#“my sister is a lovely singer but she’s no Ariana grande”

[tsuchinokoroyale]

Bedhead 🐮👅

[redwinelew]

espresso | charles leclerc

social media au. southeast asian + singer!reader

summary the prince of monza attends the eras tours and finds himself completely whipped over a certain female popstar.

face claim lalisa manoban

song espresso by sabrina carpenter

warnings none just fluff and charles being a simp.

author's note reader is the opening act for taylor swift's eras tour. implied to be thai (since lisa is one) and is a solo artist and not a member of any kpop group.

all pictures taken from instagram and pinterest. credit to owners.

[masterlist]

twitter!

yn just made a post!

📍 Singapore

liked by charles_leclerc, taylorswift and 4,638,857 others

ynln singapore, you were a delight. it's always good to be back here. terima kasih ❤️

view all 19,314 comments

user1 YN I LOVE YOU

user2 this outfit ate

charles_leclerc you were amazing ❤️❤️ such a pleasure to meet you and see you performed last night

ynln charles_leclerc thank you!! it was nice meeting you as well ❤️❤️

user3 charles_leclerc ARIANA WHAT ARE U DOING HERE

user4 charles_leclerc i KNOW my boy was giggling and kicking his feet when he got that reply

landonorris user4 sitting next to him right now and I can confirm this

user5 landonorris LANDO PLS 😭😭😭😭

user6 landonorris WHAT ARE U DOING HERE

user7 landonorris LMFAO HELP????

user8 landonorris not u exposing charles 😭😭

user9 COME TO PHILIPPINES PLS

twitter!

ynln just made a post!

liked by pascalispunk, f1 and 5,789,262 others

ynln thank you f1 and scuderiaferrari for an unforgettable night at the singapore grand prix ❤️❤️ and congratulations landonorris for the win!

tagged f1, scuderiaferrari, charles_leclerc, carlossainz55 and ferraristyle

view all 30,682 comments

user1 YN X FERRARI I'M UPPPPPP

user2 the sneak pic of charles and carlos 😭😭

user3 charles_leclerc u just lost in front of your crush are u not embarrassed

user4 user3 wait he likes her?

user3 user4 i mean nothing's confirmed but meeting yn backstage after the concert, arriving late at the paddock on race day...... it's obvious that this boy has a crush lol

user5 user3 i have a crush on yn too he's not not special

user3 user5 😭😭

user6 sister is GLOWING

user7 user6 she always does whenever she's near her home. u can't get that southeast asian pollution glow anywhere else 🙏🏼

user8 user7 HELP 😭😭

user9 IT GIRLLLL

charles_leclerc just made a post!

📍 Marina Bay, Singapore

liked by ynln, cassieyeungmoney and 1,242,646 others

charles_leclerc P5. Not the result we wanted from the race. Maybe it's the jetlag and humidity for me haha. Will never get used to them. Congratulations to landonorris for the win. We're determined to come back stronger for the next race 💪🏻 Forza Ferrari

view all 7,526 comments

user1 not the jet lag 😭😭

user2 u did so well charles we're proud of u 🫶🏼

user3 come on we all know why u didn't perform last night and it was not the jetlag or the humidity

user4 you're laughing. you woke up late on race day after attending some concert and for p5 and you're laughing

user6 user5 i love charles but i can't even defend him on this one

user7 user6 he should have known better smh

user8 user7 the teams need to lock their drivers in their rooms so shit like this won't happen again

user9 user4 i think you're being a little too harsh

user4 user9 i'm not being harsh enough

user10 user9 omg you're not his mother ffs 😭😭 ppl make mistakes. i'm sure charles will learn from this one

user11 user10 💯!! charles is a human being too just like the rest of us. don't pretend like u never did a dumb thing the night before your final exam

user12 he probably couldn't sleep thinking about yn after that concert lol — liked by ynln!

user12 user12 GUYS YN JUST LIKED MY COMMENT@?_;#?#?

user13 user12 WHAT

user14 user12 SAY SIKE RN

user12 user14 IM SERIOUS

user15 user12 what the hell is she doing lurking around here 😭😭

user16 user15 probably stalking charles after last night's race lol

user15 user16 this is so embarrassing for him lmfao

user17 user15 i mean i don't think i would be able to sleep after meeting a pretty girl like that either but maybe that's just me — liked by charles_leclerc!

user17 user17 DID CHARLES JUST LIKE MY REPLY??????

user18 user17 the way he just confirmed your thought 😭😭

user17 user18 bro is not even trying to hide it atp 😭😭

ynln just made a post!

liked by teoyoo, justinhmin and 8,267,948 others

ynln espresso. 29.9. 💋☕

view all 109,278 comments

user1 ANOTHER BOP COMING

user2 *spongebob voice* I'M READY I'M READY I'M READY I'M READY

user3 oh girlie went BLONDE for this one

user4 user3 whenever she has a blonde hair for her song it always hits different i can't explain it.

user3 user4 FRFR she hasn't done it in a while i'm so excited

user5 SONG OF THE SUMMER

user6 user5 bestie it's september

user5 user6 i don't care 🙏🏼

user7 so so in love with the aesthetic already

twitter!

instagram!

author's note — out of all my smaus i think this is the one i'm most proud of 🤎🤎 don't forget to reblog and comment if you enjoyed it!!

[azrakaban]

Theodore nott fluffy dating head canons please 🥺🥺🥺🥺

AGH YES YIPPEE I LOVE WRITING THESE I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS

Theodore Nott Headcanons <3

Let's get right into it with some basic Theo headcanons, and then some dating ones too!

- Deffo has a Bernese Mountain dog back at home tbh, his mum loved them and got one before she died, and he loves that dog because it's all he really has left of her presence in his home

- Besties with Mattheo since they were both really little

- His mum died when he was eight, in childbirth, when giving birth to his little sister.

- his family is the Slytherin equivalent of the Weasleys, but reversed. He has four older sisters, and two younger sisters.

- Forces Mattheo to help him babysit his sisters

- Lapses into Italian when he gets tired

- Deffo sleeptalks in Italian, and when you first started dating you probably got so confused 😭

- He's really irritating when teaching you Italian, he'll throw in a word into his sentence and then make you look it up in a dictionary

- For sure loves dancing, whether or not you're good, if you're alone and there's music, call yourself Ginger Rogers

- Big fan of hand holding, he likes the feeling of having you that close.

- Hilarious when drunk, drunk words sober thoughts fr. He'll insult Draco's bleach, but then look at you and be like "Amore mio! guarda Matteo, guarda com'è bella! Aspetta, cosa stai facendo? Smettila di guardare la mia ragazza!" (My love! Look Mattheo, look how beautiful she is! Wait, stop looking at my girl!)

- Definitely a cat person besides his Bernese, and would adopt a black cat ASAP

- Would totally be an animagus, probably a black cat or a wolf

- If wolf, he'd maybe let you ride on his back. Only if he was in a good mood though.

- His music taste: Classical, specifically Beethoven, chase Atlantic, Coldplay. Guilty pleasure is Ariana Grande.

- Love language? Teaching you Italian for sure. Although does give presents randomly if he feels like it, but not too often.

