#dodie might not be this year sadly | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

novannna · 4 years ago

Text

Cause even when she's next to me, We could not be more far apart

here’s another wlw renegades fic dkfsdhf. Noby royalty oneshot. Ruby is a princess, and Nova is her guard. After an assassin almost kills Ruby, and traps them inside a closet, Nova struggles with guilt over letting Ruby into danger, and for her feelings for the princess. While others work to free them, Ruby and Nova get closer while together.

title from She, by Dodie because I’m gay <3

wc: 2359

Ruby hurried through the halls, her long dress spreading out behind her. The constant sound of footsteps was still behind her. Her shadow.

Ruby groaned. “Nova, you don’t need to watch me constantly. I’m just walking around the castle, I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Sorry princess. I have my orders,” Nova responded stiffly. Her brown eyes glittered under her helmet, and her black hair curled up slightly.

Ruby felt herself automatically begin to smile.

“Stop it!” She scolded herself mentally. She had to stop getting so distracted by her guard. They couldn’t be together, and they both knew that. Well, at least Ruby did. Nova knew, but why would she care? To her, Ruby was just the princess. Ruby was her future queen.

But Ruby loved her. She loves everything about Nova, and knew she couldn’t do a single fucking thing about it.

“So,” Ruby said awkwardly. “How’s guarding and stuff?”

Nova stifled a giggle. “Princess, I can’t talk.”

“Oh, come on,” Ruby whined. “Would it kill you to loosen up for once?”

Nova sighed. “It could. It could kill me, and you, and countless others. Please Princess, stop distracting me, and let me do my job.” Nova raised her head up, her eyes staring into nothingness, hand on her sword’s pommel, ready to defend Ruby at a moment's notice.

“Alright.” Ruby sighed. “Do what’s best then.” They lapsed back into silence. Until a body crashed through the window in front of them, sending glass shards into the carpet, and their ankles.

“Get back Ruby!” Nova shouted. She drew her sword, and forced herself between Ruby and the attacker.

Ruby. Nova had called her Ruby. She felt a chill travel down her spine as she recalled the exact way Nova had said it. RubyRubyRuby. She could listen to Nova’s rough voice say her name for the rest of her life.

The attacker sprinted towards Nova, two daggers in hand.

Nova’s eyes hardened, and with a practiced ease, she dodged her assailant's attacks. Metal clashed against metal. Nova met each of the assassins' strikes, and responded with a flurry of her own.

Ruby watched it all from the side, pressing as tight to the wall as she could.

“Nova, are you okay?” Ruby shouted.

“Never better,” Nova replied. She clashed her swords down hard on the attackers daggers. The metal fell to the floor with a thump, and Nova stood triumphant, sword tip placed against the attackers throat.

“Why are you trying to kill the princess?” Nova hissed.

They didn’t respond.

Nova let the sword fall, and yanked them up by their shirt color, and shoved them against the wall.

“Tell me!” She shouted. “Why did you try to kill Ruby?” With each word, she banged them against the wall.

“Nova!” Ruby yelled. “Stop, you're hurting them!”

Nova seemed to snap back to her senses. She let the assassin fall to the ground, and rushed back to Ruby.

“Are you alright, your highness?” Nova asked, nothing but formalality in her words.

Ruby nodded. “What happened?”

Nova shrugged. “I can’t tell. I’m sorry Princess.”

“It’s okay.” Ruby attempted what she thought was a reassuring smile, but she couldn’t tell if it looked more like a grimace.

“I’ll take you back to your quarters. You’ll be safe-“. Nova froze. The assassin had risen to their knees, and clasped a collection of packets, and fuses in their hand. A bomb.

“Ruby, look out!” Nova screamed, and shoved the two of them into a nearby closet.

The bomb exploded. Nova managed to yank the door shut as the wave of flame and heat shot outwards.

Ruby burst into coughs. Smoke hung heavy in the air.

“Nova?” Ruby asked in a quavering voice.

“I’m here Princess. I’m here.” The room was pitch black, but Ruby managed to locate Nova’s voice. She wriggled closer, until they bumped into each other.

“What happened?”

Ruby could feel Nova’s shoulders shrug. “The assassin's bomb must have partially collapsed the hallway. But, it seems like the fire is now extinguished. So we aren’t going to suffocate.”

“But we’re trapped,” Ruby finished, saying the bad news Nova didn’t want to say.

“Yeah,” Nova said heavily. “We’re trapped. But there’s no way they missed the explosion. A rescue team will be here soon, and they’ll clear a path for us to escape.”

“That could take ages! We’ll be in here for who knows how long.”

“I know.” Nova started to rise slowly. “Are you injured?”

“A little bruised. Nothing serious. What about you?”

“I’m fine. I’ll see if I can find anything useful in here.” She shuffled away, slowly making her away from Nova.

A light flared behind Ruby, and she spun to see Nova lighting a candle with a smoking match.

“Oh,” Ruby breathes. “You scared me.”

Nova blushed. “Sorry Princess.”

Ruby laughed. “It’s okay. Come on, sit down. We have time.”

She shook her head. “I should try and help clear a path from this side.” She tried to haul a piece of debris out of the large wall blocking them from their escape.

Nova grunted, then stumbled backwards landing on her butt with a thud.

Ruby winced. “Are you okay?”

Nova nodded. “Fine.” She rose back up. “Let me try again.”

“Nova… we’re going to get out of here. You don’t need to hurt yourself trying to move this all yourself. Just be patient.”

Nova spun around, fire in her eyes. “I have to get us out of here. It’s my job to protect you, and I’m not fulfilling my duty if you’re trapped in here.”

She tried another piece, and using all of her weight, she tugged it out, one inch at a time. Finally, it popped loose, sending Nova stumbling back. The debris fell to the ground with a loud crash.

The wall of debris groaned, and started to shift in. Rocks fell down, into the small closet.

Ruby screamed and yanked Nova backwards, pulling her to safety. The sound of the two girls breathing was all that filled the small space.

“You can’t try that again,” Ruby said. “It’s too dangerous. You're just going to kill us both. Let the others decide how to approach this. They have experience.”

Nova nodded. Ruby noticed two lines of tears cutting through the dust on Nova's face, but she didn’t say anything.

“Ugh!” Nova screamed. She kicked a rock, sending it skittering across the floor. “I feel so useless. I’m sorry, your highness. This is all my fault.” She sat down, and brought her knees to her chest.

Ruby laughed in surprise. “That’s ridiculous! How could this be your fault?”

“I’m supposed to protect you. When the assassin attacked, my mind went completely blank with rage. I was furious that they would even dare think about hurting about you. The only thing I could focus on was getting revenge. And when I defeated them, I wanted to kill them for it. But you stopped me, and I snapped out of my trance. I made sure you were okay, and I was so relieved I let them almost kill you again.” Nova hung her head. “I shouldn’t be trusted as your guard. Once we get out of here, I’ll resign. It’s for the best.”

“No,”. Ruby said, her commanding voice surprising herself. “You aren’t resigning. You are the best guard I’ve ever had, and it would be stupid if I let you slip away.”

“Princess, I’m doing what’s best for you. I’m resigning, and that’s final.”

Ruby shook her head. “You can’t resign. That’s an order from your princess. You are the closest thing I have to a friend, and I’m not giving that up.” Ruby shifted closer, letting their shoulders touch. She paused, then rested her head in Nova. Both girls tensed, but slowly relaxed as their breathing filled the quiet space.

“You should,” Nova whispered. “I’ve been terrible to you. All you wanted was a friend, but instead I put my job first.”

“No. You put my life first. I put you in a bad situation. Two things I shouldn’t have made you choose between.”

Nova inhaled sharply. “That’s not the only reason I didn’t want to get close.” The air between them was charged, like lightning about to strike.

“What do you mean?” They both whispered each word cautiously, as if they weren’t careful, they’de scare each other off. Ruby’s heart rang in her head.

“I mean…”. Nova bit her lip, and shifted so they were face to face. She took Ruby’s hand in her own. “I mean, I like you in a way I shouldn’t. If we become friends, I’m worried that my feelings will get in the way of my duties.”

“Nova… what are you saying?”

Nova inhaled deeply. “Stars, you’re an idiot. Ruby… I love you. Despite the fact that there’s a million reasons I can’t, I still do.”

Ruby stared at her in shock. This must be a dream. She would wake in a few minutes, Nova standing guard outside. Nova liked her. It seemed too good to be true.”

Nova groaned. “Why did I say that? I'm sorry. I shouldn’t have-“

Ruby grabbed her face. “Shut up,” she whispered, then kissed her the way she had fantasized doing for years.

“Gladly,” Nova breathed. “I never thought that you… y’know, like girls.”

Ruby grinned. “I’m not the perfect princess.”

“Well, I guess I’m not the perfect guard.”

“Perfection is overrated. I’d rather be me.”

Nova’s expression soured. “Ruby… we can’t happen. There can’t be an us.”

“What do you mean? Of course there can!”

“No.” Nova gently rubbed Ruby’s hands. “You have too much pressure on you as a princess. The world won’t let a princess and her guard be together. No one will stand for it. It might even do enough damage to start a civil war. And I can’t afford to lose my job. I need it.”

“Well, we can be together in secret! We can figure something out.”

Nova shook her head sadly. “You and I both know secrets have a way of getting out. Once we get out of here, everything between us is over. I’ll transfer to a different part of the palace.” Nova sniffed, and wiped her eyes. “This is for the best. For both of us.”

Ruby nodded. “I understand. But we still have time. Can we at least enjoy each other now? In this little pocket of time, outside of reality, can we be together?”

