#to someday seeing my book on the shelves

[jhoneybees]

Special gift

Hello Hello! I'm back dollies :) Here's a cute little fic! It's been a while since I've posted a fic so I do apologise😬 and with the desire part 2 I am writing it! but I'm gonna be shelving that for a bit because I'm not in that thirsty mood at the moment lol I've been craving some sweet fluffy Elvis! Enjoy!

Tags: @elvisalltheway101 my doll!

Characters: Highschool 50s!Elvis X reader

Warnings/triggers: I'd say nothing but if you spot something, please comment!

_____________________________________________

Gosh. His eyes, the waves of deep blue rippling into that icy blue around those dark pupils, increasing and decreasing in size. You really could get lost in them, you have to be careful though, you wouldn't want to fall in love…would you?

Well for your case, yes. You're in love, you're madly in love with a pretty boy. With how he skillfully combs back his hair into a duck tail and how his bottom lip juts out just a bit when he's deep in concentration, you're just melting at just the thought of him, of Elvis Presley.

He's everything you're looking for in a man, a future husband you hope and dream. He’s kind, caring, funny, generous, courteous, and humble. It goes on and on and on and you wouldn’t be panting by the endless list at all because you'll be too busy listing off every praise in the universe. Your mind is just filled with everything Elvis, in every single nook and cranny.

_____________________________________________

Closing the locker door with a tinny slam, your eyes drift to the boy of your dreams. Just standing there with nobody accompanying him, you take the chance to admire him, admiring how his ever growing chest hairs peek out from behind his white short sleeved button up, his lean biceps fill out those sleeves so nicely and his simple black slacks just had to make you hitch a breath, they compliment his long legs so well.

You really do dream of approaching Elvis someday, to finally confess your love that you've been bottling up ever since the first day you saw him but you're shy, so shy that you'd be a shaking leaf just asking a teacher for directions to the art classroom and not only that, you're scared of rejection, you know everyone else is too but it still doesn't change your mind to have the courage to walk up to Elvis Presley and blurt out the three words.

As you sigh and grip your books closer to your chest in longing, his eyes pierce into yours. You didn't know he could stop time because the brief moment of the both of you staring feels like the bustling crowds around you just freeze.

Trying to take an even deep breath, you swallow thickly as he strides towards you. Your wrists ache at the growing pressure against the edges of the books but you don't care because all you're thinking is if your knees are about to collapse at the blessing of seeing Elvis' shy but also charming grin.

“You're Y/n, right?” he asks.

You nod quietly and he breathes out a shy chuckle, stuffing his hand into his pocket, he nods back and you're guessing, out of nervous habit, he scratches the back of his neck.

“I-I’m Elvis…and uh- This m-m-might sound crazy but uh- I've seen you around these places and thought you're real pretty” he states.

He thought you're pretty? No. Real pretty? Oh your dreams must be having a real good time, you can't bring yourself to believe that, he couldn't possibly think that, he's got so many other girls who are far prettier than you that he could choose from, right?

“And uh- ah can't keep my head f’om shuttin’ up to ask ya if ya..uh.. w-w-wanted to go on a date with me?” his eyebrows raise just the slightest bit.

A date?! You? He’s asking you on a date? You swear, you're hearing wedding bells in your head and not the ones from the church a few blocks down that you'd willingly get married in if he asked you to or you're preferred choice, wanted to.

This can't be real, right?

“Y-you don't gotta say yes if ya don't wanna but just thought ah’d better take someone like you out before I regret myself”

He stammers with his head lowering towards his chest and rubbing the back of his neck with a small crooked smile.

Your overly religious parents would scold you for using his name in vain but…

Oh God

Gulping again for- you think, the 20th time. You clutch your books even tighter than before, fully aware that it would definitely leave red marks on your skin. Trying your best to not appear overly shy, you grip at that ounce of courage and give Elvis a small smile.

You've been dreaming of this.

“I-I’d love to”

_____________________________________________

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, OH. MY. GOSH.

You're going on a date with Elvis Presley…

You're going on a date with Elvis Presley!

As you close your bedroom door and plop your books down on your desk, you gasp softly in your hands in absolute shock. How did you land on such luck? Or whatever it is. Turning yourself around, you sit at the end of bed and dig your face deeper into your hands.

Trying to process your thoughts but of course, all you could ‘process’ is the image of Elvis, the guy that walked up to you. The boy who asked you on a date!

“Ah!!” You squeal, slamming yourself back on the bed, kicking your feet in the air with so much excitement.

Your hands dragging down your face don't do anything to your big smile, you're just amazed, in awe, so in love.

Then a thought comes into your head. What are you gonna give to Elvis as a token of appreciation?

Others might not think of anything like that but to you, it feels necessary. Elvis is taking time out of his day to take you out so why wouldn't you give him something for such a kind gesture?

_____________________________________________

“Thank you…”

You smile as Elvis helps you out of the car, your small hands held by his large ones, you feel calluses on his fingertips from what you know and saw, playing his guitar during lunch breaks and occasionally at the local park on weekends. Their firmness slightly nudges at the back of your hand, the warmth just engulfing your hand cosily. You couldn't be more satisfied at just the slightest touch from him.

Then as he leads you down the wide dirt and grassy track, you grip your knuckles together.

He didn't tell you where you were both going in Riverside Park for this date and as much as you adore and love Elvis, you're a little concerned but as you two near the riverbank and Elvis turns to you with a sweet boyish smile on his face. Your concerns wash away instantly.

“M’sorry this date ain't shiny and lavish…” he chuckles nervously.

“No, this is lovely, Elvis” you say softly, returning a smile.

You wouldn’t have this date any other way, it’s everything you’ve been dreaming of. Getting to sit beside the river with him, being in each other’s company, it’s perfect to you.

You have seen him with other girls at school before and when you saw how much of a gentleman he was to them just makes your heart stab itself with an arrow and you thought you know every kind gesture he does but he’s full of surprises because when he started taking off his jacket and laying it down on the grass, he had the audacity to melt your heart for the 100th time in the span of just 2 weeks.

“Don’t wanna get your pretty skirt dirty”

Of course with that little grin that you have memorised every detail from.

He is just…everything.

The conversation just flows so effortlessly and after some time it begins to fizzle out and you both sit in pleasant silence, you look out at the slow moving, crisp water and when you don’t expect it you both breathe in the fresh air at the same time. Whipping your heads around and bursting into a fit of giggles.

You want to spend your life with him.

Your mind runs with thoughts of how lovely this simple date is and when you turn to look at Elvis’ face, you accidentally let out a tiny gasp which you hope Elvis didn’t hear but of course he did. Turning to look at you with a slow growing smile and piercing blue eyes that ping through into your heart. You wouldn’t be surprised if he started laughing at your poor little heart thumping a thousand miles per hour.

Panting so much that its cheeks would flush a brighter red than it already is.

“Enjoyin’ yer time?” he asks with raised eyebrows, creating those cute little wrinkles on his forehead.

You nod with a small smile, hoping he wouldn’t notice how your cheeks grow a bit pink, almost like the same colour as his socks that are slightly exposed under his brown slacks.

He looks back at the water and you do the same. After a little while, you remember the thing you made for him. Quietly moving your arm, you dig in your skirt pocket and pull out a beaded bracelet with a colour scheme that you hope Elvis would like. Baby blue and gold. Finishing off with a white bead in the middle with a little gold encrusted heart on it.

“Um..Elvis?”

Your heart sighs at how he softly hums in response, turning to look at you with slow wandering eyes.

“Yeah?”

Holding in your breath, you close your eyes for a brief moment. You really do hope he’ll like it, you did work very hard on this little bracelet but if you had to be honest, you wouldn’t complain if he just throws it into the water and yells at you because it’s not much, It’s really not much compared to him using the fuel in his daddy’s car to drive you here and take time out of his precious day but you still like to hope.

Holding the small token in your hands, you lower your chin towards your chest. Gulping nervously at the non existent saliva in your desert-dry mouth.

“I-It’s not much but uh… I made you this a-as a thank you gift for- bringing me here a-and taking time o-out of your day- uhmp-” you stutter and with a bit of bravery and courage, you thrust your hands out more towards his chest.

Your heart almost jumps at the unexpected chuckle and your hands begin to tremble as you feel his fingertips brush your palm, picking up the homemade gift with a crooked grin on his handsome face. Your hands fall onto your lap, your brain shivering in delight. He’s so delicate and gentle at how he’s holding the bracelet and you just melt at how he takes the time to admire every single little bead that you know damn well costed you $1.50 for a small pack and the small gold encrusted heart being your only special bead that you didn’t want to use for anything that isn’t special, yes it’s not actual gold but you just thought a while ago that there could be a possible chance of a real special moment that this little bead would fit perfectly in which this moment is just that.

“Aw Y/n…that’s real sweet of ya, thank you” he drawls, still looking at the bracelet in hand. Shaking his head with a bigger grin, you quietly watch as he shimmies his hand through the bracelet, starting to doubt if it’s even going to fit, but it snaps in place and moulds around his wrist perfectly and as he looks up at you, you swear you felt your nerves in your body shut down for a split second.

