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p4p1l0nn · 5 months

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the great paperback avalanche of ‘23.

it all started with a mischievous cat, and an unexpected book avalanche, setting the stage for a story that would unfold just across the way, where books met brews and two worlds collided in the great paperback avalanche of '23.

PAIRING: taeyong x barista!reader

GENRE: romcom, friendship, a bit of fluff

WORD COUNT: 1.3k

y/n pushed open the door to taeyong's bookstore, the gentle chime of the bell announcing your arrival. “hey, i've got that hot coffee order for taeyong,” you called out, scanning the cozy bookstore for a familiar face.

taeyong emerged from behind a shelf, a stack of books in hand. “right on time. you're a lifesaver on this chilly day.”

you grinned, handing him the cup. “well, someone's gotta keep the local bookworms warm.”

taeyong chuckled, “guilty as charged. thanks, y/n. how's the cafe holding up?”

casually leaning against the bookstore's counter, you shrugged. “same old coffee spills, but customers seem to love our latest pastry. how about your literary haven? any new arrivals?”

taeyong smiled, setting the coffee on the counter. “oh, you know, the usual mix of classics and some hidden gems. there's this new mystery novel i think you'd enjoy.”

“really?” you raised an eyebrow. “maybe i'll borrow it once things calm down at the cafe.”

while taeyong excitedly described the plot twists of the new mystery novel, the door to the bookstore stood ajar, allowing a small, curious cat to slip in unnoticed. its sleek fur blended with the warm tones of the shelves as it strolled through the open entrance.

as taeyong painted a vivid picture of suspense, you leaned in with interest, “a mystery novel, huh? you'll have to recommend it. i could use a good page turner.”

he nodded, “absolutely, it's a real nail-biter. i'll make sure to set one aside for you.”

their conversation continued, blissfully unaware of the feline intruder prowling along the book-lined aisles. the cat's gaze fixated on the tantalizing heights of a ladder, and with a graceful leap, it ascended, its nimble paws making the ascent seem effortless.

“so, any plans for the weekend?” you asked, your eyes scanning the cozy bookstore.

taeyong shrugged, “probably just getting lost in a good book. the usual.”

the cat, now perched on the ladder's top rung, observed the scene below with keen interest. you, still engrossed in conversation, failed to notice the feline spectator above.

“sounds intriguing,” you remarked, a playful glint in your eyes. “i'll hold you to that book recommendation.”

just then, a sudden crash echoed through the bookstore, drawing their attention. both of you turned to see a cascade of books tumbling from the ladder, the mischievous cat darting away in surprise.

taeyong let out an exasperated sigh as he surveyed the scattered books. “seriously? why does it always happen when i'm alone in the morning?”

you couldn't help but grin at the sight. “looks like the cat's on a mission to spice up your day.”

taeyong shot you a half-amused, half-exasperated look. “spice it up? more like turn it into a disaster zone. do you see this mess?”

the cat, now innocently grooming itself in a corner, seemed unfazed by the chaos it had caused. taeyong began stacking the fallen books, muttering under his breath, “of course, it had to be the top shelf. why not the ones i can actually reach without a ladder?”

you chuckled, “maybe it's a literary critic, demanding you rearrange your collection.”

rolling his eyes, taeyong continued grumbling, “great. now i’ll be fixing this for the next hour. my coffee's probably cold by now, too.”

noticing taeyong’s visible frustration, you stepped closer. “hey, it's not the end of the world. i might have left the door slightly open when i delivered your coffee. my bad.”

he raised an eyebrow, “your bad? i should've known. first, the cat, and now you're confessing to sabotage?”

you chuckled, “okay, maybe i was trying to sneak in some mystery into your morning. my apologies, detective taeyong."

he couldn't help but smile at your attempt to lighten the mood. “well, detective y/n, you're now a prime suspect in the case of the fallen books.”

“fair enough,” you teased, “but how about we solve this case together? i'll help you clean up, and we'll blame it on the literary cat burglar.”

taeyong hesitated, concern crossing his face. “y/n, i appreciate the offer, but what if you get in trouble? i can't have you risking your job for a mess caused by a mischievous cat and an open door.”

you laughed, gently patting his shoulder. “taeyong, it's just books. besides, if i get fired, we'll open our own bookstore and cafe combo. problem solved.”

his eyes widened at your playful suggestion. “you're not serious, right?”

“of course not,” you grinned, “but seriously, let me help you clean up. it's the least i can do for the great paperback avalanche of '23.”

as you worked side by side, laughter echoing through the bookstore, taeyong couldn't help but appreciate your willingness to lend a hand. “you know, this is the most excitement my morning shift has seen in ages.”

you winked, holding up a dustpan full of fallen bookmarks. “who knew cleaning up a literary crime scene could be this thrilling?”

taeyong grinned, “maybe we should make it a weekly event. 'messy mondays' has a nice ring to it.”

you chuckled, “as long as it doesn't involve toppling bookshelves every time.”

as the two of you finished restoring order to the once-chaotic bookstore, taeyong couldn't help but feel grateful. “thanks, y/n. you turned what could've been a disaster into . . . well, a mess, but at least a fun one.”

you nudged him playfully, “anytime, detective. just promise me you'll keep the mystery novels away from the top shelf.”

with the last book neatly back in place, taeyong and you exchanged a satisfied glance. you shared a secret handshake, a quirky dance of intertwined fingers and playful twirls that had become your signature move.

taeyong grinned, “our special handshake is getting smoother. we might need to trademark it.”

you chuckled, “we'd be millionaires in handshakes. who knew it could be such a lucrative business?”

as you continued to joke, taeyong couldn't resist a mischievous smile. “you know, y/n, in some cultures, a kiss on the cheek is a common way to seal a deal.”

you rolled her eyes, giving him a mock disapproving look. “smooth, detective. but no cheek kissing deals here.”

taeyong chuckled again, “what about a handshake deal . . . with an option for a kiss?”

before you could retort, taeyong earned a gentle pull on his right ear. “ouch! okay, okay, just kidding!”

you giggled, “you're lucky i have a soft spot for bookish detectives.”

your banter was interrupted by your boss yelling from across the street, “y/n!, we've got a line forming! move it!”

you waved, “duty calls. until next time, detective smooth talker.”

and as you hurriedly headed toward the cafe, your boss's call still ringing in the air, taeyong couldn't resist one last playful remark. “hey, y/n! you owe me a date for the sabotage!”

you turned with a smirk, “sabotage? taeyong, you're delusional if you think i'm taking you out for cold coffee and a cat-induced book avalanche.”

taeyong chuckled, catching up with you, “i mean it, y/n. consider it a thank-you for the unexpected excitement.”

your eyes narrowed in mock suspicion, “is this your way of getting a free coffee and a mystery novel recommendation?”

taeyong winked, “okay, maybe i owe you a coffee for the trouble. but seriously, let me take you out. a detective owes a cafe worker at least one date, right?”

you couldn't help but laugh, “fine, detective smooth talker. but if there's any more chaos, you're buying dinner too.”

you and taeyong exchanged a quick handshake, sealing the deal. you headed into the cafe, leaving taeyong with a playful promise hanging in the air. little did both of you know, amidst the spilled coffee and book chaos, a charming chapter of your story had just begun in the small cozy town.

#nct scenarios #nct imagines #nct 127 #taeyong #lee taeyong #romcom #nct fluff #nct taeyong #taeyong x reader #taeyong x you

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kingwithpaintedfingers · 1 month

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An Update on the Status of My A03 Fics!

Hihi! I have no idea if anyone who follows this blog reads any of my fics on AO3, but if you do, then you might like to know what the heck is going on with my fics, and why I haven't posted any updates in over six months.

First of all, I am alive! I wrote a lot of fics in the summer of 2022 when I had just gotten active in a fan server on Discord where there was a lot of encouragement to write fanfiction. In the spring of 2023, I started a medical assistantship course, and in order to keep myself focused in class, I turned off notifications for the server. And then I just kind of...didn't turn them back on???? In my defense, I was intimidated by the amount of time it would take for me to backread everything I missed, and that eventually snowballed into me just no longer looking at that server. I should honestly become active in it again, because it did a lot for my writing productivity. I also have a lot of hobbies both in real life and on my computer, and those take up a lot of my time as well. So that's why I didn't post much last year and haven't posted anything yet this year.

But I want to let you all know, that I do fully intend to complete the fanfics I have already started on AO3, and I do intend to write the sequels I promised a year and a half ago.

So without further ado, here is a status report on the incomplete fics and series I have on my AO3:

How to Live With Fire: One of my most popular fics! I have two sequels planned, and a rough idea of what I want to happen in each of them. Both of them are probably going to be only a few chapters long. The delay on this one is mostly on Part 2, since Part 2 has only the vaguest ideas of what I want to do with it (how Mortarion and Vulkan become a longterm couple, and how their legions react to this change). The trouble with this one is, I haven't read any Salamanders novels, let alone ones that take place during the Horus Heresy. I think I will at least have to read Deathfire for this one. I am praying that I don't have to read Vulkan Lives, since I understand that one has less tasty Salamanders content than I would like, and way more John Grammaticus than I find tasteful. But I will still try Deathfire at the very least, if I can find a physical copy at the library or a used bookstore or something.

A Matter of Trust: Another one that's going to end up being a trilogy. I have figured out what happens, now I just need to read the Plague Wars trilogy, because those events are going to be kind of important to the rest of the plot. Again, I'd like to read physical copies of the books so that I can flip through them easily. I'm going to see if I can find copies of the first two novels through the local libraries. Fingers crossed!

Until the Bitter End: Ohhhh, this one's gonna make me cry...this one is mostly hinging on me rereading The Buried Dagger and taking notes. Much lower barrier for entry for this one, since I've read it so often that I mostly remember where to find the events I'm looking for.

Lantern and the Child: This one is going to have like, a billion chapters. It's going to become episodic for a while, but I'm looking forward to it. In this case, it's a case of figuring out which characters I want to introduce. The idea of it being episodic is kind of exciting for me, because it feels like it will be a fun thing to do, and because it goes along with a writing conceit that my co-creator and I have for this AU, that it's the events of a theoretical (very dark) Pokemon anime.

This Once Nearly Was Mine: This one should literally be the easiest one to complete, I am ashamed that I haven't finished it. There's only one chapter left, and I don't even have to come up with all of the events. Again, this one is going to dip into Horus Heresy events that I haven't actually read, but I think I've heard enough from osmosis that I can skip most of it. I just need to, y'know, actually sit down and fucking write it.

Deep's Embrace: I've got an outline! And I've even got some scenes written out! As I type this post, I am preparing to submit chapter 2. I'm having a lot of fun with this fic, as you could probably all tell.

Anyway, that's basically it for now. If you have any questions, please let me know! And if you have any friends who you know enjoy my fics but aren't following me or aren't on Tumblr, please link them to this post so that they know just what the hell is going on with me.

#my fanfiction #ao3 fanfiction #warhammer 40k #warhammer 40000 #horus heresy #warhammer 30k #mortarion #calas typhon #vulkan

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mygainyear2024 · 26 days

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Day 1 Lisbon in 32,729 steps

Oh my! I am feeling weary after a big day of walking. I slow climbed into a hot bath when I returned at about 8.30pm.

The weather was not as cool as I anticipated, a lovely high of 17° and only a little sprinkle of rain at around 5pm.

I started the day at the hotel buffet and had my first Pastel de nata. It actually tasted quite good, but I do understand why the one I had later in the day at Manteigaria was award winning. It was served warm and the pastry was lighter and the filling creamier. It may have helped that I purchased a shot of Espinheira with it (it was basically "I'll have what she's having"!)

I first walked to the glamorous El Corte Inglés department store to see what the fuss might be about. I ended up using the WC and buying a bottle of water! I'm thinking the summer sales will be on when I return to Lisbon at the end of May and my suitcase might be a bit lighter.

I then headed up and down a few hills to a recommended cafe, Comoba, for a local latte (galão) before moving onto lunch at Time Out Market Lisboa for lunch. The codfish croquette was recommended at Croqueteria. It was the tastier of the three I had (cuttlefish with squid ink and tuna were the other two), with a side of sweet potato crisps, creamed spinach and a glass of rose for €12. I met Mary and Elaine from Kentucky (now retired, but former work colleagues) who were sitting beside me also trying to work out the process for ordering. They are on a short trip, river cruise up the Duoro River to Salamanca, Spain and return. Elaine totally got me when I mentioned my "gap" years, particularly the one sans men. And they reported they were very happily retired (although Elaine did say she was volunteering for 15 hours per week). They seemed to also keep themselves occupied with several short overseas holidays.

For the afternoon I'd pre-booked the 2.5+ hour Sandemans New Europe walking tour with Nuno (originally from the north of Portugal, he moved to Lisbon in 2012 to pursue acting). The itinerary included the central district of Bairro Alto and a visit to the oldest bookstore in the world (Bertrand), several cool views of Lisbon, including from the Santa Justa Elevator, a history lesson on the Great Earthquake of 1755 and the intriguing story of the peaceful Carnation Revolution and the end of the dictatorship on 24th April 1974 and lots of food recommendations.

I ended the evening with dinner at Sebastião, pre-booked on the Fork app. I ate a whole roasted octopus (the waiter assured me it was ok to eat everything) with sautéed turnip tops and sweet potato. It was a large meal and quite tasty (aside from a couple of gritty bits), served with a lovely glass of red he recommended that wasn't on the menu. The waiter also gave me a very basic Portugese language lesson, apparently it's mostly a nasal language and the words I have been using are all a bit wrong. Bring on those classes this week in Alvor.

My favourite human contact today was with Mary and Elaine from Kentucky.

Best food - definitely the Pastel de Nata at Confeitaria da Gloria.

Best beverage - the latte at Comoba.

