#reminds me a bit of catcher in the rye

[redwolfruari]

Ok so - I DNF Gideon the Ninth because it’s just not my thing and I wasn’t invested…. BUT I started reading the secret history instead- I‘m like 30 pages in and I‘m HOOKED!!! unfortunately sometimes booktok likes real bangers

[carlytayjepsen]

I want to start reading classics but I barley read before this year. I tried to read Emma but it was hard for me 😭. The only classic I read in school I liked was The Great Gabsty and Catcher & The Rye… what other classic should I start with

anon i'm probably not the best person to ask - that rb was more to remind myself to read more classics😅 i don't think i've read any of the Main Ones probably cause they're all a bit too long for me lol but i loooved the great gatsby! other ones i've enjoyed: of mice and men, the haunting of hill house, the strange case of dr jekyll and mr hyde. also kiss, kiss by roald dahl is a collection of short stories and it's one of my favourites ever ever

[oaksbugcollection]

The windows on a bus are transformative rectangles. I imagine that for children in the 60’s, the sensation I feel staring out beyond that impermeable glass is comparative to staring into the window at a myriad of flashing T.V.’s in the shop. I feel at one with them, all these miles away through time, as if with my slack jaw and vacant expression, I am in another’s skin. I envision us together in heaven, where I then would exclaim exuberantly, I know every emotion you know, therefore you know every emotion I know, isn’t that beautiful?

Beautiful is a word I often use to describe things. Beautiful is neither good nor bad, hence my familiarity with it. I am not announcing my ventures into anti morals, I believe in good and bad, but I hardly believe in adjectives used to describe good and bad. Simple words suffice.

I imagine bullets through presidents, and I remind myself that every reaction to be had has already happened. There is not one single human emotion that is singular. There is circumstance, certainly, but circumstance is far different than the core of an emotion.

I tell my boyfriend that I believe emotions do not have morals. He asks me how I consider such a thing when someone thinks of killing someone else, for example, he says. College students are very keen on their examples. Say you have an illegal homosexual, for example. Say you have a crazed conservative wielding a small knife, for example. I always listen to their examples, and offer my own. The trick is that I am a writer, so such examples seem like story pitches rather than argumentative stakes. I explain to him, my boyfriend that is, I know it’s been a while since we were on that, that it is a want, not an emotion, to idolize homicide. I don’t think he understands me. He hates arguing so I tell him he’s right. I feel no sense of self sacrifice in telling my boyfriend he is right, even though I vehemently disagree. I am a liar through my teeth, it flows the same as air. Why should it matter if I tell someone they are right?

When I was younger, everyone was wrong all of the time. The funny thing is that I’m still young, and everyone is still wrong, I am just less vocal about this fact. No, it is completely fine for a man about my age and height and weight to stay on a slim diet, spend his time either crying on the shower floor after slamming seven beers, or perhaps laying on the backyard grass smoking upwards after three shots of vodka, or working endlessly at the next great American novel, (if you know, you know, but most of you don’t know), or walking silently in a large loop after dinner whilst the sun sets. These are normal things. Who is to say I shouldn’t? Science? Who’s to say something bad for you matters? Compassion? Who’s to say, I could go for a bit, but we’d never hit a conclusion, and you’d still disagree with me. Anyways, you’re right. I was wrong.

Surprisingly, vodka and Diet Coke is not a bad combination. An alcoholic will say anything is good together, even when it’s the worst thing imaginable, or god forbid, the worst thing you’ve ever had to taste test to confirm. The funny thing about alcohol is that it never tastes good, exactly, when you’re doing it right. But alcoholics somehow have made a name for themselves in terms of making a bad thing somehow worse. The fake sugar from the Diet Coke and the lack of calories from the vodka are making enthusiastic love in my liver. I’m about to give them the sex equivalent of ecstasy by smoking a cigarette.

My favorite book is Catcher in the Rye, yet I have no impending thoughts of homicidal nature towards musical celebrities with long hair. At least, not any that are related to Holden Caulfield and his immensely difficult life in 1920’s New York. The funny thing about Holden Caulfield and 1920’s New York is that he proves an important point. There is no emotion that has never been experienced before. Fiction en general is a sparkling example of this. Books are continuously read far past their expiration date, because circumstance is meaningless, and emotion is transcendent. I have no homicidal thoughts. But if I did, they’re not an emotion. I’ve just realized if I don’t consider homicidal thoughts an emotion, my boyfriend and I were actually discussing two wildly dissimilar things. So really, I miraculous do agree with him.

It wasn’t a lie.

[notallwonder]

good news. I finally fell asleep waiting for the ep to drop. and then I woke up again! so now imma do this.

Spoilers, etc. for CME 17x06. 🥰

I watched this episode at 4am. But it's 11:30 am now and I've already seen it two more times. 🥳

- oh I don't like this. Dream sequence for sure, right. Luke! No no no no

- EMILY. oh you motherfuckers. oh my god. wow even when they killed her the first time they didn't make me watch her die like THIS. FUCK ME. Erica Messer I will never forgive you!!! 😈

- (wish I could retire the small part of my brain that resents that this scene happens in service of Rossi's pain.)

- Haunting lil echo over the title card. 😈

- Rossi losing it does make a great case for promoting someone else as (acting) UC........like JJ. C'mon now.

- oh look!!! JJ and GARCIA. I know they had a couple scenes (one?) in s16 but it always warms my heart to have them together. Just like ye olden times. Kind of. The vibe is off? Maybe the way it's shot? They're not even looking at each other much? I am nitpicking now.

- "you're an angel of helping" - truer words about Jennifer Jareau etc etc. she is an angel.

- "put on your awkward pants." I giggled! the delivery

- "I do talk about it...with Emily." 😭

- (but also dude, retire and go hang out with your grandson for fucks sake. let yourself heal)

- UH oh here we are. omg. Look, I have not put on the clown shoes bc I know better. But I am excited they have a scene, together. CHEETOS (cheese puffs) CAMEO. what is going on

- "you see that movie...idiot city...wait...idiot city?" oh I'm cackling already LMAO. Yeah. I enjoyed that.

- and now we are low-key setting up Luke & Teresa? "I have a thing for army guys" okay miss ma'am 👀

- Rossi, buddy. You don't have time to NOT do therapy. I wonder if this is where Mrs Ex Gideon comes in? Is she gonna be the trauma counselor? Hm.

- @ Luke's face when Garcia pairs them off to go thru Tyler's history to figure out who's been stalking Teresa: I can just hear the tiny voice yelling in his brain "put on your awkward pants!"

- I'm digging this whole thing with JJ & Emily. We finally get a sort of glimpse at the fabled girls nights. But I'm struggling with the logic a bit here. Emily being pushed to her limit, "crossing a line she's never crossed before" with Voit. Apparently ready to give up in some way. Reminiscent of that scene when Barnes puts her on leave and all of a sudden she's packing her apartment. I guess the discomfort of that, for me, is that seems like a core distinction between pre-Doyle-exile Emily and later seasons defanged Emily. I always struggled to reconcile these two Emilies. Also - nitpicking - Emily "Vonnegut enthusiast" (Elizabeth) Prentiss has never bothered to read Catcher in the Rye? hm. It's been One Million Years since I read Catcher but I imagine it could have resonated with Emily a bit vis-a-vis Matthew.

- maybe the common thread is that Emily leaves. When things get hairy, emotionally or otherwise, Emily dips. Is that the thru line? It is, according to several brilliant fic writers. And it does make sense, in terms of her upbringing/formative years. It made sense after Doyle that she needed a new context. I guess any reminder of s12-15 Prentiss just gives me the willies?

- LMAO fuck of course the cheese puffs were not just an Easter egg.

