#author: rebecca ross

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

[ x ]

[haveyoureadthispoll]

Jack Tamerlaine hasn’t set foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university. But when young girls start disappearing from the isle, Jack is summoned home to help find them. Enchantments run deep on Cadence: gossip is carried by the wind; plaid shawls can be as strong as armor, and the smallest cut of a knife can instil fathomless fear. The capricious spirits that rule the isle by fire, water, earth, and wind find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home. Adaira, heiress of the east and Jack’s childhood enemy, knows the spirits only answer to a bard’s music, and she hopes Jack can draw them forth by song, enticing them to return the missing girls. As Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together, they find they make better allies than rivals as their partnership turns into something more. But with each passing song, it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.

[sjsmith56]

Answers - A Private Man, Chapter 8

Summary: Bucky gets a warning from a surprising source. Tracey officially makes the decision to move in with Bucky and Rebecca.

Length: 4.2K

Characters: Bucky, Rebecca, Tracey, Matt Murdock, John Walker

Warnings: Bucky feeling paranoid (with reason).

Author notes: This story was originally written around the time of the Thunderbolts movie announcement. For the purposes of this story pretend not to have much of an idea of the purpose of the team (even less than what we know now). I'm not familiar enough with the comic book story of that group but Marvel doesn't really seem to be following that anyways.  I can tell you that the threat of Ross and Fontaine will hang over Bucky, Tracey, and Rebecca by appearing in future chapters.  Since this book already doesn't follow canon, in that it deviates from Falcon and the Winter Soldier storyline (Bucky living with his sister in Brooklyn) it may just deviate from putting him in the Thunderbolts.  You'll just have to keep reading to find out for sure.

<<Chapter 7

Tracey came for dinner that Monday evening and they all sat outside after in the warm evening, under the glow of the fairy lights, listening to a mixture of crooners and instrumentals from the 1940s through to current day.  Bucky brought up Tracey moving in with them and Rebecca agreed that she would like that. 

"I'll clear out some of the basement," said Bucky.  "We can make room for Tracey's things down there then go through everything and sell what we don't want to keep.  Does that sound alright to both of you?"

"We could have a yard sale," said Rebecca.  "I'm sure I have some old things down there that would sell.  What do they call it now ... retro or vintage furniture?"

"I couldn't ask you to do that," insisted Tracey.  "It is your house."

"And Bucky's," stated Rebecca.  "If it's in the basement I likely haven't used it for years.  Better it go to someone who will use it and enjoy it.  We can put the money towards something else, like a new roof or something."

"What's wrong with the roof?" he asked.  "I was just up there a few weeks ago.  It looked alright."

"It was just an example," replied his sister, rolling her eyes a little bit.  "You never know what will come up.  You'll bring Alley Cat with you, won't you Tracey?"

"Absolutely," she replied.  They were all quiet for a moment.  "Did you hear from Matt Murdock?"

"Yeah, they still won't give him an answer," said Bucky.  "I've been thinking of phoning Colonel Rhodes.  He's still with the Department of Defence, and has been trying to get the Avengers formally reinstated.  He might be able to find out if it's the Army that filed an objection."

The others thought that was a good idea.  When it was bedtime for Rebecca, Bucky carried her into the bathroom, where Tracey helped her then dressed her for bed.  He carried her to bed, read her another bedtime story from the book that Tracey bought them then tucked Rebecca in before kissing her goodnight.  Out in the hallway he put his arms around Tracey.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to stay but I think you want an uninterrupted sleep tonight," he smiled.  "I could do with a proper sleep myself."

"Is my fatigue that obvious?" she asked, jokingly.  "You don't mind, do you?  We could make plans for me to stay over Friday and Saturday, as long as you don't mind if I bring Alley Cat with me.  I hate imposing on my neighbour to look after him.  He tends to use it as an excuse to ask me out."

Bucky's eyebrows raised.  "I have competition?" Pulling Tracey closer, he kissed her sensuously, while running his hands down her back.  "Do I have anything to worry about?"

She shook her head slowly while looking him in the eye.  "He's rather creepy but he does try to be helpful.  So, I'm safe to give my notice to vacate my apartment at the end of next month?"

"Uh huh," he replied.  "How big is your bed?"

"Queen size, bigger than yours," she said, with a smile.  "We could always buy a king size.  I think it would fit in that room."

"Queen size is good enough for a while," answered Bucky.  "Don't want to have too far to reach for you."

They kissed again and Bucky walked her out to her car, kissed her once more, then watched from the street as she drove into the night. 

"Nice looking girlfriend," said a man's voice and Bucky turned towards it, seeing a man leaning against the light post and smoking a cigarette.

"Do I know you?" asked Bucky, his senses alerted.

"Just stopped for a smoke," said the man.  "Didn't want to interrupt you kissing your girlfriend."

Even in the dark Bucky could see the tells for someone lying.  "You live near here?" he asked.

"Next street over.  My wife thinks I've quit smoking so I walk around the block and have it over here."

"Funny, I've never noticed you before," replied Bucky.

"That's because you usually take off at this time," said the man, a little too casually.  "Figured you work night shift or something."

"No, you misunderstand me," said Bucky, standing square to the man.  "I mean I'm an observant guy and I've never seen you walking around this neighbourhood, never smelled anyone smoking the type of cigarette you're smoking.  So, either you're lying about being a neighbour, or this is your first time watching my house.  Which is it?"

The man smirked.  "Wow, you're paranoid," he replied, then he threw his cigarette down onto the sidewalk and crushed it under his shoe.  "I guess I'm going home.  You have a nice night."

Bucky watched as the man walked away, making sure he was out of sight before he picked up the crushed cigarette with his left hand.  He brought it into the house and laid it on a tissue.  Then he placed a phone call.

"Matt? It's Bucky.  I just caught a strange guy outside on the sidewalk smoking.  He says he lives in the neighbourhood but I've never seen him and I don't know many guys living in Brooklyn smoking a Japanese brand."  Bucky was silent for a moment.  "Okay, I'll put it in a plastic bag.  I'm not being paranoid but everything about this guy made my senses alert, you know?"

He said goodbye and pulled a sandwich bag out of the pantry, then picked up the butt and put it inside the bag.  After he turned off the lights he looked out the window cutout on the door, making sure he was in the shadow.  A few minutes after he started looking the man came back, leaned against the lamp post, lit up another cigarette, then watched the house.  Stepping away slowly, Bucky looked at the plastic bag in his hand and went into the bathroom.  He pulled out the box of Rebecca's adult diapers and placed the bag in the bottom, sliding it in between a couple of them.  Then he changed into sweatpants and a T-shirt, picked up a pillow from his bed and came out to the living room, lying on the couch.  Pulling a throw blanket on top he laid there watching the door until he fell asleep.

He was awakened during the night by sounds outside.  Looking through the cutout window he couldn't see anything but did notice several intact cigarettes scattered on the road, visible in the streetlight's glow.  For about 15 minutes he watched but he didn't notice any movement and eventually returned to the couch, falling asleep quickly. 

His phone woke him up at 5:45 am and he opened the door to get the newspaper, left on the front sidewalk.  The cigarettes were all gone but he noticed several drops of blood that seemed to lead away from the house.  Kneeling down to get a better look at the blood he saw an intact cigarette under a bush on their neighbour's property.  Extending his left hand he picked it up, confirming it as the same brand as the crushed one from the previous night.  There was also a faint scent of aftershave, something that he had smelled before but he couldn't place where.

"Interesting," he said out loud, then looked all around but he was alone on the street. 

Returning to the house he started up the coffee, put the intact cigarette in another sandwich bag, and made his breakfast.  Sitting at the table when it was ready he ate and read the newspaper.  It contained much the same news as it always did except for a couple of things that caught his eye.  The first was a news article about a masked vigilante taking on certain elements of the criminal underworld.  Police were reluctant to call him a criminal himself as he had often deposited individuals onto the front steps of certain precincts with a note detailing their crimes.  The second article that got his attention was buried deep in one of the sections announcing the appointment of a new CIA director.  Her name was Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and it had her picture.  He recognized her as John Walker's employer, and as someone who had apparently tried to have Clint Barton killed by Yelena Belova, according to Sam.

He texted a note about the second news article to Foggy Nelson, wondering if Fontaine might be the one who filed an objection.   After finishing his breakfast he got dressed, retrieved the crushed and intact cigarettes, put them in his jacket pocket, and waited for Kalyna to arrive for her shift of looking after Rebecca.  As soon as she did he headed towards the docks, clocked in, and met with the other supervisors to go over the ships expected to dock that day, their manifests, and which crews would be assigned to which ships.  It was a busy day broken only by the sight of Matt Murdock waiting for Bucky as he came out of the security gate to grab some lunch at a nearby café.  His appearance was expected as he wanted to "see" the crushed cigarette Bucky picked up the night before. 

"Hi," said Bucky, noticing some cuts and bruises on Matt's face.  "What happened to you?"

A small grimace flickered across the lawyer's face. 

"Walked into some low hanging branches," he replied.  "Really did a number on my face."

Bucky hummed.  "You want something to eat?" he asked.  "My treat."

"Thanks, just coffee," said Matt.  "You go ahead."

They sat at a table and Bucky ordered coffee for both of them plus a double order of a club sandwich and fries for himself.  While they waited he pulled out the two baggies and put the one with the crushed butt in Matt's hands.

