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#the book that’s in a genre i’ve always wanted to read will be poetry; probably selected poems of constantine cavafy
rodricksfilipinagf · 3 months
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Academia AU Pt.1 (Eris Vanserra x Reader)
After another successful, though exhausting class taught, I clutch my Stanley cup and take it off my desk, eager to make it to the English department meeting. I hoped the meeting would be over soon so that I could make it back to my apartment to read my latest romance novel I checked out from the library. 
As an English professor at Prythian University, my personal interests tend to creep into my curriculum, and I like it that way! I want my students to love reading, and the best way to do that is to get them to read something they’ll be interested in. Something they’ll relate to. Something they’d read already without me getting involved. 
I recently included manga in my curriculum after my brief stint working with kids. My all-time favorite student absolutely loved Naruto. Like, devoured the mangas because he loved the anime. Little kids and university students aren’t that different- intrinsic motivation is the key to reaching them. 
As I reach closer to the room the meeting will be held in, I unscrew my Stanley cup and take a sip. 
“Well, well, well,” a familiar voice drawls, and I almost spit out my water. On him. Although…I might really love that, it might actually make him unfairly hotter. With his bright red hair, amber eyes, and the gorgeous planes of his face, he didn’t need me splashing water onto his white button down, revealing probably ripped abs. Eris Vanserra, the worst English professor at this university. 
It’s not that he’s bad at teaching, although that would be an enormous plus and give me another reason to hate him. He’s actually a huge hardass when it comes to assignments and grading. What’s most infuriating about him is his inability to recognize that what I do matters just as much as what he does. 
“Drag yourself away from lecturing about childrens’ books?” he asks. “You are aware that this is a university, not an elementary school.” Fuck him. Fuck him, fuck him, fuck him. 
“As if children’s literature isn’t a recognized genre,” I say.
“Just admit it. You just want to go easy on your students. Coddle them and give them easy A’s so they’ll like you,” he says. 
My mouth drops open at that insulting remark. How dare he? “What would you have me do? Assign them stuff I know they hate so they won’t read it at all?”
He rolls his eyes. “Ever heard of giving them a poor grade? It’s how they learn not to do that.”
“I’m surprised you still have enough students to fill a class,” I retort. 
“Because my students take their education seriously, unlike yours. Yours wouldn’t last a week in mine.” With that, he breezes into the room, not bothering to talk to anyone else. Why would he? With his father being the Chair of the English Department, he has no reason to schmooze. 
Speaking of, his father, Beron, takes the podium. I quickly find a seat near the front, far, far away from Eris. 
“Welcome, Prythian University English Department. It is with the utmost despondency that I announce my upcoming retirement. Next semester, I will no longer be Chair of the English Department. I’m growing old, and I want to spend my next years away from academia after my many years serving this university. That being said, one of you will be replacing me. I hope the next generation will continue the legacy of this great university,” Beron says. 
I think it over. This is a leadership position, which all my life I’ve always craved. I’d love to get this job. I would still teach my students but also get to impact the curriculum that gets taught here. I have my Romance Novels, Children’s Literature, and my one class dedicated to manga and graphic novels, as well as Creative Writing classes in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction. I could make sure that these classes stay at the university, and that there’s more like them in the future. Not only that, I could make sure that we get advanced playwriting and screenwriting classes, as well as more funding for the more fun and creative classes. 
After Beron goes over all the requirements for the position, the meeting disperses. I gather up my stuff and leave. Unfortunately as soon as I leave the room I run smack into Eris.
“Don’t even think about it, bunny,” he says, tweaking one of my ears. “The position’s mine.”
“Fuck off,” I say. “I deserve this way more than you do.”
“And why’s that?” he raises an eyebrow. 
“Cause you’re tired. Boring. And stale. Oh sorry, I meant what you teach,” I say, suppressing a smile. 
“And in thousands of years, no one will care what you teach,” he says. “Even now what you’re doing’s a waste of time. So why don’t you throw in the towel now so you don’t get hurt.”
“The only one who will get hurt is you when you don’t get the chair position,” I say.
“Oh,” he breathes. “Is that so, bunny?” Before I could react, he backs me into the wall. “You really think what I teach holds no value?”
“I didn’t say no value,” I protest.
“Uh-uh, don’t go back on it,” he wheedles, pressing me into the wall. “You said tired. Boring, and stale, was it? And what do you think is so much better? Those romance novels you teach?”
I let out a breath. “I didn’t know you kept such tabs on my curriculum.”
He chuckles. “How can I not keep track of everything that’s wasting university money that should go to me?”
The sheer arrogance of him. “Sounds like you’re obsessed with me.”
He smirks. “As if you’re not obsessed with me, darling.”
“Fuck. You.”
“Don’t you wish you would,” he whispers. “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.” He runs a thumb over my cheek. “It’s not from one of your romance novels, but you look pretty flustered to me,” he comments. 
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from blushing further. “Fuck off,” I say. Even I’m not immune to a fucking Shakespeare quote, but did he seriously think I was dumb enough not to recognize it?  “I have to plan what I’m going to say to the English department heads to convince them to choose me to be the next chair.”
His eyes darken. “Including my father.”
I snort. “So? I’m not going to give up just because your father might give it to you out of nepotism.”
“You really don’t know my father, do you?” he asks. 
“No,” I admit. “But I know my stuff. So watch out.”
“Oh I will, bunny,” he assures me, his eyes running the length of my body. “I will.”
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deadpresidents · 9 months
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You read a lot non-fiction what I call "colon books" ("Title: Longer Subtitle"). What are some of your favourite or latest fiction books that you've read?
Even if it’s not your ideal genre, there has to be a more pleasant way of talking about non-fiction titles than calling them “colon books”, right? That sounds like a pretty gross section of the library.
I must admit that I’ve never been a big reader of fiction. I read a lot of books, but fiction has always been a pretty small percentage of them. I don’t have anything against fiction books and, quite frankly, I wish I had more of an interest in them because I believe reading from a broader, more diverse group of genres opens up your mind to a wider array of viewpoints. But I just can’t lose myself in fiction as easily as I do in non-fiction — and I know that not only sounds ridiculous but kind of proves how important it probably is for me to actually read more fiction in order to expand my horizons and build a healthier imagination.
When I do read fiction, it usually is because I like the work of specific authors and don’t want to miss whatever they write. One odd thing is that while I very rarely (almost never, in fact) re-read non-fiction books, when it comes to fiction, I usually stick with the same small collection of favorite authors and often re-read their work.
And if I’m not reading non-fiction, there’s a pretty good chance that I’m reading poetry instead of a novel or some sort of traditional prose fiction. Like I said, it’s probably more of a failure of imagination than anything, but while I respect and appreciate great literature and creative fiction, I just prefer reading stuff that feels more realistic. I couldn’t even guess what the last science fiction book I read was. I have several thousand books in my personal library, but I’m willing to bet that I have less than a half-dozen sci-fi books. My taste in movies or TV shows is pretty similar; I rarely watch sci-fi or fantasy. Even as a kid I was never able to get into them.
So what type of fiction books do I read whenever I actually do pick up something other than non-fiction?
I’ve been pretty vocal over the years about my appreciation/admiration/awe for the work of Sam Shepard. Everything he wrote — from his plays to his prose to poetry to his short story collections — amazes me as a reader and makes me insanely jealous as a writer. I have every book he ever published and just about every play or collection of plays, and I re-read him more than anybody else.
I’m also a huge fan of John Steinbeck and Joan Didion. I think I have just about everything that Steinbeck ever published and I have phases when I fall into a Steinbeck rabbit hole and just tunnel through my Library of America collection of his work, which are treasures. I didn’t get into Joan Didion’s writing until later, so I’m still reading some of her stuff for the first time. I think the fact that I’m from Northern California like Steinbeck (from Salinas) and Didion (who was from Sacramento originally, just like me) helps me put myself in their work in a more intimate way than when I’m trying to read most other writers of fiction. I need that kind of connection to lock on to fiction in the way that I’m able to do with non-fiction. Plus, Steinbeck and Didion also wrote some great non-fiction, so I can get the best of both worlds. Two other authors that I’ve read and re-read many times are Cuba’s heroic founding father, freedom fighter, and martyred revolutionary José Martí and the ingenious, acerbic Ambrose Bierce whose satirical The Devil's Dictionary (BOOK | KINDLE) has miraculously maintained its edginess and razor-sharp humor despite being originally written over 125 years ago.
There’s really not a lot of contemporary fiction that I read. I’m sure I’d find some great stuff if I gave it the chance, but there’s only so many hours in the day that I have to read, so I do tend to give it over to non-fiction, as you might notice when I answer the questions about the books I’ve been recently reading! So, if I am reading fiction, it’s almost always older stuff that I’m finally getting around to reading. During the pandemic, I got lost in the work of Jorge Luis Borges, who I had not spent much time with previously, but I pored through his fiction and poetry. Two more books that I also frequently re-read or pull of the shelves to read pieces of are Baltasar Garcián’s The Art of Worldly Wisdom (BOOK | KINDLE), which was first published in 1647 but still feels fresh 375 years later, and Fernando Pessoa’s brilliant, posthumously published The Book of Disquiet (BOOK | AUDIO | KINDLE).
As for the poets you’ll find on my shelves, it’s probably who you’d expect: Pablo Neruda, Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Hafiz, Matthew Arnold, William Blake, and Federico García Lorca. Like I mentioned earlier, Sam Shepard and José Martí are two of my favorites for their prose and poetry. I’d especially recommend Shepard’s 1973 book Hawk Moon: Short Stories, Poems, Monologues and Motel Chronicles (BOOK | KINDLE), published in 1982 by the legendary Lawrence Ferlinghetti at San Francisco’s iconic City Lights Books. José Martí’s greatest work is Versos Sencillos (BOOK | KINDLE), originally published in Spanish 1891 but I recommend the excellent dual-language edition translated by Anne Fountain and published by McFarland & Company in 2005. One other poetry book that is always pretty close to my desk is Yevgeny Yevtushenko’s wonderful The Collected Poems, 1952-1990.
And last but not least — but certainly the least surprising — is William Shakespeare. I love Shakespeare. I don’t think that this is a controversial opinion, but Shakespeare is fucking amazing. You guys can share that secret with other people if you feel the need to do so. If someone put a gun to my head and told me I had to pick only three books to read for the rest of my life, the first thing I would do would be to choose Shakespeare’s Complete Works. Actually…the first thing I would do would be to ask why that person felt the need to put a gun to my head just to choose three books to read. That seems unnecessarily aggressive and wildly inappropriate for the task at hand. But after chastising them for their needlessly dangerous tactics, I would choose Shakespeare’s Complete Works — specifically the latest Norton edition with Stephen Greenblatt as general editor (BOOK | DIGITAL).
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broke-on-books · 3 months
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Got tagged by @threephantomrey on a reading game thing, it got long so it's pasted under the cut.
1) How many books did you read this year?
So many omg!! I logged 34 books on Goodreads but I only started logging there at the end of February. I also read a shitton of comics that I didn’t log there because I didn’t want to skew certain statistics and use a different app to log that. (Going by my rough math using that, I’ve read 360 individual comic issues in 2023, not counting rereads). So like I read a lot.
2) Did you reread anything? What?
Sooo much stuff. I just finished a reread of N. K. Jemisin’s Great Cities Duology like two days ago, which I cannot recommend more. Also reread 17776 recently, as well as a childhood favorite (The Fall of the Readers series by Django Wexler) over the summer. When it comes to comics I’ve also done a ton of rereading, most notably Emerald Twilight (Green Lantern (1990) #48-50) like 5 times for the most rereads, but I’ve also reread other faves (in whole or part) such as Wonder Woman: Historia, Batgirl (2000), and I’m currently doing a Green Lanterns (2016) read which has me brain diseased because I am actually obsessed with them SO bad. And I reread poetry constantly so there’s that too.
