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#THIS IS A LONG ONE lol

dhmis-autism · 1 year

Note

Something about the song starting describing the dullness of a long term marriage and how the infatuation is gone now, sticking together for the sake of not being lonely

… To sticking together because they are the person they choose, this is their life now, the one they chose, and making the best of it

Something about eternal domesticity

Also:

//And I'm the idiot with the painted face

In the corner, taking up space

But when he walks in, I am loved, I am loved//

—-

At least that’s how I imagine it with Fluffybird in mind xdd, doomed by the narrative but finding some comfort with each other(?) maybe that’s what will save them? Are they just slowing spiraling into another loop again? Idk! Bdjdndks

What do u imagine tho, I wanna know👁️👁️

OKAY WELL. First of all if I were to apply it to them I would definitely paint it as Red Guys perspective, for a lot of reasons but the first verse especially.

There's a sort of calm apathy here and when you listen to the song it almost feels like a mantra. A waiting for a storm to pass, a wishing for the calm again. Which I think applies to Red a lot more than it does to Duck, whos a lot more willing to kickstart things himself if he gets too bored or stagnant.

Keeping in mind though that I don't really see it as a song for them, partially because of what Mitski herself has said about the song both reflecting a forced heteronormativity as well as a unhealthy,dependent relationship (both things that I think are very untrue for this duo)

So that kind of ties in with your statement about eternal domesticity. I think they definitely stick together because they choose to, but it's not as though they have a choice in whether or not they physically inhabit the same space.

I think them being together emotionally and them being forced together in a physical sense are completely separate facets for their characters/feelings. I don't think they're connected at all. I think the way they feel about each other and the way they feel about their situation don't intersect. If that makes sense.

But I still do think this song, if it were to apply to them would definitely be from Red's POV, especially for the line you pointed to here.

As I definitely think he's the more self-concious of the two? It also makes me think of that scene of him on stage lol.

But yeah so I think it half-applies half-doesn't. That's my big long answer for you!

#my dhmis postings #THIS IS A LONG ONE LOL #literally ive had so much talking about songs today #showed one of my friends my short little dhmis playlists and i was like THESE NEED TO BE LISTENED TO IN A SPECIFIC ORDER TO BE UNDERSTOOD #I WILL BREAK IT DOWN TO U VERSE BY VERSE AND TIE IT TO SPECIFIC SHOW SCENES #i get nuts about music sorry guyse (. _ . )

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goddesstrolls · 9 months

Text

Nearly Lost

Tosiol drifted down the hall, hands knit loosely in front of her as she lost herself in thought.

Kairos must have left the castle - She didn’t sense them anywhere, and hadn’t seen them for over a week now. In part, she felt some relief that they saw fit to take responsibility for themselves. Nirael certainly seemed despondent and bitter about it, but dismissed the topic when Tosiol tried to gently pry.

Better to let him be dramatic and moody about it. He’d get over himself eventually.

Tosiol lifted her head as she felt a shift in the atmosphere of the castle. Someone new had entered.

She made her way to the main hall and entered silently, inadvertently masking her presence and hiding in the shadows cast by the pillars lining the large room.

She thought perhaps it might have been Kairos, and knew already that her matesprit was lounging on his throne in the main hall. She didn’t want to interrupt them, but did want to observe as the two had a tendency to bicker.

Tosiol found a thin, masked bronzeblood entertaining Nirael instead. Bold of the boy to traipse into a castle full of undead; He had an aura positively bursting with life energy.

She’d come in during introductions. Nirael seemed amused by this boy’s presence, likely at his audacity to just walk into the castle.

It wasn’t as though anyone would have answered a knock at the door, except perhaps meek Ramira, who normally wasn’t within earshot anyway.

“...Cataclysm, or The Awakened, whichever you prefer. To whom do I have the pleasure?”

“Yumech Dibiki. Apologies for intruding. I’m just here to see Kairos.” The boy’s voice was weak, a rasping whisper that barely carried through the hall.

“Oh, they actually have friends, do they? Or, well, one, anyway.” Nirael drawled. Tosiol saw fit to step forward, catching the attention of both of them. She bowed politely to Yumech, a mild apology both for appearing suddenly and for her matesprit, while Nirael gestured at her. “Ah, this is my matesprit. Tosiol Hasiya, The Inspired.”

“It is kind of you to come so far for Kairos. However, I believe they left earlier this week.” Tosiol said as she straightened.

“Oh, they’re here.” A sharp edge of annoyance laced Nirael’s tone, breaking his blasé façade. “They’ve been here.”

“Have they?” Tosiol’s brow knit in confusion. “They’ve not been in their room for the past few nights.”

“Yeah, they’ve been in the catacombs. Actually- They’re probably dead by now.” Nirael waved a hand dismissively as he got to his feet. Tosiol stared at him, in abject shock at what he had just uttered.

Yumech seemed equally horrified. Nirael disregarded his shocked silence in favor of Tosiol’s, frowning as he meandered down the steps to her.

“What? I’m just letting them do what they want, aaaand apparently what they want is to become one of the things down there. I’m kind of curious, actu–”

Nirael had reached Tosiol as he spoke, and she interrupted him with a slap to the face.

“I cannot believe you,” Tosiol hissed, her fury held back as she instead trembled with rage. Nirael stared at her, hand to his cheek, now fully aware that he had indeed fucked up. “We will speak more on this later. For now- Hold your tongue.”

“Got it, dearest,” Nirael chirped, his voice somewhat muted as he still pressed his hand to his cheek.

Tosiol stormed past them both. After a moment’s hesitation- Startled out of his indecision, Yumech followed.

“Let me help,” Yumech sped up to make pace with her, while Tosiol summoned her saber to her hand.

“You won’t be able to use your magic in the catacombs, boy.” Tosiol ran her hand along the blade, activating the runes; Ironically, spells of undead bane.

“I have psionics. I- I don’t know what’s down there, but- I’m sure there’s some way I can help them.”

“So be it. Prepare yourself; This place has driven better men to madness.”

The stairs leading down were not far; Cracked marble steps descending into unnatural darkness. With each step the air grew colder, thicker, then it began to feel as though it were writhing. An intense squirming sensation that filled the lungs and settled in the gut like a sickening knot.

A feeling of dread. Terrible things had happened here, were still happening here, and the souls that had been tormented and twisted for hundreds of sweeps screamed for them to either leave, or be taken into the horrible mass.

“Why did they come down here,” Tosiol breathed, mostly speaking to herself and venting her regret at this situation. If Kairos were in a state with some sense, they wouldn’t have stayed for any extended period of time. There was indeed every chance that they were dead- Or something worse.

Yumech did not respond. Tosiol gave an exhale to steady herself, as they drew deeper beneath the castle.

Finally, they reached the end of the stairs, though that was only the beginning of the catacombs. Tosiol lit a torch, and somewhere, something gave a regretful wail.

Yumech had already produced a sword, ready for whatever they faced- Or so Tosiol hoped. There was certainly a look of determination in his eyes, mingled as it was with fear and hope for Kairos.

Tosiol led him quickly, but carefully, honing her senses already attuned to the energies of life and unlife. There was something alive here, and that had to be Kairos. But their energy was muddled, and it was difficult to distinguish the source.

