#slice of life fantasy

[innocentlymacabre]

Due North [Part 1]: 8 Brook Way

30.07.21 | Part 0

Fantasy meets slice-of-life in the secretive, wonderous, and oddity-rich lives of the residents of Due North

8 Brook Way currently held the form of a picturesque cottage, the likes of which can be found front and centre of just about every children’s book. It was quaint, simultaneously large and small, and somehow smelled wonderfully of fresh baked cookies even empty. It had taken on several forms over its extremely long life, several far more interesting than the one it currently donned, but its walls were presently abuzz with murmurs of excitement nonetheless.

8 Brook Way was no longer empty, and its new residents, Alberto Zecca and Isabella Autin, fawned over the shape it had taken for them. A tree, the type of which eluded every botanist that had ever attempted to classify it, stood guard from the backyard garden, its branches graciously extending to the perimeter, keeping time with the wind. It sang with the wind, hundreds of voices chiming in to make one, beautiful harmony that wafted throughout town, a siren call rumoured to be able to lift the spirits of those in mourning or even heal a broken heart. Ivy crawled across the bounding walls, weaving into its very make, and small, almost imperceptible paw prints and claw marks were pressed on top. The ivy snaked and stretched underground, far further down than anyone had ever explored, secrets resting on its every strand.

8 Brook Way was the only house in its vicinity, forming a sort of block of its own, and Brook Way was the closest street to the house, rather than the one it was on. The actual Brook Way skipped the number eight, an oddity that had led to several confused new postmen. Alberto and Isabella didn”t mind the confusion in the slightest – in fact, Alberto said it was one of the endless positives that came with the house.

Having moved in only a few hours ago, the pair were lounging on a chesterfield sofa that came with the house, in the otherwise almost unfurnished living room. The full moon shone brilliantly through the glass wall opposite them, the silver light falling delicately on each surface. Beyond it lay a presently untended garden, the moon’s light dipping and diving between its weeds and many, many secrets that Number 8 couldn’t wait for the residents to uncover.

It seemed though, it would have to wait. Tonight, the residents stayed indoors, unknowingly nested amidst the liveliest walls in the house.

Liking the story? Consider reblogging so it can reach a wider audience! 💜 Continue reading below :)

“I really don’t want to cook tonight,” Alberto complained.

“Yeah, I’m too tired too,” Isabella agreed. “What about that diner we passed on the way in? Something with an O,” she said, desperately trying to picture the wooden sign jutting out of the doorway. “Oh, it’s no use. We went by so quickly, the only thing I remember is that it was painted blue and green.”

“What about pizza? There’s always pizza.”

“But…diner!” Isabella protested, always having adored a good diner. “Come on, let’s just walk around town. It’s a small place, we’re bound to find it eventually.”

Alberto begrudgingly conceded, which is how they found themselves face to face with a man in a suspiciously large trench coat, asking for directions after having gone down three long, wrong roads. Isabella suspected he was hiding snakes under that coat, judging by the suspicious hissing sounds interspersing his speech, but the fact that said speech seemed to be exclusively rhymes annoyed her more. His confusing aid, if you could even call it that, led them to yet another wrong street.

They did, of course, eventually make it to the diner – “Ossario’s! I told you it had an O!” – after being seemingly guided by a particularly friendly dog. As they approached the establishment, Alberto thought he saw the paint of the building shimmering and changing colour slightly but dismissed it as hunger (and slight annoyance at Isabella’s insistence on eating at the diner, if he was honest).

The woman behind the wrap-around counter introduced herself as Alecia Ossario, the owner of the diner. If you passed her on the street, she would most likely end up as nothing more than a face you see in a dream and wake up trying to place. Yet, for some indescribable reason, both Alberto and Isabella couldn’t help but be drawn to her, intrigued by the notion of her very existence. The room’s light seemed to bend around her, respectfully leaving her untouched; but rather than leave her shrouded in the dark, she shimmered as she moved.

“I’m Isabella and he’s Alberto. We just moved in.”

“Berto and Bella – how sweet! I didn’t know number eight had gone to such a lovely couple,” Alecia said with a smile. She smiled with her eyes, her genuineness probably the only reason Bella noticed them. She couldn’t be sure because it really wasn’t the sort of thing you saw very often, but she swore she saw her eyes change colour.

“Oh! Oh, no,” Berto countered, a little tired of the same song and dance over and over again. “We’re not a couple.”

“Definitely not,” Bella picked up, easing him of the burden of explanation. “He’s a writer, and I’m an artist, so we can both work from wherever we want, as long as his editor and my gallery get something every now and then. “Wherever we want” just so happens to coincide, so we moved in together to save money.”

Alecia seemed impressed and asked a little about their work, Bella noticing each time her eyes changed colour, before segueing into their orders.

“We’re starved,” Bella blurted out before Berto had a chance to ask for a menu. “Whatever can be made the fastest.”

“Burgers and chips coming right up,” Alecia noted, turning to the kitchen.

The moment she was out of earshot, Bella pulled Berto in close. “Dude! Did you see –”

“Her eyes?” Berto interjected, nodding vigorously. “Yeah, I saw ‘em too. You know what else? I saw the paint on the outside change colour too.”

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thanks for reading! this is a seven-part series I'll be releasing week-on-week. if you'd rather not wait, you can grab the whole thing here for the low low price of one (1) email address! it’s a big, 33-page PDF, so you’ll get plenty of bang for your non-buck - whatcha waiting for?

