Tumgik
#I'd Rather Burn Than Bloom
the-dust-jacket · 4 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Huge congratulations to all those honored by the 2024 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature!
13 notes · View notes
richincolor · 10 months
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
New Releases
July is shaping up to be a great month for exciting YA reads! What's on your TBR list this month? Here are the new releases coming out tomorrow, 7/11!
I'd Rather Burn Than Bloom by Shannon C.F. Rogers
Packed with voice, this is a powerful coming-of-age YA novel about a Filipina-American teen who tries to figure out who she really is in the wake of her mother's death.
Some girls call their mother their best friend. Marisol? She could never relate. She and her mom were forever locked in an argument with no beginning and no end.
But when her mother dies suddenly, Marisol is left with no one to fight against, haunted by all the things that she both said and didn’t say. And when Marisol sleeps with her best friend's boyfriend—and then punches said best friend in the face—she's left alone, with nothing but a burning anger. And Marisol is determined to stay angry. After all, there’s a lot to be angry about. But as a new friendship begins to develop, Marisol reluctantly starts to open up to her, and to the possibility there’s something else on the other side of that anger—something more to who she is, and who she could be.
A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow
From the author of The Sound of Stars and The Kindred comes a YA space opera about a reincarnated god and a grumpy pilot on a mission to save a beloved space DJ and stop an intergalactic war.
Zaira Citlali is supposed to die. After all, she’s the god Indigo reborn. Indigo, whose song created the universe and unified people across galaxies to banish Ozvios, the god of destruction. Although Zaira has never been able to harness Indigo’s powers, the Ilori Emperor wants to sacrifice her in Ozvios’s honor. Unless she escapes and finds Wesley, the boy prophesized to help her defeat Ozvios and the Ilori, once and for all.
Wesley Daniels didn’t ask for this. He just wants to work as a smuggler so he can save enough money to explore the stars. Once he completes his biggest job yet—bringing wanted celebrity Rubin Rima to a strange planet called Earth—he’ll be set for life. But when his path crosses with Zaira, he soon finds himself in the middle of an intergalactic war with more responsibility than he bargained for. Together, Zaira, Wesley, and Rubin must find their way to Earth and unlock Zaira’s powers if they’re going to have any hope of saving the universe from total destruction.
All the Yellow Suns by Malavika Kannan
A coming-of-age story about a queer Indian American girl exploring activism and identity through art, perfect for fans of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
Sixteen-year-old Maya Krishnan is fiercely protective of her friends, immigrant community, and single mother, but she knows better than to rock the boat in her conservative Florida suburb. Her classmate Juneau Zale is the polar opposite: she’s a wealthy white heartbreaker who won’t think twice before capsizing that boat.
When Juneau invites Maya to join the Pugilists—a secret society of artists, vandals, and mischief-makers who fight for justice at their school—Maya descends into the world of change-making and resistance. Soon, she and Juneau forge a friendship that inspires Maya to confront the challenges in her own life. But as their relationship grows romantic, painful, and twisted, Maya begins to suspect that there’s a whole different person beneath Juneau’s painted-on facade. Now Maya must learn to speak her truth in this mysterious, mixed-up world—even if it results in heartbreak.
My Week with Him by Joya Goffney
From Joya Goffney of  Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, comes a stirring YA coming-of-age, best friends-to-lovers romance about a girl named Nikki who plans to run away from small-town Texas, but ultimately finds that her oldest friend, Mal, just might be the one who’s been there for her all along. Filled with heart and humor, this novel captures complex family drama, friendship, and love. For fans of  I Wanna Be Where You Are  by Kristina Forest and  Counting Down with You  by Tashie Bhuiyan.
Nikki can’t wait to leave Texas and follow her dreams of a music career . . . After a painful betrayal by her sister and a heated argument with their mother, Nikki is kicked out and finds herself homeless. She decides to go to California to pursue her singing career. When her best friend, Malachai, discovers her plan to flee Texas, he begs her to spend the remainder of spring break with him. He believes that over the course of a week, he can convince her to stay in Texas, or to at least graduate high school.
But their plans are interrupted when Nikki’s little sister Vae goes missing. Nikki is forced to work alongside her difficult mother as they set off in search of Vae, with Malachai’s support. Will Nikki find a reason to stay in Texas, or will this spring break be the last time she sees them? Through her emotional journey, Nikki ultimately finds the love she’s always been missing and discovers the power of her own voice.
20 notes · View notes
jessread-s · 11 months
Text
Tumblr media
Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
✩🎨🌄Review:
Rogers’ debut is a beautifully devastating novel that demands to be read. 
“I’d Rather Burn Than Bloom” follows Marisol Martin, a Filipina-American teen who tragically loses her mother to a car accident. Haunted by the an argument they had in their final moments together, Marisol clings to her anger to escape her sadness. She is determined to burn until the start of a new friendship convinces her otherwise.
This book really made me feel a wide spectrum of emotions, though I must confess that for the most part I was in a perpetual state of bawling my eyes out, which just goes to show how powerful this book is. Part of what makes it so powerful is the way the novel’s timeline is organized. Rogers alternates between the “then” and the “now,” dedicating whole chapters to Marisol’s memories of her mother. It was devastating to read about their tumultuous relationship in raw detail, but at the same time, I felt further connected to Marisol in learning about her past. 
An aspect of the novel I appreciated is the ways in which Rogers familiarizes her readers with Filipino culture. She does this through religious customs, but also primarily through food. Rogers describes the preparation of specific dishes and the community that is established during this process at length when Marisol’s mother was alive. As a result, the absence of Filipino food and the reliance on microwave meals after the passing of Marisol’s mother is jarring, so much so that Marisol questions whether she has lost the Filipino part of her identity entirely in losing her mother. 
Marisol’s story in “I’d Rather Burn Than Bloom” contributes to the conversation surrounding racial imposter syndrome in today’s society. Rogers did a fantastic job in shaping my understanding of this phenomenon— specifically who it impacts and what can be done about it. I highly recommend this book and intend to implement it in my classroom curriculum. 
Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph
3 notes · View notes
Text
I’d Rather Burn than Bloom
Tumblr media
I’d Rather Burn than Bloom by Shannon C.F. Rogers
Marisol knows she is a terrible Filipina daughter. After her mother’s tragic death, the anger that fueled her endless fights with her mom needs another outlet, so she turns against herself and all she loves, including her terrible sister and best friend. 
Told through chapters alternating between flashbacks and present day, author Shannon Rogers brings readers on a journey of healing. Themes of loss, substance abuse, self-love, generational trauma, and the pressures of being a first generation American are handled with an honesty and tenderness that will have readers rooting for Marisol. In the end, Marisol discovers what readers knew all along: that Marisol is deserving of love and forgiveness from her friends and family, but most importantly, from herself.
1 note · View note
shorlibteens · 6 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
New Book Tuesday! Bringing you a fresh, hot-off-the-shelf YA book recommendation every week.
This week, we're highlighting I'd Rather Burn Than Bloom by Shannon C.F. Rogers.
Marisol and her mom were forever locked in an argument with no beginning and no end. When her mother dies suddenly, Marisol is left with no one to fight against, haunted by all the things that she both said and didn't say. When Marisol sleeps with her best friend's boyfriend--- and then punches said best friend in the face--- she is left alone with nothing but a burning anger. As a new friendship begins to develop, Marisol reluctantly starts to open up to the possibility there's something else on the other side of that anger--- something more to who she is, and who she could be. Alternating between present day and flashbacks, multiracial Filipina-American teen Marisol tries to figure out who she really is in the wake of her mother's sudden death.
Swing by and pick it up at Shorewood Public Library!
0 notes
Photo
Tumblr media
I'd Rather Burn Than Bloom
By Shannon C.F. Rogers.
Cover art by Katty Huertas.
1 note · View note
parlerenfleurs · 11 months
Text
I don't follow the news but my beautiful boyfriend does, and I heard him sigh loudly and when I asked him he told me there was yet another guy who killed his wife.
