#Bian Nguyen

[reminiscencez]

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Jinx X Fem Oc fanfic

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Reminiscence by luvmelaniee112 on wattpad

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As Bian turned around to see who the girl was,

her friends began to get up and engage with the newcomer. She heard Alice exclaim, "Oh yeah, you fuckin rock!" as she grabbed the lighter. The blue-haired girl, Jinx, bore an uncanny resemblance to the homemade trinket Bian had seen in the guest room.

"I never knew you smoked?" Alice remarked, lighting the joint with a practiced flick of her wrist.

"Oh, I don't," Jinx replied with an innocent smile. "I just like to light shit on fire." She began to walk towards Alice and the joint, her curiosity piqued. Bending down around Alice, she observed closely, her eyes reflecting the flickering flame.

"here" Alice said as she handed Jinx the lighter back. With a swift motion, she ignited the lighter, its brief flame casting a fleeting glow before she tucked it back into her pocket. Alice took a hit from the joint, inhaling and soon exhaling with ease.

She gestured for Bian to try the joint. "Here, try it," she said, her voice inviting yet mysterious. Bian carefully grabbed it, her fingers trembling slightly with anticipation. She brought it up to her mouth and inhaled deeply. The taste was... interesting, a blend of unfamiliar flavors that danced on her tongue. Almost immediately, she began to cough, the new burning and tickling sensation in her throat catching her off guard.

Everyone erupted into laughter as they continued to pass the joint around. 'Nice, way to embarrass the shit out of yourself in front of the new girl,' she thought, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. After her coughing fit subsided, she glanced over at Jinx once more. There was something almost... entrancing about her. No, that wasn't quite the right word. It was something else, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She quickly dismissed the thought and focused her attention back on the joint, waiting for it to come her way again.

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After multiple hits and drinks, they all decided to climb onto the roof of the abandoned house. Despite their drunken state, they somehow managed to make it up there after several minutes of clumsy attempts and fits of laughter. Once they were settled, Bian found herself lying down next to Jinx.

"So, like, who are you?" Bian asked, turning her head to face Jinx and folded her hands on her stomach as she awaited a response.

"I'm Jinx, duh," Jinx replied with a playful grin and a shrug.

"Hm," Bian murmured, her eyes lingering on the blue-haired girl.

She began to study Jinx's face, noticing the delicate freckles scattered across her cheeks. She couldn't tell if it was the alcohol, but Jinx looked incredibly beautiful with the moonlight casting a soft glow on her features. Bian quickly averted her gaze, her heart racing. 'Shit, how long was I staring at her?' she wondered, unaware that she had been making faces as if she were talking to herself.

Jinx laughed, a sound that was both musical and infectious. "What?" Bian asked, feeling a mix of curiosity and embarrassment.

"Nothing, you just look totally insane," Jinx teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Whatever," Bian laughed, the sound coming out more drunkenly than intended

"So, who are you?" Jinx asked, mimicking Bian's earlier question with a playful grin.

"Bian Nguyen," Bian blurted out, her voice a bit too loud in the quiet night.

"Wow, giving me the full government name already? You must trust me a lot," Jinx teased,

turning her body fully to face Bian.

Bian's heart skipped a beat, and she felt her face heat up. 'Maybe it's a side effect of what I just ingested or whatever,' she thought, trying to rationalize her reaction. "Maybe," she murmured under her breath, giving Jinx a sly smile.

Jinx smiled back and looked away, exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Trying to play it cool, she glanced up at the sky. "Isn't the sky so nice tonight?" she said, attempting to change the subject.

The rest of the group watched them from a distance. "Well,they seem to like each other," Lulit whispered.

"No shit," Alex replied, rolling his eyes.

"Whew, somebody's jealous," Lulit giggled drunkenly.

"No, the hell I'm not," Alex snapped, starting to get annoyed.

"She was only joking, calm down," Alice said, placing a calming hand on Alex's shoulder to prevent him from ruining her high.

"Whatever," he sighed dramatically.

Lulit snorted, earning a playful slap on the back of her head from Alice. "Ay!" Lulit yelped, then burst into giggles. The rest of the group soon joined in, their laughter filling the night air.

Meanwhile, Jinx and Bian were too engrossed in their own conversations to even notice.

"Sooo," Bian began, searching for a new topic. "How'd you meet them?" she asked, gesturing towards the group still laughing.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Ran into Alice while we were both trying to steal from the same person," Jinx said, half-joking.

Bian snorted and lightly hit Jinx's forearm. "Okay, be serious."

"Hey! I am serious," Jinx replied, feigning offense. "What, you think I'm too much of a pussy to do that?" she teased.

"Oh, whatever," Bian shrugged her off with a shy smile. They spent the rest of the time sneaking glances at each other or just blatantly staring, the moonlight casting a soft glow on their faces.

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Bian reluctantly parted ways with Jinx, her heart pounding in her chest. "Well, I had a lot of fun tonight," she said, brushing the dirt off her pants after leaping from the roof. The group was already ahead, their chatter a distant murmur. Alex's glare felt like daggers, but Bian shrugged it off, focusing on Jinx.

"Yeah," Jinx exhaled, her grin wide and infectious. "Me too. I really hope we can hang out again." She pulled Bian into a hug, and they held each other for what felt like an eternity. Bian's mind raced, 'I'm probably just really drunk and don't realize it. I'll wake up regretting all of this, thinking I'm doing too much,' she ranted internally. When they finally broke apart, a pang of sadness hit Bian. She wished she could hold Jinx forever—wait, what? Okay that's cringe, thats totally crazy. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

"Well, I gotta get going. Bye, Bian," Jinx said with a shy smile, her hand lingering on Bian's arm, sending shivers down her spine.

