as a teenager and maybe a little further

She realised her father didnt love her as much he did her sister the day she turned 13.

It always been about Noelle, she mused, watching him hug her older twin sister. Noelle, the straight A student. Noelle, the absolute sweetheart. Noelle, his perfect daughter.

Wasn’t that funny, she thought, that depite marrying a creative woman named Aspen and having a creative daughter, he adored the logical one of his children. 

Chana knew Sebastian loved Aspen, it would be impossible to say otherwise, but she didn’t think he loved her as much.

In fact, she knew he didn’t.


Chana started wearing brown contacts the day after she turned 14.

She was the only one with black hair and blue eyes like her father and she hated it. 

Sebastian hated it but who cared what he thought. It wasn’t coming out of his money.

Maven had taken one look and accepted it. But that was Maven for you.


Maven and she bought a box of hair dye and sequestered themselves in Maven’s bathroom. 

They didn’t come out until every lock on her head was a dark blue colour.

Oh, how the air went thick with anger when her parents saw it. Chana was grounded but she didn’t care. She just laughed.

That was her first open act of teenage rebellion.

It only got worst from there.


“Why did I let you talk me into this?”

Chana looked at her sister out of the corner of her eye for a moment before tossing her head back with a laugh. “If I recall correctly, my nerdy sister dear, you wanted to prove that you weren’t a scaredy cat.”

“Only because you provoked me,” then, after a few moments, “and don’t call me a nerd!” was added.

“Isn’t that what you are, though?” Maven chipped in with her two cents.

“Screw you.”

“You couldn’t land me even if you tried, darling,” Maven retorted with a toss of her head, pointedly ignoring her best friend’s hysterical laughter.

“She’d have to be Cassandra Goth to do that,” Chana managed to get out through her laughter.


“Chana, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it, mom?” the girl finished tying her newly purple hair into pigtails and faced her mother.

“Well, you know how your father and I were talking about having another child a few months ago?”

“Yeah…” Chana thought she knew where this was going.

“I’m pregnant,” Aspen said, patting her stomach meaningfully with a smile on her face.

“Congratulations, mom!” Chana got up from the bar stool and hugged her.

“Thank you, dear.”


“I dont think dad likes me that much, “ Vera, her sweet little sister revealed to her one night when they were both down in the basement.

“I think he feels the same about me to be honest, kiddo,” Chana rested her head on the palm of her hand.

“I mean, I love him. But…”

“Yeah, I feel you.”


Now, despite her attitude most of the time, Chana didn’t hate her sister. Not that much at least. 

That changed when she saw Noelle making out with her girlfriend.

What followed were two fights in quick succession, a telling off from her father and a break up with her girlfriend.


“We’re adults now,” Maven said, as if she couldn’t quite believe it.

“And you’re dating Jace Bell. That’s something I would never have thought possible.”

“Don’t remind me…”


“Hey, Chana?” 

The girl turned around in her swivel chair to face her now teenaged little sister. “Yeah, kiddo?”

“Can I tell you something?” Vera asked, walking in and perching on the edge of the bed.

“Shoot.”

“Okay, so you know how I had a crush on Lucas when I was a kid and he returned it and we were best friends but we also hugged a lot more than normal best friends? Well…he asked me over to his house and I didn’t expect anything but then he asked me to be his girlfriend.”

“What did you say?”

“I…I said yes,” Vera admitted.

“Good for you, kiddo! I hope your love life is more stable than mine.”


Chana sighed, looking around at the many cardboard boxes that filled the apartment. 

It wasn’t that big but it was hers. Hers to decorate, hers to live in.

She sank to the floor and smiled. 

Things were looking up.


A very disjointed story, featuring the main events of Chana’s life so far.

@writer-grandma, idk but I think it’s okay???

Mallory: Talk Show Style

(Camera zooms in on a smartly dressed woman with a bright smile before moving to focus on Mallory who looks like she’s zoning out)

Host: Good evening, Mallory. Thank you for coming onto the show tonight.

Mallory (visibly snapping to attention): I mean…you’re paying me. Also Daniele would probably have tried to maim me if I refused.

Host:….Moving on! There’s a lot of talk that you and Alois were seen getting closer. Can you confirm?

