#Business school Casablanca

[universitemaroc]

Mundiapolis : L’Université Qui Prépare les Étudiants à l’Excellence Professionnelle et Personnelle

[kavalyera]

General head canons about (any) John Wick characters?

-🧸

buckle up buddy this is really long this is like several months of me stealing hcs from my friends collecting hcs over the months

Vincent calls his cat Lacey “mon coeur” like she’s actually his daughter (which she is)

^ He also calls Chidi “mon coeur”

^^ It creates silly moments with Lacey and Chidi

Helen and John had a road trip across the US once and were literally drained for a month

Iosef had an emo phase

^ Kirill and Viggo had to live through that. It was the funniest shit they’ve ever seen

While not directly related, Helen is related to Winston. Up to you how

Happy pride month to Helen and John who are pan x bi

Vincent is pretentious and thinks modern books suck

^ He reads L’Oiseux Bleu by Madame D’Aulnoy every night because none of his parents ever read him a bedtime story and he wants some semblance of normalcy

Santino thinks making threats is the funniest shit ever

^ He did this to Gianna once and she beat his ass

^^ He still does it just not to Gianna

Katya needs glasses she just refuses to wear them💀💀

Perkins and Addy are ex girlfriends from high school

Kirill could fuck up several grapes if he was given them

^ Actually add oranges to that

Gianna and Cassian know each other so well they can communicate and just gestures and they’ll know what the other means

Ares is Russian-Italian, my brother assumed she was both so now I’m taking that head canon from him

Akira knows three languages; Japanese, English, and Cantonese <- but she’s still learning that last one

Mia learned how to play multiple instruments but none really echoed with her before she picked up the violin

^ Her violin has a name and it’s named Berry

Seeing Ares’ notes app is like seeing hell’s gates open and unleashing it’s fiery misery upon your eyes

Kirill and Ares are friends

^ They met when Ares was a hitwoman living in New York before Santino hired her

Gianna is the silent type when she gets angry, like she’ll start ignoring people when she’s totally pissed off

Avi and Kirill are sort of friends (well, work buddies. they share one common enemy: the entire Tarasov family)

Adjudicator had no problem with their parents

^ They’re just autistic

^^ They’re the second most normal person in the entire High Table’s office

Speaking of HT Office, these are the people included! ↴

Gianna, Santino, Adjudicator, WUXIA DJ, Harbinger, and Vincent

^ No, it is not a safe office

Iosef’s love language is bullying ❤️

DJ and Vincent used to date for a while and they liked to photograph each other

^ Each other’s muse (DJ with songs, Vincent with poetry)

Sofia actually has more dogs and cats that roam near the premises of the Casablanca Continental

^ Mostly stray cats

Cassian and Ares, when interacting each other, actually have a better relationship than Gianna and Santino

Helen watches millennial white woman shows

^ John watches them with her

Kirill and Avi had to drive Iosef to school

^ Neither of them wanted to

^^ Unfortunately it was mostly Kirill

Chidi is a passenger princess survivor when, in the rare case, Vincent drives

Gianna’s love language is gift giving but in the sense Cassian doesn’t even realize Gianna has given him one until later

^ She slips on a watch while he’s busy and he didn’t even realize it

Surprisingly, Iosef has done absolutely no drugs in his life

^ Unless you count weed, but that wouldn’t be drugs more like substances??

Santino owns an estate in Croatia (for @bluelolblue 💗)

Adjudicator is from Oregon idk they just give that vibe to me tbh

^ Vincent HATES every other part of the USA (#frenchman) but because he’s genuinely friends with Jude, he wouldn’t mind going to see Oregon

Iosef thinks Kirill is so cool and looks up to him

^ But if you ask him, he’ll call Kirill a little bitch

Gianna’s haircare is like really long and she started this since she was 12 so Santino had to wait an hour for her to finish

Adjudicator and Vincent are YSL Connoisseurs

^ Gianna, Adjudicator, Vincent, and DJ all have Louboutins

^^ So does Helen based on that one picture of Bridget Moynahan that I saw on tumblr

Iosef didn’t know how to tie shoelaces and Kirill did them for him

^ Mainly because Viggo told him to do it

Vincent struggles with some english words and will start getting pissed off if someone points it out (his ego is too big)

Sofia’s daughter’s name is Inara, meaning “shining light”

Gianna and Santino went to the same private school and they were both loners

^ However both of them had a small group of friends they regularly hung out with

Iosef thinks scaring Kirill is the funniest shit ever an it has never once worked

^ Kirill has gotten used to getting jumped he was literally in 80’s crime infested New York

Helen was learning Russian with John

^ She was around B1 level Russian as John helped her

Vincent reverts back to Catholicism just to inconvenience people

Ares wears those types of socks with a silly pattern just because she can

Viggo and Abram grew apart as time went on

Caine and Mia go out for dad-daughter bonding activities almost every weekend

^ Usually bowling or walking around a park

Grigoriy “Grisha” Izmailov is now a character in John Wick ( source here )

^ I don’t know his fandom just believe me on this trust🙏

Katya gets sick easily

Kirill almost drank the lethal dosage of caffeine once

^ Avi started getting fucking scared when he saw the effects

Katya was there at John’s wedding and she couldn’t stop crying because Helen was so nice to her

^ “can you live in Germany instead☹️”

Adjudicator had nothing to do as a kid so they ended up just making loads of bracelets for fun

^ They still do and it’s the most fun they have in the office

Yk what fuck it aspec time

Katya is an ace-lesbian

Mia is bi-ace

Tracker is aro-pan

Jude is aroace

^ Okay done

Adjudicator and Harbinger and related don’t ask how

Gianna’s favorite book is Il fu Mattia Pascal by Luigi Pirandello

The HT office starts clutching their pearls ties when they see someone with a shit outfit

^ Except for Harbinger, who isn’t dramatic

^^ And Adjudicator but they’d be upset

Gianna took cello lessons as a kid and Santino bullied her for her big ass instrument

^ His dad made him play cello afterwards

Koji and Akira cook together

^ It ends up with Koji not letting Akira touch anything and only lets her turn on the stove and stir things

