeartree  [Oh!  I’ve been subscribed to this one, and know that @swaglexander-the-great is a reliable provider of Hilarity, so I’m excited for it to be finished!]

Grandmaster of Meme-onic Cultivation 

by Hades_the_Blingking (T, 49k, wangxian, WIP)

Summary:  The Untamed universe is exactly the same, except everybody has magical crystals that have a suspiciously familiar messaging system. The story is pretty much the same as the show, except everyone lives!! (so minor changes).

or in which Wei WuXian tries his darndest to date Lan Zhan, Jiang Cheng possibly has a aneurysm, Jin ZiXuan is still the most awkward human alive, and Xue Yang makes me write some VERY cursed things. Written in chatfic format! :3

~*~

Chomrafy on AO3 deserves love and encouragement; she’s written a body of compact, poetic, and eloquent shortfics each of which can stand alone, but that comprise an intricately cross-referential and mostly internally-consistent universe. They’re grouped as chapters in works according to theme; for example, “in cupped hands” focuses upon Jin Ling and his second-generation baggage; “Departure in Autumn” portrays the last years of WWX’s first life. Follow the tag “Chomrafy’s MDZS shortfics.” [I don’t see this tag?]

in cupped hands

by chomrafy (G, 2k, wangxian)

Summary:  Of secrets, of futures, of love. A Jin Ling-centric collection of 200-word fics.

Ch.1: Jin Ling repays a debt (JL, JC, & WWX). Ch.2: Jin Ling and a ghost in the mirror. (JL & JYL) Ch.3: A matter of friends (JL & the other kids) Ch.4: In this house we don't keep dogs (JC & WWX) Ch.5: In the end, he remains silent (JL & uncles) Ch.6: A first night hunt, of sorts (JL & the other kids) Ch.7: Jin Ling, forgiving, forgetting (JL & LXC & JGY) Ch.8: Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling argue (JL, JC, & WWX) Ch.9: Jin Ling and his father (JL & JC) Ch.10: Jin Ling speaks up (JL, JC, & WWX) Ch.11: Jin Ling and a piece of home (JL, JC, & WWX)

Departure in Autumn

by chomrafy (not rated, 6k)

Summary:  Four perspectives. A steady march to the end.

Ch.1: Because if anything happens to them, Wen Qing would never be able to heal with these hands again. Ch.2: As long as this is still home, Jiang Yanli will wait as long as she needs to. Ch.3: Five times Jiang Cheng reaches for Wei Wuxian, one time he turns away. Ch.4: Whether the road is broad or narrow, bright or dark, they would have to keep walking. Wei Wuxian digs Wen Qing's grave.

~*~

Hello, hope all is going well. I don't have an ask, by I do have a recommendation. I read this fic a while ago and found it again. I just wanted to recommend this for everyone. Let me know what you think please. Thank you. [Oh!  This one’s in my To Read list, but  I’d forgotten about it.  Mmmm, fox!wwx and dragon!lwj.]

Ten miles of Lotus Flowers

by Yukirin_Snow

M, 274k, wangxian

Summary:  He was a mischievous fox spirit, wreaking havoc where he went, about to depart on a journey that would span centuries.

He was a heavenly prince, a proud dragon destined to ascend the throne to become emperor.

Neither expected their paths to collide over the span of three lives.

~*~

I forgot if it was your blog 😥 that recommended “Bestseller” (when Wei Wuxian writes the Xianxia cut-sleeve equivalent of Fifty Shades of Grey, based entirely on his experiences with Lan Wangji, he doesn’t expect it to become the next big hit) (https://archiveofourown.org/works/21528316/chapters/51318766)

But OMG IT WAS HILARIOUS!!! I LOVED IT!! And if it wasn’t your blog, I’m so sorry for how weird this sounds 😭😭😭😭 I just loved this fic so much that I have to tell it to someone 😢 [It’s on my List, but I haven’t read it yet!]

Bestseller

by pupeez4eva

M, 8k, wangxian

Summary:  He had written the book to prove a point. It was never supposed to be a big thing, and he certainly never intended for everyone — Jiang Cheng, Zewu-Jun, the Juniors, literally everyone— to be reading about his sex life.

Oh God, he definitely needed to make sure Lan Zhan didn’t find out about this.

(Or, when Wei Wuxian writes the Xianxia cut-sleeve equivalent of Fifty Shades of Grey, based entirely on his experiences with Lan Wangji, he doesn’t expect it to become the next big hit).

~*~

I’d like to rec On Your Marks, Get Set, Bake! by @blackwiresgrowonherhead

It’s one of my absolute favorites and I laughed out loud so many times when reading it

on your marks, get set, bake!

by BlackWiresOnHerHead

G, 41k, wei wuxian & juniors

Summary:  Jin Ling resumes thumping on the door to room 721, and the small collection of freshmen starts chanting “Senior Wei! Senior Wei! Senior Wei!” with increasing volume until finally Wei Wuxian opens the door.

“Yes?” he says with his widest, most innocent eyes.

“Senior Wei!” demands Lan Jingyi, shoving himself to the front of the group. “Why didn’t you tell us you’re a contestant on this year’s season of The Great Gusu Bake Off?!?”

--

Several months ago, college student Wei Wuxian secretly competed in the most popular reality show in the country. The show starts airing in the fall. The freshmen in his dorm collectively lose their minds.

~*~

If you're in the mood for v. short ridiculous fun fic, may I suggest My chain hits my chest/When I'm bangin' on the radio by x_los It's 2k modern cultivators AU, featuring WWX calling LWJ's sword Bitchin' [omg I’m laughing so hard] and I think it's more fun going in blind?

My chain hits my chest/When I'm bangin' on the radio

by x_los

T, 2k, wangxian

Summary:  Lan Wangji finds he doesn't even need to call for help for Wei Wuxian to come running.

[vimbry]

moomintroll? :O

How I feel about this character: loveee himmmm. especially the book version, he’s such a little drama queen (90s is a close contender). moomintroll is such a darling grouch of a child without being too annoying. he’s just a perfectly relatable little guy, with his simmering temper yet complete lack of backbone. and his emotional side, like sadly reading an absent friend’s letter while crying under a table eating a packet of biscuits.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: it’s snufkin of course! as children I think they're just loyal friends, with a biiiit of a puppy crush on each other as they get older. moomintroll also spends a lot of his teenage years playdating snorkmaiden because “this is what you do, right? I sure am Having a Girlfriend”. the way I interpret them is that it doesn’t last. they’re both lovely people separately, but absolutely far too high-maintenance for each other haha.

with snufkin, it doesn’t become actual love and a relationship until they reunite in adulthood. but before then, I imagine he’s had a lot of flings. some longer than others, but nothing too serious. all in good fun. it’s the tove in him. and like tove, he’s miracously managed to stay on good terms with all of his exes. (they sometimes fight amongst each other but he’s too pretty to notice).

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I’m guessing this is just general platonic relationships so, moominmamma! she’s his best friend. he’s got other close friends too ofc, but they’ve a special bond. post-“at sea”, I can see them connecting with each other over their shared experiences (mainly the events of the island).

moomintroll reaches an age where he begins to see his mother as more of an individual with her own inner life. there’s so much more to her he’s never realised before, since parents put up reasonable boundaries with their children.

My unpopular opinion about this character: this is more of an interpretation unpopular opinion rather than the canon character himself, but he’s not as one-track-mind clingy as he’s often made out to be? it’s cause the 90s anime has him plead with snufkin re: his winter journey a few times, I think.

book moomintroll barely cares about snufkin being away. he never tries to stop him, or beg to go along. and even then, in the anime, he’s just very young and intense! it’s not unhealthy, or manipulative, they’re just little boys who can’t deal with their emotions well yet.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: hm. honestly moomintroll’s pretty good?? I guess I would have liked to have seen more adventures with him on his own. maybe one last story with him entering young adulthood and figuring all that out! the books pretty much stop before that point with the rest of his life ahead of him.

[joiedecombat]

Apparently my current coping mechanism for dealing with stress is Pride and Prejudice. Just... in general. After watching both the 1995 miniseries and the 2005 movie several times in a row, each, I've headed down the rabbit hole of published fanfic available for free reading via my Kindle Unlimited subscription. Y'all, I had no idea there was such a thriving market for this stuff.

How many versions of the same book can I read in a row? Turns out it's a lot.

Sturgeon's Law remains in full effect, natch, and I've given up on more than I've finished. I'm discovering I have a lot more strong opinions about AU fiction than I realized, especially where it involves the "what if x event happened differently?" style of AU which is nominally the basis of a lot of the pastiche out there.

