#icarus writes the bear

[apollos-boyfriend]

Please share any more snippets of Purpled Vs the concept of gender. I need more of that little bitch

here r some more (also discarded) snippets i was playing around with. cpurpled vs the concept of gender will forever be my favorite thing, you CANNOT convince me that an alien would have the slightest idea of what human gender means

“Their planet didn’t have such concepts, much less actual words to describe them. Up until that point, he’d assumed the boy in 80’s name was just that—a name, like how Chazm wasn’t a word, or the bear part of Walli’s.”

“It was stupid, but a little funny, at least when she got to use them for herself. They were still willing to void anyone who called them it. They didn’t get her irony.”

“Boomer once tried to sit him down and explain the concept of gendered terms and societal standards and expectations for them, but Purpled tuned them out around halfway through their tangent. It couldn’t make her money, so it was essentially worthless to her. Boomer seemed passionate about the concept, at the least, which she wagered was enough for them both.”

[mightydyke]

The thing I want most in the whole world is for Carol Ann Duffy to write a poem about Frankenstein. If she wrote a Frankenstein poem in the style of her "The World's Wife" poems, I think I would die. From the point of view of Elizabeth, or the female Creature if she was created, or a female version of Victor... I think a poem like that would be too perfect. If it existed I would know for certain that some force out there is looking out for me specifically

[annebd]

2024 fic wrapped

i was tagged by the lovely @pitforwets to share some fave fics from 2024! this was especially difficult because i joined f1 fandom in late 2023 and only really started reading fic in earnest in january of this year, which means that this is basically "choose your five fave f1 fics you've ever read." that's hard! with that in mind, this list is nowhere close to exhaustive of the amazing list of fics i've read this year. but in keeping with a list of five, here we go (in no particular order):

icarus by @eirianerisdar. i discovered this fic sometime in the spring. i specifically remember being so engrossed in it that first day that i stayed up until nearly 4 in the morning reading it, and i had to call off work the next day because i was so exhausted (shhhh, don't tell my boss!). it's wing!fic, to reduce it to its absolute most basic form, but it's infinitely more than that. the characterization and worldbuilding are a masterclass. the scene where seb walks through the track picking up feathers lives rent free in my mind. (as does the scene where daniel is a wiggly worm whose newly grown feathers are itchy. if you want a fic to have you giggling and sobbing in equal measure, this is the one)

Hey, Remember That Time by @powerful-owl. i'm not 100% sure, but i'm fairly certain that this is the first of em's fics that i read. and what an amazing introduction! i definitely know that it's the one that made me reach out to say hi on tumblr, and i'm so glad that i did! daniel has amnesia, and max runs an inn- what more could you ask for? one of my favorite parts of this fic is the way em writes charles- he's such a little weirdo, and i adore him beyond measure. also, there's a scene where max describes daniel's own dick to him, and boy howdy. it's a good scene, is what i'm saying.

Breaking Every Rule For You by @magicalrocketships. maxiel exchange dick pics. that's it, that's the post. but to be serious, this fic is 150k words of some of the hottest sex (and preludes to sex) you'll ever read, interspersed with genuinely incredible character growth and exploration. honestly, this fic makes me want to learn to be a better writer. each time a new chapter came out, i would devour it and think "god, i wish i could do that."

there's glitter on the floor after the party by @fiveredlights. there are few things that i'm weaker for than a well written epistolary/social media fic, and there is no one out there who does it quite like five! their writing is amazing, every single time, and the care that goes into crafting these fics is unbelievable. i'm reccing this particular fic because it's the first of their fics i'd ever read, but this is actually a rec for everything they've published, because every single fic is one banger after another. also, after the actual events of this year in real life, i'd much rather sink into the world of this fic and pretend this is how things went down with daniel's career instead.

Get It Right Back by @overtake. have i mentioned that i'm a sucker for a social media fic? because i am. and this fic has the perfect combo of traditional fic structure intertwined with social media elements. it's very newly published and has already worked its way up my faves list. another fantastic example of a fic running me through an entire rainbow of emotion. special shoutout to all the scenes between max, daniel, and max's nephews. the cuteness is too much to bear.

tagging everyone who wants to do their own wrapped list! this was so hard, but what a fun look back at the year. <3

[edjectedly]

On Repeat Tag Game!

Thanks @mrsd-writes for tagging me!!

Rules: Shuffle your 'on repeat' playlist and post the first ten tracks then tag ten friends to do the same!

If you don't have an On Repeat, just do your most played playlist and shuffle that!

1. The Louisville Shuffle (RIP) -Sarah and the Safe Word

2. Brightside - Arrested Youth

3. Gut Punch/Don't Meet Your Idols - Everybody's Worried About Owen

4. Platonic Best Friends - Bug Hunter

5. The Hook - Jam Mechanics

6. Chain Wallet Rock - I Fight Dragons

7. Vulture - Bear Ghost

8. Icarus - Bastille

9. Show Biz - Palaye Royale

10. Dear Dictator - Saint Motel

I am tagging @vveakfish @thrice-the-nobling @fuzzypurplecloud @disappearsreappears @tomboy014 @randmwizard @do-rey-me @imbecamiel @f-inthechat3 and @bootlegbootlegs

[sunlit-mess]

you always seem to draw a lot and like i wonder how you deal with burnout or art block

Burnout is nothing new,

I can't bear to fail this too

HOW TO DEAL WITH CREATIVE BURNOUTS :

Shut your brain off, and REST. Get away from your canvas for a while, take a breather.

Have FUN, Go ahead and boost your mood in certain ways you want to let off steam.

Socialize and interact with other people and treat yourself, eat what you like or do something you've like been dying to try with your friends/family. It's like a reward for doing hard work!

Reflect. Lessen being harder on yourself, you can only take so much, you don't want to break completely. Our ideas can be infinite, but our body is not.

If you want to start again, work comfortably on times you are likely to be productive. Get comfortable while drawing!

FOR ART BLOCK :

Almost the same thing with burnouts, actually!

Step away from the canvas. Step outside, Do other hobbies and such, read a book, listen to music, socialize, etc.

If you have 'failed works; works you think that are shit', draft them instead. You'll find them useful! You can try redrawing them again some other time.

Eventually, you'll take action when inspiration strikes.

----------

Having hyperfixation keeps my creative fuel maxed, especially with music or literature ☠️ though sometimes they can get so irritating bc I'd have nothing to think about but the same thing over and over huhu.

Outside the hyperfixations, also a struggle. But I like to research and collect information in order to find out how I want to execute whatever idea.

