#that’s not a reason to skip out on your first daughter/granddaughters birthday.

[richieshusband]

me, joking to my science teacher: yeah when I graduate I’m going to a homeless shelter

science teacher, who knows that my mom has been threatening to send me to homeless shelters, kicking me out on the streets, and sending me to a mental hospital ever since I was like 5 years old: Remy that’s really disrespectful to your parents I’m sure they love you

[guinevereweepy]

Hi Bye, Mama!

*With spoilers 

Mama. The whole drama revolved around this important character of our lives, mother. From the first episode to the very last, it was all about the decisions made by mothers, the actions made by mothers, that created this 16-episodes long drama. And they are not talked about much enough.

My favourite of all the main mothers is no doubt Minjeong. I've talked about what I wanted to say in my first review blog but I still feel that I have more.

A strong woman who willingly gave up her life for her crush, her love for Ganghwa, to a broken man and a motherless child who wasn't hers to begin with. She did her very best to not let Seowoo grow up in a broken family, and not let Ganghwa live on his life alone.

My favourite episode of hers is definitely episode 10; your place where I cannot reach. This title applied to both the mothers, Minjeong and Yuri. For Minjeong, we saw that ever since she opened her eyes in her daily life, it was Seowoo. Everything was Seowoo. She wasn't even able to have a proper cup of coffee; before she could, Seowoo was already crying for attention.

While taking Seowoo to the daycare, Minjeong was dressed sloppily; her hair messily tied up, her clothes un-tucked, and just a baggy pair of pants enough to keep her from the cold. Whereas the other mothers were nicely dressed up with makeup and everything else. She gave up even herself, for a child that wasn't hers. It's motherly instinct, and she gave Seowoo everything she needs from a mother.

Beginning, as I said, I felt that Ganghwa married Minjeong just so Seowoo could grow up in a complete family, but it turned out that Ganghwa did love Minjeong, but not as much as Yuri and he was very much broken. As for Minjeong, yes she does love him, much more than he loves her. But as we saw that Minjeong sent Seowoo to all kinds of lessons and as those lessons took up lots of Seowoo's time, Minjeong was left with no time to play with her. And I just felt, Minjeong was just purely fulfilling her normal motherly duties without going the extra miles to let Seowoo have a good time.

In that episode, as her monologue said, she thought all her effort will be able to move things to the way she wanted, but with her sloppy looks, as she walked away from the daycare after dropping Seowoo off, those nasty mothers were gossipping about her as they commented saying Seowoo doesn't look like her, and that she is just a stepmom. Just like what Minjeong said, is stepmom not a mom too? The name "stepmom" has the word "mom" too. What makes a stepmom no less than other moms?

Just cause she didn't go through the 10 months of having the baby in her? Just cause she didn't go through the pain of labour? Just cause she didn't go through the process of giving birth? She raised Seowoo up as her own, not making her any less than other children.

She had her divorce paper ready, as she felt locked out from Ganghwa's broken heart. She tried her best to let herself in, to help him treat his wounds. But as she said, she felt that she is in a home that had been bombed, and treating those cracks tired her.

The reason she said when Hyunjong asked her why did she stop her divorce, was that she loves Ganghwa too much. I doubt that was just it. Shortly after her divorce paper was ready, she took Seowoo to test for her growing process, which turned out to be slower than other children her age. Her motherly instinct probably stopped her from leaving this broken family. Quoting Yuri's words, she held onto the cactus Yuri created and didn't even realize she was bleeding herself.

She tried to care for her own wounds, but she put Seowoo first, she put this broken family that had been hurting her first. She just wanted Ganghwa to open that room in his heart, that he kept closed for her, even if he was willing to open to anyone else. Her, his wife. She didn't want to help to treat his wounds, she just wanted him to open up to her.

He finally was honest with his thoughts in front of her once, but that was after Minjeong learned about everything regarding Yuri. "Why are we having this conversation only now?" Even after knowing Yuri was going to leave, she wanted to carry on with her divorce. I'm grateful that she didn't in the end, be it because she felt it wasn't right to, or she wanted to protect what Yuri left behind.

Minjeong wasn't angry that Ganghwa and Yuri lied to her. Yes, it was too much for her to take in. One of the people in the world whom she treated as a best friend, is the biological supposedly-dead mom of the child she is raising. Who wouldn't be shocked? Though I felt that she shouldn't be the only one kept in the dark about the truth, she deserved to know just like everyone else.

Minjeong was sad, that she was going to loss a friend when Yuri was leaving. Even after Yuri told her about the truth, she asked if Yuri could just stay. If Yuri did stay, it meant that Minjeong will lose everything to her, everything she had for the last 5 years. Even if Minjeong was ready to give them up, Yuri having to leave means Minjeong could have them all back. But no, Minjeong didn't show any signs of happiness that Yuri was leaving, she wanted Yuri to stay. She cherished her so as a friend, she felt comfortable with someone else other than Ganghwa and Seowoo.

Minjeong, the kind-hearted angel sent from above to bless Seowoo and Ganghwa. Upon knowing Yuri's mom had been watching Seowoo from afar at the playground, she would bring Seowoo to that exact same location when Yuri's mom was there, just so Yuri's mom could take a look at her granddaughter. No conversation was needed; just two moms, each knowing each other's thoughts and feelings.

Thank goodness she was Seowoo's mom and Ganghwa's wife. She is too nice, too nice to be mean to. How could anyone want to hurt her? Just as Yuri said, even if she was greedy and would want her place back, how can she do it when the place was taken by Minjeong? She saw everything that Minjeong did for her Seowoo, she was grateful for it, and that 49 days was enough for her.

When Minjeong told Ganghwa that she will be leaving him, she was being considerate again that it tore my heart into pieces. She knew Ganghwa would want Yuri to get her place back so she could live. She herself would want Yuri to live too. But she knows Ganghwa won't be able to ask her to leave, so she did herself. It definitely broke her heart that Ganghwa didn't stop her when she said she'll leave, it just proved to her that she can never replace Yuri. She knows, Ganghwa knows, but this scene made it more obvious.

When I started this drama I thought to myself, if it's a happy ending, someone will not be included in this happy ending. I was greedy to wish for everyone to be in because, who is there not to love? But we all know, that is impossible.

And I am so glad that Minjeong was included. She deserved it, to be loved and to love.

Yuri's mom, Jeon Eunsook. This actress was one of the main reason why I wanted to watch this drama. Every role she played in any dramas was amazing. And I knew this drama would be too with her as a cast, and it didn't prove me wrong.

The first time we saw her in the drama was when Yuri's family went to offer their prayers on her death anniversary, which cruelly coincided with Seowoo's birthday, and of course Ganghwa wouldn't be there to offer his prayers to remind himself of the pain he had been through, and was still going through.

As Yuri's family was cleaning up, Yuri's dad started crying again at Yuri's photo, which received criticism from her mom. But the next moment, Yuri's mom was in the toilet, sobbing to herself. I think that was enough for a half-bucket of tears?

As Ms Mi Dong quoted, "a woman who lost her husband is called a widow, a man who lost his wife is called a widower, and a kid who lost their parents is called an orphan, but there's no words to describe a parent who lost their kid. It's because there's no word to describe it, describe the excruciating pain." Can we imagine how much pain Yuri's mom went through? Just like the quote I used in my first blog, "I had her for 10 months, raised her for 30 years, and it's only going to take me 3 years to let her go?"

We all probably thought that she was going to the temple everyday to pray for her daughter's peace. But no, she prayed so hard just so she could see her daughter once again. She sobbed, saying she missed her daughter so, she just wanted to see her once again. She kept everything in Yuri's room as they were, just so she could feel that Yuri was really alive once. When she said that she remembered everything about Yuri, but one day she suddenly couldn't remember Yuri's voice, Yuri tried comforting her by saying voice is the first thing that human forgets. But we all know, that wouldn't be able to bring much comfort to Yuri's mom, as forgetting something about her child would scare her lots.

Yuri's 49 days as a human happened because of her, and I couldn't love this reason much more. When Yuri cried saying that her return was like a punishment and that it brought sorrow to the people around her, she forgot that how happy her own family was. How happy her mom was to have her back. The 49 days was said to be a gift to Yuri, but it was also a gift to Yuri's mom who prayed desperately for it.

Cha Yuri, the main lead of this drama. Everyone have talked much about her so I'll just skip to the ending and my own thoughts about it.

Hi *Bye*, Mama! I wasn't very surprised that she was going to leave. But I would've been mad that Yuri would leave just like that, just cause she felt that there's no place for her anymore.

In the beginning, yes it felt that it would've been possible for her to get her place back. And when she finally said what she thought, that she wants to live, Ms Mi Dong just said, you've finally let it out, you've held it long enough. Yuri didn't want to express what she felt because it would hurt everyone she cared for; Ganghwa, Minjeong, Seowoo.

But upon knowing her life would be exchanged for her daughter's life, she instantly decided to leave. She found a life much more precious that her own; the life that she created with her own flesh and blood, her own daughter. She was willing to give up her own life just so her daughter would be able to live on in peace.

I love this painful plot twist. It isn't unnecessary, it drew a beautiful fullstop to this painful drama. Of course, a mother's sacrifice would be used as the ending. It just showed that there was no difference between Yuri and Minjeong; they both are mothers to Seowoo, and they both made sacrifices for their daughter.

[nikkzwrites]

Yesterday Once More | Dark Fix-It Fic Series | Chapter 12

A/N: This fic is one that I started with my OC because honestly, I personally didn’t like how season 3 ended. So I am rewriting all of Dark with my OC Annalise Dahlheim. I hope you all like it. Some things will be expanded more on just for more depth to Dark that season 3 kinda skipped over so…. yeah.

CW: Canon Typical Triggers: Smoking, Sex, Language, Drugs, Drinking, Death, Violence, Suicide Mentions, Cutting, Violence.

Word Count:  6.9k

[First Chapter] [Previous Chapter] [Next Chapter]

“We have managed to stabilize the God Particle and the resulting mass,” Claudia’s recorded voice echoed through the empty power plant, “In a stable state, it seems to create a kind of portal which allows for time travel. If the matter is supplied with sufficient voltage, it can be kept in a stable state in the long term. Sending objects through the stabilized matter has already proven possible.” Jonas stared at the swirling dark mass before him as the recording continued, “A generator has to supply sufficient AC current for that. Even after lengthy observation, we’re not sure what the energy source of the unstable matter is. Measurements indicate there is no form of energy loss.” Jonas looked down at his sheet as he continued to work on the machines trying to make a portal for him to go back home. “It appears to be a type of self sustaining recursive system.” Jonas stood back and threw the switch. Frustratingly, the system still didn’t work as the prerecorded Claudia droned on, “The matter’s radiation levels exceed control values. Still no sign of decay has been observed. This is consistent with the laws of conservation of energy, yet contradicts the second law of thermodynamics. Moreover the matter seems to exist independent of external temperature, in solid, liquid, and gaseous states at once. And the molecules seem to be in a constant cycle.” Jonas tried once more. Only this time the machine actually powered up. The ball formed into a perfect sphere causing Jonas to start awestruck at the dropping sphere only for the power to stop. He turned around annoyed trying to find the source of the problem. There, the generator lacked the proper oil to continue.

