#Nadia has never been polite in her life

[flowerflamestars]

Effloresce Snippet

He kissed both her cheeks, bending even lower to raise Nesta’s right hand, pressing her cold knuckles to his brow in solemn salute. “Nesta Archeron,” Jurian said, like her name was twice its length, a foreign weighted history, “You ready to know whose blood runs in your veins?” Nesta, who had lived this particular conversation thrice over now, only shook her head. Touched between his brows in curious, only half-understood benediction, allowing him to step away. “Jurian. You survived the fires.” His smile was only in his eyes, rainwater grey searingly bright. “You wouldn’t waste time sending messages to corpses.” Nadia, from where she’d stopped three swaggering paces into the room, shedding her coat and swords with utterly false carelessness, huffed out a rough laugh. It was a bizarre comfort to see her, unchanged- strong brown hands dense with tattoos that bloomed into looser patterns up her arms, those knives and that hideous leather vest, remnants of a life that seemed nearly simple, now. So very far away. She cast a scathing look at Nesta’s guard, the Illyrian busy visibly wishing murder upon Jurian, his entire focus held on the distance between their bodies. “Protection has gotten more interesting,” she said, tone blithe, “Where’s your Vanserra?” “Honeymoon.” Nesta let herself lean back onto the desk, hand behind her body biting into its ash lip. Dawn, Winter, reconnaissance. Elain walking underhill in mortal wedding pearls, Lucien at her back. A heaved sigh, Jurian’s head oh so briefly dipped. “Wars and weddings, my lady. Blessings.” “When you were our age, humans couldn’t marry.” “Nor does he believe in any damned gods,” Nadia crossed the room fae quick, expression wicked as the guard flinched, stopping right alongside Nesta. A test, twofold- Nesta didn’t pull a knife as Nadia had once taught her, the legionnaire didn’t start in on violence without orders. “Don’t believe the prayers, unless they’re bloody.”

[saintescuderia]

pancakes (pt. 6)

AKA - the story of how the naive australian rookie befriended the gym junkie F1 hospitality worker with the shoe collection - and inadvertently broke the grid's most treasured and unspoken rule: you don't go for y/n.

series masterlist here :) // the pancakes recipe here :)

antinal reference ;)

A/N: to make up for being MIA (and that this sunday might be another miss) here's a double update. enjoy.

P6 - pre-workout for jet-lag

You still found it odd to call Australia home.

You had mixed feelings about the country stamped across the front page of your passport. Your auntie had been the one to organise the papers so that Australian would be your identification. Never mind the hospital bed in Monaco that you were birthed. Or that you were first words were in Arabic. 

Still, your travelling auntie’s own experiences meant that when you came into her care, she would raise you Australian. Never mind any of the other stuff. 

So, when you walked into the house in Melbourne, you were met with an Egyptian lady playing French music, dressed in a Korean football jersey, cooking Greek food. Such was the life of a nomadic English teacher that was your aunt Nadia. Dia for short.

“Ah, it's you." She sat, spying you hauling the suitcase through the door. She looked at the clock by the fridge and then frowned. "You weren't supposed to land yet."

"I landed an hour ago." You said. She looked at the clock again and took it off the fridge. She banged it with one hand and then shook her head, muttering under breath.

"I'm sorry. Did you take an Uber?"

"No. Oscar gave me a lift." Well, technically his father had driven the car.

Oscar’s parents were apparently super excited to meet you and gushed all through the way about how glad they were that their son had you to help him through F1. They had even insisted on dinner but Oscar knew you had stayed up - you had made him do the same thing as you - and thankfully postponed it for a breakfast tomorrow after you both got to finally got to sleep. 

Upon leaving Jeddah, you had looked at the flight times and decided to overdose the 400mg of pre-workout and strategically placeyour workout just before leaving the hotel so that you and Oscar could both avoid the jet-lag many other F1 personnel were struggling with.

So far, it was on track to working. You just needed to push through a few more hours. To do so, Oscar was going to watch the footy. You were going to watch football.

“Ah, this young Oscar." Your aunt was nodding. "I like him. He has a trusting face.” She laughed at you, doing nothing to help but continue to watch you clamber into the well-loved and mis-matched dining furniture in her kitchen. “You hungry?”

“Tired.” You said, checking the time. It was 5pm but you were ready to knock out. Just a few more hours. You willed yourself to push through and avoid the jet-lag.

“Did you eat?”

You hadn’t. You never ate airplane food. 

The silence was answer enough as your auntie plated up some gyros for you. The smells of the seasoned meat filled your nose and your stomach rumbled at the site of it. You picked up your fork, ignoring the bread for the sake of your cut but helping yourself to tzatziki. 

"What's with the Korean jersey." You couldn't help but ask. You watched your auntie's back with CHO GUE-SUNG.

"Oh, he's such a handsome man. So polite too. I met him when I was teaching abroad in Seoul."

You opened your mouth but closed it. Your auntie lived a very unbelievable life at the best of times.

"He was nice. Nice face. Good hair. You should date him." Dia said as if she was commenting about the weather and you rolled your eyes, chewing through the food. She gave you a look. "Better a footballer than a driver."

You gave her a look. She never did like Danny. Much less you two together.

"Speaking of footballers, your uncle called. Went on and on in Italian about how your talents are wasted with cars and you should come to a real sport."

You snorted hearing this. Your uncle's work in football (not soccer, football) and your line of expertise had some people baffled that you hadn't joined him. Only the select few who knew your mother understood just why that was.

Still, every month your uncle sighed at the wasted talent! that you, a world class performance trainer! was stuck making coffee! for some fancy drivers!

Save that your uncle would add in a few choice Italian expletives in the mix.

"So, the usual?" You concluded.

"The usual." Dia nodded. She came to sit down in front of you. Pulling out her phone, she began showing you pictures of her recent teaching stint in South Korea. Your aunt had been there for about six months, working at an international school. And befriending Korean football players apparently.

“I thought you were teaching in Paris.” You said between mouthfuls of seasoned meat. 

“That was before.” Dia waved a dismissive hand. She dropped her phone and then stood up to pull out two wine glasses. Your aunt gave you a look and you shook your head. She put one back with a roll of her eye. “Wine is good for you.”

“I’m already taking resveratrol.” You said. “And I’m on a cut.”

“That’s why no bread.” Dialooked down at the plate full of untouched pita bread. She was well aware of your health habits. “Actually, I went to Egypt recently! Ah!” She went to the cupboard above the microwave and pulled out a shoebox full of small boxes. You knew immediately what it was. Bringing the shoebox to the table, Dia began pulling out various medicines she had brought from Egypt. 

“You will need this for your travels.”

“I have all of this.”

“Do you have Antinal?”

“Yes.”

“Take some extra." Dia still pushed it to you. "Give it to Charles.”

“I don’t speak to Charles.” You said.

Your aunt huffed and looked up at the ceiling, calling to God. “Ya rab. This fight with Charles needs to stop. Pascale and I are sick of it.” You didn’t comment any further on it. It was, admittedly, quite hard when there were so many other people involved. Pascale and Nadia were best friends. It was how you and Charles had grown up so close. The fact that you were family friends made it hard since Charles had pretty much cut you off. Granted, he was polite and you knew he still greeted your aunt Dia with a kiss on each cheek every time she’d visited Monaco. But still. 

“I will give them to Charles.” She said, taking a box back.

“You do that.” You said as she still pushed one boxes of the yellow medicine in front of you. “Dia, I already have this.”

“For Oscar. Yallah.”

“Anti-diarrhoea pills?"

"Oi, mate. You better be grateful. That shit's a miracle." You said, dropping the yellow box in Oscar's hands as you both walked down the Paddock. You had checked your phone this morning to the beautiful news that you would be working for McLaren today. You texted Oscar the news and the next day he had your coffee order ready in the cupholder of the car he picked up you up in. 

It didn't feel odd. It should've, but it didn't. Maybe it was because you and Oscar had already spent the most of the morning together. You had breakfast with his parents - his dad taking a moment to quietly pull you aside to say thank you for supporting Oscar - and then hit a gym sesh.

In fact, you almost forgot that you and Oscar was supposed to be working in different domains until you both had to get dressed and found him waiting for you outside the Paddock dressed in shorts, a McLaren t-shirt and accompanying brand cap.

It made you look down at your black Hospitality wear and wonder just how things would go if you were wearing the same clothes as him.

Well, for one thing, you would have to wear those ugly ass shoes. You looked down at your feet clad in some Nike Cortez and tried to take that as consolation. You weren't dressed in team uniform but at least that meant you had your shoes.

Still, the oddity of seeing a driver openly interact with the Hospitality staff turned some head as you walked down the Paddock together. You were half tempted to tell Oscar to go ahead but it didn't make sense. You were both going to the same place - the McLaren motorhome.

Oscar, however, was barely paying attention to any of this. No, his attention was still stuck on the medicine you had given him.

"Why do I need," He paused and flipped the box over to read the label that was in English, "Antinal?"

"Because you're travelling around the world more now that you're in F1 and have an additional ten or so race weekends added to your calendar." You explained as Oscar read what minimal English was on the medicine box "And so you're gonna be trying a lot more foreign food. Gotta be prepared, man." You patted him on the shoulders as a form of consolation. Oscar just laughed. 

"I must say, when you texted me that you had got me something, I didn't think it would be this."

"Technically my auntie did." You said before explaining how you would probably needed to purchase another 23kg suitcase from all the things your aunty was adamant you have with you for the rest of the season. Oscar was laughing at the five packets of sunflower seeds your aunt thought was an essential when you clocked it. 

Or, better yet, them. Charles and Carlos.

Both staring at you. And Oscar. 

You felt a jolt rush through you realised. Oscar's latest girlfriend update went to background noise as you took in the two Ferrari drivers stood there.

Carlos was appraising, his head slightly tilted as he clearly was observing the two of you. You could only imagine what he noted.

You. Oscar. Laughter. Gift exchanged. Mention of relatives and close family.

Still, the kind Spaniard's eyes were a lot easy to take in than Charles. 

Charles who was clearly fuming. 

Or, clearly to you. You knew his angry tells. Right fist clenches then unfurls. Left hand runs through hair. Lips are pursed. And then he walks off. 

You watched as Charles said something to Carlos and then turned around to stalk off. You watched his retreating form with forlorn eyes and before you caught Carlos looking at you. The furrow between your brows where you had probably stared longingly after the best friend who left you in the dust immediately fell when you looked at Carlos. 

That was the first time that Charles was actually acknowledging your existence in how long.

