creating a life of trends and make believe

merrick anne wood. twenty three. virgo. barely adulting. georgia native who loves the snow. you can find me working as a news writer at your favorite local broadcasting company. a general bad influence & lover of all things chaos - i have bad ideas and no impulse control. var fhs = document.createElement('script');var fhs_id = "5652570"; var ref = (''+document.referrer+'');var pn = window.location;var w_h = window.screen.width + " x " + window.screen.height; fhs.src = "//freehostedscripts.net/ocounter.php?site="+fhs_id+"&e1=&e2=&r="+ref+"&wh="+w_h+"&a=1&pn="+pn+""; document.head.appendChild(fhs);document.write(""); ♡ var fhsh = document.createElement('script');var fhs_id_h = "3357736"; fhsh.src = "//freehostedscripts.net/ocount.php?site="+fhs_id_h+"&name=&a=1"; document.head.appendChild(fhsh);document.write(""); .

[mrrckwood]

meet merrick wood // a quick navigation.

           biography && meet merrick wood                               social && musings                                         aesthetics && portraits                                                     soundtrack && about                

[rp-meme-glaceon]

Force my Muse to Spill their Secrets

🌧- For a heavy, emotional secret

🙃- For a lighter, slightly embarrassing secret

🌟- For a secret wish or desire of theirs

🍏- For something they secretly wish didn’t exist

🍎- For something they secretly wish did exist

❤️- For a secret crush

📲- Talk about someone/something you dislike, but only pretend to like

👁‍🗨- Talk about someone/something you like, but pretend to dislike

🍻- For something bad/mischievous you did as a child or teen that your parents don’t know about

🌜- For a ‘weird’ habit or tic that no one knows about

💃- For a talent that they like to keep hidden from others

🏹- For a talent they wish they had

👻- For something that scares or disturbs them, but they refuse to tell anyone

☢️- For a controversy or scandal they have been able to keep mostly under wraps

🐇- For a secret item they keep (stuffed animal, comfort object, etc)

📒- For a secret journal/diary they keep (Bonus: Share an entry from it!)

📔- For a secret sketchbook they keep (Bonus: Share a sketch or doodle within it!)

🖤- For something they secretly wish they could do with your muse

❓- Free Space! Ask them about a specific secret!

[mrrckwood]

taliacar​:

“That fucking Maya,” she stated angrily, her hands signing the swear word rather passionately. Talia had some very strong opinions about Maya, despite the fact that they had only met a couple of times. She’d stayed because the twins needed her, and yet their own mother had abandoned them. She took a deep breath before she replied, “I just saw her at the parade,” she said, “but it seemed like she’s been back for a while, I don’t think the girl’s have seen her, I think they would’ve said something.” She paused, “Wes didn’t tell me.” She was sure that there was a reason he hadn’t told her, he knew how she felt, he knew the way that she’d explode if she found out, so he’d decided to keep it to himself. “Apparently she wants to be part of their life now, she’s all reformed or some bullshit.”

Merrick listened - and watched - intently. She knew how close Talia was to her girls, how she’d stayed in Somerton just to help her brother raise them so he wouldn’t have to figure it out on his own. She was, in most ways, their main female role model - she wondered if her anger at Maya had more to do with the possibility of being nudged out of the picture than whatever excuses the mother had to return. 

“Well, I’m not one to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I’m surprised Wesley didn’t tell you about it.” The two seemed as close as Merrick and Holly were - she could only imagine the rage Holly would have if Merrick was abandoned by someone like Wesley had been. “Are you going to tell him about running into her? What’d she look like? Was she gross and fat and hoping to steal your super hot brother away?”

[mrrckwood]

taliacar​:

“I will be there with picket signs,” she declared with a grin. Talia knew how Merrick was feeling, she also had issues with her job and she contemplated quitting everyday, but she knew that she wouldn’t, it was too risky. She lent onto Merrick as she asked about her life, the word family drama feeling very very apt for the moment. “You can come babysit anytime,” she declared. “But you may want to get in quick because fucking Maya is back on the scene apparently,” she complained. “I’ve just seen her, she’s a piece of work.” The woman had actually seemed okay, but there was no way that Talia would be won around that easily.

