#d.a.w. writes

[dark-academian-witch]

August writing challenge day 4

Prompt: Solitaire by The Carpenters

(Added after writing) How it inspired me: The music and the lyrics got to me. Even though the song is about a love that has ended and will never get a chance, I can't help but think that now, the two people that felt it have grown. And maybe, now at least one of them regrets what had been and wants to fix it. I know the verses and lines make no sense for how they're organized, but I think it's more beautiful this way. After all, poetry is about feelings, and feelings rarely make sense.

Solitaire

Without you,

My dear,

Life feels like a

Game of solitaire.

If only

I had you here,

I could walk through hell.

But I know

I am alone

Because I lost,

Yet again,

The only one who ever

Stood by me

In both

The good and the bad

Times.

Oh, dear heart,

How I miss you.

How every inch of me

Aches

At the thought of you.

But I can't

Reach through time

And space

To hold you

Again...

If life

Could give one blessing,

It'd tell you

That I never stopped

Loving you.

That if I ever

Treated you

As less than the gem

You were,

It was merely

A facade,

Meant to protect us.

And after all this time,

Only two things

Still burn in my heart:

I love you

And

I am sorry, dear heart.

And I hope

To find your forgiveness,

For our souls

Were

Woven together

From the finest threads

Fate ever had.

[dark-academian-witch]

August writing challenge day 1

Prompt: This is me trying by Taylor Swift

(Added after writing. Also, very long, but I felt I had to explain what the hell happened in my brain and a little backstory to what I wrote) How it inspired me: Mainly, it was the title. I already had an idea (that I wrote something about like two weeks ago) that I got to further explore writing this and the title tied in with its angst. Then, I read the lyrics and it all clicked, because it starts with two of my OCs (Adam and Percy) kind of arguing because things haven't been going well for a while and the pent up anger and sadness had to go somewhere. Percy, for reasons I'm not going to explain for now, can't remember Adam, and everything makes him feel pressured, and he doesn't know how to cope with it and refuses to talk to Adam or anyone else to not feel like a burden. They both get frustrated, and lash out. Then, they find a way to work with what they have. What happens next relates to the lyrics in a contrasting way, kind of, because while in the song there are no steps towards the solution (even though it's desired), in what I wrote there are some. And considering the situation (and my OCs, which are two stubborn idiots who don't know how to cope with stuff), the few steps taken here are a lot.

This is me trying

"This is me trying." I said. "What else do you want me to do? You never tell me anything..." I sighed. "I've always been an open book to you, why aren't you?"

"Adam... You know I don't remember anything." "I know!" Stars, when did he get so frustrating? Maybe it was all this crazy situation. "But things have always been easy between us. You've always been easy to talk to. Even when we didn't know each other that well."

He looked at the ground. "I just... I feel pressured into doing things, because I may not remember you, but I know when you're feeling bad, I can read your face. And I know it's proof of everything you told me, but... I'm afraid that, if I do something that you told me not to do..."

"That I'll hate you? Stars, Percy. If that happens, I'll tell you. Like I did before all this. Because you're still the same person I fell in love with." I stepped forward. "See? That's one of the things that make me feel that way. You always tell me you love me, and I... I don't know, I don't remember, how to act. I don't remember you, so saying I love you feels fake, but I don't know what I could do to show you that I... Appreciate you."

He looked at me. "Percy, dear, you don't have to do anything special. If something feels right, do it. If we can't find those memories, we can always re-make them." "Are you sure? You're not mad at me?"

I smiled. "I could never." He stepped forward, too. "Then... I guess I'll tell you everything, from now on. Return the favor." "So? What do you want to do, now?"

"I... What's your favourite memory of us?"

I thought about it. The day we got married? No, too fast-forward. Our first date? What happened after that kind of contributed to why he didn't remember me, and it hurt to think about. "The first time we met, why?"

He smiled. "I want to recreate it." "You were here because of your job. We should wait a few months!" He took my hand. "Something must have happened if we ended up like this." He gently traced the scar on my hand with his thumb.

