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internetnewsworldblog · 11 days

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The Paperless Post Founders Changed How We Party https://www.merchant-business.com/the-paperless-post-founders-changed-how-we-party/?feed_id=5212&_unique_id=665807d60cd4c The Paperless Post Founders Changed How We Party On an afternoon this spring, James Hirschfeld, a founder of Paperless Post, was at the company’s Lower Manhattan office surveying moodboards for digital invitation designs. They included materials for forthcoming motifs like New Victorian, a collection inspired by 19th-century décor, and a line by Annie Atkins, a graphic designer known for her collaborations with the director Wes Anderson. As Mr. Hirschfeld examined the collagelike boards, he recalled a meeting about the design of new children’s invitations. “Someone said, ‘Dinosaurs are out, owls are in,’” he said. “And I thought, Is this my life?” For the past 15 years, it has been. Mr. Hirschfeld, 38, with his older sister, Alexa Hirschfeld, 40, started Paperless Post in 2009, when they were 23 and 25. He was a senior at Harvard and she was working at CBS as a second assistant to the anchor Katie Couric. Since then the company has sent some 650 million invitations, according to its own metrics, has grown to employ a full-time staff of 110 people and, as of last year, has been immortalized in a “Saturday Night Live” sketch. Paperless Post has also earned fans in the heritage stationery businesses it sought to disrupt, collaborating with brands like Crane and Cheree Berry on digital products. Its approach of combining the flourish of physical invitations with the ease of digital correspondence has been adopted by several younger companies, among them Electragram, a digital stationery business developed by the editor Graydon Carter and his wife, Anna Carter; HiNote, a similar business started by Alexis Traina, the wife of a former United States ambassador to Austria; and Partiful, a platform with a faster-and-looser sensibility that has resonated with members of Gen Z. But when Paperless Post debuted, in certain corners of society its arrival was seen less as the dawn of a new era and more as a step toward the end of civilization as some knew it. Pamela Fiori, an author who in 2009 was the editor of Town & Country magazine, told The New York Times back then that Paperless Post’s brand of digital stationery was representative of “a world increasingly uncivilized.” Ms. Fiori, now 80, said in an interview in April that although she still preferred using physical stationery, she could not deny the impact that the company has had in the years since it started. “If you say Paperless Post now, people know immediately what you are talking about,” she said. “They do it well.” Marcy Blum, a wedding and event planner in Manhattan who has worked with clients like the basketball player LeBron James and the interior designer Nate Berkus, was also among those who at first quickly wrote off Paperless Post. “We thought, ‘This is convenient, but it isn’t going to change much,’” Ms. Blum said. “We were absolutely incorrect.” She added that her business had benefited from the service over the years because it allowed for planning more events at short notice. “It’s like Kleenex now, right?” Ms. Blum said, referring to how the name Paperless Post has become a general term for digital correspondence in the same way Kleenex became a general term for tissues. Heady Beginnings at Harvard The Hirschfeld siblings began developing what would become Paperless Post in 2007. Mr. Hirschfeld had by then begun his sophomore year at Harvard after transferring from Brown, and was planning his 21st birthday party. “Paper invitations were expensive and inefficient,” he said, adding that digital alternatives at the time like Facebook or the website Evite were “just unacceptable from a design perspective.” Ms. Hirschfeld, who had graduated from Harvard, was living with their parents at the family’s home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan while starting her career in television. She had already begun to question that path, she said, when Mr.

Hirschfeld called her with an idea to start an online business. Neither had studied technology; Ms. Hirschfeld had majored in classics and modern Greek studies, and Mr. Hirschfeld was an English major. But they were motivated partly by what Mr. Hirschfeld described as a flourishing entrepreneurial spirit at Harvard in the wake of Mark Zuckerberg — a classmate of Ms. Hirschfeld’s — starting Facebook with his university roommates. “That is what got my antennae out to start a company with Alexa,” Mr. Hirschfeld said. “I felt like it was possible because there were people around me there who showed me that.” The siblings and their younger brother, Nico Hirschfeld, who is not involved in Paperless Post, also grew up in a family with entrepreneurs. Their maternal great-grandfather, Raphael Caviris, after coming to America from Greece, opened several diners with his brother including the Burger Heaven chain, now closed, in New York. When they were teenagers, Mr. Hirschfeld was a waiter at Burger Heaven and Ms. Hirschfeld was a hostess. “We were used to being in and around small businesses,” he said. The two siblings used personal savings to develop a prototype of their online business, which has always involved some combination of free offerings, to entice users, and paid premium services like customization. (These days, sending digital invitations with custom touches like special artwork and lined envelopes to 20 people can cost up to about $70.) As the siblings began pitching the concept to investors in 2008, some balked at the notion that people would pay for digital invitations, no matter how nice they looked, Mr. Hirschfeld said. But they persuaded Ram Shriram, an early investor in Google; Mousse Partners, an investment firm for the Wertheimer family, which owns Chanel; and others to contribute almost $1 million to their fledgling venture. “They took a chance on us,” Ms. Hirschfeld said. Mousse Partners even set the Hirschfelds up with their first work space: A spare row of cubicles at the New York office of Eres, the French lingerie and swimwear brand, which is owned by Chanel. When the Hirschfelds started the business, it was called Paperless Press. But a web address with that name already existed and its owner would not sell it to the siblings, so within months they had switched to a new name: Paperless Post. Guided by ‘Guts and Scrappiness’ Meg Hirschfeld, the Hirschfelds’ mother, attributed her children’s success partly to “guts and scrappiness,” qualities they inherited from their ancestors, she said. Mrs. Hirschfeld, who left a career as an attorney to raise her three children, is now the chief administrative officer at Paperless Post. Her husband, John Hirschfeld, is a real-estate investor. She said Mr. and Ms. Hirschfeld were close siblings growing up, but had different sensibilities: He was creative and artistic, and she was outgoing and a computer whiz. Mrs. Hirschfeld recalled touring the Metropolitan Museum of Art with her son when he was in preschool, and her daughter becoming “absolutely hooked” on an Apple computer as a 7-year-old. The siblings’ yin-yang brains are reflected in their duties at Paperless Post. Ms. Hirschfeld oversees the business’s operations and technological aspects. Mr. Hirschfeld is in charge of business development, marketing and design, a role in which he has tapped collaborators like the fashion brand Oscar de la Renta and the merchant John Derian. The Hirschfelds, who each have a seat on Paperless Post’s seven-member board, are no less involved in running their business now than they were 15 years ago. But both described themselves as being less frenetic. Ms. Hirschfeld, who lives in the East Village, is a mother of two young children. Mr. Hirschfeld, who lives on the Upper East Side, also spends time on Long Island restoring a house from 1895 that he recently bought. In recent years, their company has had to contend not only with newer competitors but also with the tumultuous economic climate caused by the pandemic.

Mr. Hirschfeld described that period as “eye watering,” explaining that sales were down by between 50 and 80 percent in several months of 2020 compared with the same months in 2019. “Except in Florida and Texas,” he added, noting that the company shifted its marketing during that period to focus on places with less restrictive lockdown policies. Changes in how people communicate — more texting, less emailing — have also posed challenges to Paperless Post’s business model. “In 2009, it was just paper and email,” Mr. Hirschfeld said. “Now it is DM, WhatsApp.” As a result, the company has introduced products like Flyer, a casual, text-message-friendly form of invitation that is typically less expensive than Paperless Post’s traditional offerings. Chloe Malle, 38, the editor of Vogue.com, was another skeptic of Paperless Post when it first debuted. “I loved print invitations,” said Ms. Malle, who was a classmate of Mr. Hirschfeld’s when he briefly attended Brown. Then she started using the platform and, more recently, began receiving wedding invitations by email via Paperless Post. “That just wouldn’t have happened before,” she said. Now Ms. Malle is also receiving digital invitations through competitors like Partiful. But she thinks Paperless Post, much like print stationery, will always have its fans. “There is room for both,” she said. Source link The Paperless Post Founders Changed How We Party #Paperless #Post #Founders #Changed #Party Source link Google News Source Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/21/style/the-siblings-who-changed-how-we-party.html The post The Paperless Post Founders Changed How We Party appeared first on Merchant Business News. Buy, Sell, Get Informed, Negotiate and Be Happy! DigitalProducts, Global

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blogbusinesswebsite · 11 days

