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chiara, back again for winter in fairyland!!
so i love stravinksy's rite of spring - there's something so viciously beautiful about it, and the idea behind it - of this girl who dances herself to death, full of grace and music and this all-consuming passion - is so so tragically, poetically gorgeous. so i was so excited to see that this had inspired you - and this is such a beautiful story to come out of it.
i lovelovelove the framing of it as a kind of battle: the crowd against her, her against the music, her against herself. the idea of it as a war adds this sharp edge to the idea of her passion for dancing - and to the idea of this crowd watching her, cheering her on, cheering for her to live or die or both (who knows?), with their own passion for the music and the dance. it's tense and violent and it makes the end so perfectly two-toned: the despair of her dying but the joy of the crowd. ugh. it's so so good!
i love the rhythm in this too. the music sweeps and swirls and gets faster and i love the way your writing in this reflects it to, with the repetitions (on and on and on; pressing, always more pressing) and the beat of it: can't stop, not yet, not quite. it's almost like music itself and it's such a change from the slow, contemplative feel of the last drabble and suits this one so so so well.
laura xx
Author's Response:Hi again, Laura! :P
I love this review because I think you are the only one who actually read this in a literal way :P Most people interpreted it more metaphorically, like an athlete burning herself out with intensive training, which I guess is a way to interpret it, and I like it, but I was actually trying to write the actual sacrifice like it happens in Stravinski's rite of spring... I'm not sure why I decided to write this in the first place, actually... it just formed in my head and I had to go with it...
I can see this as a kind of battle. Like, in some ways, she's trying to rebel to her destiny... or at least she's trying to reclaim her own dignity, if that makes sense? I don't know... :P
I'm so glad you liked the rythm of the piece, anyway, and that it seemed to fit the story!
I'm so glad you are enjoying this collection! Thank you so much again for another great review! <3
chiara, it's me again for the winter in fairyland review event!!
i wanna say quickly how much i love that these are all (so far, at least) themed around loneliness and a sense of being separated from other people in a whole bunch of different ways. it's so good and so clever and it's showing off all your skill as a writer to delve into so many different ways of being lonely or separate while making each story distinctive and uniquely its own thing.
i think it must be the effect of the lockdowns, haha, but the first line - the idea of being alone in a crowd - reminded me so strongly of the walks to and from the office in the Before Covid Days: those moments where you're just one person among everyone else, all going to different offices and different jobs in different lives, with different thoughts in their heads. but you're all together: on the same train and then the same pavement, walking almost exactly the same route. and you've put it so well - parallel lives; it's just so so right because that's exactly what it is. and i love the metaphor of that being like background buzz - just noise you don't really pay any attention to, even though it's always there, ignored.
and the ending - the idea that you could change that, that any one person could stop and stop someone else and chat and funadmentally break the way this kind of thing works; but the narrator doesn't (and the implication that, well, no one else does either) is so beautifully nihilistic and inevitable. like, life just goes on the same as always, and it's a cyclical thing that's hard to break. it feels very hopeless, but there's a familiarity to the idea that people are doing the same things day after day and that's almost comforting??
there are so many good lines in this, honestly. i lovelovelove the nothing in common and everything to share bit - especially with the addition of well maybe it's the other way round? it's so philosophical and such a simple question and a simple idea and yet. it's so thought-provoking and i love that.
laura xx
Author's Response:Hi again, Laura, dear! <3
I was trying to explore different ways/meanings of loneliness, so I'm glad it seems to work so far! :)
Walking to/from the office before covid days is exactly what I was describing in this piece... :P It's kind of sad when you think about it, isn't it? All the people around you, going their own way, lost in their own thoughts, and even if you are there in the same moment, you remain strangers... and yes, you could break it if you wanted, but then you just don't? Although I guess there is some kind of comfort in that routine...
