#Jane Austen Birthday Party | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

aikatoru · 2 months

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YOU

Dazai x female reader

Warnings: psychological, manipulation, mature themes, minors do not interact, flirting, mentions of oral sex, written in first person pov.

Word Count: 787 words

Dividers are by myself.

Summary:

Dazai has always been an observer, always silently watching, it’s fascinating to him.

Humans no matter where they come from are somewhat…predictable.

And just when he thought things couldn’t get more interesting, in you came.

Hello, you.

Note:

I know I kept saying that I was gonna write this and post it and I kept procrastinating but decided to just post it as it is with a possible continuation…if and only if it does well!!

Tagging: @planetoshun and @eveningatthemoviesnetwork

The sound of rain drizzling, hitting against the window panes was a soothing one when you know you’re inside and saved from the harsh cold.

Most people would argue that the rain was poetic, romantic even…I myself would say that those people are nothing more than stupid optimists. Always looking for ways to delude themselves into thinking that there’s a brighter side to everything—how exhausting.

The rain was nothing more than just water pouring down on everyone, dampening plans and ruining everyone’s day—at least those were my thoughts until the door bell chimes as it opened indicating someone had entered the rugged old bookstore…and in walks a young woman in her early twenties…one can tell that she was young from how her doe eyes look around in curious wonder, a sort of innocence that’s lost on most people nowadays…

“Ah finally some place warm!” You exclaimed closing your wet umbrella, getting the carpeted floors wet making Mr. Fukuzawa, the owner of the bookstore grimace behind the counter.

“Leave the umbrella by the door!” Croaked the old man.

“Right…” you mumbled as you leaned the umbrella by the wall right next to the door before walking over to the counter.

“Welcome to Lupin bookstore, where our books are as old as Mr. Fukuzawa over there…which is ancient if you ask me!” Mr. Fukuzawa harrumphed at the smart little introduction and I simply blow him a kiss before turning back to the young lady, “So, what can I do you for belladonna?”

You giggled with your eyebrows raised, “Oh well aren’t you the smooth talker.”

“Well one of us has to be otherwise there’d be no customers.”

“Ah yes, I see…so I’m looking for a book…”

“Well, you’re in the right place!”

You smiled at that before speaking again,

“…you won’t happen to have Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen would you?”

“Ah a Mr. Darcy fan are you?” Looking you over, you really don’t seem like the reading type…a snug top with a mini skirt and a long coat…you seem like the typical girl to go and hang out with girls your age and talk about boys.

“I’m sorry who?” You asked oh so innocently proving me right…

“Mr. Darcy? The gentleman that Elizabeth Bennet goes crazy over?” I explained only for you to seemed more confused, “…she’s the protagonist of the book…”

“Oh yes of course!” You nodded your head in mocked understanding, “Yes…well see, I haven’t actually read it…I’m hoping to get it as a present for a friend, I’m heading over to her birthday party after this.”

“Ah yes so it is universally acknowledged that one who’s invited someone to a party must be in want of a gift!” You look at me puzzled, and I smiled shaking my head, “Nevermind.”

“Would you like a first edition? Or a normal print?”

“Why do they both look so old?” Was your question that had me holding back a laugh.

“This is a used bookstore Belladonna,” I explained calmly, it’s not your fault that there’s nothing going on in your pretty little head.

“It is?” “Yes.” I nodded and that had you looking incredulously at me. “Ah damn, no offense but I was hoping to get a new one!”

I smiled, “None taken Belladonna but might I say that a first edition is far more valuable.”

“It is?” You asked with wide eyed wonder, God you were precious!

“Yes, shall I wrap it up for you?”

You nodded almost to willingly, changing your mind, “how much is it?”

“A 100 dollars,” I say as your jaw drops.

“That much?! For an old used book?!” You exclaimed in shock, “can I get a discount?”

I sucked in a breath, putting my hands on the counter and watching Mr. Fukuzawa going to the back through my periphery, he was definitely not going to be happy about this, “Tell you what…I can knock off 20 dollars IF…you give me your number.”

I watched as your cheeks turned a bashful shade of red, “Oh…I can’t give it to you…see I’ve got a boyfriend.”

“Oh what misery! Alas, for we can never be!!” Doing an over the top whip of my head back.

There was a pause until you said, “…so…can I still have the discount?”

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders, “I don’t know…what have you got to offer me?”

“I…I…could recommend this place to all my friends and family.”

I contemplated for a moment before saying that it wasn’t good enough.

“I-I could…suck you off.” Your voice going low into a whisper.

Unable to hide my reaction, the corners of my lips tilted up into a smile.

“Now you’re speaking my language.”

To be continued…

#aika writes 🤍#aikatoru blog #dazai osamu #bsd dazai #bungou stray dogs dazai #dazai x reader #dazai x you #dazai x y/n #dazai x fem reader #dazai bsd #dazai fanfic #bungou stray dogs

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suzannahnatters · 4 months

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I've cranked through the first half of Love Like the Galaxy in under a week and I REGRET NOTHING: how fast can I put myself outside this gloriously mature and well written Jane Austen style comedy of manners with intermittent murder. Reactions to the first 12 eps under the cut because wow I verbose when I happy

I'm 3 eps into Love Like the Galaxy and while "becoming thoroughly absorbed by Chinese Jane Austen" was not on my bingo list I'll take it.

I have trust issues with cdramas after watching GOODBYE MY PRINCESS which was the drama equivalent of the kind of dude who says 'heh heh I like a girl with spirit' but I do really love what they're doing with Niao Niao and how she's had to survive her awful aunt and grandmother (who are like Mrs Norris and Mrs Bennet, respectively) by becoming calculating, distrustful, selfish and utterly devoted to her own cause

LOVED the moment in ep3 where she tries to show her mother, who's this strict Confucian parent, the sort of nonsense she's had to put up with for years by subjecting her to the evil wiles of Aunt Norris and Grandma Bennet, she just outright pointed out the double standards her mother is operating by

anyway we shall see how things turn out! I'm finding the grounded visuals very nice too - everyone's not caked in makeup and jewels all the time, they look very comfy and believable.

oh my the softly besotted look on Torture General's face when he sees her carriage going by

he hasn't seen her face yet, he just knows she's cold, unfilial, and utterly calculating and he's fallen for her for all the reasons that everyone else reproaches her for

episode 6 of LLTG: a dispute over a writing desk has made me cry. what

This whole scene with the dreadful mother holding court and Niao Niao defending herself - so ably that she beings her brothers and cousin to take her side against her mother - GAH this is AMAAAAAZING

I adore that they don't have anyone fingerwagging at our girl to tell her that actually her mother is doing these toxic things because she deep down cares about her (aHEM, My Journey To You) - they're just being really clear that it's all dreadfully unfair.

I also love that the toxic mother is a sword-wielding warrior woman. She's so heroine-coded??? while also being a terrible person? amazing! I love the unexpectedness of it!

snerk I love this celebrity scholar deciding to Bestow a Mark of His Favour upon our girl and she tosses it right back at him

this Prince Xiao enters twirling moustaches he doesn't even have, wow

laughing my head off at the Big Romantic Rescue complete with cape SWOOOOOOOSH

this is great. I feel like I'm watching a faintly swoony BBC adaptation of a lost Jane Austen novel

also I take it back, Niao Niao isn't selfish at all - she's just realised that if she doesn't fight for herself then no one else will. But she's not making it an excuse to be unfair or horrible to her perfect cousin, even though it would be the most understandable thing in the world

I love her, she deserves the world

ep7: I've only known Wan QiQi two minutes and I would die for her

is it just me or is this smug scholar precisely the type of man we've all come across??? NN not giving him the time of day is EVERYTHING

Third Aunt giving Third Uncle a shave: what a scene. God bless cdramas. Also, the extent to which there is a whole epic romance cdrama happening somewhere in the backstory here is AMAZING

Also: QiQi is a showy kind of BFF to have - showing up late to the party in a bright red dress and instantly pillaging the birthday gifts she brought the princess to deck you out in earrings? chef's kiss - but I'm also SO appreciative of how they're treating Yang Yang! That moment at the banquet early in the episode where Niao Niao, who can't even read, says, somewhat hurt and pettish, "I don't need to learn ANYTHING! I'm good just as I am!" and Yang Yang says, "Yes, you are!" despite being a bookworm since birth? I LOVE THEM

ahaha NN gives a speech shaming the snobby aristocratic girls for looking down on the daughter of a general, and being extravagant, and don't they know all this bounty is due to the emperor and his generals? feels like the show is buying the right to critique filial piety by kissing up to the state

the statism is the one thing I've disliked about the show so far (also didn't think much of NN snitching on her great-uncle) but that's pretty much a constant in Chinese media except for one wuxia novel I read years ago (BaiFa MoNu Zhuan/Legend of the White Haired Maiden), so onward…

"I'm Eleventh Young Master who has admired you for a long time" sHriEKing

he looks so happy too

GO NIAO NIAO BITE HER

Deeply enamoured of the way General Wan has the features and mannerisms of an animated Disney villain

"why is that unlucky person still here? he seems like a lingering ghost" impeccable "Lizzie Bennet wonders why she keeps bumping into Mr Darcy on her daily walk, after she specifically told him this was where she walked daily" energy

well I did not think the show could make me sympathise with the toxic mum, but it did, by dint of showing that the dad is intentionally playing good cop so he can enjoy his daughter's adoration while he encourages her mum to beat her???

