#maybe this is self-indulgent

[bookshelf-in-progress]

My Favorite Lines from Each of the Stories I've Written This Year

There will be spoilers.

Without Words

I've said that my favorite line is:

Even now, I am silent. But my silence fills with the sound of beating wings.

But I think my favorite might actually be the ending (a contender for one of the best endings I've written).

There are no words to express all I want to say. Fortunately, we have never needed words. I force my way past my brothers, throw my arms around Christian's neck, pull him in for a kiss, and let my silence speak for me. This time, he understands.

Purity of Mind

Either this hint at Adam's fairy tale identity.

Adam stroked his blue-black whiskers, neatly trimmed for his homecoming. A deep chuckle rumbled in his throat; after months of her tiptoeing around him, her frankness was amusing. "I paid your parents richly for the privilege."

Or this chilling reveal of it.

He would never have opted for such an impersonal death. It was much more satisfying to feel the life draining away beneath his fingers.

Length of Years

I like how concisely I managed to summarize the lifetime of events that kept the prince from returning to the tower.

"I might have returned, when my temper cooled, but then there were the wars, the diplomatic missions, the voyages, the marriage treaty, the children..." He sat wearily on her window ledge. "By the time life slowed down, I assumed you'd long ago moved on, and it would have been disloyal to seek you out."

Loving Memory

I love the beautiful irony of this scene ending.

"What would she need to do to make you love her? What would you want in a wife?" Someone who can come into a ballroom clad in furs and not feel shame. Someone who knows how to laugh and cry. Someone who loves to watch the northern lights. Someone who travels night and day to apologize to a man she betrayed. In the end, I choose the diplomatic answer. "I don't know that I can ask for more than what I already have."

My very favorite part might be the flashbacks. I wanted this part to involve the usual scenes from the beginning of the fairy tale, but was afraid this would involve a lot of extra writing. So I love that I managed to do it with five two-sentence-long scenes.

As sappy as it is, I can't help loving their reunion. (Even if I don't think "senseless" is the word I was going for here.)

"Karina," I breathe. "I remember." "Everything?" she asks, as tears stream down her face. "Everything," I say, and kiss her senseless.

And my very most favorite part might be their quiet scene together afterward, where he's rejoicing in their reunion in ways that put me in mind both of Manalive and the Eden/salvation story.

My own. My beloved. My wife. It is like falling in love all over again.

In Chains

Of course it's the moment of reveal.

Vallen met the young man’s eyes and explained as calmly as possible, “I admire your devotion, but the river is only strictly required in the marriage rite—” Of kings.

A Song of Starlight

The last part of this line was always central to my idea of the story, but I also love the opening clause that let me transition to that moment.

After eternity had come and gone, the song slowed and faded away, and Birgit was herself again--cold and alone, but no longer afraid.

Stars and Shadows: A Fairy Tale

Even when I was uncertain about the readability of this strange style and feeling self-conscious about posting it, I thought the entire story was worth it just for this line.

Your breath will shine before you in delicate white clouds, your very life made visible for the fragile, lovely thing it is.

The True Story: An Epistolary Novelette

I love Penny's relatable line about the horrors of recommending books.

It's always a little bit horrible when someone else reads one of your favorite books, because if they hate it, it crushes a piece of your heart, and I don't have that many pieces to spare.

I like this line of Ben's, which clarified some things about the philosophy of this story for me.

Making peace with mystery--knowing that some things are ever unknowable--is not the same as refusing to believe the truth that comes before your eyes.

And this one (which let me get a bit more theological than I thought I could get away with).

I may not know how these books come into my shop, but I know from whom.

Penny's freakout over the loss of Mercator always makes me laugh.

If the U.S. Postal Service is responsible for their destruction, I'll...we'll...we'll make them pay! This is a murder and there must be justice! Don't worry, I don't blame you. But the next mailman to cross my path better watch out.

As does this follow-up one.

Still no sign of Mercator. Did you forget to send it again, or do I have to lay siege to the post office?

I love this moment because Ben surprised even me by unbending and talking like an ordinary person with a sense of humor instead of a Victorian businessman with a stick up his rear.

This is me not saying I told you so. That doesn't leave me much else to say.

