#Harry seeing Stella in action and falling more in love?

[lonelycowgirls]

Just little old me brainstorming because I have a beloved character who is a midwife… time for a one shot methinks ✨🥹

#congrats to Gemma 💕 #stella helping Gemma give birth in the BTAA universe? #Harry seeing Stella in action and falling more in love? #Stella seeing Harry cuddle the baby and feeling her belly swell with the thought of giving him a family?

[thebookreader12345]

750 Followers Celebration - Q&A

Thank you so much for supporting me through this journey! You guys don't know how much this means to me. Every single one of you is amazing.

Below the cut are my answers to the questions that you all submitted.

Q: Do you think Jay is going to become Sergeant this season? A: There has been a lot of debate over this question because of the past few seasons and all of the "Easter eggs", like the sergeant exam poster hanging in the background of the show. In my opinion, I do not believe Jay will become Sergeant. Yet. I think it won't be until the beginning of next season because, if this is a possible storyline, I would expect that the producers and writers would make the finale of season 9 about Voight stepping down/getting promoted, etc.

Q: Did Chicago Justice deserve more episodes? A: I'm sort of split with this question. I loved the fact that there was a big episode involving Kevin, and they always included people from Med, Fire, and PD in some of the episodes. However, the whole plot of the episodes was kind of slow because it wasn't like they were police officers and could go out and chase suspects and arrest people and what not. Their job was just to gather the evidence and then present it in court. I think for many, the show fell flat because there wasn't much action, and part of me does agree with that, but the whole idea of the show itself was kind of cool.

Q: What would make you stop watching each Chicago show? A: This is a tough question because I've only ever dropped one show that I can think of, and it was only because the plotline got really dumb. Maybe if some major characters died in each show I'd stop watching it? But then again, I love the One Chicago universe so much that I don't think even that would stop me from watching. So yeah. I really don't know.

Q: Do you believe in magic? A: As much as I would love for magic to be real, I don't believe it is. But I feel like everyone thinks that way. Cause lets be honest, Harry Potter and Disney make magic look so cool. However, we all know deep down somewhere that it's almost impossible for certain things to be real, and magic just so happens to be one of them.

Q: Are you superstitious? A: I'm not the most superstitious person out there, but I do somewhat follow a few superstitions. Whenever I find a penny on the ground with heads facing up, I pick it up because I believe I'll get good luck. Doing the whole "fingers crossed" thing is something I do a lot. I believe you shouldn't open an umbrella in the house or else you'll receive bad luck. Broken mirrors are bad omens. Those are the top 4 I believe in, but other than that, I'm not really too superstitious.

Q: Is your perception of yourself similar or the same to how others perceive you? A: I mean, I would hope so. I appreciate my level of smarts, and whenever my friends acknowledge them or compliment me on them it makes my day. However, with that, people think that I'm always only doing things to boost my intelligence. For example, I love to read. So whenever I say that I didn't do much over the weekend, people always assume that I read a bunch, when I really didn't. Or that I always study for tests or do homework like a week before it's do. That is not the case. But for the most part, I believe my perception of myself is the same as how other people perceive me.

Q: Who is your favorite couple on each One Chicago show? A: Okay, so for Med, there aren't really any couples at the moment besides Maggie and Ben, whom I love but they aren't my favorite, so I'm gonna pick a past couple. When I first started Med, Manstead was my prime ship, so I'll choose them. Will had been pining after Natalie for so long so I was glad when they finally got together. For Fire, it's gotta be Kelly and Stella. They were literally made for each other, and they support each other with everything. Also, they are so cute together and all of Firehouse 51 ships them as well! And for PD, while I do love Burzek, Upstead is my favorite ship at the moment. I've seen the connection between Hailey and Jay since season 5. You don't understand how angry I was in season 7 when Hailey was so close to confessing her feelings. So season 8 made me very happy when Jay and Hailey finally got together.

Q: Jay and Lindsey or Jay and Hailey? A: I respect everyone's opinions on this matter, so hopefully you all respect mine. I thought that Erin was almost toxic in a way for Jay. She continuously broke his heart when all he wanted to do was help him. But what really does it for me is that she left Chicago without telling him goodbye. Hailey, on the other hand, has pushed Jay to seek out help when he needed it, like when she recommended he take seeing a therapist seriously to help with his PTSD, and she is always there for him, no matter what. That's why I believe Hailey and Jay are the better pairing.

Q: Which character death got to you the most? A: There have been too many sad deaths in the One Chicago world. But if I had to pick one, I've gotta go with Otis on Chicago Fire. Otis was always one of my favorite characters, even way back when I watched Fire with my dad when it was first coming out. He was witty and funny, and his friendship with Cruz was everything. So, when I watched the episode where he died, I was full on balling. I had to pause the episode for 10 minutes because I couldn't stop.

Q: Who is your favorite character on each show and why? A: I'm gonna do favorite male and female character because I've got too many favorites from each show. On Med, my favorites are Will and Natalie. Will has been my favorite since day one, and I like that he will go out of his way to help patients, even if it means he could get in serious trouble. Natalie, even though she's not in the show, always pushes for the best of care for her patients, and whenever she dealt with kids it was always the sweetest thing. On Fire, I like Kelly and Sylvie. Kelly is so headstrong and driven, and he will do anything to protect the other members of Squad 3. Sylvie is such a hard worker and you can tell she is passionate about her job. I feel so bad that she's had to go through so many partners. On PD I love Jay and Hailey. Jay has not always been my favorite male character. Back when I watched the show for the first time, I adored Adam. However, I love that Jay has such good morals and is always pushing to do the right thing even when Voight disagreed. Now, it took a few episodes for me to warm up to Hailey, but after seeing her be so badass, it was hard not to like her.

Q: Where do you get inspiration for your stories?/How do you get inspiration when there's not a request? A: This question is always hard to answer because I really don't know. Most of the time I'm fulfilling requests sent in by you guys and I just write what comes to the top of my mind. If there are requests that are not requested and I come up with them on my own, chances are I saw the plot somewhere else, like in a book or show or movie, and I just tweaked it a bit to fit the One Chicago universe. Either that happens, or while I'm trying to fall asleep, I make up random scenarios in my head, and if I find one that I really like, I'll make a note of it on my phone so I don't forget it, and then I'll write about it.

Q: Do you think Brett and Casey are endgame? Why or why not? A: I'm gonna go with yes on this one. Now, Brettsey is not one of my top ships in the universe. However, they are cute together, and I've been expecting them to get together for a while. The two of them, even when Gabby was around, had a great relationship and always cared for each other. Plus, Matt jumped out of a firetruck to go help Sylvie when the ambulance flipped. He was willing to risk an injury just to make sure she was okay. And now that they are officially together in Chicago Fire, you can see that they really love and care for each other.

Q: What inspired you to start writing? A: I always seem to get this question whenever I do a q&a, but that's okay because I don't mind talking about it. I first got into stuff like this as a reader. Basically, I went on to Wattpad and Tumblr to read other people's stories. I had no intention of creating my own. And then, one day, I started imagining myself in some of the fandoms I was apart of, and I thought, "If I'm imagining myself in these fandoms, chances are others are too," and I began creating stories that followed the plots of movies and shows exactly, just adding Y/n in it. However, that got tiring after a while because I wasn't able to have much freedom because I was following a set script, and that's when I remembered I had a Tumblr account I never used. So, I revamped my account just a little bit and started posting story ideas I had that I couldn't post on Wattpad because either they didn't fit with the stories or they were for someone I didn't write for on Wattpad. And now, here we are. For anyone interested, I've posted this before but I'll post it again, my Wattpad handle is @Writer_Reader05.

Q: Jay or Will Halstead? A: I'm sorry, but I really can't choose between the two of them. I love them both so much. Will and Jay are two of my favorite characters in the whole One Chicago universe. While they do have some qualities that I'm not the fondest of, at the end of the day, I adore the both of them, and I could never choose between them.

Q: Who would you rather date: Jay or Will Halstead? A: Why do you guys do this to me? I love them both so much! But, if I have to choose, I'm gonna pick Jay. The only reason is because I like the characters in PD more than Med, so if I'm dating Jay, chances are I'm friends with Hailey and Adam and all of Intelligence. Will is just as awesome as Jay though and I feel like sometimes people sleep on that.

Q: Which of the requested fics you’ve written is your favorite? A: I think I'm gonna have to go with a Jay Halstead x reader I wrote titled Two Becomes Three. Something about the plot just makes me smile. And to think of Jay being a father......So yeah, while I have so many amazing requested fics thanks to you all, that one has to be one of my favorites.

Q: What’s your favorite series you’ve written so far? A: I love all of the series I have written. Something about creating a whole story that's more than just one part is always fun. If I have to pick one series, I'm gonna pick On the Loose. It was the first series I wrote on Tumblr and the plot of it is something I'm really proud of. However, From the Big Apple to the Windy City, Identity Loss, and Difference of Opinion are all amazing! The first two are finished series and the last one still has a few chapters left to go. Go check them out if you haven't already.

Q: What's your favorite imagine you've come up with and why? A: I don't have a lot of fics that are solely my ideas. Most of my stories have plots that were sent in by you all. However, if I had to pick a favorite out of my stories, it'd be Back Home for Christmas, a Halstead Sister fic I released when I was somewhat new to the platform. Something about writing sibling fics always makes me happy because I get to express the familial side to the characters.

Q: If you had to be roommates with 5 of your mutuals/fellow writers, who would you pick and why? A: I love all of my fellow writers/mutuals so much! I know how much work we put into whatever we post, and most of us are very active on this site. As for who I would pick to be my roommates, I'd choose @hereforhalstead @fighterkimburgess @halsteadlover @resanoona @sylviebrettsey because I feel like we'd all have great conversations, mainly over One Chicago. And every Wednesday night we'd all watch the episodes live together and experience them as a group and then freak out over what happened..........Now watch me fantasize about this all day.

Q: Do you listen to music when you write? A: It depends. On some days when I plan that I'm gonna write, then yes, I do put on some music. When there are days that I have a few minutes to spare, I don't put on music just because I'm only writing for a few minutes and I don't want to waste time. But mostly when I'm writing I do play music in the background.

Q: Do you know how your fics/stories end before you finish writing it? A: This is a really interesting question. The answer is no, I do not know how I'm gonna end a fic before I finish writing it. The only story I had a set ending for was my series On the Loose, but that one wasn't even fully planned out until I got a chapter or two in. Obviously, if I get a request that includes a set ending, like two characters get together or something like that, then I know what the ending will be. Otherwise, I have no clue.

Q: Have you ever met someone who had a very similar personality to your own? Did you get along? A: You know, I can't say that I have. Everyone is different in their own way, and that's what makes us all unique. I would imagine if I did meet someone with a similar personality we'd get along because we'd basically be a carbon copy of each other, but who knows. Maybe our similar personalities would cause us to clash.

Q: Do you hold yourself to higher standards than you hold others? A: Not really. I know myself more than anyone else so I know what my limits are and when I've reached them. With people, on the other hand, I always feel like they can be doing more with themselves and their lives. So I do not hold myself to higher standards than others.

Thank you to all of you who sent in questions! I never thought I'd reach 750 followers on this platform. The only reason I have is all thanks to you wonderful people out there!

@winterberryfox @maximeevansblog @scarletsoldierrr @i-like-sparkly-things @dreamingmanip @soph0864 @ryliegh8 @lorenakaspersen @wanniiieeee @nevertoofarfromivar @securityfriendly-jay @pinkbay-love @stephie123

#one chicago #q&a time #q&a session #question and answer #750 followers

[princess-of-the-corner]

I never watched Winx as a kid, so I really hope I don't sound like an idiot for asking this. What exactly does the Netflix Winx series do wrong besides giving it the "dark and gritty" makeover?

