#literary delight of the month

[rapha-reads]

I've read three Lockwood & Co books in two days (no, I'm not doing that fine, thanks for asking), and even though book 3, The Hollow Boy, just broke my heart in ten different ways, there's something that I find fascinating in the way Jonathan Stroud writes his horror. At first, when the team faces the Visitors, it's scary, obviously. Walking around the house or ground in the dark, al the ways a Visitor can manifest... Typical horror stuff. But then, with Lucy's Talent growing up, there's something that happens: the ghost isn't that scary anymore. Some are irritating and repulsive, but a lot are also, mostly, pitiful and compassion-worthy. Like, the Fetch at the end of book 3? Definitely made me tense rigid-spine and look around my room and over my shoulder when it started following Lucy in the department store. But when he faced Lucy in the room of bones, taking on Lockwood's appearance? I wasn't scared of him. Wary, yes, Visitors are still dangerous, but mostly feeling pity and gratitude. I had the feeling that the hollow boy wasn't really trying to hurt Lucy, but really to have a conversation with her.

Anyway, it's 4.50am. Should I start book 4 now? I want to delve back in immediately, these books are real page-turners! And now the real Locklyle angst has started, I'm deeply invested. I'm kind of surprised I never read them before, the first book is from 2013, that was exactly the period I was reading every single YA book I could get my hands on, especially fantastic/fantasy/sf (as always, then and now). Surprising that this series evaded me.

[baronessvonglitter]

Pretty Please

QZ!Joel Miller x f!bookworm!reader

Word count: 2.7K

Summary: your roommate Joel Miller is stressed out, and you offer a creative solution to ease that frustration

WARNINGS: 18+ Only! Mature and Explicit, slight bullying (name calling - from Joel), reader is a bookworm and wears glasses, no age description for reader, Boston QZ, friends with benefits, oral sex (f receiving), soft!Joel, sub!Joel, dom/sub themes, edging, rough sex, unprotected p in v sex, Joel loves nerdy girls, reader is *shaved*, no use of y/n

Author's Note: I know that we all love a good strong DOM Joel, but I wanted to wade in the waters of the Ocean of Possibilities and see what a more submissive Joel would be like. Just like those CEO/investment banker types who visit dominatrices at the end of a long workday just to be treated like lesser than and hand over the reins of power for a bit. Maybe there's a part of Joel that likes being put in his place 🤫

JOEL MILLER MASTERLIST | FULL MASTERLIST

It's just past curfew in the QZ and you're curled up with a good book. The new (to you) apartment you live in came with a great collection of literary masterpieces and your only delight in this cold, cruel world is reading by flashlight, at least until your surly, sourpuss roommate Joel Miller comes home.

The front door opens and slams shut loudly, making the thin walls vibrate. You sigh. He's back.

Joel walks in, looking tired and cantankerous as usual. You quickly shut off your light but not before he sees it. "What have I told you about wastin' the batteries?" he puts his hands on his hips, glaring at you.

Not in a mood to argue, you mumble a quick "Sorry" and scurry past him, but he catches your shoulder. "Just 'cause I can get stuff doesn't mean I will. You need to be more careful with our supplies.. what's this stuff you're readin' anyway?" He makes a grab for your book which you quickly hide behind your back.

"Just some Shakespeare," you lie.

Joel narrows his eyes as if detecting your fib. Suddenly he pulls you toward him and takes the book you're hiding. Eyeing the cover, he visibly blushes and swallows hard. "What's a nice girl like you readin' trash like this for?"

You find it impossible to meet his eyes as your heart roars in your ears. He has your copy of romantic erotica, an old book written decades ago about a woman who trains her lover to be her sex slave. You think to yourself there's no way you can finish it now that he's judging you.

"All right, Bookworm. Out," Joel says, nodding towards the hall before he settles in with a stiff whiskey drink.

Sighing you go to your room. Ever since you moved in a couple months ago after your former QZ was abandoned, Joel has treated you like little more than an imposition. His seemingly affectionate nicknames of "Bookworm" or "Four Eyes" on account of your fondness for books and your need of eyeglasses, respectively, has you wondering if he even cares to remember your real name.

Putting your book away you contemplate another existence. In your story a young woman brings a powerful man to his knees. Had the world not changed so irrevocably, would you have had the fortune of living a life like the characters in your books?

A shower is in order. Once you wash your hair and shave your legs (with shampoo and razors that Joel begrudgingly smuggled for you when you'd politely asked) your spirits are lifted. Hair towel-dried, you put on an oversize tee and some panties and start down the hall where you bump into Joel. He takes a look at your sleepwear and you can see the blush creep up his neck. "Can you put somethin' else on? I can see right through your shirt."

You look down and see your nipples, two puckered points through the cotton of your tee. "I'm just going to bed. Besides, I can wear what I want," you say in an unusually defiant tone.

Joel gets quiet, his body language clearly showing he's getting annoyed. "I just don't want to see you half-naked, Four Eyes." His frustration comes through clear. "Don't you have anything else you can wear?"

You sigh and walk past him to your bedroom closet and pull out a thick flannel shirt. You change with your back to him, feeling his eyes on you like two burning holes in your flesh. His breath hitches, eyes glued to his old shirt he'd let you borrow a time or two. Something primal awakens in him, which he quickly squashes.

"I'm all out of clean pajama pants," you shrug.

"Find some," he says sternly. "That shirt's gonna ride up on you. It's inappropriate."

"No." You stand your ground. "I'm not changing again." You take a moment to look at him, really look at him. He looks stiff, the veins prominent in his neck and forehead. You imagine his warm flesh beneath your kiss, and part of you softens towards him. "You really need to relax. You look stressed."

"Yeah, like you really give a shit," he mutters, looking away.

Studying him more intensely you realize he's not frustrated because you're not obeying him. From the bulge in his jeans it's evident he's turned on by you. Joel Miller is a good-looking guy when he's not being a full-on jerk. Hell, he may even be good-looking then. You take the situation into your hands and approach him, your tongue gliding over your lips. "I could help you relax.. if you want."

Joel freezes and you notice his breathing quicken. "What.. what do you mean by that?"

"You're upset with my lack of 'decent' clothes because I'm a distraction to you. Even if you don't like me, you're still attracted to me."

He gets flustered and it gives you satisfaction to see how much power you have over him. "Maybe.. no. I don't want to. I mean it. I have no interest in anything like that with you."

"Really? Your jeans are having a different reaction."

He looks down quickly, embarrassed and a bit surprised. "It doesn't mean anything," he looks askance.

"Do you want to touch me, Joel?" You start to unbutton your flannel shirt.

"You're my roommate. It's wrong," he says, yet his large, strong hands are reaching into your shirt. His fingers are rough and calloused but damn they feel like heaven as he cups your breasts, runs his thumbs slowly over your nipples.

"Don't think anymore, Joel. Just feel. Just be here with me."

He's unused to following his purely bodily instincts, having to live on his survival instincts for so long. But your skin is so soft and you're so warm and clean from your shower. "God, I want you," he whispers.

You take the lead and kiss him, filling in the space between you. Joel doesn't hold back, cupping your ass in his hands and pressing you to his need, his bulge in direct contact with your clit. Your panties dampen in response. Realizing how far he's taken it, how far he wants to take it, he mumbles an apology. "S..sorry."

"No. No apologies. I want this. Don't you?"

"God yes," he growls, meeting your eyes. He watches, rapt, as you slowly unbutton your shirt and remove it. He's speechless as you go to sit on the edge of the bed, knees parted. You beckon him with one finger.

"I know you've always wanted this," you tell him. "You fantasize about eating me out, how good I taste on your tongue."

As he comes to you he wonders where the shy, docile woman has gone. But he likes this new version of you. "How do you know what I think about?" he asks as his fingers curl into the waistband of your panties. You lift your hips as he eases your panties off. What he sees makes him growl with yearning. "You shaved."

You rest on your elbows, satisfied with the look of sheer gluttony on his face. "A girl's gotta have some luxuries in these trying times.." you smirk and run your fingers delicately over your clit and your smooth folds. Joel moves your hand away. Keeping his eyes on you he laps his broad tongue over your delicate womanhood, then swipes his tongue side to side over your sweet little clit.

You moan loudly at the intimate contact, threading your fingers through his hair. Joel devours you, and the little moans he makes reverberate through you, fill you with vibrations. While he's sucking your clit he slides two fingers in, crooking them so they rub your G-spot, and this combination makes you squirm with delight until you're pushed over the edge. He doesn't stop there, lapping up your honey, holding your thighs as they quake around his head.

"I've wanted this for so long," he growls against your belly, kissing his way up, divesting himself of his clothes. He feels your body heat radiate against him and teases your opening with the tip of his cock, spreading your slick onto him. He kisses both breasts, nuzzles your neck before claiming your mouth again, lining himself up with you. Out of habit you remove your glasses but he stops you. "Leave them on," he whispers. "You look so damn hot, like a naughty schoolgirl.." He watches as you put them on again, your eyes big and bright behind the lenses. Keeping his eyes on you he lets himself sink into your heat, slowly, letting you get accustomed to his size.

"Fuck," you whisper in awe as he fills you, starts to move against you.

He revels in the feel of your soft body underneath his, the snugness of your cunt that dares to take every inch of him. "You're so beautiful," he whispers, taking in the clean scent of your freshly washed skin, the natural fragrance of your arousal. With each press forward he elicits moans, sighs, gasps. Your heart thunders within when you feel how deeply you're joined.

"I need more," you tell him. "Please.."

