#//** I WAS CHOMPIN AT THE BIT TO GET HER INTO THE GAME

[mistrcssdracul]

Look who has returned home; it’s Guinevere ‘Gwen’ Bonny, a 46 old first mate on The Flying Dragon. She has been described as compassionate and tenacious. She has been tasked with watching over Lucille Blackwood.

//** hey so this is gwen and she is a very very very new character for me but i love her already so i hope you guys do too she’s gonna mother literally everyone on the island because she is just that kind of person anyway yeah here’s her intro

guinevere was born in a small town in the middle of england to a poor family, who worked five different jobs just to put food on the table for the hungry mouths that sat at it. gwen was one of three-- losing her eldest brother to illness before she could even understand what death was. her middle brother eventually broke ties with the bonny family, changing his last name and deciding to make his fortune by attempting to join the guard for the english royal family. gwen, however, stayed with her parents, working odd jobs to ease the financial strain as soon as she was able.

in such a small town it was well known that gwen’s family were direct descendants of the famous pirate anne bonny, and with piracy still running rampant, they were shunned whenever they stepped out in public. as a result, the bonny family became reclusive, never truly allowing guinevere to see the world for what it was.

being so sheltered in her younger years, when the family finally pooled enough money together to travel away from their hometown inland to a seaside village gwen experienced a good deal of her country in the span of a few hours. and once they had settled in a meagre cottage, she was actually allowed to explore-- but to tell anyone she met that her name was guinevere westwood; her parents had followed their son’s example and used a different last name so as to distance themselves from their ‘shameful’ heritage. still not yet a teen, gwen grew up in the village which sustained several pirate raids over the years, but the village was not profitable enough for it to become a regular occurrence. and it was there that the westwoods began to make enough money to live comfortably enough.

growing into a young girl of 17, always staring to the sea in hopes of learning more of their world, but eternally dutiful to her family, gwen decided that she would save pounds and pence here and there for a trip to one of the bigger cities-- portsmouth. it was nothing like london, she was sure, but it would be brighter and more fantastic than the rest the places she had been. on the day that she announced her trip to her parents, and her intent to find work enough to send money home, they were wary at first, but eventually allowed guinevere to take the risk.

with very little money and hopes of finding odd jobs to start, gwen soon found herself clearing bars for barely enough to cover rent on an apartment or to send money to her parents. the frustration fuelled her desire to find a better paying job, which just so happened to turn up at the right... or wrong, time.

it was a cold night a man visited one of the bars guinevere was working in, a smooth talker to say the least. his name was ernest, a charming man who complimented her every time she served him a new drink. the flattery worked, and soon enough she was conversing with him about her frustrations over finances, and not being able to experience the pleasures of life well past last call. it was then he made her an offer-- work for him, earn a comfortable salary and he would allow her to explore what life could be. just as last call was announce, ernest handed her a business card with her promise to call, he then exited the bar.

it was a couple of weeks later that gwen called the man, who arranged for her to meet him at his establishment. when she first stepped foot into the space, she was confused-- it looked like a regular house up front, but... where he led her, to the back, there were at least two dozen woman in revealing outfits. realising exactly what ernest had meant by a job. unfamiliar with anything to do with that sort of thing, he coerced her into becoming his newest party favour to show off to guests at his night club and brothel.

after some lessons, some teaching from the other girls, guinevere became a hit with ernest’s customers. the only problem, however, was that no matter how much money she earned, he would always remind her of the debt she owed him for giving her this opportunity-- with interest. after two months of working there, the night’s profit would go completely to ernest, as he now had her living in the house in front of the club. more and more excuses came up to take the money from her, and it took several months more to begin to dig herself out of the fraudulent debt he swore that gwen owed him.

it was when she was eighteen that a stranger showed interest in her while visiting the brothel, and he paid for a night with her. poor though he was, he had taken a liking to guinevere. unfortunately, it was a night that would change the course of both of their lives forever.

gwen was pregnant. she hadn’t a clue how it had happened, but the precautions had done nothing to prevent it, and now she was with child. the father came back several times in the interim, and she finally learned his name-- ryan abernathy. at first, she was too afraid to tell him-- it could only have been him, after all. most of her time at the club was spent performing dancing or stripping numbers.

eventually, gwen worked up the courage and admitted to the pregnancy. unlike what she had expected, ryan actually took an interest in the baby, and promised that he would help to look after both gwen and their child as best he could. when ernest found out, however, he was furious and demanded that the child be gotten rid of. but gwen, already several months along, refused, not only because she did not want to go through with such an act, but because she felt a bond with her child, no matter they hadn’t been born yet. sure enough, though, she fell into deeper debt as a sort of punishment for the accident.

as she worked her way through the trials of the pregnancy, ryan began to slip money to guinevere for appointments, bills, anything she might need to help throughout. and when the nine months ended, he was still there. with an agonising twelve hours in labour, gwen finally gave birth to a baby girl. and the moment she looked at her, she knew that her daughter’s name would be charlotte.

guinevere, though only nineteen, was over the moon about her child, and wanted to pour all of her efforts into giving charlotte the best chances in life. but she only had her for a few weeks. with ernest theats to kill her daughter with each passing day becoming more violent and no real way to care for a baby in the place she was essentially enslaved, she begged ryan to take charlotte-- to look after her and provide for her in a way that gwen could not, as he had a freedom she did not. still buried in ernest’s debt, it was undoubtedly impossible to raise a child.

the day that charlotte was taken away broke her heart, but ryan had promised gwen that she would be able to see their daughter again, that they would keep contact and when the time was right, guinevere would be able to reunite with her baby. that thought alone became her driving force, to work harder than before, to release herself from the clutches of ernest.

