#but honestly it’s just the environment they grew up in too�� like I’m 99% sure my dad has dealt with depression his entire life

[rosicheeks]

Unfortunately relatable. I grew up in the church and have a lot of Christian trauma from that. I show up for special occasions for my parents… sometimes. But it’s uncomfortable from the moment I step through the door. Bigoted pastor, the self-righteousness disguising the prejudice, the political comments from the altar. Shots at young people left right and center as if the hell on earth wasn’t caused by the same older generation 90% of the congregation belongs to..

I miss being young in the choir and the youth groups and not struggling with it. It’s wild to look back at the younger version of me who was unshakeable in his faith and honestly just saddening.

I was texting my sister today about it and she said

“I 100% think ALL of us have a ton of religious trauma and everyone else in the family just doesn’t realize it cause they’re still drinking the kool-aid.”

I ran out of tag room and didn’t want to delete any 😭 seriously not lying I could write a book about all my thoughts and experiences

[sifeng]

Love and Redemption: Some Thoughts and a Comparison with Ashes of Love

So, I’ve been watching Love and Redemption (琉璃) and while there are some visible faults, I also quite like some plot points and characters. So here are some of my thoughts and also, if your an Ashes of Love fan I totally recommend you check this drama out! The themes are similar, the character setups are similar, the worlds are similar too. 

I’ve just finished the 35th episode, and I’ve gotten to a point where a flower creature of sorts has been forced to become Ling Long 2.0. I actually really like this idea because it shows that a lot of people become evil because of the people they are around, not because they are naturally evil, their personality is naturally cruel or anything else of the sort. Ling Long grew up around “orthodox” people that, while also imperfect, weren’t sadistic like Wu Tong. Because of that she became a person that liked to fight for peace and removal of evil from the world. However, when her exact same personality was placed in a different atmosphere without previous memories she became just as sadistic and cruel as the people around her. I think that actually fits super well with the overall theme of this drama, which is that good and bad aren’t black and white. Even a person who is “good” in the subjective sense of that term can just as easily be “evil” if placed in a different growth environment. Honestly I find it so interesting that Ling Long went from A Zhu to A Zi (Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils reference) in like one episode. 

A Comparison

When I first started liking cdramas, one of my first favorites was Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜), but I actually like this drama more. First of all, I think the pacing is better. The beginning of AoL was a little draggy now that I think about it, and Jin Mi only began to really show her feelings for Xu Feng around episode 30 (and it wasn’t even Jin Mi liking Xu Feng it was Saintess liking the King). In comparison, in Love and Redemption, we see from the very start that Xuanji likes Sifeng in a different manner then she likes, for example, Minyan, thus not only making it easier to ship them, but also being able to get to the tragic elements of the story faster. The CGI in Love and Redemption is simply amazing, beats 99% of cdramas honestly. I wish the cinematography was a little better because with this level of CGI, it truly deserves better camerawork. 

Also, I dislike when people call Xuanji stupid, because while in the beginning she is a little dumb, she really isn’t as bad as some other characters out there. She’s like what 20? And she’s never left home or her training place in her life. Why would anyone expect her not to make trouble? Or get in trouble? That’s like teaching how to memorize all the math formulas in the world, but not teaching you how to use them and then blaming you for not being able to apply them. I haven’t gotten to the really tragic part where Xuanji and Sifeng get separated, but so far I like her more than Jin Mi honestly. Xuanji might not be the smartest person, but I love how trustworthy she is of her friends and how high she holds her friendships. Unlike so many of the adults in this series, she actually uses logic to try to understand problems not just problematic and contradictory pieces evidence. Like when Minyan is accused of being betraying their sect, she doesn’t just go “oh there’s ‘evidence’? Then he must be guilty”, she actually thinks about his character and personality and how illogical it would be if he actually betrayed them. 

I also like Sifeng more than Xu Feng. When he was being accused of being a demon, he managed to bring up inarguable pieces of evidence that clearly proved he was not a demon, or at least not a problematic one instead of just going like “you should believe me because I’m so great!” (not that Xu Feng did that, but he did use ethos instead of logos, though, both apparently don’t work if you’re a male lead in a tragic xianxia). The tragedy of his character is done so well honestly. He died for Xuanji in 9 lifetimes. NINE. Please give him a happy ending. (Okay but I really dislike his second hairstyle with the two strings of hair hanging out and also Teng She’s hairstyle. Why can’t they just tuck that piece of hair in? It makes me feel so annoyed for some reason.)

No one likes Hao Chen, and I’m glad. He hates people manipulating Xuanji, but he manipulates her all the time. I do agree that if Xuanji is happy without her six senses, she shouldn’t be forced to search for them, but she isn’t happy and she wants to search for them. So why should anyone who actually likes her try to prevent that? But I actually think his character is written relatively well. As the ruler (or second in command?) of the heavenly realm, he has to put matters in front of romance, though that doesn’t mean he has to manipulate her. I understand why he does what he does and I don’t think his character is as illogical as Wu Tong, but yeah, I definitely don’t agree with what he does. In comparison, Run Yu is truly quite likable. He does try to keep Jin Mi to himself instead of letting her be happy, but overall his story is written really well and evokes our sympathy.

Oh and when it comes to friendships I also prefer the ones in Love and Redemption. First of all, it’s not just Xuanji and Sifeng who are cute together, I like that Sifeng is friends with Ling Long and Minyan as well, and they also become friends with Yanran (or Xiao Yinhua) and Ruoyu as well (though they could’ve avoided some tragedy if they hadn’t befriended him). I don’t know why, but I’m really excited to see what tragedy our OTP goes through later on, because I’ve seen the gifsets on Tumblr and boy am I excited for some tragedy!

But one thing that is better about AoL is definitely the acting. I think Cheng Yi and Yuan Bingyan did pretty good here, especially Cheng Yi, but Yang Zi, Deng Lun and Luo Yunxi (especially Yang Zi and Luo Yunxi) are more experienced and thus obviously better, especially when it comes to really emotional scenes. 

FInal Thoughts

One problem I have with Love and Redemption, at least so far, is that the evil demons have no motivations to be as evil as they are. I’m pretty sure I’ll get a reason, but so far I have to say that they aren’t really well done characters in that sense. Especially Wu Tong. Like this guy has no backstory whatsoever, but is extremely cruel and sadistic from the first second we meet him. Maybe he’s like really just insane or something, but his whole “sympathy story” for why he joined the demons makes zero sense. He wanted to murder someone because him cheating gets revealed and then gets mad that the father of the person he tried to kill wants to get revenge. His story also contains two (as of so far) unexplained plot holes: 1. why every single sect decided to chase after him and 2. why he managed to escape death despite a bunch of skilled martial artists running after him for like a really long time. 

Lastly, I like the fact that the orthodox people aren’t exactly��“evil” but their goodness is what makes them annoying. They don’t mean harm when they tried to test if Sifeng was a demon or if Minyan is a betrayer, they truly are thinking for the overall good, but their constant paranoia and need to do “what is right” and not “what makes sense” is truly what makes them unbearable. They sometimes throw away all logic for love, or sacrifice their own daughter in order to “do what’s right” instead of actually thinking of a method to not only save the daughter and keep the world at peace. It’s because of their goodness that they are able to be manipulated into idiocracy by Li Ze Palace. 

Oh and one last thought. I don’t know if it’s on purpose, but the lack of people in the heavenly realm is really interesting. Like, maybe the producers didn’t have enough money, or shots of the heavenly realm with more than like ten people (not in war) don’t exist in the book either, but it creates the image that the realm is super empty. The human realm, despite all its faults and cruelties, feels so much more alive and full of life in comparison to the boring and cold looking heavenly realm. 

[remuhslupn]

smiling while your heart is bleeding, muffled laughs in a seemingly empty corridor, setting yourself on fire to keep your friends warm, half-healed scars reopened with another wound, tears bleeding down an angel statue.

if you’re looking for REMUS LUPIN, you’ll probably find HIM in the GRYFFINDOR dorm with the rest of the SEVENTH years. they’re the TWENTY year old HALFBLOOD who looks kind of like FROY GUTIERREZ. they seem LOGICAL, PROTECTIVE & FAIR to me, but apparently they’re also DESTRUCTIVE, FAITHLESS & VOLATILE. maybe that’s why their patronus is A WOLF.

links: stats, pinterest triggers: alcoholism, child neglect, emotional manipulation/abuse, domestic abuse

                                                                                                                     BACKGROUND

remus was born to lyall ( a pureblood ) and hope ( a muggle ) lupin on january 22nd. lyall worked at the ministry within the department for the regulation and control of magical creatures and hope was a stay-at-home mum, spending all her time looking after little remus.

for the first five years of his life, remus had a relatively calm childhood — his parents loved and doted on him, he was truly the apple of their eye, and to them, he could do no wrong. hope loved to teach him how to cook, especially baked goods, and lyall would often take remus to the ministry where the little boy would stare wide-eyed at all the inner-workings of the magical world. they were a tight-knit, loving family…  all until fenrir greyback got involved.

in late 1963, fenrir greyback was brought in for questioning after the death of two muggles at the hands of a werewolf. due to the ministry’s complete incompetence, they had no record of greyback being a werewolf, and therefore fell for his whole ‘i’m a muggle thing’. lyall, of course, wasn’t having it, and after trying to convince the committee in control of the case that he was sure greyback was a werewolf ( to no avail ) lost his temper and called all werewolves ‘soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death’.

fenrir, having been in the room at the time, grew furious, and after escaping from the ministry’s hands decided to exact his revenge. thus on january 17th, 1964, fenrir broke into the lupin household and bit little remus lupin, turning him into a werewolf.

the family immediately started to spiral. lyall threw himself into his work, trying absolutely everything he could to find a cure for lycanthropy. hope grew distant from her son, too afraid to even touch him for fear of what he might do. at only five years of age, remus of course didn’t understand what all the fuss was even about, he couldn’t possibly fathom what had thrown his family into such chaos — that is, of course, until his first transition. 

remus will always remember the first time he turned. pain doesn’t even begin to describe it. it was as if every cell in his body had been cut into a million pieces and then set on fire and he was expected to deal with the pain all on his own. 

