#even vivian's grandmother shows up

[jerzwriter]

The way I screamed when I saw this commission! The artwork is by the simply lovely, delightful & talented @rosefuckinggenius. If you have never commissioned her, you should! Rose, you're the absolute best, my dear! Thank you for bringing my babies to life this holiday season!

All is Merry & Bright

Book: Open Heart (Post Series) Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey Carrick) Other Characters: Bryce Lahela, Vivian Carrick (F!OC), Jordan Carrick (M!OC) Words/Rating: 1,200 / Teen Summary: It's their second Christmas with little Samantha, and the Carricks are getting ready to take their Christmas card photo. As Uncle Jordan sets up the perfect shot, Grandma Vivian and Bryce provide the commentary. A/N: In my timeline, this would be taking place during the Christmas 2024 season.

With their coffee orders securely in hand, Tobias stepped into the vestibule of his townhome, careful to make sure ‘Hurricane Samantha’ wasn’t underfoot. A year ago, he and Casey wondered what it would be like when she began to walk and talk; now they knew it only added to the joyful chaos they had come to know and love. It was as familiar as the warm vanilla cinnamon scent that had filled the air ever since Casey moved in and as welcoming as his wife’s loving embrace or his daughter’s smile at the end of the day.

He smiled as he placed the snowflake bedecked cups on their dining room table. The last four years of his life bore no resemblance to the thirty-six that had preceded it, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard his brother's desperate pleas from the next room. He was doing his best to keep Samantha occupied, but she was quicker than he thought, and the bowl of red, silver, and green-wrapped Hershey kisses was too tempting. As the toddler's tiny hand reached up to grab the bowl, Jordan started to unravel.

“No, Sammy! No! I know Mommy and Daddy don't want you on a sugar high while before taking your Christmas pictures!”

But Samantha was undeterred.  “Yum-YUMS!” She yelled. The bowl was about to topple on her just as Tobias lifted her from behind, placing her high atop his shoulders in one swoop.

“Uncle Jordan’s right, pumpkin. Let’s save the sugaring up for after, OK?”

“Wow!” Jordan was astonished. “You said I was right!”

Tobias shot his brother a smirk. “Yeah, well, even a broken clock is right twice a day! Where is Casey, anyway.”

“Upstairs, finishing her makeup.”

“Still?”

“She was all done,” Jordan shrugged. “But then Ma had... opinions... so she's upstairs touching up.”

“Oh, shit!” Tobias laughed. “Then we’re safer down here with this little firecracker.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

But Casey and Vivian were descending the stairs at that very moment, and Mrs. Carrick was all happy to interrupt her sons.

“Hate to disappoint you, boys. But we smelled that delicious coffee the moment you came in. There’s no keeping us away.”

“Gam-mah!” Samanta squirmed excitedly, throwing her arms her grandmother's way, and that's how Vivian instantly forgot about her coffee.

“Oh, come here, my little angel!" She cooed, retrieving her from Tobias's arms. "That’s right! Tell Daddy that Grandma’s here. His services are no longer needed!”

“Really?” Tobias sneered. “Because with all your complaints of wanting another grandchild, I think my services are most certainly needed.”

Bryce dropped his coffee cup to the table with a thud. His eyes rose to the ceiling as he let out a sigh. “I don't know if putting up with you two is worth the free coffee.”

“Maybe not,” Tobias said, pointing to a few bags on the table. “But there are also cookies from Parziale’s, and I’m ordering in Chinese after the photo. Would that make it worthwhile?” Bryce may have answered if he weren't too rushing for the cookies.

Tobias let out a slow whistle as he walked toward Casey, making a show of looking her over as he did.

“No mistletoe needed here!" Casey laughed. "You can just kiss me."

Tobias studied Casey's face, then kissed her forehead. “Not bad! Not bad at all!”

“Jordan told Vivian he didn't like it,” Casey smiled. “He wanted something a little edgier. That a little punk edge four our family Christmas portrait would go a long way.”

“And I made it clear that my foot would go a long way...” Vivian interjected. “A long way up his ass if he thought I would allow that to happen.”

“ASS!” Samantha hollered, and everyone but Vivian broke into a fit of laughter.

“See what you make me do!” Vivian scolded as she whisked Sammy into the living room. “Making me say bad words in front of my grandbaby.”

“There is a swear jar in the kitchen," Bryce noted.

“Yeah," Casey added. "Between all of us, her college education will be funded before she turns two.”

“Amen to that,” Tobias laughed.

“All right, guys, as fun as this is, do you think we can start taking the pictures?” Jordan requested. “I do have a date tonight.”

“Oh, do you?” Casey teased.

“Yep,” Jordan grinned, playfully smacking his brother. “Someone’s gotta keep the Carrick rep going since this one has gone all domestic.”

“That’s not our rep!” Vivian shouted. “You’re not getting any younger either, Jordan! Who is this person? Do I know them?"

"I think I know him," Casey winked. "Make it quick; Vivian is itching to plan another wedding!"

“Oh! Trust!” Tobias laughed heartily. “Trust! She is!”  

“All fun aside," Casey segued. " We should start the photos before it gets too close to Sammy’s naptime.”

“Yeah, we want to do it before my naptime, too,” Bryce added.

“You’re not in the photo,” Tobias reminded. “You can go nap now if you want."

“You know, I’m still insulted by that," Bryce complained. "Why am I not in the family photo?”

“Because you’re not their stepson, no matter how much you may act like it," Vivian advised. "Now, if you want a family portrait, I suggest you get mar...”

“Annnnd on that note, it's photo time!" Jordan grinned.

“Sammy, come here, baby,” Casey beamed as her giggling little toddler wobbled over to her. “Let Mommy fix your sweater so we are all pretty for our picture!”

“I’ll admit,” Vivian observed. “Those sweaters wouldn't have been my first pick, but they're definitely you two! They will make an adorable family Christmas card.”

Casey stopped what she was doing, exhaling as she snuggled under her husband’s arm. “Family Christmas card... our second already. Can you believe it?”

“Oh, do I hear disappointment there?” Tobias teased.

“Not even a little. But sometimes, I’m still astonished. How did we end up here?”

“Do I really have to explain how this came to be, Mrs. Carrick,” Tobias winked. "See, when a man and a woman fall in love, sometimes, they do this thing together...."

“OK, No!" Jordan insisted. “I don’t need to hear about how Sammy was conceived.”

“No, we don’t,” Vivian agreed. “But I do need you two to keep at it - in private! Because I sure would love a second grandbaby on next year’s card.”

“I think that’s her way of offering to babysit for us tonight,” Casey winked. 

Tobias pulled his wife and Sammy closer. “Then, that's our queue! Come on, let's get this picture over with."

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

@choicesholidays It fits a few, but let's go with ... it's a tradition. .

Tagging the rest separately.

[mymbios]

Hattie Sutherland is a 32-year-old socialite, actress, and media personality who comes from Hollywood royalty. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Hattie grew up in the spotlight, thanks to her illustrious family legacy. Her grandmother, Vivian Forbes, was a legendary actress from the 1950s and 60s, often compared to the likes of Elizabeth Taylor for her stunning beauty, talent, and iconic roles in classic Hollywood films. Her grandfather, Henry Sutherland, was a renowned movie producer whose films helped define the golden age of cinema.

Hattie’s parents, Margot Sheppard (60) and David Sutherland (63), continued the family’s Hollywood tradition. Margot, a successful film director and producer, carved out her own name in the industry with several award-winning films, while David is a well-known screenwriter famous for crafting blockbuster scripts. With such high-profile parents, Hattie and her two younger sisters, Winnie (27) and Lottie Sutherland (26), were born into a life of glitz and glamour.

The Sutherland family rose to international fame, not just for their industry connections, but through their reality TV show, Hollywood Heirs. The show offered a behind-the-scenes look into the family’s luxurious lifestyle, filled with designer clothes, red carpet events, and family drama. Over time, Hollywood Heirs became a cultural phenomenon, catapulting the family into superstardom and turning them into household names worldwide. Their rise to fame came not just from their Hollywood lineage but from their ability to craft an entertainment empire based on their own lives. From fashion to beauty to their family dynamics, they became trendsetters, attracting millions of fans.

Hattie’s personal life was put on full display through the show, including her high-profile marriage to Ethan Kane (36), a successful entrepreneur in the tech world. Their lavish wedding was a highlight on the show, capturing the hearts of viewers everywhere. Hattie’s fashion-forward style, often consisting of bold designer pieces and perfectly curated looks, was frequently emulated by fans, and she became a staple in the fashion and beauty world. She even launched her own beauty line after the show ended, adding entrepreneur to her list of accomplishments.

Once Hollywood Heirs came to an end after several seasons, Hattie pivoted toward acting, fulfilling a long-time dream of hers. She landed a starring role on the popular Netflix series City Lights, a drama centered around the glamorous, yet tumultuous lives of young women living in Los Angeles. The show became a hit, allowing Hattie to step out from under the reality TV shadow and prove herself as a legitimate actress. City Lights showcased her acting talent as she played the role of an ambitious PR executive navigating personal and professional challenges.

However, Hattie’s life took a tragic turn when her husband, Ethan, died in a helicopter accident a year ago. The devastating loss has left her mourning ever since, as the couple had been deeply in love and shared a special bond that was captured on camera for the world to see. Despite her glamorous exterior and polished public persona, Hattie has struggled to cope with her grief, often retreating from the public eye to focus on healing.

Through it all, Hattie remains a fashion and beauty icon, continuing to inspire fans with her impeccable style and strength. While she is still finding her way after Ethan’s passing, she remains focused on her acting career and plans to expand her beauty line, all while managing the legacy of her family’s Hollywood dynasty.

[verseatile]

𝐈𝐈𝐈. 𝓣𝐇𝐄 𝓛𝐈𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍 [=]

THE ESTABLISHED TIES

SUN ZHIQIANG, Significant Other Considered as inseparable souls, the two young men go way back since their childhood. Starting as friends, JunWei and Zhiqiang eventually started to develop romantic feelings during their college days yet unable to act on it until Scaint started his musical endeavor. Today, the two are still in a relationship despite the drastic difference between their careers.

YESHUA AKIEON D. XUĒ, Older Twin All throughout JunWei's life, his twin had always been an important figure to him. Rather than calling him gēge, JunWei preferred a more personal nickname. To him, he was Keyi. And even after growing up, Scaint and Yeshua never stopped their bickering. With Scaint's hobby of tormenting his brother, the Xuē household never seemed to find peace.

SOREN VENICE YANGCO-XUĒ, Sister-in-Law The new addition to the Xuē family is none other than Yeshua's wife, his sister in law, Soren. The two shared a friendly and sibling type of bond as he gets to know the woman. Over time, Scaint and Soren, who he now refers to as Nori, got onto the level wherein they tag team to tease Yeshua. When asked how he got close with the woman, Scaint would simply answer how she's a warm person and that itself drew him in.

NADIA VIVIAN F. ROBLES, Cousin Scaint's closest cousin from his maternal side, the two grew up together under their grandmother's wing. Rather than calling him the usual 'biǎo dì', Scaint preferred a custom nickname—Tiu. Sharing the same interests over their childhood, the two cousins bonded whenever Scaint visited her in the Philippines.

CLEMENTIA IDONY DIVINA, Childhood Friend WIP.

ANTON VIDICI III, Best Friend Scaint and Anton first met when he was still in college. Scaint, who frequents as an audience in small busking shows got caught in one of Anton's photographs, eventually making rounds in the internet. Come another show with Anton as their photographer, he then reached out to the man to be his muse for his photography project. Scaint, who was then building his modeling portfolio, excitedly agreed. The two formed a close bond, eventually becoming best friends—their connection never lost since then.