- Definitely ambidextrous, and will help you write your homework. He learns how to mimic your handwriting so that if you don't feel good, he can do your homework for you

- convinced he sleeps with so many blankets that trying to find him in that MESS of a bed is impossible 😭

- actually apologises to your teddies if they fall of your bed

- reads poetry to calm down and will write it about you (you'll never see it though)

- definitely the designated driver most of the time 😭

- he's got snacks stashed all over the castle incase you two get hungry but you'll never know where he's hiding them 😭

- he has a resting bitch face until you're in the room

- queen of accidental photo bombs and there is not a single cute picture of you two no matter how

- pookie CANNOT swim. Don't even get him to try 🤡

- he's an ambivert, so mainly introverted with people he doesn't know, but is actually the clown of the group (him and Mattheo)

- He can play cello and double bass, but only plays for you if you ask

- actually the biggest hopeless romantic, Mr Darcy type shit

- Insanely good singer, and will sing to you in Italian

- good at herbology, took it for OWLS and NEWTs and became friends with Neville through it, they partner every day

- his favourite colour is navy

- Will speak Italian to Mattheo, who can speak it too, just to be funny. Like he'll be glaring at Draco and saying to Mattheo:

"So you think firewhiskey is worse than Muggle tequila?"

"Uh yeah, why are we glaring at Draco?"

"I want him to think we're shit talking him. So do you eat crackers when you drink or not?"

"No, gross. Nutella pancakes."

"Sounds... surprisingly good."

- He cannot wink, so he'll pass you a note in class and try but it looks like he's got something in his eye because both his eyes start twitching 😭

- He thinks pick up lines are shit, and won't use them. He will however ask you out politely and take you on a date or a few before he asks you to be his partner.

Hope this is what you were looking for! Love and thanks for the request <3

[descendantsramblings]

Hi, i love your writing, could you do Hades x AK reader where reader is the sister of one of the AK but she doesn't go to Merlyn Academy because she is a famous singer, just like Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande, and she started daiting Hades after meeting him on family day.

They're relationship is a secret because reader doesn't want paparazzi to know her secret life, but one day they where on a date before readers tour and the paparazzis take photos on them. The next day all Merlyn Academy knew about Hades and reader and the VK didn't want to know anything about him because they fell he betray them but he didn't care.

At the end of the day Hades is at the backstage of your tour and is watching you sing, specially the loves songs reader write about him, when the tour end reader is running throw backstage, like Taylor with Joe at the reputation tour, and when she finds him she kiss him and they go to they're apartment.THANKS 💕

This might actually be the most creative request I have ever gotten. I really have to hand that to you, respect where respect is due.

I’m also changing it to be that Hades and the crew are freshmen in college since you requested they live together but I’m keeping the rest of your request the same 🩵

Also!! It’s a early 2000s AU so for my own personal enjoyment, Sue me ig

Hitting Every Mark

Hades x Charming!Reader

Pronouns Used: she/her/hers

Summary: turns out she never had anything to worry about with her fans; they love her partner as much as she does

Warnings: secret relationships, pet names (yes Hades calling her songbird is a reference to Hadestown), Hook and Hades are being vulgar at one point (mentions of vibrators but it’s so obviously a joke), swearing, reader is shorter than Hades

Word Count: 3.6K

This shouldn’t feel so hard. She’d left for shows enough times that being in her apartment hadn’t felt like home for years. Then again, it wasn’t just her apartment anymore. (Y/n) Charming hadn’t felt at home in years. She and her parents were never all that close, their precious crown Prince was always away at some sort of boarding school, there was really no home to go to. Not with Christopher in classes in Camelot, and yet, somehow going to see him is what granted her that feeling of home again. His Junior year’s family day somehow took her from just being her manager and private tutor’s problem to being someone who was loved. Albeit secretly loved but with her job, what else could she be? She’d spent the last year and a half fighting tooth and nail to be loved, to keep something as just her’s and not the media’s. This was a love she couldn’t lose.

Of course, the lifestyles of the rich and the famous must always come with complaining. And her’s came in the form of paparazzi waiting outside an amusement park. Of course people would recognize her there, it was her mistake thinking that sunglasses and a snapback would be enough to mask who she was. And that’s how her darling boyfriend somehow managed to become her “bodyguard” at least on paper. No need to screw with their reputations. For the daughter of the Charming line to be with a villain was blasphemous, and how would her fans feel about her dating the god of the underworld? Her PA had warned her enough that Hades would never be good for her image. He didn’t mind being hidden though, Hades had no interest in a bunch of screaming young girls and horny teenage boys knowing who he was. He’d much rather be his girlfriend’s partner from the comfort of their own bubble. Even if that meant he had to hear his friends be some of the horny teenage boys that talked about his girl. Morgie and Hook seemed to take some odd satisfaction in arguing over which of them could actually get her to say yes to going out with them, not that either boy was her type. Then there was the idea of Maleficent and Uliana and how much they seemed to hate every pop girl in the media. Hades is sure he’d snap on them if they spoke ill of his girlfriend knowing how much he loved her.

Standing there in that airport though, her face nuzzled into his neck like it was every night for the past two months, Hades wishes he could scream out his love for her from the rooftops. How was he meant to make it two months with nothing but sporadic calls from her when he’d gotten so used to waking up to her humming in the kitchen? This should not be this hard, they’d been long distance for almost two years, why was this so hard?

“You’re sure you can’t come with me?” Her voice is meek from her place against his neck, taking in the rough feeling of his stubble against her cheek as if she’d never feel it again. “My classes start in two weeks, (Y/n).” It makes her whine against him, placing a needy little kiss right over his carotid, “Come for two weeks then. It’ll get you through my kingdom and Corona, that’s something.” His grip tightens on her waist and for a minute she thinks he might be considering it. “Songbird, stop teasing me. You know I need to be here,” his tone is soft, almost longing in a way that pulls on her heart. “Making me leave my heart at home is cruel, my love,” she whines, peppering a few more kisses across the expanse of his neck before she pulls away. Looking over Hades’ face as if she was debating something.

It was an airport right before fall semester started at every university in the area, surely no one would think twice about two eighteen year olds kissing goodbye in the middle of it, would they? No way anyone would care to notice how cozy (Y/n) Charming was getting with her bodyguard, right? Whether it be stupidity or need, she can’t help but reach for his face, palm pressed into day old stubble as she tips onto her toes, leaning into warm and soft lips. The kiss is slow, his hands on her hips to hold her still as her other hand finds his neck. Needy and yet somehow as steady as every good morning kiss the two have shared since Hades moved in with her. “I’m gonna miss you,” her voice is nearly a whine as she breaks away from him and he can’t help the frown that pulls on his lips. “I’ll miss you more, songbird. I’ll be at your Camelot show though, you’ll know where I am in the crowd.” Another whine slips from her lips as she untangles the two of them, “That’s months from now.” “I’ll call,” it’s a promise as he places one last kiss on her forehead and turns her around, “Now go get on that jet before your band comes out to beat me.”

💫✨🎙️✨💫

Hades should have known better than letting himself genuinely kiss the woman he loves in public. He should have been smarter, said goodbye to her in his car. But he didn’t, he let himself fall into blind trust. It was college season, he should have been just another young adult blending into the crowd. Of course not though, not when paparazzi was looking for his girlfriend everywhere. He should have known being with someone on the same level as Britney Spears and No Doubt would mean he’d never be safe from the public eye again. And yet, when Uliana throws that trashy tabloid down in front of him, Hades still holds some form of shock.

“(Y/n) Charming seen getting cozy with her new Bodyguard” stands out across the cover in a bright and honestly obnoxious yellow and red font. It’s coupled with a picture of them kissing in the airport, his hands planted firmly on her hips as she damn near hangs off his neck. It’s a touch less cozy and a lot more needy to see from the outside than it had felt to the two of them. And he feels a little sick knowing someone felt that they had the right to take pictures of the two of them like that. As if that wasn’t a personal moment, as if he wasn’t bleeding his heart out to send her somewhere without him.

