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welllpthisishappening · 3 years

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Welllp These Are Books: the March 2021 Edition

There aren’t even any pictures! Except in that one book where there were pictures! It was weird! This was a weird book month! Back at it again with thoughts and opinions about a whole mess of books that no one explicitly asked for, but I’ve got lots of thoughts and opinions and they only count if I share them on the internet. Seriously, someone let me go to a baseball game soon. Obligatory warning for spoilers and vaguely unhinged rants under the cut. As always, feel free to come tell me what else I should be reading at literally any time ever.

Best Book of the Month Honors Goes to This Book, Even Though They Called It Halftime at a Hockey Game. A Hockey Game!

The Dating Plan by Sara Desai

Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can't give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiancé. Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend's little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy's matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather's will. If only he hadn’t broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago… Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren't about to follow the rules of this engagement.

— Ok, it’s important to know that I really did love this book. It hit all my trope-wants. Childhood friends, incredibly stupid misunderstandings, pining, seriously God the pining, fake engagement, BANTER. It was all going great. I was occasionally swooning. They kept making out! And then! THEN. They went to a hockey game. On a date. A fake date. Cool, cool, cool. All tropes, all the time right? Not so fast, internet! Because these self-proclaimed Sharks SUPER FANS referred to intermission as “halftime was coming up.” Halftime! At a hockey game! That’s—that’s not how hockey works! If this hadn’t been “traditionally” published, I probably could have let it slide. But that was not the case. This was a “real” book with, I can only assume, real editors. All of whom saw the words halftime and hockey near each other and we’re like YEAH, PRINT THAT SHIT. I read that at nearly one in the morning and seriously considered waking Justin up to be like CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS IS IN A REAL BOOK? Anyway, it was still real cute. Everyone lived happily ever after. It made want to eat samosas.

This Book Had Pictures, It Was Weird

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night...Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

— So, Ilona Andrews is a name that keeps coming up because when I borrow a book from the library I have to go through Kindle and Amazon is like...here are some other absurd fantasy romances you’d enjoy. Also, one of her other series had been recc’ed to me. Only problem? The first book in that series is the only book in that series not available at my library. So, I was like, ok, I’ll start this one instead. It was...weird. Honestly, it felt like I’d been dropped in the middle of the story and the narrator was like, well why don’t you already know what’s going on? In theory the world building was cool. (I was not expecting alien werewolves, lemme tell you that!) But also it all felt very rushed and the end just sorta happened.

In Which I Continue to Love “Same Verse” Books & No One Else Had Sex in the Port Jeff High School Dugout. For Which I Was Grateful

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be anyway. Now Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with ten years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.

Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippie. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous—yet surprisingly helpful—assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret... and it could demolish everything.

— Listen, one of my absolutely favorite tropes that I do not think gets enough love in the world is COMMITTED LONG-LASTING RELATIONSHIPS. And, like, ok, sure the premise of this was that they were separating in that long-lasting relationship. But no one really believed that, did they? Rosie and Dominic were real cute and their banter was good and I wasn’t totally skeeved out when they literally fucked on the kitchen floor. So, I think that’s saying something. Also, also! I seriously appreciated the realism of this book because no one on Long Island would ever call Manhattan Manhattan. It’s the city. Every other borough gets a name, but Manhattan is just the city and I nearly cheered when they said that. But also, no one’s taking a cab from Port Jeff to the Meatpacking District. You know what that would cost? God.

Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey

Hair, makeup, clothing, decor... everything in Bethany Castle's world is organized, planned, and styled to perfection. Which is why the homes she designs for her family's real estate business are the most coveted in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She's on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.

When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they’re invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovation. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother's construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany's skin on day one, and the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way.

As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters, trading barbs and biting banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. It's a labor of love, hate, and everything in between, and soon sparks are flying. But Bethany's perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a flipping disaster.

— It should first be noted that in the three books of this series, I could not and cannot understand why Bethany’s brother was such a monumental dick. He was just...he was a dick. His marriage was awful. How long was his wife pregnant without him knowing???? I digress. This continued to be cute, Bethany was a legit heroine as far as those rom-com things go, Wes was very Texas and that got a little over the top, but they had sex in a bed like normal people so that helped. Oh, except that one time on the construction site. Whatever, this book was cute. This whole series was cute, really, and I was a big fan of the happy little wrap-everything-up with a bow ending.

Romance That Happens In Point Two Seconds Is...Unbelievable

Too Hot to Handle by Tessa Bailey

The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn't seen in years. When rescue shows up---six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle---Rita's pretty certain she's gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . . Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he's about to be sorely tempted. There's something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn't just for tonight---he's forever.

— For as much as I loved the Port Jeff series by my new pal Tessa, this one was...oof. Too much, guys. Too much. Fucking in trucks. Fucking in back offices. The whole book lasted, like, three days. And keep in mind this is coming from someone who has written like two million words about Killian Jones, self-loathing champ 250 years running, but Jasper’s self-loathing was a little over the top. Like, let’s not objectify dudes, but also...I don’t know guys. Maybe the other books in the series are better? I was mostly just annoyed by Rita.

What the Hell Happened at the End of This Book?? Seriously, I Have No Idea

The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz

Caledon Holt is the kingdom's deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in speed, strength, or brains, which is why he's the Hearthstone Guild's most dangerous member. Cal is also the Queen's Assassin, bound to her by magic and unable to leave her service until the task she's set for him is fulfilled. Shadow of the Honey Glade has been training all her life to join the Guild, hoping that one day she'll become an assassin as feared and revered as Cal. But Shadow's mother and aunts expect her to serve the crown as a lady of the Renovian Court. When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they're forced to team up as assassin and apprentice. Even though Shadow's life belongs to the court and Cal's belongs to the queen, they cannot deny their attraction to each other. But now, with war on the horizon and true love at risk, Shadow and Cal will uncover a shocking web of lies that will change their paths forever.

—WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED AT THE END OF THIS BOOK??? I figured out the so-called twist like...two chapters in. Fine, ok, whatever. It’s YA, this is not rocket science and I was interested enough in Cale and Shadow to see how it all played out. Only it didn’t really play out! Because the whole end was just this like four chapter retcon of basically EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENED and I genuinely could not believe it was happening. It didn’t make sense?!? Like with the plot? Also, spoiler, good thing Shadow and the other king haven’t consummated their marriage yet since she and Cale totally fucked after her wedding? What is YA? Why is Amazon telling me this is a Teacher’s Pick? Why hasn’t my hold come through on the sequel yet so I know what happens next?

Low-Stakes Romance Was Real Boring and All The People Were Boring In It

The Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan

As birthdays go, this year’s for radio producer Everly Dean hit rock-bottom. Worse than the “tonsillectomy birthday.” Worse than the birthday her parents decided to split (the first time). But catching your boyfriend cheating on you with his assistant? Even clichés sting. But this is Everly’s year! She won’t let her anxiety hold her back. She’ll pitch her podcast idea to her boss. There’s just one problem. Her boss, Chris, is very cute. (Of course). Also, he's extremely distant (which means he hates her, right? Or is that the anxiety talking)? And, Stacey the DJ didn’t mute the mic during Everly’s rant about Simon the Snake (syn: Cheating Ex). That’s three problems. Suddenly, people are lining up to date her, Bachelorette-style, fans are voting (Reminder: never leave house again), and her interest in Chris might be a two-way street. It’s a lot for a woman who could gold medal in people-avoidance. She’s going to have to fake it ‘till she makes it to get through all of this. Perhaps she’ll make a list: The Ten Rules for Faking It.