it took her five years of numb work, but eventually, guinevere had paid off every last penny that was demanded of her. free of those ties, she tried to reach out to charlotte’s father, but received no response. again and again and again she tried to talk to ryan-- each time, she received nothing in return. terrified at the thought of something having happened to both him and her daughter, gwen knew she had to take action; she had to go searching for charlotte herself.

it was by chance that a twenty four year old guinevere charmed her way onto a ship, which turned out to be full of pirates. but, unafraid, she declared that she would join their crew, and would take whatever job they would give her as long as she could travel. soon she became their errand girl, earning her place but never fall into such unfair debt. she began to rise through the ranks of the ship, becoming specialised in navigation, but their trips across europe only covered so much of the world, and there was so, so much more that gwen needed to scour for her daughter.

she hopped from ship to ship, using her experience and her charm to gain trust from the pirates. and as gwen settled into this new life, she had a faint memory of her true last name-- bonny. discarding her fake one, she embraced her ancestry and reclaimed the name. soon enough, she was almost nearly as brilliant a pirate as anne bonny herself. but she still had a goal to achieve. no matter how hopeless she felt, no matter that many told her that the search was in vain, no matter how many years passed, she never once gave up on the search for her daughter.

it was when she finally reached forty that she joined the crew of the flying dragon, exploring places she might never have seen if not for all that she had gone through. still, there was no hide nor hair of charlotte yet. she eventually earned her place as first mate aboard the ship and for her iron fist when it came to helping her captain lead, became rather infamous. on the contrary, gwen could be exceptionally gentle, and kind. but when a job was to be done, she always made sure her crew was working like a well-oiled machine. she had not lost her feminine wiles either, and always used them to her advantage when the time called for it.

with her goal always in her mind, she amassed a series of information about herself, her family, her history-- anything and everything that gwen wanted to tell charlotte --into a locked box, kept away from the rest of the crew, though it was no secret what it was for. all of them knew as good of a pirate as she was, all she truly wanted was to see her daughter again. she never kept her former job a secret, rather wearing it as a badge of pride, but was stubborn in her choice not to return to that line of work for fear of falling into another cage of debt.

despite leading with such dominance, though, guinevere was still as human as any other pirate, prone to all sorts of vices she had discovered through her work as a prostitute. cigarettes, drugs, alcohol... they all became terrible habits that gwen wanted to quit, but the pressure she placed upon herself to find charlotte always cut short any cessation of her drinking and smoking, even casual sex from time to time-- with effective protection, of course.

it wouldn’t be until four years into her time aboard the dragon that a rumour spread of a pirate called charlotte aboard one of the other tulach ships. dashed dreams suddenly ignited into a flame of excitement and hope like never before. filled with motivation, she immediately wanted to meet with the other crews to discover the truth. could it be her charlotte? there was no way to tell, no way to know-- and wouldn’t she be with her father? unless... she had been right, and a tragedy had occurred... perhaps ryan was no more. it seemed improbable that she would ever have the chance to quell her unbridled yearning to know-- until roman’s plan, that was. having commanded that the entirety of his fleet converge upon his island, guinevere barely hesitated in preparing herself for the voyage there and answering his call.

however, the reality is that the girl they spoke about could be any charlotte. there are surely thousands out there... millions, maybe. it could be a girl she does not know at all. gwen knows that she must try, must see for herself, must know. but, there’s only one way to discover the whether the girl is who she hopes she is... to meet her on the island, and pray that fate has truly brought her back to the daughter she has been chasing after for all these years.

some personality traits: compassionate, tenacious, authoritarian, charismatic, licentious, eloquent, dedicated, multifarious, maternal, generous, hard-working, domineering, innovative, sentimental, steadfast, demanding, powerful, seductive, fierce, intuitive, clever.

possible connections: past lovers, friends, allies, a confidante, new lovers, rivals, enemies, best friends, anything and everything. if you have an idea for a connection that guinevere might fit, just shoot me an im and we can sort out details!

[thewritewolf]

In Due Time Chapter 21: Fireworks

Marinette and Adrien get ready for Alya’s New Year’s Party

@marichatmay

Enjoy!

First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Read on Ao3

“Hey, listen up, everybody!” Plagg yelled as he entered the room in front of Adrien. “The kid is going to a party! And no,” the kwami quickly added as a few others tried to ask questions all at once, “it’s not one that rotten ol’ Gabe is making him go to!”

Adrien entered the living room to cheers and applause from all the kwamis under his care. The only thing stopping him from rolling his eyes were his own nerves. Soon, many of them were zooming and swirling around him as he walked through the room, checking and double checking his attire.

“What’s the matter, bucko?” Stompp said, a frown gracing her face. “I’d thought you’d be chompin’ at the bit to go wild outside your papa’s watch.”

“I am, but…” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “The only one I’ve actually hung out with in person has been Marinette. And most of the time, that wasn’t Adrien exactly.”

“Kid, it’s just a mask. I don’t see what the big deal is. Plus,” Plagg said with a teasing grin, “I know you’re looking forward to seeing Tikki’s kid today. Hm…?”

Adrien gently pushed Plagg aside when he leaned close into his face, but Adrien refused to meet his eye. The cat kwami snickered as he floated away. Adrien might like Marinette, but he had no idea if she felt the same way or if he could even afford the luxury of having a girlfriend right now. Necessity had forced romance out of his life a long time ago.

“Besides Marinette,” Adrien said, trying to get back on topic, “I don’t know anyone there. I’m meeting all these people for the first time!” He put a comb through his hair for the third time that night. “What if I just end up lurking next to the food table and being a downer to the rest of them?”

“I’m confused,” Mullo said, scrunching up their nose. “Haven’t you been talking with them using the aether for a while?”

“The device he usssesss is called the internet, Mullo,” Sass corrected gently. “Not the aether.”

