OVE chapters 21 & 22
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Chapter 21
Suffice it to say, after Tyler’s arson…
[...]
Who was the one whispering into her father’s ear?
I’m sorry, but did this fuckwit seriously ask who was whispering into her dad’s ear? DO YOU EVEN FUCKING HAVE TO ASK?!
IT IS THE ONE WHO FUCKING UPPED THE ANTE AND BURNED A CHILD ALIVE IN FRONT OF HUNDREDS OF WITNESSES.
So what wasn’t she seeingm now?
This isn’t my typo; this was the fucking published book. What the hell.
I WOULD ASK WHERE THE EDITOR WAS, BUT I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE WAS NONE.
Juliette shot him a warning glare as she walked to the door, but Marshall only grinned. “Goodbye, you menace.”
Chapter 21 summary: A week after Tyler’s attack, and things went to hell in a handbasket. Juliette has been trying to contact all of the hotels to ask if a guest has been making too much noise and leaving too big of a mess, but is getting nowhere. What’s worse (in her opinion) is that Roma has been ignoring all of her messages.
She confesses to Kathleen that she feels like there should have been another attack, and the fact that there have only been 2 is worrying to her. Kathleen reminds her that this person is after money, not to spread fear like Paul wanted.
Juliette goes into her father’s office, to find a nationalist and Tyler. Apparently, they finished the vaccination, and Tyler is jumping on the opportunity for them to make bank from this. Juliette chides the government official by shaming him about letting people in his city suffer, but the man doesn’t give a shit. The guy legit thinks that charging people to not die from this unnatural plague is somehow going to stop the communists from winning. (No, I don’t follow that logic, either.)
Juliette reports back to Kathleen what the man told her: that the white flowers aligned themselves with the commies. Kathleen goes to make a call, and when she comes back, she says that it’s partially true. That it’s not Lord and Roma, but rather, a sect that’s pulling further and further away from the whites by the day. Juliette thinks that this is the commie attempts to get rid of both gangs, and then to weaken the Nationalists. Katleen encourages Juliette to… literally not.
Then Kathleen mentions Rose’s secret boyfriend. It’s obvious that Juliette doesn’t give a shit about it, so I don’t care, either.
Juliette goes to Marshall, to ask about the white’s relationship with communists. He explains to her that most of the whites are refugees who fled from the reign of terror that came down upon Russia… which is way too much Russian political history in a book about Chinese political history wrapped up in a disguise as supernatural Romeo and Juliette. He continues on to tell Juliette about the government official her father had been meeting with. That he’s like a dog who won’t release a bone, so good luck getting the vaccination to the city. Before she leaves again, she tells him to stay inside.
Chapter 22
And all in one breath, Rosalind said, “Because he’s associated with the White Flowers, okay?”
Look, this book barely gives a shit about the main Romeo and Juliette subplot. It really doesn’t have time for a SECOND one with a character that the book also doesn’t give a shit about.
Without waiting for an answer, Juliette hauled Alisa by the arm and took off.
Chapter 22 summary: Juliette rushes back to help accompany her mother to the woman’s temple. In there, Juliette confronts Rose about the rumors that she has a boyfriend. Rose confesses that her boyfriend is a White Flower. She insists that she’s convincing him to leave the whites, but somehow I doubt that things are going to work out for her.
Juliette watches as her mother meets with a client. This probably will be important, but Juliette doesn’t give a shit. She mulls over the plot instead, which is maddening because she adds nothing to it.
As she looks around the temple some more, she sees Alisa sitting in the back corner, reading a book. The young girl tells Juliette she had hoped that nobody would mind since she was in a temple. She goes on to say that everybody is gathered for the funeral, and Juliette panics, knowing that the procession would lead them right past where they are… Where Tyler is waiting for them to come out.
Juliette runs out, only to find Tyler locked in battle with an unnamed white. She herself is then cornered by both Roma and Demetri. This amounts to nothing before Juliette randomly grabs Alisa– who had followed Juliette out– and takes off.