Most interesting story - the Carnation Revolution and how recent that really was and Nuno's perspective that over the past 10 years "Portugal" is acknowledging and taking responsibility for all the wrong doings from the past and changing the language to describe this, eg instead of "slave trading" saying "human trafficking".

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polaroidcats · 3 months

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I assume that you have emotional attachments to objects (because of the print you love) and so have a favourite book which you know you will never read again but can’t throw out (and what is it if I’m right?) ❤️❤️

Hi Rory!!! 💖

oh wow everyone is nailing it with these, you are so, so correct!!!!

My inability to get rid of things I have emotional attachments to definitely applies to books, here is an incomplete list of books I will likely never even read or reread but also will never be able to give away:

My Gregor the Overlander books!! I knew Suzanne Collins mostly from these books and when Hunger Games came out/became popular I tried to tell all my friends about this series because I loved it so much when I was 10-12 years old!! And my first internet name was "Boots" because of the younger sister in that book, I loved her so much. And I don't see myself rereading them anytime soon but I have so many fond memories of absolutely devouring and rererererereading them as a preteen so they will stay forever!

"Die Geschwister Apraksin" by Karla Schneider, this was also one of my fave books when I was around 12-13, I don't remember much, except that it was about 5 orphaned siblings during or after the Russian revolution, and it absolutely broke my heart and I cried more than I had ever cried before when reading a book. I don't even think it was a particularly sad book, I think it just made me very emotional for some reason, to imagine these kids' lives and their struggles. And I read it as part of my local bookstore's initiative where they let kids borrow and read the advanced reader copies of books, and then we wrote little reviews that would get posted on a pinboard at the store. So when I had to give the book back (in order to borrow a new book, it was like a little library system within the bookstore), I immediately asked the bookseller if they had the book in stock because I wanted to buy it with my pocket money, but they only had the paperback and (again) I had gotten so attached to the hardback one and the bookseller could tell how much the book meant to me so she just gifted me the copy I had just returned, the one I read, and that meant so much to me, to get to keep the physical copy that I actually read and not have to buy a new version.

Herzen, Hände und Stimmen by Ian McDonald - I have never read this book, idek what it's about but from the book cover I assume it's scifi. I did an exchange semester in France as a teenager, and my host family didn't speak any german but somehow they got this random (thrifted) german book and they gave it to me bc I speak german. And I've never been that much into scifi but the gesture was so sweet and I have so many nice memories of my time with them, so even though I will probably never read that book I will also never give it away.

A complete translation from Vergils Aeneid with the latin and german text side by side. I did Latin in school, and for our final exams we all had to pick one specialized subject we would have an oral exam on, and my specialized subject in Latin class was the 6th book of the Aeneid, so even though I barely remember any Latin and will definitely not reread that for fun, I enjoyed it back in the day and will never get rid of that book.

I have a book on erotic dream interpretation, idk if that fully counts into this category, but my friend and I saw it when my uni library (!!) had a thrift sale of their old books, and that book was so hilarious, I had to get it and then for a while whenever I had people come over to my flat to pregame I would ask them about their dreams and would then very professionally interpret them with my book. This one might not fully count bc I'm not ruling out that I will never do that again but I haven't looked at it in a long time but would never get rid of it because it's too iconic haha

Okay this got way too long so I'm stopping now, but yeah hahaha you were so correct with this one 😂

make an assumption about me!

#ask game #rory tag #thank you for for sending this haha sorry it got so long!!<3

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slayerkid · 1 year

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Tim goes to the mall with Jason fic

Note: I was originally gonna make this more shitposty with Jason ditching Tim just to play like arcade games with Roy or something but then the more I thought about it, the more similarities I found between Jason and Tim with like mundane stuff. So like I changed the premise a little bit lol. So enjoy something more wholesome!

Also not beta read, we die like Jason Todd-

Tim wanted to go to the bookstore that's in one of the local malls because he also gotta pick up stuff from an online order he has from Hot Topic

Jason was still readjusting to living in the manor again after coming back from the dead

Alfred knows that there's still some distance and some tension between the Jason and Tim due to at this point in time, Jason is still hurt by the fact that he still feels like he got replaced

Alfred wants the two boys to get along and came up with an idea to at least be an ice breaker to get them both talking to one another

Tim asked Alfred if he could go with him to the mall. Because Alfred is good company to have around just in general.

Alfred used this as an opportunity to get Jason and Tim to spend time together while also making homemade pizza because it's been a while

Alfred tells Tim that he's not able to because he's gonna make something for brunch and told Tim to ask Jason to go with him instead

Tim was reluctant to do so and was mentally rescheduling to go some other day

Alfred saw the look on Tim's face meant that he was going to reschedule so he sent a text message to Jason saying that Tim wanted to talk to him

Alfred let Tim know that he Told Jason

Tim mentally groaned so it meant he actually had to go talk to Jason now because he didn't wanna upset Alfred

Jason got the text and was surprised to see that Alfred texted him just to let him know that Tim of all people wanted to talk to him and not Bruce this time

He was a little uneasy due to him not really making the best first impression on Tim, nor did he at first even like Tim. So we was wondering how this convo would even go

Tim reluctantly knocks on the door and Jason answers moments later

Tim: Soooo uhh... I need a ride to the mall to pick up some online orders. Also gonna need a ride back home and... Alfred said to ask you since he's gonna be busy...

Jason had a blank expression to the perspective of Tim and wasn't sure if Jason was gonna be rude to him.

Jason: Oh uh sure Tim. I don't mind, though uh my only ride is a motorcycle so bring a bag that whatever you're picking up won't fly away.

Tim blinked and it suddenly hit him that Jason had a motorcycle. He shyly nodded his head and went to grab his things.

Jason told Tim as a heads up that he'd meet Tim in the living room after he got ready.

Tim reluctantly grabbed his black & red tote bag (it ain't no dollar store one, this one of them expensive tote bags) as well as his wallet. He also checked if the phone in his pocket was mostly charged.

Luckily this time his battery percentage was 87. Last time he went out with a 35% battery life, Batman and Nightwing crashed a local bowling alley, thinking that Mad Hatter had something to do with it. Tim to this day, still doesn't get where they got that idea from nor never cared. But that's a different story for another day-

Alfred noticed Jason was sitting there on the couch waiting for Tim to show up. The old man couldn't help but smile at seeing that Jason seems to want to get along with Tim

Alfred up his hand on Jason's shoulder

Alfred: Master Jason, just remember to ease up. I'm sure Master Tim will warm up to you as long as you're willing to get to know him.

Jason appreciated Alfred's words and thanked him.

Soon after, Tim walked into the living room

Tim: Okay um, I'm ready Jason

Jason: Alright then we'll be off then

Both boys got to the garage and Jason walked over to his motorcycle

The older brother gave the younger brother a spare motorcycle helmet

Jason: Here. You'll need it. Well, uh just in case we crash or something but don't worry big bro Jason knows what he's doing

Jason slightly cringed at referring to himself as an older brother but at the same time, he enjoyed the thought of being an older brother. Someone who could depend on him for just familial reasons, no crime fighting or anything, just stuff outside of that

Tim wore the helmet and made sure to wear the tote bag handle around his shoulder

Jason meanwhile sat on the bike, took out his keys and started up the engine.

Tim sat right behind Jason

Jason: Make sure to hold on tight there. Don't want ya flying away now!

Tim did end up holding onto Jason tighter after hearing that

Jason pressed the button on his keychain to open the garage door and they headed off

Tim's expectation of Jason's driving was definitely subverted. He expected Jason to speed a lot, but in reality the older brother went at a normal pace.

He expected something more rowdy given the well, to put it lightly, rough first impression the younger had of Jason.

Jason riding his motorcycle put him more at ease. Which he still kept what Alfred told him in mind.

Once they got to the parking lot, Jason parked next to a bike rack and turned off the engine.

Jason: Alright, we're here

Jason took out the security cable and attached the motorcycle to the bike rack

Tim was about to say something about that but decided not to. I mean he does know that Jason of all people probably has more security on that bike than a normal person would anyways.

He's not wrong, Jason has several security mechanics on that bike. Never again would he ever let a motorcycle of his get stolen like back when he was 17, with the League of Assassins

Definitely was one of those times Jason had to make a believable lie to Ra's al Ghul that he didn't just experience a robbery

He still wonders if he actually fooled that old man

Anyways, Jason added a bunch of advance tech into his bike that ensured that no one would ever steal it. From the basics like an alarm system to the bike literally shocking the thief they try to mess with the bike or move it

It's Gotham, it's definitely happened before where Jason comes back and sees a thief or two on the ground next to his bike

He definitely didn't put as much voltage as he did if not even more and somehow still non-lethal with the symbol on his armor for when he's out as Red Hood

Jason let Tim lead the way since he never actually asked where Tim needed to go.

Also this mall is actually a lot more different the last time he's briefly been here with Dick a few months back

Tim was not exactly sure if Jason would even judge him or not for shopping at hot topic

Like yeah Jason's aesthetic sometimes kinda fits with Hot Topic, but Tim never saw anything that would indicate that Jason shopped there or was fine with it

The two brothers walked into Hot Topic and Tim walked up to one of the empty registers to ask for his pick up order

The cashier asked Tim for the order number on the email, which Tim easily brought up the number on his phone

Jason looked around the store, which Tim noticed

At first Tim expected Jason to say he didn't like the store but to his surprise again, Jason actually liked the store

Jason: It's been like forever since I last time was at a Hot Topic. Glad to see the place hasn't changed much. I should probably get a few things more often to have more stuff in the closet.

The younger brother felt really glad knowing that Jason has actually been to Hot Topic before

Jason: That reminds me, I need to rebuy some stuff cuz they uh... no longer fit me anymore. God I was so tiny back then.

Jason offered to give him his old hot topic shirts he had when he was 13. Which Tim accepted the offer and now wondered what Jason used to wear

The cashier from earlier comes back and gives Tim his order which were essentially Sanro and Jojo shirts

The cashier made sure the receipt and the typical $15 off coupon per $30 spent were in the bag. And wished the two a good day

Tim wrapped the bag up and put it inside his tote bag

Tim said that's all he needed and that he also wanted to look at some stuff in Barnes and Noble

Jason asked Tim if they could stay a bit longer just so he could rebuy some shirts and some new stuff as well

Tim agreed and witnessed Jason just walking through the store

Jason would pick out shirts from bands like Sum 41, Green Day, The 5.6.7.8’s, and Lunachicks

What made Tim get excited when he saw Jason look over a My Chemical Romance shirt

Tim couldn't help but ask Jason if he's listened to the band. Which Jason actually confirms he does listen to

Jason: Oh MCR? Yup I've listened to their songs back then, been listening since they started. It's crazy how well known they are these days.

Tim started talking to Jason more about other music groups that they both surprisingly had in common.

There's a few ones Jason never heard of but was willing to listen to when they go back home

Jason was actually glad that it's working out so far, he's actually able to have a conversation about their shared interests

Right before Jason went to go pay for the shirts he would end up buying, he saw Tim look at the pins bin. Who was eyeing a Sanrio bi pride pin

Jason offered to pay for the pin Tim was looking at but Tim semi panicked and tried acting like he wasn't looking at a pin to buy

Jason insisted to place the pin on the counter for him to buy, but Tim placed a different pin to what he was actually looking at. In hopes that Jason didn't see

Jason quietly exhailed through his nose and switched the pin that was on the counter with the exact bi pride pin Tim was looking at

Tim tried to calm down since he was concerned that Jason would judge him and be back at square one with Jason

However Jason reassured Tim that he accepts him

Jason: Don't worry kiddo, there's no shame with being yourself. If ya want me to keep it from Bruce and the others, I will.

Tim was really glad that Jason accepted him for being bi.

He hasn't really come out yet to everyone so he appreciated even more that Jason wasn't gonna tell anyone

Though Tim wouldn't be too surprised if Dick picked up on it

Jason paid for the stuff and the two went to Barnes and Noble

Tim was a lot more comfortable after that and essentially walked around each aisle for books that peeked his interest

Jason found it funny to see Tim walk around the bookstore being really excited to look at books

It reminded him of doing the same thing back then when he dragged Bruce around to help him pick out some books

Jason saw Tim pick up a book that he very much recognized and enjoyed a lot, Pride and Prejudice

Jason: You know, I actually have that book. I'll actually lend you the book if you actually wanna read it

Tim: Wait you actually read books to!? Ah wait that came out wrong I mean-

Jason laughed

Jason: No harm done, I knew what you meant. 'Guess it is surprising for me to be into book reading given that, well, I wouldn't say we met on "good terms".

Jason talked to Tim about books that he's read and how he'd eventually start frequenting the library with Bruce or Alfred accompanying him

Jason also talked about how he enjoyed Jane Austen's other works besides Pride and Prejudice, which Tim eagerly listen to

Tim enjoyed hearing Jason talk about an author that he never considered reading about

After their conversation around the store, Tim caught a glimpse of a book he's never heard of, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Fun Fact: Wuthering Heights was adapted into a movie a few times. And in the 2009 mini tv series version, the actor who plays Heathcliff (a major character in the book), would actually go on to later play Bane in Batman: The Dark Knight Rises.

