#as for the rest of the actual book i found it quite interesting overall! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

catcze · 7 months

Note

HI CATTE! big fan of ur works!! glad to see another wrio filo fan !!, can I request wrio trying to learn filo for Filipino!reader !! I think it's super cute and I feel like he would probably become fluent in secret to surprise you !!!!!

Reblogs are greatly appreciated !!

「 FEAT : 」 Wriothesley x GN! Filipino! reader

「 ### : 」 Fluff, some swearing, but overall very good vibes ♡ Reader can speak Tagalog! I'll be real this is super cheesy esp the tagalog dialogue but SUE ME I love cheesy shit and this is self indulgent. Written pre-4.1 release.Translation for Tagalog dialogue found at the end!

AAAA HI BABY ♡ I cannot express how happy this made me ?!?!? Like, I'm bumping it up on the prio because it made me sooo kilig when i read it HAHAHAH I hope you like it lots !! (also if any filos have corrections/improvement on the tagalog dialogue pls lmk because I am notttt the best at writing in tagalog dialogue lmao) also ! I changed it and made him, like, not super \ fluent yet at Tagalog, hence why imo some of his dialogue sounds a bit;;; like, practiced? textbook? if that makes sense? HAHAH

Wriothesley doesn't have some big, grand reason for doing any of this. It's not your birthday or your anniversary or anything like that. He's not meeting your parents and he sure isn't planning on proposing just yet.

In all honesty, it all started from a quick kiss you pressed to his cheek and a string of words in a foreign language whispered into his ear.

"What did you say?" he asks when you pull away, a small smile on your face.

"I said mahal kita," you tell him, a hand resting on his arm. Your eyes soften almost imperceptibly when you say the phrase again. You sound so damn fond when you say it, it makes his heart want to skip a beat. "It's one of the most common ways to say 'I love you' in Tagalog."

"Can you say it again?" He asks, and you easily comply.

Mahal kita. Mahal kita. Mahal kita. I love you. He turns the words over and over in his head, then tries to replicate how you pronounce it with his own tongue, but the words come out a bit funny thanks to his fontainese accent. He's not used to the intonation of the language and it shows, if your amused little laugh was anything to go by.

"Like this," you tell him after watching him struggle for a bit and taking mercy on his poor tongue. "Repeat after me." Then you open your mouth wide, so he can see how you do it.

"Ma."

"Ma?"

"-hull."

"Kih."

"Kih?"

"Mhm. Tah."

"Tah."

"Put all that together, and you get mahal kita."

He tries it again, but it still comes out a bit funky. Not at all like how you say it, sounding buttery smooth and practically dripping with charisma. Despite this, you still smile at him like he's given you the world in your palms, or like you're about to cry from happiness. You press your lips against his, stealing the air right from his lungs and making his eyes flutter shut. He can never get tired of kissing you, he thinks, and if messing up a little bit gets him this much affection, he can only imagine what you'd be like if he improved.

"Mahal din kita," you mumble against his lips, breaking away but not straying far.

After that, unbeknownst to you, Wriothesley picked up what is essentially (but not actually the title) a Tagalog for dummies book and hunted down a guard in the fortress who can speak the language enough for him to consult whenever merely reading the words on a page was not enough.

You've also begun to speak Tagalog more and more around him since finding out his interest in the language. You've even managed to correct his pronunciation a little bit, despite how new much of it was new to him.

("You have to roll your r's a bit more, Wrio. Like... like you're purring, i guess?" That, in particular, he heard quite often. Who knew that his mother tongue said their r's differently from yours? Certainly not him.)

He eats up every bit of advice you give him in passing when he tries to replicate whatever word or phrase you just said, quietly taking note in his head and repeating the phrases back to himself even when you're not around. He goes to that one guard he had dubbed as his 'Tagalog tutor' and peppers them with questions so often that he figures it warrants him to hand over a particularly generous bonus later on for letting him as much of a bother as he is.

And finally, after a good long while of giving it his best effort, his tutor deems him able to hold a conversation in Tagalog well enough, and promptly pushes him out the door, telling him to 'go get 'em, boss.' before hastily locking the door behind him.

When Wriothesley wanders back to your living quarters, reassuring himself that he's been practicing for this, for you, and that even if he gets it a little bit wrong, you're probably going to be happy either way. Probably.

"Sweetheart?" He calls, coming inside. He follows your faint 'over here' to find you on your bed in your casuals, relaxing for the day.

When you catch sight of him, you smile, beckoning him close, just to press a kiss to his lips when he leans over. "Hey," you say, grinning up at him.

"Kumusta ka? Namiss kita, mahal. " He says, the words coming out a soft murmur against your lips. You pause for a good while, jaw dropping and brows furrowing in confusion, and Wriothesley fears that he could have messed up somehow. Then a wide smile breaks across your face as you glow with absolute delight.

"Hoy, talaga?! Nagtatagalog ka?" You sit up to be eye-to-eye with him, and you see nothing short of pride in his eyes. One of your hands flies up to cover your mouth as you gasp. "Woah, ang galing mo!"

And oh, it's one of the cutest things you've ever seen from him— Wriothesley smiles, just s little bit, and the slightest hints of a blush dust his face. It's adorable to see how he reacts to your praise.

Wriothesley's eyes dart away from yours, one of the few tells of embarrassment you've ever seen from him. "Pasensya na, di pa ako magaling magtagalog. Nag aaral pa lang ako."

"Kahit na!" You're clearly enthused, happy and grinning and buzzing with energy. "Namiss din kita! Okay naman ako. Ikaw? Kumain ka na ba?" You're wide awake and looking up at him like he hung the stars in the sky for you. Wriothesley is smiling now too. All those hours and late nights trying his best to get the words right, and this was the very reason why.

"Mhm, kanina pa, bago pumunta ko dito." One of his hands reaches up to your face. The callouses and scars of his hand drags a giggle from you as he tries to rub the sleep from your eyes. "Sana nakatulog ka ng maayos."

And compared to when you first told him you love him in your language, his Tagalog has improved by leaps and bounds. Still affected by his accent, yes, but his hard work showed through. It is that and the tenderness in his voice that makes you break this little song and dance between the two of you. Your hand reaches up to hold the one cupping your cheek, letting you lean further into his palm.

"Were you intending to surprise me? Because you certainly did. In a good way, I mean."

Wriothesley chuckles. "I'm glad. Been trying to learn it since that first time, and I think I'm making some progress. Though anything more than a simple conversation is still a bit much for me."

"Kahit na," you repeat yourself, "You're amazing! You got so good! Oh, we are going to have so much fun having secret conversations that no one else can understand."

He playfully quirks an eyebrow at that. "While that's definitely going to be some fun, I really wanted to learn how to, ah, tell you that I love you back."

"Oh." Again, you pause. "Well. Here's your chance, I guess." And you smile at him again, the one that has his heart skipping a beat. Wrapping your arms around his shoulders to pull him into your space, you press your forehead against his and close your eyes. He can feel your breath tickle against his lips, and he almost sighs in response.

"Mahal kita, Wriothesley."

"Mahal din kita, my love."

Translation:

"Kumusta ka? Namiss kita, mahal. " — "How are you? I missed you, love."

"Hoy, talaga?! Nagtatagalog ka? — "Hey, really?! You're actually speaking Tagalog?"

"Pasensya na, di pa ako magaling magtagalog. Nag aaral pa lang ako." — (spoken sorta formally) "Sorry, I'm not very good at speaking Tagalog yet. I'm still learning."

"Kahit na!" "Namiss din kita! Okay naman ako. Ikaw? Kumain ka na ba?" — "Even so!" "I missed you too! I'm fine. What about you? Have you eaten yet?"

"Mhm, kanina pa, bago pumunta ko dito." "Sana nakatulog ka ng maayos." — "Mhm, I did earlier, just before I came here." "Hopefully you had a good nap."

"Mahal kita, Wriothesley." — "I love you, Wriothesley."

"Mahal din kita, my love." — "I love you too, my love."

#「 🐈‍⬛ 」 catcze.desserts #Wriothesley x reader #genshin impact x reader #Wriothesley #Genshin Impact #cw gn reader #If the dialogue is cringe I am so sorry the furthest i go in writing in tagalog is essays and papers HAHDKJANS

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lemonandlime22 · 2 years

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GIVE ME MORE BITEY CHILD. but for pomefiore 🤭

Vil, Rook, and Epel with a scrawny and bitey Child!Yuu

Warning(s): book 5 spoilers, cussing

A/N: ty for the req i hope you like it!

[Bitey child!Yuu Masterlist]

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Vil

I honestly want to say that you bit him

but you didn't

you wanted to, don't get me wrong

but he was just too shiny to even get close to him without hurting your eyes

let alone bite him.

Anyway,

your first official meeting him is p different from how it is in canon.

Ace, Deuce, and Grim wanted to try out for the SDC but you didn't

plus I doubt they'd let a 5 year old participate

so day of the tryouts you were hanging out with Cater

Riddle and Trey were busy

and a few days later when they got the arrow message to go back, you took the arrow to play with after they took the latter thing off of it

when they did go back after school, you went to go hang out with Cater again, along with the rest of the music club.

But you finally met Vil when he and the rest of the SDC guys came to live with you

Grim filled you in on them coming to live with you two before they got there

and as soon as you saw him you didn't like him

he was too shiny.

He, like almost everyone else, thought you were just a rly fuckin weird kid

you also kept glaring at him and hiding from him.

He had heard of a weird child that always wandered around NRC and heard that you would bite people at random but he paid no mind to them

if you did try to bite him on during the training camp, he knew Rook would most likely stop you.

The first time he saw you bite anyone was when Ace was trying to steal your food

Ace was screaming at you to let ago and trying to shake you off his hand

Vil was just like,

ಠ_ಠ.

Overall, wtf is wrong with you-

he avoids you as much as possible, but you do the same to him so it's just a mutual discomfort. He also hates how much Epel brings you over to their dorm and how much time he spends with you.

Rook

Oh he most definitely heard of you before he met you

he is basically the eyes and ears of this school there was no way he hasn't heard of you

and you piqued his interest quite a lot not only cause you were a small child living in an abandoned dorm on a high school campus with a fire cat monster thing

but also because you bit people, which in of itself wasn't that interesting, but what does make it interesting is that you obviously had some type of pattern to it

if you bit someone the first time you meet them, then there's a good chance you'll bite them again, but if you didn't bite someone on the first meeting then you prob won't ever bite them,

ill talk more about Rook finding out about your reasoning more in a different bitey child!Yuu hc.