“Still. Does the Guardian not already know these other humans?”

“I mean… yes, I suppose,” Adrien conceded. “But-”

“Not buts, kid,” Plagg said definitively. “You’re going to go out there and have a great time instead of slacking here with these guys. Do you understand me?”

“Oooh, the time for another year has already come?” Orikko clucked happily, dancing in midair. “I’m so happy to hear I haven’t missed it!”

“Don’t worry, Orikko, I set an alarm to let you know when midnight hits,” Adrien said as he scratched beside the rooster kwami’s beak.

“Speaking of not worrying, that same thing but to you, kid.” Plagg was tugging at his sleeve. “C’mon, let’s go. Sass has got it handled here.”

Adrien glanced at the snake kwami, who nodded. “Pleassse enjoy yourssself, Massster.”

“Trust yourself!” Mullo said, floating up to Adrien’s face height. “I am sure they will love you just as much as we do!”

“See?” Plagg motioned a paw toward Mullo. “Now come on, I don’t want you to sit here until you give yourself cold feet. And I’m not about to let you pass up the opportunity to hang out with people born in the same geological era as you!”

“You’re right.” Adrien took a deep breath and let himself get a little excited. “Come on, Plagg, let’s go.”

“‘Course I’m right,” Plagg muttered as he flew into Adrien’s coat pocket. “When am I ever not right?”

The sun had already set by the time Adrien had gotten into his car, but there was still plenty of time before the main event of the night. It was a long drive to the part of Paris where Alya lived, long enough to let Adrien think about how time had changed him. Eight years ago he would’ve jumped at the chance to go to a party and make friends.

But having one thing after another ripped out from underneath him had changed his perspective. Being stopped from going to public school. The many parties thrown by coworkers his father had prevented him from seeing. Not to mention all the stuff he’d been forced to bail on because of an akuma attack. Isolation thanks to his family and his duties had done well to keep him from having friends.

But tonight… maybe tonight would be different. The old embers of optimism burned bright inside him, despite what the years had done to extinguish them.

He found a place to park his car and walked up to the apartment. His hands were stuffed into his pockets to ward off the chill and he was still lost in his thoughts by the time he arrived at the front door. His hand touched the door knob at the same time as someone else.

Startled, he looked to see who he had bumped into only to get lost in big, blue eyes.

--------------

“Marinette, I promise you look fine,” Tikki said patiently as her chosen ran a brush through her hair nervously. Tikki smirked. “I’m sure Adrien will love what you’re wearing.”

Marinette fumbled her brush, dropping it. “Don’t just say that!”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not getting dressed up just for him!”

“Oh?” Tikki said innocently. Far too innocently. “Are you expecting Chat Noir to make an appearance too?”

A blush spread across Marinette’s face as she groaned. “Don’t even joke about that. I don’t know what I’d do if both Adrien and Chat Noir were both at the party.”

“I wouldn’t be too worried about that if I were you,” Tikki said with a knowing smile. She floated off of the desk where she was sitting and toward Marinette. “You know, this might be a good chance to spend some quality time with Adrien, if that’s what you want.”

“To be honest? I don’t know what exactly I want.” Marinette sighed and sat down, smoothing her skirt as she did so. “It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way about someone, so to have it happen with two people almost at the same time…”

“Did you not have any crushes growing up? I’ve heard that’s pretty common for young humans.”

“I mean, some I guess. Definitely nothing that I’ve acted on. And before you ask, yes I have dated. But never anything serious.”

“But you want something serious with one of them?”

“Yes? Maybe? I don’t know,” Marinette said, burying her face in her hands and groaning. “I don’t like to rush into things, but… I haven’t felt a connection like this before.” She waved her hands around. “And now I’ve got two of them!”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out! I’ve had a lot of chosen, but never one as clever as you.” Tikki landed on Marinette’s shoulder. “Why don’t you tell me about your friend’s party? To help get your mind off it.”

“Well…” Marinette said, calming down now that she was switching tracks in her mind. She grabbed her purse, which Tikki rushed into. “Alya got a taste for throwing parties back in university, so they’ve gotten pretty big sometimes. Like the Halloween one where I met Chat - she was selling tickets to that through the Cat Chat.”

Marinette left her apartment, closing the door behind her. She didn’t live that far from Alya’s place, one of many reasons she lived here in the first place. A few minutes of walking and she’d be there.

Tikki frowned. “Are there going to be a lot of people at this one too?”

“No, no,” Marinette said, waving her hand dismissively. “The New Year’s party is usually pretty small. There are usually about ten of us, mostly her and Nino’s friends. It’s nice.”

“So what do you do there?”

Marinette shrugged. “Same thing most people do at parties, I guess. Play games, drink, dance, talk. Although New Year’s is a little special because her apartment has a great view of the fireworks show the city does.”

“Wow! That does sound fun!”

“Right? Anyway, I’m also pretty nervous because Adrien said he’d try to make it. Nino and Alya have been dying to meet him, but…”

“But?”

“Well, they tend to worry too much about me. Which makes me worried that they’ll scare him away by trying to get us together.” She entered the building through the backway, a little shortcut she’d learned over the past couple years.

“Hm…” Tikki hummed, a ghost of a smile at her lips. “That’s definitely a dilemma. Be a shame if they got the two of you to really hit it off with each other.”

“Tikki,” Marinette whined as the door to Alya’s apartment came into view.

“I’m just teasing, Marinette. But still, it wouldn’t be too bad, right?”

Before Marinette could respond, her hand touched the doorknob at the same time someone else’s did. She jumped and was about to apologize when she looked up into bright green eyes.

Both of them stood staring at each other for much longer than Marinette would care to admit. This was the first time they’d seen one another since when they had first met at the fashion show, even if they’d talked plenty of times online.