I also have too many ideas, and can be over ambitious, to a point it's like some Icarus thing... 😅 I fly too high sometimes, I crash so low.

I also tend to write them down, or just do thumbnails then drafting them for another day.

And trust me when burnout always take a toll on you, it's been years and I still deal with frozen shoulders and wrist-arm pains. If not that then it's lethargy, both mentally and physically. And more tbh. kms so bad HAHAHAHAA

Despite all the burnouts and handicaps,

I'm always hungry, always itching to create something.

[fandomwriterstuff]

Call it What You Want

James Potter x Fem!Reader

Words: ~1k

Heavily inspired by Call it What You Want by Taylor Swift.

My castle crumbled overnight

I brought a knife to a gunfight

They took the crown, but it's alright

Brown leaves crinkling beneath your feet, you made your way back to the place you used to call home one last time. You used to love this place. You used to love this castle with its endless hiding spots, the abundance of life and personalities within, the things you learned. But this year was different. 

The sun was low in the sky, and you sighed with a visible puff as you walked slightly behind the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors. In previous years you’d walked with your friends, a group of witches and wizards from different houses mingling together. You were well loved, a Gryffindor who cared about more than the house cup, pranks, and house rivalries. You had good marks in class, a wide variety of companions, and the respect of your professors. 

You didn’t realize how fragile all of that was, how quickly they would all turn on you. In the last month of sixth year you lost it all (save your good marks, nobody could take our hard work away from you). You would give it up any day though for what you gained.

All the liars are calling me one

Nobody's heard from me for months

I'm doing better than I ever was

You spent the summer by yourself, only writing letters to your sweet boy. You couldn’t bear the thought of not writing to him, and having to face those pretty puppy dog eyes day one back at Hogwarts. You thought you’d be walking with him and his friends today, maybe you would feel less alone. 

Alas, James had interned during the summer with the Ministry of Magic and was coming back to school a day later than everyone else. 

If you were being honest, without the pressure of maintaining a dozen friendships, pretending to be perfect all the time, being obedient and well-behaved… You were doing better than ever. 

Sirius brought out your mischievous side that you hadn’t indulged in since your youth. Peter was your homework buddy and gossip partner. Remus listened to you and anchored you when you felt like you would float away. And your James. James brought out every shining golden thread of love and affection you had within you (a seemingly never ending supply when it came to him). He was there for you when everyone turned against you. He was there for you when the last of your friends stopped trying to spend time with you. He introduced you to his friends when it seemed like you had none left. 

'Cause my baby's fit like a daydream

Walkin' with his head down, I'm the one he's walkin' to

So call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want to

James was the sun in the sky and you were sure you were stronger and smarter than Icarus. You could withstand his glow. You were his partner.

“What do you mean you haven’t seen her?” His voice was clear once he’d breached the entrance to the common room, and you perked up at the sound.

“We couldn’t find her on our way in, we looked, promise,” Sirius was pleading, and you sort of felt bad. You were busy wallowing the day prior to notice that the other three marauders were looking for you. 

“And she wasn’t at breakfast or lunch today either,” Peter’s timid voice reached your ears and you unfolded yourself from the cozy chair you’d spend the afternoon in.

“Jamie?” Your voice was soft and you only had a second to bookmark your page before you were wrapped up in those muscley arms. 

“Baby, I missed you,” he peppered your flushed face with kisses. “I was worried about you,” he murmured only for you to hear and your chest tightened. He was so good to you. 

“Sorry I worried you, sweetness,” you whispered, breaking out of his grasp to sheepishly look over his shoulder at your three friends. “Hello, boys.”

“And where have you been?” Sirius mock scolded you and a laugh bubbled up in your chest. “We were looking all over for you.”

“We were worried when we didn’t see you at breakfast or lunch,” Remus added and you shrugged guiltily.

“I was reading?” 

“You shouldn’t skip meals to read, love. You know that,” James chided you with soft eyes. 

“But they’ve finally realized they’re in love I just had to read another page and-”

“And another page, and another. Merlin you’re a nerd,” Sirius chuckled before heading up to their shared room. 

“We’ll see you two later,” Remus then dragged Peter up the stairs and you were left in your corner of the common room with James. There were other students there, but none paid you any mind. Nobody paid you mind anymore. 

James plopped himself down into the cozy chair you’d spent most of the afternoon in and tugged you down into his lap. 

“Tell me about your book.” 

All my flowers grew back as thorns

Windows boarded up after the storm

He built a fire just to keep me warm

All the drama queens taking swings

All the jokers dressin' up as kings

They fade to nothin' when I look at him

James was better than anyone you’d ever known. After you were broken down from losing all you ever knew and you built up walls where once there was openness, James was the one to build a door. He didn’t try to break your walls down, he didn’t try to force you to be happy. He was caring and understanding, he was patient and he loved you. You couldn’t care less about everyone else's drama when you were in his arms.

Masterlist

[firenati0n]

hello! welcome to my navigation! <3 :)

hi :) I'm roop. welcome! :)

posted fics | my ao3

multichaps:

people ruin people, i don't wanna ruin you - WIP, M, ch 4/9, musician au, orpheus & eurydice au, a star is born au, angst with a happy ending, icarus references

the leaves of a silver maple - multiple ratings, each chapter a standalone prompt, ranging from fluff to angst to h/c to crack!

the full spectrum of human emotion - complete, M, 54k, the proposal (2009) au, fake dating, marriage of convenience, banter, romcom vibes, mild angst, introspection

one shots:

i like the way you blush / i like the way you bite - M, 932 words, roommate au, prose, introspection, fingers in mouths, finger sucking, part 3 in series

you're the closest to heaven that i'll ever be - T, 7.7k, au, sequel to angel!henry, tooth-rotting fluff, mild angst and hurt/comfort, introspection, ethereal beings

who would've thought that a guy like henry would double as a superstar? - T, 6.4k, hannah montana au, crack, fluff, angst, extremely fun and silly

and all i can taste is this moment, and all i can breathe is your life - T, 9999, city of angels au, angel!henry, lawyer!alex, happy ending

who truly stuck the knife in first - M, 3.7k, spy au, sexually charged wrestling

cause you're classic, and i'm reckless - T, 5.5k, actor au, inspired by ryan gosling / rachel mcadams

keep me up all night / i wanna scratch your surface - M, 1.3k, roommate au, prose, dreamy, part 2 in series

each time we touch / i wanna take too much - M, 1.3k, college roommate au, fingers in mouths, pining, part 1 in series

