#it's the idea of finding that connection in the unlikeliest of places and working your ass off to nurture it

[suitmana]

honestly a shame that freya's kind of underrated (at least from what i see), i know that the lebkuchen nation is strong for a reason and rozenmarine has the whole fated lover thing going on, but idk i like how it feels like freya's the one you really have to go out of your way for

#possibly terrible take but the way freya is Just There while everything goes to shit in kieferberg #imo makes it extra special when elise decides to reach out for her #like freya thinks she may just be some girl #but she has her love. her strength (physical and mental). her unwavering belief in elise's goodness. #and despite everything #elise wants to understand her--to put their past behind #and she does! elise eventually recognizes freya's ambitions as something greater than whatever castle or riches she herself dreamed of #because freya is real. not only did freya give elise the most concrete way out of kieferberg (starting anew in primeldorf) #freya relies on her own merits to get where she wants #precisely because of their past #so when elise chooses to not only come with freya to primeldorf #but enthusiastically support her dreams of becoming a seamstress #it just feels like their relationship has come full circle #all i'm saying is that soap by the oh hellos is THE freylise song #it's the idea of finding that connection in the unlikeliest of places and working your ass off to nurture it #the other girls are amazing but can we pls talk about the rivals-to-lovers aspect of freylise #i recognize that this may just be me coping with freya not having much screen time compared to the others #but yk what i am drunk on the freylise juice so i will cope even Harder #lgts #little goody two shoes #grape jewel

[fulcrumahsokaamidala]

Saturday Spectacular #19

Happy Saturday!!! So this is me thanking awesome fanfic writers for their amazing work and all the time they put into their fics. ♥️ I want to recommend spectacular fanfic stories I read this week! ♥️ All posts will be tagged #saturday spectacular fic rec

Hello friends, it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. It’s been a crazy few months. This semester I started college and am getting an associate's degree in one year that means I’m taking 23 credits this fall term. It’s been a bit crazy but I’ve still been read fic so this what I’ve read since September 21. It’s not going to be in order.

light upon darkened dreams by @alexiablackbriar13 | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: After the events of 8x04, Oliver remains awake long into the night, getting lost in his thoughts about his children and Felicity. It's a good thing he isn't asleep, because he catches Mia suffering from a horrific nightmare. How can a father comfort his daughter from the future from a bad dream when they're still practical strangers to each other?

Artemis by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: When the Queen’s Gambit sank, two people were stranded on Lian Yu. Five years later, four came back.

Daughter of the Demon by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: What if in 1988 while traveling through Las Vegas Ra’s al Ghul bumps into a nice waitress named Donna Smoak and they have one-night stand together? A little bundle of joy named Felicity Smoak is the result. In 2014, the Demon Head becomes aware of his youngest daughter’s existence.

The Ravager by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Slade Wilson’s plan for revenge against Oliver took time, money and no shortage of lives to pull together. His plan didn’t anticipate Felicity Smoak. How will his plan change now that his lost-lost daughter is working with the very man he’s trying to destroy?

Felicity of Themiscyra by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Years ago, Donna Smoak left the island of Themiscyra and her sister Queen Hippolyta behind to live in man’s world. She never told Felicity the truth about where she came from. As a result of the Undertaking, Felicity discovers some of her Amazonian abilities and makes an interesting new friend: Diana Prince.

The Daughter That Was Left by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Before the Gambit, Oliver Queen met QC intern Felicity Smoak. When he boarded the Gambit, he left something behind. Now, five long years later someone is waiting for him.

I Scream But No Sound Comes out by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: When Oliver returns from Lian Yu after five years, he comes back different. What happened there damaged more than just his body. How will his friends and family deal with this new Oliver?

The Point of No Return by @oneofthosecrazygirls-fics | Arrow | Completed

Summary Oliver and Felicity prepare for their first date. This fic is part of the What Should’ve Been ‘verse, but can be read as a stand-alone fic.

Can’t Help Falling in Love by @smoaking-greenarrow | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Collection of fluff fics based on Tumblr prompts! Some are angsty, but most of this is fluffy. Enjoy!

Let the Light Shine Through by @griever11 | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Your heart starts healing and it’s a slow process. After all, it’s been in shambles; sharp, cruel pieces of rubble lying on the bottom of your rib cage for so long. Wounds heal, as they say. They’ll scar, and they hurt, but they heal.