Eventually, Adrien rubbed the back of his neck and said, “Hey-”

Naturally he was cut off when the door flew open, Alya standing on the other side. Now, Marinette had known her friend long enough to notice the tell-tale signs of being tipsy and right now Alya checked off all those boxes. Clearly either Marinette and Adrien were the last ones to arrive, or Alya had gotten a head start on the night’s festivities.

That likely contributed to how Alya grabbed them both by the arms and practically dragged them inside, although Marinette wouldn’t put it past her to do that even stone cold sober.

“Come on you two, stop standing outside the door like a couple of weirdos,” she said, laughing. She turned her head toward another part of the apartment and raised her voice. “Hey, babe! Your buddy is here! Come on and meet him!”

Nino poked his head from around the corner, where Marinette knew their living room and therefore game consoles were, and saw his face split into a grin when he spotted Adrien.

“DUDE!” He rushed forward and gently punched Adrien’s arm. “I can’t believe I finally get to meet you! Come on, let me show ya around my crib. It might not be what you’re used to, but me casa es tu casa!”

Nino chuckled and threw an arm around a confused Adrien’s shoulders. Adrien glanced back at her and gave her a slightly worried smile and a wave before he disappeared.

“So,” Alya said, dragging Marinette’s attention back to her. She was looking awfully focused despite the handful of drinks Marinette knew she must have already had. “Let’s talk about you and blondie, hm?

Marinette groaned. It was going to be a long party.

[dangansuffering]

Wonderful || Chapter 1 Start

Sunday night, and you sleep. Sunday night and perhaps you didn’t mean to sleep, or didn’t expect to, thought that whatever work you dedicated yourself to or the excitement (or anxiety) of the looming first day of school would keep you awake. And it may well have, for some hours. But eventually you gave in to the siren call of your bed (or a chair or desk rendered deceptively comfortable by exhaustion) and slipped off into the sweet embrace of sleep… peaceful, deep, restful sleep…

…

You wake up.

It is not a comfortable awakening. Your body aches in the way one does from sleeping on a hard surface. Regardless of where you ended your night, you find that your morning is starting on a concrete floor surrounded by more concrete and metal walls. There’s a giant set of metal doors on one side of the room - hall? - and at the other end an entrance into a hallway of the same monotonous gray, running left or right into places you can’t see from your current positions. If there’s any comfort to be found in this jarring situation it’s that at least you aren’t alone. The faces around you are familiar, whether because you’d had a chance to interact with them or only seen them in passing - at the orientation, at least? Yes, these are your university yearmates. The rest of the class of 20XX, or at least a good chunk of it. All of them in states of freshly waking, the same foggy confusion in their bleary gazes as you feel.

There’s little time for more than dragging yourself fully back to consciousness. Some grumbling likely breaks out, a few alarmed reactions or sluggish questions may be started, but before any real conversation or panic can break out a new figure steps into view, coming around one of the turns into the hall.

The woman is beautiful, in a wholesome way that gives you an automatic sense of ease for a moment. She can’t be too much older than those in your group - perhaps thirty at the most - and she’s fairly tall, though not inordinately so. Something about her demeanor is so calm and assured that it draws the gaze immediately. This is someone who knows what’s going on, someone who radiates confidence and competence. Someone with answers. You find yourself instinctively looking to her with expectancy, even before she speaks, which she does, quickly enough to cut off any outbursts.

“I see everyone’s lookin’ bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Good, right on time.” Her voice is a smooth drawl that belongs to somewhere in the Southern U.S. It keeps her words from sounding rushed despite the brisk pace of her speech. “Welcome to the WonderDome, chickadees! Now don’t get too worked up just yet, y’hear? No fuss no muss.” She reaches up with her left hand and taps lightly on one of the walls, producing a light metallic tang that draws your attention to the fact that her left forearm is also metal - a prosthetic, though a very convincing synthetic skin covers it from elbow to wrist, at which point it ends and leaves the pale grey of her robotic hand exposed.

“Wouldn’t want t’have to get rough with anyone.” Her smile, though bright and sweet as sunshine and lemonade, gives you the opposite impression. “Leastways not this early on. Besides, I’m sure y’all want some answers, so let’s get right to it. First things first, my name’s Jamie Crowley, some of you mighta heard’ve me before, but we ain’t here to talk about me. I’m simply a… facilitator, you could say. Or like a proctor, of sorts. You know, like with tests? My job is to monitor you lovely folks an’ deliver information as is seen fit. Don’t worry too much about that either, though. I know it must be frustratin’ not to have all the answers you’re surely chompin’ at the bit for, but frankly, the fact is, there’s a lot about your situation that you really just don’t need to know. Here’s what you do.”

“In your pockets or purse or what have you, you’ll find a cute little tablet called an ElectroID. Looks and works a bit like a PDA, if you know what those are. If not, well, y’all’re the best and the brightest, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Those are gonna be real important, so hang on to ‘em. They got maps of the buildin’, some basic information on y’all, and they’ll serve as the keys for your dorm rooms, too. They’ve also got the Rules on ‘em, in case you ever need a memory refresh, but I’ll go ahead and spell out the real pertinent bit: You’re trapped here. You’ve all been selected to be part of a great undertakin’, and it’s mandatory. Non-negotiable, sorry. The only way out is through, lil darlin’s, so I suggest you save us all some time an’ get used to that real quick. The good news is there is a way out. All you gotta do is play a game, so don’t go panickin’ or whatnot. There, that’s everythin’ you need to know for now. We’re not gonna start playin’ right off the bat, don’t you fret, the rest will be explained as it comes up. For now, why don’t y’all take a chance to process, adjust all nice like, and take a look around. You’re free to go anywhere that ain’t behind a locked door.”

