#like i havent been turning down events that require me to be outside for a while for like. a month now

[savethepinecones]

once again feeling guilty for setting boundaries yippee

[ecotone99]

[RF/TH]Personal project turned into a (long-ish) short story

Hello fellow readers and redditors! I have always wanted to write a book for myself as a personal "goal". I started writing my story a couple of days ago ended up going down a tangent and ended up creating an alternate ending. So then I cut some stuff, moved things around, reformatted it and bam, made a short story. It is a bit longer than some of the other submissions ive seen (roughly 10-15 mins). Also The plot is a bit all over since it was orignally written for the book and VERY little editing has been done. Please excuse the useless background information, any redundancy and possibly some minor gramatical errors. Regardless, hope you enjoy the read!

As a weary Thursday night grew to a close, Alex Everson stood in front of the old electric stove, waiting as he stirred the pasta for his dinner in the saucepan full of boiling water. Alex lived a fairly quaint life, he didn't have the time or opportunity to invest in a permanent place, furniture, or nice cars, mostly because he frequently moved because of work. This didn't bother Alex because as far back as he could remember, his family always had to move around the country due to his father's job. Alex's father worked for infrastructure all over the country and would have to move around for his work. His father worked long, grueling hours for poor pay, but it was enough for his family to get by. When Alex was born, his parents decided that it would be better for the family to be moving and together, rather than Alex and his mother be settled but split from his father. Alex could not believe how much his parents had given up just so he could experience a somewhat normal childhood. He could experience having both of his parents, rather than having just his mother and rarely interacting with his father. Alex truly loved his parents, in fact, before his mother died due to illness, him and his parents were extremely close. Alex remembered fond memories with his parents as they traveled around the country, experiencing different towns and cities the country had to offer. Sadly, since the death of his mother four years ago, his father had become distant with reality. This made it extremely difficult for Alex to contact his father even through phone. Hearing about the death of his mother was also a major shock to Alex, he was in college at the time for business marketing and hearing this news caused his academic performance to take a complete down-turn. Alex still graduated with his degree, but had failed to keep up with the requirements for his internship, which would have led to a position in national marketing for the top tech company in the United States.

Alex still did managed to do well for himself. He currently worked for a smaller industrial company as a member of the marketing board for their northwestern division. Although this seems like a fairly high-end job, it wasn't as big as it sounds. He only conducted marketing in a small division consisting of a few regions with his other board members. While the national market directors made the big money since they work within the entire country and give advice to guide the smaller boards. Alex made comfortable money, around 70k a year, sometimes closer to 80k if his boss wasn't an ass and gave him the bonuses that was supposed be awarded to him. Although his job involved lots of moving around, he was comfortable with his job. Since he grew up moving all the time, having to create a life, make new friends, and then leaving and starting over had become normal to him. This made him accustomed to moving on and creating new opportunities in new places of the country. Because of this, Alex always tried to rent his place and had a simpler lifestyle to accommodated for the need to pick up and move at a moments notice. As Alex finished stirring the pot of pasta, he slowly drained off the hot water, then added salt and the tomato sauce he warmed up in the microwave to the spaghetti. Normally, Alex would have put a bit more effort into his dinner, but today had been rather difficult at work because of an upcoming project. He wanted to make something simple since it would be easier than going through the trouble of making his normal cuisine.

As Alex finished putting his dinner together, he turned to walk into the living room. Alex had a house that was on the smaller side, one floor with the kitchen and living room separated by a counter, which had a gap so you could pass into the other room. There was a quick transition from carpet to tile to let you know which room you are currently in, or would be entering. Taking a right before you past the counter led down a hallway where there were three rooms, one of which was the main bedroom, then the laundry room, and finally an extra room that Alex used to store his extra stuff like his dumbbells, suitcases and some other odds-and-ends. Alex used to work-out frequently in college, for his 20th birthday his parents bought him a personal set of dumbbells to use. He held onto them because this was the last gift he got before his mother passed away. occasionally he used them just to maintain his shape he got while in college. Alex plopped down onto the edge of the old off brown couch as he dove into his dinner. It was already 8:10pm, so Alex turned on his favorite show, the 8 o'clock news. Nothing interesting usually happened in town, the news was local and most of it consisted of school activities or events that were going on in the community. A community picnic had been scheduled for this coming weekend, but was rescheduled due to the weather predictions calling for heavy thunderstorms. This combined with the drowning patter of the rain outside and the occasional crack of thunder, Alex knew there was no sign of the rain quitting soon, the event would have to be rescheduled.

As Alex sat there, hypnotically twirling his fork, feeding himself spaghetti with his eyes glazed over while he watched the news and listened to the rhythmic hum of the rain outside, he was suddenly startled by a familiar chime. Alex shook his head while coming back to the present, realizing he was still on his couch. It took him a second to notice that the sudden, familiar sound had filled the room. Alex quickly stood up and started searching in-between the couch cushions, followed by searching under the couch for his phone, only to realize that it was in his pocket. He glanced down at his phone as he removed it from his pocket and immediately noticed the familiar name on his screen, "Jake". Alex wondered what Jake needed at this time of night, it was almost 9:00pm now and was preparing to settle in for the night. He slid his finger along the bottom of the screen then placed the phone against his cheek, *"Hello"* muttered Alex. He could tell this was not going to be good news when Jake took a second to respond with a prolonged *"Heyyyy, Alex."*. Jake had been Alex's roommate in college during the junior and senior year. Jake also majored in business and after Alex lost his opportunity with the tech giant, he got and offer from the industrial company, later finding out Jake had interned with them and had gotten a job with them when he graduated. "*What do you need now*" quipped Alex, knowing this was how Jake asked for favors. Jake took a second to respond before he audibly exhaled, then spoke with a hesitant tone. "*Do you remember that pitch due next Friday for boss.*". "*Dont you dare tell me you havent finished that!*" interrupted Alex.