Baby Daddy by more0rLessJess | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Bartender Oliver Queen was living his twenties to the fullest, he lived with his best friend John Diggle, and his brother in everything but blood, Tommy Merlyn just moved into their apartment as he started his professional baseball career for the Starling City Rockets. On top of that, his childhood best friend Felicity Smoak, who was no longer goth and instead blonde and beautiful, was back in town and they were hanging out again. Oliver thought his days were going to be filled with partying, one night stands, and boys weekends while also spending quality time with the girl everyone kept telling him he was in love with. Until his ex girlfriend dropped a baby on his doorstep who turned out to be his son. After a lot of thought and Felicity Smoak peptalks, Oliver decides to keep and raise his son with the help of his friends. Or the Freeform sitcom Baby Daddy AU that no one asked for but I needed to write. Aka Oliver and Felicity are childhood friends and are hopelessly in love with eachother and everyone knows but them, oh and now they're raising a baby. What could go wrong?

call me my love, day or night by @alexiablackbriar13 | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: As Mia and William are enjoying their Monte Cristos, Oliver receives a phone call from somebody who is not Curtis. Somebody who is far, far more important.

and you'll blow us all away by inlovewithimpossibility | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Oliver desperately tries to connect with his daughter but it seems all he needed was a photograph and the memory of a woman both of them love more than anything. [Post-8x04 Oliver & Mia moment]

Fight To Live by CSM | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Post 803. Oliver's conversation with adult William and Mia does not go as planned and there is only one person that can help him. Takes places directly after the episode.

New York's Finest (Supernatural) Detectives by BillCipherpines | Brooklyn Nine-Nine & Shadowhunters | Completed

Summary: Jake Peralta is 100%, without a doubt, definitely sure that his friend Simon Lewis is a vampire. But when he sets out to prove it to his friends they get sucked into the world of Shadowhunters and realize that petty drug dealers are the least of New York's problems. But not to worry, New York's finest Shadowhunters are on the case

The Unlikeliest Places by @griever11 | Arrow | Completed

Summary: 'It all starts on an unassuming Friday evening. Or rather, if she’s being honest with herself, everything else in her life ends on that Friday.' 

An AU meeting fic where Felicity Smoak accidentally-on-purpose stumbles upon some shady activity as an IT tech for Queen Consolidated and realises that she really isn't being paid enough for any of this.

In Another Life (I could be your man) by angelicmisskitty | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Their lives couldn't be more different - and yet Oliver can't take his eyes off the beautiful blonde woman that leaves the subway every morning at 7.43am. There is something about her that makes him look up every morning - something that also makes him aware he'll never be good enough for her, or that she'd even notice him.

He had no idea how much his life would change the day he rushed over to help her...

Olicity AU - no Lian Yu, no saving the city (at least not in the way we know from Arrow :D )

Here At Last by thecomebackkids99 | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: A 8x04 spec fic of what happens right after Mia, William, and Connor are transported to the bunker.

Against All Odds by CSM | Arrow | Completed

Summary: Post 3x14. Time Travel. Going back in time. Changing the future is not an exact science but he knows if anyone can do it, it’s her. If there is one thing Eleanor Queen can do, is be a hero. After all she has heroes’ blood pumping through her veins.

Lucas' Adventures by CSM | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Post 2x07. One late night in the foundry Oliver finds an abandoned baby, who he later finds out is his biological son, the only thing is the baby seems to think Felicity is his mother, which is impossible. Or is it? aka, Mia Smoak gets tired of her baby brother and sends him to 2013 where their unsuspecting parents find him. Companion piece to Impeccable Genetics.My contribution for the Olicity Summer Sizzle

“Time for a story” Drabble Series by @smkkbert | Arrow | WIP

Summary: This fic shows Olicity and their life as a (married) couple with family. Although Olicity (and their kids) are the protagonists, other characters of Arrow and Flash make appearances. It started as a drabble series, but developed more and more into a full domectic AU. Although some chapters are still drabble-like, there are longer storylines by now.

With You by @griever11 | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Post 8x03 Leap of Faith. Oliver, William and Mia have a lot of feelings and in classic Queen fashion, have somewhat of a hard time expressing them. Oliver learns about the future and his kids try to make sense of the past.

in the here and now by @alexiablackbriar13 | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Set immediately post-8x03. “Dad?” Oliver stares in utter disbelief at the trio who have appeared on the bunker platform along with him in a blinding flash of light. For a good couple of seconds, his brain just… stops functioning. He’s so astonished that he can’t think, he can’t breathe, he can’t feel anything but shock.

The Blame Game by inlovewithimpossibility | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: After they recover from their sudden appearance in the past, what's left of FTA still need to deal with what happened before they left. Mia and Connor both seek a moment of peace and Mia's brother and father are the guiding hand she needs as she feels like she's drowning.