Then your breath hitches as his hand softly and gently picks up your hand. This can’t be happening. Watching his hand lift yours up to his lips, his baby blues peering up at you, he places a delicate kiss on the back.

“...I love you”

[maeby-bby]

You Fluster Me

Enoch O'Connor x Reader Genre: Fluff Word Count: 1739 A/N: This may be a bit out of character for Enoch but it's an idea I've had in my head for a while now! Reader has a teleportation peculiarity. Reminder requests are open if you want something for the holidays!

You confused Enoch ever since you entered the loop. You were kind to everyone, no matter if they were being rude to you. You were even kind to him, though he never gave you the time of day to begin with. Enoch was intrigued by you entirely and wanted to find ways to talk to you. He would even ask Olive about your interests so he would know what to talk about when he finally got the chance to do so. He was certain he would someday talk to you without messing up.

He didn’t expect it to happen sooner rather than later.

It started in the library when he was going to grab new hearts he had jarred. He had walked past it but did a double take when he saw something moving quickly around the room.

You were teleporting around the shelves, looking all over the books and reading their titles. Your eyebrows furrowed in frustration as you tried to find the book you were looking for. Stopping the teleportation, you looked up at the book you wanted. It was on the very top shelf, not where you had found it the last time you came to the small library. You reached up to grab it but it was just too high for you to reach. You tried different ways, trying to magically stretch your arms just a little bit higher, but to no use. Sighing, you turned around ready to ask Emma if she could possibly help you get the book, but was stopped when you noticed someone standing in the doorway.

“Enoch?”

He stood there wordlessly, his usual blank expression on his face. He looked at you as you said his name, raising his eyebrows a bit at your words. With no expression], he walked over to the shelves you were zipping around earlier. He grabbed the book you were trying to get easily and held it out toward you so you could grab it.

You slowly reached out and took the book from him, looking at the cover.

“Thanks, Enoch! I was going to ask Emma to get it for me, lucky for me you were closer!”

Enoch’s expression didn’t seem to change, as he nodded in acknowledgment and started back to the jarred hearts, pretending that the sudden conversation didn’t affect him. When he reached his room again he could feel his face had turned hot. He hurried back into his work, ignoring Olive’s teasing when she came to his room after hearing what he did for you.

A week or so later after the library incident, Enoch found himself being around you again as Claire wanted both of you to walk with her during the daily walk. She walked in between the two of you, holding each of your hands in hers. Bronwyn had also joined the group, talking to Claire about what games to play when they reached the house again.

“What about hide and seek?” Bronwyn suggested.

“We played that yesterday!” Claire countered.

“Tag?”

“I’m too tired for that!”

“Well then what do you want to play?” Bronwyn asked, giving up on her ideas.

“We should have a tea party!” Claire said excitedly. “We can have our friends join us! You’ll join our tea party won’t you?” She pulled on Enoch’s hand, then yours, getting both of your attention on her.

“Of course, we will honey,” you said with a smile. You looked to Enoch for him to say something, but he was staring at you with his mouth open like his words were caught in his throat. Claire turned her head towards him to see what he would say. He looked down at her, then nodded, turning to look back at the group of peculiars.

Claire and Bronwyn continued to talk about the tea party, asking you questions about how it was going to be set up.

After the walk, you helped Bronwyn set up the tea party, bringing blankets and the teacups to the backyard under the tree. Teleporting in and out of the house, you made sure that the young peculiars had everything they needed before making your way to Enoch’s room to fetch him.

You teleported to the stairs, walking up them nervously. Enoch never really seemed to like you, no matter how hard you tried to be nice to him. Olive reassured you that Enoch just needed some time to get to know you and trust you before he could talk to you the way he does with her.

Reaching his door you raised your hand and knocked. You were met with silence, not even a sound that indicated he was in there.

“The girls are ready to play tea party. Come down when you’re ready.” You said, turning around to teleport back to the girls.

Before you could, you heard the door behind you open up. You looked to see Enoch stepping out and closing the door, keeping his head down as he walked past you. He walked down the hall and towards the stairs, eyes trained on the floor. You watched him go before teleporting just outside the back door, opening it for Enoch once he came down the stairs.

Sitting on the blankets, you and Enoch watched as Claire and Bronwyn poured the tea into teacups and lectured on tea party etiquette. You both accepted the tea from the girls and talked amongst each other until dinner, where Enoch stayed behind to help you take the teapot and cups back into the house.

That night, you told Emma about how Enoch talked to you and helped you take the tea set back into the house. You had even gotten him to crack a smile a couple of times! Over in Enoch’s room, Olive was hearing Enoch’s side of the story. He was telling her how amazing he thought you were, how good you were with the younger peculiars, and how he didn’t mess up talking to you that afternoon.

Over the next couple of days, both you and Enoch started to seek each other out more. Enoch invited you to watch him work on his dolls in his room and you invited him to read with you in the library. You even had some deep conversations about your respective peculiarities, and how it would’ve been to live a normal life without being a peculiar. The two of you had built a nice friendship together, even with Enoch messing up a couple of times with how he worded things.

But Enoch couldn't shake of the feelings he had developed for you. He had knew he liked you a little bit before you officially started to talk to each other, but now knowing you the way he does, he knew he wouldn't be able to hid it. Confiding with Olive on it, he decided he needed to tell you before he made a fool of himself.

The next day, Enoch walked outside looking for you. Hidden behind his back was a small bouquet of flowers he had picked for you. Seeing you lying under the shade of a tree, he made his way over to where you were.

When he got there, he quietly laid down next to you keeping the flowers hidden at his side. He was sure you had heard him walking up, but part of him thought you were asleep.

You were taking in the loop's ambiance when you heard Enoch walk towards you. You had peaked through your eyelashes to confirm it was the quiet peculiar.

The two of you lay in silence for a couple minutes, enjoying the company and the ambiance of the others playing or doing their chores. You turned your head to Enoch, opening your eyes.

"So what brings you out of your dark room today?" You asked.

"...You."

"Me? I hope I didn't look too lonely out here that you would take pity on me."

'No, it's not that. I needed to talk to you actually." Enoch explained, starting to sit up.

Following his movements, you sat facing each other, a confused look on your face as you tried to think of something you did that would prompt Enoch to have a serious talk with you.

Enoch revealed the flowers, holding them out for you to take them. "I just wanted to have a talk because...you fluster me, okay? I can't even think straight when you're around, and I find myself being a nicer person because of you. You're kind, attractive, and smart, and I just can't help myself but like you. More than just a friend. And I hope this doesn't change anything between us if you don't feel the same way. But I needed to get it out before I made an absolute fool out of myself keeping it in."

You sat shocked at his words. All this time, he actually liked you? But was too scared to make a move? You took the flowers from him with a smile.

"You know, you have a dimple on your left cheek that shows when you laugh, and every time I saw you I tried to get you to laugh because I thought it was cute."

"So...you think I'm cute?" he questioned.

"I think you're intimidating. But after getting to know you, yes, I do think you're cute. And I would be lying if I said I didn't like you too."

"Really?"

"Yes. Poor Emma has had to hear all of it the entire time."

"Poor Olive has been hearing it from me too I'm afraid."

You shared a laugh together, cheeks tinted pink with a blush.

"Well, I have to get back to my chores, meet you in your room when I'm done?" You asked, starting to stand up.

"Yeah! Yeah, that's completely fine. I'll leave the door open for you." Enoch answered, standing up as well.

"Thanks for the flowers as well, they're very pretty. I'll see you after my chores are done!" You walked up to Enoch and gave him a quick hug, planting a kiss on his cheek before taking a couple steps and teleporting to do your chores.

Enoch stood there, replaying what happened in his head. He raised his hand and put it on his cheek where you had kissed him. Giving a little chuckle, he turned and started his walk back to his room, waiting for you to be done with your chores for the day.

[shunrehihosumedha]

नमस्ते और स्वागत है आपका मेरे ब्लॉग मेह

मेरा नाम Sumedha Chatterjee है 💟

I am a geographer who specialises on the domain of Oceanography and Climatology

I am currently pursuing my masters in science degree from the university of Jamia Millia Islamia. I did my graduation from the Indraprastha College for Women under the esteemed university of Delhi.

I like creating stories and poetries of my vivid imagination that I try to explain as evenly as I can.

I love Murakami, Franz Kafka, and Robert Greenee a lot. My favourite books are The Ballad of the Songbirds and the Snake, 1Q84, Kafka on the Shore, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? And so many more.

I love the entire franchise of Dune by Frank Herbert and believes that The Butlerian Jihad by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson is one of those books that everyone in the 21st century should read. I envy both the saga of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.

I’m not picky when it comes to music but I’m still protective about my genres (Yk what I mean) also follow me on Spotify. Link is on the description.