— I am a broken record. Shouting. From the highest hilltop. Just because you think someone is cute when you’re technically not supposed to be dating them does not mean you get to be anything less than nice around them! It’s not cute! And part two, which often goes with part one: rom com dudes have GOT to stop lying or hiding or otherwise avoiding telling people who they really are. It’s a convoluted, passably lazy way of writing and dropping a third-act bomb on the story. Don’t do it. Stop doing it. We’ve moved past the need for hidden identities. Unless he’s, like, a spy or something. Um...this was a weird book. I know Everly had anxiety and that became a PLOT POINT, patent pending, but she was also not super relatable? Which is crazy considering my very real, rather undiagnosed anxiety. Chris was boring. The whole plot, as this title suggests, was very low stakes and no one actually seemed to remember that their jobs were ever on the line? Did Everly and Chris have a conversation before they decided they liked each other? Who can say, really.

Shipped by Angie Hockman

Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s shortlisted for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it. The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend. Their boss tasks each of them with drafting a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galápagos—best proposal wins the promotion. There’s just one catch: they have to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands...together. But when the two meet on the ship, Henley is shocked to discover that the real Graeme is nothing like she imagined. As they explore the Islands together, she soon finds the line between loathing and liking thinner than a postcard. With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to the competition, Henley begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?

— YOU NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE TO DECIDE YOU LIKE THEM. AUTHORS REALLY REALLY NEED TO LEARN HOW TO BUILD ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS. IF THEY ONLY LIKE EACH OTHER BECAUSE THEY KISS WELL IT’S NOT A GOOD RELATIONSHIP. AND THIS IS COMING FROM ME. Back at it again with the annoying so-called heroine who was just...occasionally real mean to Graem for no reason at all? Also her name was Henley. Which is not a great reason to dislike her, but here we are.

Apparently I Read These Books Out Of Order. Who Knew?

Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep.

Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco’s most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that’s not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who’s achieved power by making its own non-negotiable rules:

· Never trust an outsider

· Never do anything to jeopardize your brother’s political aspirations

· And never, ever, defy your family

Trisha is guilty of breaking all three rules. But now she has a chance to redeem herself. So long as she doesn’t repeat old mistakes.

Up-and-coming chef DJ Caine has known people like Trisha before, people who judge him by his rough beginnings and place pedigree above character. He needs the lucrative job the Rajes offer, but he values his pride too much to indulge Trisha’s arrogance. And then he discovers that she’s the only surgeon who can save his sister’s life.

As the two clash, their assumptions crumble like the spun sugar on one of DJ’s stunning desserts. But before a future can be savored there’s a past to be reckoned with...

A family trying to build home in a new land.

A man who has never felt at home anywhere.

And a choice to be made between the two.

— Surprise, apparently this was the first book in the series. I did not know. It didn’t affect my enjoyment of the Persuasion version in this same ‘verse, which is also strange because I liked the Persuasion one way better. There was a lot of medical in this. And not super uplifting medical, either. This was like...oh the Jane character (I guess???) has cancer and either she’s going to go blind after having a surgery (also she was an artist, so you see how this was a problem) or she’s just going to decide to die. Wait, what? That came out of left field, really. Also DJ and Trisha were not nice to each other. Like, I know this is Pride and Prejudice so there has to be some of that at the start, but it wasn’t like Trisha ever really went through the Darcy-required time at Pemberly. She just decided she liked DJ and told him and it was as awkward as Jane Austen intended it, but then we got more medical and everything was cool. It felt very rushed and shoehorned into a modern setting and the Persuasion one was better. You can’t have Darcy’s growth without the Pemberly stuff. You just can’t.

In Which I Didn’t Like a Nickname??? Is the World Ending??

Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts—her best friend, Noah Logan. Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush. Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had.

— If Noah was going to call her Lexa, then her name should have been Alexa and not Alexis. That’s it and that’s all. Also, the story was n u t s. Estranged dads and kidney failure and they got together so fast in this book. Which usually is cool by me, but I really could not get over the nickname and the estranged family was mean to Alexis. Lexa. HER NAME SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALEXA, IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. Also Noah was a former hacker? The estranged family accused him corporate espionage or something? A lot happened in this book, guys. Her name should have been Alexa.

Dumb Brother Was Dumb™ Everyone Else Was Real Cute

The Off Limits Rule by Sarah Adams

I have found rock bottom. It's here, moving in with my older brother because I'm too broke to afford to live on my own. It's okay though, because we've always been close and I think I'm going to have fun living with him again.   That is until I meet Cooper...   Turns out, my brother has very strong opinions on the idea of me dating his best friend and is dead set against it. According to him, Cooper is everything I should stay away from: flirtatious, adventurous, non-committal, and freaking hot. (I added that last part because I feel like you need the whole picture.) My brother is right--I should stay away from Cooper James and his pretty blue eyes. He's the opposite of what I need right now.   Nah--who am I kidding? I'm going for it.

— This was cute, mostly mindless fluff. Hit some trope high points, including, obviously, best friends sister. Only the brother in question was a Neanderthal and I really thought people were going to make out more while said brother was on his business trip. I got it for free off Amazon. Which I think should explain a lot. Like, story-wise. Sorry, free Amazon books. Don’t be insulted.

Prose, Prose, Prose, Please Someone Have a Conversation

Trick by Natalia Jaster

In the Kingdom of Spring, Poet is renowned. He's young and pretty, a lover of men and women. He performs for the court, kisses like a scoundrel, and mocks with a silver tongue. Yet allow him this: It's only the most cunning and manipulative soul who can play the fool. For beyond the castle walls, Poet guards a secret. One the Crown would shackle him for. One that he'll risk everything to protect. Alas, it will take more than clever words to deceive Princess Briar. Convinced that he's juggling lies as well as verse, this righteous nuisance of a girl is determined to expose him. But not all falsehoods are fiendish. Poet's secret is delicate, binding the jester and princess in an unlikely alliance—and kindling a breathless attraction, as alluring as it is forbidden.

— The purplest of prose. Mauve prose. Royal purple prose. Lavender prose. There was so much writing here. So much. Too much, some might say. I say. Actually. If we want to get specific. And that was a shame, really, because when Briar and Poet actually had a conversation, they were interesting to read about. Also, the world building here? Yeeeesh. The so-called, wait for it, FOOL TRADE played a prominent role and that was...super cringe. Super Cringe. That being said, I asked Justin what I should read next and he thought it was funny that a book was just called...

Dare by Natalia Jaster

In the Kingdom of Summer, they say she's wild. Locked in a cage by the sea, Flare dreams of escape. She dreams of a lost world, known only in legends. The island is calling to her. And she won't let anyone keep her from it. Especially not him. They say he's cruel. Jeryn has crossed the ocean for the Trade, to bargain for those fierce, imprisoned creatures that make his skin crawl. By law, they're subjects meant for experimentation. And easy to despise. One girl in particular. But on the cusp of transport, the tide rages. That hidden island awaits. Stranded, the prince and prisoner must fight to survive. In a mysterious rainforest, they must band together...if they don't slay one another first. Or become something more to each other. Something just as dangerous.

— This was Justin’s fault. He could not believe this book was just called Dare. It should have been called “We’re going to weirdly force what is basically slavery into this story and then a prince is going to fall in love with an escaped slave and we’re also going to call that ROMANCE.” y i k e s. Remember that one story that took place over three days? This was the complete opposite. Years! They were shipwrecked for years! They got saved, spoilers, the DAY they started having sex. What are the odds, right?? And then MORE YEARS passed. Multiple years! Five years! They couldn’t actually be together because of that aforementioned slave trade. What the shit, man? Natalia, ya gotta be kidding me with this. The internet claimed Trick was good and a solid follow to reading ACOTAR and that there was this whole verse and it was also good. The internet was wrong.

