#may Cristy be upon you

[mercurygray]

14-raindrop for Isobel Corbett

Newcomers to the blog may not recognize Isabel - she's an OC for All Creatures Great And Small, and she is the daughter of the Darrowby GP.

It was what people called a nice soft rain.

Soft it might have been, but rain was rain, and today it meant that there was precious little foot traffic in the surgery - no one out courting a cold who didn't already need to be. Isabel had already restocked the dispensers for tongue depressors and rolled cotton swabs, checked and double-checked that there were linens in each of the surgery's two exam rooms, and finished all her charting. And it was only two pm. There was a copy of The Lancet to hand, but she'd already read it twice - even the advertisements. A smarter woman would have brought a book, she thought crossly to herself.

But how would that have looked, in case someone did bumble in complaining of something, and found her reading? Of course it would be one of the town matriarchs, and she'd catch a glare for being slothful and a black shame on the medical profession, and they'd tell everyone for months afterwards that the Corbett girl was a doctor, yes, a woman's touch was said to be - but at what cost? She's still so young - and they do call medicine a practice, don't they? They would much rather see the elder Corbett - more soothing, you know. (But if it was her Dad tucked up behind his desk with the newest Cristie, oh, ever so sorry for disturbing you, Doctor Corbett, just a tickle in my throat.)

She had been vaguely considering offering to make Mrs. Braithwaite, thier secretary, a cup of tea, but the pattern of the raindrops had caught her eye, and she couldn't help standing for a minute to watch them chase each other down the window pane, merging and pooling along the ledges.

And there was something beyond the raindrops, too - a queue at the bus shelter, across the square, a line of lads in flat caps and overcoats, collars pulled against the rain and huddling under umbrellas while they waited for the 2:45 to York. Every single one of them had a hold-all of some kind, or a backpack. Off to join up, Isabel realized bleakly. One of her old classmates had written her just the other week that he was joining the Medical Corps - North Africa, apparently, or Malta, if he could manage it. Think of all the sun, Izz, Sydney had written. I'll be as tan as a movie star when we're done.

She'd written him back with all the usual pleasant things, leaving her real thoughts safely stashed in her desk. I don't think it'll just be sitting out in your beach chair, Syds, or working on your golf game.

It'll be like - little drops running down the pane, getting bigger and bigger until they break.

They keep telling everyone to do their bit but they wouldn't take me, now, would they? No one will - not even little old ladies who need prescriptions written.

"Penny for them?" Mrs. Braithwaite asked, bustling by with a file for the cabinet in the corner where the medical records were kept.

"Just thinking that it was going to be a little quieter in Darrowby this spring," Isabel said, turning quickly away from the window before Mrs. B could see what she was looking at. "Can I help start a pot of tea, Mrs. B? I think there are chocolate bourbons in the tin."

"Bless you, Miss Corbett, I should see to that," Mrs. Braithewaite said pleasantly, locking the cabinet again; "There's no sense taking you away from your work. You stay put and I'll bring you in a cup."

Maybe this is just what I am, then, Isabel thought sadly, trying not to turn back to the window. A woman who watches raindrops - and can't even be relied upon to make her own tea.

#i have written a thing #mercurygraypresents #isabel corbett

[lowtheory92]

The Method To Build Effective Working Relationships

A legal skilled can also assist ensure that your corporation is compliant with any relevant native, state or federal legal guidelines —which can stop you from finding yourself in a sticky authorized situation sooner or later. Let’s take a look at 7 important enterprise relationships that can take you to the following stage. For any enterprise, buyer success serves as a vital point of interest. By making certain prospects get what they exactly need, they will reward your brand with useful suggestions and loyalty. See what days and times are yielding one of the best engagement and make those part of your publishing schedule. Unlike different platforms similar to Instagram, LinkedIn's algorithm supports external links to blogs and web sites. So long because the content you publish has value and is related to your audience, you may discover success posting other folks's content on the platform. 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Research what platforms and knowledge sources your target market makes use of most and the place they're actively engaged in conversations. Throwing A Digital Event? Listed Under Are 7 Online Occasion Ideas Allow exhibitors to add videos, branded backgrounds, logos, links to their website, addContent products & companies and stream stay demo sessions. All of these options and more are simple to authorize and restrict relying on the level of sponsorship agreement on platforms like Swapcard. Many digital event platforms provide mobile apps and this avoids maintaining your attendees chained to their pc all day long. An innovative and efficient method to make sure individuals store the data they’re learning is by incorporating video games. Adobe SUMMIT. The occasion was fully pre-recorded, executives and celebrities alike filmed their periods forward of time. 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But as planners, venues, on-site groups, and everybody else concerned in an event’s life cycle plan for a future full of virtual and hybrid events, there’s nonetheless plenty of unknown. See how Ivy Tech Community College pivoted to internet hosting virtual events with technology. Guide For Authors You can significantly improve your probabilities of acceptance by doing a little analysis into the publication’s audience, the overall tone it exudes, and the kinds of articles it usually publishes. If you discover that your article doesn’t appear to be it may stay on the site, there’s a good chance the editor will agree. Although editors must fill their editorial calendars, they won’t publish everything that enters their inbox. To up your odds of getting published, you should know what makes great content. You want a contemporary and well timed subject, a genuine and educated voice, and a logical structure. But most importantly, your perspective needs to be authentic and well-supported. An uber pillar is a sources page listing that displays content material on a particular matter and consists of a minimum of one piece of pillar content material within the itemizing. It ought to include not simply the hyperlinks to associated content on that topic however some content material as nicely. The content isn't introduced just in chronological order however is designed to characteristic the evergreen content of every pillar. Public belief within the peer-review process and the credibility of revealed articles rely in part on how properly conflict of interest is handled during writing, peer evaluate, and editorial determination making. Conflict of curiosity exists when an creator (or the author's institution), reviewer, or editor has financial or private relationships that inappropriately affect his or her actions . These relationships differ from negligible to nice potential for influencing judgment. A Newbies Guide To Using Google Advertisements Beforehand Google Adwords Finally, in accordance with Chat Meter responding to optimistic and adverse suggestions may help you improve your web optimization ranking. Let’s look at a number of small enterprise and eCommerce web optimization statistics you should keep in mind if you would like to see your website make it to page 1 on your keywords. four out of 5 consumers say they want extra customized provides that relate to their location, and about 70% of individuals said that companies ought to put call and path buttons in their advertisements. That means they're using natural language and asking questions, not simply typing in search phrases. In the previous, one of many aims of keyword analysis was to stuff your content material with terms folks have been looking for and artificially push pages to the top of the search outcomes. Quality was usually seen as much less essential than the best keyword density – having a sure percentage of the identical keyword throughout the content material. There’ve been a lot of adjustments in search habits and search tips in the previous few years, and they’re continuously evolving. So check your keyword lists to ensure you have a wholesome mixture of head terms and long-tail keywords. Following these steps, you will see that for many of our tasks we use free tools. However, for this one, it is crucial that you just start by brainstorming. That’s as a result of those tools include certain limitations that we’ll cowl a little later on this part. Authority Labs is a day by day SEO monitoring device that permits users to enter a keyword listing and monitor the ensuing Google rankings.