Alex knew from the following silence that this was exactly what happened, Jake forgot about his half of the project. He knew that Jake was unreliable. He learned this from the amount of times he had to help Jake with assignments during college, but he would never believed that something this important would be neglected. This marketing pitch meant everything to Alex. His entire potential future rested on this opportunity and a good pitch usually equaled a raise. Alex was also looking down the barrel of a possible promotion, and this upcoming pitch could catapult him into a better position. The promotion would allow him to stop and settle even though he was still young. Alex could finally take a break from the constant traveling and find a nice place to call his own, not to mention he could finally get back into the dating scene and find a girl that he could spend time with since he had been single for the past two years. Alex listened closely to the next words Jake would mumble, cause he knew they were going to be complete bullshit. *"It's almost done, I just need a few...uhhh... details, yes! Details, thats all."* Alex was angry but not surprised as Jake responded using such a cliche and fake answer. He had almost expected Jake to blow off his part of the pitch and ask for help. Alex was hesitant to respond. Part of him wanted to deny Jake's request so Jake would butcher his part of the pitch, but this opportunity meant to much for Alex's future for him to do that. *"Fine, I'll help you, but only because this is for MY benefit"*, Alex hissed with a bit of anger. Alex didn't mean to sound so angry, he was exhausted from work and angry at the fact that he was now basically doing the entire pitch and Jake was just riding on his coat-tails. He really liked being friends with Jake though, even though he could be thoughtless and unreliable at times. Alex then had to listen to Jake thanking him insistently for what seems like 10 minutes, until Alex said he was going to head over now to help, then hung up his phone. Alex stood up, turned off the T.V, grabbed his empty pasta bowl, walked into the kitchen, put the empty bowl into the sink, then walked towards the side door to grab his raincoat and keys. As he zipped up his rain-coat and pocketed his keys, Alex expected this was going to be a *LONG* night. With that final thought, Alex walked out the door, closed it and turned the lock, then proceeded to his car parked in the driveway. As Alex approached his car, his could hear his boots sloshing in the puddles of rainwater in his driveway. Alex was grateful he had bought a good pair of boots, otherwise his feet would have been completely soaked. It had been borderline monsoon the entire week and being outside for more than a minute without proper clothing would leave you drenched from head to toe. Alex unlocked the doors and entered, getting in quickly to prevent the rainfall from soaking the interior of his car. With the key turning in the ignition, the engine of his 2013 Nissan Versa turned over. Alex threw in into drive and pulled out of his driveway. His next stop, Jake's house.

Jake and Alex live close by each other. they could make it to the others place in just under ten minutes, but since it was a full downpour, Alex had to drive much safer and expected his ride to be closer to half an hour. Alex tried to pass the time by finding some music on the radio, but as he flicked through the stations, he was welcomed only by static. He knew he was going to be in for a long drive. Alex sat trapped in the still, quiet aura that filled his car, mesmerized by the perfectly timed back-and-forth of the windshield wipers as they swished in perfect rhythm. He watched as the vision of the road became clearly visible, then quickly faded, becoming one continuous blur, until the next pass of the wipers repeated this cycle. His mind became completely focused on the road, only briefly noticing blurry brown lines evenly spaced in his vision as he drove down the two-lane highway. After driving for what felt like an eternity, rain still pouring with the same ferocity as before, Alex's focus was pulled off the road when he noticed a small yellow blur. This blur became more and more visible as it became larger on his windshield as he drove down the road and closer to the source of this light. After the next pass of his wipers, he noticed it was the hazard lights of what seemed to be a heavily contorted vehicle, completely bent in all different directions and angles after it had collided head-on into a power-pole. At the sight of this horrendous accident, Alex slammed on the brakes, his Versa screeching as the tires hydroplaned for a few yards before finally gaining grip and halting the vehicle's movement to a stop. Alex jumped out of his car so fast, he felt like he ripped the door off the hinge. The horrible sight that he saw before him left him in udder shock and disbelief. He could not believe how misshapen and shredded apart the car had been. Alex started to believe the worst, he knew that surviving an accident like this was not going to be likely. Alex started to have flashbacks to the night he almost perished, but he knew he needed to stay focused and search for the driver and potential passengers. After Alex had his near death experience, the immense pain he suffered and realizing that he would likely *die* there, laying on the cold concrete, was not an experience he would wish upon any other person. Alex *knew* that if he could prevent the deaths of the victims of this crash, he would try his hardest.