“What, pray-tell, is this?” She’s tapping a fingernail against the photo of (Y/n)’s face with a raised brow. Glaring down at Hades as if he committed some crime against her. He raises an eyebrow, leaning back with his arms crossed over his chest as he flares at her, “Well, Uliana, what does it look like?” The girl huffs looking over him as if waiting for something else to follow his words. “Well?” He hums it, giving her a lazy smirk as he looks up. “I knew that little princess hiring you as a bodyguard smelt fishy but really Hades, a popstar? Do you have no self respect?” He watches as Hook and Morgie seem to circle in now, eyeing the tabloid that sits on the library table before him with oddly proud smirks on their faces.

“Are you sure that you weren’t just smelling yourself, Uliana? Nothing has been fishy about my arrangements. I make an excellent bodyguard.” The response makes Hook chuckle, cutting his eyes to the god from the magazine, “Bodyguard? What are you protecting her from, Hades? A vibrator?” He knows he shouldn’t, god Hades knows he should watch his mouth, but he’s already buried himself anyway, “Vibrators are friends not foe, Hook.” It comes with a wink, making the pirate laugh harder as he shakes his head. “Hades with the (Y/n) Charming, I always thought it would be me.” Morgie seems to be laughing too, holding the page as he looks it over, “I knew she liked guys taller than her, Hook. Hades though, didn’t expect that one.”

The three boys seeing it as a joke just seems to infuriate Uliana, the girl snatching her magazine back as she glares at him. “Do you think I’m okay with you being with a popstar? A princess popstar at that?” And his brow raises again, sending a glare to the girl as he lazily waves, “Uliana, do you really think I care if you’re okay with my relationship?” She scoffs, leaning forward on the table, resting on her elbows as she looks at him with her own raised brow, “Well you must have, lying to us about being her bodyguard.” Hades rolls his eyes, leaning onto his own arms, “Uliana, I have never cared what you thought of me. Our relationship has been a secret because she doesn’t want the press to put their noses in it, and with your big mouth,” he lets his words fall off. Best to leave the quiet parts to their silence.

It earns a smirk from Hook though, “Oh, so she’s embarrassed of you, aye Lad? None of my lasses ever hid me.” “Yeah, and none of them ever wanted to sail the seven seas with you more than once either, have they, Captain?” He stands up, gathering his belongings with the roll of his eyes, “Now if you don’t mind me, I’m going back to my and my girlfriend’s apartment. She’s supposed to call in an hour and service is shit in this library.”

💫✨🎙️✨💫

To say that (Y/n)’s fans went crazy to finally know who her muse had been for her last album would be an understatement. They had been grasping at straws, throwing out guesses of actors and princes and pop stars she was friends with, just graveling for who it could be. But for their bubblegum pop princess to be with a punk, especially for that punk to be the god of the underworld? They were going crazy. And her PA had apologized to her personally, because they loved Hades. Twitter had called their relationship “so Avril” more than once, absolutely begging for more pictures of the couple. With Hades’ permission -which he granted way more readily than she expected- the princess had posted a few pictures the couple took on her digital camera. One of him kissing her cheek, one Christopher took of her thrown over Hades’ shoulder at the beach, one they took the night he asked her to be his girlfriend, the two of them dressed up and standing in the mirror of her bedroom. They were all so domestic with real smiles, not the ones she’d throw up for journalists and her fans were loving it. By now she’d seen enough reposts of the photos captioned with lyrics to “Skater boy” to know that there was never a real reason for her to worry.

Something about their love for her relationship made performing the songs feel even more special, more personal. They weren’t just secret love songs anymore, they had a face. They had as much of a home as she did, and the fans knew it. Part of her should be terrified, she knows that. Hades was being led to the slaughter the second he agreed to be posted to her Twitter and yet, he still said yes. He told her to put his neck on the chopping block, allowed himself to be seen and vulnerable, and that was a sacrifice on its own. Now her tour had one last performance until she’d be falling back into the God’s arms, back into their bed. And she’d go crazy if it was anything more. Even then she’s pretty sure she’s going crazy now. As she sits there, makeup artists and hairstylist and her personal stylist running rampant around her, sucking on a Grether’s Pastille from her spot on vocal rest, (Y/n) is both anxious and relieved.

Not that she didn’t enjoy performing, lord only knows that the “Flaming Attraction” tour was her favorite tour she’s been on since she started down this road at thirteen. That playing love songs and dancing with the best backup she’s ever had, in her four outfit changes with her expensive set was enough to keep her flaming heart on fire. But she’s pretty sure she’s never needed her lover this badly in the two years she’s known him. That’s the funny thing about living with someone, isn’t it? Your want grows to become need and the need twists into desperation. And now as a tear away gown is being fastened over her little two piece set, lashes being pressed to the underside of her lash line, she only has two hours until she’s back where she belongs. And that’s enough to put more pep than she’d ever need in her step.

“Someone’s excited,” Janice, her hair stylist, coos while running a hand over her arm and the girl can’t help but smile. “Special guest in the VIP section tonight, right? Isn’t it his first show?” She nods the smile breaking across her face to show her teeth as her phone goes off. The sound of Avenge Sevenfold’s “Hail to the King” filling the room as she fumbles for the hot pink Razor that sits on her vanity, pulling against the hands on her hair. Flicking it open and pressing it to her ear with the cheekiest smile the stylists have ever seen on her face. She offers up a hum, which that alone is enough to make her vocal coach cut her a look. No speaking until she’s on stage, she knows the drill well enough by now. “Hey songbird, I know you’re not allowed to talk but I had to tell you that your openers are shit. That’s all, I can’t wait to see you hit the stage, gorgeous, I love you.” And he’s hanging up as quickly as he called, the girl flicking her phone back closed as she looks at her vocal coach, this knowing and petty smile on her lips.

“I take it that you’ve explained how vocal rest works to him?” And she nods, raising a brow as if to challenge the man. “My mistake, I should have known you’d have your arm candy trained. You always train them well.” Of course she does, (Y/n) could never be with someone who didn’t understand and respect her schedule, that’s why she and Hades worked so well. It was based on respect, and even if he hated pop music, Hades had an underworld’s worth of respect for her, something she adored. Suddenly there’s a call for them to move to under the stage and this intense bubble of nerves wells up in the princess’s gut. Hades has seen her performances of course, but it was on MTV, never has he seen her live. And yeah he’s heard her sing, to him and him alone. Listened to her play guitar from the couch or their bed as she wrote. Never has he been the same room as her like this, she was terrified.

As fast as the thought enters her head she’s forced to push it back. Crouched under her stage, bedazzled microphone in hand as she sends one last smile to her team. Her in ear begins to beep, a warning noise that she’d soon be up. Then comes the opening track of her first song of the night, and finally “And five, four, three, two.” Her platform begins to rise with the sound of her audio tech’s voice, bringing her into one of the largest crowds she’s ever played. The pop princess forces a smile to her face and raises her microphone, her show must go on, right?

