#unicorn olivia inspired

[notbecauseofvictories]

Books of 2022

In 2022, I read fewer books overall (143, down from last year’s ridiculous 303) but I did manage to cut down on my romance novel reading---a respectable 52% instead of last year’s 78%. The consequence of this is that I did actually read more good books this year, books I could talk about with other people and inspired feelings and thoughts that rattled around my head afterwards. Plus some actual nonfiction!

Going through all of them, what I liked about them, why they made such an impression, would take a while---plus I’ve already talked about most of these in my books tag. So I’m just going to invite everyone to ask about anything that catches their eye!

BEST FICTION (IN THE ORDER I READ THEM) ** indicates a particular favorite

The House of Small Shadows, Adam Nevill

**The Cipher, Kathe Koja

Eartheater, Dolores Reyes

Hadriana in All My Dreams, René Depestre

**Tender is the Flesh, Agustina Bazterrica 

You've Lost a Lot of Blood, Eric LaRocca

The Beautiful Ones, Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle

War for the Oaks, Emma Bull

Girl A, Abigail Dean

This Might Hurt, Stephanie Wrobel

**Burning Girls and Other Stories, Veronica Schanoes

Eva Ibbotson’s A Countess Below Stairs, A Company of Swans, & Magic Flutes

Deerskin, Robin McKinley

BEST NONFICTION

An Iliad, Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare

**Capitalist Realism, Mark Fisher

Urban Folklore in the Paperwork Empire, Alan Dundes & Carl R. Pagter

**Fun Home, Alison Bechdel

**Men, Women & Chainsaws, Carol J. Clover

[romance novels and most disliked books under the cut---I did give these a bit of an explanation, because being asked about romance novels makes me itchy. We shall never speak of these again.]

ROMANCE NOVEL READING

Vivienne Lorret (How to Forget a Duke, Ten Kisses to Scandal, The Rogue to Ruin, When a Marquess Loves a Woman, How to Steal a Scoundrel's Hear) Admittedly, nothing particularly unique about these---however, they are more traditional romance and a pretty decent attempt at actual regency-style manners, so I enjoyed myself reading them.

Olivia Atwater (Half a Soul, Ten Thousand Stitches, Longshadow) I actually sincerely loved these! Supernatural historical romance from a solid writer. Plus, the series has angrier, more class-conscious sensibilities than all the romance novels I've read---and is less hypocritical about it too, since the characters are largely not nobility, and there's no marrying dukes involved.

Alice Coldwater (His Forsaken Bride, An Ill-Made Match, The Unlovely Bride, Wed By Proxy) So admittedly, I don’t recommend reading all four of these together---it becomes increasingly clear that Coldwater can only write one and a half heroines, and both of them are excessively weepy. Nevertheless, I took a total leap of faith on this (historical fantasy romance isn't typically my genre) and was rewarded by a lot of delightful pining, some court politics, and the 1.5 heroines she can write are fun to follow around.

C.L. Wilson (The Winter King, The Sea King) If last year was about reading every romance novel about dukes I could find, this year was about finding all the fantasy romance novels. (Shout out to Stephanie Garber who also helped feed this inexplicable urge!) Anyway, this series was fun, similar to the above in that it’s fake fantasy politics and some romance, and that’s a combination that works for me.

MOST DISLIKED BOOKS

Redshirts, John Scalzi I have never despised a book quite like this one! I still can't tell if it's the smirkingly obvious Star Trek meta of it all, or the hat on a hat that is the last chapter/coda 1. I did like coda 3, but only because it felt like the only quietly, emotionally sincere part of the whole stupid book.

High Times in the Low Parliament, Kelly Robinson Novellas must be tricky to write---I’ve read a fistful or so, and find them to be wildly variable in quality and effectiveness. That said....the author’s attempt to resolve entrenched political problems via dance made me roll my eyes so hard I strained a muscle. It ruined what might have otherwise been a fun time, since I did like the narrator's charmingly disaffected perspective

Always Be My Duchess, Amalie Howard Emotional honesty and vulnerability has no place in romance novels. I read historical romance specifically so people won’t talk about their feelings, and the fact that romancelandia keeps shoehorning therapy-speak into my regency may in fact be my villain origin story. However, even worse than that is this book’s use of “totally” and "patriarchy" in a completely ahistorical way, betraying a nauseating disinterest in the time period being written about. Worse than even that: the total fucking coward's move it is to write a Pretty Woman fic but then have the heroine be a virgin and not a sex worker at all. God knows we can't be interesting.

Death, Laura Thelassa This one is my own fault. I did think "hey isn't that the romance series with the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse? I read one of those a long time ago; I should give it another shot." (I promise, I regretted it instantly.) However, it is another excellent entry in the long list of cowardly books that refuse to actually lean into enemies to lovers as a trope. Also, if you have undying protagonists? they should kill each other more.

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

OC Musings #35

Today's Musing: Very serious question… are they more like a dragon, or a unicorn?

Jesse: Unicorn Olivia: Dragon Miranda: Draconic Unicorn Bridget: Unicorn with Dragon Tendencies Sunni: Unicorn Harleigh: Dragon

. . .

Question Inspired from this Prompt List

[lucygriefer]

Mythcraft Olivia

Yeah Mythcraft Olivia has two forms. One for land and one for the ocean (I've actually got a third bonus picture that I've got in the works right now so that'll be uploaded whenever it's done)

For the first image I’ve made Olivia into a Qirin/Kirin. From what I’ve found Kirin can also be spelled as Qirin but there are some small differences between the two of them. Kirin’s are a mixture of a horse, dragon, and sometimes a unicorn. Though they can also be a mix of a lion, half dragon. The half lion half dragon is called a Qirin. The horns on a qirin/kirin can vary from a single horn to two deer-like horns. I decided to go with more of the horse design because I like it and it fits best for the second image there.

To give some backstory. She lost her arm when she went for a swim. Having it bitten off by a shark. So, she got a prosthetic arm made out of crystals and prismarine metal (No that isn’t a real thing that I know of, but in the world of Mythcraft that is a thing). Magic being used to allow movement in the arm. Though since the crystals continue to grow they have broken some of the metal. A screen and a set of crystals being used to track her health and the health of her friends. Olivia can also transform into a more fire-like form when angry.

Here in this piece you can see that she is based off of the mythical creature called Ichthyocentaurs. When is the mixture of a Centaur and mermaid. The gem on the necklace that Olivia wears allows her to transform between her landform and ocean form. This transformation ability was inspired by the hippocampus’ in MLP.

I also took some ideas from the sea dragon. When in her Ichthyocentaurs form so instead of having all the fire abilities like she would have on land, she get's more water based abilities. Though I'm thinking about her keeping some fire abelites, with the fire just being more of an effect then anything under water, while using some sort of bubble water beam thing to attack.

Also on the Mythcraft Axel piece, someone asked me to leave a link to my YouTube channel so here it is:

Lucy Griefer - YouTube

[juniaships]

What are the inspirations behind each of your Power Rangers OCs and who are each of them named after? ✊🏻💥🌈📝🎨

Most of their inspos gonna have to be on individual bios since i put a LOT of research into them. To keep it brief

Created my ocs to fill in extra colors/elements/motifs as is fandom tradition but also to have more female nonwhite rangers in non stereotypical roles

Overall myth arc is set up like a generational saga so most rangers come from the same family barring a few exceptions

Moat of the names I just made up on the spot but some do habe thematic ties

Maria and Bianca came out of the desire to have a sibling team and for Maria to already establish a candidate to replace her. So they're the leads from MMPR to In Space

Maria is inspired loosely on Maria del Barrio, but also Cassie from Animorphs, Katie Kazoo, and several rl musicians

Bianca was based on Lois Lane being an active stubborn journalist trying to uncover the Rangers identities. The conflict was Maria keeping a secret from her own sister

After Space I thought maybe Bianca could continue being a ranger as the purple galaxy ranger; then i came up with Phenomenous's niece

Dr. Phenomenous is shortened to Dr. Phenom, and she had ice powers to contrast Leo's fire (being love interests, sorry leo x kendrix/karone fans!!) She's loosely based on the source material Gingaman which is why she has an interest in horses and has a unicorn Galactabeast

Alya's name from Miraculous Ladybug obviously; she was going to be a cop but after some time...ACAB baby!

Kyra was created so Cole could have a closer connection to his biological family; her surname sounds like 'lion'

Wendy is based on Devon Aoki's character from 2Fast 2 Furious; she is also Eric Meyers' love interest. I thought about making her Quantum Pink since their romance are foil to Wes x Jen.

Allison is meant to be the dutiful Star Student to contrast the antics of the Ninja Storm's trio her arc was learning not to take everything too seriously. Also to fill in the missing element Fire

Rosita was introduced into mmpr lore as a toddler; Dino thunder has her became a ranger in freshman year of HS. She's based disney channel protagonists like Miley & Raven. Her name is because of pink roses and she's the Pink Ranger.

Violetta's name is for her ranger color; ppl just call her Letty for short. Her number is actually 7 for good luck

Originally Opal Octavia and Olivia were all going to be purple Rangers then i decided to give them unique to better distinct them from one another. So Opal is silver (jewellery), Octavia is Violet, and Olivia is pink

Silvia's name sounds similar to silver and her element is Metal. Also played around her being the Silver ranger opposite to Gold Ranger Antonio. Her originally faceclaim was Demi Lovato

Bobi was originally a yt redhead and her name was at random. But now She's a black redhead. Also she and Silvia went to the same middle school

Frieda is named after rhe blue haired girl from El Tigre i thought her name is so pretty. Also fills in for yellow bc omg how they forget yellow???

Forgot about the rest but these should help you understand the core basics!!

[docolives]

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND… OLIVIA ANN HARTMAN

we used to laugh / flora cash 🎧

blood & muscle / lissie 🎧

keep climbing / delta goodrem 🎧

livvy is … the quintessential horse girl, red-bottomed shoes, crisp white linens on body and beds, family dinners, a soft heart, a determination to move mountains, a glass of wine in a manicured hand, that single tear in the corner of a blue eye, ocean sunrises, a best friend and sister all in one.

There's something to be said about the siren call of horses. Of all of the things that Livvy and I might have in common, our love of those is the biggest, most tying thing. A lot of people who know me online probably don't know that I was the owner of a (retired) thoroughbred racehorse, which was a literal dream come true of mine. I grew up like a lot of kids, fantasizing about having my own horse. I read the Thoroughbred series religiously, wishing that I could be Ashleigh Griffen, I knew movies like Black Beauty and The Last Unicorn by heart, watched Spirit over and over again... and that's the biggest thing that Livvy has taken from me. My horse girl days heavily inspired Livvy and her personality. We also share a love of soft pinks and the sounds of the ocean. It's just that it's our love of horses that fuels is: me to play Livvy, and Livvy to make them her life.