3) What were your top five books of the year?
I’m skipping this one honestly. I started thinking about it and it hurt my brain. Some standouts I haven’t mentioned yet though include The Fifth Season by N K Jemisin, The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, The Last Speakers: The Quest to Save the World’s Most Endangered Languages by K. David Harrison, and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Also like everything Greg Rucka did on Wonder Woman in the aughts (including the Hikateia <3333)
4) Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?
Probably Greg Rucka is a big one, Would maybe count James Baldwin here but that’s iffy because I decided to start reading some of his stuff because I loved a poem of his I had read before this year (among other things). I would also say I discovered A. S. King this year, but I don’t know if I’d say I LOVE her writing, rather that I find it incredibly entertaining because of how batshit fucking crazy it is. Like no one else is on her level when it comes to insanity honestly (and I say this as a comics fan)
5) What genre did you read the most of?
I mean superhero comics probably, but also I read a good amount of poetry (as always) and some fiction.
6) Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?
Sooooooo much! Because I like so many genres I’m always reading like 10+ books at a time, and still a lot of stuff I just don’t get to. Some things I wanted to read include some poetry books I own, specifically my Most Famous Poems of All Time anthology (I think that’s what it’s called?) and my best of Antonio Machado book (bilingual edition!). There’s also a bunch of specific poems that would fall under this category. Also meant to read the Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule (and the rest of the main High Republic series), but that didn’t happen. Also I wanted to read some 90s Flash but it’s soooo long and I couldn’t justify starting it while I’m in the middle of so many things.
7) What was your average Goodreads rating? Does it seem accurate?
My average rating was a 4.2 which is pretty high. I’d say it seems accurate for the books I finished, but when you consider all my DNFs and comics it would definitely be way lower, as I quit a bunch of books halfway through for being terrible this spring that aren’t reflected, and also I read some really shitty comics for my faves this fall. 
8) Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?
No I didn’t meet them : ((((((((. I was pretty ambitious with the Goodreads goal (set for 100 books) so I’m not sad I didn’t meet that, but I was using those numbers to compete with my best friend on who could read the most, and I lost that (she had 43 to my 34) due to a slump in the early summer and another during the school year in the fall. For comics I recently hit 1000 issues read, so I’m happy about that mindset, and got my niche fave into my top 5 characters read so I’m pretty happy there. Still haven’t reached my goal of having Wonder Woman beat Batman for my top character yet, but that only emerged as an objective like a month ago so I’m not too upset. 
9) Did you get into any new genres?
I’d say so, yes! In recent years I’ve done a lot of expanding my taste of books into different genres, and this year I think I read a lot of memoirs, (both traditional and fictionalized) than I ever did before. For traditional I read Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died and in terms of fictionalized, I read and enjoyed both Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Next year I want to read more of this genre, especially getting to Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which has been on my TBR for a while. 
10) What was your favorite new release of the year?
New release… um…. Let me check something real quick. How have I read nothing from this year what. Okay I’m just going to stick to comics for this one and say Spirit World by Alyssa Wong was SO GOOD. Honestly may buy the trade for that when it comes out in April like I was loving that series sm. (also Wong is my favorite comic author currently writing. Although they’re not doing anything I’m interested in in 2024 it looks like : ((((( )
11) What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?
*blinks in classics fan* uhhh actually you know what. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner has been published for 231 slutty, slutty years and I only got around to it now. So that’s a shame. Also I read Huck Finn for the first time this year and that’s been culturally massive for centuries as well. Although the ending for that book was shit I really liked the rest. Tom Sawyer can actually die in a hole though I hate him SO much. 
12) Any books that disappointed you?
SO MANY YES. I had a really long dnf streak in late spring of this year, but one of the books I couldn’t finish was one of the most hyped up books I’ve read this year, that being All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Also I actually finished this one but I just hated Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard. Which like I’ve heard good things about this play and I had just finished Hamlet like a month or so before and just like. Idk it was bad I didn’t like it and thought it was super confusing. Maybe watching a stage production would make me like it more but like. It was not lit fam idk :/
13) What were your least favorite books of the year?
Those two for sure would be in there. Also just like the rest of my dnfs I guess. R & G was the only book I finished that I rated less than three stars on goodreads. OH WAIT COMICS. I read so many shitty comics oh my god. This could have gone in disappointments too but Green Lantern: Mosaic FUCKING SUCKED. Like jesus christ it was so bad I only made it three issues. It was such a disappointment too because it was a spinoff book from a really good arc imo (written by the worst human to ever draw air and write comics. Not an exaggeration) with cool ideas and characterization and then the actual book is like fucking. Horrific. Like he has the main character fucking graphically domestic abuse his girlfriend in front of her kid and then she forgives him and then she comforts him and it's just a hot mess of a book. Fucking awful. This summary doesn’t even begin to cover it. 
14) What books do you want to finish before the year is over?
I told myself I would finally finish Muerte Bajo el Sol, the Spanish translation of Agatha Christie’s Evil Under the Sun by the end of the year but I very much lied there so yeah. I’ve been reading that book for so long I just need it over.
15) Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?
Oh yeah a ton. I like my books thematically crunchy so I generally search out award winners. I’ll be easy and say the Broken Earth Trilogy here, which I did love, although I think the first book was the strongest outside of the three. I won’t spoil but I was in the parking lot waiting to pick up my friend when I reached a certain point and I legit almost honked my horn in the senior parking lot. At dismissal. Also had a few great moments reading it where I realized that the author had read [insert classic here] as well and was drawing some inspiration for certain elements which I liked. 
16) What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?
All the Light We Cannot See for sure. It just wasn’t it personally. 
17) Did any books surprise you with how good they were?
Maphead by Ken Jennings lmao. I was given a metric ton of Ken Jennings books for Christmas 2022 (because I’m a MAJOR trivia/quiz bowl nerd and he hosts Jeopardy) but this was my favorite, and I really did like it. (especially the quiz in the back haha)
18) How many books did you buy?
No comment. The username is the username for a reason. No but uhhh for real idk. I used the libraries pretty heavily this year, so when it comes to like my own money then just two comic trades I think. Maybe some more poetry. I get given/ask for a lot of books as gifts so that’s where most of mine comes from. I got 9 books for Christmas like last week haha.
19) Did you use your library?
Yee! I used 4 different library systems this year, (high school, local public, college, and college local public) so I definitely made the most of it. Currently I have three library cards as I just applied for a new one in my college town using my dorm address lol. Oh and I got a few books from an informal swap library set up in a bookshelf right outside my summer job so that too i suppose. 
20) What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?
I’ll use Spirit World here because it actually came out in 2023 haha. I think it both met and surpassed my expectations, as the reasons I started the book were all better or just as good as expected, but also there were so many other elements that I thought were soooo good too so yeah.
21) Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?
Nah idc about any of that. I listen to my friend complain about how shitty some of the popular tiktok books she reads are so that should count for something ig. 
22) What’s the longest book you read?
The Fifth Season was 468 pages so that one. Shortest was Rime of the Ancient Mariner with 77 pages (although I think it was shorter tbh)
23) What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book?
According to Libby I think like an hour and a half for the Absolutely True Diary which is kind of crazy. (not counting the Rime here obviously) but generally it only takes me a couple hours for most books. Poetry collections and nonfiction are different though.
24) Did you DNF anything? Why?
SO MUCH. Why? Because it sucked. No but like I was trapped with my most accessible library from Jan - May this year being the one at my high school, which just had SO much YA and books for like. Middle schoolers. This was at a time where my tastes were maturing a lot and I really wanted serious books. So even recommendations I would get from the librarians for books during this time would fall flat just because they were too juvenile for what I was into. 
25) What reading goals do you have for next year?
To beat my best friend in books read. Also like to try not to slump too bad and just like. Read a good amount. Finish my one spanish book so I can start my other spanish book. Have Wonder Woman beat Batman in my comic book stats. Yeah. 
As for tagging uh idk im like really congested right now so like. people do whatever i dont want to have to htink of anybody to tag *thumbs up emoji*
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the-cloudy-dreamer · 1 year
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Tea and Books Asks
Thank you Dreamling Nation server for being so unhinged as to make this an actual tag game!
So @quillingwords @mathomhouse-e @firemandeanbuck tagged me and at this point I think I’m the last one to make this so if anyone’s missing feel free to do it!
1. What period of history do you enjoy learning about?
Honestly I think I enjoy it all! I love history 🖤
2. Who is your favourite fictional character and why?
I have too many! as of right now I can honestly say that spots goes to Dream of the Endless—he is a complex character full of tragedy and contradictions and I love him for it.
3. What do you order at a café?
Usually I drink black coffee but if I go out to buy myself coffee I guess I’ll go for an extra strong coffee with a dash of milk.
Sometimes I get a caramel macchiato but that’s when I feel like I want a special treat not an everyday sort of coffee.
4. Libraries, botanical gardens, or art galleries?
In theory I love libraries and gardens are lovely as well but my heart will forever will be with museums and art galleries.
5. Do you have a favourite film soundtrack? I’ll do you one better and name a few: Labyrinth, Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Coraline, Lord of the Rings/ The Hobbit.
I love OST music 🖤
6. What does your dream home look like?
It would have to be a cozy little house tucked away somewhere quiet —perhaps in the middle of a forest? I would love to be able to relax, enjoy the nature and do all the things that I love like reading and drawing and painting ✨
7. What makes you feel better on gloomy days? Warm soft things like a thick blanket and a nice cup of tea—perhaps eating something sweet and listening to my favorite music or watching a comfort movie/series.
8. What are your top three films? Books? My mind is *blank* so I’ll name just one of each because *awkward hand gesture* Movie Perfect Blue, Satoshi Kon Book Almond, Sohn Won-pyung.
9. Are you an organized person, generally? I am perhaps a little *too* organized! I’ve been working on trying to be more relaxed about it. And I think I’m making a good job at it!
10. Do you have a favourite classic novel? Several—I’ll chose The Bell Jar , Sylvia Plath because it’s been sometime since I read and I miss it.
11. What character archetype or trope is your favourite? I have a soft sport for creatives, rebels and truth seekers probably because I see myself in those.
12. Do you prefer baking or cooking? I don’t think I prefer one over the other but I do find baking more relaxing and rewarding.
13. Which season do you feel at home in? Autumn! Or more specifically that little place between changing seasons always feels wonderful.
14. What is your opinion on poetry? Love it!
15. Do you speak formally when texting and emailing? Since I only text family and close friends then no but emails probably yes since most ( if not all) of them are work related.
16. How do you organize your music playlists? I’m basic so I usually organize them by language ( I have list in English, Spanish, Japanese and Korean for example) Genre and *sometimes* mood.
17. Who is your favourite author? I collect those like Pokémon so I’ll pick one at random and say my beloved Banana Yoshimoto.
18. Chai or hot chocolate? Both! Though I usually drink hot chocolate only during the winter.
19. Do you prefer forests, sea shores, or meadows? Forest for sure!
20. If you were to cultivate a fruit orchard, what would you grow? Probably something basic like apples or cherries mostly because I grew up climbing those and I have lots of fond memories of sitting and eating on those trees while swinging my legs back and ford and feeling like I was on top of the world.
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delphi-ni · 4 months
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Lupi Filii- Introduction
I would like to present myself first, if you don’t mind. I am an Italian young girl who recently discovered an interesting story. I really enjoy it and I’m currently following every updates regarding it. I’m not a huge fan, I don’t follow any fandom but I’ve certainly been enchanted by its plot. It is for me one of the most efficient ways of talking about literature raising the attention of an audience, mostly made by young people, that most probably thinks that the literature we study at school is very boring. The action, the well written characters and the beautiful and well placed references about all world’s literature are the strongest components of this comic, novel and then animated series. At least this are the thoughts of a girl who always enjoyed reading.