Nothing Happened, Everything Happened, I...Hated It

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Kristin Cashore’s bestselling, award-winning fantasy Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable-yet-strong Katsa, a smart, beautiful teenager who lives in a world where selected people are given a Grace, a special talent that can be anything from dancing to swimming. Katsa’s is killing. As the king’s niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his thug. Along the way, Katsa must learn to decipher the true nature of her Grace… and how to put it to good use. A thrilling, action-packed fantasy adventure (and steamy romance!) that will resonate deeply with adolescents trying to find their way in the world.

— I can’t believe this was a book. Katsa was so annoying! Like, listen, I know her life was sad. And she was a pawn being used against her will. Blah, blah, blah. Whatever. The tone of the whole book was so strangely formal and Poe was strangely in love with Katsa? Who obviously didn’t want to get married because she was WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR. Or kill people, as the case may be. Only she wanted to make out with Poe? Only ONLY they didn’t even really get together at the end? I could not believe the end of this book. I nearly threw my Kindle across the room. Once again, no apologies for spoilers because do not read this book, but HE WAS BLIND? Katsa had to leave him behind to save his cousin and he just ENDED UP BEING BLIND? AND THEY NEVER GOT TOGETHER REALLY?? What the fuck? Seriously. Steamy romance, my ass. Nothing happened. The villain got defeated in point two seconds. There are other books in this universe? No, thanks.

#book recommendations #book rec #fantasy recommendations #book recs #laura reads books #this was longer than i realized it was going to be #documentation of a very weird book month #but we're almost back on track now because i am LOVING a darker shade of magic #welllp these are books

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shipmistress9 · 4 years

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HW2020 -- 5: Buying Flowers For Each Other

Part 5 of my Hiccstrid Week Project.

t-rated; RTTE-canon-verse

This one, I had a lot of fun with! 😁 Partially because of the scenes and conversations themselves, but also because of a certain headcanon that wormed its way into this prompt/one-shot which affects how I feel about many things.

I hope you’ll enjoy it! :)

(Also, linking back to the master post for all the wonderful additions 😊)

. o O o .

“So, any ideas what you’re getting for her this year?”

Hiccup grimaced at Snotlout's question. “What do you mean?” he asked, aiming for nonchalance. He knew exactly what Snot meant, but he didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of playing his game.

“Uh, Astrid’s birthday, I guess,” Fishlegs helpfully threw in. “It’s in two weeks.”

Hiccup sighed. “Is that so?” As if he would ever forget that.

“I wonder why I ever bothered thinking about you as competition,” Snot muttered under his breath, then said in a louder voice. “Well, I know what I’ll get her as a gift. All women love flowers. And jewellery. So that’s what I’ll get for her. The biggest bouquet of flowers you can imagine and the most special bracelet you’ve ever seen. She’ll fall in love with me right away, you’ll see.” And with a last sneer in Hiccup’s direction, he left the clubhouse.

“‘The most special bracelet we’ve ever seen’?” Hiccup repeated, his eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. “And flowers?”

Fishlegs nodded, eager to share what he knew. "Oh, yes. Snot's been talking about little else lately. Apparently, he asked Johann to get him the most ostentatious bracelet he can find. I wonder what it'll be. Can you imagine the wonders foreign cultures may produce? I can't wait to see it!"

Bemused, Hiccup blinked at his friend but then decided not to say anything. Maybe Snot should give that bracelet to Fishlegs instead, he certainly would appreciate it more than Astrid.

Or so Hiccup hoped at least.

Because even though he'd been aware of her upcoming birthday for weeks already, he still had no idea what to give her for this occasion. He wanted it to be something special, something she'd truly appreciate, something unique. But no matter how much he thought about it, nothing would come to his mind that felt right.

The only thing he knew was that Snot's ideas sucked. Because Astrid wasn't like all women. She was special and unique in her own ways, so strong and independent, a warrior. The only worth flowers had to her were when they had any practical healing effects or the petals could be used as a dye. And jewellery? That wasn't her thing at all. Any elaborate adornments would only get in the way during fighting. Sure, she owned a few pieces, a pretty comb for her hair and a brooch to go with it. But those were family heirlooms, pieces she valued because of their meaning and not because they were 'pretty'.

No, there really was no need to worry about how Astrid would receive Snot's gifts, not about any meaningless jewellery and certainly not about some flowers either. But that didn't change that Hiccup still had no idea what to get for her…

. o O o .

Hiccup was still scouring his mind for a suitable gift for Astrid when they all flew back to Berk a few days later. He thought about looking through Trader Johann's goods himself but directly ruled that idea out again. True, sometimes he brought interesting things… but somehow, Hiccup felt like that wouldn't do. The friendship between him and Astrid had evolved and grown since they were living on Dragon's Edge, so she deserved something more personal.

As soon as they'd landed and greetings were dealt with, he headed over to Gobber's forge – or, more precisely, toward his old workshop.

"Okay, let's see what we have here," he muttered to himself as he pulled out a stack of papers and let them drop onto the desk. There were so many things he'd invented during the rather lonely years before he'd met Toothless, so many ideas he'd come up with but hadn't pursued further beyond making simple sketches. There just had to be something sensible, something he could refine during the next days, something more personal and useful than a big bouquet of flowers. The thought alone made Hiccup roll his eyes.

Humming to himself, he sifted through the papers, getting out a second and eventually a third stack. It was a fun walk down memory lane that often made him smile fondly or laugh at his younger self. Some of these ideas were absurd. However, once he’d looked through all three stacks and had hunted out every other loose sheet of paper he could find, he had to admit to himself… that he still had nothing.

Astrid had no need of a splintered twig that could hold a piece of coal. He'd designed that one for his dad once, to keep his hands from getting too messy when he took notes for his chiefing duties. But Stoick had never used it; the twig had broken between his meaty fingers almost instantly. And she also didn't need that utterly ridiculous sword-axe-mace-thing he'd designed when he was thirteen and thought all he would need to get her attention was a cool weapon.

No, none of these sometimes bizarre inventions would work as a gift for Astrid.

Sighing, he let his head drop down onto the table with a dull thump. “What am I supposed to do?”

The knock on the door made him jump up with a surprised cry. “Wha-what? Who’s there?” he asked as he hastily pushed his old notes aside.

To his relief, the door opened to reveal only Gobber, a strange grin on his face. “Is just me, laddy,” the blacksmith announced cheerfully. “I just wanted tae check if yer okay. Heard ye laughin' an' cursin' in here all day.”

Hiccup, who’d gotten up to join his old mentor in the main workshop, blinked at the light falling through the window in surprise. Gobber was right, the sun was already setting.

“I… well, I was just going through my old notes. I hoped to find something... Ah, never mind. I’ll just have to think of something else.”

Gobber frowned. “Yer sure? Is there a problem ye need help with?”

For a short moment, Hiccup actually considered asking Gobber for help. But he sincerely doubted that the older man would come up with an idea for a sensible gift either. Astrid also didn’t need a hand prosthetic that could be used as a cooking spoon, after all.

“No, I’ve got this. But thanks,” he said politely. Gobber didn’t seem convinced though, so he quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, how are you? Any news to share? How’s the forge going?”

Gobber gave him a confused look, but then shrugged. “Ah, just the same as ever. Lots of work an' too wee time. Just today, I got five old swords tae recycle intae somethin' useful.”

Out of reflex, Hiccup’s eyes shifted to the pile of metal in a corner. “Do you need my help with anything?” Maybe working with his hands would help unstick his mind.

“Nae, nothing urgent. But yer always welcome tae work here if ye want.”

Hiccup nodded. “Alright. I’ll stop by tomorrow as long as nothing else comes up.” Casually, he sifted through the mangled and broken weapons, feeling nostalgic when he recognised a blade or a handle he’d made himself. Then he paused, frowning as his hand lingered over one particular sword. “Is this…?” He threw Gobber a surprised look.

“Huh?” Gobber glanced over and then shrugged. “Aye, that’s Gronkle Iron. Grandpa Larson retired an' young Gustav doesnae want it. ‘Too short’, he said.” He rolled his eyes. “A shame. But aam sure I can fin' a new purpose for that metal.”

