"Shaking the wings of their terrible youths."
Poetry, prose, and essays by Ethan Andersen.
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This Is Just To Speak On A Thousand Martyred Plums
alabamensis alleghaniensis americana andersonii angustifolia buxifolia
A thousand martyrs have made and
sacrificed desire.
A thousand beauties have betrayed
That languish resistless fire.
This untamed heart by hand has brought and
fixed many a wild wandering thought.
This, that being they, broadly, thought they were swell and swallowed
many plums, those relatives cherries firing sprays of juices,
That, used to it, housed within the crisper drawer
which opened before the freezer
I never vowed to sigh in vain
Yet both, though false, were well received.
Youâre fair-pleased to give pain.
What they wish is soon to be believed.
And though talked-about wounds smart,
Your loveâs pleasures only touched your heart.
Given their location,
there is little room, likely,
aside from here,
for breaking my next fast
murrayana munsoniana myrtifolia nigra pensylvanica pumila
Alone shall glory spoil,
And always laughing must we bore away,
For triumphs, without pain or toil,
Without is hell, and in heaven joy.
So while thus they random rove,
You despise fools that whine of love.
Big thanks to @teriyaki-deer for commissioning one of my favorite RWBY ships! As a note, I can confirm the applesauce in oatmeal trick, it does wonders for the consistency. Also, to be clear, Ruby is agender in this, and Blake is genderfluid.
Want to support what I do? You can always commission me, donate through Ko-Fi, or become one of my patrons! Full story on my AO3, and under the cut:
It would be more than fair to say that Ruby Rose had their fair share of talents. They could pit a lien from half a kilometer away, or with just a glance know how to take someone's weapon apart and put it back together to where it worked even better than before. They also had a talent for finding the good in others and the world around them, never letting anything keep them down for long.
Despite this, Ruby still felt somewhat inadequate, especially when they compared themself to their datemates (even if they told them there was no reason for them to do so). Still, they couldn't help it, not when they were dating Blake Belladonna and Pyrrha Nikos. After all, Blake was Blake. They had so much fire, always willing to defend those who couldn't defend themselves and always fighting for justice. It certainly didn't help they were always drop-dead gorgeous, no matter how they chose to present on a given day. And while it seemed like everyone knew of Pyrrha, only Ruby and Blake really knew her. Her kindness, her patience, how she was always driving herself to be even just a little bit better than before, were things only Ruby and Blake really saw.
But on Sundays, their days, Ruby could at least do this for their loves. It was difficult slipping out of bed, but a quick switch with a pillow had Blake and Pyrrha cuddling each other. Making their way to the little kitchenette attached to Team RWBY's dorm, they flicked on the light underneath the microwave to see before getting to work. Ruby set some oats to soak for later before pulling together all the ingredients they needed for their special waffle mix, and soon enough had the batter portioned out and cooking on the griddle.
While keeping an eye on those, Ruby turned their attention to prepping a light fruit salad, with a few kinds of melon, peaches, and berries, putting the bowl in the fridge to keep it cool. They also got out the syrup for later, then started working on a root hash Velvet taught them how to make, dicing up potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots before roasting them all together with some peppers and onions. Ruby then started plating up the waffles, adding just enough syrup and butter to keep from making a mess later, and added some of the root hash and bowls of fruit salad.
That done, they made a pot of quick oatmeal, dividing it up between three bowls before adding the special touches. Applesauce went in all three bowls, with chopped apples, raisins, and cinnamon going in Pyrrha's portion. Ruby then added blueberries and chopped banana to Blake's bowl, and a couple tablespoons of blackberry jam, walnuts, and more chopped banana to their own. Adding those bowls to their respective trays, Ruby then started up the french press using Blake's fancy coffee, figuring the smell would wake their datemates up without risking getting pulled back into bed. As lovely as that would be, Ruby was sure their triad would be up to something today, and wanted to make sure there was enough daylight for them to do it.