[ CHILD NEGLECT TW with no cure feasibly in sight, lyall and hope had locked remus away in the basement for three days starting from the day of the full moon, unsure how the lycanthropy would present itself. at first, remus protested, scared and alone while he suffered through the worst pain of his life, but as the scratch marks began to show themselves on the wood of the room, he started to think ill of even himself and even encouraged his parents to lock him away. END TW ]

despite lyall and hope insisting that they would always love their little boy and they would always love each other, the curse began to take its toll on everyone.

with lyall spending 20 hours a day at the ministry to try and find a cure, hope grew restless and even more terrified of her own son, insisting that they move any time someone inquired about the noises coming from their basement. as a muggle, she had always found it hard to adjust to a wizarding lifestyle, but having a werewolf for a son proved to be too much and so shortly after remus turned nine, hope ran away without so much as a trace. 

[ CHILD NEGLECT, ALCOHOLISM TW although it was clear that lyall had fallen out of love with both his wife and his son during the four years he’d thrown himself into his work, the disappearance of hope was still a massive shock for him. lyall positively hated that he would now have to raise a werewolf all on his own, and now having given up trying to find a cure for lycanthropy, turned his emotions towards the liquor cabinet. 

at just nine years of age, remus had no friends, no mother, an alcoholic father and still he had to deal with a transition every single month — i guess you can say that he wasn’t doing too great. END TW ]

[ EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION TW for as long as he can remember, however, remus has never blamed his parents for hating him — especially his father. even when lyall would throw bottles and yell nasty things at his very own son, remus would always just bite his tongue and accept that he deserved it. after all, his parents had never asked for a werewolf son. END TW ] and so he always tried his absolute best to please his father, which is why he worked hard at just eleven years of age with headmaster dumbledore to ensure that he would have a safe space at hogwarts to make his father proud.

honestly, lyall didn’t even care about the education his son was going to get — he just wanted some time alone to not have to deal with a werewolf every four weeks.  

first starting at hogwarts, remus found it incredibly difficult to find his place. he’d been sorted into gryffindor in no time, but he couldn’t really understand how it was he could belong with these confident, rambunctious students. he’d always thought himself to be a shy, quiet kid — turns out he just hadn’t met the right people. for as soon as he’d been bunked with james, sirius and peter, the real remus started to show itself.

with no one trying to run away from him or curse him with nasty names, remus found a certain level of confidence within the school walls. he was intelligent, popular, and frankly fun and the fact that he had to disappear for a few days every month ( ‘my father’s sick again’ ) never stopped him from making friends. 

the only thing that mattered was that they couldn’t know about that part of him — because if they knew, then they would have to be burdened with it, and there was no possible way remus could handle another person hating him like his father did.

after forming a bond with the boys closer than he had ever felt, it was really just a matter of time before they noticed the pattern in remus’ disappearances and in his behaviour — and when they confronted him in their second year with their correct assumption, remus was positively terrified. he tried to convince them that he would stay away, that he didn’t mean any harm, that he was sorry they knew, but instead of being disgusted, the boys were accepting, and after getting over the initial shock of having someone who still loved him as a werewolf, he grew to be grateful for having someone by his side through it all.

of course, he’s still absolutely terrified to this day that one day they’ll change their minds and leave just as his mother did, and so still every full moon he tries to convince them that they don’t have to come, but they have showed no signs of wavering and just wow he loves his boys.

[ EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION TW after sirius escaped from home in their sixth year, there was a lot of weight put onto remus’ shoulders about whether he would leave his own home, too. his friends knew that it wasn’t a safe environment for him to be in, but after years of lyall twisting with his emotions, remus felt a sick bond to his father and couldn’t possibly see why he should leave. he wanted his father to be proud of him, to be happy, and he tried every summer to make this work — and perhaps it never would. but that didn’t matter to remus. because frankly, he couldn’t see that. END TW ]

                                                                                                                       PERSONALITY

remus would do literally anything for his friends. they are his family, they are his lifeline, and they are a big part of who he is today. his loyalty and protective nature is unwavering, and he’s often been labelled the Dad of his group for this.

despite the fact that so many people have proven him wrong, remus has little faith in people’s humanity. first, there had to be someone who did this to him. second, there were people in the ministry who treated his father like trash for what his son had been cursed with. third, he sees the mistreatment of muggles and muggleborns every day and he just has to ask why. it takes a lot for one to prove themselves to remus, simply because he is of little faith.

he channels a lot of his self-loathing and destructive thoughts into humour and sarcasm. he loves dry humour and he loves pranks, and you can rest assured that he is the mastermind behind 99% of the marauders shenanigans. he’s seriously the epitome of that when life gives you lemons vine guy, like just that ‘depressed teens’ humour is just… so him.

[bbbellamyyy]

NAME: Daisy ( though for about the last year people have taken to calling me mom, which makes me feel old sos )

TIMEZONE: Eastern

PREFERRED PRONOUNS: she/her

WHO DID YOU APPLY FOR? OR ARE THINKING OF APPLYING FOR?: I’ve currently applied for two losers - Andromeda Jaymes Manet, the Charlotte Best fc, and Carlos Álvarez, the Manny Montana fc! I’ll drop some facts about them below, and I’ll try to keep it short and sweet but I make no promises! You can also send any questions you have my way, because I’m sure I’ll miss important details here and there. Also there’s a little bit of additional info HERE - some is covered here but I’m awful and too lazy to move all of it over. I’m also considering a third, but I’m not really sure on a fc or most details quite yet, so I’ll update this if I get things ironed out. I think I want a soft, not totally broken yet, but easily breakable kinda kid.

Andromeda Jaymes Manet - Typically introduces herself as Andi or Jaymes unless she’s in a more professional environment. If you refer to her as a Reiss ( the surname she was born with, came from her step-father, legally changed it at 18 ) the best case scenario is she ignores you. She grew up in the swamp having no idea that her biological dad was wealthy. Struggled with drug abuse - she got clean but is currently struggling with staying that way. She had a twin brother, he died around six/seven years ago. She’s got a total of five living siblings, and out of all of them she only gets along with her eldest brother ( who will eventually be a wanted connection ) - the others can go to hell as far as she’s concerned ( they may also end up being wanted connections but I’m not 100% certain yet so?? ). She runs her own store selling crystals, herbal remedies, tarot cards, and the like - she and an employee will also do tarot and palm reading if specifically asked about it. Has a pastel calico cat named Persephone and a catahoula pup named Phoenix that is 100% convinced he’s a cat. Currently renting a three bedroom house with a friend, they’re looking for a third roommate.

Carlos Álvarez - Has two teenage daughters - Viviana is 14 going on 15 and Giovanna just turned 18 on December 24th - that are his entire world. None of them really talk about their lives prior to two weeks ago when they moved to NOLA, but the general consensus is that as far as the three of them are concerned the girls’ mom is dead ( except she’s not and that’s definitely something that’ll come back to fuck shit up in Carlos’ life oops ). He sometimes forgets to respond to his own name, namely because he went by an alias 99% of the time before moving here and he still hasn’t adjusted to his real name again. People with knowledge of organized crime might’ve heard of his handiwork, though they wouldn’t be able to tie the two together unless they saw him in person as he went by that alias I just mentioned. He’s currently looking for work but it’s been a bit difficult due to his past work experience being less than legal.

GIVE US THREE HEADCANONS ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER(s). CAN BE ANYTHING!: 

1.) Jaymes will literally answer to any variation of her name you can come up with - Andi, Jay, AJ, Andi Jay, Andromeda, Jaymes, etc. 2.) She has a total of four tattoos currently, though most people will only ever see three of them. 3.) When she was little, Jaymes wanted to live in a cemetery when she grew up - honestly she probably still would jump at the chance to do so.

