#Barrett Bookstore

[fingertipsmp3]

So all the shorts I ordered fit me well, but I assumed they wouldn’t so I have a train ticket booked to go into town tomorrow to buy shorts that I now don’t need. What do

[daisies-daydreams]

LETS GOOO!! THE REQUESTS ARE BACK!

can i request hobie brown x female!plus sized reader? (IK, IM OBSESSED WITH THAT SHIP.)

let’s say that reader and hobie go on a date, right? they go to a nice restaurant (not the really expensive ones😭) , go to a lightshow at the park, go to the bookstore and get some boba? reader is wearing something like a tank top with a long skirt and a bunch of accessories, and people just give her weird stares and say some really mean things to us:(( but hobie being the best boyfriend just defends us by those assholes.

*sobs.* im sorry but at the end of the date, hobie just shows how much he loves reader in their shared apartment . (SMUT PLEASE.)

My Type (Hobie Brown x F!Plus-Sized!Reader)

Pairing: Hobie Brown x F!Plus-Sized Reader Category: Angst/Fluff/Smut (18+) Warnings: I don't speak Japanese or Mandarin, Fat-shaming, Slut-shaming, Verbal Bullying, Swearing, Body Insecurity, Making Out, Oral Sex (F!Receiving), Clit Play, Body Worship, Praise, Unprotected P in V Sex (You Know the Drill), Missionary, Slight Manhandling, Standing Full-Nelson, Mirror Sex, Creampie Word Count: 7.6k+ A/N: Hello hello love! Thank you so much for this sweet request! Hobie would be such a supportive and caring boyfriend, fr. 😭🙏I hope you enjoy! 

You gasped when Hobie came up from behind you and smoothed his hands over your hips. His chocolate brown eyes sparkled beneath the dim light of your bathroom as he sighed.

“Lookin’ good, doll,” he purred, his lips ghosting over the shell of your ear. You bit your lip as you gazed at your shared reflection. Your hair was pulled back with a few colorful barrettes, several earrings adorning your lobes and a thick, black choker with a heart-shaped charm latched around your neck.

“You don’t think it’s too much?” you asked nervously as you slowly turned towards him, the bracelets on your wrists jingling with your movement. Hobie hummed as he hungrily scanned you up and down, admiring each and every dip and curve of your body.

“Nah, it's perfect,” he grinned ear to ear. “You're perfect,” Hobie whispered as he cupped your cheek. You shivered a little as he gently massaged your lovehandles as he pecked your forehead. You blushed as you slid your hands onto his thin shoulders.

"Really?" you murmured. Your boyfriend smiled as he kept his hands on your waist.

“Really,” he whispered. Your heart skipped a beat as he closed the gap between you two, his warm, plush lips caressing yours in a tender embrace. You squeaked as he slid his hand down and squeezed one of your plump asscheeks.

“Hobie,” you squeaked as you ducked your head into his shoulder.

“Sorry, lovie. Just can’t help myself sometimes,” he chuckled with a mischievous smirk. You raised a brow as you playfully flicked his arm.

“Mhm,” you replied before giggling quietly as he kissed the tip of your nose.

“You almost ready to head out?” Hobie asked. You smiled and nodded before grabbing your wallet.

“No need for that, love. I'll take care of everythin’,” he grinned. You blinked and gripped your wallet.

“Are you sure?” you asked as you nervously bit your lip. Hobie nodded, his mouth curved into a warm smile.

“‘Course. I wanna spoil my girl tonight,” he winked and smoothed his hands over your hips again. Your heart warmed as you slowly set your wallet down.

"Thank you, baby," you smiled and pulled him into a tight hug. Hobie sighed as he rubbed your back.

"Welcome. Now...how does ramen sound for dinner tonight?" he smiled. Your heart leapt as your face brightened.

"Sounds amazing," you giggled while squeezing his hand. Hobie grinned as he gave a small nod, his long strides leading the two of you out of your shared flat.

"By the way, there's a new boba shop that just opened up nearby. You wanna head over there before we eat?" he asked, your interlocked hands swaying while the two of you walked down the bustling London streets. You tilted your head as you thought for a moment.

"Well...boba's usually pretty sweet, so maybe we could save it for dessert?" you suggested while gazing into his warm, alluring eyes.

"Sounds good to me," your boyfriend grinned. His high-laced boots thudded against the pavement while the two of you continued your stroll. You sighed and rested your head on his shoulder as the two of you waited at a pedestrian crossing.

"You alright?" Hobie asked while rubbing his thumb over your knuckles. You nodded and slowly opened your eyes.

"Yeah - just happy that I finally get to spend some time with you," you said with a gentle smile. Your lover's eyes softened as he pulled you closer to his side, your bodies pressed against one another as he pecked the crown of your head. You blinked as several people began to pass the two of you as the crossing sign blinked.

"Guess that's our cue," Hobie chuckled. You giggled as he lead you down the sidewalk. Your eyes lit up when you saw the soft glow of Yamashiro's Ramen House gleam on the pavement below. A young man at the cash register smiled as the two of you stepped inside.

"いらっしゃいませ!" he chirped [Welcome!]. You reflected his friendly smile as the two of you stepped up.

"Hi, Shinji!" you replied. You heard some ruckus in the kitchen before a middle-aged man stepped out, his apron stained and crows-feet crinkling at the corners of his eyes.

"Hello, Mr. Yamashiro!" you smiled brightly.

"Ah, Hobie and (Y/N)! My favorite customers!" he said with outstretched arms.

"You say that about all of your customers," Shinji muttered. Mr. Yamashiro shot his nephew a glare before he instructed him to seat the two of you.

"I hope the two of you are ready for the house special tonight!" the owner beamed before shuffling back into the kitchen. You and Hobie exchanged glances while sliding into a booth.

"What's the house special?" you asked Shinji. The young man leaned forward as he handed you the menus.

"It's just the regular Sapporo ramen he makes but with a secret ingredient," he whispered.

"Shinji!" Mr. Yamashiro called. The waiter flinched before giving the two of you a short bow.

"Excuse me," he said before rushing to greet a group of high-school students, all of them stuffed into their preppy uniforms. You smiled as you turned towards Hobie, your hands finding each other under the table.

"What're you thinkin' of gettin', doll?" he hummed as his eyes scanned the menu. You pursed your lips and shrugged.

"Just the usual," you replied. Hobie raised a brow. "What?" you giggled.

"Not gonna venture out, eh?" he teased with a smirk. You playfully poked your tongue out at him as you closed your menu.

"You know me and trying new things at restaurants. It usually doesn't end well..." you sighed and crossed your ankles, your flats clicking against the floor. The group of highschoolers passed the two of you, a few of them wrinkling their noses as they looked you up and down. You shrunk a little beneath their gaze and shifted in your seat.

"Fair 'nough," your boyfriend grinned as Shinji came back to your tables with two glasses of water.

"Are we ready?" the young waiter asked as he flipped over to a new page on his notepad. You smiled and nodded.

"I'll have the regular Sapporo ramen, please," you chirped.

"I'll do the Okinawa Soba with spice level five, please," Hobie sniffed. Shinji nodded as he took down your orders.

"Great! And what to drink?" he asked.

"Water's fine," you and Hobie replied at the same time. You giggled and gently nudged the tip of his boot with your shoe. He squeezed your hand in return with a small tug at the corner of his mouth.

"Excellent. I'll bring your food out as soon as possible," Shinji beamed. You watched as he stepped away before turning back to your love.

"I'm surprised she didn't order the whole menu," one of the highschoolers snorted nearby while staring at you. Your cheeks burned as you looked down at your lap. Hobie turned and glared at the group of boys. Their smiles fell as they ducked their heads.

"Arseholes," he muttered. You gave him a small smile, your heartrate slowing down as you uncrossed your ankles.

"There's a lightshow at the park a block over. You wanna go after this?" you asked. Hobie sighed as he leaned forward, his hand still gently holding yours beneath the table.

"I don't know. Sounds pretty boring," he said while tilting his head. You furrowed your brows before he started to snicker, one of his eyes cracked open and tongue slightly poking out.

"Cheeky thing," you giggled and rolled your eyes. Hobie chuckled as he relaxed in his seat.

"I'd love to go, babe," he replied sincerely this time. "Then maybe we could stop for boba on the way back," Hobie added. The two of you continued to chat as you waited and through eating dinner. Meanwhile, you caught the group of highschoolers staring at you and snickering to themselves. Their nagging began to gnaw at you as the broth in your ramen bowl grew lower and lower.

"Man, that was good," Hobie sighed and patted his lean stomach. You nodded, your eyelids drooping a little as you felt the post-meal sleepiness hit you. Your boyfriend grunted as he tilted his head side to side before slipping out of the booth.

"I'll go 'head and pay up front. Gotta use the loo before we head out," he murmured. You gave a small nod and watched as he walked to the front counter, the chains on his jeans jingling as he pulled out his wallet. Hobie soon disappeared into the bathroom just as several of the high school boys came up to your table. You blinked.

"Can I help you?" you asked. They all snorted and laughed as they held a big bowl of ramen towards you.

"'Well, we noticed that you ran out of food - would you like some of ours?" a dirty blonde snorted as he forcefully shoved it at you. You frowned and scooted away, your shoulders folding into your chest as you glanced at the table.

"I'm fine, thank you," you replied.

"Aw, don't be shy. We saw how you scarfed that other bowl down," a brunette piped up. You blushed and bit the inside of your cheek as you felt trapped where you sat.

"Good thing she's sitting in a booth, 'cause she'd probably break one of the chairs if she tried to sit in 'em!" another barked. They all howled laughed while tears began to line the corners of your eyes.

"The bloody hell's goin' on here?" Hobie rumbled, his voice stern and cold. The group of boys stiffened as they slowly turned around. The look of fury on your boyfriend's face was completely chilling: his nostrils flared and eyes wide. His knuckles cracked as he stared down each and every one of the young boys.

“You all sayin’ shit to my girl?” Hobie growled as he strolled up to the one holding the extra ramen bowl. The schoolboy gasped as Hobie towered over him, his lean muscles tensing beneath his jean jacket as he sneered.

"N-No," he trembled. Hobie crossed his arms as he narrowed his arms.

