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xogiada · 5 months ago

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giada d'amiano.

(JORDANA BREWSTER, CIS FEMALE, SHE/HER) Oh, is that GIADA D’AMIANO I heard the FORTY- ONE year old is INTUITIVE. But don’t let that pretty face fool you, they are also MANIPULATIVE. Makes sense seeing how they are COUNCIL in THE SERPENTS gang. penned by ally

basics.

full name: giada rosalia d’amiano nickname(s): g, gia, ms. d’amiano face claim: jordana brewster age: 41 birthdate: may 4th star sign: taurus gender: cis woman pronouns: she/her sexuality: bisexual gang: the serpents, council cover: boutique owner birthplace: milan, italy current residence; new york, new york languages: english & italian & Portuguese theme song: gloria - laura branigan

reflection.

face claim: jordana brewster. hair color: dark brown eye color: espresso brown height: 5’7 build: tall & slender, and loves her risotto alla milanese tattoos: tramp stamp from her rebellious teen years. small butterfly because her favorite aunt used to call her "piccolina farfalla" little butterfly in italian. scars: burn mark on her leg from boiling pasta

family.

mother: antonia d'amiano father: massimo d'amiano siblings: francesca d'amiano (35) alessandra D’Amiano (31) pets: tba

personality.

characteristics: intuitive, clever, quick witted, savvy, manipulative, reticent, opportunistic, passionate, loyal, dramatic, particular, innovative, honest fears: small spaces and off the rack couture hogwarts house: ravenclaw passions/hobbies: designing clothes specifically lingerie for her boutique, cooking her family’s secret recipes, entertaining, shopping, watching old hollywood films especially ones starring sophia loren, playing cards and smoking cigars, supporting ac milan football club, fashion week drugs/ alcohol/ smoking: not opposed/ in moderation / cigarettes and cigars socially colors: classic black and white, pops of red and jewel tones. aesthetics: cigar smoke and lipstick stains, having an ace up her sleeve, homemade vino, power suits, imported issues of vogue italia, stilettos tapping impatiently, family style dinners, fur lined dressing gowns, upping the ante, sketches and 100s scattered over marble countertops, sips of espresso, focaccia to finish off the last bits of sauce, 3AM strokes of genius, a spritz of dolce & gabana, mascara stained satin pillowcases, fashion week in milan.

biography.

Giada was just a child when her father uprooted his family from Milan, Italy to New York City to join her grandfather in the Serpents gang he would eventually become a council member of. Growing up, she was the principessa, and apple of her mafiosa father’s eye. Though she was surrounded by the family business, daddy’s little girl was always thought to be just that and young Giada was kept as in the dark as much as possible when it came to his dirty work, deemed by her father a man’s business. It was a challenge that made his endeavors all the more intriguing to her. While her mother urged her to help her with Sunday dinner, Giada found herself sneaking off to play cards and smoke cigars with the neighborhood kids. She was sharp, intuitive, and business savvy taking after her father more than mother. Quickly, she learned the ways of the streets, and the higherary of the families. Eager to prove herself, Giada used her cleverness to hustle kids and make a pretty penny. Her efforts only disappointed her parents, and the more Giada was kept away the more she began to rebel, even falling for a boy from a rival family. Naturally, it couldn’t work and by the time Giada was 17, she was shipped back to the motherland in hopes of straightening her out and keeping her away from the family business. She lived with her Zia Teresa outside of Milan learning the ways of the old country. Her zia taught her all the secrets behind the family recipes, how to sew, tend a garden, and above all else that the most important thing in this life is family. After living in Italy for five years, Giada returned from the fashion capital not only with renewed sense of clarity, but with a degree in fashion merchandising. She and her siblings became incredibly close afterwards, and she is the first one to invite everyone over for Sunday dinner and a round of scopa. She found love and met a person who would later become her ex-fiance. In return, her father gifted her Moda Bella, not only as a reward for a job well done but also as another distraction in hopes she would be too busy with the boutique to concern herself with business dealings. And for a while that’s exactly what Giada did; she kept her cards close and played the long game. For while there is a queen in the deck, one must be careful how they play it. When the D’Amiano patriarch passed, she couldn’t help but jump at the chance to become a part of the serpents in her father's honor. She started off small, offering up her boutique as a stronghold in addition to 30 percent of the earnings and eventually working her way up the ranks. Now at 41, Giada has gambled away her chance at love and a family of her own to be dealt in at The Serpents table. She earned a spot as a council member with a hunger to keep the momentum going. She is willing to do just about anything to prove that she too can play with the big boys.

PINTEREST I SPOTIFY | WANTED CONNECTIONS

#sinnersintro

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pilcreative · 2 years ago

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"Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” Tatjana Patitz by Peter Lindbergh - Vogue Italy, February 2023 @tatjanapatitz @therealpeterlindbergh @vogueitalia #tatjanapatitz #peterlindbergh #vogue #vogueitalia #love #style #fashion #model #inspiration https://www.instagram.com/p/Cow6VGmMm_1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#tatjanapatitz #peterlindbergh #vogue #vogueitalia #love #style #fashion #model #inspiration

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awakencities · 7 months ago

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Growing up in a big household doesn’t necessarily mean for one to develop a liking for life adventures and challenges due to getting accustomed to change and differences, but for Felicity it sure does. With her family’s influence, she has attained a plethora of great achievements with her name stamp— may it be in music, academics, sports, you name it. These precious years were the beginning of honing felicity to the person she is today: welcoming, warm, outgoing, and bright. Prior to her college years, she had a hard time deciding whether she’ll study Creative Writing in the University of Sto. Tomas or Psychology in Ateneo de Manila University. Carrying her compassion with her, the lady decided to take up Psychology as her major in college, eventually graduating as Summa Cum Laude.

Throughout her first until half of her fourth year in college, Felicity worked part-time as a barista and florist at her older sister’s cafe, Flor de Seul. A smile always found its way on the lady’s face upon understanding the language of flowers like the back of her hand, it can be seen with the arrangements that she loved what she was doing. Quite unfortunately, she had to stop working part-time, but it served her a greater benefit as she was able to focus more on her studies while still having leisure time. Subsequently, Felicity also found her way back to her first love—ballet—where she’s able to become one and unite with the music while holding herself with grace and poise. She'd look up at the sky with admiration for the woman who made her fall in love with ballet, Felice Rostava Fiorenzi, her grandmother.

Claudine Zhou, her best friend’s mother, played a huge part in Felicity’s love for fashion. The maiden has always been fond of watching the mother and daughter whenever they play dress up, her heart fills with warmth as they include her by letting her pick the outfits they’d wear. Given that she has a creative eye for details, Felicity decided that after her years in college, she plans on joining the fashion industry in hopes of becoming a creative director for Vogue Italia. With the help of her best friend, Cindy Beatrice Yap, she’ll be able to join various fashion workshops and seminars. The pair—one meticulous with details and one with years of expertise in the fashion industry—then decided to establish an all-in-one boutique named Classique Suits. Her love for fashion also led her into working for her older sister, Killua Daevan Uy-Fiorenzi, as a fashion illustrator, fashion stylist, and junior fashion designer for SINÉAD.

After her graduation in the Philippines, Felicity found herself reconnecting with her hometown, Taormina. Having calmer days in her hometown was surprising for the maiden as it once brought her chaos. So the peace made her think of how it’ll be lovely to permanently reside in Taormina one day. It is safe to say that Felicity overcame her fears, now spreading her wings and flying out of her cage, healing her wounds one by one as Italy finally embraces her heart. Finding herself more inspired to thrive in her passion for fashion, she hopes that one day, she’ll be an established figure in the industry.

𝒮𝒽𝑒 𝒷rings 𝓈𝓊𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝓌herever 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝑔oes, 𝓈𝑜 𝓉he 𝒻𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝒹ance 𝒶long 𝓌ith 𝒽er 𝓂ovements.

前言 — FOREWORD

卷宗 — DOSSIER

头卡农 — CANON

关系 — RELATIONS

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑

all rights reserved. this account was created for roleplaying purposes only. these are only made up of unreal and fictitious production of the admin's belief. any process that the admins creating are filled with fantasies and non-existent stories, the said muse isn't affiliated with any of the following; places, organization, names. any resemblance to existing works, characters, or persons beyond those listed should be considered coincidental and free of malicious intent. selective in following back.

#pennedbymayari

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32310305 · 2 years ago

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28.03. READINGS WEEK 10.

THE DW DOCUMENTARY “THE PROPAGANDA WAR FOR UKRAINE” IS A PROPER TOOL TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH PEOPLE’S INDOCTRINATION THROUGH VARIOUS CHANNELS IMPACTS THE EASTERN EUROPE CONFLICT, ON BOTH SIDES.

IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PROLIFERATION, TECHNOLOGY AND ITS CAPABILITY TO REACH THE ENTIRE PLANET GETS USED LIKE A WEAPON.

RUSSIA ACKNOWLEDGED THE POWER OF TECHNOLOGY AS TERRORIST WEAPON DECADES AGO, AS SVITLANA MATVIYENKO EXPLAINS IN HER “NUCLEAR CYBERWAR: FROM ENERGY COLONIALISM TO ENERGY TERRORISM”. IN THIS, SHE POINTS OUT HOW THE RUSSIAN COLONIAL APPROACH TO NUCLEAR ENERGY BASES, MEANING CAPTURING THEM FROM WEAK TERRITORIES, AND ITS TECHNOLOGICAL MODUS OPERANDI SERVED THE COUNTRY TO IMPOSE TERRORIST CONTROL BASED ON FEAR. THIS IS ULTIMATELY VISIBLE IN THE REPRESENTATIONS OF ITS LEADER’S OFFICE, IN WHICH MANY TELEPHONES ARE PORTRAYED ON HIS BACK, REPRESENTING THE SPECTRUM OF NUCLEAR DESTRUCTION.

PRESIDENT'S DESK.

NOWADAYS, TECHNOLOGY NEEDS TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THE UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT KNOWS THIS. THAT IS WHY WE ARE NOW ACCUSTOMED TO GOVERNMENT MESSAGES IN WHICH THE POWER IS PRESENTED WEARING CASUAL CLOTHES, READING MESSAGES VIA THE FRONTAL CAMERAS OF ITS SMARTPHONES. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH PLATFORMS IS THAT, IN PRINCIPLE, THEY DO NOT SERVE GOVERNMENTS, BUT ORDINARY PEOPLE. IN WAR TIMES, THIS SEGMENT IS REPRESENTED BY SOLDIERS. THEREFORE, WE MAY END UP APPLAUDING A MALE MISOGYNISTIC SOLDIER WHO CAN CONSTRUCT A WELL-ARRANGED VIDEO BETWEEN A CAMPAIGN AND ANOTHER.

FOR AS MUCH A DYSTOPIC REALITY AS THIS MIGHT SEEM, IT IS SO EFFICIENT THAT THE COUNTER SIDE NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THE POWER OF THIS TOOL.

WE SEE, THEREFORE, RUSSIAN PRO-REGIME YOUTH GROUPS PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT TO SHARE COMMENTS BELOW OFFICIAL SPEECHES’ POSTS.

RUSSIA’S PROPAGANDA APPROACH IS WAY LESS MODERN THAN ITS UKRAINE COUNTERPART AND IT BUILDS ON THE ONE FROM THAT SOVIET EMPIRE ITS LEADER LOOKS UP TO. IT IS STRUCTURED AROUND A STRONG USAGE OF THE TELEVISION MEDIA, IN WHICH IT IS MANDATORY TO COMMUNICATE POWER. A FIGURE LIKE VLADIMIR SOLOVYOV, WITH HIS AGGRESSIVE LANGUAGE AND MILITAR JACKET, PERFECTLY COMMUNICATES THIS.

SOLOVYOV UNIFORM.

HOWEVER, AS DISSIMILAR AS THESE TWO COUNTRIES MIGHT SEEM, ONE COULD ARGUE THAT AT THE SAME TIME THEY LOOK VERY MUCH SIMILAR.

THE MODERNITY APPEAL OF UKRAINE’S ADMINISTRATION LOSES ITS ATTRACTIVENESS, FOR INSTANCE, ONCE IT GETS ATTACHED TO CONTINUOUS DEMANDS FOR WESTERN WEAPONS.