An Amateur's Guide to Piping That Cream and Beating That Meat - T, 5k, college au, tiktok au, crack, fluff

our world, mine and his alone (the midnight train to go) - T, 3k, college au, meet-cute, crack, fluff

other media for my fics (art, podfics, etc)

angel!henry art by @geonbaeeee

angel!henry and lawyer!alex by @anincompletelist

angel!henry and lawyer!alex moodboard by @juloviz

angel!henry art by @hollivens

angel!henry moodboard by @ash-morrison

amateur's guide moodboard by @benwvatt

amateur's guide podfic by @kiwiana-writes

proposal au cowboy alex by @seanchaidh7

worm fic podfic by @thirdeye1234

wips and snips:

chris nolan!alex x cillian murphy!henry - actor au

queerano - cyrano de bergerac au

carmy!alex - the bear au / alex character study

forehead kisses - college roommate au, tiktok au

other tags:

roop writes - any post with my writing

wip wednesday - wip weds writing challenges

several sentence sunday - sunday writing challenges

tag games

wip games

my fic rec masterposts

[sparks-chaotic-cove]

Planning a big embroidery project in honor of Fable! I'm trying to make a shirt with the symbols of each of the characters on it, and maybe some writing along the arms. For this, however, I need a little bit of help! I can't seem to settle on a few symbols for some of the characters-

Here's ones I have planned:

Aax/Perseus - Axolotl (in Percy's colors)

Caspian - Compass star

Centross/Violet - Reaver

Wolf/Fenris - Wolf with a star over an eye

Ocie - Water and waves cascading down

Momboo - Tree sticking out of the water

Addie - Spider hanging from the tree

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

Ones I need help with:

Rae - Its hard to sum Rae up into one symbol- I have an eye of Ender and a book so far. Not sure what to settle on

Arisanna: Thinking about torn fairy wings?

Icarus: I don't watch icarus a lot, but my ideas were: a) a set of purple and yellow wings, b) Goggles with a bit of blood

Bruin/Jamie: I'm not sure how to represent them? Thinking about a bear with ram horns ?

Athena: Athena's another hard one to communicate with just a symbol. I'm not sure whether to do an Allium with fire and gold, or something else-

Ven: For Ven I'm leaning towards a quill that is writing in red? sort of covering up the bloodshed?

Haley: Only thing I can think of is a blindfold? like the one she wears?

Easton: Not sure whether to do a sort of skulky thing or a lightning one? I feel a blindfold would be too similar to Haley's.

[alexandraisyes]

Rate all TSAMS Earth ships that exist

Fucking hell why not

Earth x Monty: ZERO STARS - BOOOO BOOOOOO I SAY

Earth x Puppet: Five Stars - I need more of them

Earth x Foxy: Five Stars - YEAHHHHH

Earth x Solar: Three Stars - Cute but I see them as friends

Earth x Bloodmoon: Four Stars - I will not elaborate

Earth x Eclipse: FIVE STARS - LETS FUCKING GO

Earth x Killcode: Two Stars - They feel more like friends to me

Earth x Ruin: Five Stars - Me and like five friends know why

Earth x Solar Flare: Five Stars - Anything with Flare is a yes

Earth x The Computer: Two Stars - I mean sure I guess lol

Earth x Gemini: Two Stars - Why the fuck not

Earth x Nebula: Four Stars - Lesbians

Earth x Frank: Five Stars - Because Frank

Earth x Golden Freddy: One Star - Sugar Grandpa Real

Earth x Roxanne Wolf: Four Stars - Toxic Yuri

Earth x Glamrock Chica: Four Stars - Cuties!

Earth x Glamrock Freddy: Four Stars - It would be five but KC needs his bear damned it!

AU TIME!!!

Earth x Sobek (Evil Monty): Zero Stars - He would kill her

Earth x Gaia (Evil Earth): Five Stars - Toxic Self Love

Earth x Icarus (Star Holder Freddy): Five Stars - She would treat him so kindly and help him get over his trauma of accidentally deleting everything ough she would be so sweet and good to him

Earth x Kronos (Lord Eclipse): Five Stars - That man needs a woman's touch

Earth x Moros (Servant Eclipse): Two Stars - Moros seems a little too devoted to his act (and his lord) to consider a relationship or even friendship with someone else

Earth x Solstice (Swap Eclipse): One Star - Nah this feels like shipping her with Moon, no thanks

Earth x Space (Swap Earth): Five Stars - Self Love again but positive

Earth x Ammit (Mage Monty): Four Stars - Honestly this is 100% because of the way I write Ammit and hc him since we have so little content of him. I think he's a lot more mature than our Monty and really wise and shit. Soft-spoken maybe after centuries and centuries of solitude

[vampicarus]

!!!Welcome to my blog!!!

I’m Icarus! A Mexican-American genderfluid guy that is very, very, VERY obsessed with Chonny Jash and Interview with the Vampire (2022-24 TV series), even if he has a lot of OC’s to care about. I mostly draw, but I’ve also gathered other hobbies like singing, writing and closet cosplaying :]

BYF, Interests and other links below! Very important to read!!!

‼️Before You Follow‼️

I’ve been accused to be a Demeter/Insincerities supporter in the past. I just want all to know that I am no longer on that kid’s side, he is mentally unwell and I’ve acknowledged that. I no longer want to be associated with him. If you want to talk about my involvement with him, please, do it in private, my DM’s are open on Twitter and (probably) here too. (I still don’t remember how Tumblr works bear with me.)

And, not related to the paragraph above, this is more general stuff, but I am currently recovering from self harm. I might mention it from time to time, but it’s mostly my sobriety milestones, I’ve never posted anything too graphic. I also make a lot of KMS jokes whenever I’m upset, so if YOU are uncomfortable with those things, feel free to block/not follow me. I’ll understand 👍

DNI: Basic criteria (pedos, zoos, NSFW, etc, you get the deal), Demeter/Insincerities supporters/followers, Under 13/Over 25 ppl (unless I already knew you), Chonny Jash haters, SA jokes.

‼️About posting‼️

I am currently studying to become a professional technical bachelor in tourism and now have to do something called “social service”, which involves doing literal unpaid labor(/sar) in my city’s zoo then get a grade. This means I have little to no free time. And little to no free time = no time to draw, so full art posting might be very infrequent. I’ll try to doodle frequently, be it traditionally or digitally :]

‼️Interest!‼️

-Chonny Jash

-Interview with the Vampire (TV series)

-My Chemical Romance

-House of the Dragon

-Jhariah

-Umbrella Academy

-Cult of the Lamb

-Mouthwashing

-Will Wood + the Tapeworms duh

(This will be updated occasionally)

‼️Other links‼️

Twitter (most active)

Bluesky

[yeyinde]

thank you for tagging me @cordeliawhohung and @vanderilnde ! i'm tagging @ivymarquis @cosmicpro @when-pigsfly @eilidh-eternal @ethereal-night-fairy and anyone else who wants to participate!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 40

2. What's your total Ao3 word count? 692,024

3. What fandoms do you write for? cod right now. slashers. predator. six. i have planned fics for John Wick, JJK, RDR2, Far Cry 5, Top Gun. nothing really put me in the same horrifying chokehold as cod, though.