There Are Two Sides to Every Story by @oneofthosecrazygirls-fics | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Susan Williams and Bethany Snow are two of Starling City’s most prominent journalists...but their styles are very different.This is a series of articles written by these two journalists from the time of the sinking of the Queen’s Gambit to the present day.**set in the What Should’ve Been ‘verse**

Campfire Stories by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Samantha has finally agreed to allow William to spend a month of his summer vacation with Oliver, Tommy, and Felicity. William asks to spend his first weekend with Oliver camping - alone. Oliver is more than a little nervous to spend time alone with his son when he still feels like a stranger.

The First Time by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Every love story has a beginning, theirs started with a death.

Home Is Where You Are by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Felicity is away on business and missing home. Tommy surprises her with an unexpected visit.

The Italian Restaurant by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Felicity, Oliver and Tommy go on their first date which leads to other firsts.

Cobble Hill by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Tommy surprises Oliver and Felicity with a proposal that will mark a milestone in their relationship.

Up All Night by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: After a close call in the field, Oliver and Felicity reconnect.

Will You Still Love Me, Tomorrow? by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Donna arrives for an unexpected visit and Felicity must decide if she is going to reveal the truth about her relationship with Oliver and Tommy.

Wherever You Are, There I Am by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: The history of Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn's relationship.

Burgers & Lies by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Tommy confronts Felicity about a secret she has been keeping.

Welcome Home by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Felicity has been away for two weeks and missing her guys. Oliver and Tommy are very happy when she returns from her trip early.

Twenty Questions Over Brunch by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Thea has a few questions for Felicity about her relationship with Oliver and Tommy.

Look Me In The Eye And Make Me Feel The Truth by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: A night out in the public eye might be more than their relationship can take.

Three by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Felicity hasn't been acting herself all week. Tommy and Oliver finally confront her and they aren't prepared for what she tells them.

Practical Jokes and Other Misunderstandings by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Oliver and Tommy tell Thea about their relationship.

House Warming by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Oliver, Felicity and Tommy celebrate their first night together in their new home.

Perfect by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Felicity receives a call in the middle of the night from a distraught Tommy.

Nine to Five by @griever11​ | Arrow | Completed

Summary: The new receptionist at Oliver's office is weird, quirky and really cute but totally not his type. At all. Or so he tells himself. An Arrow/The Office AU.

keep this love in a photograph by @alexiablackbriar13​ | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: An alternate 8x01 scene.Moira suspects that there is more to her son than meets the eye when Oliver returns home from the island after twelve years.When she catches him with the photo he's carrying around of him with Felicity Smoak and a baby, a confrontation and an emotional conversation ensue.

Mothers know best by @smkkbert​ | Arrow | Completed

Summary: Since they have been kids, they have been best friends. Since they have been friends, their mothers wanted them to be together.After coming back from the east coast, Felicity takes over a position at Queen Consolidated, the company her best friend will soon take over from his father. Their mothers still push for them to be together, and they seem closer to that goal than ever because wedding bells are ringing. The only problem is that they both plan to get married to someone else.

The Legacy of a Queen by inlovewithimpossibility | Arrow | WIP 

Summary: Series of one-shots from a future AU where Oliver and Felicity are able to raise their children after they defeat the Ninth Circle and Oliver hangs up the hood

A Brother in Arms by inlovewithimpossibility | Arrow | WIP 

Summary: “I just… she really found me and sent you here?” He asks quietly and John’s face morphs from concern into a sad smile as he nods.“Oliver, you know she’d be here herself if it weren’t for Mia.”“I… it’s been a week. She said she’d find me but I didn’t expect…” Missing moment from 8x01 where John and Oliver discuss Felicity finding Oliver and sending John to Earth-2 to help his brother.

Providence by @so-caffeinated | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Will Queen has struggled in silence in the year since he was shot. But when a shadowy crime lord known as Domino targets the only woman Will’s ever truly loved, fate forces him to confront his demons in ways he never could have imagined… Whether he wants to or not. Amelia Prescott has fought to take control of her life since learning two years ago that her personal and professional worlds were manipulated by others. But nothing can prepare her for just how hard she’ll have to fight to set her own course, especially when her heart belongs to a damaged man and a crime lord threatens her every professional move… And her life. Destiny brings them together, but as chaos reigns and personal demons haunt Will and Amelia both, it may also threaten to tear them apart.