"Alrighty, bye Jinx!" Bian waved as Jinx walked away. "Hmph," she muttered, smoothing her hair and shirt. She stumbled towards the group, her mind a chaotic whirl. 'I really need to get home. I'm done for; I drank way too much.'

As Bian caught up with the group, Alex scoffed and walked away. "What's up with him?" she asked, pointing at him with her thumb.

Alice sighed, "He's just upset or tense, I don't know." She shrugged. "But let's not let him ruin the mood," she added with a smile.

They snuck back into the house silently, collapsing into their rooms. Alex even took pillows from Alice; normally, she would cuss him out, but she was way too wrecked to care. Lulit, Alice, and Bian all fell asleep on the bed, while Alex made do with a blanket and two pillows on the floor, which was surprisingly comfy.

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~1276 words~

Authors note: If this peaked your intereat, i highly recommend you read the rest of my book on wattpad!! Its called Reminiscence by luvmelaniee112 !!

[deafchild2000]

Nguyen Sisters (Triplets)

(Alright, this is more of a backstory for characters in my story: Inheritance!

1. Tien Nguyen (The Oldest) - Chi Pu

2. Bian Nguyen (The Middle Child) - Dianne Doan

3. Yen Nguyen (Youngest) - Lana Condor

And the late: Kara Nguyen (Mother)

Van Nguyen (Older brother/sibling)

Bian, Tien, and Yen Nguyen make of a set of triplet sisters to the late Van Nguyen and daughters to the late Kara Nguyen.

Upon their deaths by Hayley Marshall-Kenner (orchestrated by Davina Claire) and Kol Mikaelson, they were taken in by other witches of the Ninth Ward Coven at the age of 6.

As the daughters of an Elder and sisters to a Regent, they are powerful together as they are apart. They share an equal disdain for Mikaelsons and Hayley Mashall for the deaths of their loved ones, leaving the three to only have each other.

Yen was a dance student at a community center where she met Harmony, who was only going by her first name then. The two quickly hit it off and became fast friends. It wasn't until later when Harmony had visited the Ninth Ward where she experienced the massacre her mother created. Her screams had everyone running towards her, including Yen & her sisters (whose first meeting prompted the visit in the first place). It was Tien whose eyes narrowed in fury when she recognized her mother's killer in Harmony and wanted to give her an "aneurysm she'd never forget" when Yen stopped her.

By the time Harmony recovered, Hayley and Vincent had come running to the Ninth Ward once immediate word got to them that Harmony is there. And knowing how her daughter's Sight worked, she knew the inevitable happened.

Finding Harmony on the ground with what could only be copies of Kara Nguyen, deducing they were her daughters and threats to her little girl, Hayley was quick to remove Harmony from the ward while Vincent attempted to defuse the situation (and prevent any more bloodshed). Tien was furious and wanted Harmony's head while Yen tried to calm her down, only to be scolded for consorting with the enemy. Vincent tried to explain that Harmony's an innocent to what went down on the October 19th Massacre.

It would later be revealed that Tien was there and watched Hayley kill Kara, igniting a fierce hatred for the hybrid.

Sometime later, Harmony came back to the Ninth Ward to speak to the entire coven, but mainly the triplets. She brokered a deal: Since they can't touch Hayley for the sake of peace between the Factions nor Kol & Davina for the deaths they caused, she'd take their place. A daughter for a mother. A loved one for a loved one. Any surviving family members of the 12 witches who wish to take vengeance on the three culprits through her are welcomed to do so in three days at the Lafayette Cemetery. Harmony would be bound to a boundary spell and wear the Cursed Shackles to make herself powerless. In return, those who choose to enact vengeance upon her shall go unpunished. As a show of goodwill, Harmony would go as far as to make a legally binding contract & deal with the Ancestors that barred the faction from intervening and use the blood of her mother and family members in a spell to prevent them from coming after them.

While the Ninth Ward agreed to the terms, it wasn't long until word got back to the Faction leaders and tried to stop it. Even Vincent couldn't because the spell Harmony used to protect those involved the Ancestors, meaning they not only agree with the terms but forbid Vincent from interfering. Hope even tried to take her place, but Harmony said that if one thing changed, everything else would and then no one would be happy.

That night, it would appear that only the Nguyen Sisters would be a part of the "trial". Yen was the only one vocally opposed to this, Tien wanted to do this, yet Bian kept a neutral expression.

Harmony spent HOURS being tortured by them but made no moves to escape, which frustrated Tien greatly. All she did do, however, was goad them to do more, to do their worst. Eventually, Hayley and Vincent managed to get into the cemetery and find them, however, much to the surprise of everyone, it was Bian who ended Harmony's suffering and broke the boundary circle before telekinetically taking off the shackles. Hayley grabbed her half-dead-looking daughter before vamp speeding out of there.

Vincent went off on them, but it was Tien who was furious at Bian until it was revealed that she'd been talking to Van in the Well.

He may not have liked dying and how he died, but Van made peace with it on his own terms. When Harmony had contacted the Ancestors for their help, he didn't agree with the torture session. One of the few things he's agreed with others (Marcel included) was that children are innocent. Harmony taking on the pain and anger of the actions of 3 was not fair. The girls were 6 years old. Harmony wasn't even 2 yet. Regardless of Kol, Davina, and Hayley's actions, he couldn't condone this and begged Bian to end it if it went too far.

