BTS: Metanoia

Hello and good evening, dear readers!

First things first – I’ve successfully completed the Sweet Sixteen Challenge! *throws confetti everywhere* I was supposed to post the sixteenth challenge tomorrow, actually. However, since my family’s going up to Baguio and I actually can’t bring my laptop, I posted it today. And hey – there’s even a download link! (Arzen’s PL also has a link, so you might as well check it out~)

But for this post, we’ll be discussing the five-part challenge that I had posted a week/s ago entitled Metanoia. What exactly does the word mean?

credits to: other-wordly @ tumblr!

As shown, Metanoia is a word of Green origin that means what the picture says above. But the thing I want to put emphasis on is the phrase a journey of changing.

See, the whole structure of Metanoia (if you’ve read every part) always begins with a bolded header which states the current location of that particular ‘chapter’ and the year when it takes place. It spans from 2009 – 2014, right? This is the meaning behind it.

Arianne Maxwell has been my Original Character since the year 2009 – so I’ve been stuck with her since I was in sixth grade. Although I only started taking her development seriously around 2010, 2009 was when I really created the thought of her – except, she had no back story, nothing really definite. She was a skeleton character back then, and I was just around the process of creation.

For the first part of Metanoia, it introduces not Arianne Maxwell, but Arianne Callaghan.

Superwoman: A Fanmix for Arianne Maxwell

i've got my gun and i'm not afraid to use it

Incalescent: A Fanmix for Arzen Venura

for the girl who burned

BTS: The Mirage of Libertatem

Hello, dear readers!

So. *laughs* This is going to be a Behind The Scenes post regarding the most recent post-slash-challenge, entitled The Mirage of Libertatem. Let's start it, shall we?

This short takes place in the Delta Belt, located in the Shoujo Parallels universe. It features two characters, namely Eridanus Luceat and Mail Arida. Where exactly are they? Both of them are in Libertatem, the Parallel World of the Delta Belt's Arzen Venura. 

Are you starting to get it?

The Mirage of Libertatem

“Lady Eridanus!”

A woman in golden-colored armor ran towards the Queen, who turned around with a surprised expression. Said woman got on her knee, bowing her head in respect.

“Lady, they are asking if you are to be suited tomorrow for the incoming celebration,” the Knight spoke. Eridanus nodded. “Shall I schedule a morning appointment or an afternoon?”

“Ask for an early morning schedule, Imber.” The brunette-haired lady nodded and stood up, making a fist over her chest and bowing before departing. Eridanus merely watched with golden eyes until Imber left, and turned around to retreat into her own personal chambers.

Pale walls greeted her, decorations decked and paintings hung around, leaving almost no space empty. She glided and walked with a slow kind of grace, others passing by bowing to her and she merely giving a nod. Procella watched with a dark scarlet gaze, Imber tapping her on the shoulder and eventually dragging her away. Eridanus didn’t take notice – she just moved until she reached her chamber doors, and two guards opened the doors, letting her go inside.

At the final step, they closed and she was left alone.

Eridanus rushed to the gigantic mirrors, ruffling her hair and tossing her crown onto the plush bed with linen sheets. A grin made its way to her face and she hurriedly shut the curtains, checked to see if the doors were locked, and kicked off her high shoes, them rolling on the ground. She eventually stopped and gave the mirror a rhythmic knock –

Two quick, three quick, and two slow.

Twenty-Two Candles

When she fell asleep hours ago, she remembered having her head on his chest and his arms securely wrapped around her frame. The memory made her smile; to fall asleep with him was one of life’s greatest joys – to her, at least.

Now, however, she felt nothing but pillows around her. Back propped against a pillow, arms wrapped around one…softness surrounded her and not the firmness of flesh, a gentle cool versus the warmth and beating of life. “So sleepy,” the mumble left her lips carelessly, and she turned on her back, wearily opening her eyes and blinking the sleep out of them.

The white ceiling greeted her.

“Mm…Matt?”