- not JJ getting "why are the walls closing in" high, cut to Dave getting PTSD halluci-squished in the elevator. 🤣 They just keep torturing that old man

- every time we cut to the "Stoneward Penitentiary" exterior my brain only sees "Squidward Penitentiary" lol

- OH SHIT. THAT'S where she comes in!!!! Jill Gideon started Gold Star???!!! fml

- I keep saying it... I'm finding this season quite enjoyable fr. Even though I don't care about Tyler a whole lot, he fits in to the team better and the effort Luke is making with him is nice to see. The Brian Garrity / conspiracy theory angle is working for me as a mystery. I don't care much about Gold Star but I've never been here for the crime. And I am enjoying Voit insofar as I like the frame of him as a twisted little boy foil to Rossi. I just like Zach Gilford.

- also I like how each narrative opportunity for JJ and Emily to have a confrontation has not been a blow up/angsty mess. I like an angsty mess too! But it's a testament to their years of friendship and professional trust, all they've been through and the ways they've been through it *together*, that JJ is handling it like this.

- god I continue to love JJ more and more. For me, she is a stronger character without Will in the picture. And I don't mean that Will is some kind of bad part of her story. He's just better as background noise. Their chemistry has never been fully convincing for me, and I'm not sure precisely why that is. But this season? JJ is incredible, and I'm not distracted from that by her husband. It's so nice!

- [some stuff with Tyler happened here I guess]

- oh my goodness! 🥹🥹🥹 THIS SCENE 🥹🥹🥹 JJ laying it ALL out. I'm so happy. This is so emotionally satisfying!! This is so much better than the parallel scene with Emily & Spencer in season 13 (that scene is a mess). You know it's funny how the arc of JJ & Emily's relationship was shaped by the fucked behavior of the network in firing AJ & Paget. I mean, they absolutely had chemistry and vibes and moments in the early seasons, but the nuts & bolts of who they are to each other now are so tied up in how the actors (and show) were wronged and came through that. Wish it need not have happened, but I find something sweet about the results. Maybe just that the emotional weight of it is genuine. Idk it's 4:30am as I write this.

- something I will never fucking tire of: the way JJ says "Emily"

- "I didn't quit on you, in Paris. You didn't quit on me, after my miscarriage." god damn. I gasped. And the way Emily reacts! This is such good food! I appreciate it so much. This feels like a long awaited antidote to the subtextual emotional constipation between these two. ALSO - as far as I can recall it's just been fanon that JJ shared about her miscarriage with Emily, and now it's confirmed. That's a really nice detail, as is the level of intimacy that suggests.

- AJ COOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- JJ you are never beating the "lowkey-in-(unrequited?)-love-with-emily-prentiss" allegations

- I am fully ready to exchange "grab your keys, let's fuckin' roll" for "wheels up". That's Prentiss, baby.

- lmao and they have to uber hahahaahaaaaa (but woulda been fun to have Tara pick them up lol!)

- I think the only thing about their scenes together that I maybe wish was different is when JJ does confront Emily about BAUgate, we're given no discussion of how JJ is doing. She is handling it, even before the edibles she's more sure of herself / less visibly traumatized this episode. But no real check in yet.

- Still. This episode was a fucking gift. More than I thought we would ever get. Beautiful ❤️

- oh and Garcia was Emily's safe haven for her little bender, and was keeping her whereabouts a secret (from JJ at least). Probably partly bc this is essentially a bottle episode and they didn't lay out cash for a new location for Emily's home. But I like the implications.

Final thoughts:

- shoutout to JJ for the belt buckle representation in this important Jemily moment

- I did get some Drunk History Paget vibes from high Prentiss but that didn't bother me. Didn't feel out of character. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

- also shoutout to AJ's "crisp white" line delivery 😂

- JJ & Will get high together sometimes, for sure

- Everytime someone refers to the FBI director as Madison I can't help but picture like, a gossip girl

- I'm so sleepy... time for sweet dreams...

[ryttu3k]

Good Omens season 2, episode 2! Just gonna link all the previous episodes here, too.

Previous liveblogs: Episode 1

Crowley you leave those goats alone!!

You know what I can definitely see Aziraphale's response to the whole… Job thing being probably the closest he's actually come to Falling himself. Just going "No, fuck this." I imagine this might have been when the Arrangement started proper?

Gabriel that is the most unhinged shelving system I have ever seen, and I've seen Sascha's shelving system in the now-non-canon Gehenna novel.

Aaand there's the stakes.

Oh, Maggie :(

The Resurrectionist at 66 Goat Gate. Mm not ominous at all!!

lmao the Pratchett novel. Couldn't make out the title, kinda hope it's Reaper Man.

Oh no Aziraphale accidentally made a fake dating AU.

"A sudden rainstorm forces them together beneath a canopy, they look into each other's eyes, and realise they were made for each other?" "Sounds a bit unlikely." Well, more wingbrella than canopy ;D

Dear god Crowley would watch Richard Curtis XD

Oh shit I want to read about Jane Austen's other adventures.

That Clue was definitely capitalised XD Oh lmao "well at least don't pronounce the capital letter!" it was capitalised!

Man I kinda feel bad for Jim. And yes I'm calling him Jim right now because he's clearly not Gabriel. …The whole, not being able to remember who he is because his mind isn't big enough kind of reminds me of Donna not being able to stay Doctor-Donna, actually? I wonder if Tennant had input there in the script, or if Gaiman based it on that?

The goats!!

"Can I be a blue one? :3" Bless, a baby scaley XD

Oh, Aziraphale. Wait until you discover sushi XD

Whales are pretty cool.

Job and family are having the weirdest days and also what the fuck are those 'ribs' XD

"You have my word as an angel." And thus Their Side begins!

Our car, Aziraphale? XD

Tragically The Crow Road got trounced by The Bad Beginning in the book first line tourney but I still maintain "It was the day my grandmother exploded" is a corker of an opening line.

Paused to take a squiz at the books. I can make out… something, something, No Woman No Cry, The Crow Road, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (ew, loathe that book), Catch-22, can't catch the title but it's Marquez so it's probably One Hundred Years of Solitude, something, 1984, The Big Sleep, the Bible, Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, something, something either by or about Herzog, can't make out the rest.

"It was a nice day." …And that… is Good Omens XD Well that's meta!

A demon who's just a little bit nice, and an angel who's just a little bit disobedient, doesn't sound too lonely together :) Poor Aziraphale, I can understand him feeling freaked, but you know, I think they can make this work!

[aberfaeth]

any time im reminded that people actually like catcher in the rye irl and like not for a bit it deals me 10pts psychic damage just from sheer confusion

[brothersonahotelbed]

hiiiii nico I miss you I hope texas is/was well and you're doing okay 🫶🏻🫶🏻 what've you been up to recently? hugs n kisses 🫂 + obligatory random photo from my gallery i think is funny

(he reminds me chronically of my uncle)

heyy joanie <333

texas was AWESOME but Only because my best friends in the whole wide world were there we had a very eventful hallowedween party and went trick or treating as 9, 10, 11, and 12 from doctor who and we played music and took a trip to an abandoned house (pictures here) and yeah it was so fucking good that i hardly remembered the internet existed and didn't even feel inclined to check my phone for any reason which was Crazy. i had a great time ty for asking <3 :')

ive not been up to much tbh. i enrolled in classes for the spring semester (pain!) and so I'm just waiting for that to begin. ive been listening to the new james marriott album endlessly i thinkt theres something broken in my head umm watching house of course wnd reading the catcher in the rye !!! and using your little drawing of shammy winchester as a bookmark thank you very much <33 i think thats it honestly? it's a bit uneventful in nicoworld but it's whatever

anyway i heart you so much joan thanks for dropping by !!!!!!!! mwah mwah mwah !!!!

[womenareonline]

Then you blink and it's been ten years...