Here’s an example though hehe

আমি বাঙালি তার জন্য, I have delved into the literary history of the great Kobi Rabindranath Tagore and laureates such as Sarat Chandan Chatterjee, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Narayan Ganguly, Tarashankar Banerjee, Satyajit Ray, Sukumar Roy and so many that the list will never end.

I hold a diploma degree in kathak and Odiya classical dance as well as 1st class certification of Rabindranath sangeet.

I envy survival tactics as I have been on several camping expedition since I was 7 years old. I have 10 years of experience as a camper into the wilderness and 2 years of experience as a co-guide with diverse knowledge of rare flora and fauna. I know how to make a shelter out of a polythene, some ropes and tree branches and can lit fire with the basic tinder and kindles available on the wild.

My other Tumblr account for shitposting is @midmaysunray

I aspire to be a researcher in my domain someday but also want to see a novel/poetry book of my own on the public shelves envied by many others.

[themoonking]

breaking / preventing bad booktok habits

no one asked my opinion, but i've been thinking about this a lot so i'm going to give it anyway.

consumerism on booktube is a tale as old as time, and it's just as bad if not worse on booktok (due to the norm on tikok being to post something new at least once a day), and that leads a lot of book influencers (both on youtube and tiktok, and even instagram to an extent) into some really bad spending and consumption habits

this is my very long opinion piece on some tips and changes to make if you've already developed these bad habits or feel like you're about to.

tldr: stop buying in to hype and by more mindful about what you buy, and REMEMBER THAT LIBRARIES EXIST.

go to the library

quite simple. allows you to read as many books as you want without spending money or cluttering your home. and if you argue back that your local library is small / doesn't have a large selection, that's all the more reason to support it!! it won't grow or improve if it doesn't have people behind it.

getting rid of books

don't feel like you have to get rid of books even if you enjoyed them. i myself have larger book collection than most people i know. but you do have to make peace with the idea of getting rid of books from time to time. stop treating it like the worst thing that ever happened to you.

next time your bookshelf is full, don't immediately jump to buying a new shelf. instead, go through your entire collection and see what you really want to keep. do the marie kondo thing and take everything off the shelf so you can go through each book one by one. go over it multiple times over a couple of days, so you can come at it with fresh eyes.

when you look at each individual book, really think about it. ask yourself: did i even like this book? if i did, will i ever reread it? was it important to me or was it just a book i enjoyed and will never think about again? if i can't remember my feelings on a book, am i willing to reread it to find out?

if you have books that you were neutral on, that you liked but not in any notable way, or that you straight up didn't enjoy, it might be time to move on from them. donate to your local library: if you didn't enjoy them, there might be someone out there who might, and if you did enjoy them, they're right there if you ever have the urge to read them again.

don't think about book purges as tearing apart your perfect collection, but instead think about it as making room for something new that you enjoy and appreciate a lot more.

if you've gone over your collection multiple times and you still have no room, then feel free to buy a new shelf and expand your collection. obviously, as you read more books you'll find more that meant a lot to you that you want to keep. again, it's not about mimimalism, it's about mindfulness.

unread books

some book influencers (and their fans) have a MASSIVE problem with unread books. as in, they have 100+ on their shelves and they keep buying more to add to the pile. if you have books in your collection that have remained unread for years... it might be time to get rid of some of them. sorry.

do the same thing with the unread books as you did with the read books: go over them one by one and really think about why you're keeping them.

how long have you had it? if you've had a book for 5+ years, and you haven't felt the urge to read it yet, do you really think you're ever going to? read the description: does it seem like something that actually interests you, or did you buy it on a whim? perhaps it interested you when you bought it, but time has passed and tastes change; does it interest you now?

if you haven't touched or even thought about a book in multiple years but you can't bring yourself to get rid of it because "well maybe someday i'll need it!!" consider how dangerously close to hoarder mentality you're getting.

if you're really convinced that you'll enjoy a certain book, set it aside. make the books you set aside your priority for the next 6 months / the next year and don't buy anymore in that timeframe. if by the end of that time you haven't read the books you set aside, it's time to accept that you are simply never going to read them, and its better that they get some use rather than collect dust.

once again: donate any you get rid of to the library. if you're worried that you're going to suddenly want to read them (even though you haven't for years) and won't have them anymore, remember that if you give them to library they will be right there for you to borrow whenever you like. except that, in the time between you donating them and reading them, they won't have simply been sitting on your shelf gathering dust. instead, other people will have gotten the chance to read them and perhaps enjoyed them more than you ever would.

buying books

quite simply, just be more mindful about the books you buy.

when a new book becomes trendy on booktok or booktube, don't buy it right away. a lot of book influencers' unread books tend to be ones that they bought because they were really popular online, but that they lost interest in when the trend died out. if you're worried about missing out, remember that the book will still be available when the trend dies, and if you're only interested in something so you can partake in the trend... you're not really interesting in the book. you're interested in the clout.

when a book trend catches your eye, takes some time to think about it instead. first of all, does the book actually seem like something you're interested in? yes, everyone on booktok is talking about this new historical romance, but do you even like historical romance? this new epic fantasy is filling your youtube recommendations, but do you even like epic fantasy? look at reviews. look at reviews from people you know have similar tastes to you. did they like it? were the things they liked about it things that you enjoy?

if after thinking it through you're still engaged, go ahead and buy it! once again, its not about mimimalism. it's not about having less books. it's about mindfulness.

if you're subscribed to a book subscription box (or, god forbid, multiple book subscription boxes) maybe take stock and see if you actually want to remain subscribed. in the past 12 months, how many books from them have you read, and how many have you actually enjoyed? in my opinion, unless you've read an enjoyed the majority of books you've recieved in the past year, it might be time to unsubscribe. also always know that if a particular month's selection really interests you, you can simply buy the non-subscription version of the book without paying for all the ones that don't interest you.

like many book lovers, i enjoy wandering aimlessly around the bookstore even if i don't get anything, but if impulse buying books is an issue for you don't go to bookstores for fun. stay away from book-specific online stores. if you're spending issue is really bad, it might be time to block book-related social media tags (aka abandon booktok).

if you have an issue with your unread books getting out of control, set aside a physical space for your physical to-be-read and always ensure that your unread books can fit inside that space. if it starts to overflow, thats your sign that you need to ban yourself from buying books and focus on the books you already have (and then actually stick to that!!).

i personally have a three-tiered utility cart that i use (they're really common, you can find them a lot of places, but mine is specifically from ikea). it has a little wooden table lid that goes on the top tier that prevents me from storing anything in that layer. my unread books go in the bottom two tiers. if they get to the point that, to store them all, i have to remove the lid and start putting them on the top tier, i know that i need to slow down in my book buying and stay away from the book store. if, after that, it gets to the point where the entire top tier is full, then i know that it's time for a full book-buying ban until they're all read.

other methods i've seen people use: keep a separate, much smaller bookshelf in another part of the house. keep them in stacks but use a ruler to measure how tall the stacks get, and go on a ban if they get above a certain height. limit unread books to how many can comfortably fit on the bedside table. etc.

in general, it's best to NOT store unread books on the shelf with your other books. if they're on your shelf next to all your read books, you may not really be able to comprehend how many unread books you have, which can lead to the number getting out of hand.

and if you're buying books less for the pleasure of reading them and more for the pleasure of buying them (aka you genuinely not as a joke say "buying books and reading books are two different hobbies")... babygirl you have a shopping addiction </3

special editions

a lot of book influencers have a lot of special editions of books, but rarely have they read all of them. a lot of people really like collecting special editions, which is why my advice to unsubscribe from book boxes might, perhaps, be difficult.

however, many people who own a lot of these special editions don't really care about what's inside the book. rather, they care about the clout that comes with having a lot of special editions. even if they aren't an influencer, if you consume a lot of book content, you might get a feeling of superiority knowing that you have this type of collection that your favorite creators have.

essentially, when you go through your special editions, treat them the same as your other books from earlier but also ask yourself:

(1) is there anything actually special about this special edition? some special editions have exclusive bonus content such as cut chapters, interviews with the author, special art on the inside, et cetera; is this one of those or is it just the trade version with a recolored cover?

(2) if i have multiple different special editions of the same book, is there anything to actually distinguish them? do they have different exclusive bonus conent? different exclusive covers made by different talented artists? or are they essentially the same, except this cover is a slightly different shade of red, and this one has gold foiling in a slightly different spot?

(3) assuming i've read it, did this book actually mean something to me? do i care enough about this book to want a special copy of it? if i thought it was just okay, or even disliked it, wouldn't it be better off in the hands of someone who has it down as one of their favorite books of all time?

if you're going over your book box subscriptions and you say that you wouldn't be interesting in reading a certain book if you don't get your hands on the special edition, remeber that your experience of reading will be exactly the same if you have the exclusive special edition hardback or the standard trade paperback. it's like the tiktok trend; if you're only interested in this book if you have a special edition, you're not really interested in the book. you're interested in the clout.

essentially, the base thing you have to consider is: do you want this rare, expensive copy because the book actually means something to you, or because you want the online social status that comes from having a rare, expensive copy?

conclusion

once again, the main point is: be more mindful about the books you buy.

actually think about if you're interested in reading something instead of buying books you'll never read on a whim. think about whether your buying something for yourself or for clout.

and remember that libraries exist!! donate books to your library, donate funds to your library, borrow books from your library, etc. if you like audiobooks or ebooks, download whatever app your library uses. if your library doesn't have a book that you'd like to read, put in a request and they might purchase. participate in your library's events and activities. get involved in your library. show your local library the love it deserves!!!

bye. if you have another tip about breaking or preventing bad book habits, feel free to reblog w/ your tip.