Also, a lot of writers seem to fall into one of two main schools of thought: either "you know what this story needed? MORE TRAUMA" or "I do not understand how conflict works."

But there are also some real gems - and one absolute train wreck that kept me up until 3 am Sunday morning because I could not look away until I finished it. Maybe I'll post about that later.

If the title wasn't a clue, Mr Darcy's Persuasion (by Cass Grafton and Ada Bright) is a whole plot mashup of Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion, one of Austen's other novels. The Bingley party has decamped from Netherfield, Jane Bennet is seriously considering marriage to Mr Collins despite her sister's strong opposition to the idea, and Elizabeth needs some relief from all the stress so she's grateful to accept the offer of a two-week visit at the home of her friend Anne Elliot. At least until she discovers that Mr Darcy and his sister are also guests at Kellynch for the winter.

Full disclosure, I have not yet read Persuasion. I should correct that at some point. In any case, this book is still primarily the story of the battlefield that is Elizabeth and Darcy's romance, now playing out in Somersetshire amidst the schemes and pretensions of the Elliot family. Shenanigans inevitably ensue.

Seeking solitude, Darcy headed away from the children and soon slipped through an opening in the hedgerow, his evasive action proving his downfall. With a resounding thud, something hit him directly in the throat and, as icy slithers of snow began to slide beneath his neckcloth, his gaze met that of a wide-eyed Elizabeth Bennet.

'Forgive me, Mr Darcy, I did not expect you.' Her tone was sufficiently contrite, but her demeanour did not speak of regret. Unless he was much mistaken, the lady struggled to conceal her mirth.

He wiped the snow from his neck, brushing the remainder from his coat. 'You have sure aim for a lady, Miss Bennet.'

A raised brow greeted his comment. 'For a lady, sir? I will take the credit, begrudgingly though you bestow it, but honesty will prevail. I did not take aim and fire, you merely obliged by walking into my range.' She waved a hand, and he followed its direction.

A low stone wall ran the length of the copse and balanced atop it was a small snowman, albeit minus part of its head. Before Darcy could study it further, Elizabeth spoke from beside him.

'You place yourself in continued peril, sir.'

She gathered the remnants of the snowball and began forming it into shape before returning to the place where she first stood and, sensing the would make no allowance, he quickly stepped aside, just in time to avoid the missile as it struck its target.

The tone and banter are very much on point, and the plot contains just enough of the familiar story elements while also staying fresh and engaging. My only criticism is that I wished Elizabeth had played more of a role in resolving the ultimate conflict - as it is, I'd argue that although the story's POV is shared between Elizabeth, Darcy, and sometimes Anne, in this case Elizabeth is more the love interest to Darcy's protagonist rather than the other way around or both of them sharing the role, at least in the latter stages of the plot. Still, it's a really fun read, especially when matters escalate into what can only be described as a four-carriage pileup of relatives from both sides showing up to find out just what the hell is going on in Somersetshire.

[miskatonicaquarium]

Weird Fiction/Cosmic Horror Recommends

In a time of general uncertainty and anxiety, one thing that is certain is that weird fiction/cosmic horror has got your back. If you like to combat your growing sense of existential dread by reading about other people’s growing sense of existential dread, this is a list for you. Where texts and shows are available online, I have included links. Where they are not, I have included links to where they are available to buy.

Books

Agents of Dreamland – Caitlin R Kiernan

Government agents, ritual murders, a doomsday cult and a glitch in NASA’s interplanetary probe all feature in this deeply frightening and deftly written novella that takes classic Lovecraftian tropes and expands on them with mesmerising skill.

Wanderers – Chuck Wendig

When a sleepwalking epidemic hits America, those affected head towards a destination known only to themselves. Desperate to keep their loved ones safe, ‘shepherds’ follow the growing group to protect them on their journey. This is an incredibly rewarding read stuffed full of complex characters, apocalyptic horror and a long hard look at human nature.

Winter Tide – Ruthanna Emrys

After the government raid on Innsmouth, Aphra and Caleb Marsh are the only inhabitants of the town to survive the desert internment camps. When confidential, dangerous magic is stolen from Miskatonic University, the FBI are forced to turn to the last of the Marsh’s for help. An evocative and sympathetic novel that takes the antagonists of Lovecraft’s works and paints them in a new light.

The Fisherman – John Langan

This is considered to be a modern classic of the genre and for good reason. It’s best to go into this one as blind as possible so I’ll just leave you with this little quote: "I know Dutchman's Creek runs deep, much deeper than it could or should, and I don't like to think what it's full of."

Carter and Lovecraft – Jonathan L. Howard

A homicide detective turned Private Investigator finds himself embroiled with the last known descendant of H.P Lovecraft, Emily Lovecraft. When deaths that have an eerie resemblance to the writing of Emily’s ancestor begin to plague the area, the investigator finds himself drawn into a world he thought didn’t exist beyond fiction.

Rosewater – Tade Thompson

The first in an award-winning trilogy that blends science fiction into the weird in near future Nigeria. When an alien biodome manifests in the landscape, a select group of people in the surrounding area begin developing psychic abilities. A winding, disturbing tale with an original setting, voice and characters; this is the perfect read for those looking for a fresh take on the genre.  

North American Lake Monsters: Stories – Nathan Ballingrud

I am hugely obsessed with this – Ballingrud uses tropes and characters we are all familiar with and uses them to tell stories that shed light on the plight of rural, poverty-stricken America. He is a masterful author with a true gift for atmospheric writing (‘Late summer pressed onto this small Mississippi coastal town like the heel of a boot. The heat was an act of violence.’) and this collection will appeal to fans of Ligotti and Barron as well as those who are unfamiliar with the genre.

The Ballad of Black Tom – Victor LaValle

This is essentially a retelling of Lovecraft’s The Horror at Red Hook (but without the blatant racism, hooray!). A slow burn, cosmic horror noir featuring a who’s who of the Cthulhu Mythos, for those interested in the genre who do not get on with Lovecraft’s writing or the man himself, this is an excellent way to get all the good stuff without the bad.

Anthologies

A Lonely and Curious Country: Tales from the land of Lovecraft

Seventeen stories about Lovecraftian horrors in the most unusual of places. Lots of these work as mini-sequels to Lovecraft’s original stories so this is a good companion for those familiar with his work.

Lovecraft Unbound

As I’ve said before, Ellen Datlow is a powerhouse of anthology editing. Featuring a great spread of familiar mythos faces and more thematic takes on the genre, Lovecraft Unbound is one of the best collections out there.

Book of Cthulhu

There are a couple of these! All feature some of the best contemporary authors writing weird fiction. Quality of individual stories sometimes varies in Lovecraftian anthologies but that is not the case here. The first is particularly good as it also contains stories from older, more obscure writers who are hard to get in print.

Shadows of Carcosa

Twelve short stories that feature everything from the land of carcosa to the traditionally Lovecraftian setting of the cursed hills of New England. All of these are shorts written by classic writers such as Poe, Stoker, Bierce, Chambers and Blackwood.

Lovecraft’s Monsters

Another collection edited by Datlow. This one is particularly fun as it features illustrations, as well as a story by Neil Gaiman. Lovecraft’s Monsters is amongst my favourite of the anthologies as it is based solely around the creatures that crawl and squirm through the mythos. It’s also available as an audiobook!

Children of Lovecraft

Fourteen short stories including authors like Stephen Graham Jones, Orrin Grey, Caitlin R. Kiernan and Livia Llewellyn. Full of body horror, dread, surrealism and one of the best opening sentences to any short story.

She Walks in Shadows

A monumental, fascinating collection comprised of exclusively female authors. Offering a long overdue look at and development of the female aspects of the mythos, this collection gives a voice to the previously unheard. For those looking for a diverse, original and often deeply disturbing reading experience, this is your anthology.

Available online for free

The Lovecraft Ezine has a great archive here of all its previous issues

Weird Fiction Review is an excellent resource for online fiction – both excerpts from books and stand-alone short stories.

The Online Books page has direct links to the issues of Weird Tales magazine published between 1923 – 192. 

TOR.COM is an amazing resource for all kinds of science fiction and fantasy shorts. This is a link specifically to Lovecraftian fiction. There’s also lots of interesting things to read under the tag cosmic horror here.

Graphic Novels

Fatale - Sex, violence, cults, cosmic horror, imaginative period settings and gorgeous artwork. Fatale is one of the best comics set in the mythos out there.

