To Be, Rather Than To Seem - ˗ˏˋ⭒ M A D S ⭒ˊˎ˗ - Wattpad

Story cover for To Be, Rather Than To Seem by CrownedMadness

To Be, Rather Than To Seem

Reads 993
Votes 152
Parts 8
Time 30m

Reads 993
Votes 152
Parts 8
Time 30m

[Disclaimer: This book is a first draft and is currently on hold as it's in the process of transitioning to a full novel.]

How many friends do you have? 

When a stray thought forces Will Marte to notice the oddities in his everyday life, what follows is a reflection on the friendly relationships he has and had and a contemplation on the question: what is a friend? 

Having had an unconventional upbringing, he still feels its effects as an adult. Now, everyone around him is aging normally in their conventional life, and he doesn't know how to be rather than to seem. 

                                             ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Published in February 2024 for Open Novella Contest 2024
Copyright © by CrownedMadness (Maddy Alson) 2024All Rights Reserved

Table of contents

8 parts

Sign up to add To Be, Rather Than To Seem to your library and receive updates

or

Content Guidelines

You may also like

Unexpected by storiesbykris97

I don't really know what I was expecting, and it sure as hell wasn't this. Whatever this is...it's even better than I could have imagined. The mystery, the anonymity, the sense of excitement that has reawakened something in me that I haven't felt in what seems like a lifetime ago. The way his hands caress my body, his fingers gently tracing along my skin; my lips against his neck and hands in his hair, wanting him the way he wants me... I'm learning to love the unexpected... **** Still recovering from the heartbreak of a failed engagement, Kristine reluctantly agrees to a girls night out. A night that is meant for her to let loose and forget about her unsuccessful dating life, leads Kristine to meet a mysterious stranger who brings her body back to life in ways she didn't believe possible. This unexpected intimate encounter leads to much more with a man she knows only as E. *STORY COMPLETE BUT ACTIVELY EDITING*

our troubled love ᵒˡᵈ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ by luxverse

Maybe it's fate, or just bad luck. But these two young adults continue to encounter obstacles as they try to find their way to happiness. Will they let these obstacles tear them apart, will their love last? ••• After her mother's death, sixteen year old Jia Bates becomes distant from everyone and refuses to let anyone make their way into her life, in fear of losing someone else. She lives like this for six years, until on one rainy afternoon, she befriends a stranger who becomes the only person who's able to make her happy again. With both of them coping with struggles of their own, they become each other's lifeline. But even after finding each other, life just keeps throwing them curveballs, and it's up to them to overcome them. **PREVIOUSLY "Blind Love"** (IM SORRY FOR ALL THE NAME CHANGES!!)

Welcome Home Age Regression sfw :) [Requests Open] by Smith_Samuel17

To anyone who added this book to a reading list that seemed to be NSFW or a reading list that has NSFW books in it; Please remove it. Now. This is SFW, not NSFW. I have boundaries. Please remove it. I can see who adds it to their non-private reading lists through my notifications, and I look through whatever reading lists my book was added to. I've already blocked someone like this by noticing there were clearly NSFW ones in there. Maybe they like both, or maybe they didn't notice. I'm not taking any chances. This is strictly SFW. I don't want this book to be viewed as anything other than SFW. - I haven't seen too many books like this, so I'm making my own! SFW (Safe For Work)! This is not and will never be NSFW (Not Safe For Work)! Age regression is a completely sfw coping mechanism where someone (an age regressor, also known as a "Little") reverts their mind to a younger mindset known as "little space". A caregiver is someone who cares for a Little while they are in Little Space Ships: Eddie x Frank That's- yeah, that's it. I'll take requests for two people to be together for something, like you wanting them to be together to be caregivers of someone else, but they don't have to be together for that. I may change my mind and add new ships, specifically if any become canon. Also, you can change the ships for a chapter if you'd like. No romantic situations during regression, at all. I take requests, and would love it if you all requested! There is a chapter specifically for doing so. That's basically it! Read info for more info, and enjoy! (I am both an age regressor and possible caregiver myself, by the way.) Upload schedule: Inconsistent, as I have other books in the making. Welcome Home does not belong to me, I only own this story and my OC, Samuel Smith. Welcome Home was created by Clown. 12/21/25: Yes, this book is still open. I'm just working on a lot of other books that haven't been published yet.

Hug Me When It Rains [18+] by Sunshine02Snow04

We all have fallen hopelessly in love with someone in our young tender age of innocence. Except few who get through it happily others get heart broken experiencing the bittersweet pain which remains in the life till the eternal sleep. Some choose to confess while some choose to keep it to themselves. No matter what it's a sweet part of life. ✿♡♡✿ Looking outside at the rain I badly wanted a hug from him. I just miss this human so much always like never before. Looking at one of the 3 pictures he had sent me I just couldn't help from noticing those lips and exposed neck. "You know you have got a kissable lips and necks" I sent the message nervously waiting for a reply with excitement. A minute a has passed and I'm regretting it. Maybe I shouldn't have said that at least not now that we are talking again. But a smile made to my lips when I saw his reply. "Oh really?" It was a simple response yet I couldn't help myself from smiling like a teenager. He has always been reserved except for a few instances but I simply love it. I didn't want to make him wait for too long so I typed a response immediately. "Have I ever lied to you?" Seeing the purple heart reaction from his side I couldn't help just smile more and calm down my racing heart. ✿♡♡✿ Two hearts torn apart due to differences but what happens when destiny brings them together in life. To the world it was a forbidden love but to them it was the beautiful comfort they could ever find in each other. This book is about a love that developed between two hearts when they never planned for it. With a pinch of reality and fiction it's a love story between a 20 year old boy and 22 year old girl. He was reserved with his words while she was expressive. He was a mature person while she was a little kid to him. She was ready to fight the world but he was confused.