"Then, are you ready for a little trip to the library?" "The library?" "Yes, it was the last room you had to check, so we stayed there and talked until you had to go." A thought crossed my mind. "But first, we have to go to ou- to my room." Correcting our with my hurt a little, but I didn't want to out pressure on him.

"Then, off to our room we go!" He intertwined his fingers with mine. I smiled at how natural it felt. "What's got you so happy?" I shook my head, giggling. "Nothing, why?"

As I did a little more than a year ago, I showed him the portrait Valerian made for me. "It doesn't do you justice, even though he's a good painter. You look a lot better in real life!"

I looked at him. "What did you just say? You never said it!" Percy shrugged. "I must have thought it. And now it felt right to say it. You told me to do anything that felt right!"

I laughed. We kept talking, saying the same things we did that day. With every line, Percy sounded more and more like he did when we met. It filled my heart with joy.

At dinner, he kept fiddling with the business card he had given me, and that he gave me again a few hours ago. "What's wrong?" He looked at me. "Oh, nothing. It's just... I just realized that I'm different than I was back then." "Why?"

"I... I would've been ashamed of myself if I even just thought that a boy was handsome. Today, I told you that I find you handsome, and I enjoyed the way you blushed, even if it was barely noticeable." He smiled. "I'm sure that being around you made me more confident. Because I remember checking your house, at the very least, that I wrote a report about it. And I remember almost every day until I moved here. I know that there's something missing, I always knew it, because I can't remember why I was happy."

He looked at everything around him. "I'm sorry I lost all my memories of you, but in a way, I'm happy I did. Because after what happened, I would need to get used to everything again, but instead, I get to get used to your love again. And if this last week's been just a taste... Then I can't imagine what it was like before."

The smile he gave me warmed my heart. "I can get used to you again too. After all, it means I get to relive all my favourite memories."

I felt stared at. It was Oscar and James, they surely heard everything. Oscar nodded, James gave me a thumbs up. I smiled.

"What?" "These two." I nodded towards Oscar and James. "A thumbs up and a nod led us to become what we did, the fact that today we got a nod and a thumbs up... It feels surreal." "It can only be a good omen. It makes me feel full of hope."

My hand brushed against his. He grabbed it. And we smiled.

[dark-academian-witch]

August writing challenge day 3

Prompt: Headspace by Lewis Capaldi

(Added after writing) How it inspired me: Mainly, it was the title. When I read it, I started to feel inspired. Then, I heard the song. And damn, if the melody didn't fit this mood. It's almost as if this wrote itself!

Headspace

Oscar jerked on the bed. It was stupid, we couldn't really sleep, but we did it anyway.

I hugged him, silently as ever. Then, I took his hand. "Dearest, are you alright?" I spelled on his skin.

He simply nodded. "Yes, my heart. Because I know you're here." The affection in his eyes and in his voice warmed my heart. And his words made it clench.

"Again?" "Yes..." "Do you need anything?" Oscar shook his head. Then, he turned to me. "Can we get some tea?"

We sat down. The mansion was quieter than usual. Still, we were used to it.

"I'm sorry I woke you up, heart."

"You shouldn't. We always went through everything hand in hand, and we always will." I reached out to grab his hand, and he brought mine to his lips, gently kissing it.

"I know, but you... Your suffering was immensely greater than mine. I passed quickly, only one blow, and it landed directly in my heart. You..." I knew what he meant. He wasn't betrayed by his own family. He wasn't backstabbed, literally. He wasn't already in the weakest of states a human could be. He wasn't mourning.

"-me?" I looked up through a thin veil of tears. "Valerian, love, do you hear me?"

I nodded. "Yes. Sorry, I was lost again..." Oscar smiled, and it brought me back to happier memories. A creek, birds chirping, laughter, and the sunlight. It had been the first time we discovered each other.

Oscar held me tightly. "Come back to me..." he whispered. "I am." I spelled on his hand. "I was taken back by happiness."

I cupped his cheek and leaned in. It was almost exactly like that day. "We should do it again."

"What, my heart?" "We should go back to the first day." I signed. "Percy told me Adam wanted to take him somewhere, as a gift for their wedding." Oscar smiled sweetly. "I could ask him if we can come too and go where our love bloomed. It would be my gift to you."

