Cover by the ever amazing firefly_tells_tales Thank you dear for making the most beautiful cover I can ever have for this one!
Cast:
Shivangi Krishnakumar - Anastasia Millington
Ashwin Kumar Lakshmikanthan- Jasper Hackney
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1813, IN THE COBBLED STREETS OF LONDON.
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It’s just past noon when Anastasia Millington can finally escape her family long enough to make her way into the little bookstore down the street.
She walks with a purpose, bypassing a couple in the gardening section and going straight to the usually empty feminist literature section. Except, this time, a tall man is blocking her path, wearing rather simple clothes and staring down at a familiar book in hand. She knows that book, and, better yet, it’s one of her favorites.
Anastasia stops in her tracks, Steadily, slowly. Taking in the sight of the man that stood in front of her, he had the most perfect lashes and plump lips she had ever seen, she shook her head quickly, coming out of her little reverie. Her heart still doing somersaults at the familiar choice of the Anonymous gallant,
"What an excellent choice! " She says as such, surprising the man who turned to her with a lifted brow. Her breath catches in her chest at the way those words come out of her mouth, Unabashed.
"Is that so?" He asks, a smirk on his face. His eyes are brown - warm and pretty and framed by thick, dark lashes - and Anastasia briefly reconsiders her initial goal of drawing his attention to herself.
Although it wasn't polite for women like her to gape at small town gentlemen, she cared less of the heirachy, like she always does. Society and it's norms never made truce with her outlook towards life,
That's what she liked about the book, it focused on protocols that create a distinction in the most idle lines of the society, these principles and arguments captivated her mind as she had found a familiar voice articulating all her thoughts,
Anastasia Millington came out from her thoughts, as she remembered she had someone awaiting her to share her thoughts,
"Yes. The author doesn't care much for poetry - he's straight to the point and a bit boring at times, but he has clever ideas that really make you think about how little our society bothers to take notice of people's issues when they don't directly affect them. It’s all about intersectional feminism - which, honestly, I'm still a bit unfamiliar with. He argues in favor of considering women’s rights the same as all human rights, especially considering today’s climate - it's, it's excellent. So, if you're looking for that..."
"I’m glad you think I'm clever, at least." He says, and Anastasia blinks as he stretches out a hand from where it covers the author's name.
"Jasper Hackney " He says, revealing a matching name on the cover. She knew the author’s name already, of course - but to have him before her, to have walked straight up to him and talked ,rambled on and on about him to him. It’s awfully embarrassing.
"Oh! Oh, I- I didn't realize."
"I gathered that," but he’s smiling, something warm in his dark gaze. “You mentioned I was a bit boring?” He sounds like he might continue, but Anastasia cuts him off by very nearly smacking herself - a bit loudly, too - in the face.
“I - I didn’t mean to offend. It’s just - well.” Anastasia stumbles over her words and feels a terrible blush arise at her embarrassment and his attention. Jasper 's eyes met hers again,
