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migleefulmoments · 4 years

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So... Abby responds to her family's intervention by obediently telling them she'll stop (ie. lying to them). She then immediately tries to find ways to keep the blog in secret, hiding behind various usernames, lurking on her coven's blogs, more time deleting posts from both blogs we know about. Meaning, instead of getting help, she spends even MORE time online engaging in more batshit crazy crap to cover her ass. Yeah, sure, that doesn't signal dire need for mental health intervention AT ALL.

It looks like that is what is happening. We will have to see what the future holds. What does Abby do?

So far the fandom is flailing. Cassie got a couple of anons- one that reads like those anons Abby used to send herself as it covers all the issues they are most upset about so perfectly well (My comments in parenthesis and italicized::

Anonymous asked: Even if I am unsure about CC itself, I don't buy M*arr*n. I just don't. And the other side is using doxing and the fact that you and others say things they don't like about M as an excuse to do so and as a way to detract from the fact that their couple goals have some pretty big, glaring plot holes in their love story. I've not seen anyone on this side of the fandom out or dox anyone publicly as a way of humiliation. M gave up her privacy by dating D, but Abby didn't and they were wrong. Period.

cassie1022 answered: Nonnie, I swear every time they diagnose us as mentally ill or say we’re bitter hags, an LGBTQ angel gets his or her wings. We all know my beliefs, but there are MANY people that are like you and don’t know for sure about CC but sure as hell know Miarren isn’t a normal, healthy relationship. (Funny thing, I don’t remember anyone diagnosing Cassie as mentally ill. Cassie is alwasy the wallflower that nobody wants to dance with and she tries so hard to be part of the fun people. Last week she was sad because I hadn’t sent her a “hate” message (See comment in last post below)

Even if I remove D from the situation, I would still think M is a lazy, spoiled toddler with no discernable work ethic coupled with a superiority complex that rivals the Cheeto in Command of the US.

You are absolutely correct. Our fandom just wants to be left alone. We don’t send hateful asks to the other side. We don’t have to. They feel they have the right to dox CCers because they don’t like what we say about M, a woman that would light a cigarette from the flames engulfing them and not call 911 to help them. I mean, honestly, it doesn’t get much lower than mocking someone’s death. Plus, as you correctly said, M put herself in the spotlight “dating” D. If she didn’t want that attention, she would have stayed in the background. There are plenty of celebrities married to non famous people and we don’t see them at every event like we do M. (It is BAFFLING to me that they can’t comprhend something as simple and obvious as the reasaon they “see Mia everywhere” is because they fucking stalk her and they hyperanalzye every photo Darren is in looking for her. If they started stalking Ben Feldman they would see his wife just as much as they see Mia).

Bottom line is what they did to Abby was deplorable, but, just like their kween, they feel justified in doing whatever they want. This isn’t the first time they’ve crossed a line with regards to my friend, but it was the worst.

notes-from-nowhere Anon, they love to throw the guilt of their actions on our shoulders, it’s how they justify what they do to themselves. They need us to be the bad guys otherwise what is the only option left? (I never know what the hell Notes is trying to say- throw the guilt of our actions on their shoulders? I’d love an example of that. I can’t imagine what guilty action I put on their shoulder. As for needing them to be the bad guys or what do we have left? OMFG are you kidding me? We critcize the cc fandom for being misogynistic, homophobic, bullies who attack Mia, Darren, Ricky and their own Nonnies. They have viscioulsy attacked people in their own fandom who dared to question them. But the biggest reason we push back is because THEY LIE. All the damn time. So what do we have left? Being on the right side, being correct, not lying, not needing to lie, and the joy of watching Darren live his best life)

Leka got a couple of asks but her answers were weak, confusing and pointless. It’s clear she isn’t ready to take over as their leader. She repeated Abby’s main talking points, tried to use big words to sound smarter and basically ended up not making a lot of sense:

Anonymous asked: I could be wrong, and I hope I am, but I think the character on the HW poster holding the girl is D's character, it would fit if you look at the other guys on the poster, maybe this is already the first hint to show D's character is not gay and so technically not breaking the no more queer roles rule his team set for him. It won't make it any better because it's still a career on the bag of LGBTQ+ people with it's teams but it's technically not a broken rule. I just really need for things to change, I want them to so bad, it kills me seeing someone so kind in a situation like that, and I truly believe D is one of the kindest people in that horrible town. He deserves better than M, I wouldn’t even mind if he goes onto another beard but she and RR just need to go. I really think it’s crazy people still think everything HW is real and PR relationships don’t exist, I wished that place was just better and had a moral compass, people deserve more it kind of shows just how jaded this situation has made me, I can’t even enjoy amazing promo material without directly twisting it into something negative, I don’t want to be this way and if I feel like this I can’t even imagine how D must feel. He is stronger than I’ll ever be living through hell every day, even if he’s not ok he’s still here and holding on, I don’t know if I could in his position. Sorry for the long message and the unneeded negativity, I guess I just had to vent a little

*********************************

Leka answered: So let’s look at the way HW is described:

“Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood’s Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day. Provocative and incisive, HOLLYWOOD exposes and examines decades-old power dynamics, and what the entertainment landscape might look like if they had been dismantled.”

I do consider this the very intriguing thing about the news. (And it just goes to show that believing everything you’re sold is being utterly and completely ignorant.) Let’s say you’re right because ofc it’s possible. How does R/aymond fit in here? Given the excessive way team shit has pushed that article, a technicality won’t be good enough. There has to be a better plan. This doesn’t match what’s been said in his name.

What I think is this doesn’t necessarily have to mean much. You know very well what you see doesn’t have to be the (full) truth. That doesn’t just apply to the real HW. Especially considering the time period of this show. And let’s not forget the pap pics we got at a gas station. This doesn’t rule out SB as an inspiration. I would advise anyone to read up on him. We don’t know at this point. As we keep saying, the best thing to do is to wait and see. I’m certainly interested in finding out more.

As time goes on, the danger of this situation keeps becoming even clearer to me. D deserves much, much better. He’s incredibly strong, but the most toxic person in his life needs to go and she’s more than welcome to take the jumping jackass with her. That’s definitely the most important thing right now. (I’m curious what the danger of Hollywood is?)

awesome-fanfictionada: @leka-1998I’m just wondering - it must have been D who got himself this job on HW, right? Couldn’t this have been done on purpose to counter that ridiculous statement - which wasn’t even accurate, if the source was that interview where he stated that he wouldn’t want to be a casting director? Could in this case RM be a friend?

leka-1998: @awesome-fanfictionada Yes, he did that himself. Again. And he said the show’s been sold late in 2018. According to an article that came out later, it happened in February 2019. Not true.

HW has been a thing before that statement was made, which is indeed very different from the answer D himself gave during the interview. That’s what makes the article seem like sabotage by team shit. And standing in RM’s way is never a good idea. So while I will obviously never like him, I’m reserving judgment on his current role until we know more.

Anonymous asked: The underlying issue in general is really that social media has made it so people think they get an accurate glimpse into the lives of celebrities, when in reality social media, like everything else that is publicly released about them, is used as a marketing tool. People are actually more inauthentic than they've ever been because they feel pressure to maintain a certain image for social media at all times. So anyone who decides D is living honestly, it's because they want to believe he is.

Leka: True, nonnie. Just look at the text lines that are becoming more popular again. Not nearly as genuine as people want to believe. In D’s case, what has to be brought up? M. Oh Halloween and her amazing shopping skills praised on SM. The work fam honeymoon pic promoting the place they stayed at. Coa/chella for the H&M ad. Mardi Gras posted shortly after the mockery to promote the designer. I could obviously go on. Most of what we see on SM shows the person the 10 year crew wants him to be. And what looks like a split personality if you compare certain posts. Which brings me back to ‘they want to believe’, as what you’re saying clearly isn’t a secret. Anyone can choose to ignore it but at this point, if that’s the case even though you’re more or less paying attention, it’s really a conscious decision.

Oh btw, there’s a HW IG account now and it already has a D follow. Imagine that. R/oyalties co-stars, anyone?

Flowers didn’t get any asks. Amazing since she has more followers than I do and she bragged about getting more “notes” than me. She did answer azscc who posted an odd rant that baffles me. Who the fuck is azscc and who is posting anything about her? I realize I am not the only person in this fandom posting about ccers But I just checked all the blogs that I know of and nobody is talking about her;

azsc its so weird how chillarrens call me a bully while i only say something rude towards them if they write bullshit towards me. and its just ironic how chillarrens go around calling people bullies while they are the reason why tons of cc accounts use their accounts private or don’t post their opinions and etc. the real threat to the fandom are people like you. so instead of going around throwing shit on people and calling them “mental, delusional...” get a life. no cc believer goes around hunting for chillarren pics and insult the account owner so why don’t you all grow up and realize no one has to agree with your opinions. every crisscolfer blog/twitter page/insta acc basically stan accs never asked for your opinions on their pages so why don’t you just let it go? no one cares about what you all say or do so why are you forcing it this much?

call me a bully i am pretty much okay with that. its obvious that people are unable to understand basic sarcasm and irony and i am not judging because to actually understand what people say you have to at least have an average IQ level. and if you don’t have it, it’s okay but that doesn’t mean you can twist people’s words and post them all over the internet. but its lowkey really funny that i only had my instagram acc for something like 4/5 months and i received over 300 hate/insult/blackmail/death wish messages and etc. and who are you people to call us bullies? (Nobody is a Chillarren. Darren and Mia are married and Chris and Will are in a long-term relationsihp, Nobody has to “ship” them in order to believe they are together. In America, we accept that when someone introduces their wife or their boyfriend they are telling the truth. It is customary to address that person as their wife or boyfriend respectively. The crisscolfers on the other hand, must use a fandom ship name because they are shipping two people who are not in a relationship and never were. All evidence indicates Chris and Darren are no long friends; they are nothing more than former co-workers-friendly and polite when they see one another but no longer involved in one another’s lives. Chris and Darren both have denied (more than once) that the were ever in a relationship). .

flowersintheattic254 I have never in my whole time here posted an anon to a Miarren account. I have no desire to. I’m confident in my beliefs.

The interesting thing for me is that I’ve been here for about four years now and in that time I’ve seen the head of the fandom disappear, other people disappear because their families have been doxed, established long-term cc blogs with a wealth of history deleted without warning. I myself have had my daughters threatened. This sort of stuff doesn’t happen anywhere in the fandom but here here. If we are a bunch of delusional crazy middle-aged women then this shouldn’t happen. (Who was doxed? Who dissappered? It’s all “liar liar” with everything ccers say. In the last 4 years Abby has been the only leader of the cc fandom. Michelle left between 4 and 5 years ago because her outrageious cc comments threatened her ability to raise money for her little Klaine-fanfic rip-off movie. I vaguely remember someone asking flowers how her daugther’s would feel if they read what she writes- hardly a threat. If there was something more she never posted any proof. As for blogs being deleted- so was D-Criss News. It happens. The only cc blog that I know of that disappeared was DisneyPrincessModelWorld’s original blog which had was a hot mess of lies and catfishing. She visciously bullied Mia. Hardly someone to mourn their blog being deleted).

It’s shocking that an actor may lgbt causes such drama. (HUH?)

Flower’s comment is so disingenuous. While it is technically true -she hasn’t sent me anons, she HAS instead publically ridiculed me and frankly, I can’t see how that is any different? I’d say it’s worse because they wanted their followers to see what they wrote and the only way to ensure that is to post it on their blogs. Flowers and Abby posted many public “Michy” posts. Here is her most recent:

flowersintheattic254Oh and I guess Michy sent us all some hate today.

I guess I have way more followers than you and only about 4 that send hate. You haven’t for ages.

I think I have over 70,000 hits currently to my blog. I must be saying something interesting.

He’s been married allegedly for a year and people still doubt. That’s gotta hurt you. Anyway......

✌️

ajw720 Michy told me today today that the outing couldn’t possibly be promo, because JS was only cast in September! What a moron who clearly doesn’t know how HW works. Sweetheart, it was ANNOUNCED in September;)

I was waiting for a few more months, but in 4 years, since i have been tracking, i have almost a million! (976,695 to be precise).

It is amazing that so many people care about what us bat shit crazy, irrelevant, psychologically unstable, threatening, hateful tin hats have to say! And that does not include people reading on their dash or that hit you on the app! So yep, Michy, clearly what we are saying is being monitored by someone. And clearing making people think!! But you keep wasting your time writing for your audience of 4:)

cassie102 I feel left out, Michy didn't come at me today. Must hurt like hell knowing you're a joke that perpetuates a bigger joke.

leka-1998 Birds of a fake feather flock together. When the right person says tomorrow’s Christmas, tomorrow’s Christmas. Get ready, everyone.

If I narrow it down to the last six months, about 10,000 btw. Hm strange.

flowersintheattic254 @ajw720 the number of hits you have give me oxygen. If Michy thinks they are haters then she is delusional. People know when they are being sold something fake and they look for answers.

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raywritesthings · 5 years

Text

Happy Twelfth

My Writing Fandom: Doctor Who Characters: Ryan Sinclair, Thirteenth Doctor, Donna Noble, Yasmin Khan, Graham O’Brien Pairing: Doctor/Donna Summary: It’s that time of year again, and Ryan is enlisted to help. *Can also be read on my AO3*

Every so often, they wound up somewhere that didn’t need saving and got to take a break. Today, he and Yaz had rolled their trousers up to the knees in order to wade in the shallows of the Coranae Coves. Graham was supposedly sunbathing under an umbrella, and who knew where the Doctor had gotten off to.

Yaz swished one leg around in the water, seeming to enjoy to ripples it produced. Then her eyes widened. “Oh, what’s that?”

“What?” Ryan looked around, wondering if perhaps they weren’t as alone in the water as they’d assumed.

She lifted her foot out of the water, clutching a small, round thing between her toes. Yaz plucked it up with her fingers and showed it to him.

“I think it’s a pearl.”

“Yeah, but it’s all red. Hang on.” He bent down and squinted at the sand, then scooped up a few more. “There’s a green one, a blue, purple.”

“Yeah, I wonder how that happened?”

“The Doctor’ll know.” Ryan turned and walked up to shore. He spotted her standing on some rocks staring at nothing. She tended to do that.

“Hey, Doctor, look,” called Ryan.

“What’ve we got, Ryan?”

She clambered down off the rocks, and he walked up to her with his palms held out. “They’re all sorts of different colors.”

She smiled. “Ah, that’ll be the different minerals in the sediment staining them over the years. You can actually tell how old each one is based on the color.”

“Awesome. They’d make wicked jewelry, yeah? My nan would’ve loved one.” He could picture her wearing them around her neck or threading a few into her hair. Either that or she’d have them in a bowl with one of her ceramic frogs perched on top.

The Doctor gasped. “Pearls! Oh, I nearly forgot! Thank you, Ryan,” she said, reaching to touch his arm briefly. Then she checked her watch. “It’s nearly time, too.”

“For what?”

She didn’t answer, but instead leaned forward and asked, “Do you think you could show me where you found these?”

—-

After he and the Doctor had collected a number of the colorful pearls, they all returned to the TARDIS and the Doctor shut herself in her room. Or what he assumed was her room. None of them had actually seen it.

“How many of those pearls did she collect?” His grandad asked.

“I dunno. She kept stuffing ‘em in her pockets.”

Yaz shrugged. “Guess we’ll see when she comes out.”

She left a little while after to go on one of her strolls of the TARDIS corridors, and his grandad retired to his room for a nap. Ryan returned to his new hobby of studying the TARDIS console. He figured if he could memorize each and every button and switch and give them a corresponding name in his head, he might have more of an idea what order everything got pressed and pulled in to fly it.

He’d made it round the one side of the console when the Doctor came bounding into the room. “There’s the man. Ryan Sinclair!”

“What’s up?”

“I need your help. You know those little shops and things that are set up for a day or so and then go away?”

He thought that description over for a moment. “A Pop-up?”

“Yeah! A pop-up!” The Doctor agreed. “Would you help me set one of those up?”

Ryan shrugged. “Sure. Where?”