After Alex called 911, he started to search around the pile of mangled metal in order to see if he could find out exactly where the driver seat had disappeared too. After a quick, frantic search, Alex finally managed to find the steering wheel and the driver seat. He had found the driver, a woman, no older than probably her early to mid twenties, was laying unconscious between the driver and passenger seats. There were many small noticeable cuts and blood stains scattered along her clothes. Her face and arms were also badly cut and bruised. Alex tried to drag the unconscious girl out of the metal labyrinth, but it was to no avail. The dashboard had collapsed in during the wreck and was pinning her legs down against the driver seat, preventing Alex from getting her out. He knew he couldn't give up, he had to try within all of his strength and willpower to save this girl from her inevitable death. Alex sprinted back across the road to his car, opening the trunk looking for *anything* he could use to unpin the girls legs. Luckily, Alex remembered he had a car servicing kit in his trunk. After searching the kit, Alex rushed back across the road with a crowbar in his hands. He returned to the unconscious girl and slipped the crowbar in between the driver seat and dashboard, hoping to create enough of a gap to free the girls legs. After exerting all of his might on the crowbar, Alex had not even moved the vice around her legs one bit. Alex took one last look at the girl as he saw her life fade from her body. As he witnessed this, he tried his hardest to revive the girl but it was to no avail. His mind, his resolve was now broken, grief and sorrow flushed over his entire body. Alex *was* broken, he wanted to prevent the death of such a lovely young woman who had her entire life ahead of her. She was now taken away from her family and the world in such a cruel manner. Alex now wished he would have died that night so he would never have had to experience seeing the life fade from a person. he slowly shuffled lifelessly back across the road and back over to his car, sobbing uncontrollably, as he entered his car, he retrieved a small, heavy device from his glove compartment. It was his handgun. Alex began praying that the girl he was unable to save would forgive him and asks that his family would forgive him for being so selfish. He then remembered how he was on his way to help Jake and how now he would leave Jake helpless, but he believed in Jake. Alex knew Jake was a good guy when it came down to the wire. Alex then rested the gun's barrel against his temple and tightened his grip. A sudden flash and a sharp crack filled the air. Alex's imagination became brightly vivid, his memories of his family, his best friend Jake, and the poor girl he was unable to save filled his mind, but just as quickly and brightly these images appeared, they disappeared just as fast, quickly fading into a darkness that descended upon his mind.

submitted by /u/Craftiee [link] [comments] via Blogger http://bit.ly/2LkqcX6

[goingtosee-theworld]

im toolazy to make a header

Pet’s Questionnaire

Name: Pet

Characters: Jane Porter, Howl Pendragon, Eva Grimhelde, Roger Radcliffe, Calliope Harper, Daisy Duck, Jake Long, Lymantria Khan, Al McWiggin, mystery character 10 wow when the fuck did i get so many

Pick a thread from the past six months that you’re proud of and talk about why.

What HAVENT I been proud of in the last six months haha---ok jk jk.

Not really a thread but the whole arc of Howl turns into demon bird was really a thrill to write. I was a bit slow with it because school (ahhh schoooolll), but I was really proud of how it all ended up. From the intial unbecoming—which was short, but action-paced—to the kidnapping of the egg, to Kiki searching for Howl, then the reunion with Mel, and confronting Suliman—ugh it was so action-packed and fun and the egg has yet to unveil herself dun dun dun. (I do realize the first few paras of this fell before the six month line, but we will ignore that).

One of the things I find difficult in writing is, well, action sequences when a lot of things happened at once and this whole arc was full of them, so it really forced me to think about character placement and what a good next move would be. And I want to thank MK and Lauryl for being good partners with this (and being patient when I was slow) and just giving me a lot to work with and ugh yeah.

An honorable mention is the Titsy closet thread (lmao) not just for the smut but because I think that moment was like really character defining for both of them. There was a lot going on. It was also hot and steamy.

Another honorable mention is MILANO BREAKS INTO A MUSEUM AND WAKES A MUMMY AND OH GOD THE REPURCUSSIONS ARE JUST BEING FELT AHHH. Yeah that still has to play out but wow it is fun.

Identify a challenge you’ve faced in this rp. Reflect on why this is a challenge for you. Are there any strategies you can develop to overcome this challenge?

I’m too shy. And I know that is my one big weakness. And I know it might not seem that way in the group chat because I’m a jokester and I say weird shit and am generally jovial and talkative, but like one on one I am…so…anxious and shy and asdkjadlks. I swear to god no matter who you are if we’re talking one on one I get really anxious and im like oh god they noticed I was typing but then I realized I didn’t say anything oh god I feel awful maybe I should clarify wait no I shouldn’t wait no I should wait no it’s too late //screaMs and then I think you hate me. Rinse, repeat.  

This is a challenge, of course, because it makes it really hard for me to plot—because it’s not just me going to approach people, but like people approaching me and I don’t know WHY because 9/10 I love their ideas/they love my ideas. And like I am trying my best to slowly get over it. Im trying to branch out and hit more people up and I am starting by outlining my goals for my characters and then trying to contact people who would be relevant and hopefully I don’t like combust with anxiety whilst doing so wish me luck;;

Pick one of your characters and talk about their growth (we recommend choosing an older character, but it’s up to you! ) What about their story has surprised you? What are you proud of? How have they changed from their original inception to now?

I did Howl last time so now it’s time for Miss Jane Porter.

Ah, Jane, Jane, Jane. SO like a little TMI background into the creation of Jane. I’ve roleplayed Jane Porter for like 6 years now. My original Jane was much different from this Jane. This Jane grew from quite a dark time in my life and her early days were very reflective of that dark time (only getting darker for those first months I had her). Thus, without me even intending it, she got quite depressed. I hadn’t expected it, but that’s the sort of thing that happens when you trap someone who never wanted to make a real commitment in a small town.

