* always-andshewrites*

Absolute legend.

Story inspired in part by the lovely fic: In Bloom by Celia_and,

Also inspired in larger part by the artwork entitled “The Star Crossed Lovers” by Andretries.  Please check out her awesome art!

Part 1: Some Loves

She remembers watching her first lovemark bloom at the tender age of four. She already had two others, one on each ankle for her father and mother, respectively. But those had been on her body so long, she must have been an infant when they sprouted. This was the first time she actually got to see it happen. 

Marking the progression as the love burst forth across her skin with her own eyes. 

 Her mother and father had just finished letting her hold her new baby sister for the first time and after she watched in rapt fascination as the tiniest yellow bud unfurled over the top of her wrist. 

A Primrose, as perfect and delicate as her little sister. 

By the time her little sister’s name is called in the Reaping, twelve years later, the primroses have formed an unbreakable ring all around her wrist. 

So of course she volunteers. 

How could she not?  

~

Sometimes you don't want to share a story with others. Sometimes you do want to share it, but no one clicks on the title. So why bother writing it down if the only person you can guarantee will read it is you?

You need to get it out of your head. It just keeps replaying in your imagination on a loop and the only way to get it unstuck is to pin it down on paper.

You need to figure out what the story is. You have a lot of disjointed scenes or lines that you know are connected but you can't quite figure out how.

There's something in the story that's important to you, and you don't want to lose that thing by forgetting it. Future you might find that thing important too.

You want to be able to go back to the story again and again. Maybe to make adjustments over time. Maybe just to revisit a story that gives you the emotional release you need in that moment.

You want to be able to use text-to-speech to read the story aloud to you. Maybe it's a bedtime story. Maybe it's keeping you company while you do errands and chores.

You want to find out whether you can write a story (because not everyone can).

You want to be able to have almost the same story, but a little bit different, and you want to have it 15 times with slight variations. Then you can go through your own personal menu picking exactly the combination of beats that will satisfy you most on this reading.

You enjoy the process of finding just the right words or phrases or scenes to paint the pictures you want to shape the scene.

You want to find the exact rhythm and syllables and structure to make a sentence really sing.

Sad kiss on the forehead :(