Jason recalled reading some of that book but never got to finish it. He did give Tim a heads up that the book is being told from two different generations with the same names, so to keep that in mind if he was gonna buy it to not be confused

What Jason has said about the book, without spoiling anything, had interested Tim so he decided he was gonna buy it alongside the 6th volume of JoJo part 4

Tim gladly bought the books and put them inside his tote bag, which started to fill up. Didn't help that Jason also had his stuff in that bag

The two walked around the mall a little more and the two stumbled upon an arcade called Round One

Tim saw that Jason seemed interested in wanting to check the place out so he asked Jason if he'd like to check the place out

Jason was reluctant to but he'll admit, it's been forever since he's been to an arcade and this was a new one that seemed to pop up while he was kinda dead, so he accepted

The two walk in and Jason saw how different the claw machines were compared to the ones he's used to

Tim explained to Jason that those crane games were imported from Japan, which Jason was surprised to hear that they imported these claw machines

Though it didn't surprise him too much since he did recognize that some of the prizes were typically characters from anime or other Japanese mascots

Tim looked over the claw machines and dragged Jason to a claw machine that had a Pompurin plush as the prize

Tim looked at the counter on the claw and saw it was at 8, so he took out his game card and swiped his credits into the machine

Jason looked over Tim's determined face and back to the claw machine

The claw popped open and immediately closed onto the plush, thus winning Tim the plush

Tim gave the plush to Jason, telling him that it's for him

Jason tried holding back a smile but it seemed through

Tim: See it as a thank you present from what you bought me at Hot Topic

Jason thanked Tim and looked over the plush

He'll admit, it looks cute though he'd probably shock a few people if they see this sitting in his room somewhere

Though he doesn't mind because it's a gift from Tim

Jason looked at a specific spot on the plush

Jason: Uh Tim...

Tim: Yeah Jason?

Jason: Why does this plush have an asshole sewed on?

And then Tim saw Hatsune Miku

Jason was still questioning it as Tim started talking about the Hatsune Miku arcade machine and how to play the game

Jason found it a bit difficult to keep up with the notes, then again, he'd probably figure it out if he just played it enough times

Tim had him play the Disappearance of Hatsune Miku on hard mode right off the bat

Jason freaked out at how quick the notes went BUT he managed with an 83%

Never had Jason thought that he'd need to look at the notes and reaction time the same way he does as Red Hood

He'll eventually get Tim back for that

Eventually

Then lastly Tim brought Jason over to the mini food court section of round 1 and they got that $1 ice cream

Tim ordered strawberry

Jason ordered cookies and cream

Jason did advise Tim to not really get anything passed the ice cream just because Alfred was making pizza at home

Jason checked the time and said that he and Tim might as well eat the ice cream while heading back to the parking lot

The two brothers walked out of the arcade and headed to the parking lot while eating their ice creams

By the time they got there, there was already a thug attempting to steal Jason's bike

Jason stopped Tim before he would do anything and just smugly looked at the thief while finishing up his ice cream

Jason: Just watch Timbo

Seconds later the thief got electrocuted and knocked unconscious

Jason chuckled

Jason: Works like a charm

Tim: Uh shouldn't we do something about that???

Jason: I got it, don't worry

Jason proceeds to handcuff the thief to the bike rack and took out a notepad saying "This guy tried stealing a motorcycle, your welcome - Red Hood and Robin"

He took out a batarang that would alert the GCPD and put it right next to the note

Tim gave a confused look at Jason

Jason: What? Doesn't 'he' advise you to keep the utility belt on ya at all times?

Tim: I mean- yeah you're right. Let's go before the cops show up

Jason: Couldn't have said it better myself

The two put on their helmets and drove off

The ride back home went smoothly as well

For the most part, both brothers actually had a lot of fun spending time together for once

They never thought they'd share anything in common, but in fact they have

Alfred heard a knock on the door and saw that Jason and Tim came back just in time

Alfred made 3 pizzas with half being BBQ chicken and Hawaiian piza

Yes Tim will die on that Hawaiian pizza hill

Jason asked Alfred if Bruce was in the batcave yet, which Alfred said yes and also Dick was down there too

Jason made the best impulsive decision yet

Jason: How about we make those two eat as well?

The older brother didn't even wait for Tim to respond and just took a whole pizza down to the batcave

Tim: Um Jason, are you sure Bruce won't get mad?

Jason: Nah. Done this a few times with him and he sometimes just couldn't help it. The guy may seem cold when he's being Batman, but the dude is a sucker with spending family time

Tim didn't have time to object so he just quickly went to grab the paper plates in one of the cupboards and ran back to Jason's side

Alfred followed behind the two brothers, who happily took the rest of the pizzas down to the batcave

Jason carefully walked down the stairs and essentially announced himself to Bruce and Dick

Jason: I don't care what's going on, we're eating pizza right now!

Dick and Bruce were surprised by Jason's sudden change but welcomed it when they also saw that Tim was with Jason, who was on the verge of laughing

Dick: Jaybird, you are lucky that we are just dealing with figuring out what Calendar man is gonna do in a couple weeks right now

Bruce couldn't help but be happy to see Jason get out of his shell for a bit and especially getting along with his younger brother

This gave Bruce hope that Jason will stay on the right path for himself

They all dug into the pizza

Dick grabbing slices from both the BBQ chicken and Hawaiian

Jason grabbing just the BBQ

Meanwhile both Bruce and Tim got Hawaiian

Alfred was enjoying his tea, knowing that his plan worked

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vinetae · 1 year

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Serendipity In France (M) - Chapter 2

Synopsis: Who's the man in all black?

Pairing: Idol!Jimin x Reader, coffeeshop!au, bookstore!au writer!au

Genre: Fluff, Smut, Strangers to Lovers

W.c: 2,336

Warnings: Mentions of FSOG, Foul language, Hinting at reader's hotness lol, Fluff, coffee shop smells, Reader simps for how Jimin smell, crazy fans chasing Jimin, Suggestive language?

A/n: Literally gunna stay up all night and finish my WIPs. (Hopefully). As always, Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Park Jimin who..?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bookstore you’d grown to love so much. The pages, hiding secrets only some dare to know. The faint smell of coffee and pastries fill your senses. Glancing around, you decide to make a b-line to your favorite section in the whole small corner bookstore. Your coat, hugging tightly against your frame. Hot breaths of air reach the outside’s cold weather. You’d been falling in love with this place for almost two years now. The first time, you’d told google maps to take you to a shoe store near your apartment. It had autocorrected ‘shoe’ to ‘book’ and you decided to go with the flow.

That’s how you found yourself in this little corner store. The entrance, almost impossible to find without blueprints of the whole street. It was quiet, and never packed. Only really seeing a few locals you had grown quite close to. One, being the girl who stocks all of the shelves. Though, you hadn’t seen her around lately much because she went on vacation with her husband. She was a petite woman, modeling tiny black square glasses, and she had always dressed so nicely. Not, fancy per se. More on the conservative side. That’s what she said had drawn her husband to her in the first place.

Their story was quite amusing. She sat down with a cup of her famous black coffee order that had been basically ingrained in the back of your mind. One chilly winter day, you and her had sat down for what felt like hours, talking about why’d you come to France in the first place, and her life shared alongside her husband. She’d been promised her dream bookstore when they first started dating. One with the famous ‘belle-like’ library ladder, pressing a nice deep-golden color along each crevasse. Though the store had been titled in her husband’s name, they dub it ‘Amalie’s’.

The name suited her theme well Amalie, stemming from the French words ‘curious’

Soon after, they’d brought a little 9 pound 3 ounce bundle of joy into the family’s treasured lively hood.

Your fingers lightly brush against the novel’s worn and torn edges. Each and every one, had a beautiful tale held. Waiting for another to be pulled into their world.

Which should you choose?

“Hey, ____!” Amalie greets, while you scan the newly acquired selection.

“Bonjour Amélie!" You return her smile, walking over to greet Allie as well. She coos, a little baby spit dripping down her small lips.

“Oh goodness!” Amalie wipes her daughter’s mouth, laughing. “She’s been having issues with drooling. Never knew how much saliva babies ACTUALLY produce: She chuckles, sitting down in her oak rocking chair. Her husband, William, had been working on it ever since they’d found out Amalie was pregnant. His, Amalie’s, and Allie’s names are all engraved in the smooth wood, along with other decals representing their growing family.

“Where’s William today?” You ask, settling down in one of the two rocking chairs placed according to the fireplace. “Oh, him and that darn workshop of his! I swear, if you EVER decide to marry a carpenter, don’t.” You both laugh, sipping on the specific types of coffees you’d previously had helped Amalie make.

“It’s like ‘hey, my love, I think we need another nightstand’. No! No we do not, Will! We are already seven!” You giggle, legs crossed, while taking light sips of the hot goodness.

“Oh, and now I'm stuck with this little mini-will here~” She tickles Allie, sending the small child into a fit of giggles, cooing towards her mother.

“Aww, you know you love them both~” Amalie sighs, nodding at all she’s built and has. “I really do..” The ring of the front door sounds, you both arise to the sudden motions next to the store windows now.

“H..Hello?” A man calls, in what had to be broken english.

“Oh, ____ can you please help him? It’s time for Allie’s nap” You nod, letting Amalie go back up the stairs, leaving you to help the recently introduced man.

“Hi there! How can I help you?” You smile, taking notice of his unusual all black attire.

“Uh..I saw online that you..sell..” His sentence trails off, making you sport a questioning look. He soon pulls out his phone, typing away on the little device.

I read online that you sell some porn?

He quickly jumps, trying to shut the device up, constantly hitting random buttons. Which in turn, only makes the automated robotic voice repeat the question. Multiple times.

You laugh, leaning over the counter to stop his motions. “It’s okay..Here. I can show you where the ‘porn’ aisle is” You tease, leading him to the erotica/romance corner.

You notice how his hands clam against his black winter coat. Even though half of his face had been covered by a black mask, you could still tell by the tint of his cheeks that he’d been blushing.

“I..I’m sorry. I mean ‘Love’.” You nod, pointing to the whole bookshelf labeled Romance.

He leans closer to the little hand-written title, pronouncing it slowly as if trying to comprehend its meaning.

“L..Lomance?” You laugh, holding your stomach from his sudden child-likeness.

“Ro…mance” You point, guiding him in understanding the term.

His face lights up, hinting at the realization. “Ohhh. Thank You, Sir.”

This time, you couldn’t help but start bursting out. He immediately panics, wondering if he’d offended you somehow. You shake your hand, letting him know that you’re okay.

“n-no. See, I’m a girl.” You straighten up, showing him your (should be obvious) gender.

“Sir, it is for men.” He tilts his head, finally understanding. “Ohhh. I’m sorry, …uh..?”

“Ma’am.”

He nods. Your eyes meeting his dark chocolate-like swirly orbs.

“S..so..” He starts, trailing his hand along the spines of books, looking for a specific title.

“You’d call me sir?” He questions, stopping on a certain spiel. Squinting, your cheeks redden at the title.

‘Fifty Shades Of Grey: Darker’

