#my mother doesn’t work in the industry but did attend three years of art school
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portraits of me by (left to right, top to bottom) my mom, my older brother, my father, and me
#this is so funny to me#i think my mom’s looks the most like me but my dad’s is my favorite#but yes my interest in art is inherited#my mother doesn’t work in the industry but did attend three years of art school#and my father is a writer#my older brother is in art school too but we have polar oppisite interests and practices despite both being painters#its actually an odd example of his work bc he went out of his way to mimic my colors in that one but usually is very muted and muddy with#his color use
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A Death Eater and a Dancer
Ballerina!Reader X Draco
Summary: Request: @peachesandpink Ooooh draco malfoy with a professional ballerina or a figure/ice skater who gets pretty famous in the Wizarding world after the war?
A/N: Okay, so I am in no way a professional dancer (hi, writer here) but! I do know the basics of theatre (hello, theatre kid here) so, please enjoy this lovely Phantom of the Opera esque one shot of a very headstrong witch and a very distant trying Malfoy. Also! Say hello to a new form of magic user and some lore! It was fun to experiment with!! Let me know what you think!! Love you guys bunches!!
Five years wandless. That’s what Draco had to endure. He supposed it was better than Azkaban, but without a wand, it was almost as if he had no magic at all. He was never good at wandless magic, and he doubted that there was anyone who was willing to get near him to teach him.
That was four years ago.
Now, he had worked his way up in the performance industry, using his inheritance to fund the arts as a patron—something he had always enjoyed as a child. Maybe it was an unhealthy coping mechanism, clinging to something that made him feel safe and innocent again, but there wasn’t much of another choice that he had. Wandless and magicless, he was trying to keep his head above the water.
And there was something enchanting about his most recent investment: the Saltota. A group of wandless magic users that harnessed magic through dance. Their performances were renowned and revered. Draco remembered their routines from when he was a child as well, always attending the holiday recitals with his parents. Their elegance and majesty always struck a chord in his heart.
____________________________
“Did you hear!?” Rehearsal for tonight’s show had just ended and Meg was all but bursting with excitement. “Draco Malfoy has just invested in our Saltota Faction!”
I looked up from my bag, shock on my face.
“Malfoy?” A small smile lingered as I remembered a boy from my first year in Hogwarts, before I had transferred to a Parisian school to pursue the path of the Saltota like my mother before me.
“Only the most eligible bachelor in the Wizarding and Muggle world,” Meg sighed, leaning against the lockers. I rolled my eyes at her antics.
I knew the stories, and the papers, and the tabloids, and the rumors, but despite it all whenever I thought about Draco, I still saw the Slytherin protegee who I shared my classes and House with. Not the Ex-Death Eater who was apparently the most eligible bachelor in the Wizarding World.
“Do you think he’ll remember you?” Meg asked eagerly.
“It’s been years Meg,” I scoffed. “He probably doesn’t even remember my name,” It was a sobering thought. “He probably wouldn’t care even if he did.”
“He might care,” She pointed out.
“And you think what? I’m just going to go up to him, say ‘hey, remember me? We went to school for one year together and now you’re the most datable bloke in the world and I’m a dancer, want to go out with me and maybe convince me to give up my life’s work for love?’” I gave her a flat look.
“You sell yourself short, Y/n,” Meg sighed. “You know that you’re the best of this Faction. If he’s the most eligible bachelor, you’re the most sought bachelorette. And who said you would have to give up dance?”
“Men like Malfoy are all the same,” I scoffed. “All they care about is their own careers and can’t bear the thought of their lady outshining them, so I think I’ll pass.”
“I think you’re wrong,” Meg muttered, lacing up her pointe shoes.
I rolled my eyes again and shook my head. There were more important things to worry about. Like the recital tonight. Not some ridiculous fantasy of love. Fairytales didn’t exist and they didn’t happen in the real world. They were stories to dance to, that was it. Tonight, was no different as the production of The Tale of The Three Brothers was being held.
An air of stress and excitement rested on my shoulders as I had the role of representing Death throughout the show. It was considered one of the hardest characters to perfect in Saltota Magic. But it didn’t matter much when the music began to play. Then I could get lost in it and the stress and pressure faded around me as I fell into the melody. It was the only reason that I stayed with dancing through the years. I never cared about the status or the money or the schools. Instead, the melody and the way that for once my body knew what to do, lending itself completely to magic.
It was opening night and anxiety and adrenaline was coursing through my veins as I did the final touches on my hair and makeup, making sure that everything was in its correct place. Magic sparked along my skin as I went through a few final stretches and warm-ups.
The curtain parted like red waves, and the bright lights hit me as the audience applauded. With one deep breath, the music began, and I was Death, and this was my story.
___________________________
Draco had always loved the theater and he had always loved the production of the Three Brothers. Sitting alone in his reserved theater box, he was quickly enamored by the one who portrayed Death. The name on the playbill struck him familiar... but he couldn’t quite place the name.
With careful eyes, he watched you throughout the performance, enraptured by how the magic flowed from your fingertips, your skin. How it radiated in the very air around you, bending to your will as you flitted across the stage with grace and poise that had his heart stammering.
Asking around after the performance, he learned a lot about you. The Governess of this Saltota Faction—a strict woman who without a second glance could be mistaken for McGonagall— spoke highly of you. Though there was a teasing note in her tone as she suggested perhaps, he remembered you from the single year of schooling you shared with another before you attended her school in Paris. It left him wondering if she was kin to McGonagall after all.
Yet, a smile brushed his lips. That’s why your name stuck his memory. You had been a Slytherin with him in first year. Draco tended not to dwell on his memories of Hogwarts, but the small sliver of first year was not the most unbearable thing to reminisce upon.
“May I remind you, Mr. Malfoy, that my apprentices are not to be ogled at. Miss Y/n does not have time for... distractions.”
“Of course,” Draco remained composed. “I was merely curious,” Your Governess didn’t seem convinced.
Even still, Draco had flowers sent to your dressing room, with only his name attached to the bouquet—that was slightly ostentatious. He wondered if you remembered him. Then he wondered if you wanted to. The thought dampened his mood as his past came to haunt his mind, dragging him back down until his face was barely above the murky water that threatened to drag him under every waking moment.
______________________________
“I told you!” Meg screeched, taking the flowers from my hands. “I told you that he would remember you! Oh, my stars!” She acted as if Draco had sent her the flowers and not me.
My fingers brushed over the parchment that held his name. Sighing, I vanished it.
“Meg, I told you. I don’t have time for this! Some silly romance...” I huffed and spelled away my makeup with a flutter of my fingers.
Though the rest of my Faction was crowded around me, hemming and hawing at the note and the flowers and the idea of any one of us being courted by Draco Malfoy, my thoughts were far from their senseless gossip. A dark part of my mind toyed with the thought that he was doing it to use me. It was no secret that Malfoy was sentenced to be wandless and thus created his interest with the Arts. The way of the Saltota offered an alternative to that. I had a wand, yes. But it was rarely used anymore.
I didn’t need it to use magic. It was the true way of the Saltota. To offer and use my body as a vessel for the magic that existed all around. It was why the Saltota Ultas were so revered. They were one with magic, with nothing holding them back at all. And nothing, for me, meant no Draco Malfoy coming in to become something.
It didn’t stop the flowers, however. After a while, I expected them. And it was a waste to throw them away or watch them die. So maybe I used a simple Curator Spell and kept them alive in my flat. And maybe against my better judgement I let Meg convince me to meet him one night after the last performance of the season.
“Malfoy?” I called softly, making my way into the Opera House foyer, brushing by other suitors.
He turned, and I was caught at an impasse. He was strikingly beautiful, his features sharp and defined. Though they were reminiscent of his father, there was still the softness there of his mother... and something that was completely his own in the mystery of his grey eyes.
“Miss Y/n,” He dipped his head politely. “May I say you danced beautifully tonight, as always,”
“Thank you,” My voice was barely audible above the noise of the excitement around us, but it didn’t hide the slight blush on my cheeks.
Everything that I had planned to say to him, every accusation, and every question fell from my lips as we studied each other in some sort of silent standoff.
“Would you care to go somewhere quieter?” An amused smirk reached his lips as his eyes darted to the bustle around us. “Or... perhaps not. I wouldn’t want to be a distraction,” There was a malice note on his last worn as his eyes tightened, the smile disappearing.
“I suppose I do owe you for all of the flowers,” A smile toyed at my lips. “I believe I can afford an outing. With an old classmate,” I drawled the word.
“As you wish,” He offered his arm, and I took it.
We ended up at a small café in the quiet night of Paris, far from the thrill of the Opera House. Draco was nothing, if not a gentleman. And maybe I could see why he was considered the most suitable bachelor in the Wizarding World. If I wasn’t careful my nothing might be something. I had left the hope of love and romance a long time ago. I had to.
“How long did it take you to remember me?” He asked softly, drawing me from my thoughts.
“I could ask the same question,” Leaning my elbows on the table and resting my chin on my hands, I raised an eyebrow at him. “I never forgot you, Draco,” The words were soft.
“You didn’t?” He seemed genuinely surprised. “I would think since... and well,”
I gnawed on my lip, my thoughts following his. The war. And the Dark Lord. It was the one thing that had me so close to the edge of giving up being a Saltota. We weren’t allowed to interfere with the war at all. It wasn’t our place; I had been told time and time again.
“One hardly can ignore the most eligible bloke in the Wizarding World,” I teased softly. “Especially when he sends you the most ridiculous flowers every night. I must say, you have the other girls in my Faction enamored and jealous.”
The smile I had been trying for quirked on his thin lips.
“And what of you? What do you think?” Draco raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “I’ve never had a suitor that I entertained before, and I’m not quite sure with you either, no offense,”
“Your Governess mentioned something about that.” He leaned back in his chair, a calm expression on his face that I could see right through— he was defensive.
I gave a solemn nod. A silence lingered between us for a moment. I broke it.
“So, you’re obviously invested into the Arts, tell me what have you seen? Any of the Muggle greats?”
“Muggle?” He almost laughed. “Why would I go to see a muggle performance?”
I gaped at him.
“Are you kidding me?” I was baffled. “What do mean you haven’t seen any of them? Theatre is theatre, Draco.”
“But it’s muggle,”
I rolled my eyes. “You know nothing, do you?” It was a soft accusation. “The Saltota use dance as a way to harness magic, you know that much I assume. But our traditions are not just for magic users. There are those born magicless who still pursue the art of our dance. It is not about who can use magic, but those willing to keep the tradition alive.”
“You mean to tell me that Muggles use Saltota dances?” He seemed almost enraged.
Sighing, I began again. “I recognize that it might be hard for you to understand, but the way I learned magic was not just how to use it, but to also appreciate all it has given. The secrets we carry are not ours to keep, rather for magic to choose.”
“You act like magic is a sentient being,”
“Well, isn’t it?” I smiled softly. “Tell me, when you first got your wand, you felt it. The hum that sparked on your fingertips. Or, forgive me, the burn of the mark on your arm. Magic is as much alive as you and I are,”
His grey eyes narrowed, his face falling into a scrutinizing gaze. I could see the flecks of anger in his eyes and the conflict that resided behind. It was another silent standoff, but I wasn’t backing down. Magic was sacred and not for man—not even the Draco Malfoy—to control.
“I see,” He was all but seething before me. “You obviously know more than I ever possibly could,” The words were sharp and biting, his fists clenched.
“Draco,” My stubborn flare faltered under his harsh tone. “I... I apologize, I never meant to imply—”
“I think your intentions were quite clear,” He hissed.
“It was still rude of me to...” My eyes dropped to the table as I took a sharp breath in. “Thank you for the tea. And the flowers. Goodnight,”
Wordlessly I stood and left. One glance back and my eyes met grey storms of emotions.
“I don’t have time for distractions,” I whispered to myself, hurrying down the lane. “...and I do not fancy Draco Malfoy.”
Only one of them was truth.
___________________________
Draco watched you leave, regretting letting his pride get in the way of speaking to you like a rational human being. What did you know of his past anyways? You would never understand the weight on his shoulders of the Dark Mark that resided on his arm, or his dark past that shadowed him every waking moment. All of this because he couldn’t entertain the idea that muggles tread on your art form.
What did muggles know of magic anyway? They were ignorant.
But you had insisted otherwise. The theatre. Muggle theatre. Though his love for the Arts ran deep, he never considered looking into its muggle counterpart. A consequence of his parents, he supposed.
Staring at the ceiling late that night, you weaved into all of Draco’s thoughts, with or without permission. Draco groaned and dismayed that he was actually doing what he set out for. It took a few tries but eventually a familiar voice answered the other end of the line.
“Minister of Magic, Granger speaking,”
“Hermione, I need a favor,”
As soon as Hermione graciously filled him in on Muggle theatre, Draco easily secured two tickets to the next performance occurring at an Opera House not unlike of his own patronage. Now he only hoped that you would still talk to him.
“Miss Y/l/n?”
Your eyes flash to his as you stand, the other girls from your Faction all observing you as he pulled you away from your practice.
“Malfoy,” You were cautious and reserved. “Is something the matter? Something that you find unsatisfactory with my dancers?” Your face remained collected, but there was a mischievous look in your eyes.
You were toying with him. Testing him. He shook his head solemnly and ushered you to a foyer away from the rest of your Faction. You eyed him, questioning.
“On the contrary,” He played along with a smile that would have any other girl—or bloke— swooning after him, but not you. The same curious look remained upon your face. “I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the theatre this evening. The Palais Garnier is hosting The Phantom of the Opera and I thought maybe you would care to join me?”
Shock flitted across your features as your collected demeanor fell flat. Your eyes narrowed at him as you began to say something but paused in the midst. Regaining your composure, you began again.
“This wouldn’t happen to be a date, now would it Mr. Malfoy?” A smirk rose on your lips.
“Please, Mr. Malfoy is my father,” Draco stressed, not enjoying the formality on your lips. “And this is simply an outing between old classmates,” He chose your words from the night that seemed lifetimes away.
“I see,” You tilted your chin back slightly, “I’d be honored to accompany you, Malfoy,” You dipped into a graceful curtsy.
That night he arrived at the studio and chauffeured you to the Muggle Opera House. You were simply stunning in your muggle attire, not doubt looking as if you were an aristocrat in their society as well. There was an air of prowess about you as you held yourself high beside him.
Though it was difficult for him to be among so many muggles, you had no issue with it. And perhaps, if he wanted to admit it to himself these particular muggles weren’t awful and barbaric. It seemed as if even a few recognized you, asking for photos or a signature. You gave them gracefully, not fretting about the intrusion on privacy.
In his private box, near and above the stage, you two settled. There was excitement in your features as he could feel the buzz of magic dance across your skin. As the curtains raised and the orchestra started it’s overture, the smile on your face grew. He nudged your shoulder gently, nodding to your hands, where they had begun to summon a lighting charm he assumed. Your face went slightly pink as you pressed your hands firmly into your lap, quite sheepish.
He found it endearing, to a point, that theatre, even if it wasn’t your own, could elicit this response from you. Then, he understood why you were so elated by the show before you. It captured his attention, and though it held no inkling of true magic, it was far from being magicless. It was at the intermission that he found himself wanting the show to continue without pause.
“I believe I owe you an apology,” Draco murmured softly as he led you to the foyer where cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were served. “You were absolutely right,”
“Is that so?” You sipped on a tall glass of champagne, the rouge of your lips staining the crystal glass, a mischievous smile on your lips.
“You know, not everyone can get me to admit that I was wrong,” Draco drawled.
“Is that supposed to make me feel special?” Your teasing tone had strengthened. “That the great Draco Malfoy has admitted to me that he was wrong,”
“It should,”
A laugh fell from your lips, a beautiful sound.
The play ended all too quickly, and soon he was standing beside you, outside your flat building in the upper part of town.
“Thank you for tonight,” You smiled softly. “I had a wonderful time,”
________________________________
I leaned against my closed and locked flat door, not able to rid my face of the smile that resided there. It was almost too easy to be with Draco and the company he offered. A perfect mix of elegance and mischief. Then came the sobering thought:
“I do not fancy Draco Malfoy,” I reminded myself.
But don’t you? My psyche whispered back.
I didn’t want to answer her.
Rising with the sun, not much planned for the day now that it was my off season—meaning I had at least my early mornings to myself—I started a pot of tea and picked up the Daily Prophet that was nearly destroyed by my anger as I read the front page headline:
Ex-Death Eater Caught with Esteemed Saltota Dancer in The Muggle Theater: Moving on or Malicious Motive?
There was a photo of Draco and I together in the Opera House, last night, looking quite cozy with one another, laughing. The picture moved, as I expected it too, and I almost forget why I was so upset, because the photo held the golden feeling from last night as I gazed upon it. I didn’t linger long however because there was an incoming call from the front desk—Draco Malfoy was requesting to come up.
Quickly throwing on a house coat, I opened the door, seeing a very anxious looking Draco at my doorstep.
“Good morning,” I tested, letting him in.
“I am so sorry, you have to believe me,” He paced the floor, not giving me a second glance.
“Uh, alright,” I closed the door, locking it. “Sorry for what exactly?”
“The article. I’m having my people take care of it. I knew this was—” He didn’t finish the thought.
“Take care of it?” I asked with a careful step towards him.
“The photos. The newspapers.” He snapped as if it were obvious.
“No, I get that, but why?” My hand reached out, resting on his shoulder. He stiffened and jerked out of my grasp.
“Why?” Draco hissed. “Because you shouldn’t be with me! Because I could have just ruined your entire career! This was stupid and selfish and reckless of me,”
“Draco,” My eyebrows furrowed as I took another step toward him and placed my hand on his shoulder again. He didn’t shrug me off this time. “Are you ashamed of me? Of last night?” It was the one thought on my mind.
“No,” His answer came quickly. “No, of course not. We went out. We enjoyed each other’s company. It was a fine night,”
“Then why are you so upset?” My eyes met his unsteady grey ones. “Draco, it’s sweet that you’re worried about me. But I can handle some press. Drama tabloids and what not. It comes with the job,” I paused a moment, “And if it were to be anyone, I’m glad it was you,”
He went quiet, his hands balling into fists at his side. “Did you read the article?” His tone iced his words.
“Not yet, no. You called up before I had the chance,” Another moment, another thought. “And I really couldn’t care less about that it says. It’s gossip. And I won’t apologize or worry myself over a wonderful night spent with a friend,”
“Friend?”
“Well, I mean, unless you’d like to strictly stay as old classmates,” It was a teasing tone that seemed to alleviate some of his tension.
“No, I quite like friends,” There was a smile on his face for the first time that morning.
Draco stayed in my flat for a few hours, having breakfast and tea with me. Overlooking the city on my balcony it was almost too easy to be with him and that golden feeling was back in my chest. We talked about nothing and everything, avoiding heavier topics that didn’t seem to fit in with the rising sun.
And despite my dismissal of the gossip column in the paper, Draco and I both agreed that maybe it would be better if we laid low for a while, keeping out of the public eye. Which meant our morning teas in my flat became a sort of normal as we avoided the busy streets below. He would then leave, off to meetings and who knows what else as I kept up my dancing regime with my Faction.
There was something to be said of my Faction. Since the first article and the few that followed, they all seemed to eye me warily, knowing the contents that I didn’t bother myself with. Meg was begging me for details, but I simply shook my head, informed her and the rest of my dancers that we were merely friends, colleagues. None of what the papers said was true.