💫✨🎙️✨💫

As the second act of her three act show reaches it’s final song, (Y/n) finds herself climbing into the railings of her flying stage. Baby blue acoustic guitar in hand as her dancers lock the cage around her, successfully securing her into the mechanism. “So, for this next song, I’m going to ask something of you. If you have a lighter or any type of flashlight tonight, do you think you could put it up for me? Just for this song? As I’m sure a lot of you know now, ‘Flaming Attraction’ was much more of a literal title than you’d think.” The words come with a giggle, watching her crowd light up in little blips of flames and led lights. Eyes patiently searching until they find the VIP section. That electric blue flicker making her smile impossibly wider as she stares.

“So I’m sure some of you can see him, but this actually is someone very special to me’s first show of mine. If you do see him, I’m sure this outfit makes a lot more sense,” she giggles again waving down to reference over herself. With a soft shimmy of her hips she shows off the dress. A black satin number with blue tulle that races up her legs in an imitation of flames. Doing the best she could to imitate her lover’s powers and aesthetics against her own. Hand delicately reaching for the sapphire gem held against her neck, “So this song up until about a week before release was going to fully be acoustic, but my team and I decided it was best to give it a full production last minute. This is the original production of ‘Flaming Attraction’ I hope you love it as much as I do!”

It takes just about all her willpower not to focus on Hades the entire song. Eyes steady flickering to the electric blue flames that inspired the very song she was singing. An odd sense of pride welling in her chest everytime she looked at him. He was there, actually genuinely there, with no goal but seeing her shine. As she nears the bridge she pauses, pulling her mic closer. “Okay, this is my favorite bridge I’ve ever written, so if you know it I’m asking you to sing with me right now.” And this time, as she lets herself focus on him, smiling as she sings a cheesy little love song about how he lit her heart on fire with burning desire.

💫✨🎙️✨💫

“Camelot, I think you might be the best crowd I had for this entire tour,” she’s beaming into the mic, excitedly tapping a hand against her thigh as she speaks. She’d watched security grab Hades to bring him back behind the stage halfway through her last song. Just this final goodbye and she’d be in his arms. “I’m so serious, I wouldn’t want to finish this tour with anyone else! Can you give me that last bit of your energy real quick and give my amazing dancers a round of applause for their insane work on this tour?” With her in ear hanging by her head she can hear the thunderous roar her crowd sends to them as they run off stage. “And I would be nothing without my support, can we all thank my insanely talented singers for carrying this tour?” It earns her another round of roaring applause, smiling as they leave. “And where would music be without the band? Let me hear you!” It’s no shock to her that the band gets the loudest cheers, they basically had their own mini fandom beneath her. A large smile plasters itself across her face, smiling to her crowd, “And I’m (Y/n), consider me Charmed by you Camelot!” She lets herself bow at the waist, beaming to them as she sinks back below the stage. Crouching as she’s lowered down she slides further beneath her stage.

Her team is on her the second she rights herself, taking her mic and inears. Slipping the straw in a bottle of water into her mouth and toweling sweat off of her dewy face. “That might have been your best show yet,” her manager coos, smiling at her, “Congratulations Princess.” She smiles back, pulling the woman who’s supported her through it all into a hug. “Thank you, so much.” “Always, you’re my brightest star, (Y/n).” And then they’re untangling from each other, headed down the stretch of hallway to her dressing room. A figure waits in the hallway, leaned against the wall in leather and wife beater, smile plastered on his face. “There’s my songbird,” the words prompt her to run to him, arms wide with an equally wide smile. “Hades!” He pushes himself off the wall, stretching his arms open for her to run right into them.

By god does she, nearly throwing herself against him, face nuzzling into his neck as her arms wrap around his torso like he was a life saver. His arms curl around her, holding her against his chest as he leans against her hair. “You did so good up there, songbird. So good, you looked stunning too.” She smiles and he can feel the motion against his skin. “I missed you so much.” “I missed you more,” he moves to press a kiss into her hair, “You hungry?” She pulls away with a confused smile, “Why?” She longs to snuggle back into him, to take in that scent of smoke that lingers around him like he was constantly aflame. Words couldn’t describe how much she’d longed for it while she was away. “I put the slow cooker on when I got home from class today, there should be a fully cooked roast waiting on you. I assumed you hadn’t had an actual home cooked meal for two months, you’d probably want one.” “You cooked for me?” He laughs, shaking his head as he leans down to peck her lips. “Let’s get you changed and home, yeah?”

[goldtowhite]

solana "solar" flores // character study

basic information:

FULL NAME: solana maria flores

NICKNAME(S): solar, sol

AGE: 27

DATE OF BIRTH: january 1st, 1997

PLACE OF BIRTH: salinas, california

GENDER: cisfemale

PRONOUNS: she/her

ORIENTATION: bisexual

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: english, spanish

NEIGHBOURHOOD: sierra vista estates

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: she lives by herself!

family ties:

MOTHER: violetta marie reyes flores

FATHER: miguel diego flores

SIBLINGS: a little sister, a full ten years younger than her

SPOUSE / PARTNER: none

CHILDREN: none

PETS: one dog, a great dane named nelvin

occupational information:

OCCUPATION: solo artist

SKILLSET OR SPECIALISATION (IF APPLICABLE): singer, dancer

answer only if your character is a musician:

NAME OF THEIR ACT: she goes by the name solar as a performer

SO THEY PLAY INSTRUMENTS? IF SO WHAT?: she can play piano and is attempting to learn guitar

ARTIST INFLUENCES: ariana grande, hwasa, kehlani

CURRENT MONTHLY SPOTIFY/APPLE MUSIC LISTENS ON AVERAGE: 75M

physical appearance:

FACE CLAIM: becky g

HAIR COLOR: dark brown

EYE COLOR: brown

HEIGHT: 5'1"

BUILD: curvy, toned

TATTOOS: she has two of becky's tattoos, the dragonfly on her side, and the familia on her wrist

PIERCINGS: just a bunch of ear piercings

CLOTHING STYLE: what always matters most to her is that her hair and makeup is done no matter what. very glamorous style, loves a good crop top, loves form fitting clothes.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: she's teeny tiny short.

personality:

MBTI: ESTJ

ELEMENT: earth

WESTERN ZODIAC: capricorn

CHINESE ZODIAC: ox

POSITIVE TRAITS: ambitious, vibrant, expressive

NEGATIVE TRAITS: bossy, materialistic, vain

HOBBIES: travel, cooking, foodie type behaviors in general, swimming

wanted connections:

CONNECTION TYPE: give me a toxic on and off relationship please. i'd love this to be another uber famous person, like they keep writing albums about each other, they've broken up messily in the public eye multiple times, when they come back together half the fanbase cheers and half groans but knows they're gonna get good sad music out of it. down to cook for this.

CONNECTION TYPE: someone who works for solana who kind of picks away at her outer layers and understands her on a personal level.

PART TWO: QUESTIONNAIRE. 

IF YOUR MUSE IS A MUSICIAN:

start at the beginning, who are you and why are you important? i'm solana flores, known as solar to most, and why i'm important isn't really something i can answer. you'd have to ask the people who decided i was.

how long have you been making music? since i was a little girl. my dad plays guitar and he would play around the house, would do it to entertain us when the lights went out because he and mama couldn't make the bills that much, and i just started singing along with it.

how would you describe the kind of music you make? it's a really healthy mix of songs you'd want to have sex to, and songs you'd blast with the windows down going 90 mph on an empty highway.

who are some of your biggest musical influences? oh the list is endless. selena, of course, a legend and an icon. beyonce! lots of lesser known mexican artists i grew up listening to with my parents.

what is the first record you ever bought? it was an n*sync cd, if i'm being honest.

what has working in the music industry meant to you thus far in your career? the life i've built for myself is something i would've never dreamed. my parents never have to lift a finger again, though they do anyway because they worry about my little sister getting too spoiled, and for good reason. they already have one spoiled child, they don't need another.

what are some stand out moments from your career so far? my first sold out show, even though the venues were pretty small. my first stadium tour. my first meet and greet.

how would you describe your style of performance? what makes your shows worth seeing? my style of performance is to make sure that you'd never dare look anywhere but the stage, in case you missed anything. i'm worth seeing because i'm real, and good at what i do, and make it known.

what are you still hoping to achieve in your career? you'd think reaching the top would be where it ends, but there are some awards i haven't won yet that i'd like to. really all that's missing from my shelf at home is a grammy.

what’s next for you? well that's a secret.