Jane was supposed to be fun, energetic, just happening to be weighed down by a dark secret—what she is now is more reflective of what I wanted for her. Instead, the idea of being trapped in one place, the idea of death lurking at the corner of her vision consumed her. She was lonely. She shut herself to the world. She regressed in a way that I did not anticipate. The only way out was for her to crash and burn.

So, I made Jane crash. I gave her everything she feared—the chance of falling in love, the potential of a child, a glimpse of a life that she could live in another world, basically what could be’s that she had been trying to stay away from. And she crashed and those few months were her darkest (like right after rejecting Milo, the time jump, then the pregnancy thing).

Now she’s coming back around. What’s fun with Jane (and by extension Milo) is that they have this—and I’m using a Lauryl ™ term for this—complicated happiness. Where they are happy, but ya know, there are issues. At their best, they are an unstoppable team—they hunt demons, they sneak into museums, they make each other brave (they are both brave, I think, in different ways, but the way that they are not brave is exactly what the other is brave in, so it like complements each other). But at their worst, they become scared: Milo frets, Jane avoids, Milo overanalyzes, Jane tries not to acknowledge. And so far there hasn’t been a real issue with that, but they should have a Talk sooner or later.

I’m proud that Jane was able to pull herself up. But what I want her to do is recognize her problems. She’s very avoidant that way, turning to alcohol/sex when she’s really down or simply ignoring the little things when she’s on a high. She fits her enneagram type to a tee. She ignores bad things and just tries to focus on something new, something exciting, something good. But she needs to recognize problems and work to fix them before they become Big Problems.

Pick another character and talk a little about where you WANT them to go. What are your plans for them for the rest of the year?

I’m going to go with Daisy on this one.

So Daisy, Daisy, Daisy. My little flower. Daisy is always weird for me because literally everything I ever planned for her went in the complete opposite direction. Date Stan? Nope. Interact with Tito just for fun? Lol. Fake-date Lou in the Hogwarts-verse? Hahaha. Even the long term things ended up getting derailed by events (titsy wasn’t supposed to like get together for a bit, but then valentine’s happened, for example). So with Daisy a plan is more like a rough guideline. (which is so FUCKING META IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE SHE LITERALLY PLANS EVERYTHING AHHH)/

There are two paths I envision for Daisy: the first requires a lot more work, but may be more fulfilling in terms of character development and lead to a happy ending. The second is more comfortable and honestly, more unexpected and might be more interesting.

The first is that Daisy rejects the notions of class and wealth she was bred into, which as I mentioned before, would require a lot of work in changing her thinking, but it can be done. Not to be super Sorting Hat Chats in here (okay but when are we not), her primary is Ravenclaw and right now her system is in a bit of a flux and she’s trying to rebuild it. She would need the right type of influence—not just from Tito, mind you, because she feels that she is biased should she solely listen to him (Daisy’s quite analytical and logical and will try to put her own feelings aside when it comes to that decision). It would need to be a mix of outside forces, and this I can see ending in her graduating and doing what she wants to do, instead of what approved jobs her mom would have picked out for her (so maybe trying to strike it out on her own and starting her own lifestyle blog, or working at a smaller company, or maybe one focused on social justice instead of just haute couture idk) and most importantly, choosing her heart over preapproved options.

Now this is the option that would represent the most character growth, but my hesitation? It’s cliché. It’s a bit overdone. It’s Rose from Titanic. It’s been done, and for the way it would pan out with Daisy, it would not be super unique. Would it be the happier ending? Well, yes. I’ve not closed it off completely and tbh I am a sucker for happy endings, so this might be the way to go, I’m just leaving room to think of option two.

Option Two is that Daisy decides that her whole system of class and wealth and status is the one for her. This would just need little nudges from her family, from her friends of high status, reminders of people who have fallen, glimpses into a future that is glamorous and glittering—where she has access to her wealth and name and can use that to better the lives of others. Without having to focus on meeting her own needs, she can turn to the world. (That would be the argument there). Now this has a clear end for Daisy—she graduates, she moves to London or Paris or New York. Will she be satisfied? We won’t know. Her story in Swynlake will end. It ends with a whimper, not a bang. It’s classy, it’s literary, it’s Sister Carrie achieving her dreams, yet feeling empty in her rocking chair..

Now these two options are by no means the only paths for Daisy to follow (and heaven knows she’s done an amazing job at skirting around literally every other plan I’ve set up for her)—so we will see! Maybe it will be some weird combo of those two. Maybe something will happen to expedite one or the other. Maybe she’ll turn into a zombie.

OPTIONAL (REQUIRED FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T DO THE LAST QUESTIONNAIRE): In terms of your own writing, identify 1-3 strengths and talk about why you think it’s one of your strengths.

Uhhhhhhhhh. Srry ive felt bad about my writing lately but here goes:

Structure: now this is like. A weird one?? Idk it stood out to me when I wrote Ly’s one-shot about her brother, but I like playing with structure and having set forms and beginning sentences certain ways and having repetition and idk this is weird but I really enjoy doing this so I do think I do it well.

Description: I think I do this well. When I do it I mean. I try. I think I do it the best with magic, Howl’s and Ly’s specifically. Also Daisy’s outfits lmao.

Humor: This one I will say I do well. I make myself chuckle.