The first time he saw you bite someone was shortly before the, you trying to bite Jade incident

he found it a bit amusing but the Jade incident is what rly caught his attention tho.

When he first officially met you, he noticed that you seemed wary of him as most people did, but you didn't bite him.

He also found it quite funny how much you bit Ace during the training camp, and how much you tried to sneak up on Jamil and bite him but he would always catch you

then you would go bite Ace again.

Btw the reason you aren't crying when Jamil wont let you bite him is that Jamil isn't an actual threat to you at this point in the story.

Overall, he'd love to learn more about you and your lil habit, He also likes that Epel has found a liking to you.

You also stare at his hat a lot, no reason for this, you just do

oh and you also steal his arrows to you like sharp things but he always takes them back.

Epel

long lost feral siblings????

He heard of you from Jack

and as soon as he did he had a very specific goal

to meet the feral child!

he thought you seemingly randomly biting people was funny and wanted to see if he would be bitten.

He first met you when he was singing in the well like in canon.

When he went to live in Ramshackle for the training camp he was confused as to why you hadn't bitten anyone yet

he was rly hoping to see you bite Vil.

But one day he heard a,

"GUH- OUW- GODDAMIT YUU! GET TF OFF ME-"

and when he went to see what was happening he found Ace kicking his lag trying to get you off of him

he paused for a sec...

then bursted out laughing

like falling to his knees choking laughing.

Yeah.. he got a long scolding from Vil on that one.

Overall, He fuckin loves you! He brings you over to Pomefiore all the time to hang out with you

he always talks to you in his regular voice, you can't understand him but it's not like you'd respond much either way tho.

He finds your biting really funny and he doesn't question it much, he prob did the same thing when he was little for different reasons.

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autistook · 4 days

Text

DAISIES - pt 12

Merry Brandybuck x fem!hobbit!reader / soft oc

Words: 4.4k

Summary: You are missing your brother's birthday, and Merry has gone to help him move. It's taking him quite long, and you begin to wonder if everything is okay.

AN: A shoutout to this fic for inspiring the hot butter and salve part, and for providing me with the word "swatting" and how to write dodging it. Overall a shoutout and a thank you for a few parts of this chapter!

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

---

You were sitting on the grass, rustling and colorful leaves around you, and a book in your hands. The air smelled sweet, and you were wearing a dark-red cloak to keep you warm; the weather was getting chilly again.

You turned the page in a fully captivated state, the book swallowing your whole attention. Every twist and turn in the story made your toes curl, and the biggest twists made you gasp out loud.

There was quiet crinkling as your fingers rubbed the dry brown leaves on the ground and turned them into dust. There was guilt lingering in your body, for it was your brother's birthday the next day, and you would not make it.

A few days ago when you got the work schedule from the Brandybucks, you smiled and thanked them, but internally a wave of disappointment rode through you. The day of Frodo's birthday and several days after that, you were assigned more tasks at work than usual; even preparations for another celebration thrown by Esmeralda Brandybuck was put on your shoulders. You were to plan most of it, decorations and all. It was still a few weeks away, but she wanted the planning to be done as quickly as possible.

You were not thrilled to miss the quiet birthday celebration of your beloved brother, and you had desperately craved to see Bag End one last time before the Sackville-Bagginses got their nasty fingers on it. But it was no use; you had work to do.

Merry had let Frodo know you would not be able to make it, and the word soon got to you that your brother was not angry, but you still felt guilty; he must have been at least a little disappointed.

The book ended on a cliffhanger so intense, you almost choked on your own spit when you saw that there were no more words left, no matter how many times you went through the last pages in hopes of finding more.

You were still sitting on the grass when Merry sat down next to you and grabbed the book out of your hands.

"Hey!" you yelled playfully, your heart warming up at the sight of him.

Merry smiled at you, and started flipping through the pages. He read some words here and there, before he handed the book back to you.

"That seems interesting," he said in a teasing tone; clearly he found the book ridiculous.

"It is quite adventurous, actually, so yes, it is interesting!" you huffed, gently swatting at him with the book. Merry chuckled and tried to dodge your swatting.

"I haven't really seen you today," said Merry, resting his chin on your shoulder and looking at you with admiration. You felt his gaze piercing you, but you just smiled and looked forward into the horizon.

"I just wanted to enjoy a good book before the heavy lifting started," you responded with a sigh.

"Do you really have that much work ahead of you?" Merry asked.

"Unfortunately," you said, disappointed. "I really wanted to see Frodo."

"I know," Merry responded and gave your back a gentle rub. "But he understood."

You nodded, not believing his words entirely. You gently rested your head on his, which pressed his chin deep into your shoulder, making your face flinch a little, but you didn't mind the uncomfortable pressure; it was from Merry being close to you, after all.

"How about you?" you asked, and Merry took his head off your shoulder, but he was still leaning close to you as the two of you sat there.

"What about me?"

"What are you going to do when you get to Bag End?" you asked.

"I am thinking of stealing the gift you have for him and giving it to him," he smirked. "And claim it's my own!"

"Don't you dare!" you cried in a loud giggle. Merry put his arm around you and pulled you closer, laughing with you.

"In all seriousness, I am going to take a pony and the carriage. I promised him I would help him move."

"Will it take long?" you asked, still leaning against him in his arms. You had butterflies in your stomach, and they were fluttering their wings so aggressively you felt like you might throw up on Merry.

"A few days, I suppose," he answered. "I will start bringing some of the furniture to Buckland as soon as possible, and there's bound to be a few trips there and back."

"Are you going there tomorrow?" you asked, and Merry shook his head.

"I'm actually going to go over there tonight," he said. "Frodo celebrates tomorrow, but I have promised to help him arrange some last minute things."

"I see," you said and smiled against his collar. "You're a great friend."

Merry took a deep breath and started slowly stroking your hair. Merry's aura was sad, but at that moment you figured it must have been because Merry would not see Frodo and Sam for a while either when they were to go on their adventure, and follow Bilbo for a while.

"Merry?"

"Yes?"

"When do you have to leave?" you asked quietly. His fingers were brushing through your hair in soft movements, and his heartbeat close to your ear was calming and making your head fuzzy.

"Not for a moment," he said quietly, taking deep breaths. You looked up at him, and he smiled down at you, but his eyes were sad.

"Is everything alright?" you asked him.

"Everything is alright."

You nodded and smiled, before wrapping your arms around his waist and holding him more tightly. He pressed his chin on the top of your head as he looked to the distance, and as you were filled with warmth, he was feeling suffocated by his own guilt and sadness; although you didn't notice.

You sat there with him for a few hours, talking about everything between the grass you were on, to the sun in the sky.

You both laughed so hard that tears fell from your eyes, when you looked back at the time you were baking bread together and got into a fight over the only good measuring cup. You were both covered in flour, throwing it at each other like you were at war. The memory of it made both of you feel at ease and your hearts swell with happiness.

The sun started to go down, making the sky a gradient of pink and orange. The clouds looked like they were painted in the sky, and the colors were so vibrant you could not take your eyes off of it. Merry was not staring at the sky, but at you. He was looking at your ears, your chin and your eyes.

His eyes were tracing your jawline, and his heart was beating fast as he admired your smile and lips. The child-like giggle you let out when you pointed at the cloud shaped like a pumpkin made his heart drop to his stomach, and the way your eyes were sparkling when you admired the sky made him smile faintly; but apathy was still slowly taking over him.

"I need to go now," he said, and slowly stood up, brushing the grass and bits of leaves off his trousers. You stood up after him, and picked up some grass out of your hair.

"Let me know when you get back, alright?" you said to him. Merry gave you a faint nod, and wrapped his arms around you.

He lingered there for a while, and you were slightly taken aback by how long he hugged you. His face was buried in your neck, and his heart was beating against you. He breathed in your scent in silence and without you noticing, and he swallowed his sadness and put on a weak smile. He pulled away from you, his gaze traveling across the features of your face.

"I hope you don't have a rough day at work tomorrow," he said with a quiet chuckle.

"I hope so too," you laughed. "I should go to bed. Are you coming inside before you leave?"

"No, I really should go. I have a pony waiting for me."

"Alright," you responded, smiling with your teeth as you could no longer hide how happy it made you when his eyes were on you.

"I hope you sleep well," he said, his hands in his coat pockets.

"I hope so too," you smiled. "I could use a good night's sleep. Good night, Merry."

"Good night," he responded, and the two of you started walking in opposite directions. You to your room, and Merry to where he was keeping the pony and carriage that he was to take to Bag End.

You stopped by Merry's door and knocked on it in hopes that he had already returned. There was no answer, but despite that, you opened the door. It was relatively dark, but some of the last rays of sunshine were still lighting up corners of the room. His bed was made, and it seemed like he had taken some of his personal stuff with him for the stay at Frodo's.

You decided to go into his room despite him not being there. Slowly closing the door, you made your way in. There were some maps lying around, and the birthday present you had for Frodo was gone. It had been two days already, and you couldn't help but wonder what took him so long. He had said it would take a few days, but he also said there would be back and forth movements; why had he not visited his home at all?

Your brother's birthday was the day before, and you were trying to figure out if they just needed a few days to settle into Crickhollow. In hopes of seeing him coming back on his pony, you peeked outside the window; but there was nothing, except some trees and a patch of dried flowers. With a deep sigh, you exited his room and got back to work. You still had plenty of things to do, and you wanted to get the list of chores done as fast as possible.

You were watering the flowers in the hallway, when you heard a few Brandybucks talk about Merry. Your ears perked up, and you tried to be discreet with your eavesdropping.

"Why did he take so many ponies?" asked the other Hobbit, slightly taller than the other, with dark brown curls and striking green eyes. The smaller Hobbit shrugged his shoulders.

"Merry just said he needed them for something, and I didn't ask many questions," he responded. Your gaze narrowed, and you glanced at their direction.

"Probably as a gift to Frodo Baggins," chuckled the other. Both nodded in agreement, clearly making fun of your brother, adding to the rumors of him running out of money. "He needs some aid at this point. Poor fellow had to sell Bag End and everything."