CINDY BEATRICE YAP, Close Friend When Scaint got his first tattoo, he was set on getting a cross, but he had no specific design in mind. As he conversed with the artist, Cindy couldn't help to overhear. With her love for tattoos, she offered to help Scaint with the design. Loving her idea, Scaint went with it. After the session, he asked for her contacts. Not knowing that they'd end up working under the same industry, the two ended up bickering their way through friendship.

MIKO SALAVERIA KIM, PR Manager Scaint met Miko when he was first starting out as an artist. Miko, a communication student then, had Scaint as his subject for one of his program's project. Eventually, the two developed a bond over time with Scaint personally asking him to be his PR manager as soon as he graduated. Setting the work dynamic aside, Scaint considers Miko as one of his closest (and favorite) ahias.

ALYX LEE, Collaborator Despite Scaint leaving his SoundCloud days behind, his old tracks still manage to earn himself a few new listeners every now and then. Surprisingly, Alyx managed to get ahold of the artist, coming to an agreement to record their unreleased collaborations. Way before ARCANE, Alyx and Scaint had been in talks regarding the release of their mixtapes.

[hvneymelons]

He stayed silent for a while. Right ear pressed against the door to listen from the outside, Dante had been sure he heard her movements. Slow and tentative almost, but they had been there. “S, I’m sorry.” he said against the door, laying his palms flat against it as he continued to listen. Dante wasn’t sure whether she was still listening within or if she’d left him there all alone. Talking to himself because she was too upset with him to speak, or let him in. “You have every right to be upset with me, Sawyer.” He couldn’t deny that even if he wanted to, but could she truly not see that he too had more than enough reason to be upset right back? That while to her, this was all in the past - and he could thank the heavens in the sky above that it was so - to him it was a fresh cut?  He didn’t expect to be forgiven outright. He didn’t even expect for them to be alright by the time he left her apartment, but at the very least for her to speak with him. To understand, or attempt to understand why he had asked her for time. And while that didn’t seem to be the way the night would go, Dante had missed her far too much to stand his ground and go home. The ‘what if she comes back’ and he missed it for walking away so rashly began to eat at his brain. He turned his back on the head, pressing his head up against it with his eyes closed and just waited.  Sitting in silence had always eaten at his core. He’d never been good at it, needing to fill it with some form of noise whether by playing music or tapping his foot or fingers against something. Slowly he began making rhythm with his fingers against the door. Not too loud as to disturb anyone, but loud enough where he could focus on it and fill the silence. Distracting himself as he spoke, “I wish you could understand… I’m not mad at you, pretty girl. At first, yes I won’t lie, but not for what you probably think, S. I could have lost you! You were in the - and you called and you - I could have lost you, and not have a single inkling as to why or how! And so soon after-!”  Dante had to stop himself, not wanting to place guilt onto her for something else entirely. It wasn’t her fault her grandmother passed. It wasn’t her fault that he was mourning and trying to live life without the only woman in this here earth who had loved and cared for him effortlessly. Took him into her care and showed him what a real mother should be like when his mother couldn’t have cared for shit. His mother’s own addiction tainting his early life immensely, and Vivian Kidd showered him with her love. Had it not been for his old lady and his old man Dante doesn’t know if he would have been here today. He could have died right next to his parents.  “This entire time you’ve been handling this… thing, this - addiction, and not once did I notice. Not once did I look at you and said, ‘huh, maybe my best friend needs me’. I don’t know how long, when, how, WHY it even happened in the first place.” he could feel himself grow weak against her door, his eyes glazing over with unshed tears and he sniffled. “I wanted to take a moment and try to understand, and try to see for myself what could have led you this way. I don’t know if you know, but um - I went to a couple of those meetings. The anonymous ones, and so many people - I heard so many different stories but I couldn’t place you there, S. I couldn’t see you being up there. Still!” he sniffled, finally a tear rolled down his face.  Taking his hands, Dante cleaned his eyes so he could see better as he stared into the night sky. He had to laugh at how stupid he probably sounded. “Even now. So stupid.” he found himself chuckling, “Because that’s not the you that I know.” Dante began to shift from foot to foot, as he became more uncomfortable with the words that came out of him. “I don’t know if I really know you anymore, or if I ever really did… and that’s not something I can accept. I don’t know how. And that could be so selfish to say, I don’t know.”

Sawyer steps out of the shower, reaching for the towel and wrapping it around her waist. She stretches her hand out to turn off the speaker that was playing. Her gaze shifting to her phone resting on the bathroom counter. She sees mawmaw and pawpaw's picture flashing across the screen. It takes her a few seconds before she reaches out and picks it up, swiping the green little button so she could have a brief conversation with the older man. He started calling more often; as if he knows. Which he probably does because she knows Dante talks to him about practically everything. Sometimes it amazes her how much the older couple knew things about all the kids that came tumbling in and out of their house, the one time that pawpaw caught her sobbing during the final night she was there when she was fifteen and knew what was going on almost instantly.

It's a good conversation, one she has while she's getting ready for bed; it lasts about an hour and she knows he wants to ask her all these questions or briefly mention his grandson, maybe tell her how he's really doing because it seems like everyone knows deep down she wants to know exactly how he's doing. She just can't bring herself to say the words out loud because it feels like she's betraying herself. Her own pride and allowing another man in her life to hurt her in ways no one would could ever imagine. She hangs up the phone and moves over to the nightstand to plug in her phone. She's been working nights at the cafe since Dante started to come in during the mornings. She didn't need to utter a word to the cafe owner, she knew that Maya was protective of her but also doing her best not to remain in the middle. It's why the blonde has bitten her tongue to practically everyone around her.

It makes her think about her confession to Rafael, all those weeks ago. No one in my life knows me. And the worst part was the one she wanted to know her so fucking desperately turned away from her when she could have used him the most. She pulls her hand away from her phone after setting her alarm and turns to walk out of the bedroom and into the kitchen to grab a water bottle in case she gets thirsty in the middle of the night when there's a knock on her door.

Her head turns to look over at the door, moving in that direction. She reaches up to grab the lock to unlock it when she hears his voice. Her moments freeze almost instantly, her gaze staring at the door as if she can see through it. There's a small part of her that wonders if he's been as miserable as her, if he's asked about her the way she's wanted to ask about him. How fucking hard it's been to not cave and want to know that he is as desperate as her. It feels utterly pathetic to feel this way about someone especially since all she's tried to do is live up to the vision he's had of her.

She drops her hand from the lock and shakes her head as if he can see her. She turns around and leans back against the front door, sliding down it. She pulls her legs to her chest and waits, silently. She's not sure what's prevented her from opening that door and allowing him to walk in here, to talk to her about what was going on. Was she afraid of what he had to say? Did she not want to face him when he broke her even more than he had? It's the guilt that settles in the depth of her chest, the kind where she feels selfish for only thinking about the hurt he gave her instead of the other way around. But for all she knows he could be here to tell her that he truly never wants to see her again and she doesn't want to look at his face when he does it or watch him walk away from her after everything.

@hvneymelons

[countessofravenclaw]

62 for the drabbles <3

"Having a picnic was a great idea!"

"This place is so beautiful!" Luna was hopping like a bunny on Matteo's arm as they were walking back from a park were they had had a picnic with Nina and Gastón.

They had arrived in Italy from France four days ago, and after a couple of days in Rome, Ambar and Simon had gone to visit some Italian friend Ambar had made at law school who lived in Sardinia, so Matteo had decided to take Luna, Gastón and Nina to his mother's home town, Pietrapertosa which was located in Basilicata.

Having a picnic for the lunch had been a great idea because it really made them walk around the whole town. Now they were walking towards his Nonna's house since they were having dinner with her.

Matteo felt a bit guilty that he hadn't been here in years, but life had come in the way. He still talked with his Nonna often, but actually hadn't seen her in a while.

"This church is really beautiful," they were walking past a small chapel that was surrounded by graveyards. Matteo had not even noticed until Nina pointed it out. They stopped and he looked up.

Oh... they were here... He hadn't even thought about it, but of course, there had always been a chance that they would end up in this place accidentally.

"Matteo, are you alright?" Luna asked him, and he got shooked back into reality.

"Yeah, I am."

"Matteo... is this the..." Gastón started asking

"Yes, it is," Matteo answered quickly, looking at the graveyard, "You know what? I should show you." He walked up and opened the gate to the graveyard. "Come on."

The three others followed Matteo who led the through the yard until they were in front of a big white tombstone.

It read: Francesco Mattia Astrella 1938-2001

And under it: Lucia Florencia Balsano (Astrella) 1969 - 2009

"Matteo," Luna asked with a small voice, "Your Mother's grave`? It is here?"

"Yes. She wanted to be buried here," Mateo said looking down at the grave, "I don't come here enough, even Dad comes once a year. But I guess it is the time for her to meet you." He looked at Luna.

Luna tuned around and walked toward a blossoming apple tree that was a couple of meters away from them. She picked a flower from the tree and placed it on the grave.

***

"Matteo! Mi sei mancata tanto tesoro! Mio caro nipote! " a short elderly woman had run up to Matteo and hugged her tightly as soon as they had entered a small garden that surrounded Matteo's grandmother's house. Luna had literally jumped out of the way.

"Nonna, è passato troppo tempo! Anche tu mi sei mancato. Hai un aspetto incredibile!"

After a really long hug Matteo was let go off and he turned towards Luna and the others. "Nonna, I hope you remember that I wasn't coming alone. They don't speak any Italian." Mateo said switching back to Spanish.

"Don't you worry about darlings!" Matteo's grandmother said with, heavily accented, but otherwise correct Spanish. "Call me Viviana. It has been a while since I have been able to show off my Spanish skills."

"So, this is my best friend Gatón and his fiancee Nina," Matteo introduced Nina and Gastón first and Luna felt suddenly nerves rising in her. This was the first time she met anyone from Matteo's family outside of Alexander, Sofia and Flor. "And this is my girlfriend Luna."

"...Hi," Luna said awkwardly and was offering her hand for a handshake but Viviana pulled her in a crushing hug. "Matteo, lei è una bella fregatura. Dove sei riuscito a trovare questa ragazza carina?"

"How long have you been together?" After Viviana had released her, Luna realized that the next question had been directed at her.

"Five years."

"And no ring yet? Matteo è meglio che ti sbrighi!"

Luna laughed awkwardly and she saw Matteo throw Gastón a panicked look briefly.

"Okay, Nonna, everything in due time," Matteo responded quickly.

*

"Do you live alone?" Luna asked Viviana as they were all sitting around the table.

"No," Vivian laughed, "this is a small town. My husband is gone, but I have sisters, cousins and people who are not related to me, so I am never alone. Also, I might be an old lady, but I still know how to use these modern gadgets."

"How is Flor?" Viviana turned towards Matteo, "I haven't been able tp reach her in a while."

"Actually, Gastón and Nina know that better than me," Matteo responded, "They actually were at Oxford same time as her. Flor's boyfriend was Gastón's roommate."

"Oh, I see. You have really educated friends then"

There. We got some expanded lore on Matteo mother's side of the family. Plus I really manipulate these prompts into what I actually wanna write, instead of writing based on the prompt

[hollands4s]

Dale: It was so strange... A few seconds, a bright flash and everyone lay down... I didn't even have time to understand anything... And why didn't I get hit by this wave?  What did you feel when it happened?

Vivian: At first there was a strong fright that he was about to shoot... Then I no longer controlled myself, just something turned on in my head, I felt so much strength and energy... And that's it...

Dale: Do you know that your eyes have changed color? They are now blue and glow a little... And the color of the skin around the eyes... It's all because of this chip, right?  I had to remove it too...

Vivian: I should... But Ellen said she couldn't perform such operations here, so we decided to leave... I'm now afraid that it will be impossible, since it is obvious that the chip is connected to my brain...