What Are You Doing Here, Miss Queen? by inlovewithimpossibility | Arrow | WIP 

Summary Sara Lance prides herself on knowing people, she gets them in a way a lot of others struggle with. So when a mysterious blonde shows up to help with the fight of their lives, Sara is surprised when there's something about her that she just can't put her finger on. That is until she figures out that this supposed 'Green Arrow from another earth' is actually Oliver's time-displaced daughter. [Sara sees straight through Mia's Crisis disguise, confronts her about what she's doing in the past, and forces father and daughter into a conversation that is clear they needed to have]

the true meaning of sacrifice by inlovewithimpossibility | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Around five years after Crisis, Felicity is surprised and angry when a group of three heroes show up at her door demanding help from her.

i will find you again by inlovewithimpossibility | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: a short-introspective on oliver in s8 inspired by the scene in the trailer as he takes a moment to remember the reason he's fighting. his wife, his children... they give him the strength he needs to be the hero the universe requires

Paging Dr. Smoak by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: When Oliver Queen gets into a car accident, he meets Dr. Felicity Smoak. He had no idea how much a chance meeting would change his life.

little wonders (twists and turns of fate) by @alexiablackbriar13​ | Arrow | Completed  Summary: Oliver and Felicity's drunken mistake of a hook-up in the bunker comes with unexpected consequences in the form of a... souvenir.Deciding to remain romantically uninvolved, the two of them will have to battle all the trials and tribulations of maintaining a platonic relationship while Felicity is pregnant and the two of them are living together, coping with all the emotional baggage that they both bring to the table - and dealing with the fact that they are still very much in love with each other, but scarred by the events that broke them apart in the first place.

time falls away (in these small hours) by @alexiablackbriar13​ | Arrow | Completed

Summary: Missing scene and side-story oneshots and drabbles set within my S5 post-bunker sex AU little wonders (twists and turns of fate). (Will contain spoilers) Summary for little wonders: Oliver and Felicity's drunken mistake of a hook-up in the bunker comes with unexpected consequences in the form of a... souvenir. 

Must be what I need by Nerdofmanytalents | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Thea gets to meet the reason for her brother's preoccupation of late. Its both exciting and terrifying.

Hawkins: The Upside by allonsysilvertongue | Stranger Things | WIP

Summary: A collection of one shots featuring Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper.Recent Update: "I think you're beautiful."

Welcome to Starling Prep Elementary by inlovewithimpossibility | Arrow | Completed

Summary: When William Clayton and Adalyn Smoak bond over being the two new kids in Starling Prep Elementary's first-grade class, their parents are not prepared for what comes of their children's friendship. Plus, it doesn't hurt that both Oliver and Felicity are single.

Our Version of Events by @machawicket​ & @geneeste​ | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Action star Ollie Queen is trying to clean up his image and land parts that require him to do more than appear shirtless while fighting stuntmen. Pop star Felicity Smoak wants to be seen as an adult in time for the release of her new, grittier album. And talent manager John Diggle’s got an idea about what coverage of Oliver and Felicity’s brand new (and totally fake) romance could do for them both.

Workouts and Babbles by @elasticmonk​ | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Oliver comes to the rescue of one cute blonde at his gym just as Felicity stumbles upon one handsome mayor at her gym. They both have something in common, but will it bring them happiness?

Bodyguard by originalhybridlover | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Felicity needs a new bodyguard and Diggle referred her to an old friend, Oliver Queen. Unknowingly she meets the man she would one day marry.

Let me know if you want to be tagged!

@hope-for-olicity @emdee8907 @malafle @laxit21 @icannotbelieveiamhere

#saturday spectacular fic rec #weekly fic recs

[penumbra-rp]

Congratulations Loren, you have been accepted for the role of Lily Evans!

Yet, she has never given up anyone as a lost cause, it’s simply not in her nature. Lily will be burned a hundred times by a hundred different people and never give up hope that the best of someone will eventually come out.

Admin Ash: Loren -- so sorry for the delay, but we believe the best things come to those who are incredibly patient with their admins! And with that said, we’re absolutely in love with your modern interpretation of the vivacious Miss Evans. I particularly adored this quote because from the very beginning you’ve captured the very essence of who Lily Evans is. Her need to make the world a better place than it is now is a relentless endeavor, and it needs someone like this fiery, tireless girl and her particular brand of passion and stubbornness at the helm of the cause to keep it burning, keep it going. She’s been playing a backseat role to The Order for some time, but these trying times in London are definitely going to force her from the background, and I can’t wait to see just how she’ll rise to the occasion!

Please check out our checklist for joining Penumbra.