Murdock opened it and smelled the tobacco.

"It does smell different," he commented. "Was that the clue that something was up?"

"Partially," said Bucky.  "In my previous occupation I did a lot of surveillance, watching people.  Got to read them very well.  He had tells that he was lying.  The cigarettes were odd for a westerner to smoke unless he had spent time working in Japan especially with the Yakuza as each clan has their favourite brand.  Don't ask me how I know that.  He came back after I sent him on his way.  Then during the night I heard what sounded like a scuffle.  He was gone but his cigarettes were scattered.  When I got up in the morning they were gone as well except for this single one that was under a bush.  There were blood drops on the sidewalk as well as a faint scent of aftershave in the air, similar to what you're wearing."

He placed the second bag in Murdock's hand then watched him intently, noting his reaction.  A small smile crossed the lawyers's lips.

"Busted," he said in a voice so low that only Bucky would hear him.

"You're him," said Bucky, in an equally low voice.  "Your secret's safe with me, although I'm curious how a blind man's senses are on extreme overdrive.  Did he tell you anything?"

"Hired by untraceable text.  Money transferred from a secret account.  He was only to watch you, not interact.  I think they're trying to establish your routine so they can take you at some point."

"Strange this happens just as the CIA gets a new director," stated Bucky.  "Sometimes a coincidence isn't."

"My thoughts also," said Murdock, taking a sip.  "Watch your back.  They might try something with your sister or Tracey."

"She's moving in," stated Bucky.  "I can handle anyone that comes at me here or in transit but if they threaten Rebecca or Tracey I'll likely go overboard."

"Understood," said Murdock, finishing his coffee and preparing to leave.

"Matt," said Bucky.  "Come to me if you get hurt.  I have unique field medical experience.  There are ways to speed up healing.  I have your six if it comes to that."

"I appreciate the offer," said the lawyer and he extended his hand.

Bucky shook it.  His food was delivered a minute later and he enjoyed every last bite.

Friday

The crew of dockworkers under Bucky's supervision finished unloading the cargo ship just before quitting time. He still had some paperwork to finish up and returned to the office to do it.  By the time he was done the place was deserted, as the night crew were yet to arrive.  Once they came on it would get busy while they began organizing the shipping containers to load the ship for the return journey across the Atlantic.  As he signed off on the last of his paperwork Bucky stretched and stopped at the dock manager's office.

"I'm off, Rick," he said to the burly man who would stay for another couple of hours finishing his own paperwork.

"Nice work this week, Buck," he said.  "I'm glad to have you on as a supervisor.  The crew respects you.  How different is it from when you worked here in the 30s and 40s?"

"Well, we didn't have the nice forklifts then," said Bucky.  "It was a lot more back breaking.  We had cranes but not these heavy duty ones that can pick up an entire shipping container.  Everything was on pallets.  Still the same goal; get it loaded and unloaded as quickly as possible."

Rick smirked then wished Bucky a good weekend.  He went to his locker, put his jacket on and checked his phone.  Tracey was already over at the house.  He smiled, considering himself a lucky man, then texted that he was just leaving and would be there shortly.  Waving at the security guard he left the secure part of the dock facility and began the walk home.  An SUV at the side of the road drew his attention to the presence of an individual in it and he slowed up, his curiosity heightened.  The person in the driver's seat got out and turned to face him.

"Get in, I'll give you a ride home," said John Walker, the last person he expected to see waiting for him.  "We need to talk."

"No offence, John, but there's been some weird shit going on for a while," replied Bucky.  "You'll have to forgive me for not trusting you."

The man sighed.  "I get it.  You have my word I'm taking you straight home."

Bucky took a moment to consider and made the decision to go with Walker.  He got into the front seat and buckled himself in.

"So, what do we need to talk about?" asked Bucky.

"The people who ordered your arrest, for starters," said Walker.  "I had nothing to do with it.  As far as I'm concerned you've paid your debt to society and deserve to be left alone but I'm in a minority."

"Fontaine was behind it?" asked Bucky.

"It was her great idea," said Walker, sarcastically.  "But she is being pushed by someone else.  Thaddeus Ross."

Bucky's lip curled.  "Why does he want me arrested?  I was pardoned by the President himself.  Can't he leave well enough alone?"

"You don't understand," said Walker.  "They don't want you in prison.  They want you working for them and they want you to do for them what you did for HYDRA."

Bucky didn't know what to say as he was suddenly very angry.  It took a few minutes for him to get his emotions under control.  "I don't kill."

"I told them," stated Walker.  "Said you're not the Winter Soldier anymore.  Ross just laughed.  Said once a killer, always a killer."

"So why are you telling me this?" asked Bucky.  "It's not like we're good friends or anything."

"No, but I do owe you something," he replied as he pulled up in front of Bucky's house.  "I never should have taken the serum.  I thought it would make it easier to do what I do but it's so easy to lose control and I'm terrified I'll do to someone what I did to that Flag Smasher, as much as I felt justified at the time.  I never realized why you kept yourself restrained.  I get it now.  You do it so you don't become a monster.  I was cocky when they gave me the shield but I didn't deserve it.  Sam was Steve Roger's choice and I know why.  He's a much more honourable man than I'll ever be."  He took a frustrated breath before continuing.  "They're still considering their options to force you to work for them.  Expect them to get dirty.  At some point they may ask me to come after you and I won't have much choice to say no.  They know things about me, things I did in the heat of battle.  It's why I still work for Val."

Bucky nodded in understanding at this unloading of emotions coming out of Walker.  "They have you over a barrel, in other words.  I appreciate the heads up, John.  I do.  But I won't be forced into killing again, for no one.  Do they know you're here, talking to me?"

"Sort of.  I said I could probably convince you but I just said that so I could warn you.  I'll tell them you turned me down, which you did.  Whatever they ask me to do personally, I won't hurt your sister or your girlfriend.  I won't cross that line but it doesn't mean they won't find someone who will.  Watch your back and tell Sam to watch his.  They're also the ones behind the campaign to defund the Avengers."

Walker stuck his hand out and Bucky looked at it for a moment then shook it.  It took guts for John Walker to tell him this to his face.  Perhaps their cooperation against the Flag Smashers in New York had changed him enough to try to walk a straighter path.  Regardless, he had answers now and with answers perhaps he could find the right ammunition to fight Ross and Fontaine.  He got out and Walker raised a hand to his forehead before driving off.  Bucky watched him until he was out of sight.  The door to the house opened, revealing Tracey waiting for him.  God, she was beautiful; his own angel.  He felt a warmth deep in his core at the thought of them in bed later. 

"Who was that?" she asked.

"John Walker," he replied, debating at first whether he should tell her more.  "I'll tell the rest inside.  You and Rebecca both need to hear what he told me.  I'm going to get Sam, Matt and Colonel Rhodes on the phone as well.  We may have a fight on our hands."

Ten minutes later he finished telling them everything Walker told him.  No one said anything then Matt's voice came over the phone speaker.

"Well, I guess we need to do some deep digging.  There has to be something these two have done that we can use against them."

"I don't know," said Rhodes.  "Ross was Secretary of State for President Ellis.  That's a lot of political power and he would have been thoroughly vetted before being offered the position."

"That's true, but he was also in charge of the super soldier project involving Bruce Banner, right?" said Matt.  "I've done some homework already as I wondered if he was behind your payout being delayed.  What if he made overtures to HYDRA at that time to get their intel?  He might have even known about you, Bucky.  One of my sources speculated that SHIELD was able to unthaw Steve Rogers successfully because they had access to how HYDRA took you out of cryostasis without mentioning you by name."  Bucky breathed heavily when he heard that but didn't respond.  "Let me do some digging.  There has to be someone somewhere who knows something."

"Try Helmut Zemo," said Bucky.  "He's the one who framed me but he also decrypted more HYDRA files than anyone.  You might have a hard time getting hold of him as he's in the Raft now.  His right hand man is an old guy named Oeznik.  As for Val, she's not clean, I know that much.  I wouldn't be surprised if she blackmailed her way into her position."

"She was married to a guy named Everett Ross," said Rhodes.  "Had him arrested recently but he was "kidnapped" on his way into custody.  Rumour has it that the Wakandans have him."

"I'm not sure he'll help either," said Bucky.  "He was the Deputy Commander of the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre when I was taken into custody.  Sharon Carter worked for him and she helped us.  Maybe she knows something."

There was silence until Rhodes spoke.  "Buck, she's dropped out of sight.  In fact, she might be one of the targets that the CIA wants eliminated.   There's a rumour she's back in Madripoor."

"I can go there," offered Sam.  "But it would be dangerous for me."

"I could go with you," said Bucky, an offer that was met with a resounding no from both Rhodes and Matt.

"If you try to leave the country you'll just give Fontaine and Ross fuel to take you into custody," said Matt.  "You need to keep doing what you've done for the past year.  Go to work, look after your family, and stay out of trouble as much as possible."

Everyone agreed with that plan and Bucky accepted their reasoning.  For a man who had been an asset used to track down and kill HYDRA's enemies he felt somewhat helpless but he also knew that he was walking a very public tightrope.  Ross and Fontaine had resources to take him down and the last thing he needed to do was make it easy for them.  After the others hung up he sat back on the couch with his arm on the back of the sofa. 

"So how was your day?" he asked Rebecca and Tracey in an understated tone.