In relation to my other characters, I would say that Livvy is my princess. She grew up in an old money type family that has been in Merrock for years and years. I took a lot of inspiration from that sort of aesthetic: a character who wears high end fashion with Louboutin heels, never goes out without diamonds in her ears, paints her nails, has a lip gloss in every nook or cranny she can find... but has that quiet intensity to her that can burn if you get a little too close. Where Nari is a woman who is loud and outspoken and laughs at everything she sees and radiates sunshine and rainbows, Livvy is the kind of woman who is one step ahead of you mentally and has already figured out the question before it's been asked... but with a smile on her face and a polite word for everyone she comes up against.

My friends also inspired Livvy! I so badly wanted to play a character that would have strong connections to my friends, since she was coming in later down the line -- she was the wife of a dear friend's character, and the sister of Erin's Mandy; because Emily and Claire were born to play siblings! Because of Livvy's connection with Mandy, family became a strong, grounding point of who Livvy was, because of her connection with Nathan, love became something she desperately sough out, but always seemed to be struggling to find. The face claim of Claire Holt did inspire some things in Livvy, too -- her sense of wit and humor, her love of fashion (Livvy very secretly did modeling gigs years ago as a gentle nod to Claire always joking about being a model).

Career-wife, I was torn between a pediatrician and a physical therapist or a veterinarian when creating Livvy; I knew that I wanted her to be someone who helped and healed others, and had original settled on pediatrician when I realized it would be easier to build connections with others in the same field... but instead wrote it into her (somewhat tragic) backstory of having a lover who lost a child when she was still a very young woman, herself. Ironically, I had chosen physical therapist around the time that I broke my foot and uh, had to consider doing that. It felt right! I actually don't like anything medical-related, which is why I'm slowly transitioning her away from working in offices, to working with horses. My desire to play a healer who makes lives good again is so much more achievable around the smell of leather and hay.

There was a sort of 'second round of inspiration' for Livvy that kicked in once she was once again a single woman figuring life out, which is when Livvy 2.0 was born. Girl boss Livvy. High standards Livvy. Love yourself Livvy. Her personality did change a little bit, in which she was no longer afraid to go after what she wanted and be who she wanted to be, instead of the princessy girl most people were intimidated to get to know and talk to. That inspiration, I took from who we all wish that we could be. Strong, independent women as beautiful inside as they are outside.

Livvy's personal life is, mostly, personal. Originally, she was supposed to fix her marriage and go on to have babies and live a happy life -- things don't always work out, and instead, she ended up filing for divorce. But the original inspiration was two people who had broken in every conceivable way, but were mending and fixing things day by day. These days, my inspiration for her love life is a girl who thinks she just wants to have fun and not care about relationships or connections, but deep down, is lonely at night. Not me, necessarily, but people of that age bracket who tell themselves they're fine, when really, they want more out of their lives. Friendship-wise, Livvy was inspired by those girls in high school who were popular with everyone: the cheerleaders, the math nerds, the choir girls, the witchy types... simply because she was kind to them, maybe a little quiet. That translated well into adulthood. And, of course, she's a cat person. I'm a cat person. If you guys haven't figured this out yet, you pretty much will in time.

Oh, and listening to a lot of music by women -- Livvy's playlist is one of those playlists that's like, 90% songs by women. It's hard not to be inspired by songs by women about heart break or standing tall, or figuring things out as they go.

[sheerioswifties]

#RepTourPrep: SPECIAL RAINBOW EDITION!!! 🌈🌈🌈

In theme with today’s awesome DIRECT TV Ad featuring Taylor and a very stellar-looking Unicorn Olivia, I present you with some fun rainbow products and ideas for your Reputation Tour look!

I have been in LOVE with the rainbow highlighter trend. Whether you use it across your lids as multicolored fun eyeshadow or you swoop it onto your cheekbones, it’s fun and beautiful and a totally great idea for Rep Tour!

And then, of course, there’s glitter- and there are tons of fun options for rainbow glitter; from roll-on holographic to big chunky unicorn glitter… a quick search on Amazon will reveal so many cool options to choose from to suit your style. Here’s just a few things I’ve found- see the pictures above-

VIA AMAZON (All should be Prime/free shipping eligible) From top left:

•YABINA Rainbow Highlighter/Eyeshadow/Mineral Sleek Powder 3D- $8.99

•ULTA Rainbow Highlighter- $9.99

•Too Faced Diamond Light Multi-Use Diamond Fire Highlighter- $42.99

•Axcv5 Rainbow Highlighter Contour Powder Palette (Highlighter Powder)- $6.99

•FantasyDay Pro 6 Colors 3D Baked Rainbow Highlighter/Eyeshadow/Makeup Palette/Cosmetic Blusher/Shimmer/Powder Contouring Kit- $12.98

When it comes to glitter, there are lots of options out there. Loose glitter is abundant, so if you go with that you’ll need a good glitter primer such as the NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Glitter Primer, 0.33 Fluid Ounce- $6.00. This will help the glitter stick, so that maybe there’s not toomuch glitter on the floor after the party.

There are also self-adhesive glitter options; Unicorn Sparkles has a bunch of different colors and themes available! Shown here (bottom right) is Unicorn Sparkles Rainbow Unicorn Cosmetic Chunky Glitter; Self-sticking- $7.75.

As always have fun, and let me know if you’ve got feedback or requests! 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

[thevisualtwins]

HBO trusts Neil Druckmann! [SPOILER ALERT]

Video game players are looking forward to 2023: 2023 is the year of the The Last of us series' broadcast (also nicknamed TLOU by fans) by HBO. The TLOU series is inspired by the eponymous apocalyptic video game created by Neil Druckmann. In the context of the TLOU series’ shooting, HBO has currently spent ten million dollars: the series is one of the most expensive series ever made. This series project looks promising and fanatics hope their audience's expectations will be up to it. Nevertheless, the risk remains significant for HBO: turning video games into cinematographic adaptations is not always well regarded by the audience and the critics. They are not always unanimous. The pressure is more strenuously felt by the producers and the HBO television channel, especially since the second installment in TLOU game series was the best-selling video game in 2020, when it was released. Its success has been gigantic, even if fanatics are still torn about Joel's death. But don't worry, fanatical audiences of the TLOU video game saga can count on HBO’s professionalism: their editorial line aims to offer its audience an original series, where the staging and the dramaturgy are very well crafted, like Succession, L'amica geniale, or Euphoria. All these aspects raise an important question: how can we explain that HBO is so confident in the TLOU series' success? 

Before reflecting further, here are a few things you should know about the creation of a video game such as The last of us (this information will be essential to understand the arguments in the following paragraphs). The animation technique used is motion capture, a process where the actor/actress is in a black jumpsuit and has many sensors on his/her body, from head to toes. The actor/actress must reproduce realistic movements in a movie studio. There is no scenery and accessories are made of plastic or metal. The motion capture actor has to interact with them. The motion capture technique allows to "capture" the actor’s facial movements and facial expressions. The motion capture process has already been used in several movies, like The Planet of Apes or Spielberg's Tintin and the Secret of the Unicorn for instance. 

The future success that HBO imagines in the TLOU series can be justified in several ways. Neil Druckmann, the creator of the TLOU video game, is also the creator of the eponymous series: he already knows the scriptural and graphical universe, as well as the TLOU fans’ expectations. The TLOU series casting is sought-after and most of the chosen actors look like the characters in the game. On one hand, Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, respectively chosen to interpret Ellie Williams and Joel Miller in the TLOU series look like the characters of the video game saga (where Troy Baker stars as Joel and Ashley Johnson as Ellie). Fans were also very positively surprised by the announcement that Anna Torv would be joining the cast of Neil Druckmann's series. Known for her role as Olivia Dunham in the sci-fi television series Fringe, she will star as Maria. It seems that TLOU fans are on board with this and have immediately “adopted” her as a well-fitting Maria. I personally agree that her joining the cast is a good thing: she is a talented actress and bears strong physical similarities to Maria’s character. 

On the other hand, other characters do not look like their video game counterparts, at list physically speaking: it is the case for Nico Parker who will interpret the role of Joel's daughter, Sarah. The actress does not look like the video game actress named Hana Hayes. This casting choice is a way for Neil Druckmann to add novelty and innovation to his apocalyptic universe (2013-). However, this is not only the expression of his artistic point of view, but also a commercial choice. Neil Druckmann willingly chooses famous and popular actors. Bella Ramsey is already known for her role as Lyanna Mormont in the Games of Thrones (GOT) series. As for Pedro Pascal, he played Oberyn Martel in the same series. The actor also starred in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. Lately, Pedro Pascal has become a symbolic figure of big-budget creations.

Plus, this HBO series intends to highlight its differences from the original TLOU saga. According to the Comicbook website, the series will take place in 2003, and not in 2013 as in the original video game. This choice of the timeline can make the audience curious and even more impatient to see the changes made by Neil Druckmann. Neil Druckmann also thinks he may not immediately create a third video game installment. The TLOU series can then become a new means of creation to complete the video game. All these news and expectations are enough to make fans curious and to encourage them to watch the TLOU series. 

One thing is clear, HBO does its very best to make the TLOU series attractive. The channel believes in the success of this creation; the fans and the targeted audience are faithful. All we have to do is make an appointment in 2023 for the TLOU series release.

[yeetbean]

Tell us more about your ocs!

hehehe wellll since youve enabled me :3 :3

Olivia and Wade are childhood best friends, and Olivia was at his house more than her own, and she's part of his family basically. They've always planned on living together, even if/when they both get partners.

Olivia is a tentacle porn artist, and predictably makes bank doing that. Wade works at a sports bar th/f/s, a gay bar sunday (superbear sunday anyone?), and teaches a knitting class at Joann's after their shift on monday/tuesdays. He needs a break.

they are both burning themselves out and WILL be forced to stop doing that.

Wade has self esteem issues and dates men who don't value him, because hes a total sweetheart and lets people walk all over him. Someone sends him a video of his boyfriend shit talking him at a party and its a big wake up call that he deserves better.

Olivia lets work consume her and will ghost people for months and then just pop up one day like nothing has changed. She holds all her girlfriends at arm's length, and her longest off again/on again girlfriend gets engaged, and Olivia realizes she has nothing, just Wade and a handful of people that don't want to talk to her because she never wants to talk to them except for a bootycall at 2am every six months when she's overwhelmed by life and needs to vent.

This happens to coincide with her taking a contract that doesn't pay enough and working her ass off for a high profile company and destroying her wrist for 3 months of work squeezed into one month. Tendonitis forces her to take a break and leave the house.

Andrea/Andie is a queer (she/they) indie game dev and streamer/speedrunner. They're an ambulatory wheelchair user (disability tbd but im thinking heds? more research needed). Their main job is animation but they can also code. They work at a game dev studio but they're not out and she's obviously the only not cishet person on the team.

Andrea meets Wade at his sportsbar job when she gets stood up by a couple she's been seeing (a unicorn did not fix their relationship funnily enough) and they sit at the bar talking about knitting all night.

They knit poorly, and wade inspires them to try and get better at it. She signs up for a class and Surprise! its Wade again. this time they actually exchange info even though she's mortified that she accidentally ended up at his job again.

Wade makes them realize that none of their friends/partners actually care about their interest/what they say. all their interactions are just *buzzes about hyperfixation together* which is totally new to her.