On top of that, she had to avoid coming across anything else here. A fight would only aggravate the amassed souls.

Tosiol slowed, hesitant as they rounded a corner- And found Kairos standing in the room beyond. They were facing the wall- Leaning against it, shoulders hunched and their posture haphazard. Kairos turned, and it was immediately apparent that they were not themselves.

Parts of their flesh had rotted, exposing muscle and bone. They were alive, still- But their soul was wounded, now festering and necrotic. They lurched an unsteady step forward- Their gaze locked on Yumech.

Tosiol felt a blaze of energy from Yumech- An involuntary, wavering burst, lasting half a second but a massive eruption nonetheless. Her head snapped around, gaze filled to the brim with concern and fear- Not here. If he lost himself here, there would be no stopping that reckoning.

The burst was brief, but in response, there came multiple ungodly shrieks from the other catacomb corridors. The oppressive, writhing sensation of the place intensified tenfold, enough to cause Tosiol’s muscles to momentarily freeze in a deep flinch.

By the time she managed to land her gaze on Yumech, the outburst had long since passed, though fear still painted his face, at himself and for Kairos.

Kairos stumbled and staggered slowly towards them, jaws parted and fangs half-bared. Tosiol extended her saber in case they attempted to rush Yumech- But Yumech stepped forward of his own accord.

He wrapped his arms tightly around Kairos’ middle. The fuchsia made some attempt as though to bite at Yumech’s shoulder, but sagged and went limp partway through the action.

“We must go. Quickly,” hissed Tosiol as Yumech let Kairos go to instead grip their hand, their movements even more sluggish but now non-aggressive.

She turned, and began to lead them out- Paying close attention to assure the two living trolls behind her remained close. Yumech paused to haul Kairos onto his shoulders, and Tosiol froze when she spotted something rushing down the hall behind them.

It had once been a troll, but no longer, its form twisted and sagging but still reminiscent of what it once was. A shadow dropped from the ceiling, and another jade bearing startling resemblance to Tosiol herself rendered the undead into pieces.

“Esalla!” Tosiol exclaimed. “You followed us, clever girl! Do not stay too close, now.”

Esalla barely made eye contact to confirm her ancestor’s order before she vanished again into the dark.

Tosiol forged onwards, their path now littered with dispatched undead, sliced apart by Esalla. Another being- This one writhing with all together too many limbs, rushed out of an entrance to the side and threw itself at Yumech. It clawed in vain, drawing blood, its mouth obscured by the mass of tangled limbs.

Yumech’s own hands were occupied with holding Kairos. Tosiol darted forward and dispatched the undead, hacking through limbs until she reached the head.

She looked back to Yumech, who had a hand pressed to the scratch on his neck he’d received and a look of fear- No doubt worrying Tosiol would react to the scent of fresh blood, inundated with magic as it was.

Tosiol just grabbed his shoulder and pushed him onwards; The stairs leading out of the catacombs were near, and the undead were closing in. If they lingered, they might come across something truly terrible.

The final stretch was a single hallway, and the stairs leading up. Yumech hurried along it while Tosiol backed her way out, assuring nothing else could pass and reach Yumech while he climbed the stairs.

When she heard the catacomb door open, she turned and darted out after Yumech and Kairos. She slammed the door shut- Esalla could escape easily, if she hadn’t already.

Kairos seemed to regain some consciousness- And immediately began to struggle, clawing at themselves with pained gasps, and Yumech was forced to sink to his knees and set them down to prevent himself from losing balance.

Kairos writhed on the floor, curling in on themselves. They pressed a half-rotted hand to their face with the other clutched to their chest in desperation to ease their agony. Yumech pressed his own hand to the one on their chest, light- Controlled this time- Radiating out as he soothed their pain.

Tosiol was hardly a mage herself- But it was clear he was doing everything he could for them.

Nirael was waiting nearby, and approached, mouth drawn in an unimpressed line. He grimaced and parted his lips to say something.

“Not a word,” snapped Tosiol. Nirael shut his mouth.

Yumech began to lift their hands away; This was no place to tend to Kairos, and Tosiol swooped in to scoop them up and ferry them to their room with Yumech in tow.

She spent the next hour assuring both of them were cared for- Yumech had a room near Kairos’ set up, though she had a feeling it would go unused. A very light meal and water was provided for Kairos- They hadn’t eaten in a week, the catacombs suppressing the starvation and dehydration that was sure to be settling on them now.

Nirael hung around the kitchen, dejected and awkward, and Tosiol ignored him.

#this is a long one lol #kairos ic #kairos mikari #kairos writing #bastdrabbles #nihils-trolls #tosiol ic #tosiol hasiya #tosiol writing #the inspired #nirael mikari #nirael ic #nirael writing #cataclysm

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manor-tea-time · 4 months

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A basket of bread, cloud berries and some cheese and spices for each individual.

You're not entirely sure who it's from, or where it came from. But attached to each basket has a small note attached to it.

"Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. May you enjoy your festivities and traditions with those you care and love for. Be it family or friends. I sincerely wish you all the best. Good fortune to your matches as well."

~ ?

The merriment for the season seems to have already spread to the residents, a festive glow filling their otherwise cluttered tea room. Carols are sung as seasons greetings are exchanged over small handmade gifts and sweets. The hope of a bright new year warming each of their hearts like the fire within the crackling fireplace.

Confusion echoed throughout the room as they tried to narrow down who might of sent the gift, but eventually they all seemed to have deemed it up to most likely be from one of the strange masked visitors they’d receive from time to time.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Ivy ξ(❁) ⊕) ξ :

“What a sweet gesture! I wish we were able to send something in return, I’d very much like to send my well wishes in return.” Ivy muttered to herself as she read the card, studying the envelope and basket for any signs of the sender. Eventually giving up in favour of trying one of the cloud berries.

“Oh my!” She blinked in surprise, holding a hand up to cover her mouth as she spoke. “They taste like raspberries - but much more sharp.” The costume maker soon took another to happily snack upon.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Wayne (-⊕ ζ ⊕-) < :

“This is very thoughtful. I’m glad I’m able to celebrate with so many kind people… It makes the possibility of a bright new year feel all the more possible.” A small smile formed on the lampsmith’s face. A flicker of hope and joy passing over them as they spoke.

“I should probably save some of this to share with some of the others later.” He noted as he began to eat bits of the cheese and bread. After the costume maker’s reaction to the taste of the berries, he was quite curious if he could ask someone to help him make it into jam.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

LeRoy 🗝️>(⊖▼⊗´)•ζ :

“Thank you very much my mysterious friend! My best wishes extend to you as well.” He said as he merrily tasted the bits of cheese and bread. Only pausing as he tried to figure out the kind of berries sent.

“Cloud Berries?” He hesitated. Those were fairly rare weren’t they? He’d never thought he’d get a chance to see one, let alone try one! The Park Ranger let out a happy hum as he began to eat a few. How exciting this all was!

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Delilah Ⴑ(‘❁◡❁’)Ⴑ :

“What a peach!” Delilah said, adjusting a paper crown adorning their head before continuing with looking at the rest of the basket. Perking up at the sight of the berries and spices. “I bet I could make an interesting punch with these! That would be fun to drink in between projects.”