4. Top five by kudos body electric, baby, (don't) fear the reaper, riptide, in undertow, past and pending

5. Do you respond to comments? i try to. i just never know what to say.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? i don't really do angsty endings, but probs down to the marrow. it was meant to be read as an "oh, no..." sorta fic. on the flipside since it's in Soap's pov.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? ahhhhhhh. when your need grows teeth? i think those two freaks got exactly what they wanted lmao

8. Do you get hate on fics? sometimes. rarely on AO3. mostly just asks on tumblr. and almost always about my prose as if i wasn't writing exclusively from Giovanni's room lmao or my use of rare/big words. getting Purple Prose Queen was a highlight, though.

9. Do you write smut? i've been known to dabble

10. Craziest crossover. i took at stab at Joe "Bear" Graves x Reader x John Price because of an ask once. it was never posted because i got bored editing it so it'll rot in my "stuff i am too lazy to fix and post" folder forever. but other than that, idk. i prefer aus.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? nope.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? no.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? naur. it sounds fun, though.

14. All time favorite ship? hard to pick, but probs Brittany/Santana. or Spider-Man/Deadpool. Icarus/Apollo. Iwaizumi Hajime x ME!!!! Ulquiorra/Orihime. Stiles/Peter. most recently, Reylo. Itadori/Sukuna.

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? it's called: freefall :/

16. What are your writing strengths? flow. i used to go to a lot of poetry readings/open mic nights and think i developed a pretty solid feel for how to make things flow nicely. pacing and direction (i take a lot of inspo from my favourite directors and try to add elements of their films/style into my writing). ignoring grammar/punctuation. experimenting. trickery/masking. sneaking animism and anthropomorphism into my writing.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? god. a lot. punctuation. grammar. overuse of metaphors. big words. misusing words. dialogue. action. brevity. consistency. tone. characterisation. my stuff tends to meander, i find.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language? no real opinion, tbh.

19. First fandom you wrote in? mythology. i wrote an ungodly amount of Hades/Persephone from 12-14.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written? uhhhhhhhhhh. sea fever. baby, (don't) fear the reaper.

[taciturnpoet]

okay here is the promised anderperry Icarus and the Sun/Apollo post because @73647e enabled me lol

this will be mostly rambling because I love this comparison (and use it a lot) so be happy if there is even a single coherent thought in this okay? talking about this makes my brain go FAST and I went over this about a thousand times so bear with me here

When I had first started thinking about this, I had originally thought of Neil being the Sun and Todd being Icarus. But then I realized no, their dynamic shifts and actually switches roles after Todd does the poem in Keating’s class.

In the beginning, Neil is the one that draws Todd into the group and persuades him to join the poets, all while also encouraging him to be himself and speak up more. While Todd is not only falling for Neil, he’s also trying to take Neil’s advice to heart since Neil is what Todd wants to be.

Neil could befriend a brick wall if left alone with it long enough. Everyone likes him and believes that he is made for great things (though not the same great things he wants to do), and you can tell that Todd wants to get to that point himself eventually. Todd’s been told his entire life that he will never amount to anything unless he becomes this thing he doesn’t even like, and Neil is more of what he aspires to be.

Then the poem in Keating’s class happens and things change.

After the poem, Todd starts to come into himself a little more. He’s gaining confidence in himself and his work—the work he wants to do, the work he’s passionate about���and he’s joking around and talking more with the poets. (Even though this scene is deleted, and I think that’s a crime) he reads a poem out loud to them and Keating at the end of the movie without Neil there.

Now, we know why Neil isn’t there, but that’s not important yet lol

Neil has been Todd's safety net, the person that kickstarted his self-confidence growth and made him truly embrace himself in the long run. By the end of the movie, Todd can show other people his work without Neil having to be there, which is a major development from Todd in the first poets meeting too afraid to speak and always looking to Neil for guidance.

When Todd is helping Neil practice his lines on the dock—another criminally deleted scene—he’s excited. He’s teasing Neil and playing around with him and becomes what he had the potential to be at the beginning of the movie with the help of Neil and Keating. 

Todd’s decided that he wanted to be his own person. He’s not going to try and live up to his parent’s expectations of him becoming a second Jeffrey, he’s going to pursue his writing and be his own person, and he appears to become so much freer after that realization. He’s embraced his passion for writing and poetry and pursues his art without hesitation, just as Neil wants to do with his acting, becoming a shining light of possibilities and potential, and most of all, freedom. 

After the poem, the glimpse of Todd’s brain, and his passion, Neil almost views it as something holy. In Neil’s eyes, Todd and his freedom are something to strive for, to look up to, and hope for like it's something divine. In a way, Todd becomes a symbol of freedom and passion, a beacon of everything Neil could be and wants to be/do.

I know we as a fandom talk about this a lot, but look at the way Neil looks at Todd after the poem, the way the sun is shining on his face and lighting him up only in the way it does whenever he’s having a Moment™ with Todd. No, seriously, it does that to him both when he decides to audition for the play and after the poem, but practically nowhere else in the movie.

Insanity. Anyway.

But then, during this same time that Todd is embracing his freedom, there is Neil. Neil who is practicing and alive and passionate while preparing for the play, making plans for the future, and dreaming of pursuing this life as an actor.

 ["God, for the first time in my whole life, I feel completely alive!" // "Most people, if they're lucky, live about half an exciting life. If I could get the parts, I could live dozens of great lives!"]

And yet, there is another Neil. The Neil who gets confronted by his father and told to stop doing the play, to stop acting, and give up his dreams, his passions, and what he believes to be his life, all to stay stuck in the existence his father wants him in. The Neil that goes to Keating for help and cries that he’s “trapped.”

The moment Neil decides to lie to Keating and tell him that he talked to his father, the moment he chooses to continue with the play and acting despite everything that could happen is the moment he cements his place as the Icarus in their dynamic. He chooses to ignore his father’s warnings against participating in the play and does it anyways. He chooses freedom and passion over safety. Neil chooses to fly.