OPTIONAL (REQUIRED FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T DO THE LAST QUESTIONNAIRE): In terms of your own writing, identify 1-3 areas of improvement.

Dialogue: last questionnaire I said I did dialogue well but I take it back. I feel like all my characters sound the same. Idk. Except for like Howl maybe, and Roger. I guess it’s like the cluster of Ly/Daisy/Eva with their weird accents that don’t actually exist in youtube videos so I cant quite pin them down.

Setting: im really trying to improve on this! And just add like little details in general! It’s still a work in progress but it’s getting there!!

Like action/forwarding things this is vague: I remember very specifically in one of my creative writing classes, I had written something I was very proud of and someone told me something along the lines of “I enjoyed reading this and it was well-written…but it was just people sitting around and talking for the most part. Nothing happened.” And that really resonated with me because ya know, I do that well. I do sitting around and talking and thinking and longing and sighing quite well. It’s the like actually furthering things along part I am bad at. This rp has definitely forced me to do that and I am definitely improving, but it is still something I need to work on.

OPTIONAL (REQUIRED FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T DO THE LAST QUESTIONNAIRE): Reflect on other writers you love– in the rp or out! How have they influenced you? What do you love about their writing that you want to bring to your own?

Every1 is great, again. 

IF YOU DID THE LAST QUESTIONNAIRE: Alright, now pick an item from the Wishlist you completed in January that you’ve started to pursue. How far are you from completing this goal? Talk about the steps you took to make it happen.

Jane and the cheating thing. Not that Jane is going to cheat, not by a long shot. (Actually in the most recent of my replies to the Jane/Paul thread, I think Jane like drunkenly had the epiphany that she was just lusting over Paul because he represented her could-have-beens—will she remember that come morning? Find out.)

This is a thing that I don’t think will be resolved-resolved till Jane brings it up to Milo whenever they have that Talk that they need to have that’s kinda been building up haha.

I actually can’t remember if Lauryl offered Paul as the sacrificial lamb first or we had LADS interact with all our characters and Jane and Paul kinda hit it off (they’re both naturally flirty)—but whichever one it was, we took it off and just kept playing with it. It did take a brief hold up as my school picked up (darn you school), but I think it’s back on track and combined with this mummy plot. Well. Should be a fun time.

IF YOU DID THE LAST QUESTIONNAIRE: Pick another item on your wishlist that hasn’t happened yet. We’re gonna do a MOCK-PLOT!!! Pick a character who could help with this goal, and plan at least three threads or “steps” that would kick-start this plot. Need help? Remember to look at the plotting tips and tricks! See the end of this questionnaire for an example. You do not have to follow through with the plot as you planned it here– but it can kickstart brainstorming and get you thinking in terms of cause/effect.

Ok im cheating a bit for this and picking a character with a plot that I did not have on the wishlist (and then adding someone that I did bc why not)

LYMANTRIA GOES OFF THE DEEP END

Have someone further influence Lymantria into believing that she’s nothing without her magic (Mel or Mellie)

Lymantria seeks someone who will take Fey’s with her. They do the drug together. (Alice)

A trusted friend notices what’s going on and tries to intervene. (Maui or Meg)

Lymantria does not listen. Stronger forces must get involved (depending probably on who it was in the previous thread but most likely Esme or Copper/law enforcement in general (lmao or both)).

DAISY ADMITS SHE NEEDS THERAPY

There’s a thing that’s supposed to happen which will result in a big fight. (Tito)

Daisy most likely will go to Lou for advice. (Lou)

Most likely, she will not feel any the better from that and will probably save face since she hates seeming weak (especially in front of Lou lol) and then will be like let’s do what normal college aged girls do and go clubbing! And then get a full blown panic attack while clubbing. (Annette probably does daisy have any female friends idk---oh maybe Hermes tbh)

Either ends up at home or in the hospital, and like the boys will come so this is between Tito/Lou idk who is more likely to suggest that to her. Heck maybe Stan. Or ya know maybe a medical professional—Minnie? Sweet? Idk this end part is really up in the air and I think depends on what happens in the previous part.

AL LEARNS ABOUT FEMINISM

While online gaming, Al is confronted by a female gamer who calls him out for being a chauvinist. He relates this experience to a friend who further calls him out. (Gogo)

Al wants to find out what the heck he is doing wrong. Don’t women have it good already? He seeks out a woman he knows who has a better education than him and a better job, because he was definitely qualified to get into a good school he just couldn’t ya know and he wants to find out /why/ women think they are at a disadvantage. (Nala)

Al can’t believe it! He tries to find a man whom he respects who agrees with Nala. (a man Al respects—Wade, idk. Who is a nerd here?)

Finally: write a NEW wish list for the upcoming half of the year. It’s fine if you use a lot from your previous wish list if you still haven’t completed them and you still want to!

1.       Family connections—leftover from my last list, but in the works as we speak mwhaha

2.       I know I have already had a few love triangles, but I want one where the two outer points are like actually close and would hate to hurt each other by picking the love interest (like Angelica-Eliza-Hamilton, tbh) ‘cuz the ones I have right now the two outer points don’t really care about each other remotely.

3.       POLYAMOROUS RELATIONSHIP—who knows, could be the solution to the above conflict haha.

4.       Threesome—I’ve been pitching this endlessly. Someone write a threesome with me.

5.       Explore Jake’s magic: I think his is the most undeveloped. I need an opportunity to bring it to light. I want him to either heroically help someone OR get in trouble and have to face the Dragon order repercussions, etc ,etc.