FOR AS MUCH UNDOUBTED IT IS TO RECOGNIZE THE REQUIREMENT OF THIS MEDIUM IN THE FIRST PART OF THE CONFLICT, IT IS NOW RATIONAL, AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR, TO ADMIT THAT THE FLOW OF WESTERN WEAPONS DID NOT CEASE THE CONFLICT.

IN THIS SENSE, IT IS SAD TO END UP PUTTING ON THE SAME LEVEL THE INCESSANT RUSSIAN CLAIMS OF THEIR COUNTERPART BEING FASCIST, WITHOUT GIVING REASONS FOR IT, WITH THE REPETITIVE CALL FOR WEAPONS OF THE UKRAINIANS.

IT GETS ALSO UPSETTING TO SEE SUCH A MODERNIST ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS OPEN TO BEING PHOTOGRAPHED ON THE COVERS OF VOGUE AND HOSTED IN INTERNATIONAL EVENTS LIKE THE OSCARS NIGHT, THAT ON THE OTHER HAND STILL BELIEVES IN THE POWER OF WEAPONS TO END CONFLICTS.

“THE COUNTRY MADE OF STEEL”, AS ITS PRESIDENT PUTS IT, DOES NOT PRESENT ITSELF AS TOUGH AS THAT STEEL WHEN IT COMES TO DEMANDING A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION TO THE U.S.

FOR ALL SUCH REASONS, THE DW DOCUMENTARY IS EFFICIENT IN PUTTING INTO QUESTION THE APPARENT FACTS PROPOSED BY THE TWO DEPLOYMENTS ON THEIR DIFFERENT PROPAGANDA CHANNELS.

ONE COMMON EAST AND WEST GOVERNMENTS’ WAY OF USING SOCIAL MEDIA IS TO CLAIM THEY ARE JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT. INDEED, WE HAVE IN ITALY A PRESIDENT WHO SHARES HER PERSONAL NOTES WITH HER FOLLOWERS ON HER ACCOUNTS, AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, HER OPPONENT DRESSING IN UNFORMAL CLOTHES, AND HOSTING PUBLIC TV TALKS.

ITALY'S PRESIDENT CHATTING WITH HER FOLLOWERS VS. RIVAL PARTY' SECRETARY ATTIRE.

IF GOVERNMENTS ARE THE SAME AS THE PEOPLE, WHY ARE SALARIES THAT DIFFERENT? IF GOVERNMENTS ARE THE SAME AS PEOPLE, WHO ARE THE PEOPLE?

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lovecanyon · 2 years ago

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CHEF!Y/N!!!!!!👩‍🍳

INSTAGRAM BLURB

chef!y/n x harry styles

MASTERLIST | PATREON

capocuoca94 = y/n’s private instagram / translated from italian: chef

y/n’s owned restaurant’s instagram

italian / appassionati di pasta = english / pasta lovers

liked by harryfan2, harryfan6 and 309,763 others

harryflorals HARRY AND CHEF Y/N L/N OUT IN LA TODAY!

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harryfan9 his white mercedes 😫

harryfan7 WHO?!?!??!

harryfan5 isn’t y/n in charge of the tour catering?

harryfan3 i believe so

harryfan10 omg harry might be dating a chef

harryfan8 i’m going to need someone to do a background check on her 😭

harryfan4 SHUT UP

harryfan11 y/n’s instagram is private…

harryfan15 and everyone follows her including anne…

harryfan17 i fear he’s not single anymore

harryfan12 she probably cooks pasta for him 🙂

harryfan19 SO YOU'RE TELLING ME HARRY MIGHT HAVE A CHEF GIRLFRIEND

harryfan14 harry goes to y/n’s restaurants all the time too

harryfan16 news of the century

harryfan18 why do i love them already…

harryfan20 now i’m crying

harryfan13 HE’S NOT SINGLE ANYMORE?

liked by capocuoca94, harrystyles and 752,814 others

pillowpersonpp I love my personal chef 🍽

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harryfan21 OH MY GOD

harryfan23 why is y/n so gorgeous 🙃

capocuoca94 you are my favorite person ever

pillowpersonpp I am so honored ❤️

harryfan27 if sarah is besties with y/n then that means…her and harry are definitely together

paulithepsm the only chef i know

harryfan24 y/n is everyone’s favorite 😭

harry_lambert one of the best cooks in the world

harryfan29 the way harry liked this right when sarah posted it

harryfan22 he’s down bad for y/n

mollyjane_x she’s the best company 💖

harryfan25 i really want the news of y/n being harry’s girlfriend to be true 🙏

_basselin the mother to all foods

harryfan23 i better not see anyone hating on y/n

brittany_broski I LOVE HER

harryfan26 this will keep me up at night

anthonypham y/n makes the greatest food ever!!!

liked by harrystyles, stevienicks and 281,362 others

appassionatipasta Founded in 1948, the L/N’s shared their gracious and delicious Italian food to the Amalfi Coast. Not even three years later they decided to grow their business and open restaurants all over Italy. Now seven decades later, great-granddaughter Y/N L/N runs her family owned business. Labeled the best female chef by Vogue, Y/N continues to take the world by storm as she opens up restaurants around the world. Learn more about the L/N family on our website.

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harryfan30 i totally love that y/n is a chef

harryfan34 Y/N HONESTLY IS A GIRLBOSS!!!

harrystyles Truly one of the best restaurants ever.

harryfan37 harry really loves y/n if he commented this…

harryfan32 he’s supportive :,)

alessandro_michele delizioso!!!! ❤️

harryfan31 harry’s comment has me on the floor

mitchrowland my favorite spot to eat at

harryfan39 i am now a y/n fan

annetwist love visiting this place 🤍

harryfan33 “labeled the best female chef by vogue” THAT’S RIGHT

kidharpoon please open a restaurant in la!!!

appassionatipasta Hmm should we?

harryfan35 PLEASE DO

glenne_azoff y/n is one of the most talented chefs

harryfan35 i wonder if she makes harry food…

harryfan38 don’t put that idea into my head 😭

pillowpersonpp i love the l/n’s 🥰

liked by harryfan42, harryfan45 and 408,962 others

lotupdates Y/N L/N with a fan backstage who she brought to cook with her!

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harryfan40 SHE IS SO COOL WHAT THE HELL

harryfan43 i want to be the fan

harryfan47 y/n is the coolest girl harry has ever dated in his life

harryfan49 this!!!!

harryfan41 literally the girl version of harry

harryfan46 the matching aprons are so cute 😫

harryfan44 i wonder if y/n finna be in the pit

harryfan48 i love her so much for this

harryfan50 hate y/n all you want but her doing this just shows us how nice she is

harryfan52 this is the sweetest thing ever

harryfan55 okay but y/n is so gorgeous

harryfan51 y/n brought her backstage because she was an aspiring chef 😭

harryfan53 her cooking with a harrie is so sweet

harryfan56 such a cute moment

harryfan58 this made me love her

harryfan54 Y/N SUPREMACY

liked by harryfan57, harryfan60 and 402,916 others

stylesdaily UNSEEN OF HARRY AT Y/N’S RESTAURANT LAST YEAR IN ITALY!

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harryfan62 him and y/n have been a thing for that long?!

harryfan65 MUSTACHERRY 🧎‍♀️

harryfan67 he’s friends with her staff…SOBBING

harryfan61 harry really is a big fan of y/n huh

harryfan63 she has him in a chokehold 😫

harryfan66 so this basically means harry knew y/n last year…

harryfan68 going feral for him

harryfan64 i love harry with a mustache

harryfan69 “last year” WHAT 😭

harryfan71 he’s so cute

harryfan74 we got you on camera @harrystyles

harryfan76 i live for unseens of harry 🙏

harryfan70 HE WAS AT Y/N’S RESTAURANT LAST YEAR?

harryfan79 harry in italy is always the best

harryfan72 MUSTACHE HARRY MUSTACHE HARRY MUSTACHE HARRY

liked by capocuoca94, harrystyles and 902,751 others

harry_lambert Chef Y/N L/N for Better Homes & Gardens. Styled by Alessandro Michele and I.

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harryfan73 SHE’S SO HOT

harryfan75 4 + 4 = 8

harrystyles One of the most attractive women in the world.

capocuoca94 why thank you h!

harryfan77 THE CASUAL FLIRTING HAS ME CRYING 😭

emmalouisecorrin the most gorgeous girl

harryfan80 y/n literally slayed

alessandro_michele was so excited for this release!

harryfan82 harry is the luckiest man in the world

pillowpersonpp I LOVE THIS SO MUCH ❤️

harryfan85 y/n and harry flirting in a comment section is the definition of true love

harris_reed she was born to be on a magazine cover

harryfan87 i don’t know if i want to be y/n or be with her

glenne_azoff y/n looks so good!!!

harryfan81 literally on my knees for her

mollyjane_x i’ve been waiting for this 🥰

liked by harrystyles, kidharpoon and 307 others

capocuoca94 mama we did it!

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_basselin GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GIRL

emmalouisecorrin you did it y/n ❤️

harrystyles I love you my baby, I am so proud of you.

capocuoca94 i really love you more sue

harry_lambert best photoshoot ever 🥰

pillowpersonpp i need a poster size of this

jefezoff they had to put one of the bests chefs on their magazine cover!

alessandro_michele glad to be apart of this 😇

annetwist congratulations beauty, you truly deserved it!

capocuoca94 thank you ms. anne 💖

mitchrowland beignets?! don’t get me excited y/n

paulithepsm best cover ever

glenne_azoff i’m so obsessed with this

alexachung amazing! amazing! amazing!

gemmastyles you are seriously so beautiful, congrats on your cover darling

florencepugh GOD IS A WOMAN

tag list: @harrysmatcha @harryspinkpillow @helen-with-an-a @florencepughily @peterparkerbae @toji-dabi-wife @fallonx @drphilssoulmate @cherriesrae @alienorknight @valluvsu @ivegotparticulartaste @ayeshathestyles @hazgoldenstyles @eiffelmezarry @tsukishimawhore @renatavieira @michellekstyles @eleanordaisy @shawnsblue @academiaghosts @japanchrry @agustdpeach @hannahnikohl @whoscamila @ch3rryrry @msolbesg @seguin-styles1996 @futuristicpalacegardenpsychic @youusunshineyoutemptress @eunoiamaa @kaitieskidmore1 @cherryfragrancx @ssuziess @milkiane @golden-hoax @flwrmuse @sunshinemendes8 @your--sweetest--downfall @melllinaa @iluvjj @tenaciousperfectionunknown @cashtons-wife @stellarossii @scenesofobx @manifestrry @lomlolivia

#harry styles x reader #harry styles #harry styles au #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you #boyfriend!harry #harry styles fake social media #harry styles fake instagram #harry styles fake ig #harry styles fan fic

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gucciwins · 4 years ago

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Three Time

The one where Harry, Atticus, and Y/N celebrate.

Word Count: 2,988

A/N: Hello friends, this is a little continuation to my story Adore You. Harry is now a three time grammy nominated artist and i think that is beautiful. This is something short and i really do hope you enjoy it.

There is a lot that happened this year that she never saw coming.

First, a worldwide pandemic that would keep everyone locked indoors and having to wear masks. Secondly, Harry's Love on Tour getting rescheduled to 2021, but even that isn't looking good now. And lastly, being in Los Angeles in November as Harry is filming a movie as the lead male actor.

Ever since Fine Line was released in December, time seemed to fly by for them.

Harry was overjoyed at how loved Fine Line was by his fans. He was getting support left and right. He was a humble man, never letting it go to his head, always saying he couldn't do it without the help of the people on his team.

There have been rumors flying around speculating Harry having a girlfriend, a famous songwriter, but they have learned to ignore it. Harry doesn't feel the need to address his relationships because it's theirs. He would love to shout his love for Y/N to the world, but as long as she knows, he's content.