[wildcasualhair]

ABOUT ME, WHAT I LOVE

my names aaliyah (like the singer :3)

poc. music lover. watcing movies with my friends. taylor swift enthusiast. tv shows. my room. nicholas alexander chavez. painting. my long hair. concerts. lipgloss. mascara. the color pink. percy jackson. tanning. the ocean. food(my moms specifically). reading. sushi. summer. romcoms. lana del rey. sonny angels. commentary youtubers. brat. the seven husbands of evelyn hugo. i speak english and português.

MUSIC

taylor swift. rihanna. beyonce. lana del rey. chappell roan. sabrina carpenter. charli xcx. destinys child. aaliyah. tlc. kendrick lamar. doja cat. childish gambino. tyler the creator. asap rocky. adele. sza. frank ocean. kali uchis. the weeknd. pink pantheress. laufey. selena. ariana grande. rachel zegler. olivia rodrigo. glee covers. steve lacy. partynextdoor. tv girl. britney spears. ke$ha. renee rapp. beabadoobee. travis scott. future. willow. jhené aiko.nicki minaj. megan thee stallion. gwen stefani. bruno mars. dua lipa. a$ap ferg. 21 savage. gracie abrams.

MOVIES/TV SHOWS

marvel movies. 27 dresses. 10 things i hate about you. shes the man. grown ups. homecoming a film by beyoncé. taylor swift the eras tour (taylors version). the sister hood of the traveling pants. the amazing spiderman. La La land. mamma mia!. starstruck. the florida project. the hunger games. priscilla. 500 days of summer. bambi. hercules. barbie. clueless. scream. marie antoinette. how to lose a guy in 10 days. star wars. jurassic world series. percy jackson and the olympians. superstore. how i met your mother. modern family. community. gossip girl. baby. 2 broke girls. glee. ghosts. brooklyn nine-nine. abbott elementary. sabrina the teenage witch. buffay the vampire slayer. the good place. american housewife. better things. that 70’s show. new girl. private practice. greys anatomy. the rookie. freaks and geeks.

i basically only like romcoms and sitcoms LMAOOO

[bitsysuperkitty]

Welcome!

Anyways, My name is Bitsy! I am 5 years old, I'm the younger sister of Ginny, I live in Kittydale, and most of all, I Love Love LOVE To Sing and Blog! Sometimes I record myself singing other people's songs just for fun, Including ones from my favorite singer Ariana Grande! I could even sing the song One Last Time just like her! And

Ginny: Can't you just get to the point, Bitsy and just get on with the introduction?

Bitsy: Sure sis! Anyways, I am the youngest out of the rest of the SuperKitties and I can fit through any dark vent that I would feel brave to confront against! Alright Sparks, Turn on the video camera since we're still recording!

Sparks: Got you covered Bitsy!

Bitsy: Thanks Sparks!

(Sparks turns back on the video camera)

And best of all, You can ask me all kinds of questions about myself and the new TV series! Ask anything you would like and I'll be waiting!

Kitty Call: Kitty-cat! Kitty-cat!

SuperKitties: It's the Super Kitty Call!

Bitsy: I have to go, Tumblr! We SuperKitties have another quest to go do in Kittydale like you've seen in the series!

Ginny: Bitsy, come on!

Bitsy: Coming Sister! Oh, And Tumblr,Make sure you ask me anything while I'm gone. And take over the blog if you like. Bye!

(She stops the recording and turns off the camera)

(End of The First Blog)

[influencermagazineuk]

Selena Gomez is preparing for her wedding to music producer Benny Blanco, and reports reveal that her close friend Jennifer Aniston is offering guidance and support. Jennifer, who shares a strong bond with Selena, has reportedly provided valuable advice on navigating married life and planning a celebrity wedding. With an impressive guest list expected, Selena is leaning on Jennifer and other friends to help make the event memorable. Selena Gomez Prepares for Her Wedding Selena Gomez, a well-known singer and actress, is excitedly preparing for her upcoming wedding to music producer Benny Blanco. The couple recently got engaged, and Selena proudly showed off her diamond engagement ring on Instagram, sharing the news with her fans. She captioned the post, “Forever begins now,” while Benny responded affectionately, calling her his wife-to-be. Credits: Instagram The two first confirmed their relationship in December of last year and have since made several public appearances together. They were seen attending major events like the Golden Globes and Primetime Emmys, as well as enjoying a basketball game in April. Selena’s relationship with Benny has been described as loving and supportive. Speaking about their bond, Selena told Time magazine, “It just happens when you least expect it. I just cherish every moment with him.” Benny echoed her sentiments in an interview, saying, “She truly is my best friend.” Jennifer Aniston Steps In to Help As Selena gears up for her big day, her close friend and Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston is stepping in to help with the wedding preparations. Reports suggest that Jennifer will not only attend the wedding but also play a key role in organizing the celebrations. Jennifer and Selena have shared a close bond ever since they first met in a bathroom at a Vanity Fair event. Over the years, their friendship has grown stronger, and Jennifer has often referred to Selena as a younger sister. According to sources, Jennifer has already sent Selena flowers and a heartfelt card, offering her assistance with the wedding plans. Given Jennifer’s past experience in planning weddings, she is reportedly sharing helpful tips and advice to make Selena’s day as special as possible. A Star-Studded Guest List The wedding is expected to have a spectacular guest list featuring several high-profile celebrities. Sources mention that some of Selena’s best friends, including Taylor Swift, Meryl Streep, Cara Delevingne, and Ariana Grande, are likely to be present at the event. With so many famous personalities attending, the wedding is shaping up to be a grand affair. Selena is believed to be relying on Jennifer’s expertise to handle the challenges that come with planning a celebrity wedding. From organizing seating arrangements to finalizing the menu, Jennifer’s guidance is proving invaluable. Jennifer’s Advice for Married Life Apart from helping with the wedding arrangements, Jennifer is also offering Selena advice on how to navigate married life. As someone who has experienced relationships in the public eye, Jennifer is sharing tips on how to handle the pressures that come with fame and marriage. A source close to the duo shared, “Jennifer treats Selena like a younger sister. She’s very excited for her and wants to make sure everything goes smoothly. It’s hard enough planning a wedding, but for a celebrity, it’s even more complicated. Any help Selena can get will be a big relief.” The source further added, “Jennifer has been through this process before and understands the details involved. She’s making sure Selena feels supported and confident as the big day approaches.” Selena’s Future Plans with Benny Selena and Benny’s relationship has been admired by fans for its simplicity and genuine connection. Despite being in the public eye, they have managed to keep their relationship strong. Selena has often expressed how much she values Benny’s presence in her life. She shared, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that he’s not going anywhere any time soon.” Benny has also been vocal about his love for Selena, calling her his best friend and life partner. Their bond is built on trust and friendship, which is why many fans are looking forward to their journey as a married couple. Preparations Underway for a Grand Wedding As the wedding day approaches, preparations are in full swing. Selena is ensuring every detail is perfect, from the venue to the guest list and decorations. Reports also suggest that the couple might sign a prenuptial agreement, considering Selena’s rising success and billionaire status, similar to her close friend Taylor Swift. Selena is excited about the big day and is focused on making it memorable. She has expressed gratitude to her friends, including Jennifer Aniston, for their love and support. Credits: Instagram A Bond That Inspires Fans Selena and Jennifer’s friendship is admired by many. Despite their age difference, they share a strong bond rooted in mutual respect and trust. Fans often look up to their relationship as an example of genuine friendship in Hollywood. Jennifer’s willingness to step in and help Selena during this important time highlights the depth of their bond. It also reflects Jennifer’s caring nature and her desire to see Selena happy. What’s Next for Selena and Benny? While the wedding date has not been officially announced, fans are eagerly waiting for more details. The couple is expected to share glimpses of their celebrations on social media, giving fans a chance to be part of their journey. As Selena and Benny prepare to start their new life together, they are surrounded by the love and support of their friends and family. With Jennifer Aniston’s guidance, the couple is sure to have a magical wedding and a bright future ahead. Read the full article