I know from feminist activists and from the slogans (regularly defaced, another layer of violence) plastered on buildings that feminicides are frequent enough to warrant having their own word for it, intellectually. But I don't see the articles, and he does, and he told me that every other week there is such a case (and this just in France).
It's so classic too. She wanted to leave him. He shot her. So sadly classic as to be risible, except someone is dead.
But what guts me about this is not even the death of this poor woman, because I have to be numb about some things - it's the two conversations I've had only this year. With men. Who do not "understand the need for feminism". Who told me respectively that women are already equals, or that they have it better than men anyway "because they choose not to do the hard jobs they're not stupid whereas men, biologically, are driven to compete for reproduction and that's why they do the hard physical and mental jobs" (yeah. That was a whole headache).
And if I wanted to brutalise my own nature and actually absorb numerical facts and arguments that I could present, perhaps I would be better armed in these discussions (hardly discussions actually). But beyond the fact that it's pissing me off that I should fill my brain with distressing things to try to imbue stubborn people with a iota of empathy and actual truth, I know... that it wouldn't change anything.
That first guy, I told him about some (anecdotal, sure, but extremely damming) example of sexism that is literally invisible to men usually but by chance was exposed in this case, and he responded by entirely ignoring what I'd just said and veering the topic away - but in a manner and tone that made it sound like he was actually responding to my words. He was not.
It's so so so frustrating. And not in an angry kind of way, but in a desperate kind of way. Makes you want to become the very picture of an hysterical woman, except that game is rigged and you can't do that and be taken seriously.
I know that first guy did not retain anything from this conversation except to still think he was entirely right. He probably slept so peacefully that night meanwhile I'm still seething about it weeks later. The second guy was my [insert family tie here] so because we know each other, perhaps he's actually seething instead of me, who knows. Fortunately I ranted to a few people about him then got better. I think I prefer a blind propaganda-crazy person who has bashit-insane takes to a seemingly normal guy who cheerfully refuses to see how the women around him are hurting. And it only took one meal with them for me to see that he was casually oppressing his wife. In a very normal, very accepted manner, of course. Only mild disparaging of her passions and hobbies and only very normal ignoring of her preferences in their daily living and only very normal and casual letting her do some traditionally feminine chores while he doesn't feel compelled to do the same whatsoever. And THEN telling me he has never seen sexism in his family and circle.
1 note · View note
diejager · 3 months
Note
Okay so this is a character I have in the works but I'd love your interpretation.
What about a BunnyDragon!reader being introduced into the monster!141? Long drooping ears, a friendly temperament, spewing green flames that bring life and heal things rather than destroying them. But their claws and teeth just as sharp and deadly as any other dragon.
Rabid Cw: reader being a menace, fire, pyromaniac, tell me if I missed any.
Laughing, you dashed off, away from the mess you four created out of sheer boredom, green flames sparking and lingering on the corner of your lips were the only proof people had to link you to the few burning heaps around the base. Your ears flopped as you ran and hopped away, a skip in your feet and a bright smile splitting your face, flashing sharper than usual teeth at people who stood in your way. They all parted, little chuckles leaving their lips when they saw you, all used to your little pranks, the sly and mischievous gleam in your eyes when you got bored and the loud steps that followed you closely, either Price, Laswell or another superior chasing after you to scold you.
“Spread out!”
You separated from the others, taking your own path from the fork. Spreading out meant that it’d take more time to catch each and every one of you to bring to Price’s office, wasted time meant that you stalled your punishment and burned through Price’s anger and disappointment. You would rendezvous back on the roof or the airfield once you’d waited out long enough, or Price would hound you back to his office for a verbal lesson on behaving and not giving him and Laswell paperwork.
Which seemed to be your situation after he sent the others to find you, Soap brought back by the scruff by Ghost, Gaz by a stalking Horangi, Rudy by a snickering Alejandro and you by a touchy König. You sat on the armrest of the worn couch, giving space for your wings to breathe and flutter behind you, occasionally moving to soothe the small ache; and your tail to sway, moving back and forth on the floor like a dog wagging it’s tail. There was a slight excitement in your body, to see how Price would react to this stunt you pulled, bigger in scale and more obnoxious with the bright flowers and lively faun that bloomed after your flames died down.
“Want to explain it to me before we start?”
You all shared a look, seconds spent staring to convey a silent message that you all agreed on and that left you to work your magic. You gave him a cheeky grin, watching his eyes narrow and his arms cross before you stared your little explanation, going onto the blandness of the base, the sheer boredom you all felt and having to find something to occupy yourself with. You could feel disappointment ooze off Price in waves, his furrowed brows and shaking head to the small snickers and laughs from the men who caught you.
“You’ll be the death of me,” Price sighed, stepping away from his desk and moving towards you with big and quick strides.
You only smiled up at him, gazing at him through squinted and amused eyes, head perked up to his bowed figure, face nearing yours with a stoic expression.
“But you love me,” you let slip out, feeling especially cheeky and proud of your work, bringing life to a grey area.
“But I love you,” he agreed with a small smile, hitting your horns with his, a display of love and affection for dragons, “Doesn’t mean you’re not getting punished, any of you.”
Taglist : @craxy-person @crowbird @dead-cipher @iwannabealocalcryptid @iizx7y @mxtokko @capricorn-anon @perfectus-in-morte @sae1kie @yeoldedumbslut @bvxygriimes @distracteddragoness @konigsblog @angelcakes-22 @cassiecasluciluce @ramadiiiisme @ramblingsofachaoticthinker @im-making-an-effort @love-dove-noora @jinxxangel13 @daisychainsinknots @0alk0msan @mul-pi @danielle143 @beau-min @makayla-666 @urfavsunkissedleo @notspiders @brokenpieces-72 @luvecarson @petwifed @randominstake @heartelysia @jggykhug09090 @cassiecasluciluce @hayleybarnesx @shironasumi @sparky--bunny @bloobewy @call-me-nyxx @sans-chara @infpt-zylith @sweetnanah @aldis-nuts
556 notes · View notes
anxious-witch · 4 months
Text
Okay part two on Bojan's photoshoot analysis. Part one is here, so without further ado, let's get started.
As always these are entirety subjective and my own opinion, you are free to disagree and add on your thoughts as long as you aren't being a dick about it
Tumblr media
Starting off strong, we have Bojan, only in his underwear, smoking a cigaratte and looking into the camera.
His face is tortured, and he is smoking, implying once again, that he needs something to keep his feeling, his anxiety at bay. But you can still see his inner turmoil on his face.
His pose is more relaxed than I'd expect, though. He isn't flexing and despite being in only his underwear, his pose isn't drawing attention to his body. In that moment, he is vulnerable enough to expose it, and letting it be soft and real. Although his face makes me feel like this is due to exhaustion rather than true show of trust.
The flowers in the corner are very interesting too. Thank you to @theraggedygirl11 and @wild-joker-out-pleasures for helping me identify them as hydrangeas. I think this particular bit is very symbolic for Bojan here:
"The etymological meaning of hydrangea stems from the Greek words for water, hydros and jar, angos. It was given to the plant because of its shape resembling an ancient water pitcher. How fitting, since hydrangeas require constant moisture to stay happy, healthy and blooming.
While everyone seems to agree that hydrangea care includes a lot of watering, the symbolism of the flowers varies drastically between cultures. In Japan, the flower is associated with heartfelt emotion, understanding and apology. The Japanese emperor apparently made a lasting impression not only on his girlfriend’s family but also the rest of his empire. The hydrangea can further symbolize unity and togetherness.
Contrastingly, hydrangeas have a negative sentiment in Europe where they were used to declare arrogance and boastfulness. This association is based on the ability of the plant to produce many flowers but very few seeds. English men in the 1800s used to send hydrangeas to women who rejected them, accusing them of frigidity. Thanks to the Victorian men’s poor attitude and lack of empathy, it is believed that young women who grow hydrangeas in their front yard will never get married. In other words: if you’ve been unlucky in finding a partner, maybe you should check your grounds for hydrangeas."
And man, what a message to send! Once again, Damon plays with the duality of Bojan. Is he someone boastful, a playboy who cares about nobody, like so many people perceive him? Or is he heartfeal, and full of emotion?