She paused, listening to a few ghostly whispers before speaking once more. “It’s always comforting to have nice company by your side. I hope we can all keep this merriment into the new year. It’ll be rather depressing if not!”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Pip (◼⊗_⊗’)/*

“Oooo!” Pip excitedly looked through the basket, nibbling at a little bit of everything as he discovered each item. “I’m not sure who sent this, but I hope you are doing well too. Good luck and fun activities this time of year with the people you’re close to are a life saver. Especially after rough tests in school…”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Miss Manni (,◡ _ ◡,) :

“You all are always so sweet. If you’re not careful I might start to pinch your cheeks huhuhu~!” Miss Manni lightly teased as she read the card over a few times. She did have to admit, this holiday season was quite a bit more festive than the ones she’d participated in prior. She quite liked it.

“I’m quite excited to use these gifts. Perhaps I’ll make a jam!” She clapped her hands together. “It’ll be perfect with this bread I’d think. And perfect to share with friends during these colder months.”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Eleanor (´⬬_⬬`) < :

“I will try baking this year.” Eleanor decided as she found the spices within the box. It would be fun to actually bring things to her new friends. Especially with the mysterious berries that this mysterious stranger had given them.

As for the food, well, she and Edward Rattington had already eaten a good portion of it in between the evening’s idle chatter. “Happy Holidays new friend, I hope you experience the same good fortune and joy you wish to spread.”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Shadowed Man /++ ◡ ++\ :

“Has it honestly been a year already? How awfully unproductive of me..” The shadow mused, the sound of a mimicked yawn escaping them as they lounged by the fireplace. A lazy smile replacing their often unsettling one. The dim fire light was the most comfortable, nothing too bright. “I ought to step it up this year.”

The shadow flipped the card back and forth a few times before shuffling through the goodies within the basket. Puncturing a few of the berries with a claw, lazily eating them mid thought. “May your year be plentiful as long as you keep your life a glow.”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Bonus:

Later that night, a basket full of trinkets for the mysterious sender can be found! Complete with a ribbon decorated lamp, fuzzy mittens, multiple holiday cookies and snacks, a small stained glass decoration, and a warm blanket can be found!

Happy Holidays and may your New Year be bright!

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

#idv oc ask blog #idv askblog #idv ocs #identity v #oc #“key-master”#the lampsmith #the costume maker #the living mannequin #the automaton #The Shadowed Man #the “hero”#The Glass Artist #Anon Visits #this is a long one lol

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daxwritesstories · 5 months

Text

Starry Anomaly: Part 2 - Starry Eyed

Summary: Starry spends the majority of her life feeling lonely until one day a mysterious girl named Anna appears in her town. The two quickly become close but Starry soon realizes that there’s more to Anna than meets the eye.

Four part story. Each part is inspired by a different song.

Part 1 - Part 3 - Part 4

Word Count: ~7.4K

Song lyrics from "Starry Eyed" by Ellie Goulding and "Loreley" by Blackmore's Night.

Take me in and throw out my heart and get a new one

I awoke to the sound of sporadic tapping on my window. Sitting up, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked at my balcony doors. I discovered the source of the tapping as a tiny rock hit the window. Confused, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and hopped down to investigate.

I unlatched the lock on the door and carefully opened them, keeping an eye out for stray rocks. I approached the railing and looked down to see Ramona standing on the path outside with a fist full of pebbles.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” she called. “It’s almost the afternoon.”

That was a shock, I almost never slept in. I must have been exhausted from the previous night, which at that point I was convinced was all a dream.

A ship sailed by no one appears at the dock in the dead of night and a strange girl wearing a cat mask departs from it without explanation. It was the stuff of fairytales and something that my mind definitely made up.

“I’m going to explore the jungle today. Do you want to come with me?” Ramona asked.

I nodded and rushed back into my room to get dressed.

Ramona was waiting for me by the front door when I came downstairs. We told my parents where we were going and they told us to be careful and not to go too far. Then the two of us were off on a new adventure.

“I guess you haven’t seen that girl yet, since you’ve been sleeping,” Ramona mentioned as we strolled. through the town.

I nearly stopped in my tracks. Was it not a dream after all?

“What girl?”

“There was a girl who appeared in town this morning,” Ramona explained. “Nobody knows where she came from. Apparently she won’t talk to anyone and she wears this weird mask. No one’s seen her face yet.”

“What? Where is she?” I asked, trying my best to hide the desperation in my voice.

“I dunno. I haven’t seen her yet either. Some grown-ups near the marketplace just told me about it.”

That time I did stop walking. So Anna was real. I needed to find her as soon as possible. I needed to ask if anyone knew where she went.

I quickly told Ramona that I couldn’t go to the jungle with her and that I needed to go do something. I apologized and ran off. Ramona didn’t argue with me, or at least not that I heard.

Frantically racing around town, I asked everyone I saw if they’d seen where the mysterious girl had gone. Most people didn’t know but a couple of grown-ups in the square said she went in the direction of the beach. It was a long shot, the beach was huge since it stretched around almost the entire perimeter of the island, but it was all I had to go on.

I made my way to one of the few sets of stairs around the town that went down to the beach. Taking off my shoes, I went down the steps, careful not to trip. I could have jumped down from the edge of one of the paths but that was dangerous for a kid like me to do, especially since I was still so short.

Wet sand slipped between my toes as I walked closer to the waterline. I thought that if I was closer to the shore I would have a better view of the area. I didn’t want to miss Anna if she was out there.

I walked along the beach for what felt like hours. Anna was nowhere to be seen and I was starting to give up on the idea of seeing her again. She had probably already left and gone back to wherever it was she came from.

Defeated, I stopped at the next large rock I came across and sat in front of it. I leaned my shoulders back against the rough stone and let out a long, tired sigh. It must have all just been a fantasy. I didn’t know what was going on. Perhaps I’d misheard Ramona. Maybe the townsfolk just gave me a fake answer so as to not upset me.

“Starry?”

Startled, I straightened my back and whipped my head around to see who had called my name. I nearly cried when I saw a white cat mask looking down at me.

“Anna!” I scrambled to my feet and despairingly wrapped my arms around her. When she didn’t reciprocate the embrace, I let go of her. “I was looking everywhere for you.”

Anna giggled and swayed a bit. “I told you I’d come find you. You didn’t have to look.”

“Sorry. I just really needed to see you again,” I explained.

Reaching out, Anna gently took both my hands in hers. “Here I am.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach together. We ran along the shore hand-in-hand, splashed around and danced in the water, and collected shells, giving the prettiest ones we found to each other. All of those things were Anna’s idea. I almost never went to the beach, so I didn’t know what people even do at the beach.

Ramona hated the beach and always refused to accompany me to the sandy shore. She preferred exploring the jungle, which was fun too but it could get boring sometimes.

Anna, on the other hand, told me that she loved the beach. She said that she would live on the beach if she could. I thought that was a strange thing to say. I’d heard of people living on the beach before, that was just something you could do. When I asked Anna why she couldn’t live on the beach though, she just shrugged and playfully splashed me with water.