[earthtoharlow]

https://www.tumblr.com/earthtoharlow/761089422913601538/whitney-houston-hands-down-she-is-my-goat?source=share

I was ready to argue with you but you just agreed with me😞 Okay then. Controversial opinion. I don’t think Ariana Grande is that great of a singer. I think she could have been better but she did not train her voice enough. He singer sounds more strained now and she can not enunciate.

Oooh yes I love this opinion!! She’s not a bad sister at all but I think her voice is overrated and I hate when people compare her to Mariah because Mariah is better

[blessedbyaphrodite777]

actually i love how deep i can go if i want to know something about a celebrity i’m obsessing over.

like i got to know that marie avgeropolous got a nose job after year 2010 (you can notice that her nose changed from when she acted in episode 8 of season 4 of supernatural). probably it was in 2012 because she didn’t act in any movie that year. or even that ariana grande was born in boca raton, florida in st. jude hospital at 9:16am.

but i can go this deep with even people i see on socials. one time, it was mid june 2023 and i was scrolling on my for you page on tiktok and i came across this video of this girl who was self-promoting her own wattpad story. i liked the video and the other ones she was posting on her page, later on i went on her wattpad page and went down the community comments people were making. i found out where she was from, when she was born so her age too, her first and middle and last name, the name of her sister, her other accounts on tiktok and pinterest, her personal spotify, her favourite movies and series and books and singers and even the year she dropped school.

all of this by only searching her name (which one of her online friends on wattpad continued to write under her announces) in her pinterest—and the second account she was uploading pictures on didn’t even have her name, it only had her initials and some number i thought were the year she was born. (at the time i didn’t know nothing about her except her name).

after that i tried searching it on tiktok and it popped out an account with the same user i founded on pinterest, went down the posts and then down the reposts and by just scrolling video and video i found another account which had her same name (not user), clicked on it and found her personal tiktok account where in the username she had put her name and surname. after that i searched it on instagram and found her personal ig account.

[butterscotch-brigade]

MY SISTER AND I ARE LAUGHING SO HARD BC WE WERE TALKIN ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WHO WEAR PONYTAILS ALL THE TIME ARE MORE LIKELY TO GO BALD AND I SAID THAT WHEN ARIANA GRANDE IS OLD SHES GONNA LOOK LIKE KING NEPTUNE

[divinepowerfulgoddess]

security breach human!au

but it will be on my oc was gonna be s/o of freddy and monty

name : park min heejin(박민희진)

english name : grace rosella wilson

backstory : her mother had child before from her mother first husband was her half-sister  was park min kyung-son  and park min seo-jun,park min a-yeong and then…her mother marry her biologic father but when she was 4 year old  with her twin sister and her big other sister(park min seojun), her mother and father was fight every night even her father abused psychically and mentally kyung-son and her and ofc her twin sister, her mother divorces her father because her father cheats on her mom and then… her mother(kim min ae-ra) remarried with her stepfather who was park kwang sun and that why now her family changed from byun to park , now she sees her stepfather as her father figurine that she love so much but she hated her biologic father even called him by his name but she had trust issues and even anxiety disorder and her beauty company was big hit and successful  at global market  and her music channel on youtube was succesfull even had hundreds million subscriber even she debut as singer in sm label and her debut single was “survivor” was biggest hit and selling million albums in global even she had her fandom was “cherry blossom” and you can say she was sucessfull but before her music career she was a pretty success on modelling industry at she was 19 year old

age : 24 year old 

korean age : 25 year old

career : ceo of softie rose beauty product -tiktoker- singer- songwriter - model 

religion : muslim

races : korean and canadian,australlian, european

personality : mature,reckless,rebel and patient,sympathic,kind,persevering, tender,caring,protective,funny,badass,risky,intelligent, passionate,sweet,sincere,introvert,akwards,mood booster, sarcastic,brave,flirty 

 born :  1998 daegu on korean and she raised in busan korean

labels : sm label - universal record - hollywood record

instruments : vocal - guitar - piano 

partner : fredo benjamin nathan hernandez(fiancee)

parents : kim min ae-ra(biologic mother) and byun sang-hoon(biologic father), park kwang-sun(stepfather)

siblings : park min kyung-son(half-sister) and park min seo-jun(half-sister),park min a-yeong(half sister) , park min bon-hwa(twin sister) and park min cho-hee(lil sister)park min ae-ri(half-sister, and park min eun-ji(half - sister) and park min areum(half-sister),park min seohyun(half-sister)

name : park min bon-hwa(박민본화)

english name : gabriella charlotte wilson

backstory : her mother had child before from her mother first husband was her half-sister  was park min kyung-son and park min seo-jun,park mi a-yeong and then…her mother marry her biologic father but when she was 4 year old  with her twin sister and her big other sister(park min seojun), her mother and father was fight every night even bon-hwa was sexual abuse by her own father even he was mentally abuses her, her mother divorces her father because her father cheats on her mom and then… her mother(kim min ae-ra) remarried with her stepfather who was park kwang sun and that why now her family changed from byun to park ,now she sees her stepfather as her father figurine that she love so much but she hated her biologic father even called him by his name but she had bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder, but now she was succesfull business women owner of fashion company was sunflower company , she was makeup artist for twice and blackpink,demi lovato and even she was music producer for justin bieber and ariana grande,taylor swift and she was successful model even she was songwriter helped artist such as selena gomez and bts,exo and she was back dancer for kim jongin(kai from exo) and bts,jeon somi and she had trust issues with men especially because she had trauma of the sexual abuse she get from her own father

age : 24 year old 

korean age : 25 year old

career : ceo of sunflower company - makeup artist - music producer - model - songwriter - chereographer

religion : muslim

races :korean and canadian,australlian, european

personality : cold,mature,sympathic and caring,passionate,work hard,patient,introvert,confident,recklesss.sarcastic,intelligient,rude,loyal,cunning,brave,sincere,badass,funny,perserving

born :  1998 daegu on korean and she raised in busan korean

labels : ithaca holding - hybe label - hollywood record - sm ent - republic record

instrument : vocal - piano - violin - guitar - chereograph 

partner : montgomery diego joaquin dominguez(boyfriend)

parents : kim min ae-ra(biologic mother) and byun sang-hoon(biologic father), park kwang-sun(stepfather)

siblings : park min kyung-son(half-sister) and park min seo-jun(half-sister),park min a-yeong(half-sister) , park min hee-jin(twin sister) and park min cho-hee(lil sister), park min ae-ri(half-sister,park min eun-ji(half - sister) and park min areum( half-sister),park min seohyun(half-sister)

but someday i will make roxy and chica next 

[abbnime]

Recap: Sour Legacy

Recap: Sour Legacy

I have been doing the Sour Legacy challenge for about a month now and I am loving Gen 0 so far. I decided to document this challenge so I can reminisce in the future. I didn’t take many pictures in the beginning because I didn’t get the idea from my sister to do this till recently. Gen 0 is a teen named Diana Rose. I got inspiration for her character design when I was listening to one of Ariana Grandes old songs. Her personality was based of Michael Jackson’s song dirty Diana🤣. I wanted her to be a cute bad b****!