Locke and Key - Many of you will be familiar with Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s hugely popular (and now televised) series focused on a house above a portal to the plains of Leng.

Harrow County - Creepy, rural-based, folk horror series centred on a young woman who finds herself to be joined to the forest and the land in ways she could never have imagined.

The Squidder - A postapocalyptic Lovecraftian mess, I have included this because it is worth buying for the artwork alone. Ben Templesmith is an acquired taste but an incredibly talented illustrator whose work is uniquely suited to the mythos.

I have talked about these several times before but it is always worth checking out I.N.J Culbard’s graphic novel adaptations of Lovecraft’s stories, as well as the two anthologies that were released several years ago.

*** 

Films – Cosmic Horror

I have linked to the trailers for each of these, some are classics you will know, some are new. 

The Colour out of Space 

Die Fabre

The Dunwich Horror

The Endless

Event Horizon

The Void

Europa Report

Black Mountain Side 

Films – Folk Horror

The Ritual

They Remain

The White Reindeer

Night of the Demon 

Apostle

More generally, some good online resources for old/weird/out of print books are

Project Gutenberg – an online library of over 60,000 books in the public domain

Internet Archive – a great resource for obscure books (particularly historical)

Europeana – items from Europe’s galleries, museums, libraries and archives

Digital Public Library of America – similar to Europeana, but for America

Classic Literature – lots of 19th century gothic goodness in particular, but great for all the classics too!

And when it all gets too much and you feel like being your own creeping dread,  Here is a link to a fun game where you can be the rats in the walls. 

[thatsaweirdwaytospellundead]

Senribana Monogatari 2/11

Summary: Due to Citron’s work as the Zahran Minister of Culture and Arts there has been a surge in interest in foreign culture in Zahra. Prince Tangerine gives his brother a call, but it seems he has more on his mind than just an invitation..

Note: This event references a popular Japanese fairytale titled “The Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Blossom”, I encourage you to read it here!

This is a 10 part story with an epilogue.

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7] [part 8] [part 9] [part 10]

Epilogue “The Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Blossom”

Citron  

Hello everyone, I have some great shoes!

Homare  

Shoes, huh? Where?

Citron  

WE’RE GOING TO PERFORM IN ZAHRA!

Izumi  

WHAT!?

Citron  

Tangerine told me that the interest in foreign culture has surged amongst the Zahran youths and has asked me for help promoting foreign culture.

And I thought the best way to do that would be to perform a play in Zahra!

Sakyo  

I see.. A performance in Zahra you say? I had a feeling you would suggest that.

Citron  

And I was just informed by Tangerine that the king has already approved of the plan!

Itaru  

Wow, you guys get things done fast over there.

Sakyo  

Hmm well we have already performed in Zahra. We held the encore performances for Winter Troupe’s opera and Spring Troupe’s Quartet there. I’m guessing this time will be different from the previous performances.

A performance officially endorsed by the Zahran royal family would certainly add to our already high prestige as an acting troupe.

Izumi  

I couldn’t think of a more perfect idea!

Tenma  

So you’re saying the royal family is really going to give us their official endorsement? Well then we can’t let ourselves flop. Wait and doesn’t that mean the contents of the performance would have to go through some close inspection first?

Banri  

If we’re going to Zahra we should leave it to Spring and Winter since they have experience.

Tsumugi  

Since you put it that way, maybe we should do a mixed performance.

Citron  

I want to play the lead.

Izumi  

I agree, Citron would be the ideal candidate to perform the lead in a play for the children of his home country.

Sakyo  

And not to mention you’re quite popular over there.

Sakuya  

I agree!

Tsuzuru  

So then, Citron, what kind of play were you thinking?

Citron  

Well.. When I think we should do something that captures the essence of Japan. Like.. KABUKI!

Izumi  

Kabuki?

Citron  

I want to teach the children of Zahra that their dreams can come true even in a different country!

Tsuzuru  

That sounds nice. It seems like it will be a bit difficult to write such a play, but I am up for the challenge.

Yuki  

The costumes will probably be a bit tough, but I’m excited.

Kazunari  

Super vibing just thinking about these kabuki inspired costumes yoooo!!!

Tasuku  

I know a bit about kabuki to a certain extent so I’m willing to help in any way I can.

Tsuzuru  

Thanks.

Izumi  

Now that we decided the theme of the performance, let’s decide who is going to be in it.

Sakuya  

Me, I want to perform!

The Zahran people were so kind during our training camp so I am definitely interested in performing again for them in this mixed performance..

Citron  

With Sakuya with us, we’ll be so strong!

Izumi  

I see..

Tangerine  

<< KABUKI!? I am sooo soooooo happy that you’re gonna perform over here! And on top of that you’re gonna do Kabuki! >>

Citron  

<< I am glad to hear you’re excited, we’ll do our best. >>

Tangerine  

<< Oh.. Are you going to invite Orange and Navel to the performance? >>

Citron  

<< .. Hmm, well I guess I don’t mind them coming. >>

Tangerine  

<< Got it. Alright so once we get the schedule and other details figured out I’ll give you a call. >>

Citron  

<< Thanks. >>

Tangerine  

<< Good luck on your practice! >>

Citron  

<< Thank you. Talk to you soon. >>

..

Azuma  

Isn’t it a little too early for flower viewing.

Guy has made some jasmine tea. How about we have a cup together?

Citron  

Ohh looks delicious. Sure I’ll have a sip!

Azuma  

Did you tell Prince Tangerine about our Kabuki play?

Citron  

Yeah, he was really excited. Kabuki is pretty popular overseas.

Azuma  

I guess it is all thanks to the prince that Japan has become popular over there.

Citron  

We got so many people wanting to study abroad, soon enough we’re gonna have to form a Zahra Troupe at Mankai!

Azuma  

Hmm, sounds fun.

.. And how are your other two brothers?

Citron  

—

Azuma  

Apologies if it is a sensitive topic.

Citron  

Jason in the wall, Bloody Mary in the mirror, Citron behind you back. Azuma above your head.

Azuma  

Fufu, that makes it sound like I’m some sort of ninja. I am not here to eavesdrop. 

I don’t know that much Zahran so I couldn’t understand what you were saying. All I know is I heard those two names mentioned.

Citron  

You got sharp ears.

Azuma  

Fufu, I just think they have cute names.

Citron  

Cute.. That’s not a word often used to describe those two.

Azuma  ..

By the way, do you have sakura in Zahra?

Citron  

No, we don’t. When I was younger I really wanted to see them so I looked up how I could grow them myself. Sadly the climate and maintenance for them is just not possible in Zahra.

But I didn’t want to give up so I planted some artificial sakura flowers in the garden.

Azuma  

Oh, you really did love Japan.

Citron  

At that time I don’t think I really knew I loved Japan, but I was engrossed in a particular Japanese picture book.

Azuma  

Picture book?

Citron  

It’s the one called “The Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Blossom!”

Azuma  

Oh, you’re talking about the old fairytale with Hanasaka Jiisan?

Citron  

YEP!

It just goes to show you, no matter what absurdity happens, an honest man always gets his reward. So I worked hard, knowing that there was someone always watching over me.

Azuma  

Do you think you ended up getting rewarded in the end?

Citron  

All I can say is that I am thankful I believed in the story.

Azuma

Then I am sure you will be able to express your feelings through the play to the rest of the Zahran people.

Citron  

.. I hope so.

To be continued.. Read part 3 here!

[kateneedscoffee]

Break My Heart

Synopsis: Falling in love with your best friend hurts even though they don’t feel the same way

Requested: No

Pairings: Any character you like x gn!reader

(y/c/n)= Your character name

words= thoughts

Warnings: Angst, unrequited love, and cussing (or if you’re sensitive about your height)

Author’s Note: This is my first ever fic, so please bear with me. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today is the day that I tell them about my feelings, the feelings I've had for so long. Ever since the day met.....

This is nice. The atmosphere was peaceful, with some people sipping their morning coffee and reading the daily newspaper. And here I was reading my book. 

I was too busy reading my book and I didn’t even notice the figure in front on me. They knocked on the table, gaining my attention. 

“Hey”, they said “do you mind if I sit here? There’s some people that I don’t feel comfortable in here and there’s no more empty seats.”

“Sure”. I said. They pulled out the chair and sat down. I inspected them, a habit of mine as a child, they look friendly, and I didn’t sense any harm in them. But, one thing caught my eye, they were beautiful/handsome. They were dressed as a model. Their hair neatly combed and it looks fluffy to the touch. 