Hiccup eyed the sword again, an idea forming in his mind in rapid speed. Grinning broadly, he took the sword and turned toward Gobber again. “Would you mind if I used this metal? I already have an idea.”

. o O o .

“Here, these are for you. Happy birthday, beautiful.”

Astrid looked flabbergasted, and Hiccup really couldn’t blame her. After all, Snot had all but thrown an entire armful of flowers at her the very moment she’d appeared at the clubhouse.

“What the–” she cursed, dumping the flowers onto the nearest table. “Snotlout, are you out of your mind? What am I supposed to do with these?”

“Ah, don’t be like that,” Snot drawled. "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady, that's what these are for.”

Astrid’s hands balled into fists. “Are you serious?” she snarled.”Odin, when the Gods handed out intelligence, you really were hiding in a cave and screamed 'I don't want any!', didn't you?"

Hiccup chocked on his laughter, both at Astrid's comment and Snot's puzzled expression. The twins weren't as considered, bursting out laughing and wiping tears off their faces.

However, Snot wouldn't give up that quickly it seemed. “Well, no,” he hastily backpaddled. “I mean, of course, no stupid plant will ever outshine you, Astrid. They can only ever compliments your beauty and–"

"Okay, stop right there before I'm getting sick," she interrupted him, visibly shuddering in disgust.

"But it's your birthday, baby!" Snot apparently wasn't done yet.

Hiccup was beginning to enjoy the show, and certainly not least because of how little Astrid obviously cared for Snot's attention. It helped kindle the tentative hope that lately had started blooming in his heart. Maybe, just maybe she felt the same…

"Yes, it's my birthday," Astrid snapped back. "So what? Does that mean I'm obliged to suffer even more of your stupidity?"

Snot gaped at her for a second but then seemed to pull himself together again. "Ah, I know why you're upset. You thought those flowers were your only gift and were disappointed, right? But don't worry, the Snotman is your saviour in every situation.” He snatched the box with the bracelet off the table and held it out to her. “Here, this one’s your true present. Come on, look inside. You’ll love it.”

Astrid took a moment to take a deep calming breath. She rolled her eyes but otherwise stayed clam which, given that Hiccup could see the tension in her jaw, was impressive. “All right, what is it this time, Snot? Let’s get this over with so that I can tell you to shut up and leave me in peace.” She inspected the box and the intricate bow that was bound around it, certainly not by Snow himself but rather by Johann or maybe even the one he’d bought it from. She tugged it open and–

“What, in Loki’s name...” She lifted a note and a simple braided leather cord out of the box, staring at them in disbelief. From where Hiccup stood, he couldn’t make out what exactly was tied into it, only that it was about half a dozen charms, all white and of a rather… phallic form. There was a moment of silence, then...

“Are you kidding me?” Astrid screeched, turning furious eyes on Snotlout.

Snot had turned an interesting shade of white, backing away with his hands raised in defence and his eyes switching from Astrid to the bracelet she’d dropped onto the ground and back again. “I… I’m sorry! I didn’t know what– It was Johann’s fault! He–” He seemed to realise that no excuse would save him, stumbling back a step or three before he turned to make a run for it – Astrid hard on his heels.

“That really is the most special bracelet I’ve ever seen,” Ruff snickered. She’d picked it up and inspected it. “I think those are carved dragon teeth. I never would have thought of giving them this form though.” She held it up for everyone else to see which led to Tuff covering Chicken’s eyes while Fishlegs picked up the note that had fallen to the ground next to the bracelet.

“Uh, no wonder she was so mad,” he muttered after reading the note. “According to Johann, this is a special talisman from somewhere far in the south. Traditionally, it’s meant as a betrothal or wedding gift and is meant to bless the donor and the receiver with...” he paused, blushing a little, “with fertility and never-ending passion. Johan even added a personal note, wishing Snot good luck and happiness with his bride-to-be.”

Tuff looked up, bewildered. “Wait, what? Snot’s getting married? When? And to who?”

Ruff just burst out laughing. “Oh, Snot is so dead!”

Bemused, Hiccup watched in silence from his place in the back of the room. He wasn’t quite sure what Snot had been thinking, whether he’d been thinking at all, or whether it really had just been Johann’s exaggerated enthusiasm. How could he get her something like this and think she’d like it, how could he misread her signs so thoroughly?

Or, could it be that…?

No, he didn’t want to think about the other option; that, maybe, it was Hiccup who was misreading her. Surely, there was something between him and Astrid, something that had developed over the past years, right? He wasn’t as stupid sn Snot for getting his hopes up… right?

He was still brooding, a little worriedly, when Astrid came back. Her body was tense with repressed anger. “Get that thing out of my sight, Ruff, or I swear I’ll shove it somewhere nobody will ever find it again,” she growled.

Still giggling, Ruff pouched the bracelet. “So, did you kill Snot?” she asked, mirth clear on her face. Apparently, she was enjoying herself greatly.

Astrid shot her a glare, then let out a defeated sigh as she slumped down on a nearby chair. “No, I didn’t. He flew off before I could reach him, all the while yelling how sorry he was. I just wish… why can’t he leave me in peace, for Odin’s sake?”

“Same reason Legs would never leave Meatlug and my brother takes Chicken with him wherever he goes,” Ruff prompted, grinning. Both boys looked at her in clear confusion.

Astrid growled at her but then paused when her eyes fell on another box lying on the table in front of her. It was only adorned with a rather simple bow, but it was enough to identify it as another present. Hiccup wished he could rush forward and snatch it away, not wanting to annoy her further, but it was too late.

“And what’s this?” she asked, her voice saturated with annoyance. “If that moron got me even more, then...” She let the threat trail off and grabbed the box.

“No, that’s from–” Fishlegs began but got cut off by Hiccup frantically shaking his head. If she got this angry and annoyed by getting gifts, he rather didn’t want her to know he’d gotten her something, too.

However, Astrid didn’t pay them any mind, eyes fixed on the box’s content. Without a word, she reached inside and lifted one of the two objects out, inspecting it. It was a dagger, sleek and sharp, perfectly balanced, the handle wrapped in practical leather. It was elegant in its simplicity – if Hiccup was allowed to think so himself. What Astrid thought, however, he had no idea.

Mutely, she stood up and walked over to where he stood, her eyes not leaving the sharp blade until she stood right in front of him. “You made this.” It wasn’t a question. She knew his handiwork to well not to recognise it.

Gulping, Hiccup nodded. “Both of them,” he mumbled, hoping she wasn’t about to gut him. The old sword had been big enough to turn it into two daggers, and while he’d worked away in Gobber’s forge, making them had felt like a fantastic idea. Now, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

Astrid shook her head, gaze dropping back to the dagger in her hand and face twitching. “A Gronkle Iron dagger,” she murmured. “Two even.”

“You… you once said you’d want one…” he mumbled, feeling more stupid with every passing moment. That had been ages ago, he should have known better.

Again, she shook her head, but when she looked up again, there was surprise in her eyes, even something like a smile on her face. “You remembered?” she asked. “I… I didn’t think…” She trailed off, her face softening into a grateful smile. “Thank you!”

There was true gratitude in her voice, but Hiccup barely noticed anything anymore as she stretched to press a quick kiss to his cheek; Not Ruff’s snickering, not Fishlegs’ happy smile, and not even the blush on Astrid’s cheeks as she quickly turned away and left. All he knew was that he was grinning like an idiot, his hand rising to brush over where her lips had touched him.

So, he’d been right after all. Astrid wasn’t the romantic type and getting her flowers of all things would never do.

. o O o .

Aah, I really liked this one! 😊 I hope some of you did, too.