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The Paperless Post Founders Changed How We Party - #DigitalProducts #Global https://www.merchant-business.com/the-paperless-post-founders-changed-how-we-party/?feed_id=5211&_unique_id=665807d59cfc1 The Paperless Post Founders Changed How We Party On an afternoon this spring, James Hirschfeld, a founder of Paperless Post, was at the company’s Lower Manhattan office surveying moodboards for digital invitation designs. They included materials for forthcoming motifs like New Victorian, a collection inspired by 19th-century décor, and a line by Annie Atkins, a graphic designer known for her collaborations with the director Wes Anderson. As Mr. Hirschfeld examined the collagelike boards, he recalled a meeting about the design of new children’s invitations. “Someone said, ‘Dinosaurs are out, owls are in,’” he said. “And I thought, Is this my life?” For the past 15 years, it has been. Mr. Hirschfeld, 38, with his older sister, Alexa Hirschfeld, 40, started Paperless Post in 2009, when they were 23 and 25. He was a senior at Harvard and she was working at CBS as a second assistant to the anchor Katie Couric. Since then the company has sent some 650 million invitations, according to its own metrics, has grown to employ a full-time staff of 110 people and, as of last year, has been immortalized in a “Saturday Night Live” sketch. Paperless Post has also earned fans in the heritage stationery businesses it sought to disrupt, collaborating with brands like Crane and Cheree Berry on digital products. Its approach of combining the flourish of physical invitations with the ease of digital correspondence has been adopted by several younger companies, among them Electragram, a digital stationery business developed by the editor Graydon Carter and his wife, Anna Carter; HiNote, a similar business started by Alexis Traina, the wife of a former United States ambassador to Austria; and Partiful, a platform with a faster-and-looser sensibility that has resonated with members of Gen Z. But when Paperless Post debuted, in certain corners of society its arrival was seen less as the dawn of a new era and more as a step toward the end of civilization as some knew it. Pamela Fiori, an author who in 2009 was the editor of Town & Country magazine, told The New York Times back then that Paperless Post’s brand of digital stationery was representative of “a world increasingly uncivilized.” Ms. Fiori, now 80, said in an interview in April that although she still preferred using physical stationery, she could not deny the impact that the company has had in the years since it started. “If you say Paperless Post now, people know immediately what you are talking about,” she said. “They do it well.” Marcy Blum, a wedding and event planner in Manhattan who has worked with clients like the basketball player LeBron James and the interior designer Nate Berkus, was also among those who at first quickly wrote off Paperless Post. “We thought, ‘This is convenient, but it isn’t going to change much,’” Ms. Blum said. “We were absolutely incorrect.” She added that her business had benefited from the service over the years because it allowed for planning more events at short notice. “It’s like Kleenex now, right?” Ms. Blum said, referring to how the name Paperless Post has become a general term for digital correspondence in the same way Kleenex became a general term for tissues. Heady Beginnings at Harvard The Hirschfeld siblings began developing what would become Paperless Post in 2007. Mr. Hirschfeld had by then begun his sophomore year at Harvard after transferring from Brown, and was planning his 21st birthday party. “Paper invitations were expensive and inefficient,” he said, adding that digital alternatives at the time like Facebook or the website Evite were “just unacceptable from a design perspective.” Ms. Hirschfeld, who had graduated from Harvard, was living with their parents at the family’s home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan while starting her career in television.

She had already begun to question that path, she said, when Mr. Hirschfeld called her with an idea to start an online business. Neither had studied technology; Ms. Hirschfeld had majored in classics and modern Greek studies, and Mr. Hirschfeld was an English major. But they were motivated partly by what Mr. Hirschfeld described as a flourishing entrepreneurial spirit at Harvard in the wake of Mark Zuckerberg — a classmate of Ms. Hirschfeld’s — starting Facebook with his university roommates. “That is what got my antennae out to start a company with Alexa,” Mr. Hirschfeld said. “I felt like it was possible because there were people around me there who showed me that.” The siblings and their younger brother, Nico Hirschfeld, who is not involved in Paperless Post, also grew up in a family with entrepreneurs. Their maternal great-grandfather, Raphael Caviris, after coming to America from Greece, opened several diners with his brother including the Burger Heaven chain, now closed, in New York. When they were teenagers, Mr. Hirschfeld was a waiter at Burger Heaven and Ms. Hirschfeld was a hostess. “We were used to being in and around small businesses,” he said. The two siblings used personal savings to develop a prototype of their online business, which has always involved some combination of free offerings, to entice users, and paid premium services like customization. (These days, sending digital invitations with custom touches like special artwork and lined envelopes to 20 people can cost up to about $70.) As the siblings began pitching the concept to investors in 2008, some balked at the notion that people would pay for digital invitations, no matter how nice they looked, Mr. Hirschfeld said. But they persuaded Ram Shriram, an early investor in Google; Mousse Partners, an investment firm for the Wertheimer family, which owns Chanel; and others to contribute almost $1 million to their fledgling venture. “They took a chance on us,” Ms. Hirschfeld said. Mousse Partners even set the Hirschfelds up with their first work space: A spare row of cubicles at the New York office of Eres, the French lingerie and swimwear brand, which is owned by Chanel. When the Hirschfelds started the business, it was called Paperless Press. But a web address with that name already existed and its owner would not sell it to the siblings, so within months they had switched to a new name: Paperless Post. Guided by ‘Guts and Scrappiness’ Meg Hirschfeld, the Hirschfelds’ mother, attributed her children’s success partly to “guts and scrappiness,” qualities they inherited from their ancestors, she said. Mrs. Hirschfeld, who left a career as an attorney to raise her three children, is now the chief administrative officer at Paperless Post. Her husband, John Hirschfeld, is a real-estate investor. She said Mr. and Ms. Hirschfeld were close siblings growing up, but had different sensibilities: He was creative and artistic, and she was outgoing and a computer whiz. Mrs. Hirschfeld recalled touring the Metropolitan Museum of Art with her son when he was in preschool, and her daughter becoming “absolutely hooked” on an Apple computer as a 7-year-old. The siblings’ yin-yang brains are reflected in their duties at Paperless Post. Ms. Hirschfeld oversees the business’s operations and technological aspects. Mr. Hirschfeld is in charge of business development, marketing and design, a role in which he has tapped collaborators like the fashion brand Oscar de la Renta and the merchant John Derian. The Hirschfelds, who each have a seat on Paperless Post’s seven-member board, are no less involved in running their business now than they were 15 years ago. But both described themselves as being less frenetic. Ms. Hirschfeld, who lives in the East Village, is a mother of two young children. Mr. Hirschfeld, who lives on the Upper East Side, also spends time on Long Island restoring a house from 1895 that he recently bought. In recent years, their company has

had to contend not only with newer competitors but also with the tumultuous economic climate caused by the pandemic. Mr. Hirschfeld described that period as “eye watering,” explaining that sales were down by between 50 and 80 percent in several months of 2020 compared with the same months in 2019. “Except in Florida and Texas,” he added, noting that the company shifted its marketing during that period to focus on places with less restrictive lockdown policies. Changes in how people communicate — more texting, less emailing — have also posed challenges to Paperless Post’s business model. “In 2009, it was just paper and email,” Mr. Hirschfeld said. “Now it is DM, WhatsApp.” As a result, the company has introduced products like Flyer, a casual, text-message-friendly form of invitation that is typically less expensive than Paperless Post’s traditional offerings. Chloe Malle, 38, the editor of Vogue.com, was another skeptic of Paperless Post when it first debuted. “I loved print invitations,” said Ms. Malle, who was a classmate of Mr. Hirschfeld’s when he briefly attended Brown. Then she started using the platform and, more recently, began receiving wedding invitations by email via Paperless Post. “That just wouldn’t have happened before,” she said. Now Ms. Malle is also receiving digital invitations through competitors like Partiful. But she thinks Paperless Post, much like print stationery, will always have its fans. “There is room for both,” she said. Source link The Paperless Post Founders Changed How We Party #Paperless #Post #Founders #Changed #Party Source link Google News Source Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/21/style/the-siblings-who-changed-how-we-party.html The post The Paperless Post Founders Changed How We Party appeared first on Merchant Business News. Buy, Sell, Get Informed, Negotiate and Be Happy! DigitalProducts, Global BLOGGER - #DigitalProducts #Global