Dale: Speaking of Ellen... Did you hear what Johnny said?  Therefore, the guys decided, allegedly, to help ... I thought, what if this is true?  Look, how do they know what to do with you?  And why did they leave us alone right now?  Just when this company showed up with guns? ..

Vivian: I don't know... I don’t think the guys are capable of this ... Ellen told me how she worked in the same place with this grandmother, so she knows so much ... And she ran away from there with Ray ...

Dale: And you believed her?  For some reason it seems to me that this Ellen could tell anything ... Why do you trust her so much?

Vivian: But... She helped me... Damn!  What if there was another way... We just didn't know about it!  Did she do it by activating my chip?  And now they will look for me on it ... And also these abilities ... About which I know nothing!  What else can I accidentally do?! Suddenly harm someone?! Oh my God…

Dale: Quiet, calm!  We will definitely look into this...

[carnalpleasure]

Michael x Angel!Reader 👼

hi!! i’ve had this idea in my head for months and finally felt inspired to start it tonight. i’m still working on my other two fics.. but Michael’s been calling to me lately💕

Summary: The reader assigns herself to be Michael’s guardian angel. This takes place at the beginning of Sojourn, with Michael in the wilderness. But takes a slightly different turn <3

Every human being in the history of humanity had been born with a guardian angel. The precious moment a newborn baby breathes its first breath of life, an angel is assigned to be their lifelong guardian. The angel’s main mission being to protect their human ward from the dark forces that had plagued the earth for all eternity. Ever since the serpent seduced Eve into her first bite of the knowledge of Good and Evil.

But that streak was broken one day in late March of 2012, when Vivian Harmon gave birth to Satan’s only begotten son.

She was the Anti-Mary. Instead of a blessed virgin being touched by an angel, she was a victim of a demonic sexual assault. She died giving birth to the Antichrist.

Michael Langdon was Satan’s very first creation. Because he was not a child of God, he was not born with a guardian angel. His father didn’t bother to assign him a guardian demon either. The spawn of Satan was left in the hands of none other than his grandmother Constance, whom his father felt was perfect for raising the little monster.

When Michael outgrew her, his father introduced him to Anton Lavey, one of his most trusted followers, who would then introduce Michael as the heir to the Church of Satan.

Michael, however, didn’t really take to Anton. He felt much closer to another key member of the church, Miriam Mead. She took a liking to the boy too and lovingly welcomed him into her home, where she taught him all about rituals, prayers, Black Mass, satanic prophecy.. She was preparing him for the apocalypse. His destiny, as they’d all say.

Once Michael began becoming aware of his powers, his father then led him into the hands of the Warlocks. They thought they were training him to be their next Supreme, but he only needed them to show him how to use his powers. They were disposable beyond that.

Michael was a loyal son, never questioning his father’s decisions, until his beloved Ms. Mead was permanently taken from him by the witches. Cordelia was right, why did he let this happen?

In search of answers, Michael fled to the wilderness on a quest. Jesus had spent 40 days out in the desert being tempted by Satan himself before his own Father finally spoke to him. Michael decided he had to do the same.

That’s when he wandered out into the forest on the outskirts of LA and started to trace a pentagram in the dirt, tired and out of options.

“I’m not going any further,” he sulked, dragging the jagged stone across the ground. “Father, tell me what to do, and I’ll do it,” he pleaded, out of breath as he finished carving his sigil into the soil.

“I’m not leaving this circle until you talk to me,” he pouted stubbornly. “They’re gone.. the warlocks.. my Ms. Mead. Burned alive at the stake by the witches. Until nothing was left but ash and smoke,” his voice was breaking but he was too exhausted to cry.

“You tell me what to do,” he sighed, “or you let me die here.” Then he fell to his knees in the center of the circle and waited for a sign.

He watched the sun set and rise four times before he finally had a vision. But even then, he couldn’t be sure if he was seeing a sign or just suffering from severe dehydration.

He saw a little boy offering a cold grape Fanta, and a little girl holding a basket of red apples, and he thought maybe God was trying to tempt him into the light now. To distract him from his mission and derail him from his destiny.

He refused, “No, I’m on a mission. I have to talk to my father,” he said weakly. “Leave me alone.” Then the visions turned dark. He was taunted by Ms. Mead and then praised by Anton Lavey.

“You’re not real. None of this is.. re-real.” He shook his head and raised his hand to shield his face from the blinding light that was radiating from the High Priest before him.

“You’ve done a great job.” The Satanist proudly smiled. “No..” Michael protested, “I failed. I-I’m lost. I don’t understand my purpose,” he was out of breath and at a loss for words. He was tired of games, all he wanted was his father’s help. Everything was spinning.

The vision of Anton continued reciting to him from the prophecy in Revelation, calling him the Alpha and the Omega. Michael couldn’t take it anymore. He made a lunge for Anton, wrapping a hand around his throat to choke him out. Only seconds later, the vision vanished altogether.

And that’s when he saw you. The last thing he remembered was an impossibly beautiful girl with big white wings and a little white dress. He fell to his knees again, in shock and exhaustion, and collapsed into her arms. He felt the warm, soft embrace of feathers, and then he fell into a much needed sleep.

When he awoke a day later, he was still pretty disoriented from the lack of food, water, and sleep. His mind was a haze. He didn’t realize where he was, he only knew that this bed was softer than anything he’d ever felt.

The blankets felt like fluffed up clouds and the pillows smelled like lavender. A cool breeze caressed his skin, and he noticed the temperature of the room was significantly cooler than anything he’d felt in a long time. That radiating heat that seemed to consume him constantly just wasn’t there.

He reached his hand out to feel along the bed. Empty. He opened his eyes, hoping to see the angel from his dreams sitting there watching over him. But the room was empty too.

He sat up in bed, clutching the sheets and looking around anxiously. The room was nice, but it wasn’t anything extreme. It was kinda charming actually, soft and cozy. It didn’t look like anyone had been living here for very long.

Michael climbed out of bed, stepping foot on the soft, plush carpet and smiling at the touch. He walked towards the bedroom door which was just barely cracked open, and stuck his head out slowly to peak outside.

You were in the kitchen, digging around in the refrigerator when you heard him come out. You twisted around, bumping the fridge door shut with your hip and then dropping everything on the counter.

“You’re up already? Are you feeling okay?” The pained look on his face made you worry. He looked exhausted still, leaning against the doorway just to hold himself up.

You rushed to his side, a little faster than humanly possible, and wrapped an arm around his waist to help him steady himself. He leaned into your embrace but winced a little at your touch. His body was sore everywhere.

He couldn’t stop staring at you. Almost glaring, looking at you like you’d just lied straight to his face. You walked him to the counter, sitting him down across from you and then running back to quickly check the stove. He didn’t take his eyes off you the whole time.

“I’m making you a breakfast feast,” you smiled at him over your shoulder. “You look like you haven’t eaten in days..”

“I’m sorry,” he interjected. “But wh-who are you? How did I get here?”

You smiled gently, passing him a plate of bacon and eggs to get him started while you finished the french toast. “I’m Y/N, I brought you here,” you said happily.

He kept looking you up and down. You looked exactly like he remembered, but you were now missing one unique, defining feature..

“Are you-“ he couldn’t bring himself to say the word out loud. It didn’t seem possible to him. “You had.. wings before,” his brow furrowed in confusion and his glare returned.

You simply nodded, glancing over at him and frying a piece of toast in the pan. “You remembered,” you said with a smile.

His confusion only grew. You poured him a glass of milk and then slid the fork closer to him. “Eat, please. We have plenty of time to talk later. I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” you brushed his blonde curls out of his face and the divine touch of your fingers briefly lingered on his skin, sending shivers down his spine.

He hesitated, picking up his fork and taking a bite. It wasn’t just the starvation talking, he genuinely enjoyed your food. He immediately started feeling his strength and energy coming back. He felt revitalized.

It wasn’t just the food. Something about your presence was so satisfying to him. You brought him a kind of merciful peace that was only reserved for the saints. He didn’t need confirmation, he knew in his heart you were something holy. And he only hoped that you didn’t know what he truly was. If you ever fell in love with him, it would be your fall from grace.

“You’re an angel,” he whispered softly. His heart was pounding. He felt like he was committing a crime just by being in your presence. He felt like God would smite him any minute just for laying eyes on you.

You cupped his face in your hands gently, wiping away a stray tear that fell from his eyes. “As of today, I’m officially a guardian angel,” you smiled proudly. Your eyes actually twinkled, it completely captivated him.

“Guardian? Who’s guardian?” his pouty lip quivered and you could see all the new emotions swirling around him like a hurricane. He couldn’t believe any of this was really happening. He thought he must’ve been dreaming. He wasn’t dead, he knew that. He was destined for hell and there’s no one like her down there.

He was so cute. “Yours, duh” you giggled, letting go of his face and playfully tousling his blonde locks. He looked up at you with a small smirk that spread into a big smile. He couldn’t wrap his head around it. “How?-“ he silently mouthed as the words he was looking for escaped him.

“You didn’t have one,” you shrugged. “So I.. guess you could say I volunteered.” You didn’t want to overwhelm him with too many details, but the adorable confused puppy look on his face was begging for answers. “Volunteered?” he repeated, cocking his head to the side curiously. He wiped his nose on his sleeve.

“I just thought you should have someone looking out for you too.. you know. You didn’t deserve to be abandoned. Not by God or anyone.” You said it with such sincerity, he could see it on your face how strongly you felt about those words.

His eyes started to overflow with tears but he couldn’t help but smile. It was the single kindest thing anyone had ever said to him. That’s when it hit him. You already knew what he was. You knew who he was. And you were willing to go against both God’s will and Satan’s to take over as his protector. You left heaven just for him.

He pulled you into his lap, wrapping his arms around you and quietly sobbing into your chest. Tears of pure joy and gratitude. Little “thank yous” whispered on repeat against your skin, so close you can feel his lips brushing across your collarbones with each word.

He snaked his arms around your waist tighter and tighter, pulling you as close to him as physics would allow. It melted your heart how close he wanted to be to you.

“Aw.. you just want to be held,” you giggled, putting your arms around his shoulders and hugging his body closer to yours. “I’m here, Michael. I’ve got you now. You’re safe, you’re mine,” you cooed, your lips brushing against his temple.

His eyes were closed and his face was pressed against your chest, all he heard was a swift whoosh as your wings suddenly appeared, folding around both of your bodies like a soft shield tucking him into you. He’d never felt so safe before, all nestled in your feathers.

He peaked his eyes open to look around at them. “That’s fucking awesome,” he muttered softly, his jaw dropping as his eyes shot up to meet yours. You smiled down at him, kissing his forehead. You couldn’t help but giggle. He made you feel giddy, the way he looked at you. Like you were made of magic.

“My own guardian angel,” he said quietly to himself, still in awe of it all. He refused to let go of you for the rest of the day after that. All he wanted to do was lie in your arms. Feel your embrace. And you were happy to oblige because he needed to rest anyway. The two of you returned to your bed where he spent the rest of the night on your chest, fast asleep in your arms. The safest place he could ever be.

💕taglist: @sexwon131 @jimmason @whatcodysaid @angelicmichael @thewarriorprincessxo

[jomiddlemarch]

Reblogging to share a moodboard I made for Vivian, a while ago but still a keeper:

007fest: original characters day

Original Female Character: Dr Vivian Liu (let’s pretend she’ll be played by the lovely Lucy Liu)

OFC created by the wonderfully creative and talented @jomiddlemarch

concept: Dr Liu is an American surgeon turned political operative who joins MI6 and makes good trouble (and naughty trouble) with Gareth Mallory

there are 17 stories about her on AO3.   check these out and if you have time, read here as well

(hi @teamcivilian and @teammbranch)

a ficlet created just for the 007fest (AO3 version here):

sprawling on a pin 

The two men spent the morning across from one another at a large chrome desk in the middle of Q’s workshop.  The wall behind them was a blue screen of flickering light, flashing text, and fluorescent lines like the shimmering fish in an aquarium.   M found the exposed beams and open space - where one could spy an entire room of agents furiously tapping away at their laptops - almost disorderly, the lack of containment a sort of chaos.  He leaned back into his chair.