[see-arcane]

Well, today is the last entry for 2022′s round of Dracula Daily. Many a tear’s been shed, many an old reader left satisfied, and doubly so at Dracula the novel finally reaching out to so many new readers. Those who never knew how rich the book was and how much has been discarded by the adaptations, spinoffs, and pop culture assumptions it spawned. It’s been a blast.

But don’t act as if the ride is over! Matt Kirkland still has his follow-up email to send, there’s the Dracula Daily book he’s working on--all chronological order entries with many a meme shout-out to our very own fanbase!--and the treat of the Re: Dracula podcast coming out. Most importantly, Dracula Daily is bound to rise from the dead next year. Listeners and readers alike will have the Count and his nefarious deeds to look forward to again. Hopefully with all of us new bloodsucker bookworms reaching out to friends and getting even more people engaged for 2023.

There’s also scads of other periodical classics shaking the dust off. Penny dreadfuls and gothic classics alike have podcasts and Substacks aplenty to choose from. (And never forget Project Gutenberg for those freebie PDFs!) There are so many creators who have been inspired by this phenomenal book club experience; someday we might just see that genuinely faithful adaptation and delicious ‘what-if?’ media we’ve all been hankering for since we collectively realized all the potential that Hollywood has left buried as a result.

It could not have happened without you all engaging the way you have. And certainly not without Matt Kirkland’s work. He deserves so much thanks for providing the catalyst for one of the single best experiences any group of people has had discovering and re-discovering this old horror story since it first hit the shelves over 100 years ago. 

(More personally, I want to say thank you to those outstanding folks I’ve met through this thing. The artists. The writers. The people whispering and cheering in the tags. The ones who noticed at once when something went wrong with my account and were there in a flash to help. You are all amazing and I’m so glad that, despite the undead bastard’s best efforts, he accidentally caused something good to happen--just as he did in the novel, he brought friends together.)

Thank you, Matt.

Thank you, Dracula.

Thank you all.

[doc-pickles]

old friends, new adventures (nico hischier x emilia hess)

from the unless it’s you universe

Here’s my promised fic! I’ve been out of town so that’s why it’s late but I hope y’all enjoy it.

xoxo nina

“mama do we have any snacks?”

the door of the hischier house flew open as nina bounded through the door, quickly followed by a brunette.

“in the pantry,” katja replied as she smiled at the two girls. “hello emilia. good to see you around here.”

“thanks mrs. h,” emilia smiled as she caught the bag of chips nina threw her. her eyes darted to nico who sat at the kitchen table working on homework. “hello to you too nico.”

the twelve year old looked up from his papers before rolling his eyes and turning back to his work, “hi emi.”

“nico be nice to our guest,” katja scolded from her place by the stove.

“hello emilia how are you today? wonderful weather we’re having. say did you catch the game last night? riveting stuff.”

nina and emilia both burst out laughing and nico spared a smirk in emilia’s direction. their eyes met for a second before nina called her away, the two girls quickly leaving the kitchen.

“I wish you’d be nicer to emilia,” katja huffed as she made dinner. “you never know, someday you two might-“

“absolutely not,” nico cringed as he turned toward his mom. “you can marry her off to luca.”

with an eye roll katja smirked at her youngest son, “she would eat him alive. finish your homework.”

+

“right there! no not- shit nico if you break my easel you’re paying for it!”

“you say that like i don’t have the money to do that,” nico grunted as he placed the aforementioned easel in the corner of emilia’s apartment. “there?”

“perfect,” emilia sighed and flopped onto the couch that was still covered in plastic. “thanks for helping me, I appreciate it.”

“no problem,” nico grinned as he pushed another cardboard box towards the couch before flopping down next to emilia. “are you excited for your new job?”

emilia nodded and opened the box in front of them, stacking the books inside next to the couch, “kohler price is a huge publishing house which means i’ll get to work on more diverse projects. there’s only so many grimm’s fairytales that you can redraw before it starts to get repetitive.”

nico’s deep laugh echoed through the apartment as he pulled a book out of the box and inspected the cover. it’s about rapunzel, a young girl with long golden hair flowing across the cover with flowers blooming around her. the illustration is breathtaking, nico grinning at emilia’s name scrawled across the bottom of the cover as the illustrator.

“well you’re very talented,” nico held up the book as if it showed proof of his words. “but I don’t think you need me to tell you that.”

pulling another box toward him nico watched as emilia blushed deeply, busying herself with organizing the books onto her shelves in the corner, “it’s just nice to be out in the world and ready to explore you know? I mean you travel all the time for work.”

“yeah canada in the middle of winter is thrilling,” nico huffed with a smile as he opened the box in front of him. “nothing quite like freezing to death in-“

emilia looked up from her spot by the shelves and yelped as she dove on top of the box nico had opened. their eyes met and before she could say anything nico collapsed into a fit of laughter as her face turned an embarrassingly bright shade of red.

“stop! I didn’t think you’d be opening the box when I packed it,” emilia shrieked as she pushed the box into the corner of the living room.

“and you decided to pack your sex toys right on top?” nico huffed out as a wide grin spread across his face. “jesus how many are in there em? surely you don’t need all of them.”

“they all do different things,” emilia scoffed and nico raised his brows. “i’m not explaining vibrators to you hischier. some of us don’t have girls throwing themselves at our feet because we can hit a puck with a stick.”

“I do not-“

“don’t even try to correct me,” emilia smiled as she carried the box to her bedroom then came back. “when I went to that game last week every other girl I saw had your jersey on. not to mention the amount of screaming when you skated out.”

emilia grinned widely as a deep red colored nico’s cheeks. satisfaction buzzing under her skin she went to pour two glasses of red wine for them before returning to the living room.

“to your new adventure,” nico raised his glass with a smile as emilia rolled her eyes is mock exasperation. “and to old friends.”

“to old friends and new adventures,” emilia smirked as they clinked glasses.

[dynamite124]

Ooo, Taliesin's Gate questions, sign me up. Here's a few (very earlygame only, so as to avoid spoilers): 1. How would you find Taliesin postcrash? 2. How would he react to the knowledge that there's a tadpole in his head? 3. How would he react to finding out what ceremorphosis does, and that he's got 7 days to live? 4. What would his default camp clothes/tent space look like? 5. Are there any companions that would get a "Taliesin disapproves" blip for adding to the roster?

So I'm unable to play Baldur's Gate III due to lack of space on my computer, but I can use my imagination and I have my Astarion replace for Taliesin to fill in the gaps. ;__;

Maybe someday, I'd love to make a Taliesin Tav and do a playthrough as how Taliesin would.

I honestly don't know how to answer this one because I can't play the game so I'm unaware of the maps or names of the land.

2. Oh absolute DRAMA! He would feel VIOLATED to no end, probably constantly taking baths or looking up herbal remedies in a spiral of declining denials thinking it's something simple like the flu. "Maybe...if I take a REALLY hot bath and dunk my head in it, it'll die! Yes that's what I'll do! It's so simple! haha!"

3. Like the Debbie Downer he is during times of crisis where HE'S personally affected, Taliesin immediately vers into the negative side of things. Coming to the conclusion that they're not going to make it and makes a bucket list of things he wants to do before turning. Maybe a new hair cut? Trying something new? Admitting or becoming more forward with his feelings and opinions. Things like that, he lets go of doubt because he's out of time and just does things without a second thought.

4. Even when out on the road, Taliesin really doesn't have a clear definition of "casual" in his dictionary. He might wear something ridiculously flamboyant and not very appropriate for camping! He may need to be taken shopping for something better down the line!

His tent space he'll keep organized. His tent style would probably look like the classic tents you'd see around the War camps of Skyrim, tall with a cot, several boxes set up for makeshift shelves where he can books lined up. A few fur blankets to keep himself warm and comfy, a little tea set on a tiny table, a rug to keep himself separated from the dirt, and another table where he can sit down and work on Berwhale, sharpening and cleaning him to make sure he's ready to do some stabbing! and a little area where Naomi can keep close and rest herself.

5.

Astarion: Remains neutral. Considering his own introduction in Skyrim with the Dragonborn, he has no grounds for arguing about poor first impressions.

Shadowheart: Taliesin Approves

Gale: Remains neutral.

Wyll: Taliesin Approves

Lae'zel: Remains Neutral.