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merchant-business · 11 days

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The Paperless Post Founders Changed How We Party https://www.merchant-business.com/the-paperless-post-founders-changed-how-we-party/?feed_id=5210&_unique_id=665807d4dfadc The Paperless Post Founders Changed How We Party On an afternoon this spring, James Hirschfeld, a founder of Paperless Post, was at the company’s Lower Manhattan office surveying moodboards for digital invitation designs. They included materials for forthcoming motifs like New Victorian, a collection inspired by 19th-century décor, and a line by Annie Atkins, a graphic designer known for her collaborations with the director Wes Anderson. As Mr. Hirschfeld examined the collagelike boards, he recalled a meeting about the design of new children’s invitations. “Someone said, ‘Dinosaurs are out, owls are in,’” he said. “And I thought, Is this my life?” For the past 15 years, it has been. Mr. Hirschfeld, 38, with his older sister, Alexa Hirschfeld, 40, started Paperless Post in 2009, when they were 23 and 25. He was a senior at Harvard and she was working at CBS as a second assistant to the anchor Katie Couric. Since then the company has sent some 650 million invitations, according to its own metrics, has grown to employ a full-time staff of 110 people and, as of last year, has been immortalized in a “Saturday Night Live” sketch. Paperless Post has also earned fans in the heritage stationery businesses it sought to disrupt, collaborating with brands like Crane and Cheree Berry on digital products. Its approach of combining the flourish of physical invitations with the ease of digital correspondence has been adopted by several younger companies, among them Electragram, a digital stationery business developed by the editor Graydon Carter and his wife, Anna Carter; HiNote, a similar business started by Alexis Traina, the wife of a former United States ambassador to Austria; and Partiful, a platform with a faster-and-looser sensibility that has resonated with members of Gen Z. But when Paperless Post debuted, in certain corners of society its arrival was seen less as the dawn of a new era and more as a step toward the end of civilization as some knew it. Pamela Fiori, an author who in 2009 was the editor of Town & Country magazine, told The New York Times back then that Paperless Post’s brand of digital stationery was representative of “a world increasingly uncivilized.” Ms. Fiori, now 80, said in an interview in April that although she still preferred using physical stationery, she could not deny the impact that the company has had in the years since it started. “If you say Paperless Post now, people know immediately what you are talking about,” she said. “They do it well.” Marcy Blum, a wedding and event planner in Manhattan who has worked with clients like the basketball player LeBron James and the interior designer Nate Berkus, was also among those who at first quickly wrote off Paperless Post. “We thought, ‘This is convenient, but it isn’t going to change much,’” Ms. Blum said. “We were absolutely incorrect.” She added that her business had benefited from the service over the years because it allowed for planning more events at short notice. “It’s like Kleenex now, right?” Ms. Blum said, referring to how the name Paperless Post has become a general term for digital correspondence in the same way Kleenex became a general term for tissues. Heady Beginnings at Harvard The Hirschfeld siblings began developing what would become Paperless Post in 2007. Mr. Hirschfeld had by then begun his sophomore year at Harvard after transferring from Brown, and was planning his 21st birthday party. “Paper invitations were expensive and inefficient,” he said, adding that digital alternatives at the time like Facebook or the website Evite were “just unacceptable from a design perspective.” Ms. Hirschfeld, who had graduated from Harvard, was living with their parents at the family’s home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan while starting her career in television. She had already begun to question that path, she said, when Mr.

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bersergner-blog · 8 months

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Practice 1_1.2 - Gathering Inspiration

A few inspirations instantly sprung to mind.

For Composition: Daniel Warren Punisher, Hotline Miami, Patrick Brown, John Woo gunfight chaos

DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON (2017). [Online] Available at: https://twitter.com/danielwarrenart/status/946796548754759685/photo/1

PATRICK BROWN (2020). [Online] Available at: https://www.joblo.com/awesome-artists-weve-found-around-the-net-patrick-brown/

For Colours: Hotline Miami, David Hartman, Seung Eun Kim (Palette)

SEUNG EUN KIM (2021). [Online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4X9Lv1

TWITTER (2020). [2020]. [Online] Available at: https://twitter.com/HotlineMiami/status/1272216295799500802/photo/1

For Character: Tetsuo (Akira), Akira (Rival Schools)

PXFUEL. [Online] Available at: https://www.pxfuel.com/en/desktop-wallpaper-tilqo

FIGHTERS GENERATION. [Online] Available at: https://fightersgeneration.com/np7/char/akira-project.png

Moodboards

A collage of images I used for inspiration.

References Bergner, E.B. [Sketches] 8TRACKS. [Online] Available at: https://8tracks.com/deluxeturbopuns/collections/dorohedoro AMAZON. [Online] Available at: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61SpYj+V3iL.AC_UF894,1000_QL80.jpg PINTEREST. [Online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/2251868551208392/ MADABOUTHORROR. [Online] Available at: https://madabouthorror.co.uk/product/scream-greats-killer-klowns-from-outer-space-fatso-8-figure-pre-order/ MERRIAM-WEBSTER. [Online] Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harlequin ARGOS. [Online] Available at: https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3334807 ALEXIS RIVES. [Online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/g0GLRQ WIKIMEDIA. [Online] Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/Neon_White_cover_art.jpg PINTEREST. [Online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/winter-outfit-idea-a-really-big-jacket-and-cool-sneakers--354377064430711535/ MOTOLEGENDS. (2022). [Online] Available at: https://www.motolegends.com/reviews/Motorcycle-leather-suit-vs-textile-suit-Which-is-best PINTEREST. [Online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/372461831680449765/ DUPONT. [Online] Available at: https://www.dupont.com/fabrics-fibers-and-nonwovens/motorcycle-gear.html ETSY. [Online] Available at: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/953397913/leather-deadpool-cosplay-costume PLAY-ASIA. [Online] Available at: https://www.play-asia.com/figma-durarara-x2-celty-sturluson/13/70ajpn DURARARA.FANDOM. [Online] Available at: https://durarara.fandom.com/wiki/Celty_Sturluson?file=Celty_character_sheet.png SLASHFILM. [Online] Available at: https://www.slashfilm.com/802551/akiras-motorcycles-came-straight-out-of-another-sci-fi-classic/ PINTEREST. [Online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/super-glossy-black-giant-puffer-coat--633389135100281974/ PATRICK BROWN. (2015). [Online] Available at: https://www.deviantart.com/patrickbrown/art/Deadpool-576146472 TWITTER (2013). [Online] Available at: https://twitter.com/HotlineMiami/status/305451269072490497 FILM SCHOOL REJECTS. [Online] Available at: https://filmschoolrejects.com/john-woo-action/ TRIPOD. [Online] Available at: https://fabkid.tripod.com/wootrade.html PINTEREST. [Online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/oni-mask-lol-video-game-8x10-craft-sewing-cotton-fabric-block--434386326571351037/

#concept art #character concept #digital art #digital illustration #art references #drawing references

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southernxrose · 2 years

Text

Optional Task 383

Movie quote match-up who would say which line?

Part 1 Question

1. “It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare.” Finn

2. “I’m a mouse, duh.” Peyton

3. “Oh look, another glorious morning. Makes me sick.” Adah

4. “You can’t kill the boogeyman!” Braxton

5. “I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color.” Ryker

6. “I’m a ghost with the most, babe.” Melanie

7. “When there is no room left in hell, the dead will walk the earth.” Astrid

8. “It’s a full moon tonight. That’s when all the weirdos are out.” Sheriff Stanton

9. “I am the pumpkin king.” Mayor Edwards

10. “It’s showtime.” Rosslyn

11. “Hi, I’m Chucky, wanna play?” Alexis

12. “No, please don’t kill me, Mr. Ghostface, I wanna be in the sequel.” Zachary

13. “What an excellent day for an exorcism.” Alice

14. “Be afraid… Be very afraid.” Novaleigh

15. “I see dead people.” Hunter

16. "Can I keep you?" Presley

17. "You are too precious for words, why I could just... eat you alive!" Katharina

18. “I, myself, am strange and unusual.” Grace

19. "This is my costume. I'm a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else." Dodge

20. “Go to hell!” “I’ve been there, thank you. I found it quite lovely.” Ezekiel

21. "You can’t kill the boogeyman!" Daphne

22. “Sometimes dead is better." Scott

23. "Every day is Halloween, isn't it? For some of us." Aurora

24. "Whatever you do, don't fall asleep." Catherine

25. "We all go a little mad sometimes." Bowie

26. "Here's Johnny!" Raleigh

27. "Redrum! Redrum! Redrum!" Calla

28. “Isn’t the view beautiful? It takes my breath away. Well, it would if I had any.” Damien

29. "I know what you did last summer." Teagan

30. “Last night you were unhinged. You were like some desperate, howling demon. You frightened me. Do it again.” Harlow

31. "I want to play a game." Vanessa

32. “You know that part in scary movies when somebody does something really stupid and everyone hates them for it? This is it.” Maverick

Part 2 Match the actual movie quote to the movie listed below.

Question:

1. "It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare.” Halloween

2. “Oh look, another glorious morning. Makes me sick!”Hocus Pocus

3. “It’s a full moon tonight. That’s when all the weirdos are out.” Dawn of the Dead

4. “That cold ain't the weather. That's death approaching." 30 Days of Night

5. "You can’t kill the boogeyman!" Halloween

6. “When there is no room left in hell, the dead will walk the earth.”

Beetlejuice

7. "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." Silence of the Lambs

8. “No, please don’t kill me, Mr. Ghostface, I wanna be in the sequel!” Scream

9. “Sometimes dead is better."Pet Sematary

10. “You know that part in scary movies when somebody does something really stupid and everyone hates them for it? This is it.” Jeepers Creepers

11. "What an excellent day for an exorcism." The Exorcist

12. "Be afraid... Be very afraid." The Fly

13. “Today is thanksgiving day for cats. But only if they came back from the dead." Pet Sematary

14. "He's gonna get you. The boogeyman is coming!"

