#phqextras

[ofhoneyblood]

BRYCE WINSLOW’S IRISH HOLIDAY ☙ 2020.

bryce does ' christmas ‘ a little bit differently from the rest of the world: in ireland they call the epiphany on january sixth “ little christmas ” or “ women’s christmas ” ( as the women got to go out and have fun while the men stayed at home ) ; he places white candles in the windows on christmas eve ; he will say “ merry christmas ” in English , but often times says instead “ nollaig shona duit ” in irish ; by no means is bryce a christian or catholic , but christmas was a huge deal for his family when he was growing up and therefore there’s a love of it ingrained in him that he can’t shake ; his holiday decoration aesthetic and vibes are very much manly minimalist and rustic i guess , he’s a simple man honestly ; it has been named “ the best christmas song of all time “ and with this irishman fairytale of new york is the one song you are guaranteed to hear everywhere at christmas because christmas just wouldn’t be christmas without it ; fairy lights , crackling fires and creamy pints are perfect scene-setters for an evening of music at bryce winslow’s 

the christmas swim ; the irishman once said of his christmas swim: “ it was worth every second of arctic misery for the sense of achievement that followed. ” on christmas day , thousands of hardy souls used to creep down to the coast and throw themselves into sea ; the christmas swim is still one of bryce’s biggest traditions and up until this year he would do it in northwood lake ; the winter warmer ; there are few drinks as instantly delightful as hot irish whiskey punch ; made with whiskey , lemon , cloves and a touch of brown sugar ( if you need it ) , it warms you up from the inside out ; bryce makes it almost every day during winter and if you ask him there’s nothing like the scent of cloves to get you in the christmas spirit 

spiced beef ; the ultimate christmas dish for bryce and one that the irishman holds particularly close to his heart ; spiced beef is cooked with sugar , spices and berries and dates back centuries to a time when it was a way of preserving the meat ; today , the tradition continues and claims its place on a dinner table at houses all over ireland at christmas time , bryce makes it himself every year ; the christmas tradition of hanging a ring of holly on the door is thought to have originated in ireland , as it was a plant that was abundant on the island in december ; the day after little christmas bryce will bring the tree down @phqextras

☙  NOLLAlG SHONA DUIT 

[margaretflorist]

The small bell above the door chimes, announcing her entrance into town hall. The clerk behind the desk looks up, and Maggie’s quick to plaster on a smile. “Here for the museum,” she says, gesturing towards the small room that serves as a gallery. The clerk nods, saying nothing, and returns their attention to the book laid out on the desk in front of them. Maggie nods, pressing her mouth into a thin line, and marches into the gallery. 

She’d spent a lot of time thinking about her next move. For awhile, she’d seriously considered getting back into Alby’s mansion. The man in the attic called out to her, like a lighthouse beacon or a siren song, and she wanted so desperately to return. There was something else there, something she was supposed to see. It was as certain as the rest of Pleasance, a dark gravity that dressed her bones in lead. Sometimes, Maggie would stand on the sidewalk, eyes trained towards the trees that hid the estate. She’d gotten lucky once, escaping by the skin of her teeth. A part of her had gotten trapped in the attic that night, some sliver of her soul stuck on the scraps of canvas that made up her ghost’s face. If she was going to go back, she’d need help --- and that was what stopped her. KJ’s warnings over dinner - the alert staff, the cameras, Alby’s impermanent ignorance - had stayed her. Hannah knew, but Maggie would never ask her to put her life on the line. She could have tried to poke around the hotel and the resort, trying to find someone who knew more about Alby’s schedule, who could have shepherded her into the home. But word traveled fast in a town like this, and word was the last thing Maggie wanted to travel. It’d make it back to George, no doubt, but also KJ. Maggie didn’t want him to discover she’d lied to him. Not like this.

Margaret never considered letting it go. The man in the painting had become her close companion. She’d seen his face in the water of the bath, the glass of Beau & Kaye’s sparkling windows, the moment between flipping the switch and the lights coming on. His shadow followed her home. He watched her as she slept. Someone in the Alby family intended him to stay a secret forever, melt into dust or ash or nothing. Maggie had found him. If a piece of her was trapped in the attic, a piece of him had clung to her, slipped down the staircase and into the world once more. If she was ever to be free of him, she’d need to give him the gift of his name. The library had been a bust -- but the museum held some hope. She doubted anyone in the Alby family would have allowed anyone outside of Pleasance to paint their portraits. All she needed to do was find a matching signature, and the next part of her path would align.