By the time the sun started to set we were both tired out so we sat against the rock and watched nature’s beautiful display of light and color.

“My friends will be here soon,” Anna said.

“Who are your friends?” I asked.

Anna didn’t respond. It seemed that she didn’t like answering questions.

We sat in silence for a long moment before Anna spoke again.

“Have you ever been in love, Starry?”

“Aren’t we still too young to fall in love?” I responded. “I thought only grown-ups could fall in love.”

“I don’t think so,” Anna said.

I thought about it. No one ever told me what being in love felt like. When I asked my parents they told me that it was hard to describe and that it feels different for everyone. That didn’t make any sense to me.

Now that I was next to Anna again, there was no pain or emptiness in my chest anymore. I knew that love came from your heart, so maybe that was what love felt like? Maybe that was why I felt so complete when I was around Anna.

“I think I might be in love with you,” I said, thinking out loud.

Anna turned her head to look at me for a second and then faced the sunset again, the orange light tinting her mask. She didn’t say anything and I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking.

“Hey Anna, what do you look like?” I asked.

That caught Anna’s attention. She shifted to sit on her knees and turned her body to face me. Her hands rested neatly on her lap and she sat with perfect posture.

“I’ll show you if you want,” she offered.

I nodded and Anna brought her hands up to the mask. She placed one hand on the bottom of it and one hand on the top. She carefully lifted the mask, pulling the top back so that it rested on top of her head.

You look at me, it’s like you hit me with lighting

Before me I saw an angelic, otherworldly face, indescribably beautiful in a million different ways. It was perfect yet wild and unexpected. I felt like it was the first time I had ever seen another person’s face, no one else compared. My heart filled with joy when our eyes met and I felt that sense of peace even more strongly than before.

“You’re so–”

Anna cut my praise short by leaning forward and pressing her lips against mine. They were soft and gentle and I instinctively shut my eyes. I’d never kissed anyone before but that’s what I saw my parents do when they kissed. They would look lovingly into each other’s eyes, then they would kiss and both close their eyes, staying still for a few moments. Anna did the same thing, then pulled away after a few short, sweet seconds passed.

I opened my mouth to speak but Anna held a slender finger over her pale lips, silencing whatever compliment was going to come out. She then pulled her mask back down over her face, returning it to its normal place.

“They say my face is dangerous,” she said, looking down in shame.

“Why?”

Anna did not answer. She left her head hanging and I felt her sadness. Maybe she didn’t know the answer, or maybe she didn’t understand it. What a cruel thing to say to a young girl.

“Who says that?” I asked, warmly placing my hand on top of hers.

“The sailors.”

Sailors? I hadn’t had many interactions with sailors before. My parents told me to stay away from the sailors when I was alone. They never said why I should stay away or that the seafarers were dangerous in any way. I never questioned it though, most sailors didn’t try to approach me anyway. The only times I’d spoken to them were during the town’s festivals, when everyone was merry and dancing.

“Did you come here with sailors?” I asked. “Were they on that boat with you?”

Anna finally looked up again and deliberately shook her head. She did not elaborate and that left me confused. It shouldn’t have been possible for a kid to sail a ship that large all by herself.

The beach was painted a bright orange hue that was slowly turning red, signifying that the sun was almost down. Anna flipped her hand up to wrap her fingers around mine and bring it up to her cheek behind the mask. She nuzzled her cheek against my hand and I felt her messy hair tickle my skin.

I smiled at her and somehow I could tell that she was smiling back at me. I wished we could have stayed out there all night, but the beach was a dangerous place to be after dark.

We waited until the sun was just a sliver on the sea’s horizon before we walked back to town, hand in hand. A chilly evening wind ruffled my hair and slipped through my sweater. I shivered and glanced at Anna, whose dress flew up a bit in the breeze. She seemed completely unphased by the cold, not a single goosebump appeared on her fair skin. I asked her if she was cold and she shook her head.

We kept walking until we got to the street that my house was on, right at the edge of town, less than a minute away from the ocean. I squeezed Anna’s hand to get her attention and pointed at my house. She stopped to look in the direction I was pointing.

“This is my house,” I told her.

Anna nodded and thoughtfully tapped her fingers on the chin of her mask. “It’s beautiful.”

“You think so?” Beautiful is not a word I would have used to describe my house. It was old and broken down, the paint and wood peeling from years of harsh storms. The windows, despite being clean, were all cloudy around the edges and the roof was being eaten away by rust. Tall weeds had overtaken the bottom floor walls years ago, even one of our kitchen windows was covered by them. It looked like most of the other houses in town, there was nothing special about it.

Anna nodded again and then turned to face me. She took my other hand and swung both of them side to side. I giggled at the amusing motion.

“You should go inside,” Anna said somberly.

“Come with me,” I pleaded. I didn’t want to part with her yet, not after how wonderful spending the day together felt.

“Another time.” Anna reached out to lovingly caress my cheek. “I have to go.” She stepped back and walked past me.

“Wait! When can we see each other again?” I called.

“I’ll come find you,” was the only answer Anna gave me. She ran off again and was quickly out of my sight. I wanted to chase after her but I was scared that it might make her mad.

Instead, I complied with her wish and went inside. My parents greeted me and offered me dinner. I thanked them for the meal but decided to go eat in my room, not wanting to explain why I didn’t go to the jungle with Ramona.

I hoped that Ramona still had fun by herself. I felt a bit bad for abandoning her at the last minute but I knew there would be plenty of time for us to go on more adventures. There was no telling how long Anna would stay in town and I had a feeling that she wouldn’t tell me even if I asked her.

