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lindasipsandspills · 1 month

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A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees

By Yoshida Kenko

General Information

Edition:

Translated by Meredith McKinney under Pinguin Books as a Pinguin Classics.

"Selection taken from Essays in Idleness (Tsurezuregusa), which was probably written around 1329-31."

Author:

Urabe Kenkō, also known as Yoshida Kenkō, or simply Kenkō, was a Japanese author and Buddhist monk. He was allegedly born in 1283 and died in 1352 in Japan. His most famous work is Tsurezuregusa, one of the most studied works of medieval Japanese literature.

Short Synopsis (via goodreads):

'It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met...' Moonlight, sake, spring blossom, idle moments, a woman's hair - these exquisite reflections on life's fleeting pleasures by a thirteenth-century Japanese monk are delicately attuned to nature and the senses.

Page count:

51 paper pages.

Trigger warnings:

Misogyny, alcohol consumption, social anxiety.

Initial thoughts post-read:

This work serves as a powerful reminder that not all creations of a writer necessitate publication. Were they the next Sokratis or Plato? Certainly not, and Kenko himself knew it. He explicitly stated that these writings were intended solely for his own consumption. So why, then, override his wishes and publish them? While certain passages may spark conversation, do they offer a singular thought that could only be derived from his mind? Doubtful.

You'll find some solid life advice here and the thoughts of someone who's had the luxury to really mull over life's big questions through deep introspection. Yet, beyond that, there appears to be little else. The text reflects the contemplations of someone who has had the time and privilege to ponder the essence of their existence. But is there profundity here beyond personal reflection? It's hard to say. This text is more about personal reflection than groundbreaking insight.

Quotes:

[...] but such a friend is hard to find, and instead you sit there doing your best to fit in with whatever the other is saying, feeling deeply alone. (page 7)

After all, things thought but left unsaid only fester inside you. So, I let my brush run on like this for my own foolish solace; these pages deserve to be torn up and discarded, after all, and are not something others will ever see. (page 10)

We long to leave a name for our exceptional wisdom and sensibility - but when you really think about it, desire for a good reputation is merely revelling in the praise of others. (page 16)

In general, I find that reasonably sensitive and intelligent people will pass their whole life without taking the step they know they should. (page 19)

'A beginner should not hold two arrows,' his teacher told him. 'You will be careless with the first, knowing you have a second. You must always be determined to hit the target with the single arrow you shoot, and have no thought beyond this.' (page 25)

It is because they have no fear of death that people fail to enjoy life - no, not that they don't fear it, but rather they forget its nearness. (page 26)

'While he's up there among the trecherous branches I need not say a word - his fear is enough to guide him. It's in the easy places that mistakes will always occur.' (page 28)

There is so much talking when people get together. It is exhausting, disturbs the peace of mind and wastes time better spent on other things. (page 39)

#aesthetic #book classics #book commentary #book criticism #book recommendations #books #book review #bookblr #books & libraries #books and reading #yoshida kenko #a cup of sake beneath the cherry trees #pinguin books #pinguin classics #N°11 #book quotes #book blog #bookish

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motherinsunday · 9 months

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today has been... well, great.

i did what i thought best for work and it was a little hectic because my work partner called in for sick but i got it handled.

then i went home, showered, went out again to kebun buku and i feel like i made the best decision that night.

spent some time reading, randomly found a good one to read titled "a cup of sake beneath the cherry trees"

ordered mango kombucha, and the people there were good, nyanyi dan gitaran, from local indo song, pop western songs, french to japanese idk man i just feel content and i was present and im happy

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scottquinnpoet · 2 years

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A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees - Kenkō

#Kenkō #literature #poetry #essay #words

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proseymosey · 3 years

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Shelf Confidence BPC | April 2021 | Day 6 | Reflection “It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met.”

#shelfconfidenceBPC #shelf confidence #A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees #Kenko #Yoshida Kenko #Japanese essays #middle ages literature #Japanese literature

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larmoyante · 5 years

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It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met.

Yoshida Kenkō, A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees

#lit #yoshida kenko #a cup of sake beneath the cherry trees

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lunarstudiesblog · 6 years

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it is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met.

yoshida kenkō // a cup of sake beneath the cherry trees

#quote #kenko #a cup of sake beneath the cherry trees #studyblr #langblr #writeblr #japanese #japan #monk #writing #bookblr #buddhism #buddhist

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thomastherhymer · 6 years

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Are blossoms and the moon merely things to be gazed at with the eye? No, it brings more contentment and delight to stay inside the house in spring and, there in your bedroom, let your heart go out to the unseen moonlit night.