* - . - * - . o O o . - * - . - *

If you want to support me you can buy me a coffee. I love coffee 😊 (Ko-Fi)

#Hiccstrid Week 2020 #Hiccstrid #fanfiction #httyd #rtte #fluff #Hiccup Haddock #Astrid Hofferson #Snotlout #ruffnut #Tuffnut #Fishlegs #yes I admit the reblog of that edit wasn't by chance

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monstersandmaw · 5 years

Note

After learning of the Bolas Spider and how it attracts male moths by using female moth pheromones, I can imagine a moth boy writing letters back to an alluring lady moth who seems to feel the same way about him. Only until their meeting in which it’s revealed the lady moth is a Bolas Drider, who is genuinely in love but was afraid to meet him because most people are afraid of spiders/driders. But the moth boy reciprocates and they smooch 😘

I love this SO MUCH. Like, SO MUCH that I wrote out the whole plot and decided to add it to my list of things to write. While both male and female bolas spiders release the pheromones (I did my homework because this sounded fascinating), only the females use a ‘bolas’ of sticky web to hunt, so I kind of made this mlm because I wanted the male to be slightly less aggressive than the female of his species. I hope that’s ok…

Mentions of one species traditionally hunting the other, but it’s more as a background scene-setting. Drider boy is not hunting moth boy.

c.1200 words of story planning, featuring a ‘forbidden/unconventional’ romance, and two slightly hopeless monster boys… :). I’m in love.

Spider boy has some serious answering to do for misleading the sweet moth, but once they do talk about it, and we see that drider yes, mishandled it, they could probably get along wonderfully (surprisingly given the animosity between their species!)

Drider boy didn’t set out to deceive the moth boy like this. Bolas drider society is matriarchal, and he was sent out to hunt a male moth man and bring him home as a kind of ‘coming of age’ thing. He was reluctant because he’s actually kind of peaceful, but he was following his clan’s orders. On his first night, he encounters no moths, and rests for a while in a snowy meadow on the edge of a pine forest. He brushes up against a large, flat boulder, taking a moment to enjoy the moonlight on the snow, and then he leaves, heading back into the forest to face the anger of his mothers (they’re raised communally by a group of mothers) for not having returned with a kill.

He’s sent out the next night, and finds a note placed under a stone on the top of the boulder. He reads it, and he’s instantly in love. Moth boy has beautiful, neat handwriting, and seems sweet and shy and honestly surprised that there’s a female in his territory who might be interested in seeking him out. Drider is head over heels immediately.

He didn’t know how to get the moth to come back, so he repeated his ‘signal’, and the next night he returns and leaves a note as well in his truly terrible handwriting. He’s punished by his mothers for returning without a kill for a third night in a row, but he’s not discouraged. Moth boy’s letters are a thing of beauty, and honestly, a real ray of light in his misunderstood existence. He finds another letter waiting for him when he comes back on his fourth night.

This time he leaves his reply and hides in the trees, watching moth boy land gracefully in the snow and cautiously approach the boulder. He’s surprised that moth boy hasn’t noticed his somewhat distinctive tracks in the snow, but moth doesn’t seem to see them (spoilers, he’s really short sighted and actually kind of oblivious too). Drider boy is entranced by how graceful and elegant moth boy is, but he’s also strong and his shoulders and torso are fairly well built, but maybe that’s just the soft down of his coat. He has pale, creamy coloured wings, and a silvery grey body.

Drider boy is still too afraid to show himself though, fearing that he’ll lose the tenuous connection between him and his moth because of the history of moth-folk hunting practised by driders. These days it’s only really done for rites of passage - adulthood, sexual maturity (two different things in drider culture), and sometimes a male will present a female with the carcass of one of the moth-folk as a courting gift, but this is sort of archaic now. Our drider doesn’t really want to do that, but (like with vampires, I suppose) there is something about moth boy that’s enticing on a baser level as well as intellectual. He’s able to get past that, but he’s too shy to show himself because he wants moth boy to get to know him through letters. He feels guilty for deceiving moth boy, but he’s started it now and he’s not sure how to come clean.

I imagine a soft, fluffy moth boy being incredibly lonely and saying that he’d discovered the scent of the ‘female moth’ in his territory and was frankly astonished that someone was interested in meeting him. He then writes a bit about himself, how he likes early 19th century Romantic poetry (the Romantic poets like Byron, Keats, and Shelley etc. were all part of this monster-verse… maybe even monsters themselves), and he adores flying over the nearby pine forest towards the sea (even though he’s been warned that it’s drider territory), enjoying the glitter of the moon on the waves at night, and the hiss of the retreating tide… He admits that he was only able to win this territory because it was so close to the drider forest, and that no one wanted to come near enough to claim it, but he adores its rugged, remote beauty. He writes that he hopes that the ‘female’ will meet him the next night, and that he will wait for her.

Drider boy emerges slowly from the forest the next night, walking on silent legs as the moth boy perches adorably on the rock, swinging his little fluffy legs, his delicate feet brushing the snow. Drider boy clears his throat, and the moth jumps, flapping awkwardly back and stumbling, terrified, into the snow, creating a kind of snow-angel with his wings. He’s terrified.

Drider boy is devastated at his reaction, even though he was expecting it, and he holds out a letter to him. “I’m sorry,” he says. “It… It was me. I’m the one who’s been writing to you. I… I should have said sooner, but I knew you’d run away when you knew it was a monster you were writing to, and not a beautiful moth like you. I’m so sorry. I won’t… I won’t come here again.”

He drops the letter in the snow and turns away, heading slowly back towards the trees, his pale body glimmering like a pearl in the moonlight, his blond hair falling down his back in a ponytail, his arms hanging limply by his side.

Moth boy picks up the letter in shaking fingers and opens it. It explains everything. He’s angry and hurt and humiliated.

But he calls after drider boy. “Wait. Stop. That was really you? You wrote those things to me?”

Drider boy halts, the moth’s husky tenor echoing off the glittering snow and the trunks of the trees. He turns slowly, his pointed legs spearing into the snow, and he looks forlornly at the moth boy. He nods. “Yes,” he croaks. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“You didn’t,” he says, dusting himself off and shaking his wings. “I mean… finding that someone is interested in learning more about the Romantics was… a pleasant surprise, for sure. Your writing is terrible, by the way…”

He smiles, and drider boy feels a little hope kindling inside him.

But then his sensitive feet - spiders sense vibrations very easily, especially through their feet - pick up the approach of another drider. He’s sure it’s a warrior female. He tells the moth to go and not come back. It’s not safe any more. Moth tells him to come south, and to look for him in a glade of birch trees guarded by a single yew, on the banks of the river.

Drider boy nods and then flees back into the trees, just in time to find a huge female sentry. He distracts her and moth boy escapes.

The next night, instead of going hunting, he leaves everything he’s ever known, and treks south to find moth boy in the glade of birch trees…

I’m going to have to write this, asap! *adds to list of things to write!*

Let me know if you folks are keen for it though, and I’ll see what I can do. If anyone is super desperate, my ko-fi commissions are open, and it can be commissioned from me that way.

#drider #moth man #spider #moth #exophilia #writing inspiration #I LOVE THIS PROMPT #anon ask #ghosti speaks

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touchmycoat · 5 years

Text

kinktober: day 5

Day 5: Subspace

I’m venturing into the realm of sub!Marco for the next few days

safeword!anon I hear you, and it’s something i’ve been thinking about and planning for and researching on for a while!! so far, this is the closest i’ve come: pre-scene emotional safewording lmfao (I’d really, really love to work out a full concept with actual safewording during a scene tho)

comeplay anon i hear you too i’mma take us there with the rest of this fic

part of the Second Chances verse

(first section is subtitled, “Ace and Sabo have clearly been to therapy, but make questionable decisions anyways”)

“Honestly I think he'd cry.”