Andie meets Olivia in a little queer cafe. There's one open outlet and they share it in silence! just comfortably working until Olivia gets frustrated with Blender, and Andie happens to know the magic keyboard shortcut that fixes her problem, and they hit it off immediately! Andie is avoiding the fact that she has no friends and Olivia is avoiding the fact that she shouldn't be working until her wrist heals, so she's more than happy to listen to Andie infodump about how blender works for an hour and neither of them get any work done for the rest of the day.

Their relationships go on for months (slow burn my beloved) and somehow Wade and Olivia never catch on to the fact that his Andrea is Her Andie despite them being best friends who talk about everything, and both of them knowing they need a wheelchair. They're just. blind idiots in love.

Andie comes over often (when one or the other is at work) and minds her business. she figures that if there were parts of her relationship w the other they wanted to share, then olivia and wade probably already told the other already. Andie doesn't know that they don't realize it, and she finds it very very funny when the reveal happens.

i could write so much! but I'll stick to summarizing and wont get into the nitty gritty character arc details (theyre delicious these people have issues!). but suffice it to say they will come out the other side healthier happier people.

also olivia is a stoner w a little chihuahua that looks like a rat that she loves. Wade has 3 (nearly identical) cats that they claim is only 1 cat to the landlord (bc fuck pet rent)

Andie has a pet snake! probably a hognose because i love them they're little cuties w their little shovel faces :3 :3

[harryissuchalittleshit]

Also Romione with their grandbabies

As always, in birth order:

Hermes Hugo Malfoy:

He’s the oldest

He is very close to all four of his grandparents, but especially his Nana Hermione and Grandad Ron!!

He reminds them soooo much of Hugo when he was little and it’s so cute

Hermione likes to play with him, and it’s just such a fun and stress free time

Ron likes to read to him, usually whatever Auror novel he’s currently reading or the Quidditch section of the Prophet

Ron also teaches him chess, but Hermes is quite bad at it

When he gets older, they buy him his first broom and take him to his first Quidditch game

The Chudley Cannons lose, and Hermione knits the whole time, and Hermes fell asleep in the last half hour of the game

But he will always say that was the best game he had ever gone too

They come to all of his Little League Quidditch games and cheer him on!

They also eagerly await his letters from Hogwarts after games and always go to watch him play in the school finals

When he starts writing, they keep every clipping they can

Athena Hermione Malfoy:

She is a mini Hermione and Ron is so in love with her!!

He helps teach her her letters when she’s two and they also like to cook together

He teaches her how to play chess, and she’s good, but still not a match for Ron

Hermione is her favorite person in the whole world!!

She wants to be her when she grows up and never strays to hard from that

Hermione will take her along to work with her just as she used to do with Hugo and Rose

She listens so much and just is in awe with how easily Hermione shuts downs her emotions and speaks to the court

Probably a little too much as she starts to bottle in her emotions to seem calm

She accepts an internship her final year of school to work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement with Hermione , and then finds out she’s pregnant

Benjamin is the one to tell her that she doesn’t need to give up her dreams to raise Olivia (and the rest of their kids when they have them), he is more than happy to be a stay-at-home father

He reminds her that his job is a lot more flexible than her dreams

And she goes to the Ministry in full force and doesn’t slow down (even if her colleagues make comments about her frequent pregnancies and the time it takes her away from the Ministry)

Hermione is so proud of her when Athena becomes head of the legal team!!

Hephaestus Ronald Malfoy:

This boy loves his cuddles, his Grandad Ron, and being the smartest person in the room

Hermione adores him because of this

He will find Ron in any room and just sit on his lap and refuse to leave

Ron will refuse to give him up

Also he finally has a match in his grandchildren when it comes to chess

Ron, Hugo, and Hephaestus will play together and it’s always a real challenge

(Athena and Hephaestus will always find each other to play a game whenever it’s raining, even at Hogwarts)

He picks up football like Hugo, and even though he doesn’t know the rules still, Ron is there every week to cheer him on

So is Hermione, patiently ready to explain the rules again

Hephaestus doesn’t write home often, but he does write to Ron and Hermione every week

Hephaestus being a Slytherin is a bit hard for him to take in at first, but then he gets Hephaestus’ next letter and it’s addressed just to him, and asking him all of these questions about the war and Ron realizes that this little boy is going to hear a lot of things that might not be true and it’s his responsibility to make sure that he’s educated and safe and okay

Green and silver are just colors, his grandson needs him

Artemis Astoria Malfoy:

She’s so shy and introverted that it takes her a while to open up

But once she knows someone, once she loves someone, there is no going back

Ugh, they love this little girl so much!!

Afternoons making a mess in the kitchen with Ron because she doesn’t like the violence of chess?? Hell yes!

Mornings curled up in Hermione’s lap listening to Hermione reread her unicorn book while teaching her to knit?? Hell yes!

Playing with Crookshanks in the sunlight and feeling like a giant cat herself while her grandparents watched after her?? Hell yes!

Her favorite day of the week is Tuesday, because that is her day at nana and grandad’s house and that never changes

Even when she starts at primary, she’s allowed to floo by herself to see nana and grandad on Tuesday, daddy will pick her up before bedtime

Her first Tuesday at Hogwarts she cries herself to sleep because it just doesn’t feel right

So on Tuesdays she starts to write to them

She had three daughters, Abigail Hermione, Allyson Ronda, and Anna-Maria BillieJean

She just loves the quiet and alone time they gave her, and the life skills they instilled in her

Apollo Draco Malfoy:

If Artemis is the quiet introvert he is the loud extrovert

He gets taken to the Ministry with them

He likes the Auror offices because it’s always exciting and he has a ready audience

On Fridays he floos to the Ministry and goes to the Auror offices

Seeing pictures of body parts and the other things that happen to bodies is what gets him interested in healing

After starting at Hogwarts, he comes back a bit more subdue and pulls back a bit from everyone

Hermione is really worried and brings him to court and it sounds ridiculous, but it’s the first time he sees a performance that actually sways people’s emotions

Hermione is the first person to find out that he’s bisexual and how hard it was for him to keep it inside

But Ron is the one who gives him the confidence to come out to his family!

Friday’s go back to normal after that

Aphrodite Lyla Malfoy:

She is such a baby, and loves it when Ron and Hermione treat her that way

She spends a lot of time with them doing errnings and going to the Ministry and just being passed off between the two

She’s very witty and shares Ron’s sense of humor, they are very kindred spirits

But she is also very close to her other grandparents and doesn’t understand how her Grandad Ron and Grandpa Draco can’t get along because she loves them both sooo much

She’s a lot like both of them, cunning and funny and a bit of a flare for dramatics and very loyal to the people she loves

Like her Uncle Hugo, she loves to hide under Hermione’s desk and listen to all the conversations that happen above her

Hermione teaches her to knit and she loves it, she always wants to be doing something with her hands and creating something

One year she makes everyone hats and Ron finds it hilarious and Hermione is so proud of her

While Ron got the letter about the war from Hephaestus, Hermione got one from Aphrodite, and she didn’t realize how uneducated a lot of children are about the war going into Hogwarts

It inspires her to write a book, and Aphrodite helps her by doing the illustrations

It’s the first time that she ever felt confident in her art

Years later, Aphrodite recreate their wedding portrait for their anniversary

Evan Perseus Weasley-Zabini:

Finally a baby from Hugo and Lyla!! They had been waiting over ten years! (They honestly expected Hugo to have a baby before Rose)

He’s almost exactly a year younger than Aphrodite and she doesn’t understand that she isn’t the baby anymore

But she adores this little boy

Okay, so Ron and Hermione are so excited for Hugo and Lyla to just have this little boy!! They can’t believe that they’re grandparents again so quickly

Because Hugo is more in touch with their Latin roots, Hermione is Abeula to his kids

It does cause a bit of confusion to Aphrodite so she calls her both nana and Abeula

Evan is just soooo much like Hugo! If Hermes was like Hugo, then Evan is Hugo

Ron is the one to realize that Evan has dyslexia like him and Hugo

He works really hard with Evan to teach him how to read, using the same therapies that he learned with Hugo

Because Evan doesn’t also have ADHD it’s a little easier

Ron and Hermione help out a lot when Lyla gets pregnant again, as it’s harder on her and Hugo than they expected

He likes the Auror offices, but loves the courtrooms and the drama of it all

When he’s about eight and Lyla gets pregnant again, they find out he has anxiety and he refuses to talk to anyone except Ron and Lyla about it

When Evan’s about to go to Hogwarts, he’s really anxious but Ron has gotten good at pep talks

He reminds him that he and Hermione will always be there for him and so will his parents

He writes often to Ron and Hermione and it’s really good for his anxiety

He graduates top of his class and Ron and Hermione are so proud of him!

Hector Draco Weasley-Zabini:

He’s very quiet and studious and holds himself to a very high standard

But because Ron and Hermione have zero expectations for him (other than to be happy) he gets to just be goofy and weird and a kid

He will always be the little five year old boy who was worried about his mummy being sick and how to be a big brother to a little sister

Ron teaches him chess and it’s like a duck to water, he is sooo good that Hugo stops playing with him and only Ron will play with him

(Hugo just knows that he doesn’t challenge him like Ron does)

Hermione reads to him and helps him with his homework and always brings him along to the Ministry with her

Hector and Athena have the same dreams and are very similar, and both look up to Hermione soooo much

Ron and Hermione are the first people he comes out to when he’s twelve, and he’s just happy that they accept him for who he is

When Hector’s older he takes an internship and learns how to sway the court to his favor

Hermione is the one to introduce him to his future husband and they name their first daughter after her, Hermione Atalanta

Roslyn “Ro” Psyche Weasley-Zabini:

Now this is who Aphrodite is jealous of, even if there is a nine year age difference between them

But Roslyn or “Ro” adores her older cousin

Ro is so cute and loves her Abeula and grandad so much!

