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Passchendaele (d.s.) - 0
A/N: Here’s a sneak peak to my next novel I am just starting to write! I want to finish it completely before I start to post the chapters so it may take a while to actually go up but for now, take a little teaser: the Prologue! 🤍
Summary: It’s 1915 and The Great War is still ongoing. Men from all over Europe flooded to enlist in a rush of patriotism and dedication to their countries, nineteen-year-old Daniel among them. He’s thrilled to fight for Britain, as most men were, but once in the battlefields of Belgium, he realizes that war is truly not as glorious as he imagined it was.
Warnings: Descriptions of war, death, blood, and major violence. Historical realities written in this novel may be upsetting to some readers.
Disclaimer: Any possibly politically offensive terms used throughout this novel are used solely as historical accuracies and do not reflect the author’s beliefs or personal choices. This novel is in no way meant to glorify war, The First World War in particular, or any of the causalities or experiences of any involved parties. In depth historical research has been done throughout the writing process in order to aim to write as accurately as possible, however, I was not a part of this war or this time period and therefore do not claim that anything written in this novel is 100% accurate by any means.
February 12th, 1915
The silence sat tense over the cream painted living room, settling in a heavy cloud over the floral sofa and Persian rug. He swiped his finger over the top of the mantle as if to lift the dust that was settling by the conversation, rubbing nothing between his fingers before sliding it back in the pockets of his trousers with a sigh.
“I just do not understand why you think you need to do this.” Elizabeth spoke steadily from her spot in the center of the sofa, her back straight and hands folded neatly on her lap. Her green eyes were filled with concern, peaked eyebrows knitted together as she watched him pace across the rug in front of her.
“It’s my duty.” he shrugged lightly, almost guiltily, eyes focussed on the wooden floor of the Victorian parlour.
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I LOVE THIS WTF
ABM - Christian's POV of Daniel ranting about Florence 😂 ~T
This is such a good idea why didn’t I think of this omg. It really shows the behind the scenes of Daniel’s feelings for Florence since the book is mostly focussed around her. I broke this down into three parts so you can see Development™ hehe (also this isn’t as lighthearted as it could have been but everyone likes a sprinkle of angst, right?)
Christmas Break 2018
Daniel lugged his suitcase inside, trying to answer his mother’s desperate questions about how his first term went but he could hardly get a word in as she spoke excitedly about how much she missed him. He only wanted to go upstairs to his room and check his phone notifications to make sure he wasn’t missing any important updates from Florence. She was approaching her due date fast and it had taken her way too many days of convincing to get him to keep with his original plans to go home for Christmas break. Thankfully, after greeting his family with hugs, his mother went to make dinner, leaving Daniel with a moment to breathe and get settled. He stood in the middle of his room, texting her that he arrived home safely, way to distracted to even hear the knock on his door until his older brother was leaning over his shoulder.
“Who ya texting?”
“Jesus, Christian.” Daniel startled, nearly dropping his phone in the process, pressing a hand to his chest.
“I did knock. Who are you talking to?” Christian sat on the side of his bed as Daniel slid his phone in his pocket and started to unpack.
“A friend.” Daniel couldn’t hold back his smile.
“A girlfriend?” Christian pried.
“No.” Daniel shook his head, the slight disappointment in his voice apparent.
“A crush?” Christian tried again.
“We’re friends.” Daniel glared playfully at him. “Best friends.”
“I thought Jack was your best friend.”
“Jack is a good friend. But Florence is my best friend. I love her.”
“I see.” Christian nodded slowly, watching his younger brother’s every move as he hung up his clothes from his suitcase.
“She’s amazing.” Daniel grinned, continuing before Christian even had to ask. “So sweet and so funny. Her family sucked so she’s living with family friends in the city and they are really nice people. Almost as nice as Florence but…not quite.”
“How did you two meet?” Christian chuckled.
“A party actually. Jack made me go and she was there and we started talking and hit it off. She’s pregnant.”
Christian choked on his breath at that sudden statement.
“Not by me!” Daniel rushed out.
“I was gonna say.” Christian sighed, holding a hand to his chest with relief.
“Some jerk from her high school.” Daniel continued, reaching for another shirt from his suitcase, “She’s due soon. December 26th. I really wanted to stay to be there with her for the birth but she told me I should come home still.”
“You wanted to be there to see her birth her child?” Christian gaped. “Daniel, you’ve barely known her more than three months.”