So like. There are a lot of problems here and I’ll try to tackle them. I haven’t finished the reboot because I have difficulty getting through things I like, much less things I hate watch. But anyway, this gets long and is separated into parts. 

Let’s start with it’s issues on it’s own and not as an adaptation: 

It’s still pretty garbage. Not ‘the worst thing ever’. Interesting enough. But it does have problems. Some racist and homophobic and fatphobic writing. The characters range from ‘kind of a jerk’ to ‘straight up assholes who will cause physical harm for petty reasons’. The nicest one so far is Terra, but even she kinda snaps and strangles a guy with her plant powers. 

Now on to things it fails on as an adaptation!

First, the whitewashing!

Of the six main characters, 3/6 were poc-coded in the original cartoon(I say ‘coded’ because they’re not Humans from Earth but still). Aisha is black, Flora is Latina, and Musa is Chinese. 

Aisha is the only one who remains black. I’ve heard varying testimonies on Musa’s actor, but the ‘best’ I’ve heard is that she’s 1/4 Singaporean and white passing. I don’t have the authority to say if that’s in the clear or not so I’m leaving that to other fans. 

Flora gets the worst though. They cast a white woman to play her. Then backtracked and said ‘oh, this isn’t Flora. We replaced her with her white cousin Terra’. Yeah you can see the problem there. 

Characters they got rid of entirely! I’ll only discuss characters that showed up in the first two seasons of the original show since Fate only has one season. (I’d say just the first, but they included Aisha who is from Season 2). 

Let’s see. They got rid of Tecna, one of the main six girls. It’s likely because they’re going for a more ‘bootleg Hogwarts’ vibe, and Tecna’s magic being heavily technology based ruins that. So she’s just tossed altogether. 

The boys! Oh my god my boys! Sky and Riven are the only ones who were kept in, while Brandon, Timmy and Helia got scrapped and replaced as well. The other boys like Dane and Sam? Totally could’ve just given them those names and been done with it. 

Then there’s Icy, Darcy and Stormy! I’m counting them together because that’s exactly what Fate did! The three Witches are villains in the series, and instead of keeping a trio, they combined her into a single character. Beatrix. 

I think Silva was also an amalgamation of the remaining Headmaster/Headmistresses and a few other staff members but considering they condensed it to just one school it kind of makes sense. 

Sometimes there’s just a name change like the Headmistress of Alfea was changed to Farah Dowling instead of Faragonda which is so pointless. 

Overall there’s other minor characters that don’t show up, like the rest of the school staff, Mirta and Lucy, so on and so forth. But I’m less upset about that. Still upset though because I love them. 

Personality changes! And romance drama!

Oh boy. Oh boy oh boy oh boy. 

I already mentioned how they made everyone an asshole in this reboot. In the original show, the only protagonist that was consistently a jerk was Riven, but he was more of the ‘grumpy but still a good guy’ type of asshole. 

Let’s compare just one character and her relationships to others!

Stella in the Original Cartoon: Preppy and sometimes a little vain, could be blunt to the point of insulting, but never malicious. Very sweet and loves her friends. She and Bloom are best friends, Stella having been the one to bring Bloom into the world of Magix and will do everything she can to make sure she’s safe. Stella’s love interest is Brandon, who is bffs with Bloom’s love interest Sky. Stella and Brandon are very cheesy and cute together. They aren’t usually jealous, and can even make a competition out of ‘how many phone numbers can I get?’. 

Stella in Fate: Total bitch to all her roommates. She’s getting the common ‘my mom’s a bitch who puts pressure on me so I’m going to be a bitch’ thing that’s become popular now. Since Brandon was deleted, they put her in a love triangle with Bloom and Sky, Sky being Stella’s ex bf. And despite breaking up with him, Stella sees him just talking to Bloom and decides ‘Hm. Let’s prey on her insecurities that she doesn’t belong here, and manipulate her into leaving!’ Which includes walking through a forest where there was recently a man attacked and viscously killed by some kind of monster, so I’m putting it up to attempted murder. 

Yeah. Everyone’s kind of like that. It’s awful. 

Bloom’s backstory and parents!

Okay, this can kind of fall under both ‘personality changes’ and ‘plot changes’ but it deserves it’s own section. 

In the Original Cartoon, Bloom’s home kingdom was attacked and destroyed by villains searching for something called the Dragon Flame. Bloom was a baby with said power, so her older sister sent her to Earth, a world without Magic, where she would be safe and hidden. Mike and Vanessa find her and adopt her, loving her and raising her very well. They are good parents. Bloom learns she has powers when she meets Stella, and instinctively uses Magic to protect her. 

In Fate, the only thing really the same is that Bloom was sent to Earth. I’m a little unclear on why, but instead of giving her loving adoptive parents, they made her a Changeling with emotionally abusive parents! Let me elaborate a little: Instead of adopting Bloom of their own free will, Mike and Vanessa’s real child died in the hospital and was secretly replaced with Bloom. Her parents are also, as mentioned, emotionally abusive. So much so that Fate!Bloom’s powers first manifested by setting them on fire in the middle of the night.

Fun. Ain’t it? 

Now onto plot points!

Again, pretty much the only thing the same is ‘Bloom discovers she has Magic, goes to another Dimension to learn at a school called Alfea. Gets into adventures with her Roomates while trying to figure out where she’s really from’. 

The whole ‘Burned ones’ were.... not a thing at all. There wasn’t any kind of ‘barrier’ to keep out ‘dangerous creatures’ or anything. 

I’m not going to go over every single subplot but that was just. No. They were easily allowed to go outside the school. 

The whole vibe

This is a big thing to talk about. While the reboot went for ‘dark and gritty’ over the bright colors and sparkles, it also went for ‘bootleg Hogwarts’ instead of anything interesting. 

In the reboot, the merging of Magic and Technloogy is mostly like. ‘Yeah we go to school in this old ass castle and we don’t use guns in weaponry class, but we have smartphones and social media and Harry Potter!”. 

In the Original??? The whole world was very Magitech. It was a combination of Magic and Scifi! Kinda Steven Universe style actually. 

The transformations!!!

Look. LOOK. Winx Club is a Magical Girl show! They have those beautiful transformation sequences that last a solid minute or so of screen time. And they also have like. At least one new Transformation a Season, which comes with an ungodly amount of different cool outfits. 

The reboot? One transformation sequence. And while the effects are nice, Bloom doesn’t even get a new outfit. Just a few flames coming off her that look vaguely like wings. 

SPEAKING OF! They are Faeries!!!! But they don’t have wings????? What????

Look idgaf about your effects budget you could’ve made the cheesiest shit like the live action Sailor Moon stuff and fans would’ve loved it!

Bonus: The fact that they didn’t have to change anything to make it ‘Dark’!

So like. Netflix decided to take all the color out of it, and make it ‘dark’ by having the characters smoke and drink and have sex and say swears. 

But they.... really didn’t have to! The original cartoon was plenty dark, despite it’s colorful aesthetic! If you wanted to do a more serious reboot, you could have easily done it by focusing more on those aspects. 

Hell, there are many fans who have done it. I’m one. I know a couple others as well. 

anyway it’s 2:30 am and this is long af so I’ll leave it at that. 

[cloudtower-edu]

honestly I don’t even think the problem with the new winx show is that it’s darker(TM). People keep saying: Why does it have to be dark, Winx was a fun show and this is just a stereotypical treatment! And in a way, yes, it has become very repetitive but we also shouldn’t forget that especially the first few seasons of Winx could be pretty dark - think about the finale of the first season. Those were really dark themes.

But even the other gritty themes, I can forgive. That’s like...the smallest problem there is. The problem is what they do with it. They could have easily gone a little darker and more mature simply by challenging some of the pre-conceived notions of the Winx-universe a little bit; dug a little deeper into some aspects of the original-series (world-building, gender roles, monarchy, poverty, the standing of witches in the magical society, how to use magical powers in general, canonically ambigious characters) - that were difficult to explore in a show for kids and young teenagers. All that might have provided interesting insights and plot-points for a more mature audience and I feel like they tried that by being a little more morally ambiguous. But considering that they have pretty much remodelled the entire Winx-universe and the magical dimension, an audience who knows the original series does not get the sense that this is in any way a smart commentary on it (because it isn’t) and anyone who hasn’t seen Winx isn’t really drawn into complex, innovative magical world - it’s just somewhere between Hunger Games and Harry Potter with very little energy put into creating a world. In fact, I feel like the first few episodes of the original show, with all its limitations - did more to create a complex world than Fate.

Also, instead of making the characters more complex and actually mature, they just slapped random adult-y themes onto each character.

And a) This just...fails to be authentic and b) makes it really hard to like the characters or be invested in them. That is not to say I dislike characters who smoke week and have threesomes and while I do find it a bit ...out-of-touch and cringy to do this with Winx Club of all shows, it’s not my problem here. My problem is that this seems to be the only concept of maturity they have or rather, it’s an absolutely distorted idea of teenagers projected on them by adult writers and at this point you have to wonder. Who is the target audience here? Because the original audience of the show has no interest in seeing their childhood characters do this stuff, actual 16yo likely don’t feel represented, and older people who didn’t watch the original show will have even less reason to stay invested.

Especially, because you get about 50 different scenes in every episode so it’s hard to really get invested in who’s currently drinking, smoking weed, lying, having a threesome or whatnot. These are not character traits – these are actions and since everyone is kinda doing it to some degree or another, it’s not one that defines any character in particular. In fact, the only one stands out (sad to say bc of the white-washed mess the character is) is Terra - because she’s the one actually struggling with this kind of environment and behaviour. And while she’s sad about struggling, nothing really happens with that. She just accepts it. There is no development in her actions.

But I think it’s Stella who’s the prime example here. Now, to clarify, I haven’t watched the full series yet because I find it really hard to get through but I think she’s a great character to illustrate the problem with:

Stella, in the original series, is bubbly, loving, can be a bit self-oriented but is actually very caring. She is actually very powerful but also doesn’t really like to train. She is passionate about fashion, art and loves to share these hobbies with others. These are things we learn pretty early on in this kids show where each episode has about 20 minutes.

If we look at Fate, we never really get to know her. The first impression we get is that she is very stand-off-ish, bitter, and downright manipulative. And I like villains so that’s not so much my problem beyond the …. “that’s supposed to be Stella????”-weird-off. And the thing is, with the backstory they have given her, it might make sense that this version of Stella might turn out that way - because she internalised that treatment from her mother. But here is the problem: Original-Stella is very, very likable. It’s very easy to get invested in her problems. But that’s not the case with new Stella and they don’t really take any steps to make us invested in her problems beyond telling her story. The scene where her mother insulted her magic and humiliated her was the first one where I felt something close to an emotion for her character – but that was because her mother is objectively horrible to her child, not because of Stella’s character in particular. This scene could have happened with literally any other character and I would have felt the exact same emotion.

As an example, the reason we are shocked by the idea that she might have blinded someone is mostly because we know the original Stella and this is so absolutely out character for her. If you only watch Fate, you might learn this information and be like: “Okay, wow, what an asshole.” - but that’s it. You’re not shocked that Stella of all people would do something like that because you haven’t actually seen the loving, joyful, bubbly Stella we encounter in the orignal series. Her personality is basically non-existent (and she’s one of the more complex characters), the audience hasn’t really shared any moments with her that particular endear her or convinced us that this is shocking for any other reason than a) this is a threat for Bloom and b) wow blinding your best friend is fucked up.