(And considering it went in for hours...that says something about how Harmony was handling it!)

Hearing this from Bian, and then from Van himself, Tien lashed out and walked away back home with her.

Yen, completely remorseful, created a care package of herbs and tea from her coven and left it for Harmony, only for Hayley to retrieve it. Despite the glare from the hybrid, Yen assured this would help Harmony, whom it was revealed to had been unconscious for three days, and even said Vincent could back up her claims if she asked him. And she wanted Hayley to tell Harmony that she was sorry, only to get the reply to "tell her yourself".

Eventually, thanks to the verified care package, Harmony did recover. And it wasn't long until she was filled in on the tense situation with the Ninth Ward and sought out Tien, whom she let punch her in the face after calling her current disposition "sad and pathetic". It was revealed that Tien hated that Harmony wasn't fighting back and the more she tortured her, the more ashamed she felt (like kicking a puppy while it's down) which led to ger continuing it even with Harmony's goading, which pissed her off more. Harmony asked what pissed her off most: Her lack of self-defense or acceptance of the situation. It was both.

Considering how Harmony is Hayley's clone in appearance and attitude, Tien was full-on prepared to feel victorious at the idea of torturing the monster that turned her life upside down. She expected Harmony to be just like Hayley, cruel and merciless ...and what she got was the shame when Harmony was selfless and accepting. Her family made her and her sisters orphans and Harmony took responsibility and apologized for it. It distraught her and she couldn't take it. Harmony takes this time to reveal that part of the reason she held in through the torture was that it wasn't the first time she was tortured for her family's crimes and she wasn't the only one whose life flipped at 6 years old. She precedes to tell her of the Kidnapping Incident, how she was the reincarnation of a girl her father killed through ill-worded compulsion, and how it awakened her Seer Sight. She recants how it left her unable to accept the Mikaelsons ("a few years of good deeds doesn't erase a millennia worth of cruelty") and how she's bound to experience the loss they suffered on a personal level. Kara is just a sign that she'll lose Hayley ("The universe isn't that kind to let me keep my mom after she took yours.") This completely changed Tien's opinion of Harmony. The tribrid was only 4 years younger than her and had to deal with the weight of family name carries, as well as the pain they wreaked. Tien at least knows she can trust her family, meanwhile, the girl before her might never be able to trust hers aside from her mother and sister. Harmony then reveals how her mother smelled more than Yen's hand on the care package, revealing she knew Tien had a hand in it as well. So the kindred girls form a friendship and a truce, which they present before the Faction leaders and covens. Harmony is still going to keep that protection spell over the sisters (so someone doesn't get any ideas) and that they were even. Hayley takes this as a belated chance to apologize to the sisters, which is a given to be not easily accepted. At best, Harmony is a friend of theirs, therefore she's safe. But just because Hayley's her mother doesn't mean she's forgiven. Tien makes a point to say Hayley will have her day in death, but for now, she just has to keep their friend safe.

From that moment on, the sisters had a great and relatable relationship with Harmony. Yen was happy to have her friend and dance partner back, Tien became very protective of her, and Bian...Bian and Harmony had an interesting connection since they both held secrets that could change everything. She was their unofficial little sister whenever she came home from boarding school and was happy to hear about Salvatore (for the most part. They had their opinions of Harmony's choice friends having bad reputations and the Saltzmanns). Harmony considers them honorary members of the Midnight Falls Coven (the coven she made with Penelope Park and Alyssa Chang).

The sisters are 18 and in their final year in high school when shit hits the fan in February 2026. In hindsight, if you asked Bian of all sisters, she'd tell you that something has changed within the Factions and Hayley's disappearance would cause all hell to break loose if Harmony doesn't cause it. Bian would also say Hope was involved. The triplets may be closer to Harmony, but it wasn't for the lack of trying to get along with older the Mikaelson twin. Hope never quite forgave them for torturing her little sister and the fact she's more inclined to the Mikaelsons didn't help. So once word got out of Hope's tomfoolery with creating a hybrid (in contrast to her sister's opposition with creating them), Bian could have easily seen Hope's involvement with the return of Klaus Mikaelson a mile away. But once word got out that Hayley Marshall Kenner, the mother of their friend, their mother's murderer, and almighty Crescent Alpha, was turned into a vampire and killed? The sisters didn't hesitate to contact Harmony and to go to her. Tien had a few choice words she wanted to say to Hope Mikaelson and the fact the very thing Harmony warned her would happen to Hayley came true, and it wasn't even with fair circumstances (but when was fair ever a given?) was enough to boil her insides as she knew Harmony wouldn't take it well. Which was a proven point with her barricading her mother's room and stealing her clothes, her necklace, and blaming everything on Hope to the point of no end in sight, and antagonizing the Mikaelsons. She went full-throttle mean girl and even Bian felt that this wasn't something that would go away soon. Tien couldn't even snap her out of it, which ended up with Harmony pushing them away.