Warmth spread in your body, and you felt an urge to snap at them. You wanted to yell at them for saying such things, but your mind was buzzing, and you could not stop wondering; why on earth did Merry take so many ponies with him? And when he had returned for a moment, why did he not come say hello?

The next morning was cold, and the first thing you did was check up if the ponies and Merry had returned yet. They were still seemingly at Frodo's new house, much to your disappointment.

The outside was foggy, and you could not see far ahead. The few ponies that were left at the stable looked almost mystical in the smoke-like fog around them, but somehow the surroundings that morning felt threatening, and not being able to see properly ahead was making you feel uneasy. You fed the horses, and made your way back inside as quickly as possible. It felt like there were eyes on you where you could not see them.

Inside you watered some flowers which you did not have time to water the day before, and couldn't help but notice one of the prettiest orchids had withered. You pouted slightly at the sight, and carried the dead plant outside to the compost before you went back in the house, as the weather outside was still making you nervous.

You were mixing the pancake batter quite furiously. The spatula made a loud noise as it hit the edges of the bowl, as your growing nervousness was making you anxious. You heated up the stove, and poured some of the batter on the hot pan.

As you baked one pancake after the other, your increasing anxiety made you pour the last patch a little too strongly, and some hot, melted butter splashed on the kitchen surface and your arm. With a small grunt you finished the last pancake, and soon afterwards dunked your arm into a bowl of cold water. As you sat there waiting for the burning sensation to stop and the pancakes to cool down, you thought of your brother and how much you were going to miss him. You weren't sure if he had already left, but judging by Merry's absence, he must have not made his way out of Crickhollow yet.

The pancakes were quickly consumed by the little Hobbits you had prepared all the food for, and one of the youngest girls thanked you by hugging you so tightly you felt like you might run out of air. You lifted her in your arms, and smiled at her fondly.

"Thank you for the pancakes, Miss!" she said again with a cheerful smile.

"You're most welcome. Now go play," you said, tickling her from her side. She giggled loudly, the beautiful and innocent laugh echoing around the small kitchen. You couldn't help but smile, and put her down from your arms and gently pushed her to the direction of the other small Hobbits who were now running out of the kitchen, cheering and laughing.

The innocent nature of them made your heart feel full, and you hoped they would stay that way forever. You still had some child-like wonder and innocence in your heart, but growing up had of course taken some of it away. You hoped you could stay like that forever.

Your arm was no longer stinging as much, as you had applied a salve on it that Merry's mother provided you with when she visited the kitchen to see how you were holding up.

Your hands were deep in the warm, soapy water as you tried to wrap the slimy wet food between your fingers. You scrunched your nose, disgusted at the sight of a soaked piece of moldy bread. With a small gag you threw it in the trash can next to you and kept doing the dishes.

You kept thinking about Merry, and a smile lingered on your face for long. Now that a few days had gone by without his presence, you realized just how deeply you felt for him. You decided to finally gather your courage and tell him how you really felt, hoping he would return your feelings. Just the thought of wrapping your arms around Merry again filled your belly with butterflies, and the image of his face in your head was making you blush as you scrubbed the plate in your hands.

"Are you doing alright sweetie?" asked Esmeralda, snapping you out of your dream-like state.

"Yes, thank you," you responded, not aware of just how wide you were smiling and how red your face was. Esmeralda smiled knowingly, and walked beside you to help with the dishes.

"I appreciate all the work you have done these past few days," she said warmly, rinsing the plates and cutlery you had put aside.

"It's no trouble," you said, though still upset about not being able to see Frodo for his birthday. "I do like my work here a lot."

Esmeralda smiled, and in silence you kept doing the dishes. Merry's mother broke the silence after a while when she glanced at the burn mark on your arm.

"Did the salve help?" she asked. "It's a recipe that has run in my family for generations, and for me it has always worked wonders."

"Oh, it helped plenty," you answered, a plate dropping back into the water from your slippery hands. You picked it up and checked for any cracks in it. Luckily it was not damaged, and you kept scrubbing it.

"That's good," she said and took the plate from you gently, rinsing it and drying it with a kitchen towel. "You know, I have to say that I was very surprised with the amount of work you have already done. I feared it might be too much."

"It has been quite a lot, but not at all too much."

"I was just surprised that you did not want to attend your brother's birthday."

You stopped everything for a moment. Her words confused you. They were not true at all, and the idea that she might have started to lose her memory crossed your mind.

"What do you mean?" you asked, puzzled.

"Oh, don't get me wrong dear!" she said, still actively washing the dishes before she noticed you had stopped. "It's just that when Meriadoc told me that you wanted to be busy with work for a few days, I was surprised, that's all. I understand if you are mad at your brother for selling your home, but I do hope that it is not the reason you wanted to miss his birthday party."

"What?" you asked, filled with confusion. Why had Merry said something like that?

"I didn't mean to offend you, dear. I just-"

"Oh! You did not offend me at all," you interrupted, and softly put your hand on her shoulder. You hid your confusion behind a confident, reassuring smile. And so you lied: "It just felt like a lot. I'm sure I'll be seeing Frodo soon."

Esmeralda smiled fondly, and the two of you did dishes quietly for thirty more minutes before you moved to other tasks.

You could not focus on your work properly. Mopping the floors felt like an exhausting exercise as your mind was overwhelmed with so many questions of Merry's intentions. The worry inside you grew; why did he want to keep you so occupied?

After mopping the floors you went to Merry's mother, and claimed to have a throbbing headache. She put her palm on your forehead to check your temperature, and despite the fact that you were lying, she was convinced you were running a fever. She told you it was alright to end work early and go get some rest. And so you did.

You were laying in your bed restlessly, tossing and turning, eyes wide open and your breathing unsteady. You kept fiddling with your pillow, hugging it tightly and stretching the fabric of it in anxiety. You tried to come up with a reason for Merry's lies, and a hundred different scenarios were running through your mind; maybe he was tired of you? Maybe there was someone else and your feelings were one-sided? Maybe he was ill and didn't tell anyone?

You stood up from your bed while taking deep, calming breaths. You exhaled shakily, and took your red cloak from the chair beside your desk where you had tossed it that morning. It was like a warm, comforting blanket wrapping around you, and so you made your way outside.

It was already dark, and you were walking through the small field, admiring the stars. You had heard of strange folk walking near the Shire for the past few days, and you feared Merry might have come across someone who could have hurt him. You tried to shake these thoughts off, when you heard some rustling of leaves. Your heart began to pound, and you wondered if it was the same pressuring gaze approaching you that you had felt through the fog.

But to your relief, Merry approached you from the dark. You skipped over to him and wrapped your arms around his neck.

"Well that took you long enough!" you chuckled, relieved and filled with happiness. It felt like everything in the world would be alright, and his warmth made your fears wash away; for a moment. He hugged you, but not as tightly as he normally did. You pulled away from the hug, and looked at him with concern. You could tell he was not feeling alright. "Is everything alright?"

Merry did not answer immediately, and your heart sank with fear. Did he have someone else? Was something wrong with Frodo?

"I'm sorry I didn't come here earlier," he said in a low voice, looking at you with pity.

"You're here now, that's what's important," you said, smiling. Your smile faded away quickly as you saw that he was clearly struggling with something. Your fear grew again. "Merry, what's wrong? Is Frodo alright?"

Merry did not answer immediately. He took your hands in his gently, looking down at them quietly. His thumbs were brushing the backs of your hands tenderly, and he was struggling to get the words out of his mouth.

"Frodo is alright," he said, a small relief washing over you. "But I need to go. We need to go. Pippin, Fatty and I."

"Go where?" you asked, and the relief in your heart was replaced with dread.

"With Frodo and Sam," he said hesitantly, squeezing your hands softly, not looking at you.

You felt a wave of sadness. Merry was leaving for a few months to go after Bilbo, and you felt offended he had not asked you to come with him and Pippin.

"Oh," you responded, disappointed. "When are you coming back?"

Merry did not answer. He swallowed, still avoiding your gaze. He held your hands tightly, taking heavy breaths. His hands started to tremble. Your heart began pounding. You softly called his name two times before he answered.

"I'm not sure if I'll be coming back," he said with a shaky voice. Your heart dropped. "I'm not sure if... if any of us..."

"Merry, you're scaring me."

Merry's eyes were watering, but he was trying not to fall apart. He swallowed his tears and finally looked you in the eyes, still caressing your hands with his thumbs.

"We have planned to go with Frodo for some time, and all of this has turned out to be more dangerous than we thought. He needs me. He needs us with him, and..."

"Wait, I don't understand," you said, confused and voice trembling. "Frodo and Sam are going to follow Bilbo for a while. Why would that be dangerous?"

Merry didn't answer. You stared at him in silence, hands shaking as you waited for him to answer you.

"That's not exactly the whole truth."

"Then what is the truth, Merry?" you asked, and Merry went quiet again, avoiding your gaze. "Please, Merry. He's my brother and... I need to know if there's more going on."

"I can't tell you."

"What do you mean you can't tell me?" you asked, irritated by his secretive behavior.

"It's too dangerous, and I have made a promise to not say anything. I just wanted to see you before I left. I couldn't leave without saying goodbye.”

Your heart was beating so rapidly you were barely hearing what he was saying. He really was planning on leaving, and seemed like he was not going to ask you to come with him; but that was not alright with you.

"You were going to leave without saying goodbye? No. And I'm coming with you."

"No. I promised Frodo I would keep you safe. And the best way to keep you unharmed, is to tell you as little as I can and to keep you here. Buckland and the Shire are the safest places for you, and-"

Your legs felt weak and it felt like you were going to explode from anger, confusion and grief.

"I'm coming with you," you repeated, voice trembling, ears heating up. "I don't care what it's about. You can't leave me. Not when I was just about to…"

Merry looked at you again, his heart filled with sorrow. Tears were in his eyes, and he was doing everything to hold them back again. He was shaking more as he held your hands in his.

"I'm so sorry. You're my best friend, and I-"

"Stop with the bullshit, Merry. We both know this is more than that!" you cried angrily. He had to know this was more than friendship. He was not allowed to leave; not now when you had just decided to tell him how you felt.

Merry kept quiet, your words deeply impacting him. His guilt was starting to overwhelm him, and the grief of leaving you behind was breaking his heart in a million pieces.