Or take Musa. In the original series, we actually spend a lot of time with Musa before we learn about her backstory. And we get to know her as a happy, cheerful girl who loves music. So finding out that she actually went through a lot of pain and hardship (especially by the standards of a kids show) was actually quite the change of pace – and finding out that her father doesn’t want her to do music and doesn’t encourage her was a development you didn’t see coming. Plus, the show dedicated a lot of screen-time to this instead of giving each and every character that walks through the screen in that episode their own problems. If you look at Fate, I have yet to discover anything that Musa is really passionate about, any particular personality traits – and each and every scene is: We now cut to Musa. Musa struggles with being an empath once more. Next scene. There is no development. No plan. No perspective other than it being useful sometimes. There is no revelation.

And I feel like this is where this show falls flat: The original winx club was a very immersive show on various layers: The characters as well as the world-building. But the characters in Fate barely have any personality whatsoever. The reason the Winx worked as heroes was because you had very distinct personalities and talents (at least in the first few seasons) and while it might seem more mature to have more nuanced characters, they actually continued the same gimmicky cartoon characterisations in many ways without actually adding complexity.

#this is all ignoring the other big issues like the white-washing but I don't think I have to explain why that is wrong #fate negativity #rant #winx club negativity #mine

[idkthisisjustforfanfic]

A Met Gala one-shot

somewhere, someone in the world wanted to kill us for leaving these clothes on the floor of a college recreation facility.

4.5k of flirty, well-dressed, smut

***

Okay, so maybe I did feel a little bit out of my element. I mean, style was never my thing. Fashion was never my thing. That’s why, after 6 years of really trying to make it, I was selling music--not the hottest trends.

“You’re going to be fine,” Jenna said behind me, her smile big and bright as I stared out the window as the car rolled to a stop.

The weather was beautiful--and I was lucky. Early May in New York City didn’t exactly always lend itself to warmth and sun. And the feathery, pink dress/cape combo I was wearing didn’t exactly lend itself to the most confidence.

I knew the drill. Jenna and Britney had run through things twice already in the short ride from the hotel. I’d get out, wait in line, walk the carpet, greet the co-chairs, head inside. I’d eat some food, mingle with some people, and enjoy the night.

I knew a few people who’d be there. Sophie Turner, Zendaya, even Hailey Baldwin (Bieber? Still not clear on that.) So I’d be fine. I’d be nice and social and it would be fine. That’s what I kept repeating to myself as I heard the door on the other side of the car open and shut quickly.

Britney, my amazing manager and time-keeper for all things Met Gala, seemed to be opening my door before I could even process it. There were chirps of excitement from people gathered nearby, but no camera flashes yet--which was appreciated.

I’d walked red carpets before. In fact, I tripped and caught myself on Saiorse Ronan’s shoulder only six months earlier--so I figured tonight couldn’t be that bad. I stepped out, gaining more noise from the fans who’d gathered to catch glimpses, but I didn’t expect for some screams to break out the way they had.

I was new, after all. My debut album had dropped in the fall, I was still in the middle of my first headlining tour. I wasn’t exactly A-list yet. I was surprised when I even got the invitation in the first place.

And when Moschino offered to dress me, I was even more surprised that I was popping up on people’s radars. And not just people--fashion people.

“Stella Mayfield--walking,” I heard a voice next to me, a woman in a black gown was apparently communicating with whoever (and whatever) was inside the giant tent opening straight ahead. Jenna could sense my nerves--she reached over to rub my shoulder and offer a smile. Thank god I had the two of them, plus Danny, my one and only security guard.

Danny’s job was more of a precaution, I think. I’d yet to be in a situation where people were really rowdy or wild. I mean, there’d be fans gathered outside my hotel on tour and people outside of the venues. But I’d never seen Danny had to launch into action. I mean, I’d never been mobbed or anything.

So I had a buffer. I had Britney and Jenna and Danny all night. We could leave when we pleased, I reminded them. Which I think was more of an out for me if I got too nervous or overwhelmed by all of the fancy clothes and money in one room.

We waited in line, I watched as the photographers and reporters on the side of the big steps would scream people’s names, hoping to get a glimpse or a wave or an answer to a question.

Soon enough, the woman in black--who’d escorted us all the way in--spoke my name into her walkie-talkie and gave me a shove forward. So much for a warning.

I smiled immediately, thankful that people seemed to know who I was (and care), and I posed at the bottom of the stairs for the group of photographers who seemed to be giving me the nicest directions.

“Can you turn this way, Stella?”

“It’s great to see you, Stella, are you excited to be here?”

I chose the woman with the short blonde hair to talk with--she seemed the most approachable and most interested in actually hearing from me. I told her that yes, I was excited to be here, no, I wasn’t bringing a date. Yes, I was dressed in Moschino, and no, I wouldn’t be leaving with anyone.

I did my best to make eye contact with a few of them, Britney had always given that advice for big events like these. She said that when you’re trying to still make a name for yourself, it was good to give answers and be friendly and make them write about you.

I was pulled up the steps, though, by Britney, who gave me some easy directions to pose in two different spots on the stairs. And soon, when I neared the top, I saw the co-chairs--undoubtedly, the people I was most nervous to see.

It wasn’t that they were worlds more famous than me (that didn’t help), it was more that they were the ones who ultimately decided who got to come. Anna Wintour approved the invite list and somehow, I’d been cool enough to not get cut.

My heartbeat was steadily rising, and when I met the final step, Lady Gaga gave me the biggest smile I’d ever been greeted with.

“Stella!” She beamed at me, opening her arms wide to give me a hug. Jenna, Britney, and Danny seemed to stay back. “I’m so glad you’re here! We were so hoping you’d come!”

“It’s so nice to meet you!” I smiled, letting her embrace me. Someone--who I didn’t recognize--was in front of me and schmoozing with Serena Williams. “Thank you so much for having me.”

“Are you kidding me?” She pulled back, apparently surprised by my graciousness. “You’re the hottest thing right now, live it up! It can be weird, I know. Big event, big names. Enjoy yourself tonight. You’re a star!”

I was shocked, really--not just by her beauty and her gown and her niceness, but by the fact that she seemed to say exactly what I needed to hear.

“Darling, so good to meet you,” Anna Wintour greeted me, reaching a hand forward to tug at my long brown hair. “Absolutely love your gown!”

I was getting pushed along--the line behind me was apparently longer than I’d realized and people were eager to get inside. Serena Williams and Alessandro Michele seemed to be caught up with someone (extravagant makeup and a blonde wig made it hard to tell who it was), so I looked up at Britney, who gave me a shrug when she saw that I was stuck, and I sidestepped the mystery guest.

Harry Styles, clad in a black get up, offered me a small smile and leaned in to hug me, speaking over the crowd as his lips grazed my ear. “Great to meet you, you look beautiful,” he said.

I pulled back slightly, a flush rising on my cheeks as I cursed myself for being starstruck at an event where my main job was to just act like I belonged.

“You do too,” I offered back, immediately wondering if he’d appreciate being called beautiful. Was my 24-year-old girl showing too much? He smiled back and I moved on. We’d met in passing once before, I knew Niall a little bit better after writing a song with him in 2018, but we’d never actually spoken.

“Your album is amazing, it’s seriously been the soundtrack to my life lately. Listen to it all the time, really,” he nodded, his eyes sweeping over my face.

“Seriously? I’m so flattered, thank you!”

He pulled his eyes away from me then, smiling at the person behind me, who clearly wasn’t appreciative of my loitering. A pang of disappointment washed over me, but he brought his eyes back down. “We’ll talk later, yeah? Find me inside, or I’ll find you!”

“Sure, yeah!” I nodded, getting shoved away from him by the moving line before I could even give him another hug.

I let out a breath, happy to have more space from other bodies and thankful for the fact that Jenna, Britney, and Danny were once again by my side.

“You did it,” Britney smiled, clapping her hands together. “Walked your first Met Gala stairs. And you shined,” she said.

**

The first thing I did inside was get a drink. Not only because I needed one, but also because they were free. Not just your typical open bar free--these were top-shelf, well-made, served with a smile cocktails that had these pretty pink straws that poked out of the top.

Whatever Jenna had ordered for me tasted like lemon. I wasn’t mad.

The dinner was delicious--I was seated with people I barely knew, but I was fine enough once I’d had some liquor and some food. I’d popped by the table in the back--where everyone’s entourage was seated--to visit my three staff and make sure they were fine.

But just as I’d expected, they were more than entertained by the food, the drink, and the company. So when I walked back to my seat and spotted Harry incredibly close to my table, I sipped the end of my drink (strong, not well mixed at the bottom), and took a deep breath.

“Hi,” I said quickly, offering him a smile as he pulled his eyes from his current conversation partner and brought them to meet mine. In a typical situation, I’d feel sorry for interrupting and might have even avoided it altogether, but something pulled me towards talking to Harry again.

Maybe because he was the only person (aside from Lady Gaga) who’d made me feel completely comfortable all night.

He said his goodbyes to the man in the red suit before opening his arms to hug me again. “You’re alive still!”

“I am!” I laughed a little, mainly because I was surprised I’d lasted this long. Parties (especially with this many famous people) were exhausting. I wasn’t sure if he’d had four redbulls already or was just filled with adrenaline, but he seemed awake and excited and like he was having the time of his life.

“Me too, I’m also alive, which is good.” He nodded seriously, stepped a bit closer to me to let someone pass by us.

The lights were dim--we were in the strange space between dinner and dessert. There were dancers on stage and music that played along to their movements, but the entertainment hadn’t yet truly started.

“You must be exhausted,” I said, extremely aware of the fact that his arm brushed against mine.

He let out a laugh and shrugged his shoulders. “Long day, but it’s fine. I can sleep tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” I asked, pulling my head back in confusion. I was under the impression that I’d be home and in bed by 1am. At least, that was the limit I’d subconsciously set for myself.

“There’s a few after parties,” he nodded. “I’m hosting one with Gucci at The Fleur Room. You’ll have to come!”

I felt stupid for a second, stupid for not realizing that of course there’d be after parties and of course I should go. I mean, in all honesty, this was work. I needed to mingle and network and meet celebrities and get my name out there.

“Right,” I said, trying to play it cool. “Of course, I’d love to!”

“I’d love to see you there,” he said, letting his eyes pause on mine for a second longer than usual. “Your album is seriously amazing. Where’d you record?”

“Mostly L.A.,” I said. “I’ve been working a lot with Ricky Reeves, he produced most of it.”

“You did a song with Tom Hull, too, right? He did a song on my album!”

“I did!” I smiled, I’d completely forgotten that we had that in common. Tom Hull--Kid Harpoon--had worked with a slew of amazing artists. When he reached out and asked if I wanted to work on something with him, I was touched.

“He’s a genius,” Harry said simply. “Total genius with lyrics.”

“I know--I swear to God the song we wrote took us like ten minutes and it’s one of my favorites.”

“Try For It, right?”

I nodded--trying to mask my excitement that he knew the name of my song. I knew he’d said he liked my album, but everyone says that when you release your first major-label project. A part of me wondered if he’d really been listening to it as much as he said.

“I have to say, though, I think Break Me is my favorite.”

I laughed, once again completely flattered that not only did he know my album, but apparently, he had favorites. I leaned up to speak into his ear--the music was louder and people were cheering for the dancers on stage. “It’s my favorite, too, but don’t tell anyone. Kinda ruins the whole songwriter I love all of my songs equally thing.”

**

Around 11pm I needed a break. I dipped out of the main ballroom and headed down a hallway, thankful that Danny was distracted by Jenna and Britney to give me some space.

My heels on the floor echoed as I walked--I didn’t know where I was headed, but I wasn’t worried about finding my way back. I turned down another hallway, which left me in an empty exhibit room.

But that’s when I heard a laugh.

I peered around some sort of statue (again, music was my thing, not other forms of art), and saw Harry, slumped against a wall with a phone pressed up to his ear.

He looked up and met my eyes, offering a wave as he informed the person on the other end that he had to go. I tried to motion at him that I was sorry for walking in, but he pulled the phone from his ear, pressed a button, and shoved it back in his pocket.