"Then mind your own goddamn business and fuck off," he snarled and tilted his head towards the door. You've never seen someone scramble away that quickly, the group tossing some money at Shinji before rushing over top of one another to get out the door.

“Wankers, all of 'em,” he huffed and shook his head. Your love parted his lips as a single tear fell down your cheek. “Love?” he asked as he wiped the loose tear falling down your cheek. You swallowed the lump growing in your throat as he knelt down. His face was so warm and gentle as he cupped your cheek, his metal rings cool against your hot cheeks.

"Oi, whatever those arseholes said to their, they're fuckin' wrong. You're a knockout, okay?" Hobie said firmly. You sniffed and glanced away.

"I know," you sighed. Hobie kissed your hand, your eyes drifting back to his face.

"I know you know...but you need to hear it, too," he smiled and laid your palm against his sharp cheek. Your heart skipped a beat as he kissed along the side of your hand.

"Thanks, baby," you cooed. Hobie grinned as he grabbed your hand.

“How about we go to the park now, yeah?” he suggested while you rose to your feet. The burning feeling in your cheeks began to fade as your heart felt lighter.

"Yeah," you grinned and wiped at your eyes.

+++

"There's so many people here!" you gaped as the two of you walked through the park. A whole crowd gathered in the amphitheater, the whole area filled with idle chatter while your eyes wandered across the spacious park. You gasped when you accidentally ran into someone. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” you said. A tall, beefy man raised a brow at you, his eyes locking on the cleavage that peeked out of your tank top.

“Watch where you’re going…slut,” he muttered as he began to walk away.

“Watch where you’re standin’, you prick,” Hobie instantly snapped back. The man flared his nostrils before quickly turning on his heel. You gasped when he pushed Hobie back.

“You wanna run that by me again?” the large man growled. Hobie kept himself in front of you, his hand reaching behind him to make sure there was enough distance. Your heart dropped as the man stared Hobie down, his form towering over both of you. He stood up straight when a blonde woman rested her hand on his forearm.

“Hey, babe. I was wondering where you wandered off to,” she chirped as she soothingly rubbed his arm and gave you an apologetic look. He eventually grunted and stepped back.

“Sorry. Just got…distracted,” he flashed a scowl at the two of you before being tugged away by his lover. You sighed with relief while Hobie pulled you to his side.

“You okay?” he asked softly and he pulled you into a tight hug. You nodded and nuzzled your face into his chest. You bit your lip as fear struck through your heart.

“You didn’t have to defend me like that. What if he hurt you?” you pouted as you pulled back. Hobie gazed into your eyes softly as he cupped your chin.

“It would’ve been worth it,” he murmured softly as he rested his forehead against yours. Your eyes lit up as your heart melted on the spot.

“Aw, Hobie,” you cooed and pecked his lips. You gasped when the music started to roar from the amphitheater and streams of lights danced across the park. “It’s starting!” you shouted excitedly as you grabbed his hand. Hobie chuckled as you pulled him towards some empty spots at the top of the amphitheater, your soft skirt swaying in the wind as you quickly made your way towards the seats. You smoothed your hands over your skirt as Hobie sank onto the bench, his long legs sprawled out in front of him.

“Wow,” you breathed as the lights before you gracefully moved back and forth to the beat of the upbeat pop music. Hobie smiled as he rested his hand over yours, the shiny rings snug on his fingers sliding over your knuckles. You rested your head on his shoulder and sighed, the stress from earlier dissipating as you soaked in his presence.

A slow song eventually came on, the sun having disappeared a while ago past the city skyline as the lights shined brighter than ever. You blinked when he slowly wrapped his hand around yours and stood up, his other hand stretched out for you to take.

“Wanna dance?” he asked. You smiled brightly and nodded before sliding your free hand into his. You grunted as he helped you up, your breasts pushing against his chest before you steadied yourself. The two of you swayed to the gentle rhythm, your eyes locked with his as he hummed along to the lyrics echoing through the park. You sighed and rested your head on his chest as he splayed a hand over your hip, your body glowing with warmth when he kissed the top of your head.

You gasped when a bunch of fireworks suddenly went off, bursts of light and sound reverberating across the open space. You and your lover shared a laugh before turning your attention to the fireworks, your faces illuminated with a variety of colors. You shifted your gaze back to your boyfriend, time slowing down to a standstill as you placed your hands on his shoulders. He smiled softly as you leaned on your tiptoes, your lips just barely brushing over his.

Your heart felt like it was about to burst as he tilted his head down. You moaned quietly into the passionate kiss, his lip ring rubbing against your soft mouth as he squeezed your hip. You sighed through your nose as you squeezed your plush thighs together, your body shivering with bliss before he pulled back. The fireworks began to fade as the crowd erupting into a wave of cheers. Hobie pecked your lips again as he squeezed your hip.

“Ready for some boba?” your love asked as he tucked some hair behind your ear. You hummed as the two of you started making your way towards the gates of the park.

“Yeah! And maybe we could stop by the bookshop before we head home?” you asked while slinging your arm around his. Hobie hummed as he thought to himself.

“No,” he replied in a flat tone. Your jaw dropped before he busted out laughing.

“Cheeky thing,” you said before pinching his cheek. He snickered as you released his cheek and rubbed his back. Both of you continued walking until you reached the small boba shop just outside of the park. Your eyes lit up when you stepped inside, two young women glancing up from behind the counter.

“Hello! What can I get started for you two?” one of them beamed, her dark ponytail swishing as she stepped up. You waved back before glancing up at the menu. Your eyes sparkled as you read over the variety of flavors, mouth watering in anticipation of your sweet treat.

“Hmm…could I please have a strawberry boba?” you asked politely.

“Green tea f’me, please,” Hobie added as he slung one of his arms around your shoulder.

“Of course! That will be £8 please,” she chirped. Hobie pulled out his money and handed it to the cashier, the other worker busying herself with your drinks. “Thank you!” the woman smiled before shuffling over to her coworker. You stepped over to the side with Hobie, your heart lighting up as you gazed at his face.

“Somethin’ wrong, lovie?” your love hummed. You shook your head before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Nope, just thinking about how much I love you,” you smiled sweetly. Your boyfriend’s eyes softened before he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“Love you, too, baby,” he smiled.

“你看到她穿什么了吗?,” one of the women whispered loudly [Did you see what she was wearing?]. Hobie perked his head up and narrowed his eyes. The two servers glanced behind their shoulders before giggling.

“她的衣服是从哪里来的？垃圾箱?” the other snickered [Where did her clothes come from? The dumpster?]. They both laughed loudly before Hobie cleared his throat.

“你为什么不专心做我们的饮料而不是侮辱我的女人?” he said to them with a tense smile [Why don’t you focus on making our drinks instead of insulting my girlfriend?]. Their grins immediately fell as their faces turned bright red. He huffed as they turned back around busied themselves with making your drinks.

“What did you say to them?” you asked with a nervous glance. Hobie shrugged.

“Just told them to stop gossiping and focus,” he replied while wrapping an arm around you. You looked down, the sneaking suspicion that they were gossiping about you gnawing at the back of your mind. You blinked.

“Hold on - you speak Chinese?” you asked. Hobie pursed his lips as he drummed his fingers against your arm.

“Yeah. Picked it up from my old neighbor Mrs. Chen,” he explained. Your lover paused and chuckled, a bright smile crossing his features. “Though most of what she said was more…colorful,” Hobie grinned. One of the workers shuffled up to the counter and placed your drinks down.

“S-Sorry for the wait!” she squeaked, her eyes a little wide and cheeks dusted with pink. You smiled as the two of you took your drinks.

“You’re fine! Thank you so much!” you chirped with a wave. Hobie sucked on his straw before holding the door open for you.

“M’lady,” he said.

“Why, thank you,” you giggled while placing a hand over your chest. Hobie shared your bright smile as the two of you stepped out into the cool summer night. You hummed and slipped your hand into his while enjoying the sweet drink.

“So…to the bookshop?” Hobie asked. You nodded as you pulled your lips away from the thick straw.

“To the bookshop!” you beamed as you strode alongside him. Thankfully, the shop was right across the street from your shared flat. Your heart leapt when you saw the glowing sign for Hardy's Bookstore. A small bell chimed as soon as you stepped into the shop. A young woman in glasses peeked from behind a bookshelf and smiled.

“Hey (Y/N)! Hi Hobie!” she called with a wave.

“Hi Felicia!” you said as you stepped inside. You gasped and stumbled back when a black cat suddenly hissed at you and scurried away. You blushed and squeezed the plastic boba cup in your hand.

“Sorry about that,” you laughed nervously. Felicia waved her hand as she climbed down from the ladder.

“Oh, she’ll be fine. She just likes to nap in inconvenient spots,” the shopkeeper sighed. She adjusted her glasses before resting her hands on her hips. “Can I help you all look for anything?” Felicia asked with a sparkle in her eye. You hummed and took another sip from your drink.

“Hmm…I think we’re just looking around for now,” you replied.

“Alright. If you all need anything, I’ll be behind the counter,” she grinned.

“‘Kay. Thank you,” you smiled. She gave a short nod before walking behind the counter, her cat following in suit and swishing its tail back and forth. You started to walk around the store, sipping on your boba from time to time while perusing the shelves.

“Babe…we should see if they have any books about yoga,” Hobie whispered with a little smirk.

"Oh? And why's that?" you asked with a raised brow. You gasped as he slid his finger down your back, the sensation sending a shiver down your spine.

"'Cause I like it when you wear tight clothes," he murmured as his hands traced over your love handles. You squeezed your thighs together as you glanced over your shoulder, your heart pounding as his breath fell over your ear. "And seein' you all bent over," Hobie rumbled.

"H-Hobie," you whispered while glancing around. You felt him smirk against the shell of your ear before he leaned back.

"Just sayin'," he winked before sliding his hands into his pockets. Your entire body tensed with lust as you bit down on your straw.

"Maybe we should-" you froze when you laid eyes on a book about dieting. You felt your stomach twist into knots as your heart grew heavier by the second.

“Babe?” Hobie asked as he furrowed his brows. You swallowed thickly as you balled your free hand into a tight fist. He followed your line of sight and frowned. You glanced down at your body as several disgusting mantras about yourself began to ring inside your mind.