“But he is, was a Death Eater,” Kelsey insisted one night after practice. “Aren’t you the least bit worried that he might hurt you? Or try to use you? He is wandless after all. And I hear he’s pretty cozy with you,”
“I wasn’t aware that it was my secret to keep,” My eyes narrowed. “You know as well as I, that magic is not ours to withhold from those who ask,”
“But he’s using you!”
“And so, what if he is!” I shouted. “That would not change who I am nor what I strive for! Now I am to hear none of this talk any longer! It is not our place to withhold the magic of the stars and it is certainly not your place to tell me what to do with my life!”
All of the girls were staring at me as I breathed deeply, storming out of the studio and into the crisp air of the night. There was a certain edge to this night, however, and I could feel it as the Dark Magic grazed my skin. My eyes darted around the well-lit street and to a darkened alley: the source of my unease. A dementor. In the city.
“Can’t I have just one night!?” I huffed, rushing towards the alley, set to alleviate the Dark Magic and restore balance to the energy and magic around me.
Then my heart dropped.
The dementor had a target. Wandless and defenseless, Draco back against the alley wall, looking terrified and hopeless. Ditching my bag, I closed my eyes and focused on the Light Magic passing through my limbs as I threw my body into precise fouettés, feeling an equilibrium restore around me. Settling into first position, I opened my eyes to see that Draco’s had closed.
Dropping to his side, my shaking hands fluttered over his chest, brushing his hair from his face.
“Draco!? Draco can you hear me!?” Cradling his face, a new sort of anxiety grew in my chest. “Draco, please, please wake up.”
As if he heard me, his grey eyes opened barely, a sad cough escaping his lips. I aided him in sitting up as he continued to hack and cough, red spots splashing against the back of his hand.
“Okay, we need to get you to St. Mungo’s,” I decided, standing myself before helping him up.
“I’m fine,” He rasped, waving me off.
“You’re coughing up blood, Draco,” My voice was surprisingly calm for the current conversation. “I’m taking you to a Healer,”
“No,” He protested, stumbling. “P-people will talk,”
“Let them!” I snapped, still frustrated from my spat with Kelsey. “I’m not going to let you die because some reporter might snap a stupid photo!” Slinging his arm over my shoulder, I calmed enough to Apparate with him into the lobby of the hospital, where Draco collapsed.
Healers rushed in around me, taking Draco off of my hands. They asked too many questions and I barely got out the words “dementor,” and “blood.” Another started to pull me in the opposite direction of him, but I refused.
“Ma’am only family is allowed back with him,” The receptionist stammered under my fierce glare.
“Hell with that! I am his family! Now let me back with him!”
The small girl squeaked and let me go as I rushed off after the Healers that carried Draco up to the fourth floor. The anxiety in my chest grew as this was a graver situation that I originally thought if he was being taken to the fourth floor.
“Ma’am?” An adjacent Healer caught my attention. “Can you please tell me the events of what happened?”
“He got attacked by a bloody dementor! What is with you people?! I thought your government was supposed to control those things!?”
“Uh, y-yes ma’am,” The Healer stammered. “But what happened to the dementor? Was a spell cast?”
“Oh, you wizards!” I cursed.
“Ma’am I understand that you’re upset, but please—”
“No, you listen here,” I grabbed the Healer’s robes and drew him close, snarling in his face. “A wandless, defenseless wizard under your government was just attacked by a dementor, who could have killed him, and you’re asking me about what spell I used? Me!? Do you know who I am!?”
“Miss Y/l/n,” A faintly known voice called from behind me. “If you’d please let go of Mr. Thomas,”
I released my hold on the Healer and turned, face to face with the Minister of Magic herself.
“You,” I spat. “You know, we really do make an effort to let you run magic the way you wish but this,” I gestured aggressively towards the room where Draco was being treated. “This draws a line Granger,”
“I understand that,” Deep brown eyes held caution. “And the dementor was not one under my jurisdiction,”
The air sparked around me, charged with dangerous magic.
“You mean to tell me that you have left him wandless, and alone, with Voldemort’s followers still out there!? Are you absolutely daft!?”
Granger held her composure as I spat the words at her. The Healer emerging from Draco’s room broke our tension as my anger morphed into fear and worry at the Healer’s verdict.
“He will be fine. We managed to assuage the Dark Magic in his lungs, and he’ll be clear for release tomorrow morning,” The Healer’s eyes flickered between Granger and I, no doubt aware of the standoff occurring between us. “He is asking for you Miss Y/n,”
I nodded and took a deep breath, not giving the Minister a second glance as I stormed into Draco’s room. His eyes were barely opened as a smile played at his lips.
“My stars, Draco,” I collapsed in the seat beside his hospital bed. “What were you thinking!?”
“I’m fine, thanks,” His teasing manor left a smile on my face as his hand covered my shaking ones that gripped the edge of the cot.
“What were you even doing out alone like that?” I asked weakly. “You scared me to death, Draco,”
“I... I wanted to come and see you. I thought maybe tonight was a good night to... stop laying low,” His cheeks tinged red as he stammered the confession.
A hopeless chuckle left my lips as I rested my forehead on our intertwined hands.
“And did you really just call Hermione, the Minister of Magic, daft?”
“Yes?” I looked up meekly. “You could have died, Draco,”
“But I didn’t,”
“Oh, because that makes me feel so much better,” I scoffed.
“How... how did you even do that? I’ve never seen anyone actually kill a dementor before,” His voice held melancholy and regret.
“I didn’t kill it,” I defended. “Not really...” I paused, pursing my lips, debating how much I wanted to go into what I had done, and how conscious Draco would be to understand any of it. He waited expectantly. “I balanced the energy. Dementors consist of heavy Dark Magic, so by channeling pure Light Magic, an equilibrium is found. No more dementor,”
When he didn’t offer a response, my gaze followed up to his face. His eyes had closed again and steady breaths exhales from his parted lips. I found myself smiling and reaching out to brush the hair hanging in his face.
“You care for him,”
I jumped up, spinning, ready for a fight.
“It’s alright, I’m not going to hurt you,” Granger smiled. “It’s just nice to see that he has someone looking out for him,”
“Why would you care?” I asked softly, my fingers brushing against his hand.
“You know, when I became Minister, I offered to end his wandless sentence. But he refused. He wouldn’t tell me the reason.”
A smile played at my lips as a sigh soon escaped them.
“He has a habit of that,” My words were small and soft. “Always thinks the worst of himself... like he deserves all of the awful things that happen to him. No doubt he thinks he deserves this dementor attack,” My eyes found Granger’s again. “I’m sorry, for what I said. I...”
“You were scared. I understand that. No hard feelings,” She offered her hand. “Hermione Granger,”
“Y/n,” I shook her hand.
______________________________
Draco opened his eyes again, feeling like he was submerged under water, gasping for air. Even with his eyes open, there was a weight on him. Blinking to clear the fuzziness from his sight he realized that there actually was a weight on him.
Your hands were intertwined with his, as your head was tipped back. Soft snores left your lips as you slept in the chair beside his bed. He would have liked to be alone in the room with you, but instead, his eyes fell upon an exhausted Hermione.
“Didn’t know that a dementor attack warranted a visit from the Minister herself,” He mused softly, not to wake you.
“You act like I don’t feel awful about this,” She muttered, rubbing her face. “And I’m not here as the Minister, not anymore at least. I’m here as a friend,”
“Draco Malfoy doesn’t have friends,” His tone was flat.
“You seem to have at least one,” Hermione smirked nodding to you. “You should have seen her; she was absolutely livid. Reminded me a bit of you when you lose your temper actually. Terrified the poor receptionist and a few Healers,”
Draco chuckled at the thought, before his laugh turned into a coughing fit, drawing you from your slumber. Immediately you were on your feet, tensed and ready for a fight.
“I’ll just leave you two alone,” Hermione smiled at him kindly. “And make sure the papers have the right story,”
You both groaned at that thought as you slumped back into the chair, rubbing your sore neck.
“Why can’t they just leave us alone?” You whined, a pout forming at your lips.
“It’s a part of the job,” Draco mused, joking lightly.
“This... this isn’t a part of the job,” You muttered. “Press, dating rumors, maybe something scandalous, but not this. This danger...” You shook your head, scrubbing your eyes. “When had it ever come to this?”
“It always comes to this,” Draco’s voice was tight. “It always has. Sometimes I wonder when enough will be enough...”
“Don’t... don’t talk like that,” You grimaced, taking his hand into yours, pressing it to your lips, a warm feeling that Draco marveled at. “You aren’t... you don’t deserve this. No one deserves this,”
“Y/n—”
“No,” You cut him off defiantly. “Don’t give me your Death Eater bullshit. I won’t hear it. You don’t want to believe in yourself? That you might be good? That you are good? Fine. But it won’t stop me.”
Draco didn’t know how to respond to your words. They contrasted everything inside of him. He wasn’t good. He could never be good. He could never be redeemed. Wasn’t that the point of him trying so hard? Because he knew he could never reach a pure status again. His name would never be cleared and now he was starting to drag you down with him.
“Shouldn’t you be at rehearsal?” The words fell from his lips with an air of melancholy.
Your face twisted into confusion, then shock, then anger. You stood abruptly, his hand falling back to his side.
“Do you even listen to me when I talk to you!?” You huffed, storming out of the small room. He thought he saw tears in your eyes.
About an hour later he was released from the hospital and told to stay home and take it easy for the next few days and to come straight back if something went wrong. Brushing off the worried nurses, be walked down the street, finally finding solace in his own flat. His own space.
What he couldn’t escape however was the sharpness and hurt behind your words nor the headlines that littered the papers the next day despite Hermione’s promise to sort them out.
Dementor attacks Ex-Death Eater: Ministry Slip-Up or Rising Fear?
Saltota Dancer Rescues Ex-Death Eater from His Earned Fate
Enraged Saltota Defends Ex-Death Eater: Love or Lunacy?
His eyes paused on that last headline. It didn’t seem as harsh as the rest, in fact, as he skimmed the article, it had a rather positive undertone:
“The Saltota, known for their captivating dance and bizarre magic nature, have never before interfered with the affairs of the Wizards under the Ministry of Magic. Staying out of the war against the Dark Lord, many Wizards believed the Saltota to have sympathies for The Dark Lord, yet a recent incident suggests differently. Y/n Y/l/n, a Saltota Maxima, was seen to have killed a dementor in favor of rescuing Ex-Death Eater, Draco Malfoy. Though her methods of killing the dementor have not been released, it is known that Y/l/n transported Malfoy to St. Mungo’s where she vividly demanded that he be taken care of. When speaking to the receptionist on shift at the time, they reveal that ‘She was terrifying. You could feel the magic like an aura around her as she fought for Malfoy... If she hadn’t been there, speaking on his behalf, I don’t believe that our Healers would have given Malfoy the attention he needed before his injuries became fatal.’ It is known that these two were caught in a Muggle Theatre looking quite cozy with another not a few months ago. It seems their relationship hasn’t stopped there. Is this Saltota Malfoy’s new lover? Or perhaps something more? More on the event on page 37.”
________________________________
“Lover,” I scoffed. “Yeah, sure.”
I tossed the paper aside and stared up at the stars that spread out over the Parisian skyline before me. My limbs were still sore from rehearsal not hours before as Meg kept me company.
“You don’t want to talk to him?” She offered me a cup of tea. “I know we haven’t been the most supportive, but we’re worried about you Y/n,”
“There’s nothing to worry about.” I snapped then sighed. “I just don’t know what I did wrong...” Tears threatened to well in my eyes as I shoved my emotions down for what seemed like the hundredth time.
“You didn’t do anything wrong sweetheart,” Meg wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Maybe he’ll come around... maybe he won’t. It doesn’t change who you are,”
I smiled and wiped my eyes.
“Thanks Meg,” Looking down I stared at the warm tea. “Maybe it was my fault. I let him become a distraction...”
“No, you let him to your heart. I know you Y/n. I’ve grown up with you. I knew it would always take someone special to get through to you, and well, I think Draco has.” Her comforting words were bordering patronizing.
“I think he has too,”
“Make no mistake, you’re not the only one whose heart has been captured,”
This wasn’t the voice of my best friend, instead a friend... an old classmate... a lover... maybe something more...
“Draco,” I stood, almost spilling my tea. “I... how... how did you get in?”
“Your receptionist let me up and Meg passed me on her way out.” The explanation was simple enough.
“Oh,” My gaze dropped as I set down my mug. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at him. “What are you doing here Draco?” It was a bit harsher than I meant it to be.
“I came to apologize. And to thank you.”
I raised an eyebrow at him.
“You did save my life. I believe I should thank you for that.” A smile played at his lips before it dropped. “And I’m also sorry. I thought I was protecting you from everything that I go through... but it seems that still, my own self-doubt and loathing got in the way of seeing what was in front of me... that you were in front of me. I know I let you down and I am so sorry for that... but you’ve brought me closer to who I really am, more than anyone else ever has...” He took a hesitant step closer. “There was no excuse for what I did to you, and I hope you can forgive me,”
I nodded, closing the space between us, my hand reaching for his. They were warm in mine, nothing like the cold feeling they held when Draco was unconscious at the hospital.
“And I hope that maybe... I could be a bit more than a distraction?” His hand parted from mine as his lithe fingers tilted my chin back, calm grey eyes greeting mine. “And maybe I could show the world what you really mean to me?”
His lips pressed against mine. Careful and hesitant. And until my free hand curled around the back of his neck and pulled him closer, did he lose his nervousness. And under the stars, Draco Malfoy became not just my something... but my everything.
And we became the most coveted and prestige couple in the entire Wizarding and Muggle world.
A Death Eater and a Dancer.
.
Tags: @coffee-addicti @msmcsmutt @ravn-87 @artemismohr18 @whygz @crazywritingbug @fuzzy-panda @bitemebro522 @zombiesnips-blog @savingdraco@welcometomyworldwithoutrules @akari180 @slytherin-emerald@memalfoy-spidey @queenfeatherwings @fanficflaneuse @go-whovian-universe @spicyshenanigans @darling-im-not-okay-i-promise @dietkiwi @katsukink @takemetothekingdom @strangerr-things @tmnt-queen @hxneybgb @justsomerandomgur@belcvayelena @moviesbooksandfandoms @howdycharlie@xtrashmouthxtozierx @cocochanelthepupper @ninacotte@braelynn-j @jiggllyy @honeymarvel @darcypottah@atomicpunkrock @thiccheerioss @lottie289 @boredashaeck@beautiful-pegasus @tceedlmao @deadlynyghtshayde@iconjuresnapeingrandmaclothes @anonymous034 @bi-andready-tocry @lunna-does-real-doodle @dragonsandbread @okaydraco@the-queen-of-hell-things @cmxreader @alienmotel @oh-itsnothing @sunflowerxsadnessw @fattycooter@angelotakunerd08 @thisisahugemistake @fanficsigottaread@gweaslvy @strawberriesonsummer @gaysludge @cleopatera@ray-of-sunrise @artist-bby @shadowsingeraxolotl @peters-legos@quillsareforwriting @ghostlytoadalmondhairdo @wollymalfoy@lilpieceoftoast @paper-cats @floweryjh @sdicapriox @slothgirl22@peachesandpinks @monimillion @hufflautia @livize75 @annie-mcl@riathearora @live-like-luna @justathoughtfulangel @coconutdawn@skteaiy @wannabeskinny-thinspo @naughtygranger @queenofmankind @dragonsandbread @abundantxadorations @moony-artnstuff @myforeveryoungblog @and-then-a-girl-with-luv @1-800-luvsick @pandas-rice-field @strawberriesonsummer @jjustsomerandomgirl @mrvlfangirl3190 @loverbbgirlsblog @in-slytherin-we-trust @emmaa-t @introvertedrae @infinity1o1 @stoleurmomsvan @echpr @sunkissed-hufflepuff
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Love Is Blind: Chapter Three
Marcus smirked as he watched Chris mess with the straw in his drink, “Man, whoever she is has got you messed up bad.”
Chris jerked his head up and frowned in confusion, “huh?”
“You have completely zoned out on me, Bro. What’s going on?”
“Just thinking.”
“So your divorce? What happened?”
“I wasn’t any good for her. It just wasn’t gonna work out.”
“How’d she take it?”
“Not good. I’m surprised she hasn’t put a hit out on me.”
Marcus chuckled, “that woman loves you too much.”
“Loved.”
“Loves. I said what I said.”
“Do you know something I don’t?”
“Do you know she hasn’t dated since your divorce?”
“No. I never bothered to keep up with her.”
“Really?”
“I don’t have the right to. Why keep up with her life if I didn’t have the decency to stay in it?”
“You got a point.”
“So who is the new girl?”
“There is no new girl. Just somebody I’m getting to know.”
“So there is a new girl.”
“No.”
“Chris, we can play with semantics all night but be honest, do you like her?”
“Yes but we’re just friends.”
“For now.”
“She’s still in love with her ex-husband. I’m not in control of my life and neither of us are looking for anything serious.”
“Then what’s the harm in making her your new girl. You both know whats the deal up front.”
“Besides she doesn't want to meet me anyway.”
“You’ve never met?”
“I met her online. I only have a vague idea of what she looks like but we’ve never actually seen each other or spoke to each other.”
“Really? I didn’t know you were into that.”
“I set it up out of boredom but I got lucky with talking to her. She’s really nice.”
“What she do?”
“She’s a Vet. Owns her own clinic and shelter”
“Nice. Is she local?”
“Not sure. I know her business is in the city. Never asked if she lived there or not.”
“Chris, you might know her already.”
“I doubt it besides I think the not knowing her is the best part.”
“No identity, no expectations.”
“Exactly.”
“Well more power to you. Hope you don’t miss out on an amazing woman wanting to be all mysterious and shit.”
“I’m not concerned.”
A: How has your day been?
C: Hectic. My daughter caught the flu so I’m out of commission for the next few days
A: Aww...poor baby. Is this the first time she’s been sick?
C: No so I’m pretty prepared for the theatrics that will be coming my way
A: She’s that kind of kid, huh? Lol
C: Lol regardless of the fact that she’s three, she gets sick and reverts to an infant but I love babying her. Just don’t tell her that
A: Lol, your secret is safe with me
C: How have you been?
A: Good. Finalizing details for this gala a certain someone got me to attend
C: Lol, you made the deal, I just accepted
A: Yea. Whatever.
C: Did you decide on a date for our virtual outing?
A: I mean you have the child
C: It’s not like I’m gonna be leaving my house though
A: That is true
C: Are you nervous?
A: No, it’s not like you’re gonna hear my voice or see me. What’s there to be nervous about?
C: I don’t know I’m asking you
A: Are you free this weekend?
C: 8 pm Saturday?
A: Works for me
C: Cool
A: You know you could’ve just picked a time and told me
C: Yea but it was your idea so your choice
A: Hmm...I guess
C: What you thinking about?
A: If I should send you a sneak peek of my dress
C: You have it already? I thought the gala wasn’t for another month
A: A month goes by fast especially if you own your own business, time is not of the essence
C: Ah, very true. Are we still doing text to speech or?
A: I have some equipment I can use for voice changes. You?
C: I work at a college, I’m sure I can find some
A: Cool
C: Is your voice that distinctive that I’d be able to figure out who you are from hearing it?