I smiled too. "Yes, please."

I had lost my voice, due to what happened to us. Mostly, because I still couldn't forgive myself for saying too much in an unsafe place, because I was sure it had been because of me. And it destroyed me, but Oscar... Oscar held on. He helped me create a language of my own, that I could speak with my hands. He had always been my rock, my safe haven. If I felt I was lost, I knew he would help me find my way back.

He stroked my hair. "Dear heart, come out of your headspace..." "I'm here, my love."

"I am so thankful that I still get to hold you, dear heart." "I am too." "Do you want to go back to our bed?"

I simply nodded. Oscar picked me up. "You shouldn't tire yourself so much." "I will always take care of you." "It's rotten work." "Not to me. Not if it's you."

I let myself drift off. After all, we were safe now.

[dark-academian-witch]

August writing challenge day 2.

Prompt: Landslide by Fleetwood Mac

(Added after writing) How it inspired me: It took me a while before I found any inspiration, but the lines Can the child in my heart raise above?/Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?/Can I handle the seasons of my life? and the chorus (Well, I've been afraid of changing/'Cause I've built my whole life around you/But time makes you bolder, even children get older/And I'm getting older too) did the trick for me. The chorus made me think of an angsty idea about James and Laurie that has been bouncing sroumd in my brain for a few days. Then, the first three lines made me think of James, because he's been familiar with abandon and being alone ever since he was a child, so after Laurie suddenly dies, he feels like he's a child again and he is wondering for how longer he'll be able to put up with being left by someone he loves before he completely loses himself, because it's a recurring theme in his life, and every time he feels a little more broken inside. The person narrating is Percy because I think that, even though Adam and James have known each other for longer, James and Percy could relate to each other better, because while Adam has had a net of people that have always been there to help him if he was struggling, they didn't. They both had to learn things the harder way, so they know how it feels. And they know that suddenly finding yourself surrounded by people that would give an arm (and more) for them may be overwhelming. So, we get to see them interacting more in this. (James helps Percy a lot in the main storyline, so Percy helping James is nice.)

Landslide

I woke up. Someone was playing a song on the piano. Being careful not to wake up Adam, I got up.

Slowly, I made my way to the library. It was James. I recognized the song, it was Landslide. I waited until he stopped playing before speaking. He probably need some more time alone. "I didn't take you for a Fleetwood Mac kinda person."

He looked startled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up..." He whispered. I sat down next to him and pressed a few keys just for the sake of it. "At least you found an healthier way to cope with your feelings, for now." "Yeah..." "You really miss them, don't you?"

"How could I not? I... I had planned a considerable part of my life around them. We planned our wedding, we were starting to think if we should have adopted kids, if we decided to, we would have adopted two. And we would have went on Sunday hikes all together, and we would put the kids to bed and then dance together in the living room..." While telling me the plans he and Laurie made, James was smiling. "And..." He stared into the void and then, after a few moments, started crying. His tears left crimson stains on his jeans and his hands. It must've been a lot harder on him, to realize that Laurie wasn't there anymore. He was the one who felt their life flying away.

I hugged him. "I'm not that good with feelings, but... I'm here. Adam and I are both here for you. Oscar and Valerian too. And everyone else too. You just need to tell us..."

"Thanks Percy... But... I think I found a solution." He must have drunk too much. "James... Laurie's dead. You can't bring them back."

He looked at me like he knew way more than I did. "There's a way. My mother told me about it. That's why I play the piano at night instead of drinking all day. I need to be sober and stay focused om what I need to do during the day. I'm almost ready to set my plan into motion."

"James, you're worrying me. Please, at least tell me where you have to go and when." "To Heaven, and I'll go in a few days. As I said, I'm almost ready."

What? Did I get that right? "James... You're a demon! Whatever you plan to do, I'm sure that angels will kill you as soon as you approach the Pearly Gates!"

His eyes had a shine hidden in their depths, and I felt like all of us only knew a fraction of who James was. "I am way more than that, Percy Pleding."