“West London. Borough of Hounslow.”

His face scrunched up. “What’s there?”

“We’ll be there!” The Doctor answered. She set upon the controls, and Ryan hung on as they went barreling towards West London.

They landed right for once, so the Doctor led him quite a ways to the edge of what looked to be a little Christmas market that had sprung up on one of the streets.

“What day is it?”

“Christmas Eve, 2018,” the Doctor answered promptly. “Twelve years, now,” she added in a mutter to herself Ryan wasn’t sure he was meant to have heard. “This looks like a good spot. So, we’ll need a little stand and some chairs. I’ll grab the chairs. There should be some wood to build the stand in the TARDIS. Have to use nails and hammer I’m afraid,” the Doctor added as she glanced at the sonic in her hand. “This still doesn’t do wood. Was hoping the Stenza tech might’ve fixed that problem.”

“I’ll get the wood,” Ryan decided.

He set to work on building their stand, glad to have a chance to work with his hands even if it wasn’t strictly mechanics. It wasn’t the most beautiful thing in the world, but it’d stay up.

“Nicely done, Ryan,” the Doctor declared as she arrived with two chairs. She also had several multicolored pearls slung over her arms. They were strung together on different strings. Necklaces, bracelets, that sort of stuff.

“We need money?” He guessed.

“No, not quite.” The Doctor arranged the pearl jewelry on the flat surface of their stand and sat down, then patted the seat next to her. “Stakeout time.”

They waited and waited, for what Ryan didn’t know. He was glad he’d thought to go in for his parka, though. A fed came by, but the Doctor showed off their psychic paper permit and that got them left alone. Most people were leaving them alone, actually, so Ryan took out his phone.

He had a text from Yaz. Did we land somewhere?

Ryan wrote back. Yeah, but it’s so boring. Don’t bother

“There!”

Ryan gave a start in his chair, but by the time he’d looked up from his phone the Doctor had already left her chair.

“Madame? Madame!”

She was flagging down a redhead making her way to the market who was looking at the Doctor like she was half mad. That was the normal face people wore around the Doctor, though.

“Why’d you call me Madame?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say you looked single,” the Doctor said with a wide grin. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, too, like she couldn’t be more excited to be talking to this one random woman. “Also, I thought you just might have a keen eye for jewelry.”

She gestured with a grand wave of her arm to their wares, so Ryan put on his best customer service smile.

“What are they? Mardi Gras beads?” The woman asked.

“They’re pearls,” he told her. “Got ‘em right from the cove.”

She eyed the colorful pearls doubtfully. “My mum would call these so tacky. Wouldn’t work as a gift.”

“Well, I think they’d look lovely on you,” the Doctor said, and sounded as though she really meant it, too.

The woman didn’t seem to know how to answer that, and eventually stammered, “Alright, I’ll take one. But only cos they look cheap. Wouldn’t want to put you out for Christmas.” She reached for her purse. “How much?”

Ryan thought to spout off a number, but the Doctor beat him to it. “Absolutely free. Merry Christmas.”

The woman gaped at her. “Are you joking?”

“Nope! You can even wear one to go. Here, let me help you.” She grabbed up a necklace and was soon standing behind the woman, lifting her hair to one side so she could fasten the clasp.

“It’s so strange how this keeps happening. Every year, right before Christmas, somebody’s trying to give me things,” the woman told them. “There was an old Scottish bloke for a while, and then some young fella in a bow tie before him. Just so strange,” she repeated with a little laugh. “I mean, why me?”

The Doctor gave a huge, joyful shrug and stepped back, releasing the woman’s hair. “‘Tis the season, I suppose.”

“Well, what do we think?” The woman asked, looking at each of them.

“Brilliant,” the Doctor enthused.

Ryan gave an approving nod as well, watching as the Doctor used some sleight of hand to drop what he was pretty sure were matching earrings in the woman’s bag. If he’d tried anything like that, they’d probably be spilled on the pavement.

“Do you have a jar for tips or something? I really don’t think I can just take this.”

Much as he might have liked to answer otherwise, he was sensing the theme here. “Nah, we’re barred from taking donations.”

“Well, thank you. Really. I- I don’t know what to say.” She smiled at the pair of them. “Merry Christmas.”

“You, too,” said the Doctor, and Ryan echoed her.

The woman turned and walked towards the market, glancing back at them once before disappearing into the small crowd.

The Doctor watched her walk away, even leaning a bit to keep her in sight. Then she sighed and turned back to face him.

“Okay, Ryan, we can un-pop. Pop-down? What’s the opposite of popping up?”

“Dunno.”

“Ah well. You know what I mean.”

They set to work dismantling his stand, which went easier since the sonic could work on the nails. Once the pearls were stuffed back in pockets and the wooden boards stacked up on top of each other, they each took one end of the pile and began carrying it back to the TARDIS.

“So who was the lady? That’s who we did all this stuff for, right?”

“Her name’s Donna,” the Doctor told him. “She’s a friend. My best friend, a long time ago. My mate.”

He frowned. “Why didn’t she recognize you?”

“Well, I had brown hair and wore pinstripes back then,” the Doctor said as if it should explain anything.

“But you didn’t tell her it was you, either. Why wouldn’t you want your mate knowing it’s you?”

The Doctor didn’t answer for a while. “It’s a bit complicated, Ryan.”

“Did you have a falling out?”

“Sort of.”

“Is this how you’re making it up to her?”

“Sort of,” was the answer again. They’d reached the TARDIS, and it was a bit of a trick to fit the wood back into the little side room he’d got it from.

“Plus, well,” the Doctor continued in a wistful sort of voice. “It’s our anniversary.”

Ryan dropped his end of the wood.

#doctor x donna #ryan sinclair #donna noble #thirteenth doctor #thirteen x donna #doctor who #the doctor #yasmin khan #graham o'brien #my writing

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maevefiction · 6 years

Text

Your Light in the Mist - Chapter 5

I dropped my fork. “I’m sorry, I must have heard that wrong, because it sounded like you just asked me to become your employee.” Luke’s brow lifted.

“No, you heard it absolutely correctly. I did ask you to come work for me. For Prosper. Initially as Tom’s social media manager, and when that’s squared away, as Prosper’s social media director.” So many things I wanted to include in my reply instantaneously flooded my brain, but, as usual, it was miles ahead of my mouth and lord knew what would come out if I spoke. I decided taking another bite of my cannoli while they fell back in sync was the best course of action. Chewing slowly, I looked back and forth from Tom to Luke, then swallowed. I chose my words carefully, hoping to not be offensive.

“Luke, I’m incredibly appreciative, but normally my role is to provide plans for social media managers and directors, which they in turn implement while working one-on-one with their clients. Direct client management isn’t really something I’ve done in a number of years, and I’m not sure it’s something I’m interested in, or even capable of doing again.” He fished some papers out of his bag and pushed them across the table.

“Anne Rice says you’re capable.” I snatched them up, holding in my hand a copy of my resume as well as an email from Anne, singing my praises. It appeared to have been sent earlier in the day. I laughed softly. Client testimonials were usually all anyone cared about, but I kept my resume posted on my website just in case. I didn’t think anyone had ever even looked at it, never mind taken the time to contact my former employers.

“Nice detective work, Luke. I’m impressed. But not only was that more than ten years ago, Anne doesn’t count. She has to say nice things…she’s a friend of the family.” He looked puzzled. “My parents owned a home right down the street from her in the Garden District of New Orleans. When she got wind of my new business venture she volunteered to be my guinea pig.”

Tom leaned forward, scrutinizing me skeptically. “You’re from New Orleans?” I nodded and slipped into an exaggerated southern drawl.

“Born and raised. Even rode on some Mardi Gras floats.” I shrugged and switched back to my regular dialect. “I never had a strong accent, and I’ve lived in New York nearly as long as I did in New Orleans, so it’s faded almost completely.”

Luke pointed his index finger at me. “You should know that not only did she reply to my email immediately, she gave me her number so we could speak. We talked for a good twenty minutes, and she told me she credits you with all of her social media success, including the idea for ‘People of the Page’. She said you were the only one who managed to help her not only understand, but embrace the technology that allowed her to form deeper connections with her legion of fans. And, she wishes she could have held on to you forever, but she didn’t want to keep you from your dream.” He paused for a moment. I made no comment. “According to your resume, you’re also proficient in website design, graphic design and photography, which are additional assets you’d bring to the company. I’m assuming you do your own site?”

“Correct.” I opened my laptop, started Firefox, pulled up Prosper’s website and grimaced. “Who does yours? It’s…it’s…how do I do put this nicely?” I raised my eyes skyward in thought. “Nope, I can’t. It’s awful. You’re redirecting people to your social media instead of having an actual site. It’s all lowercase, and the italic version of your font is hard to read. There’s a generic, single email as a means of contact. I don’t see a phone number. And that black background…I just can’t even.”

Luke began rubbing his temples. “Admittedly, we’re lacking in that area at the moment.” I snorted. “Maude, this is exactly why I need you. As far as PR goes, I’m exceptionally motivated and skilled.” Tom coughed. Luke shot him a chastising look. “Quiet, you. I lighted out on my own because I know I have something unique to offer…genuine bespoke, personal publicity. What I didn’t account for is the amount of time and effort the social media aspect of it would require. Events, interviews, red carpets, networking, I can handle all of those things with very minimal assistance.” He frowned.

“Unfortunately, I’ve found that all too often I put social media on the back burner because I can’t keep up with it, and as a result I feel like I’m not delivering what I promised to my clients. A few months back I determined it was time to seek outside help, but not a single applicant met my expectations. You, however, exceed my expectations.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Luke, I always appreciate an ego boost, but let’s keep in mind that I didn’t apply for anything.” I put an elbow on the table and rested my chin in my hand. “I did agree to an initial consultation, and since you attended my seminar you know where things are supposed to go from there. Translation – not here.” I leaned back in the chair and linked my hands behind my head. “But, this is where we’ve ended up, and I would be remiss if I didn’t entertain your offer, however briefly. So, what the hell. Lay down the details. Especially the ones pertaining to compensation and benefits.”

************************************************ I stood staring out at the horizon as the waves hit my shins, wiggling my toes in the wet sand underneath the water. Finally, beach. Warm, breezy, sunny, quiet, beautiful beach.

After learning that Tom had no prior knowledge of Luke’s plan to hire someone as his social media manager, I excused myself so they could speak in private for as long they deemed necessary. That’s what I told them, anyway. In truth, I really just needed to get the hell out of there so I could attempt to process all this insanity… which I knew wasn’t even remotely possible until I was alone. Part of me hoped that ‘as long as they deemed necessary’ turned into several hours. Or days.

Luke had proposed an initial annual salary of one hundred thousand dollars while I was working with Tom, increasing to one hundred and twenty-five thousand upon assuming the role of Social Media Director of Prosper. I’d be issued a corporate credit card and expense account, and the company would cover all travel expenses. I currently grossed around forty thousand more than that a year on my own, but being stuck covering all my own travel costs made it a negligible difference. When I factored in the lack of income stability that goes hand-in-hand with self-employment, I’d probably come out ahead financially if I opted to accept the position.

When I pressed him to define my duties and responsibilities, he’d shaken his head and imparted that I was the expert, not him, and therefore I should implement whatever strategies I would have included if I had drawn up a proposal. Though I’d technically be an employee, he preferred that I handle everything on my own and retain complete creative control for the duration of my time as Tom’s personal social media manager. We’d step back and re-evaluate things when I was ready to take the directorial helm.

My spot near the water was becoming popular, with several children running amok carting floats, balls and a slew of other things ankle biters enjoy that destroy peace and solitude for the rest of us. I was walking to the opposite side of the property from Luke’s room where it was less crowded when the gravity of my situation overwhelmed me completely and began to literally pull me down. I sank to my knees on the sand, then tried to shift to a sitting positon as gracefully as possible and without flashing everyone on the beach. Again.

I rested my ass on the back of my calves, listed to one side using my arm as a support, lifted my hips a little, extended both legs at the same time, then pushed myself upright. Not pretty, I’m sure, but I had managed to keep my legs closed. I crossed them at the ankle just to be safe and began to mull over my options. “Okay, Maude. Crunch time. Don’t fuck this up.”

When I first started out, I loved every minute of my ‘job’ and had a burning desire to share my knowledge. Maude Gallagher, LLC was everything I had aspired to do and be. I ate, slept and breathed it like oxygen. I never stopped working, always a phone call or an email away from jumping on a plane. But over the past few years, it seemed that my interest in my own company was steadily waning. While I constantly updated my lectures, the material remained essentially the same and what I used to find fun had become work. Every proposal I presented to a client was unique, but at its core it was identical to all the rest. I still put forth 100%, and my ‘phoning it in’ was akin to someone else’s ‘gave it my all’, but something inside me had changed. What was once my life had become just a job, and that prompted me to consider that I might have missed out on actually living along the way. I kept on truckin’, as they say, because the money was so damn good and the idea of having a boss was horrifying after so many years of answering to no one but myself.

Now here I was, sitting on a beach in Kaua’i, wearing a dress and trying to ignore the sand working its way between my thighs, faced with the daunting task of deciding what the fuck I wanted to do with my life…keep running in place, monotonous but comfortably familiar? Or race off in a new direction, intriguing but entirely foreign?

My proposal for Luke would have advised him to have a website created, marketing materials designed, the existing social media accounts revamped and new platforms established with all of them monitored intensely. I also thought it best that Tom have his own photographer/videographer who’d travel with him to shoot on set, at events and in ‘normal’ situations when deemed permissible. He would have had to hire three or more individuals to meet these specifications, but if I signed on he’d only need me. When I thought of all the types of work involved, how it would be different every single day, that I could be creative again…there was no way I could deny that it sounded pretty fucking spectacular. But something was holding me back, making me hesitate instead of screaming ‘yes, I’ll take it!’…and that something was Tom. Though we’d just met a few short hours ago and I didn’t know him at all, I felt…well, I had no idea what it was, only that is was THERE and that it scared the living shit out of me.

************************************************ I was picking up handfuls of sand and watching it sift through my fingers over and over again when I noticed the long shadow to my left, growing ever closer. Khaki cargo pants followed. I looked up…and up…and up. The sun was almost directly behind us, bathing him in an ethereal glow. So, so beautiful. I licked my lips and wished he’d lose the T-shirt already. He squatted beside me, elbows on his knees.

“Hi.” The corner of his mouth curled in a half smile.

“Hey.” I wiped the remaining bits of sand on my dress. He gestured towards the ground.

“May I?” I nodded. He sat, crossing his legs Indian style, which I wouldn’t have believed possible if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. “Luke and I just finished chatting.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks for coming to let me know.” I started to get up, but he put a hand on my shoulder to stop me.

“I…erm…there are a few things I’d like to say before you go back to see him. If you don’t mind hearing me out, that is.” I shook my head.

“Nope. I don’t mind at all.” He ran his hands through his hair and met my gaze.

“Thank you, Maude.” He swallowed. It crossed my mind that he appeared nervous, but I dismissed it because I didn’t want to consider what that meant. I frowned, turning to look towards the ocean. I heard him inhale deeply.

“First, I want to apologize for losing control of my emotions and acting like a tit. My comment about social media being a waste of time and effort and doing nothing but spreading hate was uncalled for, and I in no way meant to devalue you or your work. All of the feelings I entombed broke loose and I’m so very sorry you had to bear witness to my little crackup.” I turned to look at him and patted his knee.

“No worries. Everybody loses their shit to some degree at one point or another.” He pointed at me, brow raised. “Yes, even me. But really, this was nothing. I once had a client scream ‘this mother fucking social media bullshit has ruined my fucking career and my cunt of a wife fucking left me and now I’m going to have to pay her a fuck ton of alimony and it’s all your fault, you stupid fucking fat piece of shit’ in my face.” Tom’s mouth was closed so tightly his lips were a tiny, thin line. “He was so inept that he accidentally posted a photo of his girlfriend sucking his cock across all his accounts instead of sending it directly to her phone. Best part was that he took the shot in the mirror so his face was clearly visible.”

He put his hand on mine. “Tell me who it was and I’ll happily beat the living shit out of him.”