It’s kind of beautiful and full circle that I’m posting this on Tumblr. The website where I would spend hours scrolling trying to kill time. Trying to find something different: a different aesthetic, fashion, music, and art, 10 years ago when I was 17 living in a small town, with not much to do. That was when I discovered Lorde. Everyone was talking about Royals, talking about this new young girl who was “different” and “not like most girls” with dark lipstick, a grunge aesthetic. 17-year-old me who was dying to be different to escape the normal boring life of a place that forced you to stick to one idea, and aesthetic and stay comfortable, found someone else (I would say “my Lorde” but that’s so cheesy omg). I didn’t realize how much Pure Heroine was going to mean to me when I first listened to it. Probably on my way to school with a frown in my mom’s car or in my room while on Tumblr or while writing. But as I grew and moved away from that town I realized how much it meant to be. Ribs was the first song to truly hit me in 2014 when I started writing and obsessing about The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. There is a beautiful parallel between the two of them about that fear of growing up and having to face that you are in fact an adult. A bit off topic but the line “I'd ride and I'd ride on the carousel 'Round and 'round forever if I could” from Stoned at the nail salon always reminded me of this book. Back to Ribs, listening to that song when you are finishing high school, and about to move away from the place you called home for 3 1/2 years is beautiful and terrifying. How did you manage to create a song that summarizes growing up so perfectly? I still listen to it whenever I’m entering a new stage in my life and have a little cry. I also just cried reading this article about it.

I think Lorde created the perfect album about growing up and living in a small town. And every time I go back and listen I get this nostalgic feeling about the simplicity and pureness of those years. I don’t miss them because I remember how much I dread living in a small town. But I do understand how important they were for me now. How they helped me grow up and become who I am. Pure Heroine is a beautiful way to encapsulate the feeling of growing up, and the nostalgia of those years. Happy 10 years Pure Heroine, you will always be a truly special album for me and all the teen kids who wore Doctor Martens and purple lipstick 🖤.

I wrote this before reading Ella's email about Pure Heroine and cried...

[shayberri789]

2, 10 & 19 ? :3

I FORGOT TO ANSWER THIS YESTERDAY MY BAD THANKS FOR THE REMINDER BESTIE

(2) top 5 books of all time? Gosh... I do not know if I can choose???? Imma do top 5 series because then I DONT NEED TO CHOOSE INDIVIDUAL BOOKS AHHH - Stormlight Archive (/all cosmere lol) - The Raven Cycle - The Locked Tomb - Super Powereds - Protector of the small (/all tortall books... except immortals didn't enjoy that)

(10) do you have a guilty fav?

My brain is blanking and I am not at home so I can't look at my bookshelf to remember.... but I guess it could be Technically You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson? Depends what you count as a guilty fav I suppose. I have reread and relistened to that book so many times since 2019 that I have genuinely lost count, and my family is fed up to find me reading it again LMAO.

If you don't count that, I guess Ender's Game? The older I get the more issues I see with it, and OSC is a dick, but I have my mom's old battered copy thats like 30 years old and we've both read nearly to death

(19) most disliked popular books?

I was afraid you'd ask this... I dont know, honestly. Trials of Apollo? A Court of Thorns and Roses? (I read and enjoyed the first two books a bit, but three onwards was just ugh). There is more but my brain is blanking. I do not think Immortals counts as a popular book series. Shadow and Bone maybe? I think the TV show and Six of Crows was way better and found the sab books annoying. Is there a single novel I hate?

OH WAIT THE ROAD BY CORMAC MCCARTHY. FUCKING DESPISED THAT BOOK. Didn't like Catcher in the Rye either. there we go.

[ihaveneverbeentothemoon]

2 more days...or i guess one, but still....going insane

saturday better hurry up and get over here im so excited to watch the shining, ive been itching all week for it 🙏 if anything gets in the way of my plans im gonna be really sad

ive been quoting the shining allll day to myself, i got to use a quote like twice with my friend so i was happy, it was unleashing my true self

also i read like ten chapters of the shining, so heh..yk... not to brag or anything....😼seriously tho i was so glad i read that much, i got to the bit where jack's backstory w/ his abusive father is revealed and he has his nightmare and all that, and i stopped reading just after he went to room 217 to check if the old woman in the tub was still there. I LOVE THE SHINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i was so exhausted today and my uncle asked 'so have u been watching anything recently?' and oh... my god.... i cant tell you how long ive been waiting for someone, ANYONE to ask me that. SOOOOOOO long, and ik i could just talk about it but idk i just dont so i wait around, and everything i practiced in my head, everything i wanted to say ages ago if anyone ever asked me smth like that, just went away, bc i was so exhausted today so i had not a single thought, but i was insanely happy, and was glad i could finally talk abt it to someone. it wasnt enough tho, i still want to talk </3 PLEASE GOD!!!!!!!!! PLEAAAASEEEE 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 SEND ME SOMEONE, ANYONE I CAN TALK TO ABT THE SHINING!!!!!!!!!!!

also i got embarrassed bc my uncle asked 'why do u like the shining so much' or smth like that and i didnt have an answer. like the question didnt embarrass me but the fact that i didnt know what to say, and i told him that, i said 'idk! i just like it' thats the thing with me liking things, i feel like if i like something, i know the reasons why, but as soon as someone asks me my mind just goes blank and i embarrass myself bc i dont have an answer for them. that reminds me of the time when i first read the catcher in the rye, absolutely loved it, and related to holden soooo much, like im not kidding ive never related to a character that much before, i almost cried reading that book, then i went and told my friend abt all that and suggested she read it. she did, and she said it was good, but asked why i related to holden, and ofc i know why, i could go on and on, but in that moment when she asked me, i just didnt know! it was stupid, it always is when i blank out like that

also did u know lana del rey's 'doin' time' is like inspired by or whatever by sublime's 'doin' time'? i'm not a fan of lana del rey and i kind of like sublime but as soon as i heard sublime's 'doin' time' it took me a bit but i recognised it, and its basically pretty similar to lana del rey's 'doin' time' but anyway!

also i watched superbad again last night. michael cera is me, just trust me please, also i have a big crush on him so idk if that's weird or like egotistical or me or smth but i love him

[millimononym]

Reblogging AGAIN (mutuals im sorry) because this reminded me of something

So, at the start of the school year we had to read Catcher In The Rye for our native language/literature class. We had around a month to read it along with usual stressful school duties.

Needless to say, i did not like it or undestand it at all at the time. Me and my friends thought that it was a worthless, boring book that only became a classic because the guy who murdered one of the Beatles had it in his pocket.

When it came time to answer questions and discuss the book with our prof. for our grade, i straight up said that i didn't really like the book. When asked why, i said that i thought Holden was way too much of a whiny jerk and that just because he had problems didn't excuse him acting like that. My professor wasn't one of those shit ass teachers that put down every opinion other than their own, so me saying that opinion was fine. He then said something that i forgot the exact words of, but basically that maybe there should be more sympathy for the character of Holden.

so what I'm basically trying to say here is-

a couple of months ago i had an opinion similar to this goodreads reviewer that i expressed publicly. And i have been REGRETTING IT ever since. See, for some reason this book wouldn't leave my mind. I'm the type of person to look up opinions and content about anything i think about. So then i saw actual analysis and thought about the book for more than a day. And WOW!!! when you see other people's views and think about something critically, it really changes your view and makes you actually..,yknow, GET something out of the experience because you thought about it for longer. So i like "Catcher In The Rye" now and think it's well written

And then i realized. Maybe the reason no one likes these books that are seemingly adored classics (or, "important novels") is because besides the fact that we're forced to read them(and no one likes being forced to do something), we are also given a strict deadline by which we have to read it and get an opinion about it because we'll get a bad grade otherwise. We are given the stress of a deadline during an already stressful time in our life, making getting enjoyment out of it or analyzing it in a meaningful way very hard. I'm a very slow reader too, so by the time i finish a book, i have even less time to think about it.