I spent most of the evening sitting on the floor of my balcony. It wasn’t storming that night so I took the opportunity to look at the stars and listen to the waves. It might have just been my imagination, but the stars didn’t seem to shine as brightly as they usually did. Compared to the way Anna made me feel that day, the stars felt like distant strangers. Maybe they always were and I just hadn’t noticed.

~~~

I knocked on the front door at Ramona’s house early the next morning to apologize. I wanted to make up for our missed adventure the day before, if she was available. Her grandma answered the door and happily invited me inside. She told me that Ramona was still in her room crafting something. I thanked her and went upstairs to Ramona’s bedroom.

“Ramona?” I called, letting her know it was me coming in.

When I began to open the door, I heard Ramona quickly stand up and shuffle some things around. The door opened wide enough to see her slam a drawer in her workbench shut, nearly knocking over some of the crystals she kept on the corners of the desk. She turned around and smiled, blocking the drawer with her body.

“Hey, Starry.”

“What were you making?” I asked. Ramona always showed me the projects she was working on, whether it was a modified trinket or an original creation. The fact that she was hiding it roused my curiosity.

“Um.. it’s a surprise,” Ramona answered. “Come on in.”

I shut the door behind me, the old wood moving with a loud creak. Her mattress dipped beneath me when I sat on the edge of her bed.

“Ramona…” I glanced around the room, trying to find the right words. I wasn’t quite sure how to explain myself but maybe I wouldn’t have to. “I’m sorry for running off yesterday.”

“Oh, that’s alright, Starry,” Ramona said with a smile. “You missed out on some cool stuff though.” Ramona went on to tell me about the wonderful adventure she’d had by herself. She saw a flock of the most vibrant-feathered birds either of us had ever seen. She’d climbed all the way up a centuries old tree and at the top she could see miles of the seemingly endless jungle. She even found a few trinkets left behind by someone who couldn’t appreciate them the way she would.

It was a captivating story and it almost made me regret not accompanying her.

As Ramona showed me her newly found trinkets, she asked what I had done yesterday. I told her about my encounter with the masked girl and Ramona was immediately intrigued.

“What was she like?”

“She was amazing.” There was not much else to say about her, at least not anything that anyone else would understand.

“Where did she come from?” Ramona asked.

I shrugged. I didn’t want to tell Ramona the truth that I saw Anna arrive on the ghost ship. She might have thought I had lost my mind. Besides, I still wasn’t entirely sure that it was even real and not a dream. Anna was definitely real but ghost ships shouldn’t be. I even passed by the harbor on my way to the beach the previous day and there were no new ships. There hadn’t been any for a while.

Ramona gave me a confused look, wanting a real answer.

“She doesn’t talk much,” I explained. “She did tell me that her name is Anna though.”

“Anna, hm…”

“What?”

“I dunno. I just thought she’d have a more spectacular name, since she’s so mysterious.” Ramona had a point. Anna was an uncharacteristically simple name for such an enigmatic person.

I felt the need to tell Ramona more but a part of me was scared to. I was like a pirate who’d found a glorious treasure, wanting to flaunt my newfound riches but, at the same time, afraid of having them stolen. Ramona was the person I trusted most in my small, secluded world though, so I thought that it might be okay to tell her a bit more.

“I saw her face,” I blurted out.

Ramona stopped playing with the metallic trinket that she was holding. “She took her mask off?”

I nodded. “Only for a minute.”

Ramona asked me what she looked like. I told her that it was too hard to describe, any string of words I could put together wouldn’t do it justice. So Ramona started asking more specific questions.

“What color were her eyes?”

“A color I’ve never seen before.”

“What was her smile like?”

“She didn’t smile.”

“What shape was her face?”

“The perfect shape.”

Ramona soon realized that she wasn’t going to get any specific answers from me. She tried to get me to compare Anna’s features to other things we’d seen before but nothing was even remotely similar. I felt that making comparisons would do less to help describe her than saying nothing at all.

We gave up on description and Ramona decided she would just have to see for herself. I thought it was a good idea and I told her that Anna was a nice person once you got to know her.

Part of me was still terrified of what might happen if Ramona saw Anna’s face. Would she fall in love with her too? Would she take her away from me? I wanted to believe that Ramona wouldn’t do that to me but I couldn’t be sure.

I just hoped that Anna would refuse to talk to her, just like she did with the rest of the townsfolk.

I spent the day in Ramona’s bedroom. She made alterations to some of her trinkets and I helped her paint some of her woodworking projects. Ramona was a talented craftsman, all of her creations and modifications had a true artistic quality to them. Not every project worked the way it was intended, but they all looked beautiful.

That was something Ramona was working toward, trying to find a way to put more emphasis on functionality without sacrificing presentation. I always saw improvement in her work and I knew she had a bright future with her skills.

~~~

In the evening we went to the square together. There was going to be music and dancing, something the townsfolk always did at the end of the week.

Ramona wanted me to dance with her but I wasn’t sure about it. We used to dance together a lot but that was back when we were the same height. Recently it was becoming embarrassing to dance with her because I thought we looked weird together. I had to stand on my toes and awkwardly bend my body to perform our usual dance moves. I told her that maybe I would but I mostly planned to just dance alone.

We arrived at the square where the music had already begun. Most of the grown-ups were sitting down, singing, or playing an instrument. The older kids were standing in a circle, clapping their hands but not dancing. Strange, usually the teenagers were always dancing.

When we got closer, Ramona shoved a few kids out of the way so we could join the circle. My eyes immediately went to the center of the circle and I stared in disbelief.

Anna was there dancing, all alone, performing graceful moves that none of us had ever seen before. Her midnight blue dress swayed as she twirled and kicked her bare feet. Everyone seemed thoroughly entertained by the display, smiling, clapping, and cheering.

Ramona and I glanced at each other but didn’t say a word. We watched Anna blissfully dance until the song ended.

Anna held one final pose for a second before looking around at the crowd she’d attracted. She saw me and gleefully skipped over to where I stood. She held her hand out, inviting me to dance with her.

Without hesitation, I placed my hand in her palm and let her escort me out to the center of the circle as the next song began. The way we danced was foreign to me but I just followed Anna’s lead, letting her guide me through the steps. I smiled at the masked angel as the songstress sang a shanty.

“Oh, the song of Loreley

Charms the moon right from the sky

She will get inside your mind

Lovely Loreley

When she cries

‘Be with me until the end of time’

You know you will ever be

With your Loreley”

Anna’s dance was dizzying, she spun both of us around so many times that my legs began to wobble. She kept me upright the entire time though, somehow unaffected by vertigo.

The world blurred around us and everyone else faded into the background. It was just me and Anna floating through space together as the song filled our heads.

“And the winds would cry

And many men would die

And all the waves would bow down

To the Loreley”

When the song ended I toppled over, falling into Anna’s arms. I was breathing heavily, as if I had just swam across the entire ocean.

Anna held me until I could find my footing again. I smiled at her so widely that my cheeks hurt and again I somehow knew she was smiling back.

I looked back to where I’d left Ramona standing but she was gone. My eyes searched for her in the crowd to no avail. She must have gone off somewhere on her own. It wouldn’t have been the first time, she got distracted easily.

Anna tapped on my shoulder to get my attention back. She fixed my sweater when I looked at her again, pulling up the sleeve that had fallen down my shoulder during our dance. I stared at the cat mask in front of me and an image of Anna’s face slowly faded over it until I could no longer see the mask.

Another song started soon and this time all of the older kids began dancing too. Anna twirled and danced a bit by herself. I stood still, mesmerized by her movements and a bit nervous to be in the center with the older kids. Ramona and I usually danced on the outskirts of the crowd in our own little world. I wasn’t used to being in the middle of it all.

Anna seemed to notice my hesitation. She stopped dancing, gracefully bringing her movements to a halt. She grabbed my wrist with an unexpectedly tight grip and weaved us through the crowd. She avoided all the dancing bodies with a calculated accuracy, not once bumping into someone.

We eventually broke free from the mass and Anna led me away from the square. When we reached the stairs I realized where she was taking me.

“Wait.” I stopped, causing my wrist to slip out of Anna’s grasp. She turned around and stared at me, breathing steadily, waiting for an explanation. “The ocean is dangerous at night,” I said.

“I’ll keep you safe,” Anna promised. She held her hand out, silently asking me to trust her.

Though I hesitated, I believed her. I just wanted to be around her for as long as possible. Even if it meant doing something that scared me.

I placed my hand in Anna’s and she guided me down the steps until we reached the sand. I paused to take my shoes off but Anna told me to keep them on. I questioned her but she said I would understand soon.

We stayed near the boardwalk, where it was lightest, as we ambled along the beach. Anna gently swayed our intertwined hands back and forth. She hummed one of the shanties that were playing in the square and I joined her. She had a lovely voice, soft yet powerful, just like the rest of her.