“(Y/N), what's wrong?” your boyfriend asked in a hushed tone. You sniffed and shook your head, your strawberry boba nearly spilling onto the floor as you squeezed the cup in a tight grip.

“I’m sorry, Hobie. I-I think I need go,” you choked. Your lover gently rubbed his hands up and down your arms as he came behind you.

“It's okay, (Y/N). Let's head on home," he whispered. You only gave him a silent nod as you nearly crushed the plastic cup in your hand. He made sure to stand beside you as you kept your head down.

“‘Night, Felicia!” Hobie called and gave her a small wave before escorting you back outside. You did everything you could to suppress the urge to break down right there on the street - your heart racing and mind dizzy as your own thoughts tore you apart.

“Almost there, baby,” Hobie reassured you as you climbed up the stairs to your flat. You finally released a choked sob right as you crossed the threshold of your abode, kicking your shoes off and tossing your cup in a bin nearby. Hobie immediately placed a hand on your back as he guided you over to the couch, your body shivering as you wept.

“I-I’m sorry,” you cried. Your boyfriend wrapped his lanky arms around you as he kissed your temple.

“What are you sorry ‘bout, love?” he asked softly as he held you against his chest. Your bottom lip trembled as you hiccupped, your face completely soaked with tears.

"I...I'm sorry if I'm an embarrassment to you,” you sniffed. He blinked, his eyes nearly popping out of your head.

“What do you mean? You've never embarrassed me, never,” he said firmly while clasping his hands over yours. You sniffed and wiped at your eyes.

“But...why would you want to be with someone like me?” you choked as you looked away, a bitter taste washing over your mouth. “Ugly, fat, clumsy,” the insults towards yourself fell past your lips like drops of cold venom. Hobie tensed next to you as he gripped your hands. The room was filled with a heavy silence before he took a deep breath.

“You mean beautiful,” he said while kissing your cheek. You blinked and sat up as you felt his warm lips caress over your face. “Irresistible,” Hobie continued before pressing a soft kiss to your nose. Your breath hitched as he cupped your chin and turned your head towards him, lips brushed against yours as he sighed. “And the kindest, most amazing woman I've ever known,” he whispered lovingly before resting his lips on yours. You felt your insecurities start to melt away the longer your mouths rested in a sweet kiss. Your heart skipped a beat as Hobie slid his hand down to rest on top of your thigh. You gasped for air as the two of you parted, your warm breaths mingling while you swallowed thickly.

“D-Do you really mean that?” you asked breathlessly. Hobie smiled and tilted his head as he rested his forehead on yours.

“Of course I mean it,” he murmured. Your heart leapt as he squeezed the top of your thigh. “But why don’t I just show you instead?” he purred in a low, husky voice. You gasped as he slid his hand lower and cupped your burning sex, the bottom of his palm grinding against your covered clit. "That alright with you, doll?" Hobie asked as he pecked your lips over and over. You squeezed your eyes shut as you pushed the thoughts away, your sex yearning for his hungry touch.

"Yes...please," you said breathlessly. You squealed as Hobie kissed you deeply, his hand rubbing up and down your clothed pussy as he groaned.

”Gonna make sure I love every single inch of you tonight - show you just how precious you are,” Hobie purred as he cupped your cheek with his free hand. He brushed his thumb over your lower lip as he sighed. "Startin' with these gorgeous lips of yours," he grinned. Your heart fluttered as he leaned forward, his mouth gravitating towards yours like a magnet. Your heart glowed as your lips moved in a passionate dance, Hobie's hands wandering the expanse of your body and resting on your hips.

"Hold on t'me," he said. You furrowed your brows before he suddenly slipped his hands beneath your ass and picked you up. You squealed when he slowly lifted you up, his wry arms supporting your body while you hooked your feet around the back of his thighs. "There we go," Hobie cooed before locking lips with you once more. You moaned softly into the kiss as your body trembled in anticipation.

“I'll make you feel so good, you'll forget all about those nasty things you think about yourself,” Hobie murmured while carrying you to the bedroom. You ducked your head into his shoulder as you wrapped your arms around his neck. He sighed while stepping through the threshold, his hands kneading your bum as he breathed against the wet spot on your neck.

Your heart skipped a beat as he raked his eyes over your body. He unlaced his boots before pulling his shirt over his head, his chest heaving as he licked his lips. The wooden bed frame creaked as he climbed on top of you, his thin legs spreading yours apart while his hands wandered beneath your tank top.

"Been waitin' all night to get my hands on your beautiful tits," he grunted while rolling your tank top up. You squealed as Hobie tossed your shirt aside and quickly worked your bra loose.

"I thought you were more of an ass man?" you giggled. Hobie raised his brows as he flashed you a cheeky grin.

"I am...but tonight's about lovin' all of you," he smirked. His breath hitched as your breasts fell down and jiggled, your nipples growing hard against the cool air of your bedroom. “God, look at you,” he sucked in a sharp breath before eagerly grabbing at one of your plush tits. Your eyes widened as he massaged your mound while he dipped his head down, capturing your other nipple between his puckered lips.

“F-Fuck,” you whined and arched your back as he lavished your breast with wet, sloppy kisses and licks while he pinched your other nipple between his two fingers. His nostrils flared against your exposed skin as he gently ground his hips against yours.

“H-Hobie, please,” you mewled and bucked your hips forward, you’re body craving more of his insatiable touch. Hobie grinned against your tit as he slid one of his hands against your panties, his palm gliding over your aching sex.

“You want me to keep goin’?” he asked in a husky whisper, your nipple falling out of his mouth with a slick “pop”. You nodded as you arched your back.

“Please…I-I need you,” you breathed, your breasts rising and falling as you felt his fingertips glide over your slick, covered hole. A flicker of lust danced in his eyes as he slowly shuffled back on his knees.

“God, you’re so sexy, baby,” Hobie groaned as he hooked his thumbs beneath the band of your skirt. You blushed and covered your face as he tugged the soft fabric down your thighs, your walls clenching around nothing as he hungrily eyes your clothed sex.

“H-Hobie,” you stammered bashfully. Your hips snapped forward when he suddenly laid his lips between your breasts and rested his hands over your knees.

"Sculpted by the gods themselves, I swear," he whispered gently, his lips dancing over the rolls of your belly as he inched closer to your mound. Your legs tensed around his head as his hot breath fell over your panties. Your chest grew tight as Hobie kissed over your covered cunt, the tip of his tongue lapping over the small wet spot growing in your panties. You whined as his nose rubbed against your puffy clit, his hands tenderly tracing over each and every stretch mark on the inside of your thighs. You eventually slid your fingers away from your eyes, your heart nearly stopping when you met his hungry gaze.

“Mmm, you taste so fuckin’ sweet,” he panted, his tongue slightly hanging out before he licked his lips. Your eyes widened as he pushed your panties aside, his lips growing glossy with your slick as he pressed a soft kiss to your soft, delectable folds. You shivered and grabbed at his long, puffy wicks as he flatted his tongue over your bundle of nerves, a wave of pleasure rolling through your core as you bucked your hips forward.

“Fuck, Hobie,” you moaned as your thighs shook around his head. Hobie groaned as he lapped along your juicy slit, his fingers digging into your soft flesh as your pussy soaked his plump lips. You cried out and arched your spine as he puckered his lips around your engorged bud while two of his long, thick fingers prodded at your weeping entrance.

“You want my fingers, baby girl?” Hobie murmured, his lips dancing over your labia while he circled the tight seam of your hole with his digits. “Want me to spread you open and make you cum so hard you see stars, hm?” he purred before teasingly flicking your clit with his tongue. 

“Y-Yes!” you squealed as you tugged on his thick hair. Hobie grinned before pressing a soft kiss to the inside of your thigh.

“Good girl,” he purred before slowly pushing his fingers past the rim of your entrance. Your jaw dropped as you released a loud moan, your walls clenching around every inch of his thick fingers as he swirled his tongue around your bundle of nerves. “Shit, you're grippin' me so tight, doll,” Hobie drawled before encasing his plump lips around your clit once more.

“G-God, Hobie. Feels so good,” you whined as he began to pump his digits in and out of your slick hole, each drag of his fingers leaving a louder squelch than the last. “Yes, yes, yes,” you panted as he curled the pads of his digits against your sensitive gummy g-spot. You keened as he shoved his face even closer, nearly suffocating himself against your cunt as he swirled his tongue around your clit like a delicious lollipop.

“Please,” you whined as you tossed your head to the side as he scissored his fingers inside your cunt, spreading your hole wide open as a glistening trail of arousal oozed out. You felt him smile against your burning sex before he started to pump his fingers in and out of you even faster. The drag of his digits along your gummy walls drove you further into a mind-numbing bliss, the muscles in your lower half growing tighter and tighter with every perfect stroke of his fingers.

“Fuck, yes!” you cried out as you heaved, your head spinning as he curled his fingers up each time he sheathed them down to his knuckles.

"Makin' such pretty noises, sweet girl," he murmured before diving back in, devouring your cunt like it was his last meal. The room around you spun as you mewled and rubbed your pussy against his chin, the friction driving you closer to the edge.

"P-Please - I'm so close," you moaned as he thrusted his digits at a desperate pace. Your eyes rolled back when the band inside you suddenly snapped, your jaw going slack as you screamed his name. Your vision flooded with white as your hips rolled forward, your body stiff as your mind was torn apart in the riptide of euphoria. Tears streamed down your cheeks as your walls clamped down on his digits, Hobie’s tongue still swirling around your clit as your slick cream beaded around his knuckles. You panted and whined as the bliss began to fade, your body glowing with a thin sheen of sweat as Hobie eagerly lapped up your sweet juices.

You moaned as your boyfriend tilted his head up, his lower face completely soaked in your arousal. You whimpered as he slowly pulled his fingers from your raw, drenched pussy, the emptiness leaving your hole gaping and begging to be filled once more. Hobie hungrily eyed the white cream that coated his fingers before shifting his gaze back to you. He smirked as he rolled out his tongue and shoved his digits into his watering mouth. Hobie moaned while he swirled his wet muscle around his slick-coated fingers, his cock straining against his ripped jeans.