If Chidi mentions something he likes, Vincent will start buying it for him

Ares is selectively mute

Vincent has more female friends than male ones because he’s a queer

Gianna and Santino are good at singing

Ares is genderfluid and uses any pronouns

Helen had a daisy tattoo in her inner forearm and then got a rose one layered over it when she married John

^ John also has a rose tattoo (they’re matching)

Caine is ridiculously fast at running

^ Mia inherited that

If Iosef has nothing to do, he goes to Kirill and forces video game knowledge onto him

HT Office has a shared playlist and it’s the worse combination of songs known to man

^ Santino deliberately encouraged employees to add bad songs

^ DJ has the best songs on that playlist btw

Chidi and Vincent have something in common which is fucking hating reptiles

^ They see one and start backing the fuck up

John Wick is autistic

Helen knows how to play guitar

Tell me to make a part 2 because I have so much more but I think Chad Stahelski is knocking at my door as we speak

[bleedingcoffee42]

so many wips! need to hear about casablanca <3

I did too much research into Lewis Nixon I and have to use it. Nix comes homes to his parents divorced, Stanhope being Stanhope and most of his grandfathers estate sold off. The will still not anywhere near a probate court. He's staying at the Yale Club and struggling with how much has chanced. Dick isn't back yet. Kathy is now the ex-wife. He doesn't have his dog. He has drinking and a bit of nostaglia and a family who owned a house damned near everywhere. Except---not anymore. There are articles in the paper about Grandpa's estate, he needs something to get his mind out of a fog. Starts looking into it, I mean what else does a former intelligence officer do? Some habits are hard to break.

The scene is set: The house in Monmouth Beach. It always seemed a little sketchy to him that the 'hotel' next door burned down because the town had been after the owner to shut the illegal hotel down. Even taking it to the NJ Supreme court. Still, the Nell Grace Hotel remained open. The town, filled with men like Grandpa who had outrageously large and expensive homes, probably were not happy with the operation of the hotel next door. So, it always struck him as convenient that the place burned down. And that they used the water spicket on Grandpa's house to fight the fire, a house he wasn't going to be staying at because it was winter and was winterized, yet the hotel was occupied and water was frozen. He's known the men in this neighborhood all his life, he wouldn't put it past them to resort to arson.

Why does it matter if the neighbor lady's house is gone? Well, probably nothing except that the records on Grandpas house list Mary Nixon selling it to another rich widow. Mary using an address in Newark he's never heard of. Mary who has been busy selling off everything. He's a little suspicious that the will left everything to her, without a single thing to his grandkids or Joel. He thinks there could be another will hidden somewhere and his guess would be the house closest to the ocean, the old sailor was always in a better mood when he could breathe in salty ocean air.

The problem was the house was sold and sold again. And the great hurricane of 1944 had battered the shore, destroying roads and houses. When he drives by so many houses are gone and another era of Jersey history forgotten. However, he remembers good times sitting under that red and white striped awning on the porch listening to stories of the sea, stories of Grandpa going to school with the King of England, meeting the Czar, having Stanhope meet the Pope(Lew is convinced it was for an exorcism) and a slew of other insane stories that were packed into amazing life of his Grandpa. Someone he wished he could have come home and talked to about everything that haunts him.

It doesn't make sense he got nothing. That Blanche got nothing. And Joel, nothing? He adopted that kid, named him after his own father, and leaves him nothing but the Nixon name? None of them needed money, but there was a lot of sentimental value lost. And something feels wrong. So he buys the house, and comes up with a reason to piss off whatever neighbors are left so he can find out who exactly was behind the Hotel burning down.

So why not make it a bar? Maybe some illegal gambling thrown in to really twist the knife. He has just watched Casablanca with Blanche, and he drank enough to get through it that he started to blur the lines of what was on screen and any fantasies he had of Dick looking fabulous in a tux and him being some snarky investigator who clearly was more of a love interest than Ingrid Bergman. Hell, that movie was about those two guys ending up together, wasn't it? Screw the girl, let her leave with the text book husband and the dog and save the world, who needs her when you have a buddy who has a gambling and drinking problem and sharp whit? So he names it Dick's Cafe Americana and has the arch thing from Holland built over the sidewalk to the house. Puts up dick's picture. Uses the bar that's already there because grandpa was a fine gentleman. Has the piano tuned. Adds tables. Hell, the place looks like it was sold full furnished, so he starts looking for hiding spaces he remembers to see if there is a copy of the will somewhere.

And Dick finally comes home and is a dick about not calling. So Nix has to call him and ask why he doesn't want the job he offered him. Instead of meeting in New York, take the train to Monmouth Beach I have something to show you--

And Dick Winters thinks his friend has gone insane but he's glad he's not drunk. Owning a bar seems like a bad idea, owning a bar because you want to piss off an arsonist even worse. Dick's been locked up in his bedroom for a week so he's not really upset at the change of venue and Nix tells him he can go swim in the ocean if he wants. beach is next door. Nix plays the piano for him, As time goes by, and Dick is 100% gone and agreeing to all of it.

Dick takes the job at the factory, and spends weekends with Nix on his little project. It feels like good times, working together. It feels like purpose. The struggle to blend back in at home lessens when he's too busy being a host to Nix's neighborhood parties on the weekends. He gets to see a little of the old Nix, the Nix who he met at OCS come through as he works the crowds for information and gambles and drinks with the rich neighbors. And he is weak for Lew playing piano....

Maybe it just ends up being another Winnix and a gay bar fic.

[bvlladonnas]

is that OSCAR ISAAC ? oh, no, that’s OLIVER AYALA, a FORTY-THREE year old OWNER OF INHERITED ESCAPES who uses HE/HIM pronouns. they currently live in CASABLANCA and the character they identify with most is OBI-WAN KENOBI FROM STAR WARS. hopefully they find their own little paradise here in el país de los poetas!