Backstory: Diana’s parents were well educated. One was a doctor and one was a lawyer so of course her parents wanted her to follow in their foot steps. Go to college, and get a high paying job…. But Diana did not want that. She wanted to become a famous singer/celebrity. She would argue with her parents but could not get her parents to support her dream so she ran away from home and found an abandoned house. She decided to make that her home. She was determined to make her dream come true. Diana would go to school in the morning, go perform in the streets to build her fame and make a little money all while going to work at night and coming back home to do her homework. At first it was hard, because it was winter and walls were missing so she had to bundle up all the time. There was no electricity, no heat, no water, no nothing. But slowly but surly she eventually got the hang of her new life and learned how to juggle many things at once.

She started to fix up the abandoned house with the money she earned and got some electricity and water. She was able to create some time to make friends. The girl up top was one of her very first few friends. As you know teen girls are curious about boys and so was our Diana. She had 2 potential suiters. One one older than her (young adult) and one was the same age (teen). I think she might have a thing for guys named Justin because both of them were named Justin. Justin Capps (young adult) and Justin McAllister. While she was dating Justin Capps, she developed a crush for her friend Justin McAllister. At first she didn’t act on her crust for McAllister because she wanted to be faithful to Capps but her feelings grew for and more where she couldn’t suppress her feeling anymore so she started flirting with McAllister behind Capps’ back. Eventually McAllister confesses to her that he also likes her. She was enthralled. She breaks up with Capps and just tells him they’re better off friends and started dating McAllister a week later.

Diana was starting to feel overwhelmed with everything she had going on. Her principle gave her the opportunity to graduate early. Diana had to think about it because she wanted to graduate with her class but she came to the decision that graduating early would be better for her so she would have more time to focus on her career. That was the fist time she ever thanked her parents for always forcing her to go to cram school because they wanted her to be an over achiever and be the best in her class. She graduates early and had more time to go out and perform to get her fame up. She even made 2 social media accounts. Simstagram and Simtube! She posts her singing on Simtube along with other videos and posted about her life on Simstagram. She gained many skills to attain her dreams. Once she gained a certain skill level, she was able to write and publish her first songs. That’s when her fame started to skyrocket. She gained more followers and subscribers. Eventually she was able to gain the attention of a record label. She signed a contract and shot her way up to stardom. She finally became a 3 star celebrity all by the time she reached the age of young adult. Valentines day rolled around, and Justin McAllister called her and asked her on a date. He brought her to a fancy restaurant. They enjoyed their date. After, Justin brings her to Tartosa and proposes under the starry night sky next to a heart monument. Diana says yes, kisses Justin and jumps into his arms. She felt like everything was finally started to work out in her favor.

[sagittarius10thouse]

SUN IN CANCER

plz note that these are only personal observations - so this is not any kind of “eXpERt opIniOn”

also sorry for mistakes, if any. i’m not a native speaker :)

ahhh...Cancer Suns!

Suprisingly, this is the rarest Sun sign in my circle - so my observations can be kinda vague, for which I apologise.

Well, first of all, I’ve noticed that these signs are chatterboxers. I mean, they’re very popular in and out their friend groups, and most of them are rather extroverts (though I excepted them to be much more introverted). Basically, none of the Cancer Sun natives I know personally are ‘the most quiet person alive’, which, in my opinion, has always been perceived as one of stereotypes about this placement. They’re, for sure, not the most active / outstanding person in the friend group, but they have their own piece of craziness. Plus, they’re so emotional - but, unlike Cancer Moons (imo), they are able to hold back their negative emotions and feelings (but it depends on other placements)

Also, I’ve made an interesting observation: many of them have more arguments with their mom rather than with their dad - their fights often happen because Cancer Suns’ mothers are way too strict. For example, one of my friends had an argument with her mom because she accidentally dropped a glass, which later turned into tussle. Like, I know, we all have fights with our parents with and without a reason, but the people with Cancer natives have them TOO FREQUENTLY and WITH MOM, not with dad / grandma / uncle / brother / sister / etc. But still, even if they have arguments, family still means a lot to Cancer Suns.

Observation number three: they sometimes be kinda toxic - in a way that they’re teaching others about life. Cancer Suns that I know are always like “omg, you shouldn’t do that, it’s so wrong”. Although many of them are trying to be more tolerate, they sometimes still can come out as very toxic. Even towards the people who they don't really know - I knew a Cancer guy who disliked me for no reason lmao. Also, many of them are surprisingly rude. They look like cute bunnies but talk like sharp knives (especially when they r angry and / or defending their interests).

Oh, and also THEY’RE MAKE-UP GODS AND GODDESSES. Like, even with little make-up they can look absolutely stunning. Even if they feel like shit, their make-up is still on fleek (and that’s one of the reasons why I love Cancer Suns - they’re aesthetically pleasing)...

Song for a Cancer Sun – "I Am, I Feel" by Alisha's Attic

Celebrities with Sun in Cancer:

• Tom Cruise, actor 

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau, philosopher

• Khloe Kardashian,TV personality 

• Ariana Grande, singer

• Elon Musk, entrepreneur 

• Gisele Bundchen, fashion model

• Lionel Messi, footballer

• George W. Bush, 43rd President of the USA

• Priyanka Chopra, actress 

• Debbie Harry, singer

[bridgertown]

How Bridgerton is poised to revolutionize romance on television

Lace up your corset and put up your dukes.

Words by Maureen Lee Lenker, November 13, 2020

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Regency romance must be in want of glittering ballrooms, witty banter, a dashing leading man, and a piquant heroine.

Bridgerton, Netflix’s first scripted title with über-producer Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland production company — under its headline-grabbing $150 million deal — has all of this in abundance. Not to mention a diverse cast that’s a far cry from the typical lily-white hues of Jane Austen adaptations and their ilk. Oh, and the narrator is a Regency-era Gossip Girl voiced by Julie Andrews. As showrunner Chris Van Dusen puts it, “It’s not your grandmother’s period [piece].”

Based on a series of romance novels by Julia Quinn  — beginning with The Duke and I, which offers the season 1 blueprint — Bridgerton follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), a debutante who’s thirsty for a love match. Buoyed (and slightly overprotected) by her family, including her marriage-obsessed mum, Violet (Ruth Gemmell), and her seven siblings, Daphne embarks on a fauxmance with Simon, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page). “When we first meet her, she’s this young, naive woman who’s been in this little bubble and doesn’t know anything about love or sex,” says Dynevor.