"More?" His voice is shaky with desire.

"Harder," you gasp.

A dark growl gathers in his throat as he sees this new side of you begin to reveal itself. "You sure you want that from me?"

You nod. "I want you to release all your stress out inside me. Just use me. Please." You look up at him with innocent eyes. "Just for tonight, Joel. Tonight I'm yours."

His body looms large over you. "That's a big request, y'know."

"And I can handle it. I'm a big girl."

He nods, excitement flowing through his veins. "If anything becomes too much, you tell me. Okay?"

Your heart flip flops when he tells you this. Despite this random hookup, he's proving to be a caring gentleman. "I'll tell you, I promise."

Joel can't help but smile and he kisses your forehead. "Good." With heavy breaths he uses all his strength to fuck you into oblivion. He takes out his frustrations on your willing, eager body, his thick, large cock plunging into your tight cunt. "I'm gonna fuckin' tear you apart," he mutters.

His rough way with you takes your breath away, makes you tremble. Joel doesn't hold back, ruts against you, mouth watering as he watches your breasts bounce with each thrust. "God, you're gorgeous," he mumbles, leaning in to kiss you.

You whimper as your mouths meet again, tongues dancing against each other. "Joel.. you're so fucking good."

Grunting in response, he presses against you deeper, harder. You gasp, your body accepting every movement, stretching you more than you thought possible. "You feel too good," he moans.

"You're in.. so deep," you sigh. "Just a little more, I'm gonna--"

"Wait!" he groans, pulling himself away from you. "You're making me.. almost.. I can't hold back," he breathes heavily.

"Shh.." you climb onto his lap. "Let me help you. I'll do all the work," you promise. "All you have to do is grab my hips or touch my breasts," you instruct him, lining up his cock to fit into you again. Joel watches himself disappear between your swollen pussy lips.

"God.. slow.. please," he grunts, grabbing hold of your hips, moving his hands all over your body, exploring every inch of you.

"Yes," you agree, sighing sweetly. "You feel so good.. I like seeing what I can get out of you, Miller."

He lets out a short moan, gripping your hips tightly, running his fingers up the insides of your thighs. His touch is ubiquitous as you ride him slowly and thoroughly. "Please don't stop.. please don't stop." He tries to make it a command but he's so caught up in you that it comes off as begging. "God I want.. please, I need.." he can't even finish his sentences for how much his lust and need has taken over him.

"I know what you need," you moan, moving faster, slamming your hips down on his. The sounds of your colliding flesh fill the room.

"God damn it!" Joel grunts, unable to continue his line of thought. He starts to growl and groan, gritting his teeth.

You smile, biting your lip as you watch him coming apart, completely helpless beneath you. "I'm gonna tame this beast," you tell him boldly. "No one else can do it but me."

"I won't let anyone else handle me," he growls, trying to say something more meaningful, but his brain is overwhelmed. He's just handed over all control to you and it's making him crazy. "Just.. please.."

You stop moving altogether, staying still. "Please what?" you tease him from finishing.

He's about to blow but he can't even get a full sentence out. "Please," he repeats, shaking now just from the feel of you. "Don't stop.."

You remain still. "Say, 'pretty please.'"

"No," he groans. "You.. you won't get me like that." But there's a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Oh," you pout. "That's a shame. I was getting so close and I know you were, too." You start moving slowly and teasingly.

Joel's breath is faltering, pulse dangerously rapid. "Not like this.. wait.. I'm gonna.."

You stop again, a stern look on your face even though you're utterly enjoying dominating this big strong alpha male. "No. You're not," you command him.

Only able to communicate in grunts and groans, Joel thrusts upward, needing the relief that would make you both find release. You gasp, your cunt clenching around him. It would be so easy to just let him keep going, but you hold your hips firmly in place. "'Pretty please,'" you remind him.

"I'm gonna cum. Please let me cum," he whines, desperate now, his fingers tightening on your flesh.

You remove his grip and pin him down. "'Pretty. Please.'" Your lips are millimeters from his, and you can see tears start to well in his dark eyes.

He's losing it now. He's right on the precipice, pain and pleasure mixed as one while you edge him. "All right, okay, I'll say it.. pretty please," he grunts out, voice cracking.

"'Pretty please with sugar on top,'" you smirk. "Say it."

Joel shuts his eyes in frustration. "Pretty please with sugar on top."

You give his lips a tiny lick. "Good boy." Sitting up again you start riding him. You've won but you're both going to reap the benefits.

"God, keep goin'," he moans, eyes still shut, breath labored as he pushes against your hips.

"I'm gonna fucking break you, Miller," you growl, riding him at top speed, without mercy.

Joel is at a complete loss of self, having lost any semblance of control. "Do it.. please," are the only words he can manage among incoherent sounds and grunts as he rises up to hold you.

You feel the friction between you like lightning as you satisfy yourself on his generous cock. "Joel Miller, you're such a good boy for me!" You move against each other in desperation, seeking the moment that will bring you to cum together. You feel him start to twitch and just then your climax hits like a tidal wave. You scream his name as you feel his copious release inside you. All Joel can say is your name, your real name, uttered in an entreaty of gratitude as he buries his face in your neck.

"Sorry if I got a little rough with you before.." he mumbles into your skin.

"I like your roughness," you tell him as you ruffle his soft grey hair with your fingers. "You had a lot that you needed to let out."

He lifts his head and softly kisses the side of your mouth. "Just so you know, I don't intend on stoppin' at just tonight. I have a lot of stress that needs releasing."

"Stressful times we're living in.." You trace his beard with your fingertips and he quickly moves in to kiss your palm.

"Damn right. And it looks like you did tame this beast."

You grin. "Does that make me Beauty?"

"Maybe that's what I'll call you from now on.."

"It's a lot better than 'Bookworm' or 'Four Eyes'."

"I'll still call you those things, from time to time," he grins, and your entire body is warm from his smile.

You are delicate with him now, knowing this man will probably steal your heart just as you've already stolen his.

divider by @saradika 👑

[luimnigh]

so what is the meaning of omelas because I hear a different take every month

The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas is a narrative where you're asked to imagine this Utopian city, on the day of a summer festival. While it does detail the city fairly clearly, it tells you to imagine whatever you want. Whatever political system, whatever religion, whatever floats your utopian boat. Want an orgy? Sure, go ahead. Want drugs? Not LeGuin's cup of tea, but go ahead.

And then when the narrator comes to the conclusion that no, you can't imagine that, that your idea of a civilisation must have someone suffering, gives you this imaginary child in some dank cellar, suffering in it's own filth. That the child must suffer for Omelas to prosper, and that everyone in Omelas knows about the child from adolescence onwards. And most people react to this in disgust, but eventually come to rationalise it through one philosophy or another.

And those who cannot rationalise their disgust away instead walk away into places much less imaginable.

There are many takes on this story: as an allegory for the West's resource exploitation of the less-developed world. As a trolley problem, either to choose one of the options based on different ethical frameworks, or to imagine a third. As a treatise to always be vigilant to the hidden evils around you. As a metaphor for how we temper our views of other societies by weighing their good and their evil, while ignoring the evil of our own. Some take it to say that we cannot improve our society without destroying it, and the only way to assuage us of the guilt is to abandon society, or to commit suicide. Others as a criticism of abandoning society, that those who walk away do nothing to actually help. Some even criticise that the suffering child is unexplained, unrealistic, makes no sense.

But like, the point of The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas is best summed up in these lines that you might have seen before:

The trouble is that we have a bad habit, encouraged by pedants and sophisticates, of considering happiness as something rather stupid. Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting. This is the treason of the artist: a refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain. If you can't lick 'em, join 'em. If it hurts, repeat it. But to praise despair is to condemn delight, to embrace violence is to lose hold of everything else. We have almost lost hold; we can no longer describe a happy man, nor make any celebration of joy. How can I tell you about the people of Omelas? They were not naive and happy children – though their children were, in fact, happy. They were mature, intelligent, passionate adults whose lives were not wretched. O miracle! but I wish I could describe it better. I wish I could convince you.

Emphasis mine.

The whole point of Omelas is demonstrating this point. That literary criticism, the decision of what is art, what is important, focuses on pain, on suffering, on evil as the only interesting things, and ignores happiness. That the reader is not contented in imagining a perfect world, that they must find a flaw to make it interesting.

So it offers up a nonsensical suffering child, a dark secret all those in Omelas know of, and must accept the suffering of or leave.

It's pointing out a flaw in the way people think about art, about what emotions are important and meaningful.

And given how all the above takes focus on the suffering child, and talk nothing about the Utopia... LeGuin was spot-on.

[howlingday]

Arcs Don't Get Cancer

A sad Shark!Faunus Jaune story.

Weiss: Ruby Rose, how many times do I have to tell you to stop using my hairbrush?!

Ruby: But Weiss, it's cushy to hold onto~!

Weiss: And I told you over and over again to buy your own!

Ruby: But Weiss~!

Blake: (Hears knocking, Answers) Hello, Ren.

Yang: If you want, you can use my hairbrush.

Ren: Good evening, Blake. Is your leader with you?

Ruby: That's Zwei's dog brush!

Yang: Never said it was for my hair~.

Blake: ...Yes, she is. Are you looking for her?

Ren: No, but... Have any of you seen Jaune?

Blake: Not for a while. (Turns) Has anyone seen Jaune?

Weiss: I haven't.

Yang: Nope!

Ruby: We've been pretty busy with missions this month. Shouldn't he be with his team?

Ren: He should, but we haven't seen him and we're worried.

Blake: Where did you last see him?

Ren: He was walking out of our dorm.

Ren: Just after you left for your mission this month.

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The following may be disturbing for some readers. Literary discretion is advised. I'll allow you time to prepare before clicking "Keep Reading". Once you are ready, you may continue...

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Jaune awoke to a burning, itching feeling in his arm. He groaned, desperately trying to fall back to sleep, but the darkness would take him no longer. Now, there was only the light and the horrors it revealed around him.

"Good morning, Mr. Shark." A man said with a smile, but there was no joy to be shared in it. No, the grin on his face was as empty of emotion as his lab coat was of color. "How is your recovery going?"

Jaune could only whimper in response. That was all the strength he had to do anymore.

"You'll be happy to know that your pain is not in vain." The man gave a chuckle, clearly delighting in his own wit. "Our company's product, of which your contribution plays no small part in, has brought comfort to patients in hospitals and clinics all over Atlas. At this rate, we'll be able to expand and help people in other kingdoms!"

A chill ran up his spine as his mind ached. How could his bones do the things they say? There were no medicinal properties to the fingers, toes, and rib he's had surgically removed. Though his body was numbed to the furthest extent it could be, he could still vividly remember the cracking, the snapping, the ripping done to his body as more and more of him was taken under the knife.

"Doctor?" A woman in lab coat called from the end of the room. Jaune looked to her direction and saw the bloody bandages that were used to patch his wound. "Here are the X-rays you requested." The woman approached with a clipboard, extending it to the man. She had a giddy look on her face. "It seems our hypothesis was correct! His bones replaced themselves~!"

There was a beeping sound that increased frequency that Jaune only took notice now. It was his heart that was beating so fast. Even as his skull throbbed with the pain his brain recalled, he understood the coming fear of his body being harvested over and over again. All to make lien off his suffering.

"Doctor," The man chided, "please remember your bedside manner when in the same room as a patient."

The woman pursed her lips with a blush while the man opened the folder, smiling at the sheet in front of him. He brought it over to a hanging board, placing it snugly against the blank surface. Flicking on the light, Jaune saw the horrible truth in the woman's words.

He felt his broken hand burn as he looked on to the small, regrowing bone in his finger. The pain resonated in his toes, where too he had been harvested. His heart beat like a drum as his chest blazed like an inferno at his broken rib being replaced.

"Doctor," the woman whispered, thinking Jaune wouldn't be able to hear her, "what would have happened if they didn't grow back?"

The man hummed for a moment, looking back to Jaune, who shut his eyes and tried to fall back asleep, hoping this too was just a horrible dream. He didn't even try to keep his voice low. "Then we clean up shop. All our research purged, and all medical equipment disposed of."

"And the patient?"

"Silence." The woman covered her mouth. The man pulled the X-rays free and slid them back into the folder. "Take these to the director. He'll want to see the results for himself." The woman hurriedly exited from the room. The man walked up to Jaune, dragging a finger along his thigh. "Hm... The femoral will be tricky, but the reward will be so worth it." He then left without saying another word.

Jaune felt hot tears pour from his eyes, his spine completely iced over with fear. He wanted to scream at the injustice of his body being ripped apart for a suspected cure, but he feared whatever intentional punishment that would be brought down on him. As he grit his teeth, he had one thought...

'Save me... Ruby...'

Fun Fact! In 1992, "Sharks Don't Get Cancer," a book written by I. William Lane and Linda Cormac was published with the claim that shark cartilage, due to the rarity of sharks developing cancer, could hold the cure for cancer. However, sharks do get cancer, and this fact has been known for almost 150 years, yet companies still harvest shark body parts from living sharks to this day. As a result, Sharks Don't Get Cancer has been more devastating to sharks as a species than JAWS, which inspired newfound fear of sharks. Worse yet, the method of harvesting include cutting off shark body parts before tossing the still alive shark back into the ocean to drown.

[samwisethewitch]

In Defense of Fluffy Bunnies, or Witchcraft in Times of Burnout

At the very end of 2023, I used my Christmas bonus from work to buy myself a tarot deck I never would have purchased six months earlier.

This deck was from a creator whose work I had really enjoyed in the past, but when I had looked at it earlier in the year, I'd had concerns that it was softening the meaning of some of the more "difficult" cards in the tarot. For example, The Hanged Man is replaced with "The Patient Witch" and Death is replaced with "The Broom." I'd had concerns that replacing these cards, which are traditionally associated with more dire or upsetting readings, meant the creator was trying to whitewash tarot into something cute and fluffy, sacrificing a lot of its depth in the process.

The deck is The Cozy Witch Tarot by Amanda Lovelace, and I'm so glad I gave it a try. This deck has an incredibly kind and gentle feel, but it is absolutely capable of giving serious readings. The depth of the tarot hasn't been compromised at all by Lovelace's changes, and her version's greater emphasis on agency and personal empowerment is exactly what I need in my practice right now. I use this deck to read for myself almost every day.

So what changed? How did I do a complete 180 in my thoughts on this deck in only a few months?

I've always been very opposed to "love and light" or "fluffy bunny" witchcraft. For those who aren't familiar, these are both terms used online (usually negatively) to describe witches who only do "light" or positive magic. According to the Witchipedia, "Generally, the 'fluffy bunnies' have based their practice on only the most delightful aspects of their spiritual path or romanticized, fictional Hollywood or literary accounts of witchcraft or Wicca." From what I can tell, this term came out of Wiccan Internet forums in the 1990s, and it refers to someone who dons the aesthetics and mythology of Wicca or witchcraft without actually engaging critically with magic theory. Fluffy bunnies also tend to focus on feel-good magic, at least according to stereotypes.

Similarly, "love and light" witches are known for only focusing on the lighthearted side of witchcraft. In an opinion article for The Wild Hunt, Storm Faerywolf writes that, "On the surface it seems harmless enough: a philosophy of love, kindness, non-violence, and a concerted practice of positivity." This type of witchcraft is very closely tied to the "spiritual but not religious" movement and borrows a lot of concepts from New Age spirituality, like crystal healing, the Law of Attraction, and chakras. While fluffy bunnies are very much a product of the 1990s, love and light witches are very much a product of the New Age boom of the 2010s.

I've been very vocal about my dislike for both of these types of witchcraft on this blog in the past, and I still 100% agree with Storm Faerywolf, who says in that same article: "But to assert that pain, and fear, and even anger are somehow less important than our joy, our courage, and even our love, is to do a grave disservice to our collective mental and spiritual health... groups that embrace this mode of thinking have effectively ensured that they can mutually avoid anything that might challenge their cultish mindset. Angry over injustice? You’re just living in a lower vibration. Afraid of contracting a deadly virus? You just don’t trust Jesus enough."

I think accepting and working with challenging emotions is an important part of what it means to be a witch. Spiritual bypassing and cries of "good vibes only" do more harm than good. But for a while I got so caught up in rejecting anything even remotely fluffy or love-and-lightish that I ended up with a magical practice that, to be honest, kind of made me miserable. And I don't think I'm the only one.

I spent a lot of 2022 and 2023 wrestling with injustice, both in my spiritual practice and in my personal and professional life. My practice is inspired by witches like Starhawk and Christy C. Road, and politics play a key role. Most of the spells I did in 2023 fall into the category of justice magic, including breaking family curses and hexing rapists. At the same time, I was working a series of direct services jobs that saw me working closely with homeless teenagers, domestic violence victims, and people battling addiction, just to name a few. And that's not even getting into my personal life and recovery as a queer, disabled survivor of abuse.

And let me tell you: By the end of 2023, I was fucking exhausted. I was beyond burnout. And I didn't even want to do magic anymore, because magic had become just another part of my life where I had to face the injustice and harm happening in the world around me.

I was in desperate need of some fluffiness, some love and light. And that was when I bought the Amanda Lovelace tarot deck.

I knew something had to change. In my burnout, I desperately needed to be tenderly cared for. I needed my spiritual practice to be a source of peace and comfort, not a drain on my energy. I needed to get out of the dark for a bit so I could remember how to see the stars.

What I've realized in the last few months is that yes, anger, pain, and fear are important in a balanced magical practice and a balanced life -- but joy, love, and comfort are equally important. And if you spend a lot of time in one part of your life dealing with pain and fear (like I do in my day job), focusing on love and healing in your witchcraft can help keep things balanced.

"Comfort" and "care" are definitely the keywords for my magical practice right now, and that means my magic looks a lot more fluffy than it has in the past. And that's a good thing.

[melodrangea]

Ok okay 😼 Marie when she realizes stein has a weapon child(basing off the last request and I think it’s obvious I see the mad scientist as a father 🫣🤭) and obviously how stein reaction to his child seeing Marie as a mom!

You can write it anytime! Take your time! Don’t rush anything and MAKE SURE TO STAY HYDRATED AND HEALTHY!🎆

thank you my dear!! I’m healthy and semi hydrated so I figured I met the conditions to write again lol

———————————————————————————

Marie with Stein’s Weapon Child

-I think this goes without saying but Marie was aware of you long before she started teaching at the DWMA

-she’s a death sythe and Stein is one of the best meisters in the world, meaning your existence isn’t exactly hideabke so she would’ve heard about maybe even in brief passing

-wether she knew you were a weapon or not before she met you doesn’t make much of a difference

-you officially met Marie when she came to stay with you and your dad while they were working on defeating Ashura

-and safe to say she fell in love with you within minutes

-you were semi down to earth like Stein but you were so sweet and just overall doteable

-finding out you were a weapon just made you two all the closer

-you took a liking to her fairly immediately, seeing her as a motherly figure with your own mother gone

-the three of you would train together after school in weekends (Stein even wielding both of you at once one time)

-Marie would be delighted if your weapon form was similar to hers, but even if it wasn’t she would love you the same

-but when Marie finds out you can also fight by herself!!!???

-she’s ecstatic, so so so proud of you even if you aren’t her child

-she wants to make sure you’re safe and healthy first and foremost, she won’t let you overwork yourself one bit 😤😤😤

-is a little concerned that a teenager can figure out how to fight on their own and she can’t but it’s whatever lol

-you would probably also grow a strong connection with Crona from him being over to see Marie so often

(you would totally threaten Ragnarok when he’s being a little shit)

-when you’re in the classroom you and Marie try to act like you two aren’t attached at the hip (but it’s a wee bit obvious she has a slight favorite)

-no one in class holds it against you though and it doesn’t mean Marie doesn’t love her other students just as much

-now getting onto Stein

-this man is shutting bricks terrified

-he barely understands his own teenager, let alone a woman his own age

-you two have your own way of speaking and suddenly you’re style is changing and his house is changing

-the man cannot cope

-once he gets over the first few weeks of “wtf is going on”, he settles in really nicely

-Stein may not say it but he really appreciates the relationship you and Marie have because sometimes he feels he is lacking as a parent in the emotional capacity

-he won’t admit it but he loves how much you two get along, it feels like he has his own small family, it makes his heart all fuzzy

-and when you start to notice that Stein likes Marie you are pushing it SO hard

-i mean accidentally “forgetting” something in Stein’s room so Marie goes to get it while Stein is sleeping

-slipping both of them gifts and pretending it’s from the other

-trying to get Stein to just freaking admit he like Marie

-and when they get together you’re happy as a clam, within a few months of the two of them dating, you start calling Marie ‘mom’

-she started bawling the first time you did, and from then on you three are an actual family

-if and when Stein and Marie get married she legally adopts you

-you three are an unstoppable team of badasses, especially when all three of you resonate

-the only problem is Marie trying to figure out how to tell you both the family is about to go from the terrifying three to the fearsome four….

-———————————————————————————

that’s all my dears!

I hope you thoroughly enjoyed

and per usual I am here solely for your literary pleasure

-Melodrangea <3

[actualbird]

Statistical Report of Marius/Luke Ao3 Literature (2024)

(aka, a pet project i've been working on behind the scenes for a while. if you'd rather read it as a PDF, you can check it out here, but i've copy pasted its entirety into this text post, beginning in 3...2...1...)

Introduction

Ahhh, Marius von Hagen and Luke Pearce…such wonderful characters from hit mobile otome game “未定事件簿 | Tears of Themis.” As love interests to Miss MC Rosa Qiangwei, they each are incredibly compelling characters with incredibly nuanced backstories, personalities, and dynamics with MC.

Also, there’s a small but dedicated community of shippers that want them to kiss and make out and be in love with each other. Hell yeah!

Welcome to the Statistical Report of Marius/Luke Ao3 Literature (2024), a report that aims to capture this community’s literary contribution to the MariLuke ship by crunching the data available to the public on Ao3! 

Before going into the data, there are some notes and caveats to this census that the author would like to make clear.

This report’s data was taken from the “未定事件簿 | Tears of Themis (Video Game)” fandom tag on Archive of Our Own. This means that all works outside of this tag or outside of this website (ex. Twitter thread fics or Tumblr drabbles not crossposted to Ao3, fanfiction only on other sites like FanFiction.net, Wattpad, Weibo, etc.) have not been included.

This report’s data is as of May 31, 2024 as a cutoff date. This was so that I wouldn’t have to endlessly update the data and go insane.

Works that did exist but have since been deleted as of May 31, 2024 are not included, as the author does not have an encyclopedic memory of fanfics that no longer exist on the site :( 

Now with all that said, let’s dive in.

---

Number Of Fics Posted and Surge Periods

Now, let’s begin with the number of fics posted. As of May 31, 2024, there are 166 fics in the “Lu Jinghe | Marius von Hagen/Xia Yan | Luke Pearce” tag on Ao3. This number (and subsequently, this report) counts fics as they are listed in AO3 as unique fics, meaning that if it takes up its own little box in the AO3 feed, that’s one fic in itself. This does unfortunately mean that fics that act as a collection (i.e. each chapter is a different story) are only counted as one fic. This number also excludes podfics, because that’s basically the same fic in a different format.

That being said, this number is still nothing to scoff at. And things get even more delightful when we track down the frequency of fics posted month by month in a timeline.

The earliest MariLuke fic posted on Ao3 was “You are King” by itshaku on August 8, 2021, a mere 10 days after ToT’s official global release. The folks who posted the very first few fics in August 2021 laid down the foundation and bedrock of the Ao3 tag, and as ToT’s existence to the global audience continued, more and more fic started to populate our hallowed halls.

However, while that’s the earliest MariLuke fic as is recorded by Ao3 now, I happen to know that there was a fic that was posted even earlier. A fic called “Don’t Let Me Go” by sakurei. Both the fic and the author’s account has since been delated, but I knew this fic existed because I originally started this report in 2022. When I had first put together the preliminary data, I noted “Don’t Let Me Go” as the first ever fic, and then was disheartened to learn that it was deleted. Like, no…the sacred texts… All hope seemed lost until my dear friend Z Lukevonhagen suggested I search the link on the Wayback Machine, and lo and behold, a copy of the True First Ever MariLuke Fanfic On Ao3 had been unearthed. Thanks, Z!

In the month of October 2021, the Marius/Luke tag experienced its first fic surge. For the purposes of this report, any month with 8 or more fics posted during their duration is counted as a surge. Why is 8 or more the qualifier? That number was picked solely off of vibes.

A total of 9 new fics were posted in October 2021, though the I can’t find any discernible reason for this fic. After some digging, I found no relevant fan events that occurred in October 2021 that linked to any of the MariLuke fics. In terms of in-game happenings, the only thing of note here is that this is when the Symphony Of The Night event was running, but it’s not like Marius and Luke made out on screen during that event’s storyline (oh, how I wished though…)

Our next surge happened in August 2022, with a whole 12 fics posted, when the tag suddenly and beautifully got a sizeable influx of CN fics. CN fics take up 6 of the 12 fics posted during this time period, which is half of the month’s total fic yield. Thank you for your service, CN MariLukers !

Our next surge period lasted for a whopping 3 consecutive months, ushering a Golden Age for MariLuke fics, so to speak. Month by month, what happened was:

In October 2022, another surge occurred with a total of 11 fics. During this month, Twitter account Thirst of Themis had run a ToT Kinktober fan event, and a number of new Marius/Luke fics were created and posted in accordance with the Kinktober prompts. 

In November 2022, a total of 9 fics were posted, and this was mostly because of two specific singular authors’ hard work, as they published several fics all on their own in rapid succession and contributed to the surge. Ao3 author Litchire posted a whopping 4 fics during this period, along with Ao3 author ynfzymokaihewo who posted 3 fics. 

In December 2022, a total of 9 fics were posted, though this is the month where I couldn’t find any discernible reason once again. Maybe the holiday season just made us all fic-happy? Who knows.

After that, it’s smooth sailing for a while with average MariLuke fic yields for a couple of months.

Then, the Recession came. Followed by a Revival. Followed by another Recession. 

In April, 2023, only one (1) MariLuke fic was posted. Authors recovered in the following month of May 2023, but right after in June 2023, we all died once again with a staggering zero (0) new MariLuke fics posted. I assume we all went into hibernation or something. But that’s fine, because the next month in July 2023, the crops started flowering once more and the MariLuke harvest began anew.

Our next surge happened a couple months later, in November 2023, with 8 new fics posted. The culprit here is Thirst of Themis once again, for they had run a November prompts event, and 7 out of 8 MariLuke fics posted this month were in fulfillment of the event.

Now, we arrive at our latest surge and also our biggest one. In may 2024, the MariLuke Ao3 tag saw a whopping 28 new fics posted. This is undoubtedly the result of the fan event MariLuke Week (May 2024) for 27 out of the 28 fics were posted in fulfillment of the event’s prompts. The following authors participated in MariLuke Week, with their fic counts for this event placed next to their name:

xXILoveMyFridgeXx (10 fics contributed)

wtfhoney (7 fics contributed)

quarterweeb / theobscenfraction (4 fics contributed)

reptilianraven (3 fics contributed)

lukevonhagen (2 fics contributed)

Litchire (1 fic contributed)

Congratulations and thank you to the writers who participated in the event! You all contributed to the biggest surge in MariLuke stocks THUS FAR, and you should all give yourselves a pat on the back.

That concludes the timeline of MariLuke works up til May 31, 2024! Hit the showers, everybody!

---

Full List of AO3 Users Who Have Written Marius/Luke Fanfiction

The Marius/Luke writer population is a small but mighty one, with a total of 45 unique authors who have posted a fic Marius/Luke fic on Ao3 as of May 31, 2024. Before going into the full list of authors, here are some important caveats to the list:

ON ANONYMOUS AUTHORS: As this report deals with how Ao3 lists data, all authors who have opted to post anonymously will be counted as one entity. I personally know that some anonymous authors are different users, but verifying this without making any fuckups would make my tiny pea brain cry. For this reason, anonymous authors are counted as one unique author, so if you’re one of these anonymous authors, congrats on being a part of a Marius/Luke hivemind!

ON AUTHORS WITH PSEUDS: An Ao3 user who has different posted fics within the Marius/Luke tag under different pseuds will be counted as one unique author. Despite saying in the last paragraph that the my personal knowledge will not be enacted to tweak how Ao3 lists data, I’m making one exception here because it literally only pertains to three Ao3 users in the ship tag, so this won’t make my tiny brain cry at all.

So without further ado and in alphabetical order, here our are heroes:

Authors listed under the Anonymous Label

ajing_1124

artistic_gemini

asukryo

autumnsparrxw

BlazingSunflowers

CandorArchives

chechevitsa

darkbreak

doridoripawaa

dxpiarchaive / keeyamii

Eden_of_Amour / suffering_meguca

EnnTea

floweringlight

friedchickenlord

Goryo_Wataru

i_o_u_e_a

itshaku

kombat_exe

ladyhaspran

layla_wp

Litchire

lukevonhagen

m3i_day

marcipancake

monocuri

osamurice

pvsiytemhaver

quarterweeb / theobscenefraction

reptilianraven

RikuMorimachisGirl

Rxzaliya

samandspam

snocchiato

Solaste

sondepoch

strayris

Szim

Tinowenn

ThirdLibraryOfYumenosaki

turnscote

wtfhoney

xeriacat

xXILoveMyFridgeXx

ynfzymokaihewo

---

A Brief Glimpse Into Ratings and Tags

Before I looked at the ratings, I had a hypothesis that Explicit fics would take the lead because in majority of the MariLuke fics I’ve read myself, Marius and Luke are written to have incredibly active libidos. Lo and behold, when I did chart down the fics by rating, is is revealed that…

…statistically, we are horny. 

Not by a whole lot though! Fics that are rated Teen and Up comes in 2nd place by just a very small margin, so that’s a lot of fics that are accessible to those who don’t want to read Marius and Luke getting nasty.

In terms of Additional Tags, I checked out the Top 5 most frequented Additional Tags and charted them below.

The Top 5 most used Additional Tags are actually Fluff, Light Angst, Comedy, Humor, and Anal Sex. However, I reasoned that Comedy and Humor are the exact same thing, so I counted them as synonyms and added in the 6th most used Additional Tag: Established Relationship. 

Anyhoo, I think it’s really sweet to see that Fluff reigns supreme! And by a large margin, too. We love to write our boys having a wholesome lovely time. Of course, we also like just a smidge of narrative spice, which is where Light Angst comes in in 2nd place. That being said, I think it’s insanely funny that Anal Sex is in this chart. It is very out of place among the rest, LMAO.

---

A Brief Segue Into The Popularity of Marius/Luke In Relation to Other ToT BL Pairings

As of May 31, 2024, Marius/Luke is the 1st most popular M/M ship in the Ao3 tag, overall clocking in with a total of 166 works. 

In addition to that, I think it’s interesting to note that the 2nd most popular BL ship is Marius/Artem, with 130 fics, while the 3rd most popular BL ship is Marius/Vyn, with 66 fics. Tied for 4th place is Artem/Male or Gender Neutral Reader, and Vyn/Artem, both at 46 fics respectively.

The reason why I think the top 5 BL ships are interesting to look at is due to Marius’ participation in 3 out of the 5 most popular M/M ships in the ToT tag. Given this, we can veritably congratulate him for statistically beating the heterosexual allegations. Marius really gave off vibes that made many different shippers go “oh there’s no way in hell he’s completely straight.”

---

Accolades 

Longest Fic

As of May 31, 2024, the Longest Fic in the tag is [drumroll]...Losing Sight by pvsiytemhaver! This fic is actually primarily as ArtemRosa fic with MariLuke as an additional ship, and it currently clocks in at 90,109 words, taking the 1st spot as the longest MariLuke fic and the 18th longest fic overall in the general “未定事件簿 | Tears of Themis (Video Game)” fandom tag. Let’s take a look at the runner ups!

Here’s the list of the longest fics in the MariLuke tag:

Losing Sight by pvsiytemhaver (90,109 words)

the lips i used to call home (it was maroon) by xXILoveMyFridgeXx (58,185 words)

Five Points of a Star by xXILoveMyFridgeXx (25,494 words)

Risk of Pain by Solaste (25,157 words)

end of a decade (start of an age) by xXILoveMyFridgeXx (20,671 words)

Special shoutout to user xXILoveMyFridgeXx who consistently pumps out fics with gargantuan word counts.

Fic With Most Kudos

Next on the list is the Fic With The Most Kudos, and this title goes to [drumroll]... “standard operating procedure (x4 speedrun) by reptilianraven” which…oh, that’s me. 

This fic is not solely a MariLuke work, but an NXX Polycule work that has MariLuke within it. Weighing in with 827 kudos, it takes the spot as the 1st most kudos’d MariLuke work, while also weighing in as the 9th most kudos’d fic overall in the general “未定事件簿 | Tears of Themis (Video Game)” fandom tag. Let’s take a look at the runner ups!

Here’s the list of the Top 5 Fics With Most Kudos:

standard operating procedure (x4 speedrun) by reptilianraven (827 kudos)

every breath you take, every move you make, peanut will be watching you by reptilianraven (735 kudos)

how Puppy Pierce© conquered the world by reptilianraven (705 kudos)

the existence of a top student implies the existence of a bottom student by reptilianraven (575 kudos)

making out with your bro for fun and for profit by reptilianraven (567 kudos)

(Thank you for the kudos ;^;)

Author With Most MariLuke Works Written

And now, for our last accolade… the award for the author who currently has a large chunk of the MariLuke Ao3 tag coming from their own fics wrought by their own mind. 

This title goes to [drumroll]... oh goddamn it, it’s me. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being insane about them. I don’t remember writing this much for them, I swear to god. Let’s look at the runner ups!

Here’s the list of authors with the most MariLuke works written:

reptilianraven (24 works)

quarterweeb / theobscenefraction (quarterweeb) (23 works)

Litchire (15 works) and ynfzymokaihewo (15 works) tied for 3rd place

xXILoveMyFridgeXx (13 works)

wtfhoney (11 works)

---

Conclusion

I love this ship. I love this ship so goddamn much, but if there’s one thing I love more, it’s the community of shippers who write for this ship. This pet project was started as a little love letter from me to the MariLuke writing community. So, thank you, MariLuke writers!! Thank you for putting your heart and soul into the works you create, thus fashioning a beautifully wide array of fics to enjoy and read, and thank you for showing your love for this rarepair!

Alright, this report is too damn long. I’m gonna go reread MariLuke fics now. Bye! Hope you enjoyed!

[moonsun2010]

In August 1894, at the end of a month-long stay to research his embryonic novel, Bram Stoker wrote in the visitors’ book at the Kilmarnock Arms on the Aberdeenshire coast that he had been “delighted with everything and everybody” and hoped to return soon.

According to new research, though, the feeling was not entirely mutual. Stoker, a genial Irishman usually known for his cheeriness, was experimenting with what would become known as “method acting” to get under the skin of his new character, one Count Dracula.

According to his wife, Florence, everyone – including the hotel staff, and the locals – was frightened of him. He “seemed to get obsessed by the spirit of the thing,” she later said. He “would sit for hours, like a great bat, perched on the rocks of the shore, or wander alone up and down the sand hills thinking it all out”.

Imagine seeing a 6'2 well built guy stalking the shore daily, you can't even tell him to stop scaring the locals

Text is from this The Guardian article. Honestly that's hilarious, though witnessing it in real life is probably something different. "[A] genial Irishman usually known for his cheeriness" makes me want to see a photo of him smiling so bad... David Skal's introduction for the excellent Something in the Blood (highly recommended if you want to read more literary analysis about Dracula) states that "There are no photographs of Bram Stoker smiling." :(( and then just shows a photograph of Stoker having the same posture I slump into 10 seconds into an exam.

As for the last sentence "[Stoker] 'would sit for hours, like a great bat, perched on the rocks of the shore, or wander alone up and down the sand hills thinking it all out'", I've never read Twilight, but I imagine this is exactly how Edward Cullen acts like.

[sam-keeper]

The Black Cat (1934)

I came to The Black Cat through cartoons: Norman M Klein's 7 Minutes is a history of american theatrical animation--particularly its decline and fall, which he blames in part on the Hays Code. For Klein, while the code itself was never imposed upon animation studios directly as a tool of censorship, it encouraged economic censorship, which imposed a new orderly world upon cartoons. Anyway, I finished the book as we prepared our list for the year's halloween marathon, and it prompted me to look into pre-Code horror. Just what were black and white horror films like before industry leaders brought the hammer of censorship down on the medium?

Enter The Black Cat, in which Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff face off as old friends turned mortal enemies, with the souls of a couple of dopey American tourists as prize in their deadly game. I fell in love with the film before even watching because I located a clip of one of the bonkers early reveals in the film and instantly latched onto the interplay between Lugosi and Karloff. Lugosi is searching for his lost wife, who he thinks Karloff has spirited away. Karloff finally relents and says he will take Lugosi to see her, bringing him deep into the derelict military fort he has built his home on. There he reveals Lugosi's wife, dead, suspended by the hair in a glass coffin. "I wanted to have her beauty always," Karloff intones.

Hell. Yes. This is everything I wanted from "pre-Code horror". And the rest of the film does not disappoint for insanity. Oh, sure, the "suggested by" in "suggested by a story by Edgar Allen Poe" tells you how faithful to literary classics it is, and its own plot is a bit scattershot and nonsensical. But while it doesn't show a lot of shocking gore on screen, it's not really short on depravity, and watching Lugosi and Karloff play off each other is delightful.

I think it's easy to write this era of horror off as well trodden cliches, and rather tame approaches to the ghastly and ghoulish. I fully expected the film to take place in a haunted eastern european satanic castle, for example. Certainly the foundation of the set fits that description: as I've noted already, the basement of Karloff's manor is an abandoned fort in which hundreds of men died during the First World War due to his machinations. Atop the ruin, however, perches the architect Karloff's brilliant modernist manor, a gleaming Bauhaus facility. Why, even the chamber where he does rituals in praise to Satan with other european perverts is in gorgeous art deco style! The film suggests that all this modernity is just the new face of very old demons and horrors (a more astute insight than maybe the film's creators were consciously going for). For its occasional choppiness and dated mannerisms, the sheer weirdness of this film is well worth seeing for yourself, even if it necessitates getting over the hurdle of our popular perception of this era's films. And what of the Code? The juxtaposition of modernist brilliance and depravity drives the film, and it's hard to imagine it having the same impact with, say, a competent police force, or no suggestion of Karloff's sexual predation. Horror films, it turns out, don't get better when you strip them of all menace and render them less deathly, more deathly dull.

And if that's not enough, I'll tell you that one of the diabolical duo--I won't reveal which one!--strings the other up on a torture device, rips off his shirt, and--no, I shan't say. It's simply too depraved. You'll have to see for yourself... if you dare!

Read more horror reviews all month for Halloween on my Patreon

[ofliterarynature]

TBR TAKEDOWN: Week 2 (June 9)

TLDR: I have too many unread books, and I’m asking tumblr to help me downsize. Pick one or none, and comment if you can - a convincing sentence is worth a dozen votes! You’re also welcome to just choose the one that sounds the worst :D Book descriptions below the cut, see my pinned post for more info.

Crafty Cat Crimes: 100 Tiny Cat Mysteries

The game is afoot, and the four footed are its most cunning players in Crafty Cat Crimes. In one hundred cagey cat-tale mysteries, the largest literary litter of kitty crimestoppers ever convened in one volume prowl the mean streets in pursuit of feline felons, justice, just desserts--and the occasional pat on the head. You don't have to be a cat lover to enjoy these stories of crime and intrigue. You just have to like challenging mysteries where a twist in the tale comes naturally. There is virtually no crime these cats don't put the paw on. Whether confronted with cat burglary, catnapping, or murder most foul, they work through seemingly insoluble puzzles with a stealth, feline finickiness, and silent grace that are the envy of their two-footed counterparts.

Crafty Cat Crimes includes selections to suit every reader's taste: cat cozies for the domestic-minded, comic cat capers that look at the funny side of human and animal relationships, even hardboiled escapades that mix cats and gats

The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts by Louis de Bernières

When the spoilt and haughty Dona Constanza tries to divert a river to fill her swimming pool, she starts a running battle with the locals. The skirmishes are so severe that the government dispatches a squadron of soldiers led by the fat, brutal, and stupid Figueras to deal with them.

Despite visiting plagues of laughing fits and giant cats upon the troops, the villagers know that to escape the cruel and unusual tortures planned for them, they must run. Thus they plan to head for the mountains and start a new convivial civilization.

Belinda by Rhoda Broughton

"Must I always be an angel, or a goddess?" If anyone knew how sick I am of being a goddess! I declare I should be thankful to be called a Fury, or even a Ghoul, for a change!"

Dresden in the 1880s is the perfect place to enjoy the spring, driving in open carriages in the Grosse Garten, visiting delightful Schlosses nearby. In just such a manner Belinda and Sarah Churchill while away the month of May, their happiness marred only by Sarah's (seventh) fiance, the dried-up academic, Professor Forth. Belinda has fallen in love with a young student, David Rivers, who loves her too. But in this age of reticence and propriety, when women are idealized yet cannot speak their mind, the course of true love can easily be diverted. Suddenly David is recalled to England and Belinda, finding herself alone, resigns herself to a life of loveless duty amongst the dreaming spires of Oxbridge. Here her trials and tribulations, with gay young students and crusty old professors alike, provide a wonderfully witty satire on the arid joys of the Groves of masculine Academe.

[t00thpasteface]

i love catch 22 too !!

^_^ !!! people have been recommending it to me for months now and i'm so glad i finally gave it a chance!

my to-read list is basically all the big classics from all the big names— titles that have stood the test of time to become ingrained in the literary canon and popular subconscious... other things on the to-read list include wuthering heights, crime and punishment, and the count of monte cristo, as a few random examples. i haven't had the energy and time to sit down and knock another title off the list since i read pride and prejudice last year, so i'm absolutely delighted that this pick ended up being such a blast to read. then again, i love messy tragedies, conversational narrators, and biting political commentary, so it's not the least bit surprising.

...but don't follow me just for my literary takes. this has been a mash blog punctuated by nautical nonsequiturs for almost a year now and that's probably not about to change anytime soon!

[redgoldsparks]

I've never won National Novel Writing Month, but I am participating for my 7th time (not consecutively) this year. In the past I've always enjoyed receiving the Pep Talks from published authors, which are essentially like letters of encouragement to all of the writers trying to pour out the first draft of a novel in a month. A few of the ones I read, especially in my first year of doing NaNo, really stuck with me so I was very delighted to be asked to contribute one this year. You can read my Pep Talk here on the NaNo site but I will also post the full text below the cut. And to anyone doing NaNo this year-- good luck and keep writing!

instagram / patreon / portfolio / etsy / my book / redbubble

I wanted to be a writer long before I knew I had anything to say. 

I had a childhood immersed in stories. My parents took me to the local library every week, where I checked out stacks of fantasy novels. I would pick up any book with a dragon, elf, sword, castle, wizard, or spaceship on the cover and my heroes were the authors and illustrators of these magical worlds. 

At some point I started to wonder about these writers. Who were they? What were their lives like? I began to pay more attention to author’s notes and was astonished to discover that many authors I loved mentioned each other in their acknowledgements. In The Ladies of Grace Adieu, Susanna Clarke thanked Neil Gaimen, Terri Windling, Ellen Datlow, and Charles Vess. In Stardust, Gaimen thanked Clarke in return, and also Diana Wynne Jones. Ursula K Le Guin and Robin Hobb wrote blurbs for Patrick Rothfuss’ Name of the Wind. In Finder, Emma Bull thanked Terri Windling, Steven Brust, and her husband, Will Shetterly. Tamora Pierce, George RR Martin, Peter S Beagle and Kelly Link all blurbed books by Ellen Kushner, who thanked more people than I have space to name. 

Holy shit, I realized. All of these authors know each other! They’re friends! This was followed by a second thought: If I want to meet them, and especially if I want to be friends with them, maybe I should publish a fantasy novel myself. 

That realization gave me a new goal, but no specific pointers on how to pursue it. I started out as many young authors do: I began writing long fantasy narratives with orphaned protagonists, extremely derivative of the fantasy I’d read as a teen. During multiple successive NaNoWriMos I chipped away at a YA novel about a boy and a dragon. I started drawing a webcomic about a thief who tried to rob a monastery only to be foiled by a witch with the same plan. These stories had characters, settings, and some plot but what they didn’t have was themes. They didn’t ask any questions about what it means to be human, and they didn’t touch on any of the big concerns I was wrestling with in my personal life: gender, sexuality, and identity. 

It took the rather painful experience of a literary agent telling me my fantasy work was unpublishable before I set my early stories aside, stepped back, and changed the direction of my writing towards exploring the big, vulnerable themes I had been shying away from. 

What I discovered is that instead of making writing harder, facing these themes head-on made writing easier. In my earlier work I had frequently hit writing blocks, places in my outlining process where I felt like I was wading through mud. When I didn’t know what I was trying to say on a meta level with my story it was often hard to decide what should happen next at the plot level. I would send my characters from location to location, but I’d be unsure of what they should do there, because I was unclear on how their actions added up to a larger picture. That feeling of being stuck and uncertain over what should come next fell away when I started focusing more clearly on expressing my bigger themes. Suddenly the path forward felt smooth. All it took to follow it was bravery and persistence. 

I also achieved my initial goal in wanting to be a writer. I have now met and befriended many other authors, not the same set that I idolized as a teen, but different writers who are exploring many of the same themes and questions in their work as I do in mine. I have friends, colleagues, co-authors, and writing partners to thank in my acknowledgements– often more than I have space to name. 

During this month, I know many of you are focused solely on pouring out the words. That is very important, but I recommend you take some time to think about the larger themes of your story as well. What message, hope, fear, question, or truth are you trying to communicate to the world through your writing? I promise that clearly articulating your themes will help you tell your story and find the friends and writers who will become your community. 

Good luck, and know that I am writing alongside you, and rooting for you! 

Maia Kobabe, Fall 2023

[adarkrainbow]

The Tale of Tale movie analysis (1)

It has been a long time since I did a fairytale movie analysis, and for this month I want to take a look at a movie that has been asked of me before, a long time ago: "Tale of Tales".

For those of you who do not know about this movie, "Tale of Tales" is a 2015 movie, a "European production" (it is an Italian movie, but it received help and collaboration from France and England, hence the "European" etiquette) that is to this day (and to my knowledge) the only movie that adapts Basile's Pentamerone, the titular "Tale of Tales".

The Pentamerone being one of the two foundational works when it comes to literary fairytales, and one of the two great books of classical Italian literary fairytales alongside Straparole's Facetious Nights. Basile's book is very famous for containing some of the earlier literary records of fairytale types such as Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, The Girl Without Hands, and more.

The book contains a total of fifty stories, and of course the movie couldn't adapt them all, so it was decided to only adapt three in total. The three chosen are usually considered emblematic stories of the Pentamerone - but they were also selected because they do not echo the more well known Grimm stories. The three selected were, The Flea, The Enchanted Doe, and The Flayed Old Lady - all taken from the first part of the book.

Note that this movie was greatly acclaimed for its extensive use of practical special effects - and there is one thing you cannot deny this movie, it looks absolutely incredible. There is a great effort on the visuals ranging from selected architecture and landscape to careful costume crafting and delightful monsters on screen.

Before going into the analysis of each of the fairytales of the movie, I wanted to point out a few things covering the entirety of the movie. Three details to be exact.

Matteo Garrone, when doing this movie, didn't just randomly selected three stories that were to his fancy. He chose three specific stories that he then tied together with cohesive themes and motifs. The first of which, the most prominent, being "obsession". Each segment is about presenting the obsessions of specific characters, and the bad outcomes of it.

The other shared motif between the three fairytales is "the ages of a woman". Despite the movie having as much male as female characters, Garrone explained very clearly that this movie was about the women, not the men, and that each fairytale represented one of the traditional three "ages of woman". "The Flea" becomes the Maiden story, focusing on the young princess ; "The Enchanted Doe" becomes the Mother story, with an exploration of the character of the queen, while "The Flayed Old Lady" is of course the Crone tale.

But much more importantly for us to understand this movie: Matteo Garrone did one very heavy and important change compared to the original material. The tone. The tone is radically different. Basile's original book, just like Straparole's fairytales, worked by the specific nature of these Italian literary fairytales of the time: they were grotesque farces, and vulgar jokes. In my last post about the Pentamerone I compared these stories to a Brandon Rogers video, because Basile's stories, despite being the ancestors of the Grimm or Perrault fairytales, are nothing like the modern fairytales we are today. They are sex stories filled with caricatures, they are gruesome, gory stories filled with morally-gray characters, they are one huge dark joke filled with poop and farts and vulgar allusions. They are much closer to medieval tales and to the tone of a Reynard the Fox story or some Rabelais books than any other fairytales we know today. But Garrone decided to apply a principle that you can see explored in series such as "Horace and Pete" or "Kevin can fuck himself". Take a sitcom, remove the laugh-track, you have a tragedy. Garrone's movie is still as grotesque as the original stories - but now the jokes are put aside, the most vulgar parts removed, the sex and the gore examined for what it is under a realistic eye. This "realistic", and "non-comical" treatment of the stories make this world of grotesque caricatures and senseless violence and depraved debauchery one not of marvels and fairies, but one of tragedies, of abuse, of horror. But, tragedies with magic, abuse with beauty, horror with happy and hopeful endings - because they stay fairytales after all, no matter how dark they are. Mean, cruel, sad fairytales, but fairytales nonetheless.

[Trivia: The fact that Basile's work was a very rude, crude and vulgar piece of sex-and-violence that can only be compared to Rabelais meeting Punch & Judy, is something many people in the English-speaking world completely missed because the first real popular and widespread translations of the text in English, in the... I think it was the 19th century or maybe a bit earlier ; but these versions were heavily censored. Trying to make the story more like a Perrault or d'Aulnoy tale, they removed many sex references, remove all the poop jokes, and even cut off some stories deemed too vulgar ot gruesome, so that for a very long time people thought they were supposed to be... regular fairytales. This is especially relevant with "Thalia, the Sun and the Moon", Basile's "Sleeping Beauty" variant. Many people point out that the girl in this story gets raped by the prince and that this shows how the fairytale of Sleeping Beauty was built on a glorification of rape, because it is treated as ormal or as some romance. But... no. This rape is treated as a rape and the prince is very clearly a lustful asshole who is taking advantage of the girl - because it is a dark sex-tale. Princes in the Pentamerone are almost all lustful rapists, violent murderers or complete helpless idiots, because the Pentamerone does not work on a "prince charming" logic. Take "The Golden Root" - the handsome, kind, gentle, good prince that seems to fit the bill of the Prince Charming... is part of a family of ogres, and ends up murdering in rage his intended fiancée just to be married to the heroine of the tale. And that's something that many people missed for a very long time - the prince charming archetype is from the French tales of the 17th and 18th century, not before.]

[chaotic-history]

The Nouvelle Biographie Générale's article on Villette, 1866

Because my sleep-deprived brain decided last night that translating Villette things was clearly my top priority. Footnotes like this (1) are original; the ones like this ¹ are added by me.

VILLETTE (Charles, marquis DE), born December 4, 1736, in Paris, where he died on July 9, 1793. His father, treasurer extraordinary of war, left him a 150,000 livre pension; his mother was popular for her wit and her beauty: he therefore had an easy path in the world. After having gone on a handful of campaigns, he returned to Paris (1763) with the rank of quartermaster general of the cavalry [maréchal général des logis de la cavalerie]. He was imprisoned, for what reason we don’t know¹, in the Strasbourg citadel; as soon as he had left at the end of six months, he went to Ferney to seek out Voltaire, who had been a friend of his mother. ‘I currently have at home with me to cheer me up’, wrote Voltaire, ‘a young M. de Villette, who knows all the verses that have ever been written, and who writes them himself, who sings, who does impressions of other people quite amusingly, who tells stories, who is a pantomime, who would delight even the inhabitants of this sad Geneva’². With the support of the philosophe, whom he didn’t hesitate to call his father, Villette threw himself into the literary world, wrote many verses, competed for prizes from the Académie Française which he didn’t win, and above all sang in every tone praises of Voltaire, who reciprocated doubly by calling him the French Tibullus. Displaying with effrontery his taste for unnatural vices, as was attested to by his contemporaries, it was thought that he would not marry, until he married a person equally distinguished by her virtues and by her amiable qualities in the Ferney chapel in 1777, and he thus became, according to a rueful joke of the patriarch of Ferney, a doctor in utroque³. He had with her a son, whom he had baptised in 1792 under the name of Voltaire-Villette. This marriage did not prevent him from returning to his vicious habits, nor from engaging in scandalous intrigues with fashionable women, among whom were Mlles Arnould et Raucourt. At the time of the revolution, Villette drafted the cahiers du bailliage for Sentis, in which he spoke warmly of the new principles, and he collaborated on the Chronique de Paris. Named deputy of Oise for the National Convention (1792), he protested strongly against the September massacres, and voted, in the trial of Louis XVI, for his imprisonment [rather than his execution]. He succumbed a few months later to a languishing illness. He owned the hôtel where Voltaire lived in Paris, on the quai which today bears his name; he acquired the château de Ferney and preserved the heart of his protector (1) in an urn bearing this inscription:

His spirit is everywhere and his heart is here.

Of a very slim literary talent, Villette was truly what Mme du Deffand called him: ‘a comic character’⁴. The wits of the time did not spare him; people laughed especially at his belief that he could share in Voltaire’s fame, and this epigram ran for a long time throughout Paris:

Little Villette, it is in vain

That you aspire to glory;

You will never be anything but a dwarf

Who plays a giant on the comic stage.

However, he was kind, devoted to his friends, and during the revolution he showed real courage in standing firm in his beliefs against the prejudices of the nobility and against revolutionary excesses. Palissot assures us that Villette’s best works should be attributed to Gugeland, his secretary. Be that as it may, these are the works which he had printed: Éloge de Henri IV; Paris, 1770, in-4°; Éloges Historiques de Charles V et de Henri IV; Amsterdam (Paris), 1772, in-4°; La Patroclée, ou Commencement du Seizième Chant de l’Iliade, Traduction Littérale en Vers; Paris, 1778, in-8°: Palissot attributes this to Voltaire; various pieces in the Almanach des Muses, reprinted in Œuvres de Boufflers et de Villette; London (Paris), 1782, in-18; Œuvres du Marquis de Villette; London and Paris, 1784, in-12, and 1786, in-16; Edinburgh and Paris, 1788, in-8°: in general, his Lettres contain interesting anecdotes. Between 1784 and 1792, Villette presented eight operas to the Académie Royale de Musique, which seem to have been neither put on nor succesful.

(1) This relic, preserved by his son, was given in 1864 to the government, which had it placed in one of the rooms of the Bibliothèque Impériale [now the Bibliothèque Nationale de France].

¹Like pretended father, like son, it was for causing a stir by planning to duel a lieutenant-colonel whom he had publicly insulted, according to Grimm’s correspondence.

²Voltaire to the comte d’Argental, February 27, 1765

³In utroque jure, meaning a doctor of both civil and ecclesiastical law, ie., if Villette gets married he will have sex with women as well as with men. Voltaire uses the term in this way in a letter to Villette from June 7, 1765.

⁴Mme du Deffand to Horace Walpole, February 12, 1775

[freesia-writes]

Chapter 25: Repentance

During the Clone Wars, the Bad Batch is tasked with a variety of missions across the galaxy. An unexpected addition to their team throws a wrench in the mix, particularly for Tech, who finds a particular connection with this disillusioned Padawan-turned-mechanic named Vel throughout the events in this action-adventure romance. COVER ART BY @zaana!!

Master List of Chapters

The surface of the dark water bubbled lazily as Vel relaxed back in the spring. The moonlight filtered through the glass roof, bathing the room in a peaceful glow. Stately vines wrapped around the pillars that were peppered throughout the recovery wing, and although that was its official title, it felt more like a garden retreat than any sort of medical structure. 

"I didn't think you meant right away, and I didn't think you meant to come along, but I'm glad we got that all sorted out," Vel said, smiling blearily at Tech, who was perched on a bench across from her, his helmet at his feet. They had been chatting for what felt like a few minutes, but judging by the moon's journey across the sky, it had been significantly longer. 

"I intend to ensure your safety and comfort for the duration of our stay," Tech responded. "And for the duration of any future endeavors we may share. Romantically or otherwise."

Vel laughed, feeling the delight wash over her as she grew reaccustomed to his mannerisms. "Look at you, a regular Lasa Nova all of a sudden. What happened?"

"I assume you refer to the infamous literary figure of Ryloth, with whom I share very little in common, but if your intent is to question my more forward nature since our reunion, it is simply because I realized, after time away filled with deep thought, that every potential scenario I can envision for my future appears more desirable with you in it. My only option was to pursue you, in the hopes of your agreement."

"And what am I agreeing to?"

"Rejoining our crew as the ship's assigned mechanic, employed by the Machinist's Guild of the Galactic Republic, for as long as you consent. And... considering my attempts at affection."

Vel sat up, nearly forgetting her nakedness, concealed only by the dark green waters of the hot springs. She dipped back down, still processing the offer. "But I still have to complete my service here to pay for all the treatment I received," she said. 

"Actually, that has been taken care of by Senator Bail Organa," Tech informed her, "After we shared about your involvement in some of our missions together."

"Everything is changing so fast," Vel said, head spinning. Her hair was piled messily on top of her head, tied up with a spare strap, and she brought a hand to it as if to calm the storm within. 

"Indeed. It has been a tumultuous evening for you," he agreed, rising to his feet with a large towel in his hands. He stood at the end of the steps, holding the towel open invitingly, and turned his head as far away as he could, "You may be assured of your privacy."

Vel smiled, taking a moment to be grateful for his respect and kindness, and got up out of the hot spring with only a few jerky movements. She wrapped herself in the towel he held, tucking it snugly under her armpits, before turning around to him. "I'll see you at the door?"

But Tech remained in front of her, arms moving from his sides to loosely clasp together in front of him. He looked at her intently, with his signature head tilt, his eyes dark pools of emotion and warmth in the soft light. "Yes, but... May I try something?" he asked.

Her stomach lurched and her chest tingled, and Vel couldn't remember a time that she had felt safer or more comfortable. How was she back here so suddenly? She thought the months apart had buried it all deeply, but all of it had erupted back to the surface in a mere week. "Yes," she said, almost breathlessly. 

Tech took a step closer, unclasping his hands to reach for hers. He gave them both a gentle squeeze, moving to leave only a few inches between them, before gliding his hands up the outsides of her arms, coming to rest on her shoulders. One hand remained there while the other moved toward her face, caressing her cheek with the backs of two fingers and tracing their tips down the side of her neck. 

She closed her eyes, taking a slow, deep breath in, savoring the moment fully. His fingers traveled across the top of her shoulder and came to the end, dropping off her arm as light as a feather but meaningfully enough that she wanted to preserve that sensation forever.

"Thank you," Tech said quietly, and Vel could swear she heard a husky tone to his voice. "I shall see you at the door," he finished, picking up his helmet and quietly walking to the exit, leaving her there in a blazing wildfire of tingly bliss.

* * * 

Vel couldn't believe her eyes as she lowered her bag onto the cot in the corner of the hold of the Marauder. It was if she had been here yesterday, both in its appearance and in the way it made her feel. The only reminder of the whole ordeal on Alderaan was the tingly weakness that surfaced occasionally.

She had reveled in the reunion with the squad, arm still smarting from where Wrecker squeezed her too hard in a massive hug, and remained overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement as she pondered what lay ahead for them. Tech's injection into the unconscious Arthen apparently served as some sort of selective short term memory loss; Vel had been surprised at the repertoire of tricks up his sleeve and had also made a mental note to look into the legality of it.

She had always been the type to want to have a solid plan for her life, reaching far into the future, but if the last few years had taught her anything, it was the total unpredictability of it all, especially around this team. She took a deep breath, aligning her shoulders with a new sense of resolve, and turned to the lift, to see what the Force had in store.

***

A couple months' worth of missions had been punctuated by Tech's absolutely adorable attempts at romance, and Vel's heart had truly found its home in his. They had fitted various opportunities into their free time, ranging from blurrg jousting on Ryloth to the reenactment of the civil war of Florrum. The latest had been an art class on Bimmisaari, where she had been thoroughly embarrassed to turn her canvas around at the end, revealing a primitive rendition of the sunset, while Tech had produced a breathtakingly detailed portrait of her. She gasped as he showed it to her, his lips pursed as he continued to scrutinize the finished product.

"I didn't know you could paint!" Vel said breathlessly, a million other things fighting to be said next.

"I simply applied a variety of artistic principles common in dramatic realism," Tech said matter-of-factly, as if anyone could have done it.

"Naturally," Vel replied, laughing quietly, "But how did you choose that moment to capture?" She was flattered by his creation, but she found a part of herself wishing it had been an image of her in some heroic pose during one of her few but notable accomplishments on a mission. Instead, he had opted to recreate their exploration on Kashyyyk, specifically her rather dorky-looking delight in a close inspection of a tree trunk.

The image was as colorful as it was moving: wisps of her brown hair fluttered in a light breeze as she bent close to examine a tree trunk with no bark. Tech had preserved the exact pattern that she remembered marveling at: lines swirling around knots, sprinkled with reddish brown dogs that looked like an entire galaxy. She was enthralled by the expression on her face, which she didn't think she'd ever worn before: it was unbridled curiosity and childlike fascination, and it made her feel a need to smile as she looked at it.

"My mind seems to return to that experience more frequently than any other," Tech replied, eyes moving from his painting to her, "And upon further reflection, I believe that may have been the moment that I first..." He drifted off without finishing, tilting his head, eyes flitting back and forth as if searching for the answer in the air. Vel waited patiently, for what seemed like an agonizingly long time, before he finished: "I am unable to accurately put it into words. I will ponder this further."

She laughed again, reaching up to tenderly touch his cheek. She yearned to embrace him, to show him how deeply she had come to feel for him, but while he had been clear in taking the lead in his pursuit of her, he had been notably reserved in physical affection. She didn't want to push him further than he was comfortable, still enjoying the waves of ecstasy that washed over her at a single touch and trusting him to explore at his own pace. He was receptive to her touch, although it always caught him off guard, and his surprised reactions always brought a smile to her face. 

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[stardustjie]

𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚢

oh, this one took a lot. i apologise for the wait, it was quite a busy month. i'm not even that proud of this drabble if i must be honest, but i hope you like it anyway ♡ there might be some mistakes, but thank you for being patient

buying books and reading books are two different hobbies, but very few things could give the reassurance to have every title in your "to be read" list already bought and patiently waiting on the shelf. when you would read said book was a mystery for everyone, you included, but it was there for when the time will come. there was this feeling of comfort, knowing you didn’t have to buy it and you just had to wait for the right moment in your life to actually enjoy the reading. this might seem a bit strange, but you are lucky your girlfriend understands your literary philosophy. except she had a whole library in her home.

the first time she mentioned it, you thought she was joking. you were talking about your favourite book again, illustrating all the characers and the specific things you enjoyed. at some point she said the word library, but you didnt really pay attention to it. until she finally invited you in her home and with the most natural expression she showed you the biggest collection of physical books you have ever seen with your own eyes. you realized oftentimes your girlfriend didnt need to endure the bother to buy those books, rather than to find them.

now you are in the same library, with lara explaining how she bought the book you are holding in your hands so carefully. you lightly touch the title, gently. you are scared the littlest mistake will ruin it despite the other girl reassured you its not that fragile. you haven't been together for a lot, her stories are so new and interesting. you could listen to her for hours until she got bored. lara was telling you about one of her expeditions, how she found this little market stall in iraq a few months before.

"how do you manage to remember which one you have and which one you dont?" you ask at some point. your girlfriend watched you with curiosity, doe eyes wide open, and giggles. apparently she has list of them. everytime she is interested in a new book she looks for the title in a list she has on her personal tablet to see if its already in there. every title is in alphabetical order under its group genre. lara wasn’t as organizza and one would think, but she tooks her library quite seriously.

"its easier than it seems," she explains "its just a matter of habit and willpower. also, most of those books arent really my own. they are my father's or my ancestors' i think." but you were still suprised. you were still used to her little apartment in with the paper on the wall in front of her desk and books on the ground. now she is telling you she spendt her first week in the manor taking care of the library (and her other stuff, but that's not the important part).

"of course, if you see anything you like just take it. i dont mind" lara says and in your head it definitely sounds like a marriage proposal. you could hear the bells already. she probably notices your heart-eyes and giggles a little. you spend the rest of the day with her in thr library, talking about the numerous editions and books you could find and learning about the ones she used to read when she was little and her favourite characers. you are delighted when she explains her interpretation of enjolras and grantaire and lara listened carefully to your there about that duology you are reading.

you never thought you would be like this, talking for hours with your girlfriend surrounded by the biggest collection of books you have ever seen. sometimes she moved her hands a little bit to highlight a concept, other times she quickly showed you the paragraphs she was referring to. you really could listen to her until sunset came, the passion in her voice was addicting.

and you didn’t even know next time ahe was going to show you the art room yet.