She turns, gives you all a little wave with her robotic hand, and starts trotting out of sight without further ado or any pause for questions or responses, ignoring any reactions any of you may have already begun. “See y’all later! You be good, now~!”

--

[Please submit reaction posts to the blog! There will be another Event Post tomorrow, Sunday June 16th, at 1pm PST! This will have plot impact and will occur roughly 3 hours after game start In-Character, so please keep that in mind while planning/starting threads. Maps are now available as well! Have fun!]

[Sprite credit: Kaz/Ley]

[wegoddessofhell]

Time Won’t Let Me

A/N: Welcome to @aketch-22 and I’s beautiful disaster! This is chapter one of part one to our hopefully three part series. Chapters will be posted once a week, probably on Sunday! It’s a crossover between Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Supernatural. We took characters from all three fandom’s and stuck em’ in Hogwarts, but we see things through the eyes of Dean and Castiel. Reblogs and likes would be gladly appreciated and if you have questions you can direct them to mine or @aketch-22‘s ask box! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Long Train Runnin’ - The Doobie Brothers

Dean Winchester studied Platform 9 ¾ with a weary eye. He was ready to go back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but he wasn’t entirely eager to leave the safety of his home. Despite the current state of the Wizarding World, Dean and his brother Sam had managed to have a pretty fun summer. Sam was a Gryffindor, just like Dean - but a year younger. Sam was going into his fourth year and Dean was heading into his fifth - which meant things would be different for him now. Ever since the dark wizard Voldemort overthrew whoever the last Minister of Magic was, Hogwarts has been more of a training ground for the older students rather than a place of actual learning. That suited Dean fine on most days, he preferred a hands-on experience to pouring over some dusty old book in the library.

He chewed on his lip, watching Sam make his way through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. Sam was safe from the worst changes at Hogwarts, at least for now. That fact comforted Dean slightly as he pushed his own cart through the seemingly solid brick wall that separated the Muggle world from the Wizarding world. The crowd of people he was met with blocked his path, and he lost sight of Sam in the fray. He groaned, maneuvering his possessions around kids and their parents kissing each other goodbye. He tried not to let his gaze linger on any particular farewell, partially due to the pang of jealousy he felt at seeing the level of affection most of these parents were freely showing their children, and partially because he simply felt like he was intruding.  As he made his way onto the train, he caught sight of Sam ducking into a compartment about midway down. He stowed his baggage and followed his brother, just long enough to make sure he was okay. He smiled as he passed, seeing Sam with a few of his friends and getting his hair mussed by the girl he pined over all summer. Dean ducked into an empty compartment, pulling out his dad’s journal.

His parents never came to see him or Sam get on the train… they’d drive them to King’s Cross, but Dean had never been able to get them to even get out of the car. He frowned at the yellowing pages of  the journal that used to connect him to his father. Now, the stories of creatures John Winchester had hunted only caused a pit to form in Dean’s stomach. Sure, the stories were great when Dean was a kid. His dad was a hunter, which to most kids would have meant he got dressed in some sort of camo and hunted deer, or maybe coyotes, but it didn’t take long for Dean to find out that his father’s targets were much… bigger. His dad hunted creatures like werewolves and vampires, ghosts and ghouls. Definitely not deer. Dean used to think he was a hero, until his 11th birthday when an owl of all creatures delivered a letter that changed his life. A year later, the same thing would happen to his brother. They were wizards… the very sort of things that their father spent his life trying to kill. Dean didn’t think he’d ever seen his father that mad. The letter that explained Hogwarts and the wizarding world was, of course, burned immediately. It didn’t deter Dean and it most certainly didn’t deter the flock of owls that followed, each carrying a letter identical to the one that found a home amongst the ashes in their fireplace. It took weeks for his mom to convince his dad to let him go, and in the end, Dean was fairly sure his dad only agreed because he couldn’t stand the sight of him anymore.

He turned the page in the journal, running his thumb over the words he’s read a thousand times: “In their transformed state, werewolves are mindless beasts - acting purely on instinct and are incapable of rational thought.” He was interrupted when Lisa Braeden slid open the compartment door and sat down across from him.

She grinned broadly at him, her eyes shining. “Hey Dean! How was your summer?” Her smile faded slightly as she added, “I guess you didn’t get my letters.”

Dean glanced at her quickly and then averted his eyes. “Nah, I got ‘em, just couldn’t write you back. You never gave me your address, and the owls near my house don’t exactly know how to deliver letters. The one you sent always took off again before I could find my damn quill.”

Lisa frowned slightly, forgetting again that Dean was technically from a muggle family. He had such a natural gift for magic, it was sometimes hard to remember he hadn’t been doing it his whole life. Her voice softened. “Hey, that’s okay. Are you ready for another year?”

He gave a noncommittal shrug in response, looking at the floor and trying not to think about what was potentially in store for him. “Yeah, I guess. It’s gonna be like any other year, right?”

Lisa moved over to sit next to Dean, taking one of his hands in her own and leaning into his shoulder. “It’s going to be fine, Dean. Hogwarts is a big place, and they’re only going to take one kid from our house and year. I’m sure you’ll be fine, even if your name does get picked… I’d bet my whole stock of Chocolate Frogs that Gordon Walker takes your place. He actually wants to go.” Dean leaned back, kicking his feet up on the seat where Lisa had been sitting and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. He tried to remember that her name is up for The Choosing this year too, and the gloomier he was about it, the worse it would be for her. He squeezed her gently and chuckled. “Yeah, that crazy son of a bitch has been chompin’ at the bit to get to his 5th year. Guess it’s his time to shine, huh?”