Karlach: Taliesin Greatly Approves

Halsin: Taliesin Greatly Approves

Minthara: Taliesin Disapproves

Minsc: Taliesin Approves

Jaehira: Remains neutral.

[fangswbenefits]

Sorry this is long! Don’t feel the need to respond, just had to tell you how much The Arrangement means to me!

Hi, Ruby!! I wanted to reach out and tell you how much I LOVE (!!!) The Arrangement. It is so beautifully written. I can’t get enough of that slow burn that you expertly craft - the romance, the tension, the desperation.

I’m new to the fanfic world mainly because I have some fear surrounding sex that is rooted in trauma. Most smut I’ve stumbled upon is so unfriendly to women and to those who have experienced sexual abuse. I stumbled across your writing because I am obsessed with Astarion & think he’s mad hot. I was nervous because I didn’t want to trigger myself, but I decided to read The Arrangement because I liked the idea of steamy sex with a plot! I was so blown away at how beautifully you wrote this. Not only is it so fucking hot, but you show that there can be beauty in the broken. I was initially attracted to Astarion because, I too, feel like I’ve never belonged to myself. I’ve felt like a freak for being afraid of being touched; the fear of taking things too far even when it’s all that I wanted. I’m not kidding when I say I was actually brought to tears reading this. I felt things in my body and mind that I thought I couldn’t feel anymore, and it gave me a sense of renewed hope. I was so excited that I told my therapist, and she told me that I should definitely keep exploring your work, so that I can keep finding parts of myself that I lost. I was nervous to even reach out to you to tell you this, but I thought you’d like to know.

Thank you, Ruby, for your writing from your heart so that others can read with their’s. I hope to see a book by you on the shelves someday.

<3

Okay.... this actually brought me to tears because I have been where you are. I've come across fics that really touched me in ways that helped me go through days when I felt so down and hopeless. I feel you, my friend 🫂 and knowing that this story can help someone else the same way I was helped really humbles me. I am too harsh on my writing, and I let my mind tell me I'm not doing enough, but... whenever I get feedback like this, that's when I know I need to realise that words hold power and that I am doing my best to deliver this story to all of you.

Astarion is an incredible character that has truly helped so many with how he was brought to life paired with incredible writing. It's an honour to find a voice for him that might help others feel even more connected to him and even find the inspiration to carry on.

You're not alone. None of us are 🫂🩷 sending you a big hug and hoping things get easier. Keep your head up and your heart strong 🫂

[mermaidsirennikita]

I think what's often missed in the "why can't we play with genre and not write romance with an HEA?" conversation is that a lot of people defending the HEA are heavy romance readers who are very aware of the amount of money involved, and how the authors who pop off about wanting to be able to label their non-romance books romance are in fact... thinking of money.

Not solely money, of course. And that's not meant to be a critique--I'm a writer, I'd love to write books for a living someday. Money is important. I'm all about getting money for your work, and I've never begrudged anyone for writing to market, writing to catch a trend, whatever. Sometimes it can turn out badly, but if you want to make money it does have to happen (and often writers write to market, get big, and then write what they want... see Ali Hazelwood's Bride) and as long as you are writing a good product and enjoying yourself... I don't see the issue.

BUT. Romance is extremely commercially viable, and it has been especially for the last few years (though that hype has to die down at some point, dude--and I think the shift to romantasy is probably like, the last breath of the current boom, and romance will go back to its normal levels of popularity, which are still more commercially viable than many other genres). So when people (like me) see writers going "but why CAN'T I label my love story that doesn't have an HEA 'romance?"...

I mean. We know why lol. We aren't idiots. Why is it so important that your fantasy novel is placed on the romance shelves, in the romance categories on Amazon? Is it because these authors have a deep and abiding love of romance and just want to sit with the cool kids? Is it because their hearts beat for romance, and even though they wrote something that is not a romance (the thing their hearts beat for) they just are desperate for it to be there? Is it because they are SO DEDICATED TO THE CRAFT OF WRITING and SO EDGY that they MUST change genres, they MUST break CHAINS!!!!

No lol. It's because when you write a romance, you are much more likely to be recommended by the BookTok girlies reading ACOTAR (and say what you will.... those books do by and large, I believe, have HEAs for pretty much all of the core couples). You want that Fourth Wing bread. You are more likely to have access to an audience that spends more than other audiences do. You want access to an audience that also is, let us be real, less likely to be real misogynistic about your book than certain subsets of the fantasy readership.

And the thing is--sure. A lot of readers sincerely don't care. And good for you, why did your book need to be labeled a romance the--oh, wait. I see!

But the readers who do care and spend like, anywhere from $1.99-$35.00 on your book (look dude, I'm thinking about preordering a pretty copy of the next Kerri Mansicalco, and I feel a LOT BETTER about spending that money because she specifically referencing HEA's when announcing her adult titles, and I APPRECIATE THAT A LOT ACTUALLY) only to find out that it's not the thing they expected... It doesn't follow the ONE RULE you expected it to follow because of how it was marketed...

The only time I've kinda come close to having that happen is actually when I read that book the new Anne Hathaway Harry Styles fanfic movie is based on. I was verrrry new to going back into the romance genre, and I read it expecting, based off the premise, that this was a fun, maybe a little silly, sexy book about a woman falling in love with fake Harry Styles. And she does. And guess what? At the end they rather randomly and suddenly break up.

And it kinda sucked.

It's also going to suck to see that book marketed as a romance as the movie comes out, but there you go, I've spoiled you, HORROR OF HORRORS I let you know that the thing you think is gonna be a fun little romance with a happy ending.... is not.

But yeah dude, imagine if I'd spent ACOTAR or Fourth Wing or Princes of Envy money on that book. I already felt kinda dumb for spending what was probably $8ish? It was a kindle copy. I could've gotten a fry-less sandwich with that money, back then!

So yeah. I just think that a lot of people want to be very condescendingly high-minded about PUSHING GENRE BOUNDARIES. And it's like... dude. Do you not think I would get my head bitten off if I went "well, I want to write a fantasy novel, but I don't want there to be magic... I actually want it to be revealed that everything is just run by computers the whole time, and the magical spell was actually a hologram, and I want that to be shelved and sold as fantasy"?

Yeah. Because I'm basically tricking people out of their money, lmao.

[innocenthedgehog]

Writeblr Intro

Hello everyone! I'm Tom (he/him), and I decided to join Writeblr to make some more writing friends. I have no idea how any of this works, but let's give this a go and see what happens!

My Writing

I mainly write YA sci-fi, though I'm open to a bunch of other things

I started writing seriously in April 2021, messed around with a few projects, finally finished a first draft in 2022, shelved it, and have been project hopping ever since. But I've finally found a story I have passion for, so here's hoping purgatory is over!

I'm a pantser

I like third-present, first-retrospective, pretty prose, specificity, pulpy action scenes, unique worlds, sympathetic characters, disaster characters, sympathetic disaster characters

WIPs

Beneath the Burning Sky

I call this story Berg for short, after my friend was very mean and called it ice Dune lol. This is my main focus, and a book I hope to traditionally publish someday. I have no idea how much I'm allowed to share with that caveat, so I'll probably avoid major plot things.

Genre: YA sci-fi sapphic romance

Status: Currently drafting, approximately 25K

Description: When they're both stranded in the frozen wilderness by an attack on their planet, Lana (a village hunter) tries to bring Sierra (the president's daughter/rising star of the stage) back home. Rivals to lovers, class conflict, winter survival. Lana may have a long-lasting crush on Sierra from watching her performances on TV. Also sentient flying snake aliens which are very friendly. Mostly. I promise I will write an actual blurb soon lmao

To Dream of Brighter Shadows

This has a very complicated history which I won't go into now, but in it's current form, it's a project I desperately want to write some day. The discovery writing I've done for it so far is by far my best prose.

Genre: Adult literary sci-fi

Status: Discovery writing

Description: A university student struggling with burnout and undiagnosed neurodivergence uses VR cybernetic implants to try and rebuild her old life.

Space Spies

This is entirely vibes right now, but it'll probably be the book I write when Berg's first draft is done.

Genre: YA sci-fi thriller

Status: Brainstorming

Description: Think Cherub/Gallagher Girls in space. May or may not include aliens.

The Ether Cycle

I will not let this distract me.

Genre: Adult? epic fantasy

Status: I will not acknowledge this exists. Though I may have the start of a magic system. And a world. And a conlang.

Description: A world made of floating islands, trees that are impossibly tall, reverse waterfall elevators, magic airships, teleporters, matchlocks? There is no plot.

Can't wait to make some friends here. Please like/reblog/friend me if you like the sound of any of this. I'll be sure to post some WIP intros and some excerpts soon!

[autumnslance]

(@driftward) Oh, let's see, one per inbox item defeated per blog, correct? Of course I'm correct. Gimme dat Little Brother Thing; self-indulgent on my part going to ask after The Effects of Wine (Y'shtola); It Ends Where It Begins sounds ~interesting~; Hilda Ideas, for both me and a friend; X'rhun and F'lhamin (eyebrows eyebrows eyebrows); and a bonus just out of sheer curiosity, Biot's Antecedent Musings

Good job defeating the inbox boss. Why were you awake at hours only reasonable to me and our local Australian?? Anyway.