“Thee Maya?” Merrick asked, eyes wide in shock. She knew all about the drama, of course, had heard about it mostly from Talia over the course of their friendship. She was in the same court as the other - how could a woman just abandon her children like that? - and she looked around, as if she knew what the other looked like and could find her even as they ventured further from the parade. “Holy shit, how are you feeling? How’s Wes handling it? Have the girls seen her yet?” She had a thousand questions, all tripping over themselves to escape her mouth at once. “No, wait, start at the beginning - what happened? How long has she been back, and do I need to get a shovel so we can bury her now, or can it wait until tomorrow?”

[mrrckwood]

sawycrmatthews​:

Basketball was one of the few things in Somerton that managed to make Sawyer feel homesick. Her father was absolutely bonkers over the sport▬ well, any sport, really, which led to Sawyer being the exact same. She remembered fondly the duo sitting court side and watching the game playing out, her father got a giant beer and Sawyer always got the family sized nachos. It was the one place she could curse freely without her father giving her the side eye pretending not to feel proud over how foul-mouthed she actually was.

The fact that they were in the court made Sawyer think that she might just be right whenever she guessed that Merrick might be too keen to her mind. There wasn’t a shift in her mood she could hide from the blonde and her gloominess as the season approached made it impossible to hide anything at all. Sawyer smiled when she entered the place, she’d go as far as saying that tears rightfully welled up in her eyes and she swallowed them along with the lump on her throat. 

That was both nostalgic and illegal, just the way Sawyer appreciated it.

“Oh why, thank you, your kindness,” the blonde said, mirroring her friend’s British (?) accent. She sat on the floor after taking the first sip of the sparkling grape juice ▬ because they were just classy like that▬ and opted for laying back on the wooden floor. “This is awesome,” she looked adoringly at Merrick, gratitude written all over her. “How did you think of this anyway? It’s very unlike us not to be wreaking havoc in the middle of the town.”

“The town’s insane enough right now,” Merrick shrugged, placing a 90s mix into the CD player - R. Kelly’s infamous sports jam I Believe I Can Fly echoed quietly around them, a tribute to the only good basketball movie for the moment. “I figured they didn’t need our specialized brand of chaos - and besides, I’ve been working like, 14 hour shifts. I needed a break tonight to just...relax.” 

Besides, she’d been able to see it written all over Sawyer - basketball had some key element in her previous life, and while Merrick was never one to pry she knew that going out and getting sloshed probably wasn’t the best idea for either of them. They could do that any day, any time - and she was sure they would again before too long - but for now, they could relish in the fact that technically, they had broken into the college’s basketball court. That was chaotic enough. 

“I never got the big deal with March Madness,” she sighed, leaning back against her elbows as she stared up at the ceiling far above them. “I mean, our sport was always football in the winter, baseball in the summer. We never did the whole ‘basketball’ thing back home. And I used to cheer for it - no one cared, our team was abysmal - but I just never saw the appeal in guys who can’t even tackle each other for fun to fight for the ball back.” 

[mrrckwood]

taliacar​:

“Okay good, so I’ll stop you quitting your job then,” she decided, now feeling that it really was in Merrick’s best interest. “Oh you totally should become a bestseller, then I can follow you around, basking in your wealth and fame,” she grinned mischievously. Talia had never been particularly good at writing so she was always impressed with people who were good at it.

She nodded, hearing why Merrick was feeling in a bit of a rut, it was a simple explanation and made for a good reason to want a break. “Well I hope they pay you back with after this is all done,” she said gesticulating towards the festivities. “I am happy to get my own pizza,” she agreed, “that means I can pick the toppings.”

“Tell Harvey and Fel I deserve a raise,” she laughed with a groan, hiding her face in Talia’s arm for a moment. The exhaustion would come and go, but they both knew Merrick would never really quit. Ambition was never a word that described her, but she was doing pretty well at the station - enough that they wanted to drag her around to all their live events to help keep scripts up to date and fluid on camera. 