Lisa nodded briefly and then fell quiet, allowing Dean to slip back into his thoughts. The Choosing. Already? How the hell did time pass so damn quick? Every year since Voldemort gained power, 5th, 6th, and 7th year students were chosen from each of the four Hogwarts Houses - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. One kid from each year in each house, for a total of 12. They were always… lesser students, ones that Voldemort deemed unworthy. Voldemort hated anyone and anything that wasn’t a pureblood wizard. That included half-bloods, muggle-borns, and just about any creature that wasn’t a giant. Even Voldemort knew the tactical advantages behind having a giant on his side. The rest were disposable, and seen as less than human. There was a problem, though, as there so often is when bigotry is involved. And that problem was population. The purebloods were dwindling in numbers, and Voldemort created a solution: The Mudblood Hunger Games. He’d round up a mix of students and magical creatures from Hogwarts and give them a chance to prove that they belonged in his new world order. Names would be drawn from The Goblet of Fire, and unless someone volunteered to take your place, you were transported with the rest of the chosen few to Purgatory. Not much is known about what happens in Purgatory, but only one tribute ever makes it out alive. The rest either die in Purgatory, remain trapped, or… by some outlandish theories, are fed to Voldemort’s snake Nagini if they aren’t the first one to find the portal out of there. Dean shuddered at the thought of being fed to a giant snake, which causes Lisa to sit up and squeeze his hand.

“Seriously, Dean. Quit worrying. You’re not going to get chosen, and neither am I. We’re going to have a great year and you’re going to pass all your exams and then I’m kidnapping both you and Sam over the summer.” She nodded her head once, matter-of-factly.

Dean narrowed his eyes at her. “Sorry, what now?”

Lisa nodded again, more insistently this time. “You heard me, Winchester. You and your brother are going to come stay with me whether you like it or not. My mom already talked to yours, it’s all set up.” She grins and kisses him quickly. “It took me ages to convince my mom, but I finally did it. I told her how you have to stay at school over the holidays and you dread going home for the summer break, because your dad is such a --” She cut off abruptly and pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, Dean. You know what I mean, though. She thought it would be good for you two to spend some time with proper wizards, and I --” She blushed, and continued quietly, “I didn’t want to spend another summer away from you. Please tell me you’ll at least consider it?”

And he did consider it. A summer away from his dad sounded too good to be true. He smiled widely and kissed her again, just as Finnick Odair opened the compartment door and made a very disgusted noise when he saw them. “Oy! Get a room, you two, other people have to share this train too.” He walked over and shimmied himself between them, then looked over at Lisa and winked, clicking his tongue. “Hey Braeden, you miss me?”

Lisa scowled and Dean smacked Finnick’s arm, then pushed him to the seat opposite him. “Don’t be a tool-bag, Finn. You know she’s about as taken as it gets, so knock it off.”

Finnick’s eyes danced as he smirked at Dean. “What, are you afraid of a little competition, Winchester? That doesn’t sound like you at all. Who hurt you over the summer?”

Dean rolled his eyes, but was more or less thankful for the distraction. He had a feeling he was going to need a lot of those if he was going to survive this year.

[fitnesshealthyoga-blog]

New Post has been published on https://fitnesshealthyoga.com/new-years-resolution-for-the-pups/

New Year's Resolution for the pups

This post is sponsored by our friends at Pet Plate. If you want to treat your pup to this delicious, fresh-cooked healthy food, use this link to get 50% off your doggo’s first box.

I’ve definitely been in resolutions mode since the start of the year, maybe even more so than previous years. It’s not like I want to make these huge sweeping changes, but, I feel more goal and action-oriented than I have in a while. It felt really good to sit down with my planner and write everything down that I want to accomplish this year. While I was scheming and scribbling away, Bella started pawing at my legs – wishing for a bite of my chicken salad.

It was that moment I realized I make huge goals for myself and our family, but sometimes neglect the poor pups. I feel like now that the girls are older and things are a bit easier, we can shift our focus to the dogs some more. I want to be a better mom for our human kiddos and our fur babies.

While the dogs have everything they really need: lots of cuddles, food, clean water, and a warm cozy couch or fresh laundry to sleep on, there are three areas I wanted to make some changes for them this year:

1) Give them walks more regularly. (We go through streaks of time where we do amazing with walks, and then other weeks…not so much.)

2) Book their dental appointments. It’s been two years since their last visit and while it can be ridiculously expensive, it’s so invaluable for their health.

3) Switch up their food for a fresher, healthier option for the golden years. This is where Pet Plate comes in!

When Pet Plate offered to send Bella and Caroline some of their fresh dog food, I was excited to check out the website.

Here’s a little bit about Pet Plate:

– The meals are designed by a veterinary nutritionist and contain all the nutrients your pups need

– The meals are pre-cooked and pre-portioned in a recyclable, resealable container

– It is supposed to be incredibly tasty, as they use USDA-certified meat, fresh fruits and veggies, and a proprietary supplement blend

I requested the Chompin’ Chicken and the Tail Waggin’ Turkey flavors, and couldn’t wait to see what Bella and Caro thought when the package arrived.

How cute is the packaging?!

I let a couple of containers defrost in the fridge, and when they were ready to serve, I scooped out some portions into their bowls.They ate like they’ve never had food before.

They LOVED it.

I was kind of nervous because when I introduce new dog food to the pups, I’ll usually mix it into their regular food so they don’t have tummy trouble. Pet Plate does recommend transitioning your pups over to their formula slowly, but we were out of our old dog food, so I decided to go for it and crossed my fingers. Their stomachs did not get upset AT ALL, which I can’t say about other brands we’ve tried.

While I was super happy that the dogs loved their new food, I have to say that one of the biggest selling points for me is that it’s healthy, balanced food that’s ready to serve. Our previous dog food had to be mixed with warm water and then sit for 3 minutes to rehydrate. The ingredients were good, but it always felt like a pain to make. I’d make it in large batches and always dread when we would run out.