Nova nodded, and smiled. “Of course we can. But this is the last time. We can’t let this happen again.”

“Shh,” Ruby whispered, putting her finger against Nova’s lips, stopping her. “Less talking, more kissing.”

Nova laughed. “Happily.”

Ruby felt lips flutter against her own. A small moan escaped her lips, and she ran her hands through Nova’s wild hair.

“I won’t forget you,” Ruby murmured. “I could never forget you.”

“Even if we can’t be together, you still have a place in my heart. I still love you,” Nova replied.

Ruby nodded. She pressed her lips to Nova’s once more, and tried to ignore the feeling in her heart. The one telling her that this was the last time she’d ever feel this happy bliss. She could never do better than Nova. The feeling that made her want to keel over and sob.

But nothing happened yet. Nova was still here, lips pressed against Ruby’s skin.

She could break apart later. Now, there were too many reasons to be happy. So much to live for. Ruby had time to fall apart later. Now, she should enjoy her short moments with Nova.

—-

The final piece of rubble was cleared away, and Nova blinked in the bright light. Their one candle had burned out hours ago, and they had been sitting in the dark for a long time.

“Shh,” she hissed to the guard who had just entered. “The Princess is asleep. Don’t wake her.” The guard nodded.

“We’ve deemed it safe to leave. The captain is waiting for you to hear your report on the events,” the guard said.

Nova nodded sharply. “Take the princess to her quarters and watch over her. Try not to wake her.” Nova turned to leave, then remembered one thing. “When she does wake, will you tell her I’m sorry… for putting her in danger?”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to deliver your message.”

Nova nodded gratefully. “Thank you. I’ll see you later.” She turned, and hurried away.

—-

Ruby woke, and blinked blearily. She lay in her soft silk sheets, sunlight streaming in from her window.

“What happened?” She mumbled.

“Oh, Princess Ruby, you're awake! Good.” An unfamiliar guard stood at the foot of her bed.

“Where’s Nova?”

“Your previous guard has been reassigned.”

“No, none of it was her fault!” Ruby said desperately.

“Your highness, Nova asked to be reassigned. She chose this.”

So everything that happened yesterday wasn’t a dream. Nova had kissed her. And kissed her, and kissed her. Nova did love her.

But now she was gone. Forever.

A familiar clomp of boots sounded outside, and Ruby nearly sprinted to the door. She threw it open to see Nova walking past her door, uniform of the Gatlon military on, instead of the Princess’s guard uniform.

“Nova,” Ruby breathed.

“Good morning Princess,” Nova said stiffly. “I’m glad you're okay after the events of yesterday.”

“Of course I’m alright! You protected me. Nova, please come back. We can make this work.”

Nova sighed. “I can’t. I’m leaving today.”

“Leaving?” Ruby laughed. “You're joking.”

“Afraid not. I’m going to the border. I’ll do my best to protect our nation from invaders.”

“No. You can’t…”

“I’m sorry Ruby, really I am. I hope you have a good life.” She hurried down the hall, her shoulders hunched.

“Nova!” Ruby screamed. “Nova!” She fell to her knees, and felt warm tears stream out of her eyes.

“I’m sorry, the new guard said. “I’ll miss her too. She and I… we used to be together. You can’t just get over Nova Artino. But… I’m here if you need help.”

“Thank you,” Ruby sniffed. “What’s your name?”

“Danna,” her guard said warmly. “My name is Danna Bell.”

Tag list: @nobellrenaissance @thepurpledragon4444 @nova-artino @phobidawg @janisarkisian @furrytamayarae

(let me know if u want to be added or taken off my tag list!!!)

#nova artino #ruby tucker #noby #wlwrenegades #royalty au #renegades #archenemies #Supernova #renegades fic #renegades fanfic #my writing

21 notes · View notes

ask-forestville · 4 years ago

Text

Bloody Nightmare Ch2-p1: The rad moon reveal a secret from a book.

*Luna search for a simple book that could give her more clues. As she search around the book shelf luna found a odd book covered in rad. While taking a hold on the book by her magic,she looked right at it's cover and it said "The Red Moon".

*Luna set herself down on the floor,and begin reading about it's history. *The book read by a unknown author who claims himself to be the lucky one that escape from it's horror nightmare of a strange mare covered in red.*

*The author: Whoever reads this please come find me I lived near by a village called ponyville. Anyway please listen to me i wasn't like this before, I am born as a human with two legs and clothes that I wear, also had a simple hair on top of my head. As I come across this weird portal at first I was minding my own business walking towards my home. Of course I had to walk into the woods,it was the olny path where I lived. Anyway as I came into the forest path towards my home, that is where I meant this portal who appeared out of nowhere right in front of my eye's.

*Sadly to my curious mind which I dare not to get close of it's strange effect, but some reason it led me into it's grace. Like a feeling of warm-hearted jester leading me inside,While being under control by a female voice which I believed it was a female. "sight" I just couldn't believe that a simple portal can be so strong as it took a hold of me,sending myself into it's natural habitat.

To my very own eye's i never seen such full of dark red surrounding me,it was nothing but red! Everywhere I turned the woods are ran, the grounds beneath my shoes are ran,even the sky and clouds are covered in red!! "breathing heavily" but I must continue on my journey to escape,who knows it could be just my imagination that everything is red. It could be possible that I'm between sunset or that the weather change season. Which might be the reason why clouds are reflecting color's to the sky.

*Minutes later i begin running for my life from a horrible mare that is bigger then me, and that she all covered in rad. No! Much worse her dody is bleeding as her claws reach out beneath my legs trying to get me. If I wasn't running from those claws it would be the last of me. There's no life olny death i rather stay alive then being nothing but bones and rotten flesh. This mare just come out of nowhere, as i walked through the woods of fire I didn't notice her first glance behind my back, it's like a magician doing his magic tricks. What's more worse than being chased by a mythical creatures that doesn't exist in human kind. She started to speak in a frightened tone of death, at this moment i was super scared while listening to her word's.

???: You can run but you can't hide, I'll always be right behind you. *She giggles at the man in horror*

*As I continue on running from the mare she prove herself powerful as she turned me into...Omg I am beginning to transform into a pony!! With a shocked expression on my face i started to galloping in four legs?? At least I've got a sense of humour to myself "So long two legs and hello new life as a pony." I do hope I'm able to get away from her, she really scary and i don't want to mess with her not today not ever.

*It felt like day's had gone by so fast i really don't know what year I'm at, or even have a watch to tell time. Has it been forever being stranded by the forest?? I couldn't shake my feelings away because the pain inside burns beneath my soul. Tears dripping down my pony cheeks as I struggled to walk another step. while being lost with no signs of the red mare i began to notice a familiar portal

*Omg yes a miracle had happened as i saw a familiar portal in front of my eye's. Just in time now I can finally escape from this uhh I don't know a nightmare I could say, really doesn't matter if this was a dream or not I'm just so happy to get out. As I stepped inside the magic portal while being teleported into wherever it goes. I do hope and pray that it would take me back into my human world.

As I reach from the other side with my hoof, the portal itself kicked me out by it's magic and wow i said to myself, I didn't realize that this portal was a living thing. Like it wasn't a original portal at all it has a mind of it's own.

As the portal kicked me out I land on the ground with a oof. I lie down there for a moment then got up from the ground, as I open my eye's I've notice myself that I wasn't bake to my world. I was shock to see that I'm surrounded by colourful ponies and everything that's nice. For once in my life I was both disappointed but grateful at the same time, because I was somewhere peaceful for a change. And that's how my story ends founding this strange villege that I called home who knows how long I've been here,but what matters the most is that I am now safe away from that horrible thing.

#bloody nightmare #oc fanfiction #nightmare #oc story #bad dreams #red moon #raylee bloodmare moon

10 notes · View notes

dillydedalus · 4 years ago

Text

october reading

i finished my masters thesis this month (yay!) so while i still read quite a lot for escapism i was also operating on no more than 2 braincells at any time, and one of those braincells was just. continuously screaming. so any incoherence or whatever here is. because of that.

i am sovereign, nicola barker a fantastically weird & enjoyable novella about a house-viewing gone wrong that eventually blows up the novella form. i don’t want to give away the meta aspect too much, even tho it’s not entirely unpredictable, but it is so very entertaining and delightful to read. had such a fun time with this. also has a great cover. 4/5

the lifted veil, george eliot i’ve only read middlemarch by eliot, so a 75-page novella about the supernatural sure was... different. it’s fine, but nothing special imo. i enjoyed the first chapter, which sets up latimer, a soft young man with the gift of foresight/telepathy and his fascination with his brother’s fiancee, whose mind remains opaque to him (....twilight???), but the second half is pretty meh. 2/5

the notebooks of malte laurids brigge, rainer maria rilke (read the german obvi) loved the beginning of this, where morbid, too-intense, death-obsessed author-insert malte laurids brigge walks around paris, seeing everyone carry their death with them, which then makes him think of the deaths he has witnessed in his childhood. the parts about his childhood in a danish noble family were also good, but it really lost me with the overtly poetic, weird historical/religious stuff?? feel like this might have been a victim of termin master’s thesis like maybe that’s not the time for poetic, fragmentary, modernist-ish novels. 3/5

wie der soldat das grammofon repariert, saša stanišić (read in german, english translation by anthea bell) i really enjoyed stanišić‘s memoir herkunft last year so i went back to his 2006 classic, about a kid called aleksandar growing up in yugoslavia and eventually fleeing to germany as a refugee during the war. it’s very similar to herkunft in story, although the presentation is very different. honestly overall i found it a bit Too Much, too long & too stylised in its structure. but like, i can see why it’s so popular. 2.5/5