01. Out of Character

NAME: Loren

AGE: 29 (so old)

YOUR BIRTHDAY: March 6

PRONOUNS: She/her

TIMEZONE: GMT

02. In Character

CHARACTER: Liliana “Lily” Isabel Evans

CHARACTER’S PRONOUNS: She/her

FACECLAIM: Maria Pedraza

CHARACTER’S BIRTHDAY: 30 March, 1995

PERSONALITY:

(+) Empathetic  

Her strongest quality, her greatest strength and weakness. She looks for commonalities, she forges connections. It has always allowed her to see past the veneer someone will put out there, and make friends in the unlikeliest of places. Friendships that are sometimes wrong for her, that sometimes burn her. Yet, she has never given up anyone as a lost cause, it’s simply not in her nature. Lily will be burned a hundred times by a hundred different people and never give up hope that the best of someone will eventually come out.

(+) Dependable

Lily is a disorganised mess, true, but you can always count on her. She will show up, no matter the time. She will have snacks in her bag, a ready shoulder to lean on. Yes, she runs late. No, she can’t live without coffee. But when it matters? She’s there, always ready to smack down the guy that made her friend cry or build them up if their confidence has crashed. She exhausts herself, running behind everyone else, but the idea of letting people she cares about down burns her more than the exhaustion gets to her during the day.

(+) Charismatic

She wears charm like a second skin. Her ready smile and quick wit have always made her a hit with people. It helps her during her working day, keeping that pep in her step and ready laugh in her throat. She is seldom seen upset or annoyed (she saves those moments for the medicine storeroom when everything is too much and her heart feels like it’s about to pierce her lungs, or the solitude of her bedroom as she scans over her sister’s Facebook page and sees no trace she ever existed in her life). She is charming, down to her bones.

(-) Stubborn

Two syllables feel like an understatement when it comes to describing how very headstrong Liliana Isabel Evans truly is. She never lets up, once her teeth are sunken into an idea, she will push and push until she is out-maneuvered or gets her own way. She has a way about her, a way of making people see her side, and she never loses a fight gracefully. She is starting to learn to bite her tongue, pick her battles, but it’s a learning process for her and it’s hard to relinquish the habit of a lifetime.

(-) Explosive

Her fuse is long, and while Lily can be friendly and sweet most of the time, she has a dark side. Her main problem is that she keeps everything inside, every grievance, and eventually it spills. No, it doesn’t spill, it  bursts. Like a bottle of coke, shaken to the point the gas is pushing the lid off, her temper flares through her and she will snap at things - large or small. She has a reputation for slamming people back with sharp tongued arguments that don’t exactly make her little Miss Popular at that moment in time. She has probably incurred the wrath of folk she should have never crossed with this trait.

(-) Overachiever

Her desire to prove herself has always manifested itself this way. Sometimes it was achieving her best in dance, or gymnastics. Other times it was in subjects. More often than not, it was at the behest - the push, the shove - of a sister who saw her as competition and not a sibling. Now as a student nurse, she pushes herself to the point of exhaustion. One of these days, she’s going to make a mistake that she won’t be able to move past because she is simply so tired from all of her work to try and get in the action as soon as possible.

BRIEF BULLET POINT BIO:

Lily was born the youngest of two daughters, to a Spanish mother and a British father. She learned to speak her mother’s tongue alongside British, which she would say is her first language. However, her mama was always rather insistent that all gossiping should be done in Spanish, so as not to allow people to know what they were saying. What would the neighbours think, after all?

The Evans girls were ice and fire, they could complement one another as often as they butted heads with their mutually competitive natures. Lily was never as good in school as her sister, but her sister never as inexorably interesting as Lily. So it was, her sister would outsmart her in every sense of the word when it came to academics - but in wit, in connections to people, Lily flourished. Both coveted what the other had, Lily would extend the olive branch to her sister, invite her out with her and her contemporaries, but her sister would scoff with a roll of her eyes.

Secondary school was where Lily really, to coin a phrase, blossomed. She shook off her sister’s shadow and joined various student groups. She found her interests lay in science, in math, in people. She knew she wanted to be a nurse from the age of sixteen. Her sister sneered. A nurse was just so… low brow, in her opinion, a person who was aiming for the higher echelons of their society.

Her sister wasn’t the first person to mention Hogwarts University to her. The institution had caused a stir in their town, such a strange name, since one of Lily’s older friends was accepted to those hallowed halls. There was something about the school that appealed to her, as she came into her final two years of school, nestled so far from where she lived and surrounded in beauty. Something about the deans, the leaders, of the school called to her.