Little Brother Thing - Stormblood 4.3. As Alphinaud accompanies Maxima, Aeryn reflects back on key moments in their journey together, and how much he's grown and changed from the arrogant boy she shared a cart with but didn't properly meet until the Remembrance Ceremonies, to the confident young man he is at this point--and how she's still going to worry for him regardless of how capable he is, because that's how it goes.

I should revisit this actually, it's got some good bones. Hrm.

The Effects of Wine - ARR, Company of Heroes chain, Y'shtola POV. After the Feast, Y'shtola and Aeryn rest in a bungalow and have a late evening talk about Aeryn's growing reputation, why the Company did what they did, and how she just ever meant to be a common adventurer to help people--not a primal slaying hero. Aeryn says more here than usual at this point in the story; maybe the wine, maybe the growing trust in her comrade.

I should get around to cleaning it up and posting it somewhere, honestly. It was a noodle-thought from very early on as I was figuring out voices and relationships, but it's not too bad.

It Ends Where It Begins - is a post-5.0 Shadowbringers. Something that the Exarch said in the cliffside convo before Mt Gulg reminded Aeryn of Papalymo's words post-Ultima Weapon (it's a click text when everyone's gathered in the Waking Sands to congratulate you before you turn in the final 2.0 quest in to Minfilia). Given all that happens to WoL in 5.0, and the revelations in general, Aeryn ends up thinking of the words as she looks back on her journey, and ends up in Gridania. And it leads into what then became a seaswolchallenge prompt in 2020, Metamorphosis, where she tells Miounne and Bremondt stories of her adventures.

Hilda Notes - Literally just a list of notes about horny Hilda moments for some reason. There's a draft for a fic of her and a touch-starved Thancred I can check off. Ideas for a cop vs vigilante fic with Sidurgu (maybe something sexy there, maybe not). And an idea for a Hilda solo as she fantasizes about a hot Highland lass met while dealing with Ala Mhigo stuff. It's not even a real fic draft, it's just a list of random ideas written up while apparently hormonal.

X'rhun and F'lhaminn - Oh this is from back in I think Book Club days and a rarepair challenge month. Find a relationship that doesn't already exist on Ao3. Write something. Back then there were no tags joining these characters in any way. I was going to try to write the duelist and songstress in a light friendly adventure of their own, maybe get in some witty flirty banter for the fun of it, but the mystery never quite gelled and so I shelved it. Maybe someday. And add in Nashmeira.

Biot's Antecedent Musings - Discord convo on 12/28/22 where you were having thinky thoughts about Thancred and Minfilia and being the person she confided in about the Echo and I accused you of trying to bait me into writing something about that.

[found-wings]

you ever think that sometimes when code phil is trapped in one of the federations facilities going through experiments, even though he's in pain. sometimes he'll see books on shelves and data sheets full of information inside the observation room.(albeit, through blurry eyes as he's def not fully there at the moment) and even though he'd be in pain, he'd quietly think that cellbit would like to see that, since everytime he finds out island / fed / code info, its instinct to pull out the camera to get pics to share with him. (I'd imagine that he says this to himself, but deep down he knows damn well that they won't allow him to remember a thing that happened during this stay ^-^ ) - 💿

Reading this on my work break and I am now also in emotional pain because of this AJAKAJ

Each time when his memory is messed with, whenever he sees Cellbit there‘s this odd feeling in the back of his mind that bothers him like- he feels like he wanted to share something with Cellbit but he can‘t remember what, so he just brushes it off as unimportant. Surely if he can‘t remember it then it wasn‘t important to begin with :D totally not him attempting to cope with the obvious memory gaps caused by the Federation by brushing it off :DD

Phil attempting to read the titles of books and data sheets, what they say and mean in an attempt at distracting himself from the things he‘s being put through, with the smallest wish of someday remembering these things to share with the others.

PAIN

[windsails]

i live in my office. it’s a nice office. i have a kitchen and bathroom and bedroom and shelves full of books. i have a guitar and a tv for when i want to take a break. someday i want to see the world beyond this place. i know there is one. i can see it out my window

[thotpuppy]

just got in the print copies of Under My Skin and showed my mum

she was rly excited for me which i appreciate and all, but. i asked if we could put it on the shelf, qnd instead ofnjust waving her hand or beong dismissive, she said to put it up with the Terry Pratchett books

hes her favorite author so her entire collection is separate from the main shelves (we are running out of room again) (Zachary Pike is a local author who writes similarly to pratchett which is why he is on the pratchett shelf too) (its a huge honor) (she night actually read my fic too)

BUT ALSO. she said if i didnt wanna put it there there night be enough space next to Dostoyevsky so maybe someday it'll have a home here instead

its probably a bit silly to be so affected by this but vkfkfkfk it is SO cool to see your work up there next to some absolute legends. im enotional. im happy. etc.

[meimi-haneoka]

Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Chapter 68: Comments + JP-ENG translation differences

Hello hello everyone!! Here we are again, one month later, for the third chapter of the future volume 14, chapter 68!! Maaaan I gotta say I got pretty excited with this chapter, at some point I’ve started screaming while I was reading it (thank god I was alone) and I believe it’s been quite some time since that last happened 😂 This chapter is heavily focused on my four favorite characters, which I had predicted they’d be the focus of the “final confrontation”, so I guess that’s only normal. God, I love them all so much and I notice that even more with chapters like these. I also found myself to wish even more desperately for season 2 of the anime, because maaan, the scenery of this chapter is particularly breathtaking. I dunno, it might be because I imagined all of that animated, and my breath caught in my throat, but it would really be so wonderful to see all of that moving with pretty lights and sounds someday. I can definitely, definitely feel we came to the crunch of this story with this chapter.

Curious to know why? Follow me under the cut, but not before taking a look at the gif of the month! 😂

The Color page

Ladies & gentlemen, the third SyaoSaku color page in the span of 6 chapters 😂Is somebody trying to make up for something? 😂 Aww, I have to admit that when I saw this color page for the first time some hours before the chapter release, it made my heart all warm and fuzzy 🥰it’s really nice CLAMP decided to revive that beautiful scene of chapter 23 in a color page, it’s such a sweet and important memory for these two. It was a very happy moment, and here CLAMP decided to bring this one step forward by allowing Sakura and Syaoran to hold hands in a lover’s hold, with their fingers intertwined. 🥰 But this was also the scene where we’ve heard for the first time how unwavering Syaoran was in his resolution to not let Sakura feel any sorrow. Yes, sorrow, 不幸. A word that would become so crucial and important later on, and which is recalled even in this chapter through Momo’s words. This color page is also connected to what happened in last chapter, when Mirror was explaining why Flight decided to help them, and recalled precisely this scene. Lastly, I think this color page illustrates perfectly the strong bond that connects Sakura and Syaoran together, which gets once more reiterated in this chapter. It’s interesting to note how the color palette of the outfits they are wearing here is different from the one used in the anime! I find both versions charming, to be honest! Pink is my favorite color but I appreciate the anime’s attempt at making Sakura wear something that’s not pink 😁 The JP text here says “Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun’s date in the sky….with Mirror and Flight!”.

What is happiness to you?

The chapter starts with Sakura, seemingly asleep in the void, hearing a voice asking her what is happiness to her and why she’s always been able to say that “everything will surely be alright”.

By now, we already know whose voice it is. Reminds you of something? Of course it does! Not only it is the "mirror" of how Chapter 65 started, kicking off this “story” inside Clockland (that time it asked about sorrow, this time about happiness), but it is also a recall to how Momo introduced Sakura to her “hint” back in chapter 50. Everything keeps reconnecting and going full circle, folks.

Turns out, Alice briefly fell asleep and wakes up, finding herself on a gondola, together with the Red Queen. As she opens her eyes, we’re made partakers of the beautiful scenery that unfolds before her: on both banks of the river they’re navigating, there are huge shelves full of books, and the wood of the shelves morphs into tall trees. Little black & white roses, seemingly the Queen’s crest, are nestled into small lamps, illuminating the way. Alice wonders about the voice she believes she just heard, and although she’s sure to have heard it before, she can’t quite recall who it is.

First translation difference here:

ENG: “I don’t know. But...I can’t shake the feeling I’ve heard it before” JP: “I don’t know. But...I have the feeling I’ve been asked the same thing before”

The difference here is given by the word 聞かれた. It is true that the verb 聞く means both “to listen” or “to ask”, but when used in this way, it definitely means “been asked”. After all, Momo was indeed asking her something. I found this part a bit confusing because all Alice was talking about in the ENG was “hearing a voice”, not that it spoke to her. So the Queen asking her if it was important felt a bit weird. What’s important, the voice? No, she’s indeed asking about what the voice asked to her.

