#wip; Angels Camouflage

[secretlywritingstories]

Excerpt from chapter 1 of my original novel, working title WINGS (1.3k)

Anna Mars is from a long line of experienced supernatural hunters, and one day she meets Seren, a kind of winged creature that her family thought they had brought to extinction. An unlikely truce forms between them, and soon they find themselves caring about each other more than they should.

A/N: I worked on this novel in 2017-2019 and I almost finished the first book of a planned trilogy. It’s been a long time since I’ve touched it, but I thought perhaps sharing a couple of excerpts for my Posting Everyday In August (PEDIA) challenge might bring back my spark to work on my +170k wip, and not always go to my fanfics first. I adore these characters and their world so much. Enjoy!

𓆃𓆃

When she had been younger, she had always been chastised for having a face like an open book. Every single emotion had always been so visible in her expression. She had trained herself out of the habit, and she was now fairly good at holding onto her poker face in any given situation.

But it had slipped right off since the angel had arrived.

She felt shook to her core and she felt like she couldn’t pull up her usual defences at all.

“What are you going to do?” Anna asked, and she was proud that her voice didn’t shake too much.

Now it was the angel’s turn to frown. She had hunched down next to the wolf, and she ran her hand down its back. Her golden wings weren’t been concealed or camouflaged now.

She was keeping them on display, and it made the whole thing even more unnerving.

Partly because they were beautiful to look at, as much as Anna hated to admit it, and partly because it reminded Anna just what someone like this creature was capable of.

“Do?” she asked. “I’m not… You’re the one who came here. With your weapons.”

The last bit said with a clear distaste, and a distrustful glance at Anna’s net shooter and hunting knife that had been tossed aside in their struggle. At the reminder, Anna became conscious of the gun in her waist holster.

She could get a shot off. She might be able to bring down the angel but even if she managed to shoot, she had no doubt that the wolf would attack and rip out her throat. It wasn’t an advisable plan of action.

Anna couldn’t see how she would get out of this one okay. She was playing it by ear and just trying to look for an opening to either attack or retreat.

The silence lingered. The angel looked conflicted if the expression on her face was anything to go by. If Anna was an open book, then this creature was inviting you in to see the entire library all at once.

Anna saw flickers of doubt, worry, fear, anger and insecurity flash and interchange.

“You’re a hunter, right?”

Anna had never spoken to mythical creatures before. Usually, at most they were snarling curses in the heat of battle. All creatures should be killed on sight. You should never attempt to go for capture. It would just run the risk of the creature getting away and seeking revenge or causing mayhem.

“Yes.”

Anna didn’t see any reason to lie. The tone of voice suggested that the angel was asking a question that she already knew the answer to. However, at Anna’s reply the creature’s wings twitched and moved upwards slightly.

Anna’s eyes followed the movement curiously.

Then the wings disappeared before her very eyes. Again.

“Would you have killed the unicorn and her baby?” the angel asked, shifting her weight from one foot to another. She looked uncomfortable and anxious about this whole thing.

She should lie. Anna knew that. She should just make up some excuse, no matter how unlikely it would sound.

In fact, she had hesitated. She hadn’t shot right away like she had been taught to do. Hesitating in this business got you killed. Anna was hesitating with her answer too, and it should have been her second mistake but for some reason it didn’t seem to be.

The winged creature waited for an answer patiently with an attempt at a neutral expression. Even the wolf was sitting down obediently, and it didn’t growl unless Anna tried to move.

It seemed very unlikely but maybe she had a chance of walking away from this. This angel clearly wasn’t all right in the head, if she thought that talking to a hunter would be good practice. Anna wondered if she was the only one left of her kind, and if that might be why she was acting so weird and going up to other magical creatures and even humans.

“I… I was… Yes. No, I don’t know. I should have. They’re dangerous,” Anna spit out, in one rapid stream of words once she caught her momentum.

The angel looked at her with something almost like pity in her expression.

“What do you say, Lune?” she asked the wolf, who tilted back its head and let out soft whines in its throat.

Could they communicate like that?

“He doesn’t like you.”

It was blunt and honest and it caught Anna by surprise and she didn’t quite manage to catch the first few sputters of her laugh.

“The feeling is mutual,” Anna replied and eyed the wolf, as she forced down the surprise laugh.

“Why do you hunt us?” the angel asked, and curiosity was painted clear on her face. She sounded almost childlike in how she asked, so honestly and openly. She was soaking up every reluctant word out of Anna’s mouth.

Anna was doing the same for most parts. She was filing away every bit of information. It would come in handy later, if she got to go back to her family and tell them about this odd angel that she encountered. However, she did find herself momentarily distracted by intensity in the angel’s blue eyes.

“To keep people safe,” Anna recited.

She had asked herself that question before. She’d asked her father and she had asked her uncle. When they said it, it had sounded so simple. When she had been antagonising over it on her own, she felt like the lines were a bit more blurred. So, it came easier to parrot their practiced answers.

“From us?” the angel asked and the beginning of a smile tilted up the corner of her lips a little. She sounded genuinely amused.

“Werewolves maul innocents. Vampires kill their meals. Spirits torment the living. Shapeshifters play tricks and ruin lives. Unicorns impale anyone on their territory,” Anna spit out easily. “And you winged folk are the worst of the lot.”

The angel tilted her head to the side and the smile slipped off before it could properly take hold. Now she just looked sad, as she hummed under her breath.

It looked like she wanted to say something. Like she had something on the tip of the tongue but either she couldn’t bring herself to voice it, or she couldn’t find the words to articulate what she wanted to say.

“Why are you out here alone? If you think we’re so dangerous, why wouldn’t you bring back-up?”

Anna hated that the angel was able to voice the inner monologue that had been going on in Anna’s head since she realised what she had accidentally stumbled onto. She shouldn’t have been here alone. She had gone against protocol, and now it might end up getting her killed.

Technically, she should already be dead considering the circumstances but her heart was beating, a bit too fast perhaps, but it was steady and strong.

She hadn’t been sliced open by the wolf’s claws and she hadn’t been picked up by the angel and dropped to her death like…

Anna shook her head before the old grief came back up. It wouldn’t help her at the moment. It would only make things worse.