"I have to go. I'm sorry."

"Merry, please," you cried, tears in your eyes, your voice breaking. "Tell me you're going to come back. Promise me."

Merry swallowed his tears once again, his hands trembling as he loosened his grip.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking as he let go of your hands and turned away.

You lost all control and tears started flowing out of your eyes as you clung onto his arms.

"Merry, please don't go," you sobbed desperately. He said nothing, and did not look back, holding his pain inside. He was still doing everything in his might to keep himself together, and not give in and take you with him. After a moment he was already walking away and you were no longer holding onto him; you were standing where he left you, begging for him not to leave. "Merry, please. Don't leave me. I need you here. You can't leave me behind. Please, don't go!"

But Merry walked away. He disappeared from your view into the darkness, and you fell on your knees. You held onto your stomach as it felt like you were going to vomit from the pain and heartache. Your heart had been ripped out of your chest and all of your friends were gone. Your brother was gone. More than that, Merry was gone too and you did not know if he was ever going to come back. You didn't know if you were ever going to see him again.

There you stayed, crying. You sobbed uncontrollably, panic and fear taking over your body. You were left there on your hands and knees, begging for him to not go. But Merry was long gone, and so was your brother and all of your friends.

And you were left behind.

-----

@chatteringfox @shiinata-library @ahobbitsjourney23 @mayo-advance @datglutengoblin @mourntheantagonist @channiesbedbug

#lotr #lord of the rings #daisies #merry x reader #the lord of the rings #merry brandybuck #meriadoc x reader #Meriadoc Brandybuck #lotr fic #fanfic #lotr fanfiction #lotr fanfic #Middle-Earth

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kimtaegis · 3 months

Text

{Kimtaegis’ GFX Breakdowns, Ep. 1:

↳ SARANG/SARAM; a namgi web weave}

better late than never – I’ve mentioned that this year, I will start writing my thought process behind my graphics down in actual posts instead of hiding them in the tags of a self-reblog, both for myself and those who are interested in that, so here we go!

the first more graphic-y post of the year was a little birthday present for @outroindigo, who told me that namgi’s dynamic as well as their solo music are extremely important to her, so that was the starting point basically! I initially wanted to use a web-weave-like layout for yoongi's birthday post this year, but thought that it just fit too well for this project, since including lyrics and website screenshots made it so convenient to explain the topic. the main source of inspiration but also material source was doolsetbangtan, an incredible blog that not only translates bts' lyrics, but also gives extra insights and explanations of their word plays, references to reoccuring lyrical themes and even links to other media that are connected to the songs' content. they were a huge help, most elements that ended up in the post had been already pointed out under their sites for trivia: love, people, and people pt. 2 respectively, I pretty much only had to follow the mentions and use them!

my post starts with the first half of a quote from namjoon from his november 2016 vlive and ends with it as well (in the caption) to tie the whole set together. I tried to organize the elements in a way that even someone who has never heard of the whole live/love/sarang/saram thing can easily follow and understand it, while also maintaining a pleasant overall layout and colour change (planning that took quite some time, I tell you). the trivia: love lyrics panel is a screenshot I took from spotify, I just changed the background colour to fit. underneath the people performance gif is an excerpt of yoongi's billboard interview from july 2023. the rest are screenshots directly from doolset, gifs from yoongi's iu's palette interview and selfmade visualisations of lyrics, etc. I decided against listing all the content elements in the caption - as usually done for an actual web weave - because some media was used multiple times and it would've felt weird to repeat it in the listing.

regarding more stylistic choices, I decided on a blue and warm yellow-orangy colour scheme, both because kari's current blog layout is this beautiful blue, but also because I associate blue with both namjoon (especially after indigo, obvs) and yoongi (his painting from 2020 instantly comes to mind). since 'love' on the other side is often portrayed as something warm and cosy, red/orange/yellow became the contrasting colours. I tried very hard to make all the colours look as consistent as possible and to match the shades of blues to kari's blog colours. funnily enough, there always seemed to be either something blue or warm-toned in the actual content, which was pretty convenient. besides the pseudo-screenshots for some of the lyrics (typed out in fonts that are typically used in books), I created three graphic elements as well, simply because I know sweet kari appreciates them and I wanted to have a personal kimtaegi touch in it. the first one is a visual representation of people pt. 2's lyrics. I always thought of faceless silhouettes when thinking of people, and combined that with yoongi's painting style (you see that painting means a whole lot to me lmao). since I can't really draw, I used paintings I found on pinterest (you can find the whole board in the source of the og post), masked the person and the heart out and changed their colour (which is not as easy as it sounds!). the fading effect was achieved by carefully going over both until I liked how it looked (which again, took embarrassingly long). the second graphic element is again a direct visualisation of the lyrics used in the panel: I digitally cut up a picture of namgi, in multiple rectangles that are supposed to represent the letter ㅁin saram. I actually printed the picture out first and cut it up with scissors, but I couldn't find a good way to scan it back in :( so digital cutting it was; please note that the edges of every snippet are rough, I always try my best to make it look as realistic and tangible as possible which is time-consuming but adds a nice touch in my opinion.

the collage effect of this graphic is inspired by works of anthony garace. his artworks are stunning, and I do love a good mixed media effect! also it just fits perfectly with the lyrics... among all these straight lines (-> the rectangles), [I find/ is] my love, my love, my love (-> little snippets of a picture of the two). the flowers in the last graphic both represent yoongi (the lotus flower cutout, referencing his amygdala lyrics about blooming like a lotus flower, which is also achieved by love, y'know :( ) and namjoon (the wildflower; yes it's an actual blue wildflower, I researched! it's a wild blue flax; referencing his same-named song). I used an actual photograph of it and made it look like a painting with photoshop magic. it also was supposed to look just a litte like a cynotype as used in his album design.

again, look at all those nice rough edges in that panel, this is all added intentionally. I hope everyone who saw the post also caught the teeny tiny animation of the hangul letter ㅁ to ㅇin the text on the left side; quite literally eroding edges <3

the last gif of ot7 was perfect to round it all up, referencing the lyrics above quite emotionally, starting off with the two of them, then them being joined by the rest....sigh. I will be honest, there have been a few tears falling onto the keyboard. I hope this set can convey namgi's beautiful lyricism in an interesting, artistic way. it's easy to get inspired by their art, it definitely makes you appreciate everything they do even more.

#*gfx breakdown #oh that's gotten long oops but it was fun to write it all down!

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destinygoldenstar · 1 year

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Just A Couple Of Fun Headcanons Of TD Characters (Owen)

- Owen’s family (two loving parents, uncle, grandfather, & youngest of three brothers) are huge nature enthusiasts. Owen learned plenty of survival skills in the woods from his grandfather, who is a hunter, and they pay a visit to his woodland life almost every month.

- As a small kid, Owen’s grandfather taught him how to fish for the first time, and they cooked the fish for dinner for the family. Young O was upset because they were once living fish, but his grandfather taught him that sometimes meals have a dark side to them, but that doesn’t make them any less tasty. If anything, the depth to the story makes it taste better than something bland.

- Overall, Owen’s family all have great loving relationships with each other. They’re all obese, and incredibly reckless with their spending habits. They go in debt a lot more times than you think. It’s a casualty at this point.

- Owen and his brothers go to a catholic school. They’ve been in one in all their school years. Owen’s usually the restless one during mass. He was also in a choir at one point, but he hated it.

- Owen has a list of all his sins. It’s a very small page, but he never forgets his wrongs this way. (And then becoming a mole doubled that page)

- Owen isn’t a literature person. In book reports, he draws them out in little scribbles.

- Growing up, Owen had multiple buddies and got along with people easily. However, none of them were really ‘close friends’. They were just people he hung out with from his extroversion. A lot of his classmates are really serious or have family issues, so Owen simply felt like he had everything easy compared to them and had no interesting stories to bond with. At most it’d be about a hunting weekend with his grandfather or compliments to school food that literally no one else would say.

- Despite being as big as he was, he actually wasn’t incredibly food obsessed in his early child days. Most of his weight was carried over from his family, so it wasn’t like it mattered.

- When he was around ten, he had a dream to become an Olympian. It became a path he wanted to pursue at first... you can probably guess where that led to.

- It didn’t work out. School PE was painful and not helpful. The failure led to quite a bit of insecurity. So Owen practically begged for his parents to send him away to a summer camp he found online. A fat camp.

- That too ended up being bad. Everyone there was incredibly miserable, and the coaches guilt tripped the kids all the time. They had to jog in the hot sun for hours, with one coach mocking that people like them could never win a race. There was also a restraint with food amounts, and boy did the kids get hungry.

- Owen found a food stash at that camp in the middle of the night, and from borderline starving, he raided it. He regretted this, added it on his sin list and prayed for forgiveness and all of that, but he had to admit he liked it.

- After leaving the camp, he took a studying interest in recipes for the rest of the summer, learning about all kinds of food. If asked, he could gladly nerd out some facts about cooking.

- Owen doesn’t just eat food mindlessly. He has an understanding of a variety of edible stuff. Sometimes he’ll compare people around him to a food product to understand them. He’s cheese. Noah’s curry. Izzy’s hot peppers. And so on. If he calls someone equivalent to Chef’s food, he means that as a compliment.

- By his teenage years, he gave up on his athlete dream and decided he was going to work towards becoming a gourmet. Not only could it pay for his family, but it was also something he genuinely enjoyed. He wanted the people around him to never be as miserable as that camp ever again. So he made a vow to share what fun he found along the way.

- Counting what he lost at the camp, he practically doubled his size and weight by high school. Appetites definitely grow when kept too far away from food for a long period of time. But when asked, he’d shrug off all concerns. Course, stereotyping isn’t so kind, so not a lot of people in school took interest in him as a person aside from the occasional gross-out gag that landed once every twenty attempts.

- Owen has a whole closet full of stuffed animals. Those are his ‘friends’. As much as he won’t want to admit it out loud, it’s obvious to a few people that he has a crippling sense of loneliness. He can’t be in a room by himself for five minutes without panicking and thinking no one wants him. The stuffed animals aid it and help him sleep at night. He still sleeps with a plush toy to this day.

- Owen doesn’t actually process his bisexuality. In his mind, it’s completely normal. This guy can’t stay in a closet even if he tried.