Rebecca had a gleam in her eye while Tracey went to the bedroom.  She came out with a walker, positioning it in front of the older woman.  Grasping the handles Rebecca raised herself and walked around the coffee table towards Bucky.  Slowly she turned around then sat down next to him, looking at him triumphantly.

"After my physiotherapy session yesterday Melinda put in for a walker," she said.  "It was delivered today, during Marie's visit.  She was so excited that she showed me herself how to use it.  She's trying to expedite that ramp."

Smiling, he put his arm around Rebecca's shoulders.  It was gratifying to see her walking.  Having mobility would help her feel better and less helpless.  There was a meow sound and Alley Cat suddenly jumped up onto the couch, settling down on Rebecca's lap.

"You brought him," said Bucky to Tracey.

"I guess he was exploring the house while we were on the phone," she said.  "I put his litter box in the basement.  You did a good job clearing space for my things.  I could add some things to the yard sale."

"You don't have to sell your stuff," said Bucky.

"I'm going to be part of the household, aren't I?" she asked, with a soft smile. 

"Yes, you are," answered Rebecca firmly, reaching across Bucky to grasp Tracey's hand.  "You can add whatever you want to it.  We're in this together now."

Bucky put his arms out to both sides and drew both women in close, kissing each of them on the sides of their heads.  Rebecca getting stronger and Tracey moving in were both important milestones for him.  The year before he first met Tracey had been hard and while he had no regrets about devoting his life to taking care of his sister the commitment had taken its toll on him emotionally and socially.  Just having another person to share even part of the load was a big weight off of his shoulders.  In many ways, it was close to the life he someday envisioned for himself before he went to war.  A home, a wife and family, perhaps looking after his parents as they aged.  So much had been denied to him and now it seemed he was finally getting that life, bit by precious bit.  There was no way he was going to give that up for the likes of Fontaine and Ross.

Part 9>>

Series Masterlist

Please support the author by reblogging.

[orlissa]

How Not to Commit a Crime Against Historical Fashion–A Basic Guide for Writers

I have been reading a lot (mostly YA) (pseudo)historical (fantasy) novels (and let’s not even get started on what’s going on TV), and I’m stunned and horrified by the complete lack of basic understanding of historical fashion most authors display (not you, Rebecca Ross, darling, you didn’t do anything wrong). So here is a little guide from a miffed little gremlin who knows just a tad bit more about what people wore in the ye olden days than the average person (really, I’m no expert), so YOU don’t commit these heinous crimes:

First and foremost, and I cannot stress this enough: clothing and fashion don’t exist in vacuum. They are intrinsically tied to culture, climate, and, maybe most importantly, technology.

For the most of history (and I’m primarily talking about Western history here, sorry), people wore a simple base layer under their clothing: chemises, shifts, undershirts, underpants, drawers, combinations. Women and men! These had a very important function: they protected the actual outer layers from sweat, and protected the skin from chafing (e.g. from a corset). In the time and day when you didn’t have sewing and washing machines, outer clothes were relatively super expensive, while doing laundry was an actual nightmare. You didn’t want to wash you gowns much, because it was hard on your hands and on the fabric as well. So instead you wore a chemise–made of, most likely, some inexpensive, white material, in an easy-to-sew shape–, and changed and washed that chemise frequently. So as long as your worldbuilding doesn’t include (basically) fast fashion and washing machines (washing spells?), you really, really wanna have your characters to wear an undershirt/chemise.

You also have to think about colors. Chemical dying had a great advancement in the 1860s, which brought on a plethora of new and bright shades that actually lasted. Women’s clothing thus became extra and blindingly colorful, while men’s clothing went… black. As before these chemical dies black dye was hard to make and it also faded fast. (So yeah, your medieval bad guy is actually not that likely to wear black.) Purple is extra tricky, as it was traditionally made from a little creature called the purple dye murex, and making such dye was a lot of work and thus super expensive–so for the longest time only the wealthiest wore purple: senators, cardinals, kings…

(I just read a scene today where in the late 1800s Sicily a male character exchanged a leather shirt for a black (linen?) one at the town market, which he put right on the skin. I was understandably upset and manifested the author stepping on a piece of Lego.)

Climate really determines what people wear: think not only about the temperatures, but what raw materials are available at the climate. (Like, can they wear silk? Are there silk worms in this world? If yes, where? How can the characters have access to it?) Also, do not be daunted by the layers and think that your characters would be sweating buckets in the summer: we are talking about natural materials here which breathe.

Also, I’m not happy to rain on your parade, but generally speaking your (pseudo)historical character wouldn’t be showing too much skin in public. They don’t have sun screen, so they’d be protecting their skin from the sun by covering up–no short sleeves and super low necklines for you! However, evening attire can be more daring (short sleeves! Uncovered shoulders! Décolletage!)

I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: before the… say second third of the 19th century, you don’t have corsets. You have stays, that give the body a conical shape. Then at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries you have transitional stays, which might be closer to modern bras/bralettes than you’d think. The point of these is to push the boobs up (since the gown is loose around the stomach, there is no point in trying to shape the silhouette there). Then you have corsets. You cannot tightlace (drastically shrink the waist) until the mid-19th century, when metal eyelets in corsets are introduced (and so they can take more tension). Still, it was more like an exception than a rule.

“Whalebone” is not actual bone. It’s baleen, those thingies in the whales’ mouth they use to filter their food from the water. Baleen is made of keratin, the same substance that makes up your fingernails, making them flexible.

Also, it’s just my general advice: try not to conceptualize corsets as bras, but as shoes: they need to be broken in, but once they are molded to your body, they are rather comfortable.

Clothes also play a cultural function–they have a meaning, a function. E.g. the point of panniers (those wide hip-thingies in 18th century gowns) and crinolines was that the women who wore them took up a lot of physical space. Women might not really had much say in everyday life, but they used fashion to show that they are there (men hated it, btw).

General silhouette guide to the 19th century, very roughly:

1800-1820s: Regency (brr, I’m gonna say it… Bridgerton). Boobs up, waistline right under the boobs, skirt is light and loose, with not much volume (will end up looking like a nightgown if the costume designer is not careful enough)

1820s-1830s: waistlines are going down (but still kinda up), skirts are getting fuller, sleeves puffier

1840s-1860s: waistline down to the natural waist, skirts are getting really full with huge crinolines, sleeves slim down, pagoda sleeves (getting wider down from the elbow) later down the road

1870s: First bustle period. Skirts get flat in the front and the sides, stick out in the back.

Turn of the 1870s-1880s: Natural form era. The bustle shrinks.

1880s: Second bustle period. The bustle comes back, gets even bigger.

1890s: Skirts become more A-lined, sleeves get puffed up (till they are ridiculous), chest shaped like a dove’s

[autistpride]

These books are written "geared towards" adults and older teens. I personally would let my teen read all of these, so I'm not gatekeeping literature, but use your own judgement on what you think is acceptable for your own kid to read.

Nonfictional Books for adults:

All the weight of our dreams by Lydia XZ Brown

Stim: an autistic anthology edited by Lizzie Huxley-Jones

Connecting with Autism by Casey Corner

Sincerely your Autistic child by AWNN

Uniquely human by Barry m prizant

Engaging autism by Stanley Greenspan

Raising human beings by Ross Greene

Beyond behaviours by Mona delahooke

The whole brain child by Dan Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson

Autism and gender by Jordynn Jack

It's your weirdness that makes you wonderful Kate Allan

Women and girls with autism spectrum disorder Sarah Hendrick

Worlds of Autism by Joyce davidson

Authoring autism by melanie yergeau

Nerdy Shy and Socially Inappropriate Cynthia Kim

Autistic disturbances by julie rodas

War on Autism by Annie McGuire

Rethinking autism diagnosis by kathenne Cole, Rebecca mallet, and sammy

Leaders all around me by Edlyn Vallejo Peña, PhD

Ido in autismland by Ido Kedar

Typed words loud voices by Amy Sequenzia & Elizabeth J. Grace

It's an autism thing by Emma Dalmayne

What Every Autistic Girl Wishes Her Parents Knew by Autism Women’s Network

Women on the Spectrum: A Handbook for Life by Emma Goodall and Yenn Purkis

Unmasking autism by Devon Price

Neurotribes by Steve Silberman

Love, Partnership or Singleton on the Autism Spectrum & Bittersweet on the Autism Spectrum, both edited by Luke Beardon and Dean Worton

Autism, Anxiety and Me: A Diary in Even Numbers by Emma Louise Bridge & Penelope Bridge

Autism: A New Introduction to Psychological Theory and Current Debate by Sue Fletcher-Watson and Francesca Happé

A Practical Guide to Happiness in Adults on the Autism Spectrum: A Positive Psychology Approach by Victoria Honeybourne

Gender Identity, Sexuality and Autism by Eva A. Mendes and Meredith R. Maroney

The Guide to Good Mental Health on the Autism Spectrum by Jeanette Purkis, Dr. Emma Goodall and Dr. Jane Nugent

Different, Not Less: A Neurodivergent's Guide to Embracing Your True Self and Finding Your Happily Ever After by Chloe Hayden

Memoirs:

Odd Girl Out by Laura James

Uncomfortable Labels by Laura Kate Dale

Drama Queen by Sara Gibbs

The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May

Fall down Seven Times Get Up Eight by Naoki Higashida

The Reason I Jump by Naomi Hashida

The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May

Wintering by Katherine May

Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty

Explaining Humans by Dr. Camilla Pang

Fingers in the Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham

Adult Fiction:

Adult Virgins Anonymous by Amber Crewe

Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan

A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Failure to Communicate by Kaia Sønderby

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

[thetypedwriter]

Klara and the Sun Book Review

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

I have been on such a journey lately. A journey of rediscovery. 