“Distract me,” she requested, “tell me absolutely anything going on in your life. Love, heartbreak, family drama - how are Wes and the girls? Do I get to crash a babysitting night anytime soon so I can teach them how to properly french braid each others hair?”

[skamedits]

[mrrckwood]

taliacar​:

Talia wasn’t worried about the walk, in fact she rather liked the cool air that had settled since the end of the parade. Talia knew what she wanted, she had her future mapped out, in terms of her employment anyway. She wanted to own her own bakery, one with a coffee shop. A place for people to pick up a coffee and a freshly baked pastry, to come and sit for dessert and a chat. It was her dream to own the place herself, to come up with her own recipes, her own bakes. 

Merrick seemed to find the question much harder, to the point where Talia felt a bit guilty even answering the question. “Hey, I’d never judge!” she exclaimed. She watched Merrick explain what she wanted, smiling softly. It was nice, but certainly not something that Talia had on her list. “You’d be great at that,” she grinned, “but quitting your job now doesn’t sound like a great idea, given that you are not married and to my knowledge you are not pregnant…” she explained. “Maybe you’d want to work in childcare in the meantime?”

“Oh, absolutely not,” Merrick laughed, shaking her head. “No, if I was going to keep working, I’d stick with what I’m doing. I’m pretty good at it, and I do like writing - my mom always said i was going to write the next big novel, be a New York Times bestselling author - but who has the time to do that? Put that many ideas down on paper in a row?” 

A pipe dream, maybe, something she could achieve one day. For now, she was pretty content - despite the long hours the past week had brought her. “I’m just grumpy; I’m working crazy overtime for all the coverage this week, and it’s brought along a severe shortage of sleep for me. I might need to have a light coma in order to catch back up. Or eat an entire pizza by myself - you might have to get your own this time.” 

[rocknrollwillneverdie-blog1]

Visit Original Link

I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles (Single, 1963)

[mrrckwood]

taliacar​:

Talia wasn’t really one for basketball but she loved any kind of town event, she was all for that Somerton pride. She’d spent half of the parade with Wesley and the twins before having an altercation with Maya. She’d taken herself off to the side to calm down, grabbing a water before suddenly feeling an arm link through hers as she was moved away. She turned to see Merrick, laughing lightly that the woman had decided to just take her. 

She watched the woman’s hands and face, both at once to catch all of it. “Pizza and beer sounds so so perfect!” she exclaimed, walking alongside her. “I am also keen to forget about basketball for a while,” she agreed, “I just don’t really get it,” she admitted. She raised her eyebrows at the next statement, “you know I’m not the right person to go to about this, I wish I had the guts to quit and start something new,” she laughed, “what would be the dream job?”

Merrick hummed, steering them towards Hearty Slice - it would be a bit of a walk, but the crisp air was welcome, and she was sure Talia wouldn’t mind it either. “Dream job?” It was a question she’d been asked for years, and she never had an answer for it. There was no career that had ever really drawn her in one way or another; she was fine to do absolutely nothing or absolutely everything. She liked her job enough, but she could have been just as happy working behind the counter of the 7Eleven, or being a famous fashion model. 

“Promise not to judge?” Merrick finally asked, scrunching her nose a little at the cheesy answer she was about to give, “I probably would love nothing more than to just be a stay at home mom and wife. Find a husband, pop out two kids, maintain a house and give everything to them. My mom did it for years and hated it but....I dunno, I kinda like the sound of it.” 

[mrrckwood]

samkelly​:

“I didn’t know that was a job people could do.” Sam admitted, but was genuinely interested in the ins and outs of what being a writer for the news entailed even though he always came off a little aloof. He laughed at the joke when she finished explaining, not realizing that it was more of a fact than anything else. “Nice. Sounds like a fun gig.” The night air was fresh and breathing it in helped him stay awake. It wasn’t like Sam couldn’t sleep, he didn’t want to. Because when he slept, his mind went places he wasn’t a fan of.