Mallory: If by “closer”, you mean I literally had him pinned to the ground during training then yes, I suppose we were seen getting closer.

Host: There’s also been talk that you were seen getting close with Raine. 

Mallory: He’s literally the only one of them that I can stand on a daily basis. Also he carries my camera and gets me tea so he’s obviously the best one.

Host: Right… Our sources also say that you and Leander have been getting cuddly with one another.

Mallory (looking into the camera with suspicion): Are your sources Daniele? Is this whole thing just a way to get me to talk about whether or not I would kiss one of them?

Mallory (before flipping the table): Fuck this shit, I’m out.


@writer-grandma @srazar @esoteric-eclectic-eccentric and @alexis-bellissima

a blessed tongue tells the greatest lies

“Once upon a time, before the time we know, there was a princess. She was like many other princesses before her, she was pretty and kind and loved by many people. Suitors came to the door daily to ask for her hand in marriage but she turned them all away.

For she had a secret. 

Underneath her mask of kindness lay a woman who was enchanted by the darker side of things.

Perhaps that was why her heart had been stolen by the spirit of Decay and she had stolen his in return.

Her father quickly tired of her constant refusal to marry and, without her knowledge, arranged a match between her and the son of a wealthy duke.

When she found out, she ran and hid away in her room, ranting and raving to her equally enraged lover.

Together, they hatched a plan. A plan that they would never be able to pull off.

They were discovered and, chained in a cage like animals, burned. Only the princess died.

But they say that she is reborn once in a hundred years, searching for her lost-”

“Bernice, are you telling her fairy tales again?” the irritated, high-pitched voice of the older woman cut off the much calmer voice of the younger.

“She is a child. You dont get those years back,” Bernice sighed and rose from where she had been sat beside the young girl’s bed. “I’m quite certain that you cannot remember your childhood fondly.”

“That’s besides the point. If you fill her head with tales of princes and princesses, she’ll start to believe the lies.”

With that, the woman turned on her heel and strode out of the dormitory.

Bernice rolled her eyes and looked down at the little girl. Somewhen during that exchange, she’d fallen asleep.

“It would do you well to remember that there is a little truth in every tale,” her eyes flashed gold. “After all, how else would people be warned?”

She blinked and her eyes faded to hazel brown.


@writer-grandma @writersshock @ruins-of-gold

Tree Symbolism

thedruidsteaparty:

Alder ~ Call the tree of fire. It symbolizes firm foundations for any venture, and power to control external forces and factors in your life. It can off you security in times of uncertainty and the persistence to carry a venture through difficult initial stages.

Almond ~ Abundance, prosperity and love without limits. Like all nut-bearing tree, the almond promises fertility for any venture and the fruition of dreams, although perhaps not until several months after inception.

Apple ~ Fertility, health, love and long life. The magical apple tree promises renewed life and strength if you have been feeling tired or have lost your way.

Ash ~ Expansion of horizons, travel especially by sea, healing, strength and prosperity. As a World Tree the ash will increase your authority and powers of leadership, bringing with it, of course, additional responsibilities.

Aspen ~ Communication, eloquence, protection against theft, and healing. A tree of great sensitivity, the aspen bring empathy with others that is not without personal pain. It connects you to the heart of another person’s experience.

Avocado ~ Desire, and increase of beauty in beauty or environment. You will be able to create beauty out of ugliness, but will find that you have become involved in the concerns of your wider environment, as well as creating personal beauty and grace in your life.

Bamboo ~ Protection, especially of your household boundaries and against negative thoughts of others. You can drawn the protection around you and those you love, but must make sure your own thoughts and words are likewise positive.

Banana ~ Fertility, male potency and prosperity: involves slow ripening of endeavors and so patience for the right time for true power.

Banyan ~ Luck and optimism. You can welcome sunshine into your life by seeking simple pleasures and enjoying every small moment of happiness.

Bay  ~ Fidelity, marriage and preservation of family and home, and pleasant dreams. Be persevering and seeking lasting joy rather than instant excitement, you can bring true harmony to yourself and those you love.

Beech ~ Knowledge, formal learning and change. You can learn much from being still in the natural world, and by seeking to give your intuitions and inspiration firm foundations.