No voice responded. Frowning, she sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes, the sheets wrapped around her bare form. Green eyes glanced downwards and she was surprised (albeit pleased) to see a tray waiting for her, containing plates of food and two beverages. Nibbling on a piece of toast, she wondered where Matt was and this only made her frown more.

The food was still hot, so he must have set it only a few minutes back.

Nibble, swallow. Butter. Nibble.

Toast disappeared, followed by the pancakes then the bacon, which she saved for last. A felt a pang of loneliness, hugging her knees and glancing at the door with a small frown. Her legs ached and begged to not be moved when she attempted to get out of bed, and her face flushed a soft pink as she remained on the large, soft bed.

After finishing the last piece of bacon and drinking away the drinks, the door creaked open slightly.

A stared, quirking a brow.

Matt entered the room with a wide grin, bearing gifts and a bouquet of roses in his hand. This made the woman burst into laughter at how he looked, his hair neat for once and wearing a long-sleeved polo as well as black pants, with a black tie finishing the effect of it. “You look bloody ridiculous,” she managed, wiping the tears of laughter away from her eyes.

Matt smirked, getting on his knee and offering the flowers. A graciously took the bouquet, smelling the roses and putting a hand on her chest, looking flattered. “I took the liberty of getting you flowers and gifts – also cooking you breakfast like a perfect gentleman.” His voice contained the lofty accent that he didn’t use so much, making her choke with laughter even more. “Take this as my treat for you today, my lady.”

“You’re being such a Laurie,” she quipped.

“So you’re my Amy?”

“Christ, no.” A shuddered. “Hated the cow. I’d rather much be Jo.”

His blue eyes gave a familiar gleam, “Let’s be other people.”

Happy Birthday, Arianne Maxwell!

happy 22nd birthday to one of my longest-standing and most beloved OCs!

Noctuary (Part II)

The sight of her face glowing made him smile.

Both of them had released the lantern, and it flew into the sky. From behind them, Matia exchanged looks with Maxine, who gave her a slight smirk as well as a nod. Liam was still grinning from the events of earlier, and Daniel was quietly talking into his phone in a corner, Beatrice constantly throwing the Englishman odd looks.

“At least that lantern worked,” Arzen said sheepishly. Mathias nodded, both of them watching the lantern fly into the sky. Away, he could hear Isabel and Francine fighting over who would release it, while Cianna was chasing Janica around with a lit candle, Janica screeching with laughter. “So…how many actually flew?”

“If we include Liam and Maxine’s failed attempt, I’d say a good five,” he replied.

She glanced at the remaining lanterns. “There’s a whole lot left…”

“We can give them as souvenirs,” the ginger offered. This made Arzen roll her eyes and laugh, while he watched with a slight grin on his face. “Try this at home. Or just stick them on the walls and not risk the chance of being arrested.”

“We’ll keep them and try them again when it isn’t so windy,” she mused. Mathias was about to reply when Matia sped to Arzen, starting to tell the tale of how Gabrielle’s hair almost burned and turned into ashes. While she was busy, Liam took the opportunity to steer the redhead aside.

“So when are you going to pop the question, ice boy?”

“Later,” Mathias muttered. “Jesus Christ, Liam.”

“I’m sort of wishing my attempt wasn’t such a fail,” the blonde admitted. “But I’m glad Ride said yes. We’re both secured for dates now, at least.”

“But wasn’t Arzen…”

“Going to ask someone else?”

He nodded with a stony expression.

“Yeah, about that…” he whispered something into Mathias’ ear, the ginger’s eyes widening with each word Liam told him. “Nadine told Roza, who told Matia who I overheard telling Arzen a while ago. She got turned off with what happened with Nadine.”

“Can’t believe the bastard did that,” he muttered.

“Neither can I. But now that she doesn’t like him as much,” a crafty grin climbed up Liam’s face, “You can go pull it off and ask her while proving you won’t be a bastard.”

“I am not a bastard-”

Liam snorted. “Yeah, right. What a freaking lie.”

Metanoia (Part V)

Tokyo, Japan.
2014.