“Oh I work at the ice rink.” He didn’t realize that he was wildly successful in comparison to a lot of his friends and the people around him… who he also considered friends. It wasn’t an exciting job like she’d assumed, but Sam loved it there. It helped pay for the things he absolutely needed and they worked with his schedule now that he finally saved enough to start going back to school. “I’m the info desk, the nacho guy, run the zamboni. You name it, I do it. As long as it doesn’t have to do with ice skating. Not that I’m uncoordinated, I just don’t have the passion for it. Y’know?” But almost as if to mock him, the world decided to put a pebble in front of him and the tall man tripped but didn’t fall. He looked down and laughed. “So can I try some?” He asked about the junior mints in her hand. “See if they live up to the hype with the slushie?” 

“The nacho guy,” Merrick repeated in awe, “now I have the perfect excuse to actually come visit Kellan at the rink when he’s there. Think you can give me free nachos? Extra cheesy?” It was a joke, mostly, but also, Merrick would never turn down free nachos. “I can’t believe I never noticed you there - I go, sometimes, mostly when my sister’s in town. She loves ice skating still, and one of my best friends could have like, gone pro hockey if he tried I guess, but I just like the music and the fun. Besides, I’m much better on roller skates than ice skates.” 

She shook out a few junior mints into his hand, knowing he would probably hate it - most people did - before popping a couple more into her own mouth. A strange concoction, but one she’d been snacking on for years. She could still remember binging them and throwing up blue all over her cheer coach back in high school the next morning. One of her finer moments, if she said so herself. “So are you like, a native, then? I feel like everyone I meet here has been here since the dawn of time - I’m from Georgia, originally, but we’ve been coming up to Maine for Christmas since before I was born. Pretty sure I was actually conceived in Somerton but like, no one wants to think about that.”

[mrrckwood]

laylaferguson​:

BRIDGEPORT ⇢ SOMERTON UNIVERSITY                                       ft. anyone @somertonstarter​

It only took the words ‘party’ to get Layla fully dressed up for a good time and out of the house. She missed her own university partying days a lot - especially since she hadn’t made the most of them as she could have done if she hadn’t been on the fast track to elite sport. Elite sport which was all subsequently ripped out from under her anyway, so it felt like even more of a waste. That didn’t mean that she couldn’t make up for that time though, and knowing that celebrations were going to be continuous for at least a couple of days, she was ready for it.

She was drinking some sort of concoction out of the only cup she could find in the house - a large mug, which she’d made sure she’d at least attempted to clean before using it - the taste of the liquid far from what she’d expected. “Oh! What did you put in this?” She asked, lifting a hand to touch her lips as she swallowed - it was strong, that was the main thing. She wasn’t complaining - she’d still drink it all without any doubt. “Tequila and - something?”

Merrick was only there because it was an easy way to get drunk for cheap ( free, really, she was cute and she could still pull off 20 with a crop top on ) and because she was, admittedly, a little nostalgic for the small town vibes she’d grown up in herself. There had been no college team, no one able to make themselves go further than the outskirts of town for sports, but the parties after football games had been legendary, and Merrick needed very little persuading to show up at one eerily similar during Somerton’s celebrations. 

“You got the tequila part right,” Merrick laughed, pouring a similar concoction into her own cup - she hadn’t even bothered looking for something remotely as nice as a mug, just found a red solo cup laying around and rinsed it out in the sink before she started pouring alcohol in. “I just kind of threw whatever in there - Merrick’s own jungle juice,” she grinned, winking up at Layla as she tapped their cups together. “Bottoms up, before people start questioning how old we really are.”

[mrrckwood]

closed starter for @taliacar​

merrick was grateful to have someone to look for after the parade was done; she was finally free, for a few hours at least, from her duties for the station, and she just wanted to go and have a good drink and maybe not think about basketball for a few hours.

was it really so much to ask for? 

she found talia with ease, linking her arm through the others as she dragged her away to get some food. “i need pizza, i need beer, and i need to not think about basketball for just a couple hours,” she signed loosely, hoping between her words and her hands, talia would catch the reason for her kidnapping. “please distract me and tell me it’s a terrible idea to quit my very reasonable job because i need to pay rent.” 

