Rachel Writes Stories

I like to play the ukulele, read comics, and hang out at the park on sunny days.

[uraniumraven]

What if I reread the goblin emperor for the 11th time? Hm? What if?

[rachelwritesstories]

Oh my god, you would be so valid for this.

[jauntylittlefrillyboy]

Love when a cat puts all 25 pounds of their 9 pound body right on your soft internal organs.

[lizardho]

My biggest fear with bottom surgery is that while I’m healing my big orange son will hop on me (because he LOVES hopping on his mamas) and my whole pussy will fall off :c

[rachelwritesstories]

Ooooh boy, after my hysterectomy, my cat jumped on me ONCE—and my reaction kept her from a repeat performance for the rest of the month I was healing.

[wondertrio]

Jericho suddenly and without explanation finds herself in the middle of a modern day walmart. What's the first thing she does?

you did say the FIRST thing, which would be to get the lay of the land lol

Doing a two-for-one for shopping asks, ty @rachelwritesstories, because Jericho doesn’t care much for Stuff and would rather spend a quiet day in the woods than at a busy market, buuuut

that said, they would fucking love walmart, absolutely would love to buy a gun at the same place as beer at the same place as a bed at the same place as these great climbing bars

[apolladay]

Which notorious English class short story fucked you up the most?

* I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream

*The King in Yellow

* The Lottery

* The Masque of the Red Death

* The Monkey’s Paw

* The Most Dangerous Game

* The Nameless City

* The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

* There Will Come Soft Rains

*The Yellow Wallpaper

* The Veldt

* “you think those were fucked up? What about [X]!”

Which notorious English class short story fucked you up the most?

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream

The King in Yellow

The Lottery

The Masque of the Red Death

The Monkey’s Paw

The Most Dangerous Game

The Nameless City

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

There Will Come Soft Rains

The Yellow Wallpaper

The Veldt

“you think those were fucked up? What about [X]!”

Voting ended onApr 30

[it-grrl]

Okay I have things I should be seeing to but I couldn't help myself. In case you, like me, have not read all of these stories and would like to be amongst the lucky 10,000 today:

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison

The King in Yellow by Robert W Chambers*

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson**

The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe

The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs

The Most Dangerous Game by Richard O'Connell

The Nameless City by HP Lovecraft

The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K LeGuin

There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury

Honorable Mention from the comments/reblogs:

All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury

*note: this is actually a collection of short stories and clocks in at about 72k words

**Originally published in the New Yorker in 1948; interestingly, the New Yorker still has this story archived on their website BEHIND A PAYWALL. CAN YOU IMAGINE.

[phantomrose96]

Get your wiggle on

[rachelwritesstories]

I thought this was a Cosmo Sheldrake “Wriggle” reference—and then I realized he’s got a whole extra “r” in there. Anyway, it’s a banger.

[rachelwritesstories]

I asked my wife Z what could help them engage with improving our shared home, repaired the damage I’d done with my need for control, and supported their exploration to find what they want a home to be.

And now, through collaboration, we get to enjoy a kotatsu.

I’ll let my joy percolate on the long nights under a warm comforter. I’ll let it soak through to bones and erode the plaque of societal expectation.

[rachelwritesstories]

Things we’ve enjoyed with kotatsu.

[magicratfingers]

I’m doing the “visualize your destination” pre work and I’m realizing two things one I’ve never seen anyone nail a ghibli aesthetic (it’s always just mori-kei or green and brown or just clutter like no one seems to get what makes it work) and two I want to go fishing

[rachelwritesstories]

You won’t regret fishing. When my family came to visit me last week, I hyped them into it (except my mom, who refused to muster the whimsy).

We blew a hundred bucks in licenses, rental gear, and tackle. We stood in the cold for 1.5 hours casting lines into a frigid mountain lake full of January-sleepy fish who couldn’t be bothered to bite.

And I got to watch my dad tease clean the twisted line on a rented pole.