She spent her time researching what she could find, and her sister sensed her interest. Being in the year above her, she put it down as her second choice, if only to spite Lily, though one of the Oxbridge choices were the top, of course. Bothered, but excited for her sibling, she waited with her as her acceptance emails rolled in. Her first choice was her only offer, no word from Hogwarts. She tried to comfort her sister, who was more rattled than she let on, and shook off Lily’s kind words. She told her it was just a cushion for where she wanted to really go, that she didn’t care in the slightest.

Not holding much hope if her sibling hadn’t received any communication from the school, Lily found herself in a similar position twelve months later, only her parents were with her while her sibling was away. They had supported her journey through the education system, encouraged her when she struggled, and when she was accepted to her dream school - they were all so delighted for her. She messaged her sister, who simply sent her a thumbs up back, and the fissure in their relationship widened. Years of resentment piled into a wall, neither of them knew how to overcome it.

Studying nursing, so far from home, was a shock to Lily’s system at first. But she quickly made friends and found different societies to join. She was always interested in matters of social justice, so stumbling into the Order was a pleasant delight to her. She had no idea what she was about to join, but there was an energy - an electricity - to their meetings that ignited something in her. Something like hope, hope that she had found a place where she belonged, where they could make a difference.

Her sister came to visit her just before her final exams in her first year, spent the whole weekend sneering and mentioning how much better her own university was, how small and squat the halls were where Lily resided, and left early on Sunday when her boyfriend came to pick her up. Lily told herself it was jealousy, but the attitude still stung.

Being a part of the Gryffindor school enabled Lily to meet many like minded people who were aiming for a similar profession to her, she enjoyed the closeness of it all, university was one of the best times in her life, and she often thinks back on the parties and events she attended with a nostalgia that aches. Living in that bubble, she found herself with the time and the ability to really feel like she was part of something bigger than she was. Involved in something important.

Nothing compared to the Order, she took a backseat role in the first two years of her time at Uni, handing out flyers and helping organise events, not really involved in the depths of their work. It wasn’t until she was called at three in the morning to come and help patch injuries up she was suddenly thrust into the midst. She took it in her stride, and grew more involved as her time at Hogwarts began drawing to a close.

The fractured relationship with her sister has only grown wider in division, Lily is vocal and passionate about her views and never apologises for taking that road. Her sister prefers to have power on her side, and Lily knows that half of her attitude comes from the fact it’s simply the opposite to hers - the other half is that her boyfriend is a rich cricket playing arse who slips poison into her ear and her sibling is happy to go along with it. Sorry, her fiance, Petunia made sure that Lily was - for once - the first to know about it when she sent a picture of the diamond glittering on her ring finger and nothing else.

She is now living with her best friend, still involved with the Order, and working day and night to be the best nurse she can be. Is it enough? Lily doesn’t know, but she is determined to make the most of it.

INTERVIEW:

i. How do you feel about your current occupation?

Lily is a small woman, slight and wrapped in a buzz of energy. Sitting with a coffee in her hands, her face immediately brightens at the question, “Student nursing? Oh, I absolutely adore it,” taking a healthy sip from her mug - a sound of appreciation humming from her throat - she sets it down and folds her arms on the table as she leans forward, “I’m so close to finishing and being fully qualified, you know? It’s exciting! It feels like it has taken me so long to get here but I know I’m just being impatient. Honestly, I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

ii. What song would you say describes yourself?

“Landslide! By Fleetwood Mac!” the answer is immediate and she laughs as she sees the surprise register, “I know, it’s not the kind of song you would probably imagine me being into - my dad is a huge Fleetwood Mac fan though, and he would always play it on the piano - he’s a music teacher - and when I heard the real version, it just really resonated with me. You know when you hear a song and it just… touches your soul? That was definitely it for me.”

iii. Does reputation matter to you?

Eyes widen and then a look crosses her face. It’s somewhere in between amusement and confusion, with a good dose of scepticism thrown in for good measure, “Do I look like I care about reputation? No thanks, that’s my mum and my sister,” she scoffs, expression falling slightly, and fingers moving to the curls framing her face, pushing some behind her ears. She takes a moment and then continues to talk, “I don’t care what people think about me, the only person I will ever have to answer to is myself, you know? But they are a lot more about appearances, more concerned with what people think of them. I just know I would never be happy if I had to live like that.”

iv. What is your relationship with your parents like?