The sun rose on the 22nd of June 1987. It was five days until the apocalypse. Mikkel shot up in his new bed. There on his wall was a picture of the Goonies. He squeezed his eyes closed and slowly opened them again to study the ‘Captain Future’ and ‘Nuclear Navigators’ comics scattered across his floor. He slowly pulled himself out of bed and shook his head. He could almost feel like Annalise was there. Like a phantom of her fleeting across his imagination. He slowly made his way downstairs where Ines was working on making a sandwich for him. 

“Hey, sleepyhead. We’re running a bit late today,” Ines commented. She packed his lunch into his bag. When she saw Mikkel just staring at her, she sighed and said, “Come on, everything will be fine. Just one more week and it’s summer vacation.”

Part of him wondered if this was what it was like for Jonas on his first day back to school. He sighed and recounted to Ines, “It’s my mother’s birthday today.” He longed to be there. He knew in his heart that had he been in his time, Magnus and Martha would be rushing around downstairs decorating as Ulrich swooped back into the house with the last of the needed icing for the Black Forest gâteau Annalise was making. His heart yearned to be on the counter kicking his legs as he stole some of the cherries that were going to decorate the top of the cake. As punishment, Annalise would place a bit of Ganache on the tip of his nose while licking the rest off her finger with a smile that lit up his dreams. Ulrich would then place a bit of the left over batter across her cheek using one of the spatulas that she had used to stir it and wink at his son as if he knew how much Mikkel loved her.

Ines slowly put down her keys and cupped the boy’s face, “You know what we said about that.” She tried to reason with Mikkel, “The past is the past…” She brushed his hair away from his face.

Mikkel nodded, “The now is now.” 

Ines caressed him before asking, “Shall we?” At Mikkel’s shrug, she stood up and told him, “Come on.” She led him outside so that he could go to school without any more talk or thoughts of his past life.

Claudia called through her house, “Regina! You’re going to be late!” She turned to Egon and told him, “The French delegation is visiting the plant. I just can’t do it.”

Egon shook his head and explained, “No problem. I don’t have anything else to do.”

Claudia stormed to try and find her daughter, “Regina!”

“I can really do this more often,” Egon told his daughter. When Claudia walked back Gretchen followed her. Something in the back of the man’s head tingled with familiarity. “Where did you find this little one,” he asked Regina. He scooped the dog up into his arms as Claudia stared at him in panic. “Looks like Gretchen,” he commented.

Claudia shook her head quickly lying, “Nonsense.” She took the dog from the confused man and called for her daughter once more, “Regina! Where are you?”

“Listen,” Egon confessed wavering, “I actually wanted to talk to you. There’s something I have to tell you.”

Regina, who was finally ready to go from straightening her hair, walked out right at that moment, “Hi, Grandpa. Can we go?” She was in a rush to go and she walked around with her head held high and a newer self confidence that could only be led back to her meeting the boy Aleksander.

“No need to say bye.” Claudia yelled, “No problem!” After hearing the door slam, she turned back to her father and asked, “You wanted to tell me something?”

Egon bit his lip and shook his head. He, then, nodded and told her, “Never mind. Alright. I will see you later.” He walked out following his granddaughter. 

At the police station in 2020, Charlotte stared at the picture of Noah and Sic Mundus. She turned it over to confirm that on the back it indeed still read, ‘8. January 1921. Sic Mundus Creatus Est.’ She looked up and rolled to her search engine on her work computer and typed in ‘Sic Mundus Creatus Est.’ When she searched it she came across the meaning, ‘Thus the world was created.’

Clausen walked into Charlotte’s office and informed her, “The interview with Mrs. Tiedemann. Already forgotten?”

Charlotte shook her head, “No. I thought you might do it alone after all.”

“Why,” Clausen raised his brow, “Do you have something better to do?”

Charlotte’s hands raised defensively, “No. I just wondered why we’re starting with Mrs. Tiedemann. She has no link to any of the missing people.”

Clausen sighed, “Everyone disappeared near the caves and the nuclear power plant grounds.” He walked in as he explained, “Your colleague Ulrich Nielsen’s brother disappeared in that area in 1986 as well. And then… There’s also the door in the caves leading right to the nuclear power plant.” He leaned over the desk and asked her, “How long have Aleksander Tiedemann and his wife been married?”

Charlotte furrowed her brow then shook her head looking at him, “I don’t exactly know. Regina was… in her mid twenties. Why?”

“Don’t you find it unusual,” He asked. 

Charlotte asked for clarification, “What?”

“That Aleksander Tiedemann took his wife’s name,” Clausen spoke. 

Charlotte shook her head, “No.”

“Shall we go,” He asked her again.

Charlotte, taking the hint, stood up and started to walk out. When Clausen didn’t make an immediate move she called to him and asked, “Are you coming?”

“Yes,” he called to her as he walked away still curious about what his colleague was trying to hide from him.

Elizabeth stared at her book that she got from her great grandfather’s old shop. She was completely absorbed in it that she nearly didn’t notice her sister standing up to go get the door. She was a bit confused because their parents weren’t supposed to be home yet.

Hearing the doorbell, Franziska stood up and walked to the door. She opened the door to reveal Magnus. Annoyed, she asked him, “Hey, where have you been?” He paced inside with the girl hot on his trail, “Why didn’t you call me back? I was trying to reach you the whole time.”

Magnus turned to her and scowled, “Last year, I know where you got the money.” He shook his head and quoted Bernadette, “ ‘Blow job 40 euros, anal 85. Kinky stuff costs extra?’ Who did you do it with, huh? Who did you blow in this damn shithole?” Franziska’s face contorted in confusion and hurt as Magnus continued, “Nothing has changed. Everyone lies. Everyone cheats.”

Franziska shook her head. Her face reddening from trying to hold back tears, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I followed you,” confessed Magnus, “I know who you get your money from.”

Franziska took a large breath and angrily asked, “So your first thought is that I prostitute myself?”

Sneering, Magnus replied, “What else?”

Franziska yelled at him, “I don’t sell my tits or ass! I sell hormone therapy prescriptions, you idiot! My father used to use them to pay for his visits. He stopped going and now I’m the new supplier.”

Magnus stared at her and shook his head, “Why do you do it?”

“I help her, she helps me,” Franziska shouted at him, “It’s that simple!” Magnus started to shake his head causing the girl to continue, “The secrets aren’t the problem, it’s the shit we all project onto others. I said it’s none of your fucking business, and it isn’t! I can’t believe you spied on me. How messed up are you?” She stormed past him to go back into the den to sit on the sofa. 

Magnus stared at her for a second before storming out the house.

The older Jonas watched as the girl started to cry in her sleep. He reached over to her and started to wipe her tears away. He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her pulling the girl on top of him. Her hair stuck to his beard as he kissed the top of her head once again. He held her closer as she started to thrash and scream.

Annalise was drowning in the void. It felt as if someone, or something, was dragging her down deep within the depths. Before, she was on a small makeshift raft with Bartosz, Magnus, Martha, Regina, and Aleksander, a storm hit causing her and Martha to be thrown overboard. But now she was in a deep, black void.  As she cried out, it only felt as though the dark liquid rushed into her mouth and lungs. Every turn she saw another cold, swollen, lifeless face there with her. Mikkel, Erik, Jonas, Ulrich, Yasin, Helge, her own father Lukas, and when she looked down, there smiling up at her, each holding an ankle was herself and David. Every fiber of her being was on fire, yet ice cold.

Jonas winced at her scratching at him as if she were a caged animal. He called to her, “Annalise, my love. Wake up.” He squeezed her a bit tighter in his arms, “Darling. Wake up.” 

Annalise shook awake. Her body convulsed as it coughed up air as if she was choking. Her eyes released more tears as she tried her best to breathe. She buried herself into the man’s neck and wrapped herself around him.

He slowly pulled her close to him and lifted them out of bed. He cradled her as he walked with her still crying into his shoulder. He cooed, “I know. I know. It’s okay. You’re safe now. You’re right here with me. Everything’s okay.” As he comforted her, she only responded by wrapping her arms around his neck tighter. He sauntered to his bag and wobbly bent down to place it on the chair so that he could grab a clean shirt out of it. After placing the clean shirt onto his arm, he slowly started to walk them to the shower. Jonas started it running. He whispered into her ear, “I’m going to slip if I keep holding you like this. Are you okay?” When he felt her nod, he placed her down gently and grabbed her face. He kissed right in the middle of her big puffy red eyes. Jonas told her, “It won’t take long okay?” He put his shirt in the sink.

Annalise nodded. She looked at his chest finally to see tiny red scrapes that seemed like claw marks. 

When Annalise reached to touch the scratches she gave him, Jonas turned from her and chuckled, “don’t worry about it.” He said, “As you can see, you have to do a lot more than that to hurt me. I have thick skin.”

Her lips trembled as she nodded and waited for him to be done before going in herself. She washed away the cold sweat off of her. She could feel him still there in the room with her, yet she just focused on the warm water carrying all the fear from her.

Jonas stared at her form hidden from him by the curtain. He didn’t want to leave her alone just in case. He knew what trauma did to people all too well. He turned to face himself in the mirror. He stared at his face wondering how, if things were different, would he still be the same. Would he still look like this? He tried to imagine what Annalise herself would look like. He only ever knew her at this age. Would she still love him if she were able to go past this?

Annalise slowly turned off the shower. She dried herself off and walked out. She noticed him looking distressed. She smiled gently at him, “Is there something wrong?”

He shook his head, “No. I’m sorry for worrying you.” He watched as she stole one of his old hoodies and slipped it on. A smile spread across his face. His heart was young and light once more. His eyes lit up. His troubles felt so far away seeing her in his clothes. He couldn’t believe he took all of this for granted so long ago.

Annalise gave him a hug and asked Jonas, “Should we head downstairs? Get some breakfast?” She kissed his hidden jaw.

Jonas nodded, “Yeah.” He watched as she walked into his room to place her phone to charge. He started his way downstairs after grabbing his suitcase. 

Hannah sat at the table looking at pictures of her son. She felt at a loss. He was here with them, yet her Jonas was off in the future. Annalise seemed to have moved on very quickly to this new Jonas that actually burned inside of her a bit. She placed the picture down when she heard his heavy steps go down the stairs.

Jonas silently placed his suitcase on the table and opened it up for his mother. He took out his time machine to show to her.

“What’s this,” Hannah asked.

Annalise answered from the stairs, “A time machine.” She walked down stairs and kissed Jonas’s cheek. She told him, “I’m going. I will see you later.” She pulled away from him after he gave her a small acknowledgement nod and walked towards the door.

Hannah looked back at Jonas, “Since when? You know what… Please continue.”

“This machine takes you 33 years into the past,” Jonas explained as he finished opening up the box, “and 33 years into the future.”

Hannah stood up and examined the box, “You’re both serious?”

Jonas stared at her then sighed, “I did it all wrong. I tried to keep a secret. The truth is, that is exactly what’s destroying us. The secrets. Mom, I know that sounds insane. That’s why I want you to see it for yourself. With your own eyes.”

“What do you mean,” Hannah asked her son.

Jonas whispered, “Dad’s secret.”