“I don’t play well with others,” Anna shot back, opting to keep it light and funny despite the grave circumstances.

“Is that so?” the angel asked with a perfectly raised eyebrow. “So, all hunters aren’t like you?”

“How many have you met?”

The angel took a step forward, away from the wolf at her side. Anna was still sitting on the ground, staring up at the angel and it made her feel small and vulnerable. Clearly that must be the angel’s tactic, to make her feel inferior and…

“You’re deflecting. Stand up please.”

“What?” Anna barked.

“Unless you’d prefer to stay on the ground.”

[gioiaalbanoart]

Friday Kiss/Last Line/ OC Confessions/Writing Share Mega Tag (wew)

@the-golden-comet calls an open tag on all of above and pulls one masterpiece BIG snippet, I jump in with sharing one of my own from my wip The scarred angel which might be a sort of confession....?

👀 👀 👀

......

Herrera waves his hands as in encouraging more explanations : "What happened suddenly? An half an hour ago you were ready to leave..."

He narrows his eyes as if as if he wanted to look through her

and for a brief moment Amy thinks that he might be sharper then he looks and able to, a perfect case of camouflage.

An unfair thought, all things considered, the man must be up to his rank somehow.

Thing is, half an hour ago she didn't know that Ashley Knox existed.

She can't bloody answer him that nor she feels comfortable with how straightforward that sounds in her own head so she tries to shove the thought away, playing the factual card instead : "That young woman, I'd like to interview her."

.....

OPEN TAG AS WELL

✨💋Friday Kiss/Last Line/ OC Confessions/Writing Share Mega Tag (wew)💋✨

Thank you for tagging me for writing shares, last lines, and OC Confessions @thecomfywriter , @saturnine-saturneight , @davycoquette , @sableglass ,@wyked-ao3 , @fortunatetragedy , @the-letterbox-archives , @theink-stainedfolk , and @drchenquill ! 💛✨

I know it’s still a little early, but it’s Friday somewhere (right? 🤣) Time to SMOOCH (among other tags. Thank you if you have tagged me recently, by the way! I may miss some, but I always appreciate being tagged 💛✨)

Rules: Pick one of these tags (or all, if it applies) ✨to do:

Rules: Post a scene where one of your character's does a confession to another character from your wip. It doesn't have to be a love confession. Maybe it's a lie. Maybe it's a crime. Maybe it's betrayal. Go buckwild, go crazy!

Rules: From your story/WIP, share a kiss. It can be any kiss, from forehead kisses, familial pecks on the cheek, platonic kisses, to full-blown make-outs.

Rules: Post a last line from your story/WIP

Rules: Post a snippet from your writing

Rules: So many rules. So little time 😵‍💫

The Peter Hart confession that covers ALL OF THESE lovely tags. Prepare to melt 🫠

Benji hiccuped as tears fell down to the floorboards. Too emotional for words, he mustered a quick head nod. Peter sighed low, shaking his head. “Oh, Benjamin….why on earth didn’t you tell me?”

The noble shook his head once more. Peter tried again, his tone greatly hurt now, yet soft and unthreatening: “ Benjamin…. ”

Through his gentle sobs, the prince spoke in a cracking voice. “I….I didn’t want my heart to break…..” His lips curled as he tried to bottle his sorrow, but the waves wouldn’t cease. Finally, the onslaught of passionate grief overflowed from his chest to his tear ducts, and down his freckled face.

“Benjamin…..” Peter whispered low and gently.

“…..J-just break my h-heart already…..!” Benji’s crying breath hitched. The amulet was glowing brightly around his trembling bosom, yet the light did not detract the tears.

Peter cupped his hands over Benjamin’s cheeks, wiping the streams away with his thumbs. Tenderly, he tilted the prince’s head up to meet his eyes as he cooed gently down: “You should have told me, Benjamin….because you’d never know that….” He confessed through his own swelling voice. “…..that I feel the same.”

Benjamin’s shining eyes widened in shock. But, before he could let Peter’s words sink in, the captain leaned forward and met their lips. Slowly, sweetly, he kissed Benji as he tried to calm the crying mess of a man in his arms.

The noble’s breath hitched into Peter’s mouth, but he didn’t fight the kiss. Instead, he leaned into it with his whole heart as he finally relinquished his remaining reservation. Giving Hart total control, Benjamin moved his lips and jaw in tandem with the captain. Much like their dancing, he let Peter lead…..and Peter would absolutely take.

I am leaving this as an +open tag for anyone who wants to do one, some, or all of these ✨

✨👇Tag list for writing snippets below the cut. DM me if you’d like to be added 👇✨

Tag List for writing tidbits (lmk if you want + or -)

@autism-purgatory , @jev-urisk , @talesofsorrowandofruin , @sunglasses-in-the-bentley , @wyked-ao3 , @glasshouses-and-stones , @alinacapellabooks , @fortunatetragedy , @deanwax , @dyrewrites , @honeybewrites , @drchenquill , @paeliae-occasionally , @lychhiker-writes , @thatuselesshuman , @katenewmanwrites , @zackprincebooks , @fantasy-things-and-such , @billybatsonmylove , @madi-konrad , @houseplantblank , @far-cry-from-finality , @froggy-pposto , @avaseofpeonies , @topazadine , @thecoolerlucky , @theaistired , @willtheweaver , @rivenantiqnerd @somethingclevermahogony , @noxxytocin , @leahnardo-da-veggie , @addicted2coke-theothercoke , @illarian-rambling , @the-letterbox-archives , @theink-stainedfolk , @ominous-feychild , @saturnine-saturneight , @words-after-midnight , @sableglass , @cowboybrunch , @moltenwrites , @pixies-love-envy , @davycoquette , @writeahurricane @nczaversnick , @greenfinchwriter , @oliolioxenfreewrites , @lavender-gloom , @smellyrottentrees , @aintgonnatakethis , @thecomfywriter

[panda-noosh]

wip prep tag

rules: answer the questions and then tag as many writers as there are questions answered (or as many as you can) to spread the positivity! even if these questions are not explicitly brought up in the novel, they are still good to keep in mind when writing.