i capture the castle, dodie smith i really liked this! cassandra mortmain is a very strong narrator, the atmosphere of the dilapidated castle and the dysfunctional family are great, & i was surprised by the crushing poverty of the family in the beginning - cassandra obviously attempts to cover this up both in her own head & in her journal, but for much of the first half or so i was genuinely really worried for the kids - and this makes rose so much more sympathetic in her resolution to escape poverty. i was less convinced by the whole love quadrangle this book got going on, but on the whole this was very charming, but often very melancholy in a far deeper way than i expected. 4/5

the death of vivek oji, akwaeke emezi my second emezi this year, altho sadly neither of them have lived up to the glory of freshwater. this one is about (gender) identity, grief, trauma, love, and solidarity/community based on otherness, which are similar thematically to freshwater, but in a novel that is, i would say, both more stylistically conventional and more hopeful/uplifting (altho it is still very depressing in parts). i enjoyed this on the whole, but it just doesn’t grab you by the throat the way freshwater does, and the reveal/central mystery just feels a bit lacking. 3/5

gott wohnt im wedding, regina scheer listen, this book is probably more competent & historically interesting than literarily great BUT it’s literally (literally) set around the corner from where i live, i know pretty much every single place & business mentioned in it & the house troubles are extremely relatable, if a lot worse than what i am currently experiencing. anyway. this novel is centered around a house in berlin-wedding & the people who live in it & it's about the holocaust & the porajmos, current discrimination against sinti&roma, the history of the wedding, gentrification, familial trauma & all that. it’s very interesting historically, slow but still very readable, and like.... i just really love the wedding! it’s kinda shitty & depressing but i love it!!! 4/5 the only good indians, stephen graham jones note: the elk in this book is not what you, a european, think of as an elk. that’s a moose. anyway, this is a horror novel about four native american men who hunt for elk when, where and how they shouldn’t have and ten years later find themselves pursued by a vengeful elk spirit. i enjoyed this! the scenes where shit goes down were certainly very horrible & gruesome & very sad as well. 3.5/5

solutions & other problems, allie brosh this book really is out there & exists. anyway hyperbole & a half was like, one of my formative internet things and i still love it a lot. this book is second only to the winds of winter in eternally getting pushed back and back and back, so this even getting published was def a pleasant surprise. it’s still really funny, and the weird ugly drawings are still amazingly effective, but this one is. very sad. some really bad shit happened to brosh inbetween and it’s kinda a downer (i mean the first one had the depression saga but this one... is darker). 3.5/5

a supposedly fun thing i’ll never do again, david foster wallace .....i might have to stan dfw, just a little bit. like, i read infinite jest when i was way too young to appreciate it (still traumatised by the uh. creative use of brooms tho) & i have NO intentions of ever rereading it BUT this essay collection was so good that i may just have to read a lot of his other stuff. particular highlights are the title essay, about a cruise journey, and an essay about the illinois state fair, two things that feel particularly fascinating and offputting in equal measure in this year of plague, where even the idea of being in enclosed spaces with many people freaks you out. but i also really appreciated his essays on david lynch & television & fiction, even if i don’t agree with all of his takes. he just has such a good voice! funny, smart, precisely observed but always with a strange spin. 4/5, minus points for too much tennis, but oh well

gruppenbild mit dame, heinrich böll (group portrait with lady) marcel reich-ranicki criticised this book for being, essentially, a sloppy mess and that’s kind of accurate - it’s definitely too long & a bit draggy & böll (and the narrator/“author”) go on tangents and into details with indulgence & abandon, but it’s also... kind of brilliant? the way the “author” collects material and testimony on leni (the lady), her family, coming-of-age and the love affair with a soviet forced labourer that made her an outcast, constructing a documented history of her while leni herself remains ever elusive, the focus on structure, architecture, construction, the endless loops of self-justification (pelzer’s insistance that he is not inhuman, the real estate tycoon’s insistence that they just want what’s best for leni & that her resistance to profit-logic is abnormal)... there’s so much in here, and a lot of it doesn’t need to be there, but a lot of it does. 3.5/5

sweet fruit, sour land, rebecca ley very lyrical, quiet, feminist climate dystopia. it’s good, well-written, very evocative of hunger and loss, a dystopia but really more about grief and identity, and i read it during the last few days of my master’s thesis and thus have absolutely nothing to say about it. 3.5/5

i also & this will be a shock, dnf’d burning down the haus: punk rock, revolution & the fall of the berlin wall, a book about the east-berlin/german punk subculture. it just felt like a longform essay artificially extended into a 400-page book & the writing was pretty basic in a music bro tries to be deep and like, subversive and shit kinda way.

#the books i read #long post

2 notes · View notes

brookelynnsanders · 5 years ago

Photo

Anti Cool Girl - The last fall

A/N: here we go - @arin-schreave and Brooke’s first date. Thank you anna for this ridiculous rp and thank you @evalinkatrineberg elise for being an amazing beta. Also the title is a reference to dodie’s song cool girl - enjoy!

Cold water trickles down Brooke Lynn’s lean frame, washing off the accumulated sweat sticking to her heated skin. The aching in her thighs spreads towards the hollow of her knee - the water unable to soothe the sting. Luckily it cools down her boiling thoughts. She takes in a moment of silence just for herself. No wary eyes, no protocols to follow, and no time to kill. So she just keeps on breathing and counts each droplet gracing her skin. Delaying the inevitable moment of having to leave her little chamber behind. Not ready to face her upcoming date.

“Lady Brooke, did you fell asleep in the shower again?”

The blonde automatically groans at the sound of her maid’s nagging voice. Can’t I have a quiet second for once?

“No, I just don’t moan when I pleasure myself in the shower”, the woman shouts while stepping out of the shower. Her calm interior is now completely destroyed - her defense mechanism filling its space. At least her comeback urged Brita to fall silent. Giving the blonde some last few moments of peace.

So Brooke quietly wraps herself in a fluffy towel and tries to shoot herself an encouraging smile in the mirror, which ends up being a hopeless grimace. Her stomach slowly ties itself into a knot at the prospect of the upcoming hours. So she focuses on drying off her body instead, watching each droplet either moisten the towel in her hand or glaze over the floor. Afterward, she squirts some pomegranate scented body lotion into her palms and carefully slicks up her limbs before wrapping herself into a baby blue silk robe. With a deep breath, still very wet hair, and a polite smile on her lips, she steps outside into the arms of her personal headache.

Sandra, one of the mute maids, grabs the blonde’s arm tightly and leads her towards the vanity - seemingly in a hurry to get the woman ready. Once Brooke Lynn's bum touches the chair, all of her maids are already over her. Prepping her skin, teasing her hair, and painting her face for the big event.

The speed of her maids awakes an unsettling feeling in the blonde who's heart starts to beat a bit faster. Her palms glitz with sweat as Brita keeps on muttering about Brooke's unmanageable hair. Blue eyes stare back at a strange figure, surrounded by buzzing bees, as she attempts to keep her calm. A deep breath in and a deep breath out.

Yet once Brooke is shown the outfit prepared for her, she just knows. This will be her downfall.

Brooke Lynn walks up to the front steps 10 minutes early for her date. The note she had received two days ago is held in her left fist. Opening and closing around the royal paper, fidgeting to calm her mind. Already imagining each worst-case scenario she can think of. Yet still unable to stay in her room any longer - the hustle wrecking her nerves. So she lets her gaze wander around and lets out a deep breath - relieved that no one is present. Her fingers scratch her light brown breeches, attempting to get used to the tight fit of them.

"Lady Brooke."

A slight shiver runs down the woman’s back at the voice onset of her date. Not mentally prepared to meet the Prince so suddenly but within a blink of an eye, she spins around and puts her crumbled invitation into her vest’s jacket. Her face sporting a very neutral look. "Your royal highness." Luckily she remembers her manners.

"Shall we?" Prince Arin asks with a slightly forced smile while he motions in the direction of the stables. Dressed in equally flattering clothes as Brooke Lynn.

Brooke Lynn's blue orbs widen at the reference, having hoped she could delay their departure to the stables a bit. But sadly that isn't the case, so she just clicks her tongue and side-eyes the prince while mumbling "We shall." Her confidence not quite yet at the forefront.

"So... How have you been?"

Awful, thanks for asking.

Brooke settles with, "I am not dead yet, so can't complain, " and a subtle wink.

"Well, I'm glad we set the bar really low here at the palace," he counters with an ever so slight eyebrow raise. Not as amused by her comment as she is.

"No offense, but my bar for this entire experience is very low." A little giggle colors her voice. "I didn't even personally sign up so I have zero expectations."

After a brief pause of awkward silence, she realizes that her prior statement might have sounded a bit rude. Even though it's just a factual truth. "But that only means I am pleasantly surprised all the time," the blonde hurriedly adds, not wanting to ruin the date before it has even properly begun.

“At least you can find some positive things in this whole situation.” The two keep on walking in silence, each a prisoner of their own thoughts. Yet once the stables are in their sights, the Prince speaks up again. “Do you like horses?”

“I am actually terrified,” Brooke answers honestly for once. The woman attempts to keep her cool though, not wanting to look like a scared 3-year-old, but her shaking hand betrays her.

The prince slows down his walking and looks at her. “Oh, I’m sorry... I didn’t know.”

Brooke Lynn stops for a second and closes her eyes, before plastering a forced smile on her face. The foundation of her walls now fully replaced. “It's fine. I'll manage - somehow. But if that horse kills me, I'll haunt you until eternity,” she teases him with a cheeky wink.