Thank you so much for another great review! <3
hey chiara - i'm back for the winter in fairyland review event!!
omg i loved this one - the fairytale themes, the sense of loneliness, of isolation and ignorance; the sense of imprisonment - even if it is in a gilded palace... it's so good and so packed with details!
i have a real soft spot for fairytale-esque things, so this was right up my street and everything about it was so so good: i loved the details of the beautiful things he princess has - her ivory tower, diamonds and jewels, flowers and fruits. everything so perfect and lovely, and who wouldn't want a life where you got everything you wanted without illness or being hungry or being sad?? it's such a seductive image, exactly like our images of fairytales are: painless and constantly happy and dazzlingly beautiful. and the come down after that with the princess' ignorance about the real things in life, good and bad: human-to-human joy and the celebration you have when something wonderful happens for someone else; the changing seasons and the rewards from work.
i liked that the things she doesn't know - the emotions, the beauty - are all fleeting things: they're there one moment and gone the next; whereas the things she does know and does have are all permanent - objects, like jewellery - or if they're not (like the flowers and fruits) she never sees them as anything other than beautiful. it made me feel so sad and kinda wistful, because i can't imagine the idea of living a life where you don't see a beautiful sunrise and enjoy it, even though it vanishes, or you don't go to a wedding or even just hang out with friends and feel the joy in those things too. it makes the beauty before seem really hollow and i lovelovelove that.
your writing in this is so beautiful, too. it's lyrical and sweet, with this lovely timelessly classic feel to it and it's just so so good. i think i could read this ten, twenty times and still find more in it and it's wonderful.
laura xx
Author's Response:Back to answer some reviews... :P
I'm so glad you enjoyed this drabble as well, the fairytalesque atmosphere and all the details! :D
I love your thoughts about how the things she has are all permanent, immutable, while life is made of instants, of things that are fleeting but because of that more precious, while her life, as alluring as it might appear, is somehow empty. I guess that's exactly what I was trying to convey!
I'm so glad you also enjoyed the writing in this! You really flatter me... thank you so much!
Big snowball hug,
Chiara
hey chiara!! dropping by for the winter in fairyland review event!
there's something wonderful and exciting about seeing what people can do with a small word count (and it's especially magical to me, haha, because i'm practically incapable of writing anything short!), especially only 100 words because it's so small and it can make writing really impactful and punchy. and this is exactly what this is: short, impactful, punchy, thoughtful. it works being so short - being longer it would risk becoming almost too sad, but here it's not so much sadness as melancholy and there's a longing to it which comes across so beautifully.
and this one resonated with me so strongly: the idea that people just tell you that it'll happen eventually - you'll understand it one day, at some point. 'when you're older', 'when you're grown up'... that kind of insistence that it happens to everyone - and the almost stubborn refusal for other people to accept that maybe, maybe it doesn't?? and it is v much easier to just smile and nod and go along with the joke(s) (again), because otherwise you'd have to explain things and that's not really much of a fun idea either. ughh and you've captured that all so well: the patience of dealing with the same old questions and the same old comments; the almost clockwork-like response of smiling and nodding.
i loved the mentions of fairytales and destiny. it added a touch of whimsy to this: a bit of childishness and a sense of dreaming - daydreams or not - about what might be, what could be. other lives and other people. and it added a kind of naivity to the people around the narrator in this, while making the narrator feel wiser, but more jaded - and perhaps more honest??
i dunno if any of that made sense, but i loved this - it was so so lovely!!
laura xx
Author's Response:Hi, Laura, my dear! Thank you so much for stopping by and for all these lovely, thoughtful reviews! <3
I'm so glad you thought the drabble format worked well in this, and that you found it impactful <3
And I'm also glad it resonated with you! Well, not glad, but you know what I mean... :P This is a very personal piece, and I'm still in the process of figuring stuff out, but it's kind of comforting knowing that you are not alone, if that makes sense?
So glad you liked the mentions of fairytales and destiny, too! I guess a bit of whimsy and childishness is how my mind works? :P
Thank you so much again for the lovely review!
Love,
Chiara
#FrostKitten Life
This might be my favorite of this collection so far. I could literally hear the music as I read through this. Playing a melody I don't know, but building just as you described and then fading away again into silence. Such a beautifully descritptive drabble.And I love how this ties into your theme of solitude. That this peformance is a monologue with only one person speaking with themselves, a really poetic take on music. This line here, "a tiptoe of notes, only whispered, afraid to disturb, to break an ancient agreement of peace." So captivating.
Author's Response:Hello again! :D
So glad you liked this one, too, and the descriptions of music! I think it's one of my favourites, too... :P
Sometimes solitude is also getting lost in your own passion, right? ;)
Thank you so much for another lovely review, my fellow kitty! <3
Repping for the Frost Kittens again!
Another fantastic piece! (P.S. sorry that these are random and sporatic, but I know they are disconnected so I'm sort of just clicking words that intrique me rather than going through the alphabet). Anywho, this was a solid click because boy did it pack a punch!