Q took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, squinting.  His unruly chestnut curls covered his furrowed brows.   

“I need your advice, M.”

“On what?”

“I’m thinking - for 007’s next mission - to switch from the Omega Seamaster to the Moonwatch.  Do you think he’d mind?”

“If it’s the Moonwatch with the sapphire, he won’t even notice,” M said with wry amusement, winking, “your special friend is not the most utilitarian.”

“Special friend?” Q asked, the lilt in his tone a strain to keep from sounding too incredulous.

“You know what I mean,” M sighed and rolled his eyes.  “It is what it is.  Enjoy your youth!  Before your hair thins and you end up like me.  Prufrock is a warning, not a love song.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” mumbled the younger man, “but never mind.  Before you go - remember you’re meeting that American surgeon today - the one who’s joining us on this case.”

“Oh?”  M stood up to gather his belongings and stuffed several files into his worn leather briefcase.  It was better suited to aging, its patina only growing richer and more appealing, unlike the image he saw in the mirror every morning.  “When is he arriving?”

“She,” Q corrected him, the sharp emphasis in his voice startling them both, “She’s with Moneypenny now and they should be coming by soon.”

M tightened his jaw.  He felt slightly chastened and irritable with it.  Before he could fret over whether Q would reveal this slip of bias and to whom, he heard Moneypenny’s infectious laugh becoming more vivid as the two women approached.  M looked up and his eyes grew wide; he found himself straightening his knees to recover his posture.

Moneypenny beamed a smile at M and gestured to the lithe, dark-haired woman beside her: “M, I want you to meet Dr Liu.”

“Please - call me Vivian. Unless I should pick a letter—I’m fond of L, for obvious reasons.”

She stretched out her forearm toward him for a handshake, her skin soft against his, but a firm grip, assured.  They stood close enough so that he could breathe in her fragrance, a hint of jasmine and vetiver.  Her brown eyes were warm but incisive, her cheekbones high yet not severe, her face delicate as a Renaissance painting and with a keen intelligence animating her.   Wrapped in a power red sheath dress, Vivian seemed to fill the room with an arresting air. When she stepped back and let go, he was suddenly aware of how much he had been staring.

“Mallory,” he blurted, “Gareth Mallory.”

She arched an eyebrow at his reply, her full lower lip curving into a knowing grin.  Bloody hell, he thought.  He winced at how derivative he must have sounded.  He had meant to introduce himself as Gareth, and just Gareth, and imagined her head on his chest, whispering his name.

“A pleasure,” she said, the laughter in her tone along with appraisal.  He felt pinned by her gaze. He had a new and acute sympathy for butterflies.

[jonahintwstmchybridau]

TWST MC Hybrid AU: Glory the Starborne

“Who are you? Why are you in my tower?”

~ Gloriane Corbett belongs to @nqchristine22​. Originally written in Google Docs with her help in all detail. This is a temporary post until Christine is back to Tumblr.

-Basic Information-

Name:

Glory Corbett (current name) Princess Gloriane Lexington Lunaris (official name)

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: 21st March

Status: Alive

Hometown: 

Angarika Queendom (original hometown)

The monarchy that rules over the Nether, a dangerous hell-like dimension filled with fire, lava, and fungus-based vegetation. It was founded in ancient times by Mother Gothel, Mother of Fallen Star, First Queen of Angarika Queendom. The royal family is the direct descendant of Gothel. Only women can sit on the throne.

Merlin and Viviane's Tower

Glory's hiding tower is hidden in a large rock pit by a cave. The cave leads out into the forest with its opening hidden by a curtain of plants. She has a personal garden with variety of flower that grows at the base.

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-Hybrid Information-

Hybrid: Starborne

You are a creature from the star (no, not aliens). You can control the stars and send a meteor shower toward your enemies. You heal quicker and launch yourself like a shooting star if you jump really high. Though, you will take damage from that.

Additional Power:  Sundrop Healing

Glory has the power to heal any sickness or injuries, even moral wounds as long as she sings an incantation, a song. This power is rooted in the Immortal King’s blessing to Mother Gothel and her descendants, including Glory, can use this power.

Weapon(s) of Choice:  Dagger

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-Appearance-

Eye Color: Gray

Hair Color: Black

Hair Length: Curled except shorter that reaches down her shoulders

Skin Tone: Pale

Height: 170 cm (5'6 inches)

Weight: 63 kg (140 pounds)

Wardrobe:

In the beginning, Glory wears a simpler outfit. She wears a yellow capelet with white edges underneath a white shirt and yellow vest. Her skirt is yellow with white decorations, along with an apron. She also wears black sandals and gloves.

During her coronation and after, she wears a yellow and pink dress. Her top is black and white with yellow cloth around her chest and off-shoulder pink sleeves. Her skirt is pink underneath the yellow cloth. She also wears a black stocking and yellow high heels. In addition as a starborne, she has a white scarf tied behind her back in a giant bow, along with a pink bandana with a yellow star pin.

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-Personality-

Glory was once a vibrant and loving child who loves her family and her beloved Marc, however, her personality changed when her people killed her family, her best friends, and were about to kill her. Even worse, Marc is part of the Great Myrios kingdom and it broke her heart. As a result, Glory closes her heart to others and vows to retrieve her kingdom through rigorous training with the help of her mentors. She has a difficult time opening up to new people and the only two people that she can trust are her mentors Merlin and Vivien. Although cautious and distant, Glory shows a passionate and gentle side when it comes to her hobbies like gardening and art. She also shows empathy towards nature as shown when she heals a wilted plant or an injured animal. She soon became awed with the world’s inner beauty thanks to Jonah. As the story progresses, she slowly warms up to people like Andie, Jonah, Charlie, Lynette, and Astrid as slowly starts opening up to new people and slowly becomes caring towards her new allies. She’s also inexperienced with her starborne powers but she slowly improves as the story progresses with the help of Merlin and Vivien. She also struggles into coming to terms with her identity when the ghost of her ancestor torments her mentally and emotionally.

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-Background-

Gloriane is the firstborn of the Angarika Queendom and the heir to the throne. While she is a starborne hybrid, she's a late bloomer for she hadn't shown any sign of her power. When she was a child (maybe 12 years old) she was betrothed to a noble human child from Overworld named Marc and would be wed when they're an adult. For now, they would get to know each other.

However, one year later, when Gloriane was 13, the human kingdom, the Great Myrios Empire, invaded the Nether, killing her family and about to kill her. Fortunately for her, her mentors, Merlin and Viviane, help her escaped. Now, the three of them are living together in hiding, until the time is right for Glory to revive her fallen kingdom.

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-Relationship-

Her Parents [Francine and Brenton Corbett]

Glory shares a loving and respectful relationship with her parents but was heartbroken when they were killed by Great Myrios Empire.

Her Grandmother, the previous queen [Gardenia Lexington Lunaris]

Glory shows admiration and respect for her grandmother but was heartbroken by her death.

Merlin Spellman

Merlin has been with her since the day of her birth. Both of them share a grandfather and granddaughter-like relationship as Glory shows great care for him. He, along with Vivien are the only two people that Glory can trust.

Vivien Lakeshire

Like Merlin, Vivien has been with her since birth. Glory and Vivien shared a sister-like bond. She along with Merlin are the only two people that Glory can trust.

Marc Corrin

Glory loved Marc since they were children. Glory loved him for his humor and kindness. However, her view changed when she discovered he’s part of the Great Myrios Empire. As a result, Glory developed a hatred for Marc for taking her family away and vows to take her kingdom back.

Harriet Greene and Zara Fitzgerald

Harriet Greene and Zara Fitzgerald have been Glory’s friends since childhood. However, Glory became devastated by their deaths at the hands of the Great Myrios Empire.

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-Like & Dislike-

Like:

Art and Gardens

Glory loves art and gardens. Gardens like flower gardens, butterfly gardens, etc. 

Stargazing

She loves looking at the stars because the stars remind her of her family. 

Forest Exploring

She also loves roaming around the forest with Vivien and joking around with Merlin.

Dislike:

Spiders

Glory hates spiders due to her phobia that manifested at a young age. 

New People

Ever since her family's death and Marc’s betrayal, Glory seems to show distrust of new people due to her cautious nature. She doesn’t even like intruders and her garden being ruined or invaded.

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-Trivia-

With the amount of free times she have, gardening has become a hobby. She also knows a lot about wild flower and barries, along with flower language. She’s also good in making flower crown in shot amount of time.

She’s a late bloomer in her Starborne power, unlike her Sundrop Healing which she master, making her the healer of the group.

Being a descendant of Mother Gothel, Glory was worry that she would follow her bloody trial in history. That’s why she chose the peaceful ways in combat, with words instead of violence.

[arjsstuff]

Memories with Pkyek

My introduction to Pyaar Ki Ye Ek Kahani or PKYEK as we all called it started with the amazing introduction promos I watched several times on star one. I remember watching one of the trailers of PKYEK on star one when I was in 5th grade which is almost 11 years back. I was casually switching channels and I saw this ad, mysterious, the tone of the ad was pretty dark, a curly haired girl and a blue eyed guy and he saves her from getting hit by a car. It was strangely so beautiful and the words “math aao mere kareeb, aag hu main jal jaogi” was clearly stuck in my head and this was a promo a week before the serial released.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM1Cq62uJcY

I think the serial was scheduled to air from 18th October 2010 which was 2 days before my birthday and although I decided I have to watch this I could not watch it for some reason and I forgot about this serial. One day in class my bench mate and then close friend started talking to me about this serial and I immediately told her how much I loved the promo and she asked me to watch the episodes at 8:30 and if I missed it she also told me the re-broadcast timings which was sometime in the evening. I was like yeah sure since she strongly recommended it to me I would definitely watch it. So I was almost 7-8 episodes late and the first episode I watched was Abhay-Piya's first dance and the first scene I watched was Haseena telling Abhay to control himself on their party night near a small bridge kind of place and then the dance followed. 

OMG I must tell how it was one of the best dances I had ever seen on TV serial, it was so magical, especially the way they both were so lost in each other’s eyes and he ensured her torn dress wasn’t visible to anyone and also they danced on to kuch khaas hai song which was such a great song and it ended with the signature Mahiyaa tune. It instantly got me hooked to and I watched it religiously every day. My mom did not want me to watch teen romance Hindi TV serial so I literally had to change channels to Hungama every time she came to the hall XD. Since PKYEK was such a phenomena at school I made so many friends and the best part about pkyek is wherever I went after school for example junior college, Uni, my cousins friends etc all became my friends because of how we all watched pkyek LOL. 

Anyway so I got my really studious friend Z into watching it and she was this person who never watched TV but once she say Abhay she was hopelessly in love with that guy. I cringe when I think we all went through this in 5th grade, I mean how were we all swooning over him like proper teenagers. Anyway one day she went to the library and found his picture on some magazine and she told me and I literally ran to the library to get a hold of it but there were so many people already holding it and finally I got a glimpse of Abhay Raichand’s photo and a short interview by Vivian D'sena. I think she started getting so addicted to pkyek that her mom did not like it and she sometimes called me n my landline to talk about it lol. One day there was this class in school where we weren’t supposed to talk so her and I wrote whatever we had to talk on my notebook along with my friend D and the full chat was about Z, D and me swooning over Abhay, while letting A have Abhay and us mostly us teasing her with him. The chats were extremely funny so I tore them from my book and gave it to my senior in my school bus to read it, and when her stop came, before she got down she handed over the papers to me. I think my bad luck was super great that day and my bus teacher, who was this very this strict language teacher who 7-8th grade students caught her passing the papers onto me and asked me to hand it over to her. I immediately put them into my bag and tried tearing them into pieces while she kept screaming to hand it over to her. In the end I had to hand over one part of the chat which was quite dangerous considering we were only 5th graders going crazy about an actor and talking like late teens but I managed to save the dangerous part in my bag. This ***** ma’am read it and literally told me that she would hand it over to my school’s head teacher and she did that the very next day. Why can’t teachers get a life? 