BASICS:

full name: oliver ricardo ayala  nickname(s): oli, ricky (by his mother)  age: forty-three gender: cis man  pronouns: he/him sexuality: very fluid, doesn't particularly enjoy labels  date & place of birth: june 30 in guatemala city, guatemala occupation: owner of inherited escapes faceclaim: oscar isaac piercings: one lobe piercing on each ear he got just to feel something at age 20 traits: kind, welcoming, wise, snarky, closed-off, pessimistic similar to: obi-wan kenobi (star wars), george bailey (it's a wonderful life), tony stark (iron man), dean winchester (supernatural), han solo if he had swag and calmed down a little, jim halpert (the office)  aesthetics: late night coffee, tea with milk, books with worn edges, round reading glasses, gold jewelry, merlot, baseball caps, & vintage cars

* warning for alcoholism, parentification, & parent death

BULLET POINTS:

– born in guatemala city, guatemala; had a lot of siblings and had to grow up pretty quickly to help take care of them, especially since they weren't the wealthiest and his parents had to work. – his main model of a relationship growing up was his mom & dad, which ... not great. his father was a mean, mean man, and drowned himself in a bottle most days. he left when oliver was twelve years old, and from then on oliver was considered the man of the house (this action will have consequences)  – had to sacrifice a lot of his own personal growth and happiness for his family. while his siblings, especially his younger brother, got to go to school dances, out with their friends, and even to college, oliver was stuck, stagnant – eventually (sometime around oliver's 25th birthday) his father contacted him and asked him to come visit him in chile, where he resided and had opened up a small bookstore (what would become inherited escapes as it is today) – oliver denies him immediately, but after mulling it over, he decides to go. it strains him and his mother's relationship, but it's fixable – his dad is dying, and the new family he created in chile is of no help. having fallen into the same patterns, he's created children who resent him, and a wife who no longer speaks to him unless necessary. he asks oliver to come live there, to take over the bookstore when he dies – again, oliver denies him, but it eats at him. the more he thinks the more he wants to go, to finally do something for himself. by the time his dad dies, the last of his siblings is nearing eighteen and he could, feasibly, make the move. – a blowout fight with his mom is what triggers him to leave; she says he doesn't do anything for them, that he'll leave them when they need him most. he realizes that with his siblings now adults or nearing adulthood, he doesn't need to play parent anymore (and realizes he never should have had to play parent in the first place). – up and moves to chile at 26, becomes the owner of his father's bookstore; his other family puts up no contest. – renames it to inherited escapes and fashions it into a booming business that people actually come to see when they hear about it. – now runs the business full time and lives in the pretty spacious apartment above. it's weird for him, to continue the legacy of a man he hated so much, but that's why he changed the name, right?

HEADCANONS:

— does not believe in love. how can he when his parents' relationship sucked so bad ? – as a child and young adult drowned himself in books and escaped to new worlds to forget his situation at home. could often be found under a sheet with a flashlight reading at 2 am – as a result thinks no love will ever be able to compare to what's written in stories – hosts the bookclub at inherited escapes ! – accidentally adopts little nerds all the time ... sorry about it – secret hopeless romantic – loves trash tv. could tell you everything about the selling sunset universe and why alex hall needs to be jailed – kind of sassy like ... calm down old man??? – dry sense of humor

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

— i'm plotting. i'm scheming. i'm masterminding (i don't fucking know i'll be back here soon) – actually i lied. here the fuck i am. who is going to verify his belief love SUCKS. could be sad and also a bit unserious – who is he adopting like a stray kitten outside of his store. who is the child he is giving free drinks and going "you'd like this book here take it" – WHO IS IN HIS BOOK CLUB.  – who is going to make him believe maybe love does exist .... ooooh drama .... – whose face is he playing in lmao. "i don't want anything serious" is his favorite sentence like ...

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Blurb:

"Amid magical shenanigans…this book might just have you laughing out loud." —Hazel Beck for Witches Get Stuff Done

From the wacky, fantastical brain of bestselling paranormal romance author Molly Harper comes a wickedly charming second chance at love between a sassy restaurant server-turned witch and the newest resident of Starfall Point, her high school sweetheart (now a sexy single dad). If only true love's kiss could break this curse…

Caroline Wilton is dying to get off Starfall Point, but if she leaves, there's a good chance she'll literally die. For centuries, any Wilton who ventured off the island immediately perished in some freak accident. While Caroline has begrudgingly obeyed her family's curse, she's never forgiven all that it has cost her. After all, her high school sweetheart left for college and never came back. Until now.

Although Dr. Ben Hoult returned to take over the med clinic, in his heart, he came back for Caroline. Practical, sensible Ben was too stubborn to believe in her curse. But when his own two teenagers meddle their way into coven business, Ben's eyes are opened to the world of magic. He quickly learns that Caroline and her friends have the power to see ghosts—like the angry woman in eighteen-century garb occupying her family's tavern with a menacing glare—and boy, do they need managing.

As the witches dig through old spell books for insight, they discover the angry tavern ghost as one of the island's most sinister legends—information that could be the key to breaking the Wilton curse and giving Caroline the life she's always wanted with the man she's always loved

Review:

Second chance romance between a witch and a doctor who were high school sweethearts. Caroline Wilton is a witch who has lived her entire life in Starfall Point. She can't leave... because if she does theres a good chance she'll die. Her family's curse has her trapped... and when it's costs her everything including her high school sweetheart whom she let go of and who went off to college and never came back... until now. Dr. Ben Hoult has returned to Starfall Point to take over the medical clinic... but he's actually back for Caroline. After a divorce and now raising two kids, he still has his heart set on the one woman who has held his heart all along... the one who broke his heart. Yet when his two teens meddle their way into coven business he suddenly finds himself steeped in the world of magic and that Caroline is now back in his life helping his kids... and restarting their relationship. Yet with angry ghosts, sinister legends, and curses... can Caroline and Ben make this second chance at romance work or will their hurts from the past keep them from opening their hearts up to one another again? This was a fairly cute second chance romance with a witchy touch. It kind of gave me practical magic vibes with the small town and the family curse. It's definitely a cute witchy book for the autumn season! I thought the romance was overall cute but the mystery was meh to me, I thought the couple had fairly good chemistry and while not being an amazing book it was a good read and one I would definitely recommend for spooky season.

Release Date: August 13,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca | Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[scmantic]

is that (HANNAH SIMONE)? oh, no, that’s (RANIA CHADHA), a (FORTY-TWO)year old (NURSE AT VALPARAÍSO CENTRO MÉDICO) who uses (SHE/HER)pronouns. they currently live in (CASABLANCA), and the character they identify with most is (HELEN PARR FROM THE INCREDIBLES). hopefully they find their own little paradise here in el país de los poetas! 