By the time Harmony split the Hollow with Hope, the sisters were surprised she was apologizing. Hayley's death messed her up on the same level Kara did, maybe even more. She explained to them the matter of everything that happened when Hayley died (Hope's ridiculous need for Klaus resulting in Hayley's death and Nightwalkers, another product of her father's stupidity) before telling them to get out of town before the Nightwalkers did more damage and came for them (a bullet they'd find they missed). Yen asks if she's okay, which Harmony responds with "I'm angry. I'm pissed. I'm tired. And I'm ready to legally change my surname." Harmony tells them to visit the Ancestral Well one more time to see Kara and Van, forwarning them that it might be their last. By the time they return to New Orleans, the Well is destroyed (meaning Kara and Van can find Peace), the Nightwalkers are gone (thanks to two pissed off Mikaelson twins and a LOT of dark magic), and the clincher: Now those Mikaelson twins have activated their werewolf curse. Yen is terrified for Harmony, Tien is angry (at Klaus more), and Bian isn't surprised (one of the few conversations she and Hayley had was that Harmony would be pissed off when she triggered hers). What is troublesome is the pipe shots she's shooting at everyone. Tien manages to snap her out of it and tells her that Hayley wouldn't want her like this...which works until Harmony comes back from Limbo and reaffirms changing her surname again.

Eventually, the sisters are at a loss when they hear of Klaus Mikaelson's willingness to die to keep the Hollow from the girls. Surprisingly, it's Yen who's not impressed since right with Marcel, his prime existence has caused issues and the fact this is what ends him and not a glorious death? At least with it, Harmony won't freak out about the death-inducing visions just being in the same room causes her. Ironically, Tien feels bad because Harmony is capable of loving him and knows it's because of Lorraine and the others that Klaus might not even get her love then. She never had a father figure except for Van, and while it kills her not to tell her to talk to him, she's well aware Harmony and Klaus will literally need another lifetime to sort their issues. Bian is neutral but pities the Mikaelsons. All things must die and 1000-year-old vampires are no exception. She can respect that he's doing at least one good thing which Harmony can remember him for, which can help in the long run now that the Mikaelson twins will never be the same.

Then, to their shock and ire, the eve of his death is when they are visited by Kol and Davina Mikaelson. Hayley left a letter for both of them regaling how Harmony was tortured for their poor choices and that if the youngest Mikaelson could apologize for their actions, the ones who did the deeds should too. Maybe it was because of Klaus's impending demise, or maybe it was because Harmony pulled a Davina and locked Kol in his vampire body, or maybe it was because he lost favor with his two nieces inadvertently causing this whole mess...or maybe it was all of the above because seeing Kol kneeling and apologizing to them was a sight they'd never forget. And while Davina had no love for Klaus, Hayley's letter was rather vicious in demanding that her dying wish to the witch was to apologize to the sisters as well as the couple giving them enough money to live off of for the rest of their days. Like Hayley's apology, it doesn't even come close to answering for what they took from them. But because it was Hayley asking (demanding) and Harmony paying for it, it was something.

The drama would have ended after Klaus's death until there's a big commotion from Harmony's home. They didn't hear until later that Freya tried to kill Harmony and now their regent, Vincent, and a witch named Bonnie Bennett from Virginia, are sharing joint custody of Harmony with the Mikaelsons getting very limited visitation rights and paying for her boarding school tuition as a result.

For the first time, Bian smiled. This would definitely benefit the twins while Yen and Tien feel the headache coming on now. They wish Harmony Eve the best because college sounds like a vacation right about now.

[rvnewage]

PHAM THUY BIAN HA “BIANCA”

age: 95 liner company: new age media position: vocal trainee traits: (+) ambitious, driven, charismatic (-) vain, superficial, self-centered played by: carrie

She was born in Danang, but moved around a lot– Osaka, Los Angeles, Busan for a hot minute, and then back to Vietnam again, in Hanoi this time. She was always a bit of a vain child, and like all little girls, dreamed of being a pop star. She tried to train for the kpop industry, wanting to be in an idol group, but she wasn’t good enough there. She wasn’t wanted. She was the same as every other little girl with a dream, and not special enough to make it. Plus, she was a Vietnamese girl with a hard to pronounce Vietnamese name; to weird to fit in. So she switched her sights to vpop, trying out for companies at home instead. It was home, after all. She’d fit in.

She trained hard, before eventually getting picked up by a company at home and eventually debuting with them. It was the proudest moment of her life. She’d made it. But then again, did she?

They didn’t do well, reduced to busking on the streets after barely a year before New Age found her, and that was what Bian was waiting for. Sure, she was the only member of her group to make it there, and she’d probably be a novelty, but she’d always wanted to perform in South Korea.

She still can be a little vain sometimes, but not obnoxiously so. She’s flirty and giggly and loves to perform. She also loves the rivalry. anything to stay on top, right?

[queenofcandynsoda]

Zosia Jacobs

Zosia Jacobs

Name: Zosia Jacobs

Gender: Female

Height: 3’4” (102 cm) [Child], 5’9” (175 cm) [Adult]

Birthday: December 7th

Residence: Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

Relatives: Adela Jacobs (Mother), Mr. Kesean Jacobs (Maternal Grandfather), Orlena Jacobs (Maternal Grandmother), Duc Nguyen (father), Bian Nguyen (step-mother), Giang Nguyen (Paternal Grandfather)

Occupation: Student (Child), Artist (Older)

Appearance: Zosia has medium-length kinky platinum blond hair and golden (or cyan) eyes. She has a ghostly pallor complexion. She has a black birthmark above her right eyebrow. When she becomes a successful artist, she has several tattoos on her arms, resembling flying hummingbirds on flowers, moving waterfalls, shining crystals, and a sleeping lioness. If she was not an experiment, she would have black hair, brown eyes, and a dark complexion. 

Baby: Zosia wears a pink onesie with her name imprinted in a white script.

Child: Zosia wears a magenta tent dress, a pair of pink and white sandals, and a pink charm bracelet. She also has a pair of gold earrings. Her hair is combed into pigtails. She occasionally wears a pink apron. 