“Thanks, but not necessary. I handled it. By slapping him three times. And telling him that if I ever heard even a whisper of him saying another derogatory thing about me I’d hunt him down, rip his nuts off with my bare hands and feed them to him for dinner.”

Tom’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “You did no such thing.” I laughed.

“Oh, but I did. And then I fired his sorry ass. And then his band fired his sorry ass. Last I heard he was broke and filing for bankruptcy. Karma, Thomas. She is indeed a wicked bitch.” Before I knew what was happening he leaned in and enveloped me in an embrace. Time came to a grinding halt and I was frozen in place. He rubbed my back for a moment and released me before I even had a chance to hug him back. He remained close, his face only inches from mine.

“Maude, you are an amazing woman. And absolutely beautiful.” I blinked. It was the only thing I was physically capable of doing. I considered telling him that being called fat was a common occurrence for me, though it did happen less now that I was a size 14 instead of a 24…and that it really never got under my skin. Because, fuck that. I had never been lacking in the self-esteem department no matter what the scale said. Or my mother said. I had just come to the conclusion that I’d save that particular tidbit for you know, never, when I felt something under my chin. It was Tom’s hand.

“Shit, sorry, I got lost there for a bit. Woolgathering.” He smirked as he slid his fingers and thumb along my jaw and slowly backed away. He put his hand over his heart.

“Second on my list of things to say… I’m afraid I have a confession to make.” I made a get on with it motion with my right hand. “Earlier, at Talk Story, my requesting you specifically to assist me may not have been entirely a happenstance of fate.” I raised an eyebrow.

“When I walked in, the desk was completely deserted so I wandered off to see if I could locate someone to help me. After coming out of a side room I glanced back at the desk, saw the lovely girls in their Loki shirts, realized they were all staff members, and admittedly panicked a bit. Not because they were fans, but because I had very little time and I knew they’d want a few moments with me and I just couldn’t squeeze it in. I’d worn the ugly shirt and cap so people would be less apt to recognize me for that very reason.”

I poked him in the chest. “You know you have to go back there, don’t you? That adorable girl Alani will die of heartbreak knowing that you were in the store and she didn’t get to meet you.” He grinned.

“I absolutely will. And I’ll ask for her by name. But, on with my confession. So, there I was, caught like the proverbial deer in headlights. And then I saw…you. You had two books in one hand, and a several spread out on a table. I heard your phone alarm go off, and I saw your lips move but couldn’t quite make out what you were saying. I watched you gather them up as if they were precious treasures, and I sneakily followed you as you returned them gently to their proper places. I saw someone with a very obvious love for books, who happened to be a gorgeous woman, a ray of light shining through the early morning fog. It seemed logical that you were an employee, or perhaps the owner, but…here’s the confession part… I honestly didn’t care whether you were or not. I just had to meet you, and my book reservation was the perfect cover story in the event my logic was flawed. I hesitated when I was finally directly behind you, and when you turned around I almost lost my nerve, but when you looked into my eyes I knew it was now or never. ” He took a deep breath, and I noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. I reached out and took one in mine.

“I thought you may have recognized me, and was waiting for you to out me. I really was. Instead, you marched up to that desk, got my book and brought it to me even though you didn’t actually work there. You paid for the damn thing. And when you called me Indy, the fact that you not only picked up the reference but played along…” He shook his head and put his free hand on top of mine, sandwiching it between both of his.

“Which brings me to the third thing on my list of things to say. And it’s the last. On the street, when I said I wanted to find out who you were, and that I had never wanted to discover anything else quite so badly? I meant that, Maude. All the way down to the depths of my very soul.” I was speechless. Completely, utterly without words. He leaned in to meet my gaze.

“I don’t understand why, or how, or what the fuck it is exactly that I’m feeling…but what I AM certain of is that I’ve never felt it before and it’s glorious and incredible and terrifying all at once. And whether you decide to take the job or not, I still want to KNOW you, Maude. I NEED to know you.”

I smirked devilishly, hoping to add some levity to the situation so I wouldn’t totally freak the fuck out.

“Like, biblically?”

He threw back his head, laughing so loudly people down the beach turned to look our way. I started giggling, which turned into guffawing, and then the snorting started. He laughed even harder and soon enough we were both weeping and holding our sides, trying to catch our breath. I was wiping the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand when he whispered in my ear.

“Yes, Maude. Biblically. As often as humanly possible, preferably.” He pulled back so he could see my face, trying to analyze my expression to determine what I was thinking. I smiled softly.

“I want to know you too, Tom. In every way imaginable.” He grinned, then stood, offering me a hand up. I took it. “Let’s go see a man about a job, shall we?”

************************************************ Luke was overjoyed at my acceptance of his offer and after we all had a quick dinner he broke out the bottle of champagne he’d ordered. He placed a glass in front of me and began to pour. I held up my hand in protest.

“No thank you…none for me, please.” He cocked his head to the side. “Do you have any tea lying around? I’d love a cup if you do.” He went off to see what was in the kitchenette. Tom was pacing around outside, phone up to his ear, his free hand gesturing wildly. He’d just gotten word that Michael Keaton and J. K. Simmons had pulled out of Skull Island. I saw him tap the end call button and he walked back into the room just as Luke came in to tell me he hadn’t had any luck finding me some tea. He set the phone on the table.

“Well, it looks like the shoot’s been postponed until early 2016.” Luke shrugged.

“It happens, Tom. I wasn’t thrilled with either of them being cast, to be honest.” Tom sighed, then grinned at me.

“On the bright side, this gives us lots of time to get things up and running on the social media front.” I yawned. We still had a ton of details to work out as far as how we were going to proceed, but I was exhausted and needed some time alone to get in the zone for my two long days of seminars. Which would be my last, at least for a while. Knowing that felt…delightful, as much as it pained me to admit it.

“Gentlemen, I hate to be a party pooper, but I have two insane days coming up and need some rest so I don’t muck things up too badly.” They both awwweeed but I got up from my chair anyway, slinging my bag over my shoulder and picking up my shoes. “We’re still on for the museum’s hula class at five on Wednesday?”

They nodded, and Tom rose from his chair, grinning like a fool. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. May I walk you to your room?”

I rolled my eyes. “If you must.”

He took my elbow and walked me to the door. “Oh, I must.”

I waved at Luke. “Goodnight, Luke…and thank you. If you need something, call.”

“Goodnight, Maude. And thank you. This is a game changer for Prosper, and I appreciate you being on board. I couldn’t make it happen otherwise.” He closed the door behind us.

Tom stopped out in the hallway. “Where is your room, exactly?” I headed for the stairs. We walked in silence, just basking in each others presence. I stopped in front of my room, found my keycard in my bag and opened the door. He pointed to the number.

“Oh, 203…you’re right above Luke.” I just stood there and watched his face, waiting for it to dawn on him. When it finally did, his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, finally spluttering “Right above. Luke. Your room. Is.”

It was my turn to grin like a fool. “Yes, yes it is. If you take another run in the morning you may want to look up periodically. You never know, I just might forget to close the balcony doors again.”

#your light in the mist #chapter 5

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chromium-siren · 6 years

Text

I'm Looking Through You (Literally)- Part 1

Pairing: Finn x Reader x Hux (hurray for polyamory!)

A/N: I was inspired by a fanfic where Poe was a ghost and also by Mardi Gras

@rebel-scum-stuff @propertyofpoeandbucky @the-new-fanfic-order @kyber-hearts-and-stardust-souls

At last, you were all unpacked and moved in to your new home in New Orleans, Louisiana. Being a gourmet chef and all, you were lucky to be living in the Big Easy surrounded by music, interesting stories, and of course, good food. You decided to go to a local delicatessen to satisfy your hunger after all that moving you finished up.

Outside your house, people were starting to decorate for Mardi Gras, which was in two week's time, and fortunately, a restaurant was nearby for you to grab something to eat. Dameron's Grocery called to you with it's Art Deco sign as you walked in and waited for a table.

"What can I get you?" asked the waiter, who had curly brown hair and eyes the color of a delicious chocolate truffle. You tried to focus on the menu, but you ended up staring at him anyway.

"What do you recommend?" you managed to squeak out before Poe, according to his name tag, smiled at you.

"Oh, everything on the menu is delicious, but I think you'd like the muffuletta sandwich," he said as you handed him the menu.

"Sounds delicious, I'll have the muffuletta, please," you said, as he wrote down the order and went to the kitchen with a wink. The atmosphere in the restaurant was exciting, and you looked around at the various patrons. A woman with a scarf in her short blonde hair read a brunette girl's palm, while another girl (she was in a yellow dress) played the violin as she made her way between the tables.

"So, what brings you to our hamlet?" Poe said, startling you slightly as he brought you your sandwich.

"Don't do that!" you chided, playfully slapping his wrist with a smile. Poe smiled and took a seat at your table.

"Sorry about that, this is just my first time seeing you. So, what brings you to New Orleans?" he asked.

"You know that British chef Obi-Wan Kenobi? Well, I work with him, and I just moved here because he's been hired by Arnaud's," you said with pride, smiling brightly.

"Bienvenue," Poe said, taking your hand and kissing it. "You do know that some people say that Arnaud's is... haunted?" he added, raising an eyebrow and throwing in a playful smirk.

"Get real," you retorted, holding in your laughter. Poe, on the other hand, looked serious.

"No, for real. This is one of America's supposedly most haunted cities. I hate to sound like a stalker, but where do you live?" he asked you, the smile gone from his face.

"By the French Market," you said matter-of-factly, which made Poe's eyes go wide in alarm.

"Wow. You're living where the Lightning Storm of '25 happened?" Poe asked. You had no clue what he was talking about, but you nodded anyway. "Back in 1925, there were these two musicians who were going to play at a Mardi Gras party. One played trumpet, the other played clarinet and saxophone. It was a few hours before the party was about to start, when they went on the terrace of their shared home to practice. Unfortunately, there was a lightning storm that accidentally killed them both, and they never made it to the party. Some people say you can still hear Dixieland music in the house where they used to live, but of course, there's no one there," Poe said. You rolled your eyes at Poe and went back to your sandwich.

"Is this some kind of joke?" you asked him, but then looked at his serious face and realized he might not be joking. After all, you did hear about New Orleans being haunted before, so maybe this wasn't unusual for Poe.

"No, no joke. But I have to hand it to you- not many people are still living where you are now. That proves you've got guts. Anyway, I'll leave you in peace now, and welcome to New Orleans," he said with a smile, getting up from your table and heading to another. Once you left the restaurant, Poe's story stuck with you all through the rest of the evening.

You fell asleep with Poe's story still rolling around in your head, when you found yourself waking up to the sound of a Dixieland band. You looked around the rooms, at your computer, even outside- but there was nothing. For a minute, you were going to blame Poe, but that was improbable. You decided to chalk it up to imagination instead and drifted back to sleep. Until you were woken up again by music. Someone- or something, rather- was playing a jazz duet on trumpet with a saxophone downstairs. Your eyes widened- maybe Poe was right, after all! You slipped on a robe, grabbed your phone to use as a flashlight, and tiptoed downstairs- with every step, the music got louder. What you saw from the landing shocked you.

The ghosts of two handsome young men were the source of the music, and they played in the foyer of your house. One was African-American and played the trumpet, while the other was a slender redhead who played the saxophone, and both were dressed impeccably in dapper suits. As they played and moved about, you watched them as they seemed to glow with a certain iridescence to them.

You walked downstairs to get closer, listening as the trumpeter took a solo, bending and twisting the melody till it became an exciting new thing, as well as passing the baton to the saxophonist. Listening to them both play made your heart flutter with longing as the song came to a close and they disappeared.

Really? you asked yourself, sitting on the couch of the foyer, waiting for something to happen, slowly drifting off to sleep...

"Bon soir," you heard a voice say, which made your eyes shoot open in terror. You looked around in search of invaders, but found nothing. You ran into the bathroom to splash some water on your face, when you heard someone clear their throat. As you looked up, you noticed a man had suddenly appeared in your mirror. He smiled and nodded hello at you before you ran out screaming and back into the foyer, covering your eyes like a frightened child.

"Finn, mon ami, you frightened the poor mademoiselle!" someone said, but you were too scared to look.

"Oh dear, I suppose I have! Poor thing's shaking like a leaf," another voice, you assumed it was Finn, said to the first one.

"Don't worry, I can fix the situation," the first voice said, before fading away slightly. "Mademoiselle? There is no reason to be afraid. Open your eyes!" the first voice said. Hesitantly, you did. Right in front of you were the musicians you noticed playing in the foyer, the trumpeter and the saxophonist.

"Who are you?" you asked. The trumpet player (who you saw in the mirror) floated towards you and took your hand.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself properly, miss," he said, kissing your hand. "My name is Finn Calrissian, but I mainly go by Finn." The second ghost floated forward, a saxophone hung from his neck.

"And I am Armitage Hux. Enchante, mademoiselle," he practically whispered in his French accent, kissing your hand softly.

"D-did you two use to live here?" you asked, looking at them.

"Yes, but... there was a bit of an accident," Finn admitted.

"Lightning storm?" you asked.

"Oui," Armitage agreed.

"Please forgive us from waking you up, miss," Finn asked, a shy smile dancing on his lips as he looked at you. "It's just that we haven't been able to move on properly," he said, the smile sadly now disappearing.

"Oh, that's terrible. Anything I can do to help?" you asked, turning to both of them.

"Yes, there is something you can do. Search for a medium, one mademoiselle Phasma. Speak to her, and she will tell you exactly what you need to help us with our dilemma," Hux said. You nodded and listened to everything they had just said with some skepticism.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" you asked, looking at them.

"Of course. Phasma has been blessed by Marie Laveau, so she will be able to solve our problem. Good luck, miss," Finn said, before slowly fading away.

"But how do I find her?" you called out to them.

"Bonne chance," Hux added, fading away until you were alone in the foyer. Surprised with what you found, you went back to bed, still thinking of the ghosts told you. This was something you needed to tell Poe about the next day.

#my writing

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allofusandco · 7 years

Text

Is this a date?

Ronnie and Nik on their first date.

With @moonoverbourbon

Ronnie:

Veronica had a couple of days off – too many nights in a row on stakeout, and her body clock was completely upside down. She needed some time to decompress and rest up. She’d imagined breaking into the market in a new city would be difficult, but whether it was that people recognized her name, or that they didn’t, she’d been outrageously busy since she’d set out her shingle in New Orleans.

She sat on the swing seat on her porch. A tiny bijou home in the Garden District – she loved it, and it had been shockingly easy to buy, after only a short stay in a rooming house a ten minute drive into the city proper. It was far too big for her, and she didn’t like to think about the rooms that were closed up and gathering layers of dust. She also didn’t like to think about the boxes of things she hadn’t yet unpacked. Well, another six months, maybe? She liked the little office looking out into the greenery, she liked the kitchen despite the fact she only ever used the microwave and the coffee machine, and she liked her bedroom, tucked in the back (how anyone could sleep upstairs in this humidity without an air conditioner, she’d never know).

So, she had the night off. And Nik had only sent that one adorably shy message so she had his number. Apparently he couldn’t summon up the guts to make a date for dinner.

Fine, fine. Veronica was a lot of things. Shy wasn’t one of them. She tapped out a quick text.

[@nik]: I give up. It’s Sadie Hawkins week. I have the night off, and I’m taking you for dinner. I guess you’re working tonight, which means an early one. [@nik]: I mentioned I don’t take no for an answer, right? Where should I meet you?

–––––

Nik:

Spineless.

Nik was a spineless coward. He’d had Veronica’s number for nearly a week now and had only managed to text her once. She’d even said she was asking him out, and he still hadn’t worked up the nerve to set up a date. Tonight he was off work (actually had the next two nights off…) and had repeatedly pulled up her number to shoot her a message. Every time, though, Nik had closed out without sending anything – he simply couldn’t figure out what to say that wouldn’t make him sound like a completely desperate moron.

He was all set to try it again when her text message came through. Grinning like a fool, Nik typed out a quick reply now that the ice was broken.