This time, she smiles warmly, and picks her mug up again. “I am pretty close to both of them, I love them dearly,” she nurses the mug a little longer, fighting with herself, before speaking again, “I am much closer to my dad, though. We are both on the same side of the coin. He’s probably more chilled out than I am, to be fair to him, I got that from my mum. But I know he’s always a hundred percent on my side. I can call him at any time of the day if I’m in trouble, and he’ll be there in a heartbeat. He won’t scold me, or make me feel bad. He’s my guy.”

v. What languages can you speak?

“Pues, puedo hablar Español, gracias a mi mama,” a cheeky grin crosses her face, “I’d say English is my first language, but my mum is from Cadiz, so she wanted to have a slice of home here. My sister and I can both talk it. My dad tries, but he has same range as Pitbull when it comes to numbers. You know - uno, dos, tres, cuatro -? I think he definitely understands more than he lets on.”

vi. If your home was on fire and you could only save one item, what would you choose?

Grimacing, her mug goes back down, and hands rise to her cheeks. “I instinctively wanna say my laptop, because it has literally everything on there. My school work, my pictures, and some other things I hold dear. But if I was being totally honest? I know I’m a nostalgic shit, I would probably save Edmund, my very worn stuffed rabbit my grandmother made for me when I was born,” she pauses, cheeks going red as she smiles shyly, “Eddie has been there for it all, even when I lost my virginity, and I think losing him would probably devastate me more than I am comfortable admitting to.”

vii. Which Hogwarts University faculty did you study at? The Gryffindor School of Applied Science, the Ravenclaw School of Humanities, the Slytherin School of Social Science, or the Hufflepuff School of Art?

“The Gryffindor School of Applied Science!” she laughs, previous embarrassment forgotten, and nods her head, “I mean, I’m not sure where else you expected me to study nursing! Honestly, I graduated with my First two years ago and I still wear my old sweatshirt, it was the most liberating time of my life!” Sighing wistfully, she continues, fingers drawing in the sugar granules on the fake wooden table top, “Living away from home for the first time in my life, making these life long friends, the whole thing was amazing.” She nods, and drops her voice down to a conspiratorial whisper, “But honestly? I wish I was better at art, the Hufflepuff bunch always seemed like my kinda people too.”

vix. What is your social media username?

Snorting, her eyes roll, “I’m the most unimaginative person,” she pulls her phone out, and opens a couple of apps up to reveal it, “My Instagram and Twitter are just “lilzevans”, I couldn’t come up with anything better or more interesting!” Her smile is unfaltering, a shoulder shrugging, “If you want to see cute pictures of my cat or selfies Dorcas helps me with, definitely follow me. I can’t promise you anything more interesting than that though. Oh, and cake, and coffee. Can’t forget those break room sneak peeks.”

#accepted

[jordancat]

The Most Misunderstood Kid In America? Ezra Miller's Star is on the Rise.

By Henry Krempels • 12/08/11 

Observer.com

At the recent New York premiere of We Need To Talk About Kevin, a scruffy looking kid with thrift store apparel and long-unattended to hair, told The Observer of the decision he’s made to never play a character  he doesn’t deem “honest”. We had just seen him depict an intense psychological battle with his on screen mother, Tilda Swinton, which concluded in the most unforgiving of ways.

Ezra Miller, the young man in question, is promoting not just We Need To Talk About Kevin but also Another Happy Day. In both films, he plays troubled teenagers, giving performances so convincing that he is now in danger of being typecast as the troubled young mind of psychological indie films. What happens once he’s traversed the murky waters of adolescence and appearance, alone, prevents him from performing such roles?

“I’ve been holding out. I am reading a lot of scripts but saying no to a lot too. I think it pays off to wait for the right one,” he told us, while sipping a latte at one of the holographic tables of Yaffa Café, on St Mark’s Place. He spoke to The Observer, about the “sacrifices made by artists” – because of the choice between all round commercial success and personal fulfilment. Right now they co-exist for him, although, he’s conscious “there will be times in the future that are difficult.”

The hype surrounding the 18-year-old actor, suggests an inevitability to his success. Born and schooled in New Jersey, he dropped out of education at 16, a decision that he describes as “a necessity”.

“I was an outsider because I had these endeavours that took place away from what is primarily an insular place”. He offered, with a strong self-awareness that is prevalent in his work. “One of the things I appreciate about acting is this process of rediscovery, after you strip yourself down to your most basic form, in order to inhabit another person.”

On the surface, it appears that he can empathize with the troubled minds he portrays. It must be true that he connected with the character of Kevin, at the very least saw an “honesty” in the role to have taken it. Looking at his IMDB, complex and ultimately threatening characters are the most honest ones, to Mr. Miller.