I really hope the cruddy dad experiences the consequences of his actions here but even more than that, I'm amazed that the show has found a way to make us sympathise for the bad mum as a person without trying to make her less bad

I'm just in awe of the writing here - it's SO deft and able.

ah, this must be the bamboo forest where they store action scenes - and I LOVE that the band of lady bodyguards gets to stomp the bandits when a lesser show would use this opportunity to bring on the hero and his army of goth henchmen

aw yess! our girl is strategising their way out! It's so delightful to me - this is precisely the kind of leadership/strategy role asian dramas rarely allow to their female characters

now she's getting to command a siege!?!?! all on her own?

and then castigating herself for not being able to save everybody! BABY

on to ep12, which I have heard people cite as the Point Where The Show Gets Good, and given the fact that I've already been elmo on fire dot gif for eleven episodes I'm not entirely sure what everyone else has been drinking but sure! let's see what lies herein

oh this is the GOOD stuff

yes yes, the big rescue, the arrow pulling, all good…what really gets me is that when our girl wants to see the mass execution and Murder General holds her back, it's not bc he's patronising her, it's bc he knows she needs to hear that AhMiao's death was not her fault

this show is justifying tropes I didn't even know COULD be justified…inCREDible

Third Uncle has two braincells and my whole heart

the only thing better than the look of sheer naked yearning on Murder General's face every time he sees Niao Niao or anything tangentially related to her is his determination never to let on how he feels to his two henchmen, who have known since episode two and are eager to help

Murder General hoarding hankies, bits of string, and pencil-ends that belong to Niao Niao like Harriet Smith hoarding Mr Elton memorabilia in EMMA

#love like the galaxy #cdrama #lltg #asian drama #ling buyi #cheng shaoshang

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pepperonidk · 2 years

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iv. a truth universally acknowledged || all my love

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” – Pride and Prejudice; Jane Austen

Pairing: Jeon Wonwoox f!Reader Summary: two idiots walk into the lego section at target... Warnings: cursing, food mention Word Count: 3.6k A/N: SURPRISE POST! today is @leahel 's birthday, so this is also her gift and she and our other bff make a cute lil cameo in this one. (everyone go greet my soulmate a happy birthday rn) Also pretty swaggy of me to line this up around Jeonghan's birthday. can u tell i'm excited for fall? it's all too well (10 minute version) (taylor's version) weather <3

take a look at my pinned post to see how to join the aml taglist!

previous chapter || back to library || next chapter

“I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”

Wonwoo set his book down to take a sip of his coffee. The chime of the door opening was followed by the sound of wind howling and Wonwoo tightened his grip on the warm mug in his hands. He let out a contented sigh as the taste of coffee filled his tired mind and the steam reached up to his glasses.

The end of the football season and the hues of oranges and reds painting the tree tops meant autumn had finally arrived. This was the time of year Wonwoo looked forward to the most, when his Saturday mornings were no longer reserved for football practice, but rather for spending time alone in local cafes after his morning run.

Most Saturdays he would spend hours working on homework, two danishes on a plate (one was free for being a regular) and a half-empty mug of black coffee (with two pumps of brown sugar syrup, a secret between him and the barista). However, on some Saturdays, like today, he could spend time rereading one of his favorite books, Pride and Prejudice. By now, his copy of the book was well-worn. After reading it for his literature class his freshman year, he had fallen in love with the book and reread it often. Most of the books in his collection were in the same condition, the margins covered in tiny and messy scrawled notes, and various colored sticky notes sticking out of the pages of the books. “Well-loved,” he liked to call them.

Much like his coffee order, his inclination towards classic romance novels was indeed a secret. Even Wonwoo himself wasn’t completely sure why he felt so attached to these stories. Was it because he related to Elizabeth’s character? Or maybe to Mr. Darcy? Or maybe it was the way Jane Austen’s humor seemed to jump off the page. Whatever the reason was, it was probably written somewhere among the margins and sticky notes that littered his book. But until he could figure it out himself, he refused to let anyone else know.

“Hey Wonwoo,” a cheery voice called. At the sound of his name, he looked up from his book to see Seokmin smiling and waving at him with an iced coffee and a box full of pastries in his hands. He smiled and greeted him in response as he put his book down, making sure to slip his bookmark into his spot.

“Are you gonna eat all those croissants yourself?” Wonwoo joked, pointing at the box in Seokmin’s hands.

Seokmin let out a chuckle before replying, “I wish, but this is for the party tonight. What are you bringing?” Seokmin laughed again at the blank look on his friend’s face. “Did you forget Seungcheol asked us all to bring something?”

Wonwoo pushed his glasses up and tried to remember when Seungcheol brought it up. It was a few weeks ago, the night of the last football game… the night he had to spend taking care of you after you sprained your ankle. To be honest, he thought the call he got from Seungcheol that night was a part of a dream he had.

He remembered arguing with you about who the strongest avenger was – he said Thor and you said Wanda – and that was about the last thing before the sound of his phone cut through the silence. The bright light of his phone illuminated the room and Wonwoo had to squint his eyes to read Seungcheol’s name under the time – 2:38 a.m.

“Wonwoo!” His voice came through the phone as an ear-splitting scream and Wonwoo pulled his phone away from his ear, only to hear a quieter grumble on the couch next to him. He looked over to see you sprawled out on the couch, your arm and leg hung over the side and he scoffed a little bit at how peaceful you looked despite what might have been a very uncomfortable sleeping position. He grabbed a pillow that had fallen off the couch and gently placed your leg on top of it, concerned about how your ankle would feel in the morning.

”So are you coming?” Wonwoo briefly snapped his attention back to his friend on the phone.

“Uh sure,” he replied, not totally sure what he agreed to, more occupied with finding a blanket to cover you up. He found one on the other couch and delicately placed it over you, making sure to even cover your feet. Over the phone he could faintly hear Seungcheol going on about the crazy pancake abomination that Jeonghan and Joshua were making. “Okay,” Wonwoo cut him off, clearing his throat to hide the sleepy rasp in his voice. “I’m uh, studying so I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow.” Before Seungcheol could protest, Wonwoo had already hit the end button.

The last thing Wonwoo remembers from that night was leaving a glass of water on the side table next to you before heading to his own room and flopping down on his bed.

“It’s fine if you forgot,” Seokmin’s voice brought Wonwoo back to the conversation. “I can just say it’s from all three of us.” The smile on his face was so genuine that Wonwoo almost felt guilty for still being confused.

“Three… of us?” He asked, unsure of who the third person was. “Us and Mingyu?”

Seokmin laughed again. “Dude, you really don’t remember anything from that night at all huh?”

Wonwoo let out a sigh of defeat and invited Seokmin to sit down across from him and once he sat down offered him the extra danish. “Honestly,” he began, unsure of how much detail to offer. “I was up pretty late taking care of your friend that night, and when Seungcheol called me I was half asleep.”

Seokmin gave a nod of understanding before a mischievous smile made its way onto his features. “So I’m guessing you also don’t remember that he invited your roomie as well?” The color drained from Wonwoo’s features, causing Seokmin to let out a pitied chuckle. “I’ll take that as a no.”

“She’s coming too?” Wonwoo stumbled over his sentence, annoyed at his own lack of composure.

“Yes sir,” Seokmin mimed a salute at him. “I was on my way to pick her up…” he trailed off for a second, looking around and then down at his bare wrist as if he had a watch on. “But uh, I forgot I have to go get Mingyu actually, so if you could take her that would be great.”

Before Wonwoo could protest, Seokmin was headed towards the door, stuffing the rest of the danish in his mouth and uttering a “Thanks Wonwoo!” as he pushed the door open with his hip.

Dumbfounded and alone, Wonwoo shook his head and looked back down at his coffee in front of him. For a second, he thought about opening his book back up to read a little bit more, but at the sight of the pink envelope sticking out of the top of his book he let out a sigh instead. Looking down at his watch, he saw that it was still early and headed to the counter to order another pastry and a cup of tea before he left the warmth of the cafe.

The red and orange leaves falling down in the cool autumn breeze was enough to make Wonwoo want to spend a quiet day out in the park rather than surrounded by his often obnoxious and loud friend group. As he walked home however, he couldn’t help but feel… well, bored. He was walking the same route he always walks, through the main street so he could appreciate the halloween decorations that were beginning to pop up in the small storefront windows, but he couldn’t help but feel like something was missing this year.

Instead of thinking too hard about it, he clasped his hand around the warm to-go cup of tea even tighter and walked the rest of the way home.

Before he even unlocked the door, Wonwoo could hear the faint sounds of… his dad singing Celine Dion? He let out a chuckle and opened the door, kicking his shoes off before walking into the kitchen for a glass of water. He didn’t bother turning on the lights, the kitchen was illuminated enough by the colorful lights emanating from the living room television. As he headed towards the concert that was happening live from his living room, he laughed at the sight of you being his dad’s number one hype man, amused that you hadn’t noticed him yet.

At the end of the song, he finally made himself known when he clapped, letting out an enthusiastic “Encore! Encore!” to which you finally turned around and gave him a wave. He walked over to the other side of the couch that you were sitting on, handing you the pastry bag and the still warm cup of tea from the cafe. “They had a special autumn blend of tea,” he explained as he watched you take a sip. “I thought you might wanna try it.”

You let out an appreciative hum. “It’s pretty good,” you affirmed, and Wonwoo nodded in response. “Sorry we started Karaoke Saturday without you, your dad was really excited about singing Celine Dion today.”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo’s dad chimed in, wiping at his head. “Mingyu and Seokmin came by while you were out to let me know it’s Jeonghan’s birthday and that both of you would be attending.”