A: Yes.
C: Ah, now I’m curious
A: It’s not that I’m worried about knowing you but I’ve been interviewed and stuff before so hearing my voice would definitely be a dead giveaway and ruin the mystery
C: I understand.
A: Does any of this make you uncomfortable?
C: No. It keeps things simple and uncomplicated. No complaints from me
A: Cool
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robyn quickly composed herself as she posed for the picture in front of her phone. The self-timer clicked and she grabbed the device to see her handy work. She smiled at the successful shot. No identifying marks but it captured her body and clothing perfectly. She sat down and logged into her dating app to send the picture to Chris. Not wanting to be consumed with nervousness, she logged out completely before taking off her clothes and heading to take a shower. Their double blind virtual outing was tonight.
Chris smiled as his phone pinged and he clicked on the new message. The long-sleeve navy blue dress hugged every curve of Anna perfectly. She was completely covered but it still felt just as sexy as if she was naked. That was an art. The message read, “I probably could’ve waited a few weeks to send you this but I figured what the hell. What do you think?”
Chris rubbed his hand along his chin then through his hair as he stared at the picture. Was he making a mistake letting this stay just an online thing? Could she really be as amazing as she seemed? Maybe it was just the lust talking. He had sworn off women the past few years so it wasn’t like he had many outlets for any kind of attraction. Anesa was with his sister and cousins for the night while he had his virtual outing with Anna. He really didn’t understand why she just didn’t call it a date but then again they aren’t supposed to be dating so it makes sense.
Robyn shook off any nervousness as she sat down in front of her computer. It was easier to not be tempted to use the camera if she didn’t have one so she decided to use her desktop instead of her laptop. The older monitor was wired for sound but not video. She had emailed Chris a link to the video chat site with its autoset to start at 8pm. She glanced at the cover of the screen and sighed as the clock flipped from 7:59 to 8:00.
“Hi Anna,” an auto generated voice came through her speakers
“Chris, it’s nice to hear your voice.”
Chris laughed, “well something like my voice. How are you?”
“I’m great. You?”
“I’m good. Thank you for the picture.”
“Eh, I was trying it on and thought why not. You never answered my message”
“Well, I knew I was gonna talk to you soon so I figured it’d be easier to say what I was thinking than writing it”
“Ah, so what do you think?”
“I think you look incredible. It’s hard to be sexy and completely covered from neck to toe but you definitely pulled it off.”
“Why thank you. My friend was a little upset that I picked that dress.”
“Why?”
“She thinks I need to show more skin.”
Chris laughed, “well you’re single, no harm in doing that.”
“Single and not trying to mingle though.”
“If you look as amazing in the face as your body does. Nothing short of staying home would keep people, men especially, from trying to talk to you.”
“Oh don’t say that.”
“Why? It’s the truth.”
“Still don’t say it.”
“You’re afraid of dating?”
“No, just not prepared for it. I don’t really want to like anybody else.”
“Not even me.”
“You are a very pleasant and partially unwanted surprise. I don’t think I could not not like you though.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment”
“Good because I meant it as one,” Robyn laughed, “Feel weird yet?”
“Nope. This is a lot easier than typing though.”
“It is.
“So how was your day?”
“It was good. I had the start of auditions for my upper level songwriting and music composition classes.”
“Really? How do those work?”
“The student either performs live or brings in a recorded piece that they wrote and/or composed.”
“Do they have to be the performer?”
“It is preferable but no. I get my share of duos from time to time.”
“Is it easier to audition as a duo or solo?”
“To me, neither. I try to be equally as hard on all my students.”
“Did you work in the music industry before?”
“Actually no, just a dream deferred, I guess.”
“What about your divorce made you switch careers?”
“Music has always been healing for me. I had no desire to be famous or anything like that but I wanted to deal with music. Teaching did that for me.”
“Were you healing from your marriage?”
“No. My mother had passed away and it just threw my life into a spiral.”
“Were you close?”
“Not like we should’ve been. I was raised by another family member and my mom wasn’t really around most of my life.”
“That’s sad.”
“It’s life. You learn to make the best of it.”
“It doesn’t sound like you did.”
“To be honest, I didn’t at first. I was mad at everything and everybody. I just gave up.”
“And your marriage was a casualty of that.”
“Yup.”
“And you still love her?”
“I don’t want to but I do.”
“I know that feeling. So you were adopted by the family member or they just took you in?”
“Just took me in, nothing official.”
“Oh ok.”
“You have a good relationship with your family?”
“Yea, I think we still sit on different sides of the fence when it comes to my ex but other than that nothing major.”
“Why?”
“They loved him. He was my high school sweetheart so we kind of grew up together.”
“Same here. Do they want you guys to get back together?”
“Absolutely.”
Chris laughed.
“Sometimes I wonder if there were things he told them that he couldn’t tell me.”
“It’s possible. It's easier to open up to somebody you don’t feel responsible for. Men worry a lot about looking weak in front of their spouses. We wonder if women will still trust our judgment if they think we’re more emotional than logical.”
“Any woman worth her medal knows men are more emotional than logical, y’all just like to play with semantics. Just because you don’t deal with your emotions doesn’t mean they don’t exist or magically go away. Y’all just have different methodologies than we do.”
“Were you a therapist in a past life?”
Robyn laughed, “No, I took basic psychology classes in college.”
“Definitely sounds like you took more than the requisite elective.”
“I did. Almost had enough for a minor but I overloaded on vet classes to try to finish my bachelor’s early.”
“Did you?”
“Just a semester early, nothing too major.”
“That’s awesome. Were you always a vet?”
“Actually no. I took a few years off after veterinary school, did a bunch of odd jobs before I came back to my chosen profession.”
“Ah, good deal.”
“It had its perks.”
“How’d your husband feel about that?”
“We weren’t married initially but he didn’t seem to mind even after we did get married. He had a bit of an old school rearing and liked being a provider, I can admit.”
“And all that time you never had children?”
“I don’t think he could’ve emotionally handled children but then again, we might have fought for our marriage more if there were some involved.”
“You think so?”
“We both grew up in separated families, raised by a single parent or guardian. Two parent households weren’t the norm for either of us.”
“Ah ok.”
“We had always maintained the idea of having children once we got married but then we got married and things just didn’t work out. I wanted to try immediately after the ceremony but he kept stalling. First, it was getting his career off the ground then the timing just wasn’t right and by then we were divorced. I don’t think he wanted children with me.”
“You know being a parent isn’t something to take lightly, from what it sounds like it wasn’t you, he just wasn’t ready. At least, he was self aware to know that.”
“And your wife?”
“After the first year, we barely had sex.”
“Were you not attracted to her anymore?”
“I was. I just didn’t really like myself anymore and it made it hard to be physical with her. We had years of having sex and making love. I wasn’t the same so it didn’t feel the same, I felt like I was shortchanging her.”
“Sounds like you made a lot of decisions for her.”
“I know she would’ve stayed if I didn’t leave but I also knew she wasn’t happy. I couldn’t say I love her and subject her to an unhappy marriage, it’s not fair.”
“Why didn’t you just get help?”
“I did that’s what led me to ask for a divorce.”
“Your help told you to get divorced?”
“Not explicitly. My therapist told me that I needed to take time to focus on myself with no distractions. My mother had died, My father showed back up in my life. It just felt like everything was falling apart and then I had my wife. Trying to be supportive but completely unhappy and walking on eggshells. It felt like I was torturing her and I didn’t want us to live like that. I didn’t want her to live like that. When I tried to explain what was going on, it just made everything worse.”
“What you mean?”
“I broke her. In such a short marriage, I broke her and I didn’t know how to undo what I had done. I also wasn’t in the space to undo it. I just wanted to die and I didn’t want her to see that.”
‘Did you try to-”
“It was a week after she had moved out. Complete nervous breakdown.”
“Chris, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was bound to happen. The mind can only take so much before it has to reset itself.”
“Did you tell her?”
“No. I made my family promise not to say anything to anyone either. I made her leave for that exact reason. Sometimes you can just feel when you’ve reached your breaking point.”
“True. So she had no idea?”
“No. If she had, she probably would’ve came back and never went through with the divorce. I didn't want her spending her life fixing my mess, that’s my job.”
“Wow. I appreciate you telling me this.”
“I’m surprised I did. Had this been a year or two ago, I probably would’ve stopped talking to you as soon as you asked about her.”
“Really?”
“Yea. Failure sucks.”
“Well, it doesn’t sound like you failed. It’s not like all avenues had been exhausted.”
“If your ex-husband had did this, would you be so accommodating?”
“If he had actually told me all this happened with him, absolutely. This is so much different than the silence and moping around that I got.”
“What if it wasn’t?”
“I mean I definitely have to get over feeling so betrayed first. Ten years of a relationship and he couldn’t trust me enough to let me in, that’s a hard pill to swallow.”
“Yea but it happens. I imagine my ex-wife would probably feel that exact same way.”
“I might not know you well enough to say this but I really think you should find her and talk to her. The years may have softened her.”
“I don’t think it would be right. I caused her enough issues, the last thing she’d probably want is to be reminded of me.”
“There you go making decisions for her again. You never know until you find out.”
“I guess.”
“Unless you don’t want to find out.”
“What you mean?”
“I think you’re afraid that you really did break her and she never bounced back. I think finding out that she hasn’t moved on scares you more than anything.”
“I-”
“You love her and I don’t think you will ever stop, so you want her to be happy. You want her to have forgotten about you and got everything she ever wanted in life. But if she hasn’t, you’d have to realize that though you did everything to protect her, you made the biggest mistake making her go especially when she didn’t want to. As a woman who’s been there and still there, you didn’t give her a chance to be what you needed because you were so worried about not being what you thought she wanted, even though you never asked.”
Robyn pulled her covers up under her chin as she laid back staring at her ceiling. Talking to Chris, really got her to thinking about her ex-husband. Did something happen to him to make him shut him down? Did he really walk out to save her like he told her? If so, why didn't he trust her to be there for him? At least this Chris is healed but clearly she has a penchant for damaged men. Is she a damaged woman? Did her ex really break her to the point she could never recover?
Chris sat on the phone with Anesa, half listening to her ramble about her day. He was going to go get her from his sister’s house but after talking with Anna, he needed the night to himself, to regroup. He couldn’t say that she was wrong. He never really thought about if his ex-wife was happy or not since he left. At least not out loud. Like what right did he have to shake up her life again after shaking it up in the first place? That’s why he never asked about her. It wasn’t right to be about her life if he made the initiative to walk out of it. Anna really showed him the other side of the situation, it really wasn’t as pretty and hopeful as he thought it would’ve been. He never thought of his divorce as a mistake but did he really ruin something that could’ve been fixed?
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well ... 🤡 . leave me to be very ill - prepared and very late to post my intro , but here it is ! this is my very on love chloe moon , and i’m super excited to be here to plot with everyone ! oop , haven’t introduced myself , but i’m kris ! please feel free to call me momager ( i’m kidding lmao ) , i prefer either she / her or they / them pronouns , and i hail from the east coast ! i’m not gonna lie to ya’ll , i tend to write way too much for my own good , but i want to answer questions ya’ll might have without having to ask ! that being said , here’s everything to know about chloe !
* 𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐠𝐨𝐬 here and do i have the tea for you . 𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐞 is back in bridgehampton for the summer , living off the 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 family $𝟒𝟖𝐛 net worth . must be nice to come back home to the hamptons , i wonder what her fellow class of 2017 grads think of her return . you know , she was known around town as the 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 and for bhs senior superlatives she was crowned as 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐲 . i wonder if that still holds true today , a lot can change when you go off to 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 and study 𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 . either way , i bet she is still very 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 , 𝐝𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 , 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 and 𝐭𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 - 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 . hopefully this time next year the plans to 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 come true . in the meantime , i look forward to seeing her blast 𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢 - 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 at every hamptons function . it’s going to be a wild summer home , welcome back .
trigger warning(s) : bullying .
𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 : chloe moon .
𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 : chlo , coco , loey .
𝐚𝐠𝐞 + 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 : 21 + november 10th , 1999 .
𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 : scorpio , sagittarius moon and scorpio sun .
𝐦𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 - 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 : istp ; a virtuoso .
𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 : neutral evil .
𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 : the challenger .
𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 + 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬 : cis female + she / her .
𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 : sydney , new south wales , australia .
𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 : bridgehampton , new york .
𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : bisexual .
𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : biromantic .
𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : social media influencer , heiress , and student .
𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 : korean - australian .
𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 : australian .
𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 : english , korean , japanese , and mandarin .
i. prosopography .
chloe’s life story begins with the accidental meeting of her parents , moon dae - hyun and kim eun - ha . during that time , the two were living in seoul , south korea and their names were known throughout the social scene of seoul . eun -ha is the son of one of the wealthiest men in south korea , kim han - bin . kim han - bin is the son of the man who started moon industries , a real estate and construction conglomerate that was founded in the 1940s . the company was founded in seoul , and originally started out by purchasing and renovating the beautiful homes and condominiums within the city . after about thirty years in the business , han - bin’s father was one of the first in south korea to reach the status of billionaire .
eun - ha grew up in a life of privilege , whereas dae - hyun grew up in a world where he had to work for everything he wanted . that didn’t stop him from pursuing a degree at seoul national university . where he obtained a degree in architecture . so , when they bumped into one another on the prestigious school’s campus , it was love at first sight . they were so in love , in fact , that the couple married a year of knowing each other . dae - hyun accepted a job designing buildings and homes under kim han - bin , and the two welcomed their first daughters into the world . natalie and nicole were welcomed into the world , and the family lived comfortably in their not - so modest condo in seoul .
within three years , the young family was relocating to sydney , australia as the family business continued to expand . little did the couple know , they were pregnant with their next daughter . six months after moving to sydney , and completely unexpected as she wasn’t due for another three days , their baby girl chloe decided that she was ready to come into the world in the bath tub . they called for an ambulance , but chloe wasn’t one to wait , so she was soon being born into her father’s shaking hands only five minutes after her mother’s water broke . chloe was a beautiful bundle of joy and was a fun baby to be around .
chloe spent her formative years in australia , attending one of the best schools in sydney . during those years , chloe picked up on various talents , most notably playing the cello and developing her skills in ballet . after about six years in sydney , the family decided that they were going to leave the down under and head to the states , where the family was most interested in expanding the company . originally , they settled in atlanta , georgia and after two years ( along with the birth of chloe’s younger sister kai ) , but they moved to bridgehampton at the start of chloe’s seventh grade year .
she easily made friends due to her extroverted nature , but she also faced unexpected bullying . upon moving to the hamptons , her parents were already known because of their purchasing of many of the homes on the island . the family home was one of the largest and most expensive on the island , alongside an equestrian facility . the family was already different from those around them , and thus when chloe started school , she was treated poorly . while everyone around them had money , it was no secret that the moon family lived a life of luxury . chloe was dropped off by chauffeured cars and only wore the best of the best , and it didn’t help that she was whip smart .
chloe was a target of bullying because everyone assumed she thought she was better than them because of her family’s wealth and her grades , but every time she tried to defend herself , she was only mocked because of her australian accent . her spellings was different alongside her wording and phrases , and chloe didn’t know how to handle the constant ridicule . eventually , while still in middle school , she kept to herself and kept up her good grades as it was expected by her parents . she constantly studied hard and began fighting back against the teachers who marked down her assignments because she was allegedly spelling wrong to get the grades she deserved . chloe endured the bullying until the focus was set on someone else , and over the summer before the start of high school , chloe returned to school almost as a brand new person .
high school aged chloe was no longer afraid to defend herself in fear that she was going to be mocked because of her accent . she pursued her passions , joining various clubs and organizations that interested her : tsa , national honor society , student government ( as president ) , and orchestra , where she played first chair cello for all four years . the shy and sweet chloe that people knew before was no longer , as she took refused to roll over since that was not how her parents raised her to be . upon her graduation from high school , chloe graduated as first in their class , and after being accepted into the schools she applied to ( cornell university , the university of pennsylvania , and brown university ) , chloe announced that she was going to cornell for mechanical engineering .
ii. temperament .
due to the bullying she faced as a pre - teen , chloe has become someone who doesn’t hold her tongue anymore . she’s very blunt and is openly against those who really are being bitchy for no given reason . she’s not mean outright , but definitely responds to that kind of energy whenever it’s dished out .
through the years , she began to notice how much her family was really worth , and that developed a true superiority complex . while she doesn’t verbally brag all the time , it’s not unheard of for her to drop subtle jabs here or there while mentioning what she has or laughing at what someone else may lack . she does not like those who are overly nice , and a better way to put it is that chloe’s the mean friend .
she’s not stone cold , though because she doesn’t pretend as though she doesn’t have emotions or is incapable of sympathy / compassion . she’s nice to those who don’t start mess , but if you’re that type then chances are she’ll return that same energy . she likes a challenge and she naturally tends to create chaos for the sake of doing it ( insert cheryl blossom’s iconic , ‘ i’m in the mood for chaos , ’ quote here . )
iii. headcanons .
being a part of cornell’s engineering program comes with a lot of being annoyed every day . it’s filled with a lot of m*n who looked down on her because she’s a woman ( gross ) and even made the jokes wondering if she was in the right class . it mostly stems from the fact that chloe went to class in looks and not looking like she rolled out of bed every day . she never snapped back at them , but she remains as the number one student and those same m*n fight for her to be on their teams .
although majoring in mechanical engineering because her family works in construction and real estate , she focuses in sports engineering because she wants to develop sports for the better . she wants to create state of the art sports facilities , design sports equipment , develop performance and safety standards , as well as coaching and training tools .
chloe will 100% stir the pot so don’t tell her your deepest secrets or she’ll find a way to make it known . whether that’s via being shady or toting the news to her friends , she’ll spill your tea and own the fact that she did .
while she loves her designer clothes and accessories , chloe is most comfortable when her contacts are replaced with her glasses and she’s wearing loungewear . i envision her as having jennie’s iconic long hair , so she’s definitely developed a habit of constantly brushing her hair out of her face or pulling it up into a bun only to continue messing with it .
she doesn’t drive her own car because she finds it to be dumb ! just kidding , she doesn’t really like driving but she was never given her own car because she simply didn’t want one . that being said , though , she can usually be seen riding around in her dad’s bentley bentayga .
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The Sun Always Rises ‘verse, a timeline
Today, February 28th, as of about 2 am, it will have been three years since I first posted The Sun Always Rises. I am immensely proud of what this story became over the years and the universe it created. One thing I always loved while writing TSAR and still love today and, let’s be real, always will love is seeing readers engage with the ‘verse in their own ways. Fics, playlists, fanart! I am continuously overwhelmed by your engagement.
listen, the most tender of my years as a writer were spent as a roleplayer, collaborative writing/world-building is everything to me. so, what better way to nurture that collaborative spirit than to release an extensive timeline of what I have in my mind thus far! I would love to see you guys add your own spin or fill in your own blanks to it. Let’s talk headcanons! Let’s make those headcanons straight-up TSAR canon!!
I’m hoping to keep adding important dates as I continue this ‘verse, because - Yes! I do have sequels planned, and yes, they will come out someday! & I would also love to hear any feedback on dates/timeline particulars that you guys would like to see. This timeline only covers the timeline of Scanlan and Pike’s story, but perhaps I should go further into the past and talk about things like...When exactly did Grog join the Trickfoot family? What’s the timeline on the twins arriving in Westruun again? Wait, how old are Kima and Allura compared to Pike and Keyleth? Anything! You let me know!