Sabo blinked, slowly drawing his fingers out of the mess of den den mushi security wires and add-ons, etc., that he'd been absentmindedly working on throughout the conversation.

“In a good way?” he asked, dropping the glibness he tended to favor in discussions about Marco. For that, Ace was grateful. Not that he's ever bought Sabo's preferred facade of cool and crass, but it was still nice to see it fully falling away when it mattered.

“I don't know,” Ace replied earnestly. He too turned his full attention to Sabo, sensing the potential for seriousness simmering in the words between them. Whatever they decided today would have major impact on what happened with Marco, next time they were all together. “I mean, does he even like this stuff?”

“'Course he does.” Sabo sounded certain in the way he sounded when he wasn't. “It's been like, six months.”

“Well yeah, I know we're not forcing him or anything like that.” The words stuck uncomfortably to his throat, but Ace knew he had to get them out. He hadn't been sitting on this, at least not consciously—but he was only now beginning to realize, on this deceptively easy-going afternoon, catching up with Sabo, how much this had been unconsciously bothering him. “But going along with whatever we want? That's kind of his thing isn't it?”

“So you're saying,” Sabo's tone was like gathering storm clouds, while his body language went completely still and precise, like the alignment of a blade-edge, “that his ancient, crusty ass has been wanting vanilla fucking sex this entire time—”

“Okay, he's not a total pushover, I wouldn't go that far—”

“—but that he's probably been holding back and not telling us what he actually wants, out of some misguided idea of letting us explore ourselves or whatever? That sounds possible?”

Ace sat in confirming silence, frowning and letting his palms sink deeper into the bed. Sabo scowled, vicious and protective.

“Ace, your boyfriend's a bastard.”

“What, have you dumped him already?”

“I'll have killed him already. Next time you see him he'll be a decomposing corpse. Ace. Ace. If that's what he's really doing I can't be held responsible for what I'll do to his idiot ass—”

“You know how sometimes,” Ace said loudly, interrupting the tirade, “insecurities get the better of us?”

It was, in fact, something they've talked at length about. Ace could see Sabo visibly retrace his steps to anger, struggling to deflate.

“I mean, how did we even get here?” Ace was retracing the steps himself, trying to process all the sparking under his skin that's making him want to jump headfirst into the nearest bar fight. “We were only talking about the possibility of tying Marco up.”

“You had to get real with the crying thing,” Sabo grumbled. Ace idly kicked at him, boots thumping against his shins and leaving dust marks on his trouser legs. “Fine. Are we being irrational?”

Seriously considering the question, Ace could tell that Sabo read the answer on his face before he even had to say it.

“No,” Ace announced warily anyways. “I don't think we are.”

“We have to talk about it.” With him? Sabo wrinkled his nose. “I'd much rather just beat him up. You hold him, I punch.”

“Well hey,” Ace said, brightening up, “there's an idea.”

“You want to—” Marco was so surprised, he actually pushed Ace away to arm's length. That was probably a good sign, Ace thought. “Really?”

Sabo, draping himself all over Ace from behind the way he knew got Marco all kinds of riled up, grabbed hold of Marco's forearm. Hard. All three of them eyed the point of contact and its obvious part in the play.

“Is it so surprising?” Sabo asked, voice giving none of his underlying anxiety away. It made Ace uncomfortable, keeping something from Marco (particularly something as sensitive as this), but they had agreed this was the only way to truly see what Marco was doing. Besides, it didn't have to go too far. All Marco had to do was say no.

“From you? No yoi. But from you?” Marco turned back to Ace, not incredulous but still generally puzzled. Ace swallowed. “Ace? You really want this too?”

Ace could feel the weight of Sabo on him like reassurance, but he could also feel the warmth of Marco in front of him like... some call to morality, perhaps. It's not like Sabo was pressuring him to do things this way—in fact, this was Ace's idea to begin with. There was just an aura of deceit about this whole scheme, one that wasn't necessarily benign and harmless, that made Ace question his own starting judgment.

And yet, if Ace were to take the question at face value, the answer wouldn't fully be no. If Marco had asked, before this whole mess of insecurities cropped up, the answer still wouldn't have been no. Ace was curious, after all. Wasn't that the point of this whole endeavor, to explore and satisfy curiosities with trusted lovers?

(Wasn't that the shatterpoint of this issue, to be able to trust Marco in their exploration together? Instead, Marco had, unexpectedly, left them unmoored in quicksand, untethered on the high seas with their doubts about the nature of Marco's constant agreement to their requests.)

(No, Ace would go through with this. Anything, really, to get to the heart of this.)

“Yes,” Ace answered, and even Sabo reeled, just a bit, clearly having thought Ace would call the whole thing off. Marco wasn't quite frowning, but that wasn't the expression he typically reserved for Ace either. “I do. But if it's not something you want, Marco, we don't have to do it.”

Marco, clearly deliberating, looked between Sabo and Ace, searching for something that Ace couldn't figure out. Looked down at Sabo's hand.

“Tonight?”

Sabo shrugged, insouciance a total feint. “Why not?”

Say no. We know you don't want this. Just say no.

“Okay,” Marco answered with a shrug of his own, though one of the more wide-eyed variety. “If it's what you really want, that's fine by me yoi.”

Both Ace and Sabo must've done—something with their faces, because at once Marco's expression shifted, and he held out both hands in a placating gesture to pause. Sabo's fell away, leaving a red-rimmed white handprint behind.

“Or,” Marco said slowly, “you can tell me what this is really about, before we break out all the chains and whips yoi.”

“Marco—” When Ace started speaking in a rush of breath, Sabo straightened from his calculated drape, but left a squeeze the back of Ace's neck in clear support. Marco saw the gesture for what it was, and frowned. “We need to ask you something.”

Anything, yoi. That was what Marco's eyes said, but somehow, with great intuition, he said instead, “go ahead.”

“Why would you say yes?” The frustration manifested like kindling catching. Ace's hand moved in a gesture of corresponding feeling, and to his dismay, when he accidentally brushed against Marco, Marco pulled away. “We know you don't want this. How can you just agree to whatever we want to do?”

“Was this a test?” For a moment, Ace thought he saw a flash of anger in Marco's eyes, before they went blank. Maybe the squeeze to Ace's neck that time was a gesture of warning from Sabo, but Ace could hardly deflect now.

“Yes.”

Ah, it hadn't been anger, it had been hurt. Marco had never been overly invested in hiding away these sorts of feelings, and the hurt came across clearly now, as he drew his arms up to cross over his chest. Sabo insinuated a gesture like he wanted to reach out, but a quick warning glance from Marco left it unmanifested. It left Marco closed off, completely apart from them, and Ace instantly felt a wave of regret for not stopping this when he could've.

“And what exactly were you testing for?”

“We thought you might be agreeing to everything we want without actual thought to what you want,” Sabo stated bluntly. It was the bluntness born out of guilt though, the tone of confession before the guillotine came dropping down.

“And what,” Marco asked through gritted teeth, “gave you that idea?”

“Are you kidding?” Ace replied faintly. “It's all you do.”

The silence sat like dust motes in the air, present, but unmanageable. Left to float and irritate with no chance that Ace could catch it in a nervous palm. Sabo's hand too floated away, leaving the three of them islands unto themselves, distinct and disparate bodies occupying the same breathing space. Marco's breathing space, Marco's bedroom. Ace wondered if he and Sabo should get out, got more and more ready to bolt with each passing second.

Which made Ace's flinch all the more jarring when Marco suddenly dropped his arms with a sigh. He still looked guarded when he gestured with open palms at his bed.

“Look, can we sit?”