You drew your eyes back to Carlos who was still looking at you. You smiled you found yourself even lifting up a hand to wave. You saw his eyebrows raise slightly and his lips lift into a smile. He waved back. Then someone called his name and you saw his cousin and manager appear from the Ferrari motorhome. You turned back to look at Oscar who was still talking, unaware of anything that happened in the past minute.

"... anyway Lily wants to meet you and - "

"Have you copped any shit?" You interrupted Oscar and turned to him. You had both neared the McLaren Motorhome and knew this would be where you both parted ways. 

"Copped shit from who?"

"Other drivers." You specified.

"I mean I haven't really had a chance to speak with them." Oscar said, pursing his lips as if he thought about it. "The Williams guys are nice. Alex is funny."

"Alex is funny." You agreed. You did like Alex. He had a good heart. You would forever be salty at what Red Bull did to him. 

"Lewis said hello, which was nice. Fernando reminded me his career is older than me." You couldn't help but snort at that. Oh, Nando.

"And Lando is... well, Lando." You perfectly understood just what Oscar meant by that. His words, however, also confirmed what you had suspected. None of the 'core' drivers that surrounded Ferrari or Red Bull's circles had come near him. You knew that many of the guys had gone out a few times to celebrate the start of the season and the fact that Oscar had very clearly not been invited was, well, getting to you.

Especially since you were 99.9% sure you were the reason why. 

You stared at the young Australian boy in front of you and felt two things wash over you. 

The first was sadness.

A lame word but there was no other way to describe it. Infuriated, annoyed, hurt - sure. But you were also just sad. Sad that this was your life and that anyone close to you still managed to get tainted by the things you were forced to lug around yourself. 

The second was fondness.

The boy was young and innocent but carried himself with wisdom and dignity beyond his mere 20 years. And his dry ass sarcasm was a special type of humour you missed having around you. He was caring, loyal and an overall good sport. Having Oscar around made you realise how long it has been since you've laughed. He drove you the airport, bought you food and stayed up to watch old FRIENDS reruns after finding out Daniel Ricciardo had cornered you in the gym. 

"Your love language is quality time." Was his reasoning when he had arrived at your hotel room. And so he ordered some KFC and got comfortable in your hotel room to watch Chandler and Joey forget Ross' baby on a bus. You knew Oscar didn't like sit-coms -- it was a recurring argument -- but he watched five episodes that night after you had texted him feeling panicked and needing help when Daniel arrived drunk at the gym.

In short, in that moment, you were suddenly hyperaware of how much you really, really, really fucking loved Oscar Piastri. 

So maybe that's why you just came out with it. 

"Jos Verstappen has a restraining order against me." 

Oscar blinked. Once. Twice. Clearly he wasn't expecting you to say that. You weren't even expecting you to really say it. 

"Come again?"

"Well his wife does." You corrected. "Because the courts wouldn't accept a man of his size him to need protection from little old me." You rubbed your arm, feeling the full vulnerability of what you were doing. You thought of your next words carefully, making sure to not step over the NDA you had signed. "I used to train Max when he was at Torro Rosso and then at Red Bull. I always saw bruises on his arms. One day I..." you huffed, hating that you legally couldn't say what had actually happened. "Well, I ended up beating Jos Verstappen half to death."

Oscar was silent. His face was void of much reaction. He wasn't even looking you in the face but staring at the ground in his pensive state. You were aware that you both had stopped walking and were stood to the side. 

"Is that why you don't officially work as a trainer and had to be all pedantic with training me?" All you could do was nod to his question. Oscar shook his head. "I mean, I've heard the stories about Max and his dad but..." 

Now it was your turn to blink. Once. Twice. You frowned and Oscar finally met your eyes and you were stunned to see the easy going grin on his face once more. It hadn't disappeared. "I can only guess you had to sign an NDA and this isn't the full story. And even if it is, well, it's enough to know you were protecting someone from a -- well, an abuser." 

"I... Yeah. Thanks." You weren't sure what you were thanking him for. For believing you? For not treating you differently? For taking your side when everyone in Formula 1 had dropped you and treated you like a leper?

"Is that why you and Ricciardo fell through?" Oscar asked. It wasn't nosy. You had explained enough to him. It was enough he knew what happened. 

"No Danny, he, uh-." You hated how small your voice sounded. Or that you immediately fell back to his nickname. "He cheated."  

Oscar was silent, waiting for you to continue. And so you did so. You told him everything. From Daniel to Charles to the moment you punched Jos Verstappen in the face.

Carlos Sainz was ready to punch someone in the face.

He sat there at the table, fist curled tight as he tried to calm down from all that he was hearing. It seems like his name would only be an added tag to an otherwise Charles Leclerc fest of a season. Carlos knew, sure, that coming into a Ferrari where his teammate was known as Il Predestinato would mean that he needed to prove himself, put himself in the spotlight and make the Tifosi give him a name like that.

However, as the current race strategy meeting was showing, it seemed like no one in Ferrari was going to give Carlos the chance.

"Now, boys, I have something to discuss with you two." Fred said as people were starting to leave and the meeting seemingly coming to an end. Carlos wanted nothing more than to get up and storm off but he reigned it and listened to the change in Fred's tone.

"What's up?" Charles asked, sitting up.

"Quietly, there was a team principal meeting with Domenicali." Fred said, and this time Carlos sat up also. His anger was momentarily forgotten as his interest piqued. "McLaren have unofficially started working with a girl to train their rookie." Charles was playing with his APM Monaco bracelets, somewhat paying attention. Carlos watched him. There was one particular bracelet he always fiddled with, a small gold chain tucked amidst all the other extravagant pieces.

"She's a Hospitality worker."

Carlos saw how Charles froze. His teammate looked up. Carlos saw the horrified look on his face.

"Quoi?" The French slip was only further proof of something. Carlos's mind raced to make the connection.

The lighbulb went off just before Fred said it.

"She was your friend, non?" Fred said. "Worked with Max Verstappen in Torro Rosso." His eyes flickering over to Carlos. They had been teammates back then.

Charles's years and years of media training went out the window as he struggled to make sense of what he was hearing. Carlos, however, was suddenly thrown back a few years and thinking about just who had caused this whole shitstorm.

You.

Carlos said your name, feeling something swell up in him by saying your name in front of Charles who was your former best friend. Maybe it was ego from the recent meeting, but Carlo wanted to drive the knife in a little deeper.

"She's a very good trainer. I watched her sessions with Verstappen." And that wasn't on showing up Charles; it was the truth. Max's dominance needed to be at least somewhat accredited to you.

"Turns out she is not allowed to work for new teams." Fred spoke. "That means for McLaren to hire her goes against some contract Formula 1 put in place after an incident with Verstappen."

There was a pause. Carlos waited for Charles to say something - to say it. He didn't. So Carlos did.

"She was defending Max." Carlos said, defending you when he thought the silent Monacoan beside him would've. Didn't you two grow up together?

The Verstappen Incident, Carlos was well aware of. However, whatever happened between you and Charles... well, Carlos was out of the loop.

"It doesn't matter." Fred waved. "I'm not here to speak of the drama. But I did have a look. Mattia never told me but she has ties with Ferrari from before - "

"But she's a Hospitality worker!" Charles finally spoke up. "Mattia he-- I spoke to him about her."

"You did?" Fred took that piece in. Carlos wanted to scoff. Clearly Mattia hadn't mentioned that in the hand over notes. "What did Mattia say?" Fred asked.

"Peut-être on peut parler juste nous deux." Charles said, the switch the French reigniting Carlos' anger once more. He forced himself to breathe steadily while Fred nodded. Both men had often tried to keep to English in front of him for the sake of manners and being polite, as opposed to using their mother tongue and making Carlos feel, well, like he felt now. Excluded. Enraged.

Still, Carlos' French skills were okay enough for understand what Charles had said. He stood up and, in French, said. "I'll leave you two." Without looking back, he walked out the motorhome trying to steel himself.

He really wanted to punch something.

Walking a little ways down the Paddock, he took deep breaths and shot a flurry of texts to his dad. He needed his advice on what to do given the way the meeting had gone. It was then that a girl on rollerblades holding the Australian flag zoomed past him and Carlos looked up.

The entertainment at Albert Park never missed. Carlos smiled slightly. Australia was a fun circuit. Not his favourite track by any means but the actual circuit itself had a lot going on that he enjoyed. It was lively, music always pumping and the weather was nice.

Still, the sounds of laughter and the faint dance music that echoed through the Paddock weren't enough to lift his spirits.

And then he saw you.

You were walking with Lando's new teammate, the infamous Oscar something. He hadn't paid much attention to the newbie, hearing something vaguely about Alpine drama from Lando. It all had gone in one ear and out the other.

Now, Carlos saw you walking with him and suddenly he wished he knew more about the kid. Why him? Why were you friends with him? Since when did you have friends? And why risk it all just to train him?

Carlos had always been perfectly polite, nice. Why didn't you laugh with him? Why didn't you reach into your bag to pull out a small box and hand to him as you explained him whatever gift you had brought him? What made this Oscar kid so lucky?

Maybe it was just the Australians seeking out one another? Everyone on the Grid knew you had dated Ricciardo. That had been a painful experience. It was one thing to have pined after you, as Max his teammate's trainer. It was another to see you get swept off your feet by the senior Red Bull driver that everyone adored. Carlos' days at Red Bull sucked since all he did was think about you - and you barely paid him any attention.

Sure, he was now no longer Ricciardo's junior but it still got to him. Daniel Ricciardo had waltzed in and you had gone wide-eyed before Carlos could've even tried.

Because he would've. He really would've. Even before his dad told him who your uncle was. Even before he tried your cooking, your coffee. Even before he knew your name. A young Carlos Sainz had seen a pretty girl walking around in the same Real Madrid kit that he owned at home and immediately wanted to go up to her, to ask her name, to ask her out.

Carlos felt the door behind him open and out came Charles. He looked completely at ease despite what had occurred before. He patted Carlos on the shoulder. And just as he did that, Carlos' phone beeped. His father.

Don't get mad. Just get even on the track.

Carlos pocketed his phone but felt something ignite inside him. He would do that. It wasn't Charles' fault for Ferrari's favouritism. Carlos had to admit the Monégasque was a genuinely nice guy.

"You alright, mate?" Charles asked. "I'm really sorry about before."

"I'm alright. Excited for the race." Carlos said, changing the subject and not mentioning it at all. If anything, he would stay out if it all and just focus on the race, on proving everyone wrong. He take his father's advice and make his own mark in this team.