Anyway the next day I came to class and told everyone about this and my extra sweet friends told me not to worry about it. In between an afternoon class, the peon came and called Z first, we thought maybe she got called for some extra circular activity, but when the peon came again and called me I knew I was dead. I went into the head teacher's room and she had almost got screwed and I was next in line and I somehow told even D was a part of this convo and even she got called. The other girls in my class were actually worried cuz they knew what was happening. And later head teacher screwed all of us and I guess Z cried on her way to class and then the head teacher let me and D go to class but we were so shameless, after getting a earful we could not stop laughing and literally lmaoed in the corridor before entering the class. This whole thing kind of strained my friendship with Z, and we weren’t the best of friends anymore but D and I still stuck close.

My school had this weird system where there was a girls and boys corridor and the girl’s corridor was pretty cool since it was on the left side and was closer to the trees while the right corridor used by guys was where the teachers entered the class from. So in these corridors we always role played and for some reason I was always Abhay even though I wanted to be Piya (I’m guessing it was because Of my short hair and being an serious faced person generally) and a lot of my friends were Piya and this friend of mine who was crazy about guys was called tracker and my friend D was Misha and we used to randomly dance to songs and recall the dialogues from the previous episodes, do the remoe juliet skit from pkyek and all sorts of things.

The background music on Pkyek is seriously so legendary and is among one of my favourite bgm tracks for a hindi serial. I would personally rate it number one and it had been my ringtone for 3 years. I tried looking for the Mahiyaa singer and the official song but I could not find it anywhere and mostly found only the recorded copies played in the serial. In my school bus I had seniors who I was very very close to because of pkyek and we always sung the background music, it’s so funny how we knew all the background music from pkyek by heart and remembered it perfectly and were in sync. I started singing this usually in my class as well and my friends hummed along.

Times of India and this other newspaper which I can’t recall had this section where TV channel broadcast programs were listed every day and this tiny picture from random TV shows was displayed on top of it. Whenever there was a pkyek picture all our friends used to literally fight over a picture that was probably 1*1 cms, very very tiny and even the quality wasn’t great but if you opened my pencil pouch on any random day you would find at least 10-15 of them LOL (I’ve lost all of them now).

found this from https://thereandtheir.wordpress.com/tag/indian-tv-serial/ the tv listing was similar but it was a bit different

I already mentioned how strict my mom was back then so I had to watch the re broadcast since I couldn’t watch the episodes fully at 8:30 PM. I had to wake up around midnight or early morning to watch it. I remember my parent’s thinking I sleep walked because my parents found me in hall instead of my room on odd mornings. It was quite the life with the box TV since I had to sit so close to it and the volume had to be on 1 or 2 since I could not wakeup people at home while watching it. One of the benefits of waking up early to watch this was also that I could see the newest promos on TV and I was always the first one in class to tell what the new promos were about. I remember telling my friends some of the coolest Pkyek promos like the vampire reveal one which in my opinion is still the best promo for a Hindi TV serial (I think Parvati introduction promo for Mahadev on Lifeok is a close second) and the promo where Abhay bites her and many more. I remember revealing this to my friends and my friends rushing home and switching on star one and waiting for the promos to appear and calling me to tell how amazing those promo were.

I remember how this one time I went to my senior A's house and we created fake Ouija board to call spirits. So we called her dead grandmother's spirit and she asked if the creepy guy in her class who was obsessed with her would stop annoying her and I immediately remembered the pkyek scene where Panchi asks maithli on the Ouija board if Danish would ever get punished. I don't know who's idea it was to play with it but it certainly had to do something with pkyek.

Those were really the fun times of my life. Pkyek is and will always be the most memorable serial for me. It’s not like we can expect great cg and VFX for a vampire serial and it in no way could be another vampire dairy or twilight (not to forget EK produced it) but the story and the writing was really amazing. I was a huge sucker for Abhay-Piyas chemistry and the supporting cast were literally the best!

[saedii-gilwraeth-simp]

Arsinoe&Billy 4 🤗🤗

This one was fun. Also the child of forced Heterosexuality™ was fun to write!

Teacher/Single Parent AU

Arsinoe has to say, that of all the students she teaches, the one who is simultaneously her favourite and also her least favourite was Mary Chatworth. The young blonde girl was bright and as sharp as a whip but also seemed to be the most pissed at the world and questioned every single thing any authority figure said to her. Which was fine with Arsinoe (she remembers being seventeen and traumatised) but made it extraordinarily difficult for her to teach the course content on time. 

But, she wasn’t going to call Mary’s parents. Getting a young women in trouble for wanting knowledge wasn’t her style.

Which was why she was surprised when she got a phone call from Mary’s father. He had simply requested a meeting with her and that was that.

He was waiting by the office building and turned to her when she approached. She was almost thrown off balance for a second as he watched her approach with his deep hazel eyes. Still, she remained professional and reached a hander out.

“Hi, you must be William. I’m Arsinoe, Mary’s legal studies teacher,” she says as he takes her hand a shakes. His hand is warm and smooth and he flashes her a blinding white smile.

“Just Billy is fine. Only my mother calls me William. Shall we?” He says with a warm voice and gestures for them to go. She nods and lets him fall into step with her.

“So, I was surprised to hear from you. I saw no reason to contact you regarding Mary so I have to ask why you wished to speak to me?” She asks, turning into her classroom and taking a seat at on of the desks. Billy sits across from her with a sigh.

“I got a call from a Mr. Arron saying her behaviour was unacceptable and I should ask any of Mary’s other teachers and they would say the same thing. You’re her favourite teacher so I was hoping you could enlighten me to her behaviour. I’m really worried about her lately…,” he trails off and she shoots him a confused look. He catches it and sighs again, running a hand through his clean cut blonde hair, “her mum and I split up amicably when she was younger but lately she’s not reacting well to Christine’s partner. I really am hoping Mr. Arron is wrong,” he says nervously and Arsinoe laughs.

“Don’t tell him I said this, because I have to see him at family lunch on Saturdays, but Arron is wrong most of the time. Mary is fine, she wants knowledge and asks a lot of questions, which can make it hard to move onto the next topic, but one should never fault a student, especially a young woman, for wanting to learn more. Arron’s just a tool,” she says with a smile. Billy laughs quietly.

“And you’re related to Arron? Who you just called a tool?”

“He and my sister drunkenly eloped years ago, I still haven’t forgiven him for not inviting me,” she shrugs. He laughs again, gentle lines forming around his eyes.  “Oh and feel free to tell him you talked to me when you go see him. I have the power of making him sleep on the couch whenever I want so…,” they laughed again.

“Well, I might go see him now,” Billy says standing. Arsinoe stands with him and shakes his hand. “I’ll make sure to pass on your information to him. Thank you for being so gracious with Mary, she really does enjoy your classes,” he goes to walk away and she is almost sad to see him go until he turns back to her and seems to pause as if considering what to say. Finally, he seems to work it out. “Feel free to say no, but would you like to go to dinner with me sometime? As a date?”

Arsinoe doesn’t let her happy surprise show on her face and instead moves to her desk at the back of the room, grabbing a pen and a slip of paper.

“I would like that. Here’s my number,” she scrawls it quickly and hands it off to him. “Have fun telling Pietyr he’s wrong.”

~

It seems that no-one in her family realised that Mary Chatworth noticed everything, even with her head in a book. She knew that her mum liked women before her new step-mother came into the picture, she knew her grandmother became less of a bigot after her grandfather died.

And she knew her dad was seeing someone new, and it was going well, considering he had been going on dates with obviously the same person for the last 6 months. Which led her to her current predicament. She was spying.

She had been steadily following her dad in traffic, staying two cars back so he didn’t notice she was following. Eventually he dropped his car off with a valet at a fancy restaurant - too fancy for her to have ever been taken to. Still, she gets lucky when her dad is seated in front of the window. He orders something with the server and waits, so she waits.

Her phone dings and she looks over at it.

Message from Mum: How’s the stakeout going? Also, will you be home in time for dinner?

She texts back, Boring, Dad’s still waiting, and probably not but could you put a plate in the microwave in case?

Message from Mum: Will do. Also, tell me if she looks interesting so I can tease Billy about it later. Love you

She snorts and throws her phone down on the passenger seat, watching her dad in the restaurant again. Finally, she sees him smile and stand, kissing a woman who approaches him. She is as tall as him with dark hair chopped around her chin and when they pull away Mary is stunned.

“Holy fucking shit,” she whispers to the empty car before lifting her phone and snapping a photo, sending it off to her Instagram group chat.

Somehow the HBIC (MChat) to Mary is the only Responsible One™: Are y’all seeing what I’m seeing?

Evil Twin Uno to Mary is the only Responsible One™: is that your dad on a date with ms. queen? holy shit bro

Evil Twin Dos to Mary is the only Responsible One™: crap dude are you okay?

Self-proclaimed Dingus to Mary is the only Responsible One™: that’s somewhere between oof and yikes

Viv with no nickname to Mary is the only Responsible One™: babe if you wanna come get high with me to forget that image, feel free to come over.

Mary scoffed at that. If there was one thing she would not be doing tonight, it was getting high. Her step-mother had the nose of a drug-sniffing dog.

Somehow the HBIC (MChat) to Mary is the only Responsible One™: I’ll keep that in mind. Maybe tomorrow night when I’m staying at dad’s

Everyone’s debatable favourite to Mary is the only Responsible One™: yeah, get out of the house so your dad can spend spend quality time with you legal teacher *wink emoji*

Somehow the HBIC (MChat) to Mary is the only Responsible One™: I hate you

Everyone’s debatable favourite to Mary is the only Responsible One™: wait, you’re not at your dad’s tonight. Stick around and see if they leave together

Somehow the HBIC (MChat) to Mary is the only Responsible One™: ew ew ew ew ew ew fuck you fuck everyone. 

She threw her phone back onto the seat and continued to watch. She had to admit, it was kind of nice to see her dad smile like he was now. She was so used to see him stressed or disciplining her that even though he laughed, he didn’t smile as much as he was on this date.

She threw her head back and groaned. If it came down to her opinions about it and her dad being happy, she had to let her dad being happy, even with a woman who she saw everyday in class. 

Somehow the HBIC (MChat) to Viv with no nickname: If they leave together I’m coming to get high. I need an excuse to be at dad’s house tomorrow morning.

Viv with no nickname to Somehow the HBIC (MChat): I’ll save you a joint 

~

She wasn’t still high, but she still smelled undoubtedly like weed, which is why she went to her dad’s. Plus, she wanted to see whether Ms. Queen had stayed over. She let herself into the house and went straight to the kitchen. She really wanted peanut butter for some reason and she knew her dad loved that shit.

She grabs a spoon from a drawer and the peanut butter jar from the pantry and hops up on to the counter, crossing her legs and twisting the cap off.

She’s happily eating spoons of peanut butter on her kitchen bench when she hears her dad’s bedroom door swing open and footsteps that are definitely not her dad’s pad down the hall. She braces herself just as Ms. Queen comes into the kitchen and freezes. Mary looks over the teacher, wearing the dorkiest glasses, one of her dad’s sleep shirts and a pair of shorts.

They stare awkwardly at each other until the teacher rubs her nose and fixes her glasses.