She starts at the beginning. She’s the only one in the gallery - a room barely big enough to garner such a title - and she plans on taking her time. One by one, Maggie stands in front of the paintings hanging along the walls. She studies the brushstrokes, the style, the details of the clothing. The first one has a signature with wild flourishes, the second holds no people, the third is a still life she’s sure was done by a child. None of them match the small scribble in the corner of her shaky painting. She can feel her frustration growing. It’s slow-going, this investigation, and she’s growing hot and uncomfortable in all of her layers. But she can’t give up. He’s there, just out of sight. He needs her to find this, and she needs to find this. She has to find something. She has to. 

By the time she reaches the last portrait in the gallery, her cheeks are flushed and her palms are sweaty. She gives it a cursory glance, expecting failure, when suddenly -- the details on a jacket match his. The brushstrokes of the background have the same sweeping motion. She takes a step back. This is similar. It’s the closest she’s gotten all day. Underneath the portrait, a small caption reads: “Mayor Warren and Arthur Cornish-Alby cut the ribbon for the opening of the Town Hall. Cornish-Alby is with his wife and three children.” She looks back at the picture. There they are -- two young girls, seated primly in pinafores, and a young boy. His face looks out at Maggie. She swallows a scream. It might be him, it might not be. But it’s a start. Her eyes rove over the rest of the painting, searching, searching -- there. The signature in the corner looks exactly like the one she’s been studying for weeks. She lifts her phone, just to be sure, and confirms. Leaning in, she gets as close as she’s sure security will let her. 

F.D.

Frederic Deblanc.

Almost there, she thinks. We’re almost there.

@phqextras

[jhellstrom]

pleasance, a playlist.

[margaretflorist]

@phqextras

“oh, yeah! yeah, i’m sophie. it was this or dani’s flower gown from midsommar, but i figured this would be warmer. and easier to move around in. just in case we need to chase a lead. that was a joke. not planning on getting into any trouble tonight. nope! no curses, either. if you see howl running around, point him my way, will you?”

[ofhoneyblood]

BRYCE ATLAS WINSLOW

pronouns: HE , HIM , HIS

age: THIRTY - EIGHT

species: HUMAN

nationality: IRISH , ITALIAN , AMERICAN

sexuality: PANSEXUAL / DEMIROMANTIC

sign: AQUARIUS SUN , LIBRA MOON , VIRGO RISING

occupation: OWNER & BOUNCER @ RED HOT PUSSY LIQUORS

+ traits: INVITING. FAIR. FUNNY. OPEN-MINDED. TOLERANT.

-- traits: GUARDED. DETACHED. DESPERATE. SELF-DESTRUCTIVE. 

faceclaim: MILO VENTIMIGLIA

soundscapes: HERE

aesthetic: HERE

yo yo you yo , it’s lydia ( yes , that’s my real name ) here with my noble beast bryce winslow ! i have had bryce as a muse longer than any other and it’s been literal years since i’ve written him so i’m extremely excited. this is the first time he will be milo though and i’m super hype to get things going ! i have headcanon after headcanon for him , so hit me up if you want to do something bc i am ready to do some shit !! again , i’m lydia ( or nary , nettle , snottie , etc. ) and i love a good name change , twenty five years old , pansexual demigirl ( she / her & / or they / them ) residing in the central timezone.

this is THIRTY-EIGHT year old BRYCE WINSLOW , the OWNER OF & BOUNCER AT RED HOT PUSSY LIQUORS BURLESQUE AND BOOZE who uses HE / HIM pronouns. he grew up in DUBLIN , IRELAND but came to pleasance in JULY 2006 ON HAPPENSTANCE AND TO RUN AWAY FROM HIS PAST and now enjoys spending his time at FOR KEEPS AND RED HOT PUSSY LIQUORS. BRYCE is written by LYDIA.