Let’s keep the collaboration going! ☀️
to start, some basic information:
Pike’s birthday: May 1990
Scanlan’s birthday: August 1986
Grog’s birthday: October 1986 (held back a year in school due to the trial and transition of him moving from his uncle’s custody to Wilhand’s_
and now let’s begin!
Scanlan and Pike first meet at Grog and Scanlan’s orientation week for college in August 2005
Scanlan just turned 19
Grog will be turning 19 in October
Pike is 15, going into her sophomore year of high school
During his freshman year, Scanlan records a couple demos and tries to peddle copies to as many people on his campus as possible. While visiting one weekend, he gave Pike a signed copy, which she thought was funny (but she still has it) and she took a handful back to distribute around school because Scanlan bought her froyo and she promised she would
Scanlan (20) is found by a talent scout during the Winter of 2006/7 while playing small taverns during winter break and is rush-signed to the Golden Grin. He resolves to stay in school, however, for the sake of his mother. However, juggling recording and song-writing with school work proves too difficult and, in Spring 2007, as his second year of college nears an end, he drops out
Grog (20) drops out with him, throwing himself full force into the fighting career he’d been low-key building up amongst amateur circles
Pike (16) is in her junior year of high school.
Scanlan (20) releases his first single in July 2007 to lukewarm acclaim, and his label immediately thrusts him out into the touring junket to try and get him seen.
Scanlan (21) releases his second single in December 2007, after months of grueling touring, and it’s a big hit. He’s an overnight success, played across stations nationwide. As he’s fielding congratulations from left and right, he receives the news that his mother was murdered in a break-in gone wrong.
He’s allowed (barely) a month to grieve before he’s thrown back into the limelight. Press. More shows. Finalizing his freshman album.
Scanlan (21) releases his first album, Royal, in June 2008. There was one more single released beforehand. He’s touring off-and-on the entire time, mostly as an opening act with a few small venue headliners.
Pike (18) graduates from high school in June 2008. A week later, she sets off on her world travels with Scanlan’s album as her backdrop.
Scanlan begins touring for Royal in July 2008.
Pike (18, almost 19) returns from her world travels in March 2009.
Near the end of his headline tour and after her return from her world travels, Scanlan (22) and Pike (19) see each other for the “second first time” in July 2009 at Grog’s (22) first headliner fight against his long-estranged cousin, Zanror.
it’s the night that their relationship dynamic changes from “kid sister/big brother’s friend” to flirty asides and shy glances.
While still touring and adjusting to his new celebrity status, Scanlan begins work on his new album. After touring ends in late July 2009, he throws himself into collaborations with other artists within the industry.
During Spring Break 2010, Pike (20) visits Scanlan’s (23) new mansion along with her brother, Grog (23). [please refer to this work of art by the legend, jabletown]
In between Royal and Aubergine, Scanlan releases the Wine – EP in July 2010. It showcases songs that will eventually show up on his sophomore album and includes another chart-topping single that sustains his place in the zeitgeist until his next album.
Scanlan (24) releases his second album, Aubergine, in February 2011.
Scanlan tours Aubergine (March 2011-Feb 2012). At some point during the tour, Pike attends a show. Scanlan and her have some flirtations, but it doesn’t go anywhere. Mostly because Scanlan gets overwhelmed by the fact that, “Holy shit. She’s actually flirting back with, like, equal intensity and intent” and he freaks out, and Pike finds him later making out with someone else. Nice one, Scanman.
Half-way through the tour dates (Feb 2012), at the after-party of some award show, Scanlan coked out of his mind causes a big media scene. When he goes unresponsive during the car ride back to his hotel, he’s rushed to the hospital. He goes into rehab the first time (Feb 2011-May 2011). Dranzel takes over his management.
Despite Dranzel’s encouragement for him to take a break, Scanlan resumes touring in July 2011. He finishes touring in December 2011.
Scanlan relapses again in September 2012. Pike sends him her letter. Scanlan is 26. Pike is 22. He attends rehab from September 2012-January 2013.
Pike (23) graduates from college in June 2013. She worked at the temple throughout her studies but, with the addition of her degree, Wilhand increases her responsibilities.
After exiting rehab, Scanlan jumps right back into working. He releases a couple of stand-alone singles, as well as a couple of collaborations with other artists. He makes his rounds around the music world, as if showing off that – Look! He’s clean and back again! Probably stars in a movie while, in the background, he writes for other artists.
In his personal life, he’s thrown himself full force into the recovery program. And everything’s great! He’s so busy that he has no time to think about drugs!
During this time, there is more back-and-forths between Scanlan and Pike. Nothing substantial but little somethings, nonetheless. This is when Scanlan makes a lot of promises to Grog about visiting, but he never falls through, always too afraid that he’s not ready to face Pike yet. Not yet.
In June 2014, he tweets ‘#E6E6FA’, the color code for Lavender. He follows the tweet up with more cryptic social media posts that hint of his presence back in the studio.
Scanlan releases the first single to his upcoming album in late September 2014. It is included on an EP in February 2015, the EP includes previously unreleased B-sides from Aubergine. Scanlan releases it with an apology for the long wait.
Wilhand suffers an accident in early November 2015. Grog leaves competitive fighting to be close to home. Pike takes over as Head Cleric at the temple. Pike is 25. Scanlan is 29.
November 15, on the night before her first sermon, Scanlan and Pike have late night Skype call. This is when Scanlan writes ‘Late Night Angel’, a last minute addition to his album tracklist.
Scanlan releases his third album, Lavender, in May 2016. The touring is far less intense than for Aubergine. He plays primarily within the US with a few big shows in big-ticket international cities. The Lavender tour runs from late May 2016-December 2016.
Afterwards, Scanlan goes radio silent. He’s beginning to run out of steam. Recovery feels repetitive and pointless. Pike never made it to any of his Lavender shows. His grand plans to woo her were never seen to fruition. Though they communicate regularly, he feels more alone than ever. With no drugs or parties or touring to distract him, Scanlan begins to spiral again.
The Sun Always Rises starts in March 2018.
Chapter 17 takes place in March 2019.
Scanlan does a small, “farewell” tour from April 2019-September 2019.
#Pikelan#The Sun Always Rises#im still working on that chapter 10 Scanlan POV fic#hopefully it'll be finished sometime this weekend! 🤞#and yes i know - in true TSAR fashion - i'm posting this at dead hours
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insert a GOOD tik tok reference here ! hey , i’m izzy ( my middle name , my actual first name is lola , but i thought having my character’s nickname and my name be the same might be confusing , but you can call me either ! ) , i use she / her pronouns , i live in the est timezone and i haven’t left my home in a solid FIFTY-THREE days ! i’m so , so , so excited for this group and to finally give netflix even more real estate in my brain — they really do own this ass !
( ester expósito , cisfemale , she / her , muse b ) — oh my god, i totally just saw PALOMA VIDAL walking through greenwich village ! you know, she plays VALENTINA ROMERO on that new netflix show, the village ? i can’t believe they’re already famous at TWENTY. i’ve watched all of their interviews, and they totally come off as BRAZEN and STOIC, but they can also be DEBONAIR and CONSCIENTIOUS. based on their social media, i’d describe LOLA like ( script pages covered in notes , silver rings , iced matcha on a warm day , coconut-scented sunblock ) — totally makes sense that people call them THE PRODIGY.
𝐢. 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬
full name : paloma isabella vidal.
nicknames : lola , loma & palo.
age : twenty.
birthday : september 15 , 1999.
sun sign : virgo.
gender : cisfemale.
pronouns : she / her / hers.
romantic orientation : heteroromantic.
sexual orientation : heterosexual.
relationship status : tbd !
passports : spanish & american.
languages spoken : spanish , english & a few words of french.
label : the prodigy.
pinterest board : click here !
faceclaim : ester expósito.
height : 5'5".
eye color : hazel.
hair color : blonde.
dominant hand : left.
tattoos : a moon on her left shoulder blade , which she got in memory of the long nights she spent on the beach in california ( malibu nights by lany , anyone ? )
positive traits : debonair , conscientious.
negative traits : brazen , stoic.
enneagram type : type seven , the enthusiast.
hogwarts house : gryffindor.
𝐢𝐢. 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
paloma was born to cristian and alina vidal ( respectively a producer for film and television , and a retired actress turned director ) in los angeles in september 1999 , and grew up in the GLITZ of hollywood from a young age. though many would think a life of premieres , backstage passes and paparazzi would go straight to a little girl’s head , paloma’s parents both made sure her life was kept as normal as possible. she was raised in l.a. , and spent most of her time either in school , or by the water.
despite her parents’ backgrounds and careers , it was never really written in the stars for paloma to follow in their footsteps. growing up , she was a particularly active and outdoorsy child , with a penchant for sailing , surfing ( see her HEADCANONS below for more on her surfing ! ) and photography. guidance counselors thought she might choose to become a pro athlete of some kind , or perhaps some kind of sports journalist or photo-reporter.
throughout high school , she felt a certain lack of direction , feeling torn between her childhood interests and the pull of hollywood , and what she’d seen her parents do their whole lives. in her junior year of high school , the opportunity to audition for the role of audrey in her school’s rendition of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS came up. landing the role , and the subsequent weeks of rehearsals and performances , cemented the idea of a career in the arts for paloma.
she eventually made a move towards the industry by attending the savannah college of art and design ( scad ) , as a performing arts major. the opportunity to audition for the role of VALENTINA , in netflix’s upcoming show the village was brought up by one of her professors ( along with her parents’ connections ) , who urged her to travel to new york. within a few weeks , filled with travel and a flurry of online assignments , paloma landed the role and decided to move to new york full-time to be present for the filming of the show.
though she’s always been known as quite a workaholic , taking on the role of valentina has amplified it greatly. she’s usually the first in and last out on set ( actor-wise , at least ) and is known to prioritize making sure she knows her lines and blocking over beauty sleep. at present , this hasn’t devolved into anything too SERIOUS , but definitely could in the future ( will it be a slippery slope to a caffeine addiction and perhaps something more , or will she correct course in time ? stay tuned to find out ! )
𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚
VALENTINA ROMERO , known as val to friends , is the village’s resident pretty girl ( with a brain ). she’s what would result if serena van der woodsen , cher horowitz , cordelia chase , elle woods and summer roberts were put into a blender. from a prominent political family , she was raised between party fundraisers , easter egg hunts on the white house lawn , campaign trails and society gatherings.
much like SERENA , her life has happened under the warm glow of the spotlight , and things always seem to have come easy to her. she’s a little more tame than serena though , and rarely ends up on page six ( when she does end up in the pages of magazines , it’s usually for something a little more decent ).
much like CHER , she’s known for her fashion , and is the darling of amateur photographers in greenwich village. she’s not really the type to bring anyone down for their taste , but rather one to remark when someone wears something she’s into.
much like CORDELIA , she’s not one to bite her tongue when something’s on her mind. she’s got a sharp wit , and adores honesty over everything else. again , she’s not known to bring people down for sport , but will rebut anything that comes her way if it’s meant to be damaging to her , her family or her friends.
much like ELLE and SUMMER , she’s a lot smarter than she looks. she doesn’t always try as hard as muse a , but often ends up with good grades anyway. she’s often underestimated by group project members or fellow students , who see her as the stereotypical DUMB BLONDE. proving them wrong is her favorite sport.
𝐢𝐯. 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬
she took up surfing at a young age , and made it her primarily source of exercise growing up. for a while , many thought she’d either go pro , or end up photographing surfers professionally. since moving to new york , she’s had to CHANGE workout regimes , but that hasn’t stopped her from decorating her apartment with surf memorabilia.
she loves experimenting with fashion , and is known for her BOLD red carpet looks. from bright colors to unusual materials , nothing is off limits ( as long as it’s ethical ! ) she chose her stylist specifically because both saw eye to eye when it came to taking a risk , rather than playing it safe.
her favorite scents are coconut sunblock and surf wax , which she found is CANDLE form and is always burning in her apartment when she’s running through lines , practicing her blocking , or hanging out with castmates / friends. it’s also one of her favorite ‘ first day of shooting ’ gifts for the cast and crew around her.
dried mango is her ABSOLUTE favorite snack , and she’s always carrying some around on-set. her mother used to give her that and frozen grapes growing up instead of candy ( since she has such a sweet tooth ) , and she’s been hooked ever since.
she’s not one to name-drop her parents’ connections and friends in the industry , but the one connection she’ll proudly let people know about ( when they ask ) is that , yes , hugh jackman is her godfather. he and her father met when the latter produced x-men in 2000 and have been INSEPARABLE ever since. if paloma’s ever able to fake a believable aussie accent , it’s thanks to hugh.
her script pages are usually covered in notes , made in pencil , highlighter , markers , or whatever else she can get her hands on. over the past few months , and during her time at scad , she found that jotting down her IMMEDIATE thoughts on a scene , her lines and / or her blocking always help her remember things better. she keeps all of her notes and script pages in binders back at her apartment , so she can always look back on her character arc and make sure she stays true to who valentina is.
𝐯. 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
give me the WILL THEY , WON’T THEY ? , where the paparazzi and magazine editors are all convinced there’s a relationship bubbling below the surface. and who wouldn’t ? paloma and your muse have incredible on-set chemistry , are always seen hanging out outside of work hours , and are expertly paired by their publicists during press rounds. that said , when removed from the flashes of the paparazzi , nothing seems to have transpired ( yet ).
give me a RYAN REYNOLDS TO MY JAKE GYLLENHAAL ( see this video ) , where our muses cannot be paired together for interviews anymore , after cracking jokes every five seconds instead of promoting the village. they’re fused at the hip on-set , and are usually the ones to go live on instagram during filming breaks , to the delight of fans.
give me an EX , because working with someone you used to date ( or just sleep with ! ) creates so many great possibilities. was it awkward for them to see each other’s names in the press when casting for the village was revealed ? or did one ( or both ) of them see it as an opportunity to build a friendship ? are they jealous on-set , or can they keep it together ?
give me CHILDHOOD FRIENDS , with bonus points if the friendship exists because of their families’ ties to the film & tv industry. if people dig deep enough through google images , there’s bound to be a picture of them together as children on some red carpet. perhaps the years of knowing each other have turned them into best friends , or maybe they now can’t stand the sight of each other. after all , hollywood can get competitive and ugly.
give me the BROTHER SHE’S NEVER HAD , who teases her mercilessly , but will always protect her from the paparazzi. they’re protective of one another and are each other’s rock in the new world that is sudden overnight fame.
give me the PLATONIC LIFE PARTNER , whom paloma loves more than her own self. they have the login information to all her devices , they text people back in her stead , they sleep in the same bed , they readjust each other’s clothing on red carpets. one is rarely seen without the other , and the village’s fans revel in the two’s friendship.
i also have a full WANTED CONNECTIONS tag right here , if you want to peruse and find something that suits you , your muse and your own wc !
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( Alberto Rosende + NB Man + He/They ) isn’t that Carlos Tavor over there singing? they’ve been in bloom for one year and I didn’t know they did that. somehow i know they’re a twenty-six-year-old stage tech. i’m pretty sure they’re bi with a strong preference for men and i heard they’re into hair pulling + oral fixation they’re staying at bloom court so maybe you stand a chance. ♡ penned by Terry & pacific & he/they/it
mic.off: Hey!! My name is Terry and I’ll be penning for Carlos and another baby ( hopefully ) sdlfkj I haven’t been in a group RP in a while and I'm very excited. I'm twenty-five and I’m an nb trans man as well as being gay sdljkf Carlos is a new muse that I have yet to write for so bare with me if he’s not totally realized. Here’s some info about him! Apologies I’m not the BEST at writing bios. There are two people mentioned in his bio Iris and Iris’ ex-boyfriend, both id’ totally love to see realized here in wanted connections if anybody is at all interested.
Name: Carlos Alvaro Tavor
Age: Twenty six
Sexuality: Bi with a heavy preference for men, he’s not at all opposed to being with a woman and is attracted to them it’s just basically easier for a man/male aligned person to get in bed with him or have a flirty romantic relationship than for a binary woman
Gender: NB man, he’s amab but like what the fuck is gender anyway?
Family and friends: Carlos has four sisters, one mother, three best friends back home and little to no friends at bloom. He tends to focus all his energy and attention into his job so even if you know him, he’s only been there about a year so it’s likely he won’t consider anyone a friend yet. His father passed away in an incident he doesn’t wish to discuss.
Sexually: Carlos is a verse, he tends to prefer being the submissive one but most definitely enjoys dominating the situation as well. Top or bottom is fine real men get pegged and he has an oral fixation and loves giving head to his partners regardless of what they have going on. He’s kinda into dirty talk but if you try and get him to speak Spanish during sex he’s just gonna fuckin leave lskjdhfjsdfg he has no patience for that Latin lover bullshit
Bio: Carlos was born the youngest of five children and the first and only boy of his parents. His father died when he was about two years old and only he, his family and his best friend Iris really know all the details, he really clams up when asked about it.
When he was four he met Iris, an Irish girl who would later turn out to be his very best friend.
They were inseparable and saw each other through so many hardships, their families even becoming very close and Iris’ father and Carlos’ mother even grew closer as well.
Carlos lived a pretty basic childhood if you asked hi. He picked up music from a very young age as a way to stay connected to his Cuban roots, learning the guitar, piano and how to sing. He could never get lessons because his mother was working three jobs to support five children ( his two oldest sisters also had part-time jobs while attending high school ) so he would never even consider asking. He considered it a blessing when he got his acoustic for his fourteenth birthday, crying when his mom told him she’d been saving up for it since he was ten and she saw him dancing around the living room strumming an air guitar to some of his favorite songs. He hugged his mom and promised to keep it safe and loved ( which he has, he still owns it to this day though it’s age is beginning to show a bit he’s never let any harm come to it )
When he entered high school is when things got, complicated. He was still a pretty average guy, he loved comics and videogames and anime, he joined band and theater as a stage tech. There he found his other calling, production. Turns out he was just as comfortable behind the stage as he was on it and was a natural leader with keeping things in check and order. Freshman year was also a big change for him because of Iris’ boyfriend, and not ... why you’d think. Or maybe exactly why you’d think cause he’s a giant gay cliche. He ended up being very attracted to the tall, intimidating heterochromatic jock.
which was, scary. like really really scary because he felt he’d never really been THAT into guys before. Sure he’d thought guys were hot but .. so do most guys right? Yeah no. Throughout his freshman year, Carlos quickly realized he was more in the middle of the Kinsey scale, finding attraction in men, women and pretty much everyone he met depending on the person. Iris supported him fully in this discovery, though never knowing about his massive crush on her then-boyfriend, and even helped him understand his gender confusion and pick up the non-binary label and they pronouns.
Which, is why come junior year when Iris is doubting her own sexuality, Carlos had her back and helped her come to realize she was, in fact, a lesbian. Her at the time boyfriend was surprisingly perfectly okay and supportive and stayed close friends with them both which just made Carlos fall even more smitten with the stupid sexy het jock goddamnit.
Enough about his highschool pining drama, Carlos graduated with honors and worked his ass off to get a full-ride scholarship to a moderately known performing arts school where he honed his skills both behind and on the stage as a performer for years. Graduating with a degree in music production with a minor in stage management.
