#theniftycat

[theniftycat]

Chapter 1 of my original novel

Straight from the presses!

1,5k words.

Yakutsk is a city that's too lazy to pursue you. It's defined by its winter that lasts from October to April, the coldest winter that you can experience while living in a settlement called "a city". Yakutsk won't swallow you whole, it has nothing to entice you with. All it does is gradually chip away at your humanity, slowly freezing you whole, making sure that one day you will just lie down in the snow and give yourself away.

All people can do in Yakutsk is build walls. Add more and more layers, separate themselves from the outside world with stones and furs. They decorate their shelters, create spaces that feel alive even when nothing outside can survive. Each home is like an airtight cell decorated with fairy lights and fake flowers.

But if the walls aren't strong enough, the cold will get to you. A broken gas heater will kill you. A feeling of unease in winter will freeze you from the inside.

Our story isn't about Yakutsk in winter, it's about avoiding it.

***

Comfortable. That's what her life was. She had a small apartment with one bedroom, a kitchen, and a living room that she turned into a library full of books in Russian and English, and DVDs in the same languages.

It was the library where she spent most of her days now. Both her work and her hobbies took their places in it. She didn't mind, she even preferred working at home, it was easy to get used to. She wasn't looking forward to needing to go outside daily once the quarantine got lifted, dirty roads with uneven pavements and cold dry air didn't entice her. However, she missed seeing her students in the flesh, it was hard reading lectures via zoom and even giving them exams online. Them possibly cheating didn't bother her much, but she thought that a lot was missed because she couldn't see their full emotions and they couldn't see hers.

Being an English literature university professor in 2020 was both a challenge and a relief for her.

Now it was June and she was used to working from home. She wished she could go for a walk, the weather was amazing as it usually was in early June, but she didn't want to risk running into someone she knew, so she only went out to visit a nearby shop or the post office where she received new books every month. She'd order them after getting her salary. Not too many books these days, their prices grew each year and her salary didn't.

Marfa Alekseyevna, as most people called her, was 35. She had short black hair and wore black rimmed glasses. Her clothes were usually black or dark, she only wore skirts when she was required to. People found her unapproachable and she liked it that way. The only connections she fostered were with her favourite authors, mostly dead, and with her colleagues from various universities who she spoke to on Facebook and Twitter.

She was checking everything before tomorrow's exam when she heard her doorbell ring. Leaving her work and an unfinished cup of tea with cinnamon, she rushed towards the door and put on a mask.

"Who's there?" she asked without sounding very friendly.

"Hi! Marfa, it's me, Luka!" the voice from behind the door answered.

"Luka? Aren't you in Moscow?"

"Obviously, not! Open the door already!"

She opened the door. Her younger brother, a 27 year old tall Yakut man, was standing behind it, but he wasn't alone. Next to him was standing a young woman, seemingly Russian, with light hair and sad eyes that she was trying to hide behind a polite smile. She wasn't tall, there was nothing very special about her. Just a girl. And a guy next to her. Almost a perfect couple in how unremarkable they were.

"This is Vera, my fiancee! Vera, meet Marfa, one of my favourite people in the world! Almost a favourite sister of mine!" introduced them Luka in his usual tongue-in-cheek manner.

Vera nodded with an even politer smile and said:

"Nice to meet you."

Marfa wasn't smiling, she was doing her best not to frown.

"Likewise. Sorry, what? What do you mean, fiancee?"

"Didn't you study linguistics in university?" retorted Luka.

"This isn't funny. What do you think you're doing showing up here, without telling me you'd come, bringing a fiancee you never even told me about? I thought you were in Moscow! Why aren't you two even wearing masks?"

"Marfa! Let us in already!" Luka went inside and took Vera with him. "Won't you even give us some tea? I haven't seen you in ages!" he pulled Marfa towards him and hugged her.

"I didn't want to take off my mask, but--" Vera started.

"Look, we're not gonna give you covid, okay?"

Marfa sighed. She was glad to see Luka and wanted to know what it all meant, but talking on the threshold wasn't a good idea.

"Okay. Put on these slippers and go wash your hands. I'll put a kettle on."

Five minutes later Luka brought an office chair to the kitchen and sat down beside Vera. The kitchen only had two chairs, everything in the apartment screamed that guests weren't frequent here.

Marfa poured them all some tea and sat down at her normal place, the one that had a place-mat and condiments that were lined in front of it.

"So, what is going on?" she asked.