This is my favorite description of Cardinal's Map I've managed so far.

It's the most beautiful...well, not fantasy. But it's not not fantasy.

I'm very pleased with how Christine's reaction to Cardinal's Map turned out, but my favorite lines might be

It's like this book reached into my soul and rearranged the furniture.

And

It's just...a story, so I let my guard down and it got under my skin.

And this. Even if it gets a bit on-the-nose and sappy, it's still kind of sweet. (And it amused me while typing it because the author's hand in all this is me.)

There was someone's hand in all this--an author arranging all the pieces of the story in a way I'd never have been able to achieve on my own. Maybe before that'd make me feel helpless, but now, I don’t know, I guess I feel cared for. Like someone’s watching out for me.

The Sylph in the Storm

I've always liked this reveal.

Then the firelight revealed what the night had hidden. Though the man stood as tall and real and human as any of us, the light shone through him.

This scene with Captain Avery was one of my favorites in the original version, and was a big reason I kept coming back to this scene and loved it enough to try to turn it into a short story here.

“Sarah,” the Captain said suddenly, “could you pour some tea for our guest?" Tea? For a sylph?  I didn't understand how he could consume anything, but the Captain knew about these sorts of things.  And when faced with the question of what one did with a sylph in the parlor, tea seemed as sensible an answer as anything else. The sylph stood and tried to decline. "That's very kind, but you needn't..." The Captain's face was as firm as it ever could have been when he'd commanded a ship.    “You've form enough to take food, and you're tired enough to need it.” “I can't take repayment...” “Good,” the Captain replied, “because none of us have any hope of repaying you.  But you need to allow us our gratitude, and you'll need nourishment before you can do much else.”

[amygdalae]

I think he wld be very happy as a zookeeper

[calam4r1]

t4t radiostatic. No one is safe from my projections.

(CW: gender dysphoria, internalised transphobia)

[toxungen]

woof woof wats up lol

[dakeus-art]

My take on the new cast!

[boar-cry]

you remind me of someone.

A while ago I read this headcannon that maybe Gliscor reminded Ingo of Emmet because of the smile. And a few days ago I realized Crobat looks awfully similar to someone else...

[ineed-to-sleep]

Blacked out in front of my tablet and woke up with sketches of my Touchstarved mc + Kuras my beloved. woops

[luchaaa]

the rito are.... surprisingly light

[zhongrin]

wriothesley is the type of boyfriend who, as you both descend using an escalator, would:

1) hug you from behind (if your height fits just as nice), or

2) use your head as his armrest (if you're too short to be hugged properly), or

3) demands for you to hug him from behind / squish his head to your chest (if you're taller than him)

[catcze]

Reblogs are greatly appreciated !!

"What flowers do you like?"

Wriothesley asks one day, trying to seem nonchalant. Trying to make it look not as obvious that he's already mentally running through a list of Fontanian florists.

But you hm to yourself, frowning. "I... don't know. I've never really received flowers before," you say with a shrug, acting like it's no big deal. Wriothesley, though, has to catch himself before he drops the pen in his hand.

"Never?" He asks with wide eyes, head snapping in your direction, jaw dropping the slightest bit. "None of your past relationships ever got you flowers?"

You shake your head, not really bothered by the fact, and although you're nonchalant about it, Wriothesley immediately feels the gears in his head turn. That mental list of florists runs through his mind at double the speed. His finger absently taps on the wood of his desk, mind racing as he does some rough estimations. Unaware and unsuspecting, you merely go back to perusing the books in his office, running your hands over their worn spines, oblivious to the clench in Wriothesley's jaw and the determined glint in his eye.

A week later, and Wriothesley returns from the surface with a bouquet in his hands. It's nothing too big or ostentatious— that's not really his style. Instead, it's simple in its beauty and easy on the eyes. All sorts of flowers have been included, even ones not native to Fontaine. Cecilias from Mondstadt, Glaze Lillies and Qingxin from Liyue, Padisarahs from Sumeru, and even Fluorescent Flowers from Inazuma's Chinju forest, among others. All arranged by hands more skilled and talent more honed than he could ever hope to achieve.