With the support of two of his best friends he launched himself into the world and was, immediately exhausted and sad. Playing bar after underpaying bar, working low pay low appreciation stage tech and management jobs he was almost ready to quit the music industry entirely were it not for his sisters and Iris especially. Eventually, Iris ex saw an advertisement saying bloomfest was looking for new stage crew and tried to convince Carlos to go saying this would be good for him and help him find a place where his talent and craft are truly appreciated.
After talking it over with Iris, his mom, his sisters he found they all agreed and said he should go so, taking a chance his basic ass never thought he would he packed up his bags and moved to bloomfest as a permanent resident and employee. While he hasn’t been there long he’s made a name for himself as a reliable tech who will go above and beyond to get what you need and get it done even if he’s a bit grumpy about it. While his official job is dealing with stage tech, he spreads himself wherever he is needed in bloomfest and can often be found doing many odd jobs around in bizarre places. It’s just the kind of person he is. Helpful to a fault.
Personality: He’s a bit grumpy seeming when you first meet him, but that’s just because of how little sleep the idiot gets. He’s actually an absolute puppy if you don’t upset him. Loyal to a fault, eager to please and always willing to make friends if it’s not getting in the way of his work. He’s a bit more, bitter towards musicians at Bloom fest simply because he’s jealous, and a bit sick of catering to the needs of over specific spoiled musicians and recieving no credit for his hard work or even a thank you. Don’t take it personal, if you have a good additude he’s likely to warm up fast. He’s always down to play flirt or real flirt really, he’s a fuckign flirt of flirts nobody is safe ( unless they say like hey im uncomfortable don’t do that then of course he’d stop but you get the idea ) He’s got a passion for music and creative arts, and a special love for comics, videogames and anime. Due to his oral fixation you’ll often see him with hard candy or gum or his batman shaped chewey necklace! He’s also FIERCELY protective of women so watch out for that cause he can and will punch you.
Strengths: Loyal, skilled, charming, kind, creative, hard working.
Weaknesses: Too trusting, quick to solving things on his own without thinking, stretches himself too thin, kinda snippy at times, closed off to really falling in love due to emotional traumas from his past,
#bloom.intro#bloomselfie#holy frikoli this is the most iv'e written about a character in a while#mic.off
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Misha Collins cant keep track of his own lies.
Misha ''I was a homeless kid' Collins was interviewed by an art magazine, because apparently he is very artsy fartsy. Whilst given the opportunity to speak about his supposedly favoritist subject: himself, Misha couldn't remember all the fallacies he had spouted over the years. I guess Misha figured his mostly underage, deranged fanbase might be too busy, furiously fingering themselves to badly written fanfiction, to actually read something from an intellectual source. Something tells me that, just like in the mugging case, this reporter wasn't quite buying his lies. Here are some of the highlights, with Misha's self-indulgent rambling in italics, and with my running commentary in bold [the interviewer is in bold italics]:
''Like most kids, I liked making things with my hands, and my mother helped facilitate this when I was pretty young. But I followed that impulse to an apprentice-level devotion. I would seek out woodworkers when I was 10 or 11, going into shops and learning how to use a lathe or – just asking. I grew up in western Massachusetts, and by the time I got into high school I was fully into this – just talking to people and learning things from them in person.''
So his hippy, drug addict mom who stashed pot down her youngest child's underwear for fear of being arrested, and who, for a short time, raised poor Misha in a car, honed his artistic skills when he was pretty young? When? When they were living in the woods? And using a bowl of ice as a refrigerator? So either his story of his childhood is greatly exaggerated or....yeah, that's all I got. How gullible does he think people are?
Then in high school, I needed a job, so I started doing some manual labor.
So whilst at his elite private school, where there are rich dads and moms dropping off their darlings every morning, Misha chooses manual labor. He likes to talk to people but he didn't speak to Mr and Mrs Moneybags? He could have been a petty gopher in one of their companies and fared better. After all, he needed a job. I wonder why he chose ''manual labor''? And why he chose to word it like that, instead of saying ''I became a carpenter's apprentice''. I guess it sounds honorable. That's is nothing dramatic about saying that you flip burgers at McDs. Saying that you work in a menial, underpaid job for a multimillion dollar company, does have a more dramatic feel to it.
I built that barn on my mother’s property. Our house had burned down, so with the insurance proceeds, we built that and...
Wait, wasn't Misha's mom a pothead who lived in a car for some time with her two children? Now, not only does she have property but she has the money to pay for insurance. When did you live in the car, Misha? When the house burnt down? Why didn't you live in that house you showed footage of, on twitter? Its a nice house, complete with Christmas stockings. It doesn't quite gel with your underprivileged childhood narrative, but nice nonetheless.
I worked a lot when I was in college, probably 30 hours a week most of the time. I did some handyman stuff, some carpentry stuff. After sophomore year, I took a year off. I interned at the [Clinton] White House, worked at NPR, became an EMT, started a summer camp for kids. It was a great year.
What is he? A career whore? So he was artsy fartsy, but he worked everywhere doing jobs that were unrelated to each other, instead of staying in his field of carpentry, and making money from that. He got EMT certification. Was it free? Did he pay for it with his tuition fees? What was the purpose of it, if making money for fees was of paramount importance? That doesn't make sense, because if he was working 30 hour weeks, when did he have time to study? The average work day is a tad longer, about 40 hours a week. And if he was studying and working, when was Superman sleeping? Why was he working so hard? To put himself to college, don'tcha know. Even though colleges offer student loans and don't accept their fees in installments. And yet, he took time off for one year after sophomore. Was it to make a lot of money for his tuition fees? Nope, it was to become an EMT and start a summer camp for kids. I guess summer camps are big business and you can pay off great debts if you start one. Good to know. His internment at the Whitehouse only lasted four months, and yet he has acquired all the knowledge there is to acquire, to become a political knowitall on twitter. Sidenote: Is it normal for internships at the Whitehouse to last, such a short time. I am genuinely curious, because it doesn't sound right.
This is where I think the interviewer started to sound like she was side-eyeing the wood working maestro and his yarns of tall tales.
After graduation you got into acting, and in 1999, you moved with Victoria to Los Angeles for film and television work. There, in 2001, you bought your first house. Tell us about it. You were a starving actor?
Yeah. Right after we bought it, our realtor said, “There’s a TV show that would like to shoot your house.” They brought this [house-hunting] couple through, and when we saw the episode, they had surveyed the house and were like, “We don’t want to touch this piece of s---.” It was a real wreck, had been seriously neglected. It was built in the 1920s, and built by people who weren’t carpenters, didn’t know what they were doing. It was built so poorly, and everything was sagging – the window frames, the eaves.
Can you believe that? The starving actor bought a house. Let that sink in. He recognized that the house was built by non-carpenters [how was this building standing. Twas a miracle, I tell you.] And despite being a starving actor with a small amount of money, and a knowledge of carpentry, he bought a house that was badly built by non-carpenters. So he knew he was buying a liability. Why?
The kitchen floor you put in is beautiful.
Yes, that’s gunstock, from a gun manufacturer in Northern California.
Mr Gun Free supporting the Gun manufacturing industry. Man, this guy is a hypocrite.
You lived in that first house for 11 years. Do you still own it?
We rent it out to some lovely people who love it, so it’s good.
Fun fact: Mr Humble Pie has two pieces of property. And he is making money off of one, but he chooses to attend cons with the same torn T-shirts from years ago, or has to fleece off of Jensen's wardrobe and generosity, otherwise he would be doing his panels naked, poor thing. Why doesn't he stop his cruises for a year, and use that money to buy decent threads? One shirt can last a few years. The lies are embarrassing, but miraculously his minions believe him.
On the way to this house, you became very successful with this hugely popular TV series. Life changed. Do you still manage to make time for handwork?
Yeah. I’ve discovered that I really like working. Work can be respite for me, and switching gears is really key. Going from working on scripts to working with my hands is therapeutic, for sure. I am still managing to work with my hands. I was just doing some woodworking yesterday. I do a lot of cooking. That’s a big part of my life, and also I think a barometer of emotional health. When I’m not cooking, it’s a sign that I’m too stressed out and I’ve got to dial things back a little bit. I do a lot of canning. I put up 120 jars of blackberry jam this fall.
What an irony! One of the greatest instigators of stress for his co-workers and their fans, gets stressed out himself. Yeah, guilt can do that. Plus, he likes quantifying accomplishments. That is why Gish exists. Quantity over quality.
Which artists inspire you?
I love Christo and Jeanne Claude, because of the mind-bending scale on which they’ve created things, like they’re rethinking what’s possible. I’m somebody who kind of likes to break rules, to bend rules when appropriate.
I could write a whole big post, on Misha's rule breaking and bending. From stealing Whitehouse property [and bragging about it] to telling fans about the scratched line in the Crypt which got Jensen a barrage of abuse on Twitter. The one thing that he spoke about that doesn't make sense is his story about almost getting arrested for reading a book on a building rooftop. It makes no sense. There is a portion of the story that is missing, I'm sure. Misha is a great exaggerator.
Have you turned any Supernatural castmates on to craft?
On a set, there’s tons of downtime, a lot of sitting and knitting and crocheting. And I have occasionally been in the mix there. Last year Jensen [Ackles], my co-star, walked up and saw me knitting, and he just looked at me and said, “Really?” But I could tell there was jealousy behind it, more than criticism. So I’ll teach him to knit, and it’ll be fine. We’ll get through this.
Will you look at that? There are around 70 people on set at any given time. Many of them must have seen Misha knitting. And look who Misha decided to mention. Was that a ''just in case, a nutty heller is reading this'' insertion? No mention is made of Jared, because who cares about him, right? Got to give the crowd what they want. I am side eyeing the knitting claim myself, because I do knit and having seen a photo of him knitting, I can safely say that, that is not how you grasp at the yarn. You knit with loose fingers because yarn is abrasive.
The first big project we did with Random Acts was we built an orphanage and community center in Haiti. I would not have thought that was a tackle-able enterprise if I didn’t have a background in building. Our biggest fundraising driver for the projects that we do – like building a school or an orphanage – is we bring folks down in groups of 25 or so to Haiti or to Nicaragua, and they help in the building process. We roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty.
Wow, he built the 500K orphanage with his own hands, but didn't think about lights for the children. His response regarding the lights was ''it's Haiti and it takes three f*cking years to get an electrician''. Wow, I am a third worlder too, but we have electricians. How backwards is Haiti that he couldn't find a single electrician in the whole country, to light the place up for the poor orphans? He couldn't squeeze in one electrician in the group of 25 or so. Are there no philanthropic electricians in his circles? My word, electricians are such selfish people, don't you think? They don't want to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. Why couldn't he just pay for one instead of waiting three years? Fun fact: According to their website, the orphanage, aka, the Jacmel children's center houses only 15 children, but another page says there are 27 children living in the house. They don't know how many children they are looking after. But that is still a small amount. So where did all these kids go?
Misha either staged this picture with school kids on an excursion or all those kids got adopted by the staggeringly high quantity of rich couples living in Haiti, right Misha? SMH
This question made me smirk. The interviewer had to know Misha has never been to public school. Look how Mr Bleeding Heart answers the question.
As we know, art programs in K-12 public schools these days are in decline, especially shop class, manual arts. How can we nurture creativity in kids, and why is that important?
When I was 9 years old, I had a paper route. One day my younger brother and I were collecting money, and Mr. Haigis answered the door. He started talking to us, and he discovered that our parents were separated, and we didn’t live with our father. In the 1960s, he had run a woodshop for little kids. He had stopped doing it because he got busy with his career. Now he was retired. These two boys show up delivering papers on his front stoop, and it just comes to him: “I’ve got to do the same thing for those kids.”
So Mr Haigis left all the poor, underprivileged children and decided to help these two boys who were going to an elite school? Sounds legit. What about public school children, Mr Haigis? Don't you care about them?
I was a starving actor for at least a decade.
Misha was a starving actor who worked on 24 projects before getting SPN, but he still managed to buy a house. Fun fact: he was an associate producer on a docu-movie, ''Loot'' which won best documentary at the LA film festival. His movie didn't need sock puppets to win this one. Misha should produce more. That way he wont be on screen, festering up the frame. The less we see of him, the better.
http://www.jacmelchildren.org/about/team/
http://www.jacmelchildren.org/
https://craftcouncil.org/magazine/article/builder-baker-angel-maker
#misha#jensen ackles#destiel#cockles#jenmish#jensen and misha#deancas#casdean#dean x castiel#castiel#cas#bi dean#dean is bi#dean and cas#jenmisheel#dean winchester#destiel headcanon#jdvm#misha collins#sam winchester#sam and dean#jensen and jared#wincest#supernatural#jared padalecki#padackles#performing dean#sabriel#sammy winchester#j2
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hello, hello !! my name is eleanor, i’m 21 and in the gmt timezone. this is celine, real name being celine zellmann, my ol’ solo artist. under the cut is a little more about her. please come and plot with me !!
↷ ･:*:･ﾟ☆ ( constance zimmer. forty six. cisfemale. she/her ) ↷ ( celine ) has been spotted by the paparazzi in los angeles. they are an ( a ) list celebrity known for their career as a ( pop & jazz singer ). they’re known by their fans to be ( compassionate, dedicated & innovative ) but the tabloids frequently portray them to be ( defeatist, impulsive & sensitive) . i wish them every success in the entertainment industry. [lady gaga vc]. (eleanor. 21. bst. she/her) ･:*:･ﾟ☆
this intro is more about her personally than her professional achievements; this will come later !!
born to german migrant parents, they always taught her to work hard for what she wanted. they were proud of her but always put a lot of pressure on her when she was at school; they wanted their daughter to succeed in academics and while she proved to be intelligent, she was always more drawn to arts.
she was an artist. loved to paint, sing and dance. her mother did enrol her into ballet but it was always too restrictive to her. she’d always be getting into trouble for adding her own spin or improvising in some way and that didn’t make her mother impressed that they were throwing away their money on her to disobey the teacher and her wishes to do well at it.
while she attended private school growing up, celine absolutely hated it. although she kept her head down, there was always someone picking up on what she was doing; she learned to ignore them. despite her insecure nature in adulthood, she was extremely confident in her younger years. sadly, people took this away from her as she started to be more open about writing her own songs and doing her own choreography. she tried to collaborate with friends at one point but her vision was too great and she needed control of all of it. thankfully, she has improved on letting people take the wheel and has had some very successful collabs with people.
as her parents were all about academics, they pushed her to get into julliard only for her to get in and quit when she was nineteen, in her first year. it all seemed a bit pointless to them and they were incredibly disappointed in her. with no secured job, she ended up working as a barmaid and singing in some dive bars before she was discovered at the age of twenty.
celine was young, maybe not younger than most but not old enough to know what she really wanted. although she was a person of great vision, she did let herself be controlled by her management. the young woman was sick of scraping by and needed some financial comfort; the only way that could happen was for her to make it big. it was all or nothing with her.
she was always worried about disappointing her parents and all those around her and that’s exactly what she felt like she did.
as if it were overnight, she had her big first hit at the age of twenty three and everything seemed to rush off from there. she brought out multiple albums and the tours shortly followed. celine was always so dedicated to them. whether the event was big or small, she’d put her everything into it. unfortunately, there were always people to give negative comments and even write her off altogether and she took all of this very personally and always has.
however, the bigger she got, the harder it got for her to cope with her fame. she was lead astray, she knew that and tried to resist but the party scene seemed to suck out her soul and she ended up doing some questionable things. it wasn’t that she was necessarily addicted to it but the people she was spending time with were toxic. celine’s insecurities heightened and all she wanted was to me loved and appreciated by other’s in the industry.
she’s a gay icon, i called it. she’s been openly bisexual but did receive a lot of backlash for it as people believed she was just out for attention, like her behaviour indicated. the tabloids would never leave her alone and her team just seemed to throw her to the wolves.
she was severely damaging herself for a while with this behaviour and it wasn’t until a stranger in a club took her to one side and was honest with her; she needed help to solve her issues instead of trying to ignore them. that person would be her ex husband. he had been honest with her fro day one and had tried to help her out of a place of concern, not because he wanted anything from her.
they were married and their daughter, tabitha, was born in 2009.
the two of them were happy for a while. celine was in therapy, she had taken a hiatus to explore the world of jazz after her daughter was born and she had a supportive husband. yes, she did mess up some days and go on the wrong path but he was patient with her and trusted that she would always find her way back home to him and tabs.
however, in 2011 she was involved in a car accident. a drunk driver was speeding, going out of control on turns and smashed into the car she was in. it look her a long time to get back on her feet. the woman hated that she couldn’t do things alone for the first year; her dignity was lost and she couldn’t really control anything. all she could think about was how this was the end of her career.
after the accident as she recovered, her relationship did deteriorate with her husband. she was bitter, depressed and there was only so much he could take from her. her pain never seemed to subside and it was tough on him. she did understand when the divorce came around and it was all under wraps until her manager leaked it to the press.
her comeback was in the year of 2013 but it was clear the accident had taken a toll on her both physically and mentally. she was able to get to a better physical health but she lacked the mentality behind it all. people around her continued to push her, even her new team and it just made her pain worse.
celine was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2015 a
she is back but feels like she’s too old for a comeback. she’s just come off her tour (managed to get to the end of it) but her body is failing her and she sees all of these up and coming stars that just remind her that if she’s not considered one of the greats by now (which she is with gaga’s vc let’s not lie to ourselves) then she’ll just be forgotten about. she has earned a lot of money but it’s not everything. she constantly fights with her ex about the well-being of their daughter and he has a few things to say about her public behaviour; he does care about her, he just doesn’t know how to put that into words anymore. he has moved on and is remarried but that doesn’t stop him caring about her family.
her daughter tabitha absolutely loves her. she’s sad that she doesn’t get to see her as much as she likes as celine’s constantly throwing herself into her work but the girl thinks the absolute world of her. don’t get me wrong, tabitha is a savage nine year old and she does lecture her mom on a few things but deep down, she’s using up her humor to cover up the worry she has for the woman. she can tell when her mother’s either having a bad day, in pain or both and she doesn’t like it at all.
celine is frequently featured on tabitha’s youtube channel, mostly centred around her mother and annoying her to death !! it’s funny but savage; she gets away with it because she’s cute. tabs is very honest and that’s honestly great for her mother, she helps to keep her grounded. despite her reluctance, she has started taking tabitha to red carpet events because the little girl is so interested in it. she wants to become a comedian and the president so needs to get all the exposure she can get.
say something bad about tabitha to celine’s face and that’s it, you’re done.
as her pain worsens, she’s being dramatic and thinking of quitting the industry completely. she’s such a creative person and a talented piano player/songwriter, she should look over all her options but she is so quick to become defeatist.
the media just makes everything worse as she’s getting really sick of the drama it causes. she’s reaching fifty and she knows that her levels of insecurity aren’t normal.
personality traits:
protective, caring, humorous, empathetic, good-natured, loyal, nurturing, charismatic, approachable.
impulsive, self-depreciating, obsessive, defeatist, sensitive, over-emotional, neglectful, insecure.
all in all, celine has a heart of gold but does have her issues. she is one of the greats, even if people don’t necessarily like her and she has dabbled in a lot of musical genres over the years. please come and plot with me !!