“Like what you see?” a small smirk on their perfect features. 

“S-s-sorry! I didn't mean to stare.” Feeling my face turn red. A laugh erupted from them. “You’re fine, hun. I get this a lot.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, so many people will stare at me cause of how I'm dressed or ‘how beautiful I am.’ Mimicking the parentheses.

“Well, you are beautiful coming from a stranger that you just met.” you said. pointing a finger at your chest.

“I’m (y/c/n)” holding out their hand.

“I’m (y/n)” taking their hand.

And that’s how our friendship started...

They should be here by now. Sitting on one of the tables, looking for them. I’ve told them to come meet me at the new boba place, that’s just open up a few days ago. There weren’t that many people in the food court, some families here and there, some couples holding hands, or some people just want to walk around and do some shopping. Maybe I should text them. Sighing, I brought out my phone and tapped on their contact.

You: Hey, where are you? I’m near the place where we should have met up 10min ago.

Looking up from my phone, and seeing the crowd was twice the size as before.

Them: IMSORRY!!!!!! MY BOSS SAID HE NEEDED ME FOR A MINUTE AND IT TURNED OUT AN HOUR. IM COMING RIGHT NOW.

You: Please hurry. The crowd is getting bigger and I don’t think I could survive here😞

Them: STAY PUT. AND DON’T WONDER OFF SOMEWHERE. OR I HAVE TO GO TO THE FRONT DESK AND SAY IVE LOST MY CHILD.

You: Shut up

Them: I love teasing you😁

I smiled at the last text message from them. Deciding to play some games on your phone to pass some time. 

After a few rounds of winning and losing. You've felt a hand on your shoulder. Startling you, you give out a small screech. A loud laugh coming from the culprit that startled you. A few people turned their hands, wondering what’s happening.

“YOU SCARED ME!!!! I WAS THIS CLOSE FROM THROWING HANDS.”

“YEAH RIGHT. YOU CANT EVEN REACH MY HEIGHT.” Having to clutch their stomach from laughing too hard. Putting your head down the table, trying to hide the blush on your face.

“Okay, okay, okay, i’m sorry for making fun of your height. Can my friend please come out? Ill pay for the boba for running late and making fun of you” (y/c/n) says hoping to bring your spirits up.

By lifting your head up and agreeing to the offer. Getting up from your seat and walked to the boba station.There’s now a short line. You looked at (y/c/n) more closely, seeing them in their work outfit with sightly messed up hair, probably from running to get here, and some expensive sunglasses you’ve got them on their birthday.

When done ordering your drinks and (y/c/n) pays them. Walking away from the station. Sipping your drink and made a content noise. “That good, huh?” Nodding your head. They chuckled and took a sip from their drink. “Your right, it’s good” Taking another sip from their drink.

“Hey, do you want to go to the arcade? It should be downstairs, if I remember right.” Scratching behind their neck.

“Sure, but don’t you have work tomorrow? I don't want you to get yelled at your boss for being late.” Remembering from last month event.

“Nope,” popping the ‘p’. “I’m off tomorrow.” “Cool, that means you get to hang out with me.” “I sure do.” A smile adorning their features. 

Walking down the stairs and taking a few turns to arrive at the arcade. We’ve finished our drinks at the time and threw them down the trash before going inside and order some coins to play with the games.

“Hey, do you want to play some air hockey? I’ll give you 3 candy bars if you win” (y/c/n) smirked. Pride swelling up in their chest.

“And if you win?” “You’ll buy me some more boba” You thought it over, a small smile creeping up your face “deal”. 

When walking in and found a few kids were playing and decided to call out saying can we go next. They shooked their heads, “Nah, you old hags can wait after we’re done or decide to call winner?”, one of them piped up. “How about this, us vs. you?” (y/c/n) said. They've turned their head towards you, waiting for your response. Forgetting the deal, and agree to take on the group of children’s challenge.

“(Y/N), you go first and take these damn children down.” Giving you the striker and put some of our coins in the slot. The table was blowing up with air. 

“Ready to go down, midget?” placing the puck down and giving you a glare.

“Oh, you are on you demon” 

He hit the puck and it went inside my slot. Shocked over came you and it quickly disappear. “So, that's how you want to play, huh?” Getting the pluck out and hitting the exact force and speed to went inside his slot. “You’re going to wish that you never made a deal with us.” A evil smile that betrayed your innocence. 

After winning the match against the children and we've bought some ice cream for them as a ‘good game’. 

It was dark, when heading out of the mall due to the winter hours. 

“Those kids made a mistake by challenging us.” (y/c/n) says, by putting both of their arms behind their neck and giving out a stretch.

“yeah”, too busy thinking on how to properly say your confession. 

Noticing your odd behavior and stopped in front of you.”Is something wrong? Your not sick are you?” they said, voiced with concern. Putting a hand on your forehead to feel your temperature. 

“I’m fine, I need to tell you something first though.” Swatting their hand away lightly. Im going to do it. Right here. Right now.

“Sure, tell me what’s on your mind.” Their full attention on you.

Taking a deep breath, and to relax your mind from racing. You cleared your throat and looked up at them.

“I like you. I like because you always stick by my side. I like you teasing me, no matter if it’s about my height or not. I like you, no matter if you look like a hot mess in the morning or if have drool on your face. I like you because you’re so nice to me and you always take care of me when I'm sick. I like you-”

“STOP,” startling you out of your confession. “Just stop, it was very sweet of you to say that to me, but I don't feel the same way about you. Im sorry.” Looking at you, see your head bowed down. 

“(y/n), are you okay?”

Lifting your head up. A few tears streaming down your face. You quickly wiped them with your sleeve. “Yeah, yeah I’m okay.” Another tear fell down without you noticing, (y/c/n) tried to wiped it with their sleeve, but you quickly flinched from their touch.

“Please, don’t touch me. Or else i’m going to cry even more.” You whispered.

Quickly nodding at your words turning their back at you, you spoke up again. “Can you please do something for me, though?”, you said.

They've turned at you and nodded, and you grabbed their hand. Placing it on top of your heart. “Break my heart. Say that I’m just a friend to you, please”

“You’re just a friend to me. Like a little sister.” After those words, you released their arm and walked past them. Tears rolling down your face, quietly whispering, “Thank you, for being my friend.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Wahhh, this broke my heart and I was thinking about this before typing it down. Sorry, if there’s spelling or grammar errors. My English is not very good. I hope you guys liked it tho.

[edupunkn00b]

Remy & Emile, Chapter 2: Sin

Prev - Sin - Next - Masterpost - [ AO3 ]

Word Count: 1106, Human AU, pre- and during Chapter 1 of Happily Ever After [ AO3 ] May Flowers Event Day 12: Birds of Paradise for freedom.

CW/Content Warning: toxic relationship dynamics

HaMorah means the teacher in Hebrew and is commonly used as an honorific like Mr./Ms/Mx for teachers at Jewish day schools or Sunday schools. ---

Emile carefully closed the dorm room door behind him, locking it and putting his keys back in his pocket. His boyfriend, Max, was sitting at his desk, reading a book on Jungian analysis. He didn't look up when Emile entered.

“Hi, Honey, how has your day been going?,” Emile smiled gently in his direction, waiting for Max to look up from the textbook.

“Fine.”

Emile swallowed but kept his smile. “Hmm ... it sounds like maybe you had a rough day if it's only been fine,” Emile retrieved his water bottle from his bag and dribbled some into the soil of the flowering plant on his desk, watching Max out of the corner of his eye. “Would you like to talk about it?,” he asked, tightening the cap on the water bottle and returning it to its pocket. Max shrugged, attention fixed on the book in front of him.

“I understand, Honey.” Emile's hand twitched as he considered rubbing Max's back but he refrained when he noticed the tightness in the other's jaw and how his fingertips paled where he gripped his book. “If you need anything, I'll be right here.” Emile waited a moment for a response that never came. He nodded to himself and quietly put his books down on his desk, pulling out his chair and preparing to study. The new essay Professor Howard had assigned that day weighed on him and the sooner he started it, the better he would feel.

After about twenty minutes of outlining and preparing a list of sources to investigate for his paper, Emile heard Max sigh from his desk. Emile sat straight in his chair and swiveled to face him. “Do you need something, Honey?”