Also to have a flower that needs constant water to bloom next to a man whose element in this photoshoot is fire? God, Damon, I am in your walls.
In all seriousness tho, Damon is very much not subtly implying that Bojan need to keep himself nourished on things that make him bloom, or he will burn out.
Tumblr media
This fuether repeats here. I already analyzed these photos in a previous part, but with this quote it confirms my above statement. Don't let your anxiety and expectations of others break your heart. You are allowed to be fragile and vulnerable. You have to be, or you'll get burned.
Tumblr media
God, these three. To start from the top one, once again we have a more rugged look from Bojan. I am not sure if he is wearing makeup, or if it's the light, but it looks like there is thick, black eyeliner framing his eyes. We also have spikes and a leather shirt. His arms are in a very boxy position, his hands behind his head and he is looking directly into the camera.
This pose actually reminds me of the pose one has to do before being arrested in the movies. Literally holding his hands behind his head. The defiant look on his face. Like he is surrendering, but it's against his will, he is still protesting this show of vulnerability. His defiant gaze seems almost taunting, almost asking if we are entertained by what we are seeing.
Also I know a lot of people said the addition of Slovenian flag feels random and goofy, but I'd say this shows how in a way, Bojan is carrying that weight of now forever representing Slovenia. They went to ESC, but Bojan never fully went back. He can't-now they are forever tied as a band that represents the country.
And that isn't a bad thing, but it's a pressure on his shoulders, a need to keep up the facade of a tough playboy everyone seems to want him to be.
Immediately followed by the picture on the bottom left. A literal scream, resembling the picture The Scream by Edvard Munch, which @reverse-strawberry-milk already pointed out. The weight of his emotions caught up to him, you can practically hear his torture scream here, the facade crumbling completely.
And then, a completely switch in the picture three. He is soft, trusting. Open. One of his eyes is even closed. He doesn't have to be fully focused on the camera. He doesn't have to play it up for the invisible crowd, he can just relax.
Tumblr media
And at last, these last three. First two play up with the elements we previously saw, first one show duality of Bojan's soft expression with such a rugged outfit, calling back to the broken hearted belt and fragility he feels he is destined to hide behind countless layers.
Second one features a cigarette again. Fire is dangerous, but so enticing, just as cigarettes are. How far are you willing to destroy and poison yourself to be entertaining? How much are you willing to burn out, to keep reaching out fir cigarettes to calm you, before you have to take a break and find a healthier way to deal with your anxiety?
Last one, an even fuller, better version of the soft picture from part one. He is wearing soft jumper Damon borrowed him, the one he feels safe in. This is not a face of someone who had a mental breakdown just moments before like in the black and white picture, no. This is full circle. Acceptance and healing. It's in color because Damon didn't want any harsh lines here, which happen in black and white even when the face is smoothed out.
No-this one is fully for Bojan to see himself in the best way he can be. Soft and trusting. "Promise me something? I'll keep creating for you and I. But you have to also. Go create. No boundaries. Let it all out."
What a way to show all that! Let it all out. All the anger, despair, anxiety, expectations. Because there is always softness underneath all that. When you strip all of it, what is left, but you?
Anyway, I got a bit carried away there at the end, my bad, but I genuinely adore the subtle storytelling Damon does via his photos. I love that Kris has a lot more separate headshots, while Bojan has several pictures all at once. Once again, a hint towards someone showing openness vs someone being torn between two possible versions of themselves.
As always, if you have ajy additional thoughts, feel free to add them, I love hearing other peoole's opiniom on this!
82 notes · View notes
woso-dreamzzz · 4 days
Note
how you do the lyric things for princesse, what about you’re on your own kid for bambi 😭
Another nerdy analysis!
TW for Bambi's eating disorder
Summer went away Still, the yearning stays I play it cool with the best of them Bambi's childhood leaving her after Jaume is born and how she just kind of accepts it while still yearning for attention she doesn't get
I wait patiently He's gonna notice me It's okay, we're the best of friends Anyway Bambi waiting on the attention from Alexia or at least any idea that Alexia still cares about her
I hear it in your voice You're smoking with your boys Alexia constantly being out with the team or with Olga and Jaume while Bambi is pushed to the side
I touch my phone as if it's your face I didn't choose this town I dream of getting out Bambi wishing she could stay with Alba and Jenni rather than going back to Alexia
There's just one who could make me stay All my days But Alexia's attention and love being offered makes it so easy for Bambi to go back to her
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes I waited ages to see you there Bambi's waited so long for the attention that she doesn't even care if it comes late just so long as she has it
I search the party of better bodies Just to learn that you never cared Bambi believing that Alexia never actually cared about her, that she was just the 'test run' so Alexia could be the perfect mother to Jaume
You're on your own, kid You always have been Bambi has always been isolated in her family, at least in her own opinion. She doesn't quite fit
I see the great escape So long, Daisy May I picked the petals, he loves me not Jenni taking Bambi to Mexico and Bambi coming to the conclusion that it's because Alexia doesn't love her
Something different bloomed Writing in my room I play my songs in the parking lot I'll run away Bambi further isolating herself further by choosing dance over football and the way it just pushes Alexia further away from her
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes I called a taxi to take me there Bambi might as well be taking herself to dance because Alexia would never stick around and she never fully knew Bambi's schedule
I search the party of better bodies Just to learn that my dreams aren't rare Bambi can never live up to Alexia's dreams of having a footballer daughter and they both have to come to terms with that
You're on your own, kid You always have been Bambi's always been fairly by herself. She's not the best socially so she doesn't really have friends when she's younger
From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this Bambi worked super hard to do ballet. She's truly sweat, cried and bled for her dance
I hosted parties and starved my body Like I'd be saved by a perfect kiss Bambi suffers with an eating disorder in both versions. She's truly starved her body before and she desperately craves someone taking care of her when she's an adult because for years she felt like she didn't deserve it
The jokes weren't funny, I took the money My friends from home don't know what to say All of the Barcelona girls not knowing how to react during Bambi's hoe era and when she brings much older women home
I looked around in a blood-soaked gown And I saw something they can't take away Bambi bleeding in her pointe shoes from practising too hard and just holding onto her dancing because it's the one thing that's been with her since she was very young
'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned Everything you lose is a step you take Alexia burning bridges by giving Bambi up in Jenni's Version and her actions towards Bambi burning bridges between her and Alba
So make the friendship bracelets Take the moment and taste it You've got no reason to be afraid Bambi growing up and dancing professionally. Coming out of her hoe era and meeting her girlfriend (depending on the version) and everything suddenly just making sense for her
You're on your own, kid Yeah, you can face this You're on your own, kid You always have been Alexia choosing to either keep or let Jenni keep Bambi but either way Bambi actually gets attention and begins to thrive. But the trauma stays with her forever
20 notes · View notes
ninemelodies · 5 months
Text
two worlds apart
written for doctordonna week 23 day one: fire/glow also on ao3
“Couldn’t you have picked a cooler time to visit?” Donna complains. “Even my eyelids are sweating, Doctor.” 
Behind her, the Doctor scoffs. “You’re the one who asked to see fireflies!” He steps out of the TARDIS, still clothed in his suit jacket and coat. He pulls the door closed behind him and turns to face Donna. With his hands on his hips, he begins a rather impressive imitation of Donna's voice. “Doctor, that last three planets you picked have been rubbish, it’s my turn to pick! I want to go see fireflies, a lot of fireflies, like that song.” He drops the accent and gestures to the landscape around them. “So here we are, in the middle of a field in the middle of summer because fireflies are most active during the summer. Which also reminds me - you really need to stop consuming media from your future.”
“Those planets were rubbish! We nearly got arrested! Three times!” Donna defends, and then, in a flash of childish annoyance, she sticks her tongue out at him. The Doctor returns the gesture. 
When she had first told the Doctor what she wanted to do, he had spent 30 minutes trying to convince Donna to go to some planet where there were literal fire flies. As in, flies that set themselves on fire when they died. Donna had found it a bit morbid and knew, with their luck, that a trip to that planet was likely to end with one or both of them missing their eyebrows. And now he wanted to try and warn her about spoilers? Traveling with him was one big spoiler! 