Mikkel walked up to the school. He zoned out for a second only to get shoulder checked by a black eyed Katharina who told him to, “Get out the way dork.”

Hannah stopped to look at him giving him a small smile before getting called back by her friend.

“Hannah, come on!” Katharina commanded. When Hannah hurried up to meet her, she asked, “What are you staring at?”

Mikkel sighed and turned away from the school to walk away.

Claudia power walked her way through the power plant with Gretchen in toe. Her heels clicked against the concrete floors.

Her assistant rushed to her and said, “Thank God you’re here. Someone’s waiting for you in your office. I didn’t know… It was about the dog. She says it’s hers.”

Claudia looked up at the woman in shock. She then walked into her office to see an older lady with long gray hair. The small poodle trotted up to the woman proving that Gretchen did indeed know who she was. 1986 Claudia looked at the woman and asked, “Is that your dog? I’m so sorry. She ran up to me. We called the shelter and no one reported her missing. And she resembles the dog I had as a kid.”

“Gretchen,” the older Claudia told her younger self.

Scared, the younger Claudia asked, “How do you know that?”

The older woman shrugged a bit with a playful look in her eye, “Because it’s my dog. Just like it’s yours.”

The younger Claudia took a step back realizing the full scope of what the older woman had said. Breathing hard, she asked, “Excuse me?”

“And the blood test results,” Egon asked the doctor, “So it’s already spread. To the hospital? This Friday? No. Yes, that should work. Don’t worry. I have someone. Yes.” He hung up the phone and slowly walked himself to his chair to sit and contemplate his life. Seeing Mads face in the newspaper reminded him of his missed appointment with Helge. He looked up knowing what he had to do.

“I know it’s hard to believe,” The older Claudia told her younger self, “But I remember.”

“What,” 1987 Claudia shook her head.

The older Claudia clarified, “this precise moment. Go to the blinds. Trust me.” She watched as her younger self followed her instruction then stated, “two people are sitting at their desks, Hermann and Kowaltschik. Our secretary will approach the desk on the right in a moment. She’ll fan her face on the way. Watch Kowaltschik. He’s about to drop his pen.”

Everything happened just as the older woman described causing Claudia to turn to her and ask, “How did you do that?”

“I experienced it all,” The older Claudia explained while holding the small poodle in her arms, “Everything you’ve ever experienced and everything you ever will. I am you. And I was told by me that you and I are the same person.”

Claudia shook her head, “That’s impossible.”

Her older self sighed and watched as she moved to sit back down again. “This is Gretchen,” The older self explained, “The day she ran into the cave. I was there waiting for her. She recognized me at once as if I hadn’t aged a second. I brought her to the other side so that you would find her. Some things have to happen as they always have.”

Claudia nodded, “The cave. The incident last summer. Something else happened after all!”

In 2053, Jonas walked through the empty foggy streets to grab some more fuel. He then set up a small music player in the school to distract everyone from what he was doing. The ghost form of Annalise danced around him with a smile on her face and an arm around her own waist as she twirled. She beckoned him to join her, Martha, and Bartosz in having fun. Bartosz was there with her dancing with her with one of his arms limp to the side as Martha sat on the desk with a hole in her heart bobbing her head to the music. He walked past their phantoms and grabbed his things to continue his work so that he could actually join them in their time rather than just seeing distant memories of them. Just on time, the patrol truck passed. The group hopped out to prepare their raid on the building. Jonas, then, jumped over the wall so that he could syphon its gas into his canister. He quickly ducked behind the wall scared out of his mind as the person guarding the tank had started to move over towards the side he was previously on. There beside him as he breathed quickly was a hazy form of Annalise. As if a memory of her sitting pressed a wall. Her breathing slow. Her eyes were closed helping him slowly close his eyes and calm his breathing so that he was less likely to be heard.

“Do you believe in ghosts,” The young Regina asked.

Aleksander replied, “What do you mean?”

Regina laughed, “The book we’re reading at school. It’s about ghosts and demons” They sat facing each other tangled up in the other’s legs. She continued, “that we inherit from our parents.” She lifted up their held hands and explained, “And...that you pass them on. Dark stuff. From generation to generation.”

Aleksander shrugged and shook his head, “Maybe.” His thumbs grazed the back of her palms. He chuckled and smirked, “I’m sure you inherited your mother’s best features.” He folded his arms so that her arms were even more intertwined with his.

“I didn’t know if she had any,” sighed Regina. 

“No,” the lovestruck boy teased.

Regina smiled as she shook her head, “You have no idea. She...She’s never around. And when she is, all she does is gripe about me.” Aleksander let out a large breath and started to trace his loved one’s scars on her wrist as she continued, “She has never once said, ‘I love you’ to me.”

Aleksander sighed. His eyes held her hostage as he told her, “I love you.” He held that moment between them before they both leaned forward to press their lips against their partner’s.

Clausen asked the older Regina, “How would you describe your relationship with Ulrich Nielsen?”

“I think it’s known that we have no relationship with the Nielsens,” the woman explained.

Clausen heckled, “Yet he showed up at your hotel the day before he disappeared. What did he want?” 

Charlotte stared at the box on the table as Regina explained, “He wanted to know what really happened in 1986. Because I was the last one… to see his brother alive.”

Clausen looked around the room and commented, “Your husband. How long has he lived in Winden?”

“Since 1986. Why do you ask,” asked Regina right back.

Clausen then asked, “Why did he take your last name?”

“What does one have to do with the other,” she asked while shaking her head.

Charlotte threw up her hands and started to act as if getting up, “If we are done here--”

Clausen shushed her and motioned for the  woman to stop. “There is still something,” He commented to his coworker. He turned towards Regina and asked, “Isn’t there?”

Regina nodded and said, “Last year, a stranger came to the hotel. Those are his things.” Charlotte nodded and opened the box as the other woman continued, “He wanted to rent a room. He looked like a homeless person. He paid cash. He left after a few days, but he wanted to keep the room. He never came back.” She watched as Charlotte started to spread out all of the older Jonas’s things across the table. Regina told Clausen, “These were all over his walls. As he was leaving he asked me to mail a package for him. ”

“To whom,” asked Clausen.

Regina took a baited breath and then told him, “Jonas Kahnwald.”

Annalise stared down at the lake beneath her. The stone ledge was the only thing keeping her from it’s depths. She swallowed down her anxiety and started to strip down. She hung her borrowed clothes on a tree branch. She walked a little away from the ledge, turned, then sprinted right off. As her feet left the hard ground, she performed a dive straight into the lake below her. Her eyes closed. Her heart beat faster than she ever knew it to beat.

Magnus happened to be passing by as he sulked in the forest. He saw Annalise run, then, jump into the water. He started to panic. The boy knew how she was about water and swimming. He threw off his shirt and pants hurrying to get into the water. “Annalise,” yelled the boy as he swam out towards where she had jumped.

Weightlessness was a melancholic memory. Annalise opened her eyes feeling herself submerged in the water. She needed to get deeper. She spread her legs much like a frog and forced them together propelling herself farther into the lake. Her hair flowed behind her as she tried to force her way into the darkness. She kept swimming down until she started to hear thrashing near the service of the water. She turned her head to see a pair of legs there. It wasn’t long until she saw Magnus dive down as well. He looked so scared. Annalise swam over to him and grabbed his shoulders.

Magnus flailed beneath the water looking for the girl. He couldn’t spot her until she grabbed onto his shoulders and turned him towards the surface once more. She pointed upwards indicating that they should go up to talk. He nodded and swam up after her. Once he was out of the water he watched her breathing deeply and screamed, “What the fucking hell?” He pushed his hair out of his face.

Annalise turned toward him, “What are you doing here Magnus?” She had finally caught her breath. Her eyes burned from trying to transition from water to air again causing her to repeatedly blink.

“What am I doing here,” He yelled at her, swimming them towards the rocky edge for them to sit, “What the hell were you thinking? That was so fucking stupid! What if I weren’t here?”

Annalise smiled at him as she pulled herself out the water and wrung out her hair. She giggled for a second and slyly commented, “I’d probably still be trying to see how far I could go.”

He growled at her, “You could have gotten seriously hurt.” He watched as she sprawled on top of the sun-warmed rock. As much as he hated to admit it, he felt a little proud seeing her so nonchalant about the water now. He ended up laying down next to her and asked, “But seriously, what made you do this?”

“Honestly,” Annalise sighed, “Everything is just so...crazy right now, that I might as well have done it, right?”

Magnus nodded, “Yeah. I know what you mean.”

The two lay there in the sun letting its heat dry them from the darkness they were once surrounded by. They were there in silence for several minutes before Annalise spoke up again, “You never told me why you were here.” With her eyes still closed absorbing the warmth of the light, she raised one of her eyebrows.

Magnus nodded with his closed as well, “Franziska and I got into it because of some dumbass thing I did.”

Annalise nodded, “Ah.”

Silence overcame the moment once again as they just tried to process their life. They both enjoyed being with each other not having to say anything at all sometimes. Their friendship allowing them to feel the passage of time and their responsibility to it without words. Magnus didn’t realize how much he was going to treasure this memory with her as his life would continue without having her physically being around him.

After a while, Annalise turned to her friend and asked, “Do you hate me?”

“Sometimes,” Magnus admitted, turning to look at her. He huffed and explained, “I sometimes think that you do actually know more about what happened to my father and brother, yet you are refusing to tell me or anyone. Then, I remember that you would never do that to us.” He lay back onto his back and stated, “You love us far too much to ever do anything like that.”

Annalise lay back down as well, “Yeah.”

The older Jonas led his mother through the Winden caves. He periodically looked back to make sure she was still there with him and not hurt. When they got to a large cavern within the space, he set up his machine.

“What is this,” Hannah asked the older version of her son. She breathed heavily and asked, “What are we doing here?”

“It’s safer to travel from here,” He explained to his mother. He knelt down and started to fiddle with the box to start up the machine. He looked up at his mother and told her, “I told you it would be easier to understand once you’ve seen it.”

Mikkel was walking his way back home on the outskirts of the woods just as the box in 2020 was powering up.

Stranger Jonas turned to his mother and told her, “Don’t be scared.” He held her shaking hand as they prepared to travel.

Mikkel continued his walk through the woods avoiding school. Then he heard it. The noise he recognized. He ran his way to the caves hoping to find his way home. He walked closer towards it only to be stopped by a man’s voice.

“Should you be in school,” asked Noah. He walked towards the boy as he continued to cut and eat his apple.

Mikkel looked at him, “I know you.” The boy said, “You were in the hospital.”

Noah strolled over to the boy and explained, “I like coming here. Special place. So...Why aren’t you in school?” When Mikkel didn’t reply, the man smiled, “I see. Sometimes we don’t really know where we’re supposed to be.” He pointed with his knife towards the caves and said, “But I wouldn’t go in there. It’s like a maze in there. Some have never returned.” Noah put away his knife and started to walk away.

“At the hospital,” Mikkel said to the man, “you said something. The thing about God and that he has a plan for everyone. But what if God has no idea what he’s doing? What if the plan is wrong? If God is mistaken?”

Noah shook his head, “God doesn’t make mistakes. Sometimes we have to have more faith that everything will be okay again.” He turned away and tossed the apple to the side as he walked away.