And that's exactly why these "1 book a day" type challenges mean absolutely nothing. You are practically forcing yourself to read as little meaningful literature as possible,and get as little thinking done as possible too. And that's insane to me!!!! Why would you do that ?! this woman is clearly an adult out of school, and most adults don't have a deadline for book reading. So why the hell would you do that. You now have the time and ability to read as much as you want and get the best possible, most meaningful experience out of it. And you choose not to.

And for what? To SEEM smarter? Because you managed to read a lot? That doesn't mean anything. Reading more doesn't make you smarter. A lot of people can read, it doesn't make you better than anyone else. What would actually make a person smarter, in my opinion, is being able to use their reading skills to analyze and get something meaningful out of these books as the authors most likely intended. Anti-intellectualism is as much of a war on intellect as a whole and ART as well. Writing is as much of an art as painting or music. And there is currently an ongoing war on art, on artists and people who support them, who want something meaningful in the things they spend their free time on. Then there's people like this goodreads reviewer, who seek instant gratification over meaning. It's not just them, or the booktokkers. There's the sinister stuff like ai "art" and chatgpt which more and more people use, which make me wonder if a dystopian future is a little closer than we thought.

Anyway my mind wandered a bit, basically just use critical thinking when engaging with (most) media. Obviously you don't have to read heavy stuff 24/7 but for the love of god if you intend on only reading YA do not make reviews like this for other types of books. By engaging with media purely on a surface level of "can i relate to this" or "do i only have fun reading this", you are not only doing a disservice to yourself, but the authors as well.

goodreads reviewers aren't human

[pazodetrasalba]

Anachronism

Dear Caroline:

I found this post of yours rather amusing, with your clever-clogs uber-rationalization of fiction, and it reminded me of the times when I take to yelling at something. In my case, it is not usually at the screen, but at a book I am reading whose arguments and point of view greatly irk me. Yelling is perhaps not the right word either, as it is more of an 'arguing aloud' sort of thing. An example would be Postmodernism: a reader by Thomas Docherty, a book I plodded through during my university years. I can still remember my anger at virtually every word in Richard Rorty's essay. Catcher in the Rye too; I was just seeing too much of my silly and self-deluding teenage self in its pages, and felt like severely scolding Holden Caulfield for doing all the stupid things you are supposed not to do.

My history studies also gave me a pedantic distaste for anachronisms in fiction. And I don't mean just the typical ones, like Romans eating tomatoes, or Middle-Ages people looking too clean and healthy, but something of what you are hinting at here, where the past is just employed as an exotic setting for modern day characters and their behaviors, and where no attempt is made at transmitting the fundamental truth that the past is a strange country, and that people had ways of thinking and behaving then that are fundamentally alien to us.

I tend to expand this to the appreciation of past texts, and to convert it into a sort of moral imperative, which would go on the lines of 'try to understand the ways of thinking that other peoples had, even if you find them abhorrent, and make an effort to judge them in their own terms'. Once you've done this, you are relatively free to engage with said texts in a more egoistic, present-focused and self-serving way. I think I would call it, pace MacAskill, 'What We Owe the Past'.

I also tend to find it a bit intellectually insulting when people take as their justification for bending texts and interpretations to their capricious beliefs and interests that they are 'updating or modernizing the ideas/texts of a past age' -something really visible in these stage adaptations that clothe Richard III as Adolf Hitler, or Lysistrata's characters as feminist activists. Like the subtext is: 'we know you lot are too stupid or too lazy to deal with complex texts with foreign world-views and values, so we'll dumb it down to a boorish metaphor or appropriation that even you can appreciate'.

Quote:

The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.

L.P. Hartley 

[a-blonded-life]

i’m reading my year of rest and relaxation and i just can’t tell if i like it or not

[sneakystorms]

Thoughts about the Banshees of Inisherin in no particular order because I'm insane and I spent at least a third of the screening with tears streaming down my face

Padraic starting out the film happy and one by one realising how few things he was relying on to stay that way, just the dreadful hit after hit as he loses his friend, his sister, his donkey and even the village idiot he couldn't get to leave him alone

Something which reminds me of the most painful moments of catcher in the rye or lord of the rings - having a protagonist who does not suffer stoically, does not repress his emotions until a breaking point, but laments and begs for help and reaches out again and again and is broken by the pain inflicted upon him and is not strong enough to survive through it

The most horrible sight to behold in our culture - a grown man crying

In general that whole scene. Padraic standing up to the shithole cop, getting assaulted, Colm wordlessly helping him up but refusing to comfort him once he broke down or stay with him past the crossing

Jenny being buried in padraic's blanket

The hooked stick.

The second confession scene containing both "kind of weird, but strictly speaking not a sin" and "you got me there"

"and what about the despair?" "It's back a bit" "but you're not going to do anything about it, are you?" "No, I'm not"

I wish I knew enough about Irish or English history to say something more about the civil war's significance to the story but I can at least say the faraway conflict gives an eerily absurd tone to Padraic and Colm's feud, like they are simultaneously squabbling over nothing and waging some great existential battle

Speaking of which I was absolutely astounded to see a genuine discussion about the meaning of life in like the first ten minutes of this film. Padraic represents my own belief that a life spent enjoying yourself and making others happy is well lived and valuable, while Colm is obsessed with being remembered and believes his life will only have been worthwhile if he does something remarkable, if he leaves something behind. I kind of wanted Padraic to ask him what it matters to him how someone will feel about him long after he's dead in the ground, but regardless this was a genuinely compelling and shockingly well laid out philosophical conflict

In general I'm stunned by how seamlessly and plainly the themes are interwoven with the story. It's hard to put into words exactly but it's some damn good scriptwriting

I called this movie a masterpiece of small scale tragedy on letterboxd and I fully stand by this. This microscopic in the grand scale of things drama - made to look even smaller by the fact that it's two grown men having it - is simultaneously shown very clearly to encompass padraic's entire world. The tiny island setting is used wonderfully to emphasise this

Speaking of which, I have a massive soft spot for stories where the location is a character unto itself, or in any case has a huge role to play. This is a perfect example of a story like that

And speaking of the tragedy genre, this is maybe the best example I have ever seen of comedy and tragedy/drama woven together completely seamlessly? I can't think of a single moment where the tone shift felt jarring or the mood felt inappropriate. One of the moments I remember most clearly as integrating humour with drama is when Siobhan sees the first finger and padraic's comically stunned reaction combines with her comically realistic one to create a genuine air of tragedy somehow. It's also a good example of the similarly seamless weaving together of naturalistic and stylised storytelling

Not only the horror of loving someone who hates you, but of having that person leverage your love for them in order to keep you away

In general, most heartbreaking film I think I've literally ever watched. 10/10 masterpiece probably will not watch again all the way through because it's too painful

[peterpparkerwrites]

sunburn - part four

warnings: language, kind of hurts but you know, peter is still acting up, mj might kill someone  pairing: peter parker x reader (soulmate au) word count: 4.4k

masterlist ~ requests are closed ~ part five

~

"What's your favorite color?"

"Brown," you answered immediately, not even realizing you had a favorite until the question was asked. It seemed like every day you liked a different color more, but as soon as he asked you realized you had an answer. All you could think about was Peter, and it seemed like the answer came to you.

"Why?"

"You're gonna laugh at me," you felt your cheeks warm up a little.

"No I won't, pinky promise," Spider-Man stuck out his pinky and you bit your lip to keep from smiling as you hooked your pinky with his.

This was probably the fourth time this week he's surprised you with a visit, like he had been doing for the last few weeks. It was the weekend and you were reading on your fire escape when he showed up, the eyes of his mask squinting like he might be grinning as he greeted you.

Now he was comfortable enough to give you a pinky promise and talk about your favorite color, apparently.