FIRST LOOK

1. describe your novel in 1-2 sentences (elevator pitch).

(give me strength i can never do this) young girl can’t seem to find a way to tell her family that she does not want to follow the path they have set out for her, until she meets a young boy who is determined to help her live the life she wants. 

2. How long do you plan for your novel to be? (Is it a novella, single book, book series, etc.)

at the moment, it’s a single book. but there is definitely potential for it to go on into little sequel novellas if i’m not tired of the story yet. 

3. What is your novel’s aesthetic?

bruised knuckles. textbooks. late nights spent overthinking. hearing birds chirp outside your window, bringing you back to reality as you realise you haven’t yet slept. cats. broken families. 

4. What other stories inspire your novel?

the relationship of Julian and Emma in Lady Midnight etc by Cassandra Clare really got me in the mood for writing for Angels Camouflage, though the stories are absolutely nothing alike. 

5. Share 3+ images that give a feel for your novel.

these are from my characters pinterest board, so they’re more about the characters than the story - but you can still get a pretty good idea of what i’m tryna get across.

MAIN CHARACTER

6. Who is your protagonist?

Jaime Bardow (yes i changed the spelling of her name), a young girl who is at that point in life where she thinks she needs to have everything sorted, but she soon comes to realise that she does not, in fact, have everything sorted. 

7. Who is their closest ally?

her best friend and ex-girlfriend Lenna! Jaime and Lenna have such a pure friendship, and i’m so excited to explore it and how they help balance each other out. 

8. Who is their enemy?

probably Leo, even though she actually kind of loves him?? like, he causes her so much trouble and puts her through so much stress sometimes, but she still cares for him a whole lot. she kind of believes that she has to care for him, since they’re siblings. 

9. What do they want more than anything?

freedom to do what she wants. a life of her own. a chance to prove to others that she isn’t just the second-coming of her older brother, but her own person with her own hobbies and skills. 

10. Why can’t they have it?

she’s a bit of an anxious mess tbh. her parents have had her entire life planned out for her from the moment she was born, and the idea of turning around and telling them that she doesn’t actually want to do any of what they have set out for her is so nerve wracking that she just plans on holding it off for as long as possible. she doesn’t want to disappoint people, or make people angry, even if it means putting herself through stress and heartbreak first. 

11. What do they wrongly believe about themselves?

that she won’t be good enough on her own. she’s been raised in the shadow of her older brother, has been raised being known as “Leo’s little sister!” it’s all she’s ever known, and so she truly believes that she will simply fall apart without her brother there to keep her together. 

12. Draw your protagonist! (Or share a description)

she’s around 5′5 (my short lil bean) with short, wavy chestnut coloured hair. she has freckles across her nose and steel grey eyes. she always has a slightly reserved and awkward way to how she stands; her hands folded in front of her, her eyes cast to the floor, her shoulders a little bit stiff as if half expecting someone to come up behind her and tackle her. 

PLOT POINTS

13. What is the internal conflict?

100% her internal conflict stems from her fear of being alone and her need to be independent; it’s a difficult situation to get out of. she’s so afraid of going out into the world and doing things on her own (the things she actually wants to do) but the idea of staying chained to her parents plan for her life drives her insane. she really doesn’t know what to do. 

14. What is the external conflict?

there’s a fair bit of external conflict between Jaime and a number of people in her life. Leo is the most prominent one, considering his disapproval for Jaime doing literally anything on her own terms - he doesn’t like her relationship, he doesn’t like that she often puts school before her business with him, he doesn’t like that she’s quiet instead of outgoing. but there is also conflict between Jaime and her parents, though this is a lot more subtle and a little bit one sided?? her parents are kind of oblivious to the things Jaime wants to do, since she’s too afraid of letting them down, meaning they’re upsetting her without even really knowing. 

15. What is the worst thing that could happen to your protagonist?  

well, considering her worst fear is her family turning on her, probably that. even though her family have been lowkey toxic to her ever since her grandmother passed away and she was forced to move back in with them, she still loves them?? her parents are so oblivious to what they’re doing to her mental state and she knows she needs to just speak up and tell them what’s bothering her, but she can’t. the idea of her finally turning around and telling them the truth, only for them to be disappointed and unsupportive is the worst thing that could happen to her, since that’s what she’s been trying to avoid for so long. 

16. What secret will be revealed that changes the course of the story?

i can’t really say any without giving away spoilers?? let’s just say that Callum (the other protagonist) isn’t exactly what you’d expect, and there’s some moments where Jaime and Callum have to make some very gut wrenching decisions. 

17. Do you know how it ends?

KIND OF. 

BITS AND BOBS

18. What is the theme?  

i know it sounds super cheesy and Young Adult but, the main theme is definitely love and the power that that kind of emotion can hold. 

19. What is a recurring symbol?  

cats??? it makes sense, i promise. 

20. Where is the story set? (Share a description!)

London!! so, very crowded and pretty at night. we spend a lot of times in the estates, so there’s graffiti everywhere and people in tracksuits, and McDonalds bags thrown everywhere. but overall, it’s very nice. 

21. Do you have any images or scenes in your mind already?

so many. so, so many. i don’t know where any of them are going to go, but we’ll figure it out. 

22. What excited you about this story?  

the relationship. i love writing relationships. romance is my all time favourite part of a book to write, and the ideas i have for Callum and Jaime just give me butterflies because i love thinking of them two just being happy together and living their best life. 

23. Tell us about your usual writing method!  

i sit down, open the word document, stress and cry over the first sentence for a good ten minutes. if those ten minutes pass and i’m able to move on, i can write for hours. but it’s not very rare that those ten minutes pass and i’ve still got zero words. i often just give up and leave it until later lmao.

i’m a MESS when it comes to starting a writing session. unless i’ve left off in the middle of a damn sentence, i will spend a good hour just trying to figure out where to begin. 

i’m tagging @tayluinwrites because i’m thirsty for more information on her WIP thank you very much. 