They celebrated their one year anniversary in Italy for a week before flying back home, they would have stayed longer, but they missed Atticus too much to do that. As soon as they got home, it felt like everything changed. Not between them, but with the world. It was madness to see a lockdown, fear had spiked, but safety was a priority that they took seriously. Meaning they had to take it day by day.

Ever since the worldwide lockdown in March, Harry discussed staying in Los Angeles with Mitch and Sarah for a few months. Atticus was quick to agree, but Y/N really wanted to go home. Harry reminded her it was better to be surrounded by a good group of friends than to be distanced from everyone in London's separate homes. She was quick to agree after.

Y/N didn't mind it much after; they all always helped each other out. There was also a lot of music playing, as well as creating. Harry said they might just have to get Mitch to release a quarantine album, which got Harry hit in the head with a pillow.

The one who was taking this the hardest was Atticus, missing Anne and Gemma, who was back in London. He missed going to the park to play, he missed running around free, and honestly, she did as well. They would go hiking and on walks, but it was not as open as before.

This is why, by June, they returned back home to London, and after a week of quarantine and negative test results, they went on the journey to visit both families. Y/N separated from them to visit her mother and step-dad even though Harry tried to convince her they could go together, but honestly, as much as she loved Anne and had started to see her as a second mother, she really needed a hug from her own. She promised Harry and Atticus she would see them the day after as she was coming to see Anne and they would stay the week with her.

During this time, Y/n started knitting, something she learned at a young age but would only do when she was stressed. She began teaching Atticus, but he could only keep still for a little bit before he had to run off and do a new activity. She knitted socks, hats, and blankets for their family and friends and shipped them off to them. Y/N even made Atticus and herself the JW Anderson Cardigan. It was a lot of work, but it came out lovely. Harry made them do a little backyard photoshoot because he loved it so much.

Harry had even surprised her when he told her it would be on the cover of Vogue. She was in shock, but she never stopped hugging him, telling Harry how proud of him she was. The day of the shoot was gorgeous, she had to remind herself to breathe a few times, or she would have passed out. Atticus was in the shoot with Gemma and Harry as they did a family shoot to surprise Anne. Harry kept asking her if she was enjoying it, and honestly, her smile said everything. That she was proud of him, that he was doing fantastic but most importantly, that she loved him. The skirt had a lot of filthy thoughts floating through her head, and she really hoped they'd lend it to Harry if she told him everything she wanted to do with him, specifically her under that skirt touching him.

Harry had her join for a few photos, Lambert pulling out a surprising look just for her. Harry promised these photos were just for them, even if he wanted to have them put one in just so the world could know how much he loved his family.

It's November now, and they are in Y/N's Malibu home, which they have been staying at since October. Harry has started filming "Don't Worry Darling," in Olivia Wilde's film. It was surreal when they found out; she couldn't be any prouder. Staying in her home was an easy choice; not many knowing where she lives, only a few friends, and Atticus loves having the beach so close even if it is a little too cold to go in now.

Y/N and Atticus can't go to set due to safety and regulations, but Harry calls and facetime them every time he gets a break in his trailer. He lets them know he misses them, but he really loves everyone he's working with. That the cast is incredible and kind. Harry would not stop teasing Y/N for her reaction when she saw the wedding ring on his left hand. It made her stop mid-sentence. Husband Harry is something she wishes to one day get because Dad Harry is an angel to his sweet son.

Harry has recently gone back to filming as it was postponed for two weeks because someone on set came out positive to make up for the lost time they started filming on weekends, which bummed out Atticus. Still, Harry quickly told him it wasn't his choice and that they would watch movies of his options as soon as he was back. Atticus loves Y/N a lot, but he's never going to love anyone more than his dad, even though Atticus does push Harry second sometimes.

More times than not, Harry will get home and find Y/N and Atticus napping in a new place of the house; the last time was outback in a little tent Y/N set up with fairy lights and had many pillows and blankets to stay warm. Harry was quick to climb in and wrap his arms around Y/N, who quickly woke up due to his cold hands, but he apologized quickly with kisses. She's a sucker for his kisses.

Every moment together is special for them.

Atticus called her 'Mum' a week ago and ran off, feeling embarrassed would not talk to her all day. Which was hard to do, seeing that they were the only three people in the house. Harry saw how sulky she was and talked with Atticus because neither would tell him what happened. Harry was surprised when Atticus told him what he said, but he was mostly filled with joy and a bit of fear. A fear that she could leave any day and not only would he be left heartbroken but so would his son, but he knows Y/N and the love she has for them. She's here forever, she might not say it, but her actions say enough for her. How she tucks in Atticus to bed with a kiss and an 'I love you.' Asking Anne and her mother on first time parenting tips when she thinks Harry isn't around. How much she cried when he got a scrape on his knee for the time in her care. There isn't anything stopping her from leaving, but she stays because she loves all she has. In the end, Atticus apologized for not speaking with her, and she hugged him and cuddled him all night long. Harry told Atticus that Y/N wasn't his mother, but she loved him like one and that it was okay with him if she called her that. Y/N was fearful of being a mom, but she loved Atticus like her own; even if she hadn't watched and cared for him since he was born, she was here known and would do so for as long as Harry and Atticus let her.

November 24th, a long-awaited day for artists in the music industry. Harry has to be on set at 11AM today, meaning they will be watching the live stream together. Jeff is with Glenne and is on facetime with Harry. He has his phone perched up against a candle. Harry is sitting in the middle, Atticus to his left and Y/N to his right. He's in sweats and a plain white tee, not needing to be dressed up, seeing as it only is nine in the morning.

The live stream is an hour-long. Y/N truly forgets how many categories they have until she watches. They woke up at eight am, had pancakes for breakfast, and spoke of their daily plans letting time go by them, allowing them to enjoy breakfast together as they do each morning.

Atticus can barely sit still, just wanting to hear his daddy's name being called. Harry is surprisingly quiet, just sitting back with his arms crossed as the live stream goes on. Honestly, Y/N is the only one showing emotion. She cheers as she hears HAIM and Phoebe Bridgers get nominated. She itches to grab her phone to shoot them a congratulations message but fears she'll miss something, so she just gives herself a silent reminder to do it after.

Sharon Osbourne had just begun to say the nominees for Best Comedy Album, and Y/N knows what is coming up soon. She isn't even listening to the nominees, just waiting for her to name the Best Music Video nominees.

As soon as she says, "Brown Skin Girl, Beyoncé," Y/N feels Harry's hand on her thigh tighten, and she feels for him. His nerves must be out of the roof, but he tries his best not to show it. Y/N shuts her eyes tight, putting her hand over his to let him know she's there for him.

When she hears the words "Adore You, Harry Styles," she feels her heart speed up. She opens her eyes wide and looks at Harry; his face is blank. Atticus is running circles around the couch, just cheering and yelling nonsense. Jeff and Glenne are cheering from the phone.

Harry lets out a big smile when he finally meets her eyes. "Adore you did it, angel." She whispers.

He nods. "That's unreal. To hear my name."

She leans in to give him a quick kiss as they settle back down, ready to listen for the upcoming categories. Megan the Stallion is starting the new section of categories, and Y/N isn't sure how to feel because she won't be able to take it if they don't name Harry again.

"Best Pop Solo Performance, Watermelon Sugar." This time they all break out into cheers as soon as they hear them call Harry's name after Dua Lipa's. "Watermelon Sugar" had been a hit from the day of its release. Now it has been nominated for a Grammy feels unreal to Harry. Two nominations, he would have never believed it.

Y/N's buzzing waiting for Megan to announce Best Pop Vocal Album. Harry is now leaning forward, knowing this is another category he could potentially be nominated for.

"Fine Line Harry Styles" As soon as she hears those words, the tears start running down her face; he did this. His album was nominated. Harry can't stop smiling as Atticus hugs him tight around his neck. He lets out a small chuckle as he sees her tears. He pulls her in, kissing her head repeatedly, smiling at Jeff's congratulations but mostly basking in the joy of three nominations and that he has the opportunity to share it with those he loves.

Harvey Mason JR. is here once again to announce the general field categories. Harry and Y/N nod along as the names of the nominees are called out. Jeff let out a cheer hearing HAIM nominated for album of the year. Y/N sighs, not hearing Harry being nominated but continues ready to hear Adore You for record of the year. Only it doesn't happen. Harvey Mason JR. bids everyone goodbye, and just like that, it's over.

Jeff breaks the silence, congratulating Harry before hanging up. Harry sits back with Atticus in his lap, a big smile on his face.

Harry is happy. Extremely happy, this has always been a dream of his, one he never knew would come true.

His second album got him three Grammy nominations. Atticus has no clue what these awards mean, but he's happy just seeing Harry and Y/N happy. Atticus climbs off Harry's lap, kissing Harry and Y/N's cheek, saying he's going to his room now.

Harry turns to look at Y/N, and the smile she had has now left her face, and now she sits there, lost in thought. This worries Harry; she was fine moments ago. He's got to go soon, so he needs to figure this out now.

"Honey, you alright?" Harry places his hand on her thigh, and she looks at him, nodding.

"Fine." She kisses his cheek. "Really happy for you."

Harry knows she is, but there's something else. "Spill."

She sighs, knowing nothing gets past him. "You weren't named for any general category. I'm proud of the three you got, but I was sure you would be at least nominated for record of the year." Awards don't mean much to Y/N anymore, but she knows how important this is for Harry. "I'm sorry, ruining your mood."

"You didn't. Thank you for caring so much." His smile is sincere, and she knows he wouldn't lie to her.

"It's okay," Harry tells her, wanting her to repeat it with him.

"But Harry," He puts his hands on her cheeks to get her to stop and look at him.

"Honey, it's okay. Three nominations are amazing, and I couldn't be happier."

"I know," She deflates. "3-time Grammy Nominated Artist Harry Styles has a nice ring to it." She smirks, noting the blush on his cheek.

"Dork." He leans in to kiss her nose.

"Fine Line is still my favorite album, you know, from everything released, named number one."

"You're just saying that."

Y/N shakes her head no, "Of course not. Yours is the one album I had on repeat the most. My Spotify wrapped will prove just that."

Harry snorts, "You're too much."

He pulls her in to lay on his chest, her arms snake around his waist. They hold each other tight.

"I'm proud of you," Harry whispers in her ear.

Y.N leans back, but Harry's hold is tight. "I did nothing; you just got nominated. For your second album, you deserve all the praise today."

"Honey, will you let me continue." Harry laughs.

"Sorry, H."

"I'm proud of you because, without you, this album would have never been finished. I would have never had the inspiration to finish Adore You. Would have never had the idea to make a fake island and promote it without ever adding my name to it. I would have never thought to film using a CGI fish, as my friend in the story. I would have never had the released "Lights Up," the song that started this new era for me but most importantly, I would have never found love. A love that is bigger than me that fills me with so much joy. A love that leaves me scared. A love that will forever keep on growing." Harry smiles as he wipes away her tears.

Harry loves Y/N with all he has. This album was his, but it was also hers. It's what truly brought them together.

"You made me cry, you jerk." She says, laying her head in the crook of his neck.

Harry laughs. "I just poured my heart out to you, and I'm the jerk."

"I love you." Harry grins. That's all he wants to hear. "I'll love you, today, tomorrow, forever for as long as you let me.

Harry can't contain his happiness and needs to show her. He connects their lips. It's a hard, fast kiss full of passion. They pull away because their smiles don't let them continue much.

"You've got to go." Y/N reminds him as he continues to press kisses all over her face and neck.

Harry settles down, smiling down at her. "I know." She leans forward, kissing him quickly. "We'll celebrate more when I get home tonight."

"Three nominations, wow!" Y/N says, standing up. "We're in for a long celebration once we get Atticus down to sleep." She wags her eyebrows at him.

Harry very quickly gets the hint. "I can't wait, honey."

Atticus comes bouncing down the steps giving his dad a kiss goodbye, walking him to the door, barefoot. Y/N follows Harry, giving her one last kiss goodbye as he walks to his car.

As he gets in and pulls out of the driveway, he sees Y/N and Atticus waving goodbye to him. Harry has a big smile on his face that no one can see. He's thankful to now be a 3-time Grammy-nominated artist, but what he is most grateful for is getting to be the person who gets to love Y/N and Atticus forever.