“U..Uhm, Yea..Yeah. I’d call you..” Your words trail from your lips, his gaze too intense for your body to support its own weight. Did the room just get hotter??

~~~~~

“Sir?” A strange lady’s accent wakes him from slumber. Pulling the mask from his eyes, he adjusts his sights just in time to see a cute foreign blonde girl leaning over his curled body.

“We’ve just landed. The plane is starting to unboard.” Jimin nods, standing to stretch. His back pops in a certain rhythm. Thirteen hours away from everything. New people, new places.

This was going to be good for him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The busy streets help to distract him for the reason he’s decided to come here in the first place. It had been much less busy and cramped than Seoul. Roads being nothing but little pebble strips, leading to some other things on the sides of buildings. The weather had been perfect. Not too cold, not too hot. Everything felt just so…Normal.

Walking along the sides of streets, water bottle in hand, headphones on. Masks pulled high, even though covid had been so long ago. Were people still afraid?

“PARK JIMIN!!!” A high-pitched scream echoes through the whole strip, pulling him from his peaceful stroll. “Shit..” He curses under his breath, picking his pace up to get away from any and everyone he could. Every place was filled to the brim with people who could possibly be a fan.

Obviously, Jimin. Everyone knows who you are.

You’re Park Jimin of BTS.

You’ll never be normal.

He walks even faster, almost in a sprint now. Pausing, he stops to look around for some kind of shelter. Everything was in a language he didn’t know. The yells and screams grow closer to his residing place.

Think, idiot.

Different, unique symbols fill his sights. Nothing looks even remotely to anything he’s seen before.

Except..

‘Amalie’s’.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing that he sees is two petite women chatting in the corner near an inviting fireplace. One, baby in hand. The other, he’d never seen someone so..

Beautiful.

Her rosy cheeks, hidden by a smidge courtesy of her white fluffy turtleneck. A small, gold piece of jewelry dangles from her neck. A midi skirt set at waist length encases her figure, accentuating everything about this alluring woman, perfectly. Black victorian-like shoes wrap her feet so tightly, almost as if they had been velvet.

Everything about her was just so..

“Hi! How can I help you?” Her sweet voice echoes through the shushed store.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“U..Uhm, Yea..Yeah. I’d call you..” Your words trail from your lips, his gaze too intense for your body to support its own weight. He chuckles, treading his hand lightly to wrap his slender fingers around his chosen title. Eyes, having never left the almost death-like stare he’d been sending you.

“It’s okay.” He proceeds to walk back over to the counter, turning around, waiting for your stunned figure to move along.

“Y..yeah. Uhm, sorry about that..” He nods, the coffee shop smell mixing with his own vanilla-lavender combo. You scan the book, wrapping it neatly in some decorated paper for the upcoming holidays.

“Thirty-nine.” He nods, sliding a black card into your palm.

You quickly ring him up, handing the card back over once you’re finished. You carefully place the item into a brown paper bag, embroidered with Amalie’s store logo.

“Thank You” He says, while walking over to the coffee shop area. You’re confused. As if he senses your confusion, he turns around, sitting down in the rocking chair you’d originally occupied while talking with Amalie.

“I’d like to read my book here, if that’s okay?” He questions, settling into the comfy seat.

“Yeah, that’s fine..” You walk over to unbox the new releases.

“Can I get a cappuccino, please?” You nod, pausing your current task to make your way over to the coffee bar, starting on his order.

“So..” He trails, as the sound of a soft page turn fills the silence.

“Do you actually work here?” His question halts you.

“How’d you know?” You hand him the hot porcelain cup.

“Thank You.” He mutters softly, pulling his mask down to take a sip as you walk back over to continue unpacking.

“Just because…You don’t wear name..thing.” He chuckles, placing his beverage on the glass side table.

“I’m friends with the owner. She’s putting her baby down for a nap.” He nods, taking a glance at the roaring fire.

“So..” He begins once more.

“What is your job?” You stop, walking over to sit down across from him, bringing the boxes over to continue there. Apparently, he was a chatty one. So, you’ll have to do this a little closer.

“I’m a writer for articles around town.” He hums, finally removing his mask completely, setting it off to the side.

“That’s cool..” The silence fills in once more. “What do you write about?”

You glance up, “Just…things happening in Paris. You know…stories.”

“Hmm,” He takes a sip of his cappuccino while flipping to another page.

“Well..What do you do?” He raises an eyebrow, catching your gaze, lowering the cup down to reveal a white cream line on his upper lip. You giggle, trying to hold back your laughter.

He smiles. “What?”

“Y..you have something..” You wipe his upper lip. “Ah. Thank You, Love” The nickname makes you pause.

“W..what?..” He looks over, seeing your flustered state.

“Did I say something?” He leans up, studying your features.

“That’s…That’s not for people who just met..”

“Ah. Why not?”

“It’s just not..” He hums, folding his arms against his chest.

“Well… What should I name you?” The funny wording makes you chuckle at his broken English. He joins soon after.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m sorry..You’re just- Your accent is unique.” that brings a shy smile to his face.

“Thank you..I watched a lot of movies on the plane.”

“Mmm. makes sense.”

“Mhm.”

There’s that stupid silence again.

He places his book on the opposite glass table, leaning forward to catch your glances from him to the fireplace. “So what was bad about me calling you love?”

You choke on your water, setting you into a fit of coughs before holding your composure again.

“It’s just..that’s for people who are…you know..” He tilts his head at your flustered self.

“Well..I said it because I think you’re lovely.” A small blush is still making its way to your cheeks.

“And..” he continues, scooting the chair closer to you, knees now touching each other.

“You’re really pretty..”

STUPID FACE CALM DOWN IT’S JUST A WORD-

“Are you okay?” He moves his hand to feel your forehead, as if checking your temperature. You flinch, quickly scooting back.

“Yeah I’m fine..Just a little hot is all.” You can see a sly smirk tugs the corner of his lips.

“Very.” Your eyes meet once again. This time, both sending different vibes to one another. Breaths, magically seeming to align. Heart, feeling as if it’s about to explode. Lips barely visible to the unknowers.

“Alright ____ Did you want to help with making cooki- Woah!” Amalie’s sudden entrance makes both of you jump back.

“Ohhh Well don’t mind me you two~” She winks your way, while making a cup of her famous black americano.

You’re a stuttering mess. The man doesn’t understand anything you’re so desperately trying to convince Amalie with. Mainly because it isn’t his language.

“It’s alright ____, At least now you could finally lose your virg-”You throw one of Allie’s stuffed animals towards her which she quickly dodges. Sending the man into a fit of laughter. The three of you round up the little session with a bunch of giggles before sending the man (who you now knew of as Jimin) off back into the world. Locking the door, you walk back over to Amalie, a smirk plastering her lips.

“So, Jimin ay?” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively towards you.

“Shut it” you retort, flinging a throw pillow her way.

#sif #bts ff #bts jimin fanfic #bts jimin series #bts jimin #park jimin #bts smuts

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firstdegreefangirl · 4 months

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Final 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Total books read: 76

Total pages read: 23,942

Days read: 286/365 (78 percent of the days all year)

Average star rating: 4/5

Challenge Prompts Filled: 109 total. Popsugar: 34/49. Romanceopoly: 31/36. CRAD: 12/12. BTBL: 32/50

Top Five Books (all five star reads, in no particular order; it was hard enough narrowing down to five in the first place)

In Five Years by Rebecca Searle

The Last Flight by Julie Clark

You and Me on Vacation (aka The People We Meet on Vacation) by Emily Henry

Sink or Sell by Margaret Rose

Bear With Me Now by Katie Shephard

I fell a little behind on journal posting the last couple months, so November and December are under the cut!

November 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Total books read: 5

Total pages read: 1,657

Days read: 25/30

Average star rating: 3.8/5

Challenge Prompts Filled: I stopped keeping track of the challenge prompts this month. Nothing I was in the mood to read fit with much of anything, except Chantal Reads All Day. The point was to find a new way to pick books, not to torment myself with things i didn’t want to read, so I stopped counting when it stopped being fun.

A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I got this in a Facebook group swap I joined in October and couldn’t wait to start reading! It’s an excellent balance of romance and family drama, spearheaded by a couple of spitfire-y old men. The epilogue felt a little incohesive with the rest of the story, but I’m waiting to see if this debut is the first in a series before I judge it too harshly – I could see it being a nice way to tie several stories together, but if this is a standalone then it didn’t quite fit perfectly imo. Aside from that, this was a top-notch read! Friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, with a heaping scoop of “actually talking about your problems is the first step to solving them?” Sign me UP! This one packs an emotional punch in a few places, especially if you’re sensitive to cancer mentions, but it was handled wonderfully from where I’m sitting, and fed into a delightful story. I can’t wait to find out if we’ll get to see any more of these families!

Prompts filled: BTBL – 2022 Debut Novel; Popsugar – Features two languages; Romanceopoly – The Bar/MC works at or owns a bar

One Night on the Island by Josie Silver ⭐⭐⭐(¾)

Many thanks to the local librarian who sat this one out in my book bag last month! I wasn’t sure about it at first, but I’m trying to read those down before they’re all due back, so I gave it a shot. Almost from the very first page, I was enraptured; now I’m trying to convince myself that moving to a remote island village in Ireland is not the move I want to make in my life. Because wow did this make it sound cute and idyllic and wonderful. The romance wasn’t quite everything I was looking for, but I suppose the ending befits the story: it’s almost as much women’s fiction as it is contemporary romance. Honestly, the biggest thing I'm missing as a reader was the aha moment where the title falls into place and makes sense. That's always such a fun moment, and as much as I enjoyed the every bit of the story, I wish I’d gotten to enjoy that feeling too. But honestly, how bad can a book be if it makes me tear up at a robotics meeting?

Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee ⭐⭐⭐(¾)

This is a cute bookstore romance! I love book-themed books as a concept; they’re not quite meta, but there’s something close to a fourth-wall break, I think, that makes them very entertaining to me. It’s childhood/best friends to lovers, with solid anxiety rep, which I always love to see in stories. Aside from that, it was sweet, it was cute, it was sort of unremarkable, as romance stories go? I did like seeing Lizzy build friendships and find herself as her relationship with Jack developed, and it certainly wasn’t panful to finish. Mostly it was a solid, middle-of-the-road fluffy romance. Plus books and bookstores. It’s also about books and bookstores.

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer ⭐⭐(¾) Listen. Sometimes you don’t read a book because you think you’ll like it. You read it because it’s so absurd that you can’t believe it actually exists and you need to know more. That’s why I was interested in Hope Never Dies. It’s been on my radar for a couple of years, but somehow I never though to check the local library. Then I stopped in on a whim one day, on my way between robotics and work, and found this book AND the sequel on the 50 cent sale rack. For a dollar, I’ll try reading almost anything, but it gets BETTER because the librarian gave them to me for free. I was so excited to dig in, knowing that it was sure to be absolutely ridiculous. And it was. This book is crack. It’s just crack. Biden is the jealous ex-girlfriend watching Obama move on after his presidency, until a murder brings them back together and they become a pair of private investigators trying to find out who killed the Amtrak conductor. It’s a wild ride, start to finish, and worth absolutely every page. But that’s not the same thing as a “good” book. Just a book that’s worth reading if you like to laugh at the absurd.

CRAD November Prompt: set in a different time than your October book

Too Much is Not Enough by Andrew Rannells ⭐⭐⭐⭐(¾) An excellent memoir! I’ve been a fan of Andrew Rannells for years, and actually tried to start this book the year it came out, but life did the thing and I never got around to finishing it. It’s fun, it’s heartfelt, it covers his life before his career really took off, and that’s always a chapter of life I’m interested in. It’s not a memoir I’d say is really applicable to everyone, but if you like theater, or if you like Andrew Rannells, definitely check it out.

December 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Total books read: 6

Total pages read: 1,214

Days read: ?/31 (I didn’t do a good job keeping up with my planner this month because I was so busy. But I know I read at least half the days, so for the sake of my EOY counter, I’m going to call it 20.)

Average star rating: 3.79/5

Challenge Prompts Filled: Still not counting these. Oops?

In The Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This. Book. Was. Incredible! I actually started it late November, but it was after the first of the month when I finished it, so it’s a December book. And a damned good one. I was recommending it to people before I’d even finished it because I was enjoying it so much (my deepest apologies to head coach, who I traumatized by giving it a chili pepper ranking, and then having to explain THAT scale). It’s a little bit out of my wheelhouse, but it’s good to spread my horizons sometimes. It’s action-packed, romantic, compelling as all hell (even if I don’t usually love dual timeline, this one held my attention from the very start and I finished it at 1 a.m., crying in my reading chair), and probably three pepper spicy, if that’s something that matters to you.

The Trouble With Christmas by Amy Andrews ⭐⭐⭐(¼) This one took AGES to read. After I finished In the Likely Event, I wanted to switch to Christmas reading, starting with this thrift store find. Over two weeks later, I was still working on it, and I don’t even know why! I was busy, and it’s one of the longer books I read this year, but it didn’t feel like it moved that slowly. It��s definitely not a fast paced read, but the story never lagged or made me want to leave it behind. It’s cute, it’s Christmassy, she’s a struggling artist and he’s a veteran rancher, she ropes him into pretending to be her boyfriend for a harebrained scheme, and it’s really not a spoiler to tell you that they fall in love for Christmas. What’s not to like?

Miracle on Three Kings’ Day by Beth Laycock ⭐⭐⭐ Full disclosure: after The Trouble With Christmas took so long, I focused on novellas so I’d have a prayer of reading five books for December. My holiday season was super busy, and I had a bunch downloaded that I’d been meaning to read anyway. This was a fun take on celebrating non-Christmas winter holidays, without a single flake of snow on the ground. It’s quick, it’s steamy, I felt like I could picture the main characters at every step of the way. Solid rec, if you’re looking for something short and engaging without too much depth.

Hazel’s Christmas Duet by Olivia Rian ⭐⭐⭐(½) I love a love story that’s not just about the romance, and this was exactly that! Hazel is new to town, finding her footing with new friends and rediscovering herself after a bad breakup. It’s a Hallmark movie in a mini-short, cozy and warm, and featuring a festively-named kitten. Easily something I could curl up and read beside a fire, if the fire didn’t mean that my apartment needed evacuating.

Noah by Callie Vegas ⭐⭐⭐ Uh. This is not a Christmas book, it turns out. It’s a Valentine’s Day novella –the miscommunication is on me; the series is called “Holiday Flings,” and I mistakenly assumed that meant “the holiday season,” not “every book in the series is set during a different season.” Not a bad read, but people with reading habits like mine should know that it is VERY NSFW. Well written, we all know I love a single parent trope, but I spent every minute of it hoping that no well-meaning guest would ask what was on my Kindle. Just ... be aware of that.

The Clause in Christmas by Rachael Bloome ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really came in under the wire and finished my last read half an hour before my friends came over for New Year’s Eve game night. But I finished it, and that’s what counts! One of my favorite cheesy Christmas movies – this feels like a tangent, but bear with me – is The Christmas Calendar, and this reminded me a little bit of that! The premise was only very loosely similar: 24 Christmas tasks, distributed one day at a time, to get ready for the holiday, but it had the perfect vibe. As much as I was invested in the romance – I was VERY invested in the romance, trust me – I was waiting with every page to find out what the next Christmas task would be and how Cassie would embrace it. And a cute romance on top of that? What a way to wind things down for 2023!