“Two months, really.” Daniel shrugged. “I dunno. I basically lived at the Clifford’s with her for the month of November and the beginning of December.”
“Mom and dad are gonna be pissed. You were staying at a stranger’s house half the term?! What are they paying residence money for then?”
“They don’t need to know.” Daniel smacked him with a t-shirt before putting it on a hanger. “And they aren’t strangers. But, seriously, I’m so excited for the baby. She’s having a girl! A little girl whose gonna be just as perfect as she is, can you believe that?”
“Lord, Daniel, you have it bad, bro.” Christian chuckled, shaking his head.
“I do not! I’m just being a supportive friend.”
“Next thing you’re going to tell me that you went to birth coach classes with her.”
Daniel blinked at him, “Is that bad?”
“Oh my gosh, bro!” Christian laughed, falling backwards onto the bed. “Daniel, this isn’t your baby, dude. Don’t get attached, please, okay?”
Daniel shifted in place a little, playing with the shirt on a hanger that was in his hand still, “She’s gonna name the baby Clementine. Isn’t that cute?”
Christian sat up again, “It is, but, listen to me, bro. Don’t get into your head about this being your life now. She may be a great friend but taking care of her or her child isn’t your responsibility.”
Daniel frowned, turning to hang up the shirt in his closet.
“I’m not telling you to not be supportive or not to take care of or protect your friends,” Christian continued when he sensed that he hurt his little brother’s feelings, “but make sure you put yourself first, okay?”
“I know.” Daniel mumbled. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out. Christian watched his brother’s face break into a smile at whatever was on the screen and he replied excitedly before sliding it back in his pocket and going back to unpacking. “She’s from LA, Chris! Isn’t that so cool?”
Christian simply listened as Daniel rambled on about this girl until dinner was ready…and every day after that until he took an early flight back to Toronto when Florence went into labour. Christian knew very well who his little brother was which meant he knew very well that Daniel was going to get attached and was going to get hurt. He just had to figure that out for himself.
Christmas Break 2019
Daniel definitely did, returning home for the next Christmas break a completely different version of himself. He was still Daniel, the same son and brother that had left for school, but he was different in the sense that nothing seemed to make him happy; not even their mother’s fettuccini alfredo that she made specially for his homecoming.
“How’s Florence? We haven’t heard much about her recently.” Their mother asked over dinner the very first night.
Daniel was twirling his pasta around his fork and he glanced up at her before looking back down to his plate, “We’re not friends anymore.”
Christian watched his family’s expressions draw to concerned, his own frown coming to his face.
“Why’s that, honey?” Keri asked sadly.
“She’s too busy with her boyfriends so…” Daniel took a bite of his dinner through a shrug.
“Plural?” Jeff raised an eyebrow.
“Dunno. I guess.” Daniel shrugged again. “I don’t know what she does with her life. None of my concern.”
“I thought you loved her?” Anna piped up. Christian kicked her under the table.
“Can we change the subject please?” Daniel asked.
The topic of Florence was dropped from that point on. No one brought her up again. Although, it seemed that every other topic of conversation seemed to bring out a slightly bitter or upset addition from Daniel of how it would relate to Florence in any way.
I don’t want to watch that movie. Florence would always watch that.
Florence always washed the dishes this way instead.
Did you know Florence has never been snowboarding?
Christian was sick and tired of it by the last week of December, having suffered nearly a month of his little brother’s moping around and whining. So he helped himself into his room late one evening, the night before New Years Eve, slamming the door loud enough to have Daniel look up from his piano.
“Don’t you knock?” Daniel glared.
“What the hell is up with you, bro? You’re not yourself.” Christian crossed his arms, standing tall in the middle of the room.
“I’m fine.” Daniel retorted, turning back to his piano and lifted his fingers to the keys.
“Ok, let me rephrase.” Christian said. “What happened between you and Florence that has turned you into a human rain cloud? Your depressive attitude almost ruined Christmas for everyone.”
“Your empathy is extraordinary, Chris.” Daniel rolled his eyes.
“So, talk to me, Daniel.” Christian sat on the end of the bed closest to the piano bench.
“I was tired of seeing her with other guys so I told her I don’t want to be friends anymore. That’s it.” Daniel explained sharply.
“Because you love her.” Christian stated.
Daniel dragged his finger over the piano keys to remove the dust. His silence was answer enough.
“Daniel, I told you last year to watch out for yourself otherwise you would get hurt. You get attached and you get hurt. I know you.”