Halloween

15. “Well, it says to form a circle a salt to protect from zombies, witches, and old boyfriends." Hocus Pocus

16. "I’m a ghost with the most, babe." Hocus Pocus

17. "It’s my party and I’ll die if I want do, die if I want to. You will die too, when it happens to you." Casper

18. "We’ve got to find Jack! There’s only 365 days left until next Halloween!" The Nightmare Before Christmas

19. "The Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch. He flies through the air and brings toys to all the children of the world." It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

20. "Isn’t the view beautiful? It takes my breath away. Well, it would if I had any." Corpse Bride

21. “Hi, I’m Chucky, wanna play?” Chucky

22. “I see dead people.” The Sixth Sense

23. “I’m a mouse, duh.” Mean Girls

24. “I am the pumpkin king.” The Nightmare Before Christmas

25. “I, myself, am strange and unusual.” Beetlejuice

Part 3: moodboard

#☾ ˙ ˖ ✦ 【 tasks #Optional Task 383

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axwalker · 3 years

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Happy Birthday, Maskaneko! A Tears in Heaven one-shot.

The beautiful edit in the moodboard was made by the talented, creative birthday girl @mskaneko 💕💕💕

Happy birthday again!!! As I said earlier, I’m so grateful to have you in my life. I hope you’ll spend an amazing day.

I love youuu ❤️❤️❤️ @mskaneko

You said you’d be happy with a peek into Drake and Lexie’s life in Tears in Heaven. So here it is. I hope you’ll enjoy it. 🎉🎉🎉

Warnings: Mention of the death of a child, grief. Language and smut.

It’s been a tough year. Lexie and I have been working hard, and between our demanding jobs and Lennie, we’re exhausted. It’s a miracle we were both able to clear our schedules for a few days to come to Corsica to Max’s and Rashad’s house for a short vacation. We need this much more than we’re able to admit. I miss my time with Lexie. I need more of her. If there is one thing I can admit to myself, it’s that. That there is nothing more fundamental, more important to my happiness, than my wife and my little girl.

A roar of laughter interrupts my thoughts. I look through the window, and I can’t help but smile at the sight down by the shore. Jaiden is chasing Lena to the edge of the ocean, and every time the water splashes up on her little legs, she squeals and runs back, her face animated with some mix of terror and delight.

A throaty laugh harmonizes with my squirt’s high-pitched giggles, and Lexie walks into view. Her dark hair is scooped up into a messy bun, and she’s all long, sun-kissed legs and rounded baby-belly in her orange bikini. It will never get old, how my heart thumps a little harder when I see her. Desperate to get to her. I leave the home office and walk barefoot and bare-chested over to the windows and sliding door. Lexie and I wasted too many years and made too many mistakes before we came together again. We both had a lot of growing up to do, a lot of pain to overcome but seeing her with our little girl and Maxwell’s boy chasing the waves, seeing her pregnant again, this good life was worth all the patience in the world. She is worth the wait. I press my palm to the cool glass and let years of memories wash over me, all the painful years spent apart. Being with my family always provides perspective. I might feel exhausted sometimes, but my heart, my life is whole. The axis of my existence it’s those two people down there playing in the ocean like they don’t have a care in the world. Seeing that lifts my burdens, too. And it reminds me that we can’t let life interfere with our lives as a family. Work can’t take so much room in our lives, is not who we are.

After turning my laptop off, I cross over to the sliding door, slipping out and not bothering with anything other than the blue shorts I’m already wearing. Lexie is laughing as Lena tries to lift Jaiden and they both collapse into the water. I walk toward them, silent until I’m close, and then run past Lexie, playfully slapping her ass. She squeaks, jumping a little, her face lighting up when she sees me.

“Where’d you come from?” She laughs. I back my way into the cool waves and wink at her as an answer before turning to scoop up both Lena and Jai, one under each arm. “Daddy!” my girl screams in her sweet voice. I keep running until the ocean stirs around my waist and dunk them both to the neck, making sure to keep their heads out of the water. Their giggles and squeaks occupy the next five minutes of what suddenly feels like a perfect day.

“Uncle Dake,” Jai says. “Put me up on your shoulders.” Lexie takes Helena so I can lift Jaiden. The heels of his little feet kick against my chest, and he squeezes my neck as we go deeper into the water.

“I can swim, Mom,” Lena says from behind us. “Put me down.”

Lena’s five, and while she still likes me to toss her around, she doesn’t tolerate it from her smaller mother all that much. I’m not crazy about it either, considering Lexie’s six months pregnant.

“It’s deeper than you think, Lennie,” Lexie says. “I don’t think it is a good idea.”

Alexis and I went back to therapy when Helena turned three. Slowly, almost without noticing it, we were turning into overprotective, smothering parents. Lexie refused to go anywhere without her, and she’d have horrible panic attacks when her work forced her to travel. Therapy certainly helped a lot, but as much as I would love to say that it was like turning on a switch, that we don’t suffocate Lena anymore, it would be a lie. We would never be those two carefree parents we were ten years ago. But we’re trying; we both want our kids to have the best possible life.

After begging a little more, Lexie gives in, and sure enough, in seconds, Lennie is swimming past me, her skinny arms and legs slicing through the waves, her hair in two small braids.

“Baby, that’s fair enough,” I call out. The ocean isn’t turbulent today, but I don’t want to take any chances. It can change fast. Calm one second and treacherous the next. Lena turns, doggy paddling to stay afloat, her cute face wet and frowning.

“But, Daddy—”

“Do I repeat myself, Lena?” She frowns the brown eyes so like Lexie’s widening. She shakes her head.

“No, sir.”

“Then that’s far enough.” I gentle my words with a smile, take the few steps separating us and tap her head with Jaiden’s foot. She giggles and swims a circle around me, disappearing for a second underwater and then popping back up, laughing again.

“I need to learn that trick,” Lexie says wryly. “I tried last week, asked her if I repeat myself, and she just stared at me and said, ‘What’d you say, Mommy?’”

I can’t help it, I laugh, and Lexie glares at me.

“You know she loves pressing your buttons. Every time she finds a new one, she just has to push.”

“Looking forward to her teenage years.” I pull her close, anchoring Jaiden by one leg and looping an arm around her, cupping her stomach.

“If she’s as sassy as you, baby. I’m not looking forward to them either.” Lexie leans her head on my shoulder, covering my hand with hers on her stomach. There’s a subtle movement beneath my fingers.

“Lexie,” I breathe. “Did you feel that? They’re moving.” Of course, she felt it. It’s her body, but she just laughs. It’s not the first time the twins have moved, but I always seem to miss it, so it’s the first time I’ve felt the life growing inside Lexie for myself.

“One of them is moving.” She guides my hand to the other side of her stomach. “This guy has been quiet all day.”

“Guy?” I raise one questioning brow. “I thought we agreed we wouldn’t find out. You got some divination powers I know nothing about?”

She shrugs. “I just have a feeling they’re both guys. God save me. Lennie and I will be outnumbered.”

I chuckle “You hear that, Lennie? Your mom says we’re getting two boys. What do you think?”

“I want sisters! Boys are yucky.” Jaiden jumps to the water, and they start a water war.

“You heard the girl,” I tell Lexie. “Boys are yucky. I sure hope she’ll think like that for a long time.”

Lexie laughs. “I honestly don’t care.” She grimaces and rubs the small of her back. “I’m so big this time, I just want them out . I’ve already gained as much weight as I had by the end with Lena. I’m huge.”

I lean over to whisper in her ear. “You’re sexy as hell, Lexie. Always.”

She turns her head so our mouths are mere inches apart, our lips separated by a single breath. “You think so, huh?”

“I’ll show you tonight,” I whisper over her mouth.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Jaiden chants. We glance down at our godson, and both laugh.

“You kiss all the time,” Lena mutters from a few feet away. She’s not wrong, but in my defense, her mother is irresistible.

“Lena, we need to get back inside,” Lexie says. “We’ve been in the water all day, and you need your lunch. I bet Max made the grill sandwiches you love so much. After lunch, we can get ice cream from Amorino.”

“A few more minutes, Mommy, please? So, Daddy can swim with me?” Lena asks, lips pouty and huge eyes pleading. If she figures out, she has me wrapped around her little finger, we’re doomed. Who am I kidding? The girl was born knowing. “You think you can keep up with me? Okay squirt. Let’s go.”

After a while, we get out of the water and join the others for lunch in the terrace. Lena claps and rocks her shoulders, some little move she and Jaiden made up. The two are thick as thieves. Jaiden’s at our house as much as Lena is at Rash and Maxwell’s.

“What’s that you’re drawing, Lennie?” Liv asks. She might not like kids, but she sure is crazy about her goddaughter.

“It’s us!” Lena grins.

“Let me see.” I reach for the paper. Lexie walks up beside me and looks down at the drawing in my hand. It’s a man-stick figure with which I assume is a stethoscope around his neck, obviously me. A shorter woman-stick she’s colored caramel and who has brown lines drawn around her shoulders for hair. Jaiden made Lexie’s stomach a circle and there’s two orange round things inside.