Sure enough, the twin pairs of arms draping themselves on them proved the coffee worked, and Ruby gave kisses where they could before shooing the owners over to the table where breakfast awaited. Once they were seated, Ruby set out their coffees, made to taste -- a pinch of salt in Blake's, and vanilla creamer in Pyrrha's -- and a glass of milk for themself. Everyone started digging in, giving themselves time to wake up a bit more, before Pyrrha broke the silence, saying, "You know Ruby, I've been meaning to ask something. What do you put in these waffles to make them so good?"
Blake swallowed their mouthful of said delicious waffles, adding, "I almost recognize the flavor, but for some reason I just can't place it. Whatever you do, it's very good."
Ruby blushed lightly. "Oh, it's not that big a secret. I just add this pumpkin pie spice mix to the batter! It's a trick Yang showed me when she was teaching me how to cook."
Blake nodded, swallowing a mouthful of coffee, and said, "Well, you've clearly been an excellent student, if this spread is anything to go by." They grinned briefly, before eating a spoonful of their oatmeal. "While we're getting you to divulge all your culinary secrets, what do you add to get the oatmeal this consistency? It's not soupy like if you'd just added water, but I can't taste any milk either."
Sitting up straighter, Ruby said, "Now that's a trick not even Yang knows!" They leaned in closer, like they were sharing a big secret. "That's the applesauce. It adds a really nice consistency, and carries none of the risks in case someone," and here Ruby paused to direct a teasing look in Pyrrha's direction, "happens to be lactose-intolerant."
Nodding to themselves, Blake and Pyrrha pressed quick kisses to their datemate's cheeks before going back to eating. Quiet settled over the table, broken only by the clinking of silverware and little sips. After a while, Blake cleared their throat to get their lovers' attention.
"I'm sure you've been wondering what I planned for today, since it's my turn to pick. Well, I figure that to start, Pyrrha, you and I will take care of the dishes while our rosebud here takes a shower. Once we're all ready, there's apparently a neat exhibit at the art museum downtown with some newly-uncovered Classical Mistrali pottery. Then, after lunch, I thought we could wander through the rest of downtown. Then we order dinner in and watch silly cooking shows until bed. How does that sound?"
Ruby fairly vibrated in their seat. "Ooh, ooh, can we watch that one where chefs make stuff with what's already in people's fridges?"
Laughing just a bit, Blake said, "Of course, Ruby, I know that one's your favorite. And you, Pyrrha?"
"Well, it's not a cooking show, but I do like that documentary about the living South Mistrali masters. There's something inspiring about watching people talk shop. And I certainly can't get enough of you doing that, Ruby," said Pyrrha, leaning over to kiss their forehead.
Ruby's blush returned in full force. They stood up, plate clean, and said, "Well, let's get started!" Zooming in to give both their datemates a quick kiss, they used a touch of their semblance to dart into the bathroom.
Chuckling to themselves, Blake and Pyrrha stepped into the kitchenette before stopping abruptly.
Blake turned to Pyrrha, one eyebrow raised. It looked like every countertop had at least a few dirty dishes on them. "Well, now we know why they didn't try to stop us from doing the dishes."
Tangled driftwood lines the shore
Storm-tossed, wind-carved, blurred into
Maybe a maze, or dragon
Lying on the storm-tossed shore
In a maze the wind carved through
Tangled lines forming a nest
Wind-tossed form, shifting again
Storm-tangled shore, now at rest
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Guess who finally managed to spit out some fic for the best ship! Thereâs never enough Purruby, so when Polyshipping Day came around I decided to write a little something. And that little something ended up about 1.5 times the size of my first fic (which, incidentally, was also a poly fic). Anyway, enjoy about 2100 words of Blake, Pyrrha, and Ruby talking about what they want and need from each other, at least for the moment.
And before I forget, happy very belated birthday @xekstrin, and Iâm sorry it took so long to bend my brain into shape and get this out for you.
Iâm also tagging @theivorytowercrumbles because Garlands and Myrrh inspired a good chunk of dialogue in this >:3c
Love is like a knife,
A shy issue for no man, and let him not fear
For his reputation! I say
These things unselfishly. I hope you accept them
In kind. Love is crazy.
Come, my beloved, into the garden.
Sit beside me and consider the lilies.