"It's the color of my soulmate's eyes," you finally muttered, waiting for him to start laughing, but it never came. You felt something weird in your chest and tried not to grimace, realizing Peter must be with Liz as the feeling of adoration crowded your emotions.

"That's a little cheesy," Spider-Man breathed out, "But, uh, it's cute."

"What's yours?" You asked in return, wanting to change the subject and really wishing that stupid emotion Peter was having would go away.

"Yellow," he responded, pausing for a minute. "I guess I don't have any right to say yours was cheesy cause mine is also a bit cliché."

"Their eyes are yellow?" You laughed a little, and he chuckled with you but shook his head.

"No, no, uh," he hesitated, "Um, it's a color they wear often. Every time I see it, it reminds me of them."

"That's cute," you felt a little ache at his words, but they were sweet.

Spider-Man was a stranger, sure, but you felt comfortable around him. You didn't often hang out as long as you had that first night - often his AI Karen would warn him of something happening and he'd have to bolt off.

But the times he could stay longer were nice. He talked to you about everything and anything - he liked to hear your opinions on things, what books were your favorites, your friends and family. And you liked to talk to him as a distraction.

"Any fun plans for the week?" He crossed his legs, the eyes of his mask widening and narrowing, making you laugh a little.

"Mostly just finishing Catcher in the Rye. And of course I've been helping my sister with wedding plans and stuff. But I'm meeting some friends for bowling tonight, I haven't seen them all since break started, so that'll be nice."

Nice except for Liz and Peter being there.

"I suck at bowling," he admitted, and you gave him a look.

"What, there's something Spider-Man's bad at? I beg to differ."

"You'd be surprised at how many things I can mess up," he chuckled lightly, but you could almost note a hard edge in his tone. "Shit, Karen's telling me there's a robbery on seventh. We'll have to catch up later, sorry."

"Don't worry, go get the bad guys," you laughed when his mask winked at you. He jumped off your ledge like it was nothing, sending you a wave before shooting a web at an adjacent building, swinging away.

You spent the remainder of the afternoon reading your book. It was lucky that you managed to finish it just before looking at the clock and realizing you were going to be late to the bowling alley if you didn't start getting ready.

MJ sent you a couple texts while you were changing, mostly bullying you for being late, making you laugh and shake your head as you climbed into your car to go pick her up.

She wasn't outside when you got to her house, and you laid on the horn until she came stumbling out, her bag thrown over her shoulder and a grumpy look on her face that made you cackle.

"Jeez, stop honking, the neighbors already don't like me," MJ hissed, jumping into the passenger seat.

"You made fun of me for being late but you weren't out here waiting, that's what you deserve," you chuckled as you started driving, "And why don't the neighbors like you?"

"Long story. Are you gonna drive like a grandma the whole way there? Just wondering."

"Oh, shut up."

Despite the comments from MJ about being late, it seemed liked you guys were there right one time. Luckily it wasn't too packed and you saw some familiar heads near the entrance. You relaxed when you realized it was only Ned and Betty there, grinning at each other and laughing.

"Hey!" Betty quickly pulled you into an excited hug, before grabbing MJ and doing the same. "It's so good to see you guys! How's your summer been?"

You all caught up as you stood in line to rent shoes and get a lane, glad the place wasn't too packed. Ned was telling you all a funny story about Betty's family reunion as you paid and went to the lane, and you couldn't help the wide grin on your face the whole time. You had really missed your friends.

"Are Liz and Peter coming?" You asked as everyone put on their shoes, trying to be nonchalant about it. But you were secretly crossing your fingers and hoping they wouldn't be, which might've been a selfish thought, but you couldn't stand to see them together.

"Liz for sure isn't," Betty spoke up, "She said something about spending time with her cousin upstate? Peter hasn't said anything."

"Ah," you nodded, and MJ gave you a look, but you just shook your head and hoped she wouldn't pry. She was always more observant and you had been really careful during school to ensure that she wouldn't find out about you and Peter.

You suddenly felt a spark of guilt and nerves and almost wanted to bolt out of there.

"Hey guys," Peter's voice made everyone turn to face him, Ned immediately making fun of him for being late. "Sorry, uh, Stark internship."

"Same excuse as usual," Betty sighed while Ned and Peter exchanged a look, making you frown. "You better go get shoes or we're gonna start without you."

"Don't need to tell me twice," he grinned a little before his eyes fell on you, the smile dropping. But you focused on tying your shoes and after an awkward second he went to the shoe counter. Luckily no one seemed to notice that.

He was back quick enough and soon you three had entered names into the board (mostly vine or meme related, because you couldn't help yourselves) and started a game. MJ had beaten you all easily, especially Peter who could not seem to hit any pins.

"You totally cheated, just saying," you crossed your arms as MJ got yet another strike, flipping you all off when everyone shouted complaints. "There's no way you got three strikes in a row."

"How would I cheat at bowling?" She smirked, throwing her hands up. "It's not my fault you guys can't play!"

"Hey, I at least made two strikes," Betty pointed out, and you held your hand up for a high five from her.

"At least one of you made some strikes, if I had to watch Peter make another one in the gutter I'd have had to ask someone to take me out with a bowling ball-"

"Hey!" Peter protested, almost bringing a smile to your lips at the offense in his tone. "I wasn't the only one making gutter balls, MJ."

"Yeah, but you kind of were making most of them," Ned muttered, getting a glare from his friend.

"Should we do another game and we can all gang up against MJ?" You suggested, immediately getting yes's from everyone while MJ just rolled her eyes.

"As if even all of you teamed up could top my score."

"I think I have the wrong size shoe, it's been weird the whole game," Ned complained, shaking his foot. "I'm gonna get another pair before the next one."

"I'll come with," Betty said quickly, not surprising anyone as she went with him, leaving the three of you alone.

"I'm starving, I skipped lunch so I'm gonna grab something quick from the front," MJ said, and you almost wanted to beg her to stay, but that would be too obvious. Peter twitched a little as she stood up and left, undoubtedly feeling your anxiety at being left alone with him.

You fumbled with your phone while pretending you didn't see Peter sneak a few glances at you, fidgeting in his seat. It was obvious he was going to ask a question from his emotions, but you still wished he wouldn't. Surely Betty and Ned would be back soon or MJ would-

"How's your summer been?" His voice was slightly more high-pitched than normal and that almost made you laugh. But you felt his nerves and guilt (and sadness?) in your chest and as much as you wanted to just ignore him and be petty, you couldn't stand to.

"Just prepping for the trip, mostly," you replied, not really looking up from your phone. "Need to get the money together soon."

"So you're for sure going?" Peter asked quietly, not meeting your eyes either. He hadn't really looked you in the eyes since that day.

"Yeah, I am," you replied, almost annoyed by the question. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to stay far away from you and Liz."

He winced at that, "Y/N, you know that's not why I was...listen, Liz and I are-"

"Yeah, I don't want to hear this," you muttered, getting up.

"Wait, don't - you don't have to leave. Can we just talk-"

"I don't want to hear it again, Peter, I can't," you shut your eyes, sighing through your nose, "I already said it a month ago and it's the same now. Stop trying to talk to me about it, you already made it very clear."

Peter held a hand to his chest as you walked away quickly towards MJ, struggling to tell if the pain was coming from you or from him. Maybe both.

He hated that. He hated that he could feel what you were feeling and vice versa. During lunch back in school he could barely even look in Liz's direction without feeling a sharp tug of longing and hurt in his chest. And when he saw your expression while you tried not to look at either of them, he knew you wished he couldn't feel your emotions, too. Now it wasn't any different, and Liz wasn't even here.

He knew you could feel his guilt all the time, and that just made it worse.

You found MJ with a drink in her hand waiting by the end of the food counter, smiling down at her phone, likely texting her soulmate. She looked up when you came, a concerned expression gracing her features when she saw your expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately, and you just shook your head.