[inochian]

ooohhh 'angels are dressed in black' sounds really interesting!! may i ask about that one 👀

Tag game

Thank youuuuu <333 okay so, if someone remembers my black jacket Michael agenda *cough cough* This is me having the genius idea that ‘hey, I think all angels should wear black’ because it just makes more sense to me personally over the usual thing where they’re dressed in white. Angels are proud and absolute, frightening and awe inspiring and beautiful. They’re the warriors in the night and the protectors that are watching from the shadows. That turned into what is mostly a writing/poetry/rhyming(?) exercise which when I now dug it up is actually finished and not really a wip (oops) So you get the whole thing :)))

Angels are dressed in black

You cannot comprehend their true form, those that have tried ultimately meeting their demise. Yet angels walk among humans, protecting those deserving, keeping a watchful eye. They blend into their surroundings, their vessel and armor used as disguise. 

Angels slaughter in the night, shadowed by darkness, accompanied by starlight. The blood of the enemies of God is concealed by black, always a testament of divine wrath. Angels hide among the shadows created when a mortal turns their back. Camouflaged when following God’s creation, faithful and atheist alike. Only seen at the corner of the human eye, incomprehensibly saintlike.

Believers encounter a being of protection and power. Wearing the color of the Holy Spirit, representing the absolute and eternity. Those facing the justice of an angel will take their last breath among an embodiment of violence and terror, their fate executed by a creature clothed in death. A sinner at the mercy of an unforgiving entity.

For their Father is the creator and ender of everything. Life starts in the dark of the womb, all that the void will eventually consume. The angels will keep the balance until His passing.

[sparkie96]

May I request number 1 from the angst prompt list for Chreon? "No! No! No! Wake up! Please!"

(Coincidentally, your prompt helped set up the intro for an upcoming WIP) 

SO, Without Further adieu, here’s a preview of a WIP that is part Canon-verse and part Omegaverse. “A Wonderful Life”. 

Summary: During a mission gone horribly wrong, Leon falls unconscious and wakes up in a strange world where he is a parent and married to the man of his dreams. To make it stranger, his life isn’t as terrible as it was before. In fact, it seems a helluva lot better. Is everything as it seems? 

_______________________________________________________________

An agreement that came forth after a bioterror attack in the Louisiana Bayou. Hell, there had been attacks happening on US soil before that. Both organizations were beginning to notice that there were more and more bioterrorism attacks happening on US soil and the DSO couldn’t handle them on their own anymore. So, they made an agreement with the UN and the BSAA so that the latter could operate within the country. 

Which meant that Leon would be seeing more and more of Chris Redfield, which would have been great for his crushing heart. 

Except, right now, he wished it was under better circumstances and, y’know, not fighting ugly BOWs that were trying to kill them. 

A hiss of pain escaped from between his lips as he felt teeth bite into his shoulder, the shapeless creature above him snarling or...he didn’t even know what as it tried to tear ligaments and muscle from bone. Leon heard gunshots from somewhere, the teeth loosening as the big ugly beast fell on top of him. The heavy body nearly crushed him under its weight had Chris not been there to rip it off of him. 

“Shit, Leon!” Chris called to him, and Leon now wondered why he could hear the man’s voice crystal clear, “Hang on! Your mask must have fallen off, you’re completely exposed to the fungus, and now you’re bleeding out.” 

Oh...shit. Well, that certainly wasn’t good...but it would explain the darkness biting at the corners of his vision as well as his hearing becoming muffled. Shit, was he infected? 

The last thing he heard was Chris begging for him to stay conscious, the muffled cries of "No! No! No! Wake up! Please!" as Leon did the opposite, too weak to fight before succumbing to the darkness. 

________________________________________________________________

And then Leon was awakened by the sounds of children, two little bodies climbing on top of his own with cries of “Mommy!”. Leon warily opened his eyes, wincing at the momentary blinding light of the sun before blinking a couple of times. Once he was able to properly adjust and focus his eyes, he tried to sit up, but had been tackled by the two little bodies that had previously been jumping on him. He looked down in his arms and his eyes widened in surprise. 

This wasn’t his room…and there were two little boys staring up at him. One was a little red-head with striking blue-green eyes wearing footie pajamas with little Captain America shields on them. The other was a little brunette with hazel eyes and a camouflage footie pajamas. Both smiled up at him before hugging him tightly. Who the hell were they? Where was he? 

“Mama! Wake up!” The little red-head said in a little voice, “Daddy made breakfast!” 

“Mama?” Leon asked, sitting up in bed, “I’m not your Mama...I don’t even know who you are.” 

The little smiles melted from their faces, both boys holding looks of hurt and sadness as they exchanged looks, “Mama, I’m Jax! Dats Ollie!” The brunette protested, “You are Mama.” 

“Easy boys.” A smooth, soothing, and familiar voice by the door said, Leon looking up in shock at the source, his mouth agape, “Mama’s still recovering from that assignment. He hit his head pretty hard, so he’s probably still confused.”��

Leon blinked in confusion up at the man who said that, heart thudding loudly in his chest as he stared up in disbelief, “...Chris?!”

Sure enough, the handsome raven-haired man holding the tray of breakfast at the end of the bed was Chris Redfield. Although Leon wasn’t used to seeing the man in civilian clothes, the older man wearing a tight black t-shirt and red plaid pajama bottoms. Chris smiled as he carefully set the tray in Leon’s lap, the little boys scooting out of the way. Leon’s heart was pounding now as Chris leaned forward and kissed his forehead, the agent flushing a bright red at that. 

“Good morning, Angel.” Chris greeted, brushing Leon’s hair out of his eyes before giving him a peck on the lips, “How’s your head?” 

Leon sputtered at that, blinking and rubbing at his eyes, “I...what...what is happening? What happened? Where am I?” 

Chris gently shushed him, strong hands settling on his biceps, “Hey, hey, you’re okay. You’re home now, with me and our little boys.” 

“That’s...that’s what I’m confused about…” Leon admitted, running his hand through his hair, “I...I don’t know what’s going on since you and I…” 

“Hey,” Chris shushed again, cupping Leon’s cheek, “You were hurt pretty bad yesterday. Why don’t you eat your breakfast and then you and I can talk about it after, okay?”