#seo

[notalittlebutalottie]

The Regeneration of One Caroline Forbes -  (1/3)

Caroline isn’t sure where she is or how she even got there, but following the stranger at the end of the hallway couldn’t hurt... Could it?

Happy birthday, @misssophiachase So...technically this was meant to be your gift last year but...life and other things and I...yeah. You probably don’t even remember your original prompt...it just involved witches...and Caroline fucking Klaus’ shit up. Anyway, have a wonderful day and I’m so happy to have you as a friend. Here’s part 1 of 3.

                               Read Here at AO3 or FFNET

#klaroline #klaus and caroline #klaus mikaelson #caroline forbes #the vampire diaries #the originals #tvd #fanfiction #klarolineagainnaturally #misssophiachase #birthday #may Cristy be upon you #like may christ be upon you hahah #i'm so funny #that can be your new tag #happy birthday

[hldailyupdate]

On Friday, a fresh selection of fan photos with Harry Styles surfaced online, one of which showed him wearing a face mask and gloves at an airport in Naples, Italy, throwing up a peace sign. In the photo, Styles has on tinted sunglasses, a Bode bowler shirt, and his signature pearl necklace. (His hair, of course, is being held back with a butterfly clip.) Alongside his iconic pearls, the “Adore Me” singer wore two other necklaces, both of which were made by Instagram’s favorite, Miami-based jewelry brand éliou. One of the necklaces — a chain made of plastic, colorful beads — is called the Thaia. The other, a string of blue Millefiori glass beads, was custom-made for the singer via his stylist Harry Lambert. By Monday, the latter had a spot in the brand’s Résort collection and a new name: The Harry Necklace.

"The necklace was a customized piece we designed for the sartorial genius and stylist, Harry Lambert," says Cristy Mantilla, a co-founder of éliou. "Lambert gifted the necklace to Styles who soon after wore it every day on his recent trip to Italy where he was filming his new music video. There was such an insane spark of interest after he wore it that it only seemed fair to name it after him.”

Upon taking a closer look, you’ll find that the Harry Necklace is made up of Millefiori beads — which have blue-and-yellow flowers on them — and small saltwater pearls. The $85 necklace also has the option to add a customizable message, which opens up all sorts of (up-to-eight-letter) possibilities for Styles’ massive fanbase. (The brand’s iteration is threaded with the word “VOTE.”)

Since the release on Monday morning, various ideas for what can be written on the Harry Necklace have surfaced on Twitter. Refinery29’s very own social media editor, Hannah Bullion, contemplated customizing hers with a line from his song “Cherry”: “Am i going to buy this éliou necklace named after harry styles and customize it to say ‘coucou.’” Another user made a DIY version that says “Getting There” on it, which may single-handedly start yet another Harry Styles-inspired TikTok challenge; “So who’s gonna find the beads so we can make them?” asked another fan who goes by Harry’s Purse.

The last time an at-home challenge involving Harry Styles launched, it got 23.6 million hits on TikTok. The #HarryStylesCardigan hashtag was so popular, in fact, that the designer behind the original knit, Jonathan Anderson, released the pattern to the entire internet. “I am so impressed and incredibly humbled by this trend and everyone knitting the cardigan,” he wrote on Instagram. “I really wanted to show our appreciation so we are sharing the pattern with everyone. Keep it up!”

If DIY isn’t your thing, though, support a female-owned, small business and pick up your own Harry Necklace on eliou-eliou.com. Whatever you do, think long and hard about what yours is going to say. After all, you never know who you’ll run into at the airport.

Full article on Harry’s custom made necklace by Éliou. (29 September 2020)

#harry styles #harry update #refinery29 #article #eliou #hldaily #september 2020

[stylesnews]

On Friday, a fresh selection of fan photos with Harry Styles surfaced online, one of which showed him wearing a face mask and gloves at an airport in Naples, Italy, throwing up a peace sign. In the photo, Styles has on tinted sunglasses, a Bode bowler shirt, and his signature pearl necklace. (His hair, of course, is being held back with a butterfly clip.) Alongside his iconic pearls, the “Adore Me” singer wore two other necklaces, both of which were made by Instagram’s favorite, Miami-based jewelry brand éliou. One of the necklaces — a chain made of plastic, colorful beads — is called the Thaia. The other, a string of blue Millefiori glass beads, was custom-made for the singer via his stylist Harry Lambert. By Monday, the latter had a spot in the brand’s Résort collection and a new name: The Harry Necklace. 

"The necklace was a customized piece we designed for the sartorial genius and stylist, Harry Lambert," says Cristy Mantilla, a co-founder of éliou. "Lambert gifted the necklace to Styles who soon after wore it every day on his recent trip to Italy where he was filming his new music video. There was such an insane spark of interest after he wore it that it only seemed fair to name it after him.”