- Owen’s audition for Total Drama was just him eating cheese and expressing all the fun party ideas he has for the other contestants. He admitted he didn’t think he was gonna win or anything, but what he really wanted was to fit in with a crowd he can connect with from a dramatic experience.

- They picked him for the show because of his mascot demeanor. They had ‘comic relief’ in mind from the start. “He’d make a great running gag; Just LOOK at him!”

- Needless to say, Owen won Island (in my canon) and gained loads of buddies from the experience. But then he gave up his money for the million solely because he wanted to have fun. He didn’t think there’d actually be consequences.

- Owen has an obnoxious amount of screen time on the show because the producers always market him as the main joke character of the show. They need him for the comedy purpose. The more he’s on that show, the more he’s molded into that role as his stereotypes, both the comic relief ones and the offensive fat kid ones. But he stayed anyway because he cared about the people around him, and thought they were genuinely interested in him as a person. (They weren’t. They only saw him for his role.)

- Unlike everyone else, Owen genuinely thought Chris and Chef cared about him. Chef was always making ‘delicious’ meals for him and all his friends, and Chris shared his enthusiasm for the ‘fun’ games. When Owen was in the hospital from is broken jaw, Chris paid the medical bills to assure he’d come back to the show right away with special treatment. After his first elimination in Action, Chris pulled him for the mole job, setting it up as wanting to help Owen and his family for their cheese cellar situation. He confessed that without Owen, he didn’t know what the show would be like. Owen took that as though Chris cared about his well being, so he accepted the job. (Chris and Chef didn’t actually care about Owen as a person; They just wanted his jokey image)

- The mole role was miserable. Everyone became disgusted by Owen after that. It took a LONG TIME for anyone to talk to him since then. He dated Izzy, and he occasionally visited DJ for support in their family’s broke situations, but other than that, nobody wanted to hang out with Owen anymore.

- World Tour was his chance to rebuild his friendships and get a fresh new start. But the thing was, Chris had replaced him as his prize camper, especially now that Alejandro and Sierra were in the picture. Childish comedy was out, and sadistic comedy was in.

- I already made a post about Owen in World Tour. TLDR, he didn’t rebuild any of his friendships. Everyone bullied him, used his kindness, and then abandoned him, leaving him all alone.

- He tried to come back to the show, but Chris didn’t want him back. He didn’t compete in All Stars because Chris wanted that to be a ‘serious season’ for the ‘serious characters’. And well, Owen was framed the entire show as a joke.

- Needless to say, Owen believed that. He believed his feelings didn’t need to be taken seriously, and that he was very shallow, pretentious, and one note. To hide any negative emotion of feeling less important and unheard, he embraced the role with a smile, especially since he had someone to look after.

- Life after Total Drama wasn’t easy with the debts and the loneliness being untreated. He had next to nowhere to go without the show. It wasn’t long before he found that someone else was in the same boat as him. He was also the only person who didn’t shut Owen out after the show. So their agreement to become Reality Pros was mutual. Owen just tagged along to whatever Noah was doing, and they went from there.

- They went to move out and live together, and they moved all around the world depending on the show. Owen was the one responsible for groceries, and Noah was responsible for everything else. For the long time that they spent with their career together, Noah became Owen’s whole world and dreams. He was what Owen wanted from the start, as the friend he needed, who understood him and wanted to be near him.

- Beary got a funeral in Brazil. RIP.

- His biggest fears were flying and letting Noah down. If he screwed up, he felt bad about it. He didn’t want anything to be about him and instead, let it all be about Noah. It’s not like shallow Owen had anything interesting going on anyway. (A mindset from Chris’s psychological torture)

- And then Noah fell in love...

- Owen cared about Noah. A lot. Suffice to say. So when he realized Noah didn’t feel the same at first... it was a bit hard to stand, especially to not show any of that despair in front of Noah or the camera.

- Owen did what he thought he was supposed to do. Help his little buddy get the girl. Even if that meant it was far more apparent that Noah wouldn’t need him anymore, eventually. If anything, Owen dreaded that Noah dating Emma would mean Noah would abandon him like everyone else did. But Owen assisted the relationship anyway because he puts Noah’s needs over his. Always.

- Noah and Emma didn’t end up together. Emma said she’d date him ‘when she won’. She didn’t win. So she was still in a rocky position in how to get in law school. She chose to focus on that over dating Noah, and they both thought that was for the best. Admittedly, with Emma’s past relationships and Noah’s lack of experience with feelings, neither of them would have been as ready to start one as they initially thought. Both Emma and Kitty still stay in touch and they’re all loyal friends who will be at each others aid when needed.

- Owen pretended to be disappointed for his little buddy, even if deep down, he was wondering if that meant he still had a chance. He was sad for Noah. He was sad for Noah. He wasn’t gonna think abut himself...

- But Noah caught him crying by himself in the middle of the night, believing he failed Noah ‘like he always did’. That Noah wouldn’t care about Owen anymore, and that’d say something since Noah didn’t show that very well. He had to get the girl. He didn’t get the girl. So now it’s the fault of the sidekick for screwing it up.

- Noah confessed that Owen didn’t fail him. Not at all. If it weren’t for Owen, Noah wouldn’t know what he’d be doing with his life. Noah didn’t get in the college he wanted to, so he’d have nowhere to go if Owen never came into his life the way he did. Noah has a hard time showing that he cares about people in general, but he’d always care about Owen. Noah’s still learning how to show that care better.

- A year or two later, Owen and Noah mutually start a bit of an asexual relationship. Noah doesn’t really strike me as someone who’d be into all the sex talk. Owen’s just happy that he can connect with someone that he can do anything for.

- Izzy and Owen reunited quite a bit in the future after their separation in World Tour. They don’t get back together, but they remain great friends, and Brainzilla turns out to be a nice edition to the friend group.

- Owen didn’t end up remaining friends with everyone on Total Drama, but he did with Geoff, Bridgette, Gwen, and DJ. He never goes back to Chris. He doesn’t need Chris anymore with his new reputation.

- Owen has a cheese business that blooms pretty quickly. You can thank his boyfriend and his parents for the help. The flavor is called ‘Quippy Cheddar’.

(Let me know if you want me to do anyone else)

#Td Owen #Total Drama #headcanon #td headcanons #Td Noah #Nowen #backstory #Total Drama Island #Total Drama Action #Total Drama World Tour #total drama ridonculous race

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myloveforhergoeson · 5 months

Note

i'd love to read some good ol' hockey romance novels but idk where to start lol; would you happen to have any recommendations? (it's totally cool if not!!)

YES OMG ok but something you must understand about me is that all of my book recommendations come exclusively from booktok or instagram so please take this with a grain of salt. i like them dumb, stupid, cliche, and smutty!

i am very new to the hockey romance genre, so i only have two books that i have read as of now to recommend, but i've got three on my to be read list so i can talk about those too <3

the one i just finished is called behind the net by stephanie archer and friend... god... i thought this one was just going to be just like pwp but there was plot and it was good and had me actually shocked something so interesting popped up in this book bc i had expected something completely different. it centers around jamie, a hockey player (goalie) for a fake team called the vancouver storm who trades his life playing for a team in new york to move home and take care of his mother after a series of mental health crises. he's a bit mean, a little arrogant, but he is mostly and above all... say it with me... MISUNDERSTOOD. god i eat this shit up. his counterpart is a young woman named pippa who just got out of a pretty one sided (read: slightly emotionally abusive) relationship with the only guy she'd ever dated. her ex is a pretty famous musician and it's her dream to write and record her own album one day, but after the break up and a little bit of a traumatic experience with her ex and his manager, she's not quite sure that's the right choice for her. she's very sweet, determined, and overall someone i found to be a very interesting character. anyway, she ends up as his assistant, chaos ensues, things happen that i won't spoil, but i enjoyed it very much.

(he calls her songbird a lot and though i do not have the claim on the pet name every time he said it my mind immediately went rames rames rames rames like a dog chasing after a squirrel)

i've got a little journal where i keep track of all the books i'm reading and i gave it a 3/5 stars on quality of writing, 5/5 stars on the strength of the characters, and a 4/5 on the plot. and my own extra rating, 4/5 on the spice scale

also! the author is writing a series that includes other members of the team and some minor characters from the first novel! the next one comes out in a few days and i can't wait to pick it up!

the first book i read out of the hockey romance genre is a book called icebreaker by hannah grace - this one was pretty popular when it came out and many people have many opinions on it. here are my own which are very general because i read it almost a year ago

the summary of the book is a little misleading, the main conflict is supposed to revolve around the captain of a fake college hockey team (nate) and a figure skater (anastasia) who's shooting for olympic gold having to share an ice rink after the one the figure skaters use is put out of commission. long story short, anastasia blames nate, but they're put in a bit of a forced proximity situation that lasts like... five chapters max. the rest is them figuring out their feelings for each other yada yada which is fine and i enjoyed but it was not what i thought the book would mainly be about. so, personal warning there lol. this one is a bit closer to pwp, but both of them have goals they want to accomplish and they help each other through that. i liked stassie a lot and found her to be an interesting character - watching her fall for nate was very sweet and i think i would have enjoyed it even more if i really liked him. he was just kind of mid to me with his only two personality traits being rich and team captain. but also, as a college student myself, i liked the atmosphere of the school they attended, the dynamic between stassie and the other players on the team as she slowly got to know them, and the way both nate and stassie worked to better themselves in order to be with each other!

in my journal i gave the quality of writing 3/5, the strength of the characters a 3/5 and the plot a 2/5 (it would have been 4/5 but i HATED the epilogue. if you read this book do not read the epilogue your life will be so much better without it) and my own special 3/5 on the spice scale

this one is also a series involving the other players on the team! the second book came out a few months ago and i'm planning to read it soon. it's been sitting on my shelf for ages.

i would recommend behind the net over icebreaker, but both were enjoyable to me!

on my hockey romance tbr:

the graham effect by elle kennedy

wildfire by hannah grace

the fake out by stephanie archer

but, i am a well-rounded (romance) reader so if you'd like to know my favs or other books im reading or like reviews just lmk... i'm slowly turning this blog into one where i just share whatever i want instead of it being focused toward my story LOL

#ash talks books #fresh new tag helllll yeah #behind the net #icebreaker

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ibrithir-was-here · 2 years

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Better late then never! Another long one, but a good one I hope and definitely important to the overall plot!