For a while now, I have felt…bored with YA. Don’t get me wrong, there are some absolute gems. Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat and Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross come to mind.

However, a lot of the other YA books I’ve read in the last year or two have felt incredibly mundane, cliched, and tropey. They all feel the same.  

So lately, I have been getting out of my comfort zone. I’ve been reading less YA and instead as many books as possible in as many myriad genres as possible.

It has been enlightening.

I feel invigorated with reading again, falling in love with words and pages like I did so long ago that set me on this path of creating book reviews and becoming an English teacher and writing my own book. 

I haven’t written reviews for them all, but I’ve read Brave New World, The Outsiders, Murder on the Orient Express, The Women, and plan on reading an adult horror novel called Home Before Dark by Riley Sager and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt soon. 

All this to say, I’ve rekindled my love for stories and characters, all thanks to the variety of novels I’ve recently been consuming. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro is no exception. 

Klara and the Sun is an adult novel that is told from the perspective of Klara, an artificial friend (AF). Klara is essentially a selfless robot who yearns to be put in a home and given a ward.

She watches the outside from her shop window, pining for the sun (she is a solar powered robot) and dreaming of the day she can go outside the shop on her own and be given a purpose. 

Her day comes. Klara is taken home by Josie, a thirteen-year-old girl, and her mother. What unfolds is Klara’s experience in this new place with Josie and her mother, the people in their life, the despairing world around them, and a nefarious secret with ambiguous motivations. 

I would get into the plot more, but that really is the basics. It would take an unbelievable amount of work to explain the complexities of Klara and this new life she’s found herself in and it’s better for people to read the book and see the mystery unravel for themselves.

Ishiguro as an author is really intriguing because he gives you nothing but bread crumbs. In a direct comparison to YA, Klara and the Sun gives you teensy morsels about society and the world, but never enough for you to piece things together until well into more than halfway through the book.

I only found this frustrating near the 200 page mark when I was desperate for answers. Up until then, though, I found it refreshing that an author wasn’t shoving lengthy exposition down my throat. 

I will say that the ending of Klara and the Sun was anticlimactic for me. What you expect

to happen just…happens. There’s no twist, no shock, no great revelations. When you finally realize Klara’s true purpose it comes across as a bit…problematic, but it’s not that wild of an idea once you think about it more fully and realize all the foreshadowing leading up to it. 

My favorite part of Klara and the Sun was Klara herself. I love the trope of robots becoming more human-like or learning about humanity (the movie, The Wild Robot, is a great example of this that I saw and loved recently). So I’m a bit biased when it comes to this trope in general. 

Ishiguro’s writing wasn’t beautiful exactly, but very dialogue driven which I found interesting. I liked that he didn’t push his world building in my face every opportunity he got, but I would have appreciated a little more explanation about the society and world he created.

There are still facts and details that are hazy after finishing the book that I would have expected to be more fleshed out. It would have been a better book with more of everything expanded upon. 

Recommendation: If you love robots becoming human as much as I do, you will enjoy Klara and the Sun. While it wasn’t the deepest read, nor one that I thought stuck the landing at the end, I still enjoyed the process.

I loved Klara’s POV, the ethics that arise from her place in the world, and the questions that popped up in my mind as a result from this story. As always, any book that makes me think is a book worth reading. 

Score: 7/10

[motherofplatypus]

Bisan Owda is a journalist in Gaza that keeps updating about the barbaric genocide actions that israel committed with weapons supplied mainly by US, all the while living through that genocide itself.

Over 30k+ has been killed, and over 15k+ of those are children and babies.

The celebs and artists who wanted to rescind Bisan's nomination are as follow:

Ari Ingel, Executive Director, Creative Community for Peace

David Renzer, Former Chairman/CEO Universal Music Publishing Group, CCFP Chairman & Co-Founder

Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive & Music President, Electronic Arts, CCFP Co-Founder

Rakefet Abergel, Actor/Director, Cyclamen Films

Orly Adelson, Former President of ITV Studios, America

Marty Adelstein, CEO, Tomorrow Studios

Anne-Marie Asner, Co-Founder, Animation Israel

Jeff Astrof, TV Producer/Showrunner, Other Shoe Productions

Michael Auerbach, Partner, Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein

Dean Bahat, Attorney, Ziffren Brittenham

Andrea Ballas, VP Comms, CBS

Jackie Barrie, A&R Manager, Nvak Collective

Richard Baskind, Partner & Head of Music, Simons Muirhead & Burton

Aton Ben-Horin, Executive VP of Global A&R, Atlantic Records Group

Steven Bensusan, President, Blue Note Entertainment Group

Adam Berkowitz, Founder and President, Lenore Entertainment Group

Sharon Bialy, Casting Director, Bialy/Thomas & Associates

Josh Binder, Co-Founder and Partner, Rothenberg Mohr & Binder, LLP

Neil Blair, Founding Partner, The Blair Partnership

Selma Blair, Actress, Author, Advocate, Sainted Productions

Rebecca Blumberg, SVP Ad Sales, Paramount

Evan Bogart, Songwriter & CEO, Seeker Music

Benjamin Budde, CEO, Budde Group GmbH

Bruce Burger, Producer, RebbeSoul

David Byrnes, Attorney, Ziffren Brittenham

Civia Caroline, Social Impact Consultant, CLiC Impact

Pamela Charbit, Director of A&R, Warner Music Group

Emmanuelle Chriqui, Actor, Yellow Ray Entertainment

Leanne Coronel, Talent Manager, The Coronel Group

Raye Cosbert, Managing Director, Metropolis Musi

Paul Craig, Ceo, Nostromo Management

Doug Davis, NATAS Member, 2x Emmy winner, The Davis Firm

Rebecca De Mornay, Actor

Jamie Denbo, Co-Executive Producer, Grey’s Anatomy, ABC/Disney

Josh Deutsch, Chairman/CEO, Premier Music Group

Avi Diamond, Director, Film/TV Sync, Warner Music Canada

Craig Dorfman, President and Owner, Frontline MGMT

Rachel Douglas, Manager, Range Media Partners

David Draiman, Frontman, Disturbed

Jeremy Drysdale, Screenwriter, bigbamboo

Craig Emanuel, Ryan Murphy Productions

Hannah Epstein, Agent, CAA

Rami “Kosha dillz” Even-Esh, Rapper/Comic/Actor

Lindsay Fabes, Actor

Ron Fair, Record Producer & CEO, Faircraft Inc.

Sharon Farber, Composer, Score by Score Music

Danny Federman, Owner, Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club

Eric Feig, Attorney and TV Academy Member, Feig/Finkel

Patti Felker, Attorney, Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan LLP

Ken Fermaglich, Partner, United Talent Agency

Ross “Remedy” Filler, Artist

Shalom Fisch, President, MediaKidz Research & Consulting

David Fishof, CEO, RRFC Films, LLC

Siri Garber, Publicist, Platform

David Gardner, President, Artists First

Barbara Garshman, CEO, Garshman Productions LLC

Gary Gersh

Gary Ginsberg, Senior VP, SoftBank Group Corp.

Brian Ralston, Composer/Producer, Studio 74 Music, LLC

David Glick, Founder & CEO, Edge Group

Zusha Goldin, Celebrity Photographer, Zusha Goldin

Michael Goldwasser, President, Easy Star Records

Andrew Gould, President, Music Publishing

Scott Greenberg, Partner, LBI

Steven Greenberg, Founder and President, S-Curve Records

Daniel Grindlinger, Writer

Ronnie Harris, Partner, Harris & Trotter

Michael Hirschhorn, Manager, Streaming and Sales, Atlantic Records

Linda Edell Howard, Attorney, Novick Law

Rich Ingram, Artist/Creator

Neil Jacobson, Former President, Geffen Records, Founder & CEO of Hallwood Media

Michael Kaplan, Writer/Producer

Sam Katz, Music Manager, Homebase MGMT, LLC

Zach Katz, CEO & Co-Founder, Fixated

Ketura Kestin, Film Producer, Serendipity Productions

Amanda Kogan, Manager, Aaron Kogan Management

Keetgi Kogan Steinberg, Writer/Producer/Showrunner

Jason Kozel, Creative Executive, Range Media Partners

Rick Krim, CEO, Krim Music + Media

Evan Lamberg, President, North America, Universal Music Publishing Group

Sherry Lansing, Former CEO, Paramount Pictures

Colin Lester OBE, Founder/Chairman, JEM Music Group

Sean Liebowitz, Agent

Koura Linda, Founder & CEO, Space Dream Productions

Marci Liroff, Intimacy Coordinator/Casting Director

Cory Litwin, Managing Partner, Range Media Partners

David Lonner, CEO, The David Lonner Company

Ben Maddahi, President, Unrestricted Publishing & Mgmt

Gabriel Mann, Composer

Deborah Marcus, Executive, CAA Foundation

Susan Markheim, Full Stop Mgt., The Azoff Company

Amanda Markowitz, Actor/Producer, SAG/AFTRA & PGA

Orly Marley, President, Tuff Gong Worldwide

Devra Maza, Screenwriter

Debra Messing, Actor/Producer

Hilary Michael, Agent and Partner, WME

Beth Milstein, Writer

Jennifer Morrow, Actor, CAA

Patrick Moss, Writer, Moroccan Boychik

Robert Munic, Writer/Showrunner, Pull The Pin Productions, Inc.