Upon taking a closer look, you’ll find that the Harry Necklace is made up of Millefiori beads — which have blue-and-yellow flowers on them — and small saltwater pearls. The $85 necklace also has the option to add a customizable message, which opens up all sorts of (up-to-eight-letter) possibilities for Styles’ massive fanbase. (The brand’s iteration is threaded with the word “VOTE.”) Since the release on Monday morning, various ideas for what can be written on the Harry Necklace have surfaced on Twitter. Refinery29’s very own social media editor, Hannah Bullion, contemplated customizing hers with a line from his song “Cherry”: “Am i going to buy this éliou necklace named after harry styles and customize it to say ‘coucou.’” Another user made a DIY version that says “Getting There” on it, which may single-handedly start yet another Harry Styles-inspired TikTok challenge; “So who’s gonna find the beads so we can make them?” asked another fan who goes by Harry’s Purse: am i going to buy this éliou necklace named after harry styles and customize it to say "coucou" bitch maybe https://t.co/6bUVouOqbv pic.twitter.com/AxwpFfjIHu

The last time an at-home challenge involving Harry Styles launched, it got 23.6 million hits on TikTok. The #HarryStylesCardigan hashtag was so popular, in fact, that the designer behind the original knit, Jonathan Anderson, released the pattern to the entire internet. “I am so impressed and incredibly humbled by this trend and everyone knitting the cardigan,” he wrote on Instagram “I really wanted to show our appreciation so we are sharing the pattern with everyone. Keep it up!” If DIY isn’t your thing, though, support a female-owned, small business and pick up your own Harry Necklace on eliou-eliou.com. 

Whatever you do, think long and hard about what yours is going to say. After all, you never know who you’ll run into at the airport. 

#harry styles #sep20 #refinery29

[funkymbtifiction]

hello. Everyone at some point in life changes. Our beliefs are not immutable. Taking an example and quoting Agatha Cristie: “Macbeth, Julia had written, liked the idea of ​​murder and had been thinking of it a lot, but he needed a push to get him started. Once he got started he enjoyed murdering people and had no more qualms or fears. Lady Macbeth was just greedy and ambitious. She thought she didn’t mind what she did to get what she wanted. But once she’d done it, she found she didn’t like it after all. ” Anyway, I would like to know how Fi / Te and Fe / Ti users change their beliefs, how is the process of change.

In a way, they are similar in the sense that external experiences shape them and give them more information (N/S) upon which to draw conclusions. People tend to live in a bubble in childhood. It shows a little more of the world in your teens. Then adulthood introduces you to a host of things you never thought about in high school. It’s rare for people not to undergo change, as they experience life -- as life challenges them and asks them to redefine their beliefs. As they see the consequences of their actions and those of other people. As they face choices and situations they never imagined and realize that what they DO in those situations may be different from what they THOUGHT they would do.

But, their methodology is still all based either inwardly-outwardly or outwardly-inwardly. A FiTe’s process of evaluation will be, “How do I feel about this? How does this shape who I am? Is this enough to get me to change my deep-seated convictions or are they going to remain intact? Is this something I believe on a fundamental level or does it not concern me at all?” based on the Te evidence.

Fe will ask fundamentally, “How does this new information impact my worldview and how does it reflect upon me, in terms of whether it deems me a good or a bad person to hold these views? How does this impact everyone involved and seem moral or immoral, from an objective standpoint? Would I be a fool not to change my mind, my convictions, based on this new evidence, on the impact it has on society?” based on a desire to shape their inner framework of what is logical and what makes the most sense for the most amount of people.

A lot of people fear changing their minds, so they cling to their preconceptions. Many shift and alter with the flow of time, but some do not -- they stay rigid in their little bubble, because it’s unfathomable to them that they could ever change and it is much safer, more fulfilling, and easier to ‘go with what I already know.’ But in doing that, they are shutting themselves off from a much richer human experience.

In case you are wondering, it works the same way with TeFi and TiFe. Te will shift its moral code dependent on factual evidence if it finds its moral code to be erroneous or immature, though it takes longer for them to do it / get in touch with their emotional core. TiFe has a general moral standard to which it adheres, and a low sense of communal awareness and can even be somewhat moralizing, but from a semi-detached “this is only rational; we survive together” viewpoint.

- ENFP Mod

#question #mbti #entj #intj #enfj #infj #estp #istp #esfp #isfp #entp #intp #enfp #infp #esfj #isfj #estj #istj #submission

[darkspellmaster]

Okay...Some thoughts...

This is probably one of the things that pisses me off a lot, and I consider my petpeeve, so go into this with this warning. I am not going to be nice about this. You’ve been warned. 

So I read this lovely post here about constructive criticism, and who boy...have I got some thoughts on this. 

Here’s the thing, we as viewers of any medium are constantly giving unsolicited criticism every freaking day across social media, over the phone, and in person to other people. We do so without consent of the authors, film makers, and artists, every...day. Period. So this idea that you can only give consented critques is a load because the fact is that we’re doing it every damn day on this website, without the okay of the creators of the series that we watch, play, or read. 

Look how many people put up reviews on tv shows or books, or movies  or games that they watch and play. How many of them have written to the authors or creators of these works and asked for their okay in writing a review on their work on tumblr? Authors don’t go about asking for random fans to say what they like or don’t like about their works, yet they don’t go about complaining when people posts their thoughts. Or if they do complain you get backlash as they are not being “Professional” enough. 

So what makes it okay to do it to a published author but not okay to a amateur author? The only difference is that the published author is being paid and the amateur is not, but that author spent hours, days, weeks, months and possibly years, perfecting a work that, honestly as a writer I can tell you, may not be up to their standard, but there’s a deadline there. 

Amateur writers have the luxury of not having to complete their work, of not having a set deadline. So they can go back and correct and update and do whatever they want to their work. Once a book is published, unless the author get’s to do an updated version of the book, that’s it...it’s done. So getting feedback early and by as many people as possible for writers is actually a good thing because once it’s out, it’s out. 