“I’m finishing up and on my way home,” the lady said, glancing at the phone which was attached to the holder. She kept her hands on the wheel and continued to drive home, listening to the reply. “Something to eat…you can heat me up some of last night’s Alfredo and pour me some cola,” she laughed. The man’s voice on the other line made her smile, and she flowed into a stop as the stoplight turned red. “Work today was horrific. I’ll tell the details when I get home.”

“Get right on that, babe. I’ll heat your pasta.”

“I‘d like that,” she murmured. “Love you. See you in five.”

“Love you too, darling.”

The call went off and A smiled, turning up the volume of the radio and listening to the current news. Stocks rose and fell, the weather around was growing crazier each day, and she swore that it was the tenth time that she heard of the crime syndicate that had been caught earlier during the day.

“Tokyo’s drug lord caught, now being prosecuted…waiting for the results of this trial and what sentence this man will receive. Earlier in the day, he was caught by a group of police officers…”

Touta had told her of this a while back – J, Peters and a good number had been patrolling and catching for the entirety of the day.

“…and it looks like they’ll be in there for a longer period of time.”

Cocaine, ecstasy, all of those illegal substances. Smuggled over from another nation, secretly being brought into Japan and sold to those who wanted a hit. The thought made her shudder.

“So Peters is doing a drug bust.”

“I’d like to think so,” Macmillan chuckled as he handed her coffee. “Cheers. J went off with him too, I think she didn’t want him banged up again unlike the time he was assigned to the bank.”

“I remember that. He was in the hospital for days.”

“Was he, now? It’s like some kind of folk legend over here. Saving the kid and all that.”

Soft Revolution: A Fanmix for Eri Blitzschnell

we are young volcanoes

Metanoia (Part IV)

Tokyo, Japan.
2011.

“So what’re you doing for a living now, Heather?”

Ari wrinkled her nose at the nickname, making the blonde laugh warmly. She could hardly believe it – posters splat across the papers and telly had told of a famous woman coming to Japan. She hardly gave a glance at first and merely switched the channel or flipped to the next page, but did a double take at the name printed almost everywhere.

Lynette St. John.

An award-winning smile of a woman in her twenties with a professional-looking camera in her hand was the picture on the newspaper. This lady graced the covers of lifestyle magazines and even some architectural ones, mostly featuring her with either a camera, a sketchbook or blueprints.

The same woman, Ari had read in the paper, who had sworn to protect animal life and had turned vegetarian. Lynette admits that switching to vegetarianism wasn’t always easy – the sight of all the protein she had missed haunted her everyday. Now twenty-four and a budding professional as well as skilled painter, Lynette travels the world for the new, the bold and the interesting that she claims, would bring upon a change to this society.

She thought that it was merely a coincidence.

“I wasn’t expecting you, of all people, to show up,” Lynette – Linda – admitted. “Not in a bad way, love. I thought you’d be out there in places like the States…not here in busy, beating Tokyo.” Lynette was drinking from a paper cup which contained tea, her blonde hair in an artful bun and her woolen shirt gracing her form perfectly. “Even so, I thought you were busy.”

“I am, actually.” Ari leaned back, “Tokyo’s hard to completely capture.”

And Lynette smiled.

“You’ve been here…what, five years?”

Another Ordinary Night: A Playlist for Squad A

a fanmix for Squad A in all their brilliance

Noctuary (Part I): A Shoujo Parallels AU Short

“I can’t believe you had this catered,” Isabel remarked as she looked at the long table, “We could have just brought pizza and soda, and we’d be okay.” Beside her, Francine rolled her eyes and smirked, nudging the long-haired girl in the ribs.

“Come on, Bel. It’s free food.”

“Food’s all you care about.”

“Come on, you guys. This is Arzen.” Matia smirked and slung an arm around Arzen’s, who was merely laughing. “She could ask for fireworks later tonight and it would happen.”

Isabel’s eyes widened, “You’re having fireworks?”

“No,” Arzen replied innocently, “You’ll see.” Francine and Isabel exchanged a quick glance before dissolving into speculations, Matia whisking Arzen away from the dessert table. “Christ, dude, you didn’t have to give them clues.”