PERSONALITY

element: air ruling planet: uranus — planet of originality body part: ankles good day: communicative , original , open-minded , fair , logical , inviting , tolerant , funny bad day: guarded , detached , self-destructive , out-of-touch , irrational , desperate , lonely favorite things: dancing , teaching , team sports , anything with a cause or mission , independent films , working out , baths , animals , preserving plant life / flowers , reading least favorite things: injustice , drama queens , feeling isolated , owing money or favors , having to choose just one thing , personal questions , gossip , cigarette smoke secret wish: to experience total freedom how to spot him: a cute smile lighting up a tired face , quirky movements , tired eyes , long legs , big hands , flannel , old beat up truck where you’ll find him: backpacking or hiking , protesting , coaching a team , revolutionizing the industry he works in , the gym , red hot pussy liquors , alone at home , working on a project , taking a walk by northwood lake keywords: friendliness , eccentricity , teamwork , humanitarianism , technology , groups , avant-garde

first thing to know about bryce winslow is that he’s a free-spirit that prizes individuality and plays well on a team. he has been known to do things his own way , moving on a path different from everyone else’s. some call him eccentric , others appreciate his cutting-edge originality and authentic style.

one of the many ways that the irishman is a paradox ? he’s highly individualistic , but also an amazing team player. he might look like the fresh-faced guy next door on the outside , but inside he marches to his own beat. naturally popular , as he’s vibrantly social and loves to be among people , telling jokes and introducing thought-provoking conversation topics.

people truly do make his world go round , and he can become friends with the most random strangers. can be a bit of an alien — a little “ out there ” in his approach to different things. not that he cares about offending anyone ! loves a good casual connection , bryce can disengage as quickly as he connects. in fact , platonic pals sometimes get better treatment than romantic partners. 

while he can be a bit unsentimental on a one-on-one level , he can be moved to tears by the plight of animals , the environment or other social justice issues. yes , this big irishman is a bohemian at heart in some ways , but he also gets the job done. as a tenacious aquarius , he can be quite hardworking when he devotes himself to a goal. 

a competitive ( and lesser-known ) type a streak can emerge when he really wants something. nothing turns him on like progress , especially in the name of his grander ideals ! playing hard to get REALLY works on him lol

philanthropic and objective , bryce is in a lot of ways innovative and avant-garde. from experimental electronic music to community-oriented living , there’s nothing that this man hasn’t or won’t explore. as someone who loves being a part of a good group or team , bringing people together is also one of his specialties. 

intense bryce energy is cutting-edge , “ out there ” and even a little strange at times. a total nerd for all things futuristic , science fiction and wacky inventions. no topic is too cutting-edge with this irishman: extraterrestrials , stem cells , cloning , robots taking over the earth…yup , bryce will go there. 

while he likes to influence rebellion and detaching from reality ( c’mon bryce , back to earth ! ) , he likes to help others see possibilities they wouldn’t otherwise. the essence of his true energy is: community-oriented , original , open-minded , fair , logical , humanitarian , connecting , and inviting. 

the negative expression of bryce’s energy can be: guarded , detached , destructive , out-of-touch , irrational , and desperate.  reluctant to express emotions — the irishman prefers rational reasoning and cool-headed logic to the messy tapestry of the human feelings. 

one of his favorite authors is ayn rand , founder of the objectivist movement , and that’s pretty much all you need to know. objectivism has been a major influence on the libertarian movement , which has a real bryce flavor. it’s an organized system that also preserves individual freedom and limits government intervention. it’s very “ fringe ” and mainstream all at once , a fascinating paradox and something that really intrigues him.

playful gusts and a social butterfly whirlwind combines into a gale force of humanitarianism for all. bryce is a visionary , dreaming up quirky utopias and alternative realities that can shake up the status quo.  emotional detachment , unpredictable energy and rebellion are major factors in the irishman’s personality. not going to lie , he can be “ type a “ and totally quirky all at the same time ??

a stabilizer — the one who sets up a solid goal or foundation then starts building. bryce can take the enthusiastic idea that someone else sparks and craft it into something real. he picks up the ball when another passes it , running the distance to the goal. 

the trustworthy type who likes “ to-do ” lists and fancy titles. if a friend says , “ let’s go on vacation ! ” he’s already calling the travel agency , booking the tickets and hotel , and sending everyone a list of what to pack.

true believer in friendship and teamwork , so bryce tends to be more focused on a group than an individual. freedom is important to him , which is why he likes to keep things light on an interpersonal level. that way , he won’t feel bad about running off to the opposite corner of the world at a moment’s notice. 

at times , this nomadic strategy backfires , leaving him lonely and disconnected. in truth , the irishman is uncomfortable with too much intimacy. this free spirit belongs to the world and feels off-balance giving his considerable energy to just one person. 

while bryce’s friends get first-class treatment , family and lovers see a different side of him: moody , brooding , anxious and neurotic. he may pick one ( and only one ) person to open up to , getting attached to the point of obsession. 

learning to accept and express his emotions would help him avoid the massive freak outs and anger flashes that come from pretending everything’s cool when it isn’t. bryce appreciates a quirky or eccentric twist , enjoying colorful characters and people with counter cultural personalities.