Uniform: Zosia has two uniforms. The first one is a long sleeve white shirt, a navy blue pencil skirt, a pair of black stockings, and a pair of Mary Janes. The second one is a short sleeve cream summer blouse, a navy blue bubble skirt, a pair of white ankle-length socks, and a pair of black flats. She also has a navy jacket with a badge. She still wears the charm bracelet. 

Teenager: Zosia wears a fuchsia frill shirt, blue skirt, a pair of pink Converse shoes, and a sun hat. She still has the gold earrings and charm bracelet. She occasionally wears a blue apron. 

Young Adult: Zosia wears a magenta tank top with an oversized black unbuttoned shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of black boots. She still wears the charm bracelet along with several bracelets and earrings. When she is working on her art, she has two sets of clothes based on what materials she’s using. For painting, she wears a beige apron with pockets to hold her brushes, painting knives, and sponges. For spray painting, she wears a N95 mask, protective goggles, disposable gloves, hair cap, black hoodie, blue jeans, and sneakers.

Abilities: Hive Mind, Mind Control, Telepathy, Telekinesis, Super Intelligence, Art Manipulation (Artistic Replication, Retrocognitive Artistry, Paint Manipulation, Ink Manipulation, Art Generation), Tattoo Manipulation (Body Art Animation), Sculpting Mastery, Painting Mastery, Graffiti Mastery, Enhanced Creativity, Skating Mastery, Hair Color Manipulation, Nail Color Manipulation, Enhanced Flexibility, Enhanced Agility, Enhanced Parkour

Personality: Zosia is cheerful, friendly, and creative. She is enlighten by the surrealism art as she sees it to be the perfect representation of how she fits into the world. She can be very innovative as she created an art movement and crafted new methods to create hyper-realistic drawings. As she loves her mother, she is very close to her grandmother, while is unusual among the Cuckoos. When she is with all of the other Cuckoos, Zosia’s mind goes into “sync” and joins their collective. She is more in tune with the hive mind and their shared abilities.

Key Moments:

Adela was sexually assaulted by Duc, causing a major media circus since he is the son of a prominent Vietnamese businessman and philanthropist, with Adela being 14 at the time. Giang then disowned Duc, along with spending him in prison in Vietnam, and gave the Jacobs family a major share of the company. 

Orlena gave Zosia her charm bracelet and would give her a charm on every birthday and Christmas since her seventh birthday. Zosia has been wearing it ever since as more charms have been added. 

After graduating high school, she has done art commissions for offices, waiting rooms, schools, and other clients. Her styles of art, which are lowbrow, street art, Afrofuturism, Afro-surrealism, and Expressionism. These artwork soon grab the attention of richer clients. 

She has pioneered her own art movement. It is called Enfant Divinism, meaning “Divine Child”. It depicts drawings of her, and the other Cuckoos, in religious iconography with a surreal background while others who are close to them, such as their mothers, close families, and lovers, have a golden aura around them. People who are not close to them are often drawn as rotten corpses or grotesque beings in pain. The drawing of the Cuckoos are highly realistic to where they can be mistaken as pictures. 

Zosia’s artwork is worth millions, earning her financial success. She only wants them in museums and public art collections as she does not want them in exclusive collections for rich people. 

[fledgling42]

Meet the Agent! An offense class like no other, this femme fatale uses dual pistols and tonfa to accomplish her objectives.

Name: Bian Nguyen Location of origin: Orlando, Florida, USA Job: Disorientation

A fatal femme fatale, through and through. The child of Vietnamese immigrants, Agent discovered her skill for combat when she used a broken broom to fend off a creepy classmate. The detention was worth it, and as an adult she became a secret agent for the CIA. And now look at her–fighting with and alongside a bunch of losers over a worthless plot of land. Oh well. At least Agent feels at home.

This is who you’ll be talking to when sending asks. Feel free to ask for more info!

[itsbenedict]

been a while since i did any work on the umineko gameboard thingy i was doing (what these are from), since our schedules haven’t aligned, but i started doing some draw during a panel at dragoncon and

this here’s Nguyen Bian Linh, the Star- on the cruise ship for unclear reasons and trying to peddle her weird scientology-type cult’s beliefs. whether or not she is secretly an alien and/or Tom Cruise remains to be seen

[didanawisgi]

Abstract

Epigenetics can be explored at different levels and can be divided into two major areas: epigenetics of nuclear-encoded DNA and epigenetics of mitochondrial-encoded DNA. In epigenetics of nuclear-encoded DNA, the main roles are played by DNA methylation, changes in histone structure and several types of non-coding RNAs. Mitochondrial epigenetics seems to be similar in the aspect of DNA methylation and to some extent in the role of non-coding RNAs but differs significantly in changes in components coiling DNA. Nuclear DNA is coiled around histones, but mitochondrial DNA, together with associated proteins, is located in mitochondrial pseudocompartments called nucleoids. It has been shown that mitochondrial epigenetic mechanisms influence cell fate, transcription regulation, cell division, cell cycle, physiological homeostasis, bioenergetics and even pathologies, but not all of these mechanisms have been explored in stem cells. The main issue is that most of these mechanisms have only recently been discovered in mitochondria, while improvements in methodology, especially next-generation sequencing, have enabled in-depth studies. Because studies exploring mitochondria from other aspects show that mitochondria are crucial for the normal behavior of stem cells, it is suggested that precise mitochondrial epigenetics in stem cells should be studied more intensively.

KeywordsMitochondria Mitochondrial DNA Epigenetics Stem cell References

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[tumimmtxpapers]

Mannose receptor (CD206) activation in tumor-associated macrophages enhances adaptive and innate antitumor immune responses.