Sleeping in the Fire | Eddie Munson by Unsettlingg

"What's the first thing you want to do when we get out of here?" Eddie asks, breaking the silence. I think about it, quiet for a moment or two. I want so badly to say 'I want to kiss you. I want to make sure you're safe, that everyone is safe, and kiss you then and there knowing everything will be okay now. To hide you with me, the way that I hide. Where nobody will find you. And if someone tries, I'll protect you from them again and again. Just to be with you, and for you to know you are safe and loved.' Stupidly, I don't say any of that. "I don't know. I think I'd like to act like this all never happened." - Having been turned at such a young age meant growing up without guidance, without comfort, without a warm hand to hold. As much as I always longed for a friend, it was far too terrifying to open myself up to someone who I could never tell the full truth to. That is, until the last few weeks of my senior year. I thought that I would leave school having known no one, until a group of mismatched kids invite me to play a game with them. A problem only presents itself when I can't take my eyes off their Dungeon Master. - 🖤 COVER ART BY @ARTSACBI ON TUMBLR 🖤

Finding Carla by CYDream1

She was living an ordinary life until he came into her life.... The past that she has always known may not be what she thought all along.... Secrets will be revealed.... Fall in love with Carla and Santi in this heartwarming story with a twist of humor and surprises about finding oneself and finding love in the process.... A story about love, friendship and family.... Excerpt: "So, are you saying that I look gorgeous like my mom?" I teased her. She blushed at my question. "Admit it. You found me sexy the first time you saw me. I remembered you checking me out." I continued teasing her. She turned crimson red with my remark. "Of course not! You're so full of yourself! You arrogant prick!" She was about to punch me again, but I caught her hand and held it. I love the feel of her hand against mine. I squeezed it gently. I felt her suddenly tense up. She removed her hand from my grip and I hesitantly let it go. I could tell she felt awkward, but it felt natural to me. Like her hand was meant to be molded next to mine....

Skinny Love by allygraveswrites

❝𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮'𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝙤𝙛. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥. 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩. 𝙑𝙪𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚. 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙. 𝙂𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙮. 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙. 𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.❞ Control. That's all Brylee wants. Control of her mind. Her weight. Her life. She may have a slightly unhealthy relationship with food, but she's fine. At least, that's what she tells herself. Then he comes along - the one she swore she would never let in again. His mind is an enigma. But maybe he's not as bad as she thought. Or maybe he's even worse, she can't decide. As their senior year progresses, secrets become harder to keep in the dark. She's losing control. And so is he. But sometimes losing control is a good thing.

What is Home by droppingashley

Some people are born into a home that was made for them, others have to spend years fighting for their place in this world. Charlee spent sixteen years thinking she was home only to realize she never understood what a home should feel like. Will she be able to find her place in this world? Will she ever be able to understand what home is? // this story does include sexual and physical abuse, eating disorders, mental health issues and other triggering topics. here is your first and only warning. \\

The unnaturals book 1 by BaneMoonlight

Old wounds.. Sometimes they are the hardest to heal. Sometimes they fester inside, They spread, darken and throb like a familiar friend that refuses to leave your bed. The friend who's now an unwelcome guest. Stuck, stuck in the rut of a such deep lesion, the blood stagnates. Until a new cut is made. A path emerges when blood is spilt. Sometimes the path through an old wound is the wound itself. The bridge that forms when healing comes only from within. What happened to the generations of the RoyChowdhury clan? What happened to Duke and Piku's family 85 years after their story began? Prejudice, lies and violence still spin a dark web in their lives. Patty and Avi meet in the monsoons of 2025 after two missed opportunities. Sparks fly once again. But Avi seems to be headed towards complications yet again. Avi's inner struggles are resolved only to plunge the couple into the mire of violence and the confusion of their mutual history. Can Avi repair the breach in his fractured life and heal himself? Can he overcome all his past trauma and embrace a new future with the love of his life? A story that began in 1940 will finally find its conclusion in the hearts of these people nearly a century forward in time. This is a story of love and acceptance, both romantic and filial. For true healing starts with one's roots.

You may also like

Slide 1 of 9

Unexpected cover

our troubled love ᵒˡᵈ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ cover

Welcome Home Age Regression sfw :) [Requests Open] cover

Hug Me When It Rains [18+] cover

Sleeping in the Fire | Eddie Munson cover

Finding Carla cover

Skinny Love cover

What is Home cover

The unnaturals book 1 cover

Unexpected

I don't really know what I was expecting, and it sure as hell wasn't this. Whatever this is...it's even better than I could have imagined. The mystery, the anonymity, the sense of excitement that has reawakened something in me that I haven't felt in what seems like a lifetime ago. The way his hands caress my body, his fingers gently tracing along my skin; my lips against his neck and hands in his hair, wanting him the way he wants me... I'm learning to love the unexpected... **** Still recovering from the heartbreak of a failed engagement, Kristine reluctantly agrees to a girls night out. A night that is meant for her to let loose and forget about her unsuccessful dating life, leads Kristine to meet a mysterious stranger who brings her body back to life in ways she didn't believe possible. This unexpected intimate encounter leads to much more with a man she knows only as E. STORY COMPLETE BUT ACTIVELY EDITING