BIOGRAPHY

bryce atlas winslow was born into a very straight lace , play by the rules , catholic family.  his father , matteo winslow , was an italian military man and his mother , deirdre winslow , was a cold irish homemaker. matteo was every bit the ‘ man of the family ’  and bryce grew up only answering to his father. deirdre would only every answer a question with ‘ ask yer da ’ or  ‘ dija’ ask yer da ? ’

she was a mostly spineless , god fearing woman that was afraid of her own shadow and that’s what made her such a good puppet for matteo. bryce’s father was a stern , angry man that only grew angrier when drunk , no one dared put even a single toe out of line with him around. 

( TW: implied child abuse ) with bryce being the first born and only son he was expected to be perfect , from a very young age he felt the pressures of that. it was like walking on eggshells , always afraid of making a mistake or displeasing his father. he did not have the fun , happy-go-lucky innocence a child should expect of their early years ; instead for bryce winslow there was not much more than discipline , hard work , and punishment.

for the most part , bryce succeeded at being the perfect son his father expected him to be — a robot more than an actual living boy. nothing more than a machine , a machine being bred for war. 

it wasn’t until the beginning of his secondary school , when puberty and hormones began blossoming , that things became precarious. voice cracks , uneven patches of hair…. oh , and a sudden sexual desire for the same sex. 

( TW: suicide ment. ) now , the winslows were catholic - extremely devout catholics - and bryce grew very self-loathing and afraid in this confusing time. he contemplated suicide , all because ‘ homosexuality was wrong ‘ and ‘ you go straight to hell ‘ if you engage in anything associated with it. it didn’t matter how good of a son you were , because ‘ man shall not lie with man. ‘  he kept it hidden for years , he also managed not to act on it until well into the last year of secondary school. 

despite bryce’s fears and shame , when he was sixteen he fell in love for the first time. first loves can be explosive , dangerous even and this one was nothing short of just that. the boy kept his forbidden love a secret from everyone , his family and father above all others.

all good things must come to an end though or so they say , for the boys it came far sooner than later. matteo , bryce’s father , happened upon a note from the boy bryce was seeing , cian , and in said note was all sorts of information including a meeting spot. as you can imagine , matteo flew from the house in a drunken rage in search of his “ sinner “ of a son only to catch him red-handed. 

( TW: assault , child abuse ) bryce managed to save cian from his father’s wrath , taking the brunt of the attack. cian watched as bryce was beaten , begging and screaming for the man to stop , that he was killing him. the drunken bigot was turning on the younger boy when bryce told him to leave and never come back , so that is what he did. 

( TW: implied abuse ) to this day , he has never laid eyes on his young lover and that was probably for the best. after his father had tired himself out and satisfied his rage , he left his son there in the dirt and the beaten boy didn’t bother moving. 

( TW: suicidal thoughts , conversion therapy ment. ) will to live depleted , too tired to go on , pain too much to endure — he just slept there until the next morning. he was awoken with a kick of dirt in the face , his father telling him that he was being sent to a ‘’ special ’’ facility where they would get rid of his ‘’ ailment. ’’ 

( TW: conversion therapy / facility ) time melded in the facility , but he estimated nearly a year of his life was wasted away in there. resistant and defiant for most of his time there , it wasn’t until his father visited him , the one and only time . that things changed. 

( TW: suicide ment. , homophobia ) his father brought news that his mother had killed herself but this was a vicious lie , a last ditch effort to get bryce to change his ways and boy , did it work ! hardly a month later , the young man was discharged from the facility only to find his mother was indeed very much alive.

matteo up and moved his entire family to england after bryce got out of the facility. his father gave him nonsense about wanting to get away from the bad memories , starting over new , and ‘ lead not into temptation ‘ by sending him back to school with ‘ sinners ’ and ‘ sodomites. ‘ 

so , bryce finished out the remainder of his schooling in england and went straight into the forces as per his father’s wishes. sadly for him , he would never become what he so longed to be. he had just finished boot camp and life had just started to seem somewhat normal - if you can call anything the winslow’s had normal - when he lost it all.

( TW: eye injury ) the young man was honorably discharged after an accident that left him legally blind in one eye , when he returned home after his short stent in the defense forces there was no longer a place in the family for him. his father quite literally disowned him all for something he had no control over , a mere accident , but there was nothing more disappointing to matteo than a son that was ‘ kicked out ‘ of the forces.