I noticed the soft, golden glow crowning his head. It wasn't hard to notice it when the only source of light I had were a few candles here and there and the moon and the stars. He really was more than a simple demon. "Alright... Just, be careful please. It would devastate all of us if we lost you, too."

My hands lightly brushed against the piano as I got up and started walking towards the library's doors. "Percy." I turned, laying an hand on one of the shelves. "Yes, James?"

"You and Adam. Be careful too, I can only do what I plan to once, and we still have a long way to go before we can rest our heads and stop fighting." I nodded. "We will."

And with that, I made my way back to the bed where my husband, the thought still made my heart flutter, laid waiting for me. He surely was awake. After all, I would too if I had been through what he did when they took me.

[dark-academian-witch]

WIP Introduction

Title: A match made in both worlds

Why this title? Because one of the two main characters is from a family that is considered quite influential in both the living's world and in the various afterlives, and his chosen family, which is made of ghosts and other supernatural entities who looked at his family and thought "They seem interesting. I'm going to stick with them for the rest of eternity.", find a person he would be an amazing couple and. You know the "-Would you like to stay for dinner? -WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAY FOREVER?" thing? That's essentially what they did. And the other person thought "I like these ones. I'm going to let them adopt me in the family". So... It's literally a match made in both worlds.

Plot: Adam Pleding lives in his family's mansion with his chosen family. One day, as the government requires, someone from the Ministry of Paranormal Activity Control comes to the mansion to check how things are going. He gets startled by the fact that Adam's mansion is the most haunted place ever. They start talking and soon, they fall in love, and work against quite literally both humans and the Powers That Be to achieve their family and theirs happiness, sticking together through it all.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, I guess. I mean, the world is exactly the same as it right now, except: gay people still don't have rights, humans and supernatural entities coexist peacefully and COVID-19 never happened.

Lenght: for now, ignoring some parts I already wrote because I literally couldn't get them out of my mind, 12 chapters (they're all around 2/3k words. Hopefully).

Main Characters (this is going to be fun):

Adam Pleding, 26 years old. He is the last of an ancient bloodline of people that are gifted with not only being able to see entities at all times, but also, in the case of ghosts, being able to touch them and see their memories on certain days of the year. He is outgoing and friendly, and also really curious and reckless. Sometimes, he falls into depressive episodes because of some rather unpleasant things (read "traumatic experiences"). He lives off music (if it isn't metal, then he most likely has listened to it), ignoring James's dubious advice, Italian cuisine and helping the people he loves. Gender? Cis male. Sexuality? Homosexual.

Percy Longham, 27 years old. He's an officer in the Checkup department of the Ministry of Paranormal Activity Control. He's a little more reserved than Adam and definitely not as reckless as him, but other than that, they're pretty similar. He also went through some bad things, which led him to overworking himself to escape from it. He lives off making sure Adam doesn't die, books, exploring secret passages and making sure the people he loves know that. Gender? Cis male. Sexuality? Gay.

James, several centuries old. He's a demon and, to Adam, an older sibling. He's the textbook definition of a punk person: loud, obnoxious, doesn't really care about anything (except he does). He also is really sarcastic, and reacts to things that hurt him by holding a grudge against it and being bitter. He lives off giving dubious advice to everyone, music (included metal) and chaos. Also making sure the people he cares about are happy, but he'll always deny it. Gender? He presents male because he's too lazy to even just think about being anything else and he likes that form. Sexuality? Pansexual.

Valerian Schackleberg, (1)32 years old. He is the heir of an adequately rich London family. He's caring, overprotective at times and poised. He had some trauma, related to his death, that resulted in him losing his voice, so he created his own sign language. He lives off lounging in the library while Oscar reads for him, reading and glaring at James. Gender? Cis male. Sexuality? Bisexual.

Oscar Schackleberg, (1)34 years old. When he was a young boy, he befriended Valerian. Then, they fell in love and when Oscar's family disowned him, he took Valerian's last name. He is serious, down to earth and unbothered. He also has trauma related to his death, but ignores it in favour of taking care of Valerian. He lives off reading for Valerian, tidying the library and painting. Gender? Cis male... Maybe. He doesn't really care, though, as long as he's with his family. Sexuality? Asexual homoromantic.