Thank you for reading! This was just a small little piece for a beloved piece I wrote. If inspiration strikes, I shall be revisiting this story.

Please let me know what you thought!

#harry styles #dad! harry #harry styles fluff #harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n #harry styles imagine #harry styles one shot #harry styles fanfiction #harry au #thank you for reading #adore you

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kingstylesdaily · 4 years ago

Text

Playtime With Harry Styles

via vogue.com

THE MEN’S BATHING POND in London’s Hampstead Heath at daybreak on a gloomy September morning seemed such an unlikely locale for my first meeting with Harry Styles, music’s legendarily charm-heavy style czar, that I wondered perhaps if something had been lost in translation.

But then there is Styles, cheerily gung ho, hidden behind a festive yellow bandana mask and a sweatshirt of his own design, surprisingly printed with three portraits of his intellectual pinup, the author Alain de Botton. “I love his writing,” says Styles. “I just think he’s brilliant. I saw him give a talk about the keys to happiness, and how one of the keys is living among friends, and how real friendship stems from being vulnerable with someone.”

In turn, de Botton’s 2016 novel The Course of Love taught Styles that “when it comes to relationships, you just expect yourself to be good at it…[but] being in a real relationship with someone is a skill,” one that Styles himself has often had to hone in the unforgiving klieg light of public attention, and in the company of such high-profile paramours as Taylor Swift and—well, Styles is too much of a gentleman to name names.

That sweatshirt and the Columbia Records tracksuit bottoms are removed in the quaint wooden open-air changing room, with its Swallows and Amazons vibe. A handful of intrepid fellow patrons in various states of undress are blissfully unaware of the 26-year-old supernova in their midst, although I must admit I’m finding it rather difficult to take my eyes off him, try as I might. Styles has been on a six-day juice cleanse in readiness for Vogue’s photographer Tyler Mitchell. He practices Pilates (“I’ve got very tight hamstrings—trying to get those open”) and meditates twice a day. “It has changed my life,” he avers, “but it’s so subtle. It’s helped me just be more present. I feel like I’m able to enjoy the things that are happening right in front of me, even if it’s food or it’s coffee or it’s being with a friend—or a swim in a really cold pond!” Styles also feels that his meditation practices have helped him through the tumult of 2020: “Meditation just brings a stillness that has been really beneficial, I think, for my mental health.”

Styles has been a pescatarian for three years, inspired by the vegan food that several members of his current band prepared on tour. “My body definitely feels better for it,” he says. His shapely torso is prettily inscribed with the tattoos of a Victorian sailor—a rose, a galleon, a mermaid, an anchor, and a palm tree among them, and, straddling his clavicle, the dates 1967 and 1957 (the respective birth years of his mother and father). Frankly, I rather wish I’d packed a beach muumuu.

We take the piratical gangplank that juts into the water and dive in. Let me tell you, this is not the Aegean. The glacial water is a cloudy phlegm green beneath the surface, and clammy reeds slap one’s ankles. Styles, who admits he will try any fad, has recently had a couple of cryotherapy sessions and is evidently less susceptible to the cold. By the time we have swum a full circuit, however, body temperatures have adjusted, and the ice, you might say, has been broken. Duly invigorated, we are ready to face the day. Styles has thoughtfully brought a canister of coffee and some bottles of water in his backpack, and we sit at either end of a park bench for a socially distanced chat.

It seems that he has had a productive year. At the onset of lockdown, Styles found himself in his second home, in the canyons of Los Angeles. After a few days on his own, however, he moved in with a pod of three friends (and subsequently with two band members, Mitch Rowland and Sarah Jones). They “would put names in a hat and plan the week out,” Styles explains. “If you were Monday, you would choose the movie, dinner, and the activity for that day. I like to make soups, and there was a big array of movies; we went all over the board,” from Goodfellas to Clueless. The experience, says Styles, “has been a really good lesson in what makes me happy now. It’s such a good example of living in the moment. I honestly just like being around my friends,” he adds. “That’s been my biggest takeaway. Just being on my own the whole time, I would have been miserable.”

Styles is big on friendship groups and considers his former and legendarily hysteria-inducing boy band, One Direction, to have been one of them. “I think the typical thing is to come out of a band like that and almost feel like you have to apologize for being in it,” says Styles. “But I loved my time in it. It was all new to me, and I was trying to learn as much as I could. I wanted to soak it in…. I think that’s probably why I like traveling now—soaking stuff up.” In a post-COVID future, he is contemplating a temporary move to Tokyo, explaining that “there’s a respect and a stillness, a quietness that I really loved every time I’ve been there.”

In 1D, Styles was making music whenever he could. “After a show you’d go in a hotel room and put down some vocals,” he recalls. As a result, his first solo album, 2017’s Harry Styles, “was when I really fell in love with being in the studio,” he says. “I loved it as much as touring.” Today he favors isolating with his core group of collaborators, “our little bubble”—Rowland, Kid Harpoon (né Tom Hull), and Tyler Johnson. “A safe space,” as he describes it.

In the music he has been working on in 2020, Styles wants to capture the experimental spirit that informed his second album, last year’s Fine Line. With his debut album, “I was very much finding out what my sound was as a solo artist,” he says. “I can see all the places where it almost felt like I was bowling with the bumpers up. I think with the second album I let go of the fear of getting it wrong and…it was really joyous and really free. I think with music it’s so important to evolve—and that extends to clothes and videos and all that stuff. That’s why you look back at David Bowie with Ziggy Stardust or the Beatles and their different eras—that fearlessness is super inspiring.”

The seismic changes of 2020—including the Black Lives Matter uprising around racial justice—has also provided Styles with an opportunity for personal growth. “I think it’s a time for opening up and learning and listening,” he says. “I’ve been trying to read and educate myself so that in 20 years I’m still doing the right things and taking the right steps. I believe in karma, and I think it’s just a time right now where we could use a little more kindness and empathy and patience with people, be a little more prepared to listen and grow.”

Meanwhile, Styles’s euphoric single “Watermelon Sugar” became something of an escapist anthem for this dystopian summer of 2020. The video, featuring Styles (dressed in ’70s-flavored Gucci and Bode) cavorting with a pack of beach-babe girls and boys, was shot in January, before lockdown rules came into play. By the time it was ready to be released in May, a poignant epigraph had been added: “This video is dedicated to touching.”

Styles is looking forward to touring again, when “it’s safe for everyone,” because, as he notes, “being up against people is part of the whole thing. You can’t really re-create it in any way.” But it hasn’t always been so. Early in his career, Styles was so stricken with stage fright that he regularly threw up preperformance. “I just always thought I was going to mess up or something,” he remembers. “But I’ve felt really lucky to have a group of incredibly generous fans. They’re generous emotionally—and when they come to the show, they give so much that it creates this atmosphere that I’ve always found so loving and accepting.”

THIS SUMMER, when it was safe enough to travel, Styles returned to his London home, which is where he suggests we head now, setting off in his modish Primrose Yellow ’73 Jaguar that smells of gasoline and leatherette. “Me and my dad have always bonded over cars,” Styles explains. “I never thought I’d be someone who just went out for a leisurely drive, purely for enjoyment.” On sleepless jet-lagged nights he’ll drive through London’s quiet streets, seeing neighborhoods in a new way. “I find it quite relaxing,” he says.

Over the summer Styles took a road trip with his artist friend Tomo Campbell through France and Italy, setting off at four in the morning and spending the night in Geneva, where they jumped in the lake “to wake ourselves up.” (I see a pattern emerging.) At the end of the trip Styles drove home alone, accompanied by an upbeat playlist that included “Aretha Franklin, Parliament, and a lot of Stevie Wonder. It was really fun for me,” he says. “I don’t travel like that a lot. I’m usually in such a rush, but there was a stillness to it. I love the feeling of nobody knowing where I am, that kind of escape...and freedom.”

GROWING UP in a village in the North of England, Styles thought of London as a world apart: “It truly felt like a different country.” At a wide-eyed 16, he came down to the teeming metropolis after his mother entered him on the U.K. talent-search show The X Factor. “I went to the audition to find out if I could sing,” Styles recalls, “or if my mum was just being nice to me.” Styles was eliminated but subsequently brought back with other contestants—Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik—to form a boy band that was named (on Styles’s suggestion) One Direction. The wily X Factor creator and judge, Simon Cowell, soon signed them to his label Syco Records, and the rest is history: 1D’s first four albums, supported by four world tours from 2011 to 2015, debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard charts, and the band has sold 70 million records to date. At 18, Styles bought the London house he now calls home. “I was going to do two weeks’ work to it,” he remembers, “but when I came back there was no second floor,” so he moved in with adult friends who lived nearby till the renovation was complete. “Eighteen months,” he deadpans. “I’ve always seen that period as pretty pivotal for me, as there’s that moment at the party where it’s getting late, and half of the people would go upstairs to do drugs, and the other people go home. I was like, ‘I don’t really know this friend’s wife, so I’m not going to get all messy and then go home.’ I had to behave a bit, at a time where everything else about my life felt I didn’t have to behave really. I’ve been lucky to always feel I have this family unit somewhere.”

When Styles’s London renovation was finally done, “I went in for the first time and I cried,” he recalls. “Because I just felt like I had somewhere. L.A. feels like holiday, but this feels like home.”

Behind its pink door, Styles’s house has all the trappings of rock stardom—there’s a man cave filled with guitars, a Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks poster (a moving-in gift from his decorator), a Stevie Nicks album cover. Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” was one of the first songs he knew the words to—“My parents were big fans”—and he and Nicks have formed something of a mutual-admiration society. At the beginning of lockdown, Nicks tweeted to her fans that she was taking inspiration from Fine Line: “Way to go, H,” she wrote. “It is your Rumours.” “She’s always there for you,” said Styles when he inducted Nicks into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. “She knows what you need—advice, a little wisdom, a blouse, a shawl; she’s got you covered.”

Styles makes us some tea in the light-filled kitchen and then wanders into the convivial living room, where he strikes an insouciant pose on the chesterfield sofa, upholstered in a turquoise velvet that perhaps not entirely coincidentally sets off his eyes. Styles admits that his lockdown lewk was “sweatpants, constantly,” and he is relishing the opportunity to dress up again. He doesn’t have to wait long: The following day, under the eaves of a Victorian mansion in Notting Hill, I arrive in the middle of fittings for Vogue’s shoot and discover Styles in his Y-fronts, patiently waiting to try on looks for fashion editor Camilla Nickerson and photographer Tyler Mitchell. Styles’s personal stylist, Harry Lambert, wearing a pearl necklace and his nails colored in various shades of green varnish, à la Sally Bowles, is providing helpful backup (Britain’s Rule of Six hasn’t yet been imposed).

Styles, who has thoughtfully brought me a copy of de Botton’s 2006 book The Architecture of Happiness, is instinctively and almost quaintly polite, in an old-fashioned, holding-open-doors and not-mentioning-lovers-by-name sort of way. He is astounded to discover that the Atlanta-born Mitchell has yet to experience a traditional British Sunday roast dinner. Assuring him that “it’s basically like Thanksgiving every Sunday,” Styles gives Mitchell the details of his favorite London restaurants in which to enjoy one. “It’s a good thing to be nice,” Mitchell tells me after a morning in Styles’s company.

MITCHELL has Lionel Wendt’s languorously homoerotic 1930s portraits of young Sri Lankan men on his mood board. Nickerson is thinking of Irving Penn’s legendary fall 1950 Paris haute couture collections sitting, where he photographed midcentury supermodels, including his wife, Lisa Fonssagrives, in high-style Dior and Balenciaga creations. Styles is up for all of it, and so, it would seem, is the menswear landscape of 2020: Jonathan Anderson has produced a trapeze coat anchored with a chunky gold martingale; John Galliano at Maison Margiela has fashioned a khaki trench with a portrait neckline in layers of colored tulle; and Harris Reed—a Saint Martins fashion student sleuthed by Lambert who ended up making some looks for Styles’s last tour—has spent a week making a broad-shouldered Smoking jacket with high-waisted, wide-leg pants that have become a Styles signature since he posed for Tim Walker for the cover of Fine Line wearing a Gucci pair—a silhouette that was repeated in the tour wardrobe. (“I liked the idea of having that uniform,” says Styles.) Reed’s version is worn with a hoopskirt draped in festoons of hot-pink satin that somehow suggests Deborah Kerr asking Yul Brynner’s King of Siam, “Shall we dance?”