"We're getting married in August, so we came here, to do it with the family present, as it should be, and I'm going to live with our parents, but Vera has nowhere to stay, could you please let her stay here?"

"Excuse me? What?"

"I'd take her with me, but I need to prepare them to meet her, and she needs to self isolate for a couple of weeks, and you have a plenty of space, so it works!"

"Are you out of your mind? Do parents know about it? And what do you mean--"

"I told them I was coming home for summer, yeah! I missed our house, it's so nice in the summer. But I told you, I need to prepare them. It will take some time."

"Okay, Luka, I see that you're out of your mind. You're mad. What even is happening? Why are you here?"

"I told you! Vera will live with you for a couple of weeks!"

"Are there no hotels in Yakutsk? Was there a projectile meteor strike while I wasn't looking?"

"Are you mad this time? There's a quarantine! Living in a hotel is bloody miserable! She wouldn't be able to go outside and stuff! Besides, I'm trying to save money for the wedding, I don't wanna splurge thousands on a hotel. I mean, have you seen the prices for all-inclusive?"

"Does my home look like an all-inclusive hotel?"

"No, but I'd pay you! So, surely, you could arrange some bed and breakfast here. How does a thousand per day sound?"

Marfa thought for a second.

"Alright. And how long will she be here?"

"A couple of weeks at least. Maybe a bit more. Depends on how our parents will take it."

"Luka… I know that you're the youngest one. But you should at least try thinking sometimes. This isn't how things are done." Marfa shook her head. "Vera. Are you okay with that?"

Vera, who was looking at her cup and slowly eating a dry cookie, flinched a bit.

"Me? Yes, yes, it's absolutely fine by me."

"But you don't even know me, are you okay with living with me for at least two weeks?"

"Well, knowing your brother, I think we'll get on just fine!" her smile was almost convincingly hopeful.

"I… Hm… Luka, will you still pay me if she runs away?"

"Oh, she won't!" Luka laughed.

"I won't run away!" Vera also laughed.

"Don't you scare her away, alright, Marfa?" Luka said wagging his finger.

"I don't think it will be necessary…" said Marfa thinking that whatever their relationship was, it would never work. She found Vera more and more suspicious because of how subdued her reactions to everything were.

"I won't run away," repeated Vera without any particular emotion.

"Okay, will you send me a selfie from here with a news site front-page every morning?" asked Luka and kissed her on the cheek. He tried to pass it off as a joke, but something was off.

"I will!"

"And that's when I'll send you another crisp one, deal, Marfa?"

"I wish I was dealing with adults…" Marfa couldn't find a reason to refuse them. They already broke her quarantine and a thousand a day sounded very well. Maybe she'd have a chance to get to know Vera better and see if their relationship really was something substantial. If it wasn't, well, there was a chance to end the entire charade. "Okay. Deal."

"I'll go fetch her bags and some groceries I got for you two!" said Luka while shaking Marfa's hand, and then he left.

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

I'll be using British and American words interchangeably, because I'm neither.

Tagging people who showed interest:

@general-sleepy

@icryyoumercy

@gowan43

@simuran

@skyborneveggie

@andorianimpostor

@mzannthropik

@jackymedan

@aziraphalesangel

If you want to be tagged in the next chapter, interact with this post in any way!

[snickety-lemons]

Tagged by @moonlightpirate, thanksss!

Put your music library on shuffle, then list the first five songs that come up in a poll to let people vote for which one they like the most!

Then tag Tumblr friends to keep the game going!

@dancingwiththefae, @theniftycat, @chisaron, @a-hearts-a-heavy-burden, @our-future-is-up-to-us-2

[pluralzalpha]

Neil Gaiman comic and graphic novel recommendations

Yesterday I added to @theniftycat 's post with some of my own recommendations for Neil Gaiman's works. But I didn't put any comics on there. Instead of making it the longest post ever I've decided to make a separate long post!

Firstly, The Sandman goes without saying. It's already been covered in the previous post and is easily Gaiman's biggest work.

Death: The High Cost of Living

This is my single favourite comic ever. A spin-off from The Sandman, it follows Dream's sister Death on the one day a century that she lives as a mortal. It's a beautiful treatise on life, death, depression and hope.

Mark Buckingham and Chris Bachalo provide wonderful artwork (Mark's also a really nice gent, and signed some artwork from the book for me at a con). The collected version has an additional strip, an infomercial with Death and an embarrassed John Constantine teaching readers about safe sex. There's also a bumper edition which includes the sequel, The Time of Your Life.