This is what keeps bugging me about this idea that you should just let people write whatever and not comment on the work in a critical way. The fact is, once you have placed your work in the public eye, it’s no longer just your work. Just as authors have to contend with seeing their works adapted to the screen and in some cases cause them to be wrecked, and see people daily write fanfiction to “Fix” their mistakes, so to should fanfiction writers have to come to grips with the idea that someone may not like their work and want to “Fix” it, or at least help them in correcting their mistakes in how they have presented characters. 

I keep hearing this same story of “But I have Beta readers”, great and fine, but the fact is that the Beta readers, unless they are people that are not your friends, are going to be soft on you. Yes I’m being honest here, you will be given the softer comments unless the person is being directly honest with your work. Having voices outside of your beta readers is an eye opening experience because it forces you to look at your writing from a different perspective and pushes you to make changes that you may not have seen before because, in a lot of cases with Fanfiction, the person beta reading is a friend who likes what you like and will say “But it’s good.” 

The idea that someone shouldn’t give constructive criticism over fanfiction and that because you like the story the way it is, doesn’t preclude you from facing the fact that as a story writer, especially as a lot of fanfiction authors tend to want to eventually get into the writing field, need to grow and change and face the idea of having their work being evaluated critically. 

I read, “Well unless I give you consent to be critical of my work.” Exactly what do you think you’re doing when you post that work out there? You want reviews, what do you think reviews are? Review are, as defined by the Dictionary, “ a formal assessment or examination of something with the possibility or intention of instituting change if necessary.” It’s the appraisal of the work, and, in serialized fiction, as that’s what Fanfiction is as you are publishing it chapter by chapter rather than as a complete thing, you are therefore going to be apraised by those reading it per chapter. 

What do you think happens in comics? It’s weekly and monthly and the writers get feedback from fans and the Editors based on the reaction from the readers. As a writer you are not only writing for yourself but for your fans and readers as well. You can’t just look at something and go “This is just writing for me” because the moment you share it with someone, it’s no longer just your story, it’s their story too because they react to what you write. And the idea that you need to have consent to be critical of a work that’s ever evolving...well why not bring that to the whole of entertainment. Should we be asking for TV shows for consent when we say we like or don’t like their works? Seriously this is what you’re asking for when you’re saying that you need to have consent to critique something. 

Speaking of consent...

Fanfiction itself is a special thing, given that, it’s technically writers using pre-existing work from an author and, in essence, taking a copyrighted thing and creating their own work with it, without the consent from the original author. Take Anne (Ann) Rice for instant. She doesn’t like fanfiction because to her that’s people changing her characters that she’s invested over 15 books into creating. They are her creations and by saying “Don’t criticize my fanfiction” your being kind of hypocritical if you’re in turn changing up an author’s character because you feel that they should be shown a different way. 

As writers  you need to have critiques. Saying “Well I don’t want your opinion” on something is daft honestly. Because that’s all reviews are, just an opinion that you can ignore. You don’t have to take the review, you don’t even need to turn them on if you don’t want. The thing is, all stories are going to be reviewed. You need to learn to deal with them.

The problem is that a lot of people giving notes to people are not professional editors or have never been trained in it. So they’re going to come off as mean and harsh in some cases, and this in itself is an issue. People need to learn to be less harsh on how they go about commenting, but at the same time writers need to learn to accept that there are times when their writing does suck and they need more than one or two sets of eyes upon it. 

You can write a story for fun all you want, but for readers if it’s hard to read the story, if the characters are way out of character, how are we supposed to engage with you then? How are we to, as people have said, “analyzes and talk to you about your story” if we can’t critique aspects of it that don’t sit right. 

As a writer myself and someone who has original stories that I’m working on, any comment, even the bad ones, at least give me an idea of what people are seeing when they read my work. Some are dumb like “You suck,” and “I was expecting more of X character when it said it was going to be in there.” And yeah, they stung, sure, but the thing is, it made me go “Okay so I need to include more of this because of who is reading my work and what they are expecting of me. 

You can’t live in a bubble as a writer, this is a myth that needs to be burst. Even back in the day, readers had a lot of influence on writers. Conan Doyle was originally planning on killing off Holmes but because of the backlash he got to come back. Agatha Cristie didn’t like her little Belgium Detective, but she kept writing him and even self inserted herself in there to annoy him, because fans loved him.  Authors are entertainers to their readers, they are the customers whom the storyteller is trying to entertain. If you’re going to complain about the readers thoughts then you’re better off just sharing your work among friends that you like. 

Honestly, it sounds like a lot of people would prefer it if someone went and did a fix it fic to their fanfiction over dealing with someone giving them something to consider for their next work. You know what, maybe that’s a solution. I propose that from now on, if someone doesn’t like a fanfic, since it’s not copyrighted, as it’s using already copyrighted characters, we should be allowed to fix fic your fanfics to do what we want them to do. Would that be better and easier for people to deal with? 

#concrit #constructive criticism #constructive feedback #fanfiction stories #fanfiction #writers need to learn to deal with having critiques. #and yes I know i'm gonna get hit by a lot of asks or complaints over this

[littlelostbluejay]

Describe Our Love

Oneshot summary: Lucas & Cristi relax together on the couch while enjoying an intimate moment in one another presence.

Rating: PG-13

An inaudible gentle rush of air blew through her nose, brown hues half-lidded and muscles relaxed, the exquisite, intimate warmth of Lucas's chest underneath her shoulder blades as his heart sustains an unhurried beat beneath the bare skin of her upper back. Sweet serenity coursed through their veins and pervaded their minds as the two laid there on their comfy black leather sofa, wherein he reclined his head back upon the armrest while she lay between his long legs; he stretched one far out while the other was bent at the knee propped against the backrest as Chris lay her smaller body atop his. Hearts flutter as slow music streamed into the spacious living room from a vintage inspired record player nearby, a river of love songs pouring into their ear canals that contained soulful rhythms and soft beats, the vinyl record being brought to life by the tiny needle that grazes its smooth surface while it plays Michael Jackson's RnB ballad, 'Butterflies'.