[@Veronica]: I was just about to text you. I’m actually off tonight, and would love to have dinner. There’s a place in the Garden District on Magazine Street – The Rum House. Meet you there at 7:30?

Then he tossed the phone down on the worn couch in his small apartment and rushed off to get ready. He hadn’t given himself much leeway, so it was going to be a rush job. Nik hoped she didn’t mind a little disheveled.

—

At 7:28, Nik was standing in front of the Caribbean inspired restaurant dressed in faded blue jeans, a grey Henley, and black Doc Martins that he’d had forever. He’d picked casual for a reason, not wanting the pressure of having to get all fancied up on top of the other first date jitters.

Flashing her a smile as she approached, Nik closed the distance between them and handed her the pale pink rose in his hand. “You look lovely, Veronica,” he said leaning in to kiss her cheek. Before things had gone sideways with his family, his mom had impressed on him the importance of treating a lady with the utmost respect. Nik knew how to be chivalrous and polite…even if he didn’t get out much.

“Thank you for texting,” he said, holding open the door for her and flashing two fingers at the hostess as she grabbed menus to lead them to their table. “I was working up the nerve; I’m pretty useless when it comes to asking a beautiful woman out on a date.” Pulling out her chair, Nik took his own only once she was seated. “How has work gone this week? Any more cheating spouses?”

–––––

Ronnie:

That was close enough to walk, Veronica realized. She thought she’d even seen the place, but short of being asked to investigate it she might never have gone inside.

[@nik]: Sounds perfect. I’ll see you there.

Veronica took her time getting ready – it was such a novelty, not dressing for a job (variations on ninja-esque or completely dowdy to avoid being noticed, all the way to absolute vamp if she had a job baiting a potentially unfaithful partner) that she found herself frowning at her wardrobe like she couldn’t remember sho she was, when she wasn’t being someone specific.

Probably, definitely, time to hire an assistant.

Anyway; a pretty blouse, light enough to cope with the humidity, and a denim skirt which modestly hit her knees, and a pair of boots which were probably going to prove to be a mistake but that made her legs look incredible. Was she really doing this? A date?

“Yes,” she told her reflection, once the cherry red lip gloss was in place. “You’re going on a date. It’s a thing people do when the meet a mysterious stranger with fanfiction blue eyes and curls you sort of want to pull.” She stepped away, and back again. “And dimples,” she told her reflection. I’ll see you later.”

She left the house with half an hour to spare, wandering through the pretty streets, enjoying the natural air conditioning providing by the trees. The Garden District lived up to its name. She checked her small handbag on the way out the door – not that she was paranoid, but a tazer was never a bad thing to remember, and she’d already shown one would-be mugger why it was a bad idea to mess with Keith Mars’s daughter.

She grinned widely, and bit her tongue, when she saw the rose.

“Chivalry’s not dead,” she said, on tip-toes to receive a kiss to the cheek. “I’ll have to alert the media. There’s a rumor going around than men have forgotten how to woo a woman.”

The blush was so worth it. And of course he followed up by holding the door, and her chair. He was racking up brownie points by the dozen and it was only seven thirty-two.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, waving his apology away. “It’s been a while for me, too. And honestly, I surprised myself the other morning. I’m out of practice, but I’m a sucker for dimples and blue eyes, so there.”

She took the menu. “I think I need to start with a ridiculous cocktail. Something with things hanging off it. I don’t even mind what it is, as long as it turns my tongue a different color. Oh, but a daiquiri,” she said, with a wink. “They won’t actually make me pick a rum, will they? Watermelon daiquiri, heavy on the decorations.”

She put the drinks list aside. “All the cheating spouses,” she said. “But I’m pretty sure New Orleans economic life would grind to a halt if I stopped them all. I keep telling the men – buy jewelry, and promise never to do it again. But do they listen?”

–––––

Nik:

“Chivalry was one of the things my mother drilled into my head from a very young age. She was all for the man pulling out chairs and opening the doors for ladies. It’s become something of second nature, but it gets me yelled at a lot these days.” Nik grinned, ducking his head behind his menu as he studied the food options he’d already memorized by looking for a place online.

Veronica made mention of his eyes and those cursed dimples, and it had Nik blushing furiously. He wasn’t used to that kind of attention from women that weren’t drunken members of bachelorette parties or tourists that had wandered in after taken a turn off the beaten path. “You look lovely,” he said, not sure if he’d said that already or not.

Hell, even if he had, she deserved to hear it again. She was, he assessed, simply stunning. Nik had no idea what she was doing here with him.

“I don’t know if they will, but I’m sure you can just tell them whatever is on the top shelf. Try Bacardi Reserva. It’s one of the best mass markets out there. I’m not much of a rum drinker myself, but a regular customer brought me a bottle of El Dorado for Christmas last year. It is still sitting unopened on my counter at my apartment.”

Perhaps if the date went well tonight, he’d invite her over for drinks and movies. That was more his speed anyway; Nik wasn’t much of a partier, despite working in a bar He much preferred the low key to the flashy and flamboyant.

“You should come into the bar one night. I make the best daiquiri this side of the Mississippi – or so I’m told. I’ll even throw in a set of Mardi Gras beads and an extra umbrella.” He cracked a smile, finally getting comfortable, and closed the menu.

When the waitress came by, Nik asked if they could just start with drinks and chips. He ordered her watermelon daiquiri for her, using ‘bartender speak,’ so they’d know not to under pour the drink – and he even asked for an extra plastic flamingo and a sidecar shot of the Reserva to float on top. It wouldn’t be one that he made, but it would be as close as he could get for her. For himself, he simply ordered a glass of bourbon, and picked at the chips on the table.

“It amazes me, honestly, that people do that. If you’re unhappy, then bloody leave. My mother cheated on my father.” He paused, wondering if he was saying too much. But no, she didn’t need to know that he was the result of that affair. “They managed to work it out, but I don’t understand how you can do that to someone you love. It’s never made a bit of sense to me.” He shrugged, running a chip through the salsa in between them and popping it into his mouth.

“You’d be surprised at the number of blokes I see in the bar with wedding rings picking up women without them. It never ceases to amaze me. And the tourists… they treat New Orleans like the Las Vegas of the south. What happens here is apparently supposed to stay here. And… I’ve gone off on a tangent. You should stop me by telling me something about yourself.”

–––––

Ronnie:

“Too many syllables,” Veronica said, raising an eyebrow as the waiter came by. She was glad when Nik ordered for her – he managed to sound suitably professional, and she suspected the drink was going to be strong. Lucky the last few years had left her with a better alcohol tolerance than she’d once been able to boast.

“My mom did the same,” she admitted. “And it nearly killed my dad, but just between you and me – nineteen years later he took up with a married woman. Cheating spouses were his bread and butter, he saw what it did to people. If spouses didn’t cheat, he probably would have been out of a job. I kinda grew up figuring everyone cheated except him. And then there was that. So yeah. Big fan of just calling it quits before you do something that will tear your family apart, but then I’d be down to insurance fraud and workplace theft, so color me a big fat hypocrite.” She sat up straighter as the drink was delivered, suitably decorated, and turned. “I vote for a change of subject. Something more cheery, like the state of the Middle East. Or this drink. Wow, that’s… big.” She took a sip through a straw that was dissected by a paper toucan. New Orleans was great. “And it tastes like heaven. I promise you, this is way better than neat bourbon. If you can really beat this, I’ll be there. Is it really alright to give away beads without seeing some skin? I’d flash my boobs quite happily, but last time I did that I got mistaken for a fifteen year old boy and thrown out of the bar.”

Okay, not true, and she wasn’t the surfboard she’d been in school, either, but still. Not a lot of rack.

And she’d made Nik blush again. Smashing. He was so cute when he did that.

“Alright, something about me.” She paused. If she thought about it, it really occurred to her that since the moment they’d met, she’d done an awful lot of talking about herself, while Nik neatly redirected questions about himself right back to her. Well, some people took a while to warm. Not their fault. She spun on her stool so she could better see him – and the room.

“I nearly became a lawyer,” she admitted. “What am I saying? I did become a lawyer. But right when I was supposed to be starting a bidding war between the top tier law firms in New York, I got sucked back to California to help a… a friend who’d been accused of murder. Some people, you know? All they have to do is ask for help and you’ll run. So I kinda pulled on the PI britches again and then…”

And then what?

“I remembered how right this work felt,” she said, laughing nervously. “I could be working sixteen hour days in a corner office, with a closet full of Manolo Blahnik’s and a different Coach clutch for every day of the week, but I think it took me longer than it should have to realized I was bound to be miserable doing it. So I upped stumps and quit. I didn’t want to stay back in Neptune. Too many difficult memories. I more or less dropped my finger on an atlas when I was choosing where to go. But I like it here.” She managed not to embarrass him further by mentioning that the company was good. “The summer might kill me, but I like it. I bought a house. Feels kinda permanent to me.”

–––––

Nik:

A change of subject. That was something that Nik could readily get behind. Talking about cheating spouses opened up a whole can of worms that he’d rather not think about right now, especially when he was attempting not to make a fool out of himself in front of a beautiful woman. This line of conversation always caused him to spiral into the self-doubt that Mikael had caused, the memories of his brother’s death, the loss of the rest of his family.

He’d seen Rebekah last week at an antique store on Royal as he was walking back to the bar from dinner. She looked right at him, but the gaze had been one she might have given a total stranger on the street. So, Nik was more than grateful to change the topic.

Nik caught himself laugh at her reaction to the drink, but he nodded his head. “A change of subject would be for the best I think. We could perhaps talk religion or some other hot bed topic.” A cheeky grin, and then he was burying his head behind his own drink to hide the growing smile. “They make them bigger, by the way, so if that one is not enough….” Nik held his hands out wide, indicating the size of her head. “We could get you one that would make sure you weren’t walking unaided by the end of dinner.”

That damn blush. He could feel the heat on his skin as he ducked his head at her fifteen year old boy comment. Nik was a man, his first instinct was to look and see if she was correct, but he forced himself to keep his head bowed until the urge passed. “I’d never mistake you for a fifteen year old boy,” he said, but that was all he allowed himself to say about the comment.

He looked genuinely impressed to find out she was an attorney. Nik hadn’t expected that, though he reasoned that she was certainly smart enough to be one. Seeing her in that world though…that was something that he just couldn’t do. It wasn’t like he knew much about her at all, but from what he did know she was a free spirit – a desk job like that would have drained her soul; it would have taken her spark.

Nik was suddenly very glad she had left that line of work – and not just because an attorney wouldn’t have even looked twice at him.

“New Orleans has been in my blood since my family came here from London. This city has a way of digging in and not letting go. It is hot, miserable, and crowded, but the people are amongst the nicest I’ve ever met. History drips from every wrought iron bannister, almost like it is a living, breathing thing. I cannot imagine, honestly, hanging my hat anywhere else.”

The waitress came back, taking their food order and disappeared into the kitchen with a promise that it would be out before they knew it. Nik honestly wasn’t in much of a hurry; he was enjoying just getting to know Veronica and having that brief moment of contact with someone that didn’t want a drink from him. “For what it’s worth, I’m incredibly glad that you think it feels permanent.” Nik downed the rest of his drink before he could say something even stupider. “I’ve an apartment above a tourist trap T-shirt shop on Dauphine. I’m quite jealous of your house. Is it in the city or out?”

–––––

Ronnie:

“Religion, politics, was the book better than the movie – good topics for a first date,” she said, glad to be off the heavy stuff at least for now. “And if you think I’m going to be walking unaided by the end of dinner now? You haven’t noticed that I’m the size of a pixie.”

Well, five foot one was probably taller than a pixie, but not by much.

Chips and salsa, good start to the night, and something to soak up the booze. Veronica surveyed the restaurant – bar? – whatever, food and drink, it was a place, and noticed there was a dance floor, and a band setting up.

“Aye Carumba,” she said. “You should know, unaided or not, I’ll be dragging you onto that dance floor later, buddy. And don’t try to tell me you can’t dance. I won’t listen to a word of it.”

She listened to Nik talk about New Orleans and wondered about the sorts of people who would adopt a new home town – and really, it couldn’t have been much more different from London. “I guess it’s familiar, what with the snow, and the… I have nothing,” she said with a shrug. “But if I had something, it would have been hilarious. I don’t know, guess I’ve floated around more than I’d ever expected to. Neptune is where I grew up – little town with a huge gap between the haves, who are all involved in computer science, or Hollywood, pretty much, and the have nots, who are the rest of us… but the truth is, after a scandal in my first year of college close by, I left with no regret. I realized it hadn’t really felt like home since Lilly was murdered. My friend I told you about, you know. I went off to NYU and stayed in the city, but I think a part of me knew it was never going to be home, not really.”

She brushed it off. “My house is right here in the Garden District – it only took me half an hour to walk here, and I walk slowly. Still haven’t gotten accustomed to the humidity, you know. You’ll have to see it sometime. It’s my office, too, got a little sign and everything. There’s to levels, but it’s so hot upstairs all I’ve done is determine that I need an air conditioning technician to do something about before I try again.” She tried to ignore the little flicker of warmth she felt when he said he was glad she planned to stay. Too early to wonder what on earth this might turn out to be.

The food was delivered, and Veronica’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.

“You weren’t joking about the size of the burgers, were you? Holy smokes.” She examined it from four different angles.

“Good thing I can dislocate my jaw, like a snake,” she declared. “If I spill hot sauce down the front of this dress, you can’t laugh. Deal?”

She took the burger in two hands, and attempted that first, crucial bite; the one that might end in tragedy or ecstasy.

–––––

Nik:

He couldn’t dance. In fact, Nik was the very definition of two left feet. There was a mildly (okay, a little more than mildly) panicked look on his face as she spoke of dragging him out on the floor, and he raised his hand in protest. “Had I known there was a dance floor we would have gone to Burger King.” Nik was teasing; he had manners enough to never take a date to a fast food restaurant, but the thought of dancing in front of her was as humiliating as it was horrifying.

“Really though, I’d like to make it through this date without a trip to the hospital after I break your toe. I’m that bad at dancing.” It wasn’t even an exaggeration on his part; Nik could count on one hand the number of times he’d actually danced with someone, and none of them had been pretty.

Home.

When Veronica started speaking of home, Nik got a little wistful and melancholy. He hadn’t really had a home in thirteen years, not since Henrik died. Most certainly he hadn’t had one in the last ten since he’d turned eighteen. There were days when he missed London terribly, but then others when he couldn’t stomach the thought of ever going back there again. Too many ghosts. Too many memories that kept him awake at night.

“New Orleans will suck you in,” he smiled, trying to keep his thoughts on more pleasant topics. “I love the Garden District. So many beautiful houses, lots of great places to set up an easel and paint. I’m there often, painting in the cemetery…don’t judge, it’s peaceful and the light reflecting off the tombs is amazing.” Nik ducked his head, chasing a chip through the salsa absently.

“If you’d like, I can take a look at your air conditioning. I’m not the best mechanical person in the world, but I’m a bit cheaper than the average repair technician. I have a few friends about town who owe me for some free drinks, I could perhaps call in a favor.” Friends was a loose term; Nik didn’t make friends easily, and he tended to spend most of his free time alone. In fact, he had five contacts in his phone, including Veronica, and only one – his boss – was someone he talked to on a regular basis.

The food placed in front of him had his eyes drifting from her face down to his own plate. He’d gone a more traditional Mexican route, but her burger looked delicious. “You have my word, Veronica. I will not laugh nor will I make mention of the fact that your jaw comes with a reptile-like hinge.” Nik held up his fingers in a mock Boy Scout salute and grinned.

“You have to do the same though. I tend to be a mess, so if I wind up wearing enchilada sauce, then mums the word.” Still smiling, Nik cut into his food and shook his head. Perhaps he wasn’t so horrible at this first date small talk as he thought he was. “Have you found places or things you’re enchanted by in the city yet?”

He couldn’t dance. In fact, “Take a girl on a first date to Burger King and you’re more or less guaranteed that it’s your only date. Trust me, I can teach you to dance. Just for a little while, I swear,” she said, shifting the burger between her hands until she could take another bite. With her mouth still mostly full, she added, “I’m not all that worried about broken toes.”