Ron and her play in the kitchen and bake and try new recipes with each other

Hermione teaches her to knit and they always do the Sunday morning crossword together

She is so smart, but so distracted all the time

She likes to write and she creates little stories with cute little illustrations for everyone

Hermione gives her a diary for her birthday the year before she starts at Hogwarts, and Ro isn’t much for it until she’s at school

When she starts dating, she asks Hermione for some advice and it’s a little awkward, but so is Ro so it works out

Her boyfriend is also a writer, but he’s more interested in writing about Quidditch

For graduation Ron and Hermione take all of the little stories and illustrations she made them and get them bound into a book

It inspires Ro and she starts writing children’s books with her on illustrations and she dedicates the first one published to Ron and Hermione

She names her only son after Ron and her first daughter after Hermione, Ronald Asher and Arianna Jean

Christopher Odysseus “Odie” Weasley-Zabini:

The absolute baby of the family

Athena has three kids herself and Hephaestus is about to have his first son when Odie’s born

Hector gave him his nickname the day he was born (Evan gave Ro her nickname)

He is such a sweet baby and adores his grandparents

It makes Ron and Hermione feel better about being great-grandparents by still having such a young grandson

He’s totted along everywhere with whoever has him

He loves both Quidditch and football and plays both, Ron and Hermione support him at all of his games

He has ADHD and while Ron and Hermione aren’t as young as they used to be, they do have a lot of fun with him

He won’t be a chess champion, but Ron doesn’t feel bad letting him win a few games

It does surprise him the one time he wasn’t going easy and Odie beat him with no trouble

Hermione takes Odie with her to the library as she used to with Hugo and they have so much fun together

Odie reads like crazy and anything he can get his hands on

When he’s older and at school he makes sure to write to Ron and Hermione, he always talks about Quidditch and what he’s reading and never much about his classes or friends

He struggles with deciding what he wants to do after graduating from Hogwarts and just goes from job to job before he meets Ellie

A Junior Auror who’s funny and kind and seems to get into a little too much trouble for her own good

They’re married with a baby on the way less than a year later, and Odie is starting his training

Their daughter is named Billie Jean in honor of Ron and Hermione

[popcornaddict500]

Howdy! For the asks... 🦋🦄💎

thanks for the ask, dear! Long post ahead :)

🦋  If they could talk to any animal, what would it be?

Charlotte would love to speak to the birds that visit her garden.

Adam would definitely have full blown conversations with his tarantula

Olivia would love to speak to the fish and other sea creatures, see if they have some good stories

Melanie would want to talk to all of her cats (she has 8)

Kaelos can transform into any animal so communicating with other animals wouldn’t be a problem...

Ouba would go into the forest and talk to squirrels or little beetles

Issou would want to talk to foxes

🦄 *Sheer Chaos* If they had a final form, what would it be? (ex: 3-headed dragon, winged unicorn, cyclops sphinx) 

(I’m going nuts with these designs and you can’t stop me, love this question sm *o*)

Only doing three of my oc’s for this because I wasn’t inspired with the others.

Charlotte’s final form is a giant, 8 armed deity, three eyes that glow white, hair long enough to reach her ankles, and swirls of magic and silk all around her. She’s wearing white robes, with various gold threads in it. There’s a gold flower crown around her head. She’s about the size of vesuvia, and is truly a giantess as she walks/floats around. Can carry literally all of her friends and her family at the same time. 

Adam’s final form has four eyes, massive black/white wings on his back and arms, body and legs that look like a gradient nebulae/space/stars. This galaxy skin reaches up to his collarbone. His hair is a bit longer. There’s stars and small planets floating around his head and body, in circles. Looks like small solar systems. He’s about the size of the vesuvian palace and he wears a white cape, hanging over his shoulders. 

Olivia’s final form isn’t giant, unlike the previous two. She’s only about the size of Muriel now. Her hair moves and flows like water, and it’s gotten much longer. There’s sparkling, clear waterdrops (made of glass/resin) hanging and twinkling in her hair. she has four arms, her eyelashes look like there’s waterdrops hanging from them, and her eyes shine like pearls. Every now and then, little wisps of magic shaped like fish will jump out of her hair and fly around for a bit, before dissapearing again. She wears a long, flowing dress, that looks like seafoam on the edges.

💎  Do they have a favorite crystal/stone?

Charlotte loves Quartz

Adam’s favourite gem is Contra Luz Opal

Olivia’s favourite gemstone is Zircon

Melanie’s favourite gem is Amethyst (geode)

Kaelos’ favourite gem is Blue Goldstone

Ouba and Issou: All of them, as long as it’s shiny!

[aion-rsa]

The 21 Best Christmas Horror Movies

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Technicolor lights are about to illuminate every other home in the neighborhood; carolers are marching through the streets; even that old tree in Rockefeller is shining brightly.

For some folks, that’s enough to make you want to grab an axe. But don’t do that. Watch demented men dressed as Santa Claus or a demon Krampus indulge your Anti-Christmas sentiments with maximum gore. Indeed, this list isn’t about the most charming, heartwarming, or schmaltzy Christmas viewing traditions. Nah, this is about the 20 grossest, nastiest, and all around most fun Christmas horror movies. The kind where the greatest gift you’re going to get on Christmas morning is escaping with your life and maybe some psychological triggers whenever you see jolly men in red suits.

Yep, these are the very best Christmas horror movies. Ho. Freaking. Ho.

Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

Almost certainly one of the sweetest, most positive, and upbeat Christmas movies on the list is this wonderful feel good musical romance from director John McPhail, which also happens to be a zombie movie. It follows a group of friends in a small Scottish town who are just about to finish school and are making plans for the future when a zombie outbreak lands. 

Incredibly catchy tunes which take inspiration from Buffy musical episode Once More With Feeling, mix with inventive festive kills – zombie snowman decapitation is a highlight – in a way that manages not to tonally jar. It’s mostly thanks to the super-likeable performances of the young cast, headed up by Ella Hunt, and the teenage troubles, romances, and heartbreak which form the backdrop of the movie. Paul Kaye also pops up as the school’s tyrannical headmaster – his musical numbers aren’t the best but he brings cartoon villain energy to an unusual but rather adorable Christmas horror that’s way better than you might expect.

– Rosie Fletcher

Better Watch Out (2016)

Home Alone is surely one of the most popular and iconic Christmas movies of all time, though it is not, of course, a horror. However, if it was, it would look something like Better Watch Out, a slick reinvention of the home invasion sub-genre. Olivia DeJonge plays babysitter Ashley, who attempts to protect her charge, 12-year-old Luke (Levi Miller), when they are threatened by intruders in his home. But all is not as it seems.

DeJonge and Miller spar beautifully in a movie which plays with gender and coming of age tropes and includes handfuls of gruesome set pieces, while Ed Oxenbould brings comic relief. This is clever, funny and gruesome stuff from director Chris Peckover which might not become a new Christmas tradition but should definitely be watched at least once.

– Rosie Fletcher

Black Christmas (1974)

Getting stabbed by a unicorn head to the tune of carolers singing “Silent Night” is probably not how you want to spend Christmas Eve. This pre-Scream holiday slasher claims its victims in a sorority house haunted by creepy phone calls (sans ghost mask), demonic noises, bodies eerily shrouded in plastic wrap, and one perverse killer whose voice alone is enough to freeze your blood.

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When an unidentified caller keeps harassing your entire sorority house with obscene things you can only half-understand (because he sounds like a deranged Donald Duck that laughs like the Joker), you should run even if it is 10 degrees outside. The blizzard of murders keeps raging with one victim dragged screaming by a hook, and another bludgeoned to death. Never mind the one suffocated by plastic wrap and left next to the window like the vacant face of a doll staring out into the night. You’ll hardly sleep in heavenly peace after this one.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out) (1980)

In his one and only film as writer/director, Lewis Jackson crafted a smart and clever black comedy that’s more character study than straight horror film. John Waters insists it’s a comedy about a closeted transvestite (of a sort), but it’s much more than that—it’s the Taxi Driver of Yuletide shockers. Brandon Maggart plays a man who takes Christmas way too seriously. His home is filled with bright holiday decorations all year-round while Christmas carols are playing on the stereo. Santa is his role model, a symbol of all that is good and just in the world. He even works at a toy factory.

He so identifies with Santa, he takes to spying on the neighbor kids, keeping his own carefully annotated naughty and nice lists. But when he recognizes the level of cynicism and hypocrisy among his co-workers, bosses, and the people around town as the most joyous time of the year approaches, well, he goes a little funny in the head. He reaches for the suit and beard and axe, determined to reward the good and punish the evil.

Maggart has since tried to desperately distance himself from the film, but he gives a remarkable performance here as a completely isolated figure with a head swimming with both joy and rage. In the end, the film remains king of the sub-subgenre. Screw It’s a Wonderful Life and Rudolph. Apart from Blast of Silence and Invasion U.S.A., Christmas Evil is the only holiday film I watch annually.

– Jim Knipfel 

A Christmas Horror Story (2015)

Admittedly, a number of horror-based Christmas movie have gone with the anthology angle for their storytelling. Hell, this isn’t even the only anthology film on this list. A Christmas Horror Story may not be on a lot of people’s radar, but it’s a worthy installment that goes to some unusual places purely because both the Christmas and anthology playgrounds have gotten so bloated at this point. This film also benefits from being executed by a cabal of directors who are responsible for directing some of the best horror movies to come out of Canada in passing years, such as Splice, the Black Christmas remake, and the Ginger Snaps trilogy.

A Christmas Horror Story deliciously uses a radio DJ (William Shatner) as the connective tissue that holds together the four stories that comprise the film. Parables on ghost possession, clone doppelgangers, Krampus, and zombie elves all get their due here. The film also has a pretty inspired ending that actually casts the picture in a whole new light. It’s got Santa Claus fighting Krampus. What’s not to like?

– Daniel Kurland 

Dead of Night (1945)

Never play hide and go seek in a house where someone was murdered. While it might be best known for Michael Redgrave’s night-terror-inducing ventriloquist dummy scene that sparked the phobia of possessed puppets, Dead of Night also invites you to a Christmas party with a spectral guest. Spacecase Sally’s genuine terror at realizing what she thinks she saw is what she really saw will forever have you second-guessing shadows creeping in the cold. 

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What is obvious in this scene—encroaching darkness and shadows looming over what a place you know is haunted without ever having to hear the big reveal—is hardly as chilling as what is not so obvious until the truth silently materializes. The ghost of the little boy plays hide-and-seek with the other children as if warm blood courses through his veins. Unlike many stereotypical see-through phantoms of the era, this one doesn’t have that telltale translucence which would set off a chorus of screams. Being almost disturbingly normal is exactly what makes him so terrifying. 

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Eyes Wide Shut was the non-denominational star at the top of Stanley Kubrick’s Christmas tree. Originally conceived as a Woody Allen vehicle, it almost starred Steve Martin after Allen insisted on reading the script from right to left. It is as much a cautionary tale as Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, bringing the whole family together with a different Christmas tree in almost every frame.  

Kubrick pours on the cheer from the opening sequence at the Christmas party where the first gifts are unwrapped, and oh boy are they unwrapped. Bill Harford, played by Tom Cruise, dives right into the muffled spirit of giving after he performs a more than charitable deed for the party’s host, played by Sydney Pollack.

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Harford spends most of the film looking for the perfect gift like a slow motion version of Jingle All the Way, rushing around from New York City’s famous toy repository FAO Schwartz to downtown specialty shops, to the suburbs, where he can find collectors’ editions. Cruise pays Harford like a wooden windup toy, and not a particularly cute one, either. In spite of all the colorful lights and trips above and below the rainbow, Harford just can’t get into the Christmas spirit. He’s not even moved by the uplifting seasonal tunings of “I Want a Boy for Christmas” by the Del-Vettes. He recovers his seasonal facilities while humming along to the chant during the climactic illuminati sex party, though! The song is actually “Here Comes Santa Claus” sung backwards in Latin, adding more menace to the proceedings than Silas Barnaby brought to Toyland in The March of the Wooden Soldiers.

