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yukiobeyme · 5 years ago

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What if MC is someone who can't express her feelings? And instead of telling her crush how she feel she stay quiet tell the bros start falling for her and when they tell her she start crying and tell them everything? I wonder how beel lucy and satan (or simeon and diavolo if you want-)would react Also I LOVE YOUR BLOG SFM DIYDKYFKYDKY

Omgosh Thank you! I’m so touched! Thank you for the request and your patience as I sorted through my life lol. Full disclosure I accidentally wrote Simeon thinking about Solomon so it might be a little (a lot) OC for him.

Lucifer:

Actions speak lower than words to him, so he hoped he read the signs right. He realized he was in love with you when he saw your first care-free smile and laugh. It seemed you faked smiles when you first got to Devildom, possibly because of fears and that it was a dangerous, strange place. But you were at a student council meeting and Diavolo started to pick and tease Lucifer and you couldn’t help the bubbling laughs that escape your lips, how your eyes brightened and how big your smile got. For the first time in a while, Lucifer felt his heart stutter. He would start spending more and more time with you, hoping that all the glances you stole, how you seemed a little nervous and got quiet around him were positive signs you felt the same way. He would ask you to go to the café with him. He would order your coffee for you, knowing your order by heart. He would tell you over coffee in the secluded more private area of the café. When he first saw your tears gather, he was immediately in a flight or fight mode. He was quick to offer napkin to you, he looked concerned at you and simply waited for your response. When you finally calmed down, you tell him that you always been attracted to him. That since the first meeting, you loved how formal and put together he was and the sheer confidence and power that seemed to radiate off him. That you felt the same way, which he let out a breathless chuckle. “You could have said that, to begin with. I was considered.” Lucifer would be smirking at you, now it was your turn to laugh, looking up at him hopefully, “so does this mean..?” you trailed off. “Only if you want,” Lucifer knew your question, it was obvious and evident what you wanted. You broke out into a huge smile, “there’s the smile I love,” while one the way back to the house he didn’t hold your hand he definitely walked closer to you.

Satan:

Was completely cheesy how he told you, he lends you his favorite love story and on the last page, he stuck a note saying that he loved you. It took you over a week to read the book. You were constantly meeting up with Satan to discuss the book and it always seemed he had a mixture of excitement and nervousness especially in the later chapters of the book. The book was about two different species falling in love with each other and how it was going to be a battle but they both were willing to make sacrifices for this love to work. When you reached the end of the book, your heart ached, it reminded you of your love for Satan. He was a demon and you were a human, how would this work but also how badly you were willing to make it work. When you flipped to the next back you saw the envelope. Your name was on it, written in Satan’s gorgeous scripture. Your heart raced and stutter when you read the note. It talked about how he could see resembles between the main characters and you and him. How he was willing to move mountains to make a relationship work and sacrifice so much if it meant he could have a life with you. You would be teary eye and send him a message to come by and just to come in, no need to knock. Satan would be nervous, were you summoning him to yell at him or to confess the same thing. He wasn’t expecting to find you crying on your floor. He would be quick to collect you in his arms and joined you on the floor. Once you calmed down a little, with tears still falling down your face you asked him if his note was true. He would hesitate before he tells you yes and that he meant every word and more. You throw your arms around him and pull him close. You begin to babble about how much you always loved him and how much of a crush on him. How you find him so beautiful and perfect, how you enjoyed the quiet moments of reading together, or when you read each other to sleep. He would press a soft kiss to your forehead before pulling you to your bed. “May I stay the night?” Satan asked. You would nod and scoot over, he would wrap his arms around you and pull you close to him.

Beelzebub:

He was as confused about his feelings as you were. He didn’t know how to express it. You were cooking together one day, and Beelzebub stopped in the middle of cooking and simply watched you as you around the kitchen. You noticed that Beelz had stopped moving, “What’s wrong?” you were honestly concerned and reached out and grasped his hand. Beelz was hesitant that only made you worry more, “You can trust me,” you whisper quietly. Beelz looked away from you and looked around as if he could find the words he wanted to say. “I don’t know, I just know that sometimes I think I am hungry but I’m not hungry for food but for your attention and to hear your voice,” Beelz said after some time, finally looking nervously at you. You felt your heart stutter, was Beelz confessing he loved you too. You felt tears start to swell in your eyes, was your crush really doing this right now? “Did I hurt you?” Beelz immediately asked when he saw the first tears running down your face. “No, not at all. I’m so happy right now,” You laughed as you looked up at him and moved close to hug him. He was quick to wrap you in a hug and hold you close to him. You stood there for a few moments before you told him you felt the same way and all the things you adored about him. The small details about him, that Beelz didn’t even notice about himself. You fell silent and enjoy his embrace. “The cupcakes!” Beelz exclaimed as he pulled away from you to pull the cupcakes out of the oven. You laughed and went back over to him, to continue to finish making the buttercream. You offered a finger of buttercream to Beelz but before he could taste it you swiped it across his nose. You giggled at his surprised face, “Oh it’s on” that was his only warning before he grabbed some buttercream of his own to swipe across your own face. Most of the buttercream landed on your lips, you both ended up in a fit of laughter, “You got something on your lip,” Beelz said as he swiped his tongue across your lips before kissing you.

Simeon:

Little did you know Simeon knew you liked him. He took advantage a bit, flirting with you, standing too close to you, and causally touching you. He loved seeing your reaction and you were constantly worried he could either hear or see your heartbeat. While Simeon thought you were a lovely person, he didn’t really intend to catch feelings for you as well. But soon he started to flirt less and keep a respectful distance from you. It made you insanely worried, did you do something wrong? Was he mad at you? Your head would spin with these questions and you were constantly beating yourself up over it. When Simeon swept you away during Diavolo’s party you were surprised, you didn’t expect him to want to be so close to you. Your heart still stuttered when you looked at him and it felt like it stopped when you started to dance. You thought his avoidance was because he found out you liked him, and he didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Then Lucifer’s words echoed in your ears, “There are three reasons why a person would want to dance with someone…they are doing it to be polite,” that’s what you told yourself repeatedly. Though it didn’t stop your reaction from being so close to him or how tightly he held you. He pressed a kiss to your hand and bowed once the song was over but was quick to turn around and leave you dazed on the dance floor. You left the dance floor and went to search for Leviathan, knowing he probably wanted to leave too, and you didn’t want to walk back to the house alone. Levi tried to ask you what was wrong, but you simply shrugged and walked a little quicker. You managed to not let any tears fall until you were in the safety of your own room. You collapsed on your bed and allowed yourself to sob and scream into your pillow. Who knew heartbreak could hurt this much and you couldn’t help but wonder if you could die from a broken heart? You had ruined your pillowcase with your makeup, you rose slowly and moved to the bathroom to wash your face. You looked in the mirror and saw that your face was red and puffy. You stared at yourself in the mirror and looked away when you saw tears starting to form again. You took a quick shower before going to bed. Over the next few days, everyone took notice of your somber mood. Luke and Solomon even asked if you wanted to hang out with them, thinking it was something to do with the brothers, but going to the Purgatory Hall meant a higher chance of running into Simeon. You overheard Solomon ask Simeon if he knew what was wrong with you. Simon seemed surprised that you were upset about something and asked Solomon why would he know. “Because you seem to like them or until recently,” your head snapped up at the response and look intently at them hoping to hear and see Simeon reaction. When Simeon met your eyes, you flinched a little and dropped your gaze. You could feel Simeon staring at you and heard his shoes tap on the floor as he approaches you, “Shall we go for a walk?” he asked and offered you his hand. You accepted his hand and you walked side by side in silence. “It’s true you know,” Simeon finally broke the silence, stopping in his place, “What Solomon said, I do like you,” Simeon couldn’t meet your eyes. For the second time Simeon made your cry, but this time it was happy tears, you threw your arms around him and pulled him close to you. You were rushed to tell him you felt the same but thought he had figured out and that’s why he seemed so distant. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” he returned your hug, holding you just as tight. You looked at him and how cheesy it was you couldn’t help to think how he looked like an angel. He tilted your chin upwards and share a soft, sweet kiss with you before taking your hand and continuing your walk.

Diavolo:

He asked to dance with you after Simeon had danced with you. Being the future King of Devildom, how could you say no. Diavolo in his demon form made your heart stutter even more than normal. His red uniform always made your breath catch in your throat but in demon form, your heart went wild. Unlike Lucifer and Simeon, Diavolo held you close when you danced with him. You almost feared he could feel your heart beating so fast. Diavolo finally spoke softly to you, “Ever since I first saw you, I thought you were the most gorgeous thing in all the realms,” he would slowly lead you in a twirl. Your heart felt like it was about to burst when you were facing him again, Diavolo says you had tears in your eyes. He held you so much close to him, “Did I say something wrong?” Diavolo was worried he overstepped his boundaries and could possibly ruin your time in Devildom. “No,” you let out a teary laugh, “I feel the same way, I felt this way for a while,”. Diavolo would let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, he stopped the dance and pulled you into a proper hug and gently swayed you to the music. You would wrap you arms around his neck and met him halfway for a kiss. While it was tough for you to say the words, you hoped that the kiss could convey the words you weren’t able to say.

#obey me lucifer #obey me satan #obey me simeon #obey me beelzebub #obey me diavolo #lucifer obey me #satan obey me #simeon obey me #beelzebub obey me #diavolo obey me #yuki writes #Yuki Writes!

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searchingwardrobes · 4 years ago

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One of my favorite romance authors is Denise Hunter, and I’ve read almost everything of hers. For Valentine’s Day, I thought I would highlight who my absolute favorite couples are in her novels. These are all couples that I promise will make you swoon!

If you want to purchase any of these, please help me out by going to my blog HERE and clicking on the affiliate links.

1. Kate and Lucas in The Convenient Groom

Yes, this was made into a Hallmark movie. However, they did not do this book justice at all. Mainly, they had Lucas pretend to be engaged to Kate instead of married to her. Actually, he doesn’t pretend to marry her, he actually does when Kate gets dumped on her wedding day. The pressures of sharing a life together and having to pretend to be married result in so many opportunities for sexual tension. And since they’re married, this one gets steamy (though it never crosses the line one expects for a faith-based romance). The situation also results in a lot of humor, so I laughed during much of this book. The dramatic conclusion is also one of the most romantic in Hunter’s books.

And yes, fandom, this is the book I based a Captain Swan fic on. It’s just THAT good!

2. Hope and Brady in Honeysuckle Dreams

This is another one where there is a marriage of convenience, which means, yes, steamy scenes. (I promise, that’s not my only litmus test for these couples, though it helps!) In this one, Brady gets the shocking news that he’s not actually the biological father of his son, Sammy, and the parents of his deceased ex-wife are demanding custody. When a misunderstanding leads Brady’s lawyer to think his friend Hope is his fiance, Brady discovers that giving Sam a mother may be the key to winning the custody battle. To his shock, Hope agrees, and said marriage of convenience begins. One thing I love about this book is the way it flips the script. A woman who fears that all men leave because she was abandoned by her father is a pretty common romance trope. In this book, however, it’s Brady who feels women are always leaving him, starting with his drug addict mom. And though the couple are married, the burn in this is achingly, exquisitely slow as Brady and Hope go from friends, to a married couple, to lovers. Did I mention there’s also a swoon-worthy scene in the rain?

3. Abby and Ryan in Married Til Monday

We now go from marriage of convenience to “we’re divorced, but we have to pretend to be married for the weekend.” Yeah, I know, I don’t think that’s a trope, but in this book it absolutely works! Ryan is still in love with his ex Abby, even going so far as to buy the house she had always dreamed of them sharing. So when he finds out that Abby’s parents don’t know about the divorce, he sees the opportunity he’s been waiting for. Abby agrees to pretend they’re still married for her parents' anniversary party. Guess what that means? Road trip! A road trip with your ex probably sounds like torture to some, but the way Hunter executes this, its instead equal parts comedy and sexual tension. You also slowly learn what happened to end their marriage over the course of the book. I won’t give any spoilers; just know that Hunter does a fantastic job executing this storyline in a believable way. Ryan also never manipulates Abby to win her back. For example, the dream house he bought? He never tells her he bought it or uses it in any way to lure her back. He just wanted to do what he felt he should have done when they were together. That’s all I’ll say - just know that Ryan will absolutely steal your heart. I’ve read this one multiple times!

4. Lucy and Zac in The Goodbye Bride

This one was also made into a Hallmark movie that is nowhere near as good as the book (Christmas on My Mind). First of all, the book doesn’t take place at Christmas. Second, Lucy is a spunky, petite, curvy blonde from Georgia in the book and far more interesting than the Lucy in the movie. Also, Lucy actually wakes up on the floor of a public restroom in her wedding dress, which is way more of a dramatic opening.

Anyway, this book is part of the Summer Harbor series, which is one of my favorite series by Hunter. The three Callahan brothers are just the definition of swoon-worthy. Little piece of trivia - Abby from Married Til Monday is their cousin, and the town of Summer Harbor is introduced in that book.

But about Lucy and Zac . . . As I said, Lucy wakes up in a diner bathroom, with a bump on her head, wearing a wedding dress. She calls her fiance Zac to come pick her up only to discover that he isn’t her fiance anymore and hasn’t been for over a year! Lucy has amnesia, with absolutely no memory of why Zac evidently hates her now. And who in the world was she about to marry? Zac wants to protect his still broken heart, yet he can’t resist trying to help Lucy. The mystery of why Lucy left Zac to begin with, who she’s marrying, and why she was in a diner bathroom on her wedding day will keep you on the edge of your seat. As for this couple, you will absolutely want to smash their faces together in frustration, but in the best way!