Also, the dogs didn’t eat their old food nearly as well as they’ve been enjoying Pet Plate. When Bella gets hungry, she’ll adorably scoot her bowl over to me and whine. As I scoop the Pet Plate into their bowls, they literally jump at my feet, waiting for their food. Their old food would often sit in the bowl until they felt like eating it.

I’m so excited to share a special discount link with you if you’re looking to up your pup’s food game in the New Year. Click here to get 50% off your first shipment! We received our first box for free, but are paying customers now that the dogs love it so much.

Please let me know if you give it a try!

Any special New Year’s resolutions that you’re setting for your pets this year?

xo

Gina

Sponsored by Pet Plate

Photography by Jacquelynn

Source link

[anamorales]

New Year’s Resolution for the pups

This post is sponsored by our friends at Pet Plate. If you want to treat your pup to this delicious, fresh-cooked healthy food, use this link to get 50% off your doggo’s first box.

I’ve definitely been in resolutions mode since the start of the year, maybe even more so than previous years. It’s not like I want to make these huge sweeping changes, but, I feel more goal and action-oriented than I have in a while. It felt really good to sit down with my planner and write everything down that I want to accomplish this year. While I was scheming and scribbling away, Bella started pawing at my legs – wishing for a bite of my chicken salad.

It was that moment I realized I make huge goals for myself and our family, but sometimes neglect the poor pups. I feel like now that the girls are older and things are a bit easier, we can shift our focus to the dogs some more. I want to be a better mom for our human kiddos and our fur babies.

While the dogs have everything they really need: lots of cuddles, food, clean water, and a warm cozy couch or fresh laundry to sleep on, there are three areas I wanted to make some changes for them this year:

1) Give them walks more regularly. (We go through streaks of time where we do amazing with walks, and then other weeks…not so much.)

2) Book their dental appointments. It’s been two years since their last visit and while it can be ridiculously expensive, it’s so invaluable for their health.

3) Switch up their food for a fresher, healthier option for the golden years. This is where Pet Plate comes in!

When Pet Plate offered to send Bella and Caroline some of their fresh dog food, I was excited to check out the website.

Here’s a little bit about Pet Plate:

– The meals are designed by a veterinary nutritionist and contain all the nutrients your pups need

– The meals are pre-cooked and pre-portioned in a recyclable, resealable container

– It is supposed to be incredibly tasty, as they use USDA-certified meat, fresh fruits and veggies, and a proprietary supplement blend

I requested the Chompin’ Chicken and the Tail Waggin’ Turkey flavors, and couldn’t wait to see what Bella and Caro thought when the package arrived.

How cute is the packaging?!

I let a couple of containers defrost in the fridge, and when they were ready to serve, I scooped out some portions into their bowls.They ate like they’ve never had food before.

They LOVED it.

I was kind of nervous because when I introduce new dog food to the pups, I’ll usually mix it into their regular food so they don’t have tummy trouble. Pet Plate does recommend transitioning your pups over to their formula slowly, but we were out of our old dog food, so I decided to go for it and crossed my fingers. Their stomachs did not get upset AT ALL, which I can’t say about other brands we’ve tried.

While I was super happy that the dogs loved their new food, I have to say that one of the biggest selling points for me is that it’s healthy, balanced food that’s ready to serve. Our previous dog food had to be mixed with warm water and then sit for 3 minutes to rehydrate. The ingredients were good, but it always felt like a pain to make. I’d make it in large batches and always dread when we would run out.

Also, the dogs didn’t eat their old food nearly as well as they’ve been enjoying Pet Plate. When Bella gets hungry, she’ll adorably scoot her bowl over to me and whine. As I scoop the Pet Plate into their bowls, they literally jump at my feet, waiting for their food. Their old food would often sit in the bowl until they felt like eating it.

I’m so excited to share a special discount link with you if you’re looking to up your pup’s food game in the New Year. Click here to get 50% off your first shipment! We received our first box for free, but are paying customers now that the dogs love it so much.

Please let me know if you give it a try!

Any special New Year’s resolutions that you’re setting for your pets this year?

xo

Gina

Sponsored by Pet Plate

Photography by Jacquelynn

The post New Year’s Resolution for the pups appeared first on The Fitnessista.

New Year’s Resolution for the pups published first on https://immigrationways.tumblr.com/

[jonasmaurer]

New Year’s Resolution for the pups

This post is sponsored by our friends at Pet Plate. If you want to treat your pup to this delicious, fresh-cooked healthy food, use this link to get 50% off your doggo’s first box.

I’ve definitely been in resolutions mode since the start of the year, maybe even more so than previous years. It’s not like I want to make these huge sweeping changes, but, I feel more goal and action-oriented than I have in a while. It felt really good to sit down with my planner and write everything down that I want to accomplish this year. While I was scheming and scribbling away, Bella started pawing at my legs – wishing for a bite of my chicken salad.

It was that moment I realized I make huge goals for myself and our family, but sometimes neglect the poor pups. I feel like now that the girls are older and things are a bit easier, we can shift our focus to the dogs some more. I want to be a better mom for our human kiddos and our fur babies.

While the dogs have everything they really need: lots of cuddles, food, clean water, and a warm cozy couch or fresh laundry to sleep on, there are three areas I wanted to make some changes for them this year:

1) Give them walks more regularly. (We go through streaks of time where we do amazing with walks, and then other weeks…not so much.)

2) Book their dental appointments. It’s been two years since their last visit and while it can be ridiculously expensive, it’s so invaluable for their health.

3) Switch up their food for a fresher, healthier option for the golden years. This is where Pet Plate comes in!

When Pet Plate offered to send Bella and Caroline some of their fresh dog food, I was excited to check out the website.