You really captured the idea of how jealousy and envy can drive a wedge bewteen people. And I really liked the description of gaslighting, that it's just all in your head and your need to get over it, because that happens so often! But even if it's unfounded, envy is a realy emotion and pretending it's not there does nothing to help process through it.
Last gush - the imagery of a dark curtain being too heavy to bother lifting was perfect for the emotional weight of feeling alone in this way. Just loved it!
Author's Response:So glad you enjoyed this one, too! :D
Envy can be incredibly isolating... and while it does sort of only exist in your head, it doesn't make it any less real or hurtful...
So glad you thought the image of the dark curtain was fitting!
Thank you so much for another great review! <3
And all hail the frost kittens always! ;)
Hey There!
This challenge was such a cool prompt wasn't it? I mean, it nearly killed me, but was also such a creative exercise - and I LOVE the direction you took it!
This drabble specifically really captured a full story in such few words. I loved how you were able to express the theme of how life is a mix of the good and the bad and to have one without the other is no life at all.
I loved the line, "her bliss and damnation," what a powerful reminder that we shouldn't limit ourselves or our choices to what makes us feel safe. To push beyond our own boundaries and risk the pain for the chance of bliss.Wonderfully written. Love. Love. Love.
oh...and also...ALL HAIL THE FROST KITTENS!
Author's Response:Hey! :D
Ah, yes, it was quite a challenge... :P I did struggle to come up with something for each letter... but I'm very proud of myself for completing it! :D (Btw, can I tell you once again how amazing your collection was? It was absolutely brilliant! And this reminds me that I need to check out your new Regulus/Mina novel... I will at some point...) I'm so glad you like the direction I took with this! <3
I'm so glad you liked this one in particular! Yes, life is made of good and bad, and you sort of need the bad to truly appreciate the good and fully experience life.
And yes, you need to take risks to achieve something (which is a reminder I need at times, btw... :P)
Thank you so much, it makes me so happy this resonated with you! <3
All hail the frost kittens!!! :D <3
Hello, Chiara! Here with a fairy princess birthday party wishlist review!
I've been pondering another related abstract noun to solitude lately - loneliness. This one was like a balm to my soul. It didn't make me feel lonely, but rather feel very nostalgic about all those memories I had of being alone and enjoying myself. I just loved how this was such a sensory experience, especially when it came to sound. This drabble was like a verbal description of some of the soundtracks to which I fall asleep, and that was just wonderful.
I think my favourite line from this drabble was: Everything is quiet, in an almost comforting way. That use of "almost" adds such a bittersweet and slightly uncomfortable note to an otherwise very peaceful and soothing description. It brought me back to my initial ponderances on loneliness, which just added such a dimension to this drabble that I wasn't expecting! Such a lovely surprise, really!
xx 800
Author's Response:Hey! :D
Thank you so, so much for stopping by my AP for the wishlist event! <3
I'm so glad you enjoyed this drabble and that it felt soothing! Rain does that, doesn't it? And I'm also so glad that you enjoyed the descriptions, especially the sounds. I'm not much of a descriptive person in general, but I did put a lot of focus on it in this collection, I guess, so I'm glad it worked! :)
Nostalgic and bittersweet is what I was going for, I guess. Yes, there is still a sense of loneliness here.
Thank you so much for the lovely review!
Chiara
For some reason I didn't check the theme of these drabbles before I started reading, but I knew what it was just by the three stories I've read. So if you were ever worried about that, there's your answer :P
Even though this is a sad theme, it didn't feel sad at all. It was a beautiful moment that felt so peaceful and sweet. I can feel the love and dedication this woman has for her partner, how she still speaks with him, and that maybe he speaks back. It was so sweet, I really loved this one!
Author's Response:That's good to know, because I wasn't 100% sure how clear the theme was across the drabbles... :P
I'm so glad this felt peaceful and sweet and not overly sad. I think that's what I was aiming for. It's always hard when we lose someone we love, but it is kind of consoling to think that they are still there, still listening, in some ways.
Thank you for taking the time to check out some of my drabbles! <3
Love thee,
Chiara
I looooove this little moment SO MUCH. Again, your writing is so beautiful here, the rhythm of this short piece is so lovely. But I loved this contrast between screaming children and a silent man. I loved how he feels that same joy, but just doesn't show it. It really warmed my heart, how he just wanted to feel something for that brief moment. So gorgeous!