5. Shay and Travis in The Accidental Bride

Yeah, I know, there are a lot of wedding themes here! What can I say? Denise Hunter does this trope so well! Just as the title suggests, Shay and Travis accidentally get married in this book. It’s part of the Big Sky series, set in Montana and featuring rugged ranchers and cowboys, and this one is my favorite of the three. How in the world does one accidentally get married? When you participate in a founder’s day reenactment, of course. Naturally. And the marriage license happens to not be fake, but the one you never used when you almost-eloped at eighteen. Naturally. Okay, maybe the premise is a little far-fetched, but I promise you won’t care. Shay is hurt by the fact that Travis didn’t go through with their elopement all those years ago, but she’s also in a tough spot with her ranch. Marriage to Travis may help her save it, so she’s just going to have to go along with it. She just won’t allow her heart to get involved. Sure, right Shay. Good luck with that. Did I mention that because they are married, things get steamy? You probably figured that already. Let’s just say they are on a ranch, remember, and there is hay. Enough said.

Tagging those who might be interested: @snowbellewells @reynoldsreads @whimsicallyenchantedrose @xhookswenchx @welllpthisishappening @ultraluckycatnd @ekr032-blog-blog @singersdd @shireness-says @optomisticgirl @bethacaciakay @hookedonapirate

Let me know if you would like to be tagged in my book reviews!

#melanie reads #book review #denise hunter #romance novels #faith based romance

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televinita · 4 years ago

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Books Read In 2020: The Why

In a tradition I accidentally started for myself in 2016 and now quite enjoy, at the end of the year I look back at my reading list and answer the question, why did you read this particular book?

Below, my 100 reads of 2020 are split into groups by target readership age, plus nonfiction at the end, now with a bonus note about how I heard of it. Which I probably won’t continue to do next year, but it was fun to try.

ADULT FICTION

I read each of these books because...

A Glitter of Gold - Liz Johnson. 2019. It had me at "her pirate tour business," but between the shipwreck & the museum-director love interest it was like BLOOD & TREASURE ROMANCE AU LET'S GOOO.

How I heard of it: a book blog

The Last Woman in the Forest - Diane Les Becquets. 2019. Recommended by a dog lover; I'm down for a thriller about a woman who has a dream dog-inclusive job like this.

How I heard of it: a book blog

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman. 1990. I really enjoyed the miniseries and wanted to see if the book everyone loved so much was as good (for the record: it was not. at least not if you’ve seen the miniseries first; otherwise they are probably equal).

This Is Home - Lisa Duffy. 2019. Attractive cover + I flipped it open to a random page and just liked the writing style.

How I heard of it: library

Dear Mr. Knightley - Katherine Reay. 2013. I'd had this on the back burner for a while because the MC sounded like me, and one day I got sick of not being able to find any fluffy contemporary romances with beta male heroes and decided Matthew Gray Gubler was gonna star in this one. (spoiler alert: it is a good book but that did not work)

How I heard of it: a book blog

Rubbernecker - Belinda Bauer. 2013. Criminal Minds sent me into a tailspin so I went hunting for books to cast Spencer Reid in again; the Asperger's/case-solving/difficult relationship with mother combo sounded promising. (spoiler alert: the med-student element + his social cluelessness proved too strong and I was only able to picture the kid from The Good Doctor)

How I heard of it: Googling keywords

The Swiss Affair - Emylia Hall. 2013. I got a random hankering for a student/teacher novel, and after scrutinizing the library catalog this was the only one that fit my parameters for gender, lack of adultery, and focus on romance over sex.

How I heard of it: library

Love At First Bark - Debbie Burns. 2019. I was trying to cast Wes/Jules [Dollface] in a romance novel, so I browsed through a Goodreads friend's "dog-romance" shelf and accidentally landed in a Jeid AU [Criminal Minds]. Which may or may not have been a large part of what turned me into a Jeid shipper (outside canon only).

The Mermaids Singing - Val McDermid. 1995. One final attempt to cast Reid in a novel -- a user in a Reddit post asking for this very thing suggested this, and "profiler with idiosyncracies" certainly fit.

The Wire in the Blood [and 9 subsequent novels] - Val McDermid, spanning 1997-2019. Turns out aside from being British, Reid paints onto Tony Hill EXCEPTIONALLY well, and I accidentally found myself with a little Jeid AU in the process, so obviously I read the entire series. Good crime-solving fun and all that.

Horse - Talley English. 2018. Random library pull because I connected with the writing style and it appeared to actually focus on horses.

How I heard of it: library

A Sparkle of Silver - Liz Johnson. 2018. I liked the author's other book and this was pretty much a remix of the same story, but now with a cool mansion/estate setting.

How I heard of it: looking up other books by this author

Everyone Is Beautiful - Katherine Center. 2009. Went looking for stories about strong marriages, found this on a Goodreads list of "second chance marriage" books, tripped into something like a season 9 Jim/Pam scenario. How I heard of it: Googling keywords

The Lost Husband - Katherine Center. 2013. Loved the previous book of hers I read, and the "starting life over on a goat farm" angle sounded like an ideal life to try on.

How I heard of it: looking up more from this author

The Shadow Year - Hannah Richell. 2013. Fixing up an old house?? I am THERE. Doing this in two timelines, one of which involves off-the-grid homesteading, is even better.

How I heard of it: used book sale

Mandrake Root - Janet Diebold. 1946. I needed a non-library book to bring on vacation, and after spinning in circles over what I thought would appeal to my mood in that setting, my brain randomly said "reread this one."

How I heard of it: estate sale

Path of the Jaguar - Vickie Britton & Loretta Jackson. 1989. Bought cheap for cheap thrills: a Yucatan adventure/mystery. Read now so I could get rid of it. How I heard of it: library sale

Burying Water - K.A. Tucker. 2014. The library didn't have The Simple Wild, but they DID have a book w/ an equally pretty cover that talked about a badly beaten young amnesiac (!) recovering on a horse farm (!!). What is: my top romance trope (hurt/comfort, bonus points for animals and rural setting).

How I heard of it: library

Happiness for Beginners - Katherine Center. Established quality author + summertime hiking inspiration.

How I heard of it: looking up more from this author

The Visitors - Simon Sylvester. Cool cover + setting, and a teenage protagonist usually makes adult fiction more accessible. How I heard of it: Goodreads

Becoming Rain - K.A. Tucker. 2014. I was in this companion novel solely for mentions of Alex and any people by the last name of Wells, but figured I might as well read all of it to ensure I didn't miss any. How I heard of it: looking up more from this author

The Guest List - Lucy Foley. 2020. Honestly, it just sounded like a cool thriller (and cool setting). How I heard of it: a book blog

You Deserve Nothing - Alexander Maksik. 2011. Fell down a Will/Rachel [Glee] rabbit hole and ravaged the student/teacher keyword in my library catalog again to scratch the itch.

The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson. 1959. Mom's been trying to get me to read this for years, and this time when it came up in conversation it was the right time of year, so I randomly decided to give it a shot. How I heard of it: Mom

The Walker in Shadows - Barbara Michaels. 1979. Gothic ghost story + beautiful architectural details in a historic house = yeah!

How I heard of it: Goodwill

YOUNG ADULT

People Like Us - Dane Mele. 2018. Needed an audiobook; a girls' boarding school murder mystery seemed most likely to hold my attention of the limited options. How I heard of it: Library

The Possibility of Now - Kim Culbertson. 2016. I will read anything by this author, and girl having a meltdown over a test = me. How I heard of it: looking up other books by this author

Rob&Sara.com - P.J. Petersen & Ivy Ruckman. 2004. Mostly I wanted to go back to my high school days and enjoy the format of a novel written in emails, but also, I like Ruckman. How I heard of it: used book sale

For Real - Alison Cherry. 2014. Fictional Amazing Race!! + awesome summery cover + sisters How I heard of it: library sale

The Summer After You + Me - Jennifer Salvato Doktorski. 2015. The awesome summery cover, mostly. How I heard of it: a book blog

You'd Be Mine - Erin Hahn. 2019. Gorgeous cover + the chance to vicariously follow a budding young country music star on tour for the summer.

How I heard of it: a book blog

Juniors - Kaui Hart Hemmings. 2015. The neat setting(s): a live-in guest on a wealthy estate in Hawaii. How I heard of it: Dollar store

Lion Boy's White Brother - Alden G. Stevens. 1951. Bought cheap because vintage juvenile book in a unique setting. Read now to see if I could get rid of it (NOPE).

How I heard of it: used bookstore

The O.C.: Spring Break - Aury Wallington. 2005. I keep meaning to finish this short series, and it was an easy title to count for my Mount TBR challenge.

How I heard of it: used book sale

Echo Island - Edward Karlow. 2017. Bought cheap because of the beautiful summery cover; easy read for Mount TBR so I could get rid of it. How I heard of it: library sale

Confessions of a High School Disaster - Emma Chastain. 2017. Read because of THE SUPER CUTE SUMMERY COVER (and diary format).

How I heard of it: Dollar store

Kentucky Daughter - Carol J. Scott. 1985. Working my way down the “Inappropriate Student/Teacher Relationships in YA" list because I'm in that kind of mood this year; chose this because 80s books tend to deliver the subject best*, the character reminded me of the girl in Send No Blessings, and Open Library had it. *this one was just blatant sexual harassment, though, and belonged very literally on that list

How I heard of it: Goodreads

What They Always Tell Us - Martin Wilson. 2008. I sorted the library catalog to see the oldest contemporary YA novels they still have before they get weeded, and "loner being taken under the wing of his older brother's (male) friend and falling in love with him" hit a couple of good tropes. How I heard of it: library

Bobby's Watching - Ted Pickford. 1993. Browsing around on OpenLibrary and saw they FINALLY had a copy of this book that scared me too much to finish as a kid, and which I've wanted to revisit ever since I remembered what it's called (Interlibrary Loan doesn't have it and it's Not Cheap to buy).

How I heard of it: library

Powwow Summer - Nahanni Shingoose. 2019. Always interested in modern-day Indigenous girls connecting w/ their heritage, especially if they're from my home state's tribe.

How I heard of it: a book blog

The Princesses of Iowa - M. Molly Backes. 2012. Appealing cover + heft suggesting a solid Midwestern contemporary, plus I liked the student teacher element (without a slash this time, as in "college student who is almost a teacher")

How I heard of it: library

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares. 2001. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares. 2003.

Long-intended reread of a college fave because I wanted see Mike Vogel in the movie, and it was summer so the stars aligned. Continued because the first book was as good as I remembered. (I would have kept going but Life distracted me for a bit and by the time I was back on track, it was no longer summer) How I heard of it: I...can't remember. Am the worst!

The Distance From Me To You - Marina Gessner a.k.a. Nina de Gramont. 2015. Hiking inspiration + an appealing-sounding romance. How I heard of it: Goodreads

Where Have All the Tigers Gone? - Lynn Hall. 1989. Will read any of her books, but specifically read this one because it seemed fairly autobiographical, and I read it NOW because it seemed durable enough to take on vacation. How I heard of it: looking up books by this author

And Both Were Young - Madeline L'Engle. 1949 (text of 1983 edition w/ material from original manuscript added back). Something reminded me of its existence and I requested it because it was the only non-animal-focused vintage teen novel I could physically get my hands on before Interlibrary Loan opened back up, and I had a craving for just that.

How I heard of it: library

The Other Side of Lost - Jessi Kirby. 2018. Established quality author + throw me ALL the thru-hike novels!

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Vow - Jessica Martinez. 2013. Perfect scenario to run an Abed/Annie [Community] AU!

How I heard of it: I want to say...an article on a book website (not personal blog this time) back in 2013.

Moon and Me - Hadley Irwin. 1981. Was just in the mood to read an 80s teen novel and this one helped me knock off a title for the Mount TBR challenge. From an author I like, w/ bonus horse content.

How I heard of it: used book sale.

Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls - Lynn Weingarten. 2015. I bought a blind bag at the library sale and this was one of the only contemporary YA novels in it; figured I might as well read it since I'd liked a previous book of hers.

How I heard of it: Library

History Is All You Left Me - Adam Silvera. 2016.

With the Glee rabbit hole came a Klaine spiral; this was my season 4 Tragic AU dream for them and I've been saving it for a Klainey day ever since it was published. (No I am not sorry for that horrid pun.)

How I heard of it: googling keywords

The Museum of Heartbreak - Meg Leder. 2016. The cool cover/concept of a "museum" of items reeled me in; I bought a copy a while ago 'cause the library didn't have it. Read now to see if I could get rid of it (NOPE).

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Me & Mr. J - Rachel McIntyre. 2015. Student/teacher novel that looked especially appealingly tame so I'd been saving it, but then Open Library notified me it was now only available in 1-hour increments, and I got paranoid it would disappear altogether (it's not cheap to buy or available via ILL), so I wanted it in my brain.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Dear Evan Hansen - Val Emmich w/ Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul. 2018. Fell in love with the DEH soundtrack. Play's summary sounded good -- getting to experience it in YA novel form?? Amazing.

How I heard of it: Wikipedia

Saddle a Thunderbolt - Jo Sykes. 1967

Bought a while ago because vintage horse story. Read now specifically to alleviate my pre-homesickness about moving by imagining living in an even more beautiful place than home.

How I heard of it: either a used book sale or a used bookstore...

Learning to Breathe - Janice Lynn Mather. 2018. This was mentioned on a lost-book forum and "girl with unplanned pregnancy supports herself by getting a job cleaning" piqued my interest; the setting (Bahamas) and cover made it better.

How I heard of it: Reddit

Everglades Adventure - James Ralph Johnson. 1970. Standard vintage boys' adventure-in-nature story; I like those.

How I heard of it: Goodwill

CHILDREN’S/MIDDLE GRADE

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott. 1868. Seeing the new movie and falling head over heels was what it took to FINALLY convince me to reread this childhood fave.

How I heard of it: can't remember; I was a kid

A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett. 1905. I was perusing a lot of books about classic children's books and it started to bug me that I had skipped this appealing-sounding one as a kid.

How I heard of it: can't remember; I was a kid

Little Men - Louisa May Alcott. 1871. LW sparked a fandom revival and I wanted more detail about the Marches' adult lives (esp. Jo & Bhaer), even on the fringes.