“Like I'm going to go home and copy down the entirety of a song to claim as my own before the original artist can make it.” Donna rolls her eyes. “I can promise you I'm not that talented. And besides, it’s not like I'd be getting rid of The Beatles or anything.” 
“That did happen once…” the Doctor mutters, but before Donna can ask him to explain, he’s already moving on. “Come on,” he says and begins trudging through the ankle high grass. “I know a good spot.”
“It better be worth it,” Donna threatens, but there’s no real heat behind her words. She follows behind him. Despite her complaints about the heat, the Doctor has taken her to a rather beautiful field. There are wildflowers blooming everywhere and the air is alive with the sounds of nature. Every step they take sends grasshoppers and other tiny green bugs scattering. If it wasn’t so bloody hot, Donna could imagine herself spending a lot of time here. 
They haven’t traveled far before the Doctor stops. There is a clearing in the field where the grass has been mostly flattened and nothing too prickly grows. The Doctor pauses and digs around in his coat pocket for a moment before he produces a blue and white checkered picnic blanket. He lays it out on the ground and then steps back. “Ladies first,” he says as he bows low and gestures to the blanket. 
“So you're finally recognizing my lady-like qualities, hm?” Donna asks. She settles cross-legged on the blanket and fans herself with her hand. 
“Oh,” the Doctor says, like he’s been reminded of something. He reaches a hand in his coat pocket and then continues reaching, until his arm up to his elbow is hidden from view. He digs around for a minute before he frowns and pulls back a bit. “Hang on.” Using his other hand, he reaches over and pulls the pocket open further. He digs for just a moment longer before he pulls his hand out with a triumphant noise. In his hand is a small bottle of sunscreen and a bottle of water. 
He tosses the sunscreen to Donna before settling onto the blanket. “The sun should be going down soon, but..” the Doctor trails off with a shrug that Donna takes to mean ‘better safe than sorry.’ He's not wrong, Donna burns very easily. 
She catches the sunscreen and begins smearing a thin layer over all her exposed skin. When she’s done, she hands the sunscreen back to the Doctor and takes the bottle of water. It feels like ice in her hand. “How is this still cold?” Donna hasn’t seen the Doctor near any kind of fridge or cooling station in several days. 
“What,” the Doctor says, “are your pockets not thermoregulated?” 
“No!” 
“Would you like them to be?” he asks, like it’s a casual thing to have pockets that are climate controlled. Donna gives him a look and he raises his hands in surrender. “It's just an option! I can update them on the TARDIS, if you want.” 
Donna is positive she doesn’t want the Doctor doing anything to her pockets. “I think I’ll keep them as they are, spaceman.” The Doctor’s experiments tended to always have some kind of unintended effect, like boiling an egg from several paces away. Knowing him, he’d accidentally make a black hole in her trousers or something equally ridiculous. 
The Doctor shrugs. “Suit yourself.” In the calm that follows, the Doctor goes digging through his pockets again and produces two sandwiches, one cucumber and cream cheese (Donna's favorite) and the other peanut butter and banana (the Doctor’s favorite), a whole banana, a variety pack of crisps, and another bottle of water. “Asked the TARDIS to make some snacks,” he explains as he arranges the food on the blanket. 
She snags a packet of spicy crisps and the cucumber sandwich. The sandwich, much like the water bottle, is still at the perfect temperature despite being in the Doctor’s pockets for who knows how long. Donna decides she’s probably better off not thinking too hard about it being a pocket sandwich and takes a bite. 
Across from her, the Doctor starts with the banana and quickly demolishes it before moving onto his sandwich. He's got a large mouthful of peanut butter and bread when Donna speaks.
“So where are we?” 
The Doctor smacks loudly and swallows the bite of sandwich in his mouth before speaking, “We’re in Re:America, sometime around the oh…” he sticks a finger in his mouth and then pulls it out to hold up like he’s testing the wind. “23rd century? Ooooh,” he sounds excited now. “It's Independence Day! We’re in for a treat!”
Donna frowns at him. “You brought me here and you didn’t even know what day it was?” 
“That's what you’re questioning?” the Doctor asks with a raised eyebrow. “You said you wanted to see fireflies, Re:America has the largest population of native fireflies in all of history,” he explains. “I set the time coordinates to bring us here in the summer, but I didn’t specify a day.” He takes another large bite of his sandwich.
In all honesty, Donna isn’t sure if the Doctor is just incredibly bad at navigating or if the TARDIS just decides to drop them off wherever she thinks they’re needed. Given the way the Doctor likes to smack the console with that rubber mallet, Donna has a feeling the TARDIS is a little more obstinate than she will ever know. 
The sun is just starting to set when Donna finishes her sandwich and crisps. She puts the trash in her normal, not dimensionally altered pockets, and lays on her back on the blanket. The sky above her is painted in shades of orange and purple. They still have a few minutes before dark, so Donna asks, “Re:America?” 
She hears the Doctor huff out a laugh before he shifts and lays down next to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees him settle with his arms crossed behind his head. 
“Re:America was created in response to rising capitalistic ideas in America that were oppressing the working class,” he explains. “The common people didn’t like the way they were being treated so they carved out a section of central America, around Kansas,” he wiggles his hand in a so-so gesture, “Nebraska area and created their own government and economic system.” 
“So…Re:America like re: in an email?” 
The Doctor turns his head to grin at her. “Donna Noble, you are amazing. That’s exactly it. Re:America was named because it was literally a response to the increasingly harsh atmosphere in America.” He turns back to look up at the sky. “Unfortunately, Re:America will only last for another 50 years or so before it gets dissolved back into the rest of the United States. The impact is astounding, though. New laws for protection of workers, a revised economic system that lifts millions out of poverty and the nations of the world begin to come together and space travel becomes a priority. This is where the First Great and Bountiful Human Empire starts before it spreads out amongst the stars. Isn’t it brilliant?” 
Donna hums in agreement, but quickly gets distracted by the first flicker of light above them. For a minute there is nothing, and then suddenly there are hundreds of fireflies all around them. They twinkle like stars and Donna can’t help but laugh. She turns to look over at the Doctor and finds him staring at her with a soft smile on his face. 
“Well?” he asks. “Worth it?” 
“It's beautiful,” Donna says. “I've seen them before, in the country when I was young, but it was never like this. This is amazing.” 
The Doctor shifts and pulls a hand out from behind his head. He sticks it up in the air and the fireflies dance around it. A few land, blink for a moment, and then take off again. Eventually, as the fireflies scatter off to places outside of their clearing, the Doctor begins to point out constellations and stars in the sky. There are a couple stars that Donna’s never heard of, and the Doctor explains that their light only began to reach the Earth long after the 21st century. 
Now that the sun has gone down, the night is beginning to cool off, and, with the soothing sound of the Doctor speaking lowly beside her, Donna begins to doze off. She’s comfortable and she’s safe and she’s almost asleep when a bright light and a loud boom shatters the night. 
Beside her, the Doctor jerks and his description of the far-off Treyas Galaxy cuts off. Before Donna can truly process what happened, the Doctor is hovering over her, ready to shield her from any other explosion or debris. 
Another bang sounds and the sky lights up again in a shower of blue sparks. It’s fireworks, Donna realizes. Someone is setting off fireworks, very close by, judging by how loud they are. She can hear the tell-tale whistle as another is launched. 
Above her, the Doctor is wide eyed and pale in the brief flashes of light. She can’t say for sure what the explosions are reminding him of, but she can take a guess. Gramps had that same look whenever fireworks went off. It was the look of a man haunted by war. 
Without hesitation, Donna rests her hands gently on the Doctor’s cheeks. She keeps her touch light, so he can pull away if he wants. “Hey,” she says, softly, in the silence between fireworks. “It's Independence Day. You said so earlier. They’re fireworks. We’re okay.” 
The Doctor blinks once, twice, and Donna watches as the panic fades from his eyes. He draws in a ragged breath, and Donna suddenly realizes that in his alarm, the Doctor had stopped breathing. She shifts her fingers down, just slightly, and can feel his pulse racing under her fingertips.