“Fuck,” you panted as he savored the sweet flavor of your cum, shoving his fingers in and out of his mouth until they were sucked clean. You felt a cold chill run through you when you saw the massive bulge straining beneath his ripped jeans while he bucked his hips against nothing. Hobie stared into your eyes as he slowly pulled his fingers from his mouth before licking his lips.

“You taste so fuckin' delicious, babe,” he said as he started to unbuckle his belt. Your heart pounded inside your ribcage as Hobie shoved his pants and briefs down his sleek thighs, his long, dark cock springing free and slapping against the trail of dark hair against his stomach. You parted your lips as he fisted his length, his hand gliding over his throbbing dick as he moaned softly.

“I wanna feel every single inch of your pretty pussy wrapped around my cock - huggin’ me, milkin’ me dry,” he panted. You shifted beneath him, your insecurities quickly flooding back into our mind as his eyes raked over your completely exposed body. "You're beautiful, baby," Hobie cooed as if reading your mind. Your eyes widened as he pressed his lips to yours while guiding his bulbous, weeping tip to your puckering entrance. Your pupils dilated as Hobie grinned against your mouth, the slick sound of him rubbing your arousal across the head of his cock making you shudder.

“You ready f’me, sweet girl?” Hobie murmured. You nodded, your eyes wide and breath ragged as he smeared your slick across the head of his cock. Hobie groaned into your ear as he pushed his hips forward, his cock sinking into your tight heat at a slow, steady pace.

"O-Oh my God,” you whimpered as you felt his length stretch out your tight hole, a thick ring of your cream surrounding his long shaft as he inched himself inside you.

“That’s my good girl - takin’ my cock so well,” he panted as your walls fluttered around his throbbing dick. You moaned at his filthy words and clawed at his upper back, your pussy lewdly squelching as he paused halfway before starting to drag his cock back out.

“A-Ah,” you keened as he slid his length back inside, his cock tenderly massaging every inch of your drenched, gummy walls. You gasped when Hobie leaned down and puckered his lips around your hard nipple, his tongue eagerly swirling around the perky bud as he rocked his hips forward.

“Look so gorgeous like this, baby - no clothes hidin’ your perfect body from me,” he rumbled before gently tugging on your nipple between his soft lips. You squealed as his patch of thick hair grinded against your swollen clit, each push of his hips sending a pulse of heat through your sensitive button.

"R-Right there," you moaned as his tip massaged your spongey g-spot, your toes curling as pleasure washed over you. Hobie pinched your nipple between his teeth as he snapped his hips, his heavy balls slapping against your plump ass as he groaned. "Fuck!" you cried out as your pussy greedily sucked his cock closer to your cervix.

"Shit, grippin' me so good, (Y/N)," he hissed, his eyes glazed over as he moved his lips over your neck. You tilted your head as he sucked at the top of your choker, his hands tensing around your hips as you felt a familiar knot start to tighten in your lower belly. "Fit around me so perfectly," Hobie praised as he raked his teeth over your pulse. Your heart charm clinked against the faux leather of your choker with every thrust, your bracelets jingling as you dug your nails into his shoulders.

"Hobie, I-I'm close," you gulped with a high-pitched moan. Hobie grinned as he panted against the wet patch on your skin, his cock twitching inside your snug sex as he gingerly laced his fingers between yours. He leaned up and gazed into your eyes as his tip slamming against your swollen cervix as he moaned.

"C'mon sweet girl - show me that pretty face you make when you cum," Hobie rumbled lowly as he drew sloppy circles around your clit. You thrashed beneath him as you pushed your breasts forward, an intoxicating wave of pleasure washing over you as the cord in your tummy snapped.

"Hobie!" you screamed his name as your cunt squeezed his dick in a vice grip.

"That's it - fuck, you look so beautiful when you soak my cock," Hobie shuddered as his thrusts began to falter. You sobbed as your body trembled with bliss, your moans choked as you rolled your head back and panted heavily.

"Shit," you squeezed your eyes shut as your walls deliciously convulsed around your boyfriend's shaft. A low growl rose from your lover's chest as your high began to fade, your limbs turned to jelly as Hobie relentlessly drove his cock into your soaked cunt. Your stomach dropped when he suddenly pulled out, his cock swollen and drenched in your juices as he flipped your around.

"Shh, it's alright. Just relax f'me," Hobie cooed as he patted your waist. Your eyes shot open when he hooked his arms beneath your legs and pulled you flush against him. Your toes curled as he picked you up and sheathed himself inside you in one swift motion, the sudden fullness making your eyes roll back and cunt clench.

“Fuck!” you whined as you threw your head against his shoulder Hobie smirked against your neck as he slowly carried you over to the full-body mirror hanging on your closet door. Your eyes widened when you watched the way your arousal leaked and bubbled around the base of his girthy shaft. Hobie sighed as he adjusted his arms, your plump legs jiggling as he rested his mouth against your ear.

“Look at that gorgeous, amazing woman in the mirror,” he breathed while rocking his hips forward, driving his cock deeper inside you with every thrust. Your face grew red hot as you quickly glanced away.

“H-Hobie,” you flushed. He clicked his tongue.

“Eyes up, lovie,” he murmured softly with a sharp thrust. You moaned and hooked your hands around his neck as his balls slapped against your wet folds. “Mm, look at your sweet cunt swallowin' my cock whole,” Hobie grunted with a heavy sigh. You squeezed your eyes shut as a mind-numbing wave of euphoria swept through your body.

“B-Baby, fuck,” you moaned as you felt the tip of his cock graze over your g-spot again. Hobie purred as he bit at your earlobe.

“Say ‘I’m beautiful’, sweet girl,” he rumbled while squeezing the back of your knees. Your walls clenched around his length, your cheeks clapping every time he thrusted up into you.

“I-I’m beautiful,” you said in a hushed ton. Your legs tensed when he laid his lips on your neck and started to pound even harder inside your messy cunt.

“C’mon, baby girl. Let me hear you,” he sucked in a sharp breath as he admired the lewd reflection: your breasts and rolls bouncing every time he brought you down on his veiny dick. You cried out as you felt your third orgasm suddenly sneak, your body twitching in his tight grasp as tears rolled down your face.

“I-I’m beautiful!” you yelped in a cracked voice as your pussy squeezed and fluttered around his hard length. Hobie released a guttural groan as he stiffened against you, his cock throbbing against the gummy plug to your womb as he painted your walls with thick, hot ropes of his cum. Hobie's arms tightly wrapped around the back of your knees as he moaned your name.

"Baby, fuck," Hobie choked as he kept your back flush against his chest. You moaned softly while your love thrusted up into you a few more times, his dick softening between your gummy walls while your combined juices dripped down his shaft and coated his plump, potent balls. You sighed as you felt his cock twitch inside your cunt for the last time, his hot breath falling over your shoulder as the smell of sex permeated through the room. Your muscles relaxed as he kissed your cheek, his eyes lingering on the reflection of his cock stuffing your swollen pussy before he licked his lips.

“God, you’re amazing,” he grunted while slowly walking back to the messy bed. You could only mewl at his words, your mind lost in a haze of euphoria as your body turned to putty in his wiry arms. You whimpered as your legs burned from being spread for so long, your body falling onto the mattress as he slowly pulled out of you.

“You did so good, baby,” Hobie whispered as he kissed up and down your cheek, his hands wandering the expanse of your body. "So, so good," he cooed before pecking your lips, his eyes soft and brimming with affection. You sighed and kept your hands wrapped around his neck as he caressed his lips against yours, the taste of yourself faint on his warm tongue.

“My beautiful girl,” he continued before nibbling on your bottom lip. Your heart glowed as he laid on top of you, his fingers intertwined with yours as your lips met in a passionate embrace. "Now...how 'bout we take a nice, hot bath, yeah?" he whispered with a small chuckle. You smiled and nuzzled your nose against his.

"That sounds wonderful...but there's one problem," you sighed as the tips of your ears burned. Hobie raised a brow as he scanned you up and down. "You're probably gonna have to carry me," you giggled with a blush. Hobie's eyes widened a little before he released a breathy laugh.

"I'll take any chance to feel your skin against mine," he purred before smoothing his hand over your hip. You reflected his satisfied smile as he scooped you up in his arms and pressed his lips to your neck. "C'mon, lovie; let's get ourselves cleaned up," Hobie whispered gently before carrying you out of your bedroom.

Your heart glowed as you laid your head against his chest as your eyelids began to droop, your mind drifting as you relaxed in his hold.

"I love you, Hobie," you whispered and pecked his chin. You heard him grunt softly as he leaned down at kissed the crown of your head.

"Love you, too, baby girl," he murmured with a gentle smile.

----

Thank you for reading! ❤️

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[zermbie-dergon]

Little things I learned about the members of Constellation:

- Andreja feels like an outcast to the rest of the group and doesn’t feel like she’s included in their group activities.

- On the flip side, Barrett will try to invite Andreja to join him and the others in said activities and she always declines (this includes things like movie night, dancing, cooking, listening to music, board games and having drinks together)

- The members all get together to have movie night and take turns picking out the movies

- Andreja tries so hard to make jokes with Barrett but he always knows what she’s gonna say. She gets discouraged but keeps trying

- Barrett and Vlad once spent 5k of Constellation’s credits to throw a party on The Eye

- Sarah is completely against Sam bringing Cora along with him. She suggests leaving Cora with Matteo to ensure her safety. Sam becomes irritated and defensive and says Cora goes with him.

- Sam and Barrett are sports bros and love watching games together. If one of them isn’t around to watch the game, the other will record it so they can watch it together later

- Sam has terrible spelling

- Barrett is actually his last name. His first name starts with A but (as far as I know) we don’t know what the A stands for

- Sarah seems to fill a kind of motherly role of the group, checking in with Barrett after being held hostage by pirates, keeping Sam on track, watching out for Cora, reassuring Andreja, etc

- Sam and Barrett seem to cause the most trouble or make the most mistakes in the group. Barrett will try to joke and laugh it off until Sarah threatens punishment. Sam however can get grumpy and irritated when “Sarah Perfect Morgan” calls him out on it.