“Grapefruit,” Lennie says. “Mommy said the babies are like grapefruits now.”

“Ahhhh.” Lexie purses her lips against a smile. “You got them perfectly, baby.”

In her drawing, she is standing between Lexie and me, holding our hands. I tilt my head, staring at what Lena’s holding in the drawing. A white bird?

“What’s that white thing your holding, squirt?”

“It’s Tom!” She says, her smile wide and proud. “He’s an angel, like mommy said.” Tom’s name, said so unexpectedly, causes the adults on the terrace to hold their breaths collectively. Lexie goes perfectly still beside me, and her hand goes instinctively to her stomach. That old fear lives in the back of both our minds. As much as losing Tom still hurts, we talk openly about him to our daughter, making sure she knows she has a big brother looking out for her all the time, even though she never met him.

“You can have it, Mommy,” Lena offers, her beautiful smile slipping, his childish intuition sharp enough to pick up on the shift of mood in the terrace. “I-I drew it for you, so we can put it in the twins’ nursery.”

“It’s so good, Lennie. That’s a great idea,” I say, glancing at Lexie, who stares down at the paper. Even though she isn’t crying, her eyes have that look of shattered glass she sometimes gets when she thinks of Tom. Unfortunately, therapy doesn’t eradicate pain. Not for the first time, I wish I could carry it for her, but I can’t.

“This is your most beautiful drawing yet, Lennie,” Lexie says after clearing her voice, reaching down to caress the angel on it. “I love it very, very much. It will look perfect in their room.” She bends to kiss her hair, closes her eyes tightly and then cups Helena’s little head and kisses her forehead, too. She clears her throat and pulls back to spread an overbright smile and says, “Who’s ready for ice cream?”

ALEXIS

Accident. That’s how everybody described what happened to my baby boy. An accident. It does hurt less than it used to. At first, I couldn’t think about Tom without aching and falling into a black hole. Five horrible years, where I needed to numb myself or ignore my pain to keep breathing. An empty shell that had trouble breathing. I would cringe at the sound of Tom’s name, incapable of pronouncing it myself. Not because I didn’t want to hear it, but because I wanted to hold him so badly. It’s been years, but my body perfectly recalls the sweet little weight of him in my arms. His scent still fills my nostrils if I draw a deep enough breath. I remember the dark tangle of curls brushing against my cheek. His little voice calling me mommy. Some days my head and thoughts are locked in a room with those last memories, and I don’t want to leave because he’s still there. As difficult as that day was, in that memory, he’s still there. But life goes on. It has moved on, and I’m a baby two and three. I’m years into a marriage full of love I spent five years thinking wasn’t even possible.

“You okay?” I glance up from the table, from Lenna’s drawing, which I’ve found myself thinking about all day, to see Liv, wearing concern on her intense green eyes. The terrace is clear of dishes from tonight’s meal, and everyone’s gone to their respective corners. It’s just Livvie and me.

“I’m fine.” The concern on her face stays. “I swear; I’m fine,” I say. “Just thinking. Remembering.”

“Anything you want to talk about?” Her voice is unusually soft. Her gaze, as usual, is knowing.

“I’m all talked out. A lifetime of expensive therapy will do that to a girl. I guess I’m feeling more than thinking, but I’m good.”

“Okay. I’m here if you need me.”

“I know Liv. I don’t know how I would have done otherwise.”

“I think I will go join Maxwell for a nightcap”

“Now you’re talking.” I sigh and stand from the table, squeeze her hand. “I’m going to turn in. Take a quick bath since Drake is putting Lena to bed.”

“Alright. I’ll see you in the morning.” She gives me a wry grin. “I may even cook breakfast.”

I deadpan, and Liv chuckles. “Did I say cook? I meant order.”

I laugh. “That’s more like it. Good night, Liv,” I say, grabbing Lena’s drawing.

After just a few minutes in the bathtub, I dry off and belt a terry cloth robe over my nakedness, smiling when both babies move. “Hello, boys.” I don’t care what Drake says, I know what I feel. “I’d love for Daddy to feel both of you move. Can we make a deal that you’ll let him feel you both at some point?”

“Daddy would love that, too,” Drake says from the doorway. Leaning one shoulder into the door and wearing a white shirt, sleeves-rolled-up, he looks so attractive, my husband. His face grows more handsome the older he gets. He has that strong virility that somehow converts years into sexual magnetism. I walk over and reach up to caress his jaw, shadowed with stubble.

“You have a little gray in your beard, Mr. Walker.” I close the space between us and tip my toes to kiss him.

He grunts, closing his eyes and leaning into me, his hardness pressing into my belly. I want him so badly. The restlessness I’ve felt most of the day needs an outlet, and I know the best, most pleasurable way to get it.

“Lie down,” he says, leading me to the bed. My hand goes to the belt of my robe, but he stops me. “I want to unwrap you myself,” he says.

I lie on my back, and he hovers over me, connecting our eyes. I see desire there, yes, but concern, too.

“Drake, I’m okay,” I tell him, grabbing his hand and kissing it.

“You sure?” His dark brows form a frown. “The drawing—”

“It took me off guard.” I pull his hand into the neck of my robe, passing his palm over my nipple until it buds beneath his fingers. “But now I want you.”

He hesitates, searching my face and eyes before nodding. Our eyes meet, and beneath the desire filling his stare, a question lingers.

“Drake.” I place his hand on my stomach. “I’m fine.”

He bends to kiss my stomach, the underside of my breast. That restlessness needs attention, try to disturb my desire, but before I can allow myself to be distracted, the lights in the bedroom dim and my husband’s hands are on me. Drake opens the robe as if it’s a gift.

“Fuck baby, you’re so gorgeous.”

He lies down to spoon me, brushes my hair aside, and kisses my nape.

“You okay?” he asks. I know Drake well enough to hear the restraint he’s exercising. The restlessness caught him too, and in days like this, he needs wild, unbridled fucking, but he doesn’t want to hurt the twins or me. As many times as I reassure him, it’s hard for him to believe it’s okay to be as rough with me as we love sometimes.

“Drake, please, fuck me hard. I need it as much as you do.”

“Lexie,” he rasps, dropping his forehead against my hair. “Don’t ask. . .I can’t. . .the way I feel right now . . . I wish you knew what you do to me.”

“Show me.”

And he does; he takes me hard and rough. He fucks me into oblivion, until there’s nothing else but him and me. I’ve needed this desperately, craved the feeling that comes when we make love, when we’re like this, when we have this together, when he’s inside me.

“Fuck, Lex,” he growls. “I love you.”

Tears fill my eyes. The tears I wouldn’t allow myself earlier because Tom was years ago and I should be over it. I could hide that from myself, but I can’t hide anything from him. The tears run down my face, and they aren’t all grief or sorrow. They’re tears of gratitude for my little squirt sleeping down the hall. Tears of hope for the twins growing inside of me. Tears of happiness for the love of a man like Drake.

“God, Drake,” I sob. “I love you, I love you.”

Hours later, we lay together side to side, exhausted. All my restlessness gone, forgotten.

“Wow,” he says.

“Wow, I repeat. You have a magical dick.”

We both laugh at that, and he tickles me, making me wriggle in his arms. Suddenly, we both go still, feeling the movement in my belly at the same time. Like tiny synchronized swimmers, one of my boys moves on my left and the other on the right.

“Shit.” Drake’s gaze meets mine. “Both of them are moving. That’s. . .that’s amazing, Lex.”

“It is. I wanted you to feel that so badly. I feel them do that all the time, but I wanted . . . I’m so happy . . .” I stop, emotionally exhausted.

“Our life,” I say suddenly, toying with the hair on his chest.

“What about it?” he asks, kissing the top of my head.

I reach up to touch the flecks of gray in his stubble. “I’m so glad we met when we were young. That we will grow old together. That I’ll have a life with you. Despite all the years we spent apart. We lost so much, but now we have this life, our marriage, our kids.”

He tenderly rubs my belly. “These kids, all worth the wait. And no matter what comes, we’ll face it together.” I turn around, he pulls me tightly against his chest, and we fall asleep together.

#axwalker writes #tw mention of grief #tw mention death child #n*sfw

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rueurboatx · 6 years

Photo

Ruby Alexis Browning -

moodboard.

#[ moodboard;* ]

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catwlw-archive · 6 years

Note

5 and 14 for the oc asks!!!!! (for both emma and alexis!!!!)

hello!!! here we go!!!!!!