1.) Carlos is a master at braiding ( and just styling in general ) hair - raising his daughters mostly on his own meant learning how to keep their hair under control, and he finds it rather entertaining and relaxing. 2.) He swears up and down he can’t dance, will even go out of his way to act like he’s awful. Catch him with his daughters in the kitchen, though, and you’ll see that he’s a a big ol’ liar. 3.) He’s the type of person that’ll be there if you need him, even if he hates you. Getting hit on by some creep? He’s got you. Stalker issues? He’ll take care of it. Three-year-old managed to get her favorite toy stuck in the sink drain and you can’t get a plumber to show up for at least two days? Just give him a call. 

WHAT SORT OF PLOTS ARE YOU HOPING TO DO?: Okay so this is already a relatively long post, so instead of typing them out here I’ll drop this LINK with a handful of plot ideas I have for each of these nerds.

DID YOUR CHARACTER HAVE ANY RELATION TO ELIZABETH?: Carlos didn’t even know who she was until the news about her death. Jaymes, on the other hand, was friends with Elizabeth via the party/club crowd - news of the older woman’s death upset her, but she’s not quite sure she buys into the Corinthos family being behind it.

WHO DO YOU THINK KILLED ELIZABETH? DO YOU HAVE ANY THEORIES?: It was obviously Colonel Mustard in the dressing room with the lead pipe - duh!!  .........Honestly I have no real ideas at this point??? A jealous lover? A drug dealer she pissed off? Someone that knew about her hobbies and didn’t want the wedding to tie the families together? Some little old lady that got confused and thought she was a monster? Who knows at this point...

[tenroseforeverandever]

Dear Father Christmas... Chapter 12: December 24, 2027

MASTERPOST

Characters:  Tentoo; Rose Tyler; Jackie Tyler; Pete Tyler; Tony Tyler; OC Hope Tyler-Noble; OC Charlotte Tyler-Noble; OC Wilfred Tyler-Noble

Rated: Teen

Tags: Family!Fic; Kid!Fic; Pete’s World; Letters to Santa; Christmas Fic; Family; Fluff; Hurt/Comfort; Angst; Romance; Love; gun violence; violence resulting in death; life-threatening injury; life threatening situations

Summary: When Rose Tyler was little, she always wrote a Christmas wish list to Father Christmas. As she grew older, the wish list became more of a letter to someone she could confide in once a year, but she fell out of the habit somewhere along the way. Now, as a new mum, celebrating her daughter’s first Christmas, Rose takes up writing her Christmas letter to Father Christmas once again.

Rose’s Christmas letters are excerpts from her life with her beloved Tentoo and their children in Pete’s World, written once a year, for each of 31 years.

Chapter Summary: When Charlie makes a new friend, it opens her eyes up to the world around her, and her life is changed forever.

Notes: This was a long one, and along with a bloody awful cold, set me back from my schedule by a few days. I’m trying to make it up and get ahead again, but I fear the time is nigh when I will not be able to post on schedule.

 @rose–nebula and mrsbertucci deserve all the hugs. Thanks so much for all your support, ladies.

Thanks to @doctorroseprompts for their 31 Days of Ficmas prompts. A reminder that I am using the prompts very much out of order, but I intend to use them all. The prompt I used today was Feast.

Also read at: AO3; FF.net; Teaspoon

December 24th, 2027

Dear Father Christmas,

I am always proud of my children. I’m their mum. It’s only natural. But this year my pride for Charlie is absolutely overflowing, above and beyond the pride that normally comes from being a parent. It has nothing to do with her intelligence, but everything to do with her compassion and her determination. This year, I am just so proud to know this wonderful little person, a glowing example of the best that humanity has to offer.

This year marked the twentieth anniversary of the formation of the People’s Republic and the dismantling of the Army Blockades and curfews imposed on the poorest parts of London and other major centres around Britain. I have to say, despite the Doctor’s misgivings, from what I could see, Harriet Jones was truly the people’s president. In her three consecutive terms in office, she made huge strides to create jobs and educational opportunities for so many people who had been controlled and subjugated for years, all the while driving the economy to new highs, and making a huge impact in combating the damage to the environment caused by cross-dimensional travel.

It was the Golden Age of Britain.

But it wasn’t perfect. Many people had still slipped through the cracks, and without Harriet Jones’ leadership in the years following her retirement, conditions worsened again, and people without proper means of support found themselves forced to live in the sector of the city that had once been behind the barricades. It was the only place they could hope to find a home they could afford. Many couldn’t afford even that, and subsisted however and wherever they could.

Enough of the history lesson, though. The point is there are many thousands of people in the London area who are living in poverty, and it is far too easy to turn a blind eye to things you don’t want to believe.

Fortunately, my little Charlie, nine years old, refuses to turn a blind eye. I think I’ve mentioned before that she’s my little activist. She’s the shit-disturber. If she has latched onto the idea that she wants something to get done, don’t stand in her road, because she’s coming through. This Christmas season, with the very enthusiastic aid of her brother and sister, she disturbed a whole lot of shit, and made a difference in the lives of an awful lot of people.

This story starts about three months back. Charlie wasn’t feeling very well, and we kept her back from school. But the Doctor decided to take her in to work with him for a quiet day of tinkering on some new gadgets from Torchwood’s as yet unsorted collection of alien artifacts. I was going to concentrate on my course work from home.

It was a warm autumn day, and Charlie claimed she was feeling (miraculously!) quite a bit better, so the Doctor took her to have lunch on the benches along the pavement by the river. I had sent her packed lunch for school with her. She was not at all happy. Apparently, she hated chicken salad sandwiches (news to me: they were her favourites the week prior.) She flew into a tantrum and made to throw her sandwich away. Clearly she still wasn’t feeling quite like herself, because as fierce as she is, she would normally never lose control of her temper like that.

The Doctor told me he’d been shouting at her to stop (not his most brilliant parenting moment, he admitted), and she was determinedly poised to throw the sandwich in the rubbish bin, when a small, stammering voice spoke up from behind the next bench: “Please… may I have it? That is, if you really don’t want it.”

Charlie had gone silent and just stared at the ragged little soul who belonged to the voice: a boy, dressed in filthy, tattered clothes, around Hope’s age, according to the Doctor. Wide-eyed, she’d passed him the sandwich, and introduced herself and her dad, and invited the lad to sit with them. Over the course of the following forty-five minutes, Hope had dragged his name out of him (Therin Thomson), given him her water (which he gulped down), and her apple (which he tucked into one of his grimy pockets for later.)

The Doctor had jogged away down the boardwalk to get the children 99s, and by the time he returned, Charlie was letting Therin have a go at flying one of her little drones. She’s always creating brilliant little gadgets from bits and bobs, and her favourites are the remote control drones. There’s always one tucked in her pocket, ready to play with. They were laughing their hearts out and chatting away like they’d been friends forever, as the drone swooped out over the Thames.

The Doctor had returned to work, and left them to play, but Charlie had come up to the lab about an hour later saying Therin had had to go, but she’d given him the drone. On the way home she peppered the Doctor with questions and comments: Do you think I’ll ever see him again? I wish we could have bought him supper. Where do you think he lives? Why is he so hungry and dressed in those awful clothes?

The following day, sometime after lunch, I got a call from her school to tell us she hadn’t been present when the teacher had called the register, and couldn’t be located on school grounds. They even admitted that she may not have been in class for some time. The students had been doing group work away from their desks so her presence and/or absence had been overlooked in the chaotic classroom.

Now, when I was young, I was notorious for skiving off, especially in secondary school (there’s a long story about me, my mate Shareen, and a school trip to France... But that’s another story for another time.) Now, secondary school is one thing, but it’s really difficult to get away with skiving off in Primary, as the teachers at that level are vigilant about the safety of the children. Needless to say, I was harbouring a rather grudging admiration for Charlie in that moment, even as I was fighting down the sheer panic. She wasn’t even nine years old yet, and here she was lost in the world, but it appeared she had done it with style!

The Doctor had called me before I’d even had a chance to dial his number. He’d sensed my emotional state, even though we were separated by quite a distance. I must have been broadcasting rather intensely through our bond. He said he would be home straight away. Meanwhile, Hope (who had been working on her Uni coursework in her room) checked the TARDIS and I started a search around the neighborhood on foot.

It was only five minutes later when the Doctor called me back. He’d found her. He’d been pacing in front of the lift doors, impatiently waiting for them to reach his floor when he’d glanced out the window. It overlooked the spot where he, Charlie, and Therin had had lunch the previous day. He’d looked down at the benches, and sure enough, there she was, sitting with her friend, playing with another couple of her drones.

Santa, I can’t begin to describe the relief I felt. Honestly, as much as I wanted to wring her neck, I really just wanted to see her face and hold her close to my heart. The Doctor had bypassed the hugging, and gone straight to the neck-wringing (well not actual neck-wringing, but you get the picture. He was furious!) Of course Charlie had stood up to him, tough little customer that she is, and Therin had run off, no doubt terrified of being caught in the middle of not one but two Oncoming Storms. The Doctor had eventually managed to stuff Charlie in the back of the car and haul her home.

