#dear john letters

[silvergoldsea]

Dear Hanniface...

Forgive the poor penmanship and the abrupt loss of facial warmth this morning. I, Hannibeard, have taken my leave of you. Indeed, I have taken leave of this home (and hopefully of Lithuania) by the time you awake from your slumber. 

Our time together has been special, and I have always felt nurtured during the past three years, but I feel the time has come for a change, and I did not wish that change to be a sweeping one – namely, me being swept out in clipped pieces to adorn the resting places of local fauna. 

I have, and please do forgive me for this, also eloped with Hannigender. He and I have decided to explore what Scandinavia and the northern lands have to offer. I was prepared to head out on my own, being strong and secure in my Bearditude, but Hannigender approached me late last night, looking stunning in a salmon-pink shirt, and asked if we could run away together. How could I resist? 

Do not find us. Do not look for us. Do not wonder where we are or what we do. We shall be well and wish you, Will, and Will’s beard all the best.

Fond (and Permanent) Regards,

Hannibeard & Hannigender

[marzipanandminutiae]

reading Shirley Jackson's college love letters to her future husband is like watching the heroine go into the basement in a slasher movie

like. girl. I know he's also a big nerd, and probably sometimes takes breaks from incessantly criticizing and trying to change you, but I'm from the future and this relationship is going to suck until you die please dump his ass

(also speaking of dying, Just Say No To Mixing Barbituates and Amphetamines. yes, even if the doctor says it's okay. no reason. celebrate your hypothetical 49th birthday really hard I SAID NO REASON CALM DOWN)

[thegreatimpersonator]

dear john (taylor's version)

[rivermask]

Tumblr Book Clubs I am Currently Following, in order of how hard I think they would be to catch up on if you wanted to join the fun:

Around the World Hourly (Around the World in Eighty Days with entries sent according to the in-story hour of events, started Oct 2)

The Public Domain Book Club (started Frankenstein for the month of October on Oct 1)

Lord of the Rings Newsletter (started late September with some very long posts, but will be variable length as they follow the dates of events in the story)

Dracula Daily via Re:Dracula (chronological Dracula by Bram Stoker - OK, you've missed most of this one, but the audio format is very engaging - you could still catch up for the exciting conclusion!)

My Dear Wormwood (The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis - 22 short letters so far, posted on a weekly basis)

What Manner of Man (original vampire romance by St John Starling - 24 shortish and very fun chapters so far, posted on a weekly basis)

Whale Weekly (Moby Dick by Herman Melville with roughly chronological timescale - we're 70-some chapters in but there are often long breaks between them so you could probably catch up)

Les Mis Letters (a chapter of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo every day for a year - catch-up difficulty level: impossible)

Please add your own!

[applestede]

So it’s come to my attention that Mary probably won’t be in S2 which, bummer.

But I hope she can at least have some passing good mention, or some indication that she and Stede are on speaking terms.

First of all, no matter what they think of each other, they still have kids, and I would hope that Stede would want to be at the very least aware of what was going on in their lives, even if he isn’t really their father figure anymore.

But I also think that Mary and Stede could be really good friends regardless, especially since that pressure of being in a marriage that neither of them wanted and neither of them enjoyed is gone. You can see a glimpse of that camaraderie toward the end of episode ten (the conversation about love, and the whole faking his death thing.)

She could easily send him letters using some sort of pseudonym or another form of don’t-reveal-my-ex-husband-isn’t-actually-dead deception. They could gossip together.

I just think they could have a really strong bond when there are no expectations put on them.

[koszmarnybudyn]

Dont mind me just thinking about aro but not ace Arthur Lester

[diary-of-a-teenage-girl24]

October 5th 2024 00:53

To whoever this may concern.

Hello , my name is [Redacted] I am [Redacted] years old and come from [Redacted] in [Redacted].

You may be wondering why vital information, concerning myself, has been removed. There is a very simple reason to this. I believe that to know a person, we need not know about their whereabouts, or even their name. My location does not determine my personality, my music taste, my religion, my age doesn't affect my outlook on like. And my name is simply that. Mine. It does not change anything about me, or who I am as a person.