- Andreja has some knowledge in cooking

- Barrett does as well and will cook large meals for the group

- Cora will occasionally take some of Barrett’s stuff, usually books, without asking leading to Barrett going to Sam to get them back

- Sam seems to get easily distracted while on missions. “Sam, did you check out that thing I asked you to?” “Well I was going to but then I got caught in a goose chase-” “So did you or not?” “I was going to but then there was this thing-” “Should I just assign someone else?” “Uh that would probably be best”

- Andreja really wants to teach Cora self defense and how to fight and use a weapon. Sam is uncomfortable with it and tries to brush Andreja off. She doesn’t get the hint though

- Sam keeps an open tab at the bookstore in Akila City for Cora. She's supposed to be cut off at 100 credits but tends to overspend

- The stress Sarah is under must be obvious to the other members as multiple members of Constellation will ask if she is doing ok

- Barrett tries to get Noel to join them in space but she declines and reveals how much she is overworking herself. She then admits that she had nothing but her smarts to get her ahead in life

- Sarah is Cora’s favorite member of Constellation. Sam is her second favorite

- Not knowing where Andreja is from and her backstory drives Matteo crazy. He will vent to Sam about it who tells him to let it go and everyone is allowed their secrets

- Aja recruited Barrett into Constellation

- Sarah and Vlad recruited Andreja into Constellation

- At one point in his life, some people called Sam “Sammy”, he now detests the name and “goes by just Sam now”

- While Barrett was grieving, Aja sat with him in his room. He doesn't remember what she said but her presence was comforting and that’s what he remembers most

- Despite not having many credits himself, Sam is willing to help out those in need whether it's loaning credits to Barrett, keeping an open book tab for Cora or donating to those in need.

- Sarah is not afraid to ask Walter for money. They have some banter back and forth but Walter always signs the check

- Nadia at SSNN tries to get Sam to dig up dirt on Jacob. Despite the estranged relationship with his dad, Sam refuses

- Barrett and Sam have both been to jail at least once

- Sam and Sarah have an ongoing debate over which is the superior beer. Sarah suggests they go bar hopping one day to test their theory.

[chirpychipslive]

i desire a masterlist of rick wright lore. i absolutely love that man but i don't know half the silly, goofy things he got up to and i need a long-ass post explaining all you know about that little weirdo.

HI HELLO okay so as much as i see and understand a desire for a "rick wright lore masterlist", i don't think i would be able to do proper service by just listing all of the stuff i know off my head, plus i don't want people to see it and just take everything i say at face value and not look into things further if that makes any sense

so instead i will put a rick wright source masterlist under the readmore so people can go watch/read things for themselves in as much detail as they feel comfortable doing so, + i think a lot of people aren't aware of half of the sources i take from

Books

As far as books go your best starting points are Mark Blake's Comfortably Numb and Nick Mason's Inside Out, both of which are much more generalised sources for any Pink Floyd related material - I do have PDFs of both of these (i have physical bought copies too dw), so if you can't read/listen to either of them for any reason DM me and I'll send those PDFs to you :] They're both available widely on Amazon and other bookstores and Inside Out is also available as an audiobook!!

Guy Pratt's My Bass And Other Animals is 75% his own biography and 25% pink floyd related, so while it does have some Rick-related stuff in there, don't go into it expecting any in-detail explanations. Unfortunately I don't have a PDF of this book, but it is widely available and relatively inexpensive to buy (and I totally reccomend it!)

Franka Wright has supposedly been writing a tell-all on her marriage and experiences with him, but there haven't been many updates on it in a while. I've been relatively quiet on everything she's said about him in public as I don't think I have enough information on what happened to properly comment, but if that book does drop expect me to be the first in line to take a look

Websites/Online

Please god if you have even any passing interest use rickwright.com. It's a resource largely made by his estate and has a lot of information on there, it's a really sweet and interesting labour of love and I cannot reccomend it enough

pinkfloydz.com is an older website but has a gigantic catalogue of interviews, which include a large amount of transcribed interviews with Rick from 1996. It's just such a good resource in general and I highly reccomend checking it out, as even if you're not a Rick fan you still have a lot of interviews with the others in there

Here me out here; @mamazano (who has been inactive since 2021) has SO much on there that I don't feel bad putting them down as a source. Almost everything they post about is properly cited so you can find exactly where they came from, and they catalogue a lot of stuff that is locked behind more expensive/less available books. Their attention to detail for citing and sourcing quotes has been so admirable to me even if they're no longer on Tumblr anymore!

Watchlist

Here's links to watch Live At Pompeii, P.U.L.S.E, Delicate Sound of Thunder and Live 8 if you haven't done so already. also Chit Chat With Oysters has him for like 3 minutes

Remember That Night (an On An Island concert film)

Breaking Bread, Drinking Wine (On An Island tour documentary)

Rick talks about Syd for the 2001 Syd Barrett documentary by John Edginton

Broken China interview

Interview with Guy Pratt about PATGOD

There's definitely a lot more but this is the stuff I already had on my Youtube playlist of interviews - here's some that were on there but I haven't watched/listened to in a while so I can't 100% verify them rn (x) (x) (x)

Maybe one day I will try and chronologue all of the shit I know into something comprehensible but that definitely wouldn't just be a Tumblr post or smth lol

In the meantime I do thrive infodumping-wise off specific questions so if there's something more concrete you want me to (attempt to) explain I'm happy to do so! Thank you sm for the ask (I wouldn't have done this otherwise) and please feel free to contact me if you would like anything specific answered :]

[asecretvice]

Hey. I just really want to thank you for “And This, Your Living Kiss”. I’m guessing you may be a bit tired hearing us talk about it, what, 4, 5 years after you published it? I just need to express some gratitude. Your poem “Perfect” was probably the first poem ever to make cry, and I still read it occasionally when I’m down. It’s honestly probably my favorite poem ever. For me it captures this delicate, still very anchored kind of happiness that just hits so deep. Kind of like the opposite of melancholia. I hope you get what I’m saying and that I’m not just talking out of my ass, and if I am, I was hoping you’d share some of your thoughts about this poem?

Also, this story is truly my favorite story ever. Has been for a very long time. A question I have for you is, is there any place where we can read more of your poetry? And if not, I was also wondering if you’d be willing to share with us some of your favorite poets/poems?

Firstly, thank you for your patience; sometimes it takes me a while to get to asks.

But mostly, thank you so much for these kind words. Do not ever doubt yourself when taking the time to extend your positivity to others; I—and I daresay the vast majority of people—do not get tired of receiving these small kindnesses. It’s a reminder that life can be full of connection, a reminder that when I send a little bit of my heart out into our raging, grief-filled world, there are those who accept and understand and, hopefully, keep passing that love forward. And thusly we make the world a better place. So please receive my gratitude for reaching out.

That you love “Perfection” means so much to me. It was the first piece of the fic I wrote, you know, and pretty much became the basis for who Dean is in the fic thereafter. I don’t feel you’re talking out of your ass at all. Dean is such a complex character, and I think that’s why so many of us relate to him; we see our own complexity and contradictions reflected back at us through him. There is of course happiness there among the rest—a boy/man who is at his happiest when with his family (blood or no). Underneath it all is that deep thread of love we (and Cas!) admire and strive toward within ourselves.

Unfortunately I don’t have poetry published anywhere else. Maybe someday.

Several of my fav poets/poems appear in the fic already, though they’re among many others. However because I’ve been thinking about her lately, I hope you’ll indulge me if I talk about Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her masterpiece Sonnets from the Portuguese.

In the modern day EBB’s words most often show up in the guise of “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” It sounds a bit hokey, doesn’t it? I know I always thought so; especially to my teenage ear it was sickly sweet if not downright simpering. Spoiler: I was wrong. Context changes everything.

Do you believe that some books or stories come into your life at just the right time? Fast forward to when I’m 18 or 19. I’m in a town I’ve never been to before, visiting people I barely know. My host needs to work and offers to drop me off in the town center to explore. I agree because the weather’s fair and I’m desperate for a break from polite company, as it were. Happily it’s a pleasant area, full of green and not far from a large canal. After wandering along its edge for a while I aim back toward the local stores and window-shop up and down the streets. At last I stumble upon a used bookstore right next to a gelateria! Well you couldn’t have put two things together that more matched my taste if you tried. Naturally, I resolve to find a book and then go next door for some gelato and spend my time enjoying them both.

The bookstore is in an older building, for sure, with hardwood floors and the type of wainscoting that make me think it’s from the early 20th century at least. It’s split into multiple rooms and connected by open doorways; I wonder if it used to be a home. Many, though not all of the bookshelves are built into the walls and painted a pleasant white, stuffed to the gills with books in every color. The only other soul in the building is the man behind the front counter, and aside from a swift exchange of polite smiles I am left alone. I start by going to the left and poking around the shop and its little book-filled rooms counterclockwise, determined to choose at least one thing before I leave. What type, what genre? What length, what mood? I don’t know, but am sure I’ll know it when I see it. I’m free to choose whatever I like, you understand, because rarely had an English teacher in my past convinced me I couldn’t teach myself better, and I’d resolved never to take a class in the English department in college if I could help it (and for better or worse, I never did).

I take my time twisting in and out of the treasure-filled corners, no rush and no fuss. Yet no book sings to me. At length I near the back of the shop; on the far side beneath a window is a short, two-shelf bookcase. With waning hope I crouch in front of the shelf and begin reading spines. Aha! It’s filled with poetry. Perhaps there is some hope after all…then there it is: Sonnets from the Portuguese. Definitely faux-fancy binding, but still pretty. It looks like this:

I flip through, and every sonnet is accompanied by a different piece of silhouette art. It’s lovely, and it sings to me. A small pencil mark on the inside indicates it only costs a couple bucks, so I rummage in my wallet, stop by the front desk, and leave the store with the book clutched in my hands. With the rest of my cash I go to the gelateria next door and pick a couple of unusual flavors and again, alone, I choose a rickety metal table outside and sit with nothing but birds and sunshine for company. I skip the introduction and open the book immediately to the first sonnet:

I thought once how Theocritus had sung Of the sweet years, the dear and wished for years, Who each one in a gracious hand appears To bear a gift for mortals, old or young: And, as I mused it in his antique tongue, I saw, in gradual vision through my tears, The sweet, sad years, the melancholy years, Those of my own life, who by turns had flung A shadow across me.  Straightway I was ’ware, So weeping, how a mystic Shape did move Behind me, and drew me backward by the hair, And a voice said in mastery while I strove, . . 'Guess now who holds thee?'—'Death,' I said, But, there, The silver answer rang . . 'Not Death, but Love.'