Egon smiled at Helge, “I’ve been wanting to come by for quite some time. Now that I’m retired, I have time.” Helge looked up at him then started to make his little nature soldiers once more. Egon continued, “I… Mads’ disappearance. I can’t stop thinking about it. On that day… you had a shift at the nuclear power plant. You said you took the country road home, but that’s a detour. Why didn’t you take the forest road?”

Helge slowly spoke, “He… He said… He can change everything. He can change the past, and the future.”

“Who said that,” asked Egon.

Helge replied, “The man with the stone.”

Egon asked, “But that was 33 years ago. What does that have to do with Mads?”

Helge took a deep breath, “But no one can change it. No one. Not even the White Devil.”

“The White Devil,” Egon asked, “You’ve said that before. Back then, as a child.” 

Helge started to work once more. He kept repeating to himself, “Tick-Tock. Tick-tock.”

The older Claudia stood in the cave with her younger self. She explained, “I would like you to trust in an idea that’s bigger than you. Bigger than any of us.” She started to unscrew a canister of the God Particle.

“What’s that,” the younger self asked.

Older Claudia explained, “This is humankind’s greatest discovery. And also its doom. It allows you to travel through time. Thirty three years back. Thirty three years forward. And it will take exactly 33 years for the cycle to be completed again. Until you are standing where I am standing now and accept your role in this never-ending dance, and every sacrifice it requires. In five days, everything will start over. You must stop Adam.”

The younger Claudia shook her head, “Who is Adam?”

“You don’t understand it yet,” She explained then took out some diagrams, “But you soon will.” She let the younger version of her take it then continued once more, “Until then, everything will happen as it always has. As it must.” She started up the machine allowing herself to back way, “In the end, life is just a collection of missed opportunities. You don’t have much more time with Regina. But if everything works out… she will live.” After that, she disappeared in a black sphere leaving Claudia alone in the cave.

Jonas trekked back to his secret place in the nuclear power plant. As soon as he crawled under. Silja and her group were there with guns pointed at him. Elizabeth walked out from the woods and the boy knew he was in trouble.

Charlotte drove and called Peter. She explained what she had learned to him in a panicked tone. She looked over to her grandfather’s book next to her then back onto the road. She started to break down with her husband asking, “Why did he never tell me who my parents really were?”

Jonas stood there with the noose around his neck and his feet and wrists bound. He glared out at Elisabeth as he shed a tear.

Silja translated for her once more, “You know the rules. Do you think they don’t apply to you?”

Elisabeth held her gun up at him then Jonas asked her, “Why are you lying to them? Why don’t you tell them what’s really in the dead zone?” She shot his leg causing the boy to cry out in pain. He yelled, “In five days, in my time, everybody is going to die! I have to stop that. There is no prophecy! The passage will never open. Your paradise does not exist! But behind the wall-”

Elisabeth had enough of his desperate pleas and kicked his stand from under him. Silja couldn’t even watch as she heard him choking. After a short while, Elisabeth shot the rope allowing the boy down from his hanging.

Egon sat at his home and answered his phone, “Hello? Egon here. Yes. Listen, in 1953 we arrested a man. What happened to him after 1953? He killed two kids back then. Then he abducted Helge Doppler. Yeah. I wanted to know what happened to him. Yes, I’ll hold.” He stared at the picture of Ulrich then when he heard a reply, “Yes? Okay, that’s the case. What? He’s still here? Where?” 

He then went to visit the mental hospital where Ulrich was staying. When the nurse led him to the man, he slowly approached. “Excuse me, please. You may not remember me anymore. My name is Egon Tiedemann. I arrested you 34 years ago.”

Ulrich turned towards him and said, “Egon Tiedemann.” He stood up and asked, “How could I ever forget you?”

“I…” Egon stumbled over his words, “I wanted… I have a few questions.”

Ulrich leaned over and sniffed the man. He then quoted in English, “‘My only aim is to take many lives. The more the better I feel.’”

Egon moved back, “I know that. You’ve said that before. What does it mean?”

Ulrich shook his head, “It means that you, you moron, still haven’t understood a thing.” He sat back down at his table, “But now you have to hurry. You don’t have much time left. I know when you die. It was in the paper.”

Egon moved closer to him, “I don’t understand.”

“No,” Ulrich told the man, “Of course you don’t. But maybe that is also your fate. To die as clueless as you were when you were born.” Ulrich laughed, “Everyone gets what they deserve.”

A storm brewed in Winden causing Mikkel to walk back home to an awaiting Ines. She sat at the table smoking. She ran to her son and asked, “Where have you been?” She held him and told the boy, “I was so worried.” She sniffled, “I called the school. They said you never showed up there. Did something happen?” When Mikkel didn’t reply, she looked down, “You know what? There are days it’s best to just forget. But… There’s no better comfort food than ‘Toast Hawaii.’ We always had it at home when I was little, with two maraschino cherries. And my dad used to dance like Elvis.” She put down the can of pineapples.

“Do you believe in God,” asked Mikkel.

Ines made a face. She remembered back to the handsome boy who made her interested in the church. His strong sense of will, right and wrong, and how his smile reminded her of a sunset. He always knew exactly what to say and could make her laugh even on her worst days. He would clown around and end up just hurting himself trying to make her smile, but he would always pop back up with a large goofy smile. He was like that with nearly everyone though. He was constantly making Helge feel better about himself. She remembered one time he really made her heart race though. They were helping the community kids learn how to dance. David was sitting out initially and was there to help demonstrate with the Pastor, but no one wanted to partner with her, so he walked over to her. He smiled oh so gently at her and held her close as they danced. He leaned down and in a low voice sang the song just for her, into her ear. After he pulled away, he, in a husky voice just loud enough for prying ears to hear and with a devious smirk, said, “Here’s looking at you, Kid.” He made her feel like the most desirable person in the room. It worked on everyone else too because boys stopped bullying her and girls started to be a bit nicer to her in school. In fact, the group of girls pulled her and Jana to cluck with the rest of them about the boys and question her about David. She started to go to church a lot more after that just to see the older boy. He would walk her and Jana home. After dropping Jana home first, he’d always leave her just like how he pulled away from her after dancing and adding a sweet chaste kiss where her forehead met her hair line. She could remember how lonely he looked walking away. As if, his happiness was simply a mask to make everyone else happy and there was some darkness lurking beneath the surface.

Ines looked at her son and nodded.

“Do you believe he has a plan for us,” Mikkel asked. 

Ines sighed. She thought back to David and her own life after trying to chase the feeling of what he left her...then the feeling of losing her birth son… She nodded once again, “I believe… he does. I believe, for example, that God saw to it that you came to me. And that his plan for me is to be there for you.” She smiled at the boy and rubbed his shoulders, “Right, let’s make ‘Toast Hawaii,’ okay?” She sniffled back tears, “Will you help me?”

Mikkel followed the woman and gave her a much needed hug to comfort the both of them.

In 2053, Jonas sat in his cage. He struggled with his leg and breathing. When he heard Silja, he backed himself more into the corner. His breath hitched as she pointed the gun at him. 

“Why didn’t she kill you,” She asked. She stared at him and asked, “Who are you really?” When he didn’t reply, she yelled, “Who are you?” Jonas stared at her debating for a second before she knocked off the lock and opened his cage. She told him, “I want you to show me. What’s really in the dead zone.”

Jonas agreed and they snuck into the dead zone as Charlotte in 2020 looked for answers of her parents. The older Hannah walked towards the 1987 version of her house. There in the window was Ines and Mikkel laughing. Ulrich looked out of his window as Egon looked over his files. The older Jonas held his mother as she realized her husband was Mikkel. Peter rushed to his wife’s side holding her knowing that she needed it. Annalise walked Magnus home and held him close as tears fell from her eyes. Jonas showed Silja the mass. Claudia trekked back to her house and dug up the time machine her older self left for her 33 years prior. 

Jonas put the gasoline into the generator and cranked the machine to life.

“What is that,” Silja asked.

Jonas said, “She said it’s a portal.”

“Who,” asked the girl.

Jonas explained, “I have tapes with a woman speaking on them. Her name is Claudia Tiedermann. I know none of this makes sense, but that may be the only way back home.” He pointed to it, “No clue if it works.” He turned the electrical on to see the blob turn into a sphere.

“You want to go in,” Silja tried to reason with the boy.

He turned to her and explained, “It doesn’t matter if I die inside of it or out here.” He walked his way to the sphere and slowly let his hand be consumed for a second. He took it out to see if it was okay. With that, he stepped in with the girl calling for him back in 2053.

[icariamusing]

CHARACTER BASICS

FACECLAIM: Saoirse Ronan

NAME: Larkspur Durham Fox

AGE: 27

BIRTHDAY: July 20, 1993

OCCUPATION: PhD Candidate in History at Icaria University / Freelance copywriter and Editor

HOMETOWN: Calgary, Alberta, Canada (although she has not lived there since she was twelve)

PETS: Red-eared slider turtles named Justin Turtleake and Alanis Tortoisette

POWERS

Manipulation in volume and origin point of the sound of the human voice in real time. While technically unvoiced consonants are not, well, voiced, she can take those along for the ride too. Unable to distort the contents of the speech (or scream, I guess), but can make them inaudible or painfully loud with perfect clarity. This ability does work on recorded voices, but has less effectiveness the more distortion is built into the audio. Lark has an odd tendency to slightly raise her own volume without thinking about it, but she’s also just loud without powers. Your guess is as good as hers when she’s using powers or just shouting. She would be better with her powers if she made a point of using them, but she has not tested them heavily outside of verbal conjecture. While she has never tried it, Lark considers her best offensive tactic to shift the origin point to within an opponent’s inner ear and amplify.. but she’s a pacifist, and does not like to think about it.

BIOGRAPHY

Lark came in two volumes: Loud and VERY LOUD. An intellectually brilliant radical anarchist, she was prone to protesting against Icaria’s government and for a different cause every week. Although she certainly spread awareness for some significant issue, not every cause Lark champions is noteworthy… or even logical. Whoever came within her radar will inevitably hear an earful. She could best be described as a gigantic nerd- particularly history- that knows a lot of stuff but lacks in common sense.

Her conception kicked off in a dramatic fashion. Diana Fox was a sixteen year old Canadian teenager when she attended her first protests (various feminist ones, mostly). After one of them, she met up with a strange guy who just seemed to get it who would debate her for fun. He (the god Zelus) was definitely too old for her, but she lied about her age, and ended up pregnant after a few trysts. Diana decided to keep the kid, but she most definitely wasn’t ready to be a mother. Thinking the name sounded cool, Diana named her daughter “Larkspur” after pretty flowers… and also she was kind of a punk who got a kick out of her kid being named after something poisonous. And that was about as much contribution as little Larkspur’s parents offered up in terms of upbringing for those early years. Gods weren’t about that sort of child-raising life, and Diana wanted to enjoy what remained of her adolescence.