Neil chose to take a chance, to try and escape and join Todd on the other side of freedom and authenticity, where he could pursue his dream and become an actor. He has his moment to shine, to taste the warmth of the stage lights akin to sunlight as he brings the play to life. All the possibilities, hopes, and dreams, all within his reach in the form of a crown made of sticks and leaves in a small-town theater. He can see his friends and his teacher in the crowd and feels invincible and in his element, bigger than life.

But then comes the melting of the wax and the plummet back to earth as he sees his father’s angry face in the back of the theater, and he knows.

He knew that there was no going back now, no reversing what he’d done, the fact that he’d lied to the two most influential men in his life for just a chance to join the other side. And yet, as someone pointed it out recently (I can’t find the post right now, I’m so sorry), there is a moment when Neil comes out after the play, and he smiles at his father, an attempt to see if maybe he won’t be falling tonight. But then his father doesn’t smile back, and everything goes by in a rushed blur of a freefall.

All of the poets try and reach out to him, to talk to him and congratulate him on his way out, but the only one he looks at is Todd. Todd, who’s so excited to see him afterward, tries to talk to him and get him to come back with them, but Neil smiles sadly at him and lets himself be dragged away. He knew he couldn’t put off this fight with his father forever and decided to stop hiding from it. He’s falling and isn’t trying to stop it.

I think Neil looks at Todd the way he does before they leave because a part of him knows he’s not coming back. He doesn’t want to go, but he can’t slow it down and spends his last moments with them looking at the boy whose become his Sun.

The descent is quick after the car pulls away, and Neil cannot stand up to his father. Every moment that led to Neil’s decision to be a part of the play, to follow Todd, is in the sun's bright light. It makes sense then that he’d die at night, with death embracing him with the sound of a gunshot rather than water splashing.

Todd finds out about Neil's death after sunrise. It's gray and quiet, but the sun still rises even after he knows Neil isn't rising with it.

And he's devastated, and he's angry, and he's no longer afraid to show that. He gets mad at Cameron for blaming Keating for Neil and believing he would kill himself under any circumstances other than his father. [“That is not true, Cameron, you know that. Keating didn’t put us up to anything. Neil loved acting!”]

Then, he gets mad at Nolan, talking back to him in front of his parents in that sham of a conference and in front of Keating's class as Keating is leaving. The same Nolan Todd nearly cried in front of on his first day at Welton because he was so afraid to speak his mind, to stand up for himself.

Todd is grieving, he is angry, and he is stronger than he was at the start. While he stands on his desk for Keating in a show of support, in thanks, he is also standing on his desk in thanks to Neil. For Neil.

Neil's gone. And yet, Todd shows his strength. He stands up for the ones he loves and is thankful for while also standing in defiance for those who played a hand in Neil's end and killing their dreams. He appears to smile ever-so-slightly when Keating looks at him, and Keating must know he'll be okay. 

His best friend is dead. The actor who brought a play to life and cast light everywhere he went was gone, but Todd isn't. Neil's light only reflected what Todd still had and would dedicate to Neil.

The freedom, art, and life that Todd now held were what Neil fell for, and Todd would spend his life creating in memory of the boy who fell trying to join him. Todd had to ensure that everyone would know the story of Neil Perry as much as they did Icarus. They were so similar, after all.

(this started to change halfway through, so idk if it makes sense but that’s fine. please talk to me about anything like this I get so excited about it lol)

[westeroslive]

when the sun rises in the west,   the  gods  eyes  are  drawn.  may  the  seven  have  mercy  upon  you  as  we  welcome  you  to  court,   lord desmond, lady aarohi, ruling lord gwayne, lord heir renly, lady ariadne, lord roryn !  now  a  victim  of  the  court,  the  bards  compare  your beauty  to  david corenswet, charithra chandran, peter gadiot, glen powell, emilia clarke, tom  glynn  carney as  you  play  the  game  in  the  midst  of  seasoned  nobles.

behave  and  follow  the  queen's  word  written  in  our  checklist  and  submit  your  account  within  24 hours.  

࣪ᰋ𓈒 ֶָ 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝒕𝒗  ⁝         david corenswet,  29,  cis man,  he/him.    announcing  the  arrival  of  DESMOND  of  house  UMBER,  the  LORD  of  LAST HEARTH.  whispers  among  the  court  name  them  to  be  both  OBSERVANT  and  SOFT-SPOKEN  in  disposition,  and  those  closest  to  them  speak  to  their  interests  in  writing.  if  we  bards  could  compose  a  song  for  them,  it  might  tell  stories  of  at  least  ; poring absorbedly in great fascination over mountainous piles of manuscripts, fictional books and tomes, ; forever ink-stained hands, ; a deep-seated yearning to travel the world.  the  seven  whisper  to  their  most  devout  queen  as  she  sleeps,  making  her  question  where  their  loyalties  truly  lie.  are  they  right  to  whisper?  for  their  thoughts  have  lingered  close  to  treasonous  of  late.          (  ooc  :  garnet )

ᰋ𓈒 ֶָ 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝒕𝒗  ⁝         charithra chandran,  28,  cis-female,  she/her.    announcing  the  arrival  of  AAROHI  of  house  MORAQOS,  the  LADY  of  MYR.  whispers  among  the  court  name  them  to  be  both  THOUGHTFUL  and  INDECISIVE  in  disposition,  and  those  closest  to  them  speak  to  their  interests  in  gardening and singing.  if  we  bards  could  compose  a  song  for  them,  it  might  tell  stories  of  soft hands massaging tension from the toughest of skin, the sounds of laughter and song along the ocean waves, and curious eyes watching you across the room.  the  seven  whisper  to  their  most  devout  queen  as  she  sleeps,  making  her  question  where  their  loyalties  truly  lie.  are  they  right  to  whisper?  for  their  thoughts  have  lingered  close  to  treasonous  of  late.          (  ooc  :  clem,  31,  she/her,  est  )

ᰋ𓈒 ֶָ 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝒕𝒗  ⁝         peter gadiot,  38,  cis-male,  he/him.    announcing  the  arrival  of  GWAYNE  of  house  HIGHTOWER,  the  RULING LORD of  OLDTOWN.  whispers  among  the  court  name  them  to  be  both  CENTERED  and  JUDGMENTAL  in  disposition,  and  those  closest  to  them  speak  to  their  interests  in  swordsmanship and pottery.  if  we  bards  could  compose  a  song  for  them,  it  might  tell  stories  of  calm words pulling you back in as chaos swarms, strong shoulders bearing the weight of past oaths, and an icy glare that could freeze even the hottest of fires.  the  seven  whisper  to  their  most  devout  queen  as  she  sleeps,  making  her  question  where  their  loyalties  truly  lie.  are  they  right  to  whisper?  for  their  thoughts  have  lingered  close  to  treasonous  of  late.          (  ooc  :  clem,  31,  she/her,  est  )