“When I was seven I had this increasing want for horror. My Dad would read me things like Stephen King. I remember being completely fascinated by Edgar Allen Poe because I found his collection. His whole life was about loss. I would definitely play him…As soon as I’ve worked on my moustache.“

So would he find it easier to connect with real-life characters, we wondered?

“No. Not Vanilla Ice,” he said, calling to mind the unlikeliest candidate he could. “I cannot find anywhere in me, any sense of connection with Vanilla Ice. I just think, you know, what was he doing for all those years?”

Mr. Miller’s indie cred does not stop at films, however. At the age of six, he landed a role in the U.S. premiere of Philip Glass’s opera, White Raven, and he is now a drummer and singer in the Americana / Black Metal / Soul Band, ‘Sons of an Illustrious Father’, who have just released their second full-length album.

Band member and childhood companion of the actor-cum-singer, Lilah Larson, described the difficult time he faced in adolescence. “I’ve known Ezra to have many struggles but luckily, he’s the type of person who uses pain well, who lets the breaking open be a growing.” She told The Observer via email.

In June this year, Mr. Miller was charged “…with disorderly conduct. That’s all,” he interrupted.

He was in possession of 20 grams of Marijuana, whilst the passenger in a fellow actors car. “I had pot on my lap, pot on the floor, on the seat. There was pot everywhere,” he recalled. Rather than being concerned with public image or future job prospects, he took a more worldly approach to the charge. “The one thing that I learned from that was about the interaction between police and media,” he mused. “There’s this chief of police who’s ringing up the papers to tell them about some person of interest ‘s wrongdoing.”

“I paid the fine in cash just to make my point.”

This seems to slot in nicely with the polarized nature of Mr. Miller’s life.  He is young and has strong opinions, he believes in equality, has natural urges to be a participator and lives in Chelsea—a description that reads like a recruitment ad for Occupy Wall Street, and he was at Zucotti Park on the day they got evicted.

“We were at the Another Happy Day party, standing on the roof of The Standard, having a cigarette with Julian Schnabel. Like, this was a great time. Then we all got a message, because we’re on the mailing list, saying Zuccotti Park is being evicted. So we ran out of the party and went down to the park. We hadn’t been there two minutes when one of my friends got hit with a shield. Lilah got punched and tear gassed and Eamon, who is also in the film, got put in jail and denied access to his essential medication.”

Would he entertain a part in OWS The Movie, we asked? “Oh man. I’d have to read the script first. I don’t know whose writing that.”

Mr. Miller is in constant search of ways to break himself down and build himself back up, in the tradition of his predecessors. In fact, there is a long list of names before him, many of who have succumbed to mental illness by method acting. Outside the cafe, whilst taking quick drags of a rolled up cigarette he offered us a thought, Mr. Miller expounded on the way we live now.

“People in America will always choose the things that kill them fastest,” he thought aloud. “Filterless cigarettes, pizza, Justin Beiber. “ Pausing to contemplate, he added, “Justin Beiber is a murderer.”

Soon after the interview we spoke with Ms. Larson about her band-mate, perhaps voicing some unwitting bias. “There is a public myth of Ezra as this dark devilish guy. He does have a lot of demons, as do we all, but he’s also a lot of the time the funnest, funniest, most adorable, cuddly, playful guy.”

As an actor, Mr. Miller admires Phillip Seymour Hoffmann, who has progressed through a wide range of roles in a long established career. “I’m always seeking to push myself and strip myself down more and more every time.”  And it feels as though, if he chooses the right scripts, he could well have a long career ahead of him too. Certainly something Ms. Larson agrees with:

“The acceleration that’s going on right now is something that’s been in Ezra’s life for a long time, a sort of inevitability. This was always going to happen. He was always going to do great things.”

Mr. Miller seems old before his time, both in his work and at home (or at Yaffa to be more precise).  He is eloquent and curious, reading about quantum physics on his evenings off. He doesn’t like parties and would prefer to go to an event where “everyone knew why they were there.” But he is also refreshingly young, with teenage confusion that far surpasses his generation.

“The first phone call with my Mom after this intense month of inhabiting Kevin was so soothing, so comforting, to have that idea of myself again.”

He has just finished filming The Perks of Being A Wallflower, in which he plays a senior in high school who shows “an introvert freshman…the real world.” In the future he aims to keep pushing himself.  So surely playing Vanilla Ice will be the pinnacle of his career?

He laughs, gradually becoming pensive. “Yeah. I suppose that’s the aim.”

[email protected]

#ezra miller