“Meh – they’ll only figure it out when they get up there.” Matia winked and ate the éclair, “Oh damn it. Are the guys here?”

“Mathias is just with Daniel and Liam.”

“Aha. And I thought that he’d be clinging to you the entire time.”

“What gave you that idea-?”

“Eh…how should I know?”

Giving Matia a weird look, Arzen turned and walked away to chat with Acacia and Pamela. Chuckling, Matia went straight to the trio, who were arguing amongst themselves.

“Okay, break it up. Mathias, when the hell are you going to do it?”

The Artist and Savior: A Graphic

"I'm still looking for her."

"What the - why? She's bound to be anywhere."

"I know that. But she saved me, and I am grateful."

Unum Eridanus: A Headcanon Short

She stepped back and took the moment to just feel.

The woman radiated electricity; everything she touched sizzled slightly with the burn of green sparks. Her shoes scraped against the floor and she used her wings to fly, emerald green wings brushing against the sky ever-so-slightly as she flew around and around, exhilarated and full of life, of energy that came from the unification. The wind blew past her and then blew strongly, making her laugh out loud, the sound bouncing off the walls of the seemingly endless place.

Having wings felt so euphoric.

Flying with them felt much, much better.

Electricity pounded through her veins and mixed with her blood, she took a deep breath and flew down, landing neatly. The lady’s eyes blazed with such a vivid emerald green and she walked to the door, touching it and swinging it open. The knob reacted at her touch, sizzling just as what her touch did to the other things that she had encountered. At that, she heard other doors sweep open and she looked around, her eyes wide with surprise.

Eyes of other girls met her own, and she could see every color of the rainbow. A small smirk from a golden-eyed female, a solemn nod from a maroon-eyed one.

And to her shock, they were glowing their color.

She looked at herself, and felt an odd kind of pleasure. Dark green radiated from her and at the same time, the doors shut.

They needed no words.

At the same time, all of them unfurled their wings. The girl with scarlet eyes smiled her way, and she felt herself smiling back despite the anxiety that fluttered in her stomach. She felt the eyes of someone on her and decided not to find out, keeping her focus on the sky that opened above them all. The roof was nonexistent in that place, and after silently counting to three, she and the many other women flew.

* * * * *

Happy Sixteenth, Arzen Venura!

Evolution: A Graphic

The Origin of the Stars

“Monika, come out!” Christophe yelled gleefully from outside her window, waiting for the youngest Villan daughter to come out. He caught a flash of brunette hair against a mint-green wall and rolled his eyes good-naturedly, the night sky and the glittering stars providing him all the light he needed. He picked up a small pebble to throw and aimed carefully, but a sharp voice coming outside stopped him before he could throw (and cause potential wreckage).

“Christophe, don’t! You’ll break her window,” Lucillia Villan scolded, frowning at him deeply with her crystal-blue eyes. Christophe laughed, quite embarrassed, and dropped the pebble, letting it hit the ground and turning to the older sister with a mischievous gleam in his own blue eyes. “What are you doing here, anyway? Are you waiting for Monika?”

“She promised she’d come out and play,” he replied with an air of mystery. Lucillia shook her head and gave a tsk. “What about you, Lucillia? Did Liam come for you today?” she glanced away momentarily, yet he could see the tinge of red that appeared on her cheeks for a few seconds.

“Of course he did, but that isn’t the point,” she changed the subject quickly and cleared her throat. “Monika will come down in a moment. Don’t shatter her windows, or father will…” she didn’t finish the sentence and gave a grimace, rushing back into the manor, most likely to call Monika down.

“Monika! Christophe is waiting for you.”

“Tell him to come up.”

“What the – what would father say?!”

“He’s out! I can handle Christophe by myself and he can climb down a tree.”

The Frenchman couldn’t help but smirk.

Metanoia (Part III)

Winchester, England.
2010.