[trolleybitch]

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 xx

holy crap anon, that’s a lot of roses, thank you so much!! i think i count 42?? the game is one sentence per rose so i will put the majority of this under a read more to avoid a super-long post!

for every ‘🌹’ received in my inbox i'll post one random sentence of a random WIP i'm currently writing

The corridors were mostly empty as they made their way to the library - not many other students were studying this late. They held their ears as they passed a chorus of ghosts near the castle’s main staircase performing a very loud, very out-of-tune rendition of ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’, and eventually arrived at their destination to find the library almost completely deserted, save for a few harried-looking seventh-years reading together at a table and one or two other students stocking up on books for the Christmas holidays. 

Scorpius felt slightly nervous as he led Albus past Madam Pince’s desk (with a cheerful wave as she looked up from her newspaper), but he wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t often that he kept secrets from Albus, and this wasn’t even a particularly big one, but something was making his heart jitter in his chest. 

By the time they reached the far corner of the library’s second floor, there were no other students to be seen. Albus looked around, looking somewhat bemused. ‘Is there supposed to be something here?’ he asked, not unkindly. 

‘There is, kind of,’ Scorpius replied. ‘Do you remember when you spotted that hatch in the roof?’ 

He gestured to the high wooden beams above them and Albus gazed upwards, his expression reflecting vague recognition. ‘Oh yeah,’ he said, eventually spotting the camouflaged section of wooden boards that formed the trapdoor. 

‘Look what it does now.’ Scorpius moved over to the bookshelf in the corner and reached for the end of a cord which now ran down the stone wall and looped through a hook attached to the shelves. He pulled it gently, and waited for the distant clunk of a mechanism starting to work. Albus raised an eyebrow at him in confusion, then looked upwards again as the movement of the hatch caught his eye. 

Slowly, gently, the trapdoor was pulled upwards into the ceiling, leaving a dark square of apparent nothingness, through which a ladder then started to descend. Scorpius held his breath until the feet of the wooden ladder touched down gently on the floor between him and Albus, and then couldn’t restrain himself from a little jig of excitement. ‘It works!’

Albus looked suitably impressed. ‘Did you build this?’ he asked incredulously.

‘No,’ Scorpius said, ‘It was my idea, but Madam Pince and some of the other teachers did the actual magic parts and figured out the mechanism. What do you think?’ 

‘It’s so cool!’ Albus took a few steps forward to look directly up the ladder to the hatch. ‘Where does it actually go?’ 

Some of the nervous feeling in Scorpius’s chest was being replaced by warmth, and he couldn’t help himself grinning at Albus’s enthusiasm. ‘It’s the roof space of the tower really, it’s used for storage. But I’ve been talking to Madam Pince about it for a while and she’s agreed that I can help out by sorting through some of it and updating the school catalogues.’

‘Working on the school catalogues?’ Albus looked at Scorpius in awe. ‘She must really trust you, wow.’ 

Scorpius beamed. ‘I think so.’ When he’d spoken to Madam Pince a couple of months ago and brought up the subject of the hidden second-floor garret, he’d had a vague idea that perhaps he’d be allowed to see some of the rare books up there one day, but had never expected it to lead to an official school responsibility. The ladder had been in place for a week or so but he hadn't ventured up there at all, only going as far as lowering and replacing the ladder to check it worked. It would have felt strange to explore it properly without Albus, who was now tentatively testing the first rung of the ladder. 

‘Seems stable,’ Albus said, hopping back down to the floor. ‘Are we going up?’

‘Obviously! I’m dying to see the books; there could be anything up there. You go first.’ 

Scorpius gestured at the ladder but Albus was already shaking his head. ‘No way,’ he said firmly, ‘This is your big thing, you should get to see it first. Go on, I’ll catch you if you fall down.’

[murfeelee]

Weekend! Replies! MAGNUS!

We’re coming to the finish for this semester. One week to go, and then a few last exams. Am I studying? Uh.... >_>

emmasyd replied to your photoset “All Hail the Chairman - Pt2 Magnus deposited Chairman Meow on the...”                                                

WOW what is this                    

All these Shadowhunters/Malec posts I’ve been doing are inspired by a series of novels by @cassandraclare​​, that were adapted first into a movie (The Mortal Instruments) and currently a tv show (Shadowhunters - Season 3 airs in April, as if I’m not sitting here on effing pins and needles wanting it in January, okay).

The single greatest part IMO is the love story between the 1/2 demon 1/2 human warlock Magnus Bane, and the angel-blooded demon-slaying Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood -- aka MALEC. 

(I will NEVER be over that S01 wedding scene -- GAWD, the screaming I did!!)

simsdestroyer replied to your photoset “Asmodeus Pt3 - Bane of My Existence “My father, who art in Hell,...”                                                

You do such an amazing and creative job!!!  Your sims games look so extraordinarily beautiful... Btw Magnus looks exactly like how I would imagine him too.                    

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! <3 It’s a lot of work and takes bloody forever, but really I just like recreating the stuff I like and sharing it with everyone so y’all can enjoy it with me. Cheers!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photoset “All Hail the Chairman - Pt1 “Chairman Meow deserves my every effort.“...”

Tbh I know not of this Magnus dude, but what I did pick up from picture 8 is that I reckon he's one hell of a diva bitch! Like, it's his way or the high way? Then I carried on scrolling and saw the heels and I was like, yeah, bitch is fierce AF! (His smile told me that I mean, in pic 8)         

Let me make something clear: *ahem*

Magnus Bane is THAT. B!TCH.

Magnus is power and awe and beauty and strength and sex and magic and art and eternal and dark and light and perfection and FRIKKIN LOOK AT HIM

He’ll protect the Downworlders, raise his children, help his Shadowhunter boyfriend/fiance/husband slay a few dragons, eff up some Circle members, summon demons, and STILL be fabulous and party all night! He’s the HIGH WARLOCK OF BROOKLYN.

