#jane austen inspired

[crazy-ache]

Jane Austen's most romantic letter, if it had been written by Lucien Vanserra (Persuasion x Elucien)

Or what would happen if Lucien overheard Elain have a conversation about the bond? And what if he wrote a gut-wrenching love confession in said letter? Inspired by literature's most infamously romantic letter ever written.

Some text is directly taken from Chapter 23 of Persuasion by Jane Austen.

"We will write the letter to Helion we were talking of, Rhysand, now, if you will give me materials."

Materials were at hand, on a separate table; Lucien went to it, and nearly turning his back to the rest of the Inner Circle, was engrossed by writing.

Elain eyed him carefully, studying the leather strap that held back his long, molten red hair. Clearing her throat, she found Nesta across the room by the open window of the parlor as they were both on the outskirts of the Inner Circle’s political discussions. It was a respectable distance from where Lucien was writing at the desk, although still somewhat nearby. 

“I have a question for you,” Nesta turned to her younger sister, face like stone. “One that I have been thinking about for some time. What do you think our parents would have thought about the mating bond?” 

With wide, brown eyes Elain sucked in her breath. It was an unexpected question, but also a familiar one. For her thoughts had circled the very same doubts and insecurities that plagued her sister. “Well,” Elain wrung her hands nervously. “Mother would have adored Feyre’s, being mated to a High Lord after all. But if she didn’t like the outcome, she would have demanded a way to break it or alter it for her own advantage.” 

Nesta’s wicked grin revealed an agreement, knowing full well their mother would have been furious at her marriage and bond with an Illyrian general, and her matching status as a Valkyrie now. 

“As for father, well, I suppose, based on what he discussed with me in the past—there is a small chance he would have been disappointed.” Her voice dropped in both volume and confidence, barely escaping as a whisper passed her lips. As if she was instinctually afraid someone would hear, perhaps someone sitting across the room. 

Elain felt compelled to explain further. “He always told me the most important thing to find in a husband was true love. That I should not settle for anyone less than a kind, loyal heart who loves every part of me, because that kind of love will never leave you.” 

Out of the corner of her eye, Nesta regarded her with furrowed eyebrows. “And you do not believe that a mating bond can also encompass those very same feelings? That same love?” 

She considered her question carefully, chewing on her bottom lip. “Perhaps it can, but how can you know it is true? That it is not just the manifestation of desire in its place?” It was always that doubt, that fear, that crept into the darkest crevices of her heart. For as long as those shadows existed, she could not bring herself closer to her own mate, afraid she would be unable to determine the answer. In return, she was afraid of what she could possibly want or feel for him.

“I wish I could make you comprehend, Elain.” Nesta frowned, “I wish I could properly convey the feeling of how your soul glows when your mate loves you—”

Before Nesta could continue, Elain found herself apologizing with a hand on her elbow. “Gods forbid that I should undervalue the love and bond you share with Cassian, or Feyre’s either for that matter. It is a reminder that bonds can be true and constant attachments.”

She could not immediately have uttered another sentence; her heart was too full, her breath too much oppressed.

“You’re a good sister,” Nesta replied affectionately and Elain wonder if her sister could see past her tenderness, if anyone could witness the mask of kindness that Elain could so easily put on for the sake of others to hide her own feelings. The conversation faded as Feyre now joined them with Nyx on her hip, a welcome distraction for Elain as the three of them turned to him. 

“Ready to go?” Cassian’s voice eventually broke through the hum of the room, an echo across the parlor. “We need to meet with Vassa and Jurian.” Lucien was folding up a letter in great haste, and either could not or would not answer fully.

“Yes,” he said. “I will winnow us. I will be ready in half a minute.” 

Cassian left to wait for him at the front door, and Lucien, having sealed his letter with great rapidity, was indeed ready, with a hurried and agitated air, as if he was greatly impatient to leave. Elain could not understand it. Cassian had given her a smile and shoulder a warm squeeze as he left the room, but from Lucien himself, not a single word. He had passed out of the room without a look.  