[viralhottopics]

The 16 Most Beautifully Touching Love Letters From Famous Writers And Artists

1. Allen Ginsburg to poet Peter Orlovsky:

Dear Petey:

O Heart O Love everything is suddenly turned to gold! Dont be afraid dont worry the most astounding beautiful thing has happened here! I dont know where to begin but the most important. When Bill [ed: William S. Burroughs] came I, we, thought it was the same old Bill mad, but something had happened to Bill in the meantime since we last saw him…but last night finally Bill and I sat down facing each other across the kitchen table and looked eye to eye and talked, and I confessed all my doubt and misery and in front of my eyes he turned into an Angel!

What happened to him in Tangiers this last few months? It seems he stopped writing and sat on his bed all afternoons thinking and meditating alone & stopped drinking and finally dawned on his consciousness, slowly and repeatedly, every day, for several months awareness of a benevolent sentient (feeling) center to the whole Creation he had apparently, in his own way, what I have been so hung up in myself and you, a vision of big peaceful Lovebrain…

I woke up this morning with great bliss of freedom & joy in my heart, Bills saved, Im saved, youre saved, were all saved, everything has been all rapturous ever since I only feel sad that perhaps you left as worried when we waved goodby and kissed so awkwardly I wish I could have that over to say goodby to you happier & without the worries and doubts I had that dusty dusk when you left Bill is changed nature, I even feel much changed, great clouds rolled away, as I feel when you and I were in rapport, well, our rapport has remained in me, with me, rather than losing it, Im feeling to everyone, something of the same as between us.

2. Frida Kahlo to Diego Rivera:

Diego:

Truth is, so great, that I wouldnt like to speak, or sleep, or listen, or love. To feel myself trapped, with no fear of blood, outside time and magic, within your own fear, and your great anguish, and within the very beating of your heart. All this madness, if I asked it of you, I know, in your silence, there would be only confusion. I ask you for violence, in the nonsense, and you, you give me grace, your light and your warmth. Id like to paint you, but there are no colors, because there are so many, in my confusion, the tangible form of my great love.

F.

3. Oscar Wilde to Lord Alred Bosie Douglas (Wilde’s eventual muse):

My Own Boy,

Your sonnet is quite lovely, and it is a marvel that those red rose-leaf lips of yours should be made no less for the madness of music and song than for the madness of kissing. Your slim gilt soul walks between passion and poetry. I know Hyacinthus, whom Apollo loved so madly, was you in Greek days.

Why are you alone in London, and when do you go to Salisbury? Do go there to cool your hands in the grey twilight of Gothic things, and come here whenever you like. It is a lovely place and lacks only you; but go to Salisbury first.

Always, with undying love, yours, Oscar

4. Eleanor Roosevelt to Lorena Hickok (Eleanor’s long-speculated lover):

Hick, darling

Ah, how good it was to hear your voice. It was so inadequate to try and tell you what it meant. Funny was that I couldnt say je taime and je tadore as I longed to do, but always remember that I am saying it, that I go to sleep thinking of you.

5. Emma Darwin to Charles Darwin:

I cannot tell you the compassion I have felt for all your sufferings for these weeks past that you have had so many drawbacks. Nor the gratitude I have felt for the cheerful & affectionate looks you have given me when I know you have been miserably uncomfortable.

My heart has often been too full to speak or take any notice I am sure you know I love you well enough to believe that I mind your sufferings nearly as much as I should my own & I find the only relief to my own mind is to take it as from Gods hand, & to try to believe that all suffering & illness is meant to help us to exalt our minds & to look forward with hope to a future state. When I see your patience, deep compassion for others self command & above all gratitude for the smallest thing done to help you I cannot help longing that these precious feelings should be offered to Heaven for the sake of your daily happiness. But I find it difficult enough in my own case. I often think of the words Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. It is feeling & not reasoning that drives one to prayer. I feel presumptuous in writing thus to you.

I feel in my inmost heart your admirable qualities & feelings & all I would hope is that you might direct them upwards, as well as to one who values them above every thing in the world. I shall keep this by me till I feel cheerful & comfortable again about you but it has passed through my mind often lately so I thought I would write it partly to relieve my own mind.

6. English poet Vita Sackville-West to Virginia Woolf:

…I am reduced to a thing that wants Virginia. I composed a beautiful letter to you in the sleepless nightmare hours of the night, and it has all gone: I just miss you, in a quite simple desperate human way. You, with all your undumb letters, would never write so elementary a phrase as that; perhaps you wouldnt even feel it. And yet I believe youll be sensible of a little gap. But youd clothe it in so exquisite a phrase that it should lose a little of its reality. Whereas with me it is quite stark: I miss you even more than I could have believed; and I was prepared to miss you a good deal. So this letter is really just a squeal of pain. It is incredible how essential to me you have become. I suppose you are accustomed to people saying these things. Damn you, spoilt creature; I shant make you love me any more by giving myself away like this But oh my dear, I cant be clever and stand-offish with you: I love you too much for that. Too truly. You have no idea how stand-offish I can be with people I dont love. I have brought it to a fine art. But you have broken down my defenses. And I dont really resent it.