5. Is there any significance behind their hair color?

emma: i’m about 97% sure she’s a brunette. back in like. early 17/late 16 (whenever i wrote the first bit and then abandoned it until i came back to it when i made this blog), she was going to be mixed racially. when i came back to it when i made this blog, someone read a few bits and talked to me privately and automatically started describing her/moodboarding her to be white (or at least...light-skinned bc idk her exact ethnicity really) w dark brown hair. and because i genuinely had no clue at the time of what she even really looked like, i just adopted that interpretation as canon.

so. she’s a brunette. but not like.....”ooo my hair is light brown ahh” brunette, i mean like. her hair is dark. like. borderline black but not quite. it’s really, really pretty to me. but uh. not really any significance, no.

alexis: my redheaded child. ugh. she’s been consistent appearance-wise from the first version of this to the version i’ve posted. before i even chose her name, my mind was just adamant. that i needed a redhead in this story. and whoever the redhead may be, had to be like. truly a redhead. like. skin so pale some makeup isn’t available in the shade.

there’s really no significance to her either, i just really love red hair. plsu the idea of super dark hair + naturally red/orange hair as a pairing just....seems.......Cute.

14. If you had to narrow it down to 2 things that you MUST keep in mind while working with your OC, what would those things be?

oof this one is tough.

emma: that she’s outspoken and talks before she thinks. i gotta remind myself every time i write that she swears a lot and she has little outbursts here and there and she’s easy to temper and totally crushing but keeps that bit inside. i think another thing i have to keep in mind with her is that despite her outspokenness/instinct to blurt, she’s also a nervous lil thing who overthinks things and depends on people (as much as she hates to admit it) and is the damn narrator to this story and i am not the best at conveying all of this.

alexis: she’s rich and got all she wanted as a kid but learned that shit’s not always sunshine and rainbows bc of her bad relationship with her parents. also i have to remember that she’s not supposed to be a stereotypical bubbly gal, she’s just got a cheery personality and do these answers make any sense?? i’m sorr yifaejhfjs (i also gotta remind myself that she’s vegan like.......all teh time)

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axwalker · 4 years

Text

The Trade 6

Synopsis : Liam is running for Cordonia’s presidency. To assure his victory, Constantine makes an arraignment behind his back for him to marry the rich ambassador’s daughter: Alexis O’Brien. Due to her father’s threats she has no other option that seduce Liam and make him fall in love with her. But what does she really feel? (AU)

Pairings: DrakexMC LiamxMC

Warnings: I love drama and chaos so this will probably get a bit dark. Non for this chapter though

Please note that this is my first series and English is not my first language. I really love ALL kinds of feedback. Don’t hesitate to comment!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Pixelberry except for Alexis O’Brien and her evil father George O’Brien JR.

To catch up: Masterlist

One thousand thanks to @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld for being my amazing beta reader , having infinite patience and creating THIS INCREDIBLE moodboard ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

I'm tagging those who asked, if you want to be added to the list just ask, I'll very be happy to do it :)

@pug-bitch @mskaneko @burnsoslow @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @msjr0119 @pedudley @texaskitten30 @desiree-0816 @kingliam2019 @yukinagato2012

Drake stood next to the window staring at Alexis who was visibly uncomfortable. After a few seconds of deafening silence, Drake moved to the desk and started looking angrily for some papers.

“Well, it looks like I’m stuck working with you.” He growled, “we might as well start.”

Alexis arched her eyebrows “Yes, we are both stuck. It’s not like I am jumping of joy to work with you either” She took a deep breath, after all, everything was her fault. “In any case, I would like to apologize, I kn-“

Drake shook his head interrupting her “There’s no need. You were just telling the truth last night. You have absolutely no feelings for me, isn’t that right Alexis?” He looked at her pointedly.

At the sight of those penetrating brown eyes directed at her, she felt her resolve to crumble. His manly presence had the amazing power of making her feel nervous and feverish.

“Yes, no. I mean ...” She ran her hand through her hair “I don’t know what I meant. I just know that I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Don’t worry you didn’t.” He smirked at her wishing internally that it was true “Concerning Liam though, I can’t decide if you really like him or you’re just playing with him because of his position “

She looked away without saying a word.

“What? You’re not even going to defend yourself?” He asked angrily taking a step towards her.

“What for?” She answered her eyes lit with fury “No matter what I say, you won’t believe it” She added sadly, “you already decided what you think of me.” She couldn’t face him anymore, so she turned to the window.

“And whose fault is that Alexis?” He took another step closer, now standing only a few inches away from her. He could almost touch her and there it was, that electric tension between them again. His fingers ached to reach hers. Strangely enough, for a few seconds, he had the impression that she was feeling the same. He could’ve sworn that her fingers moved too, almost touching his hand. Suddenly, she moved to hug herself.

He watched her for a moment, trying to decipher her expression. She had a deeply sad look on her face, but he couldn’t stop himself from admiring her. She was breathtaking with the light of the sunset reflecting on her eyes and auburn hair. There was some sort of vulnerability in her that made him want to take her into his arms more than anything.

“It’s mine,” she finally answered regretfully. “I shouldn’t have lied that night” Or last night, she wanted to add but couldn’t.

Drake finally reached the spot where she was standing next to the window. He leaned against the wall crossing his arms on his chest without taking his eyes off of her. He spoke with a soft voice, trying not to sound as angry as before.

“No, you shouldn’t have. But it’s done. Let’s try to forget about it and work together.” He took a deep breath trying to hide the disappointment on his raspy voice. “For Liam’s sake.”

She answered with a sad smile of her own. “Yes, you’re right. Maybe you can brief me before the meeting in Lythikos tomorrow.”

Pointing to the seat next to the desk so she could sit, he started to tell her everything about Liam’s plans for Cordonia.

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Olivia Nevrakis was ready to host the first meeting of Liam’s cabinet at her Lythiko’s estate. She wanted to make sure everything would be perfect for his first encounter with the team, so she and Drake had spent hours planning everything until the last detail. They didn’t always see eye to eye, and she loved to tease him, but he was one of the most capable people she had ever met, and God knows that was not a compliment she gave easily, definitely not to men. However, his most important quality at Olivia’s eyes was his loyalty, she was sure they were the only ones that actually had Liam’s best interests in mind. Not only because they had both grew up with him and loved him, but because they both believed in him.

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Neville Vancoeur was the first to arrive at his suite at Lythikos. He hated to recognize that the rude redhead hadn’t spared in any luxurious detail and had even thought of buying his special brand of champagne. He was hoping he could convince the woman he loved to spend one more night with him but since the beginning of Liam’s campaign, she wasn’t being herself. His mind suddenly drifted to the money he had invested. At first, he had been torn between Liam and Godfrey but had finally decided that Rhys was a more secure investment than the old Fydelia’s governor. Today was the first cabinet meeting, he would be able to see if his money was being put to good use.

The ride to Lythikos gave Hana Lee an opportunity to improve her education proposal for the meeting. She was sure that amongst all the members of the cabinet she was the happiest to work with Liam in the construction of a new Cordonia. They shared the same ideals, the identic conviction that the only path to success was a good education and that the one imparted at Cordonia needed a desperate reform. Still, she was anxious to present her project to the rest of the cabinet. After all, she knew Rashad, Bertrand, and Neville only thought about rentability and a new educational program was costly. She only hoped Liam believe in her enough to fight for the budget that would fund the program. She was so lost on her thoughts that she didn’t see Kiara talking to her.

“Hey, Hana” Kiara grinned “Are you there?”

“Sorry, Kiara. Were you talking to me?”

“Yes, I was asking if you were ready for the meeting”

“Yes, I am. I’m a little nervous, but I have faith in the program”

“You do?” Kiara cocked an eyebrow “For what I heard is costly and you don’t have all the cabinet’s support, I know Rashad will vote against it and Bertrand too. You will need some friendly votes to get it through.”

Hana looked at her colleague inquisitively. “Like yours, Kiara?”

The brunette nodded “It would be a good start, we’re both women in a sea full of men and we should support each other.” Kiara didn’t add that she knew that helping Hana now could be fruitful in the future.

Hana was pondering Kiara’s words and was about to answer when she saw the young diplomat face lit up. Her entire demeanor changed, and she plastered a flirty smile in her face. Hana turned expecting to see Kiara’s fiancé Rashad coming their way. She was surprised to discover that the man capable of such a transformation on Kiara’s behavior was no other than Liam’s assistant, Drake Walker.

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Rashad Domvallier had been conflicted for months. The stress of having to keep so many secrets was slowly killing him. The campaign wasn’t easy either. Kiara had been very clear of what she was expecting of him, and he knew it was best to play by the rules she had set for both of them. Rashad trusted her and was sure she wouldn’t stop before anything to get them to the top. He’d have to continue living a lie. Rashad didn’t like it but the truth would cost him everything, so he had to be careful that no one would never find out.

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Drake thought about everything that had to be ready for the cabinet’s meeting in Lythikos. Everyone was supposed to sit down and discuss Liam’s program, but Drake knew some of them had their own agendas. They still didn’t know what Neville Vancoeur was going to ask them in return for his investment. Rashad Domvallier had a lot of ambitions and Drake knew he was going to try and take any possible advantage for his company. Bertrand’s well-known priority was to restore his family’s old glory. And Kiara Theron cared about her career more than anything. And now her. It was bad enough that he couldn’t shake her off his mind, now Alexis would be physically present during the whole campaign. They had spent the morning before together, and even if they both managed to stay professional after their discussion, a sort of tension that Drake couldn’t describe stayed with them. Drake sighed; it was going to be a long afternoon.