Now that, that is out of the way, hello, how was your day? Mine was just splendid, I allowed myself to waste away my day. Sloth will always be my hamartia. Hamartia is a great word, isn't it? It means "A Fatal Flaw". I first read it in John Greens "The fault in Our Stars" that was a book that truly changed me. Of course it's no "The Bell Jar" by the incredible Sylvia Plath, but it truly encapsulates the teenage experience. Luckily I am not dying of cancer, but inside my soul, I couldn't help but relate to Hazel Grace.

I am a believer that we, as humans, are created by everything around us. From the people we meet, to the characters in books with who we relate to so much with. I am also a believer in Christianity, and I am completely aware that some of you could be very put off by this, but that does not affect me. I simply know that I, myself, am a Christian, and that is pretty much it. This was lame.

Note to self: Remember to study.

See you around.

-[Redacted]

p.s

"I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart, I am, I am, I am." -Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar.

[ciggi3s4ever]

Bright Star, by Jane Campion - 2009

[auntie-browning]

Browning, what's the usual training regime you put Zaire through?

"The usual: push ups, sit ups, burpies, and making him run for his dear life as I shoot at him with my gun in iive fire exercises...Well, I say 'live fire' but most of them are blanks...but he doesn't need to know that, does he~"

[jo-does-things]

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Greetings once again. I hope that you are taking good care of yourself. You will make sure that you pause from time to time in your work, won’t you? Forgive me if I sound as though I am fussing - I consider it my duty as a friend and physician to give such reminders once in a while.

No doubt you wish to hear more about the events of the ‘Noble Bachelor.’..

Listen... I know I'm a sappy mf at the best of times but I just

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

I said this in the tags of another post, but I do wonder if someone is, er, distraught and slighted about an upcoming release because they genuinely didn’t think Taylor would reveal some of these things, because they knew better than anyone how painful things had been in the past for her to process and that she kept some of that under wraps for so long out of self-preservation. (Which is why songs like Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve, YOYOK, High Infidelity, etc. Were so shocking, because they touched subjects she previously kept a lid on or stated were too difficult to talk about.)

So they perhaps assumed that even in the event of a breakup, the really painful stuff would stay locked away in a metaphorical vault as well, or stay shrouded in metaphor. But they were, er, taken by surprise by the fact that a) she’s ripped the bandaid off (first on Midnights and then on tour and now with ~everything~ in her life e.g. publicly calling people out in interviews/going after DM and other gossip/etc.) b) done so so soon and c) done so so publicly (e.g. huge publicity campaign instead of a surprise album drop). Which is why their team is scrambling to put together a counter-narrative because the self-protection they counted on on her part and perhaps had even weaponized in recent years is potentially giving way to a public confessional…

[bumblingbabooshka]

Me reading fics where Tuvok encourages other peoples’ romantic pursuits:

[strumalong]

Not her singing London boy and then dear John 😭

[glassheadcanon]

Dear Yuletide Author,

This will be my 4th Yuletide (time sure flies)! Thanks so much for being willing to write in one of my favourite, tiny fandoms. Gifts are enabled in AO3, so treats are more than welcome.

While “optional details are optional”, of course, here are some prompts in case you need more ideas, but please don’t let them stop you from chasing your own plot bunnies - the most important thing to me is that you find joy in what you’re writing.

General likes: Characters as narrative foils; unreliable narrators; Banter (snark, companionable snark, wordplay); Fluff (especially slice-of-life); Found Families; Hurt/Comfort; heists/capers; action, adventure, the martial arts, battle couples; unresolved sexual tension; mysteries/investigative work, casefic; travel and exploration; secret/hidden/fantastical worlds beneath our own; Magical Realism; finding beauty and humour in the everyday/commonplace; the supernatural, fantastical and whimsical; missing scenes, pre-canon, post-canon; crossovers/fusions; crackfic, crack treated seriously; breaking the Fourth Wall; teamwork, especially with a motley crew

Fic/narrative styles: Open to reading different POV and tense styles, AUs, 5+1, fix-it fic, canon-divergent, drabble collections, non-standard formats, epistolary, verse - whatever inspires and works best for you!