I don’t usually read or watch series of this genre, but a friend of mine suggested it because they considered it good and I gave it a try. I had no idea what it talked about and it was difficult for me to understand it at first because I’ve never read about Japanese literature before. When I found out the characters were based on actual, real life book and poetry authors I fell in love. I soon found out it didn’t just talk about Japanese literature but also there were characters based on authors from all the world, and it was  beautiful for me to see all this people that literally wrote my childhood together in a new story. As I said before I really enjoy reading, so it was a world I already knew and I could’ve enjoy it a lot better than if I didn’t know any of this authors.
One of the thoughts I had was that these people, I’m talking about the actual authors, were people that probably made an huge impact on their national and world culture. To better understand what I mean I’d say that I’ve always enjoyed studying literature at school, not only the poems or manuscripts, but also authors’ lives, writing characteristics and their impact on nowadays culture. In my presentation I said I’m Italian, so of course I’ve mostly studied Italian culture, but my school program also had me study English and Latin literature. Thinking about the beautiful story made around authors that made the Japanese literature and culture, I thought about a story centred on authors that made the story of my nation. So I wrote it.
My story takes great inspiration on the original story, but has its own course of events and it talks about Italian culture and literature. All with Italian, or foreign, authors that made this culture. This story isn’t just action between supernatural humans inspired by real life writers that use their own most important work of art as a special ability. It is a voyage. In my manuscript I’ve wrote about all Italy, I love my country and I wanted to talk about every aspects of its culture, paralleling the original story, which I’ll never forget for the emotional impact it had in me.
I’d like to share this story with you. I want to show you the beautiful Italy, all of it, and I hope you’ll enjoy it.
(I want to specify that the original story is written in Italian and then translated in English, so the publishing of the English version will be following the Italian one, two working days later, except for the first chapters.)
IMPORTANT MESSAGE: I have made up my own plot for the story, but the idea is NOT MINE. The story is mostly paralleled to the original. I DO NOT OWN any characters’ name NOR any ability’s name, for which they are actual titles with their own legitimate owners. Mostly every character in this story was once a REAL person and some are alive nowadays, so I would ask everyone reading this to NOT USE these names in offensive manners, NOR leave any comment that could harm or offend these people. Everything in the story is INVENTED and did not happen in reality. The characters ARE NOT the authors I’ve took as inspiration so the character’s actions or words MUST NOT be associated with the real person. All rightful credits go to the original authors of this story (Bungou Stray Dogs), Kafka Asagiri and Sango Harukawa. I also want to specify that English is (obviously) not my first language; I apologize in advance for any mistake I might have made, I ask you to be patient and not leave any offensive comment for I’m still learning. Thanks for understanding.
Delphini, Italy, 10/19/2023.
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skywitchmaja · 1 year
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2, 11, 20 :)
2. top 5 books of all time
okay if i think about this too long it’s gonna be impossible i’m just gonna go off the top of my head in no particular order:
1. to the lighthouse by virginia woolf
2. sharp objects gillian flynn
3. the god of small things by arundhati roy
4. my dark vanessa by kate elizabeth russell
5. the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson
11. what non-fiction books do you like, if any?
okay i’m pretty terrible about non fiction as far as like, “informative” books, but i do enjoy memoirs and poetry. fun home by alison bechdel, maus by art spiegelman and persepolis by marjane satrapi are some graphic memoirs (idk why i can’t bring to mind any traditional memoirs rn). poetry wise i like emily dickinson, mary oliver, elizabeth bishop, eavan boland, but i’m more of a “pick up a book and flip to a random poem” person than a “cover to cover person”. as far as a non-fiction book about a specific topic, just mercy by brian stevenson is about his work as a lawyer working to protect death row inmates, and it’s as devastating as you can probably imagine, i would highly recommend it.
20. what are things you look for in a book?
okay. first and foremost is characters. interesting, complicated characters with interesting, complicated relationships to other characters. their voices, their idiosyncrasies, the choices they make, things that make a story feel alive. they don’t have to be good people, sometimes it’s better if they’re not. second is the sentences. the author’s voice, i guess. i’m a sucker for lush imagery, figurative language, syntactical quirks, things that make a book “pretty” to read, and things i can sink my teeth into, analytically. if i’m trying to decide if i want to buy a book, i’ll flip to a random page, read a random sentence, and see if it sounds good. then i do that four more times before i decide lol. plots and genre are hard to say, i’ve liked different books about different things, but i’ve always had a penchant for introspective lit-fic about “self discovery”.
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tentacledtherapist · 14 days
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I find it so interesting that humans can grow hair in entirely different colors! Without having any sort of unusual coloration otherwise! It reminds me of how when animals get domesticated the three first things to show up are piebald or multicolor coloration, curly tails and floppy ears. Likely because the opposite of these things evolved for survival. Coats for camouflage, pointy or big ears to hear better, straight controlled tails for emoting and pheromone release. When they don't need these things to survive, of course they're easy to shed.
I mainly collect old books, though I do dabble in bookbinding myself. I am too anxious currently to try and repair any books myself without prior practice, despite knowing how to do so cover to cover. My oldest book is a bible from 1823. You'll find a lot of bibles survived because family records are often kept inside them. But honestly most of my books either hold personal significance or are fiction. My favorite... could it be a genre in a way? My favorite subject is everyday educational texts. I have old school books, books on cooking and sewing, flower meanings and gardening, tea parties and Ladies Etiquette. Books about how they used to live life. My current favorite, which I intend to read and reread, is a book on how to mourn your child from 1871. Each chapter is a question about grief and pain and love. It's sad, beautiful and sad, and a rare find.
As for poetry, I'm not a fan of one poet over another, really, though the romantics were like the first Goths so I have to give them credit. I tend to have the most impactful poems find me on their own, rather than by searching for them. I just find that poetry books hold a sort of emotional weight to them though, so I like to skim through them.
As for symbolism, I think I sort of understand the symbolism in it, beyond the obvious of "Trip to the Moon". You get the Frankenstein Bride hair which also emulates that of the animated woman at the beginning of the movie that Creature originally fell in love with. The Pabst dress probably is about how her experience that night was coated with alcohol and drugs. The scene mirrors the previous scene with Douchebag Doug, except shes with someone she actually wants to be with (the bust of Creature).They hold hands, differently to how Doug treated her by taking advantage of her weakness, where the gum is meant to be Creature taking care of her. The gum is because she threw up, and her accepting the gum is her accepting his affections.
The murderer under the bed was the same as the masked killer who killed her mom (I think?) It may be a sort of "I can't have nice things" feeling, mixed with "if he's already dead you can't kill him so I'm not afraid" hence why she has no reaction.
But this is just my thoughts.
- Creature
my white streak is a birthmark, i’m pretty sure. i’ve had it as long as i can remember? but it’s wild that these things just Happen sometimes. supposedly we do have stripes like a tiger or some other form of patterning, but it only shows up under uv light? i read that a while ago though, so take it with a grain of salt
yes yes yes on your analysis! i like hearing your thoughts about what all of it means. it’s nice to have more thoughts on it than just the ones inside my own head
it’s a scene that feels out of place at first and it’s so full of symbolism? i genuinely love it. the man under her bed is wearing the same mask as the man who killed her mom, and with the way he grabbed at their feet i always read lisa’s expression more as a “he’s here again/already?” for a split second, before swiftly being followed by “oh well. death is going to come eventually. at least i have this while it happens.” lisa does talk about her lack of fear of death later?
i like your thoughts on the gum. its the biggest thing i couldn’t quite figure out what i think it wanted to say, what i wanted it to say, ya know? i’m still pondering why it melted between their hands. maybe having something to do with the actual melty-sticky thing being a sort of ‘physical’ representation of their bond?
i like it. i like picking it apart. i notice new things every time i watch the movie, it’s great
on that same sort of thread: i think my favorite poet is probably john donne, because of how much you can dig into his poetry and peel it all apart at the seams. i like digging into things like that, though i don’t think there’s been any particular poem that’s fully rocked me to my core from him, though. like you said, it’s the poems you stumble into that really affect you
i think my oldest book is a worn down copy of ‘Les Mis’? i’m not sure of it’s exact print date off the top of my head, but it’s a favorite of mine. i dunno if it’s my favorite book of all time point blank period, but it’s up there! a lot of people get turned off of the book when i tell them there’s like 10 pages of ramblings about the parisian sewer system, but i genuinely like long winding prose. i like an author with a lot to say and a mind to do it. it’s in dire need of repair, but i sort of want to leather bind it, and i don’t currently have the skillset to do that
i’d call educational texts a genre! it’s got it’s own category at bookstores, so it’s genre enough for me. wild that it’s your favorite though. like a good wild. it’s not typical, but those books probably give the best insight into what life was like then. sort of like a window into, or back into, the past
- Lisa
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n0stalgicv0id · 24 days
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Hello Angel ! I’m sorry it took so long for me to reply, I just woke up actually 💔🍓 !
I’m not studying German no, I’m studying English actually ! That’s really sweet how curious you are about me, I’m the same towards you really since I’ve rarely heard of someone who was into literature, especially such specific types in the same way I was- It’s refreshing ! And it makes for good conversation!
I’m happy you find comfort in Otello. It’s truly particular but a undeniable masterpiece- What is the book about ? Tell me everything 🍓 A dear friend of mine loves Moomins so I know what it is ! It looks extremely cozy, I should give it a watch / read !
Gothic literature is amazing, one of my favorite genres probably. My favorite book happens to be Wuthering Heights actually, I don’t know if you’ve read it ? 🍓
Don’t apologize for the pics really, I’m already grateful you took the time to show them to me, they’re perfect ! Do you happen to study music ? Or have any plan in doing so ? Please do tell me, if you want to of course !
Mmmh as French artists I listen to I would recommend "Trop beau" by Lomepal and "Je suis Malade" by Lara Fabian, two of my favorite songs 🫶 Do recommend me some music as well, I’m not too well versed into the emo genre haha !
Don’t worry, I was sleeping myself and I just opened my eyes.
When I was younger I didn’t appreciate literature, I started getting more into it after seeing and reading Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. At the time there was this girl in my class who was extremely smart, she was deeply into pink floyd and queen. I clearly remember how hungry she was for black and white movies, her passion towards science and I liked to listen to her. But clearly that at some point the madness won over her. She changed school and in general people misunderstood her, you know how vicious children can be. After that event I decided to improve myself and start reading more. I don’t have a certain reason but maybe to some extent she inspired me to improve.
The book it’s mostly a summary of the life of these two women who live together, it talks about their daily life in Finland. Both of them are eccentric, one is an artist who has tons of ideas/hobbies but never finish anything. And the other one is deeply into movies. All the chapters tell a different story and I found it extremely curious and refreshing, even though I prefer other genres but I like reading all kinds of books.
Of course I know Wuthering heights! I love Emily Brontë, especially her poetry. I always have with me a tiny book with her poems when I need to refresh my mind when I’m in the midst of creating. But my eternal appreciation for Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe is greater than anything else.
I study music to some extent. I have a vocal coach and I’m taking piano classes. Actually with maestro I was referring to my mother’s fiancé. He’s a well affirmed lyrical singer and I enjoy to talk to him when I feel troubled. As we are both artists in our own way we understand each other. I have a lot of questions and I think he’ll resolve all my current concerns. After I finish my current studies I want to try to enroll in a music conservatory. Maybe I’ll become like the Phantom of the Opera and start living under a theater - obviously a joke, I’m just having fun.