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Constantine entered the office Olivia had set for Liam at her house.

“Good morning son. I came because I wanted to discuss some of the positions, you’re going to confirm this afternoon regarding the cabinet.”

Liam looked up from the papers he was reading. “My decisions are already taken, father. You know who I chose for every position.”

Constantine smiled at his son. “I do, Liam. I just don’t want any surprises.”

“If this is about Olivia, don’t worry. She’ll understand. She’s too young to be in charge of the Department of Defense. And she’s always been supportive of my decisions.” He stared at him. “I won’t change my mind concerning Drake though. He will be my chief of staff, father”.

“Oh, I know son. And I actually think he’s a good choice. He has a master’s degree in political studies, he’s intelligent, loyal as a dog, and lacks the ambition that would make him a threat to you.” He added the last part contemptuously.

Liam answered angrily. “He doesn’t lack ambition, he’s just not as passionate by politics as we are. You know Drake wanted to do something else with his life.”

Constantine raised his voice. “I wasn’t going to pay an expensive career so he could spend his life taking care of fucking animals when he could be useful to us. To you.”

Liam knew there was absolutely no point in discussing Drake with his father. “We agree then. Coronel Richards for the Ministry of Defense and Drake for Chief of staff.

Constantine looked pointedly at his younger son “And your brother as vice-president”.

The young candidate sighed “Right. My brother” the same one that didn’t even bother to show up at Lythikos to be at the meeting.

Constantine grinned at his youngest son. “You didn’t tell me what you thought of your new speechwriter”

“I was wondering when you were going to bring that up father. Subtlety has never been your strong suit. I know what you’re doing”

“I told you there were going to be some perfectly good suitors at the masquerade. I’m just happy that you found one, Liam.”

“To be honest, I didn’t think I would like anyone at that party. But Alexis is …” He paused pensively “so different, so beautiful and passionate. I actually think you could be right father; she could be it for me.”

“Well, the timing couldn’t be better, Liam.”

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The cabinet meeting started at 4:00 p.m. Everyone gathered around the table at the business center of the Lythikos estate.

Liam started with a short speech trying to inspire them with the ideas and projects he had for his country. Then he proceeded to announce that they had a new addition to the campaign team. A trail of murmurs was heard across the room when Alexis entered.

“Good afternoon, everyone” She was standing before them. “I’m Alexis O’Brien. I’m very happy to be part of this campaign. I can’t wait to start working with you.”

Kiara saw Drake looking at her the same way he did at the masquerade ball. It made her dislike Alexis instantly. “Aren’t you the ambassador’s daughter?”

“Yes, I am” Alexis stated simply.

“Wow, easy way to get a job.” She smirked.

“I’m sorry, aren’t you Judge’s Theron daughter?” Alexis asked raising her eyebrows

“As a matter of fact, yes I am. I’m also fluent in six languages and have been preparing for this position for a long time” She turned her computer showing a Google page “You, on the other hand, have not. I mean after your degree, you just banished. You haven’t work in any campaign or written anything worthy of being mentioned anywhere”

Liam rose to speak on Alexis' behalf, but she beat him to it.

“I sure hope you’ll run the Department of Foreign Affairs better than you google. I don’t have anything to prove to you, but for transparency’s sake, let’s get this over with.” She stood in front of Kiara. “Lookup Elena Ortiz”

Drake’s heart skipped a beat when she said the name she had given him the day they met. Alexis avoided his gaze.

“As you can see,” she continued when Kiara typed and multiple results showed on the google main page, “I’ve worked in two different campaigns, one for the New York mayor’s office and one for the democrat primaries, both candidates won.” She paused and looked the brunette right into her eyes. “I’ve also written for the NY Times and the Washington Post, but I don’t know if that’s good enough for you.” She saw Kiara was about to speak, she lifted her hand to stop her “before you ask, I changed my name because I didn’t want my father’s name to influence anyone, I wanted to be hired for myself, miss Theron.” She emphasized Kiara’s last name.

Liam smiled proudly at her. “Well, if that’s all concerning Alexis, I have other announcements to make.” He saw his father nod at him from the other end of the table. “If I win, I’m naming General Richards as the Secretary of Defense.”

Olivia rose from her seat. “What? What are you talking about Liam? You promised me that position.”

Liam shook his head. “No, Liv, I said I would consider it.”

“Bullshit! It was done until you let yourself get influenced by him.” She pointed at Constantine “Is that how this is going to be if you win? You on the stage but he always behind you actually running everything?”

“Olivia, sit down.” Drake took her arm. “You’ll speak about this later, privately.” Drake was angry at Liam too, he knew how much Olivia wanted to be part of the cabinet, how hard she had worked for it.

Olivia sat visibly furious; Liam continued. “Everybody here saw this coming, but I’ll make it official. Drake, I’m naming you Chief of staff.”

Drake nodded.

It was Neville’s turn to get upset. “Him? Can’t you name someone who has more political power?”

“It will be Drake, and that’s final. Now the position everyone is wondering about: VP” He sighed knowing that his father wouldn’t be happy at his decision “It is true that I considered Leo for it, but he doesn’t care enough to even show up today.”

Constantine shot an angry look at him, but Liam ignored him.

“I decided to name someone that has always stood by my side, she’s an excellent tactician and I know she’ll defend this campaign with the same fire she just showed us. Olivia, do you want to be my vice-president?”

Olivia Nevrakis never cried, but if she did, she would’ve cried then. She answered visibly touched. “Of course, Liam. I’ll be honored.”

After discussing the rest of the cabinets’ positions and reviewing Hana’s educational proposal, Liam dismissed everyone for the rest of the afternoon. He was aware he would have to face his father’s rage, but he didn’t care. Liam knew he had taken the right decision.

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Alexis decided to take a walk around Lythikos to think about everything that had happened at the meeting with the cabinet. Lost on her thoughts, she didn’t see the smiling man running towards her.

“Lexie, hi!” Maxwell was out of breath trying to catch up with her.

“Max!” She was genuinely happy to see him; he was one of the friendliest people she had met in Cordonia. Or anywhere else.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, Beaumont events are in charge of tomorrow’s fundraising. There will be another ball here in Lythikos, at Olivia’s mansion tomorrow night.”

“Olivia …” She paused thinking about her next question “She seems very close to Drake… and Liam. What’s the deal there?”

“Oh, they grew up together. Olivia’s parents died when she was 4 years old.” Alexis gasped, Max nodded and continued, “her father was Constantine’s chief of staff, so he adopted her. Drake’s mother moved to Texas and let him and Savanah, Drake’s sister, with Constantine and Regina.”

“Oh, why?”

“I don’t know much about the details. Maybe you could ask him.”

“Hum … so the four of them are like siblings” She seemed relieved.

“Uh, five. There’s Leo too. That’s Liam actual brother”

“Oh, yes. My father mentioned to him. He’s a senator too, isn’t he?”

“Yes, Valtoria’s. But he’s not like Liam. He doesn’t care about the people he represents or about anything really. Well, that’s not true. He cares about women. Like a lot. And I’m not talking about fighting for their rights” He winked at her

“Ha! Yeah, Max, I got that” She bites her lip unsure of how Max would interpret her next question “So, Olivia doesn’t have a relationship with Drake or any of them?”

Max snickered. “That’s hilarious. Drake and Olivia, he! If one day you get suicidal, I suggest you ask Liv that; you’ll be dead in less than 5 seconds.”

“Why? Do they hate each other?” It certainly hadn’t seemed so earlier. During the meeting, Drake had been the only one capable of calming her.

“The contrary, I think Drake is the only real friend she has. He’s like a true brother to her. I mean Leo is always away. My magnificent self, as unbelievable as it sounds, annoys the hell out of her and she’s in love with Li …” Max put his hand on his mouth realizing that he had talked too much. “Damn! I’m sorry!”

Olivia was in love with him. That explained, partly at least, her outburst at the meeting and then the tenderness on her eyes when she had accepted to be his VP.

“Don’t worry Max. It’s ok”

“But you and Liam are dating, right?”

She ran her hand through her hair, something she did when she was nervous. “Liam and I are getting to know each other. I don’t know what will happen”

“Well, Li is a great guy, really amazing. I grew up around politicians and I can tell you this, not a lot of them care about their country as much as Li does.” He looked at her carefully. “But, just so you know Drake is a pretty great guy too.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with anything, Max. I just told you I’m seeing Liam.”

“Yes, I know is just … Ok, I don’t know you that much, but I really like you Lexie, so I’m gonna give you a dose of my legendary honesty.” They both laughed. “I was there the night you two met, and as clueless as everyone thinks I am, I saw. I saw how he was looking at you, how he was smiling, how he was almost shy around you, believe me I know Drake since we were kids, I’ve seen him coming on to a lot, and I do mean a lot of women, but I’ve never seen him like that. And you seemed as smitten as he. What happened little blossom? “

Alexis smiled arching her eyebrows “Little blossom?”