DNW: Nothing Explicit or NSFW (Gen-Mature is fine); nothing needing Archive Warning categories such as graphic depictions of gore, violence, or sex, no rape/non-con, underage or incest (canon-typical violence is fine); no unrequested shipfic (mention of existing canon relationships is fine), sexuality or gender headcanons

…onto the fandom-specifics!

Fandom: Night Hood | Les exploits d'Arsène Lupin (1996)

It’s set in the 1930’s, and from the Art Deco aesthetics to the witty, competent protagonists, these lighthearted adventures of this classy, suave, master-of-disguise version of gentleman burglar Arsène Lupin, his slowburn romance with bold investigative reporter Kelly Kincaid (and the found family/team-as-family vibes with her young protégé Max and Lupin’s driver/sidekick Grognard) vs. their nemesis: billionaire arms manufacturer Karst, and his cunning and stylish team of Countess May Hem and Steel - are little known and woefully underappreciated. (Check out its TVTropes page for more of an idea what it’s like.) Plus, it only has the slickest opening theme/intro sequence of all:

(Fave characters are Lupin, Kelly, and Max, but feel free to add Grognard and any other characters as needed - even if they’re not in the tagset - for the sake of the plot/dynamics!) Prompt ideas:

Time-period compliant AU: Team Lupin involved in unravelling another conspiracy or plot to hinder yet another famous person or historical event

Casefic, pre-canon, post-canon, missing scenes - anything that’s fodder for more Kelly/Lupin companionable snark, banter, and UST, especially if they’re situations where Kelly and Max hold their own more for a change (instead of needing to be rescued by Lupin) and/or brings to life 1930’s Jazz Age Paris and New York’s music, culture, fashion, and style

A crossover with Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane (even Bunter and Miss Climpson) and/or Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot characters (Chief Inspector Japp, Hastings, and Miss Lemon) would be absolutely fabulous

Kelly and Lupin encountering the infamous Dorothy Parker and her literary peers of New York’s Algonquin Round Table

Fandom: The Avengers (1961)

Those Emma Peel seasons, my beloved...these were my original OTP, and one of the first fandoms I ever got into.

Yes, the plots are off-the-wall campy. Yes, the fight scenes are...don't get me started on those. But with these two? It's lightning in a bottle. Utterly charming. As a little girl, I saw re-runs of this show when it aired on public television, and was completely entranced. They were classy, clever, competent, and above all they always had so much fun together!

The influence these two have had on my writing of romcom banter is simply irreplaceable.

(If you haven't already guessed, John Steed and Emma Peel are my faves in this fandom, but feel free to include others - even if they’re not in the tagset - for the sake of plot/dynamics! I've especially enjoyed their interactions with bumbling rival agent, Brodny.)

Prompt ideas:

Friendly competitions

Undercover at another highly specialized organization with a punny yet unwieldy acronym, or with yet another incredibly niche hobbyist group (let your enthusiasm for your hyperfixation go wild!) - bonus points for getting this stylish pair to dress up/get in costume for the occasion

Fencing (literal, verbal, or - even better - a combination of both)

Thoroughly enjoying a well-earned, scrumptious gourmet meal and drinks together after a particularly challenging case (work hard, play hard!)