Kenkō, A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees

#reading #kenko #kenkō #a cup of sake beneath the cherry trees

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ponderings-of-a-wildflower · 5 years

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If our life did not fade and vanish like the dews of Adashino’s graves or the drifting smoke from Toribe’s burning grounds, but lingered on for ever, how little the world would move us. It is the ephemeral nature of things that makes them wonderful. - A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees, Yoshida Kenkō

#ocean #stormy #wave dance #yoshida kenkō #a cup of sake beneath the cherry trees

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handwrittenletterstothemoon · 7 years

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"What a strange folly...jotting down at random the idle thoughts that cross my mind"

#kenko #a cup of sake beneath the cherry trees #penguin classics #books #aesthetic #currentlyreading #adminOR

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anywherebuthere · 3 years

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I had a dream about you last night || j.p.

James Potter x fem!reader

“Even when you’re gone, you are all that haunts my dreams.”

Wordcount: 1969

A/N: Happy (belated) birthday to the only man ever <33 I am illiterate, so I had a mental breakdown writing this <3 please enjoy!! special thanks to @anchoeritic and @gxtitobxby for supporting me via discord and for making fun of the time I got hit by a car :)) @skullsontess07 I finally posted it pls don’t hurt me <33

Warnings: alcohol, allusions to sex, death, bad writing, especially towards the end. barely proofread because I don’t believe in mistakes <3 /j

Please do not repost this!! I do not consent to this piece of fiction being published on any other site besides tumblr unless it by my doing.

The ticking of the grandfather clock thrummed in James’ ears as he tipped back the empty bottle, the smell of whiskey heavy in the air. He leaned his head against the cold surface of the white plaster wall, scanning the textured ceiling with misty eyes. His home, still half furnished, was riddled with traces of something better forgotten. Even with the weight of alcohol on his breath, his mind is running with memories and daydreams of her.

He closed his eyes, forcing the imagery away. In the distance, a train chugged on, its lone whistle echoing in the night, and James can’t help but be pulled into an uneasy slumber, memories still flashing through his mind like a broken film.

“Prongs, you git! We’re going to miss the train if you don’t hurry your fat arse.” Remus shouted, frustration seeping into his humoured voice.

“Relax Moony, we’ll be fine,” he replied, breath heaving slightly from sprinting across Platform 9¾, just narrowly having avoided knocking over an elderly witch.

As the four boys approached the entrance of the cart, the train’s departing whistle blared. They boarded quickly, though not without receiving a glare from a crew member.

Hurrying down the corridor, the boys glanced through every compartment window, though each appeared to be full of giggling sixth years. That is, with the exception of one.

Near the back end of the Hogwarts Express, was, at last, an empty compartment save for a singular figure slumped against the window. With no other choice of seating, the gaggle of boys slipped in silently, Sirius and Remus snagging the seats opposite to the slumbering girl, their pinkies linked as they whispered conspiratorially amongst themselves.

Peter, as adverse to the female race as ever, took the seat closest to the door, leaving James to be wedged between the mousy blonde and the stranger, careful not to bump her with his broad shoulders.

The train ride was filled with hushed whispers as the marauders discussed this year's prank for the welcoming feast, a customary tradition they held sacred, as to “start the year right.”

As they began going over the mechanisms of their plan, they felt the train begin to swerve as it approached a sharp turn. The compartment shook slightly and James suddenly felt a weight on his right side.

He stiffened, glancing over to see that the girl’s head had lulled over from the compartment wall and onto his shoulder. James recognized her as a student in their year. Y/N, who had tutored Regulus the same day that James had helped Sirius prank him as petty revenge for a now long-forgotten argument.

And well, perhaps James had wanted her to notice him for once. If so, it had been a successful endeavour as he remembered the way her face had contorted in anger, though her attention had remained just as elusive for the remainder of their fifth year. So… perhaps not so successful.

He flushed at the memory. She was now even prettier than the year prior.

“Oh? Is that a blush we see, Moony?” Sirius taunted, nudging Remus with his elbow as he snickered at James’ scowl.

“Bloody hell, piss off, will you? You’ll wake her–”

He felt her suddenly stir beside him, brows creasing as though on the cusp of consciousness.