BASICS 

full name: rania ahana chadha  hometown: london, england  sexuality: bisexual  birthday: september 10  zodiac: virgo sun, capricorn moon, virgo rising (i'm so sorry) height: 5’7”  languages spoken: english, spanish, french marital status: married  children: 10-year-old twins, sonia and zane   traits: nurturing, bold, focused, abrasive, defensive, stubborn

HISTORY tw anxiety

born in london to restaurant owners, rania grew up in the kitchen with her two younger brothers; while they caused trouble she kept them in line (in typical older sister virgo fashion), from a young age being the Responsible One and helping raise the younger ones

her parents were super busy, so she had a lot of responsibility from a young age, was the one getting her brothers up for school and making sure they were dressed and fed

she was a high achiever in school and was very ambitious from a young age, knowing immediately that she did not want to inherit the restaurant from her parents

her parents weren't super happy considering she was the ideal future owner and the MOST responsible child clearly, but they let her Follow Her Dreams of becoming a nurse

being under so much pressure to achieve and to help out wherever she could definitely took a toll and she has struggled with anxiety for most of her life, always anxious she isn't doing enough or is doing the wrong thing; there's always something to worry about

in college, she met her spouse after a particularly shitty, annoying breakup and has never looked back

she was always kind of ambivalent toward relationships and ~love~ until she met them, blames them for making her a softie (she's always been a softie)

they ended up in chile due to her partner's job about 15 years ago and it's safe to say this feels like her forever home, their twins were born here, they have a life here — rania loves it

loves being a mom, loves being a Working Mom and having a full schedule because if she's not moving then she feels like she's d*ing

PERSONALITY/FUN FACTS

biiiiig mama bear energy, protective as hell of her kids and pretty much anyone else she cares about

type a, perfectionist, will do everything herself just so it's Done Right

she DOES have a therapist and manages her anxiety, but she's still always buzzing, always moving, has lots of energy that she puts into work and the people around her

generally friendly and very sweet, doesn't know a stranger, but will not be sweet if you mess with her family

tough love advocate, does not beat around the bush

loves bad tv, show her a show that has too many seasons and terrible writing? she is SAT

stubborn, likes things to be her way, will be annoying if they're not

despite growing up in a restaurant, is a horrible chef, her kids audibly groan when she's the one making dinner

wears lots of jewelry (always gold), bunch of necklaces and rings

WC page found here pinterest found here

[pabloortiz]

is that DIEGO LUNA? oh, no, that’s PABLO ORTIZ, a FORTY-FOUR year old HEAD BAKER AT DULCE SUENO'S who uses HE/HIM pronouns. they currently live in CASABLANCA, and the character they identify with most is VIANNE ROCHER FROM CHOCOLAT. hopefully they find their own little paradise here in el país de los poetas! MAD, 27, THEY/THEM, PST

Name: Pablo Ortiz Age: 44 Faceclaim: Diego Luna Height: 5'10 Sexuality: Pansexual Relationship Status: Separated/Single Occupation: Head Baker at Dulce Sueno's Vices: Red wine & cigarettes Quick Facts:

Pablo has always been a reserved individual. He doesn't talk much about his life before moving to Chile five years ago mainly because he's trying to forget his past back in Mexico City. His move was influenced by a break up with his partner of twenty years who he went into business with having opened up a panderia together once Pablo was out of culinary school.

Baking has always been his passion and while he is still upset about giving up his business back home he's content working as the head baker at Dulce Sueno's. The business side of things had never been his forte and the reason he ended up losing his business in the separation. Now he just gets to do what he loves while the owner handles the business side of things.

He works the early shift at the bakery and is usually in the kitchen by 3 AM. He's used to having polar opposite schedules to most people and has been a morning person for as long as he can remember.

Despite working with treats all day he doesn't have much of a sweet tooth himself anymore from all his years of taste testing the goods.

He's known for his generosity and makes sure no baked good winds up in the trash even if it's a day or two old. His love language has always been gift giving and he rarely comes empty handed when he meets up with someone.

Very technologically illiterate. He just recently got the newest iPhone and doesn't know how to work it very well. He often calls his nieces and nephews back home to help him figure it out. He prefers phone calls over texts and when he does text someone it's usually a novel with proper punctuation.

[detruines]

is that DUA LIPA? oh, no, that’s JACQUELINE “JACKIE” GRIMALDI, a TWENTY-NINE year old ASPIRING F1 DRIVER who uses SHE/HER pronouns. they currently live in PROVIDENCIA B&B IN CASABLANCA, and the character they identify with most is SHANK FROM RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET. hopefully they find their own little paradise here in el país de los poetas!

statistics

full name: jacqueline rose grimaldi nickname(s): jackie, kiki date of birth: august 22nd, 1994 age: 29 years old hometown: cambridge, england commune: providencia b&b, casablanca sexuality: bisexual occupation: aspiring f1 driver

tldr

the only kid in the family. she's spoiled rotten since day one, although most of her parents' affection come in the form of material things. grew up with nannies and while her parents were usually busy working, they went on family vacations during summer/winter so she has good relationship with them for most part. she's got the freedom to do whatever she wants and was never pressured to do well in school or things like that, but she did go into all kinds of classes growing up. it was her cousin charlie that made her get into racing ⸻ they both shared an interest in cars, so the idea wasn't all that impulsive. her parents thought it would just be a phase at first, as all things were with her, but this is the one thing that she could see herself doing for the rest of her life. they agreed to fund her races if she went to college and get a degree, and so she did. it's been 5 years since she actively races and she recently got her fia super license so that's exciting! she's definitely passionate about her career, but knows when to take some time for herself when she needs it. a self care queen indeed! personality wise she's very chill. a free spirit through and through. a little bit of a troublemaker but wouldn't do something illegal unless you're up for it??? loves to be around people, but also enjoys her own company just as much. doesn't usually flaunt her wealth, but is always "let me buy you something" or "it's okay that's on me". her love language is physical touch and quality time.