Author's Response:I'm glad you liked this one, too! I'm glad you liked the contrast between the screaming children and the silent man! As adults there is this sort of expectation to be serious and above enjoying child-like things, but sometimes is the small, child-like things that keep us alive... does it make sense? Anyway, I'm so glad you enjoyed this drabble, too! <3
Oh my goodness the alliteration in this piece. It makes my heart sing! I love the way this story felt to read, the rhythm of the words is amazing.
Envy completely seperates you from other people, and the majority of the time the people you're jealous of don't even know. I think that's a really interesting idea to explore. I loved this!
Author's Response:Hey, B! Hi again! <3
Ah, I'm so glad you liked the rhythm of this drabble! And yes, envy does separate you from other people! I'm so glad you liked the concept behind this!
Thank you for the lovely review! <3
Chiara, this was so stunning!
I absolutely adore this one! I love how content your narrator is in his solitude, and reading this really just made me want to go on an adventure, pack my bags and get a one-way ticket to God knows where!
I loved this line especially: "The world opens up before him, with all his treasures and mysteries" - I love how they're /his/ mysteries already, like he's gained possession of them just by setting out on his journey, and now they're no longer the world's but belong to him to find and conquer! The choice of pronoun is such a small detail but it's such a brilliantly clever and effective choice!
I loved the last line, too, about houses and trees "escaping in the opposite direction" - it almost implies that we're all running from something, even nature and buildings, and it really makes me wonder why our narrator chose to leave his hometown in the first place!
I really did love this so much!
x Julia
Author's Response:I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, too! :D
I guess loneliness can have a positive side, too. I've never travelled completely alone, and I don't think I would have the courage to just pack my things and go like the protagonist of this drabble is doing, but I can definitely see the appeal of it!
I'm a bit embarrassed now, because I think that was actually a typo... but I love your interpretation so much, so I'm going to pretend that's what I was going for! :P
We are all running away from something. I guess the protagonist is just trying to escape from a life that's too trivial and tight-fitting for him.
Thank you! You are the best!
Love,
Chiara
Hi Chiara, I'm back for more of your wonderful drabbles!
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! Given all the warnings, I thought this would be a lot gorier than it turned out to be! I loved how you incorporated those heavy themes with the image of the dancer though! There's this sense of urgency and desperation that you've conveyed so well,and it's so chilling how you contrast something like dancing, which is usually such a joyous exercise, with human sacrifice of all things! And I really loved how it kept getting darker and darker in tone, starting with the flowers, to the way the dancer is destined to lose, to finally death!
I really did not know what to expect from this at first, but the drabble's so captivating that I really enjoyed this one, too!
x Julia
Author's Response:Julia! <3
Thank you so much for coming back! <3
I'm glad you enjoyed this one, too, and that it wasn't too gory, despite the theme (I have no idea why this drabble went in the direction it did, but once the idea got into my mind, I just couldn't not write it...)
I'm glad that the feeling of urgency and desperation came through, and that you appreciated the contrast of the general concept of dancing and the situation depicted here. Also, the way it grows darker.
Thank you so much for the lovely review! <3
Chiara, this one's so beautiful, too! I feel like I'm going to be saying this a lot, although I'm saving the rest of them for the weekend! :D
You've put so many phrases into this that I simply adore! There's so many of them, I could easily end up quoting the whole thing back to you, but my absolute favourites were probaly "background buzzing (onomatopoeia plus aliteration? yes please :P), "rushing through the turbulent waters of life that they don't really own" and "with nothing in common but everything to share" - that last phrase in particular just has me floored, especially with the way you then reverse it: I can really see both everything in common and nothing to share and nothing in common and everything to share being applied to the human condition, and they're both such deeply sad thoughts, in their own way. I can't really decide which of those thoughts I find sadder, and the whole line just leaves me speechless.
And in general, I can just really picture the scene of people in a city, living next to each other but never reaching out to one another - because in the end, we're always to busy, or have somewhere else to be!
I loved this so much!
x Julia
Author's Response:I typed the reply to this review and then I lost the connection... :( ah, well, whatever...
I'm so, so glad you liked the style in this one, as well! And all the individual sentences!!! :)
Yes, I feel like both "everything in common and nothing to share" and the reverse work so well to describe the human condition... and yes, both are such sad thoughts... I'm glad you pointed out this bit in particular because it's one I really feel a lot myself! <3
And the image of the big city, and people just being to busy to interact with each other is exactly the feeling I was trying to capture, so I'm glad you could picture it! <3
Thank you so much once again for the review! <3 <3 <3
Chiara, I'm back again!