“You alright?” she asks.
Instead of answering her, he rolls away and settles back into his original position, like nothing had happened. Before he can tuck his hand back under his head, Donna grabs it and shifts closer to him so their sides are pressed together. She squeezes it gently. 
“Doctor?” she calls, and this time he turns to look at her. “Do you want to go back to the TARDIS?” 
He shakes his head. “No, it’s alright.” He squeezes her hand in return and turns back to the sky as another firework explodes into a shower of brightly colored purple sparks above them. 
She continues watching him for another few moments. With each deep breath he takes, more of the tension leaks from his shoulders and his face smoothes out. His pulse still seems high, but he’s calmer now, more aware of himself and the situation. He flinches slightly with each mortar that explodes above them. She suspects that he had known about the firework show, given his mention of a treat earlier, but had been startled when the first one lit up the sky unexpectedly. 
Satisfied that the Doctor isn’t going to vibrate out of his skin with anxiety, Donna turns back to the sky. “It's okay, you know.” She's not looking at the Doctor now, but she can tell he’s listening by the way he stills in his fidgeting. “It happens to Gramps too, when the council starts up a firework show he isn’t prepared for.” 
The Doctor doesn’t answer her, but he shifts impossibly closer and begins explaining the mechanics behind these fireworks and how, in the early 22nd century, scientists discovered they could engineer the gunpowder to burn in impossible colors and form extremely intricate patterns. 
She listens closely, oohing and aahing like a child when a particularly complex pattern or pretty color lights up the sky. She remembers the Doctor finishing his explanation and going quiet beside her. She remembers the Doctor’s hand in hers and then, the next thing she knows, she’s being carried, gently. 
Donna stirs, confused at the situation, but the Doctor shushes her. “You fell asleep,” he whispers. “We’re going back to the TARDIS now. Go back to sleep.” And his voice is so soft, Donna can’t help but do just that. 
The next morning, she wakes in her bed in the TARDIS. She’s still in her clothes from the night before and she’s sticky with sunscreen and sweat. Donna showers and then finds the Doctor in the console room, fiddling with a button that has been sticking on their last couple trips and is making landings rougher than usual. 
He looks up as she enters and grins at her. “So!” he says as he abandons the button to circle the console and stand in front of her. “Where to today?” 
“Surprise me,” Donna says.
The Doctor laughs with glee, flips a lever and with a familiar wheezing noise, they’re off. 
45 notes · View notes
richincolor · 9 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
With summer on its way out, I thought it would be fun to highlight three books you might have missed! Have you read any of them yet?
You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron Bloomsbury YA
This heart-pounding slasher by New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is perfect for fans of Fear Street. Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the “final girl” at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake. The more realistic the fear, the better for business. But the last weekend of the season, Charity's co-workers begin disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity's role as the final girl suddenly becomes all too real. If Charity and her girlfriend Bezi hope to survive the night, they'll need figure out what this killer is after. Is there is more to the story of Mirror Lake and its dangerous past than Charity ever suspected? -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads
I'd Rather Burn Than Bloom by Shannon C.F. Rogers
Packed with voice, this is a powerful coming-of-age YA novel about a Filipina-American teen who tries to figure out who she really is in the wake of her mother's death. Some girls call their mother their best friend. Marisol? She could never relate. She and her mom were forever locked in an argument with no beginning and no end. But when her mother dies suddenly, Marisol is left with no one to fight against, haunted by all the things that she both said and didn’t say. And when Marisol sleeps with her best friend's boyfriend—and then punches said best friend in the face—she's left alone, with nothing but a burning anger. And Marisol is determined to stay angry. After all, there’s a lot to be angry about. But as a new friendship begins to develop, Marisol reluctantly starts to open up to her, and to the possibility there’s something else on the other side of that anger—something more to who she is, and who she could be.
Forged by Blood (The Tainted Blood Duology #1) by Ehigbor Okosun Harper Voyager
In the midst of a tyrannical regime and political invasion, Dèmi just wants to survive: to avoid the suspicion of the nonmagical Ajes who occupy her ancestral homeland of Ife; to escape the King’s brutal genocide of her people—the darker skinned, magic wielding Oluso; and to live peacefully with her secretive mother while learning to control the terrifying blood magic that is her birthright. But when Dèmi’s misplaced trust costs her mother’s life, survival gives way to vengeance. She bides her time until the devious Lord Ekwensi grants her the perfect opportunity—kidnap the Aje prince, Jonas, and bargain with his life to save the remaining Oluso. With the help of her reckless childhood friend Colin, Dèmi succeeds, but discovers that she and Jonas share more than deadly secrets; every moment tangles them further into a forbidden, unmistakable attraction, much to Colin’s—and Dèmi’s—distress. The kidnapping is now a joint mission: to return to the King, help get Lord Ekwensi on the council, and bolster the voice of the Oluso in a system designed to silence them. But the way is dangerous, Dèmi’s magic is growing yet uncertain, and it’s not clear if she can trust the two men at her side. A tale of rebellion and redemption, race and class, love and trust and betrayal, Forged by Blood is epic fantasy at its finest, from an enthusiastic, emerging voice. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads
12 notes · View notes
torchickentacos · 8 months
Note
How do you think May and Drew would’ve gotten together?
OOH OKAY so, first off, same answer I have for another ask somewhere in my queue- which is, I'm not someone who usually latches onto one version or fanon. I like to mix and match and mingle between interpretations rather than setting up my own concrete one, honestly. I have no taylor-canon-contestshipping agenda, I just go with whatever's the most entertaining to me and my friends at any given point in time.
That said, I feel like the Johto Arc THAT WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE could have kickstarted it. Like, in the Johto arc, they may or may not have traveled together as a group (unconfirmed) but at least they'd have ran into each other multiple times (confirmed, May says that her rivals are kicking her ass in Johto during the Wallace cup cameo). And by that point, they're on friendly terms (see: Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing as their last real canon marker of where they are friendship wise). Headcanony territory below, rambling as I do. Long post, which is to be expected when someone enables my contestshipping LMAO.
In Johto (rip the abandoned Johto fic I had like 1.5 years ago and all the other fics that don't make it out of google docs), I like to think it was May, Drew, Harley, and Solidad travelling together for at least certain stretches of the journey. I can see SO MANY SHENANIGANS that could lead to bonding and furthering that friendship into more of a foundation for something more. Strolling the Goldenrod National Park and talking after one of them had a bad loss (canonically, probably May), meanwhile Harley is off trying to be a guest on Goldenrod Radio or something with Solidad in tow. Or, May making an ill-informed decision to poke around Burned Tower and having her leg fall through one of the rotting floorboards, only to find a hand IMMEDIATELY reaching out to catch her. ALSO, BUG CATCHING CONTEST! Wait, lmao, imagine Drew in the Pokeathlon.. it's giving 'May wanted to do it and needed teammates but Drew is basically taking the approach of walking the mile in PE but he's doing the best he can and hating every second of it' tbh. You cannot convince me he's a sports guy. ANYWAYS little things like that are what I tend to gravitate towards- little misadventures that come together to solidify that trust and friendship, via situations and circumstances that were entirely avoidable but not at all regretted. A very 'Who What When Where Wynaut' approach, honestly- toss them into a situation and watch something bloom out of it.
So, Johto happens, shenanigans ensue, the rivalry turns far closer to pure friendship. I'd say the rivalry really leans into that shift from 'I want to be better than this person, I can't lose to them' towards 'I want to do better because of this person, not to spite them'. It becomes a partnership.
But technically I haven't even answered your question yet. I think this carries on for a few years, rivalry and friendship and whatever else sort of intermingling into its own form of relationship. They aren't rivals or friends or lovers, just... May and Drew. Like a combination move- it's no single thing, it's a conglomeration of emotions that come together into its own thing. I think they're two people who fall into something very naturally and without 'making it official' per se, just a gradual tumble into friendship-and-then-some over time until one day they sort of realize they've been functionally a couple for months on end and didn't notice. I like to think it's the kind of thing where they say they're dating and people would be like...a "wait, we thought you guys just had your two-year anniversary" type deal LMAO. I think this tends to be a pretty popular opinion/interpretation, too. Because here's the thing.