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Daisy Duck: HR Style
I might have gone a little overboard about this, but uh...there are no regrets. @donaldtheduckdad and @robinine-blog
Daisy Duck alternatively known as Daisy Miranda-Duck (canon/fanon)
She grew up with her mother, father, brother, and sister in the Industrial District. Her family were lower class/poor. I know there is the possibility that the brother is HDL’s father, but…I don’t think it’s going to be case in this one.
Donna and Daisy were born in Mouseton, raised in Duckburg. They’re twins.
Has an older brother. David?
Donna has the triplets with an ex-boyfriend who leaves shortly before they’re born.
Daisy is attending St. Canard University majoring in Human Resources with a minor in Illustration/Art.
Did not want children. Wasn’t planning to ever have kids, and biologically can’t by time she’s 27.
Donna suffers from untreated PPD. After six months, she bails on her daughters, and leaves for Mexico to live with relatives.
Daisy’s parents cannot handle this so Daisy steps up. Brother helps too, but he has his own family.
Donna signs off her parental rights and lives it up in Mexico for a while.
Daisy barely finishes school due to the whole strain of it all. Her dad gets sick, mom is overwhelmed, and there are three babies that need to be cared for.
Gets her first job right out of school working for a company where sexism is rampant, and she goes like… “@%!# all of you because you need me more than I need you,” she’s totally BSing but the boss likes her spunk, “and I’m bringing these babies with me. Fight me.”
This quickly becomes fact when Daisy handles so many issues in a short matter of time. She’s an efficient. A+++ worker.
Under a cut because I had too much fun with this.
Daisy and Donald briefly dated. They quickly realize they can’t handle their relationship while raising toddlers, so they end on friendly terms although they don’t keep in touch like they want to.
Daisy’s artwork gains the interest of Scrooge McDuck.
He needs a new painter. His old friend, Mr. Barks, past away some time ago, and he needs someone to paint all of these cool adventures he’s having with his family!
Daisy works in HR at the company and makes a fairly decent living. Could be she works for Flintheart Glomgold, but does artwork on the side for extra cash.
Daisy is 1000% done with HR business. She is a constant victim of TMI from her coworkers and employees. She has a 401K, great health and dental insurance, and annual is a beast when she decides to use it. She sucks up the pain,
She and the girls travel occasionally for vacation. Last out of city vacation was five years ago to Disney World.
Visits the House of Mouse semi-regularly.
She still dated Minnie during college up to her senior year. They’re best friends still.
Glomgold is an ass, but is actually a decent boss under normal business situations. If you’re on an adventure though, he’s going to leave you to die if it benefits him.
“Glad to see the kraken failed in killing you sir. The board will be pleased.”
“Don’t let it choke you up, Ms. Duck!”
Daisy lived with her parents for a long time. A house/apartment wasn’t an option on her salary. At the time of the series’ start, she recently purchased a nice home for her parents, but her parents weren’t having it. Her parents now live with her instead of the other way around, and it works for them.
AMJ attend the same school as HDL, but they don’t hang in the same social circles.
Daisy is not nearly as protective of the girls as Donald is of the boys. Daisy grew up near Duckburg’s Industrial District in a small house, and definitely has a street kid mindset, or street adult?
Daisy and Donald meet again during a mission that involves Glomgold and Scrooge.
“What are you doing here, Daisy?”
“I’m here on a job. Can you tell Mr. Duck I’ll need an extension on that portrait?”
Daisy is a part of HR, and due to the Atlantis incident, the HR is on Glomgold. She’s there as an investigator.
“Mr. Glomgold, threatening to murder Scrooge McDuck and his family as part of a sinister agenda is not in our policy manual, and it promotes an unhealthy work environment.”
“Are you serious, Ms. Duck.”
“As serious as my niece is when selling her Little Chickadee cookies. Also, that time is coming up, and if you want the Snickerdoodle Delights this year...”
“They are?”
“Would you like some, sir?”
“…Sign me up for five boxes.”
“Make sure you fill out this form. Sign here and here.”
Oh yeah, Daisy is a cookie pusher at the office. Flintheart Glomgold hates buying those cookies, but they are absolutely delicious. He can’t actually buy out the Little Chickadees. He’s tried. They said no.
Daisy is not afraid of Flintheart Glomgold, and he knows it. She knows it too, and so they’ve got an unorthodox boss-employee relationship going on.
She reminds him…, “I am not your secretary. I am the Associate Director of Human Resources.”
Yep, she was there when Glomgold hired Donald.
“Sir, Mr. Duck applied for the accountant position. It’s already been filled.”
“He’s going to be a sailor.”
“Mr. Duck attended an accredited program and passed the CPA exam with flying colors. You can’t believe he’s going to accept a sailor position at extremely low pay due to his Naval history.”
“Someone desperate for money will.”
“Is this a part of some pre-mediated scheme to become the richest duck of the world, and you’re going to use Scrooge McDuck’s nephew as leverage?”
“That is an oddly specific plan, Ms. Duck, and…no?”
“I certainly hope not, because it would be a shame if this made its way to the Board as well as my boss, The Director of Human Resources.”
Daisy is a 5th degree black belt in Aikido. It was her way of dealing with stress. It did a lot of good for her. A lot of good.
Donald asks Daisy out in the middle of a monster struggle.
“RIGHT NOW OF ALL TIMES, DONALD!” grips snack and whips around at bad guys
“BETTER LATE THAN EVER, AMIRIGHT?”
Loses her absolute mind when a bad guy tears up April’s cookie order form, and shows Donald and everyone else why they should fear and respect Daisy Duck.
“YOU WORTHLESS LEATHER TOTE. GIVE ME BACK MY BABY’S COOKIE FORM.”
“Aye, where can I get her number?”
“Oi! Get your own Daisy Duck! She’s my secretary!”
“WELL, SHE’S MY PAINTER.”
“WHATEVER HE’S PAYING I’LL DOUBLE IT.”
“Mr. Glomgold, we both know you’re lying, and I am not…you know what, forget it. I’m taking annual today. PAID VACATION, do you hear me.”
Lowkey doesn’t want to admit how attracted she is to Donald, and finds tons of little faults before Minnie and Clarabelle admit that she’s got it bad. They exchange phone numbers.
“You are a human disaster, Donald Duck.”
“…Oh.”
“So am I. Half the time I’m too out of it to give a damn. Here’s my number. It’s good seeing you again, and the boys look great.”
“Aren’t they such good boys?”
“They really are. Huey is adorable! I’m sure he and my April will get along.”
Spoiler: They don’t. Well, not at first.
Donald and Daisy end up getting called to the principal’s office after a Woodchuck v. Chickadee debate went out of hand.
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#ChoicesCreates: Travel
Title: Eshajōri (#LoveHacks)
Summary: Eshajōri - “people meet, always part”; the concept that expresses the idea about the impermanence of all things, that every human relationship will end someday due to the transient nature of life. Julie Nagarkar (MC) writes an article for Typewriter Keys where she interviews various people she met during her travels. Featuring MCs from other Choices stories and HSS.
@angelschoices @hollyashton
Ever since coming to San Francisco, I’ve been thinking a lot about the people I’ve met, the friends I made, and the ones I left behind. Then one day while looking for inspiration I came across the word eshajōri. The word means “people meet, always part” and that stuck in my head for a while. Slowly I began to put the pieces together for this article over the course of a year, talking to people during my travels with that word in mind. I have to admit that it wasn’t an easy project to pull off, especially with the rough start Typewriter Keys had, but you know me, I love a good challenge.
Happy first anniversary to Typewriter Keys and thank you everyone for making this possible. Our team couldn’t have succeeded without your support.
And now on to the article. The prompt is:
Talk about someone who is special to you. But not just anyone, it has to be someone who isn’t really a part of your life anymore. Think about this person and why they left an impact on you.
Acacia Lim
About her: My name’s Acacia, I’m from Saltwater Creek and a sophomore at Hartfeld University. Designated Mom friend, works for the newspaper, trying to figure out adulthood, single and independent.
Her story: I grew up in a small town, the kind where everyone is sort of like a big family. It was always like that until a few years ago when a tornado caused a lot of destruction and then a blizzard that winter forced more people to leave. I think by now about half the town is gone, which is sad since I grew up with all these people. Senior year of high school was pretty hard as I had to say goodbye to many of my friends. There’s not many of us left and it’s kind of sad but it’s something we have to deal with.
One person that meant a lot to me was Miss Lyric, who was my piano teacher. She’s a cute old lady who everyone loves. She was like the town grandma, everyone always looks up to her for advice and I think she was one of the oldest residents there. Miss Lyric is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met, from her powerful and angelic voice to the way she plays her heart out on the piano, she can pretty much do anything!
For years I’d go to the community center for piano lessons. Miss Lyric was the reason why I wanted to learn because I loved watching her play and it looked fun. Sadly the community center was damaged in the tornado but Miss Lyric, being the optimist, didn’t let that stop her from bringing music into the town. Her enthusiasm and ability to look at the bright side made the next several months a lot more bearable.
The day she moved away was one of the saddest days in my life, no exaggeration. A few months after the blizzard, Miss Lyric revealed that she was moving to Lake Celene to live with her son. It wasn’t an easy decision for her but the harsh weather had taken a toll on her health and it wasn’t easy taking care of a house that was falling apart. The night before she left, we threw a farewell concert for her, where I played one of her favorite songs and sang with the choir. Saltwater Creek just isn’t the same without Miss Lyric and her musical presence.
We keep in touch once in a while, which is great. She says that she misses Saltwater but she’s also happy at Lake Celene where she’s a music teacher at the elementary school. Miss Lyric, if you’re reading this, I just want to say thank you so much for bringing music into my life. Every time I play the piano, I think of you and how you pushed me to become an artist.
Finley Sayavong
About him: My name is Finley and I work for Prescott Industries. I was born and raised in the Tri-State area and I just live an ordinary life, not extraordinary really.
His story: During winter break when I was in college I went to visit one of my cousins in Entienne Falls. The way there was fine and the visit itself but coming home was an entirely different thing. From delays to last minute changes due to the weather, I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it home on time. Just when things were going well after being stuck for three hours, icy roads forced us to stop in the middle of nowhere. Luckily the bus was well equipped to keep us alive for a couple days if things were to get worse. I was miserable for the whole day because of everything going wrong so by then I was just done.
While waiting for the weather to clear and the roads to be less dangerous, I met an old couple who sat behind me. Their names were Irma and Margaret and there was something about their personality and how they approach others that you can’t help but smile at. They tried talking to me earlier but I was zoning out at the time and they let me be. Now that we were stuck here, they approached me again knowing that unless I wanted to be bored out of my mind for the next several hours, I might as well strike a conversation with someone. So I did.
We spent the next three or four hours exchanging stories to keep our mind off the weather. Irma made us laugh when she told us how she met Margaret through a blind date that went terribly. Margaret decided to mix things up by telling horror stories that kept us on the edge of our seats. As for me, I didn’t have much to say so I sat and listened. Soon other passengers joined us and started telling stories too. Before we knew it, night had fallen and later we went to sleep and the next morning the roads were safe to travel. Throughout the whole ride we kept exchanging stories. The ride wasn’t the same when Irma and Margaret got off at Evergreen Oaks.
Although I never saw them again after that, I never really forgot about them. It’s funny how an event like a storm can bring people together in unexpected ways. Their stories and how they lifted everyone’s spirits up always stuck with me for reasons I don’t really know how to explain. I guess in a way I learned something from them about how to take something bad and turn it into something good, which is something that I’ve been doing a lot lately.
Delanie Buchanan
About her: Hi, I’m Delanie, I’m from Spectrum Falls and I’m a student at Peace Coast Academy. Youngest of six, family owns a restaurant called the Stargazer, loves food, somehow created a school from a plot of land, some of my best buds are Autumn, Payton, Julian, Nishan, Wes, Sakura, Mia, Katherine, Koh, and Ace.
Her story: When I was young, my siblings and I used to play with the Eagle siblings Jess, Abbey, Dave, and Robbie. I remember running around the neighborhood and driving our parents crazy, especially during the summer. Baseball games were a blast with them and I was always on the winning team!
We’ve sort of drifted away as we got older. It just happened. Jess was the oldest, a few months older than my oldest sister Lana. When they started high school, Jess got involved in a lot of extracurricular activities so we didn’t see her as much. Abbey and Dave followed in her footsteps too so that changed too. Out of all of them I was closest to Robbie since we’re the same age plus we both tend to get away with a lot of things because we’re the youngest. But it isn’t like the days of the Buchanan and Eagle siblings were entirely over, we still hang out once in a while but not all together, which probably made some neighbors happy since we can get pretty wild sometimes.
Now with most of the gang in college or living on their own, it’s a bit tricky to get us all together. While my siblings are still in the city, Jess, Abbey, and Dave are all over the country. Jess lives in Boston and attending grad school. Abbey is at Rhode Island School of Design as a graphic arts major. Dave is studying at CalArts and hopes to make it big someday. As for Robbie, he’s at Light Bulb Tech, a magnet school known for its focus on science and technology.
And I’m here on the island running my own school and doing my own thing. I guess you can say that things have changed a lot between us. Sometimes I miss the days when we would run around the city and play sports at the park but just because we’re getting older doesn’t mean that those days are gone for good. As I learned growing up, you make the most out of the time you have with your friends and although those times won’t last, I still have these good memories to remember them by.
Kieran Akiyama
About him: I’m Kieran, I’m a junior at Hartfeld University. I live with my grandmother in New Haven, was born in Sapporo, moved around quite a bit after that. I don’t really know what else to say.
His story: Growing up, I was primarily raised by my grandmother. My mother died when I was four and my father over a year later. I don’t have too many memories of them but at least I have family members who can fill in the gaps about them.
Other than my grandmother, another family member I was close to was my grandfather. Grandpa Skip, as he was called, was my dad’s father. He grew up in San Francisco and moved to Boston after retiring. My grandmother and I lived with him and Grandma Daisy for a few years before settling in New Haven. Up until then I didn’t know too much about my dad’s family except that they would call sometimes and send lots of pictures. Grandpa Skip and Grandma Daisy visited Sapporo a few times after Mom and Dad married. The last time they came was shortly after I was born. Dad always wanted to take me and Nana to Boston but he never found the time. One of the biggest reasons why Nana decided to move to the States was so I could be closer to Dad’s family.
Grandpa Skip was always into mysteries and he considered himself a detective in training. When there was something mysterious going on, like unusual noises in the middle of the night, or something gone missing, everyone always called on Grandpa Skip. He would take me along as his partner in crime, teaching me how to take in my surroundings and how to look for clues. While the “cases” were simple things like misplaced keys or an appliance in need of repairs, it was fun playing detective with him.
Another thing about Grandpa Skip is how he saw life as an adventure. He saw every day as a new start instead of focusing on the mundane. He was the type of person who believed in living life to the fullest. I guess that’s why he got along well with my mom since she saw life the same way too. Grandpa Skip had this ability to make seemingly ordinary things look exciting. He always said “life is an adventure and you are the explorer so make a story worth telling, kiddo!” and that has always stuck with me. Even after several years I can still hear him saying that loud and clear in my head.
Rose Emmerdale
About her: My name is Rose Emmerdale and I am a freelance writer and novelist who is currently on vacation. I have one older brother and two younger sisters, and I love traveling and learning new things.
Her story: During my travels I’ve met many people with memorable stories. This encounter happened recently during a trip to Corentine where I met a young aspiring writer named Rika.
From first impressions, you can see that Rika and her cousin Elowyn are quite curious and inquisitive. It’s not every day that a town like Corentine gets visitors from the outside so naturally attention was drawn towards me. I spent the summer there helping out at the local paper and hoping that a new setting would give me some inspiration. At the Corentine Gazette, I met one of the editors, Bice, who is Rika and Elowyn’s aunt.
From there, I saw a lot of myself in young Rika. She grew up in a non-conventional family, raised primarily by her aunt after her mother died along with her cousins who lost their parents too. She wanted to make a name for herself and not be defined by the tragedies in her life. I was surprised when she said that she was a fan of my books, which isn’t something a self-published author would hear every day. She was a sweet person with her angelic smile and enthusiastic personality. But in her eyes I can see that she’s been through a lot in her life but despite that she maintains her sunny disposition. In a way, I wanted to be like her because she was idealistic and carefree.
As I got to know her, Rika looked up to me for writing advice. She showed me some of her work and I have to say, I was impressed. I won’t go into too much detail in case it becomes published someday but it’s rare to find someone with her talent and skill. Her writing is raw, to put simply, but also poetic, dark but with some mischievous playfulness weaved into it. For a rough draft, she shows a lot of potential. And believe me, I do not hand out compliments like that easily. So when I wasn’t working, we’d go over her story and I’d give her suggestions and tips, and not just about writing but about life in general too. Now that I think about it, Rika is kind of like a mix of my sisters, which probably explains why giving advice to her came naturally.
I still keep in touch with Rika from time to time to see how she’s doing. Once in a while she’ll send me a draft of an article she’s writing for the Gazette and ask me to help her edit it. Now she’s attending a university in Peace Coast Island with her cousins, which happens to be where I’ll be staying for the next several months after the cruise is over so I’m looking forward to seeing her again.
Louie Zhou
About him: I’m Louie and I’m new here. I just moved in from Chester Faversham, I’m in the band and junior at Berry High, and so far I’m liking it here.
His story: There was this one person I used to be close with, he was my mom’s half-brother, Uncle Abner. You may know him as Abner Kinnaird, aka one of the richest people in the world. I know, hard to believe that I’m related to someone like him. Well, I am and honestly, he’s actually a pretty cool guy.
Anyway we used to be close until about four months ago. I’d rather not go into detail about what happened so let’s just say that there were a lot of things we said that we wished we could take back. Uncle Abner may be rough around the edges but he does care, a lot, sometimes more than he cares to admit. He’s stubborn and set in his ways so sometimes it’s hard trying to get your point across to him. But he is also a great listener if you can get past his sarcasm and he’s true to his word so when he says something, he means it. I appreciate someone who is honest and upfront about everything though it wouldn’t hurt to be more careful about certain things.
Despite our disagreements, we made a pretty good team. Uncle Abner always talked about keeping family close since I’m the only one he has left. I heard that he had a similar relationship with my mom, always butting heads but at the same time they care for each other a lot. Even she was estranged from him for a while but they worked things out in the end. The same will probably happen to us, hopefully in less than a year. I have to admit, I miss him nagging at me and then getting annoyed at him for being so worried over nothing.
At least now we text each other once in a while. He wasn’t there to say goodbye when me and my dad left Chester Faversham, which bugged me a lot. I can’t remember the last time we hung out together before the big argument but I guess that doesn’t really matter anymore. I didn’t believe him when he warned me how easily family can fall apart and now I know. We still have a long way to go but at least we’re making an effort to avoid repeating history and fixing our relationship. I can’t forgive him completely yet but it’ll take a lot more than a dispute to break our family ties. Funny, that sounds like something he’d say. Or am I quoting him on something he said in the past? Am I beginning to sound like him?!
Well, if you happen to come across this article Uncle Abner, I hope we can speed up this reconciliation thing so you can drop by and hang out with us again.