CRAD December prompt: within 20 pages of November book

#katie reads #kr23 #eoy2023 #eoy23

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la-appel-du-vide · 8 months

Text

08•26•23 - 1st Anniversary

This year went by so quick - I really feel like we were just getting ready for the wedding, and now we have been married for a YEAR?! Absolutely crazy. It was a fun weekend of reflecting on how beautiful and wonderful our wedding was - watching our wedding video, reading through our guest book, looking at wedding photos... reliving the day as much as possible. We even got to have brunch at Siempre, and it was so special to have a reason to be there again a year later. We absolutely love Siempre, and having our wedding there was possibly the best wedding decision we made.

We decided it would be fun to try and follow the traditional wedding gifts to make each anniversary special, and the first anniversary is the paper anniversary - so cute! For B, I got a custom vinyl record (in a paper sleeve of course) of our wedding day in songs. I included all of the songs that were a part of our wedding day, plus a couple fun bonus songs that have been a big part of our relationship. The cover has wedding photos, and so does the actual disc! It turned out beautifully. We listened to the whole thing and it took us right back to the wedding day. I also gave him a wedding photo turned into a puzzle! Another cardboard gift. We have been working on it, but it is so much harder than I expected haha. Then I gave him a custom deck of playing cards with our initials and wedding date on them, a sketch book, pens and drawing pencils, and a Barnes and Noble gift card. He gave me a paper rose, a first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird (my favorite book), and then a beautiful princess style diamond ring. I'm obsessed with it, and that is clearly not paper. He went above and beyond, and it was so sweet.

We did an adventure challenge related to paper - "Read It and Weep." We were supposed to go to a local book store, go through the children's books, and pick out ones that were important or special to us as kids. Then we had to buy them and read them to each other, voices and all. The last step is giving them to a kid we know to pass our childhood along, and we'll give ours to Brayden's nieces and nephew. I love, love, love children's books, and had a blast reminiscing. I bought two books just for me - Madeleine's Rescue and Butterfly Kisses. And then I got Evangelina Ballerina as the book to be passed on, which I also just loved. Crazy how quickly the pictures and words come back to you once you start looking. B picked If You Give a Moose a Muffin, which he says is superior to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie hahah.

We also visited a second bookstore (as part of my local bookstore map challenge this year) and decided to get a book to remember our anniversary by. But we were way out of time, and panic-bought books that we probably wouldn't have chosen if we were more able to think about it and browse haha.

And of course, we pulled the top tier of our wedding cake out and ate a slice, since that's the tradition! We've been holding onto it all this time, and I was surprised that the inside of the cake still tasted good. The frosting was a bittttt rotten/freezerburnt, hahah, but otherwise? Fun and cute. I wanted to order a new cake from our same baker, but she didn't have any availability. Maybe next time!

Happy Paper Anniversary, B.

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youfeltthegolux · 1 year

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Reading recap, November 2022 (Part 1)

At the start of the pandemic, I decided to do something I'd never done in all of my years of being an avid reader: actually keep track of the books I've read. Since I'm trying to be more intentional about the whole thing, I thought it might be fun to think back on what I've read, month by month. I'm going to do a longer "year in review" reflection on my favorite books I read this year in about a month and say more about my reading habits, but this is really just a series of bite-sized reviews. Some book chomps, if you will.

For the record, for the last few years I've mostly been reading books in audiobook form, and I try to use the Libby App as much as possible. Because of where I live I'm fortunate to have access to two great local public library systems. When I can't find a book in my local libraries I like to use the Libro.fm app, which allows you to buy books and choose an independent bookstore to support with your purchase, instead of your money going to the space cowboy who won't let his employees take bathroom breaks.

I tend to read a lot of historical nonfiction (especially about cold boys), sci-fi, and romance. This month I read six books, which must be some kind of record for me, and was only possible because I had a few long flights, and some of these books were fairly short. Plus I pretty much inhaled Ocean's Echo, which we'll get to in a moment. Good thing I didn't have many social obligations the first week of the month, when that book dropped.

OK, on to the books!

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell

I ADORED Maxwell's first book, Winter's Orbit, which started life as an original story on AO3. (Seriously, go read it now if you haven't!) I couldn't wait for her follow-up, which I preordered on Libro.fm and guzzled down the first week of November, ignoring various responsibilities and coming up with excuses to putter around the house with my headphones in. Ocean's Echo is a queer romance space opera that's set in the same universe as Winter's Orbit but follows different characters. Tennal, a hot mess royal who has had one too many strikes against him (and can read minds) and Surit, a by-the-books military officer (who can control minds) are paired to work together for Space Plot Reasons. They're essentially commanded to meld minds, against their own wishes, but they decide to secretly refuse orders and fake their mind bond instead. Will they pull it off? Will they come to trust and love each other? WHO CAN SAY?

I so enjoyed this book and like Winter's Orbit I think Maxwell once again gives us a beautifully-crafted look into how two people, thrown together by circumstance, can come to understand and love each other. No spoilers, but there are a few moments in here, especially towards the end, that I found to be totally devastating, which is how I like things.

I also love Maxwell's writing style. I watched a virtual book talk with Maxwell and Freya Marske (which you can catch on YouTube!) and it's clear that they devote so much time to thinking through character development and finding ways to use and subvert character tropes. I will say that I thought the plot of Winter's Orbit was a touch tighter than Ocean's Echo, but that should in no way prevent you from READING THIS BOOK STAT.

One final note (wow, this is not bite-sized at all): I got the audiobook in part because I really enjoyed the audiobook version of Winter's Orbit, and Ocean's Echo was recorded by the same narrator. It's great. But the narrator used essentially the same voice for both Jainan in Winter's Orbit and Surit in Ocean's Echo, which, uh, was kind of distracting at first. FYI.

OK next book:

The Whale: A Love Story by Mark Beauregard

::cue obligatory whale noises::

The Whale is a deep dive lololol into the relationship between Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne, built on the two literary giants' letters to each other and the archival traces of their passionate feelings for each other and for each other's work that developed in the early 1850s, while both men lived in the Berkshires region of Massachusetts. This was when Melville was at work on Moby-Dick (Melville dedicated this novel to Hawthorne, whom he also described in a book review as having "[shot] his strong New-England roots into the hot soil of my Southern soul.") At its core, The Whale is about the tortures of writing, of inner life, the joy of a great work of art, and of recognizing oneself in someone else and being seen in return.

Beauregard does a wonderful job constructing conversations between Melville and Hawthorne and describing the yearning that both men expressed for each other (mostly from Melville's point of view; only his letters have survived, and Beauregard created the letters Hawthorne wrote to Melville that appear in The Whale). This book came highly recommended and I didn't love it the way I was hoping to - there are times when I thought it felt a bit stiff or disjointed, but maybe that's only because Melville and Hawthorne's relationship was, itself, full of so many torturous turns. Plus Melville's wife comes across as a one-note nagging woman who just, ya know, gets on his case to make some money so the family doesn't starve. But if you like historical fiction (non-fiction?) it's still very much worth a read.

OK, last one for this post!

Love, Hate & Clickbait by Liz Bowery (mild spoilers ahead)

Eh. This came recommended by a friend whose reading taste I TRUST (the same friend who recommended Winter's Orbit to me last year), who told me they read it in one night.

Eh.

Basically, this book is about two guys - one, a straight asshole dudebro and one, a clueless gay nerd who is very tall - who both work for the same Democratic politician, who is campaigning for the presidential nomination. When she says something homophobic and it's caught on camera, her staffers come up with the brilliant solution of making these two dudes have a fake relationship to show how cool she is with the LGBTQIA+ community.

Have you read Red, White, and Royal Blue? This is no Red, White, and Royal Blue. It's got a lot of fun tropes but the two mains are both unlikable and don't really evolve over the course of the book, other than one of them getting a haircut and the other deciding that couch sex is a good stress-reliever. I didn't really vibe with the writing style, and there's not really any "we realized something about ourselves and about love" payoff. It kind of felt like this book was rushed to market, like someone at the publisher said "I just heard a lot of straight women like reading books about two guys making out! I want one of those on my desk tomorrow morning!" There was a scene where they trip and fall into a big tower of cheese together at a farmer's market, which was cute.

Anyway, my friend who recommended this deeply betrayed me, but I still love them.

Also I heard this book started as fanfic, I'd be curious as to what fandom it's from.

Coming soon: three more book bites!

#book recommendations #book recs #ocean's echo #everina maxwell #the whale: a love story #mark beauregard #love hate & clickbait #liz bowery #my book reviews #romance #queer books #moby dick #emotional damage #audiobook

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themonotonysyndrome · 2 years

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REDACTED verse - Because of you, I lived on

OK, so, like I mentioned in a previous post, this week has been an absolute nightmare. I can tolerate a lot of bullshit but when work made me cry in my car? Yeah, that takes the cake.

So I wanted to write something angsty because hey, might as well use those negative emotions to good use, eh? And then I saw an interesting headcanon that I wanna explore.

So this is for you @undeniablyemily @angel-bubbles and @redactedverse-thoughts for bringing the idea to life!

Summary: For as long as he could remember, Geordi has always been alone… right?

TW: Post-Inversion. Death. Grief. Non-consensual memory wiping.

'A POWER OUTTAGE AT THE CENTRE OF DAHLIA! THE CAUSE? STILL UNKNOWN AFTER SIX MONTHS!' is written on the front page of today's newspaper.

In fact, it’s the first thing that greets Geordi at the counter while the cashier is busy at the back.

Geordi somewhat recognises the picture below the obnoxiously large headline and knows that his favourite bookstore is nestled between the local grocer and a pharmacy.

The picture does nothing to actually show which building had the blackout, but something on the tip of his tongue stirs. Nagging in the back of his mind.

"Sorry for the wait!" The cashier reappears. Looking a bit haggard which Geordi can't fault. It's lunchtime anyway. "That'll be $15, please."

Geordi pays for his food and thinks nothing more of the newspaper when he returns to the office.

"Finally! I thought the week would never end!" A coworker cheers beside him. Just as Geordi was about to clock out for the day, a few of his colleagues invited him out to dinner. The offer was too good to pass up, and besides, the alternative would be him binge-watching the latest series on Netflix and eating dinner alone.

And so here they are now.

"My eyes were seriously about to roll out of their socket if I have to see another slide." Another coworker murmurs. Everyone had ordered their food, so now conversations flow pleasantly around the table. Geordi soaks up on the atmosphere, occasionally nodding when addressed.

When cutleries scrap on plates and wine glasses clink, Geordi suddenly finds himself at the centre of attention.

"We would've had overtime today if it weren't for Geordi's quick thinking during the presentation," His Art Director brags, face flushed red after his third refill. Geordi ducks shyly when others chime in agreement. "I was going to punch the clients if they didn't stop discussing how many assets we had to do for the campaign. Deadass."

"Geordi has been a lifesaver lately! And hey, don't think we didn't notice how you always clocked out on time on Friday nowadays," Another colleague interjects. He then raises an eyebrow. "Got someone waiting at home, eh?"

Geordi rolls his eyes, so used to his colleagues' shenanigans by now. After all, they were there for him after his last breakup. "I'm still single, guys. You knew how bad my last relationship went down, so I wanted to enjoy the single life for a while."

This time, someone from the client managing team pipes up. They're relatively new, so Geordi fails to remember his name. "See, here's the thing - I've heard about you from Mark. About how you were before, and let me say that even I can see the difference! Like, c'mon, dude; you live like any other man who has a partner!"

But Geordi just shakes his head, a wry smile on his face.

There hasn't been anyone special in his life ever since he moved to Dahlia. Ever since he left his abusive partner. Aside from his parents, no one had looked at Geordi and seen him as someone needed to keep safe, to love dearly.

"I love you, Geordi... always..."

Right?

Lately, the nagging in the recess of his mind and the tingle on his tongue are becoming difficult to ignore.

And Geordi would catch himself behaving out of sorts. He'd absentmindedly prepare two mugs of coffee every morning ("Brown sugar instead of regular white? How did you know that's the way I like it?"), vacuumed the house once a week ("Sorry, baby, I didn't mean to wake you up. I just need to deal with these dust bunnies before they take over our home.") and during a grocery run, cups of chocolate puddings somehow ends up in his cart ("I can't help it, Geordi! Chocolate puddings are my ultimate weakness! Don't laugh at me!")

When did these new habits come from?

Life continues regardless of how out of sorts Geordi has been lately. There are always some bills to be paid, relatives coming over for a surprise visit and never-ending projects in the agency.

Geordi has no time to spare in musing over odd habits or how cold the bed is on some nights.

"You always worked so hard, baby. I know you're not made of glass, but you don't throw a diamond against the wall either. So how about a break, yeah? I hereby declare Netflix and cuddle time is in session!"

Geordi blinks and registers the tablet on his lap. Season two of Demon Slayer is paused on the screen. Unconsciously, Geordi turns to the left as if expecting someone to sit beside him on the couch.

Wait - wasn't he checking some work e-mails just now?

Physical exhaustion begins to made way for emotional ones. Anxiety, sorrow, yearning and helplessness begin to bubble in his heart. Begin to drive him slowly insane.

It's like there's something in the corner of his eyes; there but just out of sight. On the tip of his tongue. An echo at the back of his mind. Something that he's missing - someone -

An unknown sound - liken to a flame bursting into life or shattering wind chimes - has Geordi jerk violently. The tablet clatter on the floor when he abruptly stands. His eyes widen at the sight of the intruder that appears in his living room from thin air.

The first thing that Geordi notices about the intruder is the pair of horns on his head, large and intimidating in a way that something in him whispers that they're as genuine as they look. Next is the painfully solemn expression on his handsome face that's familiar to a mortician.

"I'm sorry... I'm so very sorry, Geordi." The inhuman intruder murmurs, heavy with regret, sorrow and yet, he has the gentlest voice that Geordi has ever heard. At that moment, a sense of calm washes over him.

It reminds him of mothers cooing their babies to sleep — the long, drawn-out sigh after filling your lungs with your favourite scents.

"Who... who are you?" Geordi begins cautiously, a little apprehensively.

The intruder gives him a heartbreaking smile which didn't make sense at all. "A friend, Geordi. One that promised to look after you to my best ability."

"Oh, hey, Cam! Didn't think, uh, anime conventions are your thing too. We should compare nendoroids in the office next time! Hmm? Oh right! Geordi, this is my work buddy - Camelopardalis. Cam. He's a pretty chill guy."