ᰋ𓈒 ֶָ 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝒕𝒗  ⁝         glen  powell,  thirty  five,  cis  man,  he  +  him.    announcing  the  arrival  of  RENLY  of  house  GRAFTON,  the  MASTER  OF  COIN  &  HEIR  OF  GULLTOWN.  whispers  among  the  court  name  them  to  be  both  PRAGMATIC  and  ESURIENT  in  disposition,  and  those  closest  to  them  speak  to  their  interests  in  sailing,  naval  history  &  collecting  rare  coins.  if  we  bards  could  compose  a  song  for  them,  it  might  tell  stories  of  the  plumes  of  icarus  lost  in  seawater,  to  spin  straw  into  gold  is  to  weave  your  own  funeral  shroud,  the  touch  of midas  burning  your  skin,  the  dragon’s  molten  spreading  too  close  to  the  bone,  gold  as  the  gentlest  blade  —  for  why  swing  a  sword  when  you  can  buy  the  man  that  holds  it?  the  gods  may  cry  that  rotten  shall  be  the  fruits  of  your  labour,  &  yet  you  feel  divinity  ensnared  between  your  fingers.  the  seven  whisper  to  their  most  devout  queen  as  she  sleeps,  making  her  question  where  their  loyalties  truly  lie.  are  they  right  to  whisper?  for  their  thoughts  have  lingered  close  to  treasonous  of  late.          (  ooc  :  nara,  twenty4,  she + her,  gmt  )  *filling  the  wc  for  sebastian  grafton

ᰋ𓈒 ֶָ 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝒕𝒗  ⁝         emilia clarke,  thirty1,  cis woman,  she  +  her.    announcing  the  arrival  of  ARIADNE  of  house  GREYJOY,  the  LADY  of  PYKE.  whispers  among  the  court  name  them  to  be  both  DAUNTLESS  and  ACERBIC  in  disposition,  and  those  closest  to  them  speak  to  their  interests  in  sailing & travelling.  if  we  bards  could  compose  a  song  for  them,  it  might  tell  stories  of  sea salt waves crashing against the bottom of a ship,  air damp with the promise of adventure   —   you were born of foam and storm,  a kraken in the shape of a woman,  with blood that sings like a war drum.  you drink moonlight like you would wine,  sail in the darkness as if it were daylight.  every horizon calls your name in the language of water.  ;  you wear no jewels but those gifted by the ocean:   corals and pearls torn from oysters,  decorating your neck,  your wrists,  your ears.  you are a creature of pride,  and hours spent on your own,  for there is no greater strength than learning how to succeed alone.  ;  your voice is the calm before the storm:   soft,  low,  yet heavy with promise.  you do not raise it often.  true power lies in restraint,  does it not?  when you speak,  your people listen,  and you have earned that privilege,  earned their respect.  ;  when elisabeth hewer wrote:   “if you’re hungry enough you can stop caring about anything for as long as it takes to eat it.”.  the  seven  whisper  to  their  most  devout  queen  as  she  sleeps,  making  her  question  where  their  loyalties  truly  lie.  are  they  right  to  whisper?  for  their  thoughts  have  lingered  close  to  treasonous  of  late.          (  ooc  :  nina,  twenty8,  she  +  her,  gmt-3  )

ᰋ𓈒 ֶָ 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝒕𝒗  ⁝         tom  glynn  carney,  twenty8,  cis  man,  he  +  him.    announcing  the  arrival  of  RORYN  of  house  GREYJOY, the LORD of PYKE. whispers among the court name  them  to  be  both  INDOMITABLE  and  MERCURIAL  in  disposition,  and  those  closest  to  them  speak  to  their  interests  in  axe  throwing  and  night  sailing.  if  we  bards  could  compose  a  song  for  them,  it  might  tell  stories  of  a  man  who  is  better  knife  than  person  (  you  who  asks  god  to  send  you  a  swordsman  and  god  says  '  look  at  your  hands  '  )   /  sea  foam  and  salt  water  coursing  through  your  veins  (  as  from  the  sea  you  were  born  ,  and  to  the  same  sea  your  bones  will  return  ⸻  for  she  speaks  most  honestly  only  to  those  willing  to  drown  )  /  the  unabashed  pleasure  and  certainty  of  doing  wrong  (  you  who's  hands  have  made  some  good  mistakes  ⸻  who's  hands  are  always  prepared  to  make  better  ones  ).  the  seven  whisper  to  their  most  devout  queen  as  she  sleeps,  making  her  question  where  their  loyalties  truly  lie.  are  they  right  to  whisper?  for  their  thoughts  have  lingered  close  to  treasonous  of  late.          (  ooc  :  bee,  twenty6,  she  +  her,  est  )

[ragecndybars]

AO3 tag game :3

thanks so much for the tag @mvshortcut !!!!! much appreciated, this was a blast to fill out :D

How many works do you have on AO3?

86! Damn, that's more than I remember 🙀 I have been writing pretty fervently since I was pretty young, though, and I transferred all my old fics from fanfiction dot net to AO3, so it's a long stretch of time. All my old wattpad fics are still rotting somewhere though lmaooo I can't even access them anymore bc I forgot my password and I can't reset it bc I used a school email 😔

What's your total AO3 word count?

443,734! When I get to half a million I'm gonna have to throw myself a party. With boba and everything

How many fandoms have you written for, and what are they?

Oof, okay, here we go. A lot of the fandoms I have tagged on AO3 don't really "count" because they're just aggregate tags for the same fandom, so even though AO3 says the number is 48, I'm gonna count the TRUE number as 17. (It got cut down so much because of how many video game series have different games with different fandom tags on AO3, lmao)

Here's the breakdown of the list:

Persona (Mostly Persona 3)

Fire Emblem (Mostly Shadow Dragon and Blazing Sword)

Legend of Zelda

Pokemon

Professor Layton

RWBY

Kid Icarus: Uprising

Earthbound/MOTHER

Red vs. Blue

Voltron Legendary Defender

Naruto

Final Fantasy XV

Harvest Moon

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Avengers

Animal Crossing

Care Bears (despite having never actually consumed any Care Bears media to my knowledge)

The worst part is that this stupid list would be much, much, MUCH longer if I finished even a quarter of my WIPs 😭 Hell, even just my "Video Games" subfolder in my "Fanfiction" subfolder has more than 17 subfolders in it...