Max turned in his chair to face Emile. “I saw on the calendar that you’re still teaching at your church this Sunday.” Emile blinked away a grimace at the way he called Temple B'nai Torah 'church'. It doesn’t actually matter what Max calls it though, does it? “Sunday is my birthday. I thought you would want to spend the day with me."

Emile nodded, smiling. “Yes, and I am looking forward to spending the whole afternoon and evening with you so we can celebrate.” He tilted his head, trying to meet Max’s eyes. “Remember? I told you about my class when we started making your birthday plans a month or so ago." He shook his head. "I can’t just bail on them.” Max wouldn’t look at him. Emile bit at his lower lip, eyebrows knitting together. “We don’t have enough staff to have substitutes.”

Max turned back to his desk, shoulders hunched. "When you do this, it makes me think you don't love me enough to ever put me first.” Emile swallowed and got out of his chair, closing the distance between them. He stood behind Max and gently placed his hands on his shoulders. When Max didn’t shake him off or move away, Emile started to knead the tightness out of his muscles.

"As much as I would like to, I can't always put fun with you before my responsibilities." Emile carefully began, wincing when he felt Max's muscles tighten at his words. He worked out the new tension before continuing. "I made a commitment to TBT to teach this year. I can't just - "

Max sighed heavily. “Fine, fine, fine. It’s fine." Max turned, pulling Emile onto his lap and burying his face in the shorter man's chest. "It's fine, Darling. You’ll be home by 1:30, though? Right?”

Emile smiled again, stroking Max's hair. “Yes, of course, Honey.”

…

Sunday morning dawned clear and bright. Emile let his religious school class have a little extra time playing on the temple’s playground at break time. It had been a long winter and the recent mild days were a taste of the warmer weather soon to come. Emile pushed some of the smaller children on the swings, laughing when they squealed, begging to go higher. He joined the children in a game of tag that soon grew so chaotic that no-one knew who was 'It' anymore and they all simply ran around, chasing and trying to tag the person nearest to them. Sooner than either Emile or the students were ready, though, it was time to go back to the classroom and resume their lessons for the morning. As the students filed back inside, one of the little girls he'd helped with the swings handed him a flower crown. Emile grinned and wrote לפרוח, the Hebrew word for 'flower', on the board, wearing the crown for the rest of their lesson.

When class was over, Emile stood outside the temple with his students, supervising parent pick-up. By 11:45, all but one student’s parents had arrived. After a few more minutes of waiting, Emile knelt down to get to his student’s eye level. “Noa, do you know your dad's phone number?” Noa shook her head, tears starting to form in her eyes. “Oh, Noa, sweetie, it’s ok. Let’s go to the office and get HaMorah Deb to look up his phone number, ok?” Noa nodded and took Emile’s hand when he stood.

They had just reached the doors when Noa’s father came running up, “I’m here, I’m here!” Noa grinned, dropping Emile’s hand and running to her father. “I’m sorry I’m late, pumpkin!” He looked to Emile, “I’m sorry, HaMorah Emile.”

He shook his head, “Don’t worry about it, Joe. You got here just in time.” Addressing Noa, Emile added, “See you next week?”

She nodded solemnly, “Yes, HaMorah.”

Emile checked his watch and his face tightened. He had just over an hour and a half an hour to get back up to Bellingham and his dorm room. He waved to Joe and Noa and sprinted to his car, “Have a good week!”

…

At 1:33, Emile dashed into the dorm room, cheeks flushed and panting. There was an event at the Performing Arts Center next to their dorm hall and he’d had to park in the overflow lot on the other side of campus. Max stood, smiling brightly at Emile. “Ready to go?”

Emile grinned, “Yes, of course, let just water my flowers first -“ his voice died when he turned and saw that the stem of the Birds of Paradise plant his parents had given him for his birthday was broken, bright blue and yellow petals ripped and scattered on the floor. Emile turned to Max, gesturing to the plant, mouth opening to ask what had happened.

Max stood near the door, smile broadening and a glint in his eyes as they met Emile's. “It’s after 1:30, isn’t it?” He reached for Emile’s hand. “We’re going to have to hurry, Darling, if we want to make it to the movie on time.”

---

It might be obvious from the quality of his character, but if Emile was real, he would be spending a lot of time on this website right about now: https://decolonizepalestine.com/

@tsshipmonth2020

[crystalstar8]

Knights of the Night (chapter 2)

Chapter 2

Ch 1, ch 2, ch 3, ch 4, ch 5

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29139240/chapters/71536491

pairing: Jungkook x oc

genre: vampire au, college au, twilight, romance

word count: 1,628

warnings: blood (obviously), kidnapping, child kidnapping, needles, France

notes: vampires, vampire au, college, college au, so many twilight references, blood, needles, kidnapping, children, homelessness, dance, ballet, flashbacks, romance, slow burn, probably no smut, idk yet tho, France, French things, attempted genocide, inaccurate French history, bisexual main character, @strawberriewithchocolate-blog​

summary: Catalina starts college in a small town all the way across the country. She doesn’t know anyone and isn’t exactly looking for friends. She just wants to focus on dance. But when she meets fellow dance major, Jimin, and adventurous, fellow freshman, Jungkook, Catalina ends up discovering a whole new side to the small college town; one that is dangerous but oh so enticing...

              Despite complaining about walking to work, Catalina was sort of looking forward to the hike. She could see the mountains from wherever she was in this town, and they were beautiful. It was seven in the morning and Catalina was half dead. After a cup of coffee and a hearty breakfast though, she was ready to go. Jungkook had texted her the day before giving her a time, eight am, and his home address. No other details, such as what to wear to work, which would have been helpful. She had texted him back but he never answered, so she wore a plain black t-shirt with jeans. She figured that was neutral enough.

               Jungkook’s house turned out to be right around the block, so it was a short walk. The house was old, two stories, grey brick, square and narrow. Catalina knocked on the door and waited. Jungkook opened the door right away.

               “Hey, come on in,” he said, holding the door open. Catalina closed the door behind her and looked around. The inside looked like it hadn’t been redecorated since the 70’s, but it was still cozy and homey. Jungkook led the way up the stairs to a small bedroom at the end of the hall. His hair was still a mess and he wasn’t wearing shoes.

               “Are your parents home?” asked Catalina.

               “No, they’re at work. They’ll come home in a few hours,” he said.

               “The night shift?” asked Catalina.

               “Yeah, they’re nurses. They’ve worked the night shift ever since me and my brother started high school,” said Jungkook. He was sitting on his bed, lacing up a pair of Timberlands.

               The bedroom was a mess, clothes scattered across the floor, piles of tangled wires in the corner. A bookshelf was against the left wall filled with video games and stuffed animals. Beside the bookshelf, a surfboard, a snowboard, and a skateboard all leaned against the wall. A glass of milk sat on the desk by the door and there was a hole in the wall right above that. Catalina could see into the next bedroom through it, which looked similar to this room. The whole bedroom stunk like…

               “Dude, this milk is bad,” said Catalina. She scrunched her nose and shuffled away from it.

               “It is?” asked Jungkook. He picked it up and sniffed it. He reared back and gagged loudly. Catalina threw her head back laughing.

               “Why did you sniff it?” she asked.

               “I don’t know! Shut up!” he said. He took one last tentative sniff of it before setting it down and grabbing a hairbrush.

               “Have you eaten yet?”

               “No I just got up, like a few minutes before you got here,” he said. “I was thinking we could stop somewhere on the way.”

               “Won’t we be late?” asked Catalina.

               “Just McDonalds, nothing fancy!” he said.

               “What time do we have to be there?”

               “Eight.”

               “Dude! We’re gonna be late!”

               “Just quick! We’ll go through the drive through!”

               “We’re walking!”

                 A half an hour later found Catalina and Jungkook starting on the trail up the mountain. Jungkook was wolfing down three McMuffins, tater tots, and a frozen coffee. The walk through the drive through was something Catalina never wanted to do again.

               The hike, though intimidating, was very nice. They talked about their childhoods and other random stories while they walked. The woods were beautiful; enormous, ancient trees towering all around them. Catalina remembered Jungkook telling her about people skiing in these mountains. She didn’t know a whole lot about the sport, but she was pretty sure the trees would get in the way.

               “Now, I don’t know enough about skiing, but I feel like all these trees would get in the way,” said Catalina. Jungkook chuckled.

               “Yeah, there’s slopes at the top that you take lifts to get to. No one skis here,” said Jungkook. “We’ll go this winter.”

               “Yeah, you keep saying that. Anyway, this is a really nice hike, but I bet you we won’t feel like doing this every time,” said Catalina. “We’re gonna get sick of it after the first few times.”