And here I ask you to pay particular attention to the font of the Japanese version, as I predicted in my last post. Because here, for a moment, we see a “magic effect” around Sakura, and then she replies “Yes. Something very important.” WITH A REGULAR FONT. This means Sakura is talking as her real self here!! Again, triggered by important matters, she regained conscience of her true self. But unfortunately that lasts shortly, as she looks up to the Cat, standing on a bridge between shelves, looking down on her in a very…..pissed off way.

I mean, look at his clenched fists here! 😂 That unfortunately sends Sakura back to her Alice role. As the two girls continue navigating the river, Kaito talks to Momo, who keeps appearing only as a voice and not physically. I want to point out that not only here, but throughout the chapter, the ENG translation put a lot of “filler words” that skew the perception of the tone of certain characters. Of course, if you’ve been following this blog for a while, I don’t even need to point out who these changes affect the most.

ENG: “Perhaps I can convince you not to give Alice here any hints? Here I thought the guardian of the book wasn’t to assist the players”

JP: “I would like you to refrain from giving any hint to Alice. I thought the guardian of the Book couldn’t help any of the characters?”

In the ENG version, with that “I can convince you”, Kaito sounds vaguely threatening. Like “if you don’t do as I say, I’ll convince you by force”. In the JP version, there’s none of that. Kaito still speaks with his usual polite tone to Momo, while still being clearly annoyed at her. Annoyed doesn’t mean he has to suddenly become an as*hole to her. And even when Momo replies, explaining that her line was said merely as a “facilitator” (this very same English word is included in the furigana of the 進行役 word) of the Book, she doesn’t use neither “boy” nor the overly salty tone she’s got in the ENG version. Yes, sure, I was highly amused by the way these two bickered in the ENG translation, but I have to be impartial and say when things aren’t really as they are presented. STILL, the scene is so hilarious because Kaito is beyond pissed 😂(for his standards) and he replies “I beg to differ” but decides to prioritize following the girls, as he can’t lose sight of them.

Books are "Our Story"

Alice looks at the immense library that stretches along the banks of the river, and notices how many books are there. The Queen says that books are very important in this country, and Alice asks her if she likes books too. I would like to think Alice was instinctively brought to pose this question because Sakura’s subconscious knows this is Akiho. Of course the Queen answers she does, because books were always by her side. Just like the real Akiho. Meanwhile, the gondola enters a part of the river where the trees above are interwoven more and more, until it looks as if the girls are entering some kind of “tunnel” or “cavern”. I found that eerily beautiful too (I need to see this animated!!!!!). While the two girls get off the gondola and reach a shelf, the Queen explains that books are people’s “memories”. And they serve as a “record” too. Seeing as “record” (記録) is indicated between brackets, I can’t help but think about the relative Record Card. But what these books “record” in them? The Queen says: “Somebody’s feelings. Their hopes. And the magic they’ve weaved. Many [stories] are recorded in them”. Alice utters the word “record”, probably as if it reminded her of something…. Then she asks the Queen if the book she’s holding is her favorite one. Try to zoom in and pay attention to the magic circle depicted on the cover of this book. Looks familiar? Yes, because you have seen it before.

The version on the cover of this book seems slightly more elaborated, but there’s no doubt it’s the magic circle belonging to the members of the most ancient magical clan of Europe, collectively called by me as the “Squid Clan”. It is kinda surprising the Queen grabbed specifically this book, and with some friends I was musing on which underlying meaning this library could have. Does it store the records, the stories of all the people who tried to use Momo’s book? After all, we’ve been told that her book records the life of the owner. If that’s true, then maybe we could infer someone from Akiho’s clan tried to use it, at some point? Regardless, the Queen replies that this is not her favorite book. Her favorite book is Alice in Clockland. And here pay attention, dear readers, because as she utters the name of the book, the font in the Queen’s speech bubble is back to normal!!

This is not the Queen anymore, AKIHO is regaining control of her consciousness! With nonchalance she lets go of the book she was holding, which goes back to its place in the shelf. Alice points out:

ENG: “That’s my name…” “Perhaps. But it is the title of your story” JP: “That’s my name...and yet, it’s the title of a book you have”

As you can see, the ENG translation completely misunderstood who was talking in the second bubble of this panel. It is not Akiho, despite the bubble being close to her (there’s no tail pointing at her, indeed), but actually still Alice. Alice is confused because a book belonging to the Queen is titled with her name. So this brings Alice to question her own identity. And the true identity of the Red Queen in front of her. Akiho replies that she doesn’t know, because she’s forgotten her previous name when she entered Clockland. But there’s one thing she remembers. It’s the one thing no magic could ever make her forget. Before entering Clockland, she had a [special person]. Here it is again. That 特別なひと I fussed so much about during last chapter. It seemed such a trivial thing and yet I knew it wasn’t, because this is a specific term with which the story is indicating the person someone loves. That’s why it was important to me, I think this is going to be very important to understand the story, and fortunately this time around they translated it correctly. Akiho, talking with a regular font and all, seems to regain a hold of herself more and more. Thanks to a mutual on Twitter I even realized that her pronoun changes from 私 (watashi, in kanji) to わたし (watashi, in hiragana), which is the usual way her pronoun is written when she speaks as Akiho. THERE IS a difference there!! She remembers about the girl she’s got in front of her, too. She tells her that she had a name more befitting of who she is, actually, Akiho says that she’s just the embodiment of the thing she was named after. (This part was translated in ENG as merely “it was your name” and I don’t think they really got the beautiful praise she was giving to Sakura). “Just like a flower that blooms in spring”

Catfight part 2?

A shriek echoes in the library, it’s our Syaoran, the REAL Syaoran, yelling Sakura’s name!!!

He cut through the fake environment created by the book with his own sword, but Kaito wastes no time in appearing in front of him, out of nowhere, praising him for managing to stay inside the book, but affirming that having two Cats is really inconvenient for him (taken literally from the JP text, as opposed to the more arrogant way the ENG decided to translate it with). Kaito tries to grab Syaoran, but as he does so, we find out it was the Mirror Card who had taken Syaoran’s appearance, and it’s now back in the hands of the real one!! Sakura FINALLY recognizes her Syaoran, regaining her own identity once and for all, thanks to her beloved one. As some of my japanese mutuals have pointed out in their own reviews of the chapter, it’s really beautiful that the trigger for both girls waking up from the role they were playing is the person they’re in love with. Syaoran apologizes for being late, and Sakura can’t contain the tears, realizing she couldn’t remember who she was, but she was able to free herself of the spell when he called her name! Syaoran says something really important and poignant, and Mokona sensei gives the entire page to Syaoran to indicate how fundamental this is:

JP: “The only Sakura there'll ever be for me is [Kinomoto Sakura]”

Kinomoto Sakura, with her full name in kanji and all (he usually calls her in hiragana, but here the moment is solemn, you know!). He might have been put under stress and been tested with the whole Mirror thing, but Syaoran will always find his way back to his Sakura. No matter what. Sakura is so very comforted by that. But someone else is just not as comforted…. Syaoran regained control of the Mirror Sakura Card (again with that “Mirror Clow Card” in the ENG translation!! THE CLOW CARDS DON’T EXIST ANYMORE, FFFFF--!!) and even dispelled the Mirror new card, effectively undoing Kaito’s disguise, who goes back to his real self. At this point, we should have all four protagonists of this story with their true selves, no one is playing a role anymore. But Akiho is suspiciously quiet and unresponsive to all of this mess, and Mokona sensei avoided drawing any expression on her, covered by the veil. What is going on with her? I hope everything is fine, but I have the feeling something….might be going on with her….something related to the Squid Clan. Kaito notices that Syaoran managed to bring a sword in this place, storing it inside of his body, and it is likely a skill he acquired during his time back in Hong Kong (not, as the ENG translated, “You’ve grown during your time back in Hong Kong”, that could refer to his physical growth but this is not what Kaito is talking about here). He wonders if it was thanks to his mother’s gift, the divination, or if it was just his own good fortune. Of course Syaoran has to wonder how Kaito knows about all of that. He replies that Syaoran is...quite famous in the circles he runs in (that “young man” was merely added to fill in that bubble, Kaito isn’t being arrogant with Syaoran here. None of the condescending “boy” or “young man” you ever see in this chapter in English is truly said by the characters in Japanese). He says that “the most ancient European magicians” are particularly interested in the Li Clan’s movements. After all, the Li Clan’s got family lineage in common with that of Clow Reed, and indeed that European Clan is particularly spiteful towards them. So, if we ever needed it, we got confirmation that the Squid clan is particularly spiteful towards the Li Clan due to their connections to Clow Reed. When I’ve read this confirmation spelled out like this, I couldn’t avoid going back to think about my theory that the Squid Clan is actually the Reed family (noticed how they never reveal the Clan’s name?), the other branch of Clow’s family on his father’s side. It would kinda make sense if you consider the natural competition there might be between the two families, which have such a famous magician in common in their lineage. It’s still a theory at this stage, but I admit I did let out a shriek or two 😂.