Thanks for your recommendations, I’ll let you know when I listen to them! <3
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h0ney-letters · 6 months
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hi
About me (kinda)
Age: 24
Pronouns: she/her
Main blog: @h0neyfreak
Genre/style: literary fiction, speculative fiction, creative nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry. I would also love to one day write a themed cozy mystery series under a pen name that sounds so fun.
Published?: no, not sure if I want to or if I just want to write for fun. I’ll probably submit things to some journals eventually and maybe self-publish if I ever write anything longer
Other hobbies/interests: knitting, drawing (traditional and digital), painting (oils mostly), ttrpgs (currently DMing a MOTW campaign), and I’m a casual Formula 1 fan
cw tags: I’ll always tag explicit depictions of rape, gore, and violence as “#cw: [subject]”
(Some of my) favorite books:
Madness is Better than Defeat by Ned Beauman
The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (but only the Constance Garnett translation)
The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh
Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Current wips (updated monthly) (current ver. Oct 2023):
Long work 1: Every Reason Why. A novel following a waitress as she gets into an abusive relationship interwoven with anecdotes from her life before her abuser (going back to childhood) building two parallel stories. ~10k words at time of posting.
Long work 2: [untitled] A group of friends meet at summer camp and ~something bad~ happens. Follows them through adulthood as the bad thing unravels/becomes clear. Currently just a vague idea with some bulleted lists and snippets. Has not left the notes app.
Short work 1: What Violence? A short surreal body horror story about a young girl who gets stabbed in the chest with a knife and discovers it does not hurt or bleed the way it should. She searches for someone to bring her to a doctor to give her stitches but struggles to explain what’s going on. Based on a dream I had. ~300 words at the moment.
Short work 2: He Called Me Something Bad. A young girl kills her teenage step brother (or woman kills stepson, still sorting it out) in what appears to be an accident. The social worker/detective interviewing her starts to realize that it was not An Accident. Currently in the notes app/ideas phase. Unclear if it will make it out.
Tag list (mostly for my own reference/benefit)
#ref -> helpful lists, words, resources etc.
#guides -> kind of like ref but more to collect posts about how to write specific rules/identities of characters or settings
#inspo -> quotes, art, snippets, prompts and other things that make me want to write
#wip -> I’m a slut for a good Pinterest board/Spotify playlist/other way to outline ideas without having to sit down and write so that stuff will go here. Along with any snippets
#ocs -> any stuff about my characters. idk how much I’ll use this one because I mostly see people making OC content for genre fiction and it feels weird to make stuff for short stories and kinda disjointed literary fiction. But I also might be a weird little freak (likely) who needs to get over herself (extremely likely)
#tips -> useful info about the writing process, publishing, software, etc
#my work -> anything I write myself. I can’t pick a title to save my life so tagging by title won’t work
#good stuff -> writing by other people that I love and want to come back to and read a bunch because it is good
#review -> book/story/essay reviews. Goodreads stresses me out but I want some way to catalogue what I read now that I’ve graduated and have time for it. Also reviewing stuff helps me figure out what I want my own writing to sound and feel like.
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musicarenagh · 10 months
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Introducing Mahad: A Talented Singer-Songwriter Sharing Love Stories Through Music Mahad, a gifted singer, and songwriter, has always had a deep connection to music since his early years. In a recent interview with Mister Styx from Musicarenagh, Mahad delved into his inspirations and passions, offering a glimpse into his creative world. When asked about his major source of inspiration, Mahad expressed, "I would say my main inspiration is just telling stories from my love life or how I wished my love life looked like." His music reflects his personal experiences and aspirations, allowing him to create heartfelt and relatable songs that resonate with listeners on an emotional level. Beyond music, Mahad revealed some of his other interests during the interview. He emphasized his love for reading, particularly recommending a book titled "All About Love" by Bell Hooks. Additionally, Mahad discussed his latest single, "Still The Same." This mesmerizing R&B track exudes love and showcases Mahad's soulful vocals. With heartfelt lyrics and a smooth melody, the song is a testament to Mahad's ability to convey deep emotions through his music. It's a piece that will touch the hearts of listeners and leave them yearning for more of Mahad's soul-stirring compositions. Mahad's musical journey is driven by his passion for storytelling and his desire to create music that resonates with others. Through his heartfelt lyrics, captivating melodies, and genuine emotions, he offers a fresh and authentic perspective on love and personal growth. As Mahad continues to evolve as an artist, his music promises to captivate and inspire audiences worldwide. Stay tuned for more heartfelt melodies and soulful tales from this promising singer-songwriter. Listen to Still The Same below   Follow Mahad on Spotify Soundcloud Instagram   What is your stage name: My stage name is Mahad Is there a story behind your stage name? I just wanted to use my own name since I’ve never met any other Mahad’s and its just short and simple Where do you find inspiration? I find and draw most of my inspiration from poetry that I write which is most often created from me just wanting to find an outlet and an expression for my sometimes messy love life. What was the role of music in the early years of your life? Music has always been a part of my life. Even though I don’t come from a very musical family, music was always been played loudly where me and my siblings would spend all day watching MTV and all of its different genres, dancing and singing along to the music. Are you from a musical or artistic family? Not at all, but I wish I was cause you and draw a lot of inspiration from your family members and maybe even help echoer and create music together. Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry? I would have to say two of my best friends from when I was 14-15? they both wanted to be singer/songwriters and I had never thought of it in the same way they did. They pretty much opened my eyes to the world of music so shoutout to Emma and Sara. How did you learn to sing/write/to play? I taught myself how to sing and the songwriting just came naturally, and I think that’s one of the reasons I love it the most in a way, since its something I’ve never had to fully teach myself even though I’m trying to hone my skill even more these days. [caption id="attachment_49958" align="alignnone" width="1500"] I taught myself how to sing and the songwriting just came naturally,[/caption] What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform? My first ever concert was probably Rihanna’s Anti tour How could you describe your music? I would describe my music as R&B and pop mixed together but also separated at times. Describe your creative process. My creative process always starts of with me going into my poetry folder and trying to find a poem to base the songs of off and then trying to shape the l
yrics from the poems with the beat and song until, using my already finished poems really makes everything go 10x faster. What is your main inspiration? I would say my main inspiration is just telling stories from my love life or how I wished my love live looked like. What musician do you admire most and why? I would have to say Frank Ocean for the way he just does what he feels like, when he feels like it, his art, his timeline is all his own and he’s in control of it all. Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career? My music journey has just begun but I feel like it will evolve and change, not sure what direction just yet. Who do you see as your main competitor? I don’t think any other artist is a competitor, I see them more as colleagues and potential collaborators to work with. What are your interests outside of music? I would say reading is one of my biggest interests at the moment, especially this book called “All About Love” by Bell Hooks, its such good read and I think everyone should read it. If it wasn't a music career, what would you be doing? I think I’d be a farmer or a librarian since I love animals and a librarian since i love solitude and books haha. What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music? I would say the nervousness before a release and just continuing working on new projects all the time. If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be? Maybe something that would make sure songwriters are valued more as well as everyone working behind the scenes of music? https://open.spotify.com/artist/3YeB89KjYAyxumaLAYC30q Why did you choose this as the title of this project? It felt like the right choice somehow What are your plans for the coming months? Hopefully working on more projects, reading more books, and just creating more things with other people. Do you have any artistic collaboration plans Not really in the plans yet What message would you like to give to your fans?: I’m not sure I have a fanbase yet but I’d say just do things, don’t overthink, just do
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paranormalrealism · 1 year
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Author To Author Interview
Orville Burch To L.M. Ford
Orville: How long have you been writing
LM Ford: Extensive writing was necessary in university and graduate school.  When I started my career, writing was a significant part of it. Yet I disliked the whole process. After a few years, something changed. I got interested in telling some of the stories in my imagination and now completely love what I once hated.
 Orville: What got you interested in writing?
LM Ford: My first serious writing, i.e. the first I finished, started because I believe in recording family stories. So I started writing down stories of a family member who was orphaned in 1880 and was taken into a Dunkard family (similar to the Amish). I ended up writing a book that was researched and based on the oral traditions, but was fictionalized into a novel. After numerous editors said how much they liked it, but didn’t buy the book, I’ve published The Thanksgiving Child through Amazon
 Orville: How many books do you have published?
LM Ford: 7 Cozy Mysteries & 2 other books currently at Amazon. I have 12 books under a different pen name with traditional publishers, but am enjoying the freedom of publishing at Amazon.
Orville: Are your books self-published or traditionally published?
LM Ford: I am both self-published and traditionally published.
 Orville: Are you a plotter or a pantser
LM Ford: I’m probably more of a pantser, but have used both approaches. For one publisher, I had to develop an extended synopsis before writing the book that was under contract, so those were plotted.
 Orville: What are your hobbies outside of writing?  
LM Ford: Reading, Rocks, Genealogy, Hiking, collecting folk tales
 Orville: Who was the greatest influence in your writing career?
LM Ford: I grew up in a household where both my parents had good insight into people and we interacted with a lot of interesting people. While I’ve never copied one in writing, that knowledge has definitely helped me create fun and interesting characters. My father wrote poetry, my Mom always beat everyone in word games.
 Orville: Do you have a favorite quote?
LM Ford: I’ve always gotten a kick out of the Errol Flynn line in Captain Blood. “This is what I call a timely interruption.” The setting of the scene is what makes it funny, of course.
 Orville: What genre do you write?
LM Ford: I write in several genres. I’m currently concentrating on Cozy Mysteries and have three series at Amazon, each with a different focus and flavor.
 Orville: What are your book titles?
LM Ford: The Thanksgiving Child, Whatever Happened to Little Jackie, Being Derrick Jenkins; No Dumping Allowed; No Pepper, Please, The Secret at Raven’s Point; Smuggler’s Cove; The Kensington Affair. I also have a Christmas book called The Road to Bethlehem.
 Orville: Is your work on Kindle Unlimited?
LM Ford: Yes, all of it.
 Orville: What are you currently working on (when will it be available)
LM Ford: I am currently working on the third book in the Movie Madness Mystery Series, which will not be available until 2023.
Orville: Who is your target audience?
LM Ford: Since I have an eclectic interest in writing myself, I wouldn’t want to exclude anyone.
Orville: What advice would you give a young person planning a writing career?
LM Ford: Be realistic, but never give up your dreams.
Orville: Do you think there are writing themes that are underrepresented.
LM Ford: Much of the traditional market seems driven by what’s selling, so at any given time, there may be some themes and genres that don’t get much representation.
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westernsunshine · 4 years
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Being me is like *socialises for a few hours then has to go sit in the dark by myself listening to classical music quietly*
#*socially distant socialising of course#i went to my friend’s house but i was careful not to get close to anyone and wash my hands a lot#anyway yeah. as much as i love them i just feel drained now#got home & i was like ‘i can’t even sit in the same room my mom is in’#i’m in my room with the blackout curtains closed eating chocolate buttons and listening to gentle piano concertos#i brought my knitting and my kindle with me but like honestly i might just lie here and try to leave my body instead#reading rush starts today 🙃 and i haven’t read anything except from the four chapters i read at 3am bc i didn’t want to go back to sleep#after my sleep paralysis episode 🙃🙃🙃#it’s fine though. i mean first off it literally doesn’t matter if i complete the readathon or not#nothing matters#second of all most of the books i picked out are really short#quick run-through: annie on my mind is the book i’m currently reading for the cover that matches your birthstone prompt#book set on another continent can be less than zero#book entirely outside your house could be fight club#(those two are pretty interchangeable; whichever is shorter will be the one i read outside)#the book i touched first on my shelf was war of the worlds#the book that’s in a genre i’ve always wanted to read will be poetry; probably selected poems of constantine cavafy#i read a collection that featured some of his poems and i’m love him#and then there’s another prompt that’s so broad idk what to do with it but hopefully i’ll have caught up enough by then#that i can read anything#i really want to win the reading rush. if it wasn’t obvious#7 books in 7 days is absolutely wild but it’d put a nice dent in my tbr in a short space of time#i just. i want to at least try#personal
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nishayuro · 2 years
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Hellooo
May i request some fluff romantic satan x mc (gn reader!) Headcanons? Us satan stans are currently starving, my boy needs some love<3
Have a nice day/night!