Related Articles Mannose receptor (CD206) activation in tumor-associated macrophages enhances adaptive and innate antitumor immune responses. Sci Transl Med. 2020 Feb 12;12(530): Authors: Jaynes JM, Sable R, Ronzetti M, Bautista W, Knotts Z, Abisoye-Ogunniyan A, Li D, Calvo R, Dashnyam M, Singh A, Guerin T, White J, Ravichandran S, Kumar P, Talsania K, Chen V, Ghebremedhin A, Karanam B, Bin Salam A, Amin R, Odzorig T, Aiken T, Nguyen V, Bian Y, Zarif JC, de Groot AE, Mehta M, Fan L, Hu X, Simeonov A, Pate N, Abu-Asab M, Ferrer M, Southall N, Ock CY, Zhao Y, Lopez H, Kozlov S, de Val N, Yates CC, Baljinnyam B, Marugan J, Rudloff U Abstract Solid tumors elicit a detectable immune response including the infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Unfortunately, this immune response is co-opted into contributing toward tumor growth instead of preventing its progression. We seek to reestablish an antitumor immune response by selectively targeting surface receptors and endogenous signaling processes of the macrophage subtypes driving cancer progression. RP-182 is a synthetic 10-mer amphipathic analog of host defense peptides that selectively induces a conformational switch of the mannose receptor CD206 expressed on TAMs displaying an M2-like phenotype. RP-182-mediated activation of this receptor in human and murine M2-like macrophages elicits a program of endocytosis, phagosome-lysosome formation, and autophagy and reprograms M2-like TAMs to an antitumor M1-like phenotype. In syngeneic and autochthonous murine cancer models, RP-182 suppressed tumor growth, extended survival, and was an effective combination partner with chemo- or immune checkpoint therapy. Antitumor activity of RP-182 was also observed in CD206high patient-derived xenotransplantation models. Mechanistically, via selective reduction of immunosuppressive M2-like TAMs, RP-182 improved adaptive and innate antitumor immune responses, including increased cancer cell phagocytosis by reprogrammed TAMs. PMID: 32051227 [PubMed - in process] http://dlvr.it/RQ214J

[odium-amare]

Bian Gi (chapter 2)

Korean airports are a huge contrast to Vietnamese airports. While Vietnamese airports were small and narrow, Korean airports were large, pristine and futuristic. The Vietnamese staff had basic looking uniforms, but the women wore elegant Ao Dai. The Korean staff were generally taller with, in my honest opinion, more professional uniforms. The women were beautiful in their sky blue outfits.

I walked through the bustling crowd of people. I saw families happily greeting each other while lovers and spouses got emotional after having not seen their partners for a long time. There were a lot of posters with different names written boldly to attract the other passengers who got off. One white sign caught my attention when I saw my name written in plain but audacious black ink. The woman looked exactly like the picture in her email profile. She was young, but perhaps younger than me by a few years, medium height, pretty, and her hair was stylishly cut into a short bob that was bleached blonde. This was the Japanese woman who agreed to be my roommate deeming me in her words, ‘trustworthy enough’ to share the rent with her.

I jogged over to her.

“Bian Nguyen?” She questioned bluntly.

“Are you Nora Asami?” I inquired brightly. She gave a little nod while giving my person a once over, her lips pursed.

“You only brought that one bag? Do you have your suitcase ready?”

“Oh, right!”

How could I forget something so important? At Asami’s incredulous stare, I could tell she was already reconsidering my reliability. Embarrassed, I immediately went over to the luggage pickup area. I anxiously looked for my blue and black case as different baggage rolled by and people picked up to go on their merry way. When an hour passed, I was suspicious and nervous.

“Should it really take this long? Are you sure you checked in your luggage at all at your home airport?” Asami came over to note, agitatedly.

“I am absolutely sure I did. Maybe it’s just taking a little longer than usual,” I insisted and kept my eyes stubbornly on the entire machine. I looked around to spot a Korean officer keeping an eye on the whole area. Approaching him, I spoke about my worries and complaints, but he shook his head.

“I wouldn’t worry about it, miss. Sometimes, it just takes this long,” He brushed off. I settled back reluctantly.

When the second hour went by, Asami impatiently jotted down the apartment addressed, gave it to me briskly and left, not wanting to wait for me any longer. That’s when I really panicked. I have just arrived and my unfriendly roommate already ditched me. And where in the world was my suitcase? The officer whom had noticed my fidgeting this whole time began to look at me with slight pity.

“Miss, wait for me a bit. I will check on your luggage number,” I gave him a great look as he left.

My shoulders lightened when at the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar black and blue luggage rolling in my direction.

“O-Oh! Officer! I found it!” I called back and quickly rushed to snatch the baggage safely in my arms. I frowned and smelled velvety material. Strange. It did not smell like the body spray I dabbed it with. Maybe it was the effect of being stored in the plane for so long?

Unbeknownst to me, in the corner, a man was staring inquisitively at the luggage in my arms and then back to the one he was holding which had an uncanny resemblance.

“Did you find it?” The officer ran back to where I was panting with his hands resting on his knees, his back bent forward.

“Yes-“

“Excuse me,” A deep male voice interrupted us.

We both turned around to see a tall man approaching us. He cut quite the impression with his leather jacket, black cap covering dark locks paired up with black sunglasses.

“Um…Yes?”

He handed the case in his hand showing me the tag attached to the handle.