Styles introduces me to the writer and eyewear designer Gemma Styles, “my sister from the same womb,” he says. She is also here for the fitting: The siblings plan to surprise their mother with the double portrait on these pages.

I ask her whether her brother had always been interested in clothes.

“My mum loved to dress us up,” she remembers. “I always hated it, and Harry was always quite into it. She did some really elaborate papier-mâché outfits: She made a giant mug and then painted an atlas on it, and that was Harry being ‘The World Cup.’ Harry also had a little dalmatian-dog outfit,” she adds, “a hand-me-down from our closest family friends. He would just spend an inordinate amount of time wearing that outfit. But then Mum dressed me up as Cruella de Vil. She was always looking for any opportunity!”

“As a kid I definitely liked fancy dress,” Styles says. There were school plays, the first of which cast him as Barney, a church mouse. “I was really young, and I wore tights for that,” he recalls. “I remember it was crazy to me that I was wearing a pair of tights. And that was maybe where it all kicked off!”

Acting has also remained a fundamental form of expression for Styles. His sister recalls that even on the eve of his life-changing X Factor audition, Styles could sing in public only in an assumed voice. “He used to do quite a good sort of Elvis warble,” she remembers. During the rehearsals in the family home, “he would sing in the bathroom because if it was him singing as himself, he just couldn’t have anyone looking at him! I love his voice now,” she adds. “I’m so glad that he makes music that I actually enjoy listening to.”

Styles’s role-playing continued soon after 1D went on permanent hiatus in 2016, and he was cast in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, beating out dozens of professional actors for the role. “The good part was my character was a young soldier who didn’t really know what he was doing,” says Styles modestly. “The scale of the movie was so big that I was a tiny piece of the puzzle. It was definitely humbling. I just loved being outside of my comfort zone.”

His performance caught the eye of Olivia Wilde, who remembers that it “blew me away—the openness and commitment.” In turn, Styles loved Wilde’s directorial debut, Booksmart, and is “very honored” that she cast him in a leading role for her second feature, a thriller titled Don’t Worry Darling, which went into production this fall. Styles will play the husband to Florence Pugh in what Styles describes as “a 1950s utopia in the California desert.”

Wilde’s movie is costumed by Academy Award nominee Arianne Phillips. “She and I did a little victory dance when we heard that we officially had Harry in the film,” notes Wilde, “because we knew that he has a real appreciation for fashion and style. And this movie is incredibly stylistic. It’s very heightened and opulent, and I’m really grateful that he is so enthusiastic about that element of the process—some actors just don’t care.”

“I like playing dress-up in general,” Styles concurs, in a masterpiece of understatement: This is the man, after all, who cohosted the Met’s 2019 “Notes on Camp” gala attired in a nipple-freeing black organza blouse with a lace jabot, and pants so high-waisted that they cupped his pectorals. The ensemble, accessorized with the pearl-drop earring of a dandified Elizabethan courtier, was created for Styles by Gucci’s Alessandro Michele, whom he befriended in 2014. Styles, who has subsequently personified the brand as the face of the Gucci fragrance, finds Michele “fearless with his work and his imagination. It’s really inspiring to be around someone who works like that.”

The two first met in London over a cappuccino. “It was just a kind of PR appointment,” says Michele, “but something magical happened, and Harry is now a friend. He has the aura of an English rock-and-roll star—like a young Greek god with the attitude of James Dean and a little bit of Mick Jagger—but no one is sweeter. He is the image of a new era, of the way that a man can look.”

Styles credits his style transformation—from Jack Wills tracksuit-clad boy-band heartthrob to nonpareil fashionisto—to his meeting the droll young stylist Harry Lambert seven years ago. They hit it off at once and have conspired ever since, enjoying a playfully campy rapport and calling each other Sue and Susan as they parse the niceties of the scarlet lace Gucci man-bra that Michele has made for Vogue’s shoot, for instance, or a pair of Bode pants hand-painted with biographical images (Styles sent Emily Adams Bode images of his family, and a photograph he had found of David Hockney and Joni Mitchell. “The idea of those two being friends, to me, was really beautiful,” Styles explains).

“He just has fun with clothing, and that’s kind of where I’ve got it from,” says Styles of Lambert. “He doesn’t take it too seriously, which means I don’t take it too seriously.” The process has been evolutionary. At his first meeting with Lambert, the stylist proposed “a pair of flares, and I was like, ‘Flares? That’s fucking crazy,’ ” Styles remembers. Now he declares that “you can never be overdressed. There’s no such thing. The people that I looked up to in music—Prince and David Bowie and Elvis and Freddie Mercury and Elton John—they’re such showmen. As a kid it was completely mind-blowing. Now I’ll put on something that feels really flamboyant, and I don’t feel crazy wearing it. I think if you get something that you feel amazing in, it’s like a superhero outfit. Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with. What’s really exciting is that all of these lines are just kind of crumbling away. When you take away ‘There’s clothes for men and there’s clothes for women,’ once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play. I’ll go in shops sometimes, and I just find myself looking at the women’s clothes thinking they’re amazing. It’s like anything—anytime you’re putting barriers up in your own life, you’re just limiting yourself. There’s so much joy to be had in playing with clothes. I’ve never really thought too much about what it means—it just becomes this extended part of creating something.”

“He’s up for it,” confirms Lambert, who earlier this year, for instance, found a JW Anderson cardigan with the look of a Rubik’s Cube (“on sale at matches.com!”). Styles wore it, accessorized with his own pearl necklace, for a Today rehearsal in February and it went viral: His fans were soon knitting their own versions and posting the results on TikTok. Jonathan Anderson declared himself “so impressed and incredibly humbled by this trend” that he nimbly made the pattern available (complete with a YouTube tutorial) so that Styles’s fans could copy it for free. Meanwhile, London’s storied Victoria & Albert Museum has requested Styles’s original: an emblematic document of how people got creative during the COVID era. “It’s going to be in their permanent collection,” says Lambert exultantly. “Is that not sick? Is that not the most epic thing?”

“To me, he’s very modern,” says Wilde of Styles, “and I hope that this brand of confidence as a male that Harry has—truly devoid of any traces of toxic masculinity—is indicative of his generation and therefore the future of the world. I think he is in many ways championing that, spearheading that. It’s pretty powerful and kind of extraordinary to see someone in his position redefining what it can mean to be a man with confidence.”

“He’s really in touch with his feminine side because it’s something natural,” notes Michele. “And he’s a big inspiration to a younger generation—about how you can be in a totally free playground when you feel comfortable. I think that he’s a revolutionary.”

STYLES’S confidence is on full display the day after the fitting, which finds us all on the beautiful Sussex dales. Over the summit of the hill, with its trees blown horizontal by the fierce winds, lies the English Channel. Even though it’s a two-hour drive from London, the fresh-faced Styles, who went to bed at 9 p.m., has arrived on set early: He is famously early for everything. The team is installed in a traditional flint-stone barn. The giant doors have been replaced by glass and frame a bucolic view of distant grazing sheep. “Look at that field!” says Styles. “How lucky are we? This is our office! Smell the roses!” Lambert starts to sing “Kumbaya, my Lord.”

Hairdresser Malcolm Edwards is setting Styles’s hair in a Victory roll with silver clips, and until it is combed out he resembles Kathryn Grayson with stubble. His fingers are freighted with rings, and “he has a new army of mini purses,” says Lambert, gesturing to an accessory table heaving with examples including a mini sky-blue Gucci Diana bag discreetly monogrammed HS. Michele has also made Styles a dress for the shoot that Tissot might have liked to paint—acres of ice-blue ruffles, black Valenciennes lace, and suivez-moi, jeune homme ribbons. Erelong, Styles is gamely racing up a hill in it, dodging sheep scat, thistles, and shards of chalk, and striking a pose for Mitchell that manages to make ruffles a compelling new masculine proposition, just as Mr. Fish’s frothy white cotton dress—equal parts Romantic poet and Greek presidential guard—did for Mick Jagger when he wore it for The Rolling Stones’ free performance in Hyde Park in 1969, or as the suburban-mom floral housedress did for Kurt Cobain as he defined the iconoclastic grunge aesthetic. Styles is mischievously singing ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” to himself when Mitchell calls him outside to jump up and down on a trampoline in a Comme des Garçons buttoned wool kilt. “How did it look?” asks his sister when he comes in from the cold. “Divine,” says her brother in playful Lambert-speak.

As the wide sky is washed in pink, orange, and gray, like a Turner sunset, and Mitchell calls it a successful day, Styles is playing “Cherry” from Fine Line on his Fender acoustic on the hilltop. “He does his own stunts,” says his sister, laughing. The impromptu set is greeted with applause. “Thank you, Antwerp!” says Styles playfully, bowing to the crowd. “Thank you, fashion!”

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hldailyupdate · 4 years ago

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Playtime With Harry Styles

“There’s so much joy to be had in playing with clothes. I’ve never thought too much about what it means—it just becomes this extended part of creating something”

I ask her whether her brother had always been interested in clothes.

Styles cuts a cool figure in this black-white-and-red-all-over checked coat by JW Anderson.

“It’s pretty powerful and kind of extraordinary to see someone in his position redefining what it can mean to be a man with confidence,” says Olivia Wilde

There are references aplenty in this look by Harris Reed, which features a Victoriana crinoline, 1980s shoulders, and pants of zoot-suit proportions.

#harry styles #harry update #article #vogue #november 2020

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hlupdate · 4 years ago

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Over the summer Styles took a road trip with his artist friend Tomo Campbell through France and Italy,setting off at four in the morning and spending the night in Geneva, where they jumped in the lake “to wake ourselves up.” (I see a pattern emerging.) At the end of the trip Styles drove home alone, accompanied by an upbeat playlist that included “Aretha Franklin, Parliament, and a lot of Stevie Wonder. It was really fun for me,” he says. “I don’t travel like that a lot. I’m usually in such a rush, but there was a stillness to it. I love the feeling of nobody knowing where I am, that kind of escape...and freedom.”

GROWING UP in a village in the North of England, Styles thought of London as a world apart: “It truly felt like a different country.” At a wide-eyed 16, he came down to the teeming metropolis after his mother entered him on the U.K. talent-search show The X Factor. “I went to the audition to find out if I could sing,” Styles recalls, “or if my mum was just being nice to me.” Styles was eliminated but subsequently brought back with other contestants—Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik—to form a boy band that was named (on Styles’s suggestion) One Direction. The wily X Factor creator and judge, Simon Cowell, soon signed them to his label Syco Records, and the rest is history: 1D’s first four albums, supported by four world tours from 2011 to 2015, debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboardcharts, and the band has sold 70 million records to date. At 18, Styles bought the London house he now calls home. “I was going to do two weeks’ work to it,” he remembers, “but when I came back there was no second floor,” so he moved in with adult friends who lived nearby till the renovation was complete. “Eighteen months,” he deadpans. “I’ve always seen that period as pretty pivotal for me, as there’s that moment at the party where it’s getting late, and half of the people would go upstairs to do drugs, and the other people go home. I was like, ‘I don’t really know this friend’s wife, so I’m not going to get all messy and then go home.’ I had to behave a bit, at a time where everything else about my life felt I didn’t have to behave really. I’ve been lucky to always feel I have this family unit somewhere.”

“There’s so much joy to be had in playing with clothes. I’ve never thought too much about what it means—it just becomes this extended part of creating something”

Behind its pink door, Styles’s house has all the trappings of rock stardom—there’s a man cave filled with guitars, a Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks poster (a moving-in gift from his decorator), a Stevie Nicksalbum cover. Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” was one of the first songs he knew the words to—“My parents were big fans”—and he and Nicks have formed something of a mutual-admiration society. At the beginning of lockdown, Nicks tweeted to her fans that she was taking inspiration from Fine Line: “Way to go, H,” she wrote. “It is your Rumours.” “She’s always there for you,” said Styles when he inducted Nicks into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. “She knows what you need—advice, a little wisdom, a blouse, a shawl; she’s got you covered.”

