#myath

From over her mortar Aldruthe grunted, “Bergamot.”

Lulled to a near doze by the rhythmic grate of stone upon stone, her sudden, random word startled Myath -- she was not a soft spoken woman -- and had him staring like one insulted. For all he knew she had. “What?”

CHARACTER   STUDY  /  SENSES

Myath

𝑺𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻.   small  towns.   big  cities.   six  thirty  curfews.   lights  that  take  the  place  of  stars.   blanket  nests.   light  through  blinds  as  a  wake  up  call.   found  family.   finding  a single  star  in  the  middle  of  the  city.   window  shopping.   watching  something  terrible   &    enjoying  it.   growing  numb to  the  sight  of  injustice.   wilted  flowers.   faded  caricatures.   bright,  bold  colors.

𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮.   crickets    &    lightning  bugs.   car  engines   &   ac  units.   a  phone  call  to  mom  or  dad.   laughing  with  friends.   jokes  that  are  so  bad  you  have  to laugh.   the  clicking  of computer  keys.   noise  cancelling headphones.   the  sound  of  silence. muffled  music  from another  room.   drumming  fingertips  on  a  table.   clicking  writing  of pens.   listening  to  a  clock   &   swearing  the  ticks  get slower.   ringing  in  the  ears.   the  voice  of  someone  you  love.   pitch  shifted  songs.

𝑻𝑶𝑼𝑪𝑯.   being  held  close  during  a  long  night.   fleeting  reassurances.   holding  hands  when  you’re  scared.  brushing  fingers  through  strands  of  hair.   freshly  dried  clothes.   bruises  on  your  knuckles.   silk   &   satin.   your  favorite  pet’s  fur  or  feathers. wringing  your  hands  anxiously.   snuggles.   comforters  in  the  dead  of  winter.   nails  against  skin.   cold  metal.   leather  in  summer.

𝑻𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑬.   coffee  in  the  morning.   tea  in  the  evening.   bubblegum  that  lost  its  flavor.  alcohol  burning  the  back  of your  throat.   homemade  cooking,   no  matter  what’s  made.   blood in  your  mouth.   stale  air.   menthol.   fresh  vegetables.   the  first  meal  you  cook  by  yourself  that  tastes  good.    foreign  sweets.   fast  food.   bittersweet.   sour.   spicy.   sweet.   bitter.   too  much  salt  on  fries.

𝑺𝑴𝑬𝑳𝑳.   morning  glories    &    honeysuckles.   freshly  cut  grass.   hot  chocolate  in  the  middle  of  winter.   nail  polish.   acetone.   hospital  rooms.   smoke.   hairspray.   your  favorite  shampoo  or  conditioner.   the  scent  of  home.   perfume.   cologne.   something  burning.   wet  dogs.   copper.   metal.   unemptied  ash  trays.   something  familiar  yet  different.

Angst Meme | Myath

been cheated on | been bullied | told a horrible lie | *stolen something of value | overdosed on drugs | been drunk | passed out | **cheated | bullied someone | punched someone in the face | been beaten up | broken a bone | ***been admitted to a hospital | had a near-death experience | been drugged | done drugs | smoked | kissed someone you weren’t attracted to | bled severely | killed someone | had an attempt on your life | made an attempt on your own life | lost someone | loved someone | gone without food for over three days | gone without sleep for over three days | been tortured | been slapped by a parent or higher up | been abused by someone who should have loved you | had a panic attack | been in a car accident | had sex | had sex with a stranger | been raped | felt raped | passed out from pain | cried yourself to sleep | spent a whole day in bed | hurt yourself | taken your anger out on yourself | taken your anger out on someone you love | been used | felt used | used someone | been terrified | played a cruel game on someone | been dominant | been submissive | been forced to smile | been misgendered | felt too many things at once | laughed when you felt like crying

* -- This and the header image made me remember there’s those ring stories, which I’ll probably never get around to writing. So I’ll add that one of them belongs to Travianne.