“Is this your name and number?” The stranger asked. I peered curiously down at the tag and my eyes widened.

“Yes! What were you doing with it?” I demanded in sloppy Korean, looking up at the man suspicious before I decided to check the tag of the one I was holding. Before I could get a clear look, his large hand reached out to take the luggage from my hand while pushing the one he had towards me.

“Just giving you back the pack you carelessly almost forgot about. Next time, a thief would not be so kind,” He cocked his eyebrow giving me a brief glance. I bristled but muttered a thank you.

He turned to the officer.

“As for you. It is your job as an officer and a member of the South Korean workforce to uphold the utmost responsibility and care for your clients and fellow people. Are you sleeping on the job?” He berated in such an imposing manner, no one had the heart or nerves to talk back or interrupt. “I will not bring this issue to your manager. However, I and everyone else do expect proper performance from you next time.”

With that, he turned on his heel and rolling his baggage with him heading in a different direction.

The officer and I could only stare at his proud, retreating back.

“Wow…” I breathed. “It’s pretty…Intense here huh?”

There was no reply and I turned to look at the officer who had a pensive look on his face before his head shot up in shock, startling me with him.

“What?”

“That man just now, if it weren’t for his cap and sunglasses, doesn’t he look familiar to you?” The officer pondered before his eyes looked like it was about to boggle out of its sockets. He then fumbled to take out his smartphone with case that had colorful writings all over it.

“What are you talking about? What are you doing?” I questioned, definitely bewildered now.

“This phone case has been my autograph collector for many years now,” He answered with a giddy grin before running after the man. I stared, flabbergasted. What? Was it someone famous? I should know him if he was! But then again, it wasn’t like I had a very close look.

With a shake of my head, I checked myself out and then stepped outside to call for an Uber, struggling with the new Korean app.

  Inside the car, I looked around me. It was so different from Saigon. The air was bright, clean and people walked here and there on the sidewalks, getting ready about their day for work and exercise. The weather was chilly, but pleasantly crisp. I made sure to tuck myself in a warm coat and scarf.

The car stopped once it has arrived at my apartment. With the door password I obtained from Asami, I unlocked the door to room 471. Inside was smaller than I thought but that was to be expected as it was all I could afford for now. Asami who was reading a Vogue magazine on the couch looked up at me.

“Ah, looks you were able to get here in one piece after all,” She mused with a quirk of her glossy lips. She stood up and pointed to the duck tape that lined, separating what looked like to be her glamorous side of the room to my blatant plain and unfurnished side.

She smiled apathetically at me as she pointed to a list on the wall that was titled “RULES.”

“You stay in your lane. Don’t talk to me other than is necessary, don’t touch any of my things, do your share of chores, cook every other day, pay your part of the rent and we will get along perfectly.”

 I swallowed.

It was a day for first impressions on me indeed.

[odium-amare]

Bian Gi (chapter 1)

If I had known life would play me this way, I would have made the wise decision to pay more attention to the Buddhist sermons my mother often preaches whenever my brother and I do or say something that displeases her.

Had I realized that if I wanted something too much, fate would mess with me by giving me the very opposite of what I wished for. That could have saved my helpless ass so many times.

 The now…

My name is Bian; Bian Nguyen. Before you ask, no. I am most definitely not Chinese although the surname Nguyen probably gave that away. It is not everyday a Vietnamese girl is named a name as unusual as Bian. Mai, Thao, Linh perhaps but Bian? Nah. When I learned that the meaning of Bian was ‘secret,’ I was dismayed. What was mother thinking of giving me such a wannabe edgy and dark name? It did not suit my usual (as I like to think) cheery personality at all.

I never thought that in my life, I would learn to appreciate the meaning of my name later on.

At only twenty-one years old, I am an aspiring makeup artist to my parents’ disappointment. It is cliché but you guessed it. In their heads, is it not be better to have a law or medical degree? Why dabble with cosmetics? Is it even going to bring me a stable living?

There was a time where I had second thoughts for my own self preservations and wanted to live up to parental expectations. I thought that getting a ‘higher quality’ degree was my goal too, but I liked beauty way too much.

Growing up in Asia, Korean entertainment was part of everyday life. They were the standard for looks, film, dramas, music, dancing, technology, everything. Okay, so maybe Japan had the upper hand for technology, maybe, but you get the point. Southeast Asia does not really have much if we’re going to be honest and my naïve self adored Korean entertainment. I, like many other younger generations all joined in on the whole ‘Korean wave’ trend, followed the latest hot news, the latest fashion, makeup and more. I decided to minor in the Korean language in university next to my business major.

My ambition was to move to Seoul, South Korea and become a professional makeup artist. Hopefully, they acknowledge my magnificent skills enough to promote me to style celebrities, my optimistic brain could not help whispering.

I currently work at the local Etude House in Trieu district which would finally come to an end today. Today, I say goodbye to my friends, coworkers and family before my flight tomorrow. Years and years of saving up from work and gift money has finally enabled me to move to Seoul. I booked a tiny apartment for myself in a small town that resides in the capital.

 Glancing at the time on my phone, I squeaked and ran out of my parents home with my work bag in tow.

Upon entering inside the Etude House store, I jumped at the loud explosions of firecrackers and cheers from fellow staff members.

“CONGRATULATIONS BIAN!!”

“W-what the,” I could not help but exclaim with a surprised laugh. “You guys scared me! Don’t this again.”

“Oh, lighten up. This will be the last day we’ll be seeing you so we might as well make it special,” One of the associates, My Lan, said.