Y'all don't understand how many random fics my ADHD spares you from ever seeing I have no focus

Top five fics by kudos:

Ash and Emotion (Zelda) - Not surprising, I knew this was my most popular fic. It was for a ZeLink zine full of beautiful work :)

Resemblance (Naruto) - bro I always forget people really liked this one. Literally an unedited drabble I did in an hour for a "pride month drabble challenge" which I immediately abandoned. Trans rights I guess

Always Wanna Play (But You Never Wanna Lose) (Persona 3) - This one isn't surprising either, and I'm very proud of this fic so I'm quite chuffed to see it get so much attention... thanks everyone :')

The Beat of Your Heart (Zelda) - Now this one surprised me a lot. This was just a little piece for ZeLink week... Another unedited one, I literally was writing it on the toilet in church so I could get it out in time 😭

Comfort (Zelda) - Another ZeLink week piece, but I knew this one was popular. Also unedited, lmao. I was writing it on the day of my AP Calc finals and I rushed through the exam so I could have more time to work on the fic 😭 I made some Choices that year

Do you respond to comments?

I try to! But I get very anxious about it and tend to work myself into a tizzy, so I often put it off for later and then forget, haha. Then I'll go and respond to all my comments from the last few months and feel even weirder about it... T_T

What's the fic with the angstiest ending you've ever written?

Oof. That's... a hard one, haha. I've written a couple of fics without happy endings, though I typically don't. At least three fics which end on a canonical character death, for instance. But I'd say the ending which made me the most emo writing was Butter, a Mother 3 fic. It ends with Lucas, who's like 9, recently lost his mother, then lost his twin brother (and thinks it's his fault), and is now being neglected by his father, crawling into bed and crying. So yeah, pretty bleak, lmao... but at least he doesn't die I guess?

Do you write crossovers?

I do, but I haven't posted many yet. I'm not always huge on writing them, but I do think about them a lot. I was working on this one Persona 3 x Fire Emblem Awakening crossover but I lost steam on it, and now there's a really lovely crossover on AO3 with a similar premise that I was SO delighted to come across!!! Hope y'all don't mind me taking a break from linking my own work to shill for this one, hehe

Have you ever gotten hate on a fic?

Unfortunately, yes, about six times, I'd say. Even more unfortunately, most of those times happened earlier on in my fanfic writing career, and I was pretty sensitive to hate back then, so I deleted many of the relevant fics, and some of them I don't even have access to myself anymore.

Not gonna talk about the ones that are still upsetting, but I will talk about the funny examples: on a (since deleted) RWBY fic, I said in the author's note that I "wrote them as platonic, but the fic can be read as WhiteRose", and then I got a glowing comment gushing about how good the story was which ended with "but then you had to ruin it by shitting all over WhiteRose, how about you [long suicide bait]". Third most baffling comment I've ever received.

The two most baffling were on different fics, but both were making the same weird accusation??? One was on a ZeLink fic (actually, on Comfort, my fifth most kudos'ed fic of all time now), and y'know I think I'm just gonna show you the comment in question:

The other one was on a long-since deleted fic which focused on both a romantic ship, as well as a fatherly relationship between one member of the ship and the other member's father. I guess having a fatherly relationship with your father-in-law makes your boyfriend actually your brother (and therefore you can't date him anymore). IDK man people are crazy. (tbf the commenter in question thought I was setting it up so that he'd get adopted by his boyfriend's parents, which would give them more of a case, but like... that didn't happen in the fic and wasn't going to. they just guessed at a future plot development and got angry about their guess)

Do you write smut?

I do, but I've never posted any. I've posted one fic that was very suggestive, I'd even call it "NSFW" in a sense, but never anything explicit. Maybe I will in the future? We'll see if I can ever finish anything smutty, lmao.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yep, I had Ultimatum, my longest chapter-fic (and by far my most popular fic in the ff.n days) stolen and posted on another site by somebody. I reported it but never checked back up to see if it got taken down.

I also feel that I've had my work plagiarized pretty damn blatantly in another fandom (I was browsing a certain AU tag and read one which contained all the exact events and sometimes word-for-word dialogue from a fic of mine, just very very slightly rewritten) but the poster had no other works and their writing was definitely extremely juvenile, so... I figured they were a dumb kid and just decided not to raise a fuss. Checked back later and they deleted it, hopefully because they realized they shouldn't do that, so I figure there's no need to start shit over it. Honestly, if that person used that experience as a jumping-off point to write their own fics, then I'm glad it happened, imitation being the highest form of flattery and all.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, though I had someone reach out to me on fanfiction dot net a long time ago and ask permission to translate An Unheard Goodbye, which was super exciting! I agreed, but I don't believe they ever got around to it, or if they did, they never posted it. Still very flattering, and I think about that a lot, hehe.

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

HOW COULD I POSSIBLY ANSWER THIS. UM. UM UH. UHHH UM UH I. UM.

I'm.... gonna say Zelda/Link? I haven't written it in FOREVER but it was such a huge part of me coming into my own as a fanfic author, so I have to give it credit for that.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish, but don’t think you ever will?

.......all of them 😭 god I have so many of these damn things. But for the prime example, I'd point to Ultimatum, an old Pokemon fic that I started in middle school. I got all the way to the climax and I feel bad leaving my readers hanging, but... at this point, if I did continue it, I would honestly have to rewrite the whole fic first just to be in line with my current understanding of the characters.

What are your writing strengths?

Y'know, I think I get character voices down extremely well in a way which elevates my dialogue and narration. That's probably the thing I'm most proud of in my own writing, at least.

What are your writing weaknesses?

BREVITY. Or the utter, glaring lack of it. I have also been known to muddy up my writing with an overabundance of A) adverbs, B) unneeded clauses tacked onto perfectly good sentences, and C) em-dashes 😭

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fics?

I think it's dope as fuck, but I currently can't really accomplish it because I'm monolingual (NOT FOR LONG IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT, I'M COMING FOR YOU, JAPANESE FLUENCY!!!!). I will also say that I don't like when authors will write characters having a story-important conversation in another language, then put the translations in the end notes or something, requiring you to either read the chapter confused or else keep scrolling back down and back up.... I think even that's totally fine to do if what's being said isn't plot-relevant, though.

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

Naruto. I hadn't read or watched Naruto btw, I had only read other Naruto fanfics. I have spoken on this topic many times, but it remains hilarious to me. Also, so many of my old Naruto fics are lost to the Wattpad times, but I will take this opportunity to once again share a quote which I recently managed to unearth from my long-lost unsung magnum opus:

Never ever will I intentionally attain the level of comedy gold that I managed while writing completely dead serious Naruto fanfiction on Wattpad in 2012.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written so far?