The sense of his presence, his very scent overwhelming but always welcoming; and embraces ever loving when she had found that rare shade of haven she been searching for in his arms. Chris couldn't have been more blessed with such a perfect man. Or wolf man. Whichever.

Movement caused by Lucas pulled Chris out of her quiescent musings, her gaze being brought to the attention of her hands that were being lifted upward in her view as he delicately adjusted the position of them to his liking in his palms, and she realize he was trying to match them up against his own. But his were larger than hers with fingers long and sturdy that were adorned with rings on a few digits, while the tips of her small nails barely reached the intermediate joint of his phalanges. The flesh beneath her fingers is smooth and firm, warm, built solely to protect and hold ones he found dear. She stares in silent fascination at the way her hands seem so meek compared to his.

For a moment, she felt his chest expand beneath her to draw in air, only for him to issue a lengthy exhale from deep within his chest, the breath of his essence at the same time cool and warm from his nostrils as it lightly stirs the natural locks of her hair, before gliding across her cheek from behind where she rested the back of her head in the curve of his neck. "Lucas, how would you describe our love?" She asked, for the sole purpose to hear his voice, to become lost in it as she would often have gone astray amongst specks of galactic stardust in his cosmic eyes.

A low, resonant rumble occupies in the base of Lucas's throat against her ear as he presses his full lips on a small spot on the edge of her eye, the tip of his nose pressing gently into her left temple, and this dotting adulation he bestows elicits her lashes to flutter, a small sigh passing between her lips as she tenderly nudged her head against him. Lucas is quiet as he contemplates her question, takes him a moment to respond as memories of this special woman flashed in his mind's eye, and sorts through mental archives he kept stored to help inspire a superior answer. But to elaborate on the type of love where incorporeal emotional energy flows from his wife by touch alone, can literally feel the sincerity of her emotions course through him as he absorbs it like nourishment, was near impossible to find words that could express their love in the language known to man.

One-minute ticks away, two as he reflects while she waits in patience, and when a concept finally arrives that embodies their love does he clear the airways of his throat, indicates he was ready to amuse her with his response. "Our love is like a friendship caught on fire." His hot breath swept down her cheek, causes her to involuntarily shudder as it dances along the flush skin of her neck and collarbone. Then he releases her hands, taking his own to encircle one around her small waist so his fingers may play on the piano keys of her ribs, the other rubbing the length of her arm in loving strokes as he continues onward with his poetic verse. "In the beginnin' a flame, very pretty, often hot an fierce, but still only light an flickerin'..." He murmurs in a full, sonorous tone, and nuzzles his shaven cheek against the side of her head as he shut his eyes. "...and as our love grows older, our hearts will mature an our love become as coals... deep burnin'... an unquenchable."

His personal interpretation he reckons to represent what their hearts murmured to each other in secret, words marinated with amative patterns between letters that reflected their mutual love, came to a beautiful end, one that flexed one corner of her full lips to slightly curve to bear a closed smile, inwardly enraptured with his answer.

Chris shifts in his hold, forces Lucas to raise his arms while she adjusts the position of her body, turns herself over onto her belly, and expels a gentle sigh as she rests her head upon the comforts of his bosom, and after situated to her liking, feels his hand land on her back while the other entangled its fingers into the thick mass of her dark brown locks. "How was tha', puppy?" he spoke with an inquiry as he removed some curly strands that once shielded her eyes from his view, "think tha's good enough?" and administers a sweet peck when he connected his lips to her forehead.

"Mhmm." She hums, nods in approval as her cheek rubs up and down against his chest, eyes closed and body relaxed while she listens to the comforting rhythmic beat of his heart thrum against her ear. "Loved it, babe." His masculine scent drifts up her nostrils, reminisces of the deep woods, earthy soil saturated in rainfall.

"Good, I was honestly 'bout t'say some beauty an the beast type of shit for a sec." A half-suppressed snicker slid through clenched teeth as his stomach shook under her with vitality, conveys humor that the abstract thought aroused within him which he formerly entertained before deciding to switch the quote, while she, likewise, giggled at this funny piece of information he shared with her. "I wracked the hell outta my brain tryin ta think of somethin' romantic an less corny for once, that question was way too deep to jus spit out some foolish nonsense."

She arched a single brow as a funny look crossed her face, rising on her hands to stare at him. "I don't know what you're talking about, you've always been a romantic," she paused, "okay corny sometimes but still romantic and smooth...either way, corny can be romantic too, y'know."

"Oh wait a minute now," Lucas propped himself up onto his elbows, gazes up at her with a mischievous grin as she sat up, straddling his lap securely between her thick thighs as her hands found a resting place on his abdomen for support, while at the same time, tries to ignore the familiar feeling of his big bulge beneath his gym shorts, "lil mama think wolf daddy is smooth, eh?"

The way he looked at her made a small smile to shyly grace her lips. "Hmmm yea...but don't let it get to your head. You can when you wanna be."

His mouth made a motorboat noise as he sat up and grabbed her legs to wrap around his torso, then circled his muscular arms about her small waist, pulls her closer to him as he straightens his spine. In this position, her head just reaches his nose, which makes it easy for him to notice when her eyes automatically lock on the thick shape of his juicy lips that she was obsessed with. "Pfft, too late cause I already know I got it like tha' baby, you an all the ladies at the juke joint knows it so don' be tryin ta soft-pedal this debonair panache I got goin on that I honed in the 1950's."

In reference to the old-fashioned aesthetic club he performs at regularly, Lucas was one of the most popular male performers in his band, and the fact he could not only play a number of instruments but also vocalize a song with passion into a microphone made the women go crazy. Although, Chris was not sure if she'll ever get accustomed to females eyeballing him while she also watches him from afar, but during every intermission or once the gig is over, he always makes time to walk over to her and give her attention, lets everyone know who he rightfully belongs to. But even if a few were aware of their martial relationship status, even when they were in the dating stage, as futile as it proved to be, some were that desirous to try to gain his attentions.