Cecilia and Dale Fox stepped up, and raised their granddaughter. Larkspur adored her grandparents, even if they did not quite expect to have to raise a baby at their age. They were only in their late forties, but had not expected to deal with a grandchild while they were both still working. Cecilia’s job didn’t pay as well, so she took a few years off to be the primary caretaker for the little girl age four and preschool became an option. Larkspur frankly thought her name was embarrassing.  She was much happier to go by Lark in school, or even just Fox. Even though her mother could have cared less about books and learning, Lark took to school rather well. Rarely needing to study, Lark knocked out essays and reports without thinking too hard about it. Marks didn’t mean much to her, but she still skipped grade two and continued to excel academically.

When Lark was nine, Dale started to get sick, which inspired Diana to head back home. After moving back in, Diana tried to be more than a parent, but only when it was convenient. Lark saw right through her mother, and clung to her grandmother, or shut herself up in her room for a while. The only time that Lark felt really close to her mom was when she took her along to protests. Lark was absolutely arrested for protesting before, but it never resulted in any real convictions. Her mom is the one who’s actually seen prison time, which Lark always considered extremely cool. Diana and Dale could not be considered sterling examples of propriety, but they did not quite agree with the coolness level of any criminal activity. They always did their best to point the kids (i.e. Diana and Lark) in the right direction.

Not that long after returning home, Diana explained the mystery of Lark’s parentage to the family using print-outs of search results from Google. Even after doing some research on Zelus, Lark decided that her dad was terrible, and did not actively seek him out. Lark met her father once, and while he was less awful in person than she had expected, she still could not get over his poor judgment. Later in life, Lark would make a game out of ignoring him when he visited on Icaria. Anyway, Lark’s grandparents were the best parents that she could have asked for, and her mother… helped.

It devastated the family when Dale passed away when Lark was twelve, but Cecilia took it especially poorly.  When the opportunity came up, Cecilia accepted a job transfer opportunity with slightly better pay in the UK, where she was born (while technically she was from Northern Ireland, the job was in England where some family lived). Diana wanted to stay in Calgary, but Lark wanted to go with her grandmother. Making her first mature decision in a long time, Diana conceded, and applied for jobs overseas.

Lark had never been a popular child, and her ease of making friends did not suddenly improve after moving thousands of miles away. The person that she got on best with was Steffi, a recent transplant from Germany. Since Steffi did not seem to have any friends either, Lark latched on immediately. The mean comments did not exactly phase Lark (especially because the older girl didn’t seem to outright hate the idea of being friends). While they were very good friends, it still did not come up in conversation where they both settled on schools until acceptance time came. Heidelberg University’s History program was amazing, and Lark couldn’t turn down how reasonably priced German schools were. She casually-but-not-casually suggested that she and Steffi room together, and was pleasantly surprised to start the next year with a roommate that wanted to be friends. Their friendship was always odd and a little codependent, and Lark sometimes struggled to figure out whether her infatuation with Steffi was strongly platonic or a romantic crush. Whatever it was, Steffi apparently did not have any romantic feelings for her, and Lark wondered if that was for the best. After that graduation (Lark was 20 at the time), Lark and Steffi went to separate universities for graduate school, and largely lived separate lives apart from a few odd chance encounters. Lark even began to make more like-minded friends in her Musicology masters program at the University of Birmingham. The professors seemed not to hate her either; she was “a pleasure to have in class” but not the student with the highest grades.

After finishing off her masters, Lark stuck around Birmingham for a year. She wrote prolifically- scholarly writing for her own enjoyment, and copywriting professionally. The future seemed murky, but Lark assumed that she would head back into academia at some point. She had no plans of moving to Icaria until she got her heart figuratively ripped to shreds, and decided on a spontaneous move to Greece.

It had never seemed like a good idea to mention her demigod status until Lark and Steffi bumped into each other… on Icaria. Overjoyed to have her friend back, Lark suggested rooming together again, but this was shot down. She kept up her freelance positions, but she had a difficult experience filling her time. Eventually, she decided on starting up a PhD program in history at the local university (on the topic of music’s impact on ancient Greece). Unfortunately, Lark’s previous tendencies toward procrastination have not served her well without a short timeline to hide behind. The June 2021 deadline has haunted her ever since she started it up, but she leveraged many distractions.

lisa| she/her | 28 | pacific

[acuppellarp]

Welcome (again) to A Cup-pella, Wen! We’re excited to have you and Cora Anderson in the game! Please go through the checklist to make sure you’re ready to go and send in your account within the next 24 hours. 

OOC INFO

Name + pronouns: Wen + she/her Age: younger than some buildings Timezone: GMT+1 Ships: Cora/Bottoms, Cora/Happiness, Cora/The world outside the closet Anti-Ships: Cora/Forced

IC INFO

Full Name: Cordelia Rhiannon Anderson Face Claim: Natalie Dormer Age/Birthday: 29 / January 5, 1990 Occupation: Actress Personality: charming, charismatic, driven, ambitious, judgmental, proud, superficially outgoing but hermetic with her feelings. Hometown: Greenwich, CT Bio: The person that’s influenced Cora’s life the most is, undoubtedly, her mother. Which is remarkable considering she was only alive for the first three years of Cora’s life, and her daughter doesn’t really remember anything about her. But Morgan Anderson (Lady Morgan, technically) was Richard Anderson’s first love, and she was gone before she could do anything to tarnish his idealized image of her.

Carrying the legacy of a perfect woman is not exactly an easy task, but Cora had the good fortune to be mostly perfect just by virtue of winning the genetic lottery. She had her mother’s light blond hair and porcelain skin, and her father’s striking blue eyes. She was bright and outgoing, effortlessly charming, and - thanks to her father’s firm hand - perfectly polite even at only five years old. Which may have been the reason why her father’s second wife immediately fell in love with her and treated her like her own.

Her childhood was busy in a very structured way. She had classes at an exclusive and challenging private school, and a wide variety of extra-curriculars that for some reason she never got to choose. But the more Cora grew, the more she looked like a blue-eyed version of Morgan. So why wouldn’t she want to do exactly the same things her mother had loved?

Cora learned ballet and drama. She played polo and practiced fencing. She played the piano and tried not to fidget in her seat when her father took her to special father-daughter outings to listen to symphonic orchestras and watch famous ballet companies from all over the world. She always wondered why he didn’t take Blair instead. Blair loved music. But her father was never that concerned with Blair’s interests.

When she was fifteen, Cora traveled to Wales to spend the summer with her mother’s family, and learned there was a whole new set of expectations to fulfill on the other side of the pond. She didn’t just have to be perfect like her mother: she had to have the background to belong in the same circles Morgan used to thrive in.

At Benenden School, Cora quickly realized being at the top of the food pyramid in Connecticut meant next to nothing among the daughters and granddaughters of British peers and centuries-old family fortunes. Cora’s accent was wrong. Her posture was wrong. The way she carried herself, the people she knew and didn’t know, her father’s job, the things she’d worked so hard to learn at school - it was all wrong.

But Cordelia Anderson had been trained to be perfect. And that was exactly what she was going to be.

When Christmas break rolled around, she refused to go home to Connecticut. She went to her grandparents’ manor in Wales, sat her grandmother down, and asked her to teach her. Through the years, she’d learned to be malleable - to become whatever her father expected her to be - and now she wanted Lady Rhiannon to undo everything Cora had been molded to be, and start over from scratch.

By the start of the Spring Term, not even the teachers could tell she’d ever set foot in America. And now that she’d climbed up to the same level as the rest of the girls, all she had to do was charm her way to the top.

She finished school at 18, with her social calendar full to the brim with high society events, every academic achievement she could get her hands on, and an enthusiastic acceptance from Cambridge where she planned to study History. 

A call home was all it took to inform her she would be doing no such thing. She had an audition with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, where she would be studying drama - just like Morgan before her. Maybe her father would’ve let her go into History instead if she’d told him that was what she wanted, but he never asked, and she knew better than to tell.

Cora was a natural on stage, which she blamed on a lifetime of embodying the role of her father’s dream daughter. She soon became the most promising new talent in London’s theatrical circuit, and she was even invited to perform with a select few at one of the most important galas in the city. Everyone who was somebody was therem and among them, there was Leopold. Lord Leopold, technically. She didn’t feel much of anything towards him - good or bad - but her father liked him. He had contacts, Richard said, not only a title. He wanted Leopold for her.

Cora had been acting since she was three years old, and she’d read enough about love to know what a woman in love should feel. And even if she didn’t feel it herself, she acted like she did. Leopold, she figured, was pleasant enough. He was head over heels in love with her, and - as he constantly repeated - the only reason he hadn’t proposed yet was that she had to finish college first. And then law school. And then, of course, settle into her rightful place in politics next to his father. Cora was more than happy to wait.

While her boyfriend built the foundation of their future life together, as he liked to put it, Cora graduated from RADA and made her way to the big leagues at the Shakespeare Theatre Company. And for the first time, she thought she could really feel all those things women in love were supposed to feel. The butterflies, the heart skipping beats… she was in love with London and its stages, and London fell in love with her.

With several Olivier awards on her shelf and an undisputed seat among the West End’s current royalty, Broadway has set its sights on her. And though she’s declined several offers out of loyalty to the city that owns her heart, she’s now been offered the lead on the upcoming all-female version of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and she couldn’t say no.

Pets: None. She owns a couple of horses who live at her grandparents’ estate, but they’re not exactly pets. She’d love to have an Old English Sheepdog if she ever puts down roots somewhere.   Relationships:

Blair Anderson: Younger sister. They’re not close because Cora’s been in the UK since Blair was 9, but there’s no animosity on Cora’s part. Her sister is just virtually a stranger (though she’s definitely heard a lot about her from their father) so Cora doesn’t find relating to her particularly easy.

Bea Smith: They did a show together at the Shakespeare Theatre Company a few years back, and they’ve stayed in touch. Though Bea had a bit of a straight girl crush on Cora, Cora was completely oblivious. If she’d known she’d have been very flattered but not really surprised.

Jessi St. James: When Jessi was in London for her semester abroad in college, her class had a workshop experience with the Shakespeare Theatre Company and Cora was one of the professional actors who ran the lessons. They’ve stayed in touch through the years, and Cora is excited to see what’s been going on with Jess.

Serena Smythe: They went to the same prep school in Connecticut when they were kids. Their fathers are acquainted and they were friends, though it was never a very close friendship. Though they wouldn’t exactly call each other ‘friend’ in the strict sense of the word, they’ve both been trained to know you never lose a contact that may come in handy later, so they’ve kept a friendly relationship going.

EXTRA INFO

Twitter name/twitter URL/description: Cordelia Anderson | @cordeliaranderson | Actress. Currently in NYC, but my heart is still in London. “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”

Five latest tweets:

@cordeliaranderson If I don’t tweet in the next 15 minutes, assume I looked the wrong way to cross the street and was run over by a cab. @cordeliaranderson #faq Friday: not related to @gillianA, but I’d be happy to sign those adoption papers #makeithappen @cordeliaranderson Went to TKTS Times Square thinking it’d be like the one at Leicester Square, was nearly trampled by the crowd #liveandlearn @cordeliaranderson First reading for investors! Ever seen a one-woman reading of Midsummer Night’s dream? #trailblazer @cordeliaranderson  Mark my words: if there is ever another US/UK war, it shall be over the biscuit controversy.