James held his breath.

The moment passed as Y/N nudged her face further into the crook of his neck before settling back into a peaceful slumber.

Perhaps he wouldn’t need the prank to start the year right this time around.

It seemed that sixth year would be a good one for James.

In the early morning of a mid-March day, an unlikely scene unfolded between the shelves of Hogwarts’ library. There he sat beside a bleary Y/N, voice still drowsy with sleep as she read aloud a passage from the Herbology textbook perched between them.

Initially, James had detested the thought of having to wake up at such an ungodly hour for the sake of a project. No other time had fit, not with his Quidditch practices and her absurd number of tutoring sessions.

Though now, as the early rays of sunrise filtered through the library’s mullioned windows onto her skin, James thinks that there is nowhere else he would rather be.

He thinks this moment will be ingrained in his mind forever.

“–once a century, the Flutterby bush produces flowers able to attract the unwary.” she paused to yawn, eyebags evident as she turned to meet James’ gaze. She scrunched her nose and he swore he swooned at the very sight. “Are you even listening to me, Potter?”

“I’m always listening to you,” he replied, tilting his head. She grins in response and he notices just how beautiful it is.

She shifted her gaze back to the textbook lying in their laps, picking up where she had left off.

“Its scent adapts–”

James leaned forward suddenly, capturing her lips in his. The book fell closed between them.

Immediately, almost though by instinct, Y/N reciprocates, moving her lips gently against his as her hand cups his cheek. James finds himself gripping that hand as his other wraps around her waist, finding the small of her back and pulling her impossibly close against him.

She tasted of cherry chapstick and peppermint bubblegum, and though there was nothing particularly special about those flavours, on her, James swears that he could drown in his intoxication alone. Her perfume wafts through the air, the scent causing him to groan against her mouth.

When they separated at last, his head was swimming in euphoria, his expression dazed. Y/N blinked up at him, sleep wiped entirely from her expression.

“Its scent adapts itself during these times to attract said unwary.” she finishes, sounding breathless still, voice trailing off as James began to laugh hysterically.

She rolled her eyes, smiling sheepishly.

When James still couldn’t stop laughing, Y/N gripped his haphazardly tied red and gold tie, using it to pull his soft lips against hers once more and he was sure in his mind that there would no one else for him.

Beneath a great oak tree in the courtyard lay two figures. Under the tree’s twisting branches, they hid in its cool shade from the sweltering afternoon sun. Few places aside from the castle offered shelter from June’s blistering heat and as the semester approached its end, they finally allowed themselves to rest in the gentle breeze.

James was leaning against the thick trunk while Y/N’s head lay in his lap. His elbow was resting on her abdomen as she drew on his hand, doodling intricate flower designs alongside some… less desirable things.

He felt his heart swell with joy as her laughter filled the summer air and before he could catch himself, he blurted out the thought that had been weighing in the back of his mind since they had started dating.

“Do you ever think about your future?"

He felt the scratch of her muggle pen slow, as though pausing in thought.

"I want to grow old and die surrounded with people I love, knowing I lived a long and fulfilling life. You know, typical boring stuff," she replied after a moment's consideration. Her eyes twinkled with more, though Y/N never indulged in half-thought-out plans.

"What about you?" she questioned with the tip of her head. James didn’t need time to think about it. He had known his answer since that fateful September morning when she had slept on his shoulder throughout the entirety of the train ride.

"I don't care what my future is as long as you're there" he answers truthfully.

Y/N flushed, her ears heated. She looked away, the corners of her lips turning up in the barest hint of a smile.

James freed his hand from her loose grasp, hooking her chin to look back towards him before leaning in to kiss her.

Even after all these months, he relished in the taste of her lips. He doubts he’ll ever be able to get enough of the feeling.

He doubts he’ll ever be able to get enough of her.

The sun was setting in the west on a quiet evening, its golden rays shining on the slick skin of two lovers as they untangled themselves from the sheets, unable to hold in their laughter when one got his foot stuck in the knot of their crochet blanket.

The air hung heavy with the scent of sweat and endorphins as Y/N laid back, her body still bare, not bothering to cover it.

James propped his elbow beside her head, careful not to press on her spread-out hair, his face filled with ecstasy and pure bliss.

He will never get used to the sight of her in his bed, giggling as the sun reflected off her silky skin. The image of her underneath him is cemented in his mind, permanently lodged there as solid as concrete. He knows now with absolute certainty that there would be no one else for him.