“You’re getting the hang of it,” Sarah Nakamura encouraged, watching as the slender woman in front of her set the floating branch on fire. “Excellent! You’re the first supernatural being I know who could manifest all four elements,” she mused. “Earth, Water, Wind and Fire. You’re excellent. The one who Turned you knew what he was doing,” she continued appreciatively. “Daniel’s going to be pleased to hear this.” Extinguishing the flames with a single finger flick, Sarah watched as the vampire lowered the branch onto the soft grass.

“When’s he coming around?”

“Maybe tomorrow, if we’re lucky. He tracked that other guy in LaFont,” she explained. Sarah shook out her wild blonde hair, eyeing her friend with curious crimson eyes. “Some business with his clan and all that. Why?”

“I’m going to need him to track someone for me.”

“…you don’t mean-”

“Yes. Him.” the woman turned to her, her own golden eyes gleaming in the sunlight. “He owes me an explanation for what he’s done. And I can’t forgive him so easily for that.”

“But you have to let him go,” Sarah tried. “It’s his fault he left you behind! Why would you even chase after him after all that he’s done?”

The woman sighed.

“He’s my Mate. Simple as that. Either I break it off with him myself, or wait until he fatally dies and melts in the sunlight.” She answered bluntly.

“Let’s hope the latter happens-” Sarah stopped mid sentence, seeing a younger girl run up to her friend, hugging her legs. “…is that…?”

Smiling, Arianne Marie picked her up and cuddled her in her arms.

“Woman, where have you been hiding this bundle of joy?” Sarah cooed, pinching the smaller girl's cheeks.

“Adopted. Ever since…you know, I decided to take her in,” she replied. “Erica Mae.”

“So she…”

“No. Never. I won’t.”

“But what if-”

“I won’t.”

Her reply was icy this time.

Biting her lip, Sarah could only nod.  

Metanoia (Part II)

Tokyo, Japan.
2010.

She was thankful to go home early for once.

Leaving the lollipop wrapper in the other seat, a black-haired lady kept driving as she ate the apple-flavored sweet, removing her sunglasses and keeping her eyes on the road as she continued driving down the road, away from the office and closer to where she lived. The lights of Tokyo eventually faded away, trees greeting her and calming her down in the slightest.

“Jean Onix, you better have some drinks for me by the time I get back,” a woman complained as she drove home. A woman’s voice came from her phone and she rolled her eyes, ending the call and tossing the phone into the other seat. The black sports car zoomed across the roads of Tokyo, the woman taking sharp turns until she reached the street where she lived.

The red apartment looked like it was waiting for her presence. After smoothly parking into her usual spot, the woman turned off the engine and got out, locked the car doors and swept her streaked green hair into a high ponytail.

From the outside, she could hear rock music playing. A low chuckle left her lips and she entered the house, taking off her coat and hanging it by the door.

“Lock the fucking thing, I don’t want to wake up next to a murdered body when I rise in the morning,” another person yelled from the kitchen. And she did so, dropping the keys into a glass bowl and removing her heels right after, carrying them as she walked in.

A tangled mess of black curls greeted her, the other woman finishing up on her drinks. Jean smirked as she walked inside, pointing down at the rather tall glass she had prepared for her roommate.

“Something new I devised at work. And the idiots still don’t know that I was the woman fortunate enough to escape the bastards.”

“To be fair, you’ve changed your appearance a bit,” she replied easily, sitting on the bar stool and letting her shoes drop on the floor with a soft thud.

Metanoia (Part I)

Ambridge University, New York City.
2009.

If her typing didn’t stop, he’d probably jump out of the nearest window, pull a BBC Sherlock and come back after two years of disputed hiatus and mindless theories.

But that would be a mess to explain (and survived), so the male student could only resist the urge to bang his head against the wall.

Click clack click clack click. Clack click. Clack clack clack...

“You need to catch a break, woman,” Blake Williams groans as he watches the girl type endlessly on her Mac. “Jesus. That isn’t even due for a week. Are they killing you over at ForSci or something?” No response. Rolling his eyes, Blake bounced back on her roommate’s bed. “Huh. No wonder Luke hasn’t been getting some lately. Speaks why he’s such in a cranky mood,” he cackled.