Simon, meanwhile, is hell-bent on avoiding matrimony, as part of a vengeful vow he made to his execrable father. Page drew inspiration from the classic Romantic poet Lord Byron to craft a character who is part aesthete, part brooding enigma. “You have this beautiful, shadowy, broken, thoroughly complex man, who is as glamorous as we all wish we were on the outside,” notes Page. “But [he’s] trying to figure out who he is.”

It’s standard fare for Shondaland: men and women looking to find themselves within the social confines of their reality. This time it’s in a completely different world, one that shares the female-gaze ethos that often defines Shondaland series — think Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and more. Romance novels account for nearly a quarter of all fiction book sales, yet they’re rarely fodder for splashy screen adaptations. “I never thought this would happen to me,” Quinn says. “Nobody was adapting romance novels, and if somebody was going to do a period piece, they wanted to do another adaptation of Jane Austen or the Brontë sisters.”

That prestige gap between Austen and mass-market historical romance was something executive producer Betsy Beers admits she bumped up against when Rhimes first recommended the novels to her. “I didn’t take what the books were as seriously as I could’ve initially,” she says. “But there should be no pejorative association with romance novels. Nobody sneezes at suspense, at action, at true crime. These are just good stories about relationships, about emotional politics, about how you juggle duty, love, and lust.”

For Van Dusen, the 280-year evolution of romance writing was something to exploit. “I wanted to infuse everything with my own unique, modern lens,” he says. “The tone is very spirited and daring. Everything’s fresh and youthful. There’s a little effervescence to everything.”

That freshness manifests throughout — from the score, which features classical string arrangements of contemporary pop songs (Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next,” Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood”), to the costumes (“Jane Austen loved her bonnets, but Bridgerton is a bonnet-free world,” quips Van Dusen). But nowhere is it more evident than in the casting.

The series looks like any Shondaland show: multi-hued and reflective of the world we live in. Romance novelists like Vanessa Riley and Diana Quincy are challenging the established narrative of who inhabited the 19th-century aristocracy. Austen herself featured a mixed-race heiress in her unfinished novel Sanditon. But such a cast is still dismayingly rare in period pieces.

Though the casting here is a far cry from the source material, Quinn wholeheartedly endorses it. “Bridgerton isn’t a history lesson; it’s a show for a modern audience,” she notes. There were, of course, people of color who existed in this time and place, but the show hands them more power than historical assumptions allow. It imagines a British aristocracy where Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) is of mixed race (a fact some historians suggest there’s evidence for), thus elevating other people of color to dukedoms and positions of status. “It’s not color-blind casting,” explains Beers. “We try to imagine history and the world in the way we wanted to see it.”

It’s what allows Page to play the powerful, devastatingly handsome duke, a role that previously would have been the exclusive domain of white actors. For Page, who made his U.S. TV debut as Chicken George in the 2016 remake of Roots, it makes Bridgerton’s romantic narrative even more potent. “With color-conscious casting, I get to exist as a Black person in the world,” he says. “It doesn’t mean I’m a slave. It doesn’t mean we have to focus on trauma. It just means we get to focus on Black joy and humanity.”

That joy opens up another narrative component often left behind closed doors in period drama: intimacy. Typically, the Regency’s idea of sexual tension is the brush of a gloved hand, but in the world of Bridgerton, audiences find themselves in an opera singer’s boudoir within the first 10 minutes. “The sexiness and the steaminess was always going to be there,” says Van Dusen, adding that it’s core to the “education of Daphne Bridgerton.”

Dynevor echoes this, explaining that the show’s sex scenes, overseen by an intimacy coordinator, were as intricately choreographed as a fight sequence. But for Dynevor, it was a key part of Daphne’s arc, one that foregrounds her character’s wants above any objectified desirability. (What other Regency literary adaptations feature a heroine experimenting with self-pleasure at the suggestion of her suitor?)

“It’s not often you see sex [treated] in that way,” Dynevor reflects. “It wasn’t gratuitous. It was so essential in Daphne’s journey and sexual awakening. I love the fact that it is very much the female gaze.”

That gaze is the connective tissue between Shondaland and romance publishing, a match so fortuitous it could only end in happily ever after. “[The show] is not going to be so different from the experience of reading a romance novel,” Van Dusen concludes. “It’s sexy and a little dangerous and fun. It leaves you a little hot and bothered and breathless.” Fetch the fainting couch — and the remote.

Bridgerton hits Netflix on Dec. 25.

[edourado]

tagged by babe supreme @carry-the-sky. Thank you, lovely ♥

name/nickname: Erica

pronouns: she/her

star sign: Sagittarius but it's my Hogwarts house that guides me ;D (Hufflepuff pride!)

height: 1,64m. I don't know what that is in American, though

time: 10:05 PM

birthday: December 14

favorite bands: Maroon 5 is the one that followed me through the years. Civil Wars has been very present in my Spotify lately

favorite solo artists: The classical jazz singers, especially Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Donny Hathaway. More current, Ariana Grande, Beyonce and Rihana are always present, Fauzia was a BEAUTIFUL quarantine discovery, and Harry Styles-mania GOT ME GOOD three or four months ago

song stuck in my head: "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)", by Lil Nas X and "Lento", by Lauren Jauregui ft Pabllo Vittar are fighting for first place right now

last show: Shadow and Bone (Sat through 8 episodes just to see Ben Barnes kissing someone LIKE THAT. Worth it.)

last movie: "The Mirror Has Two Faces". Barbra Streisand is a precious gem and I love her

when did I create this blog: ppffft dude, idk. It was after season 4 of Once Upon a Time, and it was because of Outlaw Queen. 2014? 2015?

what do I post: writing (when my anxiety allows), fic recs, the faces of men and women I love but can never ever have and or be. Cute shit, too. Art. It's a mess

last thing I googled: a hotel in Amsterdan for my mother

other blogs: I can barely keep this one

why I chose my URL: because I didn't know how Tumblr worked and now I'm afraid that if I change it, people will forget who I am

do I get asks: I used to get more prompts (I still have so so so many that I am yet to deliver), but now not very often, no

following: Had to check. 97

followers: also had to check. 1081. No idea how that happened

average hours of sleep: I always slept a lot, but now I think I average like 3 or 4 hours per night? It does show, believe me

lucky number: I am a firm member or the humanities and, as such, numbers scare the living crap put of me. But 13, out of spite

instruments: played the keyboard for a good 6 months and then dropped it

what am I wearing: a jumper that looks like PJ's

dream trip: Any trip. I would spend my life travelling, if I could. Never been homeseick a day in my life. That George Clooney movie that he struggles with having no real home? Can't relate. (But I would love love love to visit Italy)

favorite food: Potatoes. In any form or shape or texture. It's literally my sister's nickname for me

nationality: Brazilian

languages: Portuguese, for my ~mother tongue, plus English, Spanish and Italian

favorite song: "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone. But I'm not a snob, so there are a lot of other versions and renditions that I love

last book read: "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton". It was pretty lame. The show is insanely better than the books. Currently reading Sense and Sensibility

top three fictional universes i’d like to live in: Sense8 (always. Forever. Yes), Marvel (but only if I'm allowed to fall in love with a violent man with a heart of gold and a tragic past. If not, than I don't want it) and any kdrama

tagging!! @evilbunnyking, @ejunkiet, @ninzied, @superrpowerlesshuman, @lpdwillwrite4coffee @anigmagrl @phenomenaaa @youhadmeuntiltroll and literally anybody else. I loooove reading these things