Styles, who has thoughtfully brought me a copy of de Botton’s 2006 book The Architecture of Happiness,is instinctively and almost quaintly polite, in an old-fashioned, holding-open-doors and not-mentioning-lovers-by-name sort of way. He is astounded to discover that the Atlanta-born Mitchell has yet to experience a traditional British Sunday roast dinner. Assuring him that “it’s basically like Thanksgiving every Sunday,” Styles gives Mitchell the details of his favorite London restaurants in which to enjoy one. “It’s a good thing to be nice,” Mitchell tells me after a morning in Styles’s company.

I ask her whether her brother had always been interested in clothes.

“It’s pretty powerful and kind of extraordinary to see someone in his position redefining what it can mean to be a man with confidence,” says Olivia Wilde

#harry styles #vogue #131120

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betweenthetimeandsound · 3 years ago

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Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (#230-221)

#230: Dschinghis Khan -- Dschinghis Khan (Germany 1979)

"Die Hufe ihrer Pferde, die peitschten im Sand Sie trugen Angst und Schrecken in jedes Land Und weder Blitz noch Donner hielt sie auf"

"The hoofs of their horses, they lashed in the sand They carried fear and horror in every country And neither flash nor thunder stopped them"

One of my favorite songs to jam to is Boney M's "Rasputin". A disco-influenced song about the life of "Russia's greatest love machine", it's energetic while telling that of a myth. I mention this because Dschinghis Khan is compared to this often, in all the ways.

Only this time, it's about the great conqueror Chinghis Khan, who took over the whole universe (and lasted for a very long time). From how he struck fear across the steppe to fathering seven children in one night, he is seen as the embodiment of masculinity.

While entertaining, sometimes I'm put off by the gimmickry. It can be argued that it wouldn't age that well today, because it can be seen as culturally appropriative or mocking Mongolian culture. But for what it's worth, it's enjoyable and still a classic today.

Personal and actual ranking: 4th/19 in Jerusalem

#229: Louisa Baïleche -- Monts et Merveilles (France 2003)

“Oh, mon amour Où es-tu, mon amour?” “Oh, my love Where are you, my love?”

A definite case of love at first listen for me—Monts et Merveilles is a calming ballad, albeit with sad lyrics about the end of a relationship. The instrumentation is quite nice; it reminds me of songs that stood out on the charts during that time. It also had the "ethnic style" percussion in the bridge, which made me think that France Televisions wanted to mix what worked in the last two years (ballads) with the ethnic sounds from the 1990s (as Louisa is half Kablye, an Algerian ethnic group)

Despite it, it got a pretty low result—though it may be because 2003 was a stronger year songwise compared to the two years that came before it. Or it maybe because of the hair getting into her face that took away from the experience...

Personal ranking: 5th/26 Actual ranking: 18th/26 in Riga

#228: Hakol Over Habibi -- Halayla (Israel 1981)

"הלילה, הלילה, יהיה זה הלילה נאמר דברים שלא אמרנו מעולם"

"Tonight, tonight, it will be the night We’ll say things we’ve never said before"

On a random note, whenever I would search up Idan Raichel's "Hakol Over", Hakol Over Habibi would be one of the first search items that pop up. I would completely ignore it until now, when they actually participated in Eurovision!

That said, Halayla is very groovy song which plays with the disco vibe of the 1970s and the highly energetic choreography that would define 1980s Israeli Eurovision entries. The instrumentation is quite awesome, with the mix of piano, strings, and I think accordion setting up the vibe. (And it switches well from minor to major and back again , which can go awry when done wrong).

The members seem to have a ball on stage, and Kikki looks beautiful in her dress, which was fitted that way because she was pregnant at the time!

Personal ranking: 5th/20 (though it jumps around often...) Actual ranking: 7th/20 in Dublin

#227: Wind -- Laß die Sonne in dein Herz (Germany 1987)

"Manchmal bist du traurig und weißt nicht warum Tausend kleine Kleinigkeiten machen dich ganz stumm Du hast fast vergessen wie das ist, ein Mensch zu sein Doch du bist nicht allein"

"Sometimes you feel sad and you don’t know why Thousands of little reasons are making you dumb You nearly forgot what it’s like to be a human being But you are not alone"

Wind has the interesting distinction of participating three times and coming in second twice out of those three. The first one, "Fur Alle" was seen as such as a big contender that there were bets made against it winning. And then it didn't.

Laß die Sonne in dein Herz didn't come that close to winning in 1987, but I can argue it's the better song of the the three.

It catches you right away with the reggae influences, which creates a relaxed vibe throughout the song. It builds up well with every key change--it does get repetitive at times (especially with the choruses), but never boring. And while it shares a similar theme to Fur Alle, it doesn't come off as either derivative or charitys-single like.

(That said, I did grow to like Fur Alle eventually, but this one was more instantaneous.)

Personal ranking: 7th/22 Actual ranking: 2nd/22 in Brussels

#226: Charlotte Perrelli -- Hero (Sweden 2008)

“This is a story of love and compassion Only heroes can tell.”

The better Charlotte song, in my opinion. The song she won with, “Take Me to Your Heaven” is a complete vintage track, almost influenced by ABBA-nostalgia going on at the time. “Hero” , while still on the same schlager vein, modernizes the production a little bit, to the point I imagine it would be a good pop song of that era.

Alongside that, Hero has some compelling lyrics, one which could summarize the hero's journey in general. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody were to write a Eurovision jukebox musical, they would use this in some format.

That may be the case on why l like it better, but it could also be because it should’ve done better in the contest. The fact the jury wildcard saved Charlotte is a reason why they're around, but the fact there was a wildcard which kicked out the actual tenth placer (North Macedonia's Let Me Love You) could be totally flawed too.

Personal ranking: 6th/43 Actual ranking: =18th/25 (with France) in Belgrade

#225: Carlos Paião -- Playback (Portugal 1981)

“Podes não saber cantar nem sequer assobiar, Com certeza que não vais desafinar, Em play-back, em play-back, em play-back,”

“Maybe you don't know how to sing or even how to whistle But you won't sing out of tune for sure, In playback, in playback, in playback”

This is so modern and infectious it’s unbelievable. From the introduction to Carlos’ biting lyrics to the choreography, it makes one wonder why it got neglected in the voting. 1981 was a strong year, sure, but this song is definitely one of the best of that field.

Playback, as the title suggests, is about the pervasiveness of lip-synching in the music industry. One day, nobody will have to learn how to sing because the playback will save them. They can all focus on the performance without taking note of the song.

It's eerily relevant to Eurovision today, considering we don't use live music anymore and backing vocals can be mimed. I have mixed feelings about the latter, because one side argues it allows different genres of music to appear, but the other argues it reduces artistic credibility. I prefer having live vocals; if a delegation wants to use them on the track (e.g. looping), it should be on a case-by-case basis.

Maybe that's why it somehow made the ESC250 the last two years...

Personal ranking: 4th/20 Actual ranking: =18th/20 (with Turkey) in Dublin

#224: Emma -- La mia città (Italy 2014)

“E dimmi se c’è davvero una meta O dovrò correre per la felicità”

“And tell me if there really is a destination Or I have to run for happiness”

The black sheep of Italy’s post-comeback output, and coincidentally the only song completely chosen internally. That being said, La mia citta is still a good song, and for me it’s better than some of the fan-favorites out there.

Admittedly, I prefer the punchy verses to the chorus, with the latter reminding me of something out of P!nk's discography, but I revel on Emma’s energy and her letter to the city of Rome. We have struggles about the place we are from, but still try to sing its praises when we can!

The staging was a bit tacky at times, but I did like the aesthetics of it—particularly her laurel wreath. Her costume had a good concept also, but is also overdone it in terms of the bejeweled top.

(As for the Sanremo winner that year, Contravento, it feels like a bit of a grower. The clarinet intro really takes one in, but there has to be a whimsical, sweet staging to accompany the hopeful song. Had they done so, a left-side finish would've waited for them)

Personal ranking: 6th/37 Actual ranking: 21st/26 in Copenhagen

#223: Brigitta -- Open Your Heart (Iceland 2003)

“Everything you share with me Turns a little darkness into light And that is how we’re meant to be Truth will keep the light shining brighter”

Also known as, the woman who originally came from Husavik! The difference is that Birgitta was the lead singer of the group Irafar. Open Your Heart reminds me of songs that end up on DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) soundtracks—it can actually work in the end, but also in the beginning to introduce the characters and/or their circumstances. The random running order really helped it with being first, haha! Beyond that, it's an optimistic song, helped with the guitar influences which ground it in the era. Plus, the production and lyrics add to this feel, encouraging even the shiest to open up their feelings. Also, I like the flowery aesthetic that Birgitta has, from one in her hair to the larger one (which I think is real?) on her microphone. Personal ranking: 4th/26 Actual ranking: 8th/26 in Riga

#222: Tomas Ledlin -- Just nu! (Sweden 1980)

“Han vill dra iväg, kanske ner till Paris Och hitta äventyret på något vis Inte sitta här på stans konditori Och låta tankarna, bara fladdra förbi” “He wants to go away, perhaps down to Paris And find adventure somehow And not just sitting here at the local café Just letting the thoughts flutter by” The 1980s saw the genre New Wave come to vogue, and Just Nu was a valiant attempt on the genre, especially considering the direction Eurovision would go later. From the opening notes, I got the punkish notes from the instrumentation, and the lyrics definitely add to the feeling of being free from societal expectations, crying out "right now"! (which is funny, because I learned Romanian at one point and nu means no in the language. So I keep thinking it's "just no!" against conformity) Tomas also shows quite the attitude on stage--he just struts into the stage with a boyish charm and kickstarts the song. With his looks and usage of the microphone stand, he portrays this rebellious character well, though the orchestration could’ve been improved with the strings and flute. Personal ranking: 2nd/19 Actual ranking: 10th/19 in Den Haag

#221: Lea Sirk -- Hvala, ne! (Slovenia 2018)

“Moje ime je Lea in/Za vas imam nov lik!” “My name is Lea/ And I have a new character for you!”

I love the opening lines for this song—it immediately sets the tone and has a strong statement alongside it. She's Lea, and she won't let anything down on She asserts that she can’t be sold out, and has a great attitude to accompany the trap beat, which reminds me of a K-pop song for some reason. The staging fits the song to a T--though it didn't need any changes from the NF, haha. As for the fake break, I don't have any strong opinions on it, but it definitely kept up interest for the song. A nicer touch was the Portuguese line in the end. Either way, it was a surprise qualifier in its semi that year, and it was one surprise that I greatly welcomed. Hvala da!

Personal ranking: 8th/43 Actual ranking: 22nd/26 GF in Lisbon

#esc 250 #esc top 250 #esc germany #esc france #esc israel #esc sweden #esc portugal #esc italy #esc iceland #esc slovenia #three minutes to eternity #eurovision song contest

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mercurygray · 4 years ago

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It turns out when you reblog things late at night, like sketches of mermaids, you get nice messages in your inbox like this one:

@junojelli Because I am a terrible enabler of AUs, Joan as a mermaid of Zell Lake *runs away*

How much damage can Merc do on this prompt with two uninterrupted hours of time? A lot, it turns out.

A mermaid found a swimming lad, Picked him for her own, Pressed her body to his body, Laughed; and plunging down Forgot in cruel happiness That even lovers drown.

- William Butler Yeats

The locals say there are mermaids in the lake.

Have been for centuries - it used to be quite a tourist attraction in the seventeen-hundreds, coming to see the mermaids of Zell am See. It was part of the grand tour, almost like the haunted castles of France and the vampyrs of Romania and buying art in Italy. Very fashionable, to come and sketch them, or write poetry about them, or, better still, start an affair, which was extremely en vogue for a little while. There's probably a great deal of very nice jewelry at the bottom of that lake - but then, no one's tried to dive for it.

Mermaids, they say, can be very possessive.