Here’s a little bit about Pet Plate:

– The meals are designed by a veterinary nutritionist and contain all the nutrients your pups need

– The meals are pre-cooked and pre-portioned in a recyclable, resealable container

– It is supposed to be incredibly tasty, as they use USDA-certified meat, fresh fruits and veggies, and a proprietary supplement blend

I requested the Chompin’ Chicken and the Tail Waggin’ Turkey flavors, and couldn’t wait to see what Bella and Caro thought when the package arrived.

How cute is the packaging?!

I let a couple of containers defrost in the fridge, and when they were ready to serve, I scooped out some portions into their bowls.They ate like they’ve never had food before.

They LOVED it.

I was kind of nervous because when I introduce new dog food to the pups, I’ll usually mix it into their regular food so they don’t have tummy trouble. Pet Plate does recommend transitioning your pups over to their formula slowly, but we were out of our old dog food, so I decided to go for it and crossed my fingers. Their stomachs did not get upset AT ALL, which I can’t say about other brands we’ve tried.

While I was super happy that the dogs loved their new food, I have to say that one of the biggest selling points for me is that it’s healthy, balanced food that’s ready to serve. Our previous dog food had to be mixed with warm water and then sit for 3 minutes to rehydrate. The ingredients were good, but it always felt like a pain to make. I’d make it in large batches and always dread when we would run out.

Also, the dogs didn’t eat their old food nearly as well as they’ve been enjoying Pet Plate. When Bella gets hungry, she’ll adorably scoot her bowl over to me and whine. As I scoop the Pet Plate into their bowls, they literally jump at my feet, waiting for their food. Their old food would often sit in the bowl until they felt like eating it.

I’m so excited to share a special discount link with you if you’re looking to up your pup’s food game in the New Year. Click here to get 50% off your first shipment! We received our first box for free, but are paying customers now that the dogs love it so much.

Please let me know if you give it a try!

Any special New Year’s resolutions that you’re setting for your pets this year?

xo

Gina

Sponsored by Pet Plate

Photography by Jacquelynn

The post New Year’s Resolution for the pups appeared first on The Fitnessista.

New Year’s Resolution for the pups published first on https://olimpsportnutritionde.tumblr.com/

[anamorales]

New Year’s Resolution for the pups

This post is sponsored by our friends at Pet Plate. If you want to treat your pup to this delicious, fresh-cooked healthy food, use this link to get 50% off your doggo’s first box.

I’ve definitely been in resolutions mode since the start of the year, maybe even more so than previous years. It’s not like I want to make these huge sweeping changes, but, I feel more goal and action-oriented than I have in a while. It felt really good to sit down with my planner and write everything down that I want to accomplish this year. While I was scheming and scribbling away, Bella started pawing at my legs – wishing for a bite of my chicken salad.

It was that moment I realized I make huge goals for myself and our family, but sometimes neglect the poor pups. I feel like now that the girls are older and things are a bit easier, we can shift our focus to the dogs some more. I want to be a better mom for our human kiddos and our fur babies.

While the dogs have everything they really need: lots of cuddles, food, clean water, and a warm cozy couch or fresh laundry to sleep on, there are three areas I wanted to make some changes for them this year:

1) Give them walks more regularly. (We go through streaks of time where we do amazing with walks, and then other weeks…not so much.)

2) Book their dental appointments. It’s been two years since their last visit and while it can be ridiculously expensive, it’s so invaluable for their health.

3) Switch up their food for a fresher, healthier option for the golden years. This is where Pet Plate comes in!

When Pet Plate offered to send Bella and Caroline some of their fresh dog food, I was excited to check out the website.

Here’s a little bit about Pet Plate:

– The meals are designed by a veterinary nutritionist and contain all the nutrients your pups need

– The meals are pre-cooked and pre-portioned in a recyclable, resealable container

– It is supposed to be incredibly tasty, as they use USDA-certified meat, fresh fruits and veggies, and a proprietary supplement blend

I requested the Chompin’ Chicken and the Tail Waggin’ Turkey flavors, and couldn’t wait to see what Bella and Caro thought when the package arrived.

How cute is the packaging?!

I let a couple of containers defrost in the fridge, and when they were ready to serve, I scooped out some portions into their bowls.They ate like they’ve never had food before.

They LOVED it.

I was kind of nervous because when I introduce new dog food to the pups, I’ll usually mix it into their regular food so they don’t have tummy trouble. Pet Plate does recommend transitioning your pups over to their formula slowly, but we were out of our old dog food, so I decided to go for it and crossed my fingers. Their stomachs did not get upset AT ALL, which I can’t say about other brands we’ve tried.

While I was super happy that the dogs loved their new food, I have to say that one of the biggest selling points for me is that it’s healthy, balanced food that’s ready to serve. Our previous dog food had to be mixed with warm water and then sit for 3 minutes to rehydrate. The ingredients were good, but it always felt like a pain to make. I’d make it in large batches and always dread when we would run out.

Also, the dogs didn’t eat their old food nearly as well as they’ve been enjoying Pet Plate. When Bella gets hungry, she’ll adorably scoot her bowl over to me and whine. As I scoop the Pet Plate into their bowls, they literally jump at my feet, waiting for their food. Their old food would often sit in the bowl until they felt like eating it.

I’m so excited to share a special discount link with you if you’re looking to up your pup’s food game in the New Year. Click here to get 50% off your first shipment! We received our first box for free, but are paying customers now that the dogs love it so much.

Please let me know if you give it a try!

Any special New Year’s resolutions that you’re setting for your pets this year?

xo

Gina

Sponsored by Pet Plate

Photography by Jacquelynn

The post New Year’s Resolution for the pups appeared first on The Fitnessista.

New Year’s Resolution for the pups published first on https://immigrationways.tumblr.com/