"Ah, Australia is always special." Charles said.

Despite what his father had said, anger came back within Carlos. It was the same anger he felt towards that Australian kid. And Daniel Ricciardo. And, to an extent, Max.

Carlos was jealous. Not for Charles' favouritism from Ferrari, but the favouritism from you. Charles had you and he'd thrown you out for whatever reason.

Carlos' eyes came back to you and suddenly he couldn't help himself. Sure, he could stay out of all the Ferrari drama but this was you. He couldn't stay out of it when you were right there, walking beside the new kid who didn't know that Charles had essentially banned every driver from interacting with you.

"Yeah?" Carlos spoke before he even realised. "What's so special about Australia?"

The answer was obvious: you.

You were what had been so special. Carlos' days at Torro Rosso meant that he knew about how you felt towards Albert Park, that it was almost like your home race.

For one, you didn't stay at the Crown Casino hotel like the rest of them. No, instead you stayed at your auntie's place by the beach. Carlos knew that from the time he had to drive a passed out Max Verstappen to said home back in 2017.

Charles' smile dropped slightly. Then he brought it back up. "Ah, you know. The sun, the people. There is a special energy here that - "

He stopped talking.

Carlos knew that his teammate had finally spotted you also. Turning his head to look over at Charles, Carlos took in the look of utter rage on his teammate's face.

And then, you looked up. You noticed him. Them. You met his eyes and then you looked at Charles. The McLaren driver was still talking beside you, oblivious to how you had clearly stopped listening to him. Charles took a deep breath.

He stormed off.

Carlos couldn't help but roll his eyes. He didn't know the truth, but Carlos had heard the many rumours as to why Charles had cut you off. He thought they were all rubbish.

Looking back at you, Carlos met your eyes once more and he thought about his options.

He knew that you were in part responsible for training one of the best drivers on the grid. He also knew that it would take a bit of a miracle to help him outperform Charles Leclerc and show Ferrari what was what.

But hey, if this Oscar kid was going to go against the grid's treasured and unspoken rule, why couldn't he?

You really jinxed yourself.

At first, the Australian Grand Prix was off to a great start. Sleeping at home meant that you had more comfortable waking in a bed that was familiar - and not stuck in some isolating three star hotel room that made you question the hotel rating system.

Three stars with suspicious smells coming from the closet? No, thank you.

Instead, you got to wake up to your auntie humming as she prepared her own version of pancakes. It had been a long time since anyone had made pancakes for you. And even though you had breakfast plans with Oscar and his family, you still ate some of her and kissed her goodbye as you went to the circuit.

By car. You drove yourself. In your beloved Supra, the one that had essentially taught you everything you knew about cars (that and Top Gear) were finally united.

And that in itself was a beautiful fucking thing.

There were a small handful of circuits in where you had a car in the country and could actually drive yourself. Australia was one of them. Japan was another. Monaco was the other.

Then again, Monaco was far too crazy to be driving during a race weekend anyway. Still, it was nice to be able to play some calming lo-fi beats as you drove the familiar Lakeside Drive that led up to the street circuit that was built around the lake. Your lake.

You had found yourself a good parking spot and the cafe vendor recognised you and gave you a free latte. Some marshalls walking by were joking about something nonsensical but the banter and accent made you feel warm inside. No matter the complicated feelings that being Australian brought up, you still enjoyed the laid-back attitudes that came with the softened ds and ts.

You had a good gym session, showing progress with your training. You dropped another kilogram off with the cut working well and then you were ready to go to the safe confined of the McLaren motorhome.

And then you saw the message from your co-worker.

Sorry bro. There's been a change in the roster because Mack called in sick. You're going to be covering him at Ferrari for the rest of the race weekend.

You really had jinxed yourself.

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[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

The Arcana HCs: M6 when a spell goes wrong and they're stuck as a small child for a day

Reverse scenario is here:

~ to set the scene ~

It's been a while since your little mishap with your notebook and spell development. At this point, your day as a toddler has become a funny story to share with guests over dinner. You're reminiscing on it early one morning as you lie awake next to your slumbering beloved. You never did figure out exactly what was going on with that circle. You decide to flip through your notebook and take another look at it while you wait for your darling to wake up.

As you're reading back over it, you feel them stir next to you. "MC? What are you looking at?" Still half asleep, they reach over to pull you closer, but instead their hand falls flat against the page. One bright light later, you're gazing over wide-eyed at the small child rubbing their eyes next to you.

(I've included the official art of child!Julian, Asra, Muriel, and Portia. Unfortunately there's no game art for child!Nadia or Lucio, but I was able to get sketches from the old livestreams. Enjoy! - brainrot)

Julian

Figures out his predicament almost immediately. From the way you're looking at him to how small his hands suddenly are, he knows

What neither of you expects is the pipsqueak voice that comes out of him when he opens his mouth to talk to you

"MC, I - ah! Is that my voice?!"

He's going to spend the next hour while you make and eat breakfast trying to figure out the funniest thing to say in a child's voice, ranging from his extensive knowledge of curse words to lectures on medicine to warbling ancient Vesuvian operas

Malak thinks it's fantastic. He's following nearby, cawing along to whatever Julian has to say

You end up putting him in one of his normal dress shirts, which looks like a dress on him now, and using a scarf for a sash

He'll get bored rather quickly - all of his favorite activities are off the table until he's an adult again

You remember him mentioning living with his parents on one of their merchant ships as a boy though, so you take him down to the docks

A couple polite requests later, and several of the sailors agree to let him explore their ships as long as he doesn't get underfoot

It's a special time for him, running around a ship with the same perspective that he had when his parents were alive. It unearths some memories he had previously forgotten and that makes him so happy

You also had Malak take a message up to the palace inviting Portia down (you didn't want to risk losing Julian in the crowd in the trek up) and she arrives just in time for lunch with Mazelinka in tow

Portia absolutely gets misty-eyed seeing her brother like this again, she always used to think he was so grown-up next to her but realizing he was just a child too is doing things to her heart

You'll have a late lunch on the beach together before heading back to his house

Since all three of them are feeling nostalgic, Julian, Portia, and Mazelinka will pass the afternoon reminiscing on what life was like the last time he looked like this

They leave before the sun sets - they have lives to get back to, and you have dinner to prepare

The first thing he does after poofing back is bellow out a raunchy sea shanty and hunt down the liquor he's been saving in the back of the cabinet. He missed being an adult

Asra

They knew what has happening as it happened, they saw their palm landing on the spell circle and had resigned themselves to the outcome before the light had faded

The first thing he does is take full advantage of his new size to snuggle up on your chest and fall back asleep

And hey, it's several hours before their normal wake-up time, and it's not like you'll be able to do anything else today, so you fall back asleep too

When you re-awaken it's to a suspiciously quiet house

When you find him he's tucked away in a corner with Faust, scheming brainstorming about the opportunities his temporary shift affords him

You're able to distract them with breakfast, but it quickly becomes obvious that their attention span is considerably shorter and their sense of propriety considerably less inhibiting than their adult form

Cue a wild game of chase around the closed shop, Faust watching gleefully from the rafters as Asra keeps setting off latent spells just to watch your reactions before scampering off in a fit of giggles

They're surprisingly docile once you catch them though, as soon as you've got your arms around them they're cuddling up. You've never held a snugglier child

There's also the issue of clothes - none of his clothes fit, and he couldn't care less. You end up tying a shawl around him and knotting it in the back where he can't reach to take it off when it hinders his freedom of movement

If you need to have a serious conversation with them it's entirely possible, they're just living in the moment

You manage to pack a lunch and take him over to Aisha and Salim's

To say they're overjoyed is an understatement. They missed so much of Asra's childhood and growing up, and you've just given them several hours of that back

For the first fifteen minutes or so, he's got his guard up a little. It takes a lot of vulnerability to revisit that stage in life, with the parents he so keenly felt the loss of

But then one of them cracks an inside joke, and all the emotional walls come tumbling down

You get to spend the rest of the day getting a glimpse into the past, of what their family was like before the hard times started

You're also relieved that you're not the only one responsible for keeping them in check

As soon as he poofs back, he's waving goodbye and heading out the door with you. He misses his kisses

Nadia

She realizes a split second after you do, and she is Not Impressed

She's spent most of her life trying to outrun being perceived as the baby of the family, and now here she is - a baby!

She's not upset with you though, she knows if there's anyone to blame it's her for touching the page like that and the look on your face says you didn't mean to

She also knows that there's still Vesuvia to run - oh well, it looks like she'll be taking a vacation

She's standing on the bed, robe pulled around her, arms crossed over her tiny rib cage as she gives directions for her absence

You're quickly realizing that her sense of authority didn't come from ruling Vesuvia - it's clear she was just born with it

Finding a good outfit for her to wear is also quite difficult. She knows it's last minute, but one of the ways she combats her own insecurities is by appearing as put together as possible at all times

You're not sure what to do at first. You know the last thing she wants is to be in touch with her family right now, and she'll get bored quickly if she just stays inside her chambers with you

Luckily for you, she knows exactly what she wants to do - and that is everything that she wasn't allowed to do the last time she was this size

She's leading the way to the stables and getting ready to ride off into the sunset before you can blink

It quickly gets tiresome though. She was already sneaking off the last time she was this age, and she already knows all the area around the palace

Your wave of inspiration hits as it gets close to lunchtime. She's always wanted an incognito tour or Vesuvia. This is the perfect chance

She's immediately for the idea. She was never allowed to do this as a kid, and it's something she still struggles to get away with

You find her some every day kid's clothes in the marketplace and spend the afternoon wandering the streets, giving her a taste of the "real" Vesuvia

By the time you're heading back to the palace as the sun sets, her whole perspective about the day has shifted. She might ask you to do this again, if she needs to do something undercover

She chooses to wait until after poofing back to have dinner. After the day she's had, she wants her Golden Goose

She eventually agrees to let you tell parts of the story to her family members. Watching their reactions helps remind her that they did not look down on her, but truthfully admired her as a kid

Muriel

Completely frozen. It's up to you to make the first move

He understands what happened as soon as it happens, but he's in denial about it

He'll only start moving once you ask him if he's okay, if anything hurts, if he can talk, etc

The sudden levels of attention you're showing him will spur him to action and then he'll start responding again, shifting around and pulling the shirt he's drowning in closer around his shoulders

You'll probably end up tucking him back in bed and suggesting he rest and get over the shock a little more while you prepare breakfast. He'll agree because he's not sure what else to do

It really hits home with him when he sits down to a full, hot meal at the small table with you. You accidentally prepared the amount that the two of you normally eat and he doesn't remember ever having a full stomach at this age

You'll watch him wolf down his plate and then pause, struggling between the instinct to eat while there is food and the desire to savor having more food than he can eat

The morning continues like that, with him silently processing all the ways his life has changed for the better from his childhood's perspective

There is a funny moment with the chickens when it's time to feed them, of course

They've had to wait a few extra hours, so as soon as they hear the feed bucket they're charging at you twice as aggressively as normal

Now that he's small, they don't seem as tiny to him any more, and the hungry chicken avalanche leaves him a little shaken

You decide to give him a day as quiet and pleasant and safe as he deserved as a kid

You'll pack a big lunch of his favorites and go on a quiet stroll through the woods, listening to the bird song and admiring the plants

It's a strange experience for him because he's so used to being the biggest thing in the woods that having to look up at stuff is weird, and slightly frightening

On the other hand, the different vantage point has him noticing all kinds of details that never stood out to him before

Eating your packed lunch together in fields where the grass grows above his head is surreal. Being able to lie down next to you and know that only you and the sky and birds can see him is liberating

When he poofs back after returning to the hut, it's the first time he's felt truly thankful for his size. He can protect you better like this, now that he's been reminded of what the world can be like when you're small

Portia

It takes her a second. She hit the notebook instead of your face because her curls were in her eyes, and they're still in her eyes, but why are her arms so short when she pushes them out of her face?