What do you glean from the poem? It is slow and sad, a bright mythologized ideal set against a woman sunk deep in dark grief, a darkness that swiftly shifts into horror as a Shape appears behind her, physically pulls her from her weeping, and demands a response. She is so sure that her own death has at last come upon her, except what’s appeared…is love? Love, of all things? Love?

This is not at all what I am expecting to read. I fill up with another spoonful of gelato and eagerly turn the page.

And turn, and turn—Reader, I’m hooked. I’m strapped into a rollercoaster and freefalling down the first slope, on a wild ride built by a woman who’s been chronically ill since childhood, who’s lived through the death of her mother and beloved brother, whose father keeps her in his house and firmly under his thumb even long into her thirties, who still manages to write and get published and yet still lives lonely in her dark room…Sonnets from the Portuguese is an epic journey via the most astonishing set of 44 sonnets about how love completely changed her life, sonnets which her husband later touted to be the best in English since Shakespeare (and I agree). If you haven’t read the sonnets I encourage you to do so before reading on, link here, but if you’d rather I walk you through…

Even reading them again now I am in awe. How baldly and boldly she talks about how she and Robert, because of course it’s about her famous courtship with Robert Browning, are not meant to be. Not just her circumstances at home, not just her poor health, not just the fact that she thinks herself so below him and his worth, but also her grief. The darkness that lives in her! So many lines from these poems are woven into the tapestry of my life, like from sonnet V: Behold and see / What a great heap of grief lay hid in me. She warns that it could ruin him. Stand further off then! go! it ends.

And yet the next one (VI) begins: Go from me. Yet I feel that I shall stand / Henceforward in thy shadow. It is too late. She’s already been changed. The world and her perception of it are already shifting. Read how the beginning of VII illustrates this:

The face of all the world is changed, I think, Since first I heard the footsteps of thy soul Move still, oh, still, beside me, as they stole Betwixt me and the dreadful outer brink Of obvious death, where I, who thought to sink, Was caught up into love, and taught the whole Of life in a new rhythm.  The cup of dole God gave for baptism, I am fain to drink, And praise its sweetness, Sweet, with thee anear.

She was sinking into oblivion, death her companion, until he stood between them and she was caught up into love, no longer to go through her days sitting simple and still in her room, content to wallow in the sorrow she’d been given. Yet…that still doesn’t matter, because how can she reciprocate? And, crucially, does it make her a bad person that she can’t?

am I cold, Ungrateful, that for these most manifold High gifts, I render nothing back at all? Not so; not cold,—but very poor instead. (VIII)

Have you ever been there? Found yourself wondering if you’re even capable of love and kindness toward others given all you’ve been through, and how horrible it feels to think that ability’s been stolen from you? Is what little you can eke out even worth anything in comparison? Beloved, I only love thee! let it pass. (IX)

But she continues turning the idea of love over in her mind. Could it be that love is fully worthy, no matter where it comes from? There’s nothing low / In love, she reasons, when love the lowest (X). Still it does not seem that she herself could be worthy—and if this is worthy love, anyway, would she have even known how to do it if she’d not first been shown by him?

And thus, I cannot speak Of love even, as a good thing of my own: Thy soul hath snatched up mine all faint and weak, And placed it by thee on a golden throne,— And that I love (O soul, we must be meek!) Is by thee only, whom I love alone. (XII)

It seems that Robert persists in his own love, because then an earnest plea: that he love her for love’s sake, because people change in time. She herself is changing now because of him! Do not even love her because he loves taking care of and comforting her, because his love could lessen her need for that comfort! (XIV)

Regardless she is not without feeling, as sad and calm as she outwardly seems. She’s just not like him. But…could his love and his will be strong enough to overcome all these obstacles? Why, conquering / May prove as lordly and complete a thing / In lifting upward, as in crushing low! With such success, she says, I at last record, / Here ends my strife. (XVI)

But of course, nothing can be quite so simple. Her first question is how she can be useful to him. This does not feel like a full partnership:

How, Dearest, wilt thou have me for most use? A hope, to sing by gladly? or a fine Sad memory, with thy songs to interfuse? A shade, in which to sing—of palm or pine? A grave, on which to rest from singing?  Choose. (XVII)

That theme of death, too, is still ever-present. Even as the next couple of sonnets talk about how they’ve exchanged locks of hair she speaks of it. In XX a sea-change is further revealed, however, when she compares her life before Robert to the one after knowing him, how link by link, [I] Went counting all my chains but now, in contrast to VII’s cup of dole, she drinks from life’s great cup of wonder! She begs him to keep saying that he loves her (XXI), continuing the theme that his love will teach her, lift her, allay her many fears. But the next again ends with the death-hour rounding it.

Robert’s response? That her death would harm him. She admits to marveling at this revelation. If it is to be believed,

Then my soul, instead Of dreams of death, resumes life’s lower range. Then, love me, Love! look on me—breathe on me! As brighter ladies do not count it strange, For love, to give up acres and degree, I yield the grave for thy sake, and exchange My near sweet view of heaven, for earth with thee! (XXIII)

So first we learn that it is Love, not Death that has grabbed her; then we know that she feels Robert’s soul has slipped between her and the brink of death and thus she begins to question her constant sorrow; she is changing by his love; she will stop worrying about her worthiness and be of use to him and bask in what love he is willing to give her; but only now, finally, does she give up death itself in order to live her life. She is choosing to live!

The next few sonnets double down on this, about how all her hope had become despair, about how for so long she only had visions for company, and didn’t know they were mere shades in comparison to a reality of actually living, how Love, as strong as Death, retrieves as well. Also important? His saving kiss (XXVII).

We’ve come far, but progress isn’t an even trajectory. The rollercoaster dips again: now that she wishes to live, she wishes to live in his presence. She is both touch-starved and starved for company. Because their letters—one of, if not the most famous set of love letters in the English language—are to her all dead paper, mute and white! She speaks of how they fixed a day in spring / To come and touch my hand…a simple thing, / Yet I wept for it! (XXVIII) So we got the first mention in the last sonnet of his kissing her, and now a memory of when he first touched her hand. She goes on to write about how thinking of him is no longer enough; she needs to be near him. She then wonders, when he is gone, if she has embellished his feelings for her. Can you blame her? I certainly can’t. Her dark thoughts are now manifesting in these doubts about her perception, rather than her abilities.

But upon his next visit, she admits, I erred / In that last doubt! (XXXI). His presences reassures that all is real, not dream. And while she has always found it unlikely that their bond could have formed so fast (Quick-loving hearts, I thought, may quickly loathe, XXXII), now that she knows him she knows it was wrong to think that of him. She then brings up her childhood and draws parallels between the bright happy love she felt then with the love she feels now…even though, given the life she’s lived, the love she feels really can’t be the same. Her thoughts are no longer that of a child’s, which can be lightly turned aside, but for him she can and will turn from her dark, lonely thoughts when called.

This all decided, that their love is deep and true and as real as the loves she used to feel, and that she wants to be with him, an important question remains: If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange / And be all to me? Simply reading the poems and knowing their time period (Victorian) it could be enough to assume that it’s a regular leaving of your childhood home to create your own. But remember what I said at the beginning? The control her father exerts over her? She knows he would never approve. Hell, it was difficult enough for her siblings to make lives for themselves within his shadow. Going with Robert would mean truly leaving everything. She knows it won’t be easy: For grief indeed is love and grief beside (XXXV).

This great fear invites more doubt. She admits she has grown stronger and more confident, but that doesn’t make her troubles disappear. She knows she does their love a disservice in so doubting and in so fearing, but she can’t help it. But then…she returns to the physical, to his presence. In XXXVIII she speaks of their first three kisses: the first on her hand, the second for her forehead, but half-landed on her hair, and the third upon my lips was folded down / In perfect, purple state; since when, indeed / I have been proud and said, “My love, my own.”

She goes on in the next sonnets to say how grateful she is that he truly sees her and knows her beyond all the layers of sorrow and sickness she labors under. It should also be noted that, uncommonly for their time, he at 33 or so was courting her at 39/40. And so she is grateful, too, that he thinks it soon when others cry “Too late.” (XL). She then thanks all who had ever loved or listened, but again thanks Robert for listening to her even when it was difficult. She doubles down, now, on her decision to live:

I seek no copy now of life’s first half: Leave here the pages with long musing curled, And write me new my future’s epigraph, New angel mine, unhoped for in the world! (XLII)

And then—only now, as the rollercoaster shoots us upward and onward in joy and hope for a good, loving future—does she begin sonnet XLIII with How do I love thee? She asks this, not as some young girl with no life experience about a boy she’s seen across the room (I mean, how else was I supposed to interpret it, given how it’s used in the modern age?). She asks this as a woman full four decades into her life, a life full of chronic illness, an authoritarian home, and familial grief. She asks this after months of courtship during which she fought for every inch of belief, and hope, and joy. Where she at last came to know her own strength of heart and of will. Because she does leave her home, dear Reader. She elopes with Robert Browning, gets married in France, and lives out the rest of her life in Italy, where death finally catches up to her at 55. Keep all this in mind, as you read the sonnet in full:

How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday’s Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

There is one more sonnet, where she brings back flowers, a motif I didn’t spend time on in this post, to talk about how their souls are intertwined down to their roots. I bring it up now not just because flowers end this glorious cycle of forty-four poems, but because I think of her grave.

A year or two after I fell in love with these poems I was lucky enough to be in Italy myself. Some friends and I were walking around Florence and I insisted we had to find the English cemetery. I remember it as being this island of a hill in the middle of some busy streets, all fenced in with a little building at the entrance. When we scurried across the street and inside, there was a nun there who greeted us warmly. I told her I was looking for Elizabeth Barrett Browning and she lit up. She motioned for us to follow as she told me that they do their best to take care of her grave, and have always done so (I don’t know if she means just those who work there or Italians in general, as EBB was loved by Florence in her time). But, she said, they did not look kindly upon Robert, because he spent all this money on a beautiful tomb but he never, ever came to visit. She said this with the authority of someone who had witnessed it herself, though of course that was impossible. This was clearly a story deemed important enough—or perhaps simply so full of strong feeling—to stand the test of time.