biography

born and raised in cambridge. as the only child in the family, jackie was spoiled rotten since day one, although most of her parents' affection came in the form of material things. she grew up with nannies for the most part, but the grimaldis would go on family vacations during summer and winter, which was the only time jackie got to see her parents and bond with them. they were not super affectionate or anything ⸻ she learned early on that it was just the way it was, the grimaldis were always busy with their own things. with little to no interest in academics, jackie was enrolled into all sorts of classes so she could find her own thing.

she was never pressured to do well in school or things like that, which prompted her to be very laid back as a person. for some time jackie struggled with finding her own thing, but she was always eager to try something new. her parents were never strict with her, so she had the total freedom to do what she wanted to, and most often than not they were supportive of her interests.

a jack(ie) of all trades, if you will! her interests were usually short-lived, for that she's quick to jump from one thing to another once she got bored of doing a certain thing. jackie played different sports growing up, but the one that stuck with her for the longest time was tennis. there was a time where she believed she would turn it into a career, but alas, she ended up getting bored of it eventually and decided to try something new. that was how her interest shifted towards car racing when she was in high school.

it was her cousin charlie who helped spark that interest. they bonded over their love for cars, so the idea wasn't something that came to her out of the blue. her parents thought it was just a phase at first, as all things were with her, and yet it was the only thing she could see herself doing for the rest of her life. it's a dangerous sport, sure, but that's what jackie liked about racing. it made her enjoy living on the edge and god, how she loved the thrill!

her parents agreed to fund her races if she went to college and so she did. initially she didn't even want to go to college, but it wasn't because she was bad with studies or anything. in fact, jackie was actually smart. she's just not interested in school, as she would very much rather play sports or engage in social clubs than have to sit through long hours lecture, which she found to be very tedious.

still, jackie went to university of pennsylvania and got a degree in business administration before she started racing professionally, just like her parents suggested. it had been 5 years since then and she just recently got her fia super license, which was something she had been working hard for! her next goal is to race in the grand pix, obviously. jackie didn't get that much luck in securing a seat for this season, but there's always hope that she would make it next year. as much as she's passionate about her career, she's not in a rush to reach her goal. well, sin prisa pero sin pausa, right?

[la9unas]

is   that   PEDRO   PASCAL ?   oh,   no,   that’s   MAXIMILIANO   ESQUIVEL   -   ISIDORA,   a   FORTY-SIX   year   old   OWNER   OF   ISIDORA   WINERY . . .

*   ◟   : 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚃𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙲𝚂 ﹗

FULL NAME: maximiliano raúl esquivel isidora NICKNAMES / ALIAS: max, maxi, maxito AGE: forty six GENDER / PRONOUNS: cis man / he/him SEXUALITY: pansexual ZODIAC: cancer sun , capricorn moon BIRTHDATE & BIRTHPLACE: july 14th 1977 & casablanca, valparaíso region, chile CURRENT RESIDENCE: his private estate on the isidora vineyard property EDUCATION: master's in oenology & agronomic engineering @ the university of chile SPOKEN LANGUAGES: spanish & english OCCUPATION: owner & winemaker of isidora winery

*   ◟   : 𝙱𝙰𝙲𝙺𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝚈 ﹗

the   isidora   family   has   been   present   in   valparaíso   region   ever   since   they   established   their   presence   in   the   casablanca   valley   over   150   years   ago,   becoming   one   of   the   most   influential   families   within   her   region   that   established   one   of   the   first   wineries   in   the   country   (   they   Rich   Rich   ).   the   isidora   family   is   not   a   selfish   one   …   their   wealth   has   funded   the   beauty   and   prosperous   aspect   of   what   is   the   valley   today   and   they   keep   on   giving   !

maximiliano   is   the   second   oldest   of   five   children.   his   mother,   carmen   isidora,   and   his   uncle,   manuel,   were   co-owners   (   and   the   ones   that   were   fully   committed   to   the   making   sure   things   remained   organic   on   their   vineyards   and   the   best   at   making   biodynamic   wines   )   of   the   winery   until   maximilano   and   his   eldest   sister   were   old   enough   to   take   on   the   mantle.   his   sister   travels   across   the   americas,   doing   business   with   various   companies   throughout   the   continents,   while   max   remains   in   chile   to   be   more   hands-on   with   the   winemaking   process   and   overseeing   the   property   and   its   happenings.   his   father   and   carmen’s   third   husband,   martín   esquivel,   happily   lived   as   a   trophy   husband   for   his   wife   he   loves   v   much   JSKLDJS   he   comes   from   a   wealthy   family   in   finances   &   investments,   spent   a   lot   of   time   painting   with   oils   and   watercolor   that   are   displayed   throughout   the   buildings   

ANYWAY   !   maximilano   has   lived   a   pretty   privileged   life   …   attended   a   catholic   private   school,   went   on   fancy   yacht   trips   &   vacations   across   the   globe,   u   know   the   gist   

but   tbh   …   he   was   (   still   Is   )   a   bad   boy.   max   often   got   in   trouble   despite   being   quite   nonchalant   and   reserved   at   first   glance.   more   often   than   not   max   was   sitting   in   the   principal’s   office   or   the   family   lawyer   had   bailed   him   out   of   jail   in   santiago   for   a   bar   fight   .   hey,   he   never   starts   fights   …   just   finishes   them   !!   

if   there   is   one   thing   max   has   that   many   trust   fund   babies   lack   these   days,   it’s   ~PASSION~!   ever   since   he   was   a   little   boy,   he   was   often   wandering   the   property,   helping   the   workers   of   the   winery   or   his   mother   while   bugging   them   with   82930   questions.   so   he’s   always   known   he’d   be   taking   over   the   family   business   just   …   he   just   wanted   to   commit   at   his   own   pace,   y’know?   :P

eventually   after   a   stern   talking   to   by   the   elderly   patriach   of   the   isidora   family   who   was   approaching   his   finals   years   on   this   earth,   max   goes   to   college   and   receives   an   education   in   the   science   of   winemaking   and   engineering   of   agronomics,   and   also   some   environmental   studies.   don’t   be   fooled   by   his   Rich   Party   Boy   facade   he’s   an   ORGANIC   FARMER   NERD   !!!!   fully   committed   on   making   isidora   wines   innovative   and   sustainable   😤

maximilano   is   a   bit   of   a   celebrity   across   the   valaparíso   region,   but   doesn’t   let   it   get   to   his   head   (   unlike   some   of   his   younger   siblings   who   idek   are   doing   these   days   ).   at   the   same   time   u   can   see   him   working   his   butt   off   under   the   chilean   sun,   making   sure   his   property   is   taken   care   of.  maybe   nick   parker   from   the   parent   trap   vibes ?? u know what i mean ??