MY OVARIES, OKAY!?

blackcurtainsfall replied to your photoset “Asmodeus Pt2 - Prince of Hell, Greater Demon of Lust “You wound me,”...”                                                

Awesome.      

declarations-of-drama replied to your photoset “Asmodeus Pt2 - Prince of Hell, Greater Demon of Lust “You wound me,”...”                                                

Wow! He is amazing in these pics! *Nom*                    

Godfrey Gao is one sexy mofo; I tried my best, but lawd. *fanning self off*

alice-and-white-lapin replied to your photoset “All Hail the Chairman - Pt1 “Chairman Meow deserves my every effort.“...”                                                

Chairman meow cute❤️                    

I can’t help squealing every time I catch the Chairman wandering around and meowing; cats are SO cute in this game!! I like them more than dogs, which is crazy, cuz I hate cats IRL (cuz I’m so allergic to them).

davidmont replied to your photoset “All Hail the Chairman - Pt1 “Chairman Meow deserves my every effort.“...”                                                

So beautiful ♥♥♥                    

Thank you! There are 2 bedrooms I included on the penthouse lot -- one inspired by the tv show version in S02, and that one inspired by the movie/S01 version, which I honestly like A LOT more, for keeping the Asian flair.

white-enamel reblogged your photoset and added:

☽🌑☾ Thank you murfeelee for using my stuff , paintings look so good in your game :)

Thank YOU for making and sharing them! <3 They’re one of my favorite pieces of CC now. XD And they matched perfectly with the look I wanted for Magnus’ boudoir.

blackjackgabbiani reblogged your post and added:

Male fashion in general tends to get the short end of the stick. Unless you want all your men to look like hipsters then you’re basically out of luck.

SO true. I’ve been screaming about this for years. It’s especially frustrating since 75% of all of my sims are male. Like...come on people. Stop the sexism already; men like looking cute, too; eff what ya heard. #smh U_U

declarations-of-drama replied to your photoset “Shadow Market - WIPs Pt5 Shadow Markets had sprung up in the...”

I saw this yesterday but couldn't comment on that stupid tablet thing, just wanted to say "WOW!" For making me not hate something associated with Katy Perry! You disguised those Ice-creams into your creepified scene so well! :D                    

LOL, IKR! XD God, that whole SP is anathema, it really is, what a waste of content. We could have had anything, and instead they give us KPST? Why? XP

But yeah, thanks for not minding the silly ice cream and cupcake decor -- I figured they made sense since it’s a candy store, but I still wanted them camouflaged as much as possible. XD As soon as I finish the outside I’ll try uploading the Shadow Market lot.

Happy Simming!

[kicksaddictny]

John Elliott Pre-Fall/Winter '19 Collection

Pre-Fall 2019 marks the first pre-fall offering and initial collection to reside in the brand’s first retail space in Los Angeles, opening later this Spring.

Styled by Matthew Henson and featuring models Callum Stoddart and Xu Meen, the Pre- Fall look book was photographed by Sylve Colless in the brand’s first retail space at 8808 Melrose Avenue prior to construction.

The season is rooted in autobiographical references, drawing inspiration from the warm summer months John spent as an adolescent traveling for basketball tournaments throughout California. The goal with the collection is simple - to create a fun and appropriate offering to be worn now, while continuing to evolve fabric and silhouette, through pushing print and dye innovations.

A new process, ‘Ink Bloom,’ epitomizes the brand’s approach to the start of a season - focusing on exclusive development capabilities out of Japan. The Ink Bloom group challenges the more traditional tie dye process through a reverse-engineered approach. Instead of tying the garments and dying them to reveal negative space, the garments are used as blank canvases and colors are added to be able to control and create a vast negative space. An extra ozone wash is applied to desaturate the colors, so the patterns appear as more of a watercolor. This group is available in four styles: a tee, shorts, socks, and new sweatshirt silhouette, the Beach Hoodie.

The Beach Hoodie was inspired by an old Penny Hardaway sweatshirt that John traveled with during his summer months - aging to become the perfectly worn in garment with an easy fit. This new silhouette was designed to be oversized, with a drop shoulder, and is slightly cropped with shortened ribbing, focusing on a weight crafted for the transitional day to night California temperatures.

This season marks the debut of a new denim style, the Kane 2 Short. Made start to finish in Japan, where all of the brand’s denim is produced, the Kane 2 has a more relaxed, open leg, washed down to look like a perfectly worn in vintage find.

Another short style, the Practice Short, is introduced this season in a cheetah and desert camo mesh. A nod to the daily uniform of basketball tournaments, this new silhouette is designed with a casual fit - cropped, and less boxy than the brand’s signature Game Short. The Game Short, the brand’s perennial basketball short style, returns in floral bougainvillea prints, as a reference to the SS19 collection.

A new custom dye process utilizes a rare machine, only found in Japan. With hundreds of nozzles filled with dye, the machine allows for a continuous spraying of a garment, during which the machine both sprays and sucks out the dye. This provides complete control over the ‘randomness’ which results from this process. We see this process applied to board shorts, where the garments get twisted, placed atop the machine and dyed, creating garments with unique patterns and artful use of negative space. A fan favorite silhouette, the cargo pant, is also reimagined using these capabilities. The machine is loaded with camouflage colors allowing for a unique blend, and modernized interpretation, of a cult military pattern.

Functionality and ease are the focus for a lightweight jacket, short, and pant group fabricated in a custom-developed high shrunk nylon. A nylon taffeta is treated with a process which gives the material a paper like, crunchiness, adding texture and a water repellent finish. The silhouettes are accented by contrast stitching and vibrant aqua guard zippers.

John Elliott continues with four collaborations this season.

The John Elliott x LeBron James x Nike ICONS debut in a bright yellow neon, Volt. Inspired by the outcome of this design, the Volt colorway is infused into the collection with a Mainline offering seen in the brand’s most popular French Terry and jersey silhouettes. The ICONS are also featured in an all black colorway with semi transparent gum sole and an all white, Sail, version. The Black colorway will be the next to release and will be available through the John Elliott retail location later this Spring.