The tomb is indeed beautiful. The pictures when I did a quick lookup on the internet do not do it justice; forgive me for not having the energy now to dig up where I’ve saved the old files of the pictures I took myself. At the time it was absolutely surrounded by tall, enormous roses, deep red in color. After I had my fill the nun was kind enough to take us on a tour of the rest of the cemetery, which was lovely. But I’ve never been able to shake the memory of that story, the one where the nuns lived and died resentful of an absent Robert.

It wasn’t until about a year and a half ago, when I read Fiona Sampson’s recent biography Two-Way Mirror: The Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning that it finally made sense. Robert often avoided grief in this way, it seems, afraid to travel back to England when family members were ailing until it was too late. Whether you agree with his actions or not, his absence we can at least hope is from his great love turned to great grief, rather than a lack of feeling on his part. He himself died in Venice; their only child died in Italy also. Robert is, however, still separated from Elizabeth in death: he is buried in Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey, London.

If you’re hoping for a neat bow on the end of this post, there isn’t. I think of her often not just because I love her poetry but, I suppose, because each year is slowly, inexorably bringing me closer to the age she was when she decided she would live her life again, and though I haven’t found a soul-shaking love like she has, I am trying, trying, trying to live, too.

[asurrogateblog]

kms I had the most awkward exchange today. I saw someone at the bookstore wearing an ummagumma t-shirt, so of course I said “great shirt!” and they said “yah haha I love pink floyd” and pointed to their hair, which had a syd-ish look, so I pointed at my barrett bugs t-shirt, and they just gave me a blank stare so I clarified “oh, sorry, this is one of syd barrett’s album covers” and they said “I don’t think I know who that is” …well I didn’t know what to say so in the moment I politely ended the conversation but now I keep thinking… why did they point at their hair!? what was that supposed to be communicating to me!?? and also how are you a dedicated enough fan to track down an ummagumma t-shirt but still not know who syd is?? anyway. I feel like I failed that interaction somehow

[r-rook-studio]

Cross posted from the R. Rook Studio blog.

So over the course of July, I’ve gotten material from me (yay!), Noora Rose, and Bendi Barrett, and forwarded all of that over to Jared Sinclair, the official editor of Roseville Beach (and really, all of Rose Island). I don’t brag much about my own skills, but I get to work with some of the most thoughtful and skilled people in tabletop RPGs. Jared wrapped up his developmental comments on this first round of documents late last week, so we’re ready to start making some previews.

Dim All the Lights (Announcement List | Kickstarter Pre-launch) is coming together, and to celebrate, we’re making some early-release zines!

Dim All the Lights 1: New Characters on Roseville Beach

While I call Dim All the Lights a “Mystery Book,” it includes new tools and toys for players as well as GMs. The first of these is a set of origin stories:

The Veteran has spent most of their adult life hunting monsters and studying the occult in the employ of the wealthy and powerful. Now you’ve come here to Roseville Beach to use your skills to keep a community safe. You’ve forgotten more than most people will ever know. Each session, you choose a background and during the session pick three skills you want to use as you need them. You also have a Go Bag from which you can make your own new Supply Checks for equipment others wouldn’t thave access to.

The Changeling was once a normal kid in the terrestrial world but were taken away to another. You’ve since grown up and returned, only to discover someone else has been living your life. Your time among non-humans has give you a deep understanding of what others are thinking and taught you a few supernatural tricks (that are more routine but easier than working magic with sorcery and words of power).

The Rose Island Regular has a job like everyone else, but they’ve had more Rose Island jobs than almost anyone else. Instead of a separate set of skills and backgrounds, the Regular takes a current job and two former jobs. They’ve also got a reputation around town, and know a lot of Roseville Beach gossip.

The Mainland Renegade came out to Roseville Beach for a short getaway. It was supposed to be a few days. And then you stayed. The Renegade is a slightly more mature version of The Fresh Face from the core book, and was inspired by Mary Ann Singleton from Maupin’s Tales of the City.

The book also includes a few more jobs around Roseville Beach (like fire fighter, drag king/queen, and bookstore clerk) and Rose Island (like an admin for the park department), and the option of being self-employed as a band member, writer, swim coach, or repairperson.

Dim All the Lights 2: Entities of Roseville Beach

Inspired by The X Files, SCP, and The Magus Archives, Noora Rose wrote five new “Entities of Roseville Beach.” Moonlight on Roseville Beach doesn’t have opponent, antagonist, creature, NPC, or monster stats: If you can figure out how to hurt something, it has up to 3 hit points. Instead, Noora took things in a new direction and focused instead on the entity’s victims and the evidence they leave behind.

Noora, who wrote the strange events generator of Moonlight on Roseville Beach, where ever die roll is a small, eerie fragment of a horrifying story, tackled this section, and I spoke after reading an early draft of her work back in June, but now Noora’s expanded the section, adding more detail and some GM notes.

Instead of focusing on the entities, Noora focuses on their victims, looking at what witnesses saw and what the victims recorded in their own journals and logs. Her work not only introduces the entities but creates clues and player handouts. I’ve mocked up a couple of layouts here.

Here, Dr. Jo Norris is logging her observations on a mysterious sea slug that she’ll soon learn can take the form of anything it’s near.

Here, we take a look at the diary of Nicole Wolf, a young woman who went missing after starting to date a singer named whose waterlogged diary was found at the beach.

Noora also added a bunch of GM notes on using the entities, and I've created a short mystery generator using the entities in Roseville Beach.

[gefdreamsofthesea]

The local bookstore has a used copy of Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries by Ruth Barrett and I'm almost tempted to buy it to keep some unsuspecting reader from falling down the TERF pipeline.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

You never know if SH is in London or New York for Thanksgiving 🦃 but in his video, he’s in London.

SH is in Waterstones London - Tottenham Court Road. is very much a bookstore that provides a wide variety of academic books. including a cafe, and cocktail bar.

On the opposite side of the street are Pret A Manger and Holland & Barrett as you see in his video.

So, whether you're looking for a book📚or in need of a coffee or a drink, it’s a good visit. Perhaps his interest is not only seeing books but where stores his gin 🤷‍♀️ for a cocktail in happy hour.

[blackrosebookstore]

Kaylin Darounel

Name Kaylin Darounel

Please look through the information Black Jewels Series character Author's Site [annebishop.com]

If you are interested in the series, the Black Jewels was written by Anne Bishop. It can be found in fiction at the library and fantasy/sci-fi at the bookstore. 

World and Universe Information

Currency I believe is called marks. Places in the Realms [annebishop.com]

A couple basic sites

Wikipedia [en.wikipedia.org] Black Jewels Wiki [blackjewels.wikia.com] (I copied my info from my gaia version since it's more accurate to how I usually play her and more complete. )

Character

Name:: Kaylin Darounel Age:: 375, Appears 18 Race:: Eyrien,Dhemlanese, Dea al Mon mix Caste:: Black Widow/Queen Status:: Aristo (The Jewels stuff is copied from my Gaia version of this character. It may not apply to this version all the time) Jewels:: At Birthright 6 uncut Sapphire Jewels Birthright Jewel:: Sapphire (Pendant, pair of barrettes, copper armband) Offering Jewel:: Ebon-Gray Appearance:: Gold eyes, black membranous bat wings, pointed ears, long curly black hair, brown skin. She's on the short side and curvy without being past slender. History:: (It's only partial) Kaylin was raised by her father, her mother leaving a written notice of paternity acknowledgment in case she were to die before Kaylin was 7. Kaylin's mother in fact died in labor despite the efforts of the attending healer. Kaylin's father was an aristo Warlord Prince who wore a Gray jewel. Her father was close friends with Saetan SaDiablo and so she became friends with Janelle when she came to Kaeleer. She and Janelle were like sisters despite the caste differences between them. Her father was a natural black widow like she is and between him and Saetan she was trained in the Hour Glass Coven. Family:: Valnar (Grey Jeweled WP/BW) ALSO IF YOU WANT TO PLAY AS HER FATHER BUT USE A DIFFERENT NAME, MESSAGE ME!!! I am willing to change the name for a story. If anyone wishes to play him, he is open for play. Also, she has several brothers who I haven't named if anyone wishes to play them. Court served in:: Apprenticeship in the Dark Court Hobbies/Interests:: Pottery, Basket Weaving, writing, reading, gardening Craft:: Kaylin is very good at illusions and detecting poisons. She is not as good at dealing with dreams and visions but is highly empathic and has been trained well to the best of her abilities. She has a mild gift for hearth magicks and enjoys cooking but not cleaning. She is more of a Queen than Black Widow and keeps the two sides of what she is somewhat separate. She has almost no ability to heal and can only make the simplest healing brews. Other:: Piercings:: Pierced ears Due to a quirk in her personality, Kaylin does not wear rings if she can avoid it. She prefers to leave her fingers unweighted. This means that any jewels she has will be made into bracelets and anklets and armbands instead of rings or possibly even earrings.

Time Period (Setting)

Because she's mostly of the long lived races, she'd have either been close to maturity when Janelle made the offering and when they all were living there or she'd have been a lot younger than Janelle. So either we'd play around the time of Witch or long after her death since Janelle's of the short lived races.

Caste and Jewel Options

Castes

Hearth Witch/Queen Black Widow Priestess/Queen/Black Widow Hearth Witch Priestess/Queen Priestess/Black Widow

Jewels(Birthright to Offering)

Tiger's Eye to Purple Dusk Rose to Summer Sky Purple Dusk to Sapphire Sapphire to Ebon Gray Ebon Gray to Ebony 

 NPC needing Adopted into a PC at some point.

 Name:: Valnar Age:: 3200? Race:: Eyrien Caste:: Warlord Prince/Black Widow Status:: Aristo Birthright Jewel:: Sapphire Offering Jewel:: Gray Appearance:: Noble in appearance, tall with broad shoulders and short black hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, brown skin, gold eyes, large black wings...slightly graying hair at the temples. Personality:: Strengths:: Weaknesses:: History:: Family:: Kaylin Darounel, 4 sons Court served in:: When Kaylin forms a court, he will be her Steward. Hobbies/Interests:: Any Other Information:: Basically, I am looking for someone to take over as this character. We can discuss any additions to this character. Aside from the information I have already set up, we can negotiate for finishing the character sheet. 