Whoah, you've turned into a giant. Scratch that, everything is big now, that means she must have shrunk

Now she's spotting the notebook in your hand and the shock on your face, and her own voice confirms it

"MC, I just set off a spell, didn't I?"

You're nodding slowly, watching her carefully stand up and look around

When she turns back to you, it's with an all-too-familiar look of mischief

"This bed is huge when I'm this size! I don't have to worry about breaking it at all!"

She's bouncing on the bed, shrieking with laughter and giggling, and all you can feel is relief that she sees the mishap as a good thing

She'll ask you to send a message giving her the day off of work, of course, and then she'll start brainstorming things to do while she chases a very confused Pepi around the house

"Do you think they'll give me pastries if I ask nicely since I'm so small now? You have to admit I'm pretty cute. I bet I could ask for anything!"

So. Much. Energy. You end up leaving her to her own devices while you get breakfast together, and by the time she sits down to eat she's already deconstructed the entire living room

All of her shirts have wide necklines and don't stay up on her tiny form, so you have to put her in one of your own with a ribbon for a sash. Good luck trying to tie up her curls

You decide to take her into town for the day, on the condition that she not let go of your hand. You both agree eventually to tie a ribbon around her wrist for you to hold on to just in case

You're able to find her clothes that fit, and get a read on Julian's most likely location

As soon as you find him and he spots Portia, he is one smiling mess. So much of his identity is wrapped up in trying to be a good older brother to her, and now he has the chance to do that as an adult

He'll put her up on his shoulders and the three of you will saunter through all the fun parts of town, getting into all the best kinds of trouble

You'll get a summons from Nadia as well for afternoon tea. She wants to see one of her best friends as a child too

When Portia poofs back that evening all the exhaustion will hit her at once like a wave. This day will become one of her fondest memories

Lucio

Is convinced that you're just playing mind games to make the world look bigger than it is until you show him the notebook and explain that it's the same spell that hit you previously

He's a little panicked now. He's been able to survive this long because he was strong and vicious, and when he needed your help his big thing to contribute was his ability to protect you

What if you decide to leave because he can't protect you like this? He couldn't blame you, after the past you unearthed with him he knows you know exactly who he is and sometimes it's hard to believe you love him anyways

You can recognize those wide eyes and trembling lips anywhere, the first thing you're doing is pulling him into a hug

The hug does him in, Morga was never the affectionate type and being held in a such a safe embrace when he feels so small makes him fall apart a little

Will deny any and all emotional vulnerability. He has a reputation to uphold, dammit

You'll get him situated with one of his shirts and a scrapped together sash. He's too busy marveling at having both arms again to complain about it not being stylish

Quickly realizes from your reactions to his requests that he is in fact adorable in this form. Contrary to your expectations, he doesn't mind that at all

It's also becoming more and more apparent that the child-likeness is affecting him. It turns out his obsessive love of partying comes from a very playful nature

If you're on a job at the time, you'll decide to make it a travel day

He'll find a stick to use as his sword and tuck it into his sash since you've temporarily confiscated the real one

He's running circles around you, yelling his little boy's heart out, scrambling up every large rock you pass so you can compliment his climbing skills

Each time you praise him he'll flush, his normally sharp smile softer with the baby fat on his cheeks and his scrawny chest all puffed up with pride. Being a kid around someone who lets him actually act like one is the best thing that's ever happened to him

And that's how most of the day passes, traveling a bit slower than usual through nature, listening to his breathless story telling as he fights off imaginary beasts with his wooden sword and kissing the bumps and scrapes he gets so they heal better

He begins to get a little scared when night falls, because he knows his golden day is about to come to an end

So as soon as he poofs back, you pull him back into your arms so he knows you will always be there to hold him, no matter the state he's in

[mermaidchan05]

Vesuvia Weekly: First Date Headcanons

To set the scene: Nearly a month has passed since that fateful Masquerade. Things are being rebuilt. The city is growing and improving. And there have been many, many celebrations, both large and small. But our heroes have hardly gotten any chance to rest. So the M6 finally decided to take things into their own hands...

Nadia, Portia, and Chimalus

There was never a shortage of fancy events for the three of them to share.

When you’re dating (and/or engaged to) the Countess, those tend to happen.

And the trio snuck off to quieter corners of the palace as often as they could (which was never often enough)

But with both Nadia and Chimalus in high demand for their various areas of expertise, and Portia's new Chamberlain title keeping her busy, there wasn’t time for a real, true date.

Not until Portia made it happen.

Portia spent weeks silently gathering information in her scant free time

All to plan the perfect getaway: a day out on the town in “disguises” (otherwise known as casual clothes)

Because the two loves of her life absolutely need a day out without any stuffed-up nobles breathing down their necks.

Portia knows the Vesuvian markets better than almost anyone, so once she knows what she’s looking for, she easily finds the best possible places to stop.

After visits to museums, watching a street performance, and going on an amazing shopping spree, the trio ended the day at a bookshop in the Heart District.

(Because out of all the things the three of them have in common, the greatest is their love of reading)

And right next to the book shop was an adorable little tea shop.

They spent far too long in there, chatting about the books they just purchased and draining an entire teapot between the three of them.

Of course, they could always just have tea in the palace. But the atmosphere was so cozy, and even at the shop’s busiest, the chatter is almost soothing.

Plus this shop had such cute teacups, and so many teas that Nadia has never heard of, and delicious little pastries and tea cakes… After that night, the shop become one of the trio’s favorite places to visit.

They always enjoy their time there.

(And all the people working at the tea shop very politely pretend that they don’t recognize the Countess herself under her scarf.)

Asra and Meleia

Asra was eager to plan the whole event.

He wanted the date to be both relaxing and full of all the things that Meleia adored. It was what she deserved after they defeated the Devil together and finally had room to breathe.

So he made her favorite meal, and did his best to recreate the moment of their first kiss: the beginning of the Masquerade, right after dealing with the Lazaret.

The two of them were out on the water, sharing a beautiful moment under the fireworks.

Of course, for this date, they were the only ones who took a boat out that night. And instead of fireworks, Asra used his magic to create a dazzling display of lights in the sky.

Some of the images were so tightly timed together that it looked like animation. Particularly animation of two very familiar-looking figures dancing among the stars.

Inspired, Meleia invited him to dance the moment they got to the shore.

The two of them never needed any music to dance together.

Julian and Damian

According to Damian, the two of them have gone on a lot of dates.

Grabbing coffee right before work? A date.

Unwinding in the Rowdy Raven after an especially long day? A date.

Accidentally wandering into one of the town’s many celebrations and playing music together? A date!

They’ve had so many of these moments that Damian declared dates that now Julian is determined to take him on an actual date.

He’s even more determined to do it right.

And to fill it with everything Damian enjoys.

So he makes a plan.

Step one: clean up the little garden that he and Damian used as a hiding spot when Julian was still on the run from the guards and use it as a picnic spot.

Step two, serenade him with an original song.

Step three, take him to the most romantic community theater show possible.

Step four, celebrate their successful date with fancy drinks.

Of course, none of it quite goes according to plan.

The garden is somehow messier than it was before, the original song is half-finished, and the show was a bit more melodramatic than advertised.

At least the drinks were good.

But honestly, as far as Damian was concerned, all the little mishaps just made the whole thing more endearing.

(And Julian's unfinished song granted the perfect opportunity for him to get out his guitar when they got home and help Julian finish writing it)

[totally-not-here-for-the-smut]

How do you feel about Asrian? And Nadia x Lucio?

Well well, this blog was born for the main purpose of smut so it's not like I'll leave out some juicy juicy occasions for it. Asrian has a lot of drama potential (bc YES, their relationship is fucking mental, but hey, tragedy is the mother of all the good stories) and the Nadia x Lucio got me thinking about Vesuvian geopolitics because I couldn't wrap my head around their marriage. (Please mind that I didn't finish nadia and Lucio's route, I might change my mind about it).

Eventually, my HC is that Nadia herself arranged the marriage with Lucio for some political reasons. This is not weird, since Vesuvia seems to have a big economic power, and given how many people of different ethnicities are there it's probably in a strategic point, like in a geographic crossroads. Basically, it's vital to control it's place. Our countess realized that the ruler, Lucio, was an idiot so made her best to ensure that such an important point was under control. Yeah yeah, I know it's mentioned on the story that she was drunk when she accepted the proposal, but I feel like the whole thing was some kind of plot of hers to convince Lucio that it was his own idea. Or, at least, I like my version, and since this is my playgroud I'll believe it :D

About the Asrian, I think that wether it's liked or not it's important to recognise how harmful such a situation is. They're bot desperate and strained to their limit when they meet, and end up together in the crazy hope to soothe their pain. Julian is clearly looking for some real intimacy, or for a way to replace MC's love (it's implied that the two were close before MC's death) and Asra would do anything to run away from their pain (this is a common pattern for Asra), even though he clearly is torn by it and takes it out on Julian (why? Jealousy? Disruptive behaviour? Generic hate for the world?).

They get entangled in a messy hate/need situation they both use as a unhealthy coping mechanism. Eventually, it ruins their friendship, to the point that Asra doesn't move a finger to defend Julian when Nadia thinks he's a murderer.