Birch ~ Cleansing, health, new beginnings, Goddess magic and protection of the young. You may need either a new approach or to clear the deck and sacrifice what is comfortable and familiar for new growth.

Boxwood ~ Uncovering hidden treasures, buried talents and the unexpected. A tree for bringing out potential and perhaps fulfilling earlier dreams you had dismissed.

Cedar ~ Good fortune and fidelity in love, and mature relationships. A very cleansing and healing tree that can take away the fears that stop you from making your own happiness and good fortune.

Cherry ~ New love, divinatory abilities and fertility, A tree of springtime and so especially useful to younger people for exploring their own capacity for love.

Chestnut/Horse Chestnut ~ Abundance and expansion of opportunity. A magnificent tree for bold endeavours and ambitions, filled with idealism and nobility. 

Coconut ~ Fertility and motherhood, and the flow of new life and energies: give protection against all negativity, especially psychic attack. A traditional source of the nourishing life force of the Earth Mother, encourages nurturing others and in return experiencing the joys of giving.

Cypress ~ Long life, healing and comfort in sorrow. A good tree for working through loss and what must be mourned for.

Dogwood ~ Clear focus and determination. A tree that will stand firm against opposition and cheerfully persevere to achieve the desired results.

Elder ~ Tree of the White Moon Goddess and of female magic; give ability to see other dimensions and increases clairvoyance. A fairy tree, the elder absorbs personal negativity. It is a good tree for men as well as women to use to explore their magical side and to suspend disbelief in the presence of nature essences.

Elm ~ Quiet sleep, love and giving. The elm itself is under threat in a number of places through disease, but it nevertheless signifies serenity and dignity amid noise and chaos.

Eucalyptus ~ Cleansing and healing. A tree that frees stagnant or blocked energies and helps people move forwards.

Fig ~ Wisdom, creativity and creative ventures, fertility, harmony and balance. A tree filled with personal riches that allows our artistic and inspiration side to blossom.

Fir ~ The tree of Christmas and so a tree of birth, the return of light and new beginnings, the life cycle and also cleansing. A tree of light in the darkness and the promise of the future joys even on the darkest of days.

Hawthorn ~ Courage, marking boundaries, purification, protection, male potency (although it is a female tree), and cleansing: a fairy tree. Use this to protect you from skepticism and cynicism in others and to create a personal space away from the demands of others.

Hazel ~ Wisdom, luck, fertility, knowledge and inspiration, justice and divination, especially water magic and dowsing for water and treasure. Use this tree when you face injustice or feel strongly about a particular principle, to allow you to resolve matters by using persuasion not force.

Holly ~ Protection especially of the home against all negativity; a tree also for money and material gains. Another tree that thrives on opposition and uses difficulties as a springboard for positive action; a tree that works especially well with animus energies in women or in resolving issues with men in your life. Holly is regarded as a male plant, so it exudes assertive, active energies associated with the animus or male aspect of ourselves. King of the waning year.

Ivy ~ Fidelity, married love and committed relationships; Good for for taking risks in terms of deepening trust and love towards another as well as for sorting out issues of the relative importance to self and others to establish loving but clear boundaries; good for women to with.

Juniper ~ Protection against all negative forces, and purification. One of the best cleansing trees for clearing away bad habits, addictions or emotional luggage from the past. 

Larch ~ Protection, especially against thieves; optimism. A tree that lifts the spirits and triggers the inner protective system we all possess but often do not trust; good especially if you have felt under threat – whether emotionally, psychically or actually – from others at work.

Laurel ~ Protection from illness, success and realization of ambition, and winning through in spite of difficulty. A tree that promises that you will achieve more than you hoped or dreamed of if you meet life head on.

Linden ~ Justice, cooperation with others, partnerships of all kinds and dealing with officialdom. A tree of quiet, unassuming power that shows it is possible for one to take on a system and win if the case if just.

Mango ~ Health, permanence and lasting happiness. This rich fruit tree promises joy year after year if you plant the seeds of that joy now.

Maple ~ Long life, health of children, fertility, riches of all kinds and pleasure. A good tree if you have lost your confidence in yourself, suggesting you look at all the potential treasure you have in your life that will help you turn the corner.