They all laughed and surrounded my person asking all sorts of questions and requests at the same time, I could barely make anything legible out. I felt a light slap on my back. Turning around, I found my manager smiling widely down at me.

“Look at you moving to Korea. You will be ahead all of us in the beauty industry now. With all of their advanced investment and opening businesses in Vietnam, times really have changed for the millennials.”

“Manager, please don’t say that,” I replied flushing a little, but she hushed me.

“No false modesty now. You worked hard for this trip so you have every right to brag once in a while.”

Two of my fellow beauty advisors approach me rapidly asking:

“Hey Bian, make sure you bring home souvenirs and the fruit rolls for us okay? Don’t be too greedy.”

“Bring home some quality makeup that we don’t have here yeah?”

My head was spinning and I felt a hand pull me away to the back register counter. It was my best friend and coworker, Thi.

“Hey. The manager told me to give this to you,” She briskly said and handed out a large red packet. “Your salary plus a bonus for this last month. Think of it as a gift since you’re leaving us.”

“Oh, thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank me. You worked for it,” Thi smacked my arm. “You won’t forget us, especially me, will you? Make sure to keep in touch every day.” Her voice was so insistent, I had to laugh.

“You don’t even have to say. Obviously I will!”

She reached into her purse and took a small object out. In the light, I saw her holding a familiar looking lipstick.

“Remember this lipstick that you and I fought over in the Shiseido store a few years ago that sparked our friendship in the first place?” She tossed it to me and I scrambled to catch it in surprise. “Take it with you on this trip. Wear it when you find your significant other.”

Touched and brimming with emotions, I pulled Thi into a huge hug.

“…Thank you.”

 It was dark when I was bicycling back home. Strapped to my bike were several packages of farewell gifts. When I got to the huge flat screen television attached to one of the tall buildings, I stopped to see what was being portrayed on the screen. Aside from a few advertisements, girl groups and boy groups were being shown. Slowly, the TV attracted a crowd.

“And now, we will be introducing the top five actors in South Korea with the full package: looks, talents, history and personality!” One of the MCs announced. His spoken native language was dubbed Viet so people here could understand. The TV began showing the list and introducing each actor starting from number five. Getting off the bike, I was walking closer to the TV, intrigued to see if my favorite actor on there would be shown.

“Second place would be Ji Jang Suk. This young and upcoming actor is known for his serious yet dashing looks that is perfect for portraying the roles of agents and spies,” The MC continued.

“And now for number one…”

I stood on my tippy toes. I knew they were going to announce him soon. He is just way too well known to not make it to number one.

“Finally, number one goes to…”

I heard the crowd whispering to each other excitedly and curiously around me, making me strain my ear even further.

“Actor and model, Gi Hyeok!”

A grin broke out on my face and I, too, was cheering wildly with the crowd like the devoted fan I was. Soon enough, a tall, dark-haired and handsome man was shown in one of his casual photoshoot picture. The scene then switched to him and several security members walking down the red carpet in one of his drama previews.

Smiling at the camera and the crowd, the actor waved good-naturedly to the hectic fans inside the TV.

“Gi Hyeok has started off as a model at Namwoo Actors Agency after dropping out of college. With ridiculous good looks and on stage charisma, he quickly rose to fame around the world with his signature movie, ‘The Joker Card’ along with countless dramas of various genre. He sings and dances on the side, speaks four different languages and is a black belt in three kinds of martial arts. Gi Hyeok is the very definition of versatile!”

The sharp ringtone from my phone buzzing interrupted and I ran back to my bike while picking up.

“Hello?”

“Bian! Do you have any idea how late it is? You haven’t even finished packing up yet,” My mom’s agitated voice shouted. “Have you forgotten you have to wake up at 5 in the morning? Come back here before I give you a good beating!”

I wasted no time racing back home.

 “My god, look at you,” Mom clicked her tongue, lounging on my bed while I shuffled around the room with my open valise. “South Korea is extremely cold. Don’t forget to pack warm clothing. Did you add the winter boots we gave you last year?”

“Yes, yes. I remember!” I huffed as I quickly threw in toiletries and beauty products in a smaller bag.

“Are you that eager to leave your parents, the people who birthed you?” Mom continued, this time with a whining tone. I smiled and ran up to peck her affectionately on the cheek.

“You already know that I love and am grateful for both you and dad’s hard work in bringing me up. Now that I am going out there to make a living, I will pay you all back while pursuing my dreams at the same time,” I reminded, squeezing her soft hands. Mom’s face mellowed out a bit and my bedroom door slammed open.

“Are you sure an ugly sister like you can make it in the makeup business up there?” My brother obnoxiously hollered as he walked in.

“Nay! Get out or at least knock first!”

I threw a pillow at him and we both squabbled for a few minutes before mom subdued us both threatening more beatings.

It was a joyful night for all of us.

 The monotonous noises of the plane ride was disrupted when the speaker sounded with an announcement from the pilot. Groggily, I wiped my eyes from the short and uncomfortable few hour nap I managed to take from my uncomfortable sitting position.

The deep voice said in Korean and then translated to Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and English.

“Good morning everyone. It is currently 7:45 AM in Eastern time. We have now arrived in Seoul and getting ready to land~”

Quickly, I looked out the tiny window. There was a beautiful, crisp blue sky with wisps of white clouds here and there surrounding a good amount of land. The skyscrapers jutting from underneath still looking small from my altitude looked stunning.

A shiver down my spine.

 If I had known then what I knew now, I would tell the innocent self I was five years ago to turn back and go home back to Vietnam where I was safe and not…Sad.