#ChoicesCreates#choicescreates26#playchoices#choices stories you play#LoveHacks#Julie Nagarkar#headcanon ramble#well that was just barely met the deadline#so yeah school still trying to get used to the routine kinda low key for now#this was actually kind of tricky to write i was planning on something else#and it turned into this at the last minute#i had to cut enid and jamie out because of time and i did incorporate my original idea into it which had to do with louie and his uncle#also rika in rose's story has to do with my hwu oc who's part of the sala family which is kinda messed up#she and her cousins and her aunt are the only normal ones in the family which is why they're alive hah#to clarify who's who julie is from lovehacks#acacia from freshman/sophomore#finley from hero#delanie is my hss mc original hss game#kieran from endless summer#rose from rules of engagement#louie from hss choices#might have to do an every other week thing for these events which sucks but irl comes first#Acacia Lim#Delanie Buchanan#Finley Sayavong#Rose Emmerdale#Kieran Akiyama#Louie Zhou#Rika Sala
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hey everyone!!! i’m d, i’m 23, and i use they/them pronouns. super hyped about being here so i’ma just get right into it
so kai is my fave character and kinda notoriously The Worst while also being The Best, so i’m warning y’all before we even go in that he’s actually so sloppy and wild pls proceed w/ caution. i’ve been playing him for over 4 years. that being said, he does have a fuck ton of information, so while the bullet points are going to be as condensed as i can possibly make them, you should really check out the appearance section (or you can just look at my sidebar which is wonderful artwork of kai one of my close friends did for me --- give them love on their art blog nialls ok SO talented) of his STATS FRAMEWORK and then if you really hate yourself i have a DEVELOPMENT TAG too with a bunch of headcanons (feel free to RB the rebloggable ones from me btw)
LOUIS TOMLINSON? no ⏤ KAI LANCASTER, the DEMIBOY is TWENTY-THREE and was born with a GOLD soul, and now has a GREY soul. i would describe HIM/THEM as EXUBERANT + BRAVE, yet CARELESS + IMPATIENT. KAI spends HIS/THEIR time PLAYING AT SMALL VENUES WITH HIS ALT ROCK BAND AND WORKING AS A NANNY and has lived in seattle for TWO YEARS.
TW FOR TERMINAL ILLNESS/CANCER, SUBSTANCE ABUSE MENTIONS, ABLEISM, & MENTIONS OF SELF-HARM/SUICIDE.
kai was born a gold soul into a pretty posh, old-money typea family in manchester, uk. like i’m talking on his mothers side they’re all doctors, lawyers, scholars, etc, etc, and on his dad’s side entrepeneurs. his parents themselves built a fairly large business from the ground up together that now goes by the name of lancaster industries. their current biggest venture and pretty much what they’ve built the whole of their fortune on is a chain of luxury hotels that you can find basically in every major city in the world.
he had 3 younger sisters who he essentially raised considering his parents were too busy to be around during their childhood. only two of them are still living, his youngest sister having passed a couple years ago at the age of 7 from leukemia.
his mother is literally the devil? kai always hated school/struggled in it for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which were his not diagnosed adhd and his dyslexia, which he never got the help he probably needed for. he’s always kinda just thought he was extremely stupid, and that idea was reinforced by the way his mother always used to tell him the very same thing. “think harder, kai. use your brain.” is a phrase that’s essentially been reinforced so many times in his head, he p much hears her voice ringing in his ears every time he gets so much as vaguely confused now.
that being said, despite how he struggled in school, he was always a very vibrant, kind, charismatic, and magnetic young person. he tends to draw people into him with his silly nature and upbeat attitude, and he’s kind of the Eternal Optimist, so he was fairly popular when he was attending. to say he has eccentricities would be putting it lightly, and he’s loud, never seeming to run out of things to say or fail to command the interest of the room.
anyway things with his mum only got worse in his relationship with her when he barely managed to complete his a levels by the skin of his teeth (and with an absurd amount of tutoring), and then refused to go to the university of her choosing. she p much wanted him to “get his shit together” so he could take over the family business someday, but i am not kidding when i say kai would wilt away and probably legit just die if he had to work in a place like that forever – and that’s assuming he even got through business school in the first place.
his father was always a push-over and sort of was absent/bent to her will when he was around, so he didn’t bother to defend kai when his mother decided 2 cut him off from everything and essentially ex-communicate him once she realised he was refusing 2 be manipulated and forced into shit anymore.
that was at age 18, and by that point he had plans to move out and travel to london with his best mate anyway, so he was basically like “peace out” and got the hell out of dodge. he still harbours a lot of guilt for abandoning his younger sisters, particularly so considering his youngest one fell ill so soon after his departure.
he lives, breathes, and sleeps piano. music as a whole is something he’s passionate about, having taken the time to develop his somewhat unorthodox voice, but the way his fingers fly over the ivories is a living art form more than it is anything. it’s how he communicates, how he speaks his deepest truth and just like? put those feelings out there into the world that he otherwise wouldn’t be able to articulate in the common vernacular.
so what he wants to do with his life is to just? talk to people? through his music? to play for them and the be in front of a crowd every night and to feel the energy of them, to command them with his presence and to exist with them in that way. he almost gets high off of it? he’s been playing small shows since age nineteen with his band, but since he moved to america he obvi hasn’t had them and has been on his own.
SORRY I’M REALLY TRYING TO CONDENSE THIS so ok basically he was in love w this girl from the time they were 14. they lost their virginity 2 each other, they were on & off all through HS, & then through to age 20 after he moved away and all that. she was v v ill and struggled with mental illness and kai tried his best 2 take care of her, but he was always in over his head despite his dedication to like making her feel OKAY. she needed help that he could not give 2 her, and they ended up breaking up & him letting her go at the end. she died soon after that, and it remains unclear 2 him whether or not it was a suicide. it was officially ruled as an “accident”, but he knows different and yeah i mean. essentially like.... the most “smudges” on his soul kinda came from his sitch w her bc he was always coming and leaving and dropping her and returning when she needed him and like. he TRIED but he just COULDN’T? anyways
after that he got involved with this boy who was a substance abuser, addicted to H to b exact, and for a while he thought that he was getting better and they were building off of each other, building a healthy life together. the fact he called kai his “new addiction” was probably never a good thing, but kai didn’t recognize that at the time. they got engaged eventually, and kai was 100% convinced that he was the actual love of his life after caro. of course, in the end, it wasn’t built to last, and when it went bad, it went really bad. kai eventually felt like there was a chasm several miles deep between them, and he had no hope of getting to the other side again. he broke it off, broke the guy’s heart, and made his soul even darker.
THIS NEXT ONE IS KINDA AN OPTION CONNECTION OKAY SO IF ANY1 IS INTERESTED PLS PLS LMK!!!
kai has been posting vids on YT of him covering songs on his YouTube for like actual years, and when he was around 20 he met this person via the comments section on one of them. they seemed to be quite the fan of his interpretation of some of the songs he chose to play. they ended up talking more and more as time went on, exchanging contact information, and grew very very very close.
that was the start of the LDR that is what brought him to america/to seattle in the first place. they were together for about eight months and had seen each other in person three times for a total of about 3 weeks before he made the decision to get started on his visa and move to the states. the moment he was able to, he crossed the pond and moved in w them!!
strain on their relationship was created when at first kai was unable to find work and contribute to the bills and the household funds. they lived in a tiny flat, and going from barely seeing each other to having each other all at once and all the time was a lot. on top of that, kai was homesick and restless and felt trapped because that’s what kai does and it’s not okay and it’s totally wrong and he cheated on them soooo there’s another tick against his soul ig. within six months of his arrival, they broke up, and kai moved out.
he couch surfed w some friends he’d met 4 a while, and eventually found a decent paying job as a nanny for a well off family.
he plays live shows at small venues in bars/clubs and still seeks to make a living as a musician but it’s hard out there and plus his soul aint exactly the prettiest to look at any more. i mean he doesn’t have a DARK DARK grey soul, it’s more a lighter grey, not quite silver, but definitely not storm clouds.
he’s still working on getting his full citizenship though he’s v v v close 2 it & has been lowkey getting help from his cousin w paying for the process so!!
THAT’S BASICALLY IT
last but not least IM REALLY FUCKING SORRY ICOULDN’T MAKE THIS SHORTER I JUST HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS AND fEELIGNSA
SEND ME AN IM OR LIKE IF YOU WANT TO PLOT!
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His artwork is typically thrown away. Now people raised $590K to put it on their coffee tables.
PARKER — He paints exquisite mountain panoramas rich in detail, with hundreds of tiny trees painstakingly rendered. Then the images that took him weeks to create are printed on cheap paper and distributed by the thousands for free, only to be crumpled up, stuffed in pockets and ultimately thrown away in tatters.
It might seem like a forlorn fate for art so carefully conceived, but the artist doesn’t think so at all.
Colorado Outdoor Voices
This is part of an ongoing series of profiles on Colorado’s outdoor enthusiasts. Check our previous story here:
A running joke: Comedian’s quick rise to elite runner means she’s doing Denver improv one day, leading NYC marathon the next
“That’s the best part of it,” said James Niehues of Parker, America’s foremost ski-trail map artist. “It’s used. Not many artists can say they have a piece of art that’s used like a trail map is. And what’s so nice about it is that they gather around at the end of the day and have a beer, pull out the trail maps and talk about where they’ve been.”
Having been treated as throwaway art for 30 years at ski areas across the country — including such Colorado favorites as Copper Mountain, Breckenridge and Winter Park — Niehues’ work is now being accorded deep respect.
Provided by James Niehues.
James Niehues’ map of Breckenridge Ski Area.
This year his works will be showcased in a coffee table book, and already there is proof of how much it is valued. A crowdfunding effort originally intended to generate $8,000 to test the market and defray some of the publishing costs has raised more than $590,000. It also helped that people who gave larger donations were treated with not only the book but deal-sweeteners such as signed posters.
“It’s just so gratifying to see the response,” said Niehues, 73. “When we hit our goal of $8,000, everybody was elated. Then it hit $20,000, then $50,000, and it just keeps going.”
The working title of the forthcoming book is “James Niehues: The Man Behind the Map,” and it will be published this summer with almost 200 examples of his work, a behind-the-scenes look at how he creates the trial maps, and his own back story.
Defining a genre
The idea for the book came from a fan Niehues had never met.
“I reached out to Jim and said, ‘Hey, I’d love to get a copy of your coffee table book, and if you don’t have one, I’ll help you put one together,’ ” said Todd Bennett, an executive in the entertainment industry who lives in California. “That’s how it started. The fact that he picked me to help him share his story and his legacy is something I do not take lightly. This is a story that will never be told again, where you have one guy who inadvertently cornered the market in a fiercely independent industry.”
The overwhelming response to the Kickstarter campaign is an indication of what his work has meant to skiers across the U.S. for the last three decades. Once described by The New York Times as “Rembrandt of the Ski Trail,” Niehues defines the genre as did two predecessors from Colorado, Hal Shelton and Bill Brown.
“He carried on an art form that was done by those men,” said John Fry, a prominent ski magazine writer and editor who is a member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. “His art really became an integral part of the ski experience for millions of people in the U.S.”
In fact, Niehues got his start in the genre by taking on projects Brown gave him in the late 1980s. The first one was an inset for an area of the Mary Jane trail map that Brown had been hired to do. Brown, who had started as a protege of Shelton, was ready to do something else. Niehues was working as a graphic artist at the time.
Ariel photographs have been a big part of my process. They are invaluable tools and references to my final art. Can you guess the mountain with the right @ handle? pic.twitter.com/QrlXqxxlEl
— JamesNiehues (@JamesNiehues) December 19, 2018
“Bill was more interested in shooting narrow-gauge railroad trains and wanted to move on,” Niehues said. “I walked in looking for a job, and I walked out with a career.”
Niehues reckons he has drawn maps for 194 resorts. Because ski areas need new maps when they add terrain, he figures he has painted 350[cq comment=”CQ”] different ski maps, including insets and multiple renderings of the same areas. He says he has painted “four or five” versions of California’s Heavenly Valley, for example, the same for The Canyons in Utah.
But if ski areas aren’t adding trails, there isn’t much need for updated trail maps.
“You can kind of paint yourself out of the market,” Niehues said.
How it started
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
James Niehues was photographed at his in-home studio on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. He began painting ski maps some 30 years ago and has done work for many mountains throughout North and South America as well as for mountains in New Zealand and Australia.
Niehues grew up on farm west of Grand Junction, 12 miles from the Utah border. When he was 13 years old, he was stricken by nephritis (an inflammation of the kidneys) and was bedridden for months. He already had shown an interest in drawing, so his mother bought him a painting set to help him pass the time.
“I laid on the couch painting oils,” Niehues said. “Just copied pictures out of magazines.”
That was in 1959. After high school he briefly attended Colorado Mesa University and then served in the Army from 1965 to 1969, stationed in Berlin. His career in graphic arts began in Grand Junction in 1970, and he moved to Aurora in the mid-1980s. He started painting trail maps in 1987.
Niehues owes a lot to Shelton and Brown, both of whom are deceased.
“Hal was quite a character,” Niehues said. “Just a magnificent painter. He’s better than I will ever be. He had a different style, but certainly a superior painter. As was Bill Brown.”
If Shelton was a role model for Niehues, Brown was a mentor.
“We never talked about the nuts and bolts, but more the psychology of painting,” Niehues said. “He’d tell me, ‘You’ve got to paint these as if you’re down there skiing on them, and the colors that you’re seeing there.’ That has lasted with me.”
Provided by James Niehues
James Niehues painting in the tree shadows on the 2016 Alta map image.
Niehues learned to ski while he was learning how to paint trail maps. One of his first assignments was the Alta ski area in Utah, where he discovered how rudimentary his ski skills really were.
“I’d had enough skiing that I could get down the hill,” Niehues recalled. “I was probably a beginner at that time. We went up and started skiing down. The night before they’d had about 6 inches of snow, and that was really hard for me to handle. I was falling all the time. The instructor jokingly said, ‘You’d think the guy that painted ski maps could ski.’ It took me forever to get down.”
Niehues starts the process of creating a trail map by photographing the mountain from different angles from an airplane. “I have a pilot, of course,” he said. From his aerial photos, he begins the creative process by sketching the mountain in pencil with all the trails and physical features he wants to include. In the pencil sketch, which takes about a week to draw, timber on the slopes is represented by a bunch of squiggly lines.
After the ski area approves the accuracy of his sketch, he uses it as a guide for the painting — usually in watercolors — which will include individually painted trees that are accurately rendered. He doesn’t paint evergreens where there should be aspens, or vice versa. Ski areas take his finished products and add the graphics indicating trail names and lifts.
Related Articles
January 18, 2019 Taos Ski Valley avalanche victim has died, hospital CEO says
January 17, 2019 Win tickets to see Lil Wayne, The Chainsmokers and others at the X Games
January 17, 2019 Breckenridge Ski Resort’s epic winter nears 200 inches for the season
January 15, 2019 Denver man identified as skier who died on Quandary Peak in Summit County
January 13, 2019 Copper Mountain’s American Flyer lift with bubble chairs now running
Turning three-dimensional space into a two-dimensional artistic representation requires some tricks of the trade. Shadows, for example, help indicate steeper areas.
“It’s very important that we get the shadow right,” Niehues said. “That’s part of tricking the eye into believing that it’s true. You’ve got to keep everything relative. The skier skiing down it doesn’t have the advantage I have of that view. So, as he’s skiing around the mountain looking at this, I have to remember the terrain he’s looking at and what will guide him around.”
Calling himself “just a Colorado farm boy” who became a self-taught artist, Niehues finds it immensely rewarding that people use his art across the U.S. The reception to the book project astonishes him.
“How can you be more gratified?” Niehues said. “You can’t. It’s just phenomenal. What I dreamed would be a good book is proving to be a good book before it’s even printed.”
Journalism isn’t free. Show your support of local news coverage by becoming a subscriber. Your first month is only 99 cents.
from News And Updates https://www.denverpost.com/2019/01/19/james-niehues-ski-maps-coffe-table-book/
0 notes
Text
His artwork is typically thrown away. Now people raised $590K to put it on their coffee tables.
PARKER — He paints exquisite mountain panoramas rich in detail, with hundreds of tiny trees painstakingly rendered. Then the images that took him weeks to create are printed on cheap paper and distributed by the thousands for free, only to be crumpled up, stuffed in pockets and ultimately thrown away in tatters.
It might seem like a forlorn fate for art so carefully conceived, but the artist doesn’t think so at all.
Colorado Outdoor Voices
This is part of an ongoing series of profiles on Colorado’s outdoor enthusiasts. Check our previous story here:
A running joke: Comedian’s quick rise to elite runner means she’s doing Denver improv one day, leading NYC marathon the next
“That’s the best part of it,” said James Niehues of Parker, America’s foremost ski-trail map artist. “It’s used. Not many artists can say they have a piece of art that’s used like a trail map is. And what’s so nice about it is that they gather around at the end of the day and have a beer, pull out the trail maps and talk about where they’ve been.”
Having been treated as throwaway art for 30 years at ski areas across the country — including such Colorado favorites as Copper Mountain, Breckenridge and Winter Park — Niehues’ work is now being accorded deep respect.
Provided by James Niehues.
James Niehues’ map of Breckenridge Ski Area.
This year his works will be showcased in a coffee table book, and already there is proof of how much it is valued. A crowdfunding effort originally intended to generate $8,000 to test the market and defray some of the publishing costs has raised more than $590,000. It also helped that people who gave larger donations were treated with not only the book but deal-sweeteners such as signed posters.
“It’s just so gratifying to see the response,” said Niehues, 73. “When we hit our goal of $8,000, everybody was elated. Then it hit $20,000, then $50,000, and it just keeps going.”
The working title of the forthcoming book is “James Niehues: The Man Behind the Map,” and it will be published this summer with almost 200 examples of his work, a behind-the-scenes look at how he creates the trial maps, and his own back story.
Defining a genre
The idea for the book came from a fan Niehues had never met.
“I reached out to Jim and said, ‘Hey, I’d love to get a copy of your coffee table book, and if you don’t have one, I’ll help you put one together,’ ” said Todd Bennett, an executive in the entertainment industry who lives in California. “That’s how it started. The fact that he picked me to help him share his story and his legacy is something I do not take lightly. This is a story that will never be told again, where you have one guy who inadvertently cornered the market in a fiercely independent industry.”
The overwhelming response to the Kickstarter campaign is an indication of what his work has meant to skiers across the U.S. for the last three decades. Once described by The New York Times as “Rembrandt of the Ski Trail,” Niehues defines the genre as did two predecessors from Colorado, Hal Shelton and Bill Brown.
“He carried on an art form that was done by those men,” said John Fry, a prominent ski magazine writer and editor who is a member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. “His art really became an integral part of the ski experience for millions of people in the U.S.”
In fact, Niehues got his start in the genre by taking on projects Brown gave him in the late 1980s. The first one was an inset for an area of the Mary Jane trail map that Brown had been hired to do. Brown, who had started as a protege of Shelton, was ready to do something else. Niehues was working as a graphic artist at the time.
Ariel photographs have been a big part of my process. They are invaluable tools and references to my final art. Can you guess the mountain with the right @ handle? pic.twitter.com/QrlXqxxlEl
— JamesNiehues (@JamesNiehues) December 19, 2018
“Bill was more interested in shooting narrow-gauge railroad trains and wanted to move on,” Niehues said. “I walked in looking for a job, and I walked out with a career.”