– Tony Sokol 

Gremlins (1984)

Santa doesn’t exist… unless it’s your father in a red suit who met his untimely end trying to slide down the chimney with a sack of presents before getting stuck. Don’t tell that to the innocent bat-like ears of a harmless (for now) Mogwai. It’s exactly the kind of story you expect to hear while hunkering down in the shadows with a flashlight while a bunch of leathery green things with too many teeth ransack the neighborhood.

And as for Santa? That smell coming from the fireplace weeks later was no dead cat. Worst. Christmas story. Ever. 

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This movie should be on every hardcore horror fan’s holiday playlist just for the musical monstrosity of those reptilian things decked out in Santa hats and earmuffs singing “Deck the Halls” at the neighbors’ door, sheet music and all. This is continuing proof that animals have a sixth sense, because her yowling cat senses something off about the voices warbling “Joy to the World” outside. She’s right to have an aversion to Christmas carolers.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Holidays (2015)

There have been so many holiday-themed horror films at this point—reaching Christmas and going far, far beyond that—so why not make an anthology film that takes that idea to the extreme? Holidays hits the expected staples such as Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day, but part of the fun here is how holidays with lesser expectations like Easter or St. Patrick’s Day deliver some truly horrifying content (seriously, the St. Patrick’s Day segment is disturbing, bonkers chaos).

The Christmas segment comes courtesy of Scott Stewart (Legion) and has Seth Green trying to survive the holiday as he attempts to get his son the perfect gift. Stewart’s installment feels very reminiscent of a Black Mirror episode with virtual reality, consumerism, and the dangers of mob mentality all playing their part here.

A lot of these anthology films also try to bank off of the name recognition and notoriety of the assembled directors, but Holidays proudly features a collection of mostly fresh faces (although Kevin Smith and Starry Eye’s Kevin Kolsch contribute segments). It’s fun to discover a bunch of new blossoming talents here.

– Daniel Kurland 

Jack Frost (1997)

This ain’t the cringeworthy father/son bonding vehicle starring Michael Keaton. No, this is the Jack Frost where the killer snowman’s nose functions as both a killing tool and a device to sexually assault his victims. All square? But hey, at the least the film isn’t afraid to ride its ridiculous premise as hard as possible.

First of all, an actual killer named Jack Frost crashes into a truck of “genetics material” that causes him to transform into this cold abomination in the first place. That sets the tone pretty nicely for the abundant murders, sex, and plot holes that plague the town of Snowmonton (yup). It’s hard to believe that this film got made, with all of the visuals being some real spectacles that you don’t typically see in the horror genre.

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Jack Frost is the perfect Christmas horror film to shut your brain off and watch, or the title that you should be selecting right in the middle of your deep eggnog haze. It’s utter nonsense, but it knows that it is and has tons of fun with itself. We need more talented individuals trying to tap into the killer snowman subgenre. There’s still a true classic waiting to come to life here.

– Daniel Kurland 

Krampus (2015)

Morbidly funny in its anti-holiday sarcasm and ridiculous demons, Krampus is like a mashup of the Griswolds, the Grinch, and every mythical beast that has ever been rumored to devour children on the naughty list. You’d rather get coal in your stocking than a killer jack-in-the-box jump scare… or find chilling hoof prints in the snow that are definitely not from Rudolph.

Krampus is one Yuletide monster actually worse than the Grinch. The grisly inspiration for this tale is a Germanic one about a hairy, horned, and cloven-hooved demon who stuffs naughty children in his sack and either beats them with a wooden switch or eats them (depending on who you ask). Also, his heart won’t grow three sizes from gorging on human flesh, either.

This version of Krampus is also hungry for anyone who’s lost their holiday spirit—whether or not you otherwise qualify for the nice list. Watch this with the lights off for the full effect of the power outage that works to the creature’s advantage as he goes hunting for holiday nonbelievers. Kids, don’t scorn Santa or Krampus will come to collect you.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

There are some of us who know this movie verbatim and to the point where we will shamelessly break out singing “This is Halloween” and raise Jack’s quasi-Shakespearean monologue from the dead even in the middle of July. Or keep warning people that tragedy’s at hand. Or correct anyone who says there are 365 days until next Halloween by growling “364!” The stop-motion animation saga of the talking skeleton turned “Sandy Claws” bewitched an entire generation of ‘90s kids. 

Even people who hate Halloween will stare with delight and awe when Jack’s skull bursts out of a snowdrift, and he first puts colored lights in his eye sockets and explores every “what’s this?” in Christmas Town like a spook in a coffin shop. You just can’t help but love the adventurous skeleton, even if he does end up making haunted houses out of people’s living rooms on Christmas Eve. Whether you’d rather be making Christmas with strangely somber carols, reanimated reindeer or toys that bite back, it’s now an officially unofficial holiday classic.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

P2 (2007)

On the sillier end of the Christmas horror spectrum comes P2, a film named after a section in a parking lot, starring Wes Bentley and Rachel Nichols. She’s a business woman trapped in a multi-story parking garage on Christmas Eve, he’s the insane Security Guard who’s obsessed with her and really wants her to try his festive eggnog, so to speak. 

Camp and gory, this is the directorial debut of Franck Khalfoun who would follow it up with a remake of Maniac. The movie was co-written by Alexandre Aja who made one of the greatest cat-and-mousers ever in Switchblade Romance. The set up is formulaic, perhaps, but the game performances and relentlessness of the action makes this worthwhile. And if that’s not enough check out a deranged Bentley dressed as Santa, for the angel on the top of the Christmas tree.

– Rosie Fletcher

Rare Exports (2010)

There couldn’t possibly be a more sinister place to search for Santa’s ancient burial mound than in the frigid depths of Lapland. It’s the same supposedly enchanted place Dick van Dyke hiked to in the search for Santa in an ‘80s musical Christmas special, except this time you won’t find him in a cozy cottage with stockings hung by the chimney with care. You won’t find the guy in red from the mall, but anything that takes a disembodied pig’s head as bait couldn’t possibly be jingle-belling on a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer, especially when he seems to have a ravenous appetite for said reindeer. 

This time, “the spirit of the season” is literally the most malicious Christmas spirit that has ever terrorized the Yuletide. Even if you watch the whole thing in Finnish and don’t understand a word except the screaming, the ghost of the child in you that really did believe there was a guy in the North Pole will be forever traumatized. This glaze-eyed zombie incarnation of Mr. Claus doesn’t laugh like a bowl full of jelly. You better watch out, indeed.

– Elizabeth Rayne

Santa Claws (1996)

You do have to wonder what happened to John Russo along the line. 30 years after co-writing Night of the Living Dead, he came up with this decidedly sleazy but sadly unoriginal wonderment, which was much more focused on boobs than Yuletide butchery. In what by that point had become a battered cliché of the Slasher Santa subgenre, a young boy named Wayne (Grant Kramer) sees his mom having sex with a man wearing a Santa hat (!), and so murders them both. I’m not exactly sure how this transference would work in Freudian terms, but when he gets older, he a) becomes obsessed with a low-budget scream queen named Raven (played by low-budget scream queen Debbie Rochon) and b) decides he’s Santa.

As you might imagine, stalking someone when you’re wearing a Santa suit is no mean feat, but Wayne gives it his best shot. Most of the film, however, focuses on Raven and her extended family as she gets undressed a lot and wonders not only why that creep in the Santa suit keeps showing up everywhere, but why everyone around her keeps dying in a particularly bloody fashion. It can feel like there are two films going on here, a by-the-numbers stalker/slasher movie and a holiday horror film, which leaves me thinking Russo had one of them in mind, but after some eight-year-old smarty-pants came up with that clever “Santa Claws” pun, well, he just had to run with it.

– Jim Knipfel

Santa’s Slay (2005)

Christmas can sure scare the Dickens out of people. Hence why you can’t not watch a holiday horror flick in which Santa is the Antichrist, sentenced to 1,000 years of delivering gifts after losing a curling match with an angel, and played by former pro wrestler Bill “Who’s Next?” Goldberg.

As the only son of Satan (you know what they say about rearranging the letters in that name) whose grim legend is immortalized in the Book of Claus, he can now at last spread Christmas fear with weapons, karate kicks, hand grenades, exploding presents, and his own perverse idea of what “Ho ho ho” should really mean. Them’s the breaks once the bet’s terms are done.

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Santa’s methods of murder are fiendishly festive—to say the least. There is no naughty or nice list when it comes to an insatiable appetite for violence. He even knocks out poseurs in red suits and drives a sleigh with a rocket engine like it’s the Batmobile. Mall Santas everywhere are shaking in their pleather boots.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Naughty children get punished with more than just a stocking full of coal in this Christmas chiller. Just the opening scene with all those empty-eyed animatronic toys haunting a window display after-hours should tell you that this is not a movie that’s going to end in visions of sugarplums. Forget that it’s supposed to be the season of all things magical. Those things can be more terrifying than every single plastic skeleton and gaping zombie mask you’ll ever see in a haunted house around Halloween.

You’d better watch out for that psycho in the red suit who grabs a hatchet off the wall as if it was his bag full of toys and packs an automatic pistol in his fur-lined pocket, murdering misbehaving kids he’s been watching undercover of shadow. This sadistic Santa clearly doesn’t believe in sliding down chimneys—and the only red he’s interested in wearing is the blood of innocents. If that won’t convince you to stay awake because he sees you when you’re sleeping, you must be Freddie Krueger.

– Elizabeth Rayne

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

Three years after the shit-storm sparked by the original’s ad campaign, some smart cookie decided a sequel was necessary. A tough call there, given most all the principals were killed off pretty thoroughly the first time around, but still, right?

But there was money to be made, so they brought in an untested director (Lee Harry), a mostly untested crew, and a cast of mostly non-professional actors. After a half-dozen writers took a swipe at the script, they came up with a confounding but tepid rehash of the first film. This time around, and mostly in flashback, we learn that after the first killer Santa was sloppily dispatched at the end of Part 1, his brother Ricky becomes determined to uncover what went wrong.

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He pays a visit to the sadistic Mother Superior at the Catholic asylum where his brother had been kept, and before you can say “ho ho ho,” Ricky ends up donning the red and white suit himself to do a little rampaging, though without nearly half of his brother’s imagination. They even used the same fucking poster design, just slapped a “2” on it. I guess hoping they might raise the same sort of ruckus the first one had. Sadly, it was too late for that.

– Jim Knipfel 

Sint (2010)

Dutch director Dick Maas took some early steps toward Krampus territory with his re-imagining of the legend of the warm-hearted Saint Nick. Borrowing heavily from earlier Italian, Spanish, and American horror films, as well as Danish folklore, “Sinterklaas” here was actually a bloodthirsty medieval murderer and all around brute who oversaw a savage reign of terror. Finally fed up with all his nonsense, the ornery local villagers banded together on the night of Dec. 5 and lynched him. As per tradition, however, in the moments before he died Sinterklaas vowed vengeance from beyond the grave, promising to return every 32 years on that very night to do bad and icky things to the villagers’ descendants.