Eternals

A lot of people will be familiar with the Eternals only from the recent movie, which I thought wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either.

Gaiman's revamp of the Marvel title a few years before is excellent though. He brings his trademark balance of the everyday and the cosmically mythic to the title, and adds a lot more nuance than in the original comics. John Romita Jr's artwork is incredible, a worthy successor to Jack Kirby.

Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?

One of the best, and most meta, Batman stories ever written. A final end to the Batman saga, dealing with his death, but with multiple, fascinating tellings that all contradict each other. Alfred's story is the highlight.

As well as the graphic novel edition, the whole thing is included in "The DC Universe by Neil Gaiman" along with a selection of other iconoclastic stories for DC heroes and villains.

Signal to Noise

One of Gaiman's many collaborations with the unique visual artist Dave McKean (who also worked with him on MirrorMask, Neverwhere and the Sandman covers). It's grim, moving and powerful, and not overtly a fantasy unlike much of Gaiman's work.

Black Orchid

Another Dave McKean collab, this is a revamp of an existing DC superhero, with a complex new origin story. A powerful story that interacts with other intriguing DC characters such as Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing, all beings with plant-based powers and mysterious natures. It's short, striking and beautiful.

An ongoing series came after, but Gaiman wasn't involved. It's not bad though. I can't speak for the later New 52 version.

There are many more, and I'm sure people are going to be annoyed at my leaving out The Books of Magic, Marvel 1602, Midnight Theatre, Violent Cases, Mr Punch...

[official-chekov-enjoyer]

Song Tag

Rules: Pick a song for each letter of your URL, then tag as many people as there are letters in your URL

@criticalyaclaimed thanks for the tag :p time to reveal my super monotoned music tastes lol.

We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel

Every Little Thing Thing She Does Is Magic by The Police

Life Is A Highway by Rascal Flatts

One by Metallica

Vienna by Billy Joel

El Condor Pasa (If I Could) by Simon & Garfunkel

Alien Heart by Max Modem and the Mainframes

Get’cha Head In The Game by HSM Cast

All Revved Up With No Place To Go by Meatloaf

You May Be Right by Billy Joel

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

Oh! Darling by The Beatles

I’m Just Ken by Ryan Gosling

Im starting to think my tastes aren’t as monotoned as I thought but this playlist certainly isn’t a pleasant color scheme. It’s like Chartreuse and brown and like bright read and black and like wood orange and Barbie Pink. But like…if you want the playlist: here it is

@thelichen @ragsy @actingcamplibrarian @kingof-the-crossroads @It-oreilly @barbaratwilightpotter @sad-gay-cowboy @breval @martianspyder @raaorqtpbpdy @retroqueer @theniftycat

[bornforastorm]

15 questions for 15 mutuals! do I have 15 mutuals who haven’t done this yet?? i dunno

@boasamishipper / @transboybuckley / @born-to-run / @theniftycat / @marley-manson / @ireallyamabear / @anintelligentoctopus / @richiebadnews / @bicolumbo / @saltyoaktree / @wheatleylaboratories / @saltyfilmmajor / @titleleaf / @fuddlyduddly /

Were you named after anyone? my great grandmother: Johannah, who went by Jenny. but my mom’s first boyfriend was named Joe so they cut the Jo off Johannah, which sucks because I would love to be a Joey

When was the last time you cried? watching fireworks on TV on the fourth (missing Washington D.C.)

Do you have kids? no

Do you use sarcasm a lot? no

What’s the first thing you notice about people? cute??????

What’s your eye color? brown

Scary movies or happy endings? can’t we have both? scary movies with happy endings???

Any special talents? not really. but I am pretty good at repairing damaged book covers.

Where were you born? Ol’ Virginee (USA)

What are your hobbies? baking, reading, watching movies, embroidery, crocheting, I do have a podcast but that feels like fun work more than a hobby at this point

Have any pets? two kitties

How tall are you? 5′ 5″

Favorite subject in school? English, theatre once that became a subject I could take

Dream job? Big dream: Movie Novelizationist (not a job without being a regular novelist). Or Casting Director for the pictchas Real dream that is vaguely achievable: something in the Collection Management department of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (I have applied to so many jobs there, but I don’t currently live in LA so I don’t think they’re considering me) (but god I would do anything to work there)

[nablah]

Eight shows to get to know me:

tagged by @tenthousandcats, thank you! 💕

Monk

Speechless

Star Trek

Walking with Dinosaurs

Into the Ring/The Ballot

M*A*S*H

Space Force

A Series of Unfortunate Events

just put the posters for the estetik, but i rlly do not watch a lot of shows so tagging @rosewaterbaptism @theniftycat @owenburnett @malcolm-f-tucker and whoever wants to do this!! please consider yourself tagged!!