“Fine, then I’ll be all by myself the rest of my life! Alone and single and…and pathetic!” Daniel yelled, whipping around to glare at his older brother, tears welling in his eyes.
“Hey, hey, Daniel, bro, relax.” Christian spoke softly, moving to sit beside him on the piano bench and set a hand on his shoulder. “Relax, okay? I’m not attacking you.”
Daniel’s lips were set in a deep frown and he blinked hard to try and rid the tears from his eyes before they fell, staring down at the piano keys.
“Just talk to me, okay? We’ll figure something out.” Christian spoke softly.
“I haven’t seen Clementine in…in months.” Daniel’s voice wavered and he swallowed thickly. “I miss her. I miss my best friend and I miss the baby so damn much.”
“Then why’d you cut her off instead of talking it out?”
“I was angry. And hurt.” Daniel sighed, quickly wiping away the heavy tear that fell down his cheek. Christian tucked his arm around his brother’s shoulders. “And I hate being single. I hate seeing her with guys that are so much better than me because…but…I…they weren’t there for the things I was there for.”
Daniel looked at his brother who met his saddened gaze. Christian only could nod, encouraging him on.
“I always did so much for her and she never loved me like I loved her.” Daniel whimpered. “I’m fucking pathetic.”
“You’re not pathetic. You’re in love. Almost the same thing but not quite.” Christian chuckled. Daniel barely cracked a smile. “You have to decide if you’re willing to move on and find someone else who is willing to be your girlfriend and keep Florence as a friend or if you would do better without her in your life if it’s too hard.”
Daniel shook his head quickly, “I can’t do life without her, bro.”
“You can’t make her love you.”
“I slept with her.” Daniel blurted out.
Silence fell between them. Christian didn’t know what to say.
“Last month.” Daniel sighed. “We were drunk, and I don’t really remember it and she really does not remember it. But it happened. She initiated it. That means something right?”
“You need to make it right, Daniel.” Christian whispered. “You need to tell her the truth. About your feelings, about why you have been sad, and especially that. She deserves to know what happened.”
Daniel leaned his face against the keys of the piano, the messy notes ringing through his room.
“I’m gonna miss Clementine’s first birthday.”
“Why?” Christian frowned.
“Because I was angry and booked a flight for the fourth instead of the first.”
“Daniel.” Christian groaned.
“I was angry, okay?” Daniel protested, sitting up again.
“First things first, we’re getting you an earlier ticket so you can see the poor kid on her birthday and so you can talk to Florence if it’s the last thing you do.” Christian got up and grabbed Daniel’s laptop from his desk to pass it to him. “And I’m going to watch you book it and get on the plane.”
Daniel nodded and took his laptop, setting it on his lap and opening it up.
“Can’t believe my little brother is the dumbest boy in the country.” Christian grumbled, leaning over his shoulder to watch him open up the booking website.
Mid Summer Break 2020
“Christian.”
Christian sat up straighter in bed, pushing his laptop off of his lap to give his brother’s phone call his full attention. He could tell something was seriously wrong by Daniel’s trembling voice and his soft sniffles from crying.
“Hey, Daniel. What’s up?”
“I think I’m in trouble.”
“What’s going on, buddy?”
“I think have a kid.”
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I FEEL LIKE WRITING BLURBS SEND ME THINGS
Formidable Fluff Starters
“Alright, come here you.”
“I feel like this has been an unnecessarily long hug.”
“Was it necessary to tackle me on sight?”
“Mmmphf. Snicetoseeyoutoo.”
“It’s time for a drink, you and me.”
“You may have stolen my sweater, but I learned to buy doubles.”
“Here, you can have mine.”
“I really needed that… thank you.”
“Hugs are good. Yours are the best.”
“This was my lap. Now apparently this is your lap.”
“You’ve stolen my spot. I know you know it’s my spot”
“There is a blanket big enough for both of us.”
“Playing with my hair? I’m going to fall asleep…”
“Let me brush that out for you.”
“I managed to convince the appropriate people to get you some time off.”
“Lunch is being bought, what do you want?”
“I don’t want to talk to- wait, no never mind, you’re fine.”
“It’s called a spare jacket for a reason y’know.”
“You brought me something?”
“I’m glad you ignored my defiant claims of not needing sleep.”
“Only my favourite people get my special kind of sass.”
“I missed you a lot. Like, I’m going to get corny about it a lot”
“You make a good leaning post.”
“I’m just going to-thank you. I’m good now.”
“I just finished brushing this and you had to go and ruffle it.”
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