** -- I feel the need to specify this has been with card games and other means of gambling only. Myath’s Echo usually nudges him in the right direction so that he doesn’t have to, or that he won’t bungle it up too much when he’s tried to cheat.

Russian Classics Aesthetics

BROTHERS KARAMAZOV: orthodox monasteries, deep woods, starry nights, the sound of paper being torn, dimly lit rooms, withered roses, an unfinished letter, piles of books, the sound of shattering glass, ticking of clocks in a silent house, heavy wooden furniture, the air before a storm, the smell of earth, a crowd of people dressed in black, distant murmurs, emptied streets, the fear of walking alone in dusk CRIME AND PUNISHMENT: coldness of the skin against a blade, slender pale fingers & slightly shaking hands, a red stain blooming on white fabric, lonely steps in a corridor, the slow dripping of water, looking out of the window into the thickening darkness, a single dying candle on the table, listening to one’s breath & counting heartbeats, too many stairs, the desire to be invisible, a subtle memory of kind words THE IDIOT: classical statues, wealth covered with dust, a dark house tainted with inherited madness, an unsettling feeling, long walks in a park, useless chatter, a silken ribbon forgotten on a bench, a melancholic face, an unexpected spring rain, the joy of reading one’s favorite book, the clarity of mind after fully perceiving the world around, looking at a cloudless sky ANNA KARENINA: fields of crops, flowers brought from an early morning walk, the wind caressing a girl’s hair, a bowl of fruit, the smell of ripe pears, the clatter of a spoon against porcelain when stirring tea, children’s laughter coming from the garden, soft sunlight & white curtains, the sensation of velvet against skin, pearls from a ripped necklace spilling on marble floor, a sudden silence in a room full of people WAR AND PEACE: a glass of wine, the brightness of a crystal chandelier, white lace, a raging snow storm, the sound of a door being gently closed, the moment of holding one’s breath before walking in a ball room, indulging in looking at a beautiful earring against light, closing one’s eyes for a moment while dancing, the sweet smell of strawberries, a pair of gloves left on an armchair, the light scent of powder, andrei nikolayevich bolkonsky, gunpowder stuck on skin, smoke inside a burning building, the silence upon returning home, an untranslatable distance, the desperate lure of glory THE MASTER AND MARGARITA: the chaos of a lively city, ambient jazz in an expensive restaurant, jumping on a moving tram, the sight of moscow from the roof of a house, yellow flowers in a vase, leaning out of the window, shelves stacked with books, a small tin box with old photographs, strange shapes in the night sky, laughing in the middle of the night on a balcony, colorful posters for a surreptitious magician’s show floating in the wind EUGENE ONEGIN: a lonely mansion, reading a book in the parlour, a faint piano melody lingering in falling silence, long evenings, passing seasons, discussing french novels of the moment, unspoken thoughts, leaning against the door frame, a quickly averted glance, eating a peach absent-mindedly, bright mornings, footprints in snow, a loud gun-shot terrifying a flock of birds nearby FATHERS AND SONS: a birch grove, morning mist, moss-covered stones near a moor, scientific books, white roses, cheap champagne, a shabby pocket-watch, light-hearted irony, a maladroit cello sonata, freshly mowed grass, letting thoughts come & go, a slow yawn, picturesque plates & bowls filled with traditional dishes, drinking tea on the porch DOCTOR ZHIVAGO: a strange feeling of loss, writing poems in a diary, traveling by train, the hesitation before touching someone’s hand, the gaze of one lost in thought, the warmth of cinnamon, a scarf brightly embellished with flowers, a glass of water, a threadbare jacket, the tempting void, the evanescent serenity of yesterday CHERRY ORCHARD: a lone chair in an empty room, falling blossoms, old samovar, the unsettling need for change, a mirror reflecting the full moon, the disappointment of a glossy object turning worthless after second glance, a piano out of tune