[arrrhe]

Thanks for tagging, @theniftycat!

10 songs / less than 10 people

Elton John (The Road to Eldorado OST) - The Trail We Blaze

Elton John (The Road to Eldorado OST) - El Dorado

Boney M - Ma Baker

Ricky Martin - Livin' La Vida Loca

Las Ketchup - Aserejé

ABBA - SOS

Go_A - Shum

Stromae - papaoutai

Lady Gaga - Americano

Eurythmix - Sweet Dreams

I use Youtube to listen to music because I haven't arranged my off-line music library yet, that's why there are mainly very popular songs on the list. I love them, but I guess it's time to switch to off-line. These and some other songs are on instant repeat because of algorithm. I need some diversity :'D

Tagging @gellavonhamster, @zhookotallo, @foxantoine, @theswansign, @nezoriy, @irinnelum and @dantaliones!

[banemmanan]

Tag

[I just found this in my drafts, it has been there for seven years omg, I never finished it, I was clearly trying to wrack my adolescent brain for any kind of advice to give lmao. Anyway, I'm posting it so I can reblog with how I'd change my answers if I filled it out today instead (and I'll actually finish it this time, I promise!)]

Thanks very much for the tag @theniftycat

rules: tag 9 users you want to get to know better

How old are you: 17

Current Job/Dream Job: I volunteer at a book charity if that counts... and I'm hoping to get a part-time job as a receptionist so I can start saving up for uni soon. Apart from that, I'd love to work in a museum some day.

What are you talented at?: I wouldn't call it "talent", but I'm ok at drawing... I can't really say that I'm exceptionally good anything much really...

What is the big goal you are working towards (or have already achieved)?: Getting a history degree, getting a masters in museum studies, moving to Sweden, to name a few...

What is your aesthetic?: IKEA

Do you collect anything?: Anything and everything just about! I have too much useless junk that I'm no good at throwing away! Most recently though, it has probably been books on WW2.

What is a topic you’re always up to talk about?: The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Rat Patrol, classic rock, history

What’s a pet peeve of yours?: I have so many... but now that I've been asked, I can't remember any of them, oh dear!

Good advice to give?:

Recommend three songs?:

I'm tagging:

[spotforme]

@blinketyblank tagged me so here i go :)

-5 songs you listened to resently-

La chanson de Jacky - Jacques Brel

Fly-day Chinatown - Yashua (?)

Summer night city - ABBA

Love or money - The Blackwells

Head over heels - ABBA

I've been on a bit of a mood lately. who knows why.

Now i'll tag @kpop-emo-trash @nocturnal-cryptid @theniftycat @thelastplantagenet ja @hauntedestablishments . sorry if it's not your thing :)

[olgsecond]

10 songs / 10 people

Thanks for tagging me, @theniftycat​ !

10 songs i’ve listened to lately:

Блуждающие огни - Мастер

Блуждающие огни - Время

Блуждающие огни - Тени

Блуждающие огни - Быть добру

Блуждающие огни - Сталкеры

Чароит - Гроза над Штормовым пределом

Чароит - Серые стражи

Чароит - Мой господин

Чароит - Две трети волшебства

Чароит - Пути Средиземья

I don't know 10 people on here, so @peppercupcake @cicerosh @lieutenantk @lemonpeace

[theniftycat]

So, uh, I have this writing project that has gone through many iterations and now I decided to write it in English from scratch. It's about a 35 year old female Yakut professor who teaches English literature and is put into a forced coliving situation with a younger woman who is her brother's fiancee. They fall in love, but...

Anyway, if I'm to start publishing it on tumblr, please let me know if I can tag you. You're welcome to offer any commentary or corrections, you're also welcome to just read it silently, but please, if you're up to be tagged, at least leave a like once you've read it.

Only one page is written so far, but if I have accountability, it might help.

[snickety-lemons]

Get to know you game! Answer the questions and tag 9 people you want to know better!

Oh hello, this was such a nice little thing to find in my notifs! tagged by: @smooth-mccrimmonal

——————

Last song listened to?

El Dorado, Death Cab For Cutie.

Currently reading?