Obey me! Romantic Satan x GN!MC
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Genre: Fluff
A/N: Man, I too feel the drought of some specific characters, that's why I decided to write for Obey Me LMAO, sorry for being late tho but here you gooo~
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Satan
Okay, so we all know he is a bookworm.
He has probably read more books than you have ever drank water (Hydrate, pls)
So, he obviously knows about different romance tropes and romantic gestures and he has probably always wanted to try these on someone, but...
No one really wanted to get into a relationship with the Avatar of Wrath, and if they did, it would probably not even be a serious one so he doesn't bother.
But then you came along :))
You loved him even if he is literally wrath’s incarnate.
You loved him even when you witnessed his darker side.
You loved him even after you saw his weak side.
You would remind him that he is his own person, and not Lucifer's shadow and he really appreciates that.
So when he confessed to you and you confessed back, he knew he had to show you how much you mean to him.
He would be such a gentleman, he'd open doors for you, carry your things for you (even if you tell him you can do it yourself, pls let him, he justs wanna show you he loves you)
CAT CAFE DATES!!! He has always wanted to try it, and now that he has an s/o he can finally do it!
Library dates! You would recommend books to each other and read silently next to each other, occasionally commenting on your reading. Both enjoying the calm nature and a good book and each other’s presence.
He loves sleeping next to you, just cuddling you. He likes being the big spoon but doesn’t mind being the little spoon from time to time.
Soft kisses. Forehead, cheeks, head, lips, doesn’t matter, he will give you a kiss everytime you see each other.
OMG okay, imagine a cold winter night, you’re both cuddling in front of the fireplace in the common room at midnight, cups of hot chocolate on the coffee table and he’s reading you a poetry book, looking at you everytime to show that he is reciting the love-filled poems to you, his love. He’s smiling at you cuddled up next to him.
“To you who saw a man in a beast, to you who saw light in the darkness, to you who found love in a place of despair, to you who saw me in a billion, to you I share my heart whole, because to me you are all I need, all I’ve looked for for centuries on end, because to me you are what completes the man in me.” Satan recited, looking at your eyes, You can feel the heat come to your face as you look back at his loving gaze. “That was a good one” you muttered, nuzzling your face into his shoulder. “Thank you, I made it for you.” he replied, a soothing hand found itself drawing small circles on your back. “I love you” you whispered loud enough for him to hear. “I love you too, MC.” He replied, kissing your head and resuming his reading, a satisfied smile on his face. It's times like this when he feels at peace, when he finally thinks ‘This is what i’ve yearned for my whole life.’
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ren-c-leyn · 2 years
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Hello, and Welcome to The Queen’s Crown! ~ A Blog Intro
 Hello, I’m Ren C. Leyn (I pronounce Leyn as lee-en, for the curious). My pronouns are she/her. I’m an adult who writes high and dark fantasy, poetry, and occasionally other random genres when the mood strikes me. It’s nice to meet you!
Some random things about me and my blog.
~ Love flowers and animals.
~ All of my writing is shamelessly self indulgent.
~ Am more known around here for my flood of positivity posts than said writing, but that’s fine with me. Folks around here really seem to need it.
~ Am an old one of the writeblr scene, have been here for several years. (If you’ve got questions about how writeblr works, feel free to ask.)
~ Have been obsessed with dragons, elves, and monsters since my mother introduced me to mythology when I was a little girl. (I am still a huge mythology nerd. Old myths, legends, and the like were wild.)
~ I participate in World Building Wednesday and Storyteller Saturday every week and run a weekly event called Something Neat Sunday. Feel free to stop by for any of them, even if we haven’t interacted much/at all.
~ I am not around on Thursdays or Fridays, so don’t expect answers to anything during that time until Saturday.
~ I run Something Neat Sunday, a weekly event where people stop by my ask box to scream about their talents writer and artist friends. If you’d like to learn more, here’s the link to the introduction post:
https://at.tumblr.com/ren-c-leyn/something-neat-sundays/25b9se7ud2h3
~ Tea drinker.
~ I love video games, particularly old school or open world rpgs, visual novels with multiple endings, and management games. But my taste can be pretty random, I play everything from match 3 to the occasional platformer.
~ Am firmly against pirating, especially writing. I’m also not a fan of bullies, people who think threats against real people are an appropriate response to not liking how a piece of fiction was done, people who think death threats and suicide-baiting in general are okay, and anything of that sort. If you do these things I will probably just block and/or report you, so don’t. ^^
~ I’d prefer people who follow be 15 or older, because while my blog is safe for work I do work with a lot of darker themes, such as death, violence, war, and so on in my writing. I also reblog a lot of writing with those themes from other writers as well.
~ Please do not add me to taglists unless I’ve explicitly said I’d like to be added.
About my WIPs -
I have several, several projects in the works at any given time. So, I’ll be putting this under a read more for convince sake. I do work with some darker themes, such as death, violence, and so on, so tread lightly.
If you want to know more about a specific project or character, most of them have their own tags in my blog and you can search for them, or you can ask me questions about them anytime you feel like it. The ask box is always open, after all :D I have taglists for all projects, so feel free to ask to be added to them anytime you wish.
Actively Writing -
The Plight of a Sparrow. Progress: Currently prepping book 1 for querying, editing book 2′s forth draft, and starting book 3. Estimated to be at least a 5 book series.
A high fantasy isekai story with a twist. Sparrow used to be a quiet girl with a love of video games under a different name. Then, she died in an impossible way right after unlocking the last achievement in her favorite game. Reborn in the beautiful fantasy world of that game as a literal baby, she quickly realizes life here is anything but a game and the stakes couldn’t be higher now that her beloved characters are her friends and family and on routes that lead to doom. Cursed, burdened with a rare sought-after magic, and surrounded by dark secrets and plots she couldn’t even dream of, how can she survive, little alone make a difference, when she isn’t even the chosen hero of this world?
1st person, past tense, narrated from Sparrow’s point of view.
Characters - Sparrow, Raina, Hugh, Jalen, Claude, Hunter, Aaron, Mist, Erinus, and probably more that have yet to make an appearance.
The Shackles of Time - Progress: Hard to gauge as it’s a continuous story being posted chapter by chapter here on tumblr.
A high fantasy story following three rookie adventurers on their quests to become legends, as well as their fellow guildmates.
In a world littered with the bones of ancient  monsters of old, the ruins of civilizations risen and fallen, there are  legendary halls where heroes gather to seek their fame and glory.  Perhaps one of the most famous among their illustrious ranks is the Dawn  Isle Guild, whose legendary, albeit mysterious, guild master has  overcome many ruinous challenges before suddenly retiring.
But  these are different times than the ones the previous generation faced.  Quieter times. Gone are the ancient dragons that razed cities, and  felled are the giants that collapsed mountains, banished is the Mad God.  Yet, that does not stop brave souls from seeking new challenges to  face. New foes to overcome. New adventures to be had. Three such  hopefuls seek this path. While they come from different region, walked  different roads, and all carry different reasons, their fates all  collide beneath the ruins of a floating golden city at the gates of the  Dawn Isle Guild.
What adventures await these three would be heroes, and are they prepared to face them? Only the Gods know….
Here is the post where I’ll be cataloging all of the chapters as I write them.
https://ren-c-leyn.tumblr.com/post/669507479957356544/the-shackles-of-time-chapter-masterlist
Characters: Night, Merle, Arlen, Cherrenth, Glenn, Zephyr, Bramble, Wyndulin, Cassandra, Emlyn, Myria, Irryn, Nor, Drusilla, Eldrin, Lucien, Azalea, Riya, and likely many more that will be introduced as I go along.
Forgotten Gods - Progress: Starting the second draft! :D
A fantasy novel set in a world where multiple pantheons of gods are not only real, but always vying for power and the attentions of the mortals. Silver left everything behind on a dark and uncertain night. Unable to return home, she scrambles desperately for a way forward when a strange being she doesn’t recognize offers her something she cannot refuse: the power to change her own fate. Kitan is a chosen champion of a popular sun goddess, but can’t figure out why. Why she saw a champion in him when no one else can seem to see any worth in him whatsoever. Why she won’t give him the guidance other Gods give their champions, only power and slivers of emotions to light his way. Reuven, an exiled elven hunter, is on a quest to find himself out in the wide world before he returns home. While retracing his mother’s steps, he finds so much more than he expected in the northern forests when he runs into two champions of the Gods: one with something to hide, and one who doesn’t know what they’re doing. What tangled webs have the Gods woven for these three unlikely friends? Can they survive the coming storm? Or will their fates consume them?
Third person, past tense. Written in alternating chapters that follow each of the three main characters.
Characters: Silver, Reuven, Kitan, Eternity, Corona, Cordial, and probably others that haven’t appeared yet.
On Hiatus -
My Ancestor, My Enemy - Progress: Somewhere between a third and half way through the first draft. Currently on hiatus while I work on other projects and continue my ongoing struggle to finally pick an ending for it.
A dark fantasy novel as told by the field journal of Lierin, a high-ranking elven Hunter tasked with finding one of her missing comrades, and eliminating the monsters he had been tasked with killing. Battling with her own identity, rage, and the strange creatures her ancestors created, Lierin must descend into more than one kind of darkness as she explores a ‘cursed’ cavern system. What horrors will she find in the depths of the caverns? What secrets did her ancestors leave behind? Can she save herself, little alone the other Hunter? Or will everything be lost to darkness?
First person, past/present tense, told through the writings of Lierin’s journal.
Characters - Lierin.
Orion’s Oblivion - 1/3 to 1/2 way through first draft.
A Sci-fi/fantasy story. Orion was on a routine job, an easy one even. All he had to do was grab the guy, bring him back, collect his bounty, and that’d be the end of it. It would have been the end of it, except the small-fry criminal wasn’t the only one he picked up on that asteroid. He comes face to face with Jinx, an ancient vampire from a time all but forgotten, and she’s got unfinished business to settle. Business that she’s decided to drag him into, whether he wants to be or not. Business that she’s dragging the whole, damn universe into whether it likes it or not, because saving it is her business... no matter what the cost is.
Will be written in first person from Orion’s point of view, not sure if I’ll be doing past or present tense yet.
Characters: Jinx, Spark, Orion, Luck, Silence, and probably others who will make themselves known as I go along.
The Dragon’s Crown - Progress: rewriting the first draft of the script, planning/plotting, and practicing digital art so I can eventually be good enough to start working on the art assets.
A fantasy visual novel following the misadventures of Ophelia the thief, a notorious criminal, after her latest job goes wrong. A pair of mercenaries help her out of it, but repaying her debt to them brings her past crashing back into her life. There’s just somethings she can’t seem to outrun, no matter how hard she tries. Some skeletons will never stay buried, some secrets will never stay secret. All the dark things are coming back to haunt her. Now she has to decide what to do about it. Face the sins of her family? Keep running? Save the kingdom her ancestors built? Condemn it? Try to become a better person, or sink deeper into the darkness? What of the people around her? Can she trust any of them? Should she trust any of them? And can they trust her?
First person, present tense, with some third person scenes, mostly narrated from Ophelia’s point of view.
Characters - Ophelia, Henrietta, Cyrus, Sky, Karma, Crow, and Reason.
Somewhere In between -
The Firewalker - Progress: First draft completed! Letting it sit before beginning draft 2.