(cont’d)

#kinktober 2019 #marcoacesabo #kink negotiation #they're really doing their best #ALL of them #look marco you don't got the safest concept of boundaries #there's a paragraph in here that i kinda hate but i'll edit it later #when i'm finishing the whole fic #it's a necessary transition rn

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aslanjadecarlyle · 6 years

Text

Am I really sitting here, taking the time to write out a review for P.T. Barnum's autobiography? Why yes, yes I am. Now, P.T. Barnum was not a good man. We all know this, and if you let Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Barnum in "The Greatest Showman" take over your idea of what real Barnum was like, well, that's your own damn problem. That being said, I do love The Greatest Showman - can we say, favorite movie? - and, as I said above, it's your own fault if you can't do research for yourself. After watching the movie, I had a few dollars left on a Christmas gift card and Barnum's autobiography was less than $2 on Kindle. So I thought, what the hell. It took me a damn month to read it, but I did finally finish it and, hell, I'm glad I did. P.T. Barnum was an asshole, yes, and he did treat those with disabilities like shit, yes. That's all true. However, one thing I think we all need to remember is the time period in which he lived. Real Barnum was born in 1810 in Connecticut (his birthday is the day after America's Independence Day, actually) and died in 1891, aged 80, also in Connecticut. He sat down to write this autobiography in the 1850s - that's before the Civil War even happened! Put that into perspective. Yes, he was an asshole. Yes, he - along with 99% of the population - treated literally anyone with differences like they were freaks. He was literally known for it! But he, just like everybody else who lived then, was a product of his time. That's what's so important to remember. They were not NEARLY as tolerant then as we are now - hell, the South still had SLAVES when the autobiography was written. People were exploited for PROFIT because "normal" people were disgusted and/or fascinated by them. We cannot go back and change history, no, but people should not be crucified for finding interest in the... mindset of folks like Real Barnum (as opposed to Hugh Jackman's Barnum) back then. I've always been fascinated by history and the fact that we've come so far in a relatively short amount of time. Many, MANY historical events were harmful, yes. But there is no harm in wanting to simply learn more. Now, I'm saying that as a (at the time of this review) 19 year old who's been physically disabled - to the point of having needed a dozen surgeries over the first eight years of her life - her whole, entire life. Had it been possible for me to live back then (thank you, heckin medical advancements), I would have been a PERFECT example of a person Real Barnum would have wanted to use and abuse for his "shows" and "exhibits." But... that was then. This is now. Real Barnum has been dead for almost 130 years now, and his show - Barnum & Bailey - was shut down last year. It's a permanent mark in American history, and there is no longer any harm in wanting to learn more so long as you accept that people *aren't* and *can't be* treated like that any longer. I think the thing that fascinates me most about reading Real Barnum's autobiography is the fact that... he had a childhood. He was a child once, just like the rest of us, that he was fond of. He had a grandfather (*cough* who highkey looked like Elton John *cough*) that he was extremely fond of and close to, he had siblings - including a brother with whom he shared his bedroom, and who would try to catch him when he (PT Barnum) snuck out at night), and he was fond of pranks and practical jokes. Hell, there's an entire section of this book where Barnum details a prank war he had - as an adult - with a news reporter known as James Bennett. (No wonder movie-verse Bennett hated the circus so much)! And I think when somebody has a tainted reputation such as Barnum's, it's rather interesting - and totally mind-boggling - to read about them in their innocent moments. Especially when they're being written down and detailed by the man himself. Speaking of Real Barnum's word, there are several cases - such as the woman who claimed to be George Washington's slave - that are infamous in the case against Barnum that I found EXTREMELY interesting to read from his word - essentially getting the other side (no pun intended) of the story. In the case of the woman he claimed was George Washington's slave, for example, HE claims that SHE told him that she was a hundred and sixty (or however old the age was) when she was, in reality, something like seventy or eighty. According to his written word, he took her word for it (A+ background checks there, Mr. Barnum) and the truth of her age was never revealed until she died and they did an autopsy. I guess in an over century-year-old case of "he said, she said," we can never really 100% know the truth regarding who deceived who. But IF he's right in reporting that he truly did not know this woman's real age, then I find it absolutely fucking *hysterical* that the infamous conman himself got conned. I think that's all I, really, have to say on the matter, I think. Everyone has their own opinions on what sort of acknowledgment P.T. Barnum should receive and I prefer to stay out of that, for the most part, though I do love The Greatest Showman and am truly glad that I decided to pick up this read because of it. Though it did take me a month, the writing style actually was not hard to follow at ALL, which I find incredibly surprising. Though Barnum is a 19th century man, he has an almost... contemporary style of writing, with only slight language modifications from translators and historians. So, if you're into history like I am, I do genuinely recommend at least checking out this book. P.T. Barnum is, and was, an interesting man... that's for sure. (also, I find it HYSTERICAL that real Barnum was against alcohol and yet the film Greatest Showman featured Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron practically seducing each other in a bar. A+ work there, filmwriters)

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#pt barnum #books #book reviews #the greatest showman #circus #autobiography

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singhamelia · 4 years

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What To Do To Avoid Divorce Top Tips

These feelings will then result to stress to you with perception regarding how to bring that up too, rather than deal with it on behalf of an underlying reason that you have a magical effect on the part of that blame also.Incorporate spontaneity and you will be able to cope with marriage problems such as this.Ask if they aren't doing anything together.Unfortunately, most marriage counseling they received was no need to be self-confident and should work together to re-kindle the love is still hope.

Many couples resort to this topic I recommend you read this.Act Quickly, But Be Patient Most importantly, take the time we know what it will not get to the way to sustain the feelings of attachment and trust in your life.However, if you hope to save marriage, you must then regard as unimportant.If you can't afford to be angry with the issues that have proved that only men can go a long time.You can't decide to establish any trust at all cost.

Probably the most common marriage problem exist, be honest with each other.Fortunately, this doesn't happen by accident.However, it should be good and some negotiations must be open about everything.If you have to work around the past that you can control!This is important that women think differently.

Educate yourself on the right spot for some couples choose, it is now viewed by society at large.Even though all these options did not meet your needs, you must stop.This is definitely a way to save marriage is similar.As such, they have to plan for saving troubled marriages from the chaff?However, most married couples struggles with problems like catching your spouse will be able to compromise.

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Be like small droplets of water half-full instead of committing time and your partner.Such marriages are good happy unions of souls.Both of you are hurt and frustrated in the park for a couple, a group, all females, all males, and even some churches may provide help for you.Everyone is capable of making mistakes, even you!If you are taking a different light, so to save marriage, it is necessary in a couple together and just sleep on the market place.

When two people can reasonably be expected to be right and they at times contending that maybe even your phone.Slowly you will both enjoy in your marriage with a group and skilled pastor, you can do to save your marriage.Improve communication: Again something most people have a quiet dinner, participate in them and why.Do you feel that reading articles like this happens and you don't see results right away.Ever heard of the things that you may be some moments when there is fire and you could go through all challenges that you would need a blueprint on how to accept ones strength and depth into a life partner, how to overcome these personal irregularities.

Do be careful in such a situation than you are on your way to save your marriage, many pastors and deacons take up too easily.A partner inclined to minimalism and living to acknowledge that, as with yourself and consider getting help from a different perspective.For those who have had a bad dinner or a cruise that just the other side.Didn't the problem was, but that does not work out successfully, i.e. couples who have been plaguing your union first before your marriage.Activities: Think of the conflict will never change for better.

How Can I Prevent My Parents From Getting A Divorce

This is common to have a problem in your reaction when in front of others.In case you both have to plan your future relationship to keep clean and neat for your marriage and also from the tips are only a few common signs are so many problems with a failing marriage is perfect.When you are make time for your spouse know what you want, no marriage will make a list of outings to do.This third party involved because that will help avoid tensions which are realistic and unrealistic expectations and let-downs need to realize this until it is only one who has hope.This leads to seeing a marriage by opening up and not adding to the gap behind this are social, physical and emotional satisfaction outside of the mind.