"Don't get cocky, Lucas, you ain't all that." She shook her head, knew he was mainly joking. Despite his superior dire wolf status in the supernatural realm, Lucas was a humble and modest man who didn't necessarily view himself as above anyone else, but that didn't mean he lacked self-confidence in his abilities, nor failed to recognize the great amount of charisma he possessed that influenced the way women behaved in his presence. Everyone loved an entertainer, and he was one who loved to entertain the public with his vocal capabilities and musical skills.

"How's I being cocky if tha's jus the way it is, sugah mama?" Black eyes droop half-lid as he cocked of his head to the left, and upon full lips displayed traces of a sly smirk where his mouth opened enough for her to observe the way his thick tongue ran a seductive trail across his perfect alignment of white teeth, the light tease in his voice languidly infused with that smooth feeling of red wine trickling down your throat she believed he sounded, and couldn't help the shivers that rippled across her arms when words of poetic elegance blew in her face. "How else was I able ta catch a fine lil doe like ya'self into these jaws of mine? Don't tell me it was jus these bright fangs that blinded 'em pretty brown eyes, makin ya stare into the light like a deer caught in the headlights 'bout ta end their life...but ya got it twisted, lady of mine, don' ya know this wolf jus wanna lead you to a new life with him in par-a-dise?" A low, sexy growl rumbled up his throat as he abruptly drew his face towards her ear to catch her lobe in between his teeth, finds pleasure at the cute sounds of a tiny whimper that slipped between her lips as he nipped and pulled her flesh gently.

Chris was absolute putty in his hands; he favors how her body trembles at his intimate gestures, sometimes she involuntarily gave away that conveyed implicit desires he's able to stimulate with ease by his proximity, not to mention that since she was a poet, Lucas foresaw the response he'll receive when he whispered in verses and rhymes to her.

"Y-you didn't give me much of a choice!" Her hand collided against his hard chest for a soft smack, prompts the arrival of a breathy laugh from him while his stomach convulses with enthusiasm as she drew back from him. It was true - he practically didn't give her a choice due to his persistent attitude, although it wasn't that she didn't reciprocate the same feelings, the issue laid in fear of loving someone. "But I wouldn't be surprised because you were always in my face all the time with that handsome smile...soo bright it can light up a dark tunnel for sure..." Bistre hues breaks eye contact to glance down at the near nonexistent space between them, and he feels tickled by her finger that softly traces the convex contour of his chest concealed by the black wife beater he wore. "I don't know but... it must've been why because you wouldn't leave me alone even though there were many other girls for you to choose that I felt were... better than me I guess." Past insecurities momentarily resurfaced as she murmured the last set of words, although, sensitive ears heard them loud and clear, and pure benignity shimmered in the darkness of his eyes as he gazed down at his wife, lips parted as the exterior of his umber visage replaced amusement for a softer expression.

Lucas did all he could to help raise her self-confidence and get past insecurities she fought with, and while she came a long way with good progress, there were times they'll creep up on her once every blue moon. But he was always there by her side to chase them away before those inner demons could overwhelm her mind.

Silence, except for the slow music that played in their midst, fell upon them for a few seconds, that is until it was broken when Lucas spoke out the blue. "Welp," he exhaled a deep sigh, his voice gathering her attention to peek up at him where she noticed a closed lopsided smile was etched on his full lips, and within the black holes of his iris's a glint of mischief circulates in the depths of them. "I'm sorry ta disappoint ya ma'am but when a carnivore got their eye on sumthin' then they out ta get tha' piece of meat, y'know wha' I mean? And all my efforts were rewarded in full with this nice piece of ass I got right here, bow chika wow wow baybeh!" And at the end of his sentence his hand sent a loud slap against her butt cheek, causing her to jump with a yelp when his palm struck her hard that left a stinging sensation in the area where her booty shorts didn't cover.

"Ow! Lucas!!"

"What?" A full-blown grin, one cheeky, had brightened his features as he began massaging her ample cheek in the spot that fell assailable to his strike he afflicted pain upon. "Don't be actin like ya don't like that shit now." He added on as he offered a knowing look with a high arch of his thick brow. Lucas usually took it upon himself to lighten the mood when negativity weighed down on the atmosphere, his optimistic, sanguine nature opposed anything that involved the concept of pessimism; he firmly believed good humor and a positive outlook could improve people's lives for the better, and he was here to offer her a dose of that special medicine. "I never would'a thought you could be such a vixen with ya quiet self toots, but...boy did you prove me wrong after I got you goin' by hittin that spot jus right."

Hey eyes narrowed into a squint that formed part of a peeved expression meant for him, but try as she might, curly locks bounced as she shook her head, unable to restrain the small smile he stirred by his irreverent sense of humor she concluded was contagious. "You're soo ridiculous." Chris doesn't attempt to suppress an eye roll as she tried to get up off his lap, but she felt his arms fix around her waist even more so, constricting her movement of any chance to escape his clutches.

"Yeah well yer booty is ridiculous but there ain't no shame in tha', dawlin'." His head quickly fell low into the side of her neck, plump lips parted to allow his mouth to playfully suck upon her delicate honey-brown skin, but the corners of his lips morphs into a grin against her neck when the breath of her laughter caressed his ear like a gentle wind, incorporated with a lewd gesture of his hand as she felt his fingers continues to knead a handful of her butt.

It did his heart good to know he was the one who solely caused her laughter, joy, and contentment when, while on her own, always suffered a difficult time searching high and low for that special map which could lead her to abundant treasures where happiness dwelt. Nevertheless, unbeknownst to Chris, the map was divided in separate pieces and in time arrived a wolf who appeared as her guide to aid in her hunt for what she ached to find, along the way, a man who supplied her with directions and riddles as to where they could be hidden. But as the map slowly became whole when the lost pieces were brought together, she discovered the treasures were inside herself the entire time locked within a chest where particles of dust caked its surface, and he was the key who unlocked a part of herself she never believed she'd see.