Lisa Nupoff, Manager, iminmusic management

Scott Packman, Founder and Managing Member, SSP Partners LLC

Mark Pinkus, President, Rhino Records

Jonah Platt, Actor/Producer

Wendy Plaut, SVP Music & Celebrity Talent, Paramount Global

Jessica Poter, Writer, Gustavo Anibal Productions

Golan Ramraz, Writer/Producer, EGX Film Factory

Bruce Resnikof

Frederic Richter, Producer, Writer & Researcher

Wendy Robbins, Executive Producer, Creators Inc

Dan Rosen, President, Warner Music Australasia

Rick Rosen, Co-Founder, Endeavor, WME

Aaron Rosenberg, Partner, Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light

Gregg Rossen, Screenwriter

Michael Rotenberg, CEO, 3 Arts Entertainment

Joshua Rothstein, CEO/Founder, Ice Cream For Dinner

Haim Saban, Chairman and CEO, Saban Capital Group

Glenn Sanders, Writer/Director/Creative Director, Masonry Creative

Ayelet Schiffman, SVP Head of Promotions, Island Records

Paul Schindler, Senior Partner, Greenberg Traurig LLC

Jordan Schur, CEO and Chairman, Mimran Schur Pictures and Suretone Entertainment

Adam Schwartz, Writer

Sam Schwartz, Partner, Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency

Jay Schweid, Founder/CEO, ephelants/Village

Adam Segal, President, The 2050 Group

Ben Silverman, Chairman and Co-CEO, Propagate Content

Ralph Simon, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Mobilium Global Limited

Tamar Simon, Owner/CEO, Mean Streets Management

Martin Singer, Attorney, Lavely and Singer

Halle Stanford, President of Television, The Jim Henson Company

Mimi Steinberg, Writer/Producer

Jonathan Steinsapir, Partner, Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir

Gary Stiffelman, Founder, GSS Law

Traci Symanski, CEO, Co-Star Entertainment

Aaron Symonds, Film Composer

Fernando Szew, President, Fox Entertainment

Tal Tavin, Actor

Adam Taylor, President, APM Music

Michael Testa, Casting Director, Michael Testa Casting

Fred Toczek, Partner, Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson McGinnis Ryan LLP

Eric Tuchman, Writer/Producer, MGM-TV

Noa Vinshtok, Streaming, Range Media Partners

Joshua Washington, International Recording Artist, JoDavi Music LLC

Avi Weider, Filmmaker, Loop Filmworks

Jon Weinbach, President, Skydance Sports

Nola Weinstein, Tech Executive

Ilana Wernick, Writer/Producer, Fox

Modi Wiczyk, Co-Founder, MRC

Evan Winiker, Managing Partner, Range Music

Seth Yanklewitz, Casting Director, Yanklewitz Pollack Casting

Sharon Tal Yguado, Founder & CEO, Astrid Entertainment

Ky Zaretsky, Manager, Range Media Partners

David Zedeck, Global Co-Head of Music

[Sources: here, here, and here]

[jessread-s]

✩🥂🫧2023 Reading Wrap Up:

What a year! I graduated from college, got my first big girl job, got to meet so many of my favorite authors, and read some amazing books ☺️ I am super proud of what I accomplished in 2023 and my year in books. Here’s to another great year of reading and new releases🥂

MY YEAR IN BOOKS:

Books read — 102

Pages read — 41,343

Average book length — 349 pages

Longest Book — “Iron Flame” by Rebecca Yarros (640 pages)

Shortest Book — “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (23 pages)

Top 5 Books —

“Love Redesigned” by Lauren Asher

“Legendborn” by Tracy Deonn

“Love, Theoretically” by @ever-so-ali

“Divine Rivals” by Rebecca Ross

“Pestilence” by @laurathalassa

[cosmicdreamgrl]

get to know you tag game ✨

tagged by the lovely @aprylynn, thank you 🥰

name: steph to mostly everyone, short for stephanie but wbk

pronouns: she/her

star sign: gemini

siblings & fun facts about them: i have a younger sister, she majored in psychology and loves art/film culture. she's coming to visit me in the summer and i'm so excited, i miss her but that's what happens when you move to a different country

pets: a dog, i love him to bits

fandoms: technically i don't consider myself a part of any despite my varying interests so do with that what you will

favourite colour: teal

favourite song: just one? i hate these but off the top of my head? it gets dark by sigrid

favourite author: again, why do people assume you only have one of each smh; but if i had to choose, i'd go with rebecca ross

hobbies: writing/producing music, baking, guess i can now add gif making to the list

do you have any partner(s)? my boyfriend

fun fact about you/anything extra you want to share: i'm really good at guessing what a song is within the first few seconds of hearing it, don't ask me how that works, it just does

tagging: @cordiallyfuturedwight @raplinenthusiasts @epiphanytear @jkvjimin @hvseoks @wonpiris @yoon-dowoon & @rainbowcoloredpalmtrees :)

[siderealmaven]

What is Romantasy?

Romantasy is a niche genre of books that has exploded in the past 5 years thanks to TikTok, combining a unique blend of romance and fantasy elements. This author has been a pretty avid 'romantasy' reader, long before it ever was thing or had a proper name and so I thought this would be a fun post to make based on books I've read. If you like to read and have any recommendations, please leave them in the comments! :)

Fair Warning: Most of these are adult books and contain graphic, explicit content. Make sure to look into them and see if they're something you'd like before picking it up.

My Recommendations

♈️ Aries - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

♉️ Taurus - A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas

♊️ Gemini - Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

♋️ Cancer - Wolfsong by TJ Klune

♌️ Leo - Serpent and Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

♍️ Virgo - The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

♎️ Libra - Radiance by Grace Draven

♏️ Scorpio - The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

♐️ Sagittarius - A Cursed Kiss by Jenny Hickman

♑️ Capricorn - The Winter King by C. L. Wilson

♒️ Aquarius - Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri

♓️ Pisces - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Thank you for reading! <3

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

[ x ]

[haveyoureadthispoll]

When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

[sjsmith56]

More Time - A Private Man, Chapter 22

Summary: Bucky returns to Wakanda with Tracey, expecting the worst. In the privacy of their room she helps him deal with the guilt he feels for his decision.

Length: 5.2 K

Characters: Bucky, Tracey, Shuri, Rebecca, Janice, M’Baku, Toussaint, Nakia.

Warnings: Angst, feelings of guilt.

Authors notes: This further explores the bond between Bucky and Tracey and how much she supports him. She really is the love of his life. I also wanted him to learn how much the Wakandans respect him. Divider by vecteezy.com

<<Chapter 21

As Bucky came through the portal with Tracey, he noticed a full guard of Dora Milaje and Queen's Guard soldiers lined up on either side of the large reception room. Shuri stood on a dais, beside M'Baku, of the Jabari tribe, along with the council, while Rebecca, Janice, Nebula, and Everett Ross stood to the side. Feeling somewhat anxious Bucky was aware of Tracey's hand slipping into his own.

"It's alright," she whispered. "You're not in trouble."

"I killed people," he replied. "Of course, I'm in trouble."

She still smiled at him, and he grasped her hand firmly, walking between the two rows of guards. When they reached the end he disconnected his arm, offering it to Shuri.

"Thank you for sending the arm to me to use in the fight on the carrier but I'm no longer worthy to wear it," he said. "It should be given to Nebula, who will transport it to its new owner, as we agreed."

Shuri stepped down and took the arm from him, turning to Nebula who had stepped down with her.

"Give this to your colleague, Rocket," said Shuri. "His careful calculations in designing an explosive that was just big enough to stop an invasion of our country by hostile forces will always be appreciated. You and all of your colleagues are welcome to visit us in the future."

Nebula nervously took it, bowing her head slightly, then she returned to her place. Shuri turned her attention back to Bucky, trying to appear stern but she was too good natured a person to keep up the pretence and she smiled at him before addressing everyone.

"Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes has atoned for his previous assistance to an enemy of Wakanda by taking definitive action against a much larger and hostile army, that would have ravaged our country for its natural resources, would have enslaved our people as its captive workforce, and would have done so to provide profit to foreign interests. In so doing he didn't hesitate to give his own life to protect our country, as well as protecting the lives of his loved ones. He did so forgoing a promise he made to himself to never kill again, knowing that taking this drastic but seemingly necessary step was, at the time, the only way to stop the hostilities permanently. Bast and Sekhmet decided to smile upon Sergeant Barnes for his courage, sending him the means to undo his decision, giving him the time and the extra forces to defeat the enemy honourably. For his actions Sergeant Barnes will be forever known as White Wolf, Hero and Son of Wakanda. He and his family will always have a place in our society. He will always be welcome to use our future gifts to him." She leaned forward and spoke in a lower voice. "The new arm isn't quite ready yet but will be in a few days. Stay with us for a while and show your family your home country."

He didn't know what to say so he bowed his head quickly then went to Rebecca, hugging her for what seemed like an eternity. Even Janice received an affectionate hug. When he saw Everett Ross, he wasn't sure what to say to him, remembering the history he had with the man, but the former CIA agent just smiled and extended his hand to shake Bucky's.