Wonwoo raised his eyebrow at his father’s comment. “Oh they stopped by?” He remembered his conversation with Seokmin earlier, and he realized what was going on. “Why didn’t you go with them? Aren’t they also going to the party?”

He wanted to laugh at the way your eyes widened just the slightest bit as you refused to make eye contact with him. “Uh,” you began. “I haven’t had time to get ready yet, and they had to go pick up the specially made cake Jeonghan requested.” Although the reasoning itself made enough sense, Wonwoo still couldn’t help but smirk at the hint of panic in your voice.

“Oh?” he replied. “That’s perfect, you can come with me instead.” The shade of red your cheeks turned was indication enough that he had you flustered. Wonwoo continued as you coughed in shock at the comment. “Since you and Jeonghan are besties now you can help me find a gift.”

“Did you just say besties?” you scoffed at his comment. “I wouldn’t say besties per se…”

“So does he not invite you over every week to try different boba places with him? You guys haven’t watched every piece of content that has a minion in it together?” he questioned. It was true that you had become quite close with not only Jeonghan, but most of the other boys in Wonwoo’s friend group. At first, most of the boys were coming over to bring you food and to check on you after your injury, but at this point you were pretty much just in the group. All the boys were dying to hang out with you. Wonwoo didn’t really understand why everyone wanted to be around you so badly, and honestly, it did annoy him. He wasn’t completely sure why this would bother him at all, but the more he thought about it –

“Keeping tabs, Wonwoo? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you sound jealous.” Your words snapped him out of his thoughts and now it was his turn to scoff and look away, now pretending to be busy on his phone as he rolled his eyes at you.

Of course, Wonwoo didn’t miss the not-so-subtle thumbs up his father gave you from the side of his vision. He could see it, but was he going to acknowledge it? Of course not. Instead he cleared his throat and announced that the two of you would be heading out after he put his stuff away and got changed.

“Have fun you two,” his dad replied. “Stay out as late as you want, I’m going out with my book club.”

Before Wonwoo could even question his father, he had already left the room, leaving you and Wonwoo in the disco-lit living room with a Mariah Carey song playing in the background.

“When did he join a book club?” you asked Wonwoo, who shrugged his shoulders in response.

“Beats me.” He replied, checking his watch. “Can you start the car? I’ll be down in a second.” Wonwoo opened his backpack and tossed you his car keys as you nodded and made his way upstairs to his bedroom, throwing his backpack onto his bed and running back out to the car. The two of you still had to stop somewhere to get Jeonghan a gift and Wonwoo was not the type of person to be anything short of punctual.

As Wonwoo entered Target, he had a mission in mind – to get a Lego set like Jeonghan mentioned to you, grab a card, sign both of your names on it, and get the hell to the party. If everything went according to plan the two of you could be in and out in less than ten minutes.

However, as Wonwoo had come to see in the last few weeks, nothing with you ever went according to plan.

Fifteen minutes after entering the store, the two of you were still arguing in semi-hushed tones in the middle of the Lego aisle, each of you holding a different build set in your hands.

“Just pick one,” he sighed, watching you pick up yet another set in consideration. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the inefficiency he was seeing. “We’re already late.”

You shook your head at him as you furrowed your eyebrows. “I don’t care,” you replied. “I need to make sure Jeonghan’s gift is perfect.”

“Why? It’s a Lego set,” Wonwoo said. “You literally can’t go wrong.” He leaned against the aisle, still watching you look at the picture on every single box, as well as the number of pieces.

“No, you don’t get it,” you sighed, looking up to face him. “It has to be the right Lego set. If it has too many pieces, or it’s something he doesn’t care about, he won’t want to even open it.” You explained this as you showed him examples of which boxes you were not going to get – boxes with excessive piece counts as well as a Star Wars set.

“But if we get him the perfect one,” you explained as you reached your hand to the back of the shelf and grinning as you showed the box to Wonwoo. “He’ll be excited to open it, and he’ll think of us every single time he sees it. That’s how you pick the perfect gift.” You handed Wonwoo the box with a Lego version of Spongebob’s pineapple house on the front.

Wonwoo took it with a sigh, placing it in the basket that was also filled with a gift bag, an assortment of candy bars and a cheesy gift card with a silly pun on it. “Why do you care so much?” He confessed, sounding a little more on edge than he meant to let on. “You barely even know him.”

To be honest, the same annoyance that he felt earlier was bubbling back up to the surface. But before it got any further, you snapped back at him. “Why don’t you care enough?” Wonwoo was so caught off guard that he had nothing to say back to you.

Needless to say, the drive to the party was silent.

“Welcome! You guys are nearly an hour late,” Jeonghan chastised them as soon as he opened the door.

“Sorry,” Wonwoo heard you apologize to him as you handed the gift bag of Lego and candy to Jeonghan. “Somebody had a stick up his ass so it took us a little longer to get around.” Wonwoo scoffed at the pointed look you gave him over your shoulder as you walked past Jeonghan and into the party.

However, before he could follow you in, Jeonghan raised his hand up to stop him. “What did you do to piss off my best friend?” He asked Wonwoo with his arms crossed.

“Nothing,” he sighed, rolling his eyes. “Best friend?”

“Duh,” Jeonghan smirked. “How could I not be best friends with the only other hottie in this friend group.” Laughing at his own remark, Jeonghan finally let Wonwoo through the door. He put his hand on Wonwoo’s shoulder as he walked him through the house and into the kitchen and Wonwoo found himself fighting the urge to brush his hand away. Something about Jeonghan’s comment left an ugly feeling in his chest. Luckily, before he could let out the snappy remark building in his mind, Seungkwan waved at Wonwoo through the window and called him over to join their group at the patio outside. Jeonghan handed Wonwoo a soda and sent him out to join them.

“Wonwoo,” Jihoon called with a smile as he approached. “Help us settle a debate.”

“Sure,” He agreed. “What’s the debate?”

Vernon let out an aggravated sigh as he began to explain. “Jihoon and Seungkwan are trying to tell us that you can’t drink soup.” Wonwoo couldn’t help but chuckle at the way his eyebrows scrunched together as he explained why you definitely can drink soup.

“Why are you guys even discussing this?” Wonwoo asked curiously.

“Seungkwan and Vernon’s friends were arguing about it at lunch,” Soonyoung began to explain.

“Yeah, this girl from our physics class tried to tell us that you don’t drink soup, you eat it,” Vernon continued. “Which doesn’t make any sense. Soup is a liquid. So you drink it. And it didn’t help that Seungkwan was too busy chatting with the girl from the tennis team about some idol to defend my honor.”

Seungkwan raised his hands in defense. “It was her birthday, you should’ve just let her have that one,” he chided his friend who continued to animatedly defend his position to an equally animated Jihoon. He turned to Wonwoo instead. “We were actually talking about you, not an idol.” Wonwoo raised his eyebrows at Seungkwan who was grinning but looking away. “My friend said she saw you reading at the cafe this morning.”

“And?” Wonwoo questioned.

Seungkwan finally turned to face him. “She thought your bookmark looked a little familiar.” Wonwoo could not hide the shade of red that crept onto his cheeks as he quickly turned his gaze away from Seungkwan and found himself looking in your direction instead.

“When she told me about it,” Seungkwan continued, smirking as he followed his friend’s gaze. “It did seem a bit odd to use someone’s confession letter as a bookmark.”

Instead of staying to try to deny Seungkwan’s insinuations, Wonwoo quickly walked away instead and headed back into the kitchen to take a break from what started to feel like a very stuffy party. Was he the only one who felt like the walls were starting to get smaller?

As he stood back inside the kitchen, he took a deep breath and leaned his arms against the sink. He looked back up to the window facing the backyard, where all of his friends stood, having a good time. Naturally, his eyes landed on you, laughing and resting your head against Mingyu’s shoulder and that icky feeling that had been slowly climbing up in his chest like ivy growing on a stone wall had finally taken over every last inch.

His grip on the edge of the sink tightened, and so did his resolve. He chugged the rest of his soda and gathered the courage to go back out to where everyone was, to where you were. He opened the door, and took two steps out before he stopped in his tracks like a deer caught in the headlights. Were you crying? You were laughing just minutes ago.

“Wonwoo,” Jun called quietly from beside him, putting an arm around his shoulders. “Let’s talk over here.” He led Wonwoo away from the spot he was glued to and instead back towards his friends. Whatever debate they had earlier seemed to fall to the backburner as soon as Wonwoo walked toward them.

“Is she okay?” were the first words to leave Wonwoo’s mouth and Jihoon turned to look at him in surprise.

“Your friend?” He asked and Wonwoo winced at the label but nodded anyway. “She’s uh… she’s fine.” Jihoon looked to Seungkwan and Soonyoung for support. Soonyoung nodded for just a little bit too long, but Seungkwan let out a sigh and turned to where you were.

“No,” Seungkwan confessed. “I don’t think so.” On instinct, Wonwoo turned around ready to bolt over to your direction. He had no idea what he would even say to you, but every neuron in his brain was just telling him to run. But before he could move, Soonyoung’s hand was on his wrist.

“I wouldn’t head over there,” Soonyoung suggested, giving Wonwoo a sad smile. “Your name came up just before you came outside.”