“You look and smell like you spent the night getting high. Let me guess, Vivian?” Mary nods silently and Queen snorts. 

“Sorry, miss,” she says and Queen shudders.

“To start, I’m wearing one of your dad’s shirts, we’re at the point where you can call me Arsinoe and to finish, I don’t care, so long as you were doing anything to endanger yourself or anyone else. I’m not trying to be your mum, you already have enough of them, right?” Arsinoe says and grabs another spoon before pushing herself onto the counter. Mary offers her the peanut butter with a smile.

“My step-mum was super overbearing when it first became evident she would be around a while, so thanks, I guess,” Mary says, resting her head against the cupboard behind her. Arsinoe passes the peanut butter back.

“Well, I don’t know how long I’ll be around, but I really like your dad so I hope it’s a while. But I was seventeen once and I remember how much it sucked ass, so you don’t have to worry about me cramping your style,” Mary interrupts her with a snort and Arsinoe laughs, “wow I really sounded old then, huh?” Mary nodded.

“It’s fine. My mum still says tubular,” Mary says, meeting Arsinoe’s eyes for a beat and suddenly both were laughing.

“Ah, good to see you two getting along. What are you doing here kid? You’re meant to be at your mum’s,” Billy says as he enters the kitchen.

“I, uh, may have gone and smoked with Viv last night and you know what Denise is like,” she shrugged and her dad pursed his lips at her.

“I don’t approve of you getting high but I am glad you were honest about it and that you came someplace you feel safe. Now go text your mum you’re alright and sleep it off, please?” He says. Mary passed Arsinoe the peanut butter and hopped off of the counter, hugging her dad.

“Arsinoe can stay, she’s chill,” she compliments. Her dad smiles happily before ruffling her hair and sending her off to her room.

Send me a number and I’ll write a fic

[papermoonloveslucy]

HARPO MARX

November 23, 1888

Harpo Marx  was born Adolph Marx in New York City. He was the second of five brothers: Julius (Groucho), Milton (Gummo), Leonard (Chico), and Herbert (Zeppo). He quit school after kindergarten to help support his family by taking a job as a delivery boy. His musical talent was developed by learning to play his grandmother’s harp. In 1922, he and his brothers left vaudeville to perform on Broadway, and soon landed in Hollywood.  

In contrast to the mainly verbal comedy of his brothers, Harpo's comic style was visual. Harpo never spoke on screen and was usually seen in a fright wig, battered top hat, and wearing a trench coat. He often blew a horn or whistled to communicate.  

Although he found success on stage, his film career had a shaky start. The first film he did with his brothers in 1921 was never released. In his second film four years later, he appeared without his brothers and actually spoke, although it was a silent movie so his line was written in subtitles!  

His first film success came in 1929 with his brothers. The Coconuts was filmed on a New York stage while they performed in Animal Crackers (which was filmed in 1930) in the evenings. Followed by Horse Feathers (1932), Duck Soup (1933), A Night at the Opera (1935), A Day at the Races (1937), and Room Service (1938) - all now considered comedy classics. 

It was in Room Service that Harpo first worked with Lucille Ball. The plot revolves around the shenanigans of getting a stage play produced and funded by mysterious backer, while evading paying a large hotel bill.  Ball played Christine Marlowe, the actress who arranges for a backer to meet the brothers. 

This was the Marx Brothers’ only film for RKO and their only film not especialy written for them. It co-starred Ann Miller, who will also be seen with Lucy and Desi in Too Many Girls (1940).

Harpo was said to be Ball’s ‘favorite’ Marx Brother. Naturally, when Lucy and Desi were looking for guest stars for their Hollywood episodes of “I Love Lucy”, Harpo was on their wish list.  

The deal was eventually struck and Harpo was booked. The previous episode, “The Dancing Star” (S4;E27) featuring Van Johnson, was actually filmed after his episode, to be titled “Lucy and Harpo Marx” (S4;E28). It was filmed on March 24, 1955 and aired for the first time on May 9, 1955. 

In the episode, Lucy brags to Caroline Appleby that she will get to meet some genuine Hollywood celebrities during her visit to LA. Now she’s got to deliver. Stealing nearsighted Caroline’s eyeglasses and dressing up as some famous stars, she manages to fool her friend - until the real Harpo Marx shows up and  discovers Lucy dressed up as him.  

Just before the filming, Harpo suffered a heart attack and his doctors discouraged him from doing the show. Thankfully for TV comedy history, he ignored their wishes.

Harpo makes his first entrance poolside, where Ricky and Fred talk him into visiting their hotel room for Lucy.  In this scene, Harpo engages in some of his classic pantomime, even imitating Ricky singing “Babalu”! 

At the poolside are Lucy and Vivian’s stand-ins Hazel Pierce and Renita Reachi, who often appeared on camera in crowd scenes. 

When the real Harpo Marx enters the room instead of Lucy, one wonders if Ethel is as near-sighted as Caroline. She is face to face with the world famous comic and can’t see that it isn’t her close-friend Lucy in a mask! 

The centerpiece of the episode is the now classic mirror sequence.  The routine was first performed by Groucho in Duck Soup (1933).  The concept of the mirror scene did not originate in this film. Max Linder included it in Seven Years Bad Luck (1921). Charlie Chaplin used a similar joke in The Floorwalker (1916), although it didn’t involve a mirror. This routine has been recreated many times in all forms of entertainment media. 

Lucille Ball insisted on lots of rehearsal while Harpo was inclined to improvise, so the routine had to be re-filmed after the studio audience left to get it right.  

The final version was actually several takes edited together. 

Harpo plays “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” on the harp, an arrangement done by his son Billy. Bill Marx later wrote about his experiences working with his dad in his memoir Son of Harpo Speaks, sharing memories of Harpo and Lucille Ball recreating the Marx Brothers’ famous mirror scene:

“I was 18 years old at the time. Dad said, ‘We’re going to do an ‘I Love Lucy’ episode. I want you to write something for me to play on the show.’ I had this summer job at Desilu as a page or an usher, because they shot all these shows before a live audience. They had me as an usher for this episode, and at the same time, I was continuing on as I had since I was 12 years old, as my dad’s prop man. I went back and forth, doing both those jobs at the time. I was there for the entire week of rehearsals, which were really most fascinating.”

The final fade out involves Fred and Ricky dressed as Chico and Groucho while Lucy and Harpo perform the famous pile on embrace. The real Harpo comes out on top!  

After the final take of the mirror routine was done, Harpo remained behind and played the harp for the cast and crew while Vivian Vance sang. Shortly after the episode aired, Harpo had another heart attack but survived for another nine years. The episode was his final screen appearance with Lucille Ball.  

His final screen appearance was playing himself on an October 1962 episode of the television version of the 1939 film “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington”  starring Fess Parker.  Six months later, Lucy Carmichael went to Washington in an episode of “The Lucy Show.”  Like this episode of “Mr. Smith”, it also featured an actor imitating the voice of John F. Kennedy off screen. 

Marx was married to Susan Fleming from 1936 until his death on September 28, 1964, dying at the age of 75 from complications following heart surgery.   They had four children. 

“When you lose something irreplaceable, you don't mourn for the thing you lost. You mourn for yourself.” ~ Harpo Marx

On May 19, 2017, CBS aired this episode and “The Dancing Star” (S4;E27) colorized as “I Love Lucy: Superstar Special”. The episode was edited for television, removing much of Harpo’s harp solo, in addition to other moments.     

The episode was issued on various VHS tapes and is also on DVD and available to stream.   

In a 2005 episode of “The Gilmore Girls” the characters talk about this episode, and also reference “Don Juan is Shelved” and “Don Juan and the Starlets.”

[d-criss-news]

What would have happened if diversity was introduced in the Golden Age of Hollywood? While we will never actually know, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan attempt to answer the question in their Netflix limited series, Hollywood, which is like a What If…? comic book about Hollywood in the 1940s. The series takes real people like Rock Hudson, Anna May Wong, and Vivian Leigh and combines them with fictionalized aspiring actors and filmmakers who are willing to do whatever it takes to make Hollywood look at every person as equal, no matter their race or sexual orientation. Also, unlike some of Murphy’s previous projects like American Horror Storyor American Crime Story, Hollywood has an upbeat and optimistic tone which works really well with the time period and material.

With the series arriving next week, I recently landed an extended interview with Murphy and he revealed why he wanted to tell this version of the Golden Age of Hollywood. He explained:

“I was not interested in making a biopic. I was not interested in doing a Wikipedia of Rock Hudson about, who did he know? How did he know them? Did he know Vivian Leigh? Was he aware of who Vivian Leigh was? Did he know who Tallulah Bankhead was? What I wanted to do is sort of an alternative universe look at it. In my universe, looking at these people, some things are the same and some things are very different. I want to make it clear to people that it is not a biopic approach to people’s lives. There are some things we kept very true, obviously, and there are some things that we changed.”

When I asked about where the idea came from, he revealed:

“It’s just something I’ve been working on for years, but it started because I was sort of raised by my grandmother and she was very much an old movie buff. The Golden Era Age was her obsession because she was born in 1913. And so I grew up with her and she would expose me to a lot of movies, but more so she would expose me to a lot of books about movies.

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with three people and they were Rock Hudson and Anna May Wong and Hattie McDaniel. And I never really understood why I think until I was older. I think I just saw a lot of sadness in them. They weren’t able to be who they wanted to be and express who they wanted to express. And they were really a sad part of Hollywood history and a cautionary tale.

I was always kind of thinking, even after Feud, ‘Well, what can I do with these three people?’ And I didn’t really have the right… I didn’t know. After Versace, I had a dinner with Darren Criss and we were talking about that Hollywood gas station and how interesting it was. And I was never interested in the sexuality of it really, or the sordidness of it. What I was interested in was the rather sad, upsetting idea that people had to go there to be who they were and to be able to express who they were.

Suddenly, I was like, ‘Oh, this makes sense. I can put all of these interests, this buried history idea into one thing.’ But as I told Darren… Darren and I had just finished doing Versace and I had pretty much finished the writing, I think, of Ratched, so I was interested in doing something upbeat and optimistic that sort of had a happy ending quality to it, which I’ve done not very often in my career.

Then everything just took off. Once I sort of figured out, okay, how do I put all of these things that I’ve been interested in in a while? But that’s common for me. I was doing American Horror Story. It took me five years to figure out that first season, and I like it when things come to you slowly.”

While the entertainment business is attempting to do better about representation and diversity, everyone in town could learn from Ryan Murphy. If you’re not aware, Murphy created the Half Foundation, which works very hard to create equal opportunities for women and minorities behind the camera. In addition, Murphy created the Half Director Mentorship Program which pairs directors on every Murphy television production with “emerging women and minority directors through pre-production and post-production.”

This is an incredible achievement and one of the reasons I’m such a fan of Murphy’s work.

When I spoke to him about what he’s done to champion minority voices and diversity, I was pretty effusive with my praise and asked him to talk about how it happened. He went on to say:

“Well, thank you for saying that. I mean, it’s just from… what happened to me was everything in my life collided, literally, and that I had had enough success and enough really big hits. By the way, all of them, I was told, every single time I had a hit, I was told it would not be a hit. For example, nobody thought Glee would work except for a few of us. Nobody thought American Horror Story would work. Nobody thought The Normal Heart would work. Nobody thought OJ would work. I was used to, ‘No, I believe in this.’ And I had a lot of lovely people who controlled the purse strings in my life who said, ‘Okay, well you’ve had enough successful, we’ll bet on you.’

With that came, green light power and final edit power, but I realized that I had failed miserably. I remember, around this time of 2015, when I started directing, I remember that feeling of I was the only gay person in a set of 400 people, and it was my television show. Everybody was white, male and in their 50s. I just sort of decided, you know what, I’m going to change my own company and I’m just going to have very strict hiring rules.