Over the centuries, the story was mainstreamed and soft-pedaled, becoming part of the local folklore. The character of Saint Nick became much more benevolent and child-friendly so as not to scare the wee folk. Then, well, wouldn’t you know it? That anniversary creeps around again, Sinterklaas is true to his word, and Amsterdam turns all bloody, leaving it up to an intrepid teenager named Frank to put a stop to the mayhem.

Read more

Movies

The Best Christmas Movie Soundtracks of All Time

By Ivan Radford

TV

The Twilight Zone Marathon: A History of a Holiday Tradition

By Arlen Schumer

A stylish, wicked, and hugely entertaining take on the darker history of a beloved legend. It was also the top grossing film in Denmark in 2010, which either says something about the Danish film industry or the Dutch themselves.

– Jim Knipfel

Tales From the Crypt: And All Through the House (1972)

The Crypt Keeper first emerged as a ghoulish EC Comics horror host in the pages of Tales From the Crypt who crawled onto the big screen in this horror anthology, welcoming unknowing tourists to his catacombs with bony arms open. What the tourists don’t know is that they’re all recently deceased. The invite is to a subterranean story-time in which he unearths the gruesome details of their deaths with a gap-toothed grin. Creatures are obviously stirring when killer wife Joanne is stalked by a homicidal Santa in this warped homage to ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas titled (appropriately enough) “… And All Through the House.”

So it is that “O Come All Ye Faithful” is interrupted while playing on the radio by a scratchy warning of a homicidal maniac run amok. And wouldn’t you just know it, this occurs right as Joan Collins is offing her husband with a shot to the head—and then realizes she has to dismember the body before cashing in on his life insurance. Her blissfully naïve daughter lets the killer jolly old elf in, shrieking that Santa finally came before he erupts into psychopathic rage. Clement C. Moore must be turning in his grave.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

The Wolf of Snow Hollow

Certainly less purely Christmas-y than other entries on this list, The Wolf of Snow Hollow is nonetheless a wintry delight set during the holiday season. Carols play ominously in the background during key moments, and the immaculately snowy white setting of Snow Hollow, Utah is broken only by splashes of color from lights on homes and Christmas trees. Oh yes, and the blood of the titular werewolf’s victims.

Read more

Movies

The Wolf of Snow Hollow Review: A Quirky Werewolf Movie

By Don Kaye

Movies

13 Must-See Werewolf Movies

By Mike Cecchini

Jim Cummings’ film is heavy on cozy, ski town holiday atmosphere without leaning on its actual Christmastime setting at all. But good werewolf movies are a rare breed indeed these days, and a werewolf movie set at Christmas? Well…now you know what to watch when the moon is full each December

Mike Cecchini

Got any other suggestions for Christmas horror movies that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

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The post The 21 Best Christmas Horror Movies appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[freddiesaysalright]

Peace Like A River - Epilogue

A Gwilym Lee x Reader Story

Summary: Reader has found her peace in Gwilym. Violet shares how much it means to her on a special day.

Word Count: 1.6K

Tag List: @psychosupernatural @someone-get-a-medic, @bensrhapsody, @deakyclicks, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession, @minigranger, @simmisblog, @assembledherethevolunteers, @lookuptotheskiesandsee, @readinghorn, @riddikuluslypotter, @doingalrightt, @misslolasworld, @lemurian-starship, @ravenedges-lies, @painkiller80, @imgonnabeyourslave, @crazyweirdocalledfriday, @ixchel-9275, @sincerelygmg, @lv7867, @unicorn-princess-1999, @delilahmay39, @chlobo6, @dragon-out-of-water, @radio-hoo-ha, @agentmalfoy24601, @thigh-your-mother-down

A/N: Here is the super sappy promised epilogue! Y’all it is GUSHY but after such a wild ride, I thought they all deserved some pure love lol. Thank you all so much for the love you’ve shown this story. I had so much fun writing it and seeing how all of you reacted to the twists and turns. Please enjoy the last part of Peace Like a River :)

Part I  Part II  Part III  Part IV  Part V  Part VI  Part VII  Part VIII  Part IX  Part X  Part XI

Epilogue here we go!!!

You twisted one last curl around Violet’s face and pinned it carefully to the back of her head. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She was so beautiful, and you could see the excitement in her eyes. You leaned over her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

“Are you nervous at all?” you wondered.

She shook her head. “No. Jamie is it for me. I know it.”

You grinned. “I’m so happy for you, baby. I just can’t believe you’re getting married.”

“Mom,” she groaned with a roll of her eyes, but she was still smiling. “I know I’ll always be your baby.”

“Yes, you will,” you assured her, giving her another small squeeze.

“Mom, I need to tell you something,” she said seriously. “Before the others get here.”

“The others” you knew referred to her younger siblings - Sybil, Olivia, and Tom. Your brow furrowed. What could she not say to them?

“What is it?” you asked.

“I was in New York for that conference - about a month ago - and I...well, I met up with Henry.”

You blinked and stepped back. “How did it go?”

She looked at her hands folded neatly on her lap. “Not great. Especially not after I told him about Dad.”

After you and Gwilym were married, he adopted Violet officially. Only then did you give her her father’s last name, Lee. You could imagine Henry hadn’t taken that well.

You knelt down in front of her and took her hands.

“Did he hurt you?” you asked, heart rate quickening with worry.

“No,” she said, trying to smile but it came out as more of a grimace. “No, not physically. He just yelled at me for a bit. It was frightening, for sure, but I just walked away.”

“Do you regret going?”

“No,” she repeated. “I was always curious about him. Now I know.”

“Do you want to tell your dad?” you wondered.

“Not today,” she said. “But at some point, I will. It made me realize how grateful I am for him. I’ve always loved him, but that whole encounter just...made it abundantly clear why.”

“The best thing to do now is forget him,” you said. “You have a wonderful father who loves you very much.”

“I know,” she returned, smiling in earnest now. “I know I do.”

Just then, Gwilym appeared in the doorway with Sybil and Olivia. They both gasped when they saw Violet and immediately began gushing about how great she looked. She beamed at her little sisters and embraced them excitedly. Gwilym stood frozen, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted. You chuckled and slipped an arm around his waist.

“Shocked?” you questioned.

He nodded stiffly. “I can’t believe that’s our little girl.”

“I know,” you agreed. 

“I mean, I still remember her with whipped cream on her face and saying Merry Breakfast,” he said. “That feels like it was yesterday.”

“To me too,” you said. “But she’s not a little girl anymore.”

“No, she’s not,” he said. “She’s about to make Jamie the luckiest man in the world. Second to me, anyway.”

You giggled and kissed him on the cheek. Violet finally shook off her sisters and approached you and Gwilym. As she looked at him, you saw her eyes shining with tears. He wrapped her up in his arms.

“Scared, love?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, I just love you so much.”

“Aw, I love you too, sweet girl,” he returned. “Are you ready? Jamie’s waiting for you.”

She took a deep breath and grinned. “I’m ready.”

Tom was a groomsman, so he was with Jamie. He was waiting to walk Sybil and Olivia down the aisle first. Then you and Gwilym would follow with Violet. She had insisted on you both giving her away for equality’s sake. You waited with her at the front of the aisle and you saw her squeeze Gwilym’s arm. The music changed and it was time for the bride to make her way to the groom.

The ceremony was beautiful. You cried through their vows - which Jamie and Violet had written themselves. Gwilym actually held up very well. You could see how happy he was for them. But he didn’t cry. He did put his arm around you to comfort you.

As the happy couple made their way back down the aisle as husband and wife, you leaned into Gwilym. He pressed his lips to your temple and whispered how much he loved you, exactly as he had done on your own wedding day. You closed your eyes and just let him hold you for a moment, taking you back to that time.

The reception hall was lovely. It was simple, with just a few lights scattered around to create a soft, warm glow. After pictures were over, you all settled at the head table with the bride and groom. Violet was absolutely glowing. She gave Jamie a sweet kiss and then she stood up, clinking a fork against her champagne glass. The room quieted and turned eyes on her.

“Thank you, everyone, for being here on this special day,” she began. “I feel so blessed to have so many friends and family who care for me and Jamie. We are truly grateful.”

She paused and took a deep breath.

“I wanted to say a few things before we get too far into the reception,” she said. “Some things that have been weighing on my heart in the days before my wedding.” She turned toward you and Gwilym. “Mom, Dad, as I thought about marriage, I realized I was ready because of the example you set. Watching you two instilled in me tools for navigating a partnership that have been fundamental in my relationship with Jamie, and will continue as the pillars of our marriage. Things like respect, understanding, open-mindedness, and most importantly unconditional love. I knew Jamie was the one for me because I recognized these qualities in him. Qualities I’d seen from the two people I admire most in the world.”

She took a sip of champagne.

“Gotta drink before this part because it’s about to get emotional,” she joked, and everyone chuckled.

“Mom,” she said, meeting your eyes. “To me, you’ve always been strength. You have survived so much, and you went through a literal hell for me. And yet, you never made me feel unwanted or like a burden. You have taught me to demand respect for myself and to work hard for the things I want. You’ve taught me more about loving myself than I could even conceive of. And you’ve shown me the value of taking chances. You are my biggest cheerleader, confidant, and friend. You are my inspiration. I love you so much.”

She finished with a smile. Through watery eyes, you blew her a kiss. She met Gwilym’s gaze then, and you saw tears spring to her eyes.

“Dad,” she said shakily, and she had to swallow the lump in her throat. “This is gonna be hard, but I promise I’m really happy.”

He laughed and smiled warmly at her. She cleared her throat.

“Dad,” she began again, stronger this time. “I don’t remember it, but I’ve been told the story of how I chose you my whole life. One day, I called you ‘Daddy’ and since then, you just were. I love that story, and I think it’s so incredible that I selected you out of all the men in the world to be that for me. But, um…” she trailed off, her bottom lip quivering. “But you chose me too. Lots of men would have run screaming from everything that Mom and I meant. But you stayed, when you had every reason to step back. No one would have blamed you. But you didn’t. So yes, I chose you once. But you chose me and my mother over and over and over again. And you gave us all of you every single day.”

She sniffled and paused again. A tear slid down her cheek.

“You’ve shown me what a good man looks like,” she choked out. “You’ve shown me what a good father looks like. You’ve shown me what love looks like. Thank you for choosing us.”

You looked over at Gwilym and saw tears flowing down his face. He was trying to wipe them away, but quickly decided it wasn’t worth it. He got up and reached his daughter in two strides, completely engulfing her in his embrace. You saw her shoulders shake with a sob as she beamed up at him, no longer bothering to hold back her tears either. You watched them together and felt like your heart was breaking and also dancing around inside your chest. 

Gwilym held Violet tight. He was overwhelmed with affection for her in this moment, though he never thought it possible to love her any more than he already did.

“I love you, my girl,” he whispered. “I will always choose you.”

She laughed through another sob and kissed his wet cheek. “I love you too, Dad.”

They made it through and finally, Jamie took Violet’s hand and led her out to the dance floor for their first dance. They’d actually gotten lessons to dance a foxtrot to Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend.” You looked at Gwilym, still dabbing your eyes.

“I can’t believe she did that,” he sighed. 