The stone walls in his chest suddenly crumbled under the weight of the ivy growing, and he wondered if his walls were really that strong to begin with. Did I make her cry? he thought to himself. He looked over to you, your head once again resting against Mingyu’s shoulder as he rubbed circles on your back, rising and falling in time with your quiet sobs.

Wonwoo no longer felt angry or frustrated, but he did feel confused at the way his heart sank at the sight. He looked down at his own feet before he let out a quiet “Oh.” at Soonyoung’s comment. He only looked back up once again when he heard Seungkwan call his attention.

“Do you…” He began to ask tentatively. “Like her?”

tagging: @sdoulc @starryjww @sherizaraiyah @comerollwithme @pastel-andme @mingyublues @leahel @nichoswag @freakyfriedrice @pusangmamon @dekusgirl @hokuuu @xxluckydreamsxx @noraehey @dreams-in-different-colours @bunniparadise @woniewhite @thedeeppoet @wonuziex @inlovewith-yeosang @tfmingyu @hanniesrock @ilymarkchan @royal9 @may1996s @hqstimpy @dnylwoo @dobbyflwr @awyunh

#caratwritersclub #wonwoo #seventeen #jeon wonwoo #wonwoo fluff #wonwoo imagines #wonwoo angst #jeon wonwoo x reader #jeon wonwoo scenarios #jeon wonwoo fluff #jeon wonwoo smut #jeon wonwoo imagines #svt #seventeen imagines #seventeen fluff #wonwoo x yn #wonwoo x reader #seventeen wonwoo #svt wonwoo

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bad-at-names-and-faces · 25 days

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🍓

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? So, the pre-history of my involvement in writing fanfiction basically starts when I was a grad student 20-some years ago, and one of the other grad students was writing a master's thesis on fan communities, so I got to learn a lot about early 21st century online fan culture from an academic perspective. During this time, on and off, I'd try to write novels, but always petered out after a bit, though I did "finish" nanowrimo in 2008, but never did anything with what I produced. At one point, I read the complete works of Jane Austen, and took advantage of my Netflix subscription to watch every single adaptation I could get my hands on. In terms of fandom spaces, around this time, I was also really into CSI, and was somewhat involved in a discussion board mostly talking about Grissom/Sara, but fanfiction wasn't really on my personal radar, and I was also starting to watch Downton Abbey and Mad Men and even though I had some (what I'd now call) post-canon headcanons, it never occurred to me to write those down or turn them into stories.

Anyhow, fast forward to 7 years ago or so, and my oldest had gotten obsessed with Frozen, and we had watched both Frozen and Frozen Fever. While babysitting a friend's kids at bedtime, the oldest had some decorations leftover from his birthday party, which were Frozen Fever themed, so I mentioned something about it, but he hadn't seen the short yet, so he asked me to tell the story. Anyhow, after the part with Hans being hit with the snowball, he asked me if Hans then went back to Arendelle. I said I didn't think so, but he insisted, so I started telling a story about Elsa sending him to the island of Elba after he tried taking over again. "And then he escapes?" Umm... well, it worked for Napoleon, so sure... then he returned to Arendelle, and then he got sent to St. Helena. "And he escaped there?" Um, sure, he got on a pirate ship, but first they sailed to the South Pacific, and he ended up ruling the island of Pitcairn...

So, after this, I realized that I had basically made a fanfiction, which I hadn't really thought about doing before, and it wasn't even for a character I liked, so I started thinking about Anna and Kristoff. I didn't really get very far because I wasn't involved in any fandom spaces yet, but fast forward to 2019, and I started seeing trailers for Frozen II, and by the fall, once I had burned through all the plausible spoilers on reddit, I had gotten on Tumblr and started reading kristanna fanfiction, and by November of that year, I had started writing a few different fics, one of which became The Young Diplomat, which I started posting around the end of the year. The rest is history (plus, um, writing was a very good hobby for the following year, let's be honest...)

Oh, and at some point I will rework my 2008 nanowrimo project into a kristanna modern coffeeshop AU. Because it really fits.

#asks #ask games #asked and answered #ask me more!

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siegestateofmind · 2 years

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A not so comprehensive list of the books Isaac Henderson reads in Heartstopper

Naruto Volume 72 - Masashi Kishimoto : episode 2 (when Charlie discusses Nick with Tao and Isaac during Math class)

Quantum Mechanics - Leonard Susskind & Art Friedman: episode 3 (when Charlie tells the group chat about Harry's party)

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - Holly Jackson: episode 4 (Tao tells Isaac about Charlie spending more time with Nick)

Proud (My Autobiography) - Gareth Thomas: episode 4 (the rugby match against St. John's)

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen: episode 5 (the monopoly game with the unexpected and "accidental" foot disruption)

Radio Silence - Alice Oseman: episode 5 (bowling on Charlie's birthday)

Gender Explorers - Juno Roche: episode 8 (math class, Charlie tries to talk to Tao)

There Is No Planet B - Mike Berners-Lee: episode 8 (Seen during the Truham-Higgs Sports day)

I missed a couple of them because they were either too blurry or out of shot haha.

This list was made mainly to extend my already lengthy tbr list.

I am completely enamored with this show and the webtoon comic, truly excited for whatever comes next!

But all in all, we stan a quiet king with taste and a big brain.

#SPOILERS!#heartstopper spoilers #heartstopper #charlie spring #nick nelson #isaac henderson #alice oseman #netflix

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indulgnces · 7 months

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☆ –– (camila mendes, she/her, cis woman) who is jenny santos anyways? ew. you don’t know about her, we’ll bet you want to. they’re feeling 27 and stargazing feels like a perfect night to them. rumor has it they’re brooding and awkward because they care, but they’re also trusting and friendly in the best way. she works to make a little money as a(n) waitress/library assistant they’ve rented on a place on cornelia street in the form of an apartment. girl at home is the song they could dance to the beat of forevermore. –– playlist, pinterest.

name: jenny santos

birthday: june 29, 1996 (27 / cancer)

birthplace: tampa, florida

current residence: cornelia street, nyc

gender: cis woman (she/her)

sexuality: bisexual

occupation: library assistant/waitress at ellen's stardust

face: camila mendes

positives: trusting, friendly, observant, humble, silly

negatives: brooding, awkward, cynical, isolating, taut

backstory

traditional upbringing. happy loving parents, only child, perfect child. rarely cried as a baby, got good grades in school, teacher's pet, never rebelled, didn't party, very introverted, followed the rules. very booksmart (2019) coded.

got really into reading in elementary school. initially it was because she liked taking the accelerated reading quizzes in the library and seeing her book numbers stack up, but then it developed into a genuine love for stories that's lasted through adulthood. lit classes were always that bitch.

but science classes were her enemy. she never had the mind for mechanisms and figuring things out, but what truly had her all the way fucked up was seeing and reading carl sagan's take on the pale blue dot. jenny was always the introspective type, but wow did that take make her reevaluate her position in the world and cause her to spiral down an existential crisis at a young age.

for a long time, she didn't see why anything she did or why anything deemed important was actually important, when in the grand scheme of things everything and everyone was so utterly insignificant.

that mindset led to her not being sure what career path to follow going into college. with the help of a college advisor, she ended up getting a degree in library science, primarily because the library was always her favorite place, so she might as well spend her life there.

meanwhile, she also developed an interest in theater slowly throughout her youth. it was a bit of a shock. in her social life she's usually so in the background , so she found a way to really express herself in acting. it's become her primary emotional outlet.

ended up going to college at nyu with the help of scholarships and loans. stayed after graduating. currently works as a library assistant at the new york public library, while also working part time as a waitress at ellen's stardust.

headcanons.

she has three main hobbies: space, literature, and theatre.

her interest in astronomy has only grown since her youth. she maintains a somewhat fatalist attitude about life, but philosophy classes in college helped her gain more perspective on the fragility of life. anyways, you can always catch her looking at the stars at night. she knows a lot about astronomy, but knows very little about astrology. if you talk to her about zodiacs, she's going to think you're taking to her about the constellations, not the personality of the signs.

her favorite genres are classics, historical fiction, and romance. she claims to be open to adding more to her tbr, but she is more prone to loaning new books and then rereading her favorites than anything else. she's basic - jane austen is her favorite author, pride and prejudice her favorite novel. she's on #booktalk, and has her own account. please do not talk to her about spice and acotar; she's not judgy but she will judge you so hard.

she once entertained the thought of trying to become a professional actress when she grew up. she put that thought to bed in college. she was perfectly content to do community theatre and improv classes for the rest of her life, so long as she kept theatre as her outlet. so, she does that. when she acts, she mostly goes for plays over musicals, but she still has a love for showtunes, which she expresses through her job at ellen's

the most dramatic thing to happen in her life is the girl at home plot. she is always flabbergasted when she reflects back and realizes SHE was unknowingly the other woman.

knows some portuguese and some spanish, but is not fluent.

chronically online. meme game strong. awkward selfies are the norm.

established connections.

rhiannon kersey - girl at home

caroline davis - coworkers

harlan dupre - college homebodies

lucas duchannes - chill confidants

jael salihu - college friends

adira ruiz-osman - failed flirting crush

wanted connections.

she went to nyc for college and stayed after, has been in nyc since 2014.

roommates. there is absolutely no way she has ever afforded an apartment on her own while in the city. so she needs roommates. looking for past roommates she's had and current roommates.

books lovers. she has probably joined a book club or two down the line, maybe our muses met that way. or maybe this muse frequents the library jenny works at. perhaps they just bonded one day when they were reading on the subway one day, or maybe they argued over their opinions on a book. who knows! just people she's met and connected with through their shared love of reading.