I created something called the Half Foundation, where I demand that 50% of all of our shows are directed by women. I love championing people like Janet Mock, and helping her move through the system and helping her make her dreams come true. And asking her, she worked on Hollywood, ‘What do you think?’ And she had a lot to say, and she had a lot to say about how the writing should be changed, that we should do this with the Camille character, and think about this.

Once I got to a place where I was empowered, I’ve tried to empower other people. I think that more than even the things that I’m making is the legacy that I’m the most proud of. And I’m very, very aware of it because I look around town and I’m like, ‘Where are the projects that are… ‘ We still don’t have enough of them. We still don’t have enough. We don’t have enough Ava Duvernays and we don’t have enough Steven Canals. We need to have more people like that, who are pushing their stories through the system. More Janet Mocks. Whenever I can step in and help, that’s what I’m the most excited about now.”

Again, everyone in Hollywood should be looking at what Ryan Murphy has done and asking themselves how they can contribute.

Hollywood debuts on May 1st on Netflix and stars David Corenswet as Jack, Darren Crissas Raymond, Jeremy Pope as Archie, Laura Harrier as Camille, Samara Weaving as Claire, Dylan McDermott as Ernie, Holland Taylor as Ellen Kincaid, Patti LuPone as Avis, Jim Parsons as Henry Willson, Jake Picking as Rock Hudson, Joe Mantello as Dick, and Maude Apatow as Henrietta.

[stcriestcld]

Monday Malarkey

@ivakir​ asked: 🎭 : Is roleplaying/writing a way to cope when things get rough irl?; ⌚ : When in the day do you feel you do your best writing?; ➳ : When creating OCs, what do you typically start with first? (i.e. appearance, name, a theme, etc.)

@southern-belle-outcasts​ asked: ➳ : When creating OCs, what do you typically start with first? (i.e. appearance, name, a theme, etc.)

🎭 : Is roleplaying/writing a way to cope when things get rough irl?

Yes and no.  That is, it’s a fantastic way for me to cope... when I can manage to actually write, which I have a hard enough time with when things aren’t rough.  I wish it were a better coping mechanism, because historically writing/rping has been a way for me to escape when things are bad.  It’s how my OC Vivian was born.  But the act of actually writing is anywhere from immensely difficult to absolutely impossible at the very time when I want need to do it the most.

⌚ : When in the day do you feel you do your best writing?

Usually evening into late night - sometimes, if I’m having an easy enough time of actually writing, into early morning.  ADHD brain likes nighttime.  

Duvessa saw her rp debut during a summer when I basically became entirely nocturnal - rping all night long and going to sleep as my parents and grandmother were waking up.  My mother used to say if I started taking the vampire thing any more seriously she was going to get concerned, because all that was left was the part about drinking blood.

Joke’s on her, most of my vampires can go out in the daytime.

➳ : When creating OCs, what do you typically start with first? (i.e. appearance, name, a theme, etc.)

A concept.  The exception being Duvessa, who started out as me being a petty bitch and writing a story where a character who was 100% except in name my ex fell helplessly in love with a character who was 100% totally not me, nope, see, she’s good with people and talented athletically and fashionable and also a vampire so she can’t possibly be me.  (Believe me, if you knew the whole clusterfuck that was my first relationship and its fallout and are also an overdramatic teenager it makes perfect sense.)

But Duvessa aside, my OCs tend to begin as concepts.  Victoria was “what if Bucky had a girlfriend who heard him hitting on Peggy, who she incidentally worked with/was friends with?”.  Dylan actually started as a BJD concept that never saw light - a super-tatted, body-mod aficionado who was incidentally a vampire and could just slice off or heal up any tat or mod they were bored with.  Shadow was inspired by the concept of this artwork by Ursula Vernon (pretty much everything but the fact that she’s a demon has been thrown in the trash and replaced over the last 18 years).  Vivian (not on this blog) began as the concept “what if someone were as miserable as I am right now?” and seeing how at the time I was suffering from some pretty nasty withdrawal because my insurance fucked me over with my meds and had been watching Avengers  literally non-stop, a bipolar autistic insomniac SHIELD agent forced to go without her meds was born.  Chloe’s another one whose original concept - a hacker who ‘hacked’ their way into the shadow world trying to solve some uber-l33t puzzle has been discarded, but what I built off of it has remained.  (I don’t know how I went from |_|b3r-l33t h4XX0r to therapist to the supernatural.  I honest to gods have no fucking clue how my brain went from point A to point 17.  It will be a mystery for the rest of my life.)  Shae, who I’ve since retired, was “hey, Isten is mentioned in American Gods and the show’s coming out so why not dig up a character from Hungarian folklore and use my cultural upbringing which is in fact perfect because I, at only 2nd generation American have already lost large parts of that culture including the language which means I am in a way the embodiment of the whole battle between old gods and new”.

I suppose the other way I used to start is with a piece of art - days nights wandering through Elfwood spawned, oh gods, so many OCs.  Most of which I’ve abandoned entirely, pretty much keeping only Estelle, Madi, and Nirae as NPCs in Shadow’s life.

[strawberrysunrisewitches]

Amara Profile

template made by @hogwartsmysterystory​

Identity

Name: Amara Jade Caplan-Shields

Gender:Female

Birth Date:4 January 1999

Species: Human

Blood Status: Half-Blood

Sexuality: Bisexual

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Ethnicity: Vietnamese African-American

Nationality: British-American

Residence: North Yorkshire, England?

Myer Briggs Personality Type: ENFP-A / Campaigner

The Mage

Wand: Black Walnut 11” ¾ Swedish Short-Snout horn

Animagus: Maine Coon cat with a dragon mark on the stomach (was made an animagus by Chaotic Official Aunty Lucia)

Misc Magical Abilities: N/A

Boggart Form: Her sisters dead surrounded by thestrals 

Riddikulus Form: Her parents in clown suits

Amortentia: (What do they smell like?) Cherries, bbq smoke, morning dew, 

Amortentia: (What do they smell?):Honey, Lavender, Roses, chocolate, cinnamon on whipped cream 

Patronus: Swedish Short-Snout

Patronus Memory: Getting to hold Layla for the first time

Mirror of Erised: Her adult self as the CoMC professor

Specialized/Favourite Spells:

Reducio(Because carrying a giant blanket is no fun)

Draconifors (Cause she likes dragons)

Accio (Don’t want to lose a shrunken blanket)

Incendio (Good way to get warm and roast marshmallows)

Diffindo (Cut a blood supremacist time is always with this spell)

Appearance

Faceclaim: Hailee Steinfeld

Height: 4’6(Year 1), 5’9(Year 7)

Weight: 156 lbs(by year 7)

Physique: Well muscled (thanks Quidditch) but quite curvy

Eye Colour: Hazel

Hair Colour: Very Dark Brown

Skin Tone: Light Tan

Body Modifications: Two studs on both ears, when she is 15 she gets the tips of her hair dyed green to match her Mama

she gets multiple tattoos when she is older; 

Going down her right side from just below her chest to her thigh is a dragon with wisps of red fire placed around various parts of it(16)

Between her shoulder blades is a tattoo of two wyverns one red and one blue forming a heart with their bodies with the name of her significant other in it whoever that may be (17)

Wrapping around her left arm are four pink flowers with blue magic swirling down their stalks from a blue butterfly(17) 

On her stomach. She has a tattoo of a white and blue snowy owl with six blue and purple flowers on the wings, three on each one.(18)

Scarring:Scar going vertically down the middle of her right eye

Inventory: (what do they carry on them?) Wand, hair ribbon, stetson, magical creatures books, butterfly book, five person blanket, a hot water bottle in a butterfly cover

Fashion: Amara is always wearing at least two layers of clothing, preferring warmth over fashion; merino wool clothing is her immediate go to for anything; hoodies, sweatshirts you name it if there is a version made of merino wool she will like it. If there’s no merino wool then she will settle for polyprop clothes but never wears skirts or dresses, she is also never seen without her green hair ribbon given by her Mumma or stetson from her Mama

Allegiances 

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Ilvermorny House: Thunderbird

Affiliations/Organizations:

Hogwarts

Slytherin

Prefects

Professions: CoMC Professor(Future)

Hogwarts Information

Class Proficiencies:

Astronomy: D

Charms: O

DADA: E

Flying: O

Herbology:A 

History of Magic:O

Potions: A

Transfiguration: O

Electives:

CoMC O

Magical Theory E

Music E

Quidditch: Beater

Extra Curricular: Magical Creatures Club

Favourite Professors: Hagrid

This should be obvious why she likes Hagrid but it’s solely because of his teaching style allowing the students to get up close and personal with the creatures to understand them better and learn how they act in an environment they are comfortable in.  

Least Favourite Professors:Professor Sinistra

Amara dislikes Professor SInistra due to the fact that Astronomy requires them to stay up past midnight when its cold and Amara hates the cold due to its effect on her and how she isn’t allowed to wrap herself in her big blanket in class

Relationships

Sisters:

Reyna Andrea Caplan-Shields(Rara) @cursed-ice-spirits​

Halfblood

Hufflepuff

Two years older

Brown hair, tan skin,  hazel eyes

Amara looks up to Reyna and will seek her guidance for problems that she believes her parents cannot help with but does wish Reyna will take a break from everything she does every day for her sanity’s sake. Amara would do anything for Reyna if it meant she’s safe and healthy even take a curse for her.  

Layla Ida Caplan-Shields

Halfblood

Hufflepuff

Two years younger 

Brown hair, tan skin, and blue eyes

Amara is very protective of Layla and would prefer she let her fight her battles for her but will relent if Amara can see it’s something Layla truly believes in and wants to fight for it, despite this protectiveness Amara knows Layla is a better dueler than her but it’s hard to remember that when Layla is in a situation where she could get hurt. 

Mother 1:Lauren Karina Caplan-Shields(Mama)

Half-Blood

Gryffindor 

Brown hair, dark tan skin, and hazel eyes 

Out of all of her parents, Amara is closest to Lauren and is the first one she will confide in when it comes to any problems that she has. It is because of Lauren that Amara first wanted to become the CoMC professor of Hogwarts. Lauren is always willing to tell Amara about the new species of creatures that aren’t in books and of course the obsession with butterflies came from Lauren.

Mother 2: Rebecca Vivian Caplan-Shields(Mumma) @cursed-ice-spirits​

Pureblood

Hufflepuff

Black hair, light tan skin, and hazel eyes

Rebecca loves Amara as much as she loves the rest of her daughters although they might not be as close as Rebecca and Reyna. She likes showing her how to care for creatures since she knows that Amara wants to be the COMC Professor when she’s older

Father: Diego Caplan-Shields(Papa)

Halfblood 

Hufflepuff 

Brown hair, tan skin, and dark hazel eyes

Despite not actually being biologically related, Diego and Amara are very close, he taught her to stand up for her friends and what she believes in no matter whoever or whatever she is facing. Diego also instilled a love of music in her that she will never lose.