“I know, she got us good, huh?” you teased.

He laughed. “Look how happy she is.”

“We did okay with her,” you said, leaning on his shoulder.

“More than okay,” he replied. “She’s perfect.”

“Well done,” you told him. With a smile, you added, “Dear Friend.”

He kissed your forehead and smirked. “You as well, Dear Friend.”

Together, you watched your other children join Violet and Jamie on the floor. Your family was growing, and would continue to grow as each of them found their way in the world. You and Gwilym would always be there for them, providing a home, and showing them love. You were their peace, and they were yours.

[bobasheebaby]

Unicorn- The First Year: Crimson Rain

Pairing: Bastien x Liza; Sage; Hope Casey (Lykel)

Word count: 1,125

Written for: @playchoicesficidea Choices October Challenge week 3, day 23, Unicorn

Warnings: teeth rotting fluff, your dentist will hate me and I’m not paying the bill, glitter

Summary: Olivia takes Liza for a day of shopping and pampering to relax after the dye incident, leaving Sage with Hope and Bastien. Hope and Bastien craft with Sage at Hope’s insistence. (Sage is one year old...)

A/N: @sirbeepsalot asked for October. Liza x Bastien family. UNICORN 🦄for @playchoicesficidea October Challenge. I had ideas, Beeps said to combine I might have been slightly inspired by my husband and son’s recent adventure with glitter. 

Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the taglist.

Disclaimer: I own my OC’s, the rest I’m simply borrowing from PB for a bit.

Hope sat cross legged on the floor, her baby sister sitting in between her legs babbling happily as she banged two plastic stacking cups together. Thwap. Thwap. Thwap. She ran her hand through Sage’s now colorful curls. “She needs a unicorn horn.”

Bastien gave her a questioning look; Halloween had past, she no longer needed a costume. “Why does she need a unicorn horn?”

“She has unicorn hair, she needs a pretty unicorn horn to go with it.” She gave him a look that said duh, her face softening as she looked back down at her little sister. “Right Sage, you want a pretty unicorn horn to go with your pretty hair right?”

Sage looked up at Hope, her steely eyes shining brightly. “Pwetty.” Thwap. Thwap. She banged the cups together again squealing with glee.

Hope laughed. “See, she wants a unicorn horn.”

Bastien sighed, he knew he’d never win if his daughters were on the same side. “Fine, where do you get a unicorn horn?”

“We aren’t buying one! Homemade is much more special!” She stood up. “I’ll even go get everything we need.”

“How do you even know what you need for a unicorn horn?”

“The internet, duh.”

*

Hope returned an hour and a half later with three bags of crafting supplies in hand. She dumped them all out on the kitchen table and arranged them by type. A dozen colorful fairly large tubs of glitter ranging from gold and silver to every color in the rainbow, multiple packs of paper in different thicknesses, a hot glue gun, a bag of glue sticks, regular glue to adhere the glitter, a few headbands, small paint brushes for the glue, and a spool each of gold and silver sparkly ribbon, just in case.

Bastien sighed as he walked to the kitchen with Sage on his hip. Hope had texted to let him know she had the supplies and Sage had declared that today was a ‘no nap day’. It’s going to be a long day. He’d tried snuggling with her on the couch, the gates secured just in case, he tried laying her in her crib, even letting her lay with Buttons and Pickles on the dog bed, it was like she knew her papa and big sister were going to have fun without her and she refused to miss it. His steely eyes went wide as he entered the kitchen, taking in Hope sitting at the table carefully rolling paper into cones, the multitude of supplies spread out in front of her. “Do we really need all of this?”

“Can never be too careful. What we don’t use this time we can save for the next project.” Hope looked up smiling when she saw Sage. “Hey baby girl, want to help Papa and me make you a pretty unicorn horn?”

“Pwetty!” Sage squealed, reaching for the shiny jars of glitter as Bastien secured her in her high chair.

Soon enough, after a few minutes of assembling cones they had far more than were needed. “Why did we make so many cones?”

“We only want to keep the prettiest horns and I’m not sure what will look best with her hair.” Hope replied reaching for the bottle of Elmer’s glue and a paintbrush. She started to paint the outside of the first cone with the glue. She scrutinized Sage’s hair before picking up the lime green, pink and silver glitters. She opened the green glitter, shaking it gently over the glue, a light dusting of glitter covered the cone. She appraised the cone with a thoughtful look, she upended the tub of glitter tapping it hard on the bottom. Glitter cascaded out, landing in piles on the table and forming a thick layer on the cone. “Oops.”

Bastien stared at his daughter in abject horror as she sat the glitter down near Sage’s tray. “Aren’t you going to clean up the glitter?”

Hope shook her head, blonde locks flying around her head. “I’ll get it later, I mean, how much of a mess can it make?” She picked up the cone, shaking off the excess glitter. She laid it on its side, moving to paint the next side with glue.

Sage leaned forward in her seat, her meaty hand grabbing the tub of glitter. “Sparkwie!” She shrieked, waving her hand in the air, bright green glitter flying from the open jar.

“Oh. No.” Bastien shouted as he jumped from his seat, quickly moving to her high chair to try to disarm his daughter. This time it wasn’t my fault. “Come on baby girl, give Papa the glitter.” He said as he tried to gently catch her moving arm, the glitter continuing to rain down on the floor.

“NO!” Sage shouted, scrunching up her face as she raised the now half empty tub of glitter up over her head. She giggled as the green glitter fell over her. She shrieked as Bastien carefully took the tub from her.

Bastien felt his heart break, he never wanted to be the reason his princess cried but as he looked at the glitter covering the high chair and the floor around it, he stayed strong. We have enough of a mess as is. He put the jar in the center of the table, before unfastening her from her seat. He picked up his crying daughter, carefully cradling her to his chest. “I’m sorry papa made you cry, but that’s not something for you to play with.”

Sage sniffled, rubbing her face into his chest as he rubbed her back in circles.

“Done!” Hope exclaimed jumping up proudly holding up a tricolored horn affixed to a headband. “You want to wear it Sage?”

Sage lifted her head looking at the bright, sparkly headband, she nodded her head.

Hope carefully placed the headband upon Sage’s head, carefully fluffing her multicolored curls to hide the white plastic, flecks of glitter flying up into the air. “Aren’t you the prettiest unicorn?”

“What happened in here?”

Bastien turned, offering Liza and Olivia a tentative smile. “Hope thought Sage needed a unicorn horn to go with her unicorn hair and she left the glitter too close to Sage.”

“I’ll clean it up. It’s my fault I wasn't careful, but I will get every spec of glitter up.” Hope added.

Liza snorted, Hope had no idea how hard it was to clean glitter. “Okay then.” She reached for her daughter who was now rubbing her eyes. “Let’s see if you’ll take your nap for mama. I know you didn’t want to miss all the excitement did you?” Sage rested her head on Liza’s shoulder, glitter floating off her hair onto Liza. Liza smiled kissing her daughter on the head. “Good luck Hope.” You’re gonna need it.

A/N: Hope is following this tutorial, but decided that glitter is better than tulle and sequins. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EM9udMbTfbk

Feedback fuels me, please like, comment reblog or send an ask. Feel free to scream, I promise I can take it.

Masterlist can be found in my bio.

Taglist will be reblogged.

[caticornsrreal]

Fighting Dragons with You

After twelve years, I'm finally telling the internet why I love Taylor Swift🖤 

Hello, internet using world. I’d like to introduce myself to the few people who followed me. Hi! My name is Christa and I am a Taylor Swift fan with every fiber of my being. Full disclosure, this is a short novel so now is your chance to make an exit, but I hope you stay.

Taylor and my ridiculously furry cat, Lyle

(affectionately nicknamed “rent-free”), are the only two beings made of flesh and bone who have been consistent in my life for the last 12 years. With a close second being my son, Gauge, who just turned 10. I won’t get into the details (in this post) as to why that is, but let’s just say there were a lot of ups and downs growing up.

The last 12 years have been an evolution for Taylor,

and subsequently, for me. At (dare I say it) 

38 years old, I’ve found that a lot of things happen in a decade. Like, A LOT. Now, I don’t feel 38. I guess I owe that to humor, singing, dancing, sarcasm, and launching a successful career that didn’t exist 15 years ago —something that has made me always push harder to set new goals and stay humble. But one thing I didn’t do over these last 12 years that I deeply regret was starting a fan page for Taylor. I mean, ESPECIALLY since I’m a professional travel blogger who makes her full time living from digital content!

There’s been a lot of momentum over the last 12 years

—demands which left me with little to no free time. But I can’t blame my absence from the Swiftie family entirely on that. In fact, I’d have to say, I blame much of it on fear.

Fear,

of being misunderstood, fear of judgment or writing something lame. I’ve had over 2,000 articles published online and in print as well as countless social posts, but the thought of Taylor seeing something I wrote and thinking it’s totally weird (or cough, too long for the internet), well let’s just say I’d be less afraid of walking into a burning building.

Fear,

of being called a fake because the financial demands as a single mom left me little money to spend on myself or Taylor merchandise, much less tickets to a show. I’ve always placed my son’s needs before mine.

Fear,

that I was too old to be a Taylor Swift fan. I mean, I was 26 when she hit the music scene and she was what, 16? I’ve been afraid. Afraid I would be rejected by other Swifties who really are the only people who understand this love we have for her  —which is basically like being rejected by your own people. Also, it’s super weird to be following teens/young adults on social, much less engaging with them.

Fear.

Along with my fear, a perfect storm of entrepreneurial demands, single motherhood, failed relationships (one of which was a marriage), and family matters have served as a constant reminder that my dream of ever meeting Taylor takes residence on another planet. An actual trip to Mars seemed more attainable. 

I feel like there is a whole demographic of women, “Swiftie Moms” who echo my story,

having watched Taylor grow into the strong beautiful woman she's become. Women my age who love her from behind the wheel of their SUV, on the way to drop their kids off to school, on the way back from a milk run, in the dark hours of the mornings when they’re dancing in the kitchen with a full on hair bun singing into a coffee spoon. Unnoticed fans who haven’t had the time to dive head first into the Swiftie Universe. But here I am. After all the fear and all the years...

So, why?

This is a hard one to answer. I guess you can say that after many years of challenges, judgment from others, and doing the complete opposite of what logic and reason said I should  —divorce, single motherhood, a second degree in my late twenties... risking it all to start a blog (which by the way in 2013 wasn’t even considered a side job much less a career), I kind of got to a point where I became

fearless.

I had to be. I had this tiny living, breathing human being who was counting on me at the very least, to give him a life a notch above the shit show I had growing up. Not to mention parenting —which is basically wandless wizardry pulled directly from the asses of parents. It demands that your mini human grows up to be a better human than you.

Yeah, unpack that.

Take all your collective shit, figure it out, and then teach your mini to do it better —to BE better than you at love, kindness, respect for others (especially boys respecting girls), integrity, money, and to be fearless. All while giving them the comfort of knowing that you, mom, have it all figured out... even when that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Top that with the pressures of working in the public eye

—which, while on a microscopic level compared to a full-on celebrity such as Taylor, is still very much a juggling act with none of the entourage to lighten the workload. Add to it the demands of working with national brands, and the unwavering ability for other bloggers to tear you down at any opportunity, or even worse, try to get close to you so they can raid your success like a Black Friday sale.