A fantasy story following the after math of a holy war between two pantheons of gods. Two of the children of the mortals who fought it are now faced with their own struggles, trying to find a place in this new world and who they are. She’s an assassin, a killer, the exact opposite of what she ever wanted to become. In too deep to wash her hands of the blood, she decides to add to her list of sins for a chance at freedom and to follow in her father’s footsteps. He’s a mage, a descendant of the priests of the old gods, hunted and feared by all. Angry with his lot in life, he lashes out at the hunters, earning his title as a monster. Though, he secretly longs to reclaim a sense of belonging, of home and family, something he lost so long ago.... Both wish for something more, even if they don’t deserve it, even if getting it will cost them everything. When their paths cross, will they pull each other out of the darkness, or push each other further over the edge? Can they survive their combined enemies long enough to even find out?
Multiple POV first person, past tense, narrated in alternating chapters from both Thistle and Valerian’s point of views.
Characters - Thistle, Valerian, Anise, Talon, Sin
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ssscentral · 3 years
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One More Time
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Summary: Your touch was addictive, your scent intoxicating. He wants that back so badly, but he needs another chance. Just one more time.
pairing: Seokjin x female reader
rating: GA
genre: angst, mild fluff
warnings: pining, heartbreak, only mentions of sex, but everything very sfw
wc: 3k
member: Rid || @taegularities​
a/n: Hello! Back with the second fic in the Bouquet Collab series. Each one of us chose a flower and wrote a fanfic around the meaning of it! These were just 2 out of 6, so please look forward to many more awesome stories! I also want to thank my amazing betas @biaswreckme and @missgeniality, and further @birbdae for this wonderful banner!!!! 💕 And now let’s dive into the angst!
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A single ray of sunshine illuminates the room.
Conveniently, it shines directly onto that one particular plant that stands in this whole apartment, still healthy and green as it refuses to die. Seokjin is fond of it, given the fact that it was you who had gifted him it many weeks ago.
You always used to say that his place is gloomy, grey, in urgent need of redecoration, so he could actually invite someone over and make them feel somewhat homely. After he’d declined all your offers due to laziness, you’d given up - except for the little present that you’d brought him that one significant day.
He remembers it so vividly, the memory still so painfully clear.
At that time, spring was just approaching, birds returning and beautiful flowers blooming. You were a sucker for nature and all its aspects - which was probably the exact reason for the distaste that you felt whenever you entered your friend’s apartment. His way of handling his place was dull, tasteless.
So, when you decided to surprise him with the odd choice of giving him an aloe plant as decoration and present, you weren’t expecting more than a pleasant evening that you’d spend together.
What you didn’t know was that he’d been a nervous wreck for days now, ripping out several strands of his hair before he’d finally decided to tell you the truth about what he caged in his mind. But when he saw you that day, wearing this beautiful sunflower dress, your hair in a bun with only two strands framing your angelic face, words failed him immediately.
Instead, he froze, eyebrows furrowing in fear of what you’d say or do if he confessed to you. And it didn’t take a lot from your side, no - one brush of your finger along his arm, an intense and loving gaze addressing only him, and a beautiful, mesmerizing smile were enough for him to snap before he pulled you in.
When you first felt his full lips on yours, you stared at the way his eyes closed, relishing in and welcoming the moment right away. You needed a second to comprehend what was happening, but once you understood, you felt yourself give in fast, the world becoming blurred and silent.
All you heard were the sweet words he uttered, all you saw was his glistening skin, and all you knew was that you wanted to bathe in this euphoria forever without ever having to let go.
But when you both found yourselves in each other’s arms, covered by nothing but his blanket, you still hadn’t addressed why this had happened and what it meant for you now.
Seokjin didn’t regret this - how could he, if it was with you? But the same old insecurity that plagued his heart and made his chest burn had eventually come back now. Despite having no real evidence or reason, he assumed that you didn’t want what he wanted - you’d never see him as more than a friend that you’d slept with in the heat of the moment.
In that sense, you’d woken up to a pressing awkwardness, him offering breakfast and coffee, but portraying distant nonchalance otherwise. And when you felt like none of this was going to go anywhere, you told him you had to go, finding some kind of excuse to leave.
Since then, an uncomfortable radio silence had found its way between you, and the only thing he had these days to remember you was the pink-orange flower that slowly bloomed on top of his desk.
Lying across the bed, Seokjin opens his eyes with a smile on his face, remembering how he’d looked at you in confusion when he’d first seen you standing at the threshold of his entry, smiling wide with Ally in your hands. Yes, you’d named the plant Ally - always one to give non-living things names.
Wrong.
Ally is very much alive. You’d made that clear that day. Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen - yes, that’s what you’d lectured him with when he’d joked around. His apartment needs some freshness, you’d told him.
Now that he’s inhaling the air around him, it almost feels like he can smell Ally, which is total nonsense of course. He has honestly grown to love this small, spiky thing, especially after finding out the meaning behind it.
Affection.
Something he has felt for a long time now. Affection for the way you scrunch up your nose when you’re annoyed. Affection for the concentrated gaze you adopt when you’re reading a good book. Affection for your words, for the sound of your voice; he loves the sweet, honey-coated, soft tone that he swims in every time you speak.
Seokjin gets up, stretching his limbs and getting dressed when he looks at the clock, noticing that it’s time to go. There’s this boring gathering this evening, organized by some of your colleagues who thought it might be a good idea to come together and strengthen your bond as a student body or whatever.
The only reason he’s going is because he knows you’ll be there. He doesn’t care about getting himself drunk or talking about philosophical theories today - all he wants is to make right what he ruined back then. He just needs to tell you what words float inside his heart, hoping for you to reciprocate his feelings the way you’d responded to his kiss that night.
Gathering all this ardor for you, with only your name on his tongue, he closes his door behind him, summoning all the energy his body can deliver.
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You’re easy to find in the small crowd. The room isn’t too filled, the atmosphere peaceful and pleasant when he steps in, running his hand through his soft, brown hair when he sees you. Breathing in and out in a steady rhythm, he approaches you, trying to mask his eagerness, hands pocketed to exude a relaxed demeanor.
When you finally notice the tall figure come closer, recognizing him as none other than the man you’re so in love with, your heart beats just a little faster and you tilt your head in wonder. After barely sparing you a glance in your classes, he has apparently finally decided to give you some attention.
Memories come crashing back; images of your last encounter flooding your mind as you press your tinted lips together, still feeling the phantom touch of his mouth on yours. He still looks the same, but his hair has gotten a little longer, almost covering his eyes entirely before he brushes the bangs away.
“Hey,” he greets, breathing in deep as he sits down in front of you, “long time no talk.”
You nearly counter with a sarcastic remark, but then contain yourself, only shooting him a breathtaking smile. “You’re right. Busy lives. How have you been doing, Jin?”
“Good!” he answers way too fast, clearing his voice before he continues. “I’m doing good. And you?”
“All good. Been writing some more lately.”
Seokjin nods as his eyes widen and his mouth forms an ‘O’, glad to hear that you’ve picked up your hobby of creating beautiful poetry again. He’s even read some of your poems, and you’re truly talented, working around words so easily as if they were his own heart.
“Oh, wow! I- um… I took care of Ally. Do you remember her?” he stumbles over his words, ears growing increasingly red. He’s such a dork and you can’t help but smile a little.
“That’s nice to hear. I bought one of these myself a few days ago. Reminded me of you.”
“That’s great! T-that’s…” What is he trying to say? There must be something that he had prepared, but for the life of his, he can’t remember anymore. All he knows at the sight of you is that he wants to grab you by your waist again, pull you in to press you against him. He wants to feel your lips, move against them in soft, then needy motions.
He just wants you as a whole, if not forever, then once.
Just one more time.
And when he sees you wait for him to speak, fumbling with your fingers with your eyes far away from his, he whispers the word “courage” to himself once before his hand reaches out to grab yours and settle on your palm.
Your gaze shifts to him immediately, his abrupt action causing confusion in you as your heart rate spikes up. But when you see the expression on his face, you feel like you know.
“Y/N, I- we… we need to talk,” he finally declares, his thumb gently ghosting over the skin of your hand, such a simple gesture sending shivers down your spine.
Yes, he doesn’t have to say much. You know what he wants to talk about; after all, there aren’t that many possibilities of what he could want at your first encounter after being somewhat estranged all this time.
“I’m not sure I want-”
“No, please,” he interrupts, squeezing your hand tighter in his. A few weeks ago, his warmth would’ve felt like a safe haven for you, pulling you out from the dark grounds of an ocean if it needed to - but right now, you feel like you’re drowning, like you’re sinking instead of swimming up. “There’s so much I’ve been wanting to tell you and there were so little opportunities to do so.”
Half-fearing, half-anticipating what he’s going to say, you search for the walls you’ve managed to pull up, accepting that Seokjin will never want you in that way. You think you’ve moved on, but now that he’s so close, on the brink of either confessing or rejecting you, you feel tense - and both options aren’t ideal for you right now.
You wait until he’s ready to talk, watch his chest rise and then fall, his eyes meeting yours, but looking like they’d rather not before-
“I’m in love with you,” he finally breathes - and as he mutters his last word, the air around you becomes suffocating, the sounds muffled and his touch heavy.
Is that better than being rejected? You don’t know. You really do not know; and the shake of your head and furrow of your eyebrows show him that something is plaguing you that he might not want to hear.
“Y/N.” His tone is calm, steady, different from your hazardous heart that’s breaking right in front of him, and he doesn’t even see it.
“Why did you not tell me that back then, Jin?” you inquire, pulling your hand away and settling it on your lap. “We slept together. Why did you let me go?”
This… this is awkward. It’s ridiculous. Seokjin shouldn’t have decided to talk about this in a crowd, surrounded by people who know nothing about what’s going on between you two. But now that he did, his heart sinks, his mind in a painful fog, and he puffs out some air, calming himself.
“Let’s leave,” he suddenly suggests, and you think you can see the faintest glint of panic in his dark eyes, “clear it out somewhere else. At my place?”
Again, you shake your head, chuckling lightly but not decently. “I can’t. I’m sorry, I can’t. There’s someone…”
Jin is quick to cut you once again, his breathing suddenly erratic. He’s been in love with you for years - no, he can’t take the thought of you having a boyfriend now, choosing someone over him. “Someone else? This fast? Y/N, why did I never-”
He stops mid-sentence, and it happens just timely as you were going to hold out a hand to silence him anyway.
“Jin. Listen,” you start, leaning in closer, “there’s someone who offered to guide me through a scholarship. Not here - in a different city. And as much as I’ve always wanted you, I can’t do long-distance relationships.”
Your words ease the pain inside him, his mind suddenly relaxing as he takes in your confession. You want him. You’ve always wanted him. Is all of this real?
“Where- where are you going?”
“It’s too far away. I wouldn’t see you more than a handful of times a year. I can’t do this,” you admit, your eyes stinging as you swallow the lump in your throat.
You see him tilt his head with a sigh, and you’re on the verge of breaking when you see his mouth twitch, that familiar movement that mostly means despair. This always happens when his grades are worse than he expects. It happens when he talks to his little brother who lives miles away. Mostly, you see it when you watch - or used to watch - movies together, especially Pixar and Ghibli ones tearing him up in no time.
And now, it’s happening because of you.
“Is there no way for you to stay?”
You bite your lip, chewing on it until you taste your lipstick. “I don’t think so. And it’s… a big chance for me.”
Seokjin’s jaw clenches and he nods, relief turning into sorrow as his expression shows understanding on the surface while his blood is boiling with pain on the inside. He’s angry with himself - he truly is. But he’s also sad about the fact that you never approached him.
And while waiting for the other in silence, phones in your hands, but the courage to message each other so far away, you missed it. You both missed it and he hates it.