I like the idea of them rebuilding a better relationship, maybe even a romantic one, after the good endings. I'm a sucker for redemption arcs and for seeing fictional people throw sweat and tears and blood into an apparent lost cause. I think that it has some symbolic beauty.

When all it's said and done, all this dynamics make for a wonderful tragic story... but for a shitty situation irl. Soooo yeah, it's all fun and games here, but I've been through stuff like that and it's boring and frustating. Precious years of my life and sanity of my mind I'll never get back. So Asrian is like horror movies, war novels, dark stories and greek tragedies. Lovely to read and write, but in reality they sucks and are to be avoided at all costs. Since there's lots of younger people here, I think it's worth to remember it sometimes.

[pandemoniclucio]

How do you think the courtiers would react to an MC who they’ve known for ages, like they grew up together and married young so they know almost everything about each other?

MC has known them before the devil came into the photo and they are very understanding of the courtiers more ‘questionable’ habits, hobbies and personalities.

(Sorry for the long ask but I saw a similar ask and thought it was intriguing, you don’t have to do vasimol if you don’t want too idm xxx)

The Arcana Courtier HC's #1

For this I'm just gonig with the assumption that the MC doesn't have a demon form or any implications to their immortality.

Valdemar

Don't ask me what you saw in them but let me just say they weren't as creepy as they are now. Maybe that's what drew you to them & caused your marriage to them.

You always knew that your partner had a taste for the more medical & somewhat morbid so you decided that you'd help them by using there skills to make a profit.

You were unsurprised that they eventually made a deal with the Devil, it made sense since they were hunugry to figure out all sorts of diseases.

When you reach Vesuvia after they get hired, you have to keep them & their experiments in check and make sure the doctors working under them don't see anything they shouldn't.

You both ended up in the realm of the Arcana after the Devil was defeated, but were contempt.

Valerius

You two knew from a young age that you were in an arraged marriage, but that just made everything more convientient, cause you fell hard for this beatiful drunkard.

You both were happy that he got the job of Consul but you knew the moment Nadia went asleep that he was aiming higher than expected.

Politics was a tricky game, so knowing that Val is a bit of a selfish prick, you made sure that he & the other courtiers didn't completely fuck up Vesuvia.

He did consult you on his upcoming business venture with the Devil, you did warm him about the consequences but supproted him even if you were opposed.

When he was released from the Devil's magic, you've never been more relieved and happy but before you could admit any of that you did give him a scolding.

Vlastomil

Somehow, centuries ago, you managed to snag the man's attention away from worms and marry him. Despite his love of worms, he has a deeper love for you.

Although he was a reknowned wormoligist, you were the one making sure that you had the coin to continue a life of some luxury. You were both happy either way.

You were sceptic when he told you about making a deal with the Devil. You supported him regardless, since it ment you no longer had to worry about other things anymore.

When the M7 saved the day and beat the Devil, he returned to his human form you were happy, since it ment the worm problem would die down.

Volta

Despite the fact that you were both poverty stricken and starved, you both managed to find some light in the darkness with each other and eloped.

The deal with the Devil was a double edged sword, you both got immortality and power but at the cost of Volta never being satisfied, but it got you both out of your terrible situation.

When you both reached Vesuvia, you actually convinved her to take thr job of sniffing out the foods for the plagye, this landed in her getting hired & you living a relatively good lifestyle.

When she was finallly released from the Devil's magic, you two finally enjoyed your dream wedding without any interuptions.

Vulgura

You must be either just as bad if not more war hungry than this crabby gremlin, or had some form of bloodlust in you that they admired enough to marry you let alone befriend. You two were like Ares & Aphrodite except human, and not causing any wars.

It was, honestly, a matter of time before your spouse decided to make a deal with the Devil. You were surprised that it did not happend sooner.

When you reached Vesuvia, you managed to convince Lucio & Nadia to hire your spouse as Ponifex.

As soon as the Devil was defeated you had to deal with a sad Vulgora since the violence has absolved whch was gine since they finally calmed the fuck down.

Hope everyone has a Happy Holiday & Marry Christmas. Enjoy your holidays.

[consul-valerius]

The top two contestants for “worst taste in Vesuvia”

Idhfgfdihg BUT in reality I have been having a lot of Damien-Verse Thots, specifically about Naima and Antony, so I used all my remaining brain cells to finally complete some headshots for them :’) For further context for those that miss my sporadic shouting on my main blog LOL:

Naima (she/they) is (obviously) the accidental but surprisingly welcomed daughter of Nadia and Julian, and she is one of Damien’s top love interests (even if she doesn’t realize this herself lmfao)

She is an extremely serious person to an almost comical extent; her main aspirations in life revolve around eventually becoming countess and pushing the changes her parents have began instituting to even larger heights.

With that though, she is also a very insecure person, particularly when it comes to her ability to make friendships. She feels extremely inadequate in comparison to Julian and Nadia, which can often cloud her judgement and lead to self-isolation (apple -> tree)

She has had a life-long crush on Damien, but particularly when they were children, she got swept up in how others treated him. She feels partially responsible for his disappearance, and so by default she now feels extremely protective of him but has difficulty showing it

On the flip side we have Antony (he/him): a farm-hand on one of Valerius’s family’s vineyards and is top choice number 2 for stealing Damien’s heart lol

Unlike Naima, Antony did not have a close relationship with Damien when they were children. However, he was very much head over heels for him when they first met as children and he never got over it

He is much more confident in himself when compared to Naima, particularly when it comes to his relationships with others. He has a close pack of friends that he wishes Damien would interact with more; they’re all queer, kinky, and share a collective brain cell lmfao

Many assume Antony is a hard person based on his style (renaissance punk boy LMAO), but really he has a heart of gold and cares deeply for the underdog. He is willing to wait as long as he needs to for Damien to fully embrace being in his own skin, and in an ideal world, settling down together :’)

Some more rapid fire thoughts and facts undercut✨

Naima is trans & ace and primarily enjoys kink as a means of letting loose and building more secure dynamics between herself and Damien; despite many suitors trying to woo her, she truly only has eyes for Damien and would rather remain unmarried than marry some earl she has no interest in (this is partially because of Nadia and her flub with Lucio lmfao)

Antony is trans, queer & poly like all my other OCs LMFAO he has the most relationship experience out of all three of them and it shows

Antony would be considered a bard, though he has no formal magic training. He and Donna have a very special relationship because of this; whenever they are together, Donna tries to teach him something new. Donna obviously has a soft spot for Antony and is very torn between wanting him and Damien to just shut up and get together, but they are VERY aware that Damien is just. Not ready for that & Antony deserves the world lmfao

On the flip, Naima and Valerius are quite close, particularly when he steps down as consul. He thinks that she is, in every way, the perfect suitor for Damien for personal and political reasons (LMAO), and oddly enough, Nadia can’t help but agree. particularly when Damien was still “missing,” Naima enjoyed just having silent time sharing a space with Valerius or listen to him and Nadia talk and talk and talk lol

When Damien disappeared, Naima spent a year living with Nasrin and Namar in Prakra for safety reasons—no one was sure if this was a targeted attack, and despite how painful it was, Nadia knew she would be best protected there than in Vesuvia. This was a very fundamental time for Naima, and because of it, she was extremely close to her grandparents (yes, this has given Nadia and even stranger complex lmfao)

IN TERMS OF EACH OTHER, Antony thinks that Naima is literally a princess and should be protected at all costs. She is too good for this world to him lmfao In the rare times where their paths cross, he has an uncanny ability of getting her out of her shell (it’s the autism to autism communication LMFAO) Naima, of course, is both in awe of Antony and feels very insecure around him. He is confounding to her, and she wishes that they were closer, she just isn’t sure how she would even go about it LMAO

In terms of how Damien views them, he is much more open about his feelings with Antony than he is with Naima. Antony was a lot of Damien’s firsts, and he is truly one of the only people who really make Damien feel beautiful and safe. However, he is deeply frightened by this too, especially when it comes to how Valdemar would react to their bond. He’s terrified of getting too close only for them to, well, get in the way in the way that Valdemar does best :x

With Naima, Damien thinks that he is in control of their relationship and his feelings for her but isn’t LOL he also had a childhood crush on her, even when she would join in with the others and bully him. Her cruelty hurt him the most, and in many ways he treats her so poorly to “get back” at her. However, this is pretty self-defeating as he winds up just feeling very guilty and self-loathing about it LMFAO

In summary, they are all a mess and are bursting with love and none of them know what to do with it LMFAO :’)

[deusluxuria]

My Ghiaccia (Ghiaccio) headcanons so far:

(Ghiaccia is a woman because JJBA gender ratio bye)

-Her real name is Angelina Ghiotto.

-She was a famous Olympic figure skater, who was nicknamed "Ghiaccia" in the industry due to the Italian word for "ice" and its similarity to her last name.

-She was caught up in a doping scandal where an Italian politician began to favor a different skater over her, so the politician arranged for her to have a positive drug test before her performance (either by spiking her or swapping her test sample with someone else's) to have her disqualified.

-She was disqualified from competing ever again and publicly slandered to the point where she had to move across Italy (to Napoli/Naples), change her name (Claretta Morel), bleach dye and cut her hair (her natural color is black), and to start wearing clear glasses to somewhat hide her face (she wore contact lenses normally).

-It was already too late by the time she moved -- at the time of this exile from the Olympics, because she couldn't skate anymore, she struggled to find a job. The combination of the massive public slander, the positive drug test, and the struggle to meet the cost of living, her 2-year-old daughter Nadia was placed in foster care.

-Risotto knew about the case because he'd been assigned to execute the politician who had ruined Ghiaccia's life. Though, his assignment had nothing to do with her -- the politician had many other offenses, including some with Passione.

-Risotto spotted her in a bar in Napoli and recognized her. He felt the need to tell her what had really happened -- that none of her suffering had been her fault. Risotto knew it would probably be the only chance she'd have to find out the truth. And that's the kind of person Risotto is: he refuses to leave someone to rot when he has the ability to help them.

-After managing to dig through her stubbornness and paranoia, Risotto managed to tell her what he knew. He also told her that the politician was dead.

-Ghiaccia wanted to join Risotto in Passione. Risotto made it very clear to her that if she made that decision, she would never see her daughter again -- but Ghiaccia assured him that the ship had already sailed. The media painted her as a horrifically unfit parent, and the public's opinion and the rigged drug test were Goliaths against anything she could possibly do or say in attempts to get her daughter back.