Decorous

Daniel was lost.

Well, not exactly lost, he just didn't know where he was.

He knew he was still in Destiny's Garden of Forking Ways, he just didn't know which way this particular path was leading him, or which way to take to get back.

In the Dreaming when he got turned around he could just think about where he wanted to end up and his path would take him there, no matter which direction he walked. And in the Waking he could of course just turn around and head back the way he had come, but here he found he could only go forward, wandering on and on and on.

He really wished he'd thought to bring a sandwich with him before he'd slipped out to try and escape that disaster of a family dinner.

It was his first (and he hoped his last for a good long while) time attending a gathering of all the Endless. Dream hadn't wanted him to go, but apparently Destiny had insisted.

"He is a Child of the Endless, and more than that he is an Heir, destined to one day take up the mantle of an Endless proper. He must come. It is written within The Book that he shall."

And of course there was no arguing with Destiny.

Daniel had liked some of the Endless; Destiny was nice enough, if a bit aloof. Delirium had been a bit off-putting in the intensity and how hard she was to follow sometimes, but she had been very happy to talk to him and Daniel had found himself liking her, she reminded him of some of the more weird dreams in the Dreaming.

Death had been the one he'd liked the best. She was the most kind, the most welcoming, instantly putting him at ease. She'd bent down to his level when she'd greeted him and wrapped him up in a hug that while he was in it made him feel as safe as he did when his mother or Dream hugged him. He could see why Dream liked her so much.

The last two Endless hadn't gone as well.

Despair had actually been quite polite to him, and not as frightening overall as he'd thought she'd be-- at least until she'd taken out one of her hooks.

Daniel had been sure he was about to be sick for a terrible moment the first time, but Dream had swiftly come over to him and walked him away, and had made sure the rest of the meal to distract Daniel's attention to something else anytime she had been about to use them again. Daniel tried hard not to look at her anyway just to be safe.

But it had been Desire, showing up "fashionably late", that had ended any attempts to be decorous that the family had been making.

"Well well! If it isn't Darling Daniel!" They'd purred, making a beeline for him the moment they caught him in their sights. Daniel had the faintest glimpse of a smaller figure left behind them in the doorway before his whole view was taken up by Desire's overwhelming presence.

"Oh my look how you've grown, you must be what, eight now? Nine?"

"Ten" Daniel said quietly, trying hard not to look at Desire's face while not looking like he wasn't looking. "Last week"

"Ten!! Goodness, and I missed your birthday too! Well that just won't do. "

They leaned forward then, smiling conspiratorially, golden eyes glinting as they got closer to Daniel.

"Tell me Dearest Daniel, if you could have anything, what is it you desire?"

Daniel found himself locked in that golden gaze, his mouth going dry as he felt long pale fingers reaching into his mind to pluck at his thoughts, peeling back the surface level wants that sprang to the mind of a ten year old boy--candy, video games, a new bicycle--to squirm down into more interesting territory.

Wanting to be cool and not the weird kid who fell asleep in class. Wanting to find a way to help his mom feel better, on the days she missed his dad so much. Wanting to not feel guilty about not missing his dad because he couldn't remember him. Wanting to not feel guilty about wanting to call Dream 'Da--'

The sensation cut off as dark fabric lined with a nebula of stars billowed out around Daniel from behind, covering him from Desire's gaze. Daniel felt two firm hands come to rest on his shoulders, pulling him closer into the starry enclosure.

"Desire"

Dream's tone was a deep, dangerous vibration, like a beast of prey announcing its intention to spring.

"My Sweet Dream, what a lovely young man your little heir is growing into." Desire said pleasantly, seemingly oblivious to the threatening storm cloud they stood before, ready to smite them at any moment.

"A bit pale though," They said with a smirk, gazing down at Daniel's shock of white hair, his head the only part not covered by Dream's cloak

"I do hope you haven't been working him too hard. Do try to remember he's only a child, and a mortal one at that. It's really too bad having him under your beck and call all the time."

"Daniel is my heir. Not my servant" Dream rumbled, his grip on Daniel's shoulders tightening. "I think of him as my own son, and he is under no obligation to take up any of my responsibilities as yet."

Daniel's chest burned in him at hearing Dream naming him his son. He always felt in his heart that Dream saw him that way, but to say it out loud in front of everyone!

But his joy was punctured by Desire's next words.

"Yes, it's convenient that you got a new baby to cuddle and someone shuffle all your old messes onto all in one go, and all you had to do was send his real daddy off into the void."

The polite chatter that had been going on among the other guests had stopped now, all eyes turned towards the scene happening between Dream and Desire, with Daniel literally caught in the middle.

"I mean really, isn't it bad enough that you took over his future, even if you've put it off for right now, without you also taking his poor dead daddy's place? I know how possessive you can get brother but really. His mother still cries at night over him, did you know--"

That had been when Daniel had broken out of Dream's hold, ignoring Dream's cry and Desire's cackle and the cacophony of raised voices that had followed , and rushed out into the Garden, determined to put as much space between himself and those cruel golden eyes as possible.

Only, his plan didn't seem to have worked, because the next turn he rounded, he found himself face to face with that same pair of bright gold eyes

Only, they weren't the same. For one thing, they were at the same eye level as him, and the face they belonged to was young, maybe a year or two younger than himself, staring at him with a startled expression beneath dark curling bangs.

"Oh, h-hello" The child Desire (because it was Desire, Daniel could see that, except, it also wasn't?) said, sliding quickly off the fountain edge they had been perched on, as though for all the world they were afraid of Daniel telling them off for sitting on it.

"...Hi" Daniel finally said, unable to think of anything else to say. Just what was going on?

"Um, do you know how to get back?" The little Desire asked sheepishly, "I wasn’t sure if my parent wanted me to come in yet, they just left me by the door. And then they started talking to Dream and it looked like people were getting upset, so I started looking at the garden and then…well then I couldn't find my way back."

They looked away from Daniel as they finished, hands clasped behind their back, scuffing the dirt, clearly trying to hide a blush of embarrassment that was impossible to hide on their pale face.

Daniel was reminded of several shy kids he knew at school, and his tension started to disappear. The Desire back in the dining room would never look that vulnerable, he was sure of it. This wasn't them, no matter how much they looked like them. They were just another kid who'd gotten lost trying to get away from the mess back there, just like him.

"Ah, no. I don't know how to get back, sorry. But my mom always says that if you're lost the best thing to do is stay put so the grown ups can find you."

Daniel, walked over to the fountain and pulled himself up onto the edge, gesturing for the kid Desire to come and sit next to him, leaving enough space that they wouldn't have to sit close if they didn't want to.

"Do you think they will?" They asked, hesitating for a moment before taking up Daniel's offer and sitting down, scooting closer than he'd thought they would, given their shy demeanor.

" I'm sure Destiny will be able to eventually. It's his garden after all."

"That's good, this place is pretty but I wouldn't want to stay here forever, it's too quiet."

Daniel raised an eyebrow, "I kinda thought you might like the quiet, I mean, you kinda just seem…quiet" he finished lamely.

The child shrugged, "There's always a heartbeat sound in the Threshold, I guess I'm just used to that."

Daniel nodded, that made sense. He knew some people needed noise to get to sleep, though he'd never had any trouble with that, this seemed similar.

"Yeah, the twisty parts of here remind me of the Dreaming, how it can get all turned around sometimes, but it's not as fun if you can't get untwisted"

The child's eyes lit up at this, and they leaned forward with palpable excitement "You live in the Dreaming? What's it like? Is-is it scary being around Dream so much?"

Daniel bit his lip, normally he'd love to talk about the Dreaming, and how much he enjoyed spending there, with Dream. But right now, seeing the spark in the child Desire's eyes, having them ask about Dream…it was a bit too soon.

"Um, is it ok if we talk about something else just now?"

There was a flash of disappointment in the child's face that was quickly shuttered away with a complying nod. "Of course, sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you. I'm sorry"

Daniel felt bad at how quickly their nervousness had come back, and without thinking he reached out to take their hand to assure them.

"Hey don't apologize ok? I could tell you about the Waking, if you want. You ever been there?"

They looked up slightly through their bangs, a look of cautious interest coming back into their eyes.

"The Mortal Realm? No, I've never been there, I've never been anywhere. Well, except here, now, I guess" they said with a shy smile.

Daniel decided he liked it when they smiled, and was determined to get them to do it again. They looked like they didn't smile enough.

"Ok, well yeah. I'll tell you about it. I live there during the day, and then I live in the Dreaming at night. I with my mom in New York, that's a state in America, which is a country---"

***

Daniel wasn't sure how long they'd been at that fountain, but it both felt like forever and no time at all, in a good way. The best way.

Daniel didn't have a lot of friends, the kids at school kind of thought he was weird, with his weird drawings and his weird hair that seemed to change from light blonde to white and his weird falling asleep during the day.

Sometimes he would find kids to play with in the Dreaming but he couldn't really go out and find them in the waking, and they were never as aware in the dreams as he was.

This, this was nice. Just hanging out with someone his own age, talking about random stuff and doing nothing.

And surprisingly, this kid was fun, once they started coming out of their nervous shell.

They were eager and curious and quick-witted, more than once they'd made Daniel laugh out loud at an observation they'd made of something he'd told them about, and his laugh had made them smile so brightly that he had to think of more things to tell them so they could get him to laugh again and smile more.

And finally he'd got them to laugh and that was even brighter than their smile, and by the time the adults found them, they were both in a fit of giggles, leaning against each other to keep from falling over into the fountain.

He was really, really glad that they'd ended up taking the same path in Destiny's garden.

The looks on the faces of the Endless when they saw the pair--sitting side by side and grinning like mad at eachother-- ran a gamut of different emotions.

Destiny looked as implacable as usual, thumbing the pages of his book and nodding slightly.

Dream and Desire both looked thunderstruck, sliding quickly into concern on Dream's part and consternation on Desire's.

Death looked quietly, hopefully, thoughtful. Remembering similar scenes between two other young Endless ages ago, before…

Despair looked resigned, as though she were watching a story she already knew the unhappy ending of.

Delirium looked at the fountain and cried" "oOH! tIMe tO MaKE a WIsH!"