When she got here, she wasn’t in any mood for being held “close to my heart”, but she did flop down on the sofa at my insistence. I perched on the coffee table in front of her, while the Doctor paced angrily, back and forth, in front of the fireplace. I began by asking her if she wanted to tell us what had happened.

But does she answer? Nope! Not her. Instead, she narrows her eyes, and shoots daggers at her pacing father, and says, “Does he really have to do that?”

I’m opening my mouth to explain that it helped him to think, when I’m cut off by what I can best describe as an explosion of anger from the Doctor. It flared across our bond, and I all I could do was watch as he lunged at Charlie, eyes blazing, and a lot of accusations about thoughtlessness, stupidity, and a few others flying from his mouth. I’ve rarely ever seen him so angry and frightened.

Charlie looked really shocked and a bit scared for just for a second, but then her face hardened again. She had the nerve to just stare him down and wait for his tirade to finish. Then she says: “Well, I guess we’re done here,” and gets up and walks toward the stairs.

Well, the Doctor flew completely off the trolley, and I did all I could over our bond to soothe him, but I was keeping one eye firmly on Charlie. I could feel my grudging admiration for her surfacing again, but I couldn’t let her leave on her own terms like that. I knew from personal experience the rift that can cause. When I left school (and home) to live with Jimmy Stone, my mum had been livid, and the row we had was monumental, but in the end she had just thrown her arms in the air and let me leave. At the time, I felt like I’d won the battle, but it was months before we even saw each other again, and then only because I realized I had actually won nothing and lost so much. Fortunately I was able to swallow my pride and admit I’d been wrong, that I needed her. But it could have gone so differently. I was sixteen at the time, and was able to rationalize and make a mature decision. Charlie is still so young. She needs us to make sure her boundaries are firmly set until she’s old enough to set her own... responsibly. And right now she couldn’t let her walk away.

Over our bond, I shouted at the Doctor to stop. He was absolutely seething, but he backed off. I called Charlie back, and she ignored me. “Now!” (Loud, firm, but not shouting. I had this.) “You have until I get to three.” And then I started counting. (I don’t know why counting works, but in ninety-nine percent of cases it does… mysterious but effective.) It worked this time, although Charlie waited a few seconds after I got to three before she sat herself back on the sofa. (Fine, I’d let her take that little bit of control if it made her feel better.)

She still refused to speak to us about her panic-inducing excursion, and I eventually told her she was grounded until further notice. She would stay in her room. She could read or study, but she was not to tinker or play or watch telly. The Doctor agreed to keep an eye on the websites she visited when she was studying online. She would eat with the family, and go to school where she would be watched like a hawk. Lunches and breaks would be spent at the school office. And above all, I let her know me and her dad were always there to talk to when she was ready.

It took a few days, and we didn’t push her, just kept reminding her we were there to listen, but she eventually opened up. Me and the Doctor were watching telly, and suddenly there was Charlie, scrambling over the back of the sofa to plop down between us. We all just snuggled for a few minutes, the two of us pressing kisses to the top of her head.

“Sorry I scared you…”

The Doctor apologized too for reacting the way he did and for saying the things he had.

“I know, Daddy. You told me two days ago!”

“Weeeell, it bears repeating.” He was tugging on his ear and I received his mental eye roll over our bond.

We share another special parental telepathic bond with our children, that we only ever open when both parties consent. It is activated through touch, and by mutual agreement, the Doctor and I each took one of Charlie’s hands, offering to share our thoughts with her. She bit her lip and nodded, squeezing each of our hands in return. We spent an hour or so sharing our love for one another, and Charlie finally told us what had happened.

She had been really worried about her new friend, Therin. He was homeless. His father had abandoned him and his mum when he was still a baby. He had grown up on the Powell Estate, of all places, but in this universe, it was little more than a high-rise slum. It jarred me to hear that. The Prime Universe’s version of the Estates hadn’t exactly been luxury accommodations, far from it, but they had kept us warm and dry, and there was a sense of community among the tenants. We struggled to make ends meet sometimes, but we got by. I knew Peckham, in this version of London, was one of the poorest parts of town, a part that had previously been deep behind the blockades, but I hadn’t realized conditions there had been so dire.

Therin’s mum had died a few years back. The flu, he thought. She had never received any medical attention. Since that time, Therin had been on his own. He begged for food. Being young, he mostly did pretty well for himself. People were more apt to be kind to a cute kid. He’d never gone to school that Charlie knew of. But his mum had taught him to read and write and do some basic math. And she’d taught him to play the guitar. Music was his passion, but his guitar had been stolen last year by some thugs, and he hasn't played since.

The three of us sat there on the sofa sobbing. “I just wanted to be his friend, and give him some food so he didn’t have to beg,” Charlie explained. “So I borrowed your Oyster card, Mum, and took the bus into town, and then the tube to the Torchwood stop.”

Both me and the Doctor heaved a sigh, a quiet plea that we find the patience to deal with our middle child. It was difficult to keep our cool and not reprimand her again for her rash actions. But given the circumstances, we knew we would have done the same thing in her shoes. She was our daughter; there was no doubt about it.

Our curiosity was piqued, though, and we spent the rest of the day researching the history of the areas that had been segregated behind the army blockades. Hope joined us, and Wilfred when he came in from football practice. Apparently while Harriet Jones had been in office, the previously blockaded districts had been listed for redevelopment and refurbishment, to be conducted one area at a time. New housing was planned and built, new communities created complete with businesses and schools. Training programs were set up to prepare residents to live independently in the state-provided homes. There were medical and dental clinics, shops and restaurants, salons and garages, banks and police stations. Big businesses were given incentives to move into the area to provide employment. Vitex, Pete’s company, it turned out was one of those businesses, having built a warehouse in one community, and a production plant in another. It was a monumental undertaking, unlike anything ever seen before.

But when Harriet Jones retired, most of the outstanding redevelopments had been put on hold or cancelled outright. The communities that had been converted were thriving as well as any other London community. But the ones that had been shifted to the back-burner, including Peckham, had only worsened over time. Now, they were, simply put, slums: third-world living conditions right smack in the heart of London.

“But why would they stop?” Wilfred asked about the government pulling funding from the project.

The Doctor explained how it all came down to money in the end, and the lack of will to make sure everything happened properly. Harriet Jones had been someone who was very good at making things happen; she was good at motivating people and making sure people stayed on task. She was also very clever about ensuring that, in the end, all of the redevelopment was profitable. She ensured no one took advantage and was an enthusiastic fundraiser. And she made sure she knew everyone and everyone knew who she was; that helped keep everyone accountable.

I explained that the worst part of it was that the government must be fully aware of the conditions in the un-redeveloped areas and were not only turning a blind eye, but also sweeping it under the rug.

We decided a visit to Peckham was warranted. We would take the TARDIS.

When we stepped out onto the courtyard at the Powell Estate, I nearly broke down in tears. The Doctor held me in his arms for a full five minutes before I could bear to look around again. It looked like a war zone. Not only were most of the flats completely exposed to the elements with missing doors and windows, but the buildings themselves looked structurally unsound. There were no safe dwellings. Any residents living there should be considered homeless, as far as I could tell.

We began to attract some attention. Hungry, poverty-stricken souls, peering out from behind crumbling walls; the more aggressive gangs challenged us, but one look from the Oncoming Storm sent them scattering. We had come prepared with loads of food, and spent much of the afternoon handing it out to the ragtag families and individuals who approached us once the gangs had backed down.

My heart leaped into my throat at one point when I saw Charlie speaking to one of the gang members, a heap of sandwiches in her arms. “You know,” she pointed out to the one who was clearly the leader (he was certainly the most dangerous looking), “if you would help people instead of threatening them, everyone would be happier, even you.” She glared up at him, challenging him. If her arms hadn’t been full of sandwiches she probably would have poked him in the chest, even though he towered over her. I could see him softening around the edges, just a little at the sight of the feisty little girl in front of him.

“So are you going to give me those sandwiches, or not?” he growled at her.

She stood up to him. My God, Santa! She was so impressive. She told him he and his friends would have to earn those sandwiches. She told him she figured he knew where everyone lived, and enlisted him to make sure all of the elderly residents had something to eat. She handed him all the sandwiches, telling him there were more and that he could have one when his job was done. She handed a bundle of them to each of the other gang members, shooing them off to do their jobs.

“If you help people,” she called after them, “and treat others with respect, you can get things done, because everyone is working toward a common goal.”

I couldn’t hold back a chuckle at my little force of nature, but I admit I spent the bulk of the day trying to hold back the tears.

Charlie came to my side and took my hand. “Don’t worry, Mummy. I’ll fix this. I’ll make it all better. Promise.”

--ooOoo--

Today, three months later, she is well on her way to making good on that promise.