-Ghiaccia felt there was no other place for her. At least in the criminal underworld, the evil political powers in the overworld couldn't touch her anymore and she could see right through them. She felt it was the only way for her to stop feeling so small and helpless. And because of Risotto, she'd finally have someone who cared about her.

[gloriousmonsters]

N and Z 👀

Alright we got to deep cut for the N, to a story I wrote a partial draft of... more than 6 years ago?? But it's got a core to it that compels me, so I really want to get back to it someday. Anyway: Nadia, the main character of The Princess Wish (don't @ me about this 6+ year old working title). When she was eight, she encountered a fairy and wished to be a princess. Unfortunately, the fairy was an eldritch asshole, and it made her a princess in another (fantasy) world, in a kingdom experiencing a revolution that quickly gets her killed.

And she gets reborn as a princess in another fantasy world. Aaand another. Essentially, by the time of the book she's been killed and rebirthed seven times, is very traumatized and scattered due to juggling multiple lives' worth of memories, and bc of excessive court intrigue she's a very suspicious person. She tries to stay emotionally detached, but has a weakness for the few decent dads she's had; she also winds up involved in some kind of flirtation with a hot girl in every recent life, although it rarely goes far (mainly because she has terrible taste in women and they keep betraying her for political reasons). She's stubborn af and tends to assume she's right about everything, which she never is ♥. anyway i need to get back to putting her through convoluted plot twists and emotional turmoil someday

I have exactly 1 character whose name starts with a Z lol; Zella from The Devil Doesn't Live Here, a significant side character. She was a popular mean girl in high school in a very weird way (she lives in a very weird town) but cut off her former friend group and lost favor with her church when her boyfriend dies under mysterious 'last seen in an argument with her and a local weird boy with an unsettling connection to the local woods' circumstances. All grown up, she now runs her family's funeral home, is kinky FWB with weird woods boy, and practices taxidermy in her spare time. Can you believe she was originally a throwaway character from draft 2

[werewolfheads]

this is an idea i had for a show :)

when she was 10 years old, Kathryn was a magical girl. along with her 3 best friends, she protected the world from alien monsters, using the amazing powers granted to them by the princess of the moon, and her emissary, a funny little purple guy called, like, Yorbo

after a few years Yorbo told them that their work was done. it was time to give back their power wands and go back to being normal girls. a new group of heroes would be chosen to take their place.

except you, Kathryn. the princess wants you to stay on the team for a bit.

it's been 20 years and Kathryn is still on the team, no matter how many times she has begged to be let go. she's so sick of this. she's a grown woman! she works in insurance! why is she still spending all her free time fighting monsters with a bunch of ten year olds?

she's not, like, the team mom or anything. she's not their coach, or even, like, Yorbo's teaching assistant. he's made that very clear. as far as the princess of the moon is concerned, she's just one of the girls.

it's really embarrassing.

every time they fight some giant octopus from jupiter she can see how excited the kids get about it. they're having fun, and building confidence, and learning about themselves! and the whole time she's thinking, really? another giant octopus? this has gotta be, like, the ninth giant octopus

but she can't say that, y'know? cause she remembers what it was like being one of those kids, and how exciting and scary and fun everything was...

TWENTY YEARS AGO!!!! WHY IS SHE STILL HERE??

she's still friends with the girls from her first team, but it's become very obvious how different their lives are. it's hard to hold down a steady job when you have to keep running out of meetings to beat up a robot pterodactyl. and it's exhausting. she doesnt have the limitless energy of a ten year old. but you know who does? the three ten year olds she has to spend all her free time with. fun!

also, if it wasn't clear, the magical girl stuff doesn't pay

so the series would start around the time of Kathryn's 30th birthday. one of her old teammates, Nadia, is moving back to town to start uni. she's studying giant alien monsters, and the local uni has one of the best giant alien monster programs, because this is where all the giant alien monsters keep attacking.

Kathryn never went to uni. she was putting it off until she finally got to stop doing the magical girl thing.

once Nadia discovers Kathryn's still on the team, she makes it her mission to help get her out. and, y'know, Nadia's fiery Gen Z energy clashes with Kathryn's depressed millennial and it's very, like, classic odd couple.

meanwhile Kathryn is battling crazy creatures while trying to manage the very delicate team politics

like any 21st century gal she is also trying to balance work and dating. work is going bad because she sells insurance, and she has had a string of terrible luck where the places she sells policies to immediately get destroyed by a giant monster the next day.

dating is going bad because she's a mess

and the giant monsters aren't helping either. she starts dating a single mum, but she can't tell her about the magical girl thing. not because there's a rule against it, it's just too embarrassing.

and then it turns out the woman she's dating is the mother of one of her teammates, which kicks off a bitter rivalry between the two of them. and as much as Kathryn tries to convince herself that she's above getting in a fight with a ten year old... she's really not.

in case its not clear this is all kind of a metaphor for being in your late twenties/early thirties and feeling like you've fallen behind all of your peers and you don't know what you're doing with your life. obviously thats something i think about a lot, which you can tell because I'm posting ideas for a sailor moon parody series on tumblr

each episode would revolve around some event in Kathryn's personal life (30th birthday, vying for a promotion, high school reunion etc) and her battle to get through it alive and unhumiliated while struggling with her ten year old teammates, Nadia's enthusiastic attempts to help, awkward brunches with her obliviously condescending childhood friends, and whatever monster of the week Yorbo wants her to deal with.

it's a lot. she's very tired.

[mr-ame]

Going on with telling more about my apprentice Robin. Please beware game spoilers!

Days 3-6

Part 1 Days 1-2 is here.

Day 3 - Summary of their relationship to the other main characters.

I'll start with the most complicated and go down to the simplest relationship.

Number 1: Muriel

- Especially not you.

If not for Asra, they would never get any close and here is why. Robin's tolerance to rejection is slightly low, and they value other people's boundaries. So after Muriel asks Robin not to approach him, he would not ever have to ask for the same thing again.

I believe(and hc) that Muriel is very cautious of mc after they were brought back to life. He watched Asra become frantic in his research to resurrect his love. Asra explored darkest witchcrafts and even worked for Lucio. I believe Lucio was bond to mc through the ritual that Asra sabotaged, and instead of helping Lucio's cure it brought the mc back to life. The so called mc could have been evil version of themselves, posessed, or take after Muriel's worst enemy. No wonder Muriel was so cold to mc at fist, hostile even.

However thanks to Asra's effort ice cracked and Robin and Muriel gradually went friendlier with each other. They communicate through small gifts. Robin likes to gently guide Muriel into owning more things, and Muriel woodcrafts trinkets in return.

Number 2 : Nadia

- Milady the Countess

- Magician

My first impression of Nadia and the way she was in old version of the Prologue were quite different from the way the game is now. Just for a note - Robin would politely decline gifts and clothes change, because they find it unnecessary and also are quite satisfied with what they have.

Robin is always a little intimidated by Nadia's powerfull and alluring presence. Even though they see her as a friend, they can't help the gap that is between the two of them in their origins and manners. So they feel more comfortable adressing Nadia in a very formal manner. And even after the in game events made them know and understand each other more, from time to time especially in public they keep playing their game of fake formalities to great mutual amusement.

Now that devs made Nadia slightly less fond of her own statuts, it's different, because now it feels to me that Nadia would seek for a more casual friendship, and Robin would feel hard to deny that to her. But I believe Nadia is still capable of respecting and valuing even a formal connection, so I'm leaving their relationship with Robin as I imagined them in my very first playthrough.

Number 3: Lucio

Robin is not Lucio's greatest fan, because almost everyone they know were seriously offended by his thoughtless and selfish acts. So no, they are not friends and they would hardly ever hang out together.

However, when Robin has to deal with him long enough, they catch themselves on seing through his bravado and hey feel sorry for who they see. Surprisingly they also feel a tiny hint of bitter fondness, because of how hard he goes into foolishly denying his own misery. That is because they see something of themselves in him. Through tarot perspective Robin sees themselves as The Fool Upright archetype and Lucio as The Fool Reversed archetype.

That slight difference in attitude does not go unnoticed by Lucio, he likes being genuinely liked and can take any sight of sympathy for that. Some might even say that he gets a little more docile around Robin, but it's not true, at least not more than he is around Portia.

Number 4: Julian

I think Jullian and Robin share a very tender friendship.

Even though Robin has no memories of their apprenticeship, Jullian does remember them by the end of the main story and Julian is eager to rebound again. Robin and some other volunteers worked days and nights to serve sufferings of patients in the Red Plague period. That were the hardest times full of grief and despair, but here they both are now - still alive and well. It makes Julian sentimental from time to time. Robin enjoys Julian's rowdy goofy side as much as his gentle and poetic one and they make shure he does not blame himself on anything.

Number 5: Portia

This duo is a definition of trouble. They both seek adventure and discovery. Pasha is happy to have an excited comrade, to feel trusted and recognised by someone as cool as a "real life magician". Robin willingly and performatively passes Portia the much desired role of a main heroine in each of their shared adventures. Robin's own curiosity is much more focused, and put together, so Portia's excitement and energetic approach is part of the fun and shift in moods for Robin. These two curious cats sneaking around is always a sign of something special happening.

Day 4 - Relationships with courtiers if any.

I'm afraid Robin agressively avoids having any business with them ever since the introduction that was arranged by Nadia.

They might enjoy getting into argument with Valerius, because of the sight he is when his composure cracks. But the rest of the court give Robin chills, and Valdemar is the most chilling one.

Day 5 - Outside canon and minor character friends.

Robin was once pretty close with their eccentric aunt, but I'll leave that until day 17 :3

They also have a huge platonic crush on Nafiza, and enjoy her vibes and looks. The feeling is not very mutual, and these two never went further than a couple of small talks.

Day 6 - Rivals or ennemies

That Robin doesn't have. They mostly had a peacefull life without confrontations.

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Shadow and Bone 2x03 Review

I have finished ep 3 hooray! Going to be honest, it was an ok episode don’t get me wrong but I do feel like the pacing was a little off in this one, I feel like a lot of big things happened and it might have been better if some of those things happened over a couple of episodes, it just felt a tad bit rushed. Anyway as always spoilers, lots of spoilers, any book spoilers will be between two * for you to skip at your convenience if you so wish. 

Nikolai, Alina and Co

So I am going to start off with Nikolai and Alina and that storyline involving that crew. I will say that the flying ship was very cool, I liked the way it detached from the ship. I also thought that Alina’s reaction to the boat taking off was very relatable like yup I too would find the nearest seat and then sit with my eyes closed hanging on for dear life. 