"Nothing, just decided I was hungry," you shrugged, avoiding her gaze, "Do they have anything good here?"

MJ got a suspicious look in her eyes and ignored your question, looking at you for a second before looking back to where Peter was now talking to Ned and Betty, a strange faraway look in his eyes. "No fucking way."

"What?"

"It's him?" She demanded, setting her drink down on the counter. "Peter's your soulmate?"

Your eyes widened as you saw her angry expression, not sure how she figured it out so easily. "MJ, no-no, it's not-"

"I'm gonna kill him," She seethed, but you grabbed her arm to keep her from moving.

"Stop," you said quickly, not having to look at Peter to know he probably just realized from your emotions and MJ's expression that she just realized what was going on. His emotions spiked but you forced yourself to focus on not letting MJ make a scene. "Not here."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She calmed down slightly, starting to ramble, "When - I thought he and Liz were soulmates, but you - I knew it was someone we knew, but I can't believe he would hurt you like-"

"MJ," you cut her off, stepping in front of her so she'd look you in the eyes and stop glaring at Peter, "Listen to me. It's fine."

"It's absolutely not fine!" She argued, "We all know how excited you were to meet your soulmate. We all knew that, and for Peter to know that and still think it was okay to do what he did, to not want you - I don't think so."

"He's with Liz, you know that."

"So she also thinks it's okay to deprive you of a soulmate-"

"She doesn't know," you defended her, knowing MJ didn't mean it to be a dig to Liz, but she was protective of you. "We didn't tell anyone, definitely not her. It's not her fault."

"Y/N, this is..." she stared at Peter again, her gaze hardening, "I want to throw him like a bowling ball down the-"

"Stop," you repeated, "Please, MJ, don't say anything to anyone, especially not to him. I'm okay., honest."

"But you're not okay," she insisted, "I'm your best friend, I can see how much this has been eating away at you. You've been off ever since your sunburn, I could tell even before you told Liz and I. It's not okay that he did that."

"I'll be okay," you corrected, but she still shook her head.

"You know this isn't right, Y/N. I want to talk to him-"

"I don't want to make our group a mess," you interrupted, seeing her expression soften, "I don't want everyone to freak out and hate Peter, he doesn't deserve that. I don't want him and Liz to break up just because of me, she doesn't deserve that. And you talking to him is just gonna make it worse. I'm gonna get over it, MJ, I promise. I just want things to be normal."

She stared at you for a minute, still very pissed, but you knew she knew better than to go and attack Peter. She respected your wishes too much to do that.

"I'm not gonna be nice to him," she said flatly, making you crack a small smile.

"You don't have to be but...but please don't say anything."

"Fine," she picked her cup back up, "I'm gonna buy you a cookie and then we're gonna try and get through the rest of this day without me punching Peter in the face."

"I think that's doable."

Peter looked uncomfortable under MJ's glare the rest of the game, and you almost felt bad about that. Just because he didn't want to be with you didn't mean you wanted MJ to suddenly hate him. You didn't even hate him - he made a decision that hurt, but he you knew he didn't want or intend to hurt you. It was evident in the regret you felt from him almost every day.

You knew MJ, though, and you were worried that she would say something to him even though you asked her not to.

Luckily the rest of the game went fine, Ned and Betty oblivious to any tension between the rest of you. Peter managed to make a strike much to everyone's shock, and you and MJ were somehow almost tied by the end of it, though she claimed she was going easy on everyone this round.

Betty left early, giving everyone a tight hug and promised to hang out soon. Ned left soon after, until it was just you, Peter, and MJ stood awkwardly outside. Peter was waiting for May and MJ for her Dad, but you were a little nervous to leave them alone based on MJ's expression the whole night.

"Sure you don't need a ride back?" You asked her again, definitely stalling, and she just shook her head.

"My dad's coming home from work this way anyway, don't worry about it. Let me know if you need to talk, okay?"

"Of course," you gave her a hug, "I'll be fine, MJ, I promise."

"I know," she nudged you toward your car, making you laugh. "We'll see each other again soon, maybe during a lunch break at my internship?"

"You bet," you grinned, waving to her and saying a very quick "bye" to Peter before going to your car, hoping maybe Spider-Man would pay you another visit despite the late hour. You could definitely use the distraction after spending the whole night trying to ignore Peter.

As you drove off you waved to your friends, missing how MJ turned to Peter and gave him a hard look as soon as your car left the parking lot.

-

You woke up with your heart racing, not really sure why.

As soon as you got home you flopped onto your bed, ignoring how Peter's guilt and regret and other annoying emotions were extra strong as soon as you left the bowling alley, for whatever reason. It was annoying trying to figure out who was feeling what, though times like this it was obvious - you weren't guilty of anything. He was.

The drive home was fine other than that, and you got a text from MJ saying she made it home safe, which put you in a good mood. You didn't like having to leave her there even if her Dad was on his way.

But you crashed as soon as you got home and went to sleep perfectly fine, so waking up this abruptly was odd.The alarm clock said it was nearly three and you had gone to sleep fairly early, and you weren't dreaming about anything weird, so why-

With a wince your hand went to your stomach, now understanding what was happening. There was a deep fear in your chest and your heart was still beating way faster than normal, and it wasn't coming from you.

Peter was feeling terrified.

You scrambled for your phone, not thinking as you dialed his number for the first time in months. All you could think was that something was seriously wrong, Peter never felt this scared before about anything-

"Hello?" The sound of his voice relaxed you only slightly, but it sounded strained, "Y/N?"

"Hey, are...are you okay?"

"Yeah, mhm, I'm fine," he said quickly, but you could feel in his emotions that that wasn't the case. "What, uh, what's up?"

"Did you forget I can feel your emotions?" You put a hand on your chest, trying to relax his fear, "Something's going on."

"I just had a...bad dream," his voice still sounded off, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's okay, I just..." your voice trailed off, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

He was silent for a moment, and a weird emotion started building in your chest from his end. "Y/N, I-"

His voice cut off and you cursed, pulling it away from your ear to see a black screen. With a frown you looked down to see that your charger hadn't been plugged in, resulting in your phone dying. You hadn't checked the percentage when you called.

"Shit," you muttered, plugging it back in and setting it on your desk, feeling disappointment in your chest, and you weren't sure who it was coming from.

The fear was somewhat gone, though - he wasn't as scared and you could tell he was relaxing, or at least trying to. His emotions were still kind of all over the place, but you being calm was helping. Maybe it was just a bad dream.

Once your phone turned back on after what felt like forever, you hesitated for a moment before typing out a text to him.

sorry, phone died. you okay now?

His emotions still felt weird, so you added the last part just to make sure. You sent it and stared at the screen for a moment, waiting for a reply.

There were a few taps on your window and you jumped, dropping your phone. You looked up to see Spider-Man perched on your windowsill, the closest he had been to actually being inside your room.

You didn't hesitate to flick a light on to see better and then move to the window and slide it open, the cool air giving you goosebumps.

"Hey," You said in a surprised tone, smiling a little. "I didn't think you were coming tonight."

"What, and miss out on you scolding me for keeping you awake? Never," he joked, but almost immediately you could tell something was off.

"You alright?" You asked carefully, seeing how his gloved hands were shaking slightly.

"I could use a distraction, if I'm being honest," he admitted, "I saw some things tonight and...I just wanted to see y-um, a friend. I know it's really late, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have bothered but I saw you were awake so...yeah."

"Don't worry about it," you smiled a little, pushing your window open more, "It's cold out there though, why don't you come in here?"

He hesitated, shifting in his crouching position, "You want me to come inside?"

"Yes, that's what I meant when I said come in," you said a little jokingly, offering him a hand. He hesitated but put his hand in yours as he hopped into your room, looking around before awkwardly dropping your hand.