Update: PART 2

my writing is entirely reader-supported, so I’d be thrilled if you could drop a coin or two into my tip jar! :) annnnnd I may or may not slip a couple of for-your-eyes-only book bundles under the table as a little thanks ;)

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[jacktheeldergod]

Bread

✦ Bread ✦

[signourneybooks]

Cozy Fantasy Book Tag

On this fine Sunday I thought it was time for a book tag. I still have some backlog book tags I’d like to get to anyway. Yes I do have a bunch saved in my email folder. Shhh. And what better kind of book tag for a Sunday than one about cozy fantasy. I like cozy SFF and slice of life SFF, though they are not the same thing to me. I might write something about that in the future. But for now we…

[skittykittybean]

Woah hey! Did I ever tell anyone that I’m a writer? :3

Well, now I am! Just posted my first story onto VoyceMe for a competition they’re doing. Part of the judging criteria is view numbers. Every click counts!!

(Though reads are appreciated too! X3)

[cracklewink]

some sketches of my guy

[iluumey]

happy pride month to toxic doomed yuri (frostkettle)

[hattiestgal]

Dragons Roar

[elizabugz]

Some silly little ghibli + rain pfps <3

From: Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, Arrietty, and two from My Neighbour Totoro

[doctorblanket]

The Doll Who Dared to Love Animatic

DoctorBlanket.com to get the book!

Title: The Doll Who Dared to Love

Author: Macee Carson

Synopsis:

Traumatized and tormented – is there a hero strong enough to help?

Born of candle wax and dark magic, Ipris hasn’t had a great start to life. From the very beginning, everything just went wrong … the spell, her purpose, that wicked creator, … and then the dark, cold closet where she felt so alone. But things are about to change for this shy and sweet candlewax golem. Luis Rockwell, a dragon humanoid adventurer with a big heart, has come to rescue Ipris and protect her from any more trauma. Is Luis the right adventurer to take on such a complex quest? Can he help Ipris find her place in a world that doesn’t want her? Or has she suffered too much trauma to ever fully heal? Find out in this fantasy, slice-of-life progression story, which explores the journey of self-discovery and the consequences of loyal friends.

Art by @the_ninja_called_basilisk on instagram!

[mangadore]

[innocentlymacabre]

Steadman Hirsch, premier and proudest realtor in all of Due North, stood in front of his latest job-well-done. Handy job, real estate. Supported his lifestyle quite well, what with everyone always welcoming him in with open arms and big, teeth-baring smiles.

This particular listing was a particular brand of fantastic. 8 Brook Way. Oh, if these walls could talk! (The fact that some of these walls could, in fact, talk, had no bearing on Steadman Hirsch’s use of the expression, for he was born with a rare condition preventing him from recognising any sort of irony whatsoever.)

Continue Reading

[jean-wei]

Another one! This one's from 2021. Just corny vibes, no big story. : ) You can read Phrasebook vol 1 here, and vol 2 here. If you feel so inclined, you can buy digital PDFs of all of the comics on my web shop!

I'll get vol 4 done ... eventually... someday... hahahahahahah! It's been quite a while. Aiming for 5-6 in total i think. We'll see what happens!

[signourneybooks]

Of Knights and Books and Falling in Love | Book Review

Book: Of Knights and Books and Falling in Love by Rita A. RubinRelease Date: June 29th 2023Tags: New Adult | High Fantasy | Slice of Life Fantasy | Cozy Fantasy | M/M Romance Trigger/Content Warnings: Torture | War victims | Kidnapping Jayce has little memory of life before entering servitude to the Dark Lord, and no hope of ever escaping. Until he meets Alexius, the knight with a heart of gold.…

[havetsavain]

Welcome to Havetsavain Academy of Arcane!

Welcome to Havetsavain Academy of Arcane! A brand new middle grade fantasy academia book series! The first novel is out on pre-order now, releasing March 5th, 2025!

Here's a nice little Tumblr hub to post fun extras regarding the series, such as;

Audiobook previews

Aesthetic and moodboards

Fun Extras

General updates pertaining to the series!

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*Blurb*

Witches with pockets full of dollars were bound to dislike handling change. A notion for change floating around, manifesting worrisome whispers seem to have captivated the world. Springing out of the blue, a new institute has garnered little acclaim, but more than its share of controversy. Lying deep within the waters of the Bermuda Triangle: Havetsavain Academy of Arcane awaits its new students.  Experience the academy’s inaugural year through two sets of eyes from opposite worlds. One raised wild on the sea, the other driven to succeed on land. Pulled headlong into their new arcane potential, Millie and Ava navigate the curious school, surviving harrowing challenges every kid must face; monsters, magicks, and ballroom dates.

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Twitch Channel

Not only do we write the series, but also stream on Twitch voicing the two protagonists, Millie Lapahie and Ava Tahhan, along with many of the other characters from the series!

Feel more than free to hop on, hang out, and join us!

Fridays and Saturdays

5pmPST/7pmCST

If more interested, please visit us on any of our other socials!

Have it so fine at Havetsavain!

[jay5464]

Yin & Yang: Between the Moments of Life and Death---A Light Novel of Spiritual Romance and Action Available on Tapas Now!!

Yin and Yang, spirits who were the polar opposite yet the same. Their only purpose of existence was to ensure that the souls of the dead would pass on safely. This went on without change until one day, Yang was overcome with boredom and decided to disobey orders and step away from the gate.

As Yin runs up to try and stop her, a strange event occurs. The moment he grasped her hand, a vivid memory of their lives flashed in their eyes. Mesmerized by what they saw, they tried to make sense of it and find the truth about who they were when they were alive.

While successfully escaping from the Spirit World, they possess the bodies of two high schoolers——Mitsuki Risho and Higane Utose. This story is a romantic and action pact tale of two spirits in love trying to regain their memories while the forces of the other world try to bring them back by force. Can Yin and Yang find the truth in their story?

[elizabugz]