ONE OFF Character that is mine

Name:: Tylar Age:: 350, Appears 17 Race:: Eyrien Caste:: Warlord Prince Status:: Merchant Birthright Jewel:: Rose Offering Jewel:: Opal (dark) Appearance:: shoulder length black hair, gold eyes, large membranous bat wings History:: He was born in Askavi Terille to a Summer Sky Warlord and his Tiger's Eye witch. His entire family up until him has been light jeweled and weak. His father was a jeweler who specialized in the settings for the Jewels and wedding rings as well as doing jewelery for Landens. He did his best to live up to his father's expectations of him but wasn't a very good fighter and he attempted to make the run several years to early in an attempt to prove he wasn't weak. Traditionally his family haven't served in courts since they tend to the lighter jewels and he is the first warlord prince in several generations. His entrance into Kaeleer happened after his failed Run where he is found by the Darker Jeweled blood that live and rule in Kaeleer. He knows rumors of the story of Witch but doesn't know anything more about it. Family:: Father (Summer Sky Warlord), Mother (Tiger's Eye witch) Court served in:: N/A Hobbies/Interests:: Carpentry, jewelry making, hiking, hunting 

[wantxmore]

Open Starter (Muse: Barrett)

Open to: Top/Vers Men

Plot: Closing time at the coffee shop/bookstore

It was closing time at the bookstore and Barrett was making the rounds to pick up any loose books from the aisles before moving to the coffee shop area. There, he spotted one of the regulars who seemed to be lost in a book. Casually, he made his way over to the table and knocked on it to get the man's attention. "Sorry to bother you, but we are closing up for the night," he explained with a friendly smile.

[spinebookstore]

"Il visconte dimezzato" di Calvino (a fumetti) da Spine. Incontro e firmacopie a Bari con Lorenza Natarella

Giovedì 14 Marzo alle 18.30, siamo felicissimi di avere nuovamente con noi in città, a Bari, un'autrice unica che adoriamo, Lorenza Natarella, con il suo personale adattamento a fumetti de "Il Visconte Dimezzato" di Italo Calvino, pubblicato da Mondadori per la collana "Contemporanea", e che celebra con una trilogia il centenario del sempre attuale scrittore italiano. Il romanzo sull'impossibile completezza dell'uomo per la prima volta in versione graphic novel: un'opera stupefacente accesa dai colori vividi e ipnotici di Lorenza Natarella. Da SPINE Bookstore in Officina degli Esordi, incontreremo l'autrice dal vivo con una presentazione e il firmacopie del volume, e inoltre a dialogare con lei avremo il piacere di avere con noi la prof. ed esperta calviniana, Lea Durante (Uniba). Ingresso libero, firmacopie a seguire, libri disponibili sul posto, bar aperto.

"Nella guerra contro i turchi, il visconte Medardo di Terralba viene colpito in pieno petto da una cannonata. Il colpo lo divide a metà, e a salvarsi senza neanche una scalfittura, escluso l'enorme squarcio che lo separa dalla parte andata in briciole, è la metà destra, quella crudele. Vivo e dimezzato, il visconte torna a casa, scatenando la sua cattiveria in maniera imprevedibile e incomprensibile contro chiunque gli capiti a tiro: il nipote, la vecchia balia, i contadini. Ma un giorno la metà buona, gentile e altruista fa il suo inaspettato ritorno, e grazie alle arti ammalianti della bella Pamela, a un duello all'ultimo sangue e alle cure del dottore Trelawney, male e bene torneranno a mescolarsi".

In occasione del centenario della nascita di Italo Calvino, caduto nell'ottobre 2023, la casa editrice Mondadori, che ha in catalogo tutte le sue opere, ne ha rinnovato la grafica e la curatela proponendo nuove edizioni e adattamenti. Tra questi, la trilogia "I nostri antenati", trasposta in romanzi a fumetti. Il primo a uscire è stato Il barone rampante (1957), raccontato da Sara Colaone, Il secondo, è Il visconte dimezzato (1952), di Lorenza Natarella. Il terzo sarà Il cavaliere inesistente (1959), a cura di Sualzo e Silvia Vecchini.

::: LORENZA NATARELLA ::: https://www.lorenzanatarella.com/ Lorenza Natarella ha 33 anni e vive a Milano. Dal 2011, anno in cui ha co-fondato Studio Armadillo, lavora come autrice, illustratrice e graphic designer. Collabora con diverse realtà editoriali, aziendali e pubblicitarie, occupandosi di storie, immagini, progettazione, redazione, selezione progetti e didattica. Ha scritto e disegnato storie brevi di attualità, cronaca contemporanea e letteratura per gli inserti culturali de La Stampa Origami e Tuttolibri, 7Corriere, Vanity Fair e Linus. Il suo lavoro da autrice si focalizza su storie vere narrate come se non lo fossero: ha raccontato la sua infanzia abruzzese e l’importanza dell’autonarrazione nel fumetto La Cìtila (Topipittori, Gli anni in tasca, 2013) e la vita controversa di Maria Callas nella graphic novel Sempre Libera (BAO Publishing, 2017). Docente nel corso di Storytelling per autori presso TheSign - Comics & Arts Academy - Firenze Ha collaborato con Salani, Pearson, Topipittori, BAO Publishing, La Stampa, Donna Moderna, Vanity Fair Italia, 7Corriere, Linus, Graphic News, La Gazzetta dello Sport, CN Magazine, VITA Magazine, De Agostini Scuola, DeA Planeta Libri, Corraini Edizioni, MiMaster, TheSign Comics & Arts Academy, Cfp Bauer, LILT, Apple, Eni, Barrett, Prénatal, Liu Jo, Garnier, ABB, TGV, Novartis.

[wantxmore]

Barrett's mind was thinking about the potential "mess" his apartment was currently in. Sure, he didn't leave it a mess before his trip but he didn't exactly know what had been left out. Still, he figured that would be a "problem" for the future. "This is definitely not one-sided," he said in a reassuring tone. It had been a dream to own his business, and live above it (or near it) with someone he could grow old with. However, he hadn't been the most successful in finding a partner. Yes, he'd gone out from time to time, but he devoted a good chunk of time and energy to the bookstore. "You might regret that offer," he said with a laugh. "The storage room could be a little more organized..." He gladly returned the kiss, "I think that's a great idea...cause while I fucking enjoy you inside of me...I know i'm going to be really sore." Slowly, he slid from the counter and onto his feet, still up against Paul. "Breakfast, first..." He then grabbed a towel and began to dry off, before leading the way to the kitchen after grabbing a pair of snug briefs from the bedroom. Being naked with Paul would make it harder to leave the room.

Paul returned the warm tender smile, letting his fingers trail along Barrett’s thigh while he just pictured the little apartment the man spoke about. It sounded like it’d be a huge change, Paul was admittedly a little used to his home full of half-finished projects in a town where he had to present as straight as he could so to be in a little apartment with someone he could be open with sounded like a dream to him. “Sounds like a plan… cos I definitely want you too, so it’d be really awkward if it was one-sided” he joked with a little twinkle in his eye. “Plus extra bonus of having me about… pretty good at building bookshelves so I can be a little handy about that bookstore” he leaned in to press their foreheads together and gently lifted Barrett up to hold him as close as possible “So… wanna try us going somewhere on the resort that might require pants? Give our bodies a chance to recover for a bit… that way when we come back here and go at it again, we’ll be well rested for it” he whispered before giving the man a tender little kiss, his smile as wide as could be.

[otherpplnation]

How to Write More Dynamic Scenes

In this episode of "Craftwork," author Peter Turchi teaches a lesson on how to use shifting power dynamics to write more dynamic scenes in fiction.

Turchi is the author of seven books and the co-editor of three anthologies. His books include (Don't) Stop Me if You've Heard This Before; A Muse and A Maze: Writing as Puzzle, Mystery, and Magic; Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer; Suburban Journals: The Sketchbooks, Drawings, and Prints of Charles Ritchie, in collaboration with the artist; a novel, The Girls Next Door; a collection of stories, Magician; and The Pirate Prince, co-written with Cape Cod treasure hunter Barry Clifford, about Clifford’s discovery of the pirate ship Whydah. His short story “Night, Truck, Two Lights Burning” has been published, with images by Charles Ritchie, in a limited edition artist’s book. He has also co-edited, with Andrea Barrett, A Kite in the Wind: Fiction Writers on Their Craft, The Story Behind the Story: 26 Stories by Contemporary Writers and How They Work and, with Charles Baxter, Bringing the Devil to His Knees: The Craft of Fiction and the Writing Life.

Turchi’s work has appeared in Tin House, Fiction Writers Review, Ploughshares, Story, The Alaska Quarterly Review, Puerto del Sol, and The Colorado Review, among other journals. His honors include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Washington College’s Sophie Kerr Prize, an Illinois Arts Council Literary Award, North Carolina’s Sir Walter Raleigh Award, and having a quotation from A Muse and a Maze serve as the answer to the New York Times Magazine Sunday acrostic.

Born in Baltimore, he earned his BA at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, and his MFA at the University of Arizona. He has taught at Northwestern University and Appalachian State University, and has been on the faculty of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. For 15 years he directed The MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina; at Arizona State University he taught fiction and served as Director of Creative Writing and Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing. He currently teaches at the University of Houston, and in Warren Wilson’s MFA Program for Writers. Laura, his wife, is a Clinical Professor in English at Arizona State University, where she is curriculum director for “RaceB4Race: Sustaining, Building, Innovating” at the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies; she also co-directs the Shakespeare and Social Justice Project at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. Reed, their son, is a musician (www.reedturchi.com).

***

Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers.

Launched in 2011. Books. Literature. Writing. Publishing. Authors. Screenwriters. Etc.

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[gabicoatsworth]

Corona Karma

I don’t often have time to write additional posts between Rendezvous updates.  And I know that some writers are finding it hard to write right now, even though they have the ‘leisure’ to do so. These are strange times, so I began to think about how life would be in the writing/publishing world after this is over.

It struck me that there are a number of things we can do to make sure that this…