community theatre. jenny has been doing community theatre throughout manhattan for years. maybe our muses met on set (they're an actor too, or work crew), or your muse likes to come to the shows. jenny's no pro - she sticks to community theatre/off-off broadway scene at most. she also does improv classes, and could use some improv friends!

ellen's stardust. fellow waitresses, frequent patrons - someone who hates the singing but loves the food, someone who loves the singing but hates the food, someone jenny is always serenading when they come in, coworkers she frequently duets with, everything!

romances. exes and one night stands are most likely. I like to think she's been in love maybe once, twice max. jenny is a terrible flirt, cannot read signs at all, really needs to be smacked in the face to get the hint that someone's interested, so she doesn't really do flirtationships. fwb or fuck buddies could be fun because jenny would be awkward af overanalyzing everything lol.

opposites. jenny's gloomy look at life has left her with a very brooding presence, not that she's very aware of this. she thinks she's funny because she quotes vines and memes and overuses emojis, but then she'll say some deep ass depressing shit and it's like oh damn jenny, what a mood killer. anyways, it'd be fun to put her around someone who's more sunshine and optimism to her doom and gloom. could be friends, could be rivals. could be fun if this was a current/past roommate lol. jenny's a major homebody, so would also love for her to have a friend who was more extroverted and adventurous who helps get her out of the house.

cozy friends. jenny is very winter/fall coded. I want her to have friends who do cozy things with her: twilight marathons, silently reading together, scrapbook together bake together, go to the night market together. buy fluffy socks for each other, go to art classes together, that sorta vibe.

library regulars. jenny works as a library assistant at the new york public library. she mostly does bookkeeping and facilitates programs at the library. people she works with and people she sees often at the library could be nice.

open to anything and everything!

#cornelia.intro #me: im going to do replies tonight!#me instead: spends the whole night writing this (skull emoji).#i already have plotting ideas in mind so i will be reaching out to ppl soon!

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shyvioletcat · 10 months

Note

Can I send multiple?? I’m nosy. 👀

✏️ The first fanfiction you ever wrote? (doesn't have to be a posted fic)

🌾 A fic you really want to write but you haven't (yet)?

🪜 Tell us a random fact about any fic!

🎨 Show us a sneak peek from a WIP! (if fish are friends is a possibility, I’d happily die but will absolutely be grateful for a sneak peek from any of your works!!)

Multiple are much appreciated and encouraged around here.

✏️ : it’s not posted and it’s possibly lost on my iPad that suddenly died. But all I’ll say is that it was entirely my guilty pleasure and it The Lord of the Rings based.

🌾: ooo, okay. I have a Jane Austen’s Emma au that exists in my brain and some scattered notes. Aelin is Emma, and Rowan is obviously Mr Knightly. Then Elide is Harriet and Lorcan Mr Martin and it just goes from there. Emma is not my all time favourite Austen work but it does hold a very special spot in my heart and the whole “she doesn’t love me” “wait now I love him!” is just too perfect for Rowaelin.

🪜: originally, in Set Up Rowan was going to do a big grand gesture of chasing Aelin down at the airport and then the whole love declaration thing, and then I was unsure if she would stay or just get on the plane. As you can see those plans have changed, and to something I think is infinitely better in my opinion. Also, the fic wasn’t meant to be a smutty, at all. I think that change was made for the better, don’t you? 😂

🎨 : I whipped this one up especially for you:

“This guy is loaded.”

Aelin snorted at her friend's awed exclamation as she eased off on the accelerator coming up the long, paved driveway. The house wasn’t obnoxiously large, but it was well beyond decent with a pretty facade and well kept gardens. And if the price he had offered initially was anything to go by, yes Rowan did have money to burn.

She had waited until she got home to text him back and to say yes to the offer of Ivy’s birthday party, claiming that now she had turned back into a mermaid she could talk mermaid business. The girl was so enamoured with the whole mermaid performance how could Aelin even think of saying no. Rowan had immediately come back with a price just under what her gig at the aquarium paid in a fortnight, she knocked it back, then there was a mildly heated discussion over what the price should be. Rowan was generous, and Aelin helped equate the cost by saying she needed to bring a friend along to help her with her costume so they could split it. That had been fine, of course, and why Lysandra was sitting in the passenger seat.

The car had stopped and Lysandra was still peering out the windows trying to get a better look. “His wife, slash girlfriend, slash whatever must be living the life.”

“He’s divorced,” Aelin said, pushing the gear stick into park.

“That’s awfully weird to find out in a conversation that went for two minutes,” Lysandra added.

Aelin shrugged as she undid her seatbelt. “Well his daughter did demand he kiss me.”

Lysandra paused from where she was checking over her make-up in the sun shield mirror, head turning sharply. “She what?”

Thanks for asking 💜

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sunsetnest · 11 months

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Adrienne the Sugar Glider Shifter

Adrienne (she/her) is a 53 year old Sugar Glider shifter. She is equivalent to a human of 28 years old.

Appearance: Adrienne has light brown medium length hair, the end of which barely comes to her shoulder blades, and she usually wears it in a french braid but will occasionally leave it loose. Her hair is naturally straight but with how often she wears it in a braid, it tends to curl when it is loose. Adrienne stands at four foot seven inches tall, and can also take the form of a sugar glider when she wishes to do so. Her sugar glider form has silver fur and three dark lines going from her forehead down along her back. Her fashion sense is impeccable, dressing in pastels and what Mod Parker would describe as business casual. Flowing fabrics, twirling skirts and colorful blouses make up the vast majority of her wardrobe, though she does own a few pieces of clothes suitable for more rugged outdoor work.

Personality: Adrienne is a joy to get to know, vivacious and full of life, she is almost always found with a smile on her face and kindness in her eyes. She is very much the older sibling or mom friend in just about any friend group she hangs out around. She is outgoing and extroverted, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t mind a quiet night in every once in a while. She enjoys painting, especially abstract painting. Cooking, and making coffee for herself and her friends, as well as for customers.

Daily Life: Adrienne’s days start early, with her getting up around eight a.m. eastern standard time to go to work at one of the many coffee shops in City. She clocks out at 4 p.m. est, and relaxes before spending time with friends and family. On her days off from work, she enjoys going to her favorite park in City to walk around or visit one of the many boutiques nearby to go shopping. She also enjoys sitting nearby her favorite flowers, wisterias, when she has the chance.

The only time her schedule changes, besides when she has the rare day off from work during the week, is during birthdays. Adrienne is one of those people who puts an emphasis on having a big party and getting to catch up to friends and family she has not seen in a while, so birthdays are important to her.

She enjoys watching the weather when it is raining or snowing, and prefers to stay inside cuddled up on the couch reading, painting, or watching Studio Ghibli or Jane Austen movies when the weather is bad. This is why her favorite season is late spring, it is not too hot or too cold, and rarely rains, so she is not caught in bad weather on her way to work or while on outings with friends and family. She also enjoys the fresh fruits and juices one can make from the spring harvest. Her favorites are apple and grape juice, though one can never discount the possibility of a strawberry and banana smoothie on a warm day.

Past: Adrienne’s family life is rather simple, she is the only child of two loving parents, who she sees at least once a month, usually on sundays for family dinner. It was difficult on all of them when her father became ill in her teenage years, but he pulled through and her parents are still as much in love today as they were twenty years ago. She fell into a rather rough group of people during her teenage years, and has since broken ties with the vast majority of her teenage friend group. Adrienne has not previously had any companions.

Companionship: Adrienne is looking for a friend, someone who looks at life the way she does. Creatively, artistically. She would like someone who is willing to spend time with her doing things she enjoys; Painting, cooking, etc. The ideal companionship for Adrienne would look like a relationship centered around loyalty and respect, one that has a healthy balance with long term stability at its core, someone she can be herself around, to rest and relax in between days of work.

Energy: Adrienne’s energy description is almost wispy feeling, like fog, blue-gray-light purple with hints of shimmering silver.

Vetted Since: 11/09/2017 Posted: 7/23/2022

#previous shop #archived

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frodothefair · 7 months

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꧁ The Flowers of Mordor ꧂

Chapter 10 - Historic Sights

(Image source)

READ CHAPTER 10 ON AO3 ┃READ FROM THE BEGINNING

SUMMARY : Sam knows he cannot tear himself in two, but Frodo's struggles after the quest are worsening. Marigold Gamgee gets a job at Bag End, and grows close to its enigmatic master. J. R. R. Tolkien meets Jane Austen meets Tess of the D'Urbervilles. CHAPTER SUMMARY : Frodo celebrates his birthday. Frodo and Marigold then go on a picnic, and return to familiar scenes. GENRES : hurt/comfort, angst, slow burn romance, slice of life, girl next door WARNINGS : PTSD, depression, panic attacks, eating disorder, eventual spicy scenes A/N : It's a big day, a new chapter! This is actually my longest chapter to date, and the next one is not far behind. I am also trying something new with pictures that reflect the subject matter of the chapter. What do you think? @konartiste — heard you were having a bad day; this is not quite a tear jerker movie, but it should do. RATING : M

PREVIEW:

Frodo’s birthday that year was a small affair, with only his closest friends in attendance. Merry and Pippin arrived jocund as always, bearing smiles, casseroles, and firm, brotherly hugs. Fatty Bolger came too, having regained some of his girth, and exchanged a significant look with Marigold, who had taken his coat and hat – their mutual time in the Lockholes short-circuiting any need for a long acquaintance.