How I heard of it: library

Lady and the Tramp - Ward Greene. I saw a quote from the new movie under a gifset on Tumblr that sounded like it came from a book, and upon Googling out that one existed, I obviously could not allow the book version of a beloved childhood animal-movie fave to go unread. Especially after finding out it was super rare so reading it would be a privilege.

The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett. 1910. Read for the same reason as A Little Princess. Can’t have one without the other, you know.

How I heard of it: was a kid; can't remember

The Mother-Daughter Book Club - Heather Vogel Fredericks. 2007. Much Ado About Anne - Heather Vogel Fredericks. 2008.

Always thought the series looked cute/reminded me of The Teashop Girls, but the fact that the first book they read is Little Women gave me the impetus to finally read this one. First book was darling so I continued to the next (but failed to continue beyond because COVID shut the library down until I was out of the mood).

How I heard of it: library

Nature Girl - Jane Kelley. 2010. I wanted walking inspiration.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

From You to Me - K.A. Holt. 2018. Mistook it for a similar-looking book I'd seen at the same time (See You On A Starry Night), but figured I'd give the 8th grade bucket list idea a shot once I had it. How I heard of it: Goodreads

Semiprecious - D. Anne Love. 2006. Cute cover + I'm starting to be a big fan of what I call "contemporary historical," for stories set mid-20th century.

How I heard of it: library

Dandy's Mountain - Thomas Fall. 1967. Vintage horse-inclusive children's book in a rural setting, I'm sold. Not to mention, love reading a summer setting in summer.

How I heard of it: used book sale

Littler Women: A Modern Retelling - Laura Schaefer. 2017. The only way to make the Little Women MORE magical is to make them younger, modern, and written by a proven quality author.

How I heard of it: a book blog

Behind The Attic Wall - Sylvia Cassedy. 315 pg/1983.

A Goodreads friend strongly recommended it as similar to but better than Mandy, and reading about it in 100 Best Books For Children sealed the deal. Read now for the Mount TBR challenge.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Jigsaw Jungle - Kristin Levine. 2018. I am a COMPLETE sucker for books told in non-traditional/scrapbook-esque format.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Runt - Marion Dane Bauer. 2002. Wolf story by a quality author. Read now after owning it for a decade to see if I could get rid of it.

How I heard of it: used book sale

The King of the Cats - Rene Guillot. 1959. Bought cheap for a quick read because vintage animal story. Read now so I could get rid of it.

How I heard of it: used book sale

Just The Beginning - Betty Miles. 1976. Found cheap; always down to read a vintage book about an average girl (and I wanted to know how she'd cope with her mom being "a cleaning lady in a town full of classmates who HAVE cleaning ladies").

How I heard of it: used book sale

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling. 1997. Been meaning to reread the series for a while now; finally got motivation to check out the illustrated edition 'cause Christmastime.

How I heard of it: originally Mom; a book blog for this edition

Echo Mountain - Lauren Wolk. 2020. Almost entirely because of the incredible clipart cover, promising me nature and a dog (and because I could get it as an e-audiobook from the library).

How I heard of it: a book blog

Knock Three Times - Cressida Cowell. 2019. I needed another audiobook for bedtime/walks and I know that David Tennant will provide.

How I heard of it: more by this author (more accurately, narrator)

NONFICTION

The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming A Life Through The Pages Of A Lost Journal - Lily Koppel. 2008. I'm kind of obsessed with the concept of historical 5-year diaries -- and finding one like this is The Dream.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life - Anne Bogel. 2018. Attractive and compact book about the pleasures of being a reader? A headspace I want to be in.

How I heard of it: library

100 Best Books for Children - Anita Silvey. 2004. I'm big on looking at lists of books for children this year. These are the kind of books I know, love, and want to hear people talk about, now that I know books about these books exist.

How I heard of it: library

The Coming of Saska - Doreen Tovey Originally bought because it was cheap and featured animals, I needed a non-library book to bring on vacation, and this one is a durable ex-library copy in plastic wrap that featured a similar setting to where I was going, so: thematic.

Cats in the Belfry - Doreen Tovey. 1957. Wanted more of her books, and lo and behold the library had the first one.

How I heard of it: more by this author

Sorry Not Sorry - Naya Rivera. 2016. I'll read anything the Glee kids write, and this doubled as an easy number for the Mount TBR challenge.

How I heard of it: entertainment news websites

Living Large in Our Little House - Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell. 2016. I love tiny houses. And this one specifically mentioned living with dogs. And had color photographs.

How I heard of it: used bookstore

I'm Your Biggest Fan: Awkward Encounters and Assorted Misadventures in Celebrity Journalism. - Kate Coyne. 2016. Found cheap at a library sale -- loved the chapter headings and the fact that they were all about celebrities I knew.

Adrift - Tami Oldham Ashcraft w/ Suesea McGearheart. 1998/2018 edition. The movie was so awesome that I couldn't wait for more details about the real story in her own words.

I'll Be Gone In The Dark [NF] - Michelle McNamara. 2018. Been reading a lot of true crime write-ups on Reddit lately; decided it was time to pick up this well-received one.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Dear Evan Hansen: Waving Through A Window - Steven Levenson. 2017. Much like The Grimmerie for Wicked, once I fell in love with the DEH soundtrack and looked up the plot summary, I wanted to read the musical's detailed background/behind the scenes story + libretto before I watched it.

How I heard of it: Wikipedia

Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune - Bill Dedman & Paul Clark Newell. 2013. Love me a story about a mansion (or three). Or the reclusive and insanely wealth heiress who owns them, that works too.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

JUVENILE NONFICTION Mascots: Military Mascots from Ancient Egypt to Modern Korea - Fairfax Downey. 1954. Animal book from an author I like; read now to see if I could get rid of it (yes).

How I heard of it: secondhand bookstore

Come on, Seabiscuit - Ralph Moody. 1963. Bought because vintage kids' horse book; read now to see if I could get rid of it (and to count it towards my Mount TBR challenge 'cause it was short).

How I heard of it: secondhand bookstore

#why i read

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doug-lewars · 4 years ago

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A few individuals reading this blog might remember the old I Love Lucy show where she and Ethyl try to handle of job at a candy factory wrapping candies as they pass on a conveyor belt. Things start out well but then the belt speeds up and chaos results. If you have a moment go over to YouTube and take a look.The humor derives from the improbable manner in which they try to cover up their inability to keep pace. A second source of humor is from their facial expressions. Being a television program, everything is visual; however, you can make use of this concept in your writing by envisioning something completely overwhelming for your character. It can’t be something catastrophic like a wall of water from a broken dam - although you might make it work if you provide your character with a narrow escape, say seeing a wall of water coming and scrambling up a tree barely managing to stay above the flood until the tree is washed away and he’s flipped from one implausible refuge to another all while thinking about the afterlife and how shortly he might arrive there. But something less immediate might work better. For example, suppose your protagonist is filling his car with gas and the hose jams. Gas is going everywhere. The cost is rising rapidly beyond anything he can afford, and he sees someone in the distance sauntering towards the gas station while smoking a cigarette. The attendant rushes out and the two struggle to stop the flow. Provided everyone escapes unscathed you can turn this into a very humorous situation. Chaos by itself isn’t funny but how it’s perceived and affects your protagonist can add levity to your scene.

#doug lewars #writing #writer #writing tips #humour #chaos

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deathfound-a · 5 years ago

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* getting to know the mun :

name : nicole nickname : none faceclaim : eh i don’t have a set fc, i usually just use one of the many many fcs i have for my many muses, or pics of jenna m.arbles dogs pronouns : she/her height : 5′2″ birthday : july 6 aesthetic : cats, old converses, anything that gives halloween vibes last song you listened to : when the party’s over favorite muse (s) you’ve written : cassie, tony stark, angel, lucy quinzel

* getting to know the account :

what inspired you to take on this muse : I came up with the idea for Cassie a little over four years ago. I always loved the idea of grim reapers ever since watching the show Dead Like Me. The idea for her started off very vague, and I honestly thought that the blog wouldn’t last long at all. But she’s become my “forever” muse.

what are your favorite aspects of your current muse : She’s such a series of contradictions, she’s had to adapt to survive. Cassie really has grown and developed so much over the years of me writing her. She’s become this fully developed character in my head that’s just stuck with me and grown as I have. It might sound silly, but she has become really important to me, and I feel like I’ve become a better writer and really developed by creative ability while writing her.

what’s your biggest inspiration when it comes to writing : Music, horror movies also give me a lot of inspo for Cas, and plotting, even just vague ideas, always get me pumped to write

favorite types of threads : plotted threads, but I also love really emotional angst filled ones

biggest struggle in regards to your current muse : Cassie can flip between emotions depending on the person she’s talking to or just the mood she’s in, and it sometimes makes me worry that I’m not writing her consistently. Even after writing her for so long I sometimes can’t help but wonder if she’s a good character or if I’m writing her well enough.

tagged by: @perfectdespair tagging: ANYONE

#[ out of souls ]

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go-diane-winchester · 6 years ago

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What is Sam's sexuality?

Someone sent this interesting statement regarding Dean and Sam's sexuality:

''Why do a lot of people say Dean is bi n everything when Jensen flat out tells people he is not?? Like yes its a headcanon but that's all it is Head-Canon, not Canon- out of all the characters we honestly should try to find out more on Sam seeing as when asked about his love life n stuff like that Jared say guys or girls and that he would have no problem with playing Sam as pan/bi-??? (May not be 100% accurate I just remember a video of Jared saying both Boys and Girls when in reference to Sam))''

Now that is something interesting. The only people who question Dean's sexuality are, and always have been, the destihellers. Normal fans of the show don't care enough, because a character's sexuality is not important to the story of Supernatural. The most important relationship on this show is between the two brothers. What they do with their sexual conquests does not impact their personal relationship with each other or even how they do their job. They still hunt in the normal way, and they still save people. As a levelheaded viewer, I will respect the canon and the fact that Dean is straight. However, it would be fun to discuss Sam's sexuality in our little corner provided we don't take each other's words and start nagging CW to make Sam anything other than what he really is. I am giving you my theory. But it is still a theory which means, its just an opinion. It just opens doors for more interpretation.

When Dean is mistaken for a gay man, he reacts with great shock. Sam, on the other hand, just smiles. It amuses him. It might be because ''this person hit the nail on the head''. Or it might be because he is amused at how mistaken that person is. He doesn't consider being called gay, an attack on his masculinity. That might be the case with Dean because Dean is down home old fashioned when it comes to his sexuality. He's not prejudiced. He just would prefer not to be mistaken as something he is not. That is why when Dean said ''the more troubling question is why do these people assume we are gay'', Sam's amusing baby brother response was ''well you are kind of butch. Probably think you're overcompensating.'' He is trying to rib his big brother because he knows being called gay bothers Dean more than it does him.

Sam slept with a demon. He was in a state of terrible mourning. It might have clouded his judgment. However, the fact that the demon was in a female cadaver, might have motivated him. I don't think this is proof of pansexuality because it would be insulting to assume that a pansexual will sleep with anyone, even a demon. Remember, Ruby strategically edged closer to him by using his dead brother as a motivation. Sam accessed a male cross roads demon to make a deal for his dead brother. If kissing the demon would have brought his brother back, I think he would have done it. None of this is proof his bi/pansexuality because emotional duress is a huge factor here, brought on by his love for his big brother. Remove Sam's mourning and the entire scenario might not happen at all. None of this reflects on Sam's sexuality.

Sam being raped by Luci is still up for debate and I wish they would bring closure to this issue because it is not a joke. However, being raped is no reflection on his sexuality. He's just a victim, unless nothing happened and Luci is just being an expletive to annoy Sam.

There has been no indication about Sam's sexuality in canon, except for this one exchange.

Dean to Henrikson: You kinky son of a b*tch. We don't swing that way.

Now, because we respect canon, we have to take this whole statement as true. Dean is talking about both him and Sam. I accept as true because I am not a heller and because canonically it makes sense. Dean has raised Sam. He knows about all of Sam's quirky little habits, about his likes, dislikes and embarrassing little fears. He knows exactly which one of Sam's buttons to press. If Sam was bi or pan, Dean would know. On the flip side, like any other closeted person, Sam might have hid this side of himself from his brother, perhaps because he knows his brother well enough to know how to hide something like this from Dean.

But then that hypothesis brings up the pertinent question of why. What would be his reason for concealing something like this. He didn't hide having sex with a cadaver. Both he and Dean have died plenty of times. Why would he hide this part of him from his brother in the face of death especially in the early years when they didn't know they were immune to death? Is it because Dean is prejudiced? Well, Dean didn't seem very prejudiced towards Charlie. Is it because he is concerned that, because if this new development, Dean wouldn't understand how to react, and he doesn't want to make Dean more confused, considering what Dean has to deal with on a daily basis? No, that doesn't make sense either because if he cared so much about not worrying his family, he wouldn't have gone to Stanford despite the fact that it tore the family apart.

To date Sam has only taken a personal interest in three male characters. Cas, Kevin and Jack. Jack doesn't count here, because canonically Sam sees Jack as his child. Then there is Kevin. Even though there are a biased group of writers who didn't really focus on Sam's relationship with Kevin, some viewers may assume that Sam had a meaningful relationship with Kevin, whilst others will be offended by this because Kevin was a school kid and ''Sam would never do that''. If you factor in Sam's affection for Kevin, it might explain his anger towards his brother when the whole Gadreel debacle happened. Gadreel used his vessel to get close to Kevin and kill him. Maybe that's why he was upset with his brother and blurted out his anger without meaning it.

Sam and Kevin were very similar. They were studious. They were thrown into a situation they both did not want to be a part of. They were afraid of being in said situation until they grew out of that fear. They were very similar is temperament to each other. Unfortunately, switching his phone off and leaving Kevin to suffer for a year is just bad writing and throws this whole theory out the window. This is why it is difficult to analyze Sam's character and sexuality because Ross-Lemming and gang have done considerable damage in 7 years. There is only one meaningful interaction between Sam and Kevin [a church scene] and the interaction was so emotional and affectionate on Sam's part, that Kevin actually thought Sam was hitting on him. The Sam and Kevin storyline is one of the worst fanfic tragedies because of the bad writing in canon.