               “No way. R.I.P. to you but I’m different,” said Jungkook.

               Catalina sighed. “That was lame. And you’re the only one here who has a car, so…”

               “I know, I’m just kidding,” he said.

               The trail let them out onto the road, which they followed until they reached the gift shop. It was a small building on the side of the road which advertised trail maps, souvenirs and camping necessities. A little bell rang above the door as they stepped inside. Hoodies, snow globes and tacky, racist Native American merchandise greeted them inside.

               “You’re late,” someone said. A woman in her late 40’s rounded one of the shelves and crossed her arms.

               “What? Not we’re not!” Jungkook checked the time on his phone. They were indeed late. Catalina sighed. Great first impression.

               “We’re really sorry ma’am. Someone had to get McDonalds on the way here,” she said.

               The woman sighed. “Call me Helen. And it’s okay. It’s not like they’re bustin’ the door down.”

               Sure enough, besides them, the store was empty. Helen showed them how to work the register, where the back room was, and how to close at seven.

               “Just be friendly with the customers. I’m not gonna be here on weekends, so keep yourselves occupied,” said Helen. And with that, she left the store. The rest of the day went by slowly. Not many people came in, so Catalina and Jungkook mostly just hung out and goofed around.

               When Catalina got home later that night, she was exhausted. They only had a few customers that day, the rest of the time was spent chatting and making fun of the Indian goods.

               Her bed, which was still just a mattress on the floor, was a welcome sight.

                  The only thing she could feel was a deep-seated fear. It made her palms sweat and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. The narrow hallways seemed to be never ending. She needed to find a way out. If they caught up to her, she was dead. The faint sound of a floorboard creaking somewhere behind her made her spin around, breath caught in her throat. There was no one there, but the hallway seemed darker than it was before.

               All of a sudden, Catalina found herself in a den. A fire crackled in the fireplace, bookshelves lined the walls and a big desk sat in the corner. It was cozy, and Catalina felt the fear melt away. She felt safe here.

               “Have you read this one?”

               Catalina turned around. A man stood by the hearth. He held up a book, but Catalina couldn’t make out the title since the letters kept shifting.

               “I’m not sure,” she said. This man was dangerous, Catalina could tell by the fear she still felt being around him. But she also knew he wouldn’t hurt her. “I don’t think I’ve read it. What book is it?”

               “I told you about this one yesterday. You would like it,” he said. When he smiled, his dimples caved and his eyes sparked. Catalina no longer felt afraid of him.

                  I Like It, by Cardi B. blasted from the speakers. Sweat dripped from Catalina’s brow.

               “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, one, two, three, STEVE, GODDAMN IT YOU’RE STILL TURNING THE WRONG WAY!” the choreographer shouted. She paused the music and pinched the bridge of her nose. Catalina took the opportunity to breathe and turn to Jimin. He was trying not to laugh.

               “I don’t wanna be here when she kills Steve,” Jimin said under his breath. Catalina giggled.

               “I think it’d be some fun drama,” said Catalina. “Also, he deserves it.”

               Jimin laughed and they got back into position as the music started from the beginning again. Catalina wasn’t really a fan of Cardi B., but the dance was a lot of fun. It was a smooth hip hop, lots of body rolls and sexy partner dancing. Catalina was glad she got Jimin as her partner and not Steve. Steve was pretty bad.

               Once the choreographer called it a day, Catalina and Jimin took their time packing their bags.

               “Do you watch the news at all?” asked Jimin. Catalina shook her head. “Well, it’s the only thing ever on at my house, and I guess there’s like, people going missing in the town next to us.”

               “Whoa, really?” asked Catalina.

               “Yeah, and I was invited to this party, but my mom has been freaking out and she doesn’t want me to go out, so I don’t know if I’m going…”

               “Wow, that’s crazy. Yeah, I mean, it’s not in this town though. So it should be fine to go to a party,” said Catalina. Jimin shrugged.

               “Maybe. Anyway, how was the first day at work?” he asked.

               “Ah, yeah, it was nice. The hike is cool and there’s a bunch of racist Indian goods in the shop. There’s like, barely any customers, so it was pretty chill all day,” she said.

               “That’s cool. I don’t think I’d be able to walk that far to work every day. I’m too lazy,” said Jimin.

               Catalina shrugged. “I mean, a job is a job. But I’ll probably have a ride for a lot of my shifts,” she said. “What about you? Did you get that job in the theater?”

               “Yeah, it’s alright. I guess it’s gonna be mostly just moving chairs around and helping backstage for events,” said Jimin. “But what if I want to audition for a show?”

               “Then they’ll just have to find a replacement for you!” said Catalina. “You deserve to be on stage!”

               Jimin laughed and said, “Thank you. I do deserve to be on stage, don’t I?”

[rataltouille]

HOUSE PLANTS, UPDATE 1

this has been long overdue. typical, really. [novel intro found here.]

the story is currently eight chapters in but it's also a very strange eight chapters. i’m not really happy with half of these words because they're unnecessary ™ and dull ™ and serve no purpose whatsoever ™. i’m simply choosing to ignore that i need to cut them out. :’] here’s a note i made that perfectly captures my feelings so far:

before we go into the excerpts, i want to talk a bit about how house plants is structured because the format is whack. each chapter ranges from 3000-4000 words. A few vignettes, around 500 words, are sprinkled between these chapters. the chapters narrate events from the fictive past, while the vignettes are snippets into the fictive present [the point from where lilith is retelling the story]. additionally, an important plot thread is told entirely in the form of an epistolary [through letters] and so there's a bit more of confusion to navigate through. fun times.

and now for the excerpts. they're from the first three chapters and are very weird out of context. i think that each update will feature excerpts from three consequent chapters, but that may change as we get closer to spoiler land.

excerpts:

chapter one

the novel kicks off with an odd vignette featuring an unhinged willow and an innocent lilith. chronologically, this is set way back, the earliest scene ever, around when lilith was ten or eleven. it’s meant to establish a sense of unease and to thread the unsettling undertone i’m going for. it's also major foreshadowing but we don't talk about that here. i’m not giving away much because there's not many excerpts to scrape out from a dialogue-heavy vignette like this.

”Here, let me help, mother.”

I tried guiding your palms to the rim of the pot, but you moved them away. From the brief touch, my fingers came away with moisture. On second glance, your knuckles were bathed in sweat. Your veins pulsed and your hands shivered. You gave me a wide-eyed glance, dumped the plant atop the brown, and stood up. You wiped the dirt away on your jeans. From below, with sunlight teetering over your golden hair, you were a personification of God. But were you, really? Does God fear their children? Does God volunteer to garden? I didn't know what God truly meant. I don't now either. But I’m certain it wasn't you.

”Sorry, Lilith. My pollen allergy is acting up.”

It's stunning how it ran in our blood, lying effortlessly.

chapter two

immediately after this we’re pulled off into the linear non-vignette chapter thing, aka the second chapter. [god what am i doing with this structure]. it starts with a soft little reminiscent bit about juniper?? i’m exploiting the tense a lot but it's been fun. (:

The first time she smiled at me is knit into me, like I’m not myself without it. I’m not. She breathed change and I ran with it. Whenever she gazed at me, with sunset dripping behind her head, or with rain clouds dotting her hairline, she’d smile. It was the sound of a ukulele in a winter draft, the kiss of dew on my favourite hemlock, the fond mythical curl of my father’s arms around me. There’s a phantom of love everywhere, and I almost caught it sneaking around her. Even now, Juniper dozes so soundly; she’s replaced everything I wanted you to be and everything you never were. You’d know, of course. You always have.

willow is officially introduced soon after, and so is one of the major plot threads, i.e. lilith’s correspondence with her dad. this excerpt is to show how the family feel about each other became, like i mentioned, there’s a lot of tea to be split here. not gonna lie, this paragraph reads as kinds pure.

You— the town called you Wistful Willow, but they did so behind your back and on postcards to neighbours— had a special lilt in your tone every time you spoke his name. ”Isac,” your lips would curl, almost a smile, and I’d smile back. You loved it, the sound of his name. It had become a ritual for us, pouring our sorrow and joy and unrest and comfort into those two syllables. A fallback plan, I suppose; there was always father to rely on amidst chaos.

willow is constantly at home and she’s probably not seen the outside world in a million years. she either cooks, reads, sits in a bathtub, or does everything at the same time. not odd at all.