"Just so you know, my ex-wife was always a bitch," he said. "Her ambitions always overrode her loyalty to our marriage. That's about the time I realized she brokered a lot of shady deals. I was here when you were undergoing treatment. They never shared the details, but I could see by their disgust that HYDRA did unspeakable things to you. I'm sorry for not realizing how much torture you went through to force you into compliance."

"Everett was our escape route out of Wakanda if they managed to get into the country," said Tracey. "He was going to pilot us out of here."

It was as if he saw the man in a new light and Bucky offered his hand again to shake Everett's then his gaze fell upon Nebula. She faced Bucky, holding his old arm, seeming almost afraid to look him in the eye.

"You brought my wife to safety," he said. "I am forever in your debt. Take the arm to Rocket. I had a deal to give it to him, in exchange for the little bomb he made me." She looked distressed and Tracey whispered into his ear about what giving the arm to Rocket meant to her. "He will still be thrilled that you're the one giving it to him. I know that he's very fond of you. For five years you only had each other and that's a bond only you two share. Believe that."

Suddenly he remembered something, and he gestured to the arm, removing his wedding ring from the ring finger and placing it on his right hand. He turned back to Tracey with a look of regret on his face.

"I'm sorry I left you. I feared that they would find a way to turn me, and I couldn't let them do it. Once I saw the dark sorcerer there, I knew. My biggest regret was leaving you and our son, not seeing him grow up."

"How do you know it's a boy?" asked Tracey.

Bucky shrugged, reluctant to say anything in front of the others. "A hint of a vision maybe that I don't even know for certain if I actually saw. I just knew. Do you forgive me?"

She stifled a sob and nodded as tears came to her eyes. "I do. For better or worse was in the vows we took. I still get to love and cherish you after death." A ragged breath came out of her, followed by a smile. "Don't you ever do that again, James Buchanan Barnes."

He held and kissed her passionately until a little cough interrupted them. Shuri was waiting.

"Come, you must want to change out of these clothes," she said. "We have something here for you. Okoye will go to the resort and pick up your baggage. Are you hungry, Sergeant Barnes?"

"Always," smiled Bucky. "I haven't eaten since last night."

Tracey took him to their quarters where clean clothing awaited him. While he showered the others went to the dining room and waited on his arrival. A feast was put out for all of them, and Bucky explained many of the dishes that were laid out, remembering them from his time in Wakanda. It pleased him that Tracey, Rebecca, and Janice tried everything that was given to them, taking seconds of many of the dishes. Tracey, especially, still seemed inclined to eat more than her normal amounts. He noticed Shuri watching Tracey. She must have sensed his scrutiny because she looked at him in anticipation of a question.

"Your Majesty, when we talked to you before we left for our honeymoon you said you wanted to examine Tracey," he said. "Were you able to learn anything from the samples you did get?"

Smiling she nodded. "Yes, nothing to be concerned about Sergeant," she replied. "But you mustn't refer to me as Queen anymore as we have a King." She looked at M'Baku who was at the feast. He nodded his agreement for her to say more. "We have an agreement that M'Baku will act as regent, taking on the role of King of Wakanda. I will stay on as head of science and technology as well as another role, that I take over from my brother."

"You're the Black Panther," stated Bucky, standing up as he realized the implications of what she just said. "You would have defended the country. I didn't have to ...."

She stood up also, putting her hand on his and smiled. "I didn't truly understand that was your intention when we agreed to give the raccoon the arm and I pretended I was still a queen. It suited our purposes for outsiders to think the country was ruled by someone seen as a child. Ross and Fontaine thought the death of my brother and mother made us weak and, in their quest to conquer us they made many assumptions and mistakes. When you made your sacrifice, it proved your loyalty to Wakanda and its people beyond all doubt."

M'Baku rose and stood next to her. "White Wolf, you have the true heart of a Wakandan warrior and took it upon yourself to protect our country, at the cost of your own life. Even though the battlefield was on the ocean the Avengers willingly came to our defence. With Shuri free to be the Black Panther and be part of the Avengers when she is called, and with me as king, no one will ever think they can take what is ours again. We will not permit it."

The big Wakandan gave Bucky a bear hug as proof of his thanks. Bucky didn't know what to say, as this news wasn't something he had ever expected to hear. It should have made him feel better but there was still a feeling in him that wasn't right.

"A full physical of Mrs. Barnes would still be advised," continued Shuri, as if nothing had changed, "just to clear up any discrepancies. Then we can talk about the pregnancy. There is no rush. I understand some damage was done at your home and it must be repaired before you return. Enjoy your stay with us. Both of your employers are aware of what happened and have given their blessing to you taking another week. I promised Mrs. Proctor and Mrs. Harris the opportunity to visit our border tribe and have the opportunity to pet the rhinoceroses. King M'Baku has extended a similar invitation to all of you to observe the white gorillas in their natural habitat. I understand your own village wishes to meet your family."

"Then I guess we'll stay," replied Bucky. "Thank you for taking care of them."

"It was our privilege and honour," said King M'Baku. "Now, return to the feast. There is much to celebrate."

Over the next few days, the group was escorted to tour the border tribe lands, the Jabari lands, and finally the village where Bucky lived during his treatment. In each place they were all greeted with chants of "White Wolf" as word had already gone out about Bucky's sacrifice. He downplayed what happened, still feeling uncomfortable with the acclaim, admitting only to wanting to keep Wakanda safe. At feasts held in his honour Rebecca was asked to tell stories of him as a young man which she freely obliged, including telling them about Bucky braiding her hair when she was a child. Their encounters with the rhinos, then the white apes and finally some of Bucky's now grown baby goats were all memorable for the group. As they flew back to the palace after the third day Tracey held Bucky's hand on the aircraft, knowing he was still unsettled by something.

"I understand better why you did what you did," she said. "This is an incredible country with amazing people. Ross would have ruined it willingly to get to their resources. You couldn't let that happen."

"I should have trusted that Shuri found a way to resurrect the Black Panther," he replied, looking down. "I just assumed that with T'Challa gone that they had no protector."

"Because that is what you are, Sergeant Barnes," said Ayo, who had accompanied them on the tour. "You have always been a protector, from childhood on. It is why we were sure the HYDRA programming could be successfully removed from your mind. It is why you will be a good father and husband. Do not fret over what you did. Bast gave you a second chance and you succeeded in stopping Ross without the loss of life."

He gave Ayo a small smile, accepting her sentiments, even though he was still concerned he had overstepped his boundaries. When they arrived at the palace and returned to their rooms, he and Tracey finally had some time to themselves. In the privacy and quiet of their room they made love, with a sweetness and gentleness that was welcomed by both. As they lay in the soft bedclothes that were assembled around them Tracey's head was on Bucky's shoulder, his right arm cradling her next to his body. He told her about the two visions he had in the darkness in that final moment of his death before Dr. Strange brought him back.

"Funny that meeting Steve was the first thing that came to mind," he said softly. "But then I had just said goodbye to you. You were the last person I wanted to see. I'm still sorry I hurt you when I sent you back."

"You were protecting me," she answered. "Keeping my soul from being engulfed by the blast, I guess. How did you know how to find me?"

"I didn't," said Bucky, squeezing her closer. "It was laid out in front of me, like the Milky Way but brighter. I just followed it and I saw you sleeping. You were so beautiful, like a goddess, laying in a bower of flowers, except it was all light that surrounded you. My goddess, full of light and our child. Maybe that's where I saw him, his presence in you."

"How did Dr. Strange know where to find you?"

He shook his head. "I honestly don't know but he was there, in the darkness with me, and when I asked if he could show me my parents once more, he was so kind and pleasant to me. He can be very abrupt at times, but he was so compassionate. To see Rebecca as a child again, that was something. For all of our age difference we were so close. He asked if there was one thing I could change in my life what it would be."

His throat constricted and Tracey raised her head to look at him, seeing the emotion on his face as he struggled to reign in his feelings.

"It's okay," she whispered. "You can always cry with me."

"I chose more time with you and Rebecca," he choked out before weeping. It took some time for him to regain control while Tracey stroked his face and chest, comforting him. "I didn't want to leave you or her but there was no one else who could get to that ship and find out what was waiting for us. Once I saw the dark sorcerer, I knew what they planned, and I wasn't going to let anyone become enslaved like I had. I thought ... I thought with that one act I could make proper amends for all of it, all that I did when I was the Winter Soldier. Then to find out that it wasn't ...."

He began weeping again and Tracey laid on top of him, covering his body with hers. He raised his right hand to his face, covering it as he felt the despair overtake him. Calmly and softly soothing him, Tracey stroked and kissed his face and hand, until he was spent. Great sobbing breaths ripped through his chest several times before he was able to look at his wife with eyes that were still tortured.

"Can you sit up?" asked Tracey gently. "I want us to be eye to eye for this."

He nodded and used his single hand to prop himself up against the headboard while Tracey straddled him. Gently, she took the edge of the closest sheet and wiped the tears from his face, before placing her hands on his cheeks. Then she gazed at him, caressing him from his hair down to his shoulders, her eyes following her hands as she did so.