Love Interest: *shrug*

Best Friends: Grace Winger

Rival: *Shrug*

Enemy: ALL BLOOD SUPREMACISTS

Dormmates: 

Grace Winger

Roxanna Firahel

Pets:

Nieve, her snowy owl, big fan of sitting on heads and not a fan of bird cages at all. Very bitey if you try to put her in one

Cici, a wolf that lives in the Forbidden Forest that Amara nursed back to health when it was injured which eventually is adopted by Amara when she graduates

Closest Canon Friends: TBD

Closest MC Friends:

Alaire Whitecross @hogwartsmysterystory​

Alissa Firahel

Amaranth Winger @thecursedvaultchild​

Grace Winger @thecursedvaultchild​

Hannah FIrahel

Penelope Auraine

Rebecca Firahel 

Rhett Winger @thecursedvaultchild​

Roxanna Firahel

Selene Firahel

Background/History

When Amara was about 9 years old, she escaped her parents watch and wandered around a nearby forest where she came upon a couple called Henry and Michelle Auraine who were attacked by some wolves which they were able to kill but not before Michelle died and Henry close to it, Amara was able to comfort Henry in his final moments assuring he will see his wife again. This event gave her the ability to see thestrals which unfortunately instilled in her a fear of thestrals

In her first year Amara befriended Penelope Auraine, the daughter of Henry and Michelle. the two became quick friends despite being in different houses

In her third year, Penelope fell into the Black Lake and didn’t know how to swim, only problem was it was winter so if Amara went to rescue her she would very quickly get hypothermia. Amara didn’t even hesitate and jumped in hoping to be quick enough to rescue her. She was able to do so thanks to quidditch but just barely before she fainted from hypothermia, she was of course saved but it was very close 

It was also in her third year that Reyna collapsed from the demon afflicting her which increased Amara’s worry for Reyna and desire to ensure Reyna relaxes for once in her life.

In her fifth year, Amara became prefect and started trying to get rid of any and all traces of blood supremacy she can find

In her seventh year is when Amara comes upon Cici and nurses her back to health

After Hogwarts Amara became the professor of CoMC once Hagrid retired but before he did, she worked at Lauren’s magical creatures zoo for awhile 

Personality

Amara is the complete opposite of the stereotypical Slytherin, she's emotional, very empathetic, loyal to a fault and very smart but at the same time she uses everything she has at her disposal to accomplish her goals whether that be schoolwork or shutting up pureblood supremacists it matters not to her. She is also a absolute 100% mess when it comes to romance and it's very obvious to everyone including herself when she has a crush on someone

Misc

Her scar was from when she fell while holding scissors with the blade facing upwards when she was young

She’s very susceptible to the cold to the point that she can get hypothermic much more faster than normal people hence her carrying the big blanket and hot water bottle with her most of the time

Is VERY cuddly to her friends and family and will very quickly doze off when doing so, and you are not allowed to move because it's the law

She wakes up early to watch the sunrise with Lauren along with some hot chocolate and her blanket to keep warm in the morning air

Her first name means Everlasting and Her middle name is from her late grandmother, Eliza Jade Shields

She is fluent in English and Spanish

Her side tattoo looks like this, her dragon heart tattoo looks like this, her arm tattoo looks like this and her stomach is this

Generally puts her hair up in the same way as Lauren

Is a bit obsessed with butterflies

Knows how to play the guitar and drums

[angeltriestoblog]

I figured out what I want to do with my life! And made a vision board!

It came to me in a flash, really. One minute, I was watching a handpainted narration of the life and death of one of the greatest painters of all time, and next thing you know, I've abandoned it completely and started furiously typing away at my laptop about what I envisioned myself to be in five years' time. And I know I've had my fair share of false alarms in life: I thought I had what it takes to be a lawyer after seeing Legally Blonde for the first time while on my way to a school field trip, and seriously considered pursuing a career as a fashion blogger or MTV VJ because I was kind of fed up with school.

But this one just makes sense. Advising and assisting clients in producing content, collaterals, and campaigns according to their business objectives and based on collected data! It marries my love for writing, my knack for snooping around (the academic term is research!), and the specialty in technology and management my university ensures I'll have at the end of my four-year degree. i have yet to see how it’ll allow me to give back to society since that’s also a factor I want to consider in looking for a dream job but I’ll make it work. I found it hard to sleep that night, thanks to this nerdy, giddy kind of adrenaline rush I had. I broke down this big idea into smaller and smaller action steps until all I had left was a refined list of ideas and intentions, and a splitting headache.

I needed to make sure I was constantly reminded of their existence so all my choices and decisions would serve as a step closer to reaching all of them. So I caved in to the wishes of the "law of attraction" side of the Internet, and created my very own vision board! Simply put, this act of visualization is a powerful technique that can be used to manifest desires and reach goals. Our subconscious minds mainly recognize symbols and images: by merely looking at our vision boards everyday, subliminal messages are being sent to our brains, which will encourage them to work tirelessly to achieve the statements we are feeding to them. I can't find any explanation for this that's less abstract but since many people seem to swear on it and I have a lot of free time and printer ink, I figured why not, right?

It was convenient that I had this small corkboard from Daiso already stuck to one corner of my bedroom wall with several layers of double-sided tape. It used to be a year-long calendar of birthdays but I realized that I've never referred to it and often have to rely on either Facebook reminders or stock knowledge--there is no in between. All I had to do was to look at my list of goals, and compile photos that correspond to each of them, cut them up and arrange them in an aesthetically pleasing manner. You'll see below that I lacked the stereotypical luxury car and beachfront mansion with a walk-in closet and that's because I decided to focus on my goals for the next five years so it looks even a little bit more achievable.  

Here's the finished product, along with explanations for each picture, to make this how-to more personal and to also hold myself accountable.

 Make my girl Jenna Rink and everybody at Poise proud by writing for a magazine | I had listed a specific one at the time, and if you follow me on Twitter and Instagram, you already know what it is and how this endeavor turned out - but on this blog, I'll shroud it in a little cloud of mystery for now and talk about it more in a future post. I'm very happy producing content for this space of mine and have no intention of stopping any time soon. But at the same time I know that I'd be missing out if I didn't take the chance to be part of a community that leads me to like-minded individuals, allows me to grow even more in my craft, and "gives creators a space to speak their minds and push the limits of their artistry, without imposing any restrictions or expectations", as I stated in my application form.

 Be active in three organizations next school year | (I had to blur one of them out because I'm not a member yet and I don't want to jinx it.) I know it's bold of me to assume that we'll be returning to school any time soon, but if we are ever lucky enough, I want to outdo myself when it comes to the orgs I'm a part of. I have been a good follower throughout my first two years of college but now I believe it's my time to try my hand at leading a group of people and being more involved in the conceptualization and execution of projects.

 Go on a trip to Europe | Not even just a specific group of countries anymore (I used to be a France, Italy, Spain supremacist)--I mean the entire continent! (But then again, with its rich history and culture, picturesque tourist spots, diverse cuisines... even the sheer adrenaline rush that comes with being in a land completely different from the one you come from, how could anyone not want to go?

 and 12. Get the job of my dreams | I actually nicked these photos from the website of a cooperative I want to work for once I graduate from college. I know that I can't plan out the rest of my career trajectory as early as now: things are bound to change at some point, but I hope that I stay in a field that combines creativity and business strategy to craft campaigns, create meaningful content, and market solutions to brands.

 Expand my network | I acknowledge how knowing people who know people who know people can open windows of opportunities that I wouldn't have been able to have anywhere else. But I also look forward to building genuine connections with people from all sorts of industries. Talking to the same circle of friends can sometimes feel like you're trapped in an echo chamber: there is certainly much to learn from others' viewpoints.

 Volunteer to teach kids | I don't think the written word could have changed my life as much as it did, had it not been for the presence of English teachers who believed in the power of the language to shape the minds of the youth. I guess this is just me trying to give back and help the next generation express their ideas and bring them to life by channeling my inner John Keating.

 Maintain a clean workspace that is conducive to productivity | Especially during these days, I spend a solid 18 out of 24 hours sat at my desk, trying my best to make magic happen. It's very important that I keep it a constant and active source of inspiration, free from any distractions, and at the right level of comfort. Although it's not as minimalist as I hoped it would be and my table is about an inch too high for my liking, I'm still pretty satisfied!

 Document memories consistently, be it through a physical or online journal | Speaking of clearing out my room, I recently found around 20 notebooks I had filled up over the years. Though maintaining them must have been such a hassle especially as I got older and reading through them was a distraction from completing the task at hand, I am thankful I painstakingly chronicled everything going on in my life and kept them in good condition. Seeing the goals I had set for myself all those years ago and how I achieved most of them without making a conscious effort has inspired me to do my older self a favor by putting in the work now so she can reap the rewards. (While I'm on this note, can anyone recommend a good app for journaling? I keep all my current entries in my Mac's Notes app because even though I am more of an analog person, I seemed to have lost the patience and persistence required to keep a physical journal. But at the same time, I'm scared of my laptop suddenly cr*shing and wiping out everything I had stored)

 Stay focused on my work always | I didn't know how to show this without having to spell it out in words so I Photoshopped my face onto the head of a woman working in a cafe because those who study in coffee shops along Katip always look like they're getting stuff done.

 Keep learning about the world even when I'm outside of the classroom | And this is not limited to frequenting the nearby museum, although that does sound like a great idea right now. This could also mean attending seminars, workshops, and talks, buying books and binge-watching documentaries or YouTube videos about a topic that I find interesting, engaging in discourse with someone (plus points if they have a different viewpoint!)

 Write my own book | Before I even found out that humans were destined to pick a career and work until they died, I already knew that I wanted to spend my days as a writer. Specifically, I wanted to see my name on the cover of a book: By Angel Martinez. (Please refer to the 4:32 of this video and look at how far this dream actually goes back.) But once I realized that I wanted to enter the world of business, I thought I would have to give this up altogether. Thankfully, I now know that one's ability to get published is not reliant on their career--I mean, even beauty gurus get book deals these days. I'm not really sure what it's going to be about but I'd honestly be down for anything: even if it's just a compilation of my best entries on this blog.

13. Go all out when I take myself on self-care dates | I'm talking about picnics at the beach, with a basket full of fruits, a posh looking hat, and a good piece of classic literature! Or fancy dinners for one complete with as many glasses of red wine as I can down! People watching at Downtown Disneyland like my paternal grandmother in hand, with a plastic bag of souvenirs on one hand and a cream cheese pretzel on the other! (The possibilities are endless and I'm already mapping most of them out.)

14. Be financially stable enough to re-enact that one scene in Pretty Woman where Vivian Ward struts down the streets of Beverly Hills in a chic white dress and black hat, an endless number of shopping bags in tow | The part where I humiliate a sales lady who snubbed me the day before because she didn't think I could afford what she was selling by saying, "You work on commission, right? That's right. Big mistake, big, huge." is entirely optional.

I also included some two inspirational sayings that were originally laptop wallpapers from The Everygirl. I feel like they perfectly sum up the attitude I want to have as I forge my own path and accomplish everything I have set out for myself. If I was somehow able to convince you that this activity serves as the perfect springboard for all your dreams and aspirations, here are a couple of tips that could hopefully help you make yours!

Be ready for some intense introspection | Though it may look like a simple arts and crafts activity at the surface, making an effective vision board simply cannot be achieved if you're not willing to do some much needed reflection and watch it balloon into a full-on existential crisis. Identify which areas of your life are most important to you and how you would like to see them evolve over a period of time.

Specificity is key | The trick is to make your goals as concrete as possible, then translate them into visual elements. I know some people who wanted to get into particular universities, who have Photoshopped their names onto acceptance letters and pinned those to their corkboards. As stupid as that may sound in retrospect, I reckon it's an elaborate way of claiming something that's right within your reach.

Design it any way you want | Don't feel pressured to make it look like it's worthy to be on someone else's Pinterest because that's exactly how you lose sight of why you're doing it in the first place. The only person your final output has to resonate with is you.

Don't get discouraged | Although a vision board can attract positive energy and manifest your intentions to the universe, one thing it isn't capable of doing is granting your wishes in an instant. Don't be upset if what you have cut out and stuck on has yet to happen: I truly believe in the saying that the more you look for something, the more it seems to avoid you. Instead, continue to work hard and focus on the progress that you have already made.

Have you made a vision board of your own already? How has it turned out, and how many of the things you had put up have come true? I know you may be a complete stranger from the other side of the world but I'd be happy to hear from you anyway! Wishing you love and light always, especially during trying times such as this. Wash your hands, pray for our frontliners, and check your privilege!