The bathroom door, thick oak painted ivory, was right across where I stood. The house was large and empty, and I had three places— study, bedroom, garden— to myself. I lived only with you, so it was mostly quiet, except on Saturdays when we got father’s mail and watched TV together. That Saturday we had seen an old movie from the 70s, a random romance that neither of us cared for, but watched out of duty.

The door was shut. From it came the sound of pages rustling, not unlike a delicate breeze playing with the fronds of croton plants. I knocked softly.

”Come in, ” you said, a splash of water punctuating your voice.

I entered to find you half-immersed in the bathtub, one hand holding a novel, the other limp across the rim. There lingered the scent of soapy water, rose-tinted, and all over the tiled walls was the water’s reflection, a glow of opulence. You were half-naked, your garments drifting like algae. Your habit of reading in the bathtub had been increasing lately. You looked at me, questioning.

there’s also the introduction of lilith’s best friends marcy and faun, where they lay down in the middle of a field after a tiring cricket match and banter all through the evening. i’m really enjoying the trio’s friendship; it's both fun to write and they’re just so pure.

”If you insult Henry one more time, Marce...”

”He actually named the butterfly.” Her eyes were wide and amused; she dug up mud with her nails and flicked it upwards, glanced at me. ”Lilith. He named his fucking butterfly.”

”Faun, it's dead. You keep it in a box, ” I said.

”The dead don't magically lose their names, ” he countered.

Our laughter drafted into town. I don't think it heard.

chapter three

this is kind of uneventful but it sets up some major subplots. i might push it to later in the book, but i’m happy with where it it's right now. lilith randomly keeps reminiscing throughout so that’s convenient. this excerpt is about willow and thus is unreliable as hell. willow ain't good and lilith ain't 100% sincere narrating this right now, so don't let its pureness fool you.

People in town, I’d hear, found you odd and unsociable, cold and distant. I always scoffed when they told me so. They only knew the Willow who never attended community gatherings, who’d gaze out absentmindedly from the porch, who’d more so see than observe, hear than listen. They didn't know the Willow who was my mother, who hated loud noises, who loved her novels with a passion, who spoke so serenely— and rarely— that you hung onto her every word. Only I saw this side of you, and that suited me just fine.

there’s a scene where lilith [accidentally] spies on marcy and another guy. their conversation makes lilith tangent off in her head.

Marcy spoke detachedly, like she was speaking through a filter of not caring. I worried for her and her charade. It didn't help that scented letters confessing love often found their way to her locker, or that roses were shoved in her face as if her admirers loved her so much that they forgot she was allergic to them. Idolisation and adoration took extreme forms; she was stalked for a month and sent death threats. She would put on a disguise of indifference and seem unbothered, but at night she’d soak her pillow and lose sleep, then inform us the next day about her insomnia so casually that we almost forgot how easily she hurt.

i’m not going to lie, the last line in this excerpt was just me indulging myself with the knowledge of the climax. i need to stop slipping in random tone changes like this lol.

My walk home finished quick, though my feet expressed exhaustion. I was right on time, too; you were sitting by your coffee table, glasses crooked upon your nose, a new novel— this one a bright red sky, gold print, gauzy— resting beside warm coffee. You barely smiled, but that was because you were daydreaming. I was familiar with every tell: your eyes would tilt towards my forehead, your lips would stretch, your fingers would drum on whatever you were holding. I’d always let you be when you drowned into your head. Did you ever notice that, Mother? Have you ventured out of your mind to witness my efforts?

and finally some food for thought. yes, that pun was intended. i’ll see myself out.

”Dinner’s ready, dear,” you called. I groaned out my fatigue and left my room, hoping to abandon my unflattering thoughts. In the kitchen, I helped you set the table. Soon we were both sipping hot carrot soup with a side of breadsticks. You were already invested in the novel. I held the spoon, the heat barely registering, and watched you drift through fiction and reality like a will o’ the wisp. Maybe I could read for escapism, too. It would do me good.

that’s all for today! thanks for reading so far; support is, as always, appreciated. hope you liked these excerpts ✨

[angellazull]

The Black Cat.

(Two days to go before Angel's birthday [and mine too], August 23rd, so I decided to post a text about what Angel's birthdays were like before he was accepted to Hogwarts, and had friends).

In one of the windows, in one of the houses on the Main Street of the Royal-Garden, a small town on the south coast of England; A little boy with extremely white hair like the newly fallen snow in winter, was sitting on the small sofa by his bedroom window hugging his knees, in front of him a book of herbology was open, but the boy's sapphire blue eyes did not look at him, the little boy's attention was focused on the children playing in the street, everyone seemed to have a lot of fun, the laughter was loud and high-pitched seemed sincere and it hurt Angelo.

Angelo Lancaster, was different from the boys of his age, not only because he was a wizard, in his world, there were several wizards and witches around the world, what made him different from other children, was that he was a half-veela.

Veelas are creatures that assume feminine humanoid forms, of an angelic beauty, their beautiful appearance and, especially, their magnificent dance are magically seductive to almost all intelligent male beings, which makes them perform strange actions in order to remain the as close to them as possible. The boy's mother is a veela, and makes him and his brother Jacob, half-veelas, and that made the boys inherit their mother's target hair and divine beauty, but at the same time it seems quite charming to some people, the truth was that being a veela is much more difficult. Angelo being too young, he has no control over his abilities, so he is prohibited from approaching Muggle children, and the few wizarding boys in the village did not want him around for his volatile charm.

The last time he tried to make friends with the boys, his charm ended up mesmerizing the boys who didn't like it and started fighting with him, after that event, Angel started to get more and more secluded inside his house reading his books. Almost every day he stayed at the window watching the other children having fun without being able to join them and that made him sad, especially today.

Silent tears began to trickle down his cheeks, as he buried his face in his legs, he felt his skin tingle as white feathers covered his entire body, two large wings came out of his back and two small ones took the place of his ear, he he was simply alone and nobody liked him for being different.

At that moment the door to his room opened and his mother entered. Leonor was extremely beautiful, her white hair was long and wavy that seemed to shine with each movement, her skin was smooth and soft, surely any man would fall in love with her beauty.

"Happy Birthday, honey." Leonor approached with a basket and a plate with a small chocolate cake, as soon as she saw her son in that state, she placed the basket on the bed and the cake on the table where the boy wrote and drew and hurried to close the doors. window curtains. "Honey, watch out, people can see you like this."

With the curtains closed, she sat down next to her son and began to pet the small wings that took the place of his ears.

"What's the matter, honey?" Leonor asked fondly.

"I wanted to be able to go and play with the other kids, I wanted to be able to go out and not be locked inside the house." Angel said sadly, he ran his hand over to dry his tears.

"Honey, you know you can't play with Muggle kids, you can break the institute of secrecy, they can find out you're half-veela, you need to learn to control your skills, you're unstable."

"But the wizard childrens hate me, and I swear I didn't do it on purpose, I just got excited, I didn't want to hypnotize anyone, Sabastian and his friends hate me, I don't have any friends."

Tears started to flow again, while he hugged his hand, which felt his heart sad to see his son like that, it was not fair to his son.

"I miss Jay, when he was here I didn't feel alone..."

"I know, dear, I miss him, too." Leonor stroked Angel's head, and broke into a smile. "So, I hope he makes you feel better."

She went back to the bed and picked up the basket, crouching in front of her son, handed over the basket with a blue bow.

"Happy birthday, dear, I hope it makes you feel better." Leonor kissed his son's forehead, and waited for his son to open the gift.

Angel dried his tears, he knew that his mother worked hard to make him happy on his birthdays, since the disappearance of his brother and since he had no friends, that day was not happy, but his mother was always on his side, in In the end, he had reason not to be totally sad. The white-haired boy took the basket and, opening a small ball of black fur, put his head out, a black kitten with big blue eyes, looked at the boy and let out a high-pitched, very cute meow.

"A kitten!" Angel exclaimed taking the little animal that fit in one of his hands, his fur was thin and he sniffed everything, the kitten was quite curious, like Angel, his mother had nailed it in the present. "Mom, thank you very much."

The boy kissed his mother's cheek and turned his attention to the kitten.

"Yes, as Jay used to call you, he said that when you cringed, you looked like a sleeping kitten."

"I'm going to call you Arthy." He patted the kitten's neck that he seemed to love. "You will be my best friend."

"Now, the cake." Leonor took the small cake and with a wave, the small candle was lit. "Make a wish, dear."