“Then I hope you’ll get everything you want, Y/N,” he finally says, standing up as he grabs his thin jacket. It’s probably not that fresh outside yet, he can carry it - maybe hide his fumbling hands that clearly show his nervosity and distaste to this whole situation.
All he can think of is to get away before he breaks.
Yet, he comes closer to you, hovering above you before he leans down. Not caring about your surroundings, only seeing you, his heart only beating for you, he presses his lips onto your forehead first, wanders to your nose, both your cheeks and your earlobes as he says in between each kiss, “whenever… you decide… to come back… I’ll be here…”
Then, he cups your face, looking at your beautiful, full lips, missing how they feel on his before he kisses you gently. His mouth moves delicately, sweetly against yours, bittersweet memories and feelings streaming back as you internally forbid yourself to cry.
“Waiting for you,” he finally whispers, lips brushing yours, and every fiber in you tries hard to hold back. To not pull him into another room, kiss him more fiercely and bring back the fervent heat that you’d indulged in the last time.
His thumb brushes your cheeks softly, his eyes registering you gulping hard as he says his goodbyes, so he can leave. There’s just no way he can stay here any longer. “Don’t cry. I’ll be here, sweetheart.”
And then, his warmth is gone.
Fighting the urge to follow him, you watch him walk away, mind going crazy as you see him face the ground. You can’t falter. You need to focus on your studies before anything else - you don’t want to regret your choices; and if what he says holds true, you might just be able to wrap him into you forever when you come back in a year or two.
Maybe it’s not over yet.
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The sun has set by the time Seokjin arrives home. All the sunshine from today morning has vanished, warming someone else, somewhere else now, leaving him in the dark as he lets himself fall on his bed.
An absolute disaster, all of this. And what an idiot he is. Why did he not insist on inviting you over? Ask you if there was any way you’d spend this one last night with him? The lingering feelings of your soft lips strengthen his despair tenfold, and he hates himself for not fighting for a night or a day with you. After all, you’re not going away just yet.
But deep down he knows why he did what he did: being together again would just hurt you both further, the small flame that both of your pain is becoming a searing wildfire. At least he knows for sure that this is what would happen to him. He knows it’d be near impossible to let you go if he woke up beside you.
What if Seokjin searches for scholarships, too? Your grades are similar - if you can get one, why not him? The picture of having you around, falling asleep next to you, studying together and bantering over food and movies - it’s so intriguing that he knows what he’ll search up tomorrow. 
Then again, you have your people; he doesn’t know anyone who can guide him through this, give him a fast opportunity to study somewhere else, be near you.
He doesn’t know. Not how to get you back, not how to feel you again; his brain comes up with nothing helpful, no plan he can actually execute successfully.
Slipping out of his pants, he lingers at the corner of the bed, his arms leaning on his thighs as his fingers tangle between them. Seokjin shakes his head as he physically feels his heart break, each broken piece fighting the other and torturing him, no matter how much he tells them to calm down.
And despite not knowing what to do, what to feel, how to erase the image of you and your face from his mind for the time being, he remembers something else.
When he’d looked for the meaning of the aloe plant, he had found many sources, some beautiful descriptions, and some poetic definitions that connected it to an emotional feeling. While the flower holds the meaning of affection, the memory of another word comes flooding in, ironic to the fact that aloe is supposed to heal, used to mend injuries and pain.
And thinking of this particular word, all he does know at this agonizing moment is that he identifies with your plant’s meaning.
He knows that all he feels is grief.
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scintillasofbeomgyu · 3 years
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-ˏˋ⋆ ̥ 𝗳𝗼𝘅'𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗲𝘁𝗵 – part one: the beginning (cyj)
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pairing: choi yeonjun x fem!reader x kang taehyun
genre(s): fantasy, period!fic, nine-tailed fox!yeonjun, crown prince!taehyun, angst, fluff here and there
word count: 4,1k
the spirit who had been guarding the south side of the mountain, a nine-tailed fox, is requested by the crown prince of Joseon to make an appearance before his betrothed. though reluctant at first, he agrees on condition that their meeting is fleeting and under the guise of a mask.
an: this was inspired by the kdrama ‘tale of the nine-tailed’, hence the similar elements. events may or may not be historically accurate. ++ i’m really anxious about how this fic will be taken, but i’ve put too much effort in to let it sit in my drafts ksks. might post the part 2 if you want! let me know what you think!
(finally posting this as a gift for the immense support i’ve been receiving! thank you! ❤️ and low-key bc sumi has been thinkin about kitsune yeonjun)
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Sealed by the promise of two youths many moons ago, your betrothal to the crown prince of Joseon was something which was not unbeknownst to anyone in the country. Many young ladies, noble and common alike, coveted your fortune and would make desperate pleas to the gods to have half the luck you did. And perhaps anyone else would have boasted about how fate had favoured them, but you didn’t.
“(Y/n)? Are you listening?” his highness asked, raising an eyebrow as you continued to flip through the pages of a book you had picked up from his desk. You placed the book back where you found it and turned to look from the pavilion, out across the pond and above the canopy tops to the mountains in the distance.
What had intrigued you about the palace was not the status, nor the riches, nor the people who dwelt within it. After all, you preferred to be neck-deep in books of history and literature, poetry, and volumes which questioned which was myth and which was reality. Your father, though, was as open-minded as anyone else was about the education of women at the time – not at all. So you had resorted to killing two birds with one stone; appeasing your father by agreeing to meet with the prince meant getting your hands on books you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else.
But today, you had an entirely different motive.
“Do you believe in mythical beings, your Highness?” you asked, turning to face the prince who stared back at you, wide-eyed.
The seemingly sudden question had him taken aback.
From the very first meeting, you had puzzled Taehyun. Like you, although he knew he had to do it some day, the topic of his marriage hadn’t interested him. Or rather, it was more important to him that the person he would one day wed had the same interests as he did – the good of the people and the flourishing of the country.
He’d be lying if he said he didn’t expect you to be as crazed about love and titles as the other noblewomen of Joseon were, at first. So he was pleasantly surprised when you had arrived at Gyeongbokgung, not batting an eyelash in his direction. But when he had attempted to open discussions about politics and solving the exorbitant taxes expected from the people, he’d find your nose buried in one of the books from the pile you sifted through by his desk.
Taehyun was already struggling to figure you out, and now you asked him this.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” he cocked his head to the side, folding his hands behind his back. “have you come across something thought-provoking?”
“It’s quite straightforward; a yes or no question.” you shrugged, smirking as your eyes caught the not-so-discreet glances his personal guard and the eunuch had given one another.
Ultimately, to have relations with the throne was not all sunshine and roses. For your own protection, and to ensure you were not used as leverage against the king, your father had sent you very far from home – to Southern Jeolla. And it was upon your arrival back in Hanyang, after many years away, that you had come to hear the rumours which had surrounded the royal family.
A gumiho. A nine-tailed fox. The spirit which protected the forest. A being which could not be trusted. The one to whom the country owed it’s prosperity. The one at whose hands the country could fall into havoc.
You knew better than to believe the words of storytellers and self-proclaimed chroniclers. It was the fact that they had all said the same thing which had perturbed you. It left this unsettling feeling, which just wouldn’t fade away. So you read book after book, folklores and retellings, each and every documented account of those who had insisted they had seen the man with ‘eyes which glowed like hot embers even in the light of day’. It nearly drove you insane.
That was, until just this morning, when you had overheard the court ladies chattering away in hushed tones about how so-and-so had come to see the prince again, how much so-and-so frightened them, and how they wondered for how much longer the king would leave the future of the kingdom in the hands of such a wild-card.
You turned to look out beyond the trees again, a sudden gush of wind rattling their branches and sending their leaves sailing through the air. “Let me meet him. This... friend of yours, your Highness.”
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“No.”
Taehyun nodded, taking a leaf from the shrub in front of him between his fingers, “I thought you’d say that.”
Yeonjun huffed, taking a bite out of one of the freshly picked apples the prince had brought along with him on his visit (as some sort of incentive, he supposed). The scowl he had adorned etched deeper into his face as Taehyun’s proposition crossed his mind a second time. He should have left the boy to the wandering spirits all those years ago, is what he thought. The fact that Yeonjun had allowed him to follow him around and meet with him must have made him cocky.
In the beginning, he trusted them. Yeonjun had spent thousands of years cultivating the forest and protecting those which lived beneath it’s canopy. He had taken an oath to never allow any harm to come to it, and as a sort of by-product, had taken up an arrangement with the king to hand over to him any miscreants who chanced into his territory. And for hundreds of years, this agreement was honored. King after king had revered the spirit who protected the people, throwing grand festivals in his honor.
Until humans did what they always do. They became consumed by greed and corrupted by power. They feared that the existence of a powerful being, and the esteem in which the people held it, threatened the very authority of the throne.
On a night which felt like yesterday to Yeonjun, the then king had convinced him to appear before the people, reasoning that he deserved to be celebrated and loved; not lurking in the depths of a forest where he wondered alone. His yearning for family provoked, he had left, only to return to enormous crackling fires which devoured everything in their path.
Now he was being asked to entertain the likes of one of them again? An insolent, entitled woman who was probably the daughter of some power-hungry government official nonetheless? He wouldn’t allow himself to be made a fool out of again.
“I’m aware you cannot leave the forest unguarded for long periods of time, especially at night,” Taehyun said, brushing the bits of earth from his hand onto his silk garment. “which is why I want to bring her here.”
The half-eaten apple hit the forest floor with a thud.
“What did you just say?” the same incredulity written on Yeonjun’s face, embedded into his voice.
Taehyun grinned sheepishly, “Hyung, can’t you do me this one favour?”
Quickly taking a seat beside him, the crown prince of the Joseon dynasty grabbed onto the sleeve of Yeonjun’s black robe and tugged at it. Yeonjun sucked a sharp breath of air through his teeth and slapped his hands away. The memory of a scared little boy in disheveled clothes, sobbing as snot ran down onto his lips crossed Yeonjun’s mind. He bit back the grin which fought to pull at his lips.
“I thought you weren’t interested in love? Why all the effort then?”
Taehyun dropped his hands from where they had been grappling at Yeonjun’s robe and stood up, clearing his throat before folding his hands behind his back again. Yeonjun smirked. “It’s not by choice, the woman in question is frightening. Only the gods would know the lengths she would have gone to had I refused her.”
Many minutes of back and forth bickering had passed before Taehyun managed to convince Yeonjun to appear before you. This reluctant agreement came with conditions, however. Leaving the mountain for even a moment during nightfall was out of the question, but that didn’t mean that he was okay with some suspicious woman wandering into his home. So, they had settled on the foot of the mountain closest to the north side. Yeonjun had also made sure to point out that although he had agreed to let you see him, he never agreed to introductions.
“You never struck me as the type to attend parties in the evening, your Highness,” you hollered from your palanquin which lagged behind his. When no reply came, you seethed, biting back the urge to punch a hole through the expensive wooden barrier in front of you. He had suddenly appeared at your father’s estate just as the sun had dipped beyond the horizon, not bothering to give an explanation before your father had the guards stuff you into the tiny varnished vehicle. “You haven’t yet answered me, your Majesty. The question from earlier.”
You cried out in pain when the palanquin was suddenly set down, tossing you up in the air like a shuttlecock. Hand still pressing down on your head from where it had hit the roof of the palanquin, you glared at Taehyun’s outstretched hand when the door folded open. You violently slapped the hand away and pulled back your skirt, nearly kicking his shins as you climbed out. Accidentally, of course.
Your behaviour amused Taehyun, a smirk finding its way to his lips. He whispered something to Soobin, his personal guard, who had given him a distressed look in return. He sighed as Taehyun placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a quick nod before returning to the entourage. You raised an eyebrow when Taehyun offered you a smile, gesturing his hand to the left of where the road forked into two.