Wriothesley knocks on your door, heart stuck in his throat, and can't help but laugh a little at how cliche it all looks. Him, standing in front of your door with a bunch of flowers in hand, desperately trying to fight down his blush when he hears a 'coming!' faintly behind your door.

When you swing it open, your greeting is caught in your throat, eyes wide as they behold the blue and white blossoms Wriothesley brought for you.

"What... what's this? What's the occasion?"

But he shakes his head, and at his behest you take the bouquet into your arms, holding it carefully. When you bury your nose among the petals, they smell sweet but not saccharinely overpowering. It's enough to make you want to cry.

"No occasion," Wriothesley says, one hand going to scratch at the back of his neck, his smile shy and bashful. "I just wanted to get them for you. Wanted to be the first person to ever get you a bouquet of flowers, you know? But importing them took longer than i expected and, well, I told the florist that I was giving it to someone very special so they spent some extra time on the arrangement..." He trails off, clearing his throat nervously. "...Do you like it?"

And that sets loose the tears behind your eyes.

Wriothesley panics a little when he sees how you blubber, sobs making your shoulders shake as you hide your face in the flowers. His eyes widen, a frantic apology on the tip of his tongue while he fears that he messed up somehow. But then you tackle him into a hug, arms wrapping around his shoulders, pulling him close until you can bury your head in his chest and cry. His arms wrap around you almost hesitantly, but when you nuzzle closer into his embrace and they tighten around you.

You're barely able to speak through your tears, words muffled around his undoubtedly ruined shirt.

"I love it." I love you, you really mean.

And how can you not? This sweetheart of a man bought you flowers just because he wanted to. Because no one else had before, and he wanted to be the first person to do so. All his sporadic trips to the surface for the past week make sense— you doubt procuring so many imported flowers so quickly was an easy task on top of troubleshooting the various hiccups of the fortress and sorting through some documents that found themselves on his desk. But he did it anyway, just because he thought it'd make you happy.

"I'm glad," Wriothesley murmurs. He rocks you back and forth in his embrace until your happy tears begin to subside. Then he clears his throat. "So, can I buy you another one next week, too?"

[ #Taglist registration here !! ]

[punnifullife]

Been binge-watching the '03 show and it's re-ignited my hyper-fixation on one of my first OTPs as a kid.

[39raccoons]

learnt that one piece used the sets from the black sails and just couldn’t help myself

[chilschuck]

Chilchuck but we are his pretty wife, and we didn't abandon him this time.

Not only that, but we are also very caring and nice, and it's practically a surprise how we are with someone like Chilchuck.

I can picture him standing with a serious face and all gloomy, and then we are next to him beaming rays of sunshine (bonus if we are also blonde and a hafling)

They are literally the "sunshine x grumpy" trope

`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹ ohhhhhhh my god. so……..i was so happy with this cute request that i kind of ran with it LOL. this is such a good concept and i can picture this so well in my brain. i wrote a domestic lil drabble that i hope is okay, as my thoughts just went insane over this. WAHHHH i hope you enjoy and that this is okay!! thank you so much for your idea, anon!! <3

— SUNSHINE: chilchuck x wife!reader.

꒰ rating: ꒱ sfw and soooo fluffy. reader is also a half-foot!

꒰ wc: ꒱ 675

✦ please i need more domestic bliss with this man. he deserves to feel so loved and happy. i tried to keep this light and sweet and playful bc i think he’d be grumpy but also. give this man the love he needs and he’ll thrive please chilchuck just one chance please pleas—

“Chil?” Your voice was so soft and sweet, it’s honey-like tone melting him to his core. You had decided to surprise him with breakfast this morning, something you loved to do when you had him here with you.

If the smell didn’t rouse him, your presence certainly did. It was an understatement to say that you were his weak spot, a point within him that he tried not to dwell on too much. Especially when the sun hit you in that halo of light at just the right angle, seeping through the windows and making his eyes flutter. Waking up to you was an experience he felt he couldn’t get enough of, drunk off of your velvet words as you brushed the bangs out of his face.

“Mm?” Was his only response, leaning subconsciously into your touch with a gruff sigh. You only laughed, that twinkle in your voice causing his heart to stutter within his chest. Why must he be married to the human form of sunshine? Surely his constant grumpiness would deter you, but much to his amusement, it only made you grin.