James’ smile widened further as he nudged his nose into the crook of her neck, leaning in to place a kiss there when his vision blurred.

It was no longer sunset. Rather, the two of them were now enveloped in the dark of night and James is certain he hears the echo of a familiar spell ring off in the distance.

He pulls away from Y/N’s neck.

She was no longer shaking with laughter, but rather, writhing in pain. There were lacerations all across her torso and James felt something sticky underneath his hands.

They were laying in a pool of her blood.

Panic clawed at his throat and though he had never been averse to the sight of blood, yours was an exception. The taste of bile clung to his tongue.

“No... No no no no no,” he whispered in disbelief. Swivelling his head, outside the window, he spots a cloaked figure wearing a mask of silver disapparate.

“No!”

Grasping for the wand strapped to his side, he murmurs a healing spell, gasping for breath when the wounds remain open. His head was spiralling as Y/N shook her head almost imperceptibly, grabbing at his wrist with a shaking hand.

Carved into her arm was the word “MUDBLOOD” and James felt his vision turn red, suddenly hyper-aware of the blood pumping through his veins.

“James…” she rasped. He gripped her shaking hand.

“Why isn’t it working? Why?” he cried, tears streaming down his face, struggling to breathe.

“Whatever our souls are made of,” she gasped, blood spurting out of her mouth. Her beautiful mouth, the one that tasted of cherries and peppermint, was covered in thick, crimson blood. “you and I are connected.”

“No! Stop with this rubbish, you’re not going to die!” he sobbed, gripping her bloodied hand like a vice. She continued as though he hadn’t even spoken.

Perhaps she was too far gone to hear him.

“Wh-whatever is beyond this life,” violent ruby coated her mouth as she coughed, blood splattering onto her smooth skin. “Promise me, y-you’ll find me again.”

“I promise,” he cried, sobs racking through his body.

But she was already gone.

James woke with a start, gasping for breath with the taste of blood and “promise” still coating his tongue. He was alone in a house built for two.

In his fitful sleep, he had knocked over the empty bottle of whiskey beside him.

She had hated whiskey.

Had.

A fresh wave of misery washed over James, adding to the dull pain that never seemed to go away, throbbing through him as naturally as the blood in his veins. It wasn’t enough that she existed still within every corner of their shared home.

Even in his dreams, he is haunted by her memory.

ㄧ

@catching-the-train-to-hogwarts

#james potter x reader #james potter x y/n #james potter x you #james potter angst #james potter fluff #harry potter imagine #james potter fic #james potter x reader angst #james potter x reader fluff #james potter x muggleborn #james potter x muggleborn reader #caz's top notch fic recs

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nobeerreviews · 3 years

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It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met.

-- Yoshida Kenkō, A cup of sake beneath the cherry trees

#book #yoshida kenko #quote #evening photography #alone

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coinywords · 2 years

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“All desire is delusion. If desires arise within you, realize that they spring from your lost and deluded mind, and ignore them all.”

A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees

Kenko

#quotation #quote #life #japan #japanese literature #death #desire

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yubgam · 2 years

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12,23,25💞💞💞

wow! i didn't expect any questions!! 🥺🌸💕

12. book with food in the title

i'll cheat on this one and say A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees by Kenko,,,,,,,,, no but i spared a few dollars to buy this at the store for aesthetic purposes but i actually really enjoyed it. he had some good points to make about life.. (i was thinking about this qs really hard and almost wrote a Banana Yoshimoto...)

23. book currently on the tbr

there's a tall stack of tbr in the corner of my room right now.... Two on a Tower by Thomas Hardy is currently there and, as of about half an hour ago, Stoner by John Williams also got added to the list although i'll have to find a way to get a copy of that first ...

25. book by favourite author

i'm not sure i have a favourite author ,,........ i read 4 Dostoyevskys back-to-back but i'm not prepared to die for any for them 🥴🥴 i'll say Richard Siken's Crush! so typical so predictable so 2016... but i just cannot deny it fundamentally changed the way i wrote and viewed writing in general. i know this experience is not unique to me though lololol

#it really is a girl and her books

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thiswasinevitableid · 3 years

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Prompt #15 Danbrey if you're feeling up to it! (NSFW or SFW! Your choice!) Hope you're having a nice day :)

Thank you! I went with SFW

Prompt 15: Nymph

Normally, Aubrey would obey the “no fires” warning sign at the edge of the woods. Both because she’s all about respecting nature and also she doesn’t want another safety lecture from Duck. Her roommate needs to study in their dorm, and she really, really needs to practice this set of tricks for her show in a few weeks.