"You're... Cam... Camelopardalis," Geordi blurts out. It startles him. Why does he know this stranger - notstranger.afriend.cameoverfordinnersometime.aserenitydaemon - and why is his head begin to throb painfully!? It's as if his mind is trying to make sense of the gap between the barrages of torn pictures and Camelopardalis' alarmed expression. "I know you. You're their -"

Like a bursting dam, everything came flooding back. Memories resurface, and with them, a heartache, unlike anything that Geordi has ever experienced before:

"Geordi? Like that guy from Star Trek? No, no! I think that's a great name! He's a great character! I mean, I never really watched Star Trek -"

"Move in with you? Are you sure? I don't mind waiting until we hit the two-year mark. I'm comfortable with following your pace, baby."

"Hahaha... yeah... like a mind reader. Hey... Geordi? Are you busy? I-I think it's time you know what I exactly do for a living..."

A picture pushes towards the front of Geordi's mind. A face begins to clear up. Absentmindedly, he feels strong hands on his shoulders; grounding him. Gentle voice trying its best to soothe his pounding head.

"I wish I could bring you to the Games, Geordi. It's like the tournament arcs in animes; you'd love it!"

...

"Hmm? Nah, the event is only for students. God, it's been four years since I last graduated from D.A.M.N. That's the magical school hosting the E&E Games this year. I'm just attending as a representative of the Department."

...

"Yeah, they already cleared my leaves. So I'm down with whatever you want to do after the event's over! Actually... how do you feel about a short vacation trip?"

...

"Alright, I'll see you tonight. I love you, Geordi. Always."

Geordi's heart stutters to a stop in his chest. As though he’s submerged under a rushing fiver, he finds himself staring at the sorrowful Serenity Daemon with one burning question:

"Cam? Cam, where are they?" Geordi desperately asks, hot tears dripping down. "Where's Cutie?"

It didn't take long for him to put together the passing time when his memories return. To understand where his new habits came from.

Six months have passed since Geordi saw his better half off to work.

The Serenity Daemon's own heart broke. The man's despair, grief and confusion blanket him like hot, black tar, but he soldier on. "A tragedy happened during the E&E Games and... and they were one of the many casualties," Camelopardalis did his best to explain under Geordi's crushing emotions. Both of them deserve this; truth and self-punishment. This poor human deserves to know the fate of his lover. As for Camelopardalis, it's self-punishment for what he has to do soon. "They were very brave, Geordi. They saved so many lives that day, but a Shade - dead, hungry things - got to them before reinforcement could arrive. I'm so sorry, Geordi."

The heartbreaking wail that escape the human would've destroyed a young Serenity or Empathy Daemon. But Camelopardalis is old, jaded. And yet he hurts all the same for his friend and the one they both lost.

"They were supposed to come home," Geordi sobs. He falls to his knees, suddenly no longer having the strength to stand up. "We were supposed to go to San Diego b-because they've been working non-stop... why... why is this happening?"

Camelopardalis is oddly silent. And then, a horrible memory dawns on him.

This is their second confrontation.

"I waited. And waited for them to come home," Geordi's voice wavers. His head is spinning, heart as tight as a noose. "I called so many times, but it went to voicemails. But then you came at midnight. A-And you apologised."

Geordi remembers being worried sick when Cutie failed to pick up his fifth call. On his twelfth, Camelopardalis appeared - "Daemons can teleport, baby. They called it Rift" - looking half-dead, wouldn't stop apologising despite him begging for an explanation and then... nothing.

No memories of Cutie and all of the Telepath's belonging - nothing.

"What did you do to me?" Geordi asks, feeling sick with stomach lurching. His cheeks are so wet, but grief and betrayal are powerful emotions. Grief at the loss of his love and betrayal from someone supposed to be a friend.

Camelopardalis closes his eyes. His purpose is to bring peace, serenity... but right now? He has no choice but to play as a necessary evil.

All in the name of the Department.

"To maintain the secrecy of the Empowered world," The Serenity Daemon carefully explains, donning on his Department officer's mask. "Those who have a human lover must have their memories modified should the Empowered individual passed away. I belong to a branch of the Department that specialises in it."

It’s a horrible thing to take in. Geordi struggles to comprehend that his entire world has been yank underneath his feet in a single night, and now, he realises the horror behind Camelopardalis's implication.

"They don't have anyone, Cam!" Geordi scream. "T-They said they were an orphan. They could count all the friends they have - had, oh God, Cutie! - on one hand. So please, Cam," It hurts. His heart hurts so much, but Geordi needs to exert some control over the ride that drained him of his composure and sanity. Need to move the Daemon's heart even if he has to beg. "Please don't take them away from me anymore. They don't have anyone else! Please, Cam. Please. I love them. L-Let me keep their memories."

Camelopardalis fails to hold his own tears back. Not knowing what else to do, he could only repeat the words he murmured to Geordi on the night that claimed Cutie's life.

"I'm so sorry, Geordi... I'm so so sorry for this..."

Human reflexes are nothing compared to Daemon’s. Before Geordi could do something, anything, Camelopardalis quickly put him to sleep. The Serenity Daemon smoothly catches him before Geordi fell on the floor like a doll.

"I love you, Geordi... always..."

Hearing the echo of his dear friend's voice in the recess of Geordi's mind made Camelopardalis weeps harder.

"I'll do my best to keep my promise to you, my friend," Camelopardalis murmurs, his magic gently weaving around the human's subconscious. He hums a sweet lullaby when Geordi whimpers. "I'll keep him safe for you. Know that you will forever be dearly missed by us."

Camelopardalis is not a young Daemon. He has seen his share of grief as well as serenity born from happy couples. But he has never seen a powerful bond between Geordi and his partner that not even his magic could subdue.

Perhaps this is because Geordi himself is a remarkable Unempowered human. That his love for them compensate for the loss of his memories with Cutie's habits and manners.

It awed and humbled Camelopardalis that because of Geordi, Cutie lives on.

#monotony's rambling #redacted asmr #fanfic #they/them pronouns #gender neutral s/o #cutie (listener)#geordi #camelopardalis

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tolkien-feels · 2 years

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Okay, so, I've watched the movies and I've read The Big Three, though I'm still a little shaky on my Silmarillion lore if I'm being honest. Where do I go from here if I want to read more Tolkien? Is there a commonly followed reading order? Should I just go by publication date? (Yes I am motivated to get into deeper lore because of your blog, that's why I'm asking you lmfao)

Oh hey! Happy to see my blog dragging people deeper down into the black hole of increasingly obscure Tolkien works!

I actually have a friend reading the Silm for the first time and I'm already making my little evil plans that can be summed up by "If she doesn't hate it, what can I tempt her to read next?" So I've been giving it a lot of thought lately, actually! Which is why this post ended up, uh, long.

I've taken the liberty of adapting this answer a little bit just in case I have any followers who have read fewer books than you have and find this useful. Hope you don't mind it!

The best way to read Tolkien depends a lot on what you enjoy. If you thought The Hobbit was too childish, don't read his stories for children. If your eyes glazed over when poems came up in LotR, don't pick a poetry book. If The Silmarillion drove you to tears, maybe wait before you get into the more scholarly works.

Availability is also something to consider. Maybe your local library has a few titles already, or you happen to find a good copy of something in a used bookstore, or there's a deal that saves you a lot of money. Alternatively, maybe you're set on reading something but can't find it. You might also fall in love with a story through fandom and want More Of It, or see a pretty edition that you just Must Own. These are all okay! See, the thing about Tolkien is that generally speaking, you can read his works in almost any order, so be open to changing your plans as stuff comes up in your life. I'd be willing to take a bet that the minority of fans read his stuff in any way that makes any sense lol

Personally, I think it makes sense to read in this sequence:

Read these first

The core stuff

The Hobbit

The Lord of the Rings

The Silmarillion

These are the Big Three, and you should probably get to them before you get to anything else.

The Silmarillion might take a couple of attempts to get through depending on how comfortable you are with the style, and I personally had to read it from cover to cover twice before I felt like I had a good grasp on it. @askmiddlearth has a pretty good guide that my friend who's reading it is finding really helpful.

Stories you already know: now with 200% more detail

Most other books won't be Silm levels of difficult, btw! But many assume you're familiar with it, simply because Hobbit-LotR-Silm are usually the ones most people read. So even if I otherwise follow a generally "easiest to hardest" logic, the Silm belongs here.

As an addendum, I would say the LotR appendices are a good bridge, stylistically speaking, to the Silmarillion.

The books in this category can be read in any order you feel like - you already know how they fit together.

Unfinished Tales

The Great Tales of Middle Earth, which is a series containing the following standalone books:

The Children of Hurin

Beren and Luthien

The Fall of Gondolin

Here you'll find mostly unfinished, often contradictory versions of stories you already know - but with lots of awesome detail that fandom tends to consider canon as much as we can.

These are books which contain both stories by Tolkien and commentary by his son Christopher, explaining his father's creative process and taking educated guesses as to how stories connect together and so on. It's a gentle introduction to more hardcore scholarship and if you can handle long tumblr meta I'm sure you can handle these.

Oh, and of these four books, Children of Hurin is the easiest to read by far, so maybe begin from that one. You might even read it before The Silmarillion and possibly before The Lord of the Rings (especially if you've watched the movies) - it's a pretty straightforward novel.

Read these in any order you want

I'm listing them in the order I think makes the most sense, but if you've read the books above you can just pick any section here according to your interest

Fairy tale essays, short poems, short stories and such things

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book

Farmer Giles of Ham

Tree and Leaf

Smith of Wootton Major

The Father Christmas Letters

Mr Bliss

Roverandom

Tales from the Perilous Realm

These aren't technically legendarium relevant but are delightful if you like fantasy. A lot (but not all) of these are very light reading and excellent to read to children who aren't ready for the actual legendarium yet, or to turn to as a break from heavier material.

I really wanted to make separate sections for children's literature and things that just happen to be fairy tales but immediately noticed I had no idea when a fairy tale becomes too grown up to be children's literature, so a single section it is

The Deep Lore™️

You know when Frodo inherits Bilbo's papers (and then Sam inherits Frodo's) and they have to make sense of it? That's what it's like reading HoME.

The History of Middle Earth series, or HoME for short.

(There are 12 books in this series. It's probably a terrible idea to read them out of order, so I won't even list them here)

Basically, these are nearly all the scraps of paper by Tolkien that could be found at the time, put together chronologically and presented with commentary. Here you can find answers to like 80% of the questions you might have after reading the other books, and then answers to a million other questions you didn't actually have.

This feels more like reading a library than a book series - whether this makes you want to read it more or less depends on your taste.

Also! Last year they released The Nature of Middle Earth, which is in the same vein as these but I haven't read it yet so I don't feel quite comfortable saying "Oh yeah this is when you should read it!"

Tolkien as a person: biography, letters and essays

JRR Tolkien: A Biography (by Humphrey Carpenter)

The Letters of JRR Tolkien

The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays

I'm not the best person to ask about studying Tolkien as a person, but these are probably the most famous (and important) books.

The Letters also contain a lot of info about Middle Earth, so they might be worth taking a look even if you, like me, don't feel like reading tons of biographies.

For fans of all things medieval

The Fall of Arthur

Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, together with Sellic Spell

Finn and Hengest: The Fragment and the Episode

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun

The Story of Kullervo

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl and Sir Orfeo

The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun

These are all translations, commentaries or deliberate imitations of actual medieval texts, as opposed to the ahistorical quasimedieval thing the legendarium has got going on. You probably shouldn't touch these if poetry scares you, though.

And that's it...?

Not really, no. There are other publications if you're a completist, but these are the major ones in every category I can think of. There should be some 30-40 books here anyway, so this should keep you busy for a while!

Note that I won't revisit this post to update it every time a new book is released, so for more recent books, use your best judgment!

#reading order #<< for my own reference if someone ever asks me again or i do manage to get my friend down the rabbit hole #in which i am forced to confront my lifestyle choices as i realize how much tolkien i've read #me @ me diversify your reading material fgs #hyperfixations are truly impossible to explain

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littlefireofhestia · 3 years

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hi! i'm sage and i was going through the "hestia devotee" tag and found a post of yours that said you were open for questions about her. i don't know how old that post is or if you're still taking questions, you can ignore this if you're not, but since i'm here i wanted to talk/ask about something.

i'm a baby witch (like the babiest of babies, almost a new born) and most of my experience is through reading and watching since i don't currently have time or resources to do any practice other than lighting incenses or candles or working with crystals. and i definitely don't know any form of divination, like tarot or pendulum, that would allow me to do actual deity work and properly communicate with them.

the thing is, i've researched deities from multiple pantheons multiple times, mostly out of curiosity, but the moment i came across a prayer to hestia my heart skipped a beat and i immediately felt a kind of comfort. it could have been nothing, but i still researched all i could about her and just. i've never felt this drawn to a deity before, much less felt a pull to actually worship one. but i feel very much that way about her.

i looked up ways to honour her and i'm genuinely shocked at how happy it's been making me. i'm finding joy in domestic activities i used to loathe, like washing the dishes or helping with house cleaning. i tried baking a cake all by myself for the first time and lit an orange candle for her while doing it. it turned out absolutely delicious, i discovered i actually really enjoy baking and even started my own cook notebook with some of my grandma's old recipes. i make a point to always tie my hair back when i'm doing something that makes me think of her or in her honour, like making tea or baking or making dinner for my family or cleaning, because i saw people talking about how she appreciates veiling but i don't know how to do it so i just tie my hair in a bun instead of putting on a scarf. and i used to hate tying my hair, but now i feel very good about it!

i've always struggled with feeling connected to religion and never really understood how that could bring peace to someone, but i haven't felt this grounded or loving towards my family and pets or in peace with myself as much as i have since i started doing things as acts of devotion to hestia.

now, on to the actual problem: i'm scared it's all in my head. i'm worried i'm not enough of a witch to worship a deity yet, since i'm still trying to learn ways of communication and can't directly ask her if she's with me. i'm scared that the little things i'm doing aren't enough and the comfort and faith i feel while doing them are my imagination and not actually her watching over me and appreciating my effort.

anyways, i'm really sorry for dumping these worries on you but i didn't see many hestia related blogs and i really needed to ask someone about this. is what i'm doing enough of a worship right now? do you have any tips on how to worship her better? thank you!