Post-canon divergence/fix-it (Peter Peel never returns, and/or Emma stays with the Ministry)

Crossover team-up with Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 from "Get Smart": Emma has to partner with Max, and Steed with 99, and hijinks inevitably ensue

Fandom-specific DNW: I'd prefer no Peter Peel, The New Avengers (Purdey, Mike Gambit), or Tara King. But I do enjoy Cathy Gale a great deal as well, so feel free to include her, if you'd like. (Sorry, Tara King-enjoyers!) Yes, I'm one of those who appreciated Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale, but still firmly believe the series peaked with Diana Rigg (and I know I'm not alone with this here on Tumblr, so if you're one of my people, don't hesitate to give me a shout out! :D)

Fandom: Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World

This short series has so much to appreciate: journeys, adventure, survival, great marksmanship, a dynamic "odd couple" on a never-ending buddy road trip of sorts, often finding themselves caught in sci-fi style moral dilemmas within the social, cultural, and political systems of the cities and nations they're passing through along the way.

Kino and talking motorrad Hermes are my fave characters in this fandom, but I'd also love to see them reunited with swordsman Shizu and his talking dog, Riku. Prompt ideas:

Post-canon, missing scenes, slice-of-life moments, or casefic while visiting another new town or kingdom

The pairs of travelers get split up, and Kino must work with Riku while Shizu is stuck with Hermes.

Kino and Shizu fighting together on the same side

Scenes from Kino's training with "Shishou", and being taught marksmanship

5 times Kino and Hermes almost broke the "3 day" rule, and the one time they did

Fandom: Id: Invaded

Recently finished this woefully underrated psychological thriller/police procedural and highly recommend it to fellow appreciators of Christopher Nolan's Inception and BBC's Sherlock. Hondomachi is my fave character, but I'd love to see more of her dynamics with the rest of the Kura "dive" team, in and out of their "brilliant detective" personas as "Hijiriido", "Sakaido" and "Anaido", as well as where Asukai Kiki/Kaeru is concerned.

Prompt ideas:

I've only seen the 13-episode anime so far but I'm really interested in more post-canon, but would also appreciate any missing scenes, slice-of-life moments, and especially casefic with these three; what does the future hold for this new Kura team?

What circumstances might force all three "diver" detectives to have to enter the ID wells/Mizuhanome simultaneously once again?

What ultimately becomes of Kiki Asukai? How might she finally find peace, either within the Mizuhanome, or in the outside/real world?

Pre-canon scenes: how Hondomachi joined the force, and earlier casefic involving Narihisago/Sakaido, and the use of the Mizuhanome

Fandom: Ratatouille (2007)

As a foodie who enjoys cooking and baking, this is a fun comfort film to me. Remy is my fave character, but feel free to include any others - even if they’re not in the tagset - for the sake of plot/dynamics!

Prompt ideas:

Post-canon, missing scenes, slice-of-life moments

Traveling together to other parts of Europe, and getting inspiration for creating new dishes

Competing together (or against each other) in a culinary contest and/or a cooking reality TV show (Iron Chef? Zumbo's Just Desserts?)

Remy meets Julia Child (either for real, or in ghost-commentator form; if the latter, how would Ghost Julia Child and Ghost Gusteau react to each other - would they compete in Remy's imagination for dominance over his cooking style, the proverbial "too many chefs in the kitchen"?)

Fandom: Holiday (1938)

Only recently discovered this classic rom-com and really enjoyed Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn together in it.  Prompt ideas:

Post-canon fic with the playful Johnny and Linda gadding about Europe in style would be a lot of fun

Dares and double-dares

More of these two getting to know each other during their travels (you get the sense that they'd have a lot of hijinks and adventures together)

Inspiration for Linda to bring back the artist in her that she'd set aside for so long

Opportunities for Johnny to use his acrobatic abilities; what if he was forced to become a cat burglar to support this newfound, nomadic lifestyle?

Crossover/fusion with other fictional 1930's era, or Golden Age Hollywood couples: perhaps The Thin Man's Nick & Nora Charles, The Lady Eve's Jean Harrington & Charles Pike, or Dorothy L. Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey & Harriet Vane?

[repressedgaymer]

paul the gaslighting queen you are, Ram is About john

[howifeltabouthim]

'I think a clean break is better,' she wrote, which was an unfortunate use of language if you thought about it. Which he did, endlessly.

Kate Atkinson, from Death at the Sign of the Rook