The boy did not have to think much about the wish, closing his eyes he concentrated on his birthday wish; 'That one day, I may have friends who accept me for what I am', when he opened his eyes he blew on the candle. This had been his main wish for a long time, he hoped with all his hopes that someday, somewhere, that wish would come true.

[thevoilinauttheory]

FFXIVWrite2020 Prompt #13 - Extra Credit

Character(s): Caromont Allard, Astrid Allard; a couple unnamed tutors and teachers. Setting: Sharlayan (Motherland); approximately 1475 of the Sixth Astral Era -- approximately 1480 of the Sixth Astral Era -- approximately 1494 of the Sixth Astral Era, just before the events of Prompt #22 What: Caromont is introduced to his new abilities, much to his dismay. Content Warnings: Explicit physical and emotional, familial, abuse; implications of trauma Author Notes: My spouse wanted more Caromont lore, so I used it as my extra credit prompt. Honestly, that’s all I gotta say. I had fun writing this one, because Caromont is my “enigma” character. Everything about him is hidden under the veil of the classic case of amnesia, but even if he does remember - no one ever knows, he doesn’t communicate if he’s remembered anything or not. So even in my private RP with my spouse, he’s still something of a mysterious character. --

Violet eyes cast a glance outside of the window of his classroom, it was a nice day. He was stuck here. Again. And again. And again. Everyday it was the same thing. When the click of a switch against the podium at the front assaulted his ears, he flipped the page of the book in front of him with no regard to the words written. Another snap, another page. There were whispers of other students beside him - he paid no mind. There were clouds to watch and he was far more interested in those. Crack, flip. Whap, flip. 

“Allard!”

The boy’s head whipped to the front suddenly, his attention drawn by the sudden shout of his name. When he realized it was just his teacher, his posture relaxed, eyes squinting into a pure sense of utter boredom. He exuded it as he slid his arm over his desk to rest his head on his fist. The eye contact showed that he was listening… at least more intently than before, yet he said no words. His teacher walked her way to his desk, snatching up his textbook.

“The answer to number four, please.”

A deliberate attempt to sabotage him, taking away the text he paid no attention to and asking a question on it. It would’ve made any student fluster, yet the boy didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink. “Teleporting is breaking down your aether and confluencing it with the Lifestream, carrying you to your destination so long as you don’t break contact with your thoughts. There are dangers to teleporting, such as losing focus and losing self - where your aether cannot conjoin together. Other effects can be severe aether sickness, crystal sickness, and possibly ending up at a different location.” Before any words could be spoken, he continued. “Aether sickness is caused by an increased intake of aether, causing a variety of symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, migraines, dizziness, vertigo, and temporary blind and deafness. There is no known cure for aether sickness, and it’s recommended to just let it pass. If it does not, though, a transfer of aether can be used to reduce the amount of aether stored in another’s body.” A sharp inhale. “This can also lead to aether deprivation, where there is too low of aether in another’s body; causing malnourishment, lack of appetite, inability to move certain body parts, loss of certain bodily functions, and numbness - death, within a matter of bells or suns.”

His eyes turned back to the window. “Answers four, five, and six. I am paying attention, and I dislike that you are accusing me of not.”

His teacher let out a soft sigh, setting his book down, then returned to the front of the class - allowing the child to continue daydreaming in peace.

When his classmates filed out at the first sound of the bell, he gathered up his belongings slowly and meandered his way to the door. “Caromont.” “Mm?” “Stay here, your mother will be arriving shortly.” “What did I do wrong? I answered your questions, did I not?” She shook her head. “It’s for both praise and punishment. You’re above your class clearly, but it feels as if you’re not invested in this path.” “I am not, I would much rather be doing something else.” “Then why do you continue?” “My mother wants me to. It’s the best way to make money and take care of my family.”

There was another shake of her head, yet she gestured to the door. “Take a seat outside.”

When his mother appeared, near stomping down the hall; heels clicking- he hated that noise. She could afford nice heels, but not a proper bed for her children. Nice clothes, nice makeup. In his loathing, he neglected to realize she was right beside him and a hard yank on one of his ears made him cry out. “What did you do this time! Ungrateful child, I send you to school and you do nothing but get in trouble!” “I do not want to be here, regardless! Let go!” He tried to pry her hand off, but her nails caught the cartilage, causing a sob to break from him. “Stop!”

“Mrs. Allard, if you please.” His teacher caught her before a hand could crack over his face - a save he couldn’t have been more grateful for. She seemed to recognize the situation, then smiled. “There is naught for him to be punished. I wanted to give only praise and a proposition.” A change in her previous statement. “Is that right? Why didn’t you say so before?” His mother let go of his ear, following his teacher inside the classroom while he was left outside to tend to his injured and now bleeding ear.

“I wished to convey just how brilliant your son is, he is far ahead of his peers in his aetherology studies - and I believe he is ready to move on to higher skills. Might I suggest astrology? He seems keen on being outside, and studies regarding the stars would allow him that enrichment he needs. He could be Sharlayan’s greatest healer with just a bit more effort and motivation from outside sources, such as his family.” She stacked up some papers, sitting herself down at her desk. “I can provide the necessary documentation of his successes, and present it to the head of the board. He’ll be ready to move on by next moon. Until then, I would have him stay and take tutoring classes to help him further. No extra charge, I assure you.”

“I see… if you believe he’s got that much talent wasting away in him, I suppose moving him forward wouldn’t hurt. Tutoring - if he’s so brilliant, then why--” “Because he will be entering in the middle of the school year, Mrs. Allard, and he will need to catch up on everything his new peers have already learned. Just because he has mastered this class does not mean he is a born master of every other class. You expect too much of the boy, he needs to be nurtured, and he needs to grow; and I will be frank with you - you are stifling him. Do not get in his way, or you will be the cause of the rift between you and your family.”

--

“Take your reading now, Caromont - allow yourself to connect with the gates as we last practiced. Your first reading is always the most important, to see your progress.” His mentor sat on the other side of the desk from him, watching intently to Caromont’s now bright-eyed enthusiasm to his new path. He hadn’t thought of astrology - while Sharlayan was well known for their astrologians, he never considered something like that to speak to him.

The first card was flipped over. “The Spire.” He spoke softly, and he allowed the card to speak. It hurt at first. He rubbed at his temples and within a few seconds his head hit the table as if he had fallen asleep there. His mentor quickly stood to check on him, frightened that something might have gone wrong - but when his head snapped back upright with his eyes wide, he turned to his mentor in tears. “...I- I-... I am sorry… I did not mean…” “What is wrong, child? Dear heavens, I thought you had performed a spell wrong.” “N-No.. I just. My reading is for you… and this position is the past, with the Spire, and… I saw. I saw what happened, I…” “Saw? You saw the past with the flip of a card?” “I just wanted them to speak to me…” “Cards don’t speak, Caromont. The stars do. I think… we may need a different tutor for you. I do not know if there is anyone with your talent, but. I do know that we have a section of professors and students all learning about an innate ability we have called the “Echo”. I would like to make certain that if you do have the Echo, you have a proper tutor to teach you about it - despite the fact that it manifests differently in everyone.” He gestured to the cards again. “Sit upright this time, against the back of the chair instead of forward. Close your eyes after drawing the card.”

He followed. The next card was drawn. “The Spear.” Immediately, he closed his eyes; still the tears fell. He shook his head as his eyes opened again. “...Maybe I should not do readings on you… I see too much.”

--

“No, this isn’t the Echo.” “Are you sure? What other explanation could there be for such a talent?”

Caromont was the talk of the Studium. Professors and peers wanted to know more about his ability - this was the day that his enthusiasm turned to responsibility. He hadn’t realized it yet. 

“The stars speak right to him!” Those were the rumors. There had to be more, a person, or magic… something was doing this to him. He delved in libraries for years to tell him, what was he, what was he supposed to do? Everyday it was another person in need of help - everyday he had to make the choice whether someone should live or die - how heavy a burden on a man barely thirty winters old. Was this his fate and destiny? His cards were blank when he tried to read them for himself - like the stars only spoke through him, rather than to him.

He stood out in the dark, up at the sky did his eyes turn. He was never a wishful thinker, he was studious, uptight, he had to be the responsible one. This was the night he cried. He cried and he cried - how many more times would he have to sentence people to their deaths, how many more times would he have to tell people that there was nothing he could do. He would take the fates into his hands time and time again, always promising to never do so again. Everytime, the consequences of doing so would be worse than the original outcome - the fates ever escaping his grasp. He only wanted to help, why was he burdened with this responsibility?