But then the Enlightenment happened, and the Scientific Revolution after that, and several other revolutions meant there wasn't quite as much ready money for long, protracted trips through Europe for the idle rich, and a deal fewer idle rich to take them, and these sorts of quaint customs sort of fell out of fashion. It had been temporarily revived for a bit in the late 1870s by the arrival of the Americans, who, in their usual way, gave it new life by changing it and making it a thing for young women rather than young men, to go to the mountain lake at Zell am See as a stop on their own Grand Tours, the headstrong Buccaneers ready to trade American cold hard cash and good looks for European panache and husbands with titles.

That was the first American incursion into Austria. This, however, is the second, and it comes not in a four-in-hand coach but a four-wheel drive truck.

Magical creatures aren't totally new news to the Americans - there are all kinds of magical sorts floating around the greater 48. Winters reads the security memorandum from the Battalion S2 who's replaced Nixon, shakes his head, and passes the word down to Lieutenant Lipton: "Don't let Malarkey go near the lake."

That's the fear they have, the stories they've all been raised on, of the sirens who would have dragged Ulysses down to the depths of the sea with their songs. Their long wandering through this war is almost over - they're almost home! Be a shame to survive the damn war and lose their men to mermaids. Malarkey's been a man on the edge since Bastogne, for good reasons, and of all the men under his command, Dick Winters is afraid particularly that once happy-go-lucky Don from Astoria, Oregon, will hear something in that lake that will keep him underneath forever.

He's right - but not in the way he thinks.

One morning, Don is down by the lake sitting on the pier, and in the water next to him, bold as brass, is a lovely looking lady with dark hair, winsome eyes, and a tail like the better class of rainbow trout, dappled and flashing. And they're just...talking. She doesn't seem particularly interested in dragging anyone under the lake - but she is drinking in the story of Don's war.

(The mermaids, it turns out, speak excellent English - all those tourist Buccaneers and their maiden aunts! Sounds a little like your grandmother, but it works.)

Lipton observes for a while and decides to leave the man there. By dinnertime, Don comes back in looking like a changed man - there's an actual spring in his step. That's the magic of the mermaids of Zell Am See - they'll steal your cares away in the best way possible.

After Malarkey's surprising discovery, it's hard to keep the men away from the lake. There are a few familiar faces now, though none of them are bold enough to leave a name. (The locals say that's expected. If you know a mermaid's name, you could compel her to leave the lake.) And here, on the side of a lake in Austria, Easy Company slowly processes their war. Lewis spends a lot of time talking with Malarkey's mermaid, whom they are calling Eileen after a girl Malarkey went to school with. Dick privately thinks that this is a good thing - Lewis is processing a lot more than just his war.

When Dick finally goes down to the lake, it's not to talk. He goes early in the morning, just after the sun comes up. He's tired of running and calisthenics. He wants to swim, and the usual suspects are not at the pier yet. (Sometimes they're out early in the morning like seals in the zoo, doing each others' hair and giggling in the way girls everywhere do when they're assembled in large groups.)

Good. That's the point of this exercise - he wants to be alone.

The water is crisp and refreshing, and so, so needed. Dick Winters hasn't done anything for himself - really for himself - for months now, and this is probably the first real treat he's given himself since ordering in all that ice cream a few weeks ago.

He's all the way out in the deep part of the lake when he realizes he's picked up a training partner.

She's following him - at a respectful distance, mind you - just...watching. Is she afraid he's going to drown? (The mermaids are protective, not possessive - it's different. Wouldn't let you drown in the lake unless they thought you deserved it.) But there's a competitive streak in Dick Winters, and he decides, just for fun, to pick up his pace.

She matches him.

They are nearly at the other side of the lake when he stops, treading water, his heart pounding, regretting his decision to try and race a woman who's literally half-fish, and then, suddenly, she is sailing up over him like a dolphin. (None of the others have ever done this.) Show-off, thinks one part of his brain. The other part watches in silent, smiling wonder. It hadn't really clicked with any of the others before - the mermaids are beautiful. Or at least, this one is.

Up, up, up, she goes, body arching and glistening in the sun, spangling the air with water, and then dives out of sight. Did he scare her off? Offend her?

Then she's back, bobbing in the water a few feet away. "Aren't we going to finish the race?" she asks, smiling.

"A guy should know when he's beat," he manages with a smile. "You win."

"Usually men don't make it this far out," she says. "It's impressive." She's the type who isn't usually impressed, he can tell. They've all got personalities, and now that they're talking, he recognizes her - she's not usually out with the others. Lewis has talked with her a couple of times - she's the one who makes him laugh. Lewis calls her Duchess - she's got a sort of high society feeling and she seems to be nominally in charge.

He's still trying to catch his breath - and the shore is so incredibly far. "Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to make it back."

Her eyes light up a little. "Ask me nicely," she says. Ask you for what? he wonders, his body exploring possibilities it wasn't exploring ten minutes ago. (She notices, of course, and laughs.)

In the end, she takes his hands and tows him. "Hold your breath - and squeeze my hand if you need to stop."

It feels like flying. One minute they're at rest, and the next they're charging through the water, her tail pumping powerfully, her hands still locked around his wrists. This would be how she drowns a man, to take him down to where he couldn't breathe, but they're only a foot or two beneath the surface. He's reminded, oddly enough, of parachuting, the rush of air along his face, the adrenaline. He looks at her, muscles straining in the clear water, strong as anything, smiling and laughing for the sheer joy of being alive.

Oh, yeah, he's a goner.

Slowly word gets around that anyone up at the crack of dawn can see Winters and his new friend taking an early morning swim together. Good for him, the feeling is. That man needs something for himself.

(Certain parties who've also been up at the crack of dawn may have also been treated to the sight of Major and the mermaid, embracing on the tiny spit of beach near the hotel. Lew asks him about it one afternoon and, strangely, Dick doesn't blush about it.)

#i have written a thing #a mindlessly self indulgent thing #as one does sometimes #all the alternate universes #mermaids #1940s girl gang #joan warren #mermaid au

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transparenttriumphzombie · 4 years ago

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Harry Styles On Vogue

Source:

https://www.vogue.com/article/harry-styles-cover-december-2020/amp?__twitter_impression=true

From Vogue MAGAZINE

Playtime With Harry Styles

“There’s so much joy to be had in playing with clothes. I’ve never thought too much about what it means—it just becomes this extended part of creating something”

I ask her whether her brother had always been interested in clothes.

“He’s up for it,” confirms Lambert, who earlier this year, for instance, found a JW Anderson cardigan with the look of a Rubik’s Cube (“on sale at matchesfashion.com!”). Styles wore it, accessorized with his own pearl necklace, for a Today rehearsal in February and it went viral: His fans were soon knitting their own versions and posting the results on TikTok. Jonathan Anderson declared himself “so impressed and incredibly humbled by this trend” that he nimbly made the pattern available (complete with a YouTube tutorial) so that Styles’s fans could copy it for free. Meanwhile, London’s storied Victoria & Albert Museum has requested Styles’s original: an emblematic document of how people got creative during the COVID era. “It’s going to be in their permanent collection,” says Lambert exultantly. “Is that not sick? Is that not the most epic thing?”

“It’s pretty powerful and kind of extraordinary to see someone in his position redefining what it can mean to be a man with confidence,” says Olivia Wilde

Hairdresser Malcolm Edwards is setting Styles’s hair in a Victory roll with silver clips, and until it is combed out he resembles Kathryn Grayson with stubble. His fingers are freighted with rings, and “he has a new army of mini purses,” says Lambert, gesturing to an accessory table heaving with examples including a mini sky-blue Gucci Jackie bag discreetly monogrammed HS. Michele has also made Styles a dress for the shoot that Tissot might have liked to paint—acres of ice-blue ruffles, black Valenciennes lace, and suivez-moi, jeune homme ribbons. Erelong, Styles is gamely racing up a hill in it, dodging sheep scat, thistles, and shards of chalk, and striking a pose for Mitchell that manages to make ruffles a compelling new masculine proposition, just as Mr. Fish’s frothy white cotton dress—equal parts Romantic poet and Greek presidential guard—did for Mick Jagger when he wore it for The Rolling Stones’ free performance in Hyde Park in 1969, or as the suburban-mom floral housedress did for Kurt Cobain as he defined the iconoclastic grunge aesthetic. Styles is mischievously singing ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” to himself when Mitchell calls him outside to jump up and down on a trampoline in a Comme des Garçons buttoned wool kilt. “How did it look?” asks his sister when he comes in from the cold. “Divine,” says her brother in playful Lambert-speak.

#harry styles #non binary #men wearing dress #harry styles in dress #transgender #trans pride #transgender woman #dresses #men in dresses #dress

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igeniskapitany · 4 years ago

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“Fear”. Photographed by Nhu Xuan Hua for Vogue Italy

#fear #photography #vogue

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tcnosfm-blog · 5 years ago

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.･:*:･ﾟ ’ valentino espsito , a twenty three year old , cismale , works as a musician who came from manhattan roots . while they were attending st jude’s they were known as the broken bird because they could be very reticent . those closest to them say they’re quite stoic though . to get a better understanding of who they are , some things you may notice about them are ferocious memories dancing across his flesh before sinking their teeth into him , the feeling of pain reminding him of his own presence in the world , night sweats that form a pool of anger and an ocean of sadness . you may have mistaken them for justin bieber .

hi hello peaches !! this ? is a fucking train wreck i call valentino but god do i fucking love him ? he’s the combination of two muses of mine and well i’m really excited to explore him ! all while going back to my jb roots ( can you believe there was a time where the only male fc i could use was the love of my life justin bieber ? is it crack ? is that what i was smoking ? ) if you would like to learn more about valentino , please just keep reading !! oh please bare with me , me and introductions are not friends .

❝ ┄ 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓼𝓸𝓹𝓸𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓹𝓱𝔂 !

chapters of a childhood that reflected two halves of then and now . like a book that cannot be ripped from your hands , the esposito’s story captured hues of millions . expect , instead of unfolding on pages of a book , their lives were recorded by the hands of the media / smiling ( or hands up covering irritated expressions ) on the front pages of magazine , elaborating on success and fortune with oprah winfrey , beautiful photoshoots that are plastered with such brands as vogue and elle magazine . adored . you could consider them that . they were affluence dipped in sovereignty .

alessandro esposito , fifteen years old when he came to america from naples italy . for two weeks , him and his family of seven slept on the cold streets of new york . his father , a business man that went bankrupt decided to allow his legs to run and run until they landed him to america in search of a second chance . that year , had been a year of struggle . but it taught alessandro all he needed to know , showed him everything he refused to be .

alessandro , he put himself through college . got a job the minute his feet touched new york at an italian owned pizza place , and ran himself through the ringer with school . he wanted to study business . be the man his father never was . he was determined .

it was his junior year where he meet sienna remis , the twenty something year old break out model .. who in reality should of never given alessandro the time or day .. but she gave him more then that , four years later , she gave him her word that she was in it with him forever .

she did not want children . she was a model . used her body for her work , worked for her body . struggled with herself to remain the model of every company’s dream . and then , she accidentally got pregnant . and despite having no intentions of keeping it , one look at her husbands face and she made a decision that would cost her . she had it .

and then , she had another one . and then another one .. and then , another one .

the esposito’s were a traditional italian family , spent almost every moment with one another . celebrated holidays at nonna & nonno’s . did family vacations with their four aunts / uncles and their seventeen cousins . the esposito’s as a whole , were successful . alessandro’s oldest brother being a plastic surgeon for celebrities such as kim kardashian and kylie jenner . his sister , she dabbled in the world of acting before settling into fashion design . his youngest brother worked along his side , building an empire of hotels and restaurants . and , his youngest sister whom had the ability to capture a thousand words in single painting moved back to italy to live a normal life .

zynaty , the empire that holds hundreds of hotels and restaurants across the globe . the business that took alessandro and his brother everything they had to create .

valentino navarone clemente esposito was the second child to alessandro and sienna . from the moment he open warm colored hues , took his first breaths , privilege was granted to him . a child in the spotlight , it was what he became . one of the esposito’s destined to do great things . to be somebody . the media ate him up . everything he did , everything his siblings did , they wanted to be apart of it , to exploit , to adore , to wait and watch how they would unfold .