Mistletoe ~ Known to the Druids as the “All-Healer”; peace, love and purity, and also fertility and sexual potency, the union of male and female, and protection and good health. A plant to choose if you are near the beginning of your spiritual journey or a relationship that you believe will prove important.

Myrtle ~ Stable relationships, married love, fertility, youth, peace and money. Another tree of harmony both with others and within yourself that can stabilize an uncertain patch in your personal world.

Norfolk Island Pine ~ Assurance that you and your family will never suffer poverty; soaring potential; if you seize opportunities you will succeed.

Oak ~ King of the waxing year and sacred tree of the Druids; tree of knowledge, power and independence, confidence, prosperity and potency. Like the ash, the oak is a wise Father Tree that represents commitment to a journey of exploration and attainment of mastery over the emotions.

Olive ~ Peace and reconciliation, forgiveness, abundance, nourishment, healing and fertility. A healing tree that can mend any sorrow or bitterness and from this reconciliation bring lasting peace in your immediate world and maybe beyond as your peacemaking influences spread.

Orange ~ Love, abundance, fertility, marriage, luck and money. Increase confidence, self-esteem and self-love as a basis for making positive relationships with other which you can ask for what you need.

Palm, Date ~ Fertility, potency, self-renewal, rejuvenation and the revolving life cycles of nature and people. A tree of the sunshine and blue skies that enables you to regenerate your energies and to take steps forward on a new path.

Pear ~ New life, health, woman’s matter and fertility; gentle growth, the increase of quiet joy and fulfillment of realistic aims within the near future.

Peach ~ Marriage and birth, abundance, happiness, fertility, wishes and long life. Another sunshine tree that enables you to unfold your sensuality and sexuality without guilt or shame.

Pine ~ Symbol of fire and illumination, cleansing, friendship in adversity, knowledge and protection from all negativity. Like fir, the pine blazes in the darkness, illuminating your path and burning away what holds you from fulfillment.

Poplar, White & Black ~The white poplar symbolizes money, astral projection, hope rebirth and divination. The black poplar refers to ending. Together, the black and white poplar move through endings to beginnings, from regret to healing and from pain to joy.

Redwood ~ Limitless potential, long-term spiritual growth and clear focus. This tree tells you to aim high and not to doubt your ability to soar, however far off the goal seems.

Rowan/Mountain Ash ~ Another tree of the White Goddess; brings protection to the home, increases psychic powers, brings healing, and is also good for metal dowsing and astral projection. A magical tree that will keep you safe from harm and fears, whether of darkness or malice of others.

Silver Banksia ~ Protection, letting go of sorrow, developing a more positive outlook, new growth and positive achievement. A gentle tree that enfolds you in love and reassurance that all shall be well if you just trust and stretch out your hand to life.

Sycamore ~ Protection and the granting of wishes; increasing influence over other and situations. A tree whose effects are like its fast-rooting spores, meaning that you can have a real influence for the better on any situation if you communicate your feelings and ideas.

Tamarind ~ Love, especially new love and rebuilding of trust. A tree of gentle love, especially after sorrow or betrayal, promising kindness and friendship that may deepen into more permanent feelings.

Vine ~ Rebirth and renewal, joy, ecstasy and fairy magic. It advises you to abandon the inhibitions and prohibitions in your head and seek what will bring you happiness and connection with life.

Walnut ~ Tree of prophecy, traditionally where witches meet; health, increase of mental powers, fertility and granting of wishes. A tree that promises the gradual unfolding of good things and the revealing of the secrets of psychic powers.

Willow ~ A Moon tree; intuition, Moon magic, healing, making wishes come true, increasing psychic energies and understanding the emotions of others. Go with the flow of the hour and tap into the underlying emotions of any situation or person to discover the truth; a good tree if your emotions and intuitions are blocked.

White Mangrove ~ Nurturing self and others, being sensitive, intuitive, caring, balanced and in touch with the pulse of life. Another tree of connection with others and with the wisdom of the natural world; it overcomes any sense of loneliness and alienation.

Yew ~ Tree of endings, of new coming out of the old, of permanence, of aims that are slow to come to fruition and enduring strengths, of what is worth and union between two people after difficulty. The yew will allow what is lost to be mourned for, while reminding you what is of worth, and will endure. 

Source The Modern-Day Druidess by Cassandra Eason