We also finally got the Nikolai reveal and not going to lie was very happy they kept the punch in, it was amusing but also I think understandable for Alina’s character as this is the second time that she has been lied to by someone who she put her trust in. That being said I did really like the conversation between them where Nikolai points out that she makes it too simple and that people do what they have to do to protect those they love. But I also like that he pointed out that Alina never would have trusted him if he said who he really was at the start which is very true. I do think this logic can also be applied to her relationship with Aleks as well as its the same scenario, if he had revealed to her from the start that he was the creator of the fold she never would have trusted him. As Nikolai said it is never that simple. 

I was surprised that they’ve introduced the spinning wheel so soon but it was nice to see Alina and Nadia reunite, I also liked the relationship between Nadia and her little brother Adrik, I am glad we got to see him. We also see Zoya again and it was nice to see her and Alina kind of make up and Zoya pledge allegiance to Alina. I’m still not sure how I feel about them all being at the spinning wheel this soon though. *In the book its not until way at the end of book 2 that they flee there so its almost like they’ve covered the first two books in ep 1 and 2 and now they are doing the end of book 2 and the beginning of book 3 in this episode. Which again as I said multiple times in speculation posts before the series aired just feels way too fast. But hopefully I am wrong and the pacing will sort itself out. 

We also got Nikolai making his proposal for a political marriage to Alina. I guess it does make sense to show a united front and a way of bringing otkazat'sya and grisha together and like Nikolai said his royal family name would give her some protection so it does sound good politically. One thing I will say about the whole scene though, is I appreciate that they are trying to make Mal less of a toxic jealous control freak over Alina than he was in the books but I feel like they are stripping him back too much and making him too perfect. Like to me his reaction was a bit too chill which just seemed very unrealistic. Like I think it would have worked better if he initially had the same reaction as Alina of this guy is coo coo but then later in the episode he comes to her and says he’s mulled it over and realised it is the best thing for her and ravka, it just would have felt a bit more natural than the immediate acceptance.  

 The Crows. 

So the crows had some tension amongst the ranks this episode and Kaz was definitely beginning to unravel a bit. It was clear the others in the crew felt like Kaz was taking unnecessary risks with their lives seeing as last episode Nina got shot and Inej got hurt. It was interesting to see these cracks in the crows relationships but honestly I am worried for Kaz because it does seem like he is spiralling. 

We do learn more about Kaz’s backstory through some more flashbacks. Looks like Kaz’s brother invested money in some kind of business with Rollins and then Rollins ran off with it all, which I am going to assume meant they were left with nothing. We also learn through Wylan that the disease we saw in previous flashbacks was called firepox and it sounds horrific, we learn there were so many bodies that the crematoriums couldn’t keep up and so they had to float all the dead bodies on the harbour, which is what those previous scenes of young Kaz were where I said it looked like he was lying on a pile of dead bodies well that was because he was lying on a pile of dead bodies, and god did this get morbid fast. I am assuming they thought he was dead and so threw him on with the rest of the bodies. We also learn from Kaz confiding in Inej that Rollins killed Kaz’s brother, though I don’t know if he did that directly or not as there was that flashback of his brother coughing which makes me think he caught firepox and died so it was Rollins fault indirectly. Like them losing all their money meant they had no where to go and as they were homeless they were exposed to firepox. That’s my theory anyway. 

I do have to talk about that scene between Inej and Kaz though because damn was it a good scene. I loved it, I loved that Inej called Kaz out and what I loved even more was that this time he trusted her and opened up. I also love how Inej immediately was on board and in ok well now Rollins shall die. It was also a rather tender scene between them as he tended to her wound. Also I think I may be a bit slow because I am pretty sure that Kaz has a touch eversion and that is why he wears gloves and that was probably covered in season 1 but I totally missed until this moment. I liked the discussion they has about finding the opponents weakness and how when Inej asked Kaz what his is he said his limp and cane but that no one had been smart enough to find his real weakness. But I think I have figured it out. His real weakness is Inej. In this episode we discover Rollins has a son and its clear that the other crows are worried Kaz in going to use his son against Rollins, I think this links into Kaz’s on weakness and fear that someone will use Inej to hurt him.   

So Wylan and Jesper’s little side quest together was kind of cute not going to lie and I totally killed in last eps review they did totally sleep together and surprisingly it was Wylan who left the morning after. I knew I wasn’t just imagining the vibes between them. The song Wylan played on the piano was really beautiful, Jesper did seem to have quite the emotional reaction to it so I wonder if that song has some relevance to his past somehow. I am really enjoying the energy between these two though. They are really wholesome. 

Nina finally got in to Hellgate and saw Matthias in the fighting rings, these rings do seem really messed up as it looks like they not only have the prisoners fighting each other but fighting wild animals and the like, its giving very roman colosseum vibes. I did feel bad for Nina when she was calling out to Matthias and eventually gets his attention only for him to then give her the cold shoulder. Its obvious that she is not only desperate to make up with him and reconnect but also is so desperate to get him out of there. That being said I don’t think she will take Rollins deal. I reckon they are going to do a cop out where it looks like Nina has but then it turns out she told Kaz from the beginning and they came up with some kind of plan together, what that plan might be I haven’t the foggiest. But like Kaz said at the beginning of the episode, Nina is a crow now and I just don’t see her betraying them. 

Aleksander, Baghra, Genya and David

So when I said I felt like this episode was rushing the storyline a bit, I do think Aleks’ story in particular is being a little rushed. The first scene we see of him is the one between him and baghra near the beginning of the episode and I adored this scene, it was just really interesting. I loved how it starts out with Baghra telling him to stop lurking, it really does remind you that this is a mother and her child. But I think what I loved the most about this scene was that it does address how much of an effect Baghra’s parenting had on Aleks, the scene does kind of call her out on the mistakes she made. The thing is the lessons we are taught when we are young are the ones that’ll stick with us and the ones that are the hardest to unlearn. So I think this scene was important to show how Baghra’s teachings have informed Aleks views of the world. For example how she taught him that grisha were superior and that the otkazat’sya should fear them. It also addresses the events of Demon in the Woods a little talking about how she would burn down villages in the name of protecting her child. I have talked about the significance of this before how it set the example for Aleks that if you love someone then destroying entire towns and villages is acceptable to protect them. This is a lesson that stays with him and I do think it played a part in why he expanded the fold into Novokribirsk, he has love for Alina and Zlatan in his men tried to harm and would continue trying to harm her, he has love for the grisha and Zlatan was a threat to them too, so to him destroying Novokribirsk was an act of love and he saw it that way because of the example he was set by his own mother. 

I did think the line about how she didn’t teach him compassion was a bit of an odd one if I am being honest because it implies that Aleks doesn’t feel compassion yet we’ve seen multiple examples throughout season 1 that would say otherwise. I mean if you look at the definition of compassion: 

A strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a wish to help them.

He clearly has compassion for the grisha, you kind of have to have that compassion if you are going to recognise they are suffering and your response to be that you want to do everything in your power to help them and give them a safe place. He also shows concern and sympathy to Alina when it is clear she is suffering in season 1. Whilst I would say that he might struggle more with his compassion for others as years have gone by and he has had to numb himself in order to make those hard choices but I don’t think he is devoid of it or that he never learnt it like this moment suggests. Like when baghra starts listing off all the rumours she’s heard about the grisha being persecuted and killed by the first army, you can see that this pains Aleks, that he feels guilt over it and that he feels compassion for their suffering.   

However I will give it to Baghra that moment when talking about Alina and she says ‘there was a moment where you might have earned her love instead of claiming her power’ wow talk about a hit in the gut. You tell that one really did hurt Aleks. However it is also worth pointing out that if Baghra hadn’t got involved then he still may have earned her love and might not have tried to claim her power and none of this may have happened. But ya know hind sight and all that. I can still appreciate that it was a damn good line. 

David was pretty smart in this episode in that he played nice with Aleks and used that trust he knew Aleks had in him to his advantage to learn more about the Nichevo'ya and their effect on Aleks. But it was interesting how Aleks actually seemed to be kind of sweet to David, like he seemed genuinely happy that David was there it was kind of a bizarre contrast to how unhinged he also seems to becoming with the merzost poisoning him. During the conversation Aleks talks about how apparently Morozova went mad so I am guessing this was also a result of the merzost and could be where Aleks himself is heading, we could see him continue to lose his mind. I won’t deny that I do find it an interesting concept. 

However the part that I do think was rushed was what he does to baghra and genya. I get that they are trying show that Aleks is becoming more unhinged the more desperate he gets but I think having both these big and violent moments happen in the same episode was too intense and made it feel to sudden if that makes sense. Like I feel like the pacing would have worked better if he had cut Baghra’s finger off in this episode and then saved his attack on Genya until episode 4 then it would have seemed like a more gradual shift, and like him sinking deeper into this madness caused by the merzost. 

One thing I will say I think they did right was that as opposed to the books they did make these two acts of violence make sense for Aleks’ character. * I also think the change from blinding baghra to cutting off her finger makes alot more sense than it did in the books.* Like I can follow Aleks’ chain of thoughts here, he is feeling very angry and abandoned by his mother, who also keeps talking about Alina, another person he feels angry and abandoned by and that anger at his mother only grows the more she refuses to help and so by cutting off her finger he can exact his revenge on his mother and satisfy that anger he feels but also he is desperate to find out more about Morozova’s amplifiers and knows that he made them from his own finger bones so thinks if his mother won’t give him any answers he’ll take her finger bones and see if they will give him some answers instead. It is also really unhinged which furthers that storyline of him being poisoned by the merzost. What I do think is an interesting touch is that both when he cuts off Baghra’s finger and when he attacks Genya you can see those blakc veins creeping up his neck. With Genya you could probably explain it as him summoning the nichevo’ya and using merzost but it is interesting that it is there when he is cutting off Baghra’s finger as he isn’t actively using merzost in that moment but it is clearly still having an effect on him, its almost like the merzost itself has a hunger for violence. 

Like with Baghra I do think him using the nichevo’ya on Genya made more sense in the show’s scenario. *It didn’t make much sense in the books because of the order he gave not to harm Alina and yet he punishes Genya for not harming Alina which made no sense.* I do think it is understandable why Genya running triggered Aleks I mean not only it because its another betrayal from one of his grisha, like Zoya betrayed him in the fold, but it is very similar to how Alina left him. When he catches up with him he doesn’t ask why she ran but why she abandoned him. I think Aleks at this point is so lost and unhinged that he can’t understand why all these people who used to stand by him are leaving. Afterall his goal is still the same, to safe grisha, in his now warped mind achieving this goal is the most important thing in the world and he doesn’t understand why no one else is willing to go to the same lengths he does to achieve that goal.  