He’d changed--his top was now white and a big, almost goofy looking bow-tie adorned his neck.

“Hi, sorry, I was just,” I motioned back down the hall that I came from. “Trying to get some air.”

He let out a laugh. “My thoughts exactly.”

I was quiet for a second, still feeling guilty for walking in and hoping that he didn’t think I’d purposely followed him back here. But he spoke again before I could voice any of those thoughts.

“This is your first Met Gala, right?”

“Yeah,” I nodded, but I didn’t say more. I could tell he was thinking.

“Mine too--pretty busy. That was my mum, asking if it was going alright. She just woke up back home.”

He kept his eyes focused on something past me--I could tell he was thinking more to himself than he was saying out loud.

“Were you nervous for today?” I asked suddenly, my voice still quiet so as to not echo throughout the room.

He brought his eyes back to me at this and a grin overtook his face. “Are you kidding? I was practically in the fetal position before the carpet.”

“Are you serious?” I laughed in response. “You seem so,” I searched for the right words. “Put together and calm and used to it.” I didn’t mention that he looked so attractive, was so talented, and I was practically on cloud nine due to the amount of conversing we’d done.

“You’ll get used to it,” he nodded, his smile smaller now but just as genuine. He gave me a look as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.

Am I cut out for this type of stuff?

“I’m somewhat used to it,” he said slowly, but he looked down at his high waisted pants. “Still getting used to this type of thing, though,” he plucked at the waistband, his eyebrows furrowed together to get a laugh out of me.

“I’ll get used to it,” I nodded my head, appreciative of his humor and his groundedness.

“And until then, you’re doing a great job of faking it.”

**

I was chatting and laughing and drinking with Alexa Chung in the corner of the big athletic complex when Harry sidled up beside me.

“What’re you drinking?” He asked, leaning in closer to me so I could hear him--once more--over the music. Alexa watched with a smile as I held my drink up to him, offering a taste.

He took it from me, and I watched as his lips pressed against the same place that mine had just been. He scrunched his nose to more accurately judge, and when he handed it back to me, he smiled.

“Whatever it is, I want one, and it looks like you could use another.”

**

He found me afterwards, two identical drinks in his hands and a smile on his face as he pulled me aside to cheers to a successful night for the two of us. And we drank the drinks together, admittedly faster than we probably planned. And then we had another.

And then I danced beside him as Mark Ronson played different songs and we took stupid selfies with people who popped over to say hello. I’d lost Danny long before--though I assumed I was in his sight--when Britney and Jenna said goodnight. They told me to have fun, enjoy myself, and most of all, don’t end up naked or black out or anything that would end up on the internet tomorrow (this) morning.

But that wasn’t me. I wasn’t that type of person.

“Do you need a break for a minute?” Harry asked, his arm snaking around my waist as I smiled up at Alexa as she said something about Cher’s performance earlier.

I looked up at him quickly, his face was close to mine and his lips brushed against the side of my temple again when he spoke. “I could use a break, is what I should say.”

Alexa seemed to not mind at all, in fact, I could have sworn that she gave him a playful wink as he draped his arm over my shoulder and I started to head away from the commotion.

“A water, a snack, all of it sounds nice,” he laughed, bringing his eyes down to me as we climbed down the stairs from the DJ booth. “And maybe one more of those lemon things.”

“I have no idea what’s in them,” I laughed. “So if we’re ridiculously hungover, don’t blame me.”

“I would never,” he laughed, letting his hip bump into mine somewhat as we made our way for the door.

A man in a suit--not Danny, but who looked like he might have been Harry’s version of Danny--opened the door for us right as we approached, leading us into a hallway with bright yellow chairs that lined the wall. Celebrity guests were seated all along, drinking and chatting and taking obnoxious pictures in their best-attempt at Camp.

It was then that I caught sight of Danny, who said something to the man who’d been holding the door open, and gave me a subtle wave as Harry withdrew his arm from around my shoulders.

I waved to Joe Jonas (who seemed to smile when he saw me) and felt, for the first time all night, like I actually was starting to belong.

“Still a little crowded,” he said, looking each direction down the hall. One way was towards the entrance--cocktail tables lined with flashy tablecloths and extraordinary floral arrangements. He looked to his right, nodded his head in that direction, and then looked down at me again.

He walked away from me, and I turned back to give Danny some kind of please don’t follow me look before falling into step beside him.

“What’s down here?” I asked, a laugh escaping my lips as we headed farther down the dark hallway.

“No idea,” he shook his head, a smile on his face as he licked his lips. “But somewhere to sit and take this bow-tie off and just talk for a second would be nice.”

And so we found a room that had a desk and a blackboard and Harry decided to write our names in chalk in big, obnoxious, somewhat drunk handwriting.

He sat on the desk then, loosened his bow-tie, and smirked. “It’s been nice to get to know you tonight.”

I smiled, hoping that if my cheeks looked red, I could blame it on the alcohol. “Thanks for making me feel so welcome,” I said.

He smiled, holding the red fabric in his hands. “I should say the same--I was definitely freaked out to be here and be co-chairing, but I would say it’s been successful.”

“Me too,” I nodded assuredly, thankful that I’d long turned in my feathery pink ensemble for a gold and shimmery gown--one that showed just enough cleavage and was markedly more convenient to dance in.

I wouldn’t have done what I did next if he didn’t look up at me with an innocent--yet somehow completely daring--smile. In two steps, I was stood between his legs, my hands on his face, and my lips against his.

And in half a second, his hands were around my waist, pulling me closer to him. We stayed like that for a minute, but soon he stood, stepped me backwards, and flipped our positions. Now I was against the desk, he worked one hand at the back zipper of my dress, and my hands were fiddling with the buttons of his shirt.

My thoughts were racing and my pulse was too. He deepened the kiss and I shrugged out of the top of my dress. When I felt the fabric of his shirt against my chest, I was reminded, ever so timely, that I’d opted to be braless all night.

Harry didn’t seem to mind, however, because soon his hand was around my breast. I made a noise when we connected, which must have turned him on even more, because he suddenly started working at removing his own shirt to be less fabric between us.

His lips were warm and soft and something about the possibility of being walked in on made me terrified and excited all at once. He made me nervous and unsure and hyperaware, but he also made me feel comfortable and like I fit in.

I kissed him harder--thankful for the fact that he seemed to be handling his pants on his own. They looked extremely difficult to get on, so getting them off was sure to be quite the task. I tried not to worry, though, and it didn’t take much to distract me because he pulled away from me for a second.

“You’ve looked beautiful all night and this is not normally what I do,” he said, his brows dipped inward as he tried to explain himself.

In all honesty, I wasn’t really worried and I wasn’t even thinking about how many times he’d done this before. But now I was.

He must have seen the look on my face, because he moved his head to get a better look at my face. “We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.”

“No,” I said, probably too quickly. “It’s fine--I just, I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

He let out a laugh, his eyes scanning over my face once more. “I’d be so honored,” he teased.

He kissed me again, this time, his hands were searching my body, searching for skin and searching for connection. I let them wander, finding the hem of my dress before pulling it away from my skin. I pulled my mouth away from his for a second--a dip in his brows told me he didn’t appreciate that--to slide his pants down from his hips.

I could feel his erection against me as he worked at the final buttons of his shirt, and I let my hands find it as he kept his lips connected to mine. He let out a sharp exhale at that, making a noise of pleasure as I palmed him over the fabric of his boxer briefs.

He pulled away from me quickly, taking me by the hands to stand me up. His fingers tugged at the fabric of my dress--somewhere, someone in the world wanted to kill us for leaving these clothes on the floor of a college recreation facility.

I didn’t have much time to think about that, though, because after Harry shed his shoes and his undershirt, he picked me up and set me back on the table, nodding his head in direction to lay back.

His mouth was against me in seconds, his fingers pulling away the thin strap of my thong as his tongue worked against my center. It was jarring, really--not just because of the sensation, but because of how quick he had my back arched and his name floating from my lips.

He seemed to like that, though, as he inserted two fingers to pump in and out of me while his tongue drew abstract circles.

“Yeah, baby?” his voice was deep and throaty. “Feel good?”

I let out a moan once more, reaching a hand down to grab at his hair, keeping his tongue pressed against me. He let out a cheeky laugh, my dependence on him seemed to feed his ego.

I let my own hand wander to my chest, playing with my own nipple. When he saw this, he muttered under his breath. “Shit, Stella.”

He pulled away quickly, pulling his boxers down to reveal what I’d been waiting for. I sat up on the desk, scooching closer to the edge to give him better access. He held his own hand around his shaft, and he smiled up at me before letting his tip enter slowly.

He immediately let out a moan, his hands reaching around to make contact with my butt--pulling me closer to the edge so he could go deeper inside of me.

“Fuck, Stella, you’re so wet for me,” he breathed into my ear.

Maybe it was the fact that we were in some sort of athletic office--maybe it was the fact that I could get in so much trouble for this. But whatever it was made it even more sensual to feel his cock up against my clit as he moaned in my ear.

“As soon as we got here I knew I wanted my night to end with you,” he said--which struck me as sweet and incredibly sexy at the same time.

I reached my arms up to his neck, holding him close to me as he rocked in and out. “You feel so good,” I told him.

“Yeah?” He said, a smirk on his face again as he leaned in to press a kiss to my lips. “You’re so fucking tight, baby.”

He started to go faster, his hands still keeping my butt close enough that he could hit the right angle. “I want to fucking fill you up, Stella,” he said, his voice lower and deeper than before. “You feel so fucking good all around me.”

“Fuck me, then, Harry,” I told him, and the direction seemed to get him even more excited. He pumped faster, the desk beneath us started to squeak, which caused laughter on both parts, and soon, he moaned into my ear as I felt him come inside of me.

He kissed me again, deep and genuine, and then pulled away and laughed. “Fucking someone in a school office where we might get caught. That’s pretty camp.”

#harry styles #harry styles met gala #harry styles blurb #harry styles smut #harry styles one shot #harry styles fic #harry styles imagine #harry styles drabble

[sunsetsover]

Happy Birthday!! I always enjoy your eastenders content! If you want a prompt, I am p interested in how you view Ben trying to become less crime involved and what that means for his character, and how you think Phil will react to Ben's behavior??

thank you!!! and thank you for enjoying my ‘content’ (calling what i do content seems disrespectful to the people who do create actual quality content lmao), i’m glad!! i’m not exactly sure what you mean by prompt, but i can certainly talk abt my opinions on it all a little bit!!

from the spoilers, i believe we’ll actually get the answer to these questions in the coming weeks! i won’t go into detail in case you don’t want spoilers, but all i will say is that we’re going to see phil’s reaction to ben’s choice sooner rather than later.

as for my take on it, i think ben’s relationship with crime is kind of a complicated thing tbh. as much as i love dark ben, i don’t think those cruel, manipulative parts of him were ever just like... a part of his nature. they’re like.... adaptations, because of the things that have happened to him during his life and because of who his family are and who his dad is. i don’t think a life of crime - no matter how serious or petty the crimes in question were - would have ever been on the cards for ben had his dad not been phil mitchell. like he was a quiet, shy kid who liked musicals. not exactly criminal material, is it?