Cas and Sam have an interesting story. When Sam first met Cas, he fell all over himself just to greet the guy. He was starstruck, for want of a better word. There was even an emphasis to their handshake which is perhaps one of the most intimate handshakes I have ever seen between two male actors.

It was as if he was meeting a legend. Back in Season 4, Cas kind of was. Now, not so much. The legend is dead. And Cas is a joke. Cas and Sam have various similarities. They have similar temperaments. They have messed up spectacularly in the past, and both admit to it. They both bonded over the fact that they accidentally caused major damage in the quest of trying to solve a problem. They bonded over their pain. And Cas reassured Sam that messing up and falling in Dean's eyes is something that Sam does not alone have a monopoly in. Cas has messed up plenty. He was trying to comfort Sam. Most of the emotional heart to hearts seem to happen between Sam and Cas. Dean is usually mocking Cas and Cas is usually getting confused by Dean.

Castiel's dialogue either to or regarding Sam:

Nothing is worth losing you.

The only person who has screwed up things more consistently than you, is me.

You wont take Sam Winchester. I won't let you.

You come near Sam Winchester, and I will kill you.

I was lost until I took your pain.

The idea of Samstiel and Sastiel highly amused Sam. In fact, I have very seldom seen Sam so enthusiastic about something. Remember nobody pointed out that there was a pairing between him and Cas. He did that on his own, and didn't appear repulsed by the idea of him and Cas together. Dean on the other hand, is repulsed by any mention of fan fiction, even going so far as to break the fourth wall and glare at the guilty party when destiel is mentioned for the first and hopefully last time on Supernatural.

Now Sam and Cas even share a child, and I think that is bringing them closer. Unfortunately, Misha oversells the stupid dinghy destiel and leaves a more promising ship behind because he over-pandered to his lunatic fandom. And giving into Sastiel made make them go full psycho. Which is a terrible sign of his stupidity because if there is any slash pairing that makes any canonical sense, it is sastiel. Destiel appears more like an arranged marriage for a green card. Everything is forced on Castiel's part and faked on Dean's part, because both actors involved has different point of views regarding destiel and slash fiction.

In conclusion, the only lingering indication of Sam's supposed bi/pansexuality seems to be his interaction with Cas. Even then, it is just an analysis and not canon. And it is just my overall analysis, which I am sure, is limited. I don't know of any other subtext with regards to Sam's sexuality. If anyone out there has a proper example, kindly comment. I would like to know what is construed as bisexual Sam subtext.

Edit:

The original commenter has sent this link to amino apps where this very topic was discussed. Thank you dear.

https://aminoapps.com/c/supernatural/page/blog/sams-sexuality/4gCY_uoBpVrq58YXZeLkJG8V4ew15D

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tartantardis · 5 years ago

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Big Finish? Big start!

This blog is normally my old Doctor Who-related interviews, but hey, it's my blog, so I can do what the hell I like with it.

I had a fantastic time over the weekend, with the Big Finish live stream on the BBC YouTube channel, listening to great audios, accompanied by some gorgeous videos (created by the super talented Tom Webster), and best of all, there was the live chat.

I won't claim to understand or get memes. I just didn't find "fruit juice", "plum pudding", "shed", etc, funny. Maybe it's just my age...

Anyway, something I noticed were the large number of newbies, who had never heard Big Finish audios before, and were looking for somewhere to start. So, I might as well suggest a few full cast adventures, given that I know a wee bit about Big Finish...

Fourth Doctor

It's easy enough to pick up a Tom Baker release. His stories with the late, great Mary Tamm have a loose theme linking four of the stories, but really, any of them are good to go with (Especially The Auntie Matter). Personal favourites? Oh, I don't like to pick out too many, because I'm friendly with so many of the writers. Perhaps I'll make an exception and single out one, Wave of Destruction, as it's got the Doctor, Romana and K9, my favourite TARDIS team on TV. And it's coming soon to vinyl! Also, the Lost Stories box set is great, with two stories that were imagined for TV, but never made. I'd also recommend the Fourth Doctor novel adaptations.

Fifth Doctor

The Fifth Doctor range... oh, there's some great stuff in here. Spare Parts and Loups-Garoux spring to mind (Marc Platt x 2!), and there's plenty of stand-alone stories that you can dip in and out of. The Fifth Doctor box set is a good place to go, with Adric, Nyssa and Tegan, with one story set in the immediate aftermath of Castrovalva and the regeneration. Also, I'd recommend Creatures of Beauty once you get the hang of Big Finish audio drama - it's confusing, with a non-linear structure. And I rather like it. There’s also The Eye of the Scorpion, which introduces a new companion, Erimem, an Egyptian Pharoah.

Sixth Doctor

Colin Baker's Doctor is wonderful on audio, given a chance that he was never allowed on TV, to shine, be compassionate, show his brilliance... and without the need to see the coat. There's some great new companions for the Doctor - Evelyn Smythe, Flip Jackson and Constance Clark, as well as Frobisher from Doctor Who Magazine given a voice (The Holy Terror - brilliant). The One Doctor is great fun, with the Doctor and Mel, and I rather like ...ish - a clever story based on wordplay for the Doctor and Peri. The Hour of the Cybermen is another favourite - featuring the return of David Banks and Mark Hardy as the Cyberleader and Cyber Lieutenant from the 80s! I also recommend The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure (four linked stories that reveal just what happened to cause Colin to regenerate).

Seventh Doctor

There's a lot to go through with the Seventh Doctor. For example, the Lost Stories, starting with Thin Ice (not to be confused with the Peter Capaldi story) follows on from the end of the TV series, as planned out by script editor Andrew Cartmel. Or there's the Big Finish direct continuation, which takes Ace on a journey, and introduces a new companion, Hex (Philip Olivier - a gentleman and a great laugh in real life, and a fantastic companion). Highlights? Bang-Bang-A-Boom (a Eurovision spoof), The Harvest (Hex's introduction), UNIT: Dominion (a box set with a future Doctor), and Damaged Goods (a brilliant adaptation of Russell T Davies' New Adventures novel from the 90s).

Eighth Doctor

Oh, crikey. This is the one where it can be a bit difficult. With Paul McGann's Doctor, all you need to know is that it's one man and his TARDIS to start with. There's a couple of obvious joining points - Storm Warning is one of my favourite Doctor Who stories of all time, in all media (thanks Alan Barnes!), as it introduces us to the breathless, brilliant and bouncy Charley Pollard (NOTE: CharlEY, not CharlIE). Or, move on a bit, and there's Blood of the Daleks, bringing us Lucie bleedin' Miller (NOTE: LucIE, not LucY). There's a few other easy jumping on points - the trilogy with Mary Shelley (especially the fantastic The Silver Turk - Marc Platt again!). Dark Eyes is great, but it gives away the ending to the Lucie run, and introduces another fab companion, Liv Chenka. Ravenous picks up from the end of Doom Coalition - with the Doctor and Liv searching for their missing friend Helen. Also, give Shada a go - it's great fun!

The War Doctor

Oh, it's easy enough. Pick up box set one, Only The Monstrous, and off you go! Easy! Sir John Hurt is wonderful, with that rough as gravel voice bringing new depths to the character we only briefly met onscreen.

The Tenth Doctor

Pick one up. Seriously, any of them. If you know your Tenth Doctor on TV, then that's all you need. Adventures on audio with either Donna or Rose - that's all you need.

#DoctorWho #BigFinish #audiodrama

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paleandmoonstruck · 6 years ago

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Half-Sick of Shadows CH 2

The next chapter is up! You can go read it on AO3 here. I’ll be properly updating/keeping you guys posted on this blog from now on, so stay on the look out for snippets and the like. As well, if it would so please you, you can leave little prompts in my ask box and I’ll write you a drabble from the universe of this fic! See you soon! <3

“I just think that maybe working in the Peaky Blinders’ pub is a bit too much for you,” Alice fretted, wringing her hands as Lucy slipped into her shoes.

Rolling her eyes, Lucy turned to face her. “And what do you mean by that?”

“You’re a bloody trouble magnet!” Alice said, “I swear you can’t walk two feet down the road without bumping into something you shouldn’t.”

“I’m a big girl,” Lucy said, tugging on her hat. “I can take care of myself around these kinds of people. You know that. And need I remind you who suggested I apply there?”

“You know full well I meant Kelly’s,” Alice hissed. This was true. What Lucy wouldn’t give for someone to have snapped a photograph at the exact moment when she informed Alice that she had been employed at the Garrison. Her face had lost all colour, jaw practically hitting the floor. “How was I supposed to know that the Blinders were looking for staff as well?”

“What’s done is done. I’ll be fine, provided I’m not late like I will be if we continue this conversation. Then they might cut my fingers off.”

Alice lifted her hand to her forehead, sighing rather dramatically as she went to flop down in the armchair. “You’ll be the death of me, Lucy Frasier, you will.”

“See you tonight,” Lucy trilled, stepping out onto the street. The walk was long enough to be pleasant, but short enough not to feel like a trip. She wore her same blue coat, but earned fewer stares. Something warm settled in her chest; a nice familiarity. It made her strides more purposeful, lifted her chin.

The Garrison was empty when she entered, despite the door being open. She locked it behind her according to Arthur’s instructions. Making for the back room, she shrugged off her coat. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a sharp “shh!”

“Hello?” Lucy whispered, whipping her head around the back room. A flicker of movement in the corner of her eye. A small girl crawled out from beneath the desk, face and hands streaked with dust and dirt.

Unsure how to respond, Lucy stared down at the girl. She looked to be around ten, and was staring up at Lucy with an equal amount of bafflement. She, however, was not at a loss for words, “Miss Charity?”

Blinking, Lucy snapped out of it. “No, my name is Lucy Frasier. Is that who’s watching you?”

“I wish,” the little girl said. “I’ll I’ve got is Katie, who’s a right pain. That’s fine, though. I’m playing hide-and-seek with her, and she’ll never find me.”

“Right,” Lucy said slowly, “and who might you be?”

Sticking her hand out like a prim and proper young lady, she ducked her head in greeting. “Georgina Shelby, Miss Frasier. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance.”

She mispronounced ‘acquaintance’, and Lucy felt a small bubble of affection rise in her chest. Shaking her hand, she offered Georgina a bright grin. “And I yours, Miss Shelby.”

Then she realized exactly what the girl had said. “Shelby? Like the Shelbys who own this pub?”

“Yep. It’s my Uncle Arthur’s pub, but everyone knows that Uncle Tommy is the one who really owns everything,” she said matter-of-factly. A shadow passed over her face, and she narrowed her little eyes, “if everyone knows, then why don’t you?"

Despite herself, Lucy couldn’t help the relief blooming in her gut at the words ‘Uncle Tommy’. “I’m not from Birmingham,” she said. “I’ve just arrived to live with a friend. I’m working here as a barmaid and a singer.”

Georgina nodded, understanding glowing in her eyes. “So you’re here to replace Miss Burgess?”

“I suppose so,” Lucy said, utterly confused but not unhappy. Setting her hat on the coat rack, she offered Georgina a hand, “why don’t we get you cleaned up, and you can help me set up in here if you want to hide from Katie?”

Tommy Shelby had never felt uncomfortable entering the Garrison before.

This is ridiculous, he thought, standing outside the door of his own bloody pub like an idiot. He reached into his jacket pocket, thumb tracing the worn gilded letters of the book that lay there. He was loath to part with it, but it had never been his.

Pulling off his cap as he walked through the front door, he sped up as he took in the sight of Georgina talking Lucy’s ear off. He had no idea how she had snuck in here; Esme was going to have a heart attack.

“What are you doing here, Georgie?” he said by way of greeting.

Spinning around in her seat, Georgina’s face lit up, “Uncle Tom!”

He allowed her to fling herself at him, meeting Lucy’s gaze over her head. A soft grin was tugging at the corner of her mouth, her eyes warm.

He had the random urge to crack a joke, just to broaden her smile, and force her dimple to appear.

Instead, he pulled away from Georgina, leaning against the polished wood of the bar. “I see you’ve met our Georgie. I hope she hasn’t been too much trouble.”

“She’s a delight,” Lucy said, voice utterly sincere. God, did he love her accent.

Georgina peeked up from where she had burrowed into his chest, “isn’t she wonderful? And so beautiful? I thought she was Miss Charity at first!”

He regarded her suspiciously. Georgina never acted so stereotypically childlike unless she had an ulterior motive. “Very wonderful, Georgie. Now where’s Arthur? Tell him I’ll watch the pub for a bit so he can bring you home.”

The soft puppy-dog look in Georgina’s eyes died immediately. “I don’t want to go home.”

He sighed, bracing himself for a negotiation session. A true Shelby, Georgina never did something for nothing.

“Say,” Lucy said, just a little too pointedly to be off-hand, “you remember that princess you were telling me about? With the flowers in her braid?”

Flipping to face Lucy, Georgina narrowed her eyes at her. “Princess Lyra?”

Shrugging, Lucy leaned over the bar to get closer to the eight-year-old. “If you go home with your uncle, I’ll drop by on my next day off and teach you how to braid your hair the same way.”

For a moment, Georgina looked as though she was considering getting that in writing. Instead, she held out a small hand for Lucy to shake, “sounds like a deal.”

There was the grin. As Lucy curled her fingers around Georgina’s, her lips curved into a dazzling crooked smile, revealing the dimple in the hollow of her left cheek. For the briefest of moments, Tommy’s breath caught in his chest.

You’re an idiot, he thought, tapping Georgina on the shoulders. “Alright, deal struck. Go get Arthur.”

As soon as Georgina scampered off towards the back room, Lucy arched an eyebrow at him, “who is Miss Charity?”

“One of those newspaper cartoons,” he said. “She’s a debutante, supposed to teach young girls lessons in etiquette. Georgie’s obsessed with her. She wants to be the next queen.”