He works on his wild schemes, tearing off his clothes.
He runs through the mountains, drinking poison,
Alternately selecting destruction and quiet now.
We of little faith?
We talk a lot.
Sit beside me and consider the lilies.
See the little spider trying to wrap a huge wasp.
I think of a web woven throughout the cave
Where Muhammad sleeps! There are love stories,
And in love there is destruction.
Put away your mouthful of words,
and come with me to watch.
Sit beside me and consider the lilies.
You're walking on the edge of the ocean,
Holding up your robes to keep them dry.
Open like the lilies of the field,
And see them there growing like yachts.
Sit beside me and consider the lilies.
You must dive naked under and deeper under,
A thousand times deeper. Love is about flowing down.
The lilies slowly steer their petals
Without nurses or watches.
Sit beside me and consider the lilies.
Represent the sky and the ground will suffer
What's coming. Tell me, in that the country is it worse
In order to be like the field?
Let us look at the view,
A home with white clouds.
Sit beside me and consider the lilies.
Do not put blankets over the drum.
Open fully. Let your spirit's ears
Hear the green domeâs passionate murmur
Track in mud and decorate the halls.
Oh, you loose your kind words.
Sit beside me and consider the lilies.
Let your dressing gown cords be untied.
Shiver, for all this is new love
As above and below. The sun is rising, but which way
Shall it not go at night? I have no more words.
And with your bad words,
Spit them out like stones.
Sit beside me and consider the lilies.
Let the spirit speak quietly,
Crouched near your face.
Come here! Come here!
Come eat my lovely fruits!
Sit beside me and consider the lilies.
These are always long, so Iâm putting this under a cut:
START
INPUT - Restless nights, 45 by alexalisvolat:
You do not kill a goddess.
You open up her chest,
looking for magic
and leaving darkness instead.
You caress her skin
until the stars cut through it
from the inside,
eager to be touched as well.
You look for the universe in her eyes
and you get lost,
while she has to find you again.
You do not kill a goddess,
you do not make her less than she is,
but you lose her,
if while worshiping her
you forget that she bleeds.
RANDOMISE:
looking not her chest make find
up touched her do You
be magic worshiping
stars if forget you
well than the and
she and do while you goddess
in You less
cut eager she for goddess bleeds
until You but she a her open get
that from caress through
has kill the is it to kill
look not leaving instead the her
as lose for You a you again you lost
you not inside You
while eyes skin her
to darkness universe her do
SAMPLE - Sky Poem by Caitlyn Siehl:
looking not her chest make find
up touched her do You
be magic worshiping
stars if forget you
well than the and
she and do while you goddess
in You less
cut eager she for goddess bleeds
until You but she a her open get
that from caress through
has kill the is it to kill
look not leaving instead the her
as lose for You a you again you lost
you not inside You
while eyes skin her
to darkness universe her do
Stars are not small or gentle.
They are writhing and dying and burning.
They are not here to be pretty.
I am trying to learn from them.
DECAY:
forget eager here her
to are worshiping to
her and caress You
her her her a
for goddess do again
leaving small you skin
You you less has
and You instead I
until from look the
in make kill kill
You Stars through for
them while as darkness
be up be to
open writhing while do
not inside her and
you not from cut
looking it not if
do is You you
to find the pretty
dying a are burning
she bleeds you or
but than learn universe
DRUG-ETYMOL:
forget eager [OF aigre "sour, acid; harsh, bitter, rough; eager greedy; lively, active, forceful"] here her
to are worshiping [OE worĂ°scip "condition of being worthy, dignity, glory, distinction, honor, renown"] to
her and caress You
her her her a
for goddess [PIE *ghut- "that which is invoked" and feminine suffix] do again
leaving small you skin
You you less has
and You instead I
until from look the
in make kill [OE cwellan "to kill, murder, execute"] kill
You Stars through for
them while as darkness [OE deorc "dark, obscure, gloomy; sad, cheerless; sinister, wicked"]
be up be to
open writhing [OE wriĂ°an (transitive) "to twist or bend," earlier "to bind or fetter"] while do
not inside her and
you not from cut
looking it not if
do is You you
to find the pretty [OE prĂŠttig "cunning, skillful, artful, wily, astute"]
dying a are burning [PG *brennan "to set on fire"]
she bleeds [OE bledan "to let blood"] you or
but than learn universe [L universum "all things, everybody, all people, the whole world"]
SAMPLE - BĂȘ ĂĂȘ by Chris Nguyen:
You say one thing and I hear
the moon shudder, bone whistle
and shrink. I imagine your laughter
stunning a bird, tilting a window frame, locking
a hundred mouth-sized doors.