the first eleven years of valentino’s childhood consisted of tender forehead kisses and the feeling of warm comfort wrapping around him like a blanket . his days consisting of laughter that fell from his siblings lips , sports that shook all of his energy right out of him . homemade dinners , forced movie nights ( though deep down he always enjoyed snuggling up to his mother ) , tutors , piano lessons , and guitar lessons . by the time he was eight , he was fluent in italian . played on three different hockey teams . bickered with his oldest brother like it was his job ( but more so because he wanted to do everything he did and did not like being told no . ) spent hours in his fathers office gazing out the windows , eating greasy burgers with his father in exchange that neither of them would snitch to the others . summers with his grandparents in italy . at the age of ten he was staring in commercials such as toy’s r us and even chef boyardee .

the esposito’s were being offered reality tv show’s , the spot of ambassador’s for ridiculously prosperous brands . everything they did , it was an article . sienna takes her children out to the park , alessandro walks the family dog , valentino scored final goal . and then , it happened . headlines of , valentino esposito admitted to hospital due to injuries from his mother .

sienna , she was tender . angelic. had a smile that melted hearts . her laughter felt like music to your ears .. everyone described her as gentle , a beautiful soul . but after her last child , she fell into such dark places . so dark that drinking her way out of them seemed to be the only way to survive . to get through it … but the drinking always made her violent . usually , it was never anything more then her screaming horrid words to her children . usually she saved physical contact for alessandro . the next morning , she’d beg for forgiveness . buy the gifts and allow them to stay home from school . she’d swear she’d never do it again , and for weeks she wouldnt . and then , like a switch she would .

nine pm , alessandro headed to las vegas for a business trip ( one that included his mistress ) , his mom she found the liquor cabinet . one drink turned to three and three turned to the whole bottle vanishing . valentino remembers , her screams and his little brother crying . he was always protective , and when his oldest brother was not around he always felt like it was even more of his duty to watch out for his . so that’s what he did . his feet leading him down to the kitchen .. and when his hues reached hers , the once angelic mother he knew , he loved disappeared . she was a monster in human form . and her hands had reached for his brother and non stop shook him as she repeated , screamed how much she never wanted them . that she never wanted them .

valentino remembers this much , fear . confusion . the need to free his little brother . and then he remembers covering his face , pleading for her to stop , and pain .

it was his brother who called the cops , and when he got to the hospital he had broken ribs , bruises that covered his faces like it skin tone was purple , and a concussion .

the months after that , consisted of legal actions . divorces . therapy . and attempting to heal . something that was deemed impossible with the media constantly throwing it back into their faces . pleading for their statements , wanting to dig deeper . paparazzi harassing not only his family , but friends of his family , co workers , teachers , nannies . it got so bad , alessandro took him and his children back to italy for an entire year . wanting to give them enough time to adjust , to heal , all while trying to heal on his own .

❝ ┄ 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓯𝓽. 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓬𝓪𝓷𝓸𝓷𝓼 !

hard headed and words like knives , a burning fire lives within the boy . one that holds onto pain and anger , ��their claws slashing violently into his heart . after the accident , he was told he had sad eyes . and for a while , it was because it was true . sadness had intertwined themselves within him , and when he finally got tired of the hole in his heart that dropped to their needs pleading with anyone to help it , he pushed the sadness out and let anger stand in it’s place .

there’s sanity in the constancy his fist always presented him , in italy he found himself in fights after fights . twelves year old , fighting his demons and fighting anyone who wronged him even in the smallest of senses .

he’s like picking up dice and praying you land on a good number , you never know what you’ll get .. will you see the specks of playfulness and charm ? his anger that burns brighter then any fire ? the silent sadness ?

his ambition is gold . he wants to be something in this world . and his passion and intelligent helps keep him on this path .

being an athlete has always come natural to him , he was that kid who was good at literally everything he did .. and while he doesnt play hockey anymore , or as much as he use to , he still gets himself up at five am to run .

his family is a priority . the only people who get all of him , his sadness , his softness , his broken pieces , his protectiveness , his loyalty , his undying love .

despite what you may think , he has a big heart . it sneaks to the surface with small acts of kindness .. the way his hand will reach out to you with intentions of affection before retreating . it’s in his words of , ‘ did you eat ? ‘ and , ‘ let me walk ya home ‘

he is a lover , no matter how hard he tries to convince you his heart is cold that will never be the case . ever .

he’s a curious person , and usually ends up getting suck into people and things despite his promises that he wont .

he hates commitment and attachment .. but can you blame him.

has this fear that everyone he loves will somehow someway hurt him .

has a bad habit of hurting those who hurt him .

he’s unpredictable , stubborn , a little sarcastic .

he can be cruel , unemotionally unavailable . it’s always easier to feel nothing then feel . ( has a constant fight with himself on whether he should let you in , but he will if you are determined enough .. as much as he can )

he’s super intelligent , quick with numbers . his dad use to tell him he was going to be a king , at least in the business industry ..

loves children .. definitely cannot wait to have children of his own some day .

he still spends a lot of his time in italy , usually with his grandparents or his aunt . he likes it there , likes being able to breathe , to walk down the street without harassment .

he wanted to go into his dad’s business , his dad wanted him to come into the business . but , he instead found his passion in music ? it was not surprising , the baby has always been talented .. it just took him a little longer to realize that it was what he wanted to do .

has a journal he carries with him almost every where , he remembers in the seventh grade someone teased him about it being a diary . he also got suspended that day . it’s his song book , the only way to really know him .

he learned fast that , he never wanted to inflict harm onto anyone else like his mom did .. and at twenty four is not a violent guy . he acts out of self defense but will never put his hands on you first .

on that note , do not put your hands on him . he does not like to be handled , slapped , shoved . he does not like being grabbed , dont even poke him aggressively .

he flinches , if you move too fast near him . if you move your hands when yelling at him .

he had night terrors for years . therapy helped him with it .. but sometimes they make a recurrence . more so if he’s really stressed or anxious .

is such a boy when it comes to cars . love speeding , showing off , making you hold on for your dear life .

he does not like drunk people , is not the guy that will normally take care of you unless you’re his siblings , or a very close friends . does not really drink himself . has a drink here and there , but has never gotten drunk … he could truly go the rest of his life without ever drinking again .

he is a smoker , smokes a blunt every night before bed .

he is signed with a record label , and has released two albums ! also he went on two tours ! music is something he truly enjoys . it makes him feel all light and happy ? like he’s his old self again . voice wise , think justin bieber but singing post malone songs ..

he’s doing a little soul searching , soaking up life .. as much as he can . trying to remind himself of all the reasons it feels soo good to be here , right now , living and breathing.

❝ ┄ 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 !

asdfg okay , i wanted to write out super long and detailed connections but im already annoyed with myself and cannot even imagine how yous will feel having to read this mess ! so i want a bromance , something cute and simple . they’re there for him non stop , he considers them family , would do anything for them , they bring out old valentino who just wants to have fun and act like a fool ! a childhood friend , someone who knows everything about the accident he doesn’t speak to anymore to avoid the memories . some party friends and bad influences . hookups !!! a sibling like friendship , someone who reminds him of his younger brother or sister . an messy ex of some sort . one sided relationships !! one sided friendships !! that one person who’s soooo determined to break down his walls .

#xo.intro #TRIGGER WARNING: child abuse #sorry for any mistakes or confusion #this has been sitting in the drafts for a minute #cant wait to use this baby im so excited

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heymondoitaliano · 5 years ago

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For it was written (in Vogue)

Sometime ago my wife, Pip, was reading an article in Vogue Living by Stephanie Alexander which sang 0 kilometre praises of a place in the smack dang centre of the Salento region, called Le Stanzie. It was at this point, several months ago, and following a couple of emails to book, that our luncheon date at this venue was confirmed. The 0 kilometre thing is about cooking the stuff that you grow on-site and Le Stanzie is a restored 15th Century farmhouse, known as a masseria in these parts, with a large farm attached.

It was about a 40 minute drive to the south west of Lecce, on the road to a town called Supersano and just past one called Maglie. We were early away and had time to make a quick stop in Maglie, quite a sizeable town and, like most towns in this area, a car to people ratio of about 27 to 1. Seriously, parking is the blight of anyone touring Italy. Those elusive blue-lined spaces are highly valuable and rarely available. A couple of death-defying circuits of the central area, dodging oncoming and overtaking drivers on tiny roads and a blue-lined park became available right in front of us. Rule 2 of touring Italy is “take the park when you see it”. (Rule 1 is “use the toilet whenever you have a chance” and is far more important to remember). We took the park, took some coffee and took a walk through the the commercial centre of Maglie, stopping barely long enough for some members of our party who were not me to purchase a jumper or two from Benetton.

Time to move on to our luncheon date with destiny and the realisation that we had no idea how much it would cost. Caution was thrown to the wind and on we motored to the Stanzie. We found it and we found a few other cars there, but we did not find a soul for quite some time. There were grand entrances with no apparent doors and the two storey, square, stone building was packed with gorgeous bucolic scenes - white linen fluttering on the propped lines in the courtyard; orange tomatoes hanging to dry under the portico; chillies growing in neat lines along the drive. We wandered around the grounds for a while, others arrived and followed in our footsteps, peering in at windows, trying doors until eventually someone gained entry and we followed into a beautifully set dining room with a wood fire in the fireplace and the walls decorated with farming artefacts and shelves bending with unlabelled bottles of tomato passata. Still no one around, so we followed our noses through another couple of these beautiful rooms with fires and eventually found ourselves at the back door near where we had originally arrived. There was a pig being basted on a spit in a large kitchen and a table set up and waiting with a lovely woman there to offer us a welcome ramekin of black chickpeas, eggplant and speck, which was amazingly simple and flavourful.

After the ceci nero, we were shown to our table, back down near the door we had gained entry to and it was decided that we would take a tour after our lunch. Remember those cautions we had thrown to the wind about the price? They were catching up to us - this place was so elegant and the service so lovely and the other clients so, well, well-off looking, we had to throw extra caution to the wind. There is no menu here. They come and explain what’s on offer today and you can choose from a couple of dishes - first were a number of little dishes to eat with the house baked bread, white fava bean puree with fried bread, lentils, chicory, an historic breakfast dish of chicory, beans and bread, winter tomatoes and eggplant, a strong hard sheep’s cheese, and pittole (little fried balls of dough). Our second course was pasta - two different types, one with salt cod and the other with pork belly (from the spit outside) - we shared two dishes fearing that we would peak too soon. We were also feeling the effects of a couple of jugs of wine.

The final course was a choice of either horse meat in tomato sugo, a mixed grill of sausages, bombette and chops - we were not ready for horse meat, so the mixed grill met whatever needs we still had in the most fabulous of ways. By hour three, we were pausing before launching into dolce - house made pasticiotto and crostini with coffee. All in all, 4 hours of sensational local food. Nothing grand, but all of fantastic quality and excellently prepared and served. We moved to the tour section of the afternoon, descending into the frantoio beneath the farmhouse, where indentured labourers worked in the semi-darkness, up to 18 hours a day for 7 months at a time producing olive oil for lamp fuel which was taken away to light northern European streets by Venetian merchants. The building itself, took eight years to restore after it was purchased as a ruin - we met the lovely owner, who wandered through the dining rooms chatting and greeting the diners and claiming to be a farmer (his hands were suspiciously soft).

The gorgeous woman who served us and took us on the tour, showed us her work. She had a loom which had been discovered in the farmhouse when it was taken over and had been restored and she was proud to be continuing the weaver’s craft - her product was spectacular.

After our 4 hour sitting, the reckoning was upon us. There was a small room with a desk and chairs and a computer. We assumed that the chairs were for us to sit at while we discussed a payment plan. But unbelievably, this amazing experience cost us 90 euros all up. For three. Total. They even tucked a freshly made, still warm loaf of bread under our arm to take home with us.

I suspect this was one of those experiences that will stay with me. It will certainly feature at dinner parties for many moons (sorry!).

It was quite dark when we arrived home and we didn’t feel like dinner.

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