I learned about spinner rods and discovered that, growing up, we used fly rods even though we were dropping live bait between rocks for stream fish.

For the hundredth time, I got to hear the story of why my dad never learned to fly fish. How my grandpa quit the sport forever after he lost his father’s fly book in the river.

And and and! The rocking of the deck. The choppy waters spread before us. My wife’s gentle correction of my cast. The low hum of my father’s voice. The pride in my sister’s voice as she talked about her Alaska fishing trip. The residue of bait glitter on fingertips.

Go fishing, definitely. And I’m looking forward to more Ghibli aesthetic revelations.

[rachelwritesstories]

I asked my wife Z what could help them engage with improving our shared home, repaired the damage I’d done with my need for control, and supported their exploration to find what they want a home to be.

And now, through collaboration, we get to enjoy a kotatsu.

I’ll let my joy percolate on the long nights under a warm comforter. I’ll let it soak through to bones and erode the plaque of societal expectation.

[phantomrose96]

This is another post for Me. I'm now on season 2 of my mob psycho 100 gym watch and ACTUALLY, this is my first time watching season 2. (I've read the manga, but never watched season 2.)

Which MIGHT seem like a surprising fact for me considering just how much I've posted about mp100 and *gestures at ao3*. But s2 aired so fresh off the heels of like, the peak ABoT harassment, (and s2 spun up some fresh harassment in no small part due to the Mogami arc) and I couldn't look at canon without stressing about it.

I'm watching s2 now and, as was always known, it's so fucking good.

[rachelwritesstories]

I’m explaining the ABoT harassment arc to my wife like, “All she did was have an evil guy kidnap a boy and put him in a house. It’s like you can’t even write fanfic about a guy kidnapping a boy and putting him in a house without people on tumblr losing their minds. And that’s just two chapters of a guy kidnapping a boy and putting him in a house—two out of 75 chapters in this fic. The rest is about dealing with the fallout of a guy kidnapping a boy and putting him in a house!!!!”

[magicratfingers]

read this one a week ago & haven’t posted it bc I didn’t know what I thought other than it feels bad to read

[rachelwritesstories]

Oh yeah—read that one like 16 years ago and it still sets my teeth on edge whenever I think about it.

[smoothoperatorleclerc]

rb to have an extra gay 2026

[magicratfingers]

im wearing a sweater over a buttonup for the first time in my life (to cosplay one of my creative directors) and its so comfortable??? was no one going to tell me academic nerds were walkin around all perfect temperature comfy cozy?!?!

[rachelwritesstories]

My wife Z built their entire winter wardrobe around this outfit staple.

[niuniente]

Looks Don't Really Matter Much At The Job (仕事に見た目はあんまり関係ないよねって話 ) by Takaki Tsuyoshi

[emotionalmoss]

psa cause i’m seeing WAY too many people saying “ow taking off trans tape hurts so bad” “it’s peeling my skin/leaving abrasions” etc etc

TAKING OFF TRANS TAPE SHOULD NOT HURT

as someone who has incorrectly taken it off multiple times before to the point where it left huge red patches, blistering, and sometimes even bleeding: TAKE YOUR TRANS TAPE OFF CORRECTLY!!!

so here’s my guide as someone who’s been wearing it for around 2 years now, pretty much daily.

it takes time to do it correctly. it’s very time consuming and requires a lot of patience which is why i often wear tape for 5-7 days at a time instead of the recommended 3-4 days, because the removal process takes takes so fucking long. for me it can take around 15-20 minutes, however i do use 3 layers while some people might use 2.

you have to slather your tape in oil. like soak that shit. even if you think it’s enough oil, it’s not enough oil. oil up. you need more oil.

i recommend peeling from the corners first rather than just peeling from any old side. (if you round out the edges of your tape with scissors this doesn’t really apply).

pull SLOWLY. SLOWLY!!! yanking hard will leave abrasions and irritate your skin no matter how lubricated the tape itself is. it’s not like ripping off a bandaid. especially considering breasts are a generally pretty sensitive area. so always tug very slowly.