7. E.B. White to his wife on the occasion of her pregnancy, “written” by their dog:

Dear Mrs. White:

I like having Josephine here in the morning, although I suppose I will get less actual thinking done as I used to do my thinking mornings in the bathroom. White has been stewing around for two days now, a little bit worried because he is not sure that he has made you realize how glad he is that there is to be what the column writer in the Mirror calls a blessed event. So I am taking this opportunity, Mrs. White, to help him out to the extent of writing you a brief note which I havent done in quite a long time but have been a little sick myself as you know. Well, the truth is White is beside himself and would have said more about it but is holding himself back, not wanting to appear ludicrous to a veteran mother. What he feels, he told me, is a strange queer tight little twitchy feeling around the inside of his throat whenever he thinks that something is happening which will require so much love and all on account of you being so wonderful. (I am not making myself clear I am afraid, but on the occasions when White has spoken privately with me about this he was in no condition to make himself clear either and I am just doing the best I can in my own way.) I know White so well that I always know what is the matter with him, and it always comes to the same thing he gets thinking that nothing that he writes or says ever quite expresses his feeling, and he worries about his inarticulateness just the same as he does about his bowels, except it is worse, and it makes him either mad, or sick, or with a prickly sensation in the head. But my, my, my, last Sunday he was so full of this matter which he couldnt talk about, and he was what Josephine in her simple way would call hoppy, and particularly so because it seemed so good that everything was starting at once I mean those things, whatever they are, that are making such a noise over in the pond by Palmer Lewiss house, and the song sparrow that even I could hear from my confinement in the house, and those little seeds that you were sprinkling up where the cut glass and bones used to be all starting at the same time as the baby, which he seems to think exists already by the way he stands around staring at you and muttering little prayers. Of course he is also very worried for fear you will get the idea that he is regarding you merely as a future mother and not as a present person, or that he wants a child merely as a vindication of his vanity. I doubt if those things are true; White enjoys animal husbandry of all kinds including his own; and as for his regard for you, he has told me that, quite apart from this fertility, he admires you in all kinds of situations or dilemmas, some of which he says have been quite dirty.

Well, Mrs. White, I expect I am tiring you with this long letter, but as you often say yourself, a husband and wife should tell each other about the things that are on their mind, otherwise you get nowhere, and White didnt seem to be able to tell you about his happiness, so thought I would attempt to put in a word.

White is getting me a new blanket, as the cushion in the bathroom is soiled.

Lovingly, Daisy

8. Charles Eames’ marriage proposal to Ray Eames:

Dear Miss Kaiser,

I am 34 (almost) years old, singel (again) and broke. I love you very much and would like to marry you very very soon.* I cannot promise to support us very well. but if given the chance I will shure in hell try

*soon means very soon.

What is the size of this finger??

as soon as I get to that hospital I will write reams well little ones.

love xxxxxxxxxx

Charlie

9. Jean-Paul Sartre to Simone de Beauvoir:

My dear little girl

For a long time Ive been wanting to write to you in the evening after one of those outings with friends that I will soon be describing in A Defeat, the kind when the world is ours. I wanted to bring you my conquerors joy and lay it at your feet, as they did in the Age of the Sun King. And then, tired out by all the shouting, I always simply went to bed. Today Im doing it to feel the pleasure you dont yet know, of turning abruptly from friendship to love, from strength to tenderness. Tonight I love you in a way that you have not known in me: I am neither worn down by travels nor wrapped up in the desire for your presence. I am mastering my love for you and turning it inwards as a constituent element of myself. This happens much more often than I admit to you, but seldom when Im writing to you. Try to understand me: I love you while paying attention to external things. At Toulouse I simply loved you. Tonight I love you on a spring evening. I love you with the window open. You are mine, and things are mine, and my love alters the things around me and the things around me alter my love.

My dear little girl, as Ive told you, what youre lacking is friendship. But now is the time for more practical advice. Couldnt you find a woman friend? How can Toulouse fail to contain one intelligent young woman worthy of you*? But you wouldnt have to love her. Alas, youre always ready to give your love, its the easiest thing to get from you. Im not talking about your love for me, which is well beyond that, but you are lavish with little secondary loves, like that night in Thiviers when you loved that peasant walking downhill in the dark, whistling away, who turned out to be me. Get to know the feeling, free of tenderness, that comes from being two. Its hard, because all friendship, even between two red-blooded men, has its moments of love. I have only to console my grieving friend to love him; its a feeling easily weakened and distorted. But youre capable of it, and you must experience it. And so, despite your fleeting misanthropy, have you imagined what a lovely adventure it would be to search Toulouse for a woman who would be worthy of you and whom you wouldnt be in love with? Dont bother with the physical side or the social situation. And search honestly. And if you find nothing, turn Henri Pons, whom you scarcely love anymore, into a friend.

[]

I love you with all my heart and soul.

10. Honor de Balzac to Countess Ewelina Haska (June, 1835):

MY BELOVED ANGEL,

I am nearly mad about you, as much as one can be mad: I cannot bring together two ideas that you do not interpose yourself between them. I can no longer think of nothing but you. In spite of myself, my imagination carries me to you. I grasp you, I kiss you, I caress you, a thousand of the most amorous caresses take possession of me. As for my heart, there you will always be very much so. I have a delicious sense of you there. But my God, what is to become of me, if you have deprived me of my reason? This is a monomania which, this morning, terrifies me. I rise up every moment say to myself, Come, I am going there! Then I sit down again, moved by the sense of my obligations. There is a frightful conflict. This is not a life. I have never before been like that. You have devoured everything. I feel foolish and happy as soon as I let myself think of you. I whirl round in a delicious dream in which in one instant I live a thousand years. What a horrible situation! Overcome with love, feeling love in every pore, living only for love, and seeing oneself consumed by griefs, and caught in a thousand spiders threads. O, my darling Eva, you did not know it. I picked up your card. It is there before me, and I talked to you as if you were here. I see you, as I did yesterday, beautiful, astonishingly beautiful. Yesterday, during the whole evening, I said to myself She is mine! Ah! The angels are not as happy in Paradise as I was yesterday!