[luucypevensie]

Cute character questions for my dearly beloved Yasmin? 💚

Ah yes, my sophisticated queen. Thank you Fae! Tagging @ginger-grimm and @dancingsunflowers-ocs because they love her too

The Basics

Name: Yasmin Ahmad

Age: 15 at the start of s1 of Glee

Zodiac Sign: libra

One Good Trait: she has incredible focus, which helps her to look at both sides of a situation unbiased

One Bad Trait: she has a bit of a temper (whenever she loses it, people are legit terrified)

Habits

One Bad Habit: chewing on pencil erasers whenever she’s nervous

One Good Habit: she’s very well-organized from her room down to her pencil case

One Habit They Can’t Break: the chewing on pencil erasers (she’s tried, but it always school-related, which makes it hard to break)

One They’ve Broken: when she was in elementary school, she learned the hard way that being disorganized will lead to unfortunate consequences

What They’re Afraid Of: always being known as “the rich girl” or being used for her family’s money

Family

Their Parents’ Names: Zarir and Esther Ahmad

Their Siblings’ Names: she’s an only child

Favorite Childhood Memory: learning how to make bastani (persian ice cream) with her bibi (grandma)

Favorite Childhood Toy: her princess jasmine doll

Embarrassing Story: she mispronounced fettuccine at a business dinner for her father around the age of 9 (everyone thought it was cute, but Yasmin wanted to burst into tears from the embarrassment)

Favorite Family Member: her father

A Story About That Family Member: when yasmin was about to be born, her father was about to leave for an embassy trip to iran (luckily, he hadn’t got on the plane yet)

What They Prefer

coffee or tea

showering in the day or night

taking baths or showers

tv or movies

writing or reading

platonic or romantic love

iced tea or lemonade

ice cream or smoothies

cupcakes or cake

beach or mountains

Favorites

Song: i want everything by Hope 7

Band: hope 7

Outfit: turquoise blue blazer with a white ribbed turtleneck, high waisted jeans, a necklace given to her by her mother, her favorite watch and white tennis shoes

Place: her paternal grandparents’ house in iran

Memory: performing with cherry bomb for the first time at a local club in lima

Person(s): Ruby Hamada, Drew Hamada, and Artie Abrams

Movie: casablanca

Show: degrassi

[universitemaroc]

Rejoignez Mundiapolis : L'Université Privée Leader au Maroc pour l'Ingénierie et la Santé ! 🎓

Vous cherchez une université privée au Maroc qui allie excellence académique et orientation professionnelle ? Mundiapolis vous offre des programmes de pointe en ingénierie et sciences de la santé, conçus pour vous préparer à une carrière réussie. Avec des infrastructures modernes, un enseignement innovant et un accompagnement personnalisé, Mundiapolis est l'endroit idéal pour construire votre avenir.

👉 Découvrez plus sur : Mundiapolis

[hntedhouse]

TRIGGERS: death, gambling

basics.

full name. victor ethan alvarado nicknames. vic gender. cis male pronouns. he/him age. twenty - three hometown. los angeles, ca occupation. groundskeeper / engineering student at universidad de bellas artes de valparaíso

personality.

zodiac. capricorn ( responsible, disciplined, unforgiving ) positive traits. astute, principled, courageous negative traits. inflexible, arrogant, irritable   special talents. great throwing arm, good at puzzles

biography. 

victor was born and raised in the suburbs of los angeles, california. his dad died and his mom remarried before he had even started preschool, so he was raised by his mom and stepdad and he doesn’t really remember his father. he grew up an only child in a stable albeit a bit lonesome home. his mom was a free spirit and a busy bee who worked all sorts of jobs and followed her every whim while his stepfather brought in a solid income as a neurosurgeon who seemed to be a workaholic.

he likes baseball, cars, old movies, and learning how things work. although he has great memorization skills and picks up on things quickly, he tended to struggle academically because he doesn’t test well and he preferred to focus on things like being a popular varsity athlete and his after school job where he worked for a local handyman. he got sent out on small jobs like installing new appliances or simple home repairs and while it wasn’t exactly his ideal gig, it was interesting and allowed victor to earn his own income. 

his parents cited stuff like ‘ teaching him all about hard work ’  for why they always refused to give him money when he would ask for something like new baseball equipment or a set of tools. it had never occurred to victor that something else could possibly be going on, so it was a huge shock when he started reviewing colleges and making calculations and his parents finally had to come clean about the fact that they were completely broke. his stepdad had been a gambling addict for most of victor’s life, burning through all of the family’s savings when he was still in middle school. his mom had always known but kept the truth from victor until it was absolutely necessary to speak up.

he completely flipped out on them, stormed out of the house and couch surfed among his friend group until graduation. he was just barely able to scrape up an acceptance to ucla, but his finances were always tight and it was difficult balancing full time classes, looking for a cheap place to live, and continuing to work the same job he had in high school.

then one day an elderly regular customer of his died and left everything he had to victor in the will. he hardly even knew the old man, but it turned out that the quiet wealthy man had no living relatives of close friends, but he had always enjoyed victor’s company despite how little they interacted. 

he inherited a few cars, a yacht, a country club membership, an enormous bank account, a nice house in los angeles and a luxurious private property in chile. he sold off a few things, but he was intrigued by the house in chile ( and struggling a little bit in school ), so he decided to make the move when he was twenty. the only stipulation in the old man’s will was that he had to maintain any property that he was going to live at, so victor considers himself the official groundskeeper of his home in casablanca and does a lot of the general upkeep himself. he started classes at the university about two years ago. he’s been burning through his prerequisites while he tries to decide between majoring in electrical engineering or automobile engineering. school is a little easier for him now that he doesn’t have to stress about finances, at least.     

wanted connections.

tbd (:

[afoolandathief]

15 Character questions

Tagged by @ceph-the-ghost-writer, thanks!