After a long time we arrived at a cluster of large rocks. I’d never gone that far on the beach so I didn’t even know it was there. Waves crashed against the furthest out rocks and water droplets flew into the air before landing with a splat. It was loud and kind of scary in the dark.

Anna stepped onto one of the smaller rocks and started climbing.

“Wait, you’ll slip,” I warned.

Anna looked over her shoulder at me and shook her head. “I’ll be okay.”

“What about me?” I didn’t want to be left behind after coming this far.

Fearlessly, Anna climbed onto the next big rock and turned around, crouching on its surface. She held her hand out, coaxing me to try.

I was scared but I took her hand anyway. I gripped it tightly for support as I stepped onto the small rock in front of me. Just like the first step of any adventure, it was easy and gave me a bit of confidence. I nodded at Anna and she pulled me up to the bigger rock she was on. It was a much higher step up and I had to propel myself upwards, meeting Anna’s movement, to get myself up.

Anna gave my hand an affirming squeeze as I stood up next to her. She led me up one rock higher and we were a few feet off the ground at that point.

I hated climbing. Ramona would always try to get me to climb trees with her in the jungle but I preferred to have my feet on the ground. I was mostly afraid to fall, something I’d seen Ramona do plenty of times. She always seemed fine, getting right back up after she hit the ground, but I didn’t believe that it would be the same case for me. My parents were always worried about me getting hurt and it made me feel frail.

As I set my back foot on the rock, my shoe gave way to the moisture on the surface and my foot slipped back a little bit.

I nearly screamed in fear and grabbed Anna’s arm with my free hand, clinging onto her like my life depended on it. Anna quickly turned to tend to me, holding me steady so I could regain my balance. I think she could tell that I was scared.

“You’re okay,” she soothed.

“I don’t wanna fall,” I yelped.

Anna paused for a moment, thinking, then nodded down at the rock. “Sit and you won’t fall.”

I listened to her, immediately sitting down. I could feel the seat of my shorts getting wet but I was so worried about falling that I didn’t care.

Anna remained standing, looking out onto the ocean before us. I watched her, noticing how still she was, her shoulders relaxed in perfect posture. The wind blew her skirt back and ruffled the top of her short hair but she didn’t seem to notice at all.

My hair was flowing in the breeze too but because it was long it quickly became tangled. Normally I would have tried to fix it with my fingers but I was too entranced by the way Anna looked.

She opened her arms as a large wave crashed against the rocks, welcoming the water as it splashed across her. She tilted her head up and she looked just like a sea witch from the fairytales I’d heard. Goddesses who controlled the ocean, always one with the waves.