“You're not really selling it,” he glances over his shoulder, “We can go back.”

“Aren't you the one who is supposed to show me that deep down I've always wanted to be a horse girl?” Brooke side-eyes him with a smirk, trying her best to keep the conversation light. “But seriously, you chose this activity for a reason... So I might as well give it a shot.”

He just shakes his head. “It wasn't actually my idea, sorry.”

“So you got a little matchmaker advisor who tells you how to find a wife or what?” Another teasing smile graces her lips while she throws her carefully crafted side braid behind her back. Yet once her glance lands on the horses she can now clearly see, the knot in her stomach tightens.

“No... I have a mother who involved herself and a friend who helped her.”

“So you are a mommy boy?” Brooke asks in a teasing tone and scrunches her nose in amusement.

“Well considering I have two I don’t know else I’d be,” Arin replies with a slow blink.

The blonde can’t help but snort at his response and tries her very hardest to suppress her giggles. “You've got a fair point.”

“Well, at least I can make you laugh.”

“Maybe a giggle or two will come out of those pretty lips when the horse throws me into the mud.” An awkward smile graces the woman’s lips as she peeks into the stables. “Why do they gotta be so Goddamn tall,” Brooke mumbles to herself. Still very intimidated by those animals.

“They ate their fruits and vegetables.” Apparently, she wasn’t too quiet.

“And so did I,” Brooke replies as she looks up at towards the prince, “still I am not that tall.” Her waving hand motions an attempt to highlight her point.

“Well, you're not a horse....”

Who would have guessed?

Brooke Lynn rolls her eyes and decides that now is the moment to face her fears and just walks inside the stable. “Let's get this over with.”

“We don't have to do this. It won't hurt my feelings if we don't.”

He really sounds like a little kid not wanting to go shopping with his mum.

On the tip of her toes, Brooke Lynn turns around and fixates him with termination carved into her irises. “No matter if you came up with this idea or someone else - enough effort went into this and I am very sure my maids would be upset if they see this outfit wasn't but to use.” And she isn’t prepared to get into another fight with her maids. Once the two are truly inside, the blonde looks around, very lost. “So wanna show me what I've missed in my life without horse riding?”

Prince Arin just looks at her and blinks in surprise, and if Brooke isn’t wrong she actually hears him chuckle. “You're asking the wrong person. Horses aren't really my thing.” He mentions casually while he walks towards a stall, already greeting one of the horses.

Brooke Lynn stops in her tracks, slightly regretting having pushed him. “Great precondition,” she mumbles to no one in particular.

“There's still time to back out.”

She has him pushed him so far that there is no way to back down now.

“And not watch you crash and burn with me?” Her left eyebrow raised in suspicion as she turns towards the stall gate, taking in the horse nearest to her.

Arin leads the way inside so Brooke Lynn just cautiously follows him trying her best not to use any sudden movements so she won’t scare the horses. At least that’s what she tells herself. Cautiously she rolls her shoulders and straightens her back - not wanting to look too intimidated.

The gate is being pulled open by the prince who then gently tugs on the reins of a tall light brown horse that walks out. “You ready?” Raised eyebrows clearly worried about the woman’s reaction.

The overly nervous woman inhales a deep breath and gifts the man her best smile, refusing to give up on this rocky date already. “Ready as I'll ever be.”

Brooke Lynn’s words are the kickoff to officially start the date. Arin walks around the stable, pulling saddles from left and right and carefully prepares the two royal horses for their ride. As the awkward silence starts to grow, Brooke starts to sort through her brain, pulling out possible small talk topics.

“So if you are not a horse kind of guy - any other animals and hobbies you prefer?”

“I like fish, I guess. And some other things yeah,” Arin mentions as he walks over to his horse.

“Fish?” That’s specific.”Wanna indulge in me that?”

“I have a fish.” The prince concentrates on closing the belts of the saddle. “And they’re a good source of protein.”

“What's their na-”; Brooke Lynn stops in her tracks as the second part of his statement reaches her consciousness. Within a second her polite smile falls from her face. Replaced by a heavy heart as disappointment oozes out of her being

“Her name is Gillian.” No remorse only confusion plastered on his face.

“That's a nice name,” Brooke Lynn replies with an awkward smile, trying her best to not judge him. But she does.”But like how can you have a pet fish that you cared enough to name... And still, eat fish.” Her brows are furrowed as hurt and confusion mixes in the sea within her eyes as Arin finishes up the last details of preparing the horses.

“Fish can be friends and food?” He glances over at her as his statement comes out more than a question.

Yet Brooke Lynn’s mouth only falls open in shock. “How can you say that?”

“I um... like fish?”

Brooke Lynn takes a deep breath so she can collect her thoughts and arguments so she won’t lash out at him.

“But how can you say you like fish as living beings and then still eat them? Like the fish industry is exploiting our oceans and seas while endangering so many species.” With each spoken word she feels a bit sicker as her shoulders and the corner of her mouth hang low.

“I... I'm sorry?”

How am I supposed to see this man as a potential partner?

“No need to apologize - at least not to me but maybe you wanna look into the issues surrounding the consumption of animals and animal products.” With a deep sigh, Brooke lets the topic go. “Speaking of animals,” her eyes glance towards the regal horse by her side, “how is this supposed to go down?”

“Um... now we just mount.”

“Just mount?” A slight waver in her reveals her helplessness. She hasn’t felt that small in a while.

After being told they need to bring the horses outside first, Brook cautiously takes her horse's reins and waits for Arin to lead the way outside, cautiously looking over his shoulder at her as they go. Which prompts an apologetic smile by Brooke. Once the two get to the pasture he circles around with the horse to face her. “Are you ready?”

“I guess we'll see.”

Arin makes it look so easy the way he mounts his horse so regally and then just looks down at her from his horse. “You can do it.”

With a deep breath, Brooke collects all her strength and puts her right foot into her horse's stirrup and swings herself onto the horse. A victorious smile already presents itself on her glossy lips but soon falters as she realizes that she ended up on the horse facing the butt. Fucking great.

"Do you need help?"

"Unless this is the preferred way to ride a horse I guess yeah." Brooke attempts to be very nonchalant, yet a quiet giggle escapes her lips. Too amused by the ridiculousness of the situation.

And like her knight in bright armor, the prince dismounts his horse and walks over to Brooke. "What can I do for you?"

"Whatever the fuck -" Manners. "Whatever the freak is needed to be done." Her nose scrunches an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

Arin slightly hesitates before offering his hand to the blonde as he carefully puts one hand on her waist. "Ready?"

Brooke's vocal cords are suddenly unable to form any words so she just nods and attempts to turn herself around. Yet somehow she miscalculates the curvature of the horse’s back and so she loses her balance. As the blonde realized her mistake it was already too late. Brooke tightly closes her eyes as she tumbles off the horse - fully prepared to hit the ground. But somehow strong arms are able to half catch her in time. After a brief second - which feels like an eternity - Brooke opens her eyes again and stares up at her savior.

Within a moment his arms are gone and Brooke is back on her feet. "Are you okay?" A hint of concern colors his voice as gives Brooke a quick one over.

"Yeah, just wanted to test the reflexes of our soon to be King," the blonde adds with a wink, bringing out her usual cocky self. She smiles a bit to herself, glad Arin had been so quick on his feet, before looking back to the horse and taking a deep breath - not ready to give up. "No, seriously thank you," she adds with a look behind her shoulder as she prepares to finally get this right. With a determined nod she mounts her right foot onto the stirrup again and is about to push herself of. However, she freezes for a moment - realizing the mistake she has made switches her Foot. With her corrected position she manages to mount her horse in a swift motion and ends up correct in her saddle. "Not too bad."

Arin gives her a smile for her victory before adding: "I’m glad you’re okay."

The blonde returns his smile as she watches him go back to his own horse, satisfied with the outcome so far. Until she realizes this is only the first step to actual horseback riding. "Got a coin to start the engine?

He chuckles at her remark. He actually chuckles at her remark." No, you just nudge her with your foot a little and say - let’s go."

"Okay," the blonde replies very focused on the tasks at the head but still manages to offer a small nod and smile as she nudges her horse. A "let's go" escapes her lips as the regal animal suddenly picks up its pace.

"Are you okay?" The prince's voice barely reaching the girl's pina as his horse trails behind.

"So far," Brooke Lynn shouts back as she keeps her gaze ahead - trying her best not to fall off this wobbly ride. Her thoughts suddenly swirling around how the horse could possibly understand her directions.

"You're still alive, see." An encouraging smile suddenly by her side.

"That's a plus." Her first genuine laughter escapes her throat.

"We can be done if you want."

Brooke doesn't have to look over to see the concern plastered onto his face. Slightly wondering if he even wants to be around her, not really buying his sudden concern.

"You really sound like you don't wanna be here, but I am finally on a horse - there is no stopping now." With a click of her tongue and a feisty nudge to her horse's rips, she spurts it on to go faster and faster. Craving serotonin to fill her blood.

"Horses aren’t really my thing." The prince's call nearly lost in the woods.

Ocean eyes roll at the reveal of his dark secret. "Oh who would have guessed."

As the trees enclosing her vision move past her and the stark wind cools all her limbs she wonders if that's what true freedom feels like.

"Not you," Airn voices once he manages to catch up to. "You’re a lot better at this than I am."

Ohh okay? Maybe we can forget this fish situation.

“Seems like I have natural talent then,” the girl confidentially exclaims with a big grin.