Niehues reckons he has drawn maps for 194 resorts. Because ski areas need new maps when they add terrain, he figures he has painted 350[cq comment=”CQ”] different ski maps, including insets and multiple renderings of the same areas. He says he has painted “four or five” versions of California’s Heavenly Valley, for example, the same for The Canyons in Utah.
But if ski areas aren’t adding trails, there isn’t much need for updated trail maps.
“You can kind of paint yourself out of the market,” Niehues said.
How it started
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
James Niehues was photographed at his in-home studio on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. He began painting ski maps some 30 years ago and has done work for many mountains throughout North and South America as well as for mountains in New Zealand and Australia.
Niehues grew up on farm west of Grand Junction, 12 miles from the Utah border. When he was 13 years old, he was stricken by nephritis (an inflammation of the kidneys) and was bedridden for months. He already had shown an interest in drawing, so his mother bought him a painting set to help him pass the time.
“I laid on the couch painting oils,” Niehues said. “Just copied pictures out of magazines.”
That was in 1959. After high school he briefly attended Colorado Mesa University and then served in the Army from 1965 to 1969, stationed in Berlin. His career in graphic arts began in Grand Junction in 1970, and he moved to Aurora in the mid-1980s. He started painting trail maps in 1987.
Niehues owes a lot to Shelton and Brown, both of whom are deceased.
“Hal was quite a character,” Niehues said. “Just a magnificent painter. He’s better than I will ever be. He had a different style, but certainly a superior painter. As was Bill Brown.”
If Shelton was a role model for Niehues, Brown was a mentor.
“We never talked about the nuts and bolts, but more the psychology of painting,” Niehues said. “He’d tell me, ‘You’ve got to paint these as if you’re down there skiing on them, and the colors that you’re seeing there.’ That has lasted with me.”
Provided by James Niehues
James Niehues painting in the tree shadows on the 2016 Alta map image.
Niehues learned to ski while he was learning how to paint trail maps. One of his first assignments was the Alta ski area in Utah, where he discovered how rudimentary his ski skills really were.
“I’d had enough skiing that I could get down the hill,” Niehues recalled. “I was probably a beginner at that time. We went up and started skiing down. The night before they’d had about 6 inches of snow, and that was really hard for me to handle. I was falling all the time. The instructor jokingly said, ‘You’d think the guy that painted ski maps could ski.’ It took me forever to get down.”
Niehues starts the process of creating a trail map by photographing the mountain from different angles from an airplane. “I have a pilot, of course,” he said. From his aerial photos, he begins the creative process by sketching the mountain in pencil with all the trails and physical features he wants to include. In the pencil sketch, which takes about a week to draw, timber on the slopes is represented by a bunch of squiggly lines.
After the ski area approves the accuracy of his sketch, he uses it as a guide for the painting — usually in watercolors — which will include individually painted trees that are accurately rendered. He doesn’t paint evergreens where there should be aspens, or vice versa. Ski areas take his finished products and add the graphics indicating trail names and lifts.
Related Articles
January 18, 2019 Taos Ski Valley avalanche victim has died, hospital CEO says
January 17, 2019 Win tickets to see Lil Wayne, The Chainsmokers and others at the X Games
January 17, 2019 Breckenridge Ski Resort’s epic winter nears 200 inches for the season
January 15, 2019 Denver man identified as skier who died on Quandary Peak in Summit County
January 13, 2019 Copper Mountain’s American Flyer lift with bubble chairs now running
Turning three-dimensional space into a two-dimensional artistic representation requires some tricks of the trade. Shadows, for example, help indicate steeper areas.
“It’s very important that we get the shadow right,” Niehues said. “That’s part of tricking the eye into believing that it’s true. You’ve got to keep everything relative. The skier skiing down it doesn’t have the advantage I have of that view. So, as he’s skiing around the mountain looking at this, I have to remember the terrain he’s looking at and what will guide him around.”
Calling himself “just a Colorado farm boy” who became a self-taught artist, Niehues finds it immensely rewarding that people use his art across the U.S. The reception to the book project astonishes him.
“How can you be more gratified?” Niehues said. “You can’t. It’s just phenomenal. What I dreamed would be a good book is proving to be a good book before it’s even printed.”
Journalism isn’t free. Show your support of local news coverage by becoming a subscriber. Your first month is only 99 cents.
from News And Updates https://www.denverpost.com/2019/01/19/james-niehues-ski-maps-coffe-table-book/
0 notes
Text
His artwork is typically thrown away. Now people raised $590K to put it on their coffee tables.
PARKER — He paints exquisite mountain panoramas rich in detail, with hundreds of tiny trees painstakingly rendered. Then the images that took him weeks to create are printed on cheap paper and distributed by the thousands for free, only to be crumpled up, stuffed in pockets and ultimately thrown away in tatters.
It might seem like a forlorn fate for art so carefully conceived, but the artist doesn’t think so at all.
Colorado Outdoor Voices
This is part of an ongoing series of profiles on Colorado’s outdoor enthusiasts. Check our previous story here:
A running joke: Comedian’s quick rise to elite runner means she’s doing Denver improv one day, leading NYC marathon the next
“That’s the best part of it,” said James Niehues of Parker, America’s foremost ski-trail map artist. “It’s used. Not many artists can say they have a piece of art that’s used like a trail map is. And what’s so nice about it is that they gather around at the end of the day and have a beer, pull out the trail maps and talk about where they’ve been.”
Having been treated as throwaway art for 30 years at ski areas across the country — including such Colorado favorites as Copper Mountain, Breckenridge and Winter Park — Niehues’ work is now being accorded deep respect.
Provided by James Niehues.
James Niehues’ map of Breckenridge Ski Area.
This year his works will be showcased in a coffee table book, and already there is proof of how much it is valued. A crowdfunding effort originally intended to generate $8,000 to test the market and defray some of the publishing costs has raised more than $590,000. It also helped that people who gave larger donations were treated with not only the book but deal-sweeteners such as signed posters.
“It’s just so gratifying to see the response,” said Niehues, 73. “When we hit our goal of $8,000, everybody was elated. Then it hit $20,000, then $50,000, and it just keeps going.”
The working title of the forthcoming book is “James Niehues: The Man Behind the Map,” and it will be published this summer with almost 200 examples of his work, a behind-the-scenes look at how he creates the trial maps, and his own back story.
Defining a genre
The idea for the book came from a fan Niehues had never met.
“I reached out to Jim and said, ‘Hey, I’d love to get a copy of your coffee table book, and if you don’t have one, I’ll help you put one together,’ ” said Todd Bennett, an executive in the entertainment industry who lives in California. “That’s how it started. The fact that he picked me to help him share his story and his legacy is something I do not take lightly. This is a story that will never be told again, where you have one guy who inadvertently cornered the market in a fiercely independent industry.”
The overwhelming response to the Kickstarter campaign is an indication of what his work has meant to skiers across the U.S. for the last three decades. Once described by The New York Times as “Rembrandt of the Ski Trail,” Niehues defines the genre as did two predecessors from Colorado, Hal Shelton and Bill Brown.
“He carried on an art form that was done by those men,” said John Fry, a prominent ski magazine writer and editor who is a member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. “His art really became an integral part of the ski experience for millions of people in the U.S.”
In fact, Niehues got his start in the genre by taking on projects Brown gave him in the late 1980s. The first one was an inset for an area of the Mary Jane trail map that Brown had been hired to do. Brown, who had started as a protege of Shelton, was ready to do something else. Niehues was working as a graphic artist at the time.
Ariel photographs have been a big part of my process. They are invaluable tools and references to my final art. Can you guess the mountain with the right @ handle? pic.twitter.com/QrlXqxxlEl
— JamesNiehues (@JamesNiehues) December 19, 2018
“Bill was more interested in shooting narrow-gauge railroad trains and wanted to move on,” Niehues said. “I walked in looking for a job, and I walked out with a career.”
Niehues reckons he has drawn maps for 194 resorts. Because ski areas need new maps when they add terrain, he figures he has painted 350[cq comment=”CQ”] different ski maps, including insets and multiple renderings of the same areas. He says he has painted “four or five” versions of California’s Heavenly Valley, for example, the same for The Canyons in Utah.
But if ski areas aren’t adding trails, there isn’t much need for updated trail maps.
“You can kind of paint yourself out of the market,” Niehues said.
How it started
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
James Niehues was photographed at his in-home studio on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. He began painting ski maps some 30 years ago and has done work for many mountains throughout North and South America as well as for mountains in New Zealand and Australia.
Niehues grew up on farm west of Grand Junction, 12 miles from the Utah border. When he was 13 years old, he was stricken by nephritis (an inflammation of the kidneys) and was bedridden for months. He already had shown an interest in drawing, so his mother bought him a painting set to help him pass the time.
“I laid on the couch painting oils,” Niehues said. “Just copied pictures out of magazines.”
That was in 1959. After high school he briefly attended Colorado Mesa University and then served in the Army from 1965 to 1969, stationed in Berlin. His career in graphic arts began in Grand Junction in 1970, and he moved to Aurora in the mid-1980s. He started painting trail maps in 1987.
Niehues owes a lot to Shelton and Brown, both of whom are deceased.
“Hal was quite a character,” Niehues said. “Just a magnificent painter. He’s better than I will ever be. He had a different style, but certainly a superior painter. As was Bill Brown.”
If Shelton was a role model for Niehues, Brown was a mentor.
“We never talked about the nuts and bolts, but more the psychology of painting,” Niehues said. “He’d tell me, ‘You’ve got to paint these as if you’re down there skiing on them, and the colors that you’re seeing there.’ That has lasted with me.”
Provided by James Niehues
James Niehues painting in the tree shadows on the 2016 Alta map image.
Niehues learned to ski while he was learning how to paint trail maps. One of his first assignments was the Alta ski area in Utah, where he discovered how rudimentary his ski skills really were.
“I’d had enough skiing that I could get down the hill,” Niehues recalled. “I was probably a beginner at that time. We went up and started skiing down. The night before they’d had about 6 inches of snow, and that was really hard for me to handle. I was falling all the time. The instructor jokingly said, ‘You’d think the guy that painted ski maps could ski.’ It took me forever to get down.”
Niehues starts the process of creating a trail map by photographing the mountain from different angles from an airplane. “I have a pilot, of course,” he said. From his aerial photos, he begins the creative process by sketching the mountain in pencil with all the trails and physical features he wants to include. In the pencil sketch, which takes about a week to draw, timber on the slopes is represented by a bunch of squiggly lines.
After the ski area approves the accuracy of his sketch, he uses it as a guide for the painting — usually in watercolors — which will include individually painted trees that are accurately rendered. He doesn’t paint evergreens where there should be aspens, or vice versa. Ski areas take his finished products and add the graphics indicating trail names and lifts.
Related Articles
January 18, 2019 Taos Ski Valley avalanche victim has died, hospital CEO says
January 17, 2019 Win tickets to see Lil Wayne, The Chainsmokers and others at the X Games
January 17, 2019 Breckenridge Ski Resort’s epic winter nears 200 inches for the season
January 15, 2019 Denver man identified as skier who died on Quandary Peak in Summit County
January 13, 2019 Copper Mountain’s American Flyer lift with bubble chairs now running
Turning three-dimensional space into a two-dimensional artistic representation requires some tricks of the trade. Shadows, for example, help indicate steeper areas.
“It’s very important that we get the shadow right,” Niehues said. “That’s part of tricking the eye into believing that it’s true. You’ve got to keep everything relative. The skier skiing down it doesn’t have the advantage I have of that view. So, as he’s skiing around the mountain looking at this, I have to remember the terrain he’s looking at and what will guide him around.”
Calling himself “just a Colorado farm boy” who became a self-taught artist, Niehues finds it immensely rewarding that people use his art across the U.S. The reception to the book project astonishes him.
“How can you be more gratified?” Niehues said. “You can’t. It’s just phenomenal. What I dreamed would be a good book is proving to be a good book before it’s even printed.”
Journalism isn’t free. Show your support of local news coverage by becoming a subscriber. Your first month is only 99 cents.
from Latest Information https://www.denverpost.com/2019/01/19/james-niehues-ski-maps-coffe-table-book/
0 notes
Text
His artwork is typically thrown away. Now people raised $590K to put it on their coffee tables.
PARKER — He paints exquisite mountain panoramas rich in detail, with hundreds of tiny trees painstakingly rendered. Then the images that took him weeks to create are printed on cheap paper and distributed by the thousands for free, only to be crumpled up, stuffed in pockets and ultimately thrown away in tatters.
It might seem like a forlorn fate for art so carefully conceived, but the artist doesn’t think so at all.
Colorado Outdoor Voices
This is part of an ongoing series of profiles on Colorado’s outdoor enthusiasts. Check our previous story here:
A running joke: Comedian’s quick rise to elite runner means she’s doing Denver improv one day, leading NYC marathon the next
“That’s the best part of it,” said James Niehues of Parker, America’s foremost ski-trail map artist. “It’s used. Not many artists can say they have a piece of art that’s used like a trail map is. And what’s so nice about it is that they gather around at the end of the day and have a beer, pull out the trail maps and talk about where they’ve been.”
Having been treated as throwaway art for 30 years at ski areas across the country — including such Colorado favorites as Copper Mountain, Breckenridge and Winter Park — Niehues’ work is now being accorded deep respect.
Provided by James Niehues.
James Niehues’ map of Breckenridge Ski Area.
This year his works will be showcased in a coffee table book, and already there is proof of how much it is valued. A crowdfunding effort originally intended to generate $8,000 to test the market and defray some of the publishing costs has raised more than $590,000. It also helped that people who gave larger donations were treated with not only the book but deal-sweeteners such as signed posters.
“It’s just so gratifying to see the response,” said Niehues, 73. “When we hit our goal of $8,000, everybody was elated. Then it hit $20,000, then $50,000, and it just keeps going.”
The working title of the forthcoming book is “James Niehues: The Man Behind the Map,” and it will be published this summer with almost 200 examples of his work, a behind-the-scenes look at how he creates the trial maps, and his own back story.
Defining a genre
The idea for the book came from a fan Niehues had never met.
“I reached out to Jim and said, ‘Hey, I’d love to get a copy of your coffee table book, and if you don’t have one, I’ll help you put one together,’ ” said Todd Bennett, an executive in the entertainment industry who lives in California. “That’s how it started. The fact that he picked me to help him share his story and his legacy is something I do not take lightly. This is a story that will never be told again, where you have one guy who inadvertently cornered the market in a fiercely independent industry.”
The overwhelming response to the Kickstarter campaign is an indication of what his work has meant to skiers across the U.S. for the last three decades. Once described by The New York Times as “Rembrandt of the Ski Trail,” Niehues defines the genre as did two predecessors from Colorado, Hal Shelton and Bill Brown.
“He carried on an art form that was done by those men,” said John Fry, a prominent ski magazine writer and editor who is a member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. “His art really became an integral part of the ski experience for millions of people in the U.S.”
In fact, Niehues got his start in the genre by taking on projects Brown gave him in the late 1980s. The first one was an inset for an area of the Mary Jane trail map that Brown had been hired to do. Brown, who had started as a protege of Shelton, was ready to do something else. Niehues was working as a graphic artist at the time.
Ariel photographs have been a big part of my process. They are invaluable tools and references to my final art. Can you guess the mountain with the right @ handle? pic.twitter.com/QrlXqxxlEl
— JamesNiehues (@JamesNiehues) December 19, 2018
“Bill was more interested in shooting narrow-gauge railroad trains and wanted to move on,” Niehues said. “I walked in looking for a job, and I walked out with a career.”
Niehues reckons he has drawn maps for 194 resorts. Because ski areas need new maps when they add terrain, he figures he has painted 350[cq comment=”CQ”] different ski maps, including insets and multiple renderings of the same areas. He says he has painted “four or five” versions of California’s Heavenly Valley, for example, the same for The Canyons in Utah.
But if ski areas aren’t adding trails, there isn’t much need for updated trail maps.
“You can kind of paint yourself out of the market,” Niehues said.
How it started
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
James Niehues was photographed at his in-home studio on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. He began painting ski maps some 30 years ago and has done work for many mountains throughout North and South America as well as for mountains in New Zealand and Australia.
Niehues grew up on farm west of Grand Junction, 12 miles from the Utah border. When he was 13 years old, he was stricken by nephritis (an inflammation of the kidneys) and was bedridden for months. He already had shown an interest in drawing, so his mother bought him a painting set to help him pass the time.
“I laid on the couch painting oils,” Niehues said. “Just copied pictures out of magazines.”
That was in 1959. After high school he briefly attended Colorado Mesa University and then served in the Army from 1965 to 1969, stationed in Berlin. His career in graphic arts began in Grand Junction in 1970, and he moved to Aurora in the mid-1980s. He started painting trail maps in 1987.
Niehues owes a lot to Shelton and Brown, both of whom are deceased.
“Hal was quite a character,” Niehues said. “Just a magnificent painter. He’s better than I will ever be. He had a different style, but certainly a superior painter. As was Bill Brown.”
If Shelton was a role model for Niehues, Brown was a mentor.
“We never talked about the nuts and bolts, but more the psychology of painting,” Niehues said. “He’d tell me, ‘You’ve got to paint these as if you’re down there skiing on them, and the colors that you’re seeing there.’ That has lasted with me.”
Provided by James Niehues
James Niehues painting in the tree shadows on the 2016 Alta map image.
Niehues learned to ski while he was learning how to paint trail maps. One of his first assignments was the Alta ski area in Utah, where he discovered how rudimentary his ski skills really were.
“I’d had enough skiing that I could get down the hill,” Niehues recalled. “I was probably a beginner at that time. We went up and started skiing down. The night before they’d had about 6 inches of snow, and that was really hard for me to handle. I was falling all the time. The instructor jokingly said, ‘You’d think the guy that painted ski maps could ski.’ It took me forever to get down.”
Niehues starts the process of creating a trail map by photographing the mountain from different angles from an airplane. “I have a pilot, of course,” he said. From his aerial photos, he begins the creative process by sketching the mountain in pencil with all the trails and physical features he wants to include. In the pencil sketch, which takes about a week to draw, timber on the slopes is represented by a bunch of squiggly lines.
After the ski area approves the accuracy of his sketch, he uses it as a guide for the painting — usually in watercolors — which will include individually painted trees that are accurately rendered. He doesn’t paint evergreens where there should be aspens, or vice versa. Ski areas take his finished products and add the graphics indicating trail names and lifts.
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Turning three-dimensional space into a two-dimensional artistic representation requires some tricks of the trade. Shadows, for example, help indicate steeper areas.
“It’s very important that we get the shadow right,” Niehues said. “That’s part of tricking the eye into believing that it’s true. You’ve got to keep everything relative. The skier skiing down it doesn’t have the advantage I have of that view. So, as he’s skiing around the mountain looking at this, I have to remember the terrain he’s looking at and what will guide him around.”
Calling himself “just a Colorado farm boy” who became a self-taught artist, Niehues finds it immensely rewarding that people use his art across the U.S. The reception to the book project astonishes him.
“How can you be more gratified?” Niehues said. “You can’t. It’s just phenomenal. What I dreamed would be a good book is proving to be a good book before it’s even printed.”
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from Latest Information https://www.denverpost.com/2019/01/19/james-niehues-ski-maps-coffe-table-book/
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