–––––

Ronnie:

She smiled widely, once her mouth was empty. “You paint? Wow. I always wanted to be able to, you know. I can sing, and when I was a kid, I used to try to bargain with the universe – take the voice away, and let me be able to paint, or draw, or something. Never happened, though. You’ll have to show me, sometime. I can hardly make a stick figure look human.” And this was most certainly true. “Maybe you can find something for my wall. I have nothing but a series of graduation photos, and one of my dad and me in New York City the week after I graduated high school. It’s depressing. I’d totally pay. That would practically make me a patron of local arts, don’t you think?”

There had been a handful of posters – mostly noir detective films from the days of black and white film, but they’d looked so awful on her beautiful new walls that she’d regretfully rolled them up and tucked them in a mailing tube in an upstairs wardrobe.

“But yes, it’s pretty. I love it. I especially love pretending I’m working while staring out the window of my office and pretending it’s seventy years ago.”

The offer to look at the air conditioning was tempting. “If you wanted to look – yeah, by all means. I/m sure I could find a way to say ‘thank you’. Got an old high school nemesis you need the dirt on? I can cook, too. But until I get it fixed, the whole upstairs is of no use to me, so… yeah, please.”

What did she love? What had she… what was his word… found herself enchanted by? Gosh, that accent, for a start. It was tempting to mention that, watch him blush again. She shrugged, instead.

“Everything,” she admitted. “I mean, the people, for a start. That fighting spirit, post-Katrina. People rebuilding their own homes and moving right back in. I love going down to the docks, imagining what it was like back in the day. Places that have been open since forever… you know that bar, Lafitte’s? I go there on Sunday afternoons, sometimes. The food, oh my god. I always like spicy food. Big Mexican population in Neptune. My friend Weevil, I saved his grandma’s job, she used to stuff me full of tacos every time I got near that place.”

Weevil. Thinking of him always made her smile, now he was married, and wrapped around the little finger of a three year old girl who had changed his entire life.

“But I think I prefer Cajun to Mexican, by a very narrow margin. And po’boys – they’re the best. But there’s so many things I haven’t done,” she added. “You know, Antoine’s, and Arnaud’s… maybe there are some things that are better with a friend.”

She set the burger aside for a while, and returned to her drink. Contrary to her brightest hopes she sincerely doubted she could eat the entire thing.

“I don’t know why I like it. I never expected to. You know, I had a friend, once, long time back… her name was Kylie. Friend might be stretching the term. Anywho, she was kind of your standard pretty cheerleader borderline mean girl, until she came out as a lesbian, and then she was a lesbian standard cheerleader borderline mean girl, which is the same thing except like super self-righteous. I ran into her one day in New York, and she said she was living in of all places Alaska. Alaska. Went there for work for like a week, pharmaceutical sales rep, and fell in love with the place, and now she’s… I don’t know, she’s all grown up, despite taking a fifty per cent pay cut to work in the airport in Juneau. She looked so alive.” Veronica shrugged, and reached for another corn chip. “Couldn’t imagine what that might be like until I got here, looked around, and let my heart decide to stay.”

–––––

Nik:

It had been a long time since Nik had tried to teach someone to paint. When he and Rebekah were kids, she’d come to him asking for help with a school project. She had to make a replica globe out of paper mache and paint it blue and green. He’d worked with her for hours before she finally gave up in frustration and he finished it himself.

She’d gotten high marks for it, and he’d never been prouder of a painting.

“I could do that,” Nik smiled, chasing a bite of enchilada through the sauce before popping it into his mouth. The food here was good, but he hardly had an appetite. The thought of actually being on a date with a woman that he found stunning (and who apparently liked him too) had his stomach in knots; it made the thought of finishing the food the furthest thing from his mind. “I’m not much of a teacher, but I can show you some basics. At least get you passed the stick figure phase.”

Nik cracked a shy grin, head bowing as he looked determinedly back at his plate.

Nope. Not the least bit hungry.

He actually hadn’t expected her to take him up on his offer to look at the air conditioning, but Nik wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. He had been put to work more than once around the bar fixing things here and there (really, his boss was a cheap ass and didn’t want to hire a real repair man, so Nik had done in a pinch), and he was sure her A/C wouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Besides, if it was a problem he knew people that could help for a few free beers. “I’m off work for the next two days, so I could come by tomorrow and take a look at it if you’d like. I don’t mind, and it would get it fixed all the more quickly for you. I hate the thought of anyone suffering through New Orleans humidity without air conditioning. It’s like hell itself spat out the city some days.”

Listening to her talk about everything she loved in New Orleans was like playing back his own thoughts. The people here were amazing, a mix of overly friendly and family oriented, and the culture couldn’t be found anywhere else in the world. It was truly like the Crescent City was its own country. It shared very little in common with the rest of the United States.

“One of my favorite things to do here is pull out my easels and paints, take them down to the moonwalk, and paint as the sun rises or sets. It’s some of the best lighting and the atmosphere can’t be beat. All the music, the locals, even those drunk tourists – there’s nothing about it that I would chance. And everyone in the Quarter seems to know everyone; it makes keeping things to yourself a challenge as well as a blessing. There’s always someone looking out for you.” It had taken him some time to get used to that, but now he wouldn’t trade his neighbor’s nightly check-ins for anything in the world.

“Cajun food,” he grinned, “is easy to find here, but getting the good stuff is a bit tougher. There’s a thousand restaurants, but most of them are selling you stuff straight out of a can or a box. If you want really good Cajun, you need to go to Arnaud’s. I could take you sometime.” God, he hoped that wasn’t pushing it; they’d not even gotten passed the first drink and main course of their first date and here he was talking about a second.

Nik didn’t even know if Veronica would be interested.

“I’m sorry. That was presumptuous. I just,” he looked down again, fighting the urge to tell her this was the first time in an extraordinarily long time that he’d met someone as fascinating. Nik swallowed down the rest of his drink and nodded at the waitress who was already on her way over to ask if he wanted a second. “I thought perhaps if you hadn’t had much of an opportunity to meet people, you might like a tour.” That didn’t make it sound any better, or make him sound any less desperate, so he shut up and took another bite of his dinner – wishing he could make the floor open up and swallow him whole.

–––––

Ronnie:

“Hell yes,” Veronica said. “The sooner the better. I wouldn’t mind actually using one of the bedrooms as a bedroom, the views from that floor are so much nicer.”

She couldn’t help noticing he wasn’t eating much. Could have been one of those guys who just didn’t, she supposed, hoping he hadn’t dragged himself out sick or something. He looked okay, though, or, cute as a bug, maybe, so maybe he just didn’t have much of an appetite?

Oh well. She could eat for two.

It really was sort of ridiculous. That hair, those eyelashes, those dimples, and he liked to take his easel out at sunrise and sunset. Like he’d been grown in a lab by pixies or something. She liked the image, imagined Nik had a t-shirt that was covered in flecks of paint tucked somewhere, probably khaki pants, but he probably wore bare feet… that time of the day the ground wouldn’t be too hot, right?

And now she was staring like a lunatic. Time for a rapid subject change.

“Why, Mister,” she said, in a sing-song voice, as southern as she could manage (honestly, she sounded a lot like a southern Californian girl trying to sound like she came from the actual south – what a strange coincidence), “if that was you subtly sneaking in an invitation for date number two while we’re still on date number one, I heartily accept. I’ve heard that place is amazing.”

And clearly, the awkwardness was just because they were two adults with inadequate dating experience, and not because he wasn’t having a god time. She felt vaguely smug. See? Take that, world, I’m not ready to learn to crochet yet! And she didn’t have to adopt a cat after all. No. Though it was definitely time to adopt a new dog.

She missed Backup.

“Or, does teaching me the basics of non-stick figure drawing count as a date? And what about the whole air conditioning thing? If I make iced tea – which I’m not completely awful at, by the way, will that count? We might actually be planning dates two to four at this rate. I might have to pull out my day planner.” Did people still have those, though? Veronica couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t keep her entire life in her pocket. Maybe the reference was too old to make sense. Whatever. “I might start to think you like me.”

It was a strange thought, after the last few years, one disaster after another, which she definitely wasn’t going to go into.

Oh, she’d actually just said that, hadn’t she? She giggled, or did something like a giggle – a very girly laugh if nothing else.

“Look at us. We’re not very good at this, are we? Maybe we should just admit it’s kinda weird, but going pretty well, and let’s say Arnaud’s next time you have a night off? I might even wear a dress. I know. That’s definitely date clothes, though, right? And maybe we should be drinking a little faster.”

She reached for her drink.

“So what do you paint? I imagine if you do it down on the moonwalk, which I have not yet managed to see, you like landscapes?”

–––––

Nik:

“I do like you,” Nik blurted out, then dropped his head to study the intricate design of salsa splatter on his plate. He certainly hadn’t meant for that to come pouring out, but there weren’t any take-backs in admissions of that sort he supposed.

Chasing his food around his plate again, Nik finally forked in another bite, his stomach a mess of butterflies that made it almost impossible to concentrate on the enchiladas. “That was certainly not what I’d intended to say,” he grimaced, but ended it with a sheepish smile. “I do suppose if there’s painting that it’s a date though. And…I’m pretty sure my mother would agree that a spot of tea makes it at date as well.”

He’d mentioned his mother with only the slightest twinge of pain – progress, he imagined.

“I’ve never been very good at this,” Nik admitted, feeling all the more silly for the word. “I haven’t been on an actual date in a very long time. I just don’t…” Understand what someone would see in him. That was pretty much the whole of it; Nik was, to his own way of thinking, boring and unremarkable. Besides, he had skeletons in his closet that should never see the light of day. Getting close to people made keeping them hidden all the harder.

“Okay,” he smiled, putting the fork down and finally giving up on trying to work food into his stomach. Too many nerves. “It’s weird, but it’s going pretty well.” Instead Nik reached for his drink, hoping that it would help settle the butterflies enough for him to have a decent conversation and not completely blow this date. “And yes, Arnaud’s on my next night off. Which…” he thought about it for a second, and then nodded. “Is Thursday. It’s better during the week, not as crowded.”

Nik had to admit, he was looking forward to seeing her in a dress.

But he was ever so grateful when the topic of conversation changed back to his painting. That was something he could talk about for days, something he wasn’t the least bit nervous about sharing. Nik finished up his drink just in time to order another from the waitress as she walked passed them. On a nearly empty stomach, it wasn’t taking much for him to start to feel the effects – a warm fuzziness was settling over him, making it easier for him to think of things to say.

“I paint anything that inspires me. Landscapes. Portraits when I have a suitable model. I don’t have a preferred muse; it just depends on what mood strikes me.” He shifted in the seat, pushing the plate to the side so he could concentrate on her. “What about you, love? What sorts of passions do you have?” He’d used passions in a sentence…yup, definitely feeling the effects of the bourbon.

–––––

Ronnie:

Veronica felt like a teenage girl, again, giggling over a boy. She felt the sudden need to shake herself, because as a teenage girl, she had never giggled over a boy. But she’d watched a lot of other people do it, and it was definitely what she was doing now. She half expected Lily to come around the corner, singing ‘Ronnie and Nik, sitting in a tree…’

“I guess I’m sort of a serial monogamist,” she said. “But it’s been a while. My last relationship ended when he realized I didn’t love him as much as he loved me…” Poor Piz. She sincerely hoped he would find a much, much nicer girl to fall in love with. “You can’t force it, though, can you.” And he’d never made her stomach flutter like this. He’d just been easy, solid, dependable, and that was not the stuff of love songs.

Okay, no more exes sounded like a good idea.

“So I don’t think I’m very good at this either, and yet, thanks to the miracle of Mexican food and alcohol, we’re muddling along beautifully, wouldn’t you say?” She hoped that funny little smile of his meant that he’d agree.

“And Thursday at Arnaud’s sounds absolutely perfect.”

Passions. Ugh, she was about to sound so weird. And this really wasn’t the sort of thing she talked about with just anyone. “You know, it’s funny. All those years I worked on my law degree, I would have said I was passionate about the law, and no one would have found that strange at all. It’s about as patriotic as being born with a birthmark the shape of a bald eagle. But it’s not true. It’s justice I’m passionate about. I love my job. I know the law has strictures around it, and that’s fine, most people can work within that. But my best friend was murdered by a movie star so well connected and universally adored that no jury in California would have ever convicted him. But I still proved he did it, and he lasted about twelve hours once he’d been released.” She shrugged. “Karma needs a hand sometimes. But I’ll tell you something else… I can belt out a hell of a show tune. I’ve never so much as come second at a karaoke night. Test me on that sometime. I read a lot. Something I didn’t really do much when I was younger, but I like getting lost in a good book. There’s a hammock in the back yard with a definitely dip in it in the exact shape of my ass,” she promised.

She gave up on the burger – it was just too big. It had won, drat the thing.

Anyway, she was more interested in the margarita.

“I don’t think I’ll make you dance tonight,” she said. “I can’t feel my knees, and by the time I’ve finished this I probably won’t be able to feel my ankles, either. Walking home might not be smart.”

She smiled, sticking her tongue through her teeth, and scrunched her nose.

“What a lush,” she joked. “Oh, well. This is by far the most fun night I’ve had in New Orleans, and that includes the night I pretended to be a cater waiter at a political function and accidentally on purpose spilled an ice cold beer down the back of some slimy advisor’s back for getting grabby with an intern.”

–––––

Nik:

He hadn’t really expected her to say yes to another date. The few times Nik had managed to ask someone out had been disastrous; he was too nervous, to quiet, and a semi-transient bartender in a tourist town didn’t scream ‘potential boyfriend’ material. After a while, he’d just given up. Then she came along, making his heart flutter and his stomach twist into knots.

And somehow – somehow – he hadn’t managed to screw it up yet.

Nik thought for sure he might be dreaming.

Veronica was a breath of fresh air, and he was utterly enthralled – especially when she scrunched up her nose like that.

“I would have paid hard earned money to have seen the look on his face,” he laughed, pulling out a credit card once the waitress dropped the check off at their table. “I can imagine had you been a real waitress that would have been your last night on the job.” Nik grinned, really wishing he was more into politics – had he been there, then perhaps this date would have happened sooner. She made him smile, and it wasn’t something he did often.

“My car is just outside. It’s a bit too far to walk here from the Quarter, so I drove. I don’t mind giving you a lift, and you don’t even have to invite me in for coffee.” There was no pressure on his end, never would be. Nik was painfully old fashioned when it came to dating; he never pushed, and he never asked for anything the other person was not freely ready to give. It was one of the reasons things never seemed to work out for him. “Though, I must say I’m breathing a sigh of relief and not being made to dance. I have a reprieve until at least Thursday.”

He signed the receipt, then stood to help Veronica with her chair.

–

The drive to her house was quick, only minutes that seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Nik was cursing the usually packed streets for being nearly deserted tonight. Once he’d pulled up into her driveway, he let the motor running and raced around to her side of the car and opened her door.

The intent was clear – motor was running, he had no intention of asking for anything more than to walk her to her door.

He didn’t think he’d ever walked so slow in his life, but eventually they came to the front door. Nik leaned in and kissed her cheek, pulling away before she would think he was trying for more. It was gentlemanly, and he hoped it conveyed that he wasn’t some sleaze bag bartender she might meet on Bourbon Street.

“Good night, fair Veronica. Please call or send me a text to let me know when I should come look at your air conditioning tomorrow. I’d rather you not suffer through another miserable day if it’s an easy fix. I had a spectacular time tonight. Thank you for giving me the chance.” He nodded his head, waited until she was safely inside and he heard the door lock behind her, and then jogged back to his car – still smiling, and happier than he’d been in a really long time.

-Completed Thread

#v: i have no idea either #p: is this a date?#moonoverbourbon #ronnie rp #all of us; & queue

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storytimewithtara-blog · 7 years

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Redecorating

Kevin headed to the living room, desperate to catch the highlights from the games missed today. There were only so many days in a row he could stand being out of the loop with the guys at the office. He saw Marie shifting the TV farther to the left on the entertainment stand. She angled the TV to face the majority of the room, but this gave his leather recliner an awful position. There would be a horrible sun glare all day and Marie's mother's reading lamp would do the same all night.