Tagging @fearofahumanplanet, @thegreatobsesso, @jezifster, @kudzucataclysm, @flowerprose, @artbyeloquent, @captain-kraken, @blind-the-winds and anyone else who would like to join!

I went with both Jade and Caz for this one. This got really, really long, so I'm putting this under the cut:

Are you named after anyone?

Jade: Well, my middle name is Elizabeth, after my mom. Jade was just a pretty rock my mom decided to name me for. Caz: I'm named for my grandfather, as well as a Polish king.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Caz: Oh, well, likely ages ago, when - Jade: It was last week. Caz: Excuse me, Shaw? Jade: You're either a liar or you don't remember. Last week when you got drunk and spilled pig's blood on your tie. You were bawling. Caz: Okay fine, when was the last time you cried? Jade: When I was 17 and my mom died. Can we move on?

3. Do you have kids?

Jade: No but I have my pets: my two cats Ada and Lovelace, my gecko Newton, and my tarantula Hypatia, who's also my familiar. Caz: Jesus, Shaw, that doesn't count. Anyway, it's a no for me. I'm always very careful not to let that happen. Jade: Huh. Caz: What now, Shaw? Jade: No, it's just, you seem to be really good with kids, in the few times we've interacted with them. Caz: Trust me, Jade, someone like me should not be a parent.

4. Do you use sarcasm?

Caz: Nah, I can get by on my charm just fine. Jade: Well, that's a fucking lie. You can be such a sarcastic bitch, Caz, especially when you're hungry. Caz: Well, what about you, Shaw? Jade: Noooo, I'm never sarcastic at all.

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Jade: I am, um, not great at looking directly at people. A lot of the time I first sort of go over what they're wearing, what they're holding. Caz: Since I became a vampire, their smell. Humans have a distinct scent. Not to scare ya, but usually a delicious scent.

6. What's your eye color?

Caz: Silver. But when I was human I had some gorgeous blue eyes. And golden hair. And rosy cheeks. I mean, can't say I'm not popular with the ladies and gents now, but back then I was hot. Jade: Ugh, they're brown. Caz: Well, don't say it like that Shaw. Your eyes are, ya know, warm. Like whiskey. Jade: Thank you for comparing my eyes to a type of alcohol, Caz. Next question.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

Jade: When I was in high school I was kind of obsessed with being edgy and watching horror movies — the more obscure and bloodier, the better. But lately I've been marathoning Miyazaki films with Violet. It's been ... nice. Huh, you know who you remind me of, Caz? No-Face. Caz: I don't know what the fuck that means, but I'm guessing you're trying to insult me. Anyway, I don't like movies with a lot of gore, but they also don't have to end happily. Give me a good story, especially a good love story. My favorite films are Casablanca and Titanic since — pula mea, Jade, don't smirk at me like that!

8. Any special talents?

Caz: I've been told I have a decent singing voice, and I can play quite a few instruments. And I'm double-jointed (extra bendy, if ya know what I mean). And there's the also the shapeshifting and hypnosis, I suppose. Jade: Uh, the ability to see the future, I guess?

9. Where were you born?

Jade: A health clinic in Moapa. Caz: My family home outside of Bistrița.

10. What are your hobbies?

Caz: Listening to music, playing music, singing, and I'm also an excellent dancer. And I like to cook. Mostly blood-based recipes, but I always treat my guests to a nice breakfast in the morning, if ya know what I mean. Jade: Caz, we always know what you mean. Anyway, I don't know if I have many hobbies. I'm pretty busy. I used to play bass, and I like to draw.

11. Have you any pets?

Jade: Well, I already talked about them, but do you want to see this video Hypatia eating a - Caz *shuddering*: La naiba, Jade, no one wants to see that creepy-crawly! Jade: Oh fuck off, blood boy. Caz: Anyway, I used to have this dog, Boian. Huge, white fellow, who could fight off bears and wolves and helped me watch the sheep. Jade: Wait, you were a shepherd? Caz: Next question, please.

12. What sports do you/have you played?

Caz: Besides some wrestling I used to do in my village, I'm not one for sports. But have I mentioned I'm an excellent dancer? Jade: Yes, you have. And, um, I'm not great at sports either. I used to skateboard a lot as a teenager. And I go for jogs in the desert. Caz: Ya know, maybe I should start working out again. Break out the ol' sweatband and cassette walkman. Jade: Holy fuck, I forgot how old you are.

13. How tall are you?

Jade: 5'7" Caz *smiling smugly*: 6'4" Jade: Caz, it's not 1500 or whatever anymore. It's not that impressive.

14. Favorite subject in school?

Caz: Well, we didn't really have school where I grew up, but shortly after I was turned I went to Constantinople and studied under several tutors there. I excelled in languages. Always have. Jade: It might be kind of obvious since my PhD is gonna be in stats, but math.

15. Dream job?

Jade: Once I get my PhD I'm going to apply to be a professor. Research, teaching people at a distance with limits on when and where they can talk to me? That's the dream. Caz: I, uh, can I skip this one? Most jobs don't apply to me anyway, with the whole can't-go-out-during-the-day thing. Jade: Caz, come on, I've seen you both get shot and sing Don't Stop Me Now at the top of your lungs during karaoke night. You can't be scared of this. Caz: Fine. Well, I couldn't take this job anyway, but I've always liked to be a professor, too. Of linguistics. I have a lot of first-hand knowledge on the last 600 years of Indo-European languages, after all. We could even teach at the same place together! Jade: Wow, I never knew that. Caz: Yeah, I've dreamed about it quite a bit. Jade: Well, maybe if you - Wait, when you say dream, do you mean -? Caz: Fantasies of hot grad students unable to resist a tweed-covered Professor Mraz? Jade: I hate you. I hate you so fucking much.

[ironborealis]

If you're wondering why the relatively tame article above got scrubbed from GQ, that's because it's the revised version of the article. This is a version that was captured 5 hours earlier from what I can tell:

Highlights include (emphasis mine):

Zaslav presided over "Discovery’s transition from educational programming to reality slop—which is, of course, a much more lucrative business model."