but then he moves back in with his dad when kathy ‘dies’ and sees how much of a ‘man’s man’ phil is and is not too young to realize that phil doesn’t really know what to make of him and then you combine that with stella’s abuse and manipulation (telling ben - a 10 year old child - that he was weak and pathetic and that his dad thought he was weak and pathetic too because ben wasn’t like him and that phil is the Epitome of what a Man Should Be, and that he has to be like his dad or else he will be weak and pathetic forever) and him realizing he’s gay (i don’t need to explain why this was a fucking nightmare for phil mitchell’s son, do i?), and him changing and becoming bitter and cruel and acting out makes sense. not only was he essentially manipulated into it, but it was a survival tactic on so many levels. plus he was a little boy, and he wanted his dad’s love and approval and attention! that’s normal! that’s understandable! but the sad reality is ben’s dad is phil mitchell, and basically the only way he could get any of those things was by acting out and doing bad things which undoubtedly reinforced the idea in his head that if he does bad things and hurts people then his dad would love and respect him more, and then the older and more confident and more desperate for his dad’s love and attention he got (not to mention the fact that he probably felt the need to ‘make up’ for the fact he was gay), the worse the things he was doing would get. and eventually this way of thinking changed from ‘if i act this way, my dad will love me’ to ‘if i act this way, people will respect me’, and then eventually it became less of an act and more an uncontrollable part of his character. but really, he really stood no chance at all in that house. he was bound to get fucked up to a certain degree, just growing up and seeing what his dad was like.

and now he’s an adult, and he really was not lying when he said he doesn’t know anything else. what the audience need to understand is that the way ben views things - himself, his relationships with others, how to create and maintain healthy relationships with others, how to treat other people etc - is fucked up! it’s warped! and it’s warped mostly because of his dad!! and i think ben is at a point in his life now where he can recognize these things (to a degree - although that’s much better than not bein able to recognize it at all - and imo ever since he first come back this has improved a lot) and can recognize that most roads lead back to phil, but he’s also not necessarily able to change those things. he’s trying, that much is obvious, but this is years and years of ingrained abuse and trauma and learned behaviour!! he can’t just get over that, especially not alone!! he needs help! and were it up to me, he’d be getting professional help!!! which is why i think callum has been so naive about this whole ‘just stop doing illegal things!’ thing he has going on - not only in the sense that you can’t just go ‘oh i’m on the straight and narrow now’ and have there not be any repercussions, but because this is years and years of ben’s life that he’s having to basically give up (ok you could argue that it’s not much to give up, but that’s not the point, and that doesn’t make it any easier), and also because imo ben’s relationship with crime is directly linked to his trauma and directly linked to his relationship with his dad. the only time his dad wants anything to so with him or shows him any kind of respect is still when ben’s doing jobs for him, p much. to a certain degree, ben’s ability to do dodgy shit determines his self worth because it has always determined how his dad sees him, and how his dad has seen him has determined how ben sees himself imo (again, not entirely, but to a certain degree). plus it’s a respect thing. he’s talked about his reputation before, and if he has a reputation then he has respect and ben wants respect, that much is clear. and i think that’s to make up for the fact he rarely got that respect when he was growing up, you know?

(plus, just my personal opinion, but i still think there’s a part of him that feels the need to ‘make up’ for the fact that he’s gay in his dad’s eyes. i think he’s come a long way (esp when you look at harry’s ben vs max’s ben) and i don’t necessarily think he’s ashamed of or sorry for who he is anymore, but judging by his actions i do think there’s still a part of him that’s like ‘well i couldn’t be the son he wanted in that respect, but i can be the son he wanted in this respect’, does that make sense? like a ‘i know he doesn’t like me being gay, so the least i can give him is this’ kind of thing, mixed in with the ‘this is the only way i can get my dad’s respect, this is the only way i can make him love me’ thing.)

basically: imo ben’s desire to do these illegal, criminal things is not as much to do with him liking doing them or wanting the money or anything like that, but it’s more bc in his head that kind of behaviour is linked to his relationship with his dad and his trauma and how he views himself. and despite his best efforts, ben was never gonna be able to just walk away from it all and have that be that, you know? because it’s not that simple.

as for phil’s reaction, it’s gonna go exactly how you expect it to go: badly. there’ll probably be some manipulation (i see something along the lines of ‘what, you’re gonna fuck over your own dad for someone you’ve been seeing for five minutes?’ being said) to get ben back on side. probably some dramatic shit about ‘ruining the family legacy’ or smth. he’ll probably make fun of ben similarly to how jay did but in a much less jovial, ‘i’m only teasing’ way. probably say some shit about callum. i see ben putting up a fight and defending himself (and callum) at first, but phil can wear ben down like no one else and will having him doubting himself in record time. phil will probably say some shit like ‘you gonna let callum tell you what to do, are ya? he says jump and you say how high, is that it?’ and that will absolutely press ben’s buttons and he’ll be desperate to prove that that’s not the case and phil will have manipulated him back onside, just like that. like it’s that easy. which it is really, bc despite what he says ben still wants his dad’s love and approval more than anything.

it’s gonna be horrible, basically. ben’s gonna be caught between a rock and hard place, not knowing what to do or who to listen to. he’s going to be so conflicted between not wanting to fuck up his relationship with callum (bc he clearly cares about callum A Lot) and keeping callum happy and allowing him to do what he wants to do and also trying to keep his dad happy and not fall out with him bc like i said, despite what he says ben still wants his dad’s love and approval more than anything and it would crush him to be cast out by him again after everything that’s happened, esp after they seem to have been getting along so well. so i think he’s going to struggle a lot over the next few weeks, trying to decide what to do. bc u know... despite him adoring callum and wanting their relationship to work and ben taking steps to make that happen, it’s been clear that he hasn’t exactly been over the moon abt going legit. (callum definitely didn’t force him, but after it was clear callum wasn’t changing his mind, ben obviously felt like the only options were him going legit and them breaking up, and after realizing he didn’t want to lose callum, he was only left with one option. so it wasn’t really a choice for him, was it?) and phil has a hold over him like no one else does, so who knows how this is all going to play out. like ben being on the straight and narrow isn’t going to last long - at least right now - but beyond that? callum’s reaction? the long term? who knows!! not me!!

but yh it just sucks bc you know ben has a Struggle coming and it’s gonna be horrible to watch bc no one deserves to be happy more than ben :-(

💖💖💖

#ben mitchell #eastenders #sorry this took me a few days i have been v tired lmao #flyingsassysaddles #question

[ianalizz]

So You’d Kiss me?

Harry and Annalise have been friends for a while. She of course has a crush on Harry ever since they wrote a song together the first time they met. One day, their friends foolishly decide to play spin the bottle, without Annalise. Lets see how that goes. 

Hope y’all enjoy! <3

---------------------------------

I wake up to the sound of my alarm that I forgot to disable now that it's my day off. I love my job. It starts a noon and I can work however long I want. I go to the studio with my writing ideas. It's a beautiful process and I thank my friend, Nick, for the job opportunity, but I need a day off. I groan and shut off the belligerent alarm immediately. Yet, it still manages to capture the attention of my roommate, Stella, who bursts through my bedroom door. "I'm sleeping." I state in a mono-tone. She scoffs and jumps on my bed, causing me to jolt a bit.

I look over my shoulder and see Stella smiling from ear to ear as she makes herself comfortable on my bed. I look to make sure she doesn't have shoes on. She has sat on my bed with shoes on too many times and I've yelled at her about it every single time. No shoes, good. However, she is fully dressed unlike me who is in a giant tee, underwear, and messy hair. "Na, guess what?" She chimes. I close my eyes and snore rather loudly, but that leads to her throwing a pillow at my face.

"Oww, okay. What?" I whine.

I sit up and place the pillow in my arms, cuddling it while she says, "Harry's back in town." I stiffen my posture at the sound of his name. My heart flutters a bit and I can feel every bit of my body tingle. How does he do that to me even when he isn't in the room? We’ve known each other for almost a year, how am I still weak over him? 

I try to play off my awkwardness and grab my water bottle from the night stand. "Oh?" Is all can say before chugging the water to quench my dry throat. 

Harry, Stella and I have been friends for about a year now. Stella and I met two years ago when I moved to Cali and found Stella putting up looking for roommate posters. 

One day, Nick wanted me to help him write songs in the studio. While in our writing session, Harry accidentally opened the door and awkwardly tried to back away, apologizing. "Nonsense, Harry." Nick said. "You're always welcome. This is Annalise, we call her Nani or Na." I shook his tattooed hand. Nick smiles at the interaction, "Do you want to help us write?" Harry looked at me as if he wanted my permission and I gave him a reassuring smile. He helped us write for hours and even recorded a rough draft of the record before we sent it off to some new boy-band. 

After our session, Nick had to go home to his whining wife and I had to meet Stella at a nearby coffee shop because she wanted to vent about her big shot office job. Before I left that day, Harry catches me in the hall and took my hand in his to turn me towards him. He towered me before asking, "Would you like to grab lunch or something?" His pink lips were just asking to be kissed, but I didn’t want to assume. With his grip still on my hand I smiled and told him I had plans with Stella. "But you can join us." My eyes look up to his green ones and I couldn't help, but blush. Especially when his thumb caressed my knuckles softly. 

"I'd love to."

We ended up having a great time in the coffee shop and decided to have a movie night in Stella and I's apartment. Some wine, popcorn throwing, and Harry's favorite movie, The Notebook filled the night along with endless laughter. Since then we all have been close.

Stella shoots me back into reality when she takes away my water bottle. "Heyyy!" I complain.

"You're not listening to me." She huffs. I pout before she continues to speak. "I was thinking we can roller skating and get some pizza with the rest of our friends. We haven’t been in the same place in a while." She looks on her phone for, I think, nearby skating rinks. My groan fills the room before I get up from the bed and stretch. "What was that for?" Stella asks.

I slip on my shorts and lightly say, "I just hate roller skating." I turn to Stella, who is frowning. "But you guys can go." Her frown was still prominent on her face as I pass her to go to the bathroom in the hall.

She follows me with her shoulders hanging low, "I want you to come." It's almost as if she pressed a button and turned on her baby voice. "Why don't you want to go? It's like you and Roger are trying to make me upset today." Roger is her boyfriend of six months and they are pretty great together. Other than the fact that they both laugh a little too loud at 2 am.

I didn't want to reveal the fact that I have a fear of roller skating ever since my sister-in law broke her wrist due to a really bad fall. "Roger isn't going?"

"No and don't change the subject."

"I just don't want to deal with the cameras and fame on my day off." I shrug as the lie falls from my lips. "You guys go and come back for pizza. I just need to relax." While brushing my teeth, she finally gives in and decides to leave me alone in the apartment before chirping a "Bye loser." I chuckle, stepping into the shower.

After my shower, I clean my room and straighten out the apartment while dancing and singing in my underwear. Feeling free after days of work, I even decided to make popcorn, place chips in bowls, and make some dip for when my friends come.

Still jamming to music, I lose track of time and hear the door slam, turning to Stella and Harry in the doorway, smiling at me. I look at them wide eyed before turning off the music. My cheeks flush as Stella and Harry hang their jackets on the coat hanger and step toward me. I clear my throat before saying, "I-I'll go order pizza."

I bite my lip in embarrassment and slip past them and into my room, but not prior to Stella saying, "Maybe put on some pants too."

Then Harry chimes in, “Or don’t.” 

Rolling my eyes, I close my door slowly and place my face to my hands. "Dammit." I whisper to myself.

I call the pizza after putting on my ripped jeans, oversized grandpa sweater and my burgundy socks. Now fully clothed, I step outside gathering the attention of Harry, who stands up from the couch. I look around for Stella, but she's nowhere to be found. "She went to take a phone call." Harry says. I mouth an "ohhh." I finally take in the man before me. The pink lips, the emerald eyes, and the perfect hair. "I missed you, Styles." I smile.

He returns the favor and grabs my hand, just like the first day we met, but instead of holding it, he pulls me into a warm embrace. I nuzzle in his chest that's covered by a warm black sweater, drenched in cologne. My hands snake around his waist and rest there for a while. His chin rests on the top of my head as he says, "I missed you too." Wrapped around me in a secure way is his arms that do not loosen their grasp. His scent overwhelms me in a comforting way as he says in a soft voice, "I'm sorry the cameras are too much sometimes." I mentally scream. He wasn't supposed to know that.