We took her out of school, permanently, nearly two years earlier than planned. There are many other ways to get an education and to learn about the world, than from behind the walls of a classroom. We took Wilfred out too, it was only fair. And Charlie took full advantage of every moment she was given to work on her project, and her brother and sister were right there to help her out in any way they could.  

She spoke to many people, starting with her Grandad, who had a great deal of pull with a lot of people in important positions, and a ton of knowledge about managing a big organization. She spoke to her Gran about her charity, the Big Yellow Truck. She spoke to Harriet Jones, who had retired to her home in her original constituency, Flydale North, and while she knew her redevelopment scheme had been essentially scuppered, she had been unaware that the people living in the underprivileged areas had been reduced to such a deplorable state. She hopped back on board in an instant, coming out of retirement to work with Charlie (and not asking for a cent in return) and speaking with her at length about the whos, whys, and wherefors of what would be involved in kick-starting her endeavour. With Harriet’s help, Charlie developed a long-term plan and spoke with many government officials, working hard to get their support. It was tough on that little girl, and there were more setbacks than there were payoffs, but I have to give her credit where credit is due, she never talked about throwing in the towel, not once.

The first step of her plan was to start her own charitable organization, but by law, she was far too young for such a venture. So me and the Doctor stepped up and became co-founders and chairs of Hand in Hand, although our titles were in name only. We knew who was really in charge: Charlotte Tyler-Noble.

She planned to start small, organizing events to bring knowledge of the plight of the homeless people of London to the rest of the world. Her first event was a Festive Feast on Christmas day. Her vision was to bring together the people and businesses of London to provide food and fun for all the underprivileged souls in the slums of Peckham and the other areas awaiting redevelopment. She needed to hire event managers, accountants, and lot of other people, but Harriet Jones was more than happy to help out with that.

Charlie also enlisted her Grandad to speak on her behalf to big business owners to donate what they could to the event. Vitex was, of course, the leading sponsor of the event. Large grocery chains offered to supply literally tons of food in exchange for advertising. She and her siblings pounded the pavement, knocking on doors and talking with restaurant owners, convincing them to donate their time and resources to prepare a Christmas dinner, the scale of which had never before been seen. A kitchen supply company donated huge industrial ovens to be set up in a disused warehouse we had sourced as the location for the event.

And she got a lot of press. The granddaughter of the Vitex President taking on a project of this scale was big news, very big news, and she used it to her advantage, getting her message out to world. Unfortunately, it also meant the paparazzi were out in their droves. I don’t think we’d ever been subjected to such intense scrutiny before. It was a huge challenge just trying to go about our daily business. We were fortunate our little blue house was quite remote, but I admit, we used the TARDIS to get around rather a lot, and she was very clever at disguising herself, having a perfectly functioning Chameleon Circuit.

The press had a field day when several big name recording artists offered to attend the event. There was no venue where they could put on a concert, but they offered to busk, singing popular songs and Christmas music throughout the day.

Everything has come together beautifully and Charlie’s been over the moon for the last few days, so excited she’s been unable to sleep or eat. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.

Oh my god, Santa, I don’t think I told you what happened with Therin Thomson. I just got so carried away telling you about Hand in Hand and Charlie’s Festive Feast, I completely forgot. Not that he’s forgettable. He’s been there with Charlie every step of the way. Therin showed up to see us that day we first went to visit Peckham, and (with the gang members) helped get sandwiches to all the people who were unable come to us. But when we were making to leave at the end of the afternoon, and I saw him hugging Charlie, I couldn’t just leave him behind in that destitute place.

“You can’t save them all, Rose,” the Doctor warned me.

“No, but I can save this one,” I told him. “We can work on the others later.”

So Therin came home with us for a few nights, but our house is small, and we are always taking off and travelling in the TARDIS on educational expeditions, and as much as we loved the young man, we didn’t feel we were able to give him the stability he needed at this point in his life.

Enter Jackie and Pete Tyler, empty-nesters with a whole lot of love to offer. Mum took him under her wing, and she and Dad happily became his legal guardians.

Mum allowed him to remain out of school until after the winter break so he could help Charlie with Hand in Hand. Earlier today, he was listening to Charlie’s rehearsal of her big speech. She is opening the event tomorrow in front of hundreds of reporters and cameras.

I was walking by her room just as she was practising, and I admit, I did a little eavesdropping. When I came by she was talking about how she learned from her mum and dad “…that the thing you need most to get across the universe is a hand to hold. And I challenge everyone to extend their hands to help bring hope to those in need. If everyone lends a hand, and works together, we can change the world…”

The Doctor slipped up behind me, kissing me behind the ear and accused me of spying on our daughter. I just told him how proud I was of her, of everything she’d accomplished; how strong and compassionate and determined she was, never letting anything stand in her way.

The Doctor just laughed. “Remind you of anyone, love?” he asked. “You realize, of course, she gets all of that from you.”

Santa, I have never received a lovelier compliment in my life.

A very happy Christmas to you and Mrs. Claus, and the elves and reindeer, too. I hope you have a hand to hold to help you get safely around the world tonight.

love, Rose

[not-that-joker]

4 12 13 16 26 27 32 57 68 74 82 92 95 99

4. Last time i cried and why:

A few days ago, I had a nightmare about that time when we were preparing to fight Shido’s Shadow…particularly, that a really, really stupid plan I had succeeded and I had to see the aftermath.

I don’t want to go into too much detail about it though. I mean, I want to talk about what I tried to do, I want to vent about how stupid I was, but it hits so many “lover’s tragedy” tropes that at the same time I really don’t want to talk about it publicly, because someone’s going to romanticize it and…it wasn’t romantic. It was miserable, it could have destroyed my friends and family, it was just…I’d say it was hell, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Hell and it doesn’t even hold a candle to that.

12. Ideas of a perfect date:

Honestly, I’ve never had any specific ideas of what that would be like. General little things, though…it couldn’t be anything too serious. I’d rather go out to a casual place or stay around at home than go to a fancy restaurant where we’d have to worry about stifling ourselves in the name of “atmosphere” - or if we did go to a fancy place for the food, I’d want to follow it up with goofing off at home. Basically, the one requirement is it has to be personal and natural - it should be about how we react to each other; not our environment, and not strangers around us.

Maybe a nice day at the park when nearly no one else is there, or eating at the diner late at night, before going home to watch old movies.

13. Life goal:

Primary life goal at this point is to not end up hopelessly bored upon comparing my future to what I’ve already been through. I don’t really know how I want to pull that off. Maybe I’ll try to become an actor? Or maybe I’ll go into science or engineering. Definitely something that involves a lot of field work if I go that route.

16. Favorite movie:

It’s always these questions that stump me. I have no idea.

26. What’s one thing you regret?

I have no idea. I kind of wish Futaba hadn’t been the one to take down the fake Medjed site, because that would have tipped us off that something was wrong way before we figured it out, but for one, I had no real control over that; it’s not really mine to regret, and two, it wouldn’t have really changed anything. I wish we could have gotten away with not picking Okumura as a target, at least not when we did, but it’s not like we had any other options - between what I thought would be no worse than making it look like we were open to manipulation, and letting Haru get sold off? Even now I don’t know that I would have done anything different - besides maybe defend Old Man Okumura’s Shadow, if I could. 

I spend a lot of time thinking about what would have been different if I’d answered Goro’s calls when he thought I was dead. Sometimes I wish I did. But what if Shido had found out? I could have saved Goro a lot of pain…or I could have just made everything a thousand times worse for both of us. 

I don’t know. There’s a lot I wish had happened differently, but…I don’t know what I would have changed to make it happen.

27. First celebrity you think of when someone says attractive:

Does Goro still count?

32. Have you ever painted your room?

I helped my parents repaint my room once when I was 9, does that count?

I’ve been kind of wanting to redo it for a while though. I got the idea in my head that it would be really fun to do abstract splatter patterns by clearing out all my stuff, putting a dropcloth down on the floor, and just having a big paint fight with some friends. I just might actually end up doing it if anyone else is down for it, once I pick out a color scheme.

57. Have you ever played dress up?

I always kinda wanted to when I was a kid but never got to. I mean, my dad loves fashion and dressing up and all, but…we both worried about what would happen if the social worker saw kid-sized dresses in the house. The circumstances around how I grew up were…complicated, and we were always nervous about someone thinking I was being “corrupted” and taking me away…we had enough of a scare when someone found one of his and my other dad had to pass it off as having belonged to my mom and having sentimental value. I don’t think we’d have been able to do that with one in my size.

But I finally got to live it out for the first time when I was faking my death. I had a lot of fun with disguises…and so did Ann and Haru. 

68. Have you ever hated the way you look?

Look, if I’m gonna be brutally honest here, I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t felt that way. Ann is the most confident person I know and even she gets down on herself sometimes when she sees how much her pictures get Photoshopped. Of course I have. My hair is impossible to tame. The more I train, the more I bulk up and look like a mindless brute. I really regretted that last Big Bang Challenge; I couldn’t button my pants for two days and I just felt so fat. Plus, I just look so plain…it’s useful to be able to blend into a crowd, but at the same time, who seeks out someone who looks exactly like every third person who walks by? 