"But Zaslav did himself no favors, and did little to blur that binary, when announcing the merger of the HBOMax and Discovery+ streaming services in a quarterly earnings call—which included a much-derided infographic deeming HBOMax’s scripted programming as “male skew,” “appointment viewing,” and “lean in” (?), while Discovery+’s unscripted shows were “female skew” “comfort viewing,” and thus ”lean back” (?!?)."

"And while they insisted Zaslav had assured them “that TCM and classic cinema are very important to him,” subsequent reporting indicated that TCM’s staff had been cut from 90 employees to a skeletal 20."

"Nearly lost in the hullabaloo was yet another of the company’s exhaustive attempts to squeeze a profit from its assets: a $500 million deal to sell around half of their film and TV-music library. In a perhaps too-good-to-be-true detail, the sale would reportedly include “As Time Goes By” from Casablanca—the musical fanfare that plays before every Warner Bros. feature film."

"Barely a month ago, Graydon Carter was hosting a party in Zaslav’s honor at Cannes, all but crowning him as the heir apparent to Jack Warner. But there’s a crucial difference between Zaslav and the old-school moguls he’s attempting to emulate: They loved movies, and cared about filmmakers. Zaslav sees movies as “content,” sees filmmakers as “content creators,” and is only interested in maintaining, preserving, and presenting “content” that can make him and his stockholders a quick buck. Anything that doesn’t, he’ll happily gut. He’s closer to Logan Roy than Jack Warner and there is a genuine, understandable fear that his bean-counting represents not just shrugging indifference but outright hostility to cinema and its rich history."

"In Pretty Woman, Richard Gere stars as Edward Lewis, a corporate raider who buys companies “that are in financial difficulty” and sells off their pieces. “So it's sort of like stealing cars and selling them for the parts, right?” asks call girl Vivian (Julia Roberts), when he explains what he does, and it’s hard not to think of Lewis when looking over Zaslav’s reign at Warner Bros Discovery, stepping into the distressed conglomerate and stripping it for parts.

Edward Lewis, however, is at least honest about what he does. “You don't make anything,” Vivian notes, and he agrees; “You don’t build anything,” she continues, and he concurs with that as well. And perhaps that’s why David Zaslav is earning a concerning reputation so far. He’s out here carrying on like a mogul, but based on his performance to date, he’s only good at breaking things."

GQ published this, got a phone call, and killed it, but someone had already archived it, so...

Time to make sure lots and lots of people see it!

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb: From New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre comes the magical town of St. Claire, where anything is possible...Iris Collins is the messy one in her family. The "chaos bunny." Her sisters are all wildly successful, while she can't balance her budget for a single month. It's no wonder she's in debt to her roommates. When she unexpectedly inherits a house from her great aunt, her plan to turn it into a B&B fails—as most of her plans do. She winds up renting rooms like a Victorian spinster, collecting other lost souls...and not all of them are "human." Eli Reese grew up as the nerdy outcast in school, but he got rich designing apps. Now he's successful by any standards. But he's never had the same luck in finding a real community or people who understand him. Over the years, he's never forgotten his first crush, so when he spots her at a café, he takes it as a sign. Except then he gets sucked into the Iris-verse and somehow ends up renting one of her B&B rooms. As the days pass, Eli grows enchanted by the misfit boarders staying in the house...and even more so by Iris. Could Eli have finally found a person and a place to call "home"? 

Review:

Iris Collins is a mess, she’s months behind on rent, her jewelry business is barely a business, and her vampire abilities haven’t even activated. So when she inherits her great aunt’s home, she thinks its the perfect chance to turn it into an air B&B and get a whole new chance to start over. Eli Reese is a shifter who as a child was once saved by Iris from bullies and has been lightly keeping tabs on her ever since. Eli is a rich introvert and dislikes most people except Iris. When he runs into her in town and she mistakenly thinks he is applying to be one of her new housemates, he goes along with it because it would be the perfect opportunity to get close to her and maybe actually talk to her after all these years. Iris begins putting out calls for housemates and soon discovers herself with a rather great group of people who not only are kind and sweet but can help her fix up the very depleted house and turn it around. The only problem is she is beginning to have a crush on her housemate Eli and despite her rule of never dating someone she lives with, its getting harder and harder to resist. Eli can’t seem to find it in himself to tell Iris the truth about how he actually knows her and as time goes on, it gets harder and harder. Then theres the issue of Iris discovering that her actual family might not be the vampire one she never fit in with and theres also a neighbor bent on getting the entire house kicked out. With so many new obstacles, can these two make it when the truth comes out?? This book started off really cute but I just didn’t really feel the chemistry between Iris and Eli. Eli fixated on Iris and essentially stalked her, he even admits it’s a bit creepy how he was keeping tabs on her all these years despite not talking to her. Then there was that super unnecessary third act breakup and how Iris was mad that her boyfriend was literally trying to save the house and help her with her problems by paying for it. She was made her significant other was trying to help her for being rich and then outright refuses thus putting everyone in the house in jeopardy and leaving her at square one???? MAM????  The book started off really cute but then kind of lost me at the end. I liked parts of the book but the overall story arc felt a bit weirdly paced. Overall, it had a really cute found family story and if you like those with a supernatural touch, then definitely give this one a go.

Summarize this Book : poor woman inherits home, her childhood rich stalker becomes her housemate, she collects various other housemates, finds out her stalker turned bf is rich and trying to solve her problems with money, gets upset and dumps him. takes him back after realizing that she doesn’t mind that he stalked her. LOL

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[chris-hartley]

Sous les pavés, la plage

Chapter 1: You love me but you don't know me

It had taken a near miracle. Cassidy Casablancas had had a rough school year, to say the least. If his dad’s business going bankrupt wasn’t enough, his stepmom’s cheating scandal which involved one of his best friends had left their family ravaged apart, with him in the middle.

His big brother Dick always appeared more resilient to this kind of thing. All the partying and sex covered any semblance of a heart he might’ve had. It had been that way for years, but it was more apparent when the trust fund money came in and Dick was suddenly able to drop thousands of dollars on his extravagant nights out. Plus, he was almost 19 and graduated from high school now. The last thing Dick wanted was to spend any amount of time with Cassidy. Which meant most of the time, he was alone. 

It took the better part of the spring semester of Cassidy’s sophomore year for him to convince his mom that he’d be better off living in France with her.

(Full chapter on AO3)

Gif creds