Hi Sage! I don’t know when you sent this ask so I’m sorry if it’s been a while since you sent it and my response is late. When I read this ask for the first time I nearly cried tears of joy. Before anything I do want to say that you’re doing amazing sweetie!

I’m always open to questions about Hestia.

First off, there is no prerequisite to worshipping deities. I am admittedly not a witch and worship the gods exclusively for religious reasons and not for witchcraft. I have not learned many divination methods yet (although I have used the very handy Greek Alphabet Oracle a few times) and my rituals are still relatively basic, mostly not even occurring on an altar. But I have felt Hestia. I have been in her presence. I have received dreams from other deities and signs. None of this is required to happen to believe in or worship the theoi, but I just want to assure you that beyond doing some research to figure out who you want to pray to and how to do prayer and ritual, there are no prerequisites to worship. My first prayer to Hestia was literally me throwing a scarf over my head and talking to her in the dark with a flashlight to represent a flame. No formal structure. Didn’t even know how to correctly hold my hands yet. And still she accepted me.

The vibe you get from Hestia is very much similar to my experience. I’ve been drawn to her for YEARS but didn’t know I could worship her. But she’s always felt like home and comfort and just right for me. I never ever had a reason why she was my favorite deity before becoming pagan. She just was. My connection to Hestia has been a fact for over a decade that I just didn’t know was religious until a year and a half ago. Me wondering if I could worship her is the reason why I started researching Hellenic Polytheism in the first place. She brought me to this faith and I am so thankful to her for that.

You finding joy in domestic activities you used to hate is something I’ve discovered through Hestia too, although it’s still a journey I’m early on due to depression and physical disability and having a lot of work to do on figuring out how to make things accessible for me. I’m excited to go further for and with Hestia.

I understand the thought about it being all in your head. I had those thoughts early in my practice too. Basically, belief is a process. It takes time to switch from whatever religious thought (or lack thereof) that you grew up with to polytheism and worshipping a variety of deities or even just one deity, and from there to truly believing in them. I’ve been practicing for a year and a half and it probably took me at least nine months to truly feel secure in my faith in the theoi. Research, pray, do ritual, devote acts to the gods, think about the gods, notice the influence of the theoi in your daily life, and gradually that belief will solidify. You may or may not receive signs, which may or may not speed this process up. I promise, if you want to believe in the gods, in Hestia, it just takes time.

Also on feeling that you aren’t doing enough, the video at the bottom of this post (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odhRRYqQo8Y) might help. And I promise: you are doing enough, you are enough, just as you are.

Now as for worship tips. You are honestly doing great so far. Thinking of her while doing household chores and tasks or dedicating those tasks for her is a great way to worship her. I’d also recommend checking out her Homeric and Orphic hymns, one translation of which can be found here, and a copy of the Homeric hymns can likely be found at a local bookstore or definitely through online ordering. The Homeric hymns can also start to teach you some stuff about prayer structure, but prayer doesn’t have to be formal. Sometimes I just sit and talk to Hestia, or to any of my other deities. Tell them about my day, thank them for things in my life or the world, and sometimes asking them for things (although I find that I ask for aid much more rarely than when I prayed as the Catholic I was raised to be). I also have perpetually in progress playlists I have made for my deities, and if I want to spend some non-ritual time just focusing on a deity I’ll put on their playlist and read something religious or talk in religious discords. I actually had my most profound spiritual experience with Hestia while doing this.

Last but not least, worshipping Hestia, or any other deity, is something you have your whole life ahead of you to do. Take it at your own pace. Faith is all about the journey. The destination is irrelevant. There is no deadline or leveling up system, no authority checking your progress. As I have experienced time and time again, the gods will very much meet you where you are. A few months ago I was in a deep depression and did not do any ritual for several months. When I finally did a ritual again, I felt Hestia’s warm hand on my shoulder, as if to say “I miss you, welcome home”. I promise, Hestia will always welcome you home.

youtube

P.S. I know this ask is anonymous but Sage, feel free to message me with any additional questions about Hestia or worshipping deities in general. I’m here if you need any more help.

#hestia devotee #hestia worship #hellenic polytheism #hellenic pagan

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nakachuchu · 3 years

Text

Red Velvet Cake | Morinozuka Takashi

SYNOPSIS: He enjoys going to the book shop you work at.

READER: gender neutral

WORDS: 791

WRITTEN: 04/14/2021

NOTES: Thank you for requesting from my event! "I could listen to you all day." + You work at a bookstore and they meet you there.

You worked at a local book store. You restocked the books, were the cashier, and you read to the children every day before noon.

Mori often came by to watch and listen to you during that day. He simply stood in the back quietly.

You only knew his name because he came by every day and you always checked in with him to see what he needed.

The book store you worked at was also a café, so you would often see him sitting at a table with a cappuccino and a book.

He rarely talked, but he showed that he was listening to your rambles by nodding and smiling faintly.

He was nice to look at you and your eyes naturally gravitated toward him whenever he came by—which was often.

You didn't work at a library, so he would have to purchase books each time he came, which was daily.

You were sure he could have bought books online or simply buy books at once, but he seemed to like coming in.

A part of you wanted to believe that he was coming for you. After all, he always sought you out, whether it be recommending a book to him or asking you about your day.

He did talk, but it was always brief and polite. You didn't mind because you often filled the silence with your long rants and excited voice, but he liked that.

"Thank you for coming everyone," you said to the children. "There are some lollipops by the door. Please grab one and make sure to clean up after yourselves."

You bowed and bid goodbye to the children and their parents before placing the book you were reading away.

You approached Mori who straightened up. You offered him a faint smile and he nodded in acknowledgment.

"Another book today, Mori?" you questioned.

He nodded.

"You must like it here, huh? I do too. I'm really fortunate to be able to get a job I love."

"You're good with kids," he said.

"Thank you. I took care of the neighborhood kids when I was a teenager and I was in some programs at school where I had to look after kids whose parents couldn't come pick them up right away. I'm sorry. You must be tired of having to hear me speak all the time."

"I could listen to you all day," he said.

"Oh." Your face grew hot. "Thank you.”

He nodded. “You’re on break now, correct? Will you sit with me at the cafe?”

You were certain this was the most you had ever heard him speak before, so you were a bit flustered and surprised. You nodded in response to his question and he led you toward the cafe.

“I’ll pay,” he said as the two of you were seated at a table in the back.

“Oh, no, that’s okay.”

He gave you a dead stare, making you gulp and give into him. He nodded in satisfaction at your submission, then opened the menu for you. To get rid of the silence, you began rambling.

“I always get a slice of the red velvet cake. It’s really good. When I first applied for this job, I was surprised to learn that this book store had a cafe with its own bakery. I thought it was super cute and I absolutely fell in love.” You cleared your throat. “What do you usually get?”

He pointed to the cappucino and the croissant before raising his hand to call attention to the worker.

“The usual, Mori, Y/N?” they asked.

The two of you nodded at the same time, then fell into another silence as the worker left to prepare the snacks and drinks the two of you ordered.

“How are you today?” you asked.

“Good.”

You nodded. “Um—you must really love books, right? You come here every day and are always purchasing new books.”

“I come here for you.”

“Oh. Oh—do you mean, like—Well, actually, I’m not sure what that means,” you muttered.

“This is a date,” he said.

“It is? I mean, I don’t mind. I’ve always imagined what a date with you would be like. Oh, please ignore what I just said.”

There was a faint smile on his lips and you briefly saw it before your coworker came back with a slice of red velvet cake, a cappucino, and a croissant.

Deciding to take a chance to not misunderstand anything anymore, you opened your mouth and asked, “Do you want to go out this weekend?”

He lifted the cup to his lips and drank from it before setting it down onto the saucer. He nodded in response to your question and you smiled.

“Great! I—Should you pick me up or…?”

“I’ll call you.”

#ouran high school host club x reader #mori x reader #ohshc mori #ohshc x reader #morinozuka takashi x reader

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bangtanreadingcorner · 3 years

Text

all this time • kim seokjin

plot – you and your best friend, seokjin, drifted apart after he became a famous actor. years later, you find your way back to each other.

words – 3.5K

When your best friend Kim Seokjin got the lead role in a movie when you two were eighteen years old, you were ecstatic for him. What you were less ecstatic about was the fact that you grew apart to the point where you didn't even greet each other if you happened to cross one other in the street. Something that didn't happen very often because he moved to the city, but it still happened, each time he visited his parents in your hometown.

You, on the other hand, could never leave your home. Not forever, at least. It's not that bad, despite what some of the teenagers might say, it's a really big town. Big enough that not everyone knows everyone, and nobody poked their noses where it didn't belong. There is a lot to do, too, if you're a local and you know where to look. You love this place and you'll never completely leave it. You left years ago, to study and become a doctor, but then you came back. Now you live in an apartment and your work at the local hospital. It's not glamourous and glittery but it's home and it's what you've always wanted. It makes you happy and content, to help people and to heal physical injuries, get parents and children alike back on their feet, curing someone who's sick.

Sometimes there is a hollow place in your chest that aches, somedays more than others, but mostly you ignore it. You know what's missing from your life, you know what belongs there. You also know you're never getting it back, so you push past it and deal with it.

But beyond that, life was good.

A scream startles you out of your reverie and you come back to earth, looking around the small coffee shop you were in from where to were seated by the window, nearly rolling your eyes when you saw what it was.

It was Kim Seokjin, famous actor who had most woman's heart skipping a beat, who had just walked into the coffee shop, who used to be your best friend. It was two girls who spotted him and was now giggling while pointing - at least discreetly - at him with wide smiles on their faces.

You wonder with vague amusement what they would say if they knew that when you were thirteen, he stuck an olive up his nose because you bet him that his nose was to small and he wouldn't be able to do it.

Your eyes suddenly met Seokjin's, and you looked away immediately, missing the way his face fell into a cherstfallen look. But Seokjin, ever the professional, quickly wiped his features into a charming smirk, even if he felt like he was breaking inside. He wondered, not for the first time, if stardom was worth the price of losing you.

You ignored his presence as best you could, finishing your hot chocolate and the rest of your breakfast. After paying for your meal and getting ready to leave, you couldn't help but take another look at him, because he was your best friend Jin for long before he was Kim Seokjin the Actor and despite what you try to convince yourself of, you still miss him.

You looked to where he was seated and found him already staring. Instead of immediately looking away, you let your gaze linger, long enough that he gave you a hesitant smile and a little wave. You finally adverted your eyes, turned around and walked out of the cafe.

***

"I heard Seokjin-ah is back in town." Your mother said conversationally when you went to visit your parents that evening for dinner.

"Yeah, I saw him this morning in Misses Jung's Diner." You answered, making sure to keep your tone disinterested, not wanting her to get into this topic.

Your mother brightened, as she bustled around the kitchen. Your father was in the living room, watching television. "Oh, and how is he doing? The star life treating him well?"

"How would I know? I didn't talk to him." You shrugged with a light frown. "I told you, we're not friends anymore."

"And who's decision was that?" Your mother asked, rounding on you with narrowed eyes.

"No one, it was just life. We drifted apart, that's it." You answered honestly. You really did drift apart, but it could have been prevented, if Seokjin put in more effort. You did everything you could to keep your friendship, but eventually he stopped returning your calls and texts, and it wasn't until he finally didn't even send you a text on your twenty first birthday that you gave up completely. When you got a new phone from your parents, you didn't save his number again.

"Maybe now that he's back, you two can patch things up again." You mother suggested with an excited smile. "You know, you aren't getting any younger and I want grandbabies."

"Mom!" You gasped in a little exasperation, but not surprised at all. This has been going on since you turned 25. You suppose you're lucky that she's not like Mrs. Kwon next door who tries to set her daughter up with any willing man, that she just teases you with Seokjin every now and again. Probably because she knows you're in love with him, even after all these years. "I'm 28, not 48. Also, Jin and I were just friends. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"You can never tell me enough times that I'll be convinced." She said with a pointed look in her eyes as she grinned at you. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes, regretting the night you showed up at home and cried your eyes out because you realised that you are in love with Seokjin and he's gone and you never got to tell him. You almost went to Seoul that weekend to tell him.

"Just because I have feelings for him, doesn't mean he has feelings for me." You reminded her.

"Hah!" She scoffed, muttering under her breath about 'stupid children' and 'won't know unless it hits them in the face'. You shook your head with a fond smile as you watched her until the door bell rang.

You frowned lightly, "Are you expecting someone?"

"Yes." You mother nodded, brightening up significantly, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "Oh, that must be Minji and Seokjin."

"You invited Jin and his mom to dinner?" You hissed at you mother, only glaring slightly. You assumed Seokjin's dad wasn't coming because he isn't home, probably on rotation - a military man through and through is how you'd discribe Mr. Kim, if ever asked.

You got a whack with the dishtowel behind the head, "Y/N, behave."

Dinner was a boisterous affair, but not from your part. You didn't know if it was thanks to your mother - but you'd bet a month's salary that it was - that you and Seokjin end up sitting next to each other, but you did. He looked at you, a lot. You could feel it, his gaze like a brand on your skin.

"Seokjin-ah, your mom tells me you'll be in town for a while." Your mom said with a bright smile and you breathed a little easier when he moved his eyes away from you. Your heart was still unsteady.

"Yes, Ma'am, I'll be staying for a month before my next film's production starts." He answered politely, voice deep and soothing and everything that you want. You clenched your fists in your lap, swallowing thickly as you reminded yourself that you couldn't have it.

"That's wonderful." Your mother said.

After finishing your dinner, you had to get out of there. "Excuse me, I'm feeling like swinging."

"Me too." Seokjin said with a cheery smile, rising from his chair as well.

"You're not invited." You snapped and felt guilty when he flinched.

"Y/N, this is not how I raised you." Your mother said with a slight glower on her face. You look to your dad for help, but he just smiles at you before stuffing his mouth with more food.

You sighed in resignation, "Fine, he can join me if he really wants."

You walked to the backdoor without looking to see if Seokjin was following you. You wanted to leave so you could get away from him, clear your head and get your bearings right.