“Maybe you do.” His voice suddenly getting closer and closer until Brooke can see the other surpass them.

“Are you trying to win a racehorse boy?” She shouts at him, urging her horse to go faster - trying to catch up.

“Boy?”

“You gotta earn the horseman title,” she challenges him with a wink as she is at an eye level with him again.

“Last between the two trees gotta bake the other a cake.”

Within a whirlwind, she passes him and encourages her horse to go even faster, determined to win the race. Her laughter halls through the cool air as the wind plays with her baby hairs. Brooke refuses to look back and she just focuses on the horizon. Her heart and head feel a bit lighter with each added mile between her and the palace. If she just closed her eyes she could pretend she is in her own adventure - not prince who doesn’t want to get to know her trailing along.

The blonde doesn't look back and just takes in the serotonin buzzing through her bloodstream as she comes to the finished line closer and closer. Her head is free of constant overthinking once she reaches the finish line. Yet all of a sudden her horse’s fuse blows and within a second she already greets the grass as her horse attempts to circle the fox in its way. Brooke Lynn’s left foot is still caught in the stirrup once her horse calms down, so she tumbles to the floor and just rests on her back. Kinda in shock, yet glad for her verst as bubbly laughter escapes her chest, patiently waiting for Arin to arrive.

Once his horse stops alongside hers, he carefully gets down and rushes over to her. Clearly worried. Not that he should worry. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, cause I won,” Brooke cheers with her fist raised high, “so this is a wonderful position to cloud watch. You should join me.”

“Alright, Van Grunsven, let's go.” Arin immediately leans down to untangle her from the saddle, wasting no time.

The blonde says a small ‘thank you’ as she scrunches her nose and smiles at him. She completely lays on her back now as she is freed from the saddle and nocks onto the grass next to her. A silent invitation for Arin to join her. The need to share the beautiful sight in the sky with him immense.

However, Brooke Lynn can only feel an expecting look on her skin. Not sure what he wants from her.

“You're free,” he adds after a moment of awkward silence and raises his eyebrows at her.

“Yeah. Thank you,” She repeats confused, petting the grass next to her again while scrutinizing him. “Please don't tell me you also hate cloud watching.”

“I don’t... I just don’t really want to lay in the ground.” He nonchalantly replies with and outstretched arm. Brooke only rolls her eyes and mouths the word wimp but takes his hand anyway.

In a smooth motion, he pulls her up. “I’m guessing we’re done with horses for the day?”

With a nod, the girl confirms his suspicions. So she grabs her horse’s reins, ready to walk her way back to the palace, but pets her horse on the head slightly. Still a bit scared of the majestic creature, yet still having found a place in her heart for it. “Thanks for not killing me,” she mumbles lovingly.

Arin shoots her an amused look at the interaction. “Not so bad, huh?”

“Yep,” the girl pops the p and nods, “especially since you owe me a cake now.” Actually really excited at the prospect of a cake just for her. Unable to let it go that she actually won.

“I think you’ll be disappointed,” he says not very convincing, leading the horse towards the stables. The evening sun highlighting a light sweat patch on his horse’s back and neck.

“We'll see - maybe you'll discover your sudden love for baking.” The blonde shoots him an amused look as she walks beside him, unable to really look him in the day due to the blinding sun rays hitting her iris.

“Or burning the palace down,” Arin mutters as a response.

“That will definitely make it into the history books.”

The prince blinks surprised, seemingly having hoped Brooke wouldn’t hear him. “I’d hope not.”

“It's in your hands,” she replies with a coy smirk before letting her gaze shift towards the closer inching palace. Her smile slightly drops at its sight, not ready to be a prisoner of her golden cage again.

“What’s wrong?”

Shit.

Hurridly the blonde morphs her phase into a neutral expression, relaxing her furrowed brows and clenches jaw. “Ohhh it's just that I enjoyed the company - I am not really looking forward to being alone again.“ The woman exhales deeply and bites her bottom lip trying to find the balance between being honest and still keeping her walls intact. Not trusting the stranger opposite her yet.

“I'm sure there are lots of people in the Women's Room.”

A polite smile stretches across her lips, not really wanting to share her lack of social contact in this place. Not even remembering the last time she had visited the Women’s Room. Luckily the Prince immediately leads his horse into the stable once they neared the palace. He politely waits until she's inside behind him before he starts to take the saddle off.

Brooke Lynn, on the other hand, simply watches him in silence caught up with her own thoughts but keeps a polite smile on her face. Torn between labeling this date a total disaster and progress in the right direction. Because she didn’t really hate it. But maybe he did?

A ‘Can I’ catches her a bit off guard. It takes her a second before she realizes that he wants her to hand him her horse’s reigns.

“Will you take Skippy back to his stall?” He asks, nodding towards his horse while he approaches hers.

“Skippy?” A bright smile shining on her lips. “Your brilliant idea or did someone else name him?” The girl walks towards Arin’shorse and slowly approaches him before carefully taking his reigns in her hands. She walks him into his stable, careful not to step into horse shit.

“Uh... my mom came up with it.”

“It's actually a really adorable name,” she says, mostly directed at the horse that manages to elicit a small smile from her as well. He also receives a light pet from her before carefully closing the gate and walking back towards Arin.

”Will you take Lou, too?”

Brooke Lynn nods as a response and walks Lou to her stall and gives her a fake evil look before silently cracking up. “Thanks for not killing me Lou,” she mumbles with a smirk.

“So, what's the verdict?”

About what? Ohh the horses, Brooke mentally facepalms.

“I am still alive, so this couldn't have gone better!” The girl exclaims with a smirk and her left hand against her hip. Not deadly terrified of horses anymore, but still in need of a 21-year long break of horseback riding.

“Well, staying alive in a date is always a good standard to have.”

“And if the standard couldn't have been upheld - I couldn't be disappointed cause I'd be dead,” the girl laughs a bit morbid. Either because Brooke stopped caring about looking perfect or because she has gained a concussion over the past few days. Not quite sure yet.

Nervous laughter by her side makes Brooke only crack up more.

“Just kidding. You are too easy to spook.”

“Am I?” He motions for her to follow him as he walks back towards their meet up spot.

“Seems like it at least,” the girl calmly replies, solely focussed on the steps leading towards a side entrance of the great hall.

“Interesting observation,” are his last words before he falls silent, accompanying her.

Brooke Lynn slowly drags her feet across the path, an attempt to delay the end of this evening. Yet once the two reach the top of the stairs the prince and the girl say their goodbye’s with polite smiles resting on their faces. Both left alone with their thoughts from now on.

Not sure if they’ll see each other again.

#Brooke lynn Sanders #challenge 3 #selection oc #arin schreave #first date

5 notes · View notes

the-pisciest · 5 years ago

Text

LIBRA MERCURY “mercury in Libra guys and gals are flip floppers. They're often heard saying, "On the other hand...."This can make them seem indecisive. But, it's also a gift, because they synthesize things, and are able to walk in others' shoes. They might not change their minds as much as fellow airy Mercury Gemini, but when they do, it's often simply part of their process. They swing this way and that, and try on ideas, and then see which one feels right.” Verse by Rhye “In the morning light those circles fade I've always hated that moment It's bitter sweet in my mouth Just as we face ourselves Oh my song, says it all Do you hear it in the verse?” Jameson by Zella Day “Words are meant to be taught Love's not meant to be lost You said that if I'm happy you're cured But I'm not.” If I’m being Honest by Dodie “I was told this is where I would start loving myself Flirting's delicious, proved to be beneficial for mental health All of my best bits pulled forward, collected, displayed Sadly, I just think that I was disgusting today.” I was Wrong by BAILEN “Lend an ear We sure can talk but can we hear? 'Cause years won't make you wise if you don't try to listen.” I went too far by AURORA “I went too far when I was begging on my knees When I cut my hands, so you could stand and watch me bleed I went too far and kissed the ground beneath your feet Standing in my blood, it was a taste of bittersweet.” Motel by Caitlin Canty “Rain danced on the roof last night Moon rose without warning Took its time crossing the sky I could tell you about lonely roads and the high way I could warn you about the trouble and the time it takes But California woke up this morning with a sweet refrain Yellow sun beat on the window Light cut straight through the blinds It was love that broke my sorrow Like the day breaks the night.” Your song (cover) by Ellie Goulding “If I was a sculptor, but then again no Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show Oh I know it's not much but it's the best I can do My gift is my song And this one's for you.” Nine by Sleeping at Last “It looks like empathy To understand all sides But I'm just trying to find myself Through someone else's eyes.” The Trouble with Wanting by Joy Williams “Wandering soul Wandering mind Wondering what's gone wrong with me And try not to try Swayed by the wind Swayed by the desire Can't reach the moon up above And I don't dare touch the fire.” Thingamajig by Miya Folick “I am smiling wide I'm the reason the sky is blue Careful design Was poured into me and poured into you.”