Her smile grew mischievous, “I am exceedingly well-mannered.”

He couldn’t help shooting her a disbelieving look, “from what I remember of you, you’re far from a lady.”

For the briefest of moments, the air in the room seemed to still. He cursed himself. The memory of her flashed across his mind: their fingers interlaced, the soft curve of her waist, the faint taste of champagne that had clung to her mouth.

Her eyes narrowed, then she rearranged her posture. Spine straightening as though she wore a corset, her limbs gained a fluid, airy quality. She composed her face into a perfect mask of neutrality, settling on one of the bar stools with all the grace of a duchess. “My grandmother was very big on etiquette,” she murmured, offering him the small smile permitted to proper ladies. He preferred her grin.

He grabbed a cigarette, striking a match as he lifted it to his lips. This was interesting information, it could be of use. “Full of surprises, I see,” he said, turning his attention to the burning in his lungs.

She dropped the charade, propping her head up on her fist. “I’ve got plenty of hidden talents.”

Was she really looking at him like that, or was he imagining it? Either way, he needed to change the subject before he did something inadvisable. He reached into his pocket, pulling out her book of Tennyson and laying it on the bar.

He didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. She paused, lifting up her head and flicking her gaze back and forth between the book and his face. Her hands shook as she reached for it, picking it up off the bar like it was something holy. He watched her fingers trace the letters of the title, and when she looked back up at him he could’ve sworn there were tears in her eyes. “You kept it?”

“It brought me comfort,” he said, coming to stand rather abruptly. Picking up a glass and a bottle of gin, he gestured towards the snug. “I’ll be in there, if you need me. Pleasure to see you again.”

So he left, cigarette still trailing smoke in his hand. She would have asked for explanations he didn’t have. This was for the best.

“You motherfucker!”

Lucy’s head snapped up, already coming around the corner of the bar to break up whatever was about to happen. Two men stood in the half of the room closest to the door, barely two fists apart.

One was slightly taller, with slicked-back blond hair and a wicked scar across his cheek. His bone structure was both fine and sharp, like someone had decided to fashion a knife into a man. He was exactly the kind of person she’d cross the street to avoid.

The other was no more comforting. His dark hair was cut short on the sides in the modern fashion, a peaked flat-cap clutched in one hand. He was a Blinder, and he was currently punching the blond man in the face.

She winced. The Blinder looked strong, built broad and muscular. By the time she made it three paces they were exchanging blows, and the door to the snug was billowing open.

Something about the idea of Tommy watching made her a little braver. She stomped across the shining floors of the pub — floors she had just scrubbed this morning — and wedged herself between the men, planting a hand on each of their chests. “Hey — Hey! Stop it!”

The men came to a pause, panting heavily. The blond glared down at her. “I’d move, if you don’t want that face of yours to get a lot less pretty.”

“Shut the fuck up and save it for someone who cares,” she spat. Something warm and wet splashed against her neck, and she realized the Blinder behind her was bleeding. Turning to examine his face, she found bright green eyes trained on her. He was somewhere between fury and curiosity, and she couldn’t help but shiver beneath the intensity of it. His eyebrow was split, dripping blood down his cheek.

“This fucking cunt just stuck his hand up my friend’s skirt,” he said, nodding towards a young woman who was cringing away from them both.

“I don’t care if he tried to kiss the fucking queen,” Lucy said. “If you have something you’d like to sort out with fists, by all means take it outside. But keep it out of my pub.”

Before she knew what was happening, the blond had reached out and wrapped his hands around her neck. For a heartbeat she was frozen, brought back to a different day, a different set of fingers curled around her throat.

She slammed her fist into his nose.

He reared back, bellowing as his hands flew up to his face. Blood hit the polished wood, and he stumbled away from her, reaching for his coat. “You fucking bitch!”

The Blinder called out to him, “this isn’t fucking over, McCreedy!”

Lucy stepped away, desperate to shake off the claustrophobic feeling that surrounded her. She looked at the young woman ‘McCreedy’ had grabbed. “Are you okay?”

Lifting her timid gaze, she spoke with a strong French accent, “quite alright, thank you.”

“Are you sure?” Lucy asked, switching to French, “I’ll get you a drink for your nerves, on the house.”

The girl’s face softened, relief blooming across her features. “Merci beaucoup.”

Turning back to the Blinder, she tugged on his wrist, picking up his half-glass of whiskey. “Come with me, you idiot.”

He followed her obediently to the bar, and she pretended not to notice Tommy making his own way over. She tugged the handkerchief out of the Blinder’s pocket, dumping his whiskey on it. “Stay still,” she instructed, reaching up to clean out the cut on his eyebrow.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said dryly. “The name’s Gideon, by the way.”

“Lucienne,” she murmured, focused on the split. “But English folk call me Lucy.”

“We’ve heard of you,” he said, trying his best to gesture back to his table without moving. “Arthur Shelby’s been telling everyone who’ll listen about the pretty new face he’s hired.”

She hummed noncommittally, trying to ignore the burning feeling of Tommy’s gaze on her neck. The skin there still throbbed, and she redoubled her focus on Gideon’s cut. Snapping open the first-aid kit she had made up, she used a clean pair of scissors to cut a butterfly bandage. She lined up the layers of skin with careful precision, sticking the bandage solidly in the middle of the wound.

“There,” she murmured, “shouldn’t even scar.”

He grinned, “much obliged. Now, I’ve heard you’re a singer. How true is that?”

“Depends on the day,” she said, turning to her first-aid supplies to avoid eye-contact.

“We’re musicians, my friends and I,” he said, grabbing her hand. She stiffened at the sudden contact, but he didn’t seem to notice. “You should perform with us, we come in here with our instruments sometimes.”

Sighing, she turned to look at him. His eyes were bright, face like a kid on Christmas day. She offered him a small smile. “We’ll see.”

“Let me walk you home.”

Tommy’s voice floated across the empty bar. The cleaning was finished for the night, and Lucy was about ready to lock up.

She tossed the idea around in her head. Did she want to prolong her time in Tommy’s presence? Undeniably. Despite herself, every moment where they were in the same room felt important and precious. She couldn’t go longer than a few minutes without flicking her gaze over to him.

But this was a different time; a different place. Whatever had been between them in France had disappeared, and there was no use trying to fool themselves into thinking otherwise.

“It’s fine,” she assured him, shrugging on her coat.

His eyes caught on the bright blue of it. She watched him swallow, eyes flicking over her with a look she couldn’t quite place. “After this evening? Please, for my own peace of mind.”

“Okay,” she murmured, something wondrous and strange unfurling in her gut as he offered her his arm.

The walk was quiet. She supposed neither of them knew what to say. It was like one of Alice’s terrible romance novels come to life in the most terrible way. Their steps were aligned, every thump of their feet beating in perfect time with one another. She wanted to bottle the sound for later and write a song.

A cry of pain tore through the night buzz, shaking her from her thoughts. They stopped dead, and Lucy cast her gaze up at Tommy. He was already reaching for the gun at his waist, shifting to curl himself closer to her. Another loud cry echoed from the alley they had just passed, followed by a whimper of pain.

Without thinking, she peeled herself out of Tommy’s arms and sprinted towards the shadows. Someone was hurt. Her mind raced, fingers already reaching for the first-aid kit in her bag. She heard Tommy curse behind her; the sound of his feet following hers.

A girl leaned against the alley wall, head tipped back in pain. She clutched her abdomen. Blood stained the gray concrete.

Lucy approached slowly, speaking soft, “what’s happened?”

The girl turned, and Lucy saw that she wasn’t bleeding from anywhere on her torso. She was young, maybe sixteen. “I got pregnant,” the girl whimpered, eyes wide and wild with pain.

“And then what?” Lucy coaxed, crossing the alley to come to her side.

“My man went and left me. I had to go and get the baby handled.”

“Tabarnak,” Lucy cursed. She turned to Tommy, who had his gun pulled out and a strange look on his face. “She’s dying. I need to help her.”

“You can bring her to Watery Lane,” he said. “It’s closer than the Garrison at this point.”

She nodded, turning back to the girl. “Can you walk? I can help you, but I need to get you somewhere safe and clean first.”

The girl nodded, and as Tommy rushed them along, Lucy asked for her name.

“Angeline.”

“Very French,” Lucy mused.

“My mum read it in a book once. It means ‘angel’. Guess I’m not an angel anymore though, am I?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Thou shalt not kill. One of the imp —” Angeline cut herself off with a cry of pain, and Lucy shifted to take more of her weight. By the time they reached the front door of Watery Lane, she was practically dragging her across the sidewalk.

Tommy nearly flung open the door, sidestepping out of the way to allow Lucy some room. She placed Angeline on the floor with little grace, already scrambling for her bag. She heard a cacaphony of voices from a nearby room, but her entire world had narrowed to what was in front of her.

She worked methodically, cleaning her hands with Dakin solution and snapping on a pair of gloves. “Angeline, what did the abortionist use?”

“A knitting needle.”

Lifting up Angeline’s skirts, Lucy gently removed her bloody undergarments. “Jésus et tous ses saints.” It was likely an internal bleed; something she was not authorized to — or capable of — fixing.

Swishing black fabric entered her line of sight, and Lucy looked up to see an imposing older woman standing above her. “Who are you?”

Lucy took off her hat, laying it to the side.“Miss Lucienne Frasier. A pleasure. Do you have any red raspberry leaf tea, perchance?”

The woman blinked at her. “You’d like some tea?"

“Not for me. For Angeline. It’ll slow her bleeding, hopefully.”

“Right,” the woman said, nodding and turning on heel.

Lucy refocused. Angeline was crying, body shaking against the hardwood. Shushing her, Lucy rubbed gentle circles on the back of her hand. “It’ll be alright, ma chouette. I need to know, how far along were you?”

“Six weeks, I reckon,” Angeline choked out. “I wanted to keep it, at first. Had names picked out and everything.”

Lucy kept talking even as her mind raced, “what were the names?”

She was bleeding somewhere Lucy couldn’t stitch without cutting her open. She needed to clean the wound and stop the bleeding. Angeline hadn’t been far along enough to need anything removed. Any embryo or the bare beginnings of a fetus would have been swept out before Lucy had stumbled upon her.

“If it was a girl, I would’ve named her Elizabeth Jane, after my mum and my aunt. She could’ve been Eliza, for short. If it was a boy, it would’ve been James Henry, after my brothers. They died in the War, over in France.”

“Those are beautiful names,” Lucy murmured, racking her brain. She needed to stop the bleeding, but not by closing the wound. The next best thing would be pressure, she supposed, but how could she apply pressure to an internal wound?

“You’re a nurse, are ye?” Angelina asked, “were you in France?”

An idea struck Lucy. Slapping on a pair of gloves, she tore open her bag for her roll of bandages, beginning to wrap it into a ball. She answered Angeline’s question absentmindedly, “I was.”

“Was it horrible? The dying and all?”

“A moment,” Lucy said, pouring Dakin solution on a smaller wad of cotton gauze. “I”m going to use this to clean the wound. It will feel very, very strange, but you have to trust me. Keep talking to me, alright?”

For a brief moment, Lucy came back to where she was. Tommy was on the other side of the room, standing with the older woman from before. They were next to one another, but both staring at her. She was still in her coat and shoes, kneeled before a stranger’s gentials on the floor of a near-stranger’s entryway.

“Right,” she said, turning back to Angeline. “France was horrible, I suppose, but not in the way you’re imagining. You get used to everything eventually.” She tied her soaked gauze to a thin metal rod she’d typically use to set a broken bone. Inserting it as smoothly and quickly as possible, she focused on cleaning where her approximation of the wound was.

“The first few times a man dies underneath your hands, it’s awful. There’s a moment, you know, where you can feel it. It’s like when the string of a kite snaps. There’s so much movement, and energy, and then suddenly there’s nothing; you’re left holding a bit of loose thread. And you want to snatch at the kite — get it back, somehow — but it’s already so far away. But the first time I had a patient die on me, and I felt nothing? Nothing worse. I felt like a monster. That’s what was horrible about France. It did something to people; took away their humanity. We were packs of beasts hurling lead at each other and crawling back a few kilometres to lick at our wounds.”

The rod came out soaked in blood, but it sizzled against the Dakin solution. This was working.

“What was the worst thing you ever saw?” Angeline asked.

Balling up more clean gauze, Lucy had to stop and think about that one. “I once held a toddler as he died,” she whispered, her voice nearly echoing in the dead-silent room. She kept cleaning the wound. There was resistance at the cervix, but whatever the abortionist had done to enlarge it originally was still holding true. Voice shaky, Lucy kept going with her story.

“He was a civilian casualty. Covered in massive burns. The skin was peeling off of him, almost down to the bone. I couldn’t do anything but ease the pain.” She tried to keep her movements smooth and slow, her fingers flexing jerkily. “He was so tiny. Malnourished, probably. I took him out of the tents, away from the noise and stink. And I held a globe of ether to his face, and sang until he died.”

The older woman spoke from behind her, “what did you sing to him?”

Lucy turned to peer over her shoulder, the woman standing there with a pot of tea and tin mug. “An old Jacobite song,” she answered. “Something my grandmother would sing as a lullaby. I suppose to me, it’s a promise.”

“Of what?” the woman asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Protection. The song was written about Bonny Prince Charlie. For me, it means ‘I will keep you safe, even at my own peril.’”

Angeline closed her eyes. “Will you sing it?”

Lucy stiffened. She had sung the same song for Tommy. He would remember that. What would he think of it? How could she explain the strange sense of connection she had felt for him since the beginning?

But Angeline looked so small. So tired. And Tommy wasn’t dumb. She had already tipped her hand by describing the song. Might as well thoroughly fuck herself over. So as she tended to Angeline, she began to sing:

Speed, bonny boat

Like a bird on the wing.

’Onward’, the sailors cry.

Carry the lad, that’s born to be king

Over the sea to Skye.

Loud the winds howl,

Loud the waves roar,

Thunderclaps rend the air.