We stayed there for a while, not speaking, just listening to the waves as they rose and fell against the rocks’ sides. The clouds drifted away to reveal the moon and Anna’s mask lit up under the light. For some reason, the longer I knew Anna the more the mask seemed to have expressions of its own. Of course it had the face of a smiling cat painted on it but it almost looked lonely. Lonely like me.

~~~

I slept in late again the next morning. I knew that making a habit of staying out late was bad for me but I didn’t mind losing some daylight if it meant I could be with Anna.

I got dressed, putting on my favorite fleece hoodie and some comfortable leggings, and went downstairs. My parents were already preparing sandwiches for lunch and I joined them at the table when everything was done.

“Someone came to the door this morning looking for you,” my mom said.

“Ramona?”

“No sweetie, it was a girl wearing a cat mask,” my mom explained.

“Anna,” I said, mostly to myself.

“Is she a friend of yours?” my dad asked.

“Yeah… Did she say where she was going?” I asked.

My parents exchanged a quick glance before answering. “The pier.”

I immediately stood up. I felt compelled to go look for her right away, afraid she would grow tired of waiting for me and go somewhere else. The town was small but Anna was free to go anywhere she wanted on the island, which was significantly bigger. It could take me all day to find her.

After wrapping up the remainder of my sandwich, I put it in the fridge and told my parents that I was going to the pier.

“Be careful around the water, my dear,” my mom called after me as I ran out the door.

When I arrived at the pier, I saw Anna sitting at the end of it and I breathed a sigh of relief. My shoes thumped loudly against the wood as I ran down to the end of the pier to join her.

Though she must have heard me coming, Anna didn’t show any signs of it, staying completely still as I sat down next to her. Our legs dangled off the planks as we looked out across the endless ocean.

“You slept in,” Anna said.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Anna looked at me, her hands gripping onto the edge of the plank as she leaned forward a bit. “I just wanted to see you again.”

A gasp escaped my lips when I heard those words. I wondered if that meant she felt the same way about me as I felt about her. I wondered if that was what love felt like.

Without thinking, I leaned over and wrapped my arms around Anna’s middle. I rested my head on her shoulder and closed my eyes. There were no words that could have expressed to her how I felt so a hug was the only thing that felt right.

Anna responded by placing one arm around my shoulder and rested her other hand on my head. I smiled when I felt the gentle pressure of her fingertips on my hair.

After a few moments she pulled away from me to speak again. “Can I sleep at your house tonight, Starry?”

I lifted my head to look at her. “Of course. But Anna, where have you been sleeping since you got here?” I wanted to know what she’d been doing every time she disappeared. I wanted to know if she had anyone to take care of her. Perhaps she was an orphan, left alone to fend for herself. How sad, I thought.

“Somewhere cold,” Anna answered, though that didn’t explain anything. I wanted to press her more for an answer but I knew it would be pointless. If she didn’t want to tell me, she didn’t have to. I somehow knew that she was okay, maybe just a little lost.

Fall head first like paper planes in playground games

Anna invited me to walk along the beach with her and I accepted. Then she did something that was so scary. She rose to her feet and jumped off the pier, diving into the water with perfect form.

I immediately slid backwards on the pier, pulling my feet up onto the wood. I called out to Anna in panic when she resurfaced, shaking the water out of her hair.

“Anna! Are you okay?”

She nodded, steadily treading in the water. “Come on, let’s swim to the beach. It’s just over there,” she said. She pointed toward the shore just a few feet away from her, keeping herself afloat with her other arm.

I looked over at the shoreline, considering the idea. My parents taught me how to swim but it was just as a precaution. They instructed me to never go in the water without one of them and to not even go near the water if they weren’t around. I broke that second rule a lot, like on that very day, but I never disobeyed the first one. I knew the currents could be harsh and unpredictable, even if the waves seemed calm.

Standing up, I gestured at the boardwalk behind me. “I’ll meet you there.”

Anna didn’t argue, she just started swimming in the direction of the shore. She looked like such a natural in the water. She must have had a lot of swimming practice, much more than I did.

I felt bad for not joining her as I ambled along the boardwalk. Anna wouldn’t have let me drown, right? I felt like I should have just trusted her like I did the previous night at the rocks.

By the time I reached the sand Anna was already walking out of the water. She squeezed the water out of the skirt of her dress as I approached her.

“The water is warm today,” she said.

I just smiled and nodded, a bit embarrassed about my apprehension.

The two of us walked along the beach in the direction of my house. We moved slowly, enjoying the warm afternoon sun shining down on us. During the winter it was warmest in the afternoon, when the sun was as high as it could get in the sky.

Anna held my hand for the entire journey. We didn’t talk much and when we did speak it was to share our admiration for the beautiful scenery. The deep blue water sparkled brilliantly in the sun. It reminded me of the countless crystals that Ramona kept in her room.

We stopped many times along the way to chase the waves or dance in the water. Anna was right, the ocean was warm on our feet and we twirled together on the shoreline. It was strange, the water was usually cooler around that time of year.

When the sky grew orange, indicating that the sun would slowly disappear soon, Anna suggested that we go to my house. I agreed and she led the way. I was happy that she bothered to remember where I lived since I made sure to tell her multiple times where my house was. Although she never responded the first time, I was now certain that she was listening.

We arrived at my house a lot faster than I had anticipated. It felt like we were walking at a slow, relaxed pace but we seemed to cover a lot of distance in a short amount of time.

My parents greeted us when we pranced through the front door, holding hands. I said hello and Anna waved at them. I told my parents that she was going to sleep over and they encouraged us to have fun and go to bed early.

Anna and I ate the dinner that my parents had prepared before we got back. Then I took Anna up to my room so we could relax together. I sat on my bed and Anna stood at the open balcony, gazing out at the sea. I began sorting through the pile of books that had formed on my side table, allowing my guest to do whatever she felt like doing. I wondered if Anna would want to read any of my books and a thought occurred to me. Did she even know how to read? Many fugitives who arrived on our island were unable to read. If she was a fugitive, that is. I would have been more than happy to teach her if she didn’t know.

“You have a beautiful view of the ocean,” Anna commented.

“Yeah, it’s nice that I can see it from my own room,” I agreed.

Anna stepped back into the room and closed the balcony doors, saying that it was getting late. She joined me on the bed and asked what I was doing. I explained that I was trying to organize my books. Anna picked up one of the books that I had set down beside me. She examined it, carefully inspecting the covers and flipping through the pages.

“Anna, can you read?” I asked as politely as possible. I was slightly concerned that I would offend her with such a question.

“Not your language,” Anna answered.

Since I wasn’t expecting that answer, I put the book that was currently in my hand down and turned to face Anna.

“What is your native language? I have books written in a few different languages,” I offered.

Anna glanced around at my various bookshelves. “I don’t think you will have books in my language,” she said. The tone in her voice lowered slightly at the end, as if she were feeling sorrowful.

Sensing that the subject of her native tongue was making Anna feel sad, I tried to shift the conversation a bit.

“How did you learn to speak Esalezian?” I asked.

“The sailors taught me.”

That was the second time she had mentioned the sailors. I began to wonder how and why she had spent so much time with sailors. Was it possible that she was on a ship with them? A ship full of sailors was no place for a child like her. It was dangerous work.

The last time I asked Anna to elaborate on the sailors, she was uncooperative and changed the subject. I figured the same thing might happen if I ask again, so I just left it.

“I can teach you to read Esalezian, if you’d like,” I offered.

Anna tilted her head just slightly to the side, raising her shoulders a barely noticeable amount, and I could tell she was smiling. She nodded and I shuffled closer to her on the mattress. I thought the book that was already in my hand would do just fine. It was one of my favorites and it was easy to read.

Our little lesson went well, Anna turned out to be an incredibly fast learner. We did have a rocky start when it became apparent that Anna was unfamiliar with the alphabet of my language. Thankfully, Anna was able to quickly memorize all of the letters and what sounds they made. The next step was putting the letters together into words and dissecting the sound they would produce together. Anna recognized a lot of the words as soon as she was able to read them outloud. She seemed happy to finally know what the words she’d been saying looked like when they were written out.

We stopped our lesson a while after night had fallen. I suggested that we go to bed and Anna sleepily agreed. I offered her comfortable clothes to sleep in, assuming she only had that one dress. She was hesitant but eventually accepted the clothes.

When we finally settled into bed, I noticed that Anna was still wearing her mask. I asked if she was going to take it off to sleep, since that would have been more comfortable.

“Someone might see me while I’m sleeping,” she said.

“It’s just us in here. My parents won’t come in without knocking,” I told her.

“It’s dangerous.” Anna’s voice was calm with no sign of fear.

“Okay,” I said. If she was more comfortable with the mask on, then I wasn’t going to force her. I did have one itching curiosity though. “Can I see your face again?”

Anna didn’t answer but she stared at me with attention. Her breathing was still calm and rhythmic, so she couldn’t have been angered.

“Just for a moment?” I bargained. “I really want to see you one more time.”

Anna sat up and gestured for me to sit up too. She shifted closer to the center of the bed and I followed suit. Somehow, we still managed to keep a small space between us, precisely in the center of the mattress. We faced each other, sitting in the exact same way with our legs crossed. Mirror images of each other, separated by an invisible line on my bed.

Just as carefully as she had last time, Anna lifted her mask and let it rest on the top of her head.