“Babe, what are you doing?” he asked, hoping it was simply a bit of random cleaning.

“Just need a few more inches of space for the painting I bought today,” she said as she stepped back to get a full view of the TV's position. Marie seemed happy with it. She must have been ignoring the obvious cons this had for his chair and moved to line up the canvas to the wall.

“Does it have to go there?”

“Why not?

“Don't you think it throws off the room a bit?” He thought that was something he'd heard drifting out from the home renovation shows Sadie watched any time she was in the living room, which was most of the time.

Kevin had taken the opportunity of her taking a shower to claim the space, for awhile at least. Once she came down, Sadie would settle into her chair quietly and take up knitting while casually mentioning how sports moved too fast and made her dizzy. He'd be able to ignore the clipping sounds of needles and occasional sighs until the highlights were over. Then he would stand, smile, and ask what channel Sadie would like. She'd fuss and say he could watch whatever he wanted, but after one more insistence on his part a show would quickly come to mind. The phrase started with “Well, I suppose” and ended “if you really don't mind, Kevin”. Every time. He'd taken to mouthing the words as she spoke when he was turned away from her to change the channel.

Marie dropped the canvas back to the floor. “You don't like it. I thought you would like it.”

The painting was possibly a city sidewalk lined with streetlamps, New York City or such. Everything looked sort of melted, maybe it was raining. There had been rain on their trip to New York, they had huddling under an umbrella from the restaurant to the theater for their show. That's what the content side of him saw anyway. The grouchy side saw a night on fire, burning away the structure and beauty of the city life. Kevin didn't understand the painting either way, but that did not mean he hated it. This wasn't about the painting.

“Babe, it's great. I just don't think it fits there. Why mess up the TV? It would fit on the back wall.”

“I finally hung some of our pictures back there. Mom finally decided on a few that weren't too distracting.”

He could hear in her voice that he should have noticed the frames on the wall. Most of those had been on the bedroom floor. Kevin turned to the second recliner that was pulled back to sit more snugly in the corner of the room and saw their smiling faces from the Virgin Islands, Eiffel Tower, and a couple different European churches. If the chair were in its original space, there would have been room for pictures and painting alike, but Sadie like the view out the bay window back there. The reading lamp that would put a glare in the center of his TV was to the chair's right and a bag of yarn and a half finished hat were on its left.

“Why can't she do that upstairs?” he asked for what was the twentieth time since Sadie had arrived.

“She likes to knit while she watches TV.”

“There is a TV in her room.” He knew she used it, at night he could hear reruns of I Love Lucy coming from her room because Sadie turned the volume up for her hearing and then fall asleep with the TV on. Kevin was often pulled out of a light sleep by a particularly loud laugh track.

“I'm not just going to shut her into one room, Kevin. She wants to be around us,” Marie said.

“How about next to the corner stand,” he said flinging a hand out to the opposite back corner of the room.

“The painting doesn't fit with Mom's figures.”

Marie looked over the Precious Moments that lined the shelves. Dozens of doe eyed boys and girls frozen in romantic scenes or lifetime highlights. He spotted a couple kissing on a bench, a young girl holding a drawing, a newlywed couple that was stamped with their wedding date, and an angel boy stamped with the date of her father's passing. That one creeped him out the most. There seemed to be one for anything notable Marie had done in her life. Few of their own belongings remained on the shelves: a bottle of sand from Mexico, another with ash from Pompeii, and a new book on Spain that Marie had been talking about reading for weeks. There was no point in researching a trip they couldn't set a date for. Marie wouldn't leave Sadie alone and Sadie didn't find Spain all that appealing. Kevin almost laughed at the image of a frustrated Sadie arguing in slow English to a market salesman over what was a lemon and what was a lime. Was there a Precious Moment for culture shock?

“And why can't those go in her room?” Kevin asked.

“Spreading out her things makes this feel more like home for her, which it is. Keeping it all locked in a room would be mean.”

Marie was counting the figures with a subtle tap of her finger on her arm, to see if Sadie had added any more. They had started on just one shelf and slowly infected the rest of the stand.

Kevin thought of the bookcases shoved into their bedroom. Both had been crowded with books, but now held a cluster of decorative items that had lost their positions. One item was the Day of the Dead mask that once hung in the kitchen, after Sadie had been shocked into prayer three days in a row the mask was taken down and hidden away. Large prints of Bible verses replaced their photographs of Mardi Gras, those pictures now laid flat on top of books.

“How about our bedroom?” he asked.

“I want people to see it, Kevin. I can't just drag people into our room. Especially the way it looks now.”

The room Sadie claimed upstairs had been a sort of office/den space for them. Her arrival not only moved the bookshelves to their room, but the small desk they had shared. Laptops rested precariously on nightstands, waiting for the morning Kevin or Marie caught the corner as they rolled out of bed. The loveseat and chair were squished into what had been a small workout room downstairs, but now was the Sadie overflow room. This room now held boxes of home décor she hadn't yet been able to force on their walls, boxes of picture albums and scrapbooks, and Kevin had spied boxes of Marie's school papers as they'd moved it all in.

Kevin mentally ran through the house. He couldn't find a spot that wasn't Sadie filled, or filled to make room for Sadie, unless she wanted to just plaster the new painting to the front door. No, the echo of bells in his mind reminded him that a golden angel, that had been assumed a Christmas decoration but they were now in March, still hung from the knocker. As he gave his hair a toss, Kevin sank into his chair and watched the fading sunlight throw beams across his TV.

“She doesn't fit,” he said.

Marie tilted her head, but her eyes glanced to the figurines. “What are you talking about?”

“She doesn't fit in this house, Marie. There isn't enough room for your mother and us.”

“It is far too late to be having this conversation again.' “We never had this conversation in the first place.”

Marie's father died and she couldn't stand the thought of her mother living alone. As an only child, the only solution she'd found was for Sadie to move in with them. She'd been so upset about the passing, and so sure of the impending depression Sadie was bound for, Kevin only wanted to sooth her and never saw 'no' as an option. They'd had to struggle with Sadie on giving away her late husbands possessions, but a good amount that neither mother or daughter could part with were still stacked on top of his treadmill. Their arrangement was going on seven months and Sadie seemed to be adjusted just fine. The woman wasn't completely dependent on them, but seemed to enjoy having them at beck and call.

A flash of light cut across the room, Kevin hadn't thought about headlights also being a problem for his TV. He heard the shower turn off upstairs. There was no chance of watching his highlights now. Sadie would slip into a cheetah print pajama set and come down with towel dried hair in just a bit. Resigning to spending another night catching up on news from his twelve inch computer while his sixty-five inch TV was used for some HGTV show, Kevin pushed out of his chair. The guys at work would tell him anything he missed tomorrow.

“Put it on the wall, I don't care,” he said.

He heard the bathroom door open, a squeaky voice drifted down. Kevin couldn't make out the words, but he would put money on it being some country song about God, that was her favorite.

“Maybe, maybe it would fit by the corner stand,” Marie said.

Kevin looked between the two walls being discussed. “Might be a tight fit back there.”

Marie walked over to the stand and her fingers landed on top of a figurine, a mother and daughter picking flowers. She balanced the Precious Moment on the edge of the shelf. When Sadie's voice was cut off by the snap of her door, Marie let the figure fall. Bits of porcelain skidded across the wood floor to land at Kevin's feet.

“No,” she said, “there is much more room here now.”

#writing shortstory couple argument story fiction

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papermoth-bird-blog · 5 years

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New Orleans: Clowns & more curious things.

I’ve always thought the best way to really learn a city is to walk until you can’t walk anymore, and then, take the transit. I know I have a tendency to romanticize things, but New Orleans is feeding this reciprocally. I mean, it’s definitely more dangerous than the cities I’ve spend time in before, but it also has an air about it that draws you in. This is the start of Carnival season & many of the houses are decorated with beads and Banners already. Some even have floats parked in their backyards (7th ward). King cake is front & center in terms of deserts. It’s the most sugary thing I’ve ever tasted- crunchy, gooey, buttery- like candy-cake. Almost felt like something a 7 year old would make if left to their own devices in the kitchen. Not usually my style at all, but it was worth it for saying I have. Other local foodie things that I liked a lot more were Swamp pop (particularly the Satsuma one) & Voodoo chips- which Asa and Leon definitely got me hooked on. Apparently you can get Voodoo chips everywhere in the states- but it’s definitely a Cajun thing, so I’m glad I tried them here first.

New Orleans is as bright & filled with life, as it is dark & full of death. The houses are colourful and decorated, but many of them still have the spray paint markings left on them during the post-hurricaine search. For every fun-feathery mask, there is a decapitated Crocodile head. For every person playing jazz, there is a person behind a curtain reading palms, or tea leaves, or tarot cards or crystal balls, or what have you.

Yesterday, I decided to get my palm read... because when in Rome. And let’s be honest, the reason I’m here in the first place is for similarly mysteriously-provoked reasons. I decided to go to Bottom of the Cup, which is one of the more established fortune-telling joints- and honestly, you probably pay a premium for that too. I was fine with it though, cause I’ve been pretty good so far about staying on the low end of the budget. So I’m sitting in the cafe for a good 20 minutes patiently with my camomile tea, when my reader rushes my me & kinda grumbles for me to come in. It was a man, which I didn’t realize would be strange for me- but I don’t think I’ve every had my fortune told by a man before. He honestly looked like something out of Tim Burton sketch book. Tall, thin, austere-looking. He was wearing black skinny jeans, rolled above the ankle with shiny black boots. He also had on a peacoat that had the collar popped up beside his ears- which he kept on, even when inside, because everyone is freaking out about the “cold” in NOLA right now (it’s 8 degrees.. which is unseasonable cold here, but by comparison, it’s fine). He didn’t ask me much, but my Sign, which is Aries. He told me I didn’t have typical Fire hands- actually more Watery (but I had fire fingers apparently). Which is funnny, because most people, when guessing think I am a Pisces through&through. Honestly, I thought what he told me was pretty accurate- that I would be unhappy to settle doing one thing for too long, that I tend to have really deep-genuine connections that are slightly ephemeral by nature (because it would take a lot for me to settle down with one person). Something about a triple life-line? anyways. Anyways, what was more interesting, was (maybe cause of my broken fate line?) he brought up that he really think I should do DEATH MEDITATION. I kept a pretty good poker face, but I was all WTF IS THAT. Basically he wants me to sit there & visualize my body decaying & sinking into the ground- apparently this will both help with any anxiety I feel (dunno bout that) & open me up to receiving messages from spirits. Of course, I’m thinking of the whole “go to new orleans to learn about death” thing. So might have to give that a shot soon. I have a recording of it too-- so for any of my close friends- we can listen to it together (Katie & Mare... I know y’all might want to). Charlie also mentioned I should be careful with my manifestation, because I’m very very good at it & I should use it more sparingly. Which I again, kinda poker-faced, because That has been another huge thing that has come up in my life more recently- I am really good at manifesting exactly what I’m seeking. Even freaky, off-the-beaten path type stuff... stlll looking for a witch for a place that has no seasons though, Mare. (As another tangent, I have this thing where I test out if I can manifest certain songs as I’m walking though areas where the radio is playing. So far, fleetwood mac, rising appalachia & bob dylan have alllll met me there- which sure, could be co-incidence, could be magic???)

This, however wasn’t the most novel, or most curious thing I’ve been up to so far--- which has to be Clownless. Which, as you may remember from my previous post, is the all-clown cast adaptation of the 90s classic film ‘Clueless’. It was “staged” in the Marigny, in a very DIY type-theatre in what was either an old warehouse, or a large garage. The front was open & held a art show with works featuring clowns. Bright ones, Macabre ones, all sorts. Many people were dressed as clowns too- which made Asa wish that we had had time to dress-up before hand too (alas, we were at Sarah-Jane’s art show, which would have definitely of been less-appropriate). We were all jammed in the car tho, which meant we definitely looked like clowns as we all tumbled out of the front seat when we pulled up to the theatre. The play itself was a host for crude, queer, self aware comedy. It was definitely funny, but a little “sticky” at times. Overall, so glad I went, cause I mean, when else am I going to get that opportunity again?! It is funny how often clowns are coming up for me on this trip so far- I really don’t think the world is usually so clown-y. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s the Zeitgeist.

After the show, we all went back to the house and got into a big discussion about how odd Louisiana is as a place. I mean, it has a lot of influences- French, Spanish, English, American & the huge legacy the Slave trade has left on the place. The liquor laws were the fist thing. (I already talked about that though). Asa started to tell me about this strange tradition here called “Prison Rodeos” which is as barbaric and horrifying as you can imagine. It’s like modern day gladiator trials. Prisoners can win money by staying in a chair for the longest amount of time while a bull attacks them, and other “fun” stuff like that. And people go to these things. In droves. On the bright side, they also have prisoner craft-market things that the prisoners can sell their woodworkings, or leather-workings, or what have you. Asa showed me the really beautiful ostrich wallet & the really odd “Highwater dragon” sculpture that he got when he went. The fact that there are more people in the prison system today than were ever slaves really jumps out to me here. It’s “out of sight, out of mind” though, and so it isn’t really being thought of as the HUGE issue it really is. It’s been a super humbling experience in that way.

Though not as horrifying (?) I was also told about other traditions that come from the swamp- including a certain kind of roast that I now forget the name of. But basically, it’s a roasted hog, stuffed with a racoon, stuffed with a Nutria (Which is a giant, swamp dwelling, dog-sized rat). And apparently this is an actual tradition. I’m not one to judge, but I sure am glad I am a vegetarian & have a valid cop-out for indulging in that one.

Another tradition, which is far more familiar to me is ‘Fais Do-Do’. Which is the Lousianan answer to a Ceilidh. These fiddle parties, however more likely take place in a neighbourhood street, more so than a kitchen (probably cause of the heat). I’ve yet to go to one, but I’m working on manifesting one while I’m here still.

In the 7th especially, I’ve found a lot of people have been greating me with “I hope you are staying warm.” Which I’ve just smiled about because, in Canada, this is late summer/ early fall kind of weather (which is kind of my favourite). I mean, there are still flowers in bloom here! Full blown blooming Magnolias. Too be fair, it is unseasonable cold here. A couple of days ago it was 8 degrees! Which happened to have been the same temperature it was in Halifax that day (but okay, it was unseasonably warm there that day). Yeah, I do wish that I was experiencing the normal 18-degree “winter” they have usually, but it’s definetly been okay with me. The only thing being, the houses and buildings aren’t entirely equiped for weather like this. The floors are tiled, ceilings really tall- designed to keep the house as cool as possible, which is great, except on days like these when they are then cooler than even the outside temperatures.

If this was winter, I really started to wonder what summer was like over here. I mean, I can only imagine it being a little bit unbareable. Asa’s friend Satori described New Orleans as “Seasonally Biblical” in reference to not only the heat/humidity, but also the awe-striking influx of insects (including, termits & other kinds of swamp bugs). Apparently there is pretty much a mass exodus from the city, for those that can afford to leave.

I love how people dress down here too. A lot of the people in the Bywater dress super gothic (and for that I am happy). Lace, black, pin-stripes- It’s a style Jack White would be pleased with. Many of the folks are also wearing fur in this weather- very 1920s vibes, but with slightly weirder & wilder cuts/colours. On my first day I even saw a man dressed up like a full voodoo priest (not even in a hokey way). He was just casually sitting on Elysian-Feilds, eating an ice cream bar. It was kinda glorious.

Every morning, I’ve been the first to wake, which has kind of been nice. I usually eat my breakfast in the backyard with the cat & listen to the mardi gras beads lining the fence blowing in the wind. I then journal a little & think of all my gratitudes. It’s super peaceful & grounding. Missing the hali-fam rituals though. Overall though, I’m quite enjoying the amount of alone time I’m getting. Travelling alone so far, as been super rewarding. I feel braver & confident & more autonomous than ever. The only down side, I’ve discovered so far, is that you have to ask strangers if you still have powdered sugar on your face apres-beignets.