Baffled, our foes stand by the shore;

Follow, they will not dare.

Tommy had drawn in a sharp breath behind her, but she just kept working. The cotton was coming back less and less red.

Speed, bonny boat

Like a bird on the wing.

‘Onward’, the sailors cry.

Carry the lad, that’s born to be king

Over the sea to Skye.

Though the waves leap,

Soft shall ye sleep;

Ocean’s a royal bed.

Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep

Watch by your weary head.

She gestured for the older woman to approach, still singing. Angeline looked as though she might fall asleep, and though she hated to disturb her, she needed to drink her tea. Flipping around, she lifted Angeline’s head into her lap, lowering the mug to her lips.

Speed, bonny boat

Like a bird on the wing.

‘Onward’, the sailors cry.

Carry the lad, that’s born to be king

Over the sea to Skye.

Many’s the lad, fought on that day

Well the Claymore could wield.

When the night came, silently lay

Death, on Culloden’s field.

Angeline drained the cup, and Lucy gently shifted out from beneath her head. Balling up yet more gauze, she tied it with medical string, measuring it against her fist. Hopefully it was small enough to fit, but large enough to actually apply pressure. Cutting the song off for a moment, she forewarned Angeline, “this is going to be very, very painful.”

Angling the rod, she wished for the umpteenth time that she had proper equipment. With careful hands, she began to stuff Angeline with the gauze.

Speed, bonny boat

Like a bird on the wing.

‘Onward’, the sailors cry.

Carry the lad, that’s born to be king

Over the sea to Skye.

Burnt are our homes;

Exile and death.

Scatter the loyal men.

Yet ‘ere the sword, cool in its sheath,

Charlie will come again.

Speed, bonny boat

Like a bird on the wing.

‘Onward’, the sailors cry.

Carry the lad, that’s born to be king

Over the sea to Skye.

Through it all, Angeline cried and bit her palm. Lucy desperately wanted to cry too. Her chest was too tight, her head light. Instead, she kept at it, reaching up to hold Angeline’s free hand. By the time the song was over, the gauze had gone where it needed to. The string still hung out, leaving the ability to remove and replace it.

“Shhh, mon gentil ange,” Lucy murmured, drawing Angeline back into her lap. “It’s over now. You did such a good job.”

Crying into her legs, Angeline choked out a response, “do you think I’ll go to Hell?”

“What, for getting an abortion?”

Angeline nodded, her small frame shaking.

“I don’t know if you’ll go to Hell or not. Though — and I’m not much for church anymore, but —if I remember correctly, that’s what repenting’s for? God knows that we are but weak mortals, prone to sin, and all that. And I have to say, if you've decided you're going to Hell, ma chérie, it should be over something a little more exciting than making sure your eventual child doesn't grow up in poverty, shame, and suffering.”

After a beat of silence, the older woman spoke up, “do you have anyone you can call for, sweetheart? Someone should stay with you.”

“Me mum. She lives on the other side of the cut.”

“Right,” the woman said. “I’ll take her address, and I’ll get one of the boys to take you there in the car. Miss Frasier, would you like to take a seat? Tommy will you get you something to drink, I’m sure you’re in need of it.”

Stripping off her gloves, Lucy reached for her notebook. “I’ll take your address too, mon ange. I’ll come visit you in the morning and redo your gauze. You should stay in bed until I give you the clear to move about.”

Copying down the street and number of her apartment, Lucy supposed she would need Alice’s help to find it. She made to stand, but found that her legs gave out beneath her. She nearly fell, a strong arm wrapping around her waist to steady her.

Looking up, she saw Tommy standing there with a glass of whiskey. “Careful,” he murmured, leading her to a small couch.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the glass and knocking it back greedily. The burn centred her, brought her back to where she was. Warmth bloomed in her chest, though whether it was procured by the alcohol or the way Tommy was looking at her was up for debate.

He leaned towards her, and despite herself she rested her head on his shoulder. He was solid beneath her, unwavering. It brought her an indescribable comfort. His voice was soft, “you just can’t help yourself when you see someone in need, can you?”

“You should be grateful for it,” she said, “it’s what kept you alive in France.”

“And here I thought I was just that charming,” he said, smiling into her hair.

She snorted, “you wish.”

“You mean you weren’t overcome with the desire to save me after glancing at my beautiful, sleeping face?”

“Oh, of course.”

Someone cleared their throat, and they tore themselves away from each other to see that same older woman. “I thought I’d introduce myself,” she said dryly, “my name is Elizabeth Gray, but you may call me Polly. Lucienne, is it?”

“Please, call me Lucy.”

“Right. So, how exactly did you come into the acquaintance of my nephew?”

Suddenly, Lucy realized that this was the ‘Aunt Pol’ she’d heard so much of. “I met him in France,” she said softly, scrambled brain desperately trying to gauge how she should be acting in order to win the woman’s approval. “I was a nurse. He was dying. I fought to be allowed to try and save his life. He stayed with me for a time, in recovery.”

Polly seemed to weigh this, dark eyes glinting in the low light. “So we owe you a debt.”

“No,” Lucy said, shaking her head. “It was my job, and my pleasure. I’m in Arthur’s employ now, too, so consider any perceived debt repaid.”

“Then you have my gratitude,” Polly said. “Feel free to stay here for the night, we’ll send a message along to your home.”

Lucy accepted the offer, giving Polly Alice’s address. She was swept upstairs, given an old dressing gown, and settled into a guest room. Lying in the dark, she stared up at the ceiling for what felt like hours. Her mind raced, with thoughts of Angeline, thoughts of France, thoughts of Tommy.

Like the act of thinking his name somehow summoned him, she heard a gentle knock on the door and a slow creak as the man himself slipped into her room. “Are you alright?”

Sitting up, she gathered the blankets around her bare shoulders. “I suppose so.”

“I couldn’t be sure, and I knew you wouldn’t say anything in front of Aunt Pol,” he said, settling on the foot of the bed.

“She was so young,” Lucy murmured, “and she was bleeding so much, and it’s not like I could just stitch it up, you know? God, I was so terrified. She came so, so close to dying.” She laughed bitterly, “there’s still no guaranteeing anything. Maybe I just prolonged her agony.”

Something was making a pattering sound, and she realized that she was crying, tears falling onto the quilt. Tommy hovered for a moment, tension seemingly corded into his every muscle. Then he came forward, wrapping his arms around her.

She felt something snap in her chest, the tears coming in sharp bursts. Burrowing her head into the crook of his neck, she finally let herself sob the way she had wanted to for hours. He held her quietly, thumb tracing soft circles into her shoulder until her crying lessened. “What do you need from me?”

“Just this,” she managed, curling closer. He smelled like leather and fresh cigarettes, and all she wanted was to stay there forever.

“Alright,” he murmured, “however long you’d like.”

Chapters: I, II ...

Ao3

#Peaky Blinders #peaky blinders fanfiction #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders oc #Tommy Shelby #tommy shelby x oc #half-sick of shadows #lucienne frasier #my fic #thomas shelby #thomas shelby x oc

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auroral-melody · 6 years ago

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hii! do you think i should buy cold heaven or seasons of mist? i can only buy one and im so bad at making decisions so i thought id ask you because i really love your blog (and no pressure or anything!!) ily lmao

Seasons of Mists!

I’m basically assuming you haven’t read any of the comics, which may be totally wrong, but here’s a reading order in case you haven’t ^^;; TLDR at the end.

Lucifer is one of the easier comics to get into, imo. I mean, you see those gross chronology charts for other characters with 0 continuity, but Lucifer is fairly straightforward.

It basically looks like this:

Lucifer’s first real appearance is in Preludes and Nocturnes, #4. He’s introduced. It’s not super necessary to read as long as you get the general gist of “Lucifer gets annoyed at Dream because Dream calls him out/says he’s honorable/shows up Lucifer.” I like the issue a lot though. He looks kind of high the whole time.

Season of Mists is where the actual important business happens! It’s…pretty bad art imo, but it’s extremely story-important. You don’t really have context for anything else without it and it’s referenced over and over again throughout the comics. It’s pretty imperative (and introduces Mazikeen!) and I love its ending. It also sets up the Mike Carey series with Remiel and Duma.

Lucifer makes a few appearances in the Kindly Ones series, but they’re not particularly story-important to Lucifer on his own. He reflects on the events happening, talks to Delirium, wears sunglasses and a bathrobe and eats bacon. I like the art of this series a lot. But it’s basically the finale of Sandman, so…Sandman ‘spoilers’ if you read it ig. It’s basically him living at Lux. Chillin’.

The Lucifer series as I’ve given it here (Sandman Presents through #75) is basically the order that the print books order the issues, which I like.

I originally bought Cold Heaven (the first book of the Holly Black series) before the Mike Carey run. While it was a lot of fun and good art, you really won’t have much idea what’s happening unless you’ve already read the Lucifer series. Like, Elaine is a major character in the Carey run, and you’ll be like ?! whomst!??! You won’t know who Izanami is, what’s happening with Mazikeen, etc. Literally, Cold Heaven directly references and redraws a panel of Season of Mists.

Here’s a very similar reading order, with book links. If you want the Mike Carey collection, I personally own these 5 collections. They’re Normal Book Sized.

Some notes:

- Lucifer: Nirvana might have one confusing part (like, two pages. It’s really just fine tbh) if you haven’t read Sandman. It’s not important to the rest of the Lucifer series, but I suppose it could be explained by reading the Kindly Ones.

- Hellblazer #66 is referenced once in Cold Heaven. You could also read that if you want.

- The new Lucifer, I’ve heard conflicting things on. Since Luci doesn’t have his wings I’m assuming it retcons Mike Carey or maybe just directly jumps off of Sandman, who knows. Read it after you read everything else if you want, I’m personally liking it so far

- Fair warning that the Lucifer and Sandman series combined have just about every triggering thing under the sun in them. Preludes and Nocturnes around #5-6 has some of the worst of it, and I flip quickly past those issues every time. The Kindly Ones in general has an overarching theme about spiraling depression and suicide. The Mike Carey run isn’t nearly as bad as Sandman, but it does deal with some things like non-con, and some suicidal tendencies. It’s not super graphic as far as I remember, except for the violence aspect, though I could be wrong. The Holly Black series is fairly tame with some violence.

TLDR: Read Season of Mists, followed by the Mike Carey series, followed by the Holly Black series.

Happy reading!!! :D Have a great day!!!!

#my posts #asks #answers #lucifer comics #anonymous #lmk what you think!!! feel free to ama and come into my inbox and liveblog fhdkdfjk #sorry if this was too complicated i get excited #Anonymous #im flattered u came to me!

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caiotlyn · 7 years ago

Text

Home for the Holidays

Title: Home for the Holidays

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Words: 1462

Warnings: mentions of parental death, slight angst

A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, my lovely readers! Here’s a fluffy little Christmas fic for y’all. Hope you’re all having a wonderful holiday, and if not, feel free to message me or send me an ask and we can hang out! :D

This fic takes place pre-season one, so Sam‘s just left for college, and Dean’s on his own.

Also, this is my first time using a tag list, so I’m sorry if I tagged you on something you didn’t want to read or if you just didn’t want to be tagged in general. Just send a me a message and let me know you want off!

Feel free to check out the rest of my masterlist!!

~~~

The dingy bar smelled strongly of smoke and alcohol, but Dean needed a drink, and that was all he could focus on.

He huffed as he sat on the barstool and gruffly asked for a beer. The bartender gave Dean his drink and hurried off to help the next customer. Dean took a swig from the bottle, not really caring that the drink tasted funny.

He had been somewhat emotionless these past few days; for once he’d be spending Christmas alone. Sure, he never celebrated much when Sam and their dad were around, but at least he wasn’t holed up in some random flyover state getting drunk off bottom shelf liquor.

“Is that Dean Winchester I see sitting alone on Christmas Eve?”

Dean spun quickly, recognizing the person’s voice almost immediately.

“Y/N?” The girl jokingly curtsied, and the two laughed. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Dean hopped off the barstool to pick the girl up and spin her around. “How long has it been? Three years?”

“I think we’re coming up on four now, but who’s counting?” Goodness, that smile on her still seemed to melt Dean’s heart, even after all these years. “What’ve you been up to? Where’s your old man?”

“He’s, ah, occupied at the moment. I actually don’t know where he is right now. I split off from ‘im a while ago.”

“Oh… well that’s too bad. Last time I saw John he got so drunk that he started telling me stories about your toddler days,” Y/N said with a chuckle.

Dean jabbed a finger at her chest playfully. “I’ll have you know that I was an adorable child.”

“You keep sayin’ it, and I just might believe it.”

“So,” Y/N started as she took a seat at the bar, Dean joining her. “What’re you doing in a crappy bar on Christmas Eve, anyway?

"Sam’s in California, Dad’s who knows where, and I’m here–not much to it.”

"Well, if you’re up for it, I’m getting some friends together, and we’re gonna be celebrating the holidays up at our cabin. Why don’t you join us?” Y/N smiled warmly. “It’d be a great time to catch up. From what I’ve heard, you and your dad have been all over the place.”

Dean didn’t have to think twice about his answer. “I’d love to.”

~~~

Y/N’s cabin wasn’t anything special. It was a typical log cabin in the woods. Snow covered the entire property, and white string lights trimmed the roof. Frost covered the windows, but Dean could see the warm glow of light and the numerous silhouettes of the people inside.

Immediately entering the cabin, the smell of apple pie and honey-glazed ham hit Dean’s nose. His eyes drifted to the living room where a group of people were talking over beer, and a fireplace crackled in the corner.

Dean felt a bit out of place–like he was intruding on an exclusive family event.

Y/N seemed to notice Dean’s uneasiness and took his elbow and led him to the kitchen.

There, a woman with long, braided hair and a puffer vest was taking a pie out of the oven while a bald man with a lumberjack-esque beard was chopping carrots.

“Rebecca, Quentin!” Y/N called, holding her arms out for a hug.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you, doll,” Rebecca said as she returned Y/N’s embrace.