"I forgive you for leaving me," she said first. "I know that you only did it because you felt it was your last resort, the only chance to save your friends, Wakanda, Rebecca, and me. The guilt that you're feeling for making that choice is going to take time to dissipate. It feels worse because you learned the Black Panther still lives and you wonder now if your sacrifice was necessary. You also feel guilty because you killed again, not a single person, but hundreds at one shot. When you found out about Ross being a witness to your slavery, and he so cruelly dismissed it as collateral damage, it's because he knew it would trigger you, that it would destroy you, but it would bring him satisfaction. A man like him always has to be right, no matter who gets hurt, or killed, as long as he can twist it to his beliefs, he'll always think his way is the right way."

"You weren't there, how do you know this?" Bucky asked, puzzled. "That happened before you got there."

"Sam's video cams were active," replied Tracey. "We were watching it happen live, even when time stopped the cameras kept rolling. Then when you wanted to kill Ross yourself and Dr. Strange stopped time to give you the opportunity to do it, I knew I had to be with you. Shuri contacted Wong and he opened a portal and came with me. I wasn't going to let you face Ross by yourself. All the other times I've been with you, maybe not always right beside you, but with you in spirit and with love. Bucky, you did what you thought was right at the time, and it was right. If you didn't do that then they would have turned you and the Avengers, then Wakanda would have been invaded. They would have put up a good fight but all of the enhanced humans that were turned would have had no restraints on them and they would have overwhelmed the country. Ghost, alone, would have been able to defeat Shuri. Wakanda would have been lost, you would be a real monster, as would all the Avengers, and Ross would be the most dangerous man in the world, worse even than Alexander Pierce, because he would have the actual means to take over the world, all in the name of keeping American interests safe."

For the longest time Bucky stared into Tracey's eyes, trying to find the holes in her argument but there were none. It was true. At the time he activated the bomb that was the only option that could be taken.

"Dr. Strange didn't just happen to be there in the darkness with me, did he?" asked Bucky quietly.

She shook her head. "The others don't know this, but I had a vision as well after you pushed me away from the blast and I woke up screaming," she said softly. "They gave me something to calm me down. As I lay there, I saw a life without you. Rebecca, losing her will to live and dying before the baby was born. Me, trying to go on alone. Sam devastated ... all of the Avengers gutted that you made the ultimate sacrifice for them. Except Thor and Valkyrie who see death differently than us. To them you died as a valiant warrior. Shuri, Ayo, Okoye, and M'Baku were filled with their own grief and guilt that you took their fight on as your own and they didn't think you would take that final step of ensuring the country's safety without them. So much responsibility that you willingly take on and you don't have to because there are many who would gladly share it with you." Her lips trembled and she took several deep breaths. "I asked the universe for help in that moment and Dr. Strange was suddenly there, said he heard me through several universes. He knew what you had done and at first, he thought you were the Soldier again then he used his Time Stone and saw everything, not just you but the others, Ross, Mordo, what they did to Walker, everything, including if you didn't activate the bomb."

"What did they do to Walker?" asked Bucky, already sensing the answer. "They turned him first, didn't they?"

Tracey nodded. "He was their test subject, not willingly either. Mordo worked out the process on him so that by the time he attacked the island he was their soldier. But the process wouldn't ever turn off. You told me once that you could be reset if you were knocked out. That when you came around the Soldier would be gone, and you were either yourself or in a confused state. With Mordo's process it would be permanent. Once turned, always turned unless he reversed it. Dr. Strange saw a future where you were all turned and knew he had to undo what Mordo did, so he went back many times and saw all of it. He did all that in the fractions of a second before he finally appeared to you in that moment before you died."

"When he asked me what one thing I wanted to change," admitted Bucky, "and I chose more time with you and Rebecca."

"Oh, Bucky, don't you see?" asked Tracey, grasping his shoulders. "You could have gone back to the beginning, been 4F in the war, not become a Howling Commando, not got on the train, prepared yourself better for the shot that blasted you out the hole, found a different hand hold, not have fallen, so many possibilities. Instead, you chose more time with me and Rebecca. To the sorcerer that holds the Time Stone that was like music to his ears. All you wanted was a bit more time with the people you love."

Bucky's face brightened and he gave a quick breath of realization as he accepted that his choices had mattered. Even though the decision to explode the bomb was undone, it had opened up possibilities that made a difference. Life would be alright, and he would be okay, because he chose more time with this woman who meant so much to him. Time with her and Rebecca was worth more than money, attention, fame, all of it. In a world that valued success and material things he had chosen something much more valuable. Smiling at her with all the love he felt at that moment, Bucky raised his right hand to Tracey's face and caressed it.

"I'm a lucky man to have someone who's much too good for me in my corner," he said. "You and Rebecca are everything to me. Don't ever give up on me."

"Not a chance," she replied. "Rebecca feels the same way. Now, how about you and I shower, we get dressed up in our real clothes that Okoye was kind enough to bring, and we start this next part of our lives knowing that it will only get better from here."

"Okay, but now that I have you here," he smiled, looking down at his lap. "We can be a little late for dinner."

She looked as well and embraced him, joining him in celebrating the transcendent essence of their connection. The calls made to their kimoyo bead bracelets were ignored while they explored each other's bodies with joy.

When they arrived at the dining room the difference in them both was noticeable as Tracey glowed in both her early pregnancy and as a wife on her extended honeymoon, while Bucky radiated the confidence and good nature he once did as a handsome young man, even with only one arm. He pulled a chair out for Tracey then sat beside Rebecca who leaned over and touched his hand.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her face concerned. "You seem different."

"I am different," he answered, squeezing his sister's hand with a grin. "We'll have a good talk later. Just know that you mean so much to me."

The Wakandans entered, to which they all rose in respect to King M'Baku. There were others following behind him including a young boy. Bucky was unsure who the boy was, having never seen him before, but he was wearing Wakanda's version of casual clothing. A few steps behind him was Nakia, who he knew had been King T'Challa's lover and rumoured secret wife. Shuri looked indulgently at the boy as they approached, then smiled at Bucky when they reached the table.

"Sergeant Barnes, may I introduce the heir to the throne, Prince T'Challa II, the son of my late brother, King T'Challa I," she said, in a voice loud enough for their small group to hear. "His existence is to be known only within these walls for his own protection, with the exception of you and your family. I would make the formal request that you assume the role of one of his mentors, so that he might learn the necessity of honour and sacrifice firsthand. Do you accept my request?"

"I accept, your Highness," he replied, with a small bow of his head.

"Outside of these walls the prince goes by the name Toussaint, reflecting his Haitian birthplace," said Nakia, who had joined them. "My King wished for him to be raised in a different environment, away from the court. "Toussaint, this is Sergeant James Barnes, known as White Wolf. You recall your baba talking about him."

"Yes," replied the young boy looking up at Bucky with a smile. "He said you were a man of honour and that you liked your baby goats."

Bucky chuckled, remembering the gentle teasing he received from T'Challa whenever he visited Bucky in the village. They were happier times.

"Your father was the best of men, your Highness," said Bucky. "I owe him my life. It would be my honour to be of service to you."

A pleasant smile from the boy reflected his acceptance of Bucky. With a wave of his hand M'Baku encouraged everyone to sit at the large table and the food was served. The conversation was lively and there was much laughter as stories were shared during the meal. When dinner was finished the King approached Rebecca and offered her his arm.

"There is something I would like you all to see," he said kindly. "We will take an elevator to the roof so that you have the best view of anyone in the city. Mrs. Proctor, if you please."

She took his arm, and the big man slowed his steps to match hers, entering a large elevator that took them all up to a viewing area on the roof. It was a stunning scene as the whole city was visible to them in the twilight. Assisting Rebecca to sit in her chair M'Baku stood in front of the group and faced the city. Somewhere a microphone amplified his voice so everyone in the city could hear him. The sounds of activity below lessened as attention was given to the King of Wakanda.

"This past year was both painful and tumultuous for Wakanda," he said gravely, "with the loss of King T'Challa and Queen Mother Ramonda. We were attacked by Namor and found ourselves at a loss of how to adequately defend ourselves without the presence of the Black Panther. Princess Shuri, with her intellectual skills, found a way to regrow the heart shaped herb and in the process was able to resurrect the protector of Wakanda, taking the mantle onto her own shoulders. We thought we were alone in the world but that is not the case. The White Wolf stepped up, along with the Avengers, to show the world they will not stand by when the sovereignty of an independent nation is threatened. Tonight, we honour White Wolf for his sacrifice and his service. This is your home, Sergeant Barnes, always."

A flaming arrow was shot from the roof into the air, exploding into a large firework display that covered the entire sky. As several Talon fighters skimmed overhead, trailing bright plumes of fluorescent smoke, thousands of drones assembled and began showing images of Bucky, starting from his original time in Wakanda, then moving on to the battle against Thanos. When people were turned to dust after the Snap there was an audible gasp, not just from the people on the rooftop but from the population who were watching, as a sprinkling of ash was visible, dissipating as it fell from the sky. The reappearance of the decimated brought loud cheers from the streets as it showed the combined armies of the world reassembling near the Avengers compound to fight Thanos. There were scenes of Bucky at work on the docks, his intervention in the robbery, the rescue at Coney Island, then the wedding, and finally his escape from the helicopter to landing on the aircraft carrier and destroying it, bringing more gasps from everyone. The reversal of the explosion was followed by resumption of the battle on the aircraft carrier with the appearance of the Wakandan force bringing cheers. It ended with an image of Bucky appearing first, dressed in an Avengers uniform with the other Avengers, including Shuri as the Black Panther spread out in a line to symbolize that they would defend Wakanda. When the drones turned off and flew away the fireworks continued for several long minutes.