forget eager [OF aigre "sour, acid; harsh, bitter, rough; eager greedy; lively, active, forceful"] here her
to are worshiping [OE worĂ°scip "condition of being worthy, dignity, glory, distinction, honor, renown"] to
her and caress You
her her her a
for goddess [PIE *ghut- "that which is invoked" and feminine suffix] do again
leaving small you skin
You you less has
and You instead I
until from look the
in make kill [OE cwellan "to kill, murder, execute"] kill
You Stars through for
them while as darkness [OE deorc "dark, obscure, gloomy; sad, cheerless; sinister, wicked"]
be up be to
open writhing [OE wriĂ°an (transitive) "to twist or bend," earlier "to bind or fetter"] while do
not inside her and
you not from cut
looking it not if
do is You you
to find the pretty [OE prĂŠttig "cunning, skillful, artful, wily, astute"]
dying a are burning [PG *brennan "to set on fire"]
she bleeds [OE bledan "to let blood"] you or
but than learn universe [L universum "all things, everybody, all people, the whole world"]
MIX:
You say one thing and I hear
You forget how eager, with the flavor of sour acid, here with her
you too are worshiping, finding her worthy of dignity, glory, distinction, honor, renown to her and caress You
her! her! her!
all for the goddess, that which is invoked again and again
leaving you small in your skin
the moon shudder, bone whistle
and shrink. I imagine your laughter
You! you now have less, and give from You instead of I
until from her look the
in make her kill or execute, kill Your Stars through
for them while as darkness, that obscure, cheerless, wicked darkness
let yourself be up to that open writhing, to twist or bend, to bind or fetter
stunning a bird, tilting a window frame, locking
a hundred mouth-sized doors.
while do not see inside her and you
nor from cuts, look not if it is You
you to find the pretty, the cunning, the skillful, the artful, the wily, the astute
dying and burning to set on fire
she bleeds to let blood from you or
to learn all things, everybody, all people, the whole world
BABEL-GREEK:
You say one thing and hear
You forget how willing, with the sour taste of acid, here with her
you who love finding the worthy of dignity, glory, distinction, honor, reputation and caress you
this! this! this!
all for the goddess, this invoked again and again
leaving you small in your skin
moon shudder, whistle bone
and shrink. I imagine your laughter
You! you now have less, and give you instead of me
until the gaze
makes you kill or execute, kill your stars through
for them, and as the darkness, this dark, cheerless, evil darkness
let yourself be open until that twitch, twist or bend, to bind or fetter
and not see through and you
nor by the cuts, see if it can not
you can find the beautiful, evil, the skillful, elaborate, the cunning, clever
dying and burning to burned
bleeding to let blood from you or
to learn all things, everyone, everybody, everyone
INCREASE SENSE:
You say one thing and hear
You forget how willing you are, with the sour taste of acid, to be here with her
You who find love with those worthy of dignity, glory, distinction, honor, reputation, and have them caress you
This! This! This! All for the goddess, invoked again and again, leaving you small in your skin
The moon shudders, a whistle of bone
I imagine your laughter and shrink
You! You now have less, and give of yourself instead of me
Until her gaze makes you kill or execute, kill your stars through and through for her,
And as this darkness, this dark, cheerless, evil darkness
Let yourself be open until that twitch, twist, or bend, to bind or fetter
A stunning bird, a tilting window frame,
Lock all of those mouth-sized doors.