I was immediately lost in her beauty again. It was even more wonderful than before, like it was my first time ever seeing her face. Just looking at her felt like the first inhale of fresh air after holding your breath for as long as you could. It felt like drinking cold water when you’ve been thirsty all day. Like being wrapped in a soft blanket on a harsh, windy night.

I felt so relaxed yet so excited. In her eyes I saw both adventure and home. The color of them, the prettiest color I had ever seen in my life, pulled me in. I leaned closer to her, my nose grazing that invisible barrier separating us.

Anna leaned in too. Her expression was welcoming, inviting me to get closer. As much as I wanted to, I found myself unable to move at all.

So we burst into colors

It was Anna who broke through the barrier, connecting our lips together in a gentle kiss. I closed my eyes to relax into it and found my mind ablaze with color. Colors I loved and colors I had never seen before. They danced through my blacked out vision like flames, wildly flickering. It was the most extraordinarily beautiful display I had ever seen. Could that be what love is?

Anna pulled away from the kiss first and when I opened my eyes, her face was still there in front of me. Though her expression was mostly neutral, her eyes were squinted and her cheeks were raised ever so slightly. I knew she was happy, just as I was.

After letting me look at her for a moment longer, Anna reached up and delicately pulled the mask back down.

“Thank you,” I said, though I wasn’t sure why.

Next thing, we’re touching

“We should sleep,” Anna said. She took my hand in hers and held them up between us. Her fingers interlaced with mine until we were locked together.

We both smiled -I know she smiled- and fell to our sides onto the comfort of the mattress. Anna rolled onto her back to get more comfortable but she never let go of my hand. We drifted off soon, hands held tightly together for the whole night.

#starry anomaly #creative writing #song inspired #oceancore #ocean aesthetic #sirencore #original story #this is a LONG ONE lol #this is a completed story btw so the last two parts will be posted in the next few days #been working on this for like six months so I'm v proud of it

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solarishashernoseinabook · 2 years

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Sooo @the-lavender-creator has tagged me in an ask game and asked me to answer all of it. And I will! Here's a link to the ask game if you want to reblog it so you don't have to go digging through my blog.

And with that, here we go! :3

deep fic writer asks

1. what’s the fic youre most proud of? Ah...I think The Ward Ghost, it's taken a lot of plotting and I've had to think hard about how the characters would be after the major changes to canon I've made, but people say they love how the characters turned out so I feel like all the hard work has been worth it :D

2. what’s a fic that took you to an emotional/dark/hard place? Honestly? The Royal Ranger has done that a couple of times, because I have to do a lot of hard thinking about my autism, how dismissive people can get about it, and once I had to really try and get across what sensory overload is like for me and ended up actually going into sensory overload D:

For all that it's been really great writing it because I get to play with my writing style a bit and get to give myself some validation lol

3. what fic are you emotionally attached to? Most of them tbh. But The Royal Ranger has made me the most friends, so that's got a special place in my heart :D

4. what fic of your own do you read for comfort? The Prince of Clonmel or The Flower in Her Hair most often :D But mostly I go back and read bits of my multi-chaps, like some of the more emotional chapters of The Ward Ghost

5. what fic of your own won’t you read?

Pretty much any of my FFN ones, because gosh what was I thinking. From my ao3 era, I don't really reread Coming Home very much. I'm just not very satisfied with how it turned out

6. what’s the hardest part of the writing process for you? The beginning. oh my god the beginning. trying to start anything just feels very awkward D:

7. how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you? When a fic or a chapter gets no interaction, I wonder if it was actually all that good. But even just one comment makes me feel like all the writing was worth it :3

8. does anyone in your personal life know you write fic? if not, would you tell anyone? My mom knows! ...and wants to read The Ward Ghost :"D My friend also knows and I talk to her a bit about the writing process

9. what’s your writing process like? It's really not special lol. I'll just type away, or handwrite some scenes and transcribe them later. I occasionally write things out of order - if I'm super stuck on something, I'll write a later scene until I can talk it over with my beta readers - but I try to stick to writing mainly in order and I try not to skip ahead more than a scene at a time

10. how has writing positively impacted your mental health or overall mood? Writing is generally pretty calming for me, because both typing and handwriting are stims for me, but writing The Royal Ranger in particular has led to me becoming a lot more comfortable being openly autistic, despite what i said about it higher up :"D Its just been extremely validating

11. Has a fic you’ve written ever caused issues/controversy? The Royal Ranger caused controversy before it even came out! I initially wasn't going to do very much with it, because I thought it would just be a simple love story and wasn't sure what I could do with it, but I brought up in the Ranger's Apprentice discord server that I headcanoned Halt as autistic and someone lost their shit over it lmao. After getting push back from everyone else involved in the conversation, the person insulted us and left the server

Jokes on them tho cuz that was what inspired me to actually write it instead of just thinking about it lmao

12. What’s your perfect environment to create/write? Anywhere with a pen, a notebook, a warm drink and my cat <3

13. Do you take pride in your writing, or does it embarrass you? Why? I mostly feel proud! Based on the responses I get from my writing, I'm consistently achieving my goals with it (people enjoy the things I want to be romantic, feel emotional over the things I want to be emotional, hate the people I want them to hate, etc.) so I consider myself capable :3

14. Do you compare yourself to other writers? In a positive or negative way? Only if I read anything by Terry Pratchett, at which case I start to wonder if I could ever write anything that good XD But usually I don't compare myself to anyone, because I consider writing styles to be very personal things that heavily depend on what you want to do with a story

15. How do you think your writing as improved over time? I think I've gotten a lot better at characterisation! Especially with Halt, because he's fairly sarcastic in canon but I wasn't confident in my ability to make him all that sarcastic in my writing until recently

16. Do you re-read old fics? Is there a time in your writing you won’t go back to? I reread them a lot! But only my ao3 ones. I can't get through a few sentences of any of my FFN stories because my writing was just not very good back then lshglsgh

17. What’s the best engagement/interaction/feedback you’ve received from someone who’s read your work? This review, which kicked off my friendship with @rangerangel! When I saw it I spent a solid forty-five minutes just happy stimming and couldn't respond at all because every time I tried typing anything I got overtaken with happy stims again :'D <3

Genuinely just cannot stop rotting about how The Royal Ranger fic by @solarishashernoseinabook has the most accurate and well thought through depiction of autism I’ve ever encountered in media to this day. As an autistic person myself it genuinely made me cry at certain points because of how nonjudgmentally and gently it depicted Halt’s autism. I just think about it every day and it feels like a big warm hug.

18. Do you only write when you’re inspired, or do you try and sit down at specific times and write no matter what? I try and write whenever! I've figured out enough tricks by now that I don't get bogged down by writer's block as much. Plus with multi-chaps I don't have the luxury of waiting till I'm inspired to write. Currently I'm trying to write at least a few sentences per day

19. If you could write an ideal fic, what would it include? Um. That's hard to say! Because I want different things out of different fics. Sometimes I want something with plot, or romance, or angst. So there's no one-size-fits-all "perfect fic" that could include anything specific XD

20. What’s the greatest gift you’ve gotten from your writing? My friendship/marriage with @rangerangel :3 <3

#asks #ask games #this is a long one lol #sorry for the tags angel <3

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krowbby · 5 months

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Ankh-Morpork Dashboard Simulator

happy 40th anniversary everyone 🥳🥳

🌅peach-bi-street

who’s that watchman who’s kinda skrunkly

🐀↺riverrat Follow

helen.

HELEN. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT NOBBY NOBBS.

🌅↺peach-bi-street

oh yeah

#are you gonna look at me and tell me that im WRONG?

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🪙official-c.m.o.t.☑️☑️Sponsored with Blaze

C.M.O.T. Dibbler’s Escape The Room!!!!!

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Show this ad at the front desk for a special deal of only one dollar per person, and that’s cuttin’ me own throat!!!

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#smallbusiness #ankhmorpork #ankhblr #deals

590 notes

🚹humantwitter Follow

4,981 notes

💌postal-service-top Follow

saw the postmaster today in his stupid gold suit. hes so hot

🌚↺lesbianbaker

i don’t get why people say this he’s the most average looking guy ever. his WIFE however

#you know that post that’s like ur at a lesbian bar and a hot older woman is smoking #and ur like. ‘can yuo put that out on me’ #yeah

120 notes

🥁evenmoremendeddrum Follow

do you guys think the patrician has a secret blog

🛤️↺makeyefret Follow

No, but I bet his secretary is on studyblr

🐶↺wufflesgirl Follow

are you kidding me the patrician is definitely on tumblr. brb committing treason so i can compliment his shoelaces

🥁↺evenmoremendeddrum Follow

peer-reviewed tags

#lord vetinari if ur reading this is legally a joke #wear an owl pin if ur one of us

🏚️↺ankhmorporkheritageposts Follow

Ankh-Morpork Heritage Post

1,074,228 notes

trainhoe-deactivated19890205

hot take but i kind of think the guild of assassins and thieves are problematic. like one of them you could ruin someone’s life and the other one you’re literally KILLING people. i know rich people are delusional but i can’t believe they literally think the best school for their kids is murder college.

🐲essential-dragons Follow

assassins got them

20,391 notes

#discworld #terry pratchett #i have no idea if this is funny but i've spent too long on it already so here #feel free to steal any ideas if you wanna make your own one LOL #havelock vetinari #nobby nobbs #moist von lipwig #adora belle dearheart

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professorcalculusstanaccount · 3 months

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