The leather Rider’s Jacket, an evergreen silhouette for the brand, is reimagined using a treated painted leather in partnership with Japanese artisanal leather maker, Blackmeans. The leather changes with wear patterns, cracking to create a one-of-a-kind garment that will evolve with wear. Speciality hardware from Blackmeans is applied to a leather belt and is also used in a threeway collaboration between Blackmeans, John Elliott, and Suicoke, in the form of a slide and sandal.

New accessories are introduced this season with the debut of leather bags and pouches. Inspired by a more mobile lifestyle, the pouches are sized to house change and the shoulder bags for a cellphone and wallet. These bags are crafted using cow and snakeskin prints with wip stitch strap details. Leather and silver rope necklaces, thick chains and earrings are made with Japanese jewelry label M.A.R.S.

The Pre Fall / Winter 2019 Collection is available on www.johnelliott.com beginning Tuesday, April 23rd at 8AM PST, with weekly product drops through June.

[salty-dracon]

the hardest part about writing bridget in secretheroes is that she’s balancing basically three “styles” as a sort of definition of herself. the first being secret’s, the second being angel’s, and the third being her own. i’m always sort of reworking which ends up being which

so brid initially ends up working as a superhero for secret, and her clothes are meant to be reminiscent of like, something that works well in the air and has simple shapes. so she has a heavily padded suit with wings made from simple circles and rectangles. not only is this meant for ease of camouflage (since invisibility is her main power here) but also to protect her and keep her blood in the right places.

near the end of sagents, angel provides her with an upgraded and removable pair of neuroconnective wings along with a set of symbots to keep her alive. he treats it as a familial thing, like she’s his kid now because she has the second generation of symbots that he created.

before the events of sheroes, she works to engineer exbots, which are my wip name for external nanobots that can fly around. those tiny flying bots, which are connected to each other by strong magnetic forces, can be used to make weapons. as a bit of a personal project, brid makes a giant lance that can be a “handle” for other weapons.

and then she gets kidnapped by angel and trained by him to become his successor, because he’s an empty nester and a dickhead who’s already proven himself to not respect anyone’s boundaries. during that time brid learns the darker side of his dogma, though she’s never the recipient of it.

now, where does that put brid by the time she shows up in sheroes?

she’s wielding a lance of her own design, halfway inspired by angel’s giant weapon, that uses powers she developed and also the same sorts of skills she used in sagents, flying around on angel’s wings, and using her sagents gifted invisibility powers to aid her in combat instead of helping her sneak around.

oh boy that’s a lot of stuff

i feel like the way she approaches combat will sort of change, as even she’s figuring out the kind of person and kind of hero she wants to be. angel fights with brute force, teasing his enemy before striking them down in one move. her friends fight carefully, being equally mindful of their opponent’s minds and powers and their own. angel doesn’t need to care about being hurt, and the kids may throw out witty one-liners, but they don’t tease or taunt enemies.

brid kind of exists between those. it’s more like she uses the powers she has for things they’re not supposed to be used for. for example, she uses her initially utility-focused invisibility powers to distract enemies as she fights them. on the other hand, she uses the actual blade portion of her lance for defense and mainly the exbots for attacking.

idk this is just word vomit at this point. my point is, she fuses aspects of a lot of different characters and that’s fun

[secretlywritingstories]

Excerpt from chapter 8 of my original novel, working title WINGS (1.7k)

Anna Mars is from a long line of experienced supernatural hunters, and one day she meets Seren, a kind of winged creature that her family thought they had brought to extinction. An unlikely truce forms between them, and soon they find themselves caring about each other more than they should.

A/N: I worked on this novel in 2017-2019 and I almost finished the first book of a planned trilogy. It’s been a long time since I’ve touched it, but I thought perhaps sharing a couple of excerpts for my Posting Everyday In August (PEDIA) challenge might bring back my spark to work on my +170k wip, and not always go to my fanfics first. I adore these characters and their world so much. Enjoy!

𓆃𓆃

“I’m ready,” Anna said with a nod.

“You have a certain type of look in your eye. Remember that we’re not actually hunting anyone, right?” Nola asked and walked beside Anna who was heading towards the trailhead with determined steps.

“I’m aware but it’s how I work. When dealing with mythical creatures, you need to stay alert or it could cost you your life. I know that’s true, at least for most of them. Myself and other hunters I’ve worked with have come close too many times.”

Nola quieted down with that sobering remark and they walked in sync. Anna levelled her breathing and tried to prepare to meet up with several mythical creatures. Voluntarily.

It was almost 2 PM. Anna felt like the air was electric as they walked towards the meeting place. It was open space with a lot of visibility, which Anna appreciated, but she didn’t like that she wasn’t seeing anyone other than a couple of hikers.

Nothing about them screamed mythical creature but Anna stayed on high alert. As her and Nola walked in silence, she could have sworn that she felt something brush along her leg and the feeling sent shivers down her spine. She clenched her fists and refused to react while trying to scan the surroundings.

This was a bad idea. She hadn’t been thinking clearly when she had agreed to this. It was definitely a trap and any moment now they would-

“Hi.”

Anna’s thoughts were brought to screeching halt with the greeting. Seren was walking up to them with a small and slightly strained smile on her face. Her wings were not visible but Anna found herself scanning behind the angel in an attempt to spot the camouflage.

She didn’t dwell too long on the known enemy though because someone was walking up beside Seren.

Anna’s first thought was that this had to be a human. She had never seen any mythical creature dress in such obnoxiously loud colours. Bright pink dungarees paired with an azure blue shirt matched coloured hair on top of head of the small human looking being who was walking in step with Seren. An androgynous face was painted expertly with make-up that somehow managed to be both colourful and subtle enough for it not to be overpowering.

If it wasn’t for the cold glance and sour face, then Anna might even have feel compelled to deem Seren’s friend adorable.

“Hello,” Anna responded and did a quick nod of acknowledgement as they came to a halt just a few feet apart. After that greeting, she felt a little like her brain leaked out of her ears as she caught Seren’s eyes. Her eyes were so expressive and so impossibly blue and Anna felt drawn in and almost hypnotised whenever she looked at them a little too closely.

“Hi, it’s good to see you again,” Nola replied next to Anna, who blinked and managed to snap out of staring.