11. Napoleon Bonaparte to Josphine de Beauharnais:

I am going to bed with my heart full of your adorable image I cannot wait to give you proofs of my ardent love How happy I would be if I could assist you at your undressing, the little firm white breast, the adorable face, the hair tied up in a scarf a la creole. You know that I will never forget the little visits, you know, the little black forest I kiss it a thousand times and wait impatiently for the moment I will be in it. To live within Josephine is to live in the Elysian fields. Kisses on your mouth, your eyes, your breast, everywhere, everywhere.

12. John Keats to Fanny Brawne:

My sweet love, I shall wait patiently till tomorrow before I see you, and in the mean time, if there is any need of such a thing, assure you by your Beauty, that whenever I have at any time written on a certain unpleasant subject, it has been with your welfare impressd upon my mind. How hurt I should have been had you ever acceded to what is, notwithstanding, very reasonable! How much the more do I love you from the general result! In my present state of Health I feel too much separated from you and could almost speak to you in the words of Lorenzos Ghost to Isabella

Your Beauty grows upon me and I feel A greater love through all my essence steal.

My greatest torment since I have known you has been the fear of you being a little inclined to the Cressid; but that suspicion I dismiss utterly and remain happy in the surety of your Love, which I assure you is as much a wonder to me as a delight. Send me the words Good night to put under my pillow.

Dearest Fanny, Your affectionate J.K.

13. Lord Byron to Teresa Guiccioli (August, 1819):

My dearest Teresa,

I have read this book in your garden;–my love, you were absent, or else I could not have read it. It is a favourite book of yours, and the writer was a friend of mine. You will not understand these English words, and others will not understand them,–which is the reason I have not scrawled them in Italian. But you will recognize the handwriting of him who passionately loved you, and you will divine that, over a book which was yours, he could only think of love.

In that word, beautiful in all languages, but most so in yours–Amor mio–is comprised my existence here and hereafter. I feel I exist here, and I feel I shall exist hereafter,–to what purpose you will decide; my destiny rests with you, and you are a woman, eighteen years of age, and two out of a convent. I love you, and you love me,–at least, you say so, and act as if you did so, which last is a great consolation in all events.

But I more than love you, and cannot cease to love you. Think of me, sometimes, when the Alps and ocean divide us, –but they never will, unless you wish it.

14. Voltaire to Olympe Dunover, written while in prison for their affair:

I am a prisoner here in the name of the King; they can take my life, but not the love that I feel for you. Yes, my adorable mistress, to-night I shall see you, and if I had to put my head on the block to do it.

For heaven’s sake, do not speak to me in such disastrous terms as you write; you must live and be cautious; beware of madame your mother as of your worst enemy. What do I say? Beware of everybody; trust no one; keep yourself in readiness, as soon as the moon is visible; I shall leave the hotel incognito, take a carriage or a chaise, we shall drive like the wind to Sheveningen; I shall take paper and ink with me; we shall write our letters.

If you love me, reassure yourself; and call all your strength and presence of mind to your aid; do not let your mother notice anything, try to have your pictures, and be assured that the menace of the greatest tortures will not prevent me to serve you. No, nothing has the power to part me from you; our love is based upon virtue, and will last as long as our lives. Adieu, there is nothing that I will not brave for your sake; you deserve much more than that. Adieu, my dear heart!

Arout (Voltaire)

15. Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn:

TO MY MISTRESS. Because the time seems very long since I heard concerning your health and you, the great affection I have for you has induced me to send you this bearer, to be better informed of your health and pleasure, and because, since my parting from you, I have been told that the opinion in which I left you is totally changed, and that you would not come to court either with your mother, if you could, or in any other manner; which report, if true, I cannot sufficiently marvel at, because I am sure that I have since never done any thing to offend you, and it seems a very poor return for the great love which I bear you to keep me at a distance both from the speech and the person of the woman that I esteem most in the world: and if you love me with as much affection as I hope you do, I am sure that the distance of our two persons would be a little irksome to you, though this does not belong so much to the mistress as to the servant.

Consider well, my mistress, that absence from you grieves me sorely, hoping that it is not your will that it should be so; but if I knew for certain that you voluntarily desired it, I could do no other than mourn my ill-fortune, and by degrees abate my great folly. And so, for lack of time, I make an end of this rude letter, beseeching you to give credence to this bearer in all that he will tell you from me.

Written by the hand of your entire Servant, H.R.

16. Leo Tolstoy to Valeria Arsenev (November, 1856):

I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever previous your heat, your soul. Beauty one could get to know and fall in love with in one hour and cease to love it as speedily; but the soul one must learn to know. Believe me, nothing on earth is given without labour, even love, the most beautiful and natural of feelings.

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from The 16 Most Beautifully Touching Love Letters From Famous Writers And Artists