it should not hurt. it should not hurt. IT SHOULD NOT HURT!!! it’s perfectly normal for it to pinch a little bit, be itchy, or be uncomfortable, but actual stinging pain means you’re doing something wrong. usually because you’re pulling too fast or too hard or you didn’t use enough oil. if it starts to sting or hurt when you’re removing it, let go and apply more oil to the area.

massaging the edges of the tape and areas that you’re peeling from will loosen it a lot. ive found this to be particularly helpful when you start, so i usually apply slightly more oil to the borders and edges of the tape, so that the beginning removal is painless.

be careful around the areas under your arm - like sideboob areas. since trans tape pulls your breasts to the side rather than flattening them in front, if you remove it too harshly, it can cause severe abrasions where the boob has been pulled it to the side. it’s NOT fun and is painful pretty much every time you raise your arms etc. so be very careful and patient with those areas.

always wear nipple covers. this is a given but just in case anyone out there is going to be stupid: do NOT apply it directly over your nipples. the skin there is extremely delicate and it will get damaged even if you’re extremely careful. use nipple covers.

above all, be patient. it is a time consuming process and can be annoying or uncomfortable, but don’t rush. it is not worth it!! it is NOT fun to walk around with your boob areas stinging and irritated!! and it can make future trans tape application more difficult!! so give yourself ample time to do it.

good luck and i hope this helps ! stop taking off your trans tape incorrectly friends

[doingautismsohardformyfandoms]

how do i get nipple covers that arent nipple covers? i cant buy online and even if i had a bank account my parents would want to know what it is, and im not sure what to use instead of oil as well. why would a normal person bring oil into the bathrom with them.

[rachelwritesstories]

You can make nipple covers out of trans tape—just fold it over on itself. The website has vids. (I’m curious whether you have trans tape if you can’t shop online?)

Normal people keep oil in the bathroom for moisturizing and keeping razors in good shape. I wouldn’t be surprised if your family already has a bottle of baby oil sitting in a bathroom cupboard.

[doingautismsohardformyfandoms]

ive heard that baby oil is bad, but some people have said it should be fine, confusing, and we dont have aby oil in the bathroom. i dont havr trams tape buy theres some sports tape in thr bathroom, but can tye nipple cover be bandaids? ive seen people saying tgats an option, and in a book ehen someone was teaching yhe other how, they just used a tissiue

[rachelwritesstories]

It’s chill, my pal—learning a new skill is often confusing. Let’s treat this as a critical thinking exercise to give you more agency and less getting-toss-around-by-strangers’-advice.

What do folks say baby oil is bad for? Removing sticky stuff? Smell? Your skin health?(Breathing?) Are these people, perchance, trying to sell you—or justify purchasing—a more expensive oil? That’s going to affect their bias.

Oils are lubricants, so baby oil is going to do an okay job taking off tape. Maybe a fancier oil might smell better or be less likely to cause break outs but those oils might not meet your monetary or stealthing needs. (Don’t breathe baby oil.)

Weigh those pros and cons. But truly, any skin-safe oil is going to be better than raw-dogging tape removal. You could douse your tape in cooking oil if that’s all you can get your hands on. You might not smell great or feel comfortable, but it’s faster to clean up oil than it is to regrow skin, right?

For binding with tape, you want to be sure you don’t get adhesive on your nips—that’s why we use nipple covers. A tissue could work, but too much tissue might give you an odd lump. Bandaids might work, but depending on the sensitivity and size of your areolae, you might not want adhesive on those either, so be selective about the size and placement. Consider the non-sticky things you could put between your nips and the tape. Experiment with your options until you find what works for you.