[wholockedcumberwumber]

Angels and Devils Part Five

Part One   Part Two  Part Three   Part Four

A Fan Fiction By Melissa C. Scraper

Rating:- PG-13

Michael Langdon x OC Rejected Michael AU

It was almost spring break and Matthew had been teaching Michael how to drive so he had gotten his driver's license and he was picking up Lucy.   When he suddenly started smelling her fear. it was the same scent he had smelled when he had witnessed Gabriel trying to Kill her.   He followed it a disused part of the school where a boy was trying to defile Lucy. "Get off of her you leach!" he flicked his hand and pinned the teenager against the wall

and he went over to Lucy who was now in kneeling position on the floor "Are you okay, Lucy?"  she looked at him and she could tell if she tried to talk she would start crying "Go out to the car f you can it is parked in the middle of row L." she managed to get to her feet and stumble outside "You ruined the one thing she will never be able to redo. Her first kiss." he growled.

His eyes flashed with flames "Stay away from Lucy. Or i will not let you live again." he reached down and picked up lucy's book bag and purse. Allowing the teenage boy to fall to the floor and gasp for air. "No one will believe you."

"If i report him they will just saying he was being a teenager." she said reaching into the glove box and taking out a few tissues "I wanted to scream but he said no one would hear me. how did you find me?"

"You know how i am half demon. i can smell fear.  Specifically, i smelled your fear and that is how i found you." they get back to the house and once they are inside he hugs her "i am so sorry he ruined your first kiss. I am just glad i got there before he could do anything else." they went over to the couch and started watching a movie Lucy still had slight limp from the car hitting her "it looks like you got a cut, let me get the first aid kit." he goes into the dining room and gets hte first aid kit. and tends to lucy's scratches."Am i hurting you."

"I don't think you could ever hurt me. " she said "Your devil blood must run slightly warmer because your hands are hardly ever cold when you touch me." she buttons her shirt after he puts the bandage on her back. "I feel like i am damaged goods.  I felt like that before today?" she nuzzles her face his hand and starts crying  "I feel when the time comes no one will be able to love me. Because....."

he placed his thumb gently on her mouth. He knew she was about to say cursed mainly because she talked in her sleep a lot "You’re not cursed it is just people view your kind heart as weakness." he let his hand drop into his lap  "You mentioned the parallel time room. I think i saw it when i was exploring the house during your uncle's trial. I think there i am a Collins you're a lost soul. "

"Lucy Darling.  my Doppelganger's name is Lucy Darling. She's either the granddaughter or great-granddaughter of the Survivors of the Cabinet of Curiosities Massacre in the early 1950s. Murders Committed by Dandy Mott." she said  "One of the ones that the hereditary condition skipped so unless she specifically tells anyone about Jimmy Darling they would never actually know."   he looked at her "I told you I'd seen the room more than once. the last time i saw it was a few months before my birthday. and she told me to run. which means she saw me and was well aware i was watching."

If he had to be honest with himself if the other version of himself felt at all the way he did towards Lucy.  Michael Collins likely deeply cared for a girl he hadn't known for very long.

The Collins family was always reincarnated, sometimes in the same set of familial or personal relationship and in others sets. for Instance Gabriel and Quentin.  were reincarnations of the people they were named after who were brothers who also barely tolerated each other.

Lucy knew she had been reincarnated a few times and it would soon become apparent that before his soul was hijacked to become the antichrist in this life that.   in previous Live Michael had been a crew member on board the ship of Quentin Collins the First. Sailor, husband and ladies man.  in 1845, Quentin's second wife gave birth to a girl. unfortunately, she died when Lucy was only 3. and Quentin felt it was safer for his young Daughter Anastasia to be onboard his ship while few people approved of the concept of a girl being raised on board ship. In 1861, Quentin Hired a young man named Declan to be the cabin boy on the ship.

This where our story takes a twist, while Quentin enjoyed raising his daughter on the ship he didn't want his daughter marrying a sailor because he knew what sailors were like Declan is the soul who would eventually become Michael Langdon. 

Unfortunately, Quentin happened to Dock back in the US during the Civil War. Which left him with the unfortunate task of having enlisted and leave his daughter and sister in Collinwood alone.

1862, little know battle of Havensport, Maine. Later to be called Haven.  The regiment stationed there would take over Collinwood. after taking a few young soldiers prisoner Including Declan Allgood.  When the soldiers using the mansion as their headquarters had passed out drunk Ana would sneak down ot the basement cell, which for some reason already existed before the 1800s

Ana "Declan,  have you seen my father. I haven't received a letter from him in nearly three months."

Declan "IF anything happens to us i promise i will find you."  he kissed her hand "I love Anastasia Collins."

Present day "Lucy would you think i was crazy if i said i keep having dreams where i am in civil war costume being held prisoner in that little cell in the basement of Collinwood."

"No, good grief i've been reincarnated at least 2 times," she said

To Be continued

[newyorkroleplay-archive]

ALESSANDRA  LACROIX --

Birthdate: September 1st, 1989 ( 28 ) Gender and Pronouns: Female, she/her Hometown: New York, New York Neighborhood: Upper West Side, Manhattan Occupation: Owner of Soirée Faceclaim: Phoebe Tonkin Trigger Warnings: Amnesia, Car Crash, Coma, Death of a Sibling.

BIOGRAPHY --

As a little girl Alessandra Renee Lacroix was the type of daughter that parents bragged about. With big hazel eyes, manners that only a proper politicians daughter could be equipped with, and a contagious smile she was not only the apple of her parents’ eyes but anyone who was lucky enough to cross her path. The only Lacroix daughter had a way of wrapping people around her tiny pinky finger. Not that she ever noticed or cared for that fact much. No the only thing that mattered to young Alessia was making friends. Even at a young age her biggest hobby came in the form of collecting people the way one would collect coins.  And with two siblings who were often preoccupied with things Alessia held no interest for, people were often the way she chose to entertain herself because unfortunately barbie dolls and princess puzzles could only interest the little girl for so long before she went wandering around the manor. From the time she could understand others and talk Scar was making friends. First it was the workers that worked within her family’ home. Constantly chattering with the maids and other help. Then it was her father’s visitors, charming them in the parlor with her cute stories before she gradually moved up towards her mother’s far more sophisticated friends.    

But often times Alessia just watched people. Their mannerisms, the things that made them laugh or made them angry, and most importantly their secrets. Because as she learned early on, it was easier to make people like you when you knew exactly what strings to pull. Everyone she met, from maid to politician to socialite was as interesting as the other. And when she was eventually brought back into her room to play with her dollies she’d pull inspiration from the stolen interactions or glances at the people in her very own home. A talent that Isabelle Lacroix found far from charming as she watched her daughter perform “plays” with exact quotes from things she hadn’t even realized the little girl had been around for. Worried that her daughter’s knack for sticking her nose in places it didn’t belong would get her in trouble the woman enrolled the then four and a half year old into her first ballet class. Immediately it became apparent to both Alessia’s teacher and her parents that the young girl had a natural talent for the dance, a trait she likely had inherited from her world renowned retired prima ballerina grandmother Josephine Lacroix. Prancing around in tutus with some of her best friends in the world had been fun at first. She found joy and excitement in being able to master a new piece of choreography and perform it for not only her instructor and parents but her friends at school. Somewhere along the way however the fun hobby stopped being seen as a hobby to the adults in her life. The moment Josephine Lacroix had taken over for Alessia’s dance lessons everything changed. Suddenly the eight year old was being signed up for competitions and recitals. When she won or performed well, she’d be praised for weeks. When she lost or performed poorly, she’d be reprimanded for months.    

Her grandmother was determined to make a prodigy out of her granddaughter and the more the woman pushed the harder out of love Alessia fell for dancing. She no longer had fun learning new moves or performing them but despite her admitting as such to her parents, she was pushed onward because in the Lacroix family talent of any kind wasn’t meant to be wasted. By the time Alessia reached middle school she’d built up too many years of resentment not to rebel. As graceful with her words as she was with her legs she quickly climbed her way to the top of her food chain at her prep school. Happily accepting the attention and limelight while her siblings took a far more humble road. Yet even then, with her unnecessary need to be doted on, Alessia had been kind, giving back the attention given to her tenfold because if anything still remained true about her, it was her genuine love for people. By sophomore year she was already friends with every soul in the class with intentions to quickly work her way through the faculty and staff. Anyone was worthy of her friendship and like the true daughter of a politician, she did everything possible to keep from having any enemies. And it was something that reigned true about the girl until about halfway through her junior year when her beloved older brother Jasper Lacroix died at the age of twenty-one after being involved in a fatal car crash.    

Out of all mentor figures in her life Jasper was the one Alessia felt the closest to; seeing as her eldest brother was the shield that protected the rest of the Lacroix children from the brute of their family’s unobtainable expectations. He’d also taken it upon himself to integrate into the life of his siblings. Finding ways to not only watch over them but bond with them as well. With parents who were often too busy to take her to every dance practice, it quickly became a number one task for Jasper and every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 4 o’clock sharp he’d be at the door waiting to do the thirty-minute drive to and from her lessons. Even going above and beyond by staying through the whole practice to watch and cheer her own through the glass doors. Alessia hadn’t simply lost a sibling but an ally and her closest friend. A sentiment her grandmother clearly hadn’t understood because as sixteen year old Alessia openly wept for her brother at his funeral, she was met with an angry matriarch pulling her aside and telling her to man up, “Your brother, god bless his soul, babied you and made you soft but Alessandra Renee Lacroix, I will do no such thing. You will stop crying and you will stop it right now. Strong women do not cry, they do and when there is nothing to do, they accept. He is gone, accept it and move on.”    

In hindsight, her grandmother likely hadn’t meant to be so harsh. It was very possibly that she herself was trying to appear strong and put together for her family and having to hear her granddaughter wailing was doing very little to help her keep it together and she just cracked. There are a lot of possibilities, but the results were the same nonetheless and Alessia was never the same again after that discussion. Strong women do not cry. Your brother made you soft. Words that haunted the girl amidst her grief until she decided to take her grandmother’s advice. Strong women didn’t cry, they do. And she did. For the next year and half Alessia Lacroix transformed herself into the model of a horrible daughter and granddaughter. Doubling down on her partying, plumbing her grade point average, she even started skipping her ballet practices and recitals. Josephine Lacroix couldn’t have been more livid that she had seemingly lost all control of her prodigy. The more Alessia rebelled, the more of a lost cast Josephine regarded her as. And in some ways that’d been true, but not entirely.    

Alessia’s madness came with a method. Breaking all the rules her family had ever set for her had been the only way she saw fit to get what she truly wanted, freedom. By the end of senior year her father and grandmother had given up entirely on the idea of reigning her in and Scarlett was left to do as she pleased as long as she kept the family name out of the tabloids for unbecoming reasons. A promise Scarlett had no problem keeping as she boarded a flight to her first out of many European countries. It wasn’t long before Europe wasn’t enough for her and Scarlett began to travel the rest of the world. South Africa. Japan. Bali. Mumba. Morocco. South Korea. Moscow. Stockholm. Amsterdam. And so much more. The decision to start an Instagram account two years after she began travelling had been one made on a whim but it didn’t take New York native long to gain a following. Her account caught the eye of some scouts as well which started her very short lived modeling career. Six months after signing with her first agency Alessia quickly realized that despite her mother having been able to make a career out of it, the world of modeling wasn’t for her. Though that hardly meant her popular Instagram account was done opening doors for her. The first time Alessia planned an event it had been a birthday vacation with her friends. She booked the tickets, tracked down the best hotel, and mapped out their entire Italian summer adventure without so much as batting an eyelash. That soon led to her planning things other than fabulous vacations. Birthday parties. Networking events. Bridal showers. Engagement parties. Etc.