I retract from his grasp, "No, no. I-I didn't mean that." We let go of each other completely. His brows furrow. "I just really hate roller skating." I say making my way to the kitchen to grab a drink.

Harry follows me and leans against the island while I pour some wine for us. "You hated cliff jumping, but we still went." He argues taking the glass and taking a gulp.

I sip after stating, "I hate skating more." I roll my eyes as I pour more wine into my glass as Harry scoffs in disbelief. 

"Listen if the cameras are the real reason…" Harry starts.

I cut him off quickly, "It's not." My voice raises a bit, but Harry's one to challenge.

"Then what is?" His voice a bit louder than mine.

I breath in heavily before yelling, "I'm f*cking scared, okay?" Harry's face drops into a state of confusion as a knock on the front door appears. Harry and I stare at each other intently. I break eye contact to answer the door after the second knock. 

The short ass pizza guy stands at eye level with me as he struggles to get the pizza out of his bag. Suddenly, the elevator dings and I hear familiar laughter and chatter. The group of loud guys and giggling girls make eye contact with me while smiling brightly. After the whole shouting match with Harry, I have to falsely smile in return. They make their way in; Nicky, Alex, Kalliope, Connor, and Mia. We’re all pretty close because Mia and Connor work at a bar where all 7 of us hang out. Each day we were there, we got closer and closer. When Harry was done being a busy bee, I introduced him to the group and they all got along with him. 

As soon as I bring in the pizza, Stella comes in to grab a slice. Her loud chewing diminishes in the kitchen where everyone is talking about the fall Kalliope had encountered at roller skating, while Harry and I just stare at each other. “Yeah,” Kal starts, “I think I bruised my butt, but it was worth it.” I walk to the armchair next to the couch, not wanting Harry to sit next to me. Stella asks, "What movie are we watching?" She plops onto the couch, oblivious to the scene prior to her entrance, and Harry sits on the other end, closer to me. Kal sits on the floor in front of me while Nicky and Alex took the floor in front of Stella. My eyes glance toward the kitchen where Mia is poking through our fridge. “Nani, you pick since you didn’t skate today.” 

All eyes are directly staring at my face, “No, just pick anything.” 

Stella settled for 47 Meters Down. The action movie captivated my attention of course and I tried to focus on the movie, but my eyes got heavier and heavier by the minute. Soon, the voices and movie sounds disappear and I drift to sleep.

Once my mind starts to wake up, my body takes a while to catch up. I hear my friends still in front of me yelling ohhhhh and ouuuu. Finally, I lazily put my hands to my eyes and rub them before opening them fully. With my blurred vision, I can see my group of friends sitting in a circle, surrounding a shiny object on the hardwood floor. The shiny object slowly turns into a complete figure; a bottle. Immediately, I’m pissed because they finished my bottle of wine, but my eyes capture something else. 

Harry and Stella, kissing while everyone cheers them on. Harry’s eyes flutter open during the kiss and looks directly at me. They widen as I get up to go to my room. He breaks off the kiss and says, “Annalise, you’re up!” His surprised tone makes Stella jump a bit before she turns to me as she uses her fingers to fix her red smeared lipstick that matches Harry’s mouth.

"Clearly." I mutter under my breath. "I just woke up and thought I'd transfer to my bed." I smile through the pain and turned toward the hall. 

“Wait, we’re playing a game. Would you like to join us?” He says. 

I don’t respond and instead dart in to my room and lock the door. As I crawl under my sheets,  my salty tears keep me company. There were plenty of knocks on my door, all from Harry, throughout the night.  I was "sleeping". I'm pretty sure he left after the fifth knock, along with the others.

I don't blame Stella or Harry for what they did. They don't know what I feel. I don't even know what I feel. I just know that it hurt seeing her lips on his. 

The next morning, I woke up extra early to get out of the house quickly. I'm not trying to avoid Stella, but I just don't feel like lying today and saying that last night's actions were alright with me. Especially if she's going to ask me to not tell Roger.

I make it to the studio at exactly 8, where I thought I can do some writing alone. However, as I enter the room, I see a figure in the corner looking out the window. Of course.

Harry turns around as I opened the door. I offer him a fake smile and he gives me a pitiful one. "What are you doing here?" I ask, placing my stuff down.

He walked toward me and gives me a friendly embrace, but I just let him. I don't hug him back. I don't know, the idea of his body touching me right now makes my blood boil and my cheeks flush. "I thought I'd get some writing done today. What about yourself? It's pretty early."

He lets me go and I swiftly turn around to the piano and grace it with my fingers, "Same." The silence between us cut short when he says, "We were drunk." Looking back, he continues, "We were drunk and then we started to play spin the bottle and I really didn’t want to, but it would have been weird if I joined once you woke up." He rambles on, but I give him a confused look. 

I hesitate before saying, “Why would you join after me waking up?” 

He bites his lip as if in deep thought. I raise my brow, urging him to answer. “I don’t know.” His words rushed, but I didn’t want to force an answer. “Do you forgive me?” 

I sigh, "Harry, there's nothing to forgive."

Now standing before me, looking down at me, he says, "Your two best friends kiss and you're not upset?" He looks almost disappointed that I'm not giving him more attitude or a consequence for his actions.

I hop on top of the high table to be in the same eye level as him, but he still has me by a couple inches. Bravely looking at him and his mesmerizing eyes I say, "No, because I'd kiss you too." Shit. His beautiful green eyes widen as I regret my words.

Harry, clearly taken back, says, "You'd kiss me?" His grin slowly, but surely creeps on his face.

I think wisely and shortly before deciding to answer the question with a question. "What makes you think I wouldn't?" My palms sweat and my fingers grip the edge as he rests his hands flat on the table leaning over my face, merely centimeters away.

He chuckles and blushes before looking down and saying, "I didn't think you'd like me like that." Skepticism painted clearly on my face as he looks up. "Ya know, cause of all the cameras and fame. And you didn't even want to come see me skating yesterday." I throw my head back and groan.

He’s smiling when I regain eye contact. "Harry, do you really think I care about those things?" I smile in disbelief. "I didn't want to roller skate because my sister in law broke her wrist skating and I'm scared that'll happen to me. Or worse. What if I land on a knife?" He laughs and I join him.

We settle down after our fit of laughter and he leans in closer to me and takes my hand in his, "Well, If you ever do decide to go roller skating with me. I'll be sure to hold your hand." I smile at the kind gesture we have always overlooked, but now has a greater meaning to it.

Licking his pink lips that have been tempting me since the day we met he says, "So you'd kiss me?" I could almost feel his lips on mine. Before I could answer, he leans in fully, shocking me a little. My arms make their way around his neck as he wraps his around my waist. We detach our lips, but nothing else. We take a moment to look at each other, breathlessly and at each other's mercy, cherishing the moment where we finally get to taste each other. "Of course, I'd kiss you."

#SYKM #harrystylesfanfic #harrystylesfanfiction #harrystyles #heartbreak #love #shortstory #stories #cool #writer #writing #creativewriting #coffeeshop #im20yearsoldandliterallystuckonaguythatwillneverloveme #onedirection #oneshot #fluff #harry fluff #harry styles fluff #harrystylesfluff #happybirthday #black and white #gif

[enchantingkittengaditor]

The Fae | Red

POV: Estelle

Just for the record, I am not as bad and I am NOT a BITCH like my friends might have told you. I just am myself and I know what I want it and when I want it and wh I want it from. Sure you could say that comes from being a part of a Royal family but you could also say that’s just who I am.

It’s not that I have a problem with people from earth, in fact, my cousin’s best friend was brought up on earth. It’s just I know that those girls have some bad mojo and also I may or may not have a little problem with them because they don’t belong here. Bloom at least was sent to earth for her protection by her sister, why were they there? We all know Roxy was the last earth fairy so what are they doing there? And I know the people who will have the answer: Mel, Emily and Daphne. They’re always whispering about them so why are they doing that?

So I decided to stay after one of my Advanced History Of Magix lectures to find something, anything out.

“Hey, Professor Daphne can I speak to you and the others for a moment?” I asked after knocking on her office door with my books in hand.

“Sure what did you want to talk about, Estelle?” Emily answered from her desk.

“I was wondering if you knew anything about Emma’s new roommate, I mean I know that Simone is Mel’s younger sister and that your family and culture has a tradition of only bringing up the eldest daughter as a fairy and sending any others to earth, but what about Tegan?”

“That’s a lot harder to explain and we don’t know how to explain it to her let alone one of her friends, for now just know she does have a right to be here she is a fairy and until such a time as we know how to explain it to her you’re just going to have to leave it there. I’m sorry Estelle,” Daphne explained.

“Fine. but can you answer this one question: Is she who she claims to be?”

“Yes and no. she believes she is who she claims to be and to an extent she’s right. She was brought up all over the world, she did begin high school in Boston age 13, she does have a sister, she does only know what she claims. But at the same time, she’s not from earth, she isn’t all that she thinks she is but she doesn’t know that and no one can OK we’re assessing the situation with Grizelda and Faragonda. OK?” Daphne responded while Emily looked as though she was about to throw up on her desk and Mel started to go pale.

“OK.”

You see the reason I’m doing all of this is because my world came shattering down the moment I laid eyes on that girl. Because in that moment I knew one thing and one thing only she killed my cousin. I could feel the same energy radiating off of her and now I have to live with the girl and that will never happen. If Faragonda thinks she can get away with this she has another thing coming. How DARE she think that she can just forget Stella and get away with letting her killer come into MY territory without getting a single piece of my mind she is wrong. Those girls don’t belong here and I am going to PROVE it. Now all I need is a plan.

Where do I start? The Annual Welcome Party with the boys from Red Fountain. Maybe I can get them involved or screw up their dresses. That’s it their dresses, it’s easy to mislead their little fashion moron brains. And I am their only hope. It’s perfect now what to wear to go shopping?

All of that happened a week ago and can I just say my mind hasn’t completely changed but I can say that they’re each not as bad as I thought. But I can and will still hold Tegan accountable for her actions to my family and she will rue the day she messed with the Royal Family Of Solaria and MY favourite relative.

Shopping one of my favourite things to do. Retail therapy is what I need right now, especially shopping for a party dress though the fact that Grizelda has to approve it ruins my first thirty choices. But in the end, I choose a beautiful lilac lace dress that went great with all of my shoes. And those two idiots were not going along with my plan they actually had decent style which makes this whole situation worse. But now I just have to snag my date, Tom my long-time off-again on-again boyfriend, well techniquely fiancee because our my uncle decided that arranging a marriage for his niece is better than doing that to his own daughter. But it’s OK because I love him and I think he loves me too. I just want to get him back.

“Do you guys think that I can get Thomas to go with me?” I asked as we were getting Tegan and Simone to try on some dresses and outfits for the ball.

“We have to have dates dude.” Emma blatantly stated, checking her phone while Tegan braided her hair, all of us waiting for Maya and Simone to choose their outfits.

“ I know but do you think I should ask him or are we going as a group? I just want to know. You know how badly things ended last time I don’t want them to end up the same way this time.”

“Ask you never know what he might say and if that doesn’t work you can come stag with me and Tegan. And I may have only known you for a day but I really wanna kill someone at this point in my life so, just whisper the words and I’m your girl,” Simone stated as she walked out from behind the curtain in the dressing room with a bundle of clothes, “Also I can’t fit into any of these so unless you have some magic spell to change their sizes we have to go somewhere else for me, and maybe Tegan.”

“I have what I wore to my cousin’s wedding that I’m wearing so I’m all good,” Tegan said tieing off Emma’s hair.