Throughout the display Bucky watched impassively, even as Rebecca and Tracey stayed close to him, watching him for signs of distress. He was uncomfortable with the attention, that much was certain, but he did stay and watch it until the end, when M'Baku addressed the crowd once more.

"Good people of Wakanda," he began, "it was our desire to name this date the Day of White Wolf, so that James Buchanan Barnes would know how much we value him as a friend of our country. However, it is not his nature to seek recognition, or fame, or acclaim, for doing things that he regards are his duty as an honourable man to uphold. In keeping with his desire to be seen as no better or worse than any one of us, we will respect his need for a simple life by celebrating him for tonight only, as he is a private man. He is a good man, soon to be a father, a husband, a brother, and always a friend to Wakanda." He gestured to Bucky and leaned close to him when they stood side by side. "This once, take your due. It has been a long time coming, Bucky."

Lifting Bucky's right hand in his and raising his other hand M'Baku yelled out "White Wolf" then stepped back when the crowd repeated it and chanted. As music began playing below him, and songs were sung extolling his virtues, he stood and accepted the good will of the people in the city. M'Baku brought everyone up to support him; Tracey and Rebecca each had an arm around him, Janice was at Tracey's side, as the others stood behind him, except for Toussaint who stood in front of his new mentor, occasionally looking up at the man his father considered a friend. It would be a moment both of them would remember in the friendship they developed over the coming years.

Chapter 23>>

Series Masterlist

Please support the author by reblogging.

[cedence]

Reflection on 2024 writing goal(s)

This year's resolution was to get better at writing, and ideally finish a project. I originally set out with my sea-inspired viking age wip, but soon changed my focus to a brand new idea based in forests and storytelling. It was the idea I've spent the most time developing this year.

To do so, I also began reading about writing. I needed to learn about the technical aspects that so far eluded me.

🤍 I read “Romancing the Beat” by Gwen Hayes [specifically about romance plots]

🤍 I completed the Writers Conservatory course, “Magical echoes: world building that supports character arc” by Rebecca Ross

🤍 I read “Structuring your novel” by K. M. Wayland ⭐

🤍 I read “Writing arcetypal character arcs” by K. M. Wayland

🤍 I completed the Writers Conservatory course, “Finding your unique voice: writing as only you can” by Sabaa Tahir [on voice]

🤍 I read “Story Genius” by Lisa Cron [build the internal world of the narrator to bring meaning to the external plot]

🤍 I discovered the Save the Cat! Beat sheet (it's now how I outline all my works) ⭐

🤍 I read “Make a Scene” by Jordan Rosenfeld ⭐⭐ [how to structure different types of scenes]

🤍 I got better at using Scrivener (it's fun)

🤍 I am currently working through the exercises in, “Steering the Craft” by Ursula Le Guin

My projects aren't done, but the way I plan and look at them is forever changed. I am definitively a plotter, and working in a foreign language, I need to overkill what I read for it to get into my head. I've also begun incorporating techniques and tools into my works — which is what takes the most time. Learning to use them in action. It's a slow process, but I love it.

I've also begun reading (and watching movies/shows) more as a writer to observe how other people use the techniques I am trying to level up in.

Next year, I hope to explore other aspects of the writing craft, continue to write, and get the chance to do the Writer's Conservatory course on revision with Rachel Griffin. (I adore learning from some of my favorite authors. The preciousness of Adrienne Young making WC and bringing women's voices to the center is not taken for granted. I get to learn from the authors that have changed my life with their writings!)

That was all for now :)

[orlissa]

So we still have a little over 1,5 months left of this year, but the lovely @readthelastpaage asked me what were the best books I read/translated this year, so... here you go. I left out my rereads and highlighted the ones I translated in blue. It's a... pretty mixed bag, I think.

R.F. Kuang: Yellowface After Athena (young and brilliant Chinese-American author) dies in an absurd accident, her “friend” June (struggling white author) steals her nearly finished manuscript, works it over, and publishes it under her own name. Chilling tale about guilt and the publishing industry ensues.

Rebecca Ross: Ruthless Vows I needed to includes this because of reasons. The second of Divine Rivals, a story of two, well, rivals falling in love through letters sent by a magic typewriter, while the war of the gods rages around them. Simply beautiful.

Jeff Bishop: A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy High school senior Cam dated Allison Tandy, the girl he is still obsessed with, for years before they broke up just before new year’s. Three months later Allison was in a car crash and has been in a coma ever since. Only when Cam gets some heavy painkillers after his knee surgery, he starts seeing Allison, and the girl is determined to get him to move on. Is it just the drugs, or does Allison really appear to him?

Naomi Alderman: The Power When girls suddenly start developing shocking (literally) powers worldwide, the order of the world and gender relations start to change. Not necessarily for the better. Chilling dystopic observation of gender dynamics.

Emilia Hart: Weyward Stories of personal trauma and abuse through three women and several centuries, with a touch of magic. Brilliant book, but beware, there are a lot of triggering stuff her (detailed description of domestic abuse, rape, basically at home abortion…)

Lora Beth Johnson: Goddess in the Machine/Devil in the Device Andra, along with her whole family, was meant to be one of the million people to colonize a new planet, but when she comes out of stasis, she is all alone in a strange new place, where the remains of technology are hailed as magic and she is believed to be a goddess. The language of this duology is insane–the author basically came up with a whole new dialect.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes: The Inheritance Games series When financially struggling Avery is informed that a Texan billionaire left all of his fortune to her, instead of his family–with whom now she needs to live together for a year–, she suddenly finds herself surrounded by dysfunctional family dynamics, heaps and heaps of dirty secret, and a bunch of puzzles and mysteries. I read the whole series this year, and although I’m not yet totally on board with The Grandest Game, this series is just fabulous.

Jodi Taylor: Just One Damned Thing After Another First book in chronicles is the St. Mary’s institute, where historians travel back in time to study the important (and not so important) event of history. British humor, some darker themes, and a bunch of chaotic energy.

Margaret Rogerson: Sorcery of Thorns I won’t be able to give a proper summary here, but books and magic and demons and adventure and books and romance, oh my. Or Elizabeth, who spent her whole life in a library full of magical books that might attack you at any moment, gets tangled up in a scheme that might bring on the end of the world. Which she and her allies need to prevent, obviously. There is also a sequel novella, which is mostly just a fluffy epilogue, but it’s just so nice.

Holly Jackson: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder British teenager Pip needs to do a special project for her last year of high school, and she chooses to examine the effects of a murder that happened in her sleepy little town a few years back – only what she really wants is to find the real killer, because she’s convinced that the police got the wrong guy. I absolutely loved the whole mystery and the multimedia nature of the book. (I know that there is apparently a version of this where it all takes place in America, which that sounds odd to me? It was so quintessentially British.)

Hannah Bonam-Young: Out on a Limb Win was born with an underdeveloped hand, but she doesn’t let is to slow her down. However, after she gets into a one-night stand with Bo, who lost a leg to cancer, at their mutual friends’ Halloween party, she ends up pregnant, so she and Bo decide to give this whole co-parenting thing a chance. Just a really nice feel-good romance story, made even more authentic by the fact that the author has the same hand issue as Win.

Taylor Jenkins Reid: Daisy Jones & the Six Story of a fictional seventies rock band told through a series of interviews done decades after the events. Intriguing tale of music, drugs, and personal dynamics.

Hannah Grace: Daydream I know that Hannah Grace’s work is kinda controversial (some love it, some think it trash), but I’ll always defend her, because of her works are very much pro-mental health and pro-cutting out toxic pieces of shit out of your life. And she is getting better with each book and she really did find something with this one. Sweet slow-burn romance with heavy emphasis on mental health.

Kristen Ciccarelli: Heartless Hunter This is what I’m reading/translating now, and although I’m only halfway through, I’m in absolutely brainrot over this. In a world where witches once reigned and now are being hunted, Rune, shallow socialite by day, secret witch saving vigilante by night, decides to try and seduce witch hunter Gideon to get some information out of him – only Gideon pretty much has the same plans to prove that Rune is that witch saving vigilante he’s been hunting.

[sysba]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love 💗 (ross i want to see ur oc fics k thx)

wahhh erin 😭💕 i both love and hate u for this JKSDJKDFJK um okay,, oc fics u say,,, frankly most of my oc fics are gatekept aka wips i'll never finish of things that live rent free in my mind oop i'll just mention the v few i shared 💀

caledith musicverse first kiss fic. that one was nice,, one day i will finish writing the first half of it 🤡 but i like, that flavour of edith being quiet 90% of the time and then going on dramatic monologues bc her feeling explode out of her so i do like the part i wrote

caledith bondage fic idec nobody look at me. big fan of smut as a tool to explore how blorbos deal w intimacy and vulnerability<3 i didn't like this fic at first bc i read it so many times but now that amnesia hit ngl good job me

that one mommy issues rebecca fic bc it might be a bit cheesy but i love my siblings i love edith standing up for kiara i love bullying rebecca, literally all my fav things in one place

this one i havent posted but there's a fic that is a rewrite of one nathair/vethna convos from the exile that makes me kinda feral and maybe it's just that i like dissecting nathair's brain but i choose to believe it's bc it's good

too lazy to fish it but that 2 part fic i wrote for bryce and vic where they talks abt his past + fantasize abt running away together as teens, i kinda went off, bryce lahela u will always be famous