Kaito’s watch suddenly cracks some more, and as he witnesses that, he says he really needs to make Syaoran leave, because he’s got no more time. Again, the ENG translation made Kaito sound condescending and arrogant with his “I have no time for this, you see”, when actually he was merely hinting that his life span is almost over. This is also why you see Syaoran startled by his affirmation, cause it seems he might be having a hunch about it. Syaoran realizes that Kaito is about to start something, so he summons Mirror and uses it on Flight (which was there with them on its own) to prepare “doubles” of it to give to both Sakura and Akiho. Apparently the interaction of Mirror with Flight gave also Syaoran a pair of beautiful crystal wings that just looks like the ones on Mirror’s back.

Syaoran sternly affirms that “I will take them back with me” (again, the ENG unnecessarily specified that he would bring Sakura with him, but the truth is that there’s no subject in the JP text and Syaoran gave a copy of Flight to Akiho too, so he’s very intent on bringing her outside along with Sakura. Therefore, why infering that he’s only focused on his girlfriend and doesn’t care about what happens to Akiho? Excuse me, but that’s not our Syaoran. He would never discard an innocent girl like that, and it makes sense because he doesn’t know about Kaito’s real intentions yet). Kaito confidently replies “I won’t allow it” (the ENG here made him say the more arrogant “No, boy. I’m afraid you aren’t”).

And with this huuuuuuge cliffhanger, chapter 68 ends here, in anticipation for the confrontation we were all expecting! I don’t think it will last for long, if they ever manage to start it, that is, cause Akiho’s behavior is kinda sketchy and I’m afraid a certain clan will soon “enter the chat” in their own way.

This chapter was really exciting for me, I enjoyed it from the first to the last page, and I feel it really reiterated how “identity” is a HUGE thematic in Clear Card. It’s very important to not lose sight of who you truly are, and our loved ones can help us remembering that at all times. In fact, both Akiho and Sakura “wake up” from their roles thanks to the memories of their loved ones. I applaude both girls for escaping the influence of this powerful spell, it must have not been easy. Particularly, I commend Sakura because despite being under the influence of it, she never stopped making questions. THAT was the indication that her real essence, her soul, was fighting tooth and nails to regain control of her own reality. She wasn't merely accepting and taking in everything that was in front of her. And I congratulate Akiho too, because she got herself freed from the spell without having any magical powers, only with the strength of her feelings and memories. The physical and metaphorical lifting of the veil was a super powerful image to me. I found it absolutely beautiful and it spoke to me more than a million words. Bravo Mokona sensei. Under that veil that kept her "in her role", there wasn't the somber Queen anymore, but the sweet and warm Akiho we always knew.

Syaoran was super cool and I think CLAMP delivered what they promised in their Space of some months ago. I’m sure his role isn’t over yet and we’ll see more of him. Please remember that, under his fired up appearance, Syaoran is a very loving and caring child too. He knows what compassion is and I’m sure he’ll give an evidence of it in the last chapters of this arc. While being of course annoyed at Kaito’s behavior, I reaaaally can’t bring myself to be mad at him, seeing how tired and desperate he looks (and sounds) in this chapter. The pocket watch, at this point a symbol of what he’s got left to live, breaks even further and that must have cornered him even more. I once said “Kaito looks like a wounded animal to me”, and wounded animals tend to become really aggressive when they feel under threat. This is what scares me a little bit about him. It’s evident that “failure” is not an option for him, so he has to complete his mission before he dies.

At this point, the only one who can truly stop him is Akiho, and I’m praying that she eventually can gain control of the situation before it’s too late. Sakura can help, of course, but I’m sure the only one who can weaken Kaito is Akiho. The one he’s doing all of this for.

Of course, there’s Momo too. Although she’s clearly got her hands tied, she’s resorting to any kind of tricks to steer this in the direction that will avoid a tragedy from happening. At this point she’s doing it in Kaito’s face too (and he’s not stupid, he notices that but doesn’t want to argue about it right now) and I find that so hilarious, among the seriousness of the situation. She really seemed to me like a mother who was trying to hide spinach in her son’s meatballs, denying that she’s put any of it in them. 😂 All of these characters are so lovable and they’re doing their best for someone else, just like CLAMP said in their latest Spaces.

Another small thing I want to point out is that we still have no “last chapter in 2 issues!” or anything like that announced on the color page. Maybe they want to wait for the very second-to-last chapter before announcing it? We’ll see.

Well, this post is already quite late by my standards so I will leave you here for now, and as usual I await your asks in my inbox to talk about this or that aspect in particular! As usual, a quick reminder of the dates for the next chapter, chapter 69: December 25th, on Bookwalker and Azuki(digital, ENG) December 26th, on Clamp-fans (digital, JP and other languages) December 28th, on Nakayoshi (paper and digital, JP) January 1st 2023, on Comic Days (digital, JP) <- if they don't modify this I'll probably be late again with my chapter post 😭

Let’s hope we’ll get an extraordinary chapter as a Christmas present!! See you on Christmas day!! 🌸

[desultory-novice]

I haven't had the chance to do it yet, but do you know if the Japanese pause screens or text in RTTDDX contain any lore that, by chance, didn't appear in the english translations? I ask because I just remembered when Star Allies did the same thing with Void Termina's jp pause screen. (I wish I could relive that day, lol)

I'm sorry, Inifinite! I actually had this post ready to go a while ago but Tumblr kept borking on me and I eventually shelved it because I was so annoyed by it crashing mid-edit! Finally came back to it because this is a very good question!

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So, I only looked at the ones I had screenshots of, but I want to start out by saying the Pause Screen translation here is without question more accurate than previous games. This is FL levels of accuracy - the only differences being very minor word choices. As such, I've gone ahead and stuck with the EN descriptions here and "added back" (via parenthesis) anything that could be said to have been "left out" from the Japanese!

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[Master Crown] (The resurrected crown of control has become a mistletoe tree (1) bearing red fruit) Those who wear the Master Crown will gain power, but so will the darkness in their hearts. Thanks to the red fruit, it's become a wrathful wreath-a destroyer called the tree crown without a ruler!

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(1) The word for "mistletoe tree" can also be read in Japanese as "host tree" because mistletoe is a parasite!

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[Master Crown; Last Phase] To free the tree (from the bindings (2) of control) and bring an end to the destruction... To take responsibility for his wicked ways... With all of his magic infused into the sword, he must strike! Magolor must atone for his misdeeds!

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(2) The full kanji here would typically be 呪縛 - "curse" + "restriction" but "curse" and "tree" are sound-alikes, so they left the "curse" kanji off, meaning it CAN be read as "bound tree"

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[Magolor Soul - True Arena Phase 1] The one-eyed wreath grants power but swallows the soul... It devours, stealing any sense of self... Truly, this crown rules all. Free him from this nightmare! Take his hand and save a new friend!

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This one is...basically as is. Anything would just be word choice nitpicks, but to be honest, I don't even have that many. The biggest one would be that the Japanese says "...become friends!" rather than "save a new friend" but "new" implies that they're going to become friends, so yeah. It's the same

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[Magolor Soul - True Arena Phase 2] Kirby... Ugh! I hate having to rely on you, and your vacant stare when I revealed my grand plan was truly insulting. Well, let's see if you can break this thing on my head. If you can, then someday...hee hee heee...I may get to toy with you again!

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I wrote my alternate translation as well as my reasonings for it and what this translation does well in another post [HERE!]

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[Magolor EX] It was in a dusty(4) tome that Magolor first learned about that legendary item. It all sounded like a fairy tale, until he (miraculously) found the Lor and began scheming. It's time to save the universe, Lor...and Magolor!

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(4) "Dusty" is an elaboration on the EN part but definitely not a stretch. One thing that is different is that "legendary item" is absolutely PLURAL in Japanese. Meaning he learned about everything through those same books. Presumably, this includes the artifacts he tells Kirby about, including the Fountain of Dreams and Galactic Nova.

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[Magolor Soul EX] (A battle that exceeded all limits caused the limitless power of the Master Crown to overflow without stop.) What remains of Magolor is a sad shell. He's possessed by the limitless power of the Master Crown, imprisoned by the hatred and obsessions of prior rulers. Now...defeat it and free Magolor's soul!

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I mentioned in a post just yesterday that it was implied the Master Crown kinda went berserk because of Magolor and Kirby's fight and the pause screen lore does seem to play into that interpretation. It was definitely dangerous, but the fight is what caused it to overflow and consume Magolor? Of course, something like that seems like it was bound to consume him eventually...

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[Lor EX & Magolor]

Lor sensed something was amiss when it met Magolor. It can travel to far-off paradises with ease...so why didn't it? Perhaps it hid its true power, wanting to be stopped after (3) stealing the crown...

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(3) Another fine translation; what's most interesting here is word used here in Japanese can also be interpreted as "being made a pawn to retake/recapture the crown"  The key being "recapture" rather than "steal"

There's some mysteries about Magolor this game has given us. (Gotta find time to work on my Magolor essays... Plural...)