#my writing #endless heirs au #the kids have finally met!#making friends and making the adults have flashbacks and complicated feelings #the sandman #daniel hall #dream of the endless #desire of the endless #the endless #death of the endless #despair of the endless #delirium of the endless #destiny of the endless #wish of the endless #sandman fic #sandman comics #hector hall #lyta hall

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wildwren · 1 year

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some thoughts about Molly Seagrim (and Tom)

I’ve been meaning to write some meta about Molly for a while, because she deserves it, and because I have lot to say re: what I dislike about Fielding’s treatment of her, what I find compelling, and what choices I might have made differently if I was writing the adaptation.

So I really dislike the way Molly is framed in the novel, because I find it lazy, misogynistic, and uninteresting. Fielding is SO harsh about Molly and particularly about her vanity, which he wants us to know is not equal to her beauty or any of her other merits. Ugh. Especially on my first read, I found the resolution of the affair incredibly annoying, in that it requires Molly to be acting selfishly in ways that excuse Tom at her expense, and leave the egg much more on her face than on his.

Still, I do think Molly COULD be a very compelling character, and her relationship with Tom is quite essential to the overall storyline, as it informs Tom’s relationships with women for the rest of the novel. When Tom’s relationship with Molly is first introduced, he truly believes that because Molly had sex with him, it must mean that she loves him and wants to marry him and that she would quite literally die if he ever left her. To be fair, Molly also feeds him this story, which is another frustrating part of her characterization, because Fielding can’t really seem to decide what her motivations are — is she just vain? Greedy? Stupid? Broken hearted over a different lover? He puts forward all of these as explanations at different points without adequately developing any of them, and it results in some of his most frustrating and incoherent character work.

HOWEVER, there are plenty of interesting nuggets in this arc, most notably that Tom, of course, eventually discovers that Molly doesn't actually really care much about him at all, and is mostly just interested in having sex, and frankly, having varied sexual experiences with different people, which like !!!!! valid!!!!!!!!! Learning this about Molly vastly improves their relationship and Tom continues to respect her and be friends with her for the rest of his life. Please note, I'm separating Tom's feelings about her from Fielding's less-than-glowing narratorial commentary about her, which continues to be pretty shitty. But this understanding that Tom develops -- that women's sexual desires are their own and can exist separately from the men who have "debauched" them -- is pretty fundamental to informing his actions for the rest of the book.

Personally, if I were the one writing the adaption, I think I would have leaned more into exploring Tom’s projections about what Molly wants (and poke fun at him for it as he deserves!), rather than Molly actively manipulating him, and/or explored the more tragic elements of why Molly thinks she needs to frame her own non-romantic desire as love. I think those bits are the most interesting part of the arc and focusing on them would have probably resulted in a more satisfying characterization for me. Instead, it seems like Hughes decided to agree with Fielding that Molly is just sort of annoying and immature. Which, while certainly valid things for women to be, are simply not that interesting to me as primary character traits.

ALSO, there's actually another Molly-Tom scene in the novel that I think is pretty relevant. After Tom discovers Molly with Square (this is a different character than Thwackum, who she is discovered with in the show. They combined Thwackum and Square into a single guy for clarity). After he realizes she's not actually in love with him and they part ways, Molly and Tom have sex again.

This scene was cut from the adaptation and I understand why (lolololololololol) but it's actually one of my favorite scenes in the first act, because I think it illustrates what I'm trying to say about Tom. now that Molly and Tom have admitted and accepted what they really are to each other, they can engage in casual sex for fun to the mutual benefit of them both, and Tom still respects her right to safety and honor in this context. They actually get caught and Tom gets in a fight with Blifil and Thwackum so that she can escape without being discovered, which is a huge contribution to why Tom eventually gets kicked out of Allworthy's house. This is what I mean when I say it's not just Tom sleeping around that gets him villainized, but Tom's desire to see women as people and to relate to sex itself (and sexual women) as morally neutral that makes him so reprehensible to so many of the other characters in the novel. Anyway it's a great scene, very dirty, very horny, it also has some top-tier masturbation innuendo, 10/10 highly recommend.

In conclusion, I think the adaptation could have done a lot worse when it came to Molly, but I think I'd have been more pleased if their choices engaged with the source material in a slightly more critical way.

#tom jones #tom jones pbs #tom jones 2023 #the history of tom jones #molly seagrim #tj reread #my meta

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no-internet-history · 1 year

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My year of Rest and Relaxation Book Review:

Yes I have read my year of rest and relaxation like every downtown/coquette girlie and her mom. My first interaction with the book was before it was popular and I thought the cover looked interesting. Eventually I heard it was popular and after I read the summary I decided to read it. I would have to say I was misdirected and that I was expecting something totally different. I thought the book would be about the main characters dreams and life asleep seeing into what sleeping all the time does to the mind. Instead the book was the opposite focusing on her life falling apart outside of her sleeping. Which is not a bad take and is actually quite interesting. A con of the book at some points was trying to be deep when it really wasn't that deep. What ultimately turns me off about this book is the unnecessary vile things being descried in the book.(if you read it you know what I mean) Also the very unlikable protagonist. (she is just so bad) I think a lot of people look past this and read it for the aesthetic. I understand why people might do this because of the cityscape of New York being the main setting of the book and the lavish lifestyle of the main character fits with the coquette and downtown girl aesthetic. Especially because both aesthetics are so niche it is hard to find books that match. (Compared to the many books that fit dark academia.) Sadly this causes the book to be over rated. Overall the book I found the book to be honest and an unique read. I give it a 2/5 stars.

#girlblogging #downtown girl #girlblogger #aesthetic #cinnamon girl #dark academia #girl blogger #book review #booksbooksbooks #bookaddict #bookblr #book recommendations #my year of rest and relaxation #dollette #pink aesthetic #pink #book blog #booktok

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sp-minion · 1 year

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My thoughts on Hell Breaks Loose spoilers below the cut

I know its early, but I wanted to write down my thoughts before I forget them. So, not really what I was expecting, if you're hoping for a simple retelling of a war story like I was expect to be disappointed. I was actually quite enjoying it until Valkyrie showed up and not really because I dislike her I just wanted this to be about the dead men and Mevolent but it gets so bogged down with the time travel stuff.

It almost feels mean towards the end? Like reading about all the dead men dying wasn't really what I had in mind I was just expecting something else and I think Landy wanted to add some shock factor but after already having gone through the heartbreak of reading about most of these characters dying once it felt unnecessary. You read about all this violence and death, and you expect at the very least it might be worth it since it will have changed the timeline in some significant way and maybe they could've lived but you dont even get that.

I think I would've found it more interesting to see Valkyrie struggle with the desire to warn Ghastly and Anton about the future but also not wanting to disrupt the timeline. Like sure, she scowls at Ravel, but i think if i knew my friend died horribly, I might be more inclined to try and save him.

If you're in this for Mevolent, Baron and Serpine prepare to be disappointed since they barely make an appearance and whilst I'm glad we met Hopeless I still feel like you dont really get a sense for his personality other than hes a good assassin.

Overall, I'd say I enjoyed the first half but felt like the rest just got complicated with all the talk about timelines and time travel rather than just being the simple war story focusing on Mevolents generals and the Dead Men that it could've been instead of another book essentially about Valkyrie.

#skulduggery pleasant #derek landy #hell breaks loose #spoilers #valkyriecain

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warblingandwriting · 1 year

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The Midwich Cuckoos

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5393936364

I do love this book. It's eerie, it tackles pregnancy as horror in a really fascinating way that, unlike in some other books and films, is actually sympathetic to the women that this pregnancy is happening, and it overall has a really fascinating sci-fi concept. My only real issue with it is the main character. I understand that Wyndham obviously wanted to skip a few years and only show the children's spooky early years, and then transition right away to their more dangerous 'teenage' years, but I really did not appreciate having a main character who was detached from the story's main action. Really, I found myself wishing that Angela Zellaby was the character we followed throughout most of the book. Spoilers ahead, but she has the absolute most fascinating relationship to pregnancy in the beginning, and perhaps the most interesting connection to the children.

I loved her, and I really wanted more of her perspective. Basically, she becomes pregnant when everyone does, but doesn't catch on that anything is wrong at first because she has been trying for a baby. When she does realize what's going on, she becomes the primary woman we follow who gets pregnant. She feels extremely conflicted about her baby because she is genuinely unsure if she got pregnant naturally around the same time as everyone else, or if she's also a victim, a vessel for whatever the rest of the town is carrying.

Her conflict is quite well fleshed out in the time she's given, although, as I said I wish we got more of it. She talks about hating the child inside her, but feeling unable to do anything about it because she does desperately want it if it turns out to be her child. When the baby is born it is revealed to be a normal child, as opposed to the other Midwich children, all born on the same day, and all looking very alike. This comforts her, and we basically get no more feelings of conflict about the child. It's a little disappointing because again, I think her perspective may have opened up an avenue for exploration of a sort of guilt associated with her feelings about it before it was born, or a lingering suspicion that her child is one the apparent cuckoos, but for some reason was able to mimic her and her husband better.

In addition, the Zellabys take in the decidedly strange child of Zellaby's daughter so that her and her new husband can make a fresh life for themselves outside of Midwich, and have children of their own. And this could open up the dynamic of raising their child vs raising the cuckoo. What is that dynamic like (before the children sort of isolate themselves)? I just feel like so many interesting opportunities were left on the table by having the main character be both a man (who therefore does not experience the pregnancy himself, although that's not all that surprising), and one with no direct connection to the children or to Midwich beyond the friendships he has there, and the curiosity about the children that compels him to go back. The book isn't an unwieldy length, so I think even Dr. Zellaby would have been a better and more interesting choice.

That said, I did love this book, I mean, I'm arguing that there should have been more if it! Wyndham probably had his reasons for wanting to skip the nine years that he does, unfortunately my own complaint really, is that he chose to so. He not only created a really interesting story, but also dynamic town full of characters whose stories I wanted to know. I would have loved more of the Zellabys, sure, but there are even more really fascinating townsfolk we hear from in this book that make it worth the read as well.