( TW: gang ment. , human trafficking ) fast forward a year , bryce had found himself in a gang. this part of his background is the most unresolved seeing as it’s not part of his original backstory. long story short , he was involved with the gang until he was twenty three but it all became too much for him after his boss tried to involve him in human trafficking. 

( TW: gang ment. , suicide , death ) when you join a gang you don’t usually do it thinking someday you might one day retire or quit said gang , but then as you get older you realize you’re not as tough as you thought. bryce was twenty-three when his mother finally really did ‘ commit suicide ‘ , the first time his father spoke to him since he returned home from the forces was only to blame him for her death. 

( TW: death ment. , implied murder ) honestly , it was just the straw that broke the camels back. bryce wasn’t allowed at the funeral or anywhere near it , he’s almost certain his mother’s death wasn’t by her own hand or an accident but he’ll never truly know. after he was certain she was in the ground , bryce fled to america in the hopes of outrunning the gang and getting lost in the melting pot. 

once in the land of opportunity , he got his hands on the cheapest ride he could find first and just started driving. it was well after his twenty-fourth birthday , right smack in the middle of a hot ass summer in ‘06 ,  that he found himself in pleasance of all places. he never had any intention at all to grow roots there , it simply happened.  

other than that , the man busies himself with drying and preserving flowers , taking baths , working out , and playing with his dog.  he parades around like this big , tough hard ass when in reality he’s quite the domestic goofball type.

ETC.

has a dog ,  it’s a beagle named shiloh literally 

a big hobby of his is preserving flowers in his spare time , he keeps a small book of pressed flowers and plant life on him a lot of the time in the chance he comes across something he wants to preserve

can play guitar and doesn’t have a bad singing voice either

legally blind in one eye , but doesn’t wear his glasses often

has a younger sister that he does keep in contact with , but not very well ( WC ? )

a guilty pleasure of his is taking baths ; he enjoys adding bath salts , flowers , and other so-called ‘ feminine ‘ products like bath bombs , etc. to them and honestly takes one nearly every day

he was born and raised mostly in dublin , ireland and has a thick accent that only gets thicker when intoxicated or angry. he does use a lot of uncommon terminology to american’s ( yes , i own the feckin’ book of everything irish. . . it’s that serious ) but i’ll lyk in the tags what it means unless i forget

@phqextras​

[jhellstrom]

jules’ alby halloween bash costume -- robin hood.

Jules has been an archer since she was a kid. Fascinated by the bow and the way it flies through the air, quiet, stealth, fast. She’s also been fascinated with Robin Hood since the day she learned about him. She personally admires him -- she’s always been steadfast and unwavering about fairness, even as a little kid. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor? Fighting for those without a voice? Jules lives for it.

So this year, Jules is going to be Robin Hood. A costume she is in love with and a costume she thinks the kids will enjoy for the scavenger hunt. 

Obviously not bringing her horse Callisto, but she will bring an old longbow she used as a teen and carry it in the slot on her quiver. She’ll carry a pouch of coins for the effect, and has a green feather in her hair, but no hat. 

[ofhoneyblood]

BRYCE ATLAS WINSLOW as a WEREWOLF ALPHA                                         at the 2020 ALBY HALLOWEEN BASH.

bryce had spent WEEKS debating on a costume for the annual alby halloween bash , he'd been convinced to perform a song on stage and the pressure of having a good quality costume had been eating at him. he almost ended up as trevor BELMONT from castlevania , but decided it might be too obscure for a small town like pleasance and instead opted for a classic ALPHA werewolf. now , the irishman was in full character except for his hair , but that step was reserved specifically for lily seeing as there was no way his big , clumsy hands could manage such a DELICATE task. 

as he sat patiently at the edge of the bed there were already fangs in his mouth ,  CLAWS extending from fingertips , extra tufts of hair and fur strategically placed on his face or from tears in denim and cotton , his eyes were golden and ears POINTED.  his brows raise ever so slightly as the girl finally enters his bedroom with all of the necessary hair supplies that look like things of SCIENCE FICTION to him , " ye still 'aven't told me what ye think o' me costume , ye know ? " the brunette lolled his head to the side as he eyed her own costume , " what made ye choose a SCARECROW anyways ? " bryce turns his attention to the bandages he’d chosen to add to his after his hair was done , contemplating whether he should add any BLOOD to his ensemble or not.

@phqextras

[keyders]

time away from me is what i need to clear my sight and clear my head.

𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐘.