#little mr. prose poem

[razorsadness]

How Things Will Be

    for James Tate

    …The kitchen will always be hungry then. The cupboard won’t even find a bone.     The bedrooms will lie awake at night, blank-eyed against the whispery shuffle of hallways wandering back and forth, like blind mice looking for their eyes.

    History in voluminous skirts waddled by knocking courage off the table.     The singing by the river turns out to be a radio plugged into the mouth of a corpse.     In a nearby field a butterfly is being folded up by a praying mantis into a small bright package.

    …A tub of arthritic blood: Mother Hubbard kills the Sphinx.     In a dresser drawer a ruined city of hemorrhoids.

    This… and the moon…

—Russell Edson, from Little Mr. Prose Poem (BOA Editions, 2022)

[trashywritestrash]

On the Subject of Love

Pairing: Anthony Bridgerton x Reader

Word Count: 584

Warnings: None, just a short lil thing for Valentine's!

A/N: The card and response poems are from Thomas Richardson’s “Gentleman’s Valentine Writer” which wasn’t actually published until 1828, but I needed ideas okay? Also, I wrote this while Bridgerton was still in the lead in the poll lol

gif by fifty5hades

For as long as you could remember, Anthony Bridgerton had always sworn that he was not in want of a wife. Therefore, you were not expecting to receive anything from him as Valentine's Day approached. This is where you were proven wrong.

The day came, and with it came a bouquet of flowers and a card from the Viscount himself. In your sitting room was a breathtaking bunch of burgundy musk roses. The color was meant to represent simplicity and beauty, meanwhile the rose variety stated that Anthony found you to be charming. You picked up the card, but before you could read it, your mother entered the room.

Spotting the obvious floral arrangement, your mother spoke up, "Those are lovely, dear! Which gentleman sent them?"

"Viscount Bridgerton sent them," A small smile graced your features as you gazed upon the flowers. "I must admit, I did not think him to be interested in me. Father only introduced us at the start of the season."

"That is plenty of time for him to grow attached. Don't fret, my love. He only sent flowers, as any good suitor should. It is not as if he is proposing marriage." Your mother chuckled lightly before she noticed the card in your hand, "Oh, he sent a valentine as well? Now that is bold. What does it say?"

The card itself did not feature the same hand drawn images as other cards may, but it was embellished with an elegant gold overlay and floral embossing. The writing was clearly done by hand, but carefully in order to remain legible.

As I wander'd about 'tother day full of thought, With the subject of love I was very much caught: Whether best to live single, or best with a wife; I assure you within me was terrible strife. Thinks I to myself, one is stupid alone, And I'm sure I have read, "two is better than one;" So a wife I have fixed on, that wife shall be you, If it please you, and I will be constant and true.

You felt a heat rush to your cheeks as you read the card. Unable to voice the words aloud, you gave the card to your mother so she could read it herself. Her eyes widened as she took in the meaning of the words. "Alright, he implies marriage! However, this is not a proper proposal. He may be a viscount, but Mr. Bridgerton must ask for your hand officially."

With that, your mother left the room, most likely on a mission to inform your father about the viscount's card. Her absence gave you a moment to stare at the message and ponder your emotions. Truly, you could not say that you were in love with Anthony Bridgerton. You did not know him well enough for that yet. But, it was not as if you felt nothing toward him. His words caused your heart to flutter within your chest, filled with glee at the thought of the viscount having an interest in you.

In little time, you had gathered the materials required to make a valentine of your own. Surely, it would be rude to send no response to his lovely prose. And surely you could send it without your parents reading it first.

"To be constant and true"--your promise is fair, And I with your lines am quite smit I declare; So I, at your word, take you, and send you this line, To say I rejoice to be your Valentine.

----------

Want more fanfic? Check out my masterlist!

If you enjoyed this, please consider liking, reblogging, or tipping my Ko-Fi!

[ofallingstar]

List of books I read in 2023

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

L'homme semence by Violette Ailhaud

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

On Magic & The Occult by W.B. Yeats

Faithful Place by Tana French

The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe

Opened Ground: Selected Poems 1966-1996 by Seamus Heaney

The Love Object by Edna O'Brien

Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Night by Elie Wiesel

In Between the Sheets by Ian McEwan

The Lost Days by Rob Reger & Jessica Gruner

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Parallax by Sinéad Morrissey

The Woman in the Strongbox by Maureen O'Hagan

Diaries, 1910-1923 by Franz Kafka

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Walking to Martha's Vineyard by Franz Wright

A Tale for the Time Being Ruth Ozeki

Mouthful of Forevers by Clementine von Radics

Wasteland by Francesca Lia Block

The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

Find Me by André Aciman

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

The Grace Year by Kim Ligget

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

Psycho by Robert Bloch

Classic Tales Of Vampires And Shapeshifters by Tig Thomas

Love Devours: Tales of Monstrous Adoration by Sarah Diemer

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Putney by Sofka Zinovieff

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

The Maid by Nita Prose

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

You can follow me or add me as a friend on Goodreads.

[sakascal]

Demands for Eternity

Finally got around to writing my poem for the @whickberstreetwriters five word challenge!

The words were: astray, dust, laugh, sigh, smoke

I've recently been reading Shotgun Wedding by charlottemadison. I'm not all the way done yet - I'm mid-move of a four-person-household and have been tempted into reading another fic as well (the person in question will know I'm talking about them ;) ), and still editing a long fic - but I'm really liking it so far. So in this one chapter, Mr. Fell introduces his students to a poem by Pablo Neruda called Pido Silencio/I Ask for Silence and asks his students to create their own work based off of that.

I really loved the idea and hadn't had any clue what to do with the prompts yet, other than that they sounded predestined for a Crowley piece to me.

I hadn't written prose poems in decades (much like "regular" poems until recently) but I thought this style would suit Crowley really well. It has become quite long, however.

Anyway, enough explaining. I'll shut up now and let you read the poem. :) I hope you like it!

Demands for Eternity

I want them to leave me the fuck alone. All of them. Heaven and Hell. Want for neither to brighten nor darken my door again. They can eat dust for all I care.

I dreamed of burning all bridges, relished in watching the smoke curl upward.

All bridges, save one.

Answers. I used to want answers. But no more. All my wants, all my desires, all I demand twists and coils around one focal point.

And five things.

All I want is five things. So little and yet so greedy, I would make Mammon blush and quiver.

The first thing is for my sight to always be damned. Damned with light reflected in pale fluff, damned with the stars in deep infinite blue, damned by rosy softness so beautiful it hurts. I used to create nebulae, watched colours explode across the infinite expanse of the universe. But crave to see the crinkling creases next to near achromatic lashes. Sigh at the thought of drab folds of worn fabric covering plush, plump flesh.

The second thing is to forever hear that musical laugh. Be lulled to slumber by the harmonious tones of passages read aloud and pages turned. Listen to yet another, and often wrong, recounting of times gone by and times shared. To old records and complaints about everything under the sun from technology, or our former sides, to driving. Crave the sounds of delight that escape when threatened with gourmet cuisine and deserts. I used to listen to the music of the universe, yet these are the notes that let me find true rest.

The third thing I never want to be without is the scent of dust and ancient paper, of tea long grown cold and fine wine. The smell of old, threadbare cloth and rich cologne barely covering the ozone-like aroma of etherealness. Etherealness I should loathe, that was stolen from me eons ago. The fragrance of warmth, the incense of pleasure, the very essence of home.

The fourth thing I want and dream of is the soft give of supple flesh under my fingers. The touch of the smooth, warm, velvety skin containing the best thing She ever created. Downy strands between my fingers, the feeling of silky feathers shifting against my own. I used to manipulate elements with these fingers of mine, touched stardust and nudged stars to shine that much brighter. But none of that was ever as precious, as exquisite, as venerated to me.

The fifth thing I need and hunger for is to drink tea and wine off of his lips, to lick the very sweetness from the depths of his mouth, the taste of salt off his skin. I want to drown in this bouquet of emotion. Emotion I cannot feel like him, but almost taste on the air surrounding him, on every word he utters, every sigh he makes. Among the stars I never knew taste, in 6000 years I never sampled anything that drove sounds from me. Never anything, but this.

All you hindrances, you naysayers, you rocks in my path cannot lead me astray.

This is what I want, what I demand. I won’t settle for less. No less than the rest of eternity in his embrace.

Read on AO3

[brotherskaramasobbing]

Always there is this compulsion to write. To desperately try to keep up with the stream of consciousness, half drowning half sucking the last bit of meat off the bone, always sure the next word will be the point of ecstasy. I really really really love to chase it. And I love when I find writers who chase infinitely better than I do, sprinting after goals far from mine, closer to it, intertwining, polyphonic.

Hence my lifetime love for studying literature. I haven’t got the drive to write my own longform fiction, but there is no better feeling to me than to find part of my identity reflected in the most perfectly constructed prose or poems, or prose poems. And literature is not confined by any terms. It runs along and drips over the edges of anything you can think of. Thick dopamine from experimental writers.

And yet there is always this fear? Deep and pervasive and frustrating and achey and weepy. I have always been a fearful person, but recently it has been worse than I thought it could get. I dropped out of uni in October, after starting my dream course, because I couldn’t take the social interaction. It got to the point I couldn’t leave the room to eat meals, or I would tremble and baby tears would form around the edges of my eyes, and so I gave up. I admitted I probably needed help, and I packed up my things and went home.

I miss studying literature so much it hurts. I miss the seminar discussions where we would heatedly debate whether Charles Bovary was a good man, the ethics of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s abolitionism, the delicate but piercing form of Virginia Woolf’s ‘Mrs Dalloway’. I still consider myself a student of literature, as I plan to return to education next academic year hopefully with better people skills and more resilience, and reading literature and literary criticism has been my only sustenance while I have been confined to my hometown. I won’t deny the pain runs deep, though. I miss big research essays and I miss having institutional access to whatever papers I wanted.

So I am turning to Tumblr as an outlet. To learn how to write for myself again, albeit with the cushion of anonymity. I have been on the periphery of the site for a while, but I’m committing now to posting something.

I don’t know what this will change in me. Probably little at first. But this is another way to cling onto the joys of literature, and I am grateful for it. I’m ready to open my heart to something new now.

[mazm-imagines]

Mr. Saha, I want to say that I am a silent admirer of you short poems and proses - especially those in your native tongue. I look forward to reading much more now that you're together with your family back in India.

Anyways, I made some rasgullas in my spare time as an appreciation gift this Valentine's Day. I admit I'm not the best in making foods but I do hope it keeps up with your tastes. Enjoy the festivities, Mihir!

— Solipsis

"Is that so?" Mihir brought a hand up to cover his smiling mouth, finding that he couldn't resist it at all. What a feeling it was, to finally be recognized for his passions.

Are my poems ugly now father? He could finally have the innner peace of validation.

"Thank you for your support. I appreciate the feedback and will try to do better, now that I have an audience." Well there was no point in hiding his glee, he put his hand down to show his face full of pride.

A small white dish was put in his hands, when he looked down he found the rasagullas he was so fond of.

"Oh my! It's alright if your gifts aren't the most wonderfully made, as long as they hold your genuine emotions in them, they will be perfect. That applies to anything you may imbue your emotions onto, like art or music." Or poetry.

"Happy Saint Valentine's Day. I only wish I had something to offer you in return..." Mihir let himself get lost in thought for a few seconds before he snapped his fingers.

"How about this? Since you say you admire my poems... I'll give you a little insight to my latest one. Is that enough to compensate for your delightful gift?"

[pterawaters]

Stats Tag

I was tagged by @mrs-steve-harrington! Thank you!

Rules: Give us the links to your fics with the most hits, most kudos, most comments, most bookmarks, most words, and least words.

Most Hits

The Long Way Down, Hawaii Five-0 (2010), 27,094 words, 35k hits [Steve/Danny get married pre-canon as strangers, fall out of touch, then reunite in S1, develop a relationship, and get married for real]

Most Kudos

Eddie Munson: 19-year-old Virgin, Stranger Things (TV 2016), 4,120 words, 1,834 kudos [Steve/Eddie, Eddie asks Steve to take his virginity]

Most Comments

A Matter of Convenience, Hawaii Five-0 (2010), 7,132 words, 140 comment threads [Steve forges marriage papers, doesn't tell Danny - Unfinished]

Most Bookmarks

The Long Way Down, Hawaii Five-0 (2010), 27,094 words, 477 bookmarks [Steve/Danny get married pre-canon as strangers, fall out of touch, then reunite in S1, develop a relationship, and get married for real]

Most Words

Out to Pasture, Hawaii Five-0 (2010), 125,993 words [Steve retires from the Navy and starts working for the US Government's soldier breeding program - Unfinished]

Fewest Words

(I left out all my fanmixes and a poem, and picked the shortest prose story)

You won't regret it, Stranger Things (TV 2016), 240 words [Robin wants to adopt a dog, but Barb asks her to set her sights a little lower.]

I'll tag @mswhich, @chocoholicannanymous, @girlwithakiwi, @bad-at-names-and-faces and anyone else who wants to play!

[harrowscore]

best books read in 2022 by yours truly, in no particular order:

the seven deaths of evelyn hardcastle by stuart turton (technically started in 2021 but finished in early january 2022, so it counts). murder mystery + time loop + redemption themes = perfect mix, 10/10 recommend

this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar & max gladstone: space lesbians but what if they were enemies? lovely, lovely prose. one flaw tho: more of a ~i'm being poetic for the sake of being poetic~ than a character story. still, interesting read.

the plague by albert camus: i couldn't not include him. 5/5 stars, he's easily becoming one of my favorite authors.

hygiène de l'assassin by amélie nothomb: a female journalist succeeds where everyone else fails and interviews an old misanthropic and cynical nobel-winner author. but not everything is as it seems... insane little book, great characterization for the female protagonist. perfect ending. i couldn't put it down, thankfully it's quite short.

carmilla by j. sheridan le fanu: this doesn't need introductions, does it? :)

hedda gabler by henrik ibsen: a play revolving around a woman - daughter of a general, unsatisfied by her current circumstances and marriage. a fascinating female protagonist, especially for the time; the kind of writing you usually get for male characters, and a role every actress would give everything to play at least once.

salomé by oscar wilde: one act only, but it stays with you. particularly incisive adaptation of the biblical story; wilde's writing as usual is stunning.

an oresteia (agamemnon by aeschylus, elektra by sophokles, orestes by euripides) by anne carson: another read that doesn't need introductions.

the hours by michael cunningham: somehow based on mrs dalloway, it is about one day (and the life) of three women in three different time periods; among them, virginia woolf herself. lovely prose.

the cycle of earthsea by ursula k. le guin: series of 5 books (including one of short stories) masterfully written by ms le guin. the first book is a sort of fantasy buldingsroman about a young wizard named ged who, because of his hubris, makes a peculiar sort of enemy... the next books follow ged as he becomes an adult, a middle-aged, and an old man + a varied cast of characters (most importantly tenar, introduced in book 2). original worldbuilding and story (especially for the time - the first novel was published in the 60s), lovely prose and themes (light/dark as yin/yang, necessary to each other's existence - sw wishes it had what earthsea has) + beautiful love story in the last volumes. bonus: most characters in earthsea are very much not white. again, very avant-garde for the 60s, and something all adaptations deliberately ignored.

grendel by john gardner: based on the beowulf poem - the story told by the antagonist's point of view. just striking, and oh my god the themes. couldn't stop thinking about it for days.

in the night garden by catherynne m. valente: a girl trapped in a garden spins a labyrinth of fairy tales for a boy - the only person willing to listen to her - a la scheherazade. told in the usual beautiful prose made in valente, amazing settings and atmospheres.

the sundering duology by jacqueline carey. (thanks for the rec, @queen-zimraphel ❤️) basically a lotr retelling told by the Bad Guys' povs. the inspiration is clear but also it's meant to be a mirror and say 'what if?'. grey morality everywhere, elegant but simple prose + death and the maiden vibes from the local tormented dark lord/the beautiful elf lady. (tho the main love story is not about them specifically... but still.) a great tragedy, but masterfully told - this is how characters who were dead from the beginning and given a role to play in the narrative by a fate larger than them should be written.

honorary mentions to áqua viva by clarice lispector, waiting for godot by samuel beckett, enrico iv by luigi pirandello, and then there were none by agatha christie, sharp objects and gone girl by gillian flynn, in the margins by elena ferrante, ficciones by jorge luis borges, and obviously demons by fyodor dostoeveskij <3

[bermudianabroad]

We're at the year's halfway point, and I figured I'd share a list of all the books what I read so far this year, since I haven't in a while.

Loved: Trust; The Remains of the Day; Katalin Street; Besieged: Life Under Fire on a Sarajevo Street; The Island of Forgetting; Whale Rider; Libertie; The World's Wife.

(Plagiarizing my own goodreads notes for some of these.)

Trust was like a nesting egg; stories within stories within stories. Each section was like peeling back a layer that revealed a tangled mess of fabrication and truth. A touch predictable in terms of the 'big reveal' but also managed to dodge expectation in terms of how we got there. The Island of Forgetting struck a nerve within me. Maybe it was that push/pull of small island life, being in love with a place that might not love you back, wanting to get out more than anything, wanting to stay, needing to leave in order to grow in some fundamental way. Whatever it was, it spoke to me. Plus 100,000 points for the use of 'vex' lmao. I hadn't realised there were other places aside from Bermuda that still threw it out from time to time. That put a smile on my face. I read Whale Rider right when I needed something a little more irreverent and this hit the spot. Humourous and warm without being saccharine. Oodles of reread potential in The World's Wife. I mean, it features a poem about the amorous desires of Mrs King Kong, so what's not to love?

Special Mention to: Days Without End: absolutely stunning and inventive prose, but difficult to sustain it for a novel's length of story. By Nightfall: similarly gorgeous, witty prose, but occasionally tilts into pretentiousness. The Bass Rock: fun (somehow), but also incredibly depressing and bleak! Like Fleabag but with more gothic horror and murder rate statistics. Silence: one that hooked me, but I didn't fully feel connected to it. Some of the more religious aspects went over my head.

Did not Enjoy: Crawdads; ACOTAR; It Ends With Us; The Cellist of Sarajevo; The Unquiet Dead; Verity; Novelist As A Vocation.

Ragging on Colleen Hoover's works seems like low hanging fruit at this point, so I'll gloss over the details and just say they weren't for me. Two back to back duds as I explored the Balkans in literature: Cellist was flat as cardboard. No sense of place or personness in Galloway's writing. Just dry, dry, dry. I was hoping reading The Unquiet Dead might be a balm (in as much as reading about war crimes can be a balm...) because the premise sounded like a unique take on an old formula. Taking each 'ingredient' of the story individually, it should have been a rich feast for thought, but instead it was a hot, wooden, misogynistic mess. One of the main POVs is a female detective who just seethes whenever she has to interact with another woman and it's very quickly it's apparent that this isn't the character's internalised misogyny but an issue of the writing. The number of times boobs are hatefully acknowledged and described is cartoonish. Went into the Murakami essays hoping for... insight? I know that's not really his style, so more fool me I suppose, but it would have been nice to have *something* more substantive that what we got in Novelist as a Vocation. I get being stymied by the prospect of writing about writing; when your process is somewhere between flinging ideas at the wall to see what sticks and then buckling down and grinding out words, there's not a lot of compelling meat to talk about. But all the same, this collection was... wishywashy.

Let's end on a high! Animorphs. Yes. I have a box of these in my parents cellar and despite the dated 90s references, they are still bananas fun. This one featured tiny egomaniacal aliens who immediately kill their leader upon election, so that their reputation isn't tainted by poor decision making. Very sane and normal.

[idanit]

Yuletide 2022 recs

Here are my picks from what I happened to read in this year’s collection. As always, they're very loosely grouped by theme. The shortest one is a drabble; the longest one is 16K. This seemed to me to be a year of casefics and romance, but there are other delicious things in here as well.

Check out my previous Yuletide rec posts here.

Casefics

Cop Out Lock In | E (F/F) It starts out as a murder investigation in a sci-fi setting and grows into a story about disability, with some great twists.

Truth Will Out Disco Elysium | T (M/M) I haven’t read much fic for the fandom, so the Disco Elysium narrative format felt extremely fun to me; it’s both a casefic and a romance, and both sides of the story are very queer and satisfying.

Absent Men Foyle’s War | G A good detective story set in wartime Britain; I liked the little misdirections within the plot and the attention to period-accurate detail.

Scholarship, contested

Tlön, Mlejnas, Mundus Mutabilis Tlön Uqbar Orbis Tertius | G A logical extension of the implications of the original story paired with some truly intriguing, linguistically experimental poems (my interpretation of at least one of them turned out to be wrong, but what fun!).

Advanced Mathematics Tlön Uqbar Orbis Tertius | G A hilarious exploration of what could be found on reddit if we lived in a world where children learn topology before calculus.

The Lost Works of the Dry-Cræfticen of Wherwell: a New Approach Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell | G A feminist take on the magic that came before the Raven King, written in the style of an academic paper, complete with a very believable skipping rhyme.

Ghosts, witches, vampires

Creatures Sleep No More | M (F/F) I loved the excellent rhythm of the prose and the vivid imagery in this story about witchcraft, attraction, violence, and two girls who grow up.

Küsse, Bisse Carmilla | M (F/F) A nicely-written and researched take on Laura as a vampire and her reunion with Carmilla in Vienna.

welcome to the menagerie Polar Explorer RPF | G A funny and mysterious little story about animal ghosts and a human ghost who might have some news for the man he encounters.

Whimsy!

Over The Moon For a Change | G A charming piece of interactive fiction which uses odd, poetic language divorced from the reality we’re used to, and comes with its own soundtrack.

Todays and Tomorrows What Is It? | G Two child-like beings on their daily adventure; bittersweet and largely plotless, but with an intriguing take on identity, interesting bits of worldbuilding, and evocative descriptions.

Characters coping with trauma

The Dust They Leave Behind Under the Banner of Heaven | E (M/M) A story about a man who leaves behind his religion and community, the man who is there for him as he pushes himself towards trying new things with beautiful determination, and what they might build together — very moving, both heartbreaking and hopeful, with the kind of resigned prose that fits the POV character, and well-written sex scenes.

The Lethean Halls Piranesi | T (F/F) I really liked the idea of the House as an intimate place where desires are fulfilled, but which nonetheless fosters the main character’s descent into oblivion and madness.

Pretending Cabaret | G An excellent drabble about the Emcee, full of characterisation and a sort of tragic, dry wit.

Relocation Costs Homecoming is Just Another Word for the Sublimation of the Self | G An interesting exploration of how fuzzy the concept of boundaries can be; I liked the focus on a child’s perspective and the little pieces of worldbuilding weaved into the story of moving to a new house.

a light exists in spring Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes | T An emotionally true story about the acute phase of grief and comforting someone who’s going through it, written in a clear, steady, and occasionally poetic style.

Favour in Their Eyes Tanakh | G (gen, multi) A brother and a sister suffering in the absence of the man they love, for both personal and political reasons; well-written, more bitter than sweet, with enough historical detail for the space and the characters to feel real.

if every house is haunted Beyond Evil | G (M/M) A story of two people getting a better view of the shape of each other’s grief as they get closer and sort through their memories and belongings; both funny and poignant.

(Other) romantic shenanigans

A Gentleman’s Gentleman Jeeves | G (M/M) Lively, funny writing with a delightful Bertie voice.

Jeeves and the Gentleman Detective Jeeves | T (M/M) A lovely pastiche which weaves the subtle thread of attraction budding between Jeeves and Bertie into the story of a certain New Year’s Eve.

To Meet Again As Equals Jill | T (F/F) A charming tale about a gentlewoman turned servant turned gentlewoman and how she and her former employer became lovers, styled as an addendum to the book.

go as a dream Polar Explorer RPF | G A brief, but surprisingly in-depth sketch of a relationship between two polar explorers; I liked the attention paid to the physicality of doing menial work and wrestling in the snow, and I thought the writing style had a good rhythm to it and flowed very well.

Divertimento Amadeus | M (M/M) Lovely, tense, focused writing; Salieri is so wonderfully complicated here — full of disdain and admiration, drawn in and repulsed, and Mozart just cuts through the knots he ties himself into, at least for a brief moment.

[merryfortune]

Getting Seasons Signed

Fandom: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Ship: Oilseedshipping | Brassius/Lenore

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,609

Tags: Meet Cute, Reunions, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Mutual Attraction

   There was something almost nostalgic about the poetry that Brassius had been reading as of late. 

   It was of course, more tragic than nostalgic but something about these scenes that he was reading into, they reminded him of personal memories not unsurfaced for years from his boyhood. Themes and motifs that even he used as they were so close to the home in his heart. It was peculiar, it was almost as if- no, that would be preposterous. The writer was simply good at their craft, evoking such deep and irritation things in him. That had to be it.

   Anyways, good old Hass had recommended Brassius something to read recently and now Brassius could not get enough of it.

   Hassel had wanted to share one of the latest arrivals at Uva Academy as this one had particularly captured him and thought it would be appreciated by Brassius as well. So he sent a copy to Brassius through the mail. He looked forward to receiving it and when it arrived at Brassius’ gym, he took a small delight in unwrapping the parcel from its brown paper. There was a card from Hassel as well, asking him to ring when Brassius finished reading it so they could discuss its themes, motifs, and eligibility for.

   When the Seasons Change by E. Littlefoot. Brassius wondered if the titular ‘E’ was male or female, he couldn’t tell by its title nor its the cover as it was an excellent case study in why covers should not be the metric by which books were judged as this one was an unassuming green with gold additions in the titling and lining but goodness, the inside, the inside was anything but unassuming.

   Brassius’ very soul was stirred by the poetry inked onto the pages. The fresh smell of paper enticed him as he devoured poem after poem. Rereading certain passages over and over again, just revelling in the lexical choices which enriched the meaning of the selected words inside their calculated metre.

   Each section of the book took him through a different season: all their trials and tribulations, grief and joy included. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. All their melancholy be it in heat or in cold. None of the seasons evaded the poet’s musings on each bane of them to go with each boon but that final poem, to represent winter and the author’s grandmother’s passing. It was real, it was raw, it overwhelmed Brassius’ linguistic aesthetics and he did something he never did.

   He cried.

   If just one tear could be considered crying, at least. Yes, the stalwart and stony Brassius shed a tear and unlike his best friend, his eyes were typically very dry. It was just one, single tear but a tear nonetheless. Hassel was overjoyed when he learned that Brassius had been so overcome by the prose that even his eyes had watered in their little capacity over the phone.

   “Oh, I simply cannot believe you, Brassie, but I’m glad you found this book enjoyable, that is fantastic to hear.” Hassel very loudly stated over the phone.

   “I appreciate the recommendation. I imagine it will become very well worn in time.” Brassius replied, recoiling after having his ear shouted in. Seriously, neither he nor Hassel were that old and yet here was Hassel, acting like an old, technologically inept man nonetheless.

   “Well, if you intend to cherish it so much, why not get it signed?” Hassel asked.

   “I don't even know the first name of this author,” Brassius tiredly replied, “so however would I manage that?”

   “Well, very simply of course. Come down to the Zara Bookshop in Mesagoza, I only learned this recently through Mr. Salvatore but it seems that Miss Littlefoot is here in Paldea as part of a work vacation, on tour doing book signings and author talks. Apparently she’s quite the rising star in her native Unova, endorsed by famed author Shauntel, nonetheless.” Hassel yammered.

   Brassius paused. So E. Littlefoot was a ‘miss’, apparently. He didn’t know why but his heart skipped a beat. He attempted to repress it lest it be some odd and budding infatuation, even if it was purely artistic but just in case it was other… Still, his lips gave a quirk. That little factoid was somehow the most important thing he had gleaned from how Hassel talked and talked and talked.

   “At what time?” Brassius asked after a heavy sigh.

   “Ten-ish on Saturday morning, this coming Saturday, I believe, Mr. Salvatore said these book signings were happening.” Hassel said.

   “I see. Thank you.” Brassius said and he hung up promptly afterwards. “Catch up again later, Hass.”

   As he cut the connection, he could hear Hassel protest right up to that final static noise to signal that it had ended. He clearly had more to talk about but goodness knows what that would be about, anything under the sun was possible and with the sun setting, Brassius was ready for dinner. 

   And no doubt his Pokemon would be as well. He was sure they would all be very hungry. They had had a very energetic challenger not too long ago, one of Hassel’s students, even, and deserved a big dinner after such a resounding, powerful loss.

   Still, as Brassius fried up some brussel sprouts and the like for himself and his team, he mused on the “ten-ish on Saturday morning” offer that Hassel had given him. “Ish” was a bit unreliable sounding and Brassius was sure there was more important things he could be doing on a Saturday morning than going to a book signing in Mesagoza. Not that the idea didn’t appeal to him but he so rarely took time off. Being a Gym Leader was demanding and like most artists, his schedule to create was haphazard at best, despite better efforts.

   Yet in that haphazard schedule, Brassius put down something very sharp: nine-thirty, he would catch a flying taxi to Mesagoza and navigate the city himself so he could be the Zara Bookshop well before “ish” would likely come into play. 

   That sounded all well and good but as it would happen, his artistic haphazard schedule vied very hard to create disruption after disruption for Brassius. Inspiration kept him to his materials for far longer than his body would have liked and as would his insomnia and naturally the Squawkabilly who were picking up with the cabby shat on his head as they approached to pick him up. Flying Types truly did spell trouble for him, even beyond his Grass Type specialisation. 

   But somehow, getting cleaned up and carried off in the flying taxi, despite everything which would scathe his goal of getting to the Zara Bookshop on time, it was a lovely, brick and mortar building that charmed Brassius immediately. He could not believe that he had not visited this hidden gem before. As soon as he opened the doors to it, the bell rang above him with an endearing ring-a-ling-a-ring and the smell of paper, both new and old, was intoxicating.

   Brassius trawled a shelf or two by the door before a helpful shop-person dropped by with a smile, “Are you here for the author signing?” they asked.

   “I am.” Brassius nodded.

   “Excellent, just to the back of the store, we have a table set up, and help yourself to light refreshments. We have tea, coffee, biscuits. And if you need a hand, just yell out.” the shop-person said.

   “I appreciate it.” Brassius replied.

   He and the shop-person continued on in separate ways. The author - Miss E. Littlefoot - must have a handle on things in the back, he assumed, so the shop-person could do their job in the front. In the meantime, Brassius did take some sweet time to enjoy the various titles along the book spines on display, sitting neatly, if crammed, on the dark, wooden bookshelves.

   Plenty of popular titles but far more niche ones which piqued Brassius’ interest. Most of which was a book on the connection between mythology and sculpture, it sounded interesting, so he decided to take it with him as he continued further and further into the bookshop. Though it was narrow, it was filled to the brim and longer than expected in depth.

   It would have been easy to get figuratively lost amongst all the books but Brassius managed. He made it to a reading den where two tables were set up: one for refreshments, and one for the author who sat primly behind her own table and she took Brassius’ breath away.

   How could he have forgotten her name like that? He could never have forgotten her face. 

   She, the author, was about having the same reaction to Brassius as he looked up from her last signing, sending away some student of the Academy, and then freezing at Brassius’ visage. She remembered him as well. That almost brought a tear to Brassius’ eye as he all but forgot why he was here. Despite holding two books firmly in his hand.

   “Brassie.” she said, smiling cheerfully with her eyes crinkling in the corner. “It's been so long.”

   “Norie, I mean, Lenore.. I mean…” Brassius stammered.

   He considered himself a man of few words. He could give speeches and lectures in the forms of stone and marble but actual words themselves, excessive verbiage was not his mode of conversation but never did he make a fool of himself like this.

   “It's good to see you again.” Brassius recovered.

   “Have you come to get my book signed?” Lenore demurely asked. “I-I don’t want to be so vain to assume that everyone here is… for me…”

   “I assure you, I am here for you, Lenore.” Brassius said.

   He, more awkwardly than he would have liked, walked over to Lenore’s table and he put down both books. He pushed When the Seasons Change closer to Lenore but her eyes lit up as she saw the other book.

   “Oh,” she said, pointing at it, “I read that last year and loved it. I used it as part of my bibliography for an essay I was putting together.”

   “Glad to hear it has your seal of approval.” Brassius said. “And congratulations on being published, that is quite the accomplishment.”

   “Thank you Brassie - or would you prefer Brassius?” Lenore asked.

   “Either is fine. Would you prefer if I used Lenore or,” Brassius hesitated, “Norie.”

   “Whatever works for you.” Lenore said as she opened Brassius’ copy of her book.

   She gently patted down the dedications page, to her friends and family, Brassius now included, he realised, or maybe hoped, and then wrote as finely as she could. “To my dearest Brassie” and Brassius realised that, perhaps, he should have specified Brassius would have been preferred as a signing but given that Lenore was a childhood friend of his… It could be forgiven if it was not so discreet.

   She was a precious childhood friend. He, Hassel, and Lenore had been akin to the three musketeers during their time together at Uva Academy. Inseparable, taking every class together, enjoying each other’s passions be it in Pokemon or in artistic pursuits. Art for Brassius, music for Hassel, and writing for Lenore.

   That would have been over twenty years ago now and it was a shame that some of their plans had never come to fruition. Not in the way they had talked about at the Academy, anyway, because Hassel’s parents had other plans for him and Lenore had to move back to her family’s native Unova when her grandmother’s health had turned for the worst.

   (Brassius now realising exactly what the life experience E. Littlefoot had been writing in her poem Paper-thin Frost, the finale of both the Winter section and the book in its entirety. His heart twinged.)

   Even now, so many years later though, Lenore remained a precious childhood friend - and one that he had a crush on. He had written so many schoolboy letters to her, most of which never made it to the post, losing contact as adventuring children do. He still had many of them, especially the more painstaking ones expressing attraction in nothing less than prose but those feelings, looking at her face, half-feeling like those twenty years, or little more, they were still very much alive in him.

   Brassius licked his lips, “So… Lenore… Is E. Littlefoot a pseudonym?” he asked, uncertain. He wondered if Hassel knew, thereby knowingly setting him up for a reunion meet-cute with his former childhood crush or was all the same as him, simply forgetting that their beloved friend Norie had a full, given name. He hoped for the latter as the idea of the former was mortifying.

   “In a sense that everyone calls me Lenore over Eleanore despite it being my given name.” Lenore replied and then giggled, “And then of course there is you, and Hass, who call me Norie exclusively. No one but you two call me that but that’s what makes it special.”

   “Yes, I see, that is true.” Brassius murmured.

   “It's really good to see you again, Brassie, I’ve missed you.” Lenore bade him, her head tilting to the side slightly.

   “You’ve said that already.” Brassius pointed out.

   “Not the part about me missing you, though.” Lenore said. “Have you missed me?”

   More than you can imagine, almost passed Brassius’ stony lips as a reply but he tempered himself. He cleared his throat.

   “Yes, I have missed you.” 

   “You know, I still have some of the letters you sent. I-I’m really sorry we lost touch, I didn’t mean for that.” Lenore apologised.

   “It was mutually disjointed, I’m sure. The Treasure Hunt made things difficult and with the passage of time, it's rough for anyone to keep in touch as time marches on.” Brassius replied.

   “Ah, yes, the Treasure Hunt, did you find your treasure?” Lenore asked.

   “In due time, I did.” Brassius replied.

   “That’s good.” Lenore replied. “Hopefully, whilst I’m here in Paldea for the year, I can find my treasure. You're never too old for the Treasure Hunt, right? Though, I had my journey in Unova, eventually but I dunno if I can say I found my treasure there…”

   “You're here for a year?” Brassius piped up once Lenore’s musings had trailed off.

   “I am.” she chirped. “So I hope to see you around. Perhaps you can give me a tour through Artazon, especially its outdoor gallery scene. I hear there’s a very famous sculptor there named Brassius.”

   Lenore laughed at her little joke and Brassius cracked a rare, if small, smile.

   “I would like that.” Brassius replied. “Would ten-ish tomorrow work for you?” He felt his heart pound in his chest. 

   “It would.” Lenore replied. “I’ll catch a flying taxi as soon as I can tomorrow.”

   “I shall look forward to it.” Brassius replied. “Until then, I have some books to read in my own time.”

   He gathered up both his copy of Lenore’s When the Seasons Change and his soon-to-be-his copy of Marvels, Mythology, and Marble. His hand brushed over Lenore’s as she clumsily tried to assist. They looked up, briefly, and Lenore blushed, and she recanted her hand lest she get in the way further as Brassius picked up his books.

   “I will see you tomorrow.” he said stiffly.

   “Looking forward to it.” Lenore replied.

   Brassius nodded, trying to excuse himself but he glanced over his shoulder and was embarrassed to realise that he was holding up a line by chatting so much with Lenore. But at the same time. It made him all the more eager to, perhaps, get deep and meaningful with her, one on one tomorrow at their… date. If he could be so bold as to call it that.

[mylifeinfiction]

Skeleton Crew by Stephen King

It's eternity in there.

It's really tough for me to rate and write reviews of short story collections. This one's no different. There's a lot to love, here. There are also some complete duds. I'm not going to rate each one and average it out. That's not fair to the ones that I loved, because the ones that I loved... I LOVED! So I'm just going to post the notes that I made for each story (slightly edited for clarity) as I was reading the collection.

There may be some slight SPOILERS throughout this review, so please proceed with caution.

-The Mist: A novella. Incredible. Creepy and full of dread. The prose and mystery of it all is brilliant. I loved what it had to say about heard mentality and fear of the unknown. The film is a perfect adaptation. It even 'fixes' the ending, which is the only part of this story that isn’t a hard ten. (The film's ending is perfect. And fits the rest of the story so much better than this one. However, this one still works for what it is.)

-Here There Be Tygers: Meh... It's decent at depicting the illogical nature of childhood fears and imagination, but little else.

-The Monkey: Okay, I guess?? Way too long for what it has to offer, but there are a few moments that work very well.

-Cain Rose Up: Okay (and only just okay) because of how brief it is. And I like that it doesn’t give reasons or any backstory.  It definitely feels like he wrote it around the same time he wrote Rage.

-Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut: Loved loved loved this one. The story within a story structure (which comes back very often throughout this collection... that's some tried and true King shit, right there) works beautifully, the beauty of it is poignant, the magical/paranormal aspect is so exciting. Amazing.

-The Jaunt: Another awesome one. The ideas and execution are great. The ending is fantastic. This might be the best of the whole damn bunch. I would very much like to adapt this for the screen.

-The Wedding Gig: Not terrible, but I would’ve rather it been a whole story about the fat bride rising to power and the fall thereafter. She ended up being the most interesting part of it all.

-Paranoid: A Chant: A poem. The title says it all. A man sinking further and further into his paranoia. The structure works well enough.

-The Raft: Not very good. At all. It has a cool concept that could’ve packed some serious suspense, but all the characters (aside from the first killed, Rachel) were terribly unlikable, so I really just wanted them to die... Get it all over with.

-Word Processor of the Gods: Short and sweet. A fantastic concept with superb execution. And a hopeful ending?!? Hell yeah! I loved it.

-The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands: Fun/interesting to be back in the world of The Breathing Method. I like that room and the potential mysteries/mythology it holds. The story itself is interesting if slightly long-winded. But I thoroughly enjoyed the curse angle.

-Beachworld: Not a planet I'd like to visit. Similar hypnosis slant as The Raft. Dug this one significantly more. Interesting ideas and execution, but far from the best.

-The Reaper’s Image: I do really like the idea and mythology behind cursed items and shit like that. So this one worked for me despite being one of the lighter stories in this collection. Would work well as an episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities.

-Nona: Just plain bad. So very bad. A Bonnie and Clyde/Natural Born Killers vibe with a pathetic, annoying main character. Didn't work at all.

-For Owen: A poem. A nice token for his son to look back on, but absolutely nothing more. Pure filler.

-Survivor Type: This one didn't do much for me, but it does have its moments. The exceedingly rambling prose throughout actually kinda works. And there's some wonderfully stomach-churning moments in here. I just wish the character wasn’t so damn blah.

-Uncle Otto’s Truck: I liked the whole truck holding a grudge idea, but its execution was the definition of meh.

-Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1): Hard to review it on its own, as solo it works as nothing more than a character building exercise.

-Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman #2): The better of the two milkman stories because it has the payoff. The garage scene is a little sluggish, but it all works rather well in the end because of what it all leads into.

-Gramma: Ooohh this was a good 'un. A creepy glimpse into the irrational childhood fear of the elderly. And it’s witchy, too! The ending creeped me out big time. Damn good stuff.

-The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet: Very good, but a good deal longer than it needed to be. I’m convinced King understands and translates the toll writing has on an author better than any other writer out there… maybe ever. It’s a weird and interesting tale. And of course, another story within a story situation. No one does those quite as skillfully as King.

-The Reach: Didn’t like this one - at all - until its very end and King’s notes on it. Should’ve been shorter and in a different voice. I did really like that ending, though.

This was my first short story collection of King's, so far. I'd done a couple of his novella collections, but no short stories. The ones I loved most, here - The Jaunt, Mrs. Todd's Shortcut, Word Processor of the Gods, and (of course) The Mist - just may be among some of the most exciting pieces in terms of ideas that I've read from King, yet. So I'm definitely looking forward to getting to his other short story collections, soon.

"Madness is a flexible bullet."

8/10

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[1001framesofmind]

The Doll's Eyes

Like many others, my first encounter with American novels was Salinger's well-known masterpiece, Catcher in the Rye. It was a real page-turner, written in a breathtakingly simple style—a story brimful of bittersweet moments and astute observations. Franny and Zooey, on the other hand, was nowhere near on par with Holden Caulfield's narrative. Franny, who is Zooey's little sister, appears first in the book. We can find out about her conversations with her boyfriend Lane over some spiritual and existential topics, which are fairly satisfactory and at some points inspirational. For me, the second part of the book, titled Zooey, was more of a burden. The discursive and somehow prosaic style has majorly rendered it as a plodding prose. Nonetheless, if you don't give up this arduous trek, there are some literary gems interspersed in the book (like this haiku-style poem taken from the second part 'Zooey'). From sparkling Holden to insipid Zooey was a long way which might be traced to the author's crumbling spirit during that period. The movie Rebel in the Rye (2017) can lend some insight into Mr Salinger's explorations at that time.

[pink-lemonadefairy]

Hi i forgot to put the 🐙 emoji in my last anon LOL but it’s 🐙!!! (Not sure if u do emoji anons on this acct :p) my favourite classics are honestly ANYTHING by kafka. I am a kafka girl. I love kafka. And then jane austen!! Pride and prejudice 💋💋mr. darcy is the only man ever actually i love when they’re QUIET (emphasis)

I’m pretty open to honestly most classic literature, i’ve been wanting to get some recommendations that aren’t the same authors. Sylvia plath unfortunately doesn’t really do it for me because I’m probably not her target audience but some of her poems/proses are good! I’m currently reading dracula/frankenstein (at the same time lol) and have been loving it so far. The only con about frankenstein is that i bought a tinier version so the words are huddled together and although my ass CAN read it i’d rather the words to be spaced out :-( not sure if it’s a me thing… i’ll just finish the book and see if i would get another version of frankenstein hehe

i also have a little life on hand rn, that is the book I’m especially putting on hold because from what i’ve seen people were Not okay when reading it. Idk about me tho personally i’m not an outwardly emotional person but i’m not heartless so i’ll read it when i can…

I have SOOO many books on my TBR list but i’ve been putting them on hold because i still have a number of books at home that i need to finish…! I wish i could show u a photo because it’s on my notes app lol. This might be a very unpopular opinion but i enjoyed reading murakami’s killing commendatore even though his descriptions of women r nasty. I read his books in a more factual (?) way? If that makes sense. If you have any book/author recommendations do tell me!! Especially female authors 🐙🤍

hi my love 💛 i’m so sorry for the late response :(

omg kafka!! 🥺 i haven’t read any of his works in full yet but i’ve read snippets on pinterest and they’re so so beautiful :( i love the way he writes. do you have any favourite works of his? :O oooh yes pride & prejudice!! the most classic of the classics i feel like lol. YES EXACTLY LOL, men when they’re quiet and don’t talk > 😌

i haven’t read any sylvia plath and tbh i’m not sure if i’d ever pick any of her works up because i’ve lots of bad things about them :( i’m glad you’re enjoying those books though!! :D frankenstein is really great!! >< i think they’re making a live action of it (?) which i’m super excited for !! and ik this isn’t dracula lol but i’m soooooo losing my mind over the new nosferatu movie coming out rahhhh!! it looks amazing :P I TOTALLY GET YOU!! the frankenstein i read in hs was similar and it was seriously a pain to get thru 😭 like why are the letters and words so close together ����

oh god yeah a little life … ive heard it’s so heartbreaking :( i dont think i’ll be reading it anytime soon lol life is sad enough!! 😞 but people say it’s v well written ! good luck if you ever do get around to reading it 😭💗

ME TOO HELP ☹️ i love buying books but then my tbr just grows and grows and then i don’t even wanna read anymore rip. i definitely know what you mean dw! >< i think something a lot of people tend to forget is that we can (and are supposed to) be critical of authors works, esp those from back in the day! i think the problem is when it’s marketed as something it’s not & people say a work is flawless and perfect when it’s like…not, and even hurts groups of people, etc etc. idk if that makes sense lol but yeah! 😭

hmmm off the top of my head, since you like classics i’m thinking of virginia woolf, toni morrison, and maya angelou! for woolf, i read mrs dalloway (which i LOVED) and a room of ones own for a school assignment. i def recommend those! and for morrison, i read song of solomon which i also really, really loved. beloved by her is also on my list! for maya angelou id definitely recommend and still i rise and letter to my daughter <3 her poems are beautiful too!

i mostly read fiction / fantasy at the moment 😭 if you’re interested in those genres i can give you recs as well ><

[french-unknown]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑: sanji 𝐂/𝐖: fluff, domestic 𝐖/𝐂: 2.1k +

| m a s t e r l i s t |

𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐀𝐋𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐛𝐲 @𝐭𝐡𝐞-𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞

𝐀 = 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 

How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?

Between the fact that he screams your name day and night or the acts of service he provides you, Sanji is affection incarnate!

He will always be there to shower you with compliments and to prove to you through a thousand poems and prose how much he loves you. He blesses the ground you walk on so he will do everything to make you the best you can be. He will always take care of you and that includes food. Being a cook who is passionate about food, it is obvious to him that every grain of rice he cooks for you will show you his unconditional love.

𝐁 = 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃

What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?

✧ Very flirty ✧ A little heavy on the jokes sometimes often ✧ Will always do his best to comfort you and make you feel confident

You met on the Baratie while he was still a cook there. You were already part of the Straw Hat crew alongside Luffy, Zoro, Nami and Usopp and you stopped at the marine restaurant like in the manga. His "slave for women" side, however, made you very skeptical at first and even put you off a little because you didn't think he was sincere. And yet, once you sailed together a bit and realized that he was truly willing to sacrifice the world for women, you grew closer.

SOURCE | onepiece.fandom.com - Baratie

𝐂 = 𝐂𝐔𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒

Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?

Y

E

P

!

Having been deprived of affection for a very long time, Sanji craves physical contact and, therefore, cuddles.

However, he doesn't want to make you uncomfortable so he will go as far as you allow. If you're not comfortable with the touch, he'll hold back other than light touches every now and then when you're in private. But, if you are absolutely not bothered by cuddles, expect to see him transform into a human koala always nearby to hold your hand, hug you or kiss you.

All you have to do is punish him by refusing any physical contact and it will be the end of the world for him!

𝐃 = 𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂

Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?

Totally!

Sanji doesn't go through the "we're just having fun" phase when he's interested in you because he skips all the steps to get straight to "this will be the only love of my life and we die together before being buried, entwined for eternity". He's a bit dramatic.

When it comes to household chores, he makes a point of being the one who prepares meals because that's how he shows his love and care for you. In addition, he is very particular about maintaining his spaces, bordering on manic, so cleaning will have a huge place in his heart. Everything has its place, and each place has its thing!

𝐄 = 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆

If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?

He won't break up.

He has such a fear of being abandoned or not being loved that he will be incapable of ending your relationship on his own. He will not be able, physically, emotionally and mentally, to decide to separate himself from a source of love. He will therefore do his best to maintain your relationship even if it is not fulfilling and he no longer loves you. If you don't leave him, he will remain a prisoner with you until he dies.

𝐅 = 𝐅𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄(𝐄)

How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?

He is in love with the concept.

Despite everything he suffered in his childhood, he dreams of forming his own couple and his own family in which he will be able to assume the role of protector in the same way that he would have liked to be protected when he was younger. He has so much love to give that he will imagine marriage very quickly in your relationship.

𝐆 = 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄

How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?

Mr. Prince does not hurt his partner. Period.

𝐇 = 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐒

Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?

He loves the hugs of unconditional love. He loves feeling you in his arms and knowing that you are with him and that you chose him, it's the most exhilarating feeling he knows. If you're okay with cuddling, he'll keep you with him until you have enough.

𝐈 = 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔

How fast do they say the L-word?

Very quickly.

He is used to love confessions of all kinds so he will tell you that he loves you in every possible and unimaginable way. Whether it's dramatic or not.

𝐉 = 𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐘

How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?

Unfortunately, he gets jealous extremely quickly.

He's too afraid that you'll leave him or that you'll stop loving him in favor of someone else, so it's going so far as to make him sick. The crew aside, he's incapable of staying on his own when he knows you're with other people and, at the slightest change in your relationship, he'll be immediately worried that you're cheating on him or that you found better elsewhere. He already opened some of your letters before you and lied it was Luffy who thought it was for him.

𝐊 = 𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒

What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?

He has a whole range of kisses at his disposal that go from simple kisses on any part of your body to long languorous kisses that you share in the kitchen when the whole crew is busy elsewhere.

However, he really enjoys kissing the back of your hand and your fingers. He loudly proclaims that it's because he is a gentleman as well as your servant knight—and that kissing the hand is therefore required—but you suspect him of having something for your hands in the same way as his.

𝐋 = 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒

How are they around children?

He is very caring towards them in general.

If you have children, on the other hand, he will melt like snow in the sun and be totally crazy about them. To the point where it will scare them to tears during the first few weeks. I also see him being the kind of father to shame them in public when they are teenagers with as ridiculous nicknames as possible.

𝐌 = 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆

How are mornings spent with them?

Unfortunately, he gets up every day at five in the morning to start preparing breakfast for the crew, so waking up together is almost impossible.

𝐍 = 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

How are nights spent with them?

You know when it's coming because it's like adding a weighted blanket on top of your usual one.

He is extremely cuddly during the night and, even if he tries to stay away from you, he will automatically come and snuggle up to you as soon as he falls asleep. He doesn't care about the position or if he's the big or little spoon. As long as it's you, he's happy.

𝐎 = 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍

When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?

He will easily fill you with the story of his childhood from the moment he met Zeff but, understandably, it is mentally impossible for him to tell you about his life among the Vinsmoke.

Even after you find out about his father and birth family, he will steadfastly refuse to talk about it.

𝐏 = 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

How easily angered are they?

He will be as patient as an angel towards you.

This is no more his natural behavior than his morbid need to escape from any argument with you. He will never disagree since, for him, an argument can be a reason for a breakup so it is out of the question whether he provokes or maintains one. Even if something annoys him, he will bury it.

𝐐 = 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐙𝐙𝐄𝐒

How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?

EVERYTHING!

Nothing gets through, he will remember everything he can about you in a completely disinterested way. He wants to know everything about you.

𝐑 = 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑

What is their favorite moment in your relationship?

The Sunny sailed calmly on the waves while you stood on the support next to the bar that separated the kitchen from the dining room.

Sanji, in front of you, was spring cleaning his kitchen and painstakingly sharpening his knives while you talked to him about everything you had been thinking about lately. From the most futile thought to the unfolding of countless thoughts without any particular connection. Yet he listened to you attentively and lovingly. He didn't want to miss any of your words. When he had finished doing everything he could do in the kitchen like cleaning the host, cleaning the cupboards or even polishing the few pieces of silverware you had, he went to the dining room and got one of the chairs.

He then dragged it to the fridge before quietly guiding you to your new seat. He kissed you on the hand that he had used to guide you, and then he opened the fridge door with a piece of paper and a pencil in his hands. He was still conscientious about listening to every single one of your words.

He began to write down all the ingredients he had available and in what quantities. You suddenly stopped talking, preferring to watch him seriously write down his notes but he lifted his head to turn it towards you. A pout split his lips while his eyes softened.

"You don't talk anymore?" he asked, sad.

"You seems busy." You answered him with a smile.

Immediately, he threw his notebook and pen on one of the shelves in order to run towards you and take you in his arms without the slightest delicacy. He placed a hundred kisses on the top of your head before replacing them with his cheek.

“But I wanted to hear more from you.” he whined.

𝐒 = 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘

How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?

Very protective. As mentioned above, he sees himself as your knight in shining armor so it will be his role to protect you and keep you safe. In his eyes, at least.

So, if he finds himself in a position where you are the one protecting him, he will see it as a failure on his part and will blame himself for not having been up to the task.

𝐓 = 𝐓𝐑𝐘

How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?

He puts colossal effort into it! It's very pleasant to see him turn earth and sky with the sole aim of satisfying you.

However, it sometimes gets to the point where he sometimes does a little too much. It can be silly, like cooking a meal for 30 people when you're both alone with no one around for kilometers or brazenly flaunting yourself in front of people to the point where everyone around you looks at you strangely. He won't do it on purpose but he will let himself be too carried away by his need to impress you.

𝐔 = 𝐔𝐆𝐋𝐘

What would be some bad habits of theirs?

He is and will always remain obsessed with women and, although he loves you from the bottom of his heart, he will always be ecstatic over every woman who passes in front of his eyes.

Moreover, if you are jealous of his "love crises", he will tend to take your jealousy badly because he does not consider those women as something serious. He will therefore be very annoyed internally if you condemn him or reprimand him simply out of jealousy. It is a shame when you think about how jealous he himself is.

𝐕 = 𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘

How concerned are they with their looks?

He is very particular about his look.

He makes it a point of honor to always be dressed appropriately with well-washed and ironed suits, ties and matching cufflinks. He also takes great care of his personal hygiene, his smell, the way his hair is styled and the condition of his skin.

He is so proud of his appearance and the way he dresses that he will go completely crazy if you decide to wear some of his clothes (especially his shirts and his blazers) whether to sleep or for all- days outfits.

𝐖 = 𝐖𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄

Would they feel incomplete without you?

Sadly, yes.

He needs your presence—and above all, your love—in order to fully flourish and be happy. The fact that you are not by his side can quickly turn into a tragedy.

𝐗 = 𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀

A random headcanon for them

The moments, not the most appropriate, when Sanji wants cuddles:

✧ In the middle of fighting. As long as you find yourself on the ground, you will see out of the corner of your eye that the blond quickly approaches you, despite the enemies, to rush to hug you to make sure that you are not injured.

✧ In front of Zoro. He knows that the swordsman isn't a big fan of public displays of affection, whether for himself or others, so Sanji sometimes makes a point of cuddling you in front of Zoro. And that's just to annoy him.

✧ In front of acquaintances or strangers you are talking to. He is very jealous so, if he finds that you stay too long with someone he doesn't know, he will stick to you with a tone that is much too honeyed.

𝐘 = 𝐘𝐔𝐂𝐊

What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?

He wouldn't want to be with someone who is a picky eater. He doesn't care if there are some foods you don't like, it happens to everyone, but he won't agree to date someone who doesn't like anything and doesn't like trying new textures or flavors.

People who waste their meals or throw them away without eating everything are also unbearable to him.

𝐙 = 𝐙𝐙𝐙

What is a sleep habits of theirs?

He tends to regularly have nightmares about his childhood and, although you don't understand what he experienced, it seems to be extremely painful physically as well as emotionally.

You wake him up when you witness it, but sometimes you wake up in a cold bed with Sanji going outside to smoke a cigarette in the middle of the night to relax.

Well done, you found my 2nd Easter Egg! 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐚 ★ 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭★

𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @iheartamora @bontensh0e @opchara @idsmash717 @lys-ada @xomingyu @dozcan123 @anotherproblemsos @phsycochan

[pompompurin1028]

i think this question has been asked before and a veryy basic one lol but as a literature major you are, what are your favorite books? i am curious to know

This is a hard question because firstly, I hadn’t really read for pleasure in quite a bit so orz (I literally just didn't read except for my summer classes for the summer :')). So there are many books I want to read but hadn't read yet orz (there is also a reason why there is so little prose fiction🥲)

Also I have some books that I enjoy analyzing but like not reading as much or it's a mixture of both. I'll try to expand on them if I can, and split them into categories since some of the books I also really enjoy slip into philosophy/theory.

Here are works I enjoyed!

Works of Prose Fiction:

The Picture of Dorian Gray and "The Portrait of Mr W.H" by Oscar Wilde - I love Wilde, I've read him for both leisure and courses, he's great 10/10 would recommend

The Setting Sun, Otogizoshi, "Blue Bamboo" by Dazai Osamu

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

"The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka

Poetry (this long list is actually kinda funny because I enjoy poetry more when I am lectured on it than reading on my own):

"The Rape of the Lock" by Alexander Pope - there isn't actually rape in it I want to preface that😭 honestly I didn't expect myself to like it as much as I did when I had to read it for class but I did. Despite the title, it's funny and it's satire. It's a long poem that takes conventions from the epic poem like Paradise Lost. It can also be read critically if you analyze it more from a feminist reading. Written in heroic couplets to be exact, flows great on the tongue, I recommend an audiobook

"Paradise Lost" by John Milton - I think it's a fascinating work to analyze, I didn't enjoy reading it as much when I did do it, I felt like an audio book would have helped but it is the first English epic poem, deals with ideas of the philosophical problem of evil and I think the most interesting part is that there are camps of different readings to Paradise Lost namely: Satanist and anti-satanist lol. I feel like Milton is more anti-santanist imo and reading but it's just fun XD. Also I really liked this paper on Eve and it shaped my reading of the work too: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26303763?typeAccessWorkflow=login

"A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning" by John Donne - one of my favourite love poems orz. John Donne is difficult to read, he wants to show his intelligence through his works and is part of the metaphysical poets but this poem struck to me and I'm just mmm. I also want to read more Donne but I hadn’t yet.

"Two Loves" by Lord Alfred Douglas - if you're a fan of Wilde you need to know Lord Alfred Douglas, another poem that really stuck with me

Sonnets 15, 130 by William Shakespeare

"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" - when doing Medieval Romances, this poem really stuck to me, it has so many interesting elements and it felt different in comparison to the other ones I have read, and was fun to analyze! Apparently they released a movie on it 2 years ago called The Green Knight, I can't tell if it is good or not because I hadn’t watched it

"Sonnets from the Portuguese" by Elizabeth Browning - love poems she wrote to her husband :(

"Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey", "Resolution and Independence" by William Wordsworth

"The Prelude" also by William Wordsworth - I found it a difficult read, it took me a few reads to understand what's going on and I was reading excerpts but I find it fascinating to analyze, especially in terms of the problem of identity and how he tries to reconcile with the events of the French Revolution through nature (honestly I feel like Tintwrn Abbey does it too but this is more interesting to analyze for me)

"Elegy written in a country churchyard" by Thomas Gray - interesting to analyze in that it's in a transitional period between the Romantic and the Neoclassical (Enlightenment period) and it combines elements typically associated with both

"Poppies in July" by Sylvia Plath - a depressing poem but... I liked it a lot, it is very interesting to analyze

Plays (Plays are actually my least favorite genre I'm sorry, I don't know why I can't get into plays as much as other genres even if it involves analysis but there were ones I did enjoy):

Medea by Euripides

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

Non-fiction/ Theory/ Philosophy:

"You'll never believe what happened" by Thomas king - this really struck me when I first read it but I can't recall why and at one point I wanted to find more of his works

"Truth and Lying in the Non-moral sense" by Nietzsche - I do quite enjoy Nietzsche ngl, I especially am interested in his ideas on aesthetics, I really really want to read more of him in my free time. I also was really fascinated by the parts of his The Birth of Tragedy that I did read

"The Decay of Lying" by Oscar Wilde - speaking of Nietzsche I have to mention Wilde because this essay actually reminded me the Nietzsche essay I wrote above

Frames of War: When is Life Grievable, The Force of Nonviolence: An Ethico-Political Bind, "Giving an Account on Oneself" by Judith Butler - I think Butler has fascinating ideas on nonviolence, grievability and identity, whether one agrees with it or not is another thing, I personally enjoy Butler though, I'm hoping to read Gender Trouble when I can (I hadn’t finished the first two books either but I have read parts of them and discussed them in class orz)

Utopia by Thomas Moore - makes you question whether the Utopia described is actually a Utopia or not, and ofc the origin of the genre

The Wretched of the Earth by Franz Fanon (also hadn't finished but I want to read more orz)

De Profundis by Oscar Wilde

I also am quite interested in the idea of the sublime by Edmund Burke but I hadn’t been able to dive deep into it yet :(

Also I like reading Dazai-sensei's personal essays I don't have a term for it in English :(, I don't see them in English translations though which is actually really sad