#libra mercury #libra mercury playlist #libra mercury moodboard #astrology playlist #astrology moodboard

11 notes · View notes

maplestreetsims · 6 years ago

Text

Get to Know Me Tag❁

i was tagged by @whyeverr and @abelsimblr ♥ thank you for tagging me!!

nicknames: Coti, or constance weirdly enough....

gender: female

sign: Cancer🦀

height: tbh i have no idea, but last time i measured myself was 1.52m, idk what that is in inches

time: 18:38pm

birthday: July first! 1/7/00′

favorite bands: one direction ....like, name any modern day band that gets more iconic than that.....apart from them, queen fucking slaps, abba, tear for fears, p!atd...

favorite solo artists: Sufjan Stevens (i love that dude), harry styles, girl in red, dodie, daughter..

song stuck in my head: literally the entire soundtrack of life is strange

last movie I watched: i dont watch movies that often.. but the last one i remember properly sitting down and watching was beetlejuice

last show I watched: i literally cant even remember yikes :/ adventure time maybe,i need to start watching something asap

when did I create this blog: i think i created this blog on july 15 of this year?? i got a new laptop just so i can play the sims so i figured might as well post it so other humans can see it or smtn

what do I post: legacy/story posts, and edits whenever i get creative

what did I last google: creepy font copy and paste (rip) i found it btw Ì̴̬̝̤͎t̴̻̣͇̦͋͜͝͝ ̶̢͈͓̺̘̿̀͌̿͠w��̰̱̱̙̀̑̓͋̄̄à̸ͅs̶͖̳͊̈ ̶̹̭̬̹͂̄ţ̴̦͘ḣ̵̢̝̳̠ḯ̸̝̮͙̼́̇s̸̡̬͆̐̒͘ ̴̨͈̮̜̠̭͐́̈́͗ǫ̶̘̌̑̽n̷̢͔̼͖̫̝͑̈́͗̓̇̋ě̸͇̄͑̐

other blogs: at this point i would say this is my main blog, my original blog is so depressing i feel like im back in 2015 whenever i log into that account, it feels very lonely for some reason i dont like it there lmao

do I get asks: i would say they’re mainly wcifds but in dont mind them!, but boy do i love when i get asks about anything to do with my sims or my story, it makes me sooo happy you dont even know :)

why did I choose this url: i suck at originality, so i just picked one of my fav episodes of stranger things, the weirdo on maple street and just added sims to it, bc maplestreet was already taken, what a shocker

following: 1.039

followers: 964 ♥

average hours of sleep: depends on the day.. but i would say like 6-7 hours

lucky number: i never really had one, it always changes but.. i would say 7

instrument: i suck at music big time, last year i literally failed my music class rip, this year not so much thankfully...so idk

what am I wearing: blue leggins with a green with white stripes sweater.... the outfit made sense at one point i promise

dream job: if someone just payed me to play the sims that would be it,but sadly, not happening lol so i would say anything artistic really, being a photographer or an editor, im moderatly good at drawing so maybe that, orrr like working behind the scenes at like movies and stuff?? that sounds cool

favorite food: pizza🍕

last book I read: las cronicas de una muerte anunciada, it was for literature class

3 favorite fandoms: The Sims (kinda), the 1d fandom (we were all so mentally unstable god) anddd maybe the detroit become human? or the life is strange one, can’t decide

I tag: @esperilla @pollinationqueen @hiddenspringss @elisabettasims @retro-plasma and anyone else who wants to do this! :)

#tag game #non-sims

16 notes · View notes

bluesbarnes · 7 years ago

Text

Golden Slumbers (Tom x Reader)

Pairing: Gender Neutral! Reader x Tom

Genre: Fluffy fluff. It’s so sweet, my teeth are rotting.

Warnings: I haven’t written fanfiction since last summer so this might not be my best. Sorry!

Summary: Lots of Dad! Tom vibes :)

Word count: 569

Author’s note: Dodie Clark posted a cover of the song Golden Slumbers by the Beatles and inspired me to write this. I highly recommend you watch it. It made me cry like a little baby.

Also, feel free to leave things in my inbox. Enjoy this thingy I made!

Link to Dodie’s video

The stars were few and far between. You leaned on your tip-toes to see the moon out of the kitchen window. The moon was brighter than usual, casting shadows on the faraway buildings and houses. You gazed back up at the stars, but the sounds of a baby girl babbling broke you out of your trance.

You and your boyfriend, Tom, were watching your niece Shiela for the weekend. She was such a beautiful, bubbly toddler. The instant you held her in your arms at the ER, you fell in love with her. Tom seemed to have grown attached to her as well.

“Come’re. princess!” Tom shouted, crouching down in an about-to-tickle-you fashion, making Shiela sprint around the counter. Tom smiled sweetly at you before darting after her. You washed the last of the plates before you walked to where your niece and boyfriend were play-fighting.

The sight filled your heart with warmth. Giggles were erupting from Shiela, and Tom was beaming like a child. You had never talked about having kids with Tom; you had only been together for a year and a half. In retrospect, you hadn’t given it much of a thought. Seeing Tom like that, though, flipped on some sort of switch inside you. Tom would be an amazing father.

You stared lovingly at the pair of them as the giggles died down, Tom picking up Shiela. Tom kissed you on the temple, saying, “I’m gonna take ‘er to bed, love. We can finish cleaning up the kitchen after I get back, okay?” You nod, saying your goodbyes to Shiela.

It had been 10 minutes since Tom took Shiela upstairs. In that time, you had to clean the rest of the kitchen. You were the least bit aggravated since you had to do all the cleaning, so you went to check up on Tom.

You hopped up the stairs and tip-toed over to the room you had set aside for your niece. You silently held your ear up to the door.

Was he singing?

“Golden slumbers fill your eyes, smiles awake you when you rise...”

Your heart burst upon hearing Tom sing. In your relationship, you had only ever heard him sing once: when he serenaded you on your anniversary while Sam played the piano.

“Sleep pretty darling, do not cry

And I will sing a lullaby”

The same warm, fuzzy feeling from earlier shook your heart and stung your eyes with tears.

“Once there was a w-”

You had accidentally let a sniffle loose, making Tom aware of your eavesdropping. You cracked open the door. Shiela was fast asleep in her crib, Tom sitting cross-legged next to her. “Please don’t stop, Tommy,” you whispered, not being able to help the accompanying voice crack. He smiled sadly as you sat in front of him.

“Once there was a way to get back homeward

Once there was a way to get back home

Sleep pretty darling, do not cry

And I will sing a lullaby.”

As the song finished, he enveloped you in his arms.

The moon beamed through the window. Stars freckled the night sky, complementing the glad moon.

You admired your sleeping Shiela, then your adoring boyfriend. His smile was brighter than any moon. He sighed sweetly as he grabbed your hips, turned you around, and placed you on his lap.

“I can’t wait to sing to one of my own every night. One of our own.”

Requests are open!

330 notes · View notes

lit--bitch · 5 years ago

Text

Current-Reads (06/04/2020 - 12/04/2020) 📖🌷

(Disclosure: I don’t know any of the authors (two of them are dead, sadly) nor the publishers from any of the books I’m recommending this week. Three cheers for impartiality, everyone.)

All the blossoms’s out and it’s raging blue skies at the moment. I’ve found some peace in it at times. I really can’t stop thinking about the sacrifices key workers are making, especially those in healthcare, and wishing I could do more. Keep loving the people around you, keep appreciating the springtime blossom, and I hope you’re all keeping safe and well.

So, every Sunday I draw up a list of what I’ve been reading over the week and share them on here, in the hope that maybe some of the suggestions might pique your interest too. I know not everything will be everyone’s cup of tea, and if you think there’s something out there I should read, drop me a line and tell me about it.

I generally gravitate towards a lot of emerging writers or contemporary literature from the 21st century. But as of late I’ve looked at some 19th and 20th century literature, which has been fun to read and write about.

Anyhow, this week I’ve been reading Georges Bataille’s Story of the Eye, Cunt-Ups by Dodie Bellamy, E M Cioran’s The Trouble with Being Born, The New Fuck You: Adventures in Lesbian Reading edited by Eileen Myles & Liz Kotz, and Adam Phillip’s Attention Seeking. It’s been great. So below I’ve got a small-ish breakdown in terms of what they’re all about, what they do. Sometimes I add ‘RECOMMEND’ next to some of the titles, but that’s not to say I don’t recommend all of them, I just love some books more than others. C’est la vie.

***

Okay so, first up:

Georges Bataille, Story of the Eye (RECOMMEND): Bataille spent most of his life being rejected by various writers and thinkers, (the Surrealists, the Existentialists, etc.) He was considered far too extreme, far too transgressive. Look at him now. He’s a Penguin Modern Classic. I have no doubt if he were alive today, he’d hate this. Though I find the idea of the canon a tenuous subject, I don’t necessarily avoid all the books. For the most part I absolutely loved this. I had been meaning to buy it since my old tutor from RCA asked us in class if any of us had read Story of the Eye and when my friend Tom (The Death of a Clown, Tom) said he read it when he was a teenager, and told me what it was about properly, I picked it up as soon as I finished my MA.

Story of the Eye is about a guy looking back on his life and recalling his sexual exploits as a teenager with a girl called Simone. The relationship from the off is just odd, and for that reason well-matched. They take pleasure from the same fetishes that they explore together. They share that weirdness in each other. Some of these perversions get really specific, and I mean really specific. Like in the first sexual encounter (which happens on the book’s second page, Bataille doesn’t fuck about at all, no pun intended), Simone sits butt-naked in a dish of milk and it gets the narrator really hot under his collar. It’s a piece of psychoanalytic eroticism, and it just gets weirder and weirder. I suppose it’s all tied up in misadventure and adventure, and Bataille’s own life, his psyche. If you buy a Penguin Modern Classic edition of this, you’ll get his notes on Story of the Eye (which btw was originally published under Bataille’s pseudonym, Lord Auch, you’ll see this), and an essay from Susan Sontag and Roland Barthes. I do think overall the ending is kind of abrupt... and it’s intentional but I wish Bataille had said more. Overall, I did love it for the beauty in Bataille’s choice of words to describe (what I deem to be) the surreality of sexual conquests and even the macabre at times.