“What no get a dress or at least tell us what it is!” I yell back at her trying to make the best of the situation I am in with her.

“Firstly, It’s a black and red romper-y thing with a blue blazar. Second, my body is not the same shape as any of yours and therefore cannot, I can’t stress this enough, fit into those dresses, they’re made for people with a size 2 body and maybe a b cup at largest and I am a size 12-14 with bigger boobs than that and Simone is a size 16-18 with bigger boobs so I agree with her and it makes me uncomfortable to be put in a situation in the supposed ‘Utopia’ world where I can’t find something is a giant store made for someone with my figure or that will even cover my body in any way. So I will be wearing something from a world that knows it’s sizes are fucked up and I am comfortable in and already now I look at least average in. So I will repeat my message: not going to happen,” She states without looking up from the book she must have used a spell to conjure.

“OK I’m sorry and I might just take Simone up on that offer. Anyway, who do the rest of you have as dates? Last I checked none of you had anyone to go with,” I stated looking at the ground and thinking about my mistake.

“My girlfriend,” Emma said smugly still looking at her phone.

“And me and Maya are being set up by Harry,” Maketa said looking a little concerned about the situation she got herself into.

“So Emma’s going to be gushing over her girlfriend and you two are going to be murdered, maybe I should go with those two at least then there’s someone to tell your story at your funerals. Actually, I’m going to ask Tom.”

“Good for you, can we get food now. You guys may not feel the effects of low blood sugar here but we still do so I need food, preferably something sweet or something with a coke,” Tegan said looking at her watch for the time, “And maybe we can go somewhere that I can buy a watch that works here and Sim cards.”

“McDonald’s and Target,” Simone said gaining curious looks from all of us except Tegan who looked more disgusted than curios.

“I was thinking more of Greggs or Nandos but I don’t think they have either here Moni.”

“No sadly despite my best efforts there isn’t a Nandos here but we do have Pizza and I have a few cokes in my bag from the diner,” Maya said understanding whatever language they seemed to be talking.

“How about Pizza and we can tell you more about the dance because you guys are still new to this whole dimension and probably need to know more before classes start tomorrow, like what your Winx is. It’s the first day of practicles.”

“Brilliant plan Marketa.”

“So, what do you want to know about being a fairy?” Maya asks as she grabs a slice of her pizza.

“Whatever you can tell us. We just want to know whatever you guys know so that we’re prepared for the future, we’re already falling way behind and we have to attend school in Boston still until our parents can come up with a believable excuse for the whole school Populus to believe in Simone’s case and the teachers to believe in mine.”

“If she’s falling behind I never even started, she’s a freaking genius, sure a genius with almost every depressive and anxiety disorder under the sun but a genius and I haven’t handed in a single piece of homework yet so I’m screwed unless you tell us something useful,” Simone, rambled looking as though she may faint at any moment, kind of like her sister had when I asked about Tegan.

“OK. Let’s start from the beginning…” Maya started, prompting all of us to share our knowledge of the history of Magix and everything else they may need to know. I may or may not have wanted to screw this up but I want to destroy that girl on my own with no help from the teachers. She is my prey and I will go in for the kill just you wait and see.

After about an hour of explaining and more shopping, we headed back to Alfea so that we could all get ready for the ball and I could arrange my date. I just hope Tom won’t be you know Tom. Because being Tom usually means being an ass, as Simone had taught me earlier today.

This ball was going to be amazing.

#winx club #winx bloom #winx stella #winx flora #winx tecna #winx musa #winx aisha #winx layla #magical #winx daphne #magic #the fae #fae #faerie #fanfic #faeries #writing #My writing #TJ writes #fairies #fairy tales #fairy #fairy au #winx club au #loki #thor #Black Widow #tony stark #iron man #secrets

[kilroy-lucy]

well

Are they a good liar?: She’s a natural born liar.  Thoughts on tattoos, piercings?: Loves tattoos. Not big on piercings.  In which historical era would they like to live?: 70s. Do they like to watch movies? Read books?: Both. How do they act when they are sick?: Like she’s not sick.  Thoughts on one-night-stands?: She’s okay with them. Are they funny?: Maybe.  Are they scared easily?: No. Are they stubborn?: Oh yes. What would they do if they found out boyfriend/girlfriend was cheating on their best friend?: Punch her in the tit and film her apologizing to Stella.  Thoughts on abstinence?: BOOOOORING What would they do if their best friend told them they were doing drugs?: Just don’t inject anything.  If they drank a truth serum what would they say? What’s their biggest secret?: She’s a sensitive bean.  How would they take if their friend, family member, lover died?: She’d go crazy. Do they smoke?: Weed. Do they worry about physical appearance too much?: Always. The most extreme thing they’ve done?: Provoked her parents.  How are they under pressure?: Better. How would they react if they saw someone on the street being robbed?: I suddenly cannot see. How would they react if one day their best friend or boyfriend/girlfriend woke up and it turns out he/she has amnesia?: Get your shit together, Carol.  Thoughts on anal sex?: Ahhh. One thing they would never ever do, under any circumstances?: Inject anything.  Do they have any sexual fantasizes?: Yes. The weirdest place they had sex?: A haunted house.  If they can meet anyone on this earth, dead or alive, who would they want to meet?: Blair’s grandpa.  Would they rather travel to past or the future?: Past. In what movie, book, tv series would they enter if they could?: Hemlock Grove for Peter. What would they do if they won the lottery?: Party forever.  Who do they love more, mom or dad?: Dad.  If they are on the deserted island and they see a box, what would they like to be in that box?: Weed.  How do they express their love towards friends and family? (Presents, words, actions?): By looking at them.  Who is the most important person in their life?: Dad.  What powers would they like to have?: Mind control.  Do they like to travel?: She hates flying.  Where do they travel most often?: Florida.  How much luggage do they carry?: A backpack and checked luggage.  Favorite transportation?: Car.  Do they have a life motto? Or just a quote they really love?: “If you really want something you don’t stop for anyone or anything until you get it.” - Blair Waldorf  Do they and how do they work out?: Yoga with Blair  Do they sleepwalk?: No What’s their astrology sign?: Cancer  What’s their temperament?: Choleric What’s their personality type?: ESTP Do they know how to ice skate?: Yes Where was their favorite and where their worst vacation?: Favorite is always Miami, worst is anywhere she has to fly  Do they have a bad sexual experience?: Not particularly.  Do they masturbate?: Sometimes.  Biggest regret?: Hurting Ruby.  How do they dress?: Jeans, tank tops, jean jackets.  Who was their childhood love?: Dan  What they wanted to be when they grow up?: Nothing Who in their family do they like the most?: Dad Thoughts on abortion?: Okay  Biggest adventure?: Being someone’s girlfriend  How they react when someone offends their friend/boyfriend/sibling?: Expletives  How would they react if they found out they were pregnant?: Die Who would they tell first about the pregnancy?: Blair  Do they pay with cash or credit card?: Cash can’t be tracked, y’know? Best childhood memory?: Being the only child.  Worst childhood memory?: Realizing she was never going to be an only child again. Did they try weed?: Loves it.  Did they try more serious drugs?: She’s done pills.  Quirks?: Peeling split ends?  Pet peeves?: People that hug every time they see each other or leave each other.  Do they have any phobia?: No Do they have any mania?: Parties Are they allergic to something?: No Do they sing in the shower?: Who is she  What are they most embarrassed about?: Her clumsiness from Blair  Who they call when their car breaks in the middle of nowhere?: Ian With whom did they lose their virginity and where?: Ryan when she was thirteen at the park. How would they react if someone tried to rob them?: She’d fight.  Did they have any family tradition when they were young?: Fighting  Do they cry at weddings?: No Who do they like to spend more time with, significant other or friends?: Both What’s their theme song?: 7 Rings - Ariana Grande 

And now relationship questions.

Did they ever give/received a blowjob?: Given When did they say they love each other?: They haven’t.  Favorite memory with a boyfriend/girlfriend?: When she calls, he comes.  Biggest fight?: When she slapped him. Or when she cried.  Who usually starts the fight?: Her. What do they mostly fight about?: Ruby.  Who is most likely to cool off and forgive first after the fight?: Him. Who pays the wedding?: Harry would.  Where will they have they wedding? And when?: She hasn’t thought about this. What kind of dress will the bride be wearing? Jean skirt.  How old will they be?: Ideally, still young and pretty.  How will he purpose?: Wow.  How many kids will they have?: Ok, she’s not sold on kids yet.  Who will kids love more?:  Probably not her.  When did they meet each other’s parents and how?: She met his at Christmas. He met hers one Saturday night.  How do your character parents get along with his/hers boyfriend/girlfriend? Harry has murder eyes. How do your character parents get along with his/hers boyfriend/girlfriend’s parents? LOL Who cries over movies?: Not Lucy.  Who starts the snowball fight?: Ian.  Who is friendlier with neighbors?: Ian.  Who is more jealous?: Lucy.  Where did they have sex first?: Haunted house.  Who worries more about wedding plans?: Lucy.  Who would decorate the house?: Lucy.  Who cooks?: Not Lucy.  Who initiates things in the bedroom?: Lucy.  How often do they have sex?: A lot.  What’s the craziest place they had sex?: Spoopy.  Favorite nonsexual activity?: Getting food.  Who kills a spider and all the bugs?: Both.  Who drinks more?: Lucy.  Who steals the blanket in the middle of the night?: Lucy.  Who is more romantic?: Ian. Who falls asleep first?: Lucy.  Who wakes up first?: Lucy.  Who reads bedtime stories to the kids?: Not Lucy.  Who experiments more?: Lucy.  Who is louder?: Lucy.  Who is more of a risk taker?: Lucy.  Who is more patient?: Ian. Do they have some kind of rituals? Not yet at least.  Who makes all the travel plans, books the tickets and packs the suitcase?: It’d be Lucy.  Where do they go on honeymoon?: She’d want to go to Paris.  Who likes to take pictures more?: Both.  When they are going together somewhere, who is driving?: Ian. The first thing they noticed about boyfriend/girlfriend?: His mouth.  Do they lie in the relationship?: Yes. Does their boyfriend/girlfriend check out other people on the street? If so, how do they react?: She will cut him. Would they forgive adultery?: Probs.  Would they confess adultery?: Maybe. Have they ever fantasized about someone else during sex? Who?: No. Do they take showers together?: Totally.  Perfect date?: Hiking.  How do they spend anniversaries?: Haven’t had one.  Favorite date?: Well.  In what moment did they realized that they love each other?: Well. 

#c;life

[bitter-cosmos]

After reading your Coco post and seeing what you had to say about Miguel actually acting like a kid (saw the film already, it was great), can you please list some examples of child characters that actually behave like children, as well as child characters that don't act their age? Asking because I have this big idea for a story which has three main protagonists that are kids.

hoo boy, that’s an interesting inquiry! here are some personal characters to list (from both animation and live-action); these are pretty good “kid characters that act like kids):Olivia (Great Mouse Detective)Hogarth (The Iron Giant)Greg and Wirt (Over the Garden Wall)Lilo (Lilo and Stitch)The Losers Club (IT 2017)Gosalyn (Darkwing Duck)The Brisby Children (Secret of NIMH)  Gus and Rosie (Troll in Central Park)The main cast from Land Before TimeAnne-Marie (All Dogs Go To Heaven— Don Bluth movies in general tend to have believable little little kid characters)Russel (UP)Dash (The Incredibles)Fly, Stella, and Chuck (Help! I’m a Fish)The DigiDestined (Digimon season 1)Penny (The Rescuers)Madeline (1998 film)Chihiro (Spirited Away)Charlie Brown and friends (Peanuts)

And those are just to name a few.  (If anyone’s got others in mind, tell me because I love kid characters!)