“How’s it going, Y/N/N?” Quentin asked.

“I mean, you haven’t managed to burn down the cabin yet, so I’d say pretty good.”

Quentin threw a piece of carrot in her direction and mumbled a “shut up.”

“Guys, this is my friend, Dean.”

Rebecca and Quentin both said a cheery “hi,” and Dean was put a bit at ease. Y/N excused herself and Dean from the kitchen, eager to show him around.

“Come with me for a second,” Y/N said.

She led Dean down the hall past the living room and into a bedroom, closing the door softly behind them. Dean looked around the room, taking in all of the details with interest. He assumed this was Y/N’s room based on the photo garland above the bed. One specific photo caught Dean’s eye. It was a polaroid photo that Y/N had taken of the two of them the last Christmas they saw each other.

Dean gifted Y/N an instant camera that Christmas, and she couldn’t stop taking photos all day; Dean had to stop her so she wouldn’t run out of film too quickly.

This photo in particular was taken by Sam. It was the Christmas before he left for college. Y/N and Dean were both sat on the floor in front of their puny little tree. They were wearing matching Christmas sweaters that Sam had gotten them and had their arms around each other, laughing with wide grins and rosy cheeks.

Dean remembered loathing the holidays, but as soon as Y/N showed up, everything was instantly better.

Dean’s mind then drifted to the years when Y/N first came into his life. They were both tweens who were cooped up at Bobby’s at the same, and they’d been almost inseparable. John finally picked Dean and Sam up after a few months on his own, but by then Y/N was already long gone, out on the road with her own father.

They ran into each other a few years later, both seventeen and getting ready to start their adult lives. They were both at Bobby’s again, this time for completely different reasons. Y/N’s father had died while hunting a djinn, and Dean was just stopping by for supplies. He saw her huddled in the corner of one of the guest bedrooms, and his heart nearly broke. She wasn’t crying or anything–her face wasn’t even red.

She just looked numb. Empty. Broken.

Dean knew because she looked the exact same way he did when Mary died.

He slowly entered the room, and as soon as he sat on the bed, Y/N wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. They spent the night in each other’s arms, and Bobby didn’t seem to mind one bit.

After that night, Dean promised himself that he would never see Y/N like that ever again.

The Christmas that was captured in the photo was the first one where Y/N was actually herself.

Now here they were: celebrating the holidays together in a cozy cabin and finally catching up after so many years.

Y/N laid down on one side of the bed and patted the spot next to her. “Don’t be shy, Winchester. We’ve done this before.”

Dean slowly climbed in next to her, and she snuggled into his side. They laid there for a few minutes without talking, simply enjoying the other’s closeness.

“Uh, not that I really mind, but why’d you bring me in here?” Dean asked, breaking the silence.

Y/N sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “Just wanted to be near you is all.”

“You’ve still got feelings for me, don’t ya, Y/N/N,” Dean teased.

“Shut up,” Y/N replied, shoving his shoulder.

“So what if I did,” Y/N said after a few minutes.

Dean leaned his head back to look at her face and found that she was completely serious. His heart did a flip, and a wide smile broke out of his face. “Well I’d say that I still have feelings for you, too.”

Y/N peered up at him and smiled. Without thinking, Dean leaned in and kissed her, cupping her face with one hand. For a moment she didn’t respond, and Dean was getting ready to pull away when she winded her fingers in his hair. The beer on his tongue mingled with her peppermint chapstick. A feeling of warmth bubbled up in Dean’s chest, his sense of longing now fulfilled. He and Y/N fit together seamlessly, like the kiss was meant to be.

A soft knock at the door abruptly ended the moment.

“Food’s ready!” the voice on the other side called.

“Be there in a second!” Y/N replied.

She turned back to Dean and groaned into his chest, and he chuckled at her annoyance.

“C'mon,” he said. “Let’s go get some of that delicious pie.”

“You and your freaking pie.”

The atmosphere in the main part of the cabin was one of comfort and happiness. The food was great, and the people were more than eager to welcome Dean into their little family.

Although he barely knew anyone, he had Y/N by his side, and that was good enough.