Overall, I’m pretty happy with myself, but…I think everyone has those moments of insecurity now and then. I’m no exception.

74. Have you ever cried yourself to sleep?

Almost every night from early December to late February. Like I keep saying.it was hell.

82. Have you ever dream that you married someone?

The first time I imagined I’d actually get married, I was 13, and sitting with a good friend of mine. We bonded over being rumor magnets, and later over being the only gay kids we knew of in school - she was the only person I trusted to tell outright, but…well, I was raised by two dads, and I showed no interest in dating girls, so people started speculating. That was…terrifying, considering the whole social worker situation. Finally one day the rumors got to be too much and we just…exchanged an understanding glance and kissed right there in the middle of the hall. From then on, until I got sent out to the city, I always imagined marrying her, and her eventual girlfriend marrying my eventual boyfriend, because if we were already in this much trouble with stereotypes and people’s expectations, why not “play normal” on paper while still living the lives we wanted? Had this nice mental image of a joint wedding and everything. I don’t think we’re going to have to go through with that plan now, what with how fast the world has been progressing on understanding sexuality…but that was the first time I ever dreamed of getting married.

92. Have you ever been told you’re hot by a complete stranger?

Nah, I’m way too generic-looking to get random remarks like that.

95. Have you ever laughed so hard you cried?

That happens all the time when I get together with all the other Phantom Thieves for reasons other than business.

99. Have you ever met someone who didn’t seem real?

Goro. That is all.

[xox0britto]

Bc I have no life and still stuck in 2007 myspace era.

1. Last beverage: Water.

2. Last phone call: My mama.

3. Last song you listened to:

Bad Intentions - PARTYNEXTDOOR.

-ADVERTISEMENT-

4. Last time you cried: Few days ago while I was intoxicated.

5. Have you dated someone twice: Yes.

6. Have you ever been cheated on: Once.

7. Kissed someone & regretted it: Learning experiences.

8. Have you lost someone special: Unfortunately.

9. What are your three favorite colors: Pink, baby blue & maroon.

10. Met someone who changed you in the past month: No.

11. Kissed anyone on your friends list: Yes.

12. How many kids do you want: 2! Girl & boy.

13. Do you want any pets: I currently have 2 cats. But eventually want more animals!

14. Do you want to change your name: Not legally.

15. What did you do for your last birthday: Got a table at Dive Bar. So much fun.

16. What time did you wake up today: Around 9-9:30ish

17. Name something you CANNOT wait for: St. Patricks Day.

18. Last time you saw your mother: 2 weeks ago?? I think.

19. Most visited webpage: Google lol

20. Nicknames: Britt, Burm, Urmetz

21. Relationship status: Single.

22. Zodiac sign: Virgo.

23. Male or female: Girl.

24. Height: 5’5.

25. Do you have a crush on someone: Yes.

26. Piercings: My ears and the sound of my voice.

27. Tattoos: 4!

28. Strong or Weak: Strong af.

FIRSTS

29. First surgery: 0.

30. First best friend: Emmy.

31. First sport you joined: I don’t think ballet counts as a sport lol.

32. First vacation: Hmm. I think my cruise back in 2010.

33. First school: Applewood elementary.

34. First pair of trainers: ?

WHICH IS BETTER

35. Lips or eyes: Eyes.

36. Hugs or kisses: Hugs.

37. Shorter or taller: Taller

38. Older or younger: Older.

39. Romantic or spontaneous: I’m not romantic, so I’ll take spontaneous.

40. Sensitive or loud: Loud. Sensitive people freak me out.

41. Hook-up or relationship: I guess that depends on the person. Lol idk.

42. Shy or outgoing: Shy. 

HAVE YOU EVER

43. Kissed a stranger: Yes.

44. Gotten a speeding ticket: Yes -_- 

45. Lost glasses/contacts: Don’t wear glasses but probably should.

46. Sex on first date: Next question please.

47. Broken someone's heart: Sadly, yes.

48. Been arrested:

Yes. Very unfortunate.

49. Have you turned someone down: Ever? Yes. I believe so. 

50. Fallen for a friend: Maybe in my high school years. 

51. Moved out of town: Out of my hometown where I grew up, yes. Out of state, no. That’s a weird question..

BELIEVE IN

52. Miracles: Or luck, either one, I’ll take it.

53. Love at first sight: No.

54. Heaven: Something like that I guess.

55. Santa Claus: No.

56. Kiss on the first date: Maybe.

57. Angels: Or “spirits” ? Sure.

58. Yourself: 50/50

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY

59. Had more than 1 girlfriend/boyfriend at a time: No. 

60. Been in love with someone you couldn't be with?: I don’t think so.

61. Ever cheated on somebody: I learned my lesson.

62. If you could go back in time, how far would you go?: I wouldn’t.

63. Are you afraid of falling in love: No.

64. Was your last relationship a mistake? No, relationships are learning experiences and were right for their time.

66. Who did you last say “i love you” to? My mom over the phone.

67. Have you ever been depressed? Not clinically but sometimes I'm down. It never lasts though.

68. Are you insecure? At some aspects of life.

69. How do you want to die? Painlessly at 150 years old. What kind of morbid question is that?

70. Do you bite your nails? I get them done so I don’t do that. Too many germs.

71. When was your last physical fight? Never really gotten into a physical fight.

72. Do you have an attitude? Sometimes.

73. Twirl or cut your spaghetti? Twirl.

74. Do you tan a lot? I do not. In the summertime I do. Duh.

75. Ever eaten food in a car while someone or you are driving? McDonald's cheeseburgers are great.

76. Ever made out in a bathroom? Yes.

78. Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? No.

79. What are your plans for this weekend? Working.

80. Do you type fast? Yes.

81. Can you spell well? Sure.

82: What are you craving right now? Chicken and rice. With like a huge Sprite.

83. Have you ever been on a horse? Yes.

84. Would you live with someone without marrying them? I have.

85. What’s irritating you right now? The constant cold outside and not being able to drive my car.

86. Have you ever liked someone so much that it hurts? Not physically.

87. Does somebody love you? I hope so.

88. Have you ever changed clothes in a car? Yes.

89. Milk chocolate or white chocolate? Milk chocolate.

90. Do you have trust issues? No.

91. Longest relationship? 4 years.

93. Have you ever walked outside in your PJs? Yes and I have gone shopping in them as well.

94. Do you believe everything happens for a reason? Yes.

95. Did you have dream last night? Yes. I don’t remember it though. Obviously.

96. Have you ever been out of state? Yes.

97. Do you play the Wii? Does anyone anymore?

98. Do you like Chinese food? Yes.

99. Are you afraid of the dark? Depends on where I am. Not in my house.

100. Is cheating ever okay? No.

101. What year has been your best? Too hard to judge. 2010,2012,2015,2018. 

102. Do you believe in true love? Love is an attachment that grows. So yes, true love exists.

103. Favorite weather? Easy answer, sunshine and 80 degrees.

104. Do you like the snow? No.

105. Do you like the outside? It depends on the weather and environment.

106. Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? I think so.

107. Have you ever made out for more than a half hour straight? Lol in like middle school yes.

108. What makes you happy? Animals, food and seeing people be positive.

109. Ever been to Alaska? No. Alaska scares me for some reason and idk why lol.

110. Ever been to Hawaii? No but I would LOVE to go.

111. Do you watch the news? Sometimes when I wake up super early. Other then that no. It’s just depressing.

112. Do you love MTV? They play some pretty good movies now and then.

113. Do you like subway? Hell ya

114 Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? No.

115. Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? Be freaked out probs.

116. Why did you decide to do this quiz? Because I’m bored and I used to enjoy taking MySpace surveys.

117. Have you ever seen someone you knew and purposely avoided them? Lol yes. Hence why I moved out of my hometown.

118. Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? Yes.

119. Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? Austin.

120. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? Rob.

122. Ever gotten pregnant? No.

123. Have you ever slipped on ice? Yes.

124 Have you ever missed the bus? Yes. Back in elementary school. 

125. Have you left the house without money? Yes.

126. Have you ever smoked cigarettes? Too many when I’m drinking or on a road trip.

127. Have you ever smoked a cigar? Tried to. Yuck.

128. Did you ever drink alcohol? Yes.

129. Did you ever watch “The Breakfast Club”? It was just on like 30 minutes ago lol. Best movie ever.

130. Have you ever been overweight? Not really. 

131. Ever been to a wedding? My dads when I was like 5.

132. Ever been in a wedding? No.

133. Have you ever been on the computer for 5 hours straight? Myspace and AIM were no joke. 

134. Did you ever watch TV for 5 hours straight? Sadly.

135. Ever kissed in the rain? Aw my first kiss was in the rain.

136. Did you ever shower with someone else? -

137. Did you ever fail a driver’s test? Yes lol.

138. Ever been outside your home country? Yes.

139. Ever been on a road trip longer than 5 hours? Yes. NYC & Virginia Beach.

140. Ever been to a professional sports game? Go Cavs, Browns and Indians!

141. Have you ever broken a bone? No. I'm invincible.

142. Did you ever win a trophy in your life? I honestly don’t think so. I never played sports growing up and I sucked in school. My parents did a good job I know.