Lucas, an old wise soul, led her on a long journey to find felicitousness within herself again - the bountiful boost of encouragement he fed her that was accompanied with unconditional love his actions audaciously expressed without fear, proved to be the root of all her accomplishments she struggled with over the years before he stepped into her life. As eccentric his lycan nature proved to be behind closed doors, she was blessed with a man like him who presented her with a sense of belonging, and he the same for this young woman whose traits held a similarity to the kind meekness of a female deer.

As the couple were jesting among themselves on the couch, the music grew quiet as it reached its end, but the vinyl continues revolving, transitions to another song that caught Lucas's ears as he listened to the smooth disco vibes of 'Rock with you' that now fills the space of the living room. Chris noticed a little shift in his energy level, observes him in fascination as she acknowledged how his focus was altered by the music, and knew once he returned her stare that he had something in mind.  

Lucas clutched her body to his as he hoisted her up, lifting them off the couch as she clung onto him before his feet lead them near to where the record player sat on a side table. And her dainty feet touched the hardwood floor when he set her down, though in vain, she stood a few inches taller on her tippy toes to try to reach his height. He bit his bottom lip as he peered down into lovely eyes that shared a semblance of russet brown autumn leaves he often finds himself falling into. His fingers entwined with hers when he took her hand in his own while the other applied light pressure on her lower back, pushing her smaller body up against his taller one. "Aye, mind rockin with me tonight, mama?" The appearance of sharp canines glistened down on her when he shot her a charming smile with his question, accompanied by a playful wink of his eye which enkindled warmth to arise in her cheeks, complemented the demure countenance she bore in the way she shied away from his eyes for a moment. That perfect smile of his was an absolute killer.

Chris was never much of a dancer when she lived alone, but Lucas, of course, changed all that when he filled her life with excitement she missed out on in her early, sheltered days as a child and adolescent.

The sudden urge to dance made his body tingle with new found vigor, motivated by funky rhythms their bodies subjected themselves to as their feet stepped to the music that flowed around them, and with a smooth bounce in his step, he sang along with the lyrics to his dearest doe. "Ya gotta feel tha' heat! An we can ride the boogaaie! Share tha' beat of looooooove!"

Lucas twirled her around before the chorus began, pulling her back against his front as he circled his arms around her, head lowered for his lips to sing sweetly into her ear canal,  rhythmically swaying their bodies side to side in sync to the beat. "I wanna rock with you, all niiiight. Dance ya into day, sunliiiight."

Her lips part slightly where a small smile takes form at the corners of her mouth that Chris couldn't care to suppress, blissfully submerged in the joys of contentment while in the arms of her husband as his body moved against her back. She felt his head lift to place his chin atop her head, heartfelt passion expressed in the pitch of his voice that rose an octave as he continued to sing. "I wanna rooock with you, all night. Rock the night awaaay..."

And that's what they did as night expanded across the land.

#Luke James #werewolf #werewolf story #;;main verse;; #wolf man #mutant #black love #| Lucas x Cristi Oneshots | #;;lucas x cristi interactions;; #poc #love #romance #werewolf husband #werewolf boyfriend #exophilia #| The howl of the wolf teaches the blue jay how to sing again | Lucas x Cristi | #;;main verse 2;;

[thesiamay]

PUBLISHED ARTICLE #4

https://push.abs-cbn.com/2020/3/13/fresh-scoops/guess-whos-baking-nikki-valdez-discovers-a-sweet-20205

I personally interviewed Nikki Valdez for this article. I drafted questions for her to answer and then used all the details she shared to come up with an article that tells the story of her life, showbiz journey and business discovery.

Guess who's baking? Nikki Valdez discovers a sweet new route to success

By Thesia May Molines

Who can forget Tudis of Ang Tanging Ina or Karen of Got 2 Believe? These are just a few of the notable roles the lovable Nikki Valdez has played throughout her career that spans two decades.  

Starstudio.ph was given the privilege to visit her home—which at this time was smelling like heaven, and for a delicious reason. 

Nikki Valdez as a child

Ma. Alinica Garcia Valdez takes us to a walk down memory lane as she shares glimpses of her younger years. 

She begins: “Medyo boyish ako, I like hanging out and doing boy stuff.” Hailing from San Pedro, Laguna, the young Nikki enjoyed outdoor activities such as rollerblading, volleyball, and biking. She even recalls how she would go out with her cousins to mountain hikes and enjoy the stunning view.

Nikki was also an active choir member and was always present whenever there is a church activity. “I grew up being a member of a choir, siguro up until I think I was high school.”

According to her, it's where she developed her singing, which gave her the chance to enter the world of show business.

How she entered the showbiz scene

Summer of 1996—she was at her cousin's house when 80s balladeer Marco Sison was being interviewed in a showbiz talk show back then called Cristy Per Minute. Marco announced to the public that she will be having a summer workshop. Nikki’s mom, Mommy Norma, immediately asked her to give it a shot. At first, she was hesitant, telling her mom, “Ayoko ma, eh kasi mag-a-audition, baka hindi ako matanggap."

“One fear of mine is failure and rejection,” says Nikki. However, when the day of the audition came, her mom and grandmother were adamant that she should join.

“Wala akong prepared materials noon, I just grabbed whatever materials or music that I had there."

Unprepared, Nikki and her mother went to Perpetual Binan Ano ito, school? Church? What's the complete name for the audition, a town away from the family's hometown of San Pedro. During the audition proper, Nikki Valdez shared how nervous she was because other contestants were being asked to stop midway during their performance. When it was finally her turn, she sang Let the Pain Remain by Rachel Alejandro. She fondly shares how she will never forget that piece.

Everything about the audition is still vivid in her memory as she recalls: “Eh 'di ayun, kumanta ako, ‘tas tumigil na ako kasi yung mga nauna sakin, tumitigil? Sabi nila ‘ay hindi, continue’ so they made me finish the whole song and sabi nila ‘alright, we’re getting you,’ ganun!”