#book reviews #sci-fi #books #reading #the midwich cuckoos #john wyndham #my writing #writing

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brightbeautifulthings · 2 years

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All These Bodies by Kendare Blake

"We stared up at the house. Already it seemed haunted, though not by ghosts; I had no notion that we would go inside and discover the specter of Steve and his murdered parents. The house was haunted by the experience. It had been stained by the horror that took place within its walls, and even though it stood empty, it would never quite feel empty again."

Year Read: 2022

Rating: 3/5

About: In the 1950s, a string of murders plagues the Midwest, the bodies found drained of blood. In the most recent crime scene, Marie Catherine Hale is found covered head to toe in blood, none of it hers. At first mistaken for a victim, she's soon labeled an accomplice. Michael is an aspiring journalist and the son of the local sheriff, and Marie chooses him to tell her story. Only her story is so wild, so unlikely, that no one could possibly believe it. Vampires don't exist, but if they don't, just how did Marie end up in the middle of all these bodies? Trigger warnings: death, child/parent death, graphic crime scenes, implied rape/pedophilia, abduction, body horror, violence, blood.

Thoughts: This is how you take a vampire novel and make it utterly boring. It's more like a courtroom drama without the suspense of an actual courtroom, as the town and the rest of the country slowly turn against Marie and claim control of her narrative. Who has control of a story is a relevant concept that I've seen put to better use in other novels, but on some level, I like what Blake does here. The reader is left to decide whether to believe Marie or not, even if believing her also means believing in the supernatural, which is by no means a given in this book. I like the ambiguity over whether or not vampires actually exist.

While fun to think about, unfortunately the process of reading it is just so dull. Almost everything that happens is something we're told about instead of something we're there for, and there's no tension to be found anywhere, as we know right from the beginning what happens to Marie. Better characters might have saved this, but Marie is more of a concept than a character, and Michael is a flat and lifeless narrator. Just when I thought things were about to get interesting, the book ends in more questions. My overall sense is that it's an interesting concept that fails to take off in practice, but it might be something I reread with different expectations once my feelings have had time to settle.

#book review #kendare blake #all these bodies #ya horror #horror fiction #vampires #3/5 #rating: 3/5 #2022

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wondereads · 1 year

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Books I Read in April

Reviews under the cut

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (7/10)

This one was for class, and it was insane. First of all, it's over 900 words, so it goes on for a while. Second of all, this is a soap opera in the form of an 18th century novel. It's got children out of wedlock, a romance between people of different classes, a secret birthright, and lots of sex. Yes, sex, in an book from the 1700s. This book is notably a satire, and it pokes a lot of fun at the sanitized public image of the time. Also, it's getting a miniseries adaptation at the end of the month that looks really good.

Spell Bound by F. T. Lukens (8/10)

Overall, I just found this book good. It was a quick, light, easy read, and it's definitely a welcome reprieve from the intense fantasy I normally read. The magic is pretty fun, and I really liked the romance. The plot was a little too much for so quick a book, and some of the side characters aren't as fleshed out as I'd like, but this is definitely a great book to just relax and blow off some steam while reading. It isn't a masterpiece, but I'd still recommend it, especially if you're just looking for a little fun.

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (9/10)

Part of my Tamora Pierce marathon, I very much enjoyed my reread of this book. I like the way Pierce skips through a lot of time; it brings a sense of realism to the whole thing as Alanna is training for years. I love Alanna's character development, and we have the start of it in this book. I will note that the plot feels a little disjointed.

In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce (10/10)

In my opinion, this is the best book in Song of the Lioness. The character work with both Alanna and her love interests is great, the plot is cohesive, and you're on the edge of your seat. I'm a huge supporter of George, but why does their age difference have to be seven years??? It's a good thing Pierce can write some amazing romance.

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken (8/10)

Initially, I was having some trouble getting through this book. I think part of it was just how busy I've been, but I do think the beginning just doesn't do it for me. However, it was necessary for the most part, and I really liked the rest of the book. Tamsin grew on me, I was invested in the romance, and the side characters are quite good. The actual plot is full of all kinds of twists and reveals, and it ended on such a good cliffhanger—it definitely makes me want to read the next book! I'd say that even though this book isn't perfect, it's a great read, especially if you're an Arthurian nerd like me.

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce (7/10)

Quickly following the best book of the series is, in my opinion, the worst. The actual character work and writing is just as good as Pierce's other books, but the subject matter is...touchy. For a book published in the 80s, it's already great that the Middle Eastern-esque culture is not just immediately villainized, but through a modern lens, the plot feels very white savior. Alanna has a great amount of respect for the Bazhir, and some of her preconceptions are disproven throughout the book, but her repeated aversion to the veils and Jon becoming the Voice just doesn't sit right with me.

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (5/10)

What an insane book. Another one for school, and this is the beginning of the genre of gothic literature. As such, this sort of story is finding its feet, and this one is all over the place. Due to some influence from medieval romance, the characters are all rather flat, but at least it's entertaining.

Dragonfall by L. R. Lam (9/10)

I'm really glad I got an ARC of this book because I really enjoyed it! I particularly liked Arcady, Everen, and their relationship, but the plot is solid and interesting, and the writing does something new. The only downside to this is that it's going to be at least a year before the next book comes out. While there's some intense cliffhangers at the end of this book, I don't really know how the next one is going to go, and I am very curious. In the meantime, I do recommend this book, especially for anyone looking for a slow burn fantasy romance with a bit more substance to it. And dragons, which is a good enough reason alone to read any book.

#books #wrap up #tom jones #spell bound #alanna the first adventure #tamora pierce #silver in the bone #in the hand of the goddess #the woman who rides like a man #the castle of otranto #dragonfall

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missguomeiyun · 1 year

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❆ SEATTLE (ep44): unexpected sleepover at SEA

Now that we are confirmed to be staying overnight at the Seattle airport. .. We went around looking for more food.

Beecher’s Homemade Cheese shop.

I forgot which terminal this was located in bcos DL & I walked around a LOT. Good thing we didn’t check in anything, so we had all our belongings!

I have never heard of Beecher’s before but it’s basically an artisan cheese shop that sells a variety of cheese. Their location here also has actual menu items that feature their cheese/incorporates their cheese in some way. I was pretty excited to try it actually.

You know how most airport shops are quite small, this Beecher’s took up quite a big space. They had these large photographs on display on their wall & they were like. .. I don’t know.. 24 x 36in?

Cheeses!

Saw some interesting ones but didn’t buy any. Prices were steep!

One of their latest items at the time: the Breadzel

Looks . .. alright. Kinda dry, if you asked me.

Their menu~

We got the Mac n Cheese. It was SO CHEESY (& creamy)!!! Almost. .. artificially cheesy lol it’s so hard to describe. You know the cheetos cheese. .. the ‘fake’ cheese powder stuff that’s like. .. over the top? But you know it’s not real cheese. This was ‘real’ cheese but it was sooooo cheesy like the cheetos products haha it was so weird! I didn’t care for the macaroni much but . . overall, it was just okay.

Found a spot in the corner at Terminal A, near Gate 20 to spend the night. ..

Literally had this whole terminal to ourselves. ..

The time didn’t go by slow, which was surprising. I was catching up on my diary/travel journal so I don’t forget details for this blog post LOL I also called my family, DL called hers as well. We both did our own things for the rest of the evening, & discussed the idea that Edmonton should send Seattle a guide on how to deal with snow at the airport. ..

We took turns taking 2-3 hr naps in our corner for the entire night. DL was able to nap but I couldn’t so when it was my turn to ‘nap’, I just rested my eyes but my mind was fully awake. It was very quiet. ..

& THEN MORNING CAME~

We went over to Terminal B for McDs. When we were doing our rounds last night, we realized that the airport only has 2 places open 24 hrs. One was McD’s & the other is a cafe called Mocha Cafe. Both were in Terminal B.

Admiring some McD’s wall art lol

Okay. .. 0830h: we were actually in front of Gate B21. Someone from the Air Canada desk told us that Gate B21 was gonna be used for another flight & that our flight got relocated to .. . yup, you got it! Back to A20. So we had to travel back here lol just can’t seem to leave A20.

More things. ..

Our air craft (the one that’s coming from Toronto) is delayed coming in bcos they were slow/delayed on the boarding (when leaving Toronto) so the wait continues.. .

& then we got another boarding pass???

Yeah I don’t know. Things got so “messy” here =( but basically, what happened was: they said they over-booked. So some passengers from our ‘original’ flight got taken off, & we were 2 of the unlucky ones. We got boarding passes for the next flight, which supposedly was like leaving an hr after this one. I mean. .. not that we had an option to refuse anyway but. .. what the heck! It’s an extra hr!

Hope (the Air Canada desk agent) found us in the crowd sometime shortly after & booked us back onto the original flight........ ?!?!?! Yes.

Our “FINAL” boarding pass: AC8090, departing 1030h.

** putting this picture here bcos Air Canada offered us free check-in of luggage due to limited space on air craft so both DL & I checked our carry-on in.

1010: okay so, departure time was scheduled for 1030h & it’s 20mins away but we haven’t started boarding yet. In fact, there was no air craft around that pulled up at the gate...... omg

1030h: we took an airport bus from gate A20 to a remote place on the take-off ground lol it was nearly a 5-min ride & we were like.. . “where are we going?” & then once the bus stopped, we continued to wait inside the bus.

1100h: boarding the Air Canada Express plane!

I’ve never been on one of these. It was super tiny o.O The air craft looked like a jet, honestly. I can see why they offered free check-in service bcos our carry-on suitcases would not fit on the overhead compartment =/

1125h: air craft warmed up & we are ready to go!

1135: OFFICIALLY IN THE AIR! :D honestly wasn’t 100% confident that we were even gonna make it/land in/arrive at Vancouver. .. but we finally left the Seattle airport haha

1208h (YVR time): we landed safely despite being a very bumpy ride. It was kinda scary! I guess smaller air crafts aren’t very stable compared to larger ones. Anyway, we arrived & the scenery looked exactly the same as Seattle.

Again, we landed on a random part of the airport...

This temporary gate was set up & it was quite a distance away from the ‘building’ =S

We went thru customs, picked up our checked bags & then headed to the Skytrain station

Yup. .. SNOW!!!!

MORE SNOW!

But yeah, we took the Skytrain from the airport to the Downtown core, specifically the Yaletown Roundhouse station.

#travel #travel post #travel blog #seattle #seattle airport #airport #snowpocalypse

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