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saintedfury · 7 years

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tagged by @thirdstreetsam

BASICS.

FULL NAME : Soledad Amaranta Guerrero ALIAS : Boss, Jefaza, Furia, Sol AGE : 38 (as of this moment in Bossville) BIRTHDAY : August 8th ETHNIC GROUP : Latinx NATIONALITY : American LANGUAGE / S : English and Spanish, a bit of Russian SEXUAL ORIENTATION : Pansexual ROMANTIC ORIENTATION : Polygamous RELATIONSHIP STATUS : Currently in an open relationship with Eli Mitchell. Recently lost a long time lover, Troy Bradshaw, and even more recently mutually ended a relationship with Johnny CLASS : Working Class (No matter the size of her ‘bank account’ Furia is who she has always been. A Latina from Mission Beach and worked her ass off every day of her life--legitimately and not. HOME TOWN / AREA : Stilwater born and raised CURRENT HOME : Currently she only has a residence on Zin, her Bossville residence deteriorated and has not been restored. Though Eli has offered for her to come to the New Earth settlement in his dimension. PROFESSION : Racer, boost, gang leader, galactic emperor, formerly POTUS

PHYSICAL.

HAIR : Jet Black, wavy and usually worn down. It’s currently regrown out to about her shoulders. EYES : Hazel, rimmed in green, with long lashes and a strong swooping brow NOSE : straight and defined, not quite buttonish, but rather unremarkable FACE : Triangular to Square, she has prominent cheekbones, a squarish jaw with a strong chin. LIPS : Average, but on the fuller side. Always painted in a blood red, which is really smudge-resistent. Though she’s not adverse to occasionally intentionally wearing a less kiss-proof version of the shade. COMPLEXION : Using this reference, her tone ranges from tawny to terra cotta, leaning toward the brown-red. BLEMISHES : She has the occasional dark freckle on her arms and back, but not many. SCARS : There are several across her knuckles. On her torso there are thin scars, both smooth and jagged, from gunshots and knife wounds. She’s got one that nearly traces her collar bone, but is really only noticeable when she has a tan--it goes silvery and almost seems to take on a ghastly glow. Most of them have faded by now. TATTOOS : A large ornate Fleur de lis on her right shoulderblade, a TS on her left hand, a chaos symbol at the top of her spine at her hairline, a fiery lion on her hip. A lovely ornate peacock has joined the mix, along with a wolf on her lower back. There is a small four leaf clover in black and white on her right ankle and a clever spider crawling across the inside of her right wrist. HEIGHT : 5′9″ WEIGHT : 132 lbs BUILD : Trim, defined but not toned. She has a dancer’s body. FEATURES : Long legs, ruby red lips, and a thick curtain of wavy ink black hair ALLERGIES : Bullshit USUAL HAIR STYLE : Long and loose, showing off her natural waves, which get curlier the shorter her hair is. USUAL FACE LOOK : Usually she has a welcoming look. Thankfully, she doesn’t suffer from resting bitch face, but that sultry pout gets her in trouble from time to time. USUAL CLOTHING : Furia is usually dressed quite posh. She even makes sloopy jeans and a t-shirt look dressy. She keeps her appearance up to a certain rather refined scale complete with stylish heels and boots, though of late she’s been veering back into baggy jeans, clunky work boots in purple, baggy hoodies, and bandanas (mainly for when she goes ‘writing’).

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR / S : Open water, boats, losing people she cares about, being the cause of the loss of those she cares about (either death or estrangement) ASPIRATION / S : Stealing every moment of happiness she can from the darkness of the world, as well as guiding the empire to autonomy. She’s rather hoping to steal a large chunk of time in the next four years to bask in the time Eli has left. POSITIVE TRAITS : Loyal, protective, playful NEGATIVE TRAITS : Can be incredibly self-destructive MBTI : ENFJ ZODIAC : Leo TEMPERAMENT : Sanguine SOUL TYPE / S : The Warrior, with a side of the Nurturer (x) ANIMALS : Lions, big cats, house cats VICE HABIT / S : Fighting (she’ll go to fight clubs, start brawls), alcohol, sex FAITH : None GHOSTS? : Yes, she’s felt haunted her entire life AFTERLIFE? : No. (Though she wants to hope that there is one, if only for the people she’s lost, and because of Eli’s threat to come back and see her after he’s gone.) REINCARNATION? : No. (She sees Talon as a special case. It’s not something available to normal people.) ALIENS? : Of course! POLITICAL ALIGNMENT : Rather a mix of egalitarian and socialist ideals ECONOMIC PREFERENCE : She is struggling to keep the empire in barter system, there are forces seeking to monetize the economy. SOCIOPOLITICAL POSITION : She believes in the idea that equality is the trait that will allow the people of her empire the freedom to pursue liberty and happiness. EDUCATION LEVEL : Finished high school. Nearly completed her associate’s in accounting.

FAMILY.

FATHER : Martín Guerrero MOTHER : Angela Guerrero SIBLINGS : Memo, Maximo, Enrique & Emilio, Socorro, Gabriel EXTENDED FAMILY : Several aunts and uncles NAME MEANING / S : Soledad means solitude. After losing her parents and grandparents, she feared that her name might signify her fate. That thought still haunts her from time to time, especially lately with Troy’s death and her estrangement with Johnny. Amaranta means unfading, and Guerrero means warrior. HISTORICAL CONNECTION? : Only in Stilwater, her grandfather (Yayo) Alejandro ran a black market smuggling ring out of the Stilwater docks. He was careful and successful enough to remain unknown to officials in the city.

FAVOURITES.

BOOK : Persuasion by Jane Austen, maybe tied with Fantomina by Eliza Haywood MOVIE : Probably the Fast and the Furious movies--cars, races, chases, explosions, and fights. Hard to beat, or so she tells me. 5 SONGS : Alpha Female by Wild Beasts, Raise Hell by Dorothy, A Little Wicked by Valerie Broussard, Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira, Bad Influence by P!nk DEITY : God, though the two had a falling out years ago, she chooses not to believe in him HOLIDAY : New Year’s & Mardi Gras MONTH : March, because it’s usually quite rainy SEASON : Winter PLACE : Anywhere, as long as she’s there with someone she loves WEATHER : Rainy or sunny SOUND : The powerful rumble of well-built engine SCENT / S : Spices, smoke TASTE / S : Caramel, spices, chiles, smoked meats and veggies, . FEEL / S : Lace, silk, denim, skin. ANIMAL / S : Lions, specifically lionesses NUMBER : 8 COLOUR : Black, white, purple, lavender.

EXTRA.

TALENTS : Cooking and baking, drawing and ‘writing’, dancing, picking locks, driving, boosting cars BAD AT : Pistol accuracy, dealing with her own failures (particularly when she feels she’s failed the people closest to her), placing herself before the people she loves, TURN ONS : Confidence, fun loving nature, adventurousness, loyalty TURN OFFS : Lack of a sense of humor, taking oneself too seriously, lying/dishonesty HOBBIES : Dancing, graffiti, drawing, cooking (though not as much now that she doesn’t have a place in Bossville). TROPES : Lovable Rogue, Tomboy & Girly Girl (Though she fits both roles in her timeline), Sugar & Ice Personality (though few have witnessed her icy side) AESTHETIC TAGS : #Araña, #Seda y Encaje, #Dulce y Picante, #Veloz GPOY QUOTES : “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.” -Oscar Wilde | “One day, you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” -Paulo Coelho | “Never waste a moment, it may be the last with someone you love.”

FC INFO.

MAIN FC / S : Natalie Danish & herself ALT FC / S : I don’t know her name but the woman who is in the avatar square when posts from this blog show in the dashboard. OLDER FC / S : Haven’t really given it much thought. To be honest, I’m not sure she’ll make it to fifty or much past. YOUNGER FC / S : Again, I’ve posted a pic or two here and there, but of nameless folks. VOICE CLAIM / S : Rebecca Sanabria (the Latina VO actress from SR 2) Though Furia’s got a thicker accent than most, she never wanted or tried to lose it. Honestly, when I hear her voice in my head I hear deeper Latina voices like Sofia Vergara, Salma Hayek, and Maria Conchita Alonzo. GENDERBENT FC / S : Jason Momoa (who is also the FC for her brother Memo, they look very much alike).

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 : if you could write your character your way in their own movie , what would it be called , what style would it be filmed in , and what would it be about ?

A1 : It would be some over dramatic mix of action and romance probably. There would probably be a lot of cars and skimpy lingerie. It’d likely have some corny name like Silk & Steel, or something foolish.

Q2 : what would their soundtrack / score sound like ?

A2 : It would be a mix of things you can dance to.

Q3 : why did you start writing this character ?

A3 : I actually created Furia for a smut one shot. She was supposed to be a one trick pony and this happened.

Q4 : what first attracted you to this character ?

A4: She’s just this mix of serious and playful. It’s really her imperfections and faults that I enjoy the most.

Q5 : describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse.

A5 : Oh, she can be quiet moody and self-destructive.

Q6 : what do you have in common with your muse ?

A6 : A love of music and caramel. And we’re both good cooks.

Q7 : how does your muse feel about you ?

A7 : She thinks I really need to get out more

Q8 : what characters does your muse have interesting interactions with ?

A8 : All of them! Really! Whether it’s something playful or character building. The interactions with everyone are always fun, and even the most innocent, calm, superficial interactions and draw out some of her history and pieces of her personality. Honestly, her interactions with other muses and characters has allowed me to develop Furia much more fully over the last several years.

Q9 : what gives you inspiration to write your muse ?

A9 : Music, movies, prompts, RP, talking to other muns, reading, driving. And for some reason when I fall asleep, she tends to pop into my head some nights. It kills me because I always end up sitting up 5 or 6 times to jot down some idea that came to me as I was falling asleep.

Q10 : how long did this take you to complete ?

A10 : A few hours give or take.

Tagging @nightmareon3rdst, @thirdstreetshackles, @demonsaint, and anyone else who would like to participate as well. I just think most of the folks who I’d usually tag were either already tagged, tagged me, or completed it beforehand.

#Soledad Amaranta Guerrero #Headcanon #Meta #Character Sheet

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cynthiadshaw · 5 years

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What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey?

Every twist in our story, challenge we face, and obstacle we overcome is an important part of our story. These difficulties make us stronger and wiser and prepare us for what’s ahead. As we grow and succeed we may imagine that soon the challenges will fade away, but in our conversations with business owners, artists, creatives, academics, and others we have learned that the most common experience is that challenges never go away – instead they get more complex as we grow and succeed. Our ability to to thrive therefore depends heavily on our ability to learn from our experiences and so we are asking some of the city’s best and brightest: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

Alexcia Mombo | Nail Technician & Lash Artist

I would have to say the most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey so far is Patience. A lot of the time things won’t go the way you want but I’ve learned to be patient and accept things that I can’t control. Being patient helps you evaluate the situation more and it makes you look at it from a different light, I’ve also learned that it’s okay to fail as long as you keep trying. Never give up, you learn from your failures and it only makes you better and go harder!

@shelashes_ @SheLashesStudio shoplexilashes.bigcartel.com

Shamineke | Entrepreneur & Accounting Clerk

The most important lesson that I have learned in my journey so far is to pray and keep God first in everything. When you keep God first, everything will fall into place. I humble myself and admit that God is the CEO and I’m just the President. He calls the play and I execute them. I’ve learned to be patient and not rush the process. Moving too fast, sometimes, can cause a number of issues within your business which is why I will choose to follow the path that the Lord has for me and my business. Having a business is tough and can get discouraging at times but I try to stay as positive as I can and continue to keep the faith knowing that all of my hard work will pay off and it’ll all be worth it in the end. Networking is very important and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some awesome entrepreneurs who have inspired, motivated and encouraged me to keep pushing for success. I’ve also had to learn my customers, I pride myself in providing the best customer service and making sure that my customers are pleased with my products. Customers want good products but they also want great customer service and I strive to provide them both each and every day.

lushhairbundlez.com @LushHairBundlez @Lushhairbundlez_llc

The Taste of Mardi Gras Foods | Authentic New Orleans Cuisine and Desserts

What is the most important lesson we have learned throughout our journey so far is that we all need each other to be successful! Without God, our customers, employees, family, friends, business consultants etc. Our success would be non existent. Love is key, our love lies deep in our Food and Cooking. Just to see our customers smile and enjoying our food is the why we do this.

ttmgfoods.com @thetasteofmardigrasfoods @tasteofmardigrasfoods

taraarseven.com

The most important lesson I’ve learned on my journey—take the risk. Story-time: I was staying over at a friend’s house and couldn’t get to sleep, so I was perusing their bookshelf, where I saw a book titled Who Moved My Cheese? Being an avid cheese-lover, I thought “perfect!” Of course, the book was not about cheese at all but rather used cheese as a metaphor for happiness. The characters have to wander through a scary maze to find new cheese. Some characters embrace this challenge while others are more hesitant. Finally, one of the hesitant characters asks, “what would you do if you weren’t afraid?” This struck me deeply. At the time, I was unhappy in my job and looking for something new. I had contemplated starting my own writing and editing business, but I had told myself that the risk was too great. When I read this line, I realized that there wasn’t something intrinsically risky about following my dreams, it was simply my own fear holding me back. Everything can be scary if we let it be, but there are certain risks we are willing to take because the cheese (happiness) we get is more important. I decided then and there to put my happiness before my fear and go after what I wanted. Two years later, I still ask myself that same question—what would you do if you weren’t afraid—all the time. Taking risks doesn’t necessarily get easier the more you do it, but as you see the good results piling up you’ll realize that many “risky” things are just a product of your own mind making them so. Take the risk. If you fall, get back up and take another risk. Stop letting fear rule you, and go after what you want in life. You’ll be amazed at what you get in return.

@jeanettethewriter @goldenruleediting eepurl.com/dLuuDY

Blake Bishop | Videographer & Director

One thing I have learned is to just go out and do what you love, and not worry about the money. Eventually everything falls into place.

@blbp1x

Ali Mirza | Growth Marketer & Entrepreneur

Ali Mirza

Teaching is the new marketing. If you want to grow your business, create content to educate your audience. Sharing what you know is the fastest way to build your brand so don’t hold anything back. This is how you become an authority in your niche and start building strong relationship with your potential customers. So pick any channel that you like (Blogging, Video, Podcast or In-person events) and start educating consistently.

isocialyou.com @alimirza2k

Tiffany Lord | Founder of Love & Asana | Private Yoga Coach, & Resident Instructor at The International Headache Center

@beez.photos

To let go of expectations! Its hard to do as a hyper-planner, but there are so many ways to achieve goals. Every unexpected path has yielded huge learning opportunities and growth so far, both personally and professionally. Be open and enjoy the ride!

loveandasana.com @loveandasana

Devon Duncan | Permanent Makeup Artist

Thus far in my journey I have learned that above all making a client feel comfortable with me as a person is the most important thing. Creating a positive relationship makes for an enjoyable experience for all of us. Having anything permanent done can be extremely intimidating but treating people with grace and compassion can help subside those fears, this mindset could and should be carried over into every other aspect of life.

@dev.ink.brows

Aisha Nicole | Blogger and Skincare Naturalista

The most important lesson I have learned on my journey so far is to trust the process through patience and persistence. Starting a business is exciting and scary at the same time, but by remaining positive and seeing that every obstacle encountered is an opportunity has helped to keep my passion alive. “Remember, failure is only a comma, not a period”.

sweetnectarbeauty.com @sweetnectarbeauty @sweetnectarbeauty

Natalie Wolfe | Founder & CEO of StudioHop

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey so far is that you’re never going to please everyone and not everyone is going to like what you have to offer. For this reason, you should always go with your gut and make decisions you think are right for you and your business.

studiohopfitness.com @studiohopfit

Mae Rushing | Beauty Influencer and Boutique Owner

The most important lesson I’ve learned is to stay patient and trust the timing. Everything happens for a reason for sure. If things aren’t going your way it’s because it’s not supposed to at the time, but never lose faith and never lose hope. Always hold the vision that you had in your mind and keep going.