Dodie Bellamy, Cunt-Ups (RECOMMEND): Oh so wonderful. This book introduced me to the joys of the cut-up method and it is a sweaty, relentless fuck of a book. I salute Dodie Bellamy. It is exactly what Sophie Robinson says in the book’s foreword, ‘a kind of erotic Midas touch’. Everything this book touches is sex, queer, wet, shaky, writhing. It is absolutely exhausting. It consists of exchanges, voices, rooted in porn, rooted in love, the unachievable and the real in its gendered body. Won’t say anymore. You may have to look hard to find a copy available to buy in the UK, but when you do, just buy it.

E. M Cioran, The Trouble with Being Born: This was the first time I bought Cioran. I was looking for new philosophy to read and came across this one line in an article, which quoted The Trouble with Being Born.

It said: ‘I have decided not to oppose anyone ever again, since I have noticed that I always end by resembling my latest enemy’.

It has been true of me sometimes in my life, to have fallen prey to imitating the ones who hurt me. It just so happened I read this line at a particularly difficult time, where somebody had failed me. So I bought the book. Did I use this text as a coping mechanism? Maybe a bit. Apparently everything goes to shit when you’re born, not when you’re hurtling towards death. That’s Cioran’s two cents. I like this book when I feel like life is never going to be okay ever again. It indulges my mindset at that point, then it gets so depressing I wake up and never read Cioran again until someday something else makes me feel lifeless. In his inherent nihilism, Cioran revives my optimism, and lust for life.

Ed. by Eileen Myles & Liz Kotz, The New Fuck You: Adventures in Lesbian Reading (RECOMMEND): Incidentally, at the same time I read that line about never opposing your enemy again from Cioran, I was at the time, ill at ease with men. So I went looking for Kathy Acker. Instead I found this, an anthology of 37 writers talking about everything. The book was published in the 90s, at this point ‘queer lit’ isn’t really a term being mobilised, and the work isn’t always for lesbians, or written by lesbians. Some stories do wane, not everything here is my cup of tea, but that’s what you find in anthologies, the diversity of voices. It’s also deeply rooted in the real. It doesn’t sugarcoat at all. There’s sex, cancer, drugs, alcoholism, cake, driving, seasons, pizza, stairs and diabetes. There’s everything.

Ultimately, to be a woman is to be in pain all your life. It’s chronic. This anthology soothes and chafes these difficult wounds.

Adam Phillips, Attention Seeking: Food for thought in the psychology literature of Adam Phillips. I like his hypotheses, and I enjoy his explanations. His writing is engaging and playful. Attention Seeking is about why and what we choose to pay attention to, why we seek attention for ourselves in four essays. He begins saying everything in life depends on what we find interesting. When we’re interested, we pay attention.

This is an argument for attention-seeking in each of its facets. There’s no conclusions or set answers. Our selectivity makes up the very basis for who we are. And to understand this book you need to pay attention to it, and if you don’t, you’re only proving Phillips right. Now isn’t that masterful?

***

That’s all this week. Next Friday I’ll be reviewing Crispin Best’s Hello published very late last year. Hugs and snugs. Stay safe. 💕💁🏽

0 notes

ashley-virginia · 8 years ago

Note

Alright I'm gonna be "that guy" and be totally annoying, but for the unusual asks thing, answer all of them (or whatever ones you want to/have time for) bc I'm honestly genuinely curious :)

Ahhhh thank you so much! I actually love you a whole bunch, because this was so fun and I never really get to do things like this!!

Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? spotify

is your room messy or clean? my room at home is messy as hell, but my dorm is pretty neat and pretty.

what color are your eyes? brown, but like a nice chocolate brown!

do you like your name? why? i guess i like it, i think it’s kinda adorable when people mess up the pronunciation and add an extra syllable in the middle. so they say ash-uh-lee instead of just Ashley.

what is your relationship status? s i n g l e

describe your personality in 3 words or less calm, friendly, shy

what color hair do you have? brunette

what kind of car do you drive? color? white ‘99 solara. i named him caspar :)

where do you shop? target, forever21, kohls (if i’m feeling like dropping big bucks), lush

how would you describe your style? terrible. i have zero style whatsoever. but i guess it’s classic? trendy? what words do you even use to describe style??

favorite social media account tumblr or twitter

what size bed do you have? queen i think

any siblings? only child!

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? somewhere warm so i don’t freeze my butt off, and my skin gets super dry when it’s cold out. so like maybe florida or cali. the outer banks is pretty nice in the summer, they have great beaches

favorite snapchat filter? the butterfly crown thingy

favorite makeup brand(s) COLOURPOP, maybelline, ulta brand?, nyx, too faced…(i have a ton of favs)

how many times a week do you shower? usually 7 because i work out quite often so i don’t want to go to work or class smelling gross like some people do

favorite tv show? gotham, the flash, supergirl, ouat

shoe size? 6 or 7

how tall are you? 5′3

sandals or sneakers? sneakers because i have ugly, wide feet

do you go to the gym? not really, i usually go on runs or use the treadmill/elliptical that i have in my house. but since there’s a gym on campus i might start going, but it’s also out of the way so idk

describe your dream date cute lunch or dinner at a cute cafe. i’m sipping some hot chocolate and munching on a soft pretzel or muffin. and my date, whoever he or she is, is munching on their snack, telling me about a book their reading or something that makes them happy. maybe afterwards we’ll go on a walk and find a quite place to read

how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? maybe like $30? about to be like 10 after i get my lab notebook

what color socks are you wearing? maroon and white

how many pillows do you sleep with? at home: two regular pillows, a body pillow, two pillow pets. at school, one pillow, three decorative pillows.

do you have a job? what do you do? i work part time at an agriculture company, currently at school though, so i work during breaks. but i help with harvest and such, i don’t really know how to explain it without going into major details

how many friends do you have? not a lot. it’s kinda embarrassing to put a number to it

whats the worst thing you have ever done? give my phone to two of my friends while they prank called some guy that had called one of them while he was very drunk (the dude not my friend). it turns out he was in a very high position in our state, and we all got in a shit ton of trouble :/

whats your favorite candle scent? classic vanilla i suppose. or anything fall themed

3 favorite boy names noah, adam, jonathan (and any variation of it)

3 favorite girl names carrie, zoe, dorothy

favorite actor? river phoenix or cameron monaghan. i could go on and on about why i picked them

favorite actress? i don’t really have one, but i like emma watson and elizabeth taylor

who is your celebrity crush? probably cam or river

favorite movie? stand by be, the mummy, and et are all collectively number 1 on my list

do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? i’ve read 7 books in january so i guess i read a lot. and right now my favorite would probably be The Raven Boys (i’m patiently waiting on the rest of the series to arrive so i can binge read it)

money or brains? brains

do you have a nickname? what is it? sadly i have a very plain nickname. It’s Ash, just the first three letters of my name. but i do like it, usually on my family and few friends call me it, so it’s kinda special to me

how many times have you been to the hospital? oh yikes, proably like 15-20

top 10 favorite songs

sexual by NEIKED

shout out to my ex by little mix

anything that dodie calrk sings lol

all i ask by adele

make you feel by love (the glee version)

the dear evan hansen sounddtrack (it hasn’t been released yet but you know i’m gonna love it)

human by darren criss

driftwood by cody simpson (basically the whole album, free, is a bop)

last night on earth by green day

girls like girls by hayley kiyoko

do you take any medications daily? yep, nothing serious just stuff to keep me healthy

what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) usually oily, but during very cold days, it can get very very dry

what is your biggest fear? probably being alone in life.

how many kids do you want? maybe 2 or 3

whats your go to hair style? well considering i have short hair, i just shower and let it dry

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) i guess it’s small, but before i left for uni, i was in the process of moving into a slightly bigger house, so now i guess it’s a medium sized house

who is your role model? lea michele

what was the last compliment you received? some girl in my psych class complimented my blue jacket

what was the last text you sent? “i love you” to my dad

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? 7, i saw one of my presents that had yet to be wrapped in the back of my dads truck, and then on christmas day, i opened the exact gift and it had said it was from “Santa”. i didn’t let my parents know for a couple more years.

what is your dream car? idk, i kinda like the one i have now.

opinion on smoking? it’s bad for you and your health, you shouldn’t do it

do you go to college? yep, just started my first semester on monday

what is your dream job? either a writer or an actress, i’m going to school for neither of those things

would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? suburbs was always the dream, but i am starting to like more rural areas.

do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? no, but my mom does

do you have freckles? yep, on my shoulders and face, though the latter are more prominent in the summer

do you smile for pictures? usually

how many pictures do you have on your phone? 37

have you ever peed in the woods? yep!

do you still watch cartoons? not really, but sometimes i’ll watch old pokemon episodes on netflix

do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds? i don’t think i’ve ever had wendy’s nuggets, but i’m sure they’re much better than McDonald’s

Favorite dipping sauce? BBQ or ketchup

what do you wear to bed? usually sweatpants and a tank top, but i’ll switch to shorts if it gets too hot

have you ever won a spelling bee? i’ve never been in a spelling bee

what are your hobbies? singing, acting, writing, reading

can you draw? nope

do you play an instrument? ukulele and a bit of guitar

what was the last concert you saw? hunter hayes in 2014

tea or coffee? tea

Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? starbucks

do you want to get married? yeah, i’d like to

what is your crush’s first and last initial? JC

are you going to change your last name when you get married? maybe

what color looks best on you? i’ve been told dark green and blue?

do you miss anyone right now? yeah, my dog and family

do you sleep with your door open or closed? closed, i like to think that it keeps the bugs out

do you believe in ghosts? hell yeah

what is your biggest pet peeve? body odor

last person you called my dad

favorite ice cream flavor? vanilla or pistachio

regular oreos or golden oreos? regular

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? rainbow sprinkles

what shirt are you wearing? not wearing a shirt ;) lol i’m actually just wearing a sweatshirt

what is your phone background? my date for prom and i

are you outgoing or shy? depends, if i’m with good friends, i’m outgoing, if not, i’m usually very very shy

do you like it when people play with your hair? not really

do you like your neighbors? not really

do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? morning and night

have you ever been high? nope

have you ever been drunk? nope

last thing you ate? a granola bar for lunch

favorite lyrics right now literally the entirety of Waving Through a Window. like i relate to that so much it makes me cry half the time i listen to it

summer or winter? i guess summer, but i prefer fall to all seasons

day or night? day

dark, milk, or white chocolate? dark

favorite month? october

what is your zodiac sign cancer

who was the last person you cried in front of? probably my dad

#ask #answered

0 notes

micaramel · 5 years ago

Link

Artist: Monica Majoli

Venue: Galerie Buchholz, New York

Exhibition Title: blueboys

Date: November 8 – December 21, 2019

Click here to view slideshow

Full gallery of images, press release, and link available after the jump.