This one is so astonishingly pretty, too - It almost reads like poetry! There's such a distinct rhythm, and I love how all of the aliterations you use make the individual fragments just flow into one another so effortlessly - this line was probably my favourite: "working hard for bread, sacrificing time and sweat. Some struggled. Some starved." There's just something about the interplay of the longer sentence followed by two shorter ones, all of the s sounds you've used, the almost-rhyme of bread and sweat - it just flows together so beautifully, and so poetically!
I also really loved how you took those sad images of struggle and stravation, but you've made them part of life, and in a way there's beauty in them, too, just like the truly joyful occasions like love and births, because they're real - which is something the princess misses in her isolation!
This was so beautiful!
x Julia
Author's Response:Hey, Julia! Thank you for stopping by for more! <3
I'm glad you liked this one from a stylistic point of view! I didn't actually put thought into the alliterations/sounds, but it's nice to know that it worked a bit like poetry! <3
That's what I was going for! Of course there's suffering in life, but there's also joy and a richness that the princess in her tower will never experience...
I'm so, so glad you liked this drabble, too! <3
Love,
Chiara
Hi Chiara, I'm here with a review for your birthday!
I'm also sorry for posting and then immediately deleting the first attempt at this, but I'd just assumed that this was written about you, personally, rather than about an original character - and thereby falling right into the patterns of other people making assumptions about you that I complained about in my first review, so I'm sorry for making those assumptions, and I've edited this here to reflect that, even if the body of the review is much the same!
you've just hit the nail on the head! Like, I relate to every single word in this drabble - I'm not really out outside of an online context (and even then only on HPFT, really), and yeah, I usually just let other people assume I'm straight/allo and just not currently interested in a relationship or not very flirtatious because it's so much easier than having to explain or justify your identity to everyone you meet - and I can only imagine how much more draining and anxiety-inducing that must be if you're not fully sure of that identity yourself, as you describe the character being here!
And the second paragraph hits so hard, too! Like, realistically, I know that I don't experience romantic attraction, and that I'm not going to be in a relationship, ever, but it's still so difficult imagining there's any other way, really - the ideal of finding a partner, settling down and having 1.5 kids is just so prevalent in our society that picturing ypur life any differently is still super strange. And the reactions I've gotten from other people, if I have tried to come out IRL are just like you describe - confused, dismissive and belittling. So it is easier to just pretend that I want the same things in life as everybody else, and don't correct the assumptions other people make.
I just loved this so much Chiara, I don't think I've ever related more to any other piece of writing! There's something so comforting in being seen, and in knowing other people are going through the same experiences that you do! Thank you so much for writing this, and I hope you've had the most wonderful birthday!
x Julia
Author's Response:Julia!!! <3 <3 <3
Thank you so much for this suprise birthday review!!! It made me so happy!!! <3 <3 <3
Well... to be completely honest... this is sort of autobiographic? But yes, I understand what to mean about making assumptions, so thank you for thinking about that! <3
And I was actually really nervous about posting this (I don't think I've ever really talked about this, not even on HPFT, except for maybe mentioning it with a few selected people...), but I'm so glad you could relate! <3 I feel like asexuality is especially complicated because it's so hard to comprehend for everyone else? And yes, it's much easier to just pretend that you are straight... and (I think) it is particularly difficult when you are still sort of questioning... anyway...
The idea that you will never be in a relationship, never have the perfect, standard family, it's scary in a way... and yes, once again, it's so hard to explain... I'm glad this was relatable! <3
Thank you so much for this wonderful review and for the birthday wishes! It really means a lot that you liked this drabble so much! <3
Snowball hug,
Chiara
I love how topical/timely this is. I related to everything so strongly, how it’s crazy that lives and real humans are being reduced to numbers because the scale is so large. (It’s particularly maddening when even then the numbers don’t seem to matter?? At least in the United States.) I particularly love how the majority of this drabble consists of questions because it’s so true. Everything is one big question mark right now and there’s no way of knowing how it’ll all end.
When you referenced society’s expectations I wanted to exclaim and shout because YES that’s exactly how it feels! And it’s such a hard thing to continue doing in this madness, as all the days blur together. “Every day is the same as the one before, and the same as the next. The only sounds keeping you company are the ambulance sirens.” This is so bleak but stunningly written.