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can i just word vomit for a min...
there was a point in late 2023 where i felt like i overstayed my welcome on simblr and i planned on just wrapping frozen pines up as quickly as possible and moving on. continuing to write when it's clear that the audience for it is dwindling felt so embarrassing that i almost didn't even want to put effort into it anymore, because i was afraid it just looked pathetic (obligatory disclaimer: no one made me feel this way, you're all so lovely, it's just the nature of seeing a community change over 7 years). writing already feels very personal to me and it's becoming increasingly harder for me to put my work out there (again, for reasons unrelated to simblr and entirely related to mental illness 🤙🏻). i know my story is so long that it deters new readers, and so sporadic that it makes old readers drop off with time. this has really been bothering me lately because i don't know what i can do to fix it. i don't think there IS anything i can do.
but. okay. don't make fun of me for saying this. dan and phil returning to youtube kinda changed my mindset? they may be pulling a fraction of the views they got in their peak, but they're happier than they've ever been and they're working on things they actually want to do, not things they think will be particularly popular. seeing that has made me realize that it is possible to keep finding joy in a community that has largely moved on without you. obviously my little blog is nowhere near the same scale, so this feels kind of silly, but i've been thinking about all the things i used to do on simblr that were never fun for me, i mainly did them because i knew they would get notes or because i felt like i had to do it. making cc, lookbooks, sim requests, reshade help (oh my god the reshade help), lot downloads, etc. they DID get notes, but i can't imagine spending my time doing any of that stuff ever again tbh.
on top of that, it makes me sad to scroll through my dash and realize that i don't recognize most of the people i see anymore. i still talk to some wonderful people here who i consider friends and that's invaluable to me (💖), but the broader community aspect is something i no longer feel a part of. and believe me, i know i'm at fault here because it's not like i'm going out of my way to talk to new people or participate in trends like i used to. i don't blame anyone except the passage of time!!
frozen pines, and simblr by extension, played such a gigantic part in my life when i needed it the most. and that's not to say that i don't still care about it, because i absolutely do, but it's a different kind of feeling. i've always promised that i would give frozen pines a satisfying conclusion rather than silently abandoning it someday, and though i do intend to keep that promise, i know it's possible that i might never get there. but i don't want to let my own insecurities get in the way of something i really enjoy doing. writing is an intrinsic piece of me that i'll never quit doing, but sharing my writing on tumblr is something that can't (and shouldn't) last forever. i know that. but i'm going to enjoy it to the fullest while we're all still here together 💞
to anyone who's still reading my silly story after all these years (especially those of you who still check in on my blog even though you're not on simblr anymore): thank you thank you thank you THANK YOUUU. you don't have to change a single thing about what you're doing. this is not me fishing for compliments or putting down an ultimatum, this is just me trying to make sense of my feelings.
but with all this being said, i've decided to quit simblr and start my own exclusive streaming service for $60 a year, i hope you'll all support me as i increase my production value 😌
(just kidding. ily. okay that's all)
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A Four Letter Word chapters 14, 15, & epilogue
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Chapter 14
Skye sits next to me and asks me how I'm doing and whatnot. She's really not that bad— kinda sweet even. I decide to give her a chance, even though something in
the way Ash calls her Barbie Doll sets of my radar, but I let it go for now.
That would be the part of you that screams against pitting women against women and Ashlee's internalized misogyny.
I find Evan just watching, his lips set in a thin line, before a small, very small, smile tugs at his lips. I think he mouths, "Congrats." Just as the complete and utter joy that is consuming me starts to change into something else entirely, I am drawn back to four gushing girls. Yep, Geoffrey and Patrick are included in that mix. Geoffrey and Ashlee start to argue about who will be the wedding planner, and all I can do is watch Evan walk away. For something reason, the idea crawls into the forefront of my mind; my best friend is also walking away from me.
Look, I don't have an ounce of sympathy for Evan. He hid his feelings and now he's paying the price.
I'm legit going to scream if Zoey dumps Griffin at the altar for this shitstain of a human who couldn't even get it together to confess to the girl he loved... FOR TEN YEARS.
"It's not like that, Zoey. Seriously, I've been busy," he repeats.