All pretense had been dropped, by then, of Sam being just the help, and when the party dined, he sat at the place of honor by Frodo’s side while Marigold served – though she, too, eventually joined the festivities.

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curiousb · 2 years

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The Wentworth Family Album: Volume V

Bennet might now be going steady with Margaret, but that doesn’t stop him accepting a sneaky second date at the lido with Walter.

Walter is completely smitten! I’m not sure that falling for Merybury’s wannabe Casanova is going to end well for him though.

Back home, Sophia has some quality time with dad.

Elliot discovers a love of dance.

And Frederick continues his illicit, mid-life dalliance with Fanny.

(This is where my game departs rather spectacularly from Jane Austen’s original vision for her characters - there is no way that either Captain Wentworth or Fanny Price would have cheated on their spouses!)

So far, it hasn’t gone beyond stolen kisses and gaming marathons.

We also have two birthdays in quick succession - first, Henrietta.

Henrietta’s teen stats:

~ Taurus 6 / 5 / 10 / 6 / 7

~ Coward / Hates the Outdoors / Supernatural Fan / Charismatic

~ OTH: Music & Dance

~ Favourite Colour(s): Red

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Popularity

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Cultured / +Well-liked / -Plant Lover

Then, Elliot finally catches up with his older siblings.

Elliot’s teen stats:

~ Pisces 8 / 5 / 10 / 6 / 3

~ Grumpy / Virtuoso / Born Performer / Workaholic

~ OTH: Music & Dance

~ Favourite Colour(s): Black

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Cultured / +Serious / -Daydreamer

It was only a matter of time. At Elliot’s birthday party, the dangerous game that Frederick and Fanny have been playing finally comes to light.

Poor Anne! How could it have gone so wrong?

#sims 2 #gameplay #merybury #frederick wentworth #anne elliot #walter wentworth #sophia wentworth #henrietta wentworth #elliot wentworth #fanny price #wentworth family

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synchronousemma · 2 years

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Thursday, 23rd June (Midsummer Eve; Harriet's birthday): The Donwell Abbey party takes place

Read: Vol. 3, ch. 6 [42]; pp. 234–240 (“Under a bright mid-day sun” to “before the following evening”).

Context

The Westons, the Woodhouses, the Eltons, Harriet Smith, and Jane Fairfax arrive at Donwell. Jane Fairfax leaves early. Frank Churchill arrives late.

This occurs at “almost Midsummer” (vol. 3, ch. 6 [42]; p. 234); the next day is “not [...] above six-and-thirty hours” (vol. 3, ch. 9 [45]; p. 254) before Frank’s return to Richmond on “the 26th” (vol. 3, ch. 14 [50]; p. 289), making this the 23rd.

Lionel Trilling notes that for “English culture” we ought to read “English agriculture” (p. 53). Per Kaythryn Sutherland, “[a]t the time Austen wrote, the older and more recent senses of the word ‘culture’ (as cultivation of land and intellectual work) still coexisted, and the division […] did not yet gape between physical and mental labour” (p. 50).

Note that the sections “Wearied Spirits” and “There’s No Place Like… Swisserland?” contain spoilers.

Readings and Interpretations

A Lecture on the Picturesque

The strawberry party marks the first time that Donwell Abbey is directly described, despite its having been referred to repeatedly in the preceding narrative. We see Emma considering the “respectable size and style of the building, its suitable, becoming, characteristic situation, low and sheltered—its ample gardens stretching down to meadows washed by a stream, of which the Abbey, with all the old neglect of prospect, had scarcely a sight—and its abundance of timber in rows and avenues, which neither fashion nor extravagance had rooted up” (p. 234). Ruta Kaufmann writes that Donwell is “one of the most significant dream homes” in Austen:

Donwell acquires its features of a dream home gradually as the narrative advances, although it never forms such a striking picture as Pemberley or Northanger Abbey. In a way, it is always in the background of the action and comes to the foreground only in a couple of passages. […] [W]e get a proper tour of the domain only in Summer, during the strawberry party, when all the guests get a chance to admire it. Symbolically, it is viewed on the Summer solstice—at the “highest” point of the year—surrounded by ripe fruit, which evokes fertility, self-sufficiency, and dream-house quality. (pp. 113–4)

Alistair Duckworth notes that the “distrust of fashionable improvements” expressed in this first description of Donwell is typical of Austen. It “not only reminds us of the theme in Mansfield Park, but comments, too, on the recent actions and intentions of the visitors to Donwell—especially, perhaps, on Mrs. Elton’s attempt to redefine what is ‘natural’ by coercing Knightley into giving an alfresco ‘gipsy-party’” (p. 175). Janet Todd similarly notes the unabashed old-fashionedness of Donwell, putting it into historical context:

For […] Mrs. Elton, the world has begun its unstoppable shrinkage into a series of described and packaged tourist spots complete with artificial, designated activities. Mr. Knightley’s putdown to Mrs. Elton is the putdown of a whole new manner of being and seeing, which is, despite his momentary power, about to triumph. Mrs. Elton tries to make the strawberry party a tripper’s day out, where Mr. Knightley insists on its being an old-fashioned visit to his country property. […] Mr. Knightley is against tourism, and his land is closed to sightseers. Village folk can have a right of way across it—and he insists that they do even when he has to move his path to avoid damage to the home meadows—, but he makes no effort to provide vistas for them. He is unperturbed by his house’s “old neglect of prospect” (389) and in no rush to “improve” the pleasure grounds; his avenue of limes leads to a wall and pillars framing neither house nor view. (pp. 21–2)1

Critics therefore tend to argue that Donwell presents an image of an idyllic, idealized, or even nationalist England. Alistair Duckworth writes that “the description of the view from Donwell,” coming as it does after the sense of “social disintegration” conveyed by the party’s splintering as they walk through the grounds, “posits an alternative hope in her description of the view from Donwell of the Abbey-Mill Farm, as if to underscore the contrast between the present fragmentation of the party and the enduring possibilities of an organic society” (pp. 174–5). Lionel Trilling argues that Austen presents Highbury as an idyll (a literary genre which presents an innocent and happy humanity), contrasting it with the outside world from which “insincerity and vulgarity come” (p. 58): “we cannot help feeling that ‘English verdure, English culture, English comfort, seen under a sun bright without being oppressive’ make an England perceived—if but for the moment,—as an idyll” (p. 57). For Trilling “Emma is a novel that is touched—lightly but indubitably—by national feeling” (p. 53). Per Deirdre Le Faye, here “Knightley and Donwell Abbey are both synecdochic of a larger national concept of Englishness, which itself carries overtones of provincialism, honesty and integrity” (2005, p. 26).2

Douglas Murray, however, questions whether “the novel as a whole endorse[s] this view of Donwell as metonym for the kingdom,” arguing that the text may “interrogate or even undermine that notion”:

I would like to argue that readers would be naive to interpret this passage as mere unreflective nationalist discourse, as Jane Austen’s unqualified, freestanding ode to post Napoleonic England. This passage, like most narration in the novel, adopts the technique of free indirect discourse and is filtered through the consciousnesses of all the visitors: the party ‘insensibly followed one another to the delicious shade of a broad short avenue of limes’ [p. 235]. […] [T]he primary perceiver of Donwell is Emma herself […]. In fact, almost the entire visit to Donwell consists of Emma’s impressions. (p. 956)

Thus, because it is focalized through Emma, “the description of Donwell Abbey presents a landscape which very much accords with Emma's personality and preoccupations,” including “a compulsive rage for order and, in a semiotic sense, purity”—but the code of values presented here is not Austen’s (ibid.). Similarly, Paul Pickrel argues that here Emma “is beginning to think of Donwell Abbey as her own future home,” which explains in plot rather than political terms why the description of the estate seems “excessive” (p. 305; see also Burrows, p. 108).

The view from Donwell also includes “what [Emma] has previously excluded from her outlook,” namely Abbey-Mill Farm (Duckworth, p. 175). For Trilling, the “almost solemn vision of England’s green and pleasant land” culminates in the “favourably placed and sheltered” Abbey-Mill Farm for a reason: “the little burst of strong feeling has the effect, among others, of pointing up the extremity and the large import of Emma’s mistake” (p. 53). “English culture, English comfort” is thus linked to moral improvement.

Paul Pickrel, however, argues instead that the description “shows how unconcerned with Harriet she has become”:

Trilling does not quote these words from the same passage: “There had been a time ... when Emma would have been sorry to see Harriet in a spot so favourable for the Abbey-Mill Farm; but now she feared it not” [p. 236]. She thinks that she no longer fears calling attention to the Farm in Harriet’s presence because Robert Martin is no longer a threat, but the truth is that by this time Harriet has turned out to be so much more trouble than she is worth that Emma would be glad to get her off her hands to almost anybody. (And by the way, the Farm is not the property of Robert Martin; he rents it from Mr. Knightley). (p. 305)

Delightful to Gather

Emma’s famous ‘strawberry monologue’ occurs in this section. It runs:

The best fruit in England—every body’s favourite—always wholesome.—These the finest beds and finest sorts.—Delightful to gather for one’s self—the only way of really enjoying them.—Morning decidedly the best time—never tired—every sort good—hautboy infinitely superior—no comparison—the others hardly eatable—hautboys very scarce—Chili preferred—white wood finest flavour of all—price of strawberries in London—abundance about Bristol—Maple Grove—cultivation—beds when to be renewed—gardeners thinking exactly different—no general rule—gardeners never to be put out of their way—delicious fruit—only too rich to be eaten much of—inferior to cherries—currants more refreshing—only objection to gathering strawberries the stooping—glaring sun—tired to death—could bear it no longer—must go and sit in the shade. (pp. 234–5)

There is much to notice in this passage. There is the gradual depreciation in the value of strawberries as the party grows tired (“always wholesome” to some varieties “hardly eatable” to “inferior to cherries”); the laconic “Maple Grove,” as though this reference is so frequent that the term may stand on its own in place of the entire discourse which Mrs. Elton must have given; (presumably) Mrs. Elton’s conspicuous show of her employment of and dealings with servants through her presumed knowledge of their temperaments (“gardeners never to be put out of their way”); and then, of course, there is the syntax that is used to relate the discourse, as though we are being presented with an index or chapter heading rather than conversation (e.g. “beds when to be renewed”).