Drew would make a move. We see him do it every other episode he's in. May does not pick up on it or really explore her own emotions like he seems to. I think even if she did find herself on that same page, it would go like:
Drew: Well, I've been doing the rose shtick for years and nothing's happened, so I should respect that boundary and make sure to not push it anymore.
May (assuming she figures herself out here): I value this friendship and don't want to risk it, and I'm probably misreading him.
Like, I can SO EASILY see them falling to a standstill on actually making it REAL, so I think it's something they just fall into quietly until some external force makes that push for them. (forced proximity trope, in vino veritas trope in a timeskip, something like that).
42 notes · View notes
palfriendpatine66 · 3 months
Text
Thirsty Thursday (?)
Aka your pal has no self restraint. Here’s the intro to the wiggles au - we should really call it something else - for now let’s go with Infinite Happiness
When I meet somebody new I say: How do you do? How do you do? How do you do? When I meet somebody new I say: how do you do? My name is Ben! It’s nice to meet you!
“You lost or trying to make your escape while you still have the chance,” a soft voice drawled from the dark.
Anakin jolted to a stop, arrested by the intriguing sound. He was lost, although suddenly a lot less concerned with that fact. He hadn’t been paying attention to where he was going, watching the final laps of the race he’d much rather be attending on his phone as he made his way to the bathroom before he was subjected to an agonizing two hours of nonstop Infinite Happiness - Live in Concert, his preschool twins most favorite singing group in the whole world. He’d just had to go and buy the concert tickets when Padmé said she hadn’t been able to get a hold of any herself, only thinking of the dual win of being the hero in their eyes and one upping their mother while he was at it, not stopping to consider the astronomical loss that having to sit through the concert would be.
Anakin caught sight of the shadowy figure who’d spoken from where they were tucked into a dark corner. Shining gray blue eyes captured his attention and threw all sense out the window and he said the first thing that came to mind. “I'd rather take a power drill to the temple than have to listen to The Happy Song one more time.”
A look of pure incredulity passed over the stranger’s face. They threw their head back with a laugh that drew Anakin in and had him smiling right along with him.
“Cheers to that mate,” the man said. He raised a flask in Anakin’s direction with a nod and then tipped it to his lips with several long gulps that drew Anakin’s eyes to the bob of his throat. “Only way to get through it.”
He held the flask out to Anakin with a questioning tilt of his head, and Anakin found himself step forward despite himself. “What the hell,” he muttered under his breath and brought it up to his lips without breaking eye contact. His eyes teared up as it burned its way down his throat, warmth blooming and spreading through his chest. A thought stuck in his mind as he handed it back - received with a cocky smirk and tossed back far more gracefully - was that those delectable lips were wrapped around where his had just been.
“What’s your name, gorgeous?”
Gorgeous. “Anakin.”
“Pretty name for a pretty boy.”
Anakin’s cheeks were on fire - and when had it gotten so hot in here? - when he was offered the flask again and drank far more deeply than was wise to hide his face and save himself from having to come up with a response.
What the fuck was happening here? He was a father. He didn’t day drink, for one thing, and not with strangers, for another. Certainly not at children’s concerts. And he hadn’t flirted with anyone since the divorce, let alone ridiculously attractive men wearing eyeliner in dark hallways who looked about ready to eat him alive.
His only excuse for what happened next was he was taken completely and totally by surprise.
Strong, thick fingers wove through his hair and together with the hand that sprawled across his lower back, tugged him forward to waiting lips. They met his own, strong and sure, and parted so that a searching tongue could dart out to lick across his own trembling lower lip, requesting access.
With a gasp Anakin responded enthusiastically, not just granting entry but sucking on the questing tongue that slipped into his mouth like he was starving and intended to swallow him whole. Moaning messily into the increasingly wet kiss, if the sloppy movements could even be called that; they’d already turned into something more, something obscene.
Obscene, Anakin repeated inwardly as his fists twisted into a leather jacket and tight black pants, demanding more and growling with approval when the man’s slighter frame pressed up against his own. Hips that just begged to be grabbed, Anakin only too happy to oblige, ground filthily against his thigh and left little up to the imagination.
22 notes · View notes
wangxianficfinder · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Fic Finder
~*~
1. Does anybody know the name or have a copy of this fanfic where I believe lwj is a Lord and he has 5 wives. I believe wwx was the 2nd wife and lwj didn't really notice him until one day he saw him playing with the other wives children. And I think one of the wives either the 1st or 3rd tried to kill him for favor. @teamironman98
~*~
2. hello! I’m looking for a certain wangxian fic that crosses over with the tgcf world i think? Anyways it’s an au where wei ying is a former prince turned calamity and lan wangji is continuously reincarnating but a piece of his soul isn’t with him. I think there was a saying in the fic that goes “If you see a path of spiderlilies you’ll meet someone again.”
Anyways thank you for your time!
FOUND? A Path of Red Spider Lillies by glowingreverie (M; 208k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, hualian, TGCF fusion, angst w happy ending, comedy, mild sexual content, gore, death, past child abuse, supernatural elements, slow burn, WIP)
~*~
3. Hello, I'm trying to find a fix where WWX was raised by a family of prostitutes that eventually free themselves of their contract and made a living teaching their arts. One of them married a rogue cultivator that makes jewelry and taught it to WWX. Eventually he meets LWJ and they get together relatively quick. WWX never gets that much involved with the Jiang Sect other than saving it during the war and JC loses his core and never got involved in the war. @justscribblingnonsense​
FOUND? Flowers Blooming by Ilona22 (M, 35k, WangXian, Adoption, Prostitution, Family Fluff, Family Drama, Growing Up)
~*~
4. Hi can you help me find a fic about wangxian.. is that wei ying want work shop for all his crazy idea.. and wangji said make a space place in his arm sleeve because wei ying will safe with him... and wangji put his head down there to make sure it was safe for wei ying. To breath.. And I think later wei ying head pop out and kiss.
FOUND? My heart in my sleeve by exmanhater (G, 2k, WangXian, Crack, Qiankun Sleeves, Sleeve Husband, LWJ's Fondest Dream, Let LWJ Spoil His Husband, Post-Canon)
~*~
5. Hi! I'm hoping someone can help, please! I'm looking for a fic like The Yu Temper by madwriter223, where shortly after WWX frees the Wens from Qiongqi Path, JC decides instead to hell with it, flips, and promptly decides to start aggressively supporting WWX instead, along the lines of 'who are you to tell me what to do?!', resulting in the Wens being rehomed in Lotus Pier. This particular fic has JC swearing every sentence, even in his head, and potentially endgame Wangxian and Chenqing. I can't remember much more than that, I'm afraid but I'd be happy to receive any similar recs if you would rather make this a ITMF request instead! @katonahottinroof
Might be one of snowberryrose's 🤔
FOUND! With Such Impossible Conveyance by Comfect (T, 99k, JC & WWX, wangxian, JC/WQ, major character death, canon divergence, fix-it, angst w happy ending, anger management, canon-typical behavior, swearing, fluff, romance, everyone lives au, humor, podfic)
~*~
6. Hello - I’m trying to find a fic on the archive where Lan Zhan has full memories as a child and leaves cloud recesses and takes his mother with him. Then succeeds at finding Wei ying as a street child.
Eventually there is an entire Wei sect and wangxian ends up with a ton of kids via several women including wen quin. @soconfuzed​
FOUND? The Dreams of Youth by sami (E, 86k, wangxian, time travel, fix-it, family, not lan sect friendly, canon typical violence & gore, childhood friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, mothers who live, some people live/not everyone dies)
~*~
7. Hello! I’m hoping you can help me find this fic. I remember so much about it apart from the name and tore through my bookmarks with no luck. It was a modern AU where WWX was a celebrity of some sort (idol/actor) and LWJ was a pet store owner. The two end up crossing paths and end up falling in love. I vividly remember the two of them going out with A-Yuan & being swamped by paparazzi and another scene where WWX is at a modeling shoot and LWJ steps in to help. I think it came out around 2021-ish? @heedoyurims
FOUND? I think number 7 is off-key by geragrena, which I am perpetually sad that I never downloaded a copy of before it was hidden.
ittybittywwx: i have a pdf copy off-key by geragrena so they can message me if they want it!!