And they cannot see through you,
Nor by the cuts, may they see if it cannot
You can find the beautiful, the evil, the skillful, the elaborate, the cunning, the clever
Dying and burning simply to be burned
Bleeding to let blood from you or to learn all things, everyone, everybody, everyone
You say one thing and hear
You forget how willing you are, with the sour taste of acid, to be here with her
You who find love with those worthy of dignity, glory, distinction, honor, reputation, and have them caress you
This! This! This! All for the goddess, invoked again and again, leaving you small in your skin
The moon shudders, a whistle of bone
I imagine your laughter and shrink
You! You now have less, and give of yourself instead of me
Until her gaze makes you kill or execute, kill your stars through and through for her,
And as this darkness, this dark, cheerless, evil darkness
Let yourself be open until that twitch, twist, or bend, to bind or fetter
A stunning bird, a tilting window frame,
Lock all of those mouth-sized doors.
And they cannot see through you,
Nor by the cuts, may they see if it cannot
You can find the beautiful, the evil, the skillful, the elaborate, the cunning, the clever
Dying and burning simply to be burned
Bleeding to let blood from you or to learn all things, everyone, everybody, everyone
Holy crap I finally managed to write something! The Cobralingus Engine is usually a good way to break myself out of a creative rut, and Iâm feeling pretty good about this one. My starting poem was âRestless nights, 45âł by alexalisvolat, and I also sampled Caitlyn Siehlâs âSky Poemâ and an excerpt from âBĂȘ ĂĂȘâ by Nhu XuĂąn Nguyá» n. Iâll put the process in a separate post, since they can get rather long.
Iâd love to write more (and eventually make money doing so), but Iâve been stuck in a brain space where no matter how much I want to, I end up not doing it. Whatâs worked for me in the past is a writing process called cobralingus, and I want to try that again. What Iâd love is for yâall to send in some of your favorite poems or really short prose pieces for me to use as starting points! Iâll always take suggestions so thereâs no time limit, and Iâll start working on them tomorrow evening. Thank you guys so much!
Iâd love to write more (and eventually make money doing so), but Iâve been stuck in a brain space where no matter how much I want to, I end up not doing it. Whatâs worked for me in the past is a writing process called cobralingus, and I want to try that again. What Iâd love is for yâall to send in some of your favorite poems or really short prose pieces for me to use as starting points! Iâll always take suggestions so thereâs no time limit, and Iâll start working on them tomorrow evening. Thank you guys so much!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: RWBY
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Ruby Rose
Characters: Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Ozpin (RWBY)
Additional Tags: Fluff, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Ruby is really really gay, So is Blake but sheâs better at not letting it overwhelm her
Summary:
Ruby, last heir to the Rose Crown is informed that her parents arranged for her to be married to the heir to the Vacuan throne. Despite some initial objections, but Ruby decides that maybe she can make this work. Maybe.
After way too long, I finally wrote something! The RWBY Secret Santa project let me pinch-hit, and I had a lot of fun with this prompt, even if I shot myself in the foot by using third-person limited perspective. @thelifeofacrazyfangirl I really hope you enjoy this!
Lately Iâve been struggling regarding my fears of posting my work, in this case my fiction writing. I lamented the loss of my childhood days when I would just come up with ideas without a care about how âstupidâ it would be or how people would react (if at all).
It seems like Iâm not alone, since I found quite a few inspiring articles and posts regarding the subject. Some are more specific to writing, and the articles may overlap in the points they make, but I hope you find them helpful.
The One Fear that Will Destroy Your Art
How to Overcome Fear & Let Your Creativity Flourish
Creative Block: Is Fear of âGetting It Wrongâ Blocking Your Creativity?
How Fear Chokes Creativity and What to Do About It
Susan Cain: The power of introverts (TED Talk)
5 Strategies for Dealing With Fear
Creativity: Moving Beyond Your Doubts and Fears
The Four Fears That Stop You From Writing
How to Put Your Writing in Public
Are You Too Scared to Write? Stop Thinking and Just do it
Confession: I Fear Sharing My Stories
The cost of not pursuing a dream is greater than the cost of failure. (x)
Just barely in time, hereâs my RWBY Secret Santa gift for @nngillsâ! A little Baked Alaska soulmate AU for the soul. Under the cut, and also available on AO3.