I love all your drabbles omg. I absolutely cannot wait for more! <3
Love, Eva
Author's Response:This was obviously drawn from my personal experience of the last few months... :( Yes, it's crazy, and so sad, how human lives are reduced to numbers... but also, it's sort of inevitable, I think?
And I'm so, so sorry that the situation in the US has been dealt with so bad... *sending hugs*
It is all a big question mark, isn't it? :(
I'm glad you could agree on the society expectations' bit... it is maddening... and it's so difficult in this time when all days feel the same... I'm glad you thought I expressed all this well! <3
Ahhh, thank you!!! You are the best!!! Hopefully I'll have more drabbles for you soon!!! <3
Huge snowball hug,
Chiara
This is the most beautiful description of piano music ever omg. I love how you aren’t afraid to step outside the realm of musical language !! I feel like often when I read descriptions of music, it’s by musicians who are wonderfully musical but perhaps not the most elegant of writers, but this! This is so good! From your “tiptoe of notes” to the “war of fingers,” I could practically imagine this piece on an almost symphonic scale. I don’t know if you were thinking of any piece in specific, but either way this drabble is amazing.
“And finally silence, and fingers resting on motionless keys.” This ending! It made me pause in awe, in that way that I do at so many beautiful performances.
You are amazing. <3333
Love, Eva
Author's Response:I was particularly thrilled about your opinion on this one, since you are a pianist yourself! <3
And I'm so glad you liked my descriptions here!!! And I'm glad you liked this less technical and more... metaphorical, I guess? way to describe music! <3 And no, I didn't have any specific piece in mind, just the general idea of piano music... :P So glad you liked the ending, too! <3
YOU are amazing!!! Thank you so much again! <3
Chiara
This is so utterly hypnotic -- I swear I read this in a trance. The repetition does SO MUCH to illustrate the ebb and flow of the ocean (and the words you chos, “conquering and retreating,” are so beyond perfect sdkghsl I love everything about this so much).
“as if nature is blushing, embarrassed by that soft touch of water and air” oh my gosh I could drown in your beautiful language! This is gorgeous!! And describing the ocean as a “sleeping giant” is so heartachingly beautiful, I truly don’t think I’m going to look at the ocean the same way after this. <3
Love, Eva
Author's Response:Hypnotic is such a great way to describe this? :O I'm so glad you liked this piece, with the repetitions and the description of sunset (I am quite proud of that bit... :P) and the image of the sleeping giant...
I don't really know what else to say, except, once again, thank you so much! <3
Oh my goodness how do all your drabbles fill me with such longing, I just want to go out into the world like this brave adventurer and live a life separate from the often-claustrophobic houses and schedules and time constraints! The idea of going on a bus and riding into the unknown is so thrilling but scary, and will I ever actually do it? I do not know, but this drabble just completely reignated my desire to.
“houses and trees out of the window escaping in the opposite direction” omg...this line. BIG heart eyes, forever. <333
Love, Eva
Author's Response:I wish I had the courage to just leave everything and follow my dreams/travel the world too... I know that I would never actually do it... :P But I feel you for desiring it! <3
So glad you liked that line! <3 <3 <3
Love you!
The imagery in this one is SO powerful. I practically felt breathless and exhausted just reading these 100 words about the poor sacrificed young woman! I could hear the rhythmic music, feel the thrumming excitement -- I was so immersed in this awful sacrifice ritual! And again, you do such an amazing job with the theme; like the previous drabble, she is surrounded by people but as far removed from them as perhaps possible. She has to face this insurmountable, horrible future alone, with no one to care for her.
“her braids have come loose; her veils are soaked with her sweat” I LOVE THIS??? I read this and saw the most vivid, incredible image -- it’s beautiful and striking and frightening! You’re amazing omg. <3
Love, Eva
Author's Response:I'm not sure why I decided to write about this... it just... happened? But I'm so glad you could imagine the scene, hear the music, feel the exhaustion...
That's exactly what I was going for. She's surrounded by people, she's even the centre of attention, but it's almost like she's in a completely different dimension, trapped with no one to help her out...