Laurie, 35 years old. They're Percy's neighbor, and own an Italian restaurant (of the accurate kind). They're partly a witch, but don't really care about practicing. They're just how you imagine an Italian is: outgoing, passionate and rather stubborn. They're actually fine. They live off cooking, being a graceful host and telling Percy to act on his feelings for Adam. Gender? Genderqueer (they/them). Sexuality? It's confusing, but they would label themself Moronsexual (they have feelings for James, after all).

That's it! I hope you liked getting to know more about my WIP! I'll start publishing it on here in a few days, so if this interested you, stay tuned!

[dark-academian-witch]

Antonio and Giacomo's Pet names

Antonio, about Giacomo

Amore mio: this is a basic one, and in English it's "my love"

Mio poeta: also kinda basic, but really sweet. In English, it's "my poet", because we're talking about Giacomo Leopardi, one of the most famous Italian poets, here!

My dear Giacomo: really, really basic, I know. This, like the next ones (which are also rather basic), doesn't need translation.

My love

My life

Sweet poet: Giacomo was a poet, and this sounded nice. Idk about you, but if a boy called me "sweet poet", I"d melt right there and then.

Giacomo about Antonio

My life: indirectly, right after Antonio tells Giacomo "you are my life".

Anima mia: This is accurate to what remains of their letters, or at least, of those that Giacomo wrote to Antonio, which is why I wanted to include it and keep the pet names to a minimum, from Giacomo's perspective!

[dark-academian-witch]

Blessed be the mystery of love

Part 1

There's a hidden side of history, one of loves lived cautiously behind closed doors...

We shall explore one, today. The love of a young count and his closest friend, who met in sweet Florence, and sought refuge in chaotic, open Naples.

But we won't be seeing anything sweet, today. We're going to watch one of their saddest memories: a death. Let us speak no more, though. Death is sacred, and even more so when it happens under a lover's tearful gaze...

Antonio walked into Giacomo's room, and looked at the stars shining out the window above the Mount Vesuvius, silent guardian of the city. "Amore mio, how are you feeling tonight?"

Giacomo smiled sadly. "Antonio, lay here with me, will you?"

"Of... Of course, mio poeta, but... Why? Are you alright?" His eyes scanned the other's pale face with a frantic worry.

"Yes, and no. But I have to ask something of you."

Antonio laid there, close to his lover, and kissed one of now frail hands. "Anything for you, my dear Giacomo. Anything."

"Then... Go away, when I pass. And take our letters with you. But please, burn them. No one has to know of us..."

Antonio looked at Giacomo as if he suddenly grew another head. "But... I cannot leave you here! I cannot forget you, my love..."

Giacomo shook his head. "I cannot protect you once I leave this earth..."

Antonio took both the poet's hands in his and held them to his chest. "Patroclus did not leave Achilles, and Alexander did not leave Hephaestion, nor did Adrian leave Antinous. Like them, I won't leave you. You are my life, Giacomo, please, don't ask this of me." His voice cracked on the last words.

Giacomo smiled. "And it's the same for me, anima mia, but they were free to feel their love, unlike us... That's why I ask this of you. Please, keep yourself safe... I won't be able to do that for much longer..." It was clear that soeaking was hard for him.

"No... No! Giacomo, please, don't talk like this... You'll live a thousand more days, and I'll stay by your side for a thousand and one. For all of eternity." Antonio cried.

Giacomo put a hand on Antonio's cheek, and smiled when he put his over it, as if to make sure it stayed there."I'm sorry for leaving you, Antonio... Forgive me..." Antonio leant down, and they kissed for the last time.

When he pulled away, Giacomo's eyes were closed, the phantom of a smile on them. Tears rolled down Antonio's cheeks, as he held Giacomo's body in his arms for the last time. "Wait for me, sweet poet, I'll reach you soon..."

[dark-academian-witch]

Spring in December

December,

and nonetheless daisies

are blooming

in a shy smile.

December,

but the puddles say

"March!" as I

jump around and giggle.

And so,

my quartz sky

is rippled.