143. Ever get engaged? No.

144. Have you ever been on a diet? Tried.

145. Have you ever been on TV? No -_-

146. Ever ridden in a taxi? Yes.

147. Ever been to prom? Yes. Loved it.

148. Ever stayed up for 24 hours or more? Yes. Good times.

149 Have you ever been to a concert? I’ve been to a few. Drake, Future, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Miguel, Travis Scott, Wiz, Jhene Aiko, Waka, Chris Brown. Wish I could go back tbh.

150. Have you ever had a crush on someone at work? Yes.

151. Have you ever been in a car accident? Yes when I was about 17 years old. My mom told me not to take the car because I was grounded and it needed something fixed. I was coming back from my friends and the brake axel broke off on the highway. Thankfully we/others were okay and my dumbass learned a lesson lol.

152. Ever had braces? No. I wanted them though so bad in middle school though because I wanted all the different colors like my friends had lol.

153. Did you ever learn another language? Not really. I never took a language in high school. I know some Spanish if that counts lol.

154. Do you wear make-up? Yes.

155. Did you ever have your wisdom teeth taken out? No but they’re coming in unfortunately.

156. Did you ever kiss someone a different race than yourself? Yes.

157. Ever dyed your hair? Oh yes.

158. Did you ever wear someone else’s clothes? What are friends for? 

159. Ever ridden in an ambulance? No.

160. Ever ridden in a helicopter? No.

161. Ever caught the stove on fire? No thank god.

162. Ever meet someone famous? No.

163. Ever been on an airplane? Yes.

164. Ever been on a boat? Yes. Love them.

165. Ever broken something expensive? When I was younger.

166. Did you ever kiss someone before you were 14? Yes.

167. Did you ever find something valuable on the ground? Yes. 

[seasonsofreckoningrp-blog]

Congratulations, Sky! You’ve been accepted for the role of Rex Mitchells. Please make sure to check our checklist, and you have twenty-four hours to send us your character’s blog. We’re really happy to have you in our family!

As always your app showed not only your understanding of Rex, but your connection to him and love for him. It is very awesome to see such a contrast between how you will play Rex vs. Roman since they are completely opposite. Your headcanons for each of his connections also adds a nice touch and deeper layers to him as well. Great job! Though we already knew you were a wonderful writer and player!

IC INFORMATION

Desired character:

Rex Mitchells ;)

Faceclaim:

Okay, I am like 99% sure his FC is Keith Powers because Admin N knew I couldn’t resist his gorgeous face that I’ve wanted to muse for ages.

Why did you choose this character?

Where do I even begin?? Let’s start with how younger Rex loved his parents so much that he decided to go into a line of work that he never wanted. They wanted him to make a respectable life, regardless of his own aspirations and dreams. But he still tried school; he tried to make them proud. I think he’s the kind of person who puts other peoples’ needs before his quite often, and how can you not love someone like that? So after facing that fork in the road, he choose the path his family wanted for him. But he was destined for something else completely– and fate catches up to everyone eventually.

I love how music makes him happy, not that it takes much to get him to smile. But his heart is truly in it, beating to a perfect rhythmic beat. I imagine him to nearly constantly be at least humming a tune quietly to himself, as his head is a 24/7 radio that he just has to put it out there in the world. Okay but music means so much to him that he got disowned; he lived on the streets without a cent to his name and never even complained???

THE PACK. Okay, I’d be lying if I didn’t say this was also a big part of why I love Rex as much as I do. Just imagine having a family who only ever wanted you to keep the family name’s high profile status. I’m sure they loved him in their own way, but the love he received growing up would never have been expressed emotionally. Now look at him; apart of a real family. True his ultimate loyalty lies with Lexine, another reason I love him so much, but the rest of Emmanuel’s pack mean the world to him. He’ll always put them first, and though that’s not the best trait to possess, they won’t misuse him for it and take care of him just as much as he takes care of them.

He’s just a music-loving nerd whose genuinely happy like all the time and found histrue family in his twenties and loves them completely and I just loVE HIM SO MUCH OKAY?

Para sample:

It was like a dream.

The surprisingly neat array of worn and torn blankets that had become his welcoming bed were stacked beneath him; giving back his body heat to keep him warm on the breezy Autumn night. An old chair, that was somehow still on all four of it’s raggedy legs, was propped up against the fence of the cemetery and held a larger sheet that had become his roof and walls. Next to him was an old cardboard box that he’d refurbished into a guitar carrier by lining the interior with pieces of uneven fabric collected from various dumpsters to protect his lifeline; his guitar. Honestly, he’d gotten the question‘how does that thing still work?’ more times than he could count when he was out playing for money, and looking at the instrument, even he was curious to how it still produced such beautiful and harmonious sound. This was all he had– but it was also all he needed… these broken and run down parts made him whole and happy, and neither med school nor all the money in the world could ever come close.

The noises heard outside his make-shift tent grew closer, as Rex subconsciously curled himself slightly smaller. Left with nowhere else to go, he’d always wondered if this day would come. The various sounds of animals nearby had been growing closer as each night passed… this was their environment, after all. Rex closed his eyes as he began to pray, though to whom he was praying was unclear. Maybe it was to Mother Earth? To thank her for allowing him to live off this land he’d shared with the wild animals for as long as he did? A ripping sound caused his eyes to dart open, though, as the fear within him arose quicker when a beast knocked over the chair and caused the large blanket to tear and fall away. Suddenly, the man was left exposed to a large shadow looming over him with bright glowing eyes before a scream– his scream– pierced the Bayou air.

Or perhaps this was the dream?

There was a peace that had washed over him that he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt before, eyelids slowly fluttering to reveal a room to which he was unfamiliar. The warmth that had been trapped within the sheets of an actual bed keeping him warmer than he’d been in months; his head resting on a pillow that gave him support his body had almost forgotten. It was then that he saw them; more than half a dozen people as they stood in a semi-circle pattern around the bed frame. He wasn’t afraid, quite the contrary, actually… he was grateful. Unsure of how he got there, sure, but his last memory had been of an animal he wasn’t completely able to describe– like a wolf only much larger– so these people must have saved him.

“Tha-” Rex began, only to have his hoarse voice rapidly turn into a wince. His eyes widened slightly in discomfort and slight confusion as he carefully removed the comforter from his torso to reveal his bare chest, chocolate hues scanning past the multitude of claw marks and slashes before settling on the wound larger than his hand on his right side. The indentations resembled teeth; an enormous bite.

After examining it for a moment or two, he looked back to the group before his gaze settled on a woman who, though shorter than some, stood taller than the rest. There was an aura about this woman that commanded him, causing him to temporarily forget the pain he was in as their eyes locked and a connection he could physically feel had been made.

Before his brows knitted together in confusion, the woman spoke out to him with a voice as comforting as it was smooth.

“It’s okay, you’re safe now. I’m Lexine.”

And dream or not, this was exactly where he wanted to be.

EXTRA

Personality traits:

+ Loyal. At first to his family name; to the life they had picked out for him. But now to his true family, to the people whom he shares a connection that can’t be described in simple words. Rex does what is asked of him and what is needed to further those he’d protective with his life. And though he doesn’t really have any loyalty to any side in the war boiling within Moon Island, he will stick by his new alpha–  and in-turn, the Valiente-Gardners.

+ Cheerful. Rex is a happy guy; and does he best to spread his joy onto others. However, he knows when it’s best to keep quiet– when others don’t want to hear about such positivity. But he’s definitely an asset to have when feeling down as he will gladly play you a song on his guitar and you’ll feel the love he has emanate from him.

+ Humble. Perhaps coming from a life of privilege and having it all ripped away meant Rex was bound to be down to earth. Granted, it was never him who believed himself to be above others, but his parents who assumed their money made them more important. Rex has always valued someone’s dreams over their financial status to begin with, but he genuinely views himself on the same level of others. With or without money, he openly accepts everyone for who they are and hopes they can do the same for him.

- Push-over. When it comes to putting others’ needs above his own, he sometimes doesn’t know when to stop. Of course, this is different with his pack members, to whom he’ll always put first. But he can also do the same for friends and acquaintances outside of the pack that might want to use that to their advantage and walk all over him. This also plays into the fact that he can be too trusting of people, and though he’s usually wary of danger, he tends to give everyone the benefit of the doubt; which can be a positive ornegative trait.

- Sincere. Though this could also be viewed as a nice trait to haveI, I think being honest with your intentions could bring about your downfall. n a world where most manipulate others to get what they want, he is very out of place. Not to be confused with naivety or ignorance, he can see the town for what it is, he just won’t– or can’t– hide his own motives. Not that he has some secret agenda here, but he’s very much an open book.