~*~
8. Hello! Please help me find a fic/tell me if you remember it and it was deleted or something 🙏 My search through ao3 bookmarks and tags was unfortunate but the work was really interesting and I sudeenly remembered it some days ago and can't calm down still. Thank you!!
Possible but maybe not really used tags: arranged marriage, misunderstandings, political intrigues
As far as I remember, there was an arranged marriage between wwx and Iwj, but on the next day/a week after the wedding Iwj goes to see wen qing, which makes wwx miserable and yzy mad because of his "incompetence" as a spouse. Then there was a discussion between sect leaders, including wrh, where wrh announced that wq will become Iwj's concubine and their children will be considered Iwj's and wwx's. Wwx accepts the terms, but is shocked, mad and heartbroken beecause he concludes that it was planned in advance and Iwj is in love with wq. He does not try to listen to lwj, warns him not to touch him and runs away to a cottage in yiling (maybe? And maybe owned by jc or jyl) where he usually resides when mdm yu gets mad at him and kicks him out of the main sect territory
He takes in some homeless kids, including xy, as his little students?/adoptees? and i think mm is his servant, and he chills with them and makes talismans for common people maybe, remaking his reputation which suffered after the marriage fiasco. There was also a ghost of a woman who was in the house and was looking at wwx silently but in a very sad way (maybe possibly it could be madam lan or just undisclosed ghost lady)
There was a scene when wq comes to visit him. She has a lan ribbon on her arm which makes wwx heartbroken again. She somehow explains without apologising that everything is not as it seems and that it had to be done to save her family. It all makes wwx feel like he was outcasted by everyone in the knowledge of the situation for no real reason and with no care for his own reputation and life. Also I think mm who previously thought that she and wq were maybe friends says after the talk that it seems like they are not really friends because wq seems to treat her not as an equal but as a friendly servant instead
Then something something with wc and I remember a scene in a cave where wx and Iwj are trapped and somehow kiss, and then Iwj is like pulling himself away and mentioning wq, which makes wwx miserable because there is possibly a soulmate thingy? btw them and he feels awful
And then i remember jzx, who is maybe friends with Iwj, being mad at wwx for something and asking if he knew what Iwj did for him and wwx has absolutely no idea
The latest chapters I remember included some nsfw, more angst and misunderstandings, and possibly Iwj blaming wwx for pretending to ignore/knowingly hiding the fact that they are soulmates and wwx being scared that his kids will be taken away from him and given to the lans. And there was a heavy sence that there are lots of things happening wwx has no idea about, including (possibly) lwj's letters to him
Thank you for your work!! @shellennium
FOUND! No. 8 sounds like A Price to Pay by Wangxianist but it was deleted.
~*~
9. Hello! Thank you do much for all your hard work
I was wondering if you or any if your followers could help me find the fic where wwx is the God of the new moon. I tried looking in the tags for diety wwx but either I missed it or it's not tagged that way. I'm pretty sure he turns into a human later on but I don't remember much else. Thank you!
FOUND? A Secret Never Shared by Vrishchika (T, 28k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, frankencanon, Pining, Soft LWJ, Deity WWX, BAMF WWX)
FOUND? Of Destruction and Rebirth by demoniqt (M, 77k, wangxian, slow burn, god wwx, bamf wwx, grieving lwj, angst, hurt/comfort, fix-it, happy ending, attempted non-con, blood & gore)
FOUND? Lying on the Edge of a Star by Suspicious_Popsicle (T, 75k, WIP, WangXian, Universe Alteration, Slow Burn)
FOUND? A Wish For The Moon by PixieLeader (G, 15k, WangXian, Fantasy, Soulmates)
~*~
10. hihi! I had wanted to rec this for #1 on the previous itmf (March 25th) but I realized I never saved it to my read list so I can't find it anymore!! 😭 it was a 3zun fic where I'm pretty sure jgy was forced by jgs into marrying warlord nmj. the rest of the world believed that the nies, esp nmj, are barbarians and super evil. so when jgy gets sent to the nies, he's mentally preparing himself to be raped or killed by nmj, but turns out nmj is super nice! and when jgy meets lxc (who is already married to nmj), lxc is really kind to him. and slowly jgy opens up to both of them and I think at one point they all go on a picnic date at a mountain? and later they get attacked while they're riding on horseback? honestly it's been so long I'm having trouble remembering the details skdjskd. also btw even though the plot sounds somewhat similar to the nielan fic soaring, carried aloft on the wind, that's not the one! this one was definitely 3zun and also from jgy's pov. hopefully someone knows the one I'm talking about!😭 @cryiling
FOUND! Perhaps Plural by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf and tardigradeschool (E, 77k, 3zun, historical, arranged marriage, established nielan, developing 3zun, romantic comedy, angst w happy ending, hurt/comfort, pining, slow burn, misunderstandings, smut)
~*~
11. I'm looking for a fic where wwx died during some point in the burial mounds and became a god of death or something similar. In one part he figured out or was taught how to take a female form. He could visit people in their dreams as well. I swear I had it bookmarked, but can't find it. Thanks!
FOUND! Of Destruction and Rebirth by demoniqt (M, 77k, wangxian, slow burn, god wwx, bamf wwx, grieving lwj, angst, hurt/comfort, fix-it, happy ending, attempted non-con, blood & gore)
~*~
12. hi! this my first time sending an ask to this blog so I'm a little unsure if I'm doing this correctly but I'm trying to find this fic where JC noticed an older disciple acting weird/inappropriate with WWX at Lotus Pier when they were kids so JC informs JFM and JFM gets super angry and kicks the older disciple out of the sect or something along those lines. I can't remember if JC had travelled back in time and that's why they were kids again or if it was just JC remembering something from his childhood. I unfortunately don't remember anything else about the plot 😔
thank you for your time! 🧡
FOUND! chapter 4 of Cotton Wool by incendir (M, 34k, WangXian, LJY/OMC, ZhuiLing, JC & WWX)
~*~
13. Somewhere on AO3 there is a fic where LXC and NM threw the yin iron into the volcano and now the world is ending and they ask WWX about saving it and he's like yeah, we're doomed... @mreisse
FOUND! built by the fires of volcanoes by isabilightwood (T, 26k, wangxian, time travel, crack treated seriously, canon divergence, fluff & humor)
~*~
14. Hey there! I’m having trouble finding this one specific fic. It is wangxian. Wei Ying sent Lán Wangji his drawing of a field of white bunnies (and I belief his donkey was in the picture as well?) and a letter. This was the last thing he sent to Lán Wangji before he disappeared. I remember Sizhui being with Lan Wangji and other junior disciples in the search for Wei Wuxian. Cut to them finding the white bunny field, they still don’t find him. As they return to Cloud Recesses, it turns out that Lan Sizhui took a bunny from that field. Specifically a non white bunny. That is all I can remember… thank you for the help!