The card and sleight of hand tricks go well, but when she segues into her fire illusions it all goes wrong. All her flash paper gets tangled in a vine that swears wasn’t there a minute ago and any time she generates so much as a spark a bunch of leaves fly into her face.

“Ugh, come on, work with me here.”

“No.”

She spins around and discovers a tree is talking to her.

“Please work with me here?”

Golden eyes appear in the trunk, “No. You’re using fire. In the woods. The very flammable woods. So, sorry, but as long as I’m around you don’t get to run around throwing sparks.” The voice moves closer and Aubrey understands her eyes were playing tricks on her; it’s a young woman about her age who, up until a moment ago, was camouflage against the tree trunk. Her hair fades from speckled brown to blonde, and her skin is broken up in markings of different colors. Aubrey vaguely remembers Duck telling her that was how some predators avoid being seen in the forest, and wonders if she should be worried rather than noticing how her audience of one looks cute even with her arms crossed in annoyance.

“I’m sorry, I just really need to practice for my magic show because if I bomb it’s gonna suck and no one will ever book me again. So like, what if I promise to keep the sparks small?”

The woman shakes her head. Before Aubrey can react, branches reach down and pick up all her supplies, dangling them out of reach.

“Hey!”

“I’m not giving them back unless you say you’ll stop with the fire.”

“It’s flash paper, it barely produces any sparks at all!” She jumps, misses her deck of cards, jumps again and promptly collides with her tormentor, sending them both to the ground.

“Oops.” She tries on her best smile as the woman blinks up at her. Pink flowers bloom up her arms, which is just so fucking cool.

“Are you, like, a wood nymph or something?”

“I’m a dryad, but I think humans just call anyone who lives in the trees nymphs, so that works too.”

“That’s amazing. I wish I could do real magic. Maybe not plant magic because of my whole persona, but any kind would be super rad. Oh!” she sits up, allowing the nymph to do the same, “I know, what if you stayed and watched me practice? That way if the sparks land somewhere they shouldn’t, you can just smoosh them out like you have been. Or we could take turns doing tricks? Not that, like, your magic is like a parlor trick, but more like we could each take turns showing off? What do you think?”

“I think…” the nymph toys with a strand of hair, which shimmers to light green as she walks past a new stand of shrubs, “I think I’m not doing a great job chasing you off. But I also don’t think I want to?” She gives Aubrey a shy smile, “will you do that trick with the rings again?”

Aubrey does a mental fist-pump as her supplies are once again within reach, “You got it.”

----------------------------------------------------

“Dani, look!” Aubrey holds the pet carrier up to the tree, “I brought my assistant to meet you.”

“Wrong tree, Aubrey.” The nymph appears to her right.

“Dang. I thought I was getting better at spotting you.”

“You’ve done it on the first try twice this week, which is better than basically any other human has ever done.” They sit on the grass, which thanks to Dani’s intervention no longer irritates Aubrey’s skin or has unwanted bugs in it. She reaches into the carrier, rubbing the white rabbit’s nose “this is Dr. Harris Bonkers, right?”

“Yep! Thank you for using his full name; he worked hard for the diploma.”

Dani laughs in a way that suggests she understands this is a joke but not what the joke is.

“Do you want to let him out? He could nibble grass while we talk.”

“Um, I mean, he’d love that. Right up until something ate him.”

“Here, I have an idea.” Dani twirls a finger, sending up walls and ceilings out of woven branches until she, Aubrey, and the rabbit are in a beautiful gazebo of greenery.

“Wow.” Aubrey whispers as Dr. Harris Bonkers leaves his carrier to happily munch the grass and clover.

Dani scoots closer, “Hey, Aubrey, what’s your favorite flower?”

“I like, um, I think they’re called Penstemons? I also really like cherry blossoms but they’re not in-” The entire roof of the gazebo explodes in pink petals, “season.”

Dani winks, sending the walls into bloom with bright red and deep orange flowers, “they are now.”

----------------------------------------------------------

“Can I open my eyes yet?” The nymph sits on a tree-stump, fingernails still painted deep green from two nights ago. She and Aubrey spent until about two in the morning in the nymphs’ house, since she wanted to see how human sleepovers differed from dryad ones. Aubrey suspects they both played up how much cuddling between attendees was normal for the sake of being closer.