- Adherent. Again, this is positive in certain situations– but not so much in everyday life. Rex will follow those he trusts blindly, but he tends to also follow others around him. He’s not so malleable in the sense that he views could be altered, but he’s not the best at doing something solely for himself. This is evident in  the way he went to med school for his parents, and though he eventually led himself down the path he wanted, he is very much a follower.

Headcanons (Future Plot Ideas):

Lexine. Is it fair or is it fate? This song lyric has me feeling all sorts of things when it comes to Lexine and Rex’s bond. They saved him– plain and simple, and in the process, he was given a gift that could also seem like a curse. Though he very rarely views the bite as the latter, and is eternally grateful not only for the second life they gave him, but also for the family he now has. But was it all worth it– to live as a werewolf? Was it fair? And the thing I love is that he definitely believes so. I am so excited for the platonic love he has for them; a bond so much stronger than one he’s yet to experience. It’s true that he’d walk through Hell for any of his pack members, but that bond is intensified to so much more when it comes to them. This is where he belongs, by Lexine’s side as a fellow wolf, and I am sooooooo excited to muse their bond.

Emmanuel. His new alpha; and of course he’ll treat the older and wiser wolf with just as much respect as he deserves. Rex knows his place, and would never step on toes to further himself– so he fits nicely as an obedient pack member. The only hiccup I can foresee in their relationship is if Lexine orders an opposite command, because Rex would follow their lead over his without so much as a second thought. But as long as Emmanuel and Lexine’s views align, Rex will happily protect them all with his life and follow loyally in line.

Mareena. She represents his recent past before the bite; his love of music in another outlet for him… all the while not completely knowing who he’s dealing with. There is a curiosity about her that will keep him trying to find out more. But at the same time, he finds a solace in her voice that he can’t quite explain– not completely captivated as a human would be, but enchanted, nonetheless. He views her in a friendly light, and let’s just hope his trusting nature isn’t misplaced.

Petra. Oh sweet Petra. She’s quite different than he is– which just means that they’ll be the perfect pair because opposites attract, right? I just imagine Lexine is, in true Mama Wolf fashion, like a guardian figure to these two fully grown adults and I see their relationship to be similar to one reminiscent of siblings. I’m excited for his attempts to help her understand emotions; to try and open her up to a life she deserved as opposed to the life of a living weapon that she was raised into. And the pure heart she has buried within layers that Damien instilled in her… he absolutely loves her for it. His loyalty to her, though slightly less than his loyalty to Lexine, is an intense connection that he truly believes is equally reciprocated on her end.

[cosmicats]

Answer every question.

1. You woke up naked next to the last person you texted, what would you say?

“Goodmorning baby”

2. What’s going on between you and the last person you kissed?

We’re Galpals ofc. Nah, I love her, she’s my girlfriend.

3. If your boyfriend or girlfriend was into drugs, would you care?

Yes, I want them safe.

4. Is your last name longer than six letters?

Nah

5. Was your last kiss drunk or sober?

Sober

6. Have you ever wanted to have someone but you messed it up?

No

7. What does your last received text say?

“skype baby?”

8. How many times have you kissed the last person you kissed?

Too many to count. still not enough

9. Where was your last kiss at?

ummmm a car

10. When is the last time you saw your sister?

I don’t have a sister but I saw one of my sister-in-law’s last Christmas

11. What do you drink in the morning?

Juice or milk or coffee

12. Where did you sleep last night?

My bed

13. Do you think relationships are hard?

Nah

14. If you could go back and change something in the past 5 months, would you?

Yes.

15. You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, any problems?

That’s an ideal scenario 

16. Would you rather it be sunny or rainy?

Sunny

17. Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you?

Yeah

18. Are you wearing jeans,sweatpants,or pajama pants?

No

19. Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 years from now?

For sure

20. Does anyone like you?

Yes

21. Have you ever kissed someone with a name that starts with an S?

Yeah.

22. Is the last person you kissed gay?

yes

23. Is there a person you CANNOT stand?

definitely

24. Have you ever considered getting a tattoo?

oh definitely

25. In the past week have you cried?

yeah but happy crying

26. What breed was the last dog you saw?

Boxer cause that’s my dog’s breed

27. Do you dry off in the shower or out of the shower?

Both

28. Have you ever kissed a football player?

No? Kind of. I dunno.

29. Do you think you’re old?

In a way, yes

30. Do you like text messaging?

Yes

31. What type of day are you having?

Slowwwww

32. Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced?

Yes, I’m getting my septum done this year 

33. Do you prefer warm or cold weather?

Cold

34. Is there a person of the opposite sex who means a lot to you?

Yes!

35. Would you prefer a relationship or a fling?

Relationship

36. Are you a simple or complicated person?

Man I dunno

37. What song are you listening to?

I’m not right now

38. When you say you’re sorry do you mean it?

yeah.39. Is there a girl that knows everything or almost everything about you?

yess40. What made you start liking the person you like now?

I honestly think she’s the nicest person I’ve ever met. She’s extremely genuine and sincere. She’s so kind. She’s so fucking beautiful, inside and out. God, that smile too. You can’t help but get so hung up on that smile..41. When did you last receive a text message?

like ten minutes ago42. What is wrong with you right now?

Tired, ig43. How well do you know the last female you texted?

I’d say very well44. Does anyone disgust you?

Yes.45. Would you date someone right now if they asked?

No, I’m happy where I am with my girlfriend.46. Are you in a good mood right now?

yeah.47. Who was the last person you talked to in person?

My mom48. What color shirt are you wearing?

Black49. Has someone recently told you something you didn’t want to hear?

no50. Anyone you’re giving up on?no51. Do you hate the person you fell hardest for?

not at all

52. Have you ever thought about giving up on someone but couldn’t?

Yeah.

53. Do you like rain?

Sometimes 54. Do you care if your boyfriend/girlfriend drinks? As long as it’s in a safe environment and in moderation

55. Have you ever liked somebody and never told them?

yeah 56. Do you like to cuddle?

Yesss57. Are you shy?

Yeah 58. Do you get along with girls?

I think?59. Have you dated the person you texted last?

yes lmao I still am 60. What do you carry with you at all times?

Chapstick lmao 61. If you were paid 1 million dollars to spend the night in a supposed haunted house, would you?

Yeah, as long as I could have someone with me cause I don’t want to alone 62. Do you think you can last in a relationship for five months?

Yeah. Easy. 63. Think back to October, were you in a relationship?Yes.64. The person you like kisses you on the forehead, do you find this cute?

Mhm.65. Did anything “cute” happen in the last week?

Maybe? I dunno. Probably.

66. How old are the last three people you kissed?

17, 18, 19

67. Would you rather pay to get your nails done or do them yourself?   

idk i dont do my nails tbh 68. Which do you like better- Zebra print or leopard print?    i dunno lmao69. Do you have any stickers on your car?    70. Would you rather listen to Luke Bryan or Lil Wayne?    I dont like country so Lil Wayne ig 71. Blackberry, Anroid, or iPhone?    iPhone

72. When’s the last time you had pizza from Pizza Hut?    Last Sunday73. Do you like diet soda?    My dad is diabetic so that’s all I grew up w/ so I don’t taste a difference between diet and regular74. What color are the walls in your room?    

Dark blue75. Are you 16 or older? 

I’m 18, yeah   76. Do you watch Pretty Little Liars?    

No but i kinda want to t b h.77. Do you have a job?    

Not right now  78. What are your initials?    

AMD79. Did you ever have braces?    

I have them now80. Are you from the south?    

Yeah, Tennessee

81. What does your last status on facebook say?   

Probably some meme but I’m not on fb much 82. Do you still talk to the first person you ever kissed?    No not really83. Are you closer to your mom or your dad?    

Neither84. Have you ever done cheerleading or gymnastics? 

No  85. What’s the last movie you saw in theaters?    

God. I think it was Suicide Squad.

86. Do you smoke?    

No87. Would you rather wear heels or flip flops?    

flip flops88. Is your phone touch screen?    Yeah89. Do you normally wear your hair straight or curly? 

straight   90. Have you ever snuck out of your house?    

nope91. Would you rather swim in a river, lake, or pool?    

river or a lake92. Have you ever made out in a car?    Yeah93. …Had sex in a car?    

no94. Are you single or in a relationship?    

relationship95. What were you doing last night at midnight?   

sleeping or talking to Jalyn 96. When’s the last time you saw fireworks?    

3rd of July last year97. Do you like the camera on your phone?    sure98. Have you ever had a friend with benefits?    

no 99. Have you ever passed out from drinking?    no100. Are you friends with people on facebook that you actually hate?    probably101. Have you ever had a pregnancy scare?    nah 102. Name your favorite Kesha song:    When I was little I remember I really liked Cannibal lmao. But really I like any of her songs.

103. Do you have any tan lines right now?  

probably getting a slight one on my thighs from my shorts.  104. Would you ever wear cowboy boots with shorts?  

Maybe just to be stupid but never seriously lmao