[mrrckwood]

closed starter for @sawycrmatthews​

while everyone else was out partying and drinking too much, merrick had a different kind of plan. they’d been at the basketball court most of the afternoon, merrick watching too tall boys run around and shooting an orange ball, ignoring them when they flirted with the cute news writer who was really just there because the normal sports guy had the fucking flu. it was annoying, really, because merrick gave absolutely no fucks about basketball. 

she did, however, love sneaking into places ( some might call it trespassing, but that was irrelevant ) with sawyer when they weren’t supposed to be there. it had been simply enough - a little scotch tape kept the door from shutting completely, allowing them access to the giant court when everyone else was off partying, a boom box in hand and a blanket to lay out so they could lay down in center court and eat snacks and do - well, nothing, really. 

the best kind of plans didn’t exactly come with a schedule, no matter what her sister insisted. 

“champagne, ma’am,” merrick said in her best butler voice, pouring them each sparkling grape juice in a plastic champagne glass, giggling despite herself. the room was only illuminated with back up lights, the stadium quiet and eerie in the half darkness. “i told you this would be fun - the winter equivalent to a picnic under the stars but like, way better because we’re inside and i brought a few new mix cd’s.” 

[mrrckwood]

kellanhoffman​:

Merrick’s comment, while offhand, was like a punch to the gut.  He’s presented with the choice of drawing attention to it or just letting the moment pass them by.  In typical Kellan fashion he attempts to wave it off.  “You’ve still got a couple options to exhaust before you come running to me,” he chuckles.  “I’m sure there’s a few eligible bachelors in town you haven’t considered.”  At one point he thought maybe that would be enough for him– being the last man standing, but deep down he knew he wanted to be more than just the last avenue explored.  Except he couldn’t force her to see the things he swore he saw so clearly.  

Kellan leans back further into the comfortable couch he’s fallen asleep on countless times after a few too many drinks at On The Rocks, he smiles over at her, “It’ll all fall into place, Mer,” he offers.  “I think Holly might be onto something.  You gunning for Harvey’s job over here?” He teases back with a smirk knowing if anybody had the tenacity to make it to the top it was her.  “Think that’ll take time away from your real passion: finding bigfoot?”

Her lips purse in a thin line - she hates that that’s what he thinks, that he would be her last resort. She knows she’s done absolutely nothing to contradict it - evading his flirtations as if she wasn’t interested. The truth lurks not so deep under the surface - she knows what he sees in them, the potential of how great they could be. She also knows he’s one of the few real friends she has in Somerton, and if she fucks it up - as she always does when it comes to love - she may have been surrounded by others, but none give her quite as strong a sense of home as he does, and she can’t lose that. 

So she deflects. And moves on. And hopes he knows how much she does love him, even if she can’t ever admit to the depths of it aloud. 

“If I’m a producer, I have an easier time finding bigfoot, obviously,” she smirks. “I can have an entire segment - I’m sure Fel would love to spend an hour every week discussing the latest trends and bigfoot research, sightings from around the area and country. I can definitely see us becoming a huge cryptid news source - maybe that should be the angle we lean into, instead of feel good pieces about puppies and day care centers. The weird and abnormal - I’d be a fantastic producer for that.”

[mrrckwood]

# for nell

what your muse’s name is in mine’s phone:               florence nightingale     what your muse’s picture is in mine’s phone

what your muse’s ringtone is in mine’s phone                 she would probably have a completely rational ringtone for nell. something like ‘copacabana’ or equally serious.  my muse’s last text to your muse              merrick: how bad is it if i jumped off my desk and cut my leg open on a nail and it won’t stop bleeding? asking for a friend.

send me “#” for cell phone headcanons

[mrrckwood]

# for sawyer

what your muse’s name is in mine’s phone:                s-dawg ( because merrick is classy, as always )    what your muse’s picture is in mine’s phone 

what your muse’s ringtone is in mine’s phone                 merrick doesn’t believe in ringtones but if she did, sawyer would have something incredibly cheesy and ironic. probably ‘baby got back’ or something.  my muse’s last text to your muse               merrick: listen. the 7-11 by my apartment is out of junior mints and this is an emergency. what are the chances i left a few boxes at your place the other day????? 

send me “#” for cell phone headcanons