For many adults (especially working in visual fiction), writing kid characters can seem extremely difficult as they tend to lean more on the tropes of “naive little hyperactive person” and that’s basically it most of the time. Either that, or you get instances like Harry Potter and every anime in existence where the kids seem more like tiny 40 year old adults in the way they speak and act. It’s like a meter where one end is “over the top excited little moron” and the other is “literally just a middle-aged adult basically like what”.

Even before I got a job working around kids and teaching and stuff, it’s clear what can make kid characters separate from KID characters: understanding the maturity of their age (especially in our modern day) and remembering that… well… kids are NOT stupid. They are curious, but they are not stupid. And children also have PERSONALITIES. They have likes, they have dislikes, they have goals, they have interests, have flaws to their personalities, they have friends and enemies and love things and hate things and they can UNDERSTAND SCENARIOS THAT COULD SEEM INTENSE. They are capable of understanding when something is dangerous or scares them, just as they are able to understand things that bring them and the people around them lots of joy. They don’t see a dog get kicked then go “Mommyyyyyy? Why did the little fluffy butt fall down?” (or whatever). They are also able to grasp when something is too much for them when they were so sure they got the gist of things. They can change their minds, they can prioritize.

(And, from a kids’ guide to you: … kids… love… violence. NOT REAL VIOLENCE, but like, cartoon violence. They love seeing fighting and death in animated films and they love seeing bad guys DIE. It’s damn wild. A lot of kids also tend to enjoy seeing “scary” things in animated films because it allows them to feel challenged - of course, though, it’s not for all kids. And I’m talking 2nd grade to 5th grade here.) A lot of kids also tend to enjoy feeling “like adults” so they might often be caught showing off swear words (which is a tremendous no-no so like… try to tell them “Hey. We don’t say that.”)

I wish you luck with your project!!

PS: Kid Characters that DON’T act like kids (And no, this list doesn’t mean I dislike the characters; I just personally don’t think they act like believable kids):Steven (Steven Universe)Morty (Rick and Morty)Harry, Ron, Hermione (Harry Potter - years 1,2,3)animeDipper and Mabel (Gravity Falls)Star and Marco (Star vs The Forces Of Evil)Huey, Dewey, Louie, Webby (Ducktales 2017)Game of Thrones kids

- mod s

#hope you see this breh #Anonymous

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #453

Top Ten Films That Make Me Happy

So every once in a while I do one of these things and the world ends up moving so fast that between me having an idea, writing the list, and it going up on Tumblr of a weekend, the plates have shifted and it doesn’t seem quite as relevant anymore. I remember listing ten films I wanted to see because cinemas were reopening; I think only two of them ever actually saw the inside of a Cineworld. And so we have this week; when I came up with the idea for the list, I thought either we’d all be in a celebratory mood, or else need commiserating. And at the time of writing, it’s looking – thankfully – that we’ll have enough reasons to be cheerful to be getting along with. But who knows? If you’re reading this on Saturday there may be a new president, or maybe the old one’s bombed China.

It’s a funny old world.

Anyway, like I said, my initial thought was that, in this time of darkness, we might need a little light; that everything is rather remorselessly grim and difficult, and we could do with a bit of cheering up. We’re all back in lockdown, the idiots are in charge, and Halo Infinite was delayed till next year. Lots of crap is going on. And, yes, fingers crossed, maybe we will be celebrating the Idiot in Chief getting booted out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue before too long, but life has taught me never to count chickens, and you can always do with a little restorative nip in your pocket, just in case. And what is a good curative for the blues? A fillum.

Yes, feel-good films. Cheerer-uppers. Movies that make ya happy. There are lots of them, of course; it’s practically a genre. But one man’s meat is another man’s poison, and one man’s (end of) It’s a Wonderful Life is another man’s (middle section of) It’s a Wonderful Life. Which is to say that what makes me happy might not make you happy. I found this when doing a bit of research for this list; as is common, I often have quite a few ideas when I’ve thought of a topic, but I like to Google it (or Bing it, as I get Microsoft Reward Points and I’m saving up for a few months of Game Pass), just in case there’s some obvious film that has escaped my mental grasp. In this case what I found was some of the films that people consider to be uplifting are downright weird – Forrest Gump? Really? And a lot of truly mediocre romcoms seem to float people’s happiness boats, from the wildly uneven Love Actually to the tepid You’ve Got Mail to the overlong and overly twee The Holiday (a film which I hated on first watch but which has grown on me, Stockholm-style, as I’ve seen it over and over again every year). And some people even list stuff like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars or Pirates of the Caribbean; good movies, true, but are they feel-good? I mean, loads of people die in all those films; in one of them an actual planet blows up. I know we like zombie monkeys and Harrison Ford in a waistcoat, but they’re not really the most relentlessly cheerful films, are they?

Or are they? I mean, when I got right down to it, there were quite a few blowy-uppy pictures that are genuine comfort blankets for me (Air Force One, which I watched so much at one point that I used to fall comfortably asleep to it when I was on my own, nearly made the cut). So, y’know, who am I to judge? I think what makes us feel comfortable, happy, and upbeat can be wildly diverse and erratic, even within our own taste window.

And really that’s what I was after here; comfort movies, films that uplift or inspire or just, well, make you smile. Not just because we’ve blown up the Death Star or because Tom Hanks has snogged Meg Ryan again. But there’s something about the film, from its story to its characters to its composition, that is continuously joyful.

So whether we’re lifting a glass in celebration or drowning our sorrows with an armful of Stella, here’s to the films that make us feel better. Chin up, folks. It might never happen!

Paddington 2 (2017): what is it about this film that evokes such joy? I’d say everything, from the script to the performances to the music to the shot choices. The bad guy is funny, the dire situations rarely threatening, almost everyone is nice, and it ends with a redemption and a musical number. Beyond all that, though, Paddington himself is such a supernova of absolute goodness that you can’t help but feel optimistic just by watching him. It’s perfect, really.

WALL-E (2008): a film that starts with the end of the world but it gets better. It’s a cinematic joy, the virtually dialogue-free opening giving us dystopic vistas and a real sense of mood. But it’s WALL-E himself who brings the real feels, a mechanical wonder who does nothing but make other people happy and improve their lives almost by accident. he saves the human race and the planet simply by trying to be nice to one person at a time, and that’s a hell of an optimistic message.

When Harry Met Sally (1989): far sarkier than the other two films, and obviously a bit more, well, grown up (we all know what you must not do with Mister Zero), this is nonetheless a beautiful film. A slow-burning romance between two friendly, funny people, witticisms flying from every mouth, some absolute, genuine emotional stakes that you really, really care about, and the single most romantic ending a film has ever had.

Groundhog Day (1993): let’s face it, it’s the best film either Harold Ramis or Bill Murray has ever been involved in, and I bought every issue of Transformers/Ghostbusters. A tour-de-force of cynicism and sourness from Murray, but he gradually unravels (in more ways than one), becoming a happier and better person. It’s funny, it’s sweet, and the complexities of its chronally-displaced plot means there’s loads you can unpick. Masterfully written, directed, and edited, and that’s some of its joy, too.

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994): the Coens have, obviously, made a lot of very good films, and not all of them are darkly serious (No Country) or darkly hilarious (Fargo); they also have lighter fare, but none as floaty-light or so supremely joyous as Hudsucker. The script is pure screwball but also a precisely-honed, fast-spoken, Golden Age charm; the performances are all fantastic (we also get the best Lois Lane, Perry White, and Steve Lombard scene ever shot, and it’s not even in a Superman film). Look, it’s hilarious, it’s arch, it’s fantastically put-together, and it’s actually, genuinely hopeful and optimistic. It’s my favourite Coen Brothers movie.

Singin' in the Rain (1952): I’ve always got a lot of love for movies about Old Hollywood, but Singin’ isn’t really some kind of backstage satire; really, it’s a story about love, honesty, and creativity – movies are just the backdrop. But it’s the songs. Let’s face it, it’s the songs – and dances. These are some of the most joyous songs put to celluloid, and Gene Kelly absolutely attacks them from all sides. But I’ve gotta say, my favourite number is probably Donald O’Connor running up the walls in “Make ‘Em Laugh”.

Strictly Ballroom (1992): there’s a personal touch to this one, as my wife and I chose “Love is in the Air” for the first dance at our wedding. But there’s more to this film than memories of me being a shit dancer: it’s a supremely romantic film, possibly the most enjoyable straight-up romance from Luhrmann’s Red Curtain trilogy (spoiler alert: no one dies). A great underdog tale, two kids taking down a corrupt system, a story of the unlikely girl nabbing the hot guy; it’s timeless, it’s well-told, and its unusual setting (ballroom dancing competitions in Australia) gives it an extra kick.

My Neighbour Totoro (1988):  Ghibli films often present us with a nicer, fairer world, where even the nasty monsters are there to teach us important lessons, or at the very least plucky kids can do the right thing and save the day. Totoro is different in that there isn’t an antagonist; there isn't much drama or, really, plot. It’s two very small girls dealing with a complex life situation, and also a giant bear-monster thing with a massive mouth who could be scary but is actually really nice and magical and saves the day because the girls deserve it, and also there’s a hollow cat that’s also a bus. It’s fantastic, but it’s also so nice, just a load of nice people and nice monsters being nice to each other, and if – let's say – the elements can be good, can't we be good too?

Die Hard (1988): yeah, okay, contradiction corner; a supremely violent and sweary action movie that makes me “feel good”. Is it the bit where he throws a bomb down a lift? Or shoots a dude from beneath a table? Or when Ellis dies? Honestly, yeah, there’s a little bit of that; the action stuff is so well-done. But it’s also a film with a ton of heart and soul and wit and life. John McClane is a masterpiece of character design, a gruff cop with a heart of gold, a capable action hero but also a working-class schmo who just wants to try to get back with his wife. He struggles and bleeds and doubts himself; he’s not a superman. The villains are incredible, with great lines and great designs and a great scheme; you care about these guys, they’re interesting. There's a part of you that wants Gruber to get away as much as you want John and Holly to get back together. It's a Christmas movie, all about family and forgiveness, and It's just plain fun, uncynical and sentimental and really, really funny. It's the best action movie ever made, I watch it every year, and it brings me great, great comfort and joy.

The American President (1995): oh no, too soon! But I couldn’t include The West Wing in a list of feel-good films, so this is the next best thing; smart public servants being smart, as well as moral and just, wearing their immense power with the right amount of humility. Sorkin really believes in the majesty of the office of President, and the founding myth of America and what that means, and he makes you believe in it too. His dialogue is, of course, exceptional, witty bon-mots and one-liners, but the love story is great too; two people finding each other later in life and trying to make it work despite everything. So it’s a great film, a funny film, a sweet film, a romantic film, but also kinda important; a film that makes you aspire to higher ideals, that gives you hope and confidence in the institutions of government.  I suppose it is a fantasy – God knows, the last four years have shaken these institutions to their very core, over here as much as in the States – but The American President can make you believe again.

There you go. Ten films that just make me happy if I'm down, or cement that happiness if I'm already in the mood. All of these films, you’ll notice, are also very, very good; not some kind of “guilty pleasure” (if such a thing exists; don’t pleasure-shame!). Funnily enough, it’s the quality of the films that adds to their charm; I appreciate the craft as much as the plot or theme or performances.  Like when I watch American President (or, more accurately, The West Wing) and I just enjoy seeing people good at their jobs be good at their jobs, then watching a well-made film makes me happy because I like seeing people good at their jobs be good at their jobs.

Anyway. Tear yourself away from Twitter, stop refreshing fivethirtyeight.com, pour yourself a drink, and – hopefully – make yourself happy this weekend. Unless you voted for Trump, then you can get in a bin.

#top ten #feel-good films #feel-good movies #movies #happy #optimism #biden #harris