Out of all the talents Marco Sison had during that time, Nikki Valdez stood out the most. He told Nikki, “I want to bring you to ABS-CBN for an audition.”

After the audition, Nikki thought she failed to make the cut because she never got a call back. However, it turns out the staff just had a hard time reaching her!

“You know how I was informed? Through telegram. Kaya hindi na ako umabot sa Star Circle Batch 3, sabi nila sa Batch 4 ka na ilalaunch, kasi there is no time. You still need to undergo workshops, so yun. That’s how it happened.”

Nikki’s journey to becoming a star proves that some things are meant for you, no matter how long the delays might be. Years later, she has become a household name.

The struggles behind the limelight

Nikki Valdez never imagined in her wildest dreams that she would become a celebrity. She discloses that one of her greatest aspirations was to become an interior designer. “My first choice was Interior Design, kasi ang dami kong ideas. Ano ako eh, frustrated interior designer.”

Yet, destiny led her to somewhere else.

Even before Nikki Valdez became a celebrity, she also experienced hard times. After graduating from high school, she did not have the chance to study college right away because her family was struggling during those days.

Her desire to finish schooling didn't fade away despite such hindrances, however. When she already had the means to pursue college, she enrolled the moment she could. She said, “Parang hinanap ko 'yung ano ko—to finish school, to get into college, So I did. I took my chance.”

She juggled both work and education, but when things started to take a toll on her, she decided she needed to set aside some things for now.

According to her, “School had to take a backseat because showbiz was my bread and butter, and sabi ko, paano ako mag-aaral kung hindi ako magtatrabaho nung time na 'yun?”

It's a good thing she has supportive parents who were always by her side to guide her.

A mother’s love for her child is truly unconditional. Mommy Norma had to give up her job back then so she could take good care of her daughter. Her dad on the other hand is always at bay to drive for them during tapings.

Now that she is already a mother as well, Nikki is willing to do the same for her daughter, Olivia.

“As much as possible, when she has activities that would need my presence, I’m there. When I tell her I will be there, I will be there. Kasi kung ano lang naman kinalakihan mo, yun lang din maishashare mo sa children mo.”

Her daughter is turning 12 this year, and her condition is no secret to the public. Olivia has a congenital malformation in which her fingers have not fully developed. According to Nikki, accepting her daughter’s condition wasn’t that easy. At first, she was in denial, and she began to question her faith. But when Olivia was born, everything changed for Nikki.

“Nung lumabas siya, ginanun niya yung kamay niya sakin, sabi ko, ‘Ay ganda ng anak ko.’ Ayun sa una, puro fear, puro takot para sa anak ko, 'yun pala, siya pa magbibigay ng lakas ng loob. Siya 'yung nagbigay sa'kin nung may mas empathy ako sa mga batang ganun ang condition—but I learned from her."

Nikki Valdez also had her fair share of heartaches. Even before she met her Prince Charming and experienced her own happily-ever-after, she had to endure a series of heartbreaking moments—one of which was the separation from her then-husband. Amidst the turmoil the separation gave her, Nikki bravely faced the obstacles head-on, for her daughter's sake. 

In her effort to heal her broken heart, she wanted to do something to set her mind elsewhere. That was her lightbulb moment—during those empty, low times, the smell of butter, and cream, and so much love, would slowly creep in, and happily fill those spaces.   

The making of Ms. Buttercream

It all started as a hobby, and an outlet for emotions that were piling up inside her—but as Nikki took classes one after another, she fell in love with baking even more.

However, this passion had to take the backseat for a time because she and her then-husband, who were both staying in Canada, had difficulty sorting things out between them.  

Nikki had to go back to the Philippines—and when she did, she stumbled upon a brochure that made her remember her love for baking.  And it prompted her to try again.

Her interest in baking heightened when she got a chance to join the class of Queen of Hearts Couture Cakes, led by two registered Filipina nurses whose passion was also to bake.

“Du'n ko natutunan magdecorate using buttercream, and I for one, am a fan of icing, pastries or cakes. I have a sweet tooth, so I said, ‘Ay, maybe this is something I want to do in the future’. 'Pag magbabake ako ng cake, ang gagamitin kong icing is buttercream icing.”

Nikki Valdez dedicated more and more time and effort in baking. She recalls:

“Umabot talaga ako sa point na yung mga taga taste test ko yung family ko. So, nung sinabi ng mommy ko nu'n na ‘Anak, para namang pati aso hindi kakainin yan. So ginawa ko siya nang ginawa, and finally when I served it to my friends at nakikita kong ready na sila, sabi ko, parang pwede na ako magtake ng orders.”

Thus, Ms. Buttercream was born!

Although Nikki Valdez set to turn her passion into a business venture, she also had hesitations pushing through with it, because she did not know where she was headed to at first. But when people around her started believing in her capabilities—and enjoying her goodies—it gave her a boost of courage to finally turn it into a full-scale business.

Ms. Buttercream turns into a booming business

It was in September 2016 when she started accepting orders. Four years later, everything is turning out great for the celebrity actress-turned-entrepreneur.

People are starting to notice her cakes, and inquiries started to come in, one after another. From weddings to birthdays, you name it! People are setting up appointments months before the event just so she can accommodate them.  Coupled with the sweet taste of a new relationship that ended in a beautiful marriage, Nikki is all set to serve—and set for life.  

Currently, she has two cake flavors—red velvet cocoa and classic butter, but she reveals that she might come out with a new one soon.

She also gave us a peek on how she handles customers and the process of designing itself. “Of course, they tell me how they want the cake to look like, and I send them pegs, but I still add my touch to it.”

When asked what is the most fulfilling part of her baking journey, she answered, “In all their milestones, I am there through my cake. Kaya it’s more than pag sinasabi nilang, ‘Oh I like the cake, it’s very beautiful'—it’s me being a part of their lives. It makes me happy. Iba yung nabibigay niya sa'kin na happiness.”

Nikki Valdez and her love for baking taught us that it’s never too late to pursue what you really love, no matter how long it takes.