“Not yet, lemme just get this--hah, okay, you can look now!”

Dani uncovers her face and daffodils burst through the ground at her feet.

Aubrey smirks, spins in her new stage outfit: a satin, flame red top, black jacket, black skirt, sparkly red fishnets, and her Doc Martens, “ta dah!”

“Wow.” Dani sighs, but says nothing else, making Aubrey a little self-conscious

“It really looks good?”

“It looks amazing, fireblossom. No one will be able to take their eyes off you.”

The nickname makes Aubrey’s face match her shirt, “Are you sure you don’t want to come? We could, like, get you a seat in a corner or something so no one would notice you look a little plant-like.”

“I wish I could, Aubrey. But I’ve got work to tend to out here. Plus, I’d be so excited to see you up there, impressing everyone, that I’d fill the whole theater with roses before I knew what I was doing.”

“Good point.” Aubrey sags a little; she’s so pumped for the show, but all she can think about is proving to Dani that all her time practicing in front of her paid off.

“Hey” Dani hops up from her seat, cups one of Aubrey’s cheeks and kisses the other one. It tingles, like rubbing a mint leaf between her fingertips, “good luck tonight.”

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The show goes better than expected. There are some hiccups in her first two tricks, but her friends are in the front row and cheer her on as she gets the hang of things. By the time she hits her fiery finale, she has the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand like they’re Dr. Harris Bonkers.

“You did great!” Duck bear hugs her in the green room as Barclay hands her flowers.

“Glad you think so! And, um, thanks you guys. It means a lot that you gave up your Saturday night to come see my act.”

“You know we’d never miss it” Mama hugs her, “we;re so proud of you kiddo, forging your own path like this.”

“And it seems we are not the only ones who enjoyed the show. Look.” Indrid holds up a second bouquet. Tucked among the pink blooms is a card reading “fireblossom.”

“That from the gal you were tellin me about?”

“Yeah” Aubrey cradles the bunch of cherry blossom stems, “she couldn’t make it tonight but, um, I hope she can meet you guys soon. I think you’ll like her. Especially you, Duck, she’s super into plants.”

“Right on. Now, who’s up for some celebratoryholyshit” Duck stops abruptly in the door, “y’all, come look at this.”

The venue has several windows, since during the day it’s a cafe. One of these windows, with a clear view of the stage, is wreathed in honeysuckle. Stranger still is the path of flowers and leaves trailing from the crosswalk, down the opposite sidewalk, and into one of the pedestrian only paths that leads to the green belt around campus.

“Barclay?”

“Yeah, Aubrey?”

“Please put these in a vase for me.” Aubrey hands him her bouquets and sprints out the door, a rainbow of petals coating her shoes as she runs. Soon there are no streetlights to help her navigate, just the starlight and the river of greenery beneath her feet.

“Dani!”

The nymph, coaxing an ailing Elm back to health, turns in surprise. Aubrey throws her arms around her, ever changing hair catching in her face and mottled green dress soft under her hands.

“You came.”

Dani snickers, “what gave it away? The fact it looked like a meadow exploded downtown?”

Aubrey giggles, pulling back to bump their noses together, “Yeah. Just...what made you change your mind.”

The nymph caresses her cheek, fingers coming away glittering from her make-up, “I couldn’t stay away. I saw all the work that went into your act and, and I, uh, I’m also just so into you, fireblossom. I wanted to be there for you, even if I wasn’t in the room.”

Aubrey’s heart threatens to burst out of her chest. To keep that from happening, she pulls Dani into a kiss. The nymph laughs against her mouth, cups the back of her head and holds her there, teasing her tongue between her lips when Aubrey parts them. By the time they separate to breathe, the taste of orange blossoms is on her tongue and her fingers are tangled in gold-green strands of hair.

“Um, you can totally say no to this, but my friends and I are meeting at Mama’s place to celebrate the show going well. There would only be a few of us, and they’re all pretty chill.”

Dani tucks a flower behind Aubreys ear, “I’d love too, fireblossom. But first…” she grabs Aubrey, spinning and dipping her into another kiss, so deep that the stars in her eyes outshine the ones in the sky.

When the nymph guides her back up, both of them laughing in their embrace and all Aubrey can think to say is, “wow.”

#danbrey #aubrey little/dani #monster march #taz amnesty

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