Dean might not be seeing his family for quite some time, but with Y/N, it was like he was already home.

~~~

Mrs. Whozeewhatsis Tags (+ a few others that I think might enjoy this):

@mrswhozeewhatsis @thinkwritexpress-official @itsemmyb @ezauraemmaline @matteson-crazed @charliesbackbitches @crzcorgi @ellen-reincarnated1967 @gryffindorable713 @deerlululucy @walkingencyclopediaoffandom @growleytria @thegleegeneration @samtomydeanwinchester @supermoonpanda @sis-tafics @amaranthinecastiel @becs-bunker @meganwinchester1999 @kittenofdoomage @samanddeanwinchester67 @ferferelli @iridianuniverse @the-morning-star-falls @strange-inhumanity-blog @ackleslaugh @fangirling-instead-of-working @eyes-of-a-disney-princess @kayteonline @spnsimpleman @faith-in-dean @mamaimpala @winchesterfiesta @sleep-silent-angel @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @gadreelsforbiddenfruit @trenchcoats-and-bees @curliesallovertheplace @jencharlan @not-so-natural-spn @thebunkerismyhome @feelmyroarrrr @beachy2014 @fandom-book-nerd @tia58 @sams-little-toy @deansleather @faegal04 @sunriserose1023 @saving-things-hunting-family @winchesterswoonathon @jotink78 @lucifer-in-leather @i-dont-know-how-to-write @everyday-supernatural-af @notnaturalanahi @howmanytuesdaysdidyouhave @supernatural-jackles @babypieandwhiskey @avasmommy224 @chelsea-winchester @spn-fan-girl-173 @besslincoln-bruh @shelovesallthethings @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish @revwinchester @deanwinchesterforpromqueen @quiddy-writes @hexparker @atwistoffate @evilskank-inthemegacoven @there-must-be-a-lock @percussiongirl2017 @ilostmyshoe-79 @luci-in-trenchcoats

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descientia · 7 years ago

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— ( I've given some of the headcanons most pertinent to my portrayal a home in my blog dossier, categorized by: things your muse would probably know, things your muse might know, and things your muse probably wouldn’t know. I hope this is fun and convenient for everyone. :)

of course, seeing as this is all just stuff I made up, I’m also not going to expect anyone to read an essay and commit it to memory before playing with me, a.k.a., I'm not going to flip if your muse doesn't 'know' these things in our rp. it’s always cool to see rp partners incorporate your own headcanons into your rp when it happens, though, and more importantly it’s so that my partners can know what factoids and such I will be playing by, and hopefully to increase fun for all by giving others little personal bits and bobs that your muse can know about mine.

for your further convenience, find them under the cut:

Things Widely Known (Your muse is likely to know these, unless they wouldn’t.)

Ignis was not destined from birth to be Noctis’s advisor simply because he is a Scientia, nor do the Scientias serve as Royal Advisor to every king / in every generation. Unlike the role of Shield, which is always filled by the Amicita family, the Royal Advisor is selected from the heir apparent’s peers among the other noble families of Lucis. Ignis happened to be the most qualified noble child in the 4–6 year old range when he was selected, as determined by IQ testing, cognitive development, etc. While the agency of a six-year-old making an informed decision could of course be debated, it was a choice offered to him that he could have declined. He chose to accept the ( eventual ) role and began his training when he was six and Noctis was three and a half, which at that point involved playdates with the price and a private education with the Citadel’s tutors. It is a high honor to be selected as Royal Advisor, and a high honor for one’s family. Incidentally, this means the Scientia family enjoys less prestige than the Amicitia family, as the Amicitias serve their role permanently, whereas the role of Royal Advisor tends to be served by a different family name in each generation.

The Scientia family is small and dwindling. Ignis’s father died of illness when he was somewhere between the ages of 9–14 ( verse dependent ), and his mother was killed in an accident when he was 17–18. While his father’s younger brother is still alive and well and working in the Citadel ( at least until the fall of Insomnia, after which his uncle’s fate is uncertain but presumed deceased ), the succession of property and title inheritance went from his father to his mother to Ignis, leaving him with an even grander amount of responsibility—and few to share it with—when he was barely an adult. Since they were nobles of some high profile, their deaths would be public knowledge in Insomnia, and other high profile people would have likely been in attendance at their funerals, including the royal family.

There are also several other noble families of Lucis besides the Scientias and Amicitias. Most have several members working in the Citadel in various capacities.

Ignis is hardly one to demand that the proper and formal amount of respect be paid to him, but as he is a noble, the proper honorific with which to address him ( for people who know who he is, know the customs, give a shit, etc. ) is Lord Scientia rather than Mr. Scientia. He’s not likely to correct a user of “Mr.,” but to him it marks a person who is either ignorant of his identity or ignorant of custom ( or fully knowledgeable but purposely flagrant of either one ).

While I don’t headcanon Lucis to be a particularly homophobic society, I also don’t headcanon it to be so open minded and fancy-free that they would not mind if their king was gay / mlm or took male lovers ( especially when they are so dependent on that one bloodline producing natural offspring ). Especially with Ignis himself having feelings for Noctis, and being a very protective character who sees the wellbeing of the others as his own personal responsibility, you might see hints of this come up where Ignis exhibits amounts of discretion with both his own sexuality and avoiding royal “scandals” that I don’t believe are extreme in a real-life context but what has occurred to me is far more conservative than the norm in the tumblr RPC ( which tends to adopt a general worldview headcanon of “nobody is straight and everyone is okay with it” ). I want it to be known that this is not due to any homophobia on part of the mun and certainly not on the part of Ignis. I also see the therapeutic value in others headcanoning that no one in our fictional playworld has ever had any problems with anyone deviating from the heteronormative script that is so toxically pervasive IRL; I, however, find it more therapeutic to write Ignis in a world that would not be wholly accepting of his own sexuality ( were he to be publicly open about it, which he is not ), or the very notion of the person he loves most ever loving him “that way” in return. These circumstances greatly inform the person my muse has grown into.

Things Known to Some (Your muse may know these, if it makes sense for them to do so.)

Ignis was born in Insomnia and has lived there all his life. His accent is a product of his privately tutored education, which was administered mostly by a Tenebraen tutor in service to the Citadel.

Ignis’s skin was not great as a teen.

He suffers caffeine withdrawal if he goes too long without, but as for other vices, he does not smoke or use drugs, he is unlikely to gamble, and he’s unlikely to ever imbibe more than a fine wine with a good meal. He has no tattoos.

Things Known to Very Few (Your muse may know these if—and only if—they are one of the characters named, or we have discussed it.)

Ignis is bisexual, but he is very discreet about his sexuality and love life ( hint: it’s nonexistent ) in general. Gladio may have picked up on this, astute as he is. Noctis might have squeezed a confession out of him also at some point over the years, given that they have spent so much time together for so long. Prompto would probably not know. Anyone is welcome to have suspicions about his sexuality, of course. ( Hello, it’s Ignis. For all his “discretion,” it’d probably be more shocking to learn that he’s not gay than that he’s not straight. )

Ignis is also a virgin as of the road trip. He loses his virginity probably within the first year of the Starscourge, verse dependent. Gladio and Noctis would likely know about his virginity. Prompto would not.

The big one: Ignis has been quietly in love with Noctis pretty much since they were preteens. The only character I would ever feel comfortable about realizing this is Gladio, and even then, not because Ignis has admitted as much to him, but just due to reaching that conclusion on his own.

#— sᴇᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ’s ɢᴏᴛ ʏᴏᴜ sᴛᴇᴡɪɴɢ ( headcanons. )#— ( ...I seem to have a lot of headcanons involving Gladio #some of that is just canon but obviously if my headcanons ever encroach upon another muse that does not need to hold #me: I love IgNoct #me: IgNoct is so important to me #me: there is no relationship in Ignis’s life more solid or more important than his relationship with Noctis #also me: headcanons that Gladio and Gladio alone knows all of Ignis’s secrets #the keeper of the flame if you will #get it because ignis is fire #and also not straight #real talk though I need more Gladio up on this blog

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dailynewswebsite · 4 years ago

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From The Slumflower to Florence Given: why influencer books about feminism seem so similar

Polls have discovered that feminism has been declared unappealing and irrelevant to younger ladies. NakoPhotography/Shutterstock

On December 9, debate started to simmer on social media over the resemblance of two in style ladies’s empowerment books launched in 2020: Chidera Eggerue’s How one can Get Over a Boy (revealed in February by Quadrille Publishing) and Florence Given’s Ladies Don’t Owe You Fairly (revealed in July by Cassell Illustrated).

Comparisons between the 2 have circulated for a while. Given and Eggerue, also called The Slumflower, are each influencers (folks with massive followings and advertising affect on social media) and each promote a message of self-love, acceptance, and physique positivity.

Earlier this month, Eggerue and a few of her followers accused Given of copying two of her books: How one can Get Over a Boy and her debut, What a Time to be Alone. This sparked contemporary questions over similarities between their works when it comes to model and content material.

Each of the ladies’s books are eye-catching, with vibrant covers, massive textual content, and vibrant illustrations all through. Eggerue claims her books sparked a brand new wave of self-help literature “that had by no means been seen earlier than”.

Whereas at first look it might seem as if we’re a copycat case, we shouldn’t neglect that publishers like developments and can attempt to money in on what’s in style. The duvet model of each Given and Eggerue’s books chime with design developments from 2019 from their plain massive fonts to their use of color and illustration. Trying to find both guide on platforms equivalent to Google and Amazon usually brings up the opposite, and the latter even bundles the 2 writer’s books collectively.

Widespread feminism

Widespread feminist books focused at a mainstream viewers are nothing new. During the last 15 years there have been dozens of sunshine, easy-to-read feminist texts, usually with the intention of creating feminism “enjoyable”, “cool”, and even “attractive”. Laura Bates’ Lady Up (2016) particularly bears probably the most resemblance to those newer self-help books in the way in which it challenges sexist expectations by humour and quirky illustrations.

However there are numerous examples: from Jessica Valenti’s Full Frontal Feminism (2007) to Holly Baxter and Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett’s The Vagenda (2015), books like Ellie Levenson’s The Noughtie Lady’s Information to Feminism (2009), Caitlin Moran’s How one can be a Lady (2011), or Polly Vernon’s Scorching Feminist (2015). Whereas these books can range in method and magnificence, a quantity put ahead related messages – private empowerment, self-love, and the fitting to decide on.

A few of these books have been criticised for promoting self-help as an answer to injustice, fairly than working with others for political and social change. In academia, feminists argue that in style feminism is at greatest a diluted type of feminism that treats it merely as a type of self-help centered on “what’s proper for me” – a model which may be packaged and bought.

Learn extra: 5 books by ladies, about ladies, for everybody

What all these books have in frequent is their want to make feminism accessible to their readers, which isn’t a foul factor in itself. It has lengthy been argued that feminism has an “picture downside”, and that it’s not wanted within the West. It has additionally has been declared unappealing and irrelevant to younger ladies by newspapers and in polls run by OnePoll and the web neighborhood Netmums.

Feminist principle

Tutorial feminist literature in the meantime has been criticised for tending to be theory-heavy and crammed with impenetrable jargon. Issues are usually not helped by such texts being inaccessible to most of the people, usually being positioned behind paywalls or revealed as pricey hardbacks. This leaves a niche which in style feminism fills whether or not by blogs, social media posts, or inexpensive paperbacks.

Nonetheless, that is the place the world of selling tends to step in to “save feminism” by rebranding workout routines. It’s a course of which regularly entails mainstream ladies’s magazines equivalent to ELLE, Stylist, Grazia, or Cosmopolitan hiring promoting companies to make feminism modern and problem destructive stereotypes of offended, ungirly feminists. As with in style feminism books, these makes an attempt have various in high quality.

For the reason that 1990s, younger feminists’ writing has been criticised for being centered on private anecdotes on the expense of principle and now could be no totally different. Widespread feminism is usually skewered by critics of being superficial, fluffy, apolitical, individualised, and consumer-driven.

Studying across the topic, you’ll discover totally different labels used to explain this model of feminism, together with: “in style feminism”, “new feminism”, “younger feminism”, “client feminism”, “selection feminism”, “neoliberal feminism”, and “mainstream feminism”. Regardless of the label, the objection is similar: that feminist ideology is being commodified, de-fanged, and made engaging to a common viewers.

Widespread feminist books are sometimes designed to attraction to youthful readers, fairly than these effectively versed in feminist principle. Eggerue makes it clear that she used an easy-to-read writing model as a result of she didn’t need her guide to intimidate readers.

Why feminist books look related

These books all look and sound the identical as a result of they’re meant to be beginning platforms for individuals who are new and interested by sexism, inequality, and feminism. They click on with youthful readers and I’m certain there will probably be extra to return geared toward future generations.

What’s harder although, is bridging the hole between these “starter” 101 books and tougher, crucial texts. Whereas the previous are extra readily marketable and interesting to publishers, the latter nonetheless tends to occupy much less seen areas. This lack of visibility for different feminist texts means a wealthy wealth of concepts and ideas are usually not being heard exterior area of interest areas like academia and activist circles.

On the flip aspect, feminist voices dominating mainstream areas are promoting ladies the concept social and political inequalities may be merely overcome by self-will and self-improvement: “You go woman!”

Rebecca Wray doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or organisation that will profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/from-the-slumflower-to-florence-given-why-influencer-books-about-feminism-seem-so-similar/ via https://growthnews.in

#Growth News

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imhereforbvcky · 8 years ago

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imhereforbvcky's Marvel Receptacle

Okay I have read so many great stories on here but I’m absolute shit about leaving feedback, so here we go. The list of Marvel fics I’ve read and love (at least that I can remember). I’ll keep adding as I read them.

Last updated: 1/12/18 (search fic rec on my blog for more recent)

One Shots

Fluff (one shots)

Sand and Sea by @denialanderror This floof is too fun and I love the patented Bumbles sass. Summary: It’s too hot to do anything but you have the marvelous idea of taking a trip to the beach. However, Bucky just likes to be difficult, it seems.

Make Me by @marvelatmytrash This light-hearted one is so sweet and funny. I’m obsessed with this idea. I giggled the whole time. Summary: You catch Bucky in a compromising position and are a little less than helpful in getting your boyfriend out of his sticky situation.

I’ve got my love to keep me warm by @sugardaddytonystark A gorgeous holiday fic that is a beautiful balance of sweet and sultry. It literally feels like reading a dream. It’s just so gorgeously worded ugh. You need to read this. Summary: Outside the window, in the city square, the bulbs on the Christmas tree are still twinkling, rainbow lights reflecting off and refracting through the glass. A growing sheet of white snow is covering the ground and everything beyond the diner is ice-covered and frozen. But inside, it’s warm, and the air is thick with the smell of cinnamon and stew. James is here and your heart is pounding, stomach fluttering, and it feels good to feel this way, even if it’s not reciprocated.

A Freshly Brewed Storm by @doublestufthoreo I adore this fic. It is fun and not quite fluff. It looks at another side of Steve, what daily life Steve might look like. What adjusting might look like. Summary: Yeah, he’s is Captain America — he’s supposed to be the punctual one. It doesn’t stop him from running a coffee shop with terrible timings. Despite it, he does manage to bring back a regular.

Siblings Be Cray Cray by @littlemisssyreid I adore this fic. It is hilarious and relatable and so perfectly Tony. Summary: You’re Tony’s sister and at the team’s nagging he barges into your place to keep you company while you’re sick.

Smooth Criminal by @redgillan This fic is so fucking adorable I cannot make the words do the word thing to explain how much I love it. It is so fluffy but still cute and silly and fun so it’s not just like tooth rotting fluff. I’m obsessed with it. Summary: Bucky’s a cop and got called to a crime scene to arrest a criminal but he realizes the criminal is the person he’s dating.

Pool Balls and Underpants by @bitsandbobsandstuff Listen. This fic is so sassy and adorable, you should really read it like yesterday. I cannot handle the banter and the tension is just so flawless. Summary: Bucky offers to teach you how to play pool, but he ends up in a slightly awkward predicament.

Angst (one shots)

Hello & Goodbye Stranger by @serzhantkris Two sides of the same story, I don’t know how Kris put so much feeling into this brief exchange on a bus but I love it. Summary: Hello: You meet the love of your life on a bus. Based on “Hello” by Adele. Goodbye Stranger: Bucky falls in love with a woman on a bus. Based on “Goodbye Stranger” by Supertramp.

I’ve Got You by @serzhantkris I’m usually not a fan of soulmate AUs but holy fuckin shit. The aaaangst kills me in this one and I love it. I could re-read this one a thousand times. Summary: Soulmate au where instead of your soulmates first words to you written on your skin it’s their last words you ever hear them say so you don’t know who your soulmate is until you lose them.

Ocean Eyes by @whothehellisbella A really poetic and beautiful group of one shots. Soft and sad, just like the song :)

Brave: (Verb.) by @iwillbeinmynest I love this fic because while the reader is a badass, she isn’t perfect. She gets scared, she freezes, she’s so perfectly, relatably normal. I am obsessed with powerful normal characters right now. Summary: Prompt fic: “Scared is what you’re feeling. Brave is what you’re doing.”

Combo/Other (any combination of fluff+angst+smut) (one shots)

Feel Me by @avasparks (renewed version) An enhanced reader helps Bucky work into life after the Winter Soldier. It’s soft and intense and then sexy aaah. I love this one.

Five Sweaters To Make You Want Me by @sebbytrash Ok look, there is not one thing that isn’t flawless here. Not. One. I love this story so much. It’s cute and sweet and a dash of angst and a scoop of omg this might blow up in a bad way, and then flawless resolution. Kale! How do you nail the endings so well???? I give up.

Breakfast by @sugardaddytonystark Smug, pain in the ass Buckaroo is my favorite Buckaroo. This is some seriously fantastic smut and I love love love all the banter. Summary: It’s not like you were jealous.Yeah, you and Steve have been roommates for two years. And yeah, you consider him your best friend. But you know that Bucky was Steve’s friend first, and now that Bucky has moved in to the third bedroom, it’s about time that you accept being the third wheel. or Steve is out of town so you and Bucky hate fuck.

Ok this isn’t a one shot, but @emilyevanston‘s headcannons They’re so much fun and there’s honestly something for everyone. EVERYONE. Also I don’t know how the hell Kate keeps up with them all and manages to link them all! But she does. Bless her soul.

I Lost It by @theashhole An amazing bundle of fics that are adorable and painful. Soaring high or crashing with the pain. I love it and am amazed at the range Ash can reach with just two parts so far! Summary: We follow Bucky as he describes the three times in his life where he has ‘lost it’ with you.

Haunted by @abovethesmokestacks This fic is magic. Pure magic. What starts as a mysterious and haunting scene melts into a tremendously endearing and gentle story. I love it. It doesn’t push things too quickly, I love the pace and it allows the sweet little gems shine t he brighter. Love. It. Summary: Prompt fic: “I know you, don’t I?” for a Halloween writing challenge

Series

Angst (series)

Death Wish by @helaodinsdottirr Listen. You need to read this. You just do. it’s so dang good and intense and the slow burn is soooo goood uuuuugh. Summary: You answer a frantic phone call from an old acquaintance to help their dying friend, who just so happens to be an Avenger. But doing a good deed has more consequences than one might think. Saving him might just mean condemning yourself.

What We Deserve by @helaodinsdottirr I just can’t get enough of Jess’s writing, alright? She will break your heart with this one and then give you back a taped up ball of glowing happy. Summary: When Steve goes to Bucky’s apartment in Bucharest he finds you while Bucky’s gone out to the market. Massive angst and fluff ensues.

Thicker Than Water by @nataliarxmanxva This concept is incredible and I love how Sophia weaves bits of hinted at stories from the Cap movies into this story. It’s so great! And the reader character is strong but flawed and you just don’t know what’s going to happen! Summary: Being born and raised in a HYDRA family means you must be a devoted member to the organisation, carrying out orders with blind obedience. But after being assigned the suicide mission of being the Winter Soldier’s handler, you slowly start to question where your loyalties truly lie.

The Night Ahead by @helaodinsdottirr I love all of Jess’s writing. She is a master of angst and building dramatic tension. She can weave a story so full of surprises and genius turns. Summary: Bucky came out of cryostasis after just a few months. With the help of Steve, he’s trying to piece the fractions of his mind back together. While flipping through old HYDRA files, he remembers something from his days as the winter soldier: you.

Through His Eyes by @sebbytrash This. Series. Is fan-fucking-tastic. So much angst, like truckloads on all sides but it’s so beautiful and it makes so much sense that it doesn’t feel like overload. I can’t get enough of this one no matter where it goes. Summary: Bucky arrives at the compound to start afresh but you and him have a somewhat colorful past, colorful being that you met him once before as The Winter Soldier and it did not go well. New beginnings, yeah? If you can learn to forgive.

Barnes’ Books by @marvel-lucy Fantastically angsty and soft. A lovely little dream world about a down on her luck character who stumbles into a friendship with a bookstore owner and later a relationship with his son.

Winter Shadow by @marvel-lucy Intense and mysterious. You fall into the hands of the avengers as a prisoner, they soon discover that you have been the Winter Soldier’s silent partner all along.

Combo/Other (any combination of fluff+angst+smut) (series)

Surrender by @marvel-ash Holy shit this is one where I honestly never know what’s going to happen in the next part. It’s so mysterious and gah! I love it. Summary: As a flight attendant, you’d traveled all over the world. You’d never thought you could meet someone who could take you somewhere you hadn’t already been.

Divided by @marvelatmytrash Ok this is so fantastically done. I don’t even have the words. Basically B injects the reader as a new character in Civil War and it’s incredible how seamlessly she fits her in and how hard B worked to keep to the script/storyline. It’s amazing. Summary: You have always been one of the best agents at the Avenger’s compound, now you come face to face with the Winter Soldier and find yourself drastically underprepared.

Melodies by @denialanderror Pianist Bucky smut. That’s all that needs to be said here, I think. Summary: Unable to fall back asleep, you decide to wander around the tower when you hear music coming from somewhere. But it’s 3am, no one should be awake so late.

Heart On The Line by @sugardaddytonystark The smoothest story you can find with the most delicious smut weaved into a genuinely entertaining story. I love this fic. I love a lot of Dahlia’s fics. Summary: You and Bucky had your differences in college, but now you need a place to stay and he needs a roommate, and in order to make ends meet, you two start a phone sex line together.

Worth Fighting For by @serzhantkris A gorgeous group of series. Full of angst and action. Beautifully slow build. I’ve read a few of her other one shots that are fantastic! She writes incredibly insightful angst. Summary: When your brother is drafted into WWII, you do the unthinkable to save him and your family: you take his place, in secret.

The Witching Hour by @soldatbarnes Such a fun and terrifying horror series! Oh my god I binged this in one night. Fantastic push and pull of no this can’t be real to no, fuck no, I would not put up with this! The perfect play of rational mind dealing with irrational occurrences. It was so entertaining. Summary: You and your husband Bucky move into your dream home, a few weeks after your marriage. You had no idea what you’d be in for.

When Everything’s Made to be Broken (I just Want You to Know Who I Am) by @cassiopeiassky You listen to me! Read this fic and read it right now! Binge the shit out of it! It’s amazing! I LOVE that it takes an ordinary reader and puts her in extraordinary circumstances. It is full of angst and fluff and violence and tension. Literally everything you could want in a fic. It’s perfect and so worth the read. Cass is a master of slow burn and drama – my two favorite things! Summary: When you inadvertently become a witness to a murder and are suddenly a target for death, it takes a specially skilled soldier and his team to keep you and your family safe.

#fic recs #imhereforbvcky's marvel receptacle #fic rec #bucky x reader #bucky imagines #bucky barnes #marvel imagine

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