"Cute place."

"Thanks," you went to move some things from your desk to make it seem a little tidier, not really phased by the fact that Spider-Man was just standing in your room at three in the morning. By now you were so used to and comfortable around the superhero that it felt as if MJ or Ned was standing in here with you.

You watched his masked eyes move over your desk, covered in various old homework pages and notebooks and pens that you had just shoved over. You had photos pinned to a cork board above it, and his mask shifted a little as he looked at them, making you think maybe he was smiling.

"These your friends?" He asked carefully, his voice sounding a little off even with the voice changer he always had on.

"Uh, yeah. That one's just MJ and Ned and I," you said softly, pointing to the one he was focused on. "Liz and Betty are in this one, and that's the decathlon team. And this one is my sister."

"Any pictures of your soulmate?" He asked in the same cautious tone, and you felt some nerves dance around your stomach at the question.

"Mhm," you hummed, crossing your arms and shifting a little as you tapped a photo that had Peter in it. "He, uh...he's the one in this picture."

You always liked that picture of the group. It was just MJ and Ned and Peter and you, the original four. For the life of you, you couldn't remember when the picture was taken or even how old you guys were, but the smiles on your faces were bright and you knew it had been a good memory nonetheless.

Spider-Man's silence was a little weird, him usually being so teasing and throwing around dumb jokes. But you could tell he was still tense and his hands hadn't really calmed from their shaking earlier. Whatever happened must have hit him hard.

"What about you, huh? You carry a picture of yours around in your wallet or something, want to share with the class?"

"Ha ha, sorry but no, can't risk anyone seeing what they look like while I'm wearing the suit, what if I dropped it or something?" he chuckled a little, but you could tell it was kind of forced.

"Still need some distracting?" You asked, and he just gave you a little nod. "Want me to read to you?"

He stared at you for a second, his masked eyes widening. "Really?"

"I mean, I really should finish this book soon, and you said you needed a distraction so-"

"Yes, yeah, that's a good idea," he said quickly, making you bite your lip to keep from laughing at his reaction. "What book is it?"

"Wuthering Heights," you grabbed your copy from your bookstand, pulling out the bookmark. "Second book on the reading list for AP Lit."

"Damn, you're killing it with these books, you already finished Catcher in the Rye?"

"You bet," you smiled a little as you gestured to your chair in the corner, "Go sit down, and no interrupting or I'm kicking you out."

"Yes, ma'am," he took a seat on your chair, the sight almost making you want to laugh - New York's friendly neighborhood hero sitting in your fluffy pink arm chair.

You sat on your bed, getting comfortable as you found the right page, ignoring Spider-Man's eyes on you.

He relaxed against the chair once you started reading out loud - your voice was soft so your parent's wouldn't wake up and hear you, and in hopes that he would calm down from whatever thoughts were keeping him jittery.

It was almost funny to see him relax into your chair, his head tilted back and the eyes of his mask shut as you were reading. For once he wasn't fidgeting and his arms were folded across his stomach, his legs stretched out from the chair.

So you kept reading, glad to know it was helping even a little.

You didn't notice the affectionate feelings rising in your emotions as you read. Or minutes later when you were falling asleep in between sentences, how he got up to catch your book before it fell and placed it on your side table, tucking the book mark in.

He pulled your blanket up to cover you, taking your phone and plugging it in and switching the light off, trying to be quiet so he wouldn't wake you up. There was a notepad on your desk that he grabbed and wrote a little note on it, sticking the paper to your book before going by the window.

With a last long look he snuck out, shutting the window as quietly as possible before swinging off.

~

tag list:

@somefuckshit1 @hufflepuffseeker @nocturnalms @sanniesdiary @peter-parkers-passport @chosuah01 @runawaywithmyghost @baby-bi-bi-bi-yeah @jallerentrags

[minshookie]

LATE NIGHT HOOKUP

| JIN |

College AU, upperclassman!jin x underclassman!reader, fuckboy!jin, Smut!!, descriptive smut. 18+ minors pls DNI, “cheating”, unprotected sex, oral (fem receiving), squirting, dubcon, forced orgasm. [[unedited]]

[Jin • Yoongi • Hoseok • Joon • Jimin • Taehyung • Jungkook ]

Peaceful was an understatement, almost alone in the campus library late in the hours of the night. You head rests against the wooden table as you closely read the Intriguing tale.

“Is the bookworm ready to go home?” His large hand rested on your shoulder giving you a startle. “Oh Jin!” You closed your novel placing it in your tote before rising from your seat.

He captured you in a protective hug, warmly pecking your neck causing you to blush at his subtle PDA.

“Thank you so much for coming, I’m sorry to bother you but I really needed to study.” He released looking into your gaze, “you could never bother me, a novel for studying...what are you reading now?”

You reached into your bag, pulling the timeless tale, “Ah the Catcher In The Rye, you understand this Doll?” Jin was a bit older than you, he acted superior treated you inferior but you know he means well. “Yeah, Jinnie, I’ve read it before.”

Tucking the book away in your tote, Jin seizes the opportunity to grasp your free hand, “hungry?” He began to lead you out of the silent reading space, in all honesty you were tired. “Depends on what you’re offering.” You squeezed his hand flirtatiously.

He held open the door leading you to his usual parking spot. “I was cooking when you texted, it should still be warm if you’d like to come over.” He opened the car door granting you access. His car smelt familiar, strongly of his cologne.

Settling in your seat he buckled you in, “oh?...to your place?” The dorms weren’t too welcoming of guest, and since it was your first year, you had to live on campus. So whenever you and Jin found solitude it was either in his car, or at a hotel where he’d pull some strings.

And where there was solitude, there was intimacy and though you were tired...you could go for a little fun.

So it’s not that you didn’t want to go to Jin’s supposedly large apartment, it’s just that you’ve never been Is all. The new territory made you nervous.

“Yeah, if you’d like.” He pulled from the lonely parking lot, “you cold cutie?” His eyes never let the road as he closed your vent, you tossed the idea of the late night dinner date in your head.

“I’m gonna need to know your answer before I get out of here.” He looked over to you briefly. Sighing you answered “Yeah Jin, I’ll go I am pretty hungry.” He smiled reaching to grip your knee. “That’s my girl, you’ll love it.” He gave you a squeeze.

You reclined your seat, the smooth ride almost lulling to sleep. “So...boyfriend? Girlfriend?” He awkwardly asked tapping his fingers on the wheel waiting at the light. “Hm no...you?”

He laughed rubbing his bottom lip. Jin in total has at least four ‘relationships’ including you, he was the campus player but he was wise enough to charm all of his rendezvous into silence and compliance.

“Mm a few, but you’re the best.....I mean that y/n.” He leaned over the counter pecking your warm cheek, “I really do baby.”

The car ride was short, full of sensual touches at red lights, dirty talk and flirtatious comments that made your stomach flutter. His hand momentarily rested between your legs, teasing your under your skirt. Only a preview of what was to come.

Pulling into the parking area, he looked over at your figure, “I have a secret.” You pulled your tote over your shoulder, “yeah Jinnie?” You yawned. “I didn’t cook...but I do want you to see my apartment.” He smiled warmly pulling his key and leaving it in his pocket.

You had no clue where you were, Jin was your only ride so of course you had no choice but to comply. “Well...you didn’t have to lie.” You yawned stepping from the low car, “mm I got nervous, not too appealing if I say ‘I don’t wanna pay for Hilton, let’s fuck at my place.’ ”

He followed behind locking the doors, catching up he pushed his palm along the small of your back. “Ah so that’s why I’m here.” He snickers, nudging your hair with his nose as he walked beside you. “Don’t act oblivious...it’s not your thing.” Oh how romantic he could be.