@naturalmae_

Amanda Talley, MA, LPC | Therapist & Outdoor Enthusiast

After mulling this over for a few days, I think the lesson is that our journey in this life can’t be boiled down to a “most important” thing. We are complex, ever changing, evolving; lessons build and add on to previous lessons and experiences. It is a cumulative effect and far greater than we can understand in this lifetime, but occasionally we have a “mountaintop” experience that let’s us see how it all comes together at that point. For me, all of this gives hope… and that’s what I aim to provide in sessions with folks on and off the trails.

amandatalleylpc.com @amandatalleylpc @amandatalleylpc @amandatalleylpc linkedin.com/in/amanda-talley-89a23a59

Rosie M | Aspiring Nail Tech

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey, is that practice and patience are key to keep moving forward.

@rosienailedit

Brianne Leeson | Artist and Business Owner

I’ve learned how important it is to be willing to work with other small businesses. Even if it isn’t someone with the same kind of business, you could have a lot of great things to offer each other. The one thing you’ll always have in common with another business owner, no matter how disparate your businesses may seem, is that you both care enough about something make that your life’s work.

bellonaarts.com @bellonaarts @bellonaarts

Kopis Music | Dallas DJ

@_maribelmorales_

Everyday I need to make sure to ask myself the question:

Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? & What habits have I created without noticing that I need to burn off?

Moving from California to Texas in June of 2018 has helped me focus and of what I love; finding the perfect songs for the perfect moment and putting a love of music in people’s hearts.

soundcloud.com/kopis-music @kopismusic

Tamisa Hunter | CEO | Life Speaker | Servant- Leader

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey is you must “OWN YOUR TRUTH” and know “Your WORTH” A lot of times people will allow the world and other people to define them; however, you are unique and with that, you must “Be You’ No one can do you better than you. Stop hating yourself for everything you’re not and start loving yourself for everything you are.

Be you. Be Audacious Be Fearless

@tamisahunter womenoftruthinc.org [email protected]

Alexis Woods | Pre-Medicine Student & Blogger

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey so far is to never give up. Even after failed classes and life challenging experiences; if you have a dream never give up on it. Every obstacle that comes into my life is now taken as an opportunity to build a better and stronger version of myself. Without the obstacles placed in my life, I wouldn’t organically cherish where God is taking me. Like my mother used to say “Anything easy isn’t worth having”. My journey is unique and in the future, I hope to give many others the courage to keep pushing through the challenges they face to get to where they want to be in life.

thedealwithlex.com @thedealwithlex @thedealwithlex

Faith Peralta | Technical Writer & Photographer

The most important lesson I’ve learned on my journey so far is acceptance. I’ve spent a lot of time running from things that have happened in my life that I couldn’t control. As well as running toward things or people not meant for me. I’ve also spent a great deal of time beating myself up for the feelings of failure that trail this kind of stuff. So, at 41 – almost 42 – I’ve begun to just accept everything: wins, failures, talents, flaws, stresses, joys, love, loss. No matter what life brings, I’m still me. So I started a part-time photography business recently because it’s something I love! And when I start to worry I just remind myself that I got born here, that God loves me right now, and that I have things to do! There is so much richness and fun in life, despite all of the hard things that can’t be changed.

margotphotography.com

Mi Nguyen & Ales Vlasak | Global Nomads | Home Renovation & DIY Enthusiasts

We are global nomads who have lived in a few places on planet Earth including Vietnam, Czech Republic, New Zealand, China, and a few cities in the U.S. We have chosen Dallas as our permanent home and we have been loving our journey here. We love all things home and garden and have renovated two old homes so far. Like many other millennials, we enjoy finding ways to bring new looks to old homes on a very tight budget. This often means learning a lot of DIY methods ourselves, applying and taking risks, making mistakes, and improving along the way.

@thekiwihome thekiwihome.com

Heath Farr | Rock Musician & Music Teacher

@emmanuelkharisma

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey is to collaborate far and wide. In everything you do, include as many people as possible. That does not mean you have to spend hundreds of dollars immediately. Find small ways to make other people a part of your work. There are seventeen music videos for the Edgeface album, Guardian. It was a fascinating journey full of different people, locations, and experiences. The visual album took more than two years to record and eleven months to shoot. The life experience gained from a year-long visual album has been extraordinary. My advice to any artist is to make other people a part of your work. Remember that your creativity is outstanding and unique. Run with it for the rest of your life!

youtube.com/channel/UCnzqE4YT3U_veRrGTDpORbA @Edgeface @edgefacemusic Apple Music- Edgeface Spotify- Edgeface

Sayo Sokari | REALTOR | songwriter | blogger | Event Architect and a multifaceted creative with a gift for connecting people with opportunities

The most important lesson I’ve learned so far on my journey is no matter what industry or aspect of life, the recipe to success includes a few very important ingredients.

One ingredient serves a similar purpose to what yeast does for bread, it causes everything to rise. That ingredient is consistency. Whether in music, finding the next deal to work, or more, consistent activities produce results and improvement.

Mix consistency with time management, accountability, and a divinely grounded purpose and this the recipe for some tasty success soup, rice, or pasta whichever tastes better to you!

youtube.com/channel/UCYwJL2IvF_1r3oHfyEvCiEA @sayotherealtor @sayo.sokari youtu.be/SxXSdzWoTag

Mike López | Sr Art Director | Creative and Illustrator

The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is: “be patient”.

mikeink.net @mike.ink @mike.ink74 @mikeink.creative

Ninnapha Khamphoumy | Fitness Professional & Powerlifter

@infraredvisual

Find work that lights your heart. If you’re going to spend 40+ hours a week of your life working it might as well be something you’re passionate about and puts a smile on your face. I refuse to look back at my life and complain I worked too much or hated my job. Stop following the money, status, or other people’s opinions of what your life should look like. In the end, you have to live with every decision you make. So dream big, always believe in yourself and no matter how many times you get kicked down get back up and try again.

@notesfromninna @notesfromninna

Carol Lander | Home Decor and DIY blogger | Cooking instructor | Maker with A Makers’ Studio paint and DIY products

Most important thing I’ve learned in my blogging journey: don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need information and support and don’t hesitate to offer help to others.

blueskyathome.com Pinterest.com/blueskyathome @createatblueskyathome @blueskyathome bit.ly/blueskyathome

Dr. Guy Earle | Psychologist and Life Coach

I now live in Dallas Texas, I was raised in the DC and the Maryland area. When I was barely 20 I journeyed to Dallas with $400 dollars in my pocket, not knowing where I would live nor how I would pay for school. I jumped out into the unknown full of fears and uncertainties. However, what I can say is that I too this day do not know how I made it through school debt free, making $400 a month with a $267 car note, $50 apartment rent (yes, it was not in the best part of town) a student loan of approx. $200 that offset my scholarship. and not to mention the cost of gas and food. My expenses was over $500 dollars a month and I made $400 dollars a month. But, I learned that when you learn to trust and follow your heart that there is a greater force at work. Life will guide and direct you if we learn to trust its promptings.

Trusting the promptings of the heart is like jumping of the cliff for the first time. It is a matter of faith. Neville Goddard said it this way, “”You must assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled until your assumption has all the sensory vividness of reality. You must imagine that you are already experiencing what you desire. That is, you must assume the feelings of the fulfillment until you are possessed by it and this feeling crowds all other ideas out or your consciousness.””

When I trusted the voice inside of me, it pushed me against my greatest fear. Like, I was pushed into a challenging situation as a kid in a new neighborhood. I was not accepted and a product of major bullying. Don’t feel bad for me, it was the best thing that could of happen for me. My Father gave me a gift, he gave me the ability to look at my fears and to deal with my baggage of insecurity. He did not come to my rescue, in fact he pushed me into the battles by telling me that you must stand up. When I faced my greatest fear at that time it was truly a giant. But I must say the day I saw my Giant slayed by my courageous heart, as I defeated the kid who had beat up nearly everyday. Side note, I never had to fight again in that neighborhood.

On my journey the greatest gift that I have learned so far is FAITH. Napoleon Hill says, that “”faith is a state of mind which may be induced, or created, by affirmation or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind, through the principle of auto-suggestion.

It was said about Emile Coue’ the French psychologist that he was able to see people healed as they repeatedly spoke these words…””Everyday in every way I’m getting better and better.””

So, what am I saying, set your intentions on what it is that you want and then let go and trust that Life is able to serve you. But greater than that, life is wanting to serve you. Have Faith…jump and spread your wings and soar like an Eagle.

@dr.guyearle @Drguyearle drguyearle.com

Malkeet Saini | Whirly Cones business owner

In our journey so far we learned the best way to make a business successful is always working our hardest and making sure we always try to exceed our goals every day. The most important lesson is to always persevere! No matter how many issues might have come up in our journey we kept going and working as a team to always go past our limits.

Whirlycones.com @whirlycones @WhirlyCones @whirlycones

Kimberly Davis | Owner of Billionaire Beauties | mother and nursing student

Latisha Davis

Let you passion drive your success wild. Stay genuine, keep it real, and never give up on your dreams. You never know who’s watching.

@kim_billionairebeauties18 @billionairebeauties18 [email protected] Business # (214)735-6354

Jantae Jackson | Marketing Specialist

What I have learned is that there is no room for fear in business. You have to overcome it to succeed 💛.

@MorphMarketing [email protected]

Kennedy Dendy | Broadcast Journalism Student/CBS News Intern

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey stems from a piece of advice that my mother gave me many years ago. “If you want something, go get it.” I have truly learned the importance of chasing after my dreams and passions, despite what the world may throw. I learned to have a “go-getter” mindset when it comes to what I want for my life. It is important to understand that nothing is going to be simply handed to you. Getting to the place you wish to be requires a great deal of dedication, diligence and discipline. Twists and turns may come your way, but you must fix your eyes on the end goal.

@kennedy_dendy KennedyDendy.com

DJ SEAN ANTHONY | DJ | ENTERTAINER

It would have to be to trust myself and my creative sound. Someone is always going to critique your work or offer feedback that you could’ve done without. In my beginning stages that would eat me up. I would work so hard on trying to accommodate that one person that said enough to cause this displacement in my style. That I would literally drive myself crazy until I got it right. But now I’m so much better than that. I’ve managed to accept that my style of DJ’ing is different and that’s what makes me stand out.

@djsean.anthony

B. Whitcomb | Travel Advisor for Travel with B (Travel Services)

I’m new to Dallas, I recently relocated from Omaha, Nebraska. I have a passion for traveling, so I figured why not do what you love?! It’s my goal to make travel affordable for everyone regardless who they are or what they do. I graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha as a dual major in Psychology and Communication. There I focused on mental health and leadership. Self-care is so important on the journey! The road to success is hard but its supposed to be…or everyone would be traveling in the same lane. The most important thing I’ve learned is to trust the process. You must learn from your mistakes, do everything with a purpose and prioritize God in your life. There is no wrong route to one’s destiny, but various roads one could take on their journey. Just remember why you started and never give up!

@travelwithb2day

Cesar Huesca | session guitarist | solo artist from Mexico

@alvarrockgarcia_fotografia

Well, my main lesson on my musical journey conveys to a life lesson which is not judging anyone’s path since we all have different processes throughout existence. We should understand that we live in the same place and we need to take care of our minds, bodies, spirits and emotions, and art is a great way to develop such things to higher levels. Music can be healing in many ways and we must be able to look through the eyes of spirit, calmly and no hurried, one step at a time, with love to everyone and everything.

youtube.com/user/CesarHuescaMusic @huescaguitar

Gabi Kelley | Mom | Writer & Personal Development Coach

God is always good, and we are all created for a purpose!

@gabiruth

Max | a seasoned professional Urban Glamour | Fitness | Cosplay and Event Photographer in the DFW area

Portrait photography must be greater than the sum of its parts. Careful planning, preparation and the ability to adapt to ever changing conditions in near real-time are critical to a successful photo shoot on location. Guiding and communicating with your client is essential. Event photography, on the other hand, is about timing and story telling. Find a story to tell and wait for the perfect millisecond to capture it.

@themeshootspage

Sammi Luna| Health & Wellness Coach

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey so far is that it’s not just about working out your body, it’s 100% completely also about working out your mind. Personal development and mind growth have been a side effect I didn’t know I would have but definitely something I needed! When you start your journey to weight loss and getting healthy, you’re not thinking about anything else but losing the weight. Losing the pounds and the inches and gaining the muscles. You don’t think about the mental toll it will take on you. All your interested in is losing, but my oh my did I gain so much more! Mental health, personal health, and mind growth are just as important as losing the weight. And that has been the best and most important lesson I have learned so far. Every morning I start it off with personal development, set the tone for the day! It really is the only way to start every single day, to live it to the fullest!

@sammi_getsfit Sammiluna.goherbalife.com

Nathan Clark | Founder: Health & Wellness CBD (H&W CBD)

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey so far is to never doubt yourself. Starting something you truly believe in can be difficult and when you feel like quitting you just have to think about why you started in the first place. I started H&W to help people through similar struggles that I have experienced myself, because I know first hand what it feels like to be in pain.

Creating H&W has been a dream of mine after I experienced how much CBD helped me recover and regulates my pain after a motorcycle wreck back in 2012. It is now my job to reach out to people in need and provide them the purest pharmaceutical grade CBD products on the market. For more information about myself and my company you can visit the about us tab on the website.

hw-cbd.com @hwcbd @hwcbdoil

Aviisway | Creative Director & Filmmaker

The most important thing that I have learned along my journey is that we are all destined to fulfill our desires and everybody should be equally loved and supported. I feel connected to the thrill of life, and being able to capture those moments on a device and share it with the world allows me to tell a story that can’t be explained in words.

@aviisway_ youtube.com/channel/UCy_5KwDj_AX0hTUDrYLyNTg

Brigitte Buckholtz VerHagen | founder of EastsideGems

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your journey so far? To celebrate the small achievements, while setting goals for the future. As a momtrepreneur, I have to balance my family and business life and during time of growth that can be difficult. I started with only $200 and continued to reinvest the money into the company so I could obviously grow and offer my followers nicer pieces and sometimes more rare mid century modern designed furniture. And it really took off! We’re primarily an Insta shop, people can come view any item by appointment but we don’t have a retail space or showroom just yet. With the growth we’ve had that can be frustrating! But when I look back to 6 months ago when the company began and see how far we’ve come, I just want to jump with joy! We’ve surpassed all our goals already and those small achievements are BIG! We have future goals and plans in the works but the biggest lesson was to just celebrate how far we’ve come! It’s been a fun ride.

@EastsideGems

Samantha Johnson | Feel Good Artist & Mom

In this journey of, my so far, young life, I have become a mother, but I was an artist first, it was my first baby. In this industry your style is not necessarily everyone else’s style; your feelings, your inspirations. I could spend two minutes on a piece of art and someone think it’s amazing, whereas I may see disappointment. Or I could spend a week on a project and see greatness, where somebody else might see and feel nothing. It’s all about your own journey, your own love, your own aspirations/inspirations, we’re not here to please everyone. And though that will always be understood, making it a reality is different. We like to please others, we want them to see what we see, and that’s life in most aspects. There’s beauty and pride to be had, when you grow and become less worried about everyone else; what they think/have and what you don’t. Instead you invest more in yourself and your craft, no matter what that may be. How I see it…there’s art to be seen in almost everything, and that is what I live by. Art is love, its happiness, hope, and it doesn’t always have to be something you can physically touch. It’s a feeling. And for me, if I can give someone a feeling, something unexplainable, yet so pleasant through my work or personality, I’ve accomplished way more than just a small piece of green paper.

artssoulpurpose.com @ArtsSoulPurpose @isthatsammiej

Bo Priest | Key Accounts Manager at Purus Labs

If you want your business to grow, you can’t be too good to do the little things.

@puruslabs @puruslabs Youtube.com/puruslabsvids

Zach Harris | Producer at RocketBrand

@gorocketbrand

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey so far is that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong; it’s all about how you respond that defines the difference between success and failure.

@harriszach

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