Elain moved closer to the table where he had been writing, when suddenly she heard footsteps returning; the door opened and it was Lucien. He gave her a polite nod and gestured to where he had forgotten his gloves, instantly crossing the room to the desk. He drew out a letter from under the scattered papers, placed it before Elain with eyes glowing in longing fixed on her, and hastily collected his gloves, once again out of the room before anyone could even be aware he had been in it at all. 

The interaction was almost beyond expression. The letter, with strokes of pen that were hardly legibly, as if rushed, read “Elain Archeron,” was evidently the one which he had been folding so hastily. While he had supposedly been writing to Helion, he had also been addressing her. On the contents of that letter depended all which this world could do for her. Anything was possible. Sinking into the chair which he had occupied, succeeding to the very spot where he had leaned and written, her eyes devoured the following words:

“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when this bond first snapped, two and a half years ago. Dare not say that a mate’s love cannot be true, that his love is influenced by our tether. I have loved another, but none like you. Unjust I may have been, distant and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Velaris. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these past few days after Solstice, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine, I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish your true thoughts through the bond when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent female! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among males. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating in your mate,  L.V. I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow the court, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter the Night Court this evening or never again.” 

Such a letter was not to be soon recovered from. 

[sfaira]

Messy doodle of René Lemongrove, the young lord, a visionary of a thousand unfinished projects and the youngest child of the most scientific family of all - my character for Flowerton Larp this weekend. I had a blast, played my first crossgender role and got some praise for it being believable and even stepped outside of the comfort zone a bit to dip my toes in a romantic plot. Photo of the Lemongrove family under the cut! It was a Bridgerton themed ball larp with some scandals and intrigues, some dancing and amazing food and drinks!

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 1/5

Book Blurb: “If you grew up reading Jane Austen and Agatha Christie (or are a fan of Bridgerton and Knives Out), you will adore A Most Agreeable Murder.”—Kate Stayman-London, bestselling author of One to Watch Feisty, passionate Beatrice Steele has never fit the definition of a true lady, according to the strict code of conduct that reigns in Swampshire, her small English township—she is terrible at needlework, has absolutely no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Nevertheless, she lives a perfectly agreeable life with her marriage-scheming mother, prankster father, and two younger sisters— beautiful Louisa and forgettable Mary. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper. If anyone in her etiquette-obsessed community found out, she’d be deemed a morbid creep and banished from respectable society forever. For her family’s sake, she’s vowed to put her obsession behind her. Because eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that Louisa will steal his heart. If not, Martin Grub, their disgusting cousin, will inherit the family’s estate, and they will be ruined or, even worse, forced to move to France. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior . . . which is made difficult when a disgraced yet alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball. Beatrice is just holding things together when Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy of panic, fear, and betrayal as it becomes clear they are trapped with a killer. Contending with competitive card games, tricky tonics, and Swampshire’s infamous squelch holes, Beatrice must rise above decorum and decency to pursue justice and her own desires—before anyone else is murdered.

Review:

Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie in this story about a young lady who loves solving murder mysteries who finds herself facing a real murder mystery. Beatrice Steele lives in a little township called Swampshire, where there are strict codes that women are meant to follow, and one of them is that women should definitely not spend all day reading about murder mysteries and sending off letters to detectives about their opinions on their cases. Beatrice adores Inspector Huxley, and dislikes his ex partner detective Drake. When she is on her way with her family to e party where a new and wealthy man is in town to possible get a bride, they run into the grumpy and rude detective Drake. Drake and Beatrice instantly dislike one another and Beatrice’s prejudice is clear ( reminding anyone of Pride and Prejudice?). Beatrice is the eldest daughter and is expected to marry but her younger sister Louisa is the beauty that everyone falls for and their youngest sister Mary is the quiet one no one notices, while their father is a prankster and their mother is a hell bent on getting them married and settled ( SOUNDING A LOT LIKE PRIDE AND PREJUDICE???) theres even a woman that Beatrice dislikes named Caroline, and a huge flirt named Frank who is known for being a playboy.... who just happens to have his eye on a certain younger sister ( SERIOUSLY). Beatrice and Drake and co all end up at the party and then dead bodies start dropping and now Beatrice and Drake have to find a way to work together to solve this locked party murder mystery. Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me in so many ways, I was so looking forward to a fun Jane Austen/ Agatha Christie mystery ( I adore both of those authors so much) and this one just felt so meh compared to what it was inspired by. Beatrice was insufferable, I don’t know whether its because she is written as so much younger and feels like a teen rather than an older young lady, and honestly the mystery itself was lackluster. I just found myself happy to have made it to the end of the book despite not having a fun time at all. Overall, if you like mysteries with a bit of Jane Austen, give it a try, maybe it’ll work out better for you than it did for me.