[emotionalmoss]

psa cause i’m seeing WAY too many people saying “ow taking off trans tape hurts so bad” “it’s peeling my skin/leaving abrasions” etc etc

TAKING OFF TRANS TAPE SHOULD NOT HURT

as someone who has incorrectly taken it off multiple times before to the point where it left huge red patches, blistering, and sometimes even bleeding: TAKE YOUR TRANS TAPE OFF CORRECTLY!!!

so here’s my guide as someone who’s been wearing it for around 2 years now, pretty much daily.

it takes time to do it correctly. it’s very time consuming and requires a lot of patience which is why i often wear tape for 5-7 days at a time instead of the recommended 3-4 days, because the removal process takes takes so fucking long. for me it can take around 15-20 minutes, however i do use 3 layers while some people might use 2.

you have to slather your tape in oil. like soak that shit. even if you think it’s enough oil, it’s not enough oil. oil up. you need more oil.

i recommend peeling from the corners first rather than just peeling from any old side. (if you round out the edges of your tape with scissors this doesn’t really apply).

pull SLOWLY. SLOWLY!!! yanking hard will leave abrasions and irritate your skin no matter how lubricated the tape itself is. it’s not like ripping off a bandaid. especially considering breasts are a generally pretty sensitive area. so always tug very slowly.

it should not hurt. it should not hurt. IT SHOULD NOT HURT!!! it’s perfectly normal for it to pinch a little bit, be itchy, or be uncomfortable, but actual stinging pain means you’re doing something wrong. usually because you’re pulling too fast or too hard or you didn’t use enough oil. if it starts to sting or hurt when you’re removing it, let go and apply more oil to the area.

massaging the edges of the tape and areas that you’re peeling from will loosen it a lot. ive found this to be particularly helpful when you start, so i usually apply slightly more oil to the borders and edges of the tape, so that the beginning removal is painless.

be careful around the areas under your arm - like sideboob areas. since trans tape pulls your breasts to the side rather than flattening them in front, if you remove it too harshly, it can cause severe abrasions where the boob has been pulled it to the side. it’s NOT fun and is painful pretty much every time you raise your arms etc. so be very careful and patient with those areas.

always wear nipple covers. this is a given but just in case anyone out there is going to be stupid: do NOT apply it directly over your nipples. the skin there is extremely delicate and it will get damaged even if you’re extremely careful. use nipple covers.

above all, be patient. it is a time consuming process and can be annoying or uncomfortable, but don’t rush. it is not worth it!! it is NOT fun to walk around with your boob areas stinging and irritated!! and it can make future trans tape application more difficult!! so give yourself ample time to do it.

good luck and i hope this helps ! stop taking off your trans tape incorrectly friends

[doingautismsohardformyfandoms]

how do i get nipple covers that arent nipple covers? i cant buy online and even if i had a bank account my parents would want to know what it is, and im not sure what to use instead of oil as well. why would a normal person bring oil into the bathrom with them.

[rachelwritesstories]

You can make nipple covers out of trans tape—just fold it over on itself. The website has vids. (I’m curious whether you have trans tape if you can’t shop online?)

Normal people keep oil in the bathroom for moisturizing and keeping razors in good shape. I wouldn’t be surprised if your family already has a bottle of baby oil sitting in a bathroom cupboard.

[magicratfingers]

do you think fish forget they can swim

i’ve only just remembered the world is full of strange and interesting comics and i can go out and find them and gorge myself instead of waiting for one to pass my way

[rachelwritesstories]

As part of your frugal experiment, be sure to see if your local library has Libby and Hoopla! Both have lots of digital copies of amazing comics.

[rembrandtswife]

Still re-reading Network Effect

and I'm having the uncomfortable feeling that I just don't remember stuff I've read the way I used to. I've read this book two, maybe three times already, and while there are bits that lodged in my brain ("Okay, third mom"), a lot of it seems like a first read.

I turn sixty in January. I don't like this trend.

[rachelwritesstories]

Oh, but Network Effect is the most forgettable Murderbot book! There are so many red herrings, pacing issues, and MB anxieties that resolve into nothing.

My wife Z and I spent a half-hour yesterday picking apart the directionless “whose memories were altered?” subplot that could have been removed entirely without any change to the book. And that very trope may be sparking your anxiety. Give Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club a read if you want a more compassionate—and memorable—exploration of memory issues.