The swing you talked about wasn't an actual swing - although you do like going to the swings in the park a few blocks from your house - but a swinging bench that your dad hung for you from the tree behind the house years ago. The swinging bench held countless memories of you and Jin, playing and having fun. You sat down and wait for him to sit down too before kicking with your feet against the ground and swinging.

It was dark and quiet outside, just the sounds of the night animals waking up. It was soothing in a way that little else was. The comforting and safe presence next to you hasn't been there for a decade, and you soaked it up, knowing it wouldn't last past tonight.

"How have you been?" Seokjin eventually asked, breaking the silence that settled over you two.

"Do we have to talk?" You asked and it's not meant to come out that sour or mean, but there's a lot of resentment in you towards him for just letting fifteen years of friendship go down the drain for fame. The friendship between you was something you cherished most in this world and before you were in love with him, you just loved him. Losing a loved one always hurt. And it did. It hurt like hell when you lost him and your friendship.

He flinched from your words, again, and you felt guilty again. He looked at you but you didn't look at him as he spoke. "I'm sorry, that I ever hurt you by leaving."

"It's fine, it's been ten years. I'm over it." You waved him off, when really it isn't fine and you aren't over it.

"Still, I never wanted to hurt you." Seokjin said, sincere and open.

You sighed, closing your eyes and leaning back on the bench. He had the right idea, by apologizing, but he was apologizing for the wrong thing. "You leaving didn't hurt me, Jin. Cutting me out of your life did."

***

A few days later on your day off, you were riding your motorcycle, on your way to the mall - the bookstore had finally let you know that the medical journal you ordered had arrived - when you heard it. Voices screaming 'Seokjin- or Jin-oppa'. Your head automatically swivel in that direction and you didn't know whether to laugh at the sight or feel sorry for Seokjin, who was being chased by five girls. You wanted to just drive away.

But then you caught sight of the slightly terrified look on his face and your heart twisted violently. You swore, and revved your bike before turning around and making a U-turn, riding to where Seokjin was. Both him and the girl's stopped in their tracks when they noticed you were driving straight at them. They all froze, not moving or running like most people would have.

You braked and slowed down until you were infront of Seokjin, idling as you flipped open the visor and called, "Hey, Kim Seokjin! Get on!"

He didn't hesitate, climbing on and wrapping his arms around your waist tightly before you took off. You drove him to his house, not making any detours because you wanted to get away from Seokjin before he could realise the fast pace of your heart was not because of adrenaline but because of his close proximity.

"Can we talk?" He asked after he got off, placing a hand on your forearm to prevent you from taking off.

You took a deep breath, then turned off your bike and took off your helmet, looking at him expectantly while flattening your hair. "Talk about what?"

"Anything, I don't care." He answered, tone bordering on pleading. "I just want to talk to you."

"You were the one that shut me out." You said, voice just this side of cold as you rested your feet on the tar road.

"Because I wanted to make something of myself and I couldn't do that if all I thought about was packing up and coming home to you." Seokjin defended himself, hoping that you'd see reason.

Instead, you scoffed at him. "Well, you did. So, congratulations. I hope you're happy and I hope it was worth it."

"I missed you." Seokjin said out of the blue. Your body tensed and you wanted to look at him, but you didn't. Too afraid that if you did you'd cave and forgive him. "Everyday, for the past ten years, I've missed you. I never stopped, not once."

The words was like a healing salve to your sore and bruised heart that never quite healed right. You swallowed thickly. "What do you want me to say, Jin?"

It was quiet for a while, before he finally asked. "Do you really hate me that much?"

You laughed a little, as if. How much easier would your life be if you could have just hated him after he stopped talking to you. If you did, maybe you could have moved on, had those grandchildren your mother is always nagging about. You shook your head, "No, I don't hate you, I never have. I never could."

"Can we try to be friends again?" He asked, bright and hopeful and you hated to be the one to destroy that, but you didn't have another choice.

"Just so we can drift apart again?" You challenged, scoffing a little. "No, thanks, I already lost you once, I'd rather not do it all over again."

"It's different this time." Seokjin insisted earnestly.

You opened your mouth, to give a harsh remark, but when you saw the honesty and seriousness in his eyes, you asked instead, "How?"

Seokjin smiled at you and you ignored the way it made you feel like you could melt into a puddle of goo. "Well, for one, we're both grown up this time around. And two, I've decided that maybe it's time to start putting roots down."

"Haven't you done that in the city?" You questioned with a frown.

"Not really, no." Seokjin shook his head. "There's just no place like home, you know?" He asked, giving you a look

You looked at him and smiled slightly, "Yeah, I know."

"Can I show you something? Tomorrow?" Seokjin asked, and seeing your hesitation, he added on a gentle, "Please."

"Okay." You agreed, watching as he gave you a brilliant smile. Your heart singed and your stomach flip-flopped.

"You can come by tomorrow at 11." He said and you nodded in agreement.

"See you tomorrow."

You started your bike and drove away, anticipation and excitement for the next day knotting your stomach.

***

"Why did you bring me here?" You asked the next day, heart full of bursting emotions as you looked at the house. It wasn't just any house, it was your dream house. The house you fell in love with when you were fifteen years old, it wasn't a mansion, but it wasn't a small house either, at three stories high. It was an old, fixer upper, but you've always loved it. It was a little secluded, being just out of town and in the woods, and it was where you planned to stay one day.

Seokjin knew all of this. You two sneaked here many times and he listened to you rant about the house and how perfect it is even more times. So, why bring you here now?

"Remember what I said about putting roots down?" He asked and you hummed in confirmation, nodding slightly, a bit confused. "I bought it."

Your eyes widened and you gaped at him, completely thrown off by his words. "You- what? Why?"

Suddenly, his demeanor turned nervous, hands trembling slightly and voice shaky when he spoke, "I was hoping that, maybe, it could be a home. For us."

"Jin-"

"Just let me talk, okay? Because if I don't say this right now, I never will." Seokjin said, holding up a hand to silence you, and you nodded, a little greatful because you had no idea what the hell to say to that. "I've been in love with you since I was thirteen years old and ten years ago I left because I had nothing to offer you, I had no money, no way to give you your dream house. But now? Now I can give you everything you deserve."

You still didn't know what to say. You stayed quiet, thinking about what he said and how to respond to that because this - Jin telling you he loves you back - is everything you've ever wanted.

"Jin, I didn't need this, it was just a dream. You-" You broke off, emotions choking you up. "You were what I really wanted."

"I know, Y/N. I've known you almost all my life, and I know material things isn't what makes you happy, but I wanted to be able to give them to you." He said sincerely, looking at you with his chocolatey depths that made your heartbeat speed up. He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "These last ten years, they were hell with out you. I tried to stay your friend, but it got to hard to talk to you everyday and not be with you, not being able to tell you what I feel. So, I started putting distance between us, promising myself that one day, I'll come back and tell you everything."

Your mouth felt dry, heart thundering in your ears as you looked at him. Your voice was a whisper when you spoke, "Do you know how much you hurt me? Do you have any idea?"

"I do, because it hurt me too. I'm sorry, Y/N, so truly sorry and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you'll let me." He said, taking a step forward but you took one back, needing space to think.

"How do I know you won't just leave again?" You asked him, challenging and a little mean.

"Because I love you and I want a life with you." Seokjin said, then much more hesitant and softer, he asked, "Do you want that too?"

You stared at him, heart beating wildly, eyes stinging and chest constricting. You didn't think it was possible to feel this much all at once. Finally, you nodded slowly. "Yeah, I do."

Seokjin sighed in relief, shoulders slumping over as he nearly kneeled over with the force of his relief. He took a step closer and when you didn't move away from him again, he stepped closed until he was near enough to pull you close, hugging you tightly to his body, the way your body fit against his familiar, but at the same time it was new because he'd never hugged you before while knowing that you reciprocate his feelings. He dreamed, wished, hoped but never fully believed it. His whole life, everything he built, was done on nothing but his love for you. He didn't know if you felt the same or if you'd even still be here by the time he came back or even if you were, if you would still be single then. All he had was his love. His love that burned brighter than ever before.

"Hey, stupid." You called softly, cheeks aching you were smiling so wide.

"I'm not-" He cut himself off with a resigned sigh. "What is it?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." He said, and you could hear the smile in this voice.

"It's not going to be easy." You warned him, because there was at least sixty different ways this could go wrong. You held him a little tighter and he squeezed back.

"Nothing worth having ever is." He retorted smugly.

"Smartass." You huffed, slapping lightly against his back, more fond than anything else.

"Your smartass, though."

"Yeah," You nodded with a happy smile, lifting your head from his chest so you can look into his eyes. "Mine."

Seokjin cupped your cheeks, leaning down and pressing a quick and gentle kiss against your lips. He pulled away, cheeks a lovely shade of pink. You could feel the heat spreading to your own cheeks as well. "Sorry, I should have asked before I kissed you."

"You call that a kiss?" You huffed, watching as realisation spread in his eyes. He smirked down at you and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, you yanked him down and pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss, because really, it's been over a decade since you've wanted to do this. He didn't hesitate to respond to your kiss, just as eagerly and you realised that this was finally happening. After all this time, years of pining and hurting and thinking it never would, it was finally happening.

Your mother is going to gloat all the way into the next century.

the end.

#kim seokjin #bts jin #seokjin #bangtan #bangtan fanfic #bts fic #kim seokjin x you #kim seokjin x y/n #kim seokjin x reader #kim seokjin x oc #jin x oc #jin x you #jin x y/n

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literaticat · 4 years

Note

I'm wondering what you heard this week about the activity/interest level of editors and publishers. How do you think agents' submissions numbers are looking compared to numbers before the pandemic? How do you think agents are feeling about their jobs? Do you expect to see many agents leaving the profession? Thank you!

There are reasons for fear amidst this unprecedented time, obviously, but there are also reasons for optimism.

Here’s the good news:

See, books are slow to make, and publishing is a long game. We have to sell books this year in order for there to BE books two and three years from now -- and two or three years from now, there won’t be a pandemic, hopefully! Therefore, books are still selling. I can’t speak for any other agent, but I’ve sold books every week since the stay-at-home order (pth pth pth). While I’d say numbers across the board are down from the same time last year, business hasn’t ground to a halt or anything. Some books that are already in progress are being delayed, for one reason and another – but books ARE being sold, edited, designed, and yes, even published, during this time. Also, this is royalty season and there are LOTS of things for agents to do at all times that have nothing to do with the negotiating of deals, so our actual jobs are still quite busy.

Additionally, this “long game” business means that agents who sell a fair number of books and have a backlist that earns royalties are somewhat insulated from the vagaries of short-term bad economy. First of all, if we are commission-only, our income fluctuates all over the map anyway, so we’re used to it, and also, I’m getting paid now for stuff that happened months ago or even last year and earlier - so even if I were to have a few months where I didn’t sell anything, while I would definitely be ANNOYED, and it would SUCK, I also might well be earning money during that time regardless.

That said: Submission strategy is somewhat different, as I’m sure buying strategy is on the editor’s side. I find myself thinking about the future and, you know, I have no idea what it holds, but I don’t think it will be just the same as the old world. So thoughts about what the new landscape will look like, and what kinds of books will stand the tests of both time and dramatic societal upheaval are certainly on my mind. I would say I’m submitting very JUDICIOUSLY, bearing in mind that editors probably are stressed on a number of levels, as I am. Theme-wise, I personally am avoiding extremely dark and upsetting books in this moment -- I tend to think that most editors of my acquaintance would prefer distracting fun, joy, and optimism. (As would I.)

Here’s the bad news:

At this exact moment, there are editors and agents who are sick themselves, or have family members who are sick, or who are recovering but still not doin too hot. There are editors and agents who are stir-crazy from being trapped in studio apartments for a month, or scared, or depressed, or just feeling EFFING DISCOMBOBULATED (that’s me!). There are editors and agents who suddenly have to learn to homeschool and figure out how to balance full-time-toddler-entertainer with working from home. You get the idea. We’re people.

Additionally, publishers are tightening their belts. Which means some editors are being furloughed or laid off, or cut down to a four-day-a-week schedule or staggered off-on schedule, for the duration of the crisis. Small publishers may have acquisitions frozen entirely for a time. More measures such as these are sure to come if the crisis continues. I have no doubt that my editor friends are Le Freaked about all of this.

As for agents? Well, all the belt-tightening publishers are doing affects us as well. Not only because if editors are gone or acquisitions frozen, there are fewer places to sell books – but also because some publishers are reacting in predictable but screwy ways, such as wanting to put book payouts into more installments so they don’t have to pay as much on contract signing, which is quite problematic, particularly for newer agents who do not yet have a robust backlist. (I can get further into this at another time if anyone is interested but it deffo involves math and it’s not very nice, so it can be a topic for another day).

Point being: As much as publishers might be saying, “it’s business as usual” -- it’s certainly not business as usual! It’s weird! Things are getting done, but it’s weird, OK?!

Here’s the long-term view:

Publishing is an ecosystem. Creators, readers, bookstores, schools, libraries, publishers and agents all have a symbiotic relationship. There is NO DOUBT that this pandemic, and the economic distress that comes in its wake, will have a negative impact on this ecosystem, and already has had. It would be naïve to pretend otherwise.

But. Publishing HAS survived pandemics, disasters, depressions and world wars. I am 100% positive that the book industry in general will emerge from this and be OK in the long term… but individuals may well not be. Some bookstores won’t make it. Some publishers will shutter. Some editors will be laid off, and some creators and agents will have to adios to greener pastures.

We do what we can. If you love books and you can afford it – keep buying books! Preferably from a local independent bookstore or B&N! We really really REALLY need bookstores to still exist when this is all over, the margins are already razor thin, and if the bookstores don’t make it, that’s a HUGE PROBLEM for EVERYONE in publishing.

Keep promoting books and authors you love! If you ARE an author – PLEASE keep talking about your own book and the books of your friends! I promise – we all actually REALLY DO want to hear good news and things that are NOT doom-related! I PROMISE that you are not already talking about books too much!

If your friends are doing virtual launch parties or “at home” book events or fundraisers or whatever – GO TO THEM if you can! Talk them up on social media!

If you are an author who is lucky enough to be able to concentrate for more than ten minutes at a time – Work! On! Your! Amazing! Books! This WILL end. We WILL want to read your brilliant work at some point, even if it isn’t today. And if you’re an author who can’t muster up the wherewithal for writing, amazing or otherwise? THAT’S OKAY, TOO. No pressure, babes! This WILL END.

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