The ease with which it happened told her that she wasn’t being influenced by some type of compulsion or it would have been more difficult to break out of. But why was she getting all caught up if magic or mythical forces weren’t to be blamed? Anna quickly pushed that thought away before she could consider it too deeply.

“It’s good to see you again too, Nola,” Seren replied and reached out to take Nola’s hand in the offered handshake.

Anna’s heart jumped a little at the interaction but it passed quickly and without incidence. She breathed a little easier.

“Anna,” Seren said and nodded her head but she didn’t try to initiate any type of physical touch. Anna wasn’t sure if she should be grateful for the consideration, even if she could see that it was probably meant to reassure her and not push past her boundaries.

“I can see it,” Seren’s friend said. “You’re really both dorks, aren’t you? Name is Lez. Pronouns are they/them. I can’t say it’s a pleasure to meet you because I stand by the fact that this is a bad idea.”

Anna took a second sweep over Lez’s figure. They really looked very non-intimidating but there was something about the edge to their words and the look in their eyes that warned Anna that they shouldn’t be underestimated. Even with their hands tugged into the pockets of the dungarees, hunched forward and standing shorter and appearing smaller than Anna herself, it was clear that the appearance was deceiving of the power Lez possessed. It was almost like they were masking it.

“You’re a shapeshifter,” Anna blurted out.

Lez’ eyes widened and then a grimace warped their mouth into something mocking. They didn’t try to deny it but they did send a glance in Seren’s direction.

“Dangerous, I tell you,” they said in a whisper that Anna easily managed to hear, which made her feel know that it was intended to be overheard.

Seren looked a little embarrassed and nervously chuckled. It was the closest to awkward that Anna had ever seen the composed angel act like. It was oddly cute.

“We have a truce. I trust Anna’s word,” Seren said and shot a pointed glance at Lez who just shrugged and looked like they tried very hard to be completely nonchalant. They were trying just a smidgen too hard, which was enough for Anna to pick up on it.

“Want to walk down the track? I’m sure Lune would appreciate turning visible but we shouldn’t be too close to people unless we want to arise suspicions.”

“Visible?” Nola asked and she looked fascinated as hell. “The wolf is invisible!”

“They’re real subtle,” Lez commented snidely to Seren.

Seren didn’t looked worried or offended though and she even smiled warmly at Nola.

“He is a spirit and they are mostly made of energy, which means that he like any other spirit have the property to turn invisible and non-corporeal. It’s different because he’s an animal and connected to the afterlife in a special way but some of the usual spirit rules still apply.”

The four of them and the invisible spirit of a wolf walked away from the entry and soon enough found themselves without anyone near. Just like Seren had predicted, Lune suddenly became visible. Anna wasn’t sure it was the same wolf because the coat was wrong. It was grey as opposed to black, which made her do a double take. The expression and the body looked identical.

“Is this the same wolf you had with you when we first met?” Anna asked.

“The one and only,” Seren confirmed and Lune walked up to stand next to her. She put her hand on his head and Anna could see how the coat lightened another tad.

“That is so cool,” Nola whispered under her breath.

[panda-noosh]

CHARACTER INTRO: Callum Kage

    “My fists are bruised and bloody, but I’m too numb to really feel it right now. Maybe later.” 

---

    Callum Kage’s entire life has been centred around boxing. It doesn’t run in the family - his father is a doctor, his mother a French teacher at the local high school - and yet it is the one thing Callum has found himself interested in.

    He has support, he has resources, is lucky enough to find himself winning match after match, earning his place in the minds of boxing fanatics alike - and yet he finds himself unfulfilled.

    His anger can only take up a small portion of his body. He can go into the ring and punch the living daylights out of his opponent, but there is only so much emotional healing that can do. He wants something more, wants to have a legacy that consists of more than just his ability to physically harm others. 

   He needs someone to keep him grounded, but how will a boy with so much suppressed anger ever be able to find someone to help him? 

----

  Name: Callum Frank Kage 

  Age: 17

  Sexuality: Heterosexual

  MBTI: ISTP

  Hogwarts House: Gryffindor 

  Traits: Brave, quiet, mysterious, seems uncaring, bold, spontaneous, quick-witted, teasing, monotone, can be playful with the right people, caring, loves his cat, protective, flustered boi when he’s given reason to be, funny without meaning to be. 

[panda-noosh]

CHARACTER INTRO: Jamie Bardow

    “I don’t want to be here - one look at my family reminds me that I have no choice.” 

----

    17-year-old Jamie Bardow, to the untrained eye, looks like nothing short of a normal teenage girl. Hair cut short around her shoulders, olive green eyes shielded by a pair of oversized, round spectacles that nobody really knows if she truly needs or not. She wears knitted sweaters and listens to music on an mp3 player. In her hand, there is always a 500 page textbook on the human body that she seems to reread on a constant loop throughout the week.

    But in reality, Jamie lives in the boxing gym. Not in the ring - she has sworn to never step foot inside of one with the intention of fighting - but she sits on the sidelines and watches her older brother punch complete strangers, hugging them as soon as the bell goes off.

    She sits to the sidelines and keeps her mouth shut, because that’s what she has been told to do. She curls up with her textbook and tries to pretend that she will be attending university next year, even though her parents have made it abundantly clear that she is due to take on the role of Leo’s manager as soon as she is of age. 

    Even if it’s not what she wants, her life has been set in stone, planned meticulously from the moment she could walk. She daydreams, but always comes crashing back to reality, too afraid to let herself fall into a hole of hope when she knows full well that nothing she dreams about will ever come true.

    Whenever she meets Callum Kage, pulling herself out of this wistful dream of hope becomes a little bit more difficult.

---

  Name: Jamie Joy Bardow 

  Age: 17

 Sexuality: Heterosexual 

 Myers Briggs Personality Type: INFJ

 Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw 

 Traits: Clumsy, daydreamer, easily distracted, intelligent, bad liar, quiet, reads people well, independent, wistful, realistic, pessimistic, funny (when she’s comfortable), dry sense of humour, surprisingly easily amused.