“Fuck off, Blake.”

“Ooh, touchy.”

The lady turned to him with a raised brow, her thick-frame glasses nearly falling off. After pushing it back, she retorted, “I don’t see you working on your own thesis, B.”

“Thesis, shmesis. I’ve got a week left, darling. I work best under pressure.”

“Mhm, sure. Keep saying that,” she muttered, turning back to her laptop and typing. “Seen Luke or Madeleine around? I need to proofread her thesis, and he needs to proofread mine.” The boy shrugged, picking up a stray magazine and flipping through the pages, uninterested.

“I think they’re getting coffee or something.”

“Now I remember.” She backspaced and inserted a few more words, “I wonder how you’re able to cope. I mean, if I took freaking Medical Science I would probably be on coffee and whatever.”

“I just do. Or it’s my passion in the human body that helps me get through it.”

The Arzens of the Universe

~Alpha~

Name: Arianne Maxine Venura

Shoujo Race: Sky

*Canon Parallel: Erimentha Survoler

Face Claim: Janella Salvador

~Beta~

Name: Monika Arzen Venura

Shoujo Race: Lightning

Canon Parallel: Eri Blitzschnell

Face Claim: Julia Barretto

~Delta~

Name: Monika Katarina Venura

Shoujo Race: Sun

*Canon Parallel: Eridanus Luceat

Face Claim: Liza Soberano

~Gamma~

Name: Monika Adrienne Venura

Shoujo Race: Snow

*Canon Parallel: Eridani Schnee

Face Claim: Shaina Magdayao

*Canon Parallels + Shoujo Race are headcanon assumptions!

Jonathan and Elizabeth

Jonathan Maxwell was thankful that he had moved into a dorm for the semester.

“You be good, John. Come home for the usual holidays,” his father reminded him, patting his son on the back. The black-haired man could only nod and gave his father one last smile before the older man left, Jonathan heaving a relieved sigh and falling back into his bed. Jesus. The old man would never give him a break.

“Oi, Johnny boy! You in there or what?”

“Come in, Parker.” Almost immediately a blonde boy burst into the room, grinning widely and wheeling in a giggling brunette. Jonathan raised a brow. “Who’s this lovely miss you stole away from the eatery?”

“This,” Parker announced, “is Celia.” Celia wasn’t bad-looking at all. She was definitely shorter than Jonathan’s 5’11, blonde curls bouncing off her shoulders, tips a faded blue. “Celia and I hooked up this summer – ow!” 

“Hooked up is a nasty term,” she complained, “We met and decided to have a relationship.”

“Okay, okay.” He winked at Jonathan, “Met Celia in the countryside. Turns out she’d study here too, so why the hell not?”

“It’s great to meet you, Jonathan,” Celia beamed at him, and they shook hands. “What’re you taking up?”

“Economics,” the man replied. “Going to be a banker.”

“Johnny boy’s into the boring stuff,” Parker interrupted, yawning loudly to emphasize. “Nothing like good old Architecture to get you really in. Coffee and noodles have been my best friend since first year.”

“That’s old American bullshit, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. But what else can I get? Your lucky ass is loaded and shit,” Parker looked at Celia, “Maxwell here is loaded. I’m surprised he’s even going to college.”

Jonathan gave a hard look. “Education isn’t that easy to come across.”

“I agree, cut him some slack.” Celia elbowed Parker, “Besides, it’s going to help him get richer in the future. Didn’t you tell me he nearly got perfect in his A-levels?”

“Christ, Celia, don’t tell him that-”

“It’s not exactly an achievement,” Jonathan muttered sheepishly, pink dusting his cheeks.

“To me, it is. Nearly banged up mine – that’s what I like in a guy – intelligence. Not that I’m flirting when I have this goof,” she smirked at Parker, who had the decency to grin, “He’s enough for me.”

“You’re sweet, babe. Wanna head out with us, Jonathan? Go out for some lunch?”

Jonathan looked back at his room, currently undecorated.

Ah, blast it.

“I’m game.”