I will say also that while I understand why David and Genya ran watching a guy produce shadow and monsters and cut his own mother’s finger off is bound to unnerve a person, I do think this is another thing that is a bit rushed. Again though I think this comes from being a book reader because in the books it takes them both alot longer to realise how dangerous Aleks is. Its another thing that I think maybe could have been pushed into ep 4. That would have given it just a little bit more time to stew and also that would have put David and Genya’s escape attempt half way through the season which I think would have worked better, like the first half of the season they are loyal to Aleks but then come mid season they have that epiphany of hey this guy is bonkers lets skedaddle. 

Going back to Aleks and the merzost we see those black veins again when Aleks has that angry outburst after discovering that the Morozova journal is gone, it really does seem like it flares up when he is angry and causes these violent outbursts. What is interesting though is that Aleks’ way of calming down is to call on that connection between him and Alina. To visit her, its like he is using her to keep himself steady, like she is the focal point he is using to stop himself from spiralling completely out of control. 

Right well that’s another review and episode done. On to episode 4 and then we are at the halfway point, so that’s exciting. 

Favourite Lines 

‘There was a moment where you might have earned her love instead of claiming her power.’

‘There are no mistakes, only lessons.’ 

‘Pekka Rollins killed my brother.’ ‘Then we destroy him.’ 

[lornagrimm]

Townies of Willow Creek

*The Background Edition* *These are townies living in Willow Creek with less depth into their lives, so I'll showcase them in groups*

First up, the Ferreira Family~

Anabel and Israel with their two sets of twins and eldest son (left) They're a very fit and healthy family.

The Richter Family

Lyle and Jessica with their son Matthew. Lyle is a chief of police and Jessica is a homemaker. Their son is in love with a spellcaster which they don't really like.

The Graves Family

Tyra and Elijah with their three sons and daughter. Solomon (left) is an oddball and kind of a nerd and Andre (right) is in sports. Tyra organizes campaigns in her political career and Elijah is a personal trainer.

The Gonzalez Family

Haylee and Camilo are a very optimistic and positive set of neighbors. Kasey (left) is a top athlete and Priscilla (right) is a cheerleader and friends with Xersi Redmoon.

The Gibbs Family

Nolan and Abby Gibbs are the quiet neighbors that keep to themselves. Their daughter (left) Makenna is quiet like her parents and prefers to be alone while she works on her painting skills. Recently, Manny Singh complimented her lovely drawings. Makenna has a huge crush on him but has never spoken to him before.

The Moss Family

Kalina and Collin Moss both work with computers. Their son Darien (left) prefers to delve in sports and Marshall (right) also likes computer science but is focused on becoming a videogame developer.

The Mohr Family

Living next to the goths has been an adventure. While Eloise and Roland Mohr prefer to keep their distance from the Goths, their children have become good friends with theirs. Karli Mohr and Cassandra Goth are besties and Patrick and Stephanie are always hitting up the park with Alexander Goth.

The Madrigal Family

Nadia and Federico Madrigal live the good life. They have high paying jobs, and two well behaved kids. Nadia has preferred to keep her spellcasting abilities hidden but her oldest son, Lorenzo has recently discovered his and asked his mother for advice.

The Hemphill Family

These brothers are on their own and doing great. Van is working hard to become the next boxing champion while also watching over his teen brother Johan.

WOO. Now onto Oasis Springs!

[ofwrxth]

BASICS

Name: Emine Sadık

Age & Birthday: 27, September 13, 1996

Gender/Pronouns: cis woman, she/her

Birthplace: Washington, DC

Time in Hollow Cove:  9 months (Jul '23)

Species: Water Witch – Belcourt Coven 

Role: Seeker / Comms

Positive personality traits: compassionate, even-keeled, resilient 

Negative personality traits: avoidant, judgmental, uncertain 

ABOUT

Emine was born to Ozan and Miray Sadık of the Belcourt Coven. Her mother was a judge and her father was a marketing VP and so Emine and her older brother grew up in a world of politics and appearance. Always be discerning. Never let your guard down. Be compassionate when you can and shrewd when you must. She grew up with all of these unspoken rules molding her outlook on life. 

She was diligent in her practice of magic but water taught her to be more flexible, to listen to her instincts rather than the rules she set for herself. Her best friend, Bella, did the same. The two thick as thieves within the coven. And when Bella’s father died, Emine was determined to be there for her even more, their friendship withstanding the test of time and the intensity of a place like DC.

By the time whispers of war began towards the end of 2019, Emine was working as a researcher for the Washington Bureau of the New York Times. She felt like she was finally doing what she wanted when the rug was pulled from beneath her feet. Leaving DC was one of the hardest things she’d done but was grateful for Nadia’s leadership, having them leave the city before it became a powder keg ready to explode.

War changed the world and they were on the run from the military for years until March 2023. Their coven lost many members to violence and Emine lost her parents and her brother was separated from her. Since their capture, she has privately struggled with her magic. It’s like a connection has been damaged, watered down – the element longer responding to her as it once did. It's a source of intense turmoil for the witch who has kept this to herself save from their Wisdom who's tried to help her. What Emine hasn't shared is that during their captivity, as they attempted their escape, she'd blood wielded. She'd done something she'd been told never to do by her parents and leaders and the echo of that experience lingers with her. She can still feel what it was like to control those soldiers' bodies. To take their life in her hands in a way that she never should have. It's created a block in her mind, along with the memories of the camp they'd been in. All of it making it harder for Emine to use her magic the way she once did.

Still, despite this struggle, Emine is doing her best to be of use as a loyal coven member. She misses her parents dearly, still mourning their loss, but holds onto the hope that her brother is waiting for her to find him, wherever he is.

[secrettyrant]

Name: Benjamin Walton

Age & Birthday: 46 years old, May 20th 1977

Gender/Pronouns: Cis Man He/Him

Birthplace: Washington, DC

Time in Hollow Cove: July 2023

Species: Water Witch - Wisdom of Belcourt Coven

Role: Supply Depot, Watch

Positive personality traits: Enthusiastic, Loyal, Fair, Wise, Patient

Negative personality traits: Blunt, Stubborn, Independent, Calculated, Unsuspecting

ABOUT

The Walton name has always been synonymous with politics, intertwined with a legacy of witches. Benjamin was born in D.C, a member of the Belcourt coven which his family belonged to for generations. He was the first water-witch for quite some years in his family. Much like the element, Ben possessed a fluid and adaptable personality, effortlessly navigating through life with a natural inclination towards balance.

During his teenage years, Ben embarked on a rebellious journey, albeit not in the conventional sense. Rather than conforming to the political ideologies of his family, he found himself drawn to protests and demonstrations opposing decisions made by his own family and coven. Despite his outward displays of dissent, Ben remained fiercely loyal to his family, viewing his protests as a means to highlight flaws in their choices and provoke introspection. Proving that he still carried the same political cunning and calculated approach that is sometimes underestimated from him.

Following the tragic loss of Aaron to Hunters and Marcus's betrayal of the coven's vision, Nadia entrusted Ben with the mantle of Belcourt wisdom. In this role, he serves as a stabilizing force, often providing alternative perspectives and strategic insights. He's also trusted with helping their strength and connection to their magic, a responsibility he never shies away from. Ben finds great pride in helping any of their witches connect both emotionally and physically with their gift, all while adding a spark of a "Fun Uncle" energy.

Ben has always been driven by a deep-rooted passion for environmental restoration and advocacy for the marginalized, including Supernatural and Human relations. But his convictions were put to the ultimate test with the onset of war. The conflict forced him to go against his ethical beliefs with the harsh realities of survival, often pushing him to make difficult decisions in the face of adversity. But, he accepts what needs to be done and as always can flow quite easily like the water her commands.

Though perceived as eccentric by some, Ben embraces the underestimation and utilizes it to his advantage. His enduring commitment to justice and preservation of the natural world remains unwavering, even during the chaos of war that he now navigates with his coven. He understands how Nadia's political prowess will see them through this turmoil, but he is always cautious and always has been of one in politics. When is it about the greater good, or simply about power?

[nonsensical-pixels]

pleasantview reborn: the lotharios

i recently realised that i've hit round 4 in my pleasantview reborn save but never actually introduced any of the families... oops! time to remedy that... starting with the iconic lothario family at 165 sim lane!

i use @skittlessims' gc pleasantview sims, so a lot of my sims are going to look very different!

family bio:

The Lotharios are a reclusive, enigmatic bunch. Old money might have given Don and Cassandra a good start to family life, but was it enough to give them a happy marriage? Will Fabio finally crack under the pressure society has placed on him, the eldest heir to the Goth-Lothario fortune? Will Idalia grow up to be a perfectionist gentlelady like her mother, or a sailor of the seven seas? And through all of this, will Nadia get a good shot at a drama-free childhood? Rumours abound of the disagreements going on in the Lothario clan, and none of them are pretty.

Don Lothario

Once upon a time, Don's life was so full of ladies, the only reprieve he got was sleep. Now that he's gotten older and mellowed, though, all he's seeing are the consequences of his own actions. Namely, the many angry ex-lovers he spies whenever he takes his kids grocery shopping.

Cassandra Goth-Lothario

Quiet and mysterious, Cassandra has always been far more sophisticated and intelligent than her years. A doting, if strict, mother to her children, and an enigmatic figure in the science community she's soon to inherit, there is only one thing that Cassandra can't seem to solve: her husband's wandering eye.

Fabio Lothario

Handsome and polite, Fabio grew up in the stifling Goth-Lothario clan, constantly being reminded of his duties as the only Lothario son. He likes beans and would like to start a farm one day, though parental pressure to carry on the Lothario legacy threatens that dream.

Idalia Lothario

The social norms imposed on the Lothario siblings from birth seem to have had no effect on Idalia, the eldest daughter of Pleasantview's most notorious power couple. While as artistic and refined as her mother, and as attractive as her father, she seems to have inherited a penchant for the criminal from some long-lost Goth ancestor.

Nadia Lothario

Shy and nature-loving, Nadia keeps carefully to the Goth tradition of mystery. She has few friends and prefers her mother's plants to parties.

Baxter (Cat)

Baxter’s quite a curious kitty, though not the smartest. His loyalty to his longtime owner, Cassandra Goth, is infamous in Pleasantview.

don's family tree:

cassandra's family tree:

more on the extended goth-lothario family will come when i start playing the next household!