Linda Bree writes that Austen uses “[f]ragmented syntax” such as this “to merge and summarise series of events into a single flow of expression”:

Mrs Elton’s comments at the Donwell strawberry party form a celebrated tour de force of condensed monologue, accounting for her whole strawberry-picking experience. […] The paragraph following this shows the versatility of Austen’s elliptical style for other purposes, as the narrator records Mrs Elton’s efforts to persuade Jane to take on an appointment as governess: ‘Delightful, charming, superior, first circles, spheres, lines, ranks, every thing’ – a tumble of words vividly evoking Mrs Elton’s almost hysterical insistence – ‘and Mrs. Elton was wild to have the offer closed with immediately’ [p. 235]. Wild indeed. (p. 99)

For Margaret Doody, the “wonderfully telegraphic monologue” on strawberries has the effect of bringing “the asinine bride [Mrs. Elton] back with a jolt into the physical” from the “painted pastoral” she had earlier imagined the party to be (see “Making An Ass of U and Me”): she “descends from pretentiousness to frank admission of being too hot.” Thus “[t]he corrective to the mind’s misrepresentation of the world lies in the senses’ contact with the physical realm” (2009, p. 181).

Lisa Hopkins does not read the passage as a monologue belonging to Mrs. Elton, instead calling it a “medley of unattributed indirect speech” with “individual voices […], as in the talk of Maple Grove, occasionally briefly discernible” (p. 66). However, she concurs with Doody’s assessment of the importance of the physical in the passage:

The very impersonality of the dialogue […] serves to emphasise the universality [as opposed to something mediated by cultural preconceptions] and inevitability of the movement it sketches, a cyclical one which takes the characters through a predictable progression from freshness to tiredness, eagerness to satiety, comfort to heat, and activity to rest. The brief interlude thus incorporates the text’s key issues: the wholesomeness of strawberries and their price both find a place in the conversation, linking the episode with the connections of food to health and finance, but this rare hands-on experience of crop-gathering, with its sharply realistic depictions of the pleasures and pains of strawberry-picking, is also situated firmly within the context of the seasonal progression of agricultural life. (ibid.)3

Ripe for the Picking

Margaret Doody argues for a Georgian association between strawberries and sexuality, reading the strawberry party and its surrounding incidents in this light:

Strawberries are traditionally the fruit of Venus. Mrs. Elton’s desire for a strawberry party intimates sexual desire. But it is Mr. Knightley who says suggestively, “Come, and eat my strawberries. They are ripening fast” (III, ch. 6). He is ripening fast and needs to make more haste in the service of Venus—though it is not with Mrs. Elton that he wishes to enjoy strawberries. (Mrs. Elton’s lack of staying power in berry gathering perhaps points to a deficiency in sexual stamina.) (2015, p. 348)

The motif of ripening, fertility, and sexuality runs through this section in another way: Nicholas Preus notes that Mrs. Weston, “by the time of the Donwell Abbey strawberry party, which she attends, is nine months pregnant” (p. 207; see “A Pregnant Silence”).

Bringing the Outdoors Indoors

The guests at Donwell, after picking strawberries outside, are treated to cold meat indoors. Hopkins recalls Mr. Knightley’s insistence that the meal take place indoors, arguing that food is “demarcated and subdivided in Mr Knightley’s terminology”:

[T]here are strawberries outdoors, and cold meat indoors. […] The strawberries belong to the outside world, which is precisely defined here as that which is not natural; inside, in the proper place of gentlemen and ladies with all their inevitably attendant servants and furniture, we find cold meat. This is presented to us, with Mr Knightley’s endorsement, as being in fact the simpler and more conventional of the two foodstuffs, and it is certainly ultimately experienced as such by the wearied strawberry-pickers, glad enough to seek the shelter of the house; and yet the processes involved in the preparation are far more laborious and complex than the mere plucking of fruit. Here, though, they are occluded, rendered invisible by the voice which glosses over the materiality of production in order to present the class structure as “natural”. (pp. 67–8)

Hopkins also points out that this is “the only time in the novel” when Mr. Knightley may “appear publicly as the squire” of Highbury:

Squire of Donwell Abbey but short of ready cash, [Mr. Knightley’s] social position is nevertheless preserved by his largesse with food, even though, as in the case of the apples he sends to Mrs and Miss Bates, it is at the expense of his own consumption and almost, arguably, his own reputation, since he has virtually lied about it: “To think of your sending us all your store apples. You said you had a great many, and now you have not one left” (p. 251). […] Beth Fowkes Tobin suggests that this foregrounding of Mr Knightley’s personal involvement with food production is a politically enabling strategy for Austen: “in linking Mr Knightley’s gentlemanly virtues with his owning land, and Emma’s moral inadequacies with her money and lack of property, Austen, acting as an apologist for the landed classes, was defending the ‘paternal system of government’” [p. 229]. (p. 32)

Wearied Spirits

Later in this section, Jane, “for the only moment in the novel until the dénouement, speaks openly to Emma” (Wiltshire, p. 114): “‘I am fatigued; but it is not the sort of fatigue—quick walking will refresh me.—Miss Woodhouse, we all know at times what it is to be wearied in spirits. Mine, I confess, are exhausted. The greatest kindness you can show me, will be to let me have my own way, and only say that I am gone when it is necessary’” (E pp. 237–8). Howard Babb calls this a “very untypical speech” of Jane’s:

Jane’s generalization about “we all know” makes an almost direct plea, though less for Emma’s sympathy, perhaps, than for the indulgence of a superior. And the major weight of what she says is still borne by the personal “I’s” and “me’s.” Most of the time Jane keeps herself at a much greater distance from her generalizations, characteristically speaking in her own person and reserving them, as it were, for the opinions of those above her. Her first report on Frank Churchill, for instance, is sprinkled with such phrases as: […] “He was generally thought so”; “She believed every body found his manners pleasing” [vol. 2, ch. 3 [21]; p. 109]. Jane talks in this way, I take it, not merely because she wants to hide her interest in Frank Churchill, but because her lack of position makes it improper for her to judge authoritatively. (p. 185)

For John Wiltshire, this passage is “[t]he most telling instance of [Emma’s] conflicted feelings” about Jane Fairfax:

Jane’s open appeal goes straight to Emma’s heart: she responds quickly and kindly, at her best. She ‘sees’ Jane’s situation with an intelligent compassion that breaks free of her ingrained prejudices. ‘She saw it all’, though, is not quite true, even at that moment. What Jane has been suffering is Mrs Elton’s railroading her into accepting ‘a situation, a most desirable situation’—made all the more intolerable because she is anxiously waiting for Frank to arrive—not the company of Miss Bates. Emma is quite ignorant of Jane’s feelings about Frank, but she has overheard Mrs Elton and wondered at Jane’s patience. In attributing Jane’s misery to her home, she is expressing her own feelings at the same time as she is picking up Jane’s. So her kindness doesn’t last—in fact in her reflections a few minutes later it turns into something else entirely. Her prejudices and antagonisms return. Once again, ‘such an aunt’ is the especial target of her dislike. The phrase ‘their just horrors’ is especially confronting. ‘Horrors’? ‘Just horrors’? She is praising herself for the snobbery she feels and momentarily attributes to Jane. So this passage displays Emma at her moving best and her dismaying worst, and the selfhood they each express is entirely coherent. (p. 114)

There’s No Place Like… Swisserland?

Only after Jane’s departure does Frank Churchill finally arrive. Rachel Brownstein writes that Frank’s conversation continues the national theme:

[S]ulky Frank Churchill, looking over views of remote “Swisserland” in the snugness of Donwell Abbey, says to Emma, “I am sick of England—and would leave it tomorrow” [p. 239]. The sour remark damns him as Byronic—he also promises a self-expressive effusion from abroad—before his character is revealed as thoroughly bad; the contrast between Frank the would-be wanderer and Emma’s own home-loving male relations could not be more dramatic. In the England of Emma tourists cut off from the Continent by the Napoleonic wars (they include an “Irish car party”) are pleased to explore the local beauties of Box Hill. The reader is invited to think that only a fool or knave like Frank would want to leave England: we recall that he is said to be “aimable” only in French, not amiably English, having “no English delicacy towards the feelings of other people” [vol. 1, ch. 18; p. 97]. (p. 215)

Deirdre Le Faye points out that Waterloo had occurred before the time period in which Emma is set. “Following the end of the war in 1814 the English were again free to visit Europe after being twenty years cooped up at home”: thus “Frank Churchill is able to talk of going abroad to ‘Swisserland’, a statement he could not have made at any earlier period of his life” (2002, p. 309).