Before Alessia knew it she’d become the go-to girl for Instagramable events of all kinds. Pretty soon the demand surpassed the supply and she found herself flying back to Manhattan to think about turning her accidental hobby into a business. Having forgone college and generally hating anything that meant dealing with numbers Alessia found herself a business partner who could handle the paperwork aspect of starting a business while she focused on the creative end. Within a span of a few months Soirée was a reality and in just five years it became one of the most successful and highly sought after event planning companies in New York. With Alessia’s clientele spanning from close friends to those who found the company though one of their many social media accounts. With her career skyrocketing the last thing Alessia expected was for her love life to fall into place as well, after all woman couldn’t have it all. That’s what she’d always been told but Steve Vicari was everything she hadn’t know she was looking for. 

He wasn’t like the egotistical spoiled rich boys of her past. He didn’t play games. And everything about him dripped in a genuineness that was rare in the world she came from. Cupid’s arrow had hit and Alessia was in love. Three years after meeting they were engaged and happily ever after seemed to be just around the corner when their wedding day approached. The last thing on her mind that day had been running away but after her father entered her dressing room only moments before she was due to walk down the aisle to proclaim his disapproval of who she was choosing to marry, things went downhill. When Alessia refused to allow her father’s negative words about her “lower-class lover” to effect her, he threatened to expose something dark from her fiancee’s past if she decided to ignore his wishes and marry the man anyway. Feeling as if she had no choice Alessia barely made it five steps down the aisle before turning in the option direction and running to the car ironically married just married to make her get away. She pulled away from the hotel and then was met with utter blackness after a truck collided with the sports car. Two months later Alessia Lacroix awoke from a coma with no memory beyond her sixteenth birthday. 

PERSONALITY --

( + ) ambitious, charismatic, loyal. ( - ) neurotic, rebellious, stubborn.

[throwmyheartawayagain]

Something About You

Characters: Bucky Barnes, Reader, Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, Reader’s Family

Pairing: Bucky/Reader

Prompt: Fake Dating

Word Count: 1689

Warnings: Language

Part 7

After dropping Edward and Bucky off at the door of the rented hall, Y/N went to park the car, and quickly walked back to the main door. Grabbing Bucky’s hand in hers, she tugged to get his full attention.

“Listen, Bucky, things will probably get out of hand fast. If and when you want to leave because you are feeling uncomfortable, angry, upset, or just want to get the hell out of there, let me know and we’ll leave. No questions asked,” she said.

“I appreciate that, but I think I can handle some crazy family drama. I did survive seventy years of H.Y.D.R.A. brainwashing and being used as their pawn,” he said with a smirk.

Y/N sighed. “Look, I know you can probably handle it, but I’m still letting you know just in case.”Bucky studied her, he noticed the hand that wasn’t holding his was shaking, her eyes were darting around, trying to take in her surroundings- as if she were looking for all escape routes. “Hey, hey,” he began as he pulled her into a hug. He could hear her heart thumping in her chest as she tried to calm herself down. “You are going to be okay. I’m going to be okay, and your grandfather is going to be okay,” he finished.

Y/N pulled away from Bucky’s warm embrace and tried to figure out if the thumping of her heart was because of what she was about to walk into or that it was because of the close contact with him. “Thank you, Bucky,” she smiled at him. “I really appreciate that.”

“You’re welcome.” Bucky leaned down and pressed a kiss to Y/N’s forehead. “The same goes for you, too. If you want to leave, then we leave. No questions asked.”

She hugged him and buried her nose in his neck. “Thank you again, Bucky. I’m really glad you’re here with me.”

“I’m glad as well.”

“Hey! You two canoodling over there!” Edward shouted. “Hurry up and just kiss already, I’ve got a party to get to and I can’t wait to see you roast everyone in there.”

Y/N groaned as she pulled away from that warm embrace. “Grandpa, you have no fucking tact, old man!”

Edward laughed. “Damn right! And, my lovely little granddaughter, I’ve earned that right. When you get to be as old as I am, there are literally no fucks left to give.”

That got Y/N laughing again and Bucky smiled. 

“It appears that the fun and snark gene skipped a generation, but skipped or not, that apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Bucky remarked.

“She’s always been my favorite for a reason,” Edward proudly grinned. “Well, shall we?”

“We shall. Let this shit show begin!”

The trio walked through the doors and into the banquet hall where the party was being held with fake smiles plastered on their faces.

Surprisingly, Y/N’s family members waited until after Edward had a chance to say hello to everyone that was there before they started in on the drama.

“Oh, who have you brought home with you?”

“This is my boyfriend, James Barnes,” Y/N said, while wrapping her arms around Bucky’s middle. “Sweetheart, this is Callie, my sister-in-law.”

“Are you fucking serious? What the hell were you thinking? Bringing the Winter Soldier here? Especially to Grandpa’s birthday?”

Y/N just rolled her eyes and kissed Bucky’s cheek. “You doing okay, Buck?” she asked as they walked away from Callie.

“Yeah,” he replied.

She couldn’t quite tell what that look meant, but she knew he was at least feeling uncomfortable; and that was because she was feeling that way, too. “Like I said before we even walked in here, when you’re ready to get the hell out of here, let me know and we’ll go.”

Bucky didn’t say anything, but he squeezed her hand to let her know he appreciated that.

Not even five minutes later, Y/N’s mother, Margie, walked over. “I always knew you were an idiot, Y/N, but really? Dating the Winter Soldier? He’s a Russian assassin.”

“Are you just pissed that you didn’t get to set me up with one of your “nice, closeted racist, all American, white boys” from your church?” Y/N snapped back. “You just hate that I’m not like you and I’ll never be like you.”

“Y/FN Y/MN Y/LN!” her mother shouted. “You better listen to me, god damn it! We are here for your grandfather and you are the one acting out of line, bringing that piece of shit traitor into our presence. Into the presence of a war hero!”

“Oh,” Y/N seethed. “You wanna talk about war heroes? Have you ever listened to your own father talk about what happened in Italy? How he was captured at Azzano and thought he was at the end of his line? How Captain Fucking America came and rescued him along with Sergeant Barnes? I don’t think you ever listened. Grandpa and Sergeant Barnes went on more missions than you’ve ever been honest in your life, Egg-Donor. I bet Grandpa never told you that he was offered a chance to go home after being rescued from Azzano, like all of the 107th had been offered. He didn’t take the honorable discharge, instead Grandpa stayed to fight. So did Sergeant Barnes.”

“Come on, he’s a fucking assassin! He’s killed tons of people!”

“And you’re really going to blame him for something he had absolutely no control over? You guys are fucking dumber than I ever gave you credit for,” Y/N exploded. 

“You’re ruining the party by being here, and especially bringing that thing here,” another aunt, Susan, snarled.

“You guys are all a bunch of fucking idiots. How in the hell did you all turn out so horrible that you only care about yourselves? Have any of you ever given any thought to how Grandpa would have like his own birthday party? No, you sure as shit didn’t. You planned this entire thing to your liking and to get as much out of it as you could. An article in the paper that was to celebrate this amazing man’s life and his achievements, Susan? You turned the entire thing into an article about you and you barely mentioned Grandpa.”

“Y/N-”

“And you! Julie, you didn’t even bother to pick up the two people he actually wanted at this glorious shit show from the airport a day ago. Instead you were out bumpin’ uglies with your first ex-husband while your current husband- and who I’m guessing is about to be your second ex-husband, was home with your kids. Are they even your second husband’s kids? I’d look into that, Davis, if I were you.”

“What about you, little miss perfect? Living the dream with your shitty little used bookstore, and your assassin boyfriend.”

“What about me and my shitty little used bookstore, Aaron?” Y/N turned to her brother. “I don’t have a perfect life, far from it in fact. I work my fucking ass off to make sure I’m able to pay for the things I need to live, and in case you were wondering I barely scrape by to make ends meet. I’m at my shitty little used bookstore every single day. I put in over a hundred hours there every week to make sure my one shitty little employee in my shitty little used bookstore is able to be there for her shitty little kid. Why do I still work there? Because I love working there. I love seeing kids find a book and get excited about it and that is priceless. That store is my life and I would give everything up just to save it if it ever came down to that. What have you ever done in your shitty existence, Aaron, that makes you better than me or anyone else in this room?” Aaron sat there, silent. “Yeah, that’s what I fucking thought.”

Edward cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention. “Listen up! You are all my family, and I love you, but you are all fucking insane! I honestly don’t know where Betty and I ever went wrong with you kids, but come on, this is asinine. I know we raised you to be better than this. To be inclusive and to treat everyone as equal. I sure as shit taught you to be forgiving and to give people second chances.”

“But, Dad,” Margie tried to talk, but was shut up quickly.

“Marjorie, just stop talking. You’re one of the worst in this family. You have never once treated your own daughter with an ounce of respect or kindness. You wonder why she never comes home? You’re it, sweetheart,” Edward said.

“Dad,” Margie tried again.

“No. This party is over and I am going home.” Edward walked over to the chair that he draped his coat over. “Until you can prove you have truly seen what you’ve all done to this family, I’m done with you. Enjoy what’s left of your party since it was all for you assholes anyway. I’m leaving and I’m taking the cake with me.”

Coat in hand, Edward walked over to Y/N and Bucky. “Ready to go?” he asked.

“Yes,” Y/N replied while putting the huge sheet cake, that was sitting on a table with gifts and cards, back into the box it arrived in. “You want the gifts are cards also, Grandpa?”

“No, leave that shit here; I don’t need it,” he responded. “Barnes, if you want to grab a platter of sandwiches, that’d be great, too.”

“On it,” Bucky answered.

Y/N looked up after boxing the cake and saw her family just staring at her and Bucky, like they were the two worst people in the world. Finally, her mother couldn’t take it anymore.

“You are absolutely the worst and most selfish person in the world, Y/N,” Margie seethed. “You and that piece of shit traitor deserve each other.”

“Yep, we sure do,” Y/N rolled her eyes. “Ready, Bucky?”

“Absolutely.”

“So long, assholes!” Edward merrily called out over his shoulder while giving the rest of the family the finger as they walked out of the banquet hall.

[ikagrp]

Welcome, Dia! You’ve been accepted as your first choice of Genevieve Cortese as Alchemy Rose. Please send in your account within the next 24 hours.

Also, please follow these tags: ikag starter, Ikag social, ikaghh, ikag important, ikag task, ikagfollow, ikagunfollow and   ikag event

[ OOC INFORMATION ]

NAME / PRONOUNS | AGE | TIMEZONE

Dia / she/her / 22 / PST

YOUR ACTIVITY:

After this week I’ll be on break - so lots of free time to write whenever! - but otherwise, evenings and weekends will be my most active times.