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Random House for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[evegoldenwoods]

Letters from Bath - A solo journalling game.

You: an unmarried woman of the gentry.

You: entirely dependent on the charity of your brother.

You live in a city you hate. Your only respite is writing to your sister/friend.

1. Name everyone.

2. Letters must include, in order: commentary on the last letter you received; an account of an event you attended; descriptions of 1-3 people; description of food; commentary on your current projects; indirect resentment/frustration with your life; indirect expression of a desire; something funny/stupid someone said.

3. Never: directly express any transgressive feeling, such as: resentment/criticism of your male relative; resentment for your place in society.

After every letter, roll 2d6. If the dice are equal, write a final letter and describe:

1s: Your male relative decides to return to the family home.

2s: Your correspondent invites you to stay with her for a few weeks.

3s: You are "invited" to visit your pregnant sister/in-law who needs help.

4s: Your wealthy great-aunt dies and leaves you a small independence.

5s: A man you do not entirely hate proposes marriage.

6s: Your artistic pursuits are successful. The sale of your art provides a small independence.

[Author grants permission for off-site archiving.]

200 Word RPGs 2024

Each November, some people try to write a novel. Others would prefer to do as little writing as possible. For those who wish to challenge their ability to not write, we offer this alternative: producing a complete, playable roleplaying game in two hundred words or fewer.

This is the submission thread for the 2024 event, running from November 1st, 2024 through November 30th, 2024. Submission guidelines can be found in this blog's pinned post, here.

[cloud3francois]

Pride and Prejudice: Who Betrayed Elizabeth?

[duckprintspress]

Cover Reveal for A Truth Universally Acknowledged: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”

HAPPY COVER REVEAL DAY! Duck Prints Press’s next anthology, A Truth Universally Acknowledged: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, will be crowdfunding starting November 20th, 2024. We’ve been hard at work on this collection for a loooong time and we are thrilled to finally be making it available for y’all. The gorgeous cover art, made by artist Aceriee, was inspired by the classic 1898 “peacock edition of Pride and Prejudice – but of course, we made it queerer. The spectacular full cover is wrap around.

(spoilers: this art will be offered a postcard as one of the Kickstarter campaign backer rewards!)

This awesome book features 21 stories each up to 5,000 words long and 20 full-page color artworks. Our campaign features six merch items, too, with peacocks standing proud on much of the art.

Want to be sure you don’t miss the campaign? Follow our Kickstarter pre-launch page now!

Become a Patreon backer to get behind-the-scenes access to sneak peeks and more!

[thoughtkick]

And sometimes I have kept my feelings to myself, because I could find no language to describe them in.

Jane Austen

[quotefeeling]

There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves; it is not my nature. My attachments are always excessively strong.

Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

[perfectfeelings]

I was quiet; but I was not blind.

Jane Austen

[thehopefulquotes]

I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve.

Jane Austen

[resqectable]

And sometimes I have kept my feelings to myself, because I could find no language to describe them in.

Jane Austen

[kissmypoets-hp]

hello drarry fandom please accept my humble offerings... they are reading together <3

[andallshallbewell]

[quotelr]

When I fall in love, it will be forever.

Jane Austen

[perfectquote]

There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves; it is not my nature. My attachments are always excessively strong.

Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

[pemberlaey]

But you went after him!!! That’s SO Jane Austen