I don't believe him. "I miss you. I miss us," I honestly tell him.
"You have Griffin, what do you need me for?" His voice is detached.
The dude is so butthurt over being friendzoned despite him saying nothing to her for over 10 years that he's literally going to end this friendship.
I would say he's an incel, but he seems intent on having his own rebound relationships with pretty blondes.
"Stop. Just stop. I can't be there for you, Zoey. Not now. Not anymore. You have Griffin, and I have Skye. This friendship of ours won't be the same, isn't the same. You don't need to rely on me anymore.”
That's now how friendships are supposed to work.
Although I honestly think that it's really telling that Evan is calling Zoey's relationship with him as “dependent”. This guy has a raging incel mentality when it comes to Zoey. If he can't have her, then she's a shitty person who doesn't deserve to have friends.
"You love me?"
"I love you."
"You can't."
"Yes I can."
"No, you can't. Not today. Not now. I've waited so long to hear you say those words.”
[…]
"Zoey…"
"Evan, just go."
GOOD.
In a flash, Evan's hand snakes up my back and cradles my head. He leans in, and his lips hover over mine. And then he kisses me. His warm, plump lips mold to mine—fitting perfectly, as if they were meant to fit together.
Right. So he disrespects her wishes to leave and decides to sexually assault her.
"Evan, I…I…I don't…you need to leave."
GOOD. FILE A FUCKING RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST THAT JERK.
"Okay then, it's time to get you married." And with that, we leave the bridal suite behind.
Chapter 14 summary: Some time passes, and Evan begins to pull away from Zoey more and more. She's frustrated and hurt by it, and continues to be blind about his feelings for her. Ashlee makes it way worse by pointedly asking Zoey about how she'd slept with Griffin in front of Evan.
One day, everybody is at a baseball game, including Evan's latest blonde bimbo girlfriend, Skye. (She isn't important.) Griffin comes back from the concession stand and pops the question. Everybody is excited, but Evan just leaves.
As Zoey plans her wedding, Evan always has some excuse not to be around her. Except Zoey knows that he's not that busy if he can meet up with Ashlee and his brother from time to time. She goes to his work and calls him out before she asks him to be her man of honor (male “maid of honor”). He refuses, and says he's not going to her wedding at all.
Later, at the actual wedding, as Zoey is getting ready before the ceremony, Evan comes in and confesses his love. Zoey rejects him over and over. He insists and kisses her, but she tells him to get the fuck out.
"So, your number?" My ears register his words.
I look down, and in my hand is a cell phone. When I look up at him, he
smiles and nods toward the phone. Griffin.
YO WHAT THE FUCK. LITERALLY NONE OF IT WAS REAL?!
A tissue is passed to me a couple of times, especially when I relive Evan walking out of the bridal suite—walking out on me.
This girl needs serious mental help if she's experiencing vivid hallucinations that are impacting her that deeply.
I finally have found that elusive four letter word, and it's wrapped around me. And I'm never letting it go.
Chapter 15 summary: THE ENTIRE FUCKING THING WAS THE ON-SET OF A GODDAMNED SCHIZOPHRENIC DISORDER IN ZOEY OR SOME GODDAMNED SHIT. LITERALLY NOTHING WAS REAL. She comes back to herself and flips the fuck out. This goes on for way too long, with Patrick, Geoffrey, and Ashlee just trying to get her to calm down. Eventually, they convince her to confess her feelings to Evan, and that goes on for way too long.
Zoey later goes over to his apartment and they confess their feelings. At this point, I literally don't care. They could have turned into hippos and I wouldn't give a shit. We wasted an entire fucking book only for it to be that ending.
You know what, I take it back. Zoey leaving Griffin at the altar seems better in comparison to this shit.
Epilogue
He tenderly kisses my neck. I snuggle into him and can't help but smile. It's funny how history has a habit of repeating itself.
Epilogue summary: Following that fucking terrible ending, I literally do not give a shit about the actual happy ending. 16 years later, they're still in love. Zoey watches as her own daughter goes through the same kind of emotional turmoil she went through with Evan. Zoey and Evan are like “young love”.
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