FOUND! Yiling Patriarch Gone Missing, or: a series of missing person cases by oyan (T, 16k, wangxian, post-canon, case fics, fluff, humor, hurt/comfort, body dysphoria, mystery, slow burn, petty LWJ, protective LWJ, JC & WWX reconciliation, protective JC, rabbit & paperman shenanigans, eventual relationship, protective JL, WIP)
~*~
15. Hello! I'm looking for a fic that I'd seen in a recent ITMF list but couldn't find it again. It was about lwj dealing with the aftermath of wwx's death and the discipline whip. Canon-compliant, and I believe it was an entire series of one-shots where the first fic focused of lwj and I believe the second one was about lsz
Hello! I'm #15 on the lastest fic finder. I'm afraid that's not the work I was looking for. The one I wanted wasn't a locked piece and I believe it dealt mainly with "chronic grief", but thank you for your efforts :)
NOT FOUND! The Price of Old Wishes by SoManyJacks (E, 67k, WangXian, Minor canon divergence, Angst, POV LWJ, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Slow Burn, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, semi-verbal!LWJ, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Suicide)
FOUND! no new age Series by everythingispoetry (M, 145k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Permanent Injury, Recovery, Disability, Parenthood, Character Study, Thirteen Years of WWX's Death, Growing Up, Family Dynamics, Character Study, Self-Discovery, Mental Health Issues, Developing Relationship) although this isn't one-shot
NOT FOUND! Velle: to will, to wish by Aerlalaith (T, 30k, wangxian, angst, hurt/comfort, blood & injury, injury recovery, canon temporary character death, single parent LWJ, family issues, character study, healing, grief/mourning, trauma, nightmares) could be mine: "Velle: to will, to wish" where the first one is LWJ grieving/healing after the discipline whip and the second one is a oneshot about LSZ's courtesy name.
~*~
16. Hello, for fic finder I want to find a short story set post canon where Wei Wuxian is transformed into a cat and keeps Jin Ling company, I vaguely remember a scene where Wei Wuxian in cat form bapped Fairy on the nose with his paw and stared in wonder at his paws possibly realising he had claws or in wonder that he touched a dog without running away screaming. I think he later figured out how to transform into his cat form at will to nap in sunbeams. Finding this story has been driving me nuts any help is greatly appreciated. @sorathemasterofmasters
~*~
17. Hello, I recently remember this fic that ive read months ago and im not sure if i remember it correctly, i cant find it anymore so i hope u guys can help me with this.
- its a modern fic. wei ying is sick then he lives with the lans. i remember him going to the same school(?) with lan zhan. i think lqr told lz to take care of him smth like that. then there's a girl that is also sick(?) there's a scene where wy asked lz to stay with him but then lz left and chose the other girl (lz didnt know that wx is sick and he was like the girl needs me more than u) there's a confession on a radio station(?) then when lz found out that wy is sick he ran back to him. there's also jiang-wen family connections. wy is cousins to the jiangs and has a connection with wens, im not sure if rouhan is his grandfather or uncle or smth. then they found out there's a scene where madam yu slapped the girl because of what she did (hurt wy) and they cut off ties (business/job) with their family
im not sure if im talking about one story or two.
For #17 I'm sure I've read the fic but it was when I was early into fandom and new to AO3. Also the girl is engaged to LWJ or something. WWX already is in love with LWJ,  but he's sick and gonna die in a year
~*~
18. hi, can u guys help me to find this: lwj is a doctor, lxc and nmj are i think cops(?) detectives(?) smth like that then wwx is a fox. they rescued wwx from the basement where someone cuts off his fox tails to sell. he was badly treated. lwj is his doctor and wwx somewhat attached to lwj. wwx also has a doll(?) or smth named wen qing. he's very protective of it. lwj is the one taking care of him. its not yet completed when i first read it.
FOUND! sounds like the deleted "Dragon's Nestling" by the deleted user "TheAcademy".
The work ID was /42035667.
~*~
19. I’m looking for a wangxian modern with cultivation fic where WWX was kicked out of yunmeng for something that Jiang Cheng did. He wound up having most of his golden core removed but was able to recultivate one. Cultivators had to wear body cams when on assignment, and someone hacked into the files and released the film of what actually happened during the night hunt that WWX got kicked out for.
I didn’t actually read it, I saw the summary and tags and planned to go back and read it later…and now I can’t find it. 90% sure it was complete and it’s on Ao3.
Thanks for the help! @worthlessnepenthes​
FOUND! Hey hey I'm almost certain 19 of the very recent fic finder is Truth Will Out (when caught on video) by KizuKatana (E, 25k, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, modern cultivation, YZY abuses WWX, caught in camera, partial core removal, WWX expelled from Jiang sect, live streamer WWX, meet-ugly, dual cultivation, WIP) I was literally just reading the new chapter right before this. It's still a WIP.
~*~
20. Hiya! I was wondering if you could help me find a fic where wwx tried to commit suicide and jc finds him in the bathtub and it's kinda about him recuperating, and lwj helps take care of him? Its a modern au and wwx initially lives with jc and jyl. I'm pretty sure I've seen it here, but I can't for the life of me remember the name. Thanks for your help!
FOUND? 总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near) by yiqie (E, 76k, WangXian, Modern AU, Pianist, Getting Together, Mental Health Issues, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Hospitals, Overdosing, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note)
~*~
106 notes · View notes
ayayabaroque · 1 year
Text
Tears, Laughter, Sorrow.
corny, pero wla ako mapost e wla akong no choice last march pa 'to sa drafts CW: Angst? mostly none, corny writing, i hate writing esp since i cant think of anything good/this is why i dont post anymore ffs Spoilers for Lantern Rite '23, not sure if i mention anything but yk its just to be safe A/N: i love school, but i went from rank 1 to rank 3 and i absolutely hate everything and everyone im going to cry sorry for not posting anything recently(and ever), and as usual, English isn't my first language, so please don't have any high hopes for this piece. I might go back to completing the Slowly series but im not feeling well since i last went on here to write a serious fic Read utc!
*:・゚✧ Zhongli *:・゚✧ "Would you live to see Liyue's downfall, or always relive the one most painful moment you have felt in your lifetime?" You pause, thinking on an answer to your friend's question. "The latter. Liyue's downfall won't happen for another thousand years, I doubt that any of you would be attending my funeral any time soon." Your friend tears up at the thought. "Right... yeah probably right." "I'm kidding of course! An endless time loop would keep me stressed, I'd rather have you by my side." ... "I'm... relieved? Hey listen, it's getting late, you should be getting home. I'll see you tomorrow." It was unlikely for your friend to suggest to leave this early, but you don't mind, as long as you see them again tomorrow. Then again, it was too tiring to walk home just right now, maybe you could walk around the harbor, after all, you and your friend have been playing by the docks all day, without anything better to do. "I should be getting home back to Zhongli." you mutter. Although cold, the air in Liyue would always smell of various floral scents, specifically the Glaze Lily. You hated Glaze Lilies. There wasn't one word in the dictionary that could describe how much you loathe these cyan-petal, night-blooming lilies as much as you possibly could. Well, truth be told, you hated the person Zhongli associates with these blooms, and it drives you insane. Guizhong, Zhongli's late friend before the Archon War, used to be so close to him. He would return late from his ventures with his friend in tow that he forgets to come home to you every single time. You couldn't really argue with the reasoning he has, since he is more of your superior rather than a lover. It's been so long since he spent time with you without reminiscing about Guizhong, probably a little over your 429th birthday. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention you were old? The more Zhongli leaves you to mourn Guizhong's day of death on your day of birth, you resort to laughter every time he comes home instead. The false joy of seeing him return home after a mournful day which he marks Guizhong's passing, your laughter behind the façade you show for your lover. "How's Guizhong been? Any response yet?" you muse. "I prefer you not adding salt to my wound." "Oh yeah, you guys ended on rather good terms, it would be a shame if I were to slander her in front of her good friend." The statement always seems to make Zhongli seethe with fury, and it looks like he's had enough of your insults and remarks. "A true shame you did not get to know her, or were you busy burning away your lifetime serving false gods?" "You know well better than to bring my past stature into this conversation." It pains you to think about your past, when your parents sold you off to a minor god for wealth, leaving you to rot in the god's hands. "I'm tired, I do not wish to make this into a heated argument. Go to bed." ... "I honestly wish it was you instead of Guizhong, I miss her dearly." That was what made this memory painful, it was what made you cry in the eve, and sob in the morn. In the end, when you were asked the same question years ago, immortality seemed like a dream, now turned into a living nightmare. You only wish to awake from this horrible dream, again, and again, and again. "So... Would you live to see Liyue's downfall, or always relive the one most painful moment you have felt in your lifetime?" The question that would mark another day of the loop, spent in misery and sorrow. The days you've spent celebrating your birth over, and over again. "Happy 7,329th birthday, to me."
64 notes · View notes