Bleak House by Charles Dickens and Discworld 1: The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett.

Currently watching?

Doctor Who, Sapphire & Steel

Inspector Morse, Dalziel and Pascoe, and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Elementary and also the Jeremy Brett Sherlocks

Blue's Clues, Franklin, and Between The Lions

Red Dwarf, A Fine Romance, and Maid Marian and Her Merry Men

Perry Mason, Columbo, and Murder She Wrote

Glee

Darkwing Duck, Kim Possible, Goof Troop, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Wizards of Waverly Place, The Muppet Show

The Smurfs, multiple iterations of Scooby-Doo

lots of intermittency between things with more being rewatches than not sksksk - I don't have a p r o b l e m.

Currently obsessed with?

The Man From U.N.C.L.E the series, fucking G O D this gay ass show truly has me in its clutches... The Witcher, only bolstered by me now getting into The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. RPGs in general, I've been through most of The Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age and I'm like m u c h more hooked than I used to be. And, The Amazing Devil- it's not just music, it's a wholeass lifestyle.

Tagggging... @toapoet, @joeysjaskier, @witch-and-her-witcher, @theniftycat, @speggle, and @our-future-is-up-to-us-2.

Hope you enjoyed this little slice of Lemons!

[jackymedan]

tagged by @theniftycat :)

four ships: fraser/kowalski from due South, napoleon/illya from mfu, marcus/esca from the eagle, nick/greg from csi

last song: duran duran - is there something i should know

currently reading: the cat who saved books by Sosuke Natsukawa (it’s originally a japanese book, I’m reading the english translation. I stumbled upon it in my local bookstore and the title caught my attention enough to buy it :’))

last movie: uhhh might have been a movie my mom was watching that i walked into halfway through so i saw the last half of it.. have to google what it was called hold on.. The age of Adeline.

craving: idk mostly snacks/drinks that make my heartburn act up so i shouldtry to constrain myself

not tagging anyone but feel free to do it if you want

[lucky-fallen-angel]

WIP torment GAME

The WIP GAME Rules: In a new post, post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people sent you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I'm debating on if I consider "abandoned" stories I haven't been able to go back to as WIPs or not...I'll go with the Fanfics I'm working on, and a few of the non-fanfics I'm attempting to write (I blame the manwhas I'm reading).

Fanfics:

D&D fanfic with no name yet

Sailor Moon/Warcraft crossover - Bright as the Morning Sun

Sailor Moon/Warcraft crossover - Shadow Roaming Like a Dream

Resident Evil - Pandora's Last

Non-Fanfics:

The Duty of the Reeve

All that Glitters

Ok, so with no pressure...

@abyssal-hymns, if you're up for it

@omegadeanlovesalphacas-2nd, @forarainy-day, @the-a-j-universe, @theniftycat, and @lockwood-carlyle-cubbins

I'm on here but I'm not always checking who's writing or doing whatever, so sorry ^^; Hope you enjoy! Spread the torment game!

[the-dork-neko]

4, 6, 12, 16 :)

Thank you! 🙋🏽‍♀️

4. Last time I cried and why:

Two weeks ago, after work. Sh*t happened.

6. Favourite Band(s)

The Monkees, Pink Floyd, and 14 Bis. I could mention a lot more, but to begin some ASMR this is purr-fect.

12. Perfect Date

Any opportunity to talk about animes and music, and eat lots of chocolate together!

16. Favourite Movie

Let me quote the noble, amazing The Lion King. It's a classic. Old but gold.

[nablah]

tagged by: @theresa-of-liechtenstein (thanks for tagging

four ships: hmm i don’t usually ship especially with my preference for established canon relationships, but here’s some non-canon ones: miranda jones/ambassador kollos (ST TOS), kirk/spock (ST TOS), hermann gottlieb/newt geiszler (PacRim), michael burnham/t’pring (ST DIS/TOS) please don’t read into these too much

last song: 

it won't show but it was I Wish You Love (Sam Cooke)

currently reading: Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich (idk it’s unsaid required reading in medical/nuclear physics, its important) and Griffiths Electrodynamics (💀 I have an exam rip)

last movie: The Book of Life!! watched it so many times but i still love it so much

craving: peach ice cream ;-; with mangoes

tagging: @dae-seeme-rollin @smile-at-the-stars @rachelchavkins @theniftycat @respectablecapers @kagilagilalas  @leporellian @notyouraveragejulie @carlodivarga-s and anyone else really :D