ROLEPLAYING EXPERIENCE

Too many years

IC INFORMATION

WHO ARE YOU BRINGING TO THE SHOW?

Please keep this layout for us. So that it is easier for us to update everything.

FACECLAIM: Genevieve Cortese Secondary choice: Dichen Lachman

NAME: Alchemy Rose

AGE: 30

BIRTHDAY: July 4th, 1988

OCCUPATION: matchmaker & wedding planner

HOMETOWN: Brisbane, Australia

PETS: zero

BIOGRAPHY:

During the ambrosial hours of July 4th, the chirping of awakening birds was abruptly interrupted with the piercing sound of a baby’s cries, followed by the sound of sobbing. Gabrielle Rose had delivered her first child, a daughter, with her husband Alexander Dumitru standing stoically by her side. No one could have predicted that this day meant to be remembered as one of celebration would also end up being a day of mourning. Alchemy Dumitru’s birth began a chain of tragic events; her existence causing damage before she was even conscious of it. Born at her parents’ home on a vast coastal acreage in Brisbane, Australia, as soon as she took her first breath and began her life, it was the premature end of her mother’s. Although it was clear to everyone else in the room that something was wrong with her mother’s health at the time, Alchemy never had the opportunity to learn about the specifics of the situation. All she had been told, years later, was that within the following hour Gabrielle Rose had taken her last breath.

For the first 13 years of Alchemy’s life she was as carefree and happy as any other typical child, growing up with a seemingly ordinary childhood - as far as she could tell. Unexplained visits to her home from quirky looking characters always insisting on talking with her father in the other room in his native Romanian language probably happened to everyone, right? For that over a decade, the information that she had caused her mother’s death through delivery also remained purposefully undisclosed. Alchemy genuinely believed her mother was the woman her father had remarried a mere fortnight after his daughter’s birth: Anamaria Augustin. She could not have children, and treated Alchemy as her own the only way she knew how: pretending.

Only one other family member knew the truth and was willing to spill secrets - the mother of Alchemy’s father. Her Grandma was the epitome of the crone archetype; all white hair, wise eyes, half moon glasses, and a pipe cradled in her palm with which she would thoughtfully take a pull on whenever her curious granddaughter challenged with endless questions. Alexander considered his mother a crazy and unreliable character due to her age, despite her profession lending to her advice being paid for (a psychologist), but seemed content with her presence so long as it went hand in hand with providing free babysitting. In retrospect, Alchemy’s close bond with her Grandma may have inspired her own interest in studying human behaviours. She spent far more time with her Grandmother than her busy parents, and had thought it was normal until she started talking about it at school. The older she grew, the more things appeared obviously off kilter.

It happens one afternoon, no different from any other. Alchemy is sprawled on her Grandma’s floor with a pile of craft material making a handmade card for Mother’s Day. She’s been at it in silence for several minutes before she asking for clarification on how to spell her mother’s full name, to which her Grandma absentmindedly replied with “Which one?” It was swiftly revealed that Gabrielle and Alexander had been extremely private in their relationship. He had gone overseas to visit his hometown in Romania for covert business reasons, and returned with a wife on his arm. She had been a tourist; on vacation from Australia. Grandma suspected it was was more to due with him being allowed Australian citizenship than for the sake of genuine love, and had been more surprised to hear they had had a daughter than the fact that her mother had died. Apparently Gabrielle had been terminally ill for a while, seemingly unfit for pregnancy, and had been secretly been receiving therapy from Grandma to cope with Alexander’s lack of emotional investment in their relationship. 

Upon learning Anamaria was not her real mother, the world Alchemy thought she knew was spun on it’s axis. It was the first time she felt the need to strategize a battle plan. She knew little of what her father did, only that he was a strict and powerful man of influence in circles related to crime (and she only figured out such because he claimed to be a work-from-home artist yet did not own a single pot of paint). Throughout her years spent at home, at least twice a week she would answer the door to ominous looking men in suits with strange accents, bearing envelopes of money owed to her father. So, she sat on the information for a few days before confronting her father, knowing very well that one wrong move could end up with unreconcilable circumstances. With her stubborn determination against his equally headstrong attitude and repetitions of ‘you’re too young to understand’, their conversation soon escalated into questions too personal and met with threats, each stepping on each other’s toes so much a physical fight seemed inevitable. They were at each other’s throats within minutes. That was the first time her father raised his hand at her, and she surprised even herself with how willing she was to welcome the advance without flinching, but he was unable to follow through. Anamaria appeared to disperse the conflict. Alchemy was disorientated, unsure whether to resentfully cold shoulder them both or press her (step) mother for questions as well. Cornered, she decided to flee the scene to lock herself away in her room to regroup her approach. Taking advantage of her scattered state, Anamaria knocked on her door sometime after midnight, leaving at her door a short written apology and a bottle of something that burned Alchemy’s throat. Addicted to the sensation and numbness which ensued, she accidentally (and blissfully) became drunk for the first time. It only took a small amount before she fell asleep, but it activated a new kind of unquenchable thirst within her.

The relationship between Alchemy and her parents grew increasingly strained, and she held onto a heavy grudge toward the two figures she once would have laid her life on the line for. How could she be expected to sleep in a bed swathed with a fabric woven of deceit and secrets? Since she was legally forbidden to leave home until her 18th birthday, she found a loophole in being bound to her parents by escaping to sleepover at her grandmother’s as much as possible. An unspoken agreement was present between the two of them; don’t ask, you won’t learn. Ask, and you’ll receive the honest truth; no matter how much it hurts. As a result, they didn’t talk much about serious subjects, for Alchemy never knew when to stop asking once she started. Coping mechanisms prevailed. Under the radar, her budding alcohol addiction carried on throughout her years in high school. Every beverage she sipped always spiked with something. Anamaria unknowingly enabled the habit by supplying Alchemy with a steady allowance of a handsome sum, wanting to be involved on good terms with her step daughter even if the feeling was not mutual. The everyday dull buzz of inebriation paired with Alchemy’s dyslexia led to a very short attention span, and the majority of her classes ended up skipped or failed. For better or for worse, detention became her second home. There was one other regular in detention, Rasmus, and the two of them soon clicked with the common desire to create more chaos together, both on the streets and in the sheets. Recklessness was their hobby of choice, and co-creating was their strongest suit. Alchemy’s father had always been particular about her behaviour in public and the impression she made. He had ingrained in her that anyone carrying the Dumitru surname should not strive to draw attention to themselves unless establishing a creditable role of dominance. A teenager in revolt with a vicious grudge, it was hardly surprising when Alchemy started disregarding the household rule in favor of testing every limit. Together, Raz and Alchemy committed various offences such as stealing, severe property damage, and public debauchery. Alchemy was always able to flirt or bribe herself out of sticky situations, and often ended up with a new set of digits too. But it was her partner in crime that she fell for with unwavering devotion. He was her first love, her first kiss, her first scar, her first time, her first everything. She couldn’t imagine anything coming between them. She always assumed the feeling was mutual.

At 17 years of age, Alchemy looked down to see a pink ’+’ sign in the center of a pregnancy test stick. Knowing it was Raz’s, she was driven to keep it. Her excitement toward their potential future together crashed down the moment she told him the news and he laughed. Within a week, all forms of communication she extended towards him went unanswered and silent. Broken hearted by the abandonment from the one she adored, in a rare moment of desperation she sought out her parents. Her father was inexplicably angered by the news. She knew it was so by how quiet he became and the fierce clench of his fists, which remained anchored at his sides by a glare from Anamaria (who also gave little to no reaction to the news). Without looking his daughter in the eye, he instructed her to leave. Evidently, Alchemy was forced to live at Grandmother’s.

A month later Alchemy didn’t bat an eye when her Grandmother informed her that Alexander had gone missing. She ignored Anamaria’s calls and letters. No one mentioned Raz, but she dreamed about him for a year before she finally stopped looking for his face in every crowd. Jezebel ‘Ella’ Rose was born a few days shy of Alchemy’s 18th birthday. She was a perfectly healthy and beautiful baby. For the first three hours, Alchemy did nothing but hold and gaze down upon her. She refused to let go, knowing that once she did it was unlikely she would see her miraculous daughter ever again. Without a steady income or supportive home life, Alchemy had decided soon after Raz left that she would not be able to raise a child on her own. Even with the support of her Grandmother, it wasn’t clear how much longer the old woman would be alive, and she knew it would be selfish to rob the child of opportunity due to how much was lacking in Alchemy’s life. No father, no money, no real home. With little else than an apology note and a basket, Ella was left under Anamaria’s care. She understood now, why her father had done what he had done. Being loved, even if it was illusion, hurt considerably less than not knowing how it felt at all.

Wanting a fresh start, after Alchemy graduated from school (barely) she and her Grandmother moved overseas to the UK. It was there that Alchemy dropped her father’s last name in favor of her mother’s in an attempt at a truly blank slate. Deep down, Alchemy had wishful thinking that whilst abroad she’d find a high paying job that would allow her to one day return to Australia where she could support her daughter as her own. It only took a few months for her to make fast friends amongst the London nightlife, picking up the local lingo easily, yet never able to completely shake off her own accent. As a fun social experiment, she began setting up her single acquaintances on dates together… but when the results came back unexpectedly positive, she realized she had a natural skill for recognizing compatible chemistry a mile ahead of anyone else. Naturally, she then proceeded to busy her time with meddling in other people’s affairs. She was fascinated how universal love was. No matter which country she was in, everyone seemed kept afloat by it in some form or another. At the very least, being able to study of the emotions of others kept her from feeling so depressed about her recent personal estrangements. Feeling useful to others for the first time in a while, slowly but surely, her confidence began to rise again. The infamous cupid had earned her wings. 

Not long after, Alchemy’s grandma passes away. She doesn’t host a funeral, but has her cremated and spread among a rose garden. With no one keeping her tied to a particular place anymore - and refusing to return to Australia until she has enough money to be a reliable and supportive figure for her daughter - fate seemed to intervene with the path her life would take when, a library book on 'Wedding Planning For Dummies’ (quite literally) fell into her lap after a stumble into a bookshelf. After a few years of slowly booking appointments independently, eventually she was hired by a wedding agency. Professionally pulling romantic strings for heart eyed couples became what sustained her. If there was any a moment where Alchemy questioned her sexuality, it was at it’s highest when the bride’s final look was revealed on The Big Day™. Her infatuation towards the beautiful princess-like figures was hard to deny, yet thankfully a sight always in abundance thanks to the new clients sent her way each week.Nonetheless, 'speak now or forever hold your peace’ became an instance she’d have to deliberately bite her tongue over, lest she make an impulsive fool of herself. Ironically, her own love life and was the one she always gave the least amount of thought to. With her gifted knack in setting up others consistently reaping excellent results, no one would have ever guessed the lack of success Alchemy had experienced in love. The idea of getting invested in someone that could leave her behind the next day was far too unpleasant to dare endure again. But her inner idealist begged to differ, every time someone particularly pretty crossed her path. Maybe it was worth trying again? Or for the first time, all things considered…

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I used to be a part of this RP waaaay back when. I’m stoked to see this revival happening. Thanks for all your effort and time! <3