I found myself at the peak of my blogging career

but I was consumed by fear, AGAIN! Fear of shady AF bloggers and publicists, and so much to lose. And fear that now, thousands of people would have an opinion of me formed by jealous bloggers, and they didn’t even know who I really was. 

That’s when letting go of toxic people in my life became essential

—when, no matter who they were, or how I was tied to them, I had to realize that surrounding myself with the ones who lifted me took precedence over the ones who dragged me down. 

After all that..... I learned to give zero f***s about what people thought, or what they said behind my back. 

And I had to start caring about what made my heart happy, what made my family and friends smile, and what inspired me to do better. BE BETTER. Be the example of fearless, with the hope that I was lucky enough to stay that way. But I'm a vulnerable human made of heart and soul and sometimes people can still take the best from me.

I had to be fearless.

In August of 2017 when "Look What You Made Me Do” blessed my ears for the first time, I felt it pierce my skin and course through my veins. And to the very bones of this young 38-year-old Swiftie mom, I was shook AF! I sang, I danced and I drowned out the haters in the blogging world. She had a very clear message,

She had zero f***s to give, Taylor broke the internet.

After watching the seemingly endless myriad of shade thrown at Taylor over the years, my heart erupted with happiness as her flawless first single from Reputation revealed one BADASS BITCH. And with every music video release of her new era, she became a mythical Goddess with bullshit evaporating superpowers. Like, I legit think she’s an actual unicorn. After all, she does ride a caticorn named Olivia.

She got harder, she got smarter in the nick of time

One single post on my Facebook page praising her new era and new single she brought with it attracted a slew of hate speech, white people bashing, claims of Taylor ripping off Beyonce... I couldn’t believe the things I was reading from fellow bloggers. I even had a GLOBAL BRAND threaten my business relationship in their ambassador program because I stood up for Taylor and spoke out about the hate speech which was placed on my own personal Facebook page. But I stood by my words.

Fearless.

Over the following months into early 2018, and to the tune of, “This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things”, I, along with a slew of about 20 other bloggers, ended up taking down said global brand’s publicist who was using his budget and power to demean and sexually harass female bloggers (which would later reveal that blacklisting me was more about not buying into that bullshit rather than my voice on hate speech).

Zero f***s given to those haters.

Mythical Goddess with bullshit evaporating superpowers level officially achieved for Taylor, and even for me. Although I wouldn’t call myself a Goddess. That's all Tay. 🖤

She found love through the noise

And so did I. In November of 2017, I had approached the year anniversary of the greatest love I'd ever known. My last stop. And as the tracks played on, my heart was full. We both found happiness through a seemingly endless sea of anguish.

Taylor is truly doing better than she ever was, and so am I.

Her resilience up against the media and the demands of the industry are perfectly fearless. And her decision to keep her beautifully growing relationship with Joe private is wise. I’ve spent the last year at home, which has been incredible. I’ve had a lot of time to think about what’s most important to me, what has shaped me into the mom, partner and entrepreneur that I am, and it all comes back to Taylor. That’s why it’s time for me to be fearless again and officially join the Swiftie universe.

I’ve spent 12 years fighting dragons with Taylor

and growing a canyon of respect and adoration for her charm, wit, business savvy, musical talent, feminism, compassion, tenacity, love for animals, and of course her lovely, lovely, words. I’ve raised my son from birth with her. There isn't a single day that is spent where Taylor doesn't exist in our lives. For 12 years straight.

That’s a long time to love someone who has no idea you exist.

I play her music videos and YouTube uploads just so I can feel like she’s with us. And so my son knows that she’s one of the finest examples of a human being in his lifetime. I use Taylor’s kindness to teach my son how to be considerate and give back to others while sharing her fearless story with him so she can be a positive role model in his life. Taylor has essentially been part of our family all along. 

My son Gauge has a running joke that Taylor is the only person that can make me cry

(which happens more than I'm willing to admit). And it’s not because I’m weak, or on the verge of a mental breakdown (although I challenge you to try parenting, you might argue that), it’s because I truly love her like a best friend. When I see her happy it makes me happy, when I feel her sadness, it makes me sad. It’s visceral.

I don't believe the human connection is meant to be one-sided.

I feel in my heart, as weird as this may sound, that we will meet Taylor one day, even against all odds. Existing in the same lifetime as Taylor without at least trying to meet her doesn't feel right. I won't look at my son and teach him to let fear and doubt win, or that defying the odds is an impossible task.

Over the years I’ve been a spectator to her outreach to fans. She’s invited them to sessions in her homes, sent them gifts, invited them backstage, surprised them in their homes, made hospital visits, and Lord knows what else she has up her sleeve. And it’s all been done with pure excitement and love for her Swifties. With each outreach she extends, tears of joy are shed for fellow Swifties, and a ray of hope inspires me.

So, I’m starting a personal blog

which tells a very personal story of all the dragons I’ve fought with Taylor over the years. From living in a car at 15 years old to getting invited to LA premieres for Walt Disney and Marvel films. And I'll have no apologies for the truths that will be told (but will change names for privacy). It will be very personal and some of it won’t be pretty. Because life isn’t always pretty.

Taylor is releasing another album this year... we hope,

and she’ll be on yet another tour in 2020. After 12 years I’m finally ready for it. I’ve given my son everything he could possibly want or need. I’ve bought him a beautiful home in Northern Georgia. He’s been able to travel the world and do things most adults haven’t even done. And I owe much of that to Taylor for giving me the strength to take major risks, the courage to face my demons, the balls to cut people out of my life who were toxic and the self-confidence to defy the odds and do things my way.

2019 is our year to show @taylorswift how much we love her.

I’ll let the universe do the rest. Till then, I’ll be fighting dragons with her as I always have and writing my journal for her and anyone else who wants to read the memoirs of an OG Swiftie mom who keeps it real AF, full-on hair bun and all.

[templeofgeek]

The Her Universe Fashion Show returned to San Diego Comic-Con International (SDCC) with a standing room only crowd celebrating “The Power of Fashion.” Check out our photos below from all the original designs from the Her Universe Fashion Show. Critically acclaimed as one of the must-see events each year at SDCC, host Ashley Eckstein (founder of Her Universe, Star Wars’ Ahsoka Tano) further demonstrated her commitment to inclusiveness, empowerment and mental health awareness. Powerful designs, powerful moments and powerful statements ruled the night.

Actress/host Tiffany Smith (Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal) joined the show as Eckstein’s co-host.

Presented by Her Universe, Hot Topic and DreamWorks Animation’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power in partnership with Cartoon Network, BoxLunch and The Pop Insider, this year’s 6th annual event brought together an all-new group of 24 aspiring designers who presented their original geek couture designs on the runway. The winners were awarded the opportunity to design a fashion collection with Her Universe for leading pop-culture retailer Hot Topic.

Some designers wore their own designs down the runway while others had models to show off their designs. Regardless, we were blown away by the creativity, the craftsmanship, and elegance of all of these breathtaking designs. Her Universe awarded two winners in the competition (Judges winner – Adria Renee for her Destination: Isla Nublar look inspired by Jurassic Park Audience winner – Sarah Hambly for her Bodak Green look inspired by Marvel’s Loki), but we absolutely believe that every designer and every model was a winner this night. Check out our photos below from all the original designs from the Her Universe Fashion Show.

Avenge the Fallen – Marvel’s Avengers

Designer: Ericka Angiuli @Eangiuli

Heart of Kyber – Star Wars 

Designer: Kimberly Burns @Kberry723

Catwoman Origins – DC Comics 

Designer: Kendra Raymond @aml-designs

She-Ra, Princess of Power Suits – She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Designer: Olivia Mears @avantgeek

  Maleficent – Disney 

Designer: Jill N. Nofziger @jillnndesign 

  The Night Queen – Game of Thrones 

Designer: Cindy Guillermo Heselton @sinnanoms

Off With Your Head – Alice In Wonderland

Designer: Brianna Casper @Ghost_Banana

  Something Wicked – The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina 

Designer: Jenny Clark @jenny.clark.1218

A Horsey of a DIfferent Color – She-Ra and the Princesses of Power 

Designer: Christine Geiger @geigeruppercut

Moon Healing Escalation – Sailor Moon 

Designer: Britley Morgan Smith @HazelNewtBrett

Icy Hot Vogue – My Hero Academia 

Designer: Sami Haag @acesthetic27

Duck Couture (Wooo-Ooo!) – DuckTales 

Designer: Liz Todd @ambrose_cosplay 

The Spirit of Hope – Star Wars

Lisa Truong @a_siren

Bring Me Back To The Brienne-Ing – Game of Thrones

Ally Crocker @lueah

Welcome to Neptune – Veronica Mars

Sarah Timm @breathcue

  The Lady of Lorien and Light – Lord of the Rings 

Kathryn Henzler @fullmetal_flamingo

A Diamond By Any Other Name – Steven Universe 

Lizard Leigh @HeyLizardleigh

  My Unicorn – Unicorn Store 

Andrea Ohnesorge @spectacular1771

Dreams Come True – Cinderella

Hailey Jensen @haileyjensenart

Destination: Isla Nublar – Jurassic Park 

Adria Renee @adria.renee

IT Girl – Stephen King’s IT

Samantha Strickland @unoriginalsam85

  He’s No Good To Me Dead- Star Wars 

Heather Smith @Geekanista5

Oogie Boogie’s Winter Ball – The Nightmare Before Christmas 

Wes Jenkins @artofwesjenkins

Bodak Green – Marvel’s Loki 

Sarah Hambly @offcialhambly

All photos were taken by Monica Duarte for Temple of Geek

For more about the Her Universe Fashion Show check out: 

2019 Her Universe Fashion Show Highlights

All 24 Designs From The 2018 Her Universe Fashion Show

Temple of Geek Chic: Her Universe 13th Doctor Collection

Photos from the 2019 Her Universe Fashion Show! All 24 designs! @heruniverse #HerUniverse #HerUniverseFashionShow #SDCC2019 #HUFS2019 #sandiegoComicCon #SDCC #SDCC The Her Universe Fashion Show returned to San Diego Comic-Con International (SDCC) with a standing room only crowd celebrating “The Power of Fashion.” Check out our photos below from all the original designs from the Her Universe Fashion Show.

[crossfitmdi]

Gymnastics with USA hopeful Olivia Lynn. #proudhusband #proudpapa #florida #orlando #sunshine #faith #family #fitness #love #happiness #vibes #unicorn #energy #florida #grateful #grace #godsbox #godschild #crossfitmdi #crossfitkids #crossfit #sloths #gymnastics #tattedparents #realestateagent #realestate #minimalism #health (at Crossfit M.D.I "Motivation Dedication Inspiration") https://www.instagram.com/p/BnWMJ_tADur/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6domx640rjt3