Of course, in evaluating Frank’s statement it is important to remember that his movements, though freer than Jane’s or Emma’s, are at many points circumscribed or frustrated by the influence of his aunt. His poor mood, which Emma attributes to the hot day, has in fact resulted from an argument he has just had with Jane, after she left the party and before he arrived; thus he has just been reminded of what his aunt’s temperament is costing him.

Footnotes

On this passage see also Rehman (pp. 131ff); Wallace (p. 174).

For readings of this passage as nationalist see also Jordan (pp. 35–6); Barchas (pp. 132–3).

On this passage see also Brown (pp. 131–2); Davidson (pp. 23–4).

Discussion Questions

Can the attitude underlying the descriptions of Donwell throughout this section appropriately be called “nationalist”? To what extent does Austen participate in Emma’s ideas?

Who is speaking in the strawberry monologue? Why did Austen use fragmented syntax in this passage?

What is revealed about Emma and/or Jane through their conversation as Jane leaves the party?

What is the narrative purpose of Frank’s frustrated desire to leave England?

Bibliography

Austen, Jane. Emma (Norton Critical Edition). 3rd ed. Ed. Stephen M. Parrish. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, [1815] 2000.

Babb, Howard S. “Emma: Fluent Irony and the Pains of Self-Discovery.” In Jane Austen’s Novels: The Fabric of Dialogue. Columbus: Ohio State University Press (1962), pp. 175–202.

Barchas, Janine. “Setting and Community.” In The Cambridge Companion to Emma, ed. Peter Sabor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2015), pp. 120–34. DOI: 10.1017/CBO9781316014226.011.

Bree, Linda. “Emma: Word Games and Secret Histories.” In A Companion to Jane Austen, ed. Claudia Johnson and Clara Tuite. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell (2009), pp. 133–142.

Brown, Lloyd W. Bits of Ivory: Narrative Techniques in Jane Austen’s Fiction. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press (1973).

Brownstein, Rachel M. “Why We Reread Jane Austen.” In Why Jane Austen? New York: Columbia University Press (2011), pp. 195–236.

Burrows, J. F. Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’. Sydney: Sydney University Press (1968).

Davidson, Jenny. Reading Jane Austen. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2017), pp. 144–8. DOI: 10.1017/9781108367974.

Doody, Margaret Anne. “Turns of Speech and Figures of Mind.” In A Companion to Jane Austen, ed. Claudia Johnson and Clara Tuite. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell (2009), pp. 165–84.

_____. Jane Austen’s Names: Riddles, Persons, Places. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (2015).

Duckworth, Alistair M. “Emma and the Dangers of Individualism.” In The Improvement of the Estate: A Study of Jane Austen’s Novels. Baltimore, ML: John Hopkins Press, 1971, pp. 145–78.

Folsom, Marcia McClintock, ed. Approaches to Teaching Austen’s ‘Emma’. New York: MLA (2004).

Hopkins, Lisa. “Food and Growth in Emma.” Women’s Writing 5.1 (1998), pp. 61–70. DOI: 10.1080/09699089800200031

Jordan, Elaine. “Jane Austen goes to the seaside: Sanditon, English identity and the ‘West Indian’ schoolgirl.” In The Postcolonial Jane Austen, eds. You-Me Park & Rajeswari Sunder Rajan. London: Routledge (2000), pp. 29-57. DOI: 10.4324/9780203463031.

Kaufmann, Baublyté Ruta. The Architecture of Space-Time in the Novels of Jane Austen. London: Palgrave Macmillan (2018). DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-90011-7.

Le Faye, Deirdre. Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels. New York: Henry N. Abrams (2002).

_____. “Letters.” In Jane Austen in Context, ed. Janet Todd. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2005), pp. 33–40.

Murray, Douglas. “Donwell Abbey and Box Hill: Purity and Danger in Jane Austen’s Emma.” The Review of English Studies 66.277 (November 2015), pp. 954–70. DOI: 10.1093/res/hgv046.

Pickrel, Paul. “Lionel Trilling and Emma: A Reconsideration.” Nineteenth-Century Fiction 40.3 (December 1985), pp. 297–311. DOI: 10.2307/3044759.

Preus, Nicholas. “Sexuality in Emma: A Case History.” Studies in the Novel 23.2 (Summer 1991), pp. 196–216.

Rehmann, Elsa. “Jane Austen and the English Landscape School.” Landscape Architecture Magazine 25.3 (April 1935), pp. 127–35.

Sutherland, Kathryn. Jane Austen’s Textual Lives: From Aeschylus to Bollywood. Oxford: Oxford University Press (2005).

Tobin, Beth Fowkes. “The Moral and Political Economy of Property in Austen’s Emma.” Eighteenth-Century Fiction 2 (1990), pp. 229–54.

Todd, Janet. “The Anxiety of Emma.” Persuasions 29 (2007), pp. 15–25.

Trilling, Lionel. “Emma.” Encounter 8.6 (June 1957), pp. 49–59.

Wiltshire, John. “The Heroine.” In The Cambridge Companion to ‘Emma,’ ed. Peter Sabor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2015), pp 105–19.

#Jane Austen #Emma #Emma Woodhouse #Mr. Weston #Mrs. Weston #Mrs. Elton #Mr. Elton #Frank Churchill #Jane Fairfax #Harriet Smith #Mr. Knightley #e

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What Jane Austen Taught Me About Running Zoom Meetings

Many of our social interactions happen digital these days, even “face-to-face” ones like Zoom meetings. It’s still just not the same as in-person, whether for meetings, a book club, or just to hang out. There must be a better way to gather digitally. I think a big piece of why digital isn’t working is that we don’t have social norms there.

Social norms are what make a conversation flow smoothly. You see it in how close you stand or sit together, how you take turns, and in the type of space you choose. Basic videoconferencing has none of this: we can’t control distance, audio lags or mutes, and it’s almost always the same black screen of videos from job interviews to birthday parties.

Some tools try to mimic in-person social interactions and norms in digital meeting spaces, kind of like a video game. Each person has an avatar that moves around a digital space and hears nearby conversation. The word for directly recreating things or experiences into digital tools is skeuomorphism. It’s easy for people to learn because it’s just like the other familiar version. But it also can point out the ways that digital just can’t be the same as in-person. Making a videogame-like social event does bring some social norms into that digital conversation, but it also reminds us that we aren’t in person, we can’t shake hands, we look at the whole room like a map instead of from our eyes.

So digital doesn’t work and just mimicking in-person doesn’t make it all intuitively work. So I’m going to look for new social norms.

Actually, I’m going to look for really old ones.

Regency era England definitely had well-established social norms. Think Jane Austen’s books, like Pride and Prejudice, or Netflix’s Bridgerton. The middle and upper classes of that time easily knew what to expect from each other and what would be expected of them just from where they were and what was going on, thanks to social rules and etiquette. At least some of these social norms feel overly strict to a modern eye. And this is actually what I was looking for with digital social norms. Computer rules are also very, very strict (eventually it’s all 1s and 0s). They don’t give us wiggle room within the rules. In a lecture, you shouldn’t talk, but you can whisper to the friend next to you. But try whispering in a Zoom meeting while muted. So what can Jane Austen’s social norms give digital meeting spaces? I have 3 ideas to start.

1. Being a host is a social job, not tech support

The host of Regency ball had little in common with a Zoom host. On Zoom, hosting is muting and unmuting attendees, managing recording, and placing avatars in different rooms; tech support. Being a Regency host was social, they greeted each person on arrival, introduced them people they should know, and generally showed them what the ball had to offer. And this was before they entered the ball.

I think it would be nice to not just appear in a sea of black squares, not knowing who was there and not knowing if conversation had already started. Imagine a one-on-one greeting between you and an organizer who took you to a small group of peers and introduced you, or brought you to the full group after explaining that people are waiting for the actual book club to start but can join breakout rooms to chat in the meantime.

2. Dancing lets us get to know each other and the group

Don’t worry, I am not going to ask you to dance in Zoom. Like I said, I’m not here for skeuomorphism. But a major reason for dancing at balls (you know, besides it was fun) was a chance for two people to chat one-on-one and for the larger community to know who was chatting with who. Everyone saw who was dancing not just by looking at the dance floor, but also by looking at people’s dance cards (which they carried or hung on their wrist) and seeing whose name was written for each dance.

Hybrid teams struggle to get to know each other because they mostly communicate through text or in team meetings with little time for social chatting. Us remote workers miss having a space to just talk, not about work or anything in particular. We could make digital meeting spaces that use voice chat to let pairs of people quickly connect and talk, and use a digital dance card to let the group see who’s been chatting with who.

3. Candles set the stage and expectations

Little details at a Regency ball could give important cues to attendees. The length of the candles burning in the rooms would tell people how long the ball was expected to last and that told them what was available at the ball. Short candles? A few hours of dancing and some food. Long candles? Settle in for a long night and look for places to take a break with card games or other amusement.

Digital meetings spaces are entirely missing this. Zoom always looks the same! It doesn’t matter if I’m playing a game with my family or presenting a progress report. The skeuomorphism can help here to bring in the same cues we have in person; make the background a living room for game night or an office for the presentation. But sometimes that just reminds us that we’re not in a living room together and might make the video uncanny. I want digital meeting places to have décor cues that are all their own. Because digital meeting spaces are not just replacements for in person ones. They’re something new and I want us to really explore what we can do with them.

#jane austen #bridgerton #hci #human computer interaction #metaphor #social norms #digital social norms

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