Max shrugged “You smell like a cherry blossom.” He put his arm around Alexis’.

“To answer your question, nothing happened. It was a good date, but then I met Liam. That’s it.”

Maxwell shook his head. “It’s ok if you don’t want to tell me, Blossom. I know there’s something more, but I’ll leave you alone.”

She decided to change the subject “And you Max?” She smiled mischievously “Anyone special in your life?”

He blushed “Actually, yes. There’s someone special. I just don’t know where I stand. Is nothing official yet”

“Well, well, well look who’s being secretive now. Tell me more!”

“He! I will, just not here in the middle of the street. I know Cosmopolitans are completely out of fashion but I’m feeling vintage. Let’s hit a bar, Lexie”

Alexis snickered “I’d love to, but I have a diner with the whole cabinet. Raincheck for tomorrow?”

“It’s a date”

---------------------------------------

The diner had been better than Alexis had imagined. The Mediterranean food was delicious. Olivia had placed her next to Bertrand, and even if he had seemed a little rigid at first, they soon found a shared passion for art and literature and ended up having a nice conversation.

Liam was chatting with General Richards but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Alexis. He was in awe at the way she had of being comfortable in any situation. She would be a perfect first lady. The idea of Alexis on his arm, sharing everything with him, being his wife, made him smile. People would say it was too soon, but he was truly excited for the first time since he could remember. He wasn’t naïve, but he’d always believed in love at first sight. Something he definitely would never share with Drake or Leo, both being far too cynical to understand. His eyes drifted to Alexis again. She was poised and elegant but had the sweetest smile and he had loved every second he had spent with her. He couldn’t wait to take her out again.

After one hour of painful chat with Kiara, Drake had finally found a valid excuse and went to the bar. He needed something strong to help him through the night. He couldn’t help but think back at the last argument he had with his sister. He missed her deeply.

Suddenly, his gaze stopped at Alexis. She was wearing a loose white sweater that made her tanned skin glow. He was surprised to see that not only she was talking to Bertrand, but she was doing it happily, and the old Beaumont was actually grinning back at her. She had the power of making anyone feel important, and it wasn’t fake charm, it was genuine interest. Drake smiled to himself. He knew he could watch her for hours. Her hands moved rhythmically while she spoke, emphasizing everything she said. Her smile lit up her entire face and reached her eyes. Eyes that were as expressive as the rest of her and had a twinkle of life that he was starting to like way more than he should.

“Watching something you like, Walker?”

Neville startled him. “What do you want, Neville?”

The shorter man snorted “It’s Mr. Vancoeur for you Walker”

Drake laughed “Please Vancoeur, you know I’d rather stop drinking whiskey forever that call you Mister.”

“It is amazing how you managed to grow up with the Rhys and, still did not care to learn any manners or respect for your superiors.”

Drake smiled cockily, put his whiskey glass on the bar, and took a step towards Neville. “Care to tell me who my ‘superiors’ are, Neville?”

Suddenly the room went silent, everyone now staring at the scene at the bar.

“I was just joking Walker, you should not take everything so seriously,” Neville thought that with the whole room watching, Drake wouldn’t dare to touch him, so he added, “your sister was definitely much more fun than you are.”

Drake grabbed Neville by his jacket, ready to punch him.

Liam stood up to diffuse the tension. “That’s enough both of you. Neville, let me invite you to a drink.” He gave his friend an apologetic smile, Liam loathed Neville but he couldn’t ignore the fact that his family money was funding half of his campaign.

Drake stormed out the door without saying a word.

Alexis couldn’t believe the scene. Neville was clearly provoking Drake and Liam, instead of defending his best friend preferred to buy him a drink. She looked through the window, a storm was clearly coming, and there he was, alone and upset. She had to do something about it.

Taking her coat, she decided to follow him.

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Drake was fuming, he had let Neville get the best of him. He knew that Neville was doing it on purpose, that he was trying to place one of his rich friends as Chief of Staff and that he wouldn’t stop until he discredited him. And even knowing all of that, Drake had fallen for it. Liam’s reaction pissed him as hell too. He understood that Neville was crucial for his campaign, but it would be great to feel that for once someone was on his corner.

Suddenly, he heard a noise. He turned and he froze on place when he saw Alexis staring at him.

“Hi!” She said with a soft voice

“What are you doing here?” He growled the question.

Her face fell. “Oh, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

He didn’t understand. “Why?”

“Well, you were obviously upset after what that jerk told you. And I think there’s a storm coming.”

Drake couldn’t help it, he felt his heart swell at her words.“You shouldn’t be worrying about me, O’Brien”

“O’Brien?” She looked perplexed.

“That is your name, isn’t it?” He asked teasing her.

She smiled rolling her eyes “Yes, it is. So, what are you doing here?”

He sighed; he really wanted to share the moment with her but he also knew that doing it would only deepen whatever feeling he was starting to develop for her. Either way, he couldn’t stop himself.

“If you really want to know you’ll have to trust me.” He took a step towards her without breaking eye contact.

She stared back. “I trust you with my life.”

“Your choice O’Brien.” He gave her a crooked smile and shove her onto the soft snow.

“Hey!!” She snickered. “I suppose that one was my fault for trusting you!” She punched him playfully in the arm when he laid next to her.

“Stop complaining O’Brien, you’re missing it” He pointed at the most star-filled sky she had ever seen.

“Oh God, Drake, that’s…”

“Yes, milady?” He asked jokingly

“Gorgeous. I don’t think I ever have seen anything so beautiful before”

He turned to look at her eyes sparkling from the light of the shooting stars and at the expression of pure joy on her face. And he knew that it was the same for him. He had never seen anything so beautiful before either.

He blushed and turned back to look at the sky. “Nothing beats a clear view during a meteor shower.”

“Well, I’m glad I didn’t miss this,” she said softly.

“Really? I imagined you’d prefer to stay at the house discussing political tactics with Rashad or budget cuts with Hana.”

“Ha! Not really my scene.”

“Well, you clearly like politics, you worked on those campaigns and wrote in political journals”

She frowned “Yes, I love writing more than anything so I enjoy being a journalist, but I only participated in those campaigns because I believed the candidates could actually make a difference in the country, not because I love politics. Believe me, I know how despicable and disgusting they can be.” She said the last words fiercely, she had grown up seeing her father’s unethical tactics.

Some clouds started to creep across the stars “We really got here on time, looks like the storm will start any minute now”.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to miss it.” He smiled nostalgically. “I used to do this with my sister Savanah every year. We grew up around the Rhys’. My dad was Constantine’s bodyguard, and my sister and I were allowed to hang out with Li and Leo. Then shortly after he passed, we moved with them for good. So, we came here often. And then Sav left too”

“Where did she go?” She noticed the sad look in his eyes and would’ve given anything to comfort him, but she didn’t want to get any closer to him. They were already too close for their own good.

“She left to reconnect with my mother.” He sighed “It’s a long story, one that I won’t be boring you with.”

She spoke in a soft but firm voice, trying to convey how much it mattered to her. “Your story could never be boring to me Drake. If one day you want to talk, I’ll be here to listen.”

He turned to her, the desire to pull her body close to his and hold her was overwhelming. Alexis was there, laying at a few inches of him, her smell all around him. It was torture having her so close and being unable to touch her. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore, so he stood up.

“Is time to go, O’Brien.”

He gave her his hand so she could steady herself, but he pulled too strong causing her to lose her balance. She almost slipped, but he was quicker and took her into his arms to avoid her from falling. They stood like that for a few seconds, her head in his chest, his hand caressing her hair.

She didn’t seem to have the strength to pull apart from him and blamed his woody scent, it was addictive.

Reluctantly, she separated from him and took his hand desperate to keep some form of contact with him.

Drake looked at her questioningly.

Alexis blushed. “You know for safety.”

He nodded and walked her back to Olivia’s state.

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Back in his room, Drake poured himself a glass of whiskey to calm himself. His heart was still racing after a moment with her. He would have to get whatever this was out of his system for his own sake. He knew that she would never choose him over Liam.

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He had called her as soon as he saw the latest poll results. He couldn’t afford to lose and the way everything was going he was sure he would have to face a defeat. After his years in politics, he knew enough people in the right places, people that would be more than happy to help him in exchange for a favor or two. However, his most genius idea had been to recruit her. She was young and ambitious, and she wouldn’t stop at nothing to achieve her goal.

He was aware of how much he had changed. After all, he had been one of the first people to believe in democracy, to fight for it, but he had to admit that giving the power to the people hadn’t been a good idea. They weren’t always smart, and their vote often contradicted their bests interests. That’s why he had to step up one last time for the sake of his country and change the curse of elections.

#tw rape #tw noncon #axwalker writes #the trade

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