“Do you want breakfast, love?” Gods, when you called him that, he could feel his ears burn hot. Finally fully opening his eyes, his gaze found yours, softening instantly. How he managed to find someone like you, he would never understand. Regardless, he sat up, pawing at his eyes to dust the sleep from them. “I’d rather have you.” You heard him grumble, cheeks rosy. Another one of those addicting laughs left you. He didn’t think it was amusing. “Fine, I’ll get up…”

You practically bounced in place, rocking on your feet in excitement. It wasn’t hard to see that you adored your husband, his sleep shirt wrinkled and hair messy from sleep making you bite your lip in glee. Chilchuck gave you a skeptical look, scratching the back of his head before stretching. The action reminded you that he did have a little height on you, your own size as a half-foot causing you to feel small in any context. His shirt rode up to expose the tummy there, causing you to leave your gaze locked at that spot for a moment.

“Are you really this excited for me to get out of bed?” He mused, grumpiness slowly ebbing away at the warmth completely radiating off of you. You felt yourself nod, wrapping your arms around his waist and peering up at him with that expression that always made him weak in the knees. “I’m always excited for my husband to wake up and join the living again.”

“Is that so?” Chilchuck grinned, his voice rumbling in his chest and tingling against your skin. “You want a grump like me awake at this hour?” You couldn’t help but feed into him, continuing to nod your head cheerfully. “Really? Then it would be a shame if…”

Before he finished his sentence, you felt yourself pulled down to the bed as he fell backwards, a yelp leaving you in shock. He held you in his embrace, nuzzling into your neck and yawning. “...I took you down with me. Oh well.” Obnoxiously fake snores followed his teasing reply, causing you to laugh in bewilderment.

“Chilchuck, are you serious? I had finally gotten you up! Everything that I made is gonna get cold!” Although you spoke with mock frustration, the longer you found yourself in his embrace, the more you couldn’t bring yourself to move. Huffing, you relented. “Not my fault that your breakfast is going to be freezing by the time you finally get moving.” Your own grumbling, voice muffled against his shirt, caused him to chuckle. Your head buzzed.

His playfulness this morning made you feel a little giddy, studying his face as the light filtered in. A few gray hairs were illuminated in the sea of auburn, something you found pleasure in. You had to remind yourself that you both weren’t as young as you used to be, but if you were able to continue spending this life with him, well… Maybe it wasn’t so bad.

[nvskyprospekt]

golden slumbers / carry that weight ☆

[banesberry-anomoly]

LockHost

Ive been looking for a system term to describe myself for a while, and decided fuck it we ball and made one myself

A lockhost is an alter in a system that seems to be the 'main' host, and is almost always fronting. They may also decribe themself as 'front-locked' or 'front sticky,' but this may not always be the case. They may be able to leave front or the front area, but are usually aware of whats going on with front anyways, and they are quite often pulled back to front within a short period of time. Because of this, they usually become the bodies 'main identity' in a system.

Other alters may use the identity of the lockhost as a mask in the case that they do not want to show themself, and may also interact with or control the body via the lockhost. In the case of a lockhost being an introject, it would not be uncommon for several doubles of the lockhosts source to also be present in the system.

Lockhosts may also act similarly to 'Observers,' in that they are always aware of the body to some degree, and can quickly be pulled to front in the case that they happen to not be fronting in the traditional sense. The lockhost may also serve many other roles in the system, but not always.

In the case of a lockhost also being part of a subsystem or side system, they may or may not be a lockhost of those as well.

!!!THIS CREATOR OF THIS TERM IS PRO ENDO. I CANNOT STOP ANTI-ENDOS FROM USING IT BUT DO NOT INTERACT WITH ME OR MY POSTS OR I WILL BLOCK. ENDO NEURTALS ARE FINE TO INTERACT. PLEASE RESPECT OUR BOUNDARIES!!!

We are aware that there is a similar term to this that was made by an anti endo, however this term was coined without knowledge of the post existing. Do with that info what you will, keep us out of discourse. And like we said before, we don't care who uses this term, but we ask that anti endos not reblogged so we don't get dragged into discourse.

[diurnalvl]

seven years ago, they used to be friends. almost.

1 / 2 / ?