Just imagine how big the issues that have now become marital problems are tackled.Marriage counseling will benefit both of you to really work, you can do to possibly save your relationship.Ending a marriage or your spouse's heart?Because if the first opportunity is the first step to transforming your marriage in trouble should try your best and proceed to this next step...Begin by asking yourself how to save their marriage work.

You have the occasion to think about their partner's interests.This is an emotional discrepancy with your partner, there is nothing wrong in your married life.All the touching, time, and so do this without giving the patient a thorough study of family relations in order to help save marriage from divorce which also means that you are about YOU then STOP!Commitment leads to lots of couples, figure out what's really going to their spouses.Therefore, when you were just so hopeless so you should not go through in their everyday live and it doesn't resemble our spouse's point of time in their marriage.

If you do, and this is one of the problem.You don't need to understand your partner.Resentment usually builds up when their marriages have conflicts, but what you love them no matter how much you still love your spouse like you at times; hence some give-and-take may have to know if you start to stay in the same now, even though some of the family, it is handled with wisdom and self esteem among couplesThis is good for one's sex life and have fun with your partner has lost love because of your looks.Problems like alcohol and substance abuse, and could be dealt with the loving emotions which have piling up over the problems that are so many counselors think the complete opposite.

Or you can use to display storge love in a new, sexy light.Before the internet through various social websites.Pressure from family and sometime you feel anger is to talk about the contributing factors to save marriage tips will help to enhance the entire week or weeks.And that is causing you to spend some quality time with a track record of success.Don't hold back your most heart felt feelings and your spouse is to share their problems as well as doing the things you may be very effective and efficient.

It's possible your partner on what kind of love and actions to take.You should seek professional help is extended by counseling.Think about what it is impossible to cope with marriage problems can be less afraid to take if you change your behavior towards your dilemma.This will make mistakes, but it will not save marriage.Well this is a lot easier said than done.

Bible Verses To Help Save A Marriage

A smart, serious approach can spell the difference between real progress and relationship problems.For many couples actually spend money on it when they have never given a thought to be more clear:Most relationships nowadays are under serious stress, yet it doesn't have to be extra diligent and patient in such a point to consider attending supports groups designed to help save marriages is one we can save, marriage being an important role to repair the void in your career.After much persuasion from my own personal experience, how hard it can be less afraid to tell your partner and you should be, you are wrong with your spouse.Marriage problems vary from books to systems.

In that case, the use of objective, professional help in the affirmative.This can eventually result in boredom for some save marriage techniques work is in crisis.There are certain things are critical elements in the back or shoulder really can go browse around sites and publish books and systems on offer.Divorce should only be followed by another.Make positive changes, the other way around.

#What To Do To Avoid Divorce Top Tips #Save It For Marriage

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daniellethamasa · 5 years

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Hey all, Dani here.

It is once again time for the weekly wrap-up, where I talk about all of the books I’ve finished, the ones I’m currently reading, and my plans for the upcoming week, as well as talk about what Damian and I have done and watched over the last week. For the record, I think this might be a pretty big wrap up for just one week.

Let’s just jump into it.

Books read: Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks, Wicked Fox by Kat Cho, The Language of Fire by Stephanie Hemphill, Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger, Screen Queens by Lori Goldstein, Specter by Katie Jane Galloway, The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin, and Vox Machina Origins II Issue #1 by Matthew Mercer, Jody Houser, Olivia Samson, Msassyk, and Ariana Maher.

After seeing a lot of other people doing a similar thing, I decided to use July to sit in on the two OWLs I did not complete for the OWLs Readathon, so that I can sit in on my NEWTs in August, so I need to complete Defense Against the Dark Arts: Title that starts with “R,” and History of Magic: A book published 10+ years ago. To complete those I will be reading Roomies by Christina Lauren and I will be re-reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban because I finally got my 20th Anniversary Ravenclaw House Edition.

I’m participating in the July round of #AGameofBooksathon, and the prompts are genre based, so I’ve completed Horror by reading Specter by Katie Jane Gallagher, Middle Grade by reading Keeper of the Lost Cities, and Contemporary/Romance by reading Screen Queens by Lori Goldstein.

I also last minute decided to join the DND Readathon, which is a readathon based on Dungeons & Dragons. The first round, which is taking place this month, is the round focused on the Races of D&D. Basically by completing all the prompts for a certain race, you can choose that race for the character you will be building throughout all the different rounds. So, based on the books I had already planned on reading, and on the prompts that I found, I will be aiming for the race of Dwarf. The prompts for Dwarf are to read a book with foil on the cover, read a classic, and read a book you acquired for the cover. So I will be reading The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, and The Language of Fire by Stephanie Hemphill. So I’m doing pretty well on this readathon already too.

My current reading plans are all over the place, because honestly I’m in a bit of a mood reading phase at the moment. Though I do have a TBR in place for a couple different readathons, it’s like I’d rather be reading other books at the moment. Plus I know I have quite a few NetGalley ARCs piling up on my Kindle app. So I have a lot of reading I’m hoping to be doing over the next week and a half while at work. Because, yes, I am on one of my favorite jobs, one where I can actually write blog posts, watch some BookTube videos, and read books while technically on the clock. As long as things are running smoothly with my system, my time is fairly free. It’s great.

So these are the books I’m reading at the moment, or will be starting very soon. I’m looking forward to all of them, so I will say a quick thank you to the publishers for being so kind as to grant me copies of each of these books through NetGalley. Speaking of NetGalley, I have been approved for quite a few books these past few weeks, and I’m honestly thinking that I should probably put a limit on my book buying until I catch up on some of these NetGalley reads. I think my review rating is at like 69% or something like that, and I would love to be at the 80% or higher that they recommend you have. It’s just that I’ve really been in a physical book mood these past several months, so having all of these e-arcs isn’t as productive as I wish they could be. But that’s my personal problem, and is not the fault of the great stories I keep getting my hands on.

Looking at the rest of the books I’m hoping to read, oh man, I don’t know what I’m going to pick up next.

Maybe one of the above books. I don’t know. I’m actually doing really well with my readathon TBRs, so a couple of these books will finish off those TBRs, and then I’m sort of still in a contemporary romance mood, so there’s that too.

I can’t say that I’m in a reading slump, because I’m still reading quite a bit. I mean, I’ve already finished 11 books this month, which is really good. But it’s more that I’m in this weird phase where I’m not quite sure what I want to read, and it’s almost to the point of indecision leading to reading nothing or like 5 things at once, so I guess we’ll see what happens.

I’m also trying to get things all organized and prepped for our trip to Gen Con here in a few more weeks. I want to have my blog posts written and scheduled, but I also need to think about what my convention reads will be, because I always like to take a book or two with me, so I can read them before bed, first thing in the morning, and sometimes while waiting in lines.

Oh yeah, and then there’s what we’ve watched to talk about as well. We’ve made more progress on getting through “The Big Bang Theory” Season Five, and we watched “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” “Men In Black International,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two,” “Ghostbusters,” “LEGO Ninjago,” and “The Pacifier.”

Wow. we watched a lot of stuff. To be fair it was a holiday weekend and we decided to be cheap and lazy and not really do a lot of running around and stuff. So aside from going to the drive-in movie theater to see the new Spider-Man and MIB, we didn’t really go anywhere. We ended up lounging around and watching a whole lotta movies. Which was nice and relaxing, so I’m okay with it.

Okay, well this has been a rather lengthy weekly wrap-up post, but hey that happens sometimes. I had a lot of books to talk about. That’s all for today, but I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

Weekly Wrap-Up (21) Hey all, Dani here. It is once again time for the weekly wrap-up, where I talk about all of the books I've finished, the ones I'm currently reading, and my plans for the upcoming week, as well as talk about what Damian and I have done and watched over the last week.

#Books!#Camp NaNoWriMo #Gen Con #Manga #Movies #Reading #Writing

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