Images:

Images courtesy of Galerie Buchholz, Berlin/Cologne/New York

Press Release:

People still die of AIDS—or of AIDS-related complications or illness, as the dispiriting boilerplate has it. Hooray for those who can afford the drugs that make the syndrome manageable, hooray for those who can afford to party without a care in the world, since there should be no worry when one is horny or “in love” or dancing, lustfully unthinking, but close to a million people died of AIDS, just last year.

In an exchange between Dodie Bellamy and Kevin Killian that would have been called Eyewitness, had Kevin’s death from cancer not interrupted it, at one point Dodie writes: “I’m thinking of how Dennis Cooper said AIDS ruined death.” Not immediately (they reconnoiter the fact of Kevin’s diagnosis), but soon enough, Kevin, after taking a few beats, glosses Dennis’ epigrammatic observation. “Dennis’ point is that once we were in love with death in the Punk Era. It seemed like the real thing, the point of living. Then came AIDS,” Kylie Minogue’s most dedicated fan explained, “and death was reduced to nothing. Just the end. It was stripped of meaning.”

Once we were in love with death… Do you hear Keats’ nightingale in Kevin’s explanation? “I have been half in love with easeful death, call’d him soft names…” Who hasn’t called certain darkling attractions by soft names? Sometimes you live to regret it, sometimes you don’t.

Monica Majoli took inspiration for her newest body of work from the sexy post-Stonewall, pre-AIDS hiatus still known as the ’70s, particularly centerfolds from Blueboy, which billed itself as “the national magazine about men.” In 1980, when I was 15—hold on. I find myself striking out for memory lane again, and I have to say that for the most part I just couldn’t care less about memory lane. (I guess people now call it autofiction.) Instead I’ll relay this little fact: In an interview for High Times, published in the early summer of 1977, Andy Warhol was asked what his favorite magazines were. He replied: “Blueboy, Pussy, Penthouse. Whatever I’m in.”

Or, whatever I’m into. Andy, like others, would have been into the range of Blueboy’s editorial content: interviews with author James Purdy or Perry King, the hunky lead of Andy Warhol’s Bad, co-written by Pat Hackett and directed by Andy’s longest live-in partner, Jed Johnson; into the first English translation of Verlaine’s erotic poetry; into “what really happened to” Montgomery Clift, a profile of Casablanca records, the “photoerotica” of Baron von Gloeden; into commentary on the political debacle initiated by Anita Bryant, via “Save Our Children,” to pass an ordinance to legalize discrimination based on sexual orientation or on the assassination of Harvey Milk; into keeping up with culture almost as much as they were keeping up with cock.

Blueboy’s founding publisher, Donald N. Embinder, a former ad exec at Benton & Bowles as well as an ad rep for After Dark, told the New York Times, in 1976, that “Playgirl and Viva made male nudity on newsstands viable”; it was the same year he took out a full-page ad in the trade magazine Advertising Age, headlined: “Now you can reach America’s most affluent minority…The Male Homosexual.” TMH was seen to be single and to have money to spare. The ads in Blueboy targeted an audience interested in self-care, bodily upkeep, and places in which clothes could be easily shed. The tagline for a K’WEST skin products ad made it clear: “Fashion Pointers for the Well Undressed Male—Clothes may make the man but only K’WEST makes the man touchable.” Contourex offered “a new exercise system designed to give you tighter, shaplier [sic] buns.” Cabana wear by International Male. Caftans by Ah Men.

Blueboy had a small part in the push to transvalue issues of class specificity into issues of taste—what’s classy, what’s not—rather than only into realpolitik. Some of the magazine’s models were trade, which was the vernacular before gay-for-pay, and before the entire mainstreaming of sexual preference—with its radical potential for undoing rote and rigid forms of relationality—became gay-for-pay or pay-for-gay—PayPal (read GayPal) in a sense, before the fact. In the quest to sell its dream, America has always privileged affluence, a dream of financial security, even clout, wooing a striving majority, whether they were part of a minority population or not, to vote with their wallets.

The fight to end the AIDS pandemic would rally grassroots coalitions and would stymie that push, if only for a moment; putting the action between the sheets into the streets. Fran Lebowitz has provided some of the most searching thinking on how we still live in the wake of that moment, the consequence of kinds of audience, many of whom would have read Blueboy alongside Interview:

When I was young, you know, later ’70s early ’80s, my first real audience was from Interview magazine, and at that time that audience was 99.9% homosexual, male homosexual. And that audience was very important to me. This is part of what formed my voice.

Everyone talks about the effect that AIDS had on the culture—I mean, people don’t talk about it anymore, but when people did talk about it—they talked about what artists were lost, but they never talked about this audience that was lost. When people talk about, like, Why was the New York City Ballet so great? Well, it was because of Balanchine and Jerry Robbins and people like that, but also that audience…was so… I can’t even think of the word. I mean, if Suzanne Farrell went like this [tiny gesture of fingers] instead of this [the reverse of that tiny gesture] that was it: she might as well just kill herself. There would be like a billion people who knew exactly every single thing. There was such a high level of connoisseurship…of everything that people like this were interested in. Of everything. That made the culture better. A very discerning audience, an audience with a high level of connoisseurship, is as important to the culture as artists. It is exactly as important. Now, we don’t have any kind of connoisseur audience. When that audience died, and that audience died in five minutes. Literally, people didn’t die faster in a war. And it allowed, of course, the second, third, fourth tier to rise to the front. Because, of course, the first people who died of AIDS were the people, oh, I don’t know how to put this, got laid a lot. Okay, now imagine who didn’t get AIDS? Okay? That’s who was then lauded as the great artists, okay? If the other people who hadn’t died, if they were alive, if they all came back to life, and I would say to them, Guess who’s a big star? Guess! Guess who has a show on Broadway? Guess who’s like a famous photographer? They would fall on the floor. Are you kidding me? Because everyone else died. Last man standing. […] Things in the culture that had nothing to do with the New York City Ballet, it just got dumbed down, dumbed down, dumbed down—all the way down. What we have had, in, like, the last 30 years, is too much democracy in the culture, not enough democracy in the society.

Inspired by mokuhanga, Japanese woodblock printing, Majoli’s large-scale Whiteline woodcut watercolor paintings are based on images from Blueboy, circa 1976-79, a period she considers “the halcyon years of gay liberation, when homosexuality was understood to be politically charged and under threat, presaging the trauma of the AIDS epidemic.” Halcyon provides a way to understand the aesthetic of the soft-core centerfolds of the magazine: the lighting is sun-kissed, the palette warm with rose-golds’ ember glow, the bodies toned and unmanscaped. Mother Nature smiles on these men making themselves available to other men, a possibility she always intended. (Long before homosexuality was legal, porn would show men in showers or out in nature, among flora and fauna, and it would be theoretically stingy not to see such scenarios as emphasizing the cleanliness and naturalness of such pleasures, when they were still seen to be “dirty” and “unnatural.”) The models were known by their first names (“Joe”, “Roger”); some appeared a single time, while others became featured players; they all had histories, lives, and they’re seen in repose that is also work. Their cocks, balls, and buns remain, as they were, magnificent and inviting. The hard-edged, roided body of the 1980s—a “built” body weaponized, Ramboized (apotropaically and/or phantasmatically) against viral invasion and wasting—is nowhere to be seen.

While considering all that is lost when the map of masculinity permits few ways to trace the radical potential of male vulnerability, tenderness, as a source of strength and communing, don’t fail to reckon with what Monica achieves with the gentle but grand shift in scale from the magazine centerfold: these works are history paintings. They chronicle not only soft power rather than toxic masculinity, but also sexual fantasy, intimacy in which the nameable earns no more importance than the nameless or unnameable. The pigments with which the paintings are made, water-soluble, suggest tears and/or sweat (synecdoches for other bodily fluids), no longer mistaken as dangerous, contaminant, but, whether joyfully or sadly, communicating without need of language. These radiant, touching pictures embody a vision of how once we were in love with life.

Bruce Hainley

Link: Monica Majoli at Galerie Buchholz

Contemporary Art Daily is produced by Contemporary Art Group, a not-for-profit organization. We rely on our audience to help fund the publication of exhibitions that show up in this RSS feed. Please consider supporting us by making a donation today.

from Contemporary Art Daily http://bit.ly/2rsYluO

#micaramel

0 notes