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
This one hit me so hard. I tried sitting down and quoting all the lines that hit me most but then it turned out I was quoting all of them. I don’t even know how you captured something that resonates this much, but you did! Particularly at the end when potential shared smiles or hellos are lost because everyone needs to go go go somewhere, I felt this stab of bittersweetness and lost opportunity; you captured that incessant, tugging rush that plagues all of us in our daily lives so unbelievably well. And it is absolutely so isolating, I never ever would have thought to write about solitude in this way, but you did and for that I’m so thankful!!
SO BEAUTIFUL. This collection is absolutely a work of art I adore it so much!
Love, Eva
Author's Response:I think that, with how our society works, we all experience this kind of isolation in our lives. We are always running, rushing, needing to go somewhere, and we don't even have the time to acknowledge the existence of the rest of the world around us. I'm so "glad" this resonated with you (not glad that you experience this, glad that you thought I expressed the feeling well! <3)
Thank you so much! All your reviews make me so happy! <3
I think you picked the most most most perfect theme, and the many amazing, unique ways you chose to interpret it will never cease to amaze me! I absolutely love this depiction of a princess in her tower -- it follows so smoothly after the previous drabble, too, with the “fairytale” language continuing into this one! -- and how her privilege/“elevation” above everyone else means that she misses out on the most fundamental human connections. She misses out on the appreciation of beautiful everyday things around her !
This part made me go all starry-eyed and wistful: “of fields turning gold with wheat in the summer”! Y e s omg, what a beautiful image!!
“surrounded by beauty, by diamonds and jewels, by the most fragrant of flowers and the sweetest of fruits” the way this opens omg, I lovee. It all sounds so beautiful and luxurious on the surface, but there’s nothing deeper in what she has, and the way you illustrated that is so good!
What I also love is the ambiguity of the princess’s decisions -- who’s to blame for her unintentional isolation, her parents for raising her this way, or herself for being content with this? It’s just so sad because she doesn’t even know what she’s missing… This one is so so good. <33
Love, Eva
Author's Response:Aww, thank you! <3 Yes, I guess the theme of solitude is pretty versatile for this, I'm glad you liked the different ways I used it... :P
I'm glad you liked this little fairytalesque drabble! I think I was going with Rapunzel's vibes here? But different, because this princess is not even aware that she's missing out on something... it's really sad, to be honest... :(
I do love that line about the wheat fields, too! <3
That's exactly what I was going for... apparently she has everything that can be desired, but it's all empty and meaningless. And I wouldn't say that I blame her, because she just doesn't know better? I see her more as an unaware prisoner. But I guess it's free to interpretation... ;)
Thank you so much again!!!
Oh, Chiara, these are absolutely incredible!! I read all of them while I was eating breakfast, but my breakfast ended up neglected because of how unbelievably good these are! Your writing is so poetic in each of these, and the way you use this small form so deftly ! I have no words, I’m sorry, but each of these drabbles really touched me in the best of ways! I’m going to try and go through all of them and leave (hopefully coherent) thoughts! I really must thank Emily for coming up with this challenge omg. <3
The first one reads so personally -- I loved it. Like, from the opening words, I found myself so so engrossed in this drabble! Its subject is so important, too. In particular, this line -- “The fairytale they've been telling you since you were born” -- is perfect. I love the use of “fairytale” because it does two incredible things in the context of this sentence: (1) it implies that what they tell you is fabricated, made-up, which is so true because not everyone needs a partner or “the one” in their lives, no matter how much people around you say so, and (2) it really really hits home how they tell you these things ever since you’re a small child.
This whole drabble left me feeling this weary sort of sadness, if that makes sense -- I can’t quite put it into words properly but my chest is filled with Emotion which I think is so amazing. This is such a beautiful first drabble!! <3
Love, Eva
Author's Response:EVA!!!
First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to read and review all of the drabbles posted so far (I really need to start working on the rest of the collection... hopefully I'll get some inspiration soon... :P)
I'm so, so glad all of these touched you! You are way too sweet to me! And yes, Emily had a wonderful idea with this challenge! <3
This first one is sort of autobiographic... I don't really get to talk much about my sexuality (mostly for all the reasons I listed here and because I'm still sort of questioning?) but it was good to use this occasion to express myself a little? And yes, that's exactly what I was going for with the fairytale bit... we grow up with this image of "the knight in shining armour rescuing the princess and they lived happily ever after" and we are led to believe that's how it is supposed to work, but it doesn't work like that at all... not for everyone, at least...
I'm so glad this filled you with emotion! It is kind of sad, I guess... Thank you for sharing your thoughts, it means a lot! <3
Love you,
Chiara
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