See above. How could I ever top that fic.

In all seriousness, this question always makes me sweat, but I think I'm gonna say Oil, a slightly older fic from my EliHec days which I absolutely obsessed over for months before finally managing to finish. And, unlike most of the fics that I obsess over, I think the obsession actually made it come out better rather than worse, haha.

thanks again for the tag!!!! as for me, I'll tag uhh, hm, @wizard-finix @dreamedge @misty-wisp @flyfish1999 and any other AO3 writers who see this!!! (idk how many of you use AO3 and most of the MBS authors I know have probably already been tagged hehe but anybody who wants to should absolutely feel free!!!!!!!)

[liminalmemories21]

9 Books To Read in 2024

tagged by @jesuisici33. Thank you!

In release date order:

1- Holly Black - The Prisoner's Throne

After the shocking events of The Stolen Heir, Prince Oak is in deeper trouble than ever before. As his situation grows more precarious, Oak is desperate to find a way out, before all of Elfhame is caught in the coming storm.

I love pretty much anything Holly Black writes, but I particularly love the Folk of the Air series. I'm a sucker for a good dark faerie court drama.

2 - K Ancrum - Icarus

Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man—the wealthy Mr. Black—has been their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t get caught.

Hi yes, I am predictable.

3 - EK Johnston - Pretty Furious

In the small town of Eganston, Ontario, five good girls have had enough. They’ve experienced the best of what their community has to offer, but they’ve seen the darker side too. Together, they’ve decided that it’s time for a reckoning and that justice is their privilege to give.

If you have not read her earlier novel Exit Pursued by a Bear, go read it. It is so angry, but also so beautifully about healing and friendship.

4 - Leigh Bardugo - The Familiar

Set in the Spanish Golden Age, during a time of high‑stakes political intrigue and glittering wealth, The Familiar follows Luzia, a servant in the household of an impoverished Spanish nobleman who reveals a talent for little miracles. Her social‑climbing mistress demands Luzia use her gifts to win over Madrid’s most powerful players but what begins as simple amusement takes a dangerous turn. Luzia will need to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even the help of Guillén Santángel, an immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

I like most things Leigh Bardugo writes, so curious about this.

5 - Tess Sharpe - The Girl in Question

Four teens. Three henchmen. Two thousand acres of remote forest. One very bad man. And a whole lot of new secrets to unearth. The unmissable, thrilling follow-up to The Girls I've Been.

First go read The Girls I've Been. Then Five Times We Almost Kissed. Then Barb Wire Heart. Tess Sharpe is such a fantastic writer - and the heart of her books is always people making the best choices they can when none of the choices are good or easy. Also, Barb Wire Heart is kind of like if S2 of Justified had been about the women.

6 - Anna-Marie McLemore - Flawless Girls

The Soler sisters are infamous in polite society—brazen, rebellious, and raised by their fashionable grandmother who couldn’t care less about which fork goes where. But their grandmother also knows the standards that two Latina young ladies will be held to, so she secures them two coveted places at the Alarie House, a prominent finishing school that turns out first ladies, princesses, and socialites.

Younger sister Isla is back home within a day. She refuses to become one of the eerily sweet Alarie girls in their prim white dresses. Older sister Renata stays. When she returns months later, she’s unfailingly pleasant, unnervingly polite, and, Isla discovers, possibly murderous. And the same night she returns home, she vanishes.

I will read anything they write. No questions asked. They're books are always so gorgeous and lush.

7 - Kristin Cashore - There is a Door in This Darkness

Wilhelmina Hart is part of the infamous class of 2020. Her high school years began with the election of Donald Trump and they ended with COVID. Now Wilhelmina, like so many of her peers, is in limbo, having deferred college because of the pandemic. Compounding the national trauma of 2016 to 2020, Wilhelmina has wrestled with the devastating loss of one of her three beloved aunts shortly after the 2016 election. This is a loss she felt so keenly that she’s spent the last years deep in her personal depression, only obscured by the seemingly endless waves of national trauma. Now on the cusp on the most consequential election in living memory, Wilhelmina may have found a door in her darkness and perhaps the courage to pass through it, if she can decipher the bizarre messages that keep appearing in her life.

I love Kristin Cashore's Graceling novels, so I'm curious about this.

8 - Jennifer Lynn Barnes - The Grandest Game

Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime.

Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year's game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.

Is this series a little silly? Sure. Is it a lot of fun. Yes. Kind of like a grown up Westing Game.

9 - Margaret Owen - Holy Terrors

third book in the Little Thieves series - which on the surface is a heist story about what if the protagonist of the Goose Girl was the servant not the princess. And at it's heart is about recovering from trauma and loss, and learning how to let yourself be someone different. 

tagging @lemonlyman-dotcom, @ladytessa74, and @strandnreyes

[noctrevel]

MEINE LIEBE, BELL.

The odds of meeting a stranger in the vast wilderness of the internet, only for them to become the one who sets your heart alight, are slim—but never quite zero.

Bell, By the time you read this, you must already be on your way home. I’m sorry I couldn’t hand it to you myself. I had to ask someone else to do it because, selfish as it is, I couldn't bear to see your face while you read these words. I know myself too well—I would have become the most arrogant, the most selfish man alive, refusing to let you go. And yet, as I write this, you are here beside me. You are heartbreakingly beautiful like this. I have never been so close to something so fragile, so precious.

There are countless choices I have regretted in my life. But if there is one decision I will never lament, it is the day I offered to pick you up at the airport. That was the beginning of the happiest week I have had in what feels like a lifetime. Did you know that? Have I told you enough, Mein Liebe, how unbearably happy you have made me?

And now, what am I to do when I wake and you are not beside me? What am I to do when there is no one waiting for me after long hours of work, no presence warming this space that, for the first time, felt like home?

I have learned so much of you in this brief time we have shared. You, who have bared your wounds to me, who have let me see the delicate, aching parts of your soul, how did I come to deserve such a gift? How is it that I, Jonathan Benedikt Conrad, have been granted even a sliver of your trust, a fragment of your heart?

You let me see you. And I have never been more honored, more undeserving, of anything in my life.

How cruel it is, to have known such closeness only to have it torn away so soon. But tell me, Mein Liebe—does this have to be the end? Even if we are an ocean apart, even if the days grow long in your absence, could I not still have a place beside you? Would you let me in once more, Bell? Would you let me dream of a future with you, beneath the sky of New York or whatever sky we choose to call our own?

Bell,

Let me press the ink to your skin and kiss it dry. Let me be the one you come home to.

Each day, you'd rise with me. Know that I would gladly be the Icarus to your certainty.