He walked you proudly through the glittering building, giving a rushed tour that you didn’t care much for. He pulled you into the spacious elevator, the way he cradled you against frame you knew what was next. He gripped your chin pulling you to one of his signature rough lip locks.

Not even making it to his apartment you lips became bruised and slightly swollen, lost in the moment your eyes remained closed as he pulled back. “To my apartment first, alright?” He chuckled in your flustered face. Nodding you let him grip you hand as he pulled you through the hall.

Unlocking his door he pulled you inside, stripping you of your tote hanging it on the wall rack. “Alright here it is, like it? Love it?” He locked the door, awkwardly you stood horny with one thing on your mind. “Dumby, go sit on the couch.” His every order you followed plopping down on the firm couch.

“Those videos you sent me...you show those to other men?” He questioned unbuttoning his tailored shirt, cockily coming close to you. “Be honest.” He let the expensive material fall to the polished floor.

“No...did you?” You were now anxious, your mind was clouded when you sent those drunken videos to Jin. “Never would I share something so beautiful.” He avoided eye contact falling to his knees.

He found himself at your knees, in nothing but socks and dress pants. His large hands caress you chilly knees, granting himself access to what he’d been waiting for.

“Remind me what happened in those videos.” Your breath got lost in your throat, he hid himself under your skirt lapping at you through your fabric panties. “Go on don’t get stage fright.”

You closed your eyes in attempts to recollect the night. “I was out with my f-friends I got really drunk Jinnie!” He’d slipped the thin fabric to the side focusing the tip of his tongue on your hardening nerve. “I-I missed you, I called you and you didn’t pick up.”

He hummed against your moistening core. “Hm you needed me?”

“I needed you, and I wanted to show you- you how much I did.”

You sounded pathetic in those graphic videos, the sound of your pussy, the whimpers and moans you let free. You just didn’t know when to stop you kept pushing orgasm after orgasm, in your drunken state the euphoria felt so good. Too good.

“You showed me alright, you came almost 8 times pet.” He spoke against you licking like a starved dog, you whimpered rubbing his head there wasn’t much to grab as his head was shielded by your skirt.

“I came, a-a-and came-” he inserted his middle finger “until you squirted all over that little phone of yours.” Oh it felt amazing, you’d do almost anything to feel a release like that again.

“Fuck, that video made me so hard, I saw it right when I woke up...made me cum 3 times kitten.” He growled fingering you with skill. “Your voice calling out to me as you spazzed, shaking like a leaf...your eyes rolled, you were crying babe, felt too good?” The combination Jin was gifting to you proved too pleasurable, you were lost in his motions.

He’d stoped talking, opening his jaw giving long licks along your opening. Sucking you with every motion. His thumb applying pressure to your clit rubbing you from side to side.

“Yes it felt amazing.” You gasped revealing him from under the skirt, burring your hands in his locks. Collecting saliva he made a mess of your dribbling cunt. “Cum for me, scream for me again.”

His demands were final, he devoured you slopping over your core his tongue laid out wide.

Mixing his hot saliva with your natural slick, he groaned deeply slurping at your middle the sounds he made only made you closer.

Collecting the mess he’d made with his finger, he fucked you with his curling middle and index. “Fuck Jin-fu-ahh!”

Using his free hand he held the fabric of your panties to the side. His head still bobbed as he ravished your cunt like it was his last meal before death. You fingers pulled his dark hair painfully, a moaning mess your stop muscles tightened and released telling you of your creeping orgasm.

Jin always put passion into gaining your orgasm, he grunted with his lustful actions. Focusing his slick plump lips on your clit sucking and lapping at the sensitive area.

The tightening in your stomach caused you Yelp out in pleasure, gushing into his awaiting mouth. “Fuck, you’re gonna give me a headache all that mmm tugging.” He complained cleaning you with his tongue.

He held your shivering wrist, coaxing you to let go of him. “You’ve made a mess of my couch.” He sat back giving you a view of his glistening chin, red cheeks, arousal covered nose.

No shame, he pulled your ruined panties down your legs, removing your shoes undoing your skirt and completely stripping your bottom half. Focusing on your breathing you closed your eyes getting comfortable, your pussy quivering involuntarily.

“But I don’t mind...I’d rather you made more of a mess like your little videos perhaps?”

You sigh feeling his fingers glide over your core.

“Give me your hand Bunny.”

Obliging, your head clouded even more tired than before. He gripped your wrist making you rub yourself, “do it again, make a big mess for me.” He let you go, spreading your legs you toyed with you sore clit delving lower collecting the mess he’d left. To assist the process.

The lazy ovals gave faint pleasure you let your head fall back.

Jin was impatient and you knew it, so you played the lazy game...he caught on. Unbuckling his pants he let them droop

He pulled free his rock hard member, throwing your hand from your area. “You better fucking- fuck.” He plunged himself deeply, his girth familiar yet so foreign. You freed a whimper in response your lower stomach already clinching as he fucked into you.

He pulled you, letting your legs rest on his forearms, your back on the seat of the couch. “Moan for me, tell me how I’m treating your tight little cunt.” He grunts through his teeth, “good so good please!”

He chuckled darkly, “who are you gonna to cum for? Who made you so horny bitch?”

He watched your face contort, pushing his large palm over your lower tummy. “Oh-oh! You Jinnie please not too hard I’ll- mm!” “You’ll what?” He fucked you with no mercy.

“Keep your legs up and open...slut.” “Uh-huh ok.” The results of the last orgasm already found you vulnerable. You had to go, bad.

He railed you, rubbing your clit and applying pressure to your lower abdomen.

You whined and begged, feeling your release closer than you’d like. “Jin, fuck Jinnie wait-” “I said up and fucking open!” He held his head down in search for his high. You could see his muscles tense.

Your eyes rolled shut, no way could you stop the release, he thrusted deeply hitting every spot you needed, the flicking of his thumb along your clit drew it near you back arched from the cushions. “Do it! Let go!”

You screamed, gushing against his lower half, in quick streams of pleasure, whimpering as the flow finished and you clenched around him. Crying out as he continues to fuck into you, only to make you release more liquid arousal mixed with others.

He pulled from you, using what you’d produced to finish on your cardigan. Your eyes half lidded as you struggled to gain stable breathing. “ugh, my cardigan-” “I’ll buy you six cardigans.” He mumbled wiping his member clean on the plush fabric.

His cold demeanor ruined the mood. Why must he act this way after every loving session.

You stretched, giving a comically loud yawn, “my underwear please.” You reached out grabbing for them. “You soaked them.” He disappeared down the hall, “the skirt too!” He informed as you sat up your head pounding slightly.

“Lucky for you...” he came back with a pair of sweats and a pair of panties that definitely weren’t yours.

“I’ll pass, the sweats please.” He tossed them, you pulled them on your knees wobble weakly you swim in the fabric of the sweatpants, they were his. “Your loss, they’re clean I promise!”

You struggle to bend and collect your damp clothes, “c-can I spend the night?”

He sighed dressing himself in a change of clothes. “I’m afraid not...I have a Uhm meeting tomorrow morning.”

It didn’t upset you in a jealous way, it upset you in a betrayal way, it upset you that he’d use you and kick you out.

“With who?” “Do you want me to take you home or are you calling a ride...I’ll pay.”

The headache depended as you leaned against the wall.

“Whatever, just-let’s go.”

What kind of hold did Kim Seokjin have over you, to treat you so shitty and still have you wrapped around his finger and cock at that.

“Don’t pout.” He thumbed your lower lip.

Pulling your chin he pecked your lips, “I’ll treat you to lunch tomorrow hm?”

“And after we can come back here....that make you feel better my best girl?”

He chuckled pulling you out of his apartment by the hand.

“No matter what you think, you’re perfect, I just love the way you make me feel I could love you.”

He loves you, that’s the hold he has on you, and he’ll do anything to make you believe It.