The evening air was brisk; the various flora emitting a plethora of unique smells which blended together as they crawled into your nose. Leaves rustled as the forest creatures scurried across the floor; the occasional flapping of wings and hoots of the wide-eyed, mice-eating predators filling the otherwise eerie silence. The pale moon, which shone like a great halo in the sky, casted it’s light through the trees, creating beautiful natural skylights and mysterious shadows. The breeze was ever-so gentle, seemingly caressing your cheeks as you followed Taehyun down the path filled with earthy soil.
“You’re going to kill me aren’t you?” He chuckled at the question you had posed. He took a firm hold of your hand as he helped you cross the stream you had encountered, squeezing it a little tighter as your shoe glided off some algae, smiling when he heard the under-the-breath cuss.
When you had both safely crossed over into the field of long grass on the other side of the bank, he caught his breath for a moment. “My men say there came a troupe from Jeonju in Northern Jeolla a few days back,” Taehyun started, motioning for you to follow behind him as he stalked through the vegetation.
You groaned. Just how much torture was he planning to put you through? Did he find out you had ‘borrowed’ some of the books from his shelf?
After another few dreadful minutes of walking, an enormous tree came into your sights. It’s trunk looked as if it could house a small population, and it’s branches spread far across the open space; a meadow. Taehyun smiled in satisfaction and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, before placing his hands on his hips. Was this what he wanted to show you? You were far too tired, and your feet hurt way too much to enjoy the sentiment.
“Right, as I was saying,” The prince continued. You took a seat on the soft blades of grass and began pulling the shoes off your aching feet. “Despite journeying across the country to perform in gisaeng houses, I’m told the productions of this troupe were rather enthralling – ”
The sound of your snorting earned a glare from the prince. You shook your hand, “I find myself in constant surprise this evening, your Highness,” you laughed. “Hearing the term‘gisaeng’ from your mouth would send chills down anyone’s spine.”
The distant strumming of a zither whispered in your ears and your body froze. Slowly, the field, which had been lit only by the silvery hues offered by the moon, glowed in shades of green and yellow as fireflies hovered in the air. Then the zither stopped. Your neck snapped in the direction of scuffling feet by the tree trunk. Figures dressed in black placed paper lanterns varying in size at the base of the trunk, before scaling up to the branches.
A gasp slipped from your lips when the zither had suddenly started playing again; much louder this time. Ribbons dropped from different branches around the tree, carrying men and women who spun as they unravelled. Sporting white masks in the form of a fox, they danced around the tree, twirling and swinging back, dipping low before soaring through the air with such delicacy it gave you goosebumps.
“This performance is called the Fox’s Hiraeth,” Taehyun whispered, eyes fixated on the scene before of him, “you asked the other day did you not? About gumihos in Hanyang.”
His Highness’ attempt to throw you off was painfully obvious in that moment, and it did not go unnoticed. But just before you could make the remark that you had been carefully curating for exactly this situation, the zither had come to a stop once again. Leaves rustled above you and you lifted your head into a pair of the prettiest eyes you had ever seen.
They were a shade of light brown; little flecks of green and amber peeking from in-between when light passed through them. Bewilderment swam in those sparkling orbs behind the mask, it’s wearer holding his breath, not looking away for even a moment. The feeling in your chest drew a smile onto your lips, so big, it pushed up the corners of your eyes.
“Hello.”
He pulled back suddenly, and a strong gust of wind blew right through you, making you squeeze your eyes shut. The wind seemed to blow harder and harder – Taehyun had to press his hands onto your shoulders to prevent you from being gone with it. When it had died down and you opened your eyes again, you shot up, shoving his hands away.
The lights had gone out and the fireflies were nowhere to be seen. The lanterns and the troupe too had vanished into thin air; leaving not a trace. But that was not what was distressing you.
Hands clenching fists into your satin skirt, your eyes searched desperately, “where did he go?”
“Who?” Taehyun questioned, tightening the black cloth strings of his gat. He blinked, feigning innocence so professionally, it antagonised you. “The performance is over; we should leave.”
Pulling your lips between your teeth, the agonizing feeling of having lost something important tearing at your chest, you made a decision. You were positive that Taehyun knew exactly what was going on, but you weren’t about to waste any more time trying to force an answer out of the tight-lipped prince.
Where the meadow under the peculiar tree ended, the forest started again, and spread all across the mountain. You could have been mistaken, and that man may have just been another one of the performers. But it was the forest. It felt as if it was calling out to you; screaming. Every one of your limbs ached to dash into its depths.
Taehyun cleared his throat and turned away instantaneously when he noticed you hurriedly tearing off your blouse. You tossed the garment carrying the golden emblem to the ground, and slipped your shoes back on, ignoring Taehyun’s voice which bombarded you with questions.
He grabbed onto your hand before you left and you stopped, peering down at where your bodies were joined. “It’s dangerous.” he said; his voice as firm as his grip, yet eyes pleading with you like those of a child.
Despite your fathers’ lasting friendship, you had never met Taehyun until a few days ago. And if you did, you couldn’t recall. The confounded stares he had thrown at you upon your arrival had amused you; they were not contrary to that of the other noblemen and their sons whom your father had introduced you to. You didn’t act like the prince’s woman – they had probably expected someone who they could easily manipulate and bribe to their liking – but you were very much the opposite.
It was his behaviour in the days that followed which had taken you by surprise. He’d have books stacked up all around his desk which varied in genre, and were organised by author and publication date, whenever you visited. He seldom spoke and never forced conversation with you, but he’d call for tea and sweets then leave them at a certain place on the tabletop untouched. You’d catch his eyes glancing up at you every once in a while in your peripheral vision, and a smile would find itself to your lips.
He cared for you and you had grown to care for him as well. But you knew that if you left with him right now, your insatiable curiosity would only grow and you’d just end up returning here anyway.
Placing your hands over his, eyes asking him to forgive you, you slipped out of his grasp.
“I’ll be okay.”
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Yeonjun paced up and down the cliff once more. He glanced over his shoulder at the mask resting against a boulder behind him, then slapped his hands onto his face and lamented. He couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong. Everything was happening exactly as he had planned – the dokkaebi had put on their show, relishing in the fact that they were pranking humans; the trees, the breeze and the critters had agreed to set the mood for what he had intended to be your heart being won over by the Taehyun.
He peeked through the spaces in his fingers at the wooden guise, and proceeded toward it. He knelt down and picked it up, eyes fixating on the slots where they were housed previously. He was certain he had prepared for everything, but that all changed when his eyes met with yours.
They stared back at him in surprise, but that surprise slowly transitioned into a warmth which enveloped him; the light of the lanterns which reflected from them, inviting him closer. They scared him, too. Under the mask he had given himself the appearance of one of the lumberers who frequented the forest, but your eyes seemed to stare right through him. They reached into his depths, baring him before you.
Yeonjun glared, irritated with how foolish he had been. He should have trusted his instinct and refused Taehyun no matter how much he insisted. It was absurd that after all these centuries he still let himself fall prey to the ludicrous fantasy he would ever be able to live and feel as they do – he knew that was the real reason he had gone along with this preposterous idea.
His grip on the mask tightened before he hurled it into the bushes. Your voice exclaimed an ‘Ow!’, making him topple over in surprise. The golden rays of sun spilled over the summit just as you stepped out from the flora, bathing you in it’s warmth and highlighting your features as it chased away the night. You rubbed your head profusely where the mask had hit you, pausing when you noticed Yeonjun’s figure on the floor.
Hands on your hips, smiling in triumph, you blew the stray strands of hair from your face. “Found you.”
He had never in his life met such a vivacious woman. Your hair looked like a bird’s nest; tiny twigs and leaves buried within the now tousled black locks. There were tears in your hanbok. Stains of dirt, grass and mud soiled the skirt. Alas, you still had a stupid smile plastered across your mucky face. He caught himself before he started grinning like an idiot too, shuffling amongst the earth before rising with his back turned towards you. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms over your chest. Was he looking down on your intellect?
“You’re not very clever for an ancient spirit,” you remarked, tossing the mask at his feet. His frame froze, making you scoff.
The hair cascading down his back was a pale shade pink which shimmered under the light. It contrasted the pitch black robes he adorned, which were embroidered with silver. When he turned around to give you a look of wry amusement, you noticed the bangs which framed his face were more washed out in colour compared to the rest of his head. His slanted eyes were mono-lidded, and they glistened as beautifully as the night before. His lips were plump; it’s colour reminded you of the strawberry tanghulu you had seen in the market.
He stepped closer to you, smirking at the way you were entranced by his beauty, until his face stood only inches away from yours. You cast your eyes away from him, gulping as you took a step back. His eyebrows furrowed when you cringed, staggering before you fell to the ground.
“Are you alright?” he fretted, the role of the charismatic flirt quickly abandoning him as he helped you to your feet. He wrapped his arms around your waist, lifting you into his arms, and carried you to a place where you could sit comfortably. You gripped only his garments tightly, eyes still refusing to meet with his; the scent of flowers lingering on your clothes as he set you down. “His Majesty did not accompany you?”
He knelt down beside you and pulled off your shoes. Blood had soaked into your socks from all the hiking you had done the night before – the back of your shoes had cut deep into your heels; climbing over boulders and through thick vegetation had made the soles of your feet sensitive and prone to cuts and scratches. He pulled his lip between his teeth, eyes shooting daggers into yours.
He poured some of the alcohol he had been storing over your wounds, and massaged in the compound he made of medicinal herbs he had momentarily disappeared to go and find. He tore pieces of his robe to bind them when he was finished, then folded his arms over his chest. “I’m taking you back to the palace.”
You jolted up from where you were seated; Yeonjun pushed your shoulders back down. “None of my questions have been answered, I’m not leaving until they are.”
“Don’t you have a prince to marry?” he contended, tapping a finger on his chin, “they’re not going to be impressed when you return looking like this.”
“What’s your name? Are you really a nine-tailed fox? How old are you? Do you eat human livers? If so, why? Is it true that you are only able to receive titles like the ‘Spirit of the Mountain’ when you don’t feed human on livers? Are you actually a woman? Do you really want the best for this country? Do you wish to bring it to ruin for your own pleasure? Is it true that – ”
He took a step closer to you, and lifted your chin with his finger, closing your mouth. You held your breath as his eyes flickered to your lips, and he smirked noticing the blush spread across your face. He reached behind you and pulled the jade pin from your hair, the tresses falling gently down your back. Bringing the hairpin before you, and his lips to your ear, he whispered, “I dare not rob the future king of his woman, my lady. You should return home for your own safety.”
His hand travelled down the length of your arm, trailing goosebumps and setting fire to your skin. He placed the pin into your hand and lifted it, brushing his lips across your knuckles. His eyes locked with yours and you gasped as they glowed like a setting sun.
A horse whinnied as it strode into the area, making you tear your eyes away from Yeonjun’s. Taehyun slid off it’s back, rushing to your side. He grabbed onto your shoulders brows furrowing as he examined you from top to bottom. “Are you alright, (Y/n)?”
You nodded absent-mindedly, searching for where he had gone. Taehyun led you to his horse, and lifted you onto the saddle, sighing as he found you still trying to see past the trees and their leaves. You squeezed onto your chest as you rode away, an inexplicable feeling overtaking you. You had to see him again. Not out of curiosity. No, you – you just had too.
Yeonjun held onto the trunk of the pine tree and swung his body around from the backside. Watching you ride off into the distance, eyes still set on finding him, he sighed, twirling the ring he had